Lord and Ladies

[Avayu]

Lyrus had to think about it for a few moments. If he just told the knight, Zyphe as he called himself, his name, the chances were good that the other man would have heard of him before, or at least would be able to put one and one together. Did he need to know that Lyrus was a champion? By now he himself was quite sure that Zyphe Ironside was one. Lyrus couldn't remember if he had heard the name before and what Lord is was connected to, but judging from the knights behaviour, Lady Andana would probably have called him boring.

In the end, Lyrus couldn't resist. He liked the attention of the crowd and sometimes he even needed it.

"What do I call myself? Sometimes I call myself a great gift to all women, sometimes just idiot. Some people like to call me the King of the Minstrels, and I have to say, I quite like that name. Myself, I usually just go by Lyrus Meistersinger."

He spoke in a melodious voice, as if he was singing his names. When he had finished, he pulled of his hat and acted a deep bow, which wasn't as easy as it sounded while walking behind the village boys.

"Please to meet you, Sir Zyphe Ironside,"

 

[RootbeerJello]

<spoiler=OOC> What time period would you call this? I want to know about the technological limits so I can give my lord some depth later.

 

[KronosTalon]

Zyphe turned to meet the gaze of the man once more, giving a quick salute in return for the bow he just pulled off. As he finished, he replaced his helmet, his armor clanking together as he turned back around to follow the boys to the tavern. "So Lyrus, Something tells me you are here for the same reason I am, If I am not too bold in asking. Have you seen anyone else yet? I would like to meet the others and get this under way as soon as possible." He said very plainly while following the boys.

As Zyphe was walking he tugged on the strap around his shoulder, all that was holding his shield up at the moment, and swung it around so he could grab it with a mighty gauntlet. The shield was almost as tall as he, but looked very manageable and light. He held it at his side, both sides jutting out quite far in front and behind him. He suddenly felt a whole lot better as he walked on, knowing his defenses were up once again.

 

[Avayu]

"What reason would that be? I am just a travelling gleeman, don't you see?", Lyrus replied and pointed at his lute, "What could I know that would help an honourable warrior like you?"

Lyrus knew fully well that Zyphe knew just as well what he was as he knew what Zyphe was. Still, he liked to tease the knight and, as far as he could tell, it was better to show caution and not ro show off with his status. Who knew how Zyphe's lord or lady stood to Lady Andana? Lyrus certainly didn't and he resented it by now. However, he also couldn't imagine them to be best friends, just by judging the personality of Zyphe Ironside. But there were other issues he could talk about, as both the knight and him didn't see to know very much.

"I didn't meet anybody special, if you don't count these boys and some gorgeous girls out on the fields, you should have seen! But you don't seem to be very interested in that."

 

[ThreeWords]

Spoiler: @ Rootbeer

<spoiler=OOC> What time period would you call this? I want to know about the technological limits so I can give my lord some depth later.

I'm not entirely sure; as a rough guide, guns don't exist, an neither do mechanical devices (save for magically powered constructs). If you have a particular in miind, perhaps you might PM me?

Beneath the hood, teeth flashed white for a moment as the robed woman smiled. "Dangerous enought o kill an impostor, and painful enough to prove sincerity. And you have passed the test admirably"

"But the rose is not for me, Grana, for I have my own already. 'Tis yours, if you accept it, and in doing so come to serve Milday the Queen of Fairie.

 

[Fragrance of Mtn Dew]

As expected, the people of Kant went well out of their way to avoid iston. So Iston decided to go to a place where no one would be able to avoid him. The local tavern seemed like a good place for this and he had a craving for some good ale after his journey. As he pushed open the door of the tavern and entered the villagers inside turned to look at who had entered and immediately fell silent. Any laughter or cheer had died at the sight of the mad man that now stood before them. Seemingly undeterred in the slightest by this, Iston broke out in his usual grin and his amulet began to glow once again. "Come now friends, no need to be so gloomy! The next rounds on me!!"

As the villagers began cheering wildly for him and the mood in the tavern took a turn for the better, Iston made his way to the bar and had a seat. "Hear that barkeep? A pint of your finest ale for me and everyone else here!"

The man swallowed nervously and began filling up pints for everyone. "Er... Y-you do have the coin for this right Sir...?"

"Of course not!" Iston grinned as he proclaimed it. "But don't you owe these poor people a free drink or two? Of course now that they're expecting it things may get ugly if we don't deliver..."

Normally, the man never would have believed it. These were people he had known his whole life. But something had changed since Iston had entered. Even a simple man like the barkeep could tell. So he accepted these events as graciously as a man in his position could and continued pouring everyone's free drinks. Iston chuckled to himself as he took a swig of his pint and surveyed the tavern trying to find the best source of information.

 

[KronosTalon]

"You could say that, I am interested in what my lord is interested in, and nothing will let me waver from my goal." Zyphe said, not caring wether the man knew about him or not, after all he was very out of the ordinary around here, so he didn't expect to blend in well for long anyways. As they headed down the street the boys stopped and informed him that they had reached the tavern. Zyphe gave him a quick pat on the back, a little more than he meant too and the boy stumbled forward before he entered the tavern and took a quick look around.

A loud cheer arose as everyone began being served free drinks, but Zyphe could not tell why at first glance. He readied his shield and walked toward the barkeeper, people moving to avoid his large figure. As he got to the counter he signaled for the man, who stopped handing out free drinks for a moment, to walk over. He handed Zyphe the last tankard he filled as Zyphe removed his helmet and spoke up."I am seeking information on recent events in this town, and would be happy if you could tell me about the ones named Keech and Sable." He said very plainly, leaving nothing to the imagination.

 

[Avayu]

Lyrus nearly admired the knight for his stern determination. Only nearly though, as this determination also made Zyphe very boring for him to talk to. There was no love for little games and jokes, just cold and hard effectiveness in everything the armoured man said and did.

At least they found the tavern quickly enough, meaning he would have to listen to any more great speeches on the way. With a little bow, Lyrus invited Zyphe to enter the house first, bid his farewell to the boys with yet another, small coin and then entered, covered by the massive body of Zyphe in front of him. Nobody could say that knights like this one were completely useless, he had to admit. Inside, a free round was just served and Lyrus took a drink without losing a single thought about who had paid it.

"Well, who doesn't like free drinks!", he just exclaimed and began to mingle with the people in the small tavern.
He didn't ask any questions about what had happened. Why should he? Zyphe was already doing that and in a very straight forward manner, too. If the knight would get an answer, he would soon know it, too. Generally speaking, Lyrus had always been of the opinion that it was easier to find out things without asking for them. So he just walked through the pub, raising his mug here and speaking a toast with the villagers there, as if the tavern was his natural habitat. In a way, it was. He quickly emptied his mug and lost no time ordering a second one.

 

[ThreeWords]

The crowd shuffled, disquieted by the question. Many looked away, or looked deeper into their mugs, and a buzz of awkward mutters rose up.

"Who wants to know?" asked a voice, cutting through the murmur of the crowd, "The wrong word in the wrong ear might mean the death of many."

The speaker remained unseen, and seemed determined to remain so until their question was answered.

 

[KronosTalon]

Zyphe glanced around at the crowd, the sudden change of the scene was very peculiar. He heard the man talk, but could not see from where he was talking, so he cleared his throat and spoke up so everyone could hear him."My name is Zyphe Ironside, and I am here on behalf of my Lord. I am his champion and I do not want to know, I have to know." He said in a matter of fact tone.

"Now you know who I am. Make yourself known from the crowd." Zyphe said as he glanced around the crowd, waiting for the man to reveal himself.

 

[ThreeWords]

"I know of you, Ironside." said the voice, "They say you follow the Oathkeeper, and I believe I am safe in your presence." The crowd parted to reveal an old man, his face bruised but his eyes bright.

"Sable was a terror unto us" he said, "He took anything he wanted, and there was nothing we could do to stop him. He killed several of our young men, and he would have killed me too. It was only due to Keech that I stand here today. Sable would have called me out, or else simply run me through, but Keech objected, and for that Sable wanted to kill him"

The man was quiet for a moment, then added, "You know the rest. Keech killed him, and left in a rage. We didn't see him again."

 

[Fragrance of Mtn Dew]

Iston couldn't help but chuckle as the heavily armored man walked right in and asked the very questions he had been seeking answers to himself. If this Zyphe person could get the right information out of the townspeople then Iston could remain anonymous and his mission would be that much easier. He serves that stuffy old Oathkeeper! Make sure to kill him if you get the chance. He'll be sure to get in our way later. Reynard's intrusion in Iston's mind was unwanted as usual but he had a point. As a servant of "justice" Zyphe was sure to disapprove of Iston's usual antics.

But now he had to focus on the old man talking about what happened. It seemed as though this was a dead end, but if someone had even seen which direction Keech had headed in that would be a lead at least. "Come on you fool... Ask him which way he headed!" Iston growled under his breath.

 

[KronosTalon]

"I protect all that require it, you are no different." Zyphe said as he stepped toward the man, his armor clinking all the way over. "But why did Sable seek to strike you down? Are you a good fighter? Did he want to prove himself to everyone by beating you? Did he just kill people for the sake of killing?" Zyphe said when he reached the older man. "So many questions.. Which way was Keech headed when he left? It would help if there is no other information about him." Zyphe said, putting his large hand on the mans shoulder. "And also... Do you know why Keech's sword was able to break Sables blade?" He said, Then finally waited for a response.

 

[Xero Scythe]

Grana looked at Black Aliss to see if she was serious. "Forgive me if I am reading too far into this," Grana said slowly, caution and diplomacy in his every word, "But I serve Lord Igneus, and the Fairy Queen knows this. I am willing to escort you until we find Keech and drag him back to the High Court, but that is the extent of my dealings with you and thy Queen as far as Champion matters are concerned. If taking that rose forces me to leave Lord Igneus' side, then I will crush it beneath my boot now. However, if by this rose you wish fir me to support you and your Lady approves of my support, then I will gladly take that rose with all its thorns and I will care for it as a symbol of my duty. Now, you have clearly seen I am who I say I am, I wish to know who you are. Please, throw back thy hood and reveal thy face."

 

[Avayu]

Lyrus would have answered the questions out of the dark differently and already set on to down his drink to be ready for anything that would follow, but the old man seemed to be satisfied by Zyphe's answers. Well, sometimes just asking probably was the easier way. It didn't matter, he had gotten the information anyway. He downed his ale nonetheless, while the honourable knight fired a salvo of questions back at the old man.

The Oathkeeper it was, then. Just as Lyrus had assumed: boring, but good, at least as long as one followed his narrow morale. Lyrus knew that there had been differences between this particular Lord and Lady Andana in the past and that there still were some quibbles, every now and then. That wouldn't matter. For now, Zyphe seemed to be an ally, or rather a big guy who was quite useful to his mission.

As he walked through the crowd in the tavern, Lyrus spotted a man who looked like the village mad man at the counter. He had travelled far for his Lady and every village he had ever come through seemed to have one, so he was already dismissing his find when he caught a glimpse of the man's gauntlets. That certainly wasn't good. The place slowly seemed to get crowded with champions. To make matters worse, the tavern door was slammed open and a man in a white tunic entered, fitting to the earth-colours of the villagers about as well as Zyphe's armour and the madman's gauntlets. And Lyrus himself most likely. Depending on who these men were, that could certainly be a problem. For the first time since he had arrived, Lyrus decided to take the initiative.

"These are lots and lots of boring questions, my sir knight. And here a lots and lots of ears that certainly don't want to be bored. You don't need to shout your questions and answers back and forth through the whole room, do you? In return, I will make sure that these good people will not be bored, won't I?"

With these words Lyrus gave the villagers in front of him his brightest smile, jumped on a table nearby and took his lute from his back, striking the chords for a small melody to get the attention of everyone in the room.

"Behold, you see the famed King of the Minstrels, up here, directly in front of you. I will sing for you, after just two mugs of ale, and you will tell your grand children of this night."

He began to play, a little tune at first, but soon after a rousing drinking song with a simple melody that went right into people's ears and a text everyone was able to understand. With it, he invited the villagers in the tavern to sing along loudly, to clap their hands in the powerful rhythm and to dance on the wooden floor and the tables.

 

[RootbeerJello]

The Minstrel Champion jumped onto a table and started to play. The song was captivating, and Simon was tempted to stay, but he knew the song was powerful. He covered his ears to avoid its influence, and left the tavern. Luckily, he saw the boys further down the road. He ran up to them. "Tell me more about the fight! You said Sable was outmatched by Keech?"

 

[Fishtie]

While many rushed through the door of the Kant tavern, few seemed to be paying much attention to it. They also probably weren't paying much attention to the figure slumped next to it, evidently in a drunken stupor.

However, closer inspection might spot some oddities about this particular drunk. The broad worn hat that hid his face didn't seem to quite match the dirty grey-white cloth of his cape that was mostly hidden by his body. An old gnarled length of wood leaned up against the wall along with it's apparent owner.

Willis had of course been drunk before though he was not at this moment. Still, he was quite content to serve as simple window dressing for the moment as he sat at the side of the door of the tavern.

It seemed his hunch had played out too as various champions paraded back and forth in front of him. Zyphe, Reynard, Andrana, Ellysa; Dietrich's little lad had almost slipped past him the first time, but there was little missing that pendant that just screamed of the ascetic's stylizing, with him leaving the tavern a second glance was all that Willis needed.

From his place by the door Willis could easily hear most of what happened inside and he sighed for a moment wondering what else might have been revealed before the first notes of music began to float through the air.

 

[ThreeWords]

Black Aliss smiled, and again a flash of teeth glinted beneath the hood. "We mean no harm to your bond to the Alchemists" she murmured, "The rose is only an offer of aid, should you want it. It will strengthen you, and lend you Milday's protection in when you are in peril. Simply cut your finger on its thorn,s feed the flower a drop of blood, and whisper Her name, and she will save you form all harm."

"And now, you wish to see my face? So be it." she raised her hands, and in a fluid moment, slicked back her cowl. Beneath, her skin was sheer black, save for her teeth and eyes, which were pure white. "You see now why they call me Black Aliss?" she asked softly, "But do not fear my appearance. I have served the Queen for more than two centuries, and rather than age, this has become my reward."

"Now, have you any other questions?"

---

"Well, it was kinda hard to tell," replied one boy. Another grunted, then picked up the tale.

"See, at first we all he was a dead man. There was Sable, the Dancing Killer with his silver sword, and there's this drifter with a rusty old farm-tool, who was too stupid to avoid a fight. And for the first few minutes, you'd have a hard time believing anything else."

He shrugged, the went on, "Well, Keech just stands there, looking weary, and Sable just toys with him, like a cat with his catch. We all think it's gonna be a long death for the poor wanderer, and then Sable knocks him down. And something just snaps. Keech got up like a flash, his eyes like fire, and swung once."

The boy paused a moment to unblock his nose, and then continued, "That's all it took: one good swing. There's this feeling like the air's made of grease, and a sound that you sorta don't hear with your ears, and Sable's just dead. The bits of his sword hit the ground a second later, but by that time Keech is walking, and he doesn't stop till he hit's the mountains. 'Leastways, we never saw him again.

"He ain't stayed that long; we only got his name of one of the, ah, working girls who'd he'd spent a while with..."