Darkness filled the countryside as the clouds obscured the moon and stars above. A lone, shadowy figure walked down the path towards an old rusty gate. Pausing for a moment, they looked at the land ahead of them. Slowly, they lowered their hood and let out a low humming sound before raising the lantern to a sign that read: Whitefield Farm.
The person's pale skin could be seen as the lantern’s light shone down on it. He was a young man with golden-flecked brown eyes that almost seemed to twinkle and dance as the fire from within his lantern reflected within them, making them appear almost supernatural. With a shake of his head, the man’s nose twitched at the smell from ahead of him. It was a mixture of marsh and muck, not a combination that was easy on the nose. The land before him rested on the edge of the Lost Travellers Marsh, a place that could be dangerous for anyone traversing the place to reach the other side. There was only one other way around the marsh, and that was by boat. Yet despite the dangers held within, there seemed to be a deliberate path that led straight towards the marsh. “Isn’t this a charming place?” The man mumbled to himself, pushing the gate open slowly, which caused it to creek loudly. Ahead of him, he could hear the squealing of pigs, which caused him to pause for a mere moment. After the sounds of the pigs ceased, the man shook his head and muttered, “This will be interesting, I said. An adventure, I thought! Better than having my head cut off and made an example of! But no, here we are, on a pig farm,” his voice dripped with sarcasm at each word. Again, the man continued on his way down the path towards the farmhouse, glancing at his side to the pigpens briefly. He scoffed, before muttering irritably to himself, “I am a glorified pig farmer now. Nobleman my foot.” After another shake of his head, the man returned his attention to his destination, all the while trying his best to not think about his new predicament. A single thought bounced around his mind. Perhaps death would have been better after all? Before he could get halfway down the path, the lantern’s flame went out, and the man uttered a groan of frustration. Carefully, he felt around for the fence that led up to the farmhouse, but instead of finding the guide he needed, the man soon felt his hand being snuffled at by a pig, leaving a warm, soft feeling against the skin where the pig's nose had touched him. “Huh, I thought it would be wet and slimy, but it’s dry…” he muttered to himself, his tone curious over the difference in his expectation against the reality he experienced. After a moment, the man then uttered a firm, “Shoo, I do not have any food, and I wish to keep my fingers if you would not mind?” He withdrew his hand before then carefully making his way forward while his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. Finally, after a moment of blind stumbling, he reached the small wooden porch, which caused him to stumble over the first step. A misjudge on how far out the step had been from him. “Gods be damned!” He cursed out loudly, clambering up the rest of the steps to the front door.As soon as he stepped into the building, the man lowered the cloak of his hood. He fumbled about for a moment before finding a light source at the entrance. “Finally,” he sighed out. “I hope I don’t have to live in this place any longer than needed. I’ve lived in sewers with more luxury than this,” he quipped to himself. A slight attempt to bring some amusement to the situation. Looking around him, the place almost seemed chaotic. Paper, furniture, everything that could be out of place, was out of place. Pulling a face, the man then moved into the kitchen. “What are the chances of there being anything edible here?” He questioned himself, opening up the pantry. To his surprise, there were a couple of things, but there were not many options. He shrugged, took some of the bread and idly chewed on it as he explored the rest of the farmhouse. The living room was as messy as the kitchen and entranceway, but nothing stood out to the man all that much. “Looks like the knights ransacked this place looking for clues,” he stated, his voice quiet. Slowly glancing around, he hummed in thought and then said to himself, “They said they found my father and his wife dead… in the bedroom?” Glancing back the way he came from for a moment the man let out another, longer sigh. “I swear if this place is haunted…” was muttered under his breath, the man's eyes narrowing. “No. Those two wouldn’t haunt the place, right? I mean she might, just to spite me, but he wouldn’t… not if that journal is real?” Closing his eyes, thinking of everything he had learned, the man couldn't help but wonder about the things he knew. His father, Nel Whitefield, had so much debt that they had dragged him into the illegal slave trade to pay it off. Then when he had come asking his father for help to save his dying mother’s life, he had agreed to help, having lived his life in the rough and tumble streets of the King’s city of Falanthyst, this sort of thing had not phased him. Becoming a bandit and a slaver was just another step up from the life of crime he had already been experiencing. Then, the king and his knight had gotten involved, along with that Elven woman… and now he was forced to play nobleman to lure the real mastermind behind the slavery out. He did not know where to search for clues, no people he could interrogate, nothing. He was up the river without a paddle. All he could do for now was to wait to see if anyone took the bait that he was here now, with a brand new noble title, pigs and all! Making a low grunt in his throat, he turned from the mess of the living room and stormed upstairs. The whole place did not hint that this had once been home to any kind of nobility. There was nothing of value here at all. Not even a speck of gold anywhere! Not that he had come to steal what was now rightfully his, but it was the principle of it all. Right?! As he reached the top of the stairs, he looked along the hallway. There were several rooms there. Two down one end and three down the other. He first checked the end of the hallway where the three rooms were, finding one was an enormous bathroom and one study. However, the third room seemed to be locked. Tapping his chin in thought, he mumbled out a question. “Did they give me another key for this one?” He shrugged and then glanced to the other end of the hall. “Well, can’t put it off forever,” he then sighed. Taking in a deep breath, the man finally walked towards the other two doors. The one room was a library that had been as equally ransacked as downstairs had been. However, what held his attention the most was the room directly in front of him. This wouldn’t be the first time he had been in an area that had the dead dwelling within, and it wouldn't be the last. He closed his eyes before opening the door. Surprise washed over him as the once-dark room blinked into light. “Oh! So you had some influence after all, old man,” the man said as a small smirk slid onto his lips. “This must be Rattus technology, no lamps, not magic either,” he continued, awe in his voice as he looked over the glowing crystal-like objects on the ceiling. “Only in your bedroom, though? So not as much influence as all that, but some.” Curious, the man continued to peer up at the light, not yet paying much attention to the rest of the room. Then it dawned on him. Looking back at the bed, there was… nothing. No dead bodies, no blood, nothing at all. The rest of the room wasn't exactly tidy, but someone had to have moved the corpses somewhere. “Did the knights move them, maybe?” He idly asked himself before shrugging it off. “Guess it doesn’t matter, now, let’s see what you own, old man,” he whispered to himself as he moved further into the room and opened the cupboards next to the bed. A couple of parchments filled with taxes paid to the crown, some other documents, nothing the man had much use for. If he could find some information about the debts his father was in, or something he could use, then he would have a lead, but no. There was nothing the man could use, even here. A slight groan of the floorboards behind the man caused him to pause. He smiled to himself, still idly looking at the parchments in his hands. Was the farmhouse so old it creaked and groaned all of its own accord? His smile turned into a smirk, his hands quickly dropping what was originally in them, only to grab at the hidden daggers in his cloak. Spinning around, he aimed his weapons at… a young, frightened woman? His brow curled up curiously as he studied her. Her weapon was nothing more than a vase. His gaze trailed down a little, taking note that she was not wearing the usual clothes a thief might wear. Her clothes were not such at all, but instead a nightgown. “Who are you!? There’s no gold for you here, thief!” She demanded. Her voice sounded capable, but he easily noted the slight quiver within her words. He almost chuckled out loud. He had assumed the same of her. However, he already knew who she was, but had not expected her to be here. Esta Blumora-Whitefield. Technically, she was his step-sister. Her mother married his father, though Esta had not known of his existence. He was the illegitimate child, after all. Though had the crown not mentioned him to her? Or had she not expected him to show up? Either way, he had nothing to fear from such a woman. She was obviously no fighter, unlike himself. “Relax,” he claimed, lowering his daggers and returning them to their hidden sheaths. “I am Nelson Whitefield. I was sent here on orders from the crown. Though I admit, I was not expecting anyone else to be here,” Nelson said smoothly. He observed the woman but with a smile on his lips. She seemed to think over his words before finally realising who he was. “Oh. I see,” was all Esta could say as she lowered the vase down, though still held onto it. She then seemed to realise her state of dress. Her cheeks flushed a deep red as she tried to cover herself a little more with the vase. “I didn’t think you would be here tonight. I came to sort out their burial and, well, clean before you got here, my lord…” she mumbled. The title she gave him seemed forced from her mouth. “Nelson’s fine,” he replied, nodding a little. He would never admit it, but he didn’t like the title. He had wanted nothing to do with noble life. However, he had no other choice. His options were to either repay his life by helping the fool king with the slavery issue, or they would behead him for his part in it. She offered him a thin smile before bowing her head. “The bed has been cleaned, and the sheets changed if you wish to sleep there tonight. It is your room now, my lor-… Nelson,” she said, motioning towards the bed with her hand. She then dipped her head and backed out of the room, not once turning her back to him. “If you need anything, I am just down the hall…” “Of course,” Nelson replied, voice calm. He closed the door once she had returned to her room. “She resents me… don’t blame her, because she isn’t related by blood, she has no choice but to step down for me…” he sighed with a shake of his head. This was going to be a rather bothersome life for a while.A week, two, three… then a month had all come and gone without so much as a peep from any would-be debt collectors. Nelson had all but given up hope that someone would finally ease his boredom. Esta had been standoffish the whole time. Not that Nelson found her to be unfriendly, or unkind, but she kept to herself and avoided talking with him unless it was necessary. He figured the death of her mother and stepfather had caused her emotional distress that he could only somewhat understand.His ‘mother’, who, he had learned, was not his actual mother, was sick enough that he had allowed himself to work as a bandit and a slaver for his father. Those were the lengths he had gone to save her. Now her life was in the throne’s hands. Anyone else would have been glad of the King’s aid, but Nelson was wary.He considered his options many times over. There was no way his mother was in any state to be moved and those caring for her were the best chance of recovery she had, but working for the Crow
The nearest town to Whitefield farm was a couple of hours’ walk to the Forest town of Lightmist Village. Nelson absolutely hated coming here, but he had little choice in the matter. It was the only town close enough for him to buy supplies to feed his pigs, and without his pigs, he couldn’t make ends meet. Inleet had agreed to come with him in order to act as his servant, but the truth was to scout around for any information.The reason Nelson hated coming here, however, almost overpowered his wish to survive, and she was wheeling towards him with the foulest of looks plastered all over her face. Nelson braced himself for having to deal with her again.Lynnette…Her brown hair was cut shorter than he remembered it being. He guessed she had finally had enough of it being in her way all the time, but that was all that had changed about her. The only nice thing he could say was that the mobility chair the Rattus had invented really wa
The tavern was bustling with the town folks, leaving Nelson and Atraas almost feeling at home in the busy place. It was quiet when one compared it to the capital city where the King lived, but that was to be expected. Another thing he had expected was upon his arrival; the whole tavern went silent. No one trusted Nelson, and for good reason. It hadn’t been that long ago that he had been here trying to enslave them all. None of them had known it was his father’s suggestion, however.It didn’t matter. They soon returned to their drinks but were now conscious of the noble in their presence.“Perhaps you should have stayed home, M’lord,” Atraas mocked his old friend, though kept his tone to one of politeness.Nelson shot his friend a small look and then said, “and miss out on a drink? We all know I’ll be the life of the party in about an hour.”Atraas snickered, nodding his head before he set out to mingle
With the pig’s trough filled, Nelson knew he could sneak out a lot easier than he might have without. It was still not a foolproof way of getting out of the farm without them alerting his exit, but they were quieter than they could have been.Moving swiftly so that he could reach the town in less than the two hours it would take to get there, Nelson kept himself hidden under his cloak’s hood. As soon as he reached the town, he wasted no time sneaking into the rattus’ room.He took a quick glance within to make sure the man was either not there or asleep. A vague body shape in the bed told him which one it was. He nodded and snuck in quietly and checked the draws and bags within the room. All Nelson found were a few scrolls and notes about locating and figuring out more about him as a noble. Nothing really to suggest that the rattus was involved in anything, especially not slavery.However, what he found sug
“So, what you are saying is that I have to look after the farm, on my own, while you go…” Esta paused, looking Nelson up and down with a critical gaze. “Where did you say you were going?” She asked, almost sneering at him, but was trying to not be so blatant with what she was doing.Nelson knew she wouldn’t be happy that he was taking the only two farm hands with him, but he needed their personal skills if he was going to cross the marsh and get into Sethis’ mansion without getting caught. Even so, he had to tell her he would not be back for at least a month or more.“I know this is sudden, but it is an important visit that I need to make,” Nelson offered his hands up in defence of his sudden plan. “I can hire someone else so you aren’t stuck alone here if you need someone?” He then asked.Esta peered at him with contempt. “Oh! So we have enough coins for that, do we?” Esta ques
The ripples zoomed towards him with such speed that Nelson didn’t have time to think twice about what he was doing. He held up the bag and called at the top of his voice, “if you want them back you can have them! I want nothing to do with stealing your children!”Atraas and Inleet stared at him from their positions, ready to help fight if required, but trusted Nelson’s instincts to know how to handle the situation.“Can they even understand the common tongue?” Atraas asked, curious as he watched the water suddenly rise along with the head of the serpentine.Although snake-like in appearance, they also had humanoid features for their bodies. Bulky arms ended in claw-like hands. A very thin line of greenish-brown hair lined the top of the serpentine’s head. It continued to rise out of the water, using its muscular snake-like body to hold itself up tall. It easily stood taller than even the gnarly tree.Atraas and In
As the sun began to set on Falanthyst Castle, King Fenryn sat bored on the throne, listening to his nobles arguing over this and that. None of it was important enough to hold his attention for long, but he attempted to at least pretend like he had been listening. If he showed any signs that he wasn’t taking this matter seriously, he would get a scolding by a certain Knight Captain.That was when he started to giggle. It always meant trouble would be in store for the Captain when the King chuckled during the meetings of his local Lords and Ladies. He was sure they thought poorly of him because he was young in both age and heart. Of course, his court would never say so out loud, but they felt he could never be a true King because of how young he was. They often took advantage of the King’s youth, but that was why he had his faithful Knight Captain.Vaughan Cadfael was a stern man and one that everyone knew that if he was around, they could say or whisper very
Morning came early for Nelson and the twins. He hated mornings, but he knew he had to get a move on soon. If they waited too long, the serpentines would wake up and be on the prowl. He woke the twins and made Atraas cook them some breakfast. As soon as they had finished, he had them back on what little path there was. Everything seemed normal at first. Birds sang when they flew overhead, frogs and fish moved about in the waters and bugs kept bothering them. Then suddenly everything was silent. Nelson halted the group with a single gesture of his hand. He was pretty damn sure something wasn’t right, but he couldn’t see anything. After a while, he had them continue. Nothing large had moved, so he assumed there was something else the creatures were hiding from, perhaps just a snake or a large fish. Whatever it was, it had been big enough to spook the wildlife. “How much longer do we have to go?” Inleet complained as she dragged her feet behind them. “My feet are
It was a month after the meeting when the two kings finally sealed the deal with a wedding. Nelson, of course, attended, but he had spent most of the time trying to find any clues about who might have close ties with Sethis and was out for revenge.A few of the women turned their sights on him, but he politely turned them down, claiming he would not be ready to seek a wife until after he had finished building his mansion and settled into this new rank. It gave him time to mingle with as many groups as he could since the King was now officially off-limits for marriage.Being the King’s surrogate was not as glamorous as the young noblewomen hoped, and with it clear he had chosen Vaughan not just out of duty but love. They soon gave up the thought of being his mistress. Only those with no actual rank and nothing to lose still chased that dream.With the women who had turned their ventures to other potential rank improvements, Nelson no longer considered them
Nelson still felt irritable from earlier in the day, but he knew that if he missed this meeting, all three of them would get on his case about it and he might miss his chance at getting the power and sway he needed to grow and survive the threats from those of his past who would betray him, eventually. When his past caught up to him, Nelson knew he had to be ready for anything.He lingered near the back of the hall while Lynnette saw Elena and the two of them left him alone to talk between themselves. Until the King finally started the meeting, at least.Nelson felt a small sense of relief wash over him. He leaned against the wall and watched all the nobles in the room. Not every noble was here, but every noble house had sent at least one person to hear what the King had to say. Many of the attendants were women which had not surprised Nelson in the least.It didn’t matter to them if the King was taken, they would constantly vie for his attention until the
By the time all the nobles had arrived, it exhausted Fenryn from greeting each one of them. Even Elena had come. Two guards had escorted her, though she and the King had both decided they would need to handle things as best as they could. Regardless of what they claimed the narrative was for their breakup, people were going to taunt and mock her for losing her chance of sitting on the throne.Fenryn did not want to see her mocked and belittled because of her father, so he had to make it abundantly clear she was not at fault. That the two of them had split on equal terms and were both still going to be friendly with one another. The only issue was the King knew the other nobles wouldn’t care about any excuse. They would belittle her, regardless.Elena waited until every other noble had finished speaking with the King before she walked over to him and offered a shy smile. He returned it with an awkward one of his own.“You’re looking well. Sorry
Later that day, once the group had completed every task, Nelson stood out in the gardens to get some air. He was getting tired from running around on the King’s behalf, but it would all be worth it later that night. The King had decided he was going to make the announcement at a social gathering of all his nobles.The plans had already been in place since he had confessed to wanting to marry Vaughan, and now all they had to do was wait and make sure the man in question did not suspect a thing. As far as anyone knew, this gathering was going to be about Sethis’ betrayal and Nelson’s promotion.They would not go into details about who defeated Sethis or what had happened in full, but some of the truth might come out, depending on the guards. Nelson wasn’t sure if he wanted to assassinate them just to keep the truth safe. However, he couldn’t just do so without knowing if they were a danger or not. So far, the two of them had stayed quiet and
By the time Nelson returned to his own bedroom, he could hear the servants waking up other guests in the castle for breakfast and knew he wouldn’t be able to grab more sleep, as he had hoped. However, his tasks for the morning had been completed and now he just had to deal with Fenryn and the others. A far less complicated matter, but one far more timely.As Nelson’s door was knocked, he answered it with a cheerful smile and allowed himself to be guided down to the King’s dining hall. Lynnette had joined them, though she seemed to be deep in thought. Nelson wasn’t sure if she had heard something. Perhaps him returning to his room? Or perhaps she was noticing the effects of the tonic and was trying to figure out what was happening.Nelson decided not to mention it. If she brought up her thoughts on her own, then he could play innocent, or happy, depending on what the situation was.Fenryn and Vaughan were already sitting at the table and,
It was still quite dark when the ship docked at the riverside port. Nelson and Lynnette had more land to travel across before reaching the city itself, but thankfully, Fenryn had arranged a horse-drawn carriage for them. It had to have been him, as there was more than enough room for Lynnette’s chair on wheels.Lynnette hated being constrained by the thing, but it always made her feel less upset when Fenryn would do small things to make her life a little less awkward.When they arrived just outside of the castle, several guards and servants were there waiting for them. They were sure Fenryn was inside, still awake, waiting for them to return. Lynnette had thankfully slept for a little while on the boat, but Nelson had been awake. He couldn’t sleep. He had wanted to prepare himself for anything that would happen between now and the wedding. So much could go wrong and many people would be unhappy at the union. They all wanted a piece of that crown for themsel
Lynnette woke to a start when she heard Nelson calling for her. He had been acting strangely and had refused to tell her what this was all about. She never could get over the fact that he was now on the King’s side. She always expected him to betray them and have her assassinated in her sleep, yet he hadn’t even attempted it. Perhaps he truly had changed his ways and was willing to use his skills for Fenryn from now on.She sighed and grumbled a tired reply to him. Lynnette had finally grown accustomed to sleeping in a bed, but now that she had, she never wanted to wake up in the morning. They were so comfortable, even in the winter. Though it wasn’t winter now, and she knew she really had to get up.As she pulled herself up, Lynnette leaned over to grab her chair on wheels. She took the clean clothes from the seat and got dressed. She could hear Nelson pacing outside as he waited for her, but Lynnette was in no rush.Lynnette then pulled herse
After being led to roughly the right place, the young serpentine lingered back out of the way. Nelson could tell he was afraid to go any closer to where he believed Ket had made her nest. Though it seemed so strange to see a serpentine afraid of anything. Perhaps the only thing they did fear was their own kind.“Wouldn’t it be more impressive to the woman to show up yourself and show your bravery?” Nelson asked as he halted the anxious horse’s steps. The serpentine had been mindful of the beast’s fears. The hopes of having Ket as a mate this year seemed to be far more important than food.The young lad gazed up at Nelson silently for a while before he said, “females are bigger. Stronger. It is not the breeding season yet. She will kill me as this has become her space. I will not go beyond this point.”Nelson dipped his head to the side in a vague, understanding motion. He wasn’t sure if he liked the thought of bein
The following day, Nelson left Lynnette in the capable hands of the inn staff should she need anything at all. He had said his goodbyes to his mother and Inleet before heading towards Rattail Peak. He had gotten in contact with a person he thought might have the information he sought.Nelson took only a single guard with him, and that was only under protest. He knew that from now on, he would have no choice but to rely on loyal men to keep him safe. Thankfully, this man was one of Fenryn’s, though that bit of information was never offered to anyone except himself.Thankfully, the people within Ameathon City and Rattail Peak had not yet learned of who exactly had taken over from Sethis. Everyone had known there had been a change of leadership, and that Sethis had become a demonic force of nature that had destroyed his own home, killed many of his people and eventually been slain.As Nelson journeyed through the rattus city, he couldn’t help but think