It was a quiet morning in the citadel of the Inquisition housed within Vlatpool, a stale smoke and smell of paper floated around the room as Kalid squinted over the mass of paperwork and messages coming from all over the empire. Notes showing movements from the Necromancers in the Plaguelands and the Elves in the western isles, reports on unrest in the desert of Lar Moor as a jungle had magically appeared out of nowhere.
Kalid had always hated this part of the job, sitting unmoving, reading over reports when he could actually be doing something about these issues. He was used to taking action, combat or otherwise, if anyone else had been in the room they could see that he was twitching and cramping from lack of movement.
Getting up from the Desk, Kaild walked towards the mirror looking at his tired eyes and exhausted face as he grabbed a wet cloth to wake himself up. Looking at himself it was sometimes hard to remember the brown-haired bright-eyed youth that lived in the lands of Lesterfield to the white-haired, dark ice-blue eyes and scared face that stared back at him.
A loud knocking echoed across the records room breaking him out of his reminiscing; as he heard the door shake and the lock rattle as the door bounces against it. Reaching over the desk he grabbed the darksteel and black cloth mask he wore most of the time when interacting with other members of the Inquisition, now synonymous with the person he shows to others.
Placing it upon his head he unlocked the door and swung it open with a crash a young man maybe around twenty shot into the room breathing heavily as though he ran a marathon.“Sir apprentice Jor reporting” he belted out louder than necessary, “Passing a message on behalf of teacher Nuzard” It was always worrying when Nuzard passed on messages using the apprentices as he was never one to take chances with leaking information to the lower ranks.
“Report” Kalid growled out hoping that whatever message he was being brought did not make the day he was having worse than it already was. “Sorry Sir Lord Nuzard advised that he had an urgent missive from the Scouts in Paradisia, he didn’t advise what sir but it seemed urgent and he did not seem happy”.
Kalid Frowned under his mask, something that could unsettle Nuzards ever constant smile and Kind demeanour was something that he never wanted to deal with. “Dismissed” he stated hoping this new recruit would leave his sight. “Sir he advised that I was to take you directly to him Sir” whispered young Jor hoping he was not out of line.
Kalid Nodded and followed the recruit towards the Gathering hall, looking upon this nervous and jumpy recruit reminded him of his personally trained ones who now he looked upon with both pride and a little sadness, hearing about Connor Smith going missing never did leave a good taste in his mouth, especially after not hearing any news about him for quite a while.
Walking into the gathering hall he recognised a few faces waiting in the hall already in discussion about whatever news could break Nuzards facade. ‘At least it's not a bunch of unknowns today’ he thought to himself as he recognised Karlis Kaitell and Igni two apprentices whom he trained himself and Nuzard himself silver-haired with a charismatic posture that seemed to draw people in, though this time the scowl and anger on his face broke that ideal that he was the golden child.
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“Mez. Good you have arrived we have unsettling news” stated Nuzard and he turned to face Kalid. Turning and nodding to the young apprentice Jor who shot off like he had seen a rampaging Drake, Kalid walked towards Nuzard asking out as he came up “ Nuzard, what has happened this time? Are we having issues with those cultists again?” queried Kalid hoping it was something simple that didn’t have to have him rushing around ordering new recruits into mission and listening to continuous reports. “Worse… we have a deserter in our midsts”
Something not unheard of but known was the consequences of deserting, to all members of the inquisition, so hearing this paused Kalid for a bit, ‘who could be so stupid as to betray the empire’ he thought as he nodded to Karlis. “It was one of our newer scouts, a young Dansellia Black, a scout who was sent on a mission headed by one of the Methneil nobles into Paradisia” stated Karlis as he was reading off a worn note that had seen better days.
Kalid was confused and surprised that a Methneil noble was leading a mission outside of Obisidia and leading one of their scout groups at that. “One of the pompous morons seems to have called in some favors with the Ruling council, Might have family in the Obsidian watch or something” muttered Igni the red skinned Demon-kin.
“Do we know what happened?” Questioned Kalid as he hoped it would at least be interesting for him to listen to. “Mez it seems like young Dansellia attacked her scout mates and stole something really important to the nobles, wounding the noble in the process” replied Nuzard frowning.
“We have been ordered from above to look into this and find this wayward scout and get back what they stole” Nuzard states and he crosses his arms wrinkling his pristine uniform “In specific we have been requested to send some of our best to kill or capture this criminal and reclaim the Honor of the noble House of Gris” not something he was expecting Kalid raised his eyebrows under his mask, “so the question is who is being sent?”
Nuzard hearing the question sighed as he took a deep breath and looked to Kalid and Igni, “Mez you are being sent directly to Paradisia to look into what happened and seek out the noble who is still with the scouts in Paradisia while Igni here will go south towards the freelands where this suspected Traitor has run off to”. “And what of me, am I to continue training the apprentices?” questioned Karlis as he questioned Nuzard directly. “No, you are to look into young Black's family and background as you are of the more diplomatic sort and would be more likely to find out more than what we could”. Nodding Karlis stretched and started to make his way out of the gathering hall stating “well I better get my gear then”
Sighing Igni raced after Karlis trying to call out to him “Wait you …..”. After seeing out both of the younger members Kalid heard something he always dreaded “Kalid, I know you hate wasting your time looking into these small matters but I have a bad feeling that we may need the Blacksword of the Empire to take action” Looking back on his long time friend and the only member of the Inquisition that knew his real name. “Are you having the same feeling you had when the Death's Hand sent that swarm of Undead creatures to attack the eastern villages?” Looking at Nuzards Face, Kalid knew the answer and had this creeping feeling of Dread but also excitement crawling across his back as he knew that while something bad is about to happen he would also be finally free of the dreaded paperwork and dusty tomes.
“Here's hoping I don't have to end up killing the noble, I don't really want to deal with all the paperwork” chuckled Kalid as he grabbed Nuzards arm. “Please I beg you, old friend, we don't want a repeat of last time”. “I'm still trying to dissuade the Kret Family from hiring assassins for killing that stupid brat” Smiling to himself Nuzard let Kalids arm go and brought him into a hug that could clearly be seen by anyone that Kalid was not appreciating.
Using the shadow magic innate to himself Kalid slipped out of Nuzards grip and nodded to the only person he would be able to call friend as he shifted toward those shadows that made up his personal chambers. Upon entering there seemed to be a nearly empty room, the only thing of importance sat on a small shrine-like area of the room. Sitting in this held above a table was a black and grey longsword with symbols of snakes and claws crawling up the handle and sheath. Grabbing the blade Kalid whispered to himself “Come Conviction it is time that you and I play our roles"