Open Chronicles An Anirian Phoenix

[Autumn Whispergrove]

Even since the rebuilding of her home, Autumn had not spent much time outside. Her memories oft still plagued her and even with the revolution, she felt great unease around the Dreadlords that stalked this place. Despite all the constant reminders of a life that had been stripped from her and somewhat put back together, Autumn knew two things.

She was indebted to Thorne for all he provided her throughout the years.

And she was a damn good courier.

"Excuse me!" She said whilst squeezing between two people who refused to make way for her.

Autumn was not a strong young woman; never had been. She was lithe and frail and quick on her feet. She dodged passed carriages and crowds of men who eyed her hungrily to ensure she was never late to a delivery. Not once! She never had been and today would be no different.

"Pardon!" She'd say in her mousy voice in order to alert the guard on horseback she was bounding past him. He gave her a quick look and a raised brow before turning back to his duties.

Almost at her destination, she looked back just briefly to grab the needed parcel from her bag and when she did so, she felt a collision with a stranger and they both tumbled to the ground. Her knapsack dropped several parcels to the ground and her face erupted in horror!

"No, no no!" She said in a hurried panic, forgetting entirely about who she'd rammed straight into.

 

[Karl von Stehlen]

"Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil."
-Baltasar Gracian​

Vel Anir, it wasn't a place that Karl particularly liked to linger around for too long. Of all the places that Karl had travel to in the wider world, the towns and cities of Vel Anir felt among the coldest. By all means a human knight like him should have fit in quite well among the backdrop of Vel Anir, but there was a sense of heaviness that linger everywhere the knight went; not just in the locations one would visit, but also in the people you spoke to. If it would up to Karl, he likely would have steered well clear of any settlements that flew the Anirian banner.

But today Karl was on a courier mission, delivering some correspondents from his brother to one of the local merchants guilds. And if Otto had sent for Karl specifically, then message had to be of some importance. Tis one of the duties of being an order's champion; you were always first pick for one of the more dangerous missions. Luckily the task at hand, important as it may be, was simple enough.

At least, that was how things were suppose to play out.

"Your doing good, girl..." Currently, man and mount were standing near one of the city's hitching posts, with the knight grooming down his steed as it took a long drink from a nearby trough. It was clear to anyone that the two must have been traveling for quite sometime, given how worn the mount seemed.

And like this Karl continued to tend to his steed, until he felt a light THUMP against the back of his plate armor. Turning his head, the armored man took note of the girl on the ground, now frantically trying to pick up some things she dropped.

Perhaps it was better to leave things be, after all it was better to not invite trouble or attention. But responding his baser instinct as a knight, Karl turned stowed the horse brush onto his mount's saddle, before turning around with the intent to help.

"Here." Picking up some of the parcels that the women had dropped, the armored man offered it back to it's owner, though his visible expression conveyed a sense of indifference that starkly contrasted the flustered girl. "You dropped this."

 

[Autumn Whispergrove]

Autumn continued to gather the fallen mail so intently that she didn't realize he was trying to assist her. It wasn't until she'd picked up the last of her side of things that it dawned on her that she should be addressing the person she'd so clumsily slammed into.

"Oh, my goodness! I'm so sorry!" She put a hand to her chest as she spoke to the man in gilded armor. He didn't look a dreadlord, so her fears were easily dissuaded. The man seemed wholly disinterested in the scenario she'd thrust upon him. Couldn't blame him, as he was likely busy.

"I should be wary where I am going. Please forgive me for this intrusion."

 

[Karl von Stehlen]

Karl watched as the girl swiped the package from his hand, his expression remained neutral, though perhaps more so out of habit then purposeful intent. Indeed, what the young knight had in martial prowess he severely lacked in social aptitude, a fact that he was often reminded by his siblings and collogues alike. It made interactions for him awkward, considering he often didn't have an abundance to say.

Maybe that was why Otto kept sending him on these type of far-flung courier missions...

"No harm done." The knight said in a monotone voice, giving a slight wave of the hand as if indicating that it wasn't a big deal. "As you say, take care in where you step. There are those out there who'll start trouble over less."

Karl had intervened in enough brawls to know from first hand experience, considering that it didn't take much to tick off some people, to a point where they'd try to take a swing at an armored knight. At least during those incidents Karl had the authority to stop it, but outside of his realm? That was another story...

"Don't linger for too long, now." Turning back to his mount, Karl began reaching into his saddlebag, attempt to retrieve something. "I'm sure there are plenty of hungry and prying eyes in this city, all seeking an opportunity..."

 

[Autumn Whispergrove]

As the parcels were gathered she stood up quite abruptly with a nod of her head, determined through his words to be better observant!

He’s a nice man, a rarity here. Or maybe things changed since the revolution? I am unsure. I should try to be out more, maybe.

She extended a hand his way with a gleaming smile.

“I appreciate the advice, sir!”

While it was a pleasant moment, Autumn had not taken notice of the prying eyes Karl had spoken on. The group of three, just west of them, hoping for the knight to depart so they could follow.

 

[Necro Lizard]

Spat out from a portal, Necro Lizard rolled down a small grass bank like an abused and abandoned bag of rubbish. Skin grased and energy low he managed to get to his feet using his wooden farmers scythe as a walking stick.

Necro Lizard : Where am I?

In the near distance lay a settlement of which he knew no name. Only one thing on his mind, food.

Still exhausted from the conflict in The Forgotten City, he knew that in order to continue his journey to find out where he came from and who he really is, Necro Lizard was going to have to aquire his next meal by hook or by crook.

As he pressed forward to the courtyard, a scuffle was caused by a young woman running straight into the back of a Knight! On lookers gasped as surely this would be the end of the young one...

Necro Lizard paid no more attention to the encounter as he snuck past a stall owner and stole some bread along with jar of wild nettle brew.

Cowered into a dark corner behind three whispering strangers, Necro Lizard ate his food, drunk his drink and pondered on what his next move would be.

 

[Karl von Stehlen]

Karl had been expecting the young women to take off the moment his back was turned, and had almost missed the offer of a hand if he hadn't turned just decided to glance back on a whim. Odd, most people around these part weren't usually this friendly...

"Of course, it's not a problem." Removing his hand out of his saddlebag, Karl retrieved what looked to be a oatcake. Passing it off to his other hand, the knight take the women's hand into his metal gauntled hand, doing his best not to apply so much pressure as to imprint the oat crumbles into the women's hands.

"Be on your way now. I'm sure there are people waiting on you."

Given that the knight's attention was on the girl, he didn't exactly notice the ones that were watching. Or maybe he did, but it was hard to tell friend from foe given the multitude of people moving to and fore. It was a city after all, and there were still quite a lot of people moving about. No sense in accusing anyone until you were sure...

Autumn Whispergrove

 

[Autumn Whispergrove]

She nodded affirmatively post the handshake. He was right! A many people needed their mail and Autumn was judge, jury and executioner of delivery. She would not fail the city in this way!

She bowed quickly and waved the nice armored knight off before she got moving again.

-

“Aye, she’s headed away.”

“Wait til’ she’s in residential areas again, there’ll be less patrol.”

“Dumb fucking kid. Don’t lose sight of her.”

The three strangers that whispered by the stalls stood up from their leaning position and threw their hoods up. They meandered away from the bazaar and onto Autumn’s trail. Something that girl had in her bag must have value, right?

 

[Karl von Stehlen]

Karl gave the girl a nod as he watched her run off, turning his attention back to his mount (Daisy), he began to feed her the oatcake that he had taken out of the saddlebag but moments ago. Perhaps the knight might have been back to his own courier mission had he not been idly glancing around, noticing a stray package in the mud as his mount licked the last of the oak flakes out of his hands.

Brushing off his hands after Daisy was finished, Karl took a step towards the package and picked it up, turning it around to examine it for any inscriptions. Looked like one of the packages the girl was carrying, she probably missed it in her haste. Granted, Karl had his own letter to deliver, but then again...his charge were just expecting him sometime today...

With a small sigh, the knight would turn and quickly mounted his stead, stowing the package in one of his saddlebags for safe keeping.

"Come on, girl..." Karl said quietly, urging Daisy forward tp a slow trot, eyes searching the ground for something. Despite the numerous amount of footsteps that muddied the streets, Karl focused in on the one set that lead away to where he had just stood. Said knight hadn't been aware of the onlookers, as all his attention was on tracking the courier...

Autumn Whispergrove

 

[Necro Lizard]

That was delicious... Necro Lizard thought to himself.

He curiously glanced over the shoulder of the three men only to see the Knight pick something up from the ground that was not his.
Necro Lizard felt a keen hunger to exact revenge on the thief even though it was not his revenge to have. Evil thoughts work in evil ways...

As he collected himself to take off after the Knight, He notices that the three men are also headed in the same direction.

How dare they go after what is mine!!.. Necro Lizard tomented his own mind with questions to how these three men dare try to take this revenge from him.

Following in the shadows, preparing to strike down any foe that presents themselves, Necro Lizard pursues the three men, the Knight and the Girl...

 

[Autumn Whispergrove]

She bounded off the way she had been, with just a tad more attentiveness. She had to keep her pace if she was planning to make time with all her deliveries. The actions of the people behind her were not in her line of sight and so they were not on her mind any longer.

Autumn exited the bazaar swiftly and looked towards The Wall in order to find houses she was required to pass by. There was luckily an array of them in the same quadrant, and would make her life a hell of a lot easier once those were out of the way.

She kept at it, a light jog to ensure her route’s security.

-

The three took notice of the knight marching the girls way as well, but were still unaware of Necro. The center one threw his hand up and made hand signs towards the other two.

They separated, hoping to cut the girl off before the knight ever caught up to her. Their pace quickened.

 

[Necro Lizard]

Slipping through the shadows beneath the tree line, Necro Lizard remained on the tale of the three men, the Knight and the Girl. As he passed through the leafy foliage, he used his power to Absorb life from the surrounding plant matter regaining full strength ready for the highly possible confrontation.

As he witnessed the three men split up, he couldn't help but to be completely intoxicated with the increased chance of exacting his over powering desire for revenge!

The one on the right is alllllll miiiineeee, Necro Lizard whispered aloud in a tormented voice.