Portswater, all of it is in chaos. From the narrow streets of the once ever-busy capital, to the drunkard town of Dange in the far south, the chaos is evident.
You must defeat Daedalus and your bastard brother, Judas. But how can you ignore the needs of the people? Your duty is to them as to anything else. They are of the highest priority. Your father and lord, had always made sure that his actions would not negatively impact his subjects. You know he cared deeply for them. From the ever-travelling merchants and artists, to the poor beggars and paupers in the corners of the streets.
"We must fix Portwaster first", you tell those with you as you ride through the town.
"Send word to every lord-mayor that is still breathing. Send all resources here, so that we may begin to rebuild", you order.
About twenty or so soldiers ride off immediately to the other towns.
"How will we go and fight Daedalus and Judas, Lord Alexander? We are in need of an army!", Samorra lectures you, as you both walk into your castle.
"We have about a hundred men to spare, two hundred at the max, and lord Daedalus must have thousands, hundreds of thousands! Word is he has managed to suck out every able soldier from down in Gotland to Maggotscar. There's completely now way we can defeat him", he says, speaking the truth.
"Though it is not what I wish, you are unmistakably right, Samorra", you award him.
"We need men, that is why I want you to muster every possibly man in all of Portswater to come here to receive arms and training. Even so, raising an army is not my priority right now. I must rebuild my fiefdom and help my subjects, they simply can't be left on the streets to fend for themselves, and with the dark months on the way, who knows what sort evil will come about?", you tell him.
"At times like this I wish Lernard was still alive. Such a wise and knowledgeable man would always know what to do."
"Even though you are not about this now, but is till must ask you. Where do you think Vradnik is?", Samorra questions, bringing up the missing head Knight's.
"That, I do not have knowledge of", you release, sighing.
"I feel Judas carried him with him while he was leaving in the hurry last night."
"And if Judas is with Daedalus, who is most likely at Dullac or Maggotscar, then that is where my knight is!", you tell him.
Two days later, the lord-mayors arrive. They all look beaten and worn out, One falls upon your face with joy.
"Lord Alexander!", he shouts, "it is of great courage that you are not dead as supposed", he states.
"I am lord-mayor Charleswyn, I was a friend of your late father and an even closer friend of Lernard, the man of letters."
"Tell me", he says, starting to look around the great hall.
"Where is the old man?", he interrogates you with a smile.
You look him in the eyes.
"Lernard's gone", you let him know.
His smile becomes a frown and his once bright, unusually-cheery eyes, are not dark and lonely. He says nothing to you, but takes a seat on one of the chairs, as sad as raindrops on a grave.
"Lord", another starts up.
This one fatter than all of you and almost resembling lord Dollis, who was your friend and ally.
"You sent for us, I believe it was for a reason?", he speaks, his large belly tipping our his leather belt.
"Yes", you say, standing up on the steps, so that you may be elevated above all.
YOU ARE READING
The Black Raven: plot of the three swords
Historical FictionLord Alexander has just come to the throne of Portswater, a province in the west known for aurens in times of trade, but steel in times of war. He thinks that being a lord isn't too complex, but what he doesn't know is that there are those cunning...
