Chapter 346: Messenger
‘Over yonder rises the gentle sun amidst the cold sky.’ Stood amidst concrete houses with ted roofs of which rose many fire-ces. A snowy-white ground, each breath made a puff of vapor. The messenger stood, frozen to the bones, dressed in heavy-leather coat, gloves, and cap. Next to a tree with white leaves, the viges, all people with angelic wings, and warm clothes walked without heeding his call. Speaking of the tragedy at the capital had the vige leader in peril, though, it didn’t cause trouble for the vigers. Back of where he stood led a path of gravel towards the harshness of the mountain. Tall pines tree erected all around the vige and up the mountain.
“Hear me o’ vigers, the capital has forsaken thee, help isn’t toe,’ pleading with all his might, the few ears he caught were of kids missing milk-teeth. For the following few days until the day the Enbr siblings arrived at Noctis’s Hallow, the constant warning would continue.
Each night spent was as if they’rest. Monster fighting, further up, supplies were low. The harvest this month was piged by said devils. Set to freeze without warning, hunger was soon to arrive. Hunter, try as they may, couldn’t but face defeat. All the animals, deer, and more alike fled. Reports of many younglings going missing at dusk forced the adults to not leave after 06:00. Living off what could be scoured around – life grew harder. The cold added more than snow, it meant certain death if one was starved. The body had to work twice as much to survive. The Winged-wolves; angels in human forms, were ustomed to the climate. Not the messenger, he stood frozen on the third day. Taken pity upon by the vige leader; the chance to exin what had happened presented itself. It took convincing, abandoning the slight sliver of hope was tough. It made listening to reason that much harder to swallow.
“The capital isn’t going to save us?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” sat before a firece, the warmth provided a littlefort. Opposed to outside, the inside had a rustic feeling, one that matched a log-cabin. A rug made of bearskin rested in front of the firece. A small circr table on the side of the chairs provided support for warm drinks. The vige leader, a man well in histe sixties had white hair. Wings of which had their feathers falling. The face, paler than most with veins and bone exposed due to the skin losing its vigor. Wrinkled around the eyes, each smile felt as if a burden in the skin. The lips were hidden by a beard and mustache. All the men bore facial hairs, it helped in keeping warm.
“What are we going to do?” mumbled the leader, “-the adventurers have been fighting for months. The frost giants aren’t letting up their attack. I fear that we may need to abandon the vige. Moving everyone from here further down will be troublesome.”
“What if the monsters were defeated?” asked the messenger, a butler in service of the Nox’s n.
.....
“We’ll be able to move to climb the mountain as the days of old. There’s plenty to be harvest up there, tis as if heaven, a climb to purge out sufferance.”
“They need to be defeated right?” he asked intently.
“Yes sir,” replied the old man sipping the remainder of his mug, “-I doubt that the monsters will be killed so easily. Haven’t you heard the rumors? Beasts asrge as the trees, goblins twice as strong as humans, vultures waiting to strike the fallen. Lastly, a dragon who roar every midnight causing avnches. It rests atop Mont nc which of itself is more than a few weeks,” resting the mug, “-so you see, expecting them to be defeated is pointless.”
“Forgive my asking,” he interjected, “-did anyone spot a girl fly over the vige in the past week?”
“A girl flying over the vige?” paused to think with a gentle stroke of the beard, “-no. I hear that a boy saw arge-white figure fly. I doubt it’s anything consequential. Probably a vulture or one of the mountain beasts. So, what brings you here?”
“I came to deliver the message,” he smiled.
“So, you came to announce our end,” breathing a chuckle, “-how very quaint,” the head shook at the absurdity.
“No,” said sharply, “-Ie not from Arda.”
“Not from Arda? Why so, did the council fall apart?”
“A very well-educated guess, Elder,” he nodded, “-the council has in fact fallen into a disagreement. The reasons why elude me, I was never one for politics.”
“On whose behalf are you here then?”
“The Blood-King, the exiled faction of the council.”
“The Blood-king...” the words echoed around the room. A name as fearsome as told by the many stories throughout the vige. “What of him, what will he do?”
“Thou shall see at dawn,” kindly putting away the nket, “-I’ll sleep on the couch over there, good night, elder.”
“Yes, good night indeed,” thest exchange was confusing and mysterious. Preupied with the situation of the vige, in no way could he focus on the what-ifs.
The next day came soon. The vige awoke to a heavy mist that limited vision to about 2 meters. Turned to check on the messenger, “he’s gone,” mumbled the Elder.
Out in Noctis’s Hallow, the roads before the three mansions were filled with carriages. Ones with supplies on their back. One by one, butlers ran around sorting the issues as they arrived. They were getting readied for an expedition.
“Serene,” called Staxius, “-I want you to remain here.”
“No,” she refused, “-in no way am I going to let you leave alone.”
“Don’t be so stubborn, I need you to take care of matters here,” he voiced kindly.
“No, I don’t care,” she turned in dismissal.
“Majesty,” interjected Balthazar, “-if she wishes to apany thee, why not let so?”
“Surely you understand,” he refuted back.
“Yes, I do understand, thou art worried about the matters of state,” he smiled. “As for Serene,” he pointed with a cane, “-she’s worried about you more than the state. The n leaders will handle the troubles as theye. You needn’t worry, be sure to bring back the princess.”
“Will do,” exhaling, ‘-look at them.’ Serene and Intherna argued over trivial matters as opposed to Achilles who spectated. ‘Feels like Kniq.’
“Majesty,” approached Lady Fawn, “-what of the carriages, are you sure the single one will do?”
“Yeah,” he replied, “-the supplies willst a week at most. That should be enough time to help the adventurers,” eyes fixed on the trail ahead, ‘-here Ie, Eira.’
“Sire,” in came Lady Gabrielle dressed infortable clothes, “-what of the spies?”
“The siblings?” ncing over the shoulder, “-leave them be. The capital is a death sentence at the moment.”
“Alright, if you say so,” she nodded.
Precisely at 07:00, an influx of mana overwhelmed his senses. ‘That’s the signal,’ he thought with the All-seeing eyes active. Far from the vige, a secluded path of snow with a singr man.
“Mount up,” turned sharply with the suit-jacket catching air, “-we’re going.” The frivolous argument turned to silence. Sat in the back with Staxius on the reins, it was pulled by hounds. Ones that Serene summoned. Armed and ready, *Ancient Magic: Teleportation.*
In the mist, a carriage with a singlentern approached.
“Who’s there?” asked the messenger a little frightened.
“Get in,” said a monotonous voice,” glowing pair of eyes walked with ease in the snow.
“M-majesty,” from a figure to now the King, the butler bowed and entered from the back. He was met by three menacing faces. Achilles on the left with the aura of a trained fighter, strong and merciful. The middle, Intherna sat with her back pressed against Staxius’s, her face showed innocence with a hint of mischievousness. To the right, Serene with a face as beautiful as the moon, a face that had a mncholic beauty. Intimidated, he gulped and sat as far away as he could. The trip continued with the never-changing scenery.
“Butler,” voiced Staxius a few minutester.
“Y-yes, m-majesty,” he startled out of thefort of thendscape.
“We’re closing the vige. I hope that you’ve exined everything in detail.”
“Yes, and there was a boy who says a figure flew over a few days back.”
“Good,” the face rxed, new people meant a new persona. Snowy to somewhat clear, the carriage advanced quicker on the stone path. Led upwards, it gave into arge open area with nothing but snow. The houses were built with precision, it suited the region very well. The highest was two-stories high. Few children who ran around alerted their parents. In-turn, they rushed over to get the Elder.
Stopped shy of the houses, in the center of a path dividing the vige, the Elder approached. Hunched back with a walking stick, he came apanied by ady.
“Elder,” approached the messenger.
“W-what’s the meaning of this?” asked the old man.
“What do you mean, didn’t we discuss thisst night? You said you wanted the monsters to be killed.”
“Y-yes,” he coughed, “-we already have adventurers fighting them.” Peering over the messenger’s shoulder, “-who is he anyway?”
“Mind thy tongue,” fired the butler instantly, “-don’t be so rude in the presence of royalty.”
“Royalty you say?” heughed, “-stop with the jests, in no way will any noble blood walk here.”
“Let me speak,” approached Staxius who overheard all that was said. Each step resounded with power; it forced the men to gather behind the Elder.
“As you wish,” bowed the butler out of his way.
“Staxius Haggard, King of the Vampires, Protector of Arda, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he gave a slight nod with hands on his chest. A sign of respect for those who were older.
“K-k-king of v-vampires...” murmurs went around the vige. All were shocked and distraught.
“Majesty,” spoke a boy behind the crowd.
“Alice!” he voiced loudly. It was the boy who came to the capital a few months ago, the boy who grew attached very quickly.
“Majesty,” he ran without heed of his parents and leaped.
“Got you,” Staxius caught the boy and spun, “-you’ve grown since thest time,” he smiled to a stop with the boy hugging tightly.
“Alice, please,” called the Elder, “-don’t be so open,” he facepalmed.
“Grandfather,” turned while still being held, “-Mister Staxius is a nice person. He took care of me when I was scared of those people in the capital.”
“There you have it,” smiled Staxius at the Elder. One by one, each lowered their head in respect.
“Wee to our humble vige,” spoke the Elder.
“Please, there’s no need to lower thine heads,” he said with a warm tone. cing the boy on the ground, “-go meet up with your mother.”
“Ok,” he ran off with a skip.
“Majesty,” spoke the Elder, “-may I ask why thou art here?”
“I’vee to help,” he voiced, “-rather, we’vee to help,” at that moment, the threedies vaulted off the carriage. Stronger than most, they all walked to stand behind the King. “I heard the vige was in trouble with monsters. The butler should exin the intricaciester. For now,” he pointed to the carriage, “-there are food and provisions for a week’s worth. Consider it a gift from the Blood-King’s faction.” The words fell on their ear as if dessert after dinner. An indescribable joy of relief. Without time wasted, the vigers were quick to unload the carriage. It held more than a week’s worth of supplies. They couldst for a few more if rationing came into y. The guests were taken to the Elder’s house. Alice smiled along the way for the warm memories of the bath and ytime returned vividly.
“Someone’s good with kids,” elbowed Intherna in jest.
“Phrasing,” he sniffled, “-it makes me seem as if a predator,” they entered the house.