Session 3: The Noble by
RoyA crowd begins to gather around the three troublemakers. Among them is the gladiator Fi, who tells a nearby guard that she has seen the events that went down. The guard seems disinterested and asks her to stand back from the scene. A half-elf - the only other competitor in the archery range that won a prize - decides to make a move toward the guard captain, but is quickly stopped by one of his men.
"Not so fast, half-elf", the guard says to the man.
With a determined expression on his face, the man replies, "You dare stop a superior officer from approaching this crime scene?"
The guard laughs. "Hey captain," he hollers behind himself, "we've got another one here."
As the captain approaches, the half-elf continues. "I insist you let me through."
The captain wastes no time and says, "Arrest this one as well." His words barely leave his mouth before the guard throws manacles on the new captive. Together, the party is escorted to the barracks and placed into the holding cells within.
----
The traveler is called into the interrogation room first. Despite his circumstances he seems relatively calm and collected, and the captain, perhaps remembering the compliance from earlier, seems to have calmed down himself. The captain speaks first: "Tell me exactly what happened."
"Alright", the traveler responds. "I was approached by the elf wizard and asked about a golden ticket he saw me earn earlier in the day, and I offered to sell it to him on the agreed price of twenty gold. When I was about to exchange the ticket, however, a thief bumped into me and snatched the ticket away. A few people saw this happening, and before I knew it, an arrow flies past me toward the thief, but it hits the ground instead. I take this opportunity to tell the thief to stop, and I use my bow to make a warning shot-"
"A shot fired directly into the crowd, is that correct?" the captain interjects.
"Well, no, not exactly: the arrow flew above the crowd", reasons the traveler. "It was not my intention to put anyone in the crowd in danger."
"You did, whether it was your intent or not", the captain states. "An arrow fired must land somewhere, after all. Continue."
The traveler smiles. "Well, suddenly, a horse appears out of nowhere. The wizard I was bartering with said something along the lines of, 'Anyone may use this horse.' Now, the person firing arrows behind me - the half-elf you detained - she continues trying to shoot the thief as he makes his escape. I decide the best course of action would be to follow the thief on the horse, however, so I hop on, and to my surprise, it takes off almost as though with a mind of its own! Perhaps because horses do have minds of their own. I had practically no control over the creature's movements, as perhaps you could observe by my attempts to ride it."
"Yes, about that", the captain responds. "Do you have any experience riding horses?"
The traveler hesitates. "Well, no," he replies, "my experience is actually limited to riding cows out in the farmland-"
"And yet you thought this was a good idea?" the captain asks. "To trample a bunch of bystanders and pursue this alleged thief?"
"At the time it seemed like the safest course of action", the traveler reasons. "I had not expected the horse to charge without regard to any obstacles before it." The captain sighs, and the traveler continues his story. "Once I approached the thief, I used a whip and snagged his leg, causing him to fall. As he tried getting back up immediately, I made a lash at him in an effort to keep him down. It was at this time that the horse suddenly bucks and throws me off: apparently it had been struck by an arrow, and that combined with my efforts to stop the thief seemed to spook it. At that point I was violently thrown off the horse and I lay next to the downed thief. I told him again to stop, but perhaps due to me being collapsed on the ground, he wouldn't listen to me. We were both surrounded by the two other people making an effort to stop him, but he quickly makes a dash to the north. Finally, in a cleared-out area, I made a last attempt to stop the thief by firing an arrow into his back. This is when I heared your instructions, to which I immediately complied."
The captain leans back and thinks for a while. "You seem to carefully choose your words", he remarks. "Very well, that will be all for now." As the traveler is sent back to the cell, the half-elf archer, wearing slight concern on her face, is brought in to be questioned. The captain's demeanor shifts rapidly. "State your name for the record."
"Eamhair. My name is Eamhair", she quietly replies.
"Right. Now then, let's hear what you think happened."
Eamhair draws a breath. "Well," she begins, "I was listening to the young man telling a fascinating story and talking to the elf. He pulled out a ticket, and as they were negotiating, that thief ran up and stole it from him."
"Why did you even get involved?", the captain asks.
"I guess I felt compelled to", Eamhair notes. "You could say I felt inspired to help him." She then retells the story to the same relative degree that the prior prisoner had. "While I was aiming for the thief," she remarks, "a horse came out of nowhere and took the hit instead." With no remark from the captain, she continues up to her explanation for not yielding when the guards arrived. "I really didn't want the thief to get away," she continues, "which is why I ran up and grabbed him."
The captain asks the question he had intentionally held until now. "What compelled you to fire arrows directly into a crowd of people?"
Eamhair looks down. "I guess... Well, it was a time-sensitive matter, and I was confident enough in my ability to stop the thief. The crowd didn't seem too dense, and I had a clear and straight shot for stopping him."
"That's all I had to ask", the captain promptly says, seemingly disinterested in her reasoning. Eamhair is returned while the elf wizard is brought in. "Name for the record", the captain starts immediately, before the elf even has the chance to sit.
"Uh, Aaron," the wizard replies. He looks extremely uncomfortable, and isn't particularly making an effort to maintain eye contact with the interrogator. "Aaron Celebrimbor."
"Now then, Aaron, I'm quite interested in how you intend to explain what happened", the captain sneers. "Do start from the beginning."
"The- the beginning? Well, alright." Aaron thinks back while shifting slightly in his chair. "Well, it all started at a large tent at the festival. There was a large boulder and a hole. The guy - the um, traveler - does this amazing spell to move the boulder into the-"
"I'm sorry, but how is this relevant?" the captain says impatiently.
"It's relevant, I assure you", the elf replies. "Because by moving the boulder into the hole, he won the ticket that he would later try to sell to me."
"Just get to the part where you're talking to him."
"Oh, a-alright. I thought by beginning you meant... the beginning. But okay. I ran into him later outside the colosseum and offered to buy the ticket off him. That's when the thief ran up and stole it from him." The captain leans forward as Aaron continues explaining the scene. "As other people are firing arrows, I summon a-"
"A horse, yes", the captain interrupts. "Now this is what I'd really like to know: why in your right mind would you summon a horse in a crowd of people?" The wizard doesn't know how to respond, so the captain continues, "It's inconceivable to me that you would think it a good idea to have a horse charge down bystanders." He pauses for a moment. "But that wasn't the only spell you cast. One of our mages noted you casting something else: is that correct?"
"Oh, yes", Aaron admits. "After the traveler got on the horse, I prepared a spell that would boost my strength to help me run faster-"
"Hold on", stops the captain. "What's the name of the spell, exactly?"
"The spell name? Uh," the elf hesitates, "it's called Keen Edge."
"Now, I'm no expert on magic spells," the captain admits, "but I've been reliably informed that Keen Edge doesn't make you run faster."
"You are correct," Aaron agrees. "I had intended to use it for a similar purpose, though. I'm sorry; it was a bad idea for me to lie about that."
"Right you are," the captain coldly remarks. "Now then, would you care to tell me what this spell actually does?"
"Well, it makes me hit more accura-"
"Nope."
"Uh", Aaron nervously says. "Alright. It improves the caster's ability to deliver a mortal blow..."
"So you admit, then," the captain presses, "that you were intending to kill this alleged thief?"
"No!" Aaron insists. "No, it's just... well, I had thought it would help me run faster..."
"We have a few spellcasters of our own", the captain states. "They all agree that Keen Edge does not provide any such benefit, and that any wizard would know this."
"Well, it was very bright out", explains the elf. "We elves can't think properly under bright lighting."
The captain gives a guttural laugh. "You said it was a bad idea to lie, and yet you continue to do so!"
"Bright lights make me stupider", Aaron repeats. "It may not be true for all elves, but one of my lineage-"
"I don't care about your lineage!" the captain nearly shouts. "And I advise you to stop lying to me." There's a silent pause, and then he continues. "You also had a crossbow out, correct? While the others were shooting, were you firing as well?"
Aaron defends, "I did have my crossbow drawn, but I did not load it, nor did I even point it at the thief."
"Of course," the captain mutters, "you were probably planning on killing the guy with your bare hands." He glances at his notes and then continues, "One last thing: you had cast yet another spell while disobeying my orders to surrender."
"Uh, okay," Aaron replies, "I'd like to first say that I did drop my weapon after going to cut off the thief's escape route."
"That doesn't change the fact that you disobeyed the command", the captain retorts. "Now, the spell."
Clearly uninterested in lying further, the elf wizard confesses, "I summoned an unseen servant in an attempt to retrieve the ticket from the thief."
The captain sighs. "Well, oddly enough I'm actually going to believe you there, as we observed the same thing." He dismisses the elf, and then quietly says to himself, "I hope all elves aren't as troublesome as you." As the captain of the guards is about to take his own leave, a guard runs up to him and informs him of a witness to the scene. The captain is then greeted by another half-elf girl. "And who are you?" he asks.
"My name is Fi", she replies. "I'm here because I thought you would like an unbiased opinion on the events that went down."
"Very well, very well", he replies. "So, what did you see?"
"I saw a man steal a ticket from another man, of course!"
"Can you describe the man taking the ticket?"
"Well," she said. "I didn't get a good look at him. He was wearing a dark cloak. But after he took the ticket, he was getting shot at. One of the arrows went through the crowd but didn't hit anybody, and another arrow was shot way too high. Then a horse appeared out of nowhere! I had tried to stop the thief at first, but after all the chaos I decided it would be better to wait for the authorities."
"Alright, can you explain what the others looked like?"
Fi pauses. "Well, not really." The captain gives her a scowl, and she quickly corrects herself. "I mean, there was a half-elf girl in the back firing, and there were two other people chasing after him, too."
"Let's talk about you for a moment", says the captain, shifting his curiosity. "Why were you there at the time?"
"Oh, I'm one of the gladiators in the colosseum," Fi explains. "I was just hanging around after winning a fight against some monk."
"Really? You were just... 'hanging around'?", the captain asks, suspicious.
Fi sits up straight. "Oh, right," she said, "the man who had the ticket, he was telling an interesting story. I had stopped to listen to him speak."
"Could you describe the man for me?"
"Hmm, well, he looks... like a nice guy, I guess," she says. Judging from the captain's expression, Fi realizes that isn't the answer he wanted to hear. "I mean, he has brown hair... and blue eyes!"
"Was he an elf?"
"Mm... no, I'm pretty sure he's a regular human."
"Alright, and did this man appear to perhaps be a traveler?" the captain asks. Fi nods, and he continues. "Did this man fire any arrows into the crowd of people nearby?"
Fi thinks. "I'm not too sure. I think he may have been the one that fired an arrow above the crowd..."
"Right, well, that's enough information," the captain states. "Thank you for your... thank you."
"I'm just glad I could help!" Fi cheerily replies.
She begins to take her leave, and the captain makes a final question. "Hey, would you know anything about... elves becoming less intelligent when subjected to bright lights?"
Fi looks back, surprised. "I have heard nothing of the sort."
"Of course not", the captain agrees. "Good luck on your next match."
----
The colosseum is packed for the finals. Only Sieghart and the announcer stand in the arena, however. Sieghart suggests that his opponent may not show up at all. "It would be easier if you just give-" he starts, but is interrupted by the roaring of the crowd as the half-elf warrior storms the field. Panting slightly, as though she had just ran across town, Fi stands tall and confident, ready for battle.
The announcer shakes his head at Sieghart's attempt to claim the prize without fighting. He then addresses the crowd. "The final match is between Sieghart the Brave," he bellows, "and Fi the Unbreakable!" He quickly steps back and allows the contestants to start the fight.
Sieghart boasts the same easygoing attitude he had during his last bout. He moves forward by a few steps and lowers his center of gravity ever-so-slightly, and then signals his opponent to approach with a wag of his finger. Fi closes the gap without hesitation, drawing both swords and bringing them down with a single swing. Sieghart reads the move and pulls his own sword up, using the palm of his off-hand to push against the blade and properly block the attack just inches from his face.
"You think two swords are better than one?" Sieghart mildly remarks. With remarkable agility, he shifts the weight of the connecting blades, pushing Fi's arms off to the right of him. He continues the motion fluidly into a strike on Fi's rib cage. "You must be here to learn", says he. "Well then, class is in session."
Fi absorbs the hit rather unexpectedly, and makes a counter-swing that grazes a quite surprised Sieghart. His demeanor turns a bit more serious as Fi increases the distance between them. Sieghart closes his eyes and slows his breathing as Fi repositions herself. She kicks off the ground and takes a swipe with her primary, which Sieghart sidesteps blindly. Fi follows it up rapidly with her second sword, greedily aiming for the head, but Sieghart effortlessly ducks as he senses the blade approaching. His eyes open, alight with violet flames. "This is how you swing a sword!" he says as he rises and holds his short sword above his head. Fi does a quick side-hop to avoid the hit, which tears through the air making what could almost be described as a whistling sound before crashing into the earth, sending dirt and debris flying. This does not make Fi hesitate, however, and as Sieghart attempts to bring his sword back up, she lands a solid hit on his shoulder.
Fi begins to move her other weapon for an attack, but Sieghart pulls back and smoothly transitions the dodge into an ideal counter-thrust, one shoulder tucked in with the other extended. He raises his weapon to chest-level with an intense speed. Fi immediately leaps back, but she is only partially able to avoid the attack as Sieghart pierces forward, causing a shockwave of wind and dust to trail along the thrust of the steel. The attack is enough to knock Fi over, though Sieghart is impressed she avoided taking significant damage. A smile forms across his face, and for the first time since participating in the tournament, it appears as though he is having fun. He allows Fi to stand back up, but this merciful act only angers the half-elf. She rebounds, closing the distance between them almost instantly to only a couple feet, and swings one sword across at waist-level: a nearly unavoidable attack.
Nearly, of course, because Sieghart is able to avoid it using his remarkable agility; he pushes off the ground and pulls his knees toward his chest, elevating himself above the swing and rotating smoothly into a backflip. Fi's pride doesn't let her attack completely fail, however, as she uses the momentum of her swing to pivot forward and slice open one of Sieghart's legs before he can land. Sieghart completes the flip and plants his feet like he hadn't been struck, and he holds his sword in front of him almost like one would with a rapier. Fi doesn't relent her attacks as she continues pushing forward and making many swings at the man. Despite the recent wound, Sieghart avoids and blocks the attacks effortlessly, waiting for an opportunity. Fi pushes aside his blade with her secondary sword and moves in with the sword in her primary hand. Sieghart spots an opening and feints an attack toward Fi's stomach. Reflexively, Fi transitions her strike to a block, which Sieghart gladly allows as he changes the grip on his sword such that it is held pointing downward. His sword gently pushes against Fi's as Sieghart moves his fist forward and punches the half-elf squarely in the face, knocking her over backwards and onto the ground. Her short swords clatter softly as she loses her grip and lays in a complete daze. She faintly hears the announcer call the winner before passing out.
----
The traveler is brought back in for questioning. The captain opens with, "I've heard you were able to earn your ticket by performing a magical feat. Do you actually possess magical abilities?"
"Ah, yes," the traveler affirms, "I do have a few skills up my sleeve, as it were."
"But I also understand your feat took place in a tent here at the festival", the captain continues. "Could you describe this for me?"
"Right, yes, of course. Well, it was one of the larger tents with a larger crowd of people. There were a couple guards outside, and a suave announcer standing next to a large boulder and a ramp leading up to a hole."
"What kind of guards?" the captain asks, curious if it could have been one of his men.
"Uh, well, they were half-orcs, seemed to be hired", the traveler says. "I didn't really interact with them. I earned the ticket from the announcer."
"I see", the captain says with a bit of disappointment. "Well, there is no tent that fits your description in the festival. We've verified the location, and there isn't a trace of any large boulder or any such event. We can't use any of this information as evidence", he concludes.
"While I don't understand the circumstances for the tent's disappearance, I can certainly prove I had acquired the ticket you'll find on the thief", the traveler calmly responds. He then tells the captain exactly what was written.
"There's another problem", the captain confesses. "We searched the man you accuse, and he has no such ticket on him. We do, however, have a ticket that matches your description, but, well, see for yourself." He pulls out the ticket acquired from Eamhair, the half-elf archer, and hands it over to the traveler.
To the traveler's surprise, the ticket is completely blank. "I don't understand," he says, "how can this be considered a ticket? Without any writing, it's essentially just a gold-colored scrap of paper."
The captain nods and considers the words. "We recognize that there's magic that's perhaps hiding the writing on the ticket, but we're unable to verify your claim if we cannot read it."
The traveler looks glum for a moment, and then returns to his optimistic self. "Well, sir, I am confident in your abilities to find out the truth behind my words: the proof is behind the magic." The traveler hands the ticket back to the captain and is escorted back to the cell.
The captain thinks for a while. He doesn't want to let a thief go, and he's inclined to believe the traveler's words. Then he quickly comes up with a plan, and has a guard bring Eamhair into the interrogation room. He hands her ticket over and says with a serious face, "Could you read exactly what is on this ticket of yours?"
Eamhair is confused by the question: why did she have to read a ticket? Surely the captain knows how to read. But she obliges, and reads the exact words the traveler had said to the captain moments ago. The captain smiles and, without a word, takes the ticket back and sends a befuddled Eamhair back to confinement. He then leaves the barracks for a short while before returning, and orders the traveler to be sent back for interrogation. "Luck seems to favor you", he starts. "We were able to confirm the words you read on the ticket."
"Ah," the traveler says excitedly, "so you figured out how to defeat the magic protection around it?"
"In a... manner of speaking", the captain answers vaguely. "Furthermore, on a secondary search personally conducted by myself, we were able to find a ticket on your thief." He pulls out a golden ticket and hands it to the traveler.
"Ah, yes, yes, this is it", the traveler confirms. "I can see the message written on here, clear as day!"
"But... while this certainly convicts the thief," the captain reminds him, "that's not exactly why you're locked in here. Your charges are around endangering the public." He sighs with some disappointment, as though he is able to rationalize the inexcusable behavior. "We will have a lawgiver come in and review your case, likely later this evening. That will also be your trial."
The traveler thinks for a moment about the situation. "I understand. You have done a superb job, captain, and I appreciate all the help you've provided."
The captain nods and has the man sent back.
----
It seems as though the interrogation process has come to an end. A half-elf in the corner scowls at the fact that he was the only one not questioned. Tensions grew high as Eamhair, Aaron, and the half-elf realized they may not be leaving.
"Hey," the half-elf man says to Aaron, "you're a wizard, right? If we work together, I bet we could get out of here."
"Well, yes, I am," Aaron replies, "but if you want to see a truly remarkable spellcaster, you may want to be asking that man over there," indicating the traveler, who seems the only one unconcerned with his imprisonment.
"Oh? So," the half-elf whispers to the traveler, "what could you do to get us out of here, huh?" He looks around. "I can bust open a lock, or swipe the sword off that guard over there. How about you?" As he says it, one of the guards glances over, and then rests a hand on the hilt of his sword.
The traveler looks at the shifty half-elf for a moment before thinking of a reply. "Well," he said, "I suppose in theory my best option would be to distract a guard, or perhaps sing a lullaby to calm the senses. But, to be honest, I have no intention of obstructing the law and due process."
The scheming is brought to an abrupt halt as the door opens and a small group of soldiers march in. With them, the captain is walking alongside a well-dressed noble. His mere presence causes the guards on post to stand straight and serious, a contrast to the lax attitude they normally have. Among those in the cells, however, nobody seems to recognize the man, save the traveler, who knows him to be one of the most powerful men for miles.
The noble scans the cells with disgust, until he spots the traveler. "Bring me that one", he commanded, and the guards move quicker than anyone has ever seen before as they retrieve the man from the cell. He looks the traveler over. "I understand you're the one who trampled a crowd of people to catch a thief in this whole ordeal", he remarks. The traveler seems wise enough to remain silent, and the noble gives a devious smirk. "Well, I have no interest in the fate of peasants too clumsy and slow to get out of the way of justice." The noble's expression turns cold again as he deliberates his understanding of the story. "You shot the thief in the back with an arrow, is that right?"
The traveler answers honestly. "Yes, my lord, that is correct."
The noble judges the expression on the traveler's face before continuing. "It's a shame he did not die." He looks at the captain, and then back at the traveler. With a threatening tone, he says, "Don't let it happen again." While the traveler ponders if he meant breaking the law or failing to kill the thief, the noble signals for a guard to escort the man away. "Get him out of my sight", he says dismissively. After the traveler leaves, the noble calls out Aaron. "Bring me the elf."
Aaron stands as straight as the guards, fearing the worst. The noble looks at him, and then the two remaining half-elves in the cell. "You should have stayed in your forests, elves", he scornfully says. "Can you even comprehend the disdain I have for being forced to personally come down and resolve this matter?" He glances at Aaron, and then asks the captain, "Can this one comprehend?" The captain gives a stout shake of the head. The noble moves close and locks eyes with the elf and says in a low, menacing tone, "Let me make it simple for you, elf. You're lucky to be getting this courtesy: you have precisely one hour to get as far away from this province as you possibly can, as you will be killed on sight thereafter." While a guard takes Aaron's arm and leads him away, the noble follows with, "I suggest you run."
Now just the two half-elves remain: the same two that competed against each other in the archery competition. The noble addresses both of them: "But alas, I can take some solace in this debacle. For, unlike that scum protected by the elven nation, there are no consequences for issuing your immediate execution." He pretends to contemplate for a moment as the two prisoners grow fearful. He turns to the captain and asks, "How fast can you set up the gallows?" Before the captain can answer, the noble does instead, "I'll give you a challenge. These two half-elves are to be executed by sundown today."
----
The traveler sees that he is not the only one released from the guards. The elf, Aaron, walks nervously toward the shops nearby, and the traveler silently joins him. Aaron immediately buys a thick hat that covers up much of his head, and the traveler is quick to remark on it: "That hat looks like it was made for you!"
"Thanks", Aaron replies meekly. He looks around and sees some workers hastily putting together a large scaffold nearby.
"Boy, what an adventure today turned out to be", the traveler says, keeping conversation going with the quiet elf. "It's incredible that after all that chaos, they let us walk free, in a matter of hours."
"You, perhaps", corrects the elf. "I've been told to leave town within the hour."
"Ah, that explains the hat, then", the traveler quips nonchalantly. "That is unfortunate. I suppose we'll be parting ways, then. You know, it's remarkable that we've been through so much already, and yet I don't even know your name."
"Aaron", the wizard says, extending a hand. "Aaron Celebrimbor."
"Aaron, huh?" The traveler repeats, shaking hands with him.
"My friends call me 'Elfy' though", Aaron explains. "I was the only elf from my village, and the name kinda stuck."
"Interesting. It seems so... impersonal. But Elfy it is!" the traveler says with enthusiasm. "My name is Beau Brindille. Despite the circumstances, it's been really nice to meet you. I do hope we meet again someday."
"As do I", Elfy replies. He turns his attention again to the scaffold, which begins to take shape. "What is that they're building? Gallows?"
"A play, maybe?" Beau speculates.
----
While Eamhair seems to have resigned to her fate, the other half-elf is intent on deciding it for himself. He sucks in his gut and lunges sideways into the cell bars, and manages to slip halfway through. The two posted guards are alerted by this, but their concern turns to amusement as they realize an unfortunate truth: the man is stuck. He squirms between the bars to no avail, and the guards gather around to admire and laugh at his accomplishment. The captain overhears the commotion and enters the room, only to begin laughing himself. "How did he even manage that?" he asks one of the posted guards, who does a ridiculous impression of trying to squeeze through a narrow space in response.
It seems the only way to free the man is to pull him through, which the captain orders the two guards to do. After some effort, the half-elf is removed from the cell wall, and the captain turns around to fetch the keys to put him back into the cell. However, the captive has other plans: with an unexpected and aggressive jerk of his arms, he breaks the hold both guards have on him and makes a dash for the door. The guards stumble into each other as the captain turns around to see the man running past him. He draws his sword and makes a swift swing to the man's arm, which is grazed and begins to bleed. As the man fumbles with the door, the guards all draw swords and surround him. The guard to the man's right strikes at his waist, causing another cut to form. The guard to the left attempts a swing, but the man opens the door and uses it as a shield to stop the attack. He then looks for an exit path through the door, which he spots on the other end of the room (which is unfortunately populated with even more guards). Before he can make his move, however, the guard captain shoves one of the guards aside and does a furious thrust, piercing through the man's side. He shouts in pain, startling the guards in the room, who don't understand what's going on. The half-elf presses forward, causing the captain's sword to slip out of his body and spill a considerable amount of blood. The wounds don't slow him, however: he is running on pure adrenaline, and he books it beyond the guards in the room and crashes into the exit door. The captain is shouting orders and pursuing the man, but none of the guards can keep up with the half-elf's speed, especially with the armor they're wearing. Soaked in blood and heavily wounded, the half-elf makes his way to some brush and eventually escapes the pursuit of the law.
----
A crowd gathers in front of the gallows. Three nooses are tied and hang from wooden columns. Under the first two are hapless guards, and under the third stands the archery winner, Eamhair. There's nearly a battalion of guards stationed at various positions, with the guard captain and a wizard standing on the middle of the platform. Joining them is the noble that had arranged the execution in the first place. His expression is one of pure discontent, and his eyes bear neither mercy nor forgiveness. Off into the distance, a lone figure stands scouting atop a roof, cloaked in the darkness from the setting sun and wielding a sturdy crossbow. Within the crowd, a commoner begins spreading rumors of indebted half-elves repaying their savior with lifelong love and loyalty, and although what he says is compelling, the intimidation seeping from the noble's presence quells any influence the words have on the audience.
The noble takes a breath to speak, and any talking amongst the townsfolk stops immediately. "Today a great tragedy has occurred", he begins. "We have witnessed repeated failures in the upholding of justice. Today also marks an opportunity: an opportunity to prove that we cannot, and will not, tolerate disorder. No man is free from the call of justice."
He gestures to Eamhair. "We have half-elves running through this town, doing as they please, thinking this is their forests. They are savages. They demonstrably are incapable of understanding the laws of man. These creatures should return to the dirt pits from which they came." He pauses for a moment, stepping toward the crowd for his next words. "I have personally witnessed the injuries incurred by such reckless behavior. Further, to add insult to my domain, two of my men have disgraced me, and let a prisoner escape under their watch."
His voice grows more invigorated, and the fury of his words project fear and respect to the listeners before him. "How am I to live under such an insult?! How am I to tell my father that two of my men failed to complete their duties- how does that make me look? How does that make us all look?! What good is a kingdom for those who cannot enforce the law? Those who break the law must be brought to justice: that is a fundamental rule of our society. I will prove that justice is not dead, that we will not tolerate disorder!"
The noble's words resonate with many in the crowd. Angry shouts and jeers targeted toward Eamhair start building up. The noble raises a hand and they fall silent once more. "Captain," he says, turning to the man, "it is also your responsibility to bring justice to this travesty. You must prove, here and now, that you are an upholder of justice, and share in the sacrifice of your men's mistakes."
The guards standing by move aside, clearing a path between the captain and the levers wired to his two noosed guards. He approaches slowly and places his hand on one of the lever. He looks at the lever, then at the noble, and finally at his subordinates. Just before he pushes the switch, however, the noble demands him to stop. The noble approaches him and says, "Do you have a problem with this, captain? It was under your watch that these men have failed in their duty. And now you hesitate to punish them?! Perhaps you are not worthy to bring them punishment; I shall bring punishment instead."
The noble draws the sword fastened to his side. With one clean motion, perfectly demonstrating the lack of hesitation he desires, he slices through the entirety of the guard captain's throat. The audience stares in shock as the soldier's head rolls off the stage like a cabbage, and the body falls lifelessly to the floor. "If you cannot uphold the law without hesitation," the noble speaks, "you have no right to wear that uniform." He then completes the task previously assigned to his underling, and pushes the levers that hang the two hapless guards. The nooses are set properly such that the drop snaps their spines instantly, and they don't get so much as a kick before the deed is done. One lever remains, wired to a platform beneath a loose-fitted noose around Eamhair, ensuring that her hanging would be prolonged. All eyes fixate on the half-elf, and the crowd remains completely still, save two cloaked figures who begin their approach.
Two guards block the stairs, and one warns the men to back off, raising a hand to push one of them. The cloaked man, however, grabs the guard's arm, pulls him down, and effortlessly pushes him over to the side. The other guard immediately reaches for his sword, but is stopped by a blade to the throat. "I wouldn't do that", the cloaked figure assures.
The noble sees this and becomes enraged. "What is this disturbance?!" he demands.
The second cloaked figure removes his hood and steps up onto the gallows. The crowd immediately recognizes him as the crown prince of the kingdom, Prince Roland.
The noble is taken aback by this. "You're a long way from home, prince", he says disparagingly.
The prince replies with an equal lack of respect. "You have an interesting way of doing things here, Morren."
Lord Morren says viciously, "I have jurisdiction here; I will rule this region as I see fit. You can go back to your king and complain if you have a problem with that."
At this point, the cloaked figure accompanying the prince also removes his hood. It is Sieghart, the champion of the colosseum tournament. His eyes burn so bright that everything on the stage is engulfed in a faint violet tint; those around him express discomfort. "Give me the chance and I will end him, my prince."
The prince shakes his head. "I may not be king yet, Morren, but I still have power over you. If you choose to disobey me, I will strip you of your title and throw you in a dungeon to rot." He and Sieghart approach Lord Morren as he speaks; the noble's personal guard and wizard complacently yield to the prince. The prince then turns his attention to the crowd. "Go about your business. There is nothing more for you here."
Sieghart takes his drawn sword and cuts down the noose above Eamhair's head. He then places a hand on Lord Morren (which infuriates the noble) and guides him to the side. The guards previously stationed around the gallows are now assisting with dispersing the crowd, while the prince tells Eamhair to go over to his personal guard.
Lord Morren storms out, shoving aside commoners with reckless abandon; his wizard follows close behind. The figure on the rooftop in the distance disarms his crossbow and stows it away. Prince Roland, Sieghart, and Eamhair put on cloaks and disappear into the night.
----
The wounded fugitive sneaks toward the barracks jail while the majority of the guardsmen are handling the executions. He doesn't make it very far before he's spotted by the guard standing just outside the building. The guard looks at the man with concern. "Are you okay?" he asks, looking at the bloodstains and cuts on the man.
"Oh, this?" the fugitive says. "Don't worry about it. It's just red paint. I was doing a play of sorts before the executions take place, to get the audience in a lighter mood."
The guard raises an eyebrow, but ultimately decides that nobody would have reason to lie about critical injuries being fake. "It must have been quite the party."
"The reason I'm here is because I'm actually the errand boy for the captain. He's requested I gather the prisoner items currently being held and bring them to him." The fugitive speaks with confidence, and the guard acknowledges the plausibility of the scenario and lets him pass.
The one guard stationed within the barracks expresses the same concern. "Whoa, you look seriously injured; shouldn't you be heading toward the infirmary?" he asks the man.
"Oh, this? Don't worry about it. It's just red paint. I was-"
"No, no, no," says the guard, "I have some combat medic training, and I can damn well tell when someone is bleeding. You look awfully pale, for one", he explains as he pulls out some gauze and begins basic treatment on the wounds. "How did this happen to you?"
"I'd, uh, rather not talk about it", the fugitive says. "Let's just say it's related to the executions taking place."
"Ah, say no more", the guard replies knowingly, imagining Lord Morren deciding to have some fun with the poor half-elf.
"Speaking of which," the fugitive segues, "as I was telling the guard outside, I'm the errand boy for the guard captain, and I really need to retrieve the stored prisoner items for him."
"No problem", the guard says as he finishes patching him up. "You should return to the infirmary as soon as you're done, though; bandages won't do much for the blood you've already lost."
The fugitive thanks the man and collects his items from storage, as well as the entirety of Eamhair's inventory. He makes a quick retreat before more guards show up and goes through the spoils of his bounty.
----
Eamhair, accompanied by the crown prince and Sieghart, eventually arrives at a tent, situated underneath the tallest oak tree in the town. The tent looks rather ordinary from the outside, but as soon as she steps in, she is greeted with lavish decorations and expensive royal food. She looks over at Sieghart: his eyes have dimmed down to a faint glow. He glances back at her and says cynically, "You're a bit early, archer."
-- End of Generia: Session 03 --
* This is
Roy's work. Posted with permission. *