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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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Ages Of Will.
Fable : Fall of the Guild

Part VI - "The Hunts"

By: Jesse Racine AKA Samson

Original Date Written: December 19, 2011

Timoteo and Bianca had only waited for a minute before Grizelda returned. When she did, she was carrying a small black box in her hands. The box was made of some sort of metal, with shining silver attachments fastened to the eight corners of the box. The attachments were simple and plain, covering the corners of the box simply to stop the sharp corners from jabbing into anything. There was a clasp over the front, keeping the lid shut and attached to the body of the box. Grizelda silently took her seat, resting the box down in her lap. She looked at the two of them for a moment, the both of them looking back at her silently, waiting for her to speak. When she did, she calmly said "In this box, there's four potions. Two for each of you. They'll augment your abilities as magi. I'm hoping that they'll give you both an advantage, so you can protect yourselves...But a weapon like a firearm, I see, is...Not easily countered." Grizelda rested a hand over the box, drumming her fingers over it.
"I had planned on giving all of these to you, Bianca, one day...But this "League" raises some worries. I know you want to roam Albion to try and find Octavia, and I don't feel I have the right to try and stop you. But if there will be people hunting for Heroes, and using firearms to attack them on sight...Albion will be much more dangerous for our kind. I want you to have these, today...And if Timoteo means much to you, then I would advise you to let him have half. That's what I would do." Timoteo's mind was mostly curious over what the box's contents were, what kind of potion could possibly augment a Will-user's abilities, but he did think for a moment on Grizelda's mention of Bianca's mother. Her name was Octavia. Not a common name. The two could probably ask around with her name to try and find her. Timoteo realized, however, that if the woman went by a different name to help with her hiding, which would be particularly likely if she were still in civilized areas, then if she heard mention of her old name she could simply flee once more.
Timoteo had never heard Bianca refer to her mother by her actual name, which Timoteo thought was a little odd after all the things she had done to Bianca, but then again, Octavia was still Bianca's mother, in the end. Even if Bianca denounced Octavia as her mother for what she had done, she was, still, the woman who had given birth to her. Bianca softly said "Whatever's in there, I'll share with Timoteo." Timoteo glanced at Bianca before looking back to Grizelda. Grizelda raised an eyebrow gently, her face calm as she looked down to the box. She undid the clasp, raising the lid. Instantly, a strong blue glow shone out from within the box's confines, illuminating Grizelda's face and torso rather intensely. Timoteo's eyes widened. Bianca's did the same. "Grizelda...The Ages of Will?..." She breathed out, as if with disbelief. Grizelda smiled slightly, still looking down into the box. "Not just those...Another type, too." She reached into the box with both hands, pulling out an object with each, resting them both in her lap.
The objects were impossible to make out right away, the glow from them both shielding them from view. She reached in again, pulling out another two objects, the glow from within the box dying. She rested the second pair of objects in her lap before setting the emptied box off to the side, on the table. Grabbing the objects, she rested them down on the table by the box, in a row of four. Now that the potions weren't resting tight together in a protective box, the glow shielding them weakened to the point that Timoteo could make out what they looked like. True to Grizelda's word, there were two different types of potions on the table, two of each. All four potions were filled with a light blue fluid that gave off an ethereal glow, illuminating the tabletop. The first type of potion had an oval-shaped glass body, with multiple curved pieces of metal lining the body from top to bottom, forming helixes with each other. The top of the potion was a small bit of metal that all the helixes connected to, the mouths of the potions blocked off with black corks.
The second set of potions were a little taller than the first. They had glass bodies like the first; the second set were shaped like the traditional depiction of diamonds, though with a longer bottom than top, as well as four sides to the bottles. The four corners of the potions had lines of black metal running down along them, and when they reached the bottoms of the potions, they flattened into a stable base for each potion to stand on. The potions both had long necks, reaching up about two inches from the body below, both blocked with black cork like the others. An interesting thing about the second set of potions was that, over one side of each, a small glass emblem had been attached to the glass of the bottle. The emblem was shaped like a hand with it's fingers outstretched and spaced apart, the hand enclosed in a circle. In the palm of the hand, there was an eye, open and gazing out. Grizelda looked to the potions for a moment before holding a hand out to them, inviting the two to take them.
"Ages of the Will, and Will Master's Elixers. One for each of you." Grizelda smiled a little. "A word of advice...The Elixers can make you feel a little dizzy. I'd relax while drinking them. Keep your seats." Bianca gazed at the potions with a surprised expression for a moment before she quietly said "Grizelda, do you really mean to give these to us?..." Grizelda nodded, raising an eyebrow. Smirking, she said "If I didn't, I wouldn't have brought them out. I wouldn't tease you like that." Bianca said "But...These are rare. Don't you want them for yourself?" Grizelda slowly sighed through her nose, still smirking. She relaxed back in her chair. "I'm beginning to figure out how to make them, myself. Pretty soon, I could replace them. Go on and drink them." Bianca glanced at Timoteo for a moment, Timoteo meeting her eyes before they both looked to the potion. He didn't recognize the potions, he had never heard of them, but Bianca apparently had.
She reached out from her spot in his lap, grabbing a Will Master's Elixer in either hand. Bianca turned to him slightly, handing him one of the potions. Quietly, she said "Do you know what these are, Tim?..." He shook his head slightly. She stared at the potion in her hands, drinking in the blue glow with her eyes. "It's a Will Master's Elixer...If we drink these, it'll permanently expand our pools of mana. We'll be able to cast more spells before we feel drained." Timoteo's eyes widened. "Really?" Bianca nodded gently. Timoteo raised his eyebrows, looking to the potion. "Avo, I had no idea you could do that with a potion..." He muttered. Bianca quietly said "They're very rare...Obviously, most have already been found and used..." Bianca looked to Grizelda, asking "But how could you-?" Grizelda seemed to sense Bianca's thoughts, because she cut her off and said "An Old Kingdom text I've recently come across. It took a long time to decipher it...But it makes mention of how one could distill an Ages of Will potion, as well as brew a Will Master's Elixer. I'm sure that if I wanted to, I could sell off the translated text to some mage for a countless sum of gold, but I think I'd rather keep it to myself. Don't have much use for gold, anyhow."
Bianca looked back to Timoteo, looking into his eyes for a second. "Should I go first?" Timoteo asked, looking to the potion. Bianca hesitated. "If you want...I was going to suggest that I go first, though...That way, I could tell you what to expect." Grizelda watched the two with amusement and was tempted to tease them, but said nothing. After a moment, Bianca came closer to him, giving him a light kiss on his lips. "Let me go first...I'll tell you what to expect. We'll drink the Ages of Will together, okay?..." She said, shortly after the kiss. Timoteo gave her a little nod, saying "Alright..." Bianca took in a light breath through her nose before exhaling. She pulled the cork out of the potion, raised it to her lips, and tipped it back. She screwed her eyes tight as she quickly gulped the potion away, Timoteo wondering if the potion had an unappealing taste. When Bianca had finished the potion a moment later, she quickly rested the potion down on the table.
She opened her eyes again, a drop of the glowing fluid remaining on her bottom lip, running down to her chin. "Oh, that tasted awful..." She muttered, causing Grizelda to titter. Bianca raised a hand to her chin, wiping away the remaining droplet of the glowing potion, and a moment later, she shut her eyes again. "Ooh..." She groaned, and a second later, she fell to her side, towards Timoteo. Timoteo's eyes widened slightly, and he reached his arms around her. The right side of her face was against his shoulder, her face close to the side of his neck. "That's normal." Grizelda said, allaying his worry. Bianca was still for several seconds before she mumbled softly. Timoteo felt her begin to move again, keeping his left hand on her lower back as she sat up again, his right hand resting over her lap with the potion still held in it. Bianca opened her eyes a little, seeming sleepy for a moment. She looked to his eyes, saying "I'm sorry for falling at you...My eyes went dark. It was like a rush to the head. I got dizzy...I didn't faint, I could feel you holding me...But, I was gone for a second there."
Timoteo smiled, rubbing gently at the small of her back for a moment as he said "It's fine. How bad did it taste?" Bianca raised her eyebrows, shaking her head gently as she said "Bad. One of the most bitter things I've ever tasted." Grizelda chuckled gently, and Timoteo smiled a bit with amusement, knowing he'd be facing the same unpleasant taste in just a matter of seconds. Bianca's brow furrowed gently, and she said "But, I feel...Like I have a lot more energy. I can..." She slowly took in a deep breath, speaking as she exhaled. "I can feel something. The boundaries were pushed back, if that makes sense." Grizelda smiled. "More mana. Getting a sudden jolt like that feels weird, doesn't it? It'll fade, give it time." Timoteo pulled the cork out of his own Elixer, saying "Well, here goes..." He raised the potion to his lips, and as soon as the fluid within touched his tongue, he paused. He felt strongly tempted to spit it out, and Grizelda seemed to notice this, as she said "Skorm's teeth, don't waste it! Don't spit it up!"
Timoteo screwed his eyes shut tight. The potion tasted like a thousand rotten berries being squashed against his tongue, all at once. It almost felt like his tongue was shrinking from sheer disgust. He choked down the first gulp, paused a second, then got down another mouthful. He forced himself to quickly down the rest, putting the potion down on the table so hastily that it tipped over, rolling to the side and clinking against Bianca's own emptied Elixer. "Bad...Urgh, terrible..." He muttered, his eyes still shut tight. "Wash it down with cider, it'll help." Grizelda suggested. Timoteo reached over towards his glass, opening his eyes. Instantly, little points of his vision began to go dark. Rapidly, his vision grew fuzzy with appearing darkness, and he felt his body almost disappear from around his mind. He shut his eyes, fully fell back into the chair, and remained silent. He felt Bianca rub comfortingly at his shoulders, the girl coming close to him.
As his bodily sensations came back to him, he felt less heavy inside, he felt more energized. He clenched his hands tight. He felt like he could do more. He felt Bianca's bosom press against his chest as she slipped her arms around his shoulders, her arms between him and the chair's backrest. He felt some of her soft hair against the side of his face as she hugged him tight. He took in a deep breath, taking in the light blueberry scent of her hair. He smiled. "Ohh, that was intense..." He groaned out, causing Grizelda to chuckle. Bianca slowly released him, and as he opened his eyes, he saw her looking into them. She smiled gently. He smiled back at her. A second later, she reached over, grabbing their glasses of cider. Timoteo raised his eyebrows, saying "Avo, I could use that..." Bianca handed his glass to him, smiling softly as she did so. The two tipped their glasses back and polished off the remaining amount of cider, Timoteo thankful for how it washed away the lingering taste of the Elixer.
Grizelda stood up and said "Here, let me take those. I'll get you some more, and even sprinkle in some cinnamon. You'll like it, Timoteo." She said, smiling pleasantly. They held out their glasses, and Grizelda departed with them in her hands. Bianca reached over to the two remaining bottles, the Ages of Will potions. As she handed one to him, he noticed something. The bruise over her cheek, from Darrah's strike before her departure from the two, had faded entirely. The small split in her lip had disappeared, as well. Timoteo didn't know if the potion had made them abruptly disappear or if he had simply never noticed them heal before, but in either case, he was thankful to see that she was free of pain once again.
The two pulled the corks away from their potions, both looking at the fluid within. Like the Will Master's Elixers, they glowed blue in their hands. "Think these'll taste bad?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Bianca shrugged gently. "Guess we'll just have to find out." She murmured. At the same time, the two raised their bottles. Timoteo felt the fluid flow out over his tongue, thicker than the Elixer had been. At first, he tasted nothing, but a moment later, it hit him. It tasted like rusty water, like blood. Not nearly as foul-tasting as the Elixer had been, Timoteo had less trouble downing it, but still, he had certainly tasted more pleasant things. He heard a soft hum appear, and a blue light became visible through his eyelids. He opened his eyes, seeing a blue light to be heavily illuminating himself and Bianca, causing him to shut his eyes once more to avoid straining them. He finished off the potion, and opened his eyes again. Bianca had finished her's just a moment before, and she, too, looked perplexed by the glow.
As it died down, the two realized that the glow had been coming from their own bodies. Bianca raised her eyebrows, her mouth hanging open a crack. Timoteo felt something welling up inside him, growing in the pit of his stomach. He blinked a few times. "I think I need some air..." He groaned, the glow coming from them both fading entirely, then. Bianca seemed to feel the same as he did, getting up from his lap, stumbling slightly as she headed over to the front door of the cottage. Timoteo got up and followed her, the two stepping outside into the dank air of Darkwood. Timoteo felt like something was charging up, some change was coming. His head grew dizzy and frantic. No thoughts came to him, he was simply experiencing the changes as they grew. Unknown to him, Bianca collapsed to her hands and knees, breathing heavy. Timoteo felt his right arm begin to shake, and he held it up, looking at it. Shaking violently, electricity was ripping along the limb, arcing along him with frightening speed.
Timoteo felt the sensation building in his stomach suddenly flush upwards, zooming over to his arm. Every muscle in his arm began to spasm painfully, and he let out a cry as he threw his arm out to the side. The sensation of charging dissipated as a beam of Lightning suddenly flew from the palm of his hand, whipping out at a strength that Timoteo knew he normally couldn't muster up. Flying out violently and in a constant stream, the electricity tore up the ground in a wide arch, Timoteo pulling his arm back to himself to try and calm the flow of magic. He hadn't even tried to cast a spell, he had no idea why his body was suddenly launching out the magic on it's own. After a few more seconds of ripping up the ground with the advanced Lightning, the spell came to an end. His arm felt cold for a moment before he felt perfectly normal once more, though he was breathing heavy and the spasms from his arm left it a little sore. He looked over to Bianca.
He saw that she was still on her hands and knees, panting by then, her fingers digging into the dirt. She was gritting her teeth, her eyes shut tight, a few beads of sweat on her forehead. Timoteo rushed closer to her, getting down by her, saying "Bianca, you have to let it out! Just let it go and it'll all be over!" Bianca didn't respond. She stayed like she was for a few moments more before she suddenly let out a heavy sigh. Her panting ended. She began to breathe heavy, slowly relaxing, like him. "You okay?" Timoteo asked, raising an eyebrow. Bianca nodded gently, gulping away excess saliva before she said "Yes...Yes, just...Tired..." He helped her sit up on her knees, Bianca's face fatigued when it came into view of his. "You don't...Need to have an outburst..." She lightly said. She smiled slightly. "But, I probably should've...I'm exhausted from fighting it..." Timoteo smiled and chuckled gently. As he got up on his feet and helped her do the same, he asked "What was the point of that potion? It made me launch Lightning, and it felt stronger than usual...Did I waste it?"
Bianca smiled a little, needing him to guide her back into the cottage due to her fatigue. She kept her left arm around his waist, her right hand over against his stomach, his right arm around her shoulders. "No, you didn't..." Bianca trailed off, chuckling softly. "Ages of Will...It gives you a boost to your magic potential...Your...Existing spells are...A little stronger, and..." She trailed off again, beginning to breathe a little quick, apparently having lost her breath. "C'mon, let's get you in a chair..." He said soothingly. "I want to cuddle..." She mumbled tiredly. Timoteo smiled a little in response. He led her back into the cottage, shutting the door behind himself. Grizelda was back in her chair, their glasses freshly filled with cider, resting on the table. The emptied potions had already disappeared, along with the box that had held them; Grizelda must've taken them away while the two were outside. Their glasses of cider had some brown flecks floating on the surface, apparently the added cinnamon.
"I'm glad you didn't let that out in my home, Timoteo." Grizelda said, smiling yet with serious tone to her voice. "I've seen people drink those things and let out a burst in their own homes, destroying half their belongings. I'm glad you both had the sense to go outside for fresh air." Timoteo smiled a little with amusement, but it died when he looked to Bianca. "She didn't let anything out..." He said, reaching the remaining seat with her. He sat down, guiding Bianca over to his lap. She rested her legs off to the side, her right side facing him. Again, she leaned over against him, the side of her head to his shoulder with her face near his neck. She rested her hands in her lap, her eyes closed as he held her in his arms. "Bianca?" Grizelda said, smiling more with amusement. "Trying to fight it?" She asked, smiling even more. Bianca didn't respond to her guardian, simply resting. Grizelda grinned slightly for a moment at Bianca's silence, but a second later her expression had relaxed back to a smile.
"Well, you'll feel fine in a minute. Drink some cider, it'll help." Bianca didn't reach for the cider, simply staying still and breathing peacefully. Grizelda took a sip of her own glass of cider before she said "Those potions will give you an edge in future fights. I hope they'll keep you safe." Looking to Grizelda, Timoteo saw her to be gazing into the fire, her face calm. Only a little smile was on her lips. Eventually, after a minute, Bianca had recovered entirely. She slowly sat up, blinking a few times with an expressionless face as she reached out for her glass of cider. She took several gulps from the glass before setting it back down on the table. Turning in his lap then, she turned her back to him, leaning back against him. The back of her head coming to his shoulder, some of her soft hair ran against his cheek. He reached his arms around her, rubbing his hands along her tummy, over her soft shirt. She reached her hands over, resting them over his, holding them slightly.
The trio in the room were silent for a minute before Bianca quietly said "Grizelda, I think you should know something..." Grizelda looked to Bianca with an eyebrow slightly raised, taking a sip from her glass once more. "Hmm?" She mumbled, curiously. Bianca softly said "If the League becomes too much of a threat to Tim and I as we look for mother...Then I've agreed to go to Snowspire to stay safe." Grizelda's eyes widened. "Bianca, you can't be serious!" She said, shocked. Bianca said "I wouldn't have agreed to it if...I was...On my own. But..." Bianca glanced over her shoulder to Timoteo, and he saw her cheeks to be a little pink. She looked back to Grizelda, saying "I wouldn't have agreed, if I wasn't with Timoteo...But he would go there, and I want to be with him. Otherwise, I would just stay here, in Darkwood. " Grizelda glanced over Bianca's shoulder to Timoteo's face, a second later meeting Bianca's eyes again.
"Bianca, I've been to the Northern Wastes. It's not a very enjoyable place to be." Grizelda said, solemnly. She raised her eyebrows and added "The creatures there are closer descendents to the monsters of the Old Kingdom than any creature elsewhere in Albion. That means they're faster, stronger, and more vicious than anything you could find out here. And living in the freezing cold up there has made them more hardy than the beasts of the mainland." Bianca said "Still. It would allow us to avoid the League." Grizelda said "You could do that just as easily here!" Bianca calmly said "Grizelda, it'll be okay. Tim and I can handle frozen beasts. I'm confident of that, even more so after those potions. And we won't be alone, some of our comrades will be there, and not just us, maybe even other Heroes from the Guild that had the same idea." Grizelda relaxed, taking a gulp of her cider. "Well...If you really want to. It's your choice..." Grizelda quietly said, a little dismissively.
She looked back to the fire, saying "If you really intend to go to the Northern Wastes, then...It might interest you to know of the Oracle." Timoteo and Bianca both raised eyebrows curiously. Grizelda looked back to Bianca, saying "The Snowspire Oracle. It was made during the Old Kingdom, as a sort of repository of history's events, from what I could tell. It knows of every important event in Albion's history, as well as anything else that might be of particular interest." Bianca raised her eyebrows gently, saying "It might be interesting to pay such a thing a visit." Grizelda raised her eyebrows gently, smiling lightly for a moment.

Not long after, Timoteo pulled out his Guild Seal and contacted each of his old comrades, minus Darrah. They were all stunned, aside from Marst, who already had intimate knowledge of the Guild's fall. Calvin simply said that he knew it would happen, and that he regretted that several of the others didn't take him more seriously. He said he had secured travel to Snowspire, and hoped the others would soon contact him about heading there, themselves. Gibbons said he'd be heading to Darkwood to make his way through for Oakvale, and Timoteo offered to guide him through with Bianca, Gibbons accepting his offer. Brute said that there had been no change to Knothole Glade so far, so he would stay with his family and protect them in the event that League supporters acted up in the community. Should that become too dangerous, then a ship across the sea was his final option.
Marst was the most shaken, having seen Heroes shot down before her eyes in unknown numbers. She said she didn't know where she or the other Heroes would go, but the group would soon break up, many individuals wanting to see to family and loved ones. Some were simply looking out for themselves, and thought that staying in a big group was a death sentence. Some thought the opposite, that staying in a group was the safest course of action. Marst thought about going to Snowspire, and said that she likely would. She said that she hoped to see Timoteo there soon, but Timoteo made no promises. Meanwhile, Darrah began the long journey back to her father's illustrious estate, firm in the belief that he would shelter her even in the face of the Anti-Hero League.

Timoteo spent the rest of the day at Grizelda's cottage in Bianca's room, curiously looking over some of her books. Grizelda sent Bianca out on an errand into Darkwood, one which Grizelda would not elaborate on to Timoteo once Bianca had departed. Timoteo expected Grizelda to use Bianca's absence in order to have another chat with him about something or other, but he found himself alone for the rest of the morning as well as much of the afternoon. Eventually, Grizelda asked him if he was hungry, as she would be preparing an early dinner in Bianca's absence. Timoteo said that he was, and Grizelda called him out to the living room to join her as she cooked...

Timoteo took a seat in Bianca's usual chair, finding a freshly refilled pair of glasses on the table nearby, filled with cider and sprinkled over with cinnamon. Grizelda had the large cooking pot placed in the fireplace once more, sitting amongst the flames and heating up whatever was within. Timoteo felt tempted to try and ask her again where Bianca had gone, but figured he could just find out from Bianca herself once she had returned. With that thought resolved in his mind, he turned to something else that had his curiosity. Just what exactly did Grizelda know of Bianca's mother, Octavia? Grizelda tossed a handful of ground-up spices into the pot, turning to him just as he said "So, Bianca's mother's name is Octavia?" Grizelda nodded slightly. "Yes...How much do you know about her, Timoteo? Bianca never mentioned telling anyone at the Guild about what happened at her old home. It seemed fairly clear to me, given her condition at the time, that she wouldn't have."
Timoteo calmly said "I know she killed Bianca's father, and ran away with his heart." Grizelda sighed gently through her nose as she took her seat. "So, she told you." Timoteo nodded gently. Grizelda looked to his eyes expressionlessly, her eyes only partly open. "You know about her quest to track her mother down, obviously." Timoteo nodded. Grizelda looked over to the pot in the fireplace, saying "I never knew Octavia, and I don't have the faintest clue where she would've gone. I could never help Bianca, in that regard...But with everything she's learned from me, I suspect she'll be a challenge for her mother. Her mother was a Hero of Will, too. So was her father." Grizelda looked over to him.
"Bianca doesn't know if her mother was a part of the Guild, but if she was, it'd be easy to track her down. The Guildmaster could reach her Seal and tell Bianca where she was located. But, even if the Guild still stood today, there's no guarantee that Octavia had been a part of the Guild. And besides, Seals can be destroyed. It destroys the symbol of your Guild graduation, the proof of your membership in the Guild, but it stops the Guildmaster from being able to contact you. Also stops you from teleporting with Cullis Gates, but if a Hero finds themself wanting out of the Guild after graduation, destroying the Seal is more or less the only way. Anyway..." Grizelda took a sip of her cider before saying "Bianca's wanted to kill her mother ever since she came to me. One of the first things I asked her, after she asked me to be her tutor of course, is what she planned on doing with what I could teach her. She didn't hesitate. She said she'd use my teachings to get revenge on Octavia. I wondered what could make a little girl hate her mother to the point of murder, but Bianca wouldn't tell me, at first. Took her a long time to open up to me."
Timoteo leaned forward in his chair, bringing his elbows to his knees. "She's still wearing her father's bracelet, after all this time...I can't imagine how close she was to her father." He said, thoughtfully. Grizelda raised an eyebrow gently, looking over to the fire. "Either her father was the closest person to her in her life, or she simply thinks that Octavia should die for breaking the bonds of blood, for murdering her lover and the father of her own daughter. In either case, I can't blame her." Grizelda's voice went a little quiet and serious in her last sentence, enough to make Timoteo look to her. Her face was still expressionless as she sipped from her glass, the firelight illuminating her face and horns. "Ever since I found out about that, I've been wishing I could do something to help...Something to make the memory go away. The scars." He said, a little softly. Grizelda looked over to him, raising an eyebrow gently. "You're going with her on her quest after Octavia, aren't you?" She asked.
Timoteo nodded. "I don't know how much searching we'll be able to do though, now that the League's running amok." He responded. Grizelda smiled gently, looking back to the fire. "Giving her company is help enough." She said, lightly. Timoteo looked to Grizelda curiously. He felt like asking her what she meant, then thought better of it. Did he really need an explanation? They were both quiet for several moments before Timoteo spoke. Softly, he asked "Do you...Know why Bianca looks the way she does?" Grizelda raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't look to him. "She didn't tell you? I'm not surprised. She didn't tell me, either. But, I think I know what happened." Grizelda looked to him from the corners of her eyes, saying "During Octavia's escape, a lot of people died. I know that Bianca chased after her mother. Octavia couldn't have been the one casting all the spells, because if she were the one to kill everyone, Bianca wouldn't have changed at all. I don't know if Bianca cast all the spells, but I can only imagine that she let loose when her mother fled. A few dozen people were killed. That's more than enough to turn a Hero visibly evil."
Grizelda looked back to the fire, taking in a deep breath through her nose, exhaling softly. "I stopped passing judgement on people a long time ago. I never looked down on evil Heroes, it'd be awfully hypocritical of me to do so. I prefer evil Heroes; the good ones always seem to go out of their way to make the lives of people like me miserable." Timoteo smirked slightly before he relaxed a moment later. Grizelda stood up and stepped over the fireplace, producing another handful of ground-up spices from a small jar over the mantel. As she tossed it into the pot, she said "In any event, Timoteo...I want you to know that you've got a home here. If you find yourself in trouble, no place to turn to...I want you to remember me. You can always come back here." Timoteo smiled slightly, Grizelda turning to him, smiling herself. "Thank you...I appreciate that." He said. Grizelda simply smiled a little more, returning to her seat. "That's assuming, of course, that you could find your way here." She winked at him playfully. He chuckled lightly in response, saying nothing.

When Bianca returned not long after, Timoteo didn't ask her right away what she had gone out for, though it did seem that part of why she had gone out was to fetch some meat. From within her cloak, she produced a hunk of meat, wrapped up in brown paper. As she handed the hunk of meat to Grizelda, he noticed that the tear in her cloak's shoulder was freshly stitched shut. She slipped off her cloak, the two sat together, and they all ate bowls of meat chunks slathered with hot, spiced gravy, small pieces of pumpkin pie to go with them. After that, Timoteo and Bianca retired to her room for the rest of the evening, snuggling up under the covers of her bed. He asked her what she had gone out for, what had taken up much of the day. She said that she had gone over to a southern section of Darkwood to see to a growing band of hobbes. Wiping them out, she searched their camp for loot, and found a few health and mana potions as well as some gold.
On top of that, Grizelda had wanted her to go to Barrow Fields to get a fresh chunk of meat for dinner that night, which had been the package that Bianca had handed to Grizelda upon her return. She mentioned that the traders weren't hostile with her; apparently, the League hadn't turned them to their cause, at least not yet. Timoteo didn't tell her about the talk he had had with Grizelda during Bianca's absence; he didn't see what good it would do, all it could do, he thought, was make Bianca think of her mother. Timoteo figured that she probably did enough of that on her own, she didn't need him making her think of the past. The two of them, full of food and a little sleepy, simply remained cuddled under the covers of her bed, eventually falling into a deep sleep...
Early the next morning, Timoteo and Bianca were standing together before the entrance to the cave that led to Darkwood, waiting for Gibbons. He had contacted them just a minute before, asking them if they could truly escort him through Darkwood on such short notice. Bianca spoke to him through Timoteo's Guild Seal, saying that it wasn't a problem. He was grateful. The two had teleported to the Cullis Gate near the southern border of Greatwood, walking the short path down to the cave entrance they now stood in front of. They had waited for a few minutes before a figure became evident down the path. They both saw it to be Gibbons, dressed in his daytime attire, though with his dirks sheathed and clipped to the back of his belt, just in case he was accosted by typical Greatwood creatures and bandits. He raised a hand in greeting when he realized they were the figures he saw, calling out "Hey! Good to see you guys!"
Timoteo raised a hand up high in greeting, Bianca raising a hand up in front of her chest, giving him a little wave. Gibbons was smiling pleasantly when he reached them, saying "How's the weather in Darkwood, today? Cold, dark, and with a chance of being bitten in the ass by a balverine? Sounds about right." Timoteo chuckled slightly, and Bianca smiled gently. "We can handle the balverines. It's the trolls we'll have to watch for." Bianca said, quietly. Gibbons raised an eyebrow, still smiling a little. "Yeah, you're right. Last thing I'd want is to be walking over a hill and suddenly have it stand up under me. Damn things blend in a little too well." Timoteo smirked. "C'mon, let's get going. Oakvale won't come to us." He said. Gibbons nodded, Bianca leading the way as the trio entered the dark cavern. As they walked along in the gloom, Gibbons spoke with a tone that was unusually serious for him. Gibbons joked about most everything, Timoteo knew; if he wasn't cracking a joke about something, it meant that it hit him in a personal spot.
"I can't believe that the Guild's gone...I can't believe it was taken down in just one morning. What now? Are we even real Heroes, anymore?" Timoteo looked to Gibbons. "Neither can I...I have to wonder what happened to Weaver, Merlin, and most of the other expert Heroes. I guess...We have to assume that they..." Timoteo trailed off, his face going depressed. Gibbons' brow furrowed. "It pisses me off that the other Heroes let the Guild get burned. All they had to do was grab a couple guns, themselves, and shoot back. I mean, for all intents and purposes, the Guild was my home. It was every Hero's home. And now...It's just a charred pile of memories." Bianca quietly said "You carry the Guild with you. It's teachings, what it stood for. It won't die as long as it's remembered." Timoteo and Gibbons were both quiet for a few seconds before Gibbons lightly said "I don't know if I can believe that, but it's a comforting thought, I guess. But if the League took down the Guild, Calvin must be right. They'll hunt for us, won't they? Shoot us down where they find us."
Gibbons' voice went dark as he muttered out "If they want to take me, they won't do it without a fight." Timoteo gave Gibbons a light pat on the shoulder. "You don't know it'll come to that. None of us do. We'll make it. Somehow." He said, his words starting out confident, wavering near the end. Gibbons noticed Timoteo's appearing lack of confidence, but didn't call him on it, simply saying "Yeah...Maybe." He took in a breath before saying "Well, anyway, I'll be staying in Oakvale, I guess. Keeping up the stealing to make my living. It was easy in Bowerstone, should be even easier in a town full of farmers. Though, it was worthwhile in Bowerstone because of all the rich people in the North side. I doubt farmers will have as much gold and such sitting around." Bianca lightly said "Evil Heroes steal, Gibbons. Steal enough, and your morality will begin to change you. Blending in will become more difficult." Gibbons was put into surprised silence for a second. "...Really?" He asked.
Bianca glanced over her shoulder to him, nodding lightly. "I read a book on classic things a Hero could do to gain an evil morality, things that you could do regardless of the situation. One of them was stealing. If you keep up thieving, your skin will eventually turn pale. That's the first sign of an evil morality." Gibbons let out a sigh. "Shit. And it was so profitable, too. I guess if I'm going to blend in, I'm going to..." He smiled. "Hey, wait! You can offset a negative morality with pure deeds. If I, say, take half of what I earn through stealing and donate it to the poor, it should make up for the stealing, itself." Gibbons sounded slightly annoyed, then, as he said "Though...Like I said, farmers probably don't walk around with diamond rings on their fingers. Ah, well." Gibbons stuck his hands into his pockets. "Guess I'll have to find more socially acceptable ways of earning gold." He said, a little absent-mindedly. Timoteo grinned a little. "Oh, how you'll suffer!" He said, jokingly.
Gibbons chuckled, smiling a little. They were silent the rest of their way through the cave, but when they walked out into Darkwood, Gibbons spoke again. "So, do you know what's happening with all the others?" Timoteo raised an eyebrow and said "Yeah, uh...Brute's staying in Knothole Glade. Says that the League hasn't acted there, yet. He wants to stay with his family and protect them, maybe in case the League decides to go after people even related to Heroes. Calvin said he's got a way to get to Snowspire, and hopes some of us will contact him about going there, soon." Gibbons smirked. "Fat chance. I like my chunks not blue with frostbite, thank you very much." Timoteo smiled slightly and shook his head a little with amusement. He continued with "Eh, Darrah's heading to the north somewhere, looking for her father's home. He's wealthy, apparently. Influential. She thinks he could offer her shelter from the League."
"Wish I had a rich daddy." Gibbons said, just a little bit mockingly. Timoteo said "Marst was at the Guild when it was attacked..." Gibbons perked up. "Does she know what happened to everyone?" Timoteo nodded. The trio began to go up a slight incline in the path, towards an old set of stone steps that led up to a sort of clearing in the skeletal trees. "The Guild lost. Most didn't fight at all, when push came to shove. More escaped before the League made it into the Guild. League members shot down Heroes all over, and Marst barely got out with some other Hero. Everyone left alive ran out into the Guild Woods, but Marst says that nobody's staying. A lot are just leaving for their own things. Some are sticking together in groups. Marst says she'll probably go to Snowspire." Gibbons sighed slightly. "Avo...Well...If anyone could make it in a place like Snowspire, it'd be Marst." Timoteo said "And, Bianca and I...We've got some business to attend to. Could take us a while. But, if things get too dangerous with the League, we'll go to Snowspire, too."
Gibbons raised an eyebrow. "What're you guys gonna get up to? Gonna run off on expensive dates, or something?" Timoteo looked to Gibbons with an eyebrow raised, his mouth hanging open a crack as he hesitated from responding. Bianca looked over her shoulder to Gibbons, and though her face was calm, she too regarded him with a raised eyebrow. Gibbons grinned a little. "Don't look at me like that. I saw you two hold hands just before you left us, back at Knothole Glade." Bianca looked forwards again, saying nothing. Timoteo sighed slightly, smiling gently. "Whatever. That's not what we've got planned." He said. "Then, what? Private matters?" Gibbons said, smirking, giving Timoteo a playful elbow to the side. Timoteo rolled his eyes, shaking his head gently. "No. We're...Looking for someone. That's all I can say." Gibbons slowly nodded, his mind racing with curiosity. "I see, I see!" He said in a playfully high-pitched voice.
Suddenly, loud and bestial shouts sounded out around the group. The trio whirled around as several little shrubs on either side of the path suddenly leapt up from the ground, revealing what they had been disguising. A group of hobbes, a dozen in number, stood in a row on either side of the Heroes. Shrubbery was stuck into hats that they wore, jammed into the makeshift articles of clothing they had scrounged up, acting as primitive yet effective camouflage. They had sat patiently in tight clumps beside the path, waiting for something to walk into their trap. Once the three Heroes had been right in the middle of the two rows, they had leapt out with their ambush. Gibbons pulled out his dirks and eyed the hobbes keenly. Bianca instantly raised a pair of skeletons to do her bidding, the two sets of bones shooting up from the dirt. Timoteo pulled out his steel mace, casting his Physical Shield as he did so, readying a Lightning spell in his free hand.
Gibbons moved with blinding speed as he jammed his dirks into hobbe after hobbe, slaying four within the span of just a few seconds. Bianca's skeletons quickly dispatched a hobbe each as Bianca cast a Blades spell into a third, slaying it. Timoteo launched his freshly improved Lightning spell into a nearby hobbe, slaying it almost instantly, surprised when he saw the electricity arc to another nearby hobbe and slay it, too. Three hobbes were left, and the battle hadn't even gone on for a single minute. Two turned and began to flee. Bianca's skeletons chased one down, slaying it amidst unhallow cackles. Gibbons chased down one himself, stabbing it a few times in the back until it ceased all movements. The final one tried to stand against Timoteo, viciously swinging an old, rusty axe at him, slashing at his Physical Shield twice before he crashed his mace down into it's face. Large gashes opened in it's face, it tried to swing at him a few more times, Timoteo simply swinging the mace over into the side of it's mouth.
Some of it's needle-like teeth went flying, crushed and broken out of the hobbe's mouth. The hobbe twisted around and collapsed to the ground, slain. The fight hadn't even made the Heroes break a sweat. Bianca released her skeletons as Gibbons smirked, saying "Hey, we make a nice team, together. Those hobbes were a piece of cake, and they're from Darkwood, too." Timoteo said "I wonder how many people they've killed with this trap." Timoteo and Gibbons both sheathed their weapons, Gibbons in his weapon sheaths, Timoteo by replacing his mace to it's spot on the side of his pack. "Let's go. Balverines might have heard us." Bianca said, lightly. Timoteo nodded, Gibbons saying "Good idea. Those things don't mess around..." The two made a hasty departure from the scene of the battle, making their way through more of Darkwood. They spoke little as they progressed, spending about three and a half hours to cross Darkwood, using all of the shortcuts that Bianca knew of.
Finally, they came to another cave system. Bianca led the two through it until they could see the sun shining upon the mouth of the exit. Stepping out into the light, the trio found themselves on a sunny dirt path, bordered by healthy grass and trees. The path went down a slight incline, and across a little stream, a sort of encampment could be seen, numerous tents set up. Gibbons smiled and said "Great, we're here. Better hide my dirks, so nobody thinks I'm a Hero, or anything. Anyway, thanks for the escort, especially when I contacted you so early in the morning." Bianca smiled gently. "It was no trouble." She said, quietly. Timoteo nodded. "Don't worry about it, just stay safe." He said. Gibbons turned slightly, as if he were about to walk away, then seemed to hesitate. Timoteo and Bianca both noticed his hesitation, waiting a moment before he quietly said "Um...Bianca?..." Bianca looked to him curiously. He met her eyes, glancing at Timoteo for a second before quietly saying "I've...Got something I need to get off my chest. A sort of...Confession."
Bianca looked at him intently, her eyes puzzled. Timoteo, too, was deeply curious. Gibbons avoided her eyes, looking off to the side, saying "When we were kids...Travis and I...We, uh...We sort of joked around." Meeting her eyes for a moment before looking to the ground, he said "I noticed how quiet he was, and thought that I could...I don't know...I was his friend, I talked to him, sometimes involved him in things I did, and..." Gibbons gulped gently. "...We used to dare each other to do things, just fooling around. It was just a game. He always thought it was funny how I typically got away with stealing stuff. Well...I..." Gibbons was silent for a moment. Bianca's eyes began to widen gently. Timoteo's did the same. Gibbons, eventually, breathed out "I...I dared him to...Steal your bracelet. He only did it because I dared him to..." Gibbons' voice went uncharacteristically small, as he went on. Raising his eyebrows gently, shaking his head slightly, he quietly said "I had no idea you'd take it so badly...I...Don't know. Just wanted you to know that...He's not the one to blame."
"Gibbons...You're not serious..." Timoteo said, lightly. Gibbons nodded gently, his eyes actually going a touch moist. "I got him killed. It was so fucking stupid of me, we..." He sighed gently. "It's eaten at me for years. I tried burying it, it didn't work." He quietly said. Timoteo looked to Bianca. Her face was calm. "You're not to blame, Gibbons...Neither is Travis." Gibbons' mouth lightly hung open as he thought of a response for a second, but Bianca stopped him. She gently shook her head. "You're not to blame." She said, lightly. Gibbons raised a hand and felt through his hair for a moment before sighing lightly. "Okay...If you say so." He quietly said, a little bit gratefully. He put a smile on, blinking to try and get rid of the light moisture in his eyes, saying "It was cool seeing you guys again. We'll talk again soon, yeah?" Timoteo nodded gently. Gibbons began to walk off, giving the two a farewell wave of his shoulder. The two watched him leave, and since Bianca had been in front of the two during the trek, her back was turned to Timoteo as they watched Gibbons depart.
Bianca blinked a few times as Gibbons left. "He didn't even want the bracelet..." She mumbled. "It was just...A dare..." She softly said. Timoteo slowly took in a deep breath through his mouth, exhaling softly. Bianca raised her eyebrows a little. "It was...Just...A dare!...He...He didn't even want the bracelet..." Timoteo heard Bianca's voice begin to tighten. Comfortingly, he raised a hand to her shoulder from behind, saying "Bianca, it's...You had no way of knowing. It's not your fault." Bianca slowly turned to him. Tears were crawling down her cheeks as they met eyes. Her bottom lip was quivering as she choked out "He d-didn't even want it, I killed him over n-nothing!..." Before Timoteo could respond, Bianca had come closer to him, shutting her eyes tight. She reached her arms around his waist, hugging him tight, burying her face into his chest despite his chainmail shirt. Timoteo exhaled subtly as he gave up on trying to think of a response.
He simply reciprocated her embrace, holding her soothingly as she quietly wept...
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Fable : Fall of the Guild