The Fortress on The Acz ~ An old story

[Gustavo]

MASTER BEL "Ah ... Apples!"

"What a beautiful morning!"

To be continued

[Justindo]

I like your story so far, Gus!

[WarriorOfToys]

Great story Gus!
Very funny!

Can't wait for more!

[Gustavo]

Thanks!

Here goes a sequence.
 

[Gustavo]

Leaving the Acz

i. Arrival

Another common day on the Acz ...

MASTER BEL "Ah ... Peaceful days!"

[Gustavo]

But the peace seems to be on her way to see days of conflict. As Master Bel
had been warned.

ROMEO, shouts "Alert! Soldiers approaching from the south road!"



GUS "A troop with that messenger who was here before, Master Bel! they are coming from the south passage."
MASTER BEL "Attend to this, Gus, I'm coming down."
GUS "Yes, Master!"

[Gustavo]

Troopers approach, and take place at the fortress' entrance.

SOLDIER "Hail! We come in the name of the Lord Regent!"
GUS "Hail. Do you bring papers, sir?"
MASTER BEL "Never mind, Gus. Let them in. Hail, Petre!"



SARGE "How are you doing, Master Bel? It is good to see you again!"
MASTER BEL "And you. Tell your boys to get in, and come. We need to talk."

[Gustavo]

Soldiers are welcomed. The Acz sentinels make room for them.
MASTER BEL "So, Petre, what's this talk of war?"



(The Master and the Sargeant climb to the upper hold. The soldiers get themselves to arrive.)



LUCKY "Ah, it'll be good to spend the night in a fort, eh Fletchy?"
ARCHER "O, Bertram, I have to admit that I like the open country, you know?"

[Gustavo]

MASTER BEL "There has been peace for years! Who is rising, after all, what happened?"
SARGE "Oh, mr. Bel, sir ... I'm not fully aware of the situation, but it seems that the Makedonios' boys have made some sort of allegiance with the Old Drakes, and that they are coming to take the Degan, with the magistrates ... This will put an end to the allegiance between Murata & the Degandorf. We were hired by the Regent. The Tapian armies aren't in quite a good condition, after all these years of peace, you can imagine ..."



GUS "Hey! I'm Gus. You are? ..."
ARCHER "I'm Fletcher!, Fletcher the Adventurer. For the moment, a hired soldier in the Troop of Sarge Petre! Have you always been a soldier of Tapia, mr. Gus?"



The sentinels & the troopers get to know each other. It is a good thing to have new men in the Fortress.

[Gustavo]

It allows them to make lighter schedules in patrol, and get better rest ...
GUS "So, are you together for a long time, Bertram?"
LUCKY "Actually young Fletcher just joined the troop. We needed an archer. The Sarge new him since he was a boy, and got happy when found out he had become an archer, brought him as soon as he knew it. I have been with the Sarge for a while, now, all right."



MASTER BEL "I always told the Lord Regent to mind that soldier, Rufos Makedonios ... Never trusted him. I should have known it was him ..."
SARGE "Right ... But why, exactly, Bel, do you have need of extra escort?"
MASTER BEL "You are aware of the money of the taxes. Besides, we need to leave a sentry for the Fortress and, as you can see, I only have two men on me."



SARGE "This is a wonderful place, Master Bel, sir ... Too bad to have to deal with war, these days."
MASTER BEL "Indeed, Petre ... Indeed."