Post by Tom M on Jul 16, 2024 10:59:10 GMT
Co-written with willemf
An hour or so after this conversation at an inn table.
By the time Kem makes it back to the caravan it is pitch dark in the woodland clearing just outside of Daring Heights. Usually he'd go hunting or to the livestock market and come back with some kind of offering, but he doesn't do that this time.
He rolls a barrel up to the side of the wagon and sits on it, his back against the wall as he slams the base of his fist against it once and waits for a response.
The door on the side of the caravan slides open ever so slightly revealing a curtain carefully drawn to obscure its internals. The putrid smell however cannot be contained by a simple curtain.
“You come bearing food?”
“No. No food tonight and you know why. Kem glares out into the darkness, his back still against the wall.”
The door slides closed with a click, there is a shuffling inside.
“I know many things Kem, but this I do not know. Perhaps you are upset that I tasked you with placing that note. But really it was for your benefit my boy…”
“So it was you. Of course it was. He looks up at the sky in frustration, "Why? Why didn't you just ask me?”
“You were never meant to know my boy. You were never meant to realise what you had done. Now, why are you back so late?”
“I just spent my whole evening travelling around trying to figure out what your note wanted us to do and it went badly.” He pauses for a moment, "Wait... have you done this before? Have I been recruiting lackeys for your cause unknowingly?"
There is a long pause.
“You… followed the note? You followed the instructions? I did not expect you to have even read it let alone follow it. You are growing indeed..”
“Yes, I followed the note, which I would have done if you had just given me the note and not used magic to compel me to post it.”
“I might have been able to employ subtlety. I might have gotten there faster. I might not have introduced myself as being a Skaraga to the first person I met!” Kem angrily hisses the last sentence.
Another long pause.
“And what did you do next?”
“Oh you want another one of my stories now?”
“I want to know whether you succeeded in your mission. How many were freed?”
Kem takes a while to answer, “Assuming we're talking about the same thing - one of them flew off into the sky, another was destroyed, a third was captured. Two remain where they lay.”
“...Destroyed? Captured? This is... disappointing. Very disappointing. I had hoped to see more success this night. A setback indeed but why? Who destroyed them, who captured them and most importantly why are the two that lie resting not at this very moment roaming free?”
“Master, you asked a group of adventurers with no knowledge of the situation to perform this task for you. Had I not been there you would have been lucky to have one of them released and the others would certainly all be destroyed or captured. If you just tell me what the plan is I might be able to help.” He stops and shakes his head, "What am I even helping with? You stay here not showing yourself and these others can just... live out in the open? Where did they even go?"
“Does this land not have enough of a collection of fools and those hungry for payment to complete one simple task? And to answer your question... you are not ready to know. You have already grown so much coming here, but you must be patient my boy. Tonight has shown that you have already exceeded my expectations. Consider it... a test. And you have done so well. Keep this up and you will be rewarded.”
Kem sits quietly for a long while.
“I need you to answer one thing: the corpse in the tree. Did you... did I…”
“No. I promise you it was not by our hands that was done.”
Kem sits and absent mindlessly shuffles his cards for another drawn out pause.
“Okay so we have the von Walds, the Di Florias, and the Hekrati. Are any of them to be trusted?”
“Slow down my boy. They were all involved in this failure of a mission? The Di Florias I had heard rumours of and the Hekrati worm their way into every land we find but the von Walds... I have not heard that name in a long time.”
“Yes, and I can only assume that everyone working for them knows what their goals actually are.”
There is a faint chuckle.
“Unlikely.”
“And you’re not going to tell me anything useful about any of them?”
“What do you want to know? The Di Florias are an old family of merchants who have despised our brood for years and the Hekrati are a bunch of demon worshipping fools. I'm surprised either of them had an interest in my poor kin beyond the Di Floria's natural inclination to despise us and hunt us.”
“Well it was the Hekrati who captured one of them so you can mull on what that means while you think about how much information I can be trusted with.” He gets up and starts to unfurl his bedroll.
“The Hekrati took them? Concerning... What does their high priest want with my poor brethren?”
“I will tell you what you need to know though. They are too be avoided. The Hekrati and the Di Florian both. Perhaps in time the von Walds as well will become enemies but I do not know them enough to say. It has been a very long time since our brood has seen their kind.”
“Great so enemies, enemies, and probably enemies. Do we have any allies? Any friends at all?”
“First you can barely contain your annoyance at me and suddenly it is we who have enemies. Why do you think I work so diligently to keep you away from all this my boy? I am trying to protect you.”
A warm feeling inside Kem’s head reassures him. Maybe he has good reason to not tell you everything? Maybe he is keeping you safe by not letting you be too involved? Maybe.
“But to answer your question, these days we do not. Not except the many members of our family”
Kem yawns as a wave of tiredness washes over him. “I know you can’t tell me much. I’m sorry for getting frustrated. I just wish I could prove myself strong enough that you wouldn’t have to do this.”
The voice grows quieter as it is no longer being directly projected at the wall from the other side.
“Patience my boy! Patience. You will be tested again in time. I have such hopes for you…”
“Yeah… yeah. I’ll understand one day.” He says tucking himself into his bedroll.
“And if you won’t tell me what’s going on, maybe someone else will.” He quietly whispers to himself.
An hour or so after this conversation at an inn table.
By the time Kem makes it back to the caravan it is pitch dark in the woodland clearing just outside of Daring Heights. Usually he'd go hunting or to the livestock market and come back with some kind of offering, but he doesn't do that this time.
He rolls a barrel up to the side of the wagon and sits on it, his back against the wall as he slams the base of his fist against it once and waits for a response.
The door on the side of the caravan slides open ever so slightly revealing a curtain carefully drawn to obscure its internals. The putrid smell however cannot be contained by a simple curtain.
“You come bearing food?”
“No. No food tonight and you know why. Kem glares out into the darkness, his back still against the wall.”
The door slides closed with a click, there is a shuffling inside.
“I know many things Kem, but this I do not know. Perhaps you are upset that I tasked you with placing that note. But really it was for your benefit my boy…”
“So it was you. Of course it was. He looks up at the sky in frustration, "Why? Why didn't you just ask me?”
“You were never meant to know my boy. You were never meant to realise what you had done. Now, why are you back so late?”
“I just spent my whole evening travelling around trying to figure out what your note wanted us to do and it went badly.” He pauses for a moment, "Wait... have you done this before? Have I been recruiting lackeys for your cause unknowingly?"
There is a long pause.
“You… followed the note? You followed the instructions? I did not expect you to have even read it let alone follow it. You are growing indeed..”
“Yes, I followed the note, which I would have done if you had just given me the note and not used magic to compel me to post it.”
“I might have been able to employ subtlety. I might have gotten there faster. I might not have introduced myself as being a Skaraga to the first person I met!” Kem angrily hisses the last sentence.
Another long pause.
“And what did you do next?”
“Oh you want another one of my stories now?”
“I want to know whether you succeeded in your mission. How many were freed?”
Kem takes a while to answer, “Assuming we're talking about the same thing - one of them flew off into the sky, another was destroyed, a third was captured. Two remain where they lay.”
“...Destroyed? Captured? This is... disappointing. Very disappointing. I had hoped to see more success this night. A setback indeed but why? Who destroyed them, who captured them and most importantly why are the two that lie resting not at this very moment roaming free?”
“Master, you asked a group of adventurers with no knowledge of the situation to perform this task for you. Had I not been there you would have been lucky to have one of them released and the others would certainly all be destroyed or captured. If you just tell me what the plan is I might be able to help.” He stops and shakes his head, "What am I even helping with? You stay here not showing yourself and these others can just... live out in the open? Where did they even go?"
“Does this land not have enough of a collection of fools and those hungry for payment to complete one simple task? And to answer your question... you are not ready to know. You have already grown so much coming here, but you must be patient my boy. Tonight has shown that you have already exceeded my expectations. Consider it... a test. And you have done so well. Keep this up and you will be rewarded.”
Kem sits quietly for a long while.
“I need you to answer one thing: the corpse in the tree. Did you... did I…”
“No. I promise you it was not by our hands that was done.”
Kem sits and absent mindlessly shuffles his cards for another drawn out pause.
“Okay so we have the von Walds, the Di Florias, and the Hekrati. Are any of them to be trusted?”
“Slow down my boy. They were all involved in this failure of a mission? The Di Florias I had heard rumours of and the Hekrati worm their way into every land we find but the von Walds... I have not heard that name in a long time.”
“Yes, and I can only assume that everyone working for them knows what their goals actually are.”
There is a faint chuckle.
“Unlikely.”
“And you’re not going to tell me anything useful about any of them?”
“What do you want to know? The Di Florias are an old family of merchants who have despised our brood for years and the Hekrati are a bunch of demon worshipping fools. I'm surprised either of them had an interest in my poor kin beyond the Di Floria's natural inclination to despise us and hunt us.”
“Well it was the Hekrati who captured one of them so you can mull on what that means while you think about how much information I can be trusted with.” He gets up and starts to unfurl his bedroll.
“The Hekrati took them? Concerning... What does their high priest want with my poor brethren?”
“I will tell you what you need to know though. They are too be avoided. The Hekrati and the Di Florian both. Perhaps in time the von Walds as well will become enemies but I do not know them enough to say. It has been a very long time since our brood has seen their kind.”
“Great so enemies, enemies, and probably enemies. Do we have any allies? Any friends at all?”
“First you can barely contain your annoyance at me and suddenly it is we who have enemies. Why do you think I work so diligently to keep you away from all this my boy? I am trying to protect you.”
A warm feeling inside Kem’s head reassures him. Maybe he has good reason to not tell you everything? Maybe he is keeping you safe by not letting you be too involved? Maybe.
“But to answer your question, these days we do not. Not except the many members of our family”
Kem yawns as a wave of tiredness washes over him. “I know you can’t tell me much. I’m sorry for getting frustrated. I just wish I could prove myself strong enough that you wouldn’t have to do this.”
The voice grows quieter as it is no longer being directly projected at the wall from the other side.
“Patience my boy! Patience. You will be tested again in time. I have such hopes for you…”
“Yeah… yeah. I’ll understand one day.” He says tucking himself into his bedroll.
“And if you won’t tell me what’s going on, maybe someone else will.” He quietly whispers to himself.