Dreadlords Pulling Strings

[Liliana]

Obanese Lands - Vilre Estate

Liliana gently drummed her fingers against the pommel of her horse, her back straight as though she were sitting upon a throne, listless eyes staring at the road straight ahead. For almost the entirety of the days long journey it took to reach the lands of Oban, her mind had been occupied with what cousin Elise had told her before she had departed.

"This is a family matter, Liliana." She had said. "I will not have those feather clad buffoons or that oaf of a King embarrass us. The Vilre's may be distant cousins, but they are still our cousins."

The words rang in her mind even now, more than a week later. "Go to their Estate, and find out what has happened. Eléa was one of the first to support me, she would not suddenly go silent unless something happened."

Liliana had agreed of course, there had never been a question to it. Elise had asked, and she was the matriarch of House Virak. That had been all it had taken, thought it would have been a lie to say it was the only reason Liliana had gone without argument. Time abroad presented opportunity, especially when it meant getting away from the other piece of news that Elise had shared with her.

The piece which had seen her screaming and earned her a swift slap across the face.

Forcing herself to keep her palms on the reigns, Liliana scowled. The indignation still sat within her stomach, and every time she thought about it bile rose up in her throat. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. It should have been her choice and her choice alone. Liliana had expected it from her father, but Elise? It had felt like a knife in the back. The fact that she hadn't even been asked or consu-

Liliana's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a loud whistle escaped one of the Initate's that had been assigned to her for the mission. "Wow."

The voice said as they crested the small hill and the Vilre Estate finally came into view. The Grand Palace standing in a field of green, built as a monument to the wealth of their extended family. Liliana took in a sharp breath, focusing her thoughts on the days ahead. Perhaps if she found Cousin Eléa she could convince her to speak with Elise. Maybe then all this nonsense could be called off.

"Yes, yes, it's very impressive." She said dismissively. "You're not here to gawp."

Liliana chastised, taking some of her anger out on the Initiate as they began the descent into the valley.

 

[Zaire]

Man, oh man, oh man! Liliana Lorel was scary. And not scary in the way that all men joked about in the Academy which meant they wanted the girl to sit on their face.

Zaire wanted to be nowhere near Lorel, but apparently, Proctor Goetsch had personally suggested Zaire to tag along. He couldn’t understand why, he had never done any sort of mission with Lorel before, had never interacted with her before. And wasn’t this a private matter?

Zaire had little to no details, which could only mean one thing: he wasn’t supposed to know anything. Maybe it was because Glaive was tied to House Pirian? Shouldn’t he be on a mission with Kristen than Lorel?

The initiate glanced over Lorel as she snapped at poor Initiate Annett. Well, at least she hadn’t yelled at him. Hopefully soon enough they could finally get somewhere out of Lorel’s line of sight so Zaire could actually take a chill pill. After this long journey to Oban with Lorel he definitely needed one, and so did Lorel. He was just too scared to try and suggest it to her.

 

[Aelita]

Fortunately for Aelita, Initiate Annett spoke first. The other blonde’s own mouth appeared slightly parted as if she began to form words to describe the castle aloud.

Yet, nothing escaped Aelita’s lips after she heard Liliana’s words to Annett. Her mouth just closed and formed into a smile.

Proctor Goetsch also voluntold Aelita to join Liliana’s journey. At the least, the proctor perceived Aelita as less likely to be an unhinged menace toward nobles.

Bringing her horse close to Zaire’s, Aelita leaned over to whisper to him, “Any idea what we’re meant to do here?”

 

[Liliana]

As they continued down the road, Liliana ignored any further conversation among the Initiates. Instead choosing to focus on the Palace ahead.

The two Virak Guards whom Elise had sent along with her and the Initiates were equally silent. In fact they had been the entirety of the journey. Neither of them had spoken so much as a word to any of the student Dreadlords, only offering brief words of affirmation to Liliana when she offered them one command or another.

An eerie pair, the two made, never removing heir armor and almost function like golems.

For her part, Liliana considered them the most useful of her current hirelings.

Riding slowly forward upon the road Liliana slowly turned her gaze among the gardens and great fields around the Vilre Estate. A frown touched her lips as she noticed something, or rather, the lack of something. Where were the gardeners? The servants?

It was spring, they should have been out pruning vines, trimming hedges, seeing to the beauty of the fields. Yet instead what she noticed was the slight overgrowth of the gardens. Nothing was Pristine, though to an untrained eye such a detail would be hard to spot. Her lips thinned, and as they drew closer to the palace she noticed the silence still looming head.

When they reached one of the great bridges spanning the river surrounding the Estate Liliana slowed, spotting something in the waters below. Caught on one of the trusses of the bridge. "Down there."

She called.

"What is that?" Liliana asked, her eyes narrowing as she pointed to the object. It's shape almost human, but off.

 

[Zaire]

“Not get drunk.” Zaire said to Aelita, keeping his voice low, knowing full well of the talk that this blonde initiate had a love affair for anything in a bottle. “Or high.” That one was for himself. Zaire could admit he had the tendency to try anything offered to him. Licking a frog? Yep, he did it. Trying a shroom that was red with white dots? Yep, did that too. Some weird pill someone found on the floor of their grandma’s kitchen? Did you even need to ask?

Before Zaire could even say much else to Aelita, he had his horse match Lorel’s pace. He glanced over to her as she asked her question, and tried to look at whatever it was she was talking about. Was he… supposed to answer? He looked over at Annett, who because she had been scolded earlier, wasn’t going to answer anything. Well, Zaire didn’t want to answer anything either!

So that left…

“Any ideas, Aelita?”

Aelita Liliana

 

[Aelita]

Aelita excessively scowled at Zaire after his first words. But, that quickly shifted into a smirk after his comment to not get high.

As they rode through the estate’s grounds, Aelita looked around and noticed their neglected surroundings.

Liliana’s words caught Aelita’s attention as well. She pulled up her horse to see the uncanny shape in the water.

“Let’s see,” Aelita replied to Zaire as she dismounted.

On foot, Aelita walked and hopped over toward the riverbank. She drew her staff and used it to keep balance as she got closer to the water.

Aelita could go to the water’s edge, barring any surprises, to get a closer look at this thing.

 

[Liliana]

Liliana had been a bout to snap at one of the little rats when the blonde girl, Aelissa? Liliana thought her name was, climbed down from her horse and began to descend towards the figure beneath the bridge.

The noble watched with interest for a few moments, though turned her attention to the bridge and then the palace beyond. She studied it, still nothing the uncanny silence which seemed to loom around the place. A small pit began to form in her stomach, not fear, but a feeling that something was wrong.

She didn't like this.

As Aelita climbed down the river bank and drew closer to the figure, she would finally be able to make out what it was.

Stuck on one of the trusses of the bridge floated a corpse. It's form was bloated and rotten, likely having been in the water for more than a day or two at least. Though no blood floated from its figure now, the Initiate would be able to see several broken arrow hafts sticking out from it's wretched form. The coat which still clung to the figure appeared well made, having survived it's time in the river with surprising integrity.

Upon it's shoulder was a noble crest.

"Well?!" Liliana demanded of the Initiate, shouting down as she pulled her horse closer to the bank.

 

[Zaire]

Zaire was glad that Aelita at least had a bigger pair than he did to go down and check things out. Not like if he had offered himself to go that it would have pleased Lorel better. It was only as the group drew a little closer to the whole estate that Zaire began paying attention.

Now, while Glaives could be called a minor noble house with their thin ties to Pirian, Zaire hadn’t quite ever lived in a place as large as this. His own home was nowhere near the size of this, but yet it had always been a busy home. Mostly due to tending all the olive groves and animals, but this place had just as many trees and bushes as the small estate of the Glaives had back home— if not more.

Zaire didn’t say anything about this, certain everyone else probably suspected it far earlier on than he did. Of course he hadn’t been serious before, but now… he looked at Aelita, focusing hard on the blonde initiate and she was just in enough range to resonate with her.

Giving her better vision would almost be like if he had gone there himself, right?

Aelita Liliana

 

[Aelita]

As Aelita’s eyes focused on the corpse, she heard Liliana’s words.

“It’s....” Aelita began before pausing.

Then once Zaire began to use his magic unprompted, Aelita shook her head. She frowned.

“Stop helping!” she exclaimed.

Regardless of Zaire’s response, Aelita returned her gaze to the corpse and studied it.

“It’s a body,” Aelita announced, “Arrows in the back. Bloated. Well made clothes. Gray hair, light skin. Man. Average height?”

Aelita would then describe what she could see of the noble crest.

Turning toward Liliana, Aelita asked, “You want to see yourself?”

 

[Liliana]

Lilian continued to drum her fingers impatiently on the pommel of her saddle. Waiting for an answer from Aelita. Lips thinning as the girl called up towards their group to 'stop helping'. What in the fuck did that mean? Had they saddled her with someone delusional?

She wouldn't doubt it, plenty of her own class had been half broken. Like that useless rot, Chasmine.

Then, the other blonde called up once more. Describing the man bobbing up and down in the river. Liliana listened carefully, her features turning with a slight hint of concern as Aelita described the emblem upon the man's coat.

Something between panic and fear struck briefly through her, almost instantly squashed as she shouted down to Aelita. "No."

"Get up here, now." Her fingers snapped, and instantly the two soldiers in heavy armor pulled their horses forward. In the span of a breath they moved to her side, flanking her horse in a defensive posture. "We have to get into the palace."

Something was wrong, very wrong.

The emblem belonged to the house of her cousins, black coat marking him as a servant."Quickly!"

She urged, not entirely waiting for Aelita as she began to move across the bridge.

In the distance, at the small tunnel gate to the main palace dried blood decorated the floors and walls.

 

[Zaire]

Ignoring Aelita’s exclamation, Zaire didn’t stop his resonance. Not like he was hurting her, he was just helping her out! Although the resonance stopped shortly after Aelita explained what was there: a dead body. Zaire saw Lorel snap her fingers and the soldiers move into position. Unfortunately, it seemed that instead of leaving they would instead be going outside.

At least Lorel was willing to go across the bridge first.

“It could be a trap,” Annett said under her breath.

“Don’t jinx it.” Zaire said just as quietly. “Maybe it’s just a robbery, like bandits wanting some fancy shit to sell.” Annett gave him a look, and Zaire shrugged, not caring how stupid his idea sounded. “At least I’m being positive.” He could be negative, and usually he was negative.

Perhaps Lorel was forcing him to be positive. They went across the bridge, and Zaire couldn’t but help the apprehension.

 

[Aelita]

“Yes!” Aelita responded to Liliana’s order.

As Liliana and her guards moved forward, Aelita climbed up the river bank and to the bridge with as much haste as one on foot could.

Once on her horse, Aelita picked up speed in order to catch up with the back of the group. Just before they reached the tunnel gate, Aelita rode up to the opposite side of Zaire from Annett. She leaned over toward Zaire’s ear.

“Please, ask before you try that again,” Aelita told Zaire with a slightly lower than normal tone.

If Zaire turned toward her, he would just see her usual smile as she stared at him.

Aelita then gave a kick and her horse trotted forward past her peers.

Once the dried blood reflected upon her eyes, Aelita redrew her staff.

Something caught her attention. Aelita pointed the staff toward a corner past the gate.

“Another body?” she said aloud.

 

[Liliana]

As they came upon the gate, the dried blood on the floor became all too obvious.

Liliana couldn't help the scowl that grew across her face. It was obvious that something had happened here, someone had attacked the estate. As they reached the door, Liliana swiftly dismounted her horse. Grabbing the bladed whip from her saddle and pulling free the short sword from her belt.

The two Virak Guardsmen instantly dismounted with her.

Both of them fell into stride behind her, scooping up huge tower shields which had been mounted to the sides of their horse. With a wave from their current Mistress, the soldiers strode in through the open gates, following the trail of blood Aelita had been pointed out.

It was not long before they found the second body, dressed much in the same way as the first. His coat was pierced with three arrows, the same odd black fletching upon them as the other. "Dead, two days."

One of the Guards said, briefly glance back towards Liliana.

"We go into the Palace, we have to find Cousin Elea." The Guards only nodded, slowly stepping up to form a shield wall in front of the noble. Liliana half turned back, motioning for the Initiate's to follow along.

"Stick together." She commanded. "These halls can at times be like a ma-"

As she spoke, a loud thunk suddenly rank out and one of the Guard's recoiled after having quickly stood. The Black Haft of an arrow suddenly piercing through his tower shield. Having soared down from one of the palace's upper windows.

 

[Zaire]

“Uh, I think your cousin is dead,” Zaire said, panic raising in his voice as the guard in front of Liliana got pelted with arrows. Zaire had to admit, it was impressive how the guard raised up his shield, keeping his wits about him. It was more impressive on how those arrows were piercing through his shield however.

Despite Aelita’s suggestion that Zaire should ask when using his magic, the young initiate hardly cared. She could kick his ass later, Kress, both her and Lorel could kick his ass later, but if they were under attack?

He resonated with everyone on that bridge: the guards, Annett, Aelita, Liliana— all of them. Increasing their potential tenfold, Zaire raised his glaive in response to the arrows. He looked at the walls of the castle, at any window or good place for a archer to make their roost. The issue was, plenty of places matched what a archer would want if they were to defend the castle. He’d have to wait for another arrow or—

“Oh.” Annett said. Zaire looked over at her, seeing a arrow lodged into her sternum. “Oh no.” She said, and another arrow whizzed past, burying it’s point and half of it’s shaft into Annett’s exposed throat.

“RUN RUN RUN!” Zaire shouted, “WE’RE SITTING DUCKS, OFF THE BRIDGE OFF THE BRIDGE!”

Aelita Liliana

 

[Aelita]

As Liliana and the guards dismounted, so did Aelita. She quickly tied the reins to a sturdy looking bit of fencing and began to follow behind Liliana.

Dried blood splatters coated the area.

Aelita nodded in affirmation to Liliana’s command to stay together. But,

TWACK

She jumped back after witnessing an arrow downing a guard. Her eyes shot up to the palace window where the shot came from.

Aelita raised her staff.

Aelita’s weapon pointed at the window where these shots came from.

More shots ran out – striking the unfortunate Annett.

The staff glowed, as well as Aelita’s eyes.

“REFRA-“

But unfortunately, Zaire ignored Aelita’s warning.

BLAAAAAAAWwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Light vomited forth from Aelita’s staff in random directions. Any rays that touched flesh would give a wound similar to a bad sunburn.

hiss

“GAH!” Aelita screamed as she instinctively released her grip from a now searing metal rod.

Aelita looked to the side and dashed behind a stone pony wall. Crouching down, Aelita would be out of sight from the palace windwos. Aelita looked around to see where the surviving guard, Liliana, and Zaire were.

 

[Liliana]

Before she could even properly move chaos unfolded around them. Arrows continued to sail down, two of them striking Anett and killing her. More flying down and striking the forward Guardsmen. Slipping through his armor, Virak made armor. That shouldn't have been possible, not with ordinary crossbows.

Then, light burst out from behind her. A line of it slipped just inches by her and then slammed into the bridges railing. She half turned, intending on glowering at her Initiate's but suddenly found an arm wrapped around her as she was swept away from where she'd been standing.

The remaining Guard plucked Liliana from her feet, shifting his tower shield as he rapidly dashed towards the statue opposite where Aelita had hidden herself away. More bolts struck the ground, but the man half carrying her moved faster than ordinary man should have been able to.

Liliana felt herself practically thrown to the ground as the Guard twisted, placing himself on his knee and forcing his shield against the ground. More bolts struck through the shield, Liliana noticing their tips being a strange obsidian colored metal.

Her gaze flickered up towards the windows with a frown. She could see one of the archers but he was too fa-

That was when she noticed it.

He wasn't too far away. Liliana didn't know how, not having studied up on Zaire's magic, but she intrinsically knew the weaves could reach the man even from this far away. Her brow furrowed, but she didn't question it. "We have to get inside!"

She barked loudly to the others as she pulled herself up, remaining mostly behind the shield as her fingers flickered.

The weaves she tossed out surprised even her, and the net of control that lashed out shot towards one of their assailants. It cast over his mind, and in a sensation that Liliana couldn't help but savor she felt not just the dimming of the mans mind, but control.

True control.

She quirked her fingers, and the man in the window suddenly turned. His crossbow aimed at his fellow, he pulled the trigger. No choice offered in his deed.

 

[Zaire]

Like the others, Zaire followed after both Aelita’s and Lorel’s prerogative to be by the wall and hopefully out of the archers line of sight. Zaire much preferred boosting his comrades rather than boosting himself. It always made him feel icky, like his skin was trying to contain something inside him that was far bigger than him.

Which he supposed it was. As he darted over, his free hand was placed over his red eye, feeling a strain on it that needled itself on the inside of his head. He pushed it away once his back was against the wall and he gave Aelita a look. He had no idea why she couldn’t relax and let him do what he was supposed to do: that was the whole point of his magic, making others their best selves!

“If you had just relaxed, everything would’ve been fine.” Zaire said to Aelita, as a migraine began taking over which only made him more irritable. He glanced up, seeing one of the archers now and pointing his crossbow at something inside. Confusion was over Zaire’s face but he ducked his head, as if the archer was going to shoot at them once again.

The worst part of this was, Zaire was coming up short with a good idea on how to proceed. He could see the arrows that went through Lorel’s guard’s shield and that strange black arrow tip. Magic? A different sort of steel? Did it matter when they were under attack?

If Dakarai had been here, then the twins could have worked in tandem and handled this archer business easy peasy. He sighed, moreso at his pathetic outlook rather than missing his brother, although some of that was in the expression, too.

Aelita Liliana

 

[Aelita]

Aelita’s breath seemed heavy. Fatigued. She clutched her hand tightly – red as if blistered by heat. A few hisses escaped her lips.

Unlike Zaire, Aelita did not look back to the archers beyond the wall. She sat. Breathed. Heard Zaire’s words and gave no response.

TWACK

“AH!”

One of the enemies shot their own under Liliana’s control.

Only at that moment did Aelita look to the side to see Zaire and Liliana.

Then one last, deep, controlled breath.

Aelita pinched her thumb against her finger.

“Iridescence,” she chanted.

SNAP

And disappeared.

 

[Liliana]

Oh this is wonderful. Liliana thought to herself as a smile pulled across her lips.

She had never felt such control before. The weaves were different, more fine, easier to touch, easier to move. A single quirk of her finger, and she could practically see through the man's eyes. Felt as he leaned down and began to reload his weapon, heard his friends call in panic and terror.

"Go!" She shouted to Zaire, kicking out a foot at the Guard in front of her. "Across the bridge."

Liliana urged, one of the other men in the tower drawing a knife and charging at the man whom she'd seized control of.

Her fingers shifted, arm bending back, and the man whom she'd taken with her weaves reacted. The magic setting into place, the story she had crafted for him carving over his mind and dominating any memories he might have left.

There was only one thing now; saving Liliana Lorel. The one thing in life the man would care about. His voice boomed out as he drew his own blade, tossing his crossbow to the side as he charged his fellow assassins and continued his distraction.

Together Liliana and the Guard before her began to move over the bridge, his wide tower shield half up as he prepared for more bolts to sail down.

 

[Zaire]

Now you see her, now you don’t. Zaire thought to himself lamely about Aelita’s little magic trick, only beginning to move and get out of his thoughts as Lorel demanded for him to go across the bridge. He looked at her with a dull glance but listened to her regardless. She was the dreadlord, she was the one in charge. He had to listen, even if it meant that by going across the bridge, he would probably be pelted by arrows.

He saw the lifeless body of Annett, laying there like a limp ragdoll.

Lorel began moving forward, so Zaire had to follow as well. Regardless, he would keep his resonance up. He didn’t know if it was doing anything— other than making Aelita turn her staff into the perfect beacon for a psychedelic rainbow after licking one of those purple-spotted three horned frogs.

His steps were quick and light, his glaive still held firmly with one hand. But surprisingly enough, as they crossed the bridge, there wasn’t a wave of arrows coming from above. Sure, there was one or two every now and then, which Zaire figured the pauses in between being because of the enemy reloading, but nothing that was as frightful as before.

As long as he kept his wits about him, they would be able to make it across the bridge mostly okay.

Zaire gaped, ducking his head just enough in time to miss a bolt that would have gotten him in between his eyes. He didn’t stop, continuing on, yet grateful that the only thing that had been harmed was his hair.

Aelita Liliana

 

[Aelita]

Shots of arrows continued to fly through the air around the Anirians. Aelita remained unseen as they would cross the bridge. Though occasionally, some pebbles or sticks would shift and turn.

Indistinguishable shouts from the castle echoed out. Sounds of a scuffle within.

Then suddenly, ahead of Liliana and Zaire, the doors to the castle flung opened.

The appearance of Aelita shimmered in that moment - her arms stretched out as if she was the one to force the entrance ajar.

Then, her visage disappeared once again from sight.

 

[Liliana]

Liliana, the remaining Guard, and Zaire reached the entrance of the castle just seconds after Aelita once again disappeared from sight.

The heavy sound of the Guards boots tromped into the entryway tunnel, streaks of blood decorating the floor and speckles of crimson splattered against the walls. A grim frown touched Liliana's lips for a brief moment as she noted the carnage, then she immediately turned on Zaire.

"You." She hissed, taking a step closer to the boy.

"Your magic." Liliana wasn't a fool. She might not have read the Initiate's dossier's, but she had heard Aelita scream at the boy and he'd been stuck nearly to her side since the first bolt flew. "It enhances?"

She demanded, some urgency still in her voice.

They were outnumbered, that much was clear, but if the boy could keep doing what he had been doing then those numbers would matter for nothing. With power like that she could take more than one mind, she could twist more than one man.

She could take a dozen, more.

It was their only chance, and what a sweet wondrous chance it would be.

 

[Zaire]

It must have been nice to have something useful and applicable to oneself like Aelita. Not that Zaire had ever minded his magic too much, when he was beside Darakai, they were one of the best duos in the academy— even if Zaire was shorter than a lot of the girls in his class.

His heart was pounding in his chest as he followed after Lorel and her guard, pausing to catch his breath only when everyone else seemed to take a moment. But standing here in the open wall, amidst the blood and gristle was just as bad as when they had been on the bridge. He looked over his shoulder as if he might see Annett reaching out towards them, either begging for help or cursing them for leaving her behind.

Sheesh, there was only three of them now. Annett could’ve been useful with her ability to phase through things. If only she didn’t have to make a small offering each time she had to use the magic.

“Wha?” Zaire looked over at Lorel, flinching as the blonde stalked over to him. He hated aggressive girls. Or rather, he hated aggressive and assertive people in general. “Yeah. Sorta. Makes you the best you that you could ever be, doesn’t matter when that was or could be.” He had no desire to explain his resonance and amplification, but figured that would tell the dreadlord all she needed to know. “But like… if you’re far away, it well, yanno.” He shrugged as if that told Lorel all she needed to know.

Speaking of distances, he looked about the room. Where in Kress’ asshole was Aelita?

Aelita Liliana