ã€ŠScianeus&#x27;s Orphans Sagaã€‹


 Chapter 1: Unexpected visitors

    No matter how many stones you stack, it takes but a moment for it all to crumble.

    For the orphans in Saint Scianeus''s orphanage, it was as normal a day as any. They woke up at the break of dawn for the morning prayers, followed by a hearty breakfast meal at the refectory, and then headed to the classroom for their daily lecture.

    The lecture hall was a humble building; cold wind flew in from the cracks, and the desks were made from old splintered wood. However, the children never showed any signs of annoyance or dissatisfaction. That was all due to the debt they felt to the man standing before them.

    The orphanage director was in his early fifties. Gray hairs were appearing at the sides of his head, and a band was covering his right eye. He stood tall in front of the children, returning their warm gazes with a smile and signaling the start of the lesson.

    The lessons often varied. Wanting to prepare them for the harsh world outside, the director taught them multiple subjects to help them survive. The most crucial one was self-reliance. He taught them how to hunt and skin their prey, how to barter and sell the fur, and how to sharpen their knives afterward, for he knew that if they did not rely on themselves, they would be tossed aside by the world.

    However, today was a different matter. It was a lesson on the importance of collaboration; he would teach them that man is a civil creature, and one must embrace society instead of shunning it.

    "Think of a small village consisting of a farmer, a woodcutter, and a blacksmith. The woodcutter and blacksmith need grain to eat; the farmer and blacksmith need firewood for the winter and cooking, and charcoal for the forge; and both the farmer and woodcutter need their tools. If one was removed, the system would crumble."

    One of the children, Herbert, a large kid compared to the others, snickered and said:

    "I will not be like these people, waiting for others to tie my shoelaces. I will be a strong knight. All I need on the battlefield is my sword and muscles." He turned around and flexed his arm for the others to see while laughing, then quickly adjusted his posture after he felt the director''s gaze.

    The director''s warm smile transformed into a stern face after hearing of battle. He gazed into the horizon for a few moments before his eyes met those of Arlen, a timid blonde kid who rarely spoke a word, yet he could always feel his eyes light up when discussing history and battles.

    The director recognized the importance of discussing history and military battles, knowing full well that these children would inevitably be drawn into such a scenario in this conflict-infested world, but he always did it with a heavy heart.

    Hesitating, the director grabbed a piece of chalk and said:

    "This is also true in battle, Herbert. Now pay attention, son."

    Then he started drawing on the board. He drew a river and a few small hills, and on each bank of the river stood an army. The northern army was composed of infantry and archers and lacked horsemen, but the southern army had all three unit types. This was the famous battle of the Svanka River.

    "In battles, as in life, units must work in harmony. Archers rain arrows on the enemies from a distance, covering the infantry. The infantry protects the archers and fights in close range, all the while the cavalry protects the flanks while receiving support from them as well. This is the ideal circle that a commander must maintain."

    "The northern army lacked cavalry, so despite possessing superior numbers and having both the champion of shields and the champion of bows as commanders, they suffered a humiliating defeat after a portion of their army crossed the bridge because they couldn''t respond to the speed of mounted riders. And the north has never crossed the river since then."

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    The director then looked at Herbert and said, "One man cannot change the tide of a battle alone, son. The trust in your friends is as important as the one you have in your skills. Dirrar''s tutoring may improve your skills, but developing an eye for judging friends is also crucial."

    Another boy stood up, his hair was black and unkempt, and his eyes shone like emeralds. He shared Arlen''s ambition for strategy but was bold and brazen, recognized as the leader of the children and only respected the director. He asked:

    "Why would the northern army break the circle and not include cavalry, despite having two exalted champions as commanders?"

    The director shook his head and said, "Their infighting was their downfall. They wanted to reap all the glory of conquering the border fortress of Belira and excluded all the other champions from the campaign, including the horse lord, the champion of riders. Take this as a lesson to discern friend from foe and not be blinded by greed to get ahead of your allies. That concludes our lesson for today."

    The children then left the classroom and headed to the courtyard. There, they split into groups, and some of them started taking care of the grown vegetables and the few domesticated animals. As Dirrar went out to the city for the monthly supply voyage, combat lessons were suspended for the day, so others centered around Joshua started playing around and practicing with their wooden swords while Arlen stood alone in the corner watching.

    While the director was in his rectory sorting through documents, he heard the sound of approaching riders. He headed to his window to check and saw over a dozen men outside the orphanage gate, dressed in brown robes and covering their faces. He quickly opened an obscure closet and took out a suit of chain mail armor and a sword. Then, suddenly, his door opened and a little girl came in.

    It was Jasmine, the youngest of the orphans, clearly flustered from the sudden visitors, and she came to hide behind him. The director put on a reassuring smile and patted her head, reassuring her. Her red heart glistened in the sun. He finished donning his armor and sword and covered them with his usual white robes.

    He then took Jasmine''s hand and headed to the courtyard, where he called for Joshua and asked him to gather his siblings and lead them out the secret gate. Joshua started protesting, wanting to accompany him, but the unfamiliar urgency and commanding tone of the director quickly made him accept. All the while, the knocking sound of the intruders kept getting louder.

    Joshua quickly gathered everyone and started heading to the hidden exit, all the while nervously staring back at the director, a feeling in his heart telling him this might be the last time they meet.

    As soon as Joshua entered the storage room that contained the exit, the gate burst open.

    Making his way towards the hidden entrance, Joshua could hear the intruders'' footsteps swarming the courtyard and the sound of the director addressing them. He was worried about the fate of the man he regarded as a savior and family, but for now, he had to save the lives of his siblings, a heavy responsibility for a 14-year-old kid to shoulder.

    Joshua had never understood the need for this passage before. It was as mysterious as the identity of the man who saved him from a life of potential destitution and granted him the closest thing to a warm, kind embrace of a family he could hope for. But today, he was grateful for it as he navigated the maze-like structure.

    All the children understood the gravity of the situation as they navigated the secret passage built by Madame Zenobia, the wife of the director and their social interactions tutor. Making use of the dim light seeping through the roof, they started making their way towards the already memorized path in total silence.

    Back in the courtyard, as the intruders started spilling into the orphanage, the director kept observing their movements. He noticed that most of them were a disorganized mob wearing the emblems of a local mountain bandit group. However, what caught his eyes were the three figures in the back.

    As the rest of the group started pillaging the orphanage, ignoring him, the three men, large in stature and with their hoods still covering their heads, kept staring at him with uneasiness in their eyes. The silence was only broken by a late arrival who was making his way inside.

    As soon as he entered the courtyard, the director''s eyes widened in shock as the three men knelt before him and ordered the rest of the group to stay silent.

    As he took off his robe and gripped his sword, his white armor shone under the glistening sun. His gray hair fell over his shoulders and a scar ran from his right cheek, nearly reaching his left eye. His gaze met that of the intruder, and he could see signs of alarm despite the director maintaining his usual stern face and calm demeanor.

    The intruder then snickered and said, "It has been quite a while, old friend..."

 Chapter 2: Eliminating variables

    Joshua continued through the secret passage and soon reached the exit; there, he ordered Herbert to exit the hole first, and together they started helping their younger siblings up. Once they were all outside, they proceeded to head to a small cabin inside the forest where Dirrar and the director often took them to hunt.

    They rested inside the cabin, exhausted from the lack of oxygen and tiring march. Joshua handed out some of the meat jerky that was kept inside, and they all gobbled it up instantly. Joshua then took stock of the situation and counted the number of his siblings: 7, 8, 9... someone was missing!

    Joshua frantically started counting and recounting, trying to remember who was missing. Then Jasmine approached him and said, "I... I think I saw Arlen turn back while you were helping us climb out of the hole."

    Joshua started panicking; he was unsure of what to do. On one hand, he was entrusted with the lives of his 8 siblings currently with him, many of them barely over the age of 9. On the other, he was not prepared to abandon Arlen, whom, despite the little interaction the two of them had, he considered a friend.

    Noticing his perturbed state, Sai, the second-in-command in Joshua''s little group, attempted to calm him down.

    He was a pragmatic kid who often excelled in planning and weighing risk against benefit. He knew that potentially sacrificing the group to rescue Arlen was a bad idea, especially given that the situation in the orphanage was unclear.

    He reminded Joshua of the director''s words and the urgency of the situation, so Joshua accepted his words, frustrated with himself for failing to protect his sibling and not being able to carry out the director''s orders completely.

    Joshua then stood up and grabbed the attention of all of his siblings, their eyes fixated on him as they huddled together, trying to keep themselves warm, with the gray clouds gathering above. Joshua steeled himself for the sake of his group and said, "I know we are all worried about what''s happening back in the orphanage. The director entrusted me with your safety, and I will do my best to protect you."

    One of the boys, Altan, a golden-brown-skinned boy, shorter than Herbert but more physically gifted and brave, often the most renowned in hunts and always bragging about the time he killed a hibernating bear, stood up and asked, "When will we go back home? The little meat jerky we had is gone."

    Joshua shook his head and said, "We will not be returning today. We will sleep here in the cabin and go back tomorrow. For now, Altan, Reynard, and I will go catch something to eat. Sai will take Herbert and Teuta to gather firewood and some water. Jasmine, Sylvia, Loretta, and Sarai will stay and prepare the meal later."

    With orders dispatched, the voice of the director emphasizing the need for collaboration started ringing in their ears, and they found solace in this sense of unity and solidarity as they started preparing to head out.

    Joshua grabbed the weapons that Dirrar had stashed away and started distributing them to the hunting party. There was only one axe, and he gave it to Herbert for cutting wood. He made sure to instruct Jasmine not to open the door to anyone other than her brothers, and then headed out with Altan and Reynard.

    Back in the orphanage, as the bandits rummaged through the buildings, they found nothing of note to plunder but a handful of silver coins and a few herbs and animals in the courtyard.

    Visibly enraged, one of them shouted out to the gray-haired man as he approached the director, "This place is a damn dump! I didn''t come here all the way from Mount Baedu for chump change. Are you sure this old fool is the Winged General? Oi, old man! Where''s your stash?" He pulled out his dagger and waved it around the director''s face.

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    The director paid him no mind. His surprise over the reveal of the gray-haired man having subsided, he returned to his usual calm and stern demeanor and asked, "What brought you all the way here, Godwin? Accompanied by bandits, no less?"

    Still on his guard, Godwin scratched his head and signaled to his subordinates. As they started searching the courtyard for hidden traps, he turned to the director and shrugged. "I heard you ran off with that old fox. I can''t be too careful."

    After careful examination, his men confirmed the absence of any surprises. He stepped forward, his grip resting on the sword at his belt, and said, "When I first heard the rumors, I didn¡¯t believe them. Who would''ve thought that the Winged General was playing house deep in the forest?"

    He looked around the deserted, shabby buildings and trampled-upon courtyard and continued, "Is this what you ran away for? Creaky floors and dirty walls, a handful of vegetables and a few chickens?"

    He became visibly enraged at the director''s silence and shouted, "My master wasted all these years looking for you, wanting to settle the debt he had, but you were hiding here, playing father to children you caused misfortune."

    He laughed out loud and said, "Do they even know who you are? What hides behind the face of the man they look up to?"

    The director hung his head low for a few moments, then quickly regained composure, still without saying anything.

    Godwin continued, "I heard he followed you, but seeing as he isn¡¯t out here chopping our limbs off, I take it that your warrior Dirrar is absent. It seems all my preparations were for naught..."

    The director suddenly shouted, taking everyone by surprise. "I asked, why have you come here, soldier? How long will you keep rambling?"

    Godwin was angered and shouted back, "I am no longer a soldier! I am the First Captain of the division, and you will show me respect!"

    The director chuckled. "Giving a traitor the First Captain position? It seems the confederation is desperate. Does your so-called master know that you''re here?"

    "Of course not. I have a reputation to protect, after all," replied Godwin. "Which brings us to why our esteemed companions are here. Today, the Scianeus Orphanage was attacked by bandits and destroyed, and the director¡ªwho turned out to be the Winged General¡ªwas murdered. My master will be sad when he hears it, but he will be too busy with the upcoming war."

    "No one knows I am here, and killing one man will do little harm to the kingdom," stated the director.

    "Oh, but it will. The plan for the downfall of the kingdom is already set in motion. We can''t have something unexpected like the legendary general returning from retirement due to a sense of patriotism and reversing the tide of war. I am simply eliminating variables," said Godwin.

    "You seem to think that getting rid of me is a simple task," responded the director as he unsheathed his sword and cut the hand of the bandit who was still holding a dagger to his face.

    Godwin laughed and said, "True, it''s a shame we couldn''t find any children; it could have made things easier. I suspect this is Zenobia''s doing, so looking for them is too much of a hassle." Then he signaled to his subordinates, and they slowly started to surround the director. "Still, putting a retired veteran down can¡¯t be that difficult."

    Seeing how their comrade lost his hand in the blink of an eye and hearing his wailing, the rest of the bandits were spooked. Godwin scoffed at them and muttered how they were useless as he and his men slowly started approaching the director from all sides.

    They felt safe in their numbers. The man before them had been retired for close to a decade. They thought he was out of practice, easy prey, but they were gravely mistaken.

    The director used their hesitation and lethargic approach. In an agility that belied his age, he swiftly shifted his body around and lunged at the man approaching him from behind, his hand calmly springing forward like an eagle in ascent. His sword passed through the helmet''s visor, and his opponent was dead on impact.

    Quickly retracting his blade, he refocused his attention on the three remaining opponents. They were shocked by the sudden display of swordsmanship, with Godwin gritting his teeth and cursing at him.

    But the director knew he couldn''t keep this up forever. He realized that his age had caught up with him, and he was no longer the young man he once was. That little lightning-fast maneuver had exerted his body to its limits, and he felt exhausted.

    Nonetheless, his expression never changed. He cleared the blood from his blade and adjusted his stance while slowly retreating. Even if this was his last day on earth, he felt at ease that he was the only one there. No one else needed to die today.

 Chapter 3: Lingering regret

    As Altan knelt to examine the animal tracks, he could tell that they belonged to a deer. He pointed to his companions in the direction of the tracks and signaled for them to keep silent.

    After a while, they arrived at a small stream. Its banks were covered with dry autumn leaves. The soothing sound of running water and the small crunchy noises of the leaves comforted their weary bodies, briefly alleviating their concerns.

    Such comfort did not last, however. Aware that his siblings would starve if he failed to catch this deer, Joshua ordered them not to approach further. He was concerned that stepping on the dry leaves would alert the deer to their presence and spook it away.

    Being the only one holding a bow, he resolved to shoot it from a distance. The boy had only two arrows in his quiver. He knew there was no room for error.

    As he nocked his arrow, he recalled the director''s instructions. He had taught him how to control his breathing and aim for the vital points. Joshua remembered the scolding he received for letting an animal suffer after missing his shot once. This memory weighed heavy on his heart, fueling his determination to honor the director''s teachings.

    As soon as the deer finished drinking from the stream and lowered its head, Joshua loosed his arrow... Thwump!

    The arrow found its mark. The deer fell into the stream, thrashing around briefly. Eventually, the grunting sounds stopped as it breathed its last, and soon all that remained was the sound of the stream and the crackling of leaves as a few rabbits darted away, startled.

    Reynard was dissuaded from chasing after them. They needed to save their energy, especially now that the situation was still unclear.

    Joshua and Reynard carried the deer¡¯s corpse while Altan guarded them on the way back. Reynard grumbled about having to hold the head of the deer, its blood slowly dripping onto his clothes, but he was quickly silenced by a concerned Altan.

    Altan knew that the smell of blood in the forest could spell trouble, and soon his fears were confirmed when a growling noise was heard from a distance, accompanied by the sound of hooves rustling through the leaves!

    Alarmed, the group quickened its pace. Recognizing the distinct growling of a boar and not wanting to be caught out in the open, they frantically searched their surroundings for a safe area.

    Soon, they spotted a grove where trees grew too close together and decided to make their stand there. They laid the deer¡¯s corpse down behind them and gripped their weapons.

    Joshua, displaying his usual tactical genius, quickly hatched a plan. Altan, recognized as the most physically gifted, exchanged his short knife for Reynard''s spear. Joshua would fire his last arrow and draw the boar toward him. Altan would then raise the spear at the last moment to skewer the boar as Joshua jumped aside. Reynard and Joshua would use their short knives to finish off the impaled beast.

    Soon, the stampeding beast became visible, and everyone took their positions. Joshua began taunting the boar, trying to force it through the narrowest tree spacing. He loosed his arrow, but it failed to penetrate the boar''s skull. The animal''s eyes glinted with rage, and it began charging toward its target, foaming at the mouth. It had become a rabid beast, bent on lodging its sharp tusks into the man who had dared anger it.

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    Joshua understood that the beast was blinded by fury and bided his time, waiting until it was only a couple of feet away as he struggled to quell his anxiety. As the boar passed through the clearing, he shouted, "Now, to the right!" and jumped to the side. Altan let out a battle cry and surged forward from his prone position with the spear, piercing the boar''s belly as it tried to follow Joshua¡¯s movements.

    As Altan struggled to hold back the momentum of the boar, it continued to squirm and grunt heavily. Reynard swiftly pounced forward, repeatedly stabbing the back of its neck in a frenzy, blood gushing from the wound and splattering over his face.

    Meanwhile, Joshua rummaged for his knife, nearly dropping it due to the excessive sweat on his hands. Finally, he got a good grip and thrust it upward into the boar''s skull, ending its struggle.

    As the exhausted trio lay on the ground and breathed easily, Altan let out a celebratory cry. He shared Dirrar''s free spirit and always participated in his post-hunt ceremony, covering his face with the prey''s blood, but for now, he was too exhausted to move and simply wanted to savor the rush of victory a little longer...

    --

    The situation back at the orphanage looked grim. The director¡¯s body was covered in stab wounds, and an arrow was wedged in his left shoulder, rendering that arm unusable. He panted from exhaustion due to the prolonged confrontation.

    He had managed to get rid of yet another opponent, prompting Godwin to order more bandits to join the battle, promising them additional gold. The cowardly bandits tried to riddle the director with arrows and knives from a distance, and he was on his last legs.

    Seeing him starting to reel from side to side, the bandits moved in like hyenas, coveting his sword and armor. One of them sprang forth from behind while the rest kept him distracted with arrows and knives. A few found their mark, and the attacker stabbed him in the back.

    The general let out a muffled grunt from the pain and swung his body around, leading with his sword and cleaving the chest of his backstabber in two. Struggling to regain his balance, Godwin quickly rushed forward, shoving aside the rest of the bandits itching to strike the final blow.

    His blade struck true, piercing the director¡¯s stomach. His eyes beamed with excitement. As the director¡¯s arms slumped to the side and his sword dropped from his hands, it seemed all was over. But at that moment, the director swung his right arm around, removed the blade lodged in his back, and, using every ounce of strength, slashed upwards.

    The knife ran across Godwin¡¯s face from the bottom of his jaw toward his left eye, connecting with his existing scar to form an upside-down V shape, finally reaching his left eye.

    Godwin stumbled backward, and his last remaining knight dragged him away to tend to his wounds as the director¡¯s body fell to the ground, blood rushing from his pierced stomach.

    In his final moments, many thoughts surged through the director¡¯s mind: longing for a final meeting with his spouse, regret over parting with the children so suddenly without a farewell, and worry for their safety.

    Then he began to remember his past¡ªthe countless battles he led and the struggles he faced. Guilt weighed on his chest as he wondered if he had come any closer to redemption for his grave sins, as Saint Scianeus had.

    His thoughts were interrupted by the faint sound of footsteps approaching. It seemed he couldn¡¯t even watch his life flash before his eyes in peace.

    He chuckled, thinking his enemies couldn¡¯t even trust him to die properly and had come to finish the job.

    The footsteps stopped a short distance away, and after a few moments of anticipation, the director grew annoyed. As he started to open his eyes, ready to urge them to get it over with, he did not see the metal boots of knights, but the feet of a small child. In shock, he looked up and found that it was Arlen, the small, timid boy.

    Crestfallen, the director tried to gesture for him to run, but he couldn''t move his limbs, and his voice betrayed him. Arlen stared with a blank expression as the only man who had ever extended his arm to him and loved him unconditionally lay in a pool of his blood.

    After a short daze, the boy dropped to his knees in the blood and started patting the director¡¯s head. Tears trickled from his gray eyes, though his expression remained unchanged. He did not utter a sound as he witnessed the director draw his final breath.

 Chapter 4: Winding down

    The bandits were confused by his sudden appearance and shoved him aside, questioning him about where he came from. When no answer was forthcoming, they hurriedly searched the interiors, tearing the floorboards apart and tossing wardrobes and cupboards aside, trying to find the hidden entrance but to no avail.

    While this happened, Godwin and his subordinate tried to salvage his left eye, but he cut it out instead, seeing as it was futile. That¡¯s when he noticed a small blonde kid standing over the general¡¯s corpse, staring daggers at him.

    Godwin stood up, walked past him, knelt to grab the eye patch from the director, and covered his left eye with it. He barked, ¡°What good was struggling till the very end?¡± Then, spitting at the corpse, he added, ¡°You should have just slumped over and died quietly.¡±

    He then turned his attention to Arlen and said, ¡°Are you one of his little toys, using you to play savior while chasing something as vain as redemption?¡±

    Seeing how Arlen maintained his emotionless expression and unblinking gaze, as if trying to carve Godwin¡¯s face into memory, Godwin began laughing hysterically. ¡°A little mutt wants to take revenge against a lion, ahahahaha! Well, this should be fun. Go on then, grab it and come at me!¡± He gestured at the director¡¯s sword lying beside his corpse.

    The brigands were amused by this turn of events, cheering Arlen on and placing bets on how long he would last. As Arlen extended his slender arm to grab the sword, he barely managed to lift it off the ground. He made a clumsy swing that almost tipped him over as the blade slipped from his grasp.

    Everyone laughed hysterically, mocking him. Godwin scratched his head in disappointment, having lost interest. He told the bandits to do as they wished with Arlen. One of them stepped forward, undoing his belt buckle, his mouth watering as he reached out to grab the boy.

    As Godwin turned and started walking away, adjusting the eye patch over his eye, he heard a loud grunt. Arlen had grabbed the director¡¯s knife and shoved it into the groin of his would-be assaulter, leaving him squirming in pain.

    Arlen then twisted the knife around, cutting out the man¡¯s right eye, and took out an eye patch hidden in the director¡¯s pocket¡ªa memento he had made for him. All the while glaring at Godwin, Arlen never made a sound.

    The gutted brigand, enraged and eager to kill the boy, was stopped by his companions. ¡°If the boss lady finds out about this, she¡¯ll skin ya alive. You know how she doesn¡¯t like harming kids.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t even tell her about this job. She won¡¯t find out anyway! I¡¯m gonna kill this little shit and defile his corpse.¡±

    ¡°Defile him with what? You already lost your balls! We still gotta explain how we lost two men and your junk, dimwit. We can¡¯t show her all the gold we got, or we¡¯ll end up penniless,¡± one of the bandits said, preparing a rope. ¡°We¡¯ll take him for now and offer him to her. She¡¯s got a soft spot for blondes; maybe she¡¯ll let us be.¡±

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    Godwin, impressed by Arlen¡¯s fighting spirit, considered taking him along but was already short after paying the bandits their fee. He still had a long trip ahead of him.

    He recovered his subordinates'' bodies and had the orphanage burned down. He stopped a fight from breaking out when the bandits wanted to loot the corpses, simply handing over their armor and brushing aside his attendant¡¯s protests.

    As the flames consumed the old, creaky wood, Arlen trailed along, holding the director¡¯s sword with both arms. When the bandits tried to take it from him, he almost turned feral. Seeing that he could barely lift it and followed obediently, they allowed him to carry it for now. Soon, the crackling sound of the burning wood grew distant as the group vanished into the horizon.

    --

    Back in the forest, Joshua and his friends were done with their short break. The trio was now contemplating their next course of action.

    On the one hand, they didn¡¯t know how long they would need to stay stranded in the forest. Ever since they escaped the orphanage that morning, they had to assume the worst-case scenario had happened.

    They didn¡¯t want to risk hunting again, fearing that riders might comb the forest looking for them, so tossing aside this heaven-sent prey was out of the question. However, carrying this 100-kilogram boar back along with the deer was beyond their physical ability.

    Pressed for time and with the smell of blood lingering in the air, they had no way of knowing when other predators might show up unannounced. They were, in essence, ringing the dinner bell for anything within a few miles.

    Altan had an idea: ¡°Quick! Help me cover this boar with leaves,¡± he said, gathering various herbs like sage and pine needles. After covering the boar sufficiently, he began breaking apart the herbs in his hands, scattering them over the pile of leaves. ¡°This should be enough to mask the smell for now. We¡¯ll return before the meat starts to rot.¡±

    As they carried the deer back to the cabin, Joshua periodically carved symbols onto trees to mark the direction of the boar.

    When they finally arrived, Reynard was the first to notice the pillars of smoke rising in the distance. Joshua nearly went into a frenzy, trying to rush toward the orphanage and almost tripping in his haste.

    Fortunately, the firewood-gathering team was just returning. Sai, realizing what was happening, rushed off to stop him. He grabbed Joshua by his shirt, continuously urging him to snap out of it while being dragged to the ground.

    It took the combined effort of Sai, Herbert, and Teuta to finally stop Joshua in his tracks, throwing him to the ground as he continued trying to inch forward.

    Sai reminded him of his duty as a leader, imploring him not to abandon his responsibilities and warning him of the fate that could await the group if he were to leave, especially with the situation unclear and the enemies'' whereabouts unknown.

    Joshua regained his composure, apologized for his outburst, and thanked his siblings for stopping his reckless actions.

    They then headed back to the cabin, which was abuzz with activity. Everyone gathered around the fire, enjoying their plates of venison¡ªwell, everyone except Herbert, who was dragged by Altan to retrieve the boar, amidst the group¡¯s chuckling.

    Thus, their hectic day came to a somewhat peaceful end, with the group huddling together for their first night, as the crackling of burning firewood died down into the quiet of the night.

 Chapter 5: Setting off

    It had been three days since the attack. Through their cooperation and sense of responsibility, and under Joshua''s leadership, the group managed to pull through the hardships.

    They were not close to starving anytime soon, as they still had plenty of food left from their hunt, but they couldn''t stay in the cabin any longer.

    The weather was turning colder as winter drew nearer, and sleeping on the chilly, splintered wooden floor was proving detrimental to their health, as their small bodies grew weaker by the day.

    Joshua gathered everyone around to discuss their next move, aware that they needed to leave soon lest they be trapped by the thick snow for months, with little hope of survival.

    Jasmine and a few others, still sentimental about parting from the director, wanted to return to the orphanage, but that idea was quickly shut down as the columns of smoke had only recently subsided.

    Sai and Teuta wanted to find Zenobia; her lessons on disguise and deception were crucial in these times. They realized she could effectively shelter them from danger. However, the madame had left urgently a while back, and they had no idea where she was. Leading a group of defenseless kids across the kingdom to find her was not something Joshua could accept.

    He and Altan insisted on traveling to the capital to find Dirrar, who had gone there over a fortnight ago on one of his quarterly visits to purchase supplies and do mercenary work for funds. This way, they had a clear end goal and could travel a large portion of the voyage on the king''s road, providing much-needed safety.

    They began preparing for departure. Altan had been making jerky from the boar for a while, so they had enough nourishment for the road, but they lacked flasks to carry sufficient water and were conflicted on what to do.

    Reynard, who had spent his early childhood living in a forest, said, "We don''t need to worry about that for now. We are bound to run into a few streams and creeks, but the problem is what we will encounter at these places. I don''t want another boar charging after me."

    "And we can''t maneuver this large group as quickly as we did before. If anything comes running at us, we won''t be able to escape, and that would endanger our younger siblings," Altan stated.

    "Don''t forget that even if we make it out of the forest, we will have nowhere to sleep. I doubt any tavern would welcome a dozen dirty-faced kids, even if we had the money to pay them¡ªwhich we don''t!" Sai commented.

    After listening to everyone''s opinions, Joshua grabbed a stick. "We will keep our five sisters in the middle, and march surrounding them on all sides. Altan will march at the front since he''s most familiar with tracking and the layout of the forest. Sai and Reynard will take one flank, while Herbert takes the other, and I will take the rear," he explained while drawing the formation on the ground. "In case something happens, four of us will respond to the situation while one stays to guard the rest."

    "I made a few arrows earlier. They''re nothing special, but they should be enough if shot directly at vital points," said Altan.

    "Good. You should keep the bow. The spear will go to Herbert, Reynard and I will use the short knives," Joshua asserted as he started divvying up the weapons.

    Then, Loretta stood up, protesting how they were kept out of the loop, disregarding her twin sister Sylvia''s pleas to trust her senior. "It''s not that I don''t trust them, but I don''t want to be treated like a damsel in distress. We are not a burden. We were taught to fend for ourselves, the same as you."

    She then turned to Sarai and asked, "Don''t you find this frustrating too? You are the most proficient among us with spears but were forced to prepare meals and rely on others for protection!"

    "We don''t have enough weapons. I believe they are doing the best they can given the circumstances. Don''t be a brat, Loretta. You may think you''re trying to be responsible, but all you''re doing right now is complaining," Sarai coldly replied.

    Teuta added, "Joshua is doing the best he can as a leader right now. Throwing a tantrum just because he''s trying to protect us is insulting. You need to apologize immediately."

    Realizing her mistake, Loretta muttered, "I know he''s doing a good job, and I''m grateful. I just wanted to do my part too."

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    "I know I made you feel like a burden, and I''m sorry. But I was entrusted with your safety, and I couldn''t bear to face the director if something bad were to happen," Joshua whispered as he patted her head. "Every one of us has a role to play. Bear with it for a while."

    And with that, the meeting was over. Since it was already afternoon, they decided to sleep the night and depart early in the morning.

    <hr>

    "Impressive work, as always! Those bandits will think twice before raiding Theurinia village again," said the guild''s office receptionist. "The guild master is insisting on treating you to dinner tonight."

    "I''m not gonna break bread with that old oaf again. He passes out drunk, headfirst into his bowl, after just a few sips every time."

    "Please humor him. He keeps nagging me every time you come to the capital."

    "I wouldn''t say no to dinner with you, though, darling," Dirrar replied with his renowned flirty smile, showing a row of bone-white teeth, his deep brown eyes locked on hers.

    Flustered, the receptionist playfully implored him to stop teasing her. "Don''t think I''ll fall for your honeyed words," she said, though her rosy cheeks betrayed her interest.

    Dirrar knew she had taken the bait as she averted her eyes. He collected his coin and raised a mug amidst the cheer of fellow mercenaries celebrating their safe returns.

    In the midst of the merry mood, the sound of breaking glass grabbed everyone''s attention, and all eyes turned to the daunting figure rising from a seat in the back. The giant stature and flowing red hair left no doubt in their minds¡ªit was a northerner.

    There was already murmuring as to his identity when someone pointed to the ring struggling to contain his massive biceps. He was a champion candidate from the Northern Confederation.

    The hulking figure then erupted, "The old fogeys insisted that I come all the way here to find a worthy foe and prove my valor, but all I found were stink-filled streets and a bunch of weaklings cheering on an oily-faced bastard!"

    Pounding his fist on Dirrar''s table, he growled, "Coming here was a huge waste of time. The only thing that could make it worthwhile is if I get to smash your head in before I leave. Get up and meet me outside!" He smashed his foot through the door, proceeding to wait in the courtyard.

    Shouting to grab everyone''s attention, he cried out, "I, Vokrunn, the mightiest warrior of the Agora tribe, challenge you to a duel! Come out and face me if you dare!"

    As a crowd began gathering, Dirrar took his sweet time finishing his mug, as if nothing had happened.

    After a short while, he could hear the brute stomping his feet outside, cursing at him to come out and accusing him of cowardice. He asked the slender woman sitting across from him, whose numerous scars bore witness to her experience, "Did a decent crowd gather?"

    "I reckon. The market just closed, and his voice was pretty damn loud. I''d bet nearly a hundred people are waiting for your arrival," she chuckled. "So, are you going to fight?"

    "You know how this city works. I''m sure everyone out there is waiting to find out who he challenged so they can start placing their bets," he said, flipping his mug in annoyance at its emptiness. "Well, we shouldn''t keep the audience waiting any longer."

    "Looks like drinks are free tonight, lads! Let''s all bet on Dirrar!" shouted a table in the back as they ordered a new round of drinks, getting ready to watch the show.

    "I wouldn''t be too sure, boys. You might wanna get paid beforehand, Reginald!" Dirrar called out to the bartender. "I''ve grown rusty lately, and a champion candidate is a tough nut to crack."

    This earned him a glare from the scarred woman, who said menacingly, "Stop playing around and go take care of your business so we can finish our chat. If anyone could kill you, they would have done it a long time ago."

    Dirrar raised his hands to his ears as if tired of her nagging and made his way outside.

    The courtyard was packed with spectators, merchants who had come to trade in the capital market and were on their way back with heavy pouches. Laughter erupted as they watched the challenged party stumble forward, wobbling all over the place. Many began betting on the northerner, who unsheathed his giant greatsword.

    "I heard the Guild of the Soaring Falcon was one of the best in the kingdom, but their most celebrated member is this drunken fool? Let us hope your skills with the blade match your honeyed tongue, which you use to coax women¡ªfor your sake," Vorkunn blurted.

    Seeing how quick-tempered his opponent was, Dirrar emphasized his theatrics to further antagonize him. He did a clumsy bow that caused his tunic to fall over his head, struggling to readjust it while repeatedly tripping around, much to the crowd''s amusement.

    Deeming his opponent unworthy of crossing blades with him and clearly infuriated by his behavior, Vorkunn dropped his sword and readied his fist.

    " I will save you further embarrassment, now die!" he shouted as he charged forward, aiming to drive his knuckles into his opponent''s body and carve out his stomach.

    But all his fist caught was air, he could hardly believe that the drunken man who was until now struggling to stand up straight managed to narrowly avoid his attack, but he quickly regained his focus and attributed it to cheer luck, as he continued launching a flurry of attacks.

    As Dirrar skillfully avoided all his attacks by a hair''s breadth, silence overcame the crowd as their initial expectations of a quick buck were chattered. Only broken by the cheers of a group of mercenaries coming out of the guild''s headquarters, who started celebrating in anticipation of their free round of drinks.

    Only the members at Dirrar''s table kept silent, they could tell at a glance that Vorkunn was no easy opponent as each of his missed attacks blew a gust of wind in the air, a testament to his explosive power.

 Chapter 6: Interruption

    The sun was setting down, so Joshua ordered the group to make camp. The group erected their sole ragged tent and settled in for the night. As they gathered around the fireplace to keep warm, dreading having to chew on the stale jerky, Altan came carrying two rabbits on his back, and everyone rejoiced, looking forward to the hearty meal.

    Herbert wanted to enjoy a roasted rabbit, but that was quickly shut down as Jasmine and the twins quickly jumped forward and said: "Two roasted rabbits won''t be enough to feed all of us. Stop being selfish! We should make a stew; it should last us a few meals," and started preparing the pot.

    They threw in whatever ingredients they could forage: a few herbs like rosemary, thyme, and wild garlic. Soon, the pleasant smell of the dish started leaking out as it was nearly ready.

    Taking turns to eat and stand guard due to the lack of bowls, the group munched on their plates, the warmth in their bellies helping them stave off the chill as the night grew colder.

    It had been three days since the group had set off to the capital. Despite everything that happened, their spirits never wavered. All these kids once had to stave off for themselves as they were abandoned by society. Each of them has their own story, but they all shared the resolve and determination needed to survive.

    The swift response to the emergency and quick acclimation to their new situation was a testament to the tenacity they possessed, accumulated through facing many hardships.

    Indeed, for these children, the situation wasn''t all that unfamiliar. It felt as though they had just woken up from a years-long sweet dream and went back to their past selves, living in a harsh world that forbids complacency, where they had to fend for themselves as everyone was out to get them.

    It showed in their eyes as they kept glancing at their surroundings, the wariness of a danger that could appear at any moment. They all had to sleep with one eye open once, be it in the slums or on the battlefield. It was a different foe for each one of them, but that is a story for another time.

    But for now, weariness from the long march ached their bodies, and they needed to rest, for they would continue their journey at first light.

    ---

    **Clang! Clang! Clang!**

    Vorkunn had picked up his greatsword. He was frustrated with himself as none of his melee attacks managed to even scratch Dirrar, and he realized that his opponent was more formidable than he had thought. This prompted Dirrar to unleash his saber as he continued to masterfully avoid the slashes and thrusts in a rhythmic manner.

    He occasionally used his saber to gently guide the greatsword away as if leading Vorkunn in a dance, as his foe''s face started growing red. The crowd was unsure if this was due to anger or embarrassment.

    Nonetheless, he continued swinging his sword. The warrior started adapting his movements and began incorporating feints and strikes where he predicted Dirrar would dodge. He was growing within the fight.

    Impressed with the young man''s learning speed and feeling a little pressured, Dirrar started attacking at last. His saber moved like a serpent as he swirled it around, aiming at the exposed joints through Vorkunn¡¯s armor.

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    Vorkunn was initially overwhelmed by the nimble strikes, struggling to read the sword¡¯s path, but soon he proved to be more than a dull muscle-head as he started deflecting a majority of the strikes. He switched his stance and grabbed the blade with one arm, swinging it around as if it were but a dagger. The speed even caught Dirrar off guard.

    As the fight reached its climax, for the two combatants, the entire world turned silent as they poured their entire being into the upcoming attack, realizing that the next move would decide the duel.

    Dirrar started questioning the need to take things this far. He had no intention of killing his opponent. The Anorithiana Confederation officially honors the results of duels by the candidates, but murdering a candidate would prompt the Septem order to investigate, and he didn''t want trouble to follow him all the way back to the orphanage. However, upon seeing his opponent''s determination, he realized that half-assing it would only cost him his life.

    He assumed a kneeling position while holding his saber upwards in front of him, like a tiger getting ready to pounce on its prey.

    As the crowd waited with bated breath, their eyes glimmering with anticipation. Would they go home richer, or would their wagered pouches of coin go up in smoke? Who would be the victor in this clash between a rock that proved it could mold itself like clay and the playful jester whose initial goofy smile was hiding his venomous fangs?

    All eyes were fixed on the duo as the answer hinged on their next strike...

    As they made their move, time appeared to compress for the two. They both heard a whooshing sound in the distance but couldn''t afford to take their eyes off their opponents. Then **THUD!**, there was a loud noise as a spear planted itself in the ground between them, prompting the duo to stop dead in their tracks.

    Everyone¡¯s gaze fixed on the source of the spear. It came from the top of the roof of the guild¡¯s headquarters. There sat a cross-armed individual, a mask hiding his facial features, and his coal-dark hair tied back in a ponytail. He was well-built despite his small stature. As he lowered his mask, his androgynous look further exacerbated the confusion as to his gender, if not for the clear masculine voice that calmly left his lips: ¡°Make way for the duke.¡±

    Then, two men started making their way out of the building as the mercenaries stepped aside.

    ¡°Tsk, I told him not to make a fuss. I didn¡¯t want to interrupt such a lively duel,¡± one of them said as he scratched his beard. ¡°Is that the man you were telling me about?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him,¡± responded the other. ¡°I heard you weren¡¯t going to show up for my invitation tonight, and coincidentally, our little Mary also seemed to excuse herself early,¡± he said while glancing at Dirrar and smirking.

    ¡°It seems he has a playful side to him. It makes sense for him to want to spend his evenings with a young lady,¡± stated the duke, ¡°especially with his time away from home so limited, as I heard.¡±

    Dirrar could tell that the man was fishing for a reaction. He knew that his association with the general was an open secret among the old guard of the kingdom, but he ignored his remarks and explained: ¡°I''m just tired of speaking to myself every time after you pass out drunk. You''ve gotten on in years, old man, lay off the booze.¡±

    A few in the crowd were enraged at this sudden halt in the duel, as all their wagers hung in the balance. ¡°Betting outside the Colosseum is illegal. I am sure Guard Captain Lorenzo would agree,¡± asserted the duke as he glanced toward a few guards who were among the audience menacingly.

    The guards, wishing to avoid potential punishment, quickly moved to disperse the crowd. They seized the bookie and started reimbursing everyone, nearly overwhelmed by the sheer number of people demanding their money back.

    While this was going on, the duke invited Dirrar inside to rejoin him, his tone making it sound like a grave topic was to be discussed. Dirrar agreed to accept his invitation, wondering what had caused the duke to come all this way from the frontier and seek a meeting with him. This was a chance to make things clear.

    As Dirrar started making his way outside of the courtyard, an annoyed Vorkunn cried out: ¡°Where do you think you''re going? The duel isn¡¯t over yet!¡± as he started charging towards him.

    But Dirrar kept walking, indifferent to his rambling. Soon, Vorkunn was stopped from chasing after him as the spear-man descended onto the courtyard, recovered his weapon, and blocked his path.

    ¡°Make sure not to kill him,¡± advised Dirrar.

    ¡°Don¡¯t order me around, and don¡¯t keep the duke waiting any longer,¡± responded the spear-man as he glared back at him.

 Chapter 7: Howling at the end of the tunnel

    Today marked a week''s passing since the group had set off on the journey, and the situation looked grim.

    They had emptied the stew pot this morning, and even their jerky was close to running out as they were forced to ration. This was coupled with a mysterious absence of any sort of prey. Altan claimed that this was due to them approaching the territory of a wolf pack Dirrar had mentioned before.

    The rainy nights further exacerbated their situation; not only did the moisture cause several of them to fall ill, but they also found it increasingly hard to find their path as they relied on the stars to navigate.

    Stumbling blindly into the forest, hoping to be on the right track, was madness, but Joshua had little choice. He needed to get his people out of the forest so they could recover from their illness and try to replenish their supplies, so he had no option but to press on.

    In the morning, they held their usual meeting. This was a tradition used to keep everyone in the loop, as Joshua recognized throughout the trip that every one of his group deserved an opinion and was qualified to contribute to the effort.

    Up until now, they usually traveled while following along whatever water source they came across. Indeed, the direction of the flowing water was their last hope of getting back on track.

    They had memorized the layout of the kingdom. They understood that the topography of the forest was a downhill slope leading into a valley. Therefore, finding a large enough running source of water and following the direction it flowed would surely point them in the right direction.

    But which way should they go? Waiting for the weather to clear up was a long shot; it could be weeks before that happened, and that was time they simply did not have. They were deep in the forest by now, and their sense of direction was thrown off. Everything looked the same, as trees were everywhere.

    "We have no choice but to make a choice in the dark," stated Joshua. "It''s best not to dawdle. We are losing daylight."

    "But who will make the decision? Or do we take a vote?" asked Loretta.

    "We might as well leave the choice to someone with a bit of luck. I think Reynard should do it," expressed Sai.

    "What? Why am I the one to make such an important decision? I think Joshua should decide; he is our leader, after all," muttered Reynard, weary of the potential consequences if he made the wrong choice.

    "Because an egg wouldn¡¯t crack even if it fell on your head. You always came out first when playing dice," noted Altan.

    "Herbert often got angry as he thought you were cheating," revealed Teuta while chuckling.

    "Uhh, fine! Don¡¯t blame me if this goes wrong."

    He then drew a circle in the ground, put a stick in the middle, and closed his eyes as he let it fall. After that, they settled on following the direction the stick pointed to.

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    After trekking along for a few hours, they were starting to get famished. The lack of water skins was coming back to bite them hard as they ran out of water.

    They now had to rely on scavenging what little drops of moisture they could from the tree leaves and hoped they would encounter a water source before nightfall, as Joshua urged them to pick up the pace.

    Late in the afternoon, just as the sun was starting to set, a shushing sound was heard. It was Altan at the front, ordering the group to pause and keep quiet so he could focus his hearing. Then he suddenly veered off, trying to ascertain the location of the running water he had heard.

    He came back a while later, a big smile on his face and his hair drenched in water. "I found it, it''s this way! I knew you were a lucky man, Reynard," he joyously expressed as he guided them toward it.

    It was a humble rivulet, less than three feet wide, but for them, it was a flowing beam of hope. Exhausted, they quenched their thirst and started setting up camp while Altan and Joshua set off to make sense of their surroundings and to try to catch something to eat.

    Just as Joshua was retrieving a rabbit he had managed to pierce by throwing his dagger, and was returning to link up with Altan, he was surprised by his comrade¡¯s odd behavior.

    Sitting on his knees in the dirt with his jaw dropped to the ground and eyes widening in disbelief, Altan seemed like he was struck by lightning as he struggled to get the words out.

    As the moon was still covered behind a veil of clouds, Joshua had to strain his eyes to try and make out what caused his friend to become so disheartened.

    As soon as it hit him, he started losing heart as his knees began to buckle. It was wolf scat.

    Under normal circumstances, a pack of wolves would have been somewhat manageable if the group combined their efforts, but this was a different story.

    The words of Dirrar started ringing in his ears. Often after the end of their hunts, he would celebrate with them in the cabin. He would break out the booze he had hidden away from the director¡¯s prying eyes, and after a while, start boasting about his past deeds of bravado. One story stood out among all of them, the one that ended in failure.

    He told them of a great wolf pack that lives deep in the forest. One day, howling was heard near the orphanage, and he was tasked with investigating their hideout and disposing of them if necessary, hoping to avoid any potential accidents if someone were to get lost in the forest.

    "It was an easy enough job at first. It took me four days to track down their habitat. Admittedly, even in the beginning, I was surprised by the size of the pack, but I brushed it off and started picking off a few at a time. That didn¡¯t last long, however, as I soon found out the reason for the pack¡¯s unusual size."

    He continued after taking a sip from his mug. "At first, I didn¡¯t think much of it. His color was different from the others; his legs and torso were white, and he was a lot larger than the others. I knew he was the leader of the pack and that killing him would mean the job was done."

    He then rolled up his sleeves to show bite marks stretching all over his forearms. "He fought like a front-line commander, commanding his pack to keep me busy while constantly bouncing back and forth. His speed and decision-making, coupled with their teamwork, threw me off guard. I barely managed to drive him away after I slashed his right eye."

    He then spilled his drink onto the campfire, causing it to flare up. As all eyes were focused on his next words, he said, "If you ever run into it, don¡¯t think of facing it head-on!" He then zeroed his sights onto Altan and asserted, as he put on an intimidating face that sent chills down everyone¡¯s spine, "It¡¯s too early for you!"

    The duo then came to their senses as they realized they had to quickly get the rest of the group out of this situation. They were aware that fighting an entire pack of wolves at night with their limited weaponry, even without the infamous wolf showing up, was a worst-case scenario.

    And then, they heard howling in the distance...

 Chapter 8: Critically wounded

    Racing back to the group to try to get ahead of the situation, Joshua refused Altan''s proposal to act as bait and lure the wolves away, not wanting to lose another brother after Arlen.

    Finding their way back was no easy task. The pitch-black darkness was eerie, as they could barely see their own limbs. Climbing a tree to try and spot the light from the campfire proved fruitless, but Joshua interpreted that as a good sign. It seemed the group at the camp was also aware of the situation and had extinguished the flames, trying to keep their position from being exposed.

    Realizing that speaking in the unnerving silence of the forest would reveal their location the wolves, and not wanting to lose sight of each other, the two grabbed each other''s hands as they decided their best bet was to find the running stream and follow it until they reunited with the rest.

    For the first time, they were thankful for the weather. The wet dirt muffled the sound of their footsteps as they matched each other''s pace. Had the ground been dry, the sound would have echoed across the forest, for it was as silent as the grave, save for the howling, which they could swear was growing nearer.

    Soon enough, they found the rivulet, and as they went against the current for a little while, they heard the unmistakable growling and whimpering of wolves. Their friends were engaged in a fight.

    Speeding off in the direction of the sounds, Altan got within range of sight first and struggled to make sense of the situation from a distance. They were attacked by three wolves as they were crossing to the other side of the rivulet; it seemed the splashing noises had alerted the wolves to their presence.

    On one bank stood Herbert, Sai, and Reynard, each struggling to contain the onslaught of five wolves while the rest of the group crossed to the other bank. It was a wise decision, for those who had crossed were unarmed and had to retreat lest they get in the way.

    Herbert was seeing the most success. Armed with a spear, he had successfully defeated one of the vicious beasts and was contending with another; the long reach of the spear, coupled with his long arms, was proving to be an excellent combination.

    For the others, however, it was a different story.

    Armed with short knives and outnumbered, Sai and Reynard were on the verge of defeat, barely able to defend themselves as the relentless attacks continued. Their weapons were too short, and the only time they could inflict any damage was when they counterattacked after the wolves lunged forward by swiftly maneuvering their nimble bodies. But this was impossible to keep up.

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    As they grew tired of the constant back and forth, and with the wolves'' increased coordination, they had to fight shoulder to shoulder, aiming to share the burden between them.

    Sensing their powerlessness, the wolves changed their formation. Three concentrated their attacks on Sai and Reynard, aiming to tire them out with a cycle of attacks. Herbert tried to aid his embattled companions, but his attempts were blocked as the other wolf stopped him from moving carelessly.

    As the cycle of attacks continued, it seemed the defensive line would soon break. Any moment now, one of them would burn out, and the wolves were ready to swoop in at the slightest sign of weariness.

    That''s when one of the wolves let out a pained cry as a rock hit its head. It came from the other side and was followed by the waving of torches and the taunting sound of Loretta. It seemed she was trying to relieve the pressure on her brothers by diverting the wolves'' attention away, but that turned out to be a huge mistake.

    Altan and Joshua came upon the scene, bolting ahead as they realized Loretta¡¯s actions could spell doom for the group across the stream, desperately trying to reach them in time.

    As the wolf reeled from the strike, the damage sustained from the hit, coupled with the waving of the torch and sound, turned it rabid. Determined to retaliate against its attacker, it surged forward to cross the stream.

    Sai, closest to the wolf, jumped to the side in an urgent attempt to stop the beast and managed to plunge his dagger into its back. Dragged into the rivulet as the beast finally fell on its side, he breathed easily, thinking the crisis was averted.

    Then he heard Reynard¡¯s screams as he cried out in pain. The wailing sound felt like a knife twisting in their hearts.

    In his rush to stop the charging beast, Sai had left Reynard to fend for himself against two wolves. This caused him to become overwhelmed as the two abruptly jumped on him simultaneously, aiming to overpower him with numbers. Reynard was powerless to stop them.

    His dagger, planted into the chest of one of his brutal attackers, was a sign of his struggle, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the assault. Knocked onto his back, all he could do was attempt to cover his neck and organs as fangs sank into him.

    Everyone sprang forward in a frantic attempt to save him, aware that any delay could cost him his life. It was Sarai who reached him first. She struggled to pull the wolf away with her bare hands, but its jaw was lodged in his arm and wouldn¡¯t let go. That was when Teuta slid underneath and grabbed the knife still lodged in its chest, twisting it frantically, finally forcing the wolf to let go of Reynard¡¯s half-torn arm as it howled in pain.

    The other wolf had grabbed Reynard by the ankle, tearing it apart as it shook him around. Jasmine and the twins¡¯ attacks left it unfazed. It wasn¡¯t until Sai threw his dagger to divert its attention that it let go of Reynard¡¯s leg.

    Sai braced himself as the enraged wolf prepared to leap at him, struggling to find his footing in the muddied river water. He was narrowly saved by Joshua, who tugged at the wolf¡¯s tail and caused it to stop, planting his knife into its skull as soon as it turned around.

    An arrow from Altan helped Herbert finish off the last remaining wolf, exhausted from the relentless struggle.

    By that point, Reynard had lost consciousness from the extreme pain. The bone was sticking out of his arm, and his Achilles tendons were completely torn as blood flowed from his wounds.

    The odds of his survival seemed bleak...

 Chapter 9: Out of the woods, into the valley

    The situation looked grim; most of the group had sustained minor injuries due to the scuffle, and Reynard had suffered the worst of it.

    They couldn''t dawdle for long. This wolf group was most likely a scouting team, and they weren''t going to wait around for the rest to converge on their position; they had to get out of there, fast!

    They needed to stop the bleeding. Not only did that pose a mortal danger to Reynard, but it also spelled trouble for the rest of the group, as the smell would make them stick out like a sore thumb.

    But they were at a loss. They needed something to serve as a tourniquet but couldn''t find anything useful, and crafting something from the nearby branches would take too long. So Altan had to sever the bowstring off his bow. This was enough to then be wrapped around Reynard''s arm and leg, restricting the bleeding.

    They then cut off the bloodied parts of his clothes and washed the wounds in the rivulet. Altan proceeded to take the rags and wrap them around the rabbit caught earlier. He hoped to lure the wolves away by using the combined smell of blood from the rabbit and the clothes.

    Soon after, everyone had washed up to conceal their scents, and they were ready to set off. Herbert carried the still unconscious Reynard on his back as they made their way downhill.

    As they formed a marching column, every member was linked to another in some way. Some marched holding hands, leading others, and some were shoulder to shoulder, trying to share the heat as they shivered in the cold night, while the wolves howled in the distance...

    Joshua occasionally called out to each group member to make sure that there weren''t any stragglers. "Keep close to each other and don''t split off from the group," he kept urging, his whispering failing to conceal the seriousness in his voice.

    As he brought up the rear and made sure the group marched at a reasonable pace, maintaining the unity and coherence of the party, Joshua couldn''t help but be angry with himself.

    From an onlooker''s perspective, one could not help but be amazed at his leadership ability and quick thinking. Successfully guiding a group of children through an uncharted forest where danger lurked at every corner was an impressive feat¡ªdoubly so if achieved by someone as young as him.

    However, Joshua held himself to a higher standard. He was entrusted with the lives of all his siblings. Allowing one to go missing¡ªassumed to be kidnapped or worse¡ªand another to be brutally mauled by a wolf, with his life hanging by a thread, felt like an abysmal failure that weighed heavily on him.

    Thankfully, the wolves had been unable to find their trail, and the howling sounds had faded into the distance a while ago.

    After a long and confused march, the sun started to rise, signaling the end of one of the longest nights of their lives. They stopped stumbling around as they could now see the road more clearly, and a sense of calm prevailed.

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    Leading the column, Altan glimpsed at the horizon and could see the trees grow ever more distant as the edge of the forest neared. Soon, they would finally be out of the forest.

    ---

    Back at the capital, Dirrar was dreading having accepted the meeting, as the guild master once again overindulged in liquor, trying to prove his virility and youthfulness. The soup decorating his face was spilling proof that it failed miserably.

    Soon, however, his attention would be drawn to a more pressing matter as the duke unfurled a letter and handed it to him.

    This letter had changed the mood even before it was read, for it was stained with blood. It was apparent that its sender was no longer in this world.

    Intrigued, Dirrar opened the letter to read its contents. Inside were letters that appeared to have been scribbled in haste, simply reading, "We were exposed." It seemed urgency was the order of the day.

    The duke then stated, "Over the past few months, we''ve started losing contact with most of our operatives stationed in the Aternos League. The few remaining agents went into deep cover to avoid being caught." Taking a sip of his drink before continuing, "We are currently blind to what''s happening across our shores."

    Dirrar replied, "It sounds rather serious. Is it alright for you to be absent at this time? Why did you come to the capital when a message would have sufficed?"

    The duke then waved his hand and said, "Even the League would be hard-pressed to start a campaign in the winter months. All their ships are currently tied down transporting the massive amounts of timber they ordered. It seems this year is going to be even colder than usual."

    Dirrar kept staring at his glass. On the surface, what the duke said was correct, but he couldn''t help feeling somewhat bothered by it, although eventually, his usual wariness returned.

    Realizing that a big ask was coming his way and wanting to stay out of current affairs as per the director''s wishes, Dirrar, feigning indifference, replied, "What has that got to do with me? As far as I know, you''re in charge of the eastern army." As he stood up from his seat and started walking out of the room, he added, "It seems that you''ve got everything under control."

    The duke, realizing he had to reveal his hand, finally confessed, "I was told about who you really are, and I need your help to set up a meeting."

    Suspiciously glancing at the seemingly sleeping guild master, Dirrar swiftly threw a knife at him, to the duke''s surprise. The guild master masterfully caught the knife as if he had eyes in the back of his head, stating as he wiped the soup off his head, "You might hurt someone with that!"

    "I knew you were awake. Did you enjoy the soup so much that you had to plant your face in it?" said Dirrar jokingly, before suddenly changing his facial expression and gripping his saber. It was as if he had donned the mask of another man.

    "I thought I made myself clear when I said not to tell anyone," he expressed while standing on his toes, ready to leap forward and attack if the answer wasn''t to his liking.

    The guild master too shed off his usual childish behavior. Placing both hands on the table, with a face that could be called sincere despite the lumps of soup sliding off it, he said, "I really apologize for mouthing off this instant. The old farts at the council were bothered by the aggressiveness of the League and wanted me to spill information about your whereabouts, but I refused. However, it seems that your constant periodic visits were widely known, and our guest came in person to meet you."

    Doubling down in an effort to soothe the tension, the duke stated, "As I said earlier, all I need you to do is set up a meeting. Nothing more!"

    Answering without even looking at the man, Dirrar asked, "A meeting with whom? And for what?"

    Thinking that the man was now obliged to deliver his words to the concerned party, the duke slyly said, "We need the spider to weave its web once more."

 Chapter 10: The taste of cheese

    It was a foggy morning. The wind howled like a mad leader urging the waves to charge forth as they crashed on the cliff-lined shore, further chipping away at their eternal foe as the everlasting battle between sea and land continued.

    No matter how high the waves rose or how hard they collided, the cliffs persisted. They had withstood this onslaught for a thousand years and would withstand it for a thousand more. Such sacrifice was commemorated by the fortress city that lay on top of these cliffs¡ªKremptus, "The City of the Eroding Cliffs"¡ªthat stood at the eastern ends of the kingdom.

    Every so often, the wind would get frustrated at the stalemate, and in a fit of rage, would attempt to blow even harder, trying to throw even more things at the cliffs, but it hardly made a dent.

    Indeed, it was these very cliffs that allowed the coastal fortress to resist the Aternian armada, becoming a graveyard for dozens of ships that came crashing down following a storm, leaving a stain of dishonor on the league.

    Similar to the shores that guarded them, that war also ended in a stalemate. The fleet of the kingdom was destroyed before the siege began, its remnants not daring to leave the inlet that housed the city harbor; it hasn¡¯t recovered to this day.

    In that harbor, there were two masked men desperate for a ride to the sea, their pleadings falling on the deaf ears of many boat captains who refused to venture out, no matter how much gold shone in their pouches, as they were not eager to join the legions of the mad leader and be smashed to splinters on the shores.

    But the men knew gold would eventually overcome such hesitation, and soon enough, a young captain was ushering them to his boat. While they were wondering whether it was boldness or greed that led him to risk his life in such weather, they saw his crew consisted of a few starved teens, and they got their answers.

    They were silent the whole ride, ignoring the struggling of the crew to overcome the violent current and rockiness of the boat. One of them kept sharpening his sword while the other kept staring at the cliffs.

    "Amazing, aren¡¯t they?" said a young lad while climbing down from the mast. "They call them the millennium cliffs. I wonder how long a thousand years actually is."

    As his attention was drawn away by the sudden remark, the man did not have time to reply as the crew member rushed off to assist his friends, struggling to unfurl the sails.

    "Land ahoy!"

    After a while, a small island started appearing on the horizon. As the boat got nearer, three figures became visible on its shores. Soon enough, money exchanged hands, and as the passengers descended onto the land, the crew started getting ready to head home, looking forward to filling their bellies for the first time in what seemed like forever.

    Suddenly, one of the figures stepped forward and flashed them a pouch of coins for a journey back. Although wary of his silver mask and suspicious clothes, the grumbling of their stomachs soon dispelled any doubts. They were in desperate need of coin.

    They accepted his offer and proceeded to disembark, wanting to get some rest on solid land while whatever was happening between their employers unfolded.

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    The captain was the oldest of the bunch, and he seemed in his early twenties. Other than him and one other man, who was until now on the lower deck rowing, the rest of the crew were too young to work in such a profession. It seemed that life had forced some hard choices on them from an early age, but they showed no signs of wavering.

    They took out pieces of stale bread to nibble on while giggling as the captain approached to collect his down payment for the trip back home. He had the same cheery smile he had back at Kremptus when he resolved to risk his life to ferry these men to their destination as he extended his arm to collect the pouch.

    But his smile did not last for long, for instead of a bag of clinking things, he got a dagger jammed into his belly. His cheery smile quickly faded into a confused look and pained grunt as his stabber dragged his knife from his lower stomach all the way to his neck, as if carving through butter.

    The rest of the crew watched in horror as he fell to his death, his guts spilling out. Before they could even think of fleeing, two more dropped dead almost instantly, as two crossbow bolts penetrated their skulls. Only the rower and the mast kid remained alive as they desperately tried to reach the ship.

    Due to his size, the kid was completely hidden from view as he ran in front. This helped him survive the next volley as the next two bolts hit the rower in the back and neck, and he fell down in the shallow water choking on his blood.

    The mast boy successfully reached the boat, but it seemed he didn''t think ahead about how to operate it alone. He had no choice but to hide himself in the cabin, still holding on to the piece of stale bread.

    As the sound of splashing was replaced with the croaking of the floorboards as his pursuers embarked on the boat, he knew they were closing in.

    Looking through the drawers and coffers for something useful to use, all he found was a piece of old cheese.

    "He was hiding it all for himself... greedy bastard!" he muttered as the door burst open.

    All he could think of was how tasty the cheese was as his blood poured from his wound. Tears started flowing from his eyes; he had known nothing except the taste of stale bread all his life. He had no idea that food could be so delicious, and now it was too late.

    He kept sucking on the piece of cheese stuck in his mouth. As his vision grew foggier and his eyelids grew heavier, a smile adorned his face, for he was full for the first time...

    As the masked figure made his way back to the island, he found his comrades in a heated discussion.

    The passengers revealed their faces; it was Godwin and his subordinate. Godwin said with an annoyed look, "Do you think we''re stupid enough to divulge information? Killing them was unnecessary!"

    His protest was dismissed: "That is not for you to decide. Now, save us the time and report on your mission," he said as he handed him an empty letter and asked him to write his report.

    When this was finished, the three silver-masked figures took the letter and went on their way.

    "How are we supposed to get off this island?" exclaimed Godwin''s companion as he saw them get into their own boat, which was hidden from view in the branches.

    "That is for you to figure out. Try to use that boat," he said mockingly. "It seems you''re a few men short, though. I knew this mission was more than a few turncoats could handle!"

    "Don''t mind those bastards; they''ll get what''s coming to them," said Godwin, trying to subside his companion''s anger. "Let¡¯s get out of this godforsaken place and go back to the division encampment."

    From his vantage point, climbed on top of a tree, Joshua started surveying the valley.

    His field of view was heavily obstructed by the sheer number of hills that dotted the valley, but he was still able to find what he was looking for.

    He had two pressing matters at hand. The first was getting proper treatment for Reynard, as the temporary measures they used to stop the bleeding wouldn¡¯t last much longer.

    The entire group kept marching through the night. They were on the verge of collapse due to exhaustion, and they had skipped one too many meals. He needed to find a safe place for them to rest and secure supplies. As the rivulet descended from the forest, it merged with several other streams as they converged into a medium-sized lake, on whose banks a small settlement was erected.

    With time being of the essence, they realized that this was their best bet, and so they pressed forward...

 Chapter 11: An angry mob is the best ally

    A group of small children, wounded and exhausted, arriving alone somewhere foreign to them, was a recipe for disaster.

    Instead of walking into an unknown situation with the whole group, they elected to send someone to feel things out first. Jasmine volunteered¡ªshe was the youngest and believed that she could use her innocence to lower their suspicion and increase their chances of finding help. Altan went with her to protect her, disguising himself as her brother.

    They approached the village as the inhabitants were starting their daily activities and heard a loud commotion. Peeking out, Jasmine could see the town''s populace gathering around the largest building, pointing at a large cloud of dust in the distance.

    Taking advantage of the confusion, she took the hand of a reluctant Altan and intermingled with the crowd.

    As the cloud of dust grew nearer, its cause became apparent. It was a convoy composed of several wagons and a dozen guards on horseback.

    The wear of the tires, the dirty wagon bodies with arrows sticking out, and the visible exhaustion of the horses left no doubt in anyone''s mind¡ªthey were ambushed and were fleeing.

    It seemed such attacks were common in this area, for as soon as a representative came out to speak to the residents, he was greeted by a hostile audience, being shouted at before he even said a word:

    "Get out of here!"

    "Don''t bring your trouble over to us!"

    "Go back in your wagon and leave!"

    "Please, people, we just need a place to rest and treat our wounded."

    "We ain''t got no physicians here, off you go!"

    Flustered, he claimed, "We have our own physician. We just need a space for him to work. You will be well compensated, I beg of you."

    While this was going on, Joshua was alarmed by the commotion and moved closer to judge the situation, hiding somewhere near the wagons with the rest.

    An old lady started making her way through the crowd, assisted in walking by young men, and said, "What''s going on here?"

    "Elder, these people will bring about our end, you should tell them!" protested one of them.

    "We just need to find refuge for a few days, people! Please have heart!"

    "Why do you need to stay in our village, young man? We don''t want any trouble," she replied. "We will deny any knowledge of your whereabouts, so be on your way."

    "We have many wounded in need of treatment. They won''t survive the journey."

    "We will do whatever you want, so please don¡¯t shun us."

    The lady suddenly went silent; it seemed she had second thoughts about the wounded.

    "You can''t be thinking about accepting their request. Who knows what they will do to us this time?"

    "Did you forget the last time we took in someone? They came and ruined our village, burned our crops, and enslaved our children!"

    "We remember! You think my grandmother forgot the murderers of her family? But we can''t abandon these people to die. How long are we gonna kneel to these marauders?" energetically screamed the young man who was guiding her.

    "We are no warriors, dearie. I can''t risk the lives of our people," expressed the old lady. As she turned around to tell the representative to leave, she saw a group of children hiding behind the wagons. One of them was brutally wounded, and she exclaimed, "Dear God! They have wounded children with them!"

    "What children¡ª" As the representative was starting to open his mouth, he was distracted by an urgent pulling on his shirt.

    "Uncle, are they not gonna let us stay?" said Jasmine with watery eyes. "Is my brother gonna die?" she exploded in tears.

    Seeing that he was struggling to make sense of the situation, Joshua also stepped forward, threw himself to the ground, and begged them to take them in, urging them not to abandon his friend to die.

    A side look from the groveling Joshua was all it took for the representative to join in, speaking of the mortal danger they faced should they be turned away.

    As the crowd saw the children emerging from behind the wagons, their hostility started to dissipate. After all, these were humans with hearts.

    "What good will it do if we take them in? They will track them to kill them. And us too for helping."

    "How long are we gonna let them have their way? This could be our chance to rid ourselves of the disease that plagues our village. Are we to let them bleed us little by little every time?" fervently cried out the young lad, pointing around at people.

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    "Aunt Laria, are you gonna let your youngest follow the steps of his brother, dragged away to be sold in the slave markets? What about you, Uncle Kyris? Will you let another daughter be violated at their whims?"

    He then jumped on top of a nearby staircase and shouted, "Didn''t we let ourselves be abused enough? We deserve peaceful lives, and this may well be our chance to get them!"

    The murmuring of the crowd grew larger; opinions were still divided, but it seemed the sight of children reignited old grievances in their hearts. Who among these men couldn''t see the reflection of their long-lost ones in them? They were angry with themselves for letting their flesh and blood be taken from them. How did they ever keep living on after parting with them in such a manner?

    Little by little, these small flames turned into a fire that erupted as they unanimously agreed to make their stand that day. No longer would they be trampled upon like sheep, taken to the shearing every time they managed to put clothes on their backs, letting their young ones be raped, enslaved, and murdered at their whims.

    "First, let us get you all inside," said the elder, her tone matching that of her people, commanding confidence fitting her age and position.

    As the rest of the convoy disembarked, they made sure not to seem estranged to the children. They had heard the gist of what was going on while inside and were brought up to date by the young man who seemed to be their leader.

    The physician went to set up quarters and was followed by Joshua and Altan.

    "Thanks for the help back there! You can leave that here."

    As he was heading for a second trip back to retrieve the rest of his tools, he was blocked at the door by the two.

    "I think we need to talk."

    "You should go get some rest, young man. I''m quite busy, as a lot of injured people need my attention."

    "The first person you''ll treat is our brother. The rest, including us, can wait."

    "That''s not possible. My parents take priority¡ªthey fund my research, not to mention they own these medical supplies."

    "That''s for me to worry about," Joshua said, and after a distinct whistle, Herbert came in and laid Reynard over the table.

    "Don''t worry about anything else and start the treatment. My siblings will stay here¡ªfor your safety, of course."

    Walking out into the hallway, Joshua ran into the representative and one of his guards.

    "Ah, you! I wanted to thank you for your help earlier, young lad. I''m Jaylar, leader of this convoy and heir to the Glowing Sand Merchant Company. Come meet me later, and I''ll be sure to reward you."

    "There is no time like the present."

    "Ahaha, true! But I''ve got a lot of things to do right now; my people need urgent care," he said dismissively.

    As he tried to go past him to the physician''s room, Joshua grabbed his arm. "I don''t think you understand¡ªwe should talk now." Surprised by the physical power making him unable to move an inch, he kept staring at Joshua, perplexed.

    "I believe you know all too well that without us, you would never have been able to take refuge here."

    "That''s true, and as I said, I''ll be sure to compensate you later for your troubles."

    "Promises made are soon forgotten. We do not want compensation at your discretion. You will promise to fulfill our wishes here and now."

    "You little punk! Release your hand!" shouted the guard as he tried to remove Joshua''s hold on his boss. He was only stopped as he felt a chilly sensation poking from behind¡ªit was Sai, with his knife ready to pierce his back. "What the¡ªwhere did he come from?!"

    "Don''t move, lest you wanna be crippled from the waist down."

    The representative clearly felt cornered, and Joshua knew that he couldn''t let this chance slip by. Every man befell by a crisis is easier to deal with¡ªif he waited until after the attack, his position would have been diminished, and the merchant group would have had the upper hand.

    He refused to be at anyone''s mercy as he calmly expressed, "What do you think would happen if we go out there and tell them that you kidnapped us and forced us into slavery?"

    "Tha-That''s not true!"

    "I''ll tell you¡ªthe same mob that changed heart when they heard you had children with you will turn their pitchforks against you. When that happens, you''ll wish that the bandits had gotten to you instead!"

    The young heir, with what little experience he had in reading people, could tell that he was clearly outmatched.

    "F-Fine, just tell me what you want!"

    This was what Joshua had been waiting for¡ªa blank check. When offered such liberty, many people think of immediate gain. They would think of asking for an exorbitant sum of money, jewels, or luxury goods.

    "We just want enough provisions for the road, medical care, and a ride to the capital."

    "Is that it?" replied the heir, clearly astonished and suspicious. "Is that all you have to ask of me?"

    Joshua let go of his hand and donned a shining smile on his face. "Oh my! What makes you so happy, dearie?" said the elder as she entered the hallway.

    Here is the text with corrected punctuation:

    Dashing ahead to help her walk, he grabbed her hand and said cheerfully, "Our uncle promised to protect us with all he''s got, and that made us glad for following him!"

    "Is that so? You should treasure these youngsters, young man!" she said to the heir.

    The daze from the sudden shift in attitude was still clear on his face. He only managed to mutter a few humming noises before loud wailing interrupted him.

    It was Reynard. He had woken up from his coma, and the pain of his wounds proved unbearable, causing him to writhe in agony.

    The physician was trying to put the bone back into his arm, a straining process that was taking its toll. Even Altan and Hebert struggled to stop him from thrashing around after many warnings from the healer.

    Joshua rushed forward to help stabilize him, and soon the bone moved back into place as he fell unconscious again.

    Grabbing the doctor by the collar, his eyes turning red, Joshua screamed in rage, "What happened to him?"

    "He just went into shock. Don''t worry, his life is no longer in danger."

    "I mean, why wasn''t he given any drugs? Why was he left to suffer like that?" demanded Joshua as he pulled harder on the collar.

    Now on his knees from the sheer force, the physician tried to wiggle his way out, saying, "But these herbs are expensive and reserved for the other convoy members."

    "Do you treat children like this in your merchant group? With discrimination? It seems it was a mistake to let you stay in our village!" snapped the elder, raising her cane at Jaylar.

    "Of course not! Please don''t be so angry, elder," he said nervously. "Hey! Make sure to spare no expense in treating them¡ªuse everything we have."

    Following this, Reynard was showered with a stream of herbs designed to fight his infections and reduce the swelling of his wounds, and he was left to rest and recover.

    As they exited the room, feeling they were getting in the way, the grandson of the elder, who had rallied the rest of the village, guided them to a table where several people had gathered. They needed to plan their next move...

 Chapter 12: The day peasants became warriors

    In the meeting, the energetic grandson took point. He introduced himself to the convoy as Rene and started the meeting by saying,

    "It seems you''re familiar with the men that attacked us, from what I heard," asked one of the guards, the only one situated at the table, indicating he held the position of head guard. "Can you tell us more about them?"

    "They are a bunch of marauders and lowlifes, nothing more! They started operating in this area around four years ago."

    "I heard they were part of a larger group but were kicked out for being too violent and reckless."

    "Not many people would attack a convoy as large as yours, so it''s definitely them. They call themselves ''The Baedu Partisans''. I overheard them talking back in the day, when they used to get drunk in this inn after raiding us, that they got chased out of Mount Baedu after the bandit groups were united."

    "How many men do they have?" the guard further inquired.

    "The largest I''ve seen them gather is thirty. Their leader is a mean bastard who enjoys torturing and maiming. This stopped many potential recruits, but not all of them."

    "I reckon they all number no less than fifty."

    This was a sizeable force to deal with, and it showed on the faces of the participants, causing second thoughts about the whole affair.

    "Don''t be disheartened, people! Think of the losses we suffered and will continue to suffer if we don''t take a stand. Now that we have these people with us, we stand a fighting chance!" asserted Rene.

    "Fiery speeches without a concrete plan will lead only to disaster."

    Everyone turned to see where this voice came from. Before they could figure out who had spoken, the head guard chimed in:

    "We took down half a dozen in the pursuit throughout the night. Unless they are all on horseback, it will take them at least a few more hours to regroup and catch up with us. We need to come up with a plan before then."

    "We are farmers, not soldiers! Fighting is not in our blood."

    "But we need your aid if we are to get rid of the bandits."

    "We didn''t say we wouldn''t help you. I just reminded you that we are simple farmers and fishermen."

    A gloomy mood set in once more. It was true that most of these men had little to no experience in fighting¡ªa gap that would have to be bridged if they were to confront their tormentors.

    As silence took hold, it was broken by a young boy slamming his fist on the table, rousing everyone from their deep thoughts and garnering their attention.

    "You say that you are not soldiers, but that is not true. What is a warrior? What is fighting? For me¡ªno, for all of us in this very instant, fighting is staying alive by the end of the day. Fighting is not having to sacrifice any more of my loved ones, watching them be dragged away to be enslaved or murdered. Fighting is sharing one more breathing moment in safety and peace!" Taking a breath before continuing, he said, "Do you not all yearn for these things? Are only warriors allowed to live in this world? No! You can train someone for a thousand days and he will not become a warrior. A warrior is someone who takes his life into his own hands; he doesn''t shirk his responsibility to protect what he holds dear. The moment you decided to make your stand, you all became warriors! And as such, Saint Romulus will bestow his blessing upon you as warriors, and Saint Veneto will bless you for your desire to save your lives and possessions! And the saintess Iustitia will be by your side, for you are fighting for justice."

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    Spurred on by the young man''s speech, and knowing their cause was just and the saints'' blessings would be with them, everyone''s fire ignited once more. They were in awe of his eloquence, despite his young age, and they began proposing plans on how to fight the battle.

    Joshua, taking advantage of the current reverence before it faded, laid down his plan: "These bandits will first send a scouting party. They can''t miss the tracks made by the wagons, so they should be here soon. If they see the wagons outside, they will rush back and return with the rest of their group. The first thing we need to do is hide the caravans and let them approach the village first."

    "Why would we want them to come to our village? Shouldn''t we take the time to fortify instead? Them running away saves us precious time."

    "They are sure to send most of their riders as scouts. Fighting them in the open is suicidal. We can use this chance to get rid of them!"

    Here¡¯s your passage with corrected punctuation:

    ---

    "What makes you so sure of that? We won''t risk your lives on the words of a green brat!" yelled out the guard captain in defiance. "We should ride out in force while they''re busy burning the crops and chase them off!"

    Noticing both sides were in agreement with his proposal, Joshua had to get them back on his side. Indeed, this proposal suited the guards, who were perhaps eager to prove their worth to their employers after their recent mishaps, and it made the residents glad that the soldiers would do most of the fighting.

    "In truth, I spent our early childhood as captives of a bandit group, forced to serve their needs and take part in their misdeeds before managing to escape. It was a dog-eat-dog environment; whenever there was trouble, the leader always sent scouts ahead, afraid he would run into trouble and be deserted by his lackeys."

    His heartbreaking story, as he went on about the horrors he saw before escaping and joining the merchant group, made them realize it was imprudent to dismiss his words despite his age. Several people murmured in agreement. The head guard''s confusion about his comments was mended by a side glance from his boss, ordering him to follow the plan, as he discerned it was practical.

    His heart breaking story as he went on about the horrors he saw before escaping and joining the merchant group made them realize it was imprudent to dismiss his words despite his age, several people murmured in agreement. The head guard confusion about his comments were mended by a side glance from his boss, ordering him to follow the plan as he discerned it was practical.

    "They need to be stored somewhere where we can take them out quickly, and make sure to drive them out of town, then bring them back in!"

    "The wagons should fit in my barn. Not sure why we''re driving them out first, but I''ll handle it," claimed old man Kyris as he headed out to fetch the coachmen and guide them there.

    "They will surely come to question you about the convoy. What do they usually do when they arrive?"

    "They burn one of our fields until we gather around, then take their time plundering us and molesting our women."

    "We can''t fight them in the open like that! They are likely to flee on horseback if we show our hand too quickly!" observed Sai as he joined the conversation. "We need to get them somewhere enclosed and cut them down all at once."

    Such brutality would usually make people question what kind of lives these children had led, but the situation allowed no room for inquiries or wasted time.

    "We can ignore the burned crops. What good is grain to dead men?"

    "That would seem too suspicious. We usually leave in a hurry at the sight of flame," said Rene. "But when the leader isn''t here, they are more interested in looting and drinking than in their mission. After they finish torturing us, they''ll head to the inn and take all our liquor."

    "And if none of the women come out, they''ll want to come to the center of the village sooner," said Laria. "They don''t discriminate between young or old¡ªthe pigs! They will shove their pricks into anything that moves, you can be sure of that!"

    Realizing the heavy burden carried by their women as the wailing sounds grew at her words, the men felt more ashamed, and their blood started boiling.

    "Damn these bastards! We will endure their torture one last time if it means getting to slit their throats," several women cried out as more of the town''s residents gathered in the hall outside, listening to the meeting.

    "I promise that this day will be the last one you have to suffer such degradation, and with such resolve, Saintess Iustitia herself would feel ashamed not to aid and guide you!"

    And so, the plan was hatched. The merchant group would disguise themselves as normal residents, putting on their ragged clothes and carrying only hidden knives. The men would rush off as usual to the gathering flames when they erupted, and when the bandits finished with their usual torment, the women''s turn would come.

    Despite all of them begging for a chance to take vengeance for their plights, only the widowed women were allowed by the elder, as many of them sought vindication for the lives of their husbands and sons.

    Today was the day the debt was to be settled, and the day peasants became warriors.

 Chapter 13: A womans resolve

    Soon enough, pillars of flame started rising in the distance; it had begun.

    Following the plan, the men set off with water buckets, feigning ignorance as they rushed to douse the flames.

    Upon arriving in the field, they found the bandits waiting for them¡ªmost of them on horseback, except for the one who had set the fire; a torch was still in his hand.

    "Put out the fire! Stop it from spreading!"

    "Protect the crops!"

    Seeing the farmers rushing to salvage their field, the bandits smirked at them and blocked their efforts to extinguish the flames, running a few of them down with their horses and leaving them groaning in pain.

    "What are you doing this for? Let us quench the flames!"

    "If the flames spread, we will all starve! It''s only weeks before harvest season ends!"

    "What do you want from us?"

    The rush of feeling in control¡ªthese bandits loved that feeling. It gave them a high and made them believe their miserable lives were not in vain. As long as they could stomp on someone else, they wouldn''t mind being stomped on. They were happy not to be at the bottom of the food chain, and this reminded them of that joy.

    And so, they started engaging in their sadistic activities. They grouped up all the men who rushed out and forced them to watch their fields burn as they began questioning them.

    First, they dragged out the biggest of them and ganged up on him. He crawled into a fetal position and tried to protect the back of his head as a hail of kicks and fists descended upon him.

    They made sure everyone''s gaze was focused on him; perhaps they felt what they were doing was a piece of art to be admired.

    After beating the poor man within an inch of his life, one of them stepped forward, breathing heavily.

    "Now, if you don''t want to end up like this son of a bitch here," while swinging back for one last hard kick to the stomach that clearly dealt some damage, "you better answer our questions!"

    Another one of them stepped up, the grin on his face revealing a row of rotten and missing teeth.

    "Boss, you''re letting them off with just that?"

    "You hear that, you maggots? You better be thankful to our boss!"

    The boss continued:

    "We are looking for a convoy that passed by here. We saw the tracks leading to the village, so don''t try to lie!"

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    "Is that all this is about?" screamed one of the farmers. "Couldn''t you have just asked? Did you need to burn down my field?"

    "Oh, so this was your field we picked? So that''s why you were shooting me those looks," he said while approaching him. When face-to-face, he put his hand on his shoulder and said, "I was wondering what gave you such confidence. I guess losing all this grain''s gotta hurt, ain''t it?" He punched him across the face, causing a few of his teeth to come out.

    "Last time I''m warning you! Don''t look at me like that again. Now let''s go back to the convoy," he asserted while walking back to where he was sitting near a pile of stones.

    "Wagon, location, speak!"

    "''Tis true that a wagon came in the morning, but it was riddled with holes and looked like trouble. We told them to be on their way."

    "They tried to offer us money, but we refused, and they continued fleeing, afraid they''d be caught."

    Glancing at the village from a distance, he saw no signs of wagons. Their shacks were so tiny and miserable that even wagons towered over most of them. The only thing remarkable about the village was the brick inn it housed.

    The simple-minded bandit''s mind quickly veered off as his underlings continued beating on the gathered peasants.

    "Boss! Aren''t these people kinda rude towards ya?"

    "Eh? What do you mean?"

    "You graced their shithole with your presence, and they didn''t even offer you a drop of water."

    "Yeah, you''re right! Boys! We''re all tired from the long ride, aren''t we? Let''s drink our fill before we continue chasing after those merchants later."

    He cried out as he roused his group. "You would treat us as guests, won''t you, kind residents?"

    The rest of the bandits shouted in agreement, and they finally let go of their bloodied victims as they guided their horses to the village center, thrashing the fields as they went.

    When they got near the inn, they spotted a group of women leaving hurriedly. It seemed they were trying to hide themselves before the bandits arrived.

    They quickly rushed off to grab them and dragged them out. "You will drink with us, ladies! You ain''t got nothing better to do anyway!" They raided the cellar and took out all the barrels. Some of them even undressed the women in the courtyard in sight of everyone and wanted to start violating them there, but the women kept on struggling until they entered the inn.

    "What you got to be ashamed of?"

    "Maybe she wants to take her time with you, hehe!"

    The leader glanced to the side as he was making his way through and saw the tracks of the wagons continuing up the road. It seemed what the residents said was true, so he let his guard down.

    As time passed and the sound of moaning died down, most of the bandits were too intoxicated and exhausted after they finished their rapine and chugging all the liquor they could. Soon, most of them were slumped over, defenseless.

    That was the moment to strike. All the women who pretended to hide were the widows who volunteered for this task. Now that the trap was sprung, they took out the small knives they had hidden in their clothes and stabbed their assaulters in the chest.

    They managed to get most of them before the sound of agonizing screams alerted the rest. The three bandits who remained alive tried to reach for their weapons, but most were struggling to even stand up straight.

    "Help!" cried out one of the women in distress, a signal for the merchant guards to come to their aid. They quickly subdued the rest of the bandits and dragged them outside.

    Two people stayed alive: the boss and the rotten-mouthed fellow. They were guided outside and surrounded by an angry mob that couldn''t wait to rip them to shreds.

    The long-awaited retribution was soon coming...

 Chapter 14: Mob justice

    The captives were squirming in pain as the next in line stepped forward. Her trembling hands clutched a dull, old knife with which she sought vengeance for her kin. Her old age and lack of strength grew evident as her thrusts failed to penetrate the skin. Nonetheless, aunt Lauria, now kneeling on the ground due to her bad knees, kept thrusting with all she had as tears filled her eyes.

    Visions of her daughter started appearing; she envisioned her night-black hair shining in the sun as she ran across the field, and then she started reliving the dreadful day. As memories kept pouring out, she felt her grief anew as images of her daughter''s violated and mutilated corpse flashed in her mind. When she came to, the bandit had passed out again due to shock; her serrated, rusty knife was lunged deep into his thigh.

    As she was helped back on her feet and began to walk away, her mind wasn''t focused on the acts she had committed or her still shaking hands. She closed her eyes and tried to summon the image of her daughter in her mind once more. She squeezed her eyes, trying to hold on to the image of her haughty, playful, and somewhat stubborn daughter for even a second longer. How she yearned to meet her once more and brush her coal-black hair. But alas, who the earth has coveted shall never return; and so, she kept on dreaming into the night.

    The bandit was forcefully awakened, he gasped for air as the stream of water was still pouring at his face.

    Looking around, startled, he quickly remembered his situation when he saw his final companion slumped aside, the foul smell of his mouth filling the air; he had succumbed to his wounds.

    In the face of death, his previous pride and ruthlessness disappeared as he groveled and cried, begging them to spare his life, but this fell on deaf ears.

    For the first time in their lives, the oppressed were not on the receiving end of the torture, which filled them with a sense of authority and power.

    Even Joshua''s attempt to persuade them to use him as bait was quickly rejected without even allowing him room to speak.

    It was clear on their faces that they wouldn''t be satisfied with an easy death as a sense of hysteria took over. It seemed mob justice would be served that day.

    This was alarming, Joshua needed to ensure Reynard''s safe treatment, and staying in this village when a full-scale battle could break out at any moment was suicidal.

    Sai: "I think it''s about time we leave this place," commented Sai, as if he read his mind. He continued, "These people¡­ they¡¯ve lost it. You see what they¡¯re doing?"

    Joshua: "You can''t deny that this is their right, what did you expect after what they¡¯ve been through? If we were in their place, we¡¯d be doing the same.."

    Sai reflected silently for a while before responding, "Maybe, but they have thrown caution to the wind. Their easy victory was all thanks to your plan, but I think it has gone to their heads."

    Joshua sighs: "Can you blame them? Don''t forget what the residents had to go through to make them let their guard down. They risked their lives on the word of a kid and survived. Who wouldn''t be cocky?"

    "I think you''re too accommodating of others. Don''t forget how they shunned you earlier when you argued for the release of one of the captives."

    "...."

    "The real threat has yet to pass you see them boasting and celebrating?  Being cocky gets you killed, and they have thrown caution to the wind. Why should we continue to help these people?"

    "I think you are mistaken about something, brother. Everyone''s luck will run out eventually, as long  as it hasn''t they can still be useful ."

    "So what are we to do moving forward? We can''t stay here and wait for the bandits to come and slaughter us."

    "There''s nothing we can do. The few guards and villagers won''t be enough to put up a fight, and we are too inexperienced to fight a large-scale battle of this kind. I won''t risk my and my siblings'' lives on such a fool''s errand."

    The duo stopped in front of the house where they were staying. Joshua put his hand on Sai''s shoulder and said, "Get a good night''s sleep. Tomorrow, we''ll talk to Jaylar and try to convince him to leave." After that, they both went inside to rest after the hectic day they had been through.

    Up until now, their survival was due to the training they had and the experience of a stranded life as orphans, most of them endured before joining the orphanage, but their bodies were not fully developed, a fact proven by their accumulated wounds and injuries.

    The next morning, everyone was gathered in Reynard''s room as he woke up from his coma.

    "Hey, don''t sleep on top of my leg! It still hurts," said Reynard as he pulled her hair. "Jasmine, get off!"

    "Reynard, you''re really awake!" said Loretta as she burst into the room.

    "Yeah, I a¡ª" he was interrupted as she jumped in to hug him.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it."I''m really sorry, it''s all my fault," she said while tearing up. "I wish I could take it all back."

    He wrapped his healthy arm around her and consoled her: "You did your best. I know that you did, so it''s okay."

    Everyone was feeling conscious of their roles in the incident, and a grim mood took over the room.

    Trying to change the somber mood, Reynard said jokingly, "By the way, where are we? And what was that horrible screaming all night? I nearly thought someone was getting tortured, hahaha."

    "....."

    "Ha-ha-haa... Seriously? Who was getting tortured? And why?"

    As he was being quickly told of the events that happened while he was unconscious, the doctor walked into the room and was instantly bombarded with questions from Reynard, asking when he could leave, still keeping his joking tone.

    With a somber expression, the doctor began explaining his condition "Your broken arm should recover within three weeks. Thankfully, there was no damage from the sticking out bone. However, your Achilles tendon was torn because of the wolf bites. It''s unlikely that you will regain motion in your left foot."

    Puzzled, he raised an eyebrow as he looked over to his left foot and uncovered the sheets. Confusion spread across his face as he wiggled his right toe and then shifted his focus back to his left.

    "I can''t move any of my toes! Or raise my foot!"

    "Yes, the nerve injuries were severe and are unlikely to recuperate. I wanted to amputate it at first, but they wouldn''t let me," he said, pointing at Herbert and Arlan.

    "Thanks for not letting him chop my leg off i guess, haha...." He then tried getting off the bed to take a few steps around, but he quickly got light-headed and was helped back down as Jaylar walked into the room. "I heard you were awake, so I came to visit. You lost a lot of blood, so you shouldn''t move around too much." Most of them went outside to allow him more time to rest, Loretta was the only one who stayed behind.

    As they stepped out into the courtyard, the foul smell and hanged corpses made it clear that the residents kept themselves busy throughout the night. Everyone felt their stomachs turning as they couldn''t stop themselves from feeling disgusted by the excessive violence.

    Jaylar wiped his mouth with a tissue Sai handed him and said: "Thanks, this makes me sick. I can''t wait to get out of here."

    Sai: "Well, now that you say that, we wanted to remind you of our arrangement."

    Jaylar: "Don''t worry, as soon as we deal with the bandits, you''re all welcome to join us on our journey."

    Pulling him aside, weary of sensitive ears, they tried to convince him to leave immediately, arguing that since they were deprived of their cavalry, the bandits wouldn''t be able to give chase.

    "But these people sheltered us in our hour of need. I can''t just abandon them like that!" Jaylar scowled "How can you think of such heartless things at your age?"

    "What good will come from pitying the doomed? Will it save your caravan or our lives? Are you going to condemn us all to perish just for your conscience?"

    Jaylar paused looking down as Joshua continued

    "How about your men? Are they willing to sacrifice their lives in what has now become a pointless fight?"

    Jaylar exchanged glances with his head guard, he noticed his hesitation and frowning face, before saying, "I need to consult my people. I''ll give you my answer later."

    Sai approached and said, "Why must we rely on him? Why don''t we just steal some horses and flee before the bandits get here?"

    "Reynard is in no shape to ride a horse, that''s why we a ride in his wagon. But we might not have a choice if Jaylar doesn''t come around soon. How much time do we have?" replied Joshua.

    "Three days, maybe less. Such groups are notorious for backstabbing and hunger for loot" noted Sai.

    "I think it could be tomorrow at the earliest, most likely the day after if we''re lucky." Altan remarked.

    "We can''t leave anything to chance, we need to set off before sundown to be on the safe side. We need to convince the merchants to leave. I''m sure they see no benefit in staying here any longer" advised Joshua.

    Herbert chimed in: "The guards were sick over what happened last night. I doubt they''d want to risk their lives for this village. I''ll talk to them and try convincing them to leave."

    Sylvia: "Jasmine and I are helping the doctor tend to the wounded caravan members, and I think they took a liking to us. Should we try talking to them?"

    "Try it, but don''t waste time-we¡¯re on borrowed hours." suggested Sai.

    Joshua: "Listen up, everyone. I know some of you may feel sympathy for the villagers and see my choices as cold-hearted. But we can¡¯t afford to join this struggle; our lives are on the line. This isn''t our fight, and I won¡¯t risk our safety for it. We need to push forward if we want to reach Dirrar in the capital before it¡¯s too late." He paused to recover his breath before saying  " It was a long and hard journey to get here, and we still have a long way to go. We can''t afford to let it end here, for the sake of our future!"

    The group then dispersed to try and convince the caravan members to leave, they planned to reconvene in the afternoon and discuss their progress.

 Chapter 15: Memories

    The Aternos League was formed from the union of 37 city-states. Situated in the eastern archipelago, most of them lacked a direct land route to each other.

    In order to prevent potential complications and seizure of power, a series of laws were compiled into the Raphamiel constitution after its writers Raphael and Nacamiel.

    "A central government shall be formed that takes terms for 5 years and must include representatives from every city-state, barring for unexpected circumstances."

    "The government shall be jointly headed by two elected officials. These officials will conduct their campaign together to promote harmony."

    "Elective powers belong chiefly to the people, a second ballot of the ten top candidates will be conducted by the House of 296 and a final one of the remaining three will be carried by the assembly of the 37."

    "All assemblies of the 37 shall be conducted in the Veruyan lagoon, each member is required to attend in their city''s Flagship with unloaded canons"

    "Each nation must house three branch buildings of the central government, their function shall be decided by the presiding deputy"

    "To avoid inter-fighting and strengthen strategic ties, a united military force will be created and placed under the authority of a semi-independent strategic command."

    "Each nation must strive to fulfill the annual quota of shipyard production and recruitment dictated by the strategic command."

    "Inner trade between city-states will be exempted from tax for essential goods such as grain, firewood and fabric. The tax rate for other goods is decreed by the treasury and must be respected in every port."

    "The strategic command is nominally headed by the Sophets, requiring at least one of them to have held previous field command. "

    "The house of 296 has a term of 10 years and should be divided as such:

    -1/3 must consist of company heads, retired officials and veterans with meritorious records.

    -Another third must consist of patricians and merchants

    -The remaining members are landowners, farmers, shipwrights and artisans.

    Each member must be at least 40 years old and need the approval of the public assembly for their candidacy to be successful."

    "The flag of the league consists of a Ship with 37 oars symbolizing unity, Shophets take turns hoisting the flag on their ships monthly."

    "Each Suffetial proposal must earn a majority in the house of elders before being brought before the assembly of 37. "

    The director:" These are some of the laws included in the constitution... Herbert you''re dozing off again"

    Herbert (rubbing his eyes): " Huh what? I wasn''t asleep I promise, just resting my eyes"

    "Is that why your arms are numb?" the director said while poking his arm, which caused him to jolt "Aaah stop! It tingles, I won''t doze off again I promise", Amid the chuckling of his friends.

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    Herbert(pulling his arm away) " But why are learning about these things? I''ve never been to Aternos and doubt that I will ever go there."

    The director smiles: "You never know what happens in life, learning the history of a country may help you acclimate to it faster in the future."

    Dirrar steps inside the classroom, grabbing everyone''s attention: "Raphamiel constitution? The title alone puts me to sleep! Don''t you guys want to go have some real fun?" the whole class erupts with excitement, and the director is surprised by all the dreamy eyes looking at him as Dirrar shrugs his shoulders. He sighs and says" Fine, we''ll end it here for today. You can go ...", as everyone shuffles from their seats in anticipation of the adventure he adds "I expect everyone to write a paper with their opinion on what was discussed today next week".

    The cheery mood turned slightly gloomy as Dirrar joined in and started booing him. He then comforted them whispering "It''s alright, he can be a hard ass sometimes. I''ll let you boys have some of my special brew tonight!" his chuckling was interrupted by the sensation of an arm gripping his shoulder.

    Sweat started dripping down his face as he turned around and was greeted by the director''s eery smile as he dragged him away.

    "Hey hey, I was joking! How can your grip still be so tight? " He tried to grab onto Arlen as they passed him by " Hey Arlen buddy! If you help me I''ll give you special smoked meat later... huh? An empty sleeve!" "Arlen you bastard! Did you just wink? How come you two have the same smile?"

    Dirrar came back out after a few minutes, he clearly went through a thrashing.

    Zenobia: " Oh my, what did you do this time?"

    Dirrar( sniffling) "I''ve done nothing! Ouch-The old man still hit like a horse"

    Herbert (snickering): "So are we still gonna get that brew uncle?"

    Joshua rushed over to hush him :" Hahaha yea sure, I''ll brew you some of this fruit i collected hahaha!"

    Zenobia approaches and pinches him by the ear: "You did nothing huh? So what is this brew thing about?"

    "Hey hey hey! Please stop twisting, does grip strength increase with age or something?"

    "I don''t trust you boys to behave anymore" Zenobia guides him by the pinched ears and approaches the girls and says: "How about we join them tonight instead of the usual lesson? What do you think of that"

    Sylvia (excited): "I agree! They can''t be trusted, we should join in their fun.. To keep an eye on them of course"

    Zenobia chucked "What a dishonest little lady, It''s settled then we are all going out today".

    Everyone made their way out of the courtyard with Dirrar''s ears still pinched except for Arlen. He was approached by the director as the crowd''s noise started dying out into the distance: "It was a good trick earlier with sleeve, gave Dirrar quite a shock! well done."

    Arlen smiled feeling elated by the director''s words as he added: " But why haven''t gone off to join them? "

    Arlen looked down at the ground without responding, prompting the director to continue the conversation: " You need to think of them as your family, and should share in their joy"

    Arlen then lifted his head back up and asked " Is that what a family does?"

    The director strokes his beard before inquiring: " A family is like a nation, it''s a different thing for different people. What matters is your opinion, who do you think is your family?"

    Arlen pauses, deep in thought before pointing at the director.

    The director was moved, but he took some time to think before responding: "I''m happy that you think about that, and I hope you consider all your siblings as your family and care for them as well" he says while kneeling down in front of him.

    Then he gets up, extends his hand and says: "Now, I''m afraid Zenobia is as hopeless as Dirrar when it comes to liquor. Why don''t we head over there to keep an eye on things" Arlen takes his hand and they make their way to join the rest of the group. That day, the embers kept burning until dawn as they huddled together around the roasting game.

    And then Arlen woke up...

 Chapter 16: Assembly Hearing

    The island of Veruya originally consisted of several smaller islands; these were then artificially connected, and it became the headquarters of the centralized government and strategic command.

    In the center was The Aternos Palace, where a flag of each nation was hoisted on each of its peaks. It served as the living quarters for the shophets, the cabinet, and the present assembly members. From the plaza, a crowd of officials and civil servants trudged ahead under the heavy rain. Each one of them was headed to their respective departments.

    Each department eventually expanded to occupy a separate district, consolidated around the department''s Hall. The Treasury District was the largest and most numerous; the scene resembled a swarm of ants, with officials and civil servants tirelessly navigating through stacks of documents and cross-referencing details.

    On top of a small hill behind the palace stood the house of 296, famous for its numerous windows and oval shape. Predictably, for a place where groups of people of different backgrounds gathered to discuss and decide on the affairs of the nation, it was complete pandemonium.

    It was a rare incident; the semi-independent strategic command''s de facto leader was summoned to answer the concerns of the elders.

    Nominal authority of the strategic command may have been in the hands of the shophets, but in practice, it falls to the hands of the Admiral of the fleet and his general staff.

    In the back room, three silver-masked figures knelt as they handed a sealed letter over. A blonde-haired man in his late twenties unfurled the letter and was reading it.

    "So the old man is dead, huh?"

    "Yes, my lord; however, he only had one subordinate left at the meeting point."

    "And his left eye was covered; we believe it was gouged."

    "Left eye? ... Hahaha! Good one, old man! Still, he was lucky to make it out alive."

    "Do you want him to disappear, my lord?"

    "Hm? No, no. He still has his uses, especially with the war approaching. Contact the spy in his brigade to get promoted as soon as possible and enter his inner circle. It''s a good chance now most of his trusted aides are dead."

    "Understood."

    The shouting in the background was growing louder and louder.

    "I need to go rescue the old man before the elders'' bickering makes him snap, dismissed."

    "Admiral Kaeros! This year''s annual quota is abhorrent! Do you think ships build themselves?"

    "Your new blueprints are incomprehensible! It takes us twice as much time to make them instead of regular ships, and you want the production rate to be increased as well?"

    An elderly man in his 70s raised his hand, prompting several servants to pound their canes into the ground. This caused the crowd to fall silent. "Goodness, it is so lively today. Esteemed elders, if questions keep pouring out uninterrupted, they can''t be answered. Give the admiral room to speak."

    Standing at the forefront of the merchant faction, a gray-haired man stood up. Unlike many of the men behind him, his robes were simple, and the only jewelry he wore was a ring on his finger. He said: "Chief elder, as this is a grave matter, I believe it''s wise to invoke the drawbridge custom."

    The chief elder replied, chuckling: "I can only bestow guidance; I don''t wish to restrict the esteemed elders. But the situation does need some regulation... The assembly shall vote on the motion to invoke the drawbridge custom for this meeting."

    Several people could be heard whispering, prompting the merchant to turn around and address his peers: "Esteemed brothers! This motion requires each member to acquire explicit permission from the chief elder before speaking; this will help us convey our ideas more clearly. I pray for your favorable decision."

    As the voting proceeded and numbers were counted, the chief elder announced, "199 in favor, 56 opposed, and 41 people have abstained. The motion is carried by a two-thirds majority; now the drawbridge custom is in effect." He cleared his throat before adding, "Any member that speaks without express permission must vacate the assembly."

    After this was concluded, the merchant stood up once more and raised his arm. The chief elder motioned to one of the servants, and he was handed a blue flag. The merchant thanked the chief elder before turning his attention to the Admiral: "Admiral, do you know the cost of the extra timber we had to import this year?"

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    The admiral responded with a bored tone: "600 thousand regni, give or take."

    This caused widespread murmuring in the assembly; only the drawbridge motion prevented the floor from descending into chaos once more. This merchant continued, "The admiral is well informed; to be exact, it is 630 thousand regni, which is 6% of the annual budget and a six-time increase over the past years."

    The admiral stood silent, while the merchant kept going: "The import of timber was given a high-priority order, causing a large number of vessels to be tied down in its transport, which caused several shipments of other materials to be delayed."

    Another man rose up; he was from the artisan and landowners bloc. He raised his hand and received another blue flag: "Admiral Kaeros, I am Jeorni, head of the Rising Tide shipyard and deputy chairman of the shipwright association. My question to you is simple: how long does the strategic command think it takes to build a ship?"

    The admiral gave a swift response: "The Rising Tide shipyard, huh? Then it should be 8 weeks for a galley. Need I remind you of what nation we belong to? We are the masters of the ship-building craft."

    "Then why are you meddling with our process? Our ships are unrivaled across the seas; why must we follow these rigid guidelines and add these useless contraptions?"

    "That is for the strategic command to worry about. The commission was accepted by the chairman of the association, and every shipyard is expected to fulfill the quotas."

    A hulking figure stepped forward from the veterans faction and received a blue flag. "Admiral, I believe introductions aren''t necessary."

    Kaeros nodded: "Giovanni, why won''t you join me in the strategic command? Your country still needs you; you can still serve it."

    Giovanni replied, "I am still serving it, even now."

    Kaeros shook his head as Giovanni continued: "Admiral, I have the honor of being the commissioner of the officers'' club. I hate mincing words, so I''m going to ask the question on everyone''s lips: Is the strategic command going to start a war?"

    Giovanni added, "It is unmistakable! Ship production rates are nearing wartime conditions; the odd contraptions housed at the army storage centers, and the newly mandated training issued to the officers all point to one thing... War."

    The whispering grew louder as the group started discussing the potential implications while awaiting the general''s response with bated breath.

    Kaeros scratched his forehead before saying, "All I can say at this point is, we are preparing for every eventuality. The strategic command''s independence isn''t in question here; thus, that''s all I''m at liberty to say."

    Nearly all of the merchant bloc was fuming; one can only imagine the profanities they would shout out if they weren''t in session. Amongst them, four new individuals were now granted blue flags, other than the first merchant, Lucius.

    "General Kaeros! Not only were our shipments interrupted, disrupting our income for the past year, but now you tell us that a war is on the horizon. Do you wish us to incur more loss in the future as well?"

    Kaeros ignored them and addressed the chief elder: "Can I be excused now? This has gone on for long enough."

    The chief elder pondered for a while and then said: "We have taken enough of the admiral''s time, and I am thankful for your presence today. But ending things here may be a little unsatisfactory.

    We will conclude with two final questions; this red flag is the new permission symbol."

    The entire assembly was standing up, seeking permission to speak. Amongst them, Giovanni was chosen. He took the red flag in his hand and started examining it: "Do you remember that day, admiral? The sea water was as red as this cloth..." He paused briefly before staring at him with dead eyes: "Is the enemy... to the west?"

    Kaeros kept quiet for a short while before replying, "...Yes."

    "Are you going to risk our lives once more to settle an age-old grudge? Even if we make it to the shores this time, what''s to guarantee that the disaster from 10 years ago won''t happen again?"

    For the first time today, Kaeros had no retort.

    The silence continued for a few short moments before it was cut by a sharp voice crying out: "What you fear will not come to pass," as a dashing figure strode across the floor.

 Glossary : The Aternos League

    Map of the Aternos league:

    Tetrarchy of Veruya: Considered the capital of the League, it houses the headquarters of the strategic command center, the central government, the assembly houses, and the council of 37.  The power is divided among these four key entities, a structure that eventually gave rise to its name: the Tetrarchy.

    Republic of Aterna: One of the two founding states of the League.  It has the largest territory of any member state and the second largest overall in the league after the Diarchy of Veruya. A land where each must forge their own path, and  The current head of state, Sibiyna, is a testament to its meritocracy.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Most serene republic of Cyanos: Ruled by a doge elected for life by a council of 41 mayors. Its expansive coastlines are home to multiple ports and trading hubs. It is said that every coin in the world has once passed through its bustling markets.

    Notable figures:

    Admiral Kaeros: A national hero and acting chief of staff of the strategic command. During his young days, he oversaw the eradication of several pirate enclaves and quickly rose through the ranks. His fame soared 25 years ago during the battle of the triplets.

    Chief elder Andrikos: The most successful orator of his generation, he introduced several reforms during his tenure as Shophet aiming to overhaul the judiciary and administrative sectors.

    Elder Gianni: Famous for his Midas touch, transformed the Krimata company he inherited from a small-time caravan on the verge of bankruptcy to one of the most famous Trade Armadas in the world. After living in an atmosphere of pretense and deception he developed a disdain for luxuries and jewelry.

 Chapter 17: Assembly Hearing 2

    The sudden entry grabbed everyone''s attention and caused a momentary confusion. The elders were already frustrated by the lethargic responses of the admiral, and this sudden intrusion further exacerbated the situation as several of them shouted in protest:

    "Who are you to dare interrupt our assembly? This is a grave offense!"

    "What are the guards doing? Apprehend him!"

    The chief elder tried to calm their nerves as he endeavored to resolve the issue.

    "Now, now, let''s not be quick to judge. Admiral Kaeros, is this man with you?"

    The admiral answered with a slight head nod.

    A merchant named Lenso, hailing from the free city of Vicinia, interjected:

    "Even so, this is highly inappropriate. We are discussing matters of national security."

    Another added, "This isn''t the training grounds or the tavern for him to barge in without much thought."

    The chief elder asked,

    "Do you have anything to add to this meeting?"

    He replied while saluting,

    "Esteemed elders, forgive my sudden intrusion. Indeed, I have information that should prove crucial in answering all your questions."

    The chief elder pondered for a while and then said,

    "Then that settles it. He is granted permission to stay."

    "Thank you, and now to address¡ª"

    The chief elder interrupted him:

    "Oh! Since this young man will answer the questions, the drawbridge motion is no longer in effect." He motioned to his aides, "Recover all the flags."

    He added, shooting a smile:

    "You brought this on yourself when you barged in here. You are required to answer their questions now."

    <strong style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">**How cunning... so this is the renowned scholar and former shophet Andrikos? He could pose a problem.**

    "I am in the service of the house."

    He barely finished his sentence before a flurry of questions erupted.

    "Esteemed elders, rest assured that all your questions will be answered. But first, I believe introductions are in order. My name is Marco, advisor to the admiral and Lieutenant commander of his ship, the <em style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Subitus."

    ?

    "As you all know, ever since disaster struck in the last war, we have been on the back foot. Our rule over the sea has wavered, and many pirate enclaves have been harassing our convoys. Rebuilding the navy is crucial to our national defense; the enhanced security will more than compensate for the temporary loss of income."

    Several members of the military bloc nodded in agreement:

    "The navy is our deterrent; it must be rebuilt and expanded."

    "What good is bickering over coins while our shores are undefended?"

    Others, notably from the merchant union, objected, crying out:

    "This doesn''t change the fact that we can''t afford to go to war."

    "We can''t afford to shatter the power balance."

    "We need to keep the southern hordes in check; we can''t wage war on multiple fronts."

    "Deterrents, power balance, keeping in check? How amusing. One would think that you are dictating orders to the strategic command. That would be crossing a boundary, wouldn''t it?"

    "Watch your mouth! You''re on sacred ground."

    Gianni interjected, "It is true that the Constitution of Raphamiel clearly defines the strategic command''s supreme executive power over all military matters."

    "I''m thankful for your under¡ª"

    "But the strategic command can ill afford to disregard our advice either. Everyone in this room has more experience than you in life. Don''t take their words too lightly. Why risk so many lives in an uncertain conflict?"

    "I can''t believe such a distinguished merchant would ask a question so absurd."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Everyone knows the immense riches you''ve accumulated over the years. Did your Krimata Company make it where it is today by prioritizing safety and certainty?"

    "Merchants weigh risk and return, but we are speaking of war, not trading."

    "They are two sides of the same coin. Merchants trade goods for money, while war trades lives for land."

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    He continued, "This is a report made by the Department of Agriculture, which manages the union of arable commons, consisting of what little fertile land we have in our league. It states that if the population continues to increase at the current rate, within a decade, we won''t have enough to feed a third of our population."

    "All we need are ports to ply our trade and vessels to transport our cargo. Everything can be bought with money."

    "What if they refuse to sell it? What if they decide to pressure us by embargoing our merchants? Will you let the great famine be repeated?"

    The elders quickly understood the implications.

    "That would be like a noose around our necks that our enemies could always tighten."

    "Having this weakness would be a diplomatic disaster."

    "The islands close to the continent are fertile and have suitable weather. We need them if we are to ensure our self-sufficiency."

    Giovanni remarked, "Didn''t we try all this before? Even if we managed to occupy it, what good is that land if we can''t hold it?"

    "War is a gamble. An uncertain victory is better than a certain defeat. It''s our role to ensure the best outcome for our federation."

    Soon, the division in the assembly became even more apparent, as each faction became more concerned with their personal domains. The veterans from the military section questioned:

    "Do you have a solid plan?"

    "Will the admiral personally hold field command?"

    Meanwhile, the merchants speculated:

    "When will the declaration be sent?"

    "Will a war tax be introduced?"

    All the while, the farmers'' and artisans'' bloc could be heard whispering:

    "Will there be a draft order?"

    "How should the new lands be divided?"

    Marco thought to himself<strong style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"> **You could hear the gears in their heads turning.**

    <strong style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">?

    But what caught Marco''s attention was a question from a retired official, known as an outspoken critic of the hegemony of Aterna and Cyanos:

    "A Lieutenant commander at such a young age?"

    "The officer exam grants an equal chance to all. I was fortunate enough to pass it."

    The elder scoffed,

    "Where are you from?"

    "As I said, I''m Marco, of the strategic command."

    "I meant, which country?"

    "I don''t understand your question. Aren''t we all citizens of the Aternos Federation?"

    "Enough! Are you suggesting that the strategic command discriminates based on nationality? Why don''t you ask your peers from the veteran bloc!"

    A few side glances and dissatisfied veterans caused the elder to back off as the admiral pressed on,

    "This has gone on long enough; we are leaving."

    After the admiral and Marco left, the session continued well into the afternoon.

    In his office the admiral lit his pipe while sipping his brandy, saying.

    "I didn''t think you could handle those old geezers... It''s unexpected of you, Marco!"

    "You''re giving me too much credit."

    "What was the point of that? I''d have rather ignored them as usual."

    Marco smiled,

    "To weaken our position a little."

    Kaeros raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing. "Why would we deliberately weaken our own position?"

    Marco replied,

    "Admiral, politics is a matter of priorities. The strategic command reigns supreme in wartime. If it were to appear as a perfect entity, the other three powers would band together to keep it in check."

    Taking a sip from his glass, he continued:

    "So we show them that we don''t have all the answers, that we are pressured by the central government, and they will prioritize more urgent affairs."

    "But there was no pressure from the union of arable commons."

    "Wasn''t there? This report is genuine, and any loyal citizen who reads it would try to do something about it."

    "Is that why you urged me to answer their summons? To think I was caught up in your schemes as well."

    Marco pointed out,

    "Only you could get away with shunning the elders for so long. If you weren''t in that room, I wouldn''t have been able to even look at their faces, let alone argue with them."

    "Now they know you''re with me, and you will be representing us in future assemblies as well."

    Marco grumbled,

    "You''re just dumping your work on me because you find it tedious."

    The admiral chuckled while offering to refill his cup.

    "No more for me, I have to leave now. Thanks for having me, sir."

    Marco then saluted him and left.

 Chapter 18: A spider caught in the web

    A blonde man trotted forward in a dark alley, holding a lantern to light his surroundings. He stopped outside a prison cell and shone a light on its occupant.

    The prisoner squinted her eyes against the sudden light. Her shaky hands rose to cover her eyes as she shouted out, "Who are you?"

    The young man said while looking at the food tray,

    "You always nagged me to finish my plate. Why did you leave yours untouched?"

    He continued while munching on an apple, "Did you think it had poison in it?"

    "Huh... I doubt you came to this dismal, murky dungeon to act as a caregiver."

    "I thought you, of all people would appreciate its beauty."

    "Are you so afraid of your prisoners that you would deprive them of sunshine?"

    "It''s designed to disorient their sense of time and induce sleep deprivation, driving them to desperation as they lose track of how long they''ve been locked away."

    "You take too much from people too quickly, and that will be your undoing. Have you forgotten what I taught you? Desperate men are the most dangerous."

    "Didn''t think you still cared about me that much..."

    "..."

    He asked, while chewing on the apple seeds, "Aren''t you going to ask me what happened to the rest of your spies?"

    This caused her to smirk.

    "Do you want me to praise you? You''re still just a little kid seeking approval. Come closer, I''ll pat your head."

    "..."

    When no reply was forthcoming, she added, "If you''ve come here to gloat, then spare me."

    The man took out a piece of paper from his pocket and slid it to her.

    "This arrived earlier, read it."

    She stared suspiciously at it for a few moments; eventually, her curiosity got the better of her as she picked up the letter and started reading it.

    Her eyes turned foggy as tears flew across her face. When she finally managed to control her voice, she asked:

    "What happened to the children?"

    "The children? Who knows, we both read the same report."

    "He thought of you as his own son."

    He lost his composure and shouted out,

    "He made his own choice! He shouldn''t have cowered in the face of responsibility. He should have owned up to his mistakes."

    "Using that jealous traitor to do your work for you... How many like him do you have dancing to your tunes?"

    She pleaded in a soft voice,

    "Leave me. I don''t wish to look at your face any longer."

    All dignity is lost in the face of death, especially that of one''s life partner and soulmate. As the footsteps disappeared into the dark, Zenobia finally allowed herself to feel sorrow as she broke into tears.

    ---

    "Are you done with your visit, my lord?"

    He asked him angrily

    "Didn''t I tell you to make sure she is well-fed?"

    He replied ,strugglin to get the words out: "We always served her our best meals as ordered, but she wouldn''t eat them."

    The red-headed lady commented, "Hmph! Let that old vixen starve if she wants to."

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    He glared at her as he wrapped his slender hands around her throat, saying, "Force feed her if need be. If she''s that thin the next time I come..." He started squeezing harder before releasing his grip.

    *Cough cough* Kaethna was left gasping for ear as she thought to herself "Why is he obsessing over that prisoner?"

    He then turned to the middle-aged servant and asked:

    "The guests have just arrived. They''re all waiting for you in the meeting room. Please follow me!"

    He opened the door, which led into a lavish hall, and put on a clay mask before he entered a room.

    Inside, there were five individuals wearing wooden masks. They all stood up upon his arrival and knelt down.

    He invited them to sit, raising a toast,

    "I wanted us to share a meal together and talk about things. Thank you for making time to join me here. Cheers!"

    Everyone replied in unison, "Cheers!"

    He then stated,

    "Marco, you did well dealing with the assembly hearing. We now have the admiral''s complete trust."

    Marco replied,

    "As we expected, there was fierce opposition in the assembly house. I believe the merchant companies are now scrambling to finish all their dealings within the kingdom. Gianni was highly opposed to the war as we thought "

    A second figure finished his bite before noting,

    "Even though he formally chose my uncle as company director during his tenure as an elder, he''s nothing more than a figurehead. All the top brass and counselors on his side report directly to my grandfather, but they are swayed by profit above all else."

    A feminine voice from under the mask of the third commented,

    "Don''t worry, Niccolo! Now that the rumors of a potential conflict and an approaching famine are out, we can proceed with the plan as things are settled in the treasury."

    Niccolo replied,

    "Well done, Luna. It needs to happen before the upcoming elder election. If my grandfather returns to his position as the Patron, we won''t have any chance of success."

    He added,

    "The last reports suggest that my uncle''s convoy is sailing up the Svanka River, trading with both the kingdom and the northern coalition."

    A bulky figure scoffed while struggling to fit food through, eventually removing his mask altogether.

    "How do you eat with these on? I understand that merchants pursue profit like a moth to a fire, but how could he be so foolish?"

    Marco scolded him: "Don''t be so barbaric, Becan! Cut it into smaller pieces."

    He said, while attacking a piece of meat, "We know everyone in here already, why the hassle?"

    Luna chuckled,

    "Maybe it''s so we don''t have to look at your ugly mug!" before adding,

    "Still, it''s understandable. The plan to incite the northern coalition to reignite the conflict is still in the beginning stages."

    Marco interjected,

    "It doesn''t mean we can''t use that to our favor; we have several squads stationed there."

    Becan asked,

    "Should get rid of him?"

    This caused Niccolo to cry out,

    "Have you gone mad? Absolutely not! My grandfather would spare no expense in finding the culprits. It''s too risky!"

    The Captain calmed him down saying,

    "Excuse these men, they have the mentality of a soldier. They believe only way to truly get rid of someone is to kill them. You don''t need to murder a merchant to ruin them."

    Niccolo inquired,

    "So what are we to do, Captain?"

    The captain explained,

    "There''s a lingering hatred and distrust across the river due to the long history of bad blood. We need to spread rumors on both banks about how the convoy favors the other side."

    Niccolo said,

    "That could make them angry, but will the locals act upon it? The convoy is heavily guarded, and the elite sailors will easily fend off any attack."

    The captain asserted,

    "All we need is to give them a justification. We can order our operatives to set fire to the cargo when it''s moored."

    Niccolo''s eyes shined,

    "The company has a lot riding on this convoy. Grandfather will be furious. And I can''t begin to imagine the look on my uncle''s face when he comes back empty-handed, hahaha! Drifting on a piece of wood."

    He continued after wiping his tears,

    "I have placed some of my own people at the convoy. I will instruct them to cooperate."

    Luna asserted,

    "We will delay selling off our stockpiled supplies until then, which will help us ensure the support of the counselors in the succession fight."

    The captain noted

    "I think we should call this a day! Becan has already dozed off!"

    Luna''s face frowned as she whispered,

    "What an uncultured brute..."

    Marco muttered, while grumbling, "I still can''t understand how he gets that gigantic body of his drunk this quickly."

    "I''ll take care of this guy. If you''ll excuse us, Captain."

    Marco then carried him to a chamber with the aid of servants and left him to sleep off his hangover.

 Chapter 19: Beaten to the punch

    A chill crept in through the window and woke Joshua up, he wanted to close the window but found himself cushioned between his sleeping siblings, so he sat there staring at the passing trees.

    He heard the horses grunting as the coachman urged them forward. But as the group rode all through the night, wanting to put as much distance as possible away from their pursuers, the strength of the horses waned and they slowed down to a trot.

    Altan came in through the window, startling a half-asleep Sai causing him to gasp:

    "What the? Where did you come from?"

    "..." Altan ignored him and said "We''re stopping at a village"

    Herbert "What? Did they forget that we are running? We should continue straight to the capital! Why bother stopping at every village"

    Sai commented:"The horses can''t just ride forever, they need to rest"

    Joshua also speculated: "And these merchants still need to compensate for their losses, we''re just guests here. We can''t do anything but follow their lead"

    Stepping outside the wagon, they saw the merchants preparing their stalls and organizing their goods. Their previous fear and hesitation vanished as they worked with mechanical movements and excellent organization.

    Jaylar, in particular, seemed like a different man, he barked orders and pointed out mistakes as he oversaw everything.

    Seeing Joshua approaching him, Jaylar finished his instructions and greeted him with a smile

    Joshua asked: "Can we do anything to help?"

    "You''ve helped us enough! You''re our guests now, so relax and let us take care of you"

    "We could really use the experience, learning how to trade and barter from professionals is an opportunity we can''t pass by"

    Jaylar pondered before answering: "In that case, you can pick one of the stalls to observe. I''ll let them know"

    "Is it fine if we add some of our items to the display?"

    "If you need the coin just say so, we are a little cash-strapped at the moment but once we reach the capital we can give it to you"

    "I appreciate the offer, but as I said, I think learning how to trade is an indispensable skill. And we were taught that a hands-on experience is best"

    After thinking for a while, Jaylar responded

    "Is it okay if I inspect the items?"

    The few pelts they had were approved after a brief inspection, after which everyone made ready in anticipation of the arriving customers.

    Sai asked the merchant he was with: "Do you think a lot of people will come?"

    "Villages like this rely on trading caravans for all their needs, so we should see a fair share of business." He continued "I find it admirable that you want to learn how to trade. I have a son your age, he''s more concerned with spending money than making it."

    When the merchants finished setting up their stalls in the vicinity of the village the sun was already early morning. All preparations were done and everyone braced for the wave of customers to arrive.

    A few minutes slipped by, then half an hour, and soon an hour had passed but only one or two people came to inspect the goods.

    The merchants were puzzled, it was the starting weeks of winter, and small villages like these that were too far from cities relied on trading companies and peddlers for supplies. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that they were at their mercy, many are the tales of such settlements that perished through the winter for the lack of food and firewood.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Sai approached Joshua and stated "I think there''s something going on"

    Herbert asked "Do you think they suffered from bandits as well? Maybe they don''t have the money to buy things"

    Joshua replied: "If that were the case they would be here haggling over essentials, everyone has a few coins buried somewhere."

    Altan chimed in: "I think so too, I saw a few villagers earlier and their clothes were not too shabby."

    Herbert questioned: "Why don''t we just ask around?"

    "The merchants already beat us to it, I''m gonna go check on Reynard"

    --

    Reynard was staying in a separate wagon, as he needed to be under constant observation. As Joshua approached he started overhearing a conversation bet

    "You should have seen him that day! " as she started elaborately gesturing while imitating him:

    "Are only warriors allowed to leave in this world?"

    " Saint Romulus will bless you as fierce warriors!"

    Reynard was in tears until he noticed Joshua slowly opening the wagon''s door.

    Loretta was too absorbed in her acting to notice Reynard''s eye motions and warning, she brought her arms to her heart and shouted:"  Saintess Iustitia will be on your side! The side of justi-ow!"

    Surprised, she turned around to find a red-faced Joshua breathing down her neck as Reynard burst into laughter.

    Loretta tried to act natural "Heeey boss, how''s it going~?"

    Joshua sighed and implored her: "Please don''t do that again, it''s embarrassing..."

    "But you got a way with words brother, today you all became warriors!" But his silence spoke volumes so she continued: "Alright I''ll stop"

    He turned to Reynard who was still laughing hysterically and said "It seems I don''t have to ask if you''re doing fine"

    Reynard replied while wiping his tears "I''m alright, but why have we stopped?"

    "We stopped in a village on the way, do you wanna step out for a while?"

    Reynard''s eyes shined "Oh really? Are you thinking of selling the pelts we got?"

    "I don''t know, the thing is no one came out to buy anything. They''re still figuring out the reason why."

    Reynard then became disinterested saying: "Then I''ll just stay here, it takes too much effort to walk anyway." he sighed while staring down at his injured foot.

    "I see, you should rest properly."

    "Don''t worry I am, and Loretta is keeping me entertained too!"

    Joshua''s sigh was met with a nervous chuckle from Loretta as he made his way outside.

    Loretta then chided him saying: "Why didn''t you tell me he was behind me? Uh, I can still feel my ear tingling. Are they as red as I think they are"

    Reynard teased her saying"I tried! You were just so immersed in your acting to notice." He took her hand pulling her closer and blew in her ear before whispering: "Now it''s not so red as your face"

    --

    Joshua reconvened with the rest and inquired"So what happened?"

    Sai responded: "It seems this village has already been supplied by a different caravan group, the merchants tried inquiring about their name but didn''t find any clues"

    Joshua: "So what do they plan on doing for now?"

    Sai: "They will have a short break before moving out, they plan on trying the next village. "

    --

    The next village inhabitants were more talkative, Jaylar approached a group of inhabitants and greeted them saying "Hello there, we are the Glowing Sand Merchant Company. Might I interest you in some salt or grain, or perhaps some wool and linen to fend off the cold, we even have jars of fiery liquor"

    One of the residents replied: "We already bought everything we needed this winter, you won''t find business around these parts"

    "Pardon? Where did you get them from?"

    "It was a group just like yours, what did they call themselves again? The yellow dirt?"

    Another chimed in: "Nah, I''m sure it was the sunny soil"

    "Well it matters not, they sure saved us from a perilous winter"

    Jaylar came back with empty hands and stated: "What rotten luck, let''s rest a little and have a meal before heading to the next village"

    However, it was the same at the next village, and the one after that. Each time the description of the caravan got more distorted, some claimed it was shining dust, others that it was polished earth. The conflicting reports Left Jaylar and his merchants confused about the identity of these mysterious merchants.

 Chapter 20: A random encounter

    Sai jolted awake, his heart racing. He frantically scanned his surroundings, before realizing it was that same dream again. No, calling it a nightmare would be more fitting.

    He clutched his head as if to squeeze out the visions, making sure to check that no one noticed.

    The two years he spent abandoned before a helping hand was extended to him and he joined the orphanage had a large impact on him.

    Since then, he had recurring visions of lavish halls and clothes draped in gold, along with a woman''s regretful eyes as he was tossed in the slums. But he kept such things to himself, desperate for a sense of belonging and friendship.

    He opened the window for Altan, whom he expected to be sleeping on the wagon''s roof as usual, not wanting to be surprised again.

    Suddenly, he heard a sniffling sound. He turned around to find that it was Teuta giggling while pointing at Altan. He had snuck up on him again.

    "You''re doing it on purpose, aren''t you?"

    Altan didn''t reply but had a sly smile on his face.

    "Stop grinning!" exclaimed Sai, finding his antics exhausting to deal with this early.

    ----

    From the third stop onward, the merchants had stopped displaying their goods as they felt it was a wasted effort. All they got for their enthusiastic displays and organized stalls was the inconvenience of having to put everything back into the wagons.

    This route was foreign to them. So they relied on the rough pointers and ambiguous directions they received from locals to move from settlement to settlement.

    Thankfully the weeping season proved useful for once. In this frosty weather, villagers were usually cooped up in their homes around the kindling fireplace, burning firewood to ensure warmth.

    They kept on the lookout for such pillars of gray smoke penetrating the white skies, akin to a wanderer heeding the stars.

    It was around midday, and finding the village ''just over the steep hill,'' as the locals described it, was starting to prove to be an idiotic endeavor.

    As they were discussing how to carry on from now, the wind suddenly changed direction and someone shouted out: "Smoke, to the north!"

    Everyone looked in conflicting directions, before setting their eyes on the rising grayish clouds.

    This caused another merchant to cry out in confusion: "That''s not the north, is it? I''m sure it''s the east!"

    Before a debate could start about which direction the village was in, they decided to head there first.

    They arrived at the village after a while and waited for Jaylar to return from his meeting with the elder.

    The meeting was concluded in a matter of minutes, and when asked if they would do business here, Jaylar simply shook his head in disappointment.

    "They sold their crops and bought all they needed already.."

    A few merchants started murmuring: "Is it the same group again?"

    It had been 3 days since the merchants left the village. They tried to peddle their wares in any settlement they encountered, but their frustration grew with each passing day.

    Observing his host''s behavior, Sai was confused. While hopping from one village to another made sense, he didn''t understand why the merchants were so desperate.

    Thinking about it logically, all the villagers could scrounge together was a few regni¡ªnothing more than chump change for these merchants. But he didn''t ask them about it. No, Sai prided himself on his wits and frankly needed something to keep his mind off the looming headache.

    He was sick of racking his brain for the reason behind the orphanage attack, eventually deeming it futile on such limited information. So he welcomed the opportunity to both sharpen his wits and keep himself occupied.

    He had several theories:

    "Maybe they are in desperate need of funds after the attack? Then that''s the more reason to rush to the capital, selling goods there will be easier and safer."

    "Are they deliberately wasting time here? There may be no traces of the bandits on their heels but that is still a foolish thing to do."

    "Does this have anything to do with the other merchant caravan? Going around in the countryside supplying every village is almost saints-like, it''s hard to believe that a merchant convoy would go through such trouble"

    For him, all these theories had a glaring issue; they were illogical. Ever since he was a young boy forced to survive alone on the streets of Viyashna, he thought that logic was absolute. It dictated that the hungry shall either starve or steal, that the strong shall either take or crumble, and that the weak shall either band or perish.

    His survival depended on thinking ahead and ascertaining these possibilities became crucial. For all else was illogical and therefore harmless to him and detrimental to his enemies.

    --------------

    Over the course of the journey together, a few members of each group grew more familiar with each other, particularly Phahmir, the most senior member of the group, and Klemus, the redheaded, with whom they were but a few years apart.

    While the group rested for a while to enjoy their lunch, Phahmir was going off again on his adventures of yore. His eyes lit up when reminiscing, and he seemed several years younger; even though he claimed he was only doing it at Reynard''s behest.

    "As I was saying! I traveled to the northern Confederation for my maiden voyage. Back then war was on the verge of erupting and most people steered clear of the borders."

    "Why did you choose that?"

    "I thought I could profiteer of the war" he chuckled "I admit that the wager was also a big factor."

    "The wager?"

    "Back then, they were but a few disunited gambling dens, but they have since consolidated and become known as the Casting Hand. They own several establishments across the continent and take wagers on anything: fights, small conflicts, wars, trade voyages, and even dabble in elections and successions in some areas. "The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "So it was both ambition and greed"

    "Yes, the defining qualities of every merchant. At least that''s what I thought back then.."

    "Anyway, I spent every regni to my name on the things I thought would sell well in a war, and then found a captain that knew the area well."

    "Things like weapons and armor?"

    "No no, of course not! At times of war, these things become easier to find than water with how many resources the nation pours into their production."

    "What then?"

    "I didn''t know either at first, but taverns are full of both active and retired soldiers. It didn¡¯t take much¡ª just a few rounds of drinks ¡ª for them to reveal that, if you were stuck in a war, what you needed most is something to take the edge off." He grinned before suddenly remembering who his audience was and explaining: "Ahem! Well, mostly wine, beer, and other types of liquor. And a few types of herbs and spices for umm, relaxation!"

    Reynard asked: "But how did you manage to sell them? Wouldn''t the officers be wary of such items? Having their troops drunk off their mind wouldn''t be something they''d allow"

    "Those who make the rules are also soldiers themselves. Admittedly, it was hard to sneak off the first barrels of wine, but soon I became a welcome sight."

    The story was interrupted by the head guard''s loud shouting as he was instructing the guards: "Alright people! Finish your meals, we need to get going"

    "The locals have told us that there''s a larger village ahead, we should be able to get there by sundown"

    Phahmir pointed at the grayish clouds hovering overhead: "I don''t like the look of those clouds, shouldn''t we stay here for the day?"

    One more member spoke out in agreement: "That''s what I thought too, do they have a house we can rent?"

    Jaylar shook his head saying: "A few abandoned shacks and a barn. Without proper insulation, it''s the same as staying outside"

    Soon the whole convoy was on the move again. They urged their steeds onward, determined to reach the next village before sundown, looking forward to a comfortable night''s sleep; But fate had other plans.

    It first started as a drizzle, a few drops here and there dampening the soil. It gradually grew in intensity, and, coupled with the roaring of thunder turned into a torrential storm.

    Merchant wagons were designed for long-distance travel, but even they were struggling to trudge forward. The path was muddy from the constant downpour, causing the whole group to be bogged down as they inched forward.

    These conditions caused the wagons to have constant breakdowns, and because the fog obscured the view, the wagons started growing distant from each other.

    Jasmine was the closest to the window, she took comfort in watching the ice fall. She suddenly heard voices outside and she pointed them out to her friends: "Did you guys hear that?"

    Several silhouettes were starting to appear within the fog, everyone was on edge, thinking this to be an ambush. They gripped their weapons and shouted at the approaching figures to halt.

    "That''s far enough! Who goes there? State your business!"

    A crisp voice shouted back in response: "We are a group of travelers, we got caught in the storm and lost our way."

    "And what is it you want from us ?"

    "What else could we-?" he was shushed as a different voice yelled out:

    "What business would a parched soul have with a well other than to drink?"

    Joshua exchanged glances with Altan, after which he retreated out of sight.

    "So you want to ride with us ?"

    "If you¡¯re kind enough to offer, we certainly won¡¯t say no."

    When they got in sight of each other the original heavy voice said "What the? They are just kids!"

    He started moving forward but stopped dead in his tracks when he felt a gust of wind rush past him. He felt a stinging pain as examined his cheek, blood was dripping from the wound. Looking back he saw it was an arrow now plunged in the ground.

    Joshua calmly stated: "The next one won''t miss its mark, don''t make any sudden movements."

    **Where did that come from? Did he miss on purpose? In this weather? Impossible!**

    The second man yelled out once more: "Are you not a well in our journey after all? Were we fooled by a mirage or do you still intend to rescue us"

    Sai answered him in the same metaphorical manner as if to mock him: "This well has many things to feed, it needs to fend off wanderers with ill intent!"

    Joshua then instructed them: "Throw your weapons on the ground, then pass them towards us"

    "You must be out of your mind if you think tha-"

    His companion begged him: "Just pass the damn thing over, stop arguing!"

    Disgruntled, he tossed over his axe, as the other two passed over two daggers.

    The well-spoken guy then inquired as his voice shivered from the cold: "We are all good, right? Can we come aboard now?"

    But all he got in response was silence and eyes that felt they were staring into his soul.

    Joshua then said: "Toss over those backpacks too"

    "All we have in them is a few necessities and supplies for the road. You already have got our weapons."

    The largest of them argued back, frustrated, shouting:" Is this really necessary? We already gave you our weapons!"

    The freezing weather made it futile for them to resist, so they flung them over while the man gently slid his across the snow. Joshua briefly looked through their backpacks. He found more than dozens of scrolls and gadgets, a few short knives, and some food.

    Sai whispered to him, "What do you think? Should we let them in?" Joshua pondered for a while, looking at the rest of the group inside the wagon and remembering all they went through. Before throwing them a rope and shouting out in a commanding tone: "Tie yourselves up."

    Infuriated the bulky guy hollered out: "Listen you little shit! Either let us in or sod off"

    Joshua replied: "Fine, have it your way. May the beasts'' feast be blessed." As he started heading back to the wagon.

    Not wanting to be abandoned in the storm, the third of the figures removed its cap and revealed a long brown hair before pleading: "No, please wait!" The woman then stepped forward saying:" I wouldn''t want to have unrestrained strangers in the same wagon as me either, we will do it!"

    "My lady!"

    "Shut up and start and start tying the damn rope! I''m freezing here!"

    Herbert asked him in a low voice: "Shouldn''t we have tied those ropes ourselves?"

    Sarai then asked: "Were you testing them?"

    He pointed to the back: "If they had done it half-heartedly with the intent to fool us, Altan would have noticed and shot them."

    Inside the wagon, the strangers were surprised to find even more wary little eyes. They were closely being watched by Altan and Sarai, while all their items were being examined.

    The eloquent man kept trying to strike up a conversation, but he was ignored.He kept squirming every time Joshua took out a tool.

    Joshua started fiddling with a red tube, flipping it around in his hand.

    "That''s not how it-oh!"

    He had managed to light it up and tossed it over to Altan "Take this, hang it on the roof of the wagon."

    "Careful! That''s a very delicate device, made of the finest materials in Cyanos." Joshua examined it for a while, it was a clever contraption in which a ball was sitting inside an elaborate maze.

    He begged: "Please don''t break it! I haven''t managed to solve it yet! " He fiddled with it for a few moments before getting the ball out of its cage, he then put it back together and tossed it aside, a bored expression apparent on his face as he continued rummaging through the bags.

    But he was more uncomfortable with Sai, as he started reading through the documents, although he tried not to show it. After all, the documents were encrypted and written in Molarian, his nation''s dialect.

    But Sai caught sight of his nervous behavior from the corner of his eye and continued pouring over the scrolls. Thankfully, he was diligent in his studies and highly fluent in several languages. He quickly started making sense of all the diagrams and cryptic texts.

    But he didn''t let it show. After a while, he paused and acted puzzled asking:" What''s all this nonsense? What language even is this?"

    The man let out a sigh of relief and chuckled: "It''s nothing important, just some research materials from the academy."

    Sai then whispered in Joshua''s ears as he passed him the paper, as Joshua pulled out a golden mask from the bag...

 Chapter 21: The Apostate Machitherias

    The flare light served as a rallying beacon and soon enough, many of the other wagons began converging on their location.

    After exchanging information, Joshua learned that they too had found stragglers, a religious group headed by a priest called Lorkin.

    They also learned that the wagons at the head of the column had found a nearby cave and were planning to wait out the storm there, so they headed to join them.

    After rendezvousing with Jaylar at the cave, the guests were given a warm meal and kept under armed guard while the group decided what to do with them.

    Joshua presented them with the weapons he found, warning:" It''s clear that they are not simple travelers. We should part ways after the storm ends."

    Klemus was the one who found the priest and his followers. He reported that they were unarmed, carrying nothing but walking sticks.

    "What were they doing here in the middle of nowhere?" questioned Phahmir.

    "I don''t know, all they said was that they were in the middle of their training"

    Jaylar asked to take a look at the documents, eager to find out what they contained. Joshua shot a glance to Sai, who signaled him to stall for time; he needed more time to go through it thoroughly.

    Joshua tried asking Jaylar to wait, but Jaylar outright refused to do so, his tone shifting from pleading to demanding. Seemingly with little choice and not wanting to stir up trouble Joshua acquiesced, signaling Sai to hand him the book.

    This was a wake-up call for Joshua, for he had forgotten how delicate his position was. The merchants have effectively recovered their strength and, going forward, he would have little to no say in important matters.

    He felt that they had overstayed their welcome. So he needed to figure out where to go from here, especially now given that Jaylar''s actions were questionable.

    Joshua noticed that Sai was nowhere to be seen. He suspected that he was inspecting the documents hidden in the wagon. He resolved to pay a visit to the group of clergy, wanting to make sense of his surroundings.

    When he arrived he found that the priest was preaching to his group:

    "The day was won, but there was little joy in his eyes. Nay, his sight hovered across the field, and in each corner lay a familiar face, the friends he shared a drink with to drown the sorrows, a brother-in-arms he fought side by side, the woman who stitched his wounds and stood with him in victory and defeat.

    Their blood that drenched the earth was the price of victory.

    His helmet grew heavy, so he cast it down.

    The smell of incense filled his nose. He looked toward its source and saw clergymen engaged in their rituals, offering everything to the angels, prostrating themselves to their whims.

    They trode down the blood of his comrades and desecrated their corpses. He was suffocating, the smell of incense grew repugnant; he looked upon his blade, still smeared in blood.

    A priest demanded as he approached him."Brother, you are in the presence of the angels. Their blessing won us the day, dedicate your victory to them"

    Gazing into the sky; he saw the angels looking down at him from above, domineering and commanding. At first, their blessings were abundant and unconditional, they helped heroes to rise from humanity and cast down evil. Shrines honoring the angels and altars dedicated to their worship were erected in every city.

    However, as the war progressed and the djinn were all but eradicated, the angels grew tyrannical. Slowly but Surely, humans returned to their original standing, powerless and subservient to the whims of a higher being.

    This is what the pools of blood shed by his comrades have secured, the centuries-long struggle resulted in humanity changing one master for another.

    Before he knew it, the priest''s last gasps of life were over. That day, his blade never rested in his scabbard. The massacre was such that the soil was forever crimson thenceforth.

    The priest then closed the book before continuing:

    "We bless ourselves, for we are your agents, for the meek lamb seeks to evangelize the wolf.

    Gathered here our hero, we praise thy name and that of your deacons, for this land is mute of thy name and its people blind to thine effort.

    Thine revelations we received, and on this journey we have set. For the revered one to rejoin your side in your endless struggle, and for his people to join in ours.

    Ours is an eternal and noble struggle, for it is through this that both the shining light and the ancient darkness shall be cast from this land, your land, human land!"

    Joshua, after listening to the sermon, was deep in thought and almost didn''t notice the priest approaching him.

    The priest''s robes were adorned with a sigil depicting a chained hand reaching upwards, he recognized it as the church of humanity''s symbol.

    "What brought you here child, were you lost in the storm"

    "No, I''m traveling with the merchants, we just lost contact in the blizzard"

    The priest pointed back to where everyone was resting "Are these children also with you?"

    Joshua, defensively: "They are my siblings, we are traveling together"

    The priest showed genuine concern: "Do you have a family to go to?"

    "...Something like that" Joshua answered, before questioning "What about you? Why are you here?"

    The priest answered,

    "And what is the here you refer to ?"

    Joshua recognized that he was deflecting, and tried to call him out for it.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation."Does that mean you''re not going to answer my question?"

    Impressed by his wits the priest replied:" A man can ill afford to care for other matters if he doesn''t know the sand beneath his feet." Before starting to walk away.

    Joshua called out to him and asked, "May I borrow that book for a while?"

    "Of course "He replied, before turning to one of his aides "Deborah, will you please give it to him? Offer him aid if he requires it, though I suspect he will not."

    "Yes, Reverend Lorkin." She replied obediently.

    Just as the priest started walking away, Joshua noticed through the flickering lights in the cave that his footprints were imprinted deep within the soil.

    As Joshua headed to a well-lit corner to read the book, he pondered on the meaning behind the priest''s words.

    The book was called The Apostasy of Machitherias. It was a book written by a former slave, forced into eternal servitude by the djinn. He witnessed the rise and fall of many who questioned and challenged the way of the world, eventually witnessing and chronicling both the final clash and the subsequent struggle against the angels.

    The world didn''t always belong to humans. Eons ago, the boundaries between the physical and ethereal worlds were tenuous and evil walked the earth Unimpeded.

    Djinn and other evil spirits ran rampant, subjugating humans to do their bidding, unleashing terrible curses and plagues, and ravaging the masses with impunity.

    They excelled in cruelty and relished in it, many a king lay helpless as their people were starved and enslaved, many a mother looked in despair as her children were massacred, and many a lady was powerless as their sanctity was violated.

    Stories tell of a monarch, his realm was meager but his people were content, he toiled the earth with the farmers and marched to war with the soldiers, he was blessed in health and vassals.

    The king grew older and wiser, but he was still without child.

    His wife was heartbroken, she blamed herself for the misfortune despite her husband''s consoling words and unconditional love, so she sought to repay his kindness.

    After sacrificing many souls, her pleadings were answered. But her request for a blessing in marriage was answered with her violation, ashamed and she pleaded with her husband to spare her child before she took her own life.

    The king was filled with grief and sorrow. He couldn''t ignore his wife''s dying wish, nor could he bear to strike down an innocent child¡ªdespite the furious outcry of his vassals and advisors, whose demands weighed heavily on his soul.

    With the passing of time, he grew attached to the child as he became his only light. Through him, the king discovered the joys of being a father and the fulfillment of being a teacher. But his misfortune was yet to end.

    The devil returned to claim the child as his own, threatening great disaster should the king refuse to hand him over.

    Eventually, humanity''s struggle continued, and a new entity made itself known. It was the angels. They granted blessings to the warriors on their quest for justice. Granting them artifacts and weapons that aided them in their struggle.

    Many praised the angels for their boons, erecting shrines in their names and building temples for their worship in the church of Divinity.

    But others questioned their goodwill:

    If the angels were good, why then have they stood idly by for ages?

    Why have they let them suffer for generations?

    To them, the angels that demanded tribute, sacrifices, and worship were no different than the djinn and demons.

    Realizing this, and not wanting the result of the great war to be merely the replacement of one oppressor with another, many rallied around Machitherias and established the Church of Humanity for the sake of mankind''s sovereignty and liberty.

    Just as the church of Divinity''s battle with the djinn and their worshipers was coming to an end. Their troops, exhausted and over-extended, struggled to hold back the church of humanity''s sudden uprising.

    Machitherias, now devoid of all blessing, discarded his sword as it grew dull. He honed his body to its limits, free from reliance on the fickle blessing of the angels.

    Until humanity grasps its own destiny, he had to keep fighting those who he once deemed as allies.

    It¡¯s ironic that the greatest hindrance to humanity¡¯s freedom now comes from within humanity itself, in the form of the adherents of the church of Divinity.

    Deborah stood still by his side all that time, expecting him to find difficulty in reading its contents she stood ready to be bombarded by questions.

    But as time went by, no questions were asked, and Joshua was completely absorbed in his lecture of the book.

    Eventually, he handed the book back to her,

    "Are you in need of aid in comprehending some of the verses?"

    "No, thank you for letting me borrow it."

    "Do you wish me to summarize the content for you?"

    "I already finished it"

    Suspicion was written on her face, but upon seeing his expression, solemn and earnest, she was impressed.

    "how does it make you feel"

    "Grateful" pausing for a little before adding, "and touched"

    She replied excitedly: "Oh so you were moved by it!"

    "No, you are squeezing my arm."

    Looking down, she realized that she had unconsciously gripped his hand.

    "Oh sorry!"

    Stretching his arm to allow blood to circulate, Joshua asked:

    "Are all members of the clergy this strong?"

    She smiled, flexing her muscles, her pride in her strength apparent "Your blade may grow dull, your bow may snap, but your body will never betray you."

    "Just as Machitherias did?"

    "Yes! We hone our bodies and our willpower to honor his memory."

    "Is that what you''ve come here for? Training?"

    "Hah! This wouldn''t even count as training. We came here to investigate the prophecy¡ª"

    Joshua gained a new piece of knowledge, he wanted to press her for more information but Deborah, realizing that she said something she shouldn''t have, quickly excused herself," I must return this book to the reverend, it was nice speaking to you."

    But even the thinnest string can form a rope, and it is becoming apparent to Joshua that there is more to this place than meets the eye.

    Soon, Sai approached him with Altan in tow. He took them aside into a quiet corner and, after making sure no one could overhear them, he started presenting his findings:

    "The documents were written in a weird mix of languages, I think it''s some local dialect from one of the eastern islands of the league."

    "What did they say?"

    "I only understood bits and pieces, but it spoke of a local tribe, isolated from all outside contact, and something about a prophecy ."

    Joshua added, "A girl from the clergy group let it slip that they were also investigating a prophecy"

    "I think all the gadgets they brought with them were designated to bribe the tribe with"

    Altan: "Why do you say that? If I had to guess I would say that those gold masks were to be used as a bribe."

    Sai "That''s what I thought as well until I saw this "

    He held up a drawing against the flickering torchlight, depicting a snake encircling a pile of coins.

    "Apparently they seem to believe that the tribesmen loathe all forms of currency, believing it to be poisonous and deceitful."

    Altan also remarked: " I was investigating this cave entrance earlier, and it doesn''t seem like something one can simply stumble into. Do you think the merchants came here on purpose?"

    Joshua, after taking a brief moment to think: "I don''t know, but we need to stick together from now on. Stop venturing out by yourself."

    Returning to where the rest of the group was, Joshua quickly scanned the scene before asking,

    "Sarai, wasn''t Jasmine with you ?"

    Then suddenly a crying sound yelled out: "They killed him! They killed Rolland."

    The guard tasked with watching the three stragglers was found choking on his blood, his eyes bloodshot red.

    "Stay away! It''s most likely poison"

    Joshua mumbled "Jasmine, where is Jasmine " before letting out a deafening shout "Did anyone see Jasmine!" as he started frantically searching every nook and cranny to no avail.

    Joshua''s mind started racing, and in his panic, he started picturing Jasmine''s dead corpse. He didn''t know why he thought of that, maybe it was his mind''s way of preparing him for that possibility. Tears began filling his eyes and his footsteps became heavier, as he kept blaming himself for his complacency.

    He thought that he had lost someone once again, that he couldn''t protect his family.

 Chapter 22: The value of boredom

    Joshua could feel his knees buckling, each step forward demanded enormous effort from him as if his shoes were filled with stones.

    Seeing Altan and Sarai shooting past him, he extended his hand forward, trying to warn them "Wait, don''t go!" concerned about a possible trap.

    However, his voice faltered and his words remained lodged in his throat as they disappeared into the darkness.

    He brought his hand back, using it to lean on the wall trying to regain his balance, but it slipped because of the moisture and he got planted face-first into the freezing dirt. He could feel the reverberations in the ground as more footsteps hurried along. No doubt, they were also rushing to search for Jasmine, while he lay there, motionless.

    The tightness in his chest grew more and more unbearable as his mind went through grief and doubt. What makes him qualified to lead them? All he accomplished thus far was to make things worse.

    He had lost Arlen back in the orphanage, caused Reynard to become a cripple, and now allowed Jasmine to be kidnapped.

    Despite how exceptional he was, having to take care of all his siblings was an enormous task, and the stress was still too much for a kid his age to bear.

    Joshua desperately tried to stay conscious, but the pain and guilt consumed him, and before he knew it, he passed out.

    [Despite its shabbiness and humility, the orphanage did have a few redeeming qualities; one of them was the library, which was filled with dozens of books from every corner of the world.

    He recalled spending an entire week holed up inside, during which he read every book in there.

    When he came out, he saw the director resting underneath the willow tree in the courtyard, tending to the plants as the yellow leaves whirled around.

    The director asserted, "Plants are honest, you feed them water and sunlight and they reward you with sustenance.."

    "Last time it was: Farming is a fair trade, and the one before was: plants are the embodiment of a sincere merchant"

    "You plant the seeds, care for them, and they grow into a plant¡ªa straightforward plan with no surprises or deviations."

    He pointed to a wooden sword lying nearby saying, "What do you think of that?"

    Joshua walked over to grab the sword while thinking about the question. Farming, huh? To him that sounded safe, cozy, and

    "Boring" Joshua muttered.

    "You may be right," He said as he stood up "But when fall comes and harvest is due, being bored is better than starving"

    Joshua knew what he had to do, if he didn''t get three strikes in he would have to clean all the floorboards tonight. The most he ever managed to get was two, but he understood that luck wouldn''t always be on his side.

    The director began with the rigid yet simple still waves swordsmanship, which consisted of nothing but basic slashes and thrusts. However, his mastery of the blade ensured that each stroke was executed to perfection.

    What Joshua lacked in strength he made up for in technique, being able to skillfully deflect every single attack, "Such plans are easily seen through. What good is growing crops for others to steal."

    " You may believe that predictability is the ruination of plans" The director replied, then he swiftly raised his blade, switching to a hawk stance.

    "However! There are things that cannot be stopped, even if you knew they were coming."

    All his instincts screamed at him to dodge, and until now, he had always tried to evade that attack whenever he faced it.

    But not today! He lunged forward, lowering his body. He wanted to use swift and agile movements to get behind the director and land a strike or two.

    All he worried about was not pushing his luck, avoiding greed, and getting some space after the second strike.

    "ABDOMEN!"

    The deafening shout caused Joshua to jolt, his mind went blank as his hand unconsciously protected his abdomen. He was lucky, had the director''s kick connected directly with his stomach it would have split him in half.

    Grappling on the tree branch, Joshua felt his wrist throbbing with pain. Thankfully the sword absorbed much of the impact.

    "Don''t mistake audacity for unpredictability." The director continued as he watched him climb down the willow tree.

    "Seeking excitement, bored people grow reckless. They long for something to defy their expectations, which makes them complacent, thinking they can deal with everything that may happen."

    "Son, you are a leader. A leader makes plans, leaving nothing to chance and no room for uncertainty. He is responsible for his men''s lives. There''s no room for excitement in that." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Joshua finally made his way down, groaning in pain as he curled up on his stomach. The director rushed over, concerned he might have used too much force. But he got tricked, and with a faint grin, Joshua lightly tapped him three times with his sword. ''Three strikes, I won,'' he muttered before the weapon slumped from his hands, his strength waning. ]

    He tried to open his eyes, but his entire face was covered with mud.

    Not being able to see anything, he traced his fingers across the air trying to find the wall.

    After flailing around for a few seconds, he was finally able to feel his hand touching a solid surface. He leaned on the wall resting his back against it, while reminiscing about the days in the orphanage, full of grief.

    [He called me son at the end of each lecture, maybe I should have been more Mischievous.]

    He let out a sigh saying, "Sigh, Why did you pick someone like me as leader..."

    "He did it because he trusted you" Sylvia answered as she helped him wipe his face clean with a piece of cloth, " Don''t be too hard on yourself"

    "I shouldn¡¯t have let those people in" He muttered while shaking off the dirt from his long dark hair.

    "What you did was kind. You shouldn''t condemn the world because of a few bad apples" Sylvia said with conviction.

    He knew what he did wasn''t out of kindness but boredom and intrigue, but what was important right now was finding Jasmine.

    "Stay in the wagon with Reynard and your sister, don''t let anyone else inside."

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The guard''s corpse was carefully carried outside by the physician, taking care to establish a perimeter and wear a mask and gloves to help avoid contamination.

    He inspected his bloodshot eyes, his swollen tongue, and the extent of the bluish discoloration spreading across his skin. All the while, everyone awaited his diagnosis.

    Ever since the two groups met up, Jasmine was always by his side helping in caring for patients. The physician had gotten so used to his little assistant that he was visibly shaken by her disappearance, he kept forgetfully calling her name asking for tools, and explaining everything he did in detail became a habit.

    Every time he heard her name, Joshua felt as if a hot stake was being twisted in his heart, eventually, he could wait no longer for the result of the diagnosis and headed to inspect the traces of the kidnappers.

    He borrowed a mask and some gloves and entered the wagon where the perpetrators were kept detained.

    There were three things he needed to figure out: how they escaped, where they went, and why they kidnapped Jasmine.

    He started looking around trying to find any clue that would help him in his search, but there was little to go on. After all, in a small, cramped space like this, there was little room for a broader perspective.

    Still, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was overlooking something.

    While deep in thought, he had a habit of dissociating from his own body, often finding himself having drawn some patterns on the ground or having tied a few branches together.

    In his head, he went over the earlier encounter where they first came into contact, trying to see if he missed anything.

    The bulky man seemed hot-blooded and burly. Had he been the one behind this, he would have smashed one of the wagon doors to pieces. Men like him often look down on poisoning, considering it a coward''s weapon. They enjoy pitting their strength head-on against others, attempting to prove their valor.

    He thought the woman had the air of nobility, even before she was referred to as "My lady". But it was strange.

    If that were true, why had she readily agreed to be tied down by a group of children? Had she thrown a tantrum and attempted to boss them around like lesser beings, he wouldn''t have given her a second thought.

    Apart from the fact that she was traveling on foot in the middle of nowhere with only two attendants, there would have been nothing suspicious about her. Ordinarily, he could have chalked it up to a succession struggle or a possible scandal¡ªboth things he would have deemed normal.

    But because she was silent, docile, and sensible, he considered her intriguing. Such traits might be praised as virtuous, but in the wild, you don¡¯t trust a predator just because it wags its tail.

    Such a person, he figured, wouldn''t be impartial to using poison to further their plans, whatever they may be.

    Finally, there was the chatty, slender one with the silver tongue. His initial judgment of him was that of a sheltered scholar, the type who would spend most of his days combing through ancient volumes. The various scrolls and artifacts he had at his disposal also suggested strong connections in both academic and artisan circles. Such a figure would no doubt know a thing or two about poison.

    At this moment, Joshua felt a tingling sensation in his hand, which broke his chain of thought. He quickly examined his arm to ensure it wasn''t a rash spreading from the poison. But what he found was his hands all tangled up in the rope that was previously used to tie up the kidnappers.

    Inspecting the end of the rope, Joshua noticed something alarming¡ªthe cut was too clean. He was certain Altan had thoroughly checked them before allowing them onto the wagon, and even their ropes had been re-tightened when they reached the cave.

    So if they had anything that could be used to cut through it must have been something small, that would have taken them a few minutes of repeated back-and-forth motions to cut through the rope gradually.

    Such an object would have produced a rough and uneven cut, with frayed fiber and stretched strings, not such a clean and precise cut.

    This could only mean one thing, they were set free by a third party and more importantly, this third party caused Jasmine to be kidnapped.

 Chapter 23: Burials and vultures

    In a matter of a few hours since their arrival, someone had made contact with the prisoners, likely struck some sort of deal, and then proceeded to help free them¡ªpotentially supplying them with the poison and aiding in taking a hostage.

    All the while, Joshua was sleeping on his ears, oblivious to what was developing around him.

    And now there he was, long after everything unfolded; chasing after the wind.

    This revelation not only caused him much pain and distress, but it also confirmed to him the fact that he was too complacent.

    Joshua took a deep breath and steeled his resolve, catching himself before guilt could cloud his mind. First, he needed to figure out what to do.

    Others in his position would stomp out: shouting and yelling and tossing accusations around.

    "Yeah, and announce to the perpetrators that I''m on to them. what a great idea!" He reflected.

    Moreover, lacking any sort of evidence other than a piece of string, not only will everyone dismiss his accusations as the ramblings of a paranoid child; thus damaging his credibility. It would also deprive him of his only advantage.

    The fact that he knew there was a third party involved was now an invaluable card, one that he planned to play at an appropriate moment down the line.

    He needed to rescue Jasmine; this was the most important task of his life so far. And Joshua knew it''s gonna take his everything to achieve that, and then some.

    He needed to be tactful, keep his cards close to his heart, and discern any irregularities. All this in the hope of flushing out any hidden intentions.

    Joshua hid the rope in his bag and headed out to rejoin the others, he figured that the rest of his siblings were likely unsuccessful in their search as well and was eager to rejoin them.

    As soon as he opened the wagon door, he saw the physician in the distance, heading toward him with his mask and gloves still on.

    "Let''s get started." Joshua whispered to himself before stepping outside and greeting him.

    The physician inquired with a concerned tone: "How are you holding up?"

    "I''m...I''m alright," Joshua took a breath, his lips twitching, struggling to keep his composure before he continued,

    "I wanted to thank you for letting Jasmine help you in your work. She has gone through a lot recently and it was amazing seeing her smile again"

    "Physicians witness immense pain and suffering, and they gradually become desensitized to it," he admitted.

    "Seeing her so full of joy and conviction in helping others reminded me of a time when I, too, had dreams and aspirations." The young physician paused, visibly disgusted by the incident.

    "We need to make sure we get her back, did you find anything? "

    Joshua shook his head. "It''s as if they just up and disappeared. What about you, Did you find out how the poor man died?"

    The physician scratched his head before saying, "Well about that, I did find what poison was used, but..."

    Seeing his hesitation Joshua inquired, " Well what''s the poison called?"

    "I''m certain it''s crimson clover, but the thing is¡ª"

    "That it doesn''t cause a rash"

    "Yes, that''s right! How did you..."

    "And isn''t it supposed to be slow-acting? "

    "That''s what surprised me too¡ªit shouldn''t have taken effect so quickly, especially given the deceased''s, um, abundant figure."

    A clamor of raised voices had filled the air for a while now. Though entangled together, a few words could still be discerned, each carrying the anger and frustration they conveyed.

    Joshua asked: "What''s going on back there?"

    "Before that, tell me¡ªhow did you come by this knowledge?"

    "Why? Do you think I had anything to do with this?"

    "I don''t know what to think, which brings us here"

    "All I know are the things I''ve read in books. It''s called ''The Compendium of Vitality through the Chains of Mortality,'' by someone named Rudolf..."

    "A kid your age read the vulture''s book?"

    "... The vulture?" Joshua asked, confused.

    "Yes, that''s what we call him in our field"

    "Did he steal someone else''s work?"

    "Hah! That lunatic doesn''t even acknowledge other physicians. No, that''s not why he''s called that."

    "Then Why..."

    "Corpses"

    "What do you mean¡ªcorpses?" If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Yes, unlike other physicians, he refuses to treat patients. Well, living ones, at least." The physician¡¯s voice lowered, as though weighed down by the memory.

    "He got the nickname during the previous war between the Aternos league and the Caehdel kingdom. He roamed around the battlefield, tricking dying men into surrendering their bodies to him, deluding them with promises of salvation. He then proceeds to ... well let us just say that they didn''t have a serene ending." There was more, but he wasn¡¯t ready to say it yet.

    "Did you know him personally?"

    "Not really. he was once a respected professor in the Central Medical Conservatory, but that was long before my apprenticeship. by the time I started, his name was all but banned.

    The repercussions of his actions reverberated across the continent, branding physicians as grave robbers and necrophages."

    "How did things turn out for him?"

    "When word of his experiments spread, he was arrested and put on trial before a tribunal. Do you know what he said in his defense?"

    "That it''s for the advancement of science?"

    "That''s true! Let¡¯s just say it didn¡¯t do him any favors, nor did cussing out the entire medical tribunal. So naturally, they stripped him of his sigil to appease the public outrage."

    "What about his book?"

    "The knowledge accumulated in his book was deemed invaluable, regardless of what method was used to obtain it. So it was decided to include it in the curriculum, stripped of its attribution."

    The physician started rummaging through his bag before producing a small iron rod, depicting a small hatchling that had just broken out of its egg, being fed by its mother.

    "Now all books in circulation bear this mark. The one you read must have been an early copy"

    Choosing to keep the fact that the book he read was signed by hand, Joshua simply replied: "I suppose...it was pretty wrinkled!"

    By this point, the noise had become too unsettling to ignore. Which prompted The physician to wrap up by answering the original question:

    "When I left, they were arguing about what to do with the body"

    Seeing that the answer was as confusing as the lack of one, the physician further explained.

    "The concoction used is potentially highly contagious, and with the blizzard''s end nowhere in sight I suggested cremation."

    Joshua thought that this was a sound suggestion, aimed to minimize exposure and ensure no further infections occur.

    Moreover, after successfully treating the merchants and guards after the attack. The physician''s influence in the group must have increased immensely¡ªenough to be a determining factor in cases that require medical expertise.

    When he eventually returned to the gathering, he decided to stay out of view and observe the situation first. He discreetly veered to the sides towards a nearby wagon, he was surprised to find the horses were still harnessed to it.

    Thankfully, they were exhausted from the long trek and too absorbed in their meals to notice his approach as he silently climbed onto the wagon.

    The crowd had split into three parts: Jaylar and most of the merchants supported the decision to burn the corpse, while the guards opposed it.

    Joshua''s eyes scanned the crowd, there were fifteen guards left; a couple of them were still in bandages. Each one of them was a potential suspect.

    Joshua noted from the prior engagement that they didn''t keep a strict dress code when it came to armaments.

    While spears were still the most common weapon, many of them carried scimitars and shields instead, while others resorted to bows with a short sword at the hip.

    The choice of armor however was pretty much the same. A thick, padded gambeson reinforced with interwoven chain mail to protect the arms and sides.

    The head guard stood apart from the others, clad in a full mail hauberk that draped down to his knees. At his side hung a long-sword, his arms ever resting on its worn mahogany hilt.

    "We lost more men in this one journey than we did in the past ten combined. The accursed bandits didn''t leave us time to mourn, let alone bury our dead.

    When I think of the families¡¯ cries when we return...¡± The head guard¡¯s voice cracked, laden with guilt over the heavy price his unit paid¡ªand the fate their families will suffer.

    Jaylar kept an uncompromising stance announcing "It''s better to be safe than sorry, we''ve got to take the body to burn it "

    "Rolland served this merchant company with loyalty and pride for nearly a decade! I won''t allow his body to suffer further mutilation."

    "And what do you intend on doing with it, huh? Will you deliver him to his family looking like this? Do you intend to spread the poison to the rest of us?"

    Joshua noticed one of the guards pacing back and forth, his legs shifting restlessly the few moments he remained stationary. This continued for a while before the guard broke down in a fit of sobs. ''It¡¯s all my fault!''

    This took everyone by surprise. The guard was then taken by the neck by the head guard, his legs scraping the ground as he dragged him close "What on earth are you talking about?"

    "I was supposed to be guarding that wagon, but I talked him into covering my shift. I just wanted to catch some sleep" he replied sobbing "He left a pregnant wife back home, and I... I have nothing." He threw himself near the corpse, his hands trembling."I''m sorry, buddy. Damn it! It should have been me!"

    The head guard barked orders at his men "Get him away from here before he gets himself killed"

    The priest and his followers initially stayed out of the conversation, not wishing to step on anyone''s toes. But upon seeing the tension rising, Lorkin stepped forward saying,

    "I didn''t know Rolland, but a man''s worth shows after his death. For his comrades, who went through so much together¡ªfighting side by side against bandits and sharing countless journeys¡ªshowing him this much respect and grief is evidence enough of the caliber of man he was.

    It saddens my heart to learn that such a loyal warrior met his end not in honorable combat, as he deserved, but through treacherous means like poison, robbed of his dignity and subjected to an agonizing death."

    His words pierced through them like daggers, causing Jaylar and the rest of the merchants to keep their gazes on the ground.

    "The church of divinity burned its followers in flames to satisfy the greed of the angels", Lorkin added in disgust as he glared at Jaylar "I don¡¯t know whether Rolland was a religious man, but every human deserves a tombstone¡ªsomething for their family to lay roses upon, a symbol of the life they lived and the memories they left behind."

 Chapter 24: The Riddle of the Wall of Eyes

    The priest''s words struck like a hammer against Jaylar and his supporters, silencing any squabbling. And now, the men were resolved to honor their fallen comrade, as they set about the task of creating a place for him to enjoy his eternal rest.

    Yet they soon found this to be no easy matter, for the cave''s floor had been frozen solid and was as hard as stone, and they lacked the necessary tools to soften it.

    But that hardly mattered; their resolve was not so weak as to falter over something like that.

    And so, with axe and spear, they labored, thrusting their weapons into the ground, softening the dirt before scooping it aside with their shields and helmets.

    Little by little, what started as a small cut on the surface became a gaping wound, and a grave began to take shape.

    Joshua climbed down from the top of the wagon and rejoined the gathering discreetly, just as the burial ceremony commenced.

    His eyes remained fixed on Jaylar, seeing him approach Rolland''s corpse and dismiss one of the guards; it seems that he intends to participate in the burial ceremony.

    Joshua immediately realized what Jaylar was aiming for: that he and the head guard cooperating to inter the corpse in a show of unity would go a long way in salvaging his relationship with the guard unit, especially after his initial insistence on burning the corpse had caused tensions to rise.

    But for him, it was more advantageous if they kept butting heads. Their previous conflict proved that cracks were starting to form, and the fact that a neutral third party was needed to resolve it could work in his favor¡ªif he could manipulate the situation to fuel even more antagonism.

    So, Joshua began to think of ways to ruin Jaylar''s plan. However, he remained wary of the somber mood that had settled over the room and realized he needed to be subtle.

    Yet as the situation developed, Joshua began to realize that taking any action was becoming increasingly unnecessary. Jaylar proved to be extremely capable of ruining his own plans, and so Joshua found himself more of an observer than a participant.

    It all started with him insisting on switching positions with the head guard, wanting to carry the body by its head, a position of honor usually reserved for the immediate family and lifelong friends of the deceased.

    Even though Jaylar''s insistence caused a few murmurs in the crowd, the captain still reluctantly agreed. He seemed determined to ensure the funeral proceeded smoothly.

    But to everyone''s chagrin and Joshua''s delight, that wasn''t the end of it. What should have been a short, ceremonious journey to the grave turned into a drawn-out affair as Jaylar repeatedly set the body down every few steps to rest.

    When another guard stepped forward to relieve him, telling him he had done enough, Jaylar took offense, shouting, "I got it, I got it!" before correcting his tone and adding, "This is the least I can do."

    "That''s if you can even do it," a voice whispered from the back. This earned a few muffled chuckles that quickly dispersed as an enraged Jaylar scanned through the crowd, trying to figure out who made the remark.

    But the dim light made it difficult to see people''s faces, and after a short while, the captain spoke up, his frustration growing. "Please focus on the matter at hand. Let poor Rolland rest."

    Jaylar eventually managed to get the body to the grave, but by then, discontent rippled through the crowd¡ªseveral people from both sides were visibly dissatisfied with his actions.

    The negligent guard stepped forward, burdened with grief and shame. Kneeling by the mound of dirt, he filled his helmet and pulled out a small pouch brimming with silkworm eggs, mixing them into the soil. He then took a fistful of the gritty blend and, with a slow, deliberate motion, scattered it over Rolland''s lifeless face.

    "Do you remember when we first met? When you joined, I had just stopped being the new guy¡ªI wanted to give like I got. Every time I asked you for something, you never complained. Not once. how come you didn¡¯t just¡ª¡­ why didn¡¯t you just say no?" he choked back a sob and continued scattering the dirt over him silently.

    And so, Rolland¡¯s body lay in a frozen grave, marked with his trusty axe that remained inseparable from him, even in death. For though valiance had been stolen from him, his identity remained unshaken¡ªhe was a warrior.

    Just as the ceremony was coming to a close, Joshua turned around and saw Hebert approaching.

    There was nothing else he needed to do here, so he dashed forward and asked, "Did you find something?"

    "Yes, we¡ªmmmgh!" Herbert began to reply loudly, which prompted Joshua to quickly cover his mouth and drag him away, whispering urgently "Shhh! Don''t let anyone hear you" as they distanced themselves from the crowd.

    After they got out of ear range, Herbert started squirming, muffling," Mghmgh¡ªmmmgh!" This reminded Joshua to take his hand off his mouth, "Hhhhffff, at least don''t cover my nose!"

    "Did you guys find anything?"

    "We hit a dead end, but Sai thinks it''s a hidden passage. I think it''s best if you see for yourself"

    As the two approached the rest of the group, Joshua could feel their desperation and worry. Many of them paced back and forth, the flickering torchlight casting shifting shadows across their faces.

    When he looked down, he noticed the ground texture had changed. It seemed polished and shiny as if a heavy object had been repeatedly dragged across it.

    As he stepped forward, he suddenly felt his foot sink a little deeper into the ground, as if he had stepped on something. He felt a click at his heel.

    When he looked back up at the wall, he saw something that sent chills down his spine.

    Sai, still focused on the wall, stated: "You''re finally here, good. I think this door is¡ª"Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    When he turned around, he saw Joshua, his pupils dilated and his face tinged yellow. The sound of his teeth clicking together rattled through the air.

    Everyone huddled around him, helping him to his feet and asking if he was okay.

    Joshua didn''t answer, his gaze drifting around their faces in confusion. The genuine concern in their eyes made it clear to him¡ªhe was the only one who could see the grotesque sight.

    With their help, Joshua managed to stand up. He fixed his gaze on the ground and said, "I''m okay..."

    "No, you''re not. Your hand is twitching, and you look so pale... Is this mud?" Sai asserted as he rubbed it off his hair.

    "My leg just slipped... I think I stepped on something.''"

    Sai pointed the torch toward the ground but found nothing out of place. Confused, he stepped around several times until he finally felt a click. "You''re right! I felt a click!"

    He waited a few moments before saying, "It doesn''t seem to be doing anything."

    He kept stepping on it repeatedly as if testing it.

    "STOP!" Joshua shouted abruptly

    "Is something wrong?"

    "Uhh, no... it''s just better not to mess with it without knowing what it does. It could be a trapdoor or something.''"

    "Right... are you sure you''re okay?"

    Joshua said "Yes, I''m fine. I''ll rest when we find Jasmine"

    As he sat down in the corner, Joshua reflected on the eerie scene unfolding before him.

    The wall resembled a living organism, with dozens of thin, red nerves branching together, so delicate that he could see the blood coursing through them. This crimson web was covered with massive eyeballs, each as large as a boulder, their sclera was dark as coal, and their irises as white as clouds.

    He felt like he was losing his mind, pressing his thumbs so hard against his eyes that he almost gouged them out.

    This was the second time in his life he prayed¡ªno, ''prayed'' isn''t the right term. He begged for what he saw to be nothing but an illusion, mere tricks his mind played on him. Alas, reality doesn¡¯t change just because he wishes it to. When he opened his eyes again, the eyeballs were all still staring at him.

    He picked up a few pebbles and, in a moment of boldness, extended his arm to throw them, his hand shaking uncontrollably. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.

    He looked around at his siblings, all hard at work trying to figure out how to get past the gate, desperate to rescue Jasmine. His gaze then shifted to the knives adorning their waists... Could it be?

    **No, impossible!** He was disgusted with himself for even considering such an idea.

    People stranded at sea or in the wilderness, as well as soldiers operating behind enemy lines for extended periods, often develop a ''forest mentality''¡ªthe mindset that everything out there is out to get you. They understand that letting their guard down for even a moment can prove deadly.

    What he had experienced in the past few weeks since the attack had instilled in him the same attitude. This ''forest mentality'' was something he needed now more than ever, especially when dealing with an unknown foe. But he realized that no man can survive alone. If he couldn¡¯t trust the very people he called family, he had nothing in life. The very idea disgusted him.

    And there was something else he could see, beyond the monstrous eyes.

    Joshua asked everyone to gather around him before announcing, "I think I know how to open this gate."

    A gleam of hope shone in their eyes as they eagerly asked for more details, readying themselves for instructions. The one who had led them this far had finally gotten it together and figured it out.

    Joshua added, "There''s a riddle we need to solve"

    The sin and virtue of every crowd is silence, for it conveys both agreement and opposition. The lack of response and the surprised expressions caused Joshua to pause, contemplating his choices for a moment before continuing, "I can see it."

    Everyone started looking around the room, and soon their surprise turned to confusion, then concern, as they couldn¡¯t find anything.

    Sai placed his hand on Joshua''s shoulder and said, "Are you sure you''re okay? You talk as if you''re seeing things."

    Joshua understood their reaction¡ªhe was claiming to see things that weren¡¯t there. If he were in their position, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to call himself crazy.

    "I know this sounds insane, and I can hardly believe it myself, but that''s not all I can see."

    Sai asked again, still skeptical "You''re serious? You sure it¡¯s not just the stress getting to you?"

    Joshua went all in, "What you keep calling a wall is a bloody, oozing web of nerves, with dozens of eyeballs scattered around." His voice cracked with fear, and his lips trembled "And they are all staring at me"

    Sai was dismissive and rationally rejected the idea, firmly believing that something that couldn''t be explained by logic couldn''t possibly exist. He took his hand off his shoulder and shouted, "Oh yeah, and are there flying pigs around too?".

    Sarai interrupted him "Sai..."

    "What? You expect me to believe that there are invisible magical words and a living wall with dozens of eyeballs?"

    Altan, who had been silent until now, chimed in, "I believe him."

    "Are you seeing things too?"

    "No, but he wouldn''t lie about something like that. And I¡¯ve felt like I¡¯m being watched for a while now."

    Sarai also supported him, "That¡¯s right, Joshua wouldn¡¯t joke around, especially in a situation like this."

    Sai sighed "Well that''s conclusive evidence... You''re in a cave with dozens of strangers. Of course, you''re being watched."

    Sai kept pacing back and forth, examining the wall and then looking back at Joshua, who had his gaze fixed on him.

    He eventually relented and said, " Well what''s this riddle that we have to solve?"

    Joshua closed his eyes for a few moments, mustering the courage to look at it again. He thought of Jasmine and what she might be going through right now, finding a driving force that could conquer his fear. With that, he opened his eyes once more and recited the riddle.

    "The moon is young, the stone stands still,

    The flare of torches over the hill,

    Tonight they band to do the deed,

    For the sin of my absence, the lord shall bleed.

    Fault is his own for what they lack,

    For in my presence, the land they hack."

    For a moment, no one said a word. Then, predictably, Sai broke the silence once more.

    "Great.. so not only is this riddle invisible, it''s also cryptic nonsense... just perfect."

    "And how are we supposed to answer, huh? With invisible ink and paper we can¡¯t even see?"

    "Enough!" Joshua barked, his voice regaining its edge. "You can sit here whining, or you can trust me and help figure this out."

    Reluctant, Sai starts breaking down the clues: "The moon is young, so it''s visible¡ªno clouds tonight. The torches are burning, meaning no rain to put them out. They¡¯re banding together, planning something... a conspiracy, perhaps. The mention of absence¡ªsomething is missing, something critical. The fault lies with the lord, so he¡¯s likely the target of their anger, the one they¡¯re going after.....Is it rebellion?"

    He opened his hand as he gave his reply, eyes locked on the gate, waiting for something to happen. But the gate remained shut.

    "Well, nothing happened. Great," Sai muttered, frustration lacing his voice. "We can¡¯t even know if this thing is actually a passcode or if are we just talking to a damn wall."

    When Sai''s eyes veered back to Joshua, he found him looking around in confusion before his gaze settled beneath Sai''s feet.

    Joshua was in immense pain, a loud shriek was ringing through his head¡ªone that only he could hear. After Sai gave his answer, Joshua saw a third of the eyeballs blinking rapidly, their massive eyelids making a nauseating, sloshing noise. Then, hundreds of rays of faint light converged into a single beam, forming indecipherable characters before directly beneath Sai.

    Joshua rushed toward Sai, the thumping in his ears rising ever higher. Without hesitation, he launched himself forward, attempting to push Sai away as the eerie light settled into the ground. He was convinced that the mysterious glow posed an imminent threat.

    This was done in the nick of time, for as soon as he got out of the way, Sai saw the ground collapse where he once stood, revealing a dark, gaping pit and an abnormal stench.

    The look of disbelief and cynicism in his eyes was replaced with horror and realization¡ªJoshua was telling the truth after all.

 Chapter 25: The walls have eyes

    Joshua felt a tearing sensation that caused him to roll away in pain, his hand grew hotter from the blood dripping into it as he tried to apply pressure to the wound.

    It seems that in the midst of the chaos, Sai''s knife grazed his waist as he attempted to tackle him to safety.

    With his ears still ringing from the earlier shriek, he stood up trying to ascertain the safety of his siblings, concerned that another light ray may have formed.

    He was also worried that his fixation on the blinding light beneath Sai made him miss another hole.

    But as soon as he stood up, a gust of wind nearly knocked him back down as he struggled to inch forward, his black hair blowing uncontrollably in the air, eventually landing in front of his face and covering his eyes.

    [ I could really use a haircut] He thought as he brushed his hair aside, but what he saw was pitch-black darkness. It seems that the wind caused what few torches they had to be extinguished.

    With his vision heavily impaired and the location of the hole unknown, Joshua yelled out: "Can anyone hear me? Is everyone alright?"

    He waited for a few moments with bated breath as he heard his voice echo across the room, finally, several voices rose up in response.

    "It''s me Herbert and uhhh..Altan, I think? we''re fine"

    "It''s not Altan idiot, Get off of me!"

    "Sarai? I didn''t know your arm was this jacked!"

    "Shut up!"

    [If we draw a plane with me as the origin middle, it seems their voice came from the front left, let''s go with (-2,3) for now]

    "Did you guys move at all? Do you remember where the hole was before it went dark?"

    Sarai took over "I was pacing back and forth I think, or maybe left and right? Hard to tell here. All I remember is looking over my right shoulder at Sai when he said his response."

    Altan''s voice was heard next: " I''m with Teuta, we''re both fine. Still sitting where I was so the hole must be in front of me"

    [The voice came from the rear left, (-1,- something ), so the hole must be somewhere to my left]

    "Everyone stay where you are!

    "You don''t think? It can''t be connected right!"

    "That''s..." Joshua pauses for a moment, but he has already resolved to be completely honest about this, "I''m sure it is, we can''t risk it! Just sit tight and let me deal with it."

    "What about Sai, is he alright?" asked Sarai.

    "Hey Sai! Can you hear me? " said Joshua in a lowered tone of voice. He knew Sai could hear him as they were a few feet apart, but in this gloomy darkness, he couldn''t see his hand if he was rubbing his eyes with it.

    No response was heard, For Sai lay frozen in place. He was having a hard time processing the absurdity of what happened. Even though it happened right before his eyes, his mind categorically rejected what had occurred.

    After all, that the ground beneath his feet had just burst open like the jaws of a beast trying to swallow him whole was beyond absurd.

    He was finally pulled out of this spiral by Joshua''s increasingly concerned tone "Sai, hey Sai! Can you hear me? Are you ok? "

    Sai looked around in confusion before answering:

    "Joshua? You''re not going to believe this dream I just had! We were in a bizarre cave trying to solve some ridiculous riddle! You were acting a little crazy saying that you were seeing giant eyeballs or something haha! It''s the first time I didn''t dream of that recurring nightmare."

    "Recurring nightmare? It wasn''t a dream Sai, get a hold of yourself!"

    "There you go pulling my leg again! Listen I''m gonna go back to sleep, if the old man asks tell him I''m sick."

    [The old man is dead Sai....]

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!Joshua decided not to press it further, Sai''s skeptical and rational nature makes him the most susceptible to breakdown in the face of such unnatural phenomena. For now, he is satisfied with the fact that he is safe and staying still.

    "Sai is fine! He''s just¡ªjust a little tired from the fall. Everyone, please remain still."

    [Sai''s voice came from the front, With the diameter of the hole unknown I need to put some distance from him. Let''s move to the right.]

    Joshua started moving to what he perceived to be the right, making sure that the footing was solid before taking each step. His steps pounded across the silent hall as he inched forward step by step.

    "Is someone moving?"

    "Yes it''s me, I''m getting some distance away ! Keep staying still!" Joshua responded, before taking another step. But instead of stopping on solid ground, his leg rolled forward as he dropped into a complete split. The ripping sound of his pants tearing into two at the inseam coupled with the sound of wood rolling on the ground.

    Fortunately, Their swordsmanship training in the orphanage involved a lot of stretching and lifting stones which led to them developing nimble and flexible bodies.

    Thankful to the pitch darkness for once, Joshua puts his free hand down on the ground and in one motion springs back up on his feet. He rummaged around for a while looking for the object that tripped him, eventually picking up a wooden stick-like object.

    [It feels too light to be a weapon. Is this one of the torches that was blown away earlier?]

    He puts the part that he had in his grip under his arm as he continues applying pressure to the wound and examines the top.

    [It''s definitely a torch; it''s still warm too. Maybe I can light it up.]

    He didn''t have a flint, and the ground was unnaturally smooth, devoid of any sharp edges that were needed to make sparks. For now his best bet was to get closer to the wall and hope that he can find a jagged rock.

    All the while running the riddle through his mind thinking of an answer, he didn''t realize he made it to the edge until his head was planted in a gooey and squishy object.

    Joshua recoiled back in terror and disgust, almost falling on his bottom, as he realized what he just bumped into.

    Retching as he peeled the gooey substance away from his face, almost vomiting from the stench.

    He suddenly jolted up alarmed and started looking around for an impending ray of light, he breathed easy when he realized nothing was going to happen.

    [At least now I know I can touch them. not that I plan to do so, ever!]

    He finds a jagged rock and grabs the bottom of the torch, carefully scraping away some tinder and piling it underneath the rock.

    He didn''t find any loose rocks close by, so he resorted to striking the rock with his knife by force. When this caused more ruckus than result he started trying different knife styles he learned.

    [

    "A serf lives and dies knowing only one weapon, a soldier three, and a mercenary five. Giving a soldier a weapon he''s not familiar with is akin to arming him with a stick," Dirrar said as he finished chomping through his third apple. "You might as well give him a mop so he can scrub his blood from the boots of his enemy, because they''ll be knee-deep in it."

    Painting, Joshua asked in frustration: " Who goes to war without proper armaments? Who even made this foolish fighting style?"

    "The forest staff of Lebidna, developed by inhabitants of a city besieged for over 50 years. When all their armor and weapons rotted away, they turned to their rich forest. Little by little they discarded their inherent techniques and perfected the staff style." The director said as he approached the training field.

    "I''ve been there once, any old lady with a broom handle would have you shoveling dirt in 10 moves." Added Dirrar chuckling.

    Herbert asked as he lay flat on his back, panting from exhaustion "So who won in the end?"

    The director replied with a glum tone "Conflict that long become a fact of life, by the time the war was over they didn''t even remember what started it. All that remains is the resulting death and suffering, there are no winners in such a war."

    ]

    The various styles and weapons he used growing up proved crucial now, for simply striking the rock with brute force wasn''t going to work. Instead, he kept striking firmly at a sharp angle, as if he was penetrating the gaps of the armor and striking the exposed flesh. Soon the sparks shot up from the repeated movements as he used the recoiling of his hands to power through the next strike, skin to how the enforcer style relies on the opponent''s keen combat senses and sharpness to fuel their next strikes.

    Finally, a resinous scent filled his nose as the tinder caught fire. Joshua then carefully placed it at the torch''s fuel-soaked end, all the while gently blowing to keep the tiny embers kindling. The flame sprung out on contact with the torch finally lighting up his immediate surroundings.

    But instead of relief, Joshua felt his horror grow more vivid as he realized the changes that occurred to the hellish eyeballs.