I'm Home Patriotic edition
The cloaked man stood before the door for what seemed like hours. He was a fairly tall young man, not yet thirty. He was heavily armed, dressed in chainmail. He was once handsome and he still would be were it not for his yellow teeth, shaggy hair and a scar that extended across his right cheek; a gift from a dead assassin.
"This is pathetic" he thought "I've fought countless foes no matter how daunting, survived many battles no matter how hopeless and yet I, don't have the courage to open the door to my own manor!"
With that said the cloaked man suddenly turned around and left, but not before he made a vow, that if he survives his next battle, he will come back.
One week ago
Two years ago he came to Avendor and by the first day four armed men tried to rob him. Initially he did not resist and handed over his money, however when one of them chose to spit on his cloak, that's when his attitude changed; their bodies were found in a well next morning. In the afternoon he always drank alone in a tavern. Nobody knows his real name and the locals refer to him as the cloaked one. Sarleon is a city state that is frequently at war with nearby nations jealous of Sarleon's wealth. Many times Sarleon was nearly defeated, but always they were saved by their knights who would don their silver cloaks with pride. But not this time, this time Sarleon's strength was truly spent. Sarleon has less than a dozen knights left, the troops are exhausted and amassed against them were one of the biggest armies ever seen, the five nation coalition army. This state of war attracted all types of people and regularly filled the tavern with refugees, mercenaries and anyone else who wanted to drink their life away. And so no one ever questioned the masked man who walked into the tavern that one day. The masked man stared at the faded cloak for a brief moment, before deciding to settle next to the cloaked man and order a pint of ale. The two did not talk and seemed content to be just sipping their drinks. Everyone else was focused on the discussion of whether Sarleon will survive or whether it will fall from onslaught of the Coalition army. There are two jars in the bar, a green one which signifies victory for Sarleon and a red one signifying defeat for Sarleon. People who want to take a bet can flip a pebble into one of the jars. The current score is six for Sarleon victory and eighty-one for Sarleon defeat. The refugees from Sarleon were weeping at one side of the room while laughter can be heard from the other side, it was a bizarre sight.
Eventually midnight approached and those who lived in the tavern went to their rooms and those who didn't left. When the owner asked them to leave, the masked man merely pulled out a bag of coins and ordered more drinks for him and his cloaked companion. Alcohol loosened tongues and the two talked, about frivolous and serious matters. One matter they talked about in great length is the upcoming war during which they masked man placed a pebble in the green jar.
"You suck at gambling" commented the masked man
Eventually they talked about their lives.
"So tell me, my friend what are you doing in this tavern?" asked the masked man after the tavern keeper, persuaded with a bag of coins, left.
"Living my life" muttered the cloaked man
For a long time the masked man did not say anything but slowly with rising anger he said
"What life? To drown yourself in ale till the day you die in a filthy tavern that doesn't know how wash their mugs? To live on the streets with beggars and prostitutes infected with the plague?"
"What life? Tell me, Rufus what life!?" he shouted
The cloaked man was taken aback. This was the first time somebody called him by his real name for over five years.
"Stranger, I don't know how you know my name but what I do with my life is none of your concern" muttered Rufus before downing another mug of ale
"Sarah" said the cloaked man
"What?"
"Sarah" repeated the masked man "your wife, it's a tragedy what happened, but you need to stop living in the past and move on"
"SHUT IT!" Rufus pulls out his sword, enraged.
"I know that your wife died a maternal death and I know what it _" the masked man breaks off as he evades a sword blow from Rufus.
"You're going to kill me? The man who you gave that sword" The masked man then pulls off his mask.
"King Richard?" Rufus gasped, dropping his sword.
"Sir Rufus, when I allowed you to leave, I hoped that by doing that one day you would be able to clear your head and return, but this was not what I expected" Slowly Richard picks up Rufus's sword and gazes at it. "I know that it hurts, over the years I've seen countless deaths, of my people, my knights, and my family. Rufus, everybody suffers, think how hard it is for Seraphim"
"My daughter" murmured Rufus
"You know it was not her fault, it wasn't anyone's fault Rufus. Yet you only saw her once and now your daughter turns five this year, she is a pretty little thing" Richard hands Rufus's sword back.
A long silence followed until Richard said "So tell me Rufus as a father, are you going to let Seraphim die?" Rufus visibly flinched from the sudden question. "The enemy is at the gates of Sarleon, Rufus, we need you, Seraphim need you. It's your life Rufus and you are a free man but do remember that cloak was once silver".
With that said Richard leaves the tavern, it was only then that Rufus realized that he was shaking. For a long time he stood there, long after Richard leaves. He then took a long drink from his mug and nearly choked to death, there was a pebble in the mug. With a single flick the pebble landed in the green jar.
And so despite Rufus's decision to return to the manor he left five years ago he still hesitates to knock the door. After all what do you say to a child you abandoned five years ago? He ran away and quickly joined King Richard who was waiting at the manor gate. Together they rode towards a massive group of horsemen; these were all that remains of Sarleon's Calvary; less than four hundred in total. These men knew that the end was approaching, but they have hope because Rufus is back. A man formerly known as the Red Devil because even though he wears white armour, by the time a battle ended he was always covered in blood and not a single drop was his. The veterans saluted him and the recruits stared at him in awe. Many songs had been written about the Red Devil, the most famous one called "Sarleon's Lion". Nobody had been able to bring down the lion, except for a single girl.
"You didn't tell her?" asked a surprised Richard
"What's the point of telling her now? Your Highness, if I don't survive May I ask you to take care of my daughter?"
"I will treat her as if she were my own, Sir Rufus, but this is not the time to talk about this"
There was a brief silence before Richard said "Thank you for coming back".
"Well, the alternative was drowning myself in alcohol in a tavern that doesn't know how to wash its mugs"
"Why don't you get a new cloak? I mean that old thing is pretty ripped up and worn out"
"Nothing can replace this cloak your Highness, after all Sarah sewed it"
Suddenly a despatch rider arrives bearing news. "Your highness, the coalition army has breached the first line of defence, Lord Oliver's forces are engaging them but I fear they will not hold for long".
Hearing this grave news, the king turned to his steward "It is a sad day, but begin the evacuation of Sarleon"
"Consider it done" the steward then left, glad that he has an excuse to get away.
The king then turned to his men. "Rise, brave riders of Sarleon!, The hour is now upon us, on this fine summer day shields will buckle, spears will glint red and women shall weep. On this fine summer day we fight, remember your duty, trust in you steed and steel your resolve, for Sarleon!"
"FOR SARLEON!" the men echoed half heartedly and King Richard realizes this. Then Rufus steps in.
"Men, Many of you know me as the Red Devil and many of you have ridden with me before". Rufus waited until he got everyone's attention before continuing. "It is sad day, we are tired, in our hearts we are frightened, and all of us want to rest. But each of us is a man of Sarleon. Behind us are our home, our families, and our land. Now these invaders threaten to take them all. I don't care if we are fighting against four countries and one little island. To protect what is precious I would take on the whole world and if I die in this battle, I will go out with a bang".
Rufus got everyone's attention, including a little girl who's staring at the gathering of horsemen at the gate of Rufus's manor.
"… So tell me will you follow me, the Red Devil one last time?"
"Aye!" shouted all the men
"Then let us Ride, ride for Oliver, ride for victory, ride for a better tomorrow, ride FOR SARLEON!" shouted Richard, clearly upset that Rufus was more popular then he is.
"FOR SARLEON!" the men echoed with more enthusiasm.
The war-horns sounded and the silver cloaks shimmered in the sun and they rode forth into battle. Rufus' heart swelled with pride for his fellow men, many of them were old comrades he left five years ago, and some of them even witnessed his and Sarah's marriage. In their midst he felt safe, he felt at home.