Rashnu Vallar
03-23-14, 01:26 PM
The snow stopped falling as Rashnu topped the crest that marked the final half mile to Tirel from Knife's Edge, and as the Witch Hunter gazed down upon the white-topped buildings, his face twisted in disdain. It had been over five years since he had last visited the port town, in what was one of the turning points in the war against the King; the white-clad Hunter had razed the town with his team. They had been on a rightful mission of cleansing the town of its nearly two dozen identified heretics - Witches, naysayers, supporters of the King - when soldiers of the army decided the work of the Church wasn't holy enough. Rashnu passed judgement on countless souls that day, but he believed the town was once more infested with those who deserved his judgement.
When the snow stopped, so did Rashnu, and his brown mare shifted a little at feeling its rider's change in mood. It was shocking the horse was so calm, for the Witch Hunter had been in the foulest of moods since morning, when he left Knife's Edge. He had been given a thorough dressing down by the Chief Commander of the Witch Hunters. It was a foolish notion, really; all Rashnu wanted was to follow the wishes of the Sway and eradicate non-believers and those who broke sacred laws. The Chief Commander, however, had grown as soft as the Church since the war and did not want the Superintendent General to "so fervently pursue sacred practices that might cast this Church in a negative light."
Rashnu was then ordered to take some time away for contemplation and prayer. Away from Salvar. Away from the Church. He growled and kicked the horse's flanks to start down the hill. He watched every passing person with closest attention, looking for signs of heresy. He had been trained since childhood to hunt those who were unworthy in the eyes of the Sway, and he spotted at least two in the stream of fifteen or so people he trotted by as he made his way to the town's gates. Of the few who risked looking at Rashnu, they did so with fear and hesitation: Most Tirel natives still remembered the white-clad hunter who had brought their home nearly to the ground. He glared at them all with a light in his azure eyes that told he would do it again if given the chance.
As he crossed the threshold into the town, he flashed the leather patch to the guards. The insignia of the All-Seeing-Eye was plain to see and they bowed their heads with just sufficient deference to be respectful, but Rashnu ignored them and raised the leather cowl over his head, hiding his face completely but for faint spots of azure light that moved constantly left and right. Still, the Superintendent General surveyed the streets hoping to find a heathen practising their evil. He had been ordered against actively seeking those who required judgement but if anyone had the tenacity to need judgement in plain daylight, he would not hesitate to punish them.
It was unfortunate that he found none as he made his way through the town's cobbled streets. The closer he got to the harbour, the more the pleasant aroma of the sea was overpowered by the foulness of the tanneries. It soured his mood even more, and he wished for nothing more than to strike a heretic down.
He slowed his breathing, taking deep, sickening breaths through his nose and long, slow exhales from his mouth. Anger was a step away from the Holy Teachings of the Sway, and Rashnu spoke a silent prayer to his deities in forgiveness. He started to calm instantly and began to stroke the mount's mane, "Time to see where we're going, Blade."
He turned the horse from the main streets and headed for the harbour through back alleys and side streets. Scaffolding still surrounded many buildings, and there was an arrhythmic beating of hammers on stone throughout the lower part of the town that provided a slow, sad soundtrack to ordinary citizens trying to rebuild their lives. It saddened the Witch Hunter that good, law-abiding, Sway-fearing people had to suffer for the iniquities of the few, but it served only to further stoke the fires of his desire to remove all sinners from the world. Rashnu lowered his head as he passed each worker, each child watching their mother re-apply plaster, each aged grandmother carrying teas for her sons and grandsons. It took another silent prayer for inner peace to stop the rider from erupting in rage.
"Let those who toil remember it is in the light of the Sway that honest labour yields blessings innumerable." The Witch Hunter took solace in the verse that had suddenly entered his mind. The words of wisdom held within the Holy Teaching always comforted the man, but his favourite was perhaps, "And when those who commit gravest of sins find their way to Our presence, light will forever be banished to them and the gnashing of teeth at their souls will be their only companion."
Rashnu imagined all those he had passed judgement on; condemned to a hell of darkness and torture that they surely deserved. He listed the names in his head of each and every soul he had sent to the Sway. As he pictured the face of each name, his mood lifted a little more until he was rather jolly upon reaching the harbour.
The docks were a swarm of all manner of people, young and old, rich and poor, natives and foreigners, and Rashnu was given no choice but to dismount and leave Blade with his reins tied to a post outside a dirty-looking tavern. He pushed his way through the crowd easily; most stepped back for the Witch Hunter, and those who didn't were smoothly pushed out of the way by the white-hooded man whose trenchcoat swayed in the brisk sea wind. Finally, boots hit wood and Rashnu looked at the ships up and down the harbour. He chose the third he came across, a large storage vessel with blue sails rolled up and a busy crew. The Witch Hunter thought the activity meant the ship would be leaving soon, despite sails not yet being unfurled.
The captain was stood at the end of a narrow ramp connecting the deck and dock and shouted commands to the crew above. Rashnu approached him and threw the cowl back, revealing a handsome face framed with hair of purest white. The captain was visibly taken aback when he noticed the glow in the Witch Hunter's eyes. "What can I do for ye, kind... Um, sir?"
The man's accent was foreign. Rashnu heard a hint of Alerar but was sure the bearded captain looked more Fallieni with his tanned skin and dark eyes - strange to find one of the desert-folk a captain of a ship. Rashnu showed the leather patch once more: even foreigners knew the All-Seeing-Eye, the Sway's influence would always be felt beyond just Salvar. "I require passage on your ship, by order of the Church of Ethereal Sway and our blessed guides - may they one day return - it matters not where you are headed."
"Ye may find the Eternal Spray little to ye liking, sir. We no be a passenger vessel, ye see?" The captain seemed nervous as it dawned on him that Rashnu was a Witch Hunter. "Only holds do be for cargo and crew, and I no want to displace them for fear of mutiny."
"Cargo holds will be sufficient. What will charge for passage, good Captain?"
"I do no charge the Church, ye can travel for no more than ye blessing on my ship."
Rashnu nodded, and started up the ramp onto the ship. "May the Sway watch over this vessel through calm and storm, bring it safely home in your light and guidance."
He stopped halfway up the ramp and turned back to the captain, "My horse is left outside The Dockside Wench. I trust one of your men will bring it aboard? A brown mare with a saddle baring the All-Seeing-Eye."
Rashnu then made his way on deck, neither hearing nor caring for the captain's response.
When the snow stopped, so did Rashnu, and his brown mare shifted a little at feeling its rider's change in mood. It was shocking the horse was so calm, for the Witch Hunter had been in the foulest of moods since morning, when he left Knife's Edge. He had been given a thorough dressing down by the Chief Commander of the Witch Hunters. It was a foolish notion, really; all Rashnu wanted was to follow the wishes of the Sway and eradicate non-believers and those who broke sacred laws. The Chief Commander, however, had grown as soft as the Church since the war and did not want the Superintendent General to "so fervently pursue sacred practices that might cast this Church in a negative light."
Rashnu was then ordered to take some time away for contemplation and prayer. Away from Salvar. Away from the Church. He growled and kicked the horse's flanks to start down the hill. He watched every passing person with closest attention, looking for signs of heresy. He had been trained since childhood to hunt those who were unworthy in the eyes of the Sway, and he spotted at least two in the stream of fifteen or so people he trotted by as he made his way to the town's gates. Of the few who risked looking at Rashnu, they did so with fear and hesitation: Most Tirel natives still remembered the white-clad hunter who had brought their home nearly to the ground. He glared at them all with a light in his azure eyes that told he would do it again if given the chance.
As he crossed the threshold into the town, he flashed the leather patch to the guards. The insignia of the All-Seeing-Eye was plain to see and they bowed their heads with just sufficient deference to be respectful, but Rashnu ignored them and raised the leather cowl over his head, hiding his face completely but for faint spots of azure light that moved constantly left and right. Still, the Superintendent General surveyed the streets hoping to find a heathen practising their evil. He had been ordered against actively seeking those who required judgement but if anyone had the tenacity to need judgement in plain daylight, he would not hesitate to punish them.
It was unfortunate that he found none as he made his way through the town's cobbled streets. The closer he got to the harbour, the more the pleasant aroma of the sea was overpowered by the foulness of the tanneries. It soured his mood even more, and he wished for nothing more than to strike a heretic down.
He slowed his breathing, taking deep, sickening breaths through his nose and long, slow exhales from his mouth. Anger was a step away from the Holy Teachings of the Sway, and Rashnu spoke a silent prayer to his deities in forgiveness. He started to calm instantly and began to stroke the mount's mane, "Time to see where we're going, Blade."
He turned the horse from the main streets and headed for the harbour through back alleys and side streets. Scaffolding still surrounded many buildings, and there was an arrhythmic beating of hammers on stone throughout the lower part of the town that provided a slow, sad soundtrack to ordinary citizens trying to rebuild their lives. It saddened the Witch Hunter that good, law-abiding, Sway-fearing people had to suffer for the iniquities of the few, but it served only to further stoke the fires of his desire to remove all sinners from the world. Rashnu lowered his head as he passed each worker, each child watching their mother re-apply plaster, each aged grandmother carrying teas for her sons and grandsons. It took another silent prayer for inner peace to stop the rider from erupting in rage.
"Let those who toil remember it is in the light of the Sway that honest labour yields blessings innumerable." The Witch Hunter took solace in the verse that had suddenly entered his mind. The words of wisdom held within the Holy Teaching always comforted the man, but his favourite was perhaps, "And when those who commit gravest of sins find their way to Our presence, light will forever be banished to them and the gnashing of teeth at their souls will be their only companion."
Rashnu imagined all those he had passed judgement on; condemned to a hell of darkness and torture that they surely deserved. He listed the names in his head of each and every soul he had sent to the Sway. As he pictured the face of each name, his mood lifted a little more until he was rather jolly upon reaching the harbour.
The docks were a swarm of all manner of people, young and old, rich and poor, natives and foreigners, and Rashnu was given no choice but to dismount and leave Blade with his reins tied to a post outside a dirty-looking tavern. He pushed his way through the crowd easily; most stepped back for the Witch Hunter, and those who didn't were smoothly pushed out of the way by the white-hooded man whose trenchcoat swayed in the brisk sea wind. Finally, boots hit wood and Rashnu looked at the ships up and down the harbour. He chose the third he came across, a large storage vessel with blue sails rolled up and a busy crew. The Witch Hunter thought the activity meant the ship would be leaving soon, despite sails not yet being unfurled.
The captain was stood at the end of a narrow ramp connecting the deck and dock and shouted commands to the crew above. Rashnu approached him and threw the cowl back, revealing a handsome face framed with hair of purest white. The captain was visibly taken aback when he noticed the glow in the Witch Hunter's eyes. "What can I do for ye, kind... Um, sir?"
The man's accent was foreign. Rashnu heard a hint of Alerar but was sure the bearded captain looked more Fallieni with his tanned skin and dark eyes - strange to find one of the desert-folk a captain of a ship. Rashnu showed the leather patch once more: even foreigners knew the All-Seeing-Eye, the Sway's influence would always be felt beyond just Salvar. "I require passage on your ship, by order of the Church of Ethereal Sway and our blessed guides - may they one day return - it matters not where you are headed."
"Ye may find the Eternal Spray little to ye liking, sir. We no be a passenger vessel, ye see?" The captain seemed nervous as it dawned on him that Rashnu was a Witch Hunter. "Only holds do be for cargo and crew, and I no want to displace them for fear of mutiny."
"Cargo holds will be sufficient. What will charge for passage, good Captain?"
"I do no charge the Church, ye can travel for no more than ye blessing on my ship."
Rashnu nodded, and started up the ramp onto the ship. "May the Sway watch over this vessel through calm and storm, bring it safely home in your light and guidance."
He stopped halfway up the ramp and turned back to the captain, "My horse is left outside The Dockside Wench. I trust one of your men will bring it aboard? A brown mare with a saddle baring the All-Seeing-Eye."
Rashnu then made his way on deck, neither hearing nor caring for the captain's response.