The King's Decree

Although I don’t trust Aroura, there is no doubt that see secured our victory. She would no doubt benefit from having her name spread, and therefore could have many more uses out of me and the elves. Getting in bed with her is all part of the plan. P-politically.
Although literally would be pretty nice too. Mmm, I can imagine it now.
Begone thoughts, you hold no place in my mind.
Just think about it. That slender body and ample face.
Later. We have more important matters to focus on.
Aha! So you admit-
I said later!

As the cheers die back down to groans and moans, Naz motions me over with his working arm. I slide past Maheed and seat myself on the edge of his cot. As he speaks, I can almost hear his lungs pushing against his ribs. “What’re you going ta do when you return home, kid?”

“That depends.” I don’t say anymore in case someone else is listening, but he catches my meaning.

He chuckles lightly before continuing “Always off to the next mission huh? No wonder the lizard wasn't worried about ya."

I let out an amused grunt. "I can't imagine he'd be worried either way."

Toross interjected. "You don't have to imagine. We saw it. He came in here looking for you, then when he made sure you were still breathing, nodded once and left."

"You sure that's worry?"

He shrugged. "It's more than he's displayed before."
I suppose that's true, although we don't really have any events to compare to.

Naz turned the conversation back. "Listen. You remember what I told ye, right?”

“About beards or women?”

He lets out an amused grunt. “Both. But now that yer not fighting to the death everyday-“

“Pick one and no one extra, yeah yeah, I got it.” Yeah right. With these muscles I could get the whole damn town on me at once.

He looks at me without moving his head too much. “I was just like you, ya know. Never stayed with a girl for more than a month. Biggest regret o’ mi life. I've spent mi whole life trying to fill some... Void in mi heart, that's still empty. Now I’ve got twelve kids, and only two o’ ‘em share a mother.”
He looks to the sky, but is met with a tent. Even so, tears barely touch his pale bule eyes. “I love ‘em all to the death, but they’ve all got a grudge against me. ‘No-good, two-timing bastard’ they say. Every last one of ‘em. Gotta say I agree. I tried mi best to take care of ‘em all, but twelve kids and eleven mothers ain’t the easiest to please.”
He chuckles again at that before he takes on a guilty appearance. "I ain't proud o' how I did it though..."
He takes one long breath before admitting, "I don't know how you dagger ears do it, but the dwarves bring their taxes to the elder who pays it all for 'em. Well, for a while the dwarven tax was one coin extra. It ain't a lot, but it fed mi kids. Everyone else though... Stones curse it all, I'm a terrible elder."

Before he continues, I interject. “Why are you telling me all this?”

He rolls to lean on his side before staring at me with concerned eyes. Like my mother would give me when I returned home with another sack of food. “I see alot o’ me when I look at you. I like ya kid. Don’t want ya dying with the same regrets I will. I’m not long for this world. Stones, these ol’ bones likely won’t heal before I go. So, I want to see at least one o’ mi kids part with mi wisdom.”
He goes to pat my shoulder, then remembers that his left arm is broken. He groans in pain before falling to his back and settling for his working arm patting my knee.
“Oh. And before ye say that you just won’t knock ‘em up, think again. I said the same thing to mi pap. Women get pregnant really easy! Even when you Censored and yer beard Censored”

Toross and Maheed join me in saying “Stop! Stop! That’s disgusting!”

He chuckles lightly. “What? I always wash it afterwards.”

“That’s… Ugh. Listen. I’ll.”
I regret to say this but. “I’ll be more careful. At least.”
Only partly because of what he just told me. Mostly because I’m not sure I can get that image out of my head.

He pats my knee again. “Attaboy.”

Maheed spoke from the other end of the cot. “We could’ve done without that last part.”

Naz rolls slightly to look at the embarrassed dog. “You two didn’t have to listen. I know neither of you got a girl, let alone a women.”

Toross stands offended. “What makes you so sure?”

Naz falls back onto his back and raises his voice before remembering the broken ribs. “Yer an arrogant squig. Ain’t no lass fallin’ for you.”
He points at Maheed. “And you. You’re quiet an’ creepy. But your better off than squig here. You could probably get a lass if ye tried.”

Maheed puffs out his chest towards Toross. “Hear that pretty boy? I’ve got a better chance than you.”

Toross scoffs and looks away. “What are you, children? There are other matters to discuss.”

Before he tries to change the subject I pressure him on it. “Yeah, but none that’ll get under your skin as much as this one.”

He tries to defend himself, but fails again and again. My fun is interrupted when Sergeant Gore enters the tent and beckons me to follow him. He takes me through the ashen battlefield back towards where I last saw King Alister. Like everyone else, he praised my actions and asked how I survived. Like the others, I told him the same thing.

“You chose a good ally, Kar’Desh. I’ve always held more respect for the Princess than the other members of her family. Speaking of, have you heard anything about the King’s plan?”

“No, I haven’t. I haven’t had any contact with the other commanders.”

He lets out a curious grunt before saying, “If anyone knew I figured it would be you. He hasn’t revealed his thoughts to anyone as of yet, although…”
Even though there was no one near us, he leaned in closer to my ear and spoke quietly. Something very difficult for someone who spends all day yelling. “When I last saw him, there was a… Glint. In his eyes that scared me. I can’t quite describe it.”

“Understood. I know what you mean. I’ve seen it too.”

He leans back and speaks in a casual voice. It sounds gravely and stern, but I imagine that's all he knows. “I'll be honest Kar'Desh. I'm... Troubled. When I became a knight, I made two vows. One for chivalry. And one for the King. At the time, they were one and the same, but recently... He's asked me to take actions that don't align with my vow to chivalry.”
He looks to me to make sure I understand. He hasn't lost his death glare from training. but he's clearly lost.

The weight of the situation begins to weigh on my shoulders. He's teetering on the edge of loyalty and morality. I just have to push him towards me. “I'm not sure I'm the best person to speak of chivalry. After all, until I joined the militia I was a petty thief. Rather pathetic for a war hero. While you were vowing to fight off the evil in the world, I was causing it.”
I look to the ground, feinting regret before continuing. "I... Regret what I've done, but I know if I didn't, my family would've starved. That said, people aren't locked in stone like chivalry is. People will change. The King you made your vows to may not be the King you serve now. So... Let me ask this. Did you vow to serve King Alister blindly? Or did you vow to serve the ideas and morals he stood for?"

He glares at the ashes we walk across as though they'll give him the answers if he threatens them. "His majesty... Could he have changed so drastically?"

"Maybe. What's important is not how he's changed, but if you'll change with him. I don't have any vows to anyone, so it's easy for me to say, but... I would follow my heart. What I believe to be right."

He casts his glare to me before softening ever so slightly. With so many scars, it's almost creepy. "I appreciate your input Kar'Desh. You've offered me some clarity. I think I'll join you in serving Princess Aroura. I believe her to be more benevolent than his majesty."

I give him an affirming grunt and I can't help but let out a mischievous smile. Now, if I can just convince Aroura to betray her father, everything will be set up. She’ll likely be the hardest. She has the most to lose and the least to gain. But if what I know about royalty stands, she’s already trying to take the throne. She just needs convincing that I can do it.
Memories from a few nights ago, flood my mind. ‘Forgive me, for I speak of my brothers…’ I couldn’t see clearly, but there was a certain sadness to her voice.
An act. She’s a wonderful actor. A memory from the first time I met her invades my head. ‘You’re a kind person Kar’Desh…’
Like I said. An actor. It’s what she does.
But what if she isn’t?
Does it matter? The outcome still needs to be the same. When the King doesn’t hold his promise, then we need to do something.
She made that promise. The King wasn’t there that day.
Then I’ll make her keep her promise when we overthrow the King.

My thoughts are shaken loose by the sound of dozens of knights saluting at once. Gore and I arrived at the inner wall’s camp where most of the commanders were stationed. King Alister sat in the same place as before at the head of a round table with his two sons on either side and a smile so wide he could be the worlds happiest person. “Hail, Sir Kar’Desh! Or should I say King of Mercy?”
He goes to clap his hands together but stops as though he’s blocked by an object. Then he jerks his separated hands side to side. “I! Am! The King! Of Rats!”
He and I let out hearty laughter although I feel sick to my stomach.

I return a smile, although I don’t think anyone could match his. “Greetings Alister! I assume you heard the story then?”

He leans back in his throne-like chair and speaks mostly with his hands. “Very much so! I witnessed much of the spectacle myself! Unfortunately, I was unable to witness the King of Mercy in action, however my sons told me what happened in detail.”

The older of the two brothers, Killian, stood. His voice comes off as polite, but I’m reminded of a serpent while he speaks. “Truly, I’ve not seen anyone strike so much fear in a man as you. I’ll admit, I had only gone along with your plan because of our father’s request, but after witnessing you chase down a mage, I couldn’t help but feel great admiration.”
His attempts at flattery are so lined with malice and manipulation, he may as well be complimenting me with a poisoned dagger.

Alister reaches into a bag he has sitting beside his chair as I thank Killian and tosses a glowing green orb the size of an apple onto the table. “Feats and achievements aside, do you know what this is?”

As I stare at it, I can feel the cries and wails of countless voices. To get a closer look, I pick it up. At first touch, I was started because of its warmth and power. It feels like glass that’s been sitting over a fire. As I continue to hold it, I can feel a sort of spiritual energy radiating through the heat. “Where did you find this?”

A knight from the back salutes before saying, “It was found on the corpse of the armoured mage sir.”

“I don’t but I know someone who might. May I keep this on my person until I can give you a proper answer?”

Alister waves his hand. “Go ahead.”
As I ask for a bag to keep this in, Alister stands and paces back and forth behind the table and continues. “Now! With all other matters out of the way, we may discuss our future actions! Multiple Karvithian captives have stated that their primary goal here, was to in fact, slaughter our people and raze the city to rubble.”
Despite that claim, his voice still holds a cheery attitude to it. “Therefore, they had sent everyone in hopes for a truly bloody battle. The King of Karvithia, Leonhart, an old friend of mine has not openly stated his reasons for his sudden aggression, but! It does not pose well for him. He now has almost no army to protect him or his territory! Now, I’m sure you can see where I want to take this, but first let me ask our hero kar’Desh something.”

With a raised eyebrow I ask, “What do you need from me?”

He laughs? “So eager! I like it! Tell me.”
He slams his hands on the table and stares into me with burning hazel eyes. The world begins to darken, and all sound drains from the world. “How long have you been planning to overthrow me and take Solaris for yourself?”

Yet another statement. The others at the table notice and turn to me with weapons drawn. “What are you talking about Alister?”

The world gradually darkens the more he continues, even if his smile never fades. “Oh, come on. Don’t act like I wouldn’t know! You and I are two great minds with seemingly limitless power. If I were in your situation the first thing I would do is come up with a plan to overthrow the King. Now, while I don’t have any actual proof, because I know you wouldn’t be stupid enough to tell anyone or write anything down just yet, I have my hunches.”

The pressure of his voice, the power behind his eyes, and the overwhelming tension from the world is weighing on me, but I won’t succumb. Even without the power of a werewolf, if I have to, I’ll tear them all apart right here, right now. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before letting a heavy black fog leave my mouth with each word I speak, and each breath I take. “So? Was your plan just to bring me here, expose my plans, then take my life?”
My boots shift through the dirt into combat stance. My arm becomes poised and the black miasma swirls around me. “I’d like to see you try.”

A sinister smile replaced his lighthearted one. He finally openly wore his true face. His voice deepened as took on a sinister tone. “Only if you disappointed me.”
He raised his hand and the world began to regain its colour and sound. The others around the table reluctantly placed their weapons back in their sheathes. “No one has ever resisted my realm. You are truly a terrifying person. And the best possible ally.”
Even with his power lifted I remained in my combat stance, ready to strike at a moments notice. He sat back down in his throne and placed his elbows on the table. His hands came together as his hazel eyes displayed their malevolent glint.
“Instead of the King of Rats. How about we call you Lord of Karvithia?”