Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The early morning birdsong heralds the light of a new dawn, washing away the shadow of night. Avaricum and its many peoples wake to clear skies and the warm summer breeze as they begin their day. The famous Grand Harbour receives the city's many fisherman who return with their catch from before the dawn of day, the various marketplaces and forums dotted around the city fill with people eager for the days discussion and business and the famous impregnable city walls open their gates to the many travellers and merchants eager to conduct the days trade.

One of Avaricums busiest areas is at the base of the Seraphim Spire, many of the towns vagrants seek charity from the Order, the sick and injured also swell the ranks of those seeking aid, lining the round wall of the Spires outer Cloister, many members of the Orders priesthood attend to their various needs and trivialities, utilising their knowledge of magic and alchemy to heal festering wounds, on occasion however, certain priests seem to ignore the whimpering begging for help, instead choosing to assist those with simpler injuries.

The four gates of the Cloister remain open, each guarded by two Orderly knights with a constant wave of people flowing in and out of these gates, one of them being Hakon as he exits through the Southern Gate as the two guards thump their chests to salute him. He exits dressed in a style that offers comfort and flexibility for travelling yet also protection in combat, a thin off-white gambeson hugs his body beneath a thin but firm brigandine of dark brown leather reinforced with thin metal plates riveted in place behind the leather, the brass studs reflecting the morning sunlight. Thick, black quilted trousers protect his legs without hindering his movements and are tucked into sturdy leather boots which rise almost to his knees. Thin cords wrapped around his sleeves to keep them in place while his large, rough hands remain bare, on his left arm rests a large round shield of wooden construction covered in a thin sheet of bronze, its so large that it spans from his knees at its bottom to his shoulders at its top and is wider than he is with room to spare, with his left arm holding the shield up from its straps, his left hand clutches a long wooden spear with its steel pointed butt-spike barely off the ground and the tip of its angular shaped steel head pointing to the sky, the spear is taller than Hakon by a good foot or so and strapped to his waist on his right hip is a shortsword hidden in its sheath. His right hand is unburdened save for the magical ring on his middle finger.

As he exits the gate he walks with purpose, his footfalls land heavy on the stone floor yet he moves at pace, his face a picture of fervent intent as he paces towards a large stables across the path from the Southern Gate which is used to house the horses owned by elite members of the Order. Hakon briskly walks past the pens towards a teenage boy shovelling horse manure in to a bucket as he can be heard mumbling to himself.

"Boy" Hakon barks, causing the stablehand to jolt upwards, dropping the shovel and causing the handle to dip into the now manure filled bucket, as he turns he reveals the facade of a boy not 18 summers old, his features are small and soft, pale blue eyes, his hair not too dissimilar to the colour of the manure he was shovelling and he wears a simple woven tunic and thin cloth trousers, his shoes a simple cowhide make. As he turns to look at the man demanding his attention, he almost jolts from shock again as he realises who approaches him, before smiling with a friendly warmth as if Hakons ghastly reputation doesn't bother him, quickly greeting him with a delicate bow.

"Ah, good morning ser Hakon, 'tis a pleasure to see you, no doubt you have come for your horse. He's saddled, fed and ready to go" The boy speaks with a friendly warmth and finishes speaking with a genuine smile. 

"Good, the Novitiate Allusa, she was instructed to meet me here, where is she?" Hakon asks with a slight hint of annoyance.

"OH YES, the Novitiate!" The boy exclaims. "She was here, actually she's the reason I'm shovelling all this shit, she literally scared the shit out of my mare here" The boy attempts to laugh off the inconvenience of the situation, however a quick glance of Hakons deadpan expression and the boy realises that he - unlike the mare - has no shits to give and so hastily provides an answer.

"I believe she said something about the Vagrants Tavern" He shrugs his shoulders as if to say he's not entirely sure.

"Fuck sake" Hakon exclaims, bothered about the inconvenience of the situation as he brushes past the boy towards the tavern. The boy doesn't seem too bothered about being brushed past, rather, he seems more concerned about making sure he wishes Hakon well.

"Have a good day ser, your horses will be waiting for you!" The boy continues to smile despite Hakon walking away as he seems genuinely happy to be of assistance.

Hakon walks past the stables and further down the Avarican street past several homes, villas and garden spaces, a strip of grass with trees line the centre of the wide stone path as people mull around and head to their destinations. Hakon draws attention from those around him, to those who recognise him they look upon him with a mix of reverence, respect and fear. Those who don't recognise him (which is far fewer than those who do) recognise him as an elite member of the Order and gaze upon him with fear, few are seen wandering the streets of Avaricum with weapon and shield in hand, protected in the finest armour, they either belong to the Legion, or The Order.

As he nears the shabby looking Vagrants Tavern, an overwhelming stench of ale and cheap wine fills the air, although it is the early morning and the day has barely started, the drinking never ceases. The sound of raucous singing mingles with the stench of alcohol and overloads the senses. Hakon nears the entrance of the dirty, off white coloured tavern, the tiles on the roof loose and falling off and the windows boarded up, the street around the tavern is muddied and littered with trash. As he enters the dank, candlelit tavern, the air full of smoke from candles and pipes, he finds the patrons all singing jovially, tankards in hand and on top of a table in the centre of the room stands a short yet loud, red haired woman leading the singing, her Northern Gallian accent marks her out from the other voices within. Despite the tavern being filled with large, bellowing men it is her voice that is heard above all, totally in her element her voice roars with boisterous fire, her feet bashing the tabletop in time with the song as she manages to steadily hold two full tankards of ale. Her bright green eyes pierce through the dank darkness of the tavern, her long, wavy red hair moves elegantly as she dances to the song, freckles dotted on her face and several small scars mark a face that has been through years of training at the Order. This woman is clearly the young Novitiate Hakon has been charged with mentoring. She wears armour that would only be worn by someone of the Order, while it is not of the highest quality (The Order would never waste money outfitting its Novitiates in high quality bespoke armour) it is clearly unique to her, primarily made of leather and hide with elements of fur, her armour is designed to be light and dark, ideal for someone who prefers to move swiftly and in the shadows, and her weapons, two shortswords lay carelessely beneath the table.

Hakon simply stands in the doorway as he watches events unfold in front of him, several patrons attempt to enter the tavern but immediately turn away upon seeing Hakons massive frame blocking the entrance and despite some clumsy drunk slipping on his own ale Hakons stare remains fixed on Allusa as she and everyone else continues bellowing out a tune.

Allusa finishes by flinging both tankards across the tavern, drenching several patrons as everyone else does the same, ale flying and soaking the taverns wooden furniture, adding to the now decorative stains of various origins around the tavern. Cheers fill the air as the raucous singing turns to idle chatter, Allusa confidently leaps off the table and grabs her gear. 

"Good day fair people of Avaricum, may your tankards remain full and your voices loud!" The patrons respond with a cheer, many wave her off by name indicating she is well known and liked by the people who frequent this tavern. As she walks towards the door, sheathing her blades on her waist she casually walks past Hakon and acknowledges without a hint of care.

"Alright Hakon" she says as she slips past him with a rebellious skip in her step, not even bothering to look him in the face. She doesn't get far when Hakon raises his spear and gently beats its steel butt spike on the ground, his eyes pulse faintly as he turns away from the tavern, unblocking the doorway and towards Allusa who seems strangely stuck in place mid step, she sounds as if she is struggling, trying to force her body to move, her muscles gently twitching as Hakon steadily walks past and comes to a stop in front facing her.

"Belligerent child" Hakon says with disdain. "You were instructed to wait at the stables and yet I find you entertaining the locals like some common minstrel, drowning yourself in cheap ale and sullying the reputation and honour of the Order. You bring us shame" 

Allusa rolls her eyes as she is released from her magical trap as Hakon once more taps his spear on the ground. Not even a second after her new found freedom Allusa tips her head back and looks to the heavens, drops her shoulders and releases a stubborn sigh.

"By the Gods! Why is everyone so serious!? It's all do this, do that, do as you're told, don't disobey, fun is BAD! -" As Allusa continues rambling, her speech and body language eccentrically emphasising each point, she begins to walk, continuing her protestations as she passes Hakon who seems to be struggling to keep up with her, his left eye lid visibly twitching and confusion etched on his face before he lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Oh Vemephrae give me strength" He begs, after five minutes with Allusa, Hakon already looks exhausted as he rubs his eyes and turns to follow Allusa who has made her way over to the stables and still persists with her ramblings.

"And THEN Praeceptor Aquilinus, who is 'apparently' one of the finest and most wise of teachers, said that if it were up to him, women wouldn't be allowed to become Knights of the Order as we are too 'fragile' and 'emotionally volatile' so I told him he could shove his dumb fucking opinion up his shit stained arse because he's too 'old' and 'fragile' to bend over and wipe it properly!" Allusa continues her expletive ridden ramblings, seemingly not aiming her monologue towards anyone, perhaps content with getting it all off her chest. Despite this, Hakon, by sheer proximity, has no choice but to overhear every word and attempts to get her attention.

"Child" He says calmly but far too quietly as Allusa continues.

"Oh Gods and despite the fact that I am clearly a better fighter than everyone in my group I need to spend more time studying the dusty old writings and teachings of some dead priest, isn't the whole point of being an Orderly Knight to fight shit!? to vanquish the 'never ending blight of the Daemons and their influence' as Praeceptor Gallienus likes to say, WHO, by the way, definitely sneaks whores into his chambers!" 

"CHILD" Hakon raises his voice, again attempting to capture Allusa's attention and again fails.

"What even is The Choosing anyway? OH is it where Praeceptor Gallienus gets to choose his whores for the evening? And why does everyone keep saying I'll fail it? Fucking no chance of that! I'm the best Novitiate the Order has to offer! Would love to see Petrikus try and pass The Choosing, I swear he gets scared of his own shadow!"

"CHILD!!" This time Hakons voice booms as it can be heard travelling around them, a few bystanders can be seen stopping in their track and looking in the direction of the two as Allusa is startled into giving Hakon her attention.

"I have suffered your infernal ramblings for long enough! I did not choose your company nor will I waste my time educating one whom refuses to be educated! Now I will travel to Mag Luachmhar and destroy whatever Daemon lingers there, I care not for your education, as far as I am concerned you are a hinderance" Hakon coldly snaps at Allusa as he mounts his horse, a tall beautiful steed whose white coat gleams in the sunlight. 

Allusa looks at Hakon as her face turns sour, despite her strong facade she struggles to hide a hint of sadness as she also mounts her horse which is far less prestigious than Hakons, most likely a runt handed to her by the Order for the purpose of this expedition.

"You're no different to the rest of them are you? I thought that maybe the legendary Hakon would be different, special. But no, you're just as uncaring and cold as everyone else. I suppose you'll abandon me like my parents or beat me like the Praeceptors or the Orderlies do whenever I frustrate you?" She asks rhetorically as she looks ahead, with her feet she gently encourages the horse to move.

"It is what it is, I'm done trying, fuck it" Allusa's spark seemingly vanishes, the young woman seen dancing and drinking with joy is quickly replaced by a deeply saddened and frustrated version of herself, her face is glum and defeated, her body language slumped and sluggish. Hakon doesn't respond, one might think he'd be overjoyed with Allusa's silence, instead he seems intrigued, he squints his eyes seemingly evaluating Allusa, something about her intrigues him.

On their horses they both depart from the stables, the young stable boy cleaning up the freshly delivered shit from behind Hakons horse, still steaming as he scoops it into a bucket. Hakon leads slightly ahead of Allusa as the horses walk down the main street through Avaricum.

The Via Raenorum is the longest street in Avaricum, leading from the main gate straight through the city to the forum at the city centre and was given its name after Emperor Raenorius Martius Arminas used it to host a military parade for the first time after bringing The Generals Scramble civil war to a close almost 2500 years ago. As a result the road is lined with statues of famous figures from Avaricums illustrious past, some of these have failed the test of time, having crumbled or fallen victim to vandalism. Regardless, they still remind the citizens of their glorious past.

The street itself is better maintained than many of the streets around the city, made of larger flattened stone blocks rather than the uncomfortable cobbled stones that make up much of the city's road network, with tiny white stones dotted sporadically along the road, designed to reflect the moonlight at night. Its also one of the oldest roads originally designed to create an easy path from the main city gate straight through to the forum at the city centre as a result it sees by far the most use from all manner of peoples and trades. For many first time visitors, the view from the gate straight through the city is enough to leave them in awe due to its impressive sense of scale. It passes by some of the city's most iconic structures including The Praesidian Spire, The Colloseum and the city's main aqueduct which runs alongside the entire length of the road, delivering water to a grand fountain within the forum.

As the two ride down The Via Raenorum with Hakon riding slightly ahead with the many denizens of the city hurriedly moving out of the way, Allusa rides with a defeated, fed up look on her face as she blankly stares ahead, clearly bored. As she passes by a beggar she carefully flicks a coin in their direction drawing a pleasant reaction from the elderly gentleman who blesses her as she rides past.

"You really shouldn't waste your gold on them" Hakon says callously. "He'll simply waste it on the latest whore or bury it in the bottom of a tankard"

Allusa responds with a fierce frown. "Everyone deserves a little help, I'll always do my best to help others"

Hakon can be heard laughing and shaking is head. "Such naivety, the world is a cruel and cold place, he only has himself to blame for being too weak to cope"

A look of confusion strikes Allusa's face. "Isn't the Order all about charity and kindness?"

"Child, you are training to become a weapon for the Order, you can't rid the world of Daemon flith by being nice to it, if you want to be kind to the vagrants of the world then may I suggest becoming a priest?" Hakon speaks coldly with a hint of frustration.

"Alright, no need to be a twat about it, I was just asking"

"Well stop asking" Barks Hakon as Allusa can only roll her eyes

Hakon and Allusa continue down The Via Raenorum, riding past many different structures, plazas and points of interest as they eventually stride through the lesser maintained areas of the City. Ever since the collapse of the Empire at the end of the First Era, Avaricum has struggled through a period of prolonged decline through the centuries since, resulting in large areas around the edges of the City becoming abandoned. The Via Raenorum cuts through many abandoned neighbourhoods and despite its now decrepit surroundings is still well maintained due to its importance as the main entry and exit for the City. 

"It's been a while since I've seen the abandoned parts of the City, they say its home to bandits and Daemon worshipers now" Allusa says inquisitively 

"We are safe on the Via Raenorum, the City Guard regularly patrol this road but veer off and you enter lawless territory, violent gangs rule these streets now and Avaricum continues to pay the price of its past arrogance. There are no Daemon worshippers here however, The Order cleared the City of Daemon influence long ago" Hakon says, almost educating Allusa

"But not the gangs and thugs?" Asks Allusa

"They are not our concern, we are not the City Guard, The Order is only interested in matters of the faith and could not tolerate Daemon worship in its own home" Allusa doesn't respond, she simply has a thoughtful expression etched on her face and Hakon suddenly stops at a crossroads.

"Look down there" Hakon points to the road on their left, a little way down is a group of unsavoury types lingering in the street seemingly inviting a fight. "A young girl like you would find themselves in a lot of bother alone in these streets, scum like that would almost certainly, beat, rape, kill or sell you off to slavery, they care not for who you are, perhaps to their detriment" Hakon doesn't revel in the grim details he speaks about, he seems very matter of fact.

"I hate people like that, what's the point in them? bottom of the barrel scum, let's fuck them up!" Allusa says with an alarming degree of bloodlust in her eyes.

"NO! temper your fire child, never rush into a fight without thought, besides, they're a problem for the City Guard, not us" Hakon attempts to impart some wisdom towards Allusa and assumes she listens as he nudges his horse to continue walking, suddenly he hears hoofs beating the ground rapidly away from him, away from his left side. He turns his head to find Allusa and her horse galloping down the street towards the gang of ruffians. He screws his face in an annoyed sense of confusion as he questions the state of her mind before rolling his eyes.

Allusa demands her horse go quicker as she screams her way down the street towards the gang of what appears to be five or six men all eager for a scrap. She sends her horse straight into the closest bandit violently knocking him to the ground as the horse rears in panic causing Allusa to fall from its back. As the horse comes back to ground it slams its front hooves down onto the man, crushing his face and chest, splattering blood around the now lifeless body before galloping away.

"Shit"

Allusa acrobatically gets up from the floor and is immediately set upon by the remaining five bandits. Immediately unsheathing her shortswords she rushes towards the bandit to her right, with speed and guile she fakes a step to the left then slides to her right, slicing a deep laceration on the bandits waist before standing and bringing both blades down the bandits back, forcing the bandit to his knees gurgling and wheezing as blood soaks his clothing and pours from his mouth before he falls forward, his face slamming onto the cold hard street.

A further two men rush towards Allusa with bloodcurdling screams, their weapons brandished high as they charge recklessly towards her. She chuckles before suddenly relaxing, her body going limp and carefree. Just as the two men come within range she suddenly skips backwards, raises her right leg and plants a powerful, acrobatic kick onto the chest of the man to her right causing him to fall backward gasping for air before she blocks a high attack from the other bandit and thrusts her free sword through his neck, swiftly removing it with an uncomfortable squelch as blood spurts out. The bandit can only grasp at his neck as he slumps to his knees, blood pouring down his chest as he falls to the ground.

Allusa moves to finish off the bandit she kicked to the ground who is now gasping for air, clawing at his chest as she accurately throws a sword into his chest, killing him instantly. As she does she hears the distinct thwack of a bow releasing its arrow, she looks up to find the final bandit having just fired an arrow from across the street, she barely has time to react as her eyes glow faintly, at the same time a necklace she wears also glows. The arrow suddenly snaps and splinters mid flight, spreading shards of wood and metal to the floor. Allusa however suddenly seems fatigued as her nose begins to bleed, stumbling a little as a wave of nausea overcomes her. However, she quickly comes to her senses and rushes towards the final bandit, pulling a sword out of the chest of one of the dead bandits as she goes. The bandit hurriedly attempts to knock another arrow but finds himself out of time as Allusa slices through the bow with both blades cutting into his neck just far enough to cut the major arteries. The bandit slowly gargles and chokes as he too falls to his knees, dropping his now split bow before slamming down to the floor. 

Allusa relaxes and laughs as she breathes heavily, regaining her composure she turns to look at Hakon who is still at the crossroad watching on, as she performs a little, overconfident bow. In that moment, from within one of the buildings that line the narrow street someone shouts out.

"GET HER!!" 

Immediately afterwards a considerable number of bandits come pouring out several buildings all brandishing a mix of makeshift weapons as they surround her, a look of seething rage on their faces, no doubt wanting vengeance for the death of their allies.

"Oh shit!" Allusa exclaims as she realises the seriousness of her situation, she immediately attempts to use her magic as her eyes and necklace once again pulse faintly, however she shrieks in pain and clutches her head as her nose bleeds again, heavier this time. This showing of weakness invites laughter from the surrounding Bandits before they promptly charge her. In that moment Allusa looks across to the end of the road where Hakon was and finds him missing, hope drains from her heart, replaced by the cold acceptance of death. As she lets out what feels like her last breath and closes her eyes as the bandits blot out the sun as they close in, she hears the expected sound, metal piercing flesh, the squelching of muscle, cracking of bone and outpouring of blood, yet she feels none of the pain.

She opens her eyes and finds her answer, two bandits, their heads punctured and skewered by a long spear, blood pouring from every possible orifice, their eyes lifeless as the spear is aggressively pulled from both heads causing both men to slump to the floor, the violence doesn't abate as Hakon enters her view, his martial might on full display as he takes on the remaining group of bandits with relative ease. Despite his age he moves with surprising speed and exerts considerable strength, using his spear he fights off several bandits at a time and uses his shield for both offense and defence. 

The bandits sound confident at first, encouraging roars and morale boosting shouts quickly replaced with the sounds of grief and death, bodies hitting the floor one after the other followed by panicked sounds of fear and confusion. With a handful of bandits remaining Hakon throws his spear with remarkable accuracy at the leg of one, he does so with such ferocity that the bandits leg jerks backward causing his upper body to fall violently forward to the floor, his head slamming the ground and crushing under the force of the fall. Hakon, with three remaining bandits, for the first and only time, uses his magic, his eyes pulse as several members of the dead bandits suddenly rise from the floor as if being given a new lease of life. Without warning they charge at the remaining bandits who drop their weapons and flee in terror, the lifeless yet living bandits raised by Hakon chasing them close behind as they all disappear from view.

Hakon moves towards his spear and yanks it out the corpse it is embedded in with an uncomfortable squelch and crunch. He lets out a sharp and swift breath as he walks over to Allusa who remains in pain as her head pounds after her failed use of magic, blood still pouring from her nose, now soiling her clothes.

"Foolish girl!" Hakon chastises Allusa for her brash recklessness as he places his huge hand on her forehead, his eyes faintly pulsing once more. Soon after Allusa seems to regain composure, her nose ceases bleeding and she seems restored. Confused yet grateful and with a sheepish look of embarrassment on her face she attempts to speak, but finds herself interrupted.

"YOU PRAESIDIAN FUCKER!!!" 

A deep voice booms from behind one of the many ruined buildings lining the street. Hakon looks around and finds a huge figure emerge from a ruined villa. A large