Chaos.
Everywhere.
Casamir was closer to his dream than any man could imagine. Yet here he was struggling for his life and limb.
The whip of a blade came towards him.
He dodged the flash of iron and deflected the next swing for his head. His wife stood near, a large spear in hand, and she stuck the blade into anything with a white cloak.
Casamir felt his arms buckle under the strength of the opponent's structure. This was a man with experience. Which was something Casamir did not have in spare.
The man exited the blade bind and swung at Casamir from the left. Casamir blocked it and in the same motion, kicked the man. Confusion swarmed his face, and Casamir was forced to block another shot.
The fight ended abruptly as Casamir's wife. Rose of House Kunfhua's martial spear split the man's head open.
She said, "The Second time I have had to save you, lover. Your skills are subpar."
Casamir replied, "Ah, yes, I did not notice."
A small smile graced Rose's lips before she became a blur of motion. Blood splattered Casamir's face. A simple turn reminded him of the accuracy of Rosus.
Her spear was coated in the blood of a soldier less than half an arm away from Casamir. She was not wrong; his skills were subpar.
The two ran down the hallway they were in. Their soldiers, whom he had borrowed from his wife's father, were already moving away.
Casamir looked upon his wife; her crimson cloak was soaked with blood. The white lion had become a cherry lion. Her metal pauldron that she wore with her silk battle attire was scuffed beyond sight. Her brown hair flowed behind her as he followed.
They went down the oak stairs. The inn was fine. No one was bothered at all by the sounds of sword fighting outside of it. The innkeeper was a happy and chubby lady.
As she saw them running down the stairs, she yelled, "Your men are winnin' my lord!"
Casamir smiled at that and ran out of the inn. Outside, he saw his men were truly winning the fight. His wife jumped in, surprising a soldier with a spear through the heart, and then deflecting another soldier.
"Wait!"
A single soldier yelled, his white cloak soaked with dirt and mud. He had an average face, brown eyes, and lighter skin, common to the southeresse.
"We have come for the Tome; we wish you no harm but for the Tome to be returned."
Casamir's face twisted into one of confusion, "I don't have your Tome."
The soldier sheathed his blade and leveled his eyes.
"There's been a spell on that book for over two thousand years, my lord. We can track it with the help of any Artist."
"You've lost at least twenty men. Hand it over and while you will never be allowed to step foot in our lands again, you will be free."
Rose's eyes caught her husband's. She could not believe it. There was no way Casamir had the ability to steal such an important artifact.
"I will grab it at once, cease the fighting, and clean this mess up."
Casamir went back up the stairs. Rummaged through his sacks and found the Tome. He'd stolen it with relative ease, and now he understood why. Though he'd never known magic to be real.
As he walked back down the stairs, he remembered something someone had said.
During his trial, to gain his wife's hand in marriage. Something had gone wrong; a figure in black mist appeared. The woman had been inhumanely beautiful, like an incarnation of beauty. She had called him the word "Artist", and for the first time, Casamir wondered just what she'd meant by that.
Casamir walked outside the inn and handed the tome to the soldier. The soldier pulled on his arm.
He violently whispered, "Do well to remember that the people will kill you if you dare to come back."
Casamir nodded and separated himself from the man. He turned and walked away. At the entrance to the inn, his wife stood. The expression on her face was one of confusion.
Rose asked, "You stole the Tome of Tomys? How did you, a commoner, accomplish that?"
"I'm no commoner. I was a Young Dico, like I told you."
"You told me you had a mission and tasks to complete."
"Yes, and that was one of them. Though, considering I just gave it back, I don't know if I completed it."
Rose nodded and replied, "What else are you keeping?"
"I've told you everything now. Last secret."
The woman scoffed and walked away into the inn. Casamir stood outside for a long moment, his jaw clenching and unclenching.
He had no information on the place they were headed. A place they were supposed to begin ruling. It was here that he began to realize he did not know what it meant to truly rule. For him, there was only one solution in this situation.
A soldier was at hand nearby and so Casamir called out, "You! Find me a clearing in the forest."
The soldier saluted and walked off alongside another.
Casamir walked into the inn and looked around. There were a lot of his soldiers in there, resting after the fight. He simply walked by and moved up the stairs towards the floor they were staying on. He entered his room, opening the door to find his wife cleaning her spear.
He greeted her, "Lover..."
"Lover."
She did not say anything more, and so Casamir searched his bag for a small vial of white liquid. This was the most sacred of activities, and would require him to not be near others, lest their desires overwhelm his.
Rose spoke, "So, what is that you have there?"
He replied, "The Drink. As I told you, we have a ritual, and I need it. I've not done it in almost a year."
"Yes, I remember. Be safe, and let me know what you find."
Casamir grinned and set a gentle kiss upon his lover's head. Then, turning, he left the room towards the exit of the inn. This would give him just exactly what he needed.