Private Tales Supply Run

[Lothar]

Vel Cirak
Lumen

The forest surrounding them had a sense of dull silence. Every now and again some bird chirped or an animal moved in the underbrush. A breeze would shake the leaves or one of the wagon wheels would hit a pothole shaking some of the supplies, but by and large the forest was silent.

It had been an eerie quiet at first, as though something were looming right around the edge.

After a day of travel however Lothar began to think that this was simply the nature of the forest around Vel Cirak. A partition of the Falwood, this section of the great forest seemed far more quiet than other parts. The trees grew just as tall, but the canopy was more oppressive. Even a hint of sunlight struggled to reach through to he ground, requiring anyone traveling to have lanterns even on the brightest day.

It was no wonder that this place was plagued with all sorts of creatures. Monsters and werewolves, people claimed, though both had been surprisingly silent in the last year.

Lothar knew that such things were not just rumors. It was well known by most Dreadlords and even Initiates that Vel Cirak had long since been plagued by creatures of both fur and scale. The forest was dangerous, and that was why merchants running their goods to the city were protected by members of the Guard, or in this case by two Initiates.

The journey had been silent so far, but with a night of camping and a full day still ahead of them he couldn't help but wonder if things would stay the same.

His gaze cast over towards Lumen riding on her horse, watching her with his mismatched eyes for a brief moment before he turned his attention back towards the man riding alongside him on the wagon. He was a portly sort of fellow, but carried it well enough. He had been surprisingly kind to the two Initiates, even promising them a good meal cooked over the fire tonight.

For the last hour or so the merchant, whose name was Mr Abadar, had been regaling them with tales of his travels. "Now Tyr, that's a city. Not one King but three. Can you imagine three Kings? Kress."

 

[Lumen]

"I dunno, can't be much different than when all the great houses were more or less in charge." And in her mind, they still were. The royals that had returned still seemed more like puppets or figureheads. A waste of space. What had they done to try and prevent what happened to the graduating class above them?

Absolutely nothing.

What would they do to try and prevent anything from happening like that to her own class, which she refused to call the Gilded Class? They would do absolutely nothing.

Though she participated in the conversation, her gaze never left their continual sweep between the thick, dark woods around them. She'd read up on the previous missions here. One where the VERY Talus himself, Morbid, right?, brought down a plague of werewolves with the help of another initiate, Andy Ace or something.

"But we should find a place to camp, soon. A place that can offer us a little protection." Her tawny-eyes flickered briefly over to Lothar.

Had he done something lately? She could've sworn his eyes had been a different color. Or one of them. Strange.

 

[Lothar]

"The Houses?!" The merchant blurted out incredulously. "What do you mean?"

Lothar looked over towards Lumen, briefly wondering if she was even aware of the fact that most ordinary citizens of Vel Anir had never known the true power of the Great Houses. Initiates had known of course, Dreadlords were brought up within the system, but most ordinary Anirians had still believed the King ruled.

Another lie told to them all. "I've never heard such a rid-"

"Lumen is right." The Merchant seemed about to object more, but he continued before the man could speak. "We should make camp."

A frown touched the portly man's face, but he looked between the two of them and then simply nodded. "Aye well it is gettin' to be about that hour, and I'd rather have the time to build a fie."

Lothar nodded, and it wasn't long before the trio found themselves a small clearing.

The wagon was placed in the very center of everything, and camp was quickly built. Three small tents set up, bedrolls scattered out. Lothar set about beginning to gather firewood from the outskirts of the ring of trees. As he did so the merchant called out.

"Watch yourself lad, more than one person gone missing from the edges of the forest." Lothar stopped mid-picking up a branch. His gaze casting towards the camp, head tilted in a nod, and then he continued with his work.

 

[Lumen]

Lumen was working the perimeter of the camp. Her fingers doing a series of simple moves through the air as she set wards around the camp. It would alert them to any creatures or sentients within range who might have maleintent. She kept her head on a swivel, trying to keep an eye on Lothar and an eye on Mr. Abadar. The former became easier as she made it to his position.

She'd been able to intervene in some cases where she'd found upper classmates and even some in their own class pummeling him. Most knew to lay the fuck off if she stepped in but she'd gotten some split knuckles and lips backing him up. But she could never be everywhere at once.

"Hey Loth," she couldn't stop her gaze from wandering his face. Looking for any telltale signs if he'd been in a fight lately. A small pang of guilt would rise in her chest as well as a flurry of anger if he had. "You want first watch tonight or want me to take it?"

 

[Lothar]

There was a pause. "I can take it."

They would need to stay up all night, and he highly doubted that Mr. Abadar would take any length of time for the watch. Though he was a good man, it was clear the portly merchant tended to sway to whatever side tended for less work.

Most ordinary people Lothar had met were like that.

"You should get some rest." He said calmly. "I don't sleep much nowadays."

His eyes flickered over towards the Merchant for a brief moment, then turned back towards Lumen. His expression still that same calm neutral that he always seemed to hold to. Even while his face was getting kicked in. "And you're the better fighter."

Lothar added.

 

[Lumen]

"Well," she exhaled, steady eyes upon his own strange set. "Second watch it is." A frown on her lips as she hesitated. "You know you can always come to me, right?" The whole not sleeping thing. Anything else. She had teas and other things he could use for sleeping.

And she had a good feeling, deep down, he knew his own worth. Because even though she was the better fighter, he was probably the better survivor.

The merchant cheerily whistled from the clearing. Pans rustling as she got to cooking their dinner. At least he was good to his word. Promising their party a good meal. Lu just hoped it was better than what they served at the Academy. Friendsgiving was the only acception to something good. And that was because half the students had brought side dishes of their own.

 

[Lothar]

For a moment Lothar just stared at her. His strangely colored eyes, which had only appeared a year ago, focused entirely on her.

There was something strange about them, something off. They were different than what he'd had before, not just in their color, but in tone. There was something empty about the way they looked, no emotion touching them regardless of how the Initiate was feeling.

Joy or despair.

Neither seemed to touch his eyes. "I know."

He replied, a soft smile forming on his lips as he tried to reassure her. His gaze then flickered over her shoulder, and he gestured gently towards the Merchant.

"At least it looks like he was telling the truth." Lothar said. "Better than most."

The Merchant caught him staring and waved. "Come on, Come on! Help me out over here, there's a lot of choppin to be done!"

 

[Lumen]

"Better than most," she echoed grimly. Her lips set into a small frown as she turned to join the merchant. The merchant spoke to Lothar first, shoving a cutting board and knife with two onions on it. "Here lad, you take the onions."

He motioned to the pile of sticks to Lumen.

"Make sure the fire stays stoked, lassy." Lumen quirked a singular brow but did as she was told. But she remained watchful of the surroundings along their small clearing. Wards were set but that didn't mean she could get sloppy.

"Do you travel this way often?" She asked. How many times had he successfully made this journey? And had he ever seen any of the beasts that this place was famous for?

 

[Lothar]

"A couple of times a year." The Merchant began to explain, apparently more than happy to speak about his business practices. "Vel Cirak is a vital piece of the Anirian border guard!"

Lothar nodded along with the statement, knowing as well as Lumen that the old fortress city had been built specifically as a Watcher of the Falwood. Since the Elven wars however a dozen other threats had crept up, and now ironically the knife-ears were the least of Vel Cirak's worries.

The merchant continued. "The city needs supplies, and the list of merchants willing to deliver gets lower every year."

He shrugged.

"But it's good silver, and I've never been one to run from danger." Lothar nodded his head. It made sense that not many people would want to make this trip. If the man could earn his coin with three or four trips a year, why do twenty to somewhere else.

"Still." Lothar said. "The creatures?"

He asked. "Aye, well that's always a concern, but I've been lucky. Only really had one run in during the years."

 

[Lumen]

Lumen looked up from stoking the fire. But not before casting her magic out in a wide ring around them. She sensed different groupings of temperature. There were several larger warm shapes. But those weren't what immediately worried her. It was the few spots of cold void that she felt further into the distance that made her stare into the dark wood around them a little longer.

Straightening, she stepped back, eyes flickering to Lothar and then Abadar.

"What did you run into? I'd like to hear the story."

 

[Lothar]

A shrug rolled over the Merchant's shoulders. "Was one of them wolves."

Lothar cocked his head.

He had read of the werewolves around Vel Cirak of course. Before the Rebellion there had been an...initiative to clear them out of the forest. The Anirians had done their job, supposedly slaughtering an entire tribe of the lycans, but such a plague never went absent for long it seemed.

"Four, five years ago maybe?" The Merchant continued. "Was only one of them, the Guardsmen at the time managed to bring him down..."

He trailed off, his voice becoming a bit sad. "Lost three of them in the process though."

Lothar frowned. "Where was the attack?"

The Merchant turned his head.

"Eh?" His head shook as he tried to remember, hand coming to scratch at his beard. "On the road, guess the damned thing was hungry."

 

[Lumen]

"Well, fortune upon you that you survived," Lumen said as she waited for Lothar to finish chopping the onions. Once he did, she dumped them into the pot along with the rest of the stew Abadar was cooking up. "Maybe we should save some of this stew in case we run into more hungry creatures."

Abadar laughed. "Not a bad idea though I bet they prefer fresh meat, still warm from the bone."

Lumen lofted both blonde brows. He wasn't wrong. It was just more descriptive than she thought he'd say. Standing, she walked over to the cart to bring back some plates and utensils for the stew.

"But," Abadar breathed as he stirred the pot that hung over the flames. "I'm not worried about this trip. Got you two with whatever magic ye can do. I bet this lad," he lifted the dripping spoon from the pot and pointed it at Lothar. "I bet he can make the earth shake or something impressive."

 

[Lothar]

Lothar smiled a soft, almost innocent smile. "Nothing so unique, I am afraid."

Though after the revolution he had presented his new 'gifts' to the Proctors, training had still been slow. Adapting to the magics that he had taken was no easy task, especially since he could not be truthful about how they had developed in the first place.

Many nights had been stolen away researching Isbrand Lorel, attempting to dissect the now dead Archon's abilities and how Lothar could better understand them.

"But I assure you." Lothar continued. "Lumen is a far greater warrior than I ever could be."

He flashed another smile to the Paladin, then continued. "Between the two of us we will keep you safe."

 

[Lumen]

Her lips parted to protest what Lothar said. But they closed, a quick silent, shake of her head. Lothar was selling himself short again. Tawny-gaze gave him a look in which he'd be able to read her silent thoughts on the matter. In her mind, they were equally as valuable just with different skill sets.

"Let's not compare ourselves," she said quietly to Lothar. "Strength is not always found in wielding a sword and shield."

Abadar chuckled and looked between them. "A fine pair you are. I've no doubt I'll be safe with you two." With a final stir of the stew, he began ladling portions into bowls for them. "Come, come," he motioned them forward. "Eat."

Lumen let Lothar go first. Then took her portion, settling quietly on the ground between them to eat. But her head remained on a swivel. Keeping a watchful eye at the forest around them.

 

[Lothar]

Lothar was no less watchful, though by the time they finished their meal no wolves had skulked out from the darkness of the woods. Something that he found to be rather lucky.

Though his new gifts made him more powerful, his mastery of them was still far off in the distance. The three magics he had taken did not always work in tandem, and using them properly was...perilous at times. Not the least because he could not always control them well.

He needed more time. More practice.

"We'll need to go early in the morn." Abadar said as they cleaned out their bowls, and Lothar raised an eyebrow at the comment. Clearly curious. "The wolves will be hunting."

A frown touched his face. "I thought they needed the full moon."

"A common enough myth, and true in some parts from what I gather, but the ones here are different. Couldn't tell you how or why though." The Merchant shrugged his shoulder, and Lothar looked to Lumen with a frown. He had thought the danger would be done by morning.

 

[Lumen]

"We stay vigilante," she whispered to Lothar, catching his look. But even with the look on his face, his eyes seemed devoid of emotion. She had to catch any shifts in the idiosyncrasies on his face. A small frown on her lips before she looked away.

In her mind, the danger didn't end until they were well within the fortified walls of Vel Cirak.

Finishing and cleaning her plate, she nodded to both of the men. "I'm headed to my bedroll. Lothar, wake me when it's time please. You've got this." Standing, she crossed the small camp to the cart and shook out her bedroll. Unstripping her shield and sword, she carefully laid each by her sides, one hand on the hilt of her sword, the shield cradled half across her chest as her head tipped back, gaze looking upward into the dark and gnarled canopy above. Any view of the sky obscured. Eyes closed and she drifted off.

 

[Lothar]

True to his word, Lothar did in fact take first watch.

He did not mind the silence, and sleep did not come as easily to him as it once had. The magic he had taken did not come without it's costs, and at times he could practically feel his body shift and change. As though the now dead Archon's abilities were still fighting to take hold in him.

Sitting quietly, the Initiate carefully watched the woods around them. The embers of the fire eventually dying out, and only the light of the moon remaining.

It was near midnight that he heard a sound.

A twig snapping within the forest.

Slowly his mismatched eyes flickered across the darkened forest, lips thinning. A slow breath drew into his chest, and he watched until finally a pulse ran over his blue eye. It seemed to shift, iris shrinking until it was nothing and the world before him became far more clear.

Outlines of creatures shifted within the forest. At first one, then two, then a dozen. He saw them all, not moving closer, but watching.

Slowly Lothar leaned over, shaking Lumen awake.

 

[Lumen]

She sat up so quickly it was as if she'd never been sleeping at all. Head nearly bonking into Lothar's own. Shield gripped in one hand. Fingers curled around the hilt of her sword in another. Just because the revolution happened, didn't mean it erased all those years prior and the grueling training the proctors had instilled in them.

"What is it," she whispered, tawny-eyes flickering around the camp assessing any danger before falling on Lothar's face. Then another snap of a twig. And all at once, green-glowing eyes began to appear from the darkened woods around them.

"Oh," she said quietly and got to her feet.

The eyes seemed more reptilian than anything else.

One thing was clear, they were outnumbered. And in that moment one of the creatures lumbered forward, what little moonlight breaking through the canopy above settling on its face.

 

[Lothar]

Lothar's fingers curled around the hilt of his sword. "That's not a werewolf."

The blade slowly began to drag free from it's scabbard, but he made sure not to move too quickly. The right eye within his skull seemed to pulse, a vague haze surrounded the creatures as they stepped forward. Lothar's stolen magic tracking their every step, and showing how they moved.

"They will be very fast." He noted quietly to Lumen. "And..."

A low hiss escaped the creatures, it's spittle dripping down it's chin. "Don't let them bite you."

Lothar did not say how he knew any of this, and before the question could be asked more of the creatures appeared out from the forest. They seemed to almost stumble forward, as though their legs did not work the way they should.

His fingers clutched at the hilt of his sword. "What do we do-"

The first of the creatures lurched forward towards the Initiates.

 

[Lumen]

"Wha-at's going on?" Abadar's sleepy voice came from inside the wagon.

"Stay inside," Lumen barked off an order that gave no leeway for argument.

A quick glance to Lothar, "Protect Abadar, get him on a horse and out of here," she whispered. The creature already heading toward them lunged for her.

"Stop," she brought her shield up just in time as its swiping claws screeched across the rounded surface. She grunted as she felt the impact on her arm. "What do you want?" She swung her sword as the beast lunged back. "We want no trouble and just seek safe passage."

A wet, gurgling cackle left the base of another creature's throat who had yet to fully step from the darkness of the trees. "Taaaaake theeeeeeem," it hissed.

 

[Lothar]

The moment One of the creatures swiped at Lumen Lothar knew that things would not go exactly as had been planned.

His sword swept out from it's scabbard, flickering before him just as another one of the creatures rushed forward. The end of his blade swiped through it's leg, and a hiss escaped the beasts throat as it tumbled to the floor and Lothar swept himself upward.

"Mr. Abadar!" The other Initiate said as he kicked off between Lumen and the tents.

Quickly he rushed to the merchants side, grabbing him by the arm and forcing him onto his feet. Some objection tumbled from the mans mouth as they quickly set towards the horses, most of them being about his cart.

"We'll come back for it later." Lothar argued as he practically threw the man onto the horse. The Man frowned, knowing that the Dreadlord Initiate was just placating him. "Lumen!"

Lothar shouted as he pulled himself into the saddle, directing his horse towards his companion and extending a hand.

 

[Lumen]

Her shield punched into a creature's face. The swipe of her sword arched across another's torso. It was strange. They didn't seem to be going for killing blows. And that thought alone made a chill spread down her back.

Grunting, she wrenched her arm free from a set of claws. Punched her shield at a snout and had enough time to sheath her sword and offer her outstretched hand to Lothar. With his help, she'd swing herself onto the back of his horse, hand snaking around his waist.

"Go, go, go!" She'd shout, chest heaving. A grim look on her face as she swung her shield to keep another creature from grabbing at their ride. Mr. Abadar was ahead, barely on a horse of his own and weaving through the thick trees toward the road.

 

[Lothar]

Lothar? gripped the reigns as tightly as he could, guiding the horse along the path just steps behind that of the Merchant's.

"What?!" The man called out. "What the fuck were those things!?"

There was a desperation in his tone that Lothar wished that he had an answer for. He had no idea what in the hell those creatures had been, though he certainly knew they weren't Werewolves. Whatever they had been, he could still hear their screeching. "I don't know!"

Lothar answered honestly over the din of pounding horse hooves.

"We need to get to Vel Cirak!" He called out. "They need to be alerted."

There was no doubt in his mind about that. Was this some sort of new threat? Something else the ancient fortress had to worry about?

 

[Lumen]

Lumen's neck craned as she looked behind them. She couldn't see them but that didn't mean anything. She didn't know how fast they could move. Mr. Abadar grunted. And for a moment it look as if he pulled back on the reigns.

What...

Then he yelled as his horse reared and he slipped off. "Help!" He yelped even as he hit the ground and his horse reared again before landing and bolting further down the path. Lumen didn't hesitate. She released her grip from around Lothar and slipped off his moving horse, landing in a roll to help lessen the impact of the ground coming up to meet her.

"The horse!" She yelled to Lothar as she found her feet beneath her and rushed back to where Abadar had fallen. "Get up!" She yelled, offering a hand to pull him to his feet.

 

[Lothar]

Lothar might not have been the strongest Dreadlord. His magic, until recently, had been next to useless, but he was still a Dreadlord.

As Lumen slipped from the back of his horse fingers tightened almost immediately on the reigns. Eyes flickered back and forth, quickly searching for any sign of what might have spooked the merchantman's horse. When he found nothing, he cursed, wheeling his own beast towards the fleeing steed.

Fingers reached out as he caught up to the creature, grasping it's reigns and tightly pulling back to slow it into a trot.

Within an instant he wheeled about, now separated from Lumen and Mr. Abadar by a good hundred paces or so. The forest around them seemed darker, and the trail between them though empty began to fill with a strange fog.

Something fell in the Pit of his stomach, and another pulse ran through his eye.

Once again the darkness and the fog peeled away. He saw far more clearly, Lumen and the merchant standing just down the road, and the forest around them dead silent.

Then, to the left, movement. "Hurry!"

Lothar called to them as he kicked his horse forward and galloped towards the pair.