ravenDivinity

When the Flames Die

Gareth shrugged. "I suppose you're right." He didn't chuckle, finding the time a little inappropriate for laughter, but he did smile some at Wallace's remark. The crowd fully gathered in the great hall at last, Wallace and Gareth being of the final few to enter, and Gareth parted from Wallace with a wave. "As to you." A deep sigh exited Harker's mouth as he found himself a place to sit. Being formal and finding a group to sit with first was beyond him by that point, and he was coming to the stage of anguish where he would just want to have a good meal and beverage. Servants brought in salvaged food and wine from the outdoor feasts, this act an indication of the official move indoors. The festive nature of the feast, however, departed from the palace, and left a feast for surviving the hours until things were secured. No music would be played in the wake of something so publicly grim. Gareth poured another cup and said his thanks, raising it to nothing and drinking small bits of the wine every now and then. For the life of him, his eyes couldn't find Sophia and Jezin, or Thomas for that matter.

When the Flames Die

"Yes, ah, times are dangerous." Gareth nodded, finding the political landscape quite nonsensical. Looking around, he found himself and Wallace the last in the room besides the guardsmen, and he knew he had to leave into the great hall where the rest of the crowd awaited. Silently he discerned the right choice of words, then spoke. "Yes, indeed we shall go, for a tragedy has occurred this evening." Harker paused, recalling he was alone in the city, as his family lived in another large city in the realm, and he came to Mullen alone recently, himself having no true friends there yet. "Ah, no worry... I have neither family nor friends, here in Mullen." Perhaps it was good, in that foreboding hour, to not have any nearby loved ones, and to have your mind clear of none other than attached acquaintances.

When the Flames Die

Gareth frowned at the name, yet he bowed in remembrance and respect as well. He knew Wallace was likely required to honey his voice and maintain a helpful visage, but Harker dismissed it and played along as though Wallace's kindness was purely genuine and had nothing else behind it. The half-elf nodded, and his voice came out more silvery than before, him having assuaged his problems on the surface while they boiled on the inside. "Ah... Pleasure to meet you, Wallace." Gareth bowed. Even as he spoke, his smooth voice still inflected some tone of nervousness about speaking to another. "Gareth Harker." Again there he was, being comforted by a stranger.

When the Flames Die

Harker looked up with his ghastly face, finished crying but still with a shaky voice. "No." He stifled, his voice wobbly. Despite his anxieties, he, trusting the man before him based on his attitude, reached up and grabbed Wallace's hand, appreciating the leverage in helping him stand. Gareth fixed his attire and coughed. "Mm... Thank you..." The half-elf appeared rustled by prior happenings, his face grim and pallid and his eyes, which he rubbed, looking dead and reddened by salty tears; it was no mystery, the events of before would leave anyone crestfallen.

When the Flames Die

Sightles said
Literally everything is going to shit.

I blame aliens.

When the Flames Die

Jesus, everything is going down right now. Let us watch our characters end up tortured and scarred for life.

When the Flames Die

Gareth found himself in the throne room again, the same place where he met Karl Leid, just as the man delivered his announcement before the throne. On the floor against the wall he sat, wiping tears from his face pitifully. He hadn't the slightest clue of the whereabouts of Thomas, Jezin, and Sophia, but Leid, he knew, was dead in the courtyard. He wept, his breath breaking and mouth making choked noises, for he was afraid and deeply saddened. Amazing, he thought, for the place he came to with joy and new friends the night before ended up being the place he fled to alone with fear. What happened in the courtyard was a mess. Each passing moment occurred so quickly his mind could barely recall the exact timeline of events. A tangled ball of thoughts filled his head while tears traced their marks on his face.

When the Flames Die

Gareth shook his head and began to cry; he was too weary to think coherently, but he knew he had to think about what he needed to do. Harker didn't have his bow, and in this sort of situation he needed it to defend himself from the chaos. Redwyne had given the bow to another Order knight, and the weapons of most all the guests were confiscated. He was left almost completely all alone as the largest of crowds swept by, leaving a ravaged courtyard in its wake and dwindling numbers of people that were just coming to their senses and fleeing the scene, Gareth among those people. His head ached, and his cheeks were wet as he slowly realized the growing need to get away from that place, his mind forcing his legs to walk to the front doors of the palace leading into the throne room. He was so startled as to hinder his ability to run, he could only walk in his shocked state, and quietly he begged the powers that were for safety.

When the Flames Die

DrowsyPangolin said
The bodies have hit the floor.

Exactly what I was thinking.

When the Flames Die

Well, things just got a whole lot more interesting around here.