x
(mountain where the monk stays)
Nastius was woken by a knock at the door.
"Young Lord, the general awaits your presence." The voice behind the door quiver and recedes.
This was normal behavior by the castle head. It would mean nothing to him if Ignastius was critically injured and he would ask for the same thing. With a grunt he gets up and dress rather quickly, speeding through the most basic of hygiene. The servant was still standing by the door, head down. The walk was silent, but he could still hear the soft sniffles from the servant. He could see all the signs of a hard day.
Unlike usual the king was not in his room but was standing in the middle of the foyer. Like usual he was ordering servants around and hitting them if they don't understand his command. As Nastius approach closer he could see them scampering around like mice do when caught by a predator. It looked like they were moving paintings and furnishings around.
A loud slap resounded in the air, followed by shouting as the king berated a young girl for some folly.
""First Prince and lieutenant Ignastius Kami Wolfgang of Ignasualt greets King and Brigadier General Crux Rolfphendite Wolfgang of Ignasualt." Nastius stated and bowed once he was close enough.
Finally, the attention of the king had turn on him.
"Took you long enough to come. There's much work to be done. I don't want any of those filthy scoundrels touching anything of worth in this castle. Neither do I want them anywhere close to my quarters." As always, a string of commands followed with his bad mood.
"Yes, sir." He kept his head bowed like the rest of the servants.
"They will be sharing your portion. There is already not enough for me anyways."
There never seem to be enough food. Not in the castle of the village by the mountains. Nastius felt that was something only critical to Ignasualt as when compare with the rest of the empire, food didn't kook quite as lacking, not even in obscure little towns. Although, it was an unspoken rule to not talk about it, Nastius felt the need to try. Not just for the castle keepers but for the villagers who felt hungry enough to commit what his father would consider treason and for that little boy Collin and his friend Havard.
"My king....If it is not too much, I was wondering if I could put word in with the church for some rations." He did it.
The silent washed away all sense of fleeting hope. Nastius kept his head down, fearing what sight may behold him.
It went on for some more before it started to feel overwhelming.
Then he felt a sharp pain to his head. Then another and another. It coordinated from his head and face to his stomach. Nastius knew to drop to his knees for mercy as it would be when the king felt he had had enough. However, that wasn't the usual for today and he felt wave of painful kicks belittled his body. It went on for a long time of ruthless pain. Nastius knew that doing anything would just make things worse so he endured it.
Blood had started to trickle down his head and stain his eyesight, but nevertheless he endured. His nose too had begun to overrun with blood as a small puddle started to form, but he endured. Once the pool of blood was big enough and Nastius could feel himself gasping for breath did the king relented.
"Stupid, fucking boy. Just like your bitchy mother. Wothless waste of space. Why did I ever have a son like you." The king's voice bellowed over him, distant and hazy.
There was a tingly high-pitched ringing in his ear, and he could hear the fading footsteps of perpetrator leaving. Nastius let out an aching relieved sigh. He had endured, nevertheless. Albeit it was a little more gruesome than usual. With just his fading consciousness, Nastius could feel the hurry of the servants' footsteps and whispers of apologies as his body was lifted.
What hold does the church have over the king of Ignasualt?
~
Nastius opened his eyes to see he was right back where he had started. It had been a while since the king had let out his anger on him. He felt sorry for leaving the servants to his furry. It was he who was supposed to shelter most of the viscousness. They weren't strong enough to escape it.
Sigh.
A quick look to his left and he could see that he slept most of the day. The sun was slowly sinking from its highest point.
Nastius took his time to get up, bandages constrained his motions from head to toe. He did not want to see his reflection. The fireplace had been lit and there was a plate of food and tea waiting on the nightstand. A fur robe lied at the end of the bed.
The servants indeed always knew what he needed.
Quickly, he finished the food and put on the robe. Although time had been lost, he could still do some things before the days end. Outside his room the halls were quiet. It was clean and looking emptier than ever before. The valiant portraits of the king that decorated the halls had been taken down and any remains of gold or jewelry was also. Even in the foyer, where he had gotten ruthlessly beaten, was spotless.
"Young Lord, it is good to see you well, although a bit too quickly." A young boy who had been near stopped to greet him.
"I am feeling better. Thank you for the concern but we both have a huge task to complete, and I have already wasted enough time." There wasn't any time for rest and fretful words.
The boy gave a nod.
"Show me around so I can access what we can and cannot do in the meantime."
Nastius was hoping to get an overview of the castle maintenance.
Without any further delay, the boy led him through the many areas within the castle. The place looked scare and even more barren than ever. The raging blizzard outside and the white wasteland looked more enticing than his supposed living space.
The young boy walked him through what was going on and what was going to be done. Each room was being raided for valuables and treasure. Expensive fabric and clothing were being taken into storage.
It was decided that the mercenaries would be kept in the great hall, near the servants.
"I think it would be better to keep them near the kitchen of secondary dinning hall when they come t stay. Some maids aren't comfortable enough staying near strangers."
The boy nod, looking quite please.
Then, there was a matter on rations. Nobody was willing to share simply because there wasn't enough to share to begin with.
"I will get more food and rations tomorrow." Thankfully, he did get allowance from the king, it wasn't much but it was there.
"Thank you!! Thank you, my Lord!!" The boy jumped up and down and hugged him tight.
"Ouch." It really did. He would also get some medicine also. There was talk of a hidden pharmacy in Einshire's capital which sell good medicine for cheap.
"I am so sorry my Lord." The boy bowed and apologized profusely, reeling back out of fear of punishment.
Nastius felt disgust at the reaction. He did not want his father to be reflected in their eyes every time an occurrence like this happened. To reassure the young boy he gently patted his head.
"There is still much to do."
Swiftly the boy regained his stature and the tour continued. It was night by the time Nastius had returned to his room. The only thing he wish for was to be heal overnight quickly before tomorrow journey. He had no choice to continue onwards.
Sleep overtook him as he lay on the soft mattress.
~
The next day was even busier than before. The entire castle was clean from top to bottom. There was no room that was spared of thorough examination and there was no capable hand not put in use. Despite the grunt of the chore many were happy because the king had yet to make an appearance ever since yesterday.
Nastius was most relieved by this predicament. He made sure to check on the progress of his militia. They had to fight without him for several days. It was no surprise when he found most of them in bandages, lying weak on the sick beds of the servant's quarters. A few has pass away and their belonging and last of their salary had been given to their family. Although, what little money that was given wouldn't be enough for a proper funeral. The soldiers looked beat down and pale, resembling the cold wintery landscape.
The attacks from the monsters and beast did not let up. It seemed to increase in intensity. However, the place of attack stayed the same. The monsters always spawn from the northern woodlands. Mysterious and violent beings with contorted appearances. Even the king battled with them when he was younger and all the kings before him. No one knew where this started or when it began. Others saw them as excess power from the sprites from the Great War, but that seemed impossible considering the war was hundreds of years ago and all sprites were eradicated. The only proof of their existence told in bedtime stories to scare children.
Nastius left the servants quarters with no better than when he came in. This problem would not be fix with just some mercenaries, no, he would have to get to the root of the problem before anything can ever change.
For now, there was another situation that is in need of urgent care.
Food.
There would be a lot more people coming here, and food will be even tighter. Although mercenaries would be equipped to adapt to any change, they would be a fool to overestimate Ignasualt.
Wasting no time, he prepared for the journey. After making sure all of his supplies were good, he called a servant to fetch him a sturdy horse. Soon he was in front of the castle gate as it lowered down, a vast landscape peering overhead.
"Ha!!" Nastius lightly heeled his horse to start galloping.
The weather was rather calm, but he knew it could change within any moment. He could feel the difference between this new horse and his previous steed. It was much slower but still unwavering. He made it to the village safely but didn't stop until he reached the mountain.
It has only been two days since he was last here, hopefully, the villagers hunger haven not started yet again, and he would not have to give up another horse. As he dismounted, he could see the weary eyes piercing his back.
Ignastius had no intention to turn around and continue with what he was doing. He made sure to guide his horse with him into the cave.
The monk from before sat motionless at the entrance of the cave.
"Off on another adventure young prince."
The monk did not open his eyes, he looked undisturbed by the harsh winds or the temperature.
"Food supplies are running low." This was not the first time he had done this.
"Yet again." The monk let out a sigh, "You are very much your mother's son. However, you are just as much as your father. Don't make the same mistake as he did."
Nastius was yet again met with the same phrase. What exactly had the king done? The Church already knew his plans and it was exactly the same as what the king had done. Why were they so against this idea? If so, why had they never sent help or enough food to at least satiate the issue? It felt like a punishment instead of a reward for helping keep the beasts of the northern woods away.
"I will never be like my father." He said this in the most emotionless voice.
No, he would never become like his father. If what he was doing now was wrong, if wanting to put an end to a disease-like problem and providing safety to the people of his realm was a bad idea then he was unsure of what being right was. Nor did he want to find out.
The monk let out a yawn before stretching and getting up. He walked into the cave.
Nastius followed not too far behind with his horse. Once he saw the pillars again he knew they had made it and swiftly went to settle his horse somewhere, taking off his heavy cloak and laying it on the ground for the horse. Although, the process of laying the horse down was a bit difficult and filled with protest and huffs, it finally complied.
"Look after my horse for a while." He felt like he could trust the monk with just this. He had never seen him eat anything all the times he had visited him. Unless he was in the mood for raw meat, it was less than likely he would eat his horse as he rarely ever leave the mountain.
"Quite a shame what happened to your prized steed the last time." There was slight chuckled to the monk's voice.
Despite this he shrugged and continue on.
Nastius walked over to the center of the cave where the light shone down onto the magic faint magic circle. It began to glow, and a beam of light shone up from the ground.
"Safe travels, young prince."
Ignastius said nothing to the monk and stepped onto the teleportation pad. He could once again feel the chill of the power than ran through him as he was transported. There were many pads that were all connected. He thought of the town closest to the capital of the empire. Thankfully there was one that was an old one that no one barely used.
Once he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by old stumps of moldy wood. It was dark but there was a big enough opening for him to climb through. Usually, he would never ever think of going near the capital for food supply, but he would also need cheap but quality medicine. There was a pharmacy he heard of through one of the mercenary guilds which sell good medicine for affordable prices.
Nastius looked around at his surroundings. There was a meadow not too far from where he was standing. He could see a farm ahead of the meadow and beyond there was farms which were divided by a road leading to the capital. The little clearing, he had teleported in provided a little relief from the sudden change in temperature. He looked down at the dead trees that covered the pad that he had come through. There wasn't a lot of them so he could try to move them aside so he can use it again. Once he had managed to accomplish the task, he decided to mark the area. There was something off about the woodland though. It felt like it was waning in life force and each branch he tried to hold onto would snap very easily and the leaves and grass felt brittle and lacking any nutrients.
As he made it out of the clearing, the sun was high in the sky and not to draw much attention he quickly sneaked around. It felt rather odd to him, a prince, moving so much like a thief. He wondered time to time if this was how life was like for the rest of the princes, but it felt unfathomable that the rest of them would ever do something like this.
Thankfully most of the farmers and families in the area were busy working on the fields to notice any strange individual sneaking about, and Nastius was able to enter their houses without being spotted. Quickly, he searched their rooms without making leaving much of a mess. He was able to find suitable clothes, a light cloak, and a satchel. Satisfied with his find he changed his outfit and downed on the cloak before leaving a single gold coin for whoever family lived in the house.
With the new change in clothing, he felt lighter than before, and the heat bother him less. Nastius followed the aforementioned road. It wouldn't take long before he would reach the capital. Nobody paid attention to his presence as he walked pass them, either too busy with their work or not caring much about another fellow commoner.
It wasn't long before the acres of farmland dwindle, and the cityscape peeked at him beyond the horizon. The capital of Einshire, Derrien shone brightly. The quietness of the countryside trickled off into banter and laughter. There was a line of merchants and sellers passing through a check point before entering the city. He had heard that you would need some form of ID to enter the city, but they can easily be bought off.
So, before he could get in line, Nastius took out two gold coins from his coin pouch before hiding it.
The line moved rather quickly and by the time it was his turn, Nastius pretends to have lost his coin pouch, only to pull out two gold coins from his pocket and regretfully gave them to the guards.
He could hear them snickering and laughing before finally excepting the money and pushing him through the gates.
With a sigh, he dusted himself off before maneuvering through the crowded street. It was much louder in the city than out; people were shouting from one end to another. There was much gossip in the streets, one in particular was about the soon coming Rite of Accension.
It was happening much faster than the previous Rites of Accensions, which was very strange considering how particular the church was about such an occasion.
However, Ignastius couldn't dwindle on the thought much longer and remembered the directions to the pharmacy he had heard from the guild.
By east side of the city, hidden by a dark alley, next to a fabric store. Just follow the soulless eyes.
The direction was very accurate as he started to follow the sketchier individuals within the city. Soon he was led to a dark alley which connected to another part of the city, much different from the one he saw when he first got in.
It was more run down than the main streets and more people linger silently by the corners.
Then he saw it, the hanging sign for the fabric store and next to it was a very inconspicuous building. It looked more like a home than anything and nothing could be seen through the windows. He bet many people had passed it without much thought to what it was.
Nastius walked up to the door and knocked, He wondered if anyone was home as it was so quiet from the outside. To his surprise the door opened, and a very young-looking teen stood in front of him. He wasn't very tall and Nastius towered over him. His lilac hair reached down to his back. Despite his youthful look, the teen face was sharp and filled with strong disinterest.
"Are you going to come in or not?" Even his voice was sharp.
Nastius wasted no time and stepped into the rather bright building.
There were candles lit everywhere and once the door was closed he couldn't hear anything from the outside.
A soundproof house. Perfect for secrecy or hiding.
There was a ceiling to floor cabinet full of what looked like medicine and serum to the right of the entrance. What looked to be a receptionist desk was placed adjacent to the cabinet. Nastius watched as the teen went behind the desk, moving things around before staring straight at him.
"So... You want something or not?" He looked annoyed at his very existence.
Does he treat all his customer like this? At least the einshirians are blatant about disliking you.
"I want medicine for cuts and bruises, as well as ones for pain relief."
Wasting no time, the boy gathered all the materials he needed and carefully put them in a bag, then he took out a piece of paper and a fountain pen to write down something.
"Here's the instructions. Follow them if you want to but don't come back if something goes wrong. That will be ten silver coins or ten francs." He held out his hand expectantly.
Nastius was pleased by the rather cheap price. He had packed a lot of gold and just enough silver, copper and francs for the journey. Once he handed over the money the teen seemed to forget his existence entirely and went on to do something else.
Figuring that was his cue to leave he no later found the door and left.
It was a rather strange place, but he hoped the rumors were true and he had not wasted his time there. Soon he retraced his steps back to the main street and went looking for food. With all the merchants that were coming inn before it was easy for him to find the farmer's market. The prices were a little high and he wondered if it was because he was in the capital. but he didn't really want to be wondering around the empire so quickly after the last, so, he disgruntledly bought enough food to fill his satchel and then some before deciding it was high time he gone.
As he was nearing the gates, he saw a commotion. People were gathering around a big circle. With a glimpse he caught the sight of a paladin. Nastius almost stopped right there but continue walking to the gate.
"Can't you believe it? An underground gambling ring here in our city." Hushed whispers sprawled out from the crowd and infected the surrounding people.
"But there's gambling rings everywhere in the city, so why are they doing something about it now?"
Nastius saw a group of men lying on the ground in the middle of the circle of people. They all looked the typical gambler and addicts, which was odd considering that gambling wasn't something the church usually looked into.
Deciding not to get too close he swiftly left the gates of the city and journey on from where he came.
Shortly, the noise of the city died down to the wistful singing of birds in the country. The farmers were still working on their fields none the wiser of their surroundings.
Nastius made his way back to the clearing, looking for the marked spots he had put on the trees. When he found them, he quickly made his way back to the dead trees. With them out of his way he said the spell needed to whisk him off. The familiar chill entrapped his body as the encompassing landscape morph into nothingness.
The next time his opened his eyes he was back in the cave, with the howling wind welcoming him back home.
His horse sat exactly where he left it and the monk was not too far from it.
"Welcome back, my prince. I see you got a handful." The monk responded to his manifestation with a playful smile.
"See, I didn't eat your steed. Not even one bit or hair." He stood up with a crack in his joints.
Ignastius thanked him by trying to hand him an apple, but he refused and sighed.
"I'm trying to take care of my figure you see so don't mind me. We of the church don't need as much nutrients as the rest." Something about the way he said that didn't sit well with Nastius.
However, he brushed it off in favor of putting on his heavier clothes over the ones he borrowed for extra protection from the cold before, rearranging all that he has gotten and walking over to his horse.
"Hopefully, it will be a while until you come back, young prince." The monk voice sounded far off and heavy.
He knew what that meant. It seemed that everyone knew what he was up to and they were just waiting for him to fail and all he could do was continue to walk into a trap. There wasn't much else he could do.
Nastius thought about this as he walked down the mountain, through the ghost-like village and as he rode his horse through the wintery landscape. There was no sun and the only noise that permeated through the vast landscape was the howling wind and the labored breathing of his horse. His fate was sealed under the thick snow and he would gladly accept it if it meant there could be solace for the weary people of Ignasualt.
(picture of jackal outfit but not same face)
~
It wasn't supposed to go this way. Jackal scoffed at the mess that was the red paladins, who usually would not make any mistakes and were perfect toy soldiers for the church. The leader of the underground boxing ring was no more a simple and sleazy black-market dealer.
Anwir Dolion Escroc.
That was the name of the guy who had somehow evaded capture twenty times now. It wasn't even like he was good at hiding his presence. He was found at bars, taverns, alleyways, stores and walking around without a care in the world. Jackal wasn't sure if he was brave and daring or foolish and reckless. Despite this each time it looked like he would be an easy kill, he would just disappear or slipped out of their grasp. Now in the middle of the busy street nearing the city's gate the red paladins had busted a gambling rig where Anwir was said to be. As expected, he was. However, the usual capture and interrogate routine haven't been going according to plan.
Once again, Arwin escapes without a trace, and it was the first time he had seen a red paladin throw a tantrum. Violently, beating and taking in everyone included in the gambling ring as on-goers formed a circle around them, although nobody had the guts to say anything.
There was a desperation in the air that Jackal couldn't help but chuckle at, but it left him with a feeling of uncertainty and more questions than answers.
ns3.14.144.145da2
