I dismissed Timothy, passing him a few coins. But he insisted on following me. Fine. What's the worst that could happen?
Who was this mysterious stranger? It probably has to do with my golem. Some cocky King probably thought they could win it from me. The golem card may not be all-powerful, but it was symbolic. Epic cards had weight; they showed that the holder had some strength. However, this golem card was special to Thronridge. It was the embodiment of our legacy, having been passed down for generations. Walking to the gate, my thoughts raced through my mind. The walk was quiet; neither of us spoke much.
"That's them there, Chief," Timothy exclaimed, pointing past the gate. I followed his finger, and what greeted me at the gate was a man standing in front of the aforementioned carriage. While the carriage was nice, it wasn't overly extravagant. I almost ignored it, until I noticed its crest. A simple crest with three crooked trees.
Blackmarr… Why would a carriage from that place be here?
Blackmarr was a Barony, so it was directly above villages in terms of prestige. However, Blackmarr was notoriously painful to deal with. The villages under them were taxed heavily, and talents were snatched away without mercy. However, regardless of their reputation and why they had sent a carriage, they had sent an envoy who represented the Blackmarr Barony, so certain procedures were to be followed.
A man was waiting in front of the carriage. He was an older man with greying hair. He wore a tidy suit and supported himself with a simple wooden cane. Patting the dust off my coat and trousers, I calmed myself. I slowed my pace, then approached him. "Good evening," I said, greeting him with respect.
"Good evening to you as well, Chief of Thronridge", he replied. "You are aware of my reason for being here, correct?"
"Indeed. Please follow me to a more appropriate location. This is no place for a discussion. After all it is getting dark out. One of my people will see to your horses."
A nod. That was all the indication I needed. Gesturing to Timothy to find someone to deal with the horses and to leave the carriage by the town hall, I turned and left.
The messenger followed behind. On the way back, we made some light talk. I discovered his name was Talen, and that he was married with 3 kids; 2 girls and a boy. Without disclosing too much information on my side, by the time we reached the town hall, I had learnt about who had sent him, and gained a better understanding of who I would be coming up against.
While these scraps of miscellaneous information may be useful later down the line, there was now a more pressing matter.
I strode through the hall, seating myself on my throne. As if sensing the shift, the messenger tensed up, preparing himself to do his job. He stood behind the lectern in the centre of the hall, breaking the seal and unfurling the scroll that he had been holding.
"Orik, Chief of Thronridge town." He announced. His voice came out clear and bold. Nothing as it had sounded on the walk through town. "Baron Korrin Blackmantle of Blackmarr has issued a challenge."
Sitting on my throne, I frowned. A challenge was fine, I would've accepted if the terms were reasonable, but it was the certainty in his voice. The way he looked at me. It was as if I must accept the challenge. Which, unfortunately, was true.
He had not continued speaking, waiting for a response, which I gave to him in the form of a nod. He continued:
"Baron Blackmantle states that 'he is not so unreasonable that he would demand you hand over the golem card', even though it is within his rights, and that he will play a match of royale clash for it"
My frown deepened. I had started biting my lip a while back, but now I could taste a faint iron tang in my mouth.
"Of course," putting down the scroll he continued. " Baron Blackmantle would probably buy it off you"
"I refuse!" I exclaimed without a moment's hesitation. Regaining my cool, I asked, "What is the baron wagering?"
He shrugged, smirking. "How should I know?"
"I see. Then, if the Baron is wagering a bet of equal value, I accept. If not, forget it." I stood. "Leave the notice here. I will have someone show you to your quarters. It would not do for us to travel back at this hour"
"Many thanks." He replied, not hiding the grin plastered over his face.
Whatever respect I held for this man faded. Initially, he was simply doing his job. But now, his attitude crossed a line.
He clearly thought I was just some country bumpkin who would be afraid of a big, scary noble. Even if I were, why would I respect his authority?
Calling in an attendant, I had him shown to the village's inn. Seeing him out of the town hall, my frown softened. Margaret and Andrew's inn was rarely full, and it was nearby. Unfortunately for me, regardless of how annoying Talen was, I should still treat him appropriately.
I went back down to the underground hall. This was rare, as normally I would only go in once a week at most. However, not only was this the fourth time this week, but it was the second time today!
I walked past the ever-moving crystal, heading straight to the back wall. I reached toward the floating tiles and removed all the cards with a crisp pop. Then I flipped open the chest, which let out a soft yellow glow.
That Baron Blackmantle will have prepared himself for my hog. This means I can use it as bait. Or play something else entirely.
I went over options in my head, even going so far as to lay the cards out so that I would see them better. After tens of minutes of deliberation, I had finally decided. Putting the rest of the cards in the chest and shutting its lid, I made my way out of the hall with 10 cards tucked away.
The night came and went.
I had told myself that I wasn't worried about the coming match, but I had tossed and turned for much of the night. Fortunately, I had fallen asleep, as I don't know how restful the ride to Blackmarr will be.
After having breakfast, I made my way to the inn where Talen had stayed the night. I wasn't annoyed at him, but I wouldn't say I was enjoying the thought of talking to him again.
With the cards tucked safely away, I pushed open the door of the inn. I saw Margaret standing behind the counter chatting away with some customers, while Talen was eating alone at a table.
After a few pleasantries were given, and his meal finished, we left the inn heading to the village entrance. I had the horses and the carriage taken there earlier, so we didn't need to pick them up on the way.
On the way to the entrance, we passed by the army camp. The barbarian wasn't doing much, just wandering around the camp. He would stop and start, letting out strange growls while staring into nothing.
Noticing my arrival, the barbarian ran up to us, his growling growing ever more erratic. Talen all but screamed. He obviously hadn't been expecting to see a barbarian out here.
"What's wrong? You look awfully pale." I asked, genuinely concerned. If something happened to him now, I wouldn't be able to go to!
"No! It's… It's nothing. I was just startled." He replied, his voice carrying scents of awe and fear. "I can not believe my first time seeing a troop in person is out in the country."
"I see… Let us carry on."
Had he truly never seen a barbarian before? There's no way. They are one of the cheapest troops.
After the run-in with the barbarian, there were no other tangents, and we reached the village gates where the carriage and the horses were waiting.
It turned out that Talen had come with a driver. Apparently, he had been looking for some stables when Timothy saw the carriage, but had somehow gotten lost. Talen was a bit annoyed at him, but we weren't in a rush. So all was good.
After saying farewell to some villagers who had been standing nearby I followed Talen into the carriage.