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Fable : Fall of the Guild	By : Samson Category: +A through F > Fable Views: 8226 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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Nightly Visits.
Fable : Fall of the Guild

Part VII - "Marauders"

By: Jesse Racine AKA Samson

Original Date Written: March 17, 2012

“...So you can hold your head high in the battle to come, and face the pathetic rabble of bandits with absolute confidence. Firearms are a coward’s weapon, you all understand that perfectly well. Anything that lets a man slay another with a mere trigger-pull removes any notion of skill and bravery, but some of these bandits may very well use such weapons. They only do so because they fear you! They know they stand no chance fighting you with their blades! We bring our own weapon, something the bandits won’t see coming. With Timoteo using magic, we’ll have our edge. He and I will be right on the front lines with you, carving a path through the bandit forces, finding their commanders and cutting them down. Without leadership, the bandits will either run scared or lose morale enough to let themselves be killed like the fools they are. We have two Heroes standing for us, can the bandits possibly say the same? I think not!”
Timoteo smiled faintly as a hearty cheer rose up in the dining hall. It was the fourth time he had heard Darrah’s little speech that night, but she was getting exceptionally riled up during this particular bout. Dressed in her armour to try and cement into the men’s heads that she would, indeed, be joining them on the battlefield, Darrah stood on an elevated platform at the head of the long hall. The room had cloth banners all along the walls, all vividly displaying Darrah’s family crest. The room had four very long wooden tables near the center, each table reaching from nearly one end of the room to the other. Each table had a bench of matching length on either side of it, and every inch of those eight benches had a fighter sitting on it. The men were out of their armour for the meal, heaps of steaming food and mugs of ale sitting before each of them. The elevated platform had a table stretching across it, dwarfed in comparison to the long tables stretching the span of the room.
Only a few chairs were behind the table, Timoteo seated at one, the lord seated by him. Darrah stood in front of the table, facing the men as she continued. Pulling her winged great helm from her head, she held it under her arm, speaking angrily as she said “These worms think they can take advantage of the Guild’s fall to try and come here, to our home, and kill us? They have no idea what they’ll be walking in to! We have the high ground, the walls will offer us crossbow support, and they won’t be able to cut us off from supplies! We grow our own food, we collect our own water, we can endure longer than they can! Their greatest “warriors” will soil themselves when they realize what trouble they’ve placed squarely on their own heads!” Timoteo raised an eyebrow lightly, still smiling a little, scanning out along the long tables as the men let up another raucous cheer, raising fists up in the air. He was surprised at how Darrah could rally the men to believe in her. “She’s more of a natural leader than I thought.” He mused.
Darrah suddenly shot an arm over in Timoteo’s direction, pointing a finger at him like a dagger. Loudly, she said “He’s with the Will, and combine that with myself at his side and you all at our backs, there’s nothing the bandits could throw at us that we couldn’t handle! For my father, the lord, and for our home, we will prevail! The land of this territory will be nurtured by our enemies’ blood when the battle is over!” The many warriors at her father’s command raised up their mugs of ale, shouting out cheers of approval, pounding the tabletops with their free fists. Darrah, panting faintly after getting so worked up, raised up the arm she didn’t hold her helmet in. Shouting out above the men’s cheers, she said “Now, we feast! Bring in the bards! Let us have music!” Men and women in soft blue tunics walked into the room from a door nearby, each carrying a wooden lute, each beginning to play the exact same song and sing in unison. Darrah watched with a smile growing on her face, the men heartily beginning to eat, obviously in high spirits.
She looked over her shoulder to Timoteo, seeing him smiling a little. He raised his eyebrows at her for a moment before looking out across the room again. He had already preformed his little spell for the men to prove he really was a mage, having cast Ghost Sword. The men had been surprised, but had seemed very enthusiastic about having him at the estate with them. When the sword had faded, he had taken his seat with the lord, and let Darrah continue with her speech. She turned and walked over to the table, smiling lightly, still panting a little. “Alright, one last hall, then we can have dinner, ourselves.” She said. Timoteo stood up with a little sigh through his nose, saying “Alright then, let’s go.” The lord stood up as well, commenting with a pleased smile. “It does me good to see the men so confident. Benedict’s men won’t stand a chance of victory. I doubt the bandits are as enthused about the fight as my men are.” Darrah’s armour clanged lightly against the floor as she walked, the young woman smiling pleasantly as she said “Of course. Our men have more to fight for. This is their home. The bandits are only fighting because Benedict’s filled their head with promises of riches, no doubt.”
Opening up a door in the room, walking out into the hallway beyond, Darrah turned and looked to them both, saying “At the end of the day, home is where your heart is. Riches can’t compare, especially when you don’t even have the riches yet. These men already have their home.” “And they’ll die to defend it.” Timoteo said. Darrah nodded lightly, smiling happily at him. The lord led the way to the final guard dining hall on the mansion’s third floor, saying “It’s obvious that your return, Darrah, along with Timoteo’s arrival is doing wonders for morale. Two heroes present is bolstering the men’s confidence incredibly. You were right about bringing your friend.” Darrah smiled again, Timoteo half-smiling for a moment, pleased that he was helping merely by being at the estate. “I’m a little concerned about that guy I saw, in the second hall.” Timoteo said. The lord raised an eyebrow. “Bernard? I’m not sure why he looked so upset when Darrah gave her speech, but I’ll have a word with him later on. Perhaps he doubts her ability.”
Darrah spoke quickly, saying “Don’t worry about it, I’ll speak with him. It’s only right. If he really does doubt my fighting skill, then you trying to force him into accepting me won’t work. I’ll have to confront him, myself. If he really has a problem with me, then not speaking up about it when I confront him will make him lose face; the other men will think he’s a coward. Whatever his issue is, I’ll fix it. He’ll follow me into battle, one way or the other.” The lord nodded. “Wise, Darrah. I’m impressed.” Darrah just smiled a little in response. The lord stopped at a nearby door, looking to them, saying “Alright, last one. Then we can eat. Ready, Darrah?” Darrah nodded. “Of course. Tim?” Timoteo nodded, saying “Let’s do it.” The lord pushed opened the door, stepping into the room, the room growing silent when the men realized their lord had entered...
Timoteo entered his bedroom with a little sigh, sleepy after such a heavy meal. After Darrah’s final speech, the lord had taken him to one of the dining halls for the rich folk while Darrah left to change out of her armour. The dining halls for the wealthy people were very much like the ones for the guards, only instead of long tables spanning the room’s length, the halls were filled with numerous circular tables. That way, rich folk who for one reason or another despised one another didn’t have to sit by each other. The wealthy people could segregate themselves into their own little cliques. Just like the guard dining halls, there was an elevated platform at the head of each of the wealthier halls. A table was set over each platform, along with numerous chairs for the lord and his family. The hall the lord led Timoteo to already had the rest of his family, with his wife and Natalie seated at the table over the elevated platform. Piles of food were placed over the lord’s table, ranging from heaps of meat to massive piles of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Jasmine and Natalie both had glasses of dark red wine by their food, while the lord had a metal tankard of ale by his spot. The spot prepared for Darrah also had a glass of wine, while Timoteo’s spot had a tankard of ale, as well. Timoteo had never drank alcohol before, and after a few gulps, he decided he probably never would again. Luckily, when nobody at the table had been looking, Darrah had quickly enough drank down what Timoteo couldn’t finish. She, just as unused to alcohol as he was, commented that she wasn’t sure if she should try drinking her wine for fear that it tasted even worse. But, drink the wine she did, and they all feasted until they were fit to burst. Timoteo noticed Natalie staring at him several times during the meal, and she would always smile warmly at him whenever he would catch her eyes. He never smiled in return, something that didn’t seem to bother Natalie. When the meal had been finished, only Timoteo retired immediately; he wanted to read a little before falling asleep, and besides, the lord and his family were only staying behind to socialize with the rich folk.
Timoteo felt he’d be rather out of place if he remained. Finding a book that interested him from one of the bookshelves, he sat down over his bed, still fully dressed. Sitting near his pillows, his back to the bed’s headboard, he opened the book up and began to read. It was a novel describing the fictional adventures of a thief of sorts, the thief becoming more and more infamous as he successfully steals from richer people with greater defences around their gold. He had managed to read a few chapters before he realized that he had probably been awake for a couple hours longer than he had intended. No longer sleepy from his meal, but still drained after the day’s events, he set the book aside on a bedside table as he got undressed. Folding his clothes up and resting them over a nearby dresser, he slipped into bed, wearing just his boxers. The room was dark with night, Timoteo finding the bed quite comfortable, yet he wasn’t able to slip into sleep as quickly as he would’ve liked.
After half an hour, he was still awake. Finally, as he was growing bothered with how long sleep was taking to come, he heard the door to his room quietly creak open. Confused, he sat up a little, looking over to the doorway. A few candles were lit in the hallway beyond, and though the light coming in through the doorway from them was poor, it seemed fairly bright to Timoteo’s darkness-adjusted eyes. Standing there, in a white nightgown, was Darrah. Her cheeks glistened a little, as if she had been crying. When she noticed him looking at her, she paused. “Oh...You’re awake...” She said, softly. Timoteo sat up more. “What’s wrong?” He asked. She seemed hesitant. “I...Had another nightmare.” She said, quietly. “But, after earlier, if you want me to leave you alone, still...” She said, trailing off. Timoteo’s expression turned peaceful. After shouting at her a little earlier on, he felt bad. He didn’t apologize, as he felt that she had needed to hear what he had to say, but he didn’t try to enforce his request of having her leave him alone. “You wanted to sleep with me, then?” He asked.
Darrah nodded. He nodded her over, saying “It’s fine...I didn’t mean it when I said I wanted you to leave me alone for the rest of my time here.” He saw Darrah smile a little, as if with relief. She walked into the room, shutting the door behind herself, softly saying “I’m surprised you’re still awake...It’s past midnight.” Timoteo quietly said “Eh, I read a little, but I couldn’t put the book down until I was already a few chapters in. Now I’m having trouble sleeping.” Darrah chuckled lightly in her throat. She slipped off her nightgown, letting it fall to the floor by his bed. In just her white underwear, she crawled under the sheets of his bed, turning her back to him as she rested on her side. He laid back down, facing her as he rested on his side, as well. His curiosity getting the better of him, he said “Darrah, what’s your nightmare about, anyway? It’s the same one every time, right?” Darrah turned his head towards him slightly, but he couldn’t see her face from over her shoulder. “...Yeah. It is. But...I don’t really think I want to...” She trailed off when he started to move.
Figuring she would’ve asked him to hold her eventually, he took the initiative. Coming closer to her until they were spooning together, her rump to his loins, her back to his chest, he reached a hand over her hip until it smoothed over her stomach. She trembled at his touch, saying “You remember how my brother used to hold me?...” Timoteo said “Yeah, I remember...This was how you wanted to sleep. Helped you sleep quicker, I guess.” Darrah smiled a little. “Yeah...” Was all she mumbled. She was quiet for about a dozen seconds. He was about to ask her again if she would elaborate on her nightmare when she quietly began to speak, on her own. “...It started years ago. When I was just a kid. Long before I even went to the Guild. The nightmare’s always been the same. Makes me wonder if I’ve been cursed or something. Maybe the dream means something, and I just haven’t figured it out, yet.” She let out a heavy sigh through her nose.
“I’m inside the mansion. I’m in my room, and I’m looking at my coronet. I feel like I want to put it on, but...I just end up staring at it for ages. When I finally go to lift it up out of it’s case...” Darrah’s voice went a little more quiet. “Something happens. The mansion tears apart. Wood, stone, furniture, and bodies go flying everywhere. I fall through space for a few seconds before I hear this...This awful roaring...Whatever’s making the sound, it sounds as big as the mansion, itself. Something grabs me by my wrists and ankles, and I get pulled up in the air.” Darrah’s voice tightened up a little as she said “A bright light shines down at me from the sky, but I don’t see what makes the light. It’s too bright to just be the sun. I get a glimpse of what’s holding me. They look like tentacles almost, but they’re made of these hard segmented plates, and they end in sharp points, like spikes. They’re white...Almost like bone.”
She let out a shuddering breath as she said “The roaring starts up again. Ungodly crying and screeching. I look down. I’m floating up in the sky above the mansion, pretty high up. The mansion looks like a tornado hit it, it’s just rubble. The tentacles holding me?...There’s dozens of them. Maybe hundreds. They’re all coming from the middle of the rubble, f-from inside. I never see what the tentacles are connected to. And...And then...” Timoteo couldn’t see, but Darrah closed her eyes, a few tears creeping from the corners of her eyes. “The tentacles holding me start to hurt me. They tear me in half, tear me apart, impale me, do everything they can to massacre me. I feel it Tim, it feels as real as real life. The pain is h-horrifying. I always come back together after, though, and the tentacles just rip me up again and again. It always goes on for minutes before I wake up.” Her voice going small, she mumbled “It’s like I’m being tortured, every time it happens...I can still feel the pain...It’s so real!...”
Timoteo rubbed at her stomach comfortingly. His expression was unhappy as he said “I’m sorry, Darrah...You don’t deserve that. Is there nothing that can be done?...” Darrah shook her head. “I told my brother about it once, and he told my father. My father tried to help, got all these people to give me different potions and drinks and stuff, to try and see if it would make the nightmares stop. Nothing worked. Well, there was this one mixture that seemed to work, but it worked too well.” She sniffled, getting herself under full control once more. “I stopped having nightmares, yeah, but I stopped having dreams in general. Sleeping made me feel less well-rested. The nightmares don’t happen frequently enough that I want to kiss my dreams goodbye, too. So, I stopped taking that mixture. Eventually, I just told my father I’d deal with it on my own.”
“I wish there was something I can do...”
“There is. You can do what my brother did, and hold me just like this, any time it happens...”
Timoteo gave her stomach another gentle rub, his fingers passing over her navel a few times. “Alright...I suppose it helps enough...I already told you I’d help you whenever you had a nightmare, though...” Darrah smiled gently at his touch and his words. “I’m sorry we fought earlier...I didn’t want to bring her up, it just happened...” Darrah murmured. Timoteo didn’t smile. “It’s fine...Let’s just really make an effort not to talk about her again, okay?” Darrah said “I promise, I’ll try...” Timoteo smiled a little, then. He closed his eyes. “Good. Now, let’s get some sleep...” Darrah smiled warmly, closing her eyes, saying “Alright...And thanks for listening...” Timoteo didn’t respond. Quickly, he fell asleep, Darrah joining him in the darkness.
When morning came, Timoteo very quickly noticed that an odd feeling was evident down against his groin. It felt as if something was crammed against him, pressing rather hard against his manhood. He pondered on the feeling for a moment before his eyes shot open. He was mistaken. Nothing was pressing hard against him. He was pressing hard against something. Pulling back subtly, he felt his stiffened tool come away from Darrah’s rump. He waited for her to react, and let out a little sigh of relief when she didn’t. “She must be asleep, still...Thank Avo. Would’ve been hard to explain that.” He thought. Slipping away from her, getting up from the bed, he looked to a nearby window. The sun had risen only a little, it was obviously still early in the morning. He stretched and yawned, walking over to the dresser he had rested his clothes over the evening before. Just as he finished getting dressed, he heard a faint voice come from his nearby pack. “Tim?...Are you there?...”
He smiled when he realized the gentle voice was Bianca’s. Walking over, he opened up his pack and pulled out his Guild Seal. He walked out on to the balcony before responding to her. Standing near the guardrail, he looked out over the horizon, saying “Yeah, I’m here. It’s good to hear from you.” Bianca sounded happy as she said “I miss you. How is everything?” Timoteo smiled a little as he said “I miss you, too. Things here are...Going well, I suppose.” Bianca sounded lightly curious as she said “You don’t sound so sure.” Timoteo’s mouth hung open for a second before he found the words to respond. “...Well, Darrah introduced me to her father’s men, last night. Made speeches to let them all know I would be helping in the fight when it happened. But...Eh, there was an issue with Darrah yesterday. And her sister, too.” “Is anything wrong?” Bianca asked. Timoteo shrugged lightly. “I shouldn’t worry you with it. It’s nothing. Darrah being Darrah, and her sister trying to get my attention. Her sister, Natalie, seems to think she can get my attention away from the reason I’m here.”
“Is she trying to take your attention away from Darrah?” Bianca said, with a faint tone of amusement. Timoteo chuckled lightly. “Yeah, maybe she thinks she can upset Darrah by snatching me away. Won’t work for several reasons, but she’ll give up, eventually. I hope.” Bianca tittered softly. Timoteo curiously said “So, does Grizelda know what Octavia might be up to?” Bianca quietly said “She has suspicions...She’s been gone for a few hours, now. She said she was going to check something, just to make sure if Octavia was trying to do one particular thing. What that thing is, she wouldn’t tell me. I’ll ask her when I see her again. I know for certain, though, that my mother is trying to do some sort of ritual. My father’s heart is likely a key element.” Timoteo suddenly heard footsteps walk out onto the balcony. He looked up from his Guild Seal without tilting his head back, simply looking out over the horizon. Darrah walked out beside him, wearing her nightgown over her underwear.
She leaned over slightly, putting her elbows to the guardrail, looking out over the horizon with a peaceful expression on her face. She said nothing to interrupt his conversation. Timoteo decided not to give Darrah a chance to say something hurtful, saying “Well, Darrah wants to train with me, Bianca. I can’t keep her waiting. Want to talk again tonight?” Bianca warmly said “Alright. I’ll contact your Seal again, later on. Talk to you later.” The glow from his Seal faded. Darrah looked over to him with a little smile, raising an eyebrow slightly, saying “You wanted to train, today?” Timoteo didn’t go back on his words, suppressing a sigh while saying “Might as well. It can be a way to prove to the men that I’m not a pushover.” Darrah smiled a little more. Standing up straight, she said “Well, first thing’s first. We both take baths again. Then, we get dressed in fresh clothes. Can’t wear the same thing two days in a row, not unless it’s been cleaned, anyway.”
Timoteo smiled a little with amusement. “Of course not. What was I thinking?” He said, sarcastically. Darrah reached over and flicked him over his left temple, making him flinch with surprise. She smiled widely, her brow furrowed a little. “Be quiet. It’s the social rules. I did it every day for about ten years. You’ll get used to it for the time you’re here, maybe you’ll even come to like it. After that, we can thrash each other senseless. We can wear our Guild clothes for the training, though. Might as well, since we’re gonna sweat.” “Yeah, yeah.” Timoteo said, glancing upwards for a second.
After taking baths and getting dressed in their old clothes from the Guild, they found themselves a training room on the mansion’s second floor, among the guard barracks. The room was fairly large and square-shaped, several weapon stands all along the walls, each holding wooden swords for training. Darrah walked over and grabbed a pair of wooden swords, tossing one to Timoteo, Timoteo catching the weapon by the blade, the blade of the weapon merely a thick and round striking section, making the swords more like clubs. “Wooden?” He curiously said, examining the weapon. Darrah smiled, taking the weapon by the handle, saying “Of course, don’t want to risk a serious injury before a battle, do we? Wooden swords work just fine. Don’t need the sound of metal against metal to make you more skilled.” Timoteo shrugged. “I guess not.” Taking the weapon by the handle, he faced her, saying “I’m more used to a mace, though.”
Darrah smiled with amusement, saying “Have you looked at that thing? It’s not exactly an exact replica of a sword, you know.” Timoteo rolled his eyes. The both of them got into combative stances. Staring at each other, they slowly began to circle one another, holding their weapons steady. Eventually, Darrah smirked, saying “Are you gonna come at me, or what?” Timoteo made a “pfft” sound before saying “Can I use magic?” Darrah quickly said “Of course not, that wouldn’t be fair! Besides, I’m not even wearing armour!” Timoteo raised an eyebrow. “Then I’m at the disadvantage, here. Charging you would be idiotic.” Darrah grinned a little. “Fine then, I’ll make the first move, mage.” She suddenly charged for him, raising her weapon up once she was near. He rolled past her, close to her right side, jumping up to his feet. She twisted around and faced him before he could strike at her back. He swung for her anyway, Darrah whipping her sword over, the wood of their weapons clunking hard against one another.
Darrah spun her arm around, bringing her weapon down for his head. He grabbed his sword with both hands, shooting it up, stopping her blow with his sword. She shot a fist out, crashing hard into his stomach, sending him stumbling back as he tried catching his breath. He didn’t have a chance to tell her his thoughts on her, in his mind, unfair move. She rushed for him again, swinging down for his head again. Angry over her move, he decided to treat her similarly. He took a quick step to the side, narrowly dodging her attack. Reaching an arm past her, he crashed his elbow into her shoulder blades, bending her over. Shooting a knee up, he rammed it into her stomach, causing her to let out a heavy exhale of shock, the wind torn from her lungs. She managed to bash him away, sucking in air as she made a horizontal swing for him. The tip of her blade whipped into his right shoulder, and Timoteo winced for a moment. It felt like a stinging welt had instantly been raised in his skin; the sword hurt a lot more than he expected them to.
He barely noticed a guard walk by the doorway, pause, and look inside. When he saw the two of them fighting, he rushed off excitedly. “I think we’ve been noticed!” He said, smiling. “Shut up!” Darrah said, breathlessly yet with good humour. She ran for him, swinging hard at him. He swung over and parried her strike. For a while, they hit sword against sword, Darrah always advancing, forcing Timoteo to always back up. Rather quickly, guards started to pour into the room, cheering, watching the two spar. Within a minute or two, there were easily around three dozen guards watching them, and it seemed like more were coming every few seconds. Timoteo glanced behind himself. Darrah was working him closer and closer to a nearby wall, trying to trap him. Panting, he dove to the side, rolling up to his feet and moving past her, no longer in danger of being trapped. Darrah sprinted for him, baring her teeth as she whipped her sword for him in flurries.
Timoteo had trouble stopping the force behind her attacks, and she was coming at him faster and faster, making it hard for him to keep up with her. A chant began to rise up among the guards, the guards all calling out “Use magic, use magic!” Timoteo ignored the chanting, trying to swing for Darrah’s stomach. His unpredictable move caused them both to strike each other, Darrah’s sword crashing down against his left shoulder, the length of his sword impacting with her ribs, just below her bosom. They both winced, Timoteo taking a few quick steps to the side, putting space between the two. The chanting continued unabated. Darrah ran in a mad dash for him, surprising him when she threw her sword up between the two. She spun around, reaching up and catching the weapon by the handle when she faced him again. He barely raised his sword in time to try and block her Flourish attack. A loud “crack” rose up when her sword crashed against his.
The training weapon was thrown from his hand, the weapon cracked deeply at the middle of it’s length. Disarmed, he saw Darrah swing for him again, a split-second later casting Physical Shield. A massive cheer rose up among the guards. Darrah’s sword bounced off of his Will-fuelled barrier, her face going annoyed at his use of magic. Timoteo ran over to a nearby weapon rack, Darrah chasing him all the while. He grabbed a second training sword, spinning around just in time to crash his sword against her’s. He went on the offensive, forcing her back, the two swinging for each other from all over but always finding simply the other’s blade. If Darrah ever did manage to bypass his sword, her weapon simply bounced off his barrier. The cheering from the guards was growing deafening in volume. Darrah, seemingly fed up with his barrier, unleashed another Flourish. Grabbing her weapon with both hands, she stabbed the tip for his chest, surprising Timoteo with her force.
He felt the vibration from her attack throb through his entire shield. Because his shield held strong, however, she only succeeded in causing the barrier to launch her weapon clear from her grip, the weapon flinging straight across the room. She twisted to the side a little from the barrier’s deflection of her blow, Timoteo using that to his advantage. Tackling her, he forced her to the ground, bringing the middle of his sword’s length to her throat. He held her down and limited her ability to breath, but the frenzied Darrah wouldn’t yield. Punching at him with all her might, her fists bounced off his barrier, doing nothing to him. Timoteo put more pressure on her throat, but she still kept trying to lower his barrier. Finally, it became clear to him that she wouldn’t give in until he had cut her off from oxygen entirely, and forced her into unconsciousness. He wasn’t willing to do that. Throwing his sword off to the side, he fought with her for a moment, grabbing her arms by the wrists.
In her rising rage, he barely had the strength to keep the other Hero’s fists away from him; as a Hero of Strength, she naturally had the advantage. “Stop, Darrah, it’s over!” He said, above the cheering. Darrah tried kneeing up into his lower back. “No! I refuse!” She breathlessly shouted. Timoteo struggled with her for a few seconds more before loudly saying “Damn it Darrah, quit it! It’s over!” Darrah struggled for a few seconds more before letting out a heavy sigh, panting angrily. She looked off to the side, ceasing her struggling. “Fine, you win.” She finally admitted. The guards began to clap loudly, the clapping sounding like thunder rumbles, given the number of guards in the room by that point. Timoteo’s shield fell, then. He got up from her, offering to help her up, but she got up on her own. The guards kept clapping and cheering for a minute before they slowly began to disperse. Some offered congratulations to the two, words of encouragement.
When they were finally all gone, Darrah merely looked at him and said “I was at the disadvantage. I had no armour or shield.” Timoteo raised his eyebrows, smiling as he said “And I couldn’t use offensive magic. Magic in general, really. The Physical Shield was just an instinctual thing, by this point.” Darrah smiled viciously and walked away for her sword, saying “Again!” over her shoulder. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. She wanted to go again? “Oh, boy...I’ve got a long day ahead of me...” He thought, despite a little smile growing on his face.
The two sparred until lunch, where they finally stopped for the day. Taking baths once more, they got dressed in fancier clothing. Darrah’s dress was much like the one she had worn the day before; from the waist down, it was pure white, but the section covering her torso was made entirely of soft red velvet. Timoteo’s second set of clothes was identical to his first, though the colours were different; instead of red and gold for the shirt, the colours were deep blue and green, and instead of dark blue pants, the pants were simply black. Darrah had her hair styled differently, that afternoon. Instead of her hair entirely being swept back and kept in place with her jewelled hairband, she had most of her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Some of her hair was left free, the hair hanging down over the right side of her forehead, covering her temple and just partially covering her right eye. Combined with her fresh makeup, Timoteo was once again stunned by how she looked, something that Darrah seemed secretly pleased with.
She led him up to her father’s war room, walking in with him. She found him alone with Wesley, the Captain of the Guard, Miller nowhere to be seen. When they walked in, the lord and his captain looked up from the maps scattered over the table. The lord of the estate raised a hand, saying “And here they are. Wesley, this is Timoteo, the Hero Darrah invited to help with Benedict.” Timoteo and Darrah walked over to the table, Timoteo shaking Wesley’s hand, saying “Good to meet you.” Wesley nodded politely. “Where’s Miller?” Darrah asked. Wesley said “He’s gone out to check on his scouts. He’ll collect their reports and head back here to give us an update.” Darrah looked to Timoteo, speaking as if to explain a question he must’ve had on his mind. “Our scouts use birds to carry messages, since it’s a lot faster than having someone go on foot. Miller’s collecting the notes from the birds.” Timoteo nodded slightly. Looking back to her father, Darrah said “I guess they haven’t changed course?”
The lord shook his head, saying “Last time we got an update from the scouts, it said they were still heading directly for us.” Darrah put her hands to the table, leaning over, looking to a map. “If we assume they never change course, what paths could they take to reach us?” She asked. Wesley pointed to a few spots on the map. “We need to take the army’s size into consideration. They could cross this plain, but we would see them coming at least an hour before they reached us. The bandits might not care about that, but it’s hard to imagine anyone being that foolish, we’d have quite a lot of time to ready ourselves. They could try to cross through the forest here, which would give them more of a surprise element. We wouldn’t see them coming until they were rather close by. But, crossing the forest would take longer. They could take this valley pass here to strike Sundale from the south, work their way up, and come at the estate. It would be foolish, since Sundale is full of the lord’s knights, and someone would certainly come to alert us. They could try to pass Sundale and come to the estate from the west, but the bandits would probably consider that too much work. Besides, it would give them no special advantage.”
“What about the north?” Timoteo asked. Wesley shook his head. “Attacking from the north would make no sense. There’d be no particular tactical advantage, and the entrance to the grounds is at the south side. Attacking from the north would be a waste of time, men, and resources.” The lord said “They might try to use ladders to scale the walls, or ropes with hooks on them, but the walls are too high for that to be a smart move. Besides, with the mansion perimeter on a hill, if the ropes were cut or the ladders tipped over, anyone using them could be seriously injured from such a high fall. The bandits couldn’t be desperate enough to get past the walls to risk that.” Darrah said “And I suppose, wherever they strike, the men will pour out and battle them?”
The lord nodded. “Crossbows will support from the perimeter, of course. The men in Sundale are gearing up and training, as well. Some small forces will head out. If one of them runs into vanguards of the bandits, they’ll blow a horn. Other forces will hear the horn, blow their own, and it’ll continue until everyone in Sundale knows about it, along with us. The forces will, hopefully, be able to fall back until they’re in the plain between Sundale and the estate. That way, our own forces can easily join the fray along with the rest of the Sundale forces, while the crossbowmen on the estate perimeter will still be able to offer decent support. If our forces need to fall back, they won’t have to go far.” Darrah nodded. “Sounds good. With the men in such high spirits, I don’t see why this battle won’t be a quick victory for us.” “I can. If the bandits have more firearms than we expect them to...” Wesley said, trailing off.
The lord quickly said “Miller’s looking in to that, but it’s just common sense that the bandits won’t all have firearms. There’s too many of them for them all to be armed. Firearms are probably too expensive for most bandits, anyway.” Everyone was silent for a moment. Eventually, the lord looked to Darrah, smiling pleasantly. “Darrah, why don’t you show Timoteo the lounge? You can relax with some drinks. I hear you sparred for a while, anyway. A break from combative thinking will do you both some good.” Darrah sighed gently. “Alright. Come on, Tim. Up to the fifth floor we go.” Timoteo noticed how disappointed she sounded at her father sending her away, but he didn’t speak up. He turned when she did, departing from the war room with her.
Later that evening, Timoteo was in his bedroom, resting over his bed, sitting up near his pillows. A few lit candles sat over the nearby bedside table, illuminating the top of his bed. In one hand, he held his Guild Seal, and in the other, he held the book he had taken an interest in, the one about the thief. The book was open to his current page, but the book was turned upside-down on his left thigh, Timoteo’s eyes on his Seal. It was glowing blue, a connection established with Bianca. His face was calm as he listened to her speak. “...Grizelda’s still not back, yet. I’m starting to worry. She didn’t say she’d be gone for so long. Something might have gone wrong, somewhere.” “Did she tell you where she was going?” Timoteo asked. Bianca sighed audibly through her nose. “No...She just told me she was going to check something, to see if Octavia had something in particular in mind. She never said she was going to be gone all day. She might be gone longer, or this might be something she didn’t plan. Maybe it just slipped her mind to let me know she could be gone for a while.”
“I’m sure she’s fine.” Timoteo confidently said. Bianca lightly said “I’m sure you’re right, I shouldn’t worry...She can take care of herself.” Lightly, Bianca said “I’ve been taking a look at any sort of ritual or ceremony involving the heart of one’s spouse, and it’s starting to make me wonder just what my mother’s motives are. What is she trying to accomplish? She wanted revenge on my father for whatever reason she has, but wasn’t it enough to kill him? Why safeguard his heart for so long?” Timoteo said “I’m curious as to how she preserved the heart for this long, assuming she really has it intact, still. I mean, it’s been years. You’d think the heart would’ve rotted away a long time ago.” Timoteo heard the page of a book flip over, Bianca absent-mindedly saying “Oh, I can think of some ways she could preserve it. I have to assume she’s kept it, somewhere.” Timoteo yawned lightly. Bianca apparently heard him, saying “Is it night, there? I should let you sleep. We can talk later.”
Timoteo quickly said “Mm, I’ve got a bit of a favour to ask. Should ask you before I forget.” Bianca warmly said “Of course, what’s on your mind?” Timoteo said “I’ve taken a look at the books in the room I have here, and there isn’t a single thing on Will.” “I’m not surprised.” Bianca said. Timoteo smiled a little, saying “Learning Heal Life would make life easier. With the battle coming, it could make a big difference. Did you ever see a book around Grizelda’s cottage about it?” Bianca didn’t need to think of an answer. Affectionately, she said “No, she doesn’t have any books like Guild material. But I could probably find a tome out there, and explain it to you over our Seals.” Timoteo cautiously said “With the League hunting, it’d be safer at Grizelda’s cottage...” Bianca softly said “I know, but if you know that spell, it could save your life. I’m willing to risk dealing with League hunters if it means I might give you the chance to save a life, later on.”
Timoteo smiled a little. “Thank you, Bianca.” He said, simply. “I’m thinking of you, every minute. I can’t wait to be in your arms, again.” Bianca murmured. “A little over a week, then we can be together again.” He quietly said, smiling more. Bianca cooed out “Goodnight, Tim...” He said the same in return on instinct, even though he knew it could’ve been hours before Bianca actually went to sleep, given the certainty that she had a different sleep schedule than him. The glow around his Seal faded, and he slipped it into his pack, his pack resting on the floor just beside his bed. He picked up his book and drifted off into the world weaved through the author’s words. He had been reading for a while when he heard a little knock at his door. Confused, he looked up from his book, glancing over to the door. “Darrah?” He said, curious. “Can’t be her. Two nights in a row? She doesn’t have her nightmares that often, does she?” He thought.
The door opened up a little, and he saw a light creep through the widening crack. The door opened enough for a figure to step in, Timoteo realizing the figure was holding a candle, the candle standing over some sort of shallow dish meant to catch dripping wax. His eyes went wide when he took in the figure’s appearance. It was Natalie, dressed in a transparent white nightgown. She wore white underwear beneath the nightgown, but the underwear seemed as small as possible; the bra, for instance, seemed ridiculously tiny, the bra not even possessing true cups. Instead, mere pieces of fabric stretched over her nipples, just barely covering her areolae. The straps to the bra were thinner than the length of one’s pinky finger, the fabric nearly invisible as a result, almost creating the illusion of Natalie wearing no bra at all. Her panties reminded Timoteo heavily of the kind Bianca wore, as Natalie’s panties intentionally seemed as small as possible.
Barely covering her womanhood, the fabric was so scarce that some of her pubic hair was actually visible, pure blonde tufts of hair creeping out above the top of her underwear. She wore pure white stockings on her legs, the stockings covering her from the upper reaches of her thighs down to her toes. The stockings hugged tight to her, remaining elevated without the aid of a garter belt. Her hair was let down, her locks let loose in a mane of blonde. Some of her hair hung down near her eyes from over her forehead, drawing attention to her makeup. She wore quite a bit of black eyeshadow and mascara, scarlet lipstick complimenting the seductive look. She was wearing white slippers with diamond patterns over the front, the diamonds patterned to look like flowers. She smiled widely at him, shutting the door behind herself. He dropped his book to the bed, by his left leg.
“Natalie, what in Avo’s name-?”
“Shh, no need to say a thing. We have our privacy, now.”
She sashayed across the room, swaying her hips enticingly, approaching his bed. When he was about to get up from the bed, she was upon him, resting her candle down on his bedside table. She sat down in his lap, her legs off to the side, trapping him in place. She brought an arm around his shoulders, smiling strongly. “I got tired of waiting for you to come to me, so I came to you.” She said. He raised his eyebrows, keeping his hands away from her, saying “Natalie, this is a ba-” She cut him off, raising her free hand to his face, daintily pressing a finger to his lips. She smiled confidently, saying “A bad idea? Don’t worry. Darrah has no idea I’m here, which must feel like a blessing, to you.” Natalie tilted her head left and right, looking upwards as she spoke with annoyance. “Oh, how she must drive you insane. She’s always been the little witch of the family. Don’t you wish you had someone more carefree? Someone more accepting? I find it hard to believe that Darrah isn’t trying to sculpt and mould you into her vision of the perfect man. Nobody has the right to try and enforce that ideal on someone, even if they have the wealth our father provides for us. Besides, I find it very hard to imagine that she can please you in bed effectively.”
Timoteo pulled his head to the side for a second, forcing Natalie’s finger from his lips. He raised an eyebrow, saying “I think you’ve gotten the wrong idea about us, Natalie. Darrah and I aren’t together.” Natalie grinned, saying “Don’t try and lie, Timoteo. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, and you seem comfortable enough with her. But, come on. I know what you want...You want these.” With the arm she had around his shoulders, she planted her hand against the back of his head, tilting his head forwards until his eyes were level with her bosom. She lightly twisted her shoulders left and right for a moment, making her globes jiggle around from beneath the mockery of a bra she wore. A hint of red hit his cheeks. Natalie grinned even more at his reaction. “I thought so. Darrah can’t give you these, now can she? She’s done her growing, she’s never going to get any bigger, and right now, she’s got nothing worth flaunting. I, on the other hand...”
Leaning his head back until his eyes met her’s, she smiled as she murmured seductively. “Want to see some of the things I can do with them?...I think you’d be surprised what fun can be had...Just give up on Darrah, my sweet...” Timoteo raised his eyebrows, firmly saying “Natalie, I’m not with Darrah. You could ask her, yourself. I’m with someone else.” Natalie stared into his eyes for a few seconds, scrutinizing him perhaps, likely trying to detect some hint that he was lying. Eventually, she smiled more, saying “You’re smart, then. Darrah would just try to control you. Dominate every part of your life.” “Maybe, maybe not, it doesn’t matter, I’m not with her.” He said. Natalie grinned, bouncing up and down in his lap for a moment, pressing her rump into his loins. “Good! I bet your little honey isn’t anywhere near as curvy as I am, though.” “Eh-” “Of course she isn’t. I’m a renowned beauty, you know. Known from here to Oakvale. Do you have any idea how many men vie for my affections?”
Timoteo sighed with annoyance, furrowing his brow a little, saying “Look, Natalie, no offence, but I’m not interested. I know what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to cause problems between Darrah and I.” Natalie’s expression slowly went cold. He continued, saying “Darrah makes it sound like we’ll be fighting at the front of your father’s forces together, and if we can’t keep the peace between us, it could have consequences for the battle. That’s why what you’re trying to do is a serious problem.” Natalie softly said “This is the second time you’re rejecting me, Timoteo. Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t want to make an enemy of me.” Timoteo, amused and insulted by her threat, smiled a little. Deciding on saying something he normally wouldn’t have said, he chuckled and muttered “Please. Natalie, I love the girl I’m with, for starters. Secondly, when it comes to beauty, she blows you out of the water. You’re beating a dead horse by trying to tempt me. Honestly, it’d be best if you just left.”
Natalie’s face went a little red with anger, much like Darrah’s often did. She was quiet for a second before, in a low tone, anger burning behind her words, she said “I’ll scream if you don’t do what I want. I’ll tell everyone you tried raping me. Not even Darrah could protect you, then. My father’d have you tortured for months before finally letting you starve to death.” Timoteo felt worried about her threat for a second before he relaxed. Smiling widely, his eyes going dark with subdued fury, he said “Right, because anyone would believe that. If I had tried raping you, would I really go to the trouble of getting you to dress up like you are? Would I have gone through with forcing you to put on your makeup perfectly? Could I have gotten you into my room without restraining you, without giving you a chance to cry out for help before this point? You’re being ridiculous.” Natalie’s face went dark red from forehead to chin. She slowly slipped her arm away from his shoulders, staring hard into his eyes.
Quietly, she stood up from his lap, leaning over and blowing out the candle she had rested over his bedside table. “...Have a pleasant night, Hero.” Natalie muttered, barely able to contain the hatred from her tone. Timoteo said nothing in response, watching her march across the room to the door. She quietly exited, shutting the door behind herself almost without a sound. He sighed heavily, lying back on his bed. “Skorm’s teeth, what else could possibly happen?...” He muttered aloud. Sitting up again, starting to pull off his clothes, he thought “I should get a lock on that damn door...Seems like I’m getting a visitor every night. Sheesh...”
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Fable : Fall of the Guild