Veiled Chaos

Captain Tultrin began to shout at the men in a loud angry voice, "YOU HEARD HER MAJESTY, WORMS FORM RANKS!" The men Quickly getting their shit together scurried into ranks standing at attention Weapons standing tall and glistening armour from the light of day stood in many ranks and rows.

One-Eye rode to the town the peasant folk frightened by the sudden appearance of a guard in their town, reminding Darkmin that it would be easier to talk to peasants he had already established a connection with. In fact that is what he did, ride off to the farmland he and the Princess had visited earlier. As the approached the farms he noted that the farmers were busy working and the fields were no longer dry and barren. It was likely that he'd get few volunteers from these folk, but at the very least he'd get a few, information on the village's mayor, and a good word put in for him. Approaching one of the buildings Darkmin dismount Yuley and gently patted her head and began to walk to the farmhouse door.

Sera stood with the beige hound at her heels. The rest had left with the houndsmaster and Kerza left to return to the castle. Scores of troops filed into neat lines. Heavy plated armor shone with a mirror shine, and pikes and halberds stood straight with wicked points reaching for the skies. Men in lighter armor likewise stood at attention grasping longbows with daggers fastened to their belts. Tower shields were raised to protect the large and heavily armored men that bore them, and swords gleamed with a razor edge. Striding to a man at random, the princess stared into his eyes. They were the hollow, soulless eyes of those willing to fight and die without regard to his own life, all to protect his kingdom and his queen. She plucked the sword from his belt and raised it to her eyes. It was a regulation infantry sword, made from Sagnian pine wood, wrapped with a tough leather, and forged with the near indestructible Sagnian steel from the Mt. Volknar forges. With a smile and easy turn, the princess drew back her arm and slashed the man beside her across the throat. Crimson blood spurted from the gash, splashing against the shiny armor of the men in his line, staining the mirror finish with the garish blood of Sagna. Satisfied with the sharpness of the infantry man's sword, she replaced the blade in his belt. He didnt even blink.
The archers were well equipped with a full quiver of arrows that passed the princess's inspections. All was good so far, but there was still too few men. And the best equipped ones would be bogged down in the sands.
"Captain Tultrin." she called the fat man to her side. "What do you think of our forces?"

Tultrin gulped slightly as the crimson fountain sputtered out and blood pooled at the princess' feet. "W-well your majesty our forces look splendid our arms and armour are unmatched through the lands, thought perhaps some of the men should be refitted to be skirmishers to deal with the sands." Tultrin did not move as the puddle of blood touched his shoes, a lesson from his father long ago.

Approaching the Castle gate was a young village women, she was pale and clutching a sealed paper in her hand the poor leaf was trembling she saw the men, and the Princess. Her eyes wiedened in horror as she saw a dead man among the guards. Already she regretted this a thousand time, but the money the Kind Captain had given her family would be so helpful she could not disappoint in fear of it being returned. Her voice caught in her throat, and caught and caught and caught. Until Finally the meek girl called out, "Letter from Captain One-Eye!" She shouted louder than she had anticipated and closed her eyes holding the piece of paper high above her head.

Sera's heart fell at the sight of the poor girl. She saw the terrified look she had when she saw her. Walking up to the peasant girl, the princess took the letter from her with a gentle word of thanks. She lightly touched the girl's arm, a gesture to show that she had nothing to fear, and sent her on her way. The letter from One-Eye spoke of his efforts in forming the peasants into a sizable fighting force. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise as she read. He had managed to enlist a quarter of the town and was working on recruiting more. Some smiths have been commissioned to fashion light armors and weapons, and the watch he had formed had proved to be effective, even managing to catch a few of Theoleas's scouts. Sera smiled as the strange guard spoke of having recruited an odd number of villagers. He enlisted the odd one out as a secretary to round out the number.
"It seems Captain One-Eye is proving himself a competent and valuable asset, Tultrin." Sera said with an amused smirk as she tucked the letter into a pocket.

The girl left, relieved to be alive, surprised at the amount of Gentleness the Dreaded Red Sister could muster. It didn't slow her exit from the castle down though.

Tultrin looked sceptically at the princess, "The Blig - good captain hasn't been gone long how much could he have gotten done?" Trying to sound confident in himself and not jealous of the praise the new captain received when all he ever received from the Princess was a sword in his face.

Rolling her eyes, Sera handed Captain Tultrin One-Eye's letter. "Perhaps he manages to get so much done because he doesnt eat nearly as many funnel cakes." she said. The princess organized a third of the heavily armored men to stand apart, and strip to chainmail and gambesons. As they took up their arms again with less weighing them down, Sera saw that there was potential for quick movement among these men, better suited for the sands. Yet padded gambesons were hardly the best armor for skirmishes.

"WHAT!?" Tultrin yelled out after reading One-Eyes Progress, how on earth had he gotten those blasted peasants to do anything? What's worse he was raising the bar for work ethic and already Tultrin was being compared to him the nerve this Captain had was astounding. He had to find a way around this and quickly, "But what of their arms and armour surely he cannot expect the castle smiths to craft such a large order on such short notice!?" This was madness, just how had that bastard motivated all of those peasants?

One-Eye watched intently as the peasants scrambled to and fro carrying baskets of goods and clearing stalls, the marker square was being converted into a drill yard. Turning to the mayor he smiled, "Your contribution to the Kingdom will be remembered sir." Beside One-Eye a young freckled lad carried a small stack of paper, he stood attentively listening to the two older men talking. The Mayor and older and thinner man than the captain looked up at him and smiled, "With such a speech how could I refuse you Lord-Captain Egales?" The boy smiled remembering the speech it hadn't been about doing their duty to serve the crown, like everyone had thought or a declaration of new laws of a public execution. It had been Lord-Captain Egales telling the peasants that the Kingdom was at war and he spoke about the enemy and how they would seep their village away, that they couldn't let it stand they had to raise and defend their homes. He couldn't remember the exact details of the speech he had been getting caught up in the crowds emotion, Lord-Captain Egales had been such a marvelous speaker that it had been like a theatre performance moving the crowd to action even mentioned to the mayor after words that those who fought would be compensated for their efforts. That had severely increased the recruitment since his sister had been sent with the letter.

"Perhaps not, but the smiths will do what they can. See this portion of the men fitted with mail and Sagnian surcoats. Have the castle prisoners move what trebuchets we have to the crest above the Fire Plains. They are not to be executed once they are done. Not yet at least." Sera said and turned to walk back to the castle. "Night is about to fall. I will join the hounds and rally the barbarians."

The princess's horse was called and she rode into town upon the dark steed, the beige hound following behind. It didnt take long before she came to the marketplace, now cleared. She was honestly impressed with the work of the guard. She easily spotted the man responsible, talking to the town mayor.
"Captain One-Eye!" Sera called, halting her horse. "You've done great work. How did you manage so much in such a little time?"

Many people of the town turned and murmured in nervous hushed tones as a woman with red flowing hair bearing the royal seal rode in on her midnight steed. A Red Sister had arrived among them. The young boy turned and paled as the woman addressed High-Captain Egales in the same manner as he had signed his letter. The boy tensed and jittered uncomfortable as the Red Sister's gaze was far too close to him for his liking, a roll of parchment fell out of his arms as he did so hastily he began to scrounge about for it.

Egales heard his old moniker called out in the princess' voice. Giving a courtesy bow to her majesty and smiled. Walking down towards her from the stone steps of town hall he spoke, "It 'twas a rousing speech I gave the citizens, of the war and of what duty." Casually he excluded that the duty was to their fellow citizens and not to the crown, but that would be something he'd never mention to the Princess, "Also I was wonder if with your permission payment could be promised to the volunteers of the army? I believe this would increase the recruitment rate." Egales placed hands at his back looking up at Sera from his position on the ground.

"Payment. For volunteers." Sera said, raising an eyebrow at the blatant contradiction. She shrugged. "We do need more fighters anyway. Fine, make your promises. Only be sure that the coffers will not run dry from your activities. Dear Haedria will be sure to have your hide." the princess grinned in the most predatory way possible. It was a grin she always saw on her sister when they were in the dungeons. "In any case you've done wonderful work. More than I can say for that fat greasy bastard and his funnel cakes." she cast a lazy glance back to the barracks.

The princess cast an approving glance around at the peasants mobilizing in the square, but everyone she made eye contact with shied away, dropping their gaze to their muddied boots in haste and fear.

Egales did not shy away or even flinch at Sera's smile or gaze. Only nodding to her words, "Thank you your majesty. I shall ensure that the palace treasure does not dry out. Perhaps you can suggest a reasonable sum to the mayor of town, perhaps build a generous reputation amongst the peasantry?" Egales made a gesture to the steps where the mayor and the secretary boy stood waiting nervously for the return of Egales. Already aware of his vast superiority over any of Sagna's original ranks he smiled, "Oh and perhaps we should look to enslaving some of the enemy, force them to work the fields or mine." Egales turned to some of the nervous peasants and gave a reassuring smile to them, and several of them seemed to perk up.

The princess snorted. She never had much of an interest with money and the handling of it. "I will talk with Haedria upon my return to the castle to negotiate the volunteer's payments. Rest assured. As for prisoners of war, capturing as many as possible was always my intention." Sera's gaze wandered out to the forest, where the sun was slowly disappearing behind the the tops of rapidly darkening trees. "Prisoners have infinite uses. I will go One-Eye." she muttered. The princess's heart began to race, both in fear and in excitement. "Protect the castle, and my sister." her gaze was solemn when she nodded one last time to the captain before riding off towards the barbarians. The beige warhound followed happily behind the princess's stallion.

Egales nodded back to the Princess silently wishing mischief upon her and her sister. He turned back to the mayor, whom looked visibly relieved upon his visage. Walking up to the old man he smiled, "Well then sir I shall leave you with some short instructions, as it is becoming late I must return to the castle and oversee the guard, tomorrow morning I shall return before the sun raises and we can begin the training, tell your fellows that the Queen has promised payment for all who join in the defence of Sagna." The mayor nodded, "Aye you're a blessing High-Captain, Never in mah days 'ad I thought to be paid 'stead of pressed into service." Egales gave a hearty laugh and turned to the boy, "Friesse was it? Write this down lad."

The boy quickly scrambled to get out a quill and paper anticipating the words, he had this nagging feeling he had forgotten something.

"All citizens of the Citizen Army are to have a hearty meal before training tomorrow and -", "Umm sir?" The boy spoke up quietly, his face tinged in shades of embarrassment. Egales quietly turned, slightly annoyed at the interruption "Yes lad?" The boy's head tilted to the earth, observing the patched shoes he was wearing, and mumbled, "I don't know how to write." In his excitement to serve, he had forgotten.

Egales sighed a long amused sigh almost a laugh, "Well boy I will have to teach you." Taking the quill and the ink he began to write out his proclamation to the town taking time to show the boy what he as doing. as the paper had finished he turned to the mayor whilst taking some coins from his pocket. Handing a few to the boy, whose eyes light up, and handing a few to the mayor he said, "Sir could I bother you to teach this boy to read and write?" The Mayor nodded, "I uh suppose I could sir, Well uh Absolutely I could sir!" Egales was strangely enough a man who inspired confidence in him, it made him harken back to his youth it was wondrously strange.

Egales nodded his thanks and made way to Yuley and rode swiftly back to the castle. He had proclaimed exercise, rest, and a hearty meal with less focus on saving food for a later time, preferring to have healthy and strong peasants built up and let them worry about slightly shortened food stocks later.

Shortly, Elysia would be found bathing alone in the castle, having been quietly absent the majority of the day.

Sera rode confidently towards the ramshackle barbarian encampment. She raised an eyebrow at their quaint tents. Fur and cloth. How wonderful. She dismounted her horse and tied the steed's reins to a tree's low branch. The houndmaster, a short and stocky man, bowed to her in greeting. The hundred or so dogs took to lying around in the grass, waiting.
"Who goes there?" a sentry called, leveling a drawn bow at Sera. She smiled and approached the camp slowly, arms outstretched and movements open.
"I am Sera of Sagna. I seek audience with the great Hamilcar." she said.
The sentry was quiet for a while, then turned to an older warrior beside him. The older man saw her flaming red hair and urgently smacked the sentry upside the head. Sera was hastily let in to the barbarian camp.

"You're the princess, arent ye?" Hamilcar asked, taking a swig from a battered stein.
"How did you know that? Last we met, I did not introduce myself." Sera stood ways away from the brutish king.
"The hair. And ye look like the queen."
"You dont say. I am Sera, princess of the kingdom and protector of the queen."
"If yer protecting the queen, why arent ye at her side?"
"I vowed to handle this matter without her. So do I have your help or not?"
"What will we get out of it?"
"Spoils of war. Slaves. Whatever supplies they have."
"Yer a crazy bitch to attempt this without any of your men."
"I have hounds. I prefer their company. Now will you help or not?"
Hamilcar tossed his stein over his shoulder and picked up his heavy axe. "Aye. Now when do we start?"

After spending a fair amount of time within the bathhouse, Elysia excused herself into the hallway. It was time to reunite with the Queen. Quickly and quietly Elysia slipped through the halls and crept into the queen's room, eyeing carefully to see if the Queen still slept.

Haedria was awake. She paced the length of her chambers, muttering to herself in a low voice while reading from a large, dusty book. She had managed to dress herself in a thin nightshirt, and the black dagger was again tied to her thigh. Her crimson hair spilled past her shoulders in an unruly cascade with strands sticking out here and there. The queen's eyes were glazed over and unfocused, though they danced back and forth over the pages. She didnt notice Elysia come in.

Sera and the Sagnian hounds led fifty or so barbarians through the forest. Once they reached the clearing on the other side, Sera commanded them to stop. Hamilcar took up position beside Sera and tried to see where the princess was looking.
"Why arent we attacking?" he asked when the silence stretched for long.
"We wait till cover of night. When the day's fatigue creep into their bones, we will sever their heads." Sera's eyes were focused and intense. The thrill of the hunt thrummed through her veins. Beside her, Hamilcar moved away from her slightly.

Elysia smiled nervously as the crazy Queen muttered to herself in hushed tones in semblance to a mad woman. 'Perhaps it is now time to inflict madness upon the Queen.' Elysia's face went grim and delighted as her Heavenly body began to fizzle, thick black smoke rose from her pores, body dissolving. Naught was left but smoke and the ominous black core floating in the air behind the Queen. Silently the black cloud descended upon the Queen, engulfing her.

Haedria didnt see the darkness till it had descended upon her. It was everywhere; the darkness so absolute it was if nothing existed but an empty blackness. In mad panic, the queen whirled around to try and get her bearings, but there was nothing. Nothing but darkness. She felt only her mouth fall open in a scream she didnt hear.

Sera was getting bored. The beige hound sat at her feet as she waited, and she gently stroked its coarse fur. Hamilcar's sentries have managed to capture a few of Theoleas's scouts who entered the forest, and they were currently wearing their armor and their stolen arms.
"Hamilcar." she called, and the barbarian king made his way over gnarled roots and twigs with as little sound as possible for his bulk. "Aye?"
"That slave girl you brought as tribute to Haedria..."
"Aye. Ye liked that one didnt ye?"
"Yes. But more importantly...where did you find her?"
Hamilcar hesitated. The truth was that Elysia joined his band in exchange for the traveler's information. "We....We found her after raiding a villa."
Sera didnt respond. She idly stroked the hound at her feet as she watched the night get darker.

Darkmin chuckled as Haedria screamed and panicked with the cloud of darkness descending upon her. The darkness swirled and created images for the young Queen to view. If he had a face in which to smile with he would, as the body of the Queen appeared in front of Haedria. The Queen Looked up at herself and smiled.

Haedria gasped and staggered backwards as a vision appeared up out of the void. It was her. A perfect duplicate of her. The same blood-red hair, the same dark eyes, the same pale skin.
"What sorcery is this?" she whispered, astonished.

A dark howling cackle filled the air as the Mirror Haedria laughed aloud at the Queen's comment before fading into smoke. With no further noise or images to be shown, the dark smoke filtered out of the room leaving the Queen, once again, alone in an empty room.

The queen looked around her room. It was exactly the way she left it. Haedria slowly stooped to pick up her fallen tome. Its spine had cracked from the fall, and a few pages were crumpled, but otherwise it was fine. She looked at it curiously though her heart thudded in her chest. With shaking hands she put the book down on her desk and sat down on her bed, shaking still.

A good time later Eylsia entered the room wearing the red gown that had been provided to her. Knocking on the door as not to bother the Queen too terribly she called out, "Your Majesty it is your servant Elysia, may I enter?" She took little notice of the response and entered into the chamber to present herself, her familiar image being perhaps something to drive the Queen closer to her. Darkmin felt a tad better bringing horror to the Queen.

Haedria's breathing was hard, her heart hammered away in her chest. She looked up, startled by the slave girl's voice, but she calmed when she saw the beauty of a goddess. The queen stood shakily, still affected by the vision, and reached out a hand to cup Elysia's cheek. The gentle skin was warm under her cool hand. Without words, the queen pulled the slave girl into a tight embrace and buried her face into soft red hair.

Sera got into a crouch; shoulders tensed and focused. She drew both swords as she dashed, low to the ground, towards the encampment. It was far larger than the barbarian's, and well fortified. Hamilcar's scouts, dressed in stolen armor, had been dispatched earlier to take care of the sentries that looked towards the forest, leaving the entire western wall unprotected. Upon reaching the shadow of the camp's wall, the princess heaved open an unguarded gate and gave the signal in the pale moonlight: her two swords, crossed high above her head. A hundred hounds tore from the shadows of the trees and ran, a howling and snarling wave of fur and teeth.

Elysia acted startled when the Queen pulled her into a fear fuelled embrace, "Your Majesty what is bothering you?" She wrapped her arms around the Queen and pulled her into her bosom and embraced her stroking her hair, "Whatever is the matter? No matter what it is I will always be here for you." She smiled kindly and kissed the Queen's forehead, "Have you been in your room all day? Perhaps a moonlight walk will ease your mind?"