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Ragnar couldn't believe that he hadn't been killed yet. Or at least found out. He wouldn't be surprised if they already knew of his lies. But then the question from Helio came. Not a question, more like a demand.
"Show me. Show me where you last saw... this wolf."
Ragnar nodded. "I will. I can. It was in the forest that surrounds this place. Somewhere... south in the forest." Ragnar was slightly hesitant, but that could be replaced by the fact that he could lie about still being frazzled from the whole thing. Ragnar watched as Helio motioned for Ragnar to lead the way, which he easily found his way out of the building rather easily, remembering where he was guided.
Ragnar continued on to reach the outside of the gates, seeing Helio follow him. He didn't bother stopping and waiting for him, but instead would continue on. He would finally be getting a chance to get him alone, but first, he would need to take him into the woods as far as possible. Or at least as far that would make sense. Ragnar made his way towards the direction he was talking about.
As he entered the forest, the trees canopies sheltered the two men from any light. It was unwillingly dark in the, the trees making something that felt like a trap. Which that is exactly what this was - a trap. Ragnar would be able to lure Helio in with ease, at least for the moment until he caught on to his little lie.
"It was around this area, I remember that much," Ragnar sighed, looking over his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little frazzled from the situation," he looked around for a moment. Making sure that Helio was faced away, Ragnar swiped blood onto his hand and smeared it on a nearby tree and then in the grass, ensuring that any residue was off of his hand.
"Ah, look! This was where I ran to. He must've followed that way," Ragnar pointed with the opposite hand that he used to smear the blood. He looked at Helio, observing him for a moment. Ragnar sniffled, starting on the path that he had 'followed'. This was probably the worst lie that he had come up with, but at least Ragnar had thought of something.
To his luck, there were some form of tracks on the path. Preventing himself from stepping on them, Ragnar crouched beside them to get a closer look. "Here. He went this way," Ragnar looked up towards the man.
"My apologies I never introduced myself. My name is Ragnar Balderik," he stated. It wasn't often he used his real name considering he was the bastard of a king, but sooner or later, Helio and his men were going to find out his lie, so why wait? Ragnar slightly narrowed his eyes on Helio, but continued to follow the path and walking alongside it to prevent himself from stepping on any tracks.
So far luck had been on his side, and luckily, he hadn't been found out just yet. But what was he suspecting? Ragnar knew that sooner or later his luck was going to run out, and it was only a matter of time. Ragnar sighed softly, soon leaning against a tree to catch his breath and to allow Helio to catch up.
Ragnar had been tempted to just jump at him right then and there with his hidden knife, which was buried under his clothing, but he hadn't. He needed a moment to strike when Helio would be vulnerable - perhaps even believing Ragnar. Because so far, that seemed to be the road this was going. Or at least for the most part, who knew what Helio was thinking. He wasn't a man that Ragnar could just read and be done with him.
Helio seemed to be rather... clouded. His judgment would be wrong, he was busy all the time, perhaps bombarded with stupid requests like the one Ragnar had attempted to get him to do. He had the responsibility of a Prince, which Ragnar could never live up to. In a way, he admired it, but he figured that it would be bad of him to do. Ragnar was a murderer, not a leader of any kind. Most of the time murderers were leaders, so maybe he would be a good fit.
He wasn't going to try it out any soon, however.
Ragnar allowed Helio to catch up before continuing on. "I'm unsure if he's still in the area. If you think it's a threat, I wouldn't mind helping to get rid of it," Ragnar offered. Maybe trying to be open was the key - not closed off. Ragnar had now told him his name, which could've been the end of him, and proved that there was, indeed, a wolf. Of course this was only sheer luck.
He would take what he could get.
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Darkseeker
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Once again Helio had not a clue what this man's intentions were. All he knew was they were a foreigner, but he'd get to the bottom of this at some point. Maybe this was some kind of dumb game the man was trying to pull. Possibly playing the part of a poor villager and get more rations out of him. Or the man was probably just some lousy thief from the West. His accent told him that much. Lio wasn't having it though. Maybe he'd tell him off when they were alone, or rid the world of one less thief. He'd be doing a favor to them. He was still deciding what his plans were for this individual. Lio was quick to catch the hesitation of the man, when he was explaining where the attack had happened. Was it really south of here? He was tempted to taunt the man. However, he refrained from doing so. As they passed through the front gates, Lio gave a long hard glance at one of the guards. As if to say, if I'm not back in 20 minutes, I'm dead. Which he highly doubted the chances of that. He could protect himself, he knew that much. Maybe it was his arrogance talking, but he was in fact a highly trained individual. Both with hand to hand combat and with a multitude of weapons. Judging by the mans build maybe it would be an equal fight, but he believed he'd come out victorious if it came down to that. Helio followed the man with some distance. He didn't want to stand too close, in case they tried something. He focused on slyly shifting which sides he stood on the man, as if he were avoiding broken branches on the forest floor. The guard closing the gate gave a slight nod of understanding. Although, his expression gave away how he truly felt about the situation. Lio ignored that, and trudged on with confidence. He remained quiet the entire time. His eyes scanning his surroundings, for a possible ambush. So far he was in the clear. He glanced up for a moment, as it was suddenly much darker out, due to the trees covering up the sun rays. Lio ignored this minor detail, as he glanced at the back of the mans head. This was a rather odd situation. This man was clearly lying about a few if not everything he had said. The odd part was the man was injured, that couldn't be a lie. Lio saw the wound for himself. It definitely looked painful. One couldn't fake obvious injuries like that. Very curious. Lio's fiery gaze bounced around the forest, as well as the man himself. Many questions crossing his mind, as well as theories as to what this man's plan was. Helio glanced at the man, as his tone suddenly changed. His brows furrowed at the sight of the blood. Could one fake that? It had Lio stumped that was for sure. Walking further, he spotted the tracks, as the man pointed them out. Was the man working with someone else? Maybe this really was an ambush? He cursed under his breath. He could take them on. How many men could it really be? Lio eyed the tracks as the walked alongside them. They were old. Or at least a few days old. The King had taken Lio hunting on multiple occasions. This man must assume Lio has never stepped foot outside his Kingdom, huh? Foolish. About time the stranger introduced himself, Lio rolled his eyes. He highly doubted that was the man's real name. He had all this time to think of a alias and he did it. Quite brave of him to use Balderik. That was a familiar name. In fact, it was the name the King of Ivamos made everyone know of. It was a name no would want to claim, as it didn't mean much other than the son the King of Ivamos disowned. It was meant to shame the man. What kind of cruel joke was that? "Ragnar Balderik." He mocked. Although, the name did roll off his tongue rather smoothly. "Whats the illegitimate son of the King of Ivamos doing all the way over here, huh? Playing hunter in the woods?" He mocked once more. What else was this man going to lie about? Helio was tried of it. Of playing along with Ragnar's games. Lio scoffed at his suggestion. Just how far was this man willing to go. His lies had already caught up to him, since he was back in the healers quarters. Lio speed up his pace at just the right moment, as Ragnar had his back to him. Pulling his dagger into view. Without wasting another second, he yanked the man from behind. Wrapping a muscular arm around the man's broad shoulders, dagger in the other. Kicking the man's knees from behind, he forced him to kneel. Raising the sharp blade, he titled the man's chin up with the dagger. Forcing him to look up at Lio. Helio's jaw clenched tightly, a flame ignited in his amber eyes. "Do you take me for a fool, Ragnar?" His tone leaked venom, as he gazed at the male. He slid the dagger gently against the males throat, it wasn't enough force to actually pierce his skin. "Now, are you ready to tell me the truth, Ragnar?" He dragged out the fake name. Lio tilted his head slightly, "Be wise about this." He hissed. |
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Neutral
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Ragnar was grateful that Helio had taken the blood trick. It would've been useful to perhaps do it a few times before, but that seemed like the only time he could. Helio knew that something was wrong, though, and Ragnar could feel it deep in his stomach. Ragnar huffed softly, grabbing his side as he felt it ache. Had the healer not soothed it enough? But when Ragnar looked back over his shoulder after introducing himself, his stomach dropped at the eyeroll the prince would give Ragnar. He definitely knows.
He fucking knows.
Ragnar narrowed his eyes slightly. Everyone knew that the last name Balderik was one to watch out for or to mock. You could do as you pleased with it. But what people didn't know was that Ragnar was still technically a prince, but it simply wasn't official. His father, the King of Ivamos, had yet to have another boy. Another heir. Ragnar was still on top for being a bastard, a son without a father who would disown him. What a shame it was, but Ragnar decided to no longer lie to Helio. It would've been easier to simply use an alias, but no... no no no, that would've been too simple.
Ragnar stopped in his tracks, turning towards Helio. He faced him, looking at the man and taking in more of his royal appearance. Pampered bitch, Ragnar thought. What would Helio be like if he were to grow up on the streets? If he was in Ragnar's position? There would be no difference - they would each have to survive and learn how to get by without making any noise. And that was especially important as a bastard.
"Ragnar Balderik it is, I'm glad you could listen," Ragnar spat back, seemingly harmful though it was as simple as he was impulsive to say it. It was behind a layer of sarcasm, anyway, but who knew the Prince of the Royal Kingdom could take that. He seemed too serious for absolutely no reason. "I play no games, Helio. I simply do what I am tasked with. You probably think it's fun sitting all the way here, running a kingdom while low-lifers do what you ask them to. How else do you think I got here?" Ragnar shot back.
He was specifically referring to the fact that his mother, a great servant for his father, was asked to well, do the dirty. It wasn't anything that wasn't consensual, but it also wasn't necessarily on purpose. Of course his father, the pretentious prick he is, wouldn't want people to know that he got a servant pregnant. A king must keep his reputation to be well, a half-decent king, but Ragnar wasn't sure if he could even consider his father decent. At least not in his eyes. Not even a tiny bit.
But now Ragnar was unsure if Helio was aware that his name was indeed real. That was for the fact that now Ragnar was on his knees, looking up at the man, as though he wanted Ragnar to start pleading for his life. Didn't Helio understand that this was part of the job? Putting your life at risk just to kill another person? It was quite simple, actually, but what did royalty know about simple. Nothing. Absolutely nothing, and at the thought, Ragnar couldn't help but feel the growing shit-eating grin on his face when Helio asked if he took him for a fool.
"I do not take you for a fool, Helio. Rather, I take you as someone who is easy to please, easy to hurt. Perhaps even easy to escape." Ragnar replied, looking up at him as he wished. He felt the cool tip of the blade against his chin, which was the prompt to make him look up in the first place. "However, I was sent here to kill you on account of my employer, which, you're worth a pretty penny. You know, considering your father might be as much as a piece of shit as mine." Ragnar added.
"I'm also pretty sure that your father broke a promise to my kingdom? You're about to be the next example of what a broken promise looks like, Helio." Ragnar continued on, but would pause. He waited for the right moment to strike, seeing that Helio was obviously not pleased about the situation of a bastard son of a king on his land, but it was quite entertaining to be honest.
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Darkseeker
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In all honesty, Helio couldn't care for this man and his "claims." Rather odd to claim being Ragnar Balderik. It wasn't a name many wanted to associate with. Either that was because of the rumors surrounding the man, or simply because he was a bastard, son of a King. Who would want to be a bastard? Not Helio. Being a bastard was the low of titles. Although, Helio himself wasn't very fond of being a Prince, it was a hell of a lot better than being a bastard. Except, Ragnar Balderik had quite a few...interesting rumors surrounding him. Making him stand out from your usual bastard. A part of Helio didn't fully believe the rumors though, as they sounded rather ridiculous and made up. Then again they were just rumors. Normally, Helio familiarized himself with many people with certain titles. Like other Kingdoms and others of the sort. At times, he even saw many of these people up close and personal. Having met at gathering, or ceremonies, that are sometimes held. The Ivamos Kingdom, was familiar to him. As the Royal Madal Kingdom, and theres have been back and fourth. They weren't exactly foes, or allies either. It was hard to describe. All that really could be said was that they had history. Helio once again rolled his eyes at the man. The lack of manners on this one. Could he really blame him though? He was a bastard. Probably never been raised to have manners. His brows furrowed, at that statement. "Watch your tongue." He hissed. This man was only pissing Lio off further. He wanted to sock the punk in the face, the minute that grin was plastered on his face. It was like he knew something Helio didn't and that irritated the hell out of him. Helio scoffed, "I'm anything but easy." His tone filled with annoyance. That was one of Helio's pet peeves. People who assumed things about him, just because he was a Prince. That was the main reason why he trained in the field for hours, trying to perfect his combat skills. He had to make a name for himself, that didn't involve being a Prince. Yet, people still claimed he only got his title in his fathers military, because he was a damned Prince. His skill said otherwise. If the title was handed to him, then why the hell was he such a skilled warrior? People on the outside, pictured that Lio's life was all rainbows and butterflys. It couldn't be further from the truth. Hell, if Lio could trade lives, he'd do it in a heart beat. He'd trade it for a village, for crying out loud. Yes, many things came easy to him, but so did hardships. Running a Kingdom was not an easy task. Having all these lives in your hands. Constantly having to sleep with one eye open, just because he was a Prince and his father has made many enemies. At that Lio let out a deep humorless laugh, "Kill me? A shit assassin you are." He spat, pressing the dagger harder. Still not enough to pierce skin. Lio was the one with the dagger to Ragnar's neck, not the other way around. If Ragnar really was an assassin, why the hell wasn't he dead yet? There must of been an opening to kill him many times. The man could have taken many different routes to kill him. Maybe even a sneakier approach. Why get the attention of the guards posted at the front gates? Wouldn't the best way, been to have done it in a secluded area? It didn't make sense to him. If he really was here to kill him, than he was doing him a favor. Helio was surprised by what the man on his knees had said, although his expression didn't show it. His jaw clenched, he leaned down slightly. A new found fire ignited in his amber eyes. "What. Promise." Venom leaked through his voice. A slight sinking feeling sneaking it's way into him. His mind raced for a moment. Trying to figure out what they were trying to get at. Had his father really done something, bad enough that would call for Lio's assassination? (Bahah pampered bitch! XD Love that! Also sorry my writing kind of trash) |
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Neutral
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"You believe what you want, Helio. I knew you suspected me from the start, but you still came out here. That's easy. Men like you are here to help their people, right? Why not just believe me?" Ragnar looked up at him, eyeing each move. Ragnar clenched his jaw slightly. "Your life is dependent on taking care of people - one day you will run a kingdom, so why not learn earlier on?"
Helio could believe what he wanted, just as much as Ragnar could. Of course he didn't know anything about Helio. Why would he? That was the whole point as to why he came all the way out here was simply because he had no ties to the Royal Kingdom. Only apart from his own father, but he was disowned, so it simply didn't count. Or at least to Ragnar it didn't. But like before, anyone could believe what they wanted. Ragnar inhaled.
Ragnar felt the coolness of the blade press harder against his skin. Ragnar stared up at the man, soon moving his head to take off his the hood of his cloak. Beneath was pale white hair. "Believe me now about who I am? I am an assassin of Ivamos, and you're right, a shit assassin I am." Ragnar stated, shaking his head slightly as he shifted the weight on his knees. Ragnar gave a soft exhale, debating whether or not to just swipe the dagger from his hands and grab Ragnar's own, and just kill Helio now.
But nonetheless, Ragnar resisted his temptations and watched the man towering above him lean down with a clenched jaw. Ragnar resisted a toothy grin, but it slightly showed anyway, but more or less of a mischievous grin. "Your father's possibly one of the worst kings, Helio." Ragnar began. "He promised things that aren't true. He promised to help people. He promised to help Ivamos and a few other kingdoms. Obviously that didn't happen. That's why I'm here - to kill his most beloved possession - his son."
Ragnar grabbed a hold of Helio's wrist with a firm grip, keeping his hand down as he rose to his feet. Still with a firm grip on Helio's hand, Ragnar stared at him in the eyes. "Tell me, Helio, is there something you are missing? To me it seems like there's a lot more that you don't know and that you lead on." Ragnar stated, letting go of the man's hand and taking a step back for distance. Ragnar would stand his ground, prepared for anything that the man in front of him might do.
Ragnar shrugged, exhaling softly. "There are things I know about your father that you're probably clueless about," Ragnar grumbled, his oceanic eyes observing the man in front of him. "Your father is a liar."
Ragnar would be prepared for anything that would come his way, but nine times out of ten, these sort of conversations were his distractions. At this time Helio would be dead on the forest floor, holding his throat as he choked on his own blood. But he wasn't. Ragnar was infatuated and interested in what this man in front of him didn't know about his own father - the king of the Royal Kingdom. What would his reaction be? It'd be worth it regardless of what it was, but clearly Helio would probably strike at Ragnar.
Ragnar narrowed his eyes with a distinct interest lingering within them. What would happen?
(No worries! Sorry this is sorta short - wanted to leave some open possibilities :D) |
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Darkseeker
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Having come out here for reasonable suspicion, Lio hadn't expected this turn of events. Narrowing his eyes, "You don't seem like the type who is reputable for being trustworthy." He hissed. Why the hell should he believe this random man. For all he knew, this was part of the act. The distraction. It sure as hell was one intriguing act though. It had his attention rather quickly. "So the so called assassin is giving me a lesson on running my Kingdom?" He snapped back, jaw clenched. Helio watched the man, for any sudden movements. He glanced at the pure white head of hair that was revealed. Wasn't a hair color you saw everyday. Odd, how the man's face was young, while his hair was pure white. Like that of an elder. He'd heard about the infamous white hair of Ragnar Balderik. There was no way to fake that. His grip loosened slightly. Helio's brows remained furrowed. His father one of the worst Kings? How? When the hell were these so called promises made, huh? Why wouldn't Lio be aware of this. His father wouldn't be foolish enough to make empty promises. Was he? This was rather frustrating, as now Helio was doubting himself. Does he truly know what his father has been up to? Frankly, he hated how the man kept calling him Helio. Treating him like a child, rather than a Prince. "There you go again. Making claims with no evidence to back them up." He pointed out, matter of factly. He scoffed, "Beloved possession, my ass." He gritted out. Helio tensed at the feel of his wrist being grabbed. Although, he didn't fight it. Lio let the man stand up, his fiery amber eyes trained on the male. This was suppose to be fun. Following this man all the way out here, so he could teach them a lesson. Helio wasn't exactly all that fond of his own father, but that was still his father. "You came all this way to spew lies? For what purpose?" He challenged. Why should he believe this man? Especially over his father. All he knew was that his father wouldn't pull something like what the man claimed he did. His father wouldn't endanger his life, nor the lives of the people. And if it were true, what did his father gain from it? |
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Ragnar nodded. "You wouldn't be wrong," he replied, slightly sarcastically. Which to be honest, Helio wasn't. Part of Ragnar's job was to do just that - lie. Make stories. Fake stories, specifically. Ragnar looked at the man up and down before shaking his head. "You'd be surprised at what I know about running a kingdom. I'm still technically speaking a prince, regardless if I'm a bastard," Ragnar stated with confidence. He was still royal blood. He was more than a King's unwanted son.
"I've had a few conversations with your father, actually. He seems nice, but he really isn't. I don't think you understand what I'm getting at." Ragnar sighed, tempted to roll his eyes, but he restrained himself from doing so. "Your father promised Ivamos and a few other kingdoms that he would provide shelter and supplies when needed to keep the peace. That was almost two years ago. Do you see a difference in the surrounding kingdoms? I sure don't. Now tell me, Helio," Ragnar paused, looking the other man up and down, "tell me that sounds like a good man."
"An assassin never lies about others, only themselves," Ragnar remarked, narrowing his eyes slightly. It was one of the first codes you ever learn when in training. It was to prevent more trouble, and the only time you were to ever lie about others was if it was someone in your brotherhood. Other assassins. Ragnar never had that issue, considering there was barely anyone else in his brotherhood. He worked solo, which he could deal with.
"I haven't lied to you. Well, more or less, but you get what I mean. Your father made broken promises, Helio. He knows I'm here. He knew I was coming. I sat down with the man. Doesn't that bother you? He didn't even try telling you that some asshole was hired to kill you." Ragnar stated, a slight venom lacing his words. Ragnar would eventually get his point across.
"And if you thought I was really lying, wouldn't my dead body be laying on the ground right now?" Ragnar huffed. Helio would have to realize that Ragnar was not lying or joking. There was nothing funny about this.
"Or maybe you would've run off by now to go get your men. But I think deep down in that cold heart of yours, you know I'm right." Ragnar added.
(Sorry this is so short ;; I promise my posts will get better!!) |
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Darkseeker
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Helios' tried making sense of what Ragnar was trying to claim. If it was true, what was his reasoning to coming all this way to tell him this. Helios watched the man, his amber eyes held such intensity. He was quiet for a moment, just listening to what the man had to say. At this point, Ragnar clearly proved who he was. There wasn't exactly a way to fake that snow white hair. The thing was, was this some ploy from the King of Ivamos? "I highly doubt you'd be a very good Prince, knowing who your father is. Like father like son." He scoffed. The apple never fell far from the tree. The man's current career wasn't exactly very innocent either. Empty promises, huh. So this is what all of this was about. If he were being honest with himself, Helios never really visited the surrounding Kingdoms. Feeling as though he had better things to do. Helios jaw clenched tightly, he pulled his gaze away for a moment focusing on a spot on the ground. A dark part of Helios didn't care that his father was making empty promises. What his father did, had nothing to do with him. To hell with his father. To hell with this damn Kingdom. It wasn't what Helios wanted for himself, but it wasn't like he could just walk away from it. It was his destiny, apparently. Helios hated this kind of responsibility that was thrown on him. Having to take the hit for something his father did. Finally dragging his gaze back to Ragnar, his handsome features still pulled in a scowl. Taking a few steps towards him, his amber eyes still a blaze. He shook his head, "No, it doesn't bother me. Take it up with the big man upstairs." He jabbed a gloved thumb towards his Kingdom. He wouldn't admit it, but yes of course it bothered him. What was his father trying to achieve? A warning would have been nice. He highly doubted his father believed Ragnar here was bluffing. Yes, his father could be strict, but if this was his work. Trying to teach him a lesson of the sort, it wasn't working. Helios scoffed, turning to leave, that was until he heard the last thing he had to say. Cold Heart. Something often used to describe him by many. His eyes narrowed, he whirled back around, stalking back over to the man. "What are you trying to gain here Ragnar?" He snapped. He shoved the mans shoulder back, "Why haven't you killed me then?" He challenged. "You've had all this time to kill me, yet all you've been doing is running your mouth." He snapped once more. That was the one thing that still remained a mystery him. Why hadn't Ragnar killed him, if what he said was true. Was he giving him a "second chance," to fix what his father did? If that was the case, the man was wasting his time. (Ah no worries, this length is good with all the dialogue. :) |
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Neutral
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There was an ever-growing pit in Ragnar's stomach. As much as he despised, hated, and wanted to simply stab his father over and over again, Helio's words still left a mark on Ragnar. Though his expression did not show such hurt, the raising of his eyebrows and his clenched fists proved that there was a deeper meaning behind his reluctance to kill Helio. "Perhaps so, but not everyone is destined to be what others want them to be. I suppose that's why you work so hard to become King, yes?" Ragnar questioned, cocking his head slightly.
WIP!!! |
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