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The BloodVaine EpicChapter 51: An Unfriendly Welcome
Lord Barbod called a council. Lord Void, Jack Craft, Trevelayn, the Lone Ranger, the Lone Falcon, Peter McSornley, Berlin, Bourne, Gib, Marus, Lord Barbod and some high-ranking Knights Kingdomers and Fright Knights were in attendance.
“Bulls, Dragon Masters, Fright Knights, Knight’s Kingdomers of East and West, Dark Foresters, Black Falcons and others, my name is Bourne.” announced the figure who stood in the middle of the circle, “The Forestdweller Kingdoms are destroyed, save for Fell Isle. The Classics are leaderless. The Royals are overrun. The Black Knight army is decimated. And, as you too well know yourselves, the two Knight's Kingdoms and the Fright Knights have been nearly killed by a deep freeze. Only the Black Falcons and Dragon Masters have not suffered, for they are in league with BloodVaine, Aezezal, Dacker, and the god-dragons.”
“How do you know all this?” asked Peter.
“I have gathered this information in Classic LEGOland, where BloodVaine now rules from.”
No one asked how Bourne had managed to escape BloodVaine unnoticed, they all had a feeling this young earth mage was much more power then it would seem.
“I suggest an immediate attack on Classic LEGOland. A few minutes ago, Jack told me of the spirit box, the one weapon that perhaps could destroy BloodVaine. It would not affect the dragons or demon, but they would scatter without BloodVaine to lead them.”
Suddenly, there was a flash, and Dordrot appeared in the center of the circle, very dazed and shaken. He wasn’t the only one.
“What the mega blocks?!” Barbod snarled.
Before anyone else could react the Lone Ranger’s swords was at Dordrot’s throat.
“I am a Bull milord!” Dordrot cried out.
“You have been transported her by magic…perhaps by BloodVaine.” said Berlin.
“But milord, I am Dordrot. We played together. I was your father’s messenger boy!” Dordrot screamed at Barbod as he was dragged away by the Lone ranger and two Bull knights.
Jack watched the door uneasily for a few minutes, then stood.
“Your Lordships -- and there’s quite the lot of you -- I’ve neither army nor magic to lend to this planning, so I think I’ll attend to the watches on deck.”
Without waiting for permission, Jack scooped his hat off, bowed, and was already out the door by the time Barbod began to speak. Given the mood at the council, Jack wasn’t so sure he wanted to hear the response, anyhow.
“Jack-me-lad, they’re as tense as a plucked fiddle string in there...and there’s more to this Dordrot fellow than meets the eyeteeth…”
Jack made a few inquiries among the Bulls, and found that Dordrot had been bound and placed in the hold of the ship, apparently too stunned by his treatment to even put up a fight. Ducking below decks, he approached the guards that stood watch over the sullen figure, who had been sat in several inches of gritty bilge.
“Barbod wants to get the full story from this one, lads. Let Jack have his say with him.” said Jack.
“I’m not sure, Bosun. The Lone Ranger said to keep him here until he returned…”
“Not to fear, not to fear -- Jack wouldn’t be doing anything the Lone Ranger'd have any cause to grumble over. Just wait by the hatch, and leave this interrogation to me. Did Jack ever tell you about how the Ninja-folk taught him how to torture a prisoner? You start with a piece of wire mesh -- a bit of old chain mail’ll do-- and get a sharp, flat rock. Then you bind the mesh tight over the back o' their neck…”
“Ahh...I suppose you’re right, Bosun. We’ll guard the hatch and make sure the prisoner can’t get past you.”
“Good lads.”
The guards made their way back along the hold to the hatch, leaving Jack and Dordrot alone in the light of the sputtering oil lamp. Dordrot glared at Jack.
“You’re making a mistake. And no amount of torture will prove otherwise.”
“Aye, I know it. Not to fret. I’m not here to torture anyone, your soldiership, that was just to get those fellows to give us some privacy. Name’s Jack -- Jack Craft -- and if you’re really Barbod’s man than you’ve naught to fear from me.”
“It’s true. Voolmark, a Forestman and friend of Lord Bjarn transported me here.”
Jack stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“Aye, well, maybe you’d best start this yarn a bit earlier…”
Dordrot did so, ending with, “...and then I appeared in the middle of Barbod’s council, and, well…”
“And the Lone Ranger tickled you with his blade and had you dragged away. Aye, a bit rough-mannered, even for him.”
Almost an hour had passed while Dordrot had been filling Jack in on the state of Drullen Bell Keep and the Forested Isle. Jack had loosened Dordrot’s bonds enough for comfort, though he decided it was best not to untie him completely, and had helped him out of the bilge and onto a dry bale of sailcloth.
“Dordrot, Jack believes ye. And I’ll have a talk with the Lone Ranger and Barbod about getting you up and about. I’d take this as a chance to relax, if I were you -- once you’ve joined up good and proper, Barbod’ll have a fair sum of work for you, I’d warrant.”
Jack straightened up, hearing the guards returning. Jack looked up mildly as Barbod, the Lone Falcon, and the two Bull guards approached, their boots echoing hollowly in the near-empty hold. Barbod and Jack stared at each other, Jack’s face an innocent blank, Barbod’s slightly scowling. But to Jack’s satisfaction, it was the warrior-king who broke eye contact first.
“I should have known. When Jack Craft leaves a troublesome scene, it’s only to stir trouble elsewhere.”
Jack made no reply aside from his neutral gaze, though the ends of his mouth quirked a bit. He seemed to be waiting for something, and after a moment, got it.
“Jack, I’ve been a fool.”
“Aye, your Kingship,” returned Jack, his grin creeping in along the edges of his cheeks. “Takes you a while, sometimes, but Jack knew you’d see sense in the end.”
Barbod, who did not like to be mocked even by a friend, shook his head.
“We’ve been jumping at shadows for days, now. This whole thing with BloodVaine has us all paranoid. After you left the meeting, the Lone Falcon said as much to me.”
“A wise fellow, to be sure of it,” Jack said, tipping a slight nod in the Lone Falcon’s direction.
“It’s the Lone Ranger’s fault. He…”
"Now, you’ve gone too far the other way, your Kingship. The Ranger wants only to do what’s right -- he’s used to seeing enemies at every turn. It’s the only thing that’s kept him alive this long.”
Barbod nodded again, and motioned one of the guards over. At his gesture, they began to untie Dordrot.
“Your Kingship, we need every ally we can muster,” Jack continued. “And your friend here has some news about the going’s on at Drullen Bell.”
The guards were helping a cramped Dordrot to his feet.
“Dordrot, my old friend -- if it really is you -- I’m sorry. Let me welcome you aboard properly this time.”
The two friends embraced, and then they all went back above deck, leaving the final embers of the oil lamp alone in the hold to grow cold and faint.
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