The Shadows Rise Up|Grandisle, Firegem Isles

[Kender Bard]

In the Ryker household, Concetta was just overseeing the breakfast of her family when she heard a long, mournful and chilling blast of horn. And then another and another. It was the signal for the attack.

Grandisle was facing Fireteeth.

"No," Concetta whispered, standing up so abruptly she knocked over her glass of juice. She grew intensely pale. "It can't be. Please tell me I'm imagining that sound."

[Skittlebug]

Kamilla drops her cutlery onto her plate in shock and looks to her mother, seeing her own shock and fear reflected back at her. Delilah had been right, and maybe some small part of her had believed it, but she hadn't wanted it to be true. So intensely that she'd ignore the possibility altogether.

Kadoc stiffens and looks down the table, to their four younger siblings, the youngest only ten years old. They already took our father and now they want more. He rises and puts a hand on Kamilla's shoulder. The twins share a brief look, then dart out of the room, heading for the highest balcony in their home.

[Kender Bard]

Concetta cried out, "Children wait!" The younger children had begun to look anxious and they rose and followed their mother as she chased after them.

From their vantage point, the Rykers could see the ugly truth. Far away, on the beaches to the south, lay the fleet of Fireteeth. The ugly grey sails billowed with the red teeth crest in the window, making it look like so many hungry, bloody mouths were waiting to devour them all. Soldiers had already beached and begun fighting on the sands against the Grandisle Guard.

"We have to get out of here," Concetta told them all. "Grab only what you need and throw it in a bag, all of you. We're going to the north docks."

[Skittlebug]

Kadoc turns from the balcony, jaw set, and ushers his siblings back inside before they can see too much. "Go on, you heard mother, hurry."

Kamilla watches for a moment longer, pressing her hands to her stomach, which was beginning to turn uncomfortably. She turns abruptly and takes a few deep breaths. "Mother, where will we go?"

"Kam, there's no time to stand around and talk. Come on, help me get them packed." Kadoc reaches a hand out to his sister, "If we don't they'll want to bring their whole rooms right?" His grin isn't exactly reassuring, but Kamilla nods and rushes off with him.

In short order all of the children are packed, lightly, and not without complaint from the younger ones. And perhaps a toy or two snuck into their bags that the twins didn't catch.

[Kender Bard]

People were beginning to cluster in the grand hall of the house, waiting for some kind of direction--servants and branch families alike.

Concetta was not there however. People waited nervously, shuffling, talking in low voices but not making a run for it yet, even though the tension was high. At last, Concetta appeared--a knife at her throat by one of the trusted House staff. She walked stiffly as her captor walked her forward, using her as a living shield as well as a hostage. Behind the female servant, a dozen or so other staff members, some known and some recently hired, stood ready with weapons and signs touched.

"I think we all need to calm down and handle this situation like the civilized people we all are," the servant announced in a haughty voice. "So everyone with a weapon, drop it. Everyone else get down on your knees with your hands in the air, fingers spread. If I see so much as a stirring of anything elemental, the dear Lady will be redecorating her floor red."

[Skittlebug]

"Mother!" Kamilla glares at the servant holding Concetta, "How could you..." for a moment she looks about to charge the whole lot of them. With a glance to her brothers and sisters, however, she complies, gathering the four of them around her.

Kadoc stands rigid, seething, his hand clenching and un-clenching as he stares at the woman.

[Kender Bard]

"Don't be difficult, Kadoc," the servant told him coolly. "Your temper will get the best of you yet." She drew the knife lightly over Concetta's throat, drawing a line of blood that trickled down her throat. "GET ON THE FLOOR!"

"Kadoc, please," Concetta whispered, sobbing. "Please, just listen to them!"

[Skittlebug]

"Kadoc, you can't help this way." Kamilla speaks quietly from behind him, her own eyes tearing up. She wipes them away hastily, trying to be brave for her brothers and sisters, as well as everyone else.

Grinding his teeth, Kadoc takes a slow step back and kneels beside Kamilla, glaring at the woman the whole time. "I'll kill her Kam," he promises in the barest whisper.

[Kender Bard]

"That's much better," the servant sneered. She turned to one of her loyal followers and ordered, "Go outside and raise the capture flag." The man ran off to do so, whatever her command meant. The servant turned her attention to the group and she nodded her head meaningfully. The rest of her gang spread themselves out in a rough circle around everyone.

"Kadoc, if I recall, you were learning the art of the family business to take over your House, but what about you Kamilla?" the servant asked with a sweet smile.

[Skittlebug]

Kamilla keeps her face calm for the most part, only a flicker or two of hatred and contempt seeping through. "You know full well what I've been learning. The other side of running a house."

Kadoc keeps his gaze level leveled at her, jaw set.

[Kender Bard]

"Good to know," she said in a near whisper.

It took a while, though their guards did not relax their vigilance even if they had to be growing bored watching a bunch of people kneeling on the floor. Eventually, though, armed pirates of Fireteeth entered the home.

The one leading them, another woman though this one far more grizzled looking, ordered everyone standing and in a line. Methodically, she went down the line and began to question people--who were they, what was their rank in the house, what was their age, their job?

One of the first people she questioned, a distant cousin to the relatives, when questioned, answered by spitting into the woman's face. The piratess, her cutlass already in hand, simply ran him through the belly, twisting it and then withdrawing it. He screamed, blood and guts spilling onto the floor. It was a horrible way to die and his shrill cries enunciated that agony perfectly.

The piratess wiped her face clean. "I suggest you all cooperate and keep your heroism and bold gestures to your imaginations alone," she snapped. Eventually she reached the Ryker heirs. "Names, ages, ranks, you know the drill by now."

[Skittlebug]

"Kadoc Ryker, 16...heir of the House." He meets her eye, but not as a challenge, not after the first man questioned.

"Kamilla Ryker,16, we are Concetta's children." She glances down to her 10 year old brother, holding him against her. "He is Pallab Ryker, he's 10." The other children, Rais 15, Violetta 14, and Aina 13, answer for themselves, all of them quiet and subdued.

[Kender Bard]

After they had been questioned the piratess began to select people to stand out of the line. First she selected all of house guard, which only amounted to a couple of men. Next she began to select the children who were ten years or younger, though she passed over toddlers and infants. She glanced at Pallab and pointed and one of the pirates with her reached out to drag the boy away from his sister.

[Skittlebug]

Pallab begins to wail as the pirate come for him, clinging to his sister. Kamilla kneels down quickly and throws her arms around him. "Pallab you have to be brave okay? For me and mother and everyone. We'll think of something."

She bites her lip as the pirates take him, fighting the urge to try and stop them, not able to bear the thought of them gutting her little brother like they did the man earlier. She keeps a brave face for him as long as she can, then turn and sobs quietly onto Kadoc's shoulder.

Kadoc wraps an arm around his twin and leans his head against hers, "Come now Kam, that won't do any good either, not for anyone. Do like you told Pallab. We'll be brave for each other." He puts his free hand on Rais' shoulder while the two girls lean against Kamillia with tears of their own.

[Kender Bard]

"How touching, but I didn't give you permission to break formation," the piratess said, slapping out at Kamilla with the flat of her sword. It wouldn't do more than sting, perhaps make a shallow cut. "You, come with me." She pointed at Kadoc. "The rest of you get to stay right here."