Tale of Four

[1 Week after Cillians Death]

Jumping off the carriage, Isis looked up at the sandstone manor of Myre, belonging to Lord Sanketon, atop it the banner of a Green Snake coiled around a heart. Stretching and breathing the arid air of the Desertlands, she let out a satisfied groan. Although her final goal was Kript, she couldn’t help but make a small detour and meet an old friend. Taking a few moments to enjoy the aridness mixed with the saltness of the nearby sea, she marched on, stopping at every nearby stall, enticed by the smell of food that made her stomach grumble.

’I shouldn’t. The old man will likely treat me to soemthing better.’ With great resilience, Isis carried on, taking in the sights of the city she hadn’t seen in three years. People walked around in loose clothing, their tanned skin on display. Commonfolk women and men made dressed in thin cottons, made to be both comfortable and practical for the port work that dominated the city’s work. Merchants fresh to the city who hadn’t expected such heat continually wiped their brows with drenched handkerchiefs, their thick outfits an oven around their bodies that didn’t allow them to cool.

Finally, the few nobles and rich of Myre dressed extravagantly. Some women either wore sarees made of the finest silk, adorned with gold and silver, or lehengas woven in different patterns that matched their house or the source of their family’s wealth. As for the men, they proudly wore a sherwani, designed around their families’ sigils if they chose to have it displayed.

Her face peeked up at their faces for a while at the noble men, focusing on their faces. Unlike their counterparts across the realm, the men wore chains of gold and silver acorss their faces, connected to a hoop in their nose extending around attaching to either the ear or eyebrow. The richer they were, the thinner and finer the craftsmanship of the jewellery.

’I keep getting distracted.’ Shaking her head, Isis held her head low and looked down at herself as she walked, wondering if she should buy a new outfit and ditch her navy dress. Although gorgeous, it would be ruined by the dust kicked up by the wind eventually. ’In due time.’

Shaking her head, she arrived outside Lord Snaketon’s manor and smiled at the guards who blocked her, ”Tell the Lord his old friend has arrived. Say my name, it is Isis the Chronicler.” The guards shot each other looks, but seeing that Isis didn’t look like a commoner but a lady from a different part of the realm, they nodded. One ran off, and after five minutes she returned, opening the gate, escorting Isis to the greeting hall.

The doors opened, and Isis stepped in, looking around with a white smile, seeing the hanging flowers she remembered from before. Servants paced back and forth as the fat lord of Myre sat on his throne of pillows, smoking a long pipe, his black, greying hair glising in the sunlight from the window behind. ”Isis.” Putting the pipe down, he spread his hands and got up, his fat and jewellery giggling as he did. ”How have you been, my friend?” Taking Isis into a hug, she didn’t refuse and returned it.

”My travels have been lovely.” Stepping back, she looked the lord up and down and, with a playful smirk, carried on, ”I can see the years haven’t been hard on you.” Darion looked Isis up and down with an unreadable gaze before bursting into laughter and turning around, retaking his seat on the pillow throne, clearing a space for her.

”Come. Sit. I cleared the room when my guard told me you returned.” Isis politely smiled and took her seat, accepting the cup of tea handed to her by a servant when she did. Picking up his pipe, Darion took a deep inhale, the sound of herbs burning as he did. ”What made you return?”

”I flipped a coin, and it led me to Kript.” Sighing, Isis didn’t refuse when Darion handed her the pipe and took a deep inhale, enjoying the thick taste of tabcoo on her tongue, ”I thought about what I’m going to do when I get there.” Taking another inhale, she handed the pipe back to Darion, ”Are piartes still an issue down here. If so, I would really love to join one of the expeditions.”

Darion stared at Isis and looked around, ”Everyone out.” Saying the servants bowed and departed, leaving the two, ”They are, but I would advise against it for now.”

”Why? Are things that bad?” Isis asked, and Darion shook his head. Taking a smoke of his pipe, Darion thought for a moment, wondering if he should speak. Looking Isis in the eyes, he sighed.

”It seems we might be at war again.” Isis eyes widened in shock as she looked at Darion grumble to himself, grabbing his eyes in annoyance.

”You can’t be serious. I thought a new king was elected to avoid this.” Silence hung in the room as the two shared the pipe, the only sound the crackle of burning tobacco and the distant sea.

”It was.” Darion finally spoke, ”Messenger birds arrived from the Crownlands a few days ago. The Chancellor’s son is dead. Killed by the king’s son during a tournament.” Isis’s blue eyes widened again, staring at Darion, wondering if he was joking. Seeing he was serious, she took a deep breath and sighed.

”The Chancellor was Prince Brandon, correct?” Darion nodded, ”War, such an unfortunate thing, but will it come to that?” Darion smirked in response, almost happy at the thought.

”The desert has not forgotten how the king butchered Lord Carter’s son on those hills, how the rest of the realm has tried to destroy who we are.” There was a slight hate in his voice as he opened the end of the pipe and dropped in more tobacco leaves, ”If Prince Brandon wishes to fight for what is rightfully his, we shall follow. Even if we care not for the realm at large, it is a chance to kill a Cosmaton legally.”

”I guess I need to find soemthing new to do.” Isis lamented to herself, ignoring Darion’s final sentence.

”Isis, don’t let my words scare you. Right now, we are in the eye of the storm. The Lords are still deciding who to support. Some are clear have clear alliegances, but Clover, Blackwell and Elvissia still need to be bought.” Darion took another smoke, letting his words hang. ”If you want to go pirate hunting, be my guest. But there is a chance it won’t be normal pirates, although a low chance right now.”

”Probing attacks from King Anton’s allies.” Darion nodded in response. ”I’ll see, I have always wanted to add to the journal a ship battle.”

”How you are still alive, I do not know.” Darion said, chuckling to himself, getting a thin smile from Isis, ”Do take care if you do this.” Isis smirked and raised her arm, tapping her bicep.

”I can defend myself, old man. I should be worrying about you. How do you plan on marching with an army like this?” Grabbing her stomach, Darion looked down at his massive stomach and laughed and before shaking his head.

”I’ll leave it to my brat. He is always craving glory and refuses to understand what war actually is. Maybe he will learn why I chose to stay fat once he gets a taste of it.”

”Talking about your kids. Does your youngest still have a crush on me?” Daron smirked and shook his head.

”He does, that reminded me, I must thank you for that musician you recommended. I hired him after you left for that boy’s birthday.” Darion happily said, ”Anyway, after you left, he clung to his mother’s leg and kept asking why you had to leave and why I didn’t make room for you to stay. I would say I’m surprised you noticed, but you always like watching people.”

”It wasn’t hard to notice. It was quite adorable seeing him peek from behind walls, blushing and running away when I spotted him.” Isis took the pipe and smoked, smiling as she did, ”Although he is too young for me. I much prefer older men.” Darion chuckled.

”I know you wish to run to Kript, but please join my family for dinner and stay a few nights. It is rare that I can truly have a friend visit and not ask for gold.” Darion smiled and reached for one of his fat fingers, pulling off a ring that refused to budge, ”That being said, take it. Payment for your recommendation.”

”Darion, come on. You know I don’t need this.” Waving his hand, he forced it into her grasp and offered the pipe to Isis one last time. When she shook her head, he walked over to a small bowl of water and opened the end of the pipe, dropping out a small cube of hot coal.

”I know you don’t want money, but getting to Kript will need money, and I know how much you like to spend.” Before she could protest, Darion raised a hand again, ”It’s a gift, Isis. Stop being so stubborn.” Sighing, she curled her hand around it and nodded, carefully putting it into her satchel. ”Dinner will be at sunset. I know you don’t pray to our God, and won’t force you to join our prayer before eating.”

”I am a guest, and it is rude to ignore your culture, my friend.” Darion smiled at her words and watched as she rose. ”Is there any place I can clean myself and rest. My trip was long.”

Darion rang a bell, and with it a servant walked in, ”Take the lady to her quarters.” Turning to Isis, he smiled, ”I will have my wife provide you with clothes.”