Parlay


Inside Castle Armadaus…

After Peter had escaped his aunt and uncle's killers, the castle guards rallied all the citizens who were able to make it to the castle inside the small courtyard where the stables and servant shacks were located. They provided them water and some food while they kept an eye on what was going on in the town at the foot of the hill.

Peter sat in shock on top of a barrel for hours. He replayed the events that had just occurred in his head repeatedly. It all felt like a bad nightmare, one that he wanted out of more than anything now. He gripped the sword his uncle has last crafted for the lord tightly in his left hand, wondering when he'd be able to present it to him.

Servants brought food to the handful of citizens who made it out of the attack, but he refused the loaf of bread, as did others. He was sick to his stomach thinking about what had happened, and what was going to happen. He never experienced fear like this before.

As midnight approached, the Blind Lord finally revealed himself to the citizens who escaped. He had changed into a type of battle dress made of black chainmail with a red trim. A helmet covered his entire face, with a visor designed with a small slit to allow him to breathe sitting on his head.

He seemed to survey his subjects, as though he could visibly see the fear they had. They looked up at him, waiting for him to say something. He appeared to ready an address when he was pulled aside by one of his guardswomen.

"My lord,"

"Yes?"

"The emperor approaches the castle with the mutant horde. It won't be long until he reaches us."

The Blind Lord subtly sighed.

"He's going to offer his terms for my surrender. I suppose he's waited all night to do this."

"He's going to murder us all, m'lord!" one of the citizens cried out, heaving tears that tripped into his scraggly beard.

"Aye! Those damned mutants will have our hides they will!"

"What will we do, my lord?!"

They all began to plea for help from him, urging him to do something to save them from the terror that was making his way towards the top of the hill. The Blind Lord merely listened, raising his right hand, and waiting for the small crowd to become silent.

"I will speak with the emperor when he arrives. As you all have been waiting, I've been preparing a caravan of horses and carriages that will leave this castle through the rear pass that exits out into the forest behind Armadaus. A small group of my guards will escort you all to Strasbourg. You shall be safe there for the time being."

"But, my lord, what about you?" one of the citizens worriedly asked.

"I will stay here along with the guards who have volunteered to stay with me as I attempt to buy you all time to escape. I have no doubt in my mind that Magneto will secure the castle and discover the rear pass once he reaches the top of the hill," he calmly answered.

Peter stood up from his barrel and approached the lord more closely, to which the lord seemed to quickly identify him.

"Furthermore, I will send a messenger to speak to the representatives of the Royal Court in Strasbourg so that we can notify them of what's happened here in Armadaus. Magneto's move to capture our town places the kingdom in a graver stance in this on-going war against the mutant empire. With some luck, we shall see this through safely."

From there, the crowd dispersed, and a small handful of guards escorted them into the castle, where they would be taken to the lower levels where the carriages awaited to exit through the hidden pass inside the hill. Hopefully, they'd have enough time to escape before the horde spots them.

Before he left with them, Peter approached the Blind Lord, with his sword in hand.

"My lord," he bowed.

"Peter. I am glad you were able to make it out in time. My… my scouts told me about what they witnessed at your residence. I am sorry for the loss of your uncle and aunt, lad."

The Blind Lord placed his gloved right hand on Peter's left shoulder.

"Thank you… my lord. I… I don't know how to feel right now."

"The feeling of loss is a wound that cuts deeper than any flesh wound. It is one that takes the most time to heal. But, you're a strong boy, Peter. This will come to pass."

He was unconvinced in the Blind Lord's words, but he simply nodded. Then, he remembered about the sword he was holding, and swiftly held it out for him.

"My lord, I must present to you the sword my uncle had crafted for you. He made sure I retrieved it before I returned here."

This took the lord by surprise. He slowly picked it up from Peter's hands and examined it through the touch of his fingers.

"Faithful to the very end," he simply stated, "…your uncle and you have done a great service for me, Peter. It is one I'll never forget. Alas, I find myself in no need for a sword at the present. I must insist you keep it."

"…my lord?"

He was confused. He was sure that the Blind Lord would've taken it, especially with the might of the Genoshans nearing the castle. But, the noble stood by his decision.

"Instead, I ask for a favor, Peter."

"A-Anything, my lord."

He placed the sheathed sword away, tying it to his belt.

"I ask you to be my messenger to the Knight's Order of the Shield at the Triskelion Fortress in Strasbourg. Request to speak to a man named Grand Master Nicholas Fury, and present to him this."

The Blind Lord removed the glove of his left hand and removed the red signet ring from his smallest finger. He held it out for Peter to take.

"What should I tell him, my lord?"

"Tell him everything that's happened here today. The Genoshan Empire is fast-approaching, leaving a trail of dead behind that will surely attract the Reaper and the Vanguard to the carrion fields. With that threat looming on the horizon, we will need the help of the Phantasm and the rest of the Order to help protect the kingdom and the land from these enemies that will arise."

The Reaper? Vanguard?

Peter had heard of this enigma before, but many years ago. It was an old tale that mothers would tell their children to keep them from wandering the woods at night. There was said to be a mysterious dark entity known as The Reaper, or the Dark Lord of the Vanguard, that stalked the shadows and ate the souls of those who were wrongdoers when they died. Many claimed to have encountered him and his vanguard before, but Peter had all figured it for codswallop.

"I… I will relay that to them, my lord. But, who is the Phantasm?"

The Blind Lord merely chuckled.

"She is a clever warrior not of this world, Peter. She comes from a land of flying ships and weapons that uses the power of the sun to destroy its enemies. In time, you will come across her. But, for now, the Order must know that she is heading towards Paris to speak to the Queen."

"A-Alright, my lord. I will ensure that they are notified."

"Thank you, Peter. You have this nobleman's everlasting gratitude. Until we meet again."

"Godspeed, my lord."

"Same to you."


Inside The Burrow tavern…

Selena poured herself some mead from one of the jugs in the stores while she waited for Magneto to return. Wolverine and Gambit kept an eye on her, sitting at a nearby table while they too waited for their emperor to return and collect the Phantasm and pay them for their help in finding her.

"So, out of curiosity, how much was I worth to his majesty for my return?" she calmly asked, pouring them both a tankard of mead.

"Triple our normal fee," Gambit happily answered, "That should keep us content for at least a few more months before we take on another job."

Wolverine rolled his eyes. Selena sat across from them at the same table, slurping her mead from her own tankard.

"I suppose the boys back at the Xavier College in Kiev will be excited to see you both back at the fortress after this job is over," she remarked.

"I'm not sure if we'll make our way back there after all this is done," Gambit pointed out, taking a sip, "…war is good for business, and there is no shortage of contracts now that the emperor is on the warpath."

"But, what about the mutants that are being taught there? Don't you two have professor duties to fulfill?"

"Madam Storm is ensuring the instructors are keeping the students well-kept with their academics and power prowess," Wolverine darkly answered.

"She's a great headmistress," Gambit added, "…although, nothing will ever replace Charles."

Selena quivered her lips, hanging her head a little low.

She remembered Charles Xavier. He was a valiant knight who once served alongside the former queen of Anglica. He was a lifelong friend of the emperor and was the queen's emissary from the Genoshan Empire for a long time. When the mad Archduke took power, Charles fought as he could through the power of his words to try and stop the Archduke. He was one of the last mutants to be executed in the reign of terror, and what some argued sparked Magneto's rage to declare war against the kingdom.

Xavier was the last descendant of a prestigious mutant family that formed the Xavier College in Kiev. They taught young mutants to harness and control their special abilities. Ultimately, he strived to one day remove the shroud of judgment cast on mutants through diplomacy and rightful action. The emperor respectfully disagreed with this ideology up until the war started.

"May his soul rest in peace among the stars," she solemnly toasted.

Gambit partook in the toast, while Wolverine remained silent, keeping vigilant over Selena.

She rolled her eyes when she caught his menacing gaze.

"I'm not going anywhere for the time being, so you can stop looking at me like that now."

"I know you best, Selena. You will run the moment I take my eyes off you."

He referred to her by her first name. Something he rarely did, only when he was really serious. Most people referred to her as Phantasm, but she knew Wolverine in a more intimate setting. The emperor assigned him to her to help find the artifacts that would prevent Reaper from jumping to different universes.

In that time, she got to know her partner very well. He was like a father to her, a mentor. It somewhat reminded her of the relationship she had with her stepfather, Fernand, when she was growing up. But, Wolverine was more grizzled, fierce. He had witnessed the rise and fall of countless nations and cultures, which made him weary of the world.

But, when she departed, they had grown distant. He strongly supported Emperor Magneto while she did not and that rooted their problems in the father/daughter dynamic they had.

"Well, you obviously have a lot to still learn then."

"Calm down, children, calm," Gambit humorously stepped in, "He's just tired, don't mind him. I don't think he's slept once in our trip from the empire. We've been trying to find you for weeks now."

"I think I covered my tracks fairly well."

"Not that well," Wolverine retorted, "…you've still a lot to learn about concealing yourself. The power to be invisible is pointless without the ability to mask your scent and your footsteps."

"Trust me, this man chased a rogue from Moscow to Berlin off scent alone. You can take a lesson or two from him," Gambit pointed out.

"I'm aware."

They heard the sounds of the war carriages mobilizing outside. Selena glanced over and saw the troops marching through the town square, towards Castle Armadaus.

"I wonder what terms Magneto will present to the Blind Lord…"


Right outside Castle Armadaus…

The Blind Lord waited patiently next to his captain of the guard on the ramparts, watching as the Genoshan Army ascended the hill. Clad in his black armor, Emperor Magneto, with General Mystique at his side, halted the army several meters from the closed drawbridge entrance and approached an open landing on horseback so that he can speak clearly up.

A storm began to brew overhead, with sparks of lightning streaking a few miles out. The Blind Lord hoped that the carriages were well on their way out, to avoid getting hit by the rain and running into the muck.

"Ah, at long last, I meet the legendary Blind Lord of Armadaus," Magneto haughtily spoke loudly.

"Emperor Magneto," Lord Murdock greeted back, "…surprising to see you here of all places."

The emperor chuckled.

"I've decided to take a tour of this wonderful kingdom of yours along with my Imperial Army. I thought 'why not visit the Blind Lord'? I wished to see him for myself."

"Well, I am here, your majesty. How can I be of service? I see that you and your army has already occupied the town of Armadaus, no doubt murdering a few of my citizens in the process of making yourselves comfortable."

"Resistance is met with resistance. Warriors like you and I know this law of war well."

"Hmm… See, that's where you are mistaken, your majesty. You and I are nothing alike. I don't impose my will upon innocent people who've nothing to do with your mad campaign against our kind."

"I seek an audience with your precious queen to demand justice for the thousands upon thousands of mutants slaughtered by their human protectorate. You would do the same if Genosha dared to murder humans who live peacefully under my reign."

"I think, a simple emissary could've granted you an answer of justice, your majesty. As for the human citizens of Genosha, I've seen them walk the streets of your capital myself. They are treated as inferior to mutants, forced into indentured servitudes to make a living," Lord Murdock calmly pointed out.

The emperor made a displeased grunt.

"Enough of these petty jabs, Murdock. I seek your surrender of the fiefdom of Armadaus to the Genoshan Imperial Army. Surrender peacefully and I will ensure yourself and your fellow subjects are escorted to a secure camp behind our lines where you will be fed, sheltered, and processed for citizenship into the Genoshan Empire."

"Tempting, your majesty. Death or a life of servitude. And here I thought the queen was the fairest of the land."

"Deny these terms and I will ensure each one of your captured subjects feel every ounce of pain as their spines are ripped from their bodies and I feed their corpses to the wild creatures of the forest. I say again, deny my terms and I will paint Armadaus with your blood and with the blood of your subjects."

The Blind Lord raised his eyebrows.

"We went from being courteous to downright threats. You are quite the royal, your majesty."

Magneto gritted his teeth.

"I won't repeat myself again, Murdock."

His captain of the guard whispered into the Blind Lord's ear at that moment.

"The carriages have cleared into the forest, my lord."

"Thank you."

Angrily, Magneto began manipulating the metallic holdings of the drawbridge with his magnetic abilities, slowly lowering it.

"What will it be, then?"

The Blind Lord nodded.

"You leave me no choice, your majesty. I only request the condition that I am accompanied by my subjects and not separated from them."

A dark grin cast upon the emperor's hidden face.

"I knew we'd come to terms. Very well, I will ensure you are kept with your subjects."

"Then by these terms, I surrender the fiefdom of Armadaus to you, your majesty."

"God help us all…" one of the guardsmen murmured.


AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey homies! Here's another chap up for your viewing pleasure! =D So, here's the update and scoop with me. This entire summer, I've been doin nothin but working. Workin' workin' workin'. That college tuition doesn't pay itself, ya know? But, I've been doing that and have been wayyy too busy to work on VR with Afe, who's got his own problems going on right now and we all wish him well. He should be back soon so we can get back to VR and hit it home for 2019, u know? but i'll keep you guys posted.

I know this story isn't as popular as afe's stories but I'm enjoying writin it and I hope you guys are enjoying reading it! =) thanks for all the great reviews, let me know what else I can work on and what u guys liked about it!

- jack montero