Stories Thread

[TheFlax]

((Coop written with Elite Ferret and YourLordAndConqueror))

Iconium 1110

The sun was declining in the seventh hour of the day as the screams of the dying echoed throughout the recently captured city. Yet, the men manning the city gates seemed unoccupied, and when Anna's carriage approached with two scores of heavily armed guards, they barely reacted. The passengers heard a loud but terse exchange between one of the men guarding the gate and the captain of the royal escorts, until finally the man retreated back to the carriage to consult with the princess.

"Highness, these men won't let us enter the city, they say they require their lord's permission."

Anna stepped out of the carriage and made her way to the gate proper. She never had the opportunity to change her clothes since Ancyra and her purple palla and tunica were both ruffled and lightly sullied with dirt. Nevertheless, she maintained a royal bearing and made her voice as commanding as she could.

"You have knowledge of my person and yet you deny me passage?"

The men hesitated for an instant and looked at each other before one of them dared speak up.

"Your Highness, we have out orders."

"Very well, who gave you these orders?"

"It was Antypatos Hypatios Machonios, your Highness."

Juliana peeked out from the carriage, suddenly interested in the commotion. The first thing which truly came to her was the overall atmosphere of the place. It hanged heavy with death. When she spotted Anna arguing with the gate guards, she quickly made her way over to her.

The men at the gate proved to be useless. Surely this was another of Machonios' ploys to aggravate her, but Anna would not give them any satisfaction. With icy calm, she waited to be admitted into the city.

Juliana waited nervously by Anna, not being used to having this many guards around who weren't chasing her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone on the wall. It was a cloaked man, in red and black, who seemed to be taking in the current situation down below, tossing it up into the air and catching it mid air. He took notice of Juliana, as if he knew her, and then after a second of contemplation, disappeared.

"Your Majesty... there was someone on the wall observing us."

Taking notice of Juliana for the first time since she left the carriage, Anna turned slightly. "Of course there is someone observing us, this is all a game to him."

Juliana shook her head. "No, I don't think it was a soldier, I think it was one of the-" Juliana suddenly clammed up, a look of fear on her face.

"One of the what?" Anna's voice was insistent.

Juliana seemed hesitant. "The..the Organization. He wears the midnight black of the Organization, and his red-" Juliana seemed slightly overcame by fear, but held herself together.

"*You* know of them?" Incredulity swept through her feature, before Anna narrowed her eyes in understanding. "Unless... they planted you! To gain my trust and meddle in my affair. Is that it girl?"

A shocked Juliana held up her hands in her defense. "Please your Majesty, I would never do such a thing. Please, you must understand! The Organization...it is well known in the underground...they have tried to recruit me, it is true, but I could never join such people... they ask too much, and give so little...please your Majesty, have mercy."

Juliana was now on the verge of tears. "What I know of the comes from one of my-" She reddened. "From one of my clients, whom I grew close to. He told me much about them... before they excuted him that is."

Anna motioned her to calm down. "You fear for your life?"

Juliana nodded. "The Organization is swift to punish those... who know too much. I know that red is sign they have marked you, and those with the red raven emblem are assassins. I live today because the man who told me this gave his life to protect me... for them, it was a fair exchange."

"They cannot reach you now." Anna replied as a matter of fact.

Juliana shook her head. "I saw one upon the-". From behind her, a much deeper, almost scarred sounding voice finished her sentence. "Wall? Princess Anna Komnenos, how good to see you. Having problems with the guards? We can get you in if you like, it will cost nothing, in fact, we'll give you something."

The man was cloaked in back, with a white raven emblem across his sagion and chiton. Juliana seemed almost to faint for a second then quickly relaxed. Turning to Anna, she whispered. "A representative... they are negotiators... killing him is an offense to the Organization punishable by death, since he is unarmed."

The two score of men surrounding them drew their weapons, but waited for a command from Anna. She moved closer to the man, any hint of surprise there may have been was now gone, replaced by a piercing glare.

"It seems you people never got the message my husband sent you, in that light, let me reiterate. If either he, or I, ever see one of you again without permission, your life is forfeit. I hope this time the message is well received, because if this ever happens again I will not be so forgiving." Each word carried an edge in her voice.

"As for your offer, I must decline. Everything has a price, nothing is free and I will enter the city by my own means sooner or later, Machonios' men cannot delay me forever and they know it."

The cloaked man nodded. "Very well your Highness, as you request. We have other, more important matters to attend to." He returned Anna's glare with a jovial smile. "I am sure Machonios' men will let you in now, knowing that we are about. Leaving someone like yourself out in the open like this, vulnerable, would be a grave error in a series of errors the Senator has made today."

"Begone, before I show you exactly who is vulnerable." Anna turned back to the gate and crossed her arms. To her surprise, the gates opened before her and a man made his way to her.

"As you will." The cloaked figure then neatly departed from the scene. Juliana spoke once he was gone. "Your majesty..I thank you for what you have done for me so far...things have truly become terrible for those like me lately...with the Organization thinking it can control everything, and Markellinos' men robbing people in broad daylight..."

Anna nodded to the girl, but indicated she should keep quiet for now, the gate guard was now next to them as he addressed Anna.

"Your Highness, please follow me." His breath stank of alcohol and his words were slightly slurred, nevertheless, Anna complied, wishing to avoid any other delays. Her retinue fell in behind her.

As they went deeper and deeper into the city, the streets became strewn with the bloody corpses of men, women and children; most of them unarmed civilians. Anna frowned in disgust.

Juliana tried to hold her breath as she followed Anna through Iconium's blood soaked streets. "Your Majesty, forgive me for asking, but why do you hate the Organization? I know why I do...but why do you?"

The reply she received was bitter. "They spied on me and threatened my daughter, they are arrogant and presumptuous. Too little is known about them to establish any kind of trust, I have been betrayed enough for one lifetime."

Juliana was taken aback slightly. "That is terrible your Majesty...you have a daughter?"

"...And a son." Anna added.

Juliana brightened. "Thats wonderful your Majesty, may I ask what are their names are? How old are they?"

Anna indulged her. "Helena has seen two springs, and Magnentios is about half her age."

Juliana smiled. "Helena and Magnentios...what wonderful names." She began humming a light tune to herself, which sharply contrasted with the scenery.

Anna gave her some time before turning to her with concern. "The man we are about to meet, he... suffice to say, awful things may happen. Stay close to me and you will be fine."

Juliana seemed unfazed, almost defiant. "What could have this man have possibly done that I need fear your majesty?"

"This." Anna indicated the corpses on the street with a gesture of her hand.

Juliana seemed not to understand for a moment, but then the awful truth hit her. "Wait...no, one man could have..." Juliana suddenly felt dizzy, the world spinning about her, becoming a twirling vision of death. She fell to her knees, her hands coming out to catch her fall. She pulled them back, both now covered in blood.

They all stopped for Juliana. "This would not be the first time." Anna motioned for one of her guards to help the girl back to her feet. "According to some rumors, Hypatios may have had ordered the extermination of Smyrna also."

Juliana seemed to grow angry at the mention of Smyrna. "How could such a man sleep peacefully?! Does he have no shame?" Juliana composed herself, letting the mixture of feelings sort themselves out harmlessly. "Your Majesty, may I ask why are to see such a man?"

"I have my reasons" Anna's gaze wandered from Juliana to their guide, seeing he was not paying attention she continued with her voice down to a whisper. "To put an end to all of this."

Juliana nodded, quietly taking in what Anna had said. "Your Majesty, you must forgive me, but when we meet this man, I...I will not be able to sleep well if I do nothing...if awful things do happen."

The soft voice of Anna now took a firmer undertone. "Do not concern yourself with such things."

Juliana nodded. "Yes, your Majesty."

The group at last came to the town hall of the settlement, where Hypatios waited. Only two unarmed guards were allowed to accompany Anna into the room where Hypatios waited alone. He had not bothered changing or cleaning since the slaughter and so was still largely covered in blood, his hair matted with it and his facial features distorted by it. He evidently had joined in enthusiastically with the killing. He took no note of the entrance of the Princess, merely laid back in the ex-Sultan's throne and waited for Anna to speak.

She shot him a dejected look. "What is the meaning of this slaughter Hypatios?"

Hypatios looked confused, "Slaughter? Oh you mean the few I have killed here. Well they are the enemy and they are infidel. Is not killing the infidel a sure path to heaven? Besides these were the evil bastards who took this settlement from lawful Romans, it is only right that they be punished and evicted so that the Romans of nearby villages can reclaim their lost lands. Besides it is no business of yours what happens here, I only allowed you in to amuse me with your arguments."

Her voice nearly rose to a screech. "THE FEW?? Have you seen the streets? They are rife with bodies and most of them are not soldiers!" Anna calmed herself and returned to a more measured voice. "Unless you mean to tell me you have lost control of the situation?"

Hypatios laughed at her outburst, "Oh no the situation is perfectly under control, we are merely restoring this settlement to the true light of the Orthodox faith and the Roman way of life. Ah here is my swordbearer, I don't think you've met Titus before?" The man enters and stood menacingly in the shadows with a half drawn sword.

"You would threaten ME?" Anna shook her head in dismay, before fixing the man with an icy glare. "Do not worsen your case Hypatios, you already have broken one of our laws. Surrender now, peacefully, and I will take you to the Magnaura so that you may answer for your crimes."

Hypatios looks shocked, "My dear Anna my friend here was not intended to threaten you, far from it. He has come here to deliver me a report of what has happened and so prove to you that I have not lost control. I am sorry if this sent across the wrong vibes" Hypatios signals to the man to sheath his blade with an angry jerk of his hand.

"As for surrendering, I am sorry but I do not see what you mean. As far as I know no crimes have been committed, have I not just taken the capital of the enemy and killed their Sultan?" He moves closer to her and the light of a nearby candle illuminates the gore that covers his body.

"Do not play me for a fool Hypatios, you know perfectly well what I mean." She pointed an accusatory finger in his direction. "You broke an edict of the Magnaura, you broke the law!"

"Ah the Edict. Well it is only natural that laws are broken on occasions, all great men have done it throughout history. I believe what I have done is for the good of our nation, and laws made by bickering pious old men will not stop me doing what I think is right. In addition to this, the creation of the "edict" was to bind the chancellor, to give all senators a say in how the empire is run. This edict attempted to control something that is personal to each general and that is not a true edict, and so I decided not to follow it."

"Enough!" Anna eyed the swordbearer for a reaction. "That is not for you to decide. Save your excuses for the Magnaura. Will you come peacefully or shall I have my men drag you there?"

Hypatios' laughter boomed around the room, "You do realize that there are nearly seven hundred soldiers under my command in this city. As soon as you entered this room the rest of your guards were escorted to the barracks where they were disarmed and surrounded. At the sound of one command they will all be killed. You have no power here my Lady, you have two unarmed men against a whole army, to try anything here is pointless, it will only end up in me having to keep you under guard in Ioannis' sick bay. I also find it strange that you have come here before seeing him, you do know that your husband suffered an injury?"

Anna dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand. "I know very well the condition of my husband. Once more, you overstep your bounds, you cannot detain me, I am the Basileus' daughter! Either you return with me to the Magnaura, or I shall head there myself and give testimony of the atrocities you committed. I am sure my father would be interested in hearing my version of what happened here and of how you treated me." She let the words hang, it was hard to say if it was a simple threat or if she really meant them.

"If you were to attempt to capture me then it would be my every right to detain you, or send you home. As for your father, I am told he has already condemned me, I understand news of my actions have traveled fast and there is uproar in the Magnaura. If you are to return there, and you certainly will without me, I have work to do here and shall not return until the end of the term, then do you think you could carry a message from me?"

"I am not your messenger Hypatios" Anna answered coolly. "Enjoy your "victory" while it last, the good men of the Empire will not let your crime go unpunished." Without waiting for a reply, she turned to leave.

From the shadows a figure appeared, cloaked in black, with a red raven emblem. "Your Highness, leaving so early? Hypatios, you should treat our guests better."

Outside, Juliana had snuck her way into the Town Hall undetected, and rounded the corner where she saw the man in black and red speaking to Anna. She covered her mouth to keep from scream and quickly darted behind a wall.

Hypatios grinned, "Allow me to introduce my accomplice, Master Grigorias. I trust you'll stay little longer to get to know him your highness?"

Anna turned slowly and frowned deeply when she spotted the figure. "I should have know you lot would associate yourselves with a mass-murdering lunatic like Hypatios. Here to stop me I presume?"

"Your Highness, why do you throw such words around like "lunatic" and "murderer"? Those are distinctions held by society on an individual when they disagree with his tactics. It will actually be quite wonderful around here afterward, you see, because not only will we have plenty of fertilizer for the farms, we have also eliminated poverty in one stroke. Don't you agree those are wonderful things, your Highness?" He smiles under his hood. "And we think, your Highness, that you should have an extended tour of Iconium, to see all the wonderful parts of the city, don't you agree Hypatios?"

Juliana pulled out the knife she kept hidden, closed her eyes and said a prayer to God.

Hypatios gave the man a cold stare, "Please do not threaten the Princess, though she may not see eye to eye with me she is the wife of my friend and a gracious lady, indeed I regret that we cannot be friends Anna."

"I have heard enough." Anna stormed out of the room, her two guards in tow.

Grigorias stepped out of Anna's path, only to turn back to Hypatios. "Forgive me M'lord, I was only trying to extend a friendly hand to the Princess. Do you need me to send out the Trackers?"

"No, let her leave in peace, this meeting is over" Hypatios left the room to go and clean himself up.

When Juliana saw Princess Anna leave unharmed, she exhaled a breath of relief, and ran hurriedly after her to catch up.

[00jebus]

co-op with the flax


Constantinople 1111

Lisas was sitting comfortably in his favourite tavern, enjoying the atmosphere of a few glasses of local wine, when he received his weekly report letter from his messenger from the Magnaura, reading it shocked him and he left for the capital at once, how could Iconium have been razed without him knowing about it?, what had the Turks done that made Hypathos kill most of its inhabitants

Anna had taken her leave of the Magnaura until they had further need of her and had retreated to the exit of the building in order to get some fresh air. Without care or consideration, she blocked the entrance to the Magnaura as she absently brushed away some of the dirt on her tunica.

Just as Lisas turned into the Magnaura, flecks of dirt filled his eyes but the message to stop hadn't reached his legs yet. He bounded into the Princess, knocking both to the floor.

Lisas lifted his hands to his face, clawing the dirt out of his eyes, before pushing himself up, muttering "that better not be a priest" before seeing it was her Majesty.
He extended a hand, offering to pull her up too, breathlessly stammering "Oh my god, your highness, I am so sorry, I didn't look where I was going... I heard a terrible rumour and had to know if it’s true, I'm just... prattling" he finished with a sigh.

"Wonderful" he thought to himself "first time meeting my lord's sister, no, any female royal, and I nearly knock her out!" Lisas, who could never help but think of the worst case, also wondered who was capable of the worst punishment if he had knocked her out, Anna's husband, brother, father, or the two burly bodyguards looking down on him like he was a clumsy idiot.

Anna declined the offered and slowly rose by herself. She winced slightly, in pain, as she finally gathered herself and addressed the offending Senator.

"Yes, this is a peculiar day, and for that, I absolve you of any offence. I pray, in the future, you will pay more heed as to where your feet lead you."

Slightly relieved, "Thank you, your Highness, I'm normally much more graceful, er, peculiar for you too? I hope we haven't heard the same rumour."

"It is no rumour." Anna's soft voice turned cold. "I witnessed first hand the atrocities perpetrated in Iconium and confronted Hypatios Machonios on the issue, I believe he is proud of his deeds." Her disgust is obvious at the mention of the name.

*Lisas' face fell, he thought he pulled it off very well, princesses, he though, would be well informed, so why not use this golden oppertunity to find out what really happened? thinking quickly, he said* "Thats, a lot worse than what I heard, I heard two senators were killed taking the city so it was sacked, God, atrocities, he's proud of? What actually happened there?"

"No Senators were killed, my husband is wounded but should recover, if Hypatios does not kill him in the meanwhile." She narrowed her eyes. "You want to know what happened? Hypatios Machonios butchered Iconium because it gives him pleasure and because he thinks himself above the laws set in the Magnaura. None were spared the sword; be it men, women and children; be it Muslims or Christians; be it commoners or nobles. Hypatios presided over the slaughter on the throne of the dead Sultan, covered in the blood of his victims. The scribe in the Magnaura has transcribed my testimony if you wish greater details."

"That," he searched for a few choice words, but decided against using them in front of the emperor's daughter, "that's disgusting, well, your Highness, I have to go, I wish I could say its been a pleasure meeting you, but not even a pathological liar would attempt that."

Anna simply nodded and moved out of the Senator's way.

Lisas bowed and made for the bathroom, deciding to take a minute compose himself before rushing to a decision about this.

[woad&fangs]

Dockyards, Constantinople, 1111


Solomon sat on a crate of spices, looking out at the pier where two old merchant ships were being readied for the journey to Egypt. He had managed to get them at bargain prices thanks to a favor he was owed by a local trader. The smaller and less sea worthy of the two crafts was a decrepit Byzantine vessel which looked as if it hadn’t been sea worthy since before he was born. The other ship which was to be his flagship was a small but swift vessel of Venetian origin. There was only one problem with her….

Clearly painted on the hull, in bold crimson lettering was the ships name, Satan’s Arse. It will just have to be scrubbed off and replaced with something more appropriate for the crusade thought Solomon. He pulled out a small leather bound bible from his russet tunic and began reading for inspiration. Several hours past and the sun began to fall beneath the western horizon. With the light quickly fading, Solomon decided to read one last passage before retiring for the evening. Ezekiel 25:17 he muttered to himself as his brown eyes traversed the page. “That seems rather appropriate….Even if it is a bit vague”

Solomon rose to retire for the night but stopped when four men rounded the corner. They were all dressed in the livery of that damn Asteri house. The four men were pushing large barrels and were heading towards a ship to the north. With a devilish glint in his eyes, Solomon followed them, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. At last they stopped in front of a ship he knew belonged to Strator Laskaris.

“Eh, this is the last of the provisions. Lets get it loaded so we can rest ‘for we set sail tomorrow,” Stated the tallest of the men.

“Iannios, you heard ‘bout what’s being said up that the Magnaura,” Asked a pockmarked man in the group, “They say old Hypatios Butchered a whole city himself. Say he even raped the Sultan’s prize camel ‘for he burned it to death.”

“Those are filthy lies spread by those filthy monks from Antioch and I better not hear you spreading them again,” replied the man who was apparently Ioannis.

“All the same,” said the pockmarked man, “It makes getting supplies a right old pain. The first thing those bloody merchants ask us is what house we serve. T’second we say Asteri they get all uppity with us. I had a hard time getting something as simple as water from those money grubbing usurers.”

The rest of the conversation was lost to Solomon as the four boarded the ship. Solomon crouched behind a small fishing boat and waited for the men to leave. After he was sure they had gone he walked over the edge of the pier and dived in. He swam over to the hull of Laskaris’ ship and pulled out two daggers. He gouged one into the hull of the ship and then the other. Slowly, he crawled his way up the side of the ship using the two daggers. Once on board Solomon quickly found the entrance to the lower decks and darted inside before one of the night guards caught him.

Solomon made his way over to the barrels containing fresh water. Grabbing a nearby hammer, he cracked open the barrels. He didn’t yet know what he was going to do but he wasn’t going to let any of those cursed Asteri mongrels beat him to Aegyptus. All he had to do was stall him for a few days.

A rat scurried across the floor and Solomon had his plan. He lunged at the rat and pinned it with one of his daggers. The animal shrieked in pain but Solomon swiftly put it out of his misery with his other dagger. Raising the rodent over a barrel he gutted the poor creature and scraped its innards into first one barrel, and then another, and then another. Then he hacked the creature apart and distributed the pieces into the other barrels.

His sabotage complete, Solomon knelt and clasped his hands in prayer, “Lord, please guide my ship on its holy mission and give it great speed. Please let no one fall ill because of my sabotage but please keep those filthy maggots out of Aegyptus, Amen.”

Before he left Solomon crossed over to one of the polluted barrels and, in what he would later describe as “one of the most arrogant foolhardy things I ever did”, he carved the following message into the oaken barrel.

The Lord has judged your house and found it filthier than Sodom and viler than Gomorrah. He now rebukes it and all its members. He now strikes down with great vengeance and furious anger, those who follow the madman, Hypatios.

~Solomon

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Dockyards, Constantinople, 1111

Efstathios sat on his chair and read the notes about Egypt. These were well written by some of the best cartographers of the Byzantine Empire.

Suddenly he heard someone knocking on his door.

"Enter" said Efstathios.

A tall man with one eye came in. He looked rather nervous..

"What is the problem, Ioannis" asked Efstahios in the same time thinking that the Greeks needs more names besides this one..

"My Lord, apparently someone have polluted our water supplies. It would take couple of more days to get new ones. Also, this was written in one of those barrels" said Ioannis.

Efstathios took a note handed him by his ships Captain. There was written..

"The Lord has judged your house and found it filthier than Sodom and viler than Gomorrah. He now rebukes it and all its members. He now strikes down with great vengeance and furious anger, those who follow the madman, Hypatios.

~Solomon"

Efstathios yelled with anger.

"Who is he to do this!! Who the hell he think he is!! May Gods wrath be upon him!! What have I ever done to deserve this?! I said in the Magnaura that I don't like what Hypatios did!! And still he do this?! This Solomon guy should be brought to justice for doing this!!"

Ioannis coucht..

"My dear sir. Do you forget what we tried to.."

"Be silent!" Efstathios said. "It is one thing to do this to others. Another thing when it is done to you! At least We didn't get caught!!"

Efstathios smiled ..

"Oh well.. Do what you must. Just make sure we would get enough drinking water and this time without some 'extra flavour' in it!"

Ioannis bowed and left from the room.

"Looks like this Crusade isn't going to be as boring as I thought!"

[Ferret]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Co-op with YourLordandConqueror

Assume these events took place before Hypatios came to the Magnaura

Imperial Camp, outside Iconium

Master Grigorias took pride in his work as one of the assassins of the Organization. It paid well, he was protected, and he got to see interesting places. Iconium was one of those places, but sadly, Grigorias would not be exercising his abilities today. Instead, he would be meeting with a man named Hypatios, one of those Nobles from House Asteri. "Wonderful, stuck doing a Negotiators job...and I'm stuck waiting for him as well..."

After what seemed an age Hypatios' sword bearer, Titus, showed Grigorias through, Hypatios was reading reports on what was happening in the senate,

"Greetings Grigorias, sorry to keep you waiting, now what was it you wished to talk about?"

Grigorias straightened his cloak a little. "Yes, of course. The Organization has come forward, in the interests of the Empire, to help pacify Iconium."

Hypatios looks speculative, "And how will you do that? My men have already hunted down and killed most of the Muslims. Also, do you have any reason to help me, I trust this is for the interests of the Empire as a whole rather than for personal gain."

Grigorias bowed. "Of course M'lord, allow me to explain. The Organization has a vested interest in seeing the Empire prosper, and we believe that even with what you have done, you will lose Iconium to dissenters. I doubt you will find these people on your own...we have had , difficult experiences with them in the past. Rest assured though, if we work together, they will not stand a chance."

Hypatios looks suspicious, "Tell me of these...'people'."

Grigorias smiles. "Of course my lord, in fact, I will show one of them to you, if you wish it?"

Hypatios instantly hardens, "Be careful whom you bring into my presence, make sure he is held tight, I don't want to take any risks here, I still don't know if I can trust you."

Grigorias nods. "Of course, I assure you will have nothing to worry about from her." Grigorias whistles, and little under a minute later, another man in a dark cloak with a white wolf emblem drags in a struggling woman with raven hair and sky blue eyes. She is chained hands and feet, gagged, and dressed in torn black clothing. Yet still, in her eyes remain a fiery defiance.

"This...woman...is a member of a group of defectors bent on insuring that at every turn, the plans of the Empire and the safety of it's people are put at risk. They attempt to use our very name, our very symbols, in the perpetration of their acts. This cannot continue, I am sure you will agree."

Hypatios is still unsure, "And how exactly are they putting the Empire's plans at risk?"

"They have threatened the Emperor's daughter, and have attempted to even kill several nobles...all in our name." Grigorias's eyes brim with anger, and he seems almost ready to lash out at his prisoner. "They have put forth attempts to even have the people on the fringes of the empire to rebel..."

Hypatios' eyes light with surprise, "So these are the people who have been doing those things, tell me though, why should I trust you, and what do you want from me? If you are as skilled as you claim then surely you can take care of these people without coming to see me?"

Grigorias's voice on an even more respectful tone. "True, but we would rather work with a noble to clear our name in this matter. If we sneaked around doing our business it might complicate matters unnecessarily. And with your help, we will have enough manpower to catch them all...without having to chase them or lose anyone unnecessarily."

"Alright, you may go about your business but I ask that one of my most trusted men, my swordbearer Titus, accompany you while you find the people. If anything goes amiss, you may find empty air above your neck and shoulders."

Grigorias nods. "I thank you M'lord, you needn't worry about a thing. If we may, we would like to present this woman as a gift to you, as a sign of our loyalty to the Empire."

Hypatios smiles, "Thank you, I will...question...her later."

With that he leaves the room, taking the girl with him.

[OverKnight]

<Coop with AussieGiant>

Thrace, 1110

A hard rain was falling as Basileus Aleksios, Apionnas Vringas and their men left the capital to rejoin the army south of Bucharest. Aleksios was hunched in his saddle, coughing, with the younger man riding beside him. The raw weather was making his bones ache, and he felt tired and old. The gray, forboding sky matched his mood.

"Apionnas," the Basileus said in a raspy voice, "I am grateful for the assistance you provided during the Senate Session. Without your help, my son would not have been elected Megas."

Apionnas face turned from concern to surprise as he observed his master and the words he spoke.

"My Lord, you do not have to thank me. My service and loyalty is something you must always count on. It was a close race, but I believe your son will do a good job. That is why I voted for him."

Aleksios replied, "Still, I am unsettled. The Patriarch exceeds his station and may have to be dealt with. The Crusade worries me as well. I have no doubt the fervor of our men, but it divides the Empire even more. We're taking on too much perhaps. I can see fault lines forming, cracks in the Empire that may worsen after I'm gone."

The Basileus bowed his head, coughing, as the wind picked up, pelting him with rain.

"Ioannis is now in power. This means the Patriarch and his pet zealots can be contained, prevented them from dominating the affairs of the Empire. A dynamic balance of factions and forces must be maintained to drive the Empire forward, to reforge its greatness and to keep the Komnenoi on the Throne. Anything or anyone that threatens this balance must be neutralized."

Aleksios sighed heavily, "I'm worried that my son is not ready to keep that balance. That once he is Basileus. . .once I am dead, that the fault lines may grow and consume the Empire. I am worried that all I have worked for, all that we have accomplished, will be swept away in a generation."

The younger man's eyes gleamed brightly in the gloom. The intensity of his gaze lost on the reflective mood of his master.

"The Patriarch over played his hand my Lord. Your steady commentary and even tone in the Magnaura was a perfect statement at the time. More than one Senator made comment to me privately in support of your move."

Pausing the younger man considered his next words. The rain increased in its intensity ensuring anyone nearby could not hear their words.

"The Empire is finely balanced, I agree. At this time all possibilities for succession must be investigated to ensure a Komnenoi, and the best Komnenoi, ascends the throne.

"I am at your disposal my lord, what ever you wish me to do you must only ask. My Oath is to the Emperor first and the family second."

The easy gait of his stallion did nothing to affect the steady blue gaze now being directed at the Basileus.

Aleksios did not meet his eyes, he stared off into space, lost in thought.

"It may not always be that way, my friend."

He shook his head and shivered. Turning, the Basileus levelled an appraising look at Apionnas.

"Steps must be taken to ensure the Throne remains with the Komnenoi. When I die, you shall have Sofia. You will have more power, power to ensure the dynasty stays strong."

In response Apionnas bowed low in the saddle.

"You honour me with your trust my Lord.

I will begin my work on this immediately. Do you have a place or person in mind as to where I should start?"

The Basileus shook his head.

"No, this is for the future. For when my son rules. For now, we watch to see if anyone upsets the balance too much. . ."

Lightning flashed across the sky and a clap of thunder soon followed.

"Then we will act."

[Privateerkev]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is a co-op by YLC and myself.

Adana: 1111

Makedonios walks down into the cell of the man who attacked him the other night.

The man stuck to the shadows of his cell, not speaking.

With a couple guards in tow, Makedonios walks up to the man, careful to note the length of the chains the man is attached to.

"Alright, has time down here changed your mood?"

Still, the man does not reply.

Careful to first get in a fighting stance, Makedonios steps close enough to get a good look at the man. His guards are right behind him with their hands on their swords.

The man tries to edge his way away from Makdonios's sword, face still hidden.

Makedonios signals for one of his men to get a torch to shine some light in the cell.

"Alright, what is going on?"

The torchlight reveals a much older, unkempt man then Evdaemon. He throws himself to the ground before Makedonios's feet. "Please sire! He said he would kill my family if I did not do as he says!"

Makedonios sheaths his sword and bends down. "Someone get me the keys!"

A guard comes in and hands over the keys. Makedonios reaches down and unshackles the man.

"Don't worry. He can't hurt you now. Let me know where your family is and we'll put them in a safe place."

The man grabs Makedonios by the arm. "Thank you, thank you...they are in the southern quarter of Adana."

Makedonios pulls him up. "Do you know anything about the man who put you in here? How did he get out and how did you get in?"

The man nodded. "Both of them were from the Organization. They replaced the man in this cell by having me disguise myself as a guard. In the cell, I used the keys and he took the disguise, leaving me to be locked up here."

Makedonios nodded. "Alright, well lets get you out of here and get a hot meal in you."