>>6181537You decide to accompany Alvin in meeting with the leader of Hima. You were in no rush to see this Almyran Warlord. After all, the end result would be the same. He’d eventually bow his head towards you in utter defeat and humiliation. For now, it was better to meet with one of your potential subjects and get an understanding of what sort of weirdness might be plaguing this town. Leaving the others to deal with accommodations for your stay, you and Alvin head for Hima’s central keep. The guards watch you closely along the way, but offer you no further issue. Eventually, they lead you through the large fortification, all the way to the office of Governor Tobias himself.
The governor’s office is bare and drab. Save for a wooden table with a stack of papers and a map atop of it, along with a few uncomfortable looking chairs, it was hardly what one would call nice. Sitting behind the table was a large man. He was an older, weathered sort, with streaks of grey in his hair. But you were able to tell instinctively that this one was a warrior. A scar ran down one glassy eye, denoting the man as half blind. Upon you and Alvin entering his office, he rises from his seat.
“Adjunct.” The man says, giving Alvin a polite nod. “Welcome to Hima. I am Tobias Drakos, Governor of this Town and Commander of the Scorchers. Pleased to meet you.”
“Governor.” Alvin returns the gesture. “I am Adjunct Alvin of the Royal College. Accompanying me is Tristain d’Rusalka, a contender in the competition for Princess Yulia’s hand in marriage. It is our honor to meet your acquaintance.”
“A foreigner, eh?” Tobias says, studying you closely with his one eye and rubbing his chin in thought. “I see. You certainly look strong enough, my friend. I daresay you’ve had no shortage of experience on the battlefield. Make sure you stay away from Uriyan though. While I have no doubt you’d give him quite the fight, the last thing I need is two powerful foreigners exchanging blows in the middle of my town.”
>“Uriyan?” You ask. “Who is that?”“Ahh, you haven’t met the Almyrans.” Tobias says. “He’s a Warlord, here to compete in the Princess’s competition. He came here with a horde of his finest warriors, each carrying a chest of treasure. He’s become quite popular in town. The man’s practically captured the hearts of some of the folks here.”
>“Forgive me for saying if the people of Hima have bad taste then.” You grimace. “Everywhere I’ve gone so far I’ve seen a pretty healthy distrust of foreigners. What’s this man done to earn your people’s affection so quickly?”“He’s pretty liberal with his gold for one.” Tobias laughs. “He’s damn near bought everyone in town drinks for the entire week he’s been here. But it’s not just bribery. Uriyan and his men are all wyvern riders. Just like us. Suppose there’s a bit of kinship there.”
