King of the Seditious

A Raid & A Problem

Lord Danbury, the man that had been raiding the Princess of Nightway's realm to feed MidGale City, and inconveniencing The Nauvree in the process, looked up at the man who hadn't blinked during the interchange.

Savage sat quietly watching them. Not reacting, though clearly close enough to hear.

He was young. Blonde hair twisted into braids near his face with wood beads strung in them.

Kill beads. Each engraved with a kill he was proud of.

He wore a sleeveless black leather tunic with gold embroidering down the center and black hide pants tucked into dusty boots. As Danbury looked at him, he leaned his head back, making the beads click together, as he peered haughtily down at Danbury.

"What do you want?" Danbury called.

Seeing they'd drive no further, he dropped from the tree and landed smoothly in the road. Step half feral as he strode to the carriage with a smirk.

"Are you trying to get killed, Boy?"

"Oh, I'm no Boy." He stepped before Danbury with a grin.

And I don't appreciate being called one.

Barker, his primary attendant, sucked in a whoosh of air behind Danbury and lunged to the far side of the carriage.

Good. He knows me.

"What?" Danbury tossed him a skeptical look.

"That's the King of Assassins!"

"Who?"

"The King of the Assassins."

"Oh?" Danbury ran a hand through black hair, tousling it. "Have you come to kill me, Boy?"

Why would I do that when you can proceed to bundle up and hand over goods as often as you traverse this country. That'd be foolish.

"Not right yet." Savage slapped the window ledge of the carriage door. When he did there was a flood from the trees. Men in light armor, carrying weapons and shouting like wild beasts rampaged toward Danbury's carriages. Dirtied, scarred men. Men who looked unstable.

"Who are they?" Danbury snarled, eying the mass surging from the trees.

My men.

"They're my assassins. They've come to help you on your travel."

"Help me?" Danbury looked at him. "Are you escorting us into MidGale?" He asked in confusion. "Did King Ocnomad send you?"

Far from.

"No." Savage flashed that vibrant grin again. "Quite the opposite actually. But we are going to lighten your load."

Already the assassins yanked bags from the tops of the vehicles. Tossing laden burlap sacks down lines of men to vanish into the trees. A well-coordinated operation.

"Stop your seditious men!"

"Seditious?" Savage laughed coldly. "From what I hear, he leaned in the window. Invading Danbury's personal space. "You're the one that's seditious." He clucked in his cheek. "Betraying a queen and her daughter to steal these goods."

Danbury looked at him askance. "If such a thing were true, how would you know?"

"I know everything that happens in these lands." Savage leaned over to give three solid smacks to Danbury's cheek. Reddening it.

Danbury blinked at him in shock. Mouth agape. "Who are you?"

"Savage Jack." He stepped back to dip in a mocking bow. "At your disservice, My Lord." He gave a cheeky grin. Blue eyes flashing in the afternoon light. "It's nice to collaborate, isn't it? Appreciate you rounding up all this to feed my men." He nodded.