Nostrum: Tales of Valor

Deception

Marne walks through the halls, finding his way to Farrow's office space. As he enters the door he is met by the many bookshelves that surround Farrow's desk. Atop the desk, he spots The Tome of Fandor. Approaching the rather large book, he looks about himself, then back again at the blue trimmed leather. Satisfied with his position, he reaches for it.

"Stop there!" Comes a voice from the hall.

Startled, Marne turns to face the husky sound and spots a Nostrum who adorns The Bethel's garbs. Marne looks the man up and down, then smiles.

"Greetings. Is Farrow in by chance?"

"Our leader has found himself tied up in a meeting, eager to express a plan to take what remains of Maciofim into our possession."

"Oh, excellent! I've actually got some ideas of my own that I'd like to share with him. Do you think he's too busy for that?"

The man grunts and then studies Marne for a moment before giving a nod and turning back towards the halls and heading left. Marne, assuming the man is off to get Farrow, looks back to the tome. Deciding it to be too risky to take himself, he turns to the door and lets out a whistle. As he does so, soft footsteps are heard, then Yuler appears.

"Farrow is on his way back."

"So I heard. Why did you tell that man you had plans for Farrow?"

"A simple lie, but one I can speak for when the time comes."

"Let us hope so. What now?"

"Now we await his arrival. I will take him on a stroll and you will collect the tome."

"What of us?"

Marne and Yuler look back to the entrance where they spot Lee and Hael, who stand eagerly within the archway.

"Once I have gone off with Farrow and Yuler has the tome in her possession, it is up to you two to get her off The Bethel's property. Seek a place to start a fire and I will guide Farrow back here. Once he has begun his search, I too will join in on the effort of relocating the tome and finding those responsible for its disappearance. Your fire will guide me with smoke back to you."

"Then what?"

"We destroy it. We toss it into the flames of the fire you will have lit before I arrive. The sooner the tome burns the better."

Yuler grimaces at the idea but tries to remain neutral for the others. Still, a sense of doom persists.

"Now, go. Hael, Lee, begin clearing a path for Yuler and all of you... stay out of sight."

The group disperses, leaving Marne alone with the tome as he awaits the arrival of Farrow, which does not take long. As the older man approaches Marne, two other Nostrum make their presence known, with one being the same man that had spotted Marne earlier on.

"Hello, my son. I hear you have some ideas you would like to offer us."

"Indeed I do."

Yuler tucks herself behind the draping curtains of a nearby window, ensuring that she is as close to invisible as possible as she listens in.

"I'd like to take a walk and discuss them. I think it would be fitting that we spend a little more time together. One-on-one to... talk."

A brief silence falls over the room, then Farrow speaks.

"Indeed. Come. Let us talk... about it all."

"I assure you, time will not be wasted." Marne walks to the entrance, followed closely by Farrow and the other two Nostrum.

"You two are free to return to your duties. I will call on you when you are needed again."

The Nostrum nod their heads and turn to the right, while Marne and Farrow turn to the left, now walking side-by-side and speaking in hushed voices. Once the voices have passed the curtain Yuler had tucked herself behind, she emerges. Looking down both ends of the hall, she watches Marne and Farrow until they turn a corner and disappear and ensures the other Nostrum have gone as well. With there being nothing standing in her way, she darts into the office on her toes, trying to keep as quiet as possible. Paying little attention to her surroundings, she snatches up the tome and rushes back out of the room before turning to the left. Reaching the same fork Marne and Farrow had recently passed into, she turns to the left once more, avoiding the direction they had gone in. Her heart begins to race as she travels through the halls, trying to ensure that she is not caught in the act. As she takes another turn, she quickly retraces her steps and tucks into a corner. Allowing herself to peak out with one eye as she watches Lee speak with another man.

"Have you tried the buttered rolls the kitchen staff has provided?" He asks the other. "Truly something a drunk such as myself can come to appreciate."

"I suppose I haven't, but I don't see why that matters-"

"Come!" Lee insists, grabbing the man by the shoulders and guiding him towards the throne room. "No reason for us to linger about here when bellies are needing filled."

Once the hall has been cleared, Yuler rushes back out into the open and tucks the tome beneath her coat; Attempting to conceal it as best she can. Rounding the last corner, she finds herself in the great hall. Knowing now that she only has to reach the door, she rushes towards it. Exiting the building she is almost immediately startled.

"Yuler!" Comes the voice of Hael. "This way!"

As the woman waves her on, Yuler nods and rushes toward her. The pair find themselves walking the back streets of Maciofim as they travel towards the main gates, still looking over themselves to ensure that they aren't being followed.

"Where is Lee?" Hael asks, not having picked up his scent.

"He was distracting someone in order for me to make my getaway. I'm sure he'll be fine and full."

"Still, he is tampering with Marne's plan. How will he find us?"

"It's Lee." Yuler assures. "He'll find a way to fit himself into things again."

*****

Marne walks the halls with Farrow at his side, offering mediocre ideas and attempting to keep the man occupied for as long as possible, but fails to do so. As they begin their approach back towards the office, Marne begins to sweat.

"I assure you, with enough effort we will be able to take what remains of the city in little to no time at all." He says.

"That was our plan to begin with. Simply use brute force and see where the wind blows. However, it isn't the most productive, nor is it going to persuade more people to join our cause. We risk many casualties that way, so we have been trying to come up with something more... civil."

"Civil?"

"Yes. We've lost many of our Nostrum already with our efforts on the northern and western sides. Trained or not, thousands cannot be managed so easily by only a few hundred. Especially when those few hundred have proven to be opposing the long-standing efforts of The Bethel. We need persuasion on our side. We need-" Farrow cuts himself off as they re-enter his office. "Where is it? Where is the tome?"

"It was right here before we left." Marne weakly adds.

"Indeed." Farrow grits his teeth and straightens out the folds at the front of his garbs. Stiffening his back, he calls out. "Huckle! Borris!" With this, the sound of approaching footsteps is heard echoing off the walls. Then, the same two Nostrum as before come around a corner and stand a few feet from their leader, offering a bow. "There is no time. I need you two to either provide me with information as to who might have gained access to my quarters in our absence or find someone who can. The tome is missing and your heads are on the line if it is not found." The men look to one another nervously.

"Sir, there have been no others within those walls since you left. I assure."

Farrow swiftly punches Huckle in the face and as the man stumbles backwards, he offers an apologetic bow.

"S-sorry sir. We will begin our search."

"Rally a party. If they were slick enough to get by you once I doubt you could be capable of spotting them on your own."

The men bow once more and run off towards the throne room, shouting for others to join them as they go.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Farrow says with slight disappointment in his voice. "Sometimes it is the only way to get through to em."

"Any idea who might have taken it?" Marne wonders, attempting an assurance on the safety of the others.

"Not even the slightest." Farrow offers, now huffing and nervously fidgeting his fingers with thought. Then, an idea seems to bubble up and his eyes dart to Marne, who gulps. "Do you think you could help me find it? The others, as well?"

"What do you mean?"

"You lot have proven yourselves to be invaluable in the past. Perhaps... if it isn't too much to ask..."

"Oh, of course! I will seek the others out." Marne offers an awkward bow of his own and smiles. "Forgive me."

"I'll act as though it never happened." Farrow smiles briefly himself, then turns back to the empty desk where the tome had been sitting. "Let me know of your findings by dusk, if you have any by then. If not, I will assume you and the others are still looking."

"Of course, father."

Farrow's eyes widen as the word is spoken, then he smiles once more.

"Be on your way then, son. Without that tome, all of our work will be without purpose. It is a cure. A true gift from the gods. Without it, I fear their presence will remain an obstacle."

"An obstacle?"

"Yes. Part of the reason we have had issues with converting people to our side is their beliefs. Faith is the largest obstacle one can have standing in their way. We need these people to side with us, otherwise, Maciofim will simply fall into chaos and never return. We do not wish to tear this city down. We wish to rebuild, but we need the citizens on our side and to do that... they must forget their religious morals."

Marne nods, now truly understanding why Farrow would have such an absurd idea in the first place.

"Now, go. It is precious time we are spending standing about." Farrow plants a hand on Marne's shoulder, offers a nod, then rushes off down the hall, heading opposite of Huckle and Borris.

Once Marne is standing alone in the hall, he lets out a deep breath he had not realized he was holding.

"It worked. I can't believe it!" He says to himself in a hushed voice before running towards the front of the building and finding Lee out in the yard, munching on a bread roll. "Lee?"

"Just in time." The man says with his mouth full. "What's the word?" Lee raises a brow as he says this, hinting to Marne that he is in character.

"T-The Tome of Fandor has come up missing. I need you and the others to assist me in finding it."

"The Tome of Fandor, huh? Let us not waste a moment then." Tossing the bread to the ground, Lee storms off towards the streets, passing by two Nostrum that stand guard at the dungeon hatch.

Marne shakes his head as Lee waves him on. Then, follows the man away from The Bethel. The large bell atop it rings out, signaling distress as Farrow rallies more men and women to help in the effort. An effort Marne hopes to see fail.