Landyn proceeded to leave the room, probably going into one of the bedrooms of the house. His wife was about to follow him, before…
“May, was it?”
An attempt to break the tense atmosphere which may have been questionable, but it was better than just watching.
“Oh,” she turns to you, suddenly remembering your presence, “I’m sorry you had to…”
“No, no.” You try and keep an understanding face on, “I too have had a horrible experience with Neptune’s army. See, my village was raided and razed to the ground by these men. I’m not sure if my family is alive or not,” You pause, clearly stating this assumption wasn’t going to aid much right now.
May’s face managed to turn even more depressed, but a few moments later, it was struck with surprise.
“Razed? Was your village far from here?”
You thought about it. “No, I don’t think so. We're still in Armstader, right?"
She nodded slowly, “I wonder why they would…”
You quickly cross the room, with a very serious look on your face; you look her in the eyes and ask,
“I think I need to talk to your husband.” She blinks. “Where did he go?”
“Eh…” She quickly glances across the room, “He’s probably in the bedroom.”
You charge out of the kitchen.
You find Landyn in a modest sized room at the end of the hall. The door lay ajar, you could see Landyn’s shadow sitting in the room. You stride in as subtly as you can. A window was open at the foot of the bed, and you could feel a faint breeze. The bed lay in the farthest corner, and a small bedside table accompanying it. You decide to sit down on the windowsill.
“Hey.” Landyn doesn’t shift his view from the picture frame he’s holding. A family photo; Landyn posing with a cheesy grin across his face next to his wife, holding the hand of their daughter. May’s pregnant.
A bag filled with sweatshirts and undergarments lay on the bed. He didn’t own a weapon to bring along, it appeared.
“Landyn, you know…” You start, trying to get the words lined up in your head. “The officer that came never saw your face. They would never know if you yourself didn’t arrive.”
“Hah, I’d be fairin’ worse if I didn’t show, I reckon.”
“I’ll go in your place.” He turned around with an overwhelmed look in his eyes. You nod subtly, reassuring him that his ears served him well.
He laughed a single time, before setting the frame on the table. “Oi, if yer just messing with me, I’ll beat yer battle-juts-ass until—“
“I’m not.”
Silence.
May walks in, and immediately notices the two men sitting in electrified silence with each other.
“And the Mistress,” You say with the perkiest tone you can achieve, “I believe there’s something you two should discuss.”
With a whirl, you swing your legs over the window sill, landing on the ground outside. It’s good to be outside, the fresh air, the beating sun. Your eyes squint a little as you adjust to the light and your head aches a bit more.
“Satoshi, wait.” Landyn’s firm voice calls for you, and you spin around, eyebrows raised. He pulls out a dresser drawer completely from the bedside table and flips it over. Carefully, he extracts the false bottom from it and pulls out a small pouch. He throws it in your direction, a perfect, arching trajectory.
It hits your hand and falls to the ground. You pause and adopt a helpless grin as you pick the bag up. The all too familiar clinking of gold coins is a welcome sound. You stand back up, and Landyn is standing at the windowsill. As he’s closing the windows, you hear him whisper, “If only we could repay you in full.”
The windows shut, and you see Landyn stretch an honest smile across his face. May stood behind him, she felt that something good had happened, but wasn’t explicitly told. You return the gesture of good faith, and a curtain drops.
With a sigh of relief, you walk to the main road.
You weigh the coins in your hand, and open the bag. Easily, 200 gold sits in the palm of your hand. This isn’t bad, you think to yourself, wondering how much a new sword and perhaps some clothes would cost you.
Oh right, you’ll be wearing a uniform full time soon.
Scratching your head a little, you stand on a dirt road that has seen better days. To your left, the small town, probably equipped with a market, bar and inn, and maybe even a city hall. The barracks would be fairly quiet if you wanted to stake it out. Around you, the blue sky stretches as far as the eye can see, and the sun is in its highest point in the sky.
You stretch your back, welcoming the use of your legs. You remember that the draft meets at midnight; you have a few hours to burn.
Where do you need to go?
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Topic: A Village Crumbles... (Read 5452 times)