Raise Your Banner – December 468AV (3/3)

“What do you mean you’ve lost Apex?”

Snare took a step back to make sure he was out of range of his masters sword. He kept the tremor of fear out of his voice as he spoke.

“The mortals – Resistance, Wardens, whatever they are calling themselves now. They cut him free from Forests Fury before I could get through to the stubborn spirit” he stepped back again feeling the heat of the demon rising from his body. “though he is not much use to anybody right now. I think he’s been attached to the plant for too long.”

“At least tell me the faerie ring in the Eyrie is secured and Spite has been dealt with.” He snarled.

“Um…you see I, uh, can’t”

“What do you mean you –“

“They never came back! None of them. The priestess was dead as ordered but everything else,” he made a gesture of an explosion. “No sign, and could be anywhere. Other than ‘hidden in the Eyrie’ we have no clue where it is.”

There was a painful silence before Overseer spoke.

“Tell me Snare, are you loyal?”

Snare gulped “Of course, my lord”

“To me?”

“Yes, my lord”

Snare did not like where this was going.

“Then you’ll understand my confusion as you have failed in both of the tasks I set you!” Overseer roared grabbing him with a taloned hand. “Give me one good reason not to hand you over to the High Invoker to bring you into the Blades ranks, Master of the Hounds”

“Because I have useful information. Seems the mortals and rebels are in disagreement with each other. Seems Enigma’s finally done something to drive off Guide.”

Overseer laughed and the boom cracked around the forest.

“This means he has no one to support him and the mortals have no way to follow our movements. We will crush them like the vermin they are.”

Overseer tossed the fae aside and returned to his preparations.

“Get out of my sight Snare and prepare the hounds. We march north at dawn.”

Snare bowed and withdrew from the clearing

“oh and fail me again Figment and I will spilt you in half and smash your ‘stone in my fist.”

“yes, my lord.”

—-

“Your Majesty, Sirs, the scouts have returned from the mortal lands with dire news”

Sir Gwydion rose with the rest of the war council as the two scouts entered. They bowed to the High King and then to the generals. The High King indicated the council be seated.

A flame haired general with crest of feathers to match, that marked her of the High Kings line, spoke.

“You have returned to us having scouted the lands held by the Forgotten. What tidings do you bring?”

The scouts looked at each other before the young antlered Figment cleared his throat to speak.

“The Forgotten are depraved, demon worshiping, creatures. Just as we saw in the campaign in Wastes, only now many have joined themselves with the demons directly. They show themselves to be a threat to the mortal races but they are all but unknown outside their strongholds. The knights sent through the portal are either dead or corrupted. Those that scouted the mountains with us to find the stone thief faired little better.”

There were murmurs around the room but at the mention of the stone thief, Sir Gwydion’s attention was fully on the scouts.

“we encountered her and other fae that were clearly Forgotten but bore no obvious demon taint. They were however savage. We apprehended two of them for destruction of a tavern and to await further information.”

“Ah yes…this Enigma and Missive your Captain wrote to us of.” The General said referring to her notes. “Missive disappeared from Camelot at the age of 10 assumed to have wandered too close to the portal and fallen in some 150 years ago. This Enigma on the other hand no records exist of at all”

“ He’s a monster!” the other scout cried out “He levelled the camp and killed most of the knights in petty revenge.”

“The Captain and a small group of scouts were away from the camp at the time. We returned to Camelot immediately as result.”

Sir Gwydion slammed his gauntleted fist on the table in rage and many of the knights made similar protests before the High King banged his staff on the ground for order.

“and the stone thief?”

“She was present and just as Sir Gwydion said. She is carrying Serpenterra.”

That brought silence.

“If I may,” Sir Gwydion said looking to the Generals who nodded “many dismiss the name as a whispered bogyman to scare young fae from straying from their stories. But even stories among our kind must have roots somewhere. If we do not know its truth then we must assume the truth we have given it. It is a particularly destructive Lost if not the first such creature.”

“If that is so.” The first scout said “The mortals are in danger. They sheltered the creature from harm, to do so they must not know what it truly is.”

The General turned to the High King. “You have heard their words, My King. Direct intervention in mortal affairs is not to be taken lightly however they, and in turn, ourselves are at risk from these exiles.”

There was silence while the king considered.

“We shall act. In peace for now. Sir Gwydion.”

He stood and bowed to the High King

“You shall take a small group to the mortal lands on a diplomatic mission to determine the influence and danger posed by these rogue fae. You will report back to this council in 3 months time and we will decide our course of action then.”

“I shall serve as you will, My King” Sir Gwydion bowed again.

The woman on the edge of the clearing looked upon the scene with growing puzzlement. This wasn’t how she had intended it but it still served her purpose. A forgotten story and a chance for redemption.

There was a ripple in the air and stench of burning pages as the man appeared by her side.

“Well then, things must be serious if one of you are here.” She said “I warn you now, if Taher thinks he can edit my story…”

The man grinned “Oh he wouldn’t dream of it, he prefers histories to novels anyway, it however seems you did think it needed it and now I’m stuck making your rewrites. For posterity.”

“A demon editor, how perfect” she said dismissively

“Auditor, but I can see your confusion Guardian” He paused “ they have made 3 edits so far, the mortals that is, it will be interesting to see how this version of events plays out.”

Storyteller began to walk away from the demon. It was benign enough not to be worth her trouble.

“No spoilers.” She said disappearing into forest.

Auditor shook his head before he too left

“I want them to win. Eternity would be boring without something to write about.”


World Information

  • The location of the Faerie Ring has not fallen into Forgotten hands
  • The main Forgotten force is about to make a move out of Mikill
  • Camelot are sending a diplomatic party led by Sir Gwydion to the Accord
  • 3 of the paradox events have been encountered and changed.