Fable - Ask Terse Words

[Edric]

The thought wasn't all that shocking. Just a year ago more than a few soldiers in the Guard had worked alongside Archon's for years. There were some who had been close to the Houses, the Royal family, why not Dreadlords too?

Loyalties were often a strange thing, as Edric had come to understand himself. Probably.

He answered with a short flicker of his fingers.

More to find out. Edric was sure of that. They had just scraped the very top of all this, and he was intent of figuring out what more lay beneath the surface. Fingers tightened, and he began to think of how to best look into this.

It was another day and a half of travel before they reached the army. The scout asked a few questions, Edric and Eleanor asking their own.

Yet before long they found themselves upon a ridgeline, a massive army marking through the canyons into the Savannah. Edric gaped slightly, finally understanding why it had taken so long for the Guard to arrive. He glanced at Eleanor, then the scout. "This must be half the army of the North."

The Initiate said quietly.

"Closer to a fourth, but the Generals thought it important to show support...hopefully the city is still standing when we get there."

Edric glanced over towards Eleanor. Deciding it was prob not to say anything to that.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor was ready for that comfortable bed in the Governors room by the time they met up with the army. Her shock mirrored Edric's as they gazed down at the sprawling shadows of people. So many soldiers. It was impressive to see, that was for sure. Too bad it was all for nothing.

She knew the look that Edric gave her and she nodded in agreement. This was not the best time to say anything. They needed to speak to the Major as soon as possible.

Eleanor turned to look at the scout, "We need to speak with Major Dremin. It is urgent and concerns the city..." Her words trailed off as she looked back at the army. She wasn't asking. She was telling the scout to take them to him now.

 

[Edric]

For a few seconds the boy hesitated, and then there was a terse nod.

Though the Revolution had come, and the Republic was in charge most soldiers were still more than aware that it was better not to argue with a Dreadlord. Thus the Scout quickly lead them down the ridge, moving quickly until they reached the first vestiges of the army.

A few soldiers immediately raised their pikes as the three neared, though quickly lowered them as they recognized the Scout. He moved towards the soldiers, calling out towards the nearest commanding officer. A lieutenant was quickly found, and from there the Dreadlords were guided up the chain of command.

It didn't take long for them to find Major Dremin.

The Anirian Military was unquestionably the finest in the world. It's soldiers well drilled and it's commanding officers promoted based on merit. Things worked quickly, and before long the Edric and Eleanor were standing in front of the commander of an army.

"You have something to report?"​

The man asked, glancing between the two Initiates. "Yes sir. We delivered out message to the Governor of Vel Acetan, however there have been major developments."

Over the next few minutes Edric disclosed everything that had happened over the last few days, well, almost everything. Concluding with the fact that it had been Archon Nassau who was behind the whole thing, or had at least been present in the siege.

"Nassau?"​

The Major sounded incredulous.

"He let you live?"​

It was as if he couldn't believe it.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor with her amazing diplomacy wanted to snap at the Major. Obviously he let us live! She kept that to herself though. She did not need to make the commander mad so she simply held out her arm to show him Nassau's brand.

"Yes, he did. He wanted us to specifically deliver that message to you and only you." Her voice was steady as she brought her arm back down to her side. If Nassau's brand was not proof enough that they had encountered the Archon, she didn't know what would be.

 

[Edric]

The Major frowned for a brief moment, lips thinning as he shook his head.

"Then Vel Acetan is lost."​

Edric blinked for a brief moment, somewhat shocked that the man was...was so willing to believe then, much less take them at face value. A frown pulled at his lips. "So you believe us?"

The Major nodded, glancing over his shoulder to one of his officers.

"I've seen what Nassau can do."​

Edric and Eleanor hadn't, at least not really, but the man seemed to be familiar with the Archon's magic. A brief frown flickered over the Initiates lips, and he quickly flickered in the Dreadlord hand-talk. Inside man?

He doubted it was the Major...but the question had to be posed at least.

"Lieutenant. I want you to take The First and Second Cavalry, head to the city ahead of the main army. Confirm what these two have said. Everyone else, double marches. Perhaps we can still catch him."​

Edric doubted that very much, but didn't say so. "What about us?"

"You've done your part. Now we do ours. You can go with us, or return to the Academy...I'll leave the choice up to you."
​

The Initiate frowned, glancing at his companion.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor was torn. Part of her wanted to go back to the Academy but the other part of her wanted to go with the army and possibly get some answers. She looked at Edric but she could not tell what he wanted to do.

She raised a brow and shrugged at him. It would be good experience for them especially if they were going to be working with the Guard once they graduated. Yes...they needed to go.

"We will join you, Major Dremin." She spoke before she conferred anymore with her partner. They had both already spoken about how they didn't want to return to the Academy yet so it made sense to tag along.

Build relationships. Possibly get answers. Don't die. They could handle this.

 

[Edric]

Edric nodded.

A part of him didn't really want to go back. He knew what they would find. Knew what they would see. Nassau had told them as much before they had even left. Eleanor and Edric had both estimated it the moment they'd arrived at the city.

This was...well this was just torturing themselves in a way. Still, he couldn't help the odd compulsion. He wanted to see. He wanted to know. "Lets go."

There wasn't much of a conversation after that. Edric and Eleanor were both given horses, rounded up with the Cavalry, and then they set off. The journey back to Vel Acetan was hard, pushed even harder by the urging of the Lieutenant.

No one stopped overnight, simply switching horses to ride faster and harder.

Still, by the time the landscape around them once again became familiar, Edric could already see the plumes of smoke rising. The acrid smell filling the air.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor had just thought she was exhausted before the ride back to Vel Acetan. She was very wrong. They did not stop for more than a few minutes at a time and, while she was very glad to have a horse, she was sore and tired now.

She recognized where they were about the same time that Edric did. She could see it in his eyes. He knew they were getting close to the city. They were proven right a short while later when they saw the smoke. "Fuck" Eleanor said not so quietly. They had known that this is what they would find but there was still that tiny tiny flicker of hope that they would be wrong. They would make it time.

They had not.

 

[Edric]

The city of Vel Acetan was a ruin. It's walls had three great gashes gouged out of them, it's main gate was rubble, and through the gaps one could see the utter destruction that had been wrought upon this place.

Sulfur filled the air, smoke rose from within the city, and all around one could see hundreds, if not thousands of corpses. Some of them lay in great smouldering piles, others simply strewn about. It was a horrorscape, and then Edric noticed it. "El..."

He said softly, glancing at the corpses around the field as they made their way towards the city.

"This is..." A frown pulled at his lips. The bodies around them were not Anirian, they were not citizens nor the emaciated soldiers. "They're the tribesman."

The Army that Nassau had sat within.

A frown pulled at his lips, confusion flickering over his features. "I...don't get it."

He said, utterly bewildered. Had the city somehow defended itself? No. That was impossible. They had seen what Vel Acetan had to offer, and it couldn't have done this. This...this had to have been Nassau. The Archon.

A creeping terror set in along Edric's spine as they waded through the field of corpses and passed into the gate of the empty and ruined city.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor had been too busy looking at the destruction to notice what Edric had. Now that he had drawn her attention to the bodies and was perplexed. He was right. These were the tribesman, the army that Nassau was presumably fighting with.

"What the fuck is going on?" She was even more confused and curious than she had been. She followed along side her fellow Initiate and looked around at the burnt corpses and the burnt city.

 

[Edric]

Once they entered the city, it had been clear that Nassau had kept his word.

Vel Acetan was a ruin, and it's people equally. The entire city was quiet, save for the crackles of fire that could still be heard. Edric looked around, his head spinning at the destruction and death that had been wrought upon this place. "So he...he sacks the city..."

Edric said quietly.

"Then kills his own army?" He shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense."

It was the lieutenant who spoke, the man in charge of the cavalry.

"Who knows. Archons are all fucking nuts."​

Edric glanced at the man, not sure he didn't agree.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor completely agreed with the lieutenant. Archons were fucking nuts. Nassau was the only one she had ever met but she had heard stories of the others.

"Perhaps one day we will catch up with him and find out the truth..."

She surveyed the remains of the city with a sad shake of her head. So many lives gone...for what...