29th Jahrdrung
The Duke's coach was quite something. Black as night, lacquered, and polished. Like looking into a mirror it was. Gold trim and the family crest of the von Etzels. The interior was as spacious as it was luxurious. We even had a servant to serve drinks. Was a bit surprised at how modern and well-maintained it was. The castle was old and the village decrepit. The coach was exactly the opposite.
The trip was fast and uneventful. Not much was said. With Thesalva not speaking and word of Reikspeil and the servant only talking when spoken to. The seats were good though, the schnapps excellent. I may have dozed off.
Duke Günther von Etzel greeted us when we arrived. He was a big man, vital and rugged, with a jawline right out of a painting. Servants - and guards - ushered us from his presence. We were assigned lavish rooms - a far cry from the cell I "slept" in last. I freshened up and put on my good shirt. Had a few drinks while I waited for dinner.
It was dinner for four. The Duke, Emmanuel Giscard, myself, and Thesalva. No ladies, save the elf. I can understand why a questing knight might not bring along his wife, but why no lady at the Duke's side?. My lady was in a black-and-purple dress that must have cost a purse full of gold. She was a fine sight but she needs to eat more or she'll never fill out those Empire dresses.
The Duke spoke of many things. He'd grown up in Brettonia of all places. His grandfather had gone there on business and never returned. Something about a Brettonian woman. The plague hit the Eztels hard years ago, around the same time Neue Eztel was nearly wiped off the map. When Duke Adalwolf died from a festering wound ten years ago, Günther (he was born Gilbert but changed it when he came to Etzel) was his closest living relative.
Some years later, the plague claimed the Duke's wife and children. He hasn't remarried. That explains the lack of a lady at the table. Dead women don't eat dinner. Instead, he has dedicated his life to science and progress, whatever that means. To the betterment of mankind. Didn't quite understand what he meant but it includes fighting disease and death. Seems like an impossible fight to win.
Herr Emmanuel excused himself early. The conversation got even stranger then. The elf I shot is still alive. The Duke keeps him in the castle. He seems to think elves are more resistant to disease than humans. By studying the elf he hopes to learn something. Not sure how elves not getting sick applies to humans. But I'm neither a noble more a scientist, so what do I know of such things.
After the Duke had withdrawn for the night, I danced with Thesalva on the carpeted floor in front of the fireplace. The Duke keeps fine musicians. She smelled better than ever. I slept better than I had in a long time.
30th Jahrdrung
We rode in the Duke's coach towards Altdorf. First, we had to backtrack to the main road, then we sped south. Just the two of us, the manservant, and two coachmen. It promised to be a couple of uneventful days but nothing could be further from the truth.
A few hours into our journey, we came across a tree, felled across the road. A man, a mutant really, was feasting on the flesh of a fallen coachman. We killed it then proceeded around the bend in the road on foot. More mutants and a wrecked coach. Between the two of us, we shot them all dead.
That's when things got really strange...I'm not sure how to put this. We found a man in the bushes. One of the coach passengers. He was dead like the rest. Ax blow to the back of the skull. When we flipped him over...he was me. It was looking in the mirror. Like he was a twin I didn't know I had.
He had some papers on him. Kastor Liberung was his name. On his way to the town of Bögenhafen to meet with some solicitors. He's got a fief and a fortune waiting for him in Ubersreik. Sounds almost too good to be true. But a title and twenty thousand crowns? I have to think about this.
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