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Fable : Fall of the Guild	By : Samson Category: +A through F > Fable Views: 8222 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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No More Heroes.
Fable : Fall of the Guild

Part V - "The Fall"

By: Jesse Racine AKA Samson

Original Date Written: December 5, 2011

Early in the morning, an hour or two before Timoteo and Bianca awoke snuggled up in her bed, a small group of fledgling Heroes headed straight from the Guild towards Bowerstone. Hardly a day or two after their graduations, they had decided to go to Bowerstone for their first tastes of alcohol, to have a little party amongst themselves in celebration. After Gibbons' assassination of the local Anti-Hero League chapter's leader, most sensible Heroes could feel the tension in the air, and had been avoiding Bowerstone until things calmed down. These fledgling Heroes had no such knowledge of recent events, as the Guild's walls had sheltered them from everything but rumours related to the League...
The small group of Heroes, still lacking any and all equipment aside from the starter gear the Guild had provided them with as final gifts, headed through the morning light as they walked through Bowerstone. The grass beneath their feet was dewy, and the sky had barely a few clouds, unhindering the sun's freshly-appearing rays. Despite it being early in the morning, it was a fair temperature out, comfortable enough for the Heroes. There were five of them, four young men and a young woman. Three of the young men were tall and buff, obviously Heroes of Strength. The fourth boy was lanky and walked with a confident swagger; judging by the way his keen eyes darted around at the scenery of Bowerstone, it was probable that he was a Hero of Skill. The girl was shorter than the young men, and she had a shy, meek expression to her, staying silent yet smiling as she walked along with the boys, listening to their banter. She wasn't tall like a Hero of Skill, and she didn't appear toned with muscle either, suggesting that she may have possibly been a Hero of Will.
"Hey, Arthur, I bet you any number of gold that I could drink you under the table!" One teenaged boy said, smirking at the other by his side. The one that had spoken had unkept brown hair, his brown eyes warm and happy. The one he had spoken to, Arthur, gained an amused expression. "Pfft, yeah right. We all know what's gonna happen, man. You're gonna have one beer, burp for an hour, then fall backwards in your chair, you damn lightweight." Arthur had sandy blonde hair, his hair short with his bangs coming down over his forehead. He, too, had happy eyes. The third muscular young man reached up to his face, adjusting his spectacles on the bridge of his nose as he said "That'd be interesting to see. But neither of you will be able to keep up with me, and you know why? I'm gonna get myself two pints and drink them both at the same time!" The other two began to laugh with amusement as the lanky boy with the swagger held up his hands, saying "Ladies, ladies! Calm down! We all know I'm gonna keep drinkin' 'till even your ugly faces turn pretty as a rose. That means I'm gonna be damn near poisoned with alcohol, hah hah!"
The boys all began to laugh, the girl among them simply smiling silently. The lanky boy was dressed just like the others, still wearing apprentice clothing, though unlike the others, he had a red scarf tied snugly around his throat. His hair was black, short and combed back. When their laughter died down, the lanky boy turned to the girl, saying "Hey, Sasha, you're going to be drinking with us, right? It'll be a party!" The other young men looked at her, one of them smiling, saying "Yeah, don't worry. We'll make sure no greasy old bastard tries making a move at you." Sasha smiled a little, though she barely met anyone's eyes, seeming quite shy as she glanced from one set of eyes to another, mingling in multiple glances down to the ground or off to the side, at nothing in particular. "Oh...Well...Umm...Okay, as long as...You know...I don't get too drunk..." The lanky boy grinned, and the others smiled widely, the one with spectacles giving Sasha a pat on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, just don't chug them back like these geniuses, and you'll be fine." Arthur snorted and remarked. "Says the guy who bragged about tipping back two pints at the same time." The young man with spectacles made a "Pfft" sound, waving a hand carelessly at Arthur. Sharply heading around a corner in the street, the buff young man by Arthur found himself bumping into someone, both individuals stumbling backwards a step or two. "Joey?" Sasha said with concern, raising a hand, stopping him from stumbling back far enough to bump into either her or the lanky boy beside her. "Watch where you're walking, hobbe-porker." They all heard a gruff voice say, with notable hostility. Joey's brow furrowed as he looked over the man he had bumped into, along with the others he had with him. The small collection of people before them, numbering three in total, eyed them darkly. "Damn Heroes, think they own Albion, can push people around." Another of their number muttered angrily.
The man that Joey had bumped into was even taller than Joey was, easily reaching something around six feet and four inches of height. He was rather big with muscle and weight, the man looking like a human behemoth. A huge black beard was on his face, his hair long and shaggy. His eyes sparkled dangerously, the deep blue of them scanning over the fledgling Heroes. He was dressed in a dark green t-shirt that had a wide-open collar, the man's arms covered in twisting black tattoos. He had dirty brown pants on, dirt encrusted over his knees. His boots were thick and brown. The second man that had spoken, insinuating that all Heroes thought they owned all of Albion, was about as tall as the young Heroes. His head was shaved bald, though he had a bushy brown goatee. He was wearing a suit of leather armour, similar to that of typical Hero armour. The third man with them was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, dark green pants to go with it.
His shoes were black, a red band going around the ankles of each. His hair was black and shaggy, though not as long as the first man's. "Who in Skorm's name did you just call a "hobbe-porker"?" Arthur angrily said. The man with the beard stepped close to Arthur, staring down into his eyes menacingly. Baring his teeth a little, he growled out "You and your friend, pally. You both look ugly enough to give a hobbe a roll in the hay. What're you going to do about it, punk?" Sasha's eyes widened a little as she noticed the firearms hanging from the belts of each man. "Uhh...Arthur?..." She quietly said, but her timid voice couldn't get his attention away from the man confronting him. None of the young men noticed the weapons the men carried, down by their hips. "New Heroes, Harry. Lookit the clothes on 'em." The one in the dark shirt said. "Heroes are Heroes, and all Heroes need to get the fuck outta my Albion." The big man, Harry, muttered.
The young man with spectacles stepped up to Harry, standing by Arthur's side, saying "Bumping into you was an accident, we're just here for some drinks." The man with the shaved head and leather armour crossed his arms over his chest. "Sure, sure. And our League chapter leader's face getting blown through his ass was an accident, too." He said. The young man with spectacles had a confused expression. "League?" He said. Arthur glanced at him and said "Hero-haters, George. Want us dead." Harry raised his hands, suddenly shoving Arthur back, causing him to ram into Sasha and knock her to the ground with him. "Hey!" The lanky boy shouted, snapping out a foot into the side of Harry's left knee. Harry grunted out in pain, falling down on his injured knee, ramming it to the ground. A few other people in the street took notice as the fight began, Arthur scrambling up from the ground, helping the rattled Sasha up to her feet before jumping at Harry.
The man with leather armour swung a fist into George's face, smashing his spectacles, unintentionally cutting the side of his nose with a shard of glass that flew from the frames of his eyewear. The lanky boy kicked into the stomach of the man with the black shirt, and though the man had the wind pulled from his lungs, he had managed to grab the boy's ankle during the kick. Yanking the boy off of his feet, he fell on him, punching at him viciously. Harry took a swift punch to the chin from Arthur before the burly man managed to get up on his feet again, swinging a hammer of a fist into the side of Arthur's face. Arthur nearly fell to the ground from the force of the strike, but Joey caught him, keeping him on his feet. Other people came rushing to the scene of the fight, including Bowerstone guards. People began to fight Arthur and the others, obvious League supporters. To their surprise however, people came to their defence, fighting against Harry and the others; these were obviously Heroes, as many of them wore heavy armour and carried packs for equipment.
The guards were powerless to stop the fight; at that time of morning, there was barely a third of the typical number of guards Bowerstone South had, and even then, Bowerstone South had never been teeming with guards. A few Heroes ran off to the Guild, wanting to alert the other Heroes that a conflict between Heroes and League supporters was finally exploding out in the open. Before long, a rather large mob of combatants clashed in the streets of Bowerstone, punching and kicking with fury. Suddenly...

Bang!!

All fighting stopped, everyone looking over in the direction the sound had come from. A League supporter stood with a bloodied nose and a swelling eye, a smoking firearm clutched in his outstretched hand. His face was one of pure contempt. His shirt was almost torn from his body, and a few cuts were visible on his chest, perhaps from some Hero that had pulled out a dagger for the fight. The vast majority of the fighting took place without any weapons at all, but obviously, this man felt riled or threatened enough to use his weapon. Not far from him stood a male Hero dressed in chainmail armour, his hands to his stomach. His eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open. A trickle of blood ran down his bottom lip as he fell to his knees. Everyone watched as the Hero pulled off his pack, gritting his teeth in pain as he reached in, most likely looking for a potion. Before he could find it, however, Harry rushed forwards, pulling out his own firearm.
Pointing it down at the Hero's face, he pulled the trigger, gasps rising up from several Heroes present as blood spewed out from the back of the man's head. The slug had left a gash in the man's cheekbone, which promptly began to gush blood. The Hero fell over on his back, silent, his blood flowing out to the grass of Bowerstone. "Kill them all!! Today's the day!!" Harry shouted, holding up his firearm, his face full of rage. A cry rose up among the League supporters, and they didn't hesitate to pull out their firearms. Some Heroes were shocked, at first. Some hesitated to pull their own weapons out, and some didn't. Some fled immediately. The guards couldn't, or wouldn't, stand against the infuriated firearm-wielding mob.
Joey died, quickly. Pulling out his sword, he swung at a few League supporters, managing to slice one across the stomach before another ran up to him, jamming the barrel of his firearm into Joey's left eye before squeezing the trigger. Arthur swung his sword over and sliced off a League supporter's right hand, causing it and the firearm that held it to go flying. A mage nearby began to muster up a powerful Lightning spell, but was promptly shot in the chest a good four or five times, the spell cancelling with his death. George, his vision severely impaired without his glasses, wasn't able to see several League supporters point their firearms at him. Spinning around, simply looking for anyone that would come near him, he was shot in the back three times, dead before he even hit the ground. Sasha, panicking and terrified from all the dying Heroes surrounding her, simply stood in place, glancing around wildly. Arthur took a slug in the stomach, but a speedy Hero of Skill raced over, knocking the firearm out of the League supporter's hand.
For her attempt at rescuing Arthur, she was rewarded with a slug blasted into the back of her head, a snarling League supporter sneaking up behind her and dealing the fatal attack. Arthur tried calling to Sasha, urging her to run back to the Guild, but before he could get many words out, Harry had stomped on Arthur's stomach, directly over the wound he had. Arthur's eyes practically rolled up into the back of his head at the pain, Harry grinning wildly as he pointed his freshly-reloaded firearm down at Arthur's face. A single additional trigger-pull ended Arthur's existence. The lanky boy with the red scarf raced for Sasha, seeing her to be simply standing there, as if she were waiting to die. He almost collapsed to the ground when a Hero was shot twice in the chest and once in the stomach, falling backwards and slamming into the young Hero's side. Sasha's mouth was hanging open wide, her bottom lip trembling, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.
Grabbing her around the waist, the boy roughly pulled her to the side, running with her for the gate out of Bowerstone. "C'mon!! We need to go!!" He shouted urgently. Sasha seemed completely dumbfounded, saying nothing, just moving with him in a bid at fleeing. They raced for the exit, and just as it came into sight, they both heard a furious screeching from their left sides. Looking over, they barely had time to see a middle-aged woman race from her home with a kitchen knife, raising it up with the blade protruding from the bottom of her fist. The young man pulled Sasha out of the way as the woman swung down with the knife, missing Sasha but stabbing deep into the boy's left shoulder. He gasped at the searing pain, shoving the woman back, making her pull the blade out of his shoulder as she fell. She quickly got up to her feet before he and Sasha could run, and swung the knife at him again, baring her teeth furiously.
"No! Stay away from him!" Sasha cried, finally acting, her eyes wide and desperate as she grabbed at the woman, pulling her back. The woman tried knocking her away, and Sasha raised a hand, a crackling ball of electricity forming in the palm of her hand. Before she could attack, however, the woman suddenly spun to the side, jamming her knife into the side of Sasha's neck. "No!!" The boy shouted, his eyes wide. Blood spurted from Sasha's neck, running from her mouth. She collapsed to the ground, twitching in deathly agony. The boy gave the woman the hardest, speediest punch he could muster up, causing her to cry out and collapse to the ground when he cracked his fist into the side of her face. Looking behind him, he saw bodies littering the streets of Bowerstone South, the vast majority of them being Heroes. He saw the mob of Anti-Hero League supporters to only continue growing as people came from their houses. Torches were lit, carried high and threateningly by the League as they continued to slaughter anybody left that resembled a Hero.
He ran for the gateway out of Bowerstone, ignoring the wound in his shoulder. Another Hero ran close behind him, a woman, dressed in a Bright leather suit of armour. She had been shot in the chest, over her right breast. As they both neared the gateway, their eyes widened when they saw the group coming through towards them. Heroes! There were a dozen of them, far too few to deal with the Anti-Hero League mob. The lanky boy rushed to the group so fast he fell into the arms of another Hero just to stop from collapsing to the ground, falling into the arms of Marst. The other Hero, the woman, was panting heavily as she reached the group. "Go...Run!..." She panted out. "What in Skorm's name happened here?" One Hero said, his face one of utter shock, his mouth hanging open. "The League...The League!..." The woman gasped out. Taking in shorter and shorter gasps for breath, she brought her hands to her chest, apparently having trouble breathing.
Her wound had possibly hit her right lung, in which case, she didn't have long to live if she didn't get assistance. She fell to her knees, another Hero getting down with her, shoving a health potion into her hands. He helped her tip it back without spilling it, getting her to drink it. A potion was given to the young Hero with the red scarf, and he drank it down without assistance. Marst noticed the mob beginning to approach the gateway to Bowerstone, towards the small group of Heroes. "Fall back! Back to the Guild!" She loudly said, the group beginning to flee. The League supporters raised their pistols, firing off shots after the fleeing Heroes, holding their torches high.
Marst led the group back to the Guild, getting everyone in before shutting and sealing the gates. Barricading them with other Heroes, long planks of wood were spread out over the tall wooden gateways, reinforcing them. Marst's heart was pounding in her chest. This was the day, wasn't it? The League was attacking the Guild. It had come much sooner than she had thought it would. She watched with a few dozen other Heroes as the gates were smashed into from the outside, shuddering against their reinforcements. Weaver and Merlin both rushed to the front gates to see what was happening. "What is the meaning of this?!" Merlin cried, his face angry. "It's the League!! They've come for our heads!" One Hero cried. An older Hero, likely an expert Hero by his expensive garb and augmented weapons, pointed an accusing finger at Weaver. "You said this wouldn't happen! You said this would all just pass!!" Weaver seemed at a loss for a few moments before he said "Th-There was nothing to suggest..." He trailed off.
As more Heroes from within the Guild came towards the gates, mostly apprentices, two leaders quickly made themselves apparent. Grimm stood and argued that the Heroes should fight the invading League supporters. An unnamed Hero of Will argued that the firearms the League used couldn't be fought, and the Heroes should just flee into the Guild Woods. Many Heroes didn't know what they wished for, pressured as they were. As the ramming against the gates grew sronger and stronger, some of the reinforcements even beginning to crack and splinter, the lines grew a little clearer. Heroes mostly split themselves into two groups, those that wished to stay and fight, and those that wished to flee. Many were still undecided, almost as if they were simply wishing that the situation at hand wasn't reality. Marst was one of the conflicted. She loved the Guild, it was her life, and leaving it to the League didn't seem like much of a choice.
Still, she didn't know if she could bring herself to kill people she felt she was meant to protect. As the unnamed mage began to lead a fair number of the Heroes through the back of the Guild, towards the Guild Woods, the ramming at the Guild gates abruptly ceased. The Heroes present were confused. Some were relieved. Had the League given up? Marst, still present, stood by Weaver and Merlin. Briar Rose wasn't far, suspiciously muttering out "This can't be good..."

It happened suddenly and with the power of a dragon's flaming breath. An explosion ripped through the Guild gates, utterly demolishing them. Large shards and chunks of wood went flying inwards, bashing into Heroes, winding them and knocking them to the ground, disorienting them. The group of Heroes led by the unnamed mage hesitated, hearing the explosion even from clear across the Guild grounds. Still, they pressed on, fleeing into the Guild Woods. The shockwave of the explosion launched a Hero clear across the entrance room of the Guild, knocking into Marst, both Heroes collapsing to the ground. Grimm stood his ground, drawing his weapon along with the other Heroes. The mob beyond the destroyed gates outnumbered the Heroes at least five to one. Shots rang through the air for minutes. Heroes hesitated; it seemed that, while they were willing to defend themselves against harm, they couldn't bring themselves to kill the people they had fought to protect for much of their lives.
Their last moments were feelings of betrayal, betrayed by the people. Heroes saw people they had saved from certain death, helped with their Quest Cards, and shared good times with. Heroes couldn't bring themselves to hurt these people, but the people could certainly bring themselves to squeeze a trigger. Heroes fell at frighteningly rapid speeds, collapsing with wounds riddling their bodies, blood and gore spraying out from them. A great cheer rose up from the League supporters when Weaver fell, he who was the most unwilling to harm people he still saw as innocents.
Briar Rose helped Marst flee, pulling her away from the massacre, heading out through the back of the Guild with her. Grimm slew several League supporters before taking three rapid shots to the stomach. Close to death, he managed to teleport away with his Seal before a fatal blow could be delivered to him, healing himself with potions when he was safely away. When half of the Heroes present had been killed, the rest realized that the battle had been lost. Some continued to fight to the death, while the rest tried to flee. The League killed all those that stayed to fight, and took down several of those that tried to run.
The Guild had fallen. The League had won the day. The Guild of Heroes was lit on fire by the Anti-Hero League members present, who watched it burn with a celebration, firing their weapons into the air in victory. Heroes, Marst among them, fled deep into the Guild Woods, some watching the flames of the Guild trail smoke up into the sky behind them. The darkness Heroes would now have to face would swallow many of them in the days to come. The League's hunts had only just begun...

Bianca slowly woke, feeling warm and fulfilled. She could feel Timoteo's body in her bed, under the covers with her. He had fallen asleep on his back, his chest rising and falling with each pleasant breath. Bianca had slept on her front, her right side close to his own. He had had his right arm out a little, and she had rested over it, his upper arm going between her soft globes, his hand flat against the bed beneath her tummy. Her right mound had been pressing against his side in her sleep, her right arm over his torso, her elbow having been over his stomach with her hand resting over the middle of his chest. The left side of her face was resting against his right shoulder, close to his collar bone. Smiling gently, she barely opened her eyes a crack, taking in a slow, deep breath as she lightly rubbed at his chest. Stretching for a moment as she sat up, getting up on her knees, the bed sheets slipped down her back, falling from over her shoulder blades to her calves beneath her.
She rubbed at Timoteo's chest for a moment more. She saw him screw his eyes tight for a second before relaxing. He heard her gently murmur his name just as he came into wakefulness. He felt her hand, soft and warm, rub against his chest. He opened his eyes a little, seeing her pale body by his, her smile growing a little stronger once she had seen that he was awake. "Good morning..." She cooed. He smiled warmly. He raised his hand over his chest, resting it over her's. "Good morning to you, too..." He softly said in return. Bianca's eyes were warm and affectionate as she came closer, resting her other hand down by his shoulder as she leaned over, closing her eyes. He closed his own, feeling her soft, plump lips press to his, the two kissing a few times before Timoteo took charge. Feeling his arms around her, he slowly switched positions with her, turning her to the side and getting over her. Bianca reached her hands up to his sides, rubbing at his hips, their kisses growing a bit more passionate.
After a few more oral embraces, he pulled back slightly, looking to her eyes. She was smiling softly, her eyes half-closed. "I had the time of my life, last night...It was amazing..." She murmured. Timoteo smiled happily. "I know what you mean, I feel the same...Last night was probably the most intense night of my life..." Bianca smiled more. "Want some breakfast?..." She softly asked, in a bit of a coo. Timoteo raised his right eyebrow for a moment, saying "Sure, I'm kind of hungry...Sure burned a lot of energy, last night..." Bianca's cheeks went a bit pink, and she rubbed at his hips for a moment more. He came down closer to her again, the two sharing two more kisses before he got up from her, letting her sit up from the bed. The two got dressed, Timoteo leaving his chainmail shirt and pack by the door to Bianca's room. Bianca left her cloak over the chair by her desk, stepping over to it after she had gotten dressed.
She ran a hand over the tear in the cloak, over a section that would go over one of her shoulders. Timoteo remembered that the tear had been from the Hollow Man attack the day before. "I'll need to stitch that shut...Maybe after breakfast..." She mumbled, a little absent-mindedly. Timoteo began to look at a nearby bookshelf, glancing along the spines of the many tomes that sat on just that one bookshelf, Timoteo not paying attention to the second bookshelf yet. Bianca glanced over to him, noticing how he seemed to have an interest in her books. She smiled. "If you want to stay here and take a look at my books, feel free. Breakfast probably won't be ready for around half an hour, anyway." She said. Timoteo glanced at her with a little smile, saying "Sure, I'd like that." Bianca walked over to the door of her room, still smiling. "Okay. When breakfast's done, I'll come get you." She cooed. Timoteo nodded lightly, Bianca opening the door to her room, stepping out into the hallway beyond.
Timoteo looked along a few of the books before he noticed one particular grimoire, bound in black leather. On the spine, there seemed to be a name scratched into the leather, but it hadn't been filled in with any paint or similar colouring, making the scratchings hard to make out against the dark of the leather. Near the top and bottom of the spine however, a red sort of animal face had been printed into the leather, it's face thin and it's horns twisted, it's eyes like thin ovals. He reached for it, and just as the tips of his fingers touched the leather, he heard Grizelda playfully say "Sooo...Have a fun night, Timoteo?" Timoteo took his hand from the book, looking towards the door. He raised his right eyebrow a little, smiling gently with nervous amusement, saying "Eh...Well...I used the condoms, yes." Grizelda, standing in the doorway in the same robe and shawl from the day before, leaned to the side, bringing her left side to the frame of the doorway.
She had a knowing little smile on her face, her eyes only partially open. Grizelda didn't respond at first, and Timoteo eventually had a faint tint of red enter his cheeks, saying "Uh...Well...We had an amazing night. Definitely more fun than just about every night I had at the Guild." "Mmhmm. I bet." Grizelda slowly mumbled, still smiling a little. Timoteo noticed her eyes go off to the side, near Timoteo and Bianca's sets of boots. Timoteo glanced over, seeing the small cluster of condoms on the floor, all five having knots tied in them to trap the seed within. Timoteo's face went red, and he quickly stepped over, grabbing them in his hands. Stammering slightly, he said "Eh...U-Uhm...We..." "Used them all?" Grizelda said, smiling more with amusement. Timoteo cleared his throat, his face still fairly red. "Yeah, uh...Used them all." He confirmed. Grizelda chuckled in her throat, smiling widely. "Your idea, or her's?" She asked.
Timoteo was about to respond when Bianca's voice came out from the hallway. "Grizelda, what're you talking to him about now?" Grizelda kept smiling as she glanced over her shoulder, jokingly saying "The weather outside, of course. Go on back to cooking breakfast!" Bianca gave a bit of an irritated sigh, saying "Grizelda, don't toy with me in front of a guest." Timoteo raised an eyebrow slightly, his face losing blush. Grizelda turned from Timoteo, still standing in the doorway as she looked back into the hallway. Grizelda sighed playfully. "Oh, fine. If you must know, Bianca, I was talking to your companion about how he had run out of condoms already. You've got a bigger appetite than I thought, if you went for five times in a row." Timoteo's face went red, and he heard Bianca make a few surprised and stammering sounds. Grizelda let out a chuckle. "Of course, the condoms were all Timoteo. I can't imagine how much fun you had."
Bianca stammered a few more times before she eventually, with a heavily embarrassed tone in her voice, said "I-I'm sorry about her, Tim!" Hasty footsteps sounded out, moving away from the bedroom. Grizelda smiled smugly, turning in the doorway, looking at Timoteo again. Grizelda regarded him with warm eyes for a moment before saying "You'll have to forgive her. She's never been able to keep her composure when I talk to her about sex. You can't imagine the trouble I had with her while she was a child, trying to teach her about everything a proper woman should know." Grizelda grinned a little and chuckled, adding "I guess she'll always be reserved on that topic. But giving you the okay to use all five condoms in one shot...Well, maybe she's grown a little more than I realize." Timoteo's mouth hung open a crack, though he was smiling, his right eyebrow raised. Stifling a chuckle, he said "So, um...Was that all the questions you had, or, uh..."
Pointing to the bookshelf with a thumb, holding all of the used condoms in one hand, he said "I was just gonna take a look at a book or two until breakfast, so..." Grizelda smiled and met his eyes. "No time for reading, Timoteo. I have a little request to make." Timoteo raised both eyebrows. Grizelda's smile weakened slightly, and she leaned her side against the interior of the doorway once again. "I need something done...Normally, I'd ask Bianca to do it, but I'm hungry, so I'll let her cook. I could do it myself, but I think it might interest you to get some experience fighting balverines." Timoteo raised an eyebrow. "Balverines?" He repeated. Grizelda looked over towards the window in Bianca's room. "Yes, there's a little crowd of balverines not far from this cottage...I don't want them there. It's as simple as that. If you want to get rid of them for me, I'll give you some more condoms for more..." She trailed off and grinned a little, showing some teeth, meeting his eyes again.
He blushed. She spoke again, saying "It would mean a lot to me if you would do it. There's only a few balverines...Maybe three or four. If you don't hold back and show some real Will, you could probably kill them easily." Timoteo thought for a moment before slowly saying "Weeell..." Smiling for a moment, he shrugged, saying "Alright. I know a few spells that could probably deal with them easily." Grizelda grinned a little. "Mmm, that's the spirit! Get it done fast, and you could be back before breakfast is ready!" Timoteo held back a chuckle.
As Grizelda headed over into the living room, Timoteo opened Bianca's bedroom window, tossing the used condoms as far as he could through the opening. Then he dressed in his chainmail shirt, pulling his pack on afterwards. Heading out towards the living room, Bianca wondered why he was geared up for something. Grizelda spoke before he could, saying that he would be doing a favour for her, slaying some troublesome balverines not far from the cottage. Bianca asked Timoteo to wait a moment and let her get her cloak and boots on, so she could accompany him. Grizelda stopped her, telling her to continue cooking breakfast, and let Timoteo have a hot meal when he comes back. Bianca seemed a little nervous about the idea, but Grizelda advised Bianca, right in front of Timoteo, to have faith in her companion. Though Bianca knew that balverines weren't an easy thing to slay, she didn't want to appear as if she didn't trust him, so she resigned herself to staying.
Timoteo felt fairly confident in himself; balverines were fast and strong, but they needed to get close to inflict harm. Close was exactly where he wanted them to be; his Physical Shield would protect him, and his Enflame spell would devastate them. Following Grizelda's instructions and heading to the north, he hadn't even travelled a kilometer before he found them. Prowling among the trees, snarling and growling, four balverines spotted him before he even noticed them. Still, they weren't subtle, and when he heard them pounding towards him, he cast his Physical Shield. He took a few slashes from their deadly claws as he prepared his Enflame spell, but his Physical Shield held strong. When he unleashed the hungry flames in a large radius all around him, two of the balverines were instantly slain. The others were severely wounded, trying desperately to kill the one that had inflicted the burning flames along them. Pulling out his mace, Timoteo swung at them fiercely, and though their slashes eventually took down his shield, he had killed one of them before he was without defences.
Resorting to Will again, he launched fireball after fireball at the last remaining balverine, eventually taking it down. He hadn't sustained a single injury by the end of the conflict. He headed back to Grizelda's cottage, victorious, impressing Grizelda and relieving Bianca of whatever worries she may have had for his safety. Breakfast was ready by then, but before Timoteo sat down to eat, Grizelda slipped him another five condoms, Timoteo putting them into his pack. Sitting without his chainmail shirt or pack, resting them down by the side of the chair, Bianca sat in his lap once more. The three ate bowls of potatoes and chopped carrots, hunks of meat and gravy; a hearty breakfast, if ever there was one. Just as Timoteo was finishing his first bowl of breakfast, Grizelda having finished her own first bowl earlier on and having gone to get the three glasses of cider, Timoteo heard a voice emanate from his pack. Soft and faint, he just barely heard "Tim?...Tim, are you there?..."
Bianca raised an eyebrow, putting her bowl on the table between the living room's two chairs. "Is that Darrah?" She asked, curiously. Timoteo raised an eyebrow, reaching over the side of the chair, feeling at his pack. Opening it up, he reached within and grabbed his Seal, pulling it out and holding it over Bianca's lap. A soft blue glow was coming from it, and they both heard Darrah speak through the Seal, saying "Tim, c'mon, can you hear me?...It's really important..." He and Bianca both glanced at each other. Bianca raised an eyebrow slightly. Timoteo looked at his Seal without a very pleased face. He wondered if a talk with Darrah so soon after her departure from Bianca and himself would result in another fight. He was quiet for a moment, Darrah eventually saying "I guess I can't entirely blame you for being quiet...But this is serious, Tim. Please...Say something..." She sighed lightly. "It's about the Guild..."
Timoteo's eyes widened a little, gaining new interest. "Something happened...I can see a lot of smoke in the sky...I'm almost afraid to go check it out." She said. Timoteo finally spoke. "Darrah, I'm here. What's going on?" Darrah sounded fairly happy as she said "I've missed...!" She trailed off, going silent for a second. When she spoke again, her voice was steady, but worried. "I don't know, but something must've happened. There's too much smoke for it to be a little fire...A good part of the Guild must've caught fire. I'm just outside Bowerstone North right now, I'm about to head to the south side and see if my armour commission is finished. Where are you?" Timoteo said "I'm down in Darkwood. I'm safe. Do you think it was the League? Maybe Calvin was right..." Darrah sounded slightly amused as she said "Hmph. The League. I still don't think Calvin was right about them. He's just being paranoid. He's not a very brave Hero, I guess."
Timoteo slowly took in a breath before exhaling deeply through his nose. "Darrah...Calvin has a right to be worried. Firearms are no joke." Darrah sounded just a little subdued as she said "Well, maybe...But I can't see the Guild letting itself get destroyed. That smoke in the air, though...It's...Worrying." Timoteo was about to say something when Darrah muttered "That's weird...There aren't any guards in Bowerstone North. What's going on? Even in the morning, there's at least enough to escort people from one end to another." A sense of dread continued to grow inside Timoteo. "Darrah, be careful. We don't know what's going on. We should contact the others. Marst, especially. She said she'd be hanging around the Guild and Bowerstone, to keep an eye on things." Darrah said "Maybe I will...Anyway, did you get the rest of the cleavers from our stash?" Timoteo said "Yes, I did. Sold them. Made quite a chunk of gold." Darrah chuckled slightly, jokingly yet somehow affectionately saying "I don't doubt it. We should do another Quest Card, Tim. With the new armour I should be getting, I'd be more than capable of defending you, mage."
Timoteo would've been offended at her referral of him as simply "mage," were it not for the somehow caring tone in her voice. He hesitated from replying for a moment before he half-smiled a little, slightly amused. "Maybe. I don't know if I'll be able to, though. I think I'm going to be busy for the next little while." Bianca smiled gently for a moment. Grizelda just then began to return, two glasses of cider in her left hand, one in her right. She raised an eyebrow curiously, taking her seat, placing their two glasses on the table by their bowls. Darrah said "That's too bad." She was silent or a moment before saying "Tim, listen...Did you, um...Read my note?" His eyes closed a little with thoughtfulness. "Yeah, I did...Still have it in my pack." Darrah sounded a little surprised. "I had expected you to just throw it away...I'm glad you didn't...I mentioned wanting to talk to you about some things, remember?" Timoteo nodded gently, glancing off to the side.
"Yeah, I remember. You wanted me to contact you, though, before we talked about whatever was on your mind." Darrah held back a laugh. "I know, but...We're talking now, right? Doesn't matter whether I contacted you or not. Point is, we're talking, so..." Timoteo heard her grunt lightly before saying "Hang on a second, I've gotta open the gate to Bowerstone South..." A moment later, Darrah's voice sounded a little farther away as she muttered "Damn guards, where are they, for Avo's sake?...Whole town seems deserted..." Timoteo felt another wave of uneasiness come to him. Darrah's voice came back strong a moment later. "Okay, I'm back. So, yeah. I wanted to talk to you about...Well...Us, to be honest." Bianca raised an eyebrow, looking at Timoteo. Grizelda smiled widely with amusement, leaning back comfortably in her chair, taking a sip of her cider. Timoteo said "Um...Darrah?..." Darrah seemed to clue in to why Timoteo might've felt a little awkward, asking "Oh crap, is Bianca listening?"
Grizelda laughed, but kept it quiet. Timoteo smiled with amusement, saying "Yeah, she's...Close." Bianca said nothing, keeping an eyebrow raised slightly as she looked down to his Seal, Timoteo still holding it in her lap. Darrah said "Well...Alright. We'll...Later. Later, then." Timoteo nodded gently. "We'll talk later." He agreed. Darrah said "It was nice hearing your voice again, I..." She gasped suddenly. "Darrah?" Timoteo asked, feeling concern come to him again.
"Tim...S...Something happened...Avo...Oh, Avo!...What the hell happened, here?..." She said, barely breathing out her words. "Darrah, what's wrong?" He asked. Bianca's face was cool and calm as she listened. Grizelda raised an eyebrow with weak curiosity. "There's guards all over the place...Bowerstone South and North guards...There's a bunch of people standing around bodies...There's...Avo, there must be a few dozen of them...What happened?..." Darrah was silent for a moment before she gasped gently. "No...No, I don't...It's...Tim, it's..." "What's going on, Darrah?" Timoteo asked, his eyes widening a little with worry. Darrah softly said "It's Heroes...There's bodies everywhere, and they're all Heroes...Oh, Avo...What the hell happened here, I..." Darrah was silent for a moment before Timoteo heard her voice, soft and far-away. She spoke for a few seconds before her voice came back strong. "Tim...I can't believe I'm saying this...But..."
Timoteo thought he heard her sob gently. "Avo, Calvin must've been right!...Someone just told me that there was a fight between League members and Heroes...The Heroes were all sh-shot...They went to the Guild in a mob. They must've set fire to it!" Sudden fury entered her voice as she said "Fucking bastards! I can't believe...I..." Timoteo quickly said "Darrah, you need to get the hell out of there. Go somewhere safe. This isn't a joke. Can you go to your father's estate?" Darrah sniffled gently, seemingly regaining control of herself as she said "Y-Yeah, I...I guess I could. But I'm getting my new armour before I go. What in Skorm's name..." Darrah trailed off, but spoke again a moment later. "I...I don't know what to think...I...The League needs to be destroyed!..." Timoteo quickly said "No, Darrah, don't try it! Please, for me! If all those Heroes in Bowerstone couldn't fight the League, what makes you think you can?" Darrah sounded hopeless as she said "But...I...Tim, all those...The bodies..."
Timoteo said "Darrah...Please, get your armour if you really need to, then get the hell out of Bowerstone. Skorm's teeth, get somewhere safe. If there's smoke coming from the Guild..." Timoteo raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression becoming one of depression. "Then...I guess we have to assume something happened to it..." Darrah was silent for a moment before she simply sniffled. "I can't believe this is happening..." She muttered, weakly. Quickly, Darrah said "I'm at the blacksmith's. I'm gonna head for my father's estate, after this...I...Hope you can stay safe in Darkwood. I'll contact you again when I can, okay?..." Timoteo gently said "Okay...Stay safe. I'll contact the others after." Darrah quietly said "You too, Tim...For me. Stay safe so I can see you again some day...Promise me. Please?" Timoteo's mouth hung open a little, and he hesitated. A second later, he said "...I promise. Some day, Darrah. We'll see each other again."
Darrah sounded a little happy as she said "Okay...Thank you." Timoteo's Seal abruptly stopped glowing blue, the connection between himself and Darrah ceasing. Timoteo slowly took in a deep breath before exhaling, slipping his Seal back into his pack. Grizelda took a sip from her cider before saying "Well...I suppose this spells the beginning of a dark age for Heroes. For Albion, in general." Timoteo and Bianca both looked over towards her. Her face was surprisingly calm and emotionless as she took another sip of her cider. Looking over towards the fireplace, she raised a hand, snapping her fingers. The living room brightened up more as the fireplace came into fresh life once more, the fire used for Bianca's cooking having already died, fading while the three ate. Grizelda gazed into the fire as she took one more sip from her glass. "I'm interested to see what happens to this land now that Heroes are being hunted. Nothing good, I'm sure of it."
She was silent for a moment before suddenly standing up, saying "Wait here, you two...I have gifts for you both. It'll help keep you both safe...I want you to have them, if this League will be hunting for Heroes with firearms." "Grizelda?" Bianca said, sounding curious and a little worried, perhaps over how cool and calm Grizelda seemed to be. Grizelda gave her a little smile, saying "Just stay. I'll be back in a second. I think you're going to like what I have for you both." And with that, Grizelda walked off down the hallway, leaving the two alone before the fire's glow...
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Fable : Fall of the Guild