Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Raid of Aftbide (Open)

"Madame, magic does not exist" informed Merthyr firmly " But... since you are acquainted with the militia and likely to encounter them again, would you be so kind as to relay a message and parcel to them on the lord's behalf? May I trust you to deliver it for me?" asked Merthyr not keen to face Katja or the militia at all.

Merthyr's opinion was that women had no place among the king's knights nor the king's assassins. They would never be good enough to be allowed to join, never mind having a commanding rank of any sort within the royal factions.

His grandfather had made that decision, his father stood by that decision, and sure as anything he would not consider changing that when his time to rule came. The most that these warrior ladies could aspire to was the militia they called the Knights of the People which he saw as nothing more than well paid rogues at best with unattainable dreams of knighthood at worse.

But the common folk seemed to like the militia and he saw no reason to openly oppose the movement if it helped keep the villages at relative peace and the bandits at bay.

Arguably he dedicated himself to exactly the opposite, avoiding people of all ranks and sorts least they found his true identity and delivered him to the king to face the crown, something to be avoided at all costs for it surely would mean the end of his personal freedom.

Merthyr knew his cousin lord Pentre supported a desire for change and equality and had purposely sent him to meet up with the militia to learn about them, their struggles and ways of life, their higher purpose and eventually change his mind, if such thing were possible.

Merthyr was not going to fall for such a trick from such an old book and preferred to leave the parcel and message with this woman, walking away free from the given quest so he could simply roam the lands to his heart's content

Tom watched as the Orcs hands reached down and grabbed him, before being brought to eye level with Drake. He listened to the explanation for what was going on in the tent, afterwards, he took a few seconds to answer and he did it was in a slow deliberate tone. "But mister orc, if he has done all these things and that is bad... why are you doing them back to him? Does that not make you bad too?" All throughout his hard defiant glare was unflinching, the little arms outstretched protectively to still defend the bleeding Kerik.

((Hi there Tsuitala. If you bothered to read any of my characters history, you would know Katja gad no trainer as she was a woman. She trained herself since no one would take her. We have not RPed before, you never once attempted to reach out to me and ask to insert your character into my characters history. Im mildly irritated with your attempts to control my characters and would greatly appreciate it if you would stop, otherwise. If you are so desperately in search of someone to meet your characters rivalry then I suggest looking elsewhere.))

Marcello had gone back to attempting to locate the scent he had smelled in the trees, wandering away from Tara.



Drake seemed amused with the child, "Oh, I'm just as bad as those bandits. Trust me kiddo. But Katja's got me on a leash here. His kind don't talk unless you force them too." And then he carried Tom casually out of the room, just dropping him on the ground, "Now scram, brat. And tell Katja im getting bored."

[ We haven't RPed before. I am new to the site circa 3 days still getting used to its features and ways of working. Sorry to bother you. All my posts have been edited]

Merthyr left the package by the warrior. "Here, this contains some gold, daggers and medical supplies, along with parchment and ink. Please inform that the lord seeks news and more frequent reports. Should any supplies go amiss, to inform him and he will try to assist" relayed Merthyr walking away from the area altogether to venture in other directions, well aware the woman had confirmed the proximity of the militia nearby and therefore the acquaintance

Tom didn't bother struggling as he was carried out of the tent, but the second he was put down he calmly turned around and marched straight back inside the tent. Moving in he went to position himself in the exact location he had just been moved from. As he entered he spoke up to try and bargain with Drake, "Look mister orc, why don't you go talk with Miss Knight and I will look after the prisoner. I promise on .... ummm ... my healed leg I won't free him! I wanna have my go at talking to him."

Kerik watched as Drake took the boy outside, seeing an opportunity he was surprised he didn't take earlier. Sure he'd seen the possibility of escape earlier but with Tom involved the bandit had changed his tune. He pried at the binds that kept him, not worried about his gag yet; then when the boy walked back in and attention was brought back to his general direction he stopped, playing off as though he was just as complacent as before. "Mph." He didn't know how much longer he could wait; it was already somewhat difficult to concentrate.

Tara was going to turn her attention back to Marcello when Merthyr left her a package. She frowned but decided to take the package anyway, pushing out a sigh and replying, "Sure. I'll let them know..." Then she returned to following Marcello, shaking off her irritation more smoothly than before. On one hand the warrior wanted to criticize the albino man's decision to keep looking but on the other hand she didn't want to make matters more tense than they already were. So she just stayed relatively close by and waited for him, scanning the trees warily.

The grin that washed over Drake's face was not friendly. Not in the slightest, "Man Kerik, this little kid seems to hold me to the same standards as the rest of these little knights here. Isn't that funny?" Drake didn't even bother adressing Tom yet, just looking to Kerik, "But you seem to be holding me to those standards too. If you escape here and I get my hands on you, you're losing your legs. There's a reason Katja put me in charge of you, she knows it's what I do best. I'm not a nice guy. When I met her I was a criminal set to hang for murdering the rabble in a tavern. And she was a dreamer, with a few followers who offered an escape from death, in exchange for loyalty. A few kingdoms over they're out searching for her and me, but here she's hailed a hero and a symbol of peace, and I'm right by her side."
He looked down at Tom, "But you, you're the one I really like. What a courageous little child, just watched your family murdered in front of your eyes, your home burned down. I assure you his friends probably didn't kill your mother, or if you had any sisters they're alive too. Pity, death would be better than what women often face at the hands of his kind." Drake clicked his tongue, reaching down and picking Tom up once again, "Persistence is nice, I like that. Tell you what, shortie. I'm taking him to the doc so he doesn't die from blood loss. These teeth went very deep into his arm. And you can talk to him in there, with the doc and I supervising. And if he tries to bite his tongue off like last time, I'll step in and rip the answers I want right out of his skinny little body." His last sentence was a near growl as he set Tom down, easily untying the ropes that held Kerik and picking him up over his shoulder.


Marcello wrinkled his nose up and sighed, "No good...I can't find it." He turned around and slowly made his way back to Tara, "I wonder who that was...."

Tom stood protectively in front of the orc his eyes still containing the same defiant glare, listening intently to the orcs words. At the mention of having previously being a criminal, the child's eyes flashed an easily missed change, for a split second it showed surprise before the defiance returned in full strength. Again he was picked up by the far larger being, his eyes staying as hard as before until the orc informed the child of his decision to take the wounded brigand to the doctor for healing.

His single eye lit up with pleasure, "Thank you mister orc! I won't waste this offer!"

Inside the child's head a presence stirred slowly, sleepily it questioned "Shall I continue my sleep still?"

"Yes, though I make wake you soon to help with an interrogation, okay?"

"Sure, sure, Just call when needed." With that the presence slipped away again.

When Kerik was scooped up the speed (though otherwise tolerable) made him faint for the count of ten seconds. Then he woke, confused and curious as to what just happened. The bandit reached up to remove his gag, resting it at his neck and stating roughly, "Kiddo I wouldn't get involved." Whether he'd be able to get out more than that was to be seen.

The presence in the trees was silent for a time, waiting until the prince's departure to do anything. They seemed to notice that Marcello was still looking for them and so moved further away. The movement incited Tara to take the grip of her sword and glower up at the rustling trees. "--There." If she couldn't convince Marcello to let it be, she'd at least ensure the stranger wasn't getting away.

Atoli began her patrol, the crisp air filled her lungs and sharpened her senses; if anywhere felt most like home it was the open sky. The harpy first made her way towards the town to view the effects of last night, the damage was quite evident. She assumed it must be a moderate-sized group, but small enough to make a quick escape within the night. She pondered where they might be hiding as she began a lazy spiral in the air, gaining altitude off a nearby thermal current. The harpy looked out over the town and surrounding hilly forests with the mountain looming behind them all like a silent protector.

Atoli gently soared with the wind, her keen hawk-like vision casually scanning the forests for anything out of place. Grum said that more would be searching for the interlopers but the harpy’s method of travel and sight was far superior to the rest of the bandit chief’s henchmen, especially on this terrain. She didn’t doubt that was why she was allowed into the group in the first place, though she saw the job as temporary; Whether the Minotaur thought the same was uncertain, but she was confident in her right to freedom if she so wished it.

Her mind began to wander the more time passed, until something caught her eye, and after passing over a hill she saw tents dotted throughout a clearing that was nicely tucked away in the forest. She swiftly went into the cover of the trees. Something else pulled her attention…the little harpy flew a little closer, and upon further inspection discovered it was like a thread of bright color that arced into a circle around the encampment. Atoli inspected it wearily, not wishing to pass it.

Marcello raised a hand up a bit, "Uh, hey there stranger! We mean you no harm, please! My names Marcello, couldn't you--" He paused, looking upwards. Something new had entered the area, and he wrinkled his nose up again, "Tara....it's a bird. Er...harpy. I can't tell much else but....We should head back, yeah?"


Drake just rolled his eyes and brought Kerik to the tent, dumping him on a cot and tying his uninjured hand to the post, "Sorry again about all this work Doc."

The elf huffed and came to Kerik, inspecting his arm, "You two will run me ragged."

Tom paused at the entrance to the doctor's tent composing himself before entering. Rushing in he skipped up to the doctor beaming his huge grin at the elf, then Drake. "Thank you for doing this mister!"

Moving quickly he rushed around to take a look properly at Kerik's bleeding arm, jumping up and down to get a better look at it. Then after the fourth or fifth jump, he settled down and slowly began to practice a technique Zafira had taught him. Between the two of them, they had come up with the completely amazing name of aura spear. Slowly using the limited magic available to him without Zafira he poured fear and his malice into the air around him, taking great care to not let it escape past a few millimetres from his skin.

Then focusing he directed it at Kerik, before allowing it to collapse after a few seconds, knowing his magic wouldn't hold up for long. For anyone apart from the two nothing would look like it changed but for Kerik, the normal effects in the few seconds it was active were a sudden drop in temperature, a feeling of dread and if he looked at Tom, the feelings would heighten, the innocent eye becoming twisted with malice.

The stranger did not seem ready to reveal themselves just yet; no matter what Marcello said they seemed adamant not to abandon their cover in the trees. Even so they were quick to heed Marcello's warning, going stock still again when he mentioned the presence of a harpy in the skies. It seemed that even if they were foes, this person was probably on their own.

Tara hesitated when the cambion called out to the figure, not wanting to betray his friendly intentions but also not wanting to leave him with the stranger. She perked up when she was addressed and said, "Aye. Hopefully this person will come around soon, but lets go." She started heading back in the direction of the camp, glancing behind her once in a while to ensure he had no trouble and the person in the trees didn't try anything rash.

Kerik treated the whole routine as if it were a regular Tuesday, plopped back onto the cot and tied securely without incident. He stared at the elf's person while he was having his arm inspected; not like there was much he could do even if he saw something interesting. A wave of dizziness took his focus away, so he leaned back on the cot just in time for Tom's magic to take effect. His eyes opened wide and he looked over at the seemingly changed image of the boy, shocked at what he saw but too dizzy and cold to do much about it. Maybe this was what shock was like? Or perhaps this kid was something else all along.

Merthyr stretched his arms comfortably, resting briefly on the grass against a tree bark before continuing in his unhealthy wandering habits.

Without responsibilities, since the helpless lonely blind traveller was neither helpless nor alone, and the package and message had been somewhat delivered, he concluded that his duty to his cousin, lord Tron, was accomplished and he was thus free to roam to his heart's content.

Merthyr was to all intents and purposes conveniently forgetting the additional clear instruction to investigate if the militia was still loyal to the crown and either assassinate the leader if they were not (something unappealing at present) or place himself under Katja's command if she was indeed still loyal to the kingdom (something all the more loathsome in his eyes)

He looked at the crossroads where he stood still for a while meditating his options briefly.

Ahead of him the road lead back to the castle where the wounded horse rider had swiftly headed to and where he undoubtedly would be placed under house arrest, for his own safety, hardly an interesting outlook.

To his left it was now obvious that he would be headed directly to the militia encampment, a very good reason to avoid that direction too.

Behind him stood the main road that would lead him back to the capital city and the king's presence with the odious crown, royal duties, knightly duties, military parades and for the most part the strictest confinement under constant watchful eyes. Fancy clothes, fancy foods, fancy balls and not an ounce of freedom to choose anything at all. Such consideration made him shudder it actually even made serving under a woman... sound not so bad after all....

To his right what he perceived to be the path to freedom and adventure. Indeed he had been warned that the village was somewhat unsafe but, out of all the options available, clearly, this one was the way to go. Curiosity had the better of him, he wanted to see for himself, to find out and figure out how much of the village had been overrun by the bandits, if that was the case at all.

With no further ado, he stood up, took his travel bag and casually headed to the village, smiling to himself and humming a cheerful song.

Upon approaching the village, at a glance, all looked to be somewhat normal and calm, a crumbled house by the outskirts which was not unusual if expected from such poor condition and low living standards, in such remote location.

Nothing evident or alarming struck at first sight which made him gain confidence, enough of it to actually venture into the village indeed where he could hear some noises coming from the tavern, nothing uncommon either.

As Atoli flew between the trees, wondering about the odd light on the ground. Surely it was some sort of magic spell, she could feel it; but she didn’t know if it would harm her or alert anyone once she crossed it. She decided to fly alongside the softly glowing line instead, curious to see if she might find anything else.

It didn’t take long till her curiosity was rewarded as a soft voice was heard somewhere in the distance... on the outside of the circle as she. She flew onwards a little more until she was sure she would be in a spot that might intercept the voice if it decided to come to the camp, and perched on a thick tree branch on a large oak that allowed her to see below and around her quite nicely; though it didn't have the best cover, it would still hide her so long as no one looked about too hard.

The feathery girl knew she should report the camp to Grum right away… but the soft, almost friendly voice made her want to wait and see. "Perhaps this camp wasn’t the one that caused the commotion last night? Some villagers might have escaped into the woods and are waiting till more helped arrived?… but that wouldn’t explain the magic circle..." Atoli pondered in her mind as she waited in the tree; one toe claw clicking softly on the branches bark.

Marcello was back to using his stick to guide him, taking slow, careful steps again. He too kept glancing back, wanting to find out what-- or who -- the two scents belonged too.

Still, he understood their situation, and quietly went back to the circle. Upon entering, again his horns pushed his hood back, his pointed ears extending more. He spread his wings again with a sigh of relief, rubbing his neck, "Gosh...I really wonder what that was..."


The doctor pushed Tom back gently with a frown, "Let me do my work, child."

Drake folded his arms and sat back, watching the exchange with a look of boredom.

As Marcello and Tara already knew, the harpy was not alone up there. It was further away from the walking duo and so might be unheard but the stranger crept closer to Atoli; their presence only indicated by a faint scraping sound, like a boot brushing against the bark of the tree beneath her. The figure was clearly intent on doing something with, or to her.

Tara meanwhile smiled faintly when they crossed the circle again; not because of Marcello's transformation but because she saw the line as a threshold between the entirely sensible camp and the bizarre denizens of the wood. There was a package to deliver but she felt no urgency, opting to converse with the cambion instead. "My guess? A scout... or a traveler." She looked down. "I hope it isn't a bandit... I have a feeling it isn't one from the village, at least."

Merthyr would find the village in seemingly good order. A man posted near the road the prince took stood from his post and walked to greet the newcomer. "Hail! How goes?" Though the place was quiet, there was something of note; there were none outside on the roads who weren't dressed as guards.

Merthyr smiled relieved at the guard.

"Greetings to you sir." Smiled Merthyr releasing the grip on his sword relaxed, sensing no danger, perhaps his biggest mistake. "It is such a relief to see the guards here in full force aiding these pea..." he was about to call them peasants but quickly rephrased it to just people "...people... after the recent raid" smiled Merthyr assuming bandits came and went and his cousin had sent the guards to reassure the commoners, yet another reason to not need to return to the fortress in a hurry. Admittedly the lord had sent perhaps too many but his cousin was somewhat eccentric and wealthy anyways.

"I am running errands for the castle. Here, from lord Pentre, to be hanged in the main square." reported Merthyr "It seems the king has increased the bounty on some notorious bandits wrecking the lands," gossip Merthyr handing out the parchment that bore the infamous names and correlating bounty payments.

Strangely enough, some had no pictures provided on the capture and execution warrant since king Conrad would not allow dark creatures to even be mentioned as existing in his realm, never mind portrayed, openly calling them myths but secretly hunting them down simply because they weren't human. The king's denial left Merthyr none the wiser about their existence. This unfair ban on them and the usage of magic had forced a great portion, those who were not able to appear human, to retreat to forests, caves and wilderness and live off pillaging and raiding. Not that they would be friendly otherwise

Lwyncelyne tended to the lord to the best of her ability, her presence being a calming reassurance to those around her.

Lord Tron Pentre glanced at her as she expertly and relentlessly tended to the sick and injured that lived at the fortress.

"Good morning, my lord" greeted Lwyncelyne who was busy preparing her medical supplies for the day.

"Between us, you must know I strongly disagree with my uncle's views, magic as such can be used for good causes as you have clearly proven, my lady. Yet I am but a lord among many and must abide by my king's command..." pointed out Tron Pentre watching her mix herbs, cautious to not use magic unless in extreme cases and dire need. "Elven and druidian knowledge is far superior to our own limited understanding and capabilities..." trailed off Tron thoughtfully

"Perhaps, some day soon, my cousin will become king and lift such outrageous ban on magic and callous persecution of your kindred. Then all the races can leave peacefully on good terms, for the most part. Many lives would have been lost already without your healing power and I appreciate the risks you have taken so far" accepted and admitted Tron Pentre "Do not worry, my fair lady, your secret is safe with me" assured Tron.

"Let us hope Merthyr's stay among the militia opens his eyes to different creatures and different ways of life than his somewhat sheltered royal upbringing and prepares him to accept the much needed change. I know for a fact women can be as strong rulers as men and equally worthy knights if not more so, and certainly our different species can overall live together peacefully for the greater good of all" mused the local lord