In the morning they had gotten moving again, though the rougher roads did make travelling slower than it had been yesterday. But, despite that, a few hours of walking later finally brought them into view of the village.
It was decently sized, sitting in a little valley between the small hills surrounding it on all sides. Most of the buildings were made of thatch, wood, and plaster, with a small stone temple at the centre of the community. Around the village itself freshly sown fields were starting to grow as small green buds poked their heads out of the soil. Overall, a rather average small, unassuming village. But it was quiet. Not deadly quiet but… Subdued. The bakery didn’t seem to have much going on and the streets only had a few people milling about their day. But still, Dyo kept his hood up.
Agrippa pointed Ercole towards a small tavern with a little area for horses and donkeys as the others continued to their house.
It was about as unassuming as the rest of the houses in the village. One story tall with a small herb garden in front. The plaster was peeling slightly, but otherwise, the house seemed to be in good condition. Just a decently maintained, average-looking homely cottage.
Agrippa then turned to the group, their hands fidgeting with each other.
“Everyone, uh. I’m going to change form now so don’t-“
“Don’t be surprised?” Hreysti asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Y-Yeah…”
They swallowed, taking a breath in, and then closed their eyes.
With that, their skin started to soften and their features blurred, their form melding like soft clay being shaped. Melting and shifting until it settled and solidified into the form of a young man. A young man with wavy brown hair, slim features and soft brown eyes whose bulkier body didn’t quite fit with the plain dress they were wearing.
“Are you going to-“
“Once I get in.” They muttered.
The door of the house was flung open and out it strode a bald, muscular, 6ft man with arms like cannons and stare- That actually didn’t look all that intimidating as they looked upon Agrippa.
“My darling, you’re back! And- And you got help!?”
They smiled, “I didn’t think I would, but I met these people and- uh- well- This is one of my parents everyone.”
“You’ve made quite a lot of friends I can see! I’m Lucinius you can call me their father if you want. I’m honestly surprised that anyone would answer the call and I am afraid I can’t offer you much in the way of a reward.”
Shani raised a hand, “Whatever we take from their camp is enough. No need to give us anything.”
Dyo nodded, “We’ve just come to help.”
The father raised an eyebrow, “I can tell you’re from around here but what about your two friends?”
“Cudesh.”
Hreysti looked down at the ground as he mumbled, “A place that might not exist anymore.”
Dyo turned to him, waiting for an explanation that didn’t come. He could see something wanted to come out of his new friend, but… It wasn’t the time to press though. Maybe he meant it was lost to the sands of time?
“There’s one more with us, he’s putting his horse up at the tavern.” Dyo filled in.
“Ah, well,” the Lucinius continued, “it doesn’t really matter. Agrippa, how about you go in and clean up, I’ll talk to them while we wait for your other friend then. So, would you want to sit here?”
Lucinius pointed to a small table outside of the house with benches and rotting stools strewn nearby. The three exchanged a few looks between each other as they tried to decide how many people might be able to fit on one of those benches.
Luckily the three of them all managed to fit on the one bench as they faced Lucinius, just in time for Ercole to arrive. The noble’s face soured slightly as he looked between the three, the large man sitting in the middle of the other one, and the three decaying stools. But begrudgingly, he took one of them.
“So, did I miss anything while I was at the tavern? And who is this lovely gentleman here?”
“Uh, not much,” Dyo said, “This is Agrippa’s father and they’ve just gone in for a moment since they-“
“Changed form?”
“Yes.”
Ercole leaned back about as far one could on a small stool, “Well I’ll be quite intrigued to see it… Well, it’s very nice to meet you uh-“
“Lucinius.”
“Lucinius! Well, I am lord Ercole de Astoria, third son of the duke of Namisure, and it is a pleasure to be your acquaintance.”
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The man’s jaw dropped, his eyes widening until their mind finally caught up. He shifted along the bench quickly, making as much room as possible for the man.
“I- It’s an honour lord Ercole uh- I-I’m sorry if I am being improper here, I haven’t got a lot of experience with talking to nobles. Please, sit here, that stool is not suitable for you!”
Dyo swore he could see the edge of Ercole mouth twitch up as he shifted over to a more comfortable position on the bench.
“Thank you Lucinius. I didn’t expect a citizen of the republic to know feudal conventions. Pray tell, does the prince governor come here often?”
“Uh- No lord.”
“Then are you freeholders of your land, or are you tenants? I know both exist in the republic.”
“T-tenants my lord. We own the house itself, but the rest is owned by a patrician.”
“And he doesn’t provide any defence to his lands!?”
Lucinius’ feet shifted under the near interrogation, “In the republic lord, the only forces he may have are bodyguards. The duty of guarding this land is of the prince, but, well, his troops seemed to have moved away recently.
Before they left though, they declared that we shouldn’t be doing any worship to Calsyniacus. Not as if we worshipped him in the first place, our prayers are with Emra for the most part! To be honest I’m not sure what’s going on lord Ercole but I know the bandits got in because of it.”
“They raided my village too, the troops…” Dyo muttered, drawing the father’s eye.
“What are you sayin-“
He was cut off as Dyo pulled his hood back, revealing his curling horns. For the second time that day Lucinius was left dumbfounded as he was presented with the figure of an actual representative of the divine. Its purple eyes looking into his.
“I- I-“
“It’s alright. You don’t have to worry about anything, I don’t want you to bow down to me, please. Just, don’t tell the troops if they come here.”
“What’s going on!?”
Agrippa rushed out of the house, now clothed in a brown tunic and trousers. Their eyes darted about, searching for the cause of the commotion. Spying Ercole hogging most of the bench their father was sitting on and Dyo’s uncovered head.
“Uh, darling, could you perhaps tell me next time when you bring home illustrious guests who they actually are so I can treat them with the respect they need?”
“I- I’ll try to do that next time dad.”
“Well, I need to prepare something for all of you to eat, but Tranio has been converting some weapons. We’re not going to ask them to help us without anything, right?”
“No! Not at all! I’ll guide them over!”
“And make sure to show lord Ercole the proper respect he-“
“I’ve got it!”
Agrippa started to walk rather briskly away, beckoning everyone else up to just follow them, please. The group slowly raising from their settled rest and followed behind.
But, once they were out of earshot Ercole couldn’t help but ask, “I didn’t know your father knew the proper forms of address. Why didn’t you when I told us during our walk yesterday?”
“I was out of breath!” They stammered, “I was just waiting for us to stop before I passed out and I just couldn’t process it!”
“Well, I suppose I can make an exception in that circumstance… Though… I don’t think anyone has been using my proper title…” He whipped around to the others, “Why’s that?”
“I- I just never thought of it!” Dyo stammered, taken back.
“You’re not very lordly and we are travelling together,” Shani stated simply.
“Agreed.” Herysti huffed, “I’m sure you can deal with not having your titles respected at every moment.”
Ercole’s face went blank for a moment, his pace stopping for a moment. Then his signature smirk came across his face as he chuckled, “I suppose that’s true, and it’s good to see you two are brave enough to challenge a lord. You lot are going to need to grow those sorts of guts rather quickly.”
----------------------------------------
“You’re going to take those bandits head-on!? Oh, ye are quite brave then!”
The blacksmith- Well toolsmith technically in front of them laughed a hearty, but slightly unstable laugh.
“What’s so absurd about that?” Dyo asked.
“Oh, it’s not that absurd! But I’ve seen what’s gone on when men go against each other and I tell you, it ends with a lot more blood and ye can imagine! Lot’s intestines on the floor and all that!” He laughed again, his laugh going on until it lost all of its energy as his eyes dropped down, “Oh I’ve had my fill of that…”
“R-right…”
“So!” He clapped his hands together, his energy suddenly restored as his voice boomed, “I can do anything for friends of Agrippa and the village, and I’ve been cooking up a few things that might help if the fuckers ever come close to us. Which of you have weapons then? I know Agi has their bow and knife and it seems like the lovely woman over there has some kit at least.”
Shani grunted, dumping their packs on the ground and slipping a bag off of a spear. A quick bit of fumbling later and she had her spear and large round bronze-coated shield ready, proving her point rather more than she needed to.
“I have most of my arms with my horse, but I have this here as well.” Ercole replied, patting the sword in his scabbard.
“I have magic and uh- This.” Dyonaigus patting his own scavenged short sword and scabbard in turn.
“I guess that just leaves our pasty friend here! And you ar-“
“Hreysti. What do you have?”
The blacksmith was taken aback a little, “Straight to the point then. Well! I have a few humble implements.”
He turned to the wall of his open-air shop, filing through a set of what seemed to be farming implements on the wall. But eventually he came out with a “weapon”.
Dyo nearly choked. “Is that a scythe!?”
“Yes!” the man enthusiastically replied, ”I found it in the back of my shop and straightened the blade forwards! It’ll work as a little polearm.”
“It’s still a scythe!”
“And I tell you! When I was in the Armatae the Crajka levies would have fucking killed for something like this when we fought them! Now that I think of it, they actually did… But it was still no match against us when they did!”
“Got anything else?” Hreysti asked.
“Well, I do have something that might be a bit better… Uh- Lemme find it… Ah!”
The wall of tools rattled again as an axe with a long, straight, shaft was pulled from it.
“Took the head of an old woodsman’s axe and put a long grip on it. It might be a bit more to your liking.”
“I’ll take it.” Hreysti said as he snatched the axe from the man’s hand before he could even reply.
“Oh, alright then! I suppose you’ll need it though.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well, if you’ve been out for a while, you might have missed it. Just a little incident happened yesterday when the bandits might have walked right up the village fence.”
“W-What!?” Agrippa stammered.
“I know! We were caught a little surprised. Especially when they had a few more than the last time they did a little intimidation speech and their leader also showed up. So, two or three local robbers seemed to have joined them with nothing more than the rags on their back and their leader showed up and I tell you! That armour was something else!”
“What was he?”
“Oh! Well, he was a biiig lad! Like yey high and a voice that gives a well a run for its money! Then, ontop of all that, he carried a sword about as high as him and that armour…” The toolsmith whistled, “Proper plate armour and all black! The sort that one of those fancy foreign nobles would get. If you’re gonna fight them, I’m gonna bet at least one of you is going to get disembowelled by him. Not to discourage ya at all!”
“Oh,” Dyo muttered, “Not at all…”