06-13-2017, 04:24 PM
As Joric placed the last log, it felt like the tension in his guts had lessened, if only slightly. It was a magnificent pyre. With their low rank, Ban and Leo were entitled to a Pyre, but had anyone else been the one to build it, they would only have one layer. Joric had laid two, each with four decent sized logs and packed with dozens of fallen branches and pounds of dead leaves. The Pyre would be grand, at least.
The next step was far worse. Steeling himself, Joric left the site of the pyre and headed towards the cabins. He knew Ban’s room. He hosted an almost nightly game, some to gamble, others just friendly. He walked in practically holding his breath. It felt strange, going through the man’s dresser, but he had to pick out Ban’s best wardrobe. It ended up being a long pair of ragged pants, a sleeveless cloth shirt and his backup Boar-Pit jacket.
Joric was not too familiar with Leo’s room. He knew Leo was near the end of the line of cottages. It took a while to find it, Joric eventually resorting to ask the various returning members just where it would be…
“Nice going, Joric. Hope you’re proud.”
“Blowing your first job… it was nice knowing you.”
“You should be on that pyre too!”
“It’s members like you that keep our reputation down.”
Joric’s heart dropped. He had thought so much of this gang. General Boar had trained them to fight together, work together, live together. Here he stood, alive. Ban and Leo were dead and he was alive. Continuing his search, unaided, his hand found the back of his neck, tracing the healing cut left by the demon swordsman.
I’m a coward. I should have fought back. I should never have stopped running. I should have died there too.
Eventually, he finds Leo’s name carved into a door, along with the three other inhabitants of the cabin. Again it felt like he could not breath. Upon stepping into the cabin, he is met with the cold glare of one of Leo’s roommates; Hughes. Joric immediately averted his eyes. Hughes was not one you would want to mess with.
The third-eyed man had an intense glare. Those who met his eyes open their mind to them. Joric quickly brushed past the scrawny man to enter Leo’s private room. He is immediately assaulted with the smell of burning incents – and a lot of them.
It almost hurt his nose, but it was much better than the smell of death and shit. With that thought in mind, Joric hunted down Leo’s stash of smell-goods and filled his pocket. Among them, he found Leo’s … stash… That too wound up in his pocket.
Leo had much nicer clothing than Ban. Leo actually had a wardrobe worthy of being buried in. It was almost a surprise to find clothing worthy of a lesser noble sitting in Leo’s dresser. There was no telling who he stole that from.
Clothing acquired, the worst was yet to come. Now he had to face his murdered friends as he cleaned them for their final rites. Perhaps he would burn a few incents to help with the smell, but he doubted it would help. Maybe it would, but the pessimism allowed Joric to punish himself. He failed them; he should suffer their final burden. Right?
The next step was far worse. Steeling himself, Joric left the site of the pyre and headed towards the cabins. He knew Ban’s room. He hosted an almost nightly game, some to gamble, others just friendly. He walked in practically holding his breath. It felt strange, going through the man’s dresser, but he had to pick out Ban’s best wardrobe. It ended up being a long pair of ragged pants, a sleeveless cloth shirt and his backup Boar-Pit jacket.
Joric was not too familiar with Leo’s room. He knew Leo was near the end of the line of cottages. It took a while to find it, Joric eventually resorting to ask the various returning members just where it would be…
“Nice going, Joric. Hope you’re proud.”
“Blowing your first job… it was nice knowing you.”
“You should be on that pyre too!”
“It’s members like you that keep our reputation down.”
Joric’s heart dropped. He had thought so much of this gang. General Boar had trained them to fight together, work together, live together. Here he stood, alive. Ban and Leo were dead and he was alive. Continuing his search, unaided, his hand found the back of his neck, tracing the healing cut left by the demon swordsman.
I’m a coward. I should have fought back. I should never have stopped running. I should have died there too.
Eventually, he finds Leo’s name carved into a door, along with the three other inhabitants of the cabin. Again it felt like he could not breath. Upon stepping into the cabin, he is met with the cold glare of one of Leo’s roommates; Hughes. Joric immediately averted his eyes. Hughes was not one you would want to mess with.
The third-eyed man had an intense glare. Those who met his eyes open their mind to them. Joric quickly brushed past the scrawny man to enter Leo’s private room. He is immediately assaulted with the smell of burning incents – and a lot of them.
It almost hurt his nose, but it was much better than the smell of death and shit. With that thought in mind, Joric hunted down Leo’s stash of smell-goods and filled his pocket. Among them, he found Leo’s … stash… That too wound up in his pocket.
Leo had much nicer clothing than Ban. Leo actually had a wardrobe worthy of being buried in. It was almost a surprise to find clothing worthy of a lesser noble sitting in Leo’s dresser. There was no telling who he stole that from.
Clothing acquired, the worst was yet to come. Now he had to face his murdered friends as he cleaned them for their final rites. Perhaps he would burn a few incents to help with the smell, but he doubted it would help. Maybe it would, but the pessimism allowed Joric to punish himself. He failed them; he should suffer their final burden. Right?