Forum

[Knightfall]

Preparing to leave:
Several minutes past in silence and darkness. No one was happy about Garth’s decision.

Garth didn’t care what they thought. He had let his emotions cloud his judgment when he had seen his son crushed under the weight of the ogre’s great clubs. He had been willing to give up the mission for one life. Too walk away from his responsibility as the Justiciar and the envoy of the Eastern Shores. He could not afford to make that choice. Not for himself, and not even for his son’s life.

After all, Dabuk had already chosen his path. He had chosen it when he took the Oath of the Dead with his friends. Dabuk was determined not to follow his father’s ways. He had chosen life as an adventurer and all the risks it entailed. Garth had hoped this joint experience would have brought them closer together, that Dabuk one would one day follow his footsteps to become the next Justiciar of the Eastern Shores.

Now, that was impossible. Their viewpoints were too far apart. He saw that now.

Garth and Mesik strapped Dabuk into his saddle. The elven ranger slipped in and out of consciousness, mumbling about archangels, dead souls, and the oath he had made to his mother. Garth remained passive to his son’s words.

Dabuk had made his choice.

“Your upset,” Mesik wanted to explain but knew Garth wouldn’t want to hear it.

“There is nothing to talk about, so don’t try and smooth it over. He lived this time, but the next time he might not be so lucky.” Garth shook his head in disbelief at their decision to take the oath.

“You don’t believe in the oath, do you?” Mesik already knew the answer.

“Hades is not my god,” Garth snapped. “I do not take oaths to death. That ruins life, in my opinion.”

“Do you hate Hades that much?” Mesik didn’t speak the reason why.

“She took his blasted oath and I could not get her back because of it. She died before her time. We should have had years together. And just like her, he didn’t tell me.” Garth looked at his son’s unconscious form; he felt like his heart and will had been betrayed.

“It was his choice, no one forced him. And no one forced your wife. That’s not how it’s done. Don’t you believe in anything but yourself?” Mesik refused to leave Dabuk’s side, glaring at the Justiciar. He wouldn’t give the human the satisfaction of storming off in anger.

“Enough!” Garth tied the last knot so tight that Dabuk moaned. “We go now! And don’t forget who leads this mission, hairfoot!”

“F-fine. Be that way.” Mesik was surprised by Garth’s show of anger. “And I won’t forget a word you have spoken, not now, and not when Dabuk asks me what happened.”

Garth stepped away from his son and Mesik without a word. He double-checked Bactra’s work on Hindle then rechecked it after mounting the great roan. The Justiciar quickly tuned his mount away from the others, riding into the darkness towards Onaway, with Hougwarth in the lead holding a torch too guide the mounted warrior.

“We better go with them,” Bactra had single-handedly prepared all the mounts. He had also convinced Thessa to ‘let it go’ for now. “Let it go, Mesik. Worry about Dabuk, not my uncle. He’s a human and you know how they are about life and death.”

“Aye,” Kellin helped Mesik up onto his warpony. “Garth will get over it.”

Dabuk moaned something undistinguishable in elvish.

Mesik, Bactra, and Thessa all rode alongside Dabuk’s mount. Kellin took up the rear, watching for any signs of attack.

* * *

Up next... the City-state of Onaway awaits!