Location: Jori and tomas new town.
The afternoon sun blazed high, casting heat and golden light over the army tents. Banners of House Calvasset fluttered in the breeze, while closeby, Banners of Drakovar Soldiers also hung over another tent as drakovar soldiers guarded its entrance and vicinity.
Jori and Tomas were led through the rows of soldier tents. As both drakovar and calvaseet Soldiers stood guard at specific posts, with their respective swords and rifles resting at ease, their gazes fixed on jori and tomas as they walked behind the calvasset soldiers.
The calvasset soldiers leading them finally stops in front of captain serrics tent.
One of the soldiers moved to knock against the wooden post on serrics door, when the flap suddenly shifted open. A young woman, no older than her early twenties, stepped out with a soft giggle. She adjusted her shirt, wiped her lips, and glanced seductively at Jori, as she winked and whistled at jori before she walked past them, her hips swaying back and forth.
Jori blinked rapidly at what he just witnessed, while he stood confused for a moment, before the guards shoved the heavy flap aside and gestures for jori and tomas to enter into the tent.
Inside, the tent was surprisingly spacious and well-kept. Brass lanterns swung gently from iron hooks, filling the room with a warm, golden glow. A wall-mounted geared fan ticked and hummed, sweeping cool air around the tent.
A large oak table sat in the center, papers, maps, quills, and stamped seals spread across its surface, as heavy weights kept the pages from fluttering in the breeze.
Captain serric sat behind the table, at the far end of the tent. He looked like a man who had seen too much and cared too little, his tired eyes half opened and half closed, with a half-empty bottle of beer sitting within his reach.
The guards marched inside, saluted captain serric, then withdrew, leaving Jori and Tomas standing before the captain.
"Sit," serric said simply, with a rough and lazy voice.
The two young men sat on the wooden chairs across from him. Tomas kept his hands clasped anxiously, while Jori kept his back straight, calm and watchful.
serric leaned forward, snatched another bottle of beer from the table, and rose. His coat caught the light as he moved, the green cloth and Calvasset insignia shining for an instant before he sank back down into a seat across from them.
"I heard you were given food rations this afternoon," he said, uncapping the bottle. "And not last night, as I had ordered." He took a long drink, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "For that, I apologize."
"We appreciate your hospitality, Captain," Jori said, bowing his head slightly. Tomas nodded along, anxiously.
"The children among us have eaten, so thats enough" Jori continued. "But, If we're given the chance to work in this town, we can earn our own bread and rent homes eventually. We just need time to start over."
"We promise not to cause trouble," Tomas added quickly.
For a long moment, Serric simply stared at them, his expression unreadable, then he pointed at Tomas with the neck of the bottle.
"You," he said bluntly. "What's your craft?"
"Bricklayer, sir," Tomas replied, his voice stiff but respectful.
"And you?" Serric asked, turning to Jori.
"Bricklayer as well, Captain."
The captain drained the bottle in one go and set it on the ground with a hollow thud, then he let out a deep burp, smacked his lips, then leaned forward, elbows on his knees, as his hands clasped together.
"There are two things you boys need to hear," Serric said at last, his tone shifting to a more quieter one "And I'll have questions for you after. So, Engage me honestly and don't waste my time. Do we have a deal?"
"Yes, Captain," Jori answered.
"Good." Serric's said softly. "First, the council of this town already knows about you and your survivors. They know you came here from Nareth, that you're seeking shelter. And let me be open, they do not want you here."
Tomas swallowed hard, but Serric kept talking, his voice steady and deliberate.
"They call you strangers, criminals, mouths that will drain their stores. They want you gone. Even the Drakovar captain would rather drive you out than house you." Serric leaned back slowly.
"As you can see, i am the only one standing between you and the order to throw you back onto the roads."
"Take a look at us," Jori said, his voice low "We're twenty-six in number. Ten of us are elders, barely strong enough to stand, let alone cause trouble."
He leaned forward, his desperation clear.
"We have five mothers who survived that fire, and ten children who cling to them every night. None of them are a threats sire. Tomas and I are bricklayers. We're willing to work. Let us prove ourselves in the field."
Serric listened, while his elbows rests on his knees in a regal position. His expressions stern.
"They need to know you first," he said finally. "The council won't advocate for strangers without proof that youre the real deal. If you had your branded sigils, things would be much easier."
"We were registered in the East, and in Nareth," Jori replied quickly. "Ou records can be retreived from asterras recordsCaptain." Tomas nodded in agreement.
"To retrieve those records and reforge your sigils would cost at least two hundred crowns per person," Serric said. "That's over five thousand crowns, you know… money you currently do not have."
Jori's shoulders sagged with depression, as he pressed on. "We are the last survivors of Nareth. Our people are exhausted. They will not survive another march on empty stomachs and no rest."
His voice cracked slightly as he pleaded.
"Help us convince the council we are no threat. Give us a chance to stay."
Serric sat back slowly, the wood of his chair creaking beneath his pressed weight. Then he spoke again.
"The second matter," he said, "concerns why we soldiers are even here."
He gestured to the green banners outside.
"We have been stationed here by direct decree from the acting sovereign, Lord marric, and from our noble house leader 'lord veynar' to search for anyone wearing the Valesse sigil. Any loyalists we find, must to brought into custody. That is why this town is crawling with soldiers."
His gaze narrowed. "So I'll ask you plainly, do you remember anything at all? Anything from that night? Was there something unusual you witnessed, that could be of great information to asterra"
Them marric leaned closer, with his voice dropping to a low, coaxing tone.
"Think carefully, boys. A good piece of information could win you and your people twelve thousand crowns, enough to pay for shelter, food and your branded sigils, it could secure your place here and put you in good standing with the council members of this town."
Serric stood, crossing to the side of the table. His boots thudded softly against the ground as he turned, leaning back against the edge of the desk, his arms folded.
"This is your chance," he said. "Be smart."
Tomas swallowed, then cleared his throat and began talking first.
"On the night of the attack," he began slowly, "I saw Valesse soldiers and Lady Selene's followers heading toward the hills before nightfall. They didn't speak to anyone. I recognized their sigils"
Tomas hesitated for a while, but Serric's stare urged him tp continue.
"I was on my way back from gathering supplies for work when I saw them. Then the explosions started, and fires broke out everywhere. That was when I found Jori, giving orders to save people. We helped pull them out… and that's how we ended up here. That's all I remember."
The tent fell silent for a moment.
Serric studied Tomas for a while reading his body language, then he turned to jori.
As Jori's sudden stillness drew his attention.
"What is it?" Serric asked jori, with a sharp voice.
"I… I just remembered something," Jori said, frowning as he recalled from memory. "But I can't quite place it right. It was quick, but i know it surely is… important."
Serric's eyes narrowed, curiosity now piqued.
"What did you see?"
Jori's voice dropped, his memory pulling him back into the smoke-filled night.
"On that night," he began slowly, "when the fires spread and I kept trying to put them out, I saw a royal wagon, headed toward the part of town where I had sent a boy to rescue survivors."
He paused for a while, with his gaze fixed on captain serric
"Although, the smoke was too thick by the time they arrived, flames still destroyed everything, so I couldn't see clearly who was inside. But when I strained further, I saw a lady standing there, and a group of Valesse soldiers. I could tell from their figures, even through the haze. I don't know what they were doing, but they were there."
Jori immediately turns to Tomas, his jaw tight.
"That boy I ordered to help… I think they either took him with them… or killed him. Curse them!"
The tent was now quiet except for the sound of the creaking fan blowing cool air around the tent. Serric's face now went dark, his eyes worked from left to right, as he pieces together the information jori provided.
"If your description is right, lads," Serric said at last, "there may indeed be a person of interest. Her name…"
Jori and Tomas sat forward, hanging on his words.
"Liora. Liora of House Valesse, the blood sister of lord eryndor" Serric finalized. "She's on the list, and shes highly wanted."
Both joris and tomas eyes widens with lots of expectations, a spark of hope flashing between their faces.
If they were right, this could mean money, food, shelter, and safety for their people.
"But," marric said, cutting through their fragile relief, "we move at night to verify your lead. If what you've told me checks out, only then will you receive your reward."
Their brief excitement faltered, hope sinking just as quickly as it had risen.
"Go now. Rest while you can," Serric said, already reaching for another bottle of beer. He uncorked it with one motion and drank deeply before dismissing them with a wave.
"Thank you, Captain Serric," Jori said quietly.
The two young men stepped out into the fading light, the heavy canvas flap falling closed behind them. Without a word, they made their way back to the small space provided for them, carrying with them both a sliver of hope, and the weight of an uncertain night ahead of them.