Kerage and Tesarasa 1
Story by TikTikKobold on SoFurry
Kerage is a knight and former adventurer thinking about his youthful days, when a call to action is given to him.
This is a commission. If you'd like to commission some work from me, please see my Commission Information
The man sits upon the hill, dressed in a tunic and gazing out on the rolling hillsides. Farms color the plains with the results of their harvest, creating a beauteous tapestry that exemplifies the land and its people.
The man sighs and falls back, hands spread and staring up at the clouds. It had been years since he had done this previously. He was naught but a child then, young and unaware of the dangers of the world. When he stares at the sky, he sees the wonders of the clouds. However, when he closes his eyes, he thinks of the horrors he had found in the past.
He was a knight errant in those youthful days, scouring the land for injustices to defeat and people to save, all according to chivalry. He and his fellow companions discovered that dreadful and terrible place in those days.
"Sir Kerage."
The voice of the young servant brings him out of his reverie. The knight sits up, rubbing his eyes. "Ah, sorry, lad. A knight should never be caught unawares. What brings you to my little hill of contemplation?"
The servant holds out a scroll. Upon the scroll was an unmistakable seal.
Sighing, Kerage steps up and holds his hand out. "Your burden in this matter is concluded. Return to the castle and ready the horses."
The knight breaks the seal and reads the missive. It is in the form of a letter given to his station at only the direst of circumstances.
Sir Kerage,
Our kingdom is imperiled. Our daughter, the beautiful Princess Silvia, and her entire retinue have disappeared upon her carriage ride to our villa upon Suncaster. Take with you a small band to seek her out. May the gods watch over your journey.
The Royal Throne
P. S. My dear friend, please. I worry for her safety. I hear rumblings of a dark presence brewing by the sea, and Suncaster has been quiet as of late in sending messages on this matter.
Kerage closes his eyes, pocketing the letter. He rides upon his steed with great haste and purpose, heading back to his stronghold.
Already, when he approaches, the sounds of guards and hunters shouting and readying themselves fill the air. The clang of metal, the neighing of horses, and the beating of drums spur them on to swiftness and readiness.
Kerage rides through the gates lifted up and opened to him, as this castle is his own. Standing before him are some of his servants, holding the armor pieces for him to wear. He dons it swiftly, the full-plate returns to its proper state upon his body.
One of his maidservants grabs his arm. "Please, sir, do be careful. They say you ride east. And to the east, there is tell of danger."
His advisor speaks up before him. "That is so. The forces of Darkness built a force up in the Wildlands not two years past. While the gates of the Tower of Darkness are closed, there are still whispers of things best left unheard."
"I fear not the forces of darkness, old friend," Kerage says, mounting his now-armored horse with a single leap. "I only fear what it may do to others."
The memory flashes back through him.
"Sir?"
He blinks, his gauntlet pressed against his visor. "I'm sorry. I am here now, and I shall be off shortly. The companions, where are they?"
"They shall meet you at the Thunderhead pass, M'lord."
"Then, I ride. Continue the defensive preparations should I not return within three days!" He urges his steed forward, leaving his fortress and glancing over one last time to the home he had so rightfully earned through a campaign long spent.
The first day of travel was lonely, and Kerage lay in his tent, dreaming softly of warm mead halls and the grateful faces of those he could save.
His smile fades into a frown when he sees that one face, though.
Here, Kerry!"
Kerage jumps from his sleep at the sound. That voice could only be one person, and that person could only mean one thing.
"Gorashin, you got the band back together!" Kerage says, stepping out of his tent, unclad from the waist up, his hands upon his hips.
The old half-orc smiles ear to stumpy ear, his battle scars many over his broad shoulders. Riding with him are two other individuals. The old nature witch of a dwarf, Malthida Ironflower, and another figure, cloaked in a pink hood.
Kerage folds his arms over his gently-toned chest, tilting his head at the new arrival. "And who is this? Could Old Eliamaros not make it?"
"Sadly, he could not," the voice that answers him is high, wispy, and yet sweet like apple pie. "But I came here in his stead." She lowers her hood, revealing to him the gently pointed ears of someone of elven descent. Her skin has a slightly reddish hue, and her eyes with their diamond-shaped pupils point to her sylvan heritage. Her hair is tied up by the top, with long braids rolling like a rope over her shoulders and wrapped around her like a scarf. Those alien eyes trail over him, a smile spreading over her lips. “But I am his daughter, Tesarasa."
Kerage folds his arms over his chest. "Forgive me, m'lady," he says. "I was not expecting the old archmage to have had a daughter who is so young."
"I am of nineteen summers," Tesarasa says. "I should have skill sufficient enough to please you."
Kerage nods. "Very well, then, shall we ride to Suncaster?"
The old dwarven woman shakes her head. "Let us rest here for a spell, and we have been riding all night."
Kerage pulls a shirt out from his tent, slipping it over his body. As he does, he catches Tesarasa's face. Oh, to be young and in love, but as a nobleman man of nearly 30 years, his prospects no longer lie with starry-eyed beauties. He was destined for a political arrangement.