Capital in Despair

I exited the carriage and wandered through the streets filled with distraught and the feeling of defeat, the lowborn people had been left to fend for themselves as the war moved ever closer to the capital. They had little food and were living off the scraps the highborn would leave for them, some had turned to hunting rats and small birds in order to survive the conditions. Trudging along the street I came across a leaflet hanging off a wall, I hadn't realised but as I turned around all the walls of the street were decorated in these leaflets. The city had been painted with them, and I began to read it.

"Emperor Rodrick Iloyt will be holding a tourney to look for suitable candidates for a new squad of Royal Guards. All Knights of the School of Knights are allowed to enter."

It then proceeded to state the date which ended up being a few months from now. It would begin in the spring, and only allow those who are a part of the School of Knights to join. It felt at a misplaced time, we were at war, why would you hold a tourney in the middle of such a thing. Then I read further down the leaflet.

"All are welcome to watch and enjoy a lavish feast at the tourney."

I sighed as I read it, it wasn't only a way to quell the masses hostility in the city, it was also a way to gain the trust of his army. In a way it was a good move, yet I doubted his heart as much like me it seemed to be a false face he had been giving the people. Slowly I took the leaflet with me as I walked down the street, I had lost all my weapons and armour in the siege, and was given a large amount of money to repurchase equipment by the Lord and the people in the village I had helped. So I wandered down the streets searching for a blacksmith to buy from.

Approaching the end of the road I saw a shop with a blacksmith anvil painted onto a sign outside of it. Quickly I moved towards it and walked into the shop, I took a quick look around it, gazing at all the pieces of armour and weapons lining its walls. The blacksmith stood at the counter, polishing up a dagger he had just finished, he quickly glanced at me as I walked around the shop gazing at his craftsmanship.

"Ye' wantin' somethin'?" he quickly remarked placing the dagger in its sheath, and moving to a shelf behind him to place it on.

"I'm looking for a new sword and armour, for this tourney thing and for the war." I stopped wandering around and walked up to the counter. I briefly looked over a couple of the swords that hung on the wall behind him, one catching my eye. A beautiful steel bastard sword, its cross guard crafted out of some other material that I couldn't make out, it was a standard guard but had some small engravings on it in a language I didn't know. The leather spun around its grip well laid out and then onto a pommel that was rounded with another symbol engraved onto it.

"I see, an' what's yer budget?" he said as he began to lean on the counter.

"That sword with the engravings, how much would that be?" I pointed to the sword I was looking at, him turning and looking at it before turning back.

"At's not for sale, at's going to the young lord. Just waiting for it to be picked up." he remarked, he slowly walked into the back of his shop and came back with another sword, same make just without the engraving, but the pommel was slightly different, it was twisted towards its end, and the cross guard was twisted in its middle before having a chunky end. He placed it on the counter before asking, "What sort of armour ye' lookin' for?" I was kind of shocked before I realised he had gauged my budget from asking for that sword due to it's look, and had quickly decided to sell me everything that was expensive.

"Nothing too heavy, maybe a hauberk and a gambeson? If you have those. Also a pair of steel bracers. I'll look to a leatherworker for gloves and boots." I began to tap my fingers on the counter as I waited for him to return with the items, he also carried with him a sack so that I could carry them which he charged me for.

"100 gold for the sword, 50 for the gambeson and hauberk and 10 for the bracers. Also 10 copper for the sack." I handed over the correct amount to him quickly checking through my coin pouch for what I had left. The cost of this purchase had left me eerily close to nothing, it was enough to buy the boots and gloves hopefully, and then hopefully for a nights worth of food but that was all. Quickly I moved the armour into the bag, and tightened the sheath with the sword to my belt. Leaving the shop I headed out to a leatherworker and bought the rest of my gear and then headed to the School of Knights.

As I entered the tone I felt last time had completely changed, many of the squads had been defeated, and there wasn't a sound as I walked through to the Headquarters. There was a few familiar faces but far less than I had expected. As I approached the Hullmfald Ruts Headquarters I felt a serious amount of dread as I went to enter, only to be stopped by two familiar faces. Ash and Mak had both survived their respective battles and had recognised me as I entered the School again.

"Welcome back." Ash's tone was conservative as she spoke, something about her changed.

Mak came over and turned me away from the door and ushered me to a table where we all sat. Both looked as if they had seen a bad side of the war.

"So how've you been?" Mak asked quietly looking at the table in front, his hands placed on it nervously.

"...I don't know, uneasy to say the least." I slowly replied placing my sack down next to the table.

"I see, so you know about your squad right? About how they were all but destroyed." asked Ash

"Yes I read the reports." I replied quickly. "Did the squad get disbanded afterwards?" adding on to the end.

"Yes, all squads were disbanded, the School of Knights is no more, it's just a garrison hall now." Ash replied before sitting at an awkward angle on the other side of the table.

"I see." I muttered under my breath, before quietly adding "How was your parts of the war? Uh... How are you both?"

They both began to stare at me before their eyes told a story of utter defeat.

"We lost... hard. Almost all of our squad was decimated by an army from Branevos. Not a lot of survivors. From the word around here, nearly all the Captains were killed in their respective battles." replied Mak, his eyes glancing towards Ash as he spoke. His voice sounding depressed and defeated. "What about you, did you protect your lands?" He nervously added.

"No. We lost..." My face tried to remain stoic, but behind the mask I was struggling to understand what to say. I felt heartless trying to show no emotion but right now I felt it wasn't what they needed. That was till they asked what happened, I went on to explain the situation of the blue lightning strikes and the betrayal of my father. Alongside the torture and imprisonment at the hands of the pale man. Both their faces were shocked as if their grief didn't match up to mine, and then I mentioned Lillia and both of them turned away to look at each other.

"I see" said Ash calmly, "Must've been hard." she added clearing her throat afterwards.

"It was, but I can't think of it right now, got to keep going forwards. Got to place well in this tourney." I replied my mind trying to fix itself upon something that I could possibly obtain.

"You're entering that also?" asked Mak, a small smile breaking out on his face. "Just like us?"

"I suppose." I replied nonchalantly.

"I know we last left on a bad note, but we're now joined together by the fears of our past. So I believe we should try help each other now. Since we're the same age and all." Ash remarked extending a hand towards me.

"So lets let bygones be bygones and start fresh. We'll help you train. Then we'll fight in this tourney and all of us will be selected." she added on afterwards, me grabbing her hand in agreement.

Mak stood up before all of us, "After all, we survivors are going to be the one to save this city from despair. That's our goal now." Ash and I both stood up with a small smile on our faces, we were all set up for the task. Then over my shoulder I heard a soft voice, "Stavn...".