A caravan of covered wagons can be seen on an empty road between mountains, a large tree felled on it's side directly on top of one of them. There are people everywhere- mages clad in robes with books slinging spells, fighters with swords keeping busy on either side. A few familiar figures can be seen within the chaos- Beau, off to the side, wailing on a mage in robes with her staff, and Mollymauk on the other side of the combat, engaged with a truly massive human looking figure with his swords. Among it all is a dwarven woman in full armor who stands staring and engaged with a hulking beast of a man armed with a glaive, but stands unmoving- frozen. Some people may recognize her from Beau’s descriptions as Keg, the woman who was following Beau around just before this in her head. The rush of sound from the combat is stark in relation to the scene around them, the world still warming in midmorning dew as the sun rises.
Beau does a quick smack upside the head to the person she's fighting and they go down hard, the side of their skull caved partially in from the force of the hit. She wastes no time as soon as they're down, turning and leaping over a cart to land on the horse pulling it and engage the man directly.]
Lorenzo!
[He looks to her, a grin starting to spread on his face. She's obviously picking a fight with something bigger than her- though those who know Beau will know this is hardly uncommon. However, Mollymauk turns when he hears her engage, turning on his fight and running behind Lorenzo to take three slices into his back. The first strike hits, splattering blood on the ground, but the second two miss as the other man turns his attention away from Beau. He slams his glaive into the ground and prepares to attack, but out of nowhere, his vision and eyes go black--
And so do Molly's, as he suddenly crumples to the floor.
Beau's eyes go wide, and she's already moving, but it's too late. Lorenzo's glaive slams directly into Mollymauk's chest, and despite the wild swing Beau takes at him it doesn't seem to have any effect. He stops, looking behind him at Keg standing completely immobile still, to Beau's wild eyes, to the realization they're all having in tandem. He meets her gaze with a sickening smile.]
An example it is.
[He's interrupted for just a second as Molly, on the floor and impaled, spits a mouthful of blood into his face. His smile only grows wider.]
Respect.
[And he twists the blade, cutting Molly's chest open in a gush of blood and gore. His eyes never close.
The world feels like it’s moving in slow motion. Two crossbow bolts rocket across the field and bounce off the dwarf’s armor; two arrows come at Beau and one whizzes past as she catches the other one in her hand, not even looking at it. Their eyes are affixed on Molly’s body, the hand holding the arrow shaking until she snaps it in her hands. Meanwhile, Lorenzo turns towards her, his grin still wide.]
Is it time for another, or have you learned your lesson?
[Beau snarls as she repositions with her staff.]
You should know: I have no respect for authority.
[He starts to move towards her.]
Then another life it is.
[Finally, Keg moves, climbing over the felled tree and beginning to scream at the pair of them--]
Stop! Stop! Make me the example. Stop. Just stop attacking them--
[Lorenzo looks back to Keg, but Beau isn’t nearly done, even when given the escape. She closes the gap, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a tinderbox.]
Hey Lorenzo! This one’s for Molly and Yasha!
[And she lights him on fire. He doesn’t even look. She hits him, desperately, jaw clenched, missing the first swing and beating him in the chest with the second-- and he doesn’t even turn towards her. The flames lick off his shoulders and he doesn’t even care.
Beau curses, jaw clenched, tears in her eyes, as she retreats.
Everything starts to reassemble itself. The live people collect themselves and their items, the woman Beau felled earlier unmoving on the floor. Another woman comes over and heals some of Lorenzo’s wounds as he approaches Keg, speaking to her quietly, and drags her over to where Beau now crouches- two other figures have appeared, a shabby-looking ginger human man and Nott, the small goblin girl some may have seen around the island. Keg doesn’t fight as Lorenzo brings her to her knees, flanked by his fighters, glaive at her neck as he addresses them. The memory is fuzzy here- he speaks, but Beau doesn’t remember the dialogue. Didn’t bother. What she does remember is him leaning down to whisper in Keg’s ear.]
That’s a bit too quick. I want you to live with the memory of what you did today.
[He kicks her back to the ground, finally pats out the flames, and turns to leave.]
We’re moving on! If I see any of your faces again– well, at least you’ll be able to see your friend on the other side.
[Beau can’t help herself, rising to her feet, fists clenched. There are tears burning at her eyes she doesn’t even realize, shoulders shaking with barely repressed emotion.]
Fuck you, Lorenzo.
[He laughs as he and his caravan pull off into the darkness, leaving only their four figures-- and Mollymauk’s corpse-- remaining in the dirt.]
i. they beat the bitter of war / where nobody won / we were just casualties
A caravan of covered wagons can be seen on an empty road between mountains, a large tree felled on it's side directly on top of one of them. There are people everywhere- mages clad in robes with books slinging spells, fighters with swords keeping busy on either side. A few familiar figures can be seen within the chaos- Beau, off to the side, wailing on a mage in robes with her staff, and Mollymauk on the other side of the combat, engaged with a truly massive human looking figure with his swords. Among it all is a dwarven woman in full armor who stands staring and engaged with a hulking beast of a man armed with a glaive, but stands unmoving- frozen. Some people may recognize her from Beau’s descriptions as Keg, the woman who was following Beau around just before this in her head. The rush of sound from the combat is stark in relation to the scene around them, the world still warming in midmorning dew as the sun rises.
Beau does a quick smack upside the head to the person she's fighting and they go down hard, the side of their skull caved partially in from the force of the hit. She wastes no time as soon as they're down, turning and leaping over a cart to land on the horse pulling it and engage the man directly.]
Lorenzo!
[He looks to her, a grin starting to spread on his face. She's obviously picking a fight with something bigger than her- though those who know Beau will know this is hardly uncommon. However, Mollymauk turns when he hears her engage, turning on his fight and running behind Lorenzo to take three slices into his back. The first strike hits, splattering blood on the ground, but the second two miss as the other man turns his attention away from Beau. He slams his glaive into the ground and prepares to attack, but out of nowhere, his vision and eyes go black--
And so do Molly's, as he suddenly crumples to the floor.
Beau's eyes go wide, and she's already moving, but it's too late. Lorenzo's glaive slams directly into Mollymauk's chest, and despite the wild swing Beau takes at him it doesn't seem to have any effect. He stops, looking behind him at Keg standing completely immobile still, to Beau's wild eyes, to the realization they're all having in tandem. He meets her gaze with a sickening smile.]
An example it is.
[He's interrupted for just a second as Molly, on the floor and impaled, spits a mouthful of blood into his face. His smile only grows wider.]
Respect.
[And he twists the blade, cutting Molly's chest open in a gush of blood and gore. His eyes never close.
The world feels like it’s moving in slow motion. Two crossbow bolts rocket across the field and bounce off the dwarf’s armor; two arrows come at Beau and one whizzes past as she catches the other one in her hand, not even looking at it. Their eyes are affixed on Molly’s body, the hand holding the arrow shaking until she snaps it in her hands. Meanwhile, Lorenzo turns towards her, his grin still wide.]
Is it time for another, or have you learned your lesson?
[Beau snarls as she repositions with her staff.]
You should know: I have no respect for authority.
[He starts to move towards her.]
Then another life it is.
[Finally, Keg moves, climbing over the felled tree and beginning to scream at the pair of them--]
Stop! Stop! Make me the example. Stop. Just stop attacking them--
[Lorenzo looks back to Keg, but Beau isn’t nearly done, even when given the escape. She closes the gap, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a tinderbox.]
Hey Lorenzo! This one’s for Molly and Yasha!
[And she lights him on fire. He doesn’t even look. She hits him, desperately, jaw clenched, missing the first swing and beating him in the chest with the second-- and he doesn’t even turn towards her. The flames lick off his shoulders and he doesn’t even care.
Beau curses, jaw clenched, tears in her eyes, as she retreats.
Everything starts to reassemble itself. The live people collect themselves and their items, the woman Beau felled earlier unmoving on the floor. Another woman comes over and heals some of Lorenzo’s wounds as he approaches Keg, speaking to her quietly, and drags her over to where Beau now crouches- two other figures have appeared, a shabby-looking ginger human man and Nott, the small goblin girl some may have seen around the island. Keg doesn’t fight as Lorenzo brings her to her knees, flanked by his fighters, glaive at her neck as he addresses them. The memory is fuzzy here- he speaks, but Beau doesn’t remember the dialogue. Didn’t bother. What she does remember is him leaning down to whisper in Keg’s ear.]
That’s a bit too quick. I want you to live with the memory of what you did today.
[He kicks her back to the ground, finally pats out the flames, and turns to leave.]
We’re moving on! If I see any of your faces again– well, at least you’ll be able to see your friend on the other side.
[Beau can’t help herself, rising to her feet, fists clenched. There are tears burning at her eyes she doesn’t even realize, shoulders shaking with barely repressed emotion.]
Fuck you, Lorenzo.
[He laughs as he and his caravan pull off into the darkness, leaving only their four figures-- and Mollymauk’s corpse-- remaining in the dirt.]
Fuck me indeed.
[And it’s finally, finally quiet.]