Completed The War of The Kinniger Duchy

[Sir Eberwolf Kinniger]

“We’ll keep one of our dogs on her, Perhaps two, and that will lead us straight to the camp.” He said, “just in case she tries to mislead us.”

"What did you do, Sir Eberwolf? Just how did you apprehend this necromancer?"

“A lot of punching. It’s as simple as that. I took six men with me plus one hired monster hunter, me and the monster hunter were the only ones to walk away.” He said his eyes flaring with hate, only for him to suck in a deep breath and for his face to relax. “Only one of them died in a dignified fashion, and he was killed by a horde of undead. The rest were little more than piles of mangled bones and organs when we found them, I couldn’t even tell which was which. So I simply punched her until she stopped moving. She woke up a few weeks later.”

“She wouldn’t have forgotten that. That’s how I know she will accept the deal.” He said with crossed arms. “Besides, I had told her I’d do just that after finding my friends bodies, if they could even be called bodies at that point. I always keep my word.”

 

[Kyla Scathach]

“I agree with Heike..” Kyla said seemingly shocked the words were coming from her mouth. A necromancer? I’d like to find them just to end them myself. Do a little house cleaning for the universe.” Kyla said.

“And handing her over to them is the right call if we do it right...but I think you under estimate your enemy sir knight.” Kyla said plainly, but with a slight shift in her gaze she saw the look in her friends eyes as he fleshed out the plan further. She slowly began to nod. It was possible..

Her hand found his briefly as she gave it a small squeeze before releasing it. She appreciated his efforts. The squeeze showing she knew he was trying and trying to bring him back to earth.

“This will be difficult for everyone here. But we don’t have much time. The sickness only gets worse. She’ll be difficult to move as it is.” Kyla sat silently and waited for them to continue.

Ready to interject with her knowledge of these people should it become needed.

 

[Crows Call]

The Warrior-Poet was taken a back by the knights uncanny abilities to see through any attempt at a disguise he had made, but he supposed that he likely knew his men well. The commander then turned away from him, snapped his fingers and released Kyla from her bonds, diffusing most of the rage that his confusion had created. Sir Kinniger then began speaking with the Dame Heike about battle plans. At this point he felt rather ashamed, the Warrior-Poet readied himself to begin his confession of how he obtained his vessels new armor, but then the honorable sir began to suggest the usage of necromancy.

He first thought to interject, but the air of decisiveness and nobility in which he spoke halted him, and caused him to wait until he had finished speaking with Dame Heike, before he spoke in a tone that brimmed with rage and disgust as well as echoed in a somewhat disembodied fashion, "Were you struck in the head with a war-maul? Necromancy? NECROMANCY!? You dare to suggest using those heretical, wicked, black sorceries!? Understand this from one who knows all to well... that repugnant practitioner and all her ilk should be bound to a stake and burned to ash before their misbegotten kinds' presence brings us that much closer to damnation!"

Heike Eisen Sir Eberwolf Kinniger Kyla Scathach

 

[Sir Eberwolf Kinniger]

"Were you struck in the head with a war-maul? Necromancy? NECROMANCY!? You dare to suggest using those heretical, wicked, black sorceries!? Understand this from one who knows all to well... that repugnant practitioner and all her ilk should be bound to a stake and burned to ash before their misbegotten kinds' presence brings us that much closer to damnation!"

“Yes actually I was, twice I think.” He says calmly, but meeting his gaze with his own, clearly not afraid of nor moved by his rage. “And yes, I do dare, we aren’t going to have her bring anything back from the dead nor are we going to be using undead. The goal is to have her trap this particular person’s soul into a more durable object then once they are a great deal harder to kill, show them the true meaning of agony. As for the way you believe necromancers should be handled, there are a number of lesser necromancers in my fathers retinue that only go so far as to commune with the dead, nothing more, would you say that they are evil because of this, or that Heike here is evil solely on the principle of her being a vampire, very one sided. I assume you are familiar with the phrase “two sides of every coin”? Yes they can be evil, and they tend to be, but not all of them are. And I would have beaten her skull to powder if the aforementioned Monster Hunter hadn’t stayed my hand.”

“I know that you don’t agree with this, and believe me, I don’t like putting trust in a necromancer either. But that seems to be the most likely way for us to save our friend.”

Her hand found his briefly as she gave it a small squeeze before releasing it. She appreciated his efforts. The squeeze showing she knew he was trying and trying to bring him back to earth.

“This will be difficult for everyone here. But we don’t have much time. The sickness only gets worse. She’ll be difficult to move as it is.” Kyla sat silently and waited for them to continue.

He squeezed her hand back, a silent thanks for her gesture. “We can put her on Kerberos, he’s definitely large enough and strong enough to ride, and his three heads make his back broader and harder for her to roll off of. I know that it’s a long shot but getting her to them is the only way I can think of to keep her alive long enough to secure ‘help’ from one of their own. And once we find where they’re located, I don’t plan to let any of them leave without facing judgement. Three headed dogs are quite useful for keeping people trapped in a large place without them realizing it.”

 

[Heike Eisen]

A lot of punching, Eberwolf had said. And while she did understand his rage after the deaths of his comrades at the necromancer's hands, still that look, that smile, haunted her. Heike herself had succumbed to a throe of rage when the orphan Ella died while in her care, and it was a poison most seductive. But they were meant to be better than this, Sir Eberwolf and Heike both. While his answer was not nearly as bad as Heike feared it might be, her opinion of Eberwolf was nevertheless permanently tarnished, even if such tarnishing was minute.

Kyla--surprisingly--agreed with her on the matter of the necromancer. As did the Warrior-Poet, who let his protesting be known quite loudly after Kyla had her say. Though they had only just met on the field of battle, Heike concurred with the Poet's sentiment over Eberwolf's misguided rebuttal. The necromancer ought to be executed for the murder of Eberwolf's six men, these murders in conjunction with her dark magic more than enough to convince Heike of her evil and the untenable nature of striking a deal with her for a righteous cause. Why Eberwolf and a damned Monster Hunter of all things let the necromancer live in the first place after said murders was beyond Heike.

This, along with using said necromancer to engage in torture? Heike had felt nauseous after simply threatening brief torture of an ordinary bandit, let alone showing someone 'the true meaning agony.' It was a bridge too far.

Heike shook her head at Sir Eberwolf. Said firmly, "Do as you will with your necromancer cohort. But I will not be party to any of it."

Then to Kyla, with regard to turning over Ferelith, "I trust in your judgment."

And with that, Heike turned sharply on her heel and departed briskly from the command tent. Obstinate in her refusal to engage with Eberwolf's plan as it stood.

Heike started walking through the rows of tents arranged in the fortress grounds, intent on going back to see Ferelith before...they did what was necessary.

Sir Eberwolf Kinniger Crows Call Kyla Scathach

 

[Crows Call]

The Warrior-Poet felt a fury burning from him, causing Crows Call to ignite in a bursting ethereal red flame on his back that licked hungerly at the air around it. This man had not just suggested utilizing necromancy, but also proposed the assembling of a phylactery: to put another soul into a painful, inescapable existence that he would not wish on his worst enemies? In essence he proposed violating another's soul, that of which he had spent an eternity fighting against?

His vessels head twisted to an awkward angle and began to twitch spastically, his posture shifted: causing swift and disturbing twitches and audible snaps from his limbs, and fingers, as well as having his back sway from left to right. The vessels neck then snapped back to a regular angle, the twitching stopped, and the vessel once again took a composed if aggressive posture and the direction of his head focused on Sir Kinniger. He then walked forward, invading the personal space of Sir Kinniger, "Understand this you foolish man, that heretical magic corrupts the hearts and souls of all involved in it, it twists wills, profanes hearts, devours souls. The undead these tyrants control are victims and puppets, deserving mercy or peace. But practitioners and their profligate enablers deserve nothing but Sunaris's flame. I hope we understand each other?"

Heike Eisen Sir Eberwolf Kinniger Kyla Scathach

 

[Kyla Scathach]

Kyla nodded slowly. She took a moment. Her icy calm stare of a whirring brain for a very brief display.

She seemed to come to a conclusion and from her expression she wasn’t happy with the best option she saw. “Handing her over is the only answer love..” She said finally.

But paused and seemed to bristle at the aggressiveness and generally loud anger coming from this new found “ally.”
He was dressed in different armor but as his head turned and sword ignited Kyla was a red haired blur. Seeming to appear between Eberwolf and the strange rhyming warrior.

“You need to calm down and excuse yourself from my loves presence lest I remove you strange thing.” She said coldly. Her eyes narrowed to twin chips of ice.

“The fact you’re have aided us in the past is the only reason I’m giving you this very generous chance to remove yourself with your own legs. I won’t extend a second chance.” She warned.

Backing up until her back bumped into Eberwolfs chest slightly. She was being protective to be sure but in the same step of logic there was also no Jen she’s rather have at her back. Her hand hovered over the blade strapped across her back.

If the conflict diffused she would headout of the tent and catch up to Heike falling in step with her.


“You know what we have to do.” She would say. A deeply troubled expression appeared through the cracks in her calm facade.

“It will be easier to just shock and bind her. She’s only going to hurt herself when she fights us. And she will.” Kyla said bluntly.

“Don’t forget. She was quite content with dying in week long agony rather than go back to them. She’s only calm now because I’m sure she trusts us to find another way. She’d opt to stay behind in leu of being turned over. I’ll handle it if you can’t.”

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

She ran.

Every part of her body groaned in protest as she left a small trail of black vomit and contaminated looking blood. Her complexion now an ash grey she tripped for the fifth time.

Sweat poured off her body as this fall seemed to truly halt her in her tracks for a moment. She heard the foot steps. The thunder of hooves.

“Guuunnhild... Why do you hide from us child? Don’t you miss us!? We miss you Gunhild... We waanntt your blood.. give us your blood...Your bones..Your skin..” The voices were all around her as she simply curled into a ball. “Leave me alone! You aren’t real!” She yelled as the world around her seemed to draw away leaving her he curled up in the freezing cold void of darkness.

“Oh, but we are. And we both know we.
Never. Leave you.” She heard the whisper.

Felt the cold air on her ear.

and there she remained. Tormented. Any who came across her would find her curled up in a puddle of sweat, vomit, and blood.

Flinching at the actions of assailants in seen to any but her. She shivered as the fever began to further damage her brain.

 

[Sir Eberwolf Kinniger]

"Understand this you foolish man, that heretical magic corrupts the hearts and souls of all involved in it, it twists wills, profanes hearts, devours souls. The undead these tyrants control are victims and puppets, deserving mercy or peace. But practitioners and their profligate enablers deserve nothing but Sunaris's flame. I hope we understand each other?"

He was dressed in different armor but as his head turned and sword ignited Kyla was a red haired blur. Seeming to appear between Eberwolf and the strange rhyming warrior.

“You need to calm down and excuse yourself from my loves presence lest I remove you strange thing.” She said coldly. Her eyes narrowed to twin chips of ice.

“The fact you’re have aided us in the past is the only reason I’m giving you this very generous chance to remove yourself with your own legs. I won’t extend a second chance.” She warned.

Backing up until her back bumped into Eberwolfs chest slightly. She was being protective to be sure but in the same step of logic there was also no Jen she’s rather have at her back. Her hand hovered over the blade strapped across her back.

He placed a hand on Kyla’s shoulder. He was touched at her referring to him as ‘love’ but it seemed a little early in their relationship for that, and they hadn’t had any prolonged conversations since the night before their arrival, since Kerberos had insisted on cuddling with her at every opportunity. “Thank you, Kyla, but please, allow me.”

He stepped around her and faced the warrior poet and looked him square in the face. “If you think that loud words and your silly pyromancy will intimidate me you are wrong. You are also wrong if you think that I will be as easy to fight as the vampires and their thralls you are also wrong. And who are you to decide what is blasphemous? You yourself are undead are you not? If that is the case, and they are to be brought peace or destroyed then allow me to do so for you. Or are you an exception to that ‘unspoken law’? And many would say the same of vampires, that they must be destroyed simply because of what they are and this is not true. I believe that she can be saved if given the opportunity, and if the plan works, and she renounces her past ways it will be two people that we have saved from fate worse than death. And what of the man we are to force into service? What do you say he deserves for his crimes against base humanity? I say that he will help us, and afterwards his soul returned to him, and perhaps he too can be saved from his wickedness.” Eberwolf said calmly, his voice even, but his fury showing in his eyes, glowing like smoldering embers. “But do not presume to threaten me, creature. It has yet to end well for anyone.”

 

[Heike Eisen]

Kyla caught up with her during the walk among the tents.

And it seemed that, for once, they were actually in solid agreement with one another. Heike gave a small sigh through her nose. Her own expression dour, but set firmly into what had to be done. Heike hated it, but accepted Kyla's insight on the matter--this insight gained through terrible firsthand experience no doubt.

"I will handle it," Heike said. "I know that Ferelith will likely object, yet I nonetheless wish to give her the chance to trust us. I..."

Heike's eyes slid down and away as she walked. Content with dying in week long agony, Kyla had said of Ferelith, and this was the truth. It was sad to see Ferelith simply giving up, unwilling to even fight back against the villainy that had been perpetrated upon both herself and her sister. What happened to that admirable spirit that Heike had fallen in love with? How could Bryn and her ilk have managed to cow Ferelith so completely? Both Heike and Ferelith had their low points when they had been turned to vampirism, but they overcame.

No. No, she wouldn't do this against Ferelith's will. She had to overcome this. Freedom, the power to choose, was a strong Reikhurstan value. And Ferelith needed to choose.

Heike lifted her hand and carefully slid off both the silver and gold rings. Pocketed them.

Eyes forward again, she announced to Kyla as they walked, "I will not resort to the use of those rings in this matter. I will not force her. I will see for myself the true strength of her character."

Or lack thereof.

They were approaching the tent wherein Ferelith rested.

Kyla Scathach Sir Eberwolf Kinniger Crows Call

 

[Crows Call]

The Warrior-Poet's stance did not shift, his eyes remained locked with Sir Kinniger. By all accounts the noble sir was by Sunaris's will to be considered a heretic, but he was also a man of honor and a true warrior, and the warrior poet would sooner burn a priceless painting than burn him to cinder. There was but one loop hole, one final benefit of the doubt, to allow him the chance to discard the proposition of the dark practices... and when he inevitably fails: to fall upon him like a storm of righteous fire.

Crows Call's etherial flame calmed and shifted to a yellow color and the Warrior-Poet's tone shifted to a sharp, deep, calm, rasp that projected two voices: that of the vessel and that of the Warrior-Poet. Then he spoke to Sir Kinniger in the Warrior-Poet's old tongue, "Scio quod haec sit ultimum autem quod locuti fuerint sociis, ut spero te bene audire. Quia quantum de vobis cum honore vir bellator, et ego in vobis concedere forte ad uanitatem ex step... sed cum... non veniam ad te, et tu non tetigit, non ut praedica verbum insta est, in dies, septimanae, menses, anni... et ad te veniam...

(I know that this is the last we shall speak as allies, so I hope you listen well. Out of respect for you as a man of honor and a warrior, I am granting you the chance to step away from this foolishness... but when you do not... I will come for you and all you have touched, it may be instant, it may be in days, weeks, months, years... but I will come for you.)"

The Warrior-Poet then stepped back from the noble sir before speaking as an enemy, "Farewell Sir Kinniger, may you live cherished and die gloriously...".

He then made way for the command tents exit and then the exit to the camp, he entered the fields and began moving north for the vampiric camps and castles, though he would have to come for Sir Kinniger eventually, the vampire menace was of his highest priorities as what may be the last follower of Sunaris.

Heike Eisen Sir Eberwolf Kinniger Ferelith Scathach Kyla Scathach

 

[Sir Eberwolf Kinniger]

Eberwolf was not confused by this change in attitude. He was his enemy now, and one of them would die, or be vanquished. Since he was a spirit, probably bound to the sword since none of his men carried a weapon like that, he would likely have to kill the vessel that was once his man, but was now possessed by this spirit.

He spoke in his own language in response to his words, “Leb wohl, ich wünschte, wir hätten Freunde sein können. Wenn wir uns das nächste Mal treffen, Der Freund, den du mir genommen hast, wird aus deinem Griff befreit. Lass dein Gesicht von mir unsichtbar sein, und dein Name wird von allen vergessen, die ihn gehört haben. Verlasse diesen Ort und lass meinen Freund gehen.”

(Farewell, I wish we could have been friends. When next we meet, the friend you have taken from me will be freed from your grip. Let your face be unseen by me, and may your name be forgotten by all who heard it. Leave this place, and let my friend go.)

The friend he was referring to was the soldier that the warrior poet now possessed. He, like all soldiers in his armies, were considered by him to be dear friends, brothers. If he had to kill the man to free him, he would so that he might have freedom at the end of his days. It is a sacrifice he had made before, ending a loved one’s life for the sake of their spiritual freedom and purity.

After the poet left he turned to the table and wrote a quick letter in neat, sharp handwriting. He sealed the letter with red wax that was stamped with his personal crest, the three headed dog. He called, “Cricix.”

A man wearing a cloak came in, he wore a full suit of mail armor with a brigandine coat and a hood. On his shoulder was a crow. “My lord.”

He handed him the letter. “Have this sent to Castle Kinniger for the Prison Keeper.”

He took the letter and bowed, then said to his crow, “Festung Kinniger.”

The crow left with the letter. “Anything else Lord?”

“Send me the Trackers.”

 

[Kyla Scathach]

Kyla stopped short.

“Do not think this an easy choice. You don’t know what they did to us...If I was in her position...I would feel the same.” She said bluntly. They skinned us alive. Etched our bones. Tested us. Monitored us. There was no resistance. And we were enhanced soilders for all intents and purposes. They...” Kyla stopped herself her mouth tightening to a thin grim line. Her gaze darkened.

“It is very likely she will not return to us the same. Even if we succeed. The possibilities of what they could do to her...They really are endless..” She admitted. “Their evil knows that few bounds.” She finished barely waiting for Heikes answer as she seemed to feel something was amiss. And as she threw open the tent flap she saw she was correct.
“Gone.” Was all she said before realizing Ferelith had simply rolled from her bed.

“Sister...” Kyla said with a tinge of sadness in her level tone. “ The fever..” Was all Kyla said as she knelt or next to her dying sister. She suddenly sprung rigid. Her eyes clouded with a grayish hue of darkness. She picked her up from her puddle of sweat and blood. Wiping stray hairs from her face she held her close and gently. Like a mother wolf protecting one of her brood.

“I can see them Kyla..I can hear them sister..The wings of the hoofed one in the forest. The sound of the breath from his lips...I can see my eyes sister I can see..” She went limp in her sister grasp once more.

“Still want to ask her to make a choice?” Kyla said with a raised eyebrow. “Because she’s in no shape to answer at the moment it seems.” Kyla said.

 

[Heike Eisen]

Heike regarded Kyla as she stopped and spoke.

Of course it wasn't an easy choice. That was the point. If it was an easy choice than there would be no difficulty in making it, no overcoming of any note to strengthen one's character. Ferelith, and now Kyla too it seemed, were content to lie down and die in a situation of this grim quality. Not Heike. In her own case, she could be the last living citizen of Reikhurst, pitted against the whole host of Jürgen Kaiser's legion of vampires, and she would not give up. She would die fighting, as a proud daughter of Reikhurst, no matter how gruesome her fate in doing so.

“It is very likely she will not return to us the same. Even if we succeed. The possibilities of what they could do to her...They really are endless..” She admitted. “Their evil knows that few bounds.”

Heike was about to say something--say that such a thing could not be helped--but Kyla did not wait. She entered the tent. When the flap came back down, Heike pushed it aside and entered as well.

And immediately shock gripped her. Ferelith had fallen from her bed, cradled now by her sister, and had grown delirious. Heike's eyes went wide and glassed at the sight, and she stood petrified. Didn't they have a week? How could it have progressed so quickly?

Then Kyla had her say, and Heike's shock morphed into hot anger, widened eyes narrowing in a lightning flash. Heike was not one to use vulgar profanity often, but here the sentiment echoed resounding in her head and in her blood: fuck Kyla. Fuck Kyla and her snark. It was nothing short of providence that Heike had taken off the rings, lest she use them in a petty and vengeful manner here to sate her seething anger.

She pinched her eyes shut. Her nostrils flared. Her hands she balled into fists and in so doing her own claws dug into the chainmail sleeves under her wrists, putting bruising pressure on the flesh beneath. But she forced herself to calm down to a manageable extent.

"I can see that, Kyla," Heike said, slow and forced.

You vapid bitch. Words left unsaid. Even in the privacy of her own mind the words stung her as being unbecoming, beneath her station to utter or so much as think.

"Just get her ready for transport."

And Heike turned on her heel and tossed open the flap of the tent and stood outside it. She pressed the palm of her right hand against her forehead, the anger from Kyla's comment gradually being redirected toward the people (who were they? who was doing this? who was their enemy?) that were responsible for all of this. People. That was far too generous. The monsters responsible for all of this.

They needed to be dealt with. Decisively. In order to save Ferelith and to continue the campaign against the Vampiric Army and hopefully secure Ferelith's freedom through commendable service. Then Heike could return to her own quest, her own duty.

But it started here. With making these shadowy enemies know that they, too, could bleed. That they were not as strong as they surely thought themselves to be.

Kyla Scathach Sir Eberwolf Kinniger Crows Call

 

[Sir Eberwolf Kinniger]

The Trackers had been given their orders, and the message to bring the necromancer to the fort was on its way. It would be about a week before she actually got there, probably a little less. So he had time to go and visit Ferelith and oversee her transportation. He whistled sharply and Kerberos stood up from his nap to follow him.

He came in about the time that Heike was saying to get her ready for transport, and saw the sorry state she was in. Two emotions conflicted, one terrible worry for his friend, and the other vengeful wrath struggling to take him over. Oh his brutality would only grow from there.

“While we’re doing that. I need to know, how did you two escape from them the first time? And concerning your middle sister, is she going to be acting under the same duress or is she choosing to do this? Because if she’s being strongarmed into doing this, she may yet be saved from them too.” He said while helping to hoist Ferelith onto Kerberos’s back. “If not, then her fate, like the fate of all the others will be left to your judgement, and Ferelith’s. And if we can save them, the judgement of all of their victims.”

 

[Kyla Scathach]

Kyla smirked at Heikes flash of anger before placing her sister on the large hound.
“We died.” Kyla said simply.

“They put us is an arena with some of the 2nd generation. See how the old fought the new. The result was...predictable. All I know is I lost my head. And woke up with a new one under six rotting corpses. I dug my way out and found Ferelith afterwards. They realized we were still alive sometime during our bandit days after that. Not sure exactly when I noticed them following us again..but one day they just knew.” Kyla said calmly.

Her hand brushing across her sisters cheek. “Hieke?” Ferelith muttered clutching her sisters hand feeling them until she felt the nails and lack of claws.

She released the hand with a slight frown. Kyla drew it away with a slight grimace glancing at the vampire with a flash of jealousy. Her sister didn’t want her right now.

She wanted someone else.

“Her delirium comes in waves.” Kyla said walking over to Eberwolf. “Even though I think it hasn’t worn off quite yet.” She said dryly.

“As for our sister..This is the first I’m really hearing her out and about. How or why I’m not particularly sure.” Kyla finished.

 

[Sir Eberwolf Kinniger]

Kyla smirked at Heikes flash of anger before placing her sister on the large hound.
“We died.” Kyla said simply.

“They put us is an arena with some of the 2nd generation. See how the old fought the new. The result was...predictable. All I know is I lost my head. And woke up with a new one under six rotting corpses. I dug my way out and found Ferelith afterwards. They realized we were still alive sometime during our bandit days after that. Not sure exactly when I noticed them following us again..but one day they just knew.” Kyla said calmly.

Her hand brushing across her sisters cheek. “Hieke?” Ferelith muttered clutching her sisters hand feeling them until she felt the nails and lack of claws.

She released the hand with a slight frown. Kyla drew it away with a slight grimace glancing at the vampire with a flash of jealousy. Her sister didn’t want her right now.

She wanted someone else.

“Her delirium comes in waves.” Kyla said walking over to Eberwolf. “Even though I think it hasn’t worn off quite yet.” She said dryly.

“As for our sister..This is the first I’m really hearing her out and about. How or why I’m not particularly sure.” Kyla finished.

“Ah, that explains it. So I’ll try to keep her alive for you, so that you can have a chance to find out.” He says with a nod. He had an idea of how to restrain Brynhildr so that she was less of a threat, even though they only had two sets of restraints for each of the sisters. But that wasn’t going to happen right now. First, they had to get Ferelith to the people that would keep her alive. Then they’d grab one, preferably two or three of the people there Andy force them to help, then they’d bring these monsters down, force any and all information out of them, then either kill them or send them to rot in prison. He was actually thinking of a particularly hellish type of imprisonment that would slowly drive them insane, and probably utilize the same necromantic technique to be used during the interrogation.

“I’m sorry that this is happening Kyla.” He said quietly. “Do you think that I’m going about this the right way? Did I misjudge or overlook an option? Could we do this a different way?”

Then something came to mind. “Maybe...”

He remembered something from a long while back, when he was in vampire captivity and they tried to torture information from him. The pain did nothing, but what came close to get him was fear. They had administered a drug of some sort that made him feel extreme fear, and that overwhelmed his wrath and almost broke him, had his men not laid the castle he was held in to siege, slaughtering all those within save him and his fellow prisoners of war. He might be able to use a similar tactic, one that the necromancer had proved adept in, creating unreasonable, unnatural levels of fear to make whomever they captured want to avoid experiencing again at all costs.

A long time after they walked he said. “Do you know if the cure has to be administered willfully or can we simply force their hands to touch and she’s cured? And can they administer the cure then re-administer the parasite immediately after or will she have time to be freed before she gets the parasite again?”

 

[Heike Eisen]

Heike stood outside the tent in contemplation. The conversation between Sir Eberwolf and Kyla happening behind her and inside. The exact words lost on her, so focused on her thoughts was she.

So Ferelith was to be surrendered. She would subsequently need to be rescued--somehow. A realistic concern here, that perhaps Kyla and Eberwolf and Heike would be severely outnumbered. How lovely it would be to bring the full weight of the Duchy's army down upon Bryn's Ilk (even lovelier if it could be a Reikhurstan army) but alas these were nothing more than fanciful notions.

The next unknown: would the cure for Ferelith's ailment be administered while she was in the captivity of Bryn's Ilk? Presumably. That was the whole point of the ailment and the parasite that caused it, was it not? Not to kill but to coerce. It was somewhat baffling that Bryn did not simply abduct Ferelith during the battle, if she and her Ilk desired to have Ferelith return for whatever heinous reasons...but sadistic people--wicked people--did not act rationally, so beholden to their vice were they.

Two possibilities. Either Ferelith's rescue would be timely and fortunate, extracting her after she had been cured (and hopefully before any of the alterations Kyla alluded to). Or Ferelith would still need someone of Bryn's Ilk to perform something on her so that she could be well again. Truly well.

And that left the problem of capturing one of those people, yes, but moreover the forcing of them to provide Ferelith the cure she required. How irrational, how given to their evil, were these people? Could they even be swayed by fear or cowardice for their own disdainful lives to strike a deal? Or would the threat of execution, and even the manifest certainty that it would happen should the captive not comply, be insufficient?

If a deal didn't work, and executions didn't work, then what?

Eberwolf had his idea, and Heike loathed it. There were things she would simply not resort to. Torture by itself was horrific enough, and placed its practitioners in the same repugnant league as Bryn's Ilk, but to do so through the use of necromancy as well? Disgusting. Again, the Warrior-Poet was absolutely correct on that matter, in Heike's opinion. She wanted to save Ferelith, yes, but she would not become a monster in so doing. Better that Ferelith die than be saved under such reprehensible circumstances--and Heike would expect the very same for herself, should the roles be reversed.

The question: would Eberwolf go through with it? Or had he seen reason in the intervening time since Heike had left the command tent and his arrival here with his three-headed dog? If the former...Heike knew what she would do.

Sir Eberwolf and Kyla emerged with Ferelith loaded on the back of the massive warhound. And with all of these thoughts weighing upon her mind, Heike followed behind them.

Kyla Scathach Sir Eberwolf Kinniger Crows Call

 

[Kyla Scathach]

“I have very little knowledge sir knight. I only know what I do from observance. That is all.” Kyla said with a slightly annoyed snap. She gave his hand another slight squeeze as she sighed apologetically.

“I’m sorry. These events are weighing on my mind heavier than I first expected..” She said quietly. As if the admission of such a mental weakness was shameful. Hemming up her feeling in a moment she turned to the vampire following behind her.

“She..She’s calling for you.” She said with a slight annoyance creeping into her tone. “Fever must not have broken yet.” She finished.

The fact her own sister had rejected her touch and presence wanting someone else still stung it seemed even if she was trying to hide that Heike was slowly working her way under her skin.

 

[Sir Eberwolf Kinniger]

“I have very little knowledge sir knight. I only know what I do from observance. That is all.” Kyla said with a slightly annoyed snap. She gave his hand another slight squeeze as she sighed apologetically.

“I’m sorry. These events are weighing on my mind heavier than I first expected..” She said quietly. As if the admission of such a mental weakness was shameful

“It’s alright Kyla, nobody expects this to be easy for you.” He says squeezing her hand in response. “I’m sorry for pressing you. Please forgive me for that.”

He walked with her, his hand in hers, not sure how he might comfort or reassure her. It would not be long before they approached the gate, the very gate that Kyla had tried to leave through. As they approached the gate, the guard snapped to attention.

“Sir.”

“At ease. We’ll be back, in a few days time I should think.”

“I assume she has permission to leave this time?” He said gesturing to Kyla.

“This time?”

“She tried to leave about an hour or two back.”

Eberwolf glanced at Kyla, “Yes, she hadn’t permission this time.”

The guard saluted, then he opened the gate. And they walked out.

 

[Heike Eisen]

She..She's calling for you.

Hearing Kyla say it, Heike glanced over toward Ferelith, strapped as she was to the massive warhound's back. She hadn't heard her saying it. Missed it, perhaps.

Heike walked a bit faster. Enough to come alongside the warhound and thus alongside Ferelith. And as Sir Eberwolf spoke with the gate guard of the fortress, Heike placed her palm down on Ferelith's shoulder. Once more that awful feeling of futility blossomed like a bitter flower; it was painful that this was all Heike could do at present. Merely touch her love's shoulder and nothing more. Nothing to assuage the pain, alleviate the fever, nothing. It was...

(like being afflicted with vampirism)

A heavy furrowing of Heike's brow followed. This was the plan. This was the best they could do. Kyla and even Ferelith herself didn't think Bryn's Ilk could be bested, but nothing upon Arethil was exempt from death. So Kyla herself had somehow come back from a literal decapitation. That meant simply that they would need to be more thorough: take apart the bodies of their foes joint by joint, burn them all and scatter the ashes. Something. Something would work.

Heike kept walking alongside the warhound and Ferelith. Her palm carefully placed upon her shoulder.

Sir Eberwolf Kinniger Ferelith Scathach

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

She grasped Heikes with her own ghostly grey, clamy, hand. “I’m..Sorry...” She said at a normal tone but the pain she was in seemed to turn it into a slight wheezing groan of a voice.

“I want to be brave for you. These people.. Have they created and controlled our kind through fear..it’s all I can associate with them in my mind, and knowing them that’s probably on purpose..” She sighed sending her into another coughing fit. She paused until it passed and continued.

“Just promise me you’ll come back to me my love.. My hunter..” Her eyes held in them something that Heike had never seen before. She had been on the receiving end of angry, sad, happy, embarrassed, and.....Lustful (in the private! She entitled to ogle her own love.) ..But this was...Helplessness..

Ferelith had been injured, captured, burned and tortured. But she had never been helpless, and with that look she would gently reach up with her other hand and brush Heike’s cheek.

“You always look so stunning my powerful hunter..” Sue added with a slight flush to her cheeks as she gave the hand a slight squeeze of effection.

As if to lighten the mood after such a somber question. If these were to be her last days with her live she would leave no sweet thing left unsaid if it entered her head.

 

[Heike Eisen]

Monsters.

Sometimes they took the form of Jürgen Kaiser and his Slaughtern vampires. Here, they took the form of Bryn's Ilk. Yet their goal was always the same: to destroy, to decimate, to defile, to dominate. This last Bryn's Ilk had done with Ferelith, with Kyla, with however many others, for ends that were surely as wicked as the means. Monsters. It was of the highest good to oppose them, to stop them, to end them.

Through one way or another, justice would find Bryn's Ilk. All of them. The metaphorical gallows awaited their necks for what they had done.

This Heike thought as Ferelith spoke, and as she listened. It was heartbreaking to see what had been done to Ferelith, to see her diminished in this manner.

Stunning. Heike managed a small smile at the compliment.

Just promise me you’ll come back to me my love.. My hunter..

To this, Heike spoke the truth, gave the promise she knew she could keep, "I shall fight with the fury of hell in my heart. For you."

And they all continued on. Heike's palm rested gently on Ferelith's shoulder for much of the way.

Ferelith Scathach Sir Eberwolf Kinniger

 

[Kyla Scathach]

Kyla walked silently as they made their journey. It was smooth going until they began to head towards the mountains away from the and delta.

Kyla seemed at home here. Her feet found purchase in places others could not see. She would often disappear only to reappear slightly further ahead of the group.

“All sides.. They never.. stupid...” she muttered. Only her bits of common stood out in any real way among the various curses and remarks she was making in her peoples tongue. Finally they came to the out crop. The terrain seemed to smooth and become easier to traverse. Strangely so.

This was not a work of nature. This was the work of man. As if to place an exclamation point on that observation a perfect hole was cut in the sheer wall of rock they now found themselves facing.

It stood large enough for people to traverse but let off an air of old forboding like the yawning maw of some great beast that was waiting to eat them all. “We’re here.” She said simply. Unstrapping Ferelith who groaned and proceeded to vomit more toxic black gunk.

“I know....I know Gunhild.. Get it out..” Kyla said calmly waiting for her to finish before hoisting her into her arms like she was little more than a stick. Though in all honesty in her state it seemed she’d be about just as useful as said stick.

“Follow me.” She said her tone and body language completely shifting in the span of seconds as she began walking to the cave.
Bodies were everywhere. Long dead to be sure. But bones littered the ground. Skeltons in various states of death. Symbols written in long dried blood.

“Keeps travelers away.” Kyla said as she pushed on. Finally they came to dead end. A stone alter slide aside to reveal a stair case leading further into the depths of the darkness.

“Let’s get this over with.” Kyla grumbled.
She was as tightly wound as a trip wire and everything about her said it. This was a woman who was barely a hairs breath away from acting completely on instinct and aggression.

“Be strong for me sister..” Kyla said her calm tone fighting against every thing else her body said she felt. Ferelith seemed to realize where they were her body stiffening as she let out another sound Heike had never heard before.

A whimper.

“Hush. We will not leave you to them sister.” Kyla said gently in her ear.

They would walk down the long dark hallway until it opened to a large circular room. A hooded figure stood at the center.

On the right was a lithe figure and the left a mountain of a form taller than even Kyla by a good 2 feet. They stood by silently.

“So..I guess you did show up. The middle figure said with a good natured chuckle. “Some of us thought she would rather die than return. It seems some of us were wrong.” She said turning her head slightly to the figure on her right who grumbled and produced a rather fat coin pouch from the dark robes and passed it to the middle figure who pocketed it.

“So.” Kyla said approaching them calmly. Stopping a few feet away.

“You chose them then.” She said grimly. Her lip a thin line of calm. “Ha! Of course I did! Our father taught us to know who holds the power. It was barely a choice.” She said with a mirthless chuckle.

“I wasn’t speaking to you Brynnhild.” Kyla said not even sparing her a glance. The two figures shuffled uncomfortably before steadying themselves. The one on the right spoke up. “It wasn’t like that Kyla. You know how we are in the wolves. We follow the coin.” “And the blood.” The one on the left finished. “So that was Naqy’s work outside. I’m sure she fell right in line didn’t she. And you followed them like puppies.” Kyla spat. Both figuratively and physically spitting at the ground in front of them. “

“Enough!” Bryn snapped silencing the beginning of the one on the rights response. She removed her own hood along with the other two.

The one on the right was a slight elf with green eyes. Her long brown hair fell and spread around her shoulders. Her beauty was unparalleled save for a nasty scar cutting a jagged line across her face.

And to the left the man revealed a raven beard and long locks of unkempt hair fell in a tangled mane. Neither would look Kyla in the eye.

“So. Who are your friends..I didn’t tell you to come alone, but that because I assumed you wouldn’t have anyone to come with you..” Her raven hair fell in soft curls of darkness as Bryn surveyed both Heike and Eberwolf.

“Getting other people mixed up in our affairs isn’t like either of you. I’m honestly a little surprised...” She said with a chuckle. “That tells me these two are special...” She grinned as she continued to size them both up.

“Place Gunhild at the center and you may go.” She said suddenly after a small moment of tension. Her grin only widening.

 

[Sir Eberwolf Kinniger]

Eberwolf glared hatefully at Brynhildr. Such betrayal deserved nothing short of death. But that was not his place to decide, it wasn’t kyla’s, and she’d get her justice. It was time for him to put his plan into place. He gestured for Kerberos to come over, and he reached to pick Ferelith up, but as he did so, he pierced her flesh with a small thorn, a thorn from a plant that was odorless to humans and it’s scent was only detectable by dogs, and it left scent in the air via oils, which would let them be tracked for a ways should the Teackers not Ben able to keep them in sight. They’d find that wretched place, and bring he’ll down on it. But first, they needed to find out who could cure the victims.

He laid Ferelith where directed, and made his hate no secret. “I hope you can live with yourself Brynhildr, one who betrays their own family are little more than animals. Celebrate victory while you can beast. It won’t last long.”

Once this was said he returned to Kyla’s side and glared hatefully at the other two, he would take exceptional pleasure in seeing them devoured by the dogs. He would not leave until Kyla did, but they wouldn’t go back to the fort, no, they’d go a short ways from the cave and let the Trackers do their work.