03.03c - "Marks of the Past"

Leofinas closely followed those carrying the eggs as they loaded up for the ride home. As they exited the cave, Blak was humming his new tune:  “The Roper!”

Bismark asked Blak "An how are you tied to the alliance, again, Blak?"

"Oh course , Ha, I'm their representative.” Blak told him. “Sent in to investigate matters here based on rumors. Turns out they were correct, eh?"

Bismark looked surprised. "oh, you *work* for the alliance?"

“What is this alliance?” A’postrofae asked, overhearing them but staying close to Frulan.

Blak explained, "It is an organization of those of varied and advanced skillsets, dedicated to be champions for the people in their time of need"

Able carefully guided his horse in between the horse carrying the eggs and Leofinas. "Will they be able to do something with these before they hatch? If we can somehow use them to stop or slow these attacks..."

"Most certainly.” Blak told Able. “ I'll need to send a correspondence when we arrive in Greenest. Frulan said we only have a week before they hatch"

"Better hurry then" Able pointed out.

"Something that's bugging me though, about this mission," Able said scratching absently at his beard "is why would they leave the eggs behind when they evacuated? Even as well guarded as they were, that has to be a huge liability"

Leosin, still looking quite exhausted riding behind Brynne, calls out, "You may want to inquire with Miss Frulan. I overheard the answer to your inquiry Mr . . . Able I believe it was, but I would be best from the horse's mouth as it were"

Able reached out with the Song and pokes Frulan. "Speak, woman."

A’postrofae reached over and pull the gag out so she could speak.

Frulan spat off to the side, attempting to get the taste of rag out of her mouth and failing. "Black dragon eggs, as I'm sure you know, require a dark and very hot and  humid environment to hatch. Not every cave system has that. Disturbing them from that can reset the clock, not freeze it. as they take a while to warm up. A week was a conservative estimate. They probably would have hatched in two days time. Now? Could be months. Rezmir knew we had tons of meat and your half elf friend to feed them. We also assumed we were well guarded in  that cave. Logically it made no sense to move them"

Apostrofae tossed the rag on the ground. “If I hear you start to speak magic I will cut out your tongue bitch.”

"... Message received. And based on the threats by your comrade, I'm quite convinced the more I talk, the longer I live" Frulan observed.

“You speak the truth… for once.” Apostrofae said under her breath.

"Since you're feeling garrulous, why don't we talk about your friend the Captain? When did you see him last?" Able asked her.

"The way we're divided into cells, as I'm sure you know, there are many captains . .. You'll need to be a bit more specific" Frulan pointed out.

Able tried to keep any emotion out of his voice, and told her "Othelstan"

A look of recognition came over Frulan’s face. "Ah, him, I haven't seen him since I delivered the recall order the day you and I saw each other last. Last I heard he was put in charge of some small village up north that is . . . friendly to the Cause. ... I'm sure if you were to permit me to live and seek out my contacts in Berdusk or at the Gate, I could provide more specifics?"

Bismark chimed in. "So you were the captain of the Frulan Blues, I assume. Heard that name thrown about somewhere."

Frulan answered, "Indeed, but i'm not THE Blue. Rezmir of the Black just wanted a large force to handle the eggs and the Blue's help was requested in order to secure the assistance of the dragon.

Able interrupted. "Who gave the recall order on my unit? Who killed my men?"

Frulan calmly answered "The Red gave the order, as for who killed your men? I would assume that was enemy action. You know what you signed up for. At your level it was nothing to do but to follow orders."

Able smacked her in the mouth, mid sentence.

A brief silence followed and Bismark furrowed his brow. "Did you work with these people, Able?"

"Mind your own fucking business, priest" Able shot back.

Bismark rode in front of Able and stopped, speaking in a firmer tone. "I'll ask again, you worked with these people?"

Able dismounted from his horse and sticks the Song point down in the dirt. Bismark followed suit, bracing for a fight

Undoing some buckles, Able begins to take off his armor

“So we are doing this now?” A’postrofae asked.

Bismark stared at Able. "Cards on the table, Able."

Shedding breastplate, tunic and bandages, Able continued to strip to the waist, showing clearly a large claw tattoo on his chest, the mark of the Red, old and scarred over, but clear

Frulan, from on her horseback said a little cheerfully, "oh . . . you friends didn't know?"

Theo reached over and slapped her silent. “Speak when spoken to, bitch” A’postrofae added, nodding at Theo.

Ignoring Frulan, Able continued. "when my family was starving, my father journeyed far and wide for work. In his desperation, he joined...we all joined, a group that promised hope for the destitute and forgotten" He gestured at the mark on his chest. "I got this when I was 13 years old. At first, they helped us. Just helped, for no reason other than that they said they believed in us. Believed in our destiny to be great.”

"Slowly it became less about helping us and more about helping them. We didn't know anyone who wasn't in the cult. We didn't know how to get out. I had to join a mercenary company just to get away from their petty manipulations" Able looked sad, like one of his favorite memories was dissolving. "But even that was a plan, I see."

"My captain, Othelstan, met with this one" he said, pointing to Frulan "the night before a large action in the North. It took me a time, but I recognized her eventually. The next day was a massacre. There were ten times the number of goblins in that valley than we were expecting. Ten. Times. No one is that misinformed, not that late in the planning."

Frulan studied the reins for a moment, "It was a matter of finances you see… Coffers for the northern contingent were running low."

Bismark shot her a glance, taking his eyes off of Able, who started moving toward her. "YOU MOTHERFUCKER!! I'M GONNA EAT OUT OF YOUR SKULL!" Able yelled, attacking her with his hands. Bismark tried to pull him off and calm him down, as Able screamed like a wild animal trying to struggle free. A’postrofae sat on her horse smiling at the whole scene.

A’postrofae pulled out her bottle and noticed that it’s empty. “Theo!” she said shaking the bottle in his direction. “You’ve got some work to do when we get back.” Theo looked back and forth between the fight and the bottle. almost trying to decide what he should focus on.

Restrained by Bismark, Able flailed impotently towards Frulan, screaming incoherently. Bismark dragged him far enough to get some distance between Able and Frulan and stood between them.

"Fucking!....eye socket!.....choke!...bitch!" Able shouted, pointing over Bismark’s shoulder at Frulan, who lay on the ground, having been knocked of the horse. She looked dazed, a small blood trail on the corner of her mouth.

A’postrofae got down from her horse, and with help from Theo picked her back up, Roughly. “Upsy daisy bitch,” A’postrofae told her.. Frulan spats blood on the ground, and looks at Able defiantly. “Just get on your horse and stop with all the posturing” A’postrofae continued. Frulan clearly ponders a reply, but eventually nodded.

A’postrofae wondered how suddenly she became the rational one

Able shoved his way free of Bismark, sweating and red-faced. "Get off me! I'm fine" Bismark lets him go.

Leosin, having been silent this whole time, said "well . . .THAT was unexpected."

Clearly embarrassed, Able gathered his gear and starts getting dressed.

Bismark walked over close to him. "Nothing to be embarrassed of, friend. You were taken for a ride by these cultists like I'm sure plenty of others have been. Thankfully you've seen their true colors and are with us now." Bismark reaches out his hand

Able shakes Bismark’s hand gratefully

Brynne visibly relaxed, as Able gets back on his horse, drinks from the Ditch, tossing the rest to Apos.

"Alright, pitter patter" he said. And lightly kicked the horse into moving forward.

Bismark mounted up and rides up beside Able quietly for a while. "You had told me when we were interrogating the veteran that there was no changing them - Yet here you are. You aren't like them. You aren't one of them anymore."

Able scoffed. "Who do you think made me like this, Father? No, I'm still one of them. Worse, maybe.” Able gestures to the book in his bag, to the bat on his shoulder. "Look at what I'm willing to do to get back at them"

Batholomew preens for a moment.

"That is just ...." Bismark shakes his head "look, stop calling me father, please. I am not a priest..." Bismark continues, "That is just power - how you use it is what makes you different, Able. These people are clearly evil and trying to do the will of an evil godess - that abomination Tiamat. You using that power to fight against this evil makes you different."

"Did you hear what she said? How do we know we aren't doing exactly what they want - again? They just happen to leave their prized eggs behind after escaping from us? For all we know we are doing Tiamat's bidding right now. I'm afraid I'm no different than before. I still feel like a dagger in someone else's hand. "If that blade ever finds the neck of the Red...maybe then we can talk about change"

"Who is the Red?" Bismark asked.

"Unfortunately I have no idea.” Able answered.

“Or the Blue for that matter, are these positions or people?" Bismark said, turning to Frulan.

A’postrofae nudged her, saying “Keep making noise and I’ll shove something in that hole that’s going to taste a hell of a lot worse than that rag”

Able answered him. "Frulan is a Blue, meaning she works for THE Blue, the leader of that part of the Tiamat Cult" Able counts each one off on a finger. "Blue Black, Red, White , Green"

Frulan started to speak then realizes she's not sure if she's supposed to or not, then nods appreciatively to Able after his brief description.

Leosin chimes in, "And to make it even MORE confusing, their upper cadre are all known as the Purple"

"Then let's just cut off all five of the heads and be done with them all" Bismark proposed.

Leosin sighed. "If it were that easy, my friend"

Able looked at Bismark. "Well, when we're done with them they'll have to call themselves The Brown", and Bismark started cracking up in his saddle

Frulan actively rolled her eyes when Able glanced back at the group to see if his joke landed.

A’postrofae silently wondered if Frulan would still be alive if she dragged her behind her horse the rest of the way.

Bismark slows a bit, thinking... "Wait... Frulan, who was that that came to the keep with you in Greenest? Was that THE Blue? Half dragon, half man, blue scales, with a horn on his snout like one of those guard drakes? The one that laid Leofinas here out on the lawn?"

Frulan answered, "Langdedrosa? Oh, he was merely a trusted warrior. A Lieutenant if you will, of the Blue. He was not The Blue . . . although I'm sure he one day had aspirations of doing so. Probably would've killed me eventually for the opportunity" She shrugs matter-of-factly.

“You looked like you wanted to kill him at the keep” Bismark said, remembering something

"Did I? You must be mistaken. He was quite useful ..." She said.

Meanwhile, Gamble had been spending his time checking items in his pack and quietly thinking about the events of the cave, confident that no one had any idea of his "heroics"

As the party returns to Greenest Keep, Able hops off Ol' Stinky and hand-leads the horse carrying the eggs towards Escobert. The party sees Leofinas grab a few supplies and head off to the woods. "Get these into the coldest cellar you can find. Use men you can trust, and keep it quiet."' Able says in a low tone, trying not to make a ruckus. "Keep it guarded at all times. Let no one enter," Able points towards Leofinas, "especially him. We need to talk to the Lord to see what needs to be done with them. Can you do that?"