Completed Chains and Blades

[Theo Popcampio]

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78th of Winter, 515 AV

Lester had called his squire on a mission with him this day. The goal was simple enough: Gather up some traitor knights and bring them in for questioning and judgment. Theo wasn’t given a full brief, but it seemed like things would unfold as they would for Lester.

A proud stallion sat beneath Theo that day. A gold hue reflected the horse’s profound breeding, a marvel of Syliran horsemanship. Theo commanded the horse, who was well aware of his shortcomings as a rider, to little or no avail. To Theo it seemed to him that the horse was more coordinated with Lester’s ride’s movement than his own. Still, when the young squire demanded the horse pick up its pace it did, and that was more than enough for Theo in these moments of leisure.

The two continued on their mounts to the eastern approach of the city for an hour until they caught up with the remainder of Lester’s wing. The leafless trees arched around the knights, and a clear-blue sky hung above them all. Snow still clung to the ground, but it was easy to cherish the remainder with the major storms having passed. It was a beautiful end to Winter. The cold had begun to mellow, and the whole of Syliras was yet again enjoyable.

“Good to see you’ve made it out here, Lester,” An older woman, presumably Lester’s sergeant (Theo couldn’t make out her insignia), said, “and you brought your squire as well? Excellent, you’ll see what we knights do best here today, boy. We serve justice.”

And so they went, it wasn’t long until the group of now six and their mounts came across the prisoners in question. They were guarded by a group of four men and women, two of which donned breastplates, chainmail, steel maces and leather-wooden shields, the other two had on leather and hide armor and wielded short blades and bows.

“Mercenaries!” The sergeant commanded. She seemed to be looking beyond them now, trying to look at the prisoners. They were five in number, their bones showing through their flesh. Worse for them, they had suffered a good deal of bruising.

“Look at those poor saps, good riddance,” Theo heard one of the knights say under his breath.

“Knights!” The captor’s leader replied, much to the amusement of his fellows. “I bring your traitors, do you have my coin?”

“You’ll secure your purse through the city, we hadn’t the right to bring it out here.”

[Theo Popcampio]

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“Very well,” The man who seemed to be the leader of the group instructed. “Release the prisoners to them!”

The prisoners, all of them men beyond working age, were passed onto the knights. Theo looked at them, sad and pitiful, as if they had been duped or cheated. They looked at the ground and had let their hair grown long. They flinched easily as the mercenaries held their hands to them. Theo had been told by Lester that knights did not flinch, that to do was to lose his dignity.

Their chains were tied loosely, and at any point one of them could have challenged their captors, who walked so close. Many had their doubts about the Sun’s Birth’s purpose, but not one of the knights questioned their fierceness in battle. These men had not the look of competent battlers, but of broken men, slaves.

They were handed over one by one. The last prisoner was being brought over as the mercenary captain spoke. “May we accompany you back to the city?” He asked. “We mean to claim our coin. We will be of no bother.”

“I expected that was going without saying. You may accompany us, but do not lag as we may outride you.” The sergeant responded. Even through the thick helmet Theo could tell there was doubt in her voice

“I assure you, we won’t.” One of the bowman replied, a smirk on his face. Theo lifted his helmet and peered at the man. Something was off about him.

So they began their journey home, and Theo kept vigil. Something was off. The mercs tried to make small talk with the knights, but Theo could tell that the knights had not thought the men worth their time. The knights tried to interrogate the prisoners, but they were too weak to speak, and every word came with a cough. The group jointly decided, at the mercenary leader’s recommendation, that the conversation be held off until they were in Syliras.

Theo, who was originally in the rear, led the way home now with Lester at his side. Clip-clop, trot by trot. “Lester, between you and I,” Theo spoke loud for the whole of the company to hear, “I am absolutely certain that merc is hiding something… Beneath that breastplate, he does look fat, doesn’t he?”

Lester didn’t budge, but soon he halted, and the whole of them too. He looked around staunchly, and the whole of the knights joined him.

“Ambush!”

[Theo Popcampio]

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Great long logs came down from the wooded hills surrounding the roads. Theo was lucky to notice them as soon as they came. Quickly he dismounted and dove as his horse’s legs were broken under the crushing force of the wood. The archers in the rear took quick fire at the knight’s horses. Two dropped, and as the men in breastplates turned their maces on the beast’s legs. By now all the soldiers had been dismounted in one way or another. Two men had been pinned beneath their horses. One of the bowmen walked over and removed Ser Hayden’s helm. Hayden yielded and pleaded, but as quick as that the bandit stabbed him clean through to the back of his throat.

Theo braced himself as two men charged the knights’ flank from the hills. The two had not coordinated and were very spaced out. They came rushing down with their weapons drawn over their head, screaming their battle cries. “For Sylir!” Theo cried back as he sliced an ambitious enemy clean through the abdomen, twisting his body all the way around on the follow-thru. Theo met his other foe’s strike over the head with a parry, deflecting the strong overhead strike. With the force of his parry, Theo managed to slice clean through the wooden grip of the axe. The bandit frantically reached for a backup dagger, but was stabbed clean through.

“That the best you guys had, seriously?” Theo said as he removed his sword from the bandit’s tunic.

Lester and Ser Remsly were entangled with two more bandits themselves, exchanging blow for blow. These guys must have been better fighters to be giving Lester trouble. Theo rushed over to turn the tide, but was rammed in his side by a shield. The air was knocked clean from him, but the young squire had not the time to notice. Tumbling to the ground and losing his sword, Theo turned and saw a sword heading his way. Theo rolled and grabbed his blade again, slicing from one side to the other with both hands. Without feet the man screamed and dropped his armaments and writhed. Theo rolled on top of the man and punched him senseless. Punch after punch he delivered until the man was out cold, and then Theo continued until his nose was without a bone any longer. Theo looked at him panting, “You almost had me, petch!”

Theo was dragged off the corpse by Lester, who slung him face to face with a man in full plate. A great war hammer was bashed against the ground thrice by the man, who echoed a roar at Theo. He beat his chest, proclaiming, “You will fall, knight!” But as he took his time to boast Theo leaked out a gascious res from his pores and let it loose through his own armor into his foe’s. The giant of a man lifted his helmet to look at the gassy res and backed away in frightened awe as the gas was filling his armor. And then Theo lit the gas aflame. The man’s suit of plate practically exploded. He screamed loudly, and rushed to take off his boiling gear.

“Maybe, but you should do the falling now. Stop, drop, and roll, ya know?” Theo lifted his visor as his sword hung from his right hand. “Gods, stop screaming… You’re missing out on good advice here.”

[Theo Popcampio]

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Theo looked back at the battlefield. All the horses had been murdered, the young man had a soft spot for animals and that stung in a special way. Lester and Remsly had slain their foes and had moved onto other targets. The bandits had their numbers severely thinned, Theo could see quickly a half-dozen on the ground, and the one’s he had slain were out of sight. What was better was Theo could see no more reinforcements.

Two knights had been downed, poor Hayden still had the short sword protruding from his throat, the other was trying to hold the blood leaking from his stomach. In front of her fought Lester’s sergeant, desperately fending off two attackers with a third on the way from her rear.

Theo leaped over a horse corpse, and swung around another. He ran up as fast as he could, but he was not quick enough. The assailant got ready to stab the sergeant in her rear, but to Theo’s surprise she deflected the blow with a glancing slice. As he ran close, it wasn’t until just before Theo was stabbing that the murderous bandit heard the knight. Theo stabbed clean through the man’s side, wrenching his sword loose with a swift kick.

“Better late than never, right?” Theo chuckled as he attempted to turn the tide of the sergeant’s battle.

One of the foes quickly turned to meet him. It was the bandits leader, armored in the breastplate and chainmail. His mace was longer than Theo was used to, and as the squire met the blow with a parry he buckled under the weight of the strike. With weak knees Theo only bursted back with sheer will, launching his foe back in a staggering pace.

Their leader had a crooked nose and a lazy, drunk eye. “You’re an ugly petch, ya know that?” Theo mocked him.

He charged back in with his shield forward and mace overhead, but Theo was ready for his foe this time. The blow came down hard as the last. Theo dragged his cold iron across the steel mace to the round head and got caught on one of the ball’s pointy protrusions.

“Don’t you guys got any other moves?” Theo delivered a strong kick into the man’s chest, but the man stood firm. The blow was reciprocated with a shield bash. “That’s a first!” Theo swung out in an attempt to slice through the light shield, but it was the slice was expertly deflected by the mercenary, who parried with a hit to Theo’s head.

Theo’s head rung with the metal and he backed away. Apparently the man had some honor as he let Theo recover. “You’ll regret that.” Theo spoke, “I think you almost knocked my memory back.”

[Theo Popcampio]

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The time was little, and the man charged in again. He pivoted off his front foot and twisted into a sideways strike. Theo couldn’t time the strike and was struck clean, his breastplate now dented. The squire struck back but could not capitalize on the opening and accidentally caught his foes breastplate. The mercenary swung his shield and nearly disarmed Theo.

“Ready to die, squire?”

“I’d say stop talking to yourself, but you don’t meet our aesthetic standards. Oh, sorry, that’s probably a little out of your vocabulary. I called you ugly again.”

“You got a big mouth.”

“Yours’ll be as big as Hayden’s soon, ugly.”

They both charged in and met in a dead lock. Theo struck left, and was met with the shield. The merc swatted side to side. Theo raised his arm to save his head once, and fought off three more blows with the lower part of his blade. He was backpedaling, but with one strong parry he knocked the merc off his balance. Pushing hard, Theo flurried light blows to get the bandit’s mind running on the defense.

Theo stopped striking, held his nose, and looked to his left. “Oh, damn!”

“What!” The mercenary demanded.

“I knew you were ugly, but a vagik? If you get laid you gotta’ tell me how.”

“Arrgh!” The man came with all his might down in one blow.

Theo side-stepped, and and dragged the mace down to the ground, capitalizing on the weapons momentum. “Touchy subject; I figured.” Theo said as the man tried to lift his mace from the ground. “Tsk-tsk. Gotta’ know when you’ve been got.” The squire sliced the man at the wrist, his hand continued to grip the mace before it slid down the metal and dropped to the ground.

The bandit screamed, and grabbed at his wrist.

“I’m no healer, but you might wanna cover that up.” Theo shielded his eyes from the blood, which sprayed at him. “You better not have anything, ugly!”

Theo looked back and could see that his compatriots had bested their targets, and had been watching his exchange.

“I’m impressed, squire. You showed control, even used some unconventional tactics in that battle. You’ll be a good knight yet. You must learn to respect your foes, however.” The sergeant said.

“Hey, look, I netted us a prisoner. Can any of you say the same?” Theo lifted his visor, smirking. “And, for your information, I treated him like I’d treat any friend. Can I be more respectful?” He winked.

[Theo Popcampio]

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“What do you have to say, Lester?”

“I am proud of Theo. Maybe his mouth is a little lively, but his heart is always in a good place. I think we will come to know that soon enough. I do not believe we make good knights by changing their character, and Theo is… well Theo.” The troops chuckled, and Lester smiled at Theo.

“You’re gonna make me blush, Lester. Now, you don’t wanna’ see what happens when I’m all rosey.”

Lester peered at Theo through the side of his eyes. “Yes, well… Like I was saying. I think Theo’s a good sport. Perhaps there’s something to be learned from his attitude.”

“Say, aren’t those your prisoners?” Theo said, looking up the road to the group of them having broken off in their fastest sprint.

They had split up, and when they knew they had been seen, they hurried even faster. Theo ran into the hills chasing a scrawny fellow. Theo could see his spine through his skin as he hobbled up the slope. The others had all taken off on their own flight, and so Theo hobbled up the hill slowly. The poor sap had nowhere to go.

He would have ran right out the chains if he could, but instead was overzealous and tripped. The prisoner rolled down right to Theo’s feet.

“Amazing, isn’t it? Things do have a way of working themselves out, huh?”

“Screw you knight! You’re no better...” he coughed, weaved, and inhaled, “than anyone else! Your people may as well be slaves. Why I’d rather be with my old master, and he was a cruel rapist, than be forced to work for you!” The man coughed again

“Master? Is that your boyfriend or something?”

“You’re all fools! Do I look like a Sun’s Birth? Are you so blind?”

“From the stories they do have pointier elbows. What’s your point?”

“That you’ve been played! I’m a slave, you were set up!”

Theo lifted his visor, looking down at the gasping man. There was truth in his face. “So who were those guys?”

“Obviously some fools, but I kno---”

“Theo! Good work,” The sergeant said as she ran up. Behind her stood the remainder of her wing, all bearing prisoners of their own. All of the prisoners had lame faces and empty hearts, and none had a word to say. “Let’s take these prisoners in.”

He looked at, and Theo let his full mind go. “Have you thought about this one bit? We have only one prisoner. The rest of these folks are slaves bought for a cheap price in an effort to dupe us. And they did it, and even in their failure you’re letting these charlatans do it again. But you don’t care, do you?”

“You’d do well to mind your tongue, squire. A good day in the field means nothing with such disrespect. Consider this a warning.”

The young man gritted his teeth. Lifting up the slave Theo whispered in his ear, “I’m sorry.”

The sergeant apprehended the man. “Back in line!” She commanded to two at once.

Theo walked back to the city, having all their mounts crippled or slain. He had a good long while to think about what he had done. Perhaps there was a reason for such regulations, he thought. But all rationalizations crumble before conscious: There is only feeling and intuition, and Theo knew where he stood on the matter.

[Devi]

Your Grades have arrived! Theo Skills: Riding: 1 Observation: 3 Intelligence: 1 Acrobatics: 1 Weapon Skills - Longsword: 3 Unarmed Combat: 2 Rhetoric: 4 Reimancy: 1 Running: 1 Endurance: 3 Socialisation: 1 Lores: Event: The ambush of Lester’s wing, Winter 515AV Rhetoric: Using humour to taunt in battle Reimancy: Igniting flammable gas Comments: Nice thread - it would be interesting to see Theo put into a position where his cockiness gets him into trouble! I wonder how he would react to it. It would also be lovely to see more description around his use of Reimancy - how it feels to him, exactly how he is manipulating res or whether he can feel it stretching the outer boundaries of his area of control. Let me know if you have any questions or feedback. Don't forget to edit your post in the Grade Request Thread to say it's graded and leave a link in there for the Storytellers. Happy Writing!