“
“Based on the burning buildings,” Armond said with a cold voice, “I assume you fought the killer, Thale. Did you kill the one that did this?”
I was about to speak, but Beltane opened his mouth first. “Thale and I got to the scene first. We saw a knight dressed in red outside of the shattered window. We chased the knight down, and he severely wounded me. I suspect the knight was a Sword Saint.”
“That sounds about right,” Armond said with no change in his voice. “Any person who could kill Walter so easily would have to be a Sword Saint. About these orcs, what tribe are they from?”
After a moment of shocked silence, Beltane answered Armond’s question. He was surprised by the Count’s sudden lack of emotion. “I saw heraldry from the Four Talons and Severed Veins tribes.”
That was strange. A small part of my brain wondered why I had never heard of those orc tribes before. I knew that the human names for orc tribes were usually mere descriptions of the crude pictures they drew on their armor. A particular orc “tribe” was just a group of orcs that used the same heraldry. It was unknown precisely how their organization structure worked, but they seemed to group together based on this heraldry to some extent.
Based on Beltane’s description of the two orc tribes, I assumed their coats of arms were the four-taloned paw of some great beast and a severed, bleeding vein. Those two pieces of heraldry never showed up in [Ferrum Online], to the best of my knowledge.
“I want to know exactly who it was who attacked us,” Armond said, a simmering hatred underlining his words. “Tell me more of this knight dressed in red.”
Beltane paused for a long moment before answering Armond’s question. “He wore… the symbol of the Church of Nyx on his chest.”
“I see,” Armond said once again with little emotion in his voice. “Eadric, Beltane, a lot is going to happen in the near future, follow me.” As soon as Armond finished this sentence, he began walking out of the master bedroom. He did not turn back to look at Tabitha as he left the room.
I was able to wrench my eyes off the corpse of my mother and follow Armond as he left the room. He walked with intention, so it was hard for me to keep up.
“The King’s Executioner has been dormant for too long. I have forgotten my duty,” Armond snarled as he walked. “Once we’re done cleaning up here, I need to pick up my war gear from Northwind. From there, I’ll restart the mission given to me by the King so long ago.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Count Armond…” Beltane said with a mixed look of fear and confusion. “Is that really the best course of action? Wouldn’t it be better to stay in Sableton, hold a funeral for Countess Tabitha, and help rebuild the town?”
Armond stopped and turned to Beltane. He did not look angry, but he held Beltane in the cold gaze that he had worn ever since he stood from Tabitha’s side. “I hear your advice, Court Mage, but I will not follow it. There are thousands of people within the Realm of Northwind who would be better suited to the domestic life of a regional lord. The governance of Sableton shall return to Lord Riomed, and the governance of Northwind shall remain in the hands of my brother, Edwin.”
“With respect, my lord,” Beltane said, respect not evident in his tone, “that is not what I meant. What of your children? What of Thale, Solana, Miriam, and Merrick? You still have four young children. If you go off to war, then who will raise them?”
“You have seen what happens when I try to be a father!” Armond shouted loud enough to rattle the manor’s walls. “Every moment I stay here is another moment that the cleansing flame of the Kingdom of Etronia is withheld. I swear that I will never allow another Etronian to be slaughtered by green-skinned vermin due to my negligence! Now, come! You speak Dahk, do you not? I need you to help me interrogate the surviving orcs.”
The three men started walking again, and I was soon left behind by their rapid pace. My father did not look back at me as he left.
I was left alone in the manor at that point. All I could think to do was return to my room and go to sleep. I stared at the ceiling for several hours before the cold void of sleep took me.
----------------------------------------
The morning came sooner than I would have liked. As the sun rose, my usually racing mind had slowed to a snail’s pace. I spent most mornings working on my master plan to stop the civil war and save the world. That morning, however, all of my grand plans seemed laughable. Save the world? Stop a war? Ha. As if I could ever do something like that.
The morning after the attack was a flurry of activity. Men from the local guard walked through the manor, dragging away orcish bodies and moving my father’s belongings to a carriage outside.
It had been decided that Count Armond Feldrast would leave for Northwind that morning. From there, he would travel to Etron. With an army granted to him by the King himself, he would launch a campaign of extermination against the monstrous races of the Kingdom of Etronia. At least, that’s what Eadric told me.
Later, after the funeral of Tabitha Feldrast, Lord Riomed Koravin and Nina Koravin would accompany us to Northwind. We would most likely stay there for the foreseeable future.
Soon after the sun had risen over the horizon, the surviving denizens of Feldrast Manor gathered in the garden. When I arrived at that somber gathering, I witnessed my father hand Beltane a thick leather pouch. Count Armond was dressed in a formal military uniform, and the rest were dressed in the kind of attire one would wear to a funeral.
Melissa led Sir Walter by the hand to the meeting. He was able to stand, but it was clear that he would only act when physically led by someone else.