Fate - First Reply The Fate of Us All

[Edric]

Wissburg - Formerly Vel Orius
​

Edric stared silently up at the tree standing besides the road, his heart slowly beating in his chest, his stomach half turned upside down.

Eight corpses.

That was what he counted hanging from the tree. Four of them were men, three women, and one whose body was so torn apart by carrion that he could hardly recognize it. Only that it had once belonged to a child. His fingers tightened slowly as he looked at the body, gaze dragging away only to fall upon one of it's gruesome partners.

Each of them, or what was left of them, was branded with a mark that he did not know. It was a large A, circled with a slash down the middle. Something about it tickled the back of his mind, but in that moment all that he could focus on was the torn off flesh and the marks of torture that each of the hanging corpses wore upon themselves.

That and the patch upon some of their cloaks; the sigil that marked his own order.

Edric swallowed hard, his eyes slowly drawn towards the sign that hung pinned to the base of the tree. It was drawn in a deep red which had turned to almost brown now. Held in place by a single nail as it hung crooked upon the tree.

"NO MORE DREADLORDS"​

The words seemed to scream out in his skull as he read them, his eyes slowly drawn back to the child hanging on the furthest branch. A frown pulled at his lips, and slowly he turned away.

 

[Samantha Black]

Edric was accompanied by another dark figure sitting astride a chestnut horse. Hood drawn, the woman held the reins of his horse in one hand while she watched him, glacial gaze sliding past his figure to those suspended from the tree and climbing the branches to count the bodies.

Eight in all. Weird sigils. Marks of the Dreadlord Order.

She hadn't recognized any of them upon closer inspection earlier and silently waited for the verdict from her fellow Acolyte. He'd said nothing thus far, so Ralene could only surmise he also knew none of them.

"We need to find out who did this," the young woman intoned to him, her voice a level gravel of heated anger. She didn't feel sorry for the poor rotting ornaments, but she was deeply and personally offended by the sign at the bottom. A slight against Dreadlords was a slight against everything she stood for.

 

[Edric]

Edric stayed quiet for a few seconds, watching the swinging corpses upon the tree for a moment more before he nodded his head. "We do."

He was sure, almost positive that he could already guess who had done this.

The Citizens of Wissburg had not been subtle upon their touch here. Theirs was the only city within a dozen miles of here, and the rebellion they had staged after the Revolution marked them out as the culprits of this particular set piece.

His fingers tightened for a brief moment around the blade sitting on his hilt.

They had been sent here to watch the city, to find out what had happened to the others.

The latter of their objectives had already been achieved. Seven Dreadlords swung from the tree ahead of them, one child joining the gruesome metronome. Edric had no doubt as to what had happened here. Not a single question as to what needed to be done next.

"Let's head into town." He said simply, turning on his heel. "There's some conversations that need to be had."

Edric said as he began to crest the hill towards the city.

 

[Samantha Black]

Well, at least they were on the same page for once. Ral took a moment to let the sense of shared purpose settle between them, dark brows pinching upwards as she gave the tree once last look. Perhaps when everything was said and done, and the perpetrators of this crime were drawn, quartered, and used as a reminder of just who they were fucking with, they would come back and give the slain a proper burial.

Maybe.

Ral's sharp gaze followed Edric as he turned and headed up the path, narrowing as he forwent the use of his horse yet again. Every fucking time. Lips peeled back into a look of exasperated distaste, she turned the horses back onto the road to join him.

"Seven dead Dreadlords," she murmured, deciding to save her ire for better use, "I didn't see anything of significance on the bodies to point toward how they were taken down. Just that sigil ... I've never seen it before. Have you?"

 

[Edric]

Seven Dreadlords, and one kid. Edric thought bitterly, trying to keep his anger at a low simmer.

It was rare that anyone managed to kill a Dreadlord, let alone seven. Hanging them from that tree had clearly been a desecration. A way to offer warning to any more of their kind that made their way to the city that now called itself Wissburg. A warning that Ralene and Edric had no choice but to ignore.

They had been sent here for a reason, and their own desires did not matter. "No."

He almost immediately regretted the answer, if only because he had to stumble back over it.

"Maybe." The Initiate said with a shake of his head. "There's something...familiar about it."

A frown touched his lips. He had seen that mark before, he just couldn't remember where. Not at the Academy, he knew that for certain. The memory was too faded for that. "Doesn't matter."

They weren't here for symbols. They were here to grab Elspeth Sirl and get her the fuck back to Vel Anir. Everything else would be handled when The Guard marched on Wissburg and brought it back into the Anirian fold.

 

[Samantha Black]

"Doesn't it?" Ralene fixed him with a probing stare, dark brows faintly lifted. It would be important enough to report back once they'd finished their primary mission. Important enough, likely, to spend time researching it. Just not important enough right now. Much as she was lament to let a challenge go unturned, silently she digressed and agreed, "We'll know soon enough."

She sniffed, making next to remark that he would look less out of place if he rode in like a normal person, except the words stuck in her throat. A strong odor drifted in on a cross breeze, bringing with it the smell of death. Narrowing her eyes, Ral nudged her horse into a trot up the hill and brought them both to a stand as she crested the top. A grim image of what once Vel Orius now in view - from here it was too far to tell just what exactly it was she was looking at, but Wissburg cast an onus on their mission that neither of them had expected. Whoever had decorated that tree with their kin of Dread had brought similar aesthetic to Vel Orius.

Ralene bit into a hard frown. This was going to make things much, much more difficult and she lamented the need for moving under cover. A strong urge to reap retribution on whoever had done this set her blood to boil.

 

[Edric]

Edric didn't stop as the sight of Vel Orius, now Wissburg, fell into view.

The stark stone walls were decorated with the same grim feature as they had already passed, that strange symbol painted in a dark crimson between hanging bodies. A ditch lay just a few meters away from the wall, and although Edric could not see what was in it he could mount a guess or two.

Guards stood outside the gate, though the two heavy doors that had once been capable of keeping any threat to the city at bay now lay limply on the ground. "Love that they've done with the place."

Edric said grimly, glancing over at Ralene.

His head shook, and quickly he moved forward. As the two of them approached the two Guards seemed to perk up. Each of them held a heavy halberd, their 'uniforms' a torn and matted mass of what might have passed for a Guardsmen regalia.

"Halt! Who goes there?"​

"Free citizens, seeking refuge from the blight of Vel Anir." The words were slightly over the top, but it was what they had been told to say. He just hoped the Proctors had done their research this time.

 

[Samantha Black]

The comment would have been funny if it was about any other place than what had, at one point, been a city under the flag and control of Vel Anir. Ral's grimace deepened as she caught his glance, her grip on her reins tightening as she nudged her horse forward and gave the reins of the second horse a quick snap to wake it up. It squealed and the pair trotted alongside of Edric on approach.

"Free citizens?" one of the Guards eyed Edric up with vague suspicion, "Let me see your papers, then."

Of course. Papers. Ral shared a glance with Edric before leaning back to procure her own from her saddlebag and holding it out for the guard to approach and take, "We're just looking for refuge. We can work."

The guard unfolded her parchment and eyed it, making a face as he looked up at her, "You're a blacksmith?"

"Apprentice," she gave a mild shrug, "or I was, before we left. But I can make and repair armor, weapons if you need it."

"What 'bout shoes - can ye shod an 'orse?"

"Aye."

"What's your story," he looked at Edric.

 

[Edric]

Edric didn't have many skills aside from killing. That had always been his focus at the Academy, never any of the...extra curricular activities. "They tried to pull me into the Guard."

He explained.

"Hard up for men after the..." His head shook, deciding that the two Guards probably didn't need any form of explanation. "Didn't want to fight for no cause I didn't believe in."

Edric glanced back towards Ralene for a moment before pulling out his own parchment. They were unimpressive, marked with a recruiters seal that stated he was supposed to have joined the second Regiment of the Army of the East. "But I did the trainin', can do the work. Da was a workmen a-"

The guard cut him off.

"Yeah yeah. We got plenty of you in town."​

A moment passed where Edric thought there might be more questions, but the Guard offered both of their papers back and waved them in.

"Don't cause any trouble, and don't let anyone catch you where you're not supposed to be."​

The man offered a glance towards the men hanging from the wall, pointedly looking back at Edric. "Thank you sir."

Edric said with a dip of his head, moving with Ralene through the open gates of the city. As they stepped inside, the sight was no different than what they had seen beyond the wall. No corpses lay hanging from the buildings, but that odd symbol was painted everywhere. People walked the streets, their clothes stained and dirty, their faces pointed down.

Whatever had washed over Wissburg, Edric wasn't sure it was any better.

 

[Samantha Black]

His drawl was dreadful. Honestly.

Ral casually tucked her papers back into the saddlebag, opting to say as little as possible. Better to let the Guards direct the conversation than say too much. When it nearly looked like they might get turned away she briefly considered pulling the but Sirs I'm pregnant jape and was painfully grateful when they were waved in so she wouldn't have to.

Stepping inside did not shed any light of hope on the possibility of them finding their target by nightfall. There was too much shit to sift through judging by the wastage of the town.

"This is going to be a longer stay than planned," she murmured, casting her gaze around from her higher vantage point to spy the sign for the local tavern down a side street from the main road. She nodded her head in its direction and reined the horses that way, dismounting to loop their reins through the tying post and follow him inside.

The Marble Step had once been a well-kept and well-appointed tavern inn, or so any patron that had seen it in its hayday would tell you. Now it appeared to be quite rundown and wanting. Ral stepped to the bar and waved the keep over who gave her a suspicious look.

"Ain't seen you lot here before," his hairy gaze shifted from her to Edric.

"We're new," Ral replied, pressing her hands onto the bar and leaning in, "come looking for sanctuary ...and work. Where's the town blacksmith?"

"Ain't got one anymore."

"What happened to 'em?"

"Ney," the keep sniffed, "died during the uprising. Took a pitchfork to the face."

"So you're in need of a blacksmith then."

"I'd say we are. His old smithy is over on northside near the fort. The soldiers horses will be needin' shoes I 'spect."

"My husband's a good fighter," she nodded and lifted a hand to squeeze at his bicep through his clothes, "best man in his ranks."

"Copper a dozen round here," replied the keep, "but they die as fast as they come. I'm sure they'll take him."

 

[Edric]

Edric perked an eyebrow as he felt Ralene squeeze his bicep. How long have you been waiting to do that?

He wondered to himself as the Innkeep poured the two of them and ale without asking.

"If make your way over there, you'll be needing these."​

The man was either not very confident in the state of this town, or he was trying to scam them for a bit of coin. "Thanks."

"Two bits."​

Well it was nice to know that he had the way of the world at least. He hadn't gotten to leave the Academy as much as he'd wanted to in the last year, but he could guess at what folk wanted. Edric let out a small grumble, shaking his head but dropping three bits onto the bar.

"Thanks." The man snapped up the coins almost as soon as they hit the bar top, a greed flickering through his eyes.

He never questioned, immediately turning his heel to both Edric and Ralene as he sought to other customers.

"Guess we know our setup." Edric murmured quietly. "But I'll be expecting a ring."

The Initate said with a smirk.

 

[Samantha Black]

"I'll make ya something real pretty at the smithy," Ral returned smugly, slipping onto a barstool and into her ale with an indulgent gulp. It tasted watered down, which was just as well, it wouldn't do for either of them to lose their wits from drink, but it also wouldn't do not to fit in.

Waste not, want not.

"The old Smith probably lived off the back of his smithy," she said, leaning in toward him to keep their conversation close, "we should go check that out first, set up shop and get a look around."

 

[Edric]

"Oh I expect only the best." Edric quipped back, though his real focus was on his gaze sweeping through the room.

Most people within the tavern looked about as dejected as could be. They were practically wraiths. Faces skin and bone, eyes as dead as a corpse. No life radiated from any of them, no joy or emotion. These people were walking dead.

His head shook slightly. What had happened here? "I suppose the faster we set up the better."

A frown touched his face.

"Wonder if it's the same closer to the Keep." All they had seen so far of this city was the rags, he couldn't help but wonder after the riches.

Edric brought his own mug to his lips, frowning slightly at the taste of near putrid ale. "Least we'll have a place to sleep."

Better than some in this tavern, if he had to guess.

 

[Samantha Black]

"And for free, if it wasn't torn apart in the uprising," aside from her having to fulfill the duties of the town smith. Nothing ever came free, but they also hadn't come with a terribly large amount of funds. They hadn't been expecting to stretch it more than a few days, but from the looks of things they might be here a while.

While he drank she took her turn to look about, maintaining the air of a curious new-comer attempting to get the lay of things. The gaunt residents didn't spell good omens for their cause and gave her a growing suspicion that this was not the work of the people themselves, but an outside force that had somehow dug its way in. Or perhaps an inside job.

She downed the rest of her ale in one final shuddering gulp and set her mug on the bar.

"Another?" the Keep looked over, eyes narrowed, "or a meal perhaps?"

"Think we'll be heading over to the keep to check out the smithy," Ral stood from her stool and stretched, "want to get a lay of things before we lose the sun."

"Never met a woman blacksmith before..." he did not look any less suspicious than he had when they first walked in.

"I suppose not, but now you have."

"Good luck."

 

[Edric]

As they pushed themselves off the bar and headed out the door Edric could not shake the feeling that they were being watched. The sensation crawled up his spine and lingered until the door of the Tavern closed behind them.

When they stepped outside they were once again greeted with that odd symbol.

A memory once again piqued at the back of his mind. "This place is giving me the fucking creeps."

He frowned for a few moments, his head shaking as he tried to dispel the creep that had washed over his skin. After a few seconds he pointed down the street towards the keep, Ralene and Edric quickly heading in that direction.

With few crowds and little traffic Wissburg was easily traversed, and after a few moments of walking they found themselves standing before the half destroyed smithy.

The roof had half collapsed in over the forge, the walls were half torn down, and once again that symbol greeted them. This time the image seemed to invoke something in his mind, and a pit almost instantly formed in his stomach.

"I think..." He grimaced. "I think I remember where this fucking symbol is from."

Edric said as he stepped towards the half fallen building.

 

[Samantha Black]

Yeah, it wasn't giving her those warm, fuzzy, welcoming vibes either but the creepy nature of the town wasn't effecting her quite as poignantly as it seemed to be effecting Edric. Ral took up the reins of the horses on their way out, leading them down along the empty slum street with not but the clip-clip-clip-clopping following their heels.

The smithy was in rough shape for certain, but while Edric was focused on the symbol Ralene was busy scoping out just how bad of a situation it was in. Not terrible. She surmised that if the town found out they had another smith to fill in they might make an effort to help them fix the place up. There was only one way to find out - she turned to tell Edric they aught to head to the keep, but walked right into his grimacing epiphany.

She blinked, watching him walk in toward the building, and sighed into a dramatic eyeroll, "The suspense is killing me..." but her eyeroll caught sight of two armored persons further toward the keep now heading their direction with purpose, "any time now. We've got company."

 

[Edric]

The moment Ralene mentioned company Edric turned on his heel. Fingers tightened, lips thinned.

In an instant he felt on edge. Ready to kill. He knew why. It was obvious. Teeth snapped together, gritting tightly as he leaned in towards his companion and whispered. "It's from before the Academy."

The memory was feint. An echo of an echo, but he knew it now.

That symbol was burned into his mind. It was the same one that his mother had always drawn upon the alter in their home. The one that had been surrounded by candles. The one that had burned behind her as the Proctors had taken him away.

His breath quickened as the two armored figures approached.

"Oi!"​

They called out.

"The hell are you?!"​

Both of the men wore the garb of Anirian Knights. What should have been shining silvery platemail was stained and worn, but no less effective. Heavy great swords lay slung over their back, the helmets on their head half hiding their face as they stared at the two Initiates.

As the two men spoke, Edric stepped forward, more than ready to kill.

 

[Samantha Black]

It's from before the Academy.

What the fuck did that even mean? Ral gave him a scathing look of confusion, arched brows pulling tight at the implication behind those words. She'd delved plenty deep into symbolism and runic lore yet did not recognize it at all. Was this from the time of the founders? That didn't seem right -

Glaciers shifted from him to the approaching Anirian Guards and the coil of Edric's stature as he took the stance she was all too familiar with. Ralene did the only thing she could, she reached forward and grabbed him by the arm to stop him.

No, they'd been sent here undercover. Something wasn't right and she wasn't about to let Edric ruin the mission based on the whim of a fucking symbol. People misused, recycled, and abused symbols all the time to suit their needs. They didn't know enough yet.

"We're new," she called back to them around Edric, stepping forward between them while maintaining a bruising grip on his wrist at her back, "and looking for work. I'm a blacksmith, my husband's a fighter. Heard there was an opening, the Keep at the Marble Step sent us this way."

 

[Edric]

Edric felt the pressure of Ralene's hand on his arm. Lips thinned for a brief moment, his muscles flexing as he considered just what he was going to.

Killing them would have been so easy. So simple. He could have taken their lives in the snap of a finger. His magic would have drawn the ebb of their very being. His hands could take their swords and slit their throats in an instant.

The gnawing anger, the rage in his heart barely steadied itself as Ralene spoke to the two men.

"Smith, eh?"​

Edric's gaze flickered towards the man that spoke. His expression was so deadpan, so still, that he could practically feel the man crumble under his gaze. He watched as the man was about to open his mouth to speak, his lips parting before slowly snapping shut.

It was his partner that spoke.

"We need a farrier. The Archbishop was talking about it in his sermon."​

Edric let out a slow, long breath. "Archbishop?"

"Aye! Archbishop Telwirth. The man in charge. He'll be delighted to know someone's took up the cau-"

"Marcus. We shouldn't be so friendly to strangers. They-"

"Don't be daft Diedrich. They're in the city, aren't they? Plus we need the smith, and all the fighting hands we can get."​

Edric tried to keep his expression neutral as the two men bandied back and forth, his fingers flexing all the while. Ralene would be able to feel his muscles shift. That temptation within him. That need to end these men.

"Come to Mass tomorrow. I'll pay you an introduction. The Archbishop will be more than happy to help you fix this place up."​

The Guard said with a gesture towards the collapsed roof.

 

[Samantha Black]

Archbishop Telwirth.

There was a plot twist she hadn't been expecting. What the actual fuck was going on here? Ralene found herself stewing in a strange surge of excitement - she couldn't help it. Shit just got real and their lives were 100% forfeit if they slipped up. Life hadn't been this exhilarating since before the revolution and for a moment she privately cursed the day everything had changed.

Her grip remained tight around Edric's wrist as Ralene stood planted at his front, keeping the expression of a curious and wary woman who was just trying to start a new life away from the oppression of Vel Anir.

"Thank you, Sir," she nodded to the Guard with a glance back at the Smithy, "we could certainly use the help. We'll be there. Looking forward to it."

And she was.

As soon as the two men were out of earshot she dropped Edric's arm and rounded on him, "Get ahold of yourself," she snarled, "and help me make this place suitable to sleep in for the night."

 

[Edric]

Edric jerked away from Ralene, grunting in affirmation.

He knew that she was right. One slip up here and the both of them would end up dead in a ditch somewhere. That or hanging from the tree. This city had managed to kill Dreadlords before, and testing the how of it wasn't something he was eager to do.

"It's a religious symbol." That seemed obvious now, but Edric's memories had come flooding back.

As he spoke the young man walked over towards the front door of the Blacksmiths shack. His hand grasped the handle, giving it a firm yank to pull the jammed door free.

"It's for the worship of Anirius." The god which all those in Vel Anir had once worshiped, the one whose faith had been outlawed centuries ago. "My mother had one."

He said with a frown, stepping inside the ruined hut.

 

[Samantha Black]

"I gathered as much," she replied to his obvious statement, moving to collect the horses that had meandered off to a patch of trampled grass off the road. Taking up the reins she lead them back and tied them to a fencepost of a rundown paddock. It looked like the Smithy also had a small barn attached at one point, but that must have been the first thing to go.

Anirius wasn't a subject she claimed much knowledge on. A name that appeared in scant textbooks, tangential from any major line of teachings at the Academy. She scowled at her lack of knowledge and hastily detached a waxed cotton tent roll from the back of his saddle, "Your mother?" Ralene blinked and moved to the other side to untie a length of rope looped into the saddlebag, "Surprised you remember that far back."

She didn't remember much of anything about her life before the Academy. Probably why she didn't give Walter Banick the time of day when he came to call. So far as she was concerned, she didn't have parents, only a last name. Where she meant to go after graduation the name wouldn't matter anyway.

Coil of rope hung over one shoulder and rolled tent over the other, she joined him in the rundown shack and set them aside. Plenty of space for what they needed. One large-ish bed in the corner, a crumbling fireplace, half a missing roof, some dilapidated and falling walls. Wouldn't take much to fix up proper, though with luck they wouldn't be here long enough to warrant that. Ral began to pick up the detritus of broken and splintered wood, snapping it into smaller pieces and tossing it into what remained of the firepit.

"What else do you remember about it?"

 

[Edric]

Edric went about picking up some of the clutter that was thrown about the shack. It was obvious from the state of things what had happened here. The Old Blacksmith hadn't abandoned his home, but rather had been grabbed and likely hung up on the wall.

More than a few pieces of furniture lay half smashed and broken on the floor, some bearing the mark of swords, others simply snapped into pieces. "I only got taken when I was seven."

He commented, dragging a ragged blanket off the bed to inspect the mattress beneath.

"I still remember...some things." Edric said with a shake of his head, trying not to think about some of those particular memories. "Can't recall much about the religion itself."

Edric said with a frown. "It was outlawed, but I know my mother believed in Anirius himself."

"She always said that his spirit would guide us. That his light would bring us home when we were lost. That one day he would return and bring about a new age." He stopped for a moment, glancing at Ralene. "I don't think she thought it would resemble anything like this..."

Even if she had given him up to the Proctors in the end, his mother had always been a good woman. He didn't think she would like what had happened to Wissburg.

 

[Samantha Black]

Had he really come in three years after her? Ralene gave the memory math a moment but decided it didn't really matter. So far as she remembered, Edric had always been at the Academy with her. Apparently not, but those early years were a mess of trauma that none of them liked to think too hard on.

The more important topic was this Anirius and his purported religion. She busied herself with grabbing a nearby supply chest and hauling it to the back wall to use it as a step up. Tying off the rope at a beam junction she tossed the coiled length to him and nodded for him to tie it off at the opposite side.

"Gods giveth and Gods taketh away..." she remarked absently while untying the canvas roll, "isn't that how it usually goes?" Ralene wasn't particularly devout to any one God in the pantheon accepted by Vel Anir today. She didn't pray. She didn't give thanks to them. She didn't find that they served much purpose to her and her life. But ...

it was hard to scrub all belief when they were such a universal system.

"Makes you wonder why so many cultures who began as monotheist split their Gods into many faces ... so they had someone to blame when things didn't go the way they expected." A single God of many faces could do these wonderful things his mother spoke of ... and reap the terrible things that Wissburg had experienced.

 

[Edric]

As Edric tied the knot in place he simply shrugged. "Maybe thats why Vel Anir did away with gods in the first place. Easier to blame people."

He wouldn't put it passed the Houseas. Now that the Republic had once again allowed freedom of worship places like Wissburg only served to further those arguments. Not that he cared in any particular way. Even with his mothers memory, he'd learned long ago that no sort of God answered his prayers.

Whether it be one or many.

Fingers tightened the knot in place, a quick tug on the rope ensuring that it was tightly in place.

"Who knows." He said with a shrug. "I'm a killer, not a philosopher."

Edric shot her a smirk. "I'll leave the thinking to the Noble ladies like yourself."