Prologue
Prologue Summary
Aran is perched on a ridge overlooking a redwood valley very similar to Armstrong Woods. Use that as a descriptive template. The valley is burning and he can still hear the screams of a few men trapped in the forest.
He has five people with him. Elora (scout), Tanin (Destruction Chanter), Godwin (youngster barely old enough to shave), Vert (sergeant), Rodrick (naysaying private). These are the only survivors of their unit, which led the a large contingent of consumed into an ambush in the valley below. Tanin used his magic to set off the ambush by firing the woods.
Aran is studying the inferno below when Elora comes skidding up. She tells him that she’s found the enemy encampment, and that there doesn’t appear to be a route out of the mountains. They’d have to pass through the ranks of the enemy, brave the inferno, or hide and hope to avoid notice.
Aran presses her for information about the camp and whether or not she saw any binders. She didn’t see one, but did see a large tent and the way the consumed behaved guarantee the presence of a binder. One she feels must be exceptionally powerful to control so many consumed.
Aran calls Tanin over. He quickly explains the situation, then asks if Tanin knows which binder is in control. Tanin asks Elora about the standard, she describes it, and he recognizes the binder as Godfrey, nephew of Olivanticus himself. Tanin pales and explains that Godfrey is one of the most feared binders. An expert hand to hand fighter, and a brillant tactician.
Vert pipes up that Aran killed Rakarian, who was more feared than any save Olivanticus. Gazes shift in Aran’s direction, and he nods to confirm Vert’s assertion. Privately he thinks about the figth, and feels bad for lying to the men. He has too though, he needs to be a source of strength and give them hope that they can survive what he knows to be a suicidal attempt.
Aran gives the men a rousing speech. They can try to hide, and be killed. Or they can take the fight to the binders. If they manage to kill Godfrey they will break the back of the consumed army, giving their brethren a chance. They may lose their lives in the process, but they are already living on borrowed time. They were supposed to die in the valley ambush anyway.
He refuses to force them to go though, and draws a line in the dirt. Everyone crosses but Rodrick, who refuses to die. He says he’ll take his chances on his own, and Aran allows him to leave. Rodrick MUST play a part later in the book, as this creates the perfect opportunity to use him later.
Before they scout the camp Aran asks Tanin a series of questions. These need to reveal the following: Tanin worked for the binders, and was a chanter in their employer. A bit about binder culture,including how old and powerful Godfrey is. How many vampyr serve Godfrey, which should give a distinction between consumed/binder/vampyr.
Once the infodump is finished the group heads to the binder camp. Use lavish descriptions of the consumed, include various consumed animals as well so the reader knows its more than just people. Godfrey is in a large tent on a hill off by itself. There are no visible guards, and when Aran points this out Tanin will say how arrogant the senior councilors are.
Aran lays out his plan. They’re going to hack their way into the back of the tent and try a straight up assault. If they fail they will fall back far enough for Elora to get a shot in. She will be hiding, kind of a secret weapon.
Once people are ready they rush the tent. They burst inside and find Godfrey seated behind a desk reading reports. He glances up casually, obviously not alarmed by their presence. Made sure to take a lot of time describing him, the decadence of the tent and his battle staff.
The fight begins with Tanin launching a fireball, which Godfrey snuffs out easily by singing it into a brazier. Aran goes in from the front, while Vert and Godwin flank the vampyr. Godfrey fires a ball of black (void) energy that knocks Tanin down, then sets to work on the swordsmen.
He is silent at first, and quickly kills Godwin with the staff. Vert and Aran keep him offguard for a while, but eventually he drops vert too. Then it is Aran on Godfrey, and the vampyr finally speaks. He identifies Aran as the great hero who slew his cousin Rakarian.
He is skeptical about it, saying that while Aran is good for a mortal there’s no way he could have taken rak. He then launches into an explanation at how ill conceived the knighthood is. Aran wrestles with these accusations, because privately he believes the vampyr is right.
The examples the vampyr gives are how long and bloody the war is. The knights promised life would be easier and safer for the people of Olivantia. Is it? Far from it, which Aran has to admit. Then he talks about the acceptance of magic. Because the people view all magic as that of the vampyr they do not trust the chanters. People have already begun calling witch hunts, and killing off one of the people’s best hopes to combat the vampyr.
The last and most telling example will be this very battle. He asks if Aran was the mastermind behind firing the forest, and Aran admits that he was. it’s the first time he talks during the fight. Godfrey explains that while it will delay him for two days, it also gutted one of the lifelines for Tarsis. The city relies on lumber as a source of revenue, but Aran just burnt down a centuries old forest.
He asks Aran what happens when the fire is gone? He will be able to march through with his army of consumed, and they will crush the knights even if the eighteenth legion makes it to reinforce the seventh (this frightens Aran internally as he was unaware how good vampyr intelligence is).
Even if the knights win how bad will the casualties be? Horrific is a casual estimate. Yet Godfrey loses nothing. He can simply retreat and raise a new army. Can the knights? It will take years to train replacements. The knights are winning nearly every battle, but ultimately they are losing the war through attrition.
Then he covers the final eventuallity, one he believes close to impossible. If Aran wins this fight and kills him what will happen then? Six thousand consumed will suddenly be free. With the forest fire in the way the knights can’t reach the consumed, which will allow them to scatter to the four winds. They will fan out across Olivantia, killing and slaughtering their way through towns, villages and even cities. How will the knights stop it? They can’t.
So all of Aran’s efforts are for naught. No matter the outcome Godfrey has skillfully pointed out just how jacked things have/will become because of the knights. Worse, he’s pointed out how Aran’s own ‘heroic’ actions have caused nothing but misery.
Bear in mind that throughout this conversation Aran has been fighting for his life, pulling every trick out he can. He uses his flaming sword, throws a brazier in Godfrey’s face and tries a few other tactics. It’s all he can do to avoid death, while Godfrey is barely putting out any effort.
Aran finally realizes what he has to do. He gets Godfrey to drive him through the hole they cut in the back of the tent, falling prone in the process. Godfrey presses his staff to Aran’s neck. Any pressure at all will kill him. He asks how could someone so weak have killed Rakarian? I must know. How did you do it?
I brought friends, Aran replies. Then Elora fires and the shaft takes Godfrey through the heart. He staggers backwards and collapses. Aran gets to his feet, and Godfrey greets him with a bloody smile. You will see that I am right. Your order has wrought more damage than we ever could have done.
Icy fingers seize Aran’s heart as he wonders if Godfrey is right. Then shrieks begin all over the place as consumed break free. Many begin battling right away, while many more flood into the night. Aran darts out back to see this, and scans the treeline for Elora. She isn’t there. Then he hears a female yell from the camp and turns to see her.
She is riding a midnight horse, and pulling the reigns ofa shaggy foal that Aran estimates is no more than five. Old enough for a single rider, but without the stamina to keep going for days. That’s cassie of course. Shaggy and brown and awkward as a foal.
Elora is being pursued by a small group of consumed, and Aran isn’t confident he can take them all. His heart sinks further when dozens of consumed begin pointing and shrieking at the hill. A veritable flood comes their way, and Aran accepts his death. Elora comes riding up and leaps from the saddle to roll behind him. “This isn’t how I was hoping to spend my last moments, but at least it was exciting.”
Aran grins over his shoulder that given a choice he’d rather have her on her on back then standing back to back (need better quip). They stand back to back against the approaching horde, ready for death. Yet mysteriously the creatures halt about forty paces away. They prowl the outside of what appears to be an invisible barrier. Aran and Elora are wondering about this when Tanin staggers from the tent holding the staff.
He is paler than normal, trembling and slick with sweat but seems confident he can keep the consumed at bay. Within a few minutes they lose interest and flood away in search of easier prey. As the sun sets Elora, Tanin and Aran are on the hilltop and able to see thousands of consumed flooding into the plains of Olivantia. Aran stares in horror, wishing he were dead. This should tie in to the first line of chapter 1. Aran knew he was dying.
Scene 1
Aranthar awakes with a massive hangover. He’s cold, achy, wet, shivering and certain death has finally come. Matter get worse when the cloak he’s using as a blanket is pulled off him. This causes him to finally sit up and look around. The cloak was pulled off by Cassie, who is glaring reproachfully at Aranthar.
He hears approaching footsteps and suddenly realizes he was supposed to be on watch last knight. Aran leapts to his feet and immediately regrets it as the hang over slams into him. The short balding caravan master approaches with a scowl on his face <need name>. The little man is obviously pissed, and plants his hands on his hips as he stares up at Aran.
“You were on watch last night.” he prods an empty wine bottle with his foot. “Instead you got drunk and passed out. What if we’d been attacked?”
Aran feels a momentary twinge of guilt. He was on watch. But for the pittance he’d getting paid he figures he earned a little R&R. “We’re a day out from Reverian. No one would dare attack us this close to the capital. Besides, it was wet and cold last night and I needed something to help me stay warm.”
He and the caravan master argue. Aran knows he’s in the wrong, but the little man bothers him and he refuses to back down. Aran calls him an ingrate, and points out that he saved the entire caravan from bandits. In the end he’s fired. The caravan master points out that if they’re so close to Reverian he doesn’t need protection anymore.
He docs Aran’s pay for dereliction of duty, and refuses to pay any sort of bonus for Aran saving the caravan. After all, that’s the whole reason guards are hired. Aran is angry, but also cognizant of the fact that he was derelict in his duty so he doesn’t press any further. He merely accepts the washed leather purse and gathers his belongings.
One of the comments that comes about during the figth is that Aran is slovenly. He stinks. Aran is forced to admit the man is right. Part of the problem is that he doesn’t have another set of clothing to change into, and since his pay was docked he’s not really in a position to buy more.
Since its raining anyway he takes the opportunity to was his clothing in a nearby stream. He leaves Cassie to roam free and talks to her while he’s cleaning his clothes. After he’s done he hangs them on a tree branch. Not to dry, as its still raining, but to keep them out of the everpresent mud. He tells Cassie he’ll be back as soon as he’s bathed.
She gives him a disapproving look that he ignores. He is not going to be judged by a horse. Still he feels bad that he has nothing to feed her. Make sure to mention that part of the reason he was paid so little coin is that the caravan supplied the feed for Cassie. There isn’t any grazing as its late winter.
While bathing he contemplates shaving a week’s growth, but doesn’t want to be in the freezing water any longer than necessary. He quickly scrubs down, and cringes as the water turns brown around him. He’s not sure how he let things get this bad.
When he comes back on shore his clothing is gone. His pack was still on Cassie’s saddle, so he looks for her next but she’s gone too. His horse has been stolen! The only thing left is a pair of boots. Aran dons them and finds Cassie’s tracks. Curiously there are no human tracks. Whoever took her must be riding.
He hurries up the trail, careful to make sure he’s following her tracks. From the width he assumes she’s moving at a canter, but oddly they don’t seem deep enough if she’s being ridden. He wonders if the thief is a child, or a petite woman. If she’s a woman he wonders if she’s cute.
Aran finally rounds a bend and the trails spills out onto the main road. Three knights are in the road, two mounted and one on foot near a third horse. The two mounted are men. The one on the ground is Briana. Make sure you spend a while describing her from Aran’s perspective, and remember that how he sees her reflects his personality.
Cassie has his shirt and breeches in her mouth, and Bree takes them from the horse and pats her muzzle. She stares at the clothes in puzzlement until one of her companions points in Aran’s direction. They all look at him, and Aran is at a loss. He’s naked save his boots. Even his swordbelt is still hanging from Cassie’s saddle.
His mount turns a baleful gaze on him, and a moment later all three knights start cracking up as they realized what must have happened. Aran realizes there is nothing to do but get his clothes back, so he trots down the hill to the knights.
“Excuse me,” Aran takes a serious tone. “I’d like to report a theft. This horse stole my clothing. Will you arrest her?”
Bree blinks rapidly as she tries to digest what he said, then starts laughing again. It’s a low clear laugh, very attractive. She turns her gaze at his obvious nakedness, and Aran responds. “You’ll have to forgive me, but the water was cold.”
The banter will continue a bit before Bree gives him his clothing back. He hurridly shrugs into them and she points out that he looks familiar. Aran’s heart seizes. He cannot afford to be recognized, though at this point the reader should have no idea why.
Is he a criminal? If so what crime did he commit? They’ve seen him drink too much and fall asleep on duty. The point is misdirection. They should believe he’s a lowlife, so when they find out he’s a hero it will catch them off guard.
The Knights continue on their patrol, obviously heading towards the city in the distance. This is the first time the reader sees anything of Reverian, so make sure Aran describes it and monlogues enough that the reader gets a good feel for it. Oh, and have Bree say something about seeing more of him, but that not being possible since she’s already seen the whole thing.
This might be a good break point, especially if I have Aran cover his situation mentally. He’s almost out of coin, has no job prospects, no real friends in Reverian and no idea what to expect.
Scene 2
Aran begins the chapter by grousing at Cassie. He tells her that he should sell her to the tannery to be made into glue (research how glue used to be made). She lets him mount, but gives him the same baleful stare. Really stress the one way dialogue between them. She is a huge part of your comic relief.
The two continue to trek through the freezing rain, and the sky rumbles ominously. Aran sees surprisingly little traffic given how close to the city they are and wonders why. Not long after they come upon a crude gibbet where a man has been hung from a tree.
Describe it with as much detail as possible. Crows alight on the corpse, which is swinging in the rain. It’s eyes have been pecked out, and it’s bloated as if it’s been there a few days. The figure appears to have been a tall thin man, though its impossible to be certain. There is a crude wooden sign hanging around its chest, and as Aran passes he sees the word Chanter scrawled in charcoal.
This gives me my first chance to discuss magic in Faelands. Have Aran explain a bit about Chanters, and express doubt that this poor fellow was one. Most chanters are smart enough not to get caught. I don’t need to expound much on what they can do. The reader will begin thinking about it if I drop the terms Chanter and singing the fae.
The next passage needs to cover Aran’s journey into Reverian. I need to describe the farmlands and hamlets outside, the people sees in those places and what their lives are like. What sorts of animals do they have? What are their houses made out of? What clothing do they wear? What other imagery can set things in the reader’s mind?
Then move on to a closer view of the city itself as he approaches. Describe the wall surrounding the entire thing, then go over each of the sections, the rivers, Oldtown, Hightown, Lowtown and most especially the Grand Temple which was built over the bones of Olivanticus’ keep in the center of the city. Look up your notes on Reverian on the website if you need to.
To enter the city you must cross one of three bridges. Two of them span the rivers. The third spans the canal that was dug between the two rivers. This effectively makes Reverian an island, which was partly why it was built on this spot. It makes it very defensible. Aran is coming from the south so he passes over the canal bridge.
There are guards on both sides of the bridge, and they check everyone’s belongings and paperwork before letting them cross. In Aran’s case he has no paperwork, so they have to assess whether or not he can be a productive addition to the city. Aran asks them why this is necessary. Every other time he’s been here anyone could pass the bridge.
The guard <need names for gate guards. explain that a wave of refugees has flooded the city over the last few seasons. There have been sightings of the consumed in the northeast. This tells the reader that A) Aran has been gone a while B)Shows things are a mess C)Introduces the concept of consumed.
I could also use Orokh as a threat, but I’ll have to consider it carefully. If I interject it the reader will expect an explanation, and possible relevance later. I don’t plan to have Orokh in book one. Still, having them mentioned is fine I think if done cursorily. Aran can dismiss them as a lesser threat with a short explanantion, then focus on explaining the consumed.
Aran explains that he works as a mercenary and caravan guard. Reverian is the trade hub for the entire country so they always need guards. They let Aran pass and he leads Cassie across the bridge.
Really spend time talking about the populace. They are downtrodden, even more so than the last time Aran was here a year ago. They are resentful as they were before, but now it is overshadowed by fear. They have a hungry look to them, and the goods sold on the street are meager and expensive. There are also far more people than were here last time he was in Reverian.
Aran heads to Longshadow Alley, which is between the eastern wall and the docks. It’s named because it sits under the long shadow of the wall, and only gets sunlight for a few hours each day. It’s a rough place, though not so rough as lowtown. It’s also the place in Reverian where all mercenaries and swords for hire go to find jobs. There is a board where jobs are posted, though it takes a cut from those doing the posting and from the people taking the job.
Aran checks his coin pouch and realize he has enough silver to keep him in wine and to feed for about a week, but only if he doesn’t pay for lodgings. There is a field adjacent to Longshadow where people are allowed to pitch tents, so he goes there first. Much to his chagrin its completely packed, and there are people waiting outside for other’s to leave. A line basically.
The people there scowl at Aran hostiley, as if daring him to try to cut in line. There is also a fence around the field now, which there never was before. Aran ponders that. Why build a fence? Is it meant to keep something out, or keep the people in?
Aran still needs to find a place to stay so he heads to the Rusty Spigot. He doesn’t like the idea of paying for a room, but with the field full he has little choice. His hope coming in is to share a stall in the stable with Cassie. He was planning on stabling her anyway, so may as well share the spot.
Aran is greeted by name when he enters. A girl very similar to Ria from Yuri comes up and kisses him full on the mouth, but then slips from his arms. He’ll remember her from previous trips. She’s fickle, but so worth the trouble <need name>. In this instance she’s busy working, but is still very flirtatious as she leads Aran to a seat.
She sets him up with some wine, but charges nearly double what he was expecting. She shrugs apologetically, but times are tough and everything is dear. He asks her about stabling and she says there is plenty of room. She won’t let him share a stall, but she’ll only charge him a bronze for a spot in the loft.
While they are talking two other barmaids shoot Aran grins and call out greetings. He’s obviously slept with all of them. If you want him to be a bad boy this is where to establish it. Aran enjoys his wine and dances with the barmaids. He has an enjoyable time before settling down to eat dinner.
Ria joins him for dinner as the traffic slows to a trickle. People seem in an awful hurry to leave as sunset approaches, and Aran mentions this to Ria. She explains that it’s not safe to be out after dark. People have been disappearing, and its getting worse in recent weeks. Its so bad that people will only go out in large groups after sunset. The reason the loft in the stable is so cheap, she admits, is because no one wants to stay there after dark.
Aran presses for details, though he’s a bit fuzzy from multiple goblets of wine. No one seems to know what’s behind the disappearances. Some people whisper vampyr, but Ria doesn’t know how reliable that is. No bodies have turned up, so its impossible to know.
This should trigger introspection in Aran, and is setup to hurl him through the first doorway. He remembers the violence and depredations of the vampyr. The horrors of the purge. He thinks of all the wasted years he’s had, but if he accomplished nothing else at least he drove the vampyr from Olivantia. The thought of them being back sends a chill through him.
Aran finishes dinner, but the idea of the vampyr being back continues to distract him. He finally makes his excuses, and tells Ria he’s going to bed down. She asks him to be careful and he agrees that he will.
Instead of heading to the stable Aran brings a flagon of wine and starts strolling the streets on Longshadow Alley. He even sings offkey drunken tunes, knowing that he’s likely to draw the attention of whatever is killing people. He’s well aware this could cost his life, but has to know if the vampyr have returned.
Fifteen minutes and most of the flagon later he is relieving himself against a wall when a rough male voice comes from behind. Aran turns to find a knight and relaxes. The man asks him if he knows its dangerous to be out after dark. Aran asks if there’s any laws against it? He doesn’t like knights in general, and this one in particular just rubs him the wrong way. Maybe it’s the man’s arrogance.
The knight says the law is what he says it is, and that if Aran gives him any more lip he’ll crack his skull. Aran is still tense from his fear of the vampyr, angry from the events of the day and very drunk. He gives a crooked grin and tells the man to take his best shot.
The knight obliges and tries striking Aran with the spiked laurelwood billy club that all knights of the dawn carry (it’s a holdover from the days when they hunted the vampyr). Aran catches the club with a lightning fast move. Even as drunk as he is he’s still the best swordsman around, he thinks.
Then the knight’s fangs elongate and he hurls Aran nearly a dozen feet to impact against the wall. The man is a vampyr.
Note: This scene could be too long so look for an earlier break point if possible
Scene 3
Aran staggers to his feet, ripping his sword from its sheath even as he rises. It won’t kill the vampyr, but its his only weapon. The drunken fog begins to fall away immediately, which is a good thing because the vampyr knight is on him almost instantly.
He drops the club and draws his sword. Aran is still aching from the impact with the wall, but adrenaline borne of fear for his life gives him strength. He engages in a furious battle with the vampyr. His skill is MUCH higher, but the vampyr is fast and very, very strong. Eventually he pins the vampyr to the wall with his sword.
He knows that only buys him seconds, and darts for the dropped laurelwood stake since that’s the only means to kill the vampyr. The vampyr uses a barehand to snap the sword in half, and comes at Aran again. They have another short desperate fight that ends with Aran plunging the stake into the vampyr’s heart. Make the battle as close as can be.
The vampyr collapses atop Aran and he struggles to get it off him. After he’s certain its dead he leans against the wall and catches his breath while he considers the implications. Not only are the vampyr back, but it appears they’ve infilrated the knighthood. It could be an isolated incident, but no matter what its’ very, very alarming.
Aran takes the knight’s sword and uses it to decapitate him. He wraps the head in the knight’s tabard and then withdraws the laurelwood stake. He takes the sword and stake as weapons. Aran briefly debates getting Cassie, but decides to go on foot. He heads towards the keep, with the grand temple as his ultimate destination.
He turned his back on the knighthood years ago, but this is too big an event for him to keep quiet about. Gavin has to know what’s going on at any cost. After that Aran is done though. He’ll do this one favor, but then he’s out. He’s not getting sucked in again.
This is Aran passing through the first doorway. His reluctance to help and his dislike of the knights should be well stressed by this point, but he puts them aside for the greater good just like he did during the purge.
Aran passes through the sleeping streets. This time he makes no noise and sticks to the shadows. Vampyr have slightly better senses than a human, but only slightly. Staying off main roads and keep quiet gets him safely to the gate to the keep. He can have his internal struggle on the way.
When he arrives the gates are barred, so he raps on the sally gate with his newly aquired sword. It takes several knocks before someone responds. A fresh faced knight slides the bolt and opens the gate without checking to see who it is, and Aran mentally chastizes the boy for making such a simple mistake. What if he’d been an enemy? It saddens him to see such badly trained knights holding the wall.
The knight glares at him suspiciously and asks why he’s come. Aran tells him that he needs to see Gavin immediately. The kid tells him that no one just gets in to see Gavin then laughs. Aran is not in the mood. Faster than the kid can react he snags the kid’s arm and pins him to the table in the guard room behind the door. He sets the blood head so the face is facing the kid. It’s clear from the fangs that it’s a vampyr, and the kid is suddenly terrified.
“I wasn’t asking permission. You’re going to take me to Gavin, or I’m going to hurt you. Badly. Do you understand?” The boy understands, but says he’s not allowed to leave his post. “Great, I know the way. I’ll go by myself.”
The kid is clearly unsure of what to do, but Aran breezes by him and into the courtyard of the keep. There are two massive buildings on the other side. The great temple and the assembly, which is used for the first council. He bypasses the assembly and heads straight for the temple.
There are another pair of knights at the gate to the temple, both of who look bored and close to dozing off. Aran is again shocked at the lack of training and discipline. The knighthood was much better during his years with them. What happened to make them so soft and disorganized?
While approaching he sees a fifteen foot tall statue near the steps to the temple. It’s dark, but four torches have been lit at the base of the statue. The flickering flames illuminate a very familiar face. His own. Aran is shocked as the statue wasn’t here when he last was part of the knighthood. He stops to read the inscription at the base of the statue. Make up something cool.
Aran is shocked. The statue includes his legendary sword, a weapon he readily remembers <need name>. It has short hair where his is long, and he knows he has a few more age lines and a few days growth. But other than that the statue is a startling likeness of him.
He bypasses it and heads to the bored guards, who don’t notice him until he is three steps away. This is a criminal offense as far as he is concerned, but he reminds himself that he is no longer a knight and it isn’t his problem. He’s here to deliver his warning, and then he’s on his way. He has to find work, hopefully some that takes him far from Reverian.
The two guards don’t even snap to attention. One of them just says, “Oy, what’s your business mongrel?”
“I’m here to see Gavin,” Aran tries to control his rising anger at what the knighthood has become.
“Piss off,” the man sneers. “Lord commander’s abed, and wouldn’t see the likes of you even if he wasn’t.”
Aran snaps. He’s in pain from the earlier fight, he’s shocked at the knighthood and he’s carrying vital information Gavin needs. He punches the first man in the throat and sends him to the ground choking. The second man gets his sword half way unsheathed before Aran seizes his hand and stops him short. He reverses the motion into a throw and tosses the man down the stairs. Then he kicks open the doors and stalks inside.
Aran remembers the layout of the place even though its been a while. Before he goes any further he bars the door so the two morons outside can’t follow. Then he creeps through the temple like a ghost. The place is all but deserted and he finds the Lord Commander’s chambers without further incident. The trek is filled with memories and Aran questions whether leaving was the right thing to do.
The knighthood was obviously corrupt back then, but if he’d stayed could he have made a difference? Once again he reminds himself that its’ not his problem.
Aran raps on the door. He can see lamplight spilling from under the door, not that it surprises him. Even at this late hour Gavin is still likely to be working unless he’s greatly changed. A stern voice calls out for him to enter, and Aran opens the door and steps inside.
The blood drains from Gavin’s face as if he’d seen a ghost. He half rises from his chair and his jaw works for a moment before he is able to find his voice. Aran is that you? He asks.
Nice to see you too Gavin. Aran stalks across the room and dumps the tabard wrapped head on Gavin’s desk. Blood is already soaking through, and it stains the papers he was reading.
What’s this? Gavin asks. He is still in shock from Aran’s sudden arrival.
Then the door comes crashing open and Bree darts inside, “Father we have an intruder…” She comes up short when she sees Aran, “Protect the Lord Commander!” she yells, and her two male companions move in to flank Aran.
Scene 4
“Gavin call off your dogs or I’m going to have to hurt them,” Aran snaps. He’s had a long day, is tired, still a bit drunk, aching and generally disgusted with the knigthhood. Before Gavin can respond the three opponents are on him.
Aran hooks a footstool with his foot and flings it at the knight on the left. He dodges a strike from the knight on the right, then breaks the man’s jaw with a right cross. He draws his sword while backpedaling and gets it up just in time to parry Bree’s first blow.
She launches a furious flurry that he is hard pressed to hold off. His monologue will speak of her speed and skill, but will also note that she uses perfect forms without improvosation. She’s had classical training, which makes her predictable. Within a few seconds Aran can read her moves, begins countering them, then pushes her onto the defenisve.
“Looks like you like to dance Kitten. Maybe we should take this somewhere a little more private?” Aran laughs as he drives her across the floor.
“Disengage,” Gavin roars. Aran spins away from Bree and sheaths. The two male knights are both getting to their feet looking sheepish. Bree is still armed and ready to attack.
“But father he could be…” Bree begins.
“I said disengage. Sheath your weapon. Now.” Gavin cuts her off, and Bree’s training takes over. She sheathes, but interposes herself between Aran and Gavin. Gavin turns to the two knights. “Leave us. Briana you stay.”
Aran walks past Briana without the least bit of concern. He pours himself a goblet of Gavin’s wine without asking, then flops into a plush chair and props his feet up on the bed. Briana’s eyes flash at the disrespect, so he delivers her a crooked smile.
“You!” Bree exclaims. Aran suddenly realizes where he’s seen her. She’s the knight from the road when he was naked. “You’re the man on the road this morning. The one without any clothes.”
“Aran?” Gavin raises a snowy eyebrow and turns a less than amused glare on Aran.
“Cassie stole my clothes and ran off with them,” Aran sighs and suddenly looks sheepish. He’s not proud of the situation. “I happened to run into your daughter here when it happened.”
“You’re still with Cassie?” Gavin laughs. “I thought she’d have left you by now. That mare is smarter than most of my knights.”
“She puts up with me,” Aran grins, and the two share a moment. Bree looks back and forth between them in confusion.
“Father, who is this man?” Bree interupted. She studied Aran intently with an expression that he was familiar, but that she couldn’t place him.
“Briana, allow me to introduce Aranthar von Hauppen. Knight of the Dawn, member of the highest order.” Gavin replied. Blood is leaking from his desk by the point, though no one has addressed the severed head.
“The Aranthar?” Bree gapes. Aran is obviously a hero, and her reaction should show it. Aran’s reaction is mixed. He likes the attention from a beautiful woman, but he knows he isn’t the hero they all assume.
“Don’t believe everything you hear kitten,” Aran snorts then turns to Gavin, his mood a little soured. “Gavin, look at that thing’s face. Do you recognize it?”
Gavin turns to the head on his desk and sucks in a breath, “Stewards bloody balls. He’s one of ours. SoAndSo the knight, from the East Docks district.” Gavin examines the head and displays the teeth so Bree can see them too. They share a long meaningful glance.
“Well I’ve done my part,” Aran rises smoothly. “I thought you’d want to know the order’s been infiltrated by the vampyr. Luck to you.” He starts walking to the door, a great weight lifted from his shoulders. He did the right thing in telling Gavin, but its his problem now.
“Aran wait,” Gain rises from his desk, his voice tinged with desperation. “You can’t just leave. Don’t you understand? They’re back. The vampyr are back.”
Aran stops in his tracks, the words landing like hammer blows. The one good thing he accomplished in his life was driving away the vampyr, and now they were back. It isn’t his problem, once voice says. But another answers that if its not his than whose is it? The sorry excuses for knights he’s seen won’t be able to stop it.
“How can you just leave?” Bree cries out. “We need you. Can’t you see that? Your return would help the order recover. The people might even start believing in us again.”
“I don’t believe in you,” Aran gives back harshly. “Why should they? Last time I trusted Gavin he had me kill Rakarian through treachery. Then you threw the people to those jackals from Hasra. We still haven’t recovered from the damage the merchants did. The Knighthood isn’t doing squat to help the people of Olivantia.”
“How can you say that?” Bree snapped back, obviously angry. “We work tirelessly to keep people safe and to enforce the laws. We honor Dalanthar. We stand for justice. What do you believe in?
“The strength of my sword arm,” Aran snaps back. “There is no justice. It’s just a word. All those pretty vows you swear count for nothing. Do they Gavin?” He turns his gaze on Gavin, so does Briana.
“Aran you have every right to react this way. You were badly used, and its true that we haven’t done an adequate job protecting the people,” Gavin settles back into his chair and scrubs and hand through his hair. “But that changes nothing. We need your help. Stewards, I need your help. You brought this to me so it must bother you. Will you at least stay and hear me out?”
Aranthar walks back to his chair and sits down, “I’ll hear you out.”
Briana crosses her arms sullenly and also takes a seat. Aran is positive that the good will from the morning’s interaction is gone. He doesn’t care. Let the child believe what she wants.
“Excellent ,” Gavin steeples his hands and meet’s Aran’s gaze. “I won’t bandy words. The Knighthood is being overrun. The Orokh are gathering and have assaulted villages. Consumed are attacking further west than they ever have before. All of that pales before the real threat.”
“The vampyr have returned. They strike at us from the shadows,” Gavin sighed. “They hunt the streets of our city, but we can’t pin them down. They opperate with complete impunity. Now I finally know why.” He glances at the head. “They have infiltrated the knighthood itself. Who knows how many there are?”
“How do we know he wasn’t the only one?” Briana interupts. “If we start jumping at shadows and suspecting our own people the order will tear itself apart from the inside.”
“You raise a good point,” Gavin began rubbing his temples. “Perhaps I am jumping at shadows.”
“You’re not,” Aranthar sighed. He didn’t know how he knew, but he knew. The vampyr was smart. Crafty. They always had a plan, usually one that was a half dozen steps ahead of their opponents. “Where there’s one there is almost always another. Why not test the knights to be sure?”
“That would be catastrophic,” Bree shook her head. “The knights wouldn’t stand for it. It would impugn their honor.”
“Honor be damned,” Aran snapped. “We’re talking about lives. If the vampyr come back and the knighthood can’t stop them thousands will die. The rest will be enslaved just like they were before.”
Gavin watched them neutrally for several long seconds before speaking, “They must be tested, but we can’t do so openly. This will require tact, discretion and a willingness to ignore the law. I have no one who can do that.”
“I-” Briana began, but her mouth snapped shut and she looked troubled.
“I’d never ask this of you,” Gavin sighed. “Aran, only you are equal to this task. If you won’t do it for the knightwood, will you do it for the people of Olivantia?”
Aran is torn. He doesn’t want to be involved, but he doesn’t trust anyone else to do this task right. The vampyr are a threat most of the knights barely remember. If they have infiltrated the knighthood it could mean catastrophy.
“You’ll give me the authority to do as I wish? I report to no one but you?” Aran asked. Was he seriously considering doing this?
“You report to no one at all. Not even me,” Gavin opened a door of his desk and withdrew something glittering. It was attached to the end of a silver chain, and Aranthar knew what it was the instant he saw it. It was the badge of the Twilight. Each Lord Commander possessed one, and could use it to appoint a Twilight to serve as an inquisitor among the knighthood.
Gavin tossed the pendant in his direction and Aran snatched it from the air. This tiny medallion gave him almost unlimited authority. It was respected across Olivantia.
“You’re certain you want me to have this?” Aran asked.
“I am,” Gavin replied. “But there is a condition. My daughter will assist you in your investigation. She will help reintegrate you into the knighthood.”
Aran expresses what a bad idea that is as he is well known for bedding every girl who crosses his path. Bree snorts and says that will happen two days after never. Gavin gives Aran a knowing smile and says he’s fairly certain his daughter can protect her virtue from Aran’s charms.
Oh one more thing, Gavin tells Aran. He heads to a weapon locker and withdraws Aran’s famous sword. He tells him he bought it from a fur trader for a pitance, and his gaze says he wants to know how the trapper got it. Aran doesn’t oblige, but takes the sword. He unbuckles his current one and buckes NamedSword around his waist.
“It’s the middle of the nigth,” Gavin points out. “Brianna will you escort Aran to suitable quarters. From here on out you will shadow him and follow his orders as if they came from me.”
“Of course father,” Bree accepts the orders, but obviously chafes at doing so. She turns to Aran. “Follow me and I’ll get you situatated.”
“Oh one more than Aran,” Gavin interupts. “Get yourself a real bath and cut your bloody hair. You look like a sellsword.”
This prompts a grin from Bree and a shocked expression from Aran. There’s no way he’s cutting his hair. They head into the hallway, and bree takes him to a small room.
*** Need a church of some kind that is growing in strength and threatening the knighthood. This church is being run by the vampyr. When Aran shows up Gavin is overjoyed to have him back, but doesn’t care about one lone vampyr when he has the temple of SoAndSo to worry about. They are stealing worshippers and sapping the power of the church. And they are the ones making the knighthood look bad behind the scenes. Arie is secretly in charge of this church.
The effect you are going for here is very Burning Bright. The church is the Universal Brotherhood. Dig out that novel and read it. You want to have people not suspect the massive vampyr threat until the end. The question is can you do this from the first person perspective and if so how will Aranthar find the vampyr plot without it looking contrived? Reading Burning Bright a MUST. See how he set it up and then replicate it. Even the back of the book can be massaged to downplay the threat, or at least be non-specific so the reader is shocked by how it happens.
Examine the back of Burning Bright and see how they describe the plot. Use something similar.
Gavin is completely overwhelmed by the pressures of being the High Marshal. He can’t deal with all the problems that are cropping up, and is desperate to get Aranthar’s aid. He knows what a unifying force Aran could be if he’d work with the knighthood again. Aranthar thinks about things and decides that he will help, but only if Gavin will make him a twilight. Gavin is reluctant to give Aran that much authority, but Aran tells him to take it or leave it. In the end he gives Aran the title “Aw, Aran what the hell is that? You got blood all over my desk. You tracked it on my carpet!”***
