General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.
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Lord of the Lands
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"It's a fine looking building," remarked Coran, looking down the slope at the silhouette. "Well, what I can see of it anyway."
Nalia groaned, somewhere off to his right. "I can see torches outside -the guards must have fallen back. Look - there's a palisade."
Coran looked to where her eyes were fixed, and he nodded; he could make out a small wooden fortification, men swarming around it in the De'Arnise uniform Nalia had described. There was no sign of any enemy, meaning they'd fully breached the Keep's defences. His keen eye scoured the area, trying to make the most of the failing light, and he noticed the pikes outside the raised drawbridge; each carrying the corpse of a man - and in some cases a woman. Aerie had also noticed them, and a small gasp escaped the avariel's lips.
Coran looked over to Nalia - she was still gazing at the palisade with worry. "We can't go any further without knowing what we face," he said gently. "I will not go blindly into this, and we need to be prepared to give ourselves the best chance."
Nalia bit her lip as she faced him. "I should have told you previously, but... well, others abandoned me when they found out. We are beset by trolls. Worse still, they seem to have some sort of... snake creature, with them. I've never seen anything like it before." The human sighed sadly. "I guess I haven't seen a lot of things."
Coran patted her shoulder encouragingly. "Where did the trolls come from?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe they were driven here by something, or the new settlements to the south disturbed them... I..." her voice trailed off; the discovery of the fallen defences had knocked the girl's confidence and Coran could see it was taking her a great deal of effort to withhold her tears.
"We need to know how many we face," he continued, his voice remaining soft.
"I don't know about numbers," replied Nalia helplessly. "There are... a lot. We must rescue my family! My father... my father refused to leave..."
Coran held her as she sobbed for a few minutes, ignoring Korgan's unpleasant muttering. "Come, we will rescue your home," he said to the mage as she wiped her face with her sleeve. "I would assume there is another way in, other than the front door..."
"Oh, there is a hidden door, it exits near the palisade. I can show you where to find it."
"Good. One thing though - you may see unpleasant things as we pass the main gates..." Coran explained what he'd seen and Nalia looked horrified for a second. With effort, she took on a determined expression, following the elf's lead with her head held high as he strode on.
Coran left her to quickly converse with the head of the De'Arnise guard when they reached the fortification; it was agreed that the companions would make an effort to lower the drawbridge, allowing the guards access to help the clearing of the enemy. Night had fallen completely as Nalia opened the side entrance to the building, leading them through storerooms and servants quarters until they reached the weaponry.
"Daleson!" exclaimed Nalia with relief.
The man she addressed started, whirling around in surprise. He relaxed visibly when he saw Nalia, but then almost immediately straightened himself up when he noticed she was in company. "Miss Nalia," he said formally. "What are you doing here? You never came down to the servants quarters... at least, not in my memory."
"Thank you Daleson," said Nalia hurriedly, "but now is not the time for secrecy. These people are not my family, they're my own hirelings. Keep no secrets here."
"As you would have it Miss Nalia," replied Daleson with a bow. Coran shot Nalia a curious look, and the mage flushed slightly.
"Aunty prefers no contact with the people we govern," she explained to the bemused elf. "She is unreceptive to ideas of associating, and believes lesser classes are best reminded of their position at all times. I disagree."
"She's one stuffed, old biddy," agreed Daleson, also speaking to Coran. "We got a saying for her kind, we do; south end of a north-bound ogre…"
"That will do Daleson!" snapped Nalia, though not unkindly. "You will not talk of her thus."
"M-my apologies Miss Nalia," replied the servant abashedly. "I... I meant nothing by it..."
"I'm certain you didn't," said Nalia with the hint of a smile, "but regardless of her attitude, she is still a noble of this house." The girl sighed. "I must find my family," she said quietly.
"I have some news of them, Miss Nalia," offered Daleson. "Your father was taken inside the keep this morning by a great big troll. I think they were probably taking him down to the-"
"Cellars!" interrupted Nalia quickly. "The 'cellars' is what they are."
"As you say, Miss Nalia," muttered the man.
"Then we will work on a way to reach the ramparts to open the drawbridge, then head to these... 'cellars'," said Coran thoughtfully.
"The way to them is... well, there's a secret passage from my Aunty's bedroom upstairs," explained Nalia.
"The way to your cellar is from the upper level?" asked Coran. "What a curious... human... design."
"Yes, well. It means we can find my Aunt on the way." The plan appeased Nalia, and so Coran escorted Daleson back to the hidden door, watching the servant run to the safety of the palisade. The elf was no fool, and he knew that there was something he wasn't being told about the lower levels of the keep; it didn't overly bother him, however. It seemed that nothing was ever simple in the life of a mercenary.
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They'd managed to take out the trolls scattered around the lower floor of the keep, Nalia and Aerie's fire and acid spells sealing the fate of the creatures. Nalia led them along corridors and passageways; the floors covered with thick, luxurious carpets, the walls adorned with oil paintings and rich tapestries. Korgan's eyes gleamed every time they went past the ornate decorations; large statues of elephants and lions, smaller, marble statues of eagles and dogs. Porcelain busts situated in alcoves draped with silk curtains, plenty of brass sconces hanging on the walls providing light. The keep certainly showed its affluence, and the dwarf made sure to mention this repeatedly.
They encountered the first yuan-ti on the second floor; a mage whose confusion spell had caused Nalia to fire her bow at Korgan rather than her enemy. The dwarf had yelped in pain as one arrow tore into his hand, causing him to race off towards the bewildered mage with his axe raised high. Coran had managed to step in the way, preventing him from getting close; the elf was unsure if Korgan was also affected by the spell or not. He maintained later that he had been, but Coran was pretty sure that it was a lie. The dwarf didn't hide his dislike of the females well at all, regularly calling them 'bags of tricks' as his most positive endearment. Coran was sure that he would not be averse striking out at them given any opportunity - and blaming the influence of a spell would be one such occasion.
The shadows of the cloudy night made it easy for Coran to slip out of the door that Nalia had led them to; bringing them out at the highest part of the ramparts. Quietly, he led the way towards the drawbridge, bringing down a small troll with one swift blow; Aerie's acid arrow hitting home to finish it off. The wheel to control the bridge was strangely unguarded, so Coran and Korgan ran to it, quickly turning the wheel and wincing as the creaks and rumbles echoed around the otherwise still night air. A growing noise of voices heralded the arrival of the guardsmen below, and the companions followed Nalia as she darted to the stairs leading down into the courtyard.
Coran leapt down the steps, coming face to face with a large otyugh; its disease-ridden tentacles snaking towards him as he deftly ducked to the side. Korgan engaged a nearby troll, the two girls using their ranged weapons to take out the yuan-ti who were closing in on some of the guards. The battle was frantic and lengthy as the noises alerted more enemies to the skirmish. Eventually the yard was cleared, and Nalia instructed the men to go and ensure the ground floor was clear before moving to the upper level.
Coran led the four companions back upstairs, and they easily defeated the few trolls that were outside the bedroom of Nalia's aunt. A roar from further down the corridor drew the companions away before they could get into the chamber, and Korgan charged into the snake-like figure, his axe slashing wildly as the spellcasters peppered it with missiles. Coran returned to the door, opening it cautiously as he peered in. A man appeared almost instantly, his weapon drawn as he frowned at the elf.
"Hold!" he exclaimed sternly. "How did you get in here? Who are you?"
"I am Coran," he replied genially, inclining his head respectfully. "I have been hired by the Lady Nalia to clear out the keep of its intruders."
The guard relaxed, letting out a huge sigh. "Oh, thank the Gods! You... you cannot believe how relieved I am to see you then! Not only have I been barricaded in here, fighting against trolls..." The man shot a furtive look over his shoulder before continuing in a whisper, "... but you cannot believe the audacity of this woman! The Lady Delcia is the Lord's sister and she is... trying to say the least! I have been tempted to strangle her myself more than a dozen times!" He cleared his throat as footsteps signalled the arrival of Coran's companions. "So, er," the guard continued, "you should talk to the Lady Delcia further. She will decide what to do I suppose... and it'll be the first break I've had from her in days!" The last part was said in a whisper to a grinning Coran, and the guard opened the door fully, allowing his Lady to get a good view of her rescuer. With a loud tut she advanced towards Coran, a disapproving stare on her face.
"Oh, tis like a nightmare," she proclaimed loudly. "Yet more hooligans tracking their filth through the halls! We shall have to vacation for a tenday while the whole building is deloused!" She paused to regard Coran more closely in the light of the lanterns. The elf smiled charmingly to her, and she raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I'll tell you the same as your leader," she said haughtily. "You'll get no more from me than a condemnation! Marching into a home as though you belong... what is the world coming to?"
"Aunty!" shouted an aghast Nalia from somewhere behind Coran. The human pushed her way past him to stand before her kin. "Please! We have come to rescue you."
The noblewoman's face took on a softer expression as she regarded her niece, but Coran could also see condescension. "Oh dear... Nalia? What have you brought home with you this time? I have told you about consorting with such creatures... you will only end up like your mother."
Nalia flushed angrily at this, and it was only with quite obvious self-control that she managed to respond calmly. "Yes, yes, yes, you've told me a hundred times or more about my mother's death. I will thank you kindly not to do so again."
"Well," sniffed Lady Delcia, quite obviously offended by her niece's response. "What dregs are these?"
"Aunty! Treat them with respect! Would you rather die here than accept help from the commoners?" Coran heard Korgan's annoyed grunt, and he made sure he blocked the dwarf's way forward.
"My dear Nalia," said the woman, "I wouldn't turn down the chance to live another day, but living another day as... one of them... You soil yourself dealing with your lessers."
"The measure of a person is the quality of their life, my good Lady, and how they live it - not how they are judged," remarked Coran with a smile.
"Of course you measure worth that way," sneered Lady Delcia. "You have no choice. Realise however, that some are born to rule, others to follow."
"I certainly shall, my Lady" said Coran with a flourishing bow. "And I shall be sure to share your sentiment with my parents, the Lord and Lady Sullussaer of Tethyr, when I next return home. For now though," he continued, amused at the woman's sudden surprised look, "I think it would be best if your loyal guardsman accompanied you from these walls, and to the safety of the palisade outside. Wouldn't you agree Lady Nalia?"
Nalia was staring at Coran with her mouth open. His words shook her from her thoughts. "Oh, er, yes. We should... we should really get moving. You will be safe to go back the way we came in," she said to the guard, who nodded in response. "Our men are downstairs ensuring the clearance of the encroachers. I cannot... cannot go with you yet."
"As you wish," said the Lady, still frowning slightly at Coran. He merely smiled contentedly in return. "This... young man is... noble I am sure, but one must wonder about his 'friends' and their intentions." Her look fell quite clearly on Korgan as she swept past him, following her guard. "Please do try not to get killed, my dear," shouted the noblewoman as she was led away down the corridor. "I shall wait where it is safe."
Coran wandered into the bedroom, studying the walls as he searched for the passage Nalia had earlier described. Eventually he turned to ask her about its location, and caught her staring at him again. He raised an amused eyebrow.
"Oh, er, you need something?" she asked, shifting slightly.
"I was wondering why I was so interesting to observe," he replied. Nalia flushed, causing Korgan to laugh heartily and Aerie to give the dwarf a reproachful glance.
"Ye poor lad if yer goin' tae be burdened with her doe-eyed glances all day long," snorted the dwarf.
"Th-that's not really a nice thing to say!" exclaimed the avariel suddenly, causing Korgan's attention to turn to the cleric.
"Aerie! Aerie!" he exclaimed. "Cease yer whinin! I'd swear on my father's coalcart that ye were one o' them fey elves wi' all the blasted complainin' comin' from ye!"
Aerie looked taken aback, and Coran held up his hand to cease any further exchanges. "That's enough," he said sternly. "Aerie, don't listen to him, he's just missing his ale a bit much." Aerie nodded, now exchanging glares with the dwarf. "Nalia," continued Coran, "could you show us where the passage is to the... ahem, 'cellars'?"
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Coran slammed the door shut, and then leaned on it, smiling brightly at his companions' concerned faces.
"What is it?" asked Nalia.
"We have a slight problem," explained the elf. "There are some creatures in the next room that may be quite dangerous to face unless we are prepared."
"Prepared?" snorted Korgan. "I've got me axe ready, what else could I possibly need?"
"Can you fight an opponent without looking at it in the eye?" asked Coran as an almighty crash came from the other side of the door.
"If I haftae," replied Korgan with a shrug. "There be no better way tae kill though, than tae watch the fear in their eyes as yer axe slices intae their gullet!"
"Be that as it may," said Coran quickly. "There will be four eyes on each beast for you to not look into, and that is very important." Another thud against the door, causing it to shake slightly, and Coran braced himself slightly more. "So we all understand, yes? Don't look at the eyes?"
The elf leapt away from the door as the next ram broke through it, and a large bipedal creature tried to clamber through the hole. Coran stabbed at it with his sword as Aerie and Nalia backed away hastily, their hands shaking as they readied their bow and sling, trying to take aim without actually looking at their target.
The first umber hulk died in the doorway, but the others behind it were determined to get past, and it was quickly pushed out of the way as the companions retreated back, taking cover behind some boxes and crates. Coran and Korgan leapt out to tackle the first hulk when it got near, both keeping their eyes fixed to a point just past their foe and trusting their fighting instincts to land their hits. The two young girls began muttering the words to their spells; magic missiles flying through the air, managing to burn through the tough, scaly hides of their foes.
Only one remained when Nalia let out a piercing shriek. Coran turned to see the young human nursing her arm; the flesh was badly burned, her robes incinerated by something. A quick glance to Aerie showed the avariel's eyes were glazed over; she'd been caught in the umber hulk's confusing gaze and had cast burning hands at Nalia while the human was preoccupied with her own spell. Korgan's roar signalled the death of his opponent, and so Coran ran over to the cleric, deftly dodging the bullets she slung in his direction. He managed to wrap his arms around her when he got close, holding her still as she struggled against him for several long minutes until the effect finally wore off.
Aerie was distressed when she realised what had happened, and apologised repeatedly; she looked so abashed that Coran gently reminded her that the journey they were undertaking was far flung from her experiences in the circus.
"You have nothing to be ashamed of," he said sincerely to her. "You are performing exceptionally well for someone who has only been an adventurer a day."
Aerie smiled shyly at his kind words, and Nalia took her hand as they moved on, the two girls finding comfort and strength in each other as they drew closer to the conclusion of the invasion.
Coran noted that the room beyond the door certainly didn't appear to be an ordinary cellar; an old iron maiden was leaning against one of the walls, and a large rack was the focal point of the chamber. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Nalia, and the human sighed.
"It used to be a dungeon," she admitted. "But not for a long time - father insisted it was all cleared away and not used like that any more."
Coran nodded, and moved over to the door on the far wall. "Through here?" he asked.
"An old chapel," replied Nalia. "We... we don't use it any more. There is nothing beyond it though, so I guess... they must be there."
"You are ready? You must be prepared for the worst." Coran's voice was level and calm, and Nalia nodded determinedly. "Then let's go."
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TorGal was strong; much stronger than the other trolls they'd faced, and stronger even than the two huge trolls who had served as his bodyguards until their death. His scaly hand was squeezing Korgan's throat, causing the dwarf's face to turn purple as he asphyxiated. Something flashed through the air, a swishing noise preceding the dull thump of the troll's hand hitting the ground. Korgan took his change, ducking away from the creature before another regenerated, leaving Coran to battle the fearsome beast alone.
Nalia and Aerie were hitting it with their remaining spells, slowly weakening it as the elf danced around, evading the powerful blows aimed at him while trying to find a gap in the troll's defences to push through into a debilitating attack of his own. Korgan was soon back in the fight, having caught his breath and readied his axe; the concentration of both the skilled fighters was eventually too much, Coran's sword being driven through its torso, Nalia's flame arrow finishing it off.
Her father was lying dead at the base of the large statue that looked over the room. Coran recognised it as a likeness of Amaunator, a dead human god who many believed was reborn as Lathander. Nalia slowly walked towards the body, shaking visibly as she got closer. Coran followed her, putting his arm around her for support as she looked down, tears flowing down her cheeks. The trolls had given little clue as to why they'd attacked, referring to someone known only as the 'Stronger' and implying it had sorcerous powers. He had little hope that they'd discover anything further about it unless it decided to attack again in the future.
"My father," said Nalia in a small voice, drawing the hood of her cloak up around her face. Coran left her alone for several minutes, allowing her to pay her respects and gather her thoughts. Aerie stood, her face bowed as she silently offered her prayers for the fallen man to her own God; even Korgan managed to stay quiet.
"Let's get out of here," said Nalia as she turned back to them, her tear-stained face expressionless. "I... I need to think." The others followed her as she returned to the upper levels of the keep, and they aided the guardsmen as they sought out the remaining trolls, hunting them in the bedrooms and chambers, then outside on the ramparts and battlements.
When it was all done, Coran escorted Nalia to the palisade, where she passed on her father's demise to her aunt. The noblewoman retreated away from the group, suddenly caught up in her own thoughts and Nalia looked over to Coran.
"My home... my father," she whispered hoarsely. "What is left? Someone has done this... but who...?"
Coran took her hand gently. "I feel as if we have failed you," he said quietly. "We did not save your father, and I am sorry."
Nalia shook her head. "I am thankful for all you did. Here... it is all I can afford." She pushed a small pouch into the elf's hand and looked back to the dark outline of the keep. "I don't know what... with father gone, there... oh. I need to... No, no matter. Forget it."
The fighter raised an eyebrow. "What is it? Is there something else we can do?"
"It's... well, it's what happens next," she said ruefully. "I am betrothed to a man I do not wish to marry. My father was stalling it as long as I wished him to, but now he is gone."
Coran nodded sympathetically. "What do you propose to avoid it? I am afraid I am not the marrying kind, not even for a fair lady's convenience." She laughed slightly at his mischievous grin and shook her head.
"No, nothing like that - though no offence intended. I... I thought you could perhaps assume the title to this place. Be a figurehead of the keep, and I would be a ward, of sorts. A secret partnership, if you must, as I am within my rights as heir to choose who leads here. There is no way I could stand against the family of my betrothed on my own... Isaea Roenall is a brat of a man, and he will try to take over however he can. Your... talents, however, would be a daunting opposition to him."
"They would accept this?"
"They could not do much against it," she replied simply. "It is not uncommon for a fighting man to take possession of a keep once the lord of the manor is... is dead." She raised her eyes to look into the fighter's, and they were full of pleading and sorrow. "Please - the Roenall's are oppressive rulers. They would not direct the place in a way that would honour my father."
Coran nodded slightly and looked up at the building, its crests and flags fluttering in the dark skies, only visibly as rippling masses. "I cannot promise to be able to spend much time within the lands," he admitted. "I have come to Amn for my own reasons, and they may take me back to Athkatla, or indeed, to other cities in the region on a whim."
"You do not need to live here to take the role," said Nalia quickly. "The Head of the Guard is more than capable of the day to day running, and I promise I will help you with your own tasks as part of my gratitude for all you've done already, regardless of what you choose to do here now."
Coran smiled at the mage. "I will do what I can," he said slowly. "With your guidance and advice, we shall see your lands prosper and flourish."
Nalia threw her arms around him with delight, hugging him as she thanked him. "They can't force me out now," she said as she let him go. "And Isaea can forget the blasted betrothal! You are now master, within reason - I am still blood heir, and I can remove that from you if I chose to."
Coran nodded respectfully, watching as she darted off to inform her rather horrified Aunt what she'd decided. The elf wandered away from the palisade slightly, sitting down on the grass as he gazed out across the land. Oh Maiyn, he thought to himself, I could really do with you being here now.