Private Tales In the Pursuit of Power

[Kristen Pirian]

The Kodan encampment.

Though Kristen of course knew little of the Kingdom of Koda, but she could recognize the differences between them and the Allirians. They were (minor quips and mirth from individial soldiers aside) taking this seriously. The Allirians, by contrast, had a sense of urgency which faded dramatically over time it seemed; once the immediate threat in the Chapel was deemed to be over, the Allirian guard force showed remarkably little interest in following up with anything more than a perfunctory investigation into the matter. Perhaps her experience with them was merely a poor first impression, yet it was a lasting one nonetheless.

All the better to underscore that she, a representative of Vel Anir and of House Pirian, ought to make a good impression with Captain Holm.

She accepted the hand and shook, adding in a smile and a modest nod. "And we are well met, Captain." Of Holm's entreaty for a pardon of his troops, Kristen said graciously, "Oh, but a certain amount of rough humor is to be expected from men who take up the sword and place themselves between the home they love and what dangers may assail it."

The comment flowed so effortlessly from her tongue. Yet it was only after she had said it that a chill of realization flooded down from her neck and shoulders and gripped her heart—this with the keen awareness of Dauner standing next to her. These are the politics of afar, she told herself. And I have not come as a matter of politics.

She hid her small internal quibble well. Two years ago, as a bright-eyed and fresh-faced noble girl strolling through the gates of the Academy, she would have worn all of her emotions overtly.

To business matters, then: "My presence here may be a touch strange, so allow me, Captain, to explain in brief: I am a Celestialist, among the faithful of the Aionus the Holy Sentinel, and I was visiting Alliria when events pointed me here to the tragedy of Yslan."

She glanced back over her shoulder toward all of the horrid ruins of the poor village. Back to Holm.

"As you can imagine, I am very much interested in seeing the full weight of justice come down like a gavel upon the perpetrators."

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Captain Holm, listened to Kristen's explanation. He smiled, a little relieved to find out that the case wasn't going to be abandoned. Prior to the arrival of the duo, he had received orders to answer to Duke Siegfried before he marched out to join the main army. This meant closing the case, inconclusively. Holm was a minor noble, merely the son of a baron. But he believed in noblesse oblige, so the thought of failing in his duty to find the culprits and prevent such incidents from happening again, had been eating away at him for a while.

"As am I" Holm would respond, smiling at their shared desire. Realizing he'd yet to get her name, he'd inquire. "How may I address you?"

Feeling a little left out, Dauner would let out a cough, as if to say, 'I'm still here'. As though only just noticing him, Holm would let out an exclamation.

"Well met to you too, sir" he'd greet, finally acknowledging his presence. Honorable as a knight, Holm, like many a noble, also had a great amount of pride in his status, which bred arrogance. Since Dauner had shed all traces of nobility before entering the camp, and had only acted as a rough and tough mercenary would, Holm had from the start looked at him like he would a peasant. As someone beneath his station. But he would act with courtesy, as was befitting of one of his status.

"Haha. Nice to meet you too" Dauner would reply, still keeping his rough and tough mercenary act. If you asked him, he'd say it felt fun playing around with the knight. "You can call me Dauner". As soon as he presented himself, Holm's gaze would twist, as if shaken, but before he could speak, "Wait! You're about to say I've got the same name as some big shot you know. Right? Yeah, I get that a lot"

"Very well then… Dauner" Holm didn't look suspicious of Dauner, though. He was rather a little vexed by how informally Dauner spoke with him. From his behavior, any doubt Holm may have had about him being the same man who was causing the first great military mobilization in the kingdom in several decades, were laid to rest. This too was one of Dauner's tactics. The best place to hide was in plain sight, after all, so too, was the best identity to pick when going undercover, the most unexpected one. In this case, Dauner pick himself.

"I'm guessing he's your hired escort" Holm would inquire with Kristen.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

How may I address you?

"Oh, but my manners!" Kristen said, prompted to realize she'd skipped right past this most basic component of said manners. "Lady Kristen Pirian, yet for our purposes here I am content enough with simply being Kristen, if it pleases you."

Dauner coughed, and he and the Captain briefly shared words. The little rise of alarm in the Captain's gaze was...concerning, of course, but it was disarmed. Plausible enough, yes, that Dauner was not the only man on Epressa named "Dauner," yet his boldness was still an impressive thing to behold. More impressive still was his forbearance. He stood before those who would soon be his enemies, and it might well have been easy to gain a callous advantage by eliminating them here and now. He did not commit himself to guile more than he needed to, trusting more in honor and the strength of arms of his Sovereign Order, and this was admirable indeed.

I'm guessing he's your hired escort.

"Yes," Kristen said, and it was only a degree removed from the full truth. "In this endeavor of mine I sought aid, and it was he who answered my plea.

"Mayhap you could share what details have come to the attention of the Kodan authority? In Alliria, an attack of similar characteristics was carried out on a Celestialist chapel. By the grace of Aionus it was thwarted, yet creatures of old lore, Desecrators, were part of it. Their likeness is that of tall, gangly men, clad in dark robes with faces obscured by darkness. Tell me, Captain: has there been any such sightings?"

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Although Dauner never outright considered himself a villain, never did he consider himself a hero in any way. He wasn't a knight of chivalry cut from what novels would have them look like. He was simply a man who trusted in the self-interest of others above all else, and worked towards his whenever he could. He never went out of his way to do anything which didn't bring him benefit or satisfy his interest without cause. As such, he had no reason to act against Holm and his men. Instead, though, as a man, Dauner felt irritated by the oozing arrogance he showed, as a knight, he had Dauner's respect. Thus, if he were to fall, Dauner would rather it be on the field of battle, and not to guile and trickery.

"Thus far, we have yet to have any report of such beings. Truth be told, there was hardly a survivor when first we arrived. As such, there is no one who bore witness to the incident to paint us a description of what happened. But I have suspicions of my own, if you would indulge me" Holm would start, walking over to his desk where lay a map of the region, extending west all the way to the border, where Sovereignty castle stood.

"A band of roguish mercenaries moved into a once abandoned castle, west of here, not long ago. Apparently there was some friction between them and the kingdom, which has led to a massive mobilization of troops to eliminate the threat before it grows. Such an act as this, I'm afraid, is not too far below the stations of such knaves"

Dauner nearly let out a laugh, but held himself back. This sort of act was indeed not below him, provided he had enough cause. He didn't really have much love for humanity. After all, humans had been the cause of almost all his life's troubles. But then again, that was his way, not the order's way. And after the training on discipline each member went through in the academy, it was hard to believe they'd have done this, and even harder still to believe he'd be unaware of it if they had.

"Hah! It is true that there is nothing beneath such rogues" Dauner would spit to the side in disgust after he said that, somewhat agreeing with what Holm had suggested. "But, do you have proof that they are behind it? Or is your assumption born from the lack of it? Surely you aren't just saying that out of biased judgement, are you?"

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Truly, she ought to have been expecting that this was the Captain's suspicion. Yet as forewarned as Kristen had been yesterday during her initial meeting with Dauner, still it came as a surprise when he all but foisted a direct accusation upon the denizens of Castle Sovereignty.

Blessed Aionus! Was she fortunate to have embarked upon this quest now as opposed to yesteryear! With all the demureness of being the Darling Daughter of House Pirian would she have begun to stutter in her nervousness, cheeks aglow with all the proof of her flustered anxiety, this all but signaling oddness to the Captain about which he would undoubtedly have probing questions.

Fortunately now was she infused with the steel of various tribulations endured, and a resolve far greater than when first she had stepped through the gates of the Academy.

By way of concurring with Dauner, she said, "Indeed. It would be wise to let what evidence there is form the conclusion, rather than a conclusion shape what evidence is regarded."

The only problem, of course, was what had been said by Captain Holm earlier. There was nothing which yet suggested that this was the work of Desecrators and the villain which Kristen and Dauner sought. Fertile ground, then, for the sort of speculation forwarded by the Captain.

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

"Of course, I have evidence to support my assumption" Holm answered, having already expected them to request for what evidence he had.

He calmly pulled out a rectangular shaped bronze colored token from his drawer and placed it before them. The token had a single sword engraved on it. Kristen would most likely be unaware of what it was, since she hailed from far away, but Dauner knew all too well what it represented. He had designed it, after all. It was the identification token squires of the order were issued upon induction. The only reasons it would be in the possession of the Kodan forces were, either its owner had dropped it, or was captured. Dauner hoped, for their sake, that it was the latter. It was clearly stipulated in the rules, of the order, that to lose one's identification, was to lose their qualification as a knight of the order.

"Some mercenary guild's token?" Dauner inquired, donning a curious demeanor as to what it was.

"Yes. It is the token the mercenaries, who call themselves the sovereign order, use, to identify themselves. We caught one of them trying to erase all evidence on the scene when we arrived."

Dauner was about as surprised as anyone would be in the situation. 'Why would the scouts, sent out to investigate, try to erase the evidence?' he wondered.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen cast a quizzical eye to the token presented by Captain Holm, not quite catching on at first. It was only when he said the name of the Sovereign Order that Kristen recognized the insignia. A small detail yesterday, the badge that Rokan Zeffrey wore and the slightly different ones worn by other Order members, but now it had come around with pressing significance.

Specific explanations for how the token may have landed in Captain Holm's possession did not present themselves to her mind. All she could think about, foremost, was keeping composure; it wouldn't do, especially after what she herself had just said, to jump to conclusions.

The truth of the matter needed to be found out. For the sake of her own quest, of course, but also for the reputability of Dauner and his Order.

"You caught one of them," Kristen said levelly. "I presume you still have this mercenary in custody then?"

If she'd taken the sense of the word caught correctly, they could perhaps just speak with the captive. Mayhap easy enough to do so under the Captain's supervision, but a difficult proposition indeed to do so privately.

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Dauner didn't show a hint of worry at the idea that the now captive squire would recognize him. Instead, He was more worried about how Holm got to the conclusion that the squire was trying to erase the 'evidence'. There was never such an order from the top, which meant if it was indeed true, then that squire was doing so out of his own volition, which still was hard to believe for Dauner.

"Indeed, we do. However, he refuses to divulge any information, no matter what means of… interrogation, we use" Holm replied to Kristen, snapping Dauner out of his thoughts. The way Holm had stretched that last part made it evident to Dauner that the squire in question had indeed been tortured, but he didn't think much of it. It was after all normal for captives to be tortured for information.

"Great. I'd like to see this mercenary. Maybe we can, you know… extract some useful information out of him. Hehe" Dauner grinned. A bit disgusted, Holm moved as though to subtly get away from him.

"Of course! Right this way" he'd say, leading them to the captive.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The true grimness of what the Captain meant by "interrogation" did not fully impact Kristen. Here was still some spot of innocence. She had yet to be party to such methods during an interrogation, and only vague and distant was the awareness that, indeed, these methods did exist and were used.

Mayhap if she had experienced the old way of the Dreadlord Academy, she would know. But she had not.

As they followed the Captain's lead, Kristen commented to Dauner, "With any luck, this ought to be illuminating."

It was all she could say openly on the matter.

Blessed Aionus! Getting to the truth of the matter, stuck as they were in the middle of the Kodan encampment, was going to be an vexing ordeal.

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Dauner's facial expression didn't seem to hide how little he cared about one prisoner. So too did it not hide how disgusted he felt when they were faced with the prisoner in question. Not only was he tied out in the open, he was stripped of vestments, and drenched. His skin bore injuries, each looking newer than the last, as though his torturers had made it a point to peel open every wound that clotted, while inflicting new ones. He eyes were souless, like a dead man walking. If the cold didn't kill, the pain soon will.

The fact that he didn't talk, even in this condition, made gave Dauner both a sense of pride in the loyalty of his men, and a wrath that would see those responsible, burn like Yslan once did. But he wouldn't act until he was sure the squire in captivity had done no wrong.

Dauner crouched before the squire, using his hand to push away the hair blocking his face. The squire in turn immediately recognized him as the liege to whom he'd sworn fealty, but did not react, for the circumstances would not allow for it.

"You poor thing" was all Dauner said, sympathetically. At this point, it was getting more than obvious that he was sympathizing with the hostage, and there were more than a few Kodan soldiers that would take offense with this. "I wonder what evidence exactly was he trying to destroy, captain"

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Despite herself and all her efforts to become more resilient, Kristen brought the tips of her porcelain fingers up to cover her mouth. The prisoner looked wretched. His eyes alone told the story of the ghastly time he'd spent in the custody of the Kodans.

War was a grim business. An ugly business. Sometimes a necessary business (as it was with her own current venture against the Desecrators and what foul master lorded over them). Yet must it be waged with the near or total abandonment of humanity? What of an accord of honor, in which one waged war in the manner that they would have their enemies wage it upon themselves? Was victory not enough? Must brutality, savagery, and barbarism be added to a business already grim, already ugly? Was cruelty and malice to reign over empathy and honor?

As Kristen beheld the Sovereign Order prisoner, she kept all of these things in mind. Made for herself a special place within her conscience for them. The sober thought occurred to her, that in her own pursuit of power as a Dreadlord Initiate she would have to resist ceaselessly these things which tempted a heart to said cruelty and malice.

"Yes," Kristen concurred, looking then from Dauner and the prisoner to Captain Holm. "I don't suppose that you have recovered some of said evidence, having thwarted this man's attempt? I should like to know, of course, if I am on the right trail. If Yslan and the incident in Alliria are indeed connected after all."

Still a hum of worry coursed through her chest, but she had to keep composed. Dauner, for his part, was doing remarkably well, what with the dreadful chance that one of his men could have actually been up to no good.

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Dauner was well aware that he'd have to draw blood on this trip, but it hadn't occurred to him that it might be the Kodan's from whom he'd draw first blood. Crouching before the tortured squire, dark intent began to brew within him. For all the malevolence that dwelled within him, he was still someone who knew how to look out for those who had sworn fealty to him. Right now, the only thing standing between him and the slaughter of the Kodan forces out on the field was that the squire yet drew breath. Something that could very well change any second.

"Well, Lady Kristen. I'm afraid this case might not be related to the one you're currently working on" Holm spoke with certainty in his tone. He then proceeded to take out another token, awfully similar to that of the squires of the Sovereign order. "We found him searching the ruins, and this was what he got out of it. When we move in to apprehend him, he tried to destroy it. With that, I was certain that it was those mercenaries behind it, and he was sent back after they realized one of them had made a blunder by dropping this" he'd continue.

The token was identical to that of the squires of the Sovereign order, safe for a little detail. Aside from the traces of haer on it, the haer encryption within it was gone. This was something that only happened to the tokens one's the soul-link with their owner is broken. In other words, once they're dead.

The pieces of the puzzle were suddenly becoming clearer to Dauner. Those behind the massacre had carefully orchestrated a situation where Koda would make war with the Sovereign order, effectively leaving its lands undermanned. It was basically a diversionary tactic. From this, Dauner made a bold guess that the next target was within Koda, which meant the desecrators had yet to leave the kingdom. He'd share this knowledge with Kristen when in a more private setting. For now, however, the matter with the tortured squire was his top priority.

"You are right. All evidence does point to those mercenaries. Damned be them, right? Hahaha" Dauner spoke as though unfazed by the state of the squire. "But really, your method of torture is at best rather primitive, wouldn't you say? It's pretty obvious that if you want answers from them, you have to keep them alive long enough, so they can break, and give in, and then give you the answers you want" he continues, a callous and sadistic looking grin on his face. "But!" he continued, cutting Holm off as he tied to speak. Dauner's expression now change to a somewhat confused one. "That doesn't seem like what you were trying to do. Seeing the state he's in, he can barely even think straight, much less answer questions. It's almost as though rather than for answers, you were simply trying to enjoy him writhing in pain under torture until he died. That's a pretty sick hobby" he finished, now smiling as he said that last part.

At the end of the day, whether the order was wrong or not, wasn't important. What mattered was that his subordinate had been beaten half to death by those he would soon meet on the field of battle, and do war with. That was the only justification he needed for what he was planning on doing. While waiting for Holm's reply, he'd furtively give Kristen a look as though, seeking her approval to commence a slaughter. If his expression wasn't enough, his earlier words and identity would be more than enough to give her insight on what his intentions were. If she didn't try to stop him, bloodshed would be an unavoidable outcome.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

What Dauner knew, Kristen did not.

To her, the picture was incomplete. Of the haer encryption, of the cunning diversionary tactic employed by the perpetrator behind the massacre, she knew nothing. All she had was what was available before her: Captain Holm's account, the tokens, the captive Order squire (not to mention the horrid condition he was in, a clear display of how at least these Kodans treated prisoners of war).

What was clear was that look in Dauner's eye, catching as she did his furtive look whilst Captain Holm considered what he'd said. Ice rolled over her heart, and painful was that frigid touch of trepidation. War was coming—the very thing she herself was training for. Having left from her homeland in visitation to Alliria, having come to by chance bear witness to the escalating conflict between the Kingdom of Koda and the Sovereign Order, it was a touch...strange to her. Always had she been firmly on a constant side involved, the Anirian side, for Vel Anir was her world and she had always been immersed in it, the greater world beyond as much mysterious as it was fascinating. The strangeness she felt was that here in this conflict there was no Anirian side, save perhaps for what she herself felt.

Nevertheless, two foreign powers were ready to make war.

Before Holm could reply, Kristen quickly said, "Thank you for this insight, Captain. May we be excused? I must confer with Dauner about our next steps in tracking the foe that we seek."

A little glance to Dauner, hoping to communicate through her eyes a plea for patience.

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

To say Holm didn't feel disappointed would be a lie. He was betting on Kristen taking over the case and seeing justice served, as all who had a hand in the massacre would be brought down. Those, of course, in his assumptions, would be the spies from the sovereign order currently still in Koda. "Very well, Lady Pirian. Sir Dauner. I shall leave you to it"

He did feel a bit of hostility from Dauner's words. As if the sight before him had shaken the lad. Well did look quite young, bearing the face of a young man, barely in his early twenties. Such young mercenaries tended to still feel shaken by human blood.

"This is war, kid. We do what we must" he said, giving Dauner a solemn look and a pat to the shoulder.

The sword Dauner had been itching to draw would remain sheathed for now, the look returned to him by Kristen having served as a reminded of his promise to her. Such actions would indeed make things harder for her to complete her quest. It wasn't too late to take care of Holm's squad when the war broke out, that is, provided he made it back before that.

As soon as Holm left, Dauner began to laugh. "He called me kid!" he said as he laughed some more. "I must say. Having a young face does have its upsides" he added as he calmed down from his fit of laughter. "Oh, right. Sorry, I almost lost my cool back there for a second". He still very much wanted to cut through the Kodan soldiers, but he'd hold himself back. For now at least.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Dauner's reaction to Holm calling him a "kid" was a little surprising. She could imagine it was denigrating, of course, considering the breadth of what Dauner had seen throughout his life. But...was he not young? He did have a young face, of that there was no denying (such enduring youthfulness of features might well inspire some jealousy in others...mayhap like Holm). Kristen's internal estimation of his age stayed in flux. Hmm. Last time she had thought it close to thirty summers...let's make that thirty-two summers now. Yes, that had to be warmer to the truth of it than before.

But it was neither here nor there. A far more important matter was at hand.

Kristen smiled. Said, "Let us have a walk."

They would need assured privacy for this, for what she truly meant to say. Along the wandering way out of the Kodan encampment Kristen simply talked of non-essential things—a needless recap of clues from the Allirian chapel, weather and travel conditions, an inventory of their traveling supplies—things which the nearby soldiers would overhear and think nothing of.

Only when she found a place amongst the ruins in Yslan, far from any of the Kodan soldiers doing their searches, did she stop. One last glance around their immediate surroundings. And when she was sure, she spoke of what she truly wished to say:

"I know what you must do."

A grim business. An ugly business. But sometimes a necessary business.

Her smile might have waned some, but it did not turn cold. "That man held prisoner by the Kodans is your kin by bond of oath to your Order. I understand."

To be held captive. To be wishing dearly for rescue. Yes, she understood vividly both sides, that of the rescuer and, more poignantly, the rescuee.

"I do not yet know the truth of what happened here in Yslan. But if he has done wrong, then, rather than punishment coming from your enemy, it is better that you take care of your own. If he has not done wrong, all the more impetus driving your present duty to see him liberated."

She stood before him, dignified and calm, like an oracle bestowing a blessing upon a warrior at the eve of battle.

"See it done, if you would. Enter that camp again not as a neutral party or as ostensible ally, but as their declared enemy, and by courage and strength of arms claim victory. As for me, the Kodans have not made themselves my enemy. But for you, Dauner..."

Kristen lifted her left hand, that of her own flesh and blood, and laid it on his shoulder encouragingly.

"Go with my faith and my well-wishing. I will await your triumph."

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Dauner followed Kristen, indulging her with the mundane talks that would see no suspicions raised from the Kodans that would overhear. Until they were truly alone, away from prying ears. There, Kristen gave Dauner her blessing for the very act he thought she'd try to convince him not to do. An ironically humoring situation indeed. Before leaving, Dauner would share his thoughts with Kristen. Now devoid of any mannerism that made him look and sound like a mercenary, and back to the noble way he had carried himself with on first meeting Kristen, he'd speak.

"That man has done nothing, but his best to protect the order, with his life and all that he is" Dauner said. "Although, it was indeed a foolish endeavor, to try to get that token away from the ruins. War with the Kodans is already something that cannot be stopped. Well, if he does survive this ordeal, he would be granted rewards equal to the merit of his actions" he finished, now getting down to the more important issue.

"By the way, that token Holm held as evidence was evidence planted on the scene. Its true owner seems to have been killed by our perpetrators about two weeks prior, which was before the event at Yslan. Does that ring any bells for you? I'd leave you to figure the rest out, while I finish up. It would only take a few minutes" he added, as he walked back to the encampment.

---

---

Dauner approached the encampment, sword drawn as with bloodlust in his eyes. The first Kodan soldier that would try to stop him, would find himself missing a head, as his headless body would slum to the ground. Alerted by the act, all soldiers in the environs would rush to surround him, Holm stepping up to seek an explanation from him.

"Sir Dauner! What is the meaning of this?" he'd ask, enraged.

"I stand before you now, not as a mercenary, but as the Supreme Monarch of the Sovereign Order, to seek retribution for the wrong my subordinate has been done. If you have any last words before you meet your maker, break words now, or ready your blade, for I shan't give you a second chance to do so"

Holm, clearly taken aback by the revelation, did nothing but laugh. "Your head would serve as a good trophy before the start of the war. Hell, I might even end it before it even begins" he spoke, still not drawing his sword. "Try your best to take him down alive" were his last instructions to his men.

Dauner didn't need to use any of his powers on ordinary humans like these. His raw skill with the sword, honed by thousands of years of pain, blood and sweat, was more than enough. It was something unlike anything Holm had ever seen. Each strike of his sword claimed more than one life, not only striking hard, but also striking true. He was fast. Very fast. Extremely fast. Soon enough, the rest, scared out of mind and body, attempted an escape, only to be ambushed and brought down by Sovereign scouts that had been quietly watching the camp the whole time.

By the time Holm was the only one left standing, he'd already given up hope of survival. He'd only just found out what it was they were up against. A true monster. "May I at least get one last drink, before the end?" were the last words he spoke, before his head was sent flying.

"You have the spirit of a true knight, but lack the skills to back it. Not that it matters any more anyway"

Dauner took a minute to enjoy the silence. To any onlooker, he wouldn't look like a man who just slaughtered several opponents, but like a demon. Standing in the midst of a mound of corpses, and a sea of blood. His entire body drenched in fresh, warm blood.

The blood on him would then begin to flow from him on to the ground, leaving not a single trace behind. Not even the smell of blood would remain on him, as the remaining scouts will step on the field to approach him.

"Well. It would be quite unbecoming of me to meet a beauty while to reeked of blood" he muttered to himself.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

It did not take long. Thoughts of war and her quest and all else aside, Kristen had maintained a curiosity about the capabilities of the Sovereign Order and of Dauner himself. The world outside of Vel Anir she knew only (though perhaps it was fair to now say mostly) through the written word. She knew what the Anirian Guard and the Dreadlords were capable of. Now, firsthand, she would bear witness to how it was that Dauner could claim the grand title of "Supreme Monarch."

The sounds of battle were distant. Pitched and sharp for a time.

And then quiet descended back onto Yslan, as if the fairness of the day had never been disturbed.

Only a few minutes indeed.

Kristen began to leisurely stroll back toward the Kodan encampment, hands tucked into the small of her back. She saw the first soldier, his head separated from his body, a crescent-shaped pool of blood having blossomed on the ground at the base of his neck. Still there was an unpleasantness to such sights, but her reaction to seeing them was now nowhere near as visceral as it had been before; her knees did not buckle, her body did not tremble, and no flood of sickness surged forth.

She was closer to who she needed to become.

Kristen stepped around the fallen soldier. Around the others like him. She walked through the stillness of the encampment, seeing then the scouts of the Sovereign Order also making their way in the camp. She smiled. Cunning.

When she saw Dauner, all of the blood from his battle had already flowed off of him, and the thought crossed her mind that he looked remarkably clean given the sights scattered around him.

"A first victory," she said in a congratulatory way, giving a gracious nod. "And may the future reveal more for you."

She stopped before him.

"I have pondered what you said in the interim." Her eyes trailed up and to the left as she conjured up the image from memory. "There was a particularly boastful Allirian mercenary I met whilst on the road to Castle Sovereignty. He regaled me with his own exploits naturally but, when I asked him, he was more than happy to recall the sites of several battles throughout the Reach involving various solo or affiliated mercenaries. All quite recent."

She looked to Dauner. "This mercenary mentioned that one of those battles was a near total loss, only a few survivors living to tell the tale. In this one he said that they had been pitted against, what he simply called, a 'sorceress.'"

She tried not to let wishful thinking intrude, but...could it be?

"If the man to whom that token once belonged was at that battle, then...mayhap it is this sorceress who is our quarry?"

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Before Kristen's arrival, Dauner would first address the scouts who had arrived. It was written within the regulations of the order that, whenever on the field, the knight with the highest rank would always assume command, and if several were present, the commanding authority was delegated onto the knight with more merit to his name. In this case, Dauner held the highest authority, and thus needed to take responsibility and give out instructions as necessary, later delegating command to the leader of the scout unit before he could leave. He was quite diligent whenever he put his mind to it.

"Clean the scene up properly, cremate the corpses, and have someone attend to the squire in captivity with haste. And tell your captain I would have a word" he finished, turning to face Kristen as she approached.

"I appreciate your kind words" he'd respond to her congratulations, before getting down to business. Listening to Kristen, Dauner raised an eyebrow at the mention of a sorceress. This was the first he'd heard of such a person within the Reach. However, such details were usually handled by the Department of covert operations, and not all information they gathered were tendered to him. Only the ones deemed important enough. If not, he'd be constantly swamped with so much work he'd barely have time to go out to play.

"Let's take a walk" he'd say, as they headed towards the place Holm had used as his office till now. Since the order had now taken over the ruins of Yslan, the Kodan encampment had also become the order's encampment. Although Koda, would likely see this as an invasion, essentially marking the start of the war. But Dauner trusted the council to have prepared for this much when they found out the walking calamity (Dauner himself) was entering Kodan soil.

"If what you say is indeed true, then that would mean the order should have information on this person. Gluttony does tend to love gathering all possible information within the Reach that relates to the order's growth". Dauner ofttimes spoke of the members of the council, not by their name, but by the name they bore by virtue of the seat they occupied. The seat that had direct authority over the supervision and control of the department of covert operations was the seat of gluttony, hence the name Dauner used for that councilor. "I'll send her a message asking for them later. Perhaps if we could track down and capture this sorceress, we could gain insight on the aim of the desecrators. Or at least, their next target..."

As he spoke, a young woman wearing the attire of a silver knight walked in. With both hands clenched into a fist, her left hand behind her back, and her right hand across her chest, she offered a bow. A signature style of salutation used in the order by knights to salute those ranked higher than them. "All hail the Great Monarch!" she saluted, keeping her head bowed while she waited for the order to stand at ease.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen walked with him.

Gluttony? It took her a moment after he'd said it to realize it was meant to be a name. A pseudonym, maybe. It wasn't terribly important, that, but rather that the Order could have some information on this "sorceress" of whom the boastful mercenary had spoken. It remained to be seen if she was involved with the Desecrator attacks, either by working for the villain, or mayhap as the villain herself.

Kristen had her own curious question to ask about the token, how precisely it was that Dauner knew to whom it belonged (some subtle engraving, perhaps?), when another Order member came across the desolation of Yslan and greeted him.

She looked from the knightly woman to Dauner and said, "Good news, I hope?"

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Among the 1000+ members of the sovereign order, 120 of them were silver knights. 30 were golden knights. 7 were celestial knights, and 7 more were apostles. All the current members ranked silver knight and above had been personally trained by Dauner, some even before the order was created. As such, he may not have known all of them, but he knew almost every one of these knights. The woman who had just stepped forward was one of them.

"It has been a while, Cas" he said, speaking casually as if between old friends, as he gestured for her to raise her head. Cassandra, a young silver knight trained in stealth methods, was an assassin and spy of the order. She was also the one tasked with taking charge of the scouting mission at the ruins of Yslan.

"I didn't expect you would be the one dispatched for this mission. So what results have your mission yielded thus?" he asked.

"Aside from the false evidence planted on the site by the perpetrators, we have yet to discover anything of note. I have our scouts digging through the rubble in search of any clue that could help enlighten us some more. Also, this is just a personal feeling, but something feels off about this place. Like there was a weird energy permeating the air in the ruins" she finished, standing at attention, with both arms behind her back.

All she said was in line with what he already knew, and also let him know she was starting to open up her spiritual sense, which was good news. Though he wished she, and every other silver knight, would do it a little faster.

Dauner then turned to Kristen. "What do you think?" he asked, hoping to get her thoughts on Cassandra's 'feeling'.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The implications from the planting of "evidence" truly began to sink in once Cassandra gave her report. The premeditation behind it suggested an even more sinister cunning on behalf of the villain presiding over the Desecrator attacks. And if they wanted the Kingdom of Koda and the Sovereign Order to more hastily reach open hostilities, there had to be a reason.

She was close to figuring what Dauner already suspected, that there might be another village or town like Yslan, another Chapel like Our Lady of Stars, deeper within Kodan territory that the perpetrators had their eye upon.

Then Cas said it. A weird energy. Permeating the air.

Surprise and recognition dawned on her face, and she looked to Cas squarely. "You felt it too?"

Kristen turned to Dauner.

"There must be something here. I do not know what, but I do not believe it to be coincidence that Cas and I experienced a similar..."

What was the word? What summed it up, that whisper of a feeling?

She found it.

"...dread."

Kristen cast her eyes about the blackened ruins. "This was a town full of the faithful. Surely they had a chapel? Mayhap it will be difficult to discern from the rest of the ruins, but I can think of no better place to investigate."

It left her to wonder. If the Desecrators had been successful in their massacre in Alliria...what would they have done then? Would they have, perhaps, constructed some altar? Taken a trophy? Left something?

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

'So that's what that was about!' Dauner thought, as Kristen made it known that she too had sensed that energy. Early, he thought she'd just 'heard' something, and assumed it was most likely a sound. But now he realized he was really far from the truth back then. Taking a moment to think, Dauner then turned back to Cas.

"Concentrate your search in the village square and have your men look out for any sign that might indicate a religious center. As soon as they find it, report to me at once" he ordered.

"As you command!" she'd reply with a salutation, before taking a step back, and then turning around and walking away.

Thanks to Cassandra's slightly opened spiritual sense, she could barely make out the energy, and Kristen could feel it in the form of dread, albeit vaguely from what he could see. Adding to the fact that Cassandra was the only silver knight on the scene, and the squires weren't even close to opening up their spiritual senses, Dauner was the only one who could fully see the malevolent energy permeating the ruins. Having dealt with energies of various kinds before, both holy and dark, he was sure that prolonged contact with this energy in particular would prove dangerous for the average person.

Dauner was still unsure of the overall effects of the energy, and there was no denying the curiosity in him, only desiring to study it. But that would have to wait until they had actually found the source.

"Kristen. I do wonder, ever so. When you handled the desecrators in Alliria, did they have any artifacts of malevolent nature on them?" he'd ask, trying to assuage his curiosity. There was a possibility that it was an artifact planted in the ruins. But there was also a possibility that it was planted there, but created by a coagulation of the lives and blood of the residents of Yslan. He just had to be sure.

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen didn't need to ponder long at all on it. "No, they did not. When slain their bodies simply became as black smoke, dissipating, leaving behind only the the robes they wore. And there was nothing left in their garments—no items of any sort."

She frowned then, some uncertainty finding a crack through which to invade. Such as fact as what she just relayed cast doubt upon her vague feeling of dread, that it was all signifying nothing; mayhap Cas had indeed felt something, a weird energy as she had said, but it was an unrelated matter. This uncertainty also left her despairing of not only being able to link the two events, the Chapel and Yslan, but also of a means by which some tracking could be done. If the Desecrators left something, then that would at the very least be a tangible object which could be investigated with all mundane and magical means available. Was it truly as simple as the Desecrators being sent about on a cunning killing spree, claiming lives in a wanton slaughter of Celestialists and nothing more? It seemed like that was inadequate as an—

Dauner had thought of the possibility first, and now, with Kristen's widening eyes, she struck upon it as well. And she gave voice to it.

"Or...maybe they needed not to bring anything. Maybe the trophy, the effigy, the relic, whatever it may well be, could have been—"

Her face scrunched with disgust at the mere thought.

"—fashioned at the site of their atrocity."

Dauner

 

[Dauner]

Kristen spoke of what she thought, a grim realization, which contorted her face with disgust. Unlike Kristen, Dauner, from the very moment he activated his spiritual sense, knew the lives of the Yslan massacre victims had served a dark purpose. It wasn't the first time he'd encountered such a situation, whereby the lives of many were served as ingredients in the greater plan of dark minded zealots. The last he'd seen this, it was a few months, prior to the establishment of the sovereign order. There, in Alliria, kids, seemingly all under the age of 5, had been sacrificed in mass. The goal, of course, was to create a disaster, that would strike the merchant city at its very heart.

As soon as Dauner recalled the event, he immediately facepalmed in front of Kristen. Ominous energy that was harmful to the ordinary man, created using the lives of many as ingredients. Why hadn't he thought of it sooner? This was literally the same thing that happened in Alliria back then. The same method, and perhaps the same kind of goal. What if the cult that had orchestrated those events in Alliria was also involved in this. Back then, he'd abandoned the investigation after clearing out the dark energy cultivation sites, and routing the cult from the city. He then was left with no leads, and he didn't have the order's covert ops department at the time, so he had no way of gathering information over long distances.

"Hahaha" he'd laugh, for a bit. It wouldn't be surprising if anyone looking at him question his sanity for a bit. "Why didn't I think of it?" he said, turning to Kristen. "I have an idea on a lead we might be able to follow on" he said. He then proceeded to explain the situation to her. From the method of using pure offerings, which was young kids, whose minds were still unsullied by the darkness of the world, to the effects of the dark miasma it created. Keeping only details of how he handled things to himself, he explained everything else in detail. Let's just say, he may or may not have used less than ethical means in his investigations, and was trying to avoid being called out for it.

"I'm saying this, because I feel like all this may as well all be connected. Sure, the miasma in the village is a lot thinner than the one they created in Alliria, since adults and elderly were used this time, but that could simply mean the goal this time was different from back then. I am familiar with the cult, and if they are indeed involved in this, I have a strong feeling that this isn't going to end with just killing celestialist faithful"

---

Kristen Pirian​

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Dauner laughed. An abrupt sound, his face cradled within his palm for the duration. Kristen, though puzzled, didn't question his sanity, but her curiosity was an ever-deepening pit filling with more possibilities of what might have prompted it.

Then he said it. Might have a lead. Kristen's brows perked up, and she listened intently to all which Dauner had to say. Most notably, she covered her mouth when Dauner mentioned that this cult he battled in Alliria had used children as sacrifices.

This cult. The planted evidence. The sorceress. All of these things were combining into a horridly grand picture, the scale frightening to comprehend. A web of sinister intricacy lay beneath the Our Queen of Stars Chapel, Yslan, the sites in which Dauner fought against the cult. The most terrifying thing was the thought that there were perhaps arms of this web which still rested in darkness—obscured, unknown. How far along in their plan was the villain behind this all? They simply did not yet have a means to know.

Dauner's most haunting summation of this foul plot, driving the stake of urgency through Kristen's skull:

This isn't going to end with just killing Celestialist faithful.

"Blessed Aionus..." she said, and before herself she made the sign of the Sentinel, for what comfort it might bring.

"Then we must search Yslan with all haste. If we indeed find some loathsome artifact that has been planted here, it would validate all that we have been surmising, like a foul linchpin tying together these various threads of ominous circumstance."

Before she stepped off (back toward the village square, where that creeping sense of dread had whispered and departed earlier), she stopped herself and looked to Dauner and with a renewed gratitude said:

"Thank you...dearly...for answering my request for aid in this ordeal. 'Tis more dire than I could have ever imagined."

Dauner