The Middle World - Hungary AAR (Death and Taxes MOD)

Section I

Chapter 1 (part 1)

[January 10, 1356]

(Venezia, Venice)

"Cato, wake up!"

"It's too early."

"Get up, Cato!"

Cato opens his eyes and sees his friend in his room.

"Antonio, what are you doing here?"

Cato looks out the window (I mean hole in the wall here).

"It's still dark out. Let me get more rest. Wake me when the sun comes out."

"I knew getting you out of bed would be tough."

Antonio heads outside to get a bucket of water. He then enters and pours it over Cato. Cato jumps up and stares at his friend.

"What was that for? Do you know how cold the water is?"

"How else would you get out of bed? Get dried before you catch a cold. Meet me in my room."

Antonio walks out and Cato tries to find some dry clothes to change into. Once he got himself dry, he heads over to Antonio's room. When he enters, he sees his friend feeding a pigeon.

"You woke me up to show off your new pigeon?"

"Very funny. Sit down."

Once Cato sits down, Antonio hands him a piece of paper.

"The pigeon delivered this. Since it says urgent on the paper, I thought you should take a look."

"Thanks."

Cato opens the message.


Cato,

Your father and brother are dead. They were killed in my tavern. Your brother mentioned Fieldings. Come back quickly.

Ed.


"Are you alright, Cato?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Your hands are shaking. Did something happen?"

"No. Everything is alright. My hands are shaking thanks to your cold shower."

"Are you sure everything is alright?"

Cato stands up.

"Yes! Mind you own business!"

Cato storms out of the room. He knew what the message his brother left him meant. Running back to his room, Cato quickly packs everything. He needs to head back home. Just as he finishes packing, Antonio enters his room.

"Something must be up. Tell me."

"Why don't you get lost?"

"I'm your friend."

"You're just my friend. Stop acting like you're my brother!"

Cato pushes Antonio aside and runs out to the streets with his baggage. Before he goes any further, he checks how much ducats he had on him. After a quick count, he knows that he has enough to catch a boat to Pazin in Trieste. He could walk on foot the rest of the way. Remembering the schedule of the boats, he runs off to the dock to catch the next boat.

Section I

Chapter 1 (part 2)

[January 10, 1356]

(Kaposvár, Hungary)

A man enters the city through the city gates. As he looks around, he sees a priest giving blessing to the people. He walks up to the priest.

"Good morning, Father. My name is Ferdinand."

"Hello, traveler. Where are you from?"

"I'm from Landsberg, Brandenburg."

"That's a long way from here. May I ask why you are here?"

"My wife and children died from a terrible disease. I couldn't live there without thinking about them. That's why I came here to start a new life."

"What a terrible tragedy. May God bless them and you. I believe they are in a better place now."

"I hope so too. Father, I was wondering if you can show me around the city. I'm new here and need to find a job."

"Of course. What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a barrel maker."

"You might be in luck. I hear the local guild is hiring. You could try there. I will lead you there."

"Thank you, father."

Ferdinand follows the priest to the guild headquarter.

"Here is the where you will apply."

"Thank you, father. I don't know how to thank you properly."

"I'm merely performing my duties. Good day, traveler."

The priest heads off while Ferdinand enters the guild headquarter. A few hours later, Ferdinand, after showing his capabilities, successfully joined the guild. Then, a guild member, by the name of Merek, helps get Ferdinand settled in the city.

"Merek, I appreciate your help."

"It's nothing, Ferdinand. By joining our guild, you are part of the family."

"Do you have a family yet?"

"My wife left me for a rich guy. You could say I'm trying to find a new wife. How about you?"

"My wife and children died."

"I'm sorry."

"That's fine. Where are we going?"

"There's a good place to rent rooms. You will earn enough to live there and save up a bit of ducats."

"Will you be showing me the way around the city tomorrow?"

"Of course, we don't want you getting lost all day. Time is money. Well, here we are."

Ferdinand sees an old building in front of him. He then looks around the neighborhood.

"What are you looking at?"

"The neighborhood doesn't look that bad."

"It's one of the safest neighborhood in the city. We don't want your throat slit at night. Good workers are hard to find these days in this city."

"Why?"

"It's best you don't know. Let's head in."

The two men enter an old building. Merek, after bargaining with the tenant for an hour, gets Ferdinand the best deal possible. Before the two said goodbye, they had a small chat.

"You have quite a tongue there, Merek."

"It's nothing. I hope you don't mind living here."

"I've had worse rooms."

"There's one thing I need to warn you."

"Don't worry. I can handle what the room offers."

"I'm talking about the guild."

"Oh."

"Let's just say there are some illegal transactions going on. If I were you, I would stay clear."

"I see. Thanks!"

Section I

Chapter 1 (part 3)

[January 10, 1356]

(Buda, Hungary)

King Louis organizes a meeting between all the top nobles in Hungary in the palace. Once everyone is accounted for, Louis begins the meeting. Sitting on his throne, Louis looks at each noble. He knows that one of them was responsible for the theft. The king's advisor, Istvan, runs in the meeting room and speaks to the king.

"My king, it would appear that we have an idiot claiming to be the king. He has assembled 7 thousand men outside our castle walls."



"Send our entire army to deal with the rebels."

"Yes, my king."

Just as Istvan was about to head out, the king stops him.

"Why is he claiming to be king? How did he gather so many followers?"

"Our new policy of centralization has made some people unhappy."

"I guess he isn't such an idiot after all. Still, he will be a dead man soon enough."

"Yes, my king."

Istvan runs out the meeting room. The nobles, seeing this scene, begin discussing amongst themselves what has happened. The Viceroy of Partium, Martin Fieldings, stands up.

"My king, may I ask what happened?"

"It's nothing. We have an idiot claiming to be king. He will be dealt swiftly."

The Viceroy of Szolnok, Roland Kendi, is the next to talk.

Roland: My king, I believe that your centralization policies did this. I suggest you change it back to the old ways.
Martin: What will the people think of our king then? One that is indecisive and easily bullied to submission.
Roland:You know what I mean. Changing our ways will not always make our nation stronger.
Martin: If I recall correctly, you made changes to your provinces by promoting marketplaces. It's rather interesting that you don't want the king to change. You aren't hiding anything, are you?
Roland: Hiding something? As if I can beat the Viceroy of criminals. Everyone here knows that you harbor criminals and have them do your bidding. I wouldn't be surprised if you are stealing from the nation directly.
Martin: How dare you accuse me of this! I will not stand to be insulted. If you want to decide this, we can meet another time!

The Viceroy of Somogy, Erik Orczy, quickly stands up.

Erik: Now, now. Don't get too hasty. I'm sure all of us had a long day.
Martin: The ass kissing pig finally spoke.
Erik: That wasn't nice!
Roland: It wasn't nice but it's true.
Erik: Which side are you on? Weren't you two fighting a minute ago?
Martin: I'm insulted with the fact that you decided to interrupt us. You should shut it and let real men deal with politics.
Erik: Real men? I'm not the one that cowering in my study when rebels were marching in my province.

The Viceroy of Ersekujvar, Alex Viczay, stands up. The minute he stands, the other three Viceroys all stopped talking.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is the king's meeting room. Did you think you were in a tavern? Sit down and shut it!!!"

Alex sits down. The other Viceroys followed suit. The king, seeing that the Viceroys have calmed down, decided to continue the meeting.

Louis: In case you weren't informed before you arrived, we have guaranteed the independence of Bosnia.
Alex: My king, that move could easily result in a war with Orthodox nations, especially Serbia.
Louis: Alex, I understand the situation. However, the king of Bosnia asked us for protection. We cannot turn him down without losing face.
Martin: If Serbia does attack, we'll show them the might of the Hungarian army.
Erik: You mean us. You will be cowering in your castle.



Martin was about to stand up and yell at Erik when he sees Alex staring at him. Fearing Alex, Martin decided to let the small insult pass.

Roland: I guess we have no choice. We cannot attack other Catholic nations and we don't want to be seen as invaders.
Louis: Our nation hasn't been as stable as I had hoped. There are many rumors going around. I hope some of the rumors are false but they are having effects on our nation.
Alex: I believe we need an investigation in Somogy. The rumors there are the most troubling.
Erik: Are you accusing me of something? I will not stand for it. If you continue this, I'll ....."
Alex: You'll what?

Alex stares down Erik. Erik, sweating, tries to come up with a response.

Erik: I'll ... I'll ... I'll ignore you for the rest of this year.
Louis: Alex, I trust that Erik is doing an excellent job in Somogy. Don't worry about it. If there is something wrong, I'm already on it.
Alex: If the king has that much trust in him, then I have nothing to worry about.
Erik: Oh great king! You know me best. I should ....
Louis: I don't want a kiss from you. I doubt Martin has recovered from your kiss last month.
Martin: I still have nightmares. Send me shivers.
Erik: I could give you another kiss, Martin.
Martin: Stay away from me! Otherwise, you won't have a tongue by tomorrow.
Erik: I just want to make you feel better.
Roland: My king, who is the man in the corner?

All the other nobles looks around the room until they find the man Roland is talking about. Seeing that they were looking at him, the man merely waves and continues his duties.

Louis: He is the new artist I hired. Albert is rather talented and he is doing a portrait of all of us.
Erik: When did he begin? I'm not wearing my prettiest clothes.
Martin: You should be happy. Otherwise, he would mistake you for a woman.
Roland: I mistook him for a woman when I entered the room. I was wondering when we had a woman as a viceroy.
Martin: Must have been a shock when you saw his face.
Roland: I'm scarred for life.
Erik: Very funny.
Louis: That's all for today. Get some rest. We have another meeting tomorrow.

Section I

Chapter 2 (part 1)


[January 11, 1356]

(Kaposvár, Hungary)

Ferdinand gets up early in the morning to prepare for his first day working in Kaposvár. After a few minutes, he has everything packed and heads downstairs. To his surprise, Merek is already waiting there for him.

"You're finally up. I thought you would have overslept."

"I've never been late to work."

"Not even once?"

"No."

"Anyways, let head out to the market. I'll show you the stall you'll be working in."

Ferdinand follows Merek as they head down the street. Before Ferdinand sees the marketplace, he could already hear it. As the two men walked past a small building, Merek signals Ferdinand to stop and walks into the small building. Few minutes later, he walks out with some bread in his arms.

"I bet you're hungry. Grab a few. We will eat while we walk to the marketplace."

Ferdinand grabs a few bread and begins eating. To his surprise, the bread is actually quite good.

"These bread are delicious."

"The best bread in Hungary. I'm glad you're satisfied."

"Looks like I owe you quite a bit since I arrived here."

"Don't worry about it. Just make sure you cover my back."

"Against what?"

"You'll find out soon. We have just arrived at the marketplace."

Ferdinand looks around and see many people in the marketplace. There is a large crowd in front of one stall.

"Whoever works there must be good at selling his goods."

Ferdinand points at the stall with the large crowd.

"Don't go near the man that owns that stall. He's very dangerous."

Merek guides Ferdinand away from the crowd and into a quieter street. There are still people in this street but, compared to the other streets, it is a lot emptier.

"Welcome to the street you will be working at."

"It looks rather empty."

"I can assure you that there are still customers for you here. You will be earning enough to meet your needs."

Ferdinand sees an empty stall at the end of the street. Looking past the stall, he sees a wall that blocks off the street.

"I assume the empty stall is mine. Why is the wall there? Is it meant to keep us out?"

"The wall is keeping something in. I was told to not ask about what that something is. The last person working at your stall got a little too curious and he was found dead not long after."

"For the first time, I'm a little scared."

"If you don't be careful, your nightmare has only begun."

"You know something, don't you?"

"I do. However, I will stay quiet so both of us can live to see tomorrow."

Merek moves closer to Ferdinand to whisper "We are being watched right now. You can look around but you won't see them."

"Let's see your stall. It's not bad. The last owner renovated it before he died. You are quite lucky."

Standing in front of the stall, it becomes obvious for Ferdinand that he did indeed get a very nice stall. Merek helps Ferdinand set up his tools and gives him some tips on how to do business locally. Before Ferdinand was ready, a customer already enters.

Customer: You are new in the city, aren't you? What service do you provide?
Ferdinand: I'm a barrel maker.
Merek: One of the best in Hungary. You won't be disappointed with his work.
Customer: I'm opening a tavern soon and I need some barrels to store my brews. How quick can you get 10 barrels ready?
Ferdinand: 10 barrels should be ready tomorrow morning.
Customer: That's fast. I like it. Make the 10 barrels and I'll come back tomorrow.

The customer walks away to check on the other stalls.

"Ferdinand, you should at least ask for a deposit. What if he doesn't come back?"

"I need barrels for display. If he doesn't return, I would have that covered."

"I'm still surprised that you can get it all then by tomorrow. You don't even have your materials."

"That's where I hope you can show me the way."

"Fine, follow me."

The two men get the supplies Ferdinand needed and return to the stall. Ferdinand, after saying goodbye to Merek, begins to work on making the barrels. By the time he finishes his 10 barrels, the sun has already set and he needs to close up his stall. On his way home, he hears a scream in a nearby street. When he arrives, he sees a woman pointing at something. Turning his attention, Ferdinands sees Merek hanging from a rope and looking at him with cold, expressionless eyes. It's obvious that Merek is already dead. Ferdinand stays behind to see how the situation pans out. To his surprise, the local officials rules the incident suicide and says that Merek has been in depression for a very long time. Ferdinand now realizes just how dangerous the city is. To make matters worse, he is stuck here until he earns enough to make a living elsewhere.

Section I

Chapter 2 (part 2)

[January 11, 1356]

(Buda, Hungary)

After a good night sleep, King Louis prepares for his second meeting with the viceroys. The thief was never caught and the king decides that there are more important matters. Louis still has belief that the theft was merely a prank. However, he still got a nagging feeling that something big was set in motion. Following a great breakfast, Louis enters the meeting room. Inside, he sees Istvan preparing a few document.

"Istvan, you are up early. The meeting isn't starting for another hour."

"My king, I just want to make sure your meeting goes smoothly."

"You work too hard. I should give you a few days off."

"I'm fine, my king. I enjoy my work."

Louis sees Istvan massaging his own back.

"Are you alright, Istvan? You haven't injured your back, have you?"

"I was doing some housecleaning a month ago when I twisted my back. I still haven't recovered."

"Must be some heavy chests."

"Yup, who knew I had so much garbage to throw out."

Istvan gets back to his duties while Louis sits down and looks out the window.

"Istvan, do you think I'm a good king?"

"Of course you are, my king."

"If that's the case, why is my nation in such a poor state?"

"I don't know, my king."

An hour later, all the viceroys are present.

Erik: My king, I heard some disturbing news.
Louis: What news did you hear?
Erik: The Bulgarians decided to reject our offer of alliance.
Martin: This is what we get for being friendly to Orthodox nations. I'd say we destroy them. They are a mere nuisance. We would do the world a favor by eliminating them.
Roland: Why do you hate the Orthodox faith so much? Learn to tolerate them at least.
Martin: Tolerate those backwards people? I'd rather kiss a pig.
Erik: I would pay good money to see that.
Roland: I would as well.
Alex: You three are getting on my nerves.

Alex stares down the other three viceroys until they are silent.

Alex: The good news is that Bavaria and Poland have agreed to be our allies.



Louis: Both of them will support our vulnerable rear. I would like an alliance with Austria but they downright refuse our diplomats.
Erik: You should still try, my king. They are a powerful nation.
Roland: Powerful enough for you to defect to, apparently.
Erik: I'll pretend you didn't offend me.
Roland: Could their refusal to speak with us show their true intent?
Alex: If you are speaking of war, I wouldn't disagree with you. The Austrians cannot be trusted. They have 35 thousand men stationed at our borders. An attack would be disastrous for us.
Martin: I think we are jumping to conclusions here. They probably don't want to upset the balance of power in the region. Bohemia won't be too happy if we are allied.
Roland: What benefits did they offer you to say that? 50 ducats?
Martin: I'm not that cheap!
Roland: So you admitted that they did bribe you.
Martin: I would never ally myself with a foreign power. However, I know someone here who is kissing up to the Doge of Venice.
Roland: You take that back!
Martin: Or what?
Alex: Silence! Any of you try that again will find my sword through his head.
Louis: Alex, you didn't get any sleep?
Alex: These three are driving me nuts. I can't believe that they are viceroys.
Louis: Neither could I.
Roland, Martin, Erik: Pardon, my king.
Louis: I was just sighing. Please carry on.
<silence>
Louis: I guess that concludes our meeting. Get some rest. That includes you too, Istvan. If anything comes up, I expect all of you to be here. Understood.
Alex: Yes, my king.

Alex looks at the other viceroys.

Roland, Martin, Erik: Yes, my king!
Louis: Alex, please stay behind. I wish to speak with you.
Erik: Alex is in trouble.

Erik runs out the meeting room. After Martin, Roland and Istvan exit the room, Louis sit beside Alex.

Louis: I know you are worried about our nation. However, we cannot be irrational.
Alex: I'm sorry, my king.
Louis: Your family has been serving our nation well for centuries. I know I can trust you.

Louis gives Alex a letter.

Louis: Read it and help me deal with this problem. Can I count on you?
Alex: Yes, my king.
Louis: Don't let anyone find out about it. You are now dismissed.
Alex: Understood.

Alex puts away the letter and walks out.

Just a heads up, I've adjusted some of the dates to fit the story better. The adjustment might not be realistic.

Section I

Chapter 2 (part 3)

[January 12, 1356]

(Pazin, Trieste)

Cato's boat arrives in Pazin in the morning. Waiting to get off the boat, Cato sees a young man coming towards him. Suddenly the young man bumps into him and runs away. As Cato tries to get up, he realizes that one of his bags is gone. Turning around quickly, he sees the young man with his bag running away. Cato immediately gets up and runs after the thief. Cato is a born runner as he has, on more than one occasion, ran from his teachers to avoid punishment. It didn't take long before Cato catches up. The thief, after being taken down by Cato, is clearly surprised that he is caught. Looking around, the thief looks for a way to escape. However, Cato quickly ties the thief up with a rope.

"You made the mistake of stealing from me. I'll hand you over to the local officials."

"Please don't do that. I have old grandparents that I must feed. If I get locked up, they will die."

"You aren't very good with lying, are you?"

"I guess I'm not very good. Please untie me. I apologize."

"Do you think an apology would be enough?"

"Yes."

"I am not impressed by your apology."

"How about this? Oh great one, I apologize for my foolish mistake of crossing your path. Please forgive me and set me free."

"You should be an actor and not a thief."

'Do you really think so? Everyone tell me that I have no talent."

"From what I see, you would be more successful as an actor."

"That hurts."

"I don't care if I hurt your feelings."

"Now that's mean."

"I told you I don't care."

"Would you care if I tell you someone will knock you out?"

Cato sees a shadow out of the corner of his eye and turns around. He reacts too late as someone knocks him out.

"You sure took your time."

"It was fun seeing him insult you."

"Untie me!"

"Only if you are willing to carry him."

The stranger points to Cato.

"Why are we bringing him?"

"Our leader says that he might be useful."

"Alright, just untie me."

The thief is untied and he begins to carry Cato. He follows the stranger into a small boat and they head to a small island.

"Why does our leader want him?"

"Ask the leader yourself."

"The last guy to do that is dead."

"It would be a blessing for me if you are as well."

"Now that's harsh. You aren't good at lying either."

"What do you mean?"

"You care about me very much."

"I care about you? That's a good one. Who taught you that joke?"

"Why do I waste my time with you?"

"Is the little man angry?"

<silence>

"Good, I enjoy listening to the winds."

InvisibleSandwi said:

If Part 2 of Chapter 2 is anything to go by, King Louis hasn't learned how to blame misfortune on his nobles quite yet. I'm sure he'll get around to it eventually, though.

Click to expand...

I'm glad the king is giving an impression of an innocent king. You will soon find out what kind of monster person he really is. I assume the lack of comments means that other people really dislike this AAR. Could you provide me some feedback by telling me how you feel about your character? Maybe that will improve my AAR slightly. Thanks!

InvisibleSandwi said:

Don't be discouraged by a lack of comments - if you keep regularly updating this AAR, it'll find its audience. Spacing out updates is a good idea, anyways - the common wisdom of AARland is that updating too frequently intimidates readers (although updating too infrequently is not without its problems).

As for my own feedback? On the subject of the character I submitted - I'm fine with the changes, since I submitted mine knowing that you might change him drastically to fit the needs of your story. In regards to characters, feel free to accept further submissions from people if the mods have given you permission - the more unpredictable people make their submissions, the more interesting things will get. More generally, I've been following you since you started the Langobards AAR; your ability to create narratives has steadily improved since then. Right now, I think the quickest way to improve your writing would be for you to work on your syntax - the way you construct sentences is sometimes a bit awkward, in a way that I have trouble explaining. If you keep writing (and reading the other AARs on this forum), you'll get better at it.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback and the compliments. I will try to work on my syntax but I feel it may not be that easy. As for spacing out updates, I have done it with this AAR and still didn't get much in return. I think I'll be just updating this AAR whenever I have time and interest then. If I do get an audience that comments, that would be great. Otherwise, I would at least have fun letting my imagination run wild. I will post whenever I accept new character submissions but, considering the turnout at the start of this AAR, it's obvious people aren't interested.

Section I

Chapter 3 (part 1)

[January 13, 1356]

(Buda, Hungary)

Istvan enters the king's study only to find a stranger speaking with the king. The king, upon seeing Istvan enter, introduces him to the stranger.

Louis: Istvan, what perfect timing! He is my new advisor. Everyone call him Adrian.
Adrian: Nice to meet you, Istvan. The king has said many great things about you.
Istvan: I fear the king likes to exaggerate my accomplishments.
Louis: We will leave the chitchat for later. Why are you here, Istvan?
Istvan: I bring good news. One from Bavaria and one from Bohemia.
Louis: Bohemia? What good news can possibly originate there?
Istvan: They are currently at war with France. It would appear that the France king challenged their might and the emperor wasn't going to back off.
Adrian: That's indeed good news. This will buy us time to strengthen our position. My king, I think we need to take start looking at our next targets. We mustn't let this opportunity slip.
Istvan: Adrian, I haven't finished reporting to the king.
Adrian: I am truly sorry. I almost assumed that you were a mere messenger.
Istvan: Watch your mouth, worm.
Louis: Save the name calling for another time. What's the good news from Bavaria?
Istvan: Their king wishes to marry his sister to you as good faith.
Louis: How old is she?
Istvan: I believe she had her 17th birthday not that long ago.
Adrian: That would solve our lack of heir problem.
Istvan: I suggest you be more respectful to the royal family.
Adrian: I'm not being disrespectful. I am only stating the facts.
Louis: If that is all, the you are dismissed, Istvan. I still have some issues to discuss with Adrian here.
Istvan: Before I leave, what is your response, my king?
Louis: Tell them I agree.
Istvan: Yes, my king.



Istvan walks out of the study while trying to stare down Adrian. Adrian, acting as though he is unaware of Istvan's stare, continues his conversation with the king once Istvan leaves the study.

Adrian: I must say. He sure likes to act high and mighty. I wouldn't be surprised if he thinks lowly of you too.
Louis: Let's not jump to conclusions. From your conversation with him, it's obvious that you can deal with most of the people in my court.
Adrian: I assure you that I get things done, my king.
Louis: You better. Just finish the mission and you will find yourself a very wealthy man.
Adrian: I'm curious. Why did you start suspecting the man I'm investigating?
Louis: Call it a gut feeling. Anyways, I gave you all the information you need. Just perform.
Adrian: I will, my king. I am curious about one thing though.
Louis: What?
Adrian: What if I'm forced to kill him?
Louis: If you can provide proof of his treachery, then feel free to do so. However, ....
Adrian: However?
Louis: If he's innocent and you killed him. I will come down to the dungeon personally. I believe you heard my nickname.
Adrian: Yes, they call you King Louis the Cruel.
Louis: Let me reassure you that you don't want to know how I got the nickname.

Louis stares in Adrian's eyes. Adrian, shivering the moment he sees the king's eyes, immediately turns away.

Adrian: I understand, my king. I will not fail you.
Louis: You are now dismissed. Watch your way out my palace. I wouldn't be surprised if Istvan decides to give you a surprise on your way out.
Adrian: I can deal with anything he throws at me.

Adrian walks out. King Louis begins pacing his study as he plans out his next moves.

Section I

Chapter 3 (part 2)

[January 13, 1356]

(Kaposvár, Hungary)

Around midnight, a man runs down the main street and heads down a dark alleyway. As he is running, he mutters to himself.

"I never thought I would be betrayed. I do my job perfectly and they want me dead. Well, they won't get me that easily. Wait until I reach Trieste. I will get my buddies to help me. Together, we will show them their grave mistake."

Just as the man was about to run out the alleyway, he hears a sound.

"Who's there? Let me warn you. I am armed!"

He slows down to a crawl and takes a peek around the corner. To his surprise, it's a nutcase speaking with his shadow. After listening carefully, he hears some ducats in the man's pocket. Knowing that his trip will be long, the extra ducats would speed up his trip.

Man: I am the devil.
Nutcase: You don't scare me!
Man: You will be when I have your shadow.
Nutcase: My shadow? Oh no, you got him. Give him back!
Man: Why should I?
Nutcase: Don't make me fight you.
Man: How about a game? You put your ducats in the nearby alleyway and turn around. Count to 10 and then look for me.
Nutcase: I get my shadow back if I win.
Man: Yes. You see the alleyway at your left? No, you other left. Put your ducats there. Do it quickly or your shadow gets it.

The nutcase quickly follows orders. He turns around and begin counting. By the time he counts to 4, the man has also take the ducats and headed off the other way. After an hour of running, the man finds himself near the city gates. Not only are the gates closed but there are more guards placed there. The man surveys his situation carefully and sees his opportunity. The guards are changing shifts and one guard is walking alone. The man sneaks up to the guard and slits his throat. Then, he pulls the corpse into a dark alley where he strips the guard and wear the uniform himself. He then walks towards the gate. The replacements for the other guards have already arrived.
Guard 1: I don't think I have seen you before.
Guard 2: Give the new guy a break. This is probably his first time here.
Man: Yes, I'm new to gate duties.
Guard 3: You better not fall asleep on us.
Man: I promise I'll stay awake. I'll ....

The man signals silence. The other three guards listens around.

Man: Did you hear that? I think there's someone outside.
Guard 1: I don't hear anything.
Guard 3: You were always deaf.
Man: I think that person is running away.
Guard 1: What? I think that's the fugitive we are looking for. We got to go after him.

Two of the guards open the gate before all four men run out. Before long, the man loses the other three guards. Once he is sure that the coast is clear, he takes off the uniform and continues on his way.The man may have managed to escape the city but he still has a long way to go.

Section I

Chapter 4 (part 1)

[January 14, 1356]

(An Island off the coast of Karlovac, Croatia)

Cato wakes up and starts rubbing his head. He looks around and finds himself in an unfamiliar room. He was about to get up when the door opens. 3 men enter the room.

Stranger 1: You are finally up, my boy. I apologize if Oliver here hit you too hard. You have been out for nearly two days.

The stranger points to a man that was standing behind him.

Cato: Are you Mark?
Mark: I see you still remember me. That will save me a lot of time. Anyways, I heard about your father's tragedy.
Cato: My father? Oh yes, I need to get back.
Mark: They are waiting for you. You will be killed the moment you enter the city.
Cato: Why is the Fieldings noble family after us? You know something, don't you?
Mark: I'm not surprised that your father left you in the dark. He doesn't want you to get involved. Now, it would appear that you have no choice.
Cato: Did my father stumble on something big?
Mark: Big is an understatement. He discovered a secret that could destroy the Fieldings family. Let's just say that the noble family isn't too keen on letting him live.
Cato: What part do you play in this?
Mark: Call it fate. Your father and I should've never met. Yet, we both came across the secret and our fate was intertwined since that day. Unfortunately, I was unable to save him.
Cato: You could've saved him and my brother?
Mark: I underestimated our enemies. They know how to get the business done swiftly.
Cato: Are you going to keep me here until we weather the storm?
Mark: That was never my intention. You see. Our enemies will stop at nothing to eliminate us. Even this island won't be safe forever. I brought you here so you can avenge your father.
Cato: You want me to take down the Fieldings family?
Mark: Yes, I should warn you that it's going to be a dangerous game. One wrong move and you would be dead.
Cato: I'll do it. I lost pretty much everything. There isn't much I can lose now.
Mark: Good. That's what I like to hear. Oliver here will show you around my little base. During lunch, we will meet again and speak about your future.

Mark walks out with a man. Oliver approaches Cato.

Oliver: I'm sorry about hitting you in the back.
Cato: I think you missed and hit my head instead.
Oliver: You know what I mean. When you're ready, I'll be your guide around the base.
Cato: Base? What do you people do?
Oliver: We are all criminals. We steal, rob and kill for a living. Since you're a guest of our boss, your possessions are safe and you are still alive.

Cato looks around until he finds his bags. After a quick search, he discovers that his possessions were all indeed safe.

Oliver: Having a little trust in me wouldn't hurt.
Cato: It's hard to trust someone that knocked you out for 2 days.
Oliver: That's true. I see you are ready. Let's go.

Cato follows Oliver as they walk through entire base. All the doors were closed but Cato knows that there is someone behind every door. As for what they were doing, Cato chose not to find out. Following the brief tour, Oliver shows Cato into the banquet hall. However, the banquet hall is pretty much empty this day. Only Mark sits at the table waiting for food with a man standing behind him.

Mark: I hope the tour was satisfactory, my boy. It's not a palace but it's still home for many people.
Cato: You mean for criminals.
Mark: I see you despise our profession. I can assure you that we are all trying to make a living. You are no different from us. The only difference is that you start off with more ducats in your pocket.
Cato: I don't want to listen to your philosophy. Let's cut to the chase, shall we?
Mark: Like father, like son. I like that. Ferenc, get me my papers.
Ferenc: Yes, boss.

A few minutes later, Ferenc arrives with some papers. Mark hand the papers over to Cato.

Mark: These papers will contain your new identity. Your job sounds simple but it will be very difficult. Infiltrate into Debrecen and uncover the secret. Make it known to the king and the Fieldings family will fall.
Cato: Uncover? I thought you and my father already discovered it.
Mark: I guess you could say we unearthed it. We are still unclear about the details
Cato: I see. Will I get any help?
Mark: Of course, my boy. I have a few of my people already working in Debrecen. You will meet with them and they will solve your accommodations. After that, you are on your own.
Cato: Will I get any funds?
Mark: How silly of me to forget. Ferenc, get the ducats.

Ferenc leaves the room and returns shortly with a box.

Mark: You are provided with 500 ducats to start with. If you are doing a good job, I will send someone to provide you more. In a way, I'm investing in you and, should you continue to do well, I will invest more.
Cato: Understood. When can I get off this island?
Mark: Eager, aren't you? Tomorrow morning, Oliver will get you to the Croatia-Hungary border. You will meet someone there who will take you rest of the way.

Following the snap of Mark's fingers, a man enters with a plate of food.

Mark: Eat up, my boy. You need all the strength you need.

Section I

Chapter 4 (part 2)

[January 15, 1356]

(Debrecan, Hungary)

A man enters a tavern. The people inside, after a quick look at him, got back to their own conversations. The man walks up to the bartender.

man: Get me the usual, Bob.
Bob: You look like you had a tough day.
man: The guards weren't giving us an easy time. They were asking too many questions.
Bob: You don't think that they are onto us, do you?
man: They aren't that smart. If the local officials are that smart, we wouldn't need to be criminals.
Bob: There are rumors that we have a traitor amongst us. This traitor hopes to rise higher in status by leaking important information.
man: That traitor would be foolish to betray us. We don't let traitors go unpunished.
Bob: That hasn't stopped them from trying.
man: When are you getting my drink?
Bob: I forgot. Wait here.

As Bob is preparing the drink, the man looks around the tavern. Bob returns with the drink.

Bob: What are you looking for?
man: Is the boss here? He's usually at this tavern by now.
Bob: I heard he's trying to quit drinking.
man: Are you serious? Quit drinking? I'd say he has a better chance being a viceroy.
Bob: I thought that too. Why are you looking for him?
man: I wanted to warn him about something.

The man quickly gulps down his drink. After he pays Bob, he leaves the tavern. Outside the tavern, the man meets the mayor of Debrecan, Rick Fieldings.

Rick: Is he there?
man: I'm afraid not. I guess you'll call off this attack?
Rick: Is it packed inside?
man: Yes.
Rick: Then there should be many top ranked guys from the Serpents in the tavern. If they are dead, the Serpents would be forced to disbanded.
man: There is a good chance. However, the leader of the Serpents is quite resourceful.
Rick: I want to see how resourceful he can be.

The mayor turns around and spoke with the captain of the regiment garrisoned in the city. After a brief talk, the captain signals his men. The man walks up to the mayor.

man: I strongly urge you to rethink this. Alerting the leader while not killing his isn't a wise choice.
Rick: I rule this city. There is a reason why I'm the mayor and you are merely a peasant. Let the professionals do their work.

With a wave of the hand, the captain and his men charged into the tavern and killed everyone inside. Once they made sure everyone was dead, they set fire to the tavern.

Rick: This fire will represent the end of the Serpents. You, my friend, made a wise choice of aiding the Fieldings. I promise you that you will be rewarded generously.
man: I thank you, mayor. However, I still urge you to hunt the leader out and kill him. We don't want him ruining your reputation by spreading rumors, now do we?
Rick: You have a point there. I will get the captain on the job soon.

The mayor rides off by to his home. The man, watching the mayor ride away, began to wonder if he made the right choice of betraying the Serpents.

captain: Aren't you worried about the leader of the Serpents?
Rick: I don't have time for him. His organization is gone with all of his men killed. He won't be a threat to us.
captain: I worry that he might be a problem in the near future.
Rick: Stop worrying about that. We just did a great service for the viceroy. I will make sure that he knows about your accomplishments.
captain: Thank you, mayor. Maybe I am worrying too much.

Section I

Chapter 4 (part 3)

[January 23, 1356]

(Hungary-Croatia border near Somogy)

Cato and Oliver covers lots of ground. Along the way, Cato learns more about the criminal organization headed by Mark. Yet, there is little information Oliver could provide him about Debrecan because Mark's men only just set up shop there. Thus, Cato can only count on himself once he gets there. The two arrive at the Hungary-Croatia border and Oliver asks Cato to wait. After Oliver leaves Cato alone, a man approaches Cato.

stranger: Hi there. Nice to meet you.
Cato: I don't think I know you.
stranger: You are rather cautious, aren't you? I don't blame you. I often wonder if the people walking past me would slit my throat the very next day.
Cato: You seem rather paranoid.
stranger: I might be paranoid but it has kept me alive.
Cato: Why did you approach me? What do you want from me?
stranger: I see you are rather promising.
Cato: Promising at what?
stranger: Not sure yet. Care to join me? You could be my right hand man.
Cato: I don't even know what you do for a living. How about we start with your name?
stranger: Where are my manners? You may call me Richard. I own a small business.
Cato: Shouldn't you be running your business instead of wasting time here talking with strangers?
Richard: Before I answer your questions, what's your name?
Cato: My friends call me Dominik.
Richard: That's not your real name, is it?

Cato is shocked. Before he can say anything, Richard raises his hand to signal silence.

Richard: Don't worry. Richard isn't my actual name. I guess we are similar. We both are targeted by some people and we need to hide our identities.
Cato: It's not wise to tell other people that you are using a false name.
Richard: I feel I can trust you.
Cato: I'm surprised you were willing to do so already.
Richard: Our brief conversation showed me what kind of person you are. Well, are you interested in joining my organization?
Cato: I have a job to do.
Richard: Where are you heading to? I'm headed to Debrecan.
Cato: I'm heading to the same city.
Richard: Perfect! I was hoping to have a travel buddy with me. By the way, is that your friend coming towards us.

Cato followed the gaze of Richard and sees Oliver.

Cato: Yes.
Richard: Time for me to head off. Nice talking to ya. I hope we will meet again.
Cato: Can't say I want to meet you again.
Richard: Now that's mean. Goodbye.

Richard walks off to a group of men. Oliver, keeping his gaze on Richard until he reaches Cato, sits down.

Oliver: Didn't I tell you not to talk to strangers? There are dangerous people here and he's one of them.
Cato: He doesn't look that dangerous.
Oliver: You won't be saying that when he holds a knife to your throat.
Cato: Well, will I be leaving for Debrecan soon?
Oliver: The guy picking you up hasn't showed up. I'm not liking this one bit.
Cato: Are you saying he could be dead?
Oliver: This guy is never late. If he's late, he's either held up by something major or he's dead.
Cato: What are we going to do then?
Oliver: You might be forced to travel with all the other peasants. We cannot afford you to travel well as it will arouse suspicion.
Richard: I could take you along. We have room for one more guy.

Cato and Oliver looked behind them to see Richard standing over them.

Oliver: How did you get behind us? What do you want?
Richard: Calm down. If I wanted to kill you two, it would have been done already.
Oliver: How much did you overhear?
Richard: Enough to know that Dominik here needs a ride.
Cato: I think I'll take up that offer. For some reason, I feel I could trust you. Maybe, we are in the same boat.
Richard: Dominik, I'm starting to like you more and more. I will make you join my business.
Oliver: Are you sure, Dominik?
Cato: Yes, I am. I need to get there and this man can help me.
Richard: We are leaving in an hour. Meeting us at the road. As a special offer, I will let you ride free of charge.

Richard walks off to join his group.

Oliver: I still don't trust him.
Cato: I trust him enough to get me to Debrecan. After that, I guess I'm on my own.

Section I

Chapter 5 (part 1)

[January 25, 1356]

(Kaposvár, Hungary)

It has been 2 weeks since Ferdinand set up his business in Kaposvár. Ever since the customer ordered 10 barrels on the first day he opened shop, business was quite slow. However, Ferdinand has his mind elsewhere. The death of Merek has made him quite depressed. Even though the two hadn't known each other for that long, Ferdinand still feels like he lost a close friend. In addition, he starts to wonder if he would meet the safe fate as his friend. Business has been slow on this day as well. Therefore, Ferdinand decides to close early and explore the city more. He hopes that he can find something to distract him. After half an hour, Ferdinand finds himself standing in front of a small church. He enters the church and sees the priest that helped him when he first arrived in the city.

Ferdinand: Good day, Father.
Priest: Hello, Ferdinand.
Ferdinand: I'm glad you still remember me, Father.
Priest: Of course. How do you feel about our city?
Ferdinand: Please don't be offended, Father. The city has made me feel unsafe.
Priest: No offense taken. May I ask what made you feel unsafe?
Ferdinand: A man from the guild was showing me around the city. He soon died and they say he committed suicide. I think otherwise.
Priest: These incidents happen too often. I wish that God can do something about it but we are just one city in thousands of cities.
Ferdinand: May I pray before God? I need something to distract me from the tragedy of my friend.
Priest: Of course. Feel free to stay as long as you want. I can provide a meal and a bed too.
Ferdinand: I didn't want to inconvenience you, Father.
Priest: Don't worry. This church isn't so poor that it cannot provide to travelers like you.
Ferdinand: I'm not a traveler anymore, Father. I think I'm staying here for awhile.
Priest: Don't you want to leave? After all, you don't feel safe here.
Ferdinand: I don't know why but I feel like I need to make sure my friend gets the justice he deserves.
Priest: That kind of attitude can get you killed.
Ferdinand: I'm not young anymore, Father. I have ran away from troubles before. Yet, I cannot escape. I need to have less regrets.
Priest: Stay for a night then. I will speak with you tomorrow morning. I wish to help you.
Ferdinand: Thank you, father.

Just as Ferdinand was about to get down to pray, he hears some crying in the back. Ferdinand follows the priest to a room filled with children.

Ferdinand: Father, do the parents of these children just leave them here?
Priest: No. I'm afraid these are all orphans. The incidents you mentioned about your friend isn't that uncommon here. For these children, their parents are either killed or forced to abandon them.
Ferdinand: That is horrible!

The children stare at Ferdinand. Some of the children begin to back away from him.

Ferdinand: I'm sorry, Father. Raising my voice startled a few of them.
Priest: If we have more people like you, our city would be a better place. Don't worry about the children. Some of them are just scared of strangers.
Ferdinand: To think I was going to eat a meal here. With these children, they need the food more than me.
Priest: You have a kind heart. Please do stay for dinner.
Ferdinand: I will if you let me pay for my meal.
Priest: It looks like there's no other way. I'll let you pay. If it's not any trouble, I hope you can take some of the children outside to play.
Ferdinand: No trouble at all, Father.

Ferdinand turns towards the children.

Ferdinand: Anyone that wants to play outside follow me.

Ferdinand starts walking outside. When he turns around, he sees a few children following him. Once he is sure no one else is coming, he heads outside. The children, happy to get outside, starts playing tag. Hearing the laughter of the children, Ferdinand forgets about his own problems. Unsure when it happened, Ferdinand suddenly finds himself playing with the children. Time passed quickly and the priest soon call for Ferdinand and the children.

Priest: Dinner. Remember to say your prayers before you eat.
Ferdinand: You must have your hands full, Father.
Priest: They are good children. Their crying can drive you crazy but they mean no harm.
Ferdinand: I had fun with them.
Priest: Were you crying?
Ferdinand: What do you mean?
Priest: You have tears in your eyes.

Ferdinand wipes away the tears in his eyes.

Ferdinand: These children remind me of my sons. The sons I lost to disease.
Priest: I have a favor to ask you.
Ferdinand: Of course, Father.
Priest: If you have time, please come and spend time with the children. They really like you.
Ferdinand: How do you know?
Priest: I was watching you and the children play. They were laughing more with you around.
Ferdinand: I like them too. I will try to come more often.
Priest: Thank you. Let's head inside to eat.

Webstantine said:

I'm subscribing, love the plot! It's more of a story than an AAR!

Click to expand...

Welcome aboard! I would say this is an AAR with a lot more plot and progressing at a much, much slower pace.

Section I

Chapter 5 (part 2)

[January 25, 1356]

(Outside Arad, Hungary)

Cato has been traveling with Richard's group for three days. Arriving outside Arad, Richard sends one of his men inside to get supplies. While resting, Cato sees Richard speaking with someone that just left the city. Once Richard was done talking, he heads over towards Cato.

Richard: Dominik. Or should I say, Cato Ranorrik.

Cato looks at Richard.

Richard: From your expression, I would say I am correct.
Cato: Is there a reason why you were checking?
Richard: To recruit a person, you need to see what that person wants. Therefore, you need information.
Cato: Have you discovered anything you can use?
Richard: Your father's death is the only fact I need.
Cato: So you are blackmailing me?
Richard: No, please don't get me wrong. Have you heard the saying: your enemy's enemy is your friend?
Cato: How does that explain our situation?
Richard: The Fieldings are my sworn enemies. The fact that you return here means that you want revenge. We are in the same boat, aren't we?
Cato: What did that family do to you?
Richard: My business is getting a bit too powerful for their liking. They decided to kill my employees.
Cato: Sounds like joining your business is rather dangerous.
Richard: By returning to Hungary, you aren't really playing the game any safer.
Cato: You see this as a game?
Richard: I view life as a chess game. One wrong move and you won't ever recover from it. You, my friend, can choose to be a pawn. Or you can be rook.
Cato: What if I want to be the queen?
Richard: Ambitious, aren't you? Let me put it this way then. With my help, you can be a rook. If you can hold your fate in your own hands, then you can be queen.
Cato: I'm interested in how you will make me a rook.
Richard: Does this mean you will join me?
Cato: You seem like the best chance for me to get a start.
Richard: I'm happy that I picked the right guy for the job. Here's some advice. Rest now before we arrive in Debrecan. Once we reach there, you will be taking up a very different life. A life that could see you killed any moment. Of course, high risk means high reward.
Cato: Why don't you fill me in now?
Richard: Eager? I like it. Wait here.

Richard walks up to one of his men After a brief talk, the other man follows Richard.

Richard: Dominik, meet Brandon.
Brandon: Nice to meet you, Dominik. From what I heard from Richard, you seem to be a promising candidate.
Cato: Candidate for what?
Brandon: I see Richard hasn't filled you in on the details. To put it generally, you will try to infiltrate the Martin Fielding's manor.
Cato: Infiltrate?
Brandon: You will need to get inside and gain the trust of them. First, do you know Martin?
Cato: I believe he is a viceroy.
Brandon: Correct. He holds a high position in our nation. If you can get his trust, you will have access to his hidden secrets. You will need to find one secret to cripple him.
Cato: So you don't know what I'm looking for?
Brandon: It's called a secret for a reason. However, my sources believe that Martin has one secret that would ruin his family name forever.
Cato: How will I get his trust?
Brandon: You will need to figure that out.
Cato: What role will you play then?
Brandon: We figure out how to get you in first. For example, we may want to make you a servant there. We will use our connections to make sure you land the job. After that, you are pretty much on your own.
Cato: Pretty much?
Brandon: We can provide you some information. However, we can only do so if you won't blow your cover.
Cato: Richard, how will your business benefit from this?
Richard: Once the Fieldings fall, I can make a lot more money. Don't worry about me though. You are far from accomplishing your task.

Section I

Chapter 6 (part 1)

[January 28, 1356]

(Debrecen, Hungary)

The group Cato is traveling with has arrived in Debrecen. The group didn't enter the city through the front gates. Instead, Richard leads them through a hole in the walls and enter the city without alerting the guards. The group quickly enter a nearby tavern and did so without catching the attention of the patrolling guards. Inside the tavern, Cato sees the bartender greeting Richard and leading him inside. Just as Cato was about to follow, Brandon stops him.

Brandon: The owner of the tavern only wishes to speak with Richard.
Cato: Does this owner know Richard's identity?
Brandon: He does.
Cato: Yet you feel confident he won't kill Richard and offer Rochard's head to the local officials.
Brandon: Caution is good. However, I can reassure you that we are safe here. Let's just say that the owner would rather die than serve the Fieldings.
Cato: Will we be staying here or are we heading elsewhere?
Brandon: We will rest here for now. When it's dark, we will start heading to our base.
Cato: Can I explore the city? I'm quite sure no one will recognize me.
Brandon: Alright, Richard had a feeling about this. Just make sure you return before it's dark.
Cato: Okay.

Cato leaves the tavern and begins walking around. As he was about to turn the corner onto the main street, he hears some shouting. Cato follows the noise and finds himself standing in front of a tavern. Before he can enter the tavern, he sees two guards carrying a man away who continues to shout insults at someone inside the tavern. The minute he enters the tavern, a man inside starts talking.

Man: Hey, you. Come here.

Cato looks around but he sees that the man is speaking to him.

Cato: Me?
Man: Yes, you. I'm not so crazy that I speak to air.
Cato: What do you want?
Man: You have no idea who I am?
Cato: I'm new here. How about an introduction?
Man: Direct. I like that. What's your name?
Cato: You haven't answered my question yet.
Man: I am Rick Fieldings. You probably heard of my family.

Cato begin to wonder if this man knows who he is. From his behavior, it's obvious that Rick is drunk.

Cato: I believe one member in your family is a viceroy.
Rick: Ah, you heard about my cousin. Excellent. That will save me time explaining.
Cato: What do you want then?
Rick: You show promise. How about working for me?
Cato: What job are you offering and how much are you paying?
Rick: Work for me and you will be a rich man. As for the job, I need a bodyguard.
Cato: You are drunk. I cannot win a fight even if I tried.
Rick: I'm drunk? You don't want to be around me when I'm actually drunk. Enough with that. I'm starting to like you more. Don't worry about not being able to fight. The man behind me will train you into a fighter.
Cato: Who is he?
Rick: The captain of the city's garrison. Everyone serving him has been drilled into skilled fighter.
Captain: The mayor is right. I can train a worm like you as well. Though, it may take awhile.
Cato: Mayor?
Rick: Mayor of Debrecen at your service. What's your name, young man?
Cato: Dominik.
Rick: I take it that you agree to my proposal?
Cato: Let me think for a night. For all I know, you are just playing a prank.
Rick: You have humor as well. I will give you one night then. You know where my manor is?
Cato: I could ask around. Probably everyone know where you live considering your stature.
Rick: I wouldn't do that if I were you. I admit I've made some powerful enemies. That is why the captain is currently my bodyguard.
Cato: Why not let him stay your bodyguard?
Rick: I have my image to consider. The captain has his duties as well.
Cato: I will find your manor tomorrow.
Rick: Excellent! I will see you tomorrow.
Cato: You look as though you are sure I would agree to the proposal.
Rick: I'm sure you will join. I'm very sure.

Cato is a little started by Rick's smile. Something tells him that he got himself in a lot of trouble. He quickly turns around and heads out. On him way back to the tavern Richard is in, he keeps turning back to check if he is followed. When he is sure he isn't followed, he enters the tavern. Inside, he sees the members of the group he was traveling with all lie in pools of blood. After searching through the entire tavern, he discovers that two bodies are missing. Richard's body and the tavern owner's body were not in the tavern and Cato, unsure why, believes that both of them survived.

Section I

Chapter 6 (part 2)

[January 28, 1356]

(Kaposvár, Hungary)

After closing his shop, Ferdinand sees that the sun still hasn't set. He decides to go to the church to play with the children. When he arrives, he is greeted by the children. After a few minutes playing with the children, someone walks up to Ferdinand. He turns around and sees a beautiful woman speaking to him.

Woman: Nice to meet you. I'm Laura.
<silence>
Laura: What's your name?
Ferdinand: Your smile is beautiful.
Laura: Pardon?
Ferdinand: My name is Ferdinand.
Laura: I see you are having fun with these children. You must adore kids.
Ferdinand: I do. My own children have already died.
Laura: I'm sorry.
Ferdinand: You didn't know. Anyways, what brings an angel to this quiet church?
Laura: Angel? I'm flattered. Do you speak like this with every woman you meet?
Ferdinand: You're the second beautiful woman I called an angel.
Laura: Second? Whose the first?
Ferdinand: My wife. She passed away as well.
Laura: Such tragedy.
Ferdinand: God has merely taken them to a better place.
Laura: He did indeed. I think the children are calling for you.

Ferdinand turns around only to find one of the children throw a mud ball at him. He is starting to get angry when Laura's laughter calms him down.

Laura: Let me clean that off. I'm partly to blame.

Laura takes out a cloth to wipe off the mud. For the brief seconds, Ferdinand feels him heart stop beating. After recovering his composure, Ferdinand resumes his conversation with Laura.

Ferdinand: What brings you here, Laura? From the way you dress, I would say you are part of a noble family.
Laura: I'm part of a noble family. However, our family has always dedicated ourselves to aid the poor and those in need.
Ferdinand: You are definitely an angel.
Laura: Stop it. You're making me blush. Why are you here?
Ferdinand: I just lost a friend. I wanted to come here to pray. I somehow got involved with these kids and have trouble separating myself with them.
Laura: That's sweet.
Ferdinand: You think so?
Laura: There aren't many men I know of that can admit they like children that doesn't have their own blood. You are doing a great deed and I know God sees it as well.
Ferdinand: I guess you wish to speak with the priest here.
Laura: Yes, I hope I wouldn't inconvenience you by asking you to take me to him.
Ferdinand: No, I would be honored.

Ferdinand leads Laura into a room where they find the priest cleaning the dishes.

Laura: Father, I have brought the ducats for this month.
Priest: I thank you and your family, Laura. This church couldn't continue without this funding.
Laura: It's merely a small contribution. Please don't thank us.
Priest: You are too humble. Please sit down as I prepare some desert. There is enough for you and the children. Ferdinand, you can stay as well.
Ferdinand, Laura: No, I'm afraid ....
Priest: Please stay. The children enjoy the company of you two.

As the priest returns to cleaning the dishes, Ferdinand and Laura look at each other. Ferdinand is about to move closer to Laura when a little boy climbs onto his lap.

Boy: Ferdinand, tell us more stories about Landsberg.

Ferdinand looks around to find all the children sitting around the table.

Laura: I love to hear about your stories as well.
Ferdinand: Alright, I can tell you about a farmer I know well.

Ferdinand tells his story while everyone listen carefully. The priest soon serves dessert which is finished quickly for the story to resume. The storytelling continues until the priest tells all the children that it's bedtime. While the children head off to bed, Ferdinand has to say goodbye to Laura. When asked whether they will meet again, Laura doesn't give a definite answer. In Ferdinand's heart, he desperately prays that they will meet again.