《Arcane's Heart》


 I, at the worlds end

    <h1 class="western" align="CENTER">I</h1>


    The frozen wind blowed, and black leafless branches moved. This tree looked like a hand of a giant buried into the rocky soil of the mountains. Willem didn''t want to get any closer, yet the corpse lied under the naked black as if burned trunk. In this frosted wasteland only black trees survived, if they indeed were alive.


    Nervous scout took the horse away from the tree when officer got off it. Entire company was like this. It''s always dark, the skies are heavy with clouds, they had to conserve provisions and even water, and most importantly there are those trees poking from under the ground. And all of them clawing with their ?fingers? south. As if wanting to grasp something in this desert that would allow them to escape this place.


    That''s how superstitions are born. Soldiers were there for a month but already felt with their guts some kind of a rule. Natives venerated those trees and cleared the areas around the giant hands of any other growth, either out of fear of contamination or out of religious beliefs. One shouldn''t disturb those idols whatever they are.


    He shifted his sight upon the corpse lying over dark roots. Sent forward patrol butchered a man. As it turns out, a messenger. Enemy for sure, enemy who tried to run away, but an enemy more useful alive than dead. Kirin, who usually hit a bull''s eye, here spent half of a quirrel hitting only twice ¨C piercing leg and chest. Poor man was finished off with a knife.


    - What makes you think he''s a messenger? ¨C Asked Willem.


    Dog looked back at his men and protruded a scroll from his pocket. Officer immediately noticed a broken seal. A hunter and a scout had rather unkempt appearance, his nose broken in fight with a wildlife, cared not for company''s hierarchy and ignored it, yet now looked depressed. A country was truly frightening. Even Kirin, the lone wolf, gave in under such pressure.


    With a sigh Willem opened the scroll.


    ?Kill her, you have my blessing. Your king?.


    Willem didn''t believe his own eyes. Looked at the seal again. Hurried to open his bag and take out another order of the king to compare them. ?Is this a joke?? It can''t be true. King couldn''t order that. There was no point for them venturing this far north if he could.


    Kirin was very interested in officer''s baffled expresssion.


    - Is it bad for us?


    Indeed it is. Worse than ever.


    - Return to camp. ¨C Willem ordered.


    Willem had to speak to general as soon as possible. Budevik took this request, he should know what''s happening. This sealed scroll turned the world upside down. As if provisions and hand-trees weren''t enough for his concern.


    Simple soldiers knew not of the details, but some ¨C say, Kirin, who as the head of the scouts was personally told by the general about things he had to look for in those lands, ¨C had an idea what''s happening. ?Just moving north?. Past all the cities and villages right to the mountain pass spoken of in the fairy tales, the mountain pass that let in the winds of eternal winter of the other side. It was natural to think that Budevik looked for something there. Mountain pass had no value for them by itself, so soldiers thought about some kind of hidden treasure. This kingdom exhausted by war had not many of them left.


    - Eh, general''s coming.


    Willem noticed the approaching rider. Without bodyguards, again. Well, there''s nothing to fear in those wastelands. Apart from the strange trees and ever-darkening skies, that is.


    Kirin looked at officer for orders.


    - You can stay. ¨C Willem shrugged. ¨C You can tell your story one more time.


    Budevik was a general only to the company. For others he was just another one of those mercenary captains. No more than a leader of bandits, whatever his past as a real general of the first big war may say. Noone cared for the losing side, and in case of Budevik it was even worse as he was betrayed by his own side. Twice the curse.


    Thirty years of such a life wrote themselves into the general. He was old and thin, his weary face accentuating sharp features of nose and jaws. Noble lineage got mixed by the age, bags under his eyes growing ever bigger. Dark grey hair tied into a tail and burns ¨C as imperial fashion dictated a long time ago.


    - What''s happened? What takes so long?


    General stopped at the tree and get off his horse. He first noticed the scroll in Willem''s hand and only after a messenger''s body. Kirin felt noticeably uneasy as general looked at him stern.


    - Not good. ¨C Budevik summarized his impressions.


    Kirin started his story after a while. The same story he told Willem, not surprisingly. Found a runner that tried to hide from them, rushed towards him, hurried a bit too much, hands shaking. Finally catched up to him under this tree.


    Willem handed over the scroll, careful for general''s reaction. Weren''t they hired to kill the princess themselves? Why would king simplify their mission this much?


    This is... ¨C Budevik raised his brow. ¨C Madness.


    Of course. Normal parents wouldn''t kill their children. That''s what enemies are for. But that''s sorceror-kings of this land they were talking about, and those guys were cruel to the point of sometimes wanting to annihilate all life. One could expect anything from them.


    - May he be surrendering soon? ¨C Offered Willem an explanation. ¨C And he doesn''t want princess to be enemy''s trophy.


    - Nah, can''t be. ¨C Budevik nodded to Kirin to come closer. ¨C Bury the messenger at least. Show some respect.


    Scout hurried to obey the order. Officer and general walked away so that soldiers won''t hear their talk. Kirin and his men started to fight the frozen soil with shovels soon enough.


    Mission got pretty easy with such a letter. They had to take the fortress with their strength normally, but now all they had to do was to show the scroll. If it would be accepted, that is. Guards can''t trust their enemies.


    - But seal is broken. ¨C Willem argued.


    - Letter''s not the only thing that can make guards kill the princess. Think with your head. King imprisoned his daughter on the other side of the mountains. He doesn''t want her, he made her his prisoner. Pretty sure guards are instructed to slay her if she tries anything funny like an escape.


    Budevik liked his plan. Better not to fight at all, deliver the letter and walk away without any losses. But most importantly, company would be able to hurry south away from this cursed land. Even trees want to run away, why would humans willingly want to stay there any longer?


    Yet it looked like a trap. Some kind of foul play.


    - Who''s hired us, general?


    Contractor couldn''t not know about this stuff. Afterall, to send a company to the Gates at winter at all times was a sign of a strong persuasive power on the contractor''s side. Budevik carefully measured should he answer or not.


    - Razeneth.


    That explained a lot.


    - A-a-ah.


    He was a refugee just like them. Yet they remained vagrants, became robbers and brigands, started to sell their swords, unlike him who became a king. ?Impressive?, ¨C Willem thought. General was too proud to offer his services to fellow countrymen like that. Especially those who were in charge of chasing Budevik away during that first war.


    It didn''t end well for them, though. They lost the war spectacularly. They lost everything they had and even more. Strong proud country was reduced to rubble, bands of vagabonds, clinging to imperial banners, and mercenaries, killing for gold.


    - If I may ask, ¨C Willem tried to be polite, ¨C gold''s not the only reason, isn''t it? Something good for us, I hope?


    Budevik absentmindedly watched at the shovels eating at the dirt. ?What''s the point of hiding it now?, ¨C Willem wondered. Yet general answered with a question of his own.


    - Is there a place we could call home?


    ?So that''s what Razeneth offered ¨C a home?. Whatever that means. Willem wasn''t wrong ¨C general wouldn''t settle just for money if it''s a request from the people who betrayed him. It''s a good thing a king offered them rights to the land, wherever it may be, but to believe words of such a king is a madness in itself. Crazed conquerors can''t be trusted.


    - No, my general. We would never be tolerated by anyone.


    Budevik looked at officer, his mind still absent.


    - I''ve tried to get back my rightful place for 20 years now. I will not get it back, you say?


    - You can''t bring back the past, my general. World has changed too much, as well as we. No one wants to serve them, moreso no one wants to serve Razeneth. Better to be mercenaries like we are now than to bow our heads to traitors.


    Willem heard a sigh. Budevik stopped looking at him, general''s facial expression was a mystery. He must have been hurt by those words.


    - You are right, of course. Yet the pride will be the end of us. We are at our limit. With every year more of us die off on the others'' wars. You surely would be able to survive for a decade or so. But in the end everyone will die, and what then? We will just lose like that?This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ?To be forgotten is not that bad?. Willem was okay with that.


    - I decided. ¨C General turned around. ¨C It can''t continue like this, and I will end it.


    - That''s a mistake.


    - Shut up. I am a general around here.


    In any case company was already at the mountain pass. Vespemalei''s Gates were a day away, it''s too late to turn back. This conversation couldn''t change anything anyway.


    The sounds of earth being tossed around stopped. Scouts brought stones and built a grave. ?It''s a waste of time?, ¨C Willem thought. Digging, marching through foreign lands, seeking for whatever, it''s all a waste of time. But general thought otherwise: they a had a honor still, and thus they had to not stride away from the traditions.


    Kirin was tasked to return to camp and relay to officers the message to wait. General decided to abandon the plan to take tower by force and go with the letter delivery instead. Willem, as was expected of him, tried to offer himself as a substitute messenger. Yet general denied him the possibilty the say that.


    - You will accompany me.


    That was strange. Willem expected to be the one doing all the work. He has planned to grab a couple of scouts and ride ahead.


    - But my general, you surely can''t...


    Budevik didn''t let him finish. General turned face to Dog.


    - Lead the men south if we are not to return in two days at morning. Make sure everyone hears of it, say it to Leuw and Kramer personally, don''t let the latter ignore my orders. I don''t want anyone starting wars among ourselves if I''m to die. ¨C General looked Kirin in the eyes. ¨C Let everyone remain honorable, alright?


    Scout was ready to nod. Willem kind of envied general''s ability to command Dog like this.


    - Still, I think we must take Kirin with us.


    - Still wanting to protect me from danger? ¨C Budevik smirked. ¨C It''s up to me to lead negotiations if there''s need in them.


    General shouldn''t be carrying all weight on his shoulders, but Willem didn''t push. Half a day towards the keep, half a day back. There''re no dangers here. Darkness got darker and freezing winds blew from the mountains, but that''s all there is to it.


    Willem winked at Kirin, asking him not to hurry. Dog answered with his eyes. When Willem came to take his horse back Dog happened to be close by.


    - Make one of your scouts tail us. ¨C Willem whispered. ¨C General is not himself today.


    Strangely enough, Kirin didn''t comply and nodded silently. Unexpectedly, officer didn''t need to use any smarts to make Dog follow orders. Wrinkled his nose as if to say ?you aren''t a commander of mine?, but he did what he was told. At least one of his scouts will follow him and general. You can''t really be sure what to expect from this wasteland.


    ***


    It got dark. In this land it was really hard to separate day from the night. Twilight born out of thick clouds blocked almost all sunlight. ?Horrible place to live?, ¨C Willem thought. Landscape never changed, the same grey and brown rocks and earth and black hand-trees. He couldn''t quite wrap his mind around it, but the latter grew less numerous the closer general and officer got to the mountain pass.


    General suddenly stopped his horse. Willem looked around for a cause, and Budevik pointed in the right direction to look at.


    - Almost there.


    Now Willem saw something at the horizon too. ?Almost?, ¨C he smirked. It was a building barely seen under the heavy shadows of twilight. Where the mountains parted stood a fortress made of two walls, one around the tower near the left mountain range and the other blocking the pass.


    - Don''t relax now.


    - I won''t, my general.


    Willem counted trees they passed by. Very interesting. Count went up to 263 until black hand-trees ended conpletely in the grey-brown wasteland. He shivered at the thought that even the giant hands ceased to exist this far north.


    At some point he started feeling someone''s movement behind. Turned around a saw a small figure hiding behind the boulders. ?Too far away?, ¨C Willem thought somewhat restlessly. There would be little help from a scout if he is this far behind. He made up a reason for general to move slower, letting scout to catch up somewhat.


    Willem only got more paranoid from there on. If it wasn''t bad before, now even apathetic to the horrors perceived by humans horses started feeling something in the air. Officer expected it the other way around, animals being of more acute senses and all, but this land thwarted his expectations. Vespemalei''s country was designed to play on humans'' nerves first and everyone else''s second.


    - Hey. ¨C Said general quietly. ¨C On the mountain.


    Willem traced the now-pale Budevik''s gaze.


    - What''s there?


    General wasn''t sure. ?Some kind of a movement?, ¨C he answered. Squinting his eyes, Willem managed to decipher a dust raised into an air ¨C and immediately carried by it away. A boulder fell down, surely. ?Happens all the time?, ¨C Willem rationalized. Yet he couldn''t let his guard down.


    The tower grew bigger. Willem was kind of dissapointed that fairy tales lied about the far north and the mountain pass. There was no ice forest, no cities and statues made of snow and ice, no nothing, just a continuation of a wasteland even beyond the ruined walls. And tower itself turned out not to be impressive. It was sturdy, but only three stories high. It stood at the mountain''s side and leaned away from it. Small buildings hid in it''s shadow and behind a stockade. Wind got incredibly strong this close to the wall. Riders had to dismount and hide behind their horses.


    Willem saw a figure again. It''s clothes mended in the surroundings, it moved quietly, yet fast. Somehow scout was ahead of them. Thinking about it, officer didn''t register how general walked away. Wind was too loud to hear the footsteps. Budevik stood not so far away and looked at the skies. Willem looked up too. Immediately he lost his breath. Up there lied something impossible, some kind of a border between here and there. From their side was the usual for these lands sky. From other side lied the incredible whiteness.


    He and general may as well have been the first humans apart from Vespemalei and their servants who saw this. Willem just couldn''t look away, it was such an unnatural sight. He tried to understand and failed. It was some land covered with snow, turned upside down and fixed instead of skies. Willem saw the mountains with disgustingly regular peaks pointing down, endless white steppe, some kind of ancient ruins hidden between other colors.


    - What the heck is this?


    - Looks like a mirage. ¨C Budevik''s words were barely heard through the howling winds. ¨C Happens in deserts, I heard. It''s surely something else, though ¨C mirrors never stretch that far and wide.


    Willem heard about mirages too. Heat made wanderers see oases with shadow and water so desired. This mirror shown something undesired, though. This sight made him want to run away. Even the winds started to be perceived as something kind, something that tried to help to get back.


    - My general...


    - Yeah, ¨C he nodded, ¨C we''d better finish what we started soon.


    Willem didn''t like general''s face when Budevik turned his head. Unknown shooter missed only by a hair hitting a horse in the neck instead. Poor animal tried to run, but fell down on it''s feet after a couple of steps.


    ?What are you doing?!?, ¨C Willem thought, bewildered at the treachery. Yet soon he noticed more than one figure in the shadows, at least two. General and him rushed to the walls, seeking for a place to hide.


    - Are they from the tower?


    Those walls should protect them for some time. General and officer managed to put up quite a distance between them and unknown enemies. Willem carefully looked over the wall''s bricks to find them. He sure hoped scout will choose the right time to attack, he didn''t want to fight two-on-two, seeing as the general was more of a burden than help.


    And then Budevik did something quite logical. He left the hiding place and showed himself to the pursuers.


    - HEY!


    Willem immediately noticed shadows moving. ?They''re fast?. Officer hopelessly tried to give general an idea to hide deeper in the ruins.


    - I came with a message! From the king Vespasin! ¨C Budevik roared over the wind. ¨C We are not enemies!


    Arrow flew over his head at exact same moment Willem pushed Budevik down. His horse didn''t quite liked it but officer managed to tie the animal to the wall ¨C to draw attention. They changed their hiding place and listened to the wind.


    - Imperial swine, come out! ¨C Said someone close by. ¨C Didn''t expect it? Found you even here, the Traitor! You''ll pay for everything!


    Willem clenched his fists. Enemies were close. Startled horse neighed not so long ago, meaning that pursuers walked past. Hugging the ground, Willem looked at the pass. As expected, he saw one them. Big gearded man was making rounds in the open square. He tried to lure them in.


    - Come out, Traitor! Die with honor.


    Instead Willem looked for places this square was easily seen from. He found a couple of them and decided to check them immediately. Big guy was still going on and on about treachery and honor.


    - Huh.


    There was an enemy hiding there. Willem looked around for a ways to approach him. Suddenly, officer felt his hair stand on his back and turned around, swinging his sword. He felt something scratching his back, and rushed to the side trying to lose tail. He managed to quietly hide behind a column, and a second after a short guy with a sword ran past him. Two, three steps, he fell. General cut off pursuer''s head with one blow from around the corner.


    - Two more. ¨C Willem shown with fingers.


    General nodded and stepped back in shadows. Willem checked his wound and sighed. That''s wasn''t good, and he thought a general would be a burden in this fight. Looking at the severed head, Willem realised it belonged to a young boy. ?One more face for the nightmares?.


    Willem followed general not so long afterwards as per their plan. He was supposed to get read of archer, but apparently this guy got scared and never showed up. From over the wall he heard a fight going on, Willem immediately ran towards it. As he feared, both ganged on Budevik, trying his hardest to fend them off.


    Officer rushed towards one of them and shouted, trying to grab their attention. Archer whom he targeted was slow on the uptake and couldn''t block the blow, falling into the frozen dirt. Still it was too late ¨C general fell down as well. The next second Willem felt losing ground under his feet, a fist sending him flying over a rubble and losing hold of his sword in the process.


    A sharp pain struck his side, making him wriggle on the ground. Somehow he managed to push himself off the rocks which brought him such pain. Hopelessly Willem searched surroundings for his weapon, yet never found it anywhere close. A poor substitute, Willem prepared a knife. Steeling himself, moved into the blind spot, hugging his bleeding side. As he did this, to his surprise the sounds of a fight resumed.


    - General?


    His side only got worse after the flight. It started bleeding profusely. Moving fast was impossible like this, yet Willem hurried himself. Luckily, the big guy fought someone else and stood with his back wide open. Officer swallowed his hesititation and used this chance, stabbing the enemy and severing tendons on his legs, forcing him down.


    Willem had to force himself to stand upright, almost falling down on his foe. With last of his strength he placed a knife around enemy''s neck and cut it.


    - General?


    There was no answer. Willem expected at least someone to be alive after that, but as it turned out officer was a bit late, and a scout got pummeled to a pulp. Archer lied close by. Budevik, dead, a couple of steps farther.


    Willem hugged the wall and silently slid down. ?Four more?. He eyed the big guy, fearing the monster might stand up and finish him off, but what were the chances of this happening? Took out cloth from his bag and wrapped around his waist. That would do for now. Willem smirked at himself ¨C never thought he''d be so beaten so suddenly.


    His eyes looked towards the fallen general. ?They got him?, ¨C he thought, devastated. Those three were his compatriots, without a doubt. ?Another group of mercenaries?? He found no ways of confirming and disproving it. Just some brigands, lured here by some shady promises. Just like Willem''s company, really.


    ?What a shame?. Willem put his hand inside general''s pocket and took out the scroll and placed it in a bag. Hugging the walls he managed to get to his horse, still neighing at something, albeit more quietly. Stupid animal was happy to see him, it looked like. ?I used you as a bait, you?.


    A mission remained and was yet to be completed. He couldn''t let general die in vain, even if it kills him too. He believed, somehow, that his wound would be alright for quite some time. Tower stood two hundred steps away, surely he would be able to get there with horse''s help. Scroll on his body would do the work even if Willem loses his head in the process.

 II, the Vespemalei

    <h1 class="western" lang="ru-RU" style="text-indent: 0.3cm" align="CENTER">II</h1>


    Soon he woke up, yet a long time passed until he regained senses. Willem couldn''t quite understand where is he. Blinding whiteness above stuck in his eyes. At some point he felt that he is actually up there, looking back. Officer had to put all his strength together to raise himself from horse''s back and sit in saddle properly.


    As expected, the mount brought him to the tower. Animal felt safe only behind solid walls and entered the inner keep, surprisingly unopposed. Willem silently explored surroundings with his eyes, squinting them to try and get rid of the excess white that got stuck after such a long stare at the skies.


    - Where are everyone? ¨C Asked vocally as if expecting someone''s answer.


    There was nobody not inside the keep''s ward, not outside. Rode by the well looking into the houses'' empty windows. Inside of them were ruins, too. He stirred the mount towards tower''s rusty iron double gates. He tried to look as polite as possible and tried not to stare at anything for too long. If anyone''s alive, he didn''t want to anger them unknowingly.


    Gates were pretty lackluster now, just big rusty plates of metal, though Willem almost could decipher some kind of weavings ingraved into iron. Everything there was old and forgotten. Whoever ran this place didn''t paid any desire to preserve the ancient building. Houses were newer, true, and built of wood, but they too were left to rot.


    Willem hit the metal with his fist and winced at the sharp pain in the side. Plate, vibrating, surprised and him and opened slightly.


    Wind tried to find a way inside and howled happily at the gap in tower''s defenses. Willem applied strength to the door and pulled. Slowly it opened, presenting darkness and lots of dust. On the far side some kind of light wavered, however.


    - Hey! ¨C Voice came not as strong as Willem wanted. Officer breathed in more air. ¨C Is there anyone? I came with peace!


    Echo made chills run up his spine. There was no answer.


    Horse was leashed to the wall outside. People surely lived there as Willem found some hay in the closest building. There was some leftover water in the buckets by the well. ?A trap? What for?? He found himself watching at the skies trying to decipher if there''s someone hiding on the tower''s roof, mirrored in the mirage.


    - I''m entering. ¨C He warned.


    Tower''s insides were damp and warm. The latter signified people lived there not so long ago. Under his feet lied blackened fireplace and stones under the roof held layers of ash on them. In the dark Willem hurt himself on the bronze statue of something ancient. It looked like some kind of god, but not really. There was no usual greatness applied to it. Looking around, his eyes adjusting to the dark, he found many more figures like this one hidden behind a dirty cloth stuck in the far corner.


    Further in he went, more of the ancient stuff he found just lying on the floor and rotting away. Statues, tables, vases, dishes, all simply forgotten despite people living in this same room ¨C sleeping bags made of straw and feathers were mixed with the other junk. Unsteady light hinted at the stairs leading up.


    That was his last try.


    - Anyo-o-one?


    However peaceful intentions he might had, it was too strange for his taste. Sighing, produced a sword from the scabbard. Willem hid the weapon behind his back, still trying not to scare or anger anyone ¨C and to make sure that steel won''t reflect light. Lazily he noticed treads being lumpy as if something heavy was pulled upstairs. The next floor was filled to the brim with even more bronze statues and random junk. Willem liked this room even less than the last. He felt those arms clinging to him, to anything passing by, really.


    Last floor held some more statues. As usual, junk was just lying around. Yet, there was something new ¨C the corpses and a massive rusty throne in the middle. His eyes were drawn to the figure sitting in it, and unadvertedly Willem hit his toes against the cold body under his feet. Luckily, he was able to overcome the pain in his side and regained balance.


    He didn''t want to enter this room. Throne was surrounded by corpses. Servants, it seems. Horrifying wounds. People, it seemed, were ripped apart. Utter terror was frozen in their faces. Willem swallowed at the sight. On the other side of the room he noticed an opened door and a blood trail leading from the inside. A maid somehow managed to crawl 10 or so steps without her lower part.


    That wasn''t okay. Not at all.


    Willem felt the figure on the throne moving. ?Vespemalei?, ¨C fear made him realise. It was the princess who sat there. She wore dirty ripped dress, others'' innards dirtying it even further. Bloodsoaked, it silently cracked as body moved. Princess froze in strange position; fair haired head dropped down, hands clutching something stuck in her chest. It looked a gift, but well, gifts aren''t supposed to kill.


    She raised her head in one swift move. Somehow Willem didn''t lose his composure. She had a beatiful face, that might be the reason. It was clean and fair and quite alive despite all the paleness of the blood loss. A moment later princess remembered to feel pain and cringed with her whole body.


    ?Vespemalei?.


    It was in the eyes. Yellow and bright as the sun, witch eyes of the cursed lineage. Willem never thought he would fear a somewhat different color of irises, but here he was, shivering. He felt it, the cold fires inside, the distorted stare. He saw himself in her eyes clearly to the last detail despite good ten meters between them.


    - You made me wait. ¨C Said she, wincing from her pain.


    Princess didn''t want to meet guests while sitting. It''s unusual for kings to stand up for their guests, but Willem had no complaints. When she finally overcame the pain and straightened up, it turned out that she was a head above him despite usually it being him looking down on others. The wound not unlike those on her servants was in her chest. The blade tried to reach the heart. Willem persuaded himself that was a miss. If he had to fight ?this?, Willem had to retain hope. A simple scratch and an unlucky fall made him wobble on his feet, and Vespemalei stood like statue not even flinching at the weapon stuck in her.


    - It was a long journey for you, sorry that I''ll have to meet you like this. ¨C She nodded at the corpses.


    ?Uh-oh, not a chance in a hell?, ¨C thought Willem as he saw blood running down her fingertips. She ripped her servants apart with bare hands. Twisted them, maimed them, teared them to pieces ¨C with her body strength alone. Vespemalei being this much stronger than normal people was really uncomfortable. Even if she simply talked the very possibility that she can do this was very unnerving.


    - Is everything alright with you? ¨C He tried to look away from her hands.


    - Don''t worry, ¨C she smiled, ¨C just a scratch.


    He felt the damned scroll burning his pocket. Whom he wanted to give it to? She just ripped her jailors apart, why did general and an officer hoped their plan was going to work? Willem felt sweat running down his chin as he watched at the reflection in her yellow eyes, fearing to see the paper.


    - Princess...


    She made him stop.


    - Queen.


    Willem obliged.


    - Queen, I came to rescue you from here.


    Interest gleamed in her eyes. Long pause ensued as she tilted her head. Deciding upon something, she made a step forward.


    - Your wound surely adds a weight to your words, stranger.


    - We have to hurry. ¨C Said Willem as fearlessly as he could. ¨C Enemies might arrive any minute now.


    He didn''t lie. Company was ordered to remain in place, but the mercenaries he met before could be looking for their comrades who didn''t come back. She made one more step, somehow less threatening than before.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    - They are already here. You should be able to hear them, too. ¨C She said. ¨C Why should I fear them and not you, though?


    One more step.


    - My name is Willem Nevethan. Born in Nils of the former Rosan Empire. Officer of the Deik Budevik''s legion. I offer you a protection as the legion''s representative.


    One more step.


    - A protection? I think under those circumstances you need it more than me, Willem.


    He felt the weight of the scroll in his pocket. He''s dead if she finds out. She was a hand away from him and simply watched him with those bewitching eyes. Willem felt he should strike at her with the sword, but instincts could be mistaken, too. Despite her appearance she wasn''t as ready to murder as he first thought.


    - Follow me. ¨C Were her words.


    Officer stumbled to the side, letting her pass by. ?Follow me?, she repeated and took a step forward. Not even looking back.


    - You... believe me?


    He asked, baffled. In hindsight, he shouldn''t have done it, but he was surprised. He had no clear plan, but luring her to company''s camp seemed like a pretty good idea. And princess went along with it willingly. Amazing luck, unexpected to the point he couldn''t stay silent.


    Princess asked him to follow her again. She added:


    - You think I shouldn''t?


    It didn''t seem she cared for his answer, though, and Willem used this opportunity to stay silent. What was he planning to do, anyway? Do Razeneth''s bidding in a general''s place? Budevik was swayed by the true traitor promises, but Willem still had his mind straight. He did not want to bow his head. Not to Razeneth, at the very least. This guy is beyond evil.


    But what else can he do, really? Looking at the tip of the sword poking from princess'' back, Willem felt all the more uneasy. ?Home?, was the general''s wish. Sure, Budevik tried to end it all, burying his pride that made him stand tall for 30 years. Willem wasn''t as altruistic as the beloved general to let his thirst for revenge go.


    It was too early to decide, anyway. He postponed his thoughts for later.


    Princess led him to the second floor. Willem finally was able to discern the voices she told him about. Something something ?steal?, ?princess?, ?for Bastard?. People don''t talk about their objectives this easily, so he must have misheard them. He shouldn''t have been able to hear the mercenaries, anyway. Must have been the wind and his inner thoughts. But then he heard ?a horse?, ?ruin? and ?curses?, among with ?Vespemalei''s treachery?. If princess heard all of this like he did and even better, she might as well heard the battle happening in the walls earlier.


    Willem hit his toes again and again, navigating in the dark room. He could have sworn the garbage was trying to move away from princess'' path, but when officer tried to follow in her steps just made it worse for himself. Bronze arms never touched her, but Willem had to be very aware of his surroundings to avoid them. Finally, she led him to an alcove, hidden on the other side of the statue jungle.


    There was a small gap inbetween the uneven stones. Princess pushed at them, and they fell down, revealing a bottomless pit. Or so Willem happened to think at this moment. There was no wind, though, but a hot, dry air burning his face. Then princess made a step forward and didn''t fall into the void. Instead, she stood on her own mirrored foot. ?Reflections again, eh?? Via touching with his hands he confirmed that in fact it was not a void but a tunnel made with the strange silky stone.


    - This passage leads to the south side of the mountains. Don''t fall behind, it''s easy to get lost in there for your kind, Willem.


    There were familiar statues as well. It appeared to him that this was the place the statues came from. Whatever reason was there behind their existence, the ones remaining here were just freaky. Smoothed by unknown force, broken in many places, chipped, the ones hidden under the cloth in tower were the better half of them.


    Tunnel got wider and became a cave made of the very same reflecting rock, revealing paths in every direction. Willem have never heard such things existed in Vespemalei lands. South side of the mountain, she said? Was that hidden there all along, unknown to anybody but Vespemalei? Were their armies just emerging from the ground wherever they pleased? On the walls Willem saw something that reminded him of bones, more precisely, ribs. As if princess led him through some kind of beast.


    He felt trapped. Like he was a dinner. Those weren''t ribs, he tried to think, they were columns. It can''t be a beast, it''s a cave, a place, not an animal. Princess walked forward like there was nothing to fear, but Willem felt going crazy. When the ribs stopped appearing from the walls teeth started doing it instead. Those weren''t simple stalagmites or stalactites, those were flat and smooth, as if they were used to chew on something, and they littered floor, walls and ceiling. The heat emanating from the rocks felt almost body-like.


    Then the ribs returned. Teeth again, ribs once more. Willem pinched himself hard, but that wasn''t a dream. At least, not a dream that could be fooled by such an action. A giant slept here, an unbelievable evil lurked beneath the surface, connecting the realm with it''s body. If not for feet feeling the surface Willem would surely believe he was flying in the darkness, and in that dimension of void existed something, something Willem couldn''t quite put his finger on.


    He had to stretch his arms and touch the walls. It was too much for him, and yet stopping there meant a horrible fate. And yet someone lived there. The path was branching out in every direction, and Willem saw a room, looking disturbingly normal, if somewhat spartan. A bed, a table, a cabinet. All made from this hot stone.


    - Ah, that''s where my legendary progenitor rested.


    There was one thing wrong with the room, however. Apart from being made from the reflecting rock, that is. A hole near the bed, a deep hole with no bottom to be seen.


    - From here, this way. ¨C Princess stopped, pointing somewhere Willem couldn''t brave to look at. ¨C This should be our exit, Willem.


    ***


    Finally, a cave started to look more normal. Willem felt it first with his skin. Wasn''t as hot as back there. Looking up, he saw the teeth becoming more like fangs, finally sinking in the rock that wasn''t mirror. The resulting cracks let in some light. Without a doubt, that was an exit. Standing near it, Willem was shivering ¨C it was very cold outside.


    Princess went first. They had to climb up from here through almost vertical shaft. Carefully choosing were to place her feet, she forced herself upwards.


    Suddenly, an unfamiliar sound. Some kind of a mechanism discharged a bolt. She moved her right hand to protect the face.


    - A-a-ai!


    A drop of new blood fell into the ?worm? beneath. ?A trap??, Willem thought as he looked up. Even princess got surprised. She didn''t move a bit, and he started to get worried.


    - Are you hurt?


    She showed her face. There was no blood or wounds on it. Her hand, however, was pierced by a steel bolt, stuck between bones. Mechanism itself was a one-shot thing and got destroyed after firing once, it''s part scattering all over the place and rolling down the chasm.


    - Do not fear, there wouldn''t be anymore of those traps. ¨C She said. ¨C It will not hurt me even if there are.


    He saw that. Sword still hanged in her chest, less grievous wound all over her body, and now the arbalest bolt she pulled out with her teeth.


    - This was a farewell gift, you see. ¨C She smiled at her thought. ¨C From the Crow. It was for me, so you shouldn''t fear as Crow wouldn''t hurt anyone but her target. There is no poison on it, even.


    - Was that sword her doing as well?


    ?Gift, eh?. Vespemalei sure had weird sense of humor. Gift it may be, but now princess had troubles moving up, and Willem was forced to go ahead and help her pull up.


    Not long from then, fresh air finally rubbed his cheek. He breathed in, trying not to disturb his side. For the last time he leaned over and grabbed princess'' arm, feeling wet and warm blood touching him.


    Outside was a little bit brighter. As clouds were white now, it must have been a noon already. The question was, a noon of which day. How long was the worm? Willem shuddered as he tried to comprehend his subterranean experience. Black hand-tries, growing downhill, were a welcome a sight at this point.


    Company still might be around. And even if it''s not Willem might be able to catch up, if his wound allows him.


    - Call me Crow, Willem.


    He froze still for a moment.


    - I''m sorry?


    Princess watched at the blood spilling from her hand. He should bandage the wound at least, he thought. There''s a cloth in his bag. Vespemalei wasn''t showing any sign of weakness and he kind of forgot to even think about it.


    - I want a name like hers. ¨C She presented her arm. ¨C A Crow. A nice name, unlike mine.


    Willem didn''t particularly cared. Well, it was more handy than calling her princess or a queen all the time. She was no queen of his, it was awkward.


    Dealt with the hand, he moved on to the sword. From up close Willem was terrified even more than before. How is she even alive? It was sticking through her heart, blood spilling with each beat. Magic? Trickery? The better look he got, the more baffled he become. How was she still talking calmly like that?


    She should have been dead. Guards tried to kill her, just like general predicted, and yet...


    - Crow shot you, though.


    - It did not kill me. It could not, Willem. ¨C She winced as officer grabbed the sword and using her shoulder for leverage. ¨C Wounds are a reminder, a memory. For timeless beings like myself it might be the only real way not to forget.


    From the bag came a small bottle of alcohol. He wet a square of cloth with it and tried to clean princess'' wounds a little. Here came a new surprise ¨C under the old blood sticking to the chest wound''s edges was a new, healthy skin. ?Healed already?? He feared for his sanity and scratched at the edges some more, confirming what he saw a couple more time to be sure.


    - Father named me a different name. Names hold meaning, and he named me something along the lines of ?hope?, ?liberty? or one of the two. I can''t be bothered remembering. Crow is so much better, Willem, so much better.


    She chuckled a little, a Willem saw some organ jumping inside of her with bone splinters and miscellanous gore. He quietly turned around and tried to walk away to save at least some of his dignity. He wasn''t feeling good. Not at all. It was the last drop, and now he desperately tried to find a secluded place to let his feelings out.


    He saw so many things those last couple of days, and it was gore that finally got to his head.

 III, to Avenge

    <h1 class="western" style="text-indent: 0.3cm" align="CENTER">III</h1>


    - Well, shit.


    Wasn''t long before Willem discovered fires beyond the hills. It was a valley hidden between the heights, and someone camped there. Half a hundred people, by the looks of it. The pursuers from before, most likely. Officer couldn''t spot any banners or really anything that could say about their identities. They weren''t soldiers from the company, that''s for sure.


    Path Willem and Budevik used before lied parallel to the valley, well hidden in snow and shadows. Wind did a pretty good work hiding it too, silencing any noise coming from camp''s direction. Was he to notice enemies when he traveled up to the Gates general might have still be alive. Well, it wasn''t Willem''s fault Budevik didn''t send any scouts. Enemies other than Vespemalei''s guards were unexpected.


    - Are those the people that pursued us?


    Willem flinched and ducked as he heard princess'' voice right over his ear. She sneaked behind him, not making a sound. It was utterly horrifying to suddenly discover a yellow eyed giant standing there, as if materialized from the thin air.


    - Th-their comrades, yes.


    Maybe he lowered his guard a bit too much. He looked back towards the Gates. Princess led them to a place sandwiched between the tower and camp, and if pursuers wished to return they might as well choose the path general and officer used earlier. They should choose it, they''d be incompetent not to try and catch escapees running from them.


    And Willem couldn''t run properly with his wound. He desperately needed a rest, and just couldn''t afford it. He''s got slightly better after passing through the worm. Hot air, Willem being unable to quiet his mind down from the fear or something else, but unexpectedly he found some new strength to pull it through. He doubted he could keep it up for long, but still.


    Meanwhile, Crow shown a keen interest in the camp lights she saw.


    - You said you wanted to protect me from them, Willem. Yet you both smell quite alike.


    ?Smell??, ¨C Willem frowned. Well, he and pursuers were compatriots afterall, but princess may have been less literal than that. ?Quite alike?, ¨C he thought, calming down. Someone hired those guys, and if he to believe the voices he heard back in the tower there could be a rather handy way of dealing with this situation. He meant both Vespemalei and Razeneth.


    Despite general having a pride all the mercenaries were quite alike, just like those who hired them. If the job''s done, surely the contractor wouldn''t mind all that much. Yet there was a still a question of who wanted to see princess alive. Bastard? As in ?of the West?? ?If that''s the case then...?


    - There is a mage hiding nearby. ¨C She said. ¨C And his smell isn''t like yours, Willem.


    That was a bit too sudden. ?A mage?? Princess showed him the tree-hand mage chose to hide under. It was the closest one, meaning that this guy already noticed them, as expected of magic user. Willem wasn''t particularly afraid, however: in Vespemalei''s land no sorcery had any power. Willem could take on a frail mage even with weakened strength.


    Willem didn''t pull his sword out, but as he got closer to the tree-hand it proved unnecessary.


    - So, he is with them? ¨C Crow asked.


    - Ah, he was travelling with us. ¨C Willem replied, shrugging. ¨C General was adamant on helping mages to get to your land.


    He didn''t know why, though. A tradition of old or something like that. Mages never returned from Vespemalei''s lands, so he thought it was an act of kindness towards people who are going to die or something. In any case, princess knew what was going on.


    - Our treaty with Rosans is still remembered, I see.


    This implied something sinister Willem wasn''t quite ready to accept.


    Mage left tree''s shadow when officer came close enough and looked at Willem with cold, calculating stare. Southerner had tan skin and wore strange arcane robes, smelling of dyes, spices and perfume. Apparently the cold was getting to him harder than to anyone else in the company and he was wearing more than one set of them, although his clothing looked so bizarre it all looked the same.


    - Why hello there, Nevethan. ¨C Mage''s voice was so sweet it melt in the air. ¨C How was your trip to the Gates?


    He dropped the act however as princess did the same kind of trick she have done to Willem. Mage''s shocked expression was rather satisfying to see. He clearly tried to do something here, but soon southerner realized that magic doesn''t work here. Immediately he bowed his head and dropped on one knee.


    - Vespemalei, ¨C mage said, ¨C Vespemalei.


    Now it was Willem''s turn to become pale. If he could be any more pale, that is.


    - I see you recognize me, mage. ¨C She said, smiling.


    His name was Ekkem of Ashghan, which implied that there were more Ekkems. Unlike Willem, mage dared not look at princess. Officer long suspected sorcerors were in some kind of a league with Vespemalei, but until now he had no idea how close he was to the truth. Afterall, magic wasn''t working in this blighted land, as if someone could order it to stop listening to anyone else''s words.


    After exchanging pleasantries, mage finally dared to stand. He then procured a gift, a small box with spices and jewels, saying with his most sweet voice that he could only hope to meet Vespemalei one day. As repulsive this behaviour looked to Willem, however, the Crow''s reaction was somehow more troubling. She liked it, clearly.


    - So then, Ekkem, I have a favor to ask. Help me decide.


    Mage answered with a bow. As Crow explained, Ekkem watched Willem with cold stare.


    ?Budevik wouldn''t tell mage of all people about the mission, right?? It was the continuation of his and princess'' talk from before they met the mage. If their smell is the same she couldn''t trust Willem. So, she wasn''t literal about her smelling. ?Thank goodness?. Willem wasn''t sure with Vespemalei, they are just too ridiculous, as was expected of the overlords of all things evil.


    Ekkem as a neutral party favoring Crow over both has been made a judge. Willem had to say something as a mage could not be trusted. He couldn''t let everything be decided without him.


    - We are an army and they are not. They are just civilians driven to banditry, doing any work they are offered. We on the other hand are one of the few remaining legions of the Rosan Empire. Would you prefer them to be protecting you, princess?


    Crow looked at him seriously, then her gaze drifted somewhere else.


    - I would, if they have what I need. ¨C Princess smiled. ¨C You shouldn''t hide from answering me honestly, Willem. You are mercenaries, I get that, and you are working for someone who needs me. I will not kill you for that. ¨C She turned to Ekkem again. ¨C Now, what do you have to say?


    Her stance on those things looked like a trap, though. As if she was playing him into doing something stupid. Finally, it was Ekkem''s turn to say something.


    - Company clearly has a better backer. Less informed, sure, but that isn''t a negative for you, isn''t it, my lady?


    Princess nodded, and Willem felt sweat rolling down his spine. Somehow this small victory wasn''t fulfilling at all.


    - I need an army, Willem. If I am needed by someone it means I have a power over them, and like I said, I need an army.


    Officer shook his head in disbelief at himself. Can''t lower guard around her. She''s just too dangerous, she preyed upon his weakened state of mind. Princess not even once shown any hostility towards him, but that was all an act. Vespemalei, despite being evil and all that, somehow always managed to find willing minions to do their bidding. Just like Ekkem. There were tricks up their sleeves.


    Willem didn''t want to serve anyone. And yet there were degrees of him not wanting to serve. Like, Bastard of the West and Crow seemed less repulsive than Razeneth.


    - Then our interests go toe in toe. Here''s my offer, Crow. ¨C He said. ¨C You will look for yourself if the legion is to your liking. However, general is dead and captains will have to decide on the contract once more. I will do anything I can to help you see our hirer. No other promises there, and if captains decide to be hired by you instead then so be it.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The last one was a lie. A lie in some sense. Willem won''t let captains accept princess'' offer. Most likely he wouldn''t need to do anything as captains weren''t a dumb bunch.


    - And all I need is to not do anything rash? ¨C She faced towards the mage. ¨C I will require one more favor from you, Ekkem. Help Willem along the way, else he will collapse before we get there. For your help, ¨C and your gift, ¨C you will have my blessing to behold the greatness you yearned to see so.


    Mage readily nodded, muttering ?thank you, Vespemalei?. Willem must have missed some words. The last favor wasn''t as shallow as it looked at first. Mage didn''t want to return to the camp as one of the captains ¨C Lieuw, who clearly did the right thing ¨C in general''s absense forbid Ekkem to leave the camp. And yet here he was, talking to Crow and Willem.


    Later Willem asked him:


    - Why do you help me?


    Apart from ?she offered something of great importance to a mage?, Ekkem''s answer was pretty insane.


    - Besides, Vespemalei never wanted to have humans as servants before. Sure they had some, but those were very rare cases. But she wants them, she is hungry for them. ¨C He said, smiling like mad. ¨C You know that Vespemalei kill each other, never letting their power be divided? We, mortal men, have the chance to see this war from the inside, we can participate in it; doesn''t that make your heart race?


    - You aren''t answering my question.


    - She wanted you to see it, that''s why.


    ***


    Willem at some point must have fell unconscious from all that exhaustion he accumulated. He must have been resting now, his body being carried by the mage towards the camp. Nightmares weren''t news to him at this point. He expected to see lots faces, yet, he saw something else entirely, which made him think if he really left the caverns under the surface.


    He was lost in there and completely alone. It must have been nightmare. If it wasn''t, Willem had no idea how to get back. Caverns were all exactly the same, wherever he decided to go it just never ended. And yet, there was a growing suspicion that something changed, or at least was about to change. The room Crow talked about before, Willem felt it somewhere on the horizon. He had nowhere else to go anyway. so he desperately sought for this place.


    A nightmare usually consisted of faces of the slain. And as Willem saw a familiar picture of the path turning to the side he noticed a boy''s head rolling ahead of him. It was the same room, with a giant pit in the middle. A boy, grinning from ear to ear, happily jumped into abyss.


    - Now he can hear you, sirs. ¨C Kherim said, stroking his thin beard. ¨C I''ll go and treat the princess, if you wouldn''t mind.


    Willem felt something very spicy in his nose, and something else squirming on his face. It took a lot of strength from him to tilt his head to see all captains gathered around him, as well as a couple of soldiers and their conscripted doctor. A fat learned person from the natives, company took him in after their own medic collapsed with insects worming out of his ears.


    From outside the tent he heard Ekkem''s voice. Mage was quite upset that he was separated from both Willem and Crow, but furthermore he was denied both the ability to attend captains'' discussion and the ability to leave, despite ?queen''s? promise. In any case, Willem grasped the situation happening before him. Captains stood there, silent momentarily, and waited for him to explain what the hell got loose.


    Willem grabbed his head, trying to get rid of the last bits of nightmare stuck in there.


    - Where''s she?


    - Vespemalei is in her tent for now.


    ?I see?. He rummaged through his pockets and didn''t find a letter but lots of shredded paper instead. ?Yeah, it worked?. While they still were walking towards the camp Willem managed to get rid of the evidence by tearing the small scroll to bits. Neither princess or the captains knew anything. Dog, last piece of the puzzle, stood in the tent behind everyone else. Willem looked at him, showing that there was a talk they need to do after the meeting.


    As Dog nodded, Willem told captains about everything. Well, more than that, but also he hid the fact company was hired by Razeneth. Instead, officer put Bastard as their contractor to the surprise of many. General would be quite displeased if he was alive, but Willem didn''t care. Budevik had his faults, serving Razeneth being one of them.


    As he was talking he prepared his new move. Putting words in such a way as to push captains into action. To switch sides they needed one thing, and their compatriots hiding in the mountains had it. For that reason Willem told about the princess first, saying that he left the most important stuff for last. Putting camp''s discovery close to general''s death and scout''s heroic actions, he was ready to strike.


    - There are fifty or so of them there. No defences, and furthermore, they are totally oblivious to our presense. ¨C Willem said. ¨C We have to avenge our general, aren''t we?


    Enduring the pain Willem stood up from his bad. Determination was the key. Not everyone bought that, though.


    Now, Willem, tell us what really happened.


    Kramer was a larga man with auburn hair. He looked as sturdy as a castle wall and was built the same. Yet in reality he was more suited for other, more bloody type of work, hence came his nickname Gutrip. He was trusted to interrogate people, and by that everyone meant torture.


    - So, what happened? ¨C Asked he again.


    General greeted him into company''s ranks even before the first war, so losing Budevik must have been a big hit to him. Willem could relate to that but there was no reason to suspect general''s adjutant just because of that.


    - I didn''t do this. I wouldn''t dare. ¨C Willem replied. ¨C Meanwhile, those who hid themselves behind the mountains called him ?traitor?. Not at Razeneth, but at our general. Send Kirin to scout ahead if you doubt my words. He will confirm what I said.


    - That''s right, we have to do something about them. ¨C Said Lieuw, catching up fast. ¨C They might run away unscathed if we are to be undecisive.


    There were six captains total and Dog with his handful of scouts. Captains commanded around a hundred people each, company being six hundred soldiers strong total. Kramer commanded veterans, although he was more of a figurehead than a real captain with general giving orders to them directly.


    Two hundreds would be quite enough to destroy enemy''s camp. Everyone wanted to be the one to avenge the general, and so Willem''s speech ended in captains deciding who was the most loyal to Budevik. Every other matter at hand was postponed until they destroy the enemy.


    - Don''t forget about Kirin. ¨C Willem chuckled. ¨C He will surely want to have his revenge.


    - For someone having no guilt you are awfully interested in sending Dog forward, aren''t you. ¨C Kramer interwened once more.


    - But he is right, though. Last time having no scouts around proved disastrous to our general.


    Lieuw liked antagonizing Kramer for some reason. He was way smaller than his opponent, had lighter build and gave off a somewhat sickly impression. Also, he wasn''t trustworthy at all. General had a good grasp of him, but Willem never had any hope of dealing with this guy favorably. Somehow that translated into respect for Lieuw, even though Willem tried to purge this feeling of camaraderie towards this particular person.


    - So, you must be with them in this too, eh?


    Kramer towered over Lieuw, yet the latter wasn''t impressed. Definitely, both of them had some thoughts on what really happened, yet not even Willem himself suspected general to be dealing with Razeneth, and Kirin was really quiet about Budevik''s secrets It was impossible for captains to know the truth.


    - Veterans can''t be allowed to do such a simple task and Lieuw is untrustworthy, as well as me. ¨C Willem rubbed temples. ¨C This leaves you four. I propose we send Kirin, Moesel and Greiff. For no particular reason, I''ll be honest there.


    It didn''t matter all that much, really. Willem only wanted two hundreds and Kirin. Captains reached a somewhat shaky compromise: four remaining captains, Moesel, Greiff, Rais and Inges, each took fifty men. For the sake of trying out every possibility Willem offered his assistance, even though he didn''t hope to do much by himself. He was put back into bed with his bad condition as a pretext.


    But Kirin got through. Dog wasn''t happy about it.


    Soon everyone left, including Kirin. There were soldiers guarding tent from outside ¨C Willem saw their shadows on the wall. ?I''m not trustworthy now, huh? He heard captains gathering their men and marching off. Just as he started to fear Kirin abandoned him Dog entered the tent through the entrance, and guards did nothing. Officer noticed they didn''t even flinch, scout completely evading their senses.


    Willem had no idea how did general got a hold over such a person. And what Dog did wasn''t a magic but something else, Vespemalei made sure it wasn''t the case. Officer recognised this particular trick. He was dubbing it ?body double? since Dog was present in multiple locations at the same time.


    - You''ve heard that originally we wanted to kill the princess, haven''t you?


    Kirin wasn''t denying this.


    - And now you must want to know why I''m suddenly wanting to bring her somewhere, right? I''ll tell you. ¨C Willem said. ¨C Because that the opposite of what Razeneth wanted of us.


    - So... it was Razeneth.


    ?Counterintuitive, I know?. To get through Alvirean blockade company didn''t do anything at all. One would think that meant company working for Alvirea ¨C meaning working for Bastard of the West ¨C with alvireans silently letting them pass through. Since Razeneth and Bastard not being on exactly friendly terms it must have been some kind of magic or something.


    - You should find Bastard''s seal in enemy''s camp and take it before anyone sees it. We''ll take on their mission as our own and say to captains that Bastard is a bastard, hiring two companies at once.


    ?It''s not treachery, right?? General only wanted good for his men, and Willem tried to save them from Razeneth. Afterall, it was Bastard''s country that owned the lands of the fallen empire. It was only logical to try and get them back from the current owners.


    Surprisingly enough, Dog was rather tame today. He must have felt Willem''s good intentions, but more than that he knew full well that Razeneth could not be trusted, even if general succumbed to his power.


    - What about the ratling? If there is one.


    - I say he should die. ¨C Willem shrugged. Bastard ofttimes sent his spies into mercenary companies he employed, and if that''s the case it could prove problematic later on. ¨C Kramer shouldn''t get his hands on the rat, that''s for sure.


    Dog sighed in response.


    - Honestly, I thought you served Bastard all along.


    - Because he tried to contact me? You know I''m not the kind.


    That half-serious attempt to recruit Willem, ¨C or entire company, ¨C for the Bastard''s cause that happened way before they sneaked into Vespemalei''s land could actually be beneficial to them now. Both Lieuw and Kramer as well as others might have known about that incident, and even if Willem refused to deal with alvireans before captains didn''t know that, thinking of it as the beginning of their current contract.


    - One last thing. ¨C Said Dog, looking at the exit. ¨C What about Ekkem?


    That question was hard to answer. For now Willem wanted to put all this Crow business on hold and make sure Bastard''s seal, ¨C a paper signifying company''s deal with the most powerful person of the Alvirean Empire, ¨C was in their possession.