Fate - First Reply The Fate of Us All

[Samantha Black]

He was probably right about that. Ralene flipped open the length of the tent roll and tossed the end of it up and over the rope, pulling it open and tossing the side corners to Edric to secure in far edges of the room by their ties. It would serve as a makeshift roof and raincover for now and that was about as best as they could do. They'd be camping in the tent otherwise so it made no difference to her - at least there was an actual bed and fireplace.

"I'm a killer, not a philosopher."

"No one is going to argue that," she snorted. Edric was smart, but she'd never back him for politics or religious seats of power. A rueful snicker answered his last thought, "That's a dangerous proposition, if you don't watch out Kristen will have you serving tea in a butler suit."

 

[Edric]

"That's not a problem." Edric commented as he secured the far edge of the tarp. "Just gives me the opportunity to drown her in the nearest soup bowl."

In truth, Kristen hadn't bothered him nearly as much lately. Perhaps it was their time spent together in the desert, the revelation that she wasn't as useless as she appeared. The girl still couldn't fight her way out of a tin box, but her magic wasn't an utter waste.

Edric tugged the tarp tight, tying off it's edge. "Look at that."

He said, admiring the minuscule work they had done.

"What a lovely home we've built ourselves." It wouldn't win any awards, but at least they'd be out of the rain with some warmth. That was more than he could say for some of his other missions.

 

[Samantha Black]

Ralene sneered and briefly imagined Kristen's feet kicking out of the top of a soup bowl among her many skirts. She stepped down from the chest and looked up at their makeshift roof, then around at the hovel. It was much more bare now that they'd cleaned the majority of its shattered and broken contents into a pile. At least they'd have plenty of firewood for the next few nights. Speaking of which.

"All it needs now," Ral pushed her sleeves up and stepped past Edric to the fireplace, stooping to arrange the wood, "is a fire," she gave Edric a pointed glance, "Chop chop while I get the rest of the supplies, husband."

Ral stepped outside to unburden the horses further of their supplies. She brought in their saddlebags full of rations, tools, clothing, and other mission essentials including bedrolls and blankets. After grabbing her evening's rations and a folded map, she took a seat on the floor by the fire and smoothed the parchment open under the dancing light of flames.

"This is the most recent map drawn of the town," she said, leaning in to study the names of the buildings while she chewed on dried meat, "I doubt it's changed much but I don't believe they'd put an Archbishop up in the tiny little church over here," she tapped her finger, "not defensible."

 

[Edric]

Edric went about starting the fire.

Sadly, he did not have the magics to simply spark a flame into life, but he did know how to use steel and flint. After a few seconds of rooting around in his own bag he managed to free the implements, putting them to work a few seconds later.

By the time Ralene stepped back inside Edric had built the small flame, stoking it gently with an iron poker that had clearly been bent over someones head.

The evenings chill was quickly pushed away, Edric glancing towards his companion as she unfurled the map of the city. "No, I doubt it."

He said with a slight frown.

"He probably took up residence in the Governors palace." That was what Edric thought most politicians, or whatever the fuck the man called himself, would do. "Trouble is, we have no idea if he has Elspeth or not."

They didn't even know what the hell had happened to the girl. For all they knew she was dead.

His head shook, and from his own pack he pulled out the description of the girl they had received from the Proctors. "Suppose we could ask around, but that might draw too many eyes."

 

[Samantha Black]

The Governor's house definitely seemed the best place. She eyed it on the map, noting likely guard sentry locations and defenses. The map had been made the prior year, before this heinous rebellion, so it was impossible to say what had been altered, destroyed, or added.

"After Mass tomorrow we'll need to integrate. I expect they'll want us to get to work right away so you'll probably have more options to take a look around. They'll want me at the stables - I'll chat some folk up in there and see what I can find out. We need to update this map and get an eye on their guard retinue," Ralene looked up at him, narrowing her eyes, "don't blow our cover with your short fuse, eh? And work on your slum drawl, it's terrible."

Maybe drop it altogether. She found terrible fake accents tend to draw more attention than common speak.

 

[Edric]

A shrug rolled over his shoulders. "I was trained to kill, not spy."

She was right though.

Edric knew that he had to watch himself. This place was dangerous, and even with as strong as the two of them were they couldn't take down an entire city. The Dreadlords hanging from that tree already proved that trying was a fools gambit. Better to blend in, learn what he could.

"I'll keep it under control." He said with a grunt. Keeping his temper in check had never come easily to Edric, but if their lives depended on it then he would learn. If only for this mission.

His head shook.

"What would you know about slum drawl?" Edric mused outloud. "We grew up literally two doors down from one another."

"I must have missed all of the linguistics classes they had been offering at the Academy." He told her with a grin.

 

[Samantha Black]

"I spent damn near two months out on mission with Proctor Everit hunting down defected Dreadlord Rasman," it wasn't a mission she spoke of often, if at all, to anyone, "almost all of it in the slums of Vel Loren." She eyed him, unsmiling, and stoked the fire with a fresh piece of splintered wood, "Just talk normal. You may sound like an idiot but you don't look like one and they'll pick up on that faster than anything else. And call me Sam while we're here. We don't know what they could have found out from those Dreadlords. I'm pretty sure I recognized one of them from the Academy. You should have a different name, too."

 

[Edric]

"Ah." Edric said, the joy cutting from his voice. They had all been on more than a few missions, but Edric hadn't had the pleasure of landing in any slums. At least not yet. Briefly he recalled his mission with Noel.

Maybe he could just do a better Cortosi accent than a slum one. "I'll drop it."

He said with a grunt.

"Orin." Edric said finally. "You can call me Orin."

Edric knew the name, could remember it from back home. Perhaps it was only fitting that in a place like this he carried the name of his father.

 

[Samantha Black]

Ralene blinked at the chosen name, gave it a moment to sink into her memory and nodded, "Alright, we should-" she paused at the sound of footsteps and muffled voices, casting a wary gaze back over her shoulder and leaning to peer out through a hole in the wall. Two guards appeared to be heading down the road, shift change perhaps.

When she turned back to Edric she lowered her voice a bit, just in case, "we should have a backstory. Something simple."

 

[Edric]

Edric nodded. "Should match what we told the guards out front."

They had told a tale of marriage, and running. Whatever else they put together at least had to be similar. He doubted that the two men would be at mass, or rather, that they would spot the two of them. But if they were going to tell this lie it had to be solid.

"We're married." He told her. "Sweethearts since we were young."

It seemed a good idea. "From Althwein, just outside of Vel Luin."

The village was a small one, no more than a thousand or so residents. The other parts of the story they had already decided at the gate.

 

[Samantha Black]

Ral chewed on another piece of dried meat, an amused expression reappearing as Edric spun their tale, "Just need a forgettable last name..." she tapped the toe of her boot, smirk growing, "Black. Bit on the nose for a blacksmith but the name's everywhere. Orin and Samantha Black has a nice ring to it. What do you say, hubby."

 

[Edric]

Edric shook his head. He had never had a last name before, at least not that he could really remember. He was sure that his parents had one, but he couldn't remember it.

Just what they had called him. "Suppose it's not that bad for my first surname."

He said with a shrug.

Edric wouldn't keep it after all this, but it wasn't too bad, he thought. "Now all we have to do is convince everyone in this damn city its real."

A hand came up to rub at his face.

"And find the girl." Of whom they knew jack shit about.

 

[Samantha Black]

Ralene raised her brows at that spoken revelation. First surname? Now that she thought about it ... she couldn't recall ever knowing Edric's last name. He'd always just been Edric. Ral had never given it a second thought before, believing it just to be mere happenstance that she'd never learned it. But even bastards had surnames, usually denoting the region of their origin, so apparently it was a bit more odd than perhaps he lead on.

"Right," she nodded, "best not to ask anything direct about her. If they're hiding her, we shouldn't know a damn thing, not even rumors. Last thing we need is to raise suspicion. At least not before we've got a better handle on things here."

Ral pushed herself to her feet and stretched, "I'm going to sleep, then. Join me if you want, but fair warning - I'm a blanket hog."

 

[Edric]

He nodded in agreement. Asking about Elspeth seemed about the fastest path to a death sentence that he could imagine. Trouble was they didn't even know if the girl was captured, or simply hiding away in the city somewhere.

That was even assuming she was alive in the first place.

A deep breath flowed into his lungs, and then he scoffed as Ralene staked her claim to the blanket. He pulled himself off the floor, offering one last glance at the map they'd laid out. "That's fine. I've never much been one to get cold."

Edric said as he followed Ralene to the bed.

Tomorrow would be a long day.

 

[Samantha Black]

BANG BANG BANG.

Ralene's eyes burst open, blinking blearily into the pale morning light. Their fire was long cold and the tarp had only provided so much insulation for what heat remained. She was bundled under the blanket, as warned, coiled against Edric for warmth. Guy wasn't kidding, he was a goddamn furnace.

"Oy you lot!" BANG BANG "Oi been sent to take you to Mass!"

It was one of the guards from yesterday and he strode right into the dilapidated hovel as bold and brazen as a drunkard into a card game.

"Do you mind?!" Ral sat up on the bed, fixing the guard with a hairy eye, "Just walk in here while I'm having a bit of my husband before brek?"

The Guard actually seemed to be taken aback by this unexpected turn of events. Ral watched his cheeks pink as he looked at her bare shoulder sticking out from beneath the blanket, "Beg pardon Miss," he held up his hands and began to back out, "didn't mean to interrupt I-" and his eyes caught sight of the map on the floor.

Ral followed his gaze and mentally swore, "It was the only one we could find when we ran," she nodded to it with a petulant glare, "but its real old and I don't think your Mass hall is on there. Mark it and we'll find our way."

"Sure, sure," he nodded, a raised hand of apology as he dipped to grab a piece of charcoal from the fireplace and stooped to jot an X down on the map, "Mass begins at the hour. Don't be late you two, you're expected!"

Her icy gaze watched him go with continued insult. Once he was out of sight she yanked the shoulder of her tunic back up beneath the blanket and gave an irritated shiver.

 

[Edric]

The moment he heard the door open Edric shot up, fingers clutching at the slim knife that he'd slipped beneath his pillow the night before. Muscles tensed almost instantly, his eyes fixed on the figure of the Guard who stomped into their room.

A flicker of anger and indignation run through him, the moment reminding him of the dozens of times Proctors had just burst into his room. Those memories flickered through his head, running quickly before his eyes. Fingers tightened around his blade.

Then his companion began to speak.

His teeth clamped down on his tongue as Ralene admonished the man, silencing any word that he might have offered before it could loose itself.

As the man leaned forward to mark the map Edric briefly glanced at Ralene, ready to jump out and cut the man's throat in case another question fell from his lips. When no such words came, he relaxed slightly, staring only in anger as the intruder slowly walked out of the bungalow with a hurried threat.

"What in the fuck is wrong with this place." Edric complained bitterly, finally letting go of the knife.

 

[Samantha Black]

Well at least he didn't fucking lose it on the guard. That would have been impossible to cover up. Oh him? He just walked into my husband's blade. Right to the jugular. It was awful, there was blood everywhere.

"I'm not sure," she responded quietly, brows furrowed as she tossed the blanket to the foot of the bed and began to pull her traveling layers back on. Her armor pieces had been safely tucked away in her saddlebag, but now she wasn't so sure it would be safe to leave anything that could create any suspicion just .... lying around.

"Guess the first thing we'll need on this place is a front door."

Ral wandered over to the map after pulling on her boots and leaned to snatch it up off the floor, "You were right. Mass is in the Keep... to the side of it anyway. They must have built a new church."

 

[Edric]

Edric reached up and ran a hand through his hair, head shaking in a mixture of frustration and utter disbelief. This fucking place would be the end of him.

He had to reign it in. "And a lock."

The Initiate added with a grunt, pulling himself out of the bed and snapping up his tunic from the floor. It slipped over his head with one quick motion, in the same movement he kicked his boot up into the air, catching it as Ralene rolled up the map.

"Figured as much." He said with a frown. "I don't remember much of what my mother told me."

Edric admitted. "But there's a few rituals associated with Anirius. If this entire town is wrapped up in religion, there's no doubt pretty much everyone's going to be there."

Particularly given the fact of what happened to those who didn't believe.

 

[Samantha Black]

"Rituals," Ral folded the map and securely tucked it into an inner pocket of her coat before moving to take up her belt and other affects, "what sort of rituals? Are they going to paint that ridiculous sigil on our faces?"

 

[Edric]

Edric slowly shook his head. "N-No I don't think so."

Not from what he could remember at the very least.

His mother had been a devout worshiper, but there had never been anything about blood. In fact, most of what was happening in this city seemed to run almost opposite to what he remembered. "From what I remember most of it was about the prayers, it was..."

He frowned.

"It was almost like a spell." Edric tried to remember the exact words, but the memories were too distant. "I don't know."

A shrug rolled over his shoulders. "Guess we'll find out."

No use in stewing on about it.

 

[Samantha Black]

"Guess so..." Ral turned her attention to the saddlebags that had their more scrupulous items inside and moved to pick them up, "help me find a place to hide these and then we'll go see about this Mass."

MASS

The church was likely three times the size of the original shotty little thing in town and arguably the nicest building in all Wissburg. It sat securely behind the gates of the keep, attached to the western hall via a long covered walkway. The citizens of Wissburg filed in as the churchtower bell began its toll.

Ral walked in alongside Edric, joining the crowd of people as they made their way inside to find seats.

"Lot more people here than I expected..."

 

[Edric]

Edric nodded his head in agreement, the sight of what was practically a cathedral coming into view as they passed through the gates. "Kress."

He could count on one hand how many times he had actually been to the Capital. Vel Anir was filled to the brim with Palaces and grand buildings. Massive towering structures that had been built centuries ago. Places that had been created and crafted over decades specifically to impress.

This church reminded him of them.

"They built this in a year." He whispered to Ralene as they trundled along with the crowd. "Less."

As they came closer the reliefs of the church became more and more clear. Huge statues lined the walls, gargoyles in various shapes. Massive carved wooden doors hung open, the throng of people slowly streaming to stand within the church. At the very back stood a massive Marble figure. The statue was carved in the sight of a man, one hand holding aloft a sort, the other clutching the sun itself. "Anirius."

Edric whispered quietly to Ralene, and then the music began to play.

 

[Samantha Black]

"Mmm," Ralene returned with a frown as her eyes followed the vaulted ceilings upwards to the various statues. She didn't know a whole lot about buildings or architecture, but she did realize that a building like this should have definitely taken longer than less-than-a-year to construct. At least, she thought so.

Her gaze landed on the statue of Anirius and she thought he looked somewhat familiar ... but then again didn't all these male deities look the same?

"Any sign of the Archbishop?" she whispered back to him. Ral was taller than most, but not quite as tall as Edric. Out of the two of them, he had the best view.

 

[Edric]

Edric peered over the crowd.

Most folk here were of ordinary height, so he managed to stand half a head over them. His gaze flickered through the room, and then he spotted a man shuffling slowly towards the pulpit.

He could not have been older than sixty, his hair white and his beard long enough to sit down to his chest. He was dressed in plain brown robes, and Edric would not have been able to pick him out of the crowd where it not for the stares the man was receiving.

"I think...that's him." Edric said softly as the old man shuffled towards the stage, taking slow, deliberate steps as the crowd parted before him.

Near a minute later the Archbishop stepped up onto the stage, his hands curling around the wooden pulpit as though he needed it for support. Edric frowned, lips thinning as he stared up at the mans face. There was something so familiar about him. Something in the back of his mind.

"ANIRIUS CALLS TO THE FAITHFUL!"​

His voice boomed, louder than any man had a right to speak. The words resounded within the church, a thunderous call to a god who could perhaps hear the words.

Second later the room called back. Every man, woman, and child reciting the same thing.

"THE FAITHFUL ANSWER!"
​

Edric felt himself almost immediately tense as the crowd around them broke into the words, his head half turning to see those around him speaking the words.

It was a terrifying, almost awe inspiring occurrences. The Archbishop began to speak, his words resounding within the Cathedral. Every now and again he would call to the crowd, and without a single pause they would answer. He raved about the evils of the Republic. Ranted about the glory of Anirius. Called the people to Arms against the Corruption of the Houses.

Yet what struck the greatest cord, what resounded in Edric's heart, was his call to slaughter the Dreadlords.

The Dogs of the state.

The murderers of so many children and the monsters of Vel Anir.

 

[Samantha Black]

Ralene listened with rapt attention to the proceedings of the mass. Having never attended something of this nature, everything about it struck her as terribly disturbing. To read about mass worship? To hear about it through story? Not quite as remarkable as witnessing it first hand. The resounding chorus of the people chanting and calling as one reverberated within her chest in a most unpleasant manner.

There was power in faith, that much she knew, but what that actually meant was not something she could speak on.

As for the Archbishop's opinions on Dreadlords? Well, that had been rather apparent from the start - his words created a crystal clear image in her mind of the tree they had passed on their way. Rage wasn't quite the word to describe what she felt about these allegations but the emotions gripping her spine and setting her muscles alight were certainly intense.

"Been lookin' for you two," the Guard from earlier shuffled his way through the crowd ahead of them. By now the Archbishop's sermon seemed to have come to a close, but Ral was still standing stiff with indignation, "Follow me, I'll introduce you and the Archbishop will give you his blessin's."

"His ...what?" Ral blinked out of her coiled musings to stab the guard with an unwitting look of icy affront.

"Blessin's ... for good fortune and strength in the comin' days. You'll both be needin' it if yer to live here. He means to start a revolution."

With a glance upward at Edric, lips drawn thin and jaw tight, Ral nodded at the man, "Well I'll take whatever blessin's he can give. Got our work cut out for us here, I think. Isn't that right, Orin?"