Fantasy The Dark Chronicles - IC

[InsanEleven]

The Dark Ones are coming
The Dream Eater, the Vile Whisperer -
The Ruin Bringer and the Hollow Invoker
On the still throne, in shadow lurking -
There they will place the Unspoken Emperor
Beware - the Dark Ones are coming​

A lone figured charged along the midnight path on horseback. Foam ran down the corners of the horse's mouth, the hooves stamping on the packed soil with every heavy fall of its gallop. Frantic, the rider cloaked in white spurred on the horse. In the distance a storm cloud loomed, the rolling shape illuminated brightly by flashes of silent thunder. The rider threw a glance back, and saw a shape cut through the storm in a trail of mist and lighting. It chased through the ink black sky. A deep rumble shook the land, and there was no telling if the thunder had caught up, or if it was the roar of a long forgotten god.
There was no use in seeing what form death took, and instead the rider prepared for the inevitable. Hunkered down against the horse's neck, the figure prepared a spell. With a few soft words of courage and the last will to live white light drifted forth. Soft, like the white moon that had been devoured. The memory of a night long ago lingered in the rider's thoughts - of a warm breeze that eased the crisp of a starry night, that rustled the soft grasses on the hill overlooking home. A longing back, the painful pull of a history since passed drove the magic. As the beast of black and dark descended upon the rider, that same pull unleashed. Back. Away. If only for a moment of peace longer. Guided by soft white, the evil found its way back in time, returned to the rolling storm from whence it had came, as the rider slumped forward onto the horse.
A soft whisper was the only direction left, a hope, more than a command.
"Bring me to Vilnas."

 

[InsanEleven]

Aurel calmly shut the heavy book, and was immediately met with a disappointed noise from the two children sitting on the carpet of their bedroom.
"Won't you read a little more? I want to know how it ends." A girl with chestnut brown hair in a white night gown pleaded, and besides her a boy with similarly coloured hair in a neat side part nodded enthusiastically wanting him to tell the entire tale.
"Well, if I were to do that there would be no more tale left for next week." He said, as he threw a coveted glance sideways toward the large wooden door that led into the bedroom. A slightly older girl peeked inside, trying to pretend that she wasn't listening in. "Besides, it's late." He continued, as with a snap of his fingers his pocket watch appeared in his hand to show the hands had moved a little past eight.
Immediately the children went wide eyed, gasping at the marvelous event that was his magic - even if he did these tricks for them all the time. It was quite great when the audience was always in awe.
"Could you do another magic trick?" - "Do that again!" They both said enthusiastically, completely ignoring that he had just stated that it was their bestime. "Please uncle Aurel."
He sighed, unable to ignore their request.
"Fine, one more trick." He smiled, as his nephew and niece both grinned. "Do you want to join as well Maria?" The girl hiding behind the door remained silent for a moment, but then stepped out with a blush on her face from being called out. She nodded and walked in a little further.
The other two children just now noticed her, and immediately made room for her to join them. She did, and reluctantly sat down.
"Philip, could you return the book to the shelf?" Aurel said as he handed over the large, leather bound tome that he had just read from. The boy stood up and with both hands took the book, having to hold it in his arms to carry it over towards the bookcases. "You forgot your book."
With quick snap of his fingers, the book vanished and reappeared in Aurel's hands, causing Philip to turn around confused for a second, only to frown at him. He grinned back, pretending to hand the book over again.
"That's not fair!" Philip grumbled as once more he took the book, and both the girls chuckled when he hastily walked over to the bookshelf so it couldn't be taken away again.
"Can you do the coin trick?" Maria asked, which caused Philip to immediately dart back.
"No! Wait for me!" He shouted, quickly crawling back onto the carpet between his sister and his cousin.

Aurel sighed, crossing one arm over the other and raising a single eyebrow at Philip. The boy immediately knew he'd been wrong, looking down and apologising for shouting.
"If your mother hears she will be mad." He said, and Philip nodded. Where is she anyway? He thought to himself, as usually his sister would be punctual enough to fetch her children before their bedtime. But she wasn't here yet. So instead he took a coin from his pocket - a simple silver. I've been reduced to cheap parlor tricks, it seems. Yet he smiled, unwilling to let the disdain for his apparent state as children's entertainer shine through. If he had to be, he at least could pride himself in doing it well.
He showed the single coin to his nephew and nieces, and they looked on in awe, waiting for what was next. With a single flick he tossed the coin from his left hand to his right, and twenty followed in a stream of glistening silvers. Only for him to show his empty hands a second later. If anything these had been practise routines for him when he was younger, but with some added flair and mystery they quickly became entertaining enough to hold the attention of children for a little while longer.

Finally a knock on the door relieved him of his duty, and he smiled at his sister when she beckoned both her children over. They darted up to her, clinging to her skirts and telling everything about the story that had been told, while Maria made a simple curtsy and bid her goodnight before heading off on her own.
"I hope they were not too much of a bother, I did not expect to stay away for so long." His sister said with a smile, but he just shrugged and pushed his glasses further up his nose.
"I would be ashamed of myself if I could not handle a few children for two hours." He replied, now he was no longer playing the role of kind uncle and could freely speak his mind. Instead of the usual comeback however, his sister sent the children away with the nurse she had brought over, then immediately leant in to him. He felt his heart sink, and it surprised him he still had one.
"It's father, he has fallen ill again. The messenger just arrived."
"Then I am heading home." He didn't need to know much more, as this was the second time their father had fallen ill since winter.
"Yes, of course, a carriage can bring you in the morning."
"Now." He was afraid that a single word more would betray the concern he kept hidden behind his confidence.
"Now? But it is dark out." She replied, surprised by the suddenness and the fierce tone.
"I do not care." He threw back, already on his way out. "Ready a horse." A nearby servant simply passing through the halls from one task to the other was the victim of his worry, and the girl immediately bowed, leaving everything behind to fulfill his demand.
"Brother!" His sister beckoned him, but he ignored her. "At least take a guard with!"

 

[GamerCarrot]

Early morning the next day Kain woke up to the sound of birds chirping just outside of his home, he groaned and rolled back over in his bed. The sheets barely covering his body as he sat up and looked out the window to the left of him, rubbing his eyes and letting out a yawn he stretches a little and gets out of bed begrudgingly. Getting changed he slipped into a pair of black pants and a simple shirt since he didn't need to head any where special there was no need to be quite as dressed up as most people would normally be in the morning. Grabbing his toast he wasted no time as he grabbed his bag and headed out of the door of his home. Walking down the road of the little town he lived in he noticed a few people awake in the mornings, most farmers, bakers or simple store owners heading to work in the morning. Smiling at everyone he passed he gave them all a small wave good morning and continued on his way.
Heading out of town he headed through the forest to end up at his destination, in front of him a large rocky mountain with a path carved out for adventurers or for people like him looking to study a bit of magic. Heading up the mountain top he stopped and admired the view of town below him, it was quite obvious spring had now sprung to life as he could see the tree's coming back to life and their natural colours coming back, even a few flowers grew along the mountain path he was walking along. Eventually at the top of the mountainous path he arrived at his destination, a beautiful monastery homed to one of the greatest ice mages in all of the land... well at least to him the mage was. A man stood out the front obviously waiting for him to come by and say hello, running up to the man he looked at the man with a great big smile on his face, much like a proud kid showing their parent a drawing.

"Good morning Kain, come for practice again?" the man asked. Nodding and gesturing over to the large pool of water that he was usually found practising nearby.
"I hope that's okay Audamar?" Kain asked as he looked at the man a bit worried he couldn't but that worried look soon faded when Audamar tussled his black hair, which made him groan in annoyance. It takes him forever to make it look presentable in the morning.
"This is your home boy, you don't need to keep asking me permission to use it for practice." Audamar smiled at Kain which made him smile more.
"Thank you Audamar!" he said with a smile as he walked over to his usual spot to practise.
Putting his bag down off to the side, he pulled it hair back and looked over the pool of water. Since it was starting to get hotter this time of year, he made an effort to come by every so often so that he can practice his magic to become slightly stronger during the summer months. Waving his hand over the pool of water he used his magic to freeze it, taking a deep breath he concentrated all of his effort into making this frozen water into a pillar of pure ice. Lowering his hands and flicking his hand up a pillar shot up from the ice, smiling he began manipulating the pillars shape into all sorts of things. Until he stopped as the ice turned into a swan with its wings spread wide, looking at what he has achieved he continued to practice more and more to get the hang of working in warmer temperatures.

 

[Solar Daddy]

Christor wasn't someone who enjoyed the freezing nights on guard, but the beautiful sky contrasting with the tall walls of the castle were a sight to see. Working during the day was so much more difficult and exhausting, especially now that summer was on its way. He didn't mind the heat but wasn't exactly encouraged by being cooked alive in his gear. He overlooked the west wall to see the sprawling city before him under the starlight, where all the way in the distance were the outlines of trees and mountains. He loved the view from the ronde of the castle. Still, Christor's job wasn't to gaze off at the sights. He wasn't a captain of the wall but also wasn't the average watchman. He paced back and forth along the perimeter, checking on the other guards, inspecting a few of the doorways into barracks, simple checks to ensure no one could just sneak into the castle. He was a faceless knight who had joined the watchman thanks to a wound he sustained in combat, but had found he enjoyed the watch. It was much more relaxing compared to fighting for an army. He carried his axe in one hand and a torch in the other, eventually ending up overlooking the gate the led into the castle.

Once at the gate, Christor held his torch up to the two men over the gate archway, with one leaning against the merlon and the other gazing out between the crenelations. The man more casually sitting against the wall noticed Christor approach. With a cackle, he said, "Ah, Bear! It's good to see you're finally making rounds tonight. I was starting to think Hans and I could sneak off to the tavern and get a few drinks before you'd make it here."

Although many guards on the wall believed him to be a dictator of rules and tried to enforce them when he was present, he seemed rather relaxed that night. Hearing himself being called the Bear wasn't unusual, in fact it was all anyone knew him by anymore. "As long as you brought back enough for me to get drunk on I'd have cleared you myself. But I think the three of us know you wouldn't be able to afford that much mead."

This got a chuckle out of Henry, the man actually performing his job. Still, there was no need for three sets of eyes to monitor what one could do just fine. "Give us the coin to pay and we can all have some to share." He looked back for just a moment to flash Henry's iconic smile, before looking back out through the crenelation. His smile quickly faded as he noticed the single light making its way towards the castle gates. Soon after, a guard who identified the man approaching began shouting up the chain of men along the wall, eventually coherent enough to make out the command to raise the gates.

"Go on then, raise it up." Christor told Henry and moved to the bartizan, letting him overlook the gate as it started to be cranked open slowly. He watched the lone rider make his way through the gate, and once he passed through, instructed, "Lower it again, I don't expect any more visitors tonight. Do me a favor and don't fall asleep like last night." He glared daggers into Hans, who only responded with a shrug. Christor began making his way down the ronde to get to the stairs that circled down. Once at ground level, Christor made his way through the night with his lit torch to approach where the lone rider had stopped. He was being helped down by a few others and being tended to hand and foot as Christor had expected.

"Your punctuality is ever impressive, young Master Loritz." Christor spoke evenly, holding the torch up in hopes of providing light for whatever he was doing, as well as to give off some warmth. "But it is a bit cold out to be riding, don't you think?"

"Spare me your wit," Aurel said as he plucked off his black leather riding gloves. "How is my father? Has the situation changed any?"

"Not to my knowledge, Master." Christor said, walking alongside Aurel in the direction they needed to be going for him to visit the elder Loritz. "Seeing you should assure him though, I'm sure."

"Good, then at least I am not too late." Aurel replied as he handed his gloves over, then quickly loosened his cloak and slung it off his shoulders. Before the black fabric had good and well hit Christor's hands, Aurel had vanished.

Christor nodded to the young Loritz, taking the cloak and gloves. "I'll have these items delivered to your room. Do you require anything-" He turned, noticing Aurel was no longer beside him. After a quick look around, he asked, "Master Loritz?" He spent a bit longer than he'd admit to searching the nearby area for him, but eventually gave up assuming he had just been that blind. He returned to the wall and resumed his duties for the night.

 

[InsanEleven]

With a deep sigh, Aurel let himself fall down on the sofa chair in the lounge of his parental home, resting his head in both hands now he had finally found a silent place away from the servants and commotion. Through his fingers he glanced at the large grandfather clock in the corner of the room, which displayed an hour even the gods couldn't favour. After his fervent race through the fields and forests he should have been exhausted, but he couldn't find a shred of tiredness amongst his worry. Only when he pulled his hands away and realised he couldn't breathe, the weight of the situation came crashing down on his mind. He watched helplessly as his hands started shaking, and then the rest of his body followed suit. Helpless. Useless. All of these years of study, of trying to find his way out of this predicament as the young child doomed to some nameless county - and yet there was still nothing he could do but magic tricks. If only he could displace his fathers ails and make it all go away, but he wouldn't even know where to begin, or what it was.
A flickering bit of golden light cracked through the door behind him, the glow piercing through the dark, moonlit interior of the room. He didn't turn around to look hoping that whomever decided to disturb him would be gone again without a hitch - but when would such a thing ever happen? Instead he felt the weight of someone sitting down beside him.
"Aurel..." He heard the stately voice of his eldest brother start, and he hated how even now he sounded composed, albeit concerned. "The doctors are doing everything,-"
"Well it's not enough, is it?!" He immediately snapped back, not in any state of mind to hold back his thoughts.
"I am sure they are doing whatever is within their power to save him, they have done so before."
"What is it to you?" He asked angrily, knowing he shouldn't, but a dark creature had already been unleashed and he didn't want to stop it. Just for once he wanted to be angry, to hate and rage despite every single proper manner he had been thought.
"I don't follow you?" His older brother asked rather stern, a little taken aback.
"What is it to you if father dies, when you will be count."
Immediately he saw his brothers expression change, anger seeping through and he liked it. He liked finally seeing some emotion on that ever perfect, respectable mask of a face. Just to see that deep inside his brother was just like him, just another miserable being playing this game of pretend. Yet his brother remained quiet, setting the candle down on the salon table. Slowly he stood up, and Aurel followed suit refusing to be looked down upon.
"Do you even really care?" He confronted his brother, his mind driven to the brink and he couldn't even tell anymore what emotional abyss he had descended in that would make him accuse his own brother of such things. "You don't give a thing if,-"
A loud, hard slap echoed through the room. For a second the force behind it dazed him, as if his mind had been slapped out of his head for just a moment and now he didn't know front from back anymore. And then the hurt sunk in, more than a single hit ever could, and he knew that finally the distress and grief had been translated into pain. With both hands he grabbed the side of his face, looking up at his brother who had no remorse for his action or so it seemed. He grimaced, and a few warm tears rolled down his cheeks and the sides of his nose. Heavy, disjunct sobs broke the silence between them.
"Pull yourself together little brother, hysterics do not suit you."
Even though he shook his head in response, he still tried to straighten his back out and stop his sobs. Not to much avail.
"There is a bed ready for you, in Madeleine's old room." His older brother took up the candle again, giving him a stern look over in the flickering light. For a moment the gaze appeared to soften slightly, but Aurel couldn't truly tell if that was true, or only what he hoped to see. "Given the situation I can forgive you this. I expect you of sounder mind in the morning." Without spilling a single word more, his brother left him again.
He heard the door close, and he didn't know if that made him feel relieved, or sad that the chance for comfort a part of him had hoped for so much had completely passed him by. Judging by his tears, his body seemed to go with the latter. At that point he had too little capacity left to exert control, his mind ruled by whatever his body felt.
Exhaustion hit him a mere moment later, and he sank back onto that same sofa. Perhaps he was really too tired to get up again, perhaps this was a silent act of rebellion against his uptight brother, but he let himself fall asleep right there and then - bed be damned.

 

[augmentedspartan]

Elith pushed her hood back to present herself at a guard's request. They stood before the doors of the manor, waiting rather patiently to be allowed inside. Chambers wasn't in much of a better position, the guards didn't seem to like him any either.

The older guard spoke, "Names and business here?" He seemed a bit suspicious of the pair.

Elith said, "Doctor Chambers and Elith McCoy. We're the secondary doctors that were requested." She wasn't acting haughty, but the fact that she seemed so certain made the guard hesitate and glance to another guard, who nodded.

Herbert had his mask in his hands and his hood was pulled back, nonetheless the guards didn't seem too keen on his stare. The fact that they had to crane their necks back to look him in the eyes probably didn't help. After the older guard gave them another look over, he opened the door and went inside, beckoning them.

"This way," he said as he led them through the halls, probably not trusting them enough to keep their hands to themselves. Herbert was more offended by the implication that a doctor would resort to such actions, rather than the insult to his person.

"You would think if they are desperate enough to keep as on call, they would let us know about the condition in advance," Herbert said to Elith, not caring about the guard's presence.

Elith shrugged. "They might not have known yet. Given the age of the patient and the lack of any plague or common disease at the moment, I have a few guesses already," she said slowly, very aware that the guards were listening in.

She smirked a bit and added, "But of course, diagnosis is your area, I'm just a field medic." Well, most of the time she was a body guard too, but her healing magic wasn't to be neglected. While she didn't have as much knowledge as Herbert did when it came to medicine, she had read her fair share of books. Nonetheless, her healing skills were mostly for treating symptoms as they arose.

"I don't need the full breakdown of the disease, just the exhibited symptoms. For all we know they are having trouble dealing with a simple cough." Herbert didn't bother to hide the disdain in his voice. Being kept on call as auxiliary doctors wasn't unusual as travelling practitioners, but being kept in the dark made everyone's job much more difficult - most importantly his.

He waved a hand at her last comment. "It's never a bad time to practice. You can never learn if you don't step out of your comfort zone."

Elith smirked a bit and said, "See, I know how to, but you do the diagnosing, so you get blamed when they croak. That's the system. You deal with the angry people, and I'm the body guard."

Elith glanced back at the guard who was still escorting them. It seemed fair to assume that he didn't know much about the situation. Maybe they were trying to keep the whole thing on the quiet side, in fact. If that was the case, Elith could only hope that meant the patient wasn't already past the point of no return.

"But as the body guard, are you not the one who ends up dealing with the angry mob?"

"Yes, but I don't deal with the blame, and that's what matters," Elith chuckled.

"Hmmm, I suppose I am the one whose reputation gets sullied," he half pondered. "Perhaps I should promote you to a full doctor so we can equally share the blame," he said with a lopsided grin.

"Oh, please," she said, rolling her eyes but still smiling. "I don't have a medical practice, what could get sullied? Besides, I'd rather people not remember my name, thank you kindly."

The guard had led them deep into the manor, and stopped them once they had reached a closed room. "Wait here. You will be called soon." With that, the older guard went back to his post outside, and left them waiting in front of the door. Probably with plenty of eyes looking at them from afar.

 

[InsanEleven]

Aurel sat at his father's bedside, trying not to interfere with the nurses and doctors too much while he watched over him. The room was grand and large, decorated with intricate tapestries and fine woodwork, but between all that grandeur his father looked small, weak and tired. Not the man he had known for most his life: he had been a man that had cared for this small part of the world with unwavering, iron will, he had been the father that had taught him confidence and eloquence. But in this bed he was condemned to sick and frailty, ever more frequent in recent years. He hoped that perhaps the travelling doctors they had picked up would be of help, but he did not have much faith that they could resolve this issue.
"Aurelius." He heard his father speak his full name, and the very weight of it laid heavy on his stomach, making him nauseated. Yet he bit through it and listened. "I know you have been struggling with finding your place in the world."
"Of course not father," He smiled back, afraid to worry the man in what very well could be his last moments. "In what world would there not be a place for one of your sons?"
His response elicited a light, but pained chuckle from his father.
"Don't attempt to be positive for my sake, your critical views have always suited you better."
Aurel sighed, but then smiled genuinely.
"I figured I should at least give it a fair chance."
"Aurel, when I perish, don't let other people dictate what you should be. There will be many there to tell you that a marriage is inevitable - most conveniently to a family member of theirs. Emil and Avel have done more than enough for the share of marriage in this family, and I know you that at heart you feel more opposed to it than they ever were, although I must admit you hid it very well from me. You are,-"
A heavy coughing fit befell his father in the middle of his sentence, and even in his weakened state it made his body tense and constrict, bending over in a desperate attempt to dislodge and expel whatever ail had crawled into his lungs, to little avail. A bit of deep, dark red contrasted on his pale lips, spurring Aurel to immediately teleport one of the clean linen to his hand to wipe it away, before a nurse could even intervene. His father took the cloth from him with swollen, crimson fingers, giving a grateful nod between his wheezes. Yet he was not deterred from speaking, continuing after a few deep breaths.
"You are intelligent enough to know that there is no need for you Aurel, all you come with is a respectful name, but no son of mine should be reduced to merely a name. Your older brothers, they had their place set from the moment they opened their eyes, never burdened with uncertainty. But that is the price of freedom. Don't let anyone talk you into a place that your heart does not agree with. My younger brother did, believed himself responsible, but the web of societies expectations only ever tightened around him. It withered him away, before you were even born. At the time, I thought it right to push him into what we all believed to be his rightful place, and like me, your brothers won't understand either. Promise me you will be brave enough to face them, and any other that pretends to know where it is you should be."
The request was genuine, nearly desperate. It frightened him, but that only told him it was the right answer, since it was cowardice that beckoned him to decline.
"Yes father." He gave a nod of his head, and he was met with a firm, fatherly kiss on his forehead. Normally he would reject it, repulsed both by the prospect of sick and intimacy, yet the small child inside him leant in for it on the verge of tears - even if as a grown man he retained his composure.
"Go now, you have been here long enough. Eat something, sleep a few hours, the last you need now is to fall ill."
He nodded again, and as his father laid back onto the bed, smiled at him, too lost to know what else he would express.
"Thank you." He responded softly, with a short, respectful bow towards the man that had raised him. Although he felt reluctant, he still turned and took his leave, before he could think too much about it. Before he could think about anything, his head aching far too much for him to even try.

[ Dragongal augmentedspartan Spazzycat101 you are Team Doctor]

 

[GamerCarrot]

Throughout the warm spring day Kain continued to practice his magic, freezing and thawing the ice and even changing its shape again and again. As time moved on as he practised he hadn't even notice that the sun was going down until a hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his concentration, thawing the ice and returning it to the pool of water it once was he turned around to Audamar standing behind him gesturing towards the horizon.
"You have been practising all day, I think it is about time you head on home my apprentice." Audamar smiled at him and removed their hand from his shoulder. As he gathered his thing he swung his bag over his shoulder and gave Audamar a small nod as if to say goodbye but was promptly stopped when they raised their hand.
"Wait, if it is no trouble could you please pick me up a few things from town. I'm not as young as I used to be and I can't quite make the trip down anymore." They asked whilst handing them a small list of things they needed, Kain smiled and nodded "Of course I can do that for you, I'll come round early in the morning to drop them off." He gave Audamar another small nod and waved him goodbye before heading down the mountain. Going down the mountain was the easy part but it still took him awhile to walk all of that distance plus the time it took to get him back home. Night had quickly fallen as he stepped into his home, too exhausted to make anything for his dinner he headed straight for his bedroom to fall asleep for the night.
The sun rose once again and since he had promptly forgotten to shut his curtains he was woken up by the blinding light, groaning and rolling over in his bed he looked up at the ceiling and slowly sat up remembering he had to do something for Audamar. Wasting no time he got dressed and made himself a small breakfast, looking over the list as he ate. It was simple enough, just a few groceries they needed to survive which he was happy to get. Grabbing his things he headed over to the town market, which thankfully wasn't too bad of a walk from his own home. After arriving at the market place he didn't waste time grabbing the things he was required to grab and placing them in his bag as he paid, going through the list and taking his time to think about other things Audamar may need that they didn't specify he came across the bakers stall and started to look at the various breads they had for sale. But his mind was quickly taken out of the thought of which bread to buy when he heard two older woman gossiping, normally he wouldn't eavesdrop but unfortunately hearing them talk about the count made his ears burn.
"Have you heard? The count has fallen ill, its such a terrible thing. The doctors are doing all they can and refuse to tell us anything further." said one of the women, this made him a little concerned. He could only imagine how the count's son Aurel was feeling during all of this. Grabbing a piece of bred and quickly paying for it, he wasted no time to head back to Audamar's.
Considering he was pretty stupid and forgotten to grab a horse during all of this it did take him a while to run up the mountain, heading into Audamar's home he was greeted by a very confused old man. Looking at them apologetically he placed the bag of groceries on a nearby table before explaining his hurry to them.
"Terribly sorry but I just heard that the count was in terrible health and I.." the man raised their hand to stop him from speaking, walking over to a small chest he pulled out a small envelope and handed it to him.
"Go on, I know you wish to see how your friend is doing but give them my condolences on my behalf." Audamar smiled at him and was immediately pulled into a gentle hug.
"Thank you, also would it be alright if I borrow your horse? I was in a bit of a rush and forgot to grab mine before heading up here." He sheepishly asked but he was welcomed with a nod and he took that as a yes. Heading outside and prepping the horse Kain hopped on, holding the reigns and giving the horse a small nudge with his heels causing it to bolt into the direction he wanted it to go.
He didn't slow down, racing towards the counts home he had never really noticed how far away it was until he arrived. The sky turning a light orange as he arrived at the front gate where he was stopped by two guards, pulling out Audamar's letter he held it out to one of the guards who looked it over. "I'm Audamar's apprentice, I'm here on his behalf to give the count's family his sympathy in regards to the counts health." the two guards looked at each other and nodded, handing him back his letter before opening the gates. Slowly riding in on his horse he neatened up his appearance, he was in the company of nobles after all. Hopping off the horse as he reached the entrance to the building he let one of the servants take his horse to the nearby stable, still neatening his appearance he walked into the counts home. Incredibly nervous about entering such a place where he quickly get like he didn't belong.

 

[Dragongal]

Elith eventually took a seat near the door, sinking into the soft, cushioned chair. The sensation of sitting on a padded chair was almost foreign to her as of late, and while it didn't feel bad, it surely felt strange. Hell, being in such a fancy manor was a bit strange to her - the big jobs were usually just for Chambers, and she was left to tend to more "minor" medical needs amongst the peasantry. It worked out well enough, since her specialty was field medicine. If he needed her, he could find her easily enough most times. But this time they were together, and apparently next in line to try to tend to a dying count. Hopefully Chambers could fix this guy up, and she wouldn't even be needed. Or he might just die first, there was a chance of that.

Elith slowly looked around the room, taking in the old books on the shelves and the equally old dust on most of them. What a shame to have so much knowledge unaccessed. Her father would have had some stern words to say about that (behind closed doors of course). Ah, well. He wasn't there to say anything now, and it wasn't Elith's place to say anything. Her only job at the moment was to wait patiently until called upon. This was preferable to her usual job of protecting Chambers on their travels, so for the moment, she would just relax back into the comfy chair and enjoy the moment of peace.

 

[Spazzycat101]

Brisk​

A chestnut horse all but flew down the road—in the darkness of night, the rippling brown cloak could easily be mistaken for wings—guided by a golden, almost lantern-like light in the palm of the rider’s hand. From a distance, the gate guards saw the light approaching, and were ready with weapons crossed. But before they could even ask, the rider was answering them.

‘Brisk of Clan Gryphon! I was summoned for medical purposes, the details of which were alarmingly vague.’

Though a bit taken aback, the guards let her pass. Brisk threw a ‘thank you!’ over her shoulder as she hurried to the manor.

Seeing a servant person of some kind begin to approach her, Brisk swing down off her horse.

‘Hello! Hope I’m not late.’

‘Would you like me to take your horse to the stable?’

‘Yes please. I’m just,’ She pointed to the manor. ‘I’m just gonna, uh, yeah.’ Brisk immediately broke out into a sprint to the door. When she approached, it opened for her, and again she repeated her name and purpose. With a short nod from the servant-staff, she was lead down what felt like a labyrinth of halls at a fast walk. That afforded her little time to recover from being slightly out-of-breath, but within a few minutes she was brought to the outside of a closed door. There were two others already there.

‘Oh, hello! I assume you also are doctors? I’d be very surprised if they only sought out one,’ She chuckled awkwardly. ‘Anyway, while we‘re waiting, I’m Brisk, alchemist and mage. You two are..?’

 

[InsanEleven]

Aurel left the room, only to be faced with the sight of strangers in his home. Usually he wouldn't be opposed to that, in fact, on any other day he would have loved it when representatives of other shires and duchies came over to their small and frankly rather insignificant little place. But these weren't representatives, these were ordinary people, and the last hope for his father, and in his tired state he couldn't help but think that if all they had to cure him were peasants then there wasn't much hope left. Perhaps that was just an excuse to justify his already present lack of hope. He refused to acknowledge their presence, instead wanting to forget they were even there.

He had been on his way to the kitchen, when instead he did see a familiar face, one perhaps more familiar than all the staff in this castle was to him - a face that he had accidentally scarred during his swordplay practise when he was younger. But he couldn't show how glad he was to see his companion in the arcane, for he too was of lower standing. So he folded his arms in the hollow of his back and kept his head high as he stepped forward.
"Kain Hainsworth, sent with Audamar's regards I presume?" He said as he saw the letter still in Kain's hand. "Come, join me in the Eastern watchtower."
Before Kain could respond or reply, he had snapped his fingers and gestured for him to walk with to a different part of the castle.

The Eastern Watchtower was the one removed furthest from the castle's center donjon, small and quite insignificant as two taller, larger watchtowers were right beside it. Aurel remained quiet for the entire walk there, until finally he opened the door to the second floor storage space that was hardly ever used. It was a dim, dusty room with a few brooms and buckets, and the only way light could reach in was through a few thin, windowless archer's nooks.
He closed the heavy door with the key, before he moved back to Kain. For the first time in all this ordeal he allowed himself a small, tired smile - and then went in for a hug from his childhood friend that he had trained with since they had only been seven or eight. Perhaps the only person in the world he could trust to always be on his side and never to desire his power, play games of manipulation and strategic marriages, or gods-forbid backstab him.
"It's been too long. I wished to return to Audamar's monastery for several days, but my family has kept me constantly busy with small affairs... and now father..." He had pushed the entire sentence out on a single breath, not realising he had ran out of it until his body forced him to inhale deeply. Realising that this was hardly flattering for him he stood back up and placed both hands on Kain's shoulders.
"It's good to see you." He said more confidently with a friendly nod.

GamerCarrot

 

[GamerCarrot]

Kain immediately turned around as he heard his name being spoken, turning to Aurel he smiled happy to see his old friend once again but before they could share pleasantries Aurel had already started to walk off and had even snapped his fingers to tell him to follow, which he did immediately. He followed them all the way to eastern watchtower, lagging slightly behind him but still he still remained by his side since he didn't quite want to over stay his welcome. As they lead them into the watchtower he watched as they closed the door behind the two of them and lock it, turning around to look at them he was a little surprised when he was pulled into a hug although it was a welcomed surprise. Smiling he wrapped his arms around them and held them tightly, it had been a long time since they had seen each other. Kain usually busy practising his magic or taking care of Audamar and Aurel was apparently extremely busy with family matters. As they both pulled away he couldn't stop the smile on his face from being so happy to see his best friend once again but that smile quickly faded as the health of his father was brought up.

"It's really good to see you too, I've missed seeing you at the monastery but I understand family does come first and it's good to see you are in good health. I'm sorry to hear about your father, has his health improved somewhat or are the doctors still doing all they can?" he asked cautiously, he knew Aurel probably didn't want to discuss family matters with him but it seemed like he really needed someone he was very close with to vent at. Looking at Aurel's face it looked like they hadn't been getting much sleep at all and that worried him immensely, leaning in slightly to get a better look at their face he noticed a slight bruising around their eye. At a distance he thought it was just him being so tired and not getting much sleep but this looked more serious.

"What happened? Your eye, it's bruised." he spoke with concern as he went to raise a hand to see how bad it was but quickly lowered it knowing he probably shouldn't touch them without permission. He thought about how this could have happened and before he could really think it through his mouth had already opened to say more "Did someone hit you? Did your brother?" he paused knowing it was slightly rude to just assume a noble would do this but after seeing his brother in passing he wouldn't put it past the man to raise his hand at his younger brother.
"I'm sorry does it hurt? Is there something I can do to help?" he wasn't much of a healer and he assumed Aurel didn't want anyone to know about it so calling a doctor was a bit out of the question. "You also look like you haven't slept in days, I know you're extremely busy but you look exhausted." he looked at Aurel's face with extreme concern, leaning back a little he still had a worried expression on his face. "I'm sorry you've probably had everyone being so concerned about you all the time and here I am doing the exact same thing." he let out a small chuckle and looked a little embarrassed that he was so concerned about someone who can take care of themselves no problem.
InsanEleven

 

[InsanEleven]

"No, it's fine," Aurel said with a shake of his head. "I stepped out of line and said things I shouldn't have, I had this coming to me. I know better than to scorn my brother."
Hearing Kain talk about being concerned, a slight smile graced Aurel's face, the first in perhaps days.
"It makes sense to be concerned about a friend. My only issue is that it's me. You know better than that, I've seen my fair share of exhaustion and tiredness." Aurel sighed a little as he reminisced about the days at the monastery, where his days had consisted of magic and swordplay from the very first light of dawn to the last light at dusk - willingly and of his own accord. He'd do anything to be the very best, and he had been, up until he learnt the cost of pride and arrogance. Now he was a little less eager to challenge others with his knowledge, and certainly to draw his blades outside of practise.
He had been about to speak, when a distant voice carried up through the open archers' nooks as it approached the castle. Immediately Aurel looked out of one to catch the sight of a man running up the road to the castle. For the second time the shout reached them, and when he anticipated it he could understand what the man was saying.
"A monster! There has been a monster sighted in Waltrand!"
"A monster, again?" Aurel wondered out loud. "We've just had one two weeks ago."
But then he sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose, slightly rubbing it causing his glasses to bob up and down as he thought about how to approach this.
"This timing is unfortunate... Kain, I can't leave the castle right now, but to send men out without a mage to hunt a monster is unwise at the very best... would you take this one?" He placed both his hands on Kain's shoulders. "It will be good exercise for you before summer, and I will personally see to it that you'll be rewarded fairly if you bring back it's heart."

[ GamerCarrot ]

 

[GamerCarrot]

Kain couldn't hide the concern on his face as Aurel spoke about how they stepped out of line with their brother, he didn't understand how a family member could treat them like that but then again he didn't know what it was like to have siblings. Sighing he looked down at the ground and at his feet "Still... he shouldn't have hit you no matter what and you really need to get rest no matter how used to it you may be" he spoke slightly more sternly knowing full well no matter what he said Aurel wouldn't listen to him. He was just a friend after all and all he could do was voice his concern Aurel didn't need to actually listen to him. But before he could open his mouth to say anything more he was interrupted by the shouting of a man running towards them, he turned to see what was going on but hearing the person scream about a monster caused the colour in his face to drain. Kain had only ever heard about these rumour from idle gossip in the marketplace he had never come across one himself but he then heard Aurel's words "You've faced these before?!" he asked with extreme concern in his voice.

He had no clue how Aurel was so calm about the matter it was a monster right outside his doorstep and yet he looked just displeased by the thought of being interrupted and that the monster was just a mild inconvenience. Although Kain's worry was quickly replaced with something else when Aurel placed their hands on his shoulders, looking down at his hands and then back at Aurel as they asked a very big question and told him he'd be rewarded fairly. Visibly gulping he nodded and smiled "I can handle it for you and I shall return with its heart." taking a step back he bowed slightly showing respect and graciously accepting the task ahead of him. Standing up straight he smiled "I'll be back soon, please stay safe until I return." his smile had a slightly worried sight to it as he left the room and headed back out the front door of the building.

InsanEleven

 

[augmentedspartan]

Herbert raised an uneven brow as Aurel stormed past them, but said nothing. So much for manners. Taking that as their cue, he entered the room and was met with a mass of movement from the doctors and nurses. Having these many people were taking care of the patient and still calling for them spelled bad news for a positive prognosis. "For some reason I don't have much faith in our patient's recovery," he deadpanned.

Elith squeezed her way into the room and stood besides Chambers. She looked at the patient and the other doctors, then mumbled, "Geez, what gave you that idea?"

Donning his mask, Herbert walked to the bed. "What are we dealing with here?" he asked without looking away from the patient. The nurses gave him odd looks, while the doctors barely registered him as they worked. "Swelling on arms and legs, for starters," one of them said as they carefully applied and removed leeches from the patient. "Coughing and vomiting dark blood, as well as blood in stool and urine. Suffice to say everything points to a blood related illness."

Herbert let them continue their work as he examined the patient closely. His eyes were bloodshot and had deep bags under them. He was also sweating profusely from a fever, and the nurses were constantly replacing dried towels with cool, wet ones. It was obvious the medical staff was busy treating the symptoms rather than finding the underlining cause. Not that he could blame them - not much point in finding a cure if your patient died.

Elith stayed to the side. Diseases of this caliber tended to be out of her realm. She could treat symptoms, that was about it. Her specialty was traumatic injuries, after all - either healing the, or giving them to whatever fuckers she decided needed it.

While Chambers worked, Elith looked over all the other doctors with a critical eye. They seemed legitimate, but did that really men they were trustworthy...?

 

[InsanEleven]

"Find one of the castle guard and take them with on your quest for protection. If they ask, you can tell them that it was my order." Aurel's words followed Kain down the steps of the tower, as though he wanted this task taken care of, he was worried that it would end badly; a monster should never be taken lightly, no matter how skilled a mage he knew Kain to be he would rather send him with too many reinforcements than too few. With a deep sigh he locked the door to the storage room again behind him, and instead of following Kain downstairs, he ascended the steps.
Atop the tower, he leant both hands on the warm sandstone, and looked out across the valley. Tall, jagged mountains rose up to both sides, their peaks still white with snow even if he knew it would be receding come summer. The sounds of the town bustling with merchants and tradesmen that had come now the rivers were no longer frozen eased him somewhat: life still went on, regardless of what would happen. The river would flow and sparkle just as much tomorrow, the winds would still stir the tall grasses and wildflowers. Some of that chill breeze caught his hair and tugged at it slightly, and he closed his eyes for just a moment to try and catch a sliver of peace as if it would somehow drift to him if he waited long enough.

With a deep sigh he opened his eyes again, and saw white snow drift past his fingers. Kain? Is this a joke? Confused he looked around, but he didn't see anybody. He didn't hear anybody. Nothing in the town below, no winds stirring, no guards patrolling. The warm yellow stone of the castle cracked by long dead ivy, blackened and stained. The snow fell. Soft, but not cold. He watched the towers of the keep - or at least the ones left. The roofs only the skeletal frames of wooden beams, blackened from fire doused ages ago. A warm wind caught his neck, like a breath, and it send shivers down his spine. He turned around, and realised it hadn't been snow. Ashes fell from the sky. In the distance dark, black clouds loomed, remaining still in one place.
Although he knew not what was happening, instinctively he knew in his soul; the end of the world.​

"Master Aurel?" The voice came from far above, as if he had been buried between layers of heavy blankets. His thoughts couldn't find their way, knotted and tangled into a mess that made no sense. "Master Aurel!" Once more that voice rang through, and he tried to answer it, but his speech got lost in that same maze of thoughts. Instead he let out a confused sputter, before the weight dragged him down again.
Two guards carried Aurel back inside, each one supporting him under one arm as he hung limply and heavy. His eyes had rolled back, leaving only whites under his fluttering eyelids, except whenever a bit of conscious caused him to struggle - before he lost himself again. Although naturally pale, his skin now had an unhealthy, nearly grey hue. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead and neck, yet despite that he was cold, to the point of shivering. Each breath was heavy, strained and slow. Despite that each time a flutter of conscious came to him, it appeared that feverish words were on his lips but never managed to spill out.
The guards laid him down as soon as they had made their way inside the keep, and called for help.

GamerCarrot Dragongal augmentedspartan Spazzycat101

 

[InsanEleven]

The town centre was bustling with life - and whispered rumours. Another creature had been seen, and soon enough the word 'monster' was whispered through Amershire. For many it was like a curse, a rumour that had better stayed a rumour rather than reality, but for some that word was a blessing in disguise; a chance for money, for glory, to test their prowess and prove themselves worthy. There were indeed many reasons why one would be eager to hear that word, even when laced with fear and nervousness.

A few guards walked into the very centre of town, a stack of hastily penned papers dispersed around the main thoroughfares; the market, the gates, and the taverns.

A Monster Has Been Sighted in Waltrand!
By decree of Count Sigmund II,
All men able and willing are to report to the barracks
A search will be undertaken at dawn to draw out the monster
Those aiding in its destruction will be rewarded with a gold piece
For the prosperity of Amershire!​

Soon enough the papers had garnered quite some attention, mostly from the worried populace, but occasionally a less nervous figure appraised the job offered. Chasers of money, fame and adventure; mercenaries, veterans, the shady and grimy who lived their lives in blood and conquest, and sometimes a soul guided by magic or devotion. Many walks of life came together for the purpose of ending a monster, but whether or not it would be enough was an entirely different question.

loyalwolf Solar Daddy Killershard GamerCarrot

Kain, Brynden, Cassius and Christor are on monster hunting duty. ​