Fantasy A New Reign [ Phoenix and Nicodaemus ]

[PhoenixMire]

The rickety wooden cart went over a rock, making Sebastian bounce uncomfortably. The young man bit angrily at the cloth gag in his mouth, despite knowing by now that there was nothing he could do to free himself. He'd tried. The ropes chafing his hands, the scratchy sack cloth tied over his head, the gag - these were all things he'd fought against for the past... well, who knew how long? He couldn't exactly see to tell the time. He heard chattering from the bandits around him, and a quiet snort from the horse leading his cart. It felt like an age that he'd been tied up. How long had they been traveling? When would they stop? What did these bandits plan to do to him?

Suddenly the cart halted. Did Sebastian dare hope that they were stopped for good? Being kidnapped was still a less than ideal situation, but he'd take that over being kidnapped and forced to lie in the back of a horrible, jostling cart. Moments later, he felt four pairs of strong hands grasp him roughly, hauling him out of the cart and throwing him against what felt like the rough bark of a tree. His sack cloth head covering was removed soon after. Sebastian squinted his amber eyes against the brightness of the noonday sun; a group of angry-looking, scruffy bandits stood around him in a semi-circle, a forest of oak trees behind them.

Sebastian tried and failed to speak. He could only make muffled noises past the thick gag in his mouth.

"Oh, shut it," the tallest bandit growled, a particularly large man with dark eyes and an equally dark voice. "You prissy lil nobles drive me mad!"

Sebastian's heart raced. What did they intend to do? Ransom him? Kill him? He stared at his captors, wide-eyed, desperately wishing he could hide his fear, but unable to help it.

The dark-eyed bandit dismissively waved a hand. "At least you'll fetch a good price. We'll be eatin' like kings for weeks after this one, boys!" With this last statement, he turned to face his comrades, and they cheered in response. Sebastian tried to hide his trembling. Ransom it was, then. Praise the gods he would at least live. Still, he found himself wondering how long it would take for his father to send whatever amount of money they requested... and for a brief moment, he wondered if the accursed old man even would. They'd never really gotten along. But no - he wouldn't allow his son's throat to be slit by bandits. At the very least, it would be an insult to his pride, something Sebastian's father never took kindly to.

With a shaky sigh, Sebastian leaned back into the tree. Now he just had to wait.

 

[Nicodaemus]

The evils of the land were more numerous than Guiart could ever hope to count. Murder, slavery, robbery, sacrilege, every form of wickedness that man or beast ever dreamt up. When Guiart first arrived, he often wondered what evils he should first combat to bring peace and justice to a place that saw none. After time in silent meditation, he found his direction: save those with uncaring fathers. With this thought guiding him, Guiart sent his agents to tail several young heirs to fiefdoms throughout the kingdom. One of them was bound to have potential to be greater than his father, and one of those was bound to come to trouble soon enough. The land was not kind to the good of heart.

The opportunity came at last. A young lord named Sebastian taken while on the road. Lowly bandits sought to better their station in life by holding the poor boy for ransom. They would receive only blood as payment.

Guiart's agents tracked them to their hideout in a wooded valley. His scouts presented maps of the valley, and from these maps he quickly planned out the assault. For it to work, the bandits would have to be already under attack by the time that they knew Guiart and his warriors were there. Otherwise, they might kill the young nobleman. Thus, Guiart's assassins were the first to slip in, followed by his archers.

When the time was right and all was in place, Guiart's archers rained hellish arrows down upon the bandits. Assassins leapt from the bushes to attack them from behind. The screams and sounds of panicked reprisal served as the signal for Guiart to ride in with the cavalry. And they did.

On the back of his scarlet steed, Guiart the Conqueror charged into the fierce melee. Lightning flashed across the heavens, and thunder roared like a great beast from the depths of the Underworld. Guiart and his cavaliers shattered what loose ranks the bandits had formed. His blade cut them down like stalks of grass. His determined eyes sought out the young nobleman. He spotted Sebastian, just as one of his assassins cut the young man's bonds.

Guiart had only a moment to smile before an arrow struck his horse's leg. The animal reared back, and the distracted Guiart was thrown from the saddle. The weight of his armor brought him to the ground with a terrible crash, reverberating in his bones. His head throbbed and the world spun around him as bandits rushed in to take vengeance upon the man who had disrupted their party.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Suddenly chaos erupted. Sebastian scurried back, pressing hard against the tree behind him as the bandits were attacked. The brutes fought back as well as they could, but many were felled by the surprise attack, crying out in anguish and fear as they collapsed, bleeding, to the forest floor. The young noble had no idea what was going on. He could only stare, wide-eyed, as then horses descended upon the chaos. What in the gods' names was happening?! Were these strangers here to rescue him or kidnap him for themselves? Knowing his luck, it would be the latter.

But then his ropes were cut, and Sebastian blinked, lips parting in confusion, unable to quite form words through his haze of distress and surprise. He looked up to meet the fierce yet kind smiling face of a man in heavy armor on horseback. Until the horse was hit, and the warrior went toppling off its back. He looked winded. Bandits crowded him, and Sebastian panicked, wanting to help his rescuer but unsure how. He had never been a fighter - he'd learned a little swordplay but hadn't taken too well to it. He had to try.

Eyes darting frantically around the carnage, the noble found a dead bandit clutching a sword, and Sebastian took the hilt of the blade. With an involuntary angry cry he slashed at the back of the charging bandits' knees as they were distracted with the fallen warrior. Somehow - through some miracle - the sword connected, and a couple bandits fell with shouts of pain and surprise.

 

[Nicodaemus]

Guiart regained his bearings just enough to see the young Sebastian take up arms to help him. Two bandits fell to his blade, and a third was staggered. The rest were distracted.

Good, thought Guiart, This young nobleman really does show promise.

Seizing the opportunity provided by the distraction, Guiart lunged on one of the bandits and drove his sword through his belly. As the bandit gasped, Guiart lifted him from the ground and used his body as a shield from other brigands' blades. When one sank deep into his hostage's back, Guiart wrenched the weapon from the bandit's hand, yanked it out, and tossed it into another of the brigands.

The carnage raged on. Some swordsmen are like artists or dancers. Guiart, however, had always been more like a beast. A savage creature on the battlefield, showing no pity for his enemies. He fought his way through the bandits until he found his place beside young Sebastian.

"We are here to rescue you, boy. Are you wounded? Can you ride?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sebastian stumbled back as the warrior got up again, and tore through the noble's kidnappers. He found himself mesmerized - and horrified, all at once. He'd never seen so much blood and death, and he felt a sense of nausea twisting his stomach at the smell, but the way his rescuer tore through the bandits... Sebastian couldn't look away. He stood frozen until the armored man reached his side.

Heart racing wildly, Sebastian dropped the sword, and it hit the forest floor with a dull thud. It took him a moment to process the warrior's words. "I - I am unharmed," he said, double checking himself just to make sure. There were splatters of blood on his boots, but it was not his own. "I can ride quite well." He met his rescuer's sharp eyes, still disturbed by the scene of the battle, but incredibly grateful for the rescue.

"Thank you," he managed to say, a little breathlessly. "My father is the Earl of this fief. I... don't know how far away we are from his fortress." Sebastian swallowed, suddenly worrying that if this man knew he was a noble, he'd change his mind on the whole "rescue" thing and decide to kidnap him. Why had he said anything? But something about this stranger made the young noble want to trust him... perhaps it was just the confidence he emanated. "I'm certain he'll give you a reward for my safe return."

 

[Nicodaemus]

Guiart found himself somewhat distracted, only catching parts of the young noble's explanation of who he was and where he came from. The truth was, though, Guiart's agents had already gathered that information. For the time being, what was important was that the young noble could ride. Now Guiart just needed to find him a horse.

He would have time to mourn for his own horse later. Poor Malach had been with him for so many years, proved loyal time and again.

Scanning his surroundings, Guiart spied a bandit trying to climb into the saddle, but before he could one of Guiart's men cut him down. "There!" Guiart pointed. "Follow me, lad!"

Guiart charged across the battlefield, ducking arrows and enemy blades. Sparks flew every time he deflected a blow, getting closer to the bandit's abandoned horse. Two arrows bounced off his breastplate. A third one snapped on his pauldron. A bandit struck him in the back with his sword. The blade did not penetrate his armor, but the force of the blow caused him to stumble. He rounded on the bandit and seized him by the throat, strangling him in his six-fingered hand.

"Get on that horse," cried Guiart. "My cavaliers will escort you out of here. I will catch up." His fearsome eyes met the young noble's, allowing a moment of gentleness. "Have no fear."

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sebastian found himself enthralled by this warrior’s fierceness. Who was this stranger? He was so strong, and it seemed many men were eager to follow him, but the noble couldn’t figure out who he was. He had never heard of a man of this description. At least, he didn’t think so.

He snapped from his thoughts when the warrior motioned him toward one of the bandit’s horses. Doing as instructed, he followed after his rescuer, shrinking back involuntarily when the bandit was grasped and strangled. Sebastian felt so helpless. He'd cast aside the sword, too, which was stupid - why had he done that? The stress was getting to him, he supposed, but he wanted another blade in his hand anyway. Just to be safe. Looking frantically around the battlefield, he found another fallen sword, quickly tying it to his hip with shaking hands before hoisting himself onto the horse's back. The beast whinnied and danced nervously on its hooves. Sebastian stroked its mane, making comforting shushing sounds at the horse, which only seemed to help a little.

Sebastian looked at his rescuer once again, his fear fading just slightly at the warrior's words. "Thank you," he said again - then kicked the horse's sides, and off he went with the warrior's cavaliers. His mind and heart both raced. He hadn't had time in the chaos to ask the man's name, but he was very determined to find out just who had rescued him. The confident warrior deserved a proper thanks.

 

[Nicodaemus]

Guiart watched the young nobleman leave, flanked by his cavaliers. They'd take him back to the war camp, where Guiart would speak with him later. In the meantime, he had a battle to finish.

And with even greater brutality than before, he did so. Every foe he defeated he did in such a way so as not just to disarm or slay them, but to cause so much pain that the other bandits would lose morale. Some began to cower. Some threw down their weapons. In short order, what was left of the band either fled or surrendered.

Guiart needed to deal with the prisoners before he could reunite with the young nobleman. He paced in front of them, his sword in hand, trying to decide how best to punish them for their crimes. He decided, ultimately, that he wanted them to be able to spread the word to other gangs of bandits. Thus, he introduced himself. "I am Guiart of Ghislaine, leader of the Golden Wrath mercenary company. I have come to bring order to a land that has lost sight of it. I will personally see to it that every thief, murderer, slaver, and rapist is punished. Severely! When I release you, you will go into the rest of the land and tell others what you saw here. Tell them of me, and what I am willing to do in order to impose order."

He stopped his pacing. "But, before I release any of you, I must be sure that you will not threaten anyone again." He turned to one of his men, Dirk. "Take the sword hand of every man here."

After the brutal execution of Guiart's orders, he rode back to the war camp. Already there were the squires, pages, and other supporting members of the company. Every non-combatant who made the mercenary company able to function. He handed his sword to the blacksmith for cleaning and sharpening, then went off to find Sebastian. He decided he would change and bathe after he'd talked to the young nobleman.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Hooves thundered against the ground as the party headed toward a camp. Sebastian eased his horse to a stop as his escorts did, scanning his new surroundings. Someone offered to help him out of the saddle; he thanked them, but waved them away. He was a confident rider and could do it himself. He slid smoothly out of the saddle and hit the ground with a gentle thud, patting the horse's neck and patiently shushing the skittish creature for a while. It had not taken kindly to being pulled away from its former bandit master after a brutal battle. Sebastian sighed, trying his best to soothe the noble beast - it was a beautiful horse, having a black and white paint pattern, with a long mane. If only he could calm it.

Perhaps the horse wasn't so easily soothed because Sebastian, himself, was still a bit shaky. Despite being far distant from the carnage now, his heart still pounded against his ribcage. He brushed a trembling hand through his short brown hair. For a while he lost himself in the memory of blood splattered everywhere and bandits being cut down. It still made him feel sick to his stomach, but he tried to push the thoughts away, telling himself he was safe now. At least - he hoped so. This camp full of strangers seemed hospitable enough...

Taking a deep breath, the young noble stroked the horse's nose again, this time having a little more success in calming it. It kept tossing its head, but it no longer danced nervously on its hooves. He tied its reins to a thin tree and hoped the beast would be all right.

Sebastian approached the nearest person he saw, a young man brushing the coat of a grey horse. "Pardon me," the noble said. "Whose company do I have the honor of finding myself in?"

The other man eyed Sebastian. "Ah. You must be him. The nobleman we're here for." He smiled. "It looks like the rescue went well. We are the Golden Wrath mercenaries, sire."

"Hmm." Sebastian ran a hand along his lightly stubbled chin in thought. Mercenaries. Could be useful, could be scary, depending on the situation. These ones seemed a good sort - but he couldn't stop feeling afraid that he'd simply gone from the hands of one kidnapper to another. Recalling his rescuer with long, light hair made him feel a little comfort, though - his face and tone had seemed so honest.

Speaking of. He heard the distinctive sound of horse's hooves again, and the warrior himself came riding into camp alongside the rest of his men. Sebastian approached him after the other man had handed off his sword, and lightly inclined his head. "Sir. Thank you again for rescuing me. I never caught your name."

 

[Nicodaemus]

Guiart was glad to see Sebastian seeking him out. It made things easier. Though he did not smile, he softened his tone from the ferocity it had held while on the battlefield. "I am known as Guiart of Ghislaine, young lord. I am pleased to see that you survived and are unwounded. I'm sure your father will be glad to have you back in such condition." He reached out his six-fingered hand and rested it on Sebastian's shoulder. "Tell me, lad. Are you hungry? I would ensure that you were fed and well taken care of before we seek out your home."

He gestured toward a large tent in the middle of the camp. "I would have you join me for a meal, if that suits you. We will share salt, bread, and wine together, and come to a mutual understanding about what we want for this land. Of course, we will also have to wash up first. What say you?"

Anticipating their fearless leader's whims, the serving staff in the camp have already begun to carry tables, chairs and silverware to his tent. Other servants start setting up privacy screens around wooden tubs filled with steaming hot water. Fresh changes of clothes have been arranged for them to change into once they are done.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Guiart of Ghislaine. Wait. Why did that sound familiar? Ah yes - there were rumors of such a man, traveling the kingdom, wiping out bandits. The ones telling the rumors could never quite decide if this Guiart was a hero or a terrible threat to the kingdom's peace.

As if the kingdom had any peace in the first place.

Sebastian flushed slightly at the man's hand on his shoulder. He cast a quick glance to Guiart's hand, taking some small notice of his six fingers, but returned his gaze to the warrior's face and smiled faintly. "I appreciate your hospitality. It's a pleasure to meet you, Guiart of Ghislaine. It seems you already know of me, but I'll introduce myself nonetheless - my name is Sebastian, son of Earl Rowan Veit, the overseer of this fief. Thank you for the invitation; I would love to join you for dinner."

He glanced to the wooden tubs filled with water, tendrils of steam curling from their surface, and he wanted nothing more than to melt into that bath. Gods, it had been a long day. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "I'll meet you in your tent after we've washed up, then?" He found himself wondering what the man wanted to discuss. What they both wanted for this land? What did that mean, exactly? What were Guiart's intentions? Curiosity burned within him.

 

[Nicodaemus]

"A pleasure, Sebastian Veit." Once more, Guiart did not smile, but his tone suggested an air of friendliness.

"Yes, let us wash first," said Guiart. "We have both encountered mud and blood today. It is best not to wallow in such filth, especially when it's the blood of lowly bandits." Guiart led the way. Once behind his privacy screen, he stripped down, handing off the pieces of his armor to the servants, who would take it to the blacksmith for repairs. He slipped into the hot bath, allowing the heat to soothe his aching muscles.

While unclad, he took a moment to take stock of new bruises and the like. Nothing had penetrated his armor, thankfully. Even so, a few hard blows had sent impacts deep enough to blacken his skin. With soap in hand, he took to washing his hair and the rest of his body, eager to get anything that remained of that battle off of him. Bandits, in his mind, were vermin. Lower than mice, lice, or fleas. He could not be rid of their stink soon enough.

Once he was done bathing, he rose from the bath, dried himself off, and donned a red tunic, black trousers, and brown leather boots. With a few deep breaths of air that seemed that much fresher, he made his way over to the tent to wait for Sebastian.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sebastian relaxed once behind the privacy screen, stripping down and settling into the hot water with a quiet sigh of contentment. He kept glancing to his boots splattered with bandit blood. Would those stains ever truly wash out? He scrubbed himself obsessively, feeling filthy even when his skin was free of all the dirt and blood. He allowed himself to relax in the tub perhaps a little too long, until the water had cooled considerably, before he got out and dried himself off. Clean clothes had been set out for him - a simple off-white linen tunic, trousers, and leather boots. He donned these and quickly ran a hand through his still-damp hair before finding Guiart.

The young noble politely dipped his head to his rescuer in greeting. What did he want to discuss? He kept thinking about Guiart's words. He wanted to talk about the kingdom, clearly, but what were his plans, exactly? What would this discussion entail? Sebastian found himself feeling nervous all over again, the day's events wearing on him along with the anticipation of what this other man wanted. He clasped his hands behind his back and tried to appear more confident than he felt.

 

[Nicodaemus]

The meal before them was roasted boar, mushrooms, and a side of wild onions. The result of hunting and foraging that his scouts had done in preparation for this. The savory aroma of the meal hung in the air. Guiart poured two goblets of wine and sat down at the table, gesturing for Sebastian to join him. Once both were seated, Guiart said grace and began the conversation with, "So, it is obviously no secret to you that this kingdom has fallen into terrible times. Bandits roam free. Murderers go unpunished. Most of the nobility are little better than brigands themselves."

He carved the boar and serves up slabs of its meat for both of their plates. "But you, Sebastian, show some promise. You saw me, a stranger, in trouble and you took up arms to fight against those who threatened me. You knew, on some level, that I was not your enemy, and that under no circumstances would those bandits become your friends." He cut a small piece of pork for himself, shoved it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "So, the question is, when you inherit your father's fiefdom, what do you intend to do with it? What would you like to see done?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

The food smelled delicious. Sebastian enjoyed the fragrance of it, excited to start eating. But he was snapped from his thoughts when Guiart began to speak. The young noble pressed his lips together and nodded once. "I have noticed this, yes... Too many nobles sit around doing nothing. I have tried to advocate for change where I can, but it feels impossible. I am only an earl's son, after all. I don't yet have any real power."

He gratefully accepted the slices of wild boar roast, eagerly - but still properly - cutting off a piece of it and giving it a taste. It was delicious. He savored the meat, listening to the warrior speak as he chewed. Perhaps it was just the stress of that day, but it was some of the most finely-cooked meat he'd had in a while. When he swallowed the bite of meat, he couldn't help a slight chuckle when Guiart said he recognized the bandits would never be his friends. "Well, they kidnapped me. I hardly believe that's a good way to show friendship."

What did he intend to do with the fiefdom when it was his? Sebastian paused, frowning in thought, taking another bite of boar as he pondered his next words. "It's something I've considered for a while now. The commonfolk are taxed too high; the soldiers are given too much free reign and not enough consequences. So much corruption between nobles is swept under the rug. But I am not king, and when I take over for my father, I don't know how much real change I can make. Not to mention how dangerous it will be to punish some of these higher-ranking soldiers who run amok without facing any consequence." Shaking his head, he tried some of the wild onions next. Also delicious. "I know that bandits overrun the land due to this corruption - soldiers are too lazy to do anything about it, instead lording their power over the peasants who can't fight back. I'm sure the high taxes may contribute to it as well... Unable to make an honest living, far too many turn to banditry instead."

Sebastian's dark brows knitted together. He leaned forward a little, pursing his lips in thought. "And yet... many bandits take pleasure in what they do. It seems they pillage and destroy without remorse. But they are so widespread, I must admit it feels like a daunting task to weed them all out of the land."

 

[Nicodaemus]

Guiart ate as the young noble spoke, taking in every word. Sebastian clearly had a heart to change things, the exact kind of heart Guiart was looking for, but without hope to grow those seeds of moral purity into true righteousness. Guiart had to wonder how many other young nobles thought like Sebastian did but simply had no hope. He'd found in his travels that when good people allowed evil to thrive, it was more often because they were frightened that they couldn't do anything about it. Or that if they did they would suffer terrible consequences.

"You've brought up a good point about the peasantry, one that the nobles in this land are too short-sighted to understand." He pointed at Sebastian. "If they continue to be taxed as heavily as they are, more and more of them will turn to banditry, and those with greater moral fiber than that will instead leave this land to seek out new places to live. I tell you, no kingdom can survive without the peasantry."

Guiart gestured to the meal in front of them. "This feast before us is a mix of wild game and food foraged from the woods, but most people cannot live on food taken from the wilderness. Most populations need farms to survive, and the peasants work the farms. When over half the peasantry has either turned to banditry or left the country, what do you think happens to the kingdom's food supply?"

He let that ominous note sink in, then continued. "So, we need to find a way to get the peasantry to put their faith in us, which means that we need to wrest control of a fiefdom or minor county from a weak noble house. Preferably one where the common folk already hate their lord and would be willing to embrace a new ruler. Can you think of any such house that is weak? By any chance, do you have a like-minded friend from another noble house who might be able to help us?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sebastian breathed a heavy sigh and rubbed at his forehead. What would happen to the kingdom's food supply, Guiart had asked. Yes. It was something the noble had already given thought to - something he'd even brought up with his father. But every time he did, the old man would simply give some excuse about the king charging such high taxes, and of course the earl felt the need to tax his people even higher to make up for it. To Sebastian, it sounded like an excuse, but there was a grain of truth in it. The king himself did not treat the commonfolk well. The ripples of his actions went far - many nobles and knights felt they could get away with acting degenerate all because the king didn't care.

What a mess. Saving this kingdom seemed so hopeless.

Sebastian laced his fingers together in his lap as he listened to Guiart, staring unseeing at his plate filled with food. Suddenly he found it hard to conjure up an appetite. All this heavy discussion... "This is a very dangerous proposition." He hesitantly took another bite of wild onion. "But, I know something must be done. Sadly I... have few friends amongst the nobles. They believe my ideas for change are too extreme. But there are many such fiefdoms where the corruption and unrest runs deep."

The young noble's eyes turned sharp as he thought angrily of one. "To the south; Baron Lennster sits fat in his manor, taking so much food he starves his people and stuffs himself and his soldiers like pigs. He's a friend of my father's." The thought of dethroning the greedy man filled him with joy, Sebastian had to admit. A bit of fear - but mostly excitement.

 

[Nicodaemus]

At the comment that this was a dangerous proposition, Guiart said, "Yes, it is dangerous. But far more dangerous is letting things remain as they are. Believe me, someone will come along sooner or later to impose order on this kingdom, even if I don't, and it is far more likely that the person who does will not stop here, but have their sights on conquering the known world. Kingdoms like this are how tyrants gain footholds and start empires."

He listened a little more to Sebastian's suggestions, and when the young man gave him a name he said, "Excellent! Then we shall pay this Baron Lennster a visit. We will give him a chance to surrender, and if he refuses then we will take his land and humiliate him in front of the people."

Guiart paused for a moment. "I want to be clear, when I say 'we,' that only includes you if you wish to come along. You are under no obligation to help me. If you want, I can simply return you to your father's house, take whatever reward he will give me, and be on my way. But if you are sick of the way things around here have gone, then I invite you to join my cause. Be one of us. Help me navigate the politics of this land, and be a worthy partner for me in that regard."

He offered his hand for Sebastian to shake it. "What say you, Lord Sebastian?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

"Hmm." Sebastian stroked his lightly-stubbled chin deep in thought. The warrior was right - things would only get worse from here if nothing was done. He couldn't bear sitting idly by and watching the kingdom crumble around him. For so long he had wanted to do something to stop it all, but felt helpless. Here... here was a chance to make real change. But could he do it? Did he have the strength within him to go through with this?

He didn't know.

Sebastian nervously eyed Guiart's outstretched hand for a long while. What was he getting himself into? A large part of him wanted to insist on being brought back home, but then he thought of his damned father's face, wrinkling in annoyance any time Sebastian petitioned for better treatment of the commonfolk, for the soldiers to have some kind of punishment for their corruption, anything to make improvements...

He had to do something. So even though his heart raced in a mix of fear and excitement, he offered his hand to Guiart, and shook it. "I say I'm with you."

 

[Nicodaemus]

"Excellent!" said Guiart, his face still as a stone. "Now, this does beg a question, do you need to go back to your father's castle for anything? Do you have belongings there you cannot live without? A family sword? Finery? Money? Anything you'd like with you as we proceed? Because from here on, you will be traveling a lot."

The more time Guiart spent with Sebastian, the more he found himself impressed with the young nobleman. A lot of young people talked about changing the world and how things needed to improve, but so very few of them actually made any steps to make it happen. Sure, Guiart had many young men in his army who sought to change the world, but it was hardly their priority. The first thing they were after was money, and there was plenty to be made as a mercenary, both for jobs and in looting the fallen.

Already, Guiart started mapping out ways that he could use Sebastian in his plans. As a diplomat. As someone who could give him information on the noble houses. But he also imagined that Sebastian would want to train as a warrior. What young man didn't want to take up his sword and fight? Guiart found that most men had a fighter's spirit inside, something that could only be satisfied with competition and danger.

 

[PhoenixMire]

Yes, there would be many things back at his castle that Sebastian supposed would be helpful. Finery felt pointless to him in this situation - what was the purpose of gallivanting about the woods in embroidered silks? But his family seal may be useful to prove who he was, just in case he ever needed to... and gold may be nice to have for Guiart's cause. Sebastian nodded slowly in thought. "There are a few things back at my home I think we could use for this journey."

Sebastian's heart still raced, thudding erratically against his ribcage. What was he doing?! He couldn't believe he'd agreed to this. But it was too late to go back now, and besides, a part of him felt almost delighted at what he was doing. This was the most exciting thing he'd ever done! He may be able to make real change, for once. Though his appetite was still not strong, he forced himself to finish the meal he'd been presented anyway. He'd need his strength.

"When do we head back?" he asked. "And... how else should I prepare? What is vital for me to have during my future travels?" He really had no idea what he was doing.

 

[Nicodaemus]

Guiart's heart warmed seeing Sebastian's eagerness. He reminded him so much of Dederic, his brother, before the raid. Now that Guiart thought about it, Sebastian was even the age Dederic had been at the time.

He dismissed the nostalgic and sentimental feelings now was not the time.

"You'll need clothes, of course," said Guiart. "As well as any weapons you're trained in. Are you, in fact, trained in any weapons? If not, we can train you, but it would be good to have a place to start. Also, will your father let you go on another journey so soon after being rescued from bandits?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

Sebastian tapped his chin in thought. "Hmm. I... must confess, I don't have much weapons training. My father tried to have me learn swordplay, but I never took too well to it. Perhaps I merely needed a different teacher. Or... a purpose, other than simply developing skills to satisfy his vanity."

At Guiart's next question, the young noble smirked. "Oh, no. Earl Veit certainly won't be pleased to have me leave again so soon. I care not. I intend to do what I please." He waved a hand dismissively, settling back into his seat and lacing his fingers together across his lap. "I'll figure out a way to escape that man's clutches whether he likes it or not. I have a chance to do something here. I never did at home."

 

[Nicodaemus]

Listening to Sebastian talk about his lack of weapons training and the reason why, Guiart scratched his blonde beard and said, "I have certainly trained my fair share of warriors. I can teach you swordplay when we have downtime. Or, perhaps you'd be better suited to archery. Do you have a strong arm?"

Hearing about Sebastian's apparent negative relationship with his father was a story Guiart had heard all too often. While most of his recruits were peasants from the different lands he'd visited, some were from noble families, dissatisfied with their home lives. Often, such young men were at odds with their fathers, men who didn't behave like fathers at all, and Guiart himself ended up filling such a role for them. More and more, it seemed Sebastian would be a perfect addition to the company.

"You know, if you leave with us, it's likely your father will accuse us of having kidnapped you again. Do you have any thoughts on how we could avoid that?"

 

[PhoenixMire]

“I suppose I could try both, see which suits me best… if we have the time for that,” Sebastian replied. He didn’t know how pressing it was that he learn to defend himself, how much of a time limit he had. The noble figured he would just try his best. “I do have preexisting experience with the sword, so perhaps that would be the best place to start.”

Frowning, Sebastian lightly tapped his chin in thought at Guiart’s next words. “Yes, that’s something I wondered - how to avoid my father accusing you of kidnapping me.” He rested his chin on his fist and turned his gaze to the side as he pondered.

It would be useful to go back to his castle and claim some riches for his brand new cause. Not to mention the other things he’d figured would be nice to have along for the journey. But was it worth it to confront his father again and have the earl accuse Guiart of kidnapping?

"If you have any suggestions, I'd love to know." He idly bit the tip of his thumb. "I could enter the postern gate and go through the servants' quarters during the busiest part of the day, when no one is there, grab the necessary things and be off again. But the moment someone saw me with you and sent word to my father, he'd throw out all kinds of accusations. I could march right up to his face and tell him I'm leaving of my own volition and he'd still accuse you of manipulating and stealing me away." Was there no way to avoid this?