Turn 7 - The fate of Lord Rítsarnt corpse.
Year 111
The party followed the guard Andronikos from the centre of town back towards the gate they had entered through. This time they took the main road rather than the back-alleys, which meant it should have taken no time at all. However, Andronikos was so scared they dragged their feet in a manner that remind Chrys of their brother Aristeidis every time he had to leave the library. As such, the party reached the gate well into midday.
Stepping out of the town, the party of cultivators couldn't help but relax somewhat, even as their guide started to quiver even more. As the gate swung shut behind them, accompanied by the sound of chains, Chrys patted Andronikos on the shoulder to comfort the man.
"Don't worry; we'll protect you."
Instead of being reassured Andronikos just continued to quiver in fright, refusing to take a single step forwards. Frowning Chrys shared a look with the rest of the party. At this rate, it would take well over the hour suggested to reach the site of the attack. Losing her patience, Jamie jabbed Andronikos in the small of his back. With a high pitched screech, he jumped forward in fright.
The man spun around, waving his short sword in front of him as he gibbered.
"Move it," Jamie growled at Andronikos. "The sooner you lead us to where Lord Rítsarnt was, the sooner you get to run back to town." For a moment Chrys thought that Andronikos would fall apart right there; however, the guard visibly straightened his back and began leading the group north away from the town and perpendicular to the road they had arrived by.
After a little over an hour, the group reached a rocky circle in the desert. His job now done Andronikos immediately broke into a run back to town, not even waiting for the party to thank him.
After taking a moment to watch the fleeing guard, Chrys turned back towards the rocky circle. The dark stains covering many of the rocks, along with slashes and chips cut out of the ground, made it obvious something had happened here. What was missing was any sign of a body.
"Guys, I don't think this was a sandworm" Lamar finally put forward. "Sandworms are historically found much further south or east of here. And they live in sand. Not rock."
"That's not the only problem" added Fin, who was kneeling by the largest and most central stain. "These blood splatters don't look anything like the remains from a wild beast attack."
"Right. Fin, Chrys collect some of the blood and see if you can't work out if it is human. Cassandra, Spy you two start your divinations. What happened here and where's the blood source. Lamar and I will keep watch."
Nodding at Jamie's orders, Chrys joined Fin near the central stain and began to channel their Qi. "Rejuvenating Art of the Blood Flow", primary a healing art to aid the flow of blood in patients, it could also refresh old blood. Further channelling their Qi Chrys brought the now bright red blood over onto a board Fin had set out.
The board was a tool used to identify blood for markers. Typically it was used when diagnosing a patient, but it could also reveal more esoteric properties, like if the blood was a cultivator's, human, or even any known clan bloodline.
With Fin supplied Chrys looked over to Spy, who had his own board out along with several talismans set out around him, and Cassandra, who was drawing a series of glowing symbols in the air.
Checking neither of them needed any aid Chrys joined Jamie and Lamar keeping watch and prepared for some slow and sweltering few hours.
---
As expected, Fin finished his analysis first. The blood was a goat's. Not human. With the news, Jamie laid out the three possibilities. One, Lord Rítsarnt was riding a goat, got swallowed whole, and cut his mount on the way out. It was a stupid possibility, but they had to consider everything.
Two, with the Lord missing the whole town decided to fake his death. In that case, they had a town of very dedicated liars who needed a meddle. No one pointed out what else they would be receiving in that case. Not yet, at least.
Three, someone else faked his death, which meant either kidnapping or a runaway.
Chrys knew that Jamie and Lemar were hoping for number three. That way they didn't have a town full of liars in the middle of Clan territory. That way, they didn't have to explain a ridiculous death to Centurion B. And that way maybe no one had to die today.
Only it also meant Lord Rítsarnt was kidnapped for some unknown reason or decided to run away from his responsibilities as Lord.
Cassandra finished her divination before Spy. But not with any good news. Whatever happened wasn't prominent in the eyes of the heavens, so the sun had burnt the memory out of the sands. They were lucky blood wasn't as easy to burn, or there would have been even less evidence.
Spy's divination took another half hour after that. However, he had more success; a resonance to the blood existed. And they were close; maybe a half days run further north.
Taking a quick break to eat the group set out at a hard lope north. According to Spy, the resonance wasn't moving, so if they hurried, they would be able to find them and set up camp before sunset and the demonic beasts came out.
---
As Chrys accepted the bowl of stew from Fin they found their gaze turning once more to their hosts. Lord Rítsarnt was huddled up under a pile of blankets, while his companion Galavant remained practically motionless on his side. If they hadn't spoken with the man earlier Chrys would swear the man was dead. Instead, he was fighting off a poison strong enough to kill a mortal in minutes, something he was only able to do due to his limited cultivation.
When the group had finally found the pair at sunset Fin had almost immediately started caring for Galavant, identifying the poison and working to counteract its effect, all the while expressing his awe at Galavant's survival so far.
Meanwhile, Jamie had interrogated Lord Rítsarnt, a surprisingly tricky endeavour considering how willing to help he was. In between his blubbering and posturing, they had worked out that Lord Rítsarnt had faked his death to escape his marriage.
For the past few years, Lady Mantaléna had been abusing him, and not even his friend Knight Nkáreth would help him. Desperate to escape, Lord Rítsarnt had contacted Galavant, a local hero, and Lady Mantaléna lover before Lord Rítsarnt, to fake his death and lead him to the neighbouring town of Andreía.
Only the day after faking his death they had been attacked by a Rocky Silver Clawed Scorpion. Galavant had slain the beast but with its last breath poisoned the knight. With nowhere to go, the two of them had decided to wait while the knight recovered.
Taking another sip of the stew, Chrys considered their course of action. Lord Rítsarnt's tale explained the time gap between his disappearance and the Clan being contacted. Lady Mantaléna had likely been hesitant to call in the clan right away, perhaps unsure if they would support her succession of the town.
Which to be fair, they might not have. Lord Rítsarnt was a direct descendant of the Clan, whose own brother had been a rising star until he died during the Hundred Years Trial. Lady Mantaléna, on the other hand, had no claim to fame and no known relatives to support her.
The real issue seemed to be if they wanted to return Lord Rítsarnt to power. Chrys had watched Jamie's interrogation, and the man hadn't come across as a remarkably competent ruler. Jamie seemed to be up for marching him right back to Bérkleï. But that was more due to her short temper with idiots than any particular trust in his abilities.
Yet leaving Lady Mantaléna in charge didn't seem to be much of an option either. The townspeople hadn't seemed the most well off already, and Lady Mantaléna, according to Lord Rítsarnt, wasn't exactly compassionate.
Spy obviously suggested they sneak back into the town, all eight of them, and investigate some more. Lemar had objected to that plan, explaining that they couldn't climb the walls even with them unguarded because they would have been built with formations to stop just that.
Any attempt to infiltrate the town would require them to take the gates, which meant letting everyone in town know of their return, and that they returned with two more members.
And it wasn't like they could just leave Lord Rítsarnt and Galavant behind in the desert. Even with Fin's care, Galavant wouldn't be able to fight for some time. It was honestly a miracle that nothing else had attacked them since the scorpion. They had to take them to a town tomorrow.
"It's no good," Chrys finally said, drawing everyone's attention. "Lord Rítsarnt I understand your dislike of this plan, but you simply must return to Bérkleï."
"Now now!" Rítsarnt barked out. "You can't send me back, Mantaléna will kill me."
"Chrys is right," snapped Jamie. "We can facilitate a divorce if that's what you need. But The Clan can not have appointed lords running away."
At this Rítsarnt turned furiously to Jamie before quailing at her glare.
"Well. Yes. For the Clan I. suppose. I can. step forwards.
You, promise to remove Mantaléna. Deport her."
"Yes Lord Rítsarnt," Lemar joined in, far more diplomatic than Jamie would have been. "If nothing else she failed to inform the Clan of your disappearance in a timely manner. It doesn't sound like much, but in times of emergency prompt communication will save lives."
At this Lord Rítsarnt settled down again, the knowledge that he was safe from his wife mollifying him.
The silence lasted for a while longer before Lord Rítsarnt spoke up again. "Still, how will you get us past the walls? You said the gates are sealed shut."
Chrys had no answer to that question, and looking around no one else seemed to either. That is until Cassandra put her empty bowl down. "Graveyards behind the walls. Bone marrow for the flowers. Foundations for The Clan."
Lord Rítsarnt looked at her in blank confusion, unable to follow the logic Cassandra had stumbled upon. Well, maybe logic. Chrys could guess she was talking about dead bodies, but how that would…. Spy beat them to it by a hare's breath.
"The corpse of a noble. Even a mortal. Has uses for Blood Path. Not to mention the resources from a Sand Worm capable of eating a man in one go."
"Right!" Chrys added, getting excited. "It makes sense we would bring your body back if we found it. Safe behind the town's walls."
At this Lord Rítsarnt paled. Unsettled by the talk of his own dead body.
"But I'm not dead!"
"And they don't know that," said Spy; a deranged smile splitting his face.
----
This took weeks longer than planned. Mostly because halfway through writing it I lost internet and didn't get it back till December.
Hopefully, Chrys return to town will be quicker.
For turn 7reward can I have a second LST please? And I'm aiming to go straight to foundation.
