"How did we let this happen?!" Lucas shouted as he sent a vase crashing into a wall, "We had a treaty with the Sariseans!"
Lady Cela sat in a chair, her eyes downcast as Saturos and the others had finished their tale. After the fight with the pirates they had the Falcon heading west has hard and fast as the ship could sail. As they crested the last bit of distance the group saw a horrific sight.
The entirety of the Sarisean fleet had been mobilized and it was sailing due north for Figaro.
"Edgar signed a treaty with the Emperor," Lucas raged and this time a half empty bottle of wine shattered against a wall, leaving a dark red liquid slidng down the wall staining the wall paper and carpet.
"Well lad," Durgan finally spoke, "I'm thinkin' that tha emperor didn't think ta keep ta tha treaty."
Cela nodded striding over to her fuming husband, "it would seem so. We need to contact Brenya and Cemyr. We need to contact Doma and Kohilngin and ask for them to honor their pacts with Figaro. The king will be troubled with defending his city, so we must gather his allies to him. I have sent Solas to Figaro with a message, and Sharess is on her way to Brenya."
The golden haired elf turned to Saturos who sat, bare chested on the couch. His wounds tightly bound leaving most of his skin a pale white with many red stains. His bulk heaved with each painful breath he took.
"Saturos," she asked, "is there anyone left you can call to arms? Any favors not yet paid?"
"Durgan and I have many friends we can call upon, how many of them will answer our call is unknown to me. There is one that I know for sure would heed our call."
Saturos looked to Durgan who shook his head in dismay, "nay lad we cannot."
"It seems we have no other choice my friend," Saturos sighed, "I have dealt with a few shadier men in my past and I had only spoke to Durgan about this..."
Enialis watched this exchange fear in his amber eyes, his hand gripping Tara's own tightly. The sandy blonde haired woman had not left his side since the battle. Saturos paused before with a nod from Durgan he began his story.
"Before I met Durgan, after all my family were murdered save from Feldair, I had dealt with many men. Most of them of ill repute. some taught me to fight and to harness my anger into a furious strength. One betrayed me and sold me to slavers, who lost me in a bet to a lone man from Jidoor who had an unhealthy taste for the battle pits in teh Colleseum. I was his champion there and in my tenure there I reigned undefeated save for one man. His armor was darked than the night and his blades quicker and far more deadly than any could believe. I think perhaps you two may know of whom I speak."
Lucas' eyes widened as the realisation dawned on him, "surely you can't mean."
"I do," Saturos responded, "he and I fought to many a stand still. Me with my axe he with his black gauntlets, their fingertips deadly curved talons. During our battles we began to grow a healthy respect between the two of us. The colleseum didn't even care that there was never a victor. They found the ticket to the success of the colleseum. That is until he and I plotted our escape."
Saturos allowed himself a grim chuckle, a most unnerving sound as he recounted the event, "A more grisly swath of death one couldn't imagine. Truth be told we rivaled an entire horde of Lizaradfolk in our fighting that day. I am not proud to say but we did not leave any who stood in our path alive. When we were finally free he and I travelled together for a bit until we were attacked by... Some thing. I still know not what it is."
"He was nearly killed and I was left to drive our foe off. We parted ways after he was healthier myself heading back to Figaro and he went south to Zozo."
Lucas shook his head, "I heard he was dead."
"You would be wise to disregard any rumors you hear of him," Durgan advised, "Saturos and I had one more run in with him a month before we met Edgar and Sabin. This man decided he owed Saturos his life for both his aid in their escape and his rescue from the creature."
"A life for a life warrior," Saturos grew quiet as he recalled the words spoken to him, "if you need me you need only ask. I will lay waste to cities for the one who freed me and nearly died driving off a creature I was ill prepared to fight."
Lucas frowned, "now we only need to find a man that all of the gods in all their infinite powers could not find."
"This man in the black armor, he wouldn't by chance answer to the name of Baustaum would he?" five pairs of eyes turned to Enialis as the elf spoke his first words since they arrived at South Figaro.
Saturos nodded, "how does a preist who spent his entire life in a monastary know of the Butcher of Barren Falls?"
Enialis let go of Tara's hand and stood, his small frame dwarfed by both Lucas and Saturos, who stood over him. The small elf turned and stepped away from the others. Callingback as he headed out of the room the others fell in step behind the elf, "Lord Lucas? Lady Cela we will need a pass to pass through the Figaro caves."
"What are you getting at boy?" Durgan voiced the question that was on everyone's minds.
"Luna is fit to move in mysterious waves," Enialis said as he smiled at Tara, "I believe our finding each other is no coincidince."
Saturos growled, "get on with it Enialis."
Enialis nodded, "My apologies, I got a little excited, for you see I wasn't born in the monastary, I was taken there. The last wish of my dying parents to the only man they trusted. I know this man, though I do not know him as Baustaum the Butcher of Barren Falls. He is my uncle and he lives at the very place I have called home my entire life."
