Mas Bagus

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

"I... I believe what happened between Head Constable Aaron and His Highness' agent was nothing but a mere understanding. A terrible and regrettable one at that. But I shall not pry on that. Aaron has been relieved from his position and waiting for his trial.

There was a pause. A deviant fire flickered in his eyes when he continued.

"I don't know what terrible seditious scheme Baron Von Kruber was planning, but if it was as you said, that will be another blow to my father. However, I must correct you. Please do not speak ill about the deceased until the investigation has been concluded. We both know how the law works. Rest assured we Delving family will be cooperative during the process."

He already heard chattering, and lousy banter being flexed. Being easy to please she was, Kirsten joined the fray, however, the commentary shifted to a more personal matter, and the commentary about his father started to make ears feel pricked.

"Oh, I am sure you will," The voice came from an elven woman who jumped down the broken staircase to join them immediately. Her disregard for the Baron's dead body made Silas heave a breath.

He counted there was Matilda and the Ronsenving scion. Fred's secret bodyguard was also there, standing religiously yet seemingly too focused on watching his sister's girly talk. The Druid could be the pale old man, and the legendary doctor could be the other male in the team.

So, this must be Baker's former boss. Silas immediately recalled an occasion when he saw a similar blonde elf attending Fredricus' banquet many years ago. She was beautiful and elegant. Was that the very same elf who was now in front of him? Looking at her unmodest appearance... no, this couldn't be her.

"I don't know we have an Admiral in our party," she said to Matilda, then shifted to Silas. "Don't bother explaining yourself. We all know you are here for that person. The question is, we have him, what you are going to do about it?"

"He will be on his way," grunted Matilda.

"Really?" the elf lifted her stare at the Knight captain.

"One way or another." she rubbed her fist.

Maybe cornered or wanting to preserve a status quo, Silas pleaded. "Please, there is no need to get drastic."

There was an awkward pause. The elf smiled at him, and by then Silas realized her eyes were glowing with a violet hue.
His hand was ready to reach his sword, but the stare was never to bewitch. It was to read, it was like she was determining if he was lying or not. Silas felt the elf woman in front of him had seen through his deceit, but decided to play along with it, for some enigmatic reason.

"Yeah, no drastic move. My question is still unanswered though."

"No more questions. No more answers."

"Come now, Matilda. Let the man speak for himself..."

Silas opened his mouth but no words came out yet. What he was going to do about it? The question was laced with subtle suspicion, that kind of accusation that would strip his motive bare if he denied it. Now he felt surrounded not only by a wounded yet determined fanged beast but also by a serpent that would retaliate with vicious retribution should he dare to attack.

A card played, and the name was retreating.

"What Milady Matidla said is right. I have no jurisdiction here. However, please do not misunderstand, I am as glad as you are knowing the prince is safe and sound." he placed his hand on his chest, while his golden eyes looked at Matilda, seeking approval.

"I assure you I am not here to disturb your mission for my own personal gain, or to seek any kind of fame. Please resume your plan as you see fit, all I ask is for us to be with you until we reached the capital. You may choose any route you prefer and share not your thoughts with us, that is fine with me."

***

Meanwhile, Yvonne should have known that flexing was never a good idea. And Kirsten being the klutz she was, reached for Yvonne's arm and grabbed it closer. It was fortunate that both girls were equally strong, else the other would be flung like a rag doll.

"That looks terrible! I am glad he is gone. I feel pity for the people outside you know, and Mister Baron... no matter the cause, this was not right."

It took some time for Kirsten to realize she might have spilled something she shouldn't. His father never let her be involved in his scheming, yet he should know better that it was impossible to hide everything from your own blood.

"Pretend you don't hear that from me."

Kirsten was well aware and understood the magnitude of this whole operation, but she was powerless to stop it. She-- no, they had been conditioned to be like that from an early age; if their father said go, they go, come, they come, and do, they do. She just went with the flow, and if the flow was so toxic, her option was to swim away and distance herself, but never truly escape from the very same flow.

It was awkward for a while until Yvonne broke the silence again. Feisty as ever, she never knew when to stop.

"How are you doing these days? Daddy dearest still being a prick? You should consider snapping off his leash, ditch him off! Heck, I'd show you the ropes. It'll be fun!"

"No, you silly! He's still my dad. And no, he never put a leash on me!" The banter ended with Kirsten punching Yvonne's other shoulder and having another giggle followed. Even being trapped in such circumstances, Kirsten knew there was still merit in all of this. For instance, she didn't have to worry about getting burns.

Though she knew the fire could be closer than she ever imagine.

"Anyway, who's the guy? He is just standing there like a statue." it was obvious that Kirsten was referring to the lonely foreign swordmaster standing next to the table. "Is he even breathing...?"

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

Silas' handsome face slightly contorted in disgust upon hearing the name, but he managed to keep his cool. The man in front of him began to explain the circumstances. About the damage, incident, and harm, all attributed to the mage Asevor. Sounded cold and distant he was, like something ancient and truthful, yet Silas detected deception in his words. Which part and why, he could not tell.

Cautiousness prevented him to look at the man's masked visage until he told him Asevor is dead.

The Admiral looked as if a mélange of confusion, disbelief, and relief washed him. The Mage was known to be extremely paranoid regarding his own safety. He was powerful, but his ability to escape from a fickle was his defining trait that made his father keep repeatedly hiring Asevor to do his dirty work.

It said that capturing him was much harder than fighting the man himself. If these people managed to do that, it was obvious that he had to change his strategy.

"The damage he did to Fanghorn will not go unreported. Rest assured that I will be there to aid you should His Majesty require any of you to testify."

Clearing his throat, Admiral Silas realized that two pairs of keen eyes had been staring at him thoroughly since his unplanned entry. Unlike the man, they were more impatient, and speak almost in unison.

"Admiral Delving! A long way from the sea, ain't ya?"

First, It was from their former acquaintance. The girl from the bankrupted Rosenving clan. Silas' inner self soured, not because of the unplanned reunion, but by a sheer realization that she was also one of the agents who clashed with his brother and won.

He could only offer a weak smile. Thankfully her attention seemed to be diverted to his half-sister.

"And Kirsten, pretty as always. Pardon the sorry welcome, we've had a mage problem recently. It's been dealt with."

"Hello, Yonnie! Good to see you. How are you these days?" said Kirsten, with her usual cheerfulness.

Then, there was Matilda...

"I'll be blunt with you, admiral, the timing of your arrival could not be any more suspicious." The knight-captain growled, not even displaying the slightest bit of courtesy. "Spill. What business do you have here, where seditious influence had taken root?"

"I shall not deny that milady, and I shall fulfill your request if you are willing to lend me your ears, for my words will be the truth and truth only."

he decided to pick the half-truth card instead.

"Very early this morning my father received a letter from the late Baron Von Kruber, concerning the great peril that he was sure approaching his keep. He did not specify anything else but the matter is so important that Highness might want to skip his sleep to hear it."

"If so, why didn't he send it to His Majesty instead?" interrupted Matilda. A sheer impatience glinted in her eyes like a fanged beast ready to pounce, but considering her condition, Silas knew it was just an empty threat.

To be honest, he and Kirsten might be able to take them all down, but it would serve no purpose to him. Right now knew patience was the key... to mend things up. To deescalate, to deceive. It was like surfing in the waves, all he had to do was to adapt with its ups and downs.

His posture was straight, yet it did not radiate elegance, nor an ounce of nobility. Silas was just the man he was. Trying to tell what he knew and be true to his word. He actually struggled to find the right word for it, but he sure knew when to act like it.

"That I do not know. But if I may be so bold to postulate, the unconditional trust between my Father and Baron Von Kruber could be the reason." The word was said in pride, though a pang in his heart said it was misplaced, fake, and ironic.

Naturally, my father did not immediately share the level of grievance the Baron expressed in his letter, yet he stayed awake and dispatched his men. Waiting for any news. And it was indeed news that came to him in that witching hour. Our people from Pesti mentioned the Prince in distress, and we immediately linked it with the announcement from the King earlier.

"I am here because my father concluded that the Prince's Convoy is in trouble, and I am here to help."

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

"Gods! That's harrowing news." Silas' fair visage turned gloomy as he entered the room, and abruptly stopped in the middle. His eyes briefly focused on the mutilated body of a fat Baron who lay flat in the antechamber.

"He was my father's closest partner," he continued, his voice vibrating with sincere grief. "And a long-time friend. What happened to him?"

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

"Silas Delving huh?" mused the elf, the information strangely didn't sound like news to her, but she bothered to ask anyway. "How many soldiers he brings with him?"

Only himself and five other people.

"Can't say he was brave or reckless or misinformed. I do expect a number of responders, but color me surprised, it's really him."

Jazdia tossed the papers back onto the desk. and faced the Samurai with an aloof expression. Their last dance with a Delving was troublesome, to say the least, and this one could possibly make things even more complicated.

Being complicated didn't always mean being hostile.

"Go downstairs and join with the others. Your order is first and foremost to ensure the prince's safety, you know what to do. I will be with you all shortly."

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

Meanwhile, on the Road to Pesti, four hours prior

When the Delvings arrived at the first barrier, it was clear that the Sergeant was not exaggerating.

Thorns and vines, and roots and more prickly barbs that made words plant and violence didn't sound very unrelated at all. Even the most lighthearted of them all recoiled when she tried to test the jutting pricker with her fingers.

"Ouw!"

"I said, stand back! Why are you not listening?!" Barked Silas, facepalming before turning to one of his lieutenants who just returned from a light recon duty. "What you've got?

"Whoever planted these things was sure meticulous," answered the lieutenant. "The wall stretched far into the woods, and I couldn't see the edge of it without risking an hour or two to observe further. Sir, suggesting to take a detour perhaps?"

Silas looked up to the sky. The wind was picking up and the storm he saw earlier is still raging in the distance. He had been a seaman for years, and reading the weather was something he had mastered. He knew how and when a hurricane would form, down to the exact location and hour. But this one was different; it was too erratic and formed in a place where it had no business to appear. It looked...very unnatural and the forming was all too instantaneous, like something conjured by a man.

The question was, who did that?

"We are running out of time, Lieutenant. But I will consider it.'

The word was calm, masking the swelling anxiety that was building inside him. It was surprisingly easier compared to finding the answer to his immediate problem; The thick hedge that seemed sturdier than any city wall he ever encountered.

A slash to an overreaching vine severed it clean, but his saber barely make any overall damage to the wall when a new branch sprouted down from the severed stalk and refortify it.

He slashed again, this time with his power imbued to his blade, it cut as cleanly as before and this time the sprouting halted. But to imagine how many swings needed to get through, Silas had to rethink for a better solution.

Should they really use tallows and burn their swords red?

A sound of metal swinging in the air alerted him, and to the extent, his subordinates as well, but they found no enemy. It was just Kirsten who stood in a steady stance, facing the ever-growing thicket with her large blade drawn. It was easy to dismiss her charade as immature things someone did when bored, but when the golden glow illuminated her zweihander, everyone suddenly remembered that she was still a Delving.

The first swing cut a swathe of thorny vines like wet noodles. The maid advanced forward, swinging the second strike as she entered deeper into the wall, more swings followed in rhythmical but powerful onslaughts. Embers ignited and died out in every stem she severed, but the plant shriveled and died soon after. When she nearly reached the end of the wall, pieces of dried thorns could be seen sticking into her maid uniform, but her long, leather boots provided ample protection to keep her footwork remain undisturbed until she completely waltzed through.

The maid barely broke any sweat when she greeted her brother and smiled triumphantly.

"I win this one!"

***

With Kirsten in the frontline, the second barrier of thorns proved to be a trivial obstacle for them to reach Fanghorn. Silas remembered how menacing it looked compared to the one that blocked the road to Pesti, but Kirsten mowed down everything on her path with no problem.

It was a simple trick, he told to himself, part of it served as a consolation. The same power Kirsten used was also the power he had been mastering for years, the difference was, he didn't have the endurance and stamina to reliably swing that slab of steel Kirsten had been lugging every day for the last ten years. Really, his father didn't give her enough credit. How on earth she was a maid?

It was raining hard after they passed the second thorns, but then it stopped not long after. All quiet when they reached the Fanghorn outskirts, and it was strange. The province might be underdeveloped, but its people had to make a living one way or another. Yet here they were riding through an empty road. The field was deserted as well, and every house closed its door and windows. Not even a single livestock could be seen loitering around.

Riding closer to the walled city of Fanghorn, the place looked like it just survived a siege. The destroyed bridge could be seen before they entered the gate, and Silas' heart raced when he noticed charred stains on almost everything, and the chilling aura despite the sun shining through the cloudless sky from the western horizon.

The damage to the peak of the tower was apparent as if it had been stricken by dozens of thunder. From up here, Silas saw a man hunkering on its ruined rampart, watching carefully as the party rode slowly toward the gate.

Only after entering the city, Silas began to see some activity from the local populace. Naturally far from rejoicing at his arrival, they were lamenting, either for their injured or deceased loved ones or damaged dwelling to the lost belongings. He couldn't help but shake his head, though his concern was more on the political aftermath rather than an empty as a human being.

"What... what happened?"

That question brought a pang like never before. Indeed, this was too much, this was not something he agreed to help. Would his father condone this unnecessary damage? Who would be responsible for this?

"I don't know. Let's keep moving."

He didn't know, yet knew at the same time. It could be the work of the Wizard his father hired. No matter how sagacious they presented themselves to be, the mage's intelligence lies in the tomes they read and nothing else. They were as witless as peasants next door when it comes to political savviness and this... this was what he was talking about. A foolish endeavor, so excessive, and could bring forth a political calamity.

Then, there was the second cause. The more their horses trotted, the more he thought about it, and the more Silas felt his heart sink deeper into his stomach.

Baker's words suddenly echoed in his mind, and the wailings of the villagers sounded eerily clearer in his ears.

This could be a glimpse of what a King can do when he felt betrayed.

A picture of his siblings, his family, and his home appeared before him.

When a powerful man got desperate, his anger would burn indiscriminately.

Then that very image faded in a smoky haze.

Save your family from this madness!

Shaking his head off from that terrible thought and back to reality, the Admiral realized that the tower was ahead of them now, all they need to do now was to dismount and climb the grassy hills through a muddy path.

"He is still up there," said Kirsten, trying to keep up the pace. "I wonder who is he..."

Again the Admiral offered no answer. The sentry was likely to be the King's Agent, and it was apparent now that what he feared was real. However, the Admiral refrained from saying anything that would color this enterprise with a more depressing tone.

"Don't look at him. Keep your wits about you and just follow my instruction. Let me do the talking. Trust me, this mission calls for deliberate and appropriate actions, our family's status is at stake here."

And without elaborating further, the eldest of the Delving siblings took the final steps toward the courtyard of the tower. The place no longer had a door fitted, but he did not forget his mannerism; stopping right on the threshold, he called politely.

"Well-met, fellow Kingsmen." Looking at Mitalda, Silas lowered his head in a slight bow. "And, Milady Matilda."

There was nothing for a while but a cold wind howling into the room. Silas observed the people in front of him; some of them he recognized; Beside Matilda, there was Yvonne from the Rosenving clan and The King's Secret Bodyguard whose name he did not know. The unrecognized rest were an unconscious man that seemed too ordinary, a white-haired young man with a perpetual wolfish grin, and a tall, yet slightly hunched gentleman wearing a very pronounced attire.

"I believe our meetings were not a mere happenstance. Can I speak to the Baron of the House? May I enter?"

As far as Silas was concerned, he had chosen his words carefully.

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

Jazdia stared back at him for a while before bursting into a laugh.

"Wealth he says!"

More laughs followed.

"Oh, God... my sides..." she heaved, one hand on the face while the other rubbing the side of her bare midriff. Seeing the boy's confused look made her want to laugh some more, but as she reached to ruffle the boy's hair, she stifled her laugh.

"The name is Jazdia Crystalspark," she said, offering an enigmatic smile before continuing in a deceivingly playful tone. "It would be a lie to say that meeting you is an honor. Nah, you are too young for that."

Lifting her hand before the boy could show some resistance, Jazdia corrected her posture and smiled again."We will have a chance to talk again later. Now I have something else to attend to. You should... get something to eat, and have some rest. I'm sure you know the way back to the capital will take hours. Don't worry about your captors, they are dead now, if that's any consolation for you."

"Keep an eye on the box," she said to Kaito. "We might need all the items inside later."

Retreating back to the antechamber, Jazdia hopped up and climbed to the second floor. There, she immediately barged into the Baron's office, seeking any written record.

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

"It's not about haggling with the majesty," said Jazdia with half-assed seriousness. "It's about what he said. A gratitude he offered. A real man will not renege the word once spoken."

Still leaning closer to the prince, Jazdia continued. "Are you a real man?"

The elf left the question hanging between them for a while. However, the bear's next chattering did very little to reinforce the overly-confident attitude Jazdia had been fronting.

'Ain't no harm lettin' the boy know 'e might consider wha'tis we mights all 'preciate fer da trouble, naw is dere?'
'Auh idears on how we gunna do 'at? Bout did us in, showin at old conjurer da door-- aint nona'us good fer nuttin right naow.... I'

Ugh, She didn't need someone to remind them about their misgivings, especially not when the entire conversation was aimed to cajole the prince into believing that they are his last hope to return to his father. When Jazdia stared back, it was supposed to be two words spoken indirectly; SHUT.UP.

I' dat bread I smells?'

"Yes, it is!" the elf grumbled with veins popping out of her forehead. "And unless you want to get an overdose, don't hog the blue vials all for yourself. Use the red one instead."

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

"I am prince Alec of Kindeance, and I offer you my heartfelt gratitude for a most daring rescue. This debt, I shall never forget."

Jazdia stopped. Finally, the prince spared his time to speak to humble rescuers like us.

The elf glanced at the kid as she approached him, measuring the unpolished wisdom he had in him, wondering what kind of leader he would be after Fred stepped down. It was important because the monetary reward was never her motive. Fred promised a lifetime of gratitude and influence, but it was the word of the man himself, not the prince she will be rescuing.

"And what kind of gratitude you are offering, hmm?" she sniped, with a hard edge of sarcasm, leaning forward to meet the prince eye-to-eye. "How would an esteemed Prince of Kindeance repay the effort of the others who risked life and limb to rescue him from the terrible fate of being cooked alive in a stony sarcophagus? Obviously not by words alone, correct?"

She spared a moment to wink at the bear man, but the druid was too occupied with one of those blue bottles.

Considering that her commitment was never to the point of risking her life to ensure his safety, Jazdia would be fine if the prince would forget this joint effort somehow. She could haggle with Fred to compensate the half part of the deal. She always had her way. No problem, but this time all she wanted to do was to tease the princeling a bit.

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

How did she draw a conclusion that she would like to have one of those alcoholic beverages, Jazdia never knew. The girl already left anyway, replaced by Chonan who returned with assortments of food and cooked dishes.

Walking toward the fireplace, Jazdia tossed the woods into it. One, two, to six, and she had the last one gripped tightly; smoke permeated from it and soon ignited like a bright torch. After a splash of fish oil later, the fireplace lit alive. Warm, bright, and comforting. Sadly she had something else to do.

Perusing the box again, Jazdia swiped a polished brass locket that looked very ordinary in the eyes of the untrained; yet it was unordinary large, slightly bigger than her palm, it has no markings, and the surface was smooth. On its side, it had two buttons, while on the upside, there was a small hole.

Pushing the upper button would unlock the trinket, and eject a pointy metal from the upside hole. Inside it, there were two sections with white granite as its base. Both Granite was stained with bloody thumbprints.

Pushing the lower buttons revealed the content of the trinket. A holographic mirage projected from its upper shell, and the holder could read the writing as if every word were printed in thin air.

Sixteen thousand gold coins to keep the Prince of Kindeance monarchy in custody for a month. Service procured by Jonas Delving, Received and will be honored by Asevor the Wizard. Witnessed by Baron Von Kruber, and Winston.

Winston huh? The name rings a bell that Jazdia couldn't place, but the trinket itself called a record about an association that fancied a blood contract like this. Certainly not the kind of folks you want to mess around with.

Jazdia closed the locket and headed to the antechamber, this time she dragged the chair quietly.

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

"Dead fucking gods, what's in that thing? Taste viler than the usual fare."

"The common ingredient is usually Troll blood. Yeasted, fermented, and distilled. Then you have beetroot and essential oil from crimson fungi. Pharmaceutical alchemy is something I learnt during the short semester at Medical Academy. It is the purest product, so it wasn't watered down, and no additives like sugar or honey were added. What? It's not like it would taste like wine because it looked pretty."

"Shouldn't have asked that." Yvonne's visage contort into one of disgust, taking a swig of the water canteen and gargling loudly. "I should not have asked that. I need a bloody drink. Figure fatface had wine in his cellar? I'm getting myself some."

"The more you know... Years on the battlefield and I thought someone like you would have acquired the taste." the elf quipped.

"Bah. I drank it all, didn't I? Nasty stuff still taste nasty no matter how used I got to it." She spared glance to the bandage around Jazdia, recalling the nasty burn the elf had gotten earlier. "Why dont you take some?"

"Heh, I wish I can, especially that blue vial, it's not as vile as the red ones; mulberry, menthol, celandine, and crushed water wasp."

Yvvone's request was not in any way doubting her credibility, but to prevent misunderstanding from the other bystander, Jazdia felt obliged to explain why would she turn down the challenge, though rather reluctantly.

"Let us just put it this way; my body reacts viciously to any magical stimulant. So, Instead of healing or restoring, any substance with magic on them will be poison to me. It's not a racial trait, nor hereditary and I have been..."

It was not about secrecy anymore when Jazdia stopped mid-sentence and offered her a smile instead. Recalling the origin of her power was almost as painful as her theoretical reaction to the potion in question, and thankfully Yvonne seemed to understand this and not pry any further.

"Well. I'll get you some wine then. Be right back!"