Black Crusade

Chapter Seven - Unwelcome-ly welcome

A few days have past since then, the death of Araneas. We are at the border crossing to Dagireria, under the strict, cruel sovereignty of the Court of Black. A order of mages, wizards and sorcerers; tyrannical and far from the single appeal of pursuing knowledge.  Little is known of their true agenda's but the other realms have taken to transporting their prisoners to them, arriving at the bleak gates of the courts- little is known of the later proceedings. The Templar caravan arrive at the eastern wall-off; a small gap in a range of mountains blocking the Cinderlands and Dagireria.~

The caravan still was under Carrus' control, mostly out of fear than respect now. Their whispers of malcontent towards Carrus ceased as they approached the looming gates of the Court's land. A great horn echoes through the moutains as the scout atop the thorny watchtower, situated at the mountain edge breathes all of his lungs into the bloody thing.

Fairi scratched around his ears to check if he could still hear after the sound had stopped. Dun gro grimaces as he had been doing for the whole journey.

Carrus steps forward, leaving Sapphire to lean to a scorched tree. 

"We seek passage through the Court of the Black's lands!" he shouts up to the scout; he spits to the floor as his silent reply and walks out of sight.

Fairi sighs, " Seems were not getting through here are we?" Sapphire looks to him, I thought they came this way before?

"We could fight our way through the keep." Fairi suggests, sliding his hand into his satchel.

"Lets hope it's does not come to that, lets keep our options open though." Carrus says picking up a little stone. 

He holds it in a  throwing position. " Right, if I just hit here" he throws the small rock up to the thorny watchtower- whistling with speed, it makes a sharp tang noise as it pelts of the horn. The guard didn't reply but Fairi did hear someone yell profanity. 

"Nice shot" Fairi says holding his hand above his head to geta  better view.

The gate of the wall-off starts to click and clang as gears move into action, the front portculis opens and then the ashed great door bucks open. A heavy clothed figure appears from the walls shadows approaching with modest haste.

"Greatings!, greatings- far from Tarkin are you not? Well it's not like we live far apart now do we?" his convincingly sincere greetings are warming; his eerie grin is however not .

"We Balfer, captain-mage of the guard here. You are most, welcome. Most welcome indeed" he took a long gander over the caravan. 

The other hunters go forward quickly to Balfer, seeking to be rid of the ash and the bleak earth. The sit in the shadow of the wall-off waiting for them to hear it is okay to go inside.

 "Seems you are tired from your jouneys, yes? Of course you all are, We saw the dragon arrive from over the moutains- we assume it sought you lustily?"

Carrus paces to him slowly, almost with a swagger in his step. He was taller than the mage and, clearly more intimidating. "This here, side-show wizard. It is well clear you plan to capture us. I know the rumours of this wall well. And well I'm amazed you haven't all been sent to Hallow!" he said loudly. It attracted quite a few sneers from the wall guards. 

"I don't think now is a good time to antagonize out hosts Carrus" Fairi standing beside him gestures to his captain to quietly accept this for the time being with a nonchalant wink. "Besides I think we got more training than backdrop fodder."

Carrus' walks past the mage, still watching his back as the mage shuffles behind him and leads them all inside. Slowly the black door close on them with a loud thud and judder.

"Well, well em, there is accommodation at the tapestry hall in the keep part of wall." One of the guards come up to Balfer mid-sentence waiting for him to finish before whispering something into his ear.

 "Ah Commandant Harag Farz has returned on due time. He shall decide what becomes of you." he eagerly dismisses the Black Templars there and quick disapears into one of the wall keep's many stone corridors.

"We should just leave, Id rather take camp in the wilderness again than deal with Soot guards and shady mages."

Soot was the caste name given to the criminal guard who were employed solely by the Court of Black, trained and reformed men left with their violent tendencies unsoiled. They are the lowest of the Court's caste system.~

There was a eerie propensity in the air to stick together, all though the court is known for their strict justice; their requirement for care is lacking. Fairi sorting through his gear making sure everything was in the right place just in case anything short of a ambush happened. 

Carrus was perched up on one of the hall overlooks that where for archers to quickly dispatch bandits or travellers that would have made it within the walls. Looking over his disorderly bunch of soldiers, he knew he would have to boot them from the order, they were to easily influenced by superstition and make-belief. Through his steely helment he hears some faint talk from two soot guards near the stairs of the lookout he was diligently look afar with.

"-Never has it been so strange down East, I hearing some crazy talk of the city suffering from corruption and other nasties."  

The other Soot replys, "Yeah yeah, heard that too-Artal's underground has been actively fighting the nobility right? and some shifty rogue-type has been prowling the streets huntin' people."

He hears them begin to walk, Carrus inquisitvely follows them. 

"World is becomin' a dangerous place, good thing we are guards now eh?"

The other guard laughs, "Course not, the Black will whip us if we miss orders- personally I'd rather have been still working for Yerik's cartel, much better drink!"

Both of them laugh, their armor rattling with each jut of their fat stomachs. One makes a gutteral snort after. "Yerik was just a loon with the hopes he could become a big shot, he won't beat the big 'uns like Cercera or Phenily- let alone beat Berrick's Under-knights."

Carrus begins to lose interest but at the last moment one says something very intriquing...