Chapter 5.2
King Tharassian
Governor-Militant
- Location
- Victory Bay, Kronus
The cathedral was quiet as you entered, kneeling on one side of the aisle. The dim lighting and dark colors gave the place a somber ambiance, and you found your prayers taking a more melancholy turn thanks to it. As you completed everything you had wanted to say before the altar, you found yourself asking a single question: Why?
Why would the High General have any reason to suspect you? After all, that was the only reason you could think of for both her request and Morlune's grave expression. What could she have heard, and from whom? No doubt, if there had been some other informant who had given her an impression that you were an enemy or threat, they might simply have been misinformed. But then, this was beginning to feel more than a little like the rumors the English had spread.
But no answers came, and you were left kneeling in the vast church, that strange idol sitting impassively in the sanctuary.
"We're here."
Though it was surprising to hear Catherine outside of your own mind, it gave some small comfort that she and the others would be there, if only in spirit.
You were left only enough time to make one last plea to the Lord before you heard footsteps behind you. Standing, you turned to face your new 'acquaintance.'
The High General struck an impressive figure. Clad all in crimson plate-mail, a shield and double-bladed axe in easy reach. Now that you could see her more clearly, you were struck by how hard her eyes seemed. All leaders seemed to become accustomed to hardship and challenge, but she seemed far more so than anyone you had met. You supposed that the nature of the war against the Scourge made it something to be expected, but even that seemed to you to be not quite enough to explain it.
Four of her six compatriots were Crusaders, themselves armed and armored. The fifth, however, was a priest. He appeared to have a tonsure under the mitre he was wearing, and his beard and mustache were closely trimmed. You were somewhat glad to note that Morlune was also there, though he was clearly conflicted about whatever was going on.
The High General herself continued towards you even as her guards stopped, until she was only five feet from you, a quirked eyebrow the only thing betraying an emotion other than cold indifference.
"You are the one I've heard called the Maid?" Her voice was harsher than you expected.
"Some call me that, yes. My name is Jeanne." You gave a small bow in respect. "I've heard a great deal about you, General."
"And I very little of you until recently." You almost flinched at the edge you could hear in those words. But you supposed it was almost a miracle that she had heard about you so quickly. News must have traveled far faster here than in France. "But what I have heard, I find highly suspect."
"What?" That didn't make sense. "Why? Do you think me a threat? Did I do something I should not have? Did you hear that I have done something?"
"I will be asking the questions." One of the Crusaders stepped forward, stopping just behind the General's left shoulder.
"If you so desire milady, I could begin a full interrogation in a proper facility…" Oh no. No, no, no.
"No." You let out a breath you didn't even realize you had held. "This is enough. All we need will be laid bare here, where all the Light can see, and both we and our actions may be judged accordingly." She turned back to you. "Now, I believe that we should begin with your particular tradition. I understand that you follow some variety of the Church based on that codified by Northshire?" She was starting with your belief that there was a singular, all-powerful being ruling over all? Odd…
"Yes. I was taught that God Almighty created the world, and I believe that the Light is His instrument."
"Hm. do you know the tenets of the Church as we know it?"
"I do, though I was unfamiliar with parts of the canon until recently." A and now both her eyebrows were raised. You had a bad feeling about that.
"I see. And Sir Morlune, you are the one who filled in the gaps, so to speak?"
"Yes, General." He visibly inflated again. "My finest student, without a doubt." You would be lying if you didn't feel a little proud when he said that. Abbendis simply nodded before turning back to you.
"So if I may ask, why have you only made contributions to the Crusade now?" Oh, good. She was pacing. That wasn't making it harder for you to keep a straight face at all.
"I only arrived recently." You recalled what you had told Thornby. "I was stranded on the western coast of Tirisfal, below the Whispering Forest. There, I met some soldiers of the Crusade, and they allowed me to accompany them."
"Yes, you were present for a Scourge attack on the Bulwark, I heard." She paused in her movement, arms crossed. "I also understand that you encountered the Argent Dawn there. Tell me, why didn't you join them instead? The Northshire tradition is not as welcome in some circles of the Crusade, and you would no doubt have been openly accepted."
"If I may be blunt, General? There wasn't the same sense of dedication, at least not the same kind." You unconsciously felt the rosary in your pocket. "I have always been deeply motivated by faith, and I don't feel that my mindset aligned properly with theirs. The Crusade felt more right." There wasn't a response for some time.
"I see." Abbendis seemed to be less cold now, for some reason. "Now, to my suspicions." Folding her hands behind her back, she turned to face you fully. "I was informed by a source I deeply trust that you may be compromised, consciously or not, by the magics of the Scourge. I want to know - have you had any contact at all with the Scourge's intelligent members?" You could have heard a pin drop as you gaped.
"No!" When you finally had coherent thought again, your voice was higher than you likely intended. "I mean… Except for when I led a charge to kill several necromancers at the Bulwark, I cannot recall meeting any Scourge agents… Unless the Forsaken count, but I wasn't part of that conversation, and it was mostly taunting the soldiers who welcomed me." Before anything else could come up, you added. "That deathguard is properly dead, as far as I know." Before your eyes, the General's expression became more questioning, her brows furrowing and eyes tracing patterns on the floor.
"What about other such figures? Death Knights? Liches? Nothing?" Now it was your turn to be confused. Behind the other Crusaders, you saw Morlune make a gesture. Was he tracing something? "S?" Why would...?
Oh! Salanar!
Oh, wait. Salanar.
Was it a good idea to bring him up? Morlune and the others knew, and you were fairly sure Phillipus had heard from Thornby, but you didn't know how the General would take it.
[] Bring up Salanar.
[] No. No, no, no.
[] Write-in
Why would the High General have any reason to suspect you? After all, that was the only reason you could think of for both her request and Morlune's grave expression. What could she have heard, and from whom? No doubt, if there had been some other informant who had given her an impression that you were an enemy or threat, they might simply have been misinformed. But then, this was beginning to feel more than a little like the rumors the English had spread.
But no answers came, and you were left kneeling in the vast church, that strange idol sitting impassively in the sanctuary.
"We're here."
Though it was surprising to hear Catherine outside of your own mind, it gave some small comfort that she and the others would be there, if only in spirit.
You were left only enough time to make one last plea to the Lord before you heard footsteps behind you. Standing, you turned to face your new 'acquaintance.'
The High General struck an impressive figure. Clad all in crimson plate-mail, a shield and double-bladed axe in easy reach. Now that you could see her more clearly, you were struck by how hard her eyes seemed. All leaders seemed to become accustomed to hardship and challenge, but she seemed far more so than anyone you had met. You supposed that the nature of the war against the Scourge made it something to be expected, but even that seemed to you to be not quite enough to explain it.
Four of her six compatriots were Crusaders, themselves armed and armored. The fifth, however, was a priest. He appeared to have a tonsure under the mitre he was wearing, and his beard and mustache were closely trimmed. You were somewhat glad to note that Morlune was also there, though he was clearly conflicted about whatever was going on.
The High General herself continued towards you even as her guards stopped, until she was only five feet from you, a quirked eyebrow the only thing betraying an emotion other than cold indifference.
"You are the one I've heard called the Maid?" Her voice was harsher than you expected.
"Some call me that, yes. My name is Jeanne." You gave a small bow in respect. "I've heard a great deal about you, General."
"And I very little of you until recently." You almost flinched at the edge you could hear in those words. But you supposed it was almost a miracle that she had heard about you so quickly. News must have traveled far faster here than in France. "But what I have heard, I find highly suspect."
"What?" That didn't make sense. "Why? Do you think me a threat? Did I do something I should not have? Did you hear that I have done something?"
"I will be asking the questions." One of the Crusaders stepped forward, stopping just behind the General's left shoulder.
"If you so desire milady, I could begin a full interrogation in a proper facility…" Oh no. No, no, no.
"No." You let out a breath you didn't even realize you had held. "This is enough. All we need will be laid bare here, where all the Light can see, and both we and our actions may be judged accordingly." She turned back to you. "Now, I believe that we should begin with your particular tradition. I understand that you follow some variety of the Church based on that codified by Northshire?" She was starting with your belief that there was a singular, all-powerful being ruling over all? Odd…
"Yes. I was taught that God Almighty created the world, and I believe that the Light is His instrument."
"Hm. do you know the tenets of the Church as we know it?"
"I do, though I was unfamiliar with parts of the canon until recently." A and now both her eyebrows were raised. You had a bad feeling about that.
"I see. And Sir Morlune, you are the one who filled in the gaps, so to speak?"
"Yes, General." He visibly inflated again. "My finest student, without a doubt." You would be lying if you didn't feel a little proud when he said that. Abbendis simply nodded before turning back to you.
"So if I may ask, why have you only made contributions to the Crusade now?" Oh, good. She was pacing. That wasn't making it harder for you to keep a straight face at all.
"I only arrived recently." You recalled what you had told Thornby. "I was stranded on the western coast of Tirisfal, below the Whispering Forest. There, I met some soldiers of the Crusade, and they allowed me to accompany them."
"Yes, you were present for a Scourge attack on the Bulwark, I heard." She paused in her movement, arms crossed. "I also understand that you encountered the Argent Dawn there. Tell me, why didn't you join them instead? The Northshire tradition is not as welcome in some circles of the Crusade, and you would no doubt have been openly accepted."
"If I may be blunt, General? There wasn't the same sense of dedication, at least not the same kind." You unconsciously felt the rosary in your pocket. "I have always been deeply motivated by faith, and I don't feel that my mindset aligned properly with theirs. The Crusade felt more right." There wasn't a response for some time.
"I see." Abbendis seemed to be less cold now, for some reason. "Now, to my suspicions." Folding her hands behind her back, she turned to face you fully. "I was informed by a source I deeply trust that you may be compromised, consciously or not, by the magics of the Scourge. I want to know - have you had any contact at all with the Scourge's intelligent members?" You could have heard a pin drop as you gaped.
"No!" When you finally had coherent thought again, your voice was higher than you likely intended. "I mean… Except for when I led a charge to kill several necromancers at the Bulwark, I cannot recall meeting any Scourge agents… Unless the Forsaken count, but I wasn't part of that conversation, and it was mostly taunting the soldiers who welcomed me." Before anything else could come up, you added. "That deathguard is properly dead, as far as I know." Before your eyes, the General's expression became more questioning, her brows furrowing and eyes tracing patterns on the floor.
"What about other such figures? Death Knights? Liches? Nothing?" Now it was your turn to be confused. Behind the other Crusaders, you saw Morlune make a gesture. Was he tracing something? "S?" Why would...?
Oh! Salanar!
Oh, wait. Salanar.
Was it a good idea to bring him up? Morlune and the others knew, and you were fairly sure Phillipus had heard from Thornby, but you didn't know how the General would take it.
[] Bring up Salanar.
[] No. No, no, no.
[] Write-in
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id a very pretty butterfly show up?
