- Joined
- Jan 8, 2020
Oscar rolled his eyes as his bodyguard, Gilbert went over the dangers of travelling through the continent of Phirune. "And don't forget to always keep your antidotes and salves at hand if you step into the swamps, nasty little bugs and plants that will poison you in a heartbeat, make you feel all weak and we don't want that in front of outsiders, do we young prince?" Oscar had scoffed at the very notion, he'd been sharpening his weapon as they travelled, the sword he kept behind him at his waist, ornate and gilded the weapon hardly looked as practical as the greatsword his guardian was carrying on his shoulder but there was a lethal weight behind it and the blade was kept honed to a razor's edge. It suited the style of combat Oscar had chosen to train in well, deft and elegant moves which relied more on precision and agility than raw strength though nobody would ever suggest to Oscar that he didn't possess that either. They wouldn't dare. Not quite so young as the title 'young prince' suggested, he'd spent his twenty five years being rather pampered by the King and Queen of Zucia. Spoiled, wanting for nothing and listening to the tales of glory from the adventurers and royal trainers he'd been fortunate enough to learn from had filled his head with a thirst for fame and recognition, a desire to go out and travel the world himself and find his own glory to bring home. It didn't help that the continent seemed to be in a rather long stretch of peace, there had been war as his parents were growing up against the neighbouring kingdom that shared their continent, the savages. A land without the refinement and structure of Zucia as far as he saw it, not that he'd done much research into their customs. The very idea of learning the backwards ways of a people so far beneath him that they might as well be a kingdom of mice and rats repulsed him.
"Bugs and plants, Gilbert? I thought I'd heard it all after you warned me of quicksand and not to eat mushrooms from the wild. Do you think I'm going to be laid down by such things, truly?" Oscar's tone said it all really, the haughtiness behind it was all overconfidence and bravado, as though nothing so insignificant could even slow him down. "Where are the warnings of deadly assassins, of orcs and ogres and dragons, man? This is an adventure, my adventure, I'm not likely to fall to a mosquito in a god forsaken swamp." Looking up at the sky, brushing his silver hair to the side he wondered what it would be that finally make his name known throughout the world, excited to finally get out of the kingdom and travel even if it was in these circumstances. He could recall his parents taking him aside, the excitement he'd felt at hearing he could finally make his name in the world. Peace was all well and good, he knew on some level that it was preferable, his parents always spoke of how happy they were that war with the neighbouring kingdom had ceased so long ago, an uneasy truce but a truce nonetheless, and yet where was he meant to forge his path in that? War brought opportunity, a chance to prove himself and to show that he was everything he thought he was and not just some spoiled upstart who happened to be the child of the current rulers. With his station and title came pride and prestige but who wanted to be the prince that never did anything?
And so they'd told him of an adventure, a right of passage for him to undertake. Travel in search of the Oracle of Phirune, learn what is needed to locate and find an ancient temple and retrieve a lost artefact that needed to be returned to the kingdom. It would be dangerous, but royal blood was needed just to speak to the Oracle, and while he would not be alone he couldn't travel with an entourage. And that was the part that didn't thrill him so much, his companion-to-be. All he knew was that it was going to be one of the savages. He'd argued long and hard about why he had to travel with somebody so far beneath his station, ignoring the look of disappointment in his parent's eyes as he'd raged. Their kingdom, if that was what it was meant to be called, also needed to recover the artifact, and one person alone couldn't do it. He would be travelling with some tribal leader, or their kid or something. He didn't listen to the details, he knew they'd been mentioned but what did he care? They didn't have castles, palaces, they didn't engage in the same kinds of tales of gallantry and poetry, they dressed and lived like animals! The legends all said that his people were descended from the angels, or were warriors of the angels. Humanity and everything that was incredible about it was all in his kingdom, the lands that would all belong to him one day and in theirs? It was rumoured they were the spawn of demons and beasts, inhuman, ugly, foul creatures that didn't care for sanctity or any form of decorum. Why should he care if his traveling companion was a future leader to their people just like he was when they were worlds apart in station?
"Ah, the orcs are the easy part, you'll see em coming more oft than not. Loud buggers they are, and by gods they stink. The bugs, how you gonna fight them with your sword? Too much time in the palace, you're well trained but you've never been out here before, not on you're own." He finished talking just as they came to the clearing, finding an old tree stump that looked sodden from the rain and sitting down on it with a contented sigh. "Never did like walking so far in this armour, heavy you know. Should have learned that fancy swordplay bollocks that you're fond of, young prince, then maybe I wouldn't have to lug all this extra weight around." Oscar snorted softly, he appreciated Gilbert's humour for what it was, he respected the man somewhat even. He was a famed warrior, captain of the royal guard and had been around when there had been real combat to be had. "Think I'll wait here, make sure everything is on the up and up, but when you leave, you and the foreigner are on your own." Pulling a small flask from his pack he threw it at Oscar who caught it deftly. "Whisky, figured you might want something to drink. You have you're supplies I'd wager?" Unscrewing the cap Oscar took a sniff and recoiled, he'd rarely drank alcohol but he stored the flask away anyway. "Yes, I have all my supplies Gilbert, and coin for when we reach the next town. Relax, even if I'm paired with some miserable brute I can take care of myself." Looking up, Gilbert smirked behind his armour. He had no love for their rival kingdom but at least he had read the brief and paid attention, it seemed the prince didn't even know whom he was going to be paired with. "Suit yourself, I'm sure you're right. Well, go on then. Your father said this is your right of passage, you want to prove yourself, get to it."
Turning to face the ruins, Oscar gathered his pack and walked towards them, head held high. Dressed in flowing white and blue silk, gilded, with his strong, masculine features and the silver hair that caught the sunlight, a hallmark of royalty much like the same silver that lived in his eyes, he at least knew he would look a damn sight more impressive and civilised than the barbarian that was about to join him, and the quicker they got this journey over with the better. Once inside, he barely paid attention to his surroundings, it was all crumbling and old anyway, an ancient meeting ground often used when spokesmen for both kingdoms would meet to discuss terms. Too dirty to even sit in, he busied himself by throwing his pack to the ground and taking out his blade, practicing the same skilled arcs and flourishes that he trained in daily.
"Bugs and plants, Gilbert? I thought I'd heard it all after you warned me of quicksand and not to eat mushrooms from the wild. Do you think I'm going to be laid down by such things, truly?" Oscar's tone said it all really, the haughtiness behind it was all overconfidence and bravado, as though nothing so insignificant could even slow him down. "Where are the warnings of deadly assassins, of orcs and ogres and dragons, man? This is an adventure, my adventure, I'm not likely to fall to a mosquito in a god forsaken swamp." Looking up at the sky, brushing his silver hair to the side he wondered what it would be that finally make his name known throughout the world, excited to finally get out of the kingdom and travel even if it was in these circumstances. He could recall his parents taking him aside, the excitement he'd felt at hearing he could finally make his name in the world. Peace was all well and good, he knew on some level that it was preferable, his parents always spoke of how happy they were that war with the neighbouring kingdom had ceased so long ago, an uneasy truce but a truce nonetheless, and yet where was he meant to forge his path in that? War brought opportunity, a chance to prove himself and to show that he was everything he thought he was and not just some spoiled upstart who happened to be the child of the current rulers. With his station and title came pride and prestige but who wanted to be the prince that never did anything?
And so they'd told him of an adventure, a right of passage for him to undertake. Travel in search of the Oracle of Phirune, learn what is needed to locate and find an ancient temple and retrieve a lost artefact that needed to be returned to the kingdom. It would be dangerous, but royal blood was needed just to speak to the Oracle, and while he would not be alone he couldn't travel with an entourage. And that was the part that didn't thrill him so much, his companion-to-be. All he knew was that it was going to be one of the savages. He'd argued long and hard about why he had to travel with somebody so far beneath his station, ignoring the look of disappointment in his parent's eyes as he'd raged. Their kingdom, if that was what it was meant to be called, also needed to recover the artifact, and one person alone couldn't do it. He would be travelling with some tribal leader, or their kid or something. He didn't listen to the details, he knew they'd been mentioned but what did he care? They didn't have castles, palaces, they didn't engage in the same kinds of tales of gallantry and poetry, they dressed and lived like animals! The legends all said that his people were descended from the angels, or were warriors of the angels. Humanity and everything that was incredible about it was all in his kingdom, the lands that would all belong to him one day and in theirs? It was rumoured they were the spawn of demons and beasts, inhuman, ugly, foul creatures that didn't care for sanctity or any form of decorum. Why should he care if his traveling companion was a future leader to their people just like he was when they were worlds apart in station?
"Ah, the orcs are the easy part, you'll see em coming more oft than not. Loud buggers they are, and by gods they stink. The bugs, how you gonna fight them with your sword? Too much time in the palace, you're well trained but you've never been out here before, not on you're own." He finished talking just as they came to the clearing, finding an old tree stump that looked sodden from the rain and sitting down on it with a contented sigh. "Never did like walking so far in this armour, heavy you know. Should have learned that fancy swordplay bollocks that you're fond of, young prince, then maybe I wouldn't have to lug all this extra weight around." Oscar snorted softly, he appreciated Gilbert's humour for what it was, he respected the man somewhat even. He was a famed warrior, captain of the royal guard and had been around when there had been real combat to be had. "Think I'll wait here, make sure everything is on the up and up, but when you leave, you and the foreigner are on your own." Pulling a small flask from his pack he threw it at Oscar who caught it deftly. "Whisky, figured you might want something to drink. You have you're supplies I'd wager?" Unscrewing the cap Oscar took a sniff and recoiled, he'd rarely drank alcohol but he stored the flask away anyway. "Yes, I have all my supplies Gilbert, and coin for when we reach the next town. Relax, even if I'm paired with some miserable brute I can take care of myself." Looking up, Gilbert smirked behind his armour. He had no love for their rival kingdom but at least he had read the brief and paid attention, it seemed the prince didn't even know whom he was going to be paired with. "Suit yourself, I'm sure you're right. Well, go on then. Your father said this is your right of passage, you want to prove yourself, get to it."
Turning to face the ruins, Oscar gathered his pack and walked towards them, head held high. Dressed in flowing white and blue silk, gilded, with his strong, masculine features and the silver hair that caught the sunlight, a hallmark of royalty much like the same silver that lived in his eyes, he at least knew he would look a damn sight more impressive and civilised than the barbarian that was about to join him, and the quicker they got this journey over with the better. Once inside, he barely paid attention to his surroundings, it was all crumbling and old anyway, an ancient meeting ground often used when spokesmen for both kingdoms would meet to discuss terms. Too dirty to even sit in, he busied himself by throwing his pack to the ground and taking out his blade, practicing the same skilled arcs and flourishes that he trained in daily.