The War for the Rose: Book One Complete

[mellifluousMastermind]

>Let's see about getting in. Perhaps now is the time to begin our acting career?

[alexthewhite]

>Let's see about getting in. Perhaps now is the time to begin our acting career?

You close your eyes. This has been a thought exercise for you for quite some time now.

"Um, Priest Pierce..." you say to your brother in a trembling voice. "May we start towards the city? There are so many who could use your blessing, and I promise I won't cry this time..."

Your brother stares at you blankly, before cracking a slight, slight (but definitely there!) smile. "Yes...yes of course, Dust. The Airwalker is not as strong in this city as he once was. It is up to us to strengthen his grip again. Right, Irontooth?"

Setting Sun groans, before lifting his head from the side. You don't think you've ever seen him look so old. "Let's just go," he says gruffly.

"You're no fun," you announce loudly. Setting Sun ignores you. The three of you dismount the ship, and the Maiden's Kiss is rising gently off the ground not ten seconds after your feet hit the sand.

Turning to the dune, you begin to climb, your father (wink) and the man he's protecting barely a step behind. It's going to be a long, hot walk.

[alexthewhite]

==>

You wipe your brow clean, but now your hand is sticky with sweat. Finally.

You stand before the city walls. Already your presence has attracted attention. Some of the guards standing on the wall are eyeing your company, and one has taken his bow out, though no arrow has been nocked.

The gates themselves are tremendous, made of sandstone. There are carvings around the gate, of what appears to be a fleet of airships of all sizes. Standing at the base of the gate are three helmeted men with spears and a gong.

There are a few others lulling around the sides of the gate. A stable is there, but it appears to be empty, save for a sullen-looking man sitting out front. There are also two priests, on their knees, quietly praying just out of sight of the guards. Lastly, there is a beggar asleep on the wall. You can tell next to nothing about them, including their gender, for they are hidden in enough rags for them to be mistaken for a pile of refuse.

Someone here must be able to help you.

[mellifluousMastermind]

Talk to the priests. Your disguise is religious, after all.

[DS Piron]

Yeah, the priests.

[alexthewhite]

Talk to the priests. Your disguise is religious, after all.

You pass the gate guards, and one tenses up as you pass. Well, not you specifically. He's probably looking at Setting Sun, who is larger than any of the three men at the gate.

The priests pay your party no mind as they mutter in their forgotten language. One is tall and lanky, with sunken cheeks and loose-fitting faded robes. The other is older and shorter, but more well-fed. His hair is gone, but around his neck is a deep purple string.

"Arrak vas neyuur?" Falling Spire says to them. The older one looks up.

"Etu meska," he responds. The two say the remainder of the prayer, finishes simultaneously with "khaleez vas van krujik," and then look at you. The younger appraises each of you in turn with his eyes, but you can't read him too well. His eyes are cold and grey, like someone has taken the life from them.

"Well met, my brother," says the older priest. "I am Giving Petal. This is my companion, Pebble. Together, we are Petal and Pebble!" He smiled, but one else did.

"Petal?" said Setting Sun dubiously. "That is a northern name. What's a royal priest doing in Southflight?"

Petal's eyes flickered over to Setting Sun. "Who is this?" he demanded.

"This is my protector, Irontooth," said Falling Spire in a soothing tone. "Well met, brother, I am called Pierce. I am a traveling priest, Irontooth here is my sworn defender. This is his daughter, Dust. She is but thirteen."

"Still a child!" said Petal with astonishment. "And you take her to this dark city?"

"We are here to pray for the safety of the innocent past these walls," answered Falling Spire. "There is no need to worry. Irontooth is the fiercest warrior since Blazing Star himself."

"Aye, but many fierce warriors are now one with the Airwalker," said Petal unhappily. "We also pray for their safety, but it is far too dangerous within the city. You saw the poor souls strung up at the towers of First Sight?"

"Yes, what happened to them?"

"Mud-men. They had second thoughts about betraying their sworn lord, so Mud strung them up. It was a fair more merciful fate than what happened to the Granite-men Mud takes alive."

"You have seen these things with your eyes?" You understood the doubt in your brother's voice. Petal did not look like he had spent much time in a warzone.

"No, but Pebble has. He was a priest for the Granite Lord for a few weeks before the fighting began. He only escaped recently."

Pebble doesn't react to his name at all. He's staring straight ahead, a far-off look in his eyes.

"Now then, my brother, what sort of aid can I provide for you?" Petal says, eager to change the subject.

"I wish to pass these walls, brother, so that I may be of help to those inside. Can you help me?"

Giving Petal shakes his head insistently. "I cannot do so, brother! It is certain death!"

(You have now gained control of Setting Sun and Falling Spire unless I specify otherwise. You may now try to convince Giving Petal to help you, with whichever character you wish. Alternatively, you could try talking to some of the other characters around.

I would also like to remind everyone that exact wording is required in a convincing segment.)

[crash826]

(As Setting
"Brother, I understand this, but what of the people still within? I cannot go without raising a hand to aid them. I would never be able to look myself in the face again! If the Airwalker wills my death in there, then so be it; until then, I must aid those who need it more than I."

[alexthewhite]

(As Setting Sun
"Brother, I understand this, but what of the people still within? I cannot go without raising a hand to aid them. I would never be able to look myself in the face again! If the Airwalker wills my death in there, then so be it; until then, I must aid those who need it more than I."

"Yes, but if you are killed going over the walls, you can help no one!" Giving Petal wrings his hands nervously. "The guards have slaughtered anyone trying to escape the city. The walls of Southflight are nigh impregnable, my brother. The kindest thing we can do is pray for the restoration of order and an end to the fighting."

You glance at the walls. They do appear to be exceptionally solid, much stronger than the ones surrounding Spire Keep.

[crash826]

"Well, how did Brother Pebble escape if all those who escape are slaughtered? Perhaps we could trace back the route that he used."

[mellifluousMastermind]

Falling Spire: "Cannot the guards be reasoned with? Will they truly let no man inside?"

[alexthewhite]

Falling Spire: "Cannot the guards be reasoned with? Will they truly let no man inside?"

"Were the guards Granite-men, perhaps." Giving Petal looks upwards. "Alas, these are Mud-men. They are no better than brigands, worse even, for they have all broken an oath to the Granite-Lord for wealth and power. Dirty, desperate men who only look to who can pay them the most, and Biting Mud has seized most of the city's wealth. A hefty bribe may move them, but little else."

"We do not possess a hefty bribe," growls Setting Sun. "We are travelers, not lordlings."

"Well, how did Brother Pebble escape if all those who escape are slaughtered? Perhaps we could trace back the route that he used."

Brother Pebble looks at you with his sad grey eyes. In the First Tongue, he speaks. "I will not say how I left the city. I took a vow of secrecy, and I do not intend to break it.

Your little sister scratches her head confusedly. "What did he say?"

You tell her, and she frowns. "Why won't you speak in our tongue, Brother Pebble?"

"Brother Pebble says that it is part of his vow," Giving Petal says with unease. "So long as there is bloodshed in Southflight, he may not speak Known. The maker of this deal, though, said nothing of the First Tongue."

"I may take you to an agent of the deal maker, if you wish. They can take you to the city, but not without a price, and I do not refer to coin. "

[DS Piron]

Setting Sun: "What price is it then?"

[alexthewhite]

Setting Sun: "What price is it then?"

Setting Sun cannot do this because he does not speak the First Tongue! However, you, Falling Spire, can say this.

"I cannot tell you what the price is. For me, it was quite costly. I would do it again, but I was desperate." Brother Pebble scratches the light hair on his chin. "Many chose to stay in the city rather than accept the price."

[Doopliss]

>Setting Sun: "Regardless, please take us."

[DS Piron]

>Falling Spire: "Regardless, please take us."

Fixed, Setting Sun can't understand first tongue either.

[alexthewhite]

>Falling Spire: "Regardless, please take us."

Brother Pebble looks at you with pain in his eyes. "...Very well. Stay here."

Brother Pebble walks off in the same direction you came from. After ten or fifteen minutes of relative silence, he returns.

"It is done. Tonight, after the sun has gone down, walk east along the wall until you come across a felled tree, where the smuggler is waiting. Do not let the guards see you. Until then, there is a stable where we have been sleeping, the beds are straw, but they are clean. The stable owner will let you purchase them."

You repeat the key information to your comrades. Setting Sun frowns, his nose wrinkled in suspicion. "And you can trust this smuggler?"

"No. But if you pay their price, you will get into the city."

[Razorhead]

To the stable we go !

[alexthewhite]

To the stable we go !

(For the record, any time a command is not specified, it is directed to Hiding Spire.)
You head for the stables, where the sullen man is waiting. He accepts enough coin for one large room and one small one, plus three meals. After biting it to confirm authenticity, he gives you a plate of dried fruits and a pitcher of ale. "No meat left, he growls."

After eating, you are lead you to a dry, stuffy, sandy room. You lay on the straw mattress, look out the window to the setting sun (the actual one, not the man named that,) and shut your eyes.

But sleep isn't coming to you, at least not yet. After several hours of tossing and turning and slowly stripping to your small clothes to combat the humidity, you sit up. You drape yourself in the blanket and stand, stretching your legs.

Your ears twitch as the sound of footsteps enters them. Beyond the door. At least three people. Maybe more.

[mellifluousMastermind]

Quickly retrieve and hide arms just in case shit goes down.

[alexthewhite]

(I'll be on the vacation until the seventh, so it's highly unlikely I'll be able to update again until then.)

Quickly retrieve and hide arms just in case shit goes down.

You reach for your knives and twirl them nervously. The sun's gone down. You were supposed to leave at sundown. Where's your brother? Where's Setting Sun?

You don't have time to think about it, for your door bursts open. Standing there is a tall man, his face obscured by a hood. In his left hand you see the glint of steel: a long knife, most likely, or perhaps a short sword.

He sticks the knife/sword up and says, in a harsh whisper: "Get dressed. You're coming with me."

[Doopliss]

>Get dressed. You're going with him.

[alexthewhite]

>Get dressed. You're going with him.

You aren't happy about the prospect of putting clothes on in front of a complete stranger, but that knife is awfully long...

While retaining as much grace and modesty as you can muster, you pull your clothes on and replace the thin blanket for your actual cloak. After a moment's hesitation, you also grab your bag of chains and the tube Laughing Spire gave you, and affix them both to your belt.

You could use some water to wash your face with, but you're ready to go. As you reach the threshold of the door, the man raises his weapon menacingly. His free hand extends expectantly.

"The daggers." You squint, but none of his face is visible past the hood, save for a thin, cruel mouth. "You'll get them back."

[DS Piron]

> Give him the daggers, surely you know how to kill without them, and in a truly dire situation, you still have the bag of chains...

[Doopliss]

>Watch for opportunities to escape if necessary, but be compliant for now. This is, after all, the plan.

[alexthewhite]

> Give him the daggers, surely you know how to kill without them, and in a truly dire situation, you still have the bag of chains...

You slowly hand him the blades, and he snatches them without a glance, tucking them onto his belt. He then prods at you with the blade. "Outside. Move slowly."

You walk with deliberation outside, where four men are waiting. As you approach, you find two are Falling Spire and Setting Sun.

With them are two more hooded men, both with swords. The smaller one has Falling Spire's thin dagger on his belt, the larger Setting Sun's battle axe slung over his shoulder. Both nod slightly at you as you approach.

"Walk," says the man who was behind you. "Until I tell you to stop."

You take quick stock of your situation. You and your comrades have all been disarmed, for the most part. Setting Sun may have some weapon left, you aren't sure. Falling Spire, on the other hand, seems sluggish and tired, his steps slow and occasionally clumsy. He's probably still a bit tired from the near non-stop flying he's did not a day ago. You're also almost certain he isn't armed now that he's lost his knife.

Your eyes meet Setting Sun, who looks at you gravely. Speaking is out of the question, of course, but he discreetly slides the hilt of a knife out of his cloak. His eyes go from you to behind you several times, and he nods slightly. The message is clear.

"If we're going to fight, you make the first move."

You hesitate. These men have better weapons, but you'd have the element of surprise. They probably don't expect to be attacked by three presumably unarmed travelers.