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Rangertale Ch. 4

The Town of Uricht, Part I

The paths from the Fell Wood to the mountain towns were always unsafe, but the locals knew that as autumn approached the roads became rife with bandits. No locals would travel during these weeks, staying barricaded in their homesteads with crossbows at the ready. Some, however, driven by madness or fate, were forced to travel in these dark months, facing not only the cold steel of bandits but the fear of the local populace.

Rumelis and Mels were part of this group, driven to reach the mountain town of Uricht before the winter snows set in. They did not encounter much resistance on the trails, watching through the brightly colored leaves on the roadside for any hint of armed Kindred. The bandits left them as alone as the beleaguered peasants of the roadside farms, avoiding armed prey in favor of easier targets, that did not take a night watch. After weeks of travel in these colorful, silent trails Rumelis and Mels came upon the walled city of Uricht.

The city's ancient walls loomed over the now desolate landscape, high enough to be devoid of trees. The land around it was barely arable, but all of it was in use, growing what looked outwardly like weak shrubs and small plants. An ancient wooden gate was at the end of the road, carved with pictures of ancient battles between the Lupines and Vulpines from ages past. A tired looking, brown-furred Lupine stood guard at the gate, seeming to act not as a protector, but more of a deterrent, or an early alarm.

Seeing the Arlan insignias on their armor, the tired-looking Lupine quickly snapped to attention and ordered the gates open. The city within was less bustle than the Arlan towns that Rumelis was used to, but compared to the silence of the roads outside the contact with other Kindred was welcome. There were few shops around, as the city seemed mainly oriented to being a seat of government and the military of the area, not to mention a center for the landowning gentry of the countryside. From experience wandering these sorts of towns, Rumelis could tell where to find their goal, the great hall of the city.

Another guard stood at the door to the great hall, this one a dark grey-furred Lupine. He seemed tougher than most guards around him, perhaps one who could hold his own in a fight alone. He stopped the two Rangers before they entered the great stone hall.

"Rangers, hmm? What business do you have in our fine city? We did not receive word of an official visit."

Rumelis motioned for Mels to stay silent before she could speak. He was experienced in the nuances of bureaucracy, and was confident he could handle the situation. "We are on an urgent mission regarding the safety of some precious and dangerous artifacts. We have entered this town in pursuit of an individual who we believe to be a threat to both your town and Arlas at large. We wish to consult your ruler for advice in the apprehension of said individual."

The guard gave him a confused look, though for a couple moments, then opened the door to the Great Hall. "Uh, sounds like you want to speak with someone inside. ...Good luck with that, uh, mission."

"Thank you." Rumelis and Mels walked into the building. "See, Mels? I've experience with these things."

Mels gave him a hard look, then moved on to the throne room. Rumelis followed shortly after, gazing at the intricate carvings of battle on the walls, the gold engravings, and the ornate throne that took up the center of the chamber. From it ran blue carpets, rich veins that split off into different rooms. Near the throne stood the king and his minister, as well as a group of irate-looking Lupines that Rumelis figured were military officials. Voices raised, it appears the group was in heated debate.

"...such a plan would end in doom..."

"...No! We must press the attack while the Shards are close..."

"...Who are those two? Why are they here?"

Surprised at the Rangers' entrance, guards and officers alike drew their weapons and confronted the two. This time Mels pushed Rumelis aside.

"We are here to speak to your King. Arlas is in danger, Tull fights again, and the Blades of Eulas are at risk. Hear our words before fire consumes all you hold dear." At such a prominent display most of the guards took a step back, despite their advantage in numbers. The King stepped forwards, seemingly eager to speak, but the military officials remained guarded.

"Would you take our shards of the Blades, to use them against Tull in some misguided heroism? No, I will hold our shards. We fought Tull once, we will defeat him again. This is, after all, a military city."

Dissatisfied, Mels turned and began to walk out of the hall. "I give you a week before he arrives. We will rest here during that week, and fight him if we can, but I can give you no promises."

Rumelis left with Mels, leaving the king and his men to return to whatever debate they were engaged in. It seemed that they were to stay in Uricht for a while, so they searched for a place to stay the week. They were lacking in personal money, but on an Arlen mission the country could pay for them, for a while. They took the extra time mainly on logistics, extending the once-simple mission of exploration into a long term hunt for Tull. The week passed soon enough.

The two awoke on their eighth day in the city, to the smell of smoke and the sound of clashing steel.

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AUTHOR NOTES

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Opinions? Suggestions? Typos? Tell me, please. I am by no means a professional writer, and even they make mistakes every now and again.

Cities are hard, I have an uninspiring week, and stuff happens. I wonder if anyone is reading this anymore? Who knows? Who cares?

TL;DR EDITION

Entering the city of Uricht, Rumelis and Mels find little help from the King, and end up spending a week in the city.

Wondering why I call Tull a Lupine, Rumelis an Ursan, etc.? Read the note at the end of the 1st chapter, it explains my reasoning.