The Usual Routine

[A Nony Mouse]

The water sluiced from the swimmer’s body, sparkling in the rising sun like tiny diamonds. As the droplets hit the stone floor of the courtyard, their radiance winked out of existence. Strange, the man thought to himself, I didn’t think I’d been gone that long. He pulled a coarse towel from its place on a nearby branch and walked over to where he had left his clothes. Stripping off his wet things, he dressed himself quickly and then neatly folded the towel. He was late for his morning routine.

Travis Kiltias strode quickly through the courtyard of Castle Agnace, taking care to tread lightly so as not to wake the guards. Their barracks surrounded the courtyard on three sides, the other opened into a large gallery before turning out into the Coronian countryside. Breathing in deeply, the red-haired traveler took his Akashima redwood staff in hand and set a course for the rising sun. He’d have to run.

The lone traveler on the dusty road from Castle Agnace to Jadet wore little besides his clothes and an equipment belt. Unencumbered, he was free to go where he pleased. Weeks earlier, the young adventurer had been turned out of the Dajas Pagoda of Scara Brae. He’d entered the place looking for a challenge, but it had soon turned into more of a chore. The robust warrior had loathed beating newcomers senseless time and time again, but the Hierarchs further up had proven too hardy to dethrone. Thus, the redhead found himself free of obligation and wandering the streets of that fair city.

Each loping stride he took along the road to Jadet fell in a strict cadence, no matter the terrain underfoot. Uphill, downhill, across flat expanses; Travis made sure to keep a measured pace so that he could track how much longer he had. The run calmed him as much as the swim had; physical activity such as this always served to clear his mind. And he’d had a lot to think about lately.

Krystyn was at the forefront of his thoughts, as always, but he knew that dwelling on her for too long would drive him mad. And so he occupied his time with training, the same routine every day so that he would have no idle time to think of her. Pushing the image of her face deeper into his consciousness, the ex-Hierarch counted his steps.

One, two. One, two. One, two, they fell rhythmically and carried him further from the source of his greatest troubles.

Solo, I believe

[A Nony Mouse]

The sweat on his palms made the redwood shaft slick, but he tightened his grip determinedly and continued his pace. If he stopped he would never find the same cadence, the very rhythm that pumped the blood through his veins and made him alive. To stop was to give up and Travis was not one to quit. Ironic though for that was exactly what he was doing in another situation. Gritting his teeth against the unwelcome thought, the warrior continued forward.

The seaport of Jadet loomed on the hazy horizon and Travis briefly thought about quickening his pace. Spurred by the sight of an attainable goal, many runners would increase their speed until they crossed the line. However, speed was not the lone traveler’s only goal. Discipline, more than anything, drove the young man’s life. And so, even as the smells of the wharf washed over him, testament to how close his goal was, the red-haired adventurer kept to the same pace he had begun with.

“Morning, Travis,” a fisherman called out to the dogged runner as he passed by. Without turning or speaking, the redhead raised an arm in silent salute to the working man. His life was one that Travis admired; his dedication was a goal he had set for himself. No one told him what to do or how to do it; the fisherman answered only to himself and the Thaynes. That was how it should be.

The road curved sharply to the left, but the panting runner leapt nimbly over the low stone wall and continued on into the grass beyond. The path was a familiar one, although it seemed as though he followed no set course. Winding between bales of hay, Travis made his way across the field and closer to the city walls. Breath tore at his lungs now, but he was fiercely determined to stick it out the whole way. He expected greatness from himself, nothing less would suffice.

With one final Herculean effort, the red-haired runner hurtled the fence and caught the road once again just before it turned into the city gates. “Hail,” a guardsman shouted from his post on the wall. “What business have you here?”

“Just finishing… a morning run… is all,” Travis answered in between gasping for breath. The guard waved him through and he continued at a walk, his goal complete. By the sun’s position in the sky, he knew Malaak wouldn’t be far away. Hoping that he hadn’t kept the man waiting, Travis strode through the empty streets of Jadet toward the business district.

[A Nony Mouse]

“Malaak,” he greeted the merchant in a familiar handshake, both men leaning in to the brotherly embrace jovially. “What do you have for me this morning?” His white robe hung in sweeping folds from his tanned arms and shoulders, brushing the ground ever so slightly as he stepped back.

“Some beddy goot tings,” the ancient merchant replied with a twinkle in his eyes. One wrinkled hand disappeared into the robe and produced a small burlap sack. Travis green eyes followed the sack as Malaak turned it over into his hand. From within its confines came two small colored orbs, a coin, and a lump of clay.

“What are they?” the redhead inquired, leaning closer to see any details about the strange objects.

“Dees are two fire ma’bles from the volcanoes of Fallien. De glass, eet has been melted so many times dat eet ees almost indestructible! Rub a finga over eet like dis,” here the grizzled merchant grazed the red orb with his thumb, “and eet lights instantly! Good for traveling at night.” Travis nodded in appreciation, but waved his hand to show he was not interested. Malaak always saved his best items for last.

“Ah yes, you are holding out as usual,” Malaak observed with a wink. “Well, dis coin is a trackin’ device; it brings whateva is touching it to you with only a single tought. Goot, yes?” Travis hesitated, the simple device seemed like it would have a variety of uses. Malaak’s only rule was this: pass up an item once and he would never again allow you to buy it. If Travis wanted to hear what the lump of clay did, he would have to ignore this exceptional offer. With a sly glint in his eye, Malaak peered at his customer as if trying to divine his inner thoughts. “Well?”

With a sigh, Travis made his decision, “Malaak, tell me about the last item.”

[A Nony Mouse]

The red-haired adventurer slipped out of the business district just as the city’s patrons were beginning to make their daily trips through the streets. With the city of Jadet becoming busier, Travis knew it was his cue to leave. The lump of clay was secured in a pouch at his belt, and his purse was one thousand gold lighter for it. But the cost was worth it; Travis had been sure of that as soon as Malaak had told him of its properties.

One small lump of this clay held enough explosive power to blast through a three foot wall of stone. The ancient merchant’s sundry items could always be used in conjunction with one another and Travis was beginning to see the pattern for this week’s selection. Carry one of the items, use the coin to teleport the other to you, then blast your way through any obstacle imaginable. A smile formed on the traveler’s lips as he left the port town; Malaak was a cunning man.

The apparent silence of the land outside of Jadet was comforting to the traveler and he began to let his guard down as he put distance between himself and the city walls. He was a man of the woods, no questions asked; city life put him on edge. But meeting with Malaak once a week had proven indispensable as part of his daily routine. Besides, the consistency of their rendezvous helped to put his mind to work. And that was something he desperately needed.

As he made his way across the countryside and to the edge of the Concordia Forest, Travis Kiltias thought on his time in Scara Brae. After leaving the Pagoda, he had run across an old childhood friend who was working in the marketplace there. They had traded stories over dinner and quickly picked up the romantic interest they once held in each other. Krystyn stirred his heart as easily now as she had three years ago.

When he had heard through the gossip mill that she was no longer working in the city of Scara Brae, the redhead had immediately inquired as to her whereabouts. Corone, he had discovered, was her new place of employment. And so the intrepid adventurer had taken the first ferry to the island nation and searched far and wide for her. He had no idea why she had left so suddenly, nor why she hadn’t told him, but his curiosity would never be satiated if he sat idly by.

Thus, he had followed her to Castle Agnace where she currently worked as a cook in the lord’s kitchens.

The sounds and smells of the forest began to grow stronger as the traveler crested a hill and he turned his attention back to the path he was following. Every animal had a distinct smell and Travis could find most of them without a problem. Large animals carved visible paths in the underbrush while more nimble creatures wore paths along the forest floor. Smaller, more agile animals chattered away in the branches above, telling their stories to any who would listen. The young adventurer had spent many afternoons sitting beneath the leafy boughs of an aspen, listening to chipmunks and squirrels arguing over trifling matters. He instinctively understood nature in the woods, a talent he had spent years perfecting.

Yes, Travis Kiltias was home here.

[A Nony Mouse]

A slight breeze rustled the leaves of the tallest trees in this section of the Concordia. Travis sat cross-legged underneath a hemlock, deep in commune with the forces of nature present around him. He felt the wind above him as both he and the massive oaks bent to its will. The creatures leaping from branch to branch were his veins, his arteries. He lived as they lived and felt all the things that influenced their lives. But at the same time, he was still just a man sitting below a tree, his eyes closed and his breathing slowed. It was a sublime experience that gave the red-haired wanderer a fulfilling peace.

The taste of acrid smoke accosted his enhanced senses, driving him from his solitary commune with nature and back into the world around him. Ash drifted on the lazy breeze, small pieces of bark incinerated and set adrift on the air currents. His nostrils burnt with the smell of it and his angry green eyes darted about, trying to find the source. Woodland creatures fled across toward the edge of the forest, telling the tracker that the blaze started farther in. Leaping nimbly and silently from his resting place, the redhead swung his spear from his back and set off at a dead run between the trees.

From time to time, the adventurer stopped to adjust his course, but he kept to a steady north-northwest heading until he came into a clearing. A freshly created clearing.

The trees had been burnt down to charred stumps, their branches used to fuel the flames that had ended them. The cruel irony of the situation clutched at Travis’ chest and he struggled to draw breath. His exhales came in sharp bursts, rage beginning to kindle a fire within him. What manner of creature would do this to an entire section of forest? He wanted answers; he wanted them to pay.

From the other side of the clearing, a centaur stepped forward. Travis immediately dropped to a knee, bowing his head in a sign of respect. “That is not necessary,” the beast said, his sad eyes gazing at the destruction all around him. “I know your heart and I find what I am looking for there. Let your righteous anger burn brighter than did this blaze. Feed it with the angst that is already in your heart. You will know what to do when the time is right.”

Even as Travis stood, the centaur melted back into the protection of the woods, gone from the traveler’s vision once again. Righteous anger, the redhead contemplated the thought, turning the words over in his head. When he thought again of who could have done such a terrible thing, the answer was obvious.

The Agnimages of Castle Agnace.

[A Nony Mouse]

Getting past the guards during the daylight hours of their watch would be much harder than sneaking in for a swim in their fountain. Travis crouched low, protected by the ample cover that several ornamental bushes offered just outside the castle gate. Two guards were always on patrol here, coupled with three more pacing the top of the wall. He would be far too visible climbing the wall and so the adventurer had opted for the gate approach.

Only this was looking just as difficult.

Snatches of conversation drifted to the hidden traveler, idle mutterings of guards who were far too bored at their posts. We’ll have to liven things up for them, the redhead thought. Dropping as low to the ground as he was able, Travis scooted back until he was at the edge of the outer gardens. When he felt he was safely out of earshot, he pulled a rywanwood ocarina from its place at his belt. “I could use your help,” he whispered to the instrument. Putting it to his lips, he quietly blew the notes to his familiar’s summoning song. Wherever Ardinne was, she would hear and come to him. Such was the magic of the summon.

After only a few moments, a red river otter poked her head around the base of a small statue not too far off. Travis chuckled under his breath and motioned for her to join him where he hid. Waddling as fast as she was able, the otter regrouped with her master and rubbed her flat head against his leather boots. “How are you Ardinne?” he whispered to the otter, stroking her side with his hand. “I’m afraid I need a diversion.”

The otter barked lowly, chastising him for his behavior, but agreeing to help nonetheless. Travis slowly crawled back to his previous position behind the bush closest to the gate, Ardinne in position on the opposite side. Master and familiar had a special link; Ardinne needed no spoken commands to follow Travis’ will. If the adventurer thought something, the river otter instinctively knew it. And so, their plan began to unfold silently as they communicated without words.

Ardinne launched herself from the shrubbery in which she hid, landing on the stone path yards from the castle gate. “Rodents again,” said the first guard to notice her, gesturing to his companion. “I’ll take care of it this time.” Weighed down by his armor, the bulky guard moved clumsily toward the red critter, his arms outstretched as he approached. “Come here,” he cooed in what he thought was a welcoming tone. “I won’t hurt you.” As he bent down to scoop up the otter, she darted from his grasp and shuffled farther away from the castle. “Hey,” exclaimed the guard, “Get back here.”

And so the chase ensued, the first guard clambering around after an elusive ‘rodent’ while his partner tried unsuccessfully to contain his laughter. Neither man noticed the tall, red-haired stranger slip through the open gate while they were occupied. Now all Travis had to do was find the Agnimages…

[A Nony Mouse]

Though he had promised himself to let the matter go, Travis couldn’t resist stopping by the kitchens in his search of the castle. If Krystyn really was here, then he wanted some answers. He felt his blood beginning to boil all over again when his mind turned toward her. You were over that, he reminded himself. It didn’t matter that she was gone. But deep down inside, he knew all along that he had been lying to himself. He’d fallen in love with her all over again and this time it had been she who had fled. Who was to say it wouldn’t finally work out the third time?

After several attempts to find the kitchens, he finally just let his nose lead the way. They were likely baking bread, for the pleasant aroma wafting through the lower floors of the castle reminded the red-haired wanderer of when his mother used to bake. The high arches and wide hallways in even the servant quarters told Travis that Lord Agnace had gold to spare; most likely that was one of the reasons Krystyn had been go eager to join the household.

His mission to bring justice to the Agnimages forgotten for the moment, Travis Kiltias stalked the hallways of Castle Agnace like a wraith. Servants approached his position many times, for the halls were well-traveled, but each time he managed to blend into the shadows and be ignored. No one knew he was in the castle, so none had cause for alarm. It was perfect.

When he finally arrived at the oven room, the adventurer stepped boldly through the entryway and swung the door shut behind him. Judging by the awkward way that it moved on its hinges, few closed the massive wooden door. The boom of wood hitting stone got the attention of all in the small room; six pairs of eyes turned to bore into the new arrival. “Excuse me,” he coughed to clear his throat before continuing. “I’m looking for a woman by the name of Krystyn… have you seen her recently?”

“Anoo arr yoo?” a wiry cook shouted as he waved a knife in the air. “Can’t jest barge in ‘ere and demanda talk to a lass ‘ike ‘at. Tisn’t respeckful!” The other two chimed their agreement and Travis raised an eyebrow.

“Have you seen her?” he asked again, spear at the ready.

“Oh relax,” another cook assured him. “Pietre’s just havin’ some fun wit ye. Dunno why ye came ‘ere to ask though… Krystyn’s one of the lord’s whores. Fancy a go at that fine young thing, eh?” Travis’ vision turned red as the man’s words registered.

“Then where can I find the lord?” he growled with lethal intent.

[A Nony Mouse]

He dearly wanted to kill the lord of the castle, make him pay dearly for every woman he had ever touched in his life, have him feel the suffering that they had felt. However, something inside of him knew that he couldn’t. At least not yet. First he needed to know where Krystyn was being kept. Then the lord would pay. Then the Agnimages would pay. He was the bringer of a righteous wrath; death would be a privilege for these wicked men.

The throne room was easy to find and Travis listened at the door, judging how many were inside. Conversation was sparse, but he estimated four guards and the lord inside. Gathering his hatred for the man around him like a protective shield, Travis thrust open the doors and strode inside. The first two guards snapped to attention, long pikes held at the ready beside them. The next two tensed, but did not bother to draw the greatswords sheathed on their backs. Apparently they rarely had to dirty their hands.

“Tell me where she is!” he screamed, spittle spraying from his lips like an explosion. His eyes bored holes into the only man he cared about; Lord Agnace. The conniving bastard’s lips pulled back in an oily smile, dripping with fake sincerity.

“Who are you looking for? Calm down and perhaps I can send a servant to fetch whoever it is you seek,” his voice was thick with seduction, the kind that easily turned enemies into disposable friends. However, the malice Travis held toward this man protected him.

“Tell me what you’ve done with Krystyn,” he growled, his spear sliding forward menacingly. The lord motioned to the guards who stepped forward in response.

“Can’t we work this out?” he asked with just a touch of sarcasm. His dependency on his guards was apparently well-placed, the man felt secure behind their steel pikes. With an unearthly roar, Travis lunged forward, his spear lancing through plate metal and plunging deep into a guard’s abdomen. With muscles tense, he tried to pull the weapon back out but to no avail. His fingers yanked the man’s pike from his as he fell forward, whirling it deftly to fit his grip. In one smooth motion, he advanced toward the second pikeman aggressively, putting the other man on the defensive.

Travis was not skilled in using a pike, but his anger fueled his strength. Twisting every which way, the red-haired warrior slid close to his opponent and dropped the weapon. His bare hands latched onto either side of the man’s head with his arms crossed and he grunted as he snapped the man’s neck. The second body fell to the ground, lifeless.

“Care to talk now?” the blood-stained traveler asked.

[A Nony Mouse]

Lord Agnace stood swiftly, motioning for his other two guards to stand down. “Why have you come for her?” he asked.

Knowing that the answer was likely a trap, Travis chose his words carefully. “I have come to set her free to choose her own life once again,” he responded after a few moments of thought.

“You’re in love with her, then,” the lord surmised. A wicked smile cracked the corner of his lips and soon enveloped his face. “How unfortunate for you.” He stepped down off the dais and began walking toward the lone warrior before him. “For she is to be my bride.”

Travis’ angry scream tore through the room like a tempest, buffeting all within its range with its ferocity. “Liar!” he spat at the lord, his face twisted in rage beyond recognition. “Let me talk to her!” The lord merely laughed, drawing ever closer to where his guards restrained Travis.

“Never,” he whispered.

Travis lunged past the two large guards, moving even as they drew their greatswords. His hands clutched the lord’s throat, throttling him where he stood and forcing him back a step. They hit the ground together and rolled, tumbling back toward the throne and away from the anxious guards. When they came to a stop, Travis had his carving knife at Lord Agnace’s throat and was facing him toward the guards. “Bring her to me,” he commanded.

One of the men nodded and rushed off, leaving the other to protect the lord as best as he was able. Tense moments passed before the guard returned, Krystyn bound and thrust before him. His charge momentarily forgotten, Travis rushed forward to catch her and move her away from the brutish guards. As soon as he removed her gag, she spoke.

“You came for me?” Tears welled in the corners of her eyes and Travis pulled her to him. They embraced tightly, all worries fading in the face of such joy. “Travis!” came her shrill yell as she opened her eyes. He pushed her away from him and began to turn, but the point of a greatsword blossomed from his stomach instead.

“Never turn your back on a noble,” Lord Agnace muttered in his ear, pushing the blade further in as he did. “You got what you came for, now I’ll send you to the Gates of Hell!” Travis’ eyes widened as he stumbled forward, pain raking his body in waves. And in his vision, Krystyn’s baleful eyes the only thing he could see.

[A Nony Mouse]

They were children, playing together in the yard looked on. Then in a blink they were older, wrapped in each other’s arms in a moment of tender passion. Another blink and they were older again, sharing an evening on the beach as their cares drifted away with the tide. In Krystyn’s eyes, Travis saw their history together and it tore at him. The pain was worse than the sword protruding from his stomach and he wept from the agony of it. Krystyn’s screams resonated across the throne room, lighting upon the walls and reverberating back tenfold. His heart beat strongly still, not yet succumbing to the weeping wound in his midsection.

“When you die, she’ll be mine again,” the lord explained to Travis. Red flashed across his fading vision once again and he lurched forward. The blade slid free of his body and he twisted as fast as he was able. Before Lord Agnace could pull back the sword for another thrust, Travis was upon him. In a flurry of blows, the red-haired warrior brought swift judgment down on the corrupt noble. He atoned for his crimes in a crimson spray as hit after hit rained down upon his broken body.

When it was done, Travis collapsed atop the lifeless form of the man who had once ruled the castle. “Remember me,” he mumbled as Krystyn fell to her knees beside him. “Always…” Then there was only black.

~~

Deep in the Concordia Forest, Travis woke to see the sun peeking through the canopy of leaves overhead. He’d slept through sunrise and most of the morning, but he hardly cared. Rolling over, he gazed at the still-sleeping form of the love of his life. Krystyn hadn’t been severely injured from her time at Castle Agnace and the couple had grown closer since. With his mind cleared once again, Travis Kiltias was free to live a life free of the regimented schedule he had once known.

His world was once again at peace.

Note: Some time later, they revisited the castle to confront the Agnimages. As it turned out, the fire in the forest that day had been a freak occurrence; started by a lightning storm and contained by the centaurs. Jumping to conclusions had not only saved Krystyn from a terrible fate, but it had also dethroned a horrible despot. Try as he might to find the centaur and thank him, Travis never did.