ã€ŠTHE BOOK OF DREAMS, FIRST CHAPTER : THE STAFF AND THE SWORDã€‹


 The Book of Dreams and a goal

    The incessant pattering of rain on the rooftops and cobbled streets fought with the din of low voices inside the White Weasel. Three years had passed but the loud, jubilant mood that used to fill the tavern before the Fade still hadn¡¯t returned. In the darkest corner of the hall which the shy light from the candles and the dim hearth was reluctant to touch with its flickering fingers, sat Erhan, staring down at the tankard sitting on the wooden table in front of him. The absence of light gave the liquid inside it a dark colour like a deep fathomless pool. In its murky depths, he saw the reflections of his past. Images only he could see played in the rare specs of candlelight floating on its surface. Memories of happier times.

    The smiling face of his wife, Leah, her auburn hair shining under the sunlight as they worked the fields alongside other villagers, planting seedlings that would grow heaps of golden wheat, enough for the whole village. Building their house together, cooking together, sharing the warmth of a fire in the harsh winter nights of the Dreaming mountains. Meeting her, marrying her was like a fresh breath of spring in the barren life of solitude he used to live until then.

    The mischievous eyes of his daughter, dark green like the shadowy forest of twilight, looking up at him for the first time. Her new-born face scrunched up and quite unhappy as she broke down crying, waking up the whole neighbourhood deep into the night when even the stars had started closing their eyes one by one.

    ¡°A bad time to come to this world. This doesn''t bode well. An ill omen I say,¡± the village stargazer had said when he came to bless the child and draw up the star pattern on the strips of a holy palm tree leaf. But she had grown up like a lithe willow, healthy and carefree. Laughing, crying, playing in the front yard of their small hut, running around the whole village with the other kids.

    Ellie they had named her. She had liked to listen to the stories of his travels. His wanderings through the rocky mountains, perilous forests and ancient cemeteries to learn the druidic disciplines. Since he spoke from experience, those stories were more realistic than the usual ghost stories parents told to scare children and keep them at bay. She had never been scared though, with big green eyes set on his face she showed her keen interest in his stories. She had wanted to be the one to go on those adventures. Leah used to scold him for spoiling the girl with his absurdities.

    The three of them together in their home living the simplest life away from all the troubles of the rest of the world, spending each day to the fullest, yeah, those simple times had been the happiest moments of his entire life. He had thought they would last forever.

    A nostalgic smile faded away when it had just begun curving the edges of his lips as the reflections of his memories blurred, coming together to form a different picture. Harrowing memories burned through the happy ones like wildfire, trampling them under their thorny shoes.

    The thin frame of Ellie writhing in unspeakable agony, as the disease slowly leeched the life out of her; the gaunt, desperate face of Leah looking at him with those big hazel brown eyes he had loved so much, herself fading from the disease yet still begging him, asking him to do something, anything to save their precious child.

    ¡°A bad time to come to this world.¡±

    A bad time...

    Erhan snatched up the container, gulping down the lukewarm, pungent liquor until not a drop was left. the words of the stargazer still haunted his mind. He hadn¡¯t cared then. What did a mere old man from a backward village know? Showing off his flimsy tricks in front of Erhan, a true master of the druidic arts. He had thought himself powerful enough to weather any storm that may come their way.

    Fool!

    All this power he possessed, but he was still unable to save his loved ones. Helplessly watching as his wife, his soulmate whom he swore to protect and share the joys and sorrows with, fade away. his daughter, she hadn¡¯t even seen ten years of life, bright and cheerful¡­

    His happiness was laid to rest with them, scattered in the Wescone river with their ashes. And he was alone in the desolation of his own mind.

    The bitter liquor burned his insides on its way down his throat. Some of the fugitive liquid escaped the confines of his mouth, dripping down the dark, bushy mess reaching his chest that was his beard. It soaked the wool tunic he wore a deeper shade of brown. his shaggy, shoulder-length hair became even more unkempt as he shook his head in regret. It was his fifth cup, but he still couldn¡¯t get drunk.

    He slammed the tankard down, shaking the dilapidated table. The sound startled the other tavern goers a little bit, but it hardly caused any lasting ripple in the din of conversations. The folks around here were already used to the antics of the crazy hermit of a man who arrived at their town at the wake of the plague. They left the madman to his own devices. No need to bring trouble to themselves. Only the tavern keeper and the barmaid carrying out the orders looked up. That sound was the cue for them to prepare another cup of the cheapest liquor, the Ironvain ale for Erhan.

    Erina, the barmaid took an empty tankard hanging from a row of hooks on the wall and held it below one of the barrels propped on the polished ironwood counter. She pulled a lever on the side of the oaken container, filling the cup with frothing, muddy brown liquid. The dark corner of the room and the man sitting there had scared her the first few nights of this three years-long routine of taking this order.

    She looked at the man as she put the mug of liquor down on the table and picked up the now empty container. Whatever thin strands of light reached here, revealed little of the haunched figure covered in grey hide cloak. Though Erina didn¡¯t need to see through the obscure shadows covering him to figure out his features. She had been seeing him come in and sit down in this corner since the day he arrived in their town.

    The man looked to be in his late thirties. His hair had grown quite long in these three years.

    The dark jungle of hair hadn¡¯t existed when he first arrived at their door. The scraggly beard on his square-jawed face had probably been a week or two old. His face had been sickly pale as he looked around with a vacant expression in those green eyes. An expression like many others who had suffered the loss of family in the Fade, the most devastating plague in the history of Clover. Though over the years the changes made the man a different person, the vacant look still stayed in his eyes. Erina sighed. she considered herself quite lucky. Her home was one of fortunate few where the plague¡¯s vile footsteps didn¡¯t tread.

    She walked back with the empty cup, making her way through the scattered tables where the townsfolk continued their muted discussions. Though with time the air of gloom and misery had faded, and the tavern was beginning to somewhat recover its spirit, the people here had gotten so used to the low voices, whispers and mutterings, they simply continued that way even now. As if still paying tribute to the unfortunate souls, the victims of the Fade, they held the silence and heaviness sacred, unwilling to raise their voices and break it.

    A sudden bout of loud, raucous laughter cut through the harmony of the tavern, displeased eyes turned to a table where six youngsters in their twenties were having their drinks and meals. They wore shining steel armour and red cloaks made of expensive-looking linen with the design of golden willow leaf embroidered onto them. Their weapons rested against the side of the table.

    One of them, the only woman among those people, was Sena Moras. Although at a glance, her attire wasn¡¯t any different from the young knights accompanying her, they were of much higher quality. Her cloak was even made of damask silk, A material worth more than gold as it¡¯s usually exported from outside of Clover. Being the scion of the house of Moras, one of the respected warrior noble houses in the queendom of Rebora she had become the leader of their group.

    Sena looked around at the disapproving faces of the townsfolk. An awkward look appeared on her face and she elbowed the burly man who was laughing.

    ¡°Shut it,¡± she snapped, shutting him up. The town was only a temporary stop and as a noble, she didn¡¯t want to make any bad impression on the locals. She relaxed as the people stopped glaring at them and went back to do what they were doing.

    But their presence soon became a topic of conversation among the townsfolk. They huddled their heads together, discussing and speculating the reason for their arrival in this small town.

    ¡°They must be going to the capital,¡± Harris said to Victor.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± asked Victor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see the sigil on their clothes? It¡¯s the symbol of the Morases. They are from Brigsar, the city on the border. And our town is on the east road, en route to the capital city.¡± Harris said, drawing on the table with his finger as he explained. He had to, Victor was a dumb fellow with little knowledge about geography. ¡°They must¡¯ve come for the announcement,¡± he said with a nod.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Announcement?¡±

    ¡°What? You already forgot? It was only about a week ago. Our queen¡¯s quest.¡± he leaned in and said with an air of mystery, ¡°The Book of Dreams!¡±

    Erhan was vaguely aware of the conversation between the two, as they sat just two tables away from him, and although they spoke in low voices, Erhan¡¯s ears could rival a wolf¡¯s. His training in the disciplines of the druidic art from the sadhus made him superior to normal humans in almost every aspect. His ears perked up at Harris¡¯s last comment.

    The Book of Dreams. He remembered hearing about it from his teachers. There were many rumours about this mystical artefact within Clover. Common folk believed it to be an object of gods or demons. Some believed it granted those who owned it their desires, some believed it corrupted people through their dreams, turning them into mindless murderers; however, the sadhus knew differently. Though they had only mentioned it in passing when they taught him about the artefacts of power.

    They mentioned the Book of Dreams, especially since this artefact belonged to the land of Clover. Although nothing like the power of granting wishes or invading dreams, the object did hold great power. And in the hands of the right person, it could bring about great changes. Its power was answering questions.

    ¡°It seems worthless, doesn¡¯t it?¡± one of his teachers, sir Brisva had said, looking at Erhan¡¯s quizzical expression. ¡°What if I told you it can answer any five questions you may have? no matter if it¡¯s past, present or future, no matter how closely you guard a secret, no answer can hide from it.¡±

    Answers. Erhan had searched for them for a long time. The Fade that he wasn¡¯t able to cure, could he find its root through the book? Could he prevent it from claiming more lives? Could he prevent his tragedy from happening again?

    He needed to know about the Book of Dreams.

    He stood up and for the first time since he came to this town, walked up to other people on his own. To the surprise of everyone in the tavern, especially to the great surprise of Harris and Victor, he drew the empty chair beside their table and sat down. But that was where his act ended.

    The din of the crowd died down and an awkward silence descended on the tavern, as every eye turned to look at Erhan, who, not knowing how to begin, fiddled with his fingers. Harris and Victor looked at each other, each signalling the other to ask the question, but each denying, unwilling to begin. After a minute-long war of gestures, stern looks and head shakings, Harris lost to Victor¡¯s bullheadedness.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± he began with a loud clearing of his throat. ¡°So, to what do we owe this pleasure?¡± although his voice was a bit squeaky, his question was in the mind of everyone in the tavern. They all cocked their ears, waiting for an answer from their resident oddball.

    Erhan swallowed. He hadn¡¯t had a proper talk with anyone for years maybe? His skin tingled with the pressure of everyone''s anticipating gazes. How does he begin? Would it be all right to directly broach the subject? But the whole tavern was listening in on them. He was quite embarrassed, to be honest. He wouldn¡¯t like everyone to know his intentions.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± he also began, ¡°umm, well..¡± he fell silent, upping the tension of the room. After considering his options for well over a minute, he turned his head towards Erina. With rough unused voice, he ordered, ¡°Three of your finest ale.¡±

    after all, drunk men talk best.

    It took a while for a confounded Erina to bring drinks to the table. Erhan raised his hand, gesturing towards the mugs in front of the Harris and Victor. ¡°Please drink.¡± he offered.

    The two bewildered men picked up the cups. What was this queer guy up to? What did he want?

    Erhan also picked up his cup and took a sip. It was a good quality ale. Not the best he¡¯d had, but still miles better than the horsepiss he¡¯d been drinking these three years. As the three men continued to drink in silence, the people around started losing interest in them. Just as Erhan had intended, they went back to their own conversations, though the topic had changed to include Erhan¡¯s odd behaviour. As always, the discussions and gossip of the tavern were ever-changing.

    After the tension had eased and the mood calmed down, Erhan breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally time to ask his own questions. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth. ¡°The Book of Dreams,¡± he spoke with just enough sound for the two of them to hear. ¡°You were talking about that¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you were going to ask about that,¡± Victor had quite a bit to drink tonight, and the ale already made him tipsy, bringing a slur to his speech. ¡°Well, that¡¯s no secret, isn¡¯t it Harris?¡± he slapped his friends back.

    Harris jolted, and the wine he¡¯d just started taking a sip of spurted from his mouth. He rubbed his back, giving Victor a nasty glare. ¡°Yeah,¡± he turned to face Erhan. ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you listen to the announcement last week? It was on Saturday, at noon.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Erhan shook his head, ¡°I¡­ was probably working. I tend to go deeper into the caves when I work. What was the announcement about?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Her Majesty the Queen has called upon those capable to take on a quest to find and retrieve the artefact,¡± Harris said, ¡°They made an announcement all over the kingdom. You¡¯d still see the notices stuck here and there.¡±

    Erhan frowned and ran his hand through his unkempt hair. Someone in the queen¡¯s position should know the reality of the artefact. ¡°Why would she want it?¡± he muttered to himself.

    Harris shrugged, ¡°it can make your wishes come true, so why wouldn¡¯t she? Though if I had to guess a reason...¡± he scratched his scraggly beard, giving it some thought, ¡°I''d say it¡¯s because the other three kingdoms have been acting up recently.¡± he sighed. ¡°It seems war is brewing again. Well, I guess three years without wars is a miracle for these lands.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Victor said in his slurred voice. ¡°it¡¯s a land of death. Wars and wars, they are always fighting. And then there was the Fade¡­¡± his voice lowered as he looked down at the table. He had lost his father to the disease. Even though the old man had had one foot in the grave already, he could have lived a few more years if not for the plague. Although, considering everything, their house had still got off lightly during the catastrophe. Corpses piled up in heaps in those six gruelling months. He looked up at Erhan and said, ¡°it¡¯s so funny, don¡¯t you think? The wars stopped, but the deaths only got worse. And now that the plague''s gone, they are preparing for another war. It¡¯s as if Clover is cursed by the gods.¡±

    Silence descended upon the three of them. Dark thoughts encroached on their minds like heavy dark clouds.

    <hr>

    Erhan walked the dark, wet streets towards the outskirts of the town. The rain had weakened, but the damp, chilly wind stirred between the buildings, raising goosebumps on his skin. Though light was scarce on the way, it didn¡¯t bother him. He was long used to the darkness.

    Faint sounds of noise and music came from a row of brightly lit buildings ahead. The only place that had recovered most of its vigour in these years. The brothels. Erhan walked between the buildings, not even bothering to take a look at them. The occupants of the building who stood on the side of the streets also didn¡¯t pay him mind. After all, they had known him over the years. He walked past the buildings to reach a row of densely packed wooden houses.

    These were the cheapest accommodation in the whole town, the slums. He opened the door of one of them and went inside. He crouched down and pulled off the cloth covering a lamp beside the door. There was a matchbox next to it. He lit the lamp and looked around. It was the simplest house with only one room. Only a bare bed lay on the east side. Other than that, there wasn¡¯t much in furniture. He had burned down his whole house before leaving the village. The possessions he brought with him were almost non-existent. And it hasn¡¯t changed much in recent years. Most of them he carried himself, so except for a few clothes and his staff, the house had little of his personal articles within it. A testament of his frugal nature.

    He took off his clothes. A few pale scars marred his muscular, well-toned body. They gleamed in the lamplight. One scar across his chest stood out among them. He¡¯d gotten it while fighting a dangerous foe during his youth. It had been a battle full of peril and had almost claimed his life. A few shirts hung from a string slung across the room. He took a clean one, put it on and walked towards his bed with the lantern. He noticed a few damp spots on the ground. The thatch on the roof must have leaked again.

    A worried look appeared on his face as he sat down on his bed. He had half a year before the quest officially begun. He¡¯d have to reach the capital before that. But there was a problem. he got down from the bed and dragged a small footlong chest out from beneath the bed. He opened the lid, at the bottom of the chest lay ten pieces of iron shells and two silver talents. Yeah, he was broke. This much might be enough to pay for three days of meal in the tavern, but it¡¯s nowhere enough to reach the capital. Most of what he had earned had been sacrificed to booze as he didn¡¯t have the mindset to save up.

    He hadn¡¯t really been living until now, contemplating ending his worthless existence more than once. But deep inside he knew he couldn¡¯t die. There was a strange inexplicable feeling, a voice inside him telling him he had something to do. Only he didn¡¯t know what. Not until he heard about the Book of Dreams. That¡¯s when he knew his purpose. He knew he must find the artefact. He must find a way to prevent a monstrous disease like the Fade from destroying life. He must find a cure for it before it returns. Something told him, it wasn¡¯t the last they had seen of the Fade.

    healers and physicians all over Clover had failed to not only find a cure they had even failed to identify its roots. Even his magic had been helpless in front of it. And not only him, but he had also travelled to the depths of the mountain to visit his teachers, even gone to the most dangerous of cemeteries to visit his other teachers, in hopes of finding a cure for his family. But even those great people who had mastered the mysteries of the world were helpless in front of the Fade. No, he wouldn¡¯t let the tragedy occur again. But for that he needed answers. Answers that lay in the Book of Dreams.

    But now the problem was money. A caravan would leave for the capital from here in about a week. He could save up enough for the journey within that time if he skipped a meal or two and stopped drinking. Not like he could get drunk with a body like his anyway. Even tens of mugs of ale daily hadn¡¯t been enough to make up for the pain of his loss.

    Anyway, he¡¯d worry about all that tomorrow. Now he needs to sleep. He brought his face close to the lantern and blew out the flame.

 Sena Moras and the sordid mess

    In Rovert, most of the townsfolk had the same occupation, mining. The great iron mine adjacent to the town provided nearly one-third of the whole queendom''s iron supply. Erhan also worked in these mines.

    The sun reared its red, bald head over the horizon, painting the tops of rocky hills and the sparse greenery covering them a brilliant shed of red and gold. The mine''s overseers were getting ready, wiping the spades and pickaxes, taking the carts full of pieces of ore from last night towards the piles and heaps of ores at a clearing on the west side of the mines, bringing back the empty carts to fill them up again with ores that would be mined today. New guards came to relieve the guards who protect the mines at night. Their numbers were less during the day. It was safer when the miners were working after all. No need to worry about thieves or dangerous animals that might make the mines their home. Erhan walked the rough red dirt path heading towards the mine alongside the other miners.

    The Queendom of Robera had abolished slavery, unlike the other three kingdoms, so the miners were all paid workers. The wages were average though, five talents, seven for those who did overtime, paid daily at the end of the day. It was enough for an average family to spend on daily necessities, not enough to save up if you went to the tavern though, especially not for Erhan who had a dozen mugs of ale each night.

    A green garbed overseer nodded off in front of a table in front of the mine entrance. A stack of papers lay on the table in front of him. The names of every miner were written in those in messy handwriting. Erhan walked over to him and ticked the empty box beside his name. The scratching noise woke the overseer up and he peered at Erhan from below his half-opened eyelids.

    ¡°oh, it¡¯s you,¡± he said and continued to stare at Erhan for a moment. ¡°You seem different today. Did something happen?¡± he shook his head immediately after asking that. Who¡¯s he asking. Not like the man in front of him will answer. If it wasn¡¯t for the few times he actually heard him saying a thing or two, he¡¯d have thought Erhan a mute person.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving for capital with the trading caravan next week,¡± Erhan said, nearly jolting the other man out of his chair in shock, and then under his surprised gaze, he walked towards the cavernous entrance of the mine.

    The overseer stared at his back disappearing into the darkness and gave a long sigh. ¡°I... think I have to check the west sky. The sun should be rising from there.¡±

    <hr>

    Round lanterns made of murky glass Lit the deep cavern on intervals, wooden scaffolding holding up its structure to prevent sudden accidents. They succeeded for the most part, except when they didn¡¯t, that was the path Erhan took, walking deeper into the mines. The outer edge of the mine had already been picked clean over the years, but the wealth of iron was still abundant in the depths. Still, that wealth wasn¡¯t without its own set of troubles. Transporting it out was a particularly bothersome chore.

    Loud echoes of pickaxes falling on hard stone bounced around the dim cavern in the glow of torches and lamps. Some miners had already started their work. Erhan usually didn''t mine with others, opting to go deeper in the mine where most miners were afraid to venture. He liked working alone away from prying eyes, working at his own pace. But today he chose his spot with the other recent arrivals. he didn¡¯t have much time to waste moping around now as he usually did. choosing a vein of ore, he lifted his pickaxe and swung it down.

    The last glow of twilight faded away when Erhan took the returning path from the mine. The small bag on his waist dragged more than usual, although the increase in weight was negligible, it was still a whole two talents more than his usual pay. The sky was clear today. But a few plumes of grey clouds still floated around like bunches of cotton. He looked up at the evening star twinkling into the horizon over the tops of the town building, hoping it was the sign of a brighter future.

    because from today on, there was no more going to the tavern for him.

    <hr>

    As Erhan passed by the streets before the tavern on his way home he looked up in surprise. It was quite here noisy today. Many people must be inside to make such a ruckus. Even now folks hurried towards the tavern from all sorts of places. Even folks that don¡¯t usually go there headed for its door. He hadn¡¯t heard that much noise from the White weasel since he arrived in the town. Was there some kind of celebration going on? It was a good thing he decided not to go there then.

    However, as he neared the tavern, his brows creased. The noise inside didn¡¯t sound celebratory. Shouts of anger and outrage spilt onto the streets, even the sounds of a woman crying. He recognized the voice. It was the barmaid. What happened? Should he go in?

    Inside the White weasel was quite a mess tonight. Chairs and tables lay scattered and broken around a crowd of angry townsfolk. In their centre was a clearing where Sena Moras sat on one of the whole chairs, pinching her forehead. She had a headache. The situation had escalated to a point she didn¡¯t expect. At one side of her stood her knights proud and unwilling to back down, at the other the townsfolk of Rovert.

    All this problem started from Erina, who was crying, sitting on a patch of bright red blood on the wooden floor, holding her father the tavern master. His plump body lay unconscious in her arms. His left leg below his knees was bleeding from a horrible wound. And the perpetrator, a square bodied knight of the Moras, Alanis Scarva stood facing the crowd. The drawn sword in his hand dripping with blood.

    Sena shook her head. Yeah. Quite a mess.

    Alanis was the heir of a merchant noble family serving under the Moras household. He was impulsive and hotheaded, but Sena never expected him to do such a stupid thing. Sure, the barmaid girl was quite a beauty by peasant standards, but he should have controlled his libido better. His assault on the girl had been quite rough. He also nearly cut off the limb of the girl¡¯s father who had come to get her away from him. Insufferable fool.

    They really shouldn¡¯t have taken the guy with them. He was too lacking for a knight of the Moras, and only became one because of the connection the Scarva family shared with some of the important personages within the Moras household. They had even gotten him in this team with those connections. Everyone in the team was an elite of the younger generation, except for him. His family had indulged him too much, spoiling him rotten.

    Now how would she fix this situation? The angry townsfolk were glaring at them like they wanted his head. they had demanded to process him according to the law, but she simply couldn¡¯t give up someone who was under her responsibility. She also wanted to beat him up herself. Wanted to break his legs. But that wasn''t something she could do without facing consequences. If she could somehow ditch the idiot taking this chance, that would be perfect.

    The angry townsfolk surrounding the knights also seethed with rage. They wanted justice. However, even with their superior numbers, no one believed they could match the knights in a fight. any careless action might cause more harm than good, and god forbid, facing those madmen holding weapons someone might end up dead. They could only hope the knights would be reasonable, otherwise, it¡¯d be a frustrating experience.

    the situation was at an impasse.

    Harris who was at the edge of the gathering, first noticed Erhan come in. he walked up to him ¡°You¡¯re here," he said and grabbed Erhan''s wrist, dragging him towards the crowd. "Come on, we need as many people as we can get to put the pressure on them.¡±

    Erhan craned his neck and took in the situation at a glance. He frowned and asked Harris, ¡°What happened?¡±

    The other man explained the situation in a frustrated voice. ¡°We need to pressure them into punishing the boy," he pounded his palm in anger. "Can¡¯t just leave it be. Do they think our life is so cheap? What do they think we are?¡±

    Erhan shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not the main priority.¡± he pushed through the crowd and arrived at the place of the incident.

    Sena looked up at Erhan. She had seen how the people in the tavern reacted to this man yesterday. There must be something special about him. was he perhaps someone like a leader among them? If he was, then he was quite a messy looking one. Though she had to admit, regardless of his looks, he had an inexplicable charm surrounding him.

    She stood up wanting to introduce herself and discuss the situation. Maybe he would be a more reasonable person, willing to work with her and find a solution to this mess. But someone else was faster than him.

    Alanis Scarva was a man who liked showing off. As he watched this poor looking man, wearing a patched cool cloak full of dirt and dust from the mines, his innate desire to flaunt himself in front of the beautiful lady Moras sparked back to life. He stepped up to Erhan, blocking his way as he glanced back to Sena, ¡°don¡¯t worry my lady, I¡¯ll take care of the beggar.¡± he turned back towards Erhan puffed his chest out and shouted, ¡°you! Beggar. What are you here for? If you take one more step forward, I¡¯ll cut you down with my blade."

    Sena''s hand itched. Oh, she really wanted to slap him. She opened her mouth and scolded, ¡°Alanis, stand ba¡ª¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    The loud sound of a slap killed the words in her throat. It was careless looking action Erhan made. He raised his hand and backhanded Alanis. The force of the slap was enough to send the knight crashing down to the floor.

    The townsfolk stopped their grumble and mumble while Sena and her knights stared dumbfounded at the scene. the latter was the first to regain their composer, their eyes narrowing with a hint of vigilance as they looked down at Alanis. They knew he was weak for a knight, but he shouldn¡¯t be weak enough to get knocked down with a slap from a beggar. This so-called beggar wasn¡¯t as normal as he seemed. with smooth sounds of meral sliding out of the leather scabbards, they drew their swords intending to surround Erhan.

    ¡°Stand down,¡± Sena said to them. She glanced once at the fallen knight and skirted around him, stopping in front of Erhan as she introduced herself, ¡°I am Sena Moras. Child of Robert Moras, heir apparent to the house of Moras.¡±

    Erhan ignored her and kneeled beside the wounded tavern keeper. He looked up at the man closest to him. Jack, a miner like him. Erhan had seen him around the town, though he never really talked to him before. he asked jack, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you stopped his breeding yet? Do you want him to die? Bring me some clean clothes and hot water.¡±

    There was a sense of command in his voice that Jack couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°Yes, right away,¡± he said and turned back. The townsfolk who were standing around made way for him.

    Erhan pressed his palm against the wound, blood seeped through his fingers as he muttered a mantra under his breath. His voice was barely a whisper, and no one noticed his act. Although he lacked his staff, due to the time spent learning to heal during the plague had made him very proficient in it. So stopping the blood temporarily was something he could do.

    ¡°How arrogant,¡± said Gregor, a tall black-haired knight. He was one of Sena¡¯s close friends as well as an admirer of hers. He simply couldn''t tolerate the audacity of this peasant. He walked toward Erhan, intending to teach him a lesson in humility, but Sena raised her hand, gesturing him to stop. ¡°But Sena. this peasant insulted you,¡± he said.

    She stared at Erhan¡¯s hand pressed against the wound. The blood had stopped, and some colour was returning to the unconscious man¡¯s face. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± she said, ¡°the wounded must be prioritized.¡± She looked at the unconscious Alanis sprawled on the ground. ¡°Take that fool to his room. He has embarrassed us enough today. He¡¯d be sent back home tomorrow.¡±

    Although she was a little displeased Erhan¡¯s behaviour, if the matter could end with just that, she wouldn¡¯t complain. Rather, she looked back at Erhan¡¯s hand, the man stopped the bleeding so easily. That was some great work. Only great healers could do that without the help of medicines. If he was that special, then she didn¡¯t mind the small act of disrespect. Besides, it was the fault of their people anyway, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give way a bit.

    Time passed as jack brought water and cloth from somewhere in the tavern. He was quite an intelligent fellow. While Erhan was cleaning and bandaging the wound, he ran back to bring the town doctor.

    Erhan didn¡¯t take long to finish up his work. When he was done, Erina, who had stopped sobbing, bowed and said, ¡°thank you for treating my father. I don¡¯t know what would¡¯ve happened if you didn¡¯t arrive.¡± a look of anger flashed in her leaf-shaped eyes. ¡°That bastard wouldn¡¯t let anyone come and help us.¡±

    Erhan gave an awkward nod. Seeing her red crying face reminded him of her daughter. Although she was a decade older than his daughter, Erina also was a daughter of someone. He looked at Sena. the golden-haired girl was looking at him with expectation in her eyes. Was she expecting him to introduce himself? He wasn''t in the mood for that. The loss of his own blood to stop the bleeding exhausted him. He wanted to give her a piece of his mind too, but he''d rather go home and sleep now. He said to Erina, ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave then.¡± He turned back and pushed through the crowd and walked towards the exit.

    The townsfolk gawked at his back, confused and dumbfounded. Seeing him slap the vile man, they had thought he would represent them and bring them justice, but they didn¡¯t expect him to leave like that. Some of them sighed. Well, he was an odd man, after all, so expecting him to act as they want might have been foolish on their part. Still, they were a bit disappointed.

    Sena also couldn¡¯t believe the man was going to leave like that. He was insulting her! She couldn¡¯t tolerate that.

    ¡°Hey! Stop this instant!¡± She shouted.

    Erhan sighed. He just wanted to go back and fall asleep. Was that so difficult? He looked back at Sena asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite rude.¡± She glared at him. ¡°I introduced myself to you. But not only did you ignore me, now you¡¯re leaving without even introduce yourself to us? Do you have no manners?¡±

    ¡°Manners?¡± Erhan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you think you deserve manners from me?¡±

    ¡°How dare you?¡± Gregor drew out his half his sword from the sheath as he took a step towards Erhan. ¡°You dare insult the lady? apologize this instant or I¡¯ll cut you down.¡±

    Erhan tilted his head and gave him a calm stare. "I didn''t see your chivalrous spirit burn this high when your compatriot insulted the barmaid, sir Knight." his last word was like a vicious bite that struck the Knight.

    Gregor took a sharp breath and drew out the rest of the blade.

    "Stop!" Sena said and gave Gregor a hot glare. ¡°Did I ask you to interfere? Stand down and let me handle this.¡±

    ¡°But my lady¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough! Stand down!.¡± Sena¡¯s voice was unquestionable. She looked back at Erhan. ¡°Excuse the rudeness of my knights, but why would you say we didn¡¯t deserve manners from you?¡±

    Erhan gave a derisive smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know the answer?¡± He glanced at some of the people carrying the wounded tavern keeper towards one of the rooms where the doctor who had already arrived with Jack waited.

    Sena followed his gaze, taking in the view and sighed. ¡°I understand you must be upset because of the incident, but holding grudges wouldn¡¯t serve any of us,¡± she said, ¡°and although Alanis was a bit¡­ rude, you already taught him.¡±

    ¡°Was it my duty to teach him?¡± Erhan Looked down at her grey eyes. ¡°He is your subordinate. And it should be your duty as a superior to control him.¡±

    Sena gave an exasperated shake of her head. Although she was the leader of this expedition, it was mostly in name in front of these young, proud knights who were the same age as her. Especially someone like Alanis, who was not only arrogant but had the connections to back up that arrogance. Also, her being a woman in a position to lead men tickled these knight''s pride. So they saw her as someone they should protect rather than obey. But she wouldn¡¯t expect Erhan to understand her difficulties.

    Most frustrating was the fact that this man was right. It was her responsibility. ¡°So what do you suggest I do?" she asked.

    "That''s something for you to decide, not me."

    Sena sighed. "I''m sending him back home. He''s the heir of a merchant noble family. Doing anything too harsh to him would lead to trouble, not only to you,¡± she looked at the townsfolk, especially at Erina and said, ¡°but for them also.¡±

    Erhan pressed his fingers to his temples to fight off the sudden bout of headache that came rushing in. he couldn''t stay and talk anymore. ¡°Then we have nothing to talk about,¡± Erhan said as he turned around. Pushing the door open he disappeared into the night.

    Sena¡¯s mouth opened in surprise as she looked incredulously at the door banging shut. She couldn¡¯t believe the man! He turned and left just like that? He didn¡¯t even give her a proper chance to converse with him. It was almost like he ran away from her. was she that detestable?

    Gregor came forward with the other knights. ¡°We should go and teach him a lesson,¡± he said, clenching his fist. ¡°He¡¯s trampled our dignity.¡±

    Sena took a deep breath to calm herself down. She shook her head and said, ¡°no need for that for now. We have a long journey ahead of us in a week. And the path isn¡¯t exactly going to be easy,¡± she looked back at the people of the town helping Erina clean up the mess in the tavern, ¡°and today you all have already given me enough headache to deal with. I don¡¯t want any more.¡±

    ¡°But that wasn¡¯t our fault.¡± Samuel, the youngest knight argued.

    Sena glared at him. Well, well, looks like she found an outlet to vent some of her anger. ¡°A knight doesn¡¯t make excuses,¡± she said in a stern voice. ¡°I just left for the restroom for a bit and you people let him make such a mess. It was your duty to maintain peace during my absence, Wasn¡¯t it?" her eyes fell on each of their faces looking at the pride shining on them drop bit by bit. "Shouldn¡¯t you people have at least stopped that fool from committing such an atrocious act? his act not only put our team to shame but made the whole house of Moras look like a fool. where was your pride of a knight then? where was your chivalry? Your act was disappointing and completely unbecoming of a knight,¡± she said in a low voice that only reached the four men surrounding her. Seeing the knight''s faces turn red as their heads lowered filled her chest with a small amount of satisfaction. She turned around and walked toward Erina. ¡°Now let¡¯s go and deal with this mess as peacefully as we can.¡±

    Erhan¡¯s actions that day had made him something of a hero in the eyes of the townspeople. Before that day, they used to ignore the man who came to their town at the wake of the plague as Erhan ignored them too. But now they dipped their heads at him and smiled whenever they ran into him. Some even went as far as to ask him about his welfare, those brave souls. It frustrated and embarrassed Erhan. He actively avoided others as much as he could, Skirting around them, or turning back before they get the chance to greet him. He just wanted this week to quickly end so he can get away from this town. He wasn''t alone in this involved in this cycle of frustration though, others were too. Albeit for a reason much different than his.

    The tavern had closed down due to the serious injuries of the owner. And though Erhan had decided to stop going there, the other daily patrons were becoming increasingly grumpy without their daily dose of booze. No one blamed the tavern though, instead, the young Moras and her knights had become the subjects of their glare and criticism.

    Sena found the experience infuriating. Though she knew as a knight and especially as the leader of their group she shouldn¡¯t make excuses, it still didn¡¯t help the fact that it truly wasn¡¯t her fault. She had done what she could make amends on her part, even compensating a hefty sum of three golden crowns to the tavern. It stung her a bit, losing that much money so quickly. It was a fourth of the money she had earned through doing various duties for the house. Furthermore, She had sent Alanis back with Gregor as his escort. And if the strongest of their group didn¡¯t manage to catch up with them again, it would affect the strength of their team. Of course, Gregor also disliked that, but someone had to explain the situation to the house. It wasn¡¯t like they could trust Alanis to do that himself, no matter how regretful he might have looked at the next morning.

    What frustrated Sena more was that man. She had thought of him as the leader of the townsfolk, but after asking around a bit, she learned he was a refugee who had come to the town three years ago. What was weird was that no one knew his name all this time since he rarely ever conversed with anyone. People of the town referred to him by various strange nicknames like ¡®Mad hermit¡¯, ¡®That crazy guy¡¯ or ¡®Beards¡¯.

    she had tried many times to confront him. At first, she didn¡¯t care much, she found him somewhat intriguing and simply wanted to talk to him, but the man was slippery as an eel. He would walk the other way whenever he spotted her, and although he looked to be walking normally, Sena had never been able to catch up with him in full sprint. Much to her knight''s chagrin, she had entered the mines to search for him too. But the place was like a maze and the man knew how to disappear in its many dark passageways like a mouse. All her efforts to catch him had failed. While their cat and mousing continued, the end of the week sneakily caught up to them.

    Erhan was relieved and Sena was disappointed. They both thought once they left the town they¡¯d never have the chance to meet each other again. But the day of the departure was a surprise for both of them.

 Setting off and the night assault

    The morning sun over the tips of the pines still had some of its morning blush left when Erhan made for the northern end of the town. bit by bit the cobblestones on the street gave way to hard-packed red dirt. A row of carts and carriages stood in a long line ahead of him. Fifteen of them in total. Workers carried boxes of merchandise and raw iron ore to load onto the carts, and some of them readied the horses, rubbing them, putting harnesses on them. A skinny man wearing baggy but expensive-looking linen tunic stood beside one of the only three carriages. He was the leader of the caravan, the merchant Ron Wessinger. Erhan headed straight towards him.

    The merchant measured him with huge fishlike eyes. He only stopped by this mining town once every six months, loading the ores from here and deliver it to Valar, the capital city. As Erhan spent most of his time away from people, Ron had never seen him before, but this crazy looking man had promised to pay good money to travel with his caravan three days ago. He even paid half the fee in advance. Albeit a bit awkward and halting at times, the man had also proposed to guard the caravan with no small amount of confidence, so Ron had agreed to reduce the fee a little if he was really useful. After all, strong protection is always handy during such journeys. The road to capital wasn¡¯t exactly a safe one.

    But now the man had arrived holding a strange twisted and burnt-looking tree branch. Was he going to fight bandits with <em style="color: #1c1e29; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">that? Or was he planning on herding the horses? Well, even that might be useful. But it didn''t matter much. He had already requested better people to escort him. He asked Erhan, ¡°did you bring the rest of the money?¡±

    Erhan handed him a small bag holding ten talents. Ron bounced the bag in his hand, weighing it. He tilted his head towards one of the empty carts. ¡°Get on that one. We¡¯re going to leave in an hour or so.¡±

    Erhan walked towards the cart and climbed up. He drew the cloak tighter around him and sat down on a bunch of straw laid down on the floor of the cart. The morning sky was clear and the air was dry and chilly. There won¡¯t be any rain today. Maybe he should close his eyes for a bit?

    Erhan woke up at the sound of horse hooves and peered over the side of the cart.

    "Well!" He couldn''t help but frown. Sena Moras and her entourage had arrived by the side of the caravan on their horses. By the bags hanging from their saddles, they were ready to travel.

    Sena got down from her grey mare and walked towards Ron. the merchant also went forward to greet her, bowing to the waist, he said, ¡°Greetings and welcome, lady Moras. We were waiting for you,¡±

    He had mercenaries to guard the caravan, but it was the presence of these knights that gave him the ease of heart. Though they were quite young, even the most reckless bandits wouldn¡¯t dare to make things too difficult in front of the golden willow crest of Moras.

    ¡°Greetings Mr Westsinger. I hope we aren¡¯t late.¡± Sena dipped her head a bit.

    ¡°Not at all, not at all. We still have a quarter of an hour before we begin our journey.¡± he gestured his hand towards the most luxurious looking carriage. It was a lacquered black carriage with gilded designs of flowery vines along its rims, spacious enough for six people to sit comfortably inside. ¡°Please come, my workers will get your luggage sorted.¡±

    Sena accepted the invite. She signalled the remaining three knights to get down and climbed inside the carriage with them.

    After the went inside the carriage, Erhan sat up. He didn''t want to meet her, but What could he do now? He¡¯s already paid the merchant, who told him there would be no refund, so now he had no choice but to travel with them. Money doesn¡¯t grow on trees, otherwise, he might have considered getting away from the caravan. It¡¯s not like he could avoid that pesky girl for the whole month they were going to spend on the road.

    After thinking for a while, he sighed and closed his eyes again. Since he couldn¡¯t change the circumstances, overthinking it wouldn¡¯t help. He¡¯d have to deal with the problem as it comes. Besides, if he wanted to find out about the Book of Dreams, he¡¯d have to do a lot of talking. So her presence might not be a bad thing.

    Yeah, it was the start of his new journey. He should think positive now.

    It took a whole two hours for the caravan to start moving. Sena opted to travel by her horse alongside the other three knights. The carriage might be more comfortable, but she was no wallflower. More so since she was the leader instead. Their group of four travelled with the foremost carriage where Ron Wessinger was. only occasionally they would travel along the length of the caravan to check up on things.

    Other than them there was also another group of escorts, a ragtag group of men wearing mismatched armours and weapons scattered along with the caravan. The soldiers of fortune.

    The line of carts rolled on the dirt road at a medium pace. Other than a few thickets of pines here and there, the path was free of the shade of trees. It twisted and turned, bending around low rocky hills and great boulders. No other human settlement lay ahead of them until they arrive at the Muska plains. But that would take up to a week or so if the weather was favourable. So the caravan had stocked up on enough food and water in the town.

    The sun reached the top of their heads when the procession stopped for lunch. Though he could go without food or drink for a few days, Erhan chose not to decline what was offered. He was blowing on the bowl of hot lentil soup when someone tapped his shoulder from behind.

    Erhan turned his head. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± he said to Sena.

    Sena flicked her golden curls behind her ears. ¡°You are also travelling with us I see,¡± she said. ¡°are you also going to the capital for her majesty¡¯s quest?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my business,¡± Erhan said while dipping a piece of bread into the soup and took a bite of it. It wasn¡¯t bad. The quality was quite good for travel food.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Sena glanced at his staff propped against the boulder he was sitting on, noticing the twists and curls on the gnarled piece of blackened wood. It must be from a lightning-struck tree. A pretty old one at that. Only one group of people use this kind of staff. That could explain the slap he gave Alanis. But there was one thing that puzzled her. ¡°Why was a druid like you working in the mines in that backward city?¡±

    Erhan put down the bowl and picked up the stuff. Looking at it as a trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes. He remembered the day his masters gifted him with it clearly as if it was just tomorrow. The wisest and most revered of them had personally called down the thunder to imbue this piece of oak with spirits.

    ¡°That is also my business. Besides¡­¡± he said, looking at Sena¡¯s grey eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not a full-fledged druid. I didn¡¯t complete my training.¡±

    Sena tilted her head in contemplation. A moment later she shook her head. She didn''t know enough about druids to know what he was talking about.

    She looked at Erhan''s eyes inquiringly. ¡°Anyway, at least now shouldn¡¯t you introduce yourself?¡±

    Erhan considered for a moment. Yeah, since he decided to open up, then a small introduction wouldn''t hurt. ¡°Erhan Raiser,¡± he said, ¡°And you are¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes, trying to recall her name.

    ¡°It¡¯s Sena, Sena Moras. I just told you my name a week ago. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already forgotten,¡± there was a trace of anger in Sena¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I didn''t pay attention to what you were saying that day,¡± Erhan said with nonchalance.

    Sena¡¯s scowled as the heat rose to her face. The man was infuriating. She took several deep breaths to calm down. Many questions fleeted about in her mind, like why a druid, even an incomplete one, was interested in the quest. Druids were supposed to be recluses. But she had a feeling, no, she knew that he wouldn¡¯t answer her. And her mood had gotten worse while talking to the man, so she walked towards where the other knights sat. Her questions could wait. She had the whole journey to ask them. No need to hurry.

    Erhan looked at her retreating figure and picked up his bowl again. He also wanted to ask something about the quest. But it was still difficult to speak to people like her. Well, he can figure this all out later. For now, he wanted to finish the soup while it was still warm.

    <hr>

    No one knew who shouted spotted the buggers first, but when the shouting began and everyone started waking up, two sturdy draft horses and a courser one of the knights rode had already fallen prey to their sharp fangs. The grey lions, although named after one of the great cats, had little to do with the feline species, belonging to the lizard family instead.

    These cunning scaly beasts must have stalked the caravan for these two days for them to figure out the details enough to avoid the guards and quietly get the horses. The had sneaked in at the darkest hour before dawn. They were silent and deadly, ferocious assassins of the night, crawling past the vigilant eyes of the mercenaries through the crags and shadows of the boulders, getting to the horses tied at the edge of a low cliff-face. Five of them attacked the sleeping draft beasts, killing them before they could let out so much as a peep. Only the courser had fought a fierce battle, alerting the guards. When the guards arrived though, the horse was already on its last breath, groaning and thrashing its legs, laying on the ground wet from its blood.

    The guards chased the predators away, shouting and raising their torches and weapons. Sure they wanted to kill those accursed lizards, but chasing grey lions through the rocks would be a foolish endeavour, especially in the dark. It couldn¡¯t have been more than a minute or two, but their muscular grey bodies had already disappeared among the boulders.

    The rest of the horses scampered, huddling together. Their frightened neighing and stomping along with the shouting of the guards woke up the whole camp. One of the guards, a lean and tall mercenary named Johan came to the dying Courser. He stabbed his sword through the heart of the dying beast and ended its suffering.

    Ron Westsinger soon arrived along with Sena and her knights. The young knight, Becker, whose horse died had already gotten the news. it was a gift his not so wealthy family had prepared at the day of his inauguration to knighthood. The horse had been with him for five years and he had been pretty attached to it. So much so that his friends teased him, telling him to marry the creature. To say he was upset at the beast¡¯s demise would be an understatement. Its death was like losing a close friend to him. He kneeled beside the corpse, gently running his hand through its fur and shaking his head from time to time. He just couldn¡¯t believe it was dead.

    Sena knew how much Becker cared for his horse. She bent down and placed her hand on his shoulder. Becker looked up at her. ¡°I¡¯ll kill them,¡± he said with a vicious scowl on his face.

    Johan, the mercenary shook his head. ¡°Kill them?¡± he said with some amount of derision in his voice. ¡°Stop dreaming sir. We are lucky those things didn¡¯t attack the people. We should leave this place as soon as we can.¡± He gave one of the dead draft animals a nudge with his foot. ¡°They are clever ones, killing the horses to slow us down. Let¡¯s hope these dead bodies would stall them for a while.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it your fault they got to the horses then.¡± Ron¡¯s angry voice came. ¡°If you guarded the place properly it wouldn¡¯t come to this. What do you think I¡¯m paying you for?¡±

    His words immediately riled up the mercenaries. A lean, young mercenary with short curly hair came up to Ron¡¯s face. ¡°What the hell did you say? Do you think it¡¯s easy to spot those grey lions in this place? You guard the place yourself then. If those savage things don¡¯t tear you limb to limb, I¡¯ll change my name.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ron¡¯s face was red with anger at the audacity of a mere mercenary. ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to pay you if things like this happen again.¡±

    Johan came forward. ¡°Stop it,¡± he said. He was somewhat of a leader among the mercenaries, so his words held some weight. Although he didn¡¯t like the merchant¡¯s tone either, he was the one holding the money. ¡°Those beast¡¯s territory should be far away from here. It¡¯s unexpected for them to be here, or we could have camped in more open ground and taken more precautionary measures. It¡¯s our negligence, not noticing their threat in time.¡±

    Becker remained silent. He didn¡¯t blame the guards, knowing that wouldn¡¯t accomplish anything. Instead, the grey lions became the source of his vengeance. He looked at the dead animal again. ¡°I vow not to rest until they are dead,¡± he whispered.

    Sena frowned. A vow. Now that would be troublesome. Knights took their vows pretty seriously. But finding those grey lions in this terrain was easier said than done. They might hide by a boulder right next to you, and you wouldn¡¯t know. But if they didn¡¯t manage to kill them, Becker¡¯s vow would break. That couldn¡¯t happen. She went forward and said to Ron, ¡°I wish to stop here until we could hunt those beasts down.¡±

    Ron was immediately flustered. ¡°B- but my lady, those beasts are dangerous. And it¡¯d be impossible to hunt them down here. Please try to understand.¡±

    Sena shook her head. ¡°Our decisions are final. If you must continue your journey, go ahead without us.¡±

    ¡°My lady¡­¡± the merchant looked at the young woman with a hint of annoyance. It was easy for her to tell them to go ahead. If something happened to this young scion of a prominent warrior family under his watch, it¡¯d be his head in the gallows. He sighed and turned to Johan. ¡°We are going to hunt the grey lions. You¡¯d help lady Moras in this task.¡±

    Johan shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. There¡¯s no way we can do that in these hills. We didn¡¯t sign up for this.¡±

    "Fifteen talents more," Ron said. "if you agree, I''ll give each of you fifteen talents more."

    The mercenaries exclaimed. They never expected such a raise. some of them immediately wanted to agree, but Johan shook his head. "That''s too little. forty more talents and we have a deal."

    Ron raised two fingers before Johan¡¯s face. ¡°Twenty talents, I can''t give you any more,¡± he said.

    ¡°Thirty,¡± Johan countered the offer.

    ¡°Twenty-five,¡± Ron scowled. ¡°Take it or leave it.¡±

    Johan turned around, huddling with the other mercenaries. After a few minutes of intense discussion, he looked at Ron, giving a curt nod. ¡°Deal.¡±

 Tripping traps and flying eyes

    Erhan looked at the dead courser from some distance away. He could have healed that if he arrived earlier. But now...

    he sighed, looking at the dour expression on Becker''s face, should he help them with the hunting? If he used a rock mantra, they¡¯d have an easier time tracking the animals. But he was in a dilemma. On one hand, grey lions killing the horses was a natural act of predator and prey. His teaching forbade him to interfere in such acts. Especially by using his arts. On the other hand, if he didn¡¯t help, it would delay the journey. Should he wait? Yeah, that would be better. If they don¡¯t succeed in two days, then he would help.

    He walked towards the gathered people. He had travelled a lot and even if he didn¡¯t brag, he had more than adequate experience in hunting. Perhaps he could offer some suggestions?

    The mercenaries gathered at one side discussing what they could do to hunt the beasts, while the knights on another, gathered around Becker and consoled him. Sena noticed Ehran approach them out of the corner of her eyes. She greeted him. ¡°Are you going to help?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Only if you fail,¡± Erhan said.

    Sena nodded. She didn¡¯t have many expectations of this unsocial man.

    they walked Together towards the roaring bonfire the workers had rekindled. The mercenaries sat in a circle around it, discussing strategies to take the beasts down.

    ¡°Where should we search for them?¡± asked a sturdy looking straw-haired mercenary. His name was Bob. like most people here, he had some experience in the battlefield, but he knew little about hunting. ¡°Should we begin searching for them during the day?¡±

    Another lanky mercenary named Harry shook his head and said ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work,¡± He was from a hunting family and had more right to speak in the field.

    ¡°Then when do we begin? Surely you are not suggesting we hunt them at night? That¡¯d be like suicide in this place,¡± Bob said.

    ¡°No, I''m not saying that.¡±

    Johan gave him a look of annoyance, ¡°stop wasting time and be clear. What are you suggesting?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re no fun,¡± Harry shrugged. ¡°Why should we search for them at all?¡± he said.

    The young mercenary named Josh who had argued with Ron said, ¡°cause the stupid knights want to hunt those things and the trader wants to lick noble boots. Why else?¡±

    Johan, who was sitting beside him, slapped him in the back of his head.

    ¡°Ow!¡± Josh caressed the sore spot as he glared at Johan. ¡°What was that for, old man?¡±

    Johan glared back in silent warning, gesturing behind Josh with his eyes.

    ¡°What?¡± Josh turned his head, coming face to face with a scowling Sena, standing behind him with her hands on her waist. ¡°Oh! Oops!¡± Josh covered his mouth. the noble girl had a really ferocious expression on her face.

    Erhan stood beside Sena, covering his lips with his fist, trying to ward of a smile from creeping upon them.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Harry raised his voice, somewhat irritated with Josh for stealing his stage. ¡°forget the idiot, and let¡¯s go back to the discussion,¡± he said as he ran his eyes over the people looking at him. ¡°The grey lions are far from their usual territory and despite their small numbers, they are daring enough to attack such a large, armed group of people.¡± he took a spare piece of firewood and drew some designs on the sand in front of him. ¡°There can be a few reasons for this kind of behaviour. But the most likely one, I think, is that something drove them away from their territory.¡± he looked up again at their faces.

    Erhan stood back and watched the discussion in silence. The mercenary, Harry, had some taste for theatrics. And if he was heading where Erhan thought he was heading, then he was mostly on the right track. If he was good enough, then perhaps Erhan might not have to step in.

    ¡°Get to the point,¡± Johan said, massaging his temple.

    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? I¡¯ll get there in due time.¡± Harry pointed at five dots he had made on the red sand. ¡°No predators would attack a big group such us without a reason. Most likely, they are willing to take the risk because they can¡¯t find any other prey in the area. So they are unlikely to stop unless we leave the dead horses here. Which was the plan until the lady¡ª¡± he dipped his head towards Sena. ¡°¡ªdecided to hunt them down. so¡ª¡±

    Bob leaned forward and looked at the drawings on the sand. ¡°But I heard those lizards are greedy,¡± he said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they still chase us if we left the horses here?¡±

    Harry gave him an irritated glance from the corner of his eyes. ¡°It¡¯d stall them for some time. But that isn¡¯t the main point, so stop interrupting me.¡± he pointed the stick at a circular design. ¡°We find an open ground to camp on as we already decided. And¡­¡± pointing at the edge of the circle, he said, ¡°We leave the dead horses just outside the camp. Not to close or too far.¡±

    ¡°But that way, wouldn¡¯t the beasts get their food easily? How are we going to hunt them?¡± another mercenary named Reyden asked. ¡°We should keep them in the middle of the camp under careful guard.¡±

    Harry gave him a blank look as if looking at an idiot.

    ¡°What?¡± Reyden asked. ¡°Why the hell are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°You think grey lions are stupid like you?¡± Harry said.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Reyden stood up. ¡°Now you¡¯re asking for a beating.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d only alert them if you put a heavy guard on their food,¡± Sena decided to intervene on the conversation. This was dragging for a long time. She was reaching the limit of her patience. ¡°If they can¡¯t get to their food, they might attack us.¡±

    ¡°As the lady said,¡± Harry said, sighing with regret. ¡°They might even attack us. Those things are sneaky. So if we aren¡¯t careful, who knows? one of us might end up in their jaws.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to give them what they want,¡± Reyden said.

    Harry shook his head. ¡°Of course not.¡± he smiled with a slight hint of deviousness. ¡°We¡¯ll set up traps.¡±

    Muddy moonlight fell through a light blanket of cloud, mixing the colours of rocks and boulders, making light or shadows, high or low an indistinguishable mess. A perfect night for hunting.

    In the absolute greyness, a piece of the ground moved. It dashed, fast as lightning, from the shadow of one boulder to another. It wasn¡¯t alone, four other shapes swiftly followed it. These movements made little sound, attracting the attention of no one as the shapes fleeted from shadow to shadow, advancing towards the food they had hunted last night.

    Those silly humans must have scurried along by now. Now they could fill their bellies after starving so long. They wouldn¡¯t mind some man-meat either, but those two-legged big oafs go mad if you kill one of them. Better to stick to the fellow four-legged ones. There are many of them, tied up and unable to move just waiting to enter their mouth. If they are careful, they might secure enough food to last them until they find another hunting ground.

    One of the shapes climbed a boulder, raising its reptilian head covered with a mane like grey frills to peep at the place they had hunted last night. It¡¯s body as big as a wolf¡¯s leaned in, dilated eyes taking in all the light they can, trying to spot the fallen shapes of their prey. It spotted nothing. Not even the camp of the humans was there. That¡¯s weird. Did the silly oafs take their hard-earned prey with them? Were those humans so stingy?

    Sharp inchlong, triangular scales all over its body stood up like a cat¡¯s fur. It was angry.

    It scampered down the boulder where it¡¯s companions waited. ¡°Krrrrrr,¡± a low sound came out of its throat. The five of them chittered for a while, then headed out. It was time for them to track those humans down.

    They came where the horses were before and after a lot of sniffing around, they found their way. They chased after the footsteps of their prey through the shadows. Soon they spotted light from afar. They found them. The smell of those dead horses was just up ahead. They had to be careful. There was almost no place to hide. And those flickering and swaying lights the humans lit on their sticks were also there.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The oldest of them, the one as big as a tiger, had a long scar on its back. Only half of its whiplike tail remained. These wounds were a testament of a battle it had long ago against those two-legs. When it came to experience about humans, none of the others could rival it. It looked at where their food was, just on the edge of where those humans were living. This seemed too easy. It chattered, stopping the others and sniffed the air. The smell of trouble tingled its snout.

    Erhan opened his eyes and looked towards the south. Black silhouette of hills under murky moonlight spread before his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± he whispered, getting up from his resting place on the edge of the smouldering campfire.

    He looked down at the boulder beside him. Sena leaned against it with her eyes closed. She took soft, deep breaths. Her lips were slightly open, leaking some drool on her chin. Not a noblewoman¡¯s demeanour by any means. She reminded him of a companion he had adventures with some forty to fifty years ago. Both women had the same awkward personality. Come to think of it, she had also been from a warrior noble house, the Sikhra house.

    Sena frowned and muttered incoherent words. maybe she was having some nightmares. Should he wake her up?

    Some of the mercenaries also seem to have noticed the beast''s approach. He sensed some of them rustle awake from there beds and flap out of their tents.

    Some of the traps they laid were good ones. And though the knights grumbled about it being dishonourable, The idea of poisoning the dead horses had been particularly clever, more so since it had come from Josh, the seemingly reckless, big-mouthed young mercenary. That guy had a poisonous mind. Except for becker¡¯s courser, which had been cremated at his insistence, the other two dead horses were laced with an unholy amount of rat poison from the merchandise.

    Again, Sena paid for that from her savings. Her pocket reeled from the pain, along with her heart. she had been grumbling about that as she fell asleep.

    Deciding against waking her up, for now, Erhan sat cross-legged beside the fire. He held his staff straight beside him with his right hand and kept his left relaxed and the back of the palm against the left knee. He closed his eyes and muttered a mantra of sight.

    Inside his mind, the gloomy world of the night turned as bright as day. The darkness, the shadows disappeared, and the features of lands appeared covered in a strange shade of green, blue and violet. They rippled and surged before his eyes like the view underwater. It was the sight of a world beyond the physical, the world of spirits.

    Many points of light floated around the world. They whizzed and zipped by like red, green, blue fireflies. The fragments of spirits. Erhan watched the world through their eyes. The vision hovered over the land and under it at the same time, at the same time he saw right and left, the sky and the ground¡ª a beautiful, bizarre psychedelic experience, too much to take in for any sane mind. Even with his training, it was overwhelming, especially since it had been more than a decade since he used these arts. His mind reeled from the vision, his stomach churned and a sense of nausea rose to his throat. He swallowed the bile and took a long, shaky breath. He was more out of touch than he thought.

    But he couldn''t take it easy on himself. he had to get his touch back as soon as possible. He forced his mind to stay within the vision, chaining it down as he shed down the Excess With an immense effort and narrowed down the focus of his vision to that of an Eagle''s. A drop of blood, like a bright red pearl, appeared in the corner of his left eye, reflecting the flickering image of the dying flame.

    The vision travelled for a time, now only hovering over the land, until it appeared at the edge of a depression. The two carcasses lay in the middle of it, covered in a strange black fog only visible to him. The mist of demise. It appeared on dead things, or on things that contained deadly danger. It was thicker than usual here, as the trap contained both.

    He spotted them on the edge of the depression. Five grey shapes skittered around the perimeter. They sniffed, inspected, and tested the ground ahead of them in various ways. Perhaps it was their keen instinct that had warned them of the danger ahead but they were suspicious, hesitant to go on. Maybe they smelled the poison too. Although it was of an odourless variety, there was too much of it. Was the plan going to fail?

    He noticed the biggest one amongst the grey lions, one with many scars and only half of its tail, was leading the others. Its cautious nature was what kept the other lizards from storming their food. It made low hisses, spreading and shaking the mane like frills along its neck. After a lot of sniffing around, it signalled one of them to go forward.

    The lizard crawled towards the carcasses, slowly extending one hesitant, measuring foot after another like tree lizards. Eyes whirling, nose sniffing, it took an excruciating amount of time for it to reach the first trap, the tripwires set to a bell. With a small skilful leap, it avoided that trap and the following few, the lassos, nets and sharp stakes hidden amongst the pieces of rocks and boulders scattered around. Then it reached its destination, the carcass of the horses.

    Food! Right in front of its eyes. Saliva flowed down its jaws. Although the old one ordered it to bring a piece back without eating it,but the smell of it! Oh, just the smell of the tantalizing raw flesh in front of it was making focusing on the task so hard. One bite, just one tiny bite wouldn¡¯t hurt, right? It had been starving for so long.

    It couldn¡¯t stop. Its knifelike sharp fangs snapped down on soft belly of the horse, piercing the skin and reaching flesh. A low hissing and chattering reached its ears, the old one''s warning. It ignored the sound and tore through the skin with its fangs and claws. It reached the meat and took a triumphant bite out of it.

    A tiny bite wasn¡¯t enough, it gorged itself bite by bite, gulp by gulp and when it came back to its senses it was already half full. It couldn¡¯t ignore the incessant warnings of the old one anymore. It tore a piece of meat, holding it in its mouth and turned around, now it just had to track it¡¯s way back through these annoying tricks the oafs laid around and its task would be complete.

    Seeing it turn around, the old lizard stopped its anxious chattering. It didn¡¯t want to make any sound if not for that reckless fool of a youngster. But least it was all right. Since nothing happened to it, maybe it worried too much. Maybe the meat was safe to eat. But that young one acting like a fool and putting their lives at risk. Wait for it to come back, there was a beating waiting for it when they were safely away from this place.

    The young lizard was in a good mood, it made its way over to its companions, carefully avoiding the traps. It was halfway through when a sudden pain hit it guts like a hammer. Its slow pace became even slower. Its muscles spasmed and its whole body shrunk in pain bent in like dying spider. The meat it was holding, dropped from its slack jaws. A strange, muffled groan sound escaped from the back of its throat. so much pain! it was tearing its inside apart.

    It lurched forward, tripping and snapping a thin string. A net sprang up and trapped it. It thrashed around in front of the increasingly anxious eyes of its companions, tripping one trap after another. Wounds covered its whole body as its death throes became smaller and smaller until all its movements ceased.

    Dead! It was dead! The scales of the remaining creatures stood up straight. They spread their frills and hissed shrill and loud, like a thousand nails scraping on the ground. They no longer cared about staying quiet. They were the only five to escape alive when the other beasts attacked their nest. They had survived so long by only depending on each other. But now, one of them was dead!

    A volley of arrows rained down on them, impaling one through the back of its skull and grazing the leg of another. No! Those devious two-legs! They stopped their shouting and skittered for cover.

    The oldest gave a sharp and piercing shout. retreat!

    The remaining three creatures took one last hate-filled look at their two dead companions and turned around, scampering off in the darkness. A sound of hooves followed them.

    Erhan woke with a start. A hand on his shoulder had been shaking him for a while, but he was too absorbed in the vision to notice. His focus broke, leaving only darkness in his mind and the nausea of excessive bloodloss sent him reeling.

    That was dangerous! If he couldn''t pull back in time...

    His mind was already spinning, but before he could fall, he felt a hand holding him up. Opening his leaden eyelids was difficult and took him a few seconds, but there was only cloudy darkness ahead of him. Doubt appeared in his mind. he did open them right?

    ¡°...han? Erhan!¡± from the end of a long tunnel, or maybe penetrating a thick blanket, or perhaps over a bunch of annoying flies buzzing around his ears, a voice reached him. His vision cleared over time like a black glass that became lighter and clearer. A blurry face was looking at him with concern. A familiar face.

    Leah? Ellie? He reached out his fingers to touch it, but as his sight cleared his outstretched fingers shrunk back.

    ¡°Are you ok? Can you hear me?¡± Sena, who was holding him up, had a hint of concern in her voice.

    Erhan gave a weak nod. He pushed himself upright with his hand on the ground, leaning against his staff. He took calm deep breaths to regain his balance and composure. He brought his left hand before his eyes in the now roaring light of the rejuvenated campfire, he opened and closed his fist a few times. ¡°Yeah, so out of touch.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Sena asked, letting go of his shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s blood in the corner of your eyes.¡± she gave him a suspicious glance. ¡°Were you doing¡­ you know¡­¡± she made a strange wiggling motion with the tips of her fingers.

    Was that gesture supposed to mean spiritcraft? Erhan wiped the corner of his eyes with the edge of his sleeve. He stared at the red patch on the grey hemp cloth. The blood he had lost in this bout of spiritvision was more than this. In fact, it was a lot more than he needed to sacrifice. Casting after so long¡­ he needed to get back in shape and put more effort into practising if he wanted to find the artefact.

    ¡°My lady,¡± Samuel¡¯s hurried footsteps broke him out of his thoughts. The youngest knight cast an irritated glance at him before looking at Sena. ¡°Becker didn¡¯t listen to us, my lady. He¡¯s gone alone to chase after the rest of the lizards. Rick and some mercenaries are following him.¡± He bent down and propped his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Running with armour on was definitely a mistake. After a few gulps of air, he continued. ¡°There¡¯s still three of those buggers left. Beck might be in danger if Rick can¡¯t catch up with him.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, what are you doing?¡± Sena stood up from where she was kneeling in front of Erhan. ¡°I told you to keep an eye on him. His mind isn''t calm right now.¡±

    ¡°But he took off by the time we lowered our bows,¡± Samuel said with a bit of stubbornness. ¡°He took one of the mercenary¡¯s horses. We were just a bit late to notice.¡±

    Sena tilted her head and looked at him for a moment. ¡°Again, you are making excuses,¡± she said.

    Samuel scratched his head with an awkward smile.

    Sena sighed. ¡°Well, no use moping around here,¡± she looked at Erhan and asked, ¡°Are you going to come with us?¡±

    Erhan pushed himself up on his two feet with his staff, looking like an old man. ¡°Might as well,¡± he said, stretching his back. ¡°I don¡¯t have a horse though,¡± he said to Sena.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we got that covered.¡±

 One eyed slayer and grandmas friend

    A whistling wind from the north came bearing light chill, twisting by the hills as it stirred up dusty red sand on rocky ground. It took the haze of clouds with it on its journey south and left a dark sky full of stars and a pale half-moon behind. The silver-blue moonlight rippled at the tip of Becker''s sword held in front of him with a liquid glimmer.

    Becker took heavy nervous breaths, taking quick glances all around him unwilling to miss any detail. But the three grey lions still eluded him, always fleeting from shadow to shadow just out of his sight.

    They wanted to kill him, bite his neck and leave him bleeding as they had done to the beast he¡¯d rode on. They wanted to do more, to tear him from limb to limb, take revenge for the death of their companions, but his sharp sword kept them at bay. It¡¯s one slash nearly sliced off the limb of their injured companion who was a bit slower when they attacked the horse.

    They had to wait! Wait or the perfect opportunity, a momentary lapse in this two-leg''s vigilance. That would be when they charge him.

    Becker knew their intention. Nervous sweat made his palm slippery. it was fortunate the grip of the sword wasn''t one of those fancy ones the rich knights used, or it could slip from his hand. he took another glance at his surroundings and barely caught a half tail disappear behind a boulder. He moved his sword that way.

    He shouldn¡¯t have charged in alone. Now he might have to pay the price of that with his life.

    He didn¡¯t know whose horse he rode. It lay ten or so yards away, its legs jerking from time to time as blood, glistening black in the moonlight, flowed from it¡¯s torn neck.

    Becker bit down on his lips hard enough to taste blood. It was dying because of him. If he hadn¡¯t ridden it- if only he had waited for others

    Now he couldn¡¯t even spare the time to end its suffering.

    Would its rider feel the same pain as him? Would he feel the same anger when he saw his closest companion for so many years lying dead before his very eyes?

    He clenched his sword hard. A trace fury as sharp as his sword flashed through his eyes. He would see an end of those vicious grey lions.

    The momentary rising of his spirit created a gap in his vigilance. It was a tiny gap, lasting only a fraction of a second, but that was all the time the oldest grey lion needed to find his window of opportunity. It crouched, tightening his muscles and bending his body like a spring, and then it leapt into the air, forelegs stretched forward, eight hook-like claws gleaming in the moonlight.

    Becker whirled around by instinct, the creature was upon him. He thrust his left hand into the waiting mouth aiming for his neck. The creature¡¯s jaws snapped down, fangs clashing against his greaves. He fell with the beast on top of him, its claws tore at him. he was lucky to have his armour on, or he would be a mangled corpse soon. The beast''s claws swiped, leaving three long, bleeding gashes across his face.

    He madly waved his sword about around him, trying to keep the other two lizards at bay. But he knew he couldn¡¯t keep this struggle going for long. If he couldn''t get rid of the lizard pressing him down, he would die painfully, torn alive by the fangs and claws of these beasts.

    He really shouldn¡¯t have come alone.

    His felt another lizard bite down on his sword arm and pin it to the ground. he felt the other chomp down on his thigh.

    Becker hissed in pain. his thighs didn''t have armour.

    The oldest one took his opportunity and pressed his clawed foreleg on the left hand, holding it in place. Its jaws became free, ready for their main target. Becker''s neck. It just had to pry off the armour there.

    Revenge was in its sight. But it had to hurry, the noise of many horse hooves was coming like a landslide. Many dancing lights torches too. It had to end this human before they arrive.

    Becker couldn¡¯t hear the approaching horses, all his senses focused on the creatures yellow eyes, its open jaws and gleaming fangs. Was he going to die? A knight of Moras, dying in the hands of a beast? He didn¡¯t want that, such a disgrace.

    He cried out, putting all his effort into tearing his sword hand free. He failed. He had to think of something. Yes! His wrist. He put his effort and bent his wrist. He brought his sword above the lizard on top of him. Its sharp edge shone beyond the body of the beast. Just half a feet more would be enough, but his wrist refused to bend more. The beasts fangs tore through the piece of leather protecting his neck and neared the skin. Becker opened his fingers and let the sword go. It fell straight down like the blade of a guillotine and with a thunk, its razor-sharp edge sunk into its spine. It cut in just half an inch. The blade wasn¡¯t heavy enough for more than that. But it was enough.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    It jerked back in pain. Becker took the opportunity. With an animalistic howl, he yanked free his left hand and thrust them forward again. His fingers clamped around the neck of the beast, like eagle claws. With all the force he could master he rolled around, nearly dislocating his right hand. He pinned the oldest grey lion beneath him. The sword dislodged from its back and clattered away to the side.

    For some reason, the lizard attacking his thigh had let go of him. But he had no time to pay attention to that. It took an unholy amount of effort for him to keep the creature pinned under him. The old lizard wheezed, trying to breathe through the force crushing its windpipe. It flailed around its legs and tail to escape his clutch. one of its desperate claws swiped against at Becker¡¯s face, burning pain filled the left side of his face. The pain burned through his left eye, turning its vision dark.

    What was that caught on the creature''s claws? Was that an eyeball? Was that <em style="color: #1c1e29; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">his eyeball?

    A raw scream tore its way out of Becker¡¯s throat. The shock fueled his rage and boiled his blood. His fingers became tighter and tighter around the beast¡¯s neck. Blood mixed with sweat flowed down his hair, chin and neck, reddening his cloth. Breath came through his teeth with a shower of spittles and a deep, guttural growl. The grey lion¡¯s struggle became weaker and weaker and when Becker felt its neck cave in under his fingers, it stopped. Its body slacked and its long narrow tongue rolled out of its mouth.

    Becker let go of it and turned around. The threat wasn¡¯t over yet. Where are the other lizards? Well? Why had they stopped their assault?

    The answer came in the form of people riding horses surrounding his field of battle in a circle. The two lizards which had attempted escape, lay dead with the spears of the mercenaries impaling their bodies.

    Relief surged through becker as he laid back on the ground. He breathed like a whale as all the pain in the world rushed back to his whole body. He looked at the riders, the torches in their hands lit up their faces, all making funny faces.

    Well, they seemed funny to Becker, but the mercenaries and the knight Rick leading them, all felt complicated emotions. Some felt mild admiration as they had watched the struggle of this young man against the beast. Some were rather disgusted at the sight of all this blood and gore, all from the body of the young knight. The beasts died without shedding too much blood.

    And Rick? Rick was angry. The fool ruined himself in his recklessness!

    <hr>

    ¡°Well, look at him prancing around, proud as a peacock¡¯s tail. Does he think ¡®Becker the grey lion slayer¡¯ has a nice ring to it? No? Cause it doesn¡¯t. It sounds dumb.¡±

    Erhan nearly spurted out a mouthful of soup at the young mercenary Josh¡¯s latest comment.

    They were sitting down on boulders for breakfast, well out of earshot of Sena and his knights who were talking with Becker, standing with his chest out and chin raised. He was pretty proud of his triumph over the beast and made that fact no secret. Four days had passed and the wounds on his body and face had left only pale scars. Only the eye patch covering his left eye a testament of his loss. Erhan had done all he could at Sena¡¯s incessant request, but it was beyond even his ability to heal. Regrowing lost body parts, it was something few could do.

    But that didn¡¯t bother Becker. He was satisfied, being able to take revenge against those beasts for killing his horse. He was a bit sad. having two eyes was always better than one. Still, much better than losing his life.

    Only, his fellow knights and lady Sena¡¯s scoldings stung him a bit. It was understandable though, especially for Sena. Her journey this time seemed to be full of one trouble after another. Becker felt pity for their young captain.

    Sena sighed and left the knights, she walked beside Erhan and sat down. ¡°Thank you for healing him,¡± she said to him.

    Seeing her sit beside him, the few mercenaries sitting with him got up, walking away in different directions.

    Erhan ran his fingers through messy hair. ¡°That¡¯s the umpteenth time,¡± he said to the woman who, for some unknown reason had become somewhat stuck to him, always following him around. ¡°It¡¯s enough thanks to last a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°But you did do a great service to the house of Moras. And for me too, since I can¡¯t imagine losing even one of them under my watch.¡± he turned to look at the knights who were conversing among themselves. ¡°Most of them were no more than acquaintances when we started. But now...¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not cut out to be a leader.¡±

    He gave her a quizzical look as he put away the empty bowl. ¡°then why become one?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not like I had a choice,¡± Sena said with a chuckle. ¡°The rest of the children were too young. The oldest one was sixteen. And the two cousins who are older than me are too old. They are serving in the army. Only I fit all the categories, well, most of them at least.¡±

    ¡°Why? They couldn¡¯t choose one of those knights?¡±

    Sena gave him a sharp look and said with a sense of graveness. ¡°A warrior house has its pride to consider. Putting someone who doesn¡¯t Carry the Moras name in such a position is disgraceful.¡±

    Erhan laughed in ridicule. someone said well, ''A noble and a knight and their foolish pride''.

    ¡°Why are you laughing? Do you think it¡¯s a laughing matter?¡± said Sena, her brows creased due to anger.

    Erhan said nothing and observed Sena¡¯s face with interest.

    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Sena asked with a look of suspicion as she ran her palm over her face. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±

    ¡°By any chance do you know Arya Sikhra?¡± Erhan asked, not really expecting anything.

    Sena¡¯s grey eyes grew big with surprise. ¡°How do you know her?¡±

    ¡°So you are related to her, huh,¡± Erhan gave a knowing nod. He tilted his head, looking at the workers put away the camp as they redied the caravan for its last travel through these rocky hills. ¡°she was one of my friends. People I used to go on adventures with.¡± he stood up and took his staff from its resting place beside the boulder. ¡°We got along the best, me and her, us being the same age and all.¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Sena sprang up from her seat, her face an image of incredulity. ¡°She is my grandma! You two can''t be the same age. Stop speaking nonsense.¡±

    Erhan smiled at her, shrugging, and walked towards his cart, leaving Sena staring at his back with an incomprehensible expression.

 News of death and endless suffering

    Leaving the stretch of the dry, rocky ground, the wheels of the carts rolled onto hard-packed mud road around midday. The long grasses of the Muska plains undulated in the wind like waves in a sea of green as the caravan travelled through them. An occasional knoll or two, a thicket here or there, all covered in various shades of green. After so many days of dead grey, brown or yellow, everyone found the sight soothing. The view gladdened their hearts as expectations of real beds and decent meals filled them. No, really, they''ve had enough of the same lentil soup and bread every damn day for more than a week.

    Their happiness didn''t measure up to the excitement of Ron Wessinger''s pockets. A chance to trade had arrived and soon hard iron shells, shiny silver talents and glorious gold crowns would find their home in them.

    The Russet river flowed down from the Dreaming mountains and crossed the plains. Its water made the earth of the plains rich with minerals, making Muska the biggest agricultural provider in the Queendom. Every half a year, when the caravan arrived in the town of Garola, the villagers of the various small unnamed villages scattered around the Muska plains gathered there to trade. They traded grains, seeds and wool with the caravan for spices, pieces of jewellery and other necessities and novelties. By tradition, the time had become a time for festivities for the locals for almost half a century.

    When plumes of orange clouds had started decorating the reddening sky like long trails of fire, the caravan neared its destination. The open field outside the town was where the trade would take place. The merchant would set his camp there, waiting for tomorrow''s trade to begin. But most of the folk travelling with the caravan, including the knights, most of the mercenaries and Erhan separated from it and took the paved road heading west where the town of Garola lay.

    At the end of the path was an arching, grey stone bridge. The Russet river flowed beneath it, foaming and frothing. A few watermills lay along the riverbeds, their wheels turning with the force of the water. A few boats swayed over the waves here and there.

    Erhan crossed the bridge and reached the town gates behind it. It wasn''t his first time in the stone-walled town. The last he visited it had been half a century ago. Although it was a town, it was at least four times bigger than the mining town he stayed in, it was almost a city.

    Compared to most of the man-made constructions in Clover, The walls around the city were old. It was whole, no sign of war marred its blocks of stone for almost five decades. The town was after all a part of one of the longest-lasting kingdoms boasting a glorious history forty-three years. In a land which outsiders named ¡®the land of instantaneous Kingdoms¡¯, the Robera kingdom was a true survivor. Though even it wasn¡¯t completely unchanged. Only five years ago the now queen usurped the throne, changing it into queendom.

    Erhan walked through the gates of the town along with the other travellers. Although the sun had just drowned, the town still seemed crowded. Though most of these people were returning home from work. shops were also closing down one by one, pushcarts both empty and full passed by him, going in and out of the gate. Erhan walked down the road in the red light of twilight towards the south-east of the town. He had much to do in the town, but those tasks would have to wait for tomorrow. An inn he used to know laid the way he was heading. Or had laid, he didn¡¯t know if still stood there.

    On two sides of the paved road, the buildings stood in rows, some a single floored, some reaching two or three stories. Free space was scarce in the town. Even then some of the richer houses sported a small garden or a lawn before their doors. One such building was the Russetwatch inn. Though its garden wasn''t before its doors, rather on the side of the three-storied building.

    Erhan watched the garden full off vegetables for a while. There used to be more flowers in it. He sighed as he pushed open the wooden doors and entered a lively tavern. The conditions inside were quite different from the silent sombre of the White weasel. The brightly lit room had none of his favourite dark corners for one, and although the tavern time was only beginning, the people filling up the tables promised a loud evening.

    A tall muscular man in white innkeepers apron trotted through the hall holding two beer mugs in each of his hand. As he spotted Erhan, the face lit up into a sunny smile. He put the drinks down on the wooden counter and gestured towards one of the youngsters working with him. Then he skipped toward Erhan, stopping just in front of him. ¡°Wellcome, welcome. You are a new face I see. Came with the trader? Looking for a room?¡±

    Erhan didn¡¯t recognize the man. That was no surprise considering how much time had passed. The middle-aged man in front of him carried some resemblance with his acquaintance. Especially, that amazing square jaw was quite telling of their close relation. Erhan smiled. ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like one for a few nights.¡±

    ¡°Perfect!¡± the man clapped like thunder, shocking a few guests into choking on their drinks. Loud sounds of cursing and coughing broke out through the room. The perpetrator turned around bowing and apologizing here and there. Erhan shook his head. So similar.

    The innkeeper turned towards him again, this time with a little more stoic expression. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re alone, that would be sixty-eight shells for a night, good sir,¡± he said.

    Erhan raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s almost twice as expensive as the last time I came.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about.¡± The innkeeper frowned. ¡°We have only increased three shells in the last ten years.¡±

    numbers flew inside Erhan''s head as he considered the information. It was a miscalculation on his part. He only considered the prices he was used to in the mining town and completely disregarded the regional price changes. rooky mistake. Well, not like that would¡¯ve helped much. The caravan wouldn¡¯t have waited for him to earn enough. It just meant he had to give up some of the things he considered buying.

    ¡°Well, hurry up, friend. I haven¡¯t got all day¡± the innkeeper said as he clapped softly, not wanting a recurrence of the previous blunder. If this bearded, messy looking man couldn¡¯t afford the prices of his inn, he¡¯d recommend him to a good, cheap one further east where the slums lay.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Erhan let out a long breath. For old times sake. ¡°make it for one night for now,¡± he said as he took out a talent from the pocket on the inside of his cloak and handed it to the muscular man.

    The man nodded and said, ¡°Please come with me, good sir. I¡¯ll give you your changes.¡± he turned around and headed to the counter.

    As Erhan arrived at the counter, he remembered something. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± he said, calling out to the innkeeper, ¡°and please prepare a bath for me.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± the innkeeper said, ¡°that would be twenty more shells then.¡± He turned his head and hollered, ¡°Kavi, lad, come here.¡±

    One of the three teens serving people food and drinks glanced up. ¡°Coming!¡± he said and jogged towards them.

    The innkeeper clapped the boy on his back. ¡°Show this good sir to room twenty-three, would you?¡± He turned to Erhan, handing him his change of twelve shells. ¡°We will inform you when your bath is ready, sir,¡± he said with a smile.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr Kooper,¡± Erhan nodded and turned around.

    ¡°You¡¯re welc¡ª¡± He stopped speaking and frowned. He scratched his head with a puzzled expression. Had he introduced himself to this guest before? He wanted to ask him, but the man had already left for his room.

    <hr>

    Fire burning in the hearth filled the small room with the smell of smoked maple. Erhan put his leather satchel bloated with contents on the wooden chest in one corner. He took off his cloak and took the small pouch from within it. He weighed it once, spreading his cloak on the wood floor, he unfastened the string of the pouch and poured its contents on the cloak. Coins clinked as they clashed, coming together in a small heap. He counted them. Thirty-five talents and about fifty shells. Would that be enough? Well, he certainly won¡¯t be able to buy a horse as he was hoping, but most of the others he should manage.

    The sound of knocking came from the door. Erhan gathered the cloak together around the coins and got up. Time to get the travel grime off of him.

    <hr>

    The jarring crow of a rooster announced the dawn to the sleeping residents of the inn. Erhan broke his meditation and opened his eyes. Four hours of sleep had been more than enough for him. But waking the rusty cogs and wheels of his druidic arts from long years of sleep would take practice. Long and gruelling practice.

    He climbed down from his bed and walked towards the stone basin at one side and washed his face. From the satchel, he took out a new set of clothes and put them on. He took his staff and wrapped the cloak around him, he opened left the room. He came down the stairs looking down and considering what to do next. He could skip breakfast. That¡¯d save some money. Right now he needed to buy an important piece of equipment.

    ¡°You¡¯re also staying here?¡± a familiar voice broke him out of his musings. Sena stood at the counter before the innkeeper. As usual, her knights surrounded her. Five of them. Gregor was back, and another, a middle-aged knight with a built athletic body also stood there with them. The middle-aged man gave him a look of consideration and a certain amount of¡­ respect.

    As Erhan raised his hand in greeting, Sena waved him over. Erhan hesitated a bit before walking over to them.

    ¡°This is my uncle, Corvin Moras. He came here to ascertain the incident at White weasel,¡± Sena said, pointing at the older knight. ¡°Uncle, this is the man I was talking about. He¡­¡± she leaned towards him and lowered her voice, ¡°he said he was grandma¡¯s friend.¡± she ended in a doubtful tone.

    Corvin bowed before Erhan. ¡°Greetings sir Erhan. My mother told me many stories about you.¡± he smiled politely. ¡°I¡®ve heard about it from my mother, but it¡¯s hard to believe how little you¡¯ve aged.¡±

    Somewhat embarrassed, Erhan ran his fingers through his hair. He didn¡¯t know what to say to that. Even the other young knights were giving him funny looks. He managed to ask, ¡°How¡­ is Arya doing?¡±

    A look of grief passed through Corvin¡¯s eyes. He took a deep breath and said in a sombre voice, ¡°she has passed away. The plague took her.¡±

    Erhan jolted in shock. His knuckles turned white around his staff. ¡°Fade¡­¡± a pained, low growl passed his teeth. The grimace of grief and fury on his face and the maddening fire in his eyes lasted only for a moment. the hair and beard framing his face made him look like a wounded black lion.

    He breathed and ran his hand over his face. ¡°please excuse me,¡± he said as he whirled around, heading back towards his room. A storm raged inside him and set his mind afire. He needed to calm it down.

    Sena stared at his back. What happened to him? His face... it was so frightening. The depressing feeling suddenly disappeared and the whole tavern filled with a loud hissing sound as everyone let out the breath they had been holding. Sena ran her hand over her forehead. It was soaked in sweat, she realized, and not only her, everyone in the tavern had tiny beads of perspiration on their faces.

    ¡°What was that?¡± she whispered.

    Corvin shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but probably¡­¡± he paused as his forehead creased in thought, after a moment he said with some certainty, ¡°he must have lost someone to the Fade. someone dear to his heart.¡±

    <hr>

    Erhan sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, his body stiff and eyes pinched shut as he tried to regain his tranquillity through meditation. The withering faces of Leah and Ellie flashed in his mind like lightning in stormy skies. Their last moments, their suffering, their Fading burned like an old festering wound in his mind. The tranquillity he sought had seldom been so hard to reach.

    He stood up, Walked towards the basin and took the jug of cold water and poured all of it over his head. Water ran down his hair, his beard, his clothes. The frigid streames liquid froze the storm in his mind for a moment.

    A memory from long ago resurfaced. A memory of him sitting in a cave on the snow-covered cape of mount Eldrish. An old man with a tiger skin wrapped around him had been toing and froing in front of him. His snow-white hair tied in a knot over his head, his beard reaching below his waist like flowing white river. His body was thin as if a breeze might blow him away. An ancient man who looked like he stood at the edge of his grave. But his eyes were sharp and full of life. When he talked, the jungle of beard his lips had lost themselves on fluttered. It was an amusing sight. He was the head of Erhan¡¯s teachers, also the leader of the sadhus. Sir Aravegh.

    ¡°You are the most talented individual we have taught. Do not make such a blunder.¡± Sir Aravegh¡¯s scolding vibrated through the air in a low hum. ¡°You are leaving your training incomplete for a mundane woman. We have taught you, give up the mundane and you will reach the eternal spirit. Women, family, love... they are fragile. Those heretic kapalics have led you astray. If only we had found you sooner,¡± He gave a regretful sigh as he stopped to peer down at Erhan. ¡°Those worldly shackles would only tie you down to the mundane. They would bring you endless suffering!¡±

    Endless suffering! Erhan clenched his teeth.

    He must be gloating now, that old man, wherever he is. Erhan had searched for him in his quest to cure his wife and daughter but hadn¡¯t found him. That old man had left for a pilgrimage, his other teachers had said and they had been unable to answer his pleas, incapable of finding a cure.

    None of them had said, ¡°We told you so.¡± and had only shown the utmost desire to help him, but Erhan could feel that phrase radiating from them.

    He hadn¡¯t cared then, desperate to save his family, but did he care now?

    If he could choose again would he choose to go down a different path? He had asked himself that question countless times. Maybe he had no answer, or maybe he did.

 Arban Ficrous and the Eternal flame

    Garola was a noisy place during the daytime, unlike the quiet streets of Rovert Erhan was so used to. His destination was the busiest part of the town, the Townsquare. The conversations of people, shouts of hawkers calling out their wares, and various other noises mingled in an incoherent jumble as he searched for what he needed. He wanted to finish his work as fast as he could to avoid the noise from increasing his headache further.

    The caravan would still stay here for over a week or so but Erhan didn''t want to stay that long. He had decided to travel to Valar by the river, taking a boat scheduled to leave after tomorrow. Now, First thing¡¯s first, if it still exists, it should be around the town square.

    Jewellery, textiles, bakeries, various small and large shops set up their business around the square. And among them, the noisiest one was Erhan¡¯s goal, the building full of the music of hammer striking metal.

    In Clover, the Ficrous family had one of the best metalworking techniques Erhan had seen. In this war-ridden land having a Ficrous blade meant a lot. The last time Erhan had come to Garola, through a series of unfortunate events, he¡¯d made the acquaintance of Monmer Ficrous, the master of the smithy.

    Now the generation must have changed, even the shop looked different now. The noise of metalworking came from further inside where the actual smithy lay. The outer portion of the building was a shop. Metal made household necessities hung from hooks and lay on shelves. Erhan noticed a surprising lack of war-related tools. Less than ten swords, spears, daggers lay scattered around the many farming tools filling the shop.

    A lanky, shabby looking boy with red hair and dull blue eyes managed the counter. Seeing Erhan enter, he said in a careless tone, ¡°what¡¯d you need.¡±

    ¡°A sword,¡± Erhan said, glancing at the few weapons that were there. Not anything he wanted. He wanted a sword good enough to last for a time. Druidic arts come with risks, so having a good weapon in his hands would make a world of difference.

    The boy picked his nose as he gestured towards the weapons in the room with his free hand. ¡°Well, feel free to check them out then.¡±

    Erhan raised his eyebrows. He was behind the times if this the new trend for managing shops. He walked towards the nearest sword took it off the self. A few light swings and he had his verdict. Disappointing.

    Carelessly made, it may be adequate for a sword you¡¯d pick up at a pawn shop, but it was an insult to even the cheapest Ficrous workmanship. He picked up a farming sickle hanging nearby and weighed it. A good product. At least, the smith put more care into making it than the blade. It had a blunt edge now, but he had no doubt the sharpened product would do its job well.

    He put it down and looked towards the teen. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything¡­ <em style="color: #1c1e29; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">better?¡± he asked.

    The boy shrugged. ¡°What you see here is what we got.¡±

    ¡°Well, they are not good enough,¡± said Erhan with a dismissive shake of his hand. ¡°Especially for a Ficrous.¡±

    The young shopkeeper leaned on the counter. ¡°You came for the name? Yeah, we get a few of those every year.¡± he chuckled and pointed at the swords. ¡°those are for them. Most of them can¡¯t tell apart the broad side of the blade. You know your stuff though, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Erhan felt a twinge of Regret. ¡°So the Ficrous name has fallen this far, huh?¡± he said. He wanted a good affordable sword for his journey ahead, but the lady luck wasn''t on his side. The prices in the capital would be anything but affordable.

    The boy sighed and raised his hand. ¡°Look, The Ficrous hasn¡¯t fallen, alright. My uncle is the master smith now and he works at the capital, my father holds the fort here. And look around you¡­¡± he spread his hand, indicating the plains outside. ¡°Most folks around here are farmers. So weapons kind of don¡¯t sell here.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Erhan looked up at the roof in thought. ¡°What¡¯s your name again?¡± he asked, looking at him.

    ¡°Why do you want to know my name?¡± the boy gave him a suspicious look. Then before Erhan could answer, he said, ¡°It¡¯s Arban Ficrous. And I don''t care, so no need to tell me yours.¡±

    Erhan clenched his fist. Control, control! Randomly beating up strangers wasn''t a civilized thing to do. He smiled at Arban, inquiring, ¡°would your father accept the request to make one.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure, Come back next week then. This week he¡¯s got his hands full,¡± said Arban as he gave a nonchalant shake of his hand as if trying to ward off flies.

    Erhan shook his head in disappointment. Of course, that won¡¯t be possible. Even the caravan was only going to stop here for a week. And he was leaving earlier than that. He turned around and headed for the door.

    ¡°Hey, wait a minute,¡± Arban called out to him. As he turned his head, the boy said, ¡°Are you by any chance heading for the capital?¡±

    Erhan gave a tired nod.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ if you¡¯re tight on time, I think I have something for you.¡±

    ¡°Really? And what is this thing?¡± Erhan asked.

    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Arban said, and bent down, disappearing under the counter. After nearly fifteen minutes, and a lot of clattering and clanging, he rose up, holding a three and a half feet long thing covered in dust and cobwebs that Erhan assumed was a sword. The boy blew on it, coughing a little at the rising dust cloud. A little golden glitter shone in the sunlight from the window where he had blown. A design of golden flower bud decorated a black surface.

    "Ahem," The boy cleared his throat and took a dust cloth from a drawer. He cleared away all the dust from the shiny black scabbard covered in gilded vines. He held the long red dotted black hilt and drew half the blade. The straight double-edged blade showed no sign of age or neglect apparent from the dirt outside. The two-inch-wide silver-grey metal gleamed in the sunlight.

    Erhan¡¯s breath caught at the sight of it. A claymore. Comparable to the best swords he had seen in his entire life with an edge so sharp it might cut the very air apart. ¡°How much?¡± Erhan blurted out, knowing he wasn¡¯t going to like the answer.

    Arban put the sword back in its sheath and said with a grave expression, ¡°It¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s memento so it¡¯s not for sale.¡±

    Erhan clenched his teeth. Ok, so maybe he didn¡¯t expect that answer. Without wasting another word he turned around as he suspected he was only capable of cursing right now.

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°Hey, wait! Let me finish my words,¡± The boy stopped him again.

    Erhan took a deep breath and stopped, waiting for Arban¡¯s <em style="color: #1c1e29; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">last words.

    ¡°Well, although it¡¯s something close to our heart, just for you, I¡¯m willing to part with it for the measly sum of ten crowns.¡± Arban saw Erhan take another step towards the door. ¡°However, seeing as you can¡¯t afford that, I¡¯ll settle for something else. I¡¯ll give it to you as long as you do me a favour.¡±

    Erhan turned and calmly looked at the boy. ¡°What favour?¡± he asked.

    Arban cast a furtive glance towards a door at one corner of the room. The sounds of rhythmic hammering came from beyond it. ¡°You¡¯re going to the capital for the quest, aren''t you? The one her majesty the queen issued?¡±

    ¡°What if I am? What if I am not?¡±

    Arban leaned towards him and whispered conspiratorially, ¡°Take me with you.¡± he held out the sword towards Erhan. ¡°Let me travel with you to Valar and it¡¯s yours.¡±

    ¡°Why do you want me to go with you? Can¡¯t you travel alone?¡±

    Arban shrugged. ¡°Father wouldn¡¯t let me go to the capital. I think he has some¡­ <em style="color: #1c1e29; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">issues with my uncle.¡±

    ¡°you want me to convince him to let you go?" said Erhan as he shook his head. "I¡¯m an outsider.¡±

    Arban looked away from his eyes and muttered, ¡°father doesn¡¯t need to know.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you intend to run away?¡± he nodded in understanding. ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not running away, just leaving quietly without him knowing, ¡± the youngster protested, shaking his head vigorously. He stopped glared at Erhan with defiant eyes. ¡°Anyway, are you in or not?¡±

    Erhan smiled. ¡°Leaving quietly, is it?¡± He sighed and shook his head. ¡°I can not take that responsibility.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯d give the sword to you if you just take me there,¡± the boy said with some anxiety. He pulled out the sword again, this time fully, and said, ¡°here, just look at it. It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±

    Erhan gave a quiet laugh. Did the boy think he is a child? However, he somewhat understood why Arban¡¯s father didn¡¯t allow him to travel alone even though he was over fifteen years old. Willing to run away with a stranger he just met on his own volition. It was beyond foolish.

    Erhan sighed. No matter how magnificent, the sword¡¯s fate didn¡¯t lay with him. He was about to turn away and leave when a bunch of letters etched into the side of the blade caught the corner of his eye.

    Was that his name there? He turned around again, but a disappointed looking Arban was already returning the blade to its sheath. Erhan thrust out his hand and caught Arban¡¯s wrist.

    Erhan started for a moment, then his voice turned outraged. ¡°What are you doing? Are trying to rob me? Let- let go of me or I¡¯ll call my father.¡±

    Erhan let go of his hand and backed away a step. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said with an awkward smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to frighten you, but can you show the whole sword to me once again?¡±

    Arban nose scrunched up in a disgruntled expression. ¡°Why would I do that? You want it, pay for it,¡± he said while shaking his hand. Erhan¡¯s grip had been quite painful.

    Erhan drew a long breath. He looked at the boy¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°If you show it to me again, and if it is what I think it is, I¡¯ll consider your request.¡±

    Arban measured Erhan with his eyes. ¡°Ok, see it, but if you do you anything suspicious, I¡¯ll shout for my father,¡± he said as he drew up the sword halfway and held it before Erhan.

    ¡°The full length,¡± Erhan prompted.

    Annoyed, Arban yanked out the whole three feet length of the blade. Erhan squinted and watched the stylized letters etched a handspan below the tip. ¡® ¡°I name you Markreath, the Eternal flame. A gift to honour Sir Erhan Raiser, my benefactor and lifesaver¡±¡ª Monmer Ficrous¡¯.

    Erhan laughed out loud. He couldn¡¯t help it. A lot of pressure built up after Arya''s death news Released itself at once.

    Arban¡¯s face changed. He scolded Erhan under his breath as he shoved the sword beneath the counter, ¡°shut up, dammit! Stop being so loud. My father will kill me if he sees me take this sword out.¡±

    Erhan stopped laughing and sighed. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said.

    Arban¡¯s brows creased with anger. ¡°What¡¯s so funny? Care to share the joke with me before my father comes and kicks you out?¡±

    Erhan ran his hand through his hair in half embarrassment and half amusement. ¡°I am Erhan Raiser.¡±

    Seeing Arban¡¯s eyes opened round and wide was a satisfying experience.

    <hr>

    Round lantern lights from the boats scattered throughout the river undulated over river Russet under the darkening evening sky, their reflections shattered and reformed like pieces of fiery crystal with the gentle flow of water. Chilly river breeze sent the hem of Erhan¡¯s dark cloak flapping before him like a flag. Feeling a tug at his waist, Erhan looked down. The scabbard got caught a little bit in all the moving about of his cloak.

    Erhan never thought it would take so much effort to convince someone that he was himself. Arban¡¯s father Naveer¡¯s hostile attitude had been predictable. Erhan didn''t look like his father''s generation. He had to perform a minor spiritcraft to fully convince them.

    He looked behind him where Arban sat leaning on a big bundle, waiting for the boat with him. Erhan did keep his promise with the boy, but not by letting him run away. Convincing Naveer had been easy after revealing his identity. The boy¡¯s bundle though, was almost four times Erhan¡¯s satchel. Erhan had indeed taken on some burden.

    Once again, Erhan looked down at the sword. Markreath or Eternal flame, in archaic language, it was the name of one of the lords of spirits. It isn¡¯t a name you¡¯d use lightly. But the name did fit the blade. Ten crowns¡­ didn¡¯t come close to the price of this masterpiece. Monmer poured his heart and soul into forging this sword. The accumulation on a master swordsmith''s lifetime of effort, that alone made it priceless, but to top it off, Monmer used arberium to forge it. A metal so rare an ounce of it costs a thousand crowns, that is if someone does manage to find it.

    He did save Monmer¡¯s life in the past, but this was too much. Still, since it was a gift meant for him, and he needed a weapon, he didn¡¯t have any reason to refuse.

    A one masted vessel holding rows of swinging lanterns approached the pier where they waited. It was a small ship just a bit bigger than the biggest boats. Arban was nodding off, so Erhan poked him with his staff, waking him up.

    ¡°Ow!¡± Arban gave a start. ¡°Damn, man, that hurts!¡± he said, rubbing his waist. ¡°Can¡¯t you wake me up gently?¡±

    ¡°The ship¡¯s here, so get ready. We¡¯ll spend the night on board before it leaves tomorrow,¡± said Erhan.he looked back and stared at Arban. ¡°I assume you brought your own expenses?¡±

    ¡°Of Course. You don¡¯t exactly give off an aura of wealth that I¡¯d depend on you for money.¡±

    Erhan nodded. Hmm, could he sew Arban¡¯s mouth shut? Or was he going to have to endure it flapping around for the whole journey? That¡­ might kill him.

    As the ship closed the wharf and put down the sail. A man at the helm of it threw a thick rope towards two sturdy sailors standing on the pier. The men pulled the rope with all their strength, docking the vessel.

    Erhan and Arban walked up the plank the shipmen put down. The bald dark-skinned man built like a bear standing at the helm owned this vessel. He came forward and greeted Erhan. ¡°So, this is the young man who¡¯d be travelling with us,¡± he said as he gave a vigorous clap on Arban¡¯s back.

    ¡°Ow!¡± Arban cried out in surprise as he stumbled forward, He whirled around and glared back at the old sailor. ¡°Are you trying to kill me, you old man?¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon kid, your spine will rust if I don¡¯t hammer it a few times.¡± the sailor raised his broad, calloused hand again.

    Erhan glanced from one of them to the other. ¡°You both know each other,¡± he stated.

    ¡°Yeah, old man Han brings some goods for the shop. Ingot, ore and whatnot,¡± said Arban as he rubbed his back.

    The old sailor Han looked at Erhan. ¡°If you¡¯re taking care of this kid, I don¡¯t envy you.¡± He looked askew at the boy and said, ¡°he¡¯s got a real thorny mouth on him.¡±

    Erhan gave a grave nod of agreement.

    ¡°Come, my cabin is this way.¡± Han put a hand on Arban¡¯s back and walked towards the door of the cabin. ¡°Though you¡¯ll be sleeping with the sailors, we can still share a few drinks before that.¡±

 Chomping crocodiles and chopping heads

    Erhan sat on the helm of the ship under the glaring eye of the midday sun with his eyes closed as he meditated, breathing in the slightly fishy smell of the muddy green river. The bunk in the sailor''s cabin wasn''t an ideal place to rest. the bedbugs were particularly annoying. it wouldn''t bother him much as he had been through much worse. But the gentle swaying of the vessel on the waves created a nice rhythm, trying to lull him to sleep. It too was the proof of how out of practice he was.

    So he forced himself to focus on sensing the flow of the spirit along with the river. A mysterious feeling, almost like floating in the wind. He did some subtle manipulation of air currents to make help the ship along in its journey. A good practice with the least amount of sacrifice. That was what he needed now. A firmer grip on the sacrifice. Or, he might die from blood loss if he tried to spritcast one of the greater mantras. He wouldn''t mind passing away, but until he accomplished his goal, he wouldn''t make that choice.

    Behind him, Arban helped other sailors put up the sail as he huffed and puffed and sweated a few bucketfuls. He had told Han he''d pay in full for the whole journey, but the damn old man disagreed immediately. He had given some great speech about accepting money from children and shoved this <em style="color: #1c1e29; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">generous offer of helping out on the ship to Arban. Arban had disagreed of course, but Han had his <em style="color: #1c1e29; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">ways of persuading people.

    It had been a week since the journey started and until now it had been relatively peaceful.

    Han came to stand beside him, gulping down from a waterskin. ¡°We¡¯re reaching the Autumn groves,¡± he said.

    Erhan slowly opened his eyes and looked up at him.

    Han took a deep breath as he stared straight ahead. ¡°I hope this time we have a safe road through here.¡±

    Yes, peaceful, until now.

    <hr>

    Thick cluster of trees lay on both the riverbeds. Their roots stuck out in the water and foliage on their twisted barks cast shadows on the flowing river underneath. Birds twittered occasionally rising over the rustle of the river. Deeper into the swampy jungles, under dark shadows a few fast boats. Branches and leaves covered their shapes, camouflaging them. Concealed within the deep vegetation, pairs of eyes kept a vigilant watch over the running waters as if the eyes of predators searching for a sign of their prey.

    They spotted the approach of the ship and perked up. From their open lips calls of various birds and animals and reached waiting ears inside small huts made of leaves. A different set of animal noises answer them. Their messages were sinister.

    ''Ensnare the prey!''

    Ropes with hooks flew out of the vegetation and landed on the deck of the ship. the hooks dragged against the dock and hooked onto anything they could find. The whole ship shook as it''s body strained, creaking and cracking its timbers against the thick ropes. The sailors shouted out curses and profanities.

    ¡°Steady the boat! Prepare the bows and arrows,¡± Han roared in his deep gravelly voice,

    Some sailors ran inside the cabins and fetched many longbows. They passed them around amongst others. Erhan also took one. Like his sword skills, archery was one of the many survival skills he picked up during his travels. Although right now how skilled he or the other sailors were mattered little. the bows were only effective as a threat here. A warning for the pirates.If the pirates'' numbers weren''t too much that is.

    Erhan nocked an arrow as he watched small boats cut through the water toward them. They left a white trail of froth that melted away in the next moment. The men sitting on those boats looked at the men on the ship with cold, unfeeling eyes. Fifty river pirates, Erhan sighed. Enough to gobble up nineteen to twenty-odd sailors on the ship. If their intentions were more than a simple road toll, then... he glanced up at the ships sail. Nice wind they had today.

    Bandits around Clover were strong. They were full of deserter soldiers or runaway criminals. These too, they wore old armours, carried cheap but well-maintained weapons. Their skins were a pale yellow due to little exposure to sun and a lot of water. Their eyes set on their prey, ready to pounce.

    This group of pirates and the group of bandits inside the stone forest of Silebar were two of the biggest problems in the queendom. Although the queen wasn''t tolerant towards crime, the terrain of these two places was quite dangerous, not at all convenient for big armies to mow down petty criminal hiding in their depths. They were a haven for such people and they fell on the only two paths leading from the south to the capital.

    Ron¡¯s caravan should take the other path through the Silebar forest. That is why he had been so eager to receive the protection of the Moras crest. It could ease the attitude of those robbers. However, no noble crest protected Han¡¯s boat, and they were on their own.

    A man with a scraggly beard and a magnificent scimitar like moustache stood up from a boat in the middle a circle of boats. He opened a mouth full of rotten teeth, and shouted at them, ¡°lower your weapons and surrender. Or fight us and die!¡±

    Erhan gave a rueful smile. Not a road toll after all.

    ¡°That¡¯s bad,¡± Han muttered. ¡°They are probably slave dealers.¡±

    Erhan nodded and locked the arrow at the moustached man. Slavery in inside these lands eternally plagued by war wasn''t a pleasant thing.

    ¡°There¡¯s no slavery in the queendom. They are dealing with other kingdoms. They are traitors!¡± Arban who was listening in said with an outraged expression. He drew out a short sword from his waist, a good quality one his uncle gave him. He looked eager to jump into the boats and fight those pirates. Before anyone could stop him, he shouted back at the pirates, ¡°We will never surrender to traitorous cowards who only know how to hide like rats.¡±

    Silence reigned as both the sailors and the pirates glared at him. Han spoke through his clenched teeth, ¡°If we survive today, I¡¯ll throw you off my boat right in front of crocodiles.¡±

    Arban frowned at him. ¡°Why? What did I do?¡± His eyes suddenly widened as he shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t be thinking of surrendering to the traitors!¡±

    Erhan''s mouth hung open in amazement. He had truly underestimated the kid. He was worse than Erhan thought.

    Han had wanted to find a way to negotiate and end this peacefully. But it seemed the moustached pirate leader had taken Arban¡¯s words quite literally. He sighed with an exaggerated show of regret. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to listen to my advice¡­¡± he shouted to his fellow robbers, ¡°Boys, start the show.¡±

    And with those words, the true horror of their assault unveiled themselves to the boat. From the trees close to fifty arrows arched up towards the sky as pirates holding sabres and swords swung down the ropes clinging to the boat.

    Erhan muttered a mantra let loose the arrow. It whistled and almost seemed to disappear, travelling through the air faster than arrows should. the moustached man didn¡¯t even see it coming. It struck him between his eyebrows and sent him flying back over the canoe in a shower of blood. However, hell broke loose before he even landed on the water.

    A sharp wind blew down the river raising surging waves. It sent askew the arrows from the trees arching down. The boats turned and the ship swayed and tumbled in the wave, nearly turning over. Its sail swelled to the limit and the wooden railings broke off. Ropes snapped and sent the pirates holding them splashing into the river with the moustached man. They weren¡¯t alone. Most people on board the ship and the boats also went overboard.

    Han and a few experienced sailors along with Erhan, seven people managed to stay onboard holding whatever they found as the ship tried to slowly steady itself. Erhan felt familiar lightheadedness. But no time to puke. The wind he called did the trick, bar a few minor inconveniences. But he had to hurry before pirates gain their balance first.

    He leapt down the boat and landed on one of the turned boats floating near the ship. He steadied the swaying vessel and looked around. He had to find the sailors as fast as he could.

    Everyone who fell onto the river, be it, sailors or pirates, tried to swim back to firm ground. But it wasn¡¯t easy. The river had a medium flow here and armours and other heavy garments dragged them down.

    Arban was just five or six yards away from him, thrashing around, splashing and choking on the water as he waved his sword around. He refused to let it go even though his woollen shirt and soaked cloak pulled him down. He was the closest to Erhan. He tried to swim toward the druid with one hand. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Erhan touched the tip of his staff on the water from his flipped Boat and close his eyes. He had spotted the men he needed to save, now it was time to work.

    A sudden change happened in the flow of the water. It wrapped around the sailors and Arban, slowly drawing them closer to the Boat Erhan was on.

    ''Splash'' ''splash'' ''splash'' reached Erhan¡¯s ears. What was that? He spread his senses out. tens of senses of hunger joined the many senses of panic, anger and fear all over the river. Crocodiles. He had to hurry even if it meant risking his neck. The set of mantra he was muttering changed. Their rhythm quickened and became more intense. The air hummed around Erhan as ripples formed around the river. those ripples converged toward the boat. They only dragged in the sailors and Arban with them. The sailors closed in, but Erhan found standing up difficult. A weak feeling enveloped his body as he swallowed nausea down. If only he could lie down right there. But he didn¡¯t take a break, he didn''t lift his staff out of the water. Not yet. Just a little bit more.

    Yellings and warnings about the crocodiles came from the trees and the ship from the helpers of both sides. Ropes dropped down for the drowning to grab on and sailors reached Erhan. Most of them looked confused. How did they reach this place together? Why would the water bring them here? Only some, including Arban who knew Erhan¡¯s identity, guessed something.

    Erhan faltered and almost dropped down from his shaky carrier. He opened his dull and listless eyes and lifted his staff from the water. He pressed down on the boat and tried to steady himself, but that provoked another series of erratic swaying. Erhan bit his lips, somehow steadying himself.

    Why was it so dark and cold out here? Is it night already? He shook his head and his vision cleared somewhat.

    Although still blurry, he could at least make out the floating shapes of the sailors gathered around him. But he couldn¡¯t see any further than that. Even the sounds were blocked away by a strange ringing right inside his ear canals. Are the crocodiles close? All the senses in his mind had turned into a jumbled, noisy mess. He had to turn it down, but it was too difficult to concentrate enough to do that. His throat felt parched, he needed some water. no, he needed to warn them!

    ¡°Grab the ropes,¡± he managed in the rough, grating voice.

    The sailors came to their senses hearing his voice and the voice they swam towards the ship only a short distance away and grabbed the ropes hanging from them. Before they began their climb, screams of agony and horror reached their ears. The beasts had found their lunch. They rolled their huge bodies full of thorny scales, stirring up mud and blood, muddying the further as their jaws and fangs wrenched their victims apart.

    ¡°Hurry! hurry, hurry, hurry!¡± Han only yelled that one word, but his urgency reached the floating sailors. They rushed to climb the ropes.

    Arban was one of the last to grab hold of a rope due to his embellishments weighing him down. Halfway up he looked back.

    Erhan lay horizontally over the canoe, completely spent. His right fist still gripped onto his staff as tightly as it could. A druid only parts with his staff when he wants. Not even death could break this law. But the vicious monsters of the river were already closing in on him.

    Death was coming.

    Erhan was sinking into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness when an annoyingly familiar voice reached out to him out of the darkness. Who was disturbing him? Was it that irritating kid again? He opened his eyes. Oh yeah, he was still in the water. The crocodiles might catch up to him. But¡­ he was too tired to get up. He didn¡¯t want to get up. He didn¡¯t, but¡­ he couldn¡¯t stop here. He had had to reach his goal. He had to! For his Leah¡¯s sake, for his Ellie¡¯s sake, for the sake of everyone who fell prey to the Fade¡­. For his own sake! he had to survive.

    A sailor on the ship swung the rope towards him. Its end fell near his hand and he reached out to grab it.

    A sudden impact on the side of his canoe spun it around and snatched the rope away before his fist could tighten around it. It was a swing of one of the crocodile¡¯s tails. The beast already had his mouth full with the crunchy head of a pirate though, so it didn¡¯t bother with Erhan, leaving him to another crocodile it was courting. A little gift to strengthen the relationship.

    Before Erhan could respond, a cavernous red mouth decorated with rows of dagger-like fangs jumped out of the river. A foul stench of rotten fish hit his face like a tide. Desperate, Erhan thrust out his left hand in a futile attempt to ward it, but the creature¡¯s jaws snapped shut upon his forearm. ¡°Damn it all to hell!¡± he heard Han roar overhead and at the same time, Erhan heard the sound of his arm bone cracking. He felt it through the shaking of the bones of his whole body. A wave of electric pain spread through his whole body. And then¡­ there was no then.

    <hr>

    The gentle flow of water sloshed against the side of the boat. The river was so wide close to the northern oceans that making out one shore from the other was difficult. The port of Valar, the capital city lay on the eastern bay. Slowly the boat made its way there.

    Erhan opened his eyes, wishing he could keep them close. The light burned!

    The room was small but neat, decorated with a bunch of mirrors of all shapes and sizes on three walls. Only one of them held a huge map. He recognized this room. It was Han¡¯s. Where he laid was comfortable enough, but he needed to get up. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but by the light coming from the small round window on the opposite wall, it must be daytime.

    He propped himself up on his elbow trying to get out of the bed, but a twinge of pain sent a tremor down his bones. His body lifted only halfway, dropped down again with a thud.

    Arban, who was nodding off on a chair in a corner of the cabin, woke up with a star at the sound. ¡°What are you doing old man?¡± he hurried over to Erhan with a disgruntled look on his face. ¡°You look like your bones would shatter like glass if you move too much. And also, you¡¯re white as a piece of chalk.¡±

    Erhan looked down at his body. He did look thin and pale. His limbs felt numb. Especially his left hand. It was wrapped with so many bandages, it looked thicker than an Elephant¡¯s leg.

    ¡°What do you think? Pretty good right? I wrapped those bandages,¡± Arban said with pride.

    Erhan tried to smile, but his skin felt so stretched and it became a grimace instead. He said in a scratchy voice, ¡°It¡¯ll work. At least as a pillar.¡±

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Arban cast aside his lips in disdain. ¡°No one appreciates good art.¡± he looked at Erhan¡¯s right hand and said, ¡°But man, you really didn¡¯t let go of the stick did you?¡±

    Erhan hummed as he raised his hand and looked at his staff.

    Arban didn¡¯t let him appreciate the object for long. ¡°You have seen it all your life. What¡¯s more there to look at?¡± he bent leaned forward, pointing at himself and said, ¡°Instead you should try thanking me for bandaging you. It was exhausting.¡±

    Erhan stopped trying to make small talk with him. He had a headache and didn¡¯t need to increase it. Instead, he said, ¡°help me go outside.¡±

    Arban frowned. ¡° are you sure? You might burn to ashes under the sunlight though, judging by how pale you look.¡±

    Erhan gave him a disgruntled look. The kid wasn¡¯t as funny as he thought he was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t blame you if I do.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, I¡¯ll just scatter your ashes in the river if that happens,¡± Arban said as he leant his shoulder to Erhan to help him up.

    To Arban¡¯s credit, the sunlight did sting Erhan¡¯s eyes and skin a bit, along with the salty river wind. His dark hair contrasted against bloodless pale skin and gave him a ghostly appearance. He limped along, leaning on Arban, towards the helm. The sailors working all around the boat turned to look at him. They stopped their hands and gave him a bow.

    ¡°Did you tell them?¡± he whispered to Arhan.

    The boy scoffed, ¡°After the trick you pulled? Do you think I needed to tell them anything?¡±

    Erhan turned to look at the sailors. Their faces were full reverence and gratitude. "Uff!" he blew a breath out. If he had to endure such an attitude for the rest of the journey, he might as well jump into the river and be done with it.

    ¡°How long was I unconscious?¡± he asked Arban. ¡°How many days?¡±

    ¡°Four.¡±

    Erhan nodded. At Least it wasn¡¯t much longer. They should be close to their destination then.

    ¡°But man! I don¡¯t know how much you remember since you fainted and all, but the last few minutes there were the most exciting ones of my life.¡± Arban said, reminiscing.

    ¡°Who saved me?¡± Erhan asked.

    Arban craned his neck, looking around for someone. ¡°That old man did,¡± he said. ¡°The crocodile was trying to drag you into the water when Han took out the biggest scimitar I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± he explained, flourishing around his free hand, ¡°and then jumped down with it. Let me tell you. I¡¯ve never seen someone chop the head off of a crocodile that big that quickly. Though not like I¡¯ve seen anybody try that.¡± He sighed and shook his head. ¡°Han¡¯s really strong. I also want to chop off crocodile heads like that.¡±

    Hearing this, Erhan couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    Arban glanced at the pale man leaning on his shoulder. ¡°Yeah, laugh away. Someday I¡¯ll go back and chop some of them off. Then you¡¯ll see.¡± As they reached the helm, he let go of Erhan and said, ¡°anyway, thanks to your hocus pocus, we escaped before the pirates got ready.¡± he thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°While I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ll chop off their head too, those traitorous slave traders.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you all working?¡± Han¡¯s shout came from behind them. Having lent his cabin to injured Erhan, the old sailor had been sleeping with the other sailors in the general cabin. As they¡¯d be reaching the docks today, he¡¯d spent most of last night working on the calculations. Today was the day to unload the goods and settle the wages after all. He¡¯d been late to sleep, and the sailor¡¯s bunk wasn¡¯t very comfortable. The one he slept on, in particular, had plenty of bedbugs. So he was a little late to get up today.

    He followed the sailor''s eyes and spotted the two people on the helm and skipped over. ¡°Oh, Sir Erhan! You¡¯re awake.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Erhan said. He sat down cross-legged over the deck and closed his eyes. He needed to fully check the condition of his body. Going by how lightheaded and ¡®boneless¡¯ he felt, it should be bad. As he looked inside he confirmed his speculation. For about a month, he should only try spirit casting if he wanted to die. For now, he needed plenty of rest and plenty of food to replenish his blood.

    He looked down at the pillar of a left hand. Unfortunately, that rest meant he had to bear this injury during the whole time. At least, the creature hadn¡¯t torn out his hand. Or he would become like the ¡®one-eyed grey lion slayer¡¯ Becker.

    He stood up and dipped his head towards Han. ¡°Thank you for saving my life,¡±

    ¡°No no,¡± the bald man shook his head. ¡°We should be the ones thanking you instead. Without you, many sailors would have lost their lives even if we managed to escape. And if we failed to then¡­¡± He let the silence hang for a while. He leaned forward a little and said in a low voice, ¡°but are you one of those¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop there,¡± Erhan held up his bandaged hand. He looked straight at Han¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯d prefer if you don¡¯t mention it, or ask about it, or do anything really. at least not where I can hear you.¡±

    Han gave a grave nod of his head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so serious,¡± Erhan said seriously. ¡°I just don¡¯t like hearing about it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what he is, is already old news,¡± Arban interjected from the side. His put his hand over his eyebrows and looked at the northeast direction. ¡°The capital¡¯s right there!¡± his voice bubbled with excitement.

 The capital and uncles nephew

    More than ten ships floated in the calmer waves of Russet. Some of them one masted, some two, and only one three-masted. The three-masted ship was a majestic one with snow-white sails and green and gold paint all over its wooden body. At its bow was a figurehead in the shape of a golden lion wreathed in flames. It was a creature of myths and legends, the Voros. Its imposing figure also waved on the flag of the ship. It was also the flag of this queendom.

    Legend has it when the queen Shaela Arnet had been a little child, she found an injured voros cub, and nursed it back to health. Then the injured creature¡¯s mother had appeared to take it away. And in gratitude, she blessed the young girl with divinity. Some believed the story, and some didn¡¯t. They only thought of it as a hoax spread to elevate the queen¡¯s prestige. But from what Erhan knew, the story probably contained a certain amount of truth.

    Han¡¯s boat was scheduled for the fifth pier of a row of piers along the stone docks. Erhan plodded down the plank to the dock carefully leaning on the shoulder of one of the sailors, looking like an old decrepit man. Markreath at his waist was quite heavy and dragged him down a lot. Making him limp from time to time. He looked around at the sturdy men and sailors working all over the docks, loading and unloading crates, barrels and sacks either on the ships or in one of the warehouses along the riverside.

    Beyond them stood a stone wall as high as eight or nine yards. Battlements decorated its top and soldiers wearing shining steel armour patrolled stood scattered or patrolled along its length. The tips of their spears reflected sunlight on the eyes of anyone daring enough to look up. Two tall towers stood on each side of the giant gatehouse. Inside them, four ballistae stood facing each of the sides. Ready to unload their fury upon any potential threat.

    ¡°Wow, this is some sight!¡± Arban came and stood beside Erhan, he looked up and said, ¡°how grand. The spears can even attack my eyes from way over there.¡±

    Erhan let go of the sailor and stood leaning on his staff. The last time he had seen these walls, they hadn¡¯t been so impressive. Cracks and holes and all kinds of signs of war had covered them. This place wasn¡¯t even a part of a kingdom then. It had been a free city where ordinary men, pirates sailors all gathered. A place of utter chaos. It was a place he had come to track down a criminal. All those days had long passed and it was only a fond memory now. But he didn¡¯t mind. He preferred this sort of this peaceful air of order.

    ¡°I have an ambition you know,¡± Arban¡¯s voice was so quiet even the sailor standing beside Erhan couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°When I grow up I¡¯ll conquer the heart of the queen and marry her.¡±

    Erhan drew in a sharp breath. His head whirled around to stare at the boy standing beside him with a wistful expression.

    Arban slowly turned his head to look at Erhan. ¡°No need to be surprised. The queen is very beautiful you know?¡± his eyes became dreamy again. ¡°I saw her when she was travelling around the queendom after her coronation. So marrying her¡­ It¡¯s not me alone who thinks of that.¡±

    Erhan didn¡¯t know what to say. Yes, maybe every adolescent boy has such dreams, but saying them aloud¡­ well, lese-majesty is a thing in this queendom. And they are also standing before the gates of queen¡¯s own city, Valar.

    ¡°I heard the kings of the other three kingdoms also want her. That¡¯s why they jointly launched two wars one after another.¡± Arbans mouth curved down in distaste. ¡°They only stopped because of the plague. Shameless people. I¡¯ll add them to the list of heads I¡¯ll cho¡ª hey, where are you going? Wait for me.¡± he trotted after Erhan who had started limping forward as soon as he mentioned the plague.

    The people scattered in front of Erhan instinctively looked away as soon as they saw his eyes. Those dull green eyes devoid of any emotions on a bloodless pale face chilled them to their bones. If the sun wasn¡¯t shining overhead, they would be sure they were seeing a ghost or one of those Bloodcraves. Though those eyes weren¡¯t red, their chilling gaze was more fearful.

    Erhan reached the huge opened gates of the city. People walking or on horses, along with Carts and carriages full of trade goods constantly passed in and out through their opening wide enough for five carriages side by side. Five guardsmen wearing sturdy full plate armour and holding long poleaxes looked over the pedestrians with hawklike gazes. They didn¡¯t stop any of them, but their presence was enough of a deterrent to any unsavoury folk.

    Some of their eyes fell on Erhan and halted a bit. But then they moved on again. Erhan joined the parade of people and stepped on the square blocks of black stone-paved on the city streets. The street travelled between two elevated strips of soft grass and flowery plants such as roses, daffodils, marigolds. Occasional maple, maidenhair or cherry trees cast soothing sheds on pedestrians. they e city lay upon a hill with well-decorated stone houses and cathedrals, each with a neat garden laying in perfect order along periodic elevations. They lay strategically, making the city easy to defend, but hard to attack, yet still, they enhanced the beauty of the whole city. A mixture of practicality and extravagance.

    Erhan appreciated the view for a while before looking at the highest point of the city. There lay the most impressive structure of the whole city. The royal palace. A round white marble construction with tall golden spires all around it. The road climbed the hill to a golden gate along the white wall covering the palace.

    Erhan lowered his eyes. He can appreciate the view later. Now he had to think of accommodations. Han had given him a total of six crowns as thanks for saving their life, drastically improving his monetary conditions, so an inn wouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, it had been such a long time since his last visit, and the whole city had completely changed. So he had to put in some effort to become familiar with things. An inn should be easy to find, since they are usually in conspicuous places, but he would prefer a quieter place.

    ¡°Hey, why are you trying to move so quickly?¡± Arban caught up with him. He looked Erhan up and down and said, ¡°You look so weak. What if you break down and scatter on the road from limping so fast?¡±

    Erhan turned to look at him and said, ¡°I already brought you to the capital as per the agreement, so we should go our separate ways now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cold,¡± Arban pretended to shrink. ¡°And I even planned to help you, seeing how weak and sickly you are.¡±

    Erhan tilted his head, raising his brows with a look of interest. ¡°Oh really,¡± he said, ¡°what kind of help?¡±

    ¡°Look, I know Han gave you tons of money for saving them,¡± he glanced at Erhan from the corner of his eye, ¡°but seeing as you seem like the niggardly type and wouldn¡¯t want to spend a shell of it, I was thinking of being generous and take you to my Uncle¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°That is indeed generous of you,¡± Erhan said with a serious voice, ¡°but I think I¡¯d like to experience being spendthrift for once.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then you¡¯d definitely want my help,¡± Arban puffed his chest out. ¡°Trust me, I know exactly how and where to spend your money.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Erhan nodded in understanding. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I am also an experienced spender. I haven¡¯t lived longer than you for nothing.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Arban clapped. ¡°You are as old as my grandfather. And mother always told me to help the elderly.¡± he gave a dramatic sigh. ¡°You¡¯re so old and weak, I definitely can¡¯t leave you alone. You¡¯d need people to take care of you. Feed you good food, help you walk and all that¡­ you¡¯d even need someone to change your litter.¡± he stared earnestly at Erhan. ¡°Yeah, I definitely can¡¯t leave you alone.¡±

    Maybe the kid wasn¡¯t that bad was what Erhan was thinking, but after listening to the part about ¡®litter¡¯, he raised his staff and smacked it down on Arban¡¯s head.

    Arban deftly avoided the blow with only a sidestep. His blue eyes sparkled with suppressed mirth as he asked, ¡°so? Will you come with me?¡±

    Erhan stared at the pavement and exhaled. His condition was far worse than he thought. Even a kid managed to avoid his strike. Though Arban¡¯s was quite irksome, he was right about one thing. In this condition, it would be difficult for Erhan to nurse himself back to health alone. And due to the changes in the city, he wasn¡¯t too confident in his chances of finding acquaintances he could rely on.

    He looked up at Arban. ¡°I¡¯ll rely on you then.¡±

    Arban grinned. ¡°Sure, leave it to me.¡± he came forward to help Erhan walk. ¡°Just, do you know where my uncle¡¯s house is?

    <hr>

    Finding Arban¡¯s uncle''s house was quite easy. The Ficrous smithy was one of the establishments that helped curb the unrest after the queen¡¯s coronation by supplying necessities such as food, weapons and transportation to the queens camp. The queen gave them a badge of pride, a proof of her appreciation. And so, many people knew the smithy and pointed out the way to Erhan after asking around a bit.

    On the way to the smithy, Erhan noticed many peculiarities throughout the city. Many people scattered amongst the pedestrians were¡­ quite odd. They didn¡¯t seem to belong to the ordinary city folk going about their daily lives and sometimes received peculiar glances from them, just like Erhan and Arban were receiving. They were not people of this city, and most of them carried weapons, wore armours and grouped here and there. While that in itself wasn¡¯t so strange, after all, being the capital, it was entirely plausible for outsiders to come into the city, but their numbers seemed more than usual.

    The security of the city was also tight. Patrolmen wearing scale armour travelled in groups of five at every corner of the streets. Their kite-shaped hide shields held the motif of voros, and they carried long spears with red tassels on the neck. Their vigilant eyes always hovered on the outsiders, watching for any signs of trouble. Maybe all of this commotion was due to the quest of the queen.

    After crossing two streets and a bunch of houses, Erhan arrived at a square where the smithy was. The area was full of various related workshops. Most of the other smithies around the square, especially the small ones sold weapons, armours and regular tools together. However. the Ficrous smithy specialized in bladed weapons. That was their bread and butter and that was all they sold.

    It was a huge three-storied black stone building with an Iron plate depicting an embossed sign of a flower made of twelve swords hanging over a set of open doors. At the upper right corner of the plate, a small golden crown glittered. The badge of pride. The place was quite crowded, especially by the outsiders carrying weapons and armour.

    ¡°So crowded,¡± Arban looked at the shop in front of the smithy with interest. ¡°Nothing like our shop at Garola. Uncle¡¯s famous huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯d be difficult to meet your uncle there,¡± Erhan said.

    Arban looked at him and asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Do your uncle¡¯s employees know your face?¡±

    Arban tapped his chin as he looked up at the blue sky in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said after a while. ¡°I haven¡¯t been to the city and haven¡¯t met them, but that shouldn¡¯t be that much of a problem. If I just introduced myself¡ª¡±

    ¡°Which wouldn¡¯t work because they might think you¡¯re lying,¡± Erhan said. He used to be famous too once. Many people tried to meet him by introducing themselves as his relatives. ¡°If you have a token your uncle would recognize, then¡­¡±

    ¡°A token, huh¡­¡± Arban scratched his head as his eyes slowly wandered to his waist. He unfastened the sheathed short sword from his belt and passed it to Erhan. ¡°Here, this should work.¡±

    Erhan took the weapon with some doubt in her eyes. ¡°Your uncle made this sword, but he also made many more. The employees wouldn¡¯t be convinced with just that.¡±

    Arban shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± he said, pointing at the red Ficrous sword flower gilded near the top of the scabbard. There was a silver triangle in the middle of the flower. ¡°This is the sign the master of Ficrous house puts on special works. It works as a token I guess.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Erhan examined the triangular insignia properly. ¡°Markreath doesn¡¯t have this,¡± he said under his breath.

    ¡°What?¡± Arban asked.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he handed the sword back to Arban. ¡°Let¡¯s try with this then.¡±

    Pushing through the people gathered at the door to the shop wasn¡¯t an easy task, especially for Arban who carried the injured Erhan. After stepping inside, he couldn¡¯t help but stare everywhere in amazement. Swords, spears, axes various weapons stood inside display cases made of glass-like expensive jewellery. Light flooding in from the frosted glass window glittered against their naked steel bodies. Most of them were highly decorated with pearls and jewels at their hilt. Many people gathered around the blades, discussing and talking with green tunic wearing employees. Quite extravagant. Nothing like the tiny little farming tool shop in Garola.

    ¡°Stop dazing around and ask someone,¡± Erhan prompted Arban. He was quite tired and wanted a good rest.

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Arban said. He was a bit nervous due to the mood of the shop. Looking here and there, he spotted a grey-haired old man behind the mahogany counter. The man had long, bushy sideburns reaching halfway down his cheek. Arban left Erhan to stand alone and walked towards him.

    ¡°Welcome,¡± the man dipped his head spotting him. ¡°Which blade have you chosen, young sir?¡±

    Arban didn¡¯t say anything and held up his sword.

    The man was agitated, ¡°you are not supposed to take them out of the¡ª¡± he stopped, looking at the sword more carefully. He took it from Arban¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s an old one. Are you here to repair it?¡± he took out the blade. ¡°It¡¯s not damaged, in fact, you haven¡¯t used it at all. Umm¡­ did master Ficrous make it? It looks like his work.¡± his brows scrunched as he leaned forward. ¡°Ok, young man, what exactly do you want?¡±

    Looking quite a bit awkward, Arban silently pointed at the Ficrous sign on the scabbard.

    The man squinted his eyes as he held the scabbard up. He took a magnifying glass from a drawer underneath the counter and scrutinized the design. His eyes widened in surprise as he said, ¡°the speciality sign.¡± he looked up at Arban and said, ¡°Who might you be, sir?¡±

    Arban took a deep breath and said, ¡°I am Uncle¡¯s nephew.¡±

    ¡°Uncle¡¯s nephew¡­¡± the man repeated. Like that explains everything. He looked beyond Arban to look at the bent and sickly looking Erhan. Was that man the boy¡¯s uncle? Was the sword his? But god! His left hand looked like a pillar.

    Erhan coughed, trying not to laugh. Arban was kind of a genius. At least, his mouth was. He slowly made his way towards the aged man. He gave little dip of his head and said, ¡°he is Arban Ficrous, nephew of¡ª¡± he turned towards Arban, ¡°what¡¯s your uncle¡¯s name again?¡±

    Arban rubbed his hand over his face. Yeah, that was what was wrong with his introduction. His uncle¡¯s name. ¡°It¡¯s Morgan,¡± he said, ¡°Morgan Ficrous.¡±

    ¡°OH!¡± the man¡¯s brows raised to the roof in surprise as his voice drew the attention of everyone in the shop.

    A heavyweight man with an average height ambled over. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, sending the walrus moustache on his round grimy face aflutter.

    The grey-haired old man gestured at Arban and said, ¡°This- this young man claims to be the master¡¯s nephew.¡±

    The other man frowned. ¡°Are you looking for trouble?¡± he asked Arban.

    ¡°No no, you misunderstood.¡± the old man hurriedly stopped him. He pointed at the design on the scabbard. ¡°I think he really is. I heard master has a nephew at his hometown.¡±

    The moustached man also had the same reaction, looking at the insignia. ¡°Excuse me, are you sir Arban Ficrous?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Arban shrugged, ¡°I''m not anyone else.¡±

    His claim raised a tide of discussions in the shop that had turned a little quieter a while ago.

    That was an odd way to answer a question. The moustached man turned towards Erhan. Was this master¡¯s brother then? He looked so pale. And that¡­ bandage. Was he injured perhaps? Was that why they had come to the capital? To cure him?

    He was just about to ask when Arban¡¯s voice came. ¡°By the way, that¡¯s not my father. Just an old man I¡¯m taking care of.¡± as an afterthought he said as if to himself. ¡° although he doesn¡¯t look it, should I start calling him Grandfather?¡± shaking his head he looked at the moustached man. ¡°You are calling my uncle, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right,¡± the man stopped thinking about how weird the nephew of their master seemed. ¡°Master doesn¡¯t work at the shop now. He works at the queen''s smithy as one of the respected bladesmaker. So it¡¯d be difficult to meet him at this hour, but I can lead you to his house. The mistress would be glad to see you.¡±

    ¡°Mistress?¡± Arban tilted his head. ¡°Oh yeah, aunt! I have an aunt,¡± he said, nodding, ¡°well, what are we waiting for then?¡±

 Peace and trouble

    ¡°So you never met your aunt then?¡± asked the young employee with sleek blond hair named Frank as he led them through a broad alleyway lined with richly decorated houses.

    ¡°Yeah, I mean uncle did send us an invitation, but father said the road was too hectic or something. He said it would be dangerous to travel.¡± Arban nodded. ¡°Excuses I say.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± Frank said. With a flourish of his hands he explained, ¡°that time when the master got married, the defeated rebel forces went into hiding wherever they could. They were looting and pillaging the unprotected villages and roads up until the queen sent out her armies to quell them. So you can say the roads really were dangerous.¡±

    Arban said in a careless voice, ¡°How hard can defeating a few rebels be? Just feed them to the crocodiles. Just like we did on the road here.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? What did you do on the road?¡± Frank asked.

    ¡°Oh, nothing. Just sent some ban- OUCH!¡± Arban cried out as Erhan suddenly stepped on his foot. ¡°Hey, watch it old man! If I stumbled you¡¯d also fall on the stone and break to pieces.¡±

    ¡°We are here,¡± Frank said, stopping in front of the spacious front garden of a big two-storied gothic style house. A thin, wiry old man worked in the garden, with a pair of long garden scissors. His bald pate shone like a bronze mirror in the sun.

    ¡°Old Gaffey!¡± Frank hollered at him. As the man looked up from his gardening, Frank pointed at Arban and said, ¡°Inform the mistress Gaffey, it¡¯s the master¡¯s nephew. He¡¯s come from the town.¡±

    ¡°Oh! The nephew of the master!¡± the man sprang up so fast, Erhan thought his spine might break. ¡°I- I¡¯m going to inform the sir.¡± He made for the door of the house.

    ¡°Wait, Gaffey,¡± Frank stopped him. ¡°Come and open the gate first. Do you want to keep us outside?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes yes, open the door!¡± he bobbed his head as he turned around and hurried to them. He took out a key from his pocket and opened the arching iron gates in front of them.

    ¡°Not the best security in the world. It¡¯s a wonder uncle¡¯s not been robbed yet.¡± Arban commented.

    Frank hmphed. ¡°Who dares to rob anyone in the queen¡¯s city?¡±

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Arban raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Why lock the gates then?¡±

    Frank stepped through the gates before them, inviting them inside ¡°well, we usually don¡¯t. But recently there¡¯s been a lot of unsavoury folks wondering about the city,¡± he said as he led them through the gravelled aisle towards the door. ¡°So a little caution doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s why I said,¡± he said as he turned his head towards the old man Gaffey, ¡°terrible security. At least try to confirm whether he was telling the truth or not.¡±

    The old man glared at Frank. ¡°Boy! Were you lying to me?¡±

    Frank simply said, ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± He gave Arban an annoyed glance. He leaned in and said under his breath, ¡° don¡¯t tease him like that. Old Gaffey¡¯s a little slow in the head. Got hit by a falling building during one of the older wars.¡±

    Erhan had remained silent this entire time, trying to save as much energy as possible. However, now he stared at the old gardener. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d meet an acquaintance here.

    Gaffey Seabolt used to be a resident of the chaotic city of Trovan, or Valar as it¡¯s called now. Hw used to be a local gang leader who managed a few taverns, brothels and gambling dens. He had had some conflict with Erhan when he arrived in this city; although he later helped Erhan track down the criminal. He used to be such a tall, healthy fellow full of cunning tricks. But now he was ¡®a little slow in the head¡¯. How times change.

    Frank pulled a rope hanging at the side of the polished oaken door, raising chimes of bells somewhere inside the house. After a while, a patter of footsteps came from behind the door, a small square opening on the door slid open and the face of a young girl stared at them from it. Light freckles on both cheeks of her oval face and brown eyes gave her a homely beauty.

    Seeing Frank, she frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you work at the shop? Frank, right? Why are you here?¡± her eyes turned as she glanced over Erhan and Arban. ¡°Who are they?¡± she asked.

    Frank bowed, ¡°greetings, lady Mila. he is Sir Morgan¡¯s nephew,¡± he said, gesturing at Arban. Then he looked at Erhan. ¡°And he is¡­ I don¡¯t really know.¡±

    ¡°Nephew?¡± Mila let go of the lookout and swung the door open. She gave Arban an inquisitive stare. ¡°Are you Arban? Arban from Garola whose word can set a man afire?¡±

    Arban looked at the girl the same age as him in silence, then he turned to Erhan and said, ¡°I¡¯m disappointed in my uncle. I was expecting my aunt to be a little bit older.¡±

    The girl blushed. ¡°I- I¡¯m not your aunt!¡± she said in a flurried voice. ¡°I mean, I am your aunt, but- but I¡¯m not¡ª¡±

    Arban raised both his hands and stopped her. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Are you or are you not?¡±

    Mila took a deep breath to calm down. ¡°I am your aunt, but I¡¯m not married to your uncle. I am your aunt¡¯s sister and Morgan is my brother in law,¡± she said in one breath.

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re my aunt in law?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Frank went back to shop and Mila led both of them inside. They stepped on the soft velvety yellow fur rug and walked through the tapestried corridor. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you arrived today. Morgan¡¯s also at home now. You look like him you know? The same blue eyes, the same red hair.¡± she measured Arban up and down. ¡°Just too skinny,¡± she said with a self-important tone, trying to act like the aunt she is. ¡°But you need to fatten up, or soon you won¡¯t be able to lift your hammer. Don¡¯t worry, since you¡¯re here, we¡¯ll fatten you up good.¡±

    Arban frowned. What ¡®fatten up¡¯, is he a pig? No, he refused to even think that way. So he tried to veer he talk in a different direction. ¡°Doesn¡¯t uncle work at the palace at this time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he does. But Rose has a fever, so he took a leave for a few days.¡±

    ¡°Rose?¡± Arban tilted his head in question. ¡°It that my aunt?¡±

    Mila shook her head. ¡°No, you dimwit,¡± she said with a chuckle. ¡°She¡¯s your uncle¡¯s daughter. Your cousin. She is three years old now. My sister¡¯s name is Arva. Arva Branslow.¡±

    ¡°How am I a dimwit?¡± Arban said in a disgruntled voice. ¡°Uncle¡¯s not gone home even once in all these years. How am I supposed to know who¡¯s who?¡± he complained.

    ¡°Ok, I get it,¡± Mila said. She looked at Erhan leaning walking his slow measured steps while leaning on his stuff. He shouldn¡¯t be Arban¡¯s father. He doesn¡¯t have the same features. But the man looked like he didn¡¯t have a drop of blood inside him. Is he also some relative of theirs? Mila leaned towards Arban and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why don¡¯t you introduce him?¡±

    ¡°See? Who¡¯s the dimwit now? You don¡¯t even know him,¡± Arban puffed his chest out. ¡°He is grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Grandfather?¡± Mila¡¯s feet stopped in amazement. ¡°Y- you! What nonsense are you speaking? Isn¡¯t your grandfather dead?¡±

    Arban shook his head in pretend disappointment. ¡°A girl with no manners.¡± he looked at the roof with a forlorn expression. ¡°You should say ¡®he has passed on¡¯.¡±

    Mila speechlessly stared at Arban¡¯s back. She understood now what Morgan meant when he said those words. But the real guy can even set a girl like her afire.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Erhan intervened, drawing Mila¡¯s attention. Does the boy have something against talking straightforwardly? He sighed and said, ¡°I am acquainted with his grandfather. His father asked me to bring him to the capital.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what¡¯s going on!¡± Mila nodded her head in understanding. ¡°Them I thank you in place of Morgan and Arva Mr¡­?

    ¡°Erhan Raiser.¡±

    ¡°Mr Erhan,¡± Mila nodded, she gestured towards the spiralling wooden stairs. ¡°Come, they are upstairs.¡± she gave Arban a mischievous glance. ¡°What say we give them a surprise?¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Arban? When did you arrive in the city?¡± Erhan opened his eyes from where he was resting on the sofa and looked at the owner of the deep baritone voice. He¡¯d known Arban¡¯s father and his uncle were twins and had to admit the resemblance was quite close, except, the man in front of him was half a head taller and had less fat on his body. But he still had the same broad shoulders and muscular arms, and the same rectangular face and light copper skin.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    He stood at the door of the study with a plump old man wearing a green long robe and round hat, who smelled of medicines. He raised his brows in surprise as he looked at Arban. A smile slowly spread through his lips as he came and wrapped his arms around the boy in a tight hug. ¡°So this is the surprise Mila was talking about,¡± he said. ¡°A pleasant one indeed.¡±

    Craning his neck from over Morgan¡¯s shoulder, Arban spoke with some difficulty, ¡°I wanted to say ¡®I missed you¡¯, but what is your grudge against me, uncle?¡±

    ¡°Grudge?¡± Morgan released Arban from his hug but still held his shoulder as he gave his nephew a bemused look. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t have any grudge against you.¡±

    ¡°Then why were you trying to crush me to death?¡± Arban frowned.

    ¡°You naughty brat,¡± Morgan smacked Arban¡¯s head. He sighed, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you. Wait until I escort the doctor out, then we¡¯ll talk.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, my cousin. How is she?

    ¡°She has a mild fever,¡± Morgan said, ¡°nothing to worry about. You can go to meet her later. And your aunt too. Just wait here a bit.¡± he nodded to the old doctor, walking with him towards the door at the opposite side of the study.

    As he was passing by the sofa against the wall which Erhan sat on, he turned to look at him. Remembering what Mila had said about escorting Arban, he bowed his head towards Erhan in apology. ¡°Please wait here, I¡¯ll soon be with¡ª¡± his voice stopped as noticed a black scabbard stick out of the corner of the man¡¯s cloak. The golden leaf and vine design gave him a sense of familiarity. ¡°Is that¡­¡± He looked up at Erhan. ¡°May I see your sword for a while?¡±

    Erhan sighed and nodded. Peace and quiet really did hate him. He unclasped the weapon from his belt and handed it over to Morgan. Morgan¡¯s eyes shrank as he took the sword in his hand. He gently touched the scabbard, his eyes full of nostalgia. With a sudden move, he straightened the weapon and grasped the hilt. Half the blade came out of its sheath, its silver-grey body gleamed in the ambience of the room. ¡°Markreath!¡± Morgan breathed.

    Erhan chuckled. Yeah, trouble loves him.

    Morgan glared at him without speaking, then he turned and looked towards the approaching Arban. ¡°Why is this sword in the hands of that man.¡± his voice was calm, but his dark expression like brewing thunderclouds gave away the storm raging within.

    Arban gave a nonchalant shrug. ¡°Because it¡¯s his sword, I guess.¡±

    Morgan frowned. ¡°What do you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Excuse me Sir Bladesmaker, but would this take long? I¡¯m a busy man you see.¡± the plump doctor¡¯s thick voice put a stop to the brewing tension.

    Morgan inhaled, calming himself and turned towards Erhan. ¡°Wait here,¡± he threw out these words as he turned and exited the door with the doctor.

    Erhan turned and gave Arban a curious look. ¡°That uncle of yours is quite rude.¡±

    Arban nodded. ¡°Yeah, I think so too. And I think he wants to rob the sword.¡±

    ¡°But I think you¡¯re ruder,¡± Erhan said. ¡°So are you going to go and explain the matter to your uncle?¡±

    ¡°That seems like such a pain. It¡¯s your sword, you should be doing it,¡± he grumbled as he walked out of the door to find his uncle.

    Morgan could hardly believe it. The man drinking tea in front of him was the Erhan Raiser. He was thirty-five himself, and Erhan looked only a year or two older than him. He looked so frail too, yet this frail man had once saved his father. And by what Arban told him, his nephew too. When Arban told him of the battle on river Russet, Morgan really had been scared. He nearly lost his nephew. He bowed once again. ¡°I truly apologize for acting so rude before. And thank you once again for saving Arban.¡±

    Erhan put down the teacup on the table in front of the sofa. ¡°As I said, since the matter¡¯s past, let it go.¡±

    ¡°But still, are you sure you don''t want to see the doctor? Forgive me for saying this, but you look like a corpse.¡±

    Erhan gave a slight laugh. ¡°No, as long as I recover some strength, I should be ok.¡±

    ¡°As you wish,¡± said Morgan as he nodded gravely. ¡°But are you truly interested in the quest? If so, I can help you with preparations.¡± he stood up. ¡°In the meantime, you¡¯re welcome to share our humble home. If you need anything, just ask.¡±

    Erhan shook his head. He took out a crown from his money bag and said, ¡°I do thank you for your kind intentions, but I¡¯d insist on paying for the meals at least.¡± The food needed for him to recover was going to be quite expensive.

    Erhan sat cross-legged on the soft grass under an apple tree. He had recovered somewhat in these two weeks and His skin had lost much of its pallor. He looked down at his left hand. The ridiculous pillar of bandage around it was gone. Even though he had refused, Morgan still insisted on calling the doctor and rebandaging it. But he¡¯d still have to wait at least two weeks more before he could recover it. Before then he¡¯d have to bear living like a decrepit old man, or as Arban had taken to calling him, grandfather.

    He breathed in the chilly morning air inside Morgan¡¯s garden and filled his lungs with the fresh scent of vegetation for one last time. As he propped himself up with his staff, a supple woman wearing a white gown holding a wicker basket exited the house from a side door. Her blond hair was tied above her head with a towel, and water droplets shone on the dark olive skin of her arm. She was Arva, Morgan¡¯s wife. She smiled and nodded towards Erhan. ¡°How are you feeling today, Sir Erhan?¡± she asked as she walked towards the flower plants.

    ¡°I am feeling quite well.¡± Erhan smiled back. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take a stroll through the city today.¡±

    ¡°I see. Since Arban would help his uncle with his work today, I¡¯ll inform Mila to accompany you,¡± she said.

    Erhan shook his head and said, ¡°Oh no, there is no need to bother her. I¡¯ll be ok on my own.¡±

    ¡°No, I insist. You¡¯re still far from recovery. Our mind would be at ease if you take her with you.¡±

    Erhan sighed and didn¡¯t say anything more. Since he was living in their home, he had to compromise somewhat. But he should go check out an inn soon. He had recovered enough to live alone now.

    Even though the day was just beginning, the streets of the city were full of patrolling soldiers. There were more of them than when Erhan entered the city. It was hardly a surprise. The crime rate in the city had increased due to the influx of strangers. After all, no matter how many security measures the city patrol took, people willing to do harm would always find a way. Some robberies, murders and kidnappings, especially of young women had made the people restless recently. Even Morgan had to hire some guards for both his home and shop. They were strong trustworthy people from the palace itself, so security was not an issue for them. Some signs of riots were already forming due to the situation and as there were still three whole months before the quest, it would only get worse. What was the queen thinking?

    As Erhan walked past a five men patrol they started giving him cautious looks, but they soon stopped paying attention to him. Erhan couldn¡¯t blame them. He looked as weak as a kitten. But even in such a condition, he had enough confidence to knock the five of them out.

    ¡°And I know this shop where they sell this really sweet cake.¡± Mila continued her monologue about sweet shops that she had unfortunately broached a while ago. ¡°There''s cream and honey all over it, and it tastes like nothing you¡¯ve ever eaten. Let¡¯s go try it once,¡± she said with all the excitement of a child talking about sweet food.

    Although her words rarely registered in Erhan¡¯s mind he still smiled at her. The girl had been quite noisy and enthusiastic this whole journey, asking him many questions and telling him many trivial anecdotes of her daily life. Although she was a bit disappointed at not being able to see any ¡®hocus pocus¡¯ from Erhan, that didn''t daunt her at all. She had even made Erhan promise to show her some spiritcasting when he had recovered. If it was anyone else Erhan might feel more than a bit annoyed, but playful face brought another face to his mind. A face he would never see again. He had some plans to do some necessary stuff like buying a good horse or some herbs to make some medicine for faster recovery, but now he was being swept away in the whimsy of a little girl, going whichever way she took him.

    As Mila wanted, they turned towards another road, heading for the sweet shop. But before they could take another step, a familiar voice entered Erhan¡¯s ears. It was almost indistinct in the noise of the street. But a sense of urgency in the voice drew Erhan¡¯s eyes to where it came from.

    Becker! The one-eyed knight, along with another knight, Rick and a bunch of patrolmen were walking down the road. Sena must have arrived in the city. Erhan had no intention of tangling with them right now so he wanted to turn around and head elsewhere. But the expression of the two gave him pause.

    The knights conversed amongst themselves as they walked, worry and frustration clear on their faces. Something must have happened. And if Erhan¡¯s intuition was right, it was something big. Should he try to find out? Erhan stood looking at the approaching knights for a while.

    ¡°What happened uncle Erhan?¡± Mila asked, noticing his expression.

    ¡°Just some acquaintances,¡± Erhan said. ¡°I¡¯ll go meet them I think.¡±

    Erhan decided to talk to them, at least, to know what was the matter. Sena was Arya¡¯s granddaughter after all. He walked towards the knights along with Mila but noticing their approach, two of the patrolmen accompanying the knights advanced, blocking them. The roads were dangerous nowadays, and no matter how weak Erhan looked, he did have a sword hanging from his waist. After what happened last night, the patrolmen couldn¡¯t put the people of Moras house in any other danger.

    Their movement drew Becker¡¯s attention. A pale, anaemic looking man with a bandaged left arm and a little girl. Beggars perhaps? He had more pressing things to worry about. ¡°Have we left someplace unsearched?¡± he asked rick.

    Rick sighed. ¡°Only the sewers. But from what the locals said, it¡¯s a labyrinth down there.¡±

    ¡°They must¡¯ve taken her through there then,¡± Becker said, pressing his fingers against his temples. He had had no rest since last night, and that¡¯s after they arrived in the city after a long and exhausting journey. His only remaining eye had a dark bag beneath it. ¡°It seems we have to ask the cleaners.¡±

    Rick blew out a breath, ¡°yeah, although I don¡¯t really want to talk to them or even approach them¡­¡±

    Becker gave him an annoyed glare. Unlike most of the knights, his beginning was more humble. He never understood the dislike they had for the people in lower positions. At least Sena wasn¡¯t like that. The Moras house did regular charity work in the temple of Brigsar, feeding beggars and stuff. Speaking of beggars, did that bandaged beggar seem a little familiar? He looked up and glanced at the man, who was looking at them with peculiar eyes. He didn¡¯t pay any attention at all to the blocking patrolmen, neither did he attempt to talk to them or move aside. That wasn¡¯t the demeanour of a beggar. And that face! Becker stopped walking. Where had he seen it?

    ¡°Do you recognize that man?¡± Becker asked Rick who looked down at the streets, a frown casting deep ravines of wrinkles on his forehead.

    ¡°Who?¡± he asked, glancing at the direction of Becker¡¯s eyes. His steps also came to a halt. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­¡± the memory of their journey from Rovert, the mining town resurfacing in his mind. ¡°That¡¯s Sir Erhan I think. But he looks different. Was he injured.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes! Sir Erhan,¡± Becker¡¯s eyes widened he looked at Rick, seeing the same excitement in his eyes too.

    They both rushed ahead pushing aside the blocking patrolmen and bowed their heads. ¡°Sir Erhan,¡± they said in the same voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± Erhan said, gesturing them to rise. The patrolmen, surprised by the act of these proud knights, were giving him weird stares. That¡¯s more attention than he wished for right now. ¡°You two seem worried about something?¡±

    ¡°Th- that¡¯s right,¡± Becker said. Desperation crept into his voice as he bowed again, ¡°Sir. Erhan, please help us find Sena!¡±

 The ball and the abduction

    The sun had hovered over the western horizon when Ron Westsinger¡¯s merchant caravan arrived at Valar the previous day. Riding on the horse for nearly the whole day, Sena moras and her knights had hoped for a night of good long rest on soft beds. But things don¡¯t always go according to people¡¯s wishes. They had just arrived at the Moras mansion for about an hour or so and hadn¡¯t even had the chance to settle down when the Mansion¡¯s chief maid knocked on the door to Sena¡¯s quarters.

    ¡°House Sergel has sent an invitation, miss,¡± she said handing out a white envelope with a design twisted golden threads on the borders. On the red wax seal was as insignia of an eagle¡¯s head. ¡°They are holding a ball tonight. The time of your arrival quite opportune the butler said. He personally delivered the invitation.¡±

    ¡°You mean, right now?¡± Sena frowned as she opened the envelope and took an indigo invitation card from within it.

    ¡°Yes, right now. He¡¯s waiting downstairs with a carriage to personally escort you,¡± Erin, the chief maid said as she looked Sena up and down. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯ve already taken your bath, my lady, so please get ready to go.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m so tired! Can¡¯t we cancel it?¡± Sena whined.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, my lady. The house of Sergel is one of our closest allies. It would not look good if you declined.¡± Erin said without any change in her stoic demeanour.

    ¡°Uf! That¡¯s such a pain!¡± she said as she turned around, slamming the door shut behind her. ¡°Tell him to wait a bit while I get ready. And see if any of the boys are done with their bath too. I can¡¯t be the only one to suffer.¡±

    The Sergel mansion was on the south-west part of the town. Since it was a wholly opposite direction, the carriage arrived there half an hour later. Sun had drowned a while ago and the cityscape had begun to lose its twilight ambience.

    Sena, along with a stoic Gregor, a grumbling Samuel and the smiling butler of the Sergel, Jeff Arman, stepped down from the dark, wooden vehicle. An area of several acres surrounded by ten feet high stone wall stood in front of them. Within the walls, lay a red stone mansion with a blue-tiled roof. Many carriages and horses were already arriving carrying people of significance from all over the city. Sena and the two knights followed jeff and walked past the gate and the paved aisle, entering a richly decorated ballroom. Bright chandeliers shed streams of light the marble walls of the hall draped with green and golden tapestries.

    Music filled the air as lavishly dressed gentlemen and ladies danced with its rhythm. Sena stood at a corner of the crowded room with Samuel as she looked at the various faces floating about in the room. She only recognized a part of them. After all, she had never paid much heed to such social gathering, only attending when her father forced her. Some of them came forward smiling and introducing themselves as she also did the same. She never went to introduce herself on her own initiative. Gregor was doing most of the socializing for her though and being the tall, handsome knight he is, he had even managed to snag himself a pretty dance partner.

    Sena pitied him. How exhausting it must be to dance like that after the journey. Well, better him than her. It was through the tireless effort of the two knights that Sena had managed to ward off potential dance partners and giggling gossip ladies. However, her good times eventually came to an abrupt end.

    ¡°May I have this dance, lady Moras?¡± A silver-haired man wearing a green and gold surcoat bowed and extended his hand to her. Arakan Sergel, the young heir of the Sergel house had a smile on his handsome face that the ladies just can¡¯t say no to and one Sena wanted to punch a few times right now. She couldn¡¯t decline this offer, an offer from the host of the ball and the allies of her house. Oh well, maybe it was for the better. If she stood alone like that the event, she might become the subject of the gossip she avoided herself as the ¡®stuck up lady Moras¡¯. Yeah, thinking positive was always better.

    ¡°I know you must be exhausted, but please bear with me for a while, my lady,¡± whispered Arakan as he led her to the spacious dance floor. ¡°Otherwise it won¡¯t be good for your image.¡± he looked and nodded towards the musicians, and the music around the room slowed down. Flowing through the room like a gentle breeze. The dancing men and women also slackened the rhythm of their dances along with it.

    Sena sighed and started to dance along with the young man. She also whispered back, ¡°I just wish you hadn¡¯t invited us today of all days. It wouldn¡¯t matter if the ball was some other day.¡±

    Surprised by her frankness, Arakan pressed his lips together to suppress the coming laughter. ¡°Then it¡¯s your bad luck arriving today. Since we noticed your arrival, we couldn¡¯t have just left you out.¡±

    Their banter although inaudible but the jubilant mood surrounding the two drew the attention of many. And not all those had friendly intentions. A group of four among them had a particularly displeased expression. They were from a rival house of the Sergel, the Banat house. They whispered amongst themselves for a while, watching the dancing couple. And after a short stretch of intense discussion, one of them left the ballroom.

    <hr>

    The ball lasted for another two hours and during that time, much to Sena¡¯s sorrow, she got dragged around to a lot of events by the smiling Sergel heir.

    Sena was equal parts frustrated and furious at the man always spouting the same damn line ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my lady, it¡¯s the last event. It won¡¯t be exhausting, I promise.¡±

    He seemed to enjoy doing it and Sena wanted to beat him to an inch of his life because of it. However, the event eventually ended and Sena exited the mansion with the two knights. Arakan escorted them out. ¡°I hope we meet again, lady Moras,¡± he said in a cheerful voice.

    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, but¡­¡± An exhausted Sena looked at the eyes of the young man in front of her. ¡°I hope that meeting won''t come for a while.¡±

    Arakan grinned and lowered his voice. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel differently if you are indeed here for the queen¡¯s quest. I have some exclusive information I¡¯d like to share and discuss with you later.¡±

    ¡°really?¡± Sena perked up. She didn¡¯t doubt his words after all his father Auriel Sergel was one of the trusted advisors of the queen. So getting some restricted information wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for him.

    ¡°Yes, but that something we would talk about some other day over a cup of tea.¡± he shook his head, looking at her. ¡°Now you should go back and rest. Your eyes are red like apples.¡±

    So ¡®red like apple¡¯ eyed Sena boarded the carriage with Samuel and Gregor. They opted not to bother Jeff to escort them back, though Arakan had offered it.

    The noble men¡¯s mansions were quite close to the top of the hill where the city lay. Being close to the palace, and due to its limited yet higher status population, the place was free of the riff-raff recently entering the city. Public security was not much of an issue here so patrols in the area were sparse. Especially since the increase in the crime rate in the lower area demanded security measures to concentrate there. So the nights of the noble¡¯s section of Valar were quieter.

    The horse hooves and the clatter of wheels rolling on stone, broke that quiet as the carriage moved along the streets of the city. The golden lights from lanterns hanging from the post mingled with the light of the full moon and dark of the night to create a ghostly ambience. Inside the carriage, only Gregor managed to stay awake, albeit with some difficulty. Samuel had already lost the battle against the sleep demon, snored away at a corner of the seat beside him, but on the opposite seat, Sena was still fighting a hard battle, nodding off occasionally. She didn¡¯t want to fall asleep, being the leader of their team, but although she had been the least exhausted at the start of the ball, now, due to running along with Arakan¡¯s whimsy, she was the most exhausted person.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Along with neighing of horses and a scream from the driver the carriage came to a sudden, lurching halt. It threw Sena hurtling forward. Her head banged against the back of the seat Gregor and Samuel sat on. Her vision spun as a splitting headache clamped her head in a vice grip. She held her head and sat down on the floor of the carriage with a thump. Gregor and Samuel were relatively alright. they stood up and drew their swords with serious expressions. The driver¡¯s scream had been a dying one. It blew their sleep away.

    Gregor had no time to consider etiquette and such. He bent down and held Sena¡¯s upper arm, pulling her on her feet. ¡°Are you alright, my lady?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head and grimaced at the pain. It was a miracle her head didn¡¯t split, but the bump forming on it was a sizeable one. ¡°What happened? I think I heard a scream?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the driver,¡± Gregor said with a grave expression. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened, but I think it¡¯s an ambush.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Samuel shouted with a hint of nervousness in his voice, but no one answered him.

    ¡°Get away from the wall, Samuel. Woods don¡¯t stop arrows.¡± Gregor said.

    Sena drew her sword and crouched down, creeping towards the window above the door.

    ¡°My lady¡­¡± Gregor wanted to stop her, but Sena raised a hand, stopping him. She put a finger on her lips prompting them to silence and drew back the curtain a tiny bit. Her heart thumped in her chest as she peeked through the gap. After a while, she drew back.

    ¡°I see three wearing black.¡± she brought her head close to the two of them and whispered. ¡°There might be more out of sight.¡±

    ¡°Should- should we stay in?¡± Samuel said in a hopeful voice. ¡°Since they aren¡¯t coming in, maybe we could wait until the guards arrive.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯d be wonderful if they are willing to wait that long.¡± Sena couldn¡¯t help the sarcasm in her voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they are here to kill us though, or they would have attacked us by now.¡± Gregor looked at Sena. ¡°I think they¡¯re here for you.¡±

    ¡°Tsk,¡± Sena''s hand clenched on the hilt of her basket-hilt sword. ¡°I¡¯ll kill Arakan the next time I see him.¡±

    Gregor frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t think he did it do you?¡±

    ¡°No, but it¡¯s because of him I¡¯m here. Or now I¡¯ll be sleeping on my bed in peace.¡±

    Samuel couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. ¡°What do we do now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re not that far away, but aren¡¯t approaching us either. I think they have snipers waiting somewhere.¡± Sena said.

    ¡°Then if we get out, we¡¯d be in the line of fire.¡± Gregor snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Yeah, but if we can engage the three¡­¡±

    Sena extended her hand toward Samuel. ¡°Give me your cloak.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Hurry!¡± Sena frowned and stabbed her sword in the soft velvet cushion over her seat. She cut a big piece out of it, trying to keep as much of the feathers wrapped inside the piece of cloth white. Feathers filled the carriage as she took the cloak from Samuel and wrapped it around the velvet and a heavy gold necklace from her neck to give it some weight. She took a deep breath and looked at Gregor. Gregor nodded and reached out towards the door, gulping. He turned the knob and thrust the door open.

    Sena threw the wrapped cloak. It hurtled forward as it unwrapped and feathers inside it filled the night air, obscuring the sight further. It was enough to give an impression of a person jumping out. Arrows whistled through the air. Two of them. They clattered on the stone below where the feet should have been.

    The time before the assailants understood the situation and reloaded their arrows was enough for the three youngsters to rush out and close in on the three men garbed in black cloak and mask. The men pulled out their swords in a hurry. They hadn¡¯t anticipated such a move. Nothing inside a carriage should¡¯ve been throwable. They didn¡¯t have time to think as they parried the oncoming slashes.

    Two archers holding crossbows flurried around looking at the ongoing battle. They any bolt they launch might hit their companions. It shouldn¡¯t have been like this. Their employer said the targets were only youngsters who¡¯d be quite tired, unable to defend against their assault. Taking them down should be easy. But now their companions were barely managing to hold on against the three people¡¯s aggressiveness. The archers threw down their crossbows, drew their sabres and jumped into the battle.

    Gregor couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. At first, the three had the upper hand since the assailants aren''t skilled enough to hold themselves against trained knights. They managed to hold on, receiving only minor injuries due to having an advantage in their experience. But their situation worsened a lot after the other two men joined. He was tackling two and a half of the attackers himself. Sena was also taking on a lot of the burden, though the attackers were deliberately avoiding harming her. Samuel had it the easiest, duelling against just one man. But the man was agile as a cat and skilled enough to keep him at bay. Samuel struggled furiously to shake him off and converge with him and Sena.

    Gregor dodged to the side, but a thrust by a big, hulking man with red hair sticking out the side of his black mask left a deep cut on his upper right arm. The sleeve of his shirt turned red. He backed up a step. Damn! Where were the patrolmen? At this rate¡­

    A burning hot pain shot through the left side of his stomach and Gregor staggered. He looked down at the sword stuck in his belly. ¡°Oh hell!¡± he whispered and fell as one of the assailants, a skinny man, drew his sword out in shock.

    Damn! They weren¡¯t supposed to kill the knights. This might get complicated.

    ¡°No! Greg!¡± Sena disengaged from her attackers and rushed towards Gregor. She looked at gasping figure soaked in blood. Blood slowly turned his shirt red, and blood also boiled within her. It filled her mind with blind rage, unlike anything she ever felt. With a vicious snarl, she turned and slashed her sword at the shocked attacker who stabbed Gregor before he could respond. A head flew, raining blood like a fountain under the moonlight.

    Bathing in their companion¡¯s blood, the assailants regained their senses. A robust man screamed with fury and dashed out. The man who died was his brother! He no longer cared about the task and swung her sword down on Sena, intending to end her life. she brought her blade overhead and stopped the blow, but the force nearly knocked her off. The pressure overhead bent her tired knees. The muscles in her thighs tightened from a burning ache. She couldn¡¯t hold on for long.

    A sudden heavy fist darted in from the side and struck chin. The force sent her flinging back. her eyes swam and darkness filled her vision. She knew nothing after that.

    The big man with red hair held Sena¡¯s arm as she slumped down. He lifted her and flung her on his back.

    ¡°Let me kill her,¡± the robust man said as he stalked forward with hate-filled eyes. The big man pointed his sword at him and shook his head. The money they were getting for this job was so huge he¡¯d even sell his favourite sword for it, and the man who died was merely an acquaintance. Besides they¡¯d already made a blunder by seriously injuring the knight.

    The robust man clenched his fist and turned around. Staring at his brother''s head. His face fixed in the expression of shock. As if he couldn¡¯t believe what happened. The man vowed in his mind, he¡¯d use at least half the money for a grand funeral.

    ¡°Pick up the body and let¡¯s go.¡± the big man¡¯s booming voice reached the ears of the black-garbed men as he turned around.

    The Agile man also drew back, leaving his opponent. Seeing the big man carrying Sena and leaving, Samuel dashed forward. But three swords sprang at him, pointing at his neck. He gulped, his throat dry, as he looked from the unconscious Sena to the blades pointed at him to an injured Gregor. Yes, Gregor could have done it. He could have fought the three men and rescued Sena. But Samuel was no Gregor. He clenched his teeth and took a sharp breath, shaking all over from the frustrated feeling growing inside him. He wanted to be Gregor. To go all out and take Sena back from the hands of these bandits, but¡­ he looked at Gregor again. He. Was. Not. Gregor!

    His hand ached from clamping on the hilt of his sword as he looked at the back of the man carrying Sena disappear into a dark alley. He turned and walked towards Gregor and the assailants also turned to pick up the parts of their dead companion. Then they followed their leader.

    Samuel kneeled beside Gregor. He took out a folded handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it over the other knight¡¯s stomach wound, staunching as much blood as he could. Samuel started lifting Gregor, momentarily waking up the unconscious knight.

    ¡°Sena! Where¡¯s Sena?¡± the half-asleep Gregor mumbled.

    Samuel didn¡¯t answer him, he brought the injured knight to the only living horse. He unfastened the frisking and neighing animal from the carriage and put lifted Gregor up, laying him on its back. Samuel mounted the animal, riding towards the closest house in the neighbourhood. He would go back to the Moras mansion, but first, he had to save Gregor.

 Knights pride and nobles scemes

    ¡°Would you please heal him?¡± Becker asked Erhan who stood before the bed where Gregor lay unconscious.

    Erhan looked at the hope-filled eyes of the two knights. He shook his head with regret. ¡°I¡¯m unable to use my arts right now.¡±

    Disappointment filled the two knights and they lowered their heads. Samuel standing at the farthest corner of the room also shrunk back further, becoming smaller as if he wished to disappear into the wall. They had all expected this seeing Erhan¡¯s condition, but it was their last hope.

    Erhan bent down and placed his palm over the bandaged injury. He closed his eyes, sending his senses in as he had done during the fight on river Russet. it wasn¡¯t a spiritcasting like spiritvision, rather, one of the abilities he¡¯d gained after a long amount of practice, like his longevity. So he didn¡¯t have to make sacrifices to use it. The senses seeped in through the skin of Gregor¡¯s abdomen, poured in through his wound. It spread its invisible tendrils, prodding and probing, examining the state of his injuries.

    After a while, Erhan opened his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s injured his spleen pretty heavily,¡± he said as he glanced at becker. ¡°Have you contacted a doctor? We need to stop his internal bleeding, or he won¡¯t last for very long.¡±

    The chief maid Erina was standing at the door looking suspiciously at the bearded middle-aged man whom the knights brought. The man, Erhan looked like he should be resting in a bed himself. She didn¡¯t understand how he was supposed to cure Gregor. Hearing his question, however, she stepped forward. ¡°Doctor Herman checked his condition. He said he was helpless.¡±

    ¡°Doctor Herman¡­ hmm¡­¡± Erhan rubbed the wrinkles forming on his forehead. He knew the doctor. He was the one who came to examine Rose. Morgan¡¯s daughter. He said, ¡°Call him again. Although I can¡¯t heal him now, I can help the doctor alleviate the condition somewhat. That way he¡¯d last for at least a week.¡± he looked down at Gregor. Although it¡¯d still be a bit of a stretch, I should be able to heal him by then. But the other problem he had to deal with right now.

    After Erina left to call the doctor again, Erhan said, ¡°So, about Sena, What have you figured out until now.¡± hearing him mention her, the knights perked up.

    Becker turned to look towards Samuel with scorn in his remaining eye. ¡°The direction they took the lady to¡­ an opening to the sewers below the city is in that alley. We think they have taken her through there.¡±

    ¡°And what about the pursuit.¡±

    ¡°For that, we have to ask the people who clean the sewers. But as you know, talking to them is¡­¡± Rick shrugged.

    Erhan tilted his head as he stared at him. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I know. What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Rick couldn¡¯t find the words and avoided Erhan¡¯s inquisitive eyes.

    ¡°Your leader is in danger,¡± Erhan¡¯s green eyes were like a calm forest in the twilight. ¡°And you are hesitating about¡­ what exactly?¡±

    Embarrassed, Rick lowered his head.

    At this time, Erin¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°The doctor is here.¡±

    Erhan nodded. It was time to work.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight them?¡± Gregor, who had woken up from his stupor held the collar of Samuel¡¯s shirt and shook him.

    Samuel bent over Gregor¡¯s bed with an expression of shame, unable to utter a word.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve fought them. You should¡¯ve brought her back even if you died!¡± Gregor let go of his collar and fell back on the bed. His face pale and spiritless. ¡°You coward. You should be ashamed of yourself,¡± he whispered.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Erhan couldn¡¯t watch anymore. He¡¯d been observing the other knights make Samuel miserable for a while, scolding and glaring at him. They had other important things to do. He came beside the bed and asked Becker, ¡°do you think you would have survived a fight against them?¡±

    The youngest knight shook his head slowly. Feeling even more guilty.

    Erhan looked down at Gregor. ¡°Do you think you would¡¯ve lived on if Becker died there?¡±

    The injured knight shook his head and said, ¡°It isn¡¯t about that. Whether we lived or not, we had a duty to protect Sena. We are her Knights.¡±

    Erhan nodded. ¡°Do you think Sena would¡¯ve been happy if both of you gave your lives in a futile attempt?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t fu¡ª¡±

    ¡°You think the youngest and least skilled of you would¡¯ve survived a fight against three opponents of same skill?¡± Erhan scowled at Gregor. He turned gave Rick and Becker the same glare and said, ¡°surely you all can¡¯t be that naive?¡±

    The other two knights lowered their heads but Gregor glared up at Erhan. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand a knight¡¯s spirit. Even if we die, we can¡¯t give up our duty. It¡¯s our pride.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived more than you, I¡¯ve seen more than you,¡± Erhan bent down and stared at Gregor¡¯s eyes. ¡°And understand more than you. I¡¯ve seen many knights performing great acts of bravery, honour and sacrifice. But what you¡¯re speaking of isn¡¯t bravery, it¡¯s foolishness.¡± he stood up and looked at the knights one by one. ¡°You haven¡¯t had any sleep as of yet and aren¡¯t thinking clearly enough. Go and rest. I''ll talk to the cleaners and see to rescuing her.¡±

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that.¡± shocked, the knights shook their heads.

    Erhan gave them a calm stare. ¡°That is my decision and you will follow it.¡± although his eyes and voice were calm, they felt an unprecedented amount of pressure from this seemingly weak man with poor health.

    Erhan headed for the door, as he was about to exit, someone, blocked his path. Samuel bowed down in front of him. ¡°I plead you to take me with you, sir Erhan,¡± he said with a voice full of desperate determination.

    Erhan stared at him for a while. ¡°You can come,¡± he said, nodding.

    <hr>

    ¡°Shut up!¡± a repressed scolding filled a room of a small inn at the outskirts of the city. Although the noon sun glared down above the rooftops, the room was still dark. Its windows covered with thick, heavy curtains that neither let light in or sound out. Only a flickering candle on a round table glowed pale yellow and gave the room some light. A dark room appropriate for dark business.

    The hooded man wearing a cheap grey cloak was the one who had scolded right now. His garb was no different than any of the rabble recently flowing into the city, but his hazel eyes exuded an authority only present in a man of position. Although he had a bushy moustache over his lips, any experienced person can tell it was a fake one. He was Zack Banat. The man who had left the ball early yesterday evening.

    His nose scrunched up in displeasure as he glared at the man sitting opposite him across the table. He was a tall, muscular man with a horrible burn scar below his left ear reaching his collarbone. His other defining feature was his flaming red hair. He was much larger than Zack but he still looked down at the floor.

    Zack couldn¡¯t help but feel furious. They had only wanted the Moras to blame the Sergel for not protecting Sena Moras¡¯s security and sour their relationship. As long as none of the knights was injured and Sena returned soon after, the Banat house actively took part in rescuing Sena successfully, they could use the crack in the other two houses relationship to gain the powerful Moras family as their ally. In the city, such political manoeuvre wasn¡¯t unheard of. But after the knight had gotten injured, things became more complicated. The commander of the city patrol, sir Dorian Kell had personally taken the case in his hands. And he was good at what he did. Very good.

    He continued, ¡°You made such a big deal of such a small task, nearly killing a knight. And you still have the gall to ask for more money?¡±

    ¡°But we also lost one of our own, besides, you promised¡­¡±

    ¡°I promised you the full fifty crowns if you complete the task flawlessly. But you haven¡¯t done that have you?¡± Zack scoffed, ¡°And losing a man against merely three brats, you think you deserve the rest?¡±

    The red-haired man, Bruce, clenched his teeth. These capital nobles dabbling in politics all day had no Idea what border nobles like the Moros are capable of.

    Zack glared at the man. ¡°If even a hint of our name comes up, I¡¯ll make the lives of your lot and the lives of those around you miserable. Remember that.¡± he stood up. ¡°Go back and deliver the girl quietly in front of the Moros mansion. She must remain unharmed.¡± he couldn¡¯t help fight off a shiver down his spine. If something happened to a scion of Moros, even her majesty the queen won¡¯t remain silent anymore. And that would be a bigger disaster.

    A few moments after Zack left the room, Bruce¡¯s fist slammed down on the cheap wooden table, snapping it into large and small splinters. The candle fell and went out. Filling the room with darkness.

 Searching rats and mouses suggestion

    Even though the cleaners kept the sewers underneath the Valar relatively clean, it was still not a place for an afternoon stroll. Its dark and dank stone tunnels crafted a maze rife with a rank odour that seeped into the skin and clothes. Water and muck flowed along a canal beside a wet stone walkway. The walls were stained with brown caked dirt and moss.

    Samuel walked with a handkerchief pressed to his nose. They¡¯d been down here for about an hour, but trudging through this place was proving a more difficult task for the group of ten than they anticipated.

    Not only Samuel abhorred the stink. Other than the two cleaners Lord Dorian Kell and Erhan, every other patrolman either scrunched their noses or held a handkerchief. The two young cleaners wearing short-sleeved hemp tunics led the way holding two burning torches. They lit the occasional lanterns hanging from the walls as they passed.

    The sick looking Erhan¡¯s nonchalant walk brought him curious glances from the Dorian, a tall and wiry man in his sixties sporting a greying black handlebar moustache. But that didn¡¯t matter to Erhan. He had been to worse places and smelled worse things. Instead, he concentrated. Spreading out his senses intervals, trying to sense minds different from rats, insects and other sewer creatures. Minds that didn¡¯t belong to this underground labyrinth.

    It wasn¡¯t easy since he had to walk with his eyes closed. Due to his condition, sensing more than a few things were hard. And as most of his concentration was on the minds alone, he had had an occasional stumble or two along the walk. Only Samuel¡¯s repeated assistance helped him avoid falling face-first on this damp, dirty floor. Erhan missed the spiritvision mantra. As long as he knew what or who to look for, very few things could hide the target from the mantra.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Dorian raised his hand. He extended his hand towards one of the cleaners and gestured him to hand over the torch, then he bent down and examined the ground carefully. Picking up some of the dirt on the ground with fingertips of his gloved hand he looked up towards everyone. ¡°Blood,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell, but it should be less than a day old.¡±

    Samuel exhaled with relief. ¡°So this is the right way after all.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t guarantee that. It¡¯s only blood after all. We can¡¯t determine exactly whose it is.¡± Dorian said as he rubbed his chin with his clean hand. ¡°But if my hunch is right, this is the right way. It leads to the western outskirts. That¡¯s where most of the cheapest inns are. A perfect place for the unsavoury sort.¡±

    ¡°Should we call the other teams in, sir?¡± one of the patrolmen asked.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Dorian considered as he stared into the deep darkness further down the sewers. ¡°call team three and eight. Let the other teams continue their search. Who knows what clues might turn up. Might as well do a bit of sewer rat hunting with this chance.¡± he said after a while. Some of the more discreet criminal activities happen in the sewers. And a lot of criminals hide their stashes here. Weeding them out should give the reckless and rampant outsiders flooding in the city some pause.

    The patrolman took out a small iron flute and blew it as he ran his fingers along the holes. Erhan raised his brows in surprise as he saw that. ¡°A shamanic instrument!¡±

    Dorian looked at him. ¡°You know about it? Not many know of the magic from outside Clover, even amongst you druids.¡±

    ¡°Druids, huh,¡± Erhan didn¡¯t comment on the nature of those so-called druids. But shamanic arts huh. They were akin to the Kapalic disciplines, only much more sinister. His voice held an air of caution as he said, ¡°Shamanic arts are often... treacherous. You shouldn¡¯t use them if you can help it.¡±

    ¡°You sure know a lot!¡± Dorian was a little shocked. ¡°That¡¯s what lord Giraldi said too.¡±

    ¡°Giraldi?¡±

    ¡°He is the chief of advisors in her majesty¡¯s court.¡± Samuel leaned in and whispered in his ears. ¡°He also handles foreign affairs and has a lot of knowledge about the land outside Clover. A man full of wisdom.¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed. He is a great and respected person.¡± Dorian nodded hearing Samuel¡¯s whisper which was audible enough in the silent sewers. ¡°In fact, he is the one who introduced these instruments to our military.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Deep in thought, Erhan lifted his left hand to run his fingers through his hair. Noticing the bandage on it, he put it down with a sigh.

    The patrolman, playing the flute looked up at Dorian. ¡°They¡¯d be here in about half an hour, sir.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Dorian nodded, ¡°let¡¯s wait for them then. We¡¯ll continue more extensive search once they arrive.¡±

    Erhan looked up at the arched roof of the tunnel as his brows slowly gathered into a frown. Water dripped somewhere in the dark, but he was listening to something beyond that.

    ¡°I think we should continue searching,¡± he said after a while. ¡°Sena might fall in danger right now.¡±

    Dorian chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯d be safe, These are mere for the nobles. They might scheme and plot, but unless it¡¯s something like feud, they wouldn¡¯t dare cause any true harm, especially against youngsters. Not if they want to anger her majesty.¡±

    ¡°Gregor was hurt pretty badly,¡± Erhan said.

    ¡°That was probably an accident. But I do need to warn those schemers a bit this time. Unintended or not, it went too far,¡± Dorian shrugged and looked at Erhan. ¡°You¡¯re too young to understand the politics of this city, so trust me.¡±

    Young is he? Dorian couldn¡¯t help the wry twitch at the corner of his lips. ¡°If you trust me, I still think we should move. I can help you track her down faster,¡± he said to Dorian.

    Dorian shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you,¡± he said with an amused expression. Trust this man? He had seen less than ten druids in his lifetime, but even the weakest ones he¡¯d seen were more than fifty years old. Besides along with their staff, they carried many charms and other strange articles. Just having a beard and a staff doesn¡¯t make someone a druid. Besides, what kind of druid carries around a sword? This man called Erhan looked too weak to even lift the thing.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    He looked at the tunnel again. ¡°Besides, this place spanes underneath the whole city. I have a hunch it won¡¯t be an easy task with only our team.¡± he gave Erhan a smile from below his moustache and said, ¡°And I trust my hunch more than anything else.¡±

    Erhan sighed and stretched his arms. ¡°Well, you have your hunch and I have my instinct,¡± he said giving Dorian a calm and confident stare. ¡°And I also trust mine more.¡± he looked at Samuel. ¡°Would you come with me?¡±

    Samuel¡¯s eyes darted around with hesitation for a moment. Then he looked at Dorian. ¡°I think you should trust¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no time,¡± Erhan said as he impatiently shook his head. A sensation of worry was pressing down on his chest, chains of anxiety tied down his heart making each beat heavier than the other. He was all too familiar with this sensation. He had felt much worse when the Fade came. It seemed he had begun to care for Arya¡¯s granddaughter. He walked towards one of the cleaners and extended his hand. ¡°If you please.¡±

    The cleaner looked at Dorian, who gave a slight nod of his head and said, ¡°give him.¡±

    Erhan took the torch handed by the cleaner and stepped deeper into the tunnels. Samuel hesitated just a moment before he ran after Erhan, his jaws set in determination.

    Dorian gave a disapproving shake of his head. He wished to stop the young knight from following Erhan. But he had no right to do so. And trying to stop a knight, especially one from the border areas, determined to do something could get more than a bit frustrating. He was just annoyed Samuel placed more trust in a suspicious man than him, the commander of the city patrol.

    <hr>

    A tankard crashed against the bare wall and splashed the damp stone wall with stale beer. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± a stout man stood up from a barrel at the corner of the small stone room, his face flushed with anger. ¡°No more money? I lost my brother, and you say we¡¯re not getting any more money?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Hank,¡± Bruce said. He stood with his arms crossed before him beside a chair where Sena sat with her eyes and mouth tied with thick black fabric. A finger thick rope circled her whole body along with the chair, constricting all her movements. Her cyan gown was full of small wrinkles and tears because of the battle yesterday.

    Sena cursed her abductors and their ancestors and...the people behind them inside her mind. Not being able to move for such a long time, Her whole body was cramped and painful. She was starving too. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything since last at the ball, and even there she had only touched the food out of courtesy due to how tired she¡¯d been. She wiggled her body against the ropes. She¡¯d have eaten more if she knew she was going to get abducted. Now the question was, what were they going to do with her.

    ¡°So what are going to do with her?¡± the agile man who fought against Samuel pulled on his goatee as he asked the question that was on Sena¡¯s mind.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to let her go somewhere on the streets,¡± said Bruce.

    ¡°Let her go?¡± Hank looked at him with a shocked face. ¡°We aren¡¯t getting the money those damn swindlers promised us. And want to let her go?¡± he walked right up to bruce, his face only reaching the chest of the huge figure as he glared up his eyes as he bit off each word. ¡°She. Killed. My. brother!¡±

    ¡°What else can we do? She is a Moras.¡± Bruce looked down at him with an annoyed frown. ¡°If we don¡¯t let her go quietly the whole city patrol will after us. Not to mention what¡¯d happen if the Moras¡¯s track us down.¡± he sighed. ¡°We still have the advance money. At most I¡¯ll give you some from my share.¡±

    ¡°No! We can¡¯t let her go that easily.¡± Hank stared at Sena with poison in his eyes. ¡°We need to let her, to let those damn nobles know we are not pawns they can just use and throw away.¡± he looked around at the faces of the other three men. ¡°We need to let them all suffer the consequences.¡±

    Other than Bruce, the other two men also sat straight. They weren¡¯t just small-time bandits or thugs. They were warriors for hire. Just because sometimes they earned money through darker means, didn¡¯t mean they had no pride.

    Only the big man gave a derisive laugh. ¡°Then do you want to kill her?¡± he also looked at the other three men in their eyes. ¡°Do you dare to kill her? Would we have anywhere to hide if we kill her? I have family behind me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, we don¡¯t need to kill her,¡± said the last man. A mousy fellow with thinning straw-coloured hair. ¡°We can teach them a lesson and get some money out of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? So again, the famous ¡®Paul the mouse¡¯ has some clever ideas for us.¡± Bruce said, with a chuckle. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who brought this job for us? You said it¡¯d be a piece of cake, that these are just brats who can¡¯t tell apart the broad side of a sword. What next idea do you have now?¡±

    Paul said, ¡°If we kill her, we really won¡¯t have anywhere to hide.¡± he looked at his companions. ¡°Not in the queendom at least.¡±

    Bruce shook his head. ¡°So this is your bright Idea. Do you think crossing borders is easy? Even if the kingdoms are at war, they won¡¯t just let refugees in. No, it¡¯d be even harder.¡±

    ¡°But what if we offer them something?¡±

    Becker frowned. ¡°Offer them what?¡± but then his eyes widened in realization. His head slowly turned towards Sena. ¡°You mean¡­¡±

    Paul the mouse also turned to look at her and even though Sena couldn¡¯t see it, she felt his stare on her body. It made her skin crawl. Paul¡¯s lips spread in a sinister grin showing dirty yellow teeth. He said with a throaty chuckle, ¡°I¡¯m sure some people in the other kingdoms would pay a hefty sum for a beautiful noble warrior slave from the queendom. Heck, they¡¯d even be able to put pressure on the Moras through her. That¡¯s double the value.¡± his grinning face looked at Bruce. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s not enough of an achievement to seek refuge in one of them?¡±

    Sena¡¯s heart nearly jumped out of her throat. What were these scoundrels thinking? No, they weren¡¯t mere scoundrels, but lunatics. What the hell have those city nobles gotten her involved in? she swore if she managed to free herself, she¡¯d find out the one who was behind that man and shove her sword through their arse. And Arakan, he was also going to get the same treatment. But that was the problem. Would she be free? Ever?

    ¡°I agree,¡± said Hank, looking at Sena, ¡°but you need to sell her to the vilest, most lecherous person. Only that would satisfy me.¡±

    ¡°Leave that to me,¡± Paul said and then looked at Bruce. That man was the biggest problem if he didn¡¯t agree, then they had no choice but to deliver the girl to a safe place. And they also can¡¯t stay in the city after this and risk Sena recognizing them. They have been using each other¡¯s names since the beginning. They¡¯d thought to get out of the city after getting the remaining twenty crowns, but¡­ they can''t participate in the queen¡¯s quest anymore either.

    Bruce¡¯s eyes darted as same thoughts fleeted around inside his head. Besides, if they managed to find the right customer, they¡¯d get at least five to ten times the sum they were supposed to get for this job. That¡¯s a lot of money. He clenched his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m in too,¡± he said.

    Paul clenched his fist in victory and looked at the man with the goatee, Wilford. ¡°And I assume you have no problem either?¡±

    ¡°Just one,¡± Wilford said, as he continued playing with his beard, ¡°how are we going to get out of this city?¡±

    ¡°Through the sewers of course. Don¡¯t you know where they end?¡±

    ¡°The Russet river,¡± Bruce said matter of factly.

    Sena continued her futile squirming on the chair as she listened to the great plan of the rogues. She had no way to free herself. Were these people sailors? Only those seamen should tie ropes so tightly. So much time had passed. Why hadn¡¯t anyone found her? Where were those boys, her knights?

    As soon as the thought came, Sena stopped her struggle. Gorge! Was he alright? He was alive, wasn¡¯t he? She wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive herself if he died. No! He was alive. He had to be. She continued her futile struggle. Even if she couldn¡¯t free herself, she¡¯d never give up struggling. She¡¯d never leave herself up to fate.

 Rescue and mercy

    A clicking sound echoed through the tunnels of the sewers. Erhan peeked around the corner at the gathering of four at the arching opening of the tunnels letting in the last light of the day and letting out the filth of the whole city into river Russet. They pulled open a door made of vertical bars of iron that they had just lockpicked. Then they turned around to pull a small boat through the waist-deep water. It was one of the boats the sewer-dwelling criminals use sometimes that they¡¯d paid thirty talents to buy.

    Erhan noticed two burlap sacks of the same size on the boat. One of them was no normal sack, as whatever was stuffed inside it squirmed, struggling to get out of it.

    ¡°So they are the four remaining people,¡± Erhan guessed.

    From beside him, Samuel craned his neck to observe them. Although Erhan had long put out his torch, the four in front of them held two of them. It lighted their features quite clearly. ¡°Yes, they are the ones,¡± Samuel said. Although he hadn¡¯t seen their masked faces, their bodily features were quite distinct, especially that large man. He had the same red hair that had stuck out of the mask that day.

    ¡°They are leaving through the river,¡± Erhan said as he looked at the ceiling of the sewers. ¡°This place is already a bit far from the city. If they intended to free her, they could¡¯ve left her anywhere inside the city. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a shortage of sewer openings there. They are taking her somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Taking her somewhere? What do you mean?¡± Samuel asked him. ¡°How are they taking her? She isn¡¯t with them anymore.¡±

    Erhan frowned at him. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re a knight?¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Samuel glared at him. Then he looked down dispiritedly. ¡°Yeah, maybe you¡¯re right, sir Erhan. I¡¯m not fit to be a knight. If I had been brave enough¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± Erhan held up his hand. ¡°I said that because of your observation skills. Look at the boat.¡± he pointed out.

    ¡°What is¡­ is she in the sack?¡± Samuel¡¯s eyes widened in outrage and he drew out his sword. ¡°How dare they put the lady in a filthy sack!¡±

    He was going to be angry about that? Erhan frowned in bemusement.

    ¡°Who?¡± the four abductors sprang up. Samuel¡¯s voice and unsheathing of his longsword had been loud enough for these stone tunnels to carry.

    ¡°Thanks, for warning them,¡± Erhan couldn¡¯t help the sarcasm that came out through his clenched teeth.

    ¡°Follow me quietly,¡± he said as he slowly walked out. Calm and confidence exuding from his demeanour. Samuel followed behind him, looking at the four with angry, vigilant eyes.

    ¡°The knight!¡± Wilford said. The four of them backed up as they threw down their torches and drew out their weapons. The flames submerged in the sewer water with a hiss, leaving the ambience of the twilight coming from the sewer gate as the only source of light. Hank pulled out a crossbow from the boat and loaded a quarrel into it, aiming at Erhan. The confident gait of this injured and frail-looking man gave the four of them more pressure than the knight.

    ¡°You¡¯re surrounded. Drop your weapons and surrender and your punishments would be much lighter,¡± Erhan said as he came to a stop a few yards before the boat. One more step further and they might scare them into action. He looked at the tall man who acted as the leader of the abductors. ¡°Or you will face death.¡±

    Sena perked up inside the sack. That voice! Was that Erhan? Why was he here? Oh, right, he came to the capital. Relief and a sense of security filled Sena. After all, four lowlives should be nothing before Erhan. Finally, she could be rid of these ropes binding her and get away from the smell of blood coming from her side.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Hank¡¯s hand tightened around the trigger. A sense of regret gripped his heart. He should have killed Sena even if the others didn¡¯t agree. Now the patrolmen are here and he lost his chance to get revenge.

    Erhan maintained his stoic, nonchalant expression. ¡°Arrows are pointing at you too. If you attempt to pull the trigger, you¡¯d turn into a pincushion.¡±

    Three of them looked around nervously, trying to find the nonexistent patrolmen in the dark recesses of the tunnel, only Paul looked beyond Erhan¡¯s facade. He stared at Samuel, who was showing signs of anxiety as his eyes constantly cast furtive eyes at Erhan, the boat and the four of them. An almost imperceptible smile lingered on his lips. Were they really surrounded? No, he didn¡¯t think so. If they were, there was no way the patrol would only send the two of them. A kid and a weak, sickly man. His smile turned into a confident grin as he took a step forward.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move a step further,¡± Samuel said as he immediately pointed his sword at Paul.

    Bruce¡¯s eyes also shrunk in apprehension as he reached out his hand, ¡°What are you doing Paul? Come back!¡±

    ¡°Heh!¡± Paul shook his head and said, ¡° Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re just bluffing.¡±

    Erhan bore the urge to tsk. They¡¯ve got a smart one there.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Bruce asked.

    ¡°Yeah, Just look at the rookie knight. He¡¯s all sweaty and stuff,¡± he turned to Hank. ¡°Pull the trigger and you¡¯ll see.¡±

    Erhan chuckled and teased, ¡°Yeah, pull the trigger and you¡¯ll see.¡± but his grip around the staff tightened. He had to be ready.

    Hank hesitated a bit, then shook his head. ¡°No, man. I don¡¯t want to die.¡± He tilted his head, gesturing Paul to come over. ¡°You do It.¡±

    The nervousness radiated from Samuel touched Erhan¡¯s senses like a tingible ripple as they watched the mousy man step towards Hank with a hint of annoyance. Paul stood in front of Hank and said, ¡°shoot it from behind me. If I¡¯m wrong, the arrow would hit me.¡±

    The other man¡¯s figure was far smaller than Hank and would do little to ward off any arrow heading for him. But Paul¡¯s confidence contagious and raised some of Hank¡¯s courage too. Even so, he still hesitated a bit.

    ¡°You fool,¡± Paul said as his face twisted with displeasure, ¡°don¡¯t you think anyone hiding would¡¯ve come out by now? Or at least shot a warning arrow.¡±

    Erhan¡¯s lips thinned as he watched the other three men¡¯s faces lit up with realization. He¡¯d have liked to delay it a bit longer. Intuition told him the patrolmen were closing in.

    Hank placed the front tiller of the crossbow on Paul¡¯s shoulder and aimed at Erhan. This frail, bearded man holding a slightly darkened stick somehow gave him a sense of threat many times greater than the knight.

    Samuel slightly bent his knees and readied his sword in front of him looking, like a leopard about to leap onto its prey. Erhan was ill and they were outnumbered. So he¡¯d have to step up and take most of the burdens he vowed not to turn back today even if his life ends.

    Erhan pursed his lips as he took a glance at the young knight. He was ready. He stared at the rogues, narrowing his eyes slightly. His feeble figure seemed to grow bigger before the eyes of the four men until it filled the whole tunnel. A terrible pressure strangled their minds. It was just a moment but their breath caught in their throats.

    Hank pulled the trigger almost by instinct. Erhan swung his staff and flicked away the whistling quarrel heading for his heart. The Iron bolt left no mark on the plain, innocuous-looking tree branch.

    ¡°Hold it,¡± he said as he tossed the staff towards Samuel and drew out Markreath in one single, swift motion. Its blade gleamed in the ambience of the tunnel as if with an inner light. Ready for its first battle. He bolted out like an arrow past the swaying boat. Water sprayed to the sides as he reached Hank who was backing away, trying to reload his crossbow.

    His speed shocked the rogues. Paul the mouse ducked to the side as Erhan thrust out Markreath and struck the crossbow. The sharp point went through the tiller as if through rotten wood, snapping it in half. It pierced through Hank below his rib. Bloodshot out like from his back along with the tip of the blade as Hank¡¯s body crumpled over Erhan¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Bro...ther¡­¡± Hank breathed his last. His eyes deemed looking at the other sack laying still on the boat. He didn¡¯t get the chance to cremate him. He couldn''t avenge him and¡­ didn¡¯t get the money either. He really should¡¯ve... killed¡­ the¡­ girl.

    Erhan pulled the sword out as Hank¡¯s lifeless body splashed on the water. Next. he turned towards the other three. The mousy man was the trickiest so he wanted to head for him now. But the red-haired man was overwhelming Samuel with brute force and the goatee man sneaked upon him with his sword held ready.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Where in hell had the mouse run off to? Did he dive into the water? He was further than Erhan could naturally sense and there was no time to expand the senses. The goatee was about to stab Samuel.

    Erhan dashed forward with an upward swing of his sword. Markreath clashed into the agile man¡¯s sword with a sharp clang, throwing sparks everywhere. The impact flung sword hand away along with the weapon. It pulled his whole body backwards and his splashed into the water.

    Wilford¡¯s eyes widened with fright as looked down at the half-inch deep cut at the side of his rapier. His hand was numb and painful. He swallowed his saliva and a mouthful of dirty sewage water and looked up at Erhan, who was handling Bruce¡¯s bastard sword as easily as fighting against a child. Even bruce¡¯s huge body flung back with each blow from the man¡¯s blade and he could do nothing but defend himself.

    Samuel was free. He looked at Erhan only for a moment in shock and disbelief. He turned his head and looked towards Wilford. This man was the one who had frustrated him so much yesterday. He wanted a fair duel with him, but this wasn¡¯t the time or place. He had to free lady Sena from that dirty sack. Besides, the man was in no condition to fight anymore. All Samuel could do was put him out of his misery. His expression turned grim as he dashed out.

    Wilford¡¯s heart chilled looking at Samuel¡¯s cold eyes. He tried to lift his hand, but only a dull ache came. It had dislocated. holding his shoulder, he turned around and waded through the dark water, heading deeper into the tunnel. His heart leapt as the water splashed closer and closer behind him. The knight was closing in.

    No, he didn¡¯t want to die! He clenched his teeth as trying to walk as fast as possible. He wished he¡¯d never taken this job. If only they listened to Bruce and returned the girl, they¡¯d be out of the city by now. Five crowns each would have been more than enough¡­

    He stopped and looked down at the tip of the blade coming out of his chest. ¡°No¡­¡± his voice shivered for the last time.

    Samuel drew his blade out and turned his head to look at Erhan¡¯s fight. The druid was about to finish his opponent off. The big man was leaning on his sword and kneeling chest-deep into the water. his shoulder was bleeding. It¡¯d only take a swing to finish him off.

    Erhan looked over at Samuel. ¡°Be careful of the other one. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s dived out of the door or lurking here. He isn¡¯t simple.¡± he gestured towards the boat and said, ¡°hurry up and get her out.¡±

    Samuel nodded and turned towards the boat and Erhan looked at the big man who clutched onto his sword.

    ¡°Spare me, please!¡± Bruce pleaded once more, his face twisted with desperation. ¡°I- I have a family. A daughter.¡± he swallowed the pain from his shoulder. ¡°please!¡±

    Erhan¡¯s eyes narrowed. A daughter. He took a sharp breath.¡± throw your weapon away and¡­ don¡¯t move.¡± he said.

    Bruce looked at his favourite sword. It was a good weapon. It had been through thick and thin with him. Helped him survive for so many years with only a few scratches. But now after this one fight, it was full of chips and scratches. He tossed it away. The weapon disappeared, sinking into the murky water.

    Giving the man one last warning look, Erhan closed his eyes and spread his senses out. He had to find the man as soon as he could. Almost the next moment his eyes shot open. ¡°Near the boat!¡± he shouted at Samuel.

    ¡°What?¡± Samuel asked in confusion as he reached out towards the boat. A blade thrust out of the water, nearly invisible in the darkening tunnel. A sudden sense of danger exploded in his mind and he brought his sword before his chest, parrying the fatal blow and backed away a few steps.

    Paul the mouse sprang up from the water and jumped onto the boat. He pointed his sword towards the sack that was still moving. ¡°Don¡¯t move or I¡¯ll end her life!¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡± Erhan clenched his teeth in annoyance. The worst possible situation happened. If only the patrolmen came with them, or if only one more person was here. well, no point in crying over spilt milk. ¡°Let her go and I¡¯ll spare your life,¡± he said to Paul in a calm voice.

    ¡°Heh!¡± Paul sneered. His eyes turned sharp and ferocious. ¡°Let me go and I¡¯ll spare her life!¡± he looked at Bruce. ¡°And let him go too I guess.¡±

    ¡°Move your filthy sword away from her, you bastard!¡± Samuel shouted and pointed his sword at Paul, who snickered as he ignored him and continued to stare at Erhan. That man was the only one he needed to worry about.

    Many sounds footfalls came from the far side of the tunnel. Flickering lights of torches shone over the steel helmets of the patrolmen. They would be here within a few minutes.

    Erhan sighed. If only they were a few minutes earlier.

    Paul looked at the approaching patrolmen vigilantly and poked her sword a bit further. ¡°I won¡¯t say it again. Let. Us. Go!¡±

    The tip of the weapon went through the material and pierced the skin of Sena¡¯s arm. She stopped struggling. Someone was holding her hostage. How dare they! Did they have no sense of honour? They were using her to threaten others? She¡¯d rather die! She wanted to shout, to tell Erhan to kill that scumbag whoever he was, but only low groans came through the cloth covering her mouth.

    Erhan clenched his fist around the hilt of Markreath. He looked at the bruce. Noticing a hint of anger in the kneeling man¡¯s eyes. For whom? Who knows? He gestured him to go with a tilt of his head. Then he turned and stared at paul as he said in a calm voice, ¡°If you harm her, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    Paul gulped. What was this man? ¡°Hurry up!¡± he scolded Bruce, perspiring a little.

    Bruce walked over and boarded the boat. Paul gave him a look of disdain. ¡°You people are such garbage. Three of you can¡¯t even defeat a sick man and a rookie knight. Wasting such a good opportunity.¡± he picked up one of the oars and threw it to Bruce. ¡°If not for the boat I¡¯d have left you here. Now quick! Let''s go before the other soldiers come, or things would get complicated.¡±

    Bruce hefted the oar and glared at him.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Paul glanced over Bruce¡¯s shoulder to the patrolmen who were running toward here. Yelling at them to halt. Some of them were even stringing their arrows. ¡°Hurry up!¡± he prompted Bruce.

    Bruce growled and swung the oar, catching Paul right on the side of his head. Paul flew right off the boat and crashed into the tunnel wall, then he slid down onto the water with a splash.

    Erhan raised his brows in surprise. ¡°Oh,¡± he muttered, ¡°so he was angry at that man.¡±

    He wiped Markreath with a dry part of his cloak and sheathed the blade. walking to Samuel, he extended his hand and gestured the young man to hand over his stuff.

    The patrolmen had arrived. Two of them pulled Paul up, who groggily looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. The left side of his head stung from sewage water touching the bleeding wound. He gathered his senses, his eyes falling on Bruce who had thrown away the oar and came down from the boat. Patrolmen surrounded him too.

    ¡°You!¡± he said through clenched teeth.

    Bruce gave him a cold look. ¡°I¡¯m here because of you,¡± he said. His eyes the two dead men lying in the water. ¡°They¡¯re here because of you. And you want to go free?¡±

    ¡°You moron! We could¡¯ve escaped.¡±

    Bruce shook his head and he looked at Erhan standing with his staff beside the boat that was now next to the stone walkway of the sewers as Samuel pulled the sack over from a squirming Sena. ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± he said.

    As soon as Sena¡¯s eyes were free, she glowed at the two rogues, and as Samuel removed the cloth covering her mouth, she said, ¡°Give me a sword.¡±

    Samuel freed her from her binds and handed his sword to her. She took it and jumped down from the boat. Stalking towards her abductors, who were tied up together by the patrolmen in a corner

    ¡°Whoa there, young lady,¡± Dorian stood in her path. ¡°I understand you¡¯re angry, but you can¡¯t take things into your own hands here. Just calm down.¡±

    ¡°Calm down?¡± she said, looking very unamused. ¡°You want me to calm down?¡± she held up the sword, shaking it in front of Dorian. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll calm down. After I shove this up their arse, I¡¯ll calm down.¡± she scowled at the older man. ¡°If you try to stop me, I¡¯ll shove it up your arse first.¡±

    The shocked expression on Dorian¡¯s face reflected the expression of everyone in the tunnels. Erhan came forward and patted her shoulder. ¡°You must be hungry,¡± he said. His voice soft with sympathy.

    Sena looked at the friend of her grandmother. The thought somehow lightening her grim face. ¡°Starving!¡± She said with a smile. ¡°I could eat a whole dragon!¡±

    ¡±Ummm,¡± Erhan nodded, ¡°good luck with that.¡±

    ¡°But what happened to you?¡± she asked, looking him up and down. ¡°You look¡­ ghastly!¡±

    Erhan shook his head in dismissal, ¡°Just some crocodile bite. Don¡¯t worry about it. But¡­¡± he looked at the sword in her hand as he said, ¡°shoving something somewhere won¡¯t appease your hunger.¡±

    Sena looked down at the sword in her hand. She put it down, glaring at the two rogues who were staring at her with fear in their eyes ¡°that¡¯s not the only thing that¡¯s making me angry. They planned to sell me to one of the other countries as a slave.¡±

    ¡°What! How dare they?¡± Samuel tried to draw out his sword, but his fist grasped empty air. Oh yeah, he¡¯d given it to the lady. He clenched his fist and stormed towards those two. Stopping a few steps away from them and glared at them with murderous eyes. They should die for such traitorous thought.

    The two rogues looked everywhere with panic. Everyone, even the cleaners looked at them with anger.

    ¡°You¡¯ve killed me,¡± Paul whispered to Bruce in a hoarse voice.

    Bruce didn¡¯t say anything. He just looked towards Erhan with pleading eyes. He remembered the man¡¯s eyes when he had mentioned his daughter. Perhaps¡­

    Erhan looked at the man¡¯s eyes calmly. He turned his head to look at Sena. She was someone¡¯s daughter too. A dreadful fate waited for her if they succeed. He wanted to turn away but stopped.

    The man wasn¡¯t very old. Only in his early thirties. How old could his daughter be? Seven? Eight? He closed his eyes and a familiar face floated in the darkness of his mind. A rueful little laugh escaped his throat. No, he couldn¡¯t ignore it.

    ¡°What happened, Erhan?¡± Sena asked.

    Erhan gave a silent shake of their head. He pointed out the two tied men. ¡°Did they abduct you for that? To sell you?¡±

    ¡°Well, no,¡± Sena said as she gave him a thoughtful look. ¡°I think they did that because some noble paid them off or something. They only planned to sell me because they weren¡¯t getting paid.¡±

    As she explained what she had heard of their conversations, Dorian came and stood beside them to listen. He gave Erhan a judging look. The sickly druid was right this time. Was it just luck? Or was he more than he seemed? But at least the Moras girl was saved because of him. If they failed and rose the warrior house¡¯s anger, the consequences would be bad. He should thank the man later. Preferably somewhere where no one could see them.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened,¡± Erhan said.

    ¡°Yeah, it was the man with the squeaky voice who came up with the plan, Paul the mouse or something.¡± Sena said, ¡°If not for him and the man whose brother I killed¡ª oh, Yeah!¡± her eyes widened with concern. ¡°Gregor! How is he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s alright for now,¡± Samuel said from the side. ¡°Sir Erhan said he¡¯d heal him in a week.¡±

    Sena, to the astonishment of Dorian, bowed her head to Erhan in gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Erhan,¡± she said in a formal tone. The man hadn¡¯t healed his injuries yet. She figured it must be difficult for him to heal others.

    Erhan nodded. He looked at Bruce once again. ¡°Whatever punishment they get, their families shouldn¡¯t suffer any penalty.¡± He said to Sena.

    ¡°They have to,¡± Dorian said. ¡°The law is to punish everyone involved including the families of those who commit traitorous acts. And they wanted to sell lady Moras and collude with those other kingdoms. It¡¯d have dealt our queendom a huge blow if they succeeded. So they or their families aren¡¯t getting off easy.¡±

    Erhan turned to look at him.his calm demeanour bringing immense pressure to Dorian. He said in an even, serious tone full of unquestionable authority, ¡°I am not asking.¡±

 Banquet and intentions

    Erhan put on the new black silk cloak he¡¯d bought over a new red linen shirt. Various designs birds and beasts embroidered with gold threads decorated both articles of clothing. Especially the design of the national insignia, the threatening figure of a voros, with golden flames entwining its feet and mane was stood out from the back of the dark cloak like the sun in the night sky.

    Garish, Erhan had said, but Sena refused to listen to him. It was a gift of gratitude for rescuing her and she had personally hired the royal tailor to design it for him. Now she stood outside his door in Morgan¡¯s house, waiting for him to put it on. She¡¯d vowed not to budge from the spot until he did. That trait of hers was exactly like Arya¡¯s.

    He looked at the body-sized mirror on the wall. He wouldn¡¯t mind the silk if it was only black, but the rest of it¡­ so gaudy. Definitely not for him. Even when he was young, he never wore anything like this. Especially the voros. He didn¡¯t like it. He was a free man. He didn¡¯t belong to any country or kingdom.

    ¡°Just for today,¡± he whispered and fastened Markreath. He picked up his staff leaning beside the door and headed out.

    Erhan stood and looked around the empty hallway outside his door. Where was Sena?

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard about it, the cherry buns with cream filling. They¡¯re from Brigsar aren¡¯t they?¡± Mila¡¯s voice brimming with excitement reached him from downstairs. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to try them for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Then do you want to come home with me?¡± Sena¡¯s voice accompanied her. ¡°There¡¯s also strawberry scones, banana cookies and so much more there. Valar¡¯s sweets aren¡¯t bad, but you won¡¯t find the authentic Brigsar stuff here.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Erhan headed for the stairs as he muttered to himself. ¡°didn¡¯t take long for her break her vow.¡±

    Arban spotted him coming down first. He hurried up to him and said. ¡°My ears and my teeth both would rot if I have to listen to anymore sweet talk.¡±

    Erhan chuckled and asked, ¡°you haven¡¯t gone with your uncle today?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a traitor.¡± Arban looked away in annoyance as they came down the stairs. ¡°He escaped alone and left me here to entertain the noble girl.¡± he looked towards Mila and Sena sitting around the dining table in the room next door and said, ¡°At least she¡¯s found a better candidate for that. But man, that sweet talk is sickening.¡±

    Erhan asked as his eyes ran over the rest of the house. Going by the sound coming from the kitchen, Arva must be there. ¡°Where are the knights?¡± he asked.

    ¡°In the garden,¡± Arban said, pointing his thumb towards outside. ¡°They¡¯re a bunch of selfish people too. Always giving me weird glares whenever I step outside to get away from the noise.¡±

    ¡°Erhan!¡± noticing him coming towards them, Sena took the last sip from her teacup and stood up. ¡°You¡¯re ready I see,¡± she said looking him up and down. ¡°Not bad. You look splendid. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to¡­¡± she made a slicing motion before her neck, ¡°lose the beard? Maybe you¡¯d look more presentable that way?¡±

    Erhan gave a curt nod.¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll head out then,¡± she turned and said to Mila. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some good Brigsar sweets next time. Say farewell to your mother for us.¡± she nodded towards Arban and stepped towards the door.

    As he went out, Erhan¡¯s sharp ears picked up Arban¡¯s words, ¡°that wasn¡¯t a sign of shaving the beard. Did the girl want him to chop his head off?¡±

    Erhan stumbled a step. The boy was obsessed with ¡®chopping heads¡¯.

    The four knights fell in line around them as they stepped towards the carriage outside. It¡¯s been a week and a half since Sena¡¯s rescue, and Gorge was already back on his feet. The internal injury had been a little difficult to heal just like the crushed bones of Erhan¡¯s arm. But Erhan had still managed both in exchange for a headache and two more days of bed rest.

    As they reached the carriage the knights climbed up on their horses. They had learnt a lesson that night and now wanted to keep an eye on everything. Though it was just before midday, who knows what trick this city might play on them.

    ¡°you still haven¡¯t mentioned where we¡¯re heading to,¡± Erhan said as she boarded the carriage with him.

    ¡°To the Sergel mansion. Arakan Sergel has invited us for lunch. He had been wanting to see you for a while.¡± she said with a smile. ¡°You too need to thank him. It¡¯d have been very hard or me alone to get those three men¡¯s family off the hook otherwise.¡±

    His demand that day had been quite unreasonable. Especially, since it involved potential traitors and the queendom¡¯s law. Erhan had rescued her, so she had taken on the responsibility of seeing through the matter, much to Dorian¡¯s discontent. But even though Sena was the victim herself, her words held little sway over such matters.

    Unable to accomplish much she had demanded Arakan to help since her abduction was half his responsibility and all. His help worked out better than she¡¯d hoped. After all, she may be a child of the heir of a major warrior house, but she was no heir.

    Though part of the reason the families could avoid the punishment was that the other two men were dead and bruce wasn¡¯t the instigator and instead had wanted to let her go.

    But what shocked everyone was that man, Paul the mouse. The investigation revealed he had quite deep ties with the criminal world. He was from the Autumn groves, where the pirates attacked Erhan¡¯s boat. He was involved in many slave trading and looting incidents. He came to Valar after Erhan and the crocodiles nearly destroyed one of their biggest pirate groups.

    His presence had taken most of the burden away from Bruce, who didn¡¯t have any significant criminal past. Though he was still going to serve prison time for the rest of his life, at least his and his families lives were spared.

    ¡°I must also thank you for rescuing lady Moras, sir Erhan,¡± Arakan said as they sat down on the cushioned chairs placed around the lawn. The morning breeze from the river Russet brought along with it the scent of flowers and fresh greenery from the surrounding garden as it ruffled his silver hair.

    Jeff led the maids around, bringing plates and jugs goblets, filling the table before them with fruits, pieces of bread, salads and various other dishes. Some filled their goblets with sparkling red wine. four servants brought a whole roast boar on a tray on their shoulders. Quite a banquet for only seven people.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Erhan also took his seat beside Sena as he watched all this hubbub. He raised a hand in dismissal as he heard Arakan¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said, looking at the young man. ¡°Instead, I must thank you for helping Sena out with the case.¡±

    ¡°No, no, it was nothing major.¡± Arakan shook his head. ¡°But your kindness for mere strangers did impress me.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s enough of thanking and stuff,¡± Sena said. ¡°You told me that day you¡¯ve something to tell me about the quest.¡±

    Arakan nodded, ¡°yes, I do. We¡¯ll discuss that after we dine. We can¡¯t risk the food getting cold now can we?¡± he took a glass of red wine from the mahogany table in front of him and extended it. ¡°But first let us have a toast of good health for sir Erhan.¡±

    Erhan ran his fingers through his hair. Arakan had met him once the day after Sena¡¯s rescue. His sickly appearance had left quite an impression on the young man.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll toast to that.¡± Sena also raised her glass along with the knights who were sitting a few seats away down the long mahogany table capable of sitting at least twenty people, giving the three of them some privacy.

    The banquet ended and the servants began to clean the table. The seven of them walked through the red brick pathway leading through two rows of cherry trees and arrived at an open pavilion in the middle of the garden. Bushes of a wild rose surrounded it and green Ivy climbed up four white stone pillars, covering its arching rooftop with a green net occasionally dotted with small red flowers. Plates full of fruits, wine jugs and goblets stood ready on a table in the middle of the construct. Erhan gave a wry smile. So much food everywhere.

    ¡°By the way, sir Erhan,¡± Arakan said, swirling a goblet of wine in his fingers, ¡°from what Lady Moras told me, you¡¯ve lived for quite a while, haven''t you?¡±

    Erhan gave Sena a quick glare of displeasure. Sena ignored that as she continued nibbling on a piece of pear. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± he asked Arakan.

    ¡°Well, from what I know of druids, those that can achieve that are different than the druids we occasionally see.¡± he said. ¡°they usually live away from society.¡±

    ¡°You know about druids, do you?¡± Erhan gave him a judging look.

    ¡°His father is the head of the ministry of information,¡± Sena said from the side as she listened in on the conversation. With a voice full of curiosity she asked Erhan, ¡°but there are different kinds of druids? You never told me that.¡±

    Arakan nodded with the expression of a great, knowledgeable Expert. ¡°Yes there are¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can leave that topic for later.¡± Erhan expressed mild annoyance. ¡°We are here for a different discussion.¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± Arakan shrugged. ¡°It just seemed odd to me since someone like you shouldn''t be interested in the prize her majesty is offering for the quest.¡±

    Erhan stared calmly at Arakan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have my own reasons,¡± he said with an unquestionable voice, ¡°and I don¡¯t want to talk about them.¡±

    ¡°Well, if Erhan doesn¡¯t like the topic, then leave it that,¡± Sena picked up another fruit and popped it into her mouth. She had a growing appreciation for food after starving for a day. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the quest. What information do you have?¡± she asked, looking at Arakan.

    Arakan smiled at her, but then his expression turned serious. ¡°Although you¡¯d probably receive the news from your house later, I want to dissuade you from going on this quest.¡±

    Sena frowned ¡°why?¡±

    Arakan stood up from the chair and walked towards the edge of the pavilion, gazing at the garden with a thoughtful look.¡°the Book of Dreams.¡± he said and turned to look at Sena. ¡°how much do you know about it?¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s an artefact for answering questions, not granting wishes as most people think,¡± she said.

    ¡°So you know about that.¡± Arakan nodded, somewhat sad. He really wanted to show off his amazing treasury full of knowledge, but every chance got someone thwarted him. His luck wasn¡¯t usually so bad.

    He sat down with a sigh. ¡°The thing is, although it¡¯s quite useful, there¡¯s no immediate use of it. You still have to do what you can do after you get your answer.¡± Arakan looked at their faces one by one. Then he nonchalantly said, ¡°And I think that¡¯s why her majesty isn¡¯t really interested in the artefact.¡±

    Following his words, a few moments of silence covered the pavilion. Only the warbling sound of flowing water came from a nearby fountain and the twittering of birds kept company with the changing faces slowly trying to figure out if something was wrong with their ears.

    Arakan looked at them with interest. As expected, their expressions were quite funny. The only disappointment was Erhan. Only his eyebrows wrinkled a little with a look of consideration.

    ¡°What?¡± Gregor was the first one to break the silence. He and the other knights had been quiet until now as per etiquette, letting the other three important people continue their discussion. But now he couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°Are you¡­ kidding or something?¡± Sena¡¯s eyes narrowed as she asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Arakan said with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°Then why? What¡¯s the reason for calling in the warriors from all over the queendom?¡± Sena frowned, the incident of her abduction still fresh in her mind. Her voice slowly sharpened as she said, ¡°So many crimes are happening in the city. The place is full of bandits and robbers. Even the citizens are rioting. If she isn''t interested in the Book Of Dreams, then why is she allowing all this.¡±

    ¡°Sena!¡± Arakan warned her. Talking that way about the queen was a very dangerous thing.

    Sena caught herself. ¡°Pardon me.¡± she dipped her head towards no one in particular. Then she turned towards Erhan and said, ¡°What are her majesty¡¯s intentions?¡±

    Arakan leaned back in his chair. ¡°As most people have been guessing, it¡¯s to stop the war. That much at least, is true.¡± he gave a rueful shake of his head, ¡°The Fade hit our queendom the heaviest out of the four kingdoms. Our army¡¯s in shambles. If the three kingdoms launch a war on us now, it¡¯s going to be¡ª¡±

    A cracking sound interrupted him. Erhan clenched his teeth. He still didn¡¯t like to hear about the plague. He sighed and relaxed his body. ¡°Sorry, continue,¡± he said dropping the crumpled silver goblet onto the table. His hand and the new cloak both were wet with wine. He started wiping it with his handkerchief. It¡¯s been three years. He had a goal now. He ought to concentrate on that and¡­ let it go.

    ¡°Anyway,¡± Arakan slowly said as he looked at Erhan for a while, ¡°I can¡¯t fathom her Majesty¡¯s true intentions, but from what I heard from my father, the Book of Dreams is supposed to be impossible to retrieve. it¡¯s in a part of the dreaming mountains that¡¯s so perilous that even the sadhus living in caves deep within those mountains don¡¯t go there.¡± he ended with a speculative look at Erhan.

    Erhan drew a deep breath and looked up at Arakan. ¡°The Hungry mountains?¡± he asked with caution in his voice.

    ¡°Yeah, exactly,¡± Arakan snapped his fingers. ¡°Her Majesty issued the quest and enticed all the criminals and warriors because she wanted to send them away in an impossible journey.¡± he chuckled. ¡°Her intention is to curb most of the unrest within the queendom so she can put all her effort into defending it against outsiders,¡± he said with a shrug, ¡°at least that¡¯s what I think.¡±

    Sena frowned and said, ¡°so this quest¡­¡±

    ¡°Is impossible,¡± Arakan finished for her. He quite enjoyed the dumbfounded looks the knights were giving him.

    ¡°I have one question.¡± Erhan looked up at the white, arching ceiling. ¡°How did the queen know about the location of the artefact?¡± he asked. He lived in those mountains. His teachers were one of the wisest people in the world. How did he not know something that even a queen of a country that might disappear any day knew. It kind of hurt his pride.

    ¡°Sir Giraldi told her,¡± Arakan said. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he got it though, but he is sir Giraldi, the wisest man in the queendom, no, in entire Clover. this kingdom alone has been able to survive against the rest of Clover for half a century only due to him.¡±

    ¡°Giraldi, huh¡­¡± Erhan tapped his fingers on the table. ¡°He sounds like a capable person,¡± he said. But the question remained. If the man was so wise and stood behind the previous kingdom, then how did the queen come into power? Did he give up on the kingdom and support the queen. Well, he¡¯d ask if he ever intended to enjoy political gossips. But that wasn¡¯t now.

    ¡°Well, if you still intend to go out for the experience, like some of the other nobles would do, then I suggest you get ready,¡± Arakan drowned the rest of his goblet and stood up. ¡°the initiation day for the quest is round the corner.¡±

 The queen and the sacrifice

    Just outside the western gate of Valar, lay a walled field almost half as big as the city itself, the Yuran field. It was the place where the army garrisoned within the city usually trained. Today, however, the usual sight of men in armour running together, riding horses and practising their weapons weren¡¯t there, instead, a different view covered this piece of land. The tools of the military had disappeared and Red, blue, yellow, green, many colourful tents raised above its grassy grounds like wildflowers, small stalls scattered throughout those camps sold various foods and other items, jesters and performers performed their arts.

    The capable men and women who had arrived at Valar to respond to the call of her majesty, queen Shaela Arnet gathered on this field today. They scattered throughout the field, either alone or in clusters, some enjoying the entertainments, some wandering through them, some even locked in confrontations. The place brimmed with excitement today. Because today was the day of the quest initiation ceremony.

    ¡°Does your uncle know you want to join the quest?¡± Erhan asked Arban as they walked in through the gates of the field.

    Arban¡¯s head swung around as his eyes tried to drink in the festivities around him. ¡°I¡¯d tell him if I meet him,¡± he said with an air of nonchalance.

    ¡°Your aunt?¡±

    ¡°Yeeaaus¡­¡± Arban said in a weird drawn-out voice.

    ¡°So you didn¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Erhan nodded. He gave the boy a curious stare and said, ¡°if I remember correctly, you tried to pull something similar when I visited your shop in Garola, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°No I didn¡¯t,¡± Arban said, jerking his head back to look toward Erhan. ¡°I got permission from my father,¡±

    ¡°Which I helped you get,¡± Erhan said. ¡°Yeah, I know that, but I don¡¯t think I could help you much here.¡±

    Arban glowered at him suspiciously. ¡°You won¡¯t try to stop me, would you?¡±

    Erhan sighed and shook his head. He walked up to a stall selling grilled ham. Handing Arban one of the plates he bought, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t usually stop people from doing something they want to do. But I¡¯d still advise you against it.¡±

    Arban clomped down on the piece of meat with an irritated face. ¡°So many people are going to go. Even people my age aren¡¯t that rare. Why do all of you want to stop me? Do you think I¡¯m not strong enough?¡± he chewed the words out along with the food. ¡°I grew up in a smithy. I¡¯m skilled in every weapon I tell you.¡±

    ¡°While I don¡¯t doubt your¡­ <em style="color: #1c1e29; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt">skills,¡± Erhan said in a doubtful tone, ¡°the depth of the dreaming mountains aren¡¯t somewhere that¡¯s fun to travel to. The air there is cold enough to freeze your bones. All manners of aggressive wild animals make their home there. Not to mention¡­¡± he stopped there.

    If there was one thing he never wanted to face again, it was those, the Nightless. Only one of them had been enough to kill seven people from the team of ten who went hunting down the creature. All of them as powerful as he had been in his prime. The three remaining people, including Arya and him, only survived because something else had drawn it away, though he didn¡¯t know what. But the creature had left its mark on the chest then, and although he was ashamed to admit it, in the recesses of his mind. That¡¯s why he¡¯d rather avoid that topic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Arban finished the last morsel and threw away the plate on the grass. ¡°If I meet them I¡¯ll chop their heads off.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t litter,¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Arban spread his hands in a wide gesture. ¡°Look at everyone around you. All of them are doing it.¡± he looked down and sighed. ¡°People are filthier than animals sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see. So you are ignoring the fact that you are one of them.¡± Erhan observed. He looked up at the sky. There was still an hour or two until midday when the ceremony is supposed to start. So maybe he¡¯ll check out one of the performances around the field. Though most of them about one war or another, there were a few that were better.

    Shaela Arnet, the queen of Robera, arrived at the Yuran field on a golden chariot, drawn by four great white warhorses. Her hair flowed down to her waist like a black river, her eyes like burning golden flames sat on a sculpted, oval face. A green velvet cloak covered her figure. A gold and silver diadem encrusted with rubies and emeralds sat on her forehead, enhancing her beauty for which wars had erupted.

    Her ministers and nobles along with their knights accompanied her on their horses. Sena was also with them. She rode while halfheartedly conversing with youngsters of noble houses around the country who had arrived at Valar for the same reason as her. From time to time her eyes ran over the crowd that started to gather around the procession. But searching for a particular face amongst a crowd of almost five thousand was no easy task. Especially, since Erhan didn¡¯t try to be conspicuous.

    The cavalcade arrived at the largest and gaudiest cluster of tents in the middle of the field beside a round stone podium. The queen came down from the chariot and entered a huge red and green tent embroidered on the sides with the depiction of golden voros. Her advisors and ministers also walked in with her for a last-minute discussion before the start of the ceremony.

    Erhan watched the back of a man disappear into the tent from afar. He was the only person who wore a relatively simple piece of garment, a pale green robe. He stood out amongst the others not only because of his garb though. To Erhan in particular, he appeared a man full of mysteries.

    Although he looked in his nineties, Erhan could tell that was a disguise. His appearance should be no older than Erhan¡¯s and his age should be many times greater than his. The man reminded him of some of his greatest teachers among both the sadhus and kapalics.

    What was a man of his caliber doing here?

    ¡°That old looking man who went inside the tent, who is he?¡± he asked Arban who was craned neck as far as he could over the heads of the crowd, trying to see as much of the queen as possible.

    ¡°The green-robed one?¡± Arban absently replied. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s lord Giraldi. A great man. Advises the queen and stuff. Though someday I¡¯ll take his job away.¡± he ended with a mumble.

    ¡°So, he is Giraldi. Truly a great man,¡± Erhan said to himself. He crossed his arms in front of himself and pondered. A man like that involving himself in mundane affairs must have a goal. None of his actions should be beyond his intentions. Then informing the queen of the location of the Book of Dreams, what are his intentions in doing that? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    A great fire rose above the stone podium. Its red and golden tongues licking up six to seven yards in the air. Four men sat along the four corners of the fire facing the four directions, east, west, north, and south. The ornaments made of jewels, precious metals, and teeth and fangs of various animals they wore, cut a jarring contrast against their frugal clothing. Those weren¡¯t there for decoration though. They were charms. They sat with legs crossed, as Erhan did during meditations, each of them holding a staff of blackened wood straight beside them. Those staffs weren¡¯t true lightning imbued staff like Erhan¡¯s, but ordinary sticks of wood with their surface charred over cremation fire.

    The so-called ¡®druids¡¯. Erhan smiled to himself. Those were no druids, though they had some relation to the druids. But what they practised was actually a hodgepodge of druidic arts and some other magics from beyond Clover, like voodooism, shamanism and such. They were undisciplined and self-taught people who can¡¯t go beyond the basic of arts of any of them. But to the ordinary folk of clover, they

    So the queen called them for the ceremony. It wasn¡¯t unexpected though, as true druids rarely performed anything but the greatest ceremonies. And although today¡¯s ceremony could also be considered a great one, it was for an expedition to the Dreaming mountains. That was a sacred place for druids. Although they wouldn¡¯t outright denounce the ceremony, they wouldn¡¯t perform it either.

    Erhan didn¡¯t particularly care for the mountains or the ceremony. He had a goal. A final goal. And that was all that mattered.

    ¡°Bring in the sacrifices!¡± said the druid with white hair reaching his chest who faced the western sky just as the last point of the sun disappeared beneath it.

    A group of four soldiers led a cluster of sheep, goats, cows and horses toward the podium as the four men in the corner stood up. A knight came forward holding a long tray covered in red velvet clothing. The white-bearded man removed the cover and picked up a curved scimitar.

    He gestured the soldiers and one of them drew one of the four horses forward. As if aware of its looming fate, the creature neighed and shook its body apprehensively, hesitant to go forward. It would have bolted if not for the strength of the soldier holding the rope around its neck.

    The druid drew out the scimitar from its sheath and raised it. The reflection of the flame glittered on its surface for a moment before he brought it down on the creature¡¯s scruff. Blood splashed forward from the horse''s neck like a tide breaking through a dyke. Its head fell down with a thud. Its body, twitching and thrashing, also tried to buckle, only for the soldier to hold it up, leaving it standing as the four druids pushed forward a huge waist-high stone cauldron, letting the blood still warm with its remaining spark of life trickle into it.

    The other animals started moving restlessly. They had seen the fate of their companion. They knew that would also be their fate. But they could do nothing to prevent it.

    ¡°That¡­ is cruel,¡± Arban said as he looked down at the ground, trying to erase the scene of the animal¡¯s heads getting chopped off one by one.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you quite like chopping heads off?¡± Erhan asked as he watched the sacrifice ceremony gradually draw to a close. Although to say he wasn¡¯t bothered by it would be a bit of a stretch, he was too used to it to care. ¡°You¡¯ve talked about it a lot ever since we came to the capital.¡±

    ¡°Well, when Han chopped that crocodile¡¯s head off, I thought it was really cool.¡± he took a quick glance at the sacrificed bodies of the animals piled up by the fire and whirled his head away again. ¡°I mean, the blood¡­ there wasn¡¯t so much of it then, what¡¯s with the river and all. And It was so tense then. The crocodiles were chasing us, trying to eat you. Not like this.¡± he sighed. ¡°Those poor animals.¡±

    Erhan listens to Arban¡¯s speech as he nodded. ¡°Yeah, those animals are poor,¡± he said as he turned and walked away from the fire. ¡°Sacrificing them wouldn¡¯t really have any kind of significant impact. The best effects I¡¯ve seen, are from sacrificing humans.¡±

    ¡°Human sacrifices?¡± Arban who was walking with him was taken aback. ¡°Have you seen human sacrifices?¡±

    Erhan stopped and looked up to see the rising evening star as he said, ¡°I¡¯ve done them.¡±

    Arban¡¯s eyes widened took a step back. ¡°Really? You mean¡­¡± he made a chopping motion towards his neck.

    Erhan nodded. ¡°Right, like that. But that was a long time ago.¡±

    Araban took a sharp breath as he looked everywhere but him. ¡°Hmm,¡± he said as he turned back, hurrying towards the fire despite himself.

    Erhan chuckled to himself. Maybe the boy would be manageable now. But each people are so different. Even though she was only five or six years old, Ellie used to hear the same gruesome feats of his youth with such interest.

    He bit down on his lips. The mood that had just lifted after conversing with Arban, soured again. He took a deep breath and exhaled out, ¡°Well, let¡¯s think about happier times... happier times.¡±

    After the sacrifice, the great blessing ceremony started. As the four druids slowly circled around the fire, muttering their mantras and pouring goblet full of animal blood into the fire, a stench of burning blood wafted through the field. But not only the smell, but there was also a tingling static-like sensation spread through the air that even normal people could sense.

    Erhan narrowed his eyes. Along with the blessing, there was some kind of restraining effect in this art. As if to monitor them and some other effects that were unclear to even him. It was a complex sort of art that those four druids shouldn¡¯t be capable of performing. Even he himself would have difficulty performing this alone. Then who was behind this art?

    If the queen really wanted the troublemakers gone from her kingdom, then she wouldn¡¯t want to keep an eye on them or restrain them. Not to mention if she didn¡¯t even want the artefact, why would she waste resources to perform such complex art on them. However, if not her, then who?

    He looked over at the front of the royal tent where the queen stood with her entourage. Although most people beside her either wrinkled their noses or put handkerchiefs on them, the queen remained as impassive as ever. Her expression, a blend of fortitude and nonchalance, impressed Erhan. But he looked at the man standing beside her. Bent like the decrepit old man he looked, Giraldi¡¯s face had a lax, carefree expression that seemed different than everyone else.

    Was it him? What exactly are his intentions?

    Erhan rapped his staff on the ground. Anyway, although it would be slightly difficult, he should be able to free himself from most of the art¡¯s effects. The art dispersed throughout the whole field, its effects were relatively weaker, but the casting was quite a complex one. Erhan wouldn¡¯t be able to stop this through defending forcefully. He closed his eyes and started to mutter, stringing each piece of mantra with the other. He created a complex web of obscure syllables to defend against the complex net of art trying to snare him.

    As the back and forth between the arts continued, sweat appeared on his forehead. Guarding against The art was harder than he thought. If not for the sub-standard delivery of the so-called druids, his act would have to be a lot more eye-catching than this. And at the end, he might have to take another one month break from spirit casting due to blood loss. But even now it was like playing chess against an opponent who could anticipate most of his moves.

    The art¡¯s effect captured the attention of almost every other person in the fields, so no one noticed Erhan¡¯s silent struggles, except for one person. Giraldi tilted his head as his eyes pierced the darkness to look through Erhan. Oh! A true druid. What was one of those recluses doing all the way here? They shouldn¡¯t have any interest in the quest. Besides, for such a young fellow, the druid had considerable skill and power. And he looked like one who¡¯s been out of practice for years. Was he the one...

    Giraldi considered for a while. Should he involve himself? After a while, he shook his head. There was no need for that.

    Half an hour later, Erhan breathed out in relief. It took a while to end. That was Exhausting. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. His clothes were also soaking wet. Though the blood loss wasn¡¯t much as it was a relatively mild spiritcasting, he was still a bit pale around the edges.

    He clenched his hand. The art was too complex. He wasn¡¯t completely successful in warding it off. Some of the effects might still affect him. The worst part was, he didn¡¯t know which ones they were.

    ¡°Here you are,¡± Sena¡¯s loud voice woke him from his musings. The young woman came jogging towards him with a helpless looking Arban in tow. ¡°What are you doing standing around here? The team deciding has already begun.¡±

    Erhan gave her a measuring look. ¡°So, despite Arakan¡¯s warning, you¡¯re still going?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Erhan nodded. ¡°Fair enough, but I need to go there. You, on the other hand, don¡¯t.¡±

    Sena shrugged. ¡°I just want to. Besides, it¡¯d be a good experience.¡±

    ¡°Ok, then,¡± Erhan said as he walked with her towards the podium.

    Although he didn¡¯t know how the queendom was deciding the teams. Judging by the fact that each participant of the quest had to register their name, age and some other details and presence of the druids, it was probably some kind of divination. He had never been good with those.

 Teammates and destiny

    The ¡®poor¡¯ animals as Arban put it hadn¡¯t finished playing their part that night by sacrificing their lives. They had a more important task ahead of them, filling the bellies of the people joining the quest in the buffet that night. The blessing was done, the teams were decided, all the important parts were finished. Now the people participated in celebrating their impending journey three days from now.

    Huge tables full of hundreds of kinds of meat and fish dishes, broths, soups, loaves of bread and fruits lay in the middle of the podium around the fire. People walked around them with plates both empty and full along with their new teammates, socializing, getting to know each other.

    Erhan sat on the grass in a circle along with his other teammates. As he watched the faces of the new and old acquaintances sitting around him, he felt complicated. Was it all really just a coincidence? Or was there some behind the scene machinations going on along with the divining?

    Along with a tall, bald middle-aged man sporting red horseshoe moustache, and muscles that nearly burst out of his grey wool shirt, a copper-skinned woman in her late twenties with cropped brown hair and a lean cheetah-like man with long golden hair tied into a ponytail, there sat two individuals he knew quite well. A smiling Sena holding an apple in her hands, and a grumbling Arban picking his nose. All of them made up this team of a total of six.

    Sena¡¯s knights sat with other groups not far from them. They all had an almost Identical scowl on their faces. Oh no, they didn¡¯t like this at all. They were knights of Moras! Why in the name of all the gods did those godforsaken, flea-ridden druids separate them from their lady, The one they were supposed to protect? They had protested of course. But what can they do when her majesty the queen herself was behind these arrangements? Now they didn¡¯t even have the chance to back up. The worst blow to their heart was Sena. she could at least pretend to be crestfallen after being separated from them. Was sir Erhan so much more reliable than all four of them combined? They sighed. Yeah, he was.

    Erhan paid no mind to the moping knights nor the people surrounding him as he sat down with a mug of good old ironvein ale himself and pondered over the sum of today¡¯s ceremony. He¡¯d heard about the prize for completing the task, but land or title, or even too much money would be meaningless as a prize if the queendom ever collapses, which is quite likely to happen in Clover. So the number of individuals rushing to Valar for the quest had always somewhat surprised him. He wasn¡¯t one to care about rumours, so he hadn¡¯t heard about the real prize which drew in so many people.

    The Dragon heart elixir. A miracle that could even give an old dying man who had exhausted all his life a chance to live a few more decades. It can cure any injury no matter how serious, even regrow parts of the body that someone lost. The team that brought back the artefact would gain six portions of it. That was one of the reasons for the number of teams. And it was why so many came to join this quest.

    To most people in the world, it might be the most precious thing, however, It was useless to Erhan. It couldn¡¯t cure the Fade.

    The other reason for such small teams was the location. After all, it was the Dreaming mountains. A place where the sadhus lived in seclusion. No one wanted to disturb those people by sending a large group for an expedition there. What if they become angry and send storms or lightning or any of the terrible other terrible disasters to wipe everyone out?The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    No, no need to annoy them.

    ¡°So, let us introduce ourselves properly,¡± said the bald man. A long vivid scar reached from the top of his gleaming pate down to his right eyebrow, dividing it like a dry river through a red grassy land. He took down a sheathed bastard sword from his back and stood it upright beside him. ¡°I¡¯m Harker from Tutshan village. And I¡¯m good with a blade.¡±

    ¡°Garan Ersta, from Ersta tribe.¡± the Golden-haired man glared Harker in provocatively. ¡°I can shoot a running stag from miles away, cut a boar in half with a swing of my sword.¡±

    ¡°Arda Ria,¡± the short-haired woman bowed her head, ¡°I¡¯m good with tracking, mapping, cooking, cleaning and¡­¡± she drew out the last word as she gave a mild smile looking each of them in the eyes, ¡°stabbing.¡±

    Her words gave everyone pause. Arban stared at them with wide eyes full of wonder. ¡°Wow!¡± he said. ¡°A group of jokers.¡±

    ¡°What did you say, boy?¡± said Harker as Garan almost sprang to his feet. Arda¡¯s smile also faltered on her lips and Sena? She burst out laughing.

    Erhan also couldn¡¯t help but smile. Although the boy was going to kill himself for it, he was right. Looking at them Erhan could feel a headache creeping up to him. He sighed. ¡°A wonderful start.¡±

    ¡°Why is it this route?¡± the side of the offwhite piece of vellum crumpled under Erhan¡¯s fingers as he clenched them as hard as he could. The hand-drawn lines on it represented a valley at the entrance of the route that was all too familiar to him. He had dedicated ten years of his life to it after all. It was the place he left three years ago. A place he never thought he would see again.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Harker hurried toward him like a boulder rolling downhill. He extended his hand and said, ¡°You¡¯ll ruin the map. Give it to me.¡±

    Sena pushed his hand away and asked, ¡°Is there something wrong, Erhan?¡±

    Erhan didn¡¯t answer her, his unblinking eyes staring silently at the map for a long time.

    ¡°As I said, none of you five is fit to be the leader,¡± Arban said as he came in with Garan through the door to the study of the Moras mansion where they had decided to hold their discussions.

    ¡°Oh, I see, so you want to be the leader yourself then?¡± Garan asked in a sarcastic tone.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Arban put his nose up towards the sky. ¡°A great leader doesn¡¯t only need power, but charisma and most importantly, intelligence. But all...¡± he said as he slowly turned his head to look at all of them and gave a rueful shake of his head.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    Erhan glared at the two of them bickering away in more than a little bit of annoyance as he handed the map to Sena. ¡°Is there no way to change the route?¡± he asked her.

    ¡°Not that I know of,¡± she said, frowning at the map in suspicion as she took it. Was there something wrong with it? Although she¡¯d only glanced at it when Erin brought it to her from the courier of the palace, she didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. Her brows wrinkled in concentration as she poured over the piece of vellum, scrutinizing it herself to see what incurred such a violent reaction from a man like Erhan. But no matter how she looked, she spotted nothing other than the usual representations of hills and valleys of the Dreaming mountains, and the red line representing the route they were supposed to take. All of it was drawn in the excellent penmanship of the palace scribes. ¡°It¡¯s like deciding the teams. Each teams route is a result of many considerations. Each team¡¯s fate and their chances of success lie on these predetermined routes and how well they can follow it.¡±

    Erhan clenched his teeth. Divinations. It seemed they weren¡¯t as simple as he thought them.

    He glanced at the map as Sena handed it to Arda sat on the sofa and quietly watched them. Did his fate truly lie on that path?

    Then he had to face them in the end. His demons.

 The journey and the pledge

    The peaks of Askhandar and Kanat dyed red in the first light of dawn floated above the southern horizon. The first of the many mountains of the Dreaming mountain range appeared before Erhan¡¯s team after two whole months of journeying through the queendom. Last night the teams went their separate ways from Rannat, the last city of the queendom along the southern border. The path that laid before them now was one full of wild forests and rocky ridges. The few villages that lay within these land were scattered and isolated. The people living within them seldom visiting others and are seldom visited by. And these were lands never visited by the flames of wars. The domain of sadhus.

    Arban, Harker and Garan had competed last night to see who gets lead the team today. So Arban sat on a courser at the helm of the team. The other two didn¡¯t seem bothered by that at all though. Not surprising since they planned this to avoid Arban¡¯s mouth. Erhan sat in a daze as he looked around from the top of a brown palfrey at the tail of his team, riding behind Sena and Arda.

    The tall oaks on moss-covered ground, boulders coloured with red or green lichen, inclines and declines stretched around their path. The smell of fresh greenery, the twittering of birds or the chirping of monkeys. It was all so familiar to him. He knew it wouldn¡¯t be far now. He would see that land again soon.

    Sena gave Erhan a worried look or two occasionally. He wasn¡¯t himself since the start of the journey. The careless poise and confidence he always carried himself with even when he was injured, had disappeared. Always distracted, thinking something on his own, looking at them yet not seeing them. He had returned to the Erhan from the mining town of Rovert who always had a vacant look in his forest-green eyes. And the closer they got to the mountains the more different he became.

    Sena slowed down her horse, bringing it beside Erhan. ¡°Erhan?¡± she called as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°Um?¡± Erhan gave a start and looked at her like a man woken from a long dream. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± he exhaled slowly and asked, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Do I have a problem?¡± she said, with some amount of exasperation. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you. What is going on with you? You aren¡¯t even paying attention to all the meetings and plans we¡¯ve been making.¡± she turned her head to stare at the three a the forefront of the team. ¡°They are all useless, always arguing. Too busy to disagree with each other to come up with anything useful. We could¡¯ve used some of your expertise in one of those.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t put all your trust in me,¡± Erhan said. ¡°Learn to lean on others too.¡±

    Sena shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not about trusting each other, don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve tried? But they are acting childish,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, I can understand Arban, but the other two are old enough, Harker is even in his forties. At least shouldn¡¯t he have some sense? I swear, whatever disease Arban has got, is contagious.¡±

    Erhan couldn¡¯t stop a chuckle from escaping his lips.

    ¡°Yeah, laugh away,¡± Sena pouted with a look of annoyance, but inside she was a little pleased. At least she made the man laugh again. But she didn¡¯t stop with her complaints. ¡°The only one who is a little normal is Arda. Except for the weird things she says from time to time, she¡¯s nice. And she is good at all kinds of work.¡± she looked at the other woman riding a few steps ahead and as if sensing her gaze, Arda also turned her head. Her thin lips spread into a quick playful smirk. ¡°Yeah,¡± Sena said, ¡°she does that too from time to time.¡±

    Erhan also looked at Arda and smiled at her. He leaned his head towards Sena and whispered, ¡°Be careful around her.¡±

    Sena wrinkled her brow quizzically. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±

    ¡°All I can say is, she isn¡¯t what she seems.¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± Sena smiled. ¡°Just now you were telling me to trust my other teammates, and now you¡¯re warning me against them.¡±

    Erhan looked up at the clear blue sky with cotton-light plumes of cloud scattered around. The usual morning fog of the mountains wasn¡¯t there today. The air was chilly but clear. ¡°No trust is no better than blind trust. For all your trust, vigilance should also be in your heart. You shouldn¡¯t give your full trust to anyone, not even me.¡± he looked at her clear grey eyes and smiled. ¡°Trust others, but trust yourself more.¡±

    Sena turned her head toward the front and observed the four on horseback with a pondering expression. ¡°Trust myself¡­¡± she whispered.

    The horses continued their brisk walk until the sun reached overhead.

    ¡°Halt!¡± Arban tried to shout in a great majestic voice. Though it still broke near the end. As the team stopped, he climbed down from his horse coughing and muttered, ¡°am I catching a cold already?¡±

    The others also started descending, Harker went forward and patted Arban¡¯s back. ¡°No, kid, it¡¯s not a cold,¡± he said with a grave expression. ¡°It¡¯s another disease, an incurable one.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. Lots of boys around my age at town hit puberty too. No need to be so dramatic.¡± Arban looked up at the Harker with an educating expression. ¡°Act your age, old man.¡±

    The bald man took a few sharp breaths as he clenched his teeth. Arban left him alone and turned around, facing the other members of the team. ¡°Let us prepare for launch!¡± He declared.

    The riders had started stretching their tired limbs as soon as they dismounted. Even with the little amount of chill in the air, journeying under the midday sun was exhausting. They prepared a place for rest near a bush of laurels. Red and white flowers decorated the green leaves and a couple of blue butterflies chased each other in circles over them. Somewhere among the oak forest a few thrushes and sparrows called in tandem as if bound in a strange debate.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Who knew what they were talking about? Perhaps Erhan''s teachers would. They could talk all sorts of creatures after all. After reaching the heights they had, the language barrier was a trivial thing to overcome. Erhan never reached that height. He hadn¡¯t been prepared to make the sacrifice necessary. To give up on the so-called mundane.

    ¡°Oi, you! Why are you bringing those out for,¡± Arda¡¯s sharp voice shocked the birds into silence.

    Garan who was pulling down a sack from top of the horse looked at her. ¡°Preparing for launch. The leader ordered it after all.¡±

    Arda walked towards him holding a bunch of twigs she had picked up from the forest nearby. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m picking these up for? Stop being lazy and go hunt something fresh.¡±

    ¡°Hah,¡± Garan laughed as he stopped pulling the sack and put his hands to his waist. While stretching his back, he said, ¡°have you ever been to forests like this? The scent of roasting meat here''ll attract the bears.¡±

    Arda pointed her free hand towards the mountains far ahead and said in the same tone as his, ¡°have you ever been to mountains like that? A world of ice and stone. Almost nothing grows there and nothing to hunt.¡± she gestured at the ration sacs. ¡°Those are for then.¡±

    A hint of doubt appeared of Garan''s face. The Ersta tribe was a dweller of forests and meadows. It wasn¡¯t that he had no experience about mountains, that was hardly possible in ina land covered with mountains like Clover, but the ones he¡¯d been to were small isolated ones with only a peak or two that would take no more than half a day to cross. Besides, they were always covered in mountain forests. A long and continuous snow-capped mountain range was a first for him. And it was also the largest mountain range right in the middle of Clover, the Dreaming mountains. He had heard stories that people spent months crossing it. And every year there were stories of people who went missing in there. He hesitated a bit and said, ¡°But the bears¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh stop talking about bears already. Don¡¯t tell me we can¡¯t handle a bear or two. Besides, we have¡­¡± she stopped talking and looked back at Erhan who was staring pensively towards the south-east, the way their predetermined route lay. She looked back at Garan. ¡°Anyway, get hunting. I think there would be a herd of mountain goats nearby. I¡¯ll track them for you. Show me those archery skills you¡¯re so proud of.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going hunting, I¡¯ll come too.¡± Sena walked towards them. She had gone hunting into the forest adjacent to Brigsar with her father and brothers a few times. Those used to be huge events when some special guests came, or when a big celebration required lots of meat. Twenty to thirty knights on horses chased down and herded the animals with noisemakers and hunting dogs. Going to hunt with a few people, tracking down animals and hunting them unnoticed would be a completely new experience for them.

    Harker looked at the back of the three as they disappeared into the jungle. Arban sat leaning on one of the only lichenless boulders a bit further away from them. An array of swords, daggers, throwing knives and other weapons lay on a large piece of leather in front of him. His blue eyes shone with a strange sparkle as he picked each weapon and scrutinized every inch of them with rapt attention.

    Those were most of the weapons everyone brought with them and he was doing one of the only things he was good at, except running his mouth, maintaining the weapons. After all, he had trained a whole four months with his uncle in the royal smithy for this. He had maintained everyone¡¯s weapons and advised them about maintaining them up until they separated with the other teams last night. And Harker had to admit, he was quite good at it. The only things he wasn¡¯t maintaining would be the weapons the others had refused to leave in his care, weapons they wanted to maintain themselves, like Harker¡¯s own bastard sword.

    Harker unsheathed his sword from the side of the saddle of his horse. He examined his reflection on the glimmering polished steel. Many scars of battle lay along its length, but no chips along its edge. That was how it was supposed to be. Not many weapons would be able to chip such an expertly made weapon. He looked again at Arban who was now polishing a silver-grey claymore with a red dotted black hilt. Except for a weapon like that of course. Clashing with a weapon like that would shatter a blade like his. After all, It had done just that not too long ago.

    Holding the sword beside him, Harker walked towards the only other man left here.

    Erhan stared at the line of trees heading south-east along a cliffside. The ground beneath it, there used to be a path there. A little more than a trail, though a well-trodden one. He had walked through that trail thousand times himself. Three years ago he walked out of it and now he was here to walk back in.

    ¡°Only two more days,¡± he whispered.

    The point of a giant sword only a few inches in front of his eyes and the giant man twice his size holding it obstructed his view.

    Erhan looked up at Harker. The bald man held the three-inch-wide four feet long blade pointed at him almost effortlessly. The point of the blade and his hand both remained perfectly still, just like his emotionless face and cold eyes.

    ¡°Your skills are far better than Bruce¡¯s,¡± Erhan stated.

    Harker lowered the blade as he asked, ¡°You knew?¡±

    Erhan nodded, ¡°You both share many similarities,¡± he said, looking up at the red moustache hanging above his lips. ¡°And the swords. They are both made by the same smith.¡±

    Harker sighed as he sat down beside Erhan. ¡°Our father made them,¡± he said. ¡°A prize, for coming out alive from our first war. Father¡­ he was a good bladesmaker along with a good knight.¡± he looked up at the sky as nostalgia covered his eyes. ¡°Our family used to be a family of knights under a minor farmer noble house. Nothing like the big names like Moras or Sergel. A no-name really. But a no-name who dared to not choose a side during the queen¡¯s ascension. And unlike some of the big names who managed to survive being neutral, the Akhran house was ground to dust, caught between the struggles of the two sides.¡± he sighed. ¡°Our family did survive the grinding, but now it¡¯s only a shadow of its former self.¡±

    He turned his head and bowed to Erhan. ¡°Thank you, for sparing my brother and saving our family. I¡¯m grateful to you and lady Sena.¡±

    Erhan sighed and shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for him. I had my own reasons.¡±

    ¡°Still,¡± Harker said as he glanced at the staff laying on Erhan¡¯s lap. ¡°The fact that you didn¡¯t simply destroy him and instead allowed him to have the chance to ask for mercy, is enough for me to be grateful about.¡±

    Erhan raised his brows in mild surprise. ¡°You seem to know more than your brother.¡± he looked down at his left hand and gave a shake of his head as he said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t in any condition to do that at that time. Or else I might have done that.¡±

    ¡°Even so, you did save our family,¡± said Harker as he turned to look at the forest. ¡°My brother¡¯s a fool. He hasn¡¯t seen much of the world, still lost in the past glory of our family. Even I couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d involve himself in something sordid like slave trading. So he deserves what he got I guess.¡±

    ¡°So what are your intentions now?¡±

    ¡°The same as what my brother wanted,¡± Harker said. ¡°Restore our family. Bring it out of poverty. However, since fate has brought us together...¡± he stood up and came in front of Erhan. Holding the sword straight against the ground with both hands on the pommel, he looked straight at Erhan¡¯s eyes, ¡°I pledge my blade to protect you and lady Sena.¡±

 A howl and a mistake

    ¡°Ssssh!¡± Arda put her hand on her lips pointing in front of her from the low bushes they were hiding and pointed at a steep incline a half a mile ahead of them. A creature with a shaggy coat of white fur and a set of long, straight horns with rings along its length jumped from rock to rock, climbing down from the incline. It was in a hurry, afraid of something the three of them couldn¡¯t see.

    It was a good-sized mountain goat of at least two hundred pounds, if they smoke the meat, it would last them for half a week at least. And the fur would be useful to keep too. They were entering the snowy land after all. The creature was practically heading towards them too, so no need to scare it away.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Arda whispered to Garan.

    Garan nocked an arrow to his bow and raised it and aimed towards the goat¡¯s head, but he didn¡¯t shoot.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Fire it.¡± Sena¡¯s low scolding came from behind him.

    ¡°Too far,¡± Garan whispered.

    Yeah, It was too far to get a proper hit right now, especially from the front where it can see the arrow coming.

    Sena shifted her on her feet as the seconds passed by them. But seeing Arda¡¯s annoyed glare at her, she stopped and clenched her fist. She wasn¡¯t used to this type of hunting.

    Garan paid her no attention, concentrating his mind on the approaching creature until nearly every other sight or sound disappeared. A bit more. His muscles strained as he drew the bow to its full capacity, his fingers reaching his cheek. just a bit¡ª there!

    He let his fingers loose and with a twang, the arrow shot free of the bow and whistled towards the creature¡¯s right eye.

    the goat swerved its body to the right with the sound of the bow. The arrow missed it by a hair and thunked into the trunk of an oak. Half of its shaft disappeared into the wood, but the prey it sought had already escaped it.

    ¡°Dammit!¡± Sena and Garan said in one voice as Arda stared at the escaping creature with a frown.

    ¡°It was only twenty yards! How could you miss!¡± Sena asked, not caring anymore to lower her voice.

    Garan ignored her and drew out another arrow from the quiver on his back. But before he even knocked the arrow a small black shadow sprung out of a bush near the goat and landed on it. Its fangs clamped down on its neck and although it was smaller than the goat, it brought the bigger creature crashing down behind a boulder.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Sena cursed and pounded the ground in front of her. ¡°It took our prey.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe it took it back,¡± Arda said as she stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t think the goat turned away because of the sound of the bow.¡±

    ¡°Hm? But the goat ran towards the thing, whatever it was.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe there are more of those creatures,¡± Arda said as she craned her neck, trying to spot the goat and its assailant. ¡°It''s so strong though. The goat was at least four times as big as it. What is the beast?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alone,¡± Garan put away his bow and stood up. His eyes were quite good and he didn¡¯t spot any other creature approaching them. He took out his sword and walked out of the bush. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s chase it away and get the goat.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Sena shook her head. ¡°Even though the goat was supposed to be our prey, It hunted the creature by itself. If we take it, we¡¯d be no better than hyenas.¡± She was a knight. And a warrior noble on top of that. She couldn¡¯t accept such an act.

    ¡°Tsk!¡± Garan twisted his lips in annoyance. ¡°Don¡¯t be a child,¡± he said as he headed for the beasts.

    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± Arda gestured at her as she also stepped behind Garan. ¡°I understand what you want to say, but we haven¡¯t seen anything other than a few birds the whole way. And sometimes we just can¡¯t be fair and just. Besides...¡± she looked at incline casting a long shadow towards them. ¡°Sun¡¯s already tipping to the west. We don¡¯t have too much time to spend hunting anymore.¡±

    Sena hesitated a moment, but looking at their back going farther from her she couldn¡¯t help but follow. Trust her teammates, Erhan had said. So she¡¯d do that.

    Though in her dilemma, she forgot Erhan had also said to trust herself more.

    Behind the boulder, under the shade of a bush sat a small creature that looked like a four or five months old wolf cub. It had been so hungry after it ran away from that place. Was its brother alright? And mother? Was she still alive? It didn¡¯t dare to go back to check.

    The last it ate was a week earlier when it was still with them. It had tried to catch something, even eat the green leaves and grasses like these big horns. But those things were unpalatable.

    It panted a little as it looked at the big carcass of the big two horns. The first prey it caught by itself after a week of trial and error. It took a lot of strength from its little body and mind to bring the two horns down. Scaring it, chasing it down, cornering it, all of it had been exhausting. Still, it stood up.

    It couldn¡¯t rest yet. It could enjoy its meal after it chased away those annoying two legs. Did they want to rob its first hunt? They didn¡¯t know what they were dealing with yet, especially now that it could scare others.

    It lowered the body, tightening it. The shadow around it darkened and flickered, twisting like smoke. It was ready.

    ¡°Hat!¡± Garan scolded the small black wolf looking ready to leap at them as he waved his sword from a few yards away. He had never seen anything like it before. It had fluffy black fur that was as smooth as satin and its golden eyes were full of intelligence and pride. The beast only reached above his knees, but it had an elegance and majesty that he had never seen in any other animal. Although he wanted the goat, but he didn¡¯t want to kill the beast for it. Otherwise, an arrow to its neck would be enough. ¡°Hat, hat,¡± he said as he tried his best to scare the beast.

    Instead of being scared, the little wolf became more angry at his behaviour. Did the stupid two legs think it was a dumb mongrel? It bared its fangs and sent a low growl from its throat. Doing its own part to scare Garan in return.

    The shadows around them still deepened a little and even though the sun hadn¡¯t set yet, evening darkness covered the three hunters.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Sena said. A little perspiration seeped out of her forehead. This creature was giving her a dangerous feeling. She didn¡¯t want to stay here at this place another moment more. And she wasn¡¯t the only one. Each of the three felt the same thing they wanted to get away from here.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Arda shook her head and looked around her. The darkening of shadows wasn¡¯t normal. She looked at Sena casting nervous glances around herself, she looked at Garan sweating in fear, yet still stubbornly trying to chase off the beast, and she looked at her own fingers clenching tightly around her sweaty palm. How much time has passed? A few seconds? Did they perspire so much in such a short time?

    This fear! This fear also wasn¡¯t normal!

    She turned to stare at the beast. They had been content to let Garan chase the beast away on his own. Especially since Sena was so reluctant about the whole thing. But the little creature refused to budge. She looked at its paws and her eyes shrunk.

    Darkness coiled between its claws like fog rising from the surface of the water. It spread outwards in ripples surrounding them, darkening everything around them.

    ¡°Kill it!¡± she shouted as she flung one of her throwing knives at the wolf. The knife flitted through the air and appeared before the creature before it could move out of the way. The point struck the side of its neck and¡ª

    It passed through with no resistance at all!

    The knife passed as if there was nothing there and clattered against the boulder behind it. The three of them stopped their acts in shock. The wolf still stood there but it lowered its neck and gave a low howl that vibrated through the bones of the three. The howl spread through the low bushes and high oaks and¡­ other howls answered it. One, two, ten, hundred- soon the whole forest shook from an innumerable number of howls. The three looked around them in fear. They could see the silhouette of wolves. Pitch black, full-grown wolves lurking under the shadows of every tree and bush. Although their forms were unclear, their red eyes burned like embers inside the darkness as they inched closer towards them from every direction.

    The sight of them sent chills down Garan¡¯s spine. Where did those wolves come from? There were hundreds of them advancing towards them and they had nowhere to run. He swallowed heavily. Those could tear them to bits in seconds. They had to run away! His eyes, bulging from fear glanced everywhere, looking for an outlet.

    As his eyes fell on the small wolf, a trace of anger appeared in his eyes. It was the culprit of their peril! They were in this situation because of it. He raised his sword and dashed out. His instincts told him, all of these would only end if he killed this little beast. He swung down his sword. But just like with Arda¡¯s knife, it hit nothing. The creature in front of his body started dissipating little by little like smoke in the wind until it vanished and all the wolves around them howled once again in a fearful cacophony.

    They stepped out of the shadows and rushed out towards the three like a tide of darkness.their jaws open and fangs somehow dazzlingly white even in the darkness surrounding the three. Their eyes like hoards of red fireflies headed their way. The mind of the three people jumbled in fear. They flailed their swords around, incapable of noticing the lack of resistance as the blades passed through the creatures. It was as if they were fighting smoke.

    Within the hoard lurked two golden eyes, looking at the three two legs wave their swords around. Yes! Although it couldn¡¯t perfectly control the scare, The second time was already much better. If it could do this when it was chasing the two horns, it wouldn¡¯t take so much time to hunt it down. But why weren¡¯t the three two legs running away yet? Didn¡¯t it scare them enough?

    But It was too hungry. Though the two legs had those shiny, sharp things it couldn¡¯t wait anymore. So it leapt, its figure hidden within the other wolves, its fangs aimed towards the neck of Garan who was right in front of it.

    Sena¡¯s instincts screamed at her. She reached out with her free hand and grabbed Garan¡¯s scruff. She hauled him behind and thrust her sword out. She was lucky. She felt it piercing flesh.

    The evening darkness vanished in an instant like it never existed. The twisting shadows, the hundreds of wolves, and¡­ the sense of terror corroding their minds like termites on wood- all of it gone in a sudden unexpected way, leaving them feeling empty.

    Sena lowered her hand and the wolf slid down from the blade, its little body falling to the ground with a thump. Blood flowed from a wound below its neck from where the narrow sword had pierced through its heart. It didn¡¯t have a chance to feel pain, its eyes still bright and hungry, unaware of its death.

    The three of them surrounded the little creature, their breaths heavy and limbs tired from the whole ordeal.

    ¡°What is this thing?¡± Gregor asked the question that was on all of their minds.

    Sena kneeled beside the wolf and ran her fingers through its soft, smooth fur. They had wanted to snatch its food. It didn¡¯t have to die. She didn¡¯t want to kill it. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, but she had some suspicions. She picked the creatures frail body and standing up. ¡°We should take it back. Erhan might know what it is.¡± she had a feeling. A terrible premonition in her heart. She looked at the sky. As the sun had started its homeward journey, the coming twilight had also begun to die the sky red as if painting it with the blood of the wolf.

    A sudden howl full of anguish and grief-filled the reddening sky. It came from an unknown distance and direction, but all of them felt it was right next to them, surrounding them.

    Sena¡¯s expression turned grim as she clenched her teeth. Yeah, she shouldn¡¯t have killed it.

    Erhan stood up and glared at the bleeding sky with a frown on his face.

    ¡°What creature was that?¡± Herker asked with a hand over his heart. It was beating like a drum under his palm. He had never heard anything like it.

    Erhan didn¡¯t answer. A restlessness filled his heart.

    Not only him and Erhan, but Arban had also sprung up to his feet. ¡°Nearly cut my hand in half,¡± he said clenching Sena dagger in his right hand. He hurried towards Erhan and thrust his left hand out. The palm had a shallow cut on it. ¡°I¡¯m gravely injured, heal me.¡±

    Erhan lowered his eyes on Arban¡¯s hand and touched the wound with the tip of his fingers. The edges of the cut wiggle and came together.

    ¡°Ow, itchy!¡± Arban drew his hand back, wiping it clean cloth and watched the long hair-thin red mark on it. He was somewhat surprised Erhan remained so impassive after seeing his grave injury. Not that he blamed him. Even he was affected by that howl. The grief in it made his mood sink to the bottom. He looked at the oak forest where Sena¡¯s group went hunting. ¡°Which hole did those three dive in? If they are not back soon, my stomach will start to eat itself.¡± he turned and glanced at the sacks on strung on the saddles. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go chew jerky.¡±

    Sena, Arda and Garan¡¯s figure appeared amongst the trees when only the tip of the sun was left over the hilltops of the west. Arda led the other two, appearing at the sight of their camp first. Garan was behind him, carrying the goat over his shoulder.

    ¡°Sorry, we are later than intended,¡± Arda said to the three of them while wiping her forehead with the hem of her cloak. ¡°We ran into a prob¡ª¡±

    Erhan arrived beside Sena who was following the other two like the wind. His movement a black blur that their eyes could hardly follow. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the little black body in her arms. ¡°This¡­¡± he whispered as he extended a shaky hand to touch it.

    ¡°Do you know what it is?¡± Garan asked as he slung the carcass of the goat down on the grass with an ''uff''! ¡°The thing almost killed us in the forest.¡±

    Erhan¡¯s fingers stopped just an inch shy from the wolf¡¯s fur. His hand shrank back and He took a sharp breath. His face twisted in an expression of grief. That howl, the grief in it reminded him of something familiar. It was the cry of a parent who lost their child. His voice came from between his clenched teeth. ¡°Who did it?¡± he asked. ¡°Who killed¡­¡±

    Sena¡¯s heart tightened at the question. He had seen this expression on Erhan¡¯s face once before. It was at the inn in Garola when uncle Corvin mentioned the Fade that took her grandmother¡¯s life.

    ¡°I- it was me,¡± her voice was barely a whisper as she swallowed the painful feeling in her throat.

    Before Erhan could stop it, his hand moved and landed on Sena¡¯s cheek. It was just a light slap that only stung the skin of her face a bit. But it was like a lightning strike to her heart.

    Silence descended on the camp as everyone stared at Erhan with the same shocked face as Sena¡¯s. Even Arban was dumbfounded and speechless. Sena raised a hand and touched her cheek. She had been beaten down countless times before when she was going through her knight training. But no one had ever slapped her before. Not even her father. But she couldn¡¯t feel angry as she looked at the man who despite slapping her was staring down at his hand in disbelief.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked. A voice of genuine question.

    Erhan closed his eyes to compose himself. The howl had affected his mind too much. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said as he opened his eyes and looked at Sena. ¡°But regardless of the reason, you have done something incredibly stupid.¡± he touched the back of his on the wolf¡¯s forehead with a bitter smile. ¡°A grave mistake and we might have to pay a heavy price for it.¡±

    The other four also gathered around Sena and peered down at the dead beast in her arms. ¡°What Exactly is it?¡± asked Arban.

    Erhan looked up at the western sky where the sun had disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s the child of the creature whose howl we heard,¡± he said, as his fingers tightened around his staff farther, ¡°the child of a Shadewolf.¡±

 Memories and suffering

    Only the sound of wind rustling through leaves and the babble of a stream flowing over the rocks accompanied the sound of horse hooves. The people remained silent and so did the horses they were riding. Even the birds and beasts of the forest had fallen silent last night. An uneasiness hung heavy on their heads like a sword attached to a thread.

    Shadewolf. A name any child of Clover or even the greater world beyond it knew. It appeared in the bedtime stories their parents or grandparents told them. It was a creature of myths and legends, just like voros.

    It seldom appeared before human and those who met it seldom lived to tell the tale. So not many knew what it was capable of, or even how they looked. But no one expected it to look like an ordinary wolf. And now its child died by their hands.

    The other travellers fidgeted restlessly on their horses. They stiffened their backs from time to time. They all sensed an invisible eye watching them. An eye of wrath. They were being hunted.

    Only Erhan¡¯s mind was elsewhere. He stared at the trail they travelled through, he listened to the gurgling stream on one side of the road, he gazed at the gently rising hillside on the right with grass growing in the fields along its sides. They used to grow their grains on those fields, now weeds grew on them.

    A small hut lay on the side of the road. Its mud walls were broken from wind and rain, its roof... there was no roof, only half of the wooden frame used to hold up the thatch remained like a broken skeleton. Other than a few scattered bundles of straw here and there, the silver light of an early full moon poured in. the door and windows lay open, hanging on their hinges.

    Desolated and abandoned. Those words didn¡¯t only describe this hut. But along the way, the few huts and houses had the same dilapidated look. Few except for the many others that had been burnt down by their dwellers. Those left blackened ruins of half-fallen walls, barely recognizable as houses.

    It was Arlat, the village Erhan left nearly four years ago. His home.

    ¡°An abandoned village,¡± Garan said. ¡°Tomorrow''s a hard journey ahead of us. So Let¡¯s camp here. What do you say?¡± he asked everyone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Arda¡¯s eyes travelled over the burnt ruins as she said, ¡°We don¡¯t more bad luck.¡±

    ¡°Bad luck?¡± Garan said with a chuckle. ¡°It''s just abandoned. Don¡¯t be so superstitious.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a plague site.¡±

    ¡°Plague site?¡± Not only Garan, but the rest of the team except Erhan looked around apprehensively.

    ¡°Is that why they even burnt the huts down. They didn¡¯t need to do that, ¡± said Arban.

    Erhan closed his eyes as he thought back to the blank, grief-stricken faces of the few remaining villagers. They had to. Regardless of whether they needed or not. They had done everything to escape those days.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move on then,¡± Garan said, sighing with regret. ¡°And it¡¯s such a good site for a camp too.¡±

    They spurred their horses to a trot, intending to leave this unlucky place as soon as possible.

    Yes! They were moving on! Erhan didn¡¯t have to stay here. There was no chance of seeing that accursed place again. Erhan was relieved.

    .

    ¡°Erhan?¡± Sena called out. ¡°Why are you stopping? Come on.¡±

    What was she talking about? Why would he be stopping? Weren¡¯t they the ones going fast? Erhan looked down at his horse. It had stooped. But why?

    ¡°Yes!¡± As if from a deep abyss inside his mind Erhan heard his own voice.

    No! What is he doing? He didn¡¯t want that! No no no! Stop!

    ¡°We will stay here today,¡± the voice said, sounding calm.

    He needed to face it. He needed to move on.

    Erhan walked on the rough overgrown trail road branching out to the various abandoned houses and ruins scattered around the village. Looking around at the familiar places where once familiar faces lived.

    There! That was the tailor¡¯s house. The Ekards. Only six months old Barkley Ekard survived among the family of five.

    The small hut on the right was where the old stargazer had lived. He had escaped the plague by dying two years before its arrival. Truly escaped. Dying of old age was a far more pleasant experience than Fading.

    Erhan walked past them and past another few where people who laughed and cried with him, celebrated and mourned with him once resided. Who among them had lived then? Who had died? He didn¡¯t remember. He had not been in a condition to pay attention to them then. He wished he had.

    He walked in silence until he reached the eastern end of the village. Under the cracked and burnt stump of a willow tree lay a blackened patch of ground the size of two or three huts together. Too big for three people to live. Nothing remained on the burned and cracked earth, not even one piece of the ruin. His fire had been too powerful to leave anything behind.

    He stepped on the depressed ground and extended his hand in front of him. The door had been here. He closed his eyes. Maybe, just maybe if he opened them, it¡¯d all be there. Maybe he¡¯d been too tired after working in the field yesterday. Maybe he¡¯d just fallen asleep on the fields and just now returned home. And maybe¡­ those three years, the Fade, all of this was a nightmare.

    It had all been just a horrible... long¡­ nightmare.

    The door was there, he could almost feel the familiar texture of its wooden surface on the tip of his fingertips. He just needs to push it open, and he¡¯d see Leah smiling at him in that calm, simplehearted way. And Ellie, she¡¯d dash towards him and jump into his arms, regardless of his tired and dirty appearance from the field. Her voice would be like the call of a songbird waking him up as she¡¯d say¡ª

    ¡°Papa!¡±

    Yes! She¡­ called him out? What¡­? was he hearing things?

    ¡°Papa!¡±

    Erhan¡¯s eyes shot open. He gawked at the oak door in front of him. A door to the biggest house in the village, his house. He backed up a few steps in shock as he looked up at the window. The silhouette of a woman, the shadow of her auburn hair flowing out of the window obscured her face as she leaned in to look at him.

    Ehran gulped. His throat was dry and his heart jumped in his chest like a mad rabbit trying to get out of its cage. Wh- who was that? He couldn¡¯t see clearly! Who¡ª

    ¡°Why are you standing outside Erhan? Come in. Ellie¡¯s waiting for you.¡± the silhouette said.

    ¡°Yes, papa, come in. I want to hear that story again.¡± the other voice said from beyond the door.

    A breath escaped Erhan¡¯s throat like small laughter of desolation mixed with disbelief and hope. His knees nearly buckled under him as he took a step back towards the door. His body wanted to fall down! To kneel and weep. But he held it up.

    So real! Their voice calling him. Was he dreaming?

    He took short quick breaths, reaching out towards the door with light and cautious fingers, afraid the dream was too fragile. His fingers touched the door. Touched it! The door creaked open by that light touch.

    A little form in white dress ran out of the door. He extended his hand to hold her, but she giggled like a chime of bells as she skirted him and ran outside. ¡°Catch me, papa!¡± she said.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    The silhouette at the window laughed. ¡°Go and bring her back. I¡¯ll get supper ready.¡±

    Erhan smiled nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± he whispered at the door and turned around, chasing after his daughter.

    It wasn¡¯t a dream.

    Sena woke from her sleep with a start. She was sweating a little even in this chilly weather. She had been having a nightmare. It¡¯s a nightmare she used to have quite a lot when she was little. The nightmare that was a memory too. The memory of her twin sister Sara¡¯s death. A death that should have been hers.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fun. You¡¯ll be me and I¡¯ll be you,¡± Sena had said to her sister that morning. The seven years old she had hated those hard and painful sword lessons. Sara had always been better than her in them anyway. And It wasn¡¯t like it was the first time they had exchanged places, so once more wouldn¡¯t have mattered, right? After all, that was one of the perks of being twins.

    And so she had been free to roam the city that morning, go to her favourite sweetshop. She bought some sweets for her sister too. She also liked them after all. But Sara hadn¡¯t been able to eat those sweets.

    The house had been in chaos when she returned. The sweets had dropped, smashing against the stone floor when her eyes fell on her sister¡¯s broken, lifeless body.

    It was an assassin.

    Someone had killed their sword teacher and replaced her. Just as Sara had replaced her to receive the lesson. She had received a vicious, gruesome beating before her death instead. The imposter had first crushed her throat, so she couldn¡¯t scream, then broke her bones as she was alive. And then after there was nothing left to break, ended her life with a stab to the heart. They had never found the assassin.

    She had later learnt, it was all politics. Someone had wanted to warn Robert Moras, the heir of the house, about something. The death of one of his daughters was that warning.

    Many people had later told Sena How incredibly lucky she had been. Her mother, Serena Moras had told Sena, It wasn¡¯t her fault, she could¡¯ve done nothing. Her father still as unrattled as ever had told her nothing. And Sena knew her sister had died a death that should have been hers. After all, that was one of the perks of being twins.

    Wasn¡¯t it?

    The memory had been a nightmare to her, waking her up, up until her early teens when it had gradually stopped. Until today, when she saw it again. Only, unlike through her eyes, she saw the nightmare through the eyes of the assassin.

    Her mind had been trapped into the assassin¡¯s body. Watching her own sister writhe and thrash before her as she felt each blow of the heavy wooden practice sword through her arm. She had seen her sister¡¯s angry face turn into a pleading one, and just before her consciousness had left her when her little form was barely recognizable anymore, there had been relief in those eyes. She knew that relief had been meant for her as she had felt her handhold the dagger and plunge it into her sister¡¯s heart.

    And she also felt what the assassin had felt. Like the assassin, she had¡­ enjoyed it! Each moment of the act had been the strongest stimulant to her. She had enjoyed killing her sister. Intoxicated by it. It was the final straw that woke her up.

    Sena sat staring vacantly at her own two hands under the red glow of the dying embers from last nights fire. A sick feeling rose from her stomach as the vivid images of the dream still burned in her mind like a roaring fire. She still felt the sensations in her hand, the beatings! The stabbing! ¡­.And the enjoyment!

    She cringed. What had she done? She- she had killed her sister! No! It wasn¡¯t her! It wasn¡¯t¡ª

    ¡°Sena!¡±

    The voice startled Sena. She looked up, searching for the source of the voice. A thick fog covered the predawn darkness in a hazy white blanket. Vague silhouettes of the group¡¯s sleeping figures laid around the fire. Erhan who was supposed to keep watch was nowhere in sight.

    Who called her? So familiar! Whose voice was it?

    ¡°Sena! I¡¯m here!¡± the soft voice pierced through the fog to reach her.

    Sena sprang to her feet. She recognized it. She had heard it so much when she was little! It was her own voice. Or rather, it had been both of theirs¡­

    Her eyes turned towards the right. There, just beyond the edge of the light of embers, half-hidden by the fog and mist stood a little form, indistinguishable and intangible like a deeper shade of the fog itself.

    ¡°Come, Sena, come to me.¡± the form reached out with the thin, small hand of a child and called Sena. the voice sounded far away, but also next to her ears, as if from another plane. It tugged at her heartstrings, hypnotizing her. As the form turned and disappeared into the fog, calling her name from its murky depths, Sena also stumbled forward, drawn to it like a sailor drawn to the siren''s call. She left behind her companions, sunk peacefully in the mires of their dreams and nightmares.

    Only the edge of her left foot brushed against the edge of the blanket covering a hulking figure on its way. She didn¡¯t notice it, neither did the figure leading her, but the blanket stirred.

    Sena followed the figure half awake, half asleep. Her mind a jumbled mess of thoughts churning against each other like the stormy seas. They headed deeper and deeper into the woods until they came to a clearing. There the form stopped as it stared into the fog in front of it.

    It wanted to lead her further, but it couldn¡¯t now. The figure turned and looked at Sena, looking at her in silence.

    ¡°Who-¡± Sena stopped and swallowed heavily, ¡°who are you?¡±

    ¡°Who am I?¡± It asked as all the fog around it grew fainter and fainter. Its form grew tangible as all the mist gathered toward it. When all the fog was gone and the air grew clear, a little girl with shining golden hair stood under the moonlight. She smiled up at Sena¡¯s face, stiff and pale with shock, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize your own sister?¡±

    ¡°Sara¡­¡± Sena¡¯s voice shook as she backed up a step. ¡°No!¡± said she. ¡°No, you can¡¯t be her!¡±

    Sara laughed. ¡°Why not, sister? If not me, then who am I?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Sena shook head in intense denial. ¡°I watched you die! You died¡ª¡±

    ¡°Because of you.¡± Sara completed her words. Her calm, quiet voice was like a knife cutting through Sena¡¯s heart. ¡°I died in your place.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª"

    ¡°It was your day to practice wasn¡¯t it?¡± said Sara as she took a step forward and Sena backed a step. ¡°You should have been there, not me. Then why am I dead? Why not you? Why¡ª¡±

    ¡®Snap!¡¯ Sara¡¯s throat caved in, but her voice didn¡¯t stop like that day. ¡°Why?¡±

    Snap! Snap! Snap! With each step forward, Sara¡¯s bones snapped in front of Sena¡¯s wide horrified eyes. She wanted to go forward, to stop the tiny form from breaking any more, but her legs stuck to the ground. She shook all over like a reed in the wind. In her whole life, she had never felt so helpless.

    ¡°Why was I the one to suffer like this, sister? When It should have been you?¡± Sara¡¯s voice grew to fill up the air around them.

    Sena¡¯s legs buckled and her knees touched the ground as Sara came to stand in front of her. Face to face now, She kneeled and stared at her sister¡¯s accusing eyes.

    ¡°It hurt! It hurt so much, Sena.¡± Sara crooned as she reached out and took Sena¡¯s hands in her broken ones and raised them in front of their eyes. ¡°You know, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve done it yourself with these hands.¡± She leaned forward, her lips next to Sena¡¯s ears. She muttered, ¡°Do you still feel it, sister? Did you enjoy hurting me?¡±

    Sena shivered as the memory of the dream surfaced again. Her insides churned from revolt and disgust towards herself. Somehow she found a bit of her voice that she pushed through the lump in her throat. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°You killed me. You killed your sister, Sena!¡± Sara said as she drew back again and stared at Sena¡¯s eyes as her voice grew deeper and deeper, changing into another person¡¯s. ¡°Just as you killed my child.¡±

    ¡°Wh- What?¡± Sena gaped stupidly at the eyes of her sister, or rather the one that took the form of her sister.

    ¡°You should have been the one who died Sena. Not your sister. Not my child.¡±

    Sena began in a breathless voice, ¡°You are¡­¡±

    The broken figure of Sara restored to her former healthy condition as she turned back. ¡°Your sister didn¡¯t deserve to die, neither did the child. They died because of you.¡± her grief-stricken voice turned as hard as stone as she said, ¡°You deserve to die, so kill yourself.¡±

    Grief, guilt and anger burned inside Sena¡¯s heart as she stared at Sara¡¯s thin back with wide eyes full of blood threads. She wasn¡¯t her sister. She had only taken her form. An imposter. ¡°The dream¡ª¡±

    ¡°I sent it to you,¡± said the imposter, ¡°to make you understand how deserving of death you are.¡± she turned her head and looked into Sena¡¯s eyes. ¡°So kill yourself.¡±

    Sena bit her lips until she tasted the metallic tang of blood. She wanted to protest. Say she didn¡¯t deserve to die, but the imposter''s voice invaded her mind persuading her, compelling her. Sena shook her head. ¡°B- but I don¡¯t want to die.¡± with an immense effort she stammers out ina tear choked voice.

    ¡°Your sister didn¡¯t want to die. My child- she had never harmed you before, yet you wanted to take away her first hunt. She did not want to die either.¡± grief radiated from the imposter''s voice. ¡°So what right do you have to want to live? Kill yourself.¡± she spread her hand far and wide as she backed away. ¡°Kill yourself and I¡¯ll spare their life!¡±

    From the dark corners of the trees cloaked in the fog around them, four figures appeared one by one. Arban, Herker, Arda and Garan. Except for Erhan the rest of the team was there. They came and surrounded Sena, their eyes closed as if walking in their sleep.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t kill them,¡± Sena Erhan¡ª¡±

    ¡°The druid?¡± The imposter in her sister¡¯s skin scorned. ¡°Although, indeed, I can¡¯t kill him, but he¡¯s trapped in his own past. He won¡¯t come to rescue them. Unless you kill yourself, they would.¡±

    Arban opened his eyes and looked down at her. ¡°Kill yourself!¡± he said in a blaming voice.

    ¡°Yes, kill yourself!¡± Harker said.

    ¡°Why should we die because of you?¡± Garan asked.

    Arda sneered. ¡°You deserve to die!.¡±

    ¡°Kill yourself!¡± ¡°Kill yourself!¡± ¡°Kill yourself!¡± they all hummed as one, and with them one by one joined hundreds of her sister¡¯s forms surrounded Sena, singing a chorus of death for her.

    The voices tore at Sena¡¯s mind. A hollowness and overwhelming sense of guilt rose from deep within her heart. She killed her sister. She killed the little wolf. And now she had brought calamity upon all of them. Everyone wanted her dead. Yes, she should die.

    She took out a small dagger she kept with her even during sleep. The golden willow leaves of Moras on its hilt glittered in the moonlight. She took one last look at Sara. Even if it was a fake, she still wanted to look at her. The eyes she saw didn¡¯t have malice in them, nor was there an expectation or the satisfaction at having reached her goal. They were calm, tranquil eyes full of confidence. They reminded her of that man.

    Erhan! If only she could see him one last time. Sena closed her eyes, took a deep breath and plunged the knife towards her heart.

 Turnnig back and protection

    ¡°You can¡¯t catch me!¡± Ellie''s silvery laughter played like music to Erhan''s ear and spurred him to chase her shadow over flowery meadows and cornfields.

    Had he been running for an hour? His daughter was still ahead of him. He wasn''t getting too old, was he? That didn¡¯t matter. As long as his daughter wished to play, he would accompany her. It had been so long...

    so... long? A doubt arose in the corner of his mind. But Ellie''s laughter quickly shooed it away. So they ran and ran. They ran up the hills, skirted around the oaks, they ran under the twilit sky for hours.

    A familiar, restless feeling sprouted inside Erhan. A feeling of worry. His pacified heart smouldered, its erratic beats omening a dreadful fire. A premonition! But of what? Was someone in danger? He looked at the back of the little figure running ahead of him. Ellie? Or was it Leah? The worry grew like a shroud of heaviness over his heart. Was the Fade coming again? Was it going to take everything away from him again?

    No! The Fade had already taken everything from him. He- he had nothing left anymore. No home, no wife, no daughter, nothing! The edges of his eyes hardened as the smile faded from his lips. Then what was this? Who was he chasing?

    Erhan¡¯s feet stopped. A sigh of regret escaped him. Didn¡¯t he already know the answer to that?

    ¡°Papa?¡± Ellie looked back, a mischievous smile on her innocent little face. ¡°Why are you stopping? Chase me! Play with me!¡±

    That smile was so familiar! So endearing! The corner of Erhan''s lips twitched as he desperately tried to return that smile, but he failed, only a lump of pain formed inside his throat as he forced himself to turn around. A mask of calmness covered his face and his eyes lost the happy sparkle of moments before. His heart calmed down. A calm before a storm.

    It was time to wake up from the dream!

    ¡°Papa!¡± Ellie¡¯s concerned shout called him. ¡°Why are you leaving? she asked. "Don¡¯t go, papa! Don¡¯t leave me!¡± the laughter in her voice faded into a desperate plea that struck Erhan¡¯s heart like a thorny whip.

    Erhan flinched. Why? Didn''t he turn around? Then why could he still see his little Ellie? Why was Leah with her? Their desperate faces twisted with an agony he couldn''t imagine as they extended their arms towards him from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t leave us!" they cried out with despairing voices "Save us!¡±

    Their healthy body thinned from the inside as their flesh faded, their skin paled and tightened, its colour fading into the that of the ashes, then their bones began fading. Erhan had never felt their pain, but the sight of their suffering had etched itself in his mind four years ago. Now the sight that had haunted his dreams for years stared at his eyes.

    ¡°Please, save us!¡± they pleaded as one, their voices, the lively shine of their eyes also faded bit by bit like the sky that darkened around him, but Erhan didn''t turn back. He walked on farther and farther from them with heavy, lead-filled steps. He pinched his eyes shut, but the vision still didn''t leave him. His bit down hard and his mouth filled with the metallic tang of blood, a grimace painted on his face in an effort to not turn back. He wanted to. Even if it was a dream he wanted to turn back, to save them. But his heart trashing against ribs screamed at him, if he stopped, he would never forgive himself.

    He couldn¡¯t turn back, so he ran with all his effort.

    <hr>

    With a thunk, Sena felt the knife pierce flesh through the palms of her hand, but the piercing pain she expected didn¡¯t come. Did she die to quickly to feel the pain?

    ¡°Get up, lady Sena!¡± Harker¡¯s urgent voice struck Sena¡¯s mind like a sledgehammer, jolting her away from the all-encompassing sense of guilt and despair.

    Sena¡¯s eyes shot open. Harker''s fist tightened against the blade of the knife, dripping blood from between his fingers. He stared ahead at Sara¡¯s imposter with a look of caution in his face.

    ¡°So you weren¡¯t fully asleep,¡± said the little girl in front of him. ¡°Are you going to stop me?¡±

    Harker didn¡¯t answer. He yanked the knife out of Sena¡¯s hand and threw it aside. Her stiff body slackened and knelt on the ground with a confused look on her face.

    The girl in front of Harker gave him such an uncanny feeling that he wanted to be away from here immediately, but seeing Sena still sitting there, he pulled her up to her feet. The young noble barely managed to stand up. And as soon as she did, she hid behind Harker¡¯s large back. She held onto his cloak and peered at the imposter like a scared little girl. Harker didn¡¯t know what had happened to her.

    He¡¯d woken up when Sena passed by him some time ago. Seeing Sena disappear into the fog, he had wanted to follow her. But before he could even call out to her, incredible dizziness enveloped his mind. After that, it had been like walking in a dream. And he also vaguely remembered asking her to die.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Why had he done that?

    He used to be a knight and he pledged his blade to protect Sena. Only the shock of seeing her about to plunge the knife into herself had forcibly woken him up.

    He looked at the other three standing beside the little girl. They had their eyes closed as if they were sleepwalking. The little girl! She was the one doing this. ¡°What are you?¡± he squawked at the little girl, his voice breaking a little from panic. The little form in front of him exuded a threat he¡¯d never felt before in his life, not even from Erhan.

    The imposter didn¡¯t answer the question and said instead, ¡°If you intend to protect her, it¡¯d end in your demise.¡±

    Herker swallowed. He didn¡¯t want to die, but¡­ From his back, he felt the weight of his sword. It wasn¡¯t with him when he went to sleep and he didn¡¯t know when he started carrying it, but he drew it out and held it in front of him. Not only him, but Arban also carried his short sword. Only Garan and Arda still had on what they went to sleep with. Was it also the doing of the girl? Then why did she only allow the two of them to carry a weapon?

    The little girl was about to say something, but as if in surprise she whirled her head towards the east. Her brows scrunched up as she saw something far away. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that!¡± she whispered to herself and turned to face both of them. ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to waste on you anymore.¡± She raised her hand and commanded, ¡°Go!¡±

    Arban, Garan and Arda drew out their weapons and rushed towards the two of them. Arban swung down the short sword at Harker, followed by a slash of Garan¡¯s long knife. Harker parried, but in that instant, Arda¡¯s figure disappeared from in front of him. She Appeared behind them like the wind and flung a knife towards Sena¡¯s back. Harker spun around swatted that out with his blade.

    He winced as Arban¡¯s stab left a deep cut on his side. He shot out his leg and caught the boy on his chest, sending him flying back.

    He clenched his teeth. Although he managed to ward off Arban a bit, The danger had just begun. Garan and Arda both were veterans at combat, so warding them off without hurting them was nearly impossible. Especially, Arda, she was agile like a cat. Appearing, and disappearing, flinging and stabbing, she refused to give Harker even a moment to breath. If they weren''t in a direct confrontation, Harker might even end up dead. He was already covered in cuts and bruises as it was. Worst of all was the three of them were mostly aiming for Sena instead of him.

    ¡°Damn¡± he cursed in pain as a throwing knife sunk into his right thigh. The cuts on his fingers burned as they rubbed around the sword hilt. Where was Erhan? They were facing a crisis here and the man was nowhere in sight. Had he abandoned them? He shook his head, sending droplets of sweat flying from brows. No, not someone like Erhan. He wouldn¡¯t abandon them, would he? He parried another blow to his flank from Arban, who was on his feet.

    The more the fight continued, the more injured he got. He was losing too much blood. He took heavy breaths as he tried to find an opening. But his three adversaries circled him like hungry wild dogs around a deer, waiting for him to lapse. His eyes widened in fear. If this continued, then as the girl said, only death lay ahead of him. He had to run away, otherwise, he might die here. The noble girl brought her demise herself, coming here alone. Why should he sacrifice himself for her?

    He bit down hard on the corner of his tongue. Abandoning his pledge? How could he even think of that? And this depressing feeling! His heart hammering inside his chest! Why was he feeling so terrified? This wasn¡¯t normal! He clasped Sena''s right arm with his left hand and dashed into the woods. As long as he was able to get away, he would¡ª

    Arban who was closest to him shot forward with inhuman speed and swung his sword down on Harker¡¯s left hand. Harker shrunk his hand back to avoid it, letting go of Sena, who fell behind a bush.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± he shouted and leapt forward. To his relief, Sena wasn¡¯t far from him. In one step he again pulled her up and put her behind him, holding the sword in a defensive position against the rest of his teammates. his arm shook from the strain and bloodloss. It was turning numb.

    He clenched his teeth, his jaws set in determination. He couldn''t do this for long. he had to make a choice here. And since he couldn¡¯t give up his pledge, he¡¯d stop the other three in any way possible. He had to put them down even if it meant injuring them. His eyes narrowed like a sharp blade. Red veins covered their edges as a hint of madness infiltrated his mind.

    No. He put both hands on the sword hilt and the muscles of his shoulders flexed. Even if it meant killing them!

    Arda was in front of him beside a tree not far from the bush where Sena fell. She other two dashed towards her. Were they going to converge and attack? A sudden bout panic tightened around his heart like an eagle''s claw. He wouldn''t be able to bear their combined attacks anymore! He had to take the woman out first.

    Harker pulled his sword back and slashed with all his strength. The blade cut through the air as it sliced towards Arda''s neck. No! His mind screamed at him. He clenched his fists on the handle of his heavy sword. The muscles of his arms strained as he broke its advance at the last second. he looked at the woman at the end of his blade. who was he going to kill?

    A thin line of blood appeared where the edge of his sword touched Sena''s neck. If he was just a second late, there would be vo saving her. Why was Sena there?

    Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed Arban and Garan. Their weapons were at ready. They weren''t dashing towards her to converge with her, they intended to kill! Damn! Why did he think she was Arda?

    But if she was Sena, then who was behind her?

    Arda thrust her knife towards Harker¡¯s heart. Harker instinct burst out a warning, but it was already too late. He felt the cold point of the blade pierce his back through the cloths.

    Time slowed down. Harker could feel the knife inching nearer to his heart. Was he going to die? No not like this! But- but how would he stop it?

    Suddenly Arda''s grip on the knife loosened and the knife stopped after piercing a few inches into his flesh. And then before Harker could react, Arban, Garan and Arda dropped to the garden like puppets with their strings cut.

    Harker stood there, half shocked from surviving at the last second, half confused as he looked at the fallen bodies of the three.

 Curse and parting

    Harker flexed his back and winced from the pain of the knife lodged in his flesh. He held Sena''s arm and slowly backed a few steps from the fallen three. Should he ask Sena to pull the knife out? He took one look at her vacant looking face and denied the possibility. There was something wrong with her. Keeping a careful eye at the three on the ground, he reached towards his back with his left hand. Trying to locate the hilt of the knife there wasn''t easy. He grunted as a jolt of pain jarred his whole body like lightning strike when he yanked it out. He brought the narrow, blood-soaked blade in front of his eyes as he fought off a shiver. Just an inch or two more, and the tip would have touched his heart.

    The fallen bodies twitched and stirred as Harker grunted. He whirled his sword in front of him, disregarding the pulling pain from his back. Were they going to attack again?

    Arban was the first manage to back on his feet. He swayed once or twice like a drunk man and then bent down. He hurled everything, in his stomach before he could stand back again. ¡°Ugh!¡± Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he said in a thick, groggy voice, ¡°I¡¯ve been in a meat grinder or something? My body hurts like hell!¡± he looked around himself, spotting the other four, two of them looking around as confusedly as he was. ¡°Is there some kind of midnight celebration going on that I missed?¡±

    ¡°Sena? Harker?¡± Arda frowned at the two people. Sena''s blank expression and Harker''s injuries immediately drew her attention. Especially, Harker who was pointing his sword towards them. Some of the injuries gave her a pause. She knew those knife marks. No other than she could do that. ¡°What happened here?¡±

    Harker''s shoulders relaxed. He lowered his weapon and said, "You all¡ª"

    ¡°Druid!¡± The unnaturally deep voice of Sara''s imposter came from the clearing and jarred their teeth. The four of them glanced at each other in surprise, then they hurried towards the voice. Only Sena still stood there, scared, unable to move on her own as before. Harker looked back, seeing her standing there he came and dragged her with him by the wrist.

    Erhan and the little girl stood glaring at each other. Erhan''s demeanour was calm on the outside, only a thin line of blood trickling down the corner of his lips an indication of his inner turmoil. He glared down at the girl. "Shadewolf," he said through gritted teeth.

    For the first time, the little girl¡¯s voice had a trace of agitation and anger as she returned Erhan''s glare. ¡°I¡¯ve allowed you a chance to see your family once again. Yet you still come to hinder me?¡±

    "See my family?" Erhan frowned, but the next moment the sound of humourless laughter rolled up his throat as his dark hair and beard fluttered around him in the wind. ¡°A chance to see my family again. Right!¡° the last word came out of his mouth in a growl of barely suppressed anger. The four that had just come out of the forest gulped as one when they heard his laughter.

    Erhan looked back and spotted Sena being dragged around by Harker. His stiff body relaxed a little. Though she had a few scratches here there, at least she was still alive. But his relief didn''t last long. He frowned as he peered at her face. That wasn''t right, her expression along with her vacant eyes¨C she looked like a little child who had been thoroughly shocked by something. He closed his eyes and spread his senses towards her. "Tsk!" he clicked his tongue in anger as he connected with her psyche. Chaos and blankness. Not even a shred of coherence. Her mind was broken. It won¡¯t be easy to recover from that.

    "You''ve done enough harm to her," said Erhan as he turned to face the shadewolf. "Now leave."

    "Enough harm?" The little girl seemed taken aback for a moment, but then her pupils shrunk in anger. she shook a little before a cloud of mist, shrouded her form. Her figure turned intangible, dissolving and dispersing within it.

    "Good riddance!" Arban couldn''t keep the excitement out of his voice. Shadewolf or whatever she was, she was finally leaving. The intimidating feeling she gave him sent shivers down his spine.

    but before he could relax, the swirling mist seethed and surged like a stormy ocean. From the surging fog, a silhouette of a wolf as big as a horse walked out. Its flowing black fiery fur writhed around it. Tendrils of shadows wound around its body like black smoke. Its presence took the breath away from everyone except Erhan. "They killed my child!" Its animalistic snarl came from enclosed them from every direction."Nothing is finished yet," it said as it glared down at him with flaming golden eyes. After a moment its voice calmed down a little. ¡°Give me the culprits and I¡¯ll leave. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire.¡±

    Erhan eyes sharpened as his gaze pierced through the shadewolf. He shook his head. "Do you think a simple thought projection is enough to threaten me? Even if you weren''t injured and arrived here yourself, I still wouldn''t give them up.¡± Anger seeped into Erhan''s voice as the face of Leah and Ellie flashed past Erhan''s mind. And then the memory of that illusion. He clenched his teeth and growled as his throat tightened in pain. Suppressing the fury trying to bubble up from within, he said, "Leave before I lose control of myself."

    ¡°Don''t insult me, druid! Weak as I am now, I am more than capable of vanquishing you,¡± said the shadewolf as it bared its fangs. It had hoped to avoid confronting the druid. He was the student of those people after all. Why couldn''t the druid have arrived a little later? by then it would have ended the life of the three responsible for the death of its child. "you had also experienced the pain of losing your child, haven''t you?," it asked Erhan. "Then why do you stand against me? I have the right to avenge my child''s death."

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Erhan expression soften softened somewhat. He smiled ruefully and said, ¡°I understand you, I do, but..." he looked back at the five people, especially at Arda who looked back at him with caution, Garan who cowered a little and... Sena. He sighed, "but as long as they are with me, they are my responsibility. And I can''t hand them over to you."

    Arda and Garan visibly relaxed. They exchanged a reassured glance with each other, and then as one, glanced at Sena standing beside Harker. Arda sighed. They only escaped unscathed because Sena was the one who suffered. And now Arda owed her another one.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    The shadewolf growled and bared its fangs. The druid was right about one thing, its shadow couldn¡¯t do much against him. This was so humiliating! It wanted to rush out from its dwelling right now and kill those three itself. But it couldn''t leave its other child alone when the danger had not yet lessened outside. If only it wasn''t injured so seriously.

    It looked at Sena, who scurried away from its glaring eyes and hid behind Harker. Harker couldn''t breathe in fear, even though the creature wasn''t looking at him. Still, he stood straighter to prevent its eyes from falling on Sena.

    the shadewolf grew bigger and bigger until it was as gigantic as a hill. It loomed over the six as it returned its gaze to the druid. Its "Give me the one who killed my child and I will leave," it said in a solemn, even tone.

    Erhan shook his head.

    "Druid!" There was a warning in its voice. ¡°Give her to me.¡±

    Erhan said nothing and simply raised his staff in a challenge.

    ¡°Then, you force my hand.¡± the shadewolf raised its head and roared, a sound like that of an army of wolves howling at once. Its fur rippled like waves, and then it scattered in front of them, falling to the ground like an avalanche of concentrated black mist. The avalanche broke off into parts, each part turned into a black full-grown wolf. They howled as they rushed towards the six. The sound attacked their mind with a gripping terror and forced almost everyone to their knees.

    Only Erhan stood his ground. He ignored the fear invading his mind and concentrated on spreading his senses towards the tide of wolves. He took a sharp breath. Each one of those wolves was real! He could sense their incredible fury threatening to overwhelm his mind like fire eating through a forest. He shrank his senses back in pain, retreating in the secure sanctuary of his mind. His fingers tightened around the staff. There were more than a thousand wolves. The druidic arts of the Kapalics won''t be of any use against them. But the price of a druidic art of sadhus that can defeat this army of wolves... he wouldn''t be able to afford one even if his blood ran dry. Only the most accomplished sadhus could cast them on their own.

    He clenched his teeth. There were two ways to pay for greater art like that. One of them was his memories and feelings, while the other¡ª

    Erhan smiled and closed his eyes. Torturous they maybe, but he could never give up those memories. He lifted his staff towards the moonlit sky and muttered a mantra. The weakness of blood sacrifice that usually covered him after each casting wasn''t there today, but something from was disappearing from deep within. A sense of vulnerability rose from deep inside him. His black hair and beard turned as white as snow, his skin slackened and wrinkles formed on his forehead and corners of his eyes. The veins of his arms pushed up and became visible over the skin. In a few moments, his appearance became that of an old man nearing his hundreds.

    But his green pupils sparkled brighter, trails of fire swirled within them, burning a dazzling golden red. Fire burst out from within the crowd of wolves. It sprouted from each wolf and turned them into huge balls of fire, burning them from inside. Soon it spread to all of them like a raging sea of flames. The wolves burned and dissipated, turning back into wailing black mists rose to the sky just before they reached Erhan. Thousands of wolf disappeared in moments, only the black fog lingered under the sky like a cloud of dark mist.

    The indistinct mist roiled above them, flashes of golden lightning flickered within it and came together to form two round, whirling golden eyes. The mist gathering around it in a rough wolf shaped mass. The shape flickered, shadowy tendrils of black mist dispersed from it.

    The shadewolf held on with difficulty. This intangible form, a single breeze would be enough to scatter it. It paid such a grave price but it still failed to avenge its child. The accursed druid had gravely injured its shadow. How would it protect its territory now? In its dwelling deep inside the mountains, Its body shook as it bared its fang.

    ¡°Howl!¡± it cried, its anger and frustration travelled with the sound and invaded every corner of the dreaming mountains, just like the day its child was killed. Its eyes almost breathed fire as it glowered down at the six humans. If only it was like the sadhus, it could turn them into ash with its glare. It glared at Erhan whose aged look started to regress until he looked merely a decade older than he had been, only his hair and beard retained the snow-white colour.

    The shadewolf wrinkled its nose in rage. The druid was no sadhu either, and since he had denied it its right to revenge, it would make him pay the price even if it had to do something it never wanted to do. ¡°Druid,¡± its eyes closed as golden glow covered its whole body, ¡°your most cherished wish would never be fulfiled. You''ll be doomed to wander alone in an eternity of suffering!¡± Its deep voice thundered and blended with the nature around them. Covered with a strange dignity, it was like a sound of nature itself as it reached deep inside Erhan''s soul, tightened around it like shackles.

    The sound brought in a strange wind that scattered the shadewolf''s body into a shapeless mist. It looked at the three culprits from the dispersing fog. It was powerless to harm them now, but it could always plant a seed. The mists of its shadow gathered again to form a ghostly silhouette of Sara''s figure as it floated down near Sena faced her. Its voice also returned to the little girl''s and penetrated through the thick barrier of chaos covering Sena''s mind and reached the depths. ¡°I will tell you something,¡± it said as it stared at her eyes. ¡°In a dream, I can only show you what I have seen.¡±

    And then it was gone, scattered with a wind that travelled deeper into the Dreaming mountains.

    <hr>

    ¡°Was it all right to leave her behind?¡± Harker asked Erhan. ¡°I mean, the druids decided the team. They said the fate of the quest lies with each member¡­¡±

    ¡°she¡®d only become a burden if we take her,¡± Erhan answered. His snow-white hair waved around him in the wind. ¡°And I believe she¡¯d be safer in the queendom than with us.¡±

    Arban had a constant frown on his face. His usual careless attitude had lessened significantly since the incident a week and a half ago. ¡°Will Sena be alright? Will she recover?¡± He asked.

    ¡°She will eventually, but it will take time,¡± said Erhan. ¡° I¡¯ve done whatever I could, but whatever the shadewolf showed her, had cut too deep. If a mind is wounded like that, we can only wait for her to heal.¡± he sighed. ¡°Still, she is lucky to be alive.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Harker nodded. A chill ran down his spine as he remembered the knife in his back. The pain was long gone, but the memory of it wasn''t so easy to forget. ¡°We are all lucky to be alive. If you arrived any later, I can''t imagine what would''ve happened.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Erhan shook his head. ¡°I was too late.¡±

    Garan and Arda both looked at each other. They had to disagree with Erhan, they were indeed lucky.

    Arban sighed and threw up his hand in the air. Why was he being so gloomy? It was so not like him. He looked at the other four for a topic of conversation. Erhan! Yes, the old man was always a good topic. "By the way, what happened to you? Why did you turn from a grandpa in name to full-fledged grandpa?"

    Erhan sighed. He felt old and withered. Perhaps he only had little more than a decade left, but that would be enough for him. "Nothing, just some after-effects of the casting," he said as he looked down at his arms holding the reins of his horse. The only worrying thing was the curse the Shadewolf gave him. He smiled ruefully. He made it quite angry, didn''t he, Making it waste this opportunity? Well, what was done was done. It all mattered little now.

    Erhan looked around at the burnt and abandoned village for the second time in a fortnight. This time he didn¡¯t stop his horse. The five of them passed through the village, reaching the foot of the Dreaming mountains. A perilous path lay ahead of them.

    Erhan¡¯s goal lay ahead of him.

    {END OF CHAPTER ONE, THE STAFF AND THE SWORD}

 NOT A CHAPTER

    A huge thank you to all those who read and support my fiction. The has ended but there is still a long way to go. This book is the first part of a story that continues.

    I discovery wrote the whole book. When I started I had thought to finish the story in a little more than those 50000 words necessary for NaNoWriMo; however, as I continued to write, I knew it wouldn''t be possible.

    I have left out many things from the story. The story in my head is more complicated and has more layers. But that story is very difficult to write without outlining it properly. So I plan to plot and outline the story properly before I rewrite it. It would take a bit of time, but if I manage to complete it that would be awesome, I think. In the meantime, I might post other works on the site. Other stories and stuff.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

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