This city was a ruin.

They'd followed the Captain through the gate and, as one, begrudgingly continued down the main path towards the steep stairway far off in the distance. Up those steps was a further wall and beyond that they could still see the top floor of the palace Ascendious resided in. In front of them the street they walked down contained no such luxury as a palace though; shops, houses, stables all kinds of grey bricked buildings lined their path on either side, all lying in some manner of devastation or decline and they crossed cracked stone roads with other winding streets that would take them further into the city but the group stayed on the straight path.

"Keep ya eyes forward and your sword ready." The only words Captain Orc had spoken as they began walking the main path. It was wide enough for all 4 of them to walk shoulder to shoulder and every time they passed an shadowed ally or empty open buildings everyone would tense up as they saw movement out of the corner of their eyes. Alayne had wanted to try and help what remained here, if anything had, but that desire was fading as that awful feeling of being watched settled back over his shoulders like an itchy blanket gifted by an elder and worn out of guilt. It made him anxious, wanting to squirm out from under it.

It became less and less subtle the further they progressed. It had been completely silent before they entered, then the occasional shadow had shifted once they'd got to the first ruined buildings, and now the sound of bare feet slapping against stone was obvious, and in high numbers. There were odd wet crunches coming from various darkened alleys and he was sure whispering but he couldn't make out anything specific without stepping off the path.

"What is it?" Raven whispered from his left, as was expected the fighters had taken the outer positions in the line with Alayne and Viccy in the centre.

"Whatever is left of the population."

If it was just him he may have wandered over, he had little to lose and he wanted, no he needed to know if they could be helped. He could save them then maybe he could alleviate his guilt for perhaps causing this. But he couldn't, the others were with him and he wouldn't lose more due to his stupidity.

They passed buildings that had collapsed inwards and temple-like structures that had toppled and devastated the surrounding area. There were signs of a fight or many fights all around them; blood long dried on a shard of glass left standing in a shop window, a small shoe lying on stone in the centre of a dark dried puddle, door frames and stone walls marked by knife or fingernail marks and other heavy impacts.

Alayne grew angrier the more he saw, if the emperor in waiting was sat in his gilded palace whilst his people had slaughtered each other Alayne wasn't sure what he would do. Maybe his magic would call to him and some horrid unthinkable fate would be conjured as punishment, or maybe he'd just set Captain Orc on him.

They never quite ran but they started to pick up the pace more and more, moving at a fast walk with a little skip every now and again that could be described as a jog if you were feeling generous but nothing more. The closer they got to the stairway the more movement they noticed, he wasn't sure how many of the residents of Cornostus there were following but by the thunderous slap of feet on ground their number was growing constantly.

"What if it's locked like the outer ga...ga...ga"

He hadn't thought of that, why hadn't he thought of that. Stupid guilty conscience and oppressively miserable city.

"We'll find a way, that's what we do"

Even Captain Orc wouldn't believe that obvious lie.

"I have almost died twice in quick succession since we met Bard, it is not what we do"

"Well you know what they say boys, 3rd time be the charm"

"I know you're trying Captain and I appreciate it, but please stop"

"Are you here to feed us?"

The party thankfully stopped their inane banter at the sound from their right, they couldn't help but stop and look despite their earlier warnings to each other.

On the edge of a small alley barely wide enough for two men to walk down stood a young girl, Alayne couldn't see her being any more than 10 at her oldest; dressed in rags, covered with dirt or worse and she was sickly thin with her bones almost visible through her skin. Behind her Alayne could see the silhouettes of more figures waiting in the dark, taller and definitely older. He wanted to help, he hated the idea of a girl starving on the streets. The thought of doing nothing tore him up inside but he knew he had to push on.

Don't leave the boy

His last thoughts before he'd left his apprentice, and now he left another no older.

"Same as before, eyes forward, swords ready, keep moving" it may be too late now they'd stopped but after the next set of dilapidated buildings the stairs to the end goal were in front of them.

"We are very hungry sirs" another voice, this time from a doorway with door no door and from a boy no older than 5, just as skeletal looking as the girl.

"Uh Ducard, maybe we should..."

"Yes"

And with that they set off at a sprint, not a very fast one but the best the 4 of them could muster after too long at sea or in bed.

Alayne couldn't help but look as more faces called out to him from the shadows

"Just a bite would keep us going"

"We need only to fill our bellies"

"One nibble of something tender travellers"

The children had looked innocent at first, which was terrifying enough in this setting but now the callers were getting older and taller, same rags, same skeletal look but with sinister grins framing yellowing teeth and blackened gums.

They pushed ahead still, the many behind them now scampering after them in the light and no longer in hiding, his allies were ahead slightly and began climbing the stairs but Alayne stopped at the bottom. There had to be a way to fix this, they were victims and surely he could help them.

"Alayne move"

Didn't he owe it to them to try. If he hadn't given a savage goblin boy a chance they'd never have met, although that was hardly a good thing now.

"I can fix this Raven"

"They are beyond saving bard, get moving or they'll kill you"

Alayne turned away, he knew that was the likely option but so be it. He'd accepted his death when agreeing to this ridiculous objective and if he died now then at least he could say he tried, and he could finally let go of so much.

There was a crowd of scantily clad men, women and children covering the ground in front of him, they were clearly in packs though and not one solid force, gaps were left between crowds and those within spent as much time staring at those close by as they did Alayne.

He flicked his strings as he often did and let his voice carry further than nature allowed, not really sure if he wanted to fail or succeed now he'd mulled things over internally.

"Enough!" his voice boomed from all around them, leaving them gasping and in shock

"You've suffered and you're hungry but is that an excuse for this? I offer -" there was a cry and his vision went black.

When Alayne opened his eyes he was staring at the sky, watching clouds casually drift made him seem so small sometimes for some reason. He slowly sat up and realised he was laying across several of the steps on the staircase and behind Captain Orc and Raven who had their backs to him and their swords drawn.

His hearing was just a slight whistle but it slowly came back as he returned to his feet. He felt a tickle on his neck and his hand came away red when he reached for it.

Below them was a scene of chaos, whatever had happened had caused madness. Several of the townsfolk were trying to push up the stairs but finding no way past the swords in front. Behind them the rest had started fighting amongst themselves, armed with anything they could grab, knives, stones, bones and attacking anything in sight it seemed.

"How?"

"O ya not be dead, good good. One of the skinny buggers hit ya with a chunk of stone. Amazing throw it was, ya should've seen it. That must've meant he'd put a claim on ya or summet because all hell broke loose."

Admiration for the man who had knocked his friend unconscious with a rock, how very typical.

"You tried Alayne, now we leave...agreed?"

He was close to agreeing with the former stoneoath until he saw the young muck covered girl from the alley, the first to try and lure them to their death. There was a man easily three times her size standing over her, fists red with blood already and licking his lips at her helpless form.

"No" It came back to him at last, the magic he'd conjured on the road to Shale when failing to save his ward.

He strummed a single low note and watched it leave his fingers and sit in the air like a golden flower ready to bloom. He plucked it and this time focussed it at the man standing over the young girl. As before Alayne raised his hand, watching the man stop smiling and start panicking, watching him falter backwards and claw at his own face and finally Alayne raised it as high as he could in his hand and his mind.

The formerly grinning man with bloody fists stood still for a second, blood pouring from his eyes, nose and ears and with a final scream: his head popped splashing all those around him with his insides.

The scene had been a chaotic scramble before it escalated even further as onlookers were showered with gore, many stood mouths open as blood and brain plastered the faces of the nearby, the girl had disappeared, hopefully to some form of safety. Many others fled in fear over what they didn't understand and most of those remaining decided to fight over the headless corpse that was easier pickings than the 4 new arrivals. "That-" Raven began as he turned to Alayne but Captain Orc cut him off.

"Was bloody brutal lad, hahaha"

Alayne held a hand to his head that was throbbing after the strike from the rock, he didn't want to talk about what he'd done. It felt wrong, a step too far in some ways, he needed to find a way to save this place, somehow.

"Let's just move on"

Victorious had already reached the top and had been banging on the gates for some time before they got there to no avail. Raven feared it was locked until Captain Orc of all people stepped forward and twisted one of the large wrought iron rings that sat in the middle of either door. With a creak something lifted and Alayne helped him to push the dark wooden gate open as Victorious gingerly shuffled inside.

Where they stood now there was only one path, grey marble tiles with veins of brilliant white flowing threw them, each slab of tile was as a large as himself and they paved the way to the palace, matched on either side by flowerbeds growing trees and plants that were perfectly trimmed to not overlap with the path, every flower was a different breed and a different colour, each tree seemed to be growing a different fruit, each type was as large as the Captains head, no such simple apples and oranges.

Raven wondered why the gates had stood unlocked with fruit so close as people had starved but he was getting answers from here and from the area around them as they as he noticed a litany of dried red stains marked the path, showing the price paid for those who trespassed.

The flowerbeds and pathway stretched on to a palace that was only two stories high but was spread wide to compensate for it, made from perfect white stone and topped and adorned with gold when the roof made a steeple above every window.

This was a palace of extravagance.

In front of the palace lay a courtyard of sorts. Large circular pillars topped with scroll-like carvings that held up further pure white blocks that marked the courtyard edge. They were a short walk away but they could see people gathered there although they seemed to pay the party no mind.

"I can't believe it got so bad so fast"

Raven turned his attention from where they were going and back to where they were, the bard had spoken, to himself it seemed, still staring at the large gate and what they knew lay beyond.

Alayne was not himself, maybe it was AJ, maybe he blamed himself for the state of the White knot (he was that arrogant) or maybe it was the blow to the head. But regardless he turned and stalked past the 3 of them pointing to Victorious as he went.

"Bring him. Now"

He didn't wait for a response, he moved with purpose, the jovial entertainer seemed to have disappeared. This is the man Raven saw flecks of when they'd spoken on Captain's ship, the man with the spark missing from his eyes.

Raven followed without a word.

Captain Orc walked alongside and he was now dragging Victorious along the rope tied to his hands.

Alayne arrived just ahead of the other 3, he'd stepped fully into the courtyard and whilst some of the guards, dressed in white steel with dark red cloaks over one shoulder started to fidget in preparation for whatever was happening, no-one moved to address the new arrivals.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

The guards stood at several points around the square, 8 in total but it was a fair assumption that there were more around the palace or whatever barracks existed there. Apart from the guards there were several...creatures, standing near the centre, they were all bare chested and carrying jugs or plates or various liquids and foods.

They were tall creatures around the size of Captain Orc and just as broad although the muscle was clearly wasting from them. Raven assumed at first they were tanned and dark skinned but realised quickly that they had a layer of fur, similar to that of a horse's coat, even so they weren't much different from his own people at a glance until you got past the neck. Two had horns although they all looked either painfully broken or unnaturally filed down in some way, sticking straight up from the forehead or curling down back towards their ears which folded over and lay at the top of their heads instead of the middle. Their eyes were all one colour, dark blue, brown or black no ringlets like himself or the single orc he'd seen, more like that of AJ. Though it was their nose that caught Raven off guard the most, even with the horns and eyes it was the way the nose stuck out a hand's length from their face and ended in a large bulbous snout that made him gasp before catching himself.

Each one had a ring in their nose, a heavy iron thing with a chain attached to it that ran upwards and was wrapped around large iron bars that lined the top of the courtyard, running North to South and East to West making a maze of metal the poor creatures would need to navigate from below to complete their tasks.

The non-slaves were a lot less foreign to Raven though, people of various sizes and shapes were strewn about. They were all wearing various coloured robes that perched on either one of both shoulders, were belted at the waist and hung loosely at varying lengths down their legs. One middle aged woman with long dark hair drinking by herself in the corner at a golden basket weaved table and chair. Two older men, one bald and one with shaved grey hair rapidly receding beat a slave at the back. There were two in the centre, a red headed women with shoulder length hair was stood reciting poems to a man who lay on a chair that was more like half a bed, long enough for him to lay on side resting on an elbow and his feet barely reach the end, padded with fluffy purple pillows and of course more gold to line it.

This was the man Alayne moved towards.

An oversized man if Raven had ever seen one, instead of a robe like his friends he looked like he'd had his head poked through an oversized bed sheet. Whilst he lay down his overly large gut swung over the edge of the seat and almost scraped the ground, his chins had long since multiplied and the skin was starting to grey and decay in places from the stress of his size.

Paying no mind to the approaching bard the red haired woman continued to read.

"The Greenlands ran red and natures palace crumbled

As the red wave crashed against those with sturdy roots"

Alayne stepped up and spoke over her;

"But water is endless and all can be washed away

They fell by the score, races nevermore under his tyrannical eye"

He didn't use his normal impressive range, it was quieter and more sombre, but it still carried, silencing the small crowd.

"Ascendious, I am Alayne Ducard, Master bard"

This was the prince? This lump of a man, with more grease stains on his robe than he had hair left on his head. Raven was taken aback by the sorry state of the royal family. Such pathetic, spoilt and vile men the Emperor had raised, just like those in his own land, soft and entitled and used to using people like him to get what they wanted without lifting a finger.

The man who was apparently a prince didn't look up as he spoke, he continued to pick at various food from plates around him, and his mouth was never empty as he gasped and wheezed;

"Never heard of you"

Alayne had his lute in his hands as always and he gestured towards the red haired women who looked bored with this conversation already.

"Yet you read my work. A tale of oppression and pain. A call to action to the ignorant."

He played 2 simple notes.

"Yet you and your ilk claim it as a work of appreciation aimed at your fathers misdeeds. You lack the imagination and empathy for my work. It's not for your kind."

The woman gasped.

"It's blank!" She cried as she threw the book across the courtyard, one of the slaves grunted as it hit them in the belly.

Ascendious sighed.

"Parlour tricks from a no-name bard, escort him out"

Raven readied himself, as did Captain Orc.

"Your people need help"

Alaynes voice was growing cold

"My people are here, and they seem fine to me." he clicked his chubby fingers twice "See he leaves through the city gate, the animals are due a feeding."

Every word was like he might choke on it.

He clicked his fingers dismissively again, although it sounded more like two sausages slapping together than an actual click.

Raven slipped his sword loose with his thumb but the bard stood still, not reacting as the guards all stepped forward to remove them.

Alayne instead clicked his own fingers, the sharp sound cut through as the Princes had failed to and Captain Orc without needing a word threw Victorious to his feet, holding by the collar of his long dirtied admiral's uniform and forcing him forward for his brother to see.

Ascendious looked there way for a second, sweat pouring down from his chins as he did so, before tutting and turning back.

"How dare you bring one of those filthy creatures into my home. Disgusting"

"Terrible way to talk about ya kin that be"

Ascendious didn't bother to respond to him, he did manage to sigh again though as he looked again at the pathetic looking former admiral. Beaten, bloodied and bound.

"I meant the orc. What am I supposed to do with V? Offer you a trade? Beg for his life? We aren't exactly close."

Victorious was whimpering slightly.

Alayne laughed, as he did so his fingers danced over the strings once again as one of the guards had got closer than the rest. Raven had heard about this trick from the Flock in what seemed like another life, the guard dropped to the floor, clawing at the blank spot where his face had been but a moment ago.

The rest of the guards paused as Alayne continued.

"No, like my written work you misunderstand my intent. You see, I came here for a prince, but fate dropped this one on me before I arrived. But I thought, whilst I'm passing through I may as well help you feed your people."

"I am perfectly capable of feeding my own people"

The pompous fool was so arrogant he couldn't perceive a threat from someone lower in station in him like Alayne.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU!"

Raven hadn't seen Alayne touch his lute but his voice thundered out, dust fell from the marble stones around them and the only other sounds were the twitching of the guard dying of asphyxiation.

Without looking he grabbed Victorious from Captains' grasp and threw him towards the slaves who had crowded together in fear.

"Taurosi, hold him. Raven help me. Captain...kill everyone not chained up."

So cold and matter of fact as he let Captain Orc off his leash.

Raven found himself compelled to follow Alayne in grabbing a handful of the bloated prince and start dragging him towards the way they'd come.

"What...What...No! I am a Prince, you can not handle me in this way"

And on the heirs protests went, the gravity of his situation finally settling on him.

"Alayne..."

The people there weren't all guards, this wasn't different to what Jaycob had done and he'd tried to stop him, that was the right thing wasn't it?

"I tried to inspire these people Raven, tried to make them stand up and fight. I was beaten, whipped and worse but I thought it was worth it to give the people the idea of a future worth fighting for. But he crushed them. Crushed them into the beasts that eat people to survive."

He trailed off and Raven couldn't bring himself to say anything further as they dragged the lazily thrashing prince behind them.

"Every part of this land starves. You saw, within feet of the inner city was a bounty of food and yet he hordes it like a fairy tale dragon. Stuffing his face and those of his sycophants."

"Please, I can do better, I can rule, it takes time to get it right is all."

Raven almost fell as Alayne dropped the prince and all the weight fell to Raven to carry, the bard rounded on the pathetic man.

"You have been here longer than I've been alive. The things I would do to you if I was a selfish man...But your people need you...your grace."

They continued to drag the bloated body and stopped right where they'd entered very few moments ago.

Without questioning further Raven helped slowly open the door.

He squealed as they did so, crying tears that cut lines through the various fruit and pastry stains that covered his mouth and cheeks.

Alayne leaned in before they dragged him into the outer city.

"Shhh dear prince, the louder you are the faster they'll find you"

This was not the man Raven had met during an early morning training session, this wasn't a jovial and annoying bard at all.

They pushed the floppy puddle of a man down the stairs and he floated down them slowly, unable to stop himself and slowly gaining speed.

Together they closed the door and walked away.

They couldn't hear much from up here and Raven didn't want to know what would happen next.

Alayne played his instrument once more and his voice echoed behind the gate as he spoke into his cupped hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen I present Ascendious, first of his name, ruler or the White Knot, heir to the Red throne. Here to seek an audience with his beloved people."

It wasn't a long walk back to the courtyard and they really should have ran to support Captain Orc, but Raven matched Alaynes slow walk. He was sure the pirate would be fine regardless. They walked in silence for a few plodding steps before Alayne finally spoke.

"I ran the night they released me from their dungeons, bloody marks amongst half of my body. I didn't want to tempt fate and I thought I'd sown enough seeds of revolution in the isle to spread and sprout amongst the rest. Like a coward I stirred chaos and fled, at least some semblance of retribution has been delivered."

Alayne rubbed his lower arm, unconsciously Raven thought, and he was sure when he glanced down that there were clear scars on his forearms; thin like from a whip but on second glance they were gone.

The bard had hung his head as he finished, Raven really had no idea on Alayne's history, or what he'd been through. He felt guilty for judging him so harshly and so often.

They walked back to the palace in silence, Alayne clearly wandering in a fog of his own thoughts and Raven trying to stop himself from trying to probe the bard for his past.

Alayne had let Captain Orc off his leash and he had done as ordered, Raven couldn't tell how many the mad pirate had killed as there was barely any bodies left in one piece as they re-entered the marble column lined courtyard

The Taurosi? That's what Alayne called them as he had had thrown them Victorious, now first in line for the throne, had managed to organise their chains and huddle together in the east corner as Raven entered, Captain Orc stood before them a bloody mess, his blade, his beard and his clothes were coated in blood and whilst the Captain didn't look tired or weak Raven couldn't be sure how much of the blood was his own. Despite everything he stood firm in front of the slaves with his wicked curved sword in hand and that telltale manic grin he often wore.

In front of him were 8 guards of the land, somewhere wearing the crimson plate and white cloak he'd seen earlier; others were dressed in muddy common clothes clearly woken from sleep. They stood opposite each other with neither side willing to make the first move, Captain Orc had clearly put the fear of their gods into them as they flinched at every exhale of his breath.

He had drawn his own Raven marked blade and stepped up beside his companion.

"You take that 5 lad I'll take this 5"

"There's 8?"

"Exactly"

How much blood had he lost?

Alayne had taken a step back and Raven heard him flick a single note on his strings and even though he was now slightly away from the group his voice could be heard as a whisper between Raven and Captain Orc.

"Attack opposite yourself"

Raven had fought alongside generals and masters of combat as a boy and as a Stoneoath, masters of their craft had taught him how to strategize in a battle, how to outthink your opponent and make weakness into strength, but he'd never heard the words: Attack opposite yourself

He was confused, until he saw himself and Captain Orc both dart forward with a high downward slashes, the guards parted and danced around to defend and counter.

Instincts beat his confusion and he, and Captain, darted forward going low where their illusionary shadows had gone high, instant confusion turned to terror and then nothing as men were cut down swiftly. There was no plan for this, no expectation of fighting 2 men making the movements of 4. The contest was over in moments as Alaynes copies drew attacks and reflexes that were turned back on them by the real fighters.

"Well lad, that was a good trick, could have used that a few times before this"

"It came to me in the moment Captain, like a good song it floats on the air until captured by the right bard at the right time"

Captain Orc was rifling through the pockets of the dead, picking off jewels and coins and mopping the blood from his face with some terrified looking dead man's underclothes.

"That is a nonsense answer"

"I agree, but it is the best I can give."

Alayne called Captain over from his plundering and he ripped the chains from the ceiling bringing the whole net of crossing bars down around them smashing the bodies and parts of those who could no longer move out the way.

The slaves stepped up and were freed from their chains one by one, the iron ring still left embedded in nostrils as that would take more than just brute strength to get out without causing further harm.

Victorious was amongst them, wide eyed and bleeding from the mouth.

"He kept screaming my lords so we...we...we tried to silence him" one of the former slaves said in a deep rumbly voice.

Captain Orc marched forward and dragged Victorious up by his collar as he often did, the man was wide eyed and had clearly been crying.

"Hey now boy, you should be celebrating, you're the hair to the whole empire now...I assume?"

He looked towards Raven and Alayne who both nodded.

"Yargh ya see, 'Victorious the hair to the throne', has a nice ring to it doesn't it. Hey if you're good, maybe we could kill your dad before you and you can be Emperor for a day, or a minute, before we lop your head off. How does that sound?"

When Alayne spoke to Ascendious he spoke with a darkness, every word carried a threat in his tone but when Captain Orc spoke of killing the whimpering heir, he did it with such a matter of fact way of speaking, he wasn't trying to scare him or make fun, he was just stating facts and potential outcomes, there was no malevolence to him and that was scarier in a way. To think a man wasn't going to kill you because he was angry or vengeful but just because he thought that was the way it should happen was chilling to Raven, it was even more chilling when he realised it came very close to his own way of thinking and delivering justice.

One of the Taurosi stepped forward towards Alayne, with a reflex Raven's hand went to his hip, he caught his own movement and tried to make it slower and less aggressive, if they noticed it the Taurosi paid it no heed. Stubs of horns grew beside their ears, the points clearly filed back heavy handedly, they had dark blue eyes, almost black but not quite and a tuft of curly brown hair running in a thin line from their brown down to their neck where it became a mass of curls that wrapped around their throat.

"My lord, I thank you for sparing us"

They spoke in a deep voice that came straight from the throat, they all towered over Alayne even as they bowed in turn to him and towards Raven and Captain.

"Nope, none of that. I'm not a lord, he's not a lord and that one most certainly isnt a lord"

"I do be a Captain"

"Then where's your ship?"

"Point made lad."

Raven had also been named captain, although informally and he blushed to himself when he realised how little it mattered.

"Apologies my lords. I mean no disrespect"

"And we take none, please we are equal here" Raven was used to bringing himself down off pedestals he didn't want to be on, sometimes it worked.

"I am Bruccan'hor, these are my people, or what's left of them. I-I-I do not really know what to do now si.."

He caught himself at the last moment and even through the soft fur the reddening glow of his cheeks could still be seen underneath.

"I think we start with rest. Raven could you ensure the palace is free of guards whilst I escort our new friends inside. Maybe a good time to find some clothes more suited to...anyone really"

It was not his top priority but he did relish the chance to find some proper boots and trousers and maybe a shirt that wasn't ripped. He was tempted by the crimson armour of the guards but it would draw eyes he was sure.

"Captain, we need the port locked down, I want every merchant or captain brought to the palace alive. I need to be clear Captain. No one leaves until we say so"

"Aye aye lad."

Captain Orc and Raven jogged off in slightly different directions with their swords drawn. He was quietly impressed with how Alayne took charge of the situation. He knew the man thought of himself as a loner and not a leader but he had risen to the occasion more than once. Captain Orc had been right, no matter how many times he said it, a mere observer he was not.

It was also nice to drop the mask of the leader and remove the pressure of being in charge of himself. He hated the man who had betrayed his oaths and left his men and let whatever had happened to Jaycob come to pass. But the relief of being finally able to be just Raven was great.

Shameful, but great.