Private Tales Left Alive

[Rhidian]

The call for battle neared, a challenge that meant he would need to rely on the training he received in the past six months at the Academy. He knew how to fight without his magic, had always kept up on being sharp with combat should he truly renounce his gift and settle for being in the Guard like he always planned for his life. The Radiant Church. Seeing the robed man made all the sense now. He did not dare call out to Arn, not wanting to alert he had company, or worse, have the man turn on his colleague.

The Initiate met the broadsword with ease, but he was quick, quicker than Rhidian had been with his own runic enhancements. After a few deflections and advances on his part, it became clear his opponent would not tire easily. There had been no moment to rest, to focus his magic at a point on the ground to trip up the servant of the Church.

Fuck. He even charged his Tyrian Iron sword with magic to try and knock the broadsword out from his grasp but to no avail.

Maybe Arn would show how decent he was with a bow and shoot the Church man somewhere where it hurts.

 

[Arn]

Panic flickered through Arn’s chest, the sight in front of him somehow more terrifying than the one he had seen just a minute before.

It had been utterly horrifying to watch how quickly Rhidian had killed, but somehow it was worse to see him losing. The churchman moved quick, far more quickly than any man of his bulk should have been capable of. His massive blade cutting and slashing towards the Dreadlord who dodged backwards as fast as he could. Blocking and keeping himself alive, but for some reason not using his magic.

Arn glanced down, his hands shaking even as they sat curled around his bow, his mouth hanging half open as he watched the fight before.

He didn't get why Rhidian didn't just use his magic to end it like he had with the others. Was he tired? Did that matter with magic? Or was it something the Churchmen was doing? Did he have magic? “DIE HERETIC!”

The man shouted loud enough for even Arn to hear, his blade suddenly holding the softly glow of the morning dawn as it moved even more swiftly than it had before. A curse loosed from Arn’s lips, the tremble in his hands now reaching up through his whole body.

The Farmboy was in over his head.

But it didn't matter. He needed to pull his weight.

Swallowing hard, Arn steeled himself. Forcing his hands to settle as he took four quick steps out from the brush, shifting his angle as Rhidian and the Churchman danced in their deadly battle. The longbow in his hand let out the slightest creak as he pulled back it's strong, waiting, hesitating maybe, and then a loud THWACK rang out as the arrow was loosed.

In the heat of the battle neither of the opponents would see the fletching coming, yet it did all the same. As Rhidian turned to block the great sword once more, the Churchman twisted, and then suddenly felt the piercing of arrow drive directly into his side. A cry of pain echoed from him, his hand moving instinctively from the great swords pommel and to the arrow now buried in his flesh.

An opening, a quick one, but enough for the Dreadlord to exploit.

 

[Rhidian]

The sudden appearance of the arrow gave the Initiate some relief, and time slowed before his eyes.

Rhid saw the mistake the servant made, distracted by the pain.

A kill shot.

It was right there, and Arn had made good on his aim to ensure this could be done.

Rhidian raised his sword, stepping those few steps to be in range, and swung the iron sword cleanly through his neck. Bloodlust had taken him prisoner, had him breathing heavily through his gritted teeth as he stood above the body that fell, the head already rolled some way. Instinct hooked him, had him crazed and ready to fight more, but there were none left to cut down as he had within this camp.

He stood there, a beast frozen at the sight of blood staining the ground.

Perhaps later he will come to regret all of this. Be disturbed by how easy it was for him to make that decision to end lives.

 

[Arn]

A spray of blood scattered upon the ground, and Arn's breath caught in his throat.

The violence, the pain, the death.

It was a weight that Arn did not have to bear. He was Guardsmen, a soldier. He knew that during his tour of duty he would have to fight. Knew that his service would be fraught with war and battle of all sorts, but working with Rhidian?

Witnessing the death a Dreadlord was able to deal was something else all together.

His hands still shaking the young Guardsmen slowly stepped out of the clearing and began to walk down towards the clearing. Fingers clutching his bow, he made his way down towards Rhdian and called out to the man. "That was...that was really something."

He said softly.

"I'm sorry..." The Farmboy continued. "I'm sorry I couldn't get the shot off sooner. You were too close together..."

Arn lied, not wanting to betray his own weakness.

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian shook himself out of his craze, lifting his head to see the gauntness on Arn's face.

"We should move on."

He removed himself from the body, not acknowledging anything else until he wiped his sword clean against another soldier.

"We can take their horses. No point being discreet now. Feel free to look around the place but we need to move, and quickly." Rhidian pushed it aside, the death he dealt here. He was no god, no higher deity, and still he took life so easily from them. His hands shook, and even as he stowed his blade away, the lack of control was getting to him. Without warning, the Initiate strode towards the thickest of trees and mustered his magic, a light humming growing faster and louder moments before he unleashed a powerful BOOM! that decimated the trees several feet before him.

Rhidian breathed hard, letting the exhilaration take over before his chest fell in softer inhalations. He turned and stalked towards where the horses were tied to a makeshift post, inspecting the gear.

Anger was never his friend, even working with the Healer Proctor in controlling it, they never covered the idea of dealing death and how that would have made him. Did he know he would have this reaction?

"Ready?"

 

[Arn]

"Well we have ho-" The words died in his throat as Rhidian's magic suddenly exploded into the thicket of trees at the edge of the clearing. Fear rushing through Arn in an instant as he watched a shower of splinters and broken wood rain through the forest, the sheer force of the Dreadlord's magic sending a ripple through the very air.

His lips pressed to a tight, thin line almost immediately. The grip on his bow turning his knuckles white as he watched the release of anger and emotion. Eyes wearily flicking away the moment Rhidian turned back, as if not wanting to show the man he had been watching.

And that he was utterly terrified.

Within a matter of moments, Rhidian had slaughtered a dozen men. Turned a camp of soldiers into a mixture of body parts and corpses. That alone was sickening, but what he did to the trees? Arn couldn't help but wonder what that would have done to him.

No wonder people were so afraid of Dreadlords. "I...y-"

His throat felt as dry as the Kality desert, and he swallowed slightly.

"Yes." Arn finished, immediately heading over to the horses that had made it through the combat. Stowing his bow before he quickly mounted one of the ponies and waited for Rhid to lead the way.

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian was not fussed on the horse he chose, but it had rations in the saddle bags and that was not an overly bad thing moving forward. He knew his display stunned Arn into a silence, but Rhid was in no mood to talk about it at that moment. It was the first time he actually missed the Academy. If he was back there, he had his friends and support to fall back onto, but... this is what it meant to be a Dreadlord.

Sometimes you had to figure things on your own.

"How are we holding up back there?" He called out, moving his head to the side so that Arn could hear him.

They had been riding near half an hour, and no more camps popped up.

How much further did they have to go?

 

[Arn]

"All good!" Arn shouted back to the Dreadlord over the din of howling wind and the sound of thundering hooves.

He wasn't much of a rider, but he knew his way around a horse well enough to stay on top of it. His Pa had only ever owned an old mare for pulling the cart into town, but most of his friends and he had taken some work here and there on the Virak ranch.

Though the House was famed for breeding manticores, they kept a stable of horses as well. It was there that the farmboy had learned some skill with the animal. "I think we're getting close!"

He'd spent a few weeks in Cortos now, and the landscape was starting to get familiar.

Not that he had been here before, but even in the night he could tell the changes around them meant they were getting closer to the river. The ground became less rocky and craggy, the fields less fallow, and before long even trees began to sprout up once more.

As they drew closer, lights flickered on the other side of the river. The sound of rushing calling out to their ears.

 

[Rhidian]

His heart almost leaped in relief seeing the river once they gone around a bend. Rhidian kept his horse steady, not wishing to rush into things so soon. The lights across the river was the next to take his attention, and he signaled for them both to slow their steeds and dismount. Rhid tied his horse out of sight, beckoning Arn to follow him and slowly, they both used the cloak of darkness to scout out what they could see across the river.

"Do you think they are allies?" He whispered, trying to keep his voice quiet enough to be heard and give them both a chance to glean any conversation going on over there. Anirian or Cortosi, it was all they needed to know.

"Fuck. That river is running strong..." It proved to make things difficult in hearing anything over the way. "Horses should be able to cross, do your reckon?"

 

[Arn]

Arn was starting to grow tired of the friend or foe guessing game.

Crouching there besides Rhidian, it was near impossible to tell if the lights across the river belonged to Anirian’s or Cortosi. The sound of the river making it equally as difficult to tell what any of the voices were saying, much less what language they were speaking. Not that most of the free-cities spoke anything but common. ”Hard to tell…”

The Farmboy said with a frown.

A part of him wanted to suggest that they could try crossing the river a little down the way, but he knew that presented its own slew of difficulties. There was no telling what they'd fine to the north or the south, and the crossing before them now was one they could take safely enough.

”We may just have to chance it.” The Farmboy said nervously, still trying to keep the shake from his voice. ”On horseback we'd surprise em’.”

Arn reasoned. ”And if they're foes…well, at least we could outrun them.”

Once they were on the other side of the river they would also be on the Anirian side. Meaning that even if this particular camp weren't their allies, they were bound to stumble upon one that was.

Not every run in with a man you didn't like needed to turn into a fight. That was what his Pa had always said, and in this case, Arn tended to agree.

 

[Rhidian]

"Alright then, we're chancing it."

Rhidian shrugged, turning to look at his guardsman friend. "Guess I can always throw a little magic at them if they aren't friendly."

They both made their way back to their horses, mounting up and exchanging grim looks. Unspoken between them, they wished each other luck and slowly made their way to the river. They were fortunate enough it wasn't too treacherous to cross here, and that their horses made ease breaking through the rush of the river. Rhidian took the head, hands ready to throw some explosive frequencies if they were met with an attack against them.

He was glad that they made it back onto Anirian territory. At least if they died here, he knew they would have their bodies returned to their families for proper burial.

Heart wracking in beats against his throat, Rhidian forced his horse to pick up speed, to approach the camp and hoped to Kress they were allies.

Rhidian was tired of having to be on the defensive...

 

[Arn]

Almost as soon as Rhidian mentioned his magic Arn felt his stomach churn.

Images flashed through his mind of broken knees, blown apart trees, and the other heinous injuries the man had been able to casually inflict with a gesture. The thought made him ill, and as the Dreadlord pulled himself back and off the embankment his ally lingered for a moment.

Quietly he prayed to Anirius, his mother's long held patron, that it was friends sitting across the river. He didn't want another massacre, even if it meant meeting the same enemy upon another day.

After just half a minute of delay that could have been taken for nerves, Arn pushed himself up and followed after Rhidian. Finding himself in the saddle once more as the two Anirians pressed their mounts into a gallop. The sound of hoof beats muted by splashing water before they once again thundered upon the ground.

Arn felt his chest tense as they came closer to the line. The darkness of the night still shrouding the numerous silhouettes within.

“FORMATION THREE!”

A shout went up, and almost instantly the Farmboy knew what it was for. ”Rhidian!”

He called in a panic to the Dreadlord, not wanting there to be any accidents

”They're Anirian’s!” Arn shouted desperately, remembering formation three as a defense against a cavalry charge. Those in the encampment likely thinking that they were the ones under attack, and not the other way around.

 

[Rhidian]

The relief that flooded through him almost caused Rhidian to weep.

Formation three had been something he heard about constantly growing up listening to his father run through the drills with him, and even more so when he went through training.

"Friendly!" Rhidian called out, slowing his horse and raising his hand upwards. "Initiate Vaughn! Please!" He dismounted, both hands in the air.

"Rhidian?" Came a voice he recognised, and by Kress was he glad to have someone see him.

Rhidian turned to see the Proctor, perhaps now acting as the Dreadlord Healer as she was now in active duty. "Proc-- Dreadlord Urahil."

Perrine stepped towards him, not listening to the orders telling her to not approach. "Oh please, you think I do not know an Initiate I teach at the Academy? This a friend of your's, Initiate Vaughn?"

"Yes..." Rhidian turned to gesture to Arn, then back to Perrine. "We are the only two to survive our expedition. Getting back onto Anirian soil was our first priority... to warn..."

 

[Arn]

Arn rode up, relief flooding him as he neared the Anirian line. He saw lowered spears and over a dozen shields, marking this as likely a small forward encampment. The ramparts were not up yet, but it took generally a day or so for the palisade walls to be built. "Thank Anirius."

He whispered to himself, praising the old patron of Vel Anir just as his mother always did.

"There's an attack coming." The Guardsmen finished, interrupting Rhidian as the man seemed to stammer for a brief moment. "Our expedition was destroyed by the Vanguard."

His stomach sank slightly, remembering those that had died, but there wasn't time for that. "Dreadlord Vaughn killed a great deal of them, but..."

Arn and Rhidian had encountered two patrols so far, one of them lead by the member of the Radiant Church, meaning that the main force would likely have the same. Arn didn't really know, and in truth he was just blabbing in panic at this point. "...I'm fairly sure we'll see more."

One of the Guardsmen finally broke rank, moving up to join the discussion. His hand waving as he motioned for Arn to dismount his horse. One look was all that it took to recognize the man as a Lieutenant, and without a word the Farmboy quickly scrambled down from his mount. "We need to prepare."

He said urgently, before adding.

"Sir." A quick salute snapped off almost in afterthought.

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian felt a wave of emotion hit him in one sentence Arn had spoken. The memory of him killing as number of people made the monstrous magic inside him swell, but oddness came to the front also at the thought of Dreadlord Vaughn. That was his goal, wasn't it? It shouldn't have to come as a surprise to him how his future title would be stylised.

"An attack?" The Lieutenant glanced between both boys, then spared a glance at the Healer, who only stared at Rhidian. "Where are they now? Why haven't you come across them?"

Rhidian tightened his jaw, turning to look at Arn. "They had quite a lead ahead of us. We are unsure of where they might have gone, but the patrols we came across on the road leading to here... Disposed of." His hand rose to check that back of his head, whatever blood and wound there was when he had been knocked out was now dry. It didn't bother him, and perhaps that was the might of his magic making his body stronger than it had been when his magic was dormant.

"Perhaps we need to send out some of our own patrols. Anirian side of the border... perhaps one to cross the river...." Perrine thought, turning her head to peer at the Lieutenant.

 

[Arn]

Arn tried to keep himself from fidgeting as he took part in a conversation that he felt entirely unqualified for.

He had spent some time reading tactics, sure, but his experience in the Guard was limited to three active missions and...whatever this had been. He and Rhidian had been the ones to wade through the troubled waters to get back here, but that didn't mean his word had any weight at all.

"I'm not sending anyone across that river after what these lads just told me." The Lieutenant said to the Dreadlord, something that made Arn balk somewhat. The thought of talking back to any of the magical wardens of Vel Anir scared the shit out of him.

But then again, he also wasn't an officer. "But patrols around the area are a good idea, Dreadlord Urahil."

The Lieutenant conceded.

"You boys still up for it? I know your treks been long, but you're also the only ones who know what we're looking for." The man asked, glancing back and forth between the Initiate and Arn. The latter of which seemed to freeze for a moment, glancing at Rhidian before stuttering.

"I-I can manage sir." He said before adding. "Just need some water, and supplies."

At the end of the day, he was a Guardsmen, and he would do his duty.

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian shot the Proctor a look, but when had she ever gave him a sympathetic look? At least she reminded him of where he was, who he was. Perrine's face was impassive even as the Lieutenant dismissed her suggestion of a patrol crossing the river.

An Initiate, being given orders even if it were phrased like a choice. Rhidian gave the Proctor Healer a grim nod before doing the same to the Lieutenant.

"We spent at least more than three hours on the move. If we didn't come across that first group that cut through our unit... they have to be somewhere. Fifteen minutes to settle, sir? I... would like the Healer to look at a wound at my head. That's how they knocked me out."

Permission was granted with a curt nod, and Rhidian gestured Arn to follow him towards the closest light source. "Proc--- Dreadlord Urahil. They knocked me pretty good." He turned his head for the tall blonde Healer to examine, her fingers lightly pressing at the tender flesh. Rhidian hissed, but the Healer cleared her throat.

"At least your body is adjusting to your magic. If they had done this to your friend here, chances are he wouldn't have survived." Her hands circled his head, a light glow at her palms signifying that magic was at work. Within the next minute, the Healer removed her hands and the wound was now gone, Rhidian's head a little clearer now. Perrine turned to Arn, raising a brow at the Guard. "Any healing you require before you go on patrol?"

 

[Arn]

"N-No ma'am." Arn said with a nervous shake of his head. Not only because he was talking to an older woman, but also because he was talking to a Dreadlord.

She was a healer, apparently, and Rhidian seemed to trust her. But he had also seen Rhidian explode half a dozen people not a few hours earlier. It was, by the farmboys estimation, perhaps a tad bit better to stay away from magic.

At least for the moment. "I mostly used my bow."

He said with a gesture, trying to get the shake out of his voice.

"Rhidian took most of the beating for me." The Farmboy continued, adding an awkward forced laugh at the end of his words before he took a step or two to the side. Slyly moving away from Perrine and smiling to Rhid. "I'll see you in ten. Going to, uh, yeah..."

The Guardsmen offered a half-hearted salute, and then quickly scrambled away into the camp. Intent on talking to the quartermaster and someone a bit more normal before they headed off into the wilderness again.

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian smiled after Arn sheepishly, the expression still on his facade as he turned back to the Proctor. She said nothing else to him, but that curt look his way was enough to tell him that she will address it at their next session back at the Academy. He took her silence as a dismissal, and nodded to her before moving on and taking a moment to sort himself out with a warm meal by the fire. How bold it was to have it blazing so close to the border, it was as if they wanted the Cortosi to cross that river... and perhaps they might, where they could be picked off if they tried to cross the river.

Looking up from his meal, he could see a great number of Dreadlords present despite this being a matter entrusted to the Guard. His own appointment to working with the unit going into Cortosi land was his experience in his future, where a single Dreadlord could aid the Guard when required.

Did this unusual amount of Dreadlords mean anything? Was there something he was missing?

After a meal and refreshing his waterskin, Rhidian spied Arn deep within the company of other guardsmen. He tried to ignore the looks they gave him, wearing his Initiate gear really well despite him feeling as if he were wearing his old guard's uniform. "Hey, Arn." He jerked his head to the side. "Ready to head out?"

 

[Arn]

Being among other Guardsmen put him at ease somehow. A fact which he was quickly coming to realize he was thankful for.

There was almost a familial sense to being in the Guard. Like he was coming home.

A part of him would later realize it was because at the end of the day they all wanted the same thing. Most Guardsmen were just regular folk. Farmers, Crafstmen, and the like who were there for their year of service. Even the decorated veterans were of a good nature, men and women who wanted nothing more than to help.

Most of the time anyway. "It was the craziest thing I've ever se-"

Arn was about to finish as Rhidian shouted to him, his head whipping to the side as almost an immediate wrack of tension struck him. He signaled to the Dreadlord with a wave. Then cleared his throat and offered a wave of thanks to his temporary companions.

A few seconds later he rejoined the Dreadlord, as well as three other men. The Lieutenant motioned them over, his face stern. "Operation is simple, you're to explore and find, not engage. The moment you find someone, you come back here. Understand? This is seek and destroy, not fucking about."

"Yes Sir." The Guardsmen replied instantly.

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian's arms stiffened at his sides, hands curling into fists as the Lieutenant gave them orders to not engage. Knowing he had this power, had the ability to have the upper hand against whatever they could throw at them... it made him feel useless.

But he had training with weapons, didn't he? He wasn't completely harmless. He had runes to enhance his speed, his strength, enough to not level out an area. Perhaps Arn wouldn't be fearful of him. Rhidian had caught glimpses from the guard that made him feel guilty... but there had to be a time he would be able to separate Dreadlord from Guard. He knew what some of the Guards thought about the Dreadlords, even saw many of their faces translating their unease, their distrust.

"Yes sir." Rhidian echoed the others, his feet taking him towards the horse he had rode across the river, now waiting with other horses that were part of their party.

"I hope we find nothing." He admitted to Arn. Maybe then they wouldn't have to engage in anything that would result in blood.

 

[Arn]

Arn nodded his head as they began to head out into the darkness once more. The torch in his hand provided a bright enough light for him to see a few far feet ahead, though 'Pa had always said he'd had good eyes for the dark.

"Can't help but agree with you there." The Farmboy said to the Dreadlord Initiate as they continued along their path.

A few other men made their way with them, dogging their steps close enough that Arn could practically feel their breath. The Guardsmen were good men, from his brief encounter with them, and he supposed it was good they were here.

Better than being utterly outnumbered if something were to happen. "Look there."

He said, noting a silhouette in the disguise.

"Compare it to the mountain." Arn said with a breath. "It must be huge."

Noting as the strange contraption began to move towards the ground. It was huge, no doubt about it, but shaped like a balloon. Yet tied to it was a basket large enough to carry more than a dozen men. Still, it hovered slowly towards the ground.

 

[Rhidian]

"Fuck, that's an interesting one."

Rhidian strained his eyes to see the silhouette, shadow against the ebony expanse that would be trees and mountains in daylight. "Strange..." Covert. It certainly gave off not too much sound in it's descent, and Rhidian looked around to see if anyone else had clocked it.

"Hate to be in that. Not too fond of heights actually." But he'd bear it, begrudgingly. "Wonder how it works. You seen one of those before?"

His horse bristled, as if answering him and Rhidian grinned. "Glad you agree, friend." His horse and Arn's didn't have names, or at least were aware of they did have names or not.

 

[Arn]

"Ain't nothin like I seen before." Arn said as he slipped more into his roots, a frown pulling at his lips as he watched the strange contraption less than a mile away.

In Viret, near where he grew up, they celebrated Founders day of course.

Every year there was a festival, and every year there would be thousands upon thousands of balloons. There was no mistaking the shape that they saw in front of them for...well, that, but just what they were using for or how it was made the Farmboy couldn't even begin to guess at.

He frowned for a brief moment, glancing at Rhidian. "I...that..."

Fingers pressed against one another.

"We should check it out, right?" He asked, still remembering that the Lieutenant had directly told them not to engage, but at the same time thinking that whatever this thing was would probably be too important to leave alone.

They were already on the backfoot. No reason to make it worse.

 

[Rhidian]

"We might as well." The answer came freely, without thought or thinking over what it was the guardsman had asked. Rhidian shrugged, going along with it. "It could bring some good intel we need... and if things go sour...."

There was no need for him to finish that sentence, not when they both knew Rhidian had plenty of steam left in him to fight back. They had more with them now, mainly guardsmen in their patrol group, but another Dreadlord too. This one was older, skin weathered by the sun and no doubt capable of killing a good few Cortosi.

"That guy up there? Manipulates metal. Rode up from Vel Anir with his group and... he's lethal." Rhidian left it at that. He remembered how pale Arn had gotten after watching Rhidian take out the entire camp they stumbled upon earlier.