Dreisterne

CHAPTER 13

The warm noon sun streamed through the windows, casting golden light over the Marshall's cluttered desk, a testament to the chaos of the past hours. Before him stood Dreisterne, with Harald at the forefront, exuding theatrical confidence as he launched into their tale. With grand gestures and eloquent flair, he painted vivid scenes of Dreisterne's perilous mission into the Unicorn's Horn—the masked necromancer's dark sorcery, the relentless undead, the fiery chaos that engulfed the forest, and their desperate flight to secure Meister Norvinter's escape. The Marshall listened in stony silence, occasionally glancing at his scribe, who struggled to keep pace with the pyromancer's relentless monologue. As Harald neared the end of his elaborate account, his final words carried the same theatrical flourish, ensuring that Dreisterne's daring rescue would be remembered as nothing short of legendary.

"...so, we returned with Meister Norvinter to town, where the good Healers of the temple now labour to restore his strength. Meanwhile, your gallant Watchmen set out to purge the forest of its corruption, aided, of course, by the rather fortuitous Rauch und Flamme; fire and smoke, I mean, that our battle left in its wake. A touch of collateral damage, perhaps, but surely a small price to pay for cleansing such wickedness from the land."

The Marshall leaned back in his chair, a gruff sigh escaping his lips. "Collateral damage, indeed," he muttered. "That 'touch' of fire burned down a fair portion of the forest. I don't suppose you considered how much paperwork that would cause me?"

Harald placed. "A thousand apologies, mein Herr. But between a scorched woodland and a land infested with rotting fiends, surely even the trees would agree we chose wisely?"

The Marshall's stern expression softened just a fraction. "Perhaps. And I'll admit, you've done this town a great service. Rescuing Master Norvinter and driving out those von Hentzau scoundrels will certainly make my job easier. Speaking of which..." He leaned forward, fixing Nathan with a sharp look. "What do you suppose happened to the little lord and his lackeys?"

Nathan shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, sir. Last we saw, they were busy fighting for their lives against the undead tide. We could assume he escaped the area before the fire and horde grew too big to deal with."

The Marshall grunted. "That lines up with what we found. Most of the bodies left behind were either burnt to a crisp or half-eaten by those blasted ghouls. As for von Hentzau himself..." He tapped a finger on the desk. "We'll be keeping an eye out, but for now, it looks like he slipped through the cracks."

Nathan frowned but said nothing. Harald, on the other hand, seemed entirely unbothered, his mind clearly elsewhere.

"You lot have made a name for yourselves," the Marshall continued, his tone shifting slightly. "Ever since Dunsgoil Hill, you've had the Watch's attention. And now? Rescuing a high-profile artisan, dealing with a foreign menace, and fending off an undead horde? Word of this will spread far beyond Trevorton. I wouldn't be surprised if your exploits reach royal ears."

Harald's face lit up at the mention of royalty. A wide grin spread across his lips, one that bordered on unsettling. "Ah, the sweet taste of recognition! To think, our humble deeds may one day grace the annals of history, our names spoken in the same breath as heroes of old!"

Nathan shot him a wary smirk. "For heaven's sake, Harald, tone it down. You're looking like you're plotting to take over the kingdom."

Harald straightened, smoothing his expression into something more composed. "Ach, forgive me. I merely bask in the glory of our accomplishments. But rest assured, meine Freunde, my ambitions remain as noble as ever."

"Good luck convincing anyone with that 'evil overlord' grin, H," Keith interjected with a sardonic grin.

The Marshall studied Harald for a long moment before exhaling through his nose. "Just keep your ambitions in check, Dreisterne. The world's full of men who reached too far and paid the price. In any case, just stay out of trouble. And next time you set something on fire, try to keep it contained, eh?"