Private Tales The Death of Innocence

[Houri]

"They better not have gone off after that boar without us!" Houri exclaimed, completely missing the train of thought Olvir was pursuing. Clearly the sign of a deserted camp was that the knights had decided to take the opportunity to have all the fun to themselves. Especially considering they had discarded their armour.

The young girl strode over to where two large branches had been whittled into spikes, the shavings still littering the shingle beach, and snatched one up. She only paused to weight it in her hands then give an approving nod.

"Let's go catch up before we miss out on the fun."

 

[Olvir]

When Houri immediately flickered to jumping in on the Knights supposed fun Olvir raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to cut in for a brief moment, perhaps offer a dour blanket on the excitement blooming within the clearing. Yet before he could the young Noble snapped his mouth shut.

No need for another horror. He reminded himself.

The beast they had encountered in the forest had been driven off. Houri's magic had sent it fleeing in the woods faster than either of them could run. It was doubtful the beast would be coming back any time soon, and if it did…well they would handle it.

Trik and the other Knight were probably fine.

They were hunting, just as they had all planned.

Olvir nodded to himself, as though he'd just managed to settle something in his mind. The consternation on his face broke into a smile, and he quickly stepped up and grabbed the other loose spear. "Alright alright."

He agreed.

"Let's go." He said in agreement, never noticing the dark eyes watching them.

 

[Houri]

Houri's jovial skip into the forest was like that of a child who had been told to go and hunt for hidden chocolate by her mother. To look at her one would not think she had almost been killed by a monster that had managed to allude her killing blows. A wiser dreadlord would have thought more on that and realised it was far more dangerous than it initially appeared. But Houri was far too excited about the hunt instead.

"I haven't had roasted boar in..." she paused and gave up counting when she realised she didn't know what year it was. "Too long. It used to be my favourite - well, my second favourite. Goose was always my absolute favourite," she sighed at the memory of the taste. Roasted goose, cranberry sauce, roasted parsnips and potatoes... The memory made her mouth drool.

Suddenly a shout went up from ahead of them and the sound of the undergrowth being trampled by fast approaching feet.

 

[Olvir]

"Well with only four of us there will be ple-" Before he could finish his sentence a scream suddenly wracked through the forest.

Olvir let out a curse, glanced towards Houri and then motioned. "Come on, that was Trik."

The Ogre-Sized Guardsmen had been at his side long enough that he could recognize his voice even in a moment of panic. Without another word Ollie darted forward, only to be encountered by the giant Knight barrelling through the forest.

"RUN YOUNG MASTER, MISS!"​

He shouted.

"GO!"​

The Knight hollared, dozens of black shapes running behind him.

 

[Houri]

Houri stood in raptured awe, like a child before a pile of presents. It had been so long since she had had any type of real fun and there was nothing she would have loved more than to lay into the swarm heading their way. But at the back of her mind she knew her duty was to protect the citizens of Vel Anir and not to squander her magic. She could hear the Proctor gently reminding her of such on the odd occasions she was let out of the asylum.

So it was not the lightning and the thunder that rained down this time; not when the Knight was so close to them still. Instead the wind began to rush and swirl in the midsts of those figures, tugging at them and sweeping some up into the growing tornado.

"Yes, go!" Houri repeated to the two men once Trik reached them panting and wide-eyed. This time the strain of the magic was evident in the press of her lines and tightness around her eyes; she had used most of her energy on the one monster and this was many.

"That won't hold them long," she explained and grabbed a hold of Ollie's hand before breaking into a run.

 

[Olvir]

Ollie let out a string of curses. "Get to the horses!"

It was the only thing he could think of.

The wind which swept forth from Houri's magic pressed at the black figures, but her words rang out seconds later. There was no standing and fighting this time, no sticking around and trying to resist. They had to get out of there.

His fingers wrapped tightly around Houri's, and quickly they set off at a sprint.

Trik ran besides them, his hulking form moving with surprising speed as he rushed. Sweat beaded on his brow, head turning back as the figures began to spread out behind them within the forest. A howl echoed behind them, and Trik cursed.

"Head to camp, My Lord. I'll lead them off!"​

The old Knight called, and Ollie glanced back. "Trik do-"

Before Olvir could truly object the bodyguard broke off from the small group, suddenly darting to the right and shouting at the beasts.

 

[Houri]

"He's going to get himself killed!" Houri shouted over the noise incredulously.

Fool, Ahdvi snarled inside her mind and she couldn't help but nod in agreement. Without magic he was surely signing his death warrant. The cold calculated mind of a Dreadlord set in; Ollvir was the noble and thus the higher priority. Trying to save the knight might put him in the way of danger. With a final, annoyed glanced in Trik's direction she shook her head then tugged Ollvir on back towards the camp.

The tornado behind tore at their clothes and whipped their hair back from their faces but Houri steadily ran on with her friend until the trees gave way to the beach. The horses, having sensed the weather change, were in a frenzy tugging at their lines and tossing their heads. Houri's mare tried to bite her hand when she reached for the reins as though the horse knew the unnatural weather was her fault.

"We need to get you back to the city, then I can return with the Dreadlords. If your man is alive, we'll get him back," she tried to reassure him.

 

[Olvir]

Olvir wanted to argue, shout after e man.

Trik wasn't just a bodyguard, he was a friend. Olvir had known him almost as long as he'd known his brothers. Yet despite the objection in his chest he kept his mouth shut. There was a way these things were supposed to work. There was a reason that the Knight had been traveling with them.

This was his whole job. Why he had been with Olvir in the first place, and why the Weiroon's had been paying him all these years. Trike had made his choice, and Ollie would respect it. Fingers clutched tightly into fists, but he bit down the objection as they ran.

Panic, despair, and a dozen other emotions flickered through the young Noble's chest as they reached the clearing with the horses.

"We're two days from Vel Anir!" Ollie barked as he grasped the reins of his horse, patting the great beast on the neck to try and calm him. Saddle half-hazardly thrown onto the creature and strapped into place.

"There's..." Howls echoed out behind them. "There's a garrison nearby!"[/.color]

Ollie said he pulled himself into the saddle. "We'll go there."

 

[Houri]

All of the cool calm left Houri like a deflated balloon when Ollie barked at her. She glanced away before he could see the way her eyes welled up and instead focused on pulling herself onto the unsteady horse.

You're just a child, who are you to tell him what to do? sneered one of the voices making her heart sink. It had been her job to do that, to protect... But she had to follow orders to. No use crying over the tone, he was just upset about his friend. That was all. That Houri could understand.

Not trusting her voice to betray her she merely nodded, the heeled her horse after his towards the garrison.

 

[Olvir]

They rode hard and fast, no stops, no rests.

Olvir's mind was a racing mix of emotions. Panic, despair, a dozen others as he played over what had happened in his head again and again. He tried to think of how he could have done better, how he could have protected his men, how he could have...

He didn't know.

At his heart Ollie knew that he was just a kid. That he had no real authority, that he wasn't supposed to have been anything at all. In a world without a Revolution he still would have stood in the shadow of his brothers. A no one, the third son of a Noble House.

None of this would have happened.

His friend would still be alive.

But at the same time...another would have been trapped in an asylum. Olvir glanced towards Houri as they rode, his lips parting just as the sun began to fall and the Garrison crested upon the road.

It was a paltry thing, barely larger than a small vilalge, but it was an Anirian Garrison. High stone walls and four tall towers guarded the outpost, at it's center a Keep which could have withstood a small army. As they approached a bell sounded, some watchmen having spotted the pair.

 

[Houri]

Houri kept her eyes fixed on the road that lay between her horses ears. The voices in her head stirred up her emotions into an internal storm as they argued over her decisions to run, Ollie's words, and the many ways the whole thing had been entirely the young girls fault. As they rode the consequence manifested itself into a mist. At first it clung about their horses hooves and hovered above the road, then it grew to the point it was so thick it almost entirely obscured large parts of the road ahead.

The bell ahead jolted Houri out of her silent reverie and she glanced up at the looming tower before them then drew her horse sharply to a stop. In the fog it had looked exactly the same as the castle in which she had been kept for the last five years.

"Maybe this is a bad idea..." her horse took a slow step back.

 

[Olvir]

Olvir glanced over at Houri.

He could seethe tension within her, the slight anxiety and fear. He made no connection to the roiling mist around them of course, the tenants of magic and everything Houri could do still slipping over his head. Yet what he did know was enough. ”It’ll be alright.”

His voice was soft again now, emotions finally reined in.

”The Guard will help, this is why places like this exist.” Vel Anir was supposed to be the safest place to live in all Arethil. At least that was what the government had always claimed. Things were different now with the chaos of the Revolution, though most never spoke of it.

“Halt! Who goes there?’​

A shout came down from the tower as they approached the gate, and Olvir looked up. ”I am Olvir Weiroon, and this is Houri Luana. We were set up on the road, and require assistance from the Guard!”

From the distance Ollie was barely able to make out the Guardsmen’s face, but it was hard not to see the surprise. The man turned, and then immediately shouted down into the courtyard. A few seconds later, the heavy doors of the fort began to pull open.

 

[Houri]

"The guard are worthless, Houri. Look at them. A whole battalion would take six months to do what we could do in a day."
​

Akuza had not been a kind mentor but his words of disgust for the guard had always stayed with her. It was a sentiment that had been shared amongst all Dreadlords she had ever known and like a sponge, Houri had sucked up that second hand hatred and mistrust too. She looked at the castle with even more wariness now as the gates began to open.

"We will be better off on our own," Houri murmured low lest they be overhead and there was a strong conviction to her voice that was almost feverish in her belief in those words. What would they say back at the Academy if they heard she had gone to the guard for help? It made her feel sick.

"What are they going to do about those things, Ollie? Let's just go."

 

[Olvir]

As they rode through the gate Houri slowly leaned over in her saddle and whispered to him.

Olvir's head turned almost immediately, a slight frown of confusion touching his face as Houri tried to talk him out of leaving. He knew not of the history of the Dreadlord and the Guard, or rather, he did not know it's full details. So the notion she offered was a strange one.

"Houri..." He said quietly. "We can't do this on our own."

That much he knew. "We need help, and Vel Anir is too far."

His voice was soft, calm.

"Let's just see what they can offer, alright?" Olvir asked calmly, looking at her with no small amount of concern. He didn't understand where she was coming from, what was wrong. Where else were they supposed to get help?

 

[Houri]

Nothing, they can offer nothing. We don't need them, Child. Listen to me...

It was hard to ignore Ahdvi when she felt as she did and the unnatural fog rolled through the open gates as they walked in. Two stablehands rushed forward to grab a hold of their reins, no doubt summoned to deal with the two nobles who had suddenly appeared at the gate.

"My lady," one said and offered a hand to help her from the saddle. She hadn't thought herself as a noble nor a lady for so long and now in the space of two days she'd been called it over a dozen times. Stiffly, she let him help her down then folded her arms tightly over herself.

"I just need rest, then I can deal with them by myself," she mumbled so only her companion might hear.

 

[Olvir]

Olvir slipped from the horse, landing just a few steps away from Houri. Quickly he moved to her smile, flickering his gaze as she mumbled quietly.

"I know you could." Some might have thought the words placating. Said just to sooth her, but he meant them, and his tone was an indication of that. Ollie trusted his friend, despite all the time they had spent apart.

If she thought she could do this, then he believed her, but that wasn't why they were here. "But, the less danger I put you in the better, okay?"

He said softly just as the sound of clinking armor echoed out.

A man dressed in the garb of a Guardsmen Major approached them, his breastplate tarnished with dozens of cuts and mars.

"Well I'll be, really is a Weiroon in my fort. Haven't seen one of you out here in a while, and Houri Luana? Never heard of you, but your families been good to mine so cant hardly be complainin. You're more than welcome here, my Lady."​

Olvir kept his face entirely masked at the thinly veiled insult. Weiroon were hardly considered warriors, and he knew that. "Well, Major. I'm here now, and not with the best news I'm afraid."

 

[Houri]

Kill him! Kill them all! Before they try and put us back in that hell hole. Kill them!

Lightning crackled around Houri's fists which she quickly put behind her back. The voices words were like honey and she wanted nothing more than to give in to them. Raze the place to the ground. How dare they not have heard of her? She might have been the youngest Luana but she had by far outshone her oldest brother already in the Academy. What other Luanas were there of note?

Weak ones.

"Your forests are infested," Houri added dryly. "Where is your Dreadlord Commander?" her eyes slid past him to the others emerging from the fort to see the chaos. "I'd prefer to report directly to them."

 

[Olvir]

The Major gave Houri a decidedly confused look, his features flickering with a range of emotions until eventually he looked towards Olvir. His gaze lingered for a brief moment as though he were trying to place something, then he returned his eyes to Houri.

"I'm sorry, ma'am there's no Dreadlords here. Most of them have been sent to the frontier."

Olvir frowned for a moment. Such a thing was news to him as well. There were still plenty of cities which the Republic sought to reintegrate into Anirian holdings, but he didn't think the Dreadlords had been stretched so thin. It made sense in a way though. With all the exiles and those who had chosen to be reserves, it was very likely their numbers had dwindled to a record low.

"I'm in charge. I'm afraid you'll have to reach the city proper If you want someone of higher rank." The Major continued, though he sounded somewhat dubious it was necessary. "Our forest is infested with what? We've had no reports from the villages, just some local bandits we corralled a week or so ago."

"Wolves, or…something of the like. They walk on their hind legs but move like…" Olvir shook his head. "I'm not sure how to describe them, but I lost two men. One might still be alive and the other."

The Major stared at the two Dreadlords.

"Werewolves? Like the ones that plagued Vel Cirak?"

Olvir shook his head. "No, Major. Not exactly, but something of the like."

Some of the other Guardsmen had gathered around now. Most of them were young, likely first year recruits or close to it. They stared at the two nobles with a mixture of disbelief and wonder. Most had likely never seen a noble before, not this close, and to hear them speak of monsters? That was something else entirely.

 

[Houri]

"So... rabid wolves?" The Major asked slowly, scratching at his beard. "I suppose we could..."

Houri gave a noise of frustration and clenched her fists. What, was so hard to understand?

It's like talking to a stone wall, one of the voices groaned and she gave a tiny shake of her head, her jaw clenching. This was why she had wanted to speak to a Dreadlord! What was so bad that was happening to drag them all to the frontiers? That was a concern for after this one. Houri would solve the problem and the Proctors would pile praises upon her and promise not to send her back to the Asylum.

"No, they're not rabid wolves," she really did try to keep the irritation from her tone. With a breath she pulled some of the fog that rolled about their feet into her hands and moulded it to create a fair likeness of the beasts they had encountered.

 

[Olvir]

The creature took shape within the mist, and more than a few of the Guardsmen took long step backs. Some even let out small gasps.

Olvir glanced over towards them, watching their faces as confusion and fear flickered through them. Most had likely never seen a Dreadlord before, none of them had seen one of Noble birth. To his credit however the Major stayed put, and even slowly leaned towards the creature that Houri had summoned from the mist.

Something within the man's attitude changed.

"Dori!"​

His voice boomed out through the square, and a large pudge of a man who had been sitting on a crate just a few dozen meters away almost immediately jumped up. He waddled with surprising swiftness to the Major's side, offering a quick salute and then greeting to Houri and Olvir.

"What was that legend your aunt used to tell? The one about the monsters in the Old Wood."​

Dori frowned slightly, glancing first at the Major then the two nobles.

Slowly then his eyes drew towards the figure that Houri had carved from the mists. His lips thinned almost instantly, fingers tightening ever so slightly as he shook his head.

"Just a story, Major. Auntie used to say there were…things in the Old Wood, guardians she called em'. Didn't like no one going to the old Ruins by the river. Always told us to stay on the road."​

Olvir frowned for a moment, looking at Dori. "We didn't see any ruins."

He pointed out, glancing at Houri quizzically.

 

[Houri]

Houri's irritation retracted a fraction when the Major finally appeared to attempt to do his job. By passing it off to someone else, of course, but then the Guard had always been work shy from what she had been told. Not like their Archons and Proctors. Her eyes flickered at once to the man who might hold information and despite her statue managed to bore down upon him enough to make him sweat, perhaps even a tiny bit more than if the Major had applied such a tactic. His story, however, only caused more irritation.

"Yes, there were no ruins and when we found the creatures they seemed to be hunting not guarding," which was the whole point of guardian. A few of the men gathered made a religious symbol when they thought people were not looking; had the filth of religion crept in to Vel Anir whilst she had been gone? Or was the Major just lax with education? Her lips curled in disgust.

"Whatever they are they need eliminating."

 

[Olvir]

Olvir nodded emphatically to Houri's words. "My men are still back there, Major. Both of them former Guardsmen."

He added the last bit almost in hope that it would tip the man even more in favor of the argument.

The frown on the Major's face only deepened, and he slowly looked between the two nobles as if considering the voracity of their words. A heartbeat passed, two, and then finally the Major tipped his head in a nod. Hand falling to the hilt of his sword.

"Then we'll hunt them right back."​

He said, fingers slipping between his lips as he let out a loud a whistle.

Some of the Guardsmen who had been watching them seemed to jump into action almost immediately. They broke their loose formation and sprang into action, quickly rushing around to various sections of the fort as they began to gather things.

"Squads two, three, and four are with me!"​

The Major called as he motioned for Houri and Olvir to follow him as well.

 

[Houri]

"Finally," Houri muttered in a voice not like her own. She took back her horse from the stable lad who hadn't managed to make it very far and gave the animal a wary look as she hoisted herself back up onto the saddle. Her limbs protested but she ignored them. It had been a long time since she had done little more than pace the confines of her padded cell and that, along with the use of her magic, she was feeling it more than she should.

Which, naturally, made her angry.

Lightning lit their path as the Major led the way out of the fortress with Houri and Ollie right on their heels. The young initiate was anxious for the fight. To be doing something.

 

[Olvir]

Twenty one people didn't really seem like a lot at the end of the day.

Three squads of six men each, The Major himself, Houri, and then of course Ollie. Looking over the small assemblage of troops it was a rather pathetic sight. Most of the soldiers were his age or only slightly older. Their armor was well maintained, but clearly old, and only a few of them exuded any sort of confidence.

All of them had training of course, the Guard did not stand for washouts, but this fort was hardly the Border.

No one stationed here expected any sort of conflict. No one here thought they would ever come across as anything more than a few Bandits. Monsters were hardly supposed to be part of the gameplan. Ollie couldn't fault them for the trepidation he felt now.

To their credit, no conversation carried the journey.

All of them rode well, alert, watching the roads around them with bows and lances at the ready.

Within just a short while the forest ahead came into view, the thick mist that had flowed behind Houri and Ollie's flight now fully grasping the trees. "We came out just...there, Major."

Ollie said pointing to the west end of the forest. The fog itself seeming to roil and flicker in on itself as he pointed.

 

[Houri]

The Major began to stroke his long whiskers and Houri strangled the urge to strangle him. She glanced across at Ollie with an exasperated expression; why were they not charging in? They knew the foe! Her fingers itched for a sword to hold as a way to centre herself but she had not been trusted with a real weapon for five years lest she suddenly swing for those who held her leash. Instead she threaded the reins through her hands over and over.

Suddenly the Major snapped his fingers.

"Fischer! Meyer!" Two men detached themselves from the unit and presented themselves with a salute. "Scout ahead, do not engage, and see if you can see any signs of these... monsters."