A Lord's Journey

[Cracker 4570]

Even without its leader present, Kralta had not fallen given overwhelming odds. Despite the strelesy of the Carrion-held town scrambling to cope with river demons, corrupted demonspawn and  the exodus of the majority of the Empire’s military and political leadership, the Raevir mentality of fortitude and persistence had prevailed and its people manage to survive the worst of times. However, even the simplest of strelts had begun to wonder where Lord Carrion had vanished. Some argued that he had sailed off with the Horens and Chivays, while others presumed him dead and corrupted, perhaps from a covert scouting party to the North. Fortunately for his people, neither rumor held true.

 

_____

 

It had begun when the garrulous Bogdan, self-styled Bogdanus, had waddled his way into Siegmund’s small solar. The Lord Carrion glanced up at the bird-keep, stamping his seal unto a glob of hot wax of a piece of parchment laying on the table, before locking eyes with the strelt.

 

“Speak, bird-strelt.”

“Bogdanistan comes with news from stars and stripes and other things, there is great Kassak Horde roaming Anthos, you must come, it is said by Godanistan and his chosen ear, Bogdanus, this is now and now is this, you must ride to meet horde!”

 

Siegmund blinked at the raving mystic. The man spoke gibberish and useless musings; yet somehow he had won over his fellow strelts, becoming the closest thing to a priest that Kralta had to offer. He cured the sick, took confession, and taught many of the strelt-childs of the Creator, albeit the deities name changed to “Godanistan”. Siegmund had turned to motion to Orlik Ironcrow, the half-giant standing idle in his solar to escort the madman out, but Bogdan was far too quick for the pink-skinned Orc to apprehend.

 

“Lord Crow Carrion, take do not of my words folly! This is true seal of Kassak, it is known! You are hero who must recover scrolls of Godanistan. I have covered but one; take and read and follow Bogdanistan to recover culture of ancient Raevir and true faith!”

 

Siegmund decided to humor the loyal strelt by examining the scroll. What he say immediately drove him from his seat, unto his steed, and embarking on a quest to the outskirts of the Northern wastes; where a few strelts had sighted old longships hugging the icy fringes of the Eastern sea.

 

_____

 

Lord Carrion had left Kralta without scant a notice; Bogdan had warned him to let his people know when of his arrival may drive them to plot and scheme. Instead, they left their people guessing and perplexed, only leaving Orlik a bill of regency to administer the small town in the Lord’s stead.

 

Bogdan + Siegmund’s misadventures with the Raevir horde in video form, Bogdan @ 0:53 in yellow

 

The pair had left with two meager brown mares, six counts of Lorik’s seventy spice finger lickin’ chicken strips, four counts of blackened bread loaves,a burlap bag of brown potatoes,  two skins of Carrion Black, Siegmund’s bardiche, Bogdan’s pocket shank and assorted maps of Bogdan’s prophecy. They returned with wealth unfounded; sums of over 50,000 mina in treasure, ancient relics which illustrated tradition and culture of Aegan Raev, and the “Bogdanstani Scrolls.” Siegmund knew that the content of those assorted parchments could only be shared between Bogdan, himself, and the High Pontiff, given how critical they were in discovering new elements of the True Faith.

 

____

 

When the Lord of Crows had returned to his castle, he found it strangely empty aside from the bustle of castle strelts at work. He made his entrance through the rear gate to draw less suspicion, yet Diedrik Barrow, the bastard of the gloomy Krelmstad had spotted the envoy from a half mile away. The bastard’s half-smirks and quips melted in his mouth as he witnessed his lord “risen from the dead”; coming in the thick of night after an elven month with mules of jewels and gold behind his back, scrolls in hand, and his pale, cold face appearing grizzled with age.

 

“My lord, we took you for g-”

“We can talk sentiment later, Barrow, have castle-staff arrange warm foodstuff. My stomach has run cold these long months in Northern wastes.”

 

Barrow’s face ran cold and pale, yet he nodded swiftly and paced off in a huff.

 

The meal had been common fare for a Lord of Siegmund’s stature; pickled herrings, buckwheat porridge, sauteed Nasser beef garnished with red onions and sweet-lemon, thinned pancakes dusted with black spice and warmed brown sugar washed with cups of choice Carrion White and Carrion Black. The half-brother bastard, however, knew such home food would stir the spirits of the missing Lord, and perhaps loosen his tongue to explain his mysterious departure.

 

The hall had been quiet as only the kitchen staff and Diedrik had known of their Lord’s return. Siegmund sat across from Diedrik as he took the pickled fish and swallowed it whole. One after another, he consumed in utter silence until the bastard took fit to break it with sentiments.

 

“Your children were worried sick.”

“Good. Tell me something I do not know, bastard, and pass vintage Black this side.”

 

Diedrik grumbled as he gave the bottle a thick shove; Lord Carrion snatched it in his hands and drunk his fill with gusto.

 

“Did you become glutton before or after abandoning your people to river demons, corrupted demons, and Horen’s Exodus?”

“After. Warm drink and ripe food turns man to pig. But what I have brought back is worth far more than monsters and murlocs. Speak something of note.”

“You are Crown Prince of Kingdom of Savoie, my lord. I hope that note is pleasing to ear.”

 

Siegmund grunted, giving Barrow a still look of utter contempt, before the bastard slid forward a map and edict sealed thrice ways in fine parchment; the flayed man, the purple dragon, and the lorraine cross. The Lord of Crows eyes widened, and once more the hall had been shrouded in silence as Siegmund’s eyes darted across the parchment like a river bursting to and fro. The Barrow finally grew the courage to smirk his signature half-smirk, teeth gleaming in the dim hearthfire of the Krelm.

 

“It seems the corpse of our empire has let our bastards take thrones. Pity I missed out on that, His Majesty  Lord Barrow has strong sound and nice ring. ”

 

“The corpse of empires..” Siegmund muttered under his breath as he plucked a shriveled cut of beef, chewing fastidiously before swallowing,

 

“...marks a feast for crows.”

 

Silence did not fill the hall for the remainder of the night nor the early dawn.

OOC:

I was on vacation for the past month, here is my IC explanation

 

Vekaro wanted Raevir gay sex scene but I had to keep it clean for the children

[ARCHITECUS 4788]

((gred did not died he fell really asleep))

[3andD 1722]

(( +1 good read, I would reply but I'm sleeping ))

[BegginLena 135]

(( Woohoo! Jacks back! ))

[lιoɴ 248]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.