Battlebond: Valor (Chapter 5)
Sacrificial Outside (Temple)
The Jackalfolk Guard announced Eshir as she walked into the room speaking to Kairan, “This isn’t a social call, are you aware, your highness?” Kairan grumble under his breath, then he spoke clearly, “If this is about my brother, kill him.” Eshir frowned at him, it seems all royalty she deals with love to rule but not enforce their borders. “And have discord among everyone? You know your subjects wouldn’t see the putting down of your brother by us as favorable.”
He stood up and grumble again them spoke, “I have banished him, are you to tell me that my own people would turn?!” He began to cast at her hitting the invisible artifact knights that appeared when blocking as a shield for Eshir. There was a loud roar that made everything stand still as Vitamor the Leonin Duke dropped down from the ceiling and landed directly in front of Kairen, “You dare raise your foul hand to cast at a woman? She simply hasn’t struck you for my sake, jackal. Your answer is given, but know this, your brother must be dealt with by your own and if you don’t then we will. What would your subjects think if a jackalfolk had to be employed in the service of leonins to clean up one of your messes?” Kairan huffed, “No one would dare!! A traitor after the exodus from Amonkhet? Never!” Vitamor and Eshir were already leaving, ignoring his words.
Meanwhile in Dueler’s Field
A young jackalfolk is running through the fields but something pauses him in his tracks, a sound? No, a song, he runs towards the sound of a flute playing until he came to the sight of someone sitting on a rock. “What are you?”, he ask. Apisi looked up from his flute, “My name Apisi, now that you know me, I feel the need to tell you something. You will be king, when you are, be a good one and you will find the peace you seek.” He went back to playing his flute, and being bombarded with questions from the young jackalfolk but did not answer him until he seemed angry, “Are you going to strike me? Fight your trait, you clearly have been on your own so why behave as they do?”
How do you respond to that? He couldn’t help but sit down and just listen to Apisi play his flute. The songs, each song was a spell, but what kind of spell?
The other side of Dueler’s Field
“You could have told me you were going, Eshir.”, Vitamor said staring at her while they were walking trying to get her to look at him. She kept her eyes forward and still answered him bluntly, “So you could send a small army with me? You might as well sound the war horn if you did that. It’s important for me to appear neutral.” Vitamor stood in front of her, “I didn’t want anything to happen to you, being in jackalfolk territory.” Eshir smiled at him, “I thought you of all people would know we shouldn’t show our whole hand. Don’t care so much, you’ll expose yourself. Besides-- Jackalfolk can’t smell artifacts.” She had been back and forth about how she feels about the duke, Vitamor smiled, because for the time being-- that was enough for him.