Tear the foundation asunder(closed)

[AsgardianWitcher]

The rain came down on the land with a passionate fervor, soaking the lush grass and making the sand on the nearby beach a pit of brownish muck that would make any who thought the beach was a pretty sight think twice about their romantic notion. Some who were brave enough to traverse the paths between homes in the small village of Apodrasi would find their own version of muck, although it wouldn't last for long; most of the sturdy wooden buildings had covered awnings made of the same blessed wood which would protect the brave souls from getting soaked the whole way. Along with awnings were built in ramps that started around two feet from the entrances, allowing any visitor to wipe their sandals(or boots) clean of the mud and enter into the building with clean feet. Most of the villagers homes were clustered around a two story building that served as the tavern, inn, town hall and general gathering point for the inhabitants. The village wasn't very large in area, maybe covering a tenth of a mile in width and length, but the village couldn't be judged on value based on size; after all, it brought the continent of Mestaschi the best kinds of seafood and traded goods from Dasvrochian merchants who were feeling all too adventurous and wanted to hawk their wares at the legendary Free Market in the capital city.


It was this tiny slice of land that Volgorl had claimed as his new home. The thought of being at home made the former Captain smile ever so slightly as he leaned on his doorway, watching the afternoon rain pummel into the village with a kind of fascination that he had always held for these spectacles. He had seen snow in abundance when living up north, but snow fell with a quiet dignity that led to peaceful ruminations. This weather was...well, more emotional, if one could label weather with human characteristics. The arm resting on doorpost now fell, his arms crossing over his chest as he continued to watch, his frame filling the doorway almost completely, blocking any viewers from seeing the healthy fire in the fireplace or the bookshelves lined with novels containing grim stories of magisters and demons and tomes over the Pantheon and tacticians manuals providing all sorts of advice on how to cope with war. Any curious onlookers would also fail to see the large sword mounted over the used fireplace, the flames below giving the obsidian blade an almost eerie glow. Volgorl was rather content for others to not see the interior of his home. More often than not, he was out around the village aiding the aspiring priests and priestesses on completing their readings for the day or ensuring that blacksmiths had enough material by hunting in the forest nearby.


Of course, there were a few exceptions to this wall of privacy he had erected, one exception coming to mind rather quickly, seeing as the exception was coming toward him in the torrential downpour. Her cloak was already visibly soaked and from he could see there were traces of mud on it. Another smile played across his lips as she came closer. Volgorl walked back into the modest two story home, strolled past the bookshelves and went to a stuffed chair, said chair covered by a large fur blanket. He took the blanket off and went back to the doorway, his exception now at his awning. For the first time all day, he spoke: "I didn't think gypsies liked the rain...or at least, that's what I remember you telling me."

 

[Mqueserasera]

Nadia picked her way through the murky road, grimacing at the mud that was splashed all over her feet. The small figure covered with an old piece of brown cloak tried to make it as fast as she can to the two-story house across the street. To Nadia, the rainy, wetness weather itself isn’t as bad as its offspring with mother earth, the stinky sticky mud which left these trails of wet thick-witted sludge all over her clothes. Her distaste for muck may seem unusual for someone from a lower class, but one may argue that it can be explained with her root in gypsy culture. Just like she once explained to Volgorl: “It’s a result of the combination between a high self-esteem society and a clean-freak culture”.


Protected by a thin cloak from the waterdrop above and the mud below, Nadia made her way to the wooden awning. There, she kicked the ground with her muddy boots, trying to shrug off a layer of dirt around them but futile. She sighed, took off her boots and left them aside just as Volgorl appeared with a blanket.


“Yeah, they don’t like any kind of weather that sink the ground to hellish level, or at least I don’t.” Nadia looked at the blanket and shook her head, it was not the cold that's been bothering her and dirtying his blanket was the last thing she wants to do. She reached into her pocket and took out a letter scroll. “It’s for you. Someone left it at the bar this morning… Hey! I can come in, right?” Didn’t even wait for the answer, the girl slipped past him to get inside.

 

[AsgardianWitcher]

He shrugged, placing the blanket over the top of one of the two high backed chairs that faced the fireplace before returning to Nadia, only to find that she had let herself in. Vol chuckled, pointing at the small wooden teapot that stood on an endtable next to the window.


"At least have some warm tea." He looked down at the scroll, brow arching at the sight of the ribbon that held it in place. It was red, laced with gold trim, the colors of the Royal City in Metaschi, the focal point of government, commerce and all other items of infrastructure when it came to the middle continent. He hadn't received anything from the central part of the continent in a while...then again, he hadn't bothered to tell anyone where he was going. That was purposeful. But here he stood, holding a letter that was slowly causing a knot to form in his stomach. Vol turned his attention to Nadia, blue eyes meeting hers:


"Who dropped this off? And why on earth would they leave it at the bar? Do you remember what they looked like?" As he waited for her to answer, he unbound the letter. It was brief, about ten lines, all written in a lilting cursive:


Vol,


Forgive me for this, but I need your help. Come meet me at the Silvercloud past the Divine Forest in three days time. Please. Can't do this without you.


-Manchevier





"Stefanos Manchevier..." He mumbled to himself, looking to Nadia.


"Was the person who dropped it off a man, tall, on the skinny side, scar across his left cheek? Or was it someone else entirely?"

 

[Mqueserasera]

Nadia made herself as comfortable as she can on the old wooden chair, countless times had she been there, same spot before the lukewarm fire. She looked up from the hot cup of tea which she held carefully in her hands, felt the heat crawling on her. "Sounds like an old ugly man, certainly wasn't what I expected" The girl shrugged "Such fancy looking letters should be affluent ladies' things".


After another sip of tea, Nadia continued with a rather boring voice "No, I wasn't there when it arrived. The innkeeper was like..." she made a gesture of a dramatic hand waving, "Yep, the old man just waved me away just like that and told me to go deliver it already. Can't blame the man though." The barmaid girl sighed and stared at the dancing fire, but to be honest, it wasn't troubled her that much when she thought about it.


"Business was slow lately, the merchants have avoided the town lately and the last few who stayed in the inn have left for good this morning. Well," She shrugged again, "Not something new, I guess things have their up and down time to time"

 

[AsgardianWitcher]

Snorting a laugh at her comment about the letters, he joined her in front of the fireplace in the high backed chair that the blanket had been thrown on. As he listened to her describe the circumstances of the delivery, Vol admired the girl's(correction: woman...she was twenty one, as she had reminded him on several occasions, especially on her birthday) features that were illuminated by the soft glow of the fireplace. Her emerald green eyes had sparkle to them, black hair gleaming illustriously, her frame fluid. There was no doubt she hailed from a tribe in Dasvrochi. Probably would have been a highly sought after partner for any clan prince seeking to marry. The thought of Nadia garbed in head to toe Dasvrochian garb was an amusing one, prompting a smile to cross his face. The smile dissipated upon her mention of the inn's struggles.


"Indeed. Things have been slow around here, slower than I'm used to." He leaned back into the chair, hand on his chin.


"Not that we haven't tried to get people to come here, but the Divine Forest isn't a very forgiving place for merchants to go through. You and I both know that most people arriving at Apodrasi are more concerned about a one way trip through the Forest and to the rest of the continent rather than returning." Apodrasi, while on the coast, was a minor port in comparison to some of the other larger towns to the west that had an easier route to the Royal City. Some chose Apodrasi simply because the taxes paid weren't as hefty, but they had to cross through the Divine Forest, a wilderness that contained predatory beasts, practically no natural lighting due to the thick canopy of trees and lately there had been a string of bandit camps.


"But, I'm sure it'll pick up. It always does, right?" He shot her a warm smile, rising and walking to the kettle, the window next to it revealing a darkening sky.


"Something tells me, though, you didn't come here just to deliver a letter and talk business." He returned to the chair, his mug steaming.

 

[Mqueserasera]

"Maybe not, did you expect something?" Nadia smirked at him, she was conscious of her expression mask, a facade she would put on in a tension state of mind. Personality and inner thought wise, she was always easy to read when relaxes but will try to hide her feeling every time she is troubled. But after all, Nadia did come here with no intention of hiding her thought. No one but Volgorl can she tell this to without being ridiculed, she also trusted him so much she felt more comfortable speaking to him than most.


"Something bad gonna happen," she said, didn't come out as serious as she expected, "I got the feeling since the first customers stormed out of the inn at midnight. Could be anything but I have the feeling, it's rather something that runs in our blood."


There's a funny fact about the gypsy clans. They are famous for their fortune-telling stand, which you can find in any camp of them across three continents, in fact, the business earned them so much money that the women who do it are the main sources of money in their families, and the husbands take the role of supporting for them. But, if you are close to a gypsy woman you will know that all the crystal balls, mysterious cards were but a fraud, easy money just with a few random words and a cryptic atmosphere. But for a reason why the outsider kept coming for them, there is some truth in the story that from the beginning, the gypsy women always have a sense of intuition.


"It's not prophecy, more like an uneasy cat before earthquakes." She added. "And yeah, I know it sounds stupid, and strange."

 

[AsgardianWitcher]

"No, it's neither. Natural for you to feel that way with bandits looming on the horizon, reduced commerce in the village, hardly anyone at the port anymore...seems like a perfect storm for something to occur." He took a sip from his mug, gripping it with both hands loosely. A few moments of silence passed between the two before he commented:


"I remember when I was stationed up North, near what's colloquially called in Metaschi the 'Grand Peaks'. It's a range near the border. Anyway, we were stationed there to head off some poachers that were hunting white panthers and selling the skins in exchange for illegal spices used as drugs. Seemed like a routine operation, but we got caught in the middle of a blizzard. One of my men got frostbite, a few others were coming down with hypothermia and our supplies were running low. We found shelter in a nearby cave, only to be greeted by a female white panther and her cubs." He chuckled softly.


"Ever since then, I know things can go from bad to worse in a hurry. Not that it WILL happen(and hopefully it doesn't!), but I understand where you're coming from." A thunder clap rolled through the village, lightning crackling in the sky above.


"Well, you can either try to make it back in this weather or fall asleep on the rather comfortable couch that I purchased a couple of months ago." He had it imported from the Royal City through an old merchant acquaintance of his that had kept him supplied with goods one couldn't find this south of the city(like the tea they were drinking). It was a purchase of note, seeing as most denizens of Apodrasi had never seen a couch, let alone one that was stuffed with goose down. People almost lined up at this doorway to see the merchant's workers put it in the modestly appointed home.


"Or we can fritter the night away with a game of cards...last time I checked, I need to try and recover my dignity from the losses you gave me." He shot her a smirk as another rumble of thunder pierced the air.


They stood on the precipice of the Forest, hoods obscuring their hardened faces. One of them pointed at the center of the village.


"We start there. Burn it. All of it."

 

[Mqueserasera]

"Couldn't be that bad." Nadia tried to bloom a smile at Volgorl, appreciated his kind words but her mood hadn't raised much. The feeling of danger was on her mind for a while, a foreign feeling for a girl who has led a pretty uneventful life, lack of disasters at least.


"But the innkeeper won't need me tonight anyway, it's not hurt to have fun sometimes, isn't it big guy?" The girl laughed childishly. "I will have to leave early tomorrow though, so don't keep me up too late.


It wasn't until later, much later that night when both of them had fallen deep in their sleep. The storm still raging outside with its own monstrous rhythm. Nadia struggled on the comfy couch, having a nightmare of sorts as the sound of thunder crawled into her sleep, the screams of pain and terror weren't like anything she had heard before. Only until then did she realize those creepy sounds were real. The girl jumped out of the couch, hearing another sound just outside the front door. Her eyes searched for Volgorl in the dark.

 

[AsgardianWitcher]

Vol could see Nadia's outline rise in the darkened cottage, the pale slivers of moonlight filtering in from the window allowing him to not only spot her, but to see the plumes of smoke rising from the far side of the village. Screams began to pierce the stormy air, prompting Vol to whisper to the now awakened Nadia:


"Stay here, lock the door with the wooden beam after me. There's a dagger in the stand where the kettle is. Take it. I'll knock three times so you'll know it's me." He walked to the fireplace, grabbing the obsidian tinged blade off the mount. Rain slammed against the cottage, the sounds blending together with the now vibrant shrieks for help. He took a deep breath, eyes closed for a brief moment.


"Divinities protect us." He said to himself softly before walking into the fray. To his right, homes and places of business were ablaze even in the torrential downpour, bodies of villages strewn about the main path. Forms darted to and from the homes, barking at each other in a language he couldn't understand in the midst of the madness. Vol took a few steps forward only to have one of the forms glance in his direction, darting towards him with ferocious speed. As the form drew closer, Vol could see the navy colored tunic, hood obscuring the face, but not the daggers that were held in the form's hands. The form lunged, slicing at Vol's torso. The former captain dodged to his left, swinging downward with his blade and connecting, splitting the form in half at the midsection. He moved forward into the rain, other forms now rushing towards him from the alleys formed by the village homes. There were four of them, all carrying daggers. One of them spoke, the voice light, almost delicate in nature:


"And to think that you were the cause of all this." She(he assumed) spat on the ground, pointing a dagger in his direction.


"This village will burn because of your actions. Remember that as we slice your heart open." Before he could ask for an explanation, two of the forms pressed ahead, Vol blocking one who had attacked directly, barely dodging the other, one of the daggers slicing his shoulder. A trail of blood spattered to the ground, Vol blocking yet another attack before counter-attacking, slicing horizontally, then vertically, managing to split his first attacker's head open. The second, however, was at his back, dagger poised to strike...

 

[Mqueserasera]

Hiding behind the couch, Nadia held the steel dagger tightly in her hand, she didn't know how it could help if something did happen. The shivering girl treated it not as a weapon but more like a placebo in her panic. Something will happen soon, she thought and then realized, that something is already happening now. Nadia closed her eyes and prayed. Just like her people, Nadia's mother always said "High and mighty, Divinities see mortal trouble as insignificant while Devils take more what they give. Pray to the spirits if you can, immortal and gracious, they don't take us any highly than the Mighty do, but they are closed, walking among us and more likely to grant you favors." And so she prayed, for it was another thing could calm her scare at the moment.


A few minutes passed, among the gruesome screams and shrieks in the distance, Nadia could hear the sound of the wooden door kicked open, an instant wave of fear filled her body. A grumpy voice at the door frame said "If he has it, it must be around somewhere". There were footsteps of someone run up to the second floor, while others searching around in the dark room. Hiding behind the expensive couch, Nadia waited for the sound to get to the other side of the room. Carefully, the girl looked up from her hiding place to see the back of someone messing up the furniture searching for someone. Holding the dagger firmly in her sweaty right, Nadia slowly approached him from behind, with a deep breath, she thrust the dagger into his back. So quick it took her a second to realize what happened when she hit the floor, then started feeling the pain in her wrist.


"A woman, heh I should have searched for someone first." The grumpy voice said from above her, the light's reflected on the very dagger she held just seconds ago now in his hand, prepared to slit her throat. Another voice came down from the stair "What tis?"


"This whore tried to sneak up on me, must be that guy's." He looked down at Nadia who was grabbing his leg "Begging? Worry not, your boyfriend will join you soon enough" Nadia looked at him straight in the eyes, whispered with all her energy left "Sa ma serveasca, bring me to Vorgol." The man froze in surprise a bit before burst out laughing "The whore may come in handy if they haven't finished him yet. Go! I will bring you to your man."

 

[AsgardianWitcher]

Breathing heavily, he stood across from the hooded woman, her hands holding the twin daggers he had been attempting to fend off for what felt like an eternity. Her companions were strewn about in various positions of death, blood seeping into the storm soaked earth to compliment the sight of corpses, villagers that had no inclination that when they went to bed, they would awake to the sounds of screams, to a dagger wedged in their heart, to fire consuming their bodies, their homes. He and the hooded woman had fought and would continue to fight until her mission was accomplished or Vol's now burning quest for vengeance was completed. His shirt was in tatters, blood running from slashes the woman had landed. She too had wounds, but neither had managed to gain the upper hand on the other. But he would stay here, rooted to this makeshift arena until-


She smiled. He could see that from the under the hood.


"See there?" She pointed at two figures emerging from his home, dragging her in between them. They threw her body between the two combantants, the hooded woman chuckling.


"This is someone you hold dear, yes? Someone that you would pine for the rest of your days if she were taken from you?"


"Leave her! She has done nothing to you!"


"Ah but she has fulfilled a role that I was told I should be aware of. She will die...but not now. She will be seen by those who wish to be seen first." The hooded woman extended a hand, motioning for the two goons to follow her.


"Our work is completed here. None remain alive. Search for yourself if you must." A crackling surge of energy struck the ground behind the woman, blinding Vol for a brief moment. When his vision returned, she and her minions were gone, yet the aftermath of their attacks remained, including the still body in front of him.


"Nadia!" He turned her over, brushing mud and water from her face before bringing his ear to her mouth.


Still alive.


He breathed a sigh of relief. If she didn't wake soon, he would carry her out of here...along with any other survivors. Because there had to be survivors. There had to be.

 

[Mqueserasera]

As soon as she came to, Nadia gasped with a terrified look just like trying to escape from a drowning nightmare. Breathing hard, Nadia scanned around the burned down village, with the flame still raging here and there. She blinked and asked the man beside her a very logical question at the moment. "Did I... Did we die?"


Take her some seconds to calm down and realized the situation. "But how...?" She stammered, just a moment ago she was sure she going to be killed by these men without mercy "It's not safe here. We should get out of here"