As the brothers stood around and watched Decados soldiers search for the escaped Hironem kidnappers Alden clutched the pump shotgun he took from the Hironem leader as it was his own, and convincingly enough that the soldiers made no attempt to take it from him. The road was cleared and Valasky Gagarin Decados was allowed to go to his wedding several hours late. The Soldiers removed the flintlock ball from Alden's back and bandaged him up but his new finery was ruined.
After a waiting an hour a well-groomed man in the Count's livery rode to the scene on horseback looking fairly pissed. Introducing himself as Investigator Ivan Krakow, he took charge of the militia men and walked Brother Godfrey onto the bridge to ask him to relate his account of what happened. Godfrey held his cool despite Krakow's insinuations and when Krakow asks him "Will it surprise you when I find out that these aliens that attempted to kidnap a Decados Baron lived on your family lands?" letting Godfrey know that the investigator knew exactly who he was, Godfrey coolly shrugged and responded "They had to come from someone's lands didn't they?". Next Krakow singled Alden, wounded and exhausted for questioning but instead of grilling him he simply asked if he wished to admit to compliance in any crimes. Alden was surprised by the directness of the question but furrowed his brows and explained "I haven't been involved in any crimes to admit to.." as he shrugged his stolen shotgun further back behind himself. Krakow didn't seem to make any note of the weapon and explained he would expect an affidavit from his order's advocate, and as he mounted up he eyed the brothers and added "I'm not binding either of you by law but by the authority of the Count you'll not leave Sokol city before sunrise.." and he rode off.
The cab driver and the nobles that they were leaving with had driven off while they were being interrogated, so Brothers accepted a ride back to the castle with the Militia in their autowagon, not really knowing what else to do. The wedding had just ended and the last of the guests were filing out. Godfrey hunted through the castle to find Father Beneton in the ready room behind the alter, drinking heavily. He explained that the wedding was conducted successfully and the bride and groom were in the garden enjoying their reception. When the Priest found out that Godfrey was detained he offered to extend his stay in the Cathedral another night, explaining it was the least he could do given that Godfrey saved his bacon. Then Father Beneton kicked Godfrey out while he showered and changed. While waiting in the hall outside Godfrey decided that he needed to clean up and change as well after bleeding heavily from the throat and wrestling in a creekbed with a hironem.
While Alden waited in the castle's massive hall watching servants clean up after the ceremony he spotted an older well-dressed man in Decados livery cruising from tray-stand to tray-stand looking for an untouched glass of champagne. He grabbed a glass from the tray near himself and walked over to offer it to the man. The Decados introduced himself as Baron Enoch Gagarin Decados, Uncle to the groom and he struck up a jovial conversation with Alden while aggressively consuming as much champagne as he could locate. He explained that he was looking for his wife but when Alden offered to help find her he stopped him and explained that he wasn't looking to find her but avoid her. When Enoch discovered that Alden and his brother had been the men who rescued his nephew he immediately invited Alden to a private party after the reception, while simultaneously consuming some sort of dried mushroom he kept in a little tin. After a good-natured chat Enoch excused himself to find a seat outdoors before "the heavy shit kicks in".
As Godfrey emerged a bit refreshed he Alden stepped out into the gardens for the reception taking in the beautiful Decados creatures and the exotic Ur-Ukar acrobats that entertained the crowd. Long away from the adrenaline of battle Alden was starting to really feel that gunshot and both men were starved after missing breakfast and their scrape with death. Alden spotted a number of the big names in Sokol, not just Decados rulers but also a Project Manager Heinricht Salt and his wife. He was struck with a bit of pity for the woman as she displayed her elegant cyborg body in a slight dress. Alden was focused the many armed knights and dangerous looking operators walking around. It seemed that his lack of armor and recent wound put him in a paranoid mindset. The brothers were approached by a muscular young Decados lady who politely introduced herself as Lady Aria Turian Decados. Godfrey knew her by reputation as the Lady of Sekbridge but shamefully both brothers had to admit that neither of them recognized the ruler of the fief that neighbored their own. Aria seemed a bit impatient and questioned them about a man in a blue doublet with distinctive facial hair, Godfrey recalled that he had seen a man of that discription in the castle's driveway as they walked into the Gardens and the Lady of Sekbridge hurriedly excused herself to look for him.
Not in the mood to spend more time in the "shark tank" the brothers slipped out of the reception. They found Baron Enoch in the castle's drive threatening to black-out murder one of the servants if he didn't fetch his wife's coach. They kindly offered to hail a coach to take him to the Salon. Once inside the Salon owner fretted over Enoch like he was his best customer, quickly loading the booth the Baron and the brothers sat in with booze and floozies. Through the night petty Decados lords and esteemed householders came to the booth, snorted lines of goquaine drank and laughed. The brothers expected a debauched sexcapades but ultimately most of the revelers were tired men and women just looking for a chance to let their guard down and be fallible in some privacy. Godfrey at one point in the night questioned Enoch why he squanders his wealth on these parties rather than on helping his fellow man. Enoch answered that in death his charity will become forgotten and his monuments will be knocked down or another man's name will be plaqued over his own, his wealth saved will be spent by men who will take credit for his thrift and his relatives will more likely remember his faults... but that the those who sit around his table and laugh, or black out forgetting their pains or meet the great love of their life will remember who he was.
Godfrey, given to human urges allowed one of the party girls luring him up to the private rooms in the upper salon for some fun within canonical law, and being the troublestarter he is he convinced the party girl to get one of her friends to lure Alden upstairs as well. Alden showed some interest but being dragged up to a bed where his brother was straightening up after sex seemed to kill his mood. He talked for a while with the attractive prostitute and offered to teach her some hand-to-hand. Once it became clear that teach-you-hand-to-hand wasn't foreplay the prostitute returned to the party and left Alden alone.
Alden went back into the alley entrance to the Salon and shared a cigarette with a pair of party girls who both flirted recklessly with the young knight until a statuesque blonde woman in distinctive Decados heraldry walked towards them in the alleyway and said in an annoyed tone "Whores make poor doors" gesturing for them to move away from the entrance. Alden, having a weakness for blondes and danger, followed her to the bar. The woman introduced herself as Silvia Romonov Decaods and seemed equal parts irritated and amused by Alden, making veiled threats until he realized that her heraldry indicated that she was an operative of the Mantis League. Intimidated but not dissuaded, Alden kept flirting with the woman and had a few glasses of absinthe at her insistence. With a few more drinks in her she lamented that despite being partially responsible for Valasky and Silvia Innokenti's courtship that she wasn't welcome at the wedding because as the contractor of dirty deeds for the house it wouldn't be appropriate for her to be at their celebration just in case the marriage went sour. She seemed genuinely mournful that her position prevents her from being part of any good part of Decados society. She sparred verbally with Alden, she called him "pretty" and when he decided to call it a night she said she was disappointed that he didn't push his luck.
Godfrey had departed the Salon a bit earlier to get sleep and Alden, seriously questioning why he didn't chase the pretty blonde assassination talent scout home, returned to the castle where he was told Investigator Krakow would provide him a room. Much as he expected it was in the Castle's high tech dungeon, but surprising it was a furnished suite-prison where he was given medical care, provided with an appetizing breakfast and given clean clothes to wear. In the morning Godfrey was given a short time to eat and dress before the Investigator and Advocate Charles Mather, the Reeve council for his order came to visit him. The Reeve sat down with him and coached him through writing an affidavit that cleanly exonerated him of any wrongdoing in the fight with the Hironem and he was released.
He walked to his cousin's home to be told by her maid that Lady Hildi was indisposed presently and perhaps Alden should return later. Annoyed but not surprised he walked through the hub of the city for a while, taking note of protesters who were angry about wages or freedom or whatever protesters are angry about. After a respectable time he returned to Hildi's home to find her wearing a robe and a deep blush. She apologized for her bad manner but explained that there was a development after the wedding with her coworker Ozmund and she's spontaneously going on a trip. She wondered if Alden would mind looking after her place for a few weeks while she's away, just largely administrate to her maid. Alden got his armor on, still feeling the pain of his wound as he tightened the buckles and he agreed to help is cousin if she does take this trip. Broke and not sure where else to go Alden walked to the Cathedral to think.
Godfrey woke and spent the morning around the Cathedral, enjoying another morning of rural church life. He took confession and walked to the castle to speak with the investigator but discovered that Krakow was now not even going to hear his testimony. Annoyed he returned to pack his things for the trip home and radioed Jenny Sparks to contract her to drive him back to Elibyrge. He was in the middle or writing goodbye letters to his family and feeling guilty for travelling to the valley without even seeing his ill mother when he was told there was a knight in the cathedral pews waiting for him. He went to sit with Alden and they talked very openly about the strange nature of the kidnapping the previous day, about how it seemed strange that the stolen truck and dead guardsmen pointed back at their home fief. They were outnumbered by the hironem NLO soldiers but they fled quickly once the fight had started. Had they been set up to rescue Valasky? or was it something else entirely? While they waited a Decados paige sought them out in the castle and interrupted them to let them know they had been invited to the Bride and Grooms going away party. In the mood for answers they both accepted the invitation.
On the ride to the waterfront the autocoach encountered a hoard of protesters shouting and banging on their coach, slowing them down to a crawl. Impatiently Alden climbed out into the crowd in his armor and physically shoved the underclass citizens out of the way of the coach, because "Get the fuck out of the way peasant". Godfrey didn't approve and gave him an earful once the coach was free from the throng. The coach arrived at a beautiful waterfront restaurant where a handful of well-wishers were gathered around the bride and groom to see them on their way. While wading into they overheard gossip about the female hironem NLO fighter having managed to kill herself in her prison cell. Somehow the brothers weren't surprised by the news of someone dying in a Decados dungeon but they were a bit disappointed. Valasky welcomed the brothers with a generous two-armed hug and praised them as the entire reason he was alive. His wife Silvia thanked them for bringing her husband to her safe and alive and made a very public promise of hospitality and aid.
Baron Enoch was at the party, guarded fiercely by his dour wife Baroness Svetlanna. He pleaded with Godfrey to help him find some cold water to abate the pounding monkeys in his poor head and explained to his wife that he could get in no trouble with a priest. Once away from the crowd Enoch poured a water glass full of ice and vodka complaining that sobriety had him at death's door. Godfrey once more pried as to why Enoch felt the need to medicate so heavily and he complained that his wife was a pitiless and remorseless woman who's only love was pigs. When Godfrey pushed as to what his wife had to be remorseful over, thinking that Enoch's life seemed quite idealistic, the Barron snapped at him angrily "You know nothing of remorse boy.. you know nothing!" then Enoch gathered himself with a stiff swig of Vodka and apologized for his manner before returning to the party.
Alden had the poorer luck of remaining with Baroness Svetlanna who made a few implications about the sort of men that her husband keeps company with and not so discretely telling Alden that when the party is over her husband is always alone. She told Alden that she knows who he is and what his family is about and if he is careless with her poor husband he will come to regret it. Feeling suddenly very uncomfortable both brothers wanted to leave but Valasky insisted they stay for a toast where he graciously thanked his friends and family and the Count for providing them his sailing yacht. Then he and his wife climbed aboard the yacht and set sail.
The brothers decided to go get tea before heading on their separate ways. Valasky's coachman drove them back into town but on the way the protesters were mysteriously absent. They speculated that the militia drove them off or perhaps they just ran out of angst. Later at Propper Tea the brothers were seated at a booth and fed fattening little cakes while they talked. Alden decided that he needed to understand what this NLO conspiracy had to do with his Father's fief and Godfrey didn't see any urgent reason for him to return to service of the Arch-diocese so they plotted together to drive out to Makolvo Province.
It was right around this time that Boyar Kryden Democlav Decados began banging on the window of the peaceful tea shop with his fist and flipping off Alden. Alden rose with a scowl and walked outside to face his nemesis. Kryden was actually a bit worried that Alden rose to his challenge and backpedaled into the street, looking around to see if there were any witnesses. Alden asked him calmly what his business was and Kryden made a lame jab about Alden coming to town to stab people in the back of the knee, a reference to the questionably legal strike he made against Kryden in the tourney two years back. Alden stood his ground and handled the heft of his sword threateningly, asking if Kryden was insinuating something. Kryden only shouted that he had best watch his back as he staggered away, leaving Alden shaking his head, and genuinely worried about what will happen if he doesn't watch his back.
The brothers packed up their belongings and a cozy lunch and caught a ride with Jenny Sparks back up the Valley Highway. Jenny was a little annoyed by the last minute change of plans but Makolvo is still a good fare so she didn't object. They rode into the night and through the next day, pulling into their family fief as the sun was rising. On the long ride they discussed the mystery of the NLO kidnapping and speculated on the scope of the conspiracy with Jenny. They decided that their father Lord Thaddius couldn't be guilty of the kidnapping so he must be a dupe. They reasoned that the kidnappers must have tracked Valasky from his home fief so his abduction was staged just outside of the wedding on purpose. The intent must have been to create a scene in front of the gathered Decados nobles, likely to create outrage. As they debated who had the most to gain, likely a neighbor, or prominent Van Gelder nobles who could be elevated to a landed lord.
On the way into Malovko Alden noted that the Northern pig village had been abandoned. but exhausted and sore from the long ride, the realization didn't set deeply on him. Godfrey's anxiety at facing his father after being turned out over 13 years ago grew more and more intense as they approached Hendleridge. Godfrey stood on the steps of the family estates anxiously paralyzed until Alden pushed him towards the grand foyer. As the brothers arrive they're greeted by the family butler Lydon who explains Lord Thaddius is afield and the lady Alica is in her chambers with the physik.
While Alden squared Jenny away and unpacked, Godfrey traveled into the heart of the estate to his mother's room. As he arrived at the top of the stairs the physik was steeping out of his mother's room, giving her maid instructions and medicines. The towne doktor assured Godfrey that his mother was in stable health and could improve at any moment. Godfrey stepped into her room to find his mother so gaunt and pallid he barely recognized her. In all the times she had written him she had never mentioned that her bouts with her "Decados blood" had gotten so severe. Her room that was once draped in the finery that the Van Gelder are famous for was now spartan save portraits and drawings of her children. Despite her weakened state Alica was excited to see her forsaken son. She doted on what a fine man he had grown into and praised his meager accomplishments. The visit was cut short by a coughing fit but she promised Godfrey he would see her at dinner. Alden and Godfrey had a tense smoke on the porch where Alden explained that there was little point in telling Godfrey the bad news about mother as it would only have ruined his good mood. As Chelsea arrived at the manner and joined the brothers to have a cigarette she took Alden's side, explaining that if every physik and con man in the valley couldn't best the genetic disorder there was little point in Godfrey getting worked up. Godfrey tamped out his pipe and found Lydon, having him assist in contacting the Arch-Dieoces with the family Starlight so he could speak with his superior Father Moore. He got Moore on the Starlight and pressed the priest to do whatever could be done to get an Amalthean to Hendleridge, calling in any favor that he could.
Lord Thaddius arrived while Godfrey was on the Starlight. Alden went to speak with his father where he hid in his den and plead with him to go easy on Godfrey. Thaddius insisted on referring to his wife's bastard as Alustraude, which in his defense didn't seem so mean when their mother did it. He said that the die had been cast between he and Alustraude long ago. The dinner that followed was tense with the whole family in the long table of the formal hall. Chelsea and Alton steered the conversation relentlessly away from sore subjects until Lady Alica felt tired and had to be wheeled back up to her room and Thaddius excused himself after a stiff hug and a discrete "You've made a fine man of yourself Alustraude" to his prodigal sun.
Neither Alden or Godfrey slept well, both of the plagued by memories of their childhood. Their father and sister had gone off on fief business before they woke and they scared up a small breakfast before walking down into the town of Pike's Harbor. They mused that the little town at the foot of their family estates had been almost unchanged by the passage of 13 years. They wandered the dirty little shops and stopped in at the local Orthdoxy temple to meet with the town Friar, Brother Timmons. Timmons seemed threatened by the unexpected arrival of an initiate from the Arch-Diocese but was polite. Alton went ahead to the pub to order lunch while Godfrey remained behind to say a few prayers in his childhood church. As Godfrey knelt in prayer he became aware of a wyrding in the temple, the light hung in shafts as if trapped in the water. As he turned a girl child stood in the door of the temple, her hair floating around her face as if underwater, her expression blank. She said "I see you the lost boy, you come for the finder, he is not hiding in your temple. The finder will tell you where the soldiers fell". As Godfrey carefully approached the girl she held out her hand for his. As he reluctantly he took her hand her stigma vanished and she silently walked him out of town. After some time Alton realized his brother wasn't coming to lunch and went to track him down, it wasn't hard to follow him, there aren't a lot of red-robed priests in Pike's Harbor.
Godrey followed the girl several miles down the coastal road, not wanting to speak with her in case she was entranced. Near the point of losing patience with this very long diversion they walked out of the woods into an open meadow where an elderly Hironem man in colorful clothing stood, apparently waiting for them. As Godfrey walked towards the old alien he smiled "I have found you Son of Hendleridge. I am Guz the finder.." never really making eye contact his eyes panned the meadow as if he were sniffing the air without inhaling "You are not looking for a place, not a time. It is a place of great death on the road of your recent journey. There you will find the men that took the groom" Godfrey questioned Guz about why he thought he was looking for a time but the old Hironem's attention drifted. So he spoke with the little girl who assured him that she didn't understand the silly old alien any better. At this point Alden was catching up to Godfrey on the road and called out to him to find out why he had taken a little girl and left. Alden had never seen the elder Hironem and when Godfrey turned to point him out he found that the old alien was mysteriously enough gone from the meadow.
Godfrey finally asked the girl her name. Emily introduced herself and looked nervously between the armored knight and the priests asking if she was in trouble. Godfrey said she hadn't done anything wrong but that she must come with them so he can protect her from darkness. Emily wasn't a fan of darkness and in no position to refuse so they all made the long walk back to Hendleridge together.
The second night at dinner Godfrey pressured the hosue servants to have dinner in the conservatory around the small round table. Chelsea was away in the fief for the night but Thaddius's elder bastard Abraham and his repugnant wife Talia. Thaddius was none-too-pleased to be seated at the little table with no elbow room but the conversation took on a much warmer tone and Godfrey's ailing mother actually laughed once. Even Talia was less obnoxious than Alden usually found her. Over dinner Alden found out that the village Abraham oversees has been struggling economically and he began to talk about an issue with the Hironem when their father's disproving cough signaled a change of topic.
After dinner Alden and Godfrey decided they needed to return to Sokol City to gather more information. They made their farewells to their parents and half-brother. Godfrey spoke privately with Lord Thaddius, questioning him directly about the state of the fief and Thaddius's temper flared telling the bastard boy that those are matters he has no business in. Thaddius apologized for his outburst and told Godfrey "I cannot undo the mistakes he has made with the boy, but I hope to find a way to know the man who has come to stand in his place.". The brothers spent one more night at Hendleridge, said goodbye to their mother and drove off in the early morning.
As they were rumbling over the beaten roads of the fief in Jenny's autowagon they spotted the movement of someone hiding in the woods just outside of the old abandoned pig village and Alden shouted to stop the cab.
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