"It is here , alright" River closed the golden compass with a sharp clank!
Raven Alistair squinted his eye like the bright sun had personally offended him as he gazed upon the proud and tall Eastern castle of the Wedigoes;Werth Citadel.
The entire structure of the imposing castle was made from red Sandote bricks , one of the sturdiest and strongest mineral found in all four kingdoms. Citadel was heavily guarded with soldiers who were armed to teeth. One troop of around thirty soldiers stood in attention before the gate at all times while another marched around the Citadel , keeping watch.
"Not even a fucking crow can fly above this thing without being shot down with an arrow" Raven commented "How on earth did that fucker ran away with the princess?"
That's something you would want to ask your fiancee .
They had departed at the break of dawn and rode out, following the compass. Just like they had assumed , it lead them to Werh Citadel.
After some asking around last night, they found out the increase of the taxes started around two and half months ago. The timelines matched up perfectly. Why else would Wendigoes collect gold in such a haste from around the Kingdom ,if not to contain the cursed scrap metals?
Whatever method they were using did not seemed to be very effective . River could feel the energy of it ,even from where he was standing ; a good few yards away from thick Sandote walls. The whole castle felt like it was radiating off negative energy, like a giant furnace.
"I have a plan" Raven folded his arms across his chest.
"I dont know what your plan is,My Lord" River replied flatly "but I strongly advice against it"
Raven's hands fell limply at his sides in dejection. "Here me out first , will ya?"
"Let's first find somewhere to stay" River suggested. "Then My Lord might want to send a missive to Saltstand tax office"
* * * * * *
"Are we clear on everything , My Lord?"
"No" Raven's muffled voice replied "but let's go with it "
He was laying face down on River's bed , his face mushed against a pillow. It was after dinner on their second day since they visited Werth Citadel.
Tomorrow their preparations will be completed and they can finally set the wheels in to motion. They were going over their plan one last time, but Raven did not seem to take this seriously at all.
"There is a hundred precent chance that things would not go according to the plan" River sighed heavily "In which case , we will cross the..are you listening my lord?"
"Aaaaaaaa" Raven screamed against the pillow "I dont like this"
Life is tough kiddo, get a helmet.
River figured Raven's attention span had came to an end for the day and trying to explain things to him from this point on would be like talking to a brain damaged three year old.
"I believe it's time for My Lord to retire for the night " River got up from his seat.
"You are politely asking me to fuck off" Raven glared at him.
River silently gazed at him.
"And you are not denying it "Raven grumbled "what a meanie"
Look who's talking.
"Im not going, you cant fucking make me " he whined "your bed is waaaay comfier and smells better"
"If My Lord's room is not to his liking, Ill change it " River deadpanned.
"Are you sure you can handle being around the scraps?" Raven questioned him.
River sighed. He was not sure. But what had to be done, had to be done .
"I understand I kinda dragged you in to all this " He remarked,sitting up.
That's an understatement .
"But if it's too much you are allowed to back out. This is not your battle to fight"
You put a sigil on me and threatened to kill me !
River silently rolled up the parchments on the table. He felt the other man staring intensly at him,waiting for an answer.
"Southern God have decided that I can be of use to what I believe , a great cause " River turned to Raven , meeting his brown eye.
"I will be damned if I ran away from the responsibility that was entrusted to me "
Raven sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his hair brushing back stray locks of soft hair that had fallen over his eyes.
"You are so fucking serious all the time " he smirked.
Well, one of us has to be.
He got up , dragging the corners of River's bed sheets in the process. River glared in irritation at the messed up sheets and pillows. Why does this man has to leave everything he touches in disarray ?
"Before My Lord retires , I have a presumptuous request"
Raven turned to him with a very stupid grin on his face "You want me to stay ?"
"I wish to borrow a gold coin " River bowed " I want to pay respects to my late companion "
Raven patted down his pockets and fished out a small bag heavy and full with coins.
"Take as much as you want " he said as he dropped it in River's hands.
River opened it and took out a single coin. " My Lord is generous "
"Did you have some kind of feud with the dude ? One coin ? He must be rolling in his grave "
" I do not wish to impose on My Lord "
River shook his head.
"Now you are just plain insulting me and my position " Raven glared " Im not going to be fucking homeless because you took few coins from me "
Didnt you pawned off an ancient artifact for two silver coins?
"Aaaaaaaa just take it ,just take it" he pushed the bag in his hands and swaggered out of the room.
That night River walked out of the inn , under the moonlight with a clay jar of Bard's Love wine in his hand. He found a peaceful spot under a flowering tree.
Loulou had once said that he had no remaining family members. River was the only person he had to remember him and his kind soul.
River silently emptied the gold coins in to the wine jar, one at a time . He then crossed his hands on his chest ,palms pressed on his black shirt and started praying.
He did not know where LouLou was from. So he prayed to all four gods , asking them to grant his soul peace in after life . Tears finally ran down his face with no restraint and his voice broke in to choking sobs.
"The gods are fair. The gods are just" he prayed "The gods are kind. The gods make no flaws. Please bestow peace on his soul and watch him in his journey to afterlife"
At the end of his praying he took a sip from the jar. He let it burn him all the way to his heart.
"Forgive me " he whispered."I will always remember you. Forgive me in afterlife for taking away your life. "
River raised the clay jar over his head and threw it with all his might on the ground. The jar smashed and wine flowed , soaking the soil.
"The mortal body is destroyed, the blood is spilled and gone " he chanted ." Only the golden soul shall remain"
He dug a shallow hole under the tree with his hands and buried the shattered pieces of the clay jar in it . He carved "lou lou" on to the tree trunk with his meager magical powers. This will serve as his companion's memorial.
River spent a long time under the tree. His hands were dirtied,soil under his nails. His blue eyes were blood shot and they glistened in tears like two Blue Sanbelite stones.
He walked back to the inn, cheeks red and stained with trails of tears. River Verlice felt cursed . No amount of tears will wash off his guilt. A man was sacrificed again to keep his existence a secret to the world.
He stopped in front of every beggar he saw on the way. He walked up to every emancipated street child he could find . He handed them each a coin until his muddy hands ran empty.
When he returned to the room he crashed on to the messy bed and slept. Mud dried and caked on his hands , in a bitter reminder that they will never be clean.
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Thank you for all your support. Please comment your thoughts because they make me superr happy
Imagine your OCs playing on a swing set
Which OC tries to swing as high as possible? Valour Verlice
Which OCs take turns pushing each other? Aithan Alistair and River Verlice
Which OC climbs the swing set like a jungle gym? Raven Alistair
Which OC sits without swinging, simply enjoying a quiet afternoon? Ayla Yearwood
(Oc prompt taken from tublr)
Author and her writting procedure