"As the sun stood highest in the sky, the mist fell from the sides of the mounts and towards the walls. Unseen, undetected, unthinkable. The Fourth was the first one to notice the amalgamation of evil phasing throught the stone, the metal, the flesh"
Not even a good morning, the captain had me stay with him for several minutes as he waited for his subordinates to secure a base or building to host the operation. "Sir Tak, you shall stay within the limits of the base until we locate the target. Last report sighted Pyke on the way between Rosendald and here", the captain said and took something out of his pocket, it was a blue whistle, "Still, we won't stop you from roaming the city, but some of my soldiers are tasked with following you discretely. If you wander into a hostile location, or if you locate the target, then please do sound the whistle, its distinct sound will alert us with ease". The captain gave the whistle to me, and I promptly gave it to Colt, I don't like whistles or whistling in general…
A soldier came up and spoke to the captain, "Captain, the base is secured, two story building, center location", and the captain nodded, "Let's move". We were taken into the carriages again and we actually rode into the town this time. Ten Saints mostly looked the same as Seaway, especially its port which I could see was quite large and with many ships. The house they had secured was an old family home, it was dirty, broken and moldy but, after just a few minutes, some people arrived, not from the private army, and began to clean and even repair some of the broken wood, windows and furniture. These people seemed to be regular townsfolk, and they were very respectful of the royal soldiers, well, I hope it was respect, all of this reminded me of the few days I spent with the Black Company. We were given a room separate from the other soldiers, and told to wait for further orders, always keeping in mind that we could leave and go around town if we wanted. Something that kind of bothered me was Colt's silence, he became pretty quiet after we left Sallas, actually… he's been pretty quiet since I left him with Delilah back in Prime Bay, I hope he's not mad at me. "Colt", I said as Colt stared at the window, "You've been really quiet this whole time, are you okay?". Colt turned slowly to me, seemingly surprised, "Oh!… I-I'm fine. J-just thinking about… things". That doesn't tell me anything, so let's ask directly, "Are you angry at me or something? Listen, Elber is a fugitive and you know that I'm being force into hunting him down, right?". My words made Colt shook his head, "No, y-you're wrong, I'm not angry at you, sir. And I understand that you have to do what the Duke asks of you", and turned his gaze away and at the window again, "It… It's just, that I've been thinking about something".
"Well? Spit it out, I won't judge", I blurted and Colt became nervous, "S-sir, the thing is… I've heard- I mean, I was there, that night when you fought that man, Serbos". Serbos? I think I know where this is going, "Uh huh", I muttered and he continued, "What that man said about you, about how you caused his family to die…", he said but quickly caught himself, "N-not die! Y-you didn't kill them, I'm not saying that you've kill them! P-please forgive me, I'll be quiet now". So that's how he sees it, I can't blame him for thinking that way. "Colt, I… That's one of the many things I regret doing, I regret many, many things. If you have heard Serbos story, then you've also heard about him, about Constance Demaine", I said and he nodded, "Y-yes, Serbos named him". I could feel the discomfort in my body, I've never felt like this before when I spoke about my past, so why am I feeling like this… is it because I'm telling Colt? Anyway, "Constance was my, I guess you can say, 'employer'. I was fourteen when he found me half-dead on the side of some forgotten road, he brought me into his, he used to call it, 'Demaine's Caravan of Wonderful Wares'; it was pretty big and it had a bunch of stupid junk he would try to sell all around the Free Cities", as I spoke many things came to my mind; first was the strong incense smell that caravan used to have, then the things he would put on sale, some obvious scams like 'love potions' or 'all protective rings of power' but also a bunch of curative pastes, healing herbs and such, "He cured my wounds and treated me for a week or so before taking me to Lindelen. That's when I explained to him the nature of the Godsword, something I had to clarify as he saw a sword materializing out of nowhere and into my hands, I guess he saw a business opportunity in me and got me a sword master. I learned the basics, enough for Constance to put me to use". Colt's eyes were brimming with excitement, seems telling him about my past really hypes him up, "So, you and Constance were… like me and you?", he asked and I immediately corrected him, "No, what? No, not at all. He was my employer, he wasn't a mentor or a fighter, he was a 'businessman' and he did business things". Colt nodded and followed up with another question, "But… he was a bad man, no? Serbos said so". A question that should have a straight forward answer but it was hard, as Constance's memory remained too ambiguous in my mind, I know he was bad but he wasn't bad to me… still, I shouldn't give Colt the wrong idea, "Yes, he was a bad man".
"Yes! And he was worse than bad, he forced you to- to do those bad things!", Colt exclaimed. I know what he meant but he was wrong, "Colt", I said, "He… Constance, he didn't actually forced me to do anything, I worked for a wage. I… I didn't see it that way, I didn't see what I was doing harmed others. I do regret it now, deeply. I don't want to justify me, what I did to Serbos was just a glimpse of the things I've done… For what is worth, I was the one to make the decision to leave Constance". Colt turned his gaze away again, "Oh…", it hurt seeing the disappointment paint his face, "I- I guess its fine, at least you are good now". All of this was making me feel like a piece of shit, I've reflected upon the things I did in my past, I don't need this now, I've change, I know I did! My old self would've spit on Colt for even daring to criticize me, but instead of feeling anger I feel nothing but shame, a kobold was making me feel shame. "Colt, you got to leave behind the idea you have of me, I'm an outlaw, a mercenary, I'm not a hero. I don't carry this sword because I want to, I didn't want to go throught with what it told me to do, if I did I would've turn around at that time and go straight to Mön… but I didn't, I didn't because I'm not a hero, I was-", I stopped, my voice cracked at that last word, I couldn't keep talking, my pride was holding my tongue. Colt turned to gaze at me again with an empathetic expression, "Tak?", and practically ran to hug me, "I'm sorry, so sorry… I don't, I don't hate you, I was stupid, sorry", his apologizes turned into crying. After he made me say all of that he was the one taking the liberty to cry? Having these conversations is proving harder than fighting a den of brawens.
Everything turned out fine, Colt went back to talking non-stop and we actually went out for a stroll into town. That conversation did left me with that thought again, which I tried to push far, far away but it is always there, I reflected upon it some years ago and I don't plan on second guessing again, I will do what I must do. There was also another feeling which I associated it to the conversation at first but then it became clear that it was something else, something felt off inside this town, I knew and my sword as well. My other concern was Elber, I knew that the soldiers were patrolling the docks and inspecting every ship and crew inside, they were being meticulous I'm sure but Elber has proved to be a slimy fuck and, despite the nuisance that was having to come here, I had a big interest in knowing what is the relic Elber supposedly had.
As the warmth of the morning sun came throught the window, I decided to get down to the docks and conduct an investigation by myself, "Colt, I'll go for a few hours, stay here". Colt, who was yawning and washing his face, snapped his gaze to me, "What? Why?", he complained, "B-but, I don't want to stay here and stare at the wall, I couldn't even bring any of my books with me!". I dismissed him and turned to the door but he ran to block it, "Wait! At least take the whistle, if you find trouble you can use it". I don't need no whistle, "I can take care of myself, and you heard what they said, they're always watching us so there's no need for it. You stay here, the people of this town aren't like the ones in the Princedom", I said and left the house. The path to the docks was straightforward and I could start my investigation right away at… yes, where else than the tavern!
This tavern was like any other tavern next to a port, filled with sailors and workers of the dock. This time I had to sit in a table as the bar was full, my focus was on finding out how the ale from Sallas tasted, if it was better or worst than in other places. Well, after sometime and some pints, and after doing the usual of listening to other's conversations, I ended up finding no clue onto Pyke's whereabouts, I instead turned into trying to figure out which one of the people present in the tavern were the ones following me from the captain's team. There were a bunch of men sitting alone, it could be one on the bar, none seemed to be carrying any weapons or armor, expected from people from the private army as they tend to blend in quite well. My gaze also stopped to look at those that seemed 'different', as not from here; there were a group of men sitting on the far right, all dark-skinned like Maxwell is, probably from the West Kingdom or akin to the far west… or maybe they were from the islands. Then there was another group, men with black short hair and small faces, probably Xionese, quite far away from home if that's the case. There was also one that caught my attention, drinking alone on a corner, was a short man with short brown hair and light eyes of a rare yellowish color, couldn't pinpoint where he might be from exactly.
Then a group entered the tavern; olive skin, half with brown eyes and the other half with light green eyes, all with curly hair, they were unmistakable Westerners. I remember the first time I saw someone from the West Kingdom, I was nine or ten and our orphanage received the visit of a pilgrim group from Elena. They all sported that look and spoke among themselves, half in common tongue and the other half in Westerian Progma; a language that includes words from Old Oorish. They had stopped for a few weeks to teach us about their customs and stuff, never been a big fan of the west to be honest. My 'investigation' might continue tomorrow then, Pyke can't be that far, he'll get thirsty and will come here at some point, so I have to double my efforts and come here every day until I see him… also try everything these people have on the menu. "Salutations", a soft voice spoke from behind me, I turned to see no one but the voice spoke again, "Would it be of much trouble if I sit here, sir?", once again I turned and see that man, the one with the yellowish eyes, sitting in front of me. "Who the fuck are you?", I questioned and he bowed his head slightly, "Pardon me, sir. I've been searching for a man with your description. Are you the knight known as Tak of Sonnda?". Everytime someone knows my name it usually ends badly… but if he knows he knows, "Yes, I hope you aren't looking to kill me… or to cash a debt". The man laughed under his breath, "No, no, you're mistaken, sir. I am but a humble sailor. Please, let us part from this establishment as to continue our conversation, there is military presence here and they seem to be escorting you closely".
The man stood up and left the tavern, I second-guessed following him but ended up going anyway. "Follow closely, please", he said and walked into an alley, "I'll perform a particular route, so don't lose track of me". I did what he said and followed him throught the alleys, it took us a few minutes, he appeared to be turning on each corner and going in circles but I knew better, I knew that there was somekind of magical barrier put up in these parts. "In here", the man muttered, standing in front of a wooden door on an alley that I was sure we passed by before. He opened the door which led downwards, "Do mind the steps", he instructed, "They tend to get slippery thanks to the humidity". I followed him in silence and didn't ask anything as I trusted he would give me answers sooner or later. What I also noticed was that his voice sported a weird accent that I've never heard before, first I thought he might be a westerner; like that group in the tavern, but he didn't have the features of one.
The man led me to a bigger room which was filled with people, by their looks I could tell they were pirates, and they all turned to me with curious gazes. "Pay no mind to them", the man said and urged me to follow him to the end of the room where another door led to a second, large room and, in the far end, I saw him, it was Elber. "I have found him, Pyke", the man said and Elber turned, smiling wide, "Tak! Nice to see you alive and well". Elber went to hug me, as if we were that close, so I shove him, "Don't think of touching me", I warned and asked, "Why did you send this guy to get me? I'm sure you know I've came with the private army". Elber chuckled, "This guy? I told you about him, he's my second in command!", and the man scoffed, "Second in command? Stop with the nonsense, Pyke. Tell Sir Tak the reason you brought him here". I side eyed the man, "Yeah, and tell me why your 'second in command' is a magic user", I pointed out and the man smirked, "Oh, you're a perceptive one, aren't you?", and Elber intervened, "Stop with the chit-chat. Tak, this is Veras. Veras this is… well you already know. Tak isn't perceptive, you fool, he's the Godsword, his sword is a magical artifact".
Veras's yellow eyes stared at me with curiosity, "Godsword…", he muttered to himself, "And your weapon is infused with magic?... May I see it?". I ignored him completely and turned to Elber, "What the fuck do you want? You know that thanks to you the Duke wants me to deliver your head on a platter, right?", my words only made Elber laugh, "Hahaha… yeah, I know. Anyhow, let's cut to the chase, I want you in my crew". His crew? No way, even if I wanted I cannot go on a ship, "No", I dryly replied and Elber retorted, "But… we could sail to exotic places, lay with the best perfumed whores, eat the weirdest fruits, and the coin we could make, think of the coin!". My answer remained the same, "No, I can't, I have something to do first and I get seasick with ease". Veras laughed at my remark, "Ahahaha, see Pyke? You cannot get everything you want, now let's part from this horrid place". Elber shrugged, "Alright then", and whistled loudly before glaring at me, "Might as well take the sword for myself then", I heard the sailors behind me beginning to organize around us.
I need to stop following random people into seclude places. There were about fifty sailors ready to strike me down, their weapons varied; swords, hooks, hatchets, crossbows, even one guy with a spear. I trust I can take a few of them, clear a way out and dash for the exit but I had to kill Veras first, 'always go for the magic user first' is the phrase. I turned again to see that Veras was gone and Elber was smiling, "What? Thought of going for Veras? He's dumb but not that dumb", his mocking only meant that I had to switch targets, I unsheathed my blade and went straight for Elber, only to be deflected by, what I think it was, a gush of wind, "What?", I muttered and tried again, but every time my blade got easily deflected. "It's no use", Elber mocked, "Veras and I are protected from any-", he stopped speaking and his eyes went wide, as his gaze seemed to focus behind me. I also heard it too, a thumping sound, the noise of something falling. I turned to see that more than ten sailors laid decapitated, and the cause made their entrance. "Good to see!", exclaimed none other than Borsos, his large hand carrying the bleeding head of a sailor. "Borsos? What are you doing here?", I asked and saw how the other four members began to fight… well, more than fight, they were massacring the sailors. "They sent the fucking Oriental Express, Veras!", Elber's voice trembled and began to search for Veras, who appeared out of nowhere behind Elber. "Ugh, Escori scum… Stay back Pyke, I'll break the barrier", Veras exclaimed but Elber questioned, "W-why?! Can't you just… teleport us to somewhere safe?!". I saw the opportunity and went for it, trying to sever both Elber and Veras, but my sword found no flesh and phased through both of them. "Pyke already explained it to you, Sir Tak. Your sword may not cut us", Veras smirked.
"But Borsos hand may crush you", Borsos said as he got closer, jumping to close the distance and trying to hit both of them and this time Veras dodged the strike while keeping Pyke tightly held. "Tak, that man not from Levan", Borsos muttered as he stood up, "Oorish man it is". So that's it, "You brought someone with you from your travels to Nasiriscom, didn't you?", I blurted to Pyke who shook his head, "Brought? Nope. He found me. This is bigger than you think, Tak, this concerns everyone in the Levan", then he unsheathed his blade but Veras scolded him, "Don't be foolish, sheath your weapon, you won't be needing it".
Borsos jumped forwards with tremendous speed, directing a fist towards Veras and Pyke only to meet the wall, which cracked slightly from the hit. "Escori brute", Veras mocked, "Why don't you check on your little friends instead?". The whole room contorted in screams and the sound of the metal and the gouging of blood, but then the sound of a whistle seemed to stop everything for a second, "Pyke! By orders of his highness, Duke Sommer, you shall be put to death immediately!", it was the private army, the captain and the other twenty soldiers entered the fray. They didn't appear to care who was their opponent and some soldiers began to fight the Oriental Express. "Tak, don't let Oorish escape", Borsos said and ran to help his team. "Great, great", Veras blurted under his breath and Pyke replied, "Great?! Is a fucking shit-show, now we have the private army too!", but Veras face turned into a big smile, "It is and that's great, now there's enough blood", words that turned Pyke's face pale, "Enough? D-don't tell me you're going to… call him?".
Didn't know what they were referring to, I focused on Veras and dashed to surprise him but a strong gush of wind deflected the strike, throwing my blade out of my hands and making me fall to the floor. "Is now", Veras muttered and turned his hand upwards. The room became cold all of a sudden, I could see my breath, and the sound of the fight behind me stopped, I turned and saw the men; sailors, soldiers and the Escori, bleeding from their noses, some falling to their knees. "Knikvis! Knikvis! Zom! Zom!", Zoul screamed and the Oriental Express stumbled towards the exit, "Tak! Run! Run!", Borsos said before fleeing with his team. I began to get up but stopped as I noticed the drops of blood falling from my nose, and I looked around me. Everyone was bleeding from their ears, mouths and eyes, they couldn't even scream in pain while they exsanguinated, their voices muffled with the torrent of blood trying to leave throught their throats. "Fuck Veras, you shouldn't, you shouldn't have done it…", Pyke seemed to lament. All of the blood started to make its way across the floor, accumulating in a single puddle in front of Veras. I then noticed I was the only one not gravely affected, my blood didn't appear to be leaving my body. The blood in the puddle grew as it accumulated more and more, forming a column that slowly took the shape of a man. "Master", "Master", both Veras and Pyke said and kneeled, then the blood man spoke in a low-pitched voice that was so awful that it hurt my ears, "Veras, as to what reason had you summoned my presence? Have you found what I seek?". I could sense my sword calling for me, it probably knew the danger of this entity, I was trying to get to my feet but the aura of the room had changed, like the room itself had been teleported out of this world.
"Master, I found it. It shall finally return to Oorish hands once again!", Veras excitedly stated, his words filled me with dread. I wondered since Pyke spoke about the 'relic', could the relic be that? Could it be the helm of the First Knight? If so then we're all screwed, I have to get up and leave now. "Hmm, I sense it. Show it to me", the blood man ordered, Pyke then went under a table and retrieved a box, "H.. here", he opened it and pulled out a… pendant? "Ah, yes. Five hundred years that you parted ways from the one who held my name, indeed it shall return to its rightful owner-", then the blood man slowly turned, I could tell he was looking for me, "There is another, it is faint but it is ours no doubt", his red face stopping at me, "You-", I didn't even think of letting him finish, "Recall", I muttered and forcefully stumbled before sprinting at the blood man, my sword finding my hands again midair, and aiming to slash it in half. "Foolish", it muttered and I saw the ceiling while I felt my whole body crashing against the floor with tremendous force.
The pain inflicted was too much, too unbearable, I couldn't even scream, they attack had forced the air out of my lungs and I could only gasp like a newborn. "Veras. This is another, has it been procured?", the blood man asked and Veras came to me and kneeled, taking the sword, "N-no, master. It is clear that the blade contains Oorish magic. Pyke, who is this man exactly?". Pyke stuttered, "I.. I already told you, Tak of Sonnda, he's just a magic swordsman or something". Veras inspected the blade even further, "It has symbols, clear Oorish but of ancient origin. We can bring it with us and have the alchemist inspect it", and the blood man replied, "This one is bound to the wielder, it shall not stray far from him. To sever its bond the death of its wielder has to take place.". Pyke took his sword out, "Alright then", he said, "Then we can just kill him and take it with us", but the blood man refused, "No. The blade has a different purpose. It is not ours to sever its ties to this man, and also-", from the corner of my eye I could see the face of the blood man turning into a sinister smile, "I would relish to have these inferior beings have a fighting chance. An Oorish blade cannot be mastered by an impure. Either way they will be slaughtered in due time".
Veras bowed, "As you wish, Master", and pushed Pyke forward, "We shall leave and meet you shortly, Master". I couldn't rise to my feet, I heard the footsteps of those two leaving the room, the blood man began to deform before falling and becoming a puddle of blood again. I don't know how long it took me but at some point I was strong enough to stand up again, I couldn't comprehend what had happened, who or what was that blood thing… its strength felt far beyond from what I've experienced, and the aura it emanated, it felt just like the Calamity, just like the time we were in Mön. "Ngh… agh!", the impact from the strike affected me more than I thought, I could barely stand up. All around the room lay the dead bodies of the sailors and the private army's soldiers, those affected by the summoning had their faces contorted and the traces of blood on their skin. Now it became clear that the Oorish were actually planning to invade, what Kendall said ended up being more important than I thought… still, the Calamity remained my one purpose and I have to go back to the house and get Colt, we gotta leave this place and continue onwards, I can-
A warm sunray bathed my forearm and it seemed to be carrying a smell too, it was a sunny afternoon. What was I worrying about? I thought I had to do something but I forgot… why yes, I was reading this book, this one I've read countless times. The paper on this book is thin and so good to the touch, 'Compendium of Beasts', there's around seven or eight hundred pages, I guess the paper is that thin as to be able to hold more information. It also has pretty illustrations, each one so well drawn it practically makes the beasts come to life; even if they are of blood thirsty beasts. Hmm, what was I doing? This page… 'Carrion – Flying beast, thought to be of magic descend. The Carrion is a type of flying magical beasts that lay its nest in the depths of the Forest of Lim, the Outskirts of Kerp and the Canyon of Corcigal. Widely sought after for its eyes, useful in the alchemist trade and potion making. Varies in size; being around 150 cm when young and reaching 240 cm in adulthood. The Carrion is…' W-why I was reading this again? "Taky, here again?", I heard behind me, "You have an infatuation with that book". It was Father Bardion, he probably was sent to get me, I remember now, I have to go back to training, it is the final days before I'll need to leave for the campaign. "Yes Father, I'll go back to training", I said, but he stopped me, "Don't worry child, you may stay and read as much as you like today", then he sat in front of me, "Carry on, I'll get something to read myself". We spent the next hour reading in silence, it was so relieving and that strange fear calmed, then Father Bardion coughed and closed his book, "Alright, Tak", he said, "You do know you can talk to me". Talk about what? "What do you mean? I-I got nothing to talk about", I replied and he nodded slowly, "I know, child. Since you've been assigned to a knight, I understand that you've been feeling down, isn't it?". I dismissed, "What? No, no. Being assigned is the best thing that ever happened, I can finally be what I been taught to be, no?", my words felt so shallow, I can taste the lies in my tongue. "It is something of great pride but it also might not be what you want, it is alright if you feel like this", he replied, "I saw what you're capable of and violence might not be what the gods ask of you, you may prove to be a great scholar, take on the quill instead of the blade". Scholar? Was he mocking me? "Father, hadn't I been brought here after Sonnda was entirely decimated, d-destroyed by… by that thing? Who else deserves a chance to kill that evil more than me?", I replied and Father Bardion reassured me, "Tak, you don't have to go throught with it if you don't want to. Perhaps the gods gave you a second chance to be able to live your life, a life the Calamity has refused to many others". I stood up so fast that the chair felt with a loud thump, "Y-you can't mean that… you can't. You told me that I could one day return to Sonnda as a liberator and start my life again, y-you can't go back on your word now", I blurted out and Father Bardion rested a hand on my shoulder, "Child, I know but…", he tried to retort but stopped and sighed, "You're right. I believe that, if the gods have put their trust in someone, is in you". I know he was lying, he always did that, he lied just to make me feel good, to not argue, why didn't he argue more? Why didn't he tried to make more of an effort and change my stupid mind? "I've heard of that man", Father Bardion said and warned, "Sir Browning Royce… he, he isn't the most pious man. Tak, please do be careful and remember to always seek the gods if you're in need". That's the fear I felt; I was afraid of going with the holy army and leaving the orphanage, and I was afraid of staying in the orphanage and forsake my duty. Father Bardion was right though, I would've make a great scholar but alas, the sword ended up falling in my hands.
My eyes opened but there was no light… I wasn't in that awful room with the dead bodies anymore. I was resting in a foreign room and I could hardly move, my body remained sore from the- that thing's strike. I am alone in here, should I scream? Let them know I'm fine and check what has happened? See how long I was out?… but it feels so calming to remain in silence for a bit. There's a small window from where the beautiful moonlight is shining throught and the summer wind flatters that ragged curtain with such grace… I can stay like this for a while, maybe longer, maybe- Wait a second, Colt! I have to know if he's fine! I tried to get up but ended up falling face first to the floor, "Agh, fuck!", my complain was quickly heard from the outside, the heavy footsteps of someone approaching. "Sir Tak?", the voice came from a soldier, one from the private army, "Let me assist you", he came to me and help me to lay on my back again. "Where is him? Where's Colt?", I asked and the soldier raised an eyebrow, "Colt? I'll be sure to ask but now you should stay here and await for the Duke". What? I don't want to see that fuck again, "Why? J-just get me my squire", I said but the soldier refused and left the room.
Ah fuck… All because of that blood thing, it wasn't a monster, it felt like a projection but the magic he produced wasn't. And the attack he used… I wasn't able to see it, feel it or sense it coming. A-and that memory I had with Father Bardion, it was just like that last time at Cedar's Pass, it feel so real, I could feel the paper of the book I was reading, the fabric of the clothes I was wearing, hear the birds outside the window or the turning of the pages, even smell the scent coming from the old books, I could feel those same emotions, I remember how confused I was about those feelings but now is more than clear, the path I ended up taking led me to this, part of why I must see this to the e..nd… "Sir Tak…", a voice called, "Sir Tak…", and I felt my shoulder being pushed, "Sir Tak!". I open my eyes again, so bright… it was day already? "W-what?", I muttered and turned, there were ten or more soldiers inside the room and in the middle sat Duke Sommer. "Good Morning, Sir Tak, so glad you could make it", Sommer said, he had the Godsword resting on his lap, "I've heard about what transpired in Ten Saints. Oh! I suppose you were not told, we are in Rosendald at the moment, we have closed Ten Saints down, its port in particular". Sommer stood up and got closer, placing a hand on my exposed chest, "My men found you in an underground room belonging to an old insurgent cell, you were laying between corpses, we thought you for dead", he reached behind me, where a small flask of water and a piece cloth which he wet and then gently washed my face, "The physicians found no external injuries but it was apparent that you sustained quite the beating. So tell me, tell me what happened". I spend the next minutes explaining everything in detail, how Pyke was working with the Oorish and that the relic was a pendant, and also that the Oriental Express appeared, but the thing that left him pondering was the mention of the blood man. "A man made of blood…", Sommer repeated under his breath and turned towards his soldiers, "Everyone leave. Peter!", and Peter peeked his head inside the room, "Yes, your highness", he bowed and Sommer commanded, "Peter, prepare the royal carriage, the long one, and help Sir Tak into his clothes, we'll be leaving for Sallas immediately". I rose a hand, "I don't need help dressing! I'm not a child!", but Sommer dismissed me and left the room. "Sir Tak, allow us to bring your clothes", Peter said and I had to reluctantly let him and the other servants dress me, something that I actually appreciate as I still can't feel half my fucking body.
I was helped into the royal carriage and, as the doors opened, I was greeted by Colt who jumped to embrace me, "Tak!", something that cause a lot of pain on my sore body but also a lot of relief. I asked the first thing that came to my mind, "Colt, how long were you alone?", and he broke the hug to reply, "A-almost three days, but I did as you said and stayed in the house. Yesterday these soldiers came to me and told me to wait for you, for the Duke to g-give a verdict", a verdict? So he thought I was to be punished. "I guess he delivered his verdict", I said, "I spoke to him and we are to go back to Sallas. You did good, I'll tell you what happened on the way there". The carriage was long enough for Sommer and various servants, with me and Colt sitting way in the back, where we remained unbothered. The trip back to Sallas was fast, not as fast as the extreme pace of the private army though and we had some stops, we ended up arriving at the capital a day and a half later. I expected to be left to rest for a day or two but the Duke ordered us to talk with Kendall immediately, so we went back to the Church of the Sanctified.
Thankfully by that point I was feeling better, surely thanks to the sword's effect, and I was able to met Kendall on my own. "Tak! Thank the gods that you're alright. I've been praying to Iris non-stop. Please, take a seat", Kendall greeted me and went on to fill me a cup of liquor, "Here, to get your spirits up!". I rose my glass to toast before gulping it down in one go, "Ah! That's nice…", I said, "Anyway, Maester, they- well, the Duke, ask me to come see you after the 'encounter' I had". Kendall brought a chair and sat in front of me, "I've heard about it, Tak. An Oorish was working from the inside to retrieve magical artifacts", he revealed, "We were following the tracks of some missing objects from different places; a ring, a pendant, a dagger and a tiara, all of them of ancient origin, stolen from noblemen homes, castles and crypts". So he actually knew a lot more, "Yeah… in this case it was a pendant, a yellow one. It was that guy, Elber Pyke, he was working with the Oorish all this time", I said and then remembered the words from that thing, "Maester, that pendant… someone said that it 'belonged to the one that held my name'. Something about being from five hundred years ago or so", and Kendall raised an eyebrow, "W-who said that?", so I replied, "I don't know his or its name, I call him the blood man". Kendall was left speechless, "The blood man? Tak, of who are you talking about?". So I explained, "After the private army irrupted inside the hidden room, this Oorish guy named Veras, used magic to summon 'that'. It caused everyone to start to lose blood from their eyes and mouths, well, everyone except me, and that blood took shape, the shape of a man, and it could speak", my words left Kendall dumbfounded, he stared at me with an estranged look, so because of his silence I decided to continue, "At one point, because this blood man keep talking to Veras, I saw an opportunity and thought of cutting it in half but I failed, miserably. I don't know when or how, but I got stomped to the ground so fast I couldn't even realized I was lying down, I couldn't feel my body and couldn't lift a hand. The blood man knew that my sword had Oorish magic, It knew that it was bonded to my soul and that I needed to die for it to unbind it… but they didn't kill me". Finally, Kendall opened his mouth to mutter a faint, "Why?", and I replied with what that thing said, "He said something along the lines of, it will be better if my kind keeps the sword so we would have a fighting chance".
Kendall leaned back in his chair with a sigh, "By the gods…", and lifted his gaze, "Tak, I don't fully know what or who that entity really is, but the pendant they took its called the Eye of Cormix; known to have been used by Senders Longis during the Great Middle War, it is said that it brought great power to him during the conflict against Declan the Conqueror. I do not know how they managed to get the pendant in the first place and, from what you say, now it is obvious that it held Oorish magic". We let a few seconds of pondering silence pass by, interrupted by Colt, who was scourging throught Kendall's library and accidentally dropped a stack of books, "Oh… s-sorry!". The maester sighed again, "I suppose this is what is fated for us, war. Heh, I never thought I would be able to see an Oorish invasion come true during my lifetime…", and what he said prompted me to question him, "Don't tell me we are not prepared. If the Oorish wage war on all of the Levan then all the kingdoms will join against the old tyrant. They lack a First Knight to work as their battle ram, it might be bloody but it will be a war that the Levan will end up winning, don't you think?". Kendall scratched his chin, "It would be amazing if that were the case. This 'Tournament of Peace', this 'war' recently fought, is all but a drill after all". A drill? "What do you mean, maester?", I asked and Kendall laughed in an ironic way, "This is also some sort of secret even if its too obvious if you ask me", he muttered before revealing, "A war between Xion, Roda, Centralia and the Confederation, should've been one of the bloodiest we've had in a while. Myself, I saw many wars in my younger years as a messenger; thousands or hundred of thousands of deaths, long sieges, starvation, misery… and then you have this 'war', with how many deaths? Five or ten thousand? That if we count both soldier and civilian. Well, that's because this war was orchestrated by the four powers, a disgusting drill to test their forces, to test their champions in battle and tactics, all in service of preparing for a certain Oorish invasion".
Really? They would go to such length? My expression probably spelled disbelief so Kendall continued, "Don't believe me?… Take the siege of Fornest for example. Arnas Titos, know to have lay hundreds of sieges during his prime years as the enforcer of King Adler, sieges were he starved entire garrisons and ruthlessly disregarded any kind gesture to any of his enemies, set Fornest under siege for a full month, and he never cut the city's water supply or tried to storm its walls. He just waited and, by some miracle, one portion of his men were able to climb a single ladder to an undefended part of the wall, opened the gates from the inside and took the city, bloodless I might add", he laughed to himself, "And then, the great Knight of Light showed up with five thousand men and somehow forced an open battle? An open battle against a Centralian host of twenty five thousand in which she came out on top". It might've been speculative but Kendall was making sense, "So, they made up and entire war just to test their armies…", I said and Kendall nodded, "Exactly, and the upcoming Tournament is just a reinforcement of that. The rulers wish to know which champion is the best, their best asset against a Knight of Oor. From what it seems, I guess the one having the advantage is Lady Cassandra, but the Tournament will provide a definitive answer". This thing with the tournament and my participation in it was nothing more than a detour but, after hearing Kendall, I felt… kind of excited, if I am to be forced to participate in it, well, I could at least enjoy the thrill of facing one of these champions, it could also prove to be good training.
With that, we left the church and we were quickly intercepted by the Duke's soldiers, it seemed like he wasn't keen on allowing us to stray too far. We were taken back to the Duke's estate where we were met by Peter, "Sir Tak", he bowed, "His highness has invited you to stay in the estate as a guest while the tournament takes place". This reinforced more the suspicion that he didn't want us to be alone in Sallas, "I guess I cannot refuse, no?", I replied and Peter smirked, "You're free to refuse, Sir, but is… ill advise to". I catch what he means, I nodded, "Fine. How long until the tournament begins?", and Peter replied, "That'll be in about twenty five days, we are currently waiting for more champions, they shall stay in this estate too, if they wish". More champions? Oh, I remember now, the whole thing with the Roda delegation. Peter, after leading us up and down stairs and throught so many hallways it feel like a maze, showed us to our room which was more of a house than a room; ten times fancier than the mansion in Vorvorgard. "I hope you find your accommodations well. Is there anything else I might be of service?", Peter asked and I remembered, "Yeah. Could you get me my horse? I left it tied in an inn on the outskirts of the capital, its black and it has a short tail". Peter bowed once a gain, "I shall see to it", and left us alone.
"Tak, i-is there everything alright?", Colt asked out of nowhere, he probably noticed something on my expression. "Not… exactly. See, this thing about the other champions. There's a chance I might see someone again", I said and Colt followed, "A friend?", and I shook my head, "No, not a friend, someone who seemed to hate my guts the first and only time we saw each other", then I stopped as another realization hit me, "Oh, shit. The Duke said there were going to be rulers coming, no? Fuck, then I cannot let Falkfak know I'm here", but Colt said, "But Sir, if the Duke wants you to stay here and participate in the tournament then I'm sure he wouldn't let Falkfak punish you", and reassured me, "and the Duke seems really proud, he wouldn't allow another ruler to impart justice inside his country". Colt's reasoning brought relief, he was right and it appeared that Sommer was making a protegee out of me. I gave Colt a few pets on the head, "Yeah, you're probably right. I also should begin to focus on training so I don't embarrass myself in front of half the continent". We finished inspecting the room and, as night settled in, I cleaned my sword and did my prayer, one thing that keep circling on my mind was that thing, the blood man, and what may bestow to the Levan.