Chapter 11 - The Englund Estate

Englund Estate, Nespia, Therian Continent

It had been three days since Ellis Englund's arrest, and all was somewhat at peace on the Englund Estate property. The workers tended the crops and trimmed the bushes, seeing how Ellis' savings alone were likely enough to pay them all for a hundred years or maybe more. The sun was still high, so they sweated heavily while working; they didn't care though, after all, the job paid extremely well. Inside, butlers waited around without much at all to do. They'd all read the news, and were aware of the unfortunate state of their master. Still, somehow none of them even dared try to escape. There was a job to do.

The party of adventurers had arrived in the early afternoon to a warm welcome of weary workers searching for their master. None of them were in a particular mood for conversing though, and were quick to retire to their own quarters. Naomi to her bedroom, Ulfric to his, and Julie with Ingram to wherever was most private, Ulfric guessed. Ulfric stood at his bedroom door and waited, wondering if he should go in at all. Eventually, he decided against it.

He walked down the hallways with a sense of vague nostalgia. After all, he'd soon be leaving the place he called home for so long. He stopped in front of a family picture on the wall, a reminder of what once was. With Atika unaccounted for, three members of the Englund family were officially out of the picture, one for good. Ulfric turned his head away, he knew that reminiscing about the past was only a waste of the present. Down the halls he proceeded.

Ellis Englund's room was utterly abandoned. All over were some of the last movements he'd made in the house before departing, and all sorts of things that should surely only be read by the Chairman. Ulfric slowly opened the chiseled wooden door with gold lining, and ironically found it to have a creaky hinge. He stepped into the hallowed space and held still for a moment, breathing in the air, and perhaps some semblance of his father. Every second he remained, he felt as if a ghost was looking over his shoulder.

Ellis had never been a particularly present parent, but he did his best. He always seemed quite hard up or otherwise stressed about one thing or the other. As many fathers do, he left the mothering to their mother, while he was always away on some sort of business trip. Not to say that this behavior wasn't completely justified; in fact, Ulfric supported his father's decision that protecting the continent was far more important than raising a child. As such, while he and his siblings were there, clueless, Ellis was away in foreign lands, murdering people to solve problems.

The only real problem with this solution was that the mother he'd chosen was neglectful towards one of his children. Of course, Ellis himself was always quite obviously disappointed in the way Ulfric turned out, as shown with his behavior in constantly discouraging his will to be a warrior; this fact never stopped Ellis from loving Ulfric as his son, however. The same was not true for Helena Englund, who had no problem actively resenting her son for as long as she lived. So, when she died, it left Ulfric slightly happy, but left Ellis fumbling about and wondering what to do. The result was that, for the last few years, they'd been taken care of a lot by the butlers of the house.

Even so, and despite the unfortunate situation, Ulfric felt sorrow when he looked over the room. His father and his mother were not the same, this he knew. Ellis Englund was not so stubborn that he would deny it if he were to see a powerful warrior before his eyes. Ulfric needed to make sure that, when he finally saved him, he was powerful. He thought about Naomi's words to him before his father left, that he shouldn't worry about the approval of others. She was right, of course; though she wasn't the brightest, it seemed that she was usually correct in giving logical advice, especially if it was the kind the person didn't want to hear. Ulfric knew it himself though, the reality that he was too weak to be driven by his own ambition.

As he moved further into the room, he ran his hand over the furniture and saw dust. Truthfully, he couldn't be sure if it was dust from the last week, or if it had been there since Helena's passing. After all, it was never Ellis that did the cleaning, but his wife, who was the one staying in the room the majority of the time. It was a sad state of affairs to see unkempt furniture in a room once so lively as he recalled. Still, he moved around the room to inspect. There was a chair in the corner that was apparently a gift from Ulfric's grandfather, and a mirror with a giant crack down the middle. In Theria, a broken mirror was a sign, ironically, that you may be imprisoned.

It was on his father's work desk that he found what he was looking for. The papers strung about were various things, likely already in the hands of the new Chairman. Anything that might give Ulfric an advantage in the coming battle would be needed though, so he took a pile of papers into his hands. The balcony in his father's room was a perfect spot to look over different things, so he stepped outside into the windless day, covering his eyes from the sun. He sat where Ellis had sat, holding the academy acceptance letter in his hands just a week before. Ellis' spirit awakened in his body. He felt important, doing his duty like the chairman would, emulating his movements perfectly.

In that moment, he wondered what truly happened in the mind of Ellis Englund. Was he afraid? After all, like a lot of stoic warriors, he never really showed a semblance of personality. He never showed emotions, never strayed from a fight, and always did what needed to be done without exception. He was reliable in a way that Ulfric had yet to be. At that moment, the boy felt ashamed. Truthfully, he knew nothing about his father. His preferred foods, games, or even pastimes. Perhaps it was true that the Chairman of the Dragon Guard couldn't afford to have such things as free time.

No, there was one thing. A preference Ellis had passed on to Ulfric, his love for green tea. Truly, as he sat there and embodied his father perfectly, that was all that he was missing.

To: Ellis Englund, on the state of affairs at the Alterion/Eisendrach border.

That's not it.

To: Lord Chairman, regarding the rebellion in Western Nespia.

Probably not useful.

To: Mr. Ellis Englund, regarding a sum of taxes unpaid.

Juicy, but that's definitely not it.

To: Lord Ellis, about instability in the Alterion Monarchy.

Ulfric was getting somewhere, and this particular letter seemed to be of substance. It had the official royal seal of Alterion on it, and was addressed from the princess, next in line to the throne after the newly appointed king. Just a fluke? Or could it be that she knew something about the monarchy's tendency towards assassination?

Ellis Englund.

I know you are not a fan of my father, but I fear he is in danger. He and Lark often argue, and Lark says scary things like "your time will come" or "this era will end". I overheard him and my father arguing about something. Father yelled, "I'd never give you the throne in a million years!". Lark kept insisting that it didn't matter. He has a "benefactor". He threatened me, too, saying he'd get me out of the way. Because of this, my father has me enrolled in the Lancaster Academy, which will supposedly protect me better than the guards at home.

I fear for both my life, my mother's, and my father's. I send this message as a warning that there may be some sort of plot afoot to crumble the monarchy, and that it may in fact originate from my brother. Lord Ellis, do exercise caution and discretion in this matter. I pray for you, and I pray for the safety of this continent.

Maya Windermere

Ulfric spent the first few moments enthralled with Maya's handwriting. The message had been previously unopened, so it seemed his father hadn't had the chance to view it before leaving. This would explain a lot. Still, it seemed too convenient. Could it be that someone so useful could be residing at the school he'd be attending in just two week's time.

"Maya Windermere…" He mumbled to himself, setting the letter aside. In the rest of the stack, which seemed to be mail that arrived within the period of his father's absence, there wasn't anything too interesting. At the very bottom though, was one final letter with the seal of Lancaster Academy. Ulfric turned it over slowly, finding that it was addressed to one Ulfric Englund. Lost for breath in excitement, he realized it was a response to his response. But why?

He sliced the top and slid the paper out carefully, after all, he could frame something like it. The letter itself had another seal on it, and was handwritten, unlike the rest of their correspondence. Ulfric tilted his head in confusion, but started to read with bated breath.

Ulfric Englund.

I wished to send a letter to you in particular to inform you of why exactly you've been accepted to my prestigious institution, and to inform you that your request for a name change within our documents will be fulfilled.

As for your acceptance, I should have you know that it is not because of your lineage. In fact, everything about your lineage tells me I probably shouldn't let you anywhere near this place. Not to mention, your father sent me a very strongly worded letter urging me not to accept you. I was confused about this, frankly. I wonder, is it because he finds you dangerous? Surely if he thought there was no chance for your acceptance, he wouldn't have bothered sending a letter?

So. A father urging me to not, and history telling me the same. What am I to do in this scenario? My predecessor would have certainly just turned you away. I am not Herbert Green, and as such I am not so desperate to avoid change that I would turn away a useful prospect. The real reason is not any of this, though. The real reason is curiosity. I accepted you because I was curious. Do not let me down, Ulfric Englund, or your expulsion, I'm sure, will be quick, immediate, and hardly in my hands.

Best of luck, Director Indra Leewood of Lancaster Academy

Curiosity? Ulfric wasn't sure whether to be offended or flattered. The stuff about his lineage and even a threat to cap off the message. Director Indra had gone out of his way to make the message as threatening as possible, and to make it clear that Lancaster was not somewhere to play around; of course, Ulfric knew this already. What he didn't know was that his own father had also tried to sabotage his entry. But why?

Too many lines of thought, he shook his head around and slammed a palm into his forehead. Too many ideas to tackle, so many that his brain started to shut down. He needed to stop thinking about theories and instead figure out what it was that he already knew. The princess. The dangerous history. After all, he and his father obviously shared the same lineage; could this be one of the reasons for the imprisonment? Luckily, if Ulfric were to be the next target, he'd be protected inside of the university grounds similar to the princess.

"Ulfric? So this is where you've gotten to," Naomi said, standing in the doorway.

"Ah. Come sit with me. I was going through Father's letters."

"Right. Isn't that treason or something?"

"It probably is some sort of crime."

"Not that we care."

"Not that we care," Ulfric replied.

"So," Naomi started. "Anything of substance? What are you looking for anyways?"

Ulfric spent a few minutes getting Naomi up to date on both his motives and the contents of the letters. Maya's situation, and even the circumstance of his acceptance. Naomi bounced back and forth between interested and practically dozing off; Ulfric was constantly unsure of whether to continue.

"I see. Maya Minderwere. Our lineage?"

"Opposite. Switch those letters."

"Huh? Which ones?"

"Nevermind." Ulfric sighed.

"So what. You'll find this princess and then… What then?"

Ulfric raised a brow as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Well then we kill the king," he said casually.

Naomi dove across the table and put a hand on his mouth. "Are you fucking crazy?" She whispered. "Keep your mouth down, Mira's sake!"

"Eh? We're in the next country over!" Ulfric shoved his sister off. "Besides, it looks like Lark's public opinion isn't exactly stellar. The public would probably support us."

"You can't just go around killing kings. You can't even use magic! Stay in your lane. Get a good education. Go adventuring. I don't know!"

They stood face to face now, the letter lying on the table between them. Naomi seemed to feel extremely passionately about this particular issue. Ulfric was clueless as to why, and would continue to be this way. He couldn't comprehend that her care for him transcended the will for the greater good.

"You feel strongly about this," he said.

"When you say crazy things like that, you sound like Ingram. Don't you think?"

"Don't you dare compare me to him. Ingram is a passionate fool. I have a plan."

"What plan? March into the royal palace with a dumb extendable sword and a dream?"

Ulfric stuffed both of the letters into his pocket. "Naomi… Do you even give a shit about this continent?"

"I care about you more than the lives of some people I don't even know!" She grew angry.

Ulfric sighed, stepping towards the door. "Then how about you stay in your lane, Naomi? That mentality is why you're the musician and I'm the hero. Got it?"

"Brother…"

"I'm going for a walk."

* * *

Later, they all conferred in the dining room. A grand table where their father would entertain all sorts of high profile guests. They didn't intend to eat, though, instead rolling out a map over the table. Ingram was scribbling on it with a quill, while the rest of them just watched on, unsure of the purpose of this particular exercise. For all they knew, this was one of Ingram's dumb pranks, or some fool's errand. With two weeks to spare, they'd likely have to put up with a lot of them.

"What is this, Ingram?" Ulfric finally asked.

"A travel path," Ingram said immediately

"Eh?"

"A travel path. Am I speaking too quietly?"

"N-no. I just mean… For what? Where are we traveling?"

Ingram raised a brow. "To the school? What are you on about?"

"Can't we just take the portal?"

"Absolutely not. I don't know the portal operator in Easton. It was a one way trip."

"You've gotta be kidding me."

"I'm not, regrettably."

Ingram smiled to himself as he drew perfectly straight lines. Ulfric always recalled that his handwriting and art skills were consistently terrible, so seeing this improvement was quite a shock. Did Ingram waste a whole credit at a combat school to take writing classes? That wasn't the brother he knew.

The line went across the country in a confident curve. First, it followed the exact trail they'd walked to Easton. There, they'd get on a train to avoid having to hike through the Northern Tunnel or the Killers. The train would take them to port Emerald in Alterion, which was only a half-week walk from Lancaster. This route relied on quite a few things, the first being that a war hadn't broken out by the time they got there, Ingram explained.

"Additionally, if the trains happen to be out of service, which it is quite frequently, the trip would end up taking our entire two weeks."

Ulfric scowled. "I get what you're saying. To mitigate risk, we ought to leave by morning, is your next line.

 "To mitigate risk, we ought to leave by–" Ingram paused. "The hell?"

"Yeah," Ulfric smiled.

Julie and Naomi burst out laughing in the background.

"Just my luck," Ulfric said. "I don't even get to enjoy home for a few days?"

"How do you think I feel? I haven't been here for two years! I haven't even gotten to show Julie around."

"Lovely place by the way," Julie added.

"Ah. Thanks. If only our father were here to greet you," Ulfric replied.

They all went silent. The many photos of him on the walls of the grand dining room didn't do much to help. Many important people had graced the halls of the house, once including the current king of Nespia, too. For such an important person to be missing, it left a hole in the world of many, not just them.

"You're right, Ingram," Ulfric said, determined. "We'll leave by morning."

"Brother!" Naomi cried out, having not said anything the whole conversation. Ulfric brought a hand down, indicating to lower the volume, and she backed away, ashamed.

"It can't be helped," Ulfric doubled down.

Ingram frowned. "Right. Rest up, we move out by morning."

* * *

The halls were empty but for a few butlers that eventually retired to their quarters. Red carpets ran down each hallway, covered in paintings and photos. A single rat scurried across, undetected. It went through many rooms on the first floor, originating from a cellar. The piano room and the opening hall. The ball room. The kitchen. Eventually the grand library, where it was detected by a single quick and watchful eye. This rat was smart, however, and immediately turned tail.

Ulfric Englund closed the book he'd been reading, satisfied. Here, in the dead of night, he'd gotten no sleep. There were many books he might find useful in his time, so it would be ideal to cram as much knowledge as he could, and take the rest with him. He ended up making a mess of the library, with tumbled ladders and messy piles of books and postcards and artifacts of all sorts. He eventually made his way out, covered in dust and grime. Just how many hands had touched those books he did not know, but he only left with two in his arms.

With the grand library doors closed, he doubled around the hallways a few times out of boredom before returning to his room. There, he packed a backpack with all sorts of memories of home. Inside he stuffed a few dress shirts and pants, the letters, his dagger, rings, the gun he'd stolen, and a pocket watch. With this backpack hung on his door, he flopped into his bed and fell unconscious until morning.

It was a less than ideal day to set out on a journey, after all, it was pouring rain by then. They all stood under the brief underhang at the front of the manor. One of them would not be attending the journey, and so this only added to the sour mood. Naomi embraced Ulfric for what seemed like minutes on end. She was crying, but Ulfric did not. Confident in himself, he knew he would live to see his sister again, even if he did kill the king. He chuckled after thinking about that in his head, leading Naomi to believe he was laughing at her.

"Stupid brother," she mumbled, buried in his chest.

"Naomi…" He said. When he searched for the words, he thought of all sorts of embarrassing things he couldn't say out loud. I'll miss you, sis. He hoped that she understood how he felt, even if he didn't say a word.

"Stay safe. That includes you, Ingram." Naomi moved to give a hug to both him and Julie in turn. "Juliette. Take care of him."

"Of course," Julie replied, smiling at Ingram over Naomi's shoulder.

"And Ulfric… Don't let anybody tell you you don't belong."

Ulfric let a grin crack across his face. "Who do you think I am?"

"That's the spirit. Now get out of here. Enjoy the weather."

Naomi had always been something of a crutch to Ulfric, an anchor to hold him in place. Whenever he came to doubt himself, she'd be there to pick him up. In the instant he'd leave her, he was leaving behind his system of support. Ulfric Englund was no longer a child in need of assurance; it was his turn to instead believe in himself, and to pass those teachings onto someone else until he could meet his dear sister again. Still, with such change, he couldn't help but allow tears to build up in the corners of his vision.

They waved their goodbyes and set off into the tempest. Fields of soaking wheat flowed around them in the wild winds. They put hoods up on black cloaks, just barely protecting from the violent water beating against their faces. From the porch, Naomi watched them go. One year until she could join them there. Tears worked down her face, unseen in the rain. She took one last look before turning back to the house.

Ulfric's hands were in his pockets, and the trio said nothing to each other, as any words would be unheard in the storm. His fists were clenched in anger that he had to leave his home, and in determination to conquer what might come. He wouldn't be defeated by a storm or by any mortal. He'd made it so far with the entire world attempting to break him down. By pride and competitiveness alone, he'd reach for victory and seize it. As of now, that victory was nowhere near being in sight.

The edge of the property, and the gates to the estate. Two guards were on watch, and they gave respectful nods to them as they passed. Ulfric looked into the forest beyond where he'd so often play and train. The place where their mother was buried. Ingram, surely, was thinking the same thing, though he did not know that it was her resting place. Ulfric decided that it might be appropriate to steer him in that direction, seeing how he'd never gotten to say goodbye.

"This is–" Ingram said.

"Uh huh."

The grave of Helena Englund was in a small clearing surrounded by trees. The area was covered by a canopy so dense that no rain could get through. All that was there was a perfectly polished marble headstone with her name on it. Loving wife and mother, beside it was the Englund family crest. A load of crap, Ulfric thought. Ingram was different, and he'd loved their mother with his whole heart. There was nothing even Julie could do to stop the coming breakdown that was coming. For only a moment, Ulfric thought that maybe this detour was a mistake.

Ingram stepped forward once and then twice. They were slow, tiny and deliberate steps. Steps made as if he was uncertain of what he was looking at, despite Ulfric's insistence. He reached his hands out in front of him as if grasping at a ghost, grasping at the mother who he could not hold one last time as she died, alone and missing her son. Ingram's legs gave out in that very instant, and now he clawed at the front of her headstone. Ulfric had never seen someone's mental state change so rapidly, like an hourglass of mental decline. Before them, Ingram had started to cry.

The past crept into Ulfric's mind. His father had also wept in a similar fashion soon after Helena had died. Atika and Naomi were just over his shoulder, also weeping. Ulfric, with the butlers, had stood at the back, just waiting for it to be over. The truth was, though he felt as if he should've loved his mother, at that moment he was just happy he'd no longer have to deal with her. At that moment when he watched Ingram cry, he felt no different. Loud, visceral screams filled his ears. Ulfric thought that the duality in this scenario couldn't have been more different; still, everyone deserves someone to cry for them. For Helena, this person would be Ingram.

He kept his hands in his pockets. Though it hurt him to see his brother act in such a way, he held no emotion but contempt for Helena Englund. His face was blank, emotionless, his cloak blowing in the wind. His eyes narrowed, staring at the family crest, so much so that they lost focus. It was to her, watching down on him, that he'd prove his worth. His coming success would not be one that she was invited to share.

Goodbye, mother.