It didn't take long until the group arrived at the site where the peasant, Dromele, mentioned he had seen corpses wearing the same clothes from priests of the order. To say the scene they were greeted by was a grim one was quite the understatement. The state of the five bodies, tied to wooden logs, suggested much more than just hanging or execution. Not only they were burned, but also mangled beyond recognition. Even when punishing criminals, such cruelty was completely unnecessary, meaning whoever was responsible for that execution wanted it to be as cruel as possible... Even for Amaris, it was hard to look at it for too long.
"This is not the work of 'misguided men shaped by harsh circumstances'... Whoever did this... Both the one who gave the order and those who executed did so wanting this execution to be as painful and cruel as possible. Whoever did this deserves no mercy." Amaris said, looking to Mirielle and then the group. She had said previously that they would have their answers about the soldiers and who were leading them... She only didn't thought it would be this soon.
"I am sorry for your loss..." Amaris said, both to Carmen, Linceleste and Mirielle, giving them a moment of silence as Carmen cut the ropes and brought the bodies down.
"Are we sure our paladin and his companions are among the bodies? Even if they are not, I think this changes how we will deal with Ealdorman and his forces, do you agree? They are the only ones who would be capable of such, judging by the previous methods of execution they used and the power they seem to hold at the moment." Amaris asked, looking to Carmen with a grim expression.
Not only Amaris found Ludvig interrupting their conversation and interjecting incredibly rude, but the comment about the cursed robes was one that visibly made Amaris irritated, which became evident by the hostile stare she gave him as he spoke.
"It's naive of you to assume they will learn. Once again, there are some people who won't change, no matter what. Given any chance and they will repeat their previous actions. There is no cleaner and more effective answer to that than execution." Amaris said, looking to Ludvig with a rather hostile expression.
"Just like a cancerous cell, excise it cleanly and effectively, to give it as little chance as possible of growing back." Amaris repeated, agreeing with Mirielle.
"Those who knowingly follow evil aren't just 'misguided' they are as evil as the one leading. They might not be the one leading, but where others see evil, they see an opportunity, either to further their own goals and for their own benefit. When the leader falls, there will be no shortage of those who see it not as a warning for them to cease their evil ways, but as an opportunity to take their predecessor's place. It was their choice to 'embrace' evil. They should be prepared to the consequences of their actions." Amaris finished.
"Regarding your comment about cursed robes and your overfamiliarity... I would advise against testing your luck with me, Ludvig... I will not repeat myself, I am certain you were paying close enough attention to our conversation to have heard my words while I was talking about second chances... If you still think my punishment was a fair one, then you are also a part of the problem." Amaris hissed, looking at Ludvig with a hostile stare. The emphasis on 'second chances' seemed to be a bit too deliberate to be a mere coincidence and not a veiled warning for Ludvig.
Amaris heard Carmen's reply with a shrug as she carefully got up the horse. It didn't take much for one to notice that there would be no 'diplomacy' with people like those. For them, one needed only to be guilty of the crime of existing to justify capital punishment. She could already foresee the problems that leaving them alive would bring them as they continued to try to find the paladin... But in the end, there was nothing she could do but acquiesce to Carmen's decision.
"As you wish, captain Carmen." Amaris said with a heavy sigh.
Rather surprisingly, Mirielle also seemed to share of Carmen's thoughts regarding the fate of the soldiers they had just fought.
"Inquisitors and their ideals never fail to surprise me." Amaris said with a chuckle.
"You both put too much faith on people's kindness and good will, believing all evil can be forgiven and pardoned and all sinners, redeemed." Amaris continued.
"Regardless of how much you preach to them about salvation, about compassion, kindness and redemption, some hearts are just too black to be changed. More importantly, from the moment they chose to kill us, they should be ready for us to answer in kind." Amaris said, finally finishing to get up on her horse and prepare herself, before she began trotting after Carmen and Ludvig.
As the last two to arrive, Mirielle had halfway went to help Amaris up before realizing the latter didn't need assistance. She wanted a chat instead, and while they're on a tight schedule the focus necessary wasn't so high that she couldn't spare a word or two.
"Life may color us differently, but there's inherent goodness in everyone. Even the soldiers we face. Even you." She replied evenly, the encounter still weighing on her mind. "I believe in second chances. It is the very reason why we could converse like this now, is it not?"
Shrugging, she mounted her own ride and set it in a brisk pace after the rest of the team alongside the penitent. Like it or not, they're a team right now and covering for each other was a bare minimum requirement expected out of everyone. Which include moving in a pair, especially at the back of the formation.
"Dont get me wrong, some people are plain irredeemable and the best solution is to send them to the creator before their darkness stain more of the world. But these soldiers... they're only flawed men shaped by a hard circumstance. They have the possibility to change their ways should they receive a proper guidance, and I loathe to snuff that possibility." Her jaws set for a moment, gaze hardened and teeth gritting. "But if I must, then so be it. If they insist on stopping us from saving one of the scant few source of true light in this world, they will be removed. May the Creator forgive my deed."
It was truly... strange, hearing an inquisitor, who were famed by being ruthless when punishing 'heretics', talking about mercy and second chances. About the goodness on people's hearts. Truth be told, it did anger Amaris a bit. Were they thinking about the victims of the guilty? Was it truly fair to give a second chance to a murderer that killed countless innocent people? Did he deserve a second chance? What about the victims, didn't they deserve their rightful reckoning for their suffering?
"Second chances? The slavers your government and your order were covering for deserved what I did. Every single one of those who knew what was happening, but profited from it deserved. What would you do if you discovered a Sarkaz settlement of slavers, with dozens and dozens of humans being captured and sold?" Amaris said, anger flaring up on her eyes as she did so.
"Do you really think those slavers deserved a second chance? What about their victims? The countless families that were separated, countless innocents captured, broken and then sold as objects, don't they also deserve their reckoning?" she continued, looking to Mirielle.
"If given another chance, I would slaughter that settlement all over again. I don't regret what I did. Nor I think what I did was wrong. No innocents were killed on that day. Only slavers and those who profited with their actions and did for who knows how many years." she said, looking straight to Mirielle's eyes, letting her words sink in for a moment, before she calmed down and continued. "It is quite interesting to be honest. How eagerly inquisitors are to smite, execute and punish those they consider 'heretics', those who sin against humans or their religion but at the same time, how blind they can be to the malice that hides in the hearts of both the common people and their own order." Amaris continued, turning to Mirielle, not so subtly pointing out her hypocrisy.
"Some people do not deserve a second chance, Mirielle. Some people do not care about others' suffering, willing to step over countless lives for their own benefit. Some others even enjoy watching other people suffering. How many do you think that sergeant and his soldiers executed for petty reasons? How many innocent people suffered on their hands without them showing a single drop of remorse? Do you really think he would do different if he had the chance? If so, you need only to look back at where we came from. They weren't given a second chance." Amaris said, pointing back to the direction they came from, where they were greeted by the dried skeleton hanging from a pole by the side of the road.
"Second chances are reserved for those who truly feel remorse for what they did. Not to those who would repeat their actions again if given the chance and those who keep repeating their sins." Amaris said as she made her horse go a little faster to keep up with Mirielle.
"But I do not blame your apparent hypocrisy, Mirielle. Nor you should feel bad for it. No matter how noble and pure your ideals are, there are some situations where there is no other choice but to kill or be killed. In those cases, whatever reasons you or your enemy might have do not matter. There is only one thing that matters... Who wins and who loses." Amaris finished.
"How many times do I have to repeat this-" And again they return to this topic. Mirielle's visage contorted into an annoyed grimace, though for once her rebuke was cut short by the sheer deluge of emotion coming from the other party. There's something burning in the penitent's eyes, dripping from every word and radiating from every gesture. One that shook her enough to drive her into temporary silence. For a moment, Mirielle found Amaris uncomfortably familiar... Almost like looking into a mirror.
Of all people, the witch should not be burning with righteous fury. Especially not like this.
"...we will get back to this later." Subdued, she boxed that topic for future Mirielle to worry about. Surely there's no way, right? The Order, despite its imperfection, was an instrument of good. To link them into a practice most abhorrent...
"We couldn't know their entire past from a single meeting, can we? But if we run into them again and they're still unchanged, there's no third time." Almost eager to change the topic, the ex-inquisitor nodded along to the grim idea. It was likely a necessity, even. Too many had mistaken mercy for weakness, and she wasn't that big of a fool to let the notion stand. "Only the Creator have a boundless capacity for mercy. But to send the blackhearts to him is up to us."
While Amaris knew her words would probably made Mirielle reply in an equally 'inflamed' manner, she wasn't expecting her to be so tame about it. Instead of chastising and condemning Amaris' way of thinking, Mirielle seemed to just... hear her in silence. Such non-confrontational approach was definitely something new for Amaris, shocking enough to make even Amaris think her words might have been rather... impactful for Mirielle, making her feel guilty for her previous outburst.
"Look... All I am saying is... Be careful to not blind yourself to the corruption that hides within." Amaris said with a deep sigh.
"Their hands are already stained with too much innocent blood for them to redeem themselves. Regardless of the harsh situation they encountered themselves in these lands... There was always another alternative... But they chose cruelty and corruption. It is very likely that they will be hunting us on our next meeting..." Amaris said agreeing with Mirielle.
Mirielle remained skeptical, of course she was. Changing her core belief couldn't happen from a single speech. But perhaps this little bit of doubt was all it needed to snowball into something. After all, Areston himself said that true good can only start from within. Only after self-introspection and recognizing one's own flaw can one start uplifting others, to always strive for self-improvement and use it as a cornerstone to conduct oneself.
Mirielle had been applying it on a personal level. But maybe it could be applied on a larger scheme? She had been silently accepting the higher ups questionable decisions so far...
"If they meet us again with weapons drawn there will not be a third time. This I can promise you." It's still up to debate who will be the hunter should they meet the soldiers in red again. True, quantity had a quality of its own, but inquisitors was no stranger to be severely outnumbered. She'll manage somehow, she always did.
The grim landscape flashed past, abandoned homesteads and overgrown farmland littering the view. Even the distinct gallows appeared from time to time, crow-pecked corpses swaying in the wind. It all truly fits Mirielle's current mood, and the idea that perhaps immediate execution truly was warranted.
Truth be told, Amaris intended to kill the musketeer, but the moment she was about to send her chain again to strike the unarmed musketeer down, she noticed that the 'combat' had almost ended. The commander had been completely subdued by Rezello, Carnatia and Linceleste's drone while the musketeers were quick to deal with, especially with the unexpected help of Amanita's invigorating spores.
Already screaming in pain and fear due to Mirielle's searing aura, the ones who resorted to melee were quickly dealt with. One by a shot from Osric and the other, who resorted into using his musket as a club had his weapon complete tore to shreds by Amaris' chains. The last musketeer, knowing they had been utterly defeated make a pathetic attempt to run away in the direction of the village, screaming for reinforcements.
"Are we allowed to kill them? I was going to but... They offered so little resistance..." Amaris asked, turning to Captain Carmen as he shouted for someone to deal with the runner. Judging by tone of her voice, she seemed almost disappointed that the situation was resolved so quickly and cleanly... The fact that she was asking that question to Carmen instead of immediately stopping the musketeer would likely be more than enough to give those listening a sneaking suspicion that she was doing so on purpose...
Unlike Amaris, Ludvig was quick to stop the running musketeer, teleporting himself and the hangman he was holding nearby the running musketeer so both of the enemy soldiers' heads would collide, making them immediately fall to the ground, unconscious.
"Well... That works too..." Amaris said with a shrug.
Despite being subdued and having his soldiers completely defeated, the sergeant still had quite a bit to say, cursing and threatening them, calling them all kinds of names, from spies to criminals.
"Oh! You are... welcome." Amaris replied, genuinely surprised to hear Mirielle thanking her before she went to where the sergeant was being held as Carnatia tried extracting more information from the sergeant.
Despite the initial reluctance and resistance to say anything but curses, the sergeant quickly calmed down once Amanita used her spores on him, although he didn't offer much more information for then than what he already had.
In another hand, the peasant who seemed to have more information to give them urged them to leave, due to the proximity from the red stripes' camp. According to the numbers Amaris overheard him saying, there were more than 100 soldiers in their camp.
"Understood Captain!" Amaris shouted before turning to Ludvig, who was healing one of the musketeers.
"I know you just healed him Ludvig, but... Is it a good idea to leave them... you know... alive?" Amaris asked, both to Ludvig and to the rest, raising her voice a little bit so they could hear her.
"They know who we are now. If they report us to their superiors, whoever they might be, or their forces, it would make it quite hard for us to move around and investigate the paladin's whereabouts, wouldn't it?" Amaris asked while going towards her horse in order to not be left behind by the Captain and the others.
After the reinforced meal and coming to terms with the fact that she probably wouldn't have a chance to have such a filling meal for some time, Amaris followed soon after to rest and prepare for the departure in the morning of the next day. After a rather uneventful, and especially due to that, quite relaxing night followed by a reinforced breakfast, Amaris and the rest were on the road again, after the Castellan generously accepted trading their horses for his, so they could continue on their travels.
While Amaris herself was reasonably accustomed to going into missions with other inquisitors and even the rather rough treatment she was sometimes subjected to, she had honestly underestimated how rough and long the trip was going to be. The empty and monotonous scenery only make it even worse. By the time they arrived into Sielse, Amaris' mood already wasn't particularly good. Even with the monotonous and empty steppes giving way to green forests, there were still clear signs of a war torn land. Empty and ruined houses and even entire villages became a rather common sight. When signs of violence began appearing, the atmosphere, which was already rather bad, became even worse and the reason for their party being rather well armed became quite clear.
It didn't take long after the first signs of violence until they heard a desperate call for help, just after stumbling into a dried skeleton, hanging from a wooden pole. Carmen was the first to react, immediately going after the sound.
Truth be told, Amaris herself would normally not been that keen in helping every poor soul suffering under a war torn land plagued by militias and bandits, but other than the amount of abandoned houses they saw, Amaris noticed how they hadn't meet a single living soul for two weeks since they arrived on Sielse. There was definitely something wrong with that place. Hopefully, whoever was calling for help would be able to shed some light on what was going on.
Upon getting closer to the source of the noise, they were met by a rather grim scene. Five soldiers in uniform, tying a rope around the crying peasant's neck, standing next to a very familiar pole... The same one they saw a few moments ago with a dried skeleton hanging from it.
To say the soldiers, more specifically the one using a metal helmet, visibly more armored than the rest, were suspicious was an understatement. From the first word directed at their group, the soldiers already showed hostility, meeting them with their weapons pointed at them. Despite Captain Carmen showing his goodwill and trying to talk with the soldiers, he was met only with more hostility and an unwillingness to cooperate, culminating into direct threats of hanging, should they not return to their own country at once.
Amaris, who was already annoyed with the long trip, couldn't help but let out a grim, malicious smirk as she looked at the soldiers, definitely not taking kindly to their hostility. Unlike the soldiers, the peasant, while begging for his life, seemed to be much more willing to cooperate with them, going as far as mentioning he knew about the man they were looking for, Paladin Thomas.
Having heard what she already needed to hear, Mirielle seemed to be convinced that it would be useless trying to talk with them and simply continued walking forward, stating her intention to take the peasant under their custody while flaring her aura in an intimidating manner.
Despite Carmen and Carnatia's attempts to defuse the situation, the latter even mentioning her status and Amaris' infamy to try and discourage the soldiers from attacking, the moment Mirielle started walking towards the peasant, it seemed that there would be no other solution to that situation than violence.
"There is something wrong about all this. Even for a war torn province, not meeting a single living soul in two weeks is too absurd..." Amaris said, agreeing with Ludvig as she heard him mentioning they were hiding something.
With the sergeant immediately swinging at Carnatia, whom thankfully dodged the first blow and deflected the second and the loud noises of the muskets firing at them, Amaris simply gave Captain Carmen a glance, with a sinister smirk before she calmly gave a step forward, stopping just a step behind Carnatia and Rezello as she deflected the sergeant's attacks and the latter summoned his Bec de Corbin and swinging at his legs. Using Rezello's attack as a distraction, Amaris suddenly dashed forward, past the sergeant as she went straight towards the musketeers. There was more than enough justification for her to employ deadly force without being chastised or worse... having the robes activated.
"Diplomacy is reserved to those who act like civilized beings. Act like a rabid animal and you will be put down like one." Amaris said as she rushed past the armored sergeant. With the corner of his eyes, the sergeant would be able to see a spiked iron chain materializing, swirling around her as she ran towards the musketeers, hiding behind Mirielle to avoid shots as she approached.
The very moment Amaris got within range of the musketeers, the chain would quickly shoot forward, coiling up around one of the musketeer's weapons, quickly approaching his dominant arm, aiming to coil around it before Amaris quickly pulled it back towards her, shredding it to pieces in the process.
Truth be told, watching Mirielle's composure being shattered upon the mention of friendship and the many shades of red she was turning as she struggled to regain it was incredibly amusing for Amaris. Even the way she sat down made it clear that she was still recovering from the shock... Which only encouraged Amaris to further poke fun at Mirielle.
"I couldn't help but to notice that this is the second time you referred to me by my name... I wonder if behind all those tough words you are secretly coming to enjoy my company..." Amaris said, with a teasing smirk as she looked to Mirielle, before addressing the more valid concerns Mirielle had.
"No need to worry though. I never had any problem with alcohol and I seldom drink more than a single cup." Amaris said in a more serious note, reassuring Mirielle that she wouldn't have to worry about her getting drunk.
Ironically enough, the moment Ludvig himself began to speak, it quickly became Amaris' turn to get shocked and embarrassed. As she heard his confession, Amaris couldn't help but stay as still as a statue in her chair, covering her mouth with her hands as she tried processing what she had just heard.
While she already heard a few times about her beauty back in Dargolad, nobody had ever been this forward with their feelings about her before and honestly, Amaris herself didn't know how to react. Too stunned to react, Amaris simply stood still as Ludvig held her hand, something which would normally have earned him quite a scolding before.
"Oh- I-I see... Sorry for... misunderstanding you..." Amaris said, stumbling on her words as she gently pulled her hand back, not really sure on how to take Ludvig having used her earlier... or if that was indeed the entire truth about how he was acting.
"I am very flattered... You are... quite good looking yourself and you're very sweet, but... Maybe you are going too fast don't you think? As you said, there are more... pressing matters to solve at the moment, for both of us. Besides, we both know ourselves too little to speak of love, Ludvig. Attraction might be the word you are looking for." Amaris began saying. It was her first time dealing with a confession like that and Ludvig's had completely overwhelmed her due to how suddenly it came and how 'intense' it was. Finding a way to delicately let him know that such advances were a bit too fast for her without wounding his pride was a... new experience for Amaris.
"Most importantly... There are still a side of me you are not aware of... Regarding what happened in that slaver settlement... I did say I am not guilty of killing innocent people. I never said I wasn't responsible for the slaughter that happened in that town." Amaris said, both her expression and her tone growing darker for a brief moment.
"Still, I was worried. Especially given how you left the room after what happened and how you distanced yourself from the rest of the group. I am glad to know you are fine. Regarding your confession... I.. I am not saying no, I'm just saying... Let's give it some time and a bit more thought. Should your feelings remain the same after all this is over... Then... who knows..." Amaris finished with a smile, even if a bit awkward, followed by an even more awkward silence.
Fortunately for Amaris, on the exact moment she finished, the food was served, including her quite generous meal. A good mug of dark beer, sausage roll and the main dish, Knodel and Schweinshaxe. A big bite of the sausage roll, together with a rather generous gulp of dark beer seemed to be quite helpful in taking Amaris' mind off the sudden confession and the awkwardness that followed, which seemed to be almost the complete opposite of what Mirielle meant by avoiding overindulgence.
"Anyways! You really weren't lying when you mentioned your sausage rolls are ones of the best, were you?" Amaris said surprised as she glanced towards the barkeep, who was talking with Rezello as she tried to disperse the awkward atmosphere that was in the air after Ludvig's confession.
"I could share some of mine with my dear friend, should you change your mind!" Amaris said, with a teasing smile towards Mirielle after she heard Carnatia's reply to her.
"Sure, there is nothing wrong in appreciating life, but Mirielle is also correct. Moderation and balance are the key, should you really want to live life to the fullest." Amaris said, giving a playful wink to Amanita and extending her fork towards her, offering a piece of her sausage roll, making the same offer she jokingly did to Mirielle.
The moment Kleo 'greeted' the support team, Alice's immediately opened her eyes wide in shock. Even though Alice did notice that Kleo was, in her own way, standing up for her own team, which did made Alice a bit satisfied, noticing how Kleo seemed to be integrating into the team a bit more and feeling more like a part of it, the way she did so gave a terrible first impression. While it was true that the one who greeted also didn't exactly give a good first impression, more confrontation was the last thing both teams needed just before the mission.
Fortunately, King seemed to quickly be able to draw attention to the perilous mission at hand, making Husk, as the scielto introduced himself, reveal more about what he knew about the place they would explore. Feeling the ethereal signal the scielto had sent to her as a greeting, Alice nodded her head, acknowledging it as he approached her.
"Indeed, I was part of a research team on a ship focused on the Oneiric Chasm and the Abyssical Plane. Already went in quite a few expeditions there... Which only taught me to always be on guard and never consider oneself overly 'familiar' with the Oneiric Chasm or the Abyssical Plane. I only hope the creatures down there aren't particularly troublesome. I have quite a few in mind that would make our life down there a living hell should they be left to roam freely through that maze..." Alice said, replying to Husk.
With that said, despite their attempt to steer the conversation away from a possible confrontation between Kleo and Husk, the sparks continued to fly as Husk addressed Kleo's previous outburst. Thankfully, a Vrexul member of the support team silently chastised Husk with a slap. Alice quickly looked to the Vrexul, thanking him with a silent nod before she turned to Kleo, intent on hopefully discouraging her from further putting fuel into the fire.
"Hey Kleo, are you looking for any particular equipment? It's better to be well prepared. Not even I am sure of what type of creatures we will find there." Alice began, putting herself between Kleo and Husk as she delicately tried pushing Kleo towards the arsenal.
"I'm happy that you finally see yourself as part of the team." Alice said in a low tone after they got a bit away from Husk, with a delicate smile, discreetly letting Kleo know that she did notice that she was standing up for them back there.
Having Carmen reassuring her that the guards from Dragon's Maw had already been informed about her was very comforting for Amaris. Given the respect he seemed to have and the old position as a cavalry colonel, it should be more than enough to give her a free pass to walk around without being accused. The mention of pigs being a staple on Dragon's Maw was very promising. She didn't particularly care about 'refined' meals, only about good meals. With meat being one of her favorite.
"That sounds delightful! It would be nice if someone could also drag Ludwig out of his self-imposed exile as well..." Amaris said with a sigh. Maybe she was indeed a bit too hard on Ludwig, but it had already been days since that incident...
Mirielle also was quick to reassure Carmen that she would escort her, albeit in a way that made Amanita misunderstand it as being friendship, which gave Amaris a wonderful opportunity to tease the ex-inquisitor about it.
"Isn't it, Amanita? I didn't know Mirielle cared about me so much!" Amaris said with an teasing grin as she looked at Mirielle.
"Why don't you come with us as well, Amanita? I do find your company to be quite pleasing." Amaris said as she turned to Amanita, with a gentle smile as she extended her hand towards her.
"Thank you again for your generosity, Linceleste." Amaris said, with a smile as she thanked Linceleste for the meal as they entered the tavern. The young noblewoman was still a bit of a mystery for Amaris. Even though she heard Linceleste was on this mission to rescue her uncle, with how young she was, she expected her family would object to her decision to go, send someone in her place or at least a bodyguard. But regardless of the reasons behind her presence, Linceleste seemed to be, despite being rather quiet, a very kind girl. Similarly to Amanita, she was someone Amaris found relaxing to have nearby.
While Amaris didn't care about how 'fancy' and 'refined' the tavern wasn't, she couldn't help but to think Carnatia's requests didn't fit the place at all. As the talk with the barkeep continued, Amaris was almost certain they would be kicked out, as the barkeep seemed to start finding Carnatia's requests to be offensive. Due to that, when the cook suddenly appeared from inside the kitchen, saying that it wouldn't be a problem to indulge Carnatia's requests, she was quite surprised.
"Quite a nice guy, that cook fellow, isn't he?" Amaris said, looking to the young cook and thanking with a silent nod and a smile before she turned to the barkeep as he asked about their orders as well. At first, Amaris would simply ask for whatever Carnatia was asking, but after hearing Osric's order and seeing how proud the barkeep seemed to be about their sausage rolls, she decided to modify her order a bit.
"Knodel and Schweinshaxe sound wonderful for the main dish! Although, if possible, I would like a sausage roll with some black beer for the appetizer. I don't mind a reinforced breakfast, seeing the long way we probably still have ahead of us." She said with an amicable smile, hoping the barkeep would find her choice of appetizer a bit more to his liking. Especially since the barkeep seemed quite proud of their sausage rolls.
"Before you say anything, don't worry, Mirielle. I am not someone who enjoys drinking until I fall or something. A mug of dark beer simply sounded like a good combination." she said, making sure to Mirielle she wouldn't need to worry about Amaris getting drunk. Unlike other times, this time Amaris was simply informing her and not teasing. Which would be probably a refreshing change for Mirielle.
With the matter of their order settled, Amaris finally turned to Ludwig, who had gotten to the tavern before them and was sitting a bit apart from them. Sighing heavily, she turned towards him with an annoyed expression.
"Come sit with us, Ludvig. I get that I was a bit too harsh at you back then, but I'm not that mad at you. I don't think anyone is, to be fair... It's already time for you to return to your normal, cheerful self, isn't it?" Amaris said, a bit annoyed.
To say the small 'incident' on the feast before they left for Dragon's Maw had left a sour mood was a bit of an understatement. Just like Osric and Rezello mentioned after Mirielle left, the first impressions weren't exactly the best and conflict in the group were a very real possibility, especially as the mission went on.
On the first days of travel, Amaris could clearly feel the discomfort some of them had after her identity was revealed. The only saving grace was how uneventful the entire trip was, giving Amaris enough time to at least learn the name of the other members of the group whom she wasn't introduced before. Ludwig, who was the man who was inadvertently wounded by Amaris was still apparently quite affected by what happened, keeping silent through the whole trip, content in staying by himself and away from the group. More than once, Amaris considered saying a few words to him, just to see if he was really fine, but again and again, her pride prevented her from doing so, instead using any reasonable excuse she could find to send one of the other members to check on him. Besides that, Amaris came to quite like Amanita's company. Not only due to her calm and relaxing demeanor, but also due to how cute and adorable she was.
While most would consider the trip 'uncomfortable', the years Amaris spent as a prisoner, or how the inquisitors and the clergy from the Order liked to say... a 'penitent', did give her quite the tolerance to... less than ideal living conditions... Especially while on missions being escorted by inquisitors. When compared to those times, the current trip was almost like a vacation. Despite the vigilant stares from Mirielle, Amaris was treated quite well by the group.
Upon arrival at the frontier city of Dragon's Maw, they were greeted by sight of the imposing mountains that gave name to the city. To say the sight of the morning light bathing the mountain range was breathtaking would be an understatement. The very city of Dragon's Maw was also quite surprising for Amaris. For a frontier city, it was much bigger, busier and well established than what she was expecting. The reason for such would soon show itself to be the fortress and the military activity which seemed to be the blood that kept that city running... Much for Amaris' dismay, given her... troubled relations with Westernant authorities. Fortunately, judging by captain Carmen's relaxed demeanor, it was fair to assume that he was both well known and among allies while in that city. Which would hopefully help them avoid instigating any problems with Amaris, should they recognize her.
"Just one, Carmen. I assume you are quite well known through these parts, right? Considering my... 'luck' with Westernant authorities, should some of them share our dear ex-inquisitor's opinion about me, It would be quite useful to have someone like you, captain, to attest to my innocence, since you know well how unlikely most are to trust my words. Even when those are true." Amaris said with a teasing grin and a shrug as she looked to Mirielle.
Through the trip, much to Mirielle's dismay, Amaris had found herself enjoying quite a bit teasing and provoking the ex-inquisitor whenever possible.
"I got to admit... the idea of a good local meal is quite attractive! Don't get me wrong, the travel rations were fine, much better than most stuff I had to eat while under the loving 'care' of a few of the most... 'passionate' inquisitors, but given the lengthy mission we have ahead of us, it might be a good idea to take every opportunity we have for a bit of comfort while we can, no?" Amaris said, agreeing with Carnatia's suggestion.
Amaris watched in silence as the brownish-orange haired man got up from the ground, his hand impaled by thorns. His relaxed and confident expression was completely gone from his face as he apologized and promptly left the room. Truth be told, despite what he did, seeing his previously overflowing confidence disappear like that did make Amaris feel quite bad. It was almost like seeing a cute, overexcited puppy that was just scolded after playing around too much walk away with it's head and tail lowered.
"It seems my infamy precedes me. Although... I would be grateful if you had a little more faith in me and refrained from stabbing me over a mere act of self-defense." Amaris said, with a provoking smirk towards Mirielle. Amaris did not fail to notice Mirielle's reaction during the confusion, especially her hostile stare and obvious intent as she got up from her seat.
"I really didn't intend to hurt him though... Was I too harsh on him?" Amaris asked with a heavy sigh, looking at the door where the man, with both his pride and arm wounded, made his exit.
Osric too seemed to be a bit taken aback. Amaris didn't know if it was due to what had just happened or the whole revelation of her true identity. She did appreciate his honesty after she told her story and his attempt to lighten the atmosphere though.
"It's okay, Osric. I don't expect any of you to believe my words. My only request is, should you really be interested on what truly happened nine years ago, doubt the words being told by the authorities and the order, investigate by your own accord." Amaris said, sensing his discomfort as Osric raised a toast, before she turned to Mirielle.
"Especially you, Ex-Inquisitor Mirielle. Do not think of your Order as being perfect and incorruptible. By the words of your own clergymen, only the Creator is perfect." Amaris said, with a serious expression as she looked to Mirielle. Unlike other times, there wasn't a teasing tone to her voice or a smirk accompanied with her words.
"I don't know much about the Archbishop. I only met him recently, but despite being quite cunning, he seems like a very reasonable man. More than most. It might be even a bit naive from me, but I would even go as far as to call him a 'good' man. But even someone as revered as he is among the clergyman has enemies inside the order. Those who would rather see him fail and take his position for their own..." Amaris said, looking to Mirielle. She wasn't sure of how much she should say about her small conversation with the Archbishop and the deal they made, but telling Mirielle that much would likely be enough to spark curiosity and make her doubt of the apparent incorruptibility of the Order... Having such a determined and loyal inquisitor turning her eyes to the evil within it's very order would be very advantageous for Amaris in the future...
With the whole incident hopefully dealt with, Carmen was quick to put an end to any further discussions about it, both apologizing and reassuring that impulsive and inappropriate actions such as the one before wouldn't be tolerated.
"Thank you for your patience, captain Carmen. I shall not delay myself." she replied as Carmen said that they would be leaving early tomorrow.
"Humanity takes great pride in three things. Their willpower, their greed and their mortality.
Their will and endless greed allows them to grow and accend past other creatures
But their mortality denies them divinity
It's a delightful purgatory between being Fallen and being Divine"
[hider=Character 'archive' (because graveyard doesn't really sound nice)]
http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/144877-13orgs-characters/ooc
[/hider]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">"Humanity takes great pride in three things. Their willpower, their greed and their mortality.<br><br>Their will and endless greed allows them to grow and accend past other creatures<br>But their mortality denies them divinity<br><br>It's a delightful purgatory between being Fallen and being Divine"<br><br><div class="hider-panel"><div class="hider-heading"><button type="button" class="btn btn-default btn-xs hider-button" data-name="Character 'archive' (because graveyard doesn't really sound nice)">Character 'archive' (because graveyard doesn't really sound nice) [+]</button></div><div class="hider-body" style="display: none"><a href="http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/144877-13orgs-characters/ooc" title="http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/144877-13orgs-characters/ooc">roleplayerguild.com/topics/144877-13o…</a></div></div><br></div>
Silly
MurderVictim
Silent Showers
Majoraa
The Savant
blindwoofer
Kaithe Dame
Hillan
Qia
Augran
