| Location: | Kitezh |
| Date: | 10/18/14 |
| Cast: | Viktor Ylva Rabe |
Thor's Hammer and being branded.
Viktor has been out with several older men and women, along with several young ones who seem to have been brought as mules. They're carrying large, full sacks. The group arrives back at the settlement, causing some excitement among others.
Ylva nods towards the group as she spots them. "You can't miss him. He glows." She leaves it at that, wending her way to one of the guards to tell them that she found a waif and stray. From Pathi. Where ever the hell that is.
Rabe merely waits for Ylva, tucking his hands behind his back.
Oh yeah, wait for the girl who isn't liked by the king to show him. There's a slowing of pace, a scuffing of boots even as Ylva approaches Viktor until she kneels.
Viktor does, indeed, glow. It's not all that bright in daylight, but it's hard to miss. The sacks are carried to a cluster of houses, and set down in the common area between them. The women immediately start through them. It seems they are filled with various plantlife and seeds. A few of the older men have dressed rabbits hanging from their belts, and many of those are taken towards the hill down to the harbor. Viktor watches all of this, looking satisfied with the work.
Ylva clears her throat. "Majesty?"
Viktor turns his attention to Ylva, though really it then goes immediately to the stranger, who is studied. "Yes?" He's still talking to the girl, though.
Ylva stays on hew knee, spear planted in the ground. "I found this man wandering. He says he is from Pathi and he's not very good with his sword, Majesty."
"You still didn't manage to stab me,' Rabe tells Ylva with a grin, but bows to Viktor. "Sir."
Ylva just casts Rabe a look. There's still time.
Viktor looks from one to the other, then nods before saying to Rabe "How do you come to be in our land, mage?"
Rabe smiles. "I was taking a walk," he says simply. "If you want to know how I -got- here.. again, walking," he smiles.
Ylva gives a mute shrug of her shoulders at all of this.
Viktor ahhs. "One of Amber's royal blood, then?" he asks.
Rabe shakes his head. "I am not. I am a mage, as you said. It affords some.. choice in where I travel to."
Ylva slides Rabe an increasingly dubious look and lightly lifts her spear up lest she be told to use it.
Viktor mms again, frowning slightly. "I know there are other ways to travel. What brings you to our land?"
"I wanted to visit," Rabe says softly. "I have no official business here, but this is a land steeped in legend. It interested me."
Ylva grunts at that, trying to keep her attention to the fore lest she earn ire again.
Several look at Rabe, at his comment, then look at their king. Viktor arches an eyebrow. "This land has no legend at all." he says. "It has existed for less than a year. The land before it is gone."
Rabe raises an eyebrow. "Surely the land that is now gone is part of its legend?"
Ylva starts chewing on her lip for some reason and up above there's a faint trace of thunder.
Viktor says "It is part of the legend of the people, not the place. But it is a legend whose pain is still very fresh. And, some small parts of the old land have seeped into this one." He nods towards the rise, where the hammer and shrine is tended."
Ylva slides a look up that hill and the thought is in her features: She wants to go there and touch. Plain for all to see. Going to be another painful death, that one.
Rabe nods slightly. "That is part of the reason that I am here. To visit the shrine," he says softly. "I meant no offence."
Viktor replies "No one is barred from Mjolnir. It will move only for the one meant to have it."
Ylva says, "Can I go and touch it?"
Rabe shakes his head. "I mean only to learn about it, not to touch it." Ylva gets an amused look.
Viktor nods to Ylva. "The shrine is there to show respect to the old gods, not to keep anyone out." He says then to Rabe "It is Mjolnir, hammer of Thor and a source of great power."
Ylva casts a look up the hill, then to the king and.. Yep, she's off. Spear still in hand she means to do precisely that.
Rabe blinks after Ylva, the conversation forgotten for a moment. "She's enthusiastic."
Viktor looks mildly amused, and not at all surprised. He watches Ylva go, then looks at Rabe again. "Sometimes. You are welcome to visit here, of course, but the people are very busy. This is our first harvest since landing, and there is much to be done. If you wish to help, you are certainly welcome to. At night, when the day's work is done, I'm sure you can find some willing to sing their family epic for you."
Ylva trudges slowly up the hill, keeping her gaze up towards the handle of a certain famous hammer. There is actual hesitation to her as she draws closer and considers the weapon. And maybe offers a silent prayer to be worthy. A girl can dream.
Rabe nods slightly to Viktor. "I did not mean to disturb anyone, your Majesty, I was merely walking and I stumbled upon your camp." He shrugs apologetically. "And then I had a discussion with your guard there."
Viktor nods to Rabe, then says "She is not my guard. But I am pleased to see her minding our people." He notes then "I haven't had your name yet."
Ylva plants her spear point down in the ground as she draws to the top of the hill, then paces around the hammer as if considering it from all angles. There's actual hesitation about the girl for once, not just charg.. No wait, suddenly she reaches for the handle.
Rabe dips his head then. "My apologies, your Majesty. I am Rabe of Pathi, Custos to Quinlan," he says softly.
Viktor appears to be staying focused on Rabe. He does seem to know the name Quinlan, at least, and nods. "Be welcome, Rabe of Pathi. I am Viktor, king and god of the people of Kitezh." It isn't said with particular arrogance, though the words alone would seem to carry some regardless. His attention suddenly shifts towards the rise, and his forehead furrows though nothing visible or invisible is perceived by the others.
Ylva curls her fingers around the hilt of Mjolnir, and like all those have tried before her to lift the hammer she finds the object immovable. Which doesn't actually stop her trying, because she's damn well going to make sure.
Rabe smiles at Viktor. "It is an honour, your Majesty," he says, his attention flicking up the rise as Viktor looks that way. He can't see anything, but merely falls silent, waiting.
Mjolnir is going exactly nowhere. Viktor's attention is held by something in that direction for a long moment, then it returns to Rabe and he nods before summoning a servant to go fetch Ylva for him. That done, he looks again at the mage. "How long have you studied in Pathi?" he asks.
Tugtugtug. Nope, really not going anywhere. Ylva scowls at the hammer, but looks up as she's interrupted by the servant. A few brief words are exchanged before she nods, grabs her spear and starts walking down the hill again with the haft of it balanced on her shoulder.
"Several decades," Rabe says openly, glancing over to Viktor.
Viktor nods to Rabe. "And now you travel? I don't know much about the day-to-day duties of a Custos."
Ylva takes the spear off her shoulder and plants it in the ground again as she draws closer to the pair, casting them an uncertain look before she once again drops to one knee and waits.
"I travel and study when I wish, unless Quinlan is going to be in mortal danger," Rabe says with a nod, giving Ylva a smile.
Viktor hms. "You can tell when your charge will be in mortal danger? Very useful." he replies, then watches as Ylva returns and then takes a knee. He studies her again.
Ylva merely kneels and waits, though eventually she does risk a look up.
"Sadly.. not in advance," Rabe grins. "But when it happens, yes."
Viktor nods slowly. "I knew you have a connection, but I haven't spent a lot of time with people who have a Custos." he replies, then looks at Ylva again. "Come here, girl." he says to her.
It's that moment where you think you're about to die again, Ylva's eyes flare and she starts to protest she's done nothing wrong, from the set of her jaw to the flare of her eyes. She bites down on it, grunts, rises and moves closer again. "Majesty."
Rabe smiles. "Neither have I," he laughs gently before his attention turns to Ylva, watching her curiously.
Viktor waits for her to come closer, then unless she tries to evade him he will reach out to grab her by the arm and pull her to where there are only a few inches between them. It's not an attack, certainly. But he looks like he's not going to argue about it.
Ylva is expecting death. Again. This only confirms it's about to happen to her. Her back stiffens, spine straightens and those eyes of hers bore as she waits for the blow to fall. Of fear? None.
Rabe lets whatever's going to happen happen, staying well clear of this one. Yup.
Viktor looks Ylva over, then says "Bare your upper arm." He nods towards her right one.
Ylva is just plain confused now, the look screams it. There's brief hesitation before she starts to lever herself out of armour to do just that for the King.
Rabe steps back juuust slightly. Yup, if there's killing he doesn't want to get splattered.
Viktor waits. He doesn't look at all impatient. Once she's done as he asks, he reaches to grab her solidly by that upper arm and just hold it, his palm resting about three quarters of the way up.
Ylva is still confused, and even casts a look to Rabe to see if he has any idea what's going on. As she's grabbed again she just tolerates it, biting down on her lip as she stares at where the King's palm rests, trying to work out what the Hel he's doing.
Rabe gives Ylva a light shrug, though he looks like he's ready to flinch back if there's a sign he's going to get covered with blood.
Viktor watches Ylva intently as he holds her arm. She would feel warmth, then heat, then burning, though only under his palm. Others would see smoke coming from where he holds her and eventually smell burning flesh.
See! Ylva knew it was coming! There's a flicker of her eyes as she feels the burning, grits her teeth and spreads her feet against it in order to brace herself until her eyes close in an effort to keep quiet through the pain.
Rabe sniffs the air, nose crinkling slightly, but he does not interfere.
Viktor holds her tightly through that burning, and actually nods some in approval as she handles to pain and does not move. It's not that long, really, though it might seem it, to Ylva, before Viktor releases her. Still smoking, the crisp brand on her arm is that of a hammer very like the one she just tried to budge.
Ylva really is just plain confused now, her teeth chatter with the effort of keeping the scream down that threatens to break out, looking from her arm to the king in bewilderment as she staggers a pace back.
Rabe glances at the brand. "Very artistic, your majesty," he ventures.
Viktor looks at his palm, which is entirely undamaged, then at Ylva. "Go back to the shrine. Tell the priests you are Touched." How's that for a straight line. "They are to teach you how to listen to the land."
Ylva blinks at Viktor uncomprehendingly, then shakes her head to clear it and try and banish some of the pain. A look to the shrine and back again and the bit about the land sinks in and doesn't bode well from the looks of things. She just grunts at the King, picks up her armour and starts the pained walk back up the hill. With glares at *anyone* who dares get in her way.
Rabe watches the woman go. "You know, I never actually caught her name. Oh well."
Viktor watches Ylva go, a touch of amusement returning to his features. He looks at Rabe again, then says "Thank you. It seemed fitting for her. Ylva." he tells the man, then.