174Please respect copyright.PENANAnr5hLYadCg
He’d not eaten, he’d not slept, nor had he dressed the innumerable wounds that plagued him. Yet, still he trudged forth, through the muck and rain, for he felt no hunger, no tire, nor even pain. A day and a half down the mountainside, and another through the greying woods and meadows, before finally arriving, in this forsaken place. With grey skies and greyer yet faces all around, it was nearly as dead as himself.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAHyVwZ7hhQb
Despite his best efforts to hide his face, there were still those who turned to whisper to one another as he passed. As if the broken blade in his belt, and rent armour that hung from his chest were not to sufficient, he had only imagined the horrific wounds on his face, wretched slices and gouges, the flesh torn apart. Or at least, that is what he had seen upon his comrades, only to assume he bore the same. He hadn’t yet dared to look in the mirror, for fear of what horror may stare back at him. Thus, he wrapped himself in his tattered cloak as best he could, and trudged on through the mud ridden streets.
174Please respect copyright.PENANACszK3f6xYS
Letifer Mourse, that was his name once. Or at least, he’d deduced so. After days (or he hoped only days) of pouring through the quartermasters records, digging up corpses, and sketching faces, he’d come to the conclusion that he was indeed Letifer Mourse, a Knight of the keep of Haltoth.
174Please respect copyright.PENANALA7RRwSvst
But there was something else.
174Please respect copyright.PENANABoFFy21BLD
The quartermaster’s logs had shown that there was a child, who shared his rations and quarter. A boy. He could only assume, only hope, that this was his son.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAvFoQ5SrmqY
And thus was the reason for his arrival here. He’d found no children’s corpses in the mass grave, thus, it was clear that the child did not fall in the raid. He could only hope that he escaped the carnage, and by logic, this would have been his first destination.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAw8RnFr7sKR
Letifer could not deny that this was likely his homeland. Holtarthen, a burgeoning township, not far from the foot of the mountains. A likely origin for a knight of the keep, not too far into the range.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAxOlw6LlNEl
The question being, what action would a child take in a situation such as this? By logic, Letifer assumed from the boy’s description that he was somewhere between ten and thirteen years of age. This would make him small, seemingly innocent, and desperate. Thus, Letifer assumed that he would have stolen to survive. And as such, he made his way to the lord’s manor.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAs7EgvDquIs
The two shieldsmen at the door were the first to hinder him. The man on the left grabbed him by the shoulder, and shoved him back. He showed a brief moment, not but a second, of confusion, feeling no warmth from the contact, but quickly regained composure.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAIbEJ7Arzsp
"I'd lose the hood, lest you wish to go unsuffered." He uttered, with a grimace.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAGqcJa59sir
Reluctantly, Letifer removed his hood, causing the two shieldsmen to don a face of terror.
174Please respect copyright.PENANA99V1ChcRbJ
"Be at ease. I am no manner of reaper, gheist, or ill omen." He uttered from his cracked lips, “I beseech someone. A prisoner.”
174Please respect copyright.PENANAznHxJOD9Tw
One of the shieldsmen nudged the other, whispering, “He’s of the Fell Kin, we best not wrong him.”
174Please respect copyright.PENANA7JW4Uu0Fli
“Wise of you.” Letifer responded, pulling his hood back over his head.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAq6U7UT9nJ4
One of the shieldsmen sighed, turning to his comrade, and quietly muttering, “Fetch the keys.” He sighed again, “Go take a gander at the underhalls. But you’d best make it quick. And uh, you would be a kind… fellow, not to go yackin about in regards to this little favour.”
174Please respect copyright.PENANAPM37y5gCA2
“Of course.” Letifer replied, in his usual soft tone.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAUKkcpblzFP
Quietly making his way through the doors, he was met with a room illuminated by the warm light of an ornate fireplace on the far side. A staircase enveloped in a faded purple carpet fringed with gold, curled along the left corner, leading to the higher floor. But that was not Letifer’s destination. No. He quietly found his way down the deep places of the manor, where the sun did not penetrate the walls. This is where he passed the wine cellar, and came upon the cells.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAXtGEQTa8Yb
Searching through them, he found only drunkards and madmen. Not a child to be seen.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAqrhp9dEuvN
“And what would be your business here?”
174Please respect copyright.PENANA2dCqIvmvWY
Letifer turned to face an ageing man leaned against the archway leading to the cells. Clad in a dark red tunic and trousers, he bore silver hair that found its way down just past his shoulders, and a face veiled in the scars of battle and the ravages of age alike. Surprisingly enough, the elder was not taken aback by the sight of his face.
174Please respect copyright.PENANA7rQvQ5kdQb
“I beseech a child. I have reason to believe he may have been taken here.” Letifer replied.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAVgyDVjBxkH
The elder was silent for a moment. “My eyes are not what they once were. Come close, let me see your face.”
174Please respect copyright.PENANAfX6fQLkq5L
Reluctantly, Letifer strode towards the man, prepared to face a terrified recoil upon his proximity.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAKGLMFOIXIU
“Tell me,” uttered the aging man, “What dealings would Fell Kin have with children? Don’t tell me it was he who slew you.”
174Please respect copyright.PENANA7zLmtkgpdR
“He is my son, or so I believe.” Letifer responded, setting his eyes to the floor, for but a moment.
174Please respect copyright.PENANATbli9gG9wL
“I have dealt with your kind before, phantom. Left unburied, desecrated, doomed to a living death, until vengeance is wrought. And it is to my knowledge that, assuming you fell with the mountain keep, your memories have rotten with your corpse.” The man explained, “Tell me, what would you know of your former offspring?”
174Please respect copyright.PENANAcpmErxLMUd
Letifer sighed, “Forgive me, but that business is mine alone.” he stated, not wanting to recount his ordeal, “And what business would you have in such a foul place as this?”
174Please respect copyright.PENANAGCFQW8jXzs
“This foul place is my own,” the old man explained, as he stood from his leaning position, “It is a rather undesirable inclusion to my manor.” He proceeded to introduce himself, holding out his hand to shake, “I am the Earl Dascule, and you are?”.
174Please respect copyright.PENANAhulPe8a9RD
Letifer took his hand, answering his question, “Sir Letifer Mourse, my lord, if my deductions are correct.”
174Please respect copyright.PENANAmKy5iKVrs8
“A fell knight?” asked the Earl, “Well, I suppose I should be without surprise.”
174Please respect copyright.PENANA2cKoJbeB3d
A voice called from the wine cellar, “Phantom?”
174Please respect copyright.PENANADRT4YuOXcD
“Perhaps not a monster. Perhaps a man.” The 174Please respect copyright.PENANA08InqQcABy
He’d not eaten, he’d not slept, nor had he dressed the innumerable wounds that plagued him. Yet, still he trudged forth, through the muck and rain, for he felt no hunger, no tire, nor even pain. A day and a half down the mountainside, and another through the
greying woods and meadows, before finally arriving, in this forsaken place. With grey skies and greyer yet faces all around, it was nearly as dead as himself. 174Please respect copyright.PENANAIfxuj5UCsg
Despite his best efforts to hide his face, there were still those who turned to whisper to one another as he passed. As if the broken blade in his belt, and rent armour that hung from his chest were not to sufficient, he had only imagined the horrific wounds on his face, wretched slices and gouges, the flesh torn apart. Or at least, that is what he had seen upon his comrades, only to assume he bore the same. He hadn’t yet dared to look in the mirror, for fear of what horror may stare back at him. Thus, he wrapped himself in his tattered cloak as best he could, and trudged on through the mud ridden streets.174Please respect copyright.PENANA9sWauf23pN
Letifer Mourse, that was his name once. Or at least, he’d deduced so. After days (or he hoped only days) of pouring through the quartermasters records, digging up corpses, and sketching faces, he’d come to the conclusion that he was indeed Letifer Mourse, a Knight of the keep of Haltoth. 174Please respect copyright.PENANA1i3eReEXAX
But there was something else. 174Please respect copyright.PENANA4xZunquWtt
The quartermaster’s logs had shown that there was a child, who shared his rations and quarter. A boy. He could only assume, only hope, that this was his son. 174Please respect copyright.PENANA5sifoB3KIK
And thus was the reason for his arrival here. He’d found no children’s corpses in the mass grave, thus, it was clear that the child did not fall in the raid. He could only hope that he escaped the carnage, and by logic, this would have been his first destination. 174Please respect copyright.PENANA6xoHehlv0F
Letifer could not deny that this was likely his homeland. Holtarthen, a burgeoning township, not far from the foot of the mountains. A likely origin for a knight of the keep, not too far into the range. 174Please respect copyright.PENANAM9aU1ZErhD
The question being, what action would a child take in a situation such as this? By logic, Letifer assumed from the boy’s description that he was somewhere between ten and thirteen years of age. This would make him small, seemingly innocent, and desperate. Thus, Letifer assumed that he would have stolen to survive. And as such, he made his way to the lord’s manor. 174Please respect copyright.PENANAiPlWN8pnR4
The two shieldsmen at the door were the first to hinder him. The man on the left grabbed him by the shoulder, and shoved him back. He showed a brief moment, not but a second, of confusion, feeling no warmth from the contact, but quickly regained composure.174Please respect copyright.PENANAlwm8Er4pgl
"I'd lose the hood, lest you wish to go unsuffered." He uttered, with a grimace.174Please respect copyright.PENANAolQTg0xh2T
Reluctantly, Letifer removed his hood, causing the two shieldsmen to don a face of terror.174Please respect copyright.PENANAB2FzDgwMWG
"Be at ease. I am no manner of reaper, gheist, or ill omen." He uttered from his cracked lips, “I beseech someone. A prisoner.” 174Please respect copyright.PENANARJW0mESRXU
One of the shieldsmen nudged the other, whispering, “He’s of the Fell Kin, we best not wrong him.”174Please respect copyright.PENANACE5HPCtWBr
“Wise of you.” Letifer responded, pulling his hood back over his head.174Please respect copyright.PENANAdpb9AGZtHQ
One of the shieldsmen sighed, turning to his comrade, and quietly muttering, “Fetch the keys.” He sighed again, “Go take a gander at the underhalls. But you’d best make it quick. And uh, you would be a kind… fellow, not to go yackin about in regards to this little favour.”174Please respect copyright.PENANApcKYtrEWQF
“Of course.” Letifer replied, in his usual soft tone. 174Please respect copyright.PENANAvSpVdRfvHx
Quietly making his way through the doors, he was met with a room illuminated by the warm light of an ornate fireplace on the far side. A staircase enveloped in a faded purple carpet fringed with gold, curled along the left corner, leading to the higher floor. But that was not Letifer’s destination. No. He quietly found his way down the deep places of the manor, where the sun did not penetrate the walls. This is where he passed the wine cellar, and came upon the cells. 174Please respect copyright.PENANA6jDPAFoXqo
Searching through them, he found only drunkards and madmen. Not a child to be seen.174Please respect copyright.PENANAUXLFwjhiLC
“And what would be your business here?”174Please respect copyright.PENANAwBAImaTH6e
Letifer turned to face an ageing man leaned against the archway leading to the cells. Clad in a dark red tunic and trousers, he bore silver hair that found its way down just past his shoulders, and a face veiled in the scars of battle and the ravages of age alike. Surprisingly enough, the elder was not taken aback by the sight of his face. 174Please respect copyright.PENANAmgCZxSlnWJ
“I beseech a child. I have reason to believe he may have been taken here.” Letifer replied.174Please respect copyright.PENANAlfyooSGvsk
The elder was silent for a moment. “My eyes are not what they once were. Come close, let me see your face.” 174Please respect copyright.PENANA9PGnhZiC0X
Reluctantly, Letifer strode towards the man, prepared to face a terrified recoil upon his proximity. 174Please respect copyright.PENANAZLhiUu5gla
“Tell me,” uttered the ageing man, “What dealings would Fell Kin have with children? Don’t tell me it was he who slew you.”174Please respect copyright.PENANA6A6W9AMJqW
“He is my son, or so I believe.” Letifer responded, setting his eyes to the floor, for but a moment. 174Please respect copyright.PENANAPE3cZbn1gf
“I have dealt with your kind before, phantom. Left unburied, desecrated, doomed to a living death, until vengeance is wrought. And it is to my knowledge that, assuming you fell with the mountain keep, your memories have rotten with your corpse.” The man explained, “Tell me, what would you know of your former offspring?” 174Please respect copyright.PENANAEv46VJ8SGz
Letifer sighed, “Forgive me, but that business is mine alone.” he stated, not wanting to recount his ordeal, “And what business would you have in such a foul place as this?” 174Please respect copyright.PENANAvOOXQOvOEr
“This foul place is my own,” the old man explained, as he stood from his leaning position, “It is a rather undesirable inclusion to my manor.” He proceeded to introduce himself, holding out his hand to shake, “I am the Earl Dascule, and you are?”. 174Please respect copyright.PENANAdEPwqyQoAi
Letifer took his hand, answering his question, “Sir Letifer Mourse, my lord, if my deductions are correct.” 174Please respect copyright.PENANALq2ZeX58vb
“A fell knight?” asked the Earl, “Well, I suppose I should be without surprise.” 174Please respect copyright.PENANAZ56aDOevRZ
A voice called from the wine cellar, “Phantom?” 174Please respect copyright.PENANAX4YPoHaxO3
“Perhaps not a monster. Perhaps a man.” The Earl called back to his shieldsman, “Leave us.” 174Please respect copyright.PENANAUwSc30NRGX
Entering the archway, the soldier took a quick bow, “Apologies, my lord.”, before quickly taking his leave.174Please respect copyright.PENANAnQidujYVbI
The Earl sighed, “My roundsmen brought a child but a fortnight ago, saying he stole a loaf of bread. I fed him, shoed him, and sent him on his way. Last I saw, he was heading west.” 174Please respect copyright.PENANAhoiGR1j8kq
“My thanks to you, my lord. You are a generous man.” Letifer replied, as he began to take his leave.174Please respect copyright.PENANABmRiqjOuGx
“So I suppose you’re not to stay for supper?” 174Please respect copyright.PENANALvjk3cccXO
Letifer turned for a moment, “No, I suppose not.” 174Please respect copyright.PENANA9rP1R1O1dd
“Do be careful in your search.” The Earl called to him, “There are many who see less than I.” 174Please respect copyright.PENANANAwTkuAFAu
174Please respect copyright.PENANA6BT4tjlUqB
174Please respect copyright.PENANA0qMPaknL2Y
174Please respect copyright.PENANAqqoGpRty4t
174Please respect copyright.PENANA0MckAKMRrC