Fable - Ask Terse Words

[Eleanor]

"Let's do both," Eleanor said quietly. "Wall first and then food preferably."

She pulled the blankets away and got out of the bed. She stretched slowly before bending over to grab her discarded clothing from earlier activities. She slid her legs into the pants and then pulled the shirt over her head. She then sat back on the bed and pulled her boots on one at a time.

Eleanor stayed seated on the bed until Edric was ready to go. She may not be able to sleep but her body was still tired and weak from the lack of food. Three days with only a little bit of jerky. She needed to nourish her body before it completely revolved against her.

 

[Edric]

Briefly Edric remained sitting in bed, simply watching Eleanor get dressed as he pretended to think about something.

It wasn't too hard to believe that his thoughts were mired with the same darkness that plagued the other Initiate. Things did look bad, and his stomach churned with hunger just as hers did. Yet the concern, at least for starvation, never really touched him. The Proctors had tried killing him that way early on.

A month in a steel box, the only nourishment coming from prisoners that had been dragged before him.

The thought brought a distant look to his eyes, and the pleasant sight of Eleanor dressing herself was quickly replaced by memories of the abyss he'd stared into. Lips thinned, and he only dragged himself from that darkness when he noticed that his companion was specifically waiting on him. Edric cleared his throat, then quickly stood.

In just a few moments he dressed himself. "Let's get going."

He said quickly, moving to the exit of the room and stepping over the odd creatures. A frown pulled at his lips as he opened the door, looking back at the corpses.

"Let's find someone to clean those up while we're about." He was pretty sure they could order a Guardsmen to do it.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor could feel his eyes on her as she got dressed and she felt slightly smug about it. There was a difference between changing in front of someone for a mission and getting dressed in front of someone you just had sex with. She liked the thought of someone enjoying her body. It was weird. It was nice.

Once he finally moved, she followed him out of the room. "Yes, I would like to not have bodies lying around. I hope the Governor doesn't think she is safe because I really like her bed and her tub." She meant it but she also followed it with a wink. She hoped Edric would crack a smile at her terrible jokes.

They made their way up to the wall and Eleanor looked out over the enemy camp. Fires dotted the camp and she couldn't help but wonder if they had done any damage at all. The enemy had probably brought in reinforcements by now.

"We are so fucked," it seemed like Eleanor's favorite phrase right now.

 

[Edric]

"Well, I suppose one little slip of the tongue and she might consider things aren't so sec-" Edric's words died on his tongue as they reached the peak of the walls.

His thoughts almost immediately reflected the words of his companion.

Lips thinned, fingers tightened on the parapet. He glanced downward upon the defenses, spotting emaciated and distraught guardsmen as they clung to their posts. Edric couldn't help but feel his heart sink, gaze flickering over the fires that lay beyond the walls.

Slowly he shook his head. "Kress."

He breathed softly.

"This..." Edric sucked in a breath. "I'd rather be bending you over the be-"

Before the could finish his rather crass thought a voice cut him off.

"Ser's! Madam and Sir Dreadlord."​

A Guard of Skin and bones ran up to them, his hand up in a solute.

"The Governor requests your presence, Ser's. It seems she has a plan..."​

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor let out a genuine laugh at what he would rather be doing. She definitely didn't disagree. She would be down for being bent over. He was cut off by a Guard as he ran over to them and gave them the message.

"Take us to her," Eleanor said quickly before the Guard could even catch his breath. The Guard turned on his heel and lead the two Dreadlord Initiates back down the stairs that they had just come up. So much for getting food, she thought as her stomach let out a low rumble.

The Guard led them past the Governors office and over to the original room that Edric and Eleanor had occupied. They entered the small room to meet with her.

 

[Edric]

The two Initiates were lead down the hallways until eventually they found themselves in the same room that they had slept in that first night.

"...and get me a fucking blanket."​

Edric heard the governor say as they stepped inside. He shot a quick glance over towards Eleanor, a smarmy smile pulling at his lips. "Wonder what happened to that blanket."

He mouthed to Eleanor before stepping up to the Governor.

"Sir." Edric offered. "You wanted to see us?"

"I did. I have a plan, and I think it may buy us some time, but..."​

There was a long pause as she looked at the two of them. There was something on her face, an emotion flickering that Edric didn't really recognize. He couldn't quite tell what it was, something...something close to guilt?

A frown touched his lips.

"But it might not end well, for either of you."​

Edric glanced at Eleanor. Why would she care?

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor smirked at Edric as he joked about the missing blanket. Oops. Her smirk did not last long though. The Governor looked slightly upset or worried or sad or something as she delivered the rest of her sentence.

"But it might not end well, for either of you."

Edric looked at Eleanor and Eleanor looked at Edric. Those words did not bode well for the two Dreadlord Initiates.

"What do you have in mind?" Ella asked with a perfect mask of uncaring on her face.

 

[Edric]

"Things are...dire."

That was a bit of an understatement. With how things looked like now the city was very likely to fall. That massive dragon could burst down the gate at any moment, and while the Anirian Guard was well trained, the garrison was outnumbered.

The only thing the city really had going for it was the fact that it's walls were almost insurmountable. Like most Anirian cities, Acetan had been built to withstand all but the apocalypse itself. There was a reason that the enemy had sent in assassins.

They were hoping for surrender.

"That...creature out there, I do not believe it tamed, rather...controlled by a mage. Something similar perhaps. If that mage were to die, the control would slip..."

"Ah." Edric said with a nod.

A pet would be turned on it's masters, and the dragon would rampage. It would undoubtedly be brought down eventually, ten thousand men could kill most anything, but it would be another spike of Chaos thrown into the enemy lines.

Edric glanced over at Eleanor. "I'll do it."

He wouldn't speak for her.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor let out an ah at the same time Edric did. She understood what the Governor wanted them to do.

She met Edric's eyes and nodded in agreeance with him. He was not going alone. She could at least offer some sort of distraction.

"I will go too."

Her words were simple. This was the only way the city even had a chance at surviving. It also gave Edric and Eleanor a chance to get the fuck out of here or die trying. Most likely the latter.

 

[Edric]

Edric glanced over at Eleanor. At least they would die together, that was nice.

In a strange way.

"Can we get a meal?" The Governor seemed to balk at the casual nature of the question. Her eyes narrowed, as if she didn't quite understand. "Magic takes fuel. If we're going to use it, we need to eat."

He gestured to the wound on his chest. "This won't heal itself."

It actually would, once he got beyond the wall and close enough to the enemy, but he was thinking of Eleanor more than himself.

"Of course. Of course. We'll get you everything we can."​

Edric nodded. "We'll go tonight then."

The sooner the better, he figured.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor could've kissed Edric with that simple question. Yes, she needed food. She wouldn't make it very far into the enemy camp without sustenance. The Governor let the two Initiates know that the food would delivered to their new room - her rooms - within the hour.

Eleanor nodded and they left to go back to their room. Eleanor dozed on the couch as they waited.

It was less than an hour when there was a knock at the door and a couple of the Guard brought in some bread, jerky, and hard cheese. It was clear that this was the high end of their supply and they had brought the best they had to offer.

Eleanor immediately dug in and let out a contented sigh as she chewed and swallowed. "Edric, thank you for asking. I needed this badly."

 

[Edric]

Edric had spent most of the time poking through the Governor's books. He had never been much of a reader, not for a minute in his life, but he figured the day before he was due to die was probably a good time to start. Eventually he managed to settle on a tome of poems, written by a man he guessed was from Oban.

Mostly because his name flowed off the tongue.

When their meal was delivered, Edric closed the book, placing it onto the tabletop and joining Eleanor at the small table. He watched with a small smile as she stuffed her face, and then did the same when he'd made sure she had her fill.

"Not exactly Proctor Rewren's Goulash." He said with a chuckle. The Fourth Level Dreadlord was a cook at the Academy, a man whom none of the Initiates had ever much been able to figure out. He'd often sneak them some small bits of food, before the Revolution, now he did so more openly. "But I guess it's a fine enough last meal."

A shrug rolled over his shoulders.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor was glad that Edric ate too. She was afraid that she was going to have to force him to eat but he had just made sure that she was taken care of before he dug in. This whole caring Edric thing was still weird. She didn't comment on it though.

"No, I would die happy with some of that Goulash in my stomach. That shit is delicious." She smiled at him as she finished her last piece of bread. She was filled for the first time in days and she already felt some energy coming back into her.

Not that it mattered, they would still die. They may have a little more of a chance though. A small chance of saving the city.

"Are you ready to do this, Edric?" She wasn't but it had to be done.

 

[Edric]

A shrug rolled over his shoulders. "As ready as anyone could be."

Edric had never had any illusions about what he was, what he could be. The Academy had raised him to be a weapon, a killer, and it was an identity that suited him just fine. If this was going to be how it ended? Then that was how it was going to be.

"We kill a mage, then get out." He told her. "We don't go back to the city."

His voice was stern.

If they succeeded, which...they both knew was doubtful, he wasn't going to come back here. Edric had already made up his mind about that. "We head towards the army and tell them to hurry the fuck up."

Edric wasn't going to get trapped again.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor agreed with him and went to gather her belt. Once the two of them were dressed for battle, they were ready to go.

The plan was simple. Somehow get out of the city, get into the enemy camp without getting caught, take out the mage (or mages) controlling the dragon thing, and then get the fuck out as fast as possible. Too bad it would never work.

Step one was hard enough. The two Initiates had to get out of the city without being caught by the enemy soldiers who no doubt were watching the city for any attempt at surprise attacks.

"How do you plan on getting out of the city?"

 

[Edric]

Edric considered the question for a moment. There were any number of ways for him to get beyond the wall, though none of them were particularly safe. That wasn't even to mention the fact that Eleanor needed to get out too.

Lips thinned for a brief moment. "If you jumped off the wall."

He said with a glance to her.

"Could you float your way down?" Edric asked, knowing that she had likely never tried anything of the sort before. She'd mentioned earlier she'd only just begun practicing throwing people around. "Just you, mind."

The Initiate clarified, strapping on that strange curved sword he carried around.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor gave Edric a look as he made his suggestion. "I have never tried it and I don't think I want to find out that I can't do it right now. It is not the time to break a few bones or die," she said as they headed out towards the wall.

"I would like to save the dying until after we have at least done some damage to the mage and or dragon thing." Her voice was light but she felt the dread rising in her.

She thought quietly to herself for a few moments but she couldn't think of anything helpful. "Any other suggestions?"

 

[Edric]

Well, that was one idea gone. Sometimes Edric forgot just how easy his magic made...well pretty much anything. Edric could have jumped from the top of that wall and been perfectly okay, so long as he buffered himself for the drop.

A frown flickered over his features as he thought, and then he let out a long sigh. "I have one more idea."

Neither of them would really like it, he already knew that. It was something every city had, something that every town had to deal with. During most sieges it was well protected from the outside, but there was usually a way to cross through from the inside.

His head shook.

"Sewers." It would get them out of the city, they'd just be covered in shit.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor made a face of disgust. The sewers were most definitely not the way she wanted to go but he was right. It would be great if they could just walk out the front gate but that was not an option. She let out a long sigh and rubbed her head.

"Fuck!" She said with some force as her lip curled. "I think we should just stay here instead," she joked solemnly.

She sighed again and nodded. "You're right, of course. It is a good way to go since I am useless..."

Edric could get down the way apparently. She was the problem. She was going to cost them time. She wasn't going to leave Edric to go alone though.

 

[Edric]

Edric shook his head. "Not useless."

He told her.

"Just can't survive a hundred foot drop." Edric chuckled quietly, flickering a quick smile over towards her. "I think half the Academy is with you there."

A shrug rolled over his shoulders. If smelling like shit was going to be the most of their problems from all of this then he would count himself lucky. Besides, with the lack of food in this place, he doubted it would be all that bad.

"Cheer up, El." Edric said as he stood, stretching his back.

A groan escaped him, followed by a yawn. "We've got a Dragon tamer to kill."

 

[Eleanor]

"Oh yeah, just like that. Such an easy task," she said back with a healthy dose of sarcasm. She smiled and bumped into his arm with her shoulder though. A lighter mood was definitely a good idea with the shit they were about to go through...literally and figuratively.

"Let's get going so we can hopefully get into the camp before dawn." Ella got directions to the nearest to the exit entrance to the sewer and they two headed that way.

"Edric, thanks for not being a total douche on this mission," her smile was back as she thanked him.

 

[Edric]

A nod tipped Edric's head as Eleanor ushered them out the door. "Lets."

He agreed.

The few steps he took stopped suddenly as Eleanor glanced back towards him and offered a thanks. For a brief moment he frowned. She and him had never been paired on a mission before this, all their interactions had been at the Academy.

It was a different life there, and it had been a different time. Edric shrugged his shoulders.

"There's no longer a reason to." He said, as if that was enough of an explanation, and then followed her.

As they went out the door Edric grabbed the blanket he had stolen from their former quarters. When they were moving down the hall he flicked a knife into his hand, cutting the blanket into long scarf like strips. "For the smell."

He said as he threw away the scraps and offered her one of the scarfs.

As they approached one of the heavy grates he wrapped the cloth around his face, then reached down and with a grunt pulled the heavy metal free. Almost as soon as he did a foul odor touched his now, and he scowled beneath the scarf. "Fuck me. That's awful."

Edric said with a shake of his head, and then lowered himself into the sewer.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor took the piece of fabric from Edric and wrapped it around her face like he had. She appreciated his forethought on the matter especially once he lifted the metal grate and the smell hit her.

"Damnit, that's terrible," she said as she watched Edric lower himself down into the sewer. Once she heard him hit the ground, she followed him down and gagged. The smell was terrible and the scarf only helped a little.

They started to walk and Ella breathed through her mouth to minimize the smell of shit.

 

[Edric]

Luckily, or perhaps not so much, the sewer was not currently running with shit.

The place stunk to high heaven, but it seemed the lack of activity meant there wasn't a river of excrement for them to walk through. Instead they moved across the dried cobbles, the small caking and wafting to them. All of it made Edric want to hurl.

Slowly he continued down the path, moving until they finally found a massive metal grate, it's hinged inverted and pushing it to fall only to the outside.

He glanced over towards Ella. "Looks rusted. Think you can force it open if I push at the same time?"

Edric asked, his voice muffled by the cloth.

 

[Eleanor]

Eleanor looked at Edric and smiled behind her cloth. "I can get it on my own," she said and then thought better of it. She didn't need to use all of her strength opening the grate. "Yes, help please," she nodded at Edric.

Once he was ready, Ella focused on the grate and concentrated on pushing the grate away from it's resting spot. With the combined effort of the two Initiates, the rusted hinge gave way and the metal grate swung open.

She let Edric climb out first since he was already there and then she followed him quickly. She breathed in deep and removed the scarf. "I have never been happier for fresh air! Fuck!"