Fable - Ask The Tide Turns[Historical]

[Leoric Virak]

"Yeah, Princess! No magic in the camp." Leoric said, his tone like a small child who had gotten caught doing something wrong. "I was just trying to help you wash."

He insisted with a shake of his head, deciding not to get into a fight about who fucked the most. Dreadlords had to maintain some decorum after all. "Speed things up a little for when we march."

The bucket was discarded, tossed to someone nearby who would probably take care of it. Then he tagged alongside Rhea and Clarissa, finding the line for breakfast where a dozen other Dreadlords were already standing.

Most looked about the same as the two girls besides him, though a few were a bit more put together.

Gideon was nowhere to be seen, but if Leoric had to guess he was probably still sleeping off half a bottle.

"At least you'll be able to taste it if he does." The Dreadlord remarked. "Man chews tobacco like it's no longer rationed."

 

[Rhea]

Rhea took her portion of porridge and gave it a suspicious sniff when Jaird couldn't see. It didn't smell of tabaco so she thought she was perhaps safe; no way would Jaird really spit in her food.

"Perhaps I should taste it first for you My Lady," Gallad offered quietly. His hand rested on the pommel of his sword as he looked back at Jaird who was making some kind of joke with one of the other Dreadlords. Rhea's lips twitched but she shook her head.

"If he's spat in it, it's nothing more than what a soldier deserves for nearly putting out the cooking fire," she commented and then slid into the bench Clarissa and Leo had already settled into. "Why don't you go and see if you can find out when we're leaving?" she asked of her guard who gave a smart salute and headed off.

 

[Clarissa Vansire]

Clarissa's nose wrinkled upwards at the thought of a stew flavored with chewing tobacco. "Perhaps I'll skip breakfast."

Naseau was beginning to hit her hard. A night filled with drinking and her stomach felt as if it was waging war upon her body. The idea of the chef spitting in their food? That was only amplifying such feelings.

Starring down at the bowl of cooked rations before her she gave her breakfast a side-eye before hoisting a spoon skywards. "Bottoms up I suppose," and with that she took a forced down a spoonful of the bland porridge. "It's not tobacco flavored," she said gleefully while smacking upon the globs of food between her cheeks.

Manners might've been a thing in Rhea's home, or even the home of the Vansires a few decades ago, but they were obsolete in the camps of soldiers.

 

[Leoric Virak]

For a few seconds Leoric studied the meal in front of him, picking up the spoon and letting some of the oatmeal drop back into the the bowl with that odd uncomfortable squelching sound. He made a face, and lamented the fact he hadn't stolen more food the day before.

"It's nice to see you've found yourself a page boy all the way out here." He commented to the Princess, glancing after the Guard. "But, I don't think he's going to find anything out before we do."

His head jerked towards the center of the camp where a soldier dressed in full plate was stalking towards them. He wore a cape over one shoulder, and the epaulet on his shoulder marked him as a Major within the Guard.

Leoric recognized him of course, and so would his two companions. It was his older brother, Ahren Virak.

"Leoric, Ladies. I hope your night was not too celebratory."​

Eyes flickered up from the porridge. "Of course not sir, we're all responsible soldiers after all."

He looked over at Clarissa with a smirk.

"Good, you three and Gideon are being sent out ahead of the army."​

 

[Rhea]

"He's not a page boy," Rhea rolled her eyes. As much as she had insisted she hadn't needed her own guards detail whilst fighting, she hadn't been able to convince her father to send nobody to watch her back. Gallad alone was as good as it got and the man was at least sensible enough to know when to melt into the background and leave her to her own bad decisions. She dreaded to think what it would have been like with Ric or Leonor with her.

Their bickering got no further with the arrival of Ahren

"Where to?" she raised a brow.

 

[Clarissa Vansire]

If there was one thing that Clarissa was certain of it was that inquiring any further regarding the boy who's spent the night with the princess was a foul idea. She liked to believe that the first Dreadlords had formed friendships unlike those in the old days and while she cherished her fellow Dreadlords as if they were family there were still societal rules that remained.

Luckily for all of them they were interrupted by Ahren Virak. A slightly more palatable version of Leoric.

Claire merely nodded in agreement with the prospect of marching ahead. "Yessir," she said after swallowing more of her breakfast. It only made sense that the three of them would traverse the Falwood ahead of the army. At least it did to her.

 

[Leoric Virak]

"There are three Elven Watch Towers built along the main inroads into the Falwood."​

All of them of course had studied the Falwood at length. What type of trees grew where, the plants and animals within, everything and anything that Anirians a generation prior had managed to learn during the first war.

All of it had been declared vital if they were to attain their victory.

The watchtowers were no surprise of course, they had just destroyed one. The fact that there were more was entirely expected.

"We need to draw eyes to the west."​

Leoric frowned for a moment, remembering his predictions from the night before. "And we're..."

Ahren nodded.

"You will be striking the western most tower, but unlike last night will allow some of our enemies to survive."​

 

[Rhea]

It was a nice way of saying distraction. Rhea supposed it was better that it was them than the Guard. As much as she admired the men and women who fought with nothing but shield and sword and hard Anirian Grit, they had all seen that those precious skills only ended in bloodshed. This would be the true test of Dreadlords. Could they stand alone? Had last night been a fluke?

Setting down her spoon Rhea gave a crisp nod.

"I'm ready to go," she had ensured her things were packed last night in case orders had come for them to move out suddenly.

"I want you gone in the hour," Ahren nodded. "Gather anything else you need and get going."

 

[Clarissa Vansire]

Oh. They were going to be bait. Draw out as many of the elves as they can so that the other towers can be secured by the bulk of the army. Or so the Guard can slip through with minimal casualties. She wasn't sure which.

Clarissa shoveled two more spoonfuls of food into her mouth as her fellow Dreadlords spoke. Only responding after swallowing. "We'll be on our way shortly."

She rose from her seat and returned to her tent to grab her blade, shield, and javelin. Into her travel sack she packed the rations that every member of the Guard carried with them, her tarp and travel bed, extra pairs of socks, and various other pieces of survival gear.

Claire had hoped that she'd get to say goodbye to her brother, Frederick, before they departed but he was likely off in an officer's tent somewhere. Too busy with battle preparations. If you let yourself die, I'll kill you, she thought as she met up with Leoric and Rhea in just under an hour to depart.

She'd see her brother again, after they took the tower. There was no doubt in her mind.

 

[Leoric Virak]

Leoric was the first of the three to arrive at their designated meeting point. He wore the heavy leathers which served as his armor and a pack was slung over his shoulder to which was tied a sword. The young Virak looked more like a scout than a proper soldier in the Anirian Guard, but that was close enough to the truth.

Rhea showed up next, and Claire not too late after her.

Their final companion was Gideon Urr, who came trudging up to the group carrying a pack twice the size of any of theirs. His eyes had heavy bags under them, as though he had not slept a wink the night before. He offered no comment aside from a grunt as he approached them.

"Wonderful." Leoric said, glancing at his companions.

"Lets be off then, shall we?" The pack on his shoulder was hoisted as he turned. "We have two days march through the forest before we reach the tower."

Leoric had spent most of the hour studying their route.

 

[Rhea]

Rhea's Sjælden armour glittered in the dawn light as she stood beneath the dappled leaves. It had been one of the first ever things she had created from scratch with her magic and the help of a blacksmith. The whole process had been revolutionary, even he had said it, and from there was born the concept of Sjælden, enchanted weapons and armour that could do more than just kill and protect. Hers was lighter than it should have been for its density and as she put it on it seemed to dissolve to liquid, fitting her form as though she had been stitched into it that morning. The shimmering stain glass esq panels that seemed to be a by product of every piece she made dimmed at Leo's words, turning from vivid shades of red, purple and blue to match the forest greens and browns around them.

Across her back lay Dræber in its sheath; the enchanted sword had a habit of wanting blood as soon as someone touched the hilt so it was best to keep it away from where she would not accidentally clutch at it.

"Are you okay?" she asked Gideon with a dubious frown. Two days march wouldn't happen if he dropped down dead. She offered him her waterskin as they walked.

 

[Clarissa Vansire]

Gideon looked like he'd spent the entire evening drowning his sorrows in liquor.

She could only imagine that he was currently manifesting the worst hangover in Anirian history, which was saying something as Clarissa's own head was pounding from the previous nights festivities. Knowing Gideon though, it was likely he'd just brush it all aside.

So long as he didn't interfere with their march that was all fine. Possibly even ideal. The last thing their tiny squad needed was a distraction as they attempted to do what had never been done. A group of four soldiers was going to siege an elven tower. Ten years ago the idea would've sounded ridiculous, twenty years ago it would've been deemed impossible.

Today? Well, today it was their small party's agenda. "He'll be fine."

Claire scooped up her sack and moved into the thick forests of the Falwood.

 

[Leoric Virak]

Leoric glanced back towards Gideon for a brief moment as Rhea whispered to him. A brief shake of the head was all the giant would receive from his fellow Dreadlord. The man had made his choice, and apparently in that choice he'd forgotten to drink water.

"Is fine." Gideon finally said to Rhea, apparently barely capable of human speech. "Jus nee-"

A groan cut off his words, his head turning as he nearly spewed right that moment. Hand settling on his stomach as though it would offer some sort of calm. "If the elves ambush us, I'm not saving you Gideon."

Leoric remarked.

"Fuck off." The Giant said with a wave of his hand. "Magic will kick in soon."

It was a good enough point. Though his magic would never make him the strongest or most powerful, it certainly did make him resilient. Leoric let out a long sigh, continuing their path onward.

By his estimation, it would be three days of the same fucking thing. Forest and idle conversation.

 

[Rhea]

Rhea's nose wrinkled as the other man vomited. Until that moment she had been feeling quite well herself; either she had judged the right amount to drink or... she was still drunk. She kept the water cannister to herself and took another sip of the cool mineral water. The skin was not one of her most fanciest or advanced enchantments but the fact it cleaned water had been a life saver, and the water she drank from it always seemed to rejuvenate her.

Putting a little distance between her and the vomit she set into a steady rhythm with the others.

They walked for hours in relative silence, sharing only a few words back and forth. There was an eerie feeling to the forest she hadn't really noticed until now. It was so... quiet. Even the odd bird calls they heard felt somehow rehearsed as though the trees were pretending they weren't watching. More than once they had to retrace their steps when sudden overgrowths blocked their way or a stream appeared not marked on the map.

The sun was past its midday point when Rhea came to a stop with a frown, staring at a particular rock.

"I swear I've seen that before," she murmured and looked around for any other familiar sights. "We're going in circles."

 

[Clarissa Vansire]

Clarissa had been glad that the food she’d forced down and the hour of prep time had allowed her the strength to refrain from vomiting herself as Gideon wretched.

Her mind cleared quickly enough, through idle chatter and the wonders of the Falwood. For a second she could understand why the elves called this place their home. It had an odd beauty. The canopy of leaves overhead shaded the from the harsh sunlight, around every corner was some food source or another, and the sounds of animals echoed in ways you never heard in the capital city of Vel Anir.

It would’ve been a nice retreat had Gideon not been present. Had they not been here to murder a bunch of elves.

”No, I think this is,” she looked around after Rhea’s comment and tried to focus, really focus. ”You’re right. We have been here before.”

The Falwood was actually awful. How anyone knew how to navigate this place was beyond her. It all looked the same. ”We’re running out of time, we need to find that tower.”

She shared a frown with the Anirian princess and offered the only suggestion she could, ”maybe we can climb a tree. My magic could be helpful although I’d need someone ready to catch me… just in case.”

From the high vantage point she could exercise the indigo magic she possessed but doing so could result in an overexertion.

 

[Leoric Virak]

"Nah. Fuck all that." Gideon was the first to countermand Clarissa's suggestion, though Leoric had been about to point out that endeavor probably wouldn't work as well. The Falwood was a confusing place, and it was that way entirely on purpose.

Though humanity had been ignorant once, they had learned over the generations.

Perhaps that was what had allowed their civilizations to survive for so long. Humans adapted, quickly and quite confidently. Rushing into decisions when longer lived species would instead err on the side of caution and waiting.

The Falwood had a will of it's own, and it did not want them here. "Gideon is right."

Though it was painful to say it.

"The forest wants us gone." They would be lead around in circles until they decided to leave. "But."

Slowly Leoric began to walk towards a nearby tree. "Perhaps it can be taught."

As he spoke his palm settled upon one of the great trees, his fingers coming to a rest. Black specs floated over his eyes, obscuring the bright gold of his iris' for just a moment, and in that instant the entire forest around them seemed to thrum.

Leaves shook, roots quivered, and the tree that Leoric touched almost seemed to recoil. It's bark somehow moving while staying perfectly in place. The air within the little glade grew heavy, the sun above growing just a bit darker.

As though the whole of the Falwood had let out a scream.

 

[Rhea]

How did the old proverb go? If there was nobody around to hear a tree fall...

Rhea glanced up at the leaves which stood rigidly out straight as though too scared to move with the gentle breeze least the pain continue. Ahead of them the other trees quivered like tortured dogs and as she took a step forward roots recoiled. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Well, they know someone is here now," her father had said the trees whispered to the elves who sung them songs so beautiful they could mesmerise an unguarded man. She could only imagine what kind of noise those trees were making now to those who could hear them. "Come on," she hoisted her pack up her shoulder and set off down the pathway with determination.

 

[Clarissa Vansire]

”The forest,” Clariss’s mouth gaped at the sight.

But it was more than just what her eyes were showing her, the very air around them felt electric. The buzz of insects and birds seemed to change. Had you told her a month, a week, even a day ago that the forest could feel pain she would’ve dismissed it as the ravings of a lunatic.

In that moment it was impossible to deny however.

Then, she steeled herself. She reminded her that these elves, from this forest, torched her family’s lands. They’d surrounded Vel Anir and marched around it, terrorizing her grandmother. The poverty they forced her into had caused her father to turn to alcohol.

”Good, let them know we’re coming,” she began walking behind Rhea, ”by the end of the day we’ll have taken the tower.” And enough elven lives that maybe she wouldn’t feel so bad about the plight they’d put the Anirians through.

 

[Leoric Virak]

Gideon slowly looked around the small clearing, his gaze flickering from Leoric to the trees and back towards the road they had been taking. "I think..."

He trailed off for a moment, and then slowly nodded to himself as he regarded the others.

"Think the way is clear now, can almost see a path." A frown pulled at the other mans face, casting a weary eye in Leoric's direction for a brief moment. Lips thinned, but he said nothing as he waited for the the others to get back on the road alongside him.

The son of House Virak lingered for a moment. His hands still pressed against the tree.

Then slowly he took a step back, his eyes drawing away from the great oak as he turned towards his fellows. He wore and easy smile as he stepped through the tangle of roots, returning to the road just as a breeze carried through the corridor of trees.

It felt cold, bitingly so.

He slowly stepped passed the other two, flashing only a quick smile before continuing behind Rhea. Gideon lingered for a moment, and then leaned in towards Clarissa. "What do you think he said to em'?"

 

[Rhea]

Rhea tried to ignore how her skin crawled beneath the armour. What Leo had did was nothing that any other Dreadlord wouldn't have done themselves if they were able to. The Elves had slaughtered their people like animals and attacking a few worthless trees was nothing. But now it felt as though every tree she walked past marked her with a silent vow of revenge. Before this war was won they would all have to burn, she thought grimly.

When Leo caught up with her leaving the others to take the rear guard she glanced across at him.

"What exactly is your magic?" she had never asked. It wasn't that it was a taboo subject - not like it would become centuries down the line as Dreadlords attempted to keep it a secret to gain the upper hand - it was merely she had never thought to ask. Now, however...

 

[Clarissa Vansire]

Gideon's breath reeked of a mixture of alcohol and the bile he'd purged. But Claire'd been around soldiers all her life, at the academy before and the Guard after that. She kept composed as she tried to come up with a retort worthy of their companion.

"Knowing Leo? Probably just the truth," there was really only two ways for this situation to go, "if you don't stop leading us in circles we're going to turn the Falwood to ash."

Gideon brandished a wicked grin, "heh, probably."

Though in reality Clarissa wondered the same thing. Maybe he'd just threatened to keep making the forest suffer. Perhaps his magic was painful enough that continuing to use it was an even worse fate than burning the trees to the ground.

Once they began to take territory though Claire knew that the forest being burnt was inevitable. It was no different than what the elves had done to them.

 

[Leoric Virak]

Leoric hummed cheerfully as he fell into stride besides Rhea, the other two falling into line not too far behind them shortly after.

The tune echoing from his throat was an Old Anirian one. A war song, supposedly from the age of Anirius himself. Though Leoric had always doubted that particular detail, in fact he doubted almost everything about the song itself.

For one thing, it was far too jaunty to involve any sort of war. "Hm?"

He intoned quietly, cutting the song short as his eyes slid over towards Rhea.

For a few seconds he considered the question. Funnily enough, no one had ever really bothered to ask him before. It hadn't mattered. They'd all been there for the same thing. They were all fighting against the Elven menace, not one another. The only thing that had ever mattered was ensuring they all worked well together.

"Everything." Leoric mused. "And anything."

It almost sounded as though he were mocking her, but when Rhea looked over at him she would see he was being completely serious.

 

[Rhea]

Rhea raised an eyebrow at the cryptic answer.

"How enlightening," she mused. "I think that explained it quite well," the princess teased further though in the kind of way friends often teased one another. Despite that, she didn't push him any further. If he wanted to expand on the more intricate nature of his gifts he would; or maybe Rhea would figure them out for herself during their time together.

This time the group were a lot more successful in reaching the point they had planned to stop at on their first night albeit much later than they had intended. With darkness pressing in there was little point than doing more than throwing their rollmats on the floor and hunkering down for the night. To make up for the time lost today they would need to set off at first light the next day.

 

[Clarissa Vansire]

Clarissa and Gideon were too far back to hear the particulars of Leoric and Rhea's conversation. Not that it mattered, she hadn't been too fussed over the details of either of her colleagues abilities. Explaining her own magic would've been difficult enough - she barely understood how it worked - so it wasn't like she needed an explanation for any other Dreadlord's abilities.

They weren't being turned around anymore, which was promising, but the trek had taken so long that nightfall began to overtake them. Scattered close on bedrolls the four of them sat. Eating the rations provided as a campfire was far too risky this deep into elven territory.

"Do you think," she started as she took a break between bites. Pausing for a second as she re-thought how to speak her mind. "how different are the elves? From us I mean?"

They lived in trees, like animals. They lacked any morality, that was obvious from how they treated Anirians during the last war. But they seemed to think just as similarly as they did. They felt emotions as they did.

Clarissa shook her head quickly. "Forget it. I'm tired. We move at first light, yes?"

 

[Leoric Virak]

Leoric finished drawing the last of the runes which protected their camp.

A simple spell, one that the mages of Vel Anir had long since stolen from their more academically inclined cousins in Vel Anir. It would protect them, though not for long. The shield would catch a single spell, a few arrows, or a person.

It would give them just enough time wake. "They live a thousand years."

He said as he turned around and threw the branch in his hand away, taking up the topic even though Clarissa had tried to bury it.

Gideon was already frowning, but the young Virak continued.

"That in it of itself makes them different than us in ways we can't even imagine." Leoric reasoned. "We can't think like them, they can't think like us."

A shrug rolled over his shoulders as he sat down on his bedroll. "Could you even imagine what you would do if you had nine hundred more years to live?"

Even his magic didn't grant him something like that. As far as he knew anyway.