Zion: Light of the New Moon, Ch 5.3 Shrad
Zion - Light of the New Moon Chapter 5.3
Shrad Peace in Pieces
The group moves in to check out the wreckage of the old caravan along with Guardsman Sten, two of Loric's Guards, Loric's manservant Guthrey, and the High Priest's dozen personal guards. That should be more than enough to handle any problems that might arise... right?
The group got to work immediately upon arriving at the wreckage of the caravan. The High Priest quickly gave out a general set of orders, directing everyone to spread out and start looking for clues. He remained vague about precisely what they were seeking, but Majh knew what he was seeking by the way the polar bear was focused on extricating a partially buried wagon from the hard-packed ground.
The High Priest stood amidst his personal guard, legs shoulder-width apart, paws held high as the earth began to peel back away from the carriage. The ground roiled and churned, raising the vehicle up until it rested safely atop it... only then did the soil calm once again. Majh didn't miss the fact that the draft lead was still sunk into the earth, but it apparently didn't bother the polar bear; what did bother him was the symbol on the side of the wagon.
"It was him..." the High Priest breathed, sinking down to the ground, gazing at the carriage, "He WAS here..."
"So it appears there was reason for concern after all." Majh noted, strolling forward to stand beside the seated bear, "The envoy never made it to Zion."
"But... how could this happen?" the bear asked, still gazing at the newly risen wagon.
"That question will have to wait." Majh noted, "If the delegates never made it to Zion then Shrad is not represented at the council."
"We won't have a say in the meetings... we won't have our voices heard in the hall..." the bear murmured.
"If Shradian diplomats did not attend the meeting, they'll wonder if we're preparing for war..." Majh added.
"Oh sweet merciful Goddess..." the bear murmured, his aura of confidence having died along with his hopes for the passenger of the carriage, "he's dead... we're finished."
"Pull yourself together." Majh scowled, and slapped him on the back of his head. The bear's guards regarded her, but made no move to stop her, "Stand up, you sniveling buffoon... do you want to let these people see the mighty Armenius Tenge blubbering like a little cub?"
"You as well as anyone know that Armenius Tenge died in that carriage." the bear snarled, getting to his feet.
Majh laughed in response, "You fool... you don't get it, do you?"
"I'm not laughing, so I suppose I don't." the bear growled, "What's so funny, woman?"
"Armenius Tenge died over three hundred years ago." she continued to laugh, "The man that died in that carriage was his predecessor's replacement... who replaced the man before him... who replaced the man before him, and so on and so forth."
"He... wasn't...." the bear paused, realization coming to his eyes... but it was quickly replaced by a renwed sense of fear, "Then that means..."
"Exactly..." Majh crossed her arms, "The man you thought was Armenius Tenge... name was Joerg Hueff."
A moment of deep thought spread across the polar bear's features before he asked, "The woman who started that one faction dedicated to the protection of women... wasn't she from Clan Hueff?"
Majh nodded, "Now do you understand why Armenius Tenge took such an interest in it?"
"And why he told me to continue to support it while he was away..." the bear nodded, "It makes more sense now."
"Many things do, when you see at them in the right light." Majh laughed.
"So now what?" he asked, looking to the hyena.
"Why are you asking me, High Priest?" she grinned.
"I'm not Armenius Tenge." the bear answered.
"You and I know that..." she offered coolly, "and these men here," she motioned to his guards, "they know this as well... but everyone else..." she looked around at the gathering, "For them, nothing else changed."
"I'm not a High Priest." he argued, "Everything I have comes from them." he motioned to his guards, "Without them, I'm just Telkur Byne... a whore's son."
Majh backhanded him casually, "If I knew you wanted a pity party I would have brought decorations, Byne Bear." The nickname lit a spark in the bear's eyes, and Majh smiled at that, "Now... as far as anyone's concerned, you are Aremenius Tenge... if you can't believe how easy that is to continue, just think about Joerg Hueff... the Armenius Tenge before you was the son of a farrier."
"I can't believe he wasn't the real--"
"Exactly." Majh stated, cutting him off, "And you are just as much Armenius Tenge as he was... right down to hating me every ounce of your being."
The bear paused, "Majh... I don't--"
"Telkur... let me tell this to you one time, and only once..." she jammed her nose roughly against his, glaring into his eyes, "I respect you more when you're honest with me." and she shoved him backwards; the bear fell onto his rump. He got hastily to his feet. "I don't like you...." she continued, "it isn't my job to like you, and I CAN say that the only Armenius Tenge I ever DID like was the first one. You certainly don't have to like me... but with the Goddess as my witness, if you aren't Armenius Tenge then you're useless... which means it may as well have been you in that carriage."
Telkur paused, "The... original?" he asked, "You couldn't have known him if he died over three--"
"See the High Priest back to his wagon." Majh scowled. The twelve guardsmen saluted, and moved back toward the caravan where it waited on the Highway. The polar bear glanced back Majh once, but quickly composed himself and moved to the center of the circle of guardsmen, walking along as if he didn't have a care in the world. The hyena smirked; she was confident he would recover.
Majh turned, heading back toward the central mass of wreckage, gazing around until she located Guardsman Sten, still working on hacking open the side of a half-buried supply wagon. He paused only long enough to salute as she approached. Once she got closer, he added, "What could have done something like this?" he chopped again at the burned wooden door, "Some kind of Elemental Magus?"
"It would have had to have been more than one..." Majh noted, leaning against the wagon's only above-ground wheel, which was almost parallel to the earth, "Probably a dozen, at least. Very few mortal creatures can do something like this."
"Well it'd have to be mortal in nature, wouldn't it?" the otter asked, chopping again, "I mean... if Tah'Alia herself reached down to smite a caravan I'm pretty sure we're fucked."
Majh chuckled at that, "There are always other possibilities." she mused, not bothering to explain that she knew the real cause of the destruction, "Tollie presented a few."
"I heard some of the men talking... about him, I mean." the otter offered.
"Listening in on conversations can be a dangerous past time." Majh smirked.
"So can not listening when the opportunity arises." he countered.
"Granted, Guardsman Sten..." the hyena laughed, "So tell me... what did you overhear?"
The otter shrugged, "It isn't so much about what they said... it's just..." he looked up from his work, "I've spent so much time at your call, Commander... why haven't I met Tollie?"
"You meet who I want you to meet, Guardsman." Majh answered flatly.
"He's in the caravan, isn't he?" the otter asked.
"Yes." Majh replied.
"Why haven't I seen him?" Guardsman Sten inquired.
"My dear Guardsman... one reason I like you so much is because you know when the time is right to stop asking the wrong questions. This caravan is not about you... it's about Zion. You don't need to meet Tollie."
"It just seems strange that we've been traveling for weeks and I haven't even seen him around camp." he offered.
"I'm rather protective of my little brother." Majh stated pleasantly.
"Oh?" the otter smirked, "Do you think I might be more interested in him than you?" he added with a wink.
"He IS rather pretty." Majh laughed... and then took the axe from the otter, "But if you continue to joke like that I will be using this to make sure that never happens... understand?" she shoved the weapon back into his grasp. "Now go check for tracks."
"Commander." Guardsman Sten did not bother arguing, abandoning the still unopened supply wagon as he made his way back toward the highway. Once Majh was certain that the otter would follow the orders to her satisfaction, the hyena made her way toward a very ostentatious banner proudly proclaiming the presence of a member of house Kriabnish. She clearly identified the flag bearer as Guthrey, Loric's chief servant. Several paces from him Loric was overseeing his guards' investigation of a shattered wagon.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen." Majh offered cordially, walking over to join them.
"Priestess." Loric answered, not bothering to look back at her as he continued directing his men, "Try to get that wheel free." he noted.
"Lord Kriabnish is assisting the High Priest in extricating as much evidence as possible, Priestess." Guthrey noted, interposing himself between the hyena and fox, "Is there something I could-- huk!" but he went silent as her paw closed around the front of his collar.
"Yes, thank you." Majh acknowledged, picking him up and setting him down to the side, "You can stay RIGHT there." and she closed the distance between herself and the arctic fox, "Lord Kriabnish... a moment of your time, please."
"I'm a little too busy for pleasantries, Priestess." Loric stated flatly.
"The High Priest has returned to the wagons, and he asked me to organize the recovery efforts."
"Why would he--" the fox began, but Majh cut him off.
"He provided me his ring in case there was any doubt." she held out the High Priest's ring that she 'appropriated' from the bear after helping him up, "Please do not waste my time." she smiled sweetly.
"If it is the High Priest's will..." the fox noted curtly, "What would you propose?"
"The western side of the wreckage." Majh motioned beyond Lord Kriabnish, "It was the head of the convoy so it may hold some clues as to who was choosing direction and why the veered off of the Highway."
"There's less to search through that way... it's a waste of time." he stated.
Majh smiled, "If there's less to search through then you'll be done faster, and free to look at anything you like."
"Why the High Priest puts his faith in you is beyond me." the fox noted in a casual tone, "Sometimes I wonder if you're blackmailing him."
"No, sweet Lord Kriabnish... he simply knows how valuable important allies can be." and Majh let out a cackling, hyena laugh, "It's a valuable trait."
"What?" the fox inquired, motioning his men onward, "being able to identify valuable allies, or being one?"
"Both." she smiled, holding out her paw, "I hope I can count on you to develop a little of each."
Loric stared at her paw, and, after a long pause, reached his own out to clasp it. They exchanged a single, firm shake, and then went their separate ways. "Smart fox." Majh smiled to herself. She continued on her patrol of the wreckage; she still had several more people to relocate and she realized that couldn't afford to give Lord Kriabnish another thought. When she saw Tolen perched atop a good sized pile of rubble, covered in dirt, the scene only reiterated her need for action.
"Tolen!" Majh barked, "Get down from there."
"Priestess." the fox acknowledged, obediently climbing down the slag. The hyena was about to speak when she noticed a four legged rottweiler trot out from the heap of rubble. Wyse casually padded over and sat down beside Tolen.
"What's this?" Majh questioned, motioning to Wyse.
"It's Wyse-- Gaerid's dog." the fox announced.
"I know this is Gaerid's dog, my dear Tolen... but what is he doing with you and not--" she paused as Gaerid emerged from a small pit adjacent to the rubble pile. His bare chest fur was lathered in sweat, and he carried a pick in one paw, "--Gaerid." she finished.
Gaerid strode over to stand beside Tolen, raising the pick up so he could rest it on his shoulder. "Blackpaw." the bounty hunter greeted her.
"of the Fang." Majh responded, smirking faintly as she purposefully misused his deed name. She glanced to Tolen, until the rottweiler spoke up again.
"Priestess." Gaerid noted in greeting.
"Bounty hunter." Majh retorted in kind, smirk widening, and she looked back to the fox.
"Is something wrong, Priestess?" Tolen interrupted their casual posturing.
"No, Tolen, my dear." Majh noted, patting him on the head, "I just wanted to make sure you were being put to good use."
"I am, ma'am. I'm helping Gaerid." the white fox announced.
"Is that so?" Majh inquired, a bemused smirk spreading across her muzzle, "And, pray tell, what is Gaerid doing?"
"Digging." Gaerid announced. Majh could tell that it was a subtle break in conversation that was supposed to encourage her to ask for more information but if the rottweiler thought she cared about specifics then he was sorely mistaken... her concern was more about WHERE they were, not what they were doing.
"Ah... of course you are." she smiled, glancing back at Tolen, "Keep up the good work, my dear fox... but please stay of of the rubble... if it shifted you could get hurt... or worse, smudge that wonderfully white fur of yours." she stroked the side of his muzzle with the back of her paw, "Okay?"
"Of course. Yes, priestess." he acknowledged, "Anything else?"
"I think that covers it." she acknowledged, and watched as Gaerid returned to the hole. Tolen crouched down next to it and Wyse followed after the fox, laying down beside him. "Well..." Majh noted, "isn't that... curious." and she continued on to her last stop. The hyena strode for a spot where two half-buried wagons created a V with the open-side facing south. Nori and Shadow were each perched on a wagon, slowly scanning the horizon.
"Sometimes I think I was made for the Wild Lands..." Shadow said quietly to Nori, eyes focused off in the distance, "I traveled hundreds of miles on dozens of roads and I'm still alive, but then I look at a Wild Lander like you..."
"What about me?" Nori asked, "You're going to say that you're surprised I can survive because I'm so young?" the question had an element of accusation to it.
"No." Shadow noted, "I was about your age when I made my first trip across the Wild Lands... I just can't believe that you have so few scars."
"I have enough." the ferret countered, "and you can't always see all the scars the Wild Lands leave on you."
Shadow softly stroked his sword, "Goddess... how right you are."
"I'm sure there's a better spot for keeping watch." Majh announced, interrupting their conversation as she approached them.
"Height helps when you're watching the horizon." Nori countered, "I don't expect a city dweller to understand survival techniques for the Wild Lands, but it's a pretty obvious one, Priestess."
"It allows you to see farther, maybe... but it also makes you a more obvious target." Majh countered.
"Worth it if you're worried about an early warning of trouble." Nori countered.
"I'm certain there's a better spot somewhere else." Majh argued.
"This is a very defensible location." the ferret argued, "it's stable, and gives us high ground. What could possibly--"
"Something more protected from above." Shadow answered, staring at Majh. She smiled in response to the wolf's observation.
"You're worried about Stab Bills?" Nori asked.
"We handled them just fine last time," Shadow acknowledged, "But we had dozens of archers and a few battle mages."
The ferret snorted, "Stab Bills... I'm not as worried about them as I am about some of the stuff that might catch a whiff of the caravan from ground level."
"More than Stab-Bills fly, Mr. Bahn." Majh noted.
"Nori..." Shadow noted aside to the ferret, continuing to stare at the hyena, "Come on... we can find somewhere else."
"This is a perfectly good spot." the Wild Lander objected.
"She'll stop bitching." the wolf proposed, but something in his eyes hinted to Majh that he guessed that she knew something they didn't. She smiled at him; he was right.
Majh moved to the center of the wrecked caravan. The area around her had previously been awash with activity, but Loric and his followers had been moved as had Sten; just to the north of her Tolen had been standing on a small mound of rubble, but he was much less of a target; west of her, Telkur Byne, the great impostor was being safely led back to the caravan; Nori and Shadow had climbed down from the wagon. Nothing was perfect, but it was more ideal than it had been. Her eyes rose toward the clear, cloudless, midday sky, and she waited, double axe in her paws. Majh did not have to wait long.
* * * * * *
Well, there is certainly a lot of new information unfolding before us! Secrets revealed, other secrets hinted at. Majh is particularly eager to talk about SOME stuff, but rather tight-lipped about other things. On top of it all, it's time to wage some war! Who know what's about to happen? (other than Majh, of course).
It should be noted that this chapter is for mature audiences due to language and content.
Champions of Shrad, I will require a Stance from each of you. Stance is given on a rating of 0-5 where 5 is full offense, 4 is aggressive, 3 is neutral, 2 is conservative, and 1 is reserved, A rating of 0 indicates that the character will NOT be taking part in combat (not even in a support role). Please bear in mind that these ratings will increase your Offense the higher your Stance number and increase your Defense the lower your Stance number (or, in the case of 0, have the character try to avoid combat altogether)-- the opposite sub-trait decreases conversely (Defense goes down if the number is high; Offense goes down if the number is low).
I will also require a Utilization number for those characters that have an 11 or higher in combined Magic + Sub-Trait or Faith + Sub-Trait. Like Stance, Utilization ranges from 0-5. Utilization is a numerical equivalent of how free your contributed character is with their magic and/or prayers-- a charater with a higher Utilization is more inclined to use their abilities often and more powerfully while a character that elects a lower Utilization is less likely to depend on them (Utilization of 0 will result in the character foregoing any such abilities). Bear in mind that the higher the level of Utilization the more likely a character is to suffer from fatigue. Characters with higher Attribute + Sub-Skill totals are able less likely to be affected by fatigue unless they use a higher score of Utilization.
For an example of how to declare Stance and Utilization, please view the actions taken by the Author-Contributed characters below.