Dreadlords Madmen Know Nothing

[Alistair Krixus]

"Alone. Yes, that's the key word, the most awful word in the Common tongue. Murder doesn't hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym."​

Snip. Cut. Chop.

That was no longer needed. Leave it with the rest to be removed later. A wet thwump followed as something slopped to the floor rolling near his foot. They kicked the viscera away quickly and lamented their nicely polished shoes. Surely they would need to be cleaned again. Even such disgust could not drop the smile from their face as the day was almost done.

Oh, there was a noise? A soft dull moan that had been drowned out by the noises of there work. Finally, his friends were awake. No longer could the dreary boredom of the day assault there senses and dull there mind. Friends would not stand for that. After all, that was what friends were for. They would do anything for one another.

A small rope was pulled as a gasp of air revealed a hidden door in the wall. As soon as the door was revealed and a small crack opened, the dull moan revealed itself to actually be a loud bellow of pain and anguish.

"Shh, shh, it's ok." the soothing voice cut through the scream as it slowly died down into a whimper.

"It's almost over. Soon we can play with all our friends."

There was some struggle, the sound of chains rattling frantically for release.

"They all can't wait to meet you."

The screams that followed were swiftly cut off as the hidden door once again sealed itself and its secret.

---

"Danton Hopps, an Anirian Ranger was last seen in Eastfield. The last stop in the defensive inspection of the long road that runs to the east of Vel Anir. The job is simple to find Danton or find out why he went missing. Elven activity has been growing more aggressive in the area, with Eastfield being so close to key military positions in the area. We want to be sure what is going on.

The gruff man explaining all of this looked out at the Dreadlords and initiates alike that would be going on this mission. Lieutenant Leon Beckett was a rough and tumble man who certainly did not fit the usual aesthetic of the precise soldiers of Vel Anir. However, his rank and age made it clear that he was someone that knew what he was doing and had managed to survive all these years.

"Likely, we have a deserter on our hands and no worry of elves, but just in case. You lot are being sent. Understood. Good, now get out of here and leave me to my drink.

Alistair and the rest of the group broke attention as he made his way over to his horse Feldaris. Retrieval of some random deserter was usually not something that he would be sent on, but he knew something that not all the others would know. Lieutenant Becket and his superiors had requested a member of the Vestigare on this mission, and since Alistair was one of the newest members, he had been unceremoniously selected.

What for? He had no idea. The Vestigare were pretty skilled at hunting down their targets, maybe this was just some kind of initiation mission. Just to see how well he could handle everything.

"Well, seems pretty simple. Right?" He asked the others.

 

[Margot]

Margot picked her nails with a knife as she listened to Lieutenant Beckett give them the rundown on their mission. Retrieval of a deserter? What did Beckett need with all these people to go after him? The Tyrian thought it was a little dramatic, but she supposed there could easily be something else going on. She just wasn't sure she was particularly interested in finding out. Not yet, at least.

She had heard that there was a member of the Vestigare on this mission, and as her yellow gaze surveyed the crowd, she wondered which one of them it was. They were supposed to be skilled trackers and hunters, which she they would obviously need for a mission of this sort.

One man spoke up after they were dismissed, as they were getting ready to head out. "Don't jinx us," she replied, pulling her thick scarlet waves into a plait before climbing onto her horse.

 

[Varian Armata]

"Simple does not mean easy." Varian stretched his limbs, the large initiate warming himself up with the dismissal from the lieutenant. There was more to this assignment than was let on, but it was not of his concern just yet. This was just another task to be completed, something Varian was keen on. He was a quiet student and did little to stand out save for his build, but that did not keep him from being proactive in taking on assignments. To the young initiate, these were building blocks to become something more than what he was now. Perhaps through trials such as this, he would gain some knowledge and experience, things to add to his ever-growing repertoire.

"I can take the front. I assume we won't need any protection from the rear since we aregiving chase. For now, at least." Varian stepped forward, eyeing the path before them with a narrowed gaze. His stride was confident as he moved to the front of the group.

 

[Kor]

"Awfully quick to assume an attack would come from the front if it comes at all."

The hooded initiate sat to the side, his milky white eyes staring at the floor as he spoke up after the larger student. His arms were placed neatly in his lap, and his long braided hair spilled from his hood down his chest like long feathers. "Even if this isn't a matter of desertion and this Hopps has been taken captive, they'll know we're coming. I don't think elves would be so foolish as to try and attack a group of Dreadlords and Initiates head on."

Those in Anir tended to let their distaste of elven kind lead them to underestimate the pointy-eared people. Kor knew better. They were smart, dangerous, and far from oblivious to their enemies. It suddenly made sense to the Initiate that he'd been selected for this assignment; None could track prey like Kor and his flock. He would have the entirety of Eastfield scouted in minutes if he was allowed to do so.

There was the matter of the Dreadlord who would be accompanying them. He would, of course, take lead. Kor disliked taking orders, but it would be a necessary concession, this time.

A shrill cry sounded in the air as a red-tailed hawk swooped down to Kor's shoulder as he stood, its eyes glowing eerily as it tucked its head underneath its master's chin affectionately. Blind though the Initiate was, he still had eyes. Those of his flock allowed him to see, and he strode to his mount as though his vision was clear as day.

"It doesn't matter. If they try to trick us, I'll know."

It was a statement of fact, not plea or promise.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair could only stare at the two initiates with raised eyebrows before chuckling to himself and then looking to Margot. With practice ease, he hefted himself onto his steed, Feldaris, before trotting off once all the others were on their mount.

"Never said it would be easy, but it does make our next steps clear once we near the village."

He allowed for the blunt initiate, he believed his name was Varian, to take the front. If he want to take it that bad then be his guest, he did not foresee any danger until they grew closer.

"I do love this sense of...cockiness coming from initiates these days, or I guess I should be polite and just call it confidence. As for the elves, don't be so sure, they have their own specialist which have no problems with doing battle against the Dreadlords."

It still did not explain why those kinds of specialists would be sent to capture a random ranger from a small village. Hopefully, they could ask around the village once they arrived.

Alistair glanced at Kor, it was easy to deduce what his ability was given the arrival of the hawk and his blind nature.

"Kor, take the rear. You're scouting ahead, but not too far."

 

[Livia Quinnick]

When the mission called for Dreadlord and Initiates to hunt down a potential deserter, they were quite to pluck Quinnick out from her classes and into the small group assembled for such a task. Despite her protests of how unpredictable her magic could be at any moment, they fell on deaf ears. If her ability to always find the lost were to even work just a shred, it would look better if the mission was a quick one. To spend many days in search would be ill advised, so the faster they tracked this Ranger, the sooner they could be done giving this any thought.

Livia knitted her brows together listening to the Lieutenant, the frown deepening as the group spread and began taking up places before journeying on their first lead. Her magic hummed within her, an echo leaving her and feeling no pull in either direction for this target. She had spied Kor, a classmate hard to miss with that hawk always present, and thought to linger closely as she was somewhat familiar with him. Livia had been pulled out of many classes to do tasks just like this, to seek out that hard to find trinket or record or the like, and just as many times before her magic needed to purge after some build up. Nothing was ever right, and having that disadvantage of total control left the Initiate in a bitter mood, convinced she would have a part in ruining this mission.

"All I am getting is the sense the Ranger still exists to live." She piped up the only bit of information she could impart. That much she could tell, but perhaps the closer they would get, Quinnick would be able to get a sense of where to steer the group to find what they were looking for.