And now we move on to the Crew's new guild house but wait awaits them in the darkened forest to it... What kind of Fort is Reynold getting and will it be as good as he thinks? find out now!
To OniTenshi500: Oh he's in quite for a surprise there lmao XD I won't spoil, but let's say, you'll enjoy that reward more than he will XDDDDD and As for telling Celestine, best to do that a bit at a time...don't want to run the risk of her becoming a dark goddess too soon and then everyone's in trouble... and I mean EVERYONE XD
To Cross: Yeah, she's coming in, but later on, it's a bit too soon to introduce her right away...but keep an eye out, she may show up sooner than you think...
Chapter 47
Home Sweet...Hell...?
Crossroads, near Ken and Erdora...
The Crew and Endra had finally reached the double signs, Traysek frowning at the skulls pointing in the other direction...
"That's reassuring... like being an Omen in front of an Omenkiller..." Sylla pointed with a sweat drop, "We'd better make sure that no one gets in... especially if they're civilians..."
"Pretty sure that was the purpose for this sign, for holy knights and citizens to stay out" The Redguard hummed, nodding at something, turning for the path, "just... be ready for anything,"
"I'll go first..." Sylla drew her Katana and Wakizashi, "I can buy some time in case something comes out..."
"And I'll watch the back," Endra added, "You can count on me for that."
Now on the road from that path, the crew continued to follow it, until they came across a large entryway into a dark-looking forest, the sign above them with large demonic skulls on it this time...
"Geez, it's not like we didn't get the message back there," Inigo commented, looking into it, "Guess the new house is in...that..." hearing the growling and crackling from within.
Traysek nodded as he stared ahead, "It has to be, there's no way they would've sent us off back there...even if this is a bit...creepy,"
"Alright... it can't be worse than the Lake of Rot..." Sylla gulped before taking the lead.
Yuriana took a deep breath, "At least whatever's in there, most likely won't kill us...and given our new friend here," motioning her head towards Rela, "She doesn't seem worried about it,"
Traysek nodded in agreement, "Yeah...about that," turning to her, "What's all in this forest? besides the house?"
"Poisonous plants, near indestructible insects, venomous creatures, dangerous swamps... that sort of thing," Rela answered.
"ooooo~ That makes the alchemist in me, very... very happy," The Dragonborn smiled, "So many new poisons and tonic to make, not to mention I can see Lucien coming up with a few ideas, okay, getting the gist of what's all in there,"
Inigo took a deep smell, "But it does have that lovely forest smell here, despite the scarier scents around, they don't seem aggressive towards us either, I don't feel like I'm in danger," looking around.
"Quite the opposite... I feel safer the more we go in...strange," Yuriana frowned.
"Only an Apothecary can safely harvest them and use them." Rela pointed.
"Good luck getting those creeps into showing you how." Endra chuckled.
The Redguard spotted a large snake coiled up on one of the trees with a face, emitting a purple mist that was melting a few of the branches, spotting a large bloom that emitted poisonous spores further away from them, "Yeah... a lot of these plants are already starting to look quite alien...and we haven't gotten deep yet..." spotting a colossal hornets nest nearby.
Klein shivered at the snake, "What is that coming out of it, it's venom?"
"Dark Poisonous Flames." Endra answered, "Don't get caught in one of them, or you'll be dead and damned never to know rest in the afterlife."
Yuriana flinched at that, "By the nine, poison flames that burn even after death? That's a frightening thought..." getting agreeing nods from the others.
"My friend I'm going to say this now, don't try tasting anything out here, even if it looks edible," The blue khajiit warned...
Traysek frowned hard, "Why did your mind instantly go there...?"
Inigo gave him an unamused stare, "Jarrin. root. incident. and I'm done..." ears twitching in annoyance.
"The What-root incident?" The skull knight asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That sounds like something worth hearing," Endra said with a chuckle.
The Redguard sighed, "That...that was a bad day for me, I was going through an alchemy Benge at the time, so I committed to it, like the other schools of magic...I wouldn't ingest the ingredients, more like... taste them thoroughly and I'd learn their effects before spitting it out...and wasn't taking negative effects even if toxic, so I thought I could brave the root..." he bitterly chuckled with a sad smile, "I was an idiot..."
"Yeah..foaming out of the mouth after...and that was also the maddest we've seen your sister EVER get..." Yuriana reminded with an annoyed glare, "To be honest, I was pretty mad too, you even knew it was the most toxic substance there and you did it anyway,"
"Ouch, I'm not going to defend you here." Endra shrugged, "There are just some things that are better to stay away from."
Traysek rolled his eyes, "By the gods, I already learned my lesson there and besides..." looking at how spiky and otherworlds the plants looked, a large one, snatching a small animal and chomping down on it, spitting out bones immediately after eating it, "I'm not sure if I WANT to go doing that here...getting a feeling I'll lose more than my tongue..." with multiple sweat drops.
As they moved deeper, they saw more nightmarish creatures such as giant dire panthers with long fangs, black spiders with red markings, and giant crabs roaming around a large puddle of sick green water...
"We're near..." Rela pointed, "As long as we follow the path nothing will happen..."
"I sure hope so..." Sylla commented as she looked at a semi-skeletal bull watching them, "This is so uneasy."
The captain looked around at more creatures as they continued, spotting colossal dire bears, giant dire wolves, more giant insects like Scorpions, dark and bright colored with heavy armored plating, giant centipedes, giant hives stuck on trees that also had faces with eyes now a glow, along with the moving plants on their on own vines... Giant crocodiles that lived within the poison swamps swam through it, one of them reaching up and snapping one of the birds down into the swamp with its massive jaws... however, despite that, the plants around them had begun to glow in pretty colors as the light was no longer shinning on them, illuminating the area in it...
"You know, despite the hellish animal kingdom around, those lights make it worth it to be here," He nodded in approval, passing by a few glowing flowers.
Inigo grinned with a nod, "I'll say...the light they're all giving off is addicting to stare at...I almost got black reach vibes being here,"
"Except we're outside this time...not in middle earth..." Yuriana added, glancing around.
Klein nodded with a nervous grin, as he saw a giant spider rush off when he looked at it with impressive speed, making his spine shiver and tingle, "U-uh...yeah sure..." rubbing the back of his itching neck...
"Don't worry, kid, if they didn't attack at the beginning, they won't attack now." Endra chuckled.
The newest bird of prey member had a nervous smile, but nodded at that statement, "Heheh...let's hope it stays that way..."
The group after minutes of walking, would finally reach the center of the forest, coming across a strange manor, closed away covered in vines...
"It looks like it's been cleaned recently." Rela commented, "They must be inside, waiting."
Traysek whistled, looking over the massive manor ahead of them, the gothic style blue roofing made it nearly castle-like, with the ember-lighting coming from the windows and lamps, accompanied with the grounds littered with fireflies with the glowing plants and crops, giving twilight glow in that area... "Not bad Lord Swain, Not bad at all~ think I'm gonna like our new guild house," with a grin.
Inigo nodded in approval, "Looks big enough to get lost in, which means there's plenty of rooms to choose from,"
"Indeed, I wonder what all awaits inside..." Yuri added, "That being said, is the gate open?"
"Um..." Rela nodded as she walked forward.
"This place... doesn't give me the creeps..." Sylla looked conflicted, "I feel like I'd be more secure inside..."
Klein nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's like a homecoming glow, it's a soothing feeling from it," smiling, "Think I'm going to be comfortable here for a while,"
"I feel like this place has... more than what we're looking at." Sylla gazed around, "Being in the Carian Manor gave me the experience to feel when there's something hidden..."
The gates opened on their own, with Rela taking the lead, guiding the other through the grounds, while they marveled at the grounds...taking note of the strange-looking fruit and crops being grown there, a few bigger than expected... They eventually reached the main doors...
The door opened revealing a red-eyed High Elf with long black hair turning crimson at the tip and wearing a maid uniform.
"You must be the ones the Master told us about, nice to meet you," she said, bowing her head.
Traysek slightly bowed back, "Likewise~ I'm Traysek, Captain of the Red Dragons~, and in a moment, guild leader and mentors, as soon as we get set up here," with a friendly smile, "Gotta say, I loved the nightmare setting before getting here, your master has quite the taste, I approve~"
The maid said nothing as she widened the doors, "This manor has over 130 rooms with three bathrooms, one storage area in the basement, a bath house in the backyard, a library... although, some books were too damaged to be kept..."
"I-I see," The Redguard blinked twice, off guard for a moment, regaining his composure, "Well then, we've got bags to drop off before stepping out, but I wouldn't mind a tour," with a nod.
"Very well." the maid clapped her hands three times and two different maids appeared; one had long pink hair, blue eyes, cat ears, and a cat tail. The other has long black hair turning dark blue in the tip, ember eyes, red demonic horns, and demonic wings.
"You can leave it to them. They'll carry them for you." the Elf maid stated.
Traysek handed them off the bags he had, "Appreciate it, thanks," he nodded with a smile, stretching his shoulders, as the rest of the group handed in theirs as well.
"Now, follow me." the Elven maid motioned them to a corridor, "We'll begin by this side of the manor."
The Redguard nodded following her into the house with others tagging along...the door closing behind them once all in...
On the western coastline...
The holy knights or what was left of them in Feoh had set out to Fort Hröka with Rey's squad of knights...They had traveled far west on the luscious green plains with a few trees as the sun shone on the coast, giving its glittering allure...During this time, Rey's injuries had healed over or at least the pain from them has...He still donned a bandage on his head, riding in the carriage and thinking about everything that happened in Feoh before this point, shaking it out of his head with a sigh...
Eventually, the Carriage and convoy come to a stop, making him frown...
"Why have we stopped?" He asked the driver.
"Well... we've arrived..." the driver answered uncertainly, pointing to a ruined fort in a pathetic state... Most of the infrastructure was missing with plants going through most of it...Rubble was everywhere and the remaining walls were cracked, slowly eroding...
Rey opened the carriage and stepped out, eyes widening when he saw his new fort, jaw dropping to the floor as he watched a piece of wall from it do the same, "This place is..." in a shocked tone, remembering what Traysek had said to him, eyes shadowing over...
'"What are you guys laughing at'
' Oh nothing~ congrats on you and your..."legendary" fort! hope you enjoy it!'
...
'Don't you a have an elf cannonball to find?'
'Don't you have a broken fort to occupy...?' repeated in his head...
He stood there, shaking angrily, clenching his fist, eyes shadowed.
"What happened to this place?!" Marquel looked at it with wide eyes, "This fort's supposed to be maintained! Not abandoned like this!"
The head knight took a deep breath, coming out with a smile, "It's okay, everyone, maybe it's just how it looks outside, I'm sure the inside says a different story, and they were battles fought here, it's a given there's some..." looking at the cracks, "Dings here and there,"
The other knights nodded before following the lead young knight inside... only to see that an entire wall was missing, the ground of the second floor was also missing, the rooms were full of mold and spider webs, and the remaining walls were full of cracks... There was also an old stench of rat feces and urine...There was also, a rotting smell that hung heavily there... To call the place "simply unlivable" wouldn't be ENOUGH to describe how bad it was...
In Feoh...
Niall looked at Prim and said, "By the way, how much does that fort cost? The one you gave away."
While working on some papers, Prim giggled, "About a chicken bone."
"That's gonna hurt his pride..." Raymond commented, checking the state of a few weapons.
Back at the ruined fort, they reached the main lobby, which was surprisingly in decent condition, Rey stood there in thought with his eyes shadowed over...
"Marquel...How many rooms are open here...?" He asked in an odd tone.
"About 8 or 9 rooms..." Marquel replied with a tone that showed anger and disgust.
He was silent for a moment, taking a deep sigh, "And as for the rest...?"
"Impossible to stay in for 1 minute before running the risk of an infection..." Marquel answered.
At that, Rey bitterly started to laugh, clutching his hair, "So...we have disease to worry about on top of all of this, great...that's just great..." he shook his head, "That amount that I traded this for...it was 6'000 gold pieces right?"
"Yeah..." Marquel nodded, "We'd need either the help of a powerful noble house... or a miracle..."
Reynold somberly nodded, "Huh...I think she hated me...lady Prim, I think she hated me...she had to have known it was like this and lied to my face..." clutching his fists hard, "I...I can't look at her the same anymore..." thinking back on the act she put on during the ceremony, only fueling his anger.
"But why? What did you do to make her hate you?" Marquel asked, "It doesn't make any sense."
He shrugged, "I can't say for sure, I knew Jenelica hated me, but this didn't come from her..." sighing deeply, "But maybe this isn't a bad thing...as you say we just need to make connections and start there, it shouldn't cost too much to fix this place and depending who we'll ask, it can get done in a day,"
"Who are you thinking about?" Marquel looked at Rey with confusion and wonder.
"Well for starters, I have a few friends that are heirs to their family fortunes in Ur... the Calvinis, Remmonet, and Bernadus families, that's a good place to go from, Albert and I have history, as well as Aria and I...they've got their...issues...that's for sure, but they might be willing to work with us," Rey thought with a nod, "As for the Bernadus brother, they had no issues with me when I met with them, they should be willing to talk to...and then there's the village Erdora, I know the Mayor there,"
"Where do we begin?" Marquel asked, gaining a little hope.
Rey pulled out a map of the general area in Ur with noble houses, "I'll head to the Calvinis family with a few numbers, I'm sure he's got the weapons and tools we'll need... you on the other hand, are taking a few more and heading there to the Remmonet household for their food and goods, avoid the Luvenlis household, it's a fallen one and they're hostile to us...and for the Bernadus brothers, we'll meet up together on that..." he planned, "If these go good, we'll see what other nobles names we can track down, and with the threat of the sword-defender now active, I'm sure they'll be willing,"
"Alright, we'd better hope that it'll work." Marquel nodded, "But... what's the story with the Luvenlis house?"
"I went by there to chat with the remnants of that family only to find them dead with their knights, with only the heiress remaining due to a strange female knight and her female mistress there, had a rotting breath that could eat you from the inside out...they were also experiments that had gotten lose due to the family's Herectical dabbling, either way, it's a death sentence going there," Rey pointed.
"Okay... that's something..." Marquel slowly nodded, "What about the houses of Geofu? Is there a chance there?"
Rey thought on this, "There's the Lightbringer there, did a few missions a while back during my time in Geofu's outpost, we have a decent relationship, we can get in contact with him if not, Princess Luu-Luu, I'm certain we can get decent weapons and armor from her..." with a nod, "As for Rad...That there is complicated, we already had a difficult relationship in general with the samurai and shinobi there before...And there's no way we can trust the lone shadows, they're too into their own devices, luckily I know someone in the Taimanin...A man named Tatsuro...he's someone to get in contact with, but...the last thing I heard about from him there, a...situation happened and let's say, he and the lighting Taimanin haven't been...as close and she's pretty violent...we'll have to plan on that bridge when we get to it..."
"By Taimanin, you mean the Shinobis under the Daimyo Date Masamune?" Marquel asked with a frown, "Last I heard, Date Masamune hates the Seven Kingdoms Alliance and wishes for Rad's independence..."
"I forgot about that bit, alright, Well then Rad will be more difficult to plan on but we've got time before then," Rey nodded, "For now, we'll need to gain support on services, I'd say my family but they've lost their support recently...But there is still master Claudia, if I'm still considered a holy knight, I'm still in her graces, I'm sure she and Grave would be willing to help out in that regard..."
"Alright, once the men are rested, we'll move out to Ur," Marquel said with a grin.
"Very well, I'll get started on my letter to Master Claudia and inform her of my new fortress, before setting out, depending on who answers the letters first, we might be going to Ken for stronger horses," Rey informed, "For now, try to clean what you can clean and get some rest, all of you," turning to everyone.
"With some luck, we'd be able to win some new rooms for the night," Marquel replied before ordering the others to begin cleaning.
"I do hope so...I'll be in the office," Rey grinned, making his way there, eyes shadowed over, 'I get it now...you all thought this was a joke...that you could all put me here and laugh at me...that's fine...I'm tired of being everyone's laughing stock...and now that the lady I love is taking part in it...' entered the office, finding it to be the cleanest there, taking a seat on the old rickety chair once he got behind the desk, 'No more...Those who laughed at me...Jenelica, Lord Swain, Commander Niall...Traysek...and Even...Even you lady prim...I will show you all, we will fix this broken mess you've left us back into the mighty fortress it once was...and then...and then...' having an image of Greil, Niall, and Traysek Kneeling before him on the throne, all decked in gold and silver variants of their armor with Jenelica behind bars in a tiny cage, Prim in his lap while lord Swain stands to the side of it with his eyes closed like an advisor 'I will make them Kneel. This world will continue to shine in pure radiance...' a smirk forming, 'The only good side to this... is despite the condition Hroka fortress is in...there's no way, Traysek's got it better than me...I've got the men and women in arms here, and he's yet to open his new "Guild"...' with a nod, and relaxing in the room, 'Tomorrow starts a brand new day for us...I hope the kingdoms are ready for our return...' with a bloodshot hard look in his eyes.
Back at the manor...
To say the house inside was "Nice" would be an understatement...The paint on the walls was a deep crimson along with the marble flooring the group echoed the sounds on, followed by the candles that burned deep red, with empty armor suits, along the walls and painting above them, the largest being of swain.
"Wow...Talk about intimidating..." Klein whistled, "I can't believe this is yours, Traysek..."
"I... can't believe it either," The Redguard uttered in shock, "By the gods, this is amazing..." in a whisper, looking around in awe.
The maid opened one of the doors, "Each room is relatively the same as the other with the difference being nearly unnoticeable."
The room has a large room with a big bed, a desk, a crate, paintings, and unique armor standing nearby.
"Of course, those armors are guardians that will look over things while you're out." the maid added.
"so you think those beds are durable?" Sylla asked Traysek in a whisper.
He smirked in response, "Oh definitely, roomier too~" with a nod, turning to the maid,
"And these armors can move on their own?" Yuriana asked in shock, "That...that is more than impressive, how effective in combat are they...if they need to be..."
"Commander Niall from Feoh tested and approved them," the maid answered.
The entire group whistled at that, Inigo nodding in approval...
"So they've even been seal-of-Niall approved, that is both scary and awesome," The khajiit complimented, getting agreeing nods.
The Redguard grinned, "And for bodiless armors that is even more terrifying when you think about it, they can't be bribed, somebody could easily mistake them as..." eyes going wide in realization, "Human guards...oh that is clever~"
"The armors were made by a blacksmith near Ur and enchanted by a Duke from Geofu." the maid pointed.
"Wow...if this guy is still alive, I wonder if he'd be interested in doing business," Yuriana nodded with an approving smile "His works have got to be good,"
Traysek nodded in agreement, "Well, if he's in Geofu, we're bound to meet one way or another," passing more in the halls, nearing a set of double doors.
Once she opened the doors, the group saw a large table with many chairs around, "This is the dining hall, do make sure to be here for dinner on time. Otherwise, it will set a poor image for the guests that may come."
"So there is a set schedule here, Good to know, I'm willing to bet it works like that with breakfast too, Lunch depending on who's here, got it," The Redguard nodded, "Gonna need a list on the times here, would hate to be late," with a small grin.
"This is a huge dining hall..." Yuriana marveled, looking at the fireplace nearby that burned crimson flames, "I could get used to this," with an approving nod.
"But what are the living quarters like? I'm curious about that one," Klein added in.
"The lounge area is on the second floor." the maid stated, "It's near the library."
Traysek nodded, "Those will be a treat to see... Didn't know this house came with its library," with a smile, "Very nice~ I'll have to check that out on my own time,"
"Along with the hundreds of rooms here, some rooms lead to other rooms," Inigo commented with a sweat drop.
"As for the time of the meals, it depends on the sun and moon; at dawn, it's the preparation for breakfast, two hours after dawn, it's time to take breakfast for everyone, when the sun is right above the estate, it's time to have lunch, tea time at dusk, and four hours later, it's time for dinner." the maid listed.
The entire group had sweat drops now on their heads after the listing...
"That's...quite the schedule...gonna take some time getting used to," The Dragonborn commented, "Regardless, I'll do my best to keep that memorized,"
'Yeah...YOU will...' Both Inigo and Yuriana thought at the same time with twitching eyebrows.
"You'd better memorize it, because being late means you skipped the meal." the maid stated, "And skipped meals won't be taken later."
"Understood," Traysek simply responded with a nod, "I'll keep it written down then..." with a nervous chuckle.
"You're sure that you will remember?" Sylla asked as she raised an eyebrow.
"I've got a pretty good memory, just a bit stricter than what I'm used to, but I'll make due," The Redguard smiled, turning back to the maid, "Okay, thank you for informing me about the meal times here, that'll help a lot...Now for the main office and Master bedrooms, may I see those?" he asked.
"The master bedroom is strictly reserved for the master." the maid pointed with a dark look, "Trying to break in may end in... some misfortunate incidents..."
"Creepy..." Sylla commented.
"As for the main office, it was cleaned of all the dirt and documents there." the maid added.
"Apologies, homeowners habit...I didn't realize you kept that room for him," Traysek apologized, "Okay, where's my room then? I'd like to see that,"
"You're free to choose any room you wish..." the maid said, "As long as you keep away from the master's."
"Right, we'll be sure to do that," The Redguard concurred with a nod, "Also knowing how vast this manor is and what kind of guild I'll be opening, is there a way I could add extra wings to the house? if possible,"
"May I ask for what reason?" the maid asked, looking at the Dragonborn's eyes.
He calmly looked back, "Well depending on the services and recruits that join, I may need to make extra wings for them, especially a healer and medical wing, I know injuries are going to come high and heavy, and possibly other installations that we may or may not need later,"
"I see..." the maid nodded, "Once the Masson Guild gets here, I'll mention it to them."
Traysek frowned hard, "The "Masson" guild? I barely know them but I've seen their logo in Yamakhroz on many buildings, didn't seem to be the type to want to do business before, what's got their interest now?"
"The Masson Guild is a legal guild approved by the council of Yamakhroz that operates as a Public Service." the maid explained, "Most of their member are Dark Elves and half-Dark Elves. However, they do have other members of other races. Initiated by a pirate named Edwin VanCleef, that guild is responsible for anything that comes to architecture. Of course, their services aren't free, but they aren't that expensive either."
The Redguard nodded on that, "A legal guild... I could see benefits there, and you also said they were coming over...?"
"Indeed." the maid nodded, "I set an appointment to have them look over the condition of the manor."
"Alright, Keep me posted on when they arrive here, I'll be waiting for them," Traysek assured, "Now, is there more to the tour? I don't want to rush, but I still have a mission your master assigned me to do, I would like to get started on that soon,"
"There's still the bathhouse and the backyard." the maid stated.
The Dragonborn nodded, "Very well, lead the way, miss..." Thinking about it, "Pardon me, I didn't get your name, I don't want to be rude,"
The maid looked at him briefly before replying, "You may call me Roxan, appointed head maid of this residence."
"Thank you, Roxan~ you may lead the way~" Traysek ushered cooly with a smile.
"Alright, I'll guide you through the backyard." the head maid said as she opened a set of doors.
They followed her through the doors, coming out into a vast open and wild lush green field with oak trees, that donned bluish-green leaves with a river nearby with clean water flowing gently under a small bridge...There were also bushes completely made of blue and Green roses...
The Redguard deeply inhaled, smiling, "So this is the backyard...? It looks like an oasis back here," with an approving nod.
"Tell me about it, the trees are even normal, giving it's unique leaves," Klein added in shock, looking around in awe.
"Talk about exotic... some of these plants are considered extinct." Endra whistled, impressed.
"Now, let's go to the bathhouse." Roxan began to walk toward a building on the other side of the backyard.
They followed her to the large building, watching her open the doors... revealing a large bathing tub, the walls covered with drawings of paintings, the ceiling made of glass and appeared to have been cleaned recently, and on the other side, two pairs of doors.
"This is the bathing area, while those doors lead to the dressing room; the left one is for men while the right one is for women." Roxan pointed out.
The group was in awe, the Captain the most, nodding at the tub.
"Gods that's so tempting right now...especially after all that today..." Traysek grinned, nodding in approval and looking around.
"You and me both, my friend," Inigo gasped, "Guess I know what I'm doing when we settle down..."
"Just YOU Ingio? the minute we unpack, that's what EXACTLY what I'm doing," The buxom woman laughed.
"It does have the size to hold more than we have." Sylla noted, "Maybe we can all go in after."
Klein nodded in agreement, "That should be no problem for a bathhouse like this...I wouldn't mind bathing from here every morning, every evening too,"
"Is this also a spa? I notice the stuff in here for it, but no massage table," Yuriana inquired with a frown.
"None of the current servants can perform it." Roxan pointed, "The only ones that I know can do it are the Dem-personal maid of the master and the half-Elf that follows the goddess around."
"I see, okay, it's not like we won't come across someone who can," The Redguard concluded with a nod, "Well, thank you for the tour, Roxan~ I know where things are and that helps, gonna enjoy living here for a while ~" with a genuine smile, "But, as much as I want to kick back and soak in that," motioning his head towards the tub, "I have a prior engagement to get to, but once I'm back here, be it later afternoon or tonight, I'll be willing to meet the rest of the staff here,"
"Of course," the maid nodded, "They will be ready when you'd want to meet them."
"Alrighty~ looking forward to working with you~" Traysek smiled, Offering a handshake.
Roxan looked at his hand before saying, "Are you sure you want to sign that kind of contract? Normally, people don't like trading their so-"
Rela swiftly shut her mouth and made her shake his hands before whispering something in her ears.
"I see..." Roxan bowed, "It would seem that I misunderstood your attention."
The Dragonborn had a confused frown, until it dawned on him, making him blink twice, "Oh... It means that kind of contract...my mistake and don't worry about it...I tend to forget things can be pretty different when it comes to certain people... That was meant for the partnership," he nervously laughed, "But in the case of you being worried about us freaking out that your demons to Lord Swain, don't be..." he waved off "I can already sense that from you, much like I can with Rela here and your master..." giving a kind smile, "I have a similar situation, but in place of a demon, it's a dragon's soul and blood...so why most would find that frightening, I find it comforting in a way~"
"And it helps that we've been with him for years," Yuriania added, "Trust me, you and yours are okay with us,"
"Khajiit are not normally blue and yet, here I stand... You being demons is no trouble at all," Inigo commented with a wave.
"And I'm not even human." Sylla pointed with a grin, "And with all those I've met in the Lands Between a few demons won't bother me."
Klein shrugged, "To be honest, I'm not exactly a holy knight anymore," he laughed, "You lot being demons don't scare me, I already feel comfy here as is,"
"I see..." Roxan slowly nodded, "If that's the case, you'd better be ready for tonight's dinner. Don't. Be. Late."
There were some gulps heard from amongst them, the captain smiling nervously.
"Sure...we'll try to be done before then," He assured.
"Therefore, I wish you luck in your quest." Roxan bowed.
Traysek gave a bow back, "Appreciate that, thank you~ also there's three more to this group showing up to the house later as well, they're just in different cities at the moment, but they'll be brought up to speed once they arrive,"
"Since I'm sticking around, I'll keep watch for either of them," Inigo nodded.
Yuriana shrugged, "Well, I did say I wanted a bath, so I'll hang around as well, and find my room here,"
"Feel free to pick any room you desire." Roxan pointed.
Traysek turned to the others, "Okay guys, keep me posted when they get here, As For the rest of you, Rela I know you're coming with, Endra that's a maybe from you, although it involves one of your comrades, Klein I know you're coming..." turning to Sylla, "What about you? you hanging around here?"
The Tarnished thought hard before saying, "You know what? where's the harm in going out for a bit? I'm with ya."
"Okay, we'll see you guys later," The Redguard smiled, being the first out of the doors...
Back outside, Traysek focused on a spell, "Since I've been to this settlement already, I've already a great idea of where to start looking from," bringing up a portal.
"Should I know something before we start?" Sylla asked.
He stopped and sighed, "Yeah...this involves what we did during our time in the alliance... we're to find a Kletzkreig member...one I...sent into a tree with my voice, it was the result of questioning gone wrong," with a head shake.
"By questioning, you mean forcefully trying to get information from her, huh?" Sylla raised an eyebrow.
"Not out of torture, but I did have her at gunpoint," Traysek admitted, "We were there to recover funds they had stolen from Erdora, that they owed to the alliance...and the settlement was in flames, I just wanted to know if anyone was still alive there... I wasn't expecting her to start igniting herself like a lightning bomb, and with my crew, those huntresses, and...Reynold there at the time, I sent her flying away from us...but I can't say I DON'T understand her reaction now...seen too much of that reason," with a bitter chuckle.
Sylla took a deep breath before saying, "Look, I'm not going to call you names for doing that, I... kinda understand what you tried to do; you thought she would comply since it happened a lot in the past, correct?"
"Usually they do..yeah, it's the hold-up method...and because we had no reason to fight at that time, we would've let her go...no doubt there" The Redguard nodded.
"It's a mistake anyone would have done." Sylla smiled slightly, "Believing that whatever happens in your place happens everywhere. Especially in a war... during a war, those who fight are ready to die for a cause if they believe in it. Maybe the people that you fought against in the past were cowards, or maybe you misjudged the situation... however, once you get to an unknown territory, forget everything about what you knew... that's something I had to learn the hard way..."
"Considering what most bandits are back there, you're not wrong on the coward bit..." The Redguard chuckled, "But as for what we know here compared to where we're from, I'm starting to understand the meaning behind your statement...Given recent events... I'm just hoping when we find Meila, if she's alive, I hope it's not too bad...prepared for the initial shock either way," turning back to the portal, "But in all seriousness, we do need to get going, gave our word we'd be done before dinner..."
"Looks like people need a room." Endra pointed with a smug.
"Yeah yeah, Alright Mr. "D to my harpy!" Once we're done here, you can go straight back to Thelys..." Traysek teased, "Tell her I said "Hi" when you do,"
"Don't worry I'll do." Endra laughed, "Good try, but using Thelys does not affect me. After all, I'm quite proud to be with her."
"As you should be...Ass..." Traysek smirked, "I see why Dargo gives you a beating now, gods, let's go" laughing and being the first through the portal...
"Please, Sword-Defender defend me." Endra acted, getting some chuckles before jumping into the portal.
In Feoh...
The former queen, Aurora, sat in the lounge of a modest home, filled with dolls.
"There you are." Jenelica presented her with a cup of tea, "This will help you relax a bit,"
"Thank you~" Aurora smiled, accepting it, taking a relaxing whiff, "And I appreciate you wanting to meet with me...especially times like these, and I also want to thank you for returning my daughter to me, I know how you feel about her..."
"My goal was never to take her hostage or anything." Jenelica drank from a glass of milk, "I promised to keep her safe, even now..."
The former queen nodded, "Of course not, had you, we wouldn't be chatting here now..." she concurred, "As for what you did for Feoh and Alicia, thank you for it, my husband chose you well...it's just a time of grief and the last thing we need to do is separate...at the same time, given daughter's... actions of late...she's not going to be safe within this city, and I'll need you to keep an eye as you've been doing,"
"I know," the former jester nodded, "I know how humans think... and honestly I don't think that's her fault... if it weren't for a holy rat, she would have been very different than now..."
Aurora took a sip of tea, looking back at Jen with a sad smile, "You mean the situation for Esteban...don't you...? Oh, honey... you can't blame only that boy for it...Eos knew what strings to pull on him to make that happen...And His master, Lady Claudia also had a hand in that... if it wouldn't have been through that kid, it would've been some other way...Still, He was a good man, a very good man..." with a deep sigh, "As for my daughter, she's a woman of her own choices... as I am and as you are...she had a responsibility to the city and on how to conduct herself... in a way...I'm glad her father isn't here to see the after result..." eyes low and dark.
"Must be hard for you... being betrayed by someone you trust, losing your kingdom like this, learning about your daughter's poor judgment..." Jenelica drank from her cup of milk, "You need someone to lean on, don't you?"
"Heh, if this is your offering, no need, I've been talking to the new Aide I've been given, he's...great at conversation, he's just out at the moment, he'll return soon," The former queen waved off, "But this was nice, I wouldn't mind you coming by...and once the grieving part is past, Alicia will need somewhere to go and since you had her there already, she can stay with you,"
"I would feel bad separating a mother and her daughter." Jenelica sighed, "Still, are you sure you're alright with her training under the commander? If you don't wish for her to be there, I could speak to him,"
Aurora thought on that, taking another sip, "Actually, I'm glad she'll be under Niall...he's got the most experience and could learn a thing or two under him, I don't mind it..."
"Now... you want to know what I got about the Prime Minister, correct?" Jenelica asked.
The former queen smiled at that, "Let's hear what you've got..."
At the settlement, near Erdora...
The group arrived at the tall wooden gates of a small village, Traysek looking around...
"Yeah, this is the place...looks like they've upped their defenses," He commented.
"How many people live here?" Endra asked.
"Hard to say, there were only three survivors left here, the two huntresses and a child, a boy with them..." The Redguard thought, "If they've gotten more people, we'll know in a while, it sounds real quiet from out here, that may be a good or bad thing depending,"
"If Dargo were here, he'd be able to tell," Endra sighed, "Still, it's nothing compared to that village we were in."
Klein nodded in agreement, "Yeah, very underdeveloped in comparison, even the walls look weak," frowning at the old oak and cracks.
"That's because, in response to the alliance bleeding out their village, those that left Erdora came here and built this refuge to get away from that," The Redguard pointed, glancing at it, "Once it was more impressive than the other village, but now..." shaking his head, walking in the gates.
Rela quickly grabbed and pulled him away, "There's a trap..."
"What? Where?!" He asked, shook by the sudden snatching and looking around...
The Dark Elf took a log and threw it where Traysek was about to step, having it fall into a hole.
They watched as that small hole crumbled into a colossal one, making them all sweat drop, as the captain carefully went up to it and paled when he saw what was down below, "By the gods...that would've been a career-ender there, good save Rela, thank you," took a deep breath, rubbing his neck, "That...is a long way down, not to mention those coated spears...But how did you know? the ground didn't even look disturbed,"
"The heat on the ground is higher when there's dirt..." Rela pointed, "A hole is easily noticeable..."
Klein frowned, "I think I get it, but how can you sense that?"
"I can sense heat..." Rela answered.
The Redguard thought about it, "Because of the kind of demon you are right? Fire I had to guess? It would explain why I felt things heat up back at Swain's office...but that would mean you could feel how hollow and cold the ground was...that's impressive, there are no known sensory spells I know that do that,"
"That means... We can ask her if she can see how many people are inside..." Endra thought out loud.
"Good point..." Traysek nodded turning to her, "If you can sense that, can you feel their heat? and if so, how many are in there?"
"I feel four sources of heat..." Rela answered, "One lying on the ground, one training somewhere, and two doing some kind of work..."
"Interesting...what about the one on the ground, what are they doing, are they sleeping?" The Redguard asked.
"I don't know..." Rela shook her head, "But it's strange that there's no movement..."
He thought on that for a minute, "Might be who we're looking for, is that the closest one?"
"No... they're around the other corner of the settlement..." Rela replied as a Dark Blade gave a scroll to Endra.
Traysek nodded, "Okay, then who's the closest? we'll start there,"
"The one training..." Rela answered.
"Alright good enough for me," He concurred, focusing on a spell, releasing it, and fabricating a bridge past the gate, crossing it.
"Well, that's weird..." Endra mumbled after reading the scroll.
"Hmm?" Klein hummed, picking that up, "What is?"
"Orders from the General." Endra sighed.
Traysek reached the other side, glancing back, "Really now? and who are they for?"
"Both of us." Endra answered, "We have two days to meet him in Feoh,"
"Both huh? Did he say why?" Traysek asked as Sylla crossed the bridge next.
"Not really." Endra sighed as he burned the scroll, "But knowing him, it's something he wants only us to know about..."
The Redguard nodded, "Right, well days still young, and if we have enough time... we can see what that is," waiting until he crossed over, Klein being the next one across.
"Now what's the plan?" Sylla asked.
"Guess we're talking to the kid first, figure out what's happened here, and since he knows me, that'll be easy," Traysek smiled, watching Rela fly across, snapping his fingers, causing the bridge to disappear...He then clicked a button on his scouter, getting four signals, and finding the most active single one nearby... "And he's over there," clicking it off and heading towards the direction.
"You think that it's going to be easy?" Sylla raised an eyebrow, "I feel like there would be some problems..."
"I expect a bit of resistance, but then again, he was at death's door when we found and revived him, There's a good chance he'll be willing to talk, we'll see," The Dragonborn replied.
As they navigated, they found the boy training with a stick.
"Is that him there...? It looks like he's going at those targets pretty hard," Klein commented.
Traysek slowly nodded, "I probably know why...give me a second with him, he's probably jumpy towards dark elves after that attack on this settlement, I'll have to warm him up first," heading towards him.
"You'd better be ready in case things go south," Sylla whispered to Endra.
"Don't worry, I know..." the Dark Elf nodded.
The young man gave the target another harsh downward bash with a yell, before winding up with another blow, "Eeeeyaaah!" smashing into it with a swing, shaking the entire post, and huffing out of breath.
Soon after, there was applause from behind him, making him frown...
"Not bad~ Excellent form! with a stick no less, I see someone's been busy~" He heard a familiar voice call out, turning to it with a surprised look.
"It's YOU...you're one of the people who saved my life...! Traysek right?" Mikael asked, getting a nod.
"That's correct and it's been a while kid, let's chat~" The Redguard grinned...
To be continued...
And that concludes this chapter, hate to do you all like that on Cliffhanger, but you'll have to see the rest of his mission the next time... And if you're all curious as to what I based the interior of Traysek's manor, it's a red-walled version of the Volcanic manor, with our own twists to it... as for the external manor itself, we went with the iron gates manor for design, (Shout out to the artist, his houses are gorgeous!) as for the dark forest (Which we have yet to name) that's our own take on that... So covering a few things there...
That's all for now, stick around for the next chapter, see you all next time :)