RiffingShow
Or in less obtuse fashion:A group of four, three sailors and Jordahn, all set Lithmenar down onto his bed.
"Three sailors and Jordahn set Lithmenar down onto his bed."
And have you forgotten that he put his mattress on the floor for some reason?
The "whatever" being "a piece of tentacle in his guts".Lithmenar was still gazing upwards as if he didn't even notice all of the people in his room. His eyes were almost glazed over; perhaps another side effect of whatever was affecting him.
Or not. Guess the thing is venomous or something. Have fun eating that meat, everyone.The cut itself seemed superficial, scraping only enough to get to the blood.
You should learn some actual healing spells, woman.Lithmenar's breathing was beginning to intensify, so Indow began silently chanting some sort of spell that slowed his breathing down so that they could finish their work.
Raven's just picturing a brave new world without Lithmenar.Louis and Jordahn had spent the entirety of the ten minutes pacing and hoping that everything would be all right with Lithmenar, whereas White Raven spent her time calmly sitting on a chair outside of the room with her eyes closed. It appeared as if she were meditating.
"What's the prognosis?" Louis asked, standing in front of the healer with his arms crossed.
That's a weird pose for this kind of situation.
Just get a hot iron and make him squeal like a pig. That ought to at least stop him from bleeding out."The poison is acting as a kind of anti-coagulant, preventing the blood from clotting and blocking off the damaged areas. Indow is just barely holding him alive by using her magicks to slow the blood, but that will only last so long. I have a few ideas on how to remove the poison, but this is going to be mostly Lithmenar's fight," the healer replied, sighing.
And I wonder if we'll ever find out which of "few ideas" ultimately worked.
How the fuck did she do that? Sailing ships are made out of real wood, not this flimsy mix of sawdust and glue that you Americans like to use.The healer nodded and walked back inside of the room. Jordahn gritted her teeth and slammed her fist against the wall, knocking a small hole in it.
"He's just Lithmenar, you hysteric wench. You would understand if you had spent as much time with him as I did."Jordahn growled and turned to White Raven. "How can you just sit there knowing that he could die soon?!"
"I shall call upon the Demons of Selzar. Those guys will take care of anything.""I am doing the rational thing. There is nothing that we three can do to assist him, so I shall remain calm and focus my efforts on helping him through otherworldly ways," White Raven replied.
"Otherworldly?" Louis asked, looking at her.
What is your religion, anyways? And what does this have to do with anything?"Despite my belief that you are the Linkara, Louis, you are not the focus of my religion."
So your "rational" help is literal pseudoscience.I believe it is possible to bend and shape reality through one's own desires and willpower, so I go through a series of meditations whenever I can to increase my focus and concentration.
It's better than nothing, I guess. And where are your miracle ideas, Little Miss Vegan Blood Cultist?"Nonsense," Jordahn balked, looking away from White Raven and crossing her arms. "Change occurs because of action, not will alone. If the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, victory is extraordinarily difficult to achieve. Also, what happens if your precious willpower fails and he dies? What kind of comfort is that?"
Yeah, I would care about that. This entire ship must be like a house of cards if Gyaru Casca can just punch holes through the planks.Louis sighed, pulling on Jordahn's arm. "Come on, let's go and see if we can help repair the ship. Having Lithmenar recover won't do us any good if the Defiant falls apart all around us."
*
Okay. You're really not giving me a lot to work with, Galo Legolas. And I was so proud of your nickname...Commander Renneq put down the letter in front of him and shut his eyes tightly. His hands overlapped in front of his mouth, as if blocking anything that might try to escape it from the sickness he was feeling.
Holy fucking shit. Someone actually knocks at a door instead of just barging in.He heard the clip-clop sound of boots against wooden stairs, indicating that someone was approaching his office. There were three knocks on the door, so he turned and tried to regain his composure.
Since when does Linkara give a shit about etiquette?"Come in," he said.
The door opened, revealing Louis. He walked inside and closed the door behind him. Renneq stood and saluted his Captain.
"At ease, Commander," Louis responded, returning the salute.
(I suspect Linkara (the author) has copied some scene he's seen on TV. Might explain the knocking.)
A supply boat? So did you guys intentionally sail more slowly, or was that thing faster? How much head start did you have before this "supply boat" set sail? How did it know your exact location? And have you even seen a sailing movie?"The Kelitrat did serious damage to our sails; it's going to be at least another two days before we can continue onwards. We were fortunate to have that supply boat meet with us when we got this far out. It also carried letters to the crew..."
Also why wasn't this mentioned before? You'd think it would've been a welcome distraction for everyone, what with them being bored out of their mind.
And it brought mail? There's no bloody postman for sailing ships, especially not for ships that are out for months without reaching a single port.
I think one might call this "news".Louis noticed that he was looking at the paper. "Bad news from the family?"
Renneq shook his head. "It's a standard announcement that comes out whenever something important happens that all military personnel need to be informed of."
I, eh, totally knew that.It seems that shortly before you arrived in Jilad during the Darkness War, there was a massacre in the Terlough capitol city of Irisol."
"Terlough?" Louis asked, intrigued. "The Dwarf kingdom?"
Also fuck me if I know when exactly "shortly before you arrive in Jilad" is supposed to be.
Myrrha, Varek or Thesia: Just who will claim responsibility?"Fortunately, they had already moved to a secure location just a week before from when their King was assassinated by the Horseman of the Armageddon. They weren't in the city when the massacre occurred. However, the entire populace of the city was not as fortunate as they..." Renneq said.
Yeah, WTF is going on? Why does an elf care so much about dwarves?"You seem to be taking this a bit hard. Did you have friends there?" Louis inquired.
Oh, he's just a giant pussy. Then again, he is is an elf.Renneq shook his head. "No, it's just... The Elves have never had such a massacre within our own people, not even during some of the more imperialistic times in our history. As an officer in the Navy, I never have never known such a tragedy to occur on the waves. Sure, ships crews can be killed, body parts can be blown off... but never anything like this."
Oh, so this is just a setup for Linkara to ramble about the Holocaust and/or WW2 again."Does this sort of thing happen on your world, as well?"
The whole city is supposedly drenched in blood (and probably guts), so I kinda doubt it.Louis nodded in response, putting the letter down. "Except in some cases it's worse. I'm hoping these people were all killed quickly with only a small amount of pain."
What the fuck are you talking about? Hiroshima and Nagasaki?"On Earth, there are people who would turn weapons that you couldn't even dream of upon people and watch as they die in agony... The sad thing is that usually it's just a test of their effectiveness and the weapons are never used in actual combat."
"If only we'd actually use those nukes...""So, in fact, weapons like that are built and tested and then never used."
-Linkara, apparently.
It's not inhuman when it's done by humans."Don't get me wrong, Commander - I support weapons and the natural idea of defense, but there are some things that are just... inhuman."
*
Of fuck. Time for the titular history lessons."So, how does the war end?"
White Raven looked up and turned her head to see Jordahn standing in the stairwell. She had last seen her two hours before during their brief argument. She raised an eyebrow, confused as to what her question was.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"The Hundred Year War. I'd like to know how it ended," Jordahn clarified.
That's a great book you've bought there, Indow."Weren't you reading that history book that Louis had?"
"The book isn't very specific, which is something, considering half of the book is about the Hundred Year War," Jordahn replied, stepping towards White Raven.
Also it's almos like the book is that way specifically so this scene can happen - because we, the readers don't know the specifics, so someone has to explain it to someone else.
Everything changed when the Catgirl Nation attacked."In the last fifteen years of the war, the Anakos finally entered the conflict and began waging open war against Ünaré."
They rushed that military tech tree like a boss.They pretty much mastered the art of war in the first year, allowing for a series of successful campaigns against the Arbiters.
"Conlum resistance" pops up like once per book. Maybe one day, we will find out what a "Conlum" is.A new Conlum resistance had formed and the Elves were finally sending soldiers to wage the war.
This is why R&R is important, boys.After a full hundred years, the Arbiters had grown tired of the endless battle and were too exhausted to continue their own campaigns. The Conlum liberated Ai first. They then swept from one land to the next, working with local resistances and the citizenry to overthrow the Arbiters and destroy them forever.
Seems Rohaq's incompetence was the rule, not the exception."The Arbiters realized that, perhaps, they had become doomed to failure once more."
Seems that safe space trick only works once. Whoops."They wanted to live and fight another day, so they withdrew all of their troops from other lands and returned to Ilkjem, hoping to do as they had done before - wait until the right moment to strike again. However, the other lands weren't prepared to let it happen again. They surrounded Ilkjem with seven armies and invaded, slaying every Arbiter until the last was finally dead."
Vegans, man."I always thought that within my natural lifespan I'd be able to see the end of the Arbiter War, when in truth the war didn't end until after I would have been long dead and my blood used to fuel my colleagues."
This dialogue is very natural."The world works in very mysterious ways. Perhaps I shall retire someday to some secluded cave in the Sondok Mountains and write a book about this complicated planet," White Raven said.
"I'd buy a copy," Jordahn stated.
Back when Linkara got sick, Indow had to prostitute herself and sell her immortal soul to the forces of darkness to get a one-of-a-kind healing potion.White Raven smiled and nodded. Just as she was about to close her eyes, the door to Lithmenar's room opened and the healer walked out, letting out an exhausted sigh and rubbing his temples. Both Jordahn and White Raven rose.
"Is he all right?" White Raven asked.
"Well, we've stopped the anti-coagulant, but the poison's still in his system. I've administered everything I know on him, even a few leeches that I brought with me. All that's left is for the boy to fight it off on his own," the healer stated.
When Lithmenar gets stabbed by a tentacle monster, you just throw everything you have in your medicine cabinet and call it a day.
Classic Lithmenar. Always finding excuses to drop hints of his tragic backstory"Has he woken up at any point?" Jordahn inquired.
"Half-conscious at some points, and totally gone at others. When he is semi-conscious, he mumbles and calls out a few names that are unfamiliar to me... to him, as well, possibly," the healer responded.
Or he's just speaking in tongues. Same difference."What do you mean?" Jordahn asked, intrigued.
"Well, in the state that he's in, his mind just might be trying to compensate for the situation he's in and mix names and places together as his memories of recent and past events jumble together. So things like 'Brucamp,' 'Analee,' and 'Usatsu' might just be random phrases that pass through his mind at the same time," the healer explained.
You gave her powdered water?"Is Indow alright?" White Raven brought up.
"She collapsed about fifteen minutes after you all left. It was a miracle she was able to last that long considering the spell she cast against the Kelitrat. I gave her some powdered life giver and am letting her rest against one of the walls of the room," the healer responded.
"Nobody cares, Lithmenar. Nobody cares.""Analee!" he suddenly cried out, his eyes still tightly shut.
White Raven sighed sympathetically and patted his shoulder, rubbing it a little for whatever encouragement she had for him.
*
One might call it "fucked up".Commander Renneq lightly chewed on the meat of the Kelitrat. Although the cooks had done a superb job of frying the normally rubbery texture of the beast, Renneq was still reminded of the fact that he was consuming the creature that had not so long ago destroyed half his ship and either wounded or killed a good portion of his crew.
Why are you the test eater? Why not let Linkara have the "honor"? It was his idea, after all.He sighed, pouring some salt on the meat, but still knew that all of the salts and spices on the ship couldn't help the bitter taste he had in his mouth. Finally giving up on it after another bite, he pushed the test meat aside and merely sat in the galley.
"Eat the giant squid, or Judge Dredd will get you."He had not been eating the food early out of some grandiose thinking that he was better than the crew and therefore should have dinner first, but out of actual requirement in the Navy's laws.
Oh, so you're the test eater because the law dictates it. But why is the first officer (aka the second most important guy on the ship) the test eater?The Captain of a vessel was the most important officer on the ship, but still dined with the rest of the crew during meals. To guard him or any other crewmember from poisoning, the first officer of the ship was required to taste all of the food early and then wait for two hours. Most poisons took effect in that amount of time, and it was believed that if anything happened to the Commander, then the food was not safe and the crew should assume someone poisoned him.
Oh, those whacky sailing ship ceilings. Always collapsing and shit.Renneq stood up and prepared to walk upstairs and help repair the ship. However, as he approached the stairway, the silence of the galley was interrupted by a sudden crashing from the main kitchen. Renneq sighed, recognizing the sound as that of the ceiling collapsing downwards, one he was familiar with from having served on board sea vessels for so long.
Seriously, what kind of navy are you working for?
That's some convenient timing. Did someone step into a trap or something?He decided to assess the damage while he was there anyway and turned around to the main kitchen. He stepped into it and raised an eyebrow in surprise. The crash had indeed resulted from the ceiling collapsing; however, what he had not expected was that someone had been beneath the collapsing ceiling.
More Galos and Gyarus for everyone!Buried underneath the wood and metal was a single figure, medium-height with deeply tanned skin and noticeably blond hair.
Is this supposed to be A'Trex? I thought he was supposed to have adventures in the old continent.
His feet were adorned with soft leather shoes, obviously for the purpose of sneaking about.
You know, when a stowaway has remained undetected for so long, it's usually 'cause someone from the crew helps him."We have a stowaway! Security to the galley!" Renneq shouted out to the nearest stairwell.
But I guess he just always sneaked into the galley the instant you left.
*
Fucking yandere bitch.Indow awoke to the soft humming of Louis, who was cleaning up some of the damage that had been sustained to her room from the Kelitrat attack. She smiled, seeing that Louis had not noticed her regain consciousness and wondered if she should give a little scare to her love just to surprise him.
You had this discussion already in Book 1."Good evening, my little kitten," Louis greeted, trying to be cute.
Indow tilted her head to the side. "Your little what?"
Louis rolled his eyes. "You know, when we get to Earth, I'm going to need to get you familiarized with the terms and such of my planet. A kitten is a baby cat."
"Cat?" Indow asked, still confused.
"I think you call it a Ko here," Louis explained.
Also how come that term is like the only one your armor leaves untranslated? In both directions, no less.
Fucking yandere bitch."Oh!" Indow said, giggling a bit. "A Ko-res. You know, calling me your little Ko-res could be considered a racial slur."
Louis blinked, blushing noticeably. "Erm, never thought about it that way..."
Indow laughed loudly, going down and giving Louis a peck on the cheek. "I'm just kidding, my love! So serious you have to be sometimes..."
Nobody cares about both things.Louis sighed, a slightly sad face forming. "Yeah, I know, it's just that it's hard to laugh when I know Lithmenar's in trouble."
Indow nodded. "I understand, my love, but we have to be strong and even have a little fun with ourselves."
"When I was sick with the Silent Death, were you laughing?" Louis asked.
Indow sighed and got off of Louis. "All right, yes, I'm deeply concerned about Lithmenar's condition. However, I have just woken up from a most pleasant and wonderful sleep, and when the first thing I see is the fantastic form of my love and savior... well, needless to say it makes me giddy."
Louis smirked. "Well, I can understand how I could make a woman feel giddy."
Oh, so it's another Lithmenar thing? From the Galo-look, I'd have guessed someone from Kien."Anything exciting happen while I was sleeping?"
Louis smiled and stood up, extending his arm out to Indow. "As a matter of fact, yes. We found a stowaway unconscious under some debris wearing... well, very similar clothing to Lithmenar. If I didn't know any better, I'd suspect that he was a thief as well. It might explain our little drop in food rations that we had a week or so ago."
But then again, a lot of the new characters appear to be blond and tanned. Must be a fetish, but I can get it.
Delicious.
Scene transition."Well, who is he?" Indow asked inquisitively.
*
"Enrike, a humble merchant and unfortunately an unwilling passenger aboard your vessel."
Also I can't tell if Linkara (the author) is spelling "Enrique" wrong on accident, or on purpose to create a more fantasy-sounding name. The latter is pretty much what gave us "Jordahn".
He's a teenage(?) character in this series. Of course he's annoying.The boy, now locked in the brig section of the Defiant, stood up tall and straight in front of the assembled crewmembers with a toothy smile on his face and a cheerful, if not annoying, demeanor about him.
Most of the people standing before him, including Renneq, Louis, Indow, Jordahn, and White Raven were clearly not convinced by the statement, since they all glared at him with narrowed eyes.
Fuck me, another Linkara.Enrike, as he identified himself, was not in any way discouraged by the scornful looks of the Defiant crew and seemed content to merely grin and wait for a response to his statement.
Any of the other characters who buy this bullshit shall forever be shamed by me.Enrike held up his hands as if he were trying to calm the group down. "Oh, do not worry! I was not a willing stowaway aboard your ship. I am but a storekeeper for a small shop on the Lyse port, and a few weeks ago, I was talking with a very odd customer who kept asking me questions about a pendant I wore around my neck. He then suddenly knocked me unconscious and I found myself here, in a storage closet, without my pendant! Naturally, I thought I was still in the port, so I went up to try to get off the ship before I was noticed. However, it was late at night and I very clearly saw that we were already at sea! I overheard some officers say that we'd been at sea for a few days, so I retired to my storage area and decided not to trouble you with my presence since I thought that you'd think of me as a stowaway! So, really, I apologize for any inconvenience I've caused on you and can assure you that I won't make myself a bother to you anymore. I'll simply book passage on the next transport back to the Five Lands and you shall never hear from me again."
This better not be a "hint" at his connection with Lithmenar. 'Cause that would be dumb."Interesting story. Tell me, though, if you're just a simple merchant, what were you doing with throwing knives? There were some on your belt when I found you," Renneq asked.
The world of Sin takes class weapon proficiencies very serious."Nice try, but the preferred weapon amongst merchants is swords or daggers, not throwing knives. Throwing knives are the preferred weapon among thieves," Renneq pointed out.
Careful with that wording. You might end up walking the plank."You must think we're idiots," Louis said, glaring at Enrike.
Enrike shook his head. "In fact, I can see that you're quite intelligent and, as such, will be able to find, in your infinite wisdom, the logic necessary in releasing me."
I hope someone punches this guy."Well, here's the thing, Enrike, if that is your real name, a few weeks ago, two members of my crew were brutally murdered. At first I thought it was one of the cooks who was unaccounted for, but now I must wonder - perhaps it was actually you who killed them," Renneq suggested.
Enrike gave an audible gasp and put his hands on his hips, trying to create a mocked appearance of offense. "That is outrageous, Commander! I can very clearly assure you that I had nothing to do with those deaths, nor do I intend to be subjected to such a fraudulent accusation!"
It's a berth.Enrike shrugged and turned, going back to the bench that
served as his bed in the brig.
"Also I just love fucking with people.""Do you really think he was involved with the murders?" Louis inquired.
"I doubt it," Renneq replied, walking up a flight of stairs. "However, he is still a stowaway and I see no reason to allow him to wander around this ship, unless you insist, sir."
As if anything would ever happen to someone with a name (even if it might not be his real one)."What was he doing aboard this ship of all ships, though? Military vessels don't exactly have the friendliest punishments for stowaways..." White Raven stated.
Or you could just yeet him into the ocean and forget the whole thing ever happened."Probably didn't know it was a military vessel until it was too late. Now he's stuck with us until we reach Aigol," Jordahn said.
I'd say you wait a few days before you decide which one to keep."Lithmenar has regained consciousness. It seems that he was successful in defeating the poison and should be ready to be out of his room in another day or two," he stated.
The group had wide grins. They had just been handed a new thief, but now the one they cared about was alive.
*
You're just looking for an excuse to wince.Lithmenar put a spoon into a bowl of soup, scooping up some vegetables and broth and bringing it to his mouth. He winced after he swallowed, sighing as he put down the bowl on the small table that had been set up next to his bed. He looked up at the cook who brought it to him and shook his head.
Sorry, it looks like my taste buds haven't returned to normal yet. It still tastes like ashes," Lithmenar stated.
What a dick."Well, try again in an hour and don't worry about bothering me. I enjoy doing some hard cooking as opposed to the slop I have to serve out to the work crews during the repairs," the cook said.
And we're back to not knocking again.The cook stood up and left, walking out just as Louis and his companions started walking in. When he saw them entering, Lithmenar sighed and lay back against the animal furs that made up his pillow and shook his head.
You pointing it out doesn't make it any more endearing, or less annoying."Oh, wonderful. Now I get to hear the sympathetic and happy cries of my friends as I embarrassingly try to explain some of the things I was calling out in my fevered rantings. Is there any way that I can completely avoid trying to explain myself to you or am I going to have to sit through a long ordeal explaining my past as if this were some tragic tale written by Meriwel?" he asked.
Luckily for you no one will probe you with questions because nobody gives a shit.
"It's your business."
"Although I for one would like to know what you were talking about when you shouted out, 'I'm drowning in roundcakes,'" Jordahn stated.
Lithmenar narrowed his eyes. "None of your business."
The group enjoyed a brief laugh from the statement.
Can we get back to Earth already? I'd take the plot going full Ernest Cline any day over the plot pussyfooting around Lithmenar's tragic backstory.
"He said he can be your hero."Indow brought the conversation to a slightly more serious tone. "In any case, if you're feeling up to it, we'd like you to talk with a stowaway we found."
"Well, who is he?" Lithmenar asked, intrigued.
"Well, he says his name is Enrike-"
Great, another hyper-competent teenager. This is getting too animu even for me."You've met him?" Louis asked.
"Oh, yes. I'm kind of surprised that you haven't heard of him, though! Enrike was responsible for the theft of the crown of the High Mother of Cekladashkä, the escape of the political prisoners of Dimoar, and the robbery of the Sondok Mountains five years ago where he stole over sixteen crates of varying ores, metals, and powders. He's almost legendary among the- erm, legendary among thieves. I have sometimes hoped that I could see him again after our last little adventure," Lithmenar explained.
"*Hints at tragic/cool backstory*""I don't suppose you'd like to enlighten us further about said adventure, would you?" Indow asked, her curiosity peaked.
Lithmenar shook his head. "My past is past. What matters now are the present and what my good friend is doing on this boat!"
"Care to elaborate?"
"Nah."
"Okay."
Lithmenar jumped up, his covers coming off. Sadly, he neglected to realize that he wasn't wearing any pants. Indow blushed and turned away, while White Raven and Jordahn merely raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
*
Great. This is gonna be those two chucklefucks throwing subtle backstory hints at each other, isn't it?Lithmenar had just approached the cell, the others close behind him.
"Let's get this shit over with so the author can maybe come up with a better plot for me.""Hello, there! Who might you be?" Enrike asked quizzically.
Lithmenar rolled his eyes. "Drop the attitude, Enrike; I'm not in the mood for it."
"The following dialogue is for the readers, not you.""Leave me alone with him," he said.
"Are you sure?" Indow asked.
Lithmenar nodded in response.
Shouldn't you have lock picks for this? WTF, man?Lithmenar followed them briefly, stopping when the door was shut. He kneeled down and examined the lock on the door. After a few more seconds of examination, he looked in the area immediately around him and saw a splinter of wood on the ground. He picked it up and stuck it into the lock, twisting it around for several seconds before he heard a snap, indicating that the door was now locked.
What are you, a Leprechaun?"Tired?" he asked.
"Exhausted," Enrike replied, the pleasantness and joy gone from his voice. "I've got this paranoia in the back of my mind that says if they examine the storage area I was hiding in, they'll find my valuables.
>thinking anyone gives a shit about Raven's crimes"Very interesting company that you're keeping, Lithmenar."
Lithmenar looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well," Enrike said, looking down at Lithmenar, "for one thing, you are traveling with a Linkaran Priestess, a Dark Knight war criminal, and a Kien warrior."
Shouldn't you know this already? Don't you read the newspaper?"And then there's that boy... Who is he?"
"The kid? He thinks he's the Linkara," Lithmenar replied.
"Really?" Enrike asked, suddenly intrigued and bright-eyed again.
"Could've been a freak accident that blessed him with a suit of celestial super-armor.""Yes, and so does every other member of that religion that we run into. I admit, his skills are impressive and he fulfills the prophecies, but that doesn't mean that the religion is correct," Lithmenar said.
Also how dare you question the validity of The Prophecy (tm).
Oh hi, every discussion with Lithmenar ever."That still doesn't explain why you're traveling around with him and the others, though," Enrike stated.
Lithmenar sighed and lied back on the floor. "I'm not really sure myself.
You know, I'm pretty sure the Church of the Linkara would've gladly paid for their Lord and Savior."I originally joined this kid's little party because I thought the financial rewards of such an undertaking might be worth my while."
"Were they?" Enrike inquired.
Lithmenar shrugged. "I suppose so. I acquired quite a lot of profit, but now I've spent it all on this boat and a few basic supplies for a journey to get the kid back to his own world."
Oh my, could we actually get more than vague hints this time around? I couldn't care less.Lithmenar glared at Enrike. "You've been looking for me this whole time?"
Enrike nodded.
"Why?"
Oh no. Someone actually does something against all those thieves that everyone else just kinda puts up with. The horror."I was sent here to request your assistance. The Royal Family has been slowly instituting reforms that have the intention of arresting and executing every thief within the land. Royal authority has been tightening the noose around agriculture and the merchants, making it nearly impossible for anything to get done. By our estimates, the land's economy will collapse in only three years. There have been talks of revolution, but most of the peasant and working classes are afraid of retribution if they should fail. We need help."
And how much more can you tighten the noose in the domain of Sir Jerkmenar von Peasantkicking?
Not even he gives a shit. You've milked this non-plot too much, Linkara (the author).Lithmenar merely looked up at Enrike, waiting until he was finished. Finally, he shrugged.
"So?" he asked.
We both know you'll go anywhere where Linkara goes.Lithmenar glared back at Enrike and stood up. "I vowed never to return to that place and you know exactly why! If you wish to go home and help, be my guest! However, I will not enter that... that place ever again! When the Royal Family is gone, then maybe I will return and live out the rest of my years there, but until then, it will take all of the angels in heaven to make me re-enter that accursed land!"
