From the tome: "The Cavalier Orders of The Inner Sea"
***Order of the Dragon***
Cavaliers belonging to the order of the dragon dedicate themselves to a group of like-minded individuals, be it a mercenary company or a small band of adventurers. These cavaliers believe in loyalty and friendship, and are willing to lay down their lives to protect their allies. The cavalier must remain loyal to his allies and must always work to further the aims of the group. He must protect his allies from harm and defend their honor when called into doubt.
Balian had slept little in the past four days. He was past the point of exhaustion, so tired that his head pounded and nausea swam in his stomach. The battle at Oleg's trading post had concluded over six hours ago and most of the Baron Corso's men were asleep. Balian was not. One last task needed to be completed before he slept and that was helping Fizzel rest.
Balian cut a shroud from a bolt of white linen he found in Oleg’s storage room. He removed Fizzel’s pack and did so very carefully as to not disturb the explosive vials contained within. He undressed the elf and folded his clothes, packing them away into a crate with Fizzel's other belongings. Remembering the ritual he had seen his father perform for his own fallen comrades, Balian washed the body with cool water and salt. With a fine thread he sewed Fizzel's wounds closed. For the most part sewing was considered women's work unless it dealt with wounds or burial shrouds. For these things, men could perform the craft without shame. Balian remembered this well and began sewing the elf into the white linen. After an hour and many pricks with the needle, his bloodied, trembling fingers sewed the last stitch. The shroud left only Fizzel's face exposed. Balian placed a copper over each of the elf's eyes and rested a hand over his face. What elven god should he pray to? Balian did not even know any of the elven gods. He finally decided that Pharasma would have to do and Balian offered a short prayer to the Lady of Graves to watch over his fallen friend. In the morning Zuhair would make the necessary prayers to finish preparations for Fizzel’s journey, whether that be the joining his ancestors or a return from the Grey Havens to stand among mortals once again. Balian’s eyes burned, whether by exhaustion or sorrow he did not know. He opened the door, took one last look at Fitz and closed the door softly behind him.
Oleg and Svetlana both slept. Oleg looked more like a corpse than Fizzel did. His face was pale and his breath was weak. Zuhair had stabilized him and his wounds were dressed but it was still too early to see any improvement in the old man. Svetlana by contrast looked calm and peaceful. The horror she witnessed earlier that caused her to faint did not appear to have invaded her dreams.
Balian took pity on the old man. The Redeemers unfinished business in the north had brought this hardship to him. Oleg just wanted to run his trading post and live an uncomplicated life with his beautiful young wife. Balian knew of the rumors of Svetlana and himself that spread around Stagfell. At the time, Balian justified it by telling himself he was performing a duty in protecting Svetlana and that if sacrificing his honor was necessary to do so then so be it. He knew that Oleg was not a fool and that some word would reach his ears. The expected response from Svetlana’s husband never came and in fact, Oleg seemed to look well upon Balian. Could it be that Oleg trusted Balian more than Balian trusted himself? The events of the evening already seemed like they happened days ago.
***
Balian stood in a sideways stance, keeping eyes on the axe wielding mercenary captain standing before him and the club-swinging brute behind him. He kept close to the brute thrusting his shield in the path of the club, keeping it from making a full swing. The captain was more skilled however, and it took every bit of Balian's to knock the axe blows away with his longsword. Fizzel had just thrown himself through the window of the building and that is when Balian heard Svetlana's screams from inside. Rage burned in Balian's heart and his enemies suddenly seemed to move in slow motion. The mercenary captain raised his axe to ready a vicious overhead swing and Balian used the opening to launch himself at the man, burying his longsword up to the hilt in the man's chest. The captain dropped to his knees and the life left his eyes. Balian planted a foot on the captain's shoulder and used him as a springboard to simultaneously withdraw his longsword and leap into the broken window space. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and Balian realized he had narrowly missed landing on Fizz. In the next room, they found Svetlana tied to a chair screaming as some creature knelt over Oleg's limp form. A combination of the vampire’s carelessness and quick thinking on Fizzel’s part saw the creature outside with an explosive flask tossed into its claws. The resulting explosion tested strength of the closed wooden door and then all was quiet.
Fizzel listened for any activity outside as Balian turned his attention to Oleg and Svetlana. Oleg lay unmoving on the floor in a pool of his own blood. Balian rushed over and knelt down reaching into his pack for a healing potion but stopped. Balian stepped over Oleg and strode over to the unconscious woman’s side. A quick slash with his longsword and her bonds were undone. Balian gently eased her onto the floor and squeezed her hand. Apart from burns from the ropes, she seemed fine. Balian looked up to see Fizzel working hard to save Oleg's life. Fizzel poured potions down his throat and pounded the old man’s chest to keep his heart beating.
That was when Balian saw the shadow emerge from the room they had just left. He opened his mouth, but the warning shout to Fizzel was too slow to emerge. Balian’s feet felt encased in stone as he moved to save his helpless friend. Fizzel managed to get only a glance up at Balian before the vampire dug its claws into his back and fangs into his neck. Balian launch a kick into the creatures head and it flew back towards the door. Fizzel slumped to the floor as blood sprayed from his neck across Balian’s face. Balian leapt up on the table and rained blows down onto the vampire. His sword flew as it never had before and Balian took a small satisfaction in that he thought he might have seen a hint of surprise on the creature's face. Scraps of putrid flesh sprayed from the creature’s arms as it shielded itself. The wounds immediately began to regenerate. Balian became aware of another presence in the room. The mercenary brute with the club had finally found Balian, but now his courage faltered. Claws screeched across the steel of Balian's breastplate. "Come, fight beside me!", Balian shouted over his shoulder with a tinge of desperation in his voice. The mercenary was not convinced and found a nearby window to crash out of. Balian launched a mighty swing that cut deep across the vampire’s gut. It reflexively lowered its arms to cover its wound. Balian continued his swing, building momentum as he spun completely around and ended the blow through the vampire’s unprotected neck. The cut was clean and the vampire bared its fangs once last time as its head tumbled.
Balian kicked the double doors open to the outside. He grabbed the remains of the beheaded vampire and threw them on the bonfire that burned a short distance away. The fire took hold of the corpse and the eerie light of a blue-green flame illuminated the trading post. Balian looked back through the open doors and saw Fizzel and Oleg laying beside each other in a large pool of blood. Balian howled in rage and frustration. The fight was over and his strength left him. He let his longsword and shield fall to the ground as he dropped to one knee and clasped his hands across the other. The blood of mercenaries and detritus of the undead soiled his armor. Balian's gloved hand smeared Fizzel's blood off his own face, "Forgive me my friends, for I have failed you."
In gwidh ristennin,
I fae narchannen
I Lach Grynbilt ed ardhon gwannen
Fisalellenelvial, Fisalellenelvial! A Randir Vithren!
Ú-reniathach i amar galen
I reniad lín ne môr, nuithannen
