Chapitre 17: Chapter 17: Piran
Southeast Beltir...
Seven riders are trotting out of a wooded area.
"You can now see Piran and Kamnik village from here my lord", Norman excitedly point at a village and a town in a distance.
"Not bad", Eric said while scanning the territory.
The young lord then turned his attention back to the forest that their group had just traveled through and said, "We need to install several outposts for lookouts in that forest. The whole territory is in clear view standing on this spot".
"We can plan it milord", Baches answered.
"Already in the job milord?", Norman said approvingly.
"There's a lot of work to be done, it's better to start off early", Gallahan answered in his lord's stead.
....
Piran is situated on top of a rocky plateau, surrounded by a twelve-foot stone wall, basically a fortress on top of a rocky cliff overseeing the ocean. The only clear path towards it is a twenty-meter-wide path connected to the rocky road of the farming village named Kamnik. While based on Bache's descriptions, the fishing village of Noen is less than thirty minutes ride south along the coastline. The knight also said that the village on the coast is in clear view from the castle's balcony.
Originally, the territory has two more other villages, until one was sold to a neighboring lord to the south to pay some of the Viscount's debts, while the other was ravaged by pirates less than a decade ago.
The group proceeded to the main road half a kilometer going to the nearby village when four riders appear from their right calling their attention by waving and somewhat shouting from a distance, even though it is inaudible.
When the four riders finally arrived a few meters from them, the man leading the riders greeted them, placing his fist on his left chest, while the other three followed and did the same, "Sir. Baches, Sir. Norman, were glad to finally have you back".
"On patrol Trim?", the bald knight with a thick beard asked. "Yes sir", Trim answered.
"This is lord Eric Asquith, lady Aria's son", Baches introduced Eric their new lord.
"Trim Hughes, milord. Captain of the patrol", a foreign-looking man with somewhat slanted eyes, and black hair tied to a bun, gave Eric a salute.
Noticing the young lord's and the newcomer's inquisitive stare, the man decided to reveal his origins with a smile on his face. "My mother is not from Beltir, she was from another country far east, and was swept to this shores when her ship sank, milord"
Eric nods to the man and said, "forgive us sir Trim, and thank you for sharing".
Then suddenly a teenage boy was running towards them, yelling something from afar, trying to get their attention. Captain Trim gestured to one of his men to go and find out what's happening, a patrol dismounted, and went to the boy to inquire.
"Rachi's sire, two of them were spotted in one of the farm houses. The beasts attacked the cattles and injured two farmers. They are still in the area", the patrolman reported.
"Lead the way!", Eric ordered, after hearing the situation.
The group started galloping towards the reported location.
....
Rachi is a huge wild dog that looks like a bigger version of Hyeena but with a venomous scorpion looking tail.
....
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The group arrived at the location and saw two beasts tearing a large bull and seemed oblivious of their surroundings, and are too focused on satiating their hunger. On their way to the area, Eric inquired whether this happens a lot. It seems only recently, some hunters suggest that something might have driven these beast's away from their territory, which is in the forest to the south, 'another matter that needs some looking into', Eric thought.
Norman and Drake were about to dismount in order to handle the problem when Ferth moved closer to Eric and almost ordered, "Gim-me the bow". Eric smiled curiously then complied without a second thought, thinking, "let's see what she can do". He ordered the two knights, "let her do her thing, but stay close to her, just in case". The two men nod and followed the girl.
Ferth has become confident or probably went back to her usual self, which we don't know yet, after she was saved, maybe because now she is treated as a warrior instead of a slave.
Ferth rode her steed skillfully circling the beast, staying around 30 meters from the pair. She then nocked an arrow, aimed, and shot, while biting into another arrow, eventually releasing two arrows consecutively in really fast succession. One beast was hit on the neck and the eye, staggering until falling lifeless. The other rachi looked in Ferth's direction before charging forward. Ferth turned her mount around the other way and made it run, while turning her upper body sideways to the beast's direction, she then swiftly, and effortlessly released another set of two arrows.
The huge dog tried to evade the first arrow but got hit on its hind leg, the second arrow penetrated the animal's open mouth, ending its life.
Ferth moved her steed closer to the beast, looking down at her kill, then looked towards Eric's direction, somewhat displaying a proud posture or gesturing, 'I'm useful'.
Eric smiled looking at the girl from afar, and silently muttered, "that's my warrior girl, how stubbornly cute".
"She has total control of her horse and can accurately hit her target while moving around. What a gal, you brought a keeper, milord", Baches jokingly said.
"Mounted archers, imagine having a full unit of that sire", Gallahan said then turned to the young lord.
"We can try to make that happen", Eric replied, while partially thinking of something.
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Piran is only about half of Evgrad's size, but looking at it closely, the town is a stone fortress itself, the castle has its own wall, slightly elevated. The keep was originally constructed during the previous southern Harluk empire a century ago before it broke down to several kingdoms today, it was intended to prevent invasions from island nations in the south across the sea.
They entered the town and are now arriving at the castle gates.
A welcoming party that consists of soldiers and castle servants is lined up before the gate, in front is an old man with neatly tied long white hair in a gray robe and has a serene look on his face.
Eric and his group dismounted and moved closer to the people waiting for them. The old man greeted Eric with a deep bow, "greetings milord, my name is Reginald Warlik, the chamberlain and right minister"
"Milord, forgive me for obliging you when you have just arrived, but I'll have to ask you to meet your grandfather right this moment, Reginald's requested with urgency.
The old chamberlain hurriedly leads Eric to the castle to meet the Viscount.
On their way, Eric looked around, the castle looks plain when compared to the luxurious Evgrad castle, though simple it still has the refined character of a castle.
They arrived at the Viscount's room, Reginald gestured to the amateur knight who is guarding the door and the young guard opened the door for them. Inside the room are a few nun-looking women who are trying to nurse the old Viscount. The room reeks of herbs and incensed. "He was out of consciousness for several times in the last few days, milord", Reginald described his lord's condition to Eric.
The chamberlain first kneeled, then moved closer to the Viscount's ear, "milord, lady Aria's son, lord Eric is here". The old viscount who was flat in his bed, and seemed to be asleep, slowly opened his eyes after a few minutes and looked at Reginald who turned to Eric. The Viscount extends his right hand trying to reach Eric, seeing this, the teenager responded and held his grandfather's hand. "Grandfather, I am Eric, Aria's son", the teenager whispered close to the viscount's ear.
"My boy, you grew up splendidly into a young man. You are the only one I have now, my title and my land are yours. For a lord, it might not be much, only amounting to a tough responsibility and burden, but I beg you, take care of it", the viscount looked at Eric warmly.
"Rest assured, grandfather", the young man replied.
"Forgive this old man my boy, for only meeting you now, I didn't went to see you after your mother died, the news of her death had and still devastates me. But I should've gone to see you, my poor boy, may Akkadea guide and bless you".
The viscount eventually closed his eyes, with a peaceful look on his face, while everyone stood still silently for more than an hour, finally confirming the viscount's passing.
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone