Robin POV: Rolls: 3/3, 10/10
As you watch Ryza's draconic form fly away, the faint cries of Lady Sypha hanging on the wind, you hope that the kids would be okay. Ryza's smart, of course, and a good fighter for all that she looks like a fresh-faced child. However, she's also clearly very sheltered, and even with a map finding one's way over long distances could suck…
"Spirits, I hope we made the right choice…" one of Mantrae's yeomen mutters. "Letting the young lady go with that… thing…"
Kelton raps the other man on the shin. "Ryza ain't a thing!" he hisses. "She's a nice little kid who helped me save my sister out of the goodness of her heart!" He looks around. "Look, what's done is done, now we need to figure out how to get ourselves out of here."
"Kelton's right," Claire says, causing the other soldier to jerk slightly, seemingly caught between anger and surprise. The woman pointedly ignores him, instead turning to look at you. "Will you be coming with us?"
"Aye," you say. "It's the best way to ensure that I don't disappoint Ryza by getting myself killed."
This is… only arguably true. You would probably have a better chance by splitting off, letting Mantrae's people take the heat from the Talons and slip away yourself. However… Ryza had achieved a miracle by finding a peaceful solution to this mess. It seems a poor repayment, to simply leave the people she had worked so hard to keep friendly to potentially die in flames. Especially Kelton, who the little manakete clearly adores.
No, you're going to do everything you can to keep these people alive.
Looking around, you gesture at the map you'd kept, the one that had more of the Empire in it. "I think we should follow young Lord Bernard's advice," you say. "He gave us a letter of introduction to his father's ally. Our best chance is to use it."
Sir Ector bristles slightly. "I have a duty to report to my Countess as soon as possible," he says.
You nod. "I understand, sir. Truly, I do; I would feel the same if our positions were reversed. However, with the most important objective already achieved: Lady Sypha on her way to safety, our secondary objective should be to ensure that these Talons never have the chance to hunt her or Lady Artemis again. Sadly, we can't wipe them off the face of the continent ourselves, but if we report their misdeeds…"
"Especially since they seriously harmed an Imperial Baron's son," Sir Ector says icily. "I see your point, Agrithian." He grimaces. "Still, it feels like I'm running away…"
The thing is, you understand that feeling well. Despite your dress, methods and generally laid-back demeanor, you are a knight yourself. You swore knightly vows to Archduke Cartese, just as Sir Ector swore to Countess Mantrae. While not an explicit oath, all true knights accept that when something goes wrong in a task they were commanded to undertake, they should not hide or make excuses, but face up to their liege and accept whatever judgement comes.
However, you also have the (relatively) unbiased view to point out why a delayed return is the right call in this case. "Which would be worse? To report a little later, having taken actions that would ensure the protection of her family? Or to never report at all?" The other knight frowns, shifting his wyrmbane from arm to arm, and you push your advantage. "These are your soldiers, so the ultimate decision is yours. I will do everything in my power to aid you either way, as Ryza and Lady Artemis would want me to, but I do think going to Baron Warwick-Lightbringer of Starshire is the best choice."
Looking around, Sir Ector meets every man (and both women's) eyes. Slowly, he nods. "It is the option that will give us the best chance of survival," he says. "While I am sure most of us would willingly lay down our lives to keep the people we are sworn to protect safe… they are already on their way to safety. They would want us to be safe as well." He strode over to his horse and swung himself into the saddle. "We ride towards Legerius for a minute," he says. "So that if the wyvern finds this site, it might be confused. Then, we turn towards Starshire."
A minute later, the troop rode off, their eyes on the sky.
Fortunately, it took the wyvern almost until daybreak to catch up to them. Unfortunately, it did catch up to them.
"Wyvern above!" you hiss, hugging the cloak-covered backpack that would hopefully be mistaken for Ryza from the sky. Flickering in and out of the low-flying clouds above then, revealed by its flaming wings, was the Talon's wyvern-rider. Grabbing your spyglass, you peer up at it.
The woman was still there, this time fully armored. Sitting on the wyvern behind her, pointing down and shouting something, was a cloaked man. You grimace: that must be their mage. A part of you is glad Ryza isn't actually here. You can't explain why the way she probably could, but you do know enough about magic to know that wind magic was inherently effective against her lightning magic. However, even if she was using countered magic, at least she would have been able to provide magic.
Sir Ector swallows, but nods. "I suppose it was too much to hope it would wander off and miss everyone," he says. "Though better it found us than Lady Sypha." You nod yourself: that is true. While you would prefer to live, to not cause further pain to Lady Artemis and Ryza, so long as she is able to take Lady Sypha back to Agrithe, the mission will be successful.
A moment later, there were a few gasps as a jet of fire flashed through the air. "Steady!" you call as some of the younger members of the troop cry out. "It's just letting the rest of the Talons know where we are." That isn't a good thing, of course, but it's not a cause for immediate concern.
"So what do we do now?" Belle asks, looking up nervously. For all that the woman was clearly an experienced thief, being hunted by a giant, flying, fire-breathing lizard is a bit more instinctually stressful than being hunted by men.
"We keep going," Sir Ector says. "We can't stop. That would give the others time to catch up. We're a strong enough force that the wyvern won't challenge us directly, they'll just try to slow us down."
The cavalier was right, of course. The wyvern started shallow dives several times, sending out jets of fire and trying to spook them, but the group kept riding. Five bows were constantly kept ready, and you constantly calculated angles and wind patterns: if that beast came too close, it would have to contend with so many arrows even it would be forced to back off. Especially since it was not nearly as maneuverable with two riders.
In hindsight, someone should have focused more on where they were going.
As the troop rode out of the forest and onto a road, hoping to move a little faster towards Starshire, Sir Ector called for a halt. "What ar-" you start to ask, only to see the line of men, some mounted and some dismounted, standing across the road in front of you.
For an instant, you think that the Talons somehow predicted exactly where you were going and had moved to cut you off. You brace yourself, reassuring yourself that Ryza and Lady Sypha were safe, that they had a clear shot to Agrithe. Then, you recognize that one of the cavaliers is carrying a big banner depicting a night sky split by a beam of light.
"Hold!" a imperious-sounding man's voice calls as the central figure steps forward, a glinting golden tome open in his hand and light flashing around him. "You enter the lands for Baron Warwick-Lightbringer, and you are pursued by a wyvern! Throw down your weapons, and I will allow you to plead your case! Resist, and I will have my men ride you down and put you to the sword like the bandits you surely are!"
"What a nice guy we were sent to talk to…" Belle muttered bitterly, clearly itching to get off the horse and make a break for it.
Slowly, carefully, Sir Ector impaled his lance in the ground next to his horse. "Your Lordship, Baron Warwick!" he calls, gesturing for all of you to lower your weapons. "I am Sir Ector of Legerius, and I come bearing a vital message from Young Lord Bernard Rickman of Wyrmbone Mountain! The wyvern you speak of seeks to prevent this message from reaching you." He gestures. "As you can see, it is fleeing rather than moving to assist your lawful interception."
Glancing up, you see that the other knight is right: the wyvern's flaming wings are already receding into the distance. You let out a slow breath, you'd expected at least one major attempt by it to kill or wound your horses to slow you all down so you couldn't reach Starshire, but it seemed the Sentinel protected.
Meanwhile, Sir Ector had pulled out the letter and held it up. "I have the message here: Young Lord Rickman insisted that it be given to you at once."
Baron Warwick frowns as he stares at you: you can't get a clear look at him due to the distance, but it's clear he's not convinced. "And why is a Kingdom knight in the Empire?" he calls back. "And why would Bernard trust you to carry a message? Especially since he vanished."
Sir Ector nods. "It is natural that you are suspicious, my lord," he says. "But Young Lord Rickman disappeared while he was escorting my Countess's daughter back to Legerius, and it is for this reason we came to rescue her. They are both safe, thank the spirits. However, I am sure you would prefer to read this in the young lord's words."
The Baron nods and gestures for the banner-carrying cavalier. The rider canters forwards, quickly reaching you all and holding out her hand for the letter. Sir Ector gives it to her, and with one last suspicious glare, the woman turns and rides back to her lord. You settle in patiently, keeping one eye up in case the wyvern decides to come back and do something stupid.
Baron Warwick quickly takes the letter from his banner-woman and, after briefly studying the crude seal the boy had managed to get onto it while Ryza had been casting her ritual, opened it up and started reading. You hadn't been able to see the exact words, but as you see the man go ridged, you can guess Young Lord Bernard was mostly honest.
Finally, after a minute, Baron Warwick looks up. "Approach, so that we might have a proper conversation," he calls. There is an undercurrent of fury in his voice, but it doesn't seem to be directed at you anymore. He closes his tome with a snap and gestures for his soldiers to stand down. None of them put their weapons away, but they settle back to watch.
Carefully, you sling your bow over your shoulder as you approach with the others. As you reach the line of soldiers in front of the Baron, Sir Ector swings himself from the saddle, gestures for the rest of you to stay put, and approaches with a bow. "Your Lordship," he says.
"Is this true?" Baron Warwick asks sharply, gesturing with the letter.
"It is, Your Lordship," Sir Ector says. "The wyvern hunting us was the leader of the Talon chapter that kidnapped not only Young Lord Rickman, but our Lady Sypha as well. They were pursuing us in the hopes of reclaiming them."
The Baron's face turns a blotchy red in the light of the rising sun. "Treacherous swine…" he growls, glaring in the direction that the wyvern had fled in. "Bernard. Where is he?"
Sir Ector pauses, clearly pondering his words as you tense. Ryza… you don't think she yet truly understands just how dangerous her nature is for her. If Sir Ector does not chose how to say this carefully, he could start a-
"Respectfully, Your Lordship, some things are best said in some confidence," Sir Ector says, looking around at the surrounding soldiers. "I swear that they are safe, the young lord and Lady Sypha, with an ally that Lady Sypha expressed complete trust in. Young Lord Rickman also decided to trust this ally." He glances back at you. "Besides, it is not… my story to tell."
Baron Warwick glances at you, glances back at the letter, and sighs. "He did write that you would likely say something like that," he mutters. "And it does ring true: neither of them are here, and you would not leave your Lady's daughter without a trusted guardian." Straightening, he nods. "Either way, by your actions this night, you have done a great service not only for Legerius, but for Mt. Wyrmbone as well. And, since Silvin Rickman is my close personal friend and ally, any service you have done for him, I consider a service for myself as well." Finally, he smiles. "I bid you welcome to Starshire, sir knight and associates. Apologies for the less than gracious meeting; I have been patrolling my lands diligently ever since the young lord was taken. My daughter has been distraught; she will be most happy to hear he is safe." He gestures for one of his men to bring his horse forward. "But enough talk here; you are all exhausted. Come, come, let us return to my home, so that you might rest!"
Sir Ector bows again before returning to his horse. "Your intervention was most welcome, Your Lordship," he says. "We had held the wyvern at bay, but eventually we would have tired, and it would have been free to attempt to harass us. It is possible we would have taken casualties before we could reach you."
As the Baron's men formed up around the tired troop of Kingdom fighters, you allow yourself to feel hopeful. Baron Warwick's gratitude seemed genuine, so with any luck he would allow you all to go with his blessing and an escort after his curiosity has been satisfied.
Perhaps his gratitude will even be such that you won't have to give up any part of Ryza's secret to satisfy that curiosity. Sir Ector seems willing to defer to you on that point, and Young Lord Bernard hadn't immediately spilled the beans either. You'd intended to hold onto her draconic heritage until the bitter end, but you might not even have to give up her magical abilities in anything but the most general of terms.
Only time will tell, but you're hopeful.
Jenna Flarestone POV: Roll: 9/10
"Come on out, come on out, that's a good artifact…" you murmur to yourself as you carefully tug what looks like some shards of a stone tablet from under the rubble you'd been carefully dusting around for the past few minutes.
When Countess Mantrae had asked you to look into something, you had been concerned. Not only was there always a fair bit to do keeping the various runic rooms and tools around the castle in full working order, but you don't want to abandon your lady when things were so tense with her missing daughter.
However, when she'd called you into one of her receiving rooms, you knew she was going to be sending you where she felt you were needed most.
"You heard about the… guests, we had here yesterday, did you not?" she asked, somehow managing to look calm and put-together despite the absolute mess her world was in right now. If your only daughter had been stolen away, and the only way to get her back risked breaking a vital alliance with a stronger kingdom… you'd probably be curled up under as many blankets as you could find praying for the nightmare to end. Or setting things on fire at random.
You nod, forcing yourself not to make things worse for her. "Yes. I heard something about a scroll that one of the guards found, and I'd been planning on going and trying to get a look at it… but then I was called to view that… scene, up in the tower."
You had only seen magical destruction on that level once before. You had been in your last year at the Marble Hall, and you'd had the terrifying pleasure of getting to see Archmage Stormspeaker testing Mjolnir. The sight of one of the Mastercrafts at work, even only in a calm, controlled environment, had been awe-inspiring. A block of granite, large enough to carve a life-size statue out of, reduced to ash and powder… it had stuck with you.
When you'd walked into that room… spirits, the smell of burned flesh, charred wood, scorched stone… it was clear something powerful had been there. Something that wielded lightning magic to a degree you had only seen from the most powerful of sages…
The Countess had nodded. "I believe that those two things are related," she says. She didn't openly… admit, to what happened, even though you both know. Some things were best left unsaid. "And it is in Legerius's best interests that more is known. I need you to take a small expedition and go back to the mountain where Lady Artemis was ambushed and see what you can find out about her small friend."
You hadn't wanted to do it, but when your Countess commanded you, you had to obey. You'd grabbed a few soldiers, convinced Sir Octavio to accompany you on Her Ladyship's suggestion, and ridden towards the Narrow Pass.
It had taken a few days to find the ambush site, and another day after that to find the ruins themselves… but as soon as you did, you'd finally been happy to be there.
"Look at the size of this door!" you'd cried, running your fingers around the ruined entryway. "No doubt about it, this is Pre-Fell work! Look at the patterns, it's been like this for eons, but you can still see some of the runework, or at least what's left of it! This must have been the main entrance, where guests would be invited in…"
"It's just an old dragon lair…" someone muttered from the back.
"All the more reason to be excited! With how far this is from the usual trade routes and the fact that no word of it had reached us, it's probably survived the worst of the looting that normally happens. We might discover something interesting!"
Indeed, you had found many interesting things. It was clear the thousand years had taken their toll on this, and it was also clear that some looting had happened over the centuries, but the site was still remarkable! You'd lost track of how many pages in your journal you'd filled with various sketches, maps, and hypotheses. Countess Mantrae had told you not to worry about things back in Legerius, that there was a plan, and that it was vital that she know as much as possible about the girl that had apparently lived here.
Frowning, you turn the broken stone over in your hands, noting the scratches that had probably once been runes before time wore them away… You still have no real evidence about her. You'd read over the conversations the Agrithians and the girl herself had participated in before they'd either esc- vanished, or clammed up. It was clear there was something special about her, the various pieces of evidence didn't fit together unless she was something more than a little girl following Lady Artemis like a lost kitten. The most likely explanation remained that she was the daughter of some sages who had discovered the site and been in the process of studying it themselves… but somehow that just didn't seem right to you.
You'd found the remnants of the camp the bandits had set up, but it had been a crude, temporary thing. You hadn't found any signs of serious study: just the typical quick and dirty looting. You scowl: how many priceless treasures that could give answers had instead been destroyed or shoved into the pockets of scum who would never appreciate them, just trying to make some quick coin?
Shaking your head, you try to refocus on the matter at hand, you need to get your countess information, something that she could use if things went even more pear-shaped than they already were. If she had spent long enough to call this place home, there should be some clues about her somewhere.
"Mistress Flarestone!"
Turning, you see Sir Octavio making his way towards you. "Did you find something?" you ask, standing and dusting your skirt off. The man looked… nervous, if also somewhat excited.
"Yes, we did," he said. "You remember that passage, the one that was almost entirely collapsed? A few of the boys were digging at that, seeing if there was a way someone could sneak through if they were small and agile enough, and they… well, you have to see it for yourself."
The pair of you quickly hustled through the corridors, occasionally spotting other soldiers dubiously digging through various remnants. You wished you could have brought your apprentice along, or better yet, gotten a few peers with similar interests as you from the Hall. Sadly, you had the people you had, not the ones you wished. You gave them encouraging smiles and words as you passed, hoping they wouldn't break anything.
When you reach the collapsed passage, you see the three soldiers who'd been looking at it standing off to the side, whispering worriedly to each other. "What is it?" you ask. They simply swallow and point. Frowning, you walk over, wondering what had them spooked. Even the remnants of the mass pyre for those poor Agrithians hadn't…
Slowly, you sink to your knees. "Oh…"
Staring back at you from the hole in the rubble is the mostly-intact skull of a dragon. You immediately dismiss the idea that it's a wyvern: the horns are in the wrong position, the muzzle is too wide, it's too big… no, this is a dragon skull. Probably an adult, based on the size…
It's one thing to logically reason out that this was a Pre-Fell dragon's home. It's another to see what is probably the remains of the occupant, empty eye-holes staring at you as if judging you for invading its domain despite having been dead for centuries.
As you touch your tome and light a flame in your hands to get a better look, you see something glinting further back as it catches the light. Feeling a sudden sense of vertigo, you carefully reach in, desperately keeping your fingers from shaking as you pull the object out.
Slowly, first one piece, then a second, the two parts of a broken dragonstone are pulled from the rubble, where they had once sat at the back of the dragon's throat. Ignoring the gasps behind you, you turn the pieces over in your hand: aside from the one clean break that had probably come when a rock had fallen in just the wrong way, probably killing the dragon itself in the process… this stone is whole. No sign of harvesting… just a broken dragonstone.
It's dusty and dull… but even so, you can see the clear yellow sheen under the dirt.
This hadn't been just any dragon. This had been a lightning dragon.
The memory of the thunder-scoured room fills your mind… from the pattern, it was clear that the caster had been at the window, likely the source of the claw marks on the outer wall…
A lightning dragon… could have easily done those things… their breath would certainly have been powerful enough to cause that sort of damage… The hypothesis that had been building in the back of your mind clawed its way forward, and you desperately arrange your thoughts to try and see if there are any holes…
Fact: Ryza considered this place home.
Fact: She knew it well enough to guide Lady Artemis out despite multiple bandit hunting parties.
Fact: There had been a mage involved, but nobody talked about them.
Fact: That mage had been a lightning mage: the other battle site had proved that.
Fact: Ryza had somehow managed to get Lady Artemis out of the castle tower.
Fact: The castle tower had clearly been assaulted by a large, flying, clawed lightning user.
Fact: This place had been a lightning dragon's lair.
Sinking back onto your heels, you stare at the broken dragonstone, hoping against hope that your lady hadn't inadvertently done what you think she'd done. You don't believe dragons were the mindless beasts of legend, but in some ways that would just make it worse. After all, hurting someone's loved one would drive any intelligent being to fury…
"Tell the others to gather what we have and find someplace to stash them, out of the way," you hear yourself saying, sounding far more calm than you feel. "Find a cloth or something to cover this up, I don't want any further damage. None of you breath a word about what we found here, understood? Then get ready to return to Legerius."
"Mistress Flarestone?" Sir Octavio says quietly. "What's wrong?"
You almost don't put your hypothesis into words, as if that would make it less real. You… have to, though. If something somehow happens to you, Countess Mantrae has to know what's happening.
"The girl," you whisper as the soldiers start gathering their armor and weapons and go to distribute your orders. "Ryza…" You swallow the fear that covers the excitement you'd felt ever since you set foot in this place.
"I… I think she's a dragon."
"And we made her mad."
AN: Normally I won't write side chapters like this, but since your allies got three basically maxed rolls in a row, I felt it would be fun to see what that looked like. There are other things going on, these are just two of the interesting ones.
Artemis also max-rolled on going to talk to Rignali, but that wasn't as interesting to me.
