Mas Bagus

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Meanwhile in Rasacade, on the same frigid dawn, Fredrucus stood at his palace's highest section, watching his city spring to life. Though there was a lockdown and a threat of war, people didn't seem troubled by it. Shops were open, with or without customers, and streets, though somewhat sparse, were still populated by shoppers and common citizens alike.

Kindean people were hard workers and his father's decision to reform the country was a no-brainer move.

His father, King Jonas was a very strict and paranoid man. Though a visionary leader, he trusted nobody unless there was a stake to keep his allies stayed in line. There was no occasion for him to go without deploying a full platoon on his itinerary and there was some occasion when those who breached the security code got mercilessly executed. At one point in his life, Fredricus believed it was due to the rough upbringing caused by his warmongering grandfather who didn't take the defeat of Kindence after a Ten Years war very well, and now at some point he still did.

The alliance between the royal family and noble clans was built on fragile associations. It was a legacy from his father, but he did not blame him. Jonas was always a role father and leader to him, but Fred had no desire to be the copy of his predecessors.

Instead of brandishing fear and intimidation, he chose to be practical and understanding. In exchange for their loyalty, he distributed power to those clans. A sign of trust, and promoting them to take their part to make this country prosper. It worked for so many years and to think someone would break this status quo had made him enraged. Even more so when his spy reported that one of the Delving whelps was caught sneaking from his tomb. He had to take refuge in the highest pinnacle of his castle to cool his head off.

The scheme their orchestrated was not that surprising, but they did the extra mile to desecrate his father's resting place as well. Right in the most critical times. Only animals are capable of doing such preposterous things.

The noise of heavy climbing steps causes Fred to draw his sword and spin around. He was a king, but make no mistake, the aging monarch was still capable of personally lopping off a traitor's head from their treacherous shoulder.

"Your highness..."

Despite having a blade pointed at him, his chamberlain astutely knelt. For someone who just experienced a rude awakening that highlighted his vulnerability, it did ease Fredricus' nerve a bit.

"... I bring news from Squire Anderson, they have finished the search on the tunnels, and found the body of the Black Serpent Guild Master Gerrald, as his highness requested."

Fredricus sheathed his sword. "What about Henri?"

"They didn't find him."

"So what the heck did they find? What about the weapons?"

"Indeed His Highness, the soldiers found the weapon stash. It says the amount was enough to arm at least two and a half thousand people. The place seemed to have been abandoned just recently."

"Seemed just recently?" the king glared tensely. So Jazdia's report was true. there was a potential rebellion hiding under his feet. Nearly losing a grip on his trademark calmness, Fredricus blared. "Who dares to do that?"

"I beg your pardon, His Highness. I do not now, simply relayed what the squire said."

"And what are the fates of those contrabands?"

"The royal guards are still transporting the crates as we speak."

The monarch sighed. Clearly, there was no way Delving could plan all of this by themselves. He must have supporters, other nobles, and clans to cover their backs. It felt like everyone was turning against him and he could no longer differentiate between his own allies. Could he trust Matilda? Where was his son? Was there anyone in this country that doesn't want him dead? Could he even trust his own chamberlain?

"The body of the aforementioned individual had been secured by Madam Antigne and her team, His highness." the chamberlain reported, again his timing could not be any better. at least it was something else Fred could divert his attention to. If chance allows, he would go down to the wizard's laboratory right now and commended Antigone to use whatever spell to make the dead sing. But right now he doesn't want to act brash. He could imagine how those pesky nobles would mock him behind his back for using testimony from a talking corpse as sole
evidence-- no, he will need another piece to connect the dots, and he expected his hirelings to bring him just that.

"Very Good. Summon the Squire at ten o'clock. I want to hear the full report from him. Dismissed!"

"As you wish, my liege."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"So it is either they are not really aware of what happened in Pesti, or simply trying to keep us out of their city..."

There was a powerful mage warding the entire place. That explained the curtain and anti-scrying magic deployed in Fanghorn. Once again the unconventional agent had proven his worth. Unlike Matilda and--

When Jazdia busied herself contemplating a certain orc captain, she heard a ping on her communication device. Huh, it seemed the commpass was not as damaged as she had imagined.

"Yes, come in!"

At first, it was a distorted voice akin to a dying chipmunk. "Is this-- yiikk working? Hello? ---- wiikkk yiikkkkHello? ----"

"I cannot hear you. Grip the device tightly then speak."

Oh finally! Whoever designed this need to get a spanking, I swear."

Oh, she would be more than happy to deliver the feedback on this obsolete piece of junk to Old Man Anderson himself just for the fun of it. But that could wait.

"Cut the chatter, Miss Yvonne. What's happening over there?"

"Short version, it all went to shit. I think Matilda got a face-full of explosives, she's got shrapnel all over."

"Is she dead?

Currently unconscious again, but she got some scrying orders out to missus Verny here. Supposedly prince's in Fanghorn. For sure this time. Small fort on a hill, there's stone wall, village attached next to it, in view of the river yeah? He's in the garret up there.

"The description matches, yes.

What to do now, boss?"

"First is to make sure you are clear to move out from Pesti. How is the situation over there? How many of them you are dealing with, and who are they? The prince can wait. We are currently on our way to provide you with some assistance."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"Resurrected druid huh?" asked Jazdia with a raised eyebrow. Like what Cedar had currently demonstrated, Druids were difficult folks to deal with, and she reckon the difficulty would be at least twofold with an undead druid. But Solomon assured her of his purpose and seemed confident that this 'siabre' would be more approachable and cooperative than the first impression about him suggested.

"Yeah, I think I can see the trace of Cedar's works," she said, recalling gleaming sands that had been sowed on some parts of the road. She activated her eyes again and had a quick scan toward the treelines on both sides of the road "Pretty sure I didn't ask him to disable the entire road, and I can't see him anywhere nearby."

Without lowering the speed of her horse, Jazdia reached her thermos, pulled the cap, and drank her already-cold tea without bothering to reheat it.

"Let us hope August can finish his task quickly. We might need all extra hands we can get."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"Even if I am right, it is still fifty-fifty odds. My initial plan was to scout Fanghorn and got a good look if the Prince was there. Then ride back to Rascade to inform Fred and put him in a situation that he can't refuse to send an army. That option is still viable, but The Enemy's curtains made it a lot more complicated."
The cold air morning air caused Jazdia to shudder occasionally.

"The reason why we retreated back to Pesti is for our own safety too. Now the north bridge is closed there would be no easy way for us to escape had Matilda and her team got overrun by the enemies. We can't let ourselves be trapped between hammer and anvil."

"We can lure the enemy out a lot easier if only Fred is actively doing his part and not cowering under the pretense of secrecy." Jazdia groaned, which seemed to be the only expression she showed after a long while. Indeed they should asses their 'resources' as Kaito put it, but broken comms were unexpected. She decelerated her horse and turned to Solomon. "What's the status of your shadow in Pesti? And was that...a Leshen?"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"Mess? No, not all. This is still within my calculation. Fred wanted to use me as a pawn, I simply did the same to his subordinate. Hurting Matilda means the Noble in charge of these lands can be held accountable, and his next move will be easier to observe. I simply prefer to have our dear captain take the brunt. Remember that she is the leader in this investigation, and was eager to go to Pesti. The decision was taken as the compromise."

Jazdia's voice was as cold as the morning air, and it stayed that way when she continued.

"Our enemy is trying to get rid of us? You don't say! I don't know how to say this without making you feel undervalued, or making me look confronting, but you are stating what both of us had already aware of, and yet the big question still remained; How would we deal with it?

Jazdia closed her reply by giving the fox a searched look.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Jazdia's horse barely moved a few distances when Kaito asked. "”What do you mean in trouble? What did she say, do you have any intel on their situation? Did they run into an obvious trap based on intel too good to be true? ”

"She said nothing important, the usual." Jazdia pulled the reins a bit harder than usual, causing her mount to slightly recoiled in protest. She wasn't an animal lover sort, but after a gentle tap on the neck, the beast had calmed down.

"From what I heard, Matilda was trying to force an entry into a building or trying to open something. She triggered a tripwire or god knows what I guess. Explosion ensued. The comms stopped working after that."

Jazdia nodded at the hunter, who had expressed his intention to remain here. "Good Idea. Tell the bear that we are regrouping with Matilda and to... uh stay here until we returned. Or whatever."

Seeing the doctor has already joined them, the party started their journey back to Pesti. Although time was against them, they did not force their steeds to gallop and opted for a more steady pace. They would need the horses in top condition on their way back to Fanghorn. Hopefully.

Riding side by-side, Jazdia noticed the gloom on Kaito's face. "You don't seem very happy. Mind sharing it, little fox?"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

4:20 AM - 4:40
Fanghorn, Kingdom of Kindeance

That impatient hunk of muscle did not turn off the device and Jazdia could still hear what happened afterward, it sounded like the busy sound of someone forcefully crowbarring a nailed wooden container or a door open. And then, a pause before it finally crescendoed into a thundering explosion.

"...Mattie?"
A soft, continuous beep indicates that the device was suffering heavy damage and malfunctioning.

"Great! I hope she is not dead in a goddamn fire!"

It sounded prophetic, yet sarcastic at the same time. Jazdia thought they had determined that Pesti was likely a trap and must act accordingly and with great caution. With that in mind, nobody should be tempted to open something out of curiosity and impulse alone. They should have just go in there, look around, and scry to their heart's content.

"Scry... huh?"

She didn't overlook that one possibility. But Jazdia preferred to keep her judgment to herself. Her mind raced at Pesti and she genuinely hoped that Mattie was still in one piece. She looked back at the castle one last time and could see divine magic being practiced. By their gesture, it seemed they have noticed Solomon's summons and exorcised them. Quite a tight security in one place.

”It could be the prince he’s hiding. Or just something else he does not want the world to see. Anyway, since you can’t see past their barrier I guess we’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way and get there up close. Entering the town should not be too difficult. We can just wait for the gates to open and pretend we’re travelers looking for a place to rest. I’m betting that Fanghorn has some sort of inn on the main road to the keep. We could go there and meet the local drunks who do nothing all day except downing grog and staring out of the window. Any word from the Orc?”

I can't see past the Barrier. That word was hard to swallow.

"Indeed the damn prince is likely in there, hidden behind the curtain. The Orc? Looks like she is in trouble and we all have been compromised. Come, we need to regroup."

"Regroup huh?"

"Our job here is to ensure that their avenue of quick escape has been cut off---" Jazdia activated her eyes and imagined how those bastards thought they were safe inside their fortress, with barrier and all--they were right.

She maneuvered back to the riverbank but did not climb down to her previous vantage point. Nah, she did not need extreme accuracy for this one.

An arrow rested in her bow, and into it, she imbued another explosion spell. The elf aimed, this time slightly elevated to compensate for the distance. With another pull and another release, the arrow flew in a whistle and blasted the bridge, and the other arrows that had been rigged there into a chain reaction.

The left side of the bridge collapsed, leaving only the vertical support and rampart on the right side of the bridge. Bridge disabled, and the explosion should be hard to miss. Let's see how they would like it!

"Let's go back to Pesti."

The elf, with eyes still activated led the group back to the treelines, their horses were still there, faithfully waiting, safe and sound. The coast was clear, she immediately reached the saddle to mount up, kicked the steed, and have it cantering immediately.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

4:12 AM
Fanghorn, Kingdom of Kindeance

As they went farther to the northwest, the trees became more sparse until there was nothing but brushes and clearings. The houses of the local farmers provide them ample covering, however, be it from eyes stationed on top of the walls or several towers at the corners of the city.

It did not take long for the team to reach their ideal position; a river bank with a steep side but a relatively flat shore. Jazdia nocked an arrow and measured her target. The bridge was one hundred and fifty meters away, it had four columns, and was four meters wide and thirty meters long across the Green River. It had one watch tower, which was currently empty, and no other sentries could be seen.

Her forty-four-pounder bow tensed as Jazdia pulled it to its peak draw, and soon it launched her enchanted arrow with a distinctive twang. The first shot landed on the second first column from the right, embedded in the gap between the bricks. The second shot was released, and it landed not far from the first one, impaled on the part of the structure that was covered with moss. The third shot bounced off and fell to the water below. Jazdia replaced that last arrow by firing on the same gap where her first arrow was. Three should be enough. Those arrows will be ready to detonate in half hour.

Jazdia climbed from that riverbank and turned on her radio. Her eyes were still activated as she began to walk around the compound. There didn't seem that many activities inside except in the inner citadel, which for some reason had magical enchantment protecting it. It was not very perfect; it had some gaps and cracks in its magical barrier, but still a nuisance nonetheless as Jazdia could barely peek inside like a half-opened curtain.

However, the inner castle was built under a large mound, thus its underground section had no such protection

"Their dungeon is empty, there is no princeling in there!" she stated as they arrived at the southeast part of the castle. "Huh, strange, pretty sure you will use your dungeon when you detain someone. There goes our plan to criminalize the baron for the mistreatment of royals."

"His lackeys seemed to hold a bloody convention on the third floor, right above the... huh Baron's quarter? Damn this barrier! It seems overused. How did a local baron can have one of those planted in his walls while Rascade, the Capital itself had none?"

"Matilda. Can you hear me? What's your status over there? We almost finished our part of the job. And that funny bear is MIA, I assume he is on the way to... regroup with you. We are waiting for the news from your side, Ma'am."

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

To her surprise, the druid carried her order without much fuss. That was good. Jazdia drew her bow and activated her eyes, aiming at the general direction the bear took. Walking in all four, Cedar began to spread his seeds, or spell, or whatever there.


“My shadows. Yes." said Doctor Solomon solemnly "There should be five of them within the inner walls of the village. They will be the eyes and ears in the areas we cannot currently reach. If anything warranting our attention or concern, the shadow will reveal itself to you or I. I’m afraid they cannot speak in the traditional sense. However, I will understand them. Should we be separated, if they approach you, it will be a warning."

"So they are autonomous?" asked Jazdia, intrigued by the explanation, but still focused on the druid's movement. "Can we use them to warn the others? Or in case we separated even further?"

"Should we be separated, if they approach you, it will be a warning. It might try to communicate another way such as the way it moves or points, so be mindful if one reveals itself. Beyond scouting, and providing warning, there is not much a shadow can do. They are silent, fast, intangible, and can hide in any form of darkness seamlessly, a perfect scout.”

Jazdia frowned. Not to Solomon's explanation, but to what Cedar was doing right now in front of the south gate. It was not the intended target, and there was a risk guard who could see him, which would incite unwanted attention among the populace. But fortunately, no such things happened, the bear successfully sowed his seeds at critical points, and even managed to replenish his ammunition along the way from the nearby backyard. He did all of that silently, just like a kid doing mischief.

Jazdia still provided cover and monitored his movement when the bear somehow took a very peculiar route and headed straight to the forest. She wondered if the druid was sidetracked by something her eyes did not see, but that was... impossible.

That Bear, where was he going? He kept going straight into the forest, through foliage and darkness, until completely out of Jazdia's enchanting sight.

"What in the world..."

Jazdia deactivated her eyes and then reactivate them again, scanning the woods in case of a bear came out of the treeline. A full minute passed and still no sign of him.
Jazdia started to lose her cool, her mind raced, and among many things, Cedar having treacherous intent was flashed briefly, but she tried to keep the assumption under control. The only settlement nearby was Pesti, and Matilda was there. Maybe the Druid thought he should rejoin the orc captain? For...whatever reason?

Jazdia faced the rest of her team and did very little to hide her dissatisfaction. "Cedar's gone. He went to the forest. Reason unknown. Maybe he will be back shortly and maybe not. We will not wait for him."

"So what's the plan?" Asked Kaito.

"Let's move to the edge of the forest so we can get a closer look at the wall. The first goal is to plant my arrows on that bridge. Then we will see..."

Maybe Cedar would return during their approach?

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Supposedly out of any prying eyes, the group made their stop in the treelines two hundred meters away from the gate. The sound of the swift stream from the Green River could be heard behind them, a perfect mask for one of them who walked with heavy steps, though not a soul could be seen anywhere near them at that moment.

If Veronica's intel was to be trusted, the fort was almost deserted, and it seemed so before their gates and battlements. Only eight could be seen patrolling atop the rampart, fulfilling their duties with bored heavy faces, so nominal for a second or two Jazdia wondered if they have arrived in the right place.

But the Hunter was so sure he looked about to jump from their cover anytime now. In his answer, he added how those men must pay for the death of his brother, needless to say, Jazdia didn't find his personal motive beneficial for this mission.

"We are here for scouting purposes." and she will not repeat it again. "If it is revenge you seek, be patient-"
Jazdia shifted her attention to the main mission. The earpiece was still silent, and that was the first thing to worry about because now should be the time for Matilda to inform her of the first update. She wondered how they are doing right now. Chonan was impulsive and Matilda doesn't seem to be a person with patience. Had they sounded the alarm already?

Jazdia patted Cedar's wide shoulder and donned her friendly attitude. If memory serves right, working with a druid is difficult, but this fella seemed more approachable.

"One of my concerns is if the second party started a fight and Pesti called for reinforcement with whatever means they have. We can't let their reinforcement arrive before we do. We must do something to hinder their mobility. Master Cedar, I need you to create obstacles on the main route so their horses and carriages cannot pass. Can that be arranged?"

Sure it can. He was a druid and nothing those tree huggers liked more than turning man-mad creation back to nature's embrace.

"And, Master Solomon, you said you deployed one of your shadows. Care to tell me something about it?"

After saying that, the elf activated her eyes and scanned for whatever waiting behind that city wall.