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2024-10-29 19:42:56Finally, the four of them found themselves at the edge of the marsh. With Ket following beside them, everything else avoided them like the plague. Nelson couldn’t say he minded as it made the rest of the journey a breeze. What he feared wasn’t from the dangers now, but the attention such a large warrior woman would bring to him and his group.
The first thing they had to do, however, was cross the Vast Grasslands, which as the same suggests, was grasslands so vast that they seemed almost as endless as the marsh itself had been. On the plus side, they didn’t have to worry about getting stuck in thick soupy water or ambushed by serpentines.
Herds of horses galloped in the distance. Nelson marvelled at them and wondered if this was where most of the noble horses had come from. Or if these were wild and would remain such. As far as he knew, Sethis didn’t make their fortune from selling horses.
By the time they reached the first signs of Ameath
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Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH11
The tavern wasn’t as full as Nelson had assumed it would be, but there were still enough people there that he could easily blend in with the crowd and none paid him nor Inleet any attention at all. They were just two extra bodies in an enormous city that were looking for a drink. From the looks of it, though, many of these people had nothing worth stealing. He could easily scam them out of their coins, but he was sure he could do that with a mere card game, rather than picking pockets. The only thing he wasn’t sure of was if these people were honest and wouldn’t know he was cheating, or if they were like-minded people and would easily figure him out quickly. He would have to study them long enough to find out, but for now, he just wanted to drink and see if he could learn anything about Sethis, or how he ran his city. You could tell a lot about a noble, by how he treated his people, or what his people thought of him. Nelson was not thought of highly, but he u
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH12
The next morning, the trio woke to the usual hustle and bustle of a city just waking up for the day. From all they could gather, their acquired mask was not the item looked for from the place it was stolen from. At least, there was nothing that suggested the owner cared that much for its loss.Nelson could only guess the owner hadn’t yet realised. Either way, he was glad that he could relax enough to not stress over the smaller details of the day. He had far too much to plan for tonight, including making sure he was ‘on the list’ for the party.That itself would require finding one such person who he could replace with no one realising it. Many such people in the city likely fit the bill, but he had to be sure none could tell the difference. This meant any family man was off of the market for body-snatching. So to speak.Nelson knew this would not be easy, but there had been a few candidates last night at the tavern. If one of those were bachel
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH13
The journal, while seemingly important, lacks anything that would give Nelson a lead on where to go or if Sethis is part of the slave trade or not. It does, however, have a few entries about both the late Kings; Fenryn’s older brother and their father. With a sigh, Nelson puts the item back into the draw. “Well, that was a waste of time,” he mutters to himself. “This guy has to have some skeletons somewhere. No one is this perfect.” A light whispered voice speaks somewhere behind him, “another exists.” Spinning around, Nelson’s hand quickly goes to where his hidden blade is located, but his gaze does not locate the voice’s owner. His golden-brown eyes scan the room. Had someone snuck up on him somehow? That should be impossible. Was it one of those guard-birds? The ones who could use the common tongue to alert of any intruders? He glanced up to see if one was perched anywhere above him. Nothing was. Cautious that someone was hiding from him so
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH 14
“So you want us to go… where, again?” Atraas asked. His gaze on Nelson was deadpan. He did not believe what he had just been told but knew full well what Nelson had said. Inleet herself was not impressed, and she glared at Nelson in horror. “You know the lands of the dead are not something we can just sneak in and out of, right?” She asked, her tone blunt. “Not to mention the ground-elves,” Atraas agreed. “Everyone says they’re just an old wives’ tale to scare young children, but I swear to the Goddesses, I saw one!” Sighing, Nelson looked between the two. “I can’t force you to go with me,” he began, shaking his head. “But your second pay from our benefactor will only come if we succeed in our mission to sort this out. That the trail leads towards the Underworld is…” he paused, looking for the words he needed. “An adventure none of us expected, sure, but we’ll be fine. Maybe.” “Oh, I feel so confident now, thank you!” Inleet barked out her sarcastic r
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH15
Finding a way around Ket and the demonic beast, Nelson couldn’t help but notice it had wounds from previous skirmishes. If that had been here or somewhere else, however, he wasn’t sure. What he knew was that most of them were concentrated in the same area. This could only mean one of a few things. One was that this beast was originally a pet or slave of someone and that was the spot they used to make it do as commanded, or those who fought it off knew something he did not. Either way, he guessed that if he struck that area, he might see better results than aiming for a direct fight. It was a plan, at least. He just had to make sure that he could gain enough height for it to count. Climbing up one of the dilapidated buildings, Nelson did his best to ensure his footing was strong before he pulled out some of his throwing knives. He had come prepared for battle, but he hadn’t expected to be in a fight so soon. Ket had yet to notice him, but that was fine
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH16
The first thing Nelson did was have the twins eavesdrop on the children. Finding out if they lived nearby, or were orphans, was the first clue on how to deal with them as a whole. Most who lived with parents were harder to sway into doing things you needed them to do, but an orphan looking for some quick profit would be much more willing.When he had his answer, the next task would be to figure out what they wanted out of life. Money, a rare item that only the jerk across the street had, or the chance to see the person they loved. Then, Nelson could find a way of convincing them he could help.Or he could just steal something from the group and get them to give chase. Sometimes the simplest plan was the best one and lucky for him, these kids were orphans who had just come into a small amount of coin.“You have a good sense of the place’s layout, right?” Nelson asked Inleet in hushed whispers. The three were accustomed to this form of distractio
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH17
An icy breeze swept through the area, causing the fog to swirl and dance around them. Nelson REALLY did not like this at all, and he turned his back against Ket so that nothing could sneak up behind him. The twins followed suit. “So, what are we dealing with?” Nelson asked, his voice kept low, though whatever had been stalking them was likely already close enough to hear him. Ket let out a low hiss and replied, “unknown. Not a thing marshes have.” “Oh. Wonderful,” Nelson sighed out and shook his head. The spirit clinging to him made a little chuckle. He wondered if it knew what it was, or if it could tell where it was. He wanted to ask it but doubted it would tell him much. After all, the spirit had been quiet until now. It surprised him when it said, ‘watch the fog.’ Glancing at the level the fog was at now, he realised it had again risen higher than where it had been before. It had gone from his ankles to his knees and was now at his hips. T
Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit CH18
A few smaller demon fights later, the group finally made it to the end of their annoyingly long journey. Nelson hadn’t thought that there could ever be such an expansive maze-like city within the mountains just from their outside appearance, and he hoped he never had to deal with this shitty place again.The dim light from outside told him it was a little after sunset, so what sunlight they had left would not last long. He cursed inwardly but gazed out around the hole.What he saw surprised him. This was not a normal exit at all and appeared more to be a crumbled opening from either an explosion or some other force that might cause the mountain’s wall to collapse. Below him were the ocean’s rough sea and a series of rocks that looked far too slippery to give decent footing.“Could the one you’re after really have escaped this way?” He asked, unsure if he wanted the answer to his question. “There were other paths, right?
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CH68
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
- Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit
CH67
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
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CH66
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
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CH65
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
- Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit
CH64
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,
- Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit
CH63
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
- Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit
CH62
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
- Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit
CH61
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
- Adventures of the Crown: The Noble Bandit
CH60
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
