“I’ve come to see my brother. It’s clear to me he needs help, despite his abundant capability. I’m told Prince Orion is ahead, tending to the plagued,” Argrave spoke to the Waxknight before him, staring at the man’s dead eyes barely visible behind his bandages.
“Do you mean to say our Holiness is your brother?” the leading knight demanded, taking a step forward.
“Half-brother,” Argrave removed his hands from his horse’s reins, holding his palms out. “But a brother nonetheless.”
The loose bandages wrapped around the leading Waxknight’s face slacked, blocking his vision, and he corrected it while pulling it tight.
“Prince Induen?” one at the side questioned.
Argrave shook his head. “No prince at all, elsewise I might have an escort gleaming as you knights do.”
“Argrave, then, the bastard,” the leading knight said.
“All are equal before the gods’ eyes. That’s what Orion says, at least,” he smiled warmly, defusing the situation.
The Waxknights sized Argrave up, then glanced back towards his companions, examining them in turn.
“For your own sake—the waxpox abounds here,” their helmetless leader informed him. “We will take you to Orion if you wish it to be so, but even our Holiness struggles to combat the disease, and more refugees show up daily.”
“I have an idea of how bad things really are,” Argrave turned his head, looking through the trees from whence they’d come. “Things get worse beyond these wetlands every day. Not all refugees had the good fortune to be tended to by my brother. And that’s precisely why I came here—to help him, and to help those that suffer,” he said seriously.
the knight gestured. “Orion accepts all comers. Whether you are truly his brother—that will be
companions and I will
rode back and rejoined his party. At once, he directed Anneliese and Durran, “Drink your super juice, you two. I know you drank it this
took off the white, solemn Humorless Mask covering her face, and imbibed the liquid, wincing from
Durran, voice tight from his grimace. Anneliese nodded, then put the mask back over
about anything coming to kill them, so he kept his Brumesingers
Argrave had long ago described these knight’s capabilities to his party. Their entire body was affected by the waxpox. This
asking shameless questions. Durran looked discomforted with
refugees, to come into sight. The wetlands of the northwest were tenacious and aggressive, and much of the fortress had been torn asunder by growth—trees,
door, the knights directed them to a makeshift stable that they’d been using, and Argrave left his horse there without complaint. Durran seemed hesitant to leave his mount there, and his eyes glanced from side
where more of their colleagues abounded, guarding the man that
his knees. His eyes were gray, with thick and bushy black brows
speak to Orion. They spoke to him, and then pointed. Orion looked at him. He pushed past the crowd, coming to
he’d had with this man in ‘Heroes of Berendar’ all at once. A great deal of them ended poorly. Even still,
seeming to shake the earth. His presence was intense—he outsized even Galamon—and he hurtled towards Argrave like a bull. Despite himself, he
squeezed Argrave tight, embracing him. Argrave felt that he’d grown a lot the past month, but now he was being treated like a small child. After a moment of rib-crunching embrace that very nearly
you,” he said, laughing heartily. “Tan, strong, hardy!” he gripped Argrave’s shoulders as though feeling his muscles, and then laughed again. “And your eyes…” he paused, all of his
“Everyone!” he shouted. “This is my brother,
expecting to receive. Orion heralded him proudly before the crowd. Even despite their sickness, they mustered cheers.
back is straight, your gait is steady, and your will…” he whispered into Argrave’s ear, barely audible above the cheer of the crowd. “I see light in you, now. Gold amidst the dark, like Vasquer’s heraldry… and your eyes. Your strange eyes… that vex the voices.” He
stepped out. They stood above the crowd, too, another dark-haired figure. It
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Fdv2vIuFE6C9iUjY1bySE1f1ahDJLNaw9h/5FRCwq3iXUiLudR1+GUJykJ2XZCu+Jj4E68VdzBc80r07JLFlNpmM6LctPdrLqqXXE3nmQB8dgRaUT749rpwMemz+EcqGk4BSpoP9IS37VPFcpkKe9Gi3hYmJxuvEtw==
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