Once we got past the clearing of the forest vast grassy plains as far as you could see spread out like a green ocean. Marching with the regiment of surprisingly humane soldiers showed me a few things about Rixford. One was a touchy subject for this group of warriors, the history of the Gallianic wars that occurred just over a year ago. Apparently, Vlandia was a Matriarchal warrior tribe to the east, who had been at war with Rixford for tens of years. Both sides were losing population faster then recouping it and decided on a large scale finale to the conflict. After both sides taking heavy loses and with no clear winner they both respectively marched back to their capitals to find them invaded and ransacked by the the northern nation Galland.
Having no real way to strike back Rixford accepted their new governance, bolstering the Galland military with the mages of Rixford. This combined force exterminated every warrior belonging to Vlandia seeing them as barbarians and murders. It's common knowledge that while extremely violent Vlandian soldiers would never hurt any non combatants in battle which made the whole reason to attack them fall in on itself. Being too late to raise any qualms or issues with this most of Rixford peacefully accepted their new governance.
Braxton, the name of the general who I had just gotten my ass soundly beaten by. Was unusually silent whenever Vlandia was mentioned, me and zarlessa would exchange knowing glances about his odd behavior.
An hour into the slow paced march with lots of laughter and just generally good vibes a mounted knight rode up to me and Zarlessa, lifting his face guard above his helmet to show his face, "The general requests for you to finish the march in his carriage with him." without even waiting for an answer the knight motioned towards a wooden box in the shape of a carriage just a few lines of soldiers behind the front of the convoy.
Waiting in place rather then walking back to the carriage I jumped on while it was still moving, holding out a hand then lifting Zarlessa into the carriage. Inside the wooden box on wheels was just much more impressive. Shelfs above the window opposite of the door revealed clearly powerful weaponry of all kinds with trophies from mosters ranging from a claw of a velociraptor to the eye of an adult dragon in jars next to the weapons.
Seeing me awestruck the seated Braxton said, "those are just trophies to honor the beasts who I had to fight, along with the weapon I used to slay them. In memory of the honorable warriors I will never use those weapons again". Honorable warriors being used to describe beasts was a thought process no one I'd ever met had. Except for...
"You're wife is a Valkyrie?" I asked accusatorily. From what I knew it was equivalent to suicide to claim any kind of clout from the Valkyries without being able or strong enough to back it up.
"My wife was a Valkyrie." Braxton said through gritted teeth. "Take a seat we have a lot to talk about and less then half a day until Rixford."
Zarlessa took a seat first, "We sure do" she said doe eyed, "Like how it felt to kick no brains here into next week, therapeutic to witness by the way" she looked at me with glee trying to get a rise from me.
"Lots of help you were in that fight... by the way" emphasizing my barb, then crossing my arms.
"this isn't a friendly conversation just yet. You are now my bodyguard so there is a few things we need to be clear about." leaning forward while sitting he interlocked his fingers and stared dangerously at us both. "I want to overthrow Rixford." without a hint of jest.
"conspiracy plans after a day of knowing us? I'm getting real rushing into marriage from wedlock vibes here." I tried to lighten the mood.
Braxton looked with the eyes of a predator while saying "Listen son," Raising an eyebrow at being called 'son' since Braxton was only MAYBE 5 years older then me, he continued, "the war... cost me everything." his hand sliding to an unusually fancy seax on his belt. The only jeweled ornate item on his whole person. "I wish only for revenge on two people, the little shit who initially caused you trouble, Typhis the Dukes son. And Duke Pointant himself. I have a plan but need someone to reach high enough militaristic rank to reach general along side me so we can skew a vote 2 to 2 when requesting a duel for the throne."
Stolen story; please report.
Long silence followed as I weighed my options in my mind, Braxton giving me time to think about it. If I agreed to this plan I stood to gain a lot, a future Duke owing me a favor, the rank of general in a rather small nation but a nation nonetheless and one that could be swayed to conquest north until we reach the Drukon for my own vengeance plan. The issue's were numerable too, in order to gain rank I would have to be committed to this military that clearly was not well run or governed. I would have to hold my tongue and not give away the conspiracy, while also trusting in this pushy "general" I had met only a day ago. The deciding factor was that I had given my word to him already. If there was one thing I hated above all else it was liars, not tricksters or throwing feigns in a fight. Those who would turn their backs on promises, or be bluntly dishonest. Yet, that also was an issue because how could one conspire without telling a lie?
"I'll sweeten the deal. If you help me do this, there is a druid who owes me a life for a life kind of favor to the south of here. I promise to you this plan will take no more then a year, and once its done that druid will be able to heal your Valkyrie there. Arms, legs, spine and all." Braxton said begrudgingly clearly not wanting to use that trump card if I wasn't hesitant.
That changed things, Agatha was a mix of my best friend, confidant, and big sister. My own life was inconsequential to saving Agatha who had risked her's hundreds of times to save my defenseless ass. Especially considering the only reason she was in such poor shape was because I was too weak to defend myself. Again.
"fuck me..." Zarlessa said muffled by cupping her face in her hands, somehow her mind told her how impulsive Jayce was when it came to bargaining, she knew Braxton hit the right button to waste a year of their lives.
"deal." I said shaking the smiling mans hand.
Making small talk about the town and different trophies he had gathered made the remaining time to the city go by quickly, through the window of the carriage a ten meter cobble stoned wall came into view with a square wooden drawbridge in the center. No buildings or anything resembling a town was able to be see past the wall due to the flatness of the plains. Still being odd because ten meter buildings were not uncommon especially in such a guarded place. A small line of merchants waited outside the gates with stalls set up yelling about different miracle wares, or how they found artifact weapons in exotic and interesting, they swear.
Upon reaching the gate the drawbridge was already lowered, with the guards on either side of the road saluting while allowing us to enter the gate. While listening to the cart rumbling onto the now stoned floor past the draw bridge I got my first real look at the city. Ten kilometer wide, two kilometer deep sink hole with a stone floor that spiraled to the bottom. The width of the hole making it possible to have buildings act as both a foundation to hold up the higher floors and have empty space for residents and businesses. Buildings built onto these massive stone spiral floors had doors into the stone walls lining the streets. The upper layer was clearly the ghetto of the settlement with children running around in rags while anyone out in the roads would scurry into buildings or dark corners once seeing the passing army. Soldiers we had joked and marched with were much more tense here then when we were outside the settlement.
Braxton spoke while we traversed the first section of the descent, "This is the residential and small business area of the city, while it is a shadow of what it was, don't judge them too harshly the wars toll took most of the men and any fighting women. Making a power vacuum for the cowardly darker hearts to fill... That will be fixed within the year I assure you" as he stared with us out the window with fire in his eyes. The knights would hand out bread and coins to elderly, children, and sickly that we passed.
"If you coddle them, they will never learn how to grow into anything but puppets" Zarlessa said with a touch of disgust almost absent mindedly like she was deep within her own mind.
Defiantly Braxton answered "If we leave them they will become puppets to people much worse then us"
Zarlessa for the first time since meeting her had no comeback and simply brought her eyebrows together as if trying to solve a world sized puzzle with coin sized pieces.