Brigit's Flame All Stars - Week 2 - Shaken by a low sound
The sun was setting over the Great Cathedral of Albria, its red-gold orb looking caught amongst the spires like a jewel on a crown. The sky was painted in shades of crimson and orange, bathing the crowd below in a ruddy light.
Smudge lay on her stomach on the edge of one of the nearby dormitories, her crossbow trained on the stage below. She stayed low, using the shadow of the decorative merlons she lay between for cover. The procession had already filed out and the formally boisterous crowd was hushed, anticipating the doom of the man kneeling on the platform in the center of the stage.
She had been surprised when she burst into Phillip's house the night before, ready to plead for his help in saving Armen from his fate, only to find that Phillip was already plotting to do so. She had been sure she'd have to talk him into it, that it was going to be a test of all her patience to get him to see that it wasn't just the old man's fault that he had gotten caught, but that in getting caught up in all the murky politics going on, they had almost certainly brought this upon him.
But there he had been, pacing his study, books scattered everywhere, cooking up a plot to rescue Armen that most likely would have cost him his own life. She was glad he had listened to reason and let her help. Together, they at least had a chance.
She let out a long breath to calm her nerves and stretched her fingers one by one, keeping her grip on the crossbow relaxed as she watched for Phillip's signal. The lord Justice began his reading of the charges against Armen, and when he gave the church's verdict the crowd went wild, all too ready to see blood.
Phillip leapt onto the stage as the lord Justice gave his declaration. Her finger slid over the trigger and she readied herself, thankful that the target was obvious enough she could get him sighted in before Phillip had to point him out.
Phillip strode forward, his dramatic costume flowing out around him... And held up his hands to quiet the crowd. Smudge groaned inwardly. This was not the plan. Leave it to Phillip to take the most dangerous moment of his life and turn it into a lecture. Was he insane?
To her surprise, the crowd was so shocked they did indeed quiet, and Phillip began to speak.
“They say history is written by the victor,” he called out in the tones of an orator. “It would serve you all well to remember that notions such as law can also be rewritten to suit the needs of those in power. And remember also, that in time - perhaps sooner than you think - those laws may be forced to change again.”
He leveled his staff at the golem controller -Smudge's signal- and motioned with his free hand for he Justice to stay where he was.
“Sometimes, however, one just has to deal with the fact that they are the laws, and settle for flagrantly disregarding them. Now, if you would be so kind as to release him, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to continue my rudely interrupted consorting.”
As Phillip declared his hostility those on the stage began to move again, their shock overcome. A bad feeling had set itself, heavy, in the pit of Smudge's stomach at those words. They had an effect on the crowd. The silence was broken, and where they were all calling for the blood of Armen before, now some called out against the church.
Now, amongst all the other charges that could be leveled at them, they were inciting revolution. The church's power in politics was wavering as it was. They'd be hunted twice as hard for this.
There was no time to worry about it now, twice damned was still damned. Smudge let out her breath and took her shot, the blunted bolt sailing out to catch the golem's controller square in the chest.
Smudge held her breath, praying that the enchantment Phillip laid held true. The golem controller swayed a moment, then fell heavily to the ground. Quickly, without waiting to see how the golem reacted, she ducked her head and covered her eyes with her arms.
Below, Phillip unleashed his spell, a brilliant flash of light that blinded those on the stage, followed by a deep booming, not unlike a peal of thunder. The cathedral bells resonated with the sound, and Smudge looked down, shaken somewhat by witnessing just what her friend was capable of.
The golem turned from her to Phillip, readying itself for a charge. Quickly she fired off a shot at the golem, knowing it would be immune to the magic of the bolt, but hoping that it would prove a distraction. The bolt shattered against its head and the giant turned, holding up a bladed arm like a shield. She reloaded another bolt, took aim, and shot the controller again, taking advantage of the fact that the golem would protect its controller first and foremost.
Briefly, she wondered if the effects of the bolts on the controller would be cumulative. They were supposed to keep him unconscious for a few hours, maybe a day each. She really hoped the more bolts she hit him with, the longer he'd be out. It might give them a chance to get far enough ahead of the golem before they had to worry about it getting smarter, under the priest's control.
She shot another bolt at the controller as she watched Phillip dive and grab Armen, pulling him from the stage. The golem charged, leaping from the stage to the square and landing with a deep metallic boom.
"Okay, Phillip," she said softly, "You're on your own from here." With a quick look of regret, she left her crossbow where it was, slipping the extra bolts into a small holster at her hip. It would only hinder her in the chase, and it wasn't something anyone could tie directly to her. In fact, it was one she'd liberated from the armory of the watch not too long ago.
She took a running start and leapt to the next rooftop, scanning ahead for the best route. The golem followed, its long loping strides a rhythmic clank on the street below. She would keep to the rooftops so all she would have to avoid was the golem. There was no guard up here to make her flight more difficult. From here through the market wouldn't be so bad. The buildings were close enough together in places that she could just run across them. As she got to the better sections of town, however, they spread out and it could get tricky.
She ran across the top of the next few buildings, the small gaps between the rooftops not breaking her stride. At the end of the block, she turned left, leaping a larger gap to a lower building and dropping into a roll to cut her momentum. As soon as the golem lost sight of her, it turned as well, putting bladed arms out in front of it and tearing through the wall that was in its way. There were screams of surprise from inside the building and the shop's patrons, along with a terrified shopkeeper, came barreling out the other side, the golem not far behind.
Smudge frowned, her mind working quickly on a new plan. She needed to put distance between her and the golem, and she was sure driving it through building after building would do it, but she couldn't in good conscience do that. On one hand, one of the church's boogeymen destroying half of the marketplace would hurt their political standing further, but on the other, the people in this city had it bad enough trying to make ends meet without her destroying their livelihoods.
She climbed up a short ladder to the adjoining building and glanced back at her pursuer. As it came through the crowded market, it dodged around the milling people, keeping its blades tight to its body. It would not run down an innocent. The people weren't going to slow it much, they were fleeing ahead of it and giving it as wide a path as they could to follow her, but if she could find a smaller place, with a high concentration of people...
She grinned wickedly as the thought came to her. The grand gala that Phillip had been lamenting missing tonight would be perfect! She didn't mind a little bit of collateral damage in that section of town, and there was sure to be a large crowd of people packed into that estate.
She swung over the edge of the rooftop, dropping down into a crouch, and took off at a sprint down the alley. A great leap propelled her at the next wall, and she planted one foot and then the next, seeming to nearly walk up its face before her hands caught the overhang of the roof and pulled her up.
~~***~~
Lord Eritson made his way around the party, checking on his guests and making sure everything was going smoothly. For the past few months he'd been dropping hints about tonight's entertainment, building the anticipation. He was terribly pleased with himself. He was well known for the surprises and entertainment his grand galas always provided, and he was quite sure he was going to outdo himself this time. The training had gone beautifully, and everything was finally ready.
A quartet of Albria's finest musicians played off to one side of the garden, and everybody who was anybody within three days travel of the city was mingling and dancing, enjoying the evening air. There was a feeling of anticipation, for sure, though perhaps not quite how Lord Eritson perceived it. His parties were enjoyable. His guests enjoyed some of the best music and and food anyone could offer. It was a chance to see and be seen.
The entertainment, however, had become a great joke among the nobility. Always, Lord Eritson thought himself clever, dropping hints here and there leading up to the night, promising them a surprise they would never forget. And every time, it was something absolutely banal or ridiculous. Last time it had been a choir of "singing" dogs, all dressed in the latest fashions. The time before that a shadow puppet play about the politics leading up to the battle of Sarnil, that of course ended just before the battle.
Eritson made his way to the stage and peered behind the curtain. "Are we ready?" he whispered to a rather beleaguered looking man who was running around setting up scenery.
"I'm not entirely sure we should go through with this tonight, m'lord. The.. the animals are not playing along. They seem restless for some reason, and I'm not sure they'll perform the way we want them to," the man replied nervously.
"Pish posh. The show must go on! Get them ready. We will start in five minutes!"
"Yes, m'lord," he replied with a sigh, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. He shook his head and set about getting the monkeys costumed and set up for the play.
"Five minutes to curtain call, my friends," Lord Eritson called out, clapping his hands. "Make your way to your seats and prepare yourself for a spectacular play, the likes of which you've never seen before!"
~~***~~
Smudge vaulted over the wall that surrounded the grand estates, hanging a second before carefully dropping down into a crouch. She was nearly there. If she could just get to the other side of this section of town, she could get over the main wall and out to where Phillip was waiting with horses.
Behind her the golem came crashing through the nearby gate, sending even the stalwart watch running in the opposite direction. She took a deep breath, just starting to feel the fatigue working into her muscles, and set off again, running through the twisting streets.
A few blocks down, she saw the estate she was searching for. Grand carriages with beautiful horses filled the front yard, telling of the huge crowd within. The last few stanzas of a stately tune floated over the garden wall, mingling with the sound of murmuring voices and laughter. Smudge grinned and sprinted around the back. She leapt, caught a handhold at the top of the wall and hauled herself up.
On the other side, a huge gathering of nobles sat in semi-circles facing her perch. Their attention, however, was focused on the stage directly below her, where Lord Eritson stood before the closed curtains, announcing the start of his grand surprise.
Smudge stifled a laugh. Behind the curtain were a dozen small, ridiculously dressed monkeys, all chittering and looking nervously around. Some grand entertainment.
The golem's footsteps sounded behind her, quickly closing on her position. She grinned and dropped down from the wall, quietly landing on the stage behind the curtain. At that moment, the curtain raised and Smudge gave an extravagant bow before the crowd. For their part, the assembled nobles looked upon her and the surrounding cast of monkeys with utter confusion. There wasn't a sound from among them.
She laughed and tumbled from the stage, taking off running through the center isle. A second later, chunks of stone crumbled inward as the golem ploughed through. Monkeys scattered, screaming and leaping from place to place, trying to flee the giant monster. The audience became chaos as they realized the golem was not going to stop at the edge of the stage and put on a little show, but that it was coming right for them.
A woman screamed and fainted as a monkey leapt at her and clung to her arm, gibbering in fear. All around people scattered, knocking over chairs, and trying to get out of the way. The garden, however, was too small to hold all of the chaos, and it only served to create a large mass of shoving bodies and fainting fops.
Lord Marwell let out a bellow and drew steel. "Form a defensive line behind the buffet!" He shouted, kicking over the long buffet tables and moving to pull the unconscious woman behind them.
Lord Eritson just stood in the middle of it all, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly in shock, as his party crumbled around him.
Smudge made it to the other side of the garden and glanced back as she took a perch at the top of the wall. The golem was stepping from side to side almost comically, first trying to dodge the crowd one way and then the other. It was so chaotic, people running back and forth, fainting dead away, even a few people trying to engage and attack the golem itself, that the golem couldn't find a way through without hurting anyone.
She took a deep breath and fought down laughter as she leapt off the other side, hitting the ground running. She knew this wouldn't keep it engaged forever, but at least it would give her a chance to get to Phillip, and maybe give them a small head start in their escape.
Smudge lay on her stomach on the edge of one of the nearby dormitories, her crossbow trained on the stage below. She stayed low, using the shadow of the decorative merlons she lay between for cover. The procession had already filed out and the formally boisterous crowd was hushed, anticipating the doom of the man kneeling on the platform in the center of the stage.
She had been surprised when she burst into Phillip's house the night before, ready to plead for his help in saving Armen from his fate, only to find that Phillip was already plotting to do so. She had been sure she'd have to talk him into it, that it was going to be a test of all her patience to get him to see that it wasn't just the old man's fault that he had gotten caught, but that in getting caught up in all the murky politics going on, they had almost certainly brought this upon him.
But there he had been, pacing his study, books scattered everywhere, cooking up a plot to rescue Armen that most likely would have cost him his own life. She was glad he had listened to reason and let her help. Together, they at least had a chance.
She let out a long breath to calm her nerves and stretched her fingers one by one, keeping her grip on the crossbow relaxed as she watched for Phillip's signal. The lord Justice began his reading of the charges against Armen, and when he gave the church's verdict the crowd went wild, all too ready to see blood.
Phillip leapt onto the stage as the lord Justice gave his declaration. Her finger slid over the trigger and she readied herself, thankful that the target was obvious enough she could get him sighted in before Phillip had to point him out.
Phillip strode forward, his dramatic costume flowing out around him... And held up his hands to quiet the crowd. Smudge groaned inwardly. This was not the plan. Leave it to Phillip to take the most dangerous moment of his life and turn it into a lecture. Was he insane?
To her surprise, the crowd was so shocked they did indeed quiet, and Phillip began to speak.
“They say history is written by the victor,” he called out in the tones of an orator. “It would serve you all well to remember that notions such as law can also be rewritten to suit the needs of those in power. And remember also, that in time - perhaps sooner than you think - those laws may be forced to change again.”
He leveled his staff at the golem controller -Smudge's signal- and motioned with his free hand for he Justice to stay where he was.
“Sometimes, however, one just has to deal with the fact that they are the laws, and settle for flagrantly disregarding them. Now, if you would be so kind as to release him, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to continue my rudely interrupted consorting.”
As Phillip declared his hostility those on the stage began to move again, their shock overcome. A bad feeling had set itself, heavy, in the pit of Smudge's stomach at those words. They had an effect on the crowd. The silence was broken, and where they were all calling for the blood of Armen before, now some called out against the church.
Now, amongst all the other charges that could be leveled at them, they were inciting revolution. The church's power in politics was wavering as it was. They'd be hunted twice as hard for this.
There was no time to worry about it now, twice damned was still damned. Smudge let out her breath and took her shot, the blunted bolt sailing out to catch the golem's controller square in the chest.
Smudge held her breath, praying that the enchantment Phillip laid held true. The golem controller swayed a moment, then fell heavily to the ground. Quickly, without waiting to see how the golem reacted, she ducked her head and covered her eyes with her arms.
Below, Phillip unleashed his spell, a brilliant flash of light that blinded those on the stage, followed by a deep booming, not unlike a peal of thunder. The cathedral bells resonated with the sound, and Smudge looked down, shaken somewhat by witnessing just what her friend was capable of.
The golem turned from her to Phillip, readying itself for a charge. Quickly she fired off a shot at the golem, knowing it would be immune to the magic of the bolt, but hoping that it would prove a distraction. The bolt shattered against its head and the giant turned, holding up a bladed arm like a shield. She reloaded another bolt, took aim, and shot the controller again, taking advantage of the fact that the golem would protect its controller first and foremost.
Briefly, she wondered if the effects of the bolts on the controller would be cumulative. They were supposed to keep him unconscious for a few hours, maybe a day each. She really hoped the more bolts she hit him with, the longer he'd be out. It might give them a chance to get far enough ahead of the golem before they had to worry about it getting smarter, under the priest's control.
She shot another bolt at the controller as she watched Phillip dive and grab Armen, pulling him from the stage. The golem charged, leaping from the stage to the square and landing with a deep metallic boom.
"Okay, Phillip," she said softly, "You're on your own from here." With a quick look of regret, she left her crossbow where it was, slipping the extra bolts into a small holster at her hip. It would only hinder her in the chase, and it wasn't something anyone could tie directly to her. In fact, it was one she'd liberated from the armory of the watch not too long ago.
She took a running start and leapt to the next rooftop, scanning ahead for the best route. The golem followed, its long loping strides a rhythmic clank on the street below. She would keep to the rooftops so all she would have to avoid was the golem. There was no guard up here to make her flight more difficult. From here through the market wouldn't be so bad. The buildings were close enough together in places that she could just run across them. As she got to the better sections of town, however, they spread out and it could get tricky.
She ran across the top of the next few buildings, the small gaps between the rooftops not breaking her stride. At the end of the block, she turned left, leaping a larger gap to a lower building and dropping into a roll to cut her momentum. As soon as the golem lost sight of her, it turned as well, putting bladed arms out in front of it and tearing through the wall that was in its way. There were screams of surprise from inside the building and the shop's patrons, along with a terrified shopkeeper, came barreling out the other side, the golem not far behind.
Smudge frowned, her mind working quickly on a new plan. She needed to put distance between her and the golem, and she was sure driving it through building after building would do it, but she couldn't in good conscience do that. On one hand, one of the church's boogeymen destroying half of the marketplace would hurt their political standing further, but on the other, the people in this city had it bad enough trying to make ends meet without her destroying their livelihoods.
She climbed up a short ladder to the adjoining building and glanced back at her pursuer. As it came through the crowded market, it dodged around the milling people, keeping its blades tight to its body. It would not run down an innocent. The people weren't going to slow it much, they were fleeing ahead of it and giving it as wide a path as they could to follow her, but if she could find a smaller place, with a high concentration of people...
She grinned wickedly as the thought came to her. The grand gala that Phillip had been lamenting missing tonight would be perfect! She didn't mind a little bit of collateral damage in that section of town, and there was sure to be a large crowd of people packed into that estate.
She swung over the edge of the rooftop, dropping down into a crouch, and took off at a sprint down the alley. A great leap propelled her at the next wall, and she planted one foot and then the next, seeming to nearly walk up its face before her hands caught the overhang of the roof and pulled her up.
~~***~~
Lord Eritson made his way around the party, checking on his guests and making sure everything was going smoothly. For the past few months he'd been dropping hints about tonight's entertainment, building the anticipation. He was terribly pleased with himself. He was well known for the surprises and entertainment his grand galas always provided, and he was quite sure he was going to outdo himself this time. The training had gone beautifully, and everything was finally ready.
A quartet of Albria's finest musicians played off to one side of the garden, and everybody who was anybody within three days travel of the city was mingling and dancing, enjoying the evening air. There was a feeling of anticipation, for sure, though perhaps not quite how Lord Eritson perceived it. His parties were enjoyable. His guests enjoyed some of the best music and and food anyone could offer. It was a chance to see and be seen.
The entertainment, however, had become a great joke among the nobility. Always, Lord Eritson thought himself clever, dropping hints here and there leading up to the night, promising them a surprise they would never forget. And every time, it was something absolutely banal or ridiculous. Last time it had been a choir of "singing" dogs, all dressed in the latest fashions. The time before that a shadow puppet play about the politics leading up to the battle of Sarnil, that of course ended just before the battle.
Eritson made his way to the stage and peered behind the curtain. "Are we ready?" he whispered to a rather beleaguered looking man who was running around setting up scenery.
"I'm not entirely sure we should go through with this tonight, m'lord. The.. the animals are not playing along. They seem restless for some reason, and I'm not sure they'll perform the way we want them to," the man replied nervously.
"Pish posh. The show must go on! Get them ready. We will start in five minutes!"
"Yes, m'lord," he replied with a sigh, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. He shook his head and set about getting the monkeys costumed and set up for the play.
"Five minutes to curtain call, my friends," Lord Eritson called out, clapping his hands. "Make your way to your seats and prepare yourself for a spectacular play, the likes of which you've never seen before!"
~~***~~
Smudge vaulted over the wall that surrounded the grand estates, hanging a second before carefully dropping down into a crouch. She was nearly there. If she could just get to the other side of this section of town, she could get over the main wall and out to where Phillip was waiting with horses.
Behind her the golem came crashing through the nearby gate, sending even the stalwart watch running in the opposite direction. She took a deep breath, just starting to feel the fatigue working into her muscles, and set off again, running through the twisting streets.
A few blocks down, she saw the estate she was searching for. Grand carriages with beautiful horses filled the front yard, telling of the huge crowd within. The last few stanzas of a stately tune floated over the garden wall, mingling with the sound of murmuring voices and laughter. Smudge grinned and sprinted around the back. She leapt, caught a handhold at the top of the wall and hauled herself up.
On the other side, a huge gathering of nobles sat in semi-circles facing her perch. Their attention, however, was focused on the stage directly below her, where Lord Eritson stood before the closed curtains, announcing the start of his grand surprise.
Smudge stifled a laugh. Behind the curtain were a dozen small, ridiculously dressed monkeys, all chittering and looking nervously around. Some grand entertainment.
The golem's footsteps sounded behind her, quickly closing on her position. She grinned and dropped down from the wall, quietly landing on the stage behind the curtain. At that moment, the curtain raised and Smudge gave an extravagant bow before the crowd. For their part, the assembled nobles looked upon her and the surrounding cast of monkeys with utter confusion. There wasn't a sound from among them.
She laughed and tumbled from the stage, taking off running through the center isle. A second later, chunks of stone crumbled inward as the golem ploughed through. Monkeys scattered, screaming and leaping from place to place, trying to flee the giant monster. The audience became chaos as they realized the golem was not going to stop at the edge of the stage and put on a little show, but that it was coming right for them.
A woman screamed and fainted as a monkey leapt at her and clung to her arm, gibbering in fear. All around people scattered, knocking over chairs, and trying to get out of the way. The garden, however, was too small to hold all of the chaos, and it only served to create a large mass of shoving bodies and fainting fops.
Lord Marwell let out a bellow and drew steel. "Form a defensive line behind the buffet!" He shouted, kicking over the long buffet tables and moving to pull the unconscious woman behind them.
Lord Eritson just stood in the middle of it all, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly in shock, as his party crumbled around him.
Smudge made it to the other side of the garden and glanced back as she took a perch at the top of the wall. The golem was stepping from side to side almost comically, first trying to dodge the crowd one way and then the other. It was so chaotic, people running back and forth, fainting dead away, even a few people trying to engage and attack the golem itself, that the golem couldn't find a way through without hurting anyone.
She took a deep breath and fought down laughter as she leapt off the other side, hitting the ground running. She knew this wouldn't keep it engaged forever, but at least it would give her a chance to get to Phillip, and maybe give them a small head start in their escape.