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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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Heroism.
Fable : Fall of the Guild

Part X - "...It Was To Save A Country"

By: Jesse Racine AKA Samson

Original Date Written: February 6, 2013

The group had stayed at Timoteo and Bianca’s home for only an hour more, before Abel returned with a message from Grizelda. It was merely a notice, asking them to stay put until Grizelda, herself, could reach the cottage. Within fifteen minutes, there was a knock at the front door...
Bianca twisted the knob, pulling the door inwards. Everyone else looked over from the kitchen as Grizelda’s guardian walked in, a pleasant smile on her face. She seemed unharmed, in fact, Timoteo couldn’t notice anything different about her, since the last time he had seen her. No scars, no rips in her clothing, no weary lack of energy in her eyes. Apparently, her harassment of Witchspotter forces in Darkwood hadn’t taken much of a toll on her. Timoteo walked over as Grizelda greeted Bianca with a kiss on her forehead. “How have you been, my dear? You look upset...” Grizelda shut the door behind herself as Bianca glanced at Timoteo, quietly saying “We have to talk to you about a few things, Grizelda...We’re leaving soon, so this might be our last chance.” Timoteo nodded a little, adding “In private. We should go upstairs.” Grizelda looked at them both with a bit of amused bewilderment. “Last chance? I certainly think not. If this is about what Abel told me, I’m sure you’ll have a few more chances, down the road.”
“It’s about more than that.” Bianca softly answered, barely meeting her guardian’s eyes. Grizelda looked at Bianca for a few moments, then looked over at Timoteo. She gazed at him for a second before looking past his shoulder, seeing Gibbons, Darrah, Brute, and Marilyn in the kitchen, all with sombre expressions on their faces. “...What’s wrong?” She slowly asked, her eyes shifting back to Timoteo’s. Timoteo motioned for Grizelda to follow, he and Bianca beginning to walk over for the staircase. Grizelda followed close behind, saying “How are you, Tim? It’s been a little while since we last saw one another.” “...I’ve been better.” He quietly said, his tone subtly tense. Grizelda blinked, keeping her silence just until the trio had reached the top of the staircase. As they walked into the bedroom, she lightly said “Clearly, something is bothering everyone in here. I find it hard to believe that they’re all so grim about your decision to have children. So, what happened?”
Bianca’s eyes went to the floor, eventually creeping over in Timoteo’s direction. Timoteo raised his chin a little, but his eyes were on the floor, as well. “...My father was executed at the Witchwood Arena, just recently. He’s gone.” Grizelda looked at him with empathy, only speaking after a few seconds. “I’m sorry to hear that, Tim...It must be difficult. This conflict will claim many more victims before it’s over, however.” “Yes, of course. I realize that.” Timoteo merely said, his eyes going blank, again. Bianca looked over at his eyes for a moment, her expression turning noticeably concerned. Grizelda noticed the lifeless look in his eyes, as well, suppressed surprise briefly flashing across her face. She slowly walked up to him, holding out her arms. He let her wrap her arms around him, hugging him close, Grizelda pressing him against herself in a tender embrace. Grizelda kissed him on his jaw before she released him, taking a step back, keeping her hands on his shoulders.
She gazed into his eyes, her face neutral, no expression to her. Timoteo didn’t look into her eyes, right away, but eventually, he met the elder Will-user’s emerald gaze. Bianca watched them curiously, keeping her silence. Grizelda met his eyes for a moment before slowly releasing his shoulders, taking another step back. Timoteo blinked. Somehow, she knew. He could see it inside her, she understood. Either his pain, or his anger, maybe even both. She knew what he was feeling, what he was thinking, and she could sympathize. The words that drifted between her plump lips, a moment later, only confirmed his instinct. “You want revenge. You want to strike the League in retaliation.” “...Yes.” Timoteo quietly uttered out. Grizelda nodded briefly, no disapproving look coming over her. “That’s understandable. That’s the reason why you’re leaving, I suppose...And you’re bringing Bianca with you. And the others.” Grizelda slowly said.
“I’m going of my own free will.” Bianca quickly stated. “Are they?” Grizelda asked, looking over at her. “I made it clear to them that they don’t have to come, and that I’m not expecting them to accompany me. I’m not forcing them.” Timoteo simply said, his eyes still on Grizelda. Grizelda looked at him without turning her head, looking at him through the corners of her eyes. Her eyes drifted down his body for a moment before going back up to his eyes. She slowly blinked, looking back to Bianca. Sighing lightly, she crossed her arms beneath her hefty bosom, quietly saying “I had an inkling that something like this would happen, one day. That the League or Witchspotters would hurt a Hero badly enough that they’d want to gather up their friends and attack...Rounding up you two, as well. I had hoped that the issue with your father would resolve itself, Tim, but I hadn’t wanted him to perish.” Timoteo looked at her with mild confusion.
Grizelda looked back over to him, explaining in a soft voice. “I had a feeling that, somehow, the two of you would be dragged into trouble, with the League. I never wanted this, for either of you. I wanted you to go to Snowspire, but you stayed...Likely for the best, I don’t think Snowspire is safe for our kind, anymore. I wanted Octavia dealt with, so that neither of you would have any reason to leave here...And I wanted the problem with your father to go away, so you wouldn’t be pulled into a conflict with the Anti-Hero League. I want you both to stay safe, stay secluded...But I suppose it wasn’t meant to be.” “Grizelda, if we succeed, none of us might have to hide from the League, anymore...We won’t have to worry about being in danger.” Bianca quietly said. Grizelda raised her eyebrows, quite clearly interested as she said “Really? You’re leaving, you’ve got a group of warriors with you, and you think you’ll be able to stop the League...If I were a little more pessimistic, I’d suspect your plan revolved around the Arena, somehow. Am I right?” Timoteo began to explain, reassuringly saying “We’ve got it all planned out, there’s little room for error.” “I’m all ears.” Grizelda said, just a little skeptically.
Timoteo explained Gibbons’ plan, reciting each step like it were a prayer, having had quite a bit of time to commit it all to memory. “We can’t teleport to Witchwood, the League watches all the Cullis Gates in the area like hawks. We’ll have to take a ship to the island, and slip inland. Gibbons and Marilyn, dressed in their League uniforms, will take us all to the Arena. We’ll pretend to be captives, fresh captures the two had made. Of course, we’ll be taken in and scheduled for execution, but that’s where the good part starts.” Raising his eyebrows, he coolly said “Leroy Kreel, the leader of the Anti-Hero League, as well as our good friend Vincent Hopkins, will both be visiting the Arena, soon. When they hear about the four Heroes that had been captured, among them Alexander’s daughter as well as the infamous Witch of Darkwood, they’ll be so tempted to view our executions that they won’t be able to resist watching from the stands.”
Grizelda’s eyes went wide with horror. Timoteo continued, uninterrupted. “Gibbons will be down in the arena with us, and can save us before any of us get shot. We’ll wipe out all of our executioners before running. Marilyn will be up with Leroy and Vincent, she’ll eliminate them before they can escape. Then, Gibbons will take us through a passage he knows, it’ll get us out of the Arena without any issues. We’ll meet up with Marilyn, again, as we get out. Then, it’s a race to our ship.” Shocked, Grizelda loudly said “And what then? Do you honestly believe the League and Witchspotters will just shrug their shoulders and let you sail away? They’ll chase you right back to the mainland!” “We’ll slip away into the forests before boarding our ship, nobody will even know we’re on the vessel when it departs. Nobody will ever know the ship is our’s.” Bianca calmly said. Grizelda narrowed her eyes, raising an eyebrow, angrily saying “Have you forgotten that executions are open to others? Other League members, donating allies-”
“Gibbons will make sure nobody knows about the execution...It won’t be publicly scheduled. Only the right people will be there.” Timoteo cut in, calmly. Grizelda tried thinking of something to say, another objection, but her mouth just hung open for a moment before she closed it. Her brow furrowed, her eyes went to the floor as she uncrossed her arms, putting her hands to her hips. “Cut off the head, and the snake will die.” Bianca calmly said. Grizelda didn’t respond. She was quiet for several moments before she, rather softly, asked “...How do you know this “Leroy” is the leader of the League?” Bianca stepped over to the bed, reaching down to her cloak, currently draped over the foot of the bed. Reaching into a pocket, she quietly said “Gibbons found out about him directly from another League member...And, we have this...” Bianca pulled out a folded-up piece of parchment from the pocket, opening it up as she walked back over to Grizelda.
Handing her the paper, Grizelda gave it a glance, saying “The bounty for the Witch of Darkwood’s head...What is...Hm. Yes, I see.” Bianca nodded, staring at the paper in Grizelda’s hand. “The initials at the bottom, “L.K.”...We didn’t know who they stood for, when we first found the bounty. We knew it had to be someone important, since their name is with Vincent’s...Now, we know. Leroy Kreel, leader of the League.” Grizelda looked at the parchment for another moment before slowly beginning to fold it back up. She slowly smiled a little, looking over at Bianca knowingly. “And you’ll pose as the Witch of Darkwood to lure Hopkins in, hmm? Bold plan, very bold.” Bianca barely shrugged, her eyes a bit warm as she said “Nobody will know the difference. He says so, himself, in the paper...The Witch of Darkwood is the Witchspotters’ biggest target. I’d be the captive he’s always wanted, the trophy execution he’s been aching to see. He won’t be able to resist.”
Grizelda gave a slow nod. Her eyes shifted to Timoteo as he added “We’re hoping that three other Heroes, including Darrah, whose father upset the League fairly badly, will be enough to lure Leroy in. He’ll already be at the Arena, it won’t really be any trouble for him to see us die. He’ll have no reason not to attend. It might even look bad for him, if he refuses to watch us die.”
“This is a very dangerous plan, Timoteo. You’re putting yourself in a lot of danger...Bianca, too.”
“I know. It’s not my plan, to tell you the truth...But I don’t think there’s any other way. At the very least, this way is the quickest and least complicated. Going after Leroy and Vincent separately would be a lot more dangerous.”
“It was dangerous going after my mother, as well...Timoteo didn’t walk away. I won’t turn my back on him. His father should be avenged, it’s...Just a matter of being careful about it.”
Grizelda took in a slow breath, sighing out her words. “Well...Revenge, I can understand.” Grizelda gave a nod, raising her eyebrows for a second, crossing her arms under her bosom, again. “If that’s what you need, and if Bianca wants to go with you...I don’t have any right to stop either of you. I just want you to think about this...I hope you understand what you’re doing, what you’re risking.” Timoteo and Bianca both nodded. Grizelda nodded a little, calmly saying “Alright, then. This is your path...I shouldn’t interfere. I don’t like the danger you’re putting yourselves in, and if I had it my way, you’d forget all about your plan...But you’re both adults, I don’t control you. That wasn’t the main reason I came here, however...Abel had a very different message for me.” Grizelda started to smile a bit, raising her chin, knowingly saying “You two were looking to start a family...My, my. That’s no small decision.” Timoteo looked over to Bianca.
She met his eyes, the two of them starting to smile. Bianca stepped closer to his side, reaching over, slipping her hand into his. “We wanted your advice...Do you think we’re ready?...” Bianca lightly asked, looking deep into Grizelda’s eyes. “We have our own home, we hunt and grow our own food, we can protect ourselves...” Timoteo slowly listed off. Grizelda nodded a little, saying “All true. I’m happy you love each other enough to consider this, but having children is not an easy thing...That’s probably why I never had any, myself. It’s most stressful when they’re infants, it gets a bit easier once they get older...Nevertheless, it’s not a decision to be made lightly. It changes your entire life, permanently.” Grizelda lost her smile, lowering her chin. Coming across as quite honest, her expression was relaxed, the advice obviously coming straight from her heart.
A bit softly, she said “To be honest, if I were either of you, I’d want to wait a little while longer. You’re both still young...And that’s not to say I think either of you are immature. I would wait, mostly because family life is never what you expect...It’s fulfilling, but very difficult. Right now, you’re still a couple in love...That kind of life is very fun, trust me, I know. Having children would put a stop to it.” Timoteo and Bianca looked at each other, their smiles faltering. “Um...Grizelda...Last night, we...” Timoteo slowly said, looking back over to her. Bianca finished his thought, quietly saying “We didn’t use a condom...” Grizelda raised her eyebrows in surprise, slowly saying “Oh!...Well...Hm.” Reassuringly, Grizelda smiled, raising a hand and giving a carefree little wave. “It doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to become pregnant, Bianca. Just don’t make a habit out of it. There’s a chance you won’t become pregnant, not a big one, but it’s there. If you do, well...Such is life. I’ll help you both however I can.”
Taking a step closer to them, she uncrossed her arms, reaching out to them both. Placing a hand on a shoulder for each of them, she warmly said “I only suggest waiting because a lover’s life is a very warm one...It’s not wrong to enjoy it. I think you’d both make wonderful parents.” Timoteo and Bianca both smiled more. At Grizelda’s approval, Bianca’s eyes started to go a little moist. Grizelda gave them each a hug, Bianca, and then Timoteo. “I love you both, and I’m proud to see you reach this point. Let there be no confusion, about that.” Grizelda stated, smiling widely. “Thank you, that means a lot.” Timoteo calmly replied, smiling contently. Bianca gave his hand a squeeze, and he affectionately squeezed back. Grizelda turned and began to head for the staircase nearby, saying “Now, I’m sure you want to leave on your little voyage as soon as possible, and I know of a group of Witchspotters that requires my attention, so I won’t take any more of your time.”
Timoteo and Bianca walked after her, continuing to hold hands until they had reached the bottom of the staircase. “Of course...It was nice seeing you again, Grizelda.” Timoteo warmly offered. “And you as well, Tim. The two of you are never far from my thoughts.” Grizelda said, giving him a glance over her shoulder, smiling. As the trio approached the front door of the home, the others watched from the kitchen, listening quietly. “I missed you.” Bianca softly said, looking up into Grizelda’s eyes. Grizelda smiled and tittered. “Ohh, I missed you too, dear.” Grizelda fondly said, giving Bianca a motherly kiss to her forehead. “Stay safe.” Bianca murmured, looking at Grizelda earnestly. Grizelda smiled more, giving Bianca a cockeyed look, quickly saying “I should be telling you that.” “Well...” Bianca mumbled out, trailing off. Grizelda raised a hand, affectionately stroking down the side of Bianca’s head. “When you come back, find me at the cottage. I’m sure you’ll have a story to tell.” She merely said, smiling confidently.
Bianca looked up to Grizelda’s eyes, giving a little nod in understanding. Grizelda gazed into Bianca’s eyes for a moment before opening the front door, stepping outside. She silently walked off into the darkness, disappearing from view in seconds. Timoteo and Bianca watched her until the shadows had swallowed her, then he shut the door. The two of them turned and walked over into the kitchen just as Darrah curiously asked “Who was that, anyway?” Bianca met Darrah’s eyes as she quietly answered her. “Grizelda...She raised me, after I was exiled from the Guild.” Darrah gave a nod, her eyes momentarily going to the floor. “Oh...Right.” She agreeably enough said. “What’d you guys talk about?” Brute asked, looking at Timoteo curiously. Timoteo stuck his hands into his pockets, not divulging the whole truth to them. “We told her about our plan, asked for her advice, and such. She thinks it’s dangerous, and she’s right, but we...I...Need to do this.”
Darrah walked over towards him, calmly saying “Stop making this sound like you’re alone, Tim...We’re with you, danger or not. Like you said, we’ve all been affected by the League. We need to do this just as much as you do.” Timoteo looked at her for a second before looking at the others. Gibbons, Marilyn, and Brute all nodded. Timoteo took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Alright, then...Are we all ready to go? Sooner we leave, the sooner we do this.” The other three got up to their feet, Gibbons giving a nod, saying “Yeah, let’s get this show on the road. We can get supplies and a ship in Oakvale. The rest of you will have to stay out of sight, though, until I get everything together. Remember, the League started in Oakvale, so just about every single friggin’ person living there is either a member, or a supporter. I’ve got a place there you can all hide out at, until I get the stuff...”
The six of them all departed from the heart of Darkwood, heading towards the southwest, towards Barrow Fields. By the time the group had reached the small trading outpost, it was quite late in the night, well past midnight. That suited them fine, less eyes were floating around to spot them. There were still several guards patrolling the area, keeping an eye out for thieves, so the group decided not to risk strolling directly through the area. Skirting around Barrow Fields, staying in the trees, Gibbons led the group into Oakvale, sneaking up behind the home he had purchased during his stay at the village. Quietly slipping inside, he told everyone to stay put until he had gotten a ship for the group to use. He welcomed them to help themselves to whatever they found; whether or not their plan succeeded, he would never use the home, again...
“Most of the food’s gone bad...Really sucks. But, he did more or less abandon this place, for months on end...” Marilyn muttered, searching through cupboards in the kitchen. The rest were seated at Gibbons’ old kitchen table, seated on each side. With only four chairs available, however, Bianca simply sat in Timoteo’s lap, leaving the fourth chair for Marilyn to use. This didn’t seem to bother Darrah, who Timoteo didn’t notice showing any extra attention to the fact. The group had been fairly solemn during the trek through Darkwood, resulting from a combination of fatigue and apprehension about what they were about to attempt. In the hours of silent walking, Timoteo had been able to rein in his hate for the League enough for him to worry about the consequences. Doubts swam through his head, like slippery eels squirming through oily water. What if he was leading them all to their deaths? What if the whole plan was doomed? What if Leroy or Vincent didn’t come to the group’s executions? What if Bianca was pregnant? Would he be causing the death of their child, as well?
All the people that would be hurt by his failure: Grizelda, Alexander, Craig, Jasmine, Natalie, Anna, Gibbons’s family, and anybody that Marilyn cared about...Not to mention his own family, too. His mother and brother would lose two members of the family, then. But, then the black hate returned, drenching over everything, commanding attention, demanding appeasement. He closed his eyes, pressing his mouth and nose against Bianca’s right shoulder. His arms tightened a little around her waist as he breathed in her scent. Bianca noticed, smiling faintly. She stroked her hands over his wrists, her eyes half-closed with contentment. The kitchen was rather typical, with several counters and cupboards spread out, here and there. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made out of dark brown wood. A few windows were set in the wall off to the side, by the back of the home. The windows didn’t let in much moonlight, and so the group had lit a few blue candles, setting over the middle of the kitchen table.
The kitchen pantry was, by that point, infested with rats, all feasting on the rotting remains of Gibbons’ food stores. Even then, they could all hear the rats squeaking and scurrying around, constantly wrestling with one another over pieces of food. Marilyn had checked through most of the cupboards, but had found only more decomposing food, thankfully untouched by rats, instead turned into homes for multiple types of insects. Darrah tried not to recline in her chair, not wanting to put too much weight on it, lest it break apart under the burden of her armour. Brute had his elbows to the table, one arm resting over the other as he leaned forwards, putting his weight against the table. As Marilyn kept searching for anything edible, Brute stared off into the distance, slowly speaking his mind. “You know...When I first ran from the League, back at Knothole Glade...I had almost left Anna there.” “Really?” Darrah calmly asked, looking over at him.
Brute kept looking off at nothing in particular. “I was all ready. I was just gonna be gone, man. I wrote a note for my family, and everything. I was just going to get on a ship, and kiss Albion goodbye...But...” He shrugged a little. “I don’t know, something made me take Anna with me. Might not have been for the best, she was really hurting on the trips to and from Aurora.” “Hurting?” Bianca asked. Brute nodded, glancing at Bianca for a moment. “Yeah, ah...You know...” He said, somewhat awkwardly. He stammered for a moment before he managed to get out “Sh-She’s just a baby, she needed...Milk. Not like I could give it to her.” “Ah.” Darrah said, giving a nod in understanding. Brute raised his eyebrows, saying “Luckily, I found a girl in this little town, in Aurora. I guess it doesn’t matter where you go, mothers want to take care of kids...She seemed to know what was happening, I didn’t really have to ask for her help, or even pay her. She fed Anna just because she knew Anna needed it. I owe that girl, she might’ve saved Anna’s life. Avo knows she wasn’t doing so great, with the food I was trying to make for her.”
Brute sighed, raising his eyebrows momentarily. “She gave me some bottles to feed Anna with, for the return trip with Craig...Didn’t last long, of course. I gotta hand it to that girl, she tried, but it would’ve taken a lot more milk to last the whole trip than she would’ve been able to put together, on such short notice. Of course, then we got back to your place, Darrah, and another girl was able to feed Anna...” Brute shrugged a little, calmly saying “Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing. I mean, I took Anna away from the rest of the family...For all I know, she would’ve been better off with them. I mean, she might not remember all that Aurora stuff when she’s older, but that doesn’t really make it okay that she went through so much. But...Then again...I don’t know what’s happened with my family. They could be fine, or...For all I know, maybe the League killed them. Maybe someone ratted them out to the League, for having a Hero in the family. Maybe I saved Anna...I don’t know. I’d like to believe that, but I can’t know for sure.” “If I had to choose between being uncertain about Anna’s safety, or knowing for sure that she’s okay, I’d choose the latter. I think you did the right thing, Brute.” Darrah reassuringly said, giving him a little smile. Brute glanced at her, smiling faintly, saying “Well, thanks. I’d like to think I didn’t do the wrong thing.” “Ah, finally! Found something!” Marilyn abruptly said.
She chuckled to herself, picking something up out of a floor-level cupboard. “Figures, Gibbons would have something like this around.” She turned around, walking over towards the table, setting down a miniature wine cask near the candles at the center. Marilyn raised her eyebrows and smiled more, saying “Gibbons has a thing for wine, loves sharing it with his dates. He doesn’t really drink until he gets drunk, and I don’t think he really tries to get his dates drunk, either...It’s a romance thing, for him.” Marilyn walked back towards the cupboards and counter, looking around the glasses as she remarked “Of course, if his date has a little too much and just throws her panties in his face, I highly doubt he complains. He doesn’t mind if his mission gets accomplished a little quicker than expected.” Marilyn paused, looking back at the others, a little hesitantly saying “Eh...Don’t tell him I said that, okay?” Darrah smiled with amusement.
Brute shrugged, without a care. Bianca smiled faintly, looking at the miniature wine cask. Timoteo simply raised his face from Bianca’s shoulder, saying “So...How did you and Gibbons meet, anyway?” Marilyn walked back over to the table, five tall, thin glasses in her hands. “It’s a bit of a funny story, actually.” Marilyn said, smiling to herself. Setting down the glasses, she lifted up the miniature cask. Positioning one glass beneath it, she twisted the spigot built into the cask, opening up a thin passage for the dark purple wine to flow through. “He was following a group of League members, bringing people to the Arena for executions.” Twisting the spigot again to close it, she offered Brute the first filled glass, which he readily accepted. Marilyn continued her story as she started filling a second glass. “I didn’t notice him, I was following a lot closer than he was. I came out, shot them all, and freed the prisoners...But then I heard him coming up to me from behind.”
Handing Darrah the second glass, Marilyn began filling a third glass. Brute took a few gulps from his, not outwardly reacting to the taste. “So, I ducked out of sight for a minute, then came up behind him, instead. Probably surprised him to have the tables turned, like that. I was ready to kill him, too, but he actually got the upper hand, on me. He told me that he was a Hero, had been fighting the League for a while, and wanted to team up. I didn’t believe him...At first.” Marilyn sealed the spigot, holding the third glass out for Bianca or Timoteo. “Either of you want a drink?” Marilyn asked. Bianca looked at the glass, hesitating for a moment. “...What does it taste like?” She eventually asked, quietly. “It’s more bitter than ale. Tastes like grapes, instead of honey.” Darrah easily answered, taking a sip from her glass. Bianca frowned momentarily before politely refusing. Marilyn looked at Timoteo. He just shook his head, a little.
Marilyn shrugged, put the cask down, and took her seat. Taking a few sips from her glass, she concluded her story. Raising her eyebrows a little lazily, she said “I spent a few hours on my own, thinking about his offer. And, eventually, I figured he might be right. So, I faced the music and crawle back to him, wondering if he still wanted to partner up. He did, and here we are.” “You...Sound kinda bitter, about it.” Darrah slowly said, having already drained half of her glass. Marilyn chuckled, smiling widely, her golden eyes down on her glass. “If you had seen the big song and dance Gibbons and I went through, you’d understand. We were wrestling like animals, we were ready to kill each other, and he kept talking about teaming up...Even when he had one of my blades to my own throat, I refused. I’m stubborn, like that. When he didn’t kill me, I thought he was pitying me. Pissed me off even more. When I say “no” to something, I mean it, and there’s nothing I hate more than having to change my mind, later on...Especially after causing a lot of drama, over it.”
“But look where you are now. You’re sabotaging the League from inside, making a real difference. Gibbons is your partner, and he’s a good guy. You save lives.” Timoteo said. Marilyn rolled her wrist around, swirling the wine around inside her glass, watching it move. A little wearily, she said “Yeah, well, our acting requires us to have our faces so deep in the League’s lap that we can’t see anything else...Least of all ourselves. Sometimes I worry I’ll forget who I really am, and that I’ll actually become Sarah Valentine. Oh, that’s...That’s my League cover, by the way. When we get to the Arena, everyone’ll call me that.” “Surely you two must have some private time?” Timoteo suggested. Marilyn slowly started to smile, taking a gulp from her glass before she said “That depends on what you mean by “private time”.” “I think he meant time to yourselves.” Darrah simply said, smiling with amusement, giving Timoteo a wry look.
Marilyn shrugged, saying “In that case, not really. We do have a lot of time away from the Arena, because of missions...But being away from the Arena, and being away from the League, are two very different things. We can leave the Arena, all right...But dropping our League personas, for even a minute, is dangerous. It could ruin everything. We ended up keeping with our acts, even when we were alone...Even when we were in our own homes.” “How close are you, to each other?” Bianca softly asked. Marilyn smiled more, slowly looking up from her glass. “We’re good friends. We have no choice but to trust each other, not that I resent it. He’s been the first person I could really trust, in ages...His life is practically tied to mine. He can’t give me up, he’d die, too. I can’t turn him in, either. If either one of us messes up, the other will go down, with them. It’s kind of sad that I need a situation like that just to trust someone, but, it works...And I can’t complain.”
“What’ll you do if we end up toppling the League?” Brute curiously asked, polishing off his glass of wine. Marilyn didn’t react for a moment. Eventually, she raised her eyebrows, shrugging a little. “I hadn’t thought of that. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, convince myself that I wouldn’t get caught, one day. It’s unrealistic to assume that there’s a happy ending, waiting for Gibbons and I. So...To avoid disappointing myself...I forgot about what the ending would be like. You look too far ahead of yourself, and you end up forgetting about the present...Start making mistakes, start acting suspiciously.” “Right.” Brute mumbled, nodding a little in understanding. The front door quietly opened, everyone looking in the sound’s direction, losing their smiles. Everyone went tense, the group barely able to hear the front door close, again. Footsteps approached, Gibbons’ voice coming out. “Guys?” Everyone relaxed, Bianca letting out a faint sigh of relief. “We’re in here.” Darrah quietly called out, standing up from her chair.
Gibbons walked in, pulling down his turtleneck, revealing the lower half of his face. He didn’t have anything with him, no packs of supplies clutched in his hands. Gibbons was breathing a little heavily as he said “Okay, everything’s ready. I’ve got us a ship, and I threw plenty of supply bags onboard. We might not have much time to get out of town, though, so I suggest we get a move on.” Everyone started to get up to their feet, Darrah and Marilyn quickly finishing off their glasses of wine. “We’re ready.” Timoteo said, nodding once. Gibbons raised his eyebrows, motioning for them to follow him, heading for the front door. “Alright, but we need to be quiet. Just follow me, stick to the shadows, and don’t say anything...We’ll get on the ship and be outta here before the guards ever know something’s up.”
With Gibbons leading the way, it was a simple matter for the group to reach their ship, even with Darrah, whose armour clunked and clanged whenever she moved too quickly. Gibbons led the group down dark alleyways, slipping around and behind homes, avoiding the night patrols of the town guards. Making their way down to the dockyard by the coast, Gibbons led them on to a small, discrete vessel, quickly getting aboard. The inconspicuous vessel was named the Lutra Pearls, and down in the hold, there were four rooms, one of which was filled with sacks of food and drink. The rest were bedrooms, each with a pair of small cots. Without wasting time, the anchor was raised, the sails were readied, and the vessel was sent adrift by gusts of wind, steadily heading in the direction of Knothole Glade...
On the evening of their first day at sea, the group had been enjoying a light dinner out on the deck of their ship. Gibbons and Marilyn had since changed into their League uniforms, while Darrah had gotten out of her armour, leaving it behind in the room she shared with Brute. Since she had seen Timoteo on such short notice after news of his father’s execution, she had never had a chance to bring other clothes with her. So, she simply kept on what she had had underneath her armour, wearing her old apprentice clothing from the Guild. Bianca had left her cloak down in her and Timoteo’s room, standing without it. They were all by the starboard side of the ship, by the wooden railing at the edge of the deck, as they finished up their meal. It was a surprisingly hearty meal, with potatoes, corn, carrots, and hunks of salted beef. The conversation during the meal had been rather lighthearted, even amusing at times, Timoteo smiling and briefly forgetting about his father’s murder, about his hate for the League.
It was only by the end of the meal, once the others had begun to retire to their cots for the night, did his mind drift back to the darker subjects lurking at the back of his head. Gibbons was the first to leave, taking everyone’s utensils and plates along with him. He was quickly followed by Marilyn, who departed barely a minute or two after him. Brute stayed for a while longer, chatting a little more, before the meal made him drowsy enough to seek his cot. Bianca and Darrah stayed with Timoteo, mostly in amicable silence, watching as the sun began to set. Timoteo found time on the sea peaceful, relaxing. He enjoyed the salty air, the tranquillity of the ocean, and the way the sun turned the water red and gold only made it all the more beautiful. Timoteo paid attention to not a thing, up until he felt Bianca step closer to his side, reaching a hand over and rubbing at his stomach. Bringing her cheek to the side of his arm, she had her eyes closed as she lightly said “I think I’m ready to sleep...Do you want to stay out here, longer?...”
Timoteo smiled faintly, looking over to her, warmly saying “Don’t let me keep you from bed...I’d like to watch the sunset a little longer, but I won’t be long. I promise, I’ll just be a few minutes.” Bianca raised her head a little, gazing into his eyes, her plump, sparkling black lips curved into a tender smile. “Alright...I’ll try to stay awake until you come down...” She murmured. He smiled, leaning closer to her, closing his eyes. Bianca kissed him when his lips met her’s, the two sharing a pair of loving kisses before parting. Quietly, she crossed the deck, heading over to a small set of cellar-like doors. Pulling them open, she revealed a ladder leading down into the belly of the vessel, Bianca climbing down without a sound. Timoteo and Darrah, left alone with each other, were both quiet for several seconds. Timoteo was the first to break the silence. “...Well, here we are. On our way to the Arena.” Darrah barely raised her left eyebrow, giving him a sidelong look. “That we are. I kind of figured that out, the second I walked on to the boat.”
Timoteo smiled a little, barely vexed by her response. Darrah raised her left hand, feeling it through some of her hair, an irritable sigh coming from her. “Avo, this salty air is hell on my hair. I’m gonna look all dry and frizzy for my execution.” Timoteo didn’t smile, but his tone was somewhat amused as he said “I’m sure Leroy won’t hold it against you.” Darrah smiled, suppressing a chuckle. His eyes went down from the horizon, down from the golden sunset. He watched the water, how it rippled and swayed, in constant motion, constant instability. “...Darrah, honestly...Are you worried about this? Are you scared, at all?” He asked, a little quietly. Darrah simply answered him with another question. “Why would I be scared? What should I be worried about?” He raised his eyebrows, looking over at her. “Dying comes to mind.” He flatly said. She smiled at him, quite strongly. She put her elbows to the railing, leaning over, her eyes going half-closed.
“We’ve faced death dozens of times before. Dealing with death is something all Heroes go through, they’ve been doing it since the dawn of time, and they’ll keep dealing with it until the end of time.” “That doesn’t exactly answer my question. Are you afraid?” He, rather seriously, asked. Darrah didn’t answer him, right away. The smile drained from her face, and the look in her eyes changed from peaceful to weary. She turned her head from him, looking in the opposite direction. “...Death, no. I’m not really afraid of dying, Tim...But...As for our plan...There’s a lot that could go wrong. If even one of them does, it could ruin everything...We could all end up dead, and Leroy and Vincent would just walk away from the Arena, without a scratch. That, I’m scared of. Dying pointlessly...Making no difference, whatsoever. The idea worries me.” Timoteo let out a heavy sigh, slowly leaning over, putting his elbows to the railing, as well.
“I used to think I knew what it meant to be a Hero. Now, I’m not so sure. Once the League started making waves in Albion, I stopped feeling like a real Hero.” He admitted. Darrah looked back over in his direction, her eyes going to his face. He raised his eyebrows as he said “It’s more than the practical stuff, like visiting the Guild, working with other Heroes, taking Quest Cards. I thought Heroes were supposed to go out and help people, protect them, help bring positive change...Spread hope, and keep people safe from stuff they can’t fight, on their own...Balverines, trolls, dragons...” He shook his head a little, his eyes going back up to the setting sun. “I guess it was just our bad luck to be born, just as times were changing. Maybe stopping the League won’t revert things back to the way they were. Maybe the Guild is lost, forever. Maybe Heroes will always be in hiding. With firearms...Maybe people won’t even want our help, anymore. They already seem to think they’ll get along just fine, without us.”
“All it’ll take is something new that they can’t handle, something or someone like Jack of Blades, and the people will come back to us, screaming and crying all the way. They’ll beg us to save them, beg us to forgive them.” Darrah assuredly said. “I hope we say “no”.” Timoteo immediately muttered out. Darrah was quiet for several seconds, looking over into the horizon. Eventually, she spoke, her tone soft and soothing. “I know you want revenge...And I don’t look down on you, for it. Even if we die, at that damned place...If we make the League trip up and fall into an early grave, then I guess it’ll be worth it. But we don’t have to take a sledgehammer to the country, and let the pieces fall where they may. We’re Heroes, Tim...We are supposed to help the people.” “I distinctly remember you saying that if the people rise up against the Guild, then they’re fair game and should be killed. Something about how the children should only be disarmed?”
Darrah looked at him with wide eyes, stammering for a few seconds before she finally collected herself enough to speak. “Th-That’s not to say it isn’t difficult, at all. You think I don’t get angry to high heaven, with the people? Sometimes I just wanna kick it all back, and forget about the Guild, forget about the League. Do I, though? No, because I know I...I know I can still do good. I can do good, I just need a chance. The people aren’t giving us chances to make a positive impact, anymore.” He smiled with amusement. “Relax, I wasn’t calling you a hypocrite.” He remarked. Darrah narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, but then she just chuckled. She swung her hips over, bopping her side against his own.
“Like I said, Tim...The League is like a bad infection. When someone has an infection, we don’t just write them off as a loss. We don’t set fire to their whole body. We give them medicine to find the infection, and kill it. Then, the person gets back up on their feet, and goes their merry way. We don’t have to say to hell with all of Albion, just because of the League...As much I would like to think it, and as easy as it would be to think it, it’s not right to believe that literally everyone hates Heroes, or that everyone supports the League. There have got to be people out there still in their right minds, people who still remember that the Guild wasn’t full of evil Heroes. There were people like you and I, in it.” Timoteo made a “pfft” sound, smiling widely with amusement. “Oh, please. You were always a much better Hero than I was. You’re a pure Hero, Darrah. What am I? I don’t even know, that’s the real problem with being neutral, I guess. You never know what you are.”
Darrah looked at him with a big, surprised smile. “Don’t gimme that crap, Tim. You’re a great Hero. So what, if you’re neutral?” Timoteo shrugged a little, smiling still as he said “I could do evil one day, good the next, I flip-flop. Neutrals either flip-flop forever, or they end up as good or evil. Maybe I just haven’t been presented with enough opportunities to go either way.” Darrah raised an eyebrow, almost grinning as she pointed up towards her head. “Do you see a halo floating over my head, Tim? I haven’t gotten a whole lot of chances, either. Or, maybe I have, but I’m just not as pure a Hero as you think.” “Yeah, right.” Timoteo incredulously commented, smiling to himself. Darrah gazed at his face for a moment or two, just smiling with him. She took a step closer to him, reaching her left arm over behind him, bringing her hand to his left hip. He looked over into her eyes, his smile weakening a touch. She merely met his gaze, smiling a little more, touching her side to his affectionately.
His eyes went downwards, for a moment, before his smile strengthened, again. He brought his right arm around her shoulders, holding her close. Darrah leaned her head over, resting herself over his shoulder, feeling his shirt against her temple and cheek. They both looked ahead, catching the final few seconds before the sun set, entirely. The sky turned from crimson to navy, all the fire draining from the heavens, leaving a never-ending abyss above their heads. Only the moon and stars broke the blackness, offering hope to those lost in the darkness. The two of them were quiet for a few moments before Timoteo said “Well...I should get to bed. We both should, it won’t do either of us any good to force ourselves to stay awake.” “Who’s forcing?” Darrah coyly asked, smiling warmly. He stood up, slipping his arm from around her, Darrah reluctantly letting her arm fall from him, in turn. She stood up straight with a bit of a sigh, smiling softly at him. “Well, let’s go, then.” She merely said, nodding over to the side. He gestured for her to go first, Darrah holding back a chuckle, stepping ahead of him.
He stepped down into the little room he was sharing, with Bianca. Naturally, despite having two cots available, they slept in the same one, together. It was a tight fit, but they were used to sleeping close together, so neither of them truly noticed. A single candle was lit, down on the floor by the cot Bianca was resting over. Her cloak and clothes were resting over the second cot, and as he shut the door behind himself, Bianca opened her eyes, a little. She seemed half-asleep, huddled up under the cot blanket, lying over her side. She smiled lovingly when she saw him, mumbling pleasantly in her throat. Walking over towards the cot, he was smiling warmly, already beginning to pull off his shirt. She reached an arm out from under the blanket, reaching towards him, lifting up the blanket. He could see her, nude under the covers, beckoning for him to join her. He slowly started to grin. Stripping out of his clothes, came up to the cot, leaning over far.
She stayed still as he whispered into her ear. “Are you feeling naughty?...” Bianca smiled a little more, closing her eyes. She nodded, lightly. He grinned fully, getting over the cot, getting over her on his hands and knees. He surprised her, a little, when he pulled the blanket from her, turning her over until she was lying on her back. Before she had a chance to say anything, he started to crawl backwards, pressing kisses to her chest and tummy. She let out a quivering breath, feeling his hands come between her thighs, parting them wide enough for him to get down, between. Timoteo kissed below her navel, feeling her soft belly tremble at the electric feeling, looking up at the anticipation growing on her face. Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting to get amorous, not when she was already so sleepy. That wasn’t a problem, to him. All she needed to do was relax, and have fun...
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Fable : Fall of the Guild