From Death, A New Beginning

It was deep into the night, as a wagon carried three men outside of Svarostadt and into the twisted mire of the Blackreach Marsh. There was an ominous mist that hung in the air as they rode in silence. The driver stopped the wagon after getting a distance away from the city. The driver stopped the wagon and sighed as he got out. This was not his first dishonorable act and will not be his last. The man at his side was grinning ear to ear as he turned around pushed out the third man out of the cart. The third man was bound and gagged and in the uniform of Military Grand Council. The driver dropped down to his prisoner and took the gag off the prisoner and shoved him to kneel while his companion stretched, not a care in the world.

“Whatever your plans are, they will fail. You can’t just kill a military commissioner and get away with it.” The prisoner calmly stated as the metallic sound of a sword unsheathing from the scabbard. The driver didn’t response but just went to down to press his blade against the prisoner’s neck and then removed the blind from him.

The prisoner seemed to be calmly ready to accept his death until he saw the driver’s face. The prisoner’s face twisted into a rage, “Why you. You traitorous, rat bastard! Where is your honor!”

“Pfft. Honor is overrated. Honor doesn’t really put food on the table now does it? Honor led to this so it couldn’t have been that valuable.” The companion said as he was leaning on the cart and started to bite on an apple.

“Does it look like I was talking to you, you whoreson?” The prisoner spat out.

The companion laughed, “Tough crowd. You think I give a shit about the game being played here? You’re worth quite a bit of gold, my friend. So don’t take this so personally.”

“That’s enough.” The driver admonished his companion. He looked his prisoner in the eyes, “What did honor do when Kristiansburg was sacked? Honor wouldn’t avenge the dead.”

“The war is over, are you really going to inflict more pain over a lost cause?”

The driver snarled, “as long I still stand. The war is not over.”

He then leaned in and whispered in his prisoner’s ear.

As he watched the shock register on the prisoner’s face, the driver silts his throat.

“Sheesh, why didn’t you just kill him earlier?” The driver’s companion asked as he bit into his apple again

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

“Grumpy old man.”

“I wanted him to know it was me. When I see him again in the Underworld. I don’t want any doubt of who sent him there.”

“That’s hardcore old man. I can respect that.”

“Whatever you say.” The driver said with some weariness.

He waited for a moment to make sure the prisoner was dead, and he sealed up the neck cut with some healing magic. Just enough to make hanging the corpse easier.

“Help me with this.”

The two men then hung the corpse.

The driver then cut open the corpse’s gut with his blade.

The companion took a deep breath of fresh blood before he spoke, “You northerners really know how to send a message.”

“Have to make it clear. This is a declaration that a reckoning is coming. The north is not yet lost.”

Two men rode down the road to Svarostadt.

They traveled northwards along the roads leading away from the capital and towards Svarostadt. They passed seemingly endless fields of crops or livestock grazing contentedly amongst green grasses waving gently under warm summer breeze.

“My first really assignment outside of the capital and it’s really with a miserable looking military commissioner? Just my luck.” The knight complained.

The commissioner just rolled his eyes, “this again. You sure like to complain Sir Alexander of House Speirs.”

“Why are you being so formal? I told you can just call me Alex. I just call you James not commissioner James.”

“For the same reason you are not. How I was brought up.” James replied.

“Why you upstart soldier! I’ll have you know that I took classes on etiquette.”

“Clearly none of it stuck.”

Alex sighed, “this trip has just been a downer. No one seems to want to do anything with us. Back in the capital I would be hailed as a hero wherever I went. I bet it’s your grumpy face.”

James chuckled, “more like what we represent. Two southerners coming into the northern territory. Even with the civil war being over a decade over, the wounds are still fresh memory among the people here.”

“I wasn’t even old enough to fight during the civil war. So unfair.”

“I did.”

“I know. You are a military commissioner after all. Tell me have you ever thought that what you fought for was just shit?”

“I have. Every day I do. Which makes the Military Grand Council already much better than the nobility.”

“Humph. Well, you know it can’t be that long until King Augustus dies, and Prince Francis takes the throne. No more Lord Protector Manstein or Military Grand Council.”

“And you honestly think the Kingdom of Lyris will be in better hands?” James asked incredulously.

“I have known Prince Francis from birth. He’s a master of both the ladies and drinking.”

“Our country is potentially facing the increasing more dangerous perils and the best you can say about the potential new king is he can chug beer very well?”

“I mean if you put it that way you can make anything sound bad. You just don’t understand, old man. You haven’t seen Francis in action, it’s glorious.”

Both laughed together.

They rode pass field of wheat swaying lazily beneath the wind to see a cozy looking inn in the distance. It seemed quaint little building set amidst rolling hills of farmland surrounded by trees swaying against the wind.

James motioned towards an inn in the distance, “we should stop to rest the horses and get dinner before the final stretch to Svarostadt.”

“Sounds good to me. I’m hungry for some beef.” Alex replied

The two men stabled their horses and entered the inn.

James walked in to see a pale light illuminating tables full of farmers relaxing while enjoying food served by pretty bar girls. The patrons turned to look at the new arrivals. As soon as they saw James and his black military commissioner uniform, the room got much quieter.

James was used to it.

He led Alex to a table towards the back. Alex leafed through a menu as James pulled out his notebook.

A bar girl went over to them. She smiled warmheartedly as she stood to take their orders.

“A beef stew and a beer please!” Asked Alex.

“I’ll have a bowl of stew too and get us some bread. I would like a barely tea instead.” James added

“Tea again? You are no fun.” Alex said

“That stuff will kill you. Alcohol poisons the body and mind.”

“Yeah, but my will to live weakens without it.”

James chuckled as he reviewed his notes.

“What are you doing?” Alex asked

“I don’t like our assignment. Not one bit. There is something disturbing about this whole affair. Military commissioner Joshua killed shortly after starting an investigation into the cult of God of Fear and Hunger in Svarostadt.”

“Disturbing affair? I mean, the man in question was hung from a tree and had his guts spewing out for the world to see.”

“This is a murder with a plan. You know of Duke Frederick of House Bevern who used to rule this duchy?”

“How can I not know of him? His body imploded and his tongue fell out having angered the God of Fear and Hunger. Pretty fucking brutal way to go.”

“The way commissioner Joshua was executed…they are sending a message. Many want to kill commissioners. Few would be bold enough to try and even fewer would succeed.”

“Many would want to kill you? How am I not surprised. Well, that’s why they assigned me to bodyguard for you.”

“More like I’m babysitting you as you are assigned to Svarostadt. If I’m not mistaken, you are also meant to replace someone.” James flipped through his notebook, “Sir Johan of House Wettin who went missing a few months ago. Perhaps there is a connection?”

The bar girl returned with the stew, bread, and drinks.

Alex started to devour his dinner, “It was months ago, and Johan didn’t even make it to Svarostadt. Went missing in the Blackreach Marsh and probably died in that accursed land.”

“Unlikely, yes. But we can’t rule out the possibility.”

“Seems a bit paranoid of you.”

“Part of my duty to investigate and evaluate the possibilities.” James commented as he jotted down more of his thoughts into the notebook.

Alex shrugged in his armor and finished his meal.

“A downside with traveling with a military commissioner. The ladies stay away far away from us.” Alex complained lazily as he stretched after wolfing down his dinner.

“We are on a commission straight from the Military Grand Council not carousing around with the locals. Besides even without me here no lady would want to approach you anyways.” James admonished.

Alex smirked as the bar girl returned with another mug of beer. Alex looked up at her with a dazzling smile, “excuse me, ma’am. If you could. My friend and I are having an argument. I have to ask. Do you find me charming?”

“No.” She replied sweetly as she left after delivering the beer.

James just massaged his eyebrows.

“Tsk. Well back in the capital women find me quite charming.” Alex complained.

“Women? What your mother and grandmother?”

“Fuck you, James.”

James gave Alex a wryly smile.

They paid for the food and soon they were back on the road.