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The Prince and Princess of the Empire look at me, and I could tell they don’t appreciate my presence at all. The former of the siblings then turned an eye to Maeloson. His gaze was focused, but he spoke not a word.
As for his sister, she stared at me like a Draegnar bastard stared at a chest with a heavily guarded lock. I knew not what she found about me that might be so appealing, but I noticed the rest of the table quickly stand to their feet. They dropped to their knees, putting their heads on the ground and bowing before the future emperor of the land and his sister. I rolled my eyes at this grandiose display but offered no comment.
“Should you not bow as well?”
As Maeloson and I were the only bastards not on their fucking knees, I could only assume this question was pointed at the both of us. I faced the two siblings, notably the sister for having asked the question. “I wouldn’t be a pirate if I were bowing my head to a lot like you. You be their leaders. You ain’t mine. Best you remember that,” I retorted.
I knew my answer displeased a lot of the people in this room, Quinn’s brother, Tainn, the most. Still, they could lick that salt off my boots before I’d even consider lowering my head to such a lot. I’d sooner hang up my hat and sell my ship before a bunch of brats forced my knees to the ground.
“That said, if you both think you can make me, then I’d allow you to try. Best you both be wary of the knife’s price you shall pay for such an endeavor,” I said.
The room was silent once more and I already saw Maeloson reach for his bow. The others around the table were grabbing their weaponry and preparing their spells. I watched the mages of the table start to cast spells. Alteria looked at me nervously and Eressa, seas damn her noble soul, tried to get up to protect the royal children.
The Emperor’s children continued to look at me for a long time before Tainn turned his gaze to Alteria. Disapproval was etched on his face like runes on a blacksmith’s sword. That said, even though he tried to hide it, I saw the same look of hatred behind the noble bilgerat’s eyes. “We will discuss this later, Alteria Balamar. You of all know the law concerning pirates,” he said, his voice carrying weight behind it.
“Yes, Your Highness, Prince Tainn. I thank you for your benevolence,” Lady Knight returned.
Though her face said otherwise, I could tell she was struggling mightly to let those words escape her lips. I suppose the whole noble house etiquette shit dictated that she give him a proper reply. That said, it seemed that whatever caused the people to hate Alteria so harshly, it was clearly known by most of the Empire’s military.
“Your Highness, Prince Tainn. I believe it best that we continue on. Despite the circumstances, I understand that we owe Jokllim’s continued existence to Eric Drakclaw,” Lorentia said.
He turned to her. “Though I believe our forces would have quelled the opposition soon enough, I do not doubt the part the pirate has played in it. However, I expect you all to remember that our great empire was founded on its stance against pirates and all their ilk. Whatever the reason, whether our empire stands or not, we have sided with evil and we shall forever have a tainted flag. We merely agree that a tainted flag is better than potentially no tainted flag at all,” he replied.
They all saluted him and the two quickly took a step toward the table. He looked over the map and sat down. “There are many forces spread out over the Hæňgaram lands. Skirmishes have quickly escalated in almost every province. His Majesty has already decided to meet the strongest oppositions where they lay. His Majesty has seen fit that I join the main force along with 1500 soldiers. We will be repelling Zevmar’s allies and the Sairan forces that come along those routes. Rest assured that I will also expend a few able-bodied men to search out these mages in this part of the battle,” he said.
His sister then leaned off the side and pointed to another piece of the map. “His Majesty had tasked me with helping to guard the southern front. Once the mage forces summoning this creature have been eliminated, then we’ll make our way to the western borders, paying careful attention to avoid Taptos. High General Labdin has authority in that sector and we have reports of movements from Ninshil and other kingdoms that could lead to an assault on that front. Despite a few of the Elite Sentinels being tasked to guard the Temple of Lumnina, there will be enough under my command to begin tackling this threat. However, I urge one of the pirate’s members to embark with us,” she said.
The lass’ words clearly stunned the group around her. Even her brother looked at her for an explanation. To her credit, she hardly seemed concerned. “You would have a pirate in your forces, Your Highness?” Olin, the mage, asked in surprise.
“Zevmar will be aware that the mages in Jokllim were taken out, if he isn’t already. He will also learn çeşme escort that they will be taken out in Kushnin following our defeat of the approaching naval forces over there. Once he learns that his mages are being targeted, he’ll believe that we’re behind it in some capacity. As much as I detest saying this, we have had pirates in our lands before. Many consider the unruliness of Taptos to be a prime factor in their resurgence. If they are felled by a pirate, who so happened to be plundering the chaos, then it might raise concerns but no issues,” she answered.
“…Aye, before he learns that the Kushnin lands were spared destruction and the armies were sunk to the depths by the same ‘water mage’ who saved Jokllim. However, there is something you lot could do,” I said with a small smirk on my face. The rest of the table turned to me.
“You were not called to speak,” Tainn replied.
“Rest assured that while the reward for this shit is valuable to me, it’s hardly the only method available to me. It’s just the easiest. If you’d like to expend more of your soldiers filling the void left by my crew, then by all means do so and I shall sail toward other matters. Let a few of the mages go. In fact, let a few of the soldiers from the ships escape as well,” I suggested.
I heard a scoff from the table. “And what good would that do?!” someone asked.
I smirked. “You lot know the best way to get treasure? Make someone else do the work for you. If your little princess over there can round up about five mages, then I believe we won’t have to worry too much about Sekria anymore,” I answered confident in myself and what I’d managed to put together.
“And you couldn’t have done this back in Jokllim?” Galadard asked with narrowed eyes.
“And would you have trusted me or my men were I to do so? You might not trust me, but I bet if there’s anyone you all trust it’ll be the Emperor’s daughter,” I surmised, eager to see this little meeting speed along so that I might prepare for the trip ahead.
Naturally, I got no response to my question. Instead, the group turned back to the map. “It’s not a bad idea. Should we conveniently let some of them go, it won’t be difficult to follow them back to their forces. Should we be led to more then we can create an avalanche effect upon them all. Judging by the information garnered from the prisoner, we can expect these groups to be guarded. A platoon shall be deployed here and here. The town of Ranim lies close to the Kushnin border. We can try to drive them there. We’ll then deploy the resource to monitor them,” Quinn said.
“And what if they scatter off?” her brother questioned, folding his arms together against his armor.
“We shall give chase. No nation has a history of many combat mages, and if these are summoning-class then I have no doubts that they will be… quick-footed, especially if they require such great mana to summon this Burrowing creature that has destroyed Taptos. The Sentinels have properly trained hunters who have even managed to guide and corral Hæňgaram Raptortails without being seen. We shall make sure they enter Ranim. Though we run the risk of them still reporting back what they’ve seen,” she returned, casting a glare at me as if to make sure that I too was aware of this predicament.
“That won’t be a problem,” I said, meeting the curious gaze of the others. With my hearing, I picked up on the prince’s whisperings to his sister. He asked her if she was sure about this. She simply answered that she would make sure I spoke of the measures I’d take during the battle.
The meeting continued on for much longer than I’d hoped, The Table continuing to fire off war strategies and plans that would make any commoner’s head spin in circles. I leaned against the wall with Maeloson, not taking too much care in the rest of this talk. I thought I might fall asleep until Tainn addressed Eressa.
“Knight-Captain Eressa, you may give your report now,” he said, making all eyes shift to her where she lay.
To the Knight-Captain’s credit, despite words telling her otherwise, she struggled out of her chair. She nearly fell to the ground twice but still, she stood and saluted the prince and princess. “Thank you for the honor, Your Highness, Prince Tainn and Princess Quinn!” she said.
The prince raised his hand, acknowledging her loyalty. He then allowed her to sit and she seemed all too thankful for it. “As much as I hate to admit it, if not for the pirate’s enhancements, I’d probably be dead right now. When the Xetians began their assault on Jokllim, I ordered the troops to guide the citizens out of the city. There was much chaos, but I saw Knight-Captain Alteria heading for the shoreline to combat the forces appearing there. I’d not seen the Commander of Jokllim so I went in search of him, fearing that this assault might become a cover to capture him for unfortunate purposes,” she spoke, giving herself a moment pause başakşehir escort to catch her breath.
“I took a group of soldiers with me and headed into the commanding post of the city. When I got there, all the guards of the post had been killed, a hundred in total. We cautiously ascended the stairs. However, I noticed the closer we got to the top, the darker it got. Not even the power of an illuminating spell could pierce through. By the time we reached the top, we heard screams. I ordered us all to advance, but when we arrived… the commander was dead, his body pierced through by a blade of dark-purple fire. There were two assailants in his quarters, one man and one woman. A battle ensued and the woman killed all of my soldiers. The man would not let me intervene, I battled him to the best of my abilities, yet he outclassed me at almost every turn. The longer we fought, the weaker I got. I tried to escape, but the woman wouldn’t let me. Whoever they were, they were skilled magic swordsmen. It… wasn’t long before I fell. They cut off the commander’s head and brought the Jokllim outpost down with one swing. I briefly remember being carried out of the rubble by our men,” she finished.
A powerful silence moved its way over the table and I stared at the ceiling. “‘Tis quite the predicament. An archive of numerous spells which removeth the strength from adversaries is well-documented. That thine allies would face one with such a master of these dark flames is most unusual, however. Thee also hath knowledge of these mystic arts used against her,” An’raie said to me as I snorted.
Aye, the Rage of Holin, a type of black magic which was known to sap the strength of surrounding enemies and add it to one’s own might. However, what confused me was the circumstances surrounding it. That spell was a tier three or four at best. With the enchantments I’d given to Eressa, it was impossible for the last to fall to that spell unless weeks of battle passed. However, if that bastard has somehow taken Eressa’s new strength away, then it was probably possible for him to break the commanding post in half like all of Jokllim had seen. So why had I seen true fire burning from its corners? Despite its appearance, the Rage of Holin wasn’t under the category of fire spells. It might not be impossible to enhance its effects in some way.
A thought slowly formed in my head, one I didn’t truly like. Nevertheless, I kept the thought to myself if only because I sure as hell couldn’t back it up with just a damned feeling. A lot like this wouldn’t accept that. Well, Alteria might, but I clearly couldn’t rely on her word to persuade them every single time. However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. It could be possible to enhance a spell like that if the enchanting magic was etched into the bastard’s clothes through sewn runes. It could also be that a dark magic alchemist had helped forge a blade that could siphon strength with the powers of Holin as a base. If such a matter were the case, then I felt a grin appear on my face.
I believe I just found two opponents worth Diane’s time.
The group fired off comments back and forth regarding Eressa’s story and what to do about the people who’d taken the Jokllim Commander’s head. Their fears of what the enemy might find in his head were warranted, but the bastards had been cloaked which meant that Eressa wasn’t able to give a proper description of them. The man was supposedly very tall, almost as tall as Goron and Nz’ia, ‘or the two giants of the pirate’s crew’ by Eressa’s words. By his build, he was fairly muscular as Eressa spoke of his considerable strength.
On the other hand, the woman was very fast, easily taking care of the force Eressa took with her. For her punishment of losing to the enemy, Tainn assigned her a punishment that she’d not promote in her career until she took care of the two assailants. Eressa thanked him for the opportunity which made me wonder if this was some odd attempt to help her salvage her pride as a Hæňgaram warrior, but I figured the lass wouldn’t mind a bit of help with that quest of hers.
The meeting drew to a close after that. Maeloson offered a quick report of what he and Aesteal had done, including what they’d done to try and deal with Zevmar. “Hmmm, blessings. So that was the strangeness I sensed when he stood before our father, the Emperor,” Tainn said.
They spoke a little more on this, and it wasn’t long until Maeloson and I were allowed to go. We exited the way we came. I rolled my neck, eager to return to my quarters for the rest of the night.
“Eric Drakclaw!”
A voice called out to me and I resisted the urge to sigh. Maeloson and I turned around to see Alteria walking toward me. “For a Hæňgaramian, you spend quite a bit of time around me, lass. Charmed by my presence are you?” I asked.
“Hard to be charmed by the smell of a sewer rat. No, I wish for your thoughts küçükçekmece escort on the matters presented. You might look like a lazy man, but I’ve gotten to know your ways a little. You seemed attentive to Eressa’s story. I’d like to hear what you know,” Lady Knight said, studiously walking with Maeloson and I. Her eyes were practically bored into the side of my head.
Even though he didn’t say anything, I knew Maeloson wished to ask the same of me. The subtle shift in the way he walked, the movement of his head and ears to tune into my voice, it became clear to me that I’d not receive much rest on the way back. “Let’s just say your Knight-Captain’s gonna need some help to battle those two if she ever runs into them again. Though luckily for her, I’ll send a perfect backup for her. As for the rest, I won’t need a lot of men. Three will be enough,” I said.
I was a bit surprised that neither Alteria nor Maeloson questioned my choice of so few men. Instead, they continued to listen to my words until we finally made it to our lodging place. “I wish you the blessings of Lumnina when you journey with Her Royal Highness. Though for both our sakes, I pray your relationship stays amiable. It wouldn’t do us well for either of you to have your swords pointed at one another,” Alteria said before I watched her walk off back to her tent.
I watched her go slowly. As she was responsible for us, she’d be joining the battle in Kushnin under Ragni and his forces. Of the Hæňgaramian blood I wouldn’t care about seeing spilled the lands, hers were oddly not one of them.
When I turned my head, I saw Maeloson staring at me with a curious expression. “Something about me you find fascinating?” I asked.
“Not at all, Sir,” he answered. I could have sworn by all the ale aboard my ship that I heard some sort of jest in his voice. His stern expression hadn’t changed so I wondered if I imagined it but it sure as hell felt like it.
I allowed my eyes to settle. “Fine. Then, once you’ve rested, go inform my mother that she’ll be traveling with me, you, and Aesteal. We shall set out in the morning,” I returned. I watched him nod before he left me, heading back to his own quarters to prepare for tomorrow.
I returned to my room soon after that. When I opened my door, I was graced with the sight of Aesteal and Diane in my bed surrounded by the fairmaids. Seeking not to disturb them, I moved quietly through my room until I was fully undressed. I slipped into bed as softly as I could, but it seemed to not be soft enough.
“Have a nice talk, did you?” Diane asked groggily.
“There are rarely nice things when dealing with a lot like that. Though best you be prepared. Perhaps you shall have one of those fights you desire soon enough,” I said. I leaned back on my pillow, Aesteal lifting her head to my chest.
Diane spoke not a word, and I couldn’t see her face since her back was turned to me but if I knew her like I thought I might she had to be grinning with anticipation. As I’d promised, I’d find her worthy foes by which to test her strength. It was without a doubt one of the reasons she stomached being a part of my ship. Aside from Liara’s orders, she’d test me in her way. It was a test I fully intended to pass and reap the bountiful treasures that lay from it.
The rest was welcome, being interrupted from it, again, was not. A knock came upon my door and I was forced to remove Aesteal and Diane, who had rolled over to rest in my arms, from me. I answered the door and saw Ellen glaring at me. “Your royal highness fucking wants you,” she said.
I sent Ellen away and dressed myself to head to the front door. When I came upon it, I saw the members of Raven’s Shadow already in the main hallway with the Hæňgaramian princess, Quinn. There were a few of her men with her, all of their expressions professional. I saw neither hate nor approval in their eyes. Instead, they continued to stand with their hands behind their backs clearly ready to begin our travels.
The Princess turned to me, her gaze as that of a lion. “I expect you and your men at the gate in one hour. High General Ragni has already left with his men and reports indicate that the ships have passed the Mollun Sea. Our ships and our allies continue to be destroyed and we believe they will make land in four days. I am forced to rely on your aid. I urge you to not make me regret it,” she said before she urged her men to move out. They saluted her and they marched out of the building until not a single Hæňgaramian was left.
“You can tell that bitch needs to get fucked,” Racaell said, getting the others to laugh.
“If her cunt’s as tight as her personality, I pity the lad who’s forced to bed her,” Truon then replied while I continued to stare at the door.
“Problem, Captain?” Rieth asked, causing the group to look at me.
I turned to them and smirked. “The drums of war beat upon the ground. Take what you can from those who fall before you. It’ll be a treasure trove of opportunity,” I replied as I marched my way back up the stairs.
I returned to my room, watching Diane and Aesteal wake up. The fairmaids untangled themselves, stretching their arms and flapping their wings. The grin on my face must not have left because Diane quickly commented on it. “And what’s got you in such a good mood?” she asked.
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