Castle Vance has fallen. The destruction by the dragon was enough to damage the foundations and causing much of the place to collapse into the water. Thanks to the dragon finally leaving, the survivors, including Elina Vance, formed a team of excavating the rubble to find any survivors and bring them to the surface to seek medical attention. Despite the loss of her father, Elina was force to continue to serve her duties on recovering the survivors and preparing to rebuild.
While all this was happening, Ragnar left the scene as there was no point continuing to stay here anymore. Right now, he goes along the coast to search for the two women he gave his backpack to and hope his equipment is still inside his backpack. It took him a while to find them, noticed them in the distance, and already left the boat and coming their way towards him. He was happy to see them approaching him, especially seeing Risty coming towards him with the backpack and tosses it over to him the moment she was close enough to exchange.
Ragnar catches it and replies "Thank you." But just as he was preparing to place it on his back again, he pause for a moment and looks to Risty to remember she is known as a thief, so he decides to check to see if anything was stolen.
"Hey, I didn't steal anything. I mean… I wanted to…" Risty crosses her arms and turns away from him when feeling a little embarrassed. "But because you saved us from the execution…"
"We didn't have enough time to properly introduce ourselves." Annelotte steps forward and bows her head "I am Annelotte Kreutz of House Kreutz."
"And I am Risty!" She says when looking back at him and pointing with her thumb to her chest "And I'm the Benevolent Bandit of the Wild."
"Risty and Annelotte." Ragnar replies and places the backpack behind him and introduces himself to the two "I am Ragnar the Dragonborn. You can just call me Ragnar."
"Dragonborn? More like dragon rider." Risty replies and places her hands on her hips "We saw you fall from the sky from that dragon. How on earth are you still alive and not a pile of guts?"
Ragnar smiles and replies "It's a secret. But I'll demonstrate for you later if you want."
"A private performance? As long as I'm not paying for it."
Ragnar laughs "Well, could you at least help me get to know this place and show me the closest town or city?"
"We could visit my home." Risty replies "Before visiting the wall."
"They'll reduce the soldiers on the wall and travel to the castle." Annelotte replies to Risty "We can stay for the day and then make a move on the wall while it's less fortified."
"Then I guess you lead and I follow." Ragnar replies
And so the group leaves the area and go further north through the dry lands and away from the castle. They avoid the roads when they expect a dozen soldiers will be patrolling the area and making their way to the castle. They manage to arrive to a small village before the sun lowers and finds out this place is quite small and broken on some places. This village was in a badly shape with some buildings burnt down and still have people living inside of it. The prisoners that came with them would say their farewell and wish to go search for their love ones. Annelotte, Risty and Ragnar go to the church where most of the orphan kids are kept here, and to find them working together on rebuilding the broken ceiling.
"This is not how I pictured things to be." Ragnar replies when watching kids picking up large timber to bring it somewhere else.
"It's always like this." Risty replies when entering the church. She looks sadden by the sight, but she tries to be happy the moment the kids spot her and rush towards her with excitement to see her again.
Ragnar turns his head to Annelotte and asks "Just how did you get captured in the first place?"
Annelotte sighs and replies "We were deceived… Risty got her people captured by a nobleman and my people were caught in an ambush. If it wasn't for that dragon…."
"You should be thanking that dragon for that."
"But you're the one who saved us."
Ragnar remains silent from that and looks towards Risty to see her talking to the other children. He replies "To be honest, I don't think I could've saved you if that dragon didn't interfere."
"I understand. We're just strangers after all."
"But I'm here to learn about this world." Ragnar looks to Annelotte "Tell me everything."
Once Risty was done talking to the kids, she joins Ragnar and Annelotte outside where they talk together.
"The Vance Family are the most powerful noble families in this country." Annelotte replies "The power they wield is enough to control almost half the continent. Although the dragon has delivered a serious blow to the Vance Family, its timing has been fortuitous as people have grown weary of that family."
"That family are scum." Risty replies with an angry expression "They care about only themselves and only care about the rich standing over the poor. What happen today is what they deserve…. I thought there could be a way of reasoning with them, but that's just impossible."
"So who's in charge?" Ragnar asks
"The lord is Count Vance. He has three children; Leina, Claudette and Elina. You've met Elina during our execution."
Ragnar thought back for a moment and remembers the blonde woman with the spear, who was anxious to end both their lives at the execution.
"Leina Vance is no longer a problem to the family and is considered the strongest."
"I wish she was here to help us…." Risty replies while crossing her arms and tightening her grip against her arms when thinking about her.
Risty thought back of a day when she was once friends with Leina Vance. She and Leina once work together and they both saved each other from death at the hands of a stronger opponent. However, this relationship between the two broke apart when Risty calls to Leina for help to overthrow her own family.
"You're the heir to your family. Take the throne and change what they're doing to the people of this land. You can't run away from this!"
However, Leina turns her back on Risty and refuse to become lord of her house. She replies "I don't want to return to my cage like a bird. I came out here to be freed from that burden. I can't fix what's happening inside my home, but I can help the people in my own way by saving them from my family."
After that, Risty left the scene and return home to start her own way of fighting the Vance Family.
"And what about Claudette?" Ragnar asks
"She's the queen."
"Seriously? Wait, how can there be a queen?"
"What do you mean?" Annelotte ask and looks confuse and so does Risty "There have always been a queen on this continent."
"Really? I didn't see that."
"Surely you know about the Queen's Blade?" Risty asks him
"Never heard of it."
"I guess where you live is something different from our own."
"So what is it?" Ragnar asks
"It's a tournament that comes once every couple of years." Annelotte explains "A tournament of the finest fighters of only women to determine who could rule as queen. If they make it to the finals and defeat the former queen, they'll be the next in line for the throne to rule this world."
"Wow…." Ragnar looks impressed "That's some good reward. So when is the King's Blade?"
"There is no King's Blade."
"Seriously? You women get a chance to fight each other and we men don't have our own tournament?" Ragnar sighs and shakes his head as annoyed by this.
"Anyways. Leina Vance won the tournament, but she didn't want to become queen and chose to step down. Claudette ended up taking up that position and announces herself to be the new queen of this world. With her ruling over the capital city and Elina ruling over Castle Vance, both are considered to be untouchable."
"Then you've got quite a battle ahead of yourselves. How are you going to fight back?"
Annelotte and Risty look to one another in silent. Annelotte looks to Ragnar and replies "For starters, my warriors have dwindled and struggling to find more allies in this battle. I know we're strangers, and you've already did enough on saving us from that dragon. But…" Annelotte takes two steps back and bows her head to Ragnar "Please. We need your help."
Ragnar raises his eyebrows with surprise to see this. Risty was also a little surprise and did not expect her to be this desperate. Risty replies "Hey, we're not that desperate to ask a man for help a second time. Let's just call it a day and then we'll think of a way out of this."
"Ummm, yeah, you're right." Annelotte replies while standing up straight "Sorry."
"This is fine. It's not the first time I've been called to do almost everything in a country." Ragnar replies and soon turns away and join Annelotte back inside the building
Risty follows behind them and kept her watchful eye on that backpack on where to find all that fine gems he kept. Despite already saying she will not take it, her lustful attraction towards collecting anything valuable was something she cannot resist.
As they all sleep peacefully together, Ragnar sits back against the wall with his backpack lying next to him and still wearing his armour. It was uncomfortable sleeping like this, but this was not the first time he had to sleep in a place like this while wearing his armour. In the end, he fell asleep and would wake up in the morning with a starving belly. He was not the only one starving, as both Annelotte and Risty both have their guts rumbling for food and causing them both to be embarrass in front of the kids. Only they have a share of food, but none of the three wish to take any of their rations and allow them to eat only.
"I can't believe I didn't bring any food on this journey…" Ragnar mutters to himself while watching the kids eat "Surely there's an area where we can actually get good food?"
"There's a town in front of the wall, so our best bet of getting food is right there." Annelotte replies
"Well then." Ragnar straight away begins his journey out of the building and prepares to make his way to the wall. However, he stops as soon as he made it out the door and realise he still has no directions of certain places.
"I'll take you to the wall." Annelotte replies when walking up to Ragnar and walks past him to leave
Risty comes to say goodbye to the other children "I promise I'll come back. And I'll bring back a lot of good stuff."
After that, Risty joins the other two on travelling together. Ragnar looks back to see the kids waving at them as they leave and looking to Risty to see her catching up to them to walk in between the two. Ragnar asks "You sure have a kind side with kids."
"That's because I've been in their shoes… Long time ago." Risty replies while keeping her face forward and keeping a straight face.
"Sorry to hear that."
"You know, if you want to join us, I'd welcome you as second in command of the bandits of the wilds."
Ragnar smiles and replies "As much as I want to join you, which I most certainly want to, but I've been fighting bandits for quite a long time, so you probably wouldn't want someone like me watching your back."
"Figures… Although, the way you're glaring at me, you've always been watching my back."
". . . ." Ragnar tries to keep a straight face and continues smiling at the comment and feeling embarrass to know that Risty knows he cannot look away from staring at those legs of hers.
After a long walk together, the group finally spots the large wall in the distance over the hill. This wall stretch so far across the land and was meant to defend against the former queen's army. This wall only has the main gate, which has a town built on both sides of the gate as a market and food trading. This was built by the will of Maria Vance, mother of the three daughters.
The three walk in pretty easy and find less guards patrolling the area. Most of them have already left the scene to travel down south to the broken castle, while only the laid back guards are left behind to remain as the only authority to this town and security. Ragnar walks through to see only humans and elves and dwarves wondering the streets and doing trading at the markets. But Ragnar was a little surprise to see these types of species as this was the first time he met a dwarf, as well as a different appearance of an elf.
"They're so different than the ones back home." Ragnar replies when looking at the three elves talking to each other and laughing.
"Where's the nearest restaurant. I'm going to pass out if I don't get anything to eat…." Risty replies while rubbing her belly and still feeling it making noises.
"This way." Annelotte walks past her and takes the two to the diner.
At long last they finally got a chance to eat. Ragnar had to pay for all three of them, since neither of them have any money because both are prisoners with only clothing to wear. While Annelotte eats her food as a lady, Risty was eating her food straight away and drinking pretty fast. Ragnar just watches the two and completely sees so much differences between the two.
Satisfied after eating and drinking so much, the three remain sitting together and relax together for a while before making their next move. Ragnar asks the two "What are you going to do now?"
Annelotte finishes her cup of water first before answering. "I'd hope to find my lost weapons and armour. And then I'll search for more warriors to help in restoring the rebellion."
Risty was leaning her arms back and looking up at the ceiling, after having so much food in her belly and feels like she ate a little too much. She looks back to Ragnar and replies "I can find your stuff…. Just let me relax and I'll find it for you."
"You think it's here?" Annelotte asks her
"Yep. They didn't take them with us to the castle, so this place has to hold our stolen goods. The barracks is my best bet."
"Well, I could help you with that, but my sneaking skills are not so great. So I can't help you."
"Then you leave this to me." Risty replies.
"But what about you?" Annelotte says to Ragnar "You've already helped us enough. What will you do now?"
"I don't mind sticking around for much longer. I want to see everything about this new place. And I wouldn't mind finding some new challenges."
"If you want a challenge, then you should help me get back at the bastard that betrayed me and my friends." Risty said to him
"You two would have to do this alone." Annelotte replies "We both have our own plans, and this requires us to go separate ways."
"Will you be alright?" Ragnar asks her
"I'll be fine." Annelotte smiles to him "I've been through worse."
"Not without your stuff." Risty said when getting up off her chair "I'll get it for you."
"Thank you, Risty."
As soon as Risty was ready, she takes her walk out of the building and sets out to do her own plans of sneaking. But while she walks out the room, Ragnar leans back and gets a great view of her behind and sighs in delight at what he is seeing.
Risty got a chance to check around the place and found the main barracks that could be holding her lost equipment. It took her quite a while for her to break into the barracks, but she did enter from the back through an easy window and had to knock out two guards before checking the nearby chests to find anything she recognise. After opening two chests, Risty was right about keeping their weapons and gear inside this place altogether in a single chest. By the time the guards came into the room, Risty was already out of there with a bag full of good stuff. They notice the unconscious guards and quickly alert everyone else about this sudden attack, which causes the guards to go on high alert to check everywhere for anyone suspicious. Risty got out of there, thanks to her cunning skills of sneaking her way out of dangers.
Meanwhile, Ragnar and Annelotte walk together through the market district. Ragnar continue looking at the mix of different species he has never seen before. Annelotte explains this continent has different species than the one in Tamriel. It is said not many people from Tamriel would ever travel here by ship, so Ragnar is a one of a kind to actually travel here.
"It was said a powerful spell was created long ago, prevented anyone from this continent from interacting with the other. I don't know why, but many tried to challenge this by sailing out to Tamriel. One particular pirate, who desire to search for new lands to plunder, challenged a terrifying storm and was lost with all hands."
"The storm…." Ragnar thought about it and remembers fighting against a storm before coming here. However, all he had to do was use the shout "LOK-VAH-KOOR!" which was Clear Skies to easily clear the bad weather in front of him and clear a path for his ship to sail through.
"At the time I didn't think it was made by magic. I guess that explains why this land was never touched by Talos."
"Talos?" Annelotte asks and left confuse by the name
"You've never heard of him? Guess this world really is cut off from Tamriel."
"What's it like in Tamriel?" Annelotte asks him
"It's beautiful." Ragnar replies with a smile on his face. He turn his attention to his right to see Risty approaching them with a bag on her shoulder "Speaking of beautiful."
The three went somewhere private at the back alley take out the stuff out of the bag. Annelotte found her sword, shield and armour plating she wore before the ambush, and Risty found her spike mace and shield. Annelotte took her gear and start equipping it back onto herself again and was back to what she originally was; a knight.
"Nice armour." Ragnar says to her
"It's better than whatever you're wearing." Risty replies while aiming the front of her face towards his chest
Ragnar looks to Risty for a moment, but his eyes look down at her body for a moment, then back to her face and raises an eyebrow. "Says the one with the amazing legs."
Risty smirks and leans her mace against her shoulder "I've fought many battles and survived for this long with this, so I think I can handle anything."
Ragnar smiles and replies "The bandits in Skyrim will love you."
"Anyways, thank you for doing this, Risty." Annelotte bows her head to Risty
"It's fine. But right now, it's best we go our separate ways for now. I've got a score to settle elsewhere."
"I understand. If you should ever need help, I'll come find you."
"You sure you want to do that again?" Risty asks "Because you got caught because of me."
"Like I said, I'll come find you."
And so with that, Annelotte takes her leave and says farewell to the two. She leaves the scene and departs through the main gate without any attention from the guards. She was close to freedom with a chance of not spilling any blood. As for Ragnar and Risty, Ragnar finally has her to himself and agrees to follow her out of here and travel somewhere in the west to face against a nobleman.