Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Maestoso.

The roaring of the wooden wheels came to a stop, the carriage bobbing up and down violently before coming to a complete halt, jetting the teary-eyed one awake, the exhausted lamp that had flickered its last spark shortly before fell onto the ground, its glass shattering after a loud thud, sending a swift shiver down their spine… How long had they been held captive? It must've been less than a week, four days at most, as they slowly rose up in a sitting position, rubbing their eyes whilst the carriage’s door slowly opened, letting the morning’s light flood in. Along with it came the reverberating buzz of flowing water, the chanting of songbirds, a vast greenery outside that was completely alien to the nature they had grown used to call home. 

 

They swiftly moved closer, mesmerized by the beautiful green glow that the grass had, their eyes glowing with a childlike wonder they had never felt before. They could feel their heart begin to beat faster and faster, excitement growing, noticing that the cell's door was unlocked, open. They flinched, the possibility of this being but a trap flew across their mind, thinking that if they walked out then… But despite the risk of the action being clear as day, they weren't willing to let this chance escape them. And so, with resolve unparalleled, they pushed the cell's door open, walking out and looking around themselves, scanning the area.

 

The group of carriages that formed the company had stopped just shy of a massive city, its gigantic walls almost completely surrounding it, only breaking to let a lake connected breathe. Utgard wasn't one that made much contact with water, as a matter of fact, the azure waves crashing onto the distant shore and the ships that rode them were completely new territory, a territory that they were very eager to explore, they were starving for something new, the darkened haze pervading their cell slowly driving them insane, and they weren't gonna let it escape from them. Before they could move, a familiar hand grasped at their shoulder, tugging back at them lightly, causing the bard to flinch. They looked back, meeting their guards' gaze, looking down upon realizing that the beauty of the scenery was not for their eyes. Ennui looked at them, a spark of pity striking his nerve as he felt the need to… err "ease" it on them, so he pointed his finger at the city, turning the bards' face to see within the walls; -"That's Ghotishaven"- he began, -"It's the biggest sweetwater fish exporter that the Brassborn republic has access to. It’s also the captain’s hometown.”- The prisoner tilted their head at the mention of “Brassborn”, unsure of what exactly it meant, but ignoring that doubt that they held, they kept on looking past the city, staring directly at the vast greens that surrounded the area, nothing like the withering acres that they called home. 

 

Noticing this, the reptile cracked a slight smile, mimicking the bard’s stare of awe and slowly speaking once more; -”It also houses a domesticated grove, just shy of the city’s walls.”- This caused Utgard’s eyes to light up in joy, as they began to try and rush off, stopped by their guards’ firm grasp. -”I’ll escort you there, don’t worry.”- He spoke, his soft voice taking the role not of apprehension, rather as a reassurance, -”But first, the captain asked for everyone to attend a meeting… including you.”- He choked out that last part, visibly unhappy, as he grasped the musician’s hands violently grabbing a piece of tightrope from his satchel and tying their hands together, restricting all movement and slightly slowing the blood flow in the bound areas. It stung, but as the bard attempted to muster out a grunt, their mouth was also covered by a purple veil, which was donned with an insignia reminiscent of that found below Ennui’s eye. At first, they wondered why such a thing was necessary, but thinking back at their first escape revealed that this was just a way for the company to tell that they were attempting to vocalize, and perhaps attempt to cast a spell once more, giving them the perfect window to stop their action. Despite this, they didn’t seem to mind, as the pain they felt the first time was something they didn’t wish to repeat, rather they were more annoyed by the burning that the ropes left on their hand, because of that, they shot a look at their guard, which simply looked ahead at the city once more. Slowly, the rest of the company began to slowly move towards the city’ entrance, a mass of people shifting, their chattering voices, each person with a different imprint, be it heavy or soft, created a grand cacophony, as the mercenary group strutted across the stone roads that carpeted Ghotishaven.  

 

The city itself had a rustic, somehow nostalgic appearance, the simplistic wooden structures and the simple garments that the citizens inhabiting it wore reminded the teary-eyed bard of the “pure” and “inoffensive” standards that the monastery they had spent their entire life in promoted. From each part of the city, they could get a perfect view of both its humongous walls and the pristine lakeview. The former were decorated with a vast array of banners and emblems, a pattern cut off and repeated by the watchtowers that split it, each of which was inhabited by both watchmen and archers, Meanwhile the latter seemed completely unspoilt by mankind’s touch, barring the dock carpeting its river. Despite the beauty that this city held, they couldn’t help but feel like most of it was… spoiled, to an extent, by its denizens, specifically their particularly rude behaviour. The most passive of them would simply glare at the company, their stares piercing whoever was unfortunate enough to cross them first, while the most “outspoken” of them would go as far as to spit on the very ground the mercenaries walked on.. that is if they missed their faces directly. 

 

It didn’t exactly take long for the company to reach their destination, a grand and empty inn, evidently run-down and completely dark, its door creaking loudly as the captain kicked it down with uncontrolled violence, some could have sworn that the entire building shook. The group swiftly followed suit, multiple candles being lit as the mercenaries slowly rolled in, easily flooding the entire building. A man swiftly rose onto a table, his leather vest and jet black eyepatch complimenting his hazel hair and tanned complexion, the greatsword on their back shimmering in the dim candlelight, their expression carved into a self-assured smirk. Seeing him sent shivers down Utgard’s spine, memories of their first attempt at freedom flooding back their mind… this was them, sure as the morning sun’s rise. 

 

-”My good companions!”- He yelled out; -”I cannot begin to thank you all for your support during this journey, truely, you people are the heroes that Hymnfall needed!”- an armored figure approached his side, their features slim and sharp, very clearly unmuscular, the helmet covering their entire face. -”Now then, I am sure that the treatment you people got when entering this town wasn’t what that title I just draped on you guys would be met with, but you shan't forget that you’re still, well… Criminals.”- the bard looked up to their caretaker, whose gaze was fixed on the company’s leader, that ice cold gaze that Utgard had come to fear during their first days was now in full display, piercing the eyepatch wearing man. At least, they found solace that it wasn’t directed to them this time. -”I like to believe that i was quite clear when i first informed you lot of the mission, but due to recent events, i figured that a good refresher wasn’t going to toss your thick skulls into a frenzy.”- Following Alexander’s claim, multiple enraged voices began to rise, all silenced by the knight’s blade slamming against the hard and cold wooden surface. -”...As I was sayin’, you people are tasked to help me accomplish two very simple tasks: Bring that purple haired fellow along for the ride safely, making sure they don’t get hurt, And help me… ‘Borrow’ a few relics.”- Unsurprised by the evident excitement that the man expressed towards casual theft, the bard let out an exasperated sigh, their attention beginning to shift towards the people surrounding them.

 

They were surrounded by a multitude of unique silhouettes, some resembling humans, others with an appearance more reminiscent of Ennui himself, some rather resembling humanoid avians, their wings taking up an uncomfortable amount of space around them. One thing was certain to them, Alexander clearly didn’t discriminate the people that he hired for this… “mission”, as the bard could easily notice the scars carpeting their visages, the generally ominous glare that each and every single member of the company gave off… which… confused them. Why didn’t they feel this uneasy feeling towards their guard anymore? They thought about them once more, their mind racing back to days prior, when the two “spoke”, face to face, the reptile’s demeanor had become softer, more understanding, while the bard thought, and partially, wanted to reassure themselves that it was simply pity, that they shouldn’t bring their hopes up to get closer to a person like him, and that he was simply doing his job and that he would abandon them the moment he had to, part of them couldn’t cease to wonder if perhaps there was something else to his behavior, be it a personal interest in Utgard, maybe the bard reminded him of a sibling of his? whatever the case, it wasn’t for now to dwell on. 

 

As they came back to reason, they noticed that the conversation had ended, with the people rushing out of the building, some approaching the bar section of the inn, the sea of figures confusing them, as their very being was bumped in different directions time and time again. Their breathing sped up, beads of sweat forming on their forehead as they attempted to make their way towards the door. Their constant failure made their panic worse, as they slowly began to huddle downwards, afraid. This changed the moment they felt a warm touch on their shoulder, that hand covered in scales that they had felt already before. They turned around, looking upwards and meeting their protector’s gaze, who simply sighed in relief, grasping their arm and leading them out the building. 

 

-”I did promise you”- He spoke, his voice soft once more as he led the bard down the citadel’s streets. -”The captain wasn’t exactly thrilled when I brought the idea up, but he relented in the end… that is with a caveat.”- Upon mentioning that, the same armored figure from before jolted next to the duo, startling Utgard. -”I don’t understand what made you think this was a good idea, brute.”- Her voice, despite being thwarted by the helmet’s thick metal, was still distinctly feminine, as she spit venom directly in Ennui’s direction. -”Valentina, you shouldn’t stress over matters this innocent”- He answered; -”And besides, you should probably remove your helmet before people begin to ask questions.”- the reptile’s claim was met with a grunt of annoyance, as the figure removed the helmet from their head. The knight wasn’t distinctly human in nature, her figure was reminiscent of that of a honeybee, her large black eyes and bouncing antennae making it hard to keep up the obviously serious demeanor she desperately wanted to give off. Seeing the antennae especially, the bard struggled to hold in a laugh, yet succeeded after the captain’s right hand woman brought the tip of her blade directly to the bottom of their jaw. -”...As for you, I expect no less than full obedience.”- those few seconds felt like years, that very moment the prisoner could focus and see perfectly the ornate details running across the rapier’s edge, the decorated hilt, the… scar that Valentina donned across her right eye.

 

Ennui lowered the knight’s blade, sighing at their partner’s display of poor temper. -”They won’t be trying anything.”- to this claim, the knight instantly displayed curiosity, she gave one more look- or rather, glare at Utgard, before speaking once more; -”And how do you know that?”- the bard stepped back seeing the two begin to bicker more and more as they walked, between insults hauled and blows exchanged in the middle of the street, the prisoner began to wonder just how rocky the past between the two co-workers really was, however this curiosity wasn’t gonna meet an answer soon, considering the… violence the knight was very keen to use. The walk towards the grove’s entrance wasn’t exactly a long one, but it was just enough for both Ennui and Valentina to be covered in bruises at their arrival, one could only shiver thinking of the violence of their strikes behind closed doors. 

 

-”Orchestrator help me- I'll scout ahead, don’t get yourselves killed”- She yelled, storming forwards and into the grove’s entrance, as the reptile and the bard were simply left there, confused as to whether following her was a good idea. Alas, they lacked a choice in the matter, and so reluctantly followed the bossy individual deeper within the vegetation. 

 

The green treetops, the lively fauna dwelling within the sylvan landscape, it all caused the prisoner’s heart to flutter, the familiar yet completely alien pastures of a life that had been robbed from them since birth, they couldn’t help but tear up at the sight of this all. Instinctively, they attempted to grasp a hold of their lyre, struggling due to the rope tying their arms together. Upon noticing this, the reptile swiftly took action, using their claws to undo the rope’s knot, freeing the bard’s and allowing them to brandish their instrument once more. They took deep breaths, savoring the absence of human noise, basking in the wind’s poetic flow, the bird’s singing, the leaves fluttering. Slowly, they began to strum the tool’s chords lightly, a single note, repeated to the tune of the breeze’s flowing, slowly developing, what began as a simple mimicking of nature’s cry began to morph into an ode to the wind itself, it’s tempo speeding up as the air currents rose, and slowing down to match their halt. This bucolic hymn continued and refused to cease, the bard’s eyes closing, their steps becoming light as those of a ladybug. Witnessing this, the guard laid against the trunk of a tree, refusing to step in, simply watching as the musician let their soul bleed out its very essence in one ravished song. He couldn’t exactly grasp what captured him about the performance, the bard’s technique wasn’t among the most sophisticated he’d seen, effectively it shouldn’t hold anything special… and yet he couldn’t bring himself to look away. 

 

During the spectacle, during its very climax, the two beings crossed gazes. 

 

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Despite the bard still playing, silence surrounded them.

 

…

 

Noticing this, Ennui instantly glared in the opposite direction, being met with the same reaction from Utgard. The playing stopped for a while, the embarrassment of the situation finally setting in, the bard had never played for an audience, and it showed, their fingers beginning to tremble and the inspiration that inundated them completely disappearing. -”...You don’t have to stop”- Ennui spoke; -”For me or- Anyone for that matter.”- He approached the bard, driving their hand back to the lyre, -”You shouldn’t let the presence of someone else ruin this for you.”- hearing this, they simply nodded, resuming their song once more. The reptile stood silently over the bard, their art slowly arising once more, this time less ravished, more calm, their golden eyes closing once more, the welcoming darkness of their mind becoming the only thing they let themselves focus on.

 

That didn’t last, however, as a roar all too familiar to Utgard, deafening and unending, arose from not too far. The two froze, as Ennui dashed towards the noise whilst unsheathing his blade and shield. Then and there, the prisoner realized that this was the perfect distraction to attempt an escape, however, despite their own judgment, they decided to follow Ennui deeper within the forest. The screeches of the beast grew louder and more violent as they approached, prompting the birds around the area to scramble in terror, and making the trees shiver like a cold limb. The notion of even running towards the beast was nonsense to Utgard, they knew how brutal they could be firsthand, and knowing that Ennui intended to fight it made it all so much worse. Whilst the prisoner silently panicked, the reptile kept on slicing his way through the thick verdure, amputating any tree's limb that threatened to slow him down. The howling didn’t cease, rather it only grew more and more ravenous, the sinking feeling within the bard’s heart getting worse. 

 

Once the group reached the source of the noise, they couldn’t help but stand dumbfounded by the spectacle going on in front of their very eyes. 

 

The knight’s blade shimmered, dancing and gliding across the verdant carpeting of the forest, each strike delivered to the demonic creature carrying itself with startling precision and stunning elegance, the air blowing filled with a mixture of blades of grass and otherworldly blood. It screeched, screamed, its laments falling to an audience of deaf ears, as the butcher's strikes only grew more and more frequent, the ornate glimmer of their weapon’s edge blinding the spectators. The beast couldn’t do more but attempt to limp away, the onslaught having robbed them of vital limbs, its fluids staining the verdure a deep and dark maroon. The blademaster simply stood tall, watching unimpressed, almost bored, as her prey squirmed, desperately clinging onto any faint hope of survival. At last, satisfied with the damage she’d done, she simply placed the very tip of her rapier onto the creature’s head, taking a breath and-

 

One movement, a wrist’s flick, the deafening sound of a skull being pierced.

 

Life disappearing from its body.

 

The two simply stood there, observing as Valentina slowly retreated her weapon from the creature’s head, turning her gaze towards the nature that it had come in contact with. The bard followed her gaze, noticing that the plants that had been touched by the creature’s blood had quickly begun to rot, turning a deep shade of purple. Seeing this, her expression contorted into one of utter disgust, as she approached the two. -”...Take the Moonwalker back to base, I’ll alert the authorities about the outbreak.”- She began to walk away, turning back only to usher one more thing; -”...For a Sandbeater, your inaction is appalling.”- And so, she disappeared within the verdant walls of the grove, leaving the bard confused, and the reptile utterly speechless.

 

Following a moment of tacit shame from Ennui, he grasped Utgard’s arm, dragging them violently towards the exit of the grove, refusing to throw a glance towards them, rushing at a quick pace. The prisoner struggled to understand what had just transpired, but they understood that… whatever the knight had said, it tilted the reptile heavily. Their entire trip back towards the camp was silent, no words ushered from the guard, nor any effort made by the prisoner to get an answer.

 

…

 

Once they returned, Ennui let the bard recoup alone in their cell, waiting for them to fall asleep. His hand shivered, his own claws digging into his arm, he’d suffered insults before, not just from her, the members of the company were used to tearing into each other for the most minute reason, but right then and there, that claim on either laziness or fear, the fact that she felt like she had the right to address him by species, it made his wrath boil, his tail swinging wildly, his entire body trying to exude the piling stress non-violently. At that exact moment, when they felt like the only way to blow off steam would be punching a hole through the carriage’s wall, a hand grasped their shoulder firmly, another one delivering a strong blow in the middle of his back. He gasped for air, meeting the gaze of their assailant; -”Well, at least you didn’t let ‘em run… s’an improvement!”- Instantly, they stepped away, turning completely to face them directly, -”...Thank you, sir.”-. The captain’s face was still carved into a disturbed smirk, their hair flowing in the sundown’s breeze.

 

-”Now, with the good things out of the way…”- that smile disappeared in an instant, as he grasped the reptile’s neck firmly, dragging their face towards their own and bringing them to their knees. Stunned by the sudden display of force, Ennui could do nothing but listen, his eyes shrinking. -”...I don’t know what was up with your request today, but i feel like i have to remind you.”- Swiftly, he brought a knife to the reptile’s eye, its tip caressing their lower brow, threatening to plunge into his flesh at any moment’s notice; -”Don’t forget that this is simply business, understood?”- Ennui nodded, as Alexander’s smile returned, letting go of their grasp and allowing the guardian to take breaths once more. 

 

He waved, leaving them alone, letting him recover from the shock.

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