Chapter took another day to write, sorry about that. Dad's Funeral was two days ago, got shitfaced that afternoon, then had to attend a course the next day. Tired, slightly hungover, slightly still intoxicated and had a serious case of the munchies all while driving a forklift. Was so very fun, but I was so damn tired. Also, had no shopping so I was failing to write while running off: One Apple, two cut up sausages in rolls, two slices of pizza and four cans of Bebis (There's a joke no one will get).
Actually, started writing a little last night because I was listening to someone play the Mortal Kombat theme on a fucking tesla coil that somehow progressed to Beat Saber... this in turn somehow made me go "Ah, yes, it's now writing time".
Gods above, 2021 has been a hell of a year and it's only January. Can I cancel my one month trial? I want to go back to 2020. It made so much more sense and was tolerable.
"Hey? Did the Duke actually explain what we are meant to be looking for?"
"Gods, you realise that I know you were listening yet you act like you didn't just so you can be a pain in the arse now?. Bloody idiot..."
"Shut up, you two. We got a job to do. Keep your eyes sharp for the beasts or suspicious activity near the wall."
"Yeah, well, I'm supposed to be asleep right now as it is. Waste of me bloody time, looking for imaginary Greenskins in the castle..."
A trio of men-at-arms slowly patrolled the ground level behind the outmost wall of Castle Montfort. It was a small street, separating the wall from the townhouses of the local populace, and it was filled with old, useless garbage and filth. The soldier that had been complaining paused briefly to gag at the site of a rotten...something, being devoured by rats.
"Gods above, why do we always get stuck with the shitty places to patrol?" He muttered with a disgusted frown. His unimpressed comrade planted the butt of his halberd into the ground and facepalmed.
"Maybe it's because you never keep your damn mouth shut eh?" The second soldier suggested sarcastically. The last, more responsible, member of the trio sighed and looked down the street, raising his torch.
"Hey, I'd be happy to go out with the Duke and kill me some Greenskins. I didn't sign up to trudge through shit because some knight with some special vow and some random Empire girl told the Duke something ridiculous like Greenskins, honestly, fucking GREENSKINS, sneaking into the castle to blow the walls." The first soldier continued to complain.
The third soldier lowered his halberd slightly and walked to a strange pile stacked up against the wall, torch held in front of him like a ward.
The second soldier groaned and gently hit his forehead with his weapon's shaft. "Sometimes, I really regret introducing you to my sister. Life would be so less painful." Looking at him with an offended scowl, the first soldier leaned against halberd and raised a single finger at his comrade, who just scoffed in response. "Fuck you, it's true. Maybe you should try not being such a whiney cunt and just take the time to actually do your damn job?"
"Hey, lads?" The third soldier called back to his arguing companions. He looked over a suspiciously large pile of random pieces of old wood and cloth.
Raising his hand to his slight beard, the first soldier rubbed his fuzzy chin thoughtfully. "Actually, I heard they came riding in with a pair of near identical women in strange clothes."
His companion raised his eyebrow in surprise at the sudden change of topic. "Yeah, I was on duty at the keep. They were strange, those two. Exactly the same, only different hair colours. Also, something was up with their ears, looked all pointy, like those elves you hear from the travellers from Parravon."
The first soldier gave his friend an interested and somewhat lecherous smile.
"Exactly the same you say?" The soldier asked in a questionable tone. The second soldier scowl and smacked the back of the first man's helmet, causing the man-at-arms to yelp in surprise.
"Get your head out of the gutter. You're married to my sister." The second soldier said warningly.
Noticing his companions lack of attention, the third soldier frowned and slowly poked at the pile with his halberd, moving a few loose pieces of cloth and wood.
"Hey, just because I'm married doesn't mean I can't appreciate the world around me." The first soldier muttered as he rubbed the back of his helmet with a scowl.
In response, the second soldier just placed his hand on his dagger. "And if I ever hear about you 'appreciating the world around you' instead of my sister, it will be the last time you 'appreciate' anything."
With narrowed eyes, the soldier's empty hand unconsciously hovered towards his waist.
Satisfied nothing was going to jump out at him, the third soldier leaned his halberd against the wall and began pulling away wood and cloth off to the side. As he worked, he quickly noticed a few intact, wooden crates under the pile.
"Jeez man, take it easy. Just because I might eye up something doesn't mean I'm going to have a go at it." He said with a hurt pout. "Besides, nothing wrong with wanting to hear about two strange women that somehow survived riding through a whole Greenskin horde completely unarmoured."
With a sigh, the second soldier took his hand off his dagger and scratched the side of his face. "Well, anyway, if I got to satisfy your desire to know, yeah, everything about them looked identical. It was kinda creepy to be honest. Too perfect, if you get what I mean."
"Huh. Really?" The first solider said curiously. "Wonder if they really were elves, like the Parravon travellers claim exist?" He paused for a second with narrowed eyes. "Now I'm wondering if elves exist, can they have twins." The second solider shrugged.
Moving the last of the wood off the suspicious crates, the third soldier swapped the torch to his other hand and knelt down. He ran his hand across one of the boxes and founded a latch with a flimsy, rusted lock. Giving it a few tugs, he pulled the worthless excuse for lock straight off the box. Gazing inside, the solider noticed it was filled with a strange, black substance. Looking over the pile of identical crates, he wondered just how much was in all the crates?
The two other soldiers finally noticed their companion's actions and walked over.
"Hey, what's that you got there?" The second soldier asked seriously.
"Probably some random junk left out by the locals." The first soldier replied casually only to pausing in shock. "Wait, is that gunpowder?"
Growling, the third soldier turned to the pair with an scowl.
"Would you shut up already?! Gods, I was doing better by myself!" He exclaimed angrily. Before he could continue to reprimand the pair, he saw a faint shadow move behind them. "OI, WHO GOES THERE!?" He suddenly shouted, rising up and grabbing his halberd. The other two soldiers jumped in surprise, only to realize what the third soldier had said and spun around, levelling their halberds behind them in preparation. The shadowy figure ran right towards them with steel flashing into sight from the torchlight.
The first soldier thrusted the tip of his halberd, seeking to impale the incoming figure, which quickly revealed itself to be a madly laughing goblin. It dodged to the side and narrowly ducked under sweeping halberd of the second soldier. It stepped backwards as the two soldiers trapped it between them and a house's wall. It made a desperate attempt to run through the middle of the two, only for the first soldier to swing his halberd around and take off the foul creature's leg. The second soldier quickly impaled it through the back of the head with a loud squelch.
The solider pulled his weapon out of the dead goblin's head, scowling at the bits of bone and brain stuck to it's tip.
"Fucking hell..." He muttered as he wiped the gore off his weapon with his uniform's sleeve.
"Gods above, I guess I owe that Knight and Imperial an apology after all." The first soldier also said quietly. His friend chuckled in amusement as they turned back to the third soldier.
The man in question was lying in a pile of blood with a slit throat as another goblin held the dead man's torch above the open box with a mad grin.
"FUCKING RU-"
The loud boom of explosions echoed in the night. Bells started tolling and shouting echoed throughout Castle Montfort.
At the same time, eager shouting and yells came from horde outside the castle's walls. Under the light of hundreds of torches, the Greenskins began to move on the open field before the castle. Atop a fearsome chariot pulled by a pair of vicious wolves, Grom the Paunch rode out before his might Waaaagh as Niblet flew his Lucky Banner.
"Aight den boyz! You lot 'eard dat, dat means dere stoopid wallz 'ave 'oles in 'em! So get in dere, and show dem dat da mighty Grom da Paunch is back! Also, dere is too pointy 'eads in da castle. Ya bring 'em ta Grom, or youz goin' inta da next stew! Got dat ya gits!?"
The only reply to the fat goblin's speech was an all-encompassing word for Greenskins.
"WAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!"
With a small smile, a shadowy figure stood on the paved roof of a wall guard tower. Reaching to their waist, the figure pulled a small, wicked blade and knelt down.
The Sisters of Twilight leapt up with knives raised by the sudden explosions echoing throughout Axe Bite Pass. Around them, numerous injured men-at-arms and knights did the same. Confusion reigned supreme within the hospital.
"What the hell was that?"
"By the Lady, what caused that?"
"I have no idea."
"Do we...need to man the walls?"
The Sisters shared a confused look before Arahan walked up to a nearby window. Looking out, she saw numerous fires and smoke across all five walls of Castle Montfort. The sound of tolling bells soon hit her, as did hundreds of shouting voices. She narrowed her eyes as she looked out at the Greenskin horde in concern as she heard a massive cry of "WAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHH".
Many of the injured humans within the hospital also heard the Greenskins. Some men-at-arms began to panic, as did some younger knights. Confusion continued to run rampant as numerous voices started to speak as wall sconces were lighted and men moved all around Arahan and Naestra.
The white-haired elf looked over at Naestra with a slightly tilted head. Her sister just shrugged as Arahan grabbed one of Naestra's arrows and stood up on the chair she had been sleeping in and looking briefly over the loud and unorganised crowd. She idlily noticed a pair of knights also standing on chairs and shouting around them, trying to bring some semblance of order to the massive crowd. Raising the arrow, Arahan smashed it's tip against the stone roof, causing a loud, echoing bang in the hospital as bright yellow light soared around the hospital roof, startling many into awed and shocked silence.
"SHUT UP!" Arahan yelled simply.
A silence quickly followed as the injured defenders looked over at the elf in surprise and intrigue. Arahan felt herself blush slightly as dozens of men stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
"The walls have been breached." she announced, causing fearful muttering amongst the crowd. Before it could continue, the knights that had attempted to calm the crowd immediately began shouting for silence. Nodding her grudging thanks, Arahan continued, "The Greenskins are coming and they will be at the walls within minutes. So all of you, if you want to protect what's yours and avoid becoming nothing more than a meal for an Orc, get out there, get weapons and slaughter the beasts before they slaughter you!"
Many of the men had fearful expressions, but many more nodded along with her words. A defiant knight stood up across from her, a decent distance away from her, with scowl on his face and crossed arms.
"Who are you to tell warriors to go out and fight? Women like you act like it's a simple affair to slay Greenskins, why don't you go out and kill a few Orcs yourself huh? Or will you just run back to the kitchen?" the knight said mockingly. Silence followed the arrogant knight's proclamation. Arahan just stared at the man with dead eyes, and with a single, smooth motion, drew her knife back and threw it at the knight. The man flinched as the sharp and deadly blade slammed right next to his head. The man visibly shook in surprise.
"I've killed more Greenskins then you'll ever kill, stupid human." Arahan deadpanned with a slight scowl. She looked back around the crowd, "And I'll probably kill more than everyone here combined regardless if you fight or not. So, if you are so scared of a women killing more of the animals than you, then get out there and PROVE ME WRONG!"
The crowd loudly roared in defiance and began making their way out of the hospital, many stopping to grab the odd piece of armour or weapon. One of the knights led the soldiers out while the other walked over to her with her knife in hand.
"Worry not, milady. I know you can back your claims. I was amongst the knights that helped escort you back yesterday as your rode through the Greenskin lines." The knight said kindly as he offered Arahan's knife back to the elf. She nodded her head in thanks.
"Good to hear that not all you humans are going to have the same imbecilic notions as that other man." Arahan quipped.
The knight tilted his head slightly, looking at her ears with a surprised expression. "Hmm, curious for an elf to be here, but I'll take any help we can get. I'll go find the Duke and let him know what's going on here." The knight said, turning around to leave. Arahan turned back to Naestra, who had stood up and was smirking at Arahan. She blushed in embarrassment.
"What are you smirking at?" she questioned quietly.
"The big bad Arahan proves her ability to inspire through anger once more. I'm so proud." Naestra said jokingly.
With a scowl, Arahan sheathed her knife and knelt down, picking up the large number of arrows she had made. A few seconds later, as the crowd began to thin, Emery came running in.
"Naestra!? Arahan!?" The Imperial shouted in concern, looking over at the two. She ran over to the elves with panting breath. "What's going on? What do we do?" Emery asked panickily.
Naestra walked over to the panicking girl and pulled her into a hug.
"Calm yourself, Emery. We will be fine. Stay here while my sister and I go forth to repel the Greenskins." She said comfortingly as the girl hugged her back and nodded into her shoulder a few times. "Now, where are our weapons?" Naestra asked.
"They are in our room. Brandan is there getting armed." Emery said informingly. The elf nodded and looked over at Arahan, who nodded as well.
"Let us go then. Lead the way." Naestra said. Emery nodded and the three quickly made their way out of the now empty hospital. The three quickly made their way through the keep's halls, walking pass servants and guards quickly running around them. Emery led the sisters to a door and knocked on it twice. A few seconds later, it opened to reveal Brandan. The Questing Knight was clad in a simple chestplate and gauntlets over his a plain leather jerkin and pants, an empty sheath on his waist.
"Lady Naestra, Lady Arahan." Brandan said in greeting as he let the three women in. On the table was Brandan's sword, along with a shield with the herardry of Montfort. Next to them, laid the Sister's weaponry. The two elves walked over to their weapons. Arahan slid her spear through a hoop on the back of her jerkin while Naestra pulled on her sword belt. Arahan then handed Naestra her arrows while she dropped her own into her quiver. Emery walked over to a closet and pulled out a fresh jerkin for Naestra.
"Here you go, Miss Naestra." Emery offered. Naestra nodded her thanks as she took the jerkin and began pulling it on. Dressed and armed, she slung her quiver across her back and pick up her bow.
"Ok, Naestra and I will be going out to find the leader of these Greenskins and eliminate him. Brandan, I presume you will be joining the defence?" Arahan questioned. The knight nodded in reply. "Alright then. Girl, stay here and lock the door. Don't let anyone in that isn't us or the Duke." Emery nodded in understanding.
"I'm going to go find the Duke. Meet me in the courtyard." Brandan said as he sheathed his sword. The twins nodded and the Questing Knight quickly walked out the room, closing the door behind him. Emery looked at Naestra with concern.
"Um, Miss Naestra?" she asked. Naestra looked over at her. "What about you and Miss Arahan's injuries?"
Arahan laughed quietly. "Don't worry about me, girl. My injuries were nothing."
Naestra just sighed at Arahan before responding, "I should be fine. I could reopen my stomach wound, but it doesn't matter in the end. We will be fine. You look after yourself."
Emery nodded as the two sisters shared a look and turned around, opening the door. Before she left, Naestra gave Emery a comforting smile.
"Stay here, and keep the door closed. We'll be back soon."
Naestra and Arahan soon found themselves walking down into the courtyard. Men were running all around them, however what stood out was the large number of injured but armed men standing before them in formation.
The second of the two knights that had been trying to control the crowd back in the hospital stood in front of the large group and walked up to the confused sisters.
"Greetings, miladies. My name is Francis. Behind me is the 187 men from the keep's hospital, three dozen of which are knights. The rest are experienced and trained men-at-arms, all of which are ready to stand against the Greenskin horde." The knight announced loudly and formally. Behind him, the Bretonnians stood at attention with a mix of spears, halberds, swords and shields. The knight, Francis, turned to Arahan with a polite bow. "Milady, many find your claims outrageous, while others claim you and your companions managed to ride through the Greenskins and survive. Regardless, they stand ready to have you prove your claims true in the coming combat, and seek to accompany you in battle."
Arahan's mouth dropped in surprise as a faint, embarrassed blush came across her face.
"What?" She said in confusion. "I was just trying to get them to shut up and fight..."
Francis smiled in amusement. "Well, considering your response to doubt was to throw a knife with near-impossible speed and aim, you could say that you made quite the impression. May I ask for your name, milady?"
Naestra grinned at her hopelessly confused sister.
"Her name is Arahan, Sir Francis. My name is Naestra." The dark-haired elf said to the knight, who nodded in understanding.
"Ah, I see, my thanks, Lady Naestra." He replied. Francis looked behind them and his eyes widened. He knelt down, as did the soldiers behind him. Naestra and Arahan gave him a confused look before turning around.
Behind them stood Duke Folcard, fully armoured with a greatsword on his back and a finely made sword and shield in his hands. His helmeted gaze looking at the sight before him. Behind him stood Brandan and the other knight from the hospital. However, there was also tall, broad knight that stood directly behind the Duke.
The knight seemed to radiate an aura of command and righteousness around him and his heraldry featured a grail on a grassy plain. Naestra's eyes widened in surprise, though Arahan just raised an eyebrow at the man.
The Duke walked down towards them and stopped before the sisters. His unseen eyes stared into the sisters and Francis.
"What is going on here?" He demanded simply.
"My lord. Myself, Sir Meric and these men are the injured from the hospital. We've taken up arms despite our injuries to fight back against the Greenskins. Lady Arahan was the one that roused us to action, and thus we decided to accompany her in this siege." Francis explained. Folcard looked at the knight behind him, who nodded in confirmation.
His helmeted face looked over at Arahan, "And what say you, Lady Arahan, about this?"
Arahan just shrugged in confusion. "I have no idea. They speak the truth, but you humans are so strange in how you act sometimes." Naestra rolled her eyes at her sister's comment. The tall knight walked up to the elves ominously, Folcard respectfully stepping aside for the knight. Both the elves tensed slightly and Arahan's hand trailed to her knife.
"Twin elves from Athel Loren. I admit, despite all I have seen in my long life, I am surprised to see Asrai inspire humans to fight." He said with a deep yet kind tone.
Naestra smiled at the knight pleasantly. "And despite our own long lives, I must confess, we've never encountered a Grail Knight before."
The Grail Knight nodded and looked over at Arahan. "Lead these men to war, Asrai. Prove your worth to these brave soldiers that looked to you for guidence." A strange feeling washed over Arahan, who found herself nodding slightly.
Looking over the unusual mixture of Bretonnian soldiers, the Grail Knight offered the kneeling Francis a hand. The knight looked up at the taller man and took the offered hand and was pulled to his feet. He drew his sword, a blessed blade coating in a bright, yellow light, and raised it to the sky. Numerous passing people paused at the awing sight.
"Men of Bretonnia. Take up your arms, fight with all your strength and repel the foul Greenskins from our lands!" The Grail Knight began, "Fight in spite of your injuries! Fight in spite of the odds against you! Fight for your families and friends that the Greenskins have come to murder! Find courage and honour on this field of battle we are about to walk upon! Prove your worth before the Lady, as well as the one that challenged your valour! For King and Realm! For Bretonnia!"
A loud cheer followed the Grail Knight's words, and even Naestra and Arahan felt inspired by his words.
"Sally forth, men of Montfort! Let us take the fight to the Greenskins!"
So, there we are. To be honest, when I was trying to write yesterday, I got stuck trying to write the start. Then, when I did start writing that night, I had a sudden spark of inspiration with that scene with the three guards. I've always had the idea that as the story progresses, random people chat about the Sister's impact on the world around them. I really enjoy writing the first of these little interactions, and I hope you all did too.
So, next chapter, The Siege of Castle Montfort. That is going to be a bit.
As always, feel free to leave a review, I appreciate any advice you might have, or even just a "hey, nice chapter".