Syrasza

Something was off. As Eiso circled the ship Anzo's chest tightened. There was never a reason for there to be no one on deck. A ship doesn't sail its self, and every possible explanation he could come up with seemed more terrible than the last. "There's no blood or sign of a struggle." Eiso was of course right. She would have noticed any thing wrong even at this distance. Anzo's throat tightened and his voice failed him. He leaned forward knowing that Eiso could read his just as well as his voice. Just before they landed Anzo whispered almost in audibly "Just tell me it will be ok." Eiso said nothing.


Barely waiting for Eiso to land Anzo jumped jumped off landing in a crouch concentrating a large amount of power in his left hand. If even half of his fears were true he might need it soon. It was eerily quiet. The deck creaked as eiso shifted her wait. "wait here" Anzo quietly drew his sword from it's sling on his back. The thought stuck him as odd as it was, that the ship was beautiful with the setting sun casting orange and pink through the sky. Painting a beautiful picture of of grim reality. Bringing himself back to the situation at hand he strode forward and entered the captains quarters.
 
Glarriva pressed her cheek against Lynden's chest when he pulled her closer. She listened to the vibrations of his voice as he spoke to her, understanding how she felt better than the Queen had imagined. To an outsider, it misght seem strange that Lynden watched her for so long, but in reality, everyone watched her all the time. It wasn't strange that Lynden knew these things about her, and the fact the he could see her pain made her feel upset but relieved at the same time. She tried so hard to hid all of her pain for the sake of the kingdom. It was refreshing to have someone there who actually understood and cared about her trials.

The priestess Queen started to cry while Lynden mentioned her past sorrows. This wasn't a deep sobbing or anything dramatic, but Lynden could feel the small convulsions of her strained breathing, yet she was holding him tighter and tighter as he kept speaking. When he finally stopped and backed away to look at her, she had tears running down her cheeks.

"And I will continue to watch over you, Riva, as your knight, if you would so have it." He smiled.

Glarriva smiled at him and nodded. "I think I would like that very much, Lynden." She put her head back on his chest and hugged him tightly. "It's almost time to depart, yet I feel like we haven't had enough time together...when..." She backed off slightly to look at Lynden. ​"When will I see you again?"
 
The captain's quarters were exactly what one would expect. There was a desk in the center, paintings of the ship lined the walls, a globe rested in the front corner of the room, there was a wine cabinet along a small portion of the wall, and the captain's bunk was nestled away in the far back corner. Nothing seemed amiss at this point. There was nothing noteworthy in sight, everything seemed clean. The soft wind whistled at a slightly cracked window making the only notable sound in the room.

This was perplexing, a situation in which the crew members of a lively ship seemed to vanish into thin air. Anzo would have never heard of anything like this happening before, and that might make this situation feel a little more stressful. The fact that not a single trace of activity was left behind was disturbing. Not even the boot prints of the sailors could be seen upon the deck, it was literally like the entire ship had been cleaned from stern to bow. The only lead Anzo evidently had was literally nothing.
 
Well, we could take a horse out to the elven lands. I had this whole thing worked out in my head.

Lynden smiled, then shrugged. "I leave soon for the barracks to finish my training. So likely, it will be when you put the sword to my neck." Lynden jested to lighten the mood. He was, after all, good at this. "So until then, try not to visit distant lands without my accompanying you. And work on a good disguise."

He raised her hand to his lips again. "Take care, Riva."


The hours following that, he was walking on clouds. He was merry, and laughing hard, and joining in on singing. He felt like a new man. He felt as if he was a new man. Though he may have gotten dirty looks from several people for his monopolizing the Queen's time, he didn't care. And it was only until he was in his bed that he let his mood die down.
 
Glarriva laughed at Lynden's jokes, even though she knew he really did mean them, except maybe the disguise part. "Very well then, Lynden. You have my promise." She said with a smile as he kissed her hand once more.

The night ended with Lynden in high spirits, no amount of jeer from Neil could bring him down, no disappointed glances from his father could harm his spirits, not even the scorn of a small number of nobles could dishearten this fellow. The night went on beautifully and ended with Lynden in his bed, only twenty four hours away from his departure back to the barracks. This round of training wouldn't last nearly as long as most sessions. It was really only a month long test, the end of which determined your status as knight or not, then you deployed immediately with a regiment, after the knighting ceremony of course.

Lynden slept well that night. Probably better than he had ever slept in his life. The next morning brought some different news to the young Lynden. Sometime in his sleep, someone had slipped a note under his door. Should Lynden open it, it would read:

Dearest Lynden,

I have long known your passions towards The Priestess Queen, as you might have known mine. But yesterday evening I saw those passions in full bloom. The way your eyes lit up upon first seeing the Queen, the way you blushed when she talked to you...It really was beautiful. I can look at myself and say that I feel for the Queen, and I may wish to marry her, but your feelings are greater. Everyone saw it last night, and that is why I am warning you with this letter...

Her advisers are displeased and are trying to forbid her to see you. They are even trying to forbid your knighting. Brother, you must not see Glarriva again if you truly wish to become a knight. If you want to protect her with you life, you must detach your feelings for her and only serve as her knight. They do not see political gain in the Queen being your friend thus they do not wish for this friendship to come to fruition.

Brother, I tell you this not out of jealousy nor spite, but out of love. I want you to do what is best for you and I do not want anything to get in the way. Please try to understand that this is how things have to be. I'm beyond sorry.

Max

This was distressing news indeed...Lynden's fate hung in the balance...what would become of his knighthood, his friendship with Glarriva, and what would the nobles think?
 
Wind. That's all that Anzo found. After a few moments he realized that he was just standing there sword at the ready in an empty room. Ten years to the day. Ten years ago he had lost his home and his family and now it seemed to be happening again. Trying to stave off his self pity and deal with the matter at hand he reached for his magic and it answered. With a few well chosen words he cast a simple spell to detect magic and it's nature. With his sword still drawn Anzo finished searching the the cabin before heading below decks.
 
The detect magic spell would have manifested rather quickly. Upon casting, almost instantly, the cracked open window started glowing bright purple. The window was enchanted, the glass contained swirls of purple and blue particles. Not only did the window glow, the globe in the corner glowed bright blue as well. This globe has been here since Anzo could remember and that window had always been there as well. Something was strange here, something odd was happening and no detect magic spell could determine the exact happenings.
 
That night, Lynden dreamt of wild passions and adventures. And when he awoke, he nearly jumped out of bed. He was so ready for his training to be finished. He nearly got a practice sword and started routines then, but a white piece of parchment by his door distracted him. He eyed it for a moment, before lifting it and reading it, half expecting it to be a letter from one of his friends that he forgot to put away.

But as he read it, his blood began to boil. He had to stop several times to calm himself before returning to it. When he was done, he ripped the pages in half, kicked his table over, and threw a painting from the wall across the room, shattering the frame. He screamed, threw wild punches, and kicked the walls.

He was angry, but not at his brother. His brother went through great lengths to make Lynden see that he sympathized with him. No, he was angry at everyone else. Her advisers, the nobility, the world, and even her, for getting so close to him just to have a wedge be driven between them. He cursed the few God's names he could think of, then sat by the window, staring out at the yard and the view that he could see. He sat there for hours, before he fixed his room, took out some parchment, then started writing. It took him the rest of the day to write the letter. He had to restart several times because of wording and spelling. Finally, as the evening came and the night drew darker, Lynden finished the letter, folded it, and put it in an envelope, then laid back in his bed, his head swimming, before he was finally allowed the respite that is known as sleep.

He awoke early and gather his things quickly. He had packed for his return trip a week before, so it didn't take long. He traveled the halls to the lobby, where he knew his mother would be waiting to see him off, as she does every year. This time, he wasn't smiling.

"This is the last time we'll do this, Mother." Lynden said softly, and kissed her cheek. "I have a request. Could you deliever this to Maxim when he returns here? I suspect he wont go on a campaign for a while, so he's sure to be back here. Just give him that, will you?"

He would wait for her answer before kissing her forehead. "Thank you Mother... I love you."

As the sun began to rise, Lynden was on his horse, bags strapped in, traveling down the worn dirt roads. He couldn't help be think of his letter.

Dear Brother,

Why do we adore loyalty to freedom? I think about the concept, and I cannot come up with a reasonable answer. Is loyalty doing what must be done for the greater good, or doing what makes yourself happy? Is it loyalty to sacrifice your being for others who will not even notice like a dog, or to live for yourself free from the whims of others? We are told as humans that we were once beasts, and that we were given favor by the Gods. Yet, we live together and squander that freedom that liberated us.

I understand loyalty to a degree. I know it because I have learned it for the past eleven years. Yet, I feel I am not loyal to my country, nor the idea of of the Queen, but to Glarriva herself. Does that not make me loyal?

She is hurting Brother. She is hurting because she is alone. She does not want to be wed, yet she carries on and shoulders the burdens of an entire country, meanwhile our neighbors look to her with hungry eyes for both her body and power. Am I loyal if I allow the hounds to feast?

I am lost, Brother. Is this to be my destiny? How do we not know if we are destined for so much more?

I ask you, because I look up to you, Brother. You have proven to be Father's heir, and proven with your devotion and conviction to be Lumina's shield. I know we have argued at length, and you felt you had to prove your swordsmanship superior, despite our age difference, but I now see past all of that. If anyone were to know the answers I seek, it would be you.

But know this Brother, if you so choose to marry Glarriva as Father insists, then I shall have no Big Brother to look up to no more. I will not smile while my Brother twists the knife in my back, and its to be expected that I protect you both from the same thing.

I await your answers, but do not write me. I will be spending my time focused solely on my trails. Loyalty or not, I have worked too hard to not see this through. Once I return and I am knighted, I will listen.

Lynd
 
Anzo walked over to the globe, unsure how or if it played into this puzzle some how. Anzo turned the globe so that he could see Jenei and let a finger brush across it... Setting his jaw he moved to inspect the window more closely. "Captin Wroth has to be somewhere"Anzo murmured as he leaned to look out the window.
 
The day of trials had fallen upon him. Lynden kissed his loving mother goodbye as a Squire for the last time in his life. She was put off by his lack of happiness, but she tried to show how proud she was of him by wishing him all the best and telling him how much she loved him. She agreed to give Lynden's letter to Maxim, and she even said she would tell Tyke he said goodbye when he got up for the morning. This was the beginning of the end of a major chapter in Lynden's life.

The road to the barracks seemed longer than normal. It was paved with restless thoughts and pains beyond physical. Even the dust stirred up by the wind seemed thicker than usual. This road had never been so hard to travel. The good had little room here, but it was the thought of finally being knighted at the end of this road the made the venture bearable.

Lynden knew what to expect when he arrived at the Barracks. He had heard stories from his brothers about being ambushed by the trainers and the other Squires who arrived before you. It was incentive to arrive earlier rather than later. This was the beginning of the knight trials. You never knew what would come at you and from where, just like in the field. There would be days where you are dragged out into the wilderness with no supplies, alone, and expected to make it back to the barracks alive. There are other trials too, but they all varied. The ambush and the survival test were traditions.

About one fourth a league away from the barracks, Lynden was stopped by one of his fellow Squires. It was Albert, a brilliant lance user with a leaders soul. Behind him were seven of the other squires. Him and Lynden made nine squires total.

"We were waiting for you Lynden. Your skills with the sword will be needed in this upcoming battle. I'm positive you know of the ambush. I have been here for hours, so i doubt any other Squires have made their way to the Barracks, so we will just have the trainers to deal with, but go in expecting more than ten just to be cautious. Now that you're here, ready your weapons men! We shall not fall today! For the Priestess Queen Glarriva!!" Albert gave his speech and hoisted his training lance into the air, kicking his horse into action, leading the charge towards the barracks!
 
When Anzo touched the globe, the wind around the ship shifted...this must be how Wroth always caught up to even the fastest pirate ships...As for the window, looking out of it produced no abnormal results, but touching it seemed to send a sharp pain through Anzo's arm. The pain isn't crippling, but it is enough to smart. The window also glowed a bright red when it was touched. Other than the pain, nothing else seemed amiss.
 
"Guess Capt.Wroth didn't want any one trying to sneak in through the window" Anzo muttered as he flexed his smarting hand. "Maybe every one is below deck throwing a party" Anzo laughed dryly. Knowing that what ever had happened here, it wasn't going to be something he would celebrate.


"Nothing" he said almost accusingly to Eiso as he stormed out of the cabin. Swearing under his breath, something he had become quite proficient at. " I'll get to the bottom of this if i have to get it from Palaliphis Himself!" Anzo tried not to see the alarm he caused on Eiso's face. He moved to go down below deck almost at a run. Thinking about what this would mean for him, and berating himself for beng so selfish when his friends where missing.
 
Below deck Anzo wouldn't see anything at first. This wasn't the "below deck" he was used to. All of the crew's personal items were missing. Even Anzo's stuff was missing. The galley was empty of cookware and dishes, the bunks had no mattresses, and the foot chests at the end of the beds were empty...then suddenly, Anzo heard a voice behind him.

"Bloody Hell! Capn' said that should have been all of them! Get him!" A gruff looking human pirate unsheathed his sword and rushed towards Anzo. The human had two companions with him as well, a halfling and another human. All three of them used cutlass type swords. The first human to move attempted a vertical slash against Anzo, aiming to slash his chest.
 
Relief flooded through Anzo even as the three pirates came at him. This was an enemy he knew how to fight, unlike the despair of not knowing. No one would ever call Anzo an imposing figure. At only 4' 10" with a slim swimmers physic he seemed just a child to the eyes of most humans, even with all of his piercings. But something in that moment, the look in his fae eyes. The manic joy found there would make even the most hardened fighter think twice.


Anzo would try reaching out to the human in the front with his fathers gauntlet he grabed with the invisible hand that had extended much farther than his arm should be. Pulling the gruff humans leg from under him, and sliding his sword between his ribs before he hit the deck. Yes, this was familiar territory. Simple is better. This is was Anzo had learned by fighting other mages. A fire ball can be turned back against you, but a blade between the ribs always ended the fight. One of Anzo's favorite spells against pirates was one of the simplest. He had created a variant of the Bubble head spell that some use to breath under water. But instead of filtering oxygen in, it sucked it out. He called upon that power now,turning his attention to the other human. Yes, simple is better.
 
The gruff human fell backward as the invisible hand yanked his ankle. Anzo's blade slid smoothly into the pirate's torso, cutting the flesh easier than a hot knife cuts butter. The elven curved short blade was keen and true, rarely missing it's mark. The other two pirates didn't stop their assault, however, and they still attempted to attack the magical elf. This was a big mistake on their part, for Anzo had more than enough experience fighting pirate thugs like these.

With a quick wave of his hand, Anzo's will overcame the pirates and created an invisible bubble of air around their heads. These two prates were not trained well in the arcane arts, thus they couldn't defend themselves well against a mage of Anzo's caliber. The two fell to the ground, grabbing at their faces as Anzo used his arcane skills to "vacuum" the air from his magical bubble. The men died a slow, suffocating death, unless Anzo put them out of their misery sooner.

Movements could be heard coming from the galley...
 
The man and half-ling tried to gasp for air that wasn't there, strangely muted by the bubble. They where defenseless before him. Anzo could just walk away and leave them to their fate. There was sound coming from the galley. Anzo placed his gauntlet over the face of the half-ling. When he removed it the half-ling was still. He walked over to the man.


Terror was in his eye's, and he was right to be afraid. But his blood would not be on Anzo's hands. Capt. Wroth and Anzo had come to an understanding early in there time together,any that Anzo could take alive capt. Wroth would hold a trial for when they went ashore. Partly so that the island's citizens who had been victimized could have some closure and a sense of justice. But secretly Anzo didn't like the feeling of killing the defenseless, even these scum.


Standing, he lifted his hand from the mans face. Turning towards the galley Anzo silently prayed that Capt Wroth was still alive to judge, because if not. Anzo would not be so lenient this night. Leaving the two sleeping men, Anzo Set his mind to the task at hand. Someone was in the galley and he would find out who.
 
Upon entering the galley, Anzo notice a man pulling powder kegs out of the sink...large barrels that should not fit in the sink...The man was big and burley, his muscles bulged as he heaved and pulled the kegs out one by one, standing them up next to him. These kegs had no fuses, however, and that usually meant that some form of magic triggered them to detonate. Did this man hold the key to their detonation?

"Huh?" The giant man turned around and stared at Anzo with confused eyes. "Where's me mates, eh?" The large man asked as he placed another keg on the floor and wiped his brow. He leaned over and reached into the sink, keeping an eye on Anzo, and puled out a large flat blade. "I fink ye killed me mates." The man readied his blade and stood with a tattooed palm stretched toward Anzo, his blade held over his shoulder.
 
Anzo didn't like the look of those tattoos. As soon as he had walk into the room the he knew this man would be trouble. He turned around from pulling powder kegs out of the sink, maybe an extra dimensional space of some kind? "Where's me mates eh?" Anzo hoped the giant of a man wouldn't notice his ruse. It was risky using illusions against other magic users, and taxing to make one this realistic."I fink ye killed me mates!" the smelly human bellowed. Off to the side the real Anzo watched hoping the shadows would cover his imperfect invisibility. with sweat on his brow as he tried to throw his voice and keep the illusion believable. " They are alive, just a simple sleeping spell. So how bout we settle this the old fashion way without blowing up the ship." The illusion readied his sword just as the real one readied to pounce at the first opening.
 
"Hahaha! Right then! I hope yer as skilled wish a sword as yer mates were!" An evil grin spread across the man's face as the tattoos on the man's hand glowed red. He grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands now, and swung a swift swing towards the illusion, causing a beam of energy to lash off of the blade, whipping towards the torso of the illusion.

Anzo would notice that the man had indeed fallen for the trick. Making the illusion dodge such an attack would cost a good bit of stamina and concentration. But the man didn't make a move away from the barrels. With those barrels within the brute's reach, he could easily detonate them. But Anzo needed to act quickly. If the Illusion is destroyed, it could blow his cover, but if the illusion remains, Anzo might lose a good chance to attack.
 
"haha! Alright then! I hope yer as skilled with a sword as your mates where." Tatoos glowed red as he grasped his sword,a clear giveaway that he was about to unleash his magic. Anzo was ready for him. As soon as he started to swing his sword the illusion dove through the door and to the side out of the galley. "What can't go toe to toe with a kid not half your size without magic?" Anzo's voice rang from the other room. He needed to end this soon." Maybe I will finish your mates if you want to play like that." With the illusion out of line of sight of the smelly human Anzo released it, if this farce didn't work it would do nothing more than drain him any way. The sound of Anzo's "footsteps" running down toward the prisoners was all that was left of him. Follow him damn it! If this didn't work he would be in a tight stop, this was his one chance.
 
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