This has got to be the most GLORIOUS 24 hours of my life! thought Patris as he was getting ready for the Dinner. Servants were coming in and out of his quarters making sure that he knew the protocol for tonight and that his clothes were clean and well tailored and that he was clean and well-groomed... all in all it was a lot to take in. I never knew life outside of the Vale was so, so lively! Ha! And I've already come to the attention of the Order of the Griffon and House Vorloi... Fendel is so going to regret letting me out of his sight. The Servants had brought him a glass of wine at Martin's request to settle Patris' nerves for the night. Patris took a sip and began to recall the events leading up to tonight.
I had a good feeling about Septimus when I met him. Patris mused, He seemed to be the kind of fellow that got into and out of lots of trouble—the public kind. Martin had urged me to leave the old man behind -- "He'll be naught but trouble, Patris. Diviners, Seers, wizards,—they know too much and they upset the wrong kind of people." "Yes, exactly!" I had said. Martin just shook his head at me... oh well, and to be fair, the Seer did loose the girl to begin with... I'm just glad we found her in the dungeons of this city.
Patris sat up with a bewildered expression on his face, Now that is the weirdest thing I've seen in a long time. A city with dungeons, and dungeons beneath dungeons, and then even more dungeons below that! What evils and dangers lurk below this city and the people just go about their daily lives as normal? Such an odd place. Ah, but I thought we were too late. Zafirah's scream sent horrible images through my mind and I feared that we were too late; the girl was being tortured, killed, or worse. I vaguely remember charging down the dark corridor and then ending up face-to-face with Zafirah and her magic. It's a good thing Martin threw me to the ground or we'd both probably be dead.
Speaking of which, the undead are truly a frightening sight to behold. To think that they were once living beings—peasants, nobles, knights—and then desecrated by dark and evil magicks. And that Necromancer, what was his name, Zoltan? He fled the scene—the coward. If not, he'd be in House Voloi's stocks right now along with that despicable Dwarf. I'm not sure what to think of Zafirah... She consorts with Necromancers, burns down buildings, refuses to acknowledge her rescuers... His dark musings were interrupted by another servant. This one making sure that Patris' shoes were fitted well—"It would not do, Sir, for you to trip over your own feet at the ceremony tonight," the servant explained as she adjusted his shoes.
After the servant left, Patris resumed his recollection of the previous evening. The skaven and his barbarian friend—now there is an odd collection of people I thought never possible. >From all the stories, skaven are dirty, filthy, nasty creatures only a step up from the rats themselves. But Veskar goes to all lengths to prove that wrong! I don't think I've met a more honorable or considerate person in my life! He was willing to sacrifice his life for people he did not know—now if that isn't the making of a knight I don't know what is! Patris pauses and cocks his head to the side, I wonder if they'd let me make him a knight? There should be nothing wrong with that... Everyone should be a knight!.
And that Ragnar fellow. Patris shook his head. Already half a dozen of the servants had asked him if he had indeed killed scores of skeletons and a dozen bloodthirsty slave-traders. He tried to keep the rumors quiet, but one look at his physique and equipment and they believed. Well, the maids did at any rate. Ragnar is definitely the kind of man I need to keep around. If this keeps up, word will most certainly reach my father, mother, and sisters of my heroic actions here in Northpoint. I may not be welcome back home, but my stories will be. Everyone will know of Sir Patris Nulmen, son of Fen Nulmen, the Lord of the Vale of Nourlemn—His noble character, his valiant deeds, and his dashing good looks. I will make Fendel's gut rot with regret. I'll make him wish he had killed me and when he tries to do it again, I'll expose him for the vile creature that he is.
"He'll regret it." Patris said through teeth clenched in anger.
"Regret what?" Martin asked as he entered the room, carrying a few of their things.
"It's nothing but a family matter." Patris explained, his face relaxing and releasing the tension.
"Ah," Martin replied, obviously engrossed in what he was doing.
"So, Martin. What do you think of all this? I think this is the best thing that has ever happened to me!"
Martin set down the chest he was carrying and thought a moment. "It would seem so, Sir Patris. You've made allies among the lords of Northpoint—I hope this turns out to be a good thing."
"Why not? I mean we seem to be living in interesting times, we've come to the attention of people in power, and I really couldn't ask for anything more!
"My former master came to the attention of people in power," Martin shrugged. "It isn't always for the best."
I am curious, however, as to what that necromancer was doing underneath this city." Patris paused. "Besides the obvious raising of dead and desecration of graves. Form what Veskar and Ragnar told us, those Skeletons were pretty intent on finding dead bodies in that well. The Necromancer and this red-headed fellow seem to have too much in common for me to be comfortable with it."
Sitting down on the chest he'd just brought in, Martin nodded, "Perhaps they are working together? The red-headed man find bodies for the necromancer, and in return gets to keep any valuables taken from the slain. And there's also the slavers... they might be part of this as well."
"A grisly business this... the necromancer then sells the healthy victims to the slavers at a high price and keeps the rest for his devilish work." Patris sighed, "I can't help but to think that Lucia's involvement in this was politically motivated. Especially since he is Heir Apparent and the slavers obviously had no idea who he was—or else they'd have tried to ransom him back to his family. No, this was done by someone who wanted Lucia out of the picture but was morale enough not to kill him outright."
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