The silence was deafening to the point of madness. Isen and Callista dredged over the once lush fields now a grim wasteland. One tense of what would happen while the other smile without a care on the world. "What are you doing in Redfall?" Isen took the initiative to break the silence.
Callista didn't give an answer, her transparent beads for eyes fixed on the ruined lands. Her collar jingled with each bump, another sound that had been as brutal as the silence. "Why does it matter? I'm here and I'm bored is all." Her answer unsatisfactory to Isen who merely grit his teeth.
'Bored? What kind of boredom drives one to kill the king?' Callista ignored his silly antics before going on. "I'm on loan at the moment, my dear elsewhere so I'm stuck here in this hell with you and the excuses that are Redfall's citizens." Each word leaving her lips filled with disdain.
"What do you mean on loan?" Callista didn't bother herself with an answer as the carriage went on. Realizing this, he switched the topic. "What about the other towns? Are they overrun?" He hadn't heard any response from the other commanders thus came to the grim conclusion that they had fallen in battle.
"They're not overrun, my sentries are watching over them." Isen's thoughts drifted back to Mirevale and the sentry perched on top of the town's gate. "Not to take this as an insult but do you think that one is enough?" Her head finally turned to face him.
"One? How about a duel then. You win against one of them and I'll give you whatever that it is you desire. Lose and you get to comply to my request without question." Isen paused, realizing the scene he had witnessed at Mirevale, he chose to forfeit.
"I wouldn't want to face against such a prodigy as yourself." His words followed with a a self deprecating laugh. "Shame. The reward I had for you was one even Roderic wouldn't turn down." Still Isen didn't take her bait realizing what she was up to. 'Roes she really think that I'll be that easy to trick? Once I grow stronger enough I'll make sure that not just you but that bitch on the throne to regret her doing.'
Her fingers playfully drummed the window frame followed with an ignorant hum. "We're arriving at Pestos miss." The coachman mused as the carriage drew closer to a human civilization. "Are those...human corpses?" Isen asked, his face falling into bewilderment at what his eyes caught.
The town walls of stone were lined with bodies of soldiers, all Redfall men at that. "What is the meaning of this?" He couldn't help but mutter to himself. "Oh that. I almost forgot that they were still hanging there. Well there's no use for crying over it now." Her words sharp yet carrying a playful edge that did more than just unnerve him.
'Isn't that one of her summons?' He stated inwardly as he sighted a crystalline figure resting on the town's tower. It's face dead pan as it stared into the distant and around the town a graveyard of abominations lay about.
The doors opened and the two got off. "Miss Callista..." A somewhat nervous voice echoed through Isen's ears. "It's great to have you here once more." Isen_s gaze sharpened as it landed on the town steward. 'This old man is scared out of his wits! Who wouldn't be when dealing with a monster like her though.'
It wasn't just him but the entire town's mood shifted. The once carefree banter that filled the air was gone. The kids playing out on the streets had gone back indoors and stalls closed leaving the steward and his men to receive the two. Her mere squint of her eyes made the man sweat buckets.
"Where's the royal coach?" Her words cold as ice. "Ah...madam..." His straying voice indicative of what happened. "...They fell before they could get here. It rests right outside the town's walls." Callista looked at her sentry which in a blink reappeared next to her. With a flick of her fingers l, it ceased to exist as she gave a knowing hum.
"Why didn't you send your men to distract the horde?" The steward paused, his brows furrowing. 'What does she want from me?! Your orders were that no one was meant to leave this town and now you're made that people didn't leave it?!' Still he kept such thoughts in his head.
"Madame, from your words we couldn't leave the town's walls as per your order or your sentry would mow us down. We tried to make it save the the coach however it didn't bother making a move, watching it all unfold." Isen realized what Callista was asking for. "None of these are veteran fighters, if they were to go outside they wouldn't last long."
His words met with hums of acknowledgement from the steward. However a playful smile flashed on Callista's lips, clearly taunting and playing with the people of Pestos. Her sentries weren't capable of leaving the towns assigned until they saw a swarm of abominations to make them move.
The carriage was outside of the kingdom therefore not it's business. Not a misstep on her end but an intentional flaw she wanted to abuse later on. "You didn't have to convince it, all you had to do was lead one of your men outside of the town and it would follow. And from there a stream before arriving at the carriage."
All faces save for her's showed shock. 'At that point wouldn't it be the same as asking them to go and die?' Isen thought, his face turning into that of anger. "Callista, do you really have to antagonize these people?" We could leave for the capital with the carriage that brought us here."
However the feral miss didn't yield.
*Bam*
The carriage they were just in shattered into a million fragments, the coachman meeting his end before he could realize what had happened. "What carriage are you talking about Isen? So go out there and get the royal one. If not then I don't mind making a game of you all."
Despite her light tone, their faces went pale. 'This bitch! Wasn't she supposed to help us so why is she sending us to our deaths?!' One of the steward's men contemplated. "As you wish miss." The steward's voice hoarse as he took his leave. Callista on the other hand made merely watch them leave the premise.
"Do you have to be so cruel?" Isen's voice filled with seething rage and venom. "Cruel? I'm merely playing a game. It's called how many will die or radiation before they get to the carriage and haul it back. Of course as a side bonus is hoe fast they can fix it before I grow inpatient and kill them all."
She shot an indignant smile that made Isen's skin crawl. "You're a demented person! A monster with no morals." Callista shrugged it off with a laugh. "And the best part about it is that you'll help me." Isen without a word stormed off to aid the steward who had already recruited men to help him.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." His voice firm as he marched out of Pesto's gate. Callista watched it all with a smile. 'How sweet Isen. However before we make it to the capital not just your morals but your will to live as well will be a thing of the past.' She inwardly chuckled at the game she was preparing.
...
Looking at Isen's grunting figure haul the carriage closer to the town, the steward couldn't help but sigh at his luck. 'Wait! He's a Redfall knight but Callista hasn't killed him yet?!' Before he could think about it to much, the carriage crashed hard into the town square.
"There!" His hands gesturing at the battered carriage. "Good, however the issue of fixing it still looms over you as well as a coachman." Isen glanced back at the steward. "Do you have any resources to fix it?" His tone heavy from the arduous task.
"Sadly we don't have anything to fix it with. With the abominations rampage, trade has been slow, most of the resources we got have been spent into repairing the walls and recoup the losses." His tone heavy making Isen pause. "You people have homes right? So why not strip then of supplies."
Her taunt playful as ever however taken with disdainful looks from Isen. "Are you suggesting that they undo their homes just to fix some stupid carriage of yours? Are you mad? Your task is to help Redfall under this new rule of yours and for it you need people who don't have resentment for you."
Isen didn't need to keep on going with his ramblings for her to get the gist of it. "Who said I'm here to help any of you. "Personally I don't care what happens to this kingdom. I'm here on an errand trip. Sightseeing and all." Her tone though flat laced with mockery. "I don't care whether you people die by the hordes, starvation or cold! Just get my carriage ready and thanks to Isen's comment you all get a bonus quest."
The people of Pestos looked at each other, their faces riddled with hesitation and fear. "Since it'll be a long ride there, naturally I'll get hungry so I'm going to need some of your food supplies." With a flick her sentry reappeared. "..." The steward was at a loss for words, the rest gnashing their teeth at their fate.
"Isen, we can barely survive. If she takes our food we might as well die." Seeing that Isen had somewhat of a standing with Callista, the steward chose his gamble. "Callista!" He vented our in rage at the ridiculing smile shot at him. "What is Isen? Do you want some food as well. Make sure to double it then." Isen's gaze bore deep into Callista's body, wishing that she would drop dead however nothing happened.
"It's not that! Have some mercy. There are kids here barely making it." Callista checked her nails with indifference. "Kids? Why would you people torture them by keeping them alive for this long? You have no one else to blame for this." More sentries came into view solidifying her point.
"Weren't you the one who called me an immoral monster? Well I might as show you what the abyss of immortality looks like." Waving her hand, the sentries made their way to the steward waiting to watch hue movements. Isen stood in place, unsure if what to do. "Just take a seat and watch the show Isen. It'll be good."
Gesturing to her side, Isen immediately declined.
...
"How are we meant to survive this plague?!" The sound of an angered man rose. "I have two children, please show some mercy." A mother cried out. By the end of the raid, they had managed to take half of the town's resources collecting it at the town square where Callista resided. Swarms of people showed up, visibly enraged and rightfully so as the whispered about the girl behind their suffering.
"Isen, please!" A kid whispered barely standing up. His tattered clothes and haggard face moving Isen to finally speak up. "That's enough Callista! It's clear that you won't be able to eat all of this so give it back to the people of Pestos!" His statement followed with agreeing murmurs.
"I can't eat all of it? Are you sure as the abyss isn't one meant to be tested after all."
*Whoosh*
Reality began to fracture like glass, the mountain of food brought to her bleeding into a world they could only imagine before it was all gone. "See, I could eat it all." Her tone laced with venom as she went back to admiring her already perfect nails. "You- You didn't eat it!" A man voiced in outrage eliciting a smack of her lips.
*Whoosh*
*Thud*
Their blood staining the crowd that erupted into a frenzy. Some screaming, others eyeing Callista. It took a while before they managed to calm down. "Miss Callista, don't you think that you're being too much? I'm sure that you could spare us some morsels or food."
Callista blew gee nails, done with her self admiration as she turned to face the crowd. "Morsel? I only took half, you should be able to survive with the other half. Not to mention you have yet to fix my carriage. You all really want to embrace death, don't you?" Her tone turning cold as she rose from her leaning posture.