The soldiers and the chronicler

[Eyvind Redbeard]

(Continued from the gates)

Tenth Brightening of the Fifth Cycle of the Month of Immanis in the Season of Winter, Era I of the Celestine Mandate, Era XV Post Fractum.

The small column of riders had passed through the gates of Zerdargia and dismounted. The clang of armor on the street and the grunting horses calling the attention of the passing citizen of the Dwarven city.

"Dogg you'll be in command until we meet again. Take the horses and the men to the Veldar barracks like the guard said. Tarfuss, Eirik and I will stay here because there is a person I would like to meet before going to see the Aedile."

With a silent nod the jet black Dorin grabbed the reigns of Eyvind's horse while other men grabbed the reigns of Tarfuss' and Eirik's and walked away. The red haired man remained silent as the trio waited for the man the Vagara wanted to meet approached. The man used a heavy grey raincloak and pulled the reigns of a horse that carried provisions. The old Kemite seemed worn around the edges probably after a long journey from the distant Zinn'Sunn.

"Tarfuss...later remind me of writing a letter to be delivered in Zinn'Sunn."

The Vagaran then stepped forward and bowed his head in respect for the scholar, his right arm crossed over his chest.

"Serale, I couldn't prevent to hear you speaking near the gates. You said you were a scholar, versed in the History of Telath I am sure. Could you walk with us for an enlightening conversation? I could even pay you a meal, we had a long journey before arriving here and we will gladly accept a wise man at our table."

He smiled trully to the Kemite.

[Tarfuss]

Tarfuss handed over the reigns of his horse to the fellow legionnaire after he dismounted. He grunted in reply to Eyind's instructions to remind him of the letter later. He took off his riding gloves and slapped them across his thigh to get some of the dirt out before tucking the into his belt. Even in the winter it seemed that riding was a dirty business, though he did enjoy it.

He watched the elderly man approach and stayed behind Eyvind as they interacted. This has a possibility to be interesting, Tarfuss thought. After all - Eyvind had mentioned a meal.

[Duncan Sythe]

The grey cloaked and grey haired Kemite scholar had walked his horse slowly after the group with the intent originally of simply seeing where they went. As it was the Vagaran commander stopped and made it infinitely clear that he was interested in the Kemite scholar, thus Kitsumi Valharl stopped before him as he was bowed to.

In turn he bowed low and straight at the waist, a polite acknowledgement more than anything formal.

“Your offer pleases me given the news that my destination may be off limits sir. If I may call you Eyvind? I have little memory for titles.” He continued after allowing Eyvind to reply. “I am Kitsumi Valharl, Eyvind – and I can pay for my own meal.”

A twinkle in those brown eyes of his.

“But I would welcome the conversation and the company of a man with an interest in knowledge. Is it a military secret to inquire why you are interested in this city of Dwarves? I myself was simply told of the rebuilding since the war and seek to see more of the history of the Dwarven people. But it seems like they do not wish my interest.”

He lied smoothly. The interest in Dargis had been generated the moment he had heard the name pass Eyvind's lips. As for the rest? Truth and Duncan had a relationship best described as...non-existent. For now he just made his introductions, counting himself fortunate the identifying golden bladed sword was hidden beneath the saddle cloth and an illusion besides in order to get the weapons past the gate guards...one that wouldn't wear off for a while yet.

[Eyvind Redbeard]

The tall man couldn't avoid a little chuckle at the scholar's question, that and a grunt on his stomach for Eyvind, just like Tarfuss, was a man who was often found hungry, although not as much as his trusted friend.

"I think I can speak freely now, actually it is better than I speak freely so everyone listens to the way my mind works and understand what is going on. As a wise man you obviously have read about this intriguing reappearance of the Ancient Aelyrians. Well, I am sworn to the Empire, not to the Kingdom and therefore I am travelling the land trying to gather all those who think like me. We can't allow some immortal beings to show up from nowhere and start ordering us around, they have no right to do so and I will put my life between their rule and the People. I am here in Zerdargia trying to enter the city of Dargis to spread this word.

Tell me wise man, what are your thoughts refering to this occurences?"

The trio continued walking until they found a Inn, the Malachite Inn and Restaurant.

OOC: Thread continues here.

[Duncan Sythe]

The man walked and shook his head at Eyvind, whilst he agreed with the man's perspective on the Aelyrians as a threat... he knew that trying to oppose them was just as dangerous, if it wasn't done right. The grey haired Kemite raked a hand through his ponytail and peered at Eyvind after the head shake, brown eyes thoughtful now.

“That you risk the very thing you seek to avoid, good soldier.” The Kemite observed dryly. “Even with the power of all the mages in this Empire you would I think...fail to make a dent in the Aelyrians. Opposition is all well and good, but not with force, it's like trying to bring down a giant with a Gnome sized stick.”

A shrug.

“I am sure you can see where that analogy takes us. Spread the word by all means, but to what end?”

Strangely confident in his words was the Kemite. Especially for a man who was just a scholar, his hands in his coat pockets as he walked along easily beside the man, apparently unconcerned at where he was and why...and who he was with.

“Stand around beneath them and wave spears?”

[Eyvind Redbeard]

The Vagaran rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly at the Kemite's words. Of course Eyvind knew the Ancients were powerful but he was almost sure they weren't nearly as powerful as most people thought. They were creatures of myth and myths were always overrated.

"You can't be correct when you say that all the Arcanic might of the realm can't hurt them. It is true they are mighty but they aren't as strong as you say they are. Right now I have almost two hundred thousand men armed and ready in the Sherian and with a flick of my fingers they could march directly to Aelyria Prime and arrest the Prince and force the Ancients to retreat. Soon more men will join my armies and I doubt there will be any power mortal or immortal capable of stopping me and the rightious hammer of the Empire.

It is true the Ancients may fly but so can we, I have adquired Medonian Airboats and our archers can now ride on them to shoot our enemies and the Mage Corps can also deal great damage to the Aelyrians. Victory is assured for sure!"

The Officer's voice was confident and proud. He was afterall the commander of the largest army since the time of Empress Audrey, what could stop his armies that made Telath tremble as they marched?

[Duncan Sythe]

The Kemite smiled, it wasn't a nice smile. It was the smile an old man gave patiently to a young child who had lost his way and needed to be taught a lesson. Silently he gathered power around him like a cloak, putting a hand to the man's shoulder, pausing him.

“You may wish to reconsider that Provost.”

His eyes closed, the world shifted. Before Eyvind's eyes the man's face changed – not to anyone else, the change was only for Eyvind's mind. Erin Darsharn stared across at him, the hand on his shoulder tight and...ready, it was clear that if Eyvind's reaction to this change was hostile then he would be very quickly disabused as the world around them faded to an indistinct blur.

The blockier, far hairier face of Erin Darsharn then shifted again, to another, then another, several changed.

“Perhaps you know the first face the best, the rest are just as true Provost Redbeard.”

The faces receded to the kindly Kemite one.

“This conversation will take as long as you need it to and you will return walking down the street. Take a moment to think about what that means for you and about what you know about the Aelyrians. I am no-where near their power, though I was once considered one of the most powerful in my art in the Empire. Now I merely...make sure things work as they should.”

The world around Eyvind shimmered and it was clear they were no longer, as far as Eyvind was concerned, on the streets of Zerdargia. They stood on a bluff staring down at Throneworld as it was; huge Aelyrian skytrains floating among the high towers.

“Look at what you face, Provost.” A wry smile from the Kemite. “I could tell you the history of this event, perhaps I will in time...but for now I suspect this is enough to make you think.”

The place...glittered with power, it sung from every tower.

“They read your intentions from your body and have five times the power of any single Mage living on Telath. And that is just the beginning. The important point is that they are also utterly insane and seek what they claim is Order; in truth it is nothing more than their sense of being in control... and anything that disturbs that, I suspect they may crush utterly out of fear with no consideration of excess damage.”

The man who had been the Kemite walked away from Eyvind to peer off at the bluff, folding his arms. He was well aware of the irony of the Aelyrians goals vs his own, but felt he knew the differences well enough to hold his own moral high ground here. That was more of a personal concern however than one with Eyvind, the man would know little enough about him...but Duncan did like to have his mind settled about such things.

“You have questions, that is understandable...but then the irony is that any proof I give you is suspect. You don't have to trust me, just understand me and what I stand for.” A shrug, a very casual shrug. “I do what I need to do for the people of this Empire, I have always done that. Two Thanes, a Governor, changed because they needed to be. The Malice war...resolved before too many soldiers died for the greed of a group of fools; hose are just the more recent events.”

The Kemite tilted his face back to Eyvind.

“None the less, ask me what you need of the Imperial Government, I suspect I know enough to convince you I am not simply a charlatan Adept Mage who wants to play games. Or give you specifics of events that are not public knowledge”

He was aware of the shock effect of this but he needed the man's attention before he blew up half of Telath by scaring the Aelyrians... and suspected he had it when he'd taken over the man's mind. Never reading it, no, he avoided that unless he had to but the Illusions would do.

[Eyvind Redbeard]

"Wish to reconsider? It is impos..."

And before the Vagaran could finish his sentence everything changed, the world around him wasn't the world anymore as everything shifted. Even the Scholar's face shifted! Eyvind's eyes widened more than he could ever possibly imagine and his jaw opened slightly as he stepped back startled in what could have been the beginning of some coward's escape if the face of Provost Erin, a man who he had sparred when he was a Senior Legionnaire in Prime, didn't appear before him. Yes that was the Imperial Officer but then it wasn't anymore. A number of faces he had never seen or maybe he had but didn't remember appeared and disappeared. Older and younger, Elven or Human, male of female. So many faces. The red-haired man stepped back again trying to put some distance between him and this strange man, or was it a creature of doom?! His temporary calm with the appearance of a known face quickly vanished and he was about to roar a desperate challange when the shifting halted and the Kemite stared at him again, the same face, not changing.

"I...I...yes..."

He nodded nervously. The Arcane arts were never something he felt at ease with. Tricks and dishonorable ways of achieving superiority in a fight or power in Telath were something a man who lived by a strict Code like his couldn't never agree with. But Arcana was also the favored Art of the Usurpers and one should never easily accept a person who changes face at will because even the suposely real face could be a fake one. The world around him changed before he could formulate the question he wanted: Who are you?. High spiralling towers and flying trains, inverted moutains and wonders beyond mortal imagination appeared under his feet in the distance, he knew it was in the distance but he couldn't imagine how they could be so gigantic and massive. What was the distance between him and those towers? Still they seemed to be the size of moutains! If what he was seeing existed somewhere then the Aelyrians were certainly much more powerful than he had imagined. The Vagaran's jaw was slightly open in surprise and he cautiously approached the other man and looked down from the cliffside.

"First of all, I need a name to call you. If you speak the truth and want the best for the people of the Empire and you're not an agent of the Ancients wishing to undo me by finding my flaws you will have to tell me your name so I may make sure it was my friend and not my enemy the one who I spoke to. If I survive this...meeting of course."

The red-haired Vagaran waited for the name to be spoken before continuing.

"You say of their mighty power as if we, the mortals, didn't have some of our own. I am sure that if the Ancients are as powerful as five of our Mages then we can still outnumber them. That not being the case tell me what chance is there? What difference can a simple soldier like me or any of my men do in this change of events? We would all wilingly give our lives for the Empire but fighting with no victory in sight is something I can't ask my men to do. They would march on but it would be a march for their deaths and Jalat would laugh on our own stupidity.

And if you intervened in the Malice War why didn't you intervene in the Sherian conflict when we stood before the Orcish ramparts at Hiems and the dark gods seemed to protect the greenskins? Many good men could have died there if I hadn't ordered the retreat and look what we were forced to do in order to halt the Horde's advance! Half Sheria is now a wasteland of ashes, burnt trees and poisoned wells and rivers...

I have taken a new name after that, Scourge.

But don't mistake my words, the decisions taken there were mine and mine alone, still where were you the savior of the Empire who prevented a war and changed a handful of officials? Unless you were already fighting the Ancients and have a proof to show me I doubt I can trust you or whatever words you say."

The Imperial paused his speech for a moment as he kept his eyes on the terrifying view that stood before him. When he continued he spoke in a lower voice.

"Who else thinks the Empire should be protected? Who else can the Empire count on? I am not enough..."

[Duncan Sythe]

Duncan turned back to peer at Eyvind over his shoulder, hands clasped in the small of his back as after peering back at Throneworld whilst Eyvind spoke.

“A name?”

The apparition breathed dryly.

“Duncan Sythe, will do. Although Kyle Linvail is another I use frequently enough...” A shake of his head. “Few living however, know those two names are associated. It will do for the here and now as a confirmation that I am the man who spoke to you this brightening.”

In truth Duncan suspected in his new office that Eyvind may have heard of the former Imperial Mage, that was all to the good. He fell silent as Eyvind continued, listening to the man's words.
It was clear from his expression that he thought little of the chances of Telath in an all out conflict though...but that was fair enough when he knew what even one Master could do if run amock...let alone thousands of Aelyrians with the power of five Archmagi sizzling in their barely lucid, unsound and likely insane minds.

He shook his head as he peered out at Throneworld, truly sad.

“Even I have other things to do Provost. There are other games besides Orcs and Aelyrians on Telath...but with the Aelyrians you risk destroying the entire reality we dwell in.”

True if a little overly dramatic...Duncan would be the first to say he preferred this reality to having to change to another one any time soon – it would bring too much self-searching as to what he'd done in the process.

“We cannot outnumber them however Provost and if you act you must do so with that in mind. A single Aelyrian can kill all the mages in a Legion with a thought, two will kill the entire Legion in the process and three will destroy the Province in their panic if what I have seen is anything to go by... I never said we had a chance at the moment.”

Duncan felt they did not, this was true. He was more urging caution on the part of a man with a hoard of panicked soldiers at his back...time for him and Milo and everyone else to do what could be done. Whether anything would come of that? He knew not.

“Proof is entirely nonsensical when placed with a Mystic however Provost, we are both aware of that. I can simply show you what I believe to be truth and let you judge what my motivations might be for lying to you.” A wry, sad smile. “True the Aelyrians could be powerless and I could be a trickster sent to deceive you, but if you think that then try to kill me. I promise you in that you will fail which is proof enough that whatever the Aelyrians are capable of, I am capable of enough to give you pause.”

Logical if long winded justification for Duncan not being an Aelyrian puppet.

“The Minister for War thinks alike to us however, as do others in Arakmat and elsewhere...the Aelyrians are dangerous, but equally too skittish to challenge – just yet. All I counsel is patience and prudence Provost, nothing more or less.”

[Eyvind Redbeard]

Although it was still possible this Duncan Scythe was lying, Eyvind did indeed recognize the name of the former Imperial Mage for some scattered conversation he had heard from members of the Mage Corps. This could also be yet another lie but how could he be sure? Had the Kingdom been able to discover of his plans and speeches this soon? The Arcane arts allowed mensages to be delivered quickly but would the Kingdom bother sending a Master Mystic to talk with him? Would they just kill him if they had the chance? That was what the Vagaran would do, he'd find the problem and erase it, then erase all records of such problem's existance. Truth or not he had to resignated, listen and reply.

"Very well...I will accept your words...although I still feel reticent with this show of power from both you and the image you've shown me. Arcana isn't exactly something I completely trust but you should know that." An evil chuckle echoed in the strange heights. "The Minister of War you say? Alexis Sapientia? It is a beginning or perhaps not. As for Arakmat I think you mean the Grey One, Yalah. Yes I have made some contact with him in past, I don't see anyone from the hot west aside of him leading the resistance.

Just tell me one more time so I can be sure of this. What you are saying is for me, us, or whoever wants to challange these Ancients to stay still and prepare for when the time comes, if it will ever come. Very well, but I will request your help and alligeance to this cause, and I will need to know where to find you when the time comes because I am but one that represents the Empire, the others will need to listen and see and I am sure that by then you will have much more to tell us.

As for me as I said I will prepare...and I will find an artifact of the old times, Antediluvian's sword. Maybe it is the answer to our problems, the sword that defeated Constantine's armies millennia ago."

[Duncan Sythe]

“There was the Shield of Diana of course.”

The figure mused aloud, thoughtful after Eyvind's words. He truly didn't think it would make a difference, that a sword could do it all...it relied too much on the will of the Gods and that was something he had no faith in at all.

But he did have faith in the power of belief, oh yes. Everything he was did was belief, delusion and manipulation of truth, fact and fiction, he knew that all very well.

A shrug of the shoulders.

“Aeternia, perhaps Antediluvian's sword could help, at the very least it gives people something to rally around, at worst you just get blown apart like everyone else.”

Dry cynicism, he turned back over his shoulder to stare at Eyvind.

“The Crown in Prime has a box kept in the name of Linvail, leave any correspondence you have there. I assure you it's checked regularly enough.”

Spinning completely around Duncan walked up to the man whose mind he had usurped, extending a hand in a soldier's shake. Though he stood shorter than the Vagaran it probably didn't matter, his influence was in his expression, the eyes, the casualness about them that held this entire situation as normal. Perhaps it could be described as arrogance? Perhaps it was. If so it was brought with long enough experience that mayhap even made it valid. For he was still alive after all.

“You have my allegiance to the freedom of the Aelyrian people from the influence of that which might seek their destruction.”

He said softly, although perhaps not simply. For such a pact bore more than just Aelyrians in its words.