"We're so sorry for keeping a master like yourself waiting." Malrik urged, his tone filled with reverence and fear as his eyes remained locked with Guinevere. Her presence was enough to make the entire room fall into silence, seated on Malrik's throne. "Who are the bandits and what is their purpose?"
Her tone flat and indifferent as she took a sip of the wine brought to her. "The bandits usually move from town to town in the Redfall kingdom pillaging and burning everything in their way. Their leader is way too strong for us to resist so we usually compromise and give them what they want. Be it shards of women."
Malrik cooed hoping for Guinevere to be shocked by this. "Where are they?" She went on. "They just left as of recently but they usually come back by the end of the day. Though I can't say for sure that they'll spend the night here." Guinevere paused, falling in thought as she put her goblet down.
"What is the closest town from here?" She wanted to get to a capital for better loot and status. Not out of hubris but her ability to do so. She knew that it would be the best way of tracking Jarren down like this. 'Why did you have to make this into a game?' During her descent into the third dimensional plane, her sense of Jarren's location had been thwarted and now she was burdened with the task of finding him
'One of your games as always.' She sighed in her head, finishing her drink. "It should be a couple of kilometers to the west from here. However strange beasts have been roaming these lands making it difficult to move." Guinevere eyed Malrik, his rank instantly known to her.
'A Gravechant on the malcore path with a Silver Vow physique. As for this pest, he should be a Dreadbound with a Crimson Sigil physique. I still can't believe that I will have to associate myself with such pests to track Jarren down.' She could already see the future unfold, time nothing more than a concept she could you at a whim.
And yet a part of it was shrouded in darkness, Jarren's doing however a key scene came into view allowing her to know where the two would come to meet. "Very well, I'll wait for them to make the arrival. As for the walls surrounding your town, another wave will be sufficient to end all of your lives."
Malrik's face tightened, his mind already picturing the scene unfolding. "...Could you lend us your strength in helping some of the members we have. The damages caused by the last wave was too severe and if another came to pass, as you said we won't be able to stand a chance."
His voice low and humble as he inwardly prayed for her to lend a hand. Given that she managed to end two soldiers with nothing more than a thought, Malrik was confident that she would be of great help. "I'm not your savior." Her words finally came, cold and final like a guillotine.
It wasn't just Malrik but the rest in the room fell into disbelief. Guinevere could feel their gazes, some sharp, others hopeless but she remained firm. "If you have a problem with my decision then please, don't hesitate to stand up and speak your mind." Gesturing for someone to take the stage, none of them dared to make a move.
"We understand." Malrik's voice was rough as he made a bow and left the tent. He was quickly followed by his subordinates leaving Guinevere alone.
...
"I still can't believe that she wouldn't even bother to help us after killing two of our own." One stated, his voice filled with fury. "At this point she's just as terrible as the bandits that rob us." Another added, the brew of hatred and anger filling the air. Malrik watched them voice their resentment, his mind falling into thought.
'You say her flaws and yet none of you spoke when she asked for criticism. However what does that make me as a leader?' His fingers dug into his palms, hit teeth grit as he cursed the cards fate offered him. 'As if one tyrant wasn't bad enough, now we have another. Callous and heartless as the first if not more.'
He recalled the traps the bandits placed around the town of Mistfen. Sure they would make sure that they never left but the traps would ensnare other beasts as well. A defense that helped them given that their combat power was somewhat lackluster. As for the walls, it was the bandit group leader that had proposed to help the town.
As time passed, the robbery grew into a trade between the two. Sure they would go at a loss but it wasn't completely useless as they would get better gear and strategy for their town. Even at times the bandits would divulge information about the world past the forest. But with Guinevere, she demanded it all with no form of repayment.
She had the power to help and yet she chose not to. Seated comfortably in his throne sipping on wine. "Sir, the bandits are back." One of his subordinates called jolting him out of his inner world of thoughts and rants. Malrik made his way to the gate, having it drawn as he let the bandits in.
Unlike their usual self they were riddled with injuries, with two members lacking. "Get the practitioners ready!" Corven, the leader of the group shouted. His orders quickly executed as he led his men to the infirmary. Malrik silently followed watching the once invincible tyrant bleed.
"What happened?" His tone filled with curiosity posed only to be met with a sharp cold response. "None of your business!" Corven's tone was deep and heavy. "And why haven't you gotten my feast ready? I told you that I would come here ahead of time, didn't I?" His face projecting his contemptment.
"We have an unexpected guest. She's in the main tent, said that she wanted to meet you in person." Malrik said, watching Corven's reaction. "What do you mean someone's here? Wait! She?" His sharp tone now fell into bewilderment as he pondered as to who it could be. 'Is it one of those adventurers? But why would they hang out in the main tent?'
Making his way out of the infirmary, he marched towards the tent where the alleged guest was. He was shocked to see Guinevere seated ever so peacefully on the throne, sipping wine to her content. "Corven, I didn't think that I would get to see you again. I hope that you're okay."
Her tone laced with ridicule as she placed the goblet down. "You're... you're supposed to be dead! In the woods how are you still alive?!" Malrik was puzzled that the two knew each other, innocently watching from the sides. "You know that fate is a beautiful thing. One moment you're at death's door and the next the entire world is your oyster."
As much as he wanted to thwart her off the throne, his mind calmed quickly assessing the situation that he was in. 'She doesn't have a rank. Maybe she has a trinket that saved her life. As a royal, it is not uncommon.' His gaze narrowed, his beads for eyes calculating ever inch that was her figure.
"I'm quite glad that you're here Corven. I have a request for you. Something you can easily do. I want you to give me one of your horses and tell me where the next town is from here. As for you, rotting in this town is fitting for a scum like you. How dare you not help the princess of Othare!"
Her tone shifted from malice to playfulness as her gaze narrowed on his figure.
*BAM*
Corven's figure was pressed onto the floor, his knees digging into the dirt ground. "Gah!" The pressure that wrapped around his figure capable of fracturing every bone in his body and yet he remained conscious. Feeling the situation was getting out of hand, Malrik quietly slipped away.
"What is this?! You were a Wrymkindled the last time I saw you! How are you stronger than me?!" Her giggles filled his ears as she finally rose to her feet. "Like I said, fate is definitely a strange thing. A toy I can mold to my liking." Her words made his scalp tingle as she kept on drawing closer to him.
She tilted her head to the side in assessment, taking in the wounds that covered his body. "I don't have a lot of time so tell me what I need to know."
*Crunch*
The bruise on his arm twisted Ina way that shouldn't, his ulna coming into view however she doesn't flinch at the sight. "Arghh!!!" His groans of pain were cut off by Guinevere who finally towered above Corven. "So are you going to tell me where the next town is or are you a masochist because I have time."
Her dainty index landed on his forehead making him wince in fear for what she had in-store.
*Crunch*
His other arm was now bent making him cry out in pain but never once did Guinevere seemed startled with what she did. She had done much worse way more cruelly, this was nothing more than a joke to her. She lifted his figure up with a single finger, forcing Corven to lock eyes with her. "Fuck you bitch! I hope that you rot in hell!" A spit meant for her froze midair.
"Now that's not nice." The saliva morphed into a small dart which was shot back at him digging into his eye. Blood trickled out of his orbit eliciting another groan of pain. "Fine... All you have to do is head towards the forest, a few hours you should come across a path. Take it and after a fork in the road you should take the right."
His whimpers failed to faze her as she hummed knowingly. "What if you're lying to me? What am I suppose to do then?" Her words light as she rested her hand on his shoulder filling the air with the sounds of his collar bone cracking. He grit his teeth in pain, inwardly cursing for her to drop dead.
"I promise that I'm telling the truth!" His groans however we cut off by Malrik who walked in, his face hesitant. "My lady, a swarm of the corrupted have been sighted making their way here." Guinevere didn't bother looking at his direction.
"It looks like you'll have to guide me there. As a princess and new to the forest I'm bad with directions." She made her exit out of the tent, Corven's body hovered behind her like a child with their mother. Making her mount on the horse and grabbing the reins, she looked at what she would be leaving behind.
Kids already crying, mothers mourning for their end as the father's readied themselves for what could be their last battle. 'What a bunch of hopeless bastards.' She didn't need to stick around to know what the outcome would be. The horse made it's way towards the gate and without a second glance behind her galloped into the woods.
With Corven and Guinevere gone, Malrik looked around, letting out a chuckle of acceptance. "Kill the kids. Make it quick along with the mothers." His orders though cruel carried a bitter truth they had a hard time swallowing. The ground was shortly after drenched in free blood of the young, mothers cried out to the heavens for help while the men could only endure.
Looking past the walls, Malrik saw the horde incoming. Snarls making his skin crawl filled their ears, abominations with multiple eyes, too many limbs made their way to Mistfen town. With a final cry for battle, a fight ensued.
...
"You're a monster, I didn't think that you would just leave them to fend for themselves like that!" Corven hissed as he hovered behind the horse, Guinevere merely trudging on. "You stole and killed from them, what makes you any different from me?" Her words strangely calm as she ignored the screams and cries behind her.
She wasn't in a hurry to get to her destination and Corven inwardly hoped that she wouldn't. Upon making it he knew that she would kill her without a second thought. But her question made him fall into thought, it wasn't that he was a saint either. "With your strength I'm sure that you could have done something and yet you didn't. That is what makes me different from you."
It wasn't a snarky comment that met him but a maddening laughter. "Hahaha! You naive idiot, no wonder you're nothing more than a bumbling fool at death's door." He words chilling cold as they dragged on.