Private Tales The Edge of Cortosi

[Eirika E'sprit]

It would be broken if I wished it to be.

Her hand quickly snapped forward, slapping his away from her. Eirika repeated herself once more, though loudly this time.

"DARO! Why must you be such a pest?!"

The question was by large rhetorical. She didn't wait for him to answer. Picking up the dagger from the ground the elf strapped it into place on her belt and slipped between Kasim and the tree, scooping up both pack and bow from where she had set them down.

With a shake of her head in frustration she began to continue on towards Vel Anir.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim smirked as Eirika swore and spoke at him, gathering her things and quickly heading back onto the road without another word. Won that one.

The Jester thought to himself as he let out a satisfied sigh and then quickly fell into step behind her.

There was no teasing after that, mostly because he had seen how quickly she'd moved the knife. She very well could have stabbed him, and he was pretty sure that if he took things too far she would do exactly that. Better not to try the Elf's patience beyond what it could handle.

Besides, it was probably better she calm down a little bit before they hit the city.

They still had about six hours of travel left, and if he stayed quiet she might regain some of that serenity she had shown in the beginning of their journey. At least he hoped so, otherwise she would likely head to the closest city guard outpost and see him strung up.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

At least two hours of walking passed in silence as the two traveled the road to Vel Anir. Eirika maintained a steady stride ahead of Kasim the entire time going. The elf had little desire to speak with him after the whole incident with the barmaid jesting and then the antagonizing of her further with his antics.

By that time they had begun passing an occasional farm just a ways off the main road, though as they continued more and more began cropping up in frequency. Although tt wasn't the farmland that drew Eirika's attention, but one farmhouse in particular. Smoke billowed in the distance, dark, heavy clouds rising just over the crest of a hill where only the roof could be seen from their position.

"Naur." She said, repeating the word in the common tongue as she pointed towards the now visible yellowish-orange flame that disguised itself beneath the visage of black-grey smoke. "Fire."

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim stopped in his tracks, head swiveling to where the Elf pointed.

Immediately his lips thinned face tightening. There were any number of reasons that a fire could be happening, someone tipping over a lamp, improperly installed fireplace, and of course Arson. Anything could have happened, and there was no telling which one it was from this distance.

His fingers tightened for a moment, and he cast a glance towards Eirika to see what she was doing. He felt split. Going to help might endanger them, but at the same time...it didn't feel right to just keep heading to Vel Anir. Eventually the flames would catch onto the field, and if it wasn't stopped it would spread further to the farms in the surrounding area.

"Shit." The Jester said quietly, and then he stepped off the road.

It was a foolish thing to do, but he couldn't bring himself to just keep walking.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Eirika quickly followed Kasim towards the top of the hill to better see what was happening. A short ways away, down a small path that led off the main road sat a large multi-level house. In terms of wealth? This farm had done well for itself. The owners were certainly not nobles, but as far as the commoner class was concerned these were well off people.

Well, that is, before the greater portion of the home had been engulfed in flame.

Eirika could see even from the distance at least three figures standing just outside the doorway, weapons in hand, facing the home. A single bloodied body lay slain atop the porch. It seemed they were waiting, as if expecting someone else to come out.

Did they...

"Those people down there...They're burning down the house." As she explained what she was seeing she began to shift her quickened walk into a run. "They're standing there waiting. There must be people still inside! They're going to burn them alive or kill them if they come out!"

What a cruel way to die.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Fuck." He had hoped it was an accident, some kind of mistake that they could quickly help with and then just leave but...this was something more. Swearing once more he sprinted after Eirika, but the elf was twice as fast as him and thrice as agile.

Keeping pace with her was difficult when he was just walking, at full brisk run it was all but impossible. What made it worse is the footing of the little path. Though it was made of sand, large rocks and boulders stuck up throughout it's surface. Running was difficult, and more than once the Jester nearly fell flat on his face.

Still, he managed to get close enough to see the other men.

The moment he did a sense of dread filled him, stomach instantly dropping as he saw the crest sitting on their cloaks. The symbol was of a large cat, it's teeth like sabers. House Pirian. "Eirika!"

He called out to her in a hushed whisper, hoping she would slow enough for him to catch her.

Those men were of the Anirian Guard, soldiers sanctioned by one of the seven great Houses. Interfering with them would draw attention, and this close to Vel Anir...

Kasim ran faster, slipping a hand beneath his shirt to activate one of the Runes.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Eirika dropped her pack as she ran towards the burning farmhouse and guards that stood by watching and waiting for the remaining folks inside to either burn to death or come out to be killed like the man on the porch had been. She heard Kasim call out to her, but she neither turned back nor slowed her pace. It didn't matter to her what the reason was, this was cruel and reprehensible.

From the entryway of the farmhouse, a small child, no more than the number of fingers on a hand began to make its way out from the billowing smoke cloud within the home. Of the three men standing by, one began a slow walk towards the home, sword in hand. It was evident what was about to happen. The elf swung the bow from her hand up towards a shooting position even as she continued running, an arrow already knocked and ready. It was evident the others hadn't heard her or Kasim approaching yet, which gave her a much needed moment of surprise.

In an almost single motion Eirika came to a full stop, her arm drew back both arrow and bowstring, and in less than the blink of an eye took aim at the man whose intent on killing a child sent a wave of fury through her. The arrow was loosed, whistling through the air at untold speed, finally sailing deep through the back of its mark.

 

[Kasim Areth]

”Fuck.” Kasim said as he came to a sudden stop half a dozen feet behind where Eirika had set up with her bow.

There was an impending sense of doom that filled his stomach as he watched the arrow curve through the air and then begin to arch its way back down towards the man. He winced as it pierced through the man's chainmail and through his flesh. Kasim couldn't quite see his face, but he could only imagine that it was filled with complete and utter shock.

A sigh escaped the Jester.

”Fuck.” He said quietly. ”We are so fucked. “

Without another word he drew his sword and began to walk forward. He knew that there was no going back from what had just happened, knew that they were about to do something so incredibly stupid he could hardly fathom it. Anyone could come by, a group of farmers, some merchants, hell even an entire Guard Garrison. What would they find? An elf and a Jester fighting some lawful representatives of one of the Seven Houses.

The guards meanwhile at turned to face their attackers, two of them scowling and then suddenly charging up the hillside.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

The man she'd shot didn't fall, but he also didn't move quite so fluidly. The armor had protected some of the blow, but the arrow had dug itself deep into both flesh and muscle along the mans upper back, likely having missed his spine only by a narrow margin.

In what world was burning alive a child lawful?

From where Eirika stood she had a significant advantage. They wore heavier armor, thus ran slower, and the steep incline of the hill compounded by the rocky surface beneath their feet made reaching the elf and Kasim that much more difficult. Without another word she knocked a second arrow, drawing back the bow and firing once more. The second shot bit into the second man's armor by the left shoulder, but despite the momentary growl of pain, the arrow did not hold, falling to the ground a moment later.

With a bit of distance still between the two Eirika drew back one final time on the bow, loosing another arrow that struck the same man in his lower abdomen, off towards the right side. This one did not fall, and the scream told her he had certainly felt that one, though his course up the hill remained unchanged.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim let out another curse, then spun his sword and stepped past Eirika.

He figured that the elf would have good enough aim not to hit him. Those soldiers didn't look like they were slowing down, and the faster they were dead the faster he and Eirika could get out of there. All they needed was one person walking by, one scout, and they were completely doomed. This fight had to end quickly.

A hand slipped beneath his tunic, a bright glow erupting for just one second. He felt his energy surge, his muscles tighten, and then he darted forward. He rushed forward down the hill, his blade raising as the first of the soldiers met him upon the incline of the hill.

Blades clashed at first, but Kasim was faster. His sword flashed low and then forwards, slicing through a small gap within the mail and cutting the mans inner thigh. A scream escaped the soldier and he toppled, giving Kasim enough time to bring his blade high and cut his sword across his throat. Blood splashed as the man fell onto the ground, his armor clattering as he fell down onto the floor. ”Go for the legs!”

He called out to Eirika, knowing that was where the soldiers carried the least amount of armor.

The thought that they had to end this quickly rang in his mind over and over again.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

There wasn't much left to go for...She was out of arrows. She'd only had time enough to make the three, which she fully intended on collecting to reuse later once this was all over. The priestess set the bow down on the ground, drawing the dagger from the small sheathe on her hip. While Eirika could have conjured some magical weapon to defend herself with, a shield perhaps too, she was confident that these few guards were hardly worth expending energy over.

She was faster in reflex and an more agile than they. Even if they were protected by all that heavy chainmail.

A short distance behind Kasim she veered to his side while he exchanged blows with one of the guards, a sword came swinging downwards towards her. It was heavy and slow, and while enough to seriously injure or kill her, the strike came too late. Before the blade lifted back to try again she had circled to his side, driving her dagger into the back of the man's calf, pulling it across the flesh and muscle before retreating back, slightly down the hill.

A loud yowl and a noticeable shift in posture saw the man applying the bulk of his weight to his good leg. He held up the sword, fire in his eyes, a deep hatred for her evident in the scowl as he stepped slowly towards her, ignoring the battle between Kasim and his fellow guard.

"Knife-eared bitch!" He shouted, pointing his blade towards her. She hadn't noticed, but the cloak she had been wearing had fallen from her shoulders and head to the ground a few feet away. Flowing brown hair no longer obscured her appearance.

 

[Kasim Areth]

One guard down, another attacking Eirika, and then two more.

Those below were more hesitant to move, clearly still wanting to bar anyone in the house from getting out. Briefly Kasim looked toward Eirika, hearing the soldier swear at her. He frowned, and then decided that the elf could probably handle herself against one soldier. He'd seen her fight several at once after all and the situation was decidedly in her favor.

So without much hesitation the Jester began to run down the hill.

The two guards seemed somewhat shocked that he did not help Eirika, and one of them took half a step back. Kasim only continued his sprint down the side of the hill, closing the distance while opening his mouth to scream a battle cry. ”For Urahil!”

The two men seemed even more shocked, but before they could say anything Kasik was upon them. His blade slashed quickly and almost wildly. Slicing at them quickly and barely giving them time to counter. He did not try to deal either of them mortal wounds, knowing that as soons as he did the other would have chance to strike back.

All he needed was to delay them, and hope the elf would get there in time to help.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

There was a moment of pause where Eirika saw and heard Kasim charge down the hill towards the others. As she did she also saw the child, and what looked to be his mother make their way out of the farmhouse, each covering their face to prevent breathing the smoke. With the guard's focus now on Kasim, they were able to scurry a distance away from the fighting and burning building.

The elf turned back to the man who'd cursed her a moment before, another heavy swing following clumsy footing as he bled onto the ground with each step. She once more evaded the slash, and again as he swung desperately to prevent her from closing the needed gap to stab him with the dagger.

For a time he managed to keep her at arms length, the reach of his blade enough of a deterrent that Eirika needed to wait until he lost his footing to strike. Finally the man stepped onto an unsteady patch of stone, pebbles grinding and sliding beneath his good leg, sending him into a bit of a stumble and derailing his focus. Seizing the momen the elf drove forward and, using one hand, pushed back on his sword arm, and with the other, drove the dagger upwards beneath his chin and through the base of his jaw. Withdrawing the small blade she used the strength in her leg to both kick and push him down the hill.

The guard dropped his sword on the way down the slope, the same sword Eirika picked up as she rushed past the injured man and towards Kasim and the other guards. She entered the fight just beside Kasim, using the overly weighted and poorly forged sword in a heavy two handed swing towards the guards shoulder.

 

[Kasim Areth]

It was obvious that Kasim was losing, despite his best efforts. Though he had been trained in his childhood and competed with other nobles of Vel Anir, he had never attained the status of blademaster or gotten close to winning any tournament. He was a decent swordsman, he could hold his own against most nobles and even professional soldiers.

But two opponents at once? No. Never in his life would he have won that fight and it began to show. Though he continued his onslaught, the two guardsmen began to slowly push him back. Their blades bounced against his, struck forward, and then eventually found his flesh.

A hiss escaped him as the first blade cut across his arm, then the second flicked over his ribs. The wounds were not life threatening, but if they continued to land there was no doubt they would be. The Jester let out a growl, and then struck his blade forward once more. He sliced his blade across one of the guards sides, cutting the mail and at least catching him off guard. The other man moved to strike, but as his sword raised Eirika finally came into the fray.

Her blade struck at the second man, cutting deep into him and giving Kasim a chance to breath.

With a step back The Jester drew his blade low, cutting the first soldier across the face and causing him to let out a small scream of pain. Then Kasim stepped forward, not using his sword but instead tackling the man and throwing him onto the ground.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Humans made such heavy weapons Eirika swore they could use them as hammers just as well. She was used to thin blades more meant for a sort of dance than hacking as if it were an ax on a tree. Still, she had to make due with what she had on hand. A loud howl echoed in the air as blade bit into flesh. The guard turned, fury in his eyes, and thrust his elbow towards Eirika's unprotected face. The elf backed away, but the distance between the two was small enough that the strike still caught her against the side of the face. The blow sent her a few steps back, giving him enough time to swing at her again. A resounding clang echoed as both blades collided.

Several more times they traded blow for blow, until a single misstep took the balance off of her armored opponent. The man stumbled forward, having expected Eirika to parry instead of sidestep, with the opening she drove the blade through the back of the man's leg at the bend, sending him into the ground with a chilling howl.

Before there was time for the injured human to scramble away or try to stand Eirika drove the blade through the back of his throat, leaving the sword planted into the ground as she turned to see the first man she'd shot with an arrow propped up, back against a tree just a few feet away from the burning house. It seemed he had resigned himself to whatever fate had in store, unwilling to flee or fight any further. Eirika then turned to rush towards Kasim to help.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim had deposited his sword, no longer needing it.

The soldier he'd tackled to the ground struggled against him, his armor gauntlets reaching up to try and smack the Jester in the face. Before he could strike though another rune on the back of Kasim's palm activated. His skin blackened and turned to stone, arm shaking violently as he suddenly struck down.

His fist hitting the armor sounded like metal crashing against metal, sending a loud crack into the air as the soldiers plate male shattered.

Then Kasim struck again, and again, and again.

There was no careful subtle strikes, there was no precision. The Jester simply struck the man again and again until his armor was little more than a broken and bent piece of scrap, his torso a mar of blood and bruises.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Eirika discovered by the time she arrived that her assistance wasn't quite necessary. The body of the man beneath Kasim had been dead by the first few strikes, yet he continued pounding against the now broken bone and flesh, perhaps for good measure? She wasn't sure. Perhaps it was the adrenaline in his body that urged him to continue punching the broken corpse of the man.

"He's dead!" She shouted. arm reaching under his as she tried to pull Kasim up. "He's dead."

Hazel eyes looked down at him, his morphed flesh still in its rocklike state. "The first one I shot is slumped over beside that tree back there." She motioned with her eyes so not to draw attention. "I'm going to go find and check on the mother and child that ran out of the house and into the crop field. Can you figure out what they were doing here?"

There was little sense checking on the man lying on the porch just beyond the steps. Enough blood had pooled around the body that there was no saving him, magic or no. Eirika let go of Kasim and began to make for where she had seen the two run, hoping to find them.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim let out a loud, long breath. His skin seemed to form together once more, the odd black peeling away from his flesh and falling onto the ground. For a second he glanced at Eirika, his lips thinning as she spoke to him. Eventually he gave her a small nod, though decided not to speak.

The man that he had effectively smashed into little bits would be of little use, but the others might still have something that could be looked at.

One of them would most likely be carrying a piece of parchment or something with their orders on it. He already knew which house they were from, the crests upon their tunics had told him that much. With another long breath Kasim pulled himself off the dead man, his lips thinning as he glanced at the still burning farm house.

There was no saving it now, shame.

With a shake of his head Kasim leaned down and ripped off a piece of the soldiers tunic, using it as a rag to clean some of the blood off of himself as he headed towards one of the other dead soldiers.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

The cornfield was dense and wide, difficult to find someone in if they didn't wish to be seen. Eirika could hardly even begin to guess where the two could have entered, let alone where they might be hiding inside. Fortunately she spotted something that could perhaps help located the two.

A small bird pecked gingerly at the soil beneath its feet just a few yards away, hoping to find any meager morsels to fill its stomach. The elf beckoned the creature to help guide her to them, using the sky to locate where they were hiding so that she might be able to ask what had happened before she and Kasim had arrived.

The bird flapped its wings and took to the air a moment later, leading Eirika into the field and weaving between the large stalks of corn. Her eyes followed the bird as it flew, hoping to spot the two humans quickly and urge them to leave before whoever those men were that Eirika and Kasim had slain became discovered on their doorstep.

 

[Kasim Areth]

The first of the corpses, the one that Eirika had wrought, was entirely devoid of all information. He wore the crest and carried a few pieces of silver, but other than that there was nothing of use on him. The second man was much the same, though he found an odd sort of dagger on his person.

If Kasim hadn't known any better he would have said it was dwarvish, but the script on it seemed somewhat...off. He decided to pocket the thing and let Eirika take a look when she returned.

The last man, the one who had first charged them, held what he'd wanted. It was difficult finding the damned thing. Armor made an already bulky man even more bulky, and it was a few minutes before Kasim managed to wrench him onto his back and dig through the small pouch the man had on his waist.

"Fuck you're fat." Kasim said as he pulled out A ring, a small piece of parchment, and a key from the soldiers bag.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Some time passed before the bird above finally began to circle around a small patch, the light chirping to signify it had found what Eirika was looking for. Several moments later she brushed aside a few large stalks and step through to find both mother and child together. The woman, who appeared to be aged somewhere around the middle of her lifetime lay motionless on the ground. The child was sitting beside her, crying.

The smoke from the fire...

Eirika stepped slowly towards the two, kneeling beside the boy. He ignored her, crying into the cloth of her ash covered dress. The priestess checked the woman's body, though it seemed that she too had succumbed to her injuries. The boy was now an orphan, and judging by what she knew of human customs, his life was likely to be a rough one on the streets.

"Tolo." She said softly. "Come."

The boy relinquished his hold on the body of his mother, though as Eirika picked him up he latched his arms tightly around her, forcing her to carry him through the field. Several minutes later the elf returned to the farmhouse, looking about for Kasim.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Eirika would find Kasim sitting next to the corpse of the fat armored man, one hand wrapped around an open piece of parchment while the other slowly fiddled with the ring he'd found in the parchment.

His lips were thin, and he wore a considering look upon his face.

He didn't notice the elf as she left the field, instead his gaze was focused on the signet ring in his hand. Every now and again he would peer at the piece of parchment, as if trying to read deeper into the words. The game of Houses, as it was called in Vel Anir, was often an incredibly complex strategy of politics.

Everything that a noble did, from looking at someone in a certain way to burning a letter could be perceived as a 'move' within the game.

It was a confusing and utterly confounding thing, but a practical requirement of the Seven Houses of Vel Anir. What had happened here was a part of that game, Kasim was just trying to figure out how. And more importantly, how it would now effect him and Eirika.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Despite her efforts, the child wouldn't let Eirika put him down, likely out of fear for what might happen to him if he let go his hold of the elf. Hazel eyes studied Kasim as he stared down at a ring and blotchy ink scribbles written on a piece of linen paper. His face looked sullen.

"Kasim." She said quietly, "We need to go."

She wanted to ask what he'd found, to bury the boy's parents, but they weren't exactly out of danger standing next to a burning farmhouse with more dead lying around them on the outskirts of the city where they would surely be noticed if they lingered much longer.

What exactly the plan was with the child now she hadn't quite figured out, but clearly he was to die in that fire just as his parents. He was in as much danger as they. But where she could take him? Vel Anir seemed like walking the prey to the hunter's doorstep.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim glanced up at Eirika, and then slowly perked an eyebrow as he noticed the kid in her arms. He frowned for a moment, and then glanced at the piece of parchment.

Something in the back of his head clicked, and his frown deepened even more. His head shook slightly as slowly he rolled up the letter and tucked it into his own pack. The Jester quickly did the same with the Ring, though that went into a hidden pocket on the left of the bag. "Alright."

A wave of nausea struck him as he stood, backlash from the two runes that he'd activated within the fight. His lips thinned, and he caught himself on his knees. He struggled to take a deep breath, biting back bile.

"There's an abandoned quarry not far from here." Kasim said quickly. "We can hide out there."

At least to catch their breath.

Without another word Kasim headed down the hill and past the burning building, cutting through one of the fields opposite the village.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Reaching out with her free hand to try helping him up by his arm, Eirika noticed for the first time since the fight that his arm was bloodied, and his shirt damp with blood that seemed to be his own. Before she could insist on mending his flesh first he had already trudged his way off down the hill.

Not wanting to lose her supplies and gold, Eirika made her way carefully up towards where she had set down her pack and bow, holding onto it with her free hand while trying to catch back up to Kasim. Eirika was notably slower with a child clutching to her neck and hanging from her side. Though he wasn't heavy, carrying him wasn't the same as walking with a pack, and with him hanging off the left side of her the weight was disproportionate.

She followed him quietly, glance shifting back every few minutes towards the path they'd came, making sure that they were not being pursued.