《Bricks of The Temple [Abandoned]》
Arc 1: The Renounced Sword - Prologue
Dark clouds rolled across the skies foreboding rain, the smelled of moisture in the air, and the birds were flying low to the ground darting across an open field. On the mud path there stood a man dressed in a hooded sheepskin cloak, leather tunic, linen trousers, leather boots, and slung a cloth wrapped object. The cloak was dark gray dyed by overuse. Its original light colour long gone and there were mended tears that were sewn together messily prevalent throughout. The man drew his cloak close as his countenance scrunched when a gust of cold wind blew and the sky grumbled then roared as rain started pitter pattering down.
As the man walked in the rain the sky was long drained of its colour and the sun hidden by the dark clouds of rain. The man spotted a seemingly abandoned carriage ahead and a body on the ground near it, The man somberly walked to the carriage and as he approached he tried to grip a non-existent sword then sighing to himself.
¡°I guess old habits do die hard.¡±
The man inspected the body noticing the puddle of blood that should have been near has long been washed away by the rain. There was also multiple stab wound in the stomach, the clothes of the body was clearly disheveled indicating a struggle. The eyes of the victim also seemingly burned with anguish.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°Been dead for a bit, looks like I don¡¯t need a sword after all¡± The man sighed again.
The man could only offer a small prayer for the recently departed.
¡°May your soul rest and the anguish quell, may the godde-¡± The man could not finish his words before he cringed and a pained expression overcame his face.
The rain relentlessly poured with no sign of letting up. The grumbles, roars of thunder, and flashes of lightning in the sky occurred with increasing frequency. It was as if nature itself was angry with the misdeeds of man.
Maybe the bandits missed something in the carriage the man thought as he stepped past the body. He opened the carriage door and he saw a boy staring blankly at the ground of the carriage. The boy looked young, no older than 5, dressed in mostly commoner clothing with a touch of extravagance indicating a background of either fallen nobility or a well off merchants boy. The boy had dark black hair a fair complexion, slightly handsome; however, the dark brown eyes of the boy completely devoid of the innocence of a child and filled with emptiness.
Arc 1: Chapter 1 - Short Sword (Revisited)
The sound of fire crackling could be heard as a well-made campfire casts the shadows of an older man and a young boy onto the walls of the cave.
The young lad¡¯s name was Morgan, the brown haired youth had a square strong looking face that consisted of: thick eyebrows, round eyes, a grecian nose, and medium sized lips. Morgan was almost thin enough to be called skinny but had enough muscles to not be called weak.
The older man was called Gilles, he had a rounder face with downturned eyes, a button nose, thick lips, and a full face of ashen gray facial hair that was almost messy. His body was burly and scarred, tempered by uncountable battles. His face also scarred by old wounds and his thick hands with deep calluses, indicating a lifetime of swordsmanship. However, his most noticeable feature right now is the heavy bags under his eyes indicating restlessness for the past few days. This gave him more of look of a weary vibe as opposed to his usual strong and righteous one.
Morgan and Gilles are currently traversing through the Forgotten Forest, a massive forest that is not yet fully explored. The reason for the forest¡¯s enigma is two fold: one few are willing and two none are capable. The forest housed too many savage beasts and monsters more powerful than the strongest group of men. The danger of the forest is mostly self-contained with the exception of the transition from fall to winter. During such times weak to mid tier beasts and monsters will turn more aggressive as they seek for food to last through the harsh winter months. The annual period of aggression was eventually named the Hunger Month and became so problematic fortifications were erected to prevent monsters and beasts from roaming eastward, near civilization.
Morgan and Gilles sat close together while Morgan played with a stick and occasionally poking at the campfire.
Morgan interchanging glances between Gilles figure and a wrapped object beside Gilles. Looks of question, confusion, and fatigue showed on Morgan''s youthful countenance.
¡°I know you¡¯re tired and the journey''s been tough. But I can¡¯t bare to leave you alone yet.¡± Gilles said calmly and wearily with a caring look then holding out a hand to pat Morgan''s head.
Morgan scoot out of reach avoiding Gilles hand and spoke quietly ¡°Not young.¡±
¡°To me you will always be a boy, no matter how old you are.¡± Gilles said with a slight smile.
Morgan simply grunted in response.
¡°Nothing to bury, except the rag you call a cloak.¡± Morgan spoke again softly.
Gilles lightly chuckled and then turned serious.
¡°And this.¡± The words was spoken sharp and quick as Gilles held up a wrapped object. The look of disbelief spread across Morgan.
¡°Widower soon.¡± Morgan said sarcastically as he grinned and pointed at Gilles.
The seriousness on Gilles¡¯s face lifted and shrugged slightly before explaining. ¡°This isn¡¯t actually something I want to hold on to. It¡¯s more like a Widow Spider rather than a lover.¡± Gilles sighed.
The mere thought of Widow Spider terrified Morgan. Morgan accidentally encounter one when he was foraging for food. Morgan will never forget the black-luster and bloodied sharp fangs of the giant Widow Spider as it feasted on it¡¯s mate. Morgan slowly backed away and ran to Gilles, but it was too late. The Widow Spider had already marked Morgan for its next meal. Morgan and Gilles had to do extremely unpleasant things to mask their scent and move with haste to escape the Widow¡¯s hunting ground.
Gilles didn¡¯t want to come deep out of the woods especially with Morgan, but the lack of choices and Morgan being of age to become a squire. Gilles had to finish his journey that he put on pause.
Morgan and Gilles sat at the campfire bantering a little more before Gilles feel himself no longer able to ward off fatigue.
Gilles¡¯s looked seriously at Morgan and said with a chilling tone ¡°Never touch this¡±before unrolling a blanket of cloth on the ground and covering himself with his cloak to sleep.
It wasn¡¯t long before the sound of snoring escaped from Gilles mouth and echoed in the cave. Morgan put some more dried branches into the campfire and fished out a book from his own carry-sack. Morgan read in silence for a while before an idea struck Morgan¡¯s mind.
Morgan suddenly had an urge to reveal the secret of the wrapped object. It wasn¡¯t surprising as over the years Morgan¡¯s curiosity of the wrapped object grew. He guessed it to be a small staff or sword for it had the shape but he was never too sure. Now with the knowledge that the object will soon be buried he had to find out what it was to sate his curiosity. There will be no more opportunity after tonight to inspect the object in father¡¯s hands.
Usually his father slept lightly. But the past few days completely exhausted his father and now he was snoring with the object in his embrace.
Lovers indeed Morgan thought while smiling to himself.
Morgan then carefully and quiet snuck the object slowly out of his father¡¯s embrace. His caution however proved to be unnecessary as Gilles was completely unresponsive and continued snoring.
Mogan then carefully put the object on the ground and started unravelling the beige linen cloth. The proccess was slow and done gently because the caution Gilles had showed it made Morgan presumed it to be potentially fragile. As the object revealed itself Morgan was only half-surprised.
The object was a short sword, one that gave an ominous feeling. It was sheathed in a surprisingly simple leather and wood scabbard, but the hilt was extremely elegant. The grip was made with a type of wood Morgan never seen before. The wood was dark black and lustrous and had patterns of red weaved throughout. The cross-guard was dark black with fire patterns etched across. And lastly the pommel, it was the most impressive part of the hilt. The pommel was shaped like the face of an angry devil. The devil¡¯s face was well made, it looked like it would move at anytime.
Morgan had a sudden urge to draw the short sword. As his hands lightly touched the sword hilt. His body was overcome with shock and pain, he felt his body was burned by hellfire: a fire hotter than any other. He felt his flesh melting and tried to scream, but no sound came from his throat. For what felt like an eternity he felt his body scorched and melted. It wasn¡¯t until his body lost balance that his hand finally separated from the sword. His body convulsed and he finally screamed and roared in pain as his body fell and seized on the cold hard ground.
The commotion awoke Gilles and he quickly rushed to Morgan and put the boys seizing body into his embrace. Gilles chanted words in a cryptic language then a green light enveloped Morgan¡¯s body and then the boys conscious faded.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The event caused Gilles to be flooded with guilt. He blamed himself for letting down his guard. Gilles could only stroke the boy''s hair gently as he waited for the boy to wake.
It took one whole day until Morgan awoken. Morgan rubbed his eyes and stared at the empty cave and the lit campfire, unable to recall the past event with the sword. He suffered a headache from oversleeping and his mind was foggy. In this confusion and disarray Morgan could only rub his eyes as he lifted his upper body.
A short while later Gilles returned to the cave and immediately upon seeing the awoken boy he rushed over and embraced Morgan.
¡°Do you remember anything?¡± Gilles whispered softly in a tone of deep sadness and affection.
¡°No.¡± Morgan replied briefly.
¡°How are you feeling?¡± Gilles asked as he held Morgan¡¯s cheeks and inspected Morgan up and down like a worried mother.
¡°Fine.¡±
Gilles wanted to inquire and check Morgan condition more, but he had to put on a tough father appearance in front of Morgan. After contemplating for awhile and affirming Morgan¡¯s condition he was finally relieved. ¡°Alright looks like you''re well enough to have the first watch.¡± Gilles gave his best effort to look cool and uncaring then went to his sleeping blanket to sleep.
Morgan was pondering what happened to himself for Gilles to have such a worried expression. Fortunately for Morgan no matter how much he tried, he could not remember what happened beyond sitting near the campfire with Gilles earlier.
Unbeknown to the father and son an ancient consciousness had transferred into Morgan.
Few days later in another part of the forest
¡°Halt, found more tracks¡± said Roland who had a hawk like face as he put up his hand to indicate the party behind him to stop. Roland swiftly examined the tracks. ¡°It seem like they are going north-west.¡±.
¡°Are you sure the people we are tracking hold the artifact?¡± said Bron with a questioning look.
Roland simply stared at Bron. Who was a bald burly knight in full silver plated armour with a tanned commoners face that was best described as brute looking and almost orc-ish facial features.
¡°You should lower your helmet visor Bron.¡± Roland stated coldly.
¡°Why? It¡¯s kind of stuffy.¡± Bron confusedly asked.
¡°I can¡¯t concentrate if I have to look at your orc-ish stupid face. Every time you speak you ask the most stupid questions. Why are you even on this squad?¡± Roland said while grumbling. Roland however knew the answer all too well. The dispatch order to retrieve the artifact came too suddenly. A fluctuation of ¡°evil¡± power was sensed by the high priestess in the Forgotten Forest and since most high ranking paladins were out dealing with the barbarians invasion near the east only few dispatchable paladins remained.
Roland of course wasn¡¯t a paladin, a paladin wouldn¡¯t know how to navigate these woods much less be able to track anything. Perhaps a skilled or experience one might be capable but the group of misfits he was stuck with are all third-rate at best. Roland prided himself in being an explorer, he had explored almost everywhere in the known world, He had the Goddess¡¯s Blessing of Clarity which allowed him to see absolutely everything in a certain radius if he activated the ability. But each usage is absolutely exhausting and forcibly extending the range could even make him pass out. However due to the critical urgency of the task he had to use this ability numerous times, almost enough for him to have suffered an aneurysm. Sadly the ability is only the secondary source of his current headache. Bron of course was the primary source.
¡°Alright you idiots, I think we are at most a day behind them now and even being able to pick up the trails of them in the first place was already a bloody miracle. Let¡¯s move.¡± Roland roared at the rest of his four man squad.
Roland has no idea why the high priestess would only send the four of them. Especially sending him with dumb, dumber, and dumbest. He couldn¡¯t wait to get the task over with but he had to be careful since they were retrieving a cursed artifact that could destroy the known world. Just thinking that confuses Roland more as to why such an important task only required him and the three goblin brains. Upon thinking further Roland suddenly scoffed, and thought this might just be His Majesty¡¯s revenge. Roland did remember being unruly recently at a royal banquet, stealing some of His Majesty¡¯s wine, and pickpocketing the prime minister for some quick coin. However, aren¡¯t those just the usual routine? Couldn¡¯t have caused His Majesty to send me to this goddess-forsaken place.
After a few more hours of tracking Roland finally commanded ¡°Let¡¯s set up camp, it doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯ll catch em today and I really don¡¯t want to pass out confirming whether or not we can.¡± Roland quickly sat down on the sat on the ground and waited for camp to be set up.
¡°Alright Don you go find some firewood, I¡¯ll start prepping the rabbit, and Gon you can set up the tents.¡± Bron commanded his brothers.
Roland¡¯s headache quickly got worse as he heard the names of the three goblin brains. Roland wonders how these brothers¡¯ father came up with these names and even more how all three of these imbeciles became paladins. Sure, strength is great for paladins but there has to be a bare minimum in intelligence right? After looking at the extremely similar figures of the three blockheads he closed his eyes and used a used a tiny-fraction of the blessing ability again.
The ability was only used quickly to scan if there were any other humanoids near by, like a quick pulse of sonar he scanned within one hundred meters.
The quick pulse scan was a variety Roland managed to come up with. It wasn¡¯t very taxing on the brain but useless at tracking people not in the immediate area. Roland¡¯s headache worsen anyways due to the accumulated fatigue. Roland could only sigh to himself knowing that was the last use Clarity today before his head imploded.
A while passed after eating and Roland quickly went to rest in one of the tents dumbo-3 set up. Roland promised to himself he would find them tomorrow, retrieve the artifact, and teleport out of here before he actually develops an aneurysm.
The lake of the Forgotten Forest was beautiful, it gave a serene feeling and the water was extremely clear and transparent. It was easy to spot fish near the surface and one could feel the harmonious atmosphere around the lake. Where the beauty of nature and wildlife could take one¡¯s breath away.
The Forgotten Forest Lake had mysteries to it. One being despite the clarity of the water you could not see the bottom of the lake and the other being the abnormality of serenity surround it. Normally it wouldn¡¯t be strange for predators to prey for food near water sources, but no animals would quarrel near the lake, vicious beast and monsters would not approach it either. A strange phenomena of the lake that some speculate is a Blessing of the Goddess.
However, Morgan and Gilles weren¡¯t here to enjoy the serenity. They came here to dispose of the the polar opposite of serenity. The wrapped short sword that Gilles had held was the embodiment of chaos, it is believed to contain tremendous power.
The archives states a seal was created at the end of the Age of Gods. [When Hades fell and the Goddess rose. Sufferings lifted and new beginnings descended. Fires died and a seal was born.] Scholars believe that the seal the passage referred to was a cursed sword, the very one in Gilles hands.
¡°Bury?¡± Morgan looked very confused as he stared at the lake.
Gilles contemplated for a moment before saying ¡°Did you bring a shovel?¡±.
Morgan only looked at Gilles blankly.
Gilles seeing the blank expression could only express an awkward cough. Truthfully Gilles¡¯s plan was to bury the sword at a secret location that few knew about located deeper in the forest. But due to his son¡¯s mishap the Temple must have felt the abnormal energy fluctuation from when Morgan touched the sword and sent a retrieval squad. Thus he decided to ¡®leave¡¯ the sword in the domain of an old friend.
The old friend was a fairy that resided in the lake and acted as its guardian. The fairy is able to conceal herself and the mysterious nature of the lake rather well. What more is one additional cursed sword to conceal?
Gilles quickly took a throwing position holding the wrapped sword and then threw it as hard as he could towards the lake. The sword soared in the sky before landing in the middle of the lake and sunk deep into the water.
Thankfully the fairy must be sleeping because there was no angry appearance followed by scolding for Gilles dumping trash in her domain once again.
Just as Gilles was finally feeling relieved after getting rid of the short sword. Gilles detected some people approaching at fast speed.
Arc 1: Chapter 2 - New Horizon (Revisited)
¡°Get behind me. If I tell you to run, run without looking back. Your old man might be old but I can hold them off for a bit.¡± Gilles said to Morgan with a serious expression.
Just then Roland came out of the forest with the three simpletons in tow. Roland immediately was shocked when he saw Gilles¡¯s face.
¡°Back off into the forest for now. You three will scared the kid, lemme handle this.¡± Roland said to the three grunts with a voice out of earshot of Gilles and Morgan.
As the three grunts looked at each other and then walked off into the forest. Roland slowly approached Gilles with both hands up.
¡°I do not mean to disturb your journey Reverend Father, I sincerely hope you would excuse my impoliteness.¡± Roland said as he genuflected before Gilles.
Gilles winced at being called Reverend Father and bitterly replied: ¡°That is no longer who I am. I left the Temple long ago.¡±.
¡°Then excuse me.¡± Roland said as he rose and inquired, ¡°If I may be impudent, may I inquire if Rever- *cough*, if Fath-, your hon-...¡± Roland stuttered as he tried to figure out what to address Gilles as.
¡°Stop, just Gilles is fine. Also please talk casually. You are The Hawk I presume?¡± Gilles said monotonously.
¡°Currently The Hawk of Emperium.¡± Roland said with a shrug.
¡°What did Alfred offer to tie someone like The Hawk down. Who is known for being the most free spirited bird of the land.¡± Gilles said amusingly.
¡°I¡¯m honored you¡¯ve heard about me, well His Imperial pain-in-the-ass offered me maps to locations known to be myths. But I digress, I¡¯m wondering if the kind gentleman has the artifact I been sent to retrieve.¡±
¡°It¡¯s no longer in my possession¡± Gilles replied coldly.
Seeing the cold Gilles, Roland quickly replied ¡°Whoa, between you and me I¡¯m not too eager to retrieved the artifact, I¡¯m just the hunting bird. Shoot the commander not the commanded.¡± Roland quickly put his hands up in surrender.
Roland realized why His Imperial Tyrant made him come on this expedition and even issued an imperial decree to force him and why the High Priest-hag forced the three idiots with him. They must have realized they were sending me to the gallows and didn¡¯t want anybody valuable to join me.
¡°Leave us alone and return. Tell the Temple you couldn¡¯t find the artifact and let the issue rest.¡± Gilles said as he narrows his eyes and was about to put his hand on his sword.
Before Gilles completely finished his sentence Roland was already in a full sprint running away yelling ¡°As you wish humble sir!¡±. As Gilles ran past the three idiots in the woods, the idiots gawked and quickly followed.
¡°What happened?¡± Bron asked while running alongside Roland.
¡°Nothing happened. Found nothing. Nothing to worry about. Going home.¡± Roland said while running.
¡°I knew the people we were tracking might not have the artifact!¡± Bron said smugly.
Roland looked at Bron then Bron¡¯s brothers and was sincerely grateful that the High Hag-test lent him the three morons. If it was some other keen paladin, perhaps all of them would no longer have heads.
Morgan showed a curious expression at the sight of the hawkish looking man running back into the woods.
Gilles noticed Morgan¡¯s curiosity and explained: ¡°the man was The Hawk, famous explorer, never met him in person but heard stories about him here and there.¡±
¡°Hawk? His face?¡± Morgan further inquired.
¡°No not just that, they call him The Hawk because he¡¯s known for always being alone and he always had incredibly keen eyesight even before he got a Blessing from the Goddess.¡± Gilles said with a smile.
¡°Blessing?¡± Morgan asked as his curiosity peaked.
¡°The Goddess can lend her abilities to humans although the abilities will be much less effective when a person uses it; nevertheless, you can assume Blessings of the Goddess to be cheat like abilities. The Goddess however also loses some of her abilities when she hands out Blessings so she seldomly does it.¡± Gilles explained with a good mood as it seems like both and his son had recovered their mood a little.
¡°Why?¡± Morgan inquired again.
¡°I¡¯ll explain as we return back to Elrantel. It¡¯s a long journey after all.¡±
The journey back was long but fruitful for Morgan as he got a lot of information about the Temple and the Goddess. Gilles nevered wanted to talk about the Temple and the Goddess to Morgan previously but ever since the short sword was disposed off it seemed like Gilles has opened up to Morgan about the topic.
Morgan organized his thoughts as he reviewed over what Gilles has said in his mind.
The Temple is the religion that worships the Goddess. The Temple was founded directly after the Age of Gods ended. The Age of Gods was a time where many gods were alive and fought for power. The Goddess manage to kill all other gods and became the strongest as she was the last divine. The Goddess brought mercy and justice for mankind by giving them freedom and autonomy from the gods, Mankind started to worship the Goddess for her kindness. The Temple were the real ruling force of the Emperium Empire because they had the Goddess behind them. It is strange that father shows a face of displeasure whenever he praised the Goddess. This seems weird because Mr. Hawk¡¯s conversation with father suggests father was important at the Temple. Reverend Father huh.
Morgan was confused by his father¡¯s stance on the Temple. Father seems to dislike the Temple, but he never says anything bad about the Temple. This made Morgan think his father truly did have a complicated relationship with The Temple.
Gilles noticed Morgan¡¯s brooding but said nothing about it. He is used to Morgan being at times in deep thought. Gilles sometimes wondered if his son is too smart for his own good.
The father and son soon arrived at the entrance of Elrantel. Elrantel was a frontier city made with extremely sturdy and thick walls with beautiful masonry constructed undoubtedly with the use of magic and virtuous labour. The castle gateway consisted of a large wooden gates reinforced with iron and a metal portcullis in front inscribed with defensive runes to sturdy the gate from magical and physical attacks. If one looked closely at the city walls the same defensive runes could be seen spread at cross at same distance intervals. The defensive runes were the result of meritorious efforts from the Hall of Magic. The walls of Elrantel were almost completely indestructible if well manned and maintained.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Morgan looked at the city walls with wonder as they waited in line to pass through the gate.
¡°You¡¯re staring as much as the first time.¡± Gilles said with amusement.
¡°Different reason.¡± Morgan answered as his gaze moved from one rune to another.
Gilles observed Morgan¡¯s counting. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you last time we pass by the gates, but did you know if you listen carefully you can hear something special?¡± Gilles ask as if recalling something humorous.
¡°What?¡± Morgan asks as he closed his eyes trying to hear the walls.
¡°Curses.¡± Gilles said while holding his grin.
Morgan looked puzzled and slightly scared.
¡°The curses of the runescribers forced to etched the runes sober. Complaining about being underpaid and overworked.¡± Gilles said while chuckling. ¡°Look way left see there right next to that rune there I¡¯m pointing to.¡± Gilles said while pointing to a brick on the wall with a slight chip. ¡°That chip right there was from the head runescriber, he smashed his hammer on the wall after being told he couldn¡¯t drink alcohol until the runes were done by the Archmage.¡± Guile said musingly.
Morgan glaces at the rune and while chuckling and shot Gilles another curious glance seeming inquiring how Gilles obtained this knowledge.
¡°Been here when it was being constructed.¡± Gilles said proudly.
But that was around Morgan started counting with his fingers and then gasped staring daggers at Gilles before muttering ¡°not dead?¡±.
Gilles almost choked on his own spit. ¡°Can you not curse your father to an early grave?¡±.
¡°Overdue.¡± Morgan said silently while grinning.
Gilles knocked Morgan on the head lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude. I have no idea where you learned all that sass from.¡± Gilles said while shaking his head.
Inside the city at a small inn called Fat Maidens, Gilles was chatting with the barista and inn owner Hilda. Hilda was a kind middle-aged looking lady who had twin pigtails, friendly looking face, and slightly overweight donning a brown headband and apron. She also had an accent that was from somewhere in the northern islands.
¡°Thought ya would look lot worse. Thought ya be missing at least an arm when you gone into that forest for long.¡± Hilda said seemingly uninterested as she cleaned a beer mug with a rag.
¡°Thought I would get a warm welcome at least.¡± Gilles said while frowning.
¡°Did ya pay for dinner?¡± Hilda stopped cleaning for a moment.
¡°I retract my earlier statement.¡± Gilles quickly took a chug from the beer in his hands to avoid awkwardness.
¡°I thought ya were crazy to take ya boy with ya into the woods. It¡¯s no place for a boy.¡± Hilda said with a tinge of anger.
¡°I can¡¯t leave him here, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡±
¡°I would¡¯ve took good care of him, made him do some busy work and fed him well. The boys too much bones he needs to eat more.¡± Hilda said with a concerned look.
¡°He eats enough. I wish I could protect him forever, but I need to train him to be independent.¡± Gilles responded looking a bit sad.
¡°What use is strength anyways, it¡¯s much better to have a good head on your shoulders.¡± Hilda rebuked.
¡°You need strength to really live, I can¡¯t always be there to protect Morgan, I want him to be able to protect himself.¡±
¡°Ya just wanna pass down ya swordsmanship, ya would brag about it when ya get real drunk.¡± Hilda said with disdain.
Gilles blushed a little with embarrassment and took another glug before Hilda nagged again.
¡°What if he¡¯s no good at swords, what if he¡¯s better with the wands, what if he¡¯s better with a bow, what if he¡¯s -¡± Hilda asks with fever before Gilles cut her off.
¡°Then I¡¯ll find him a good place to learn those. I¡¯m not a stubborn as you believe.¡±
¡°And I¡¯m just a young lady from a noble family.¡± Hilda said with a mocking tone dropping her accent and imitating a young lady¡¯s.
Gilles shivered. Hilda¡¯s impersonations always gave him chills.
¡°Ya look old but ya heart still young. Only acting old around ya boy.¡± Hilda said with a slight warmth.
¡°Got to look fatherly in front of the boy.¡± Gilles chuckled and then finished his beer. Getting up and about to walk upstairs to rest.
¡°Coin.¡± Hilda said before holding out her hand looking at Gilles extremely coldly.
¡°Put it on my tab!¡± Gilles said while skittering away upstairs.
¡°Righteous man me ass.¡± Hilda scoffed and picked up another mug to clean.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully and a new day began.
When Morgan awoken he found the bed beside him empty and thought that Gilles went out extremely early in the morning. He quickly got dressed and went downstairs to his old spot at the counter and started eating the pre-prepared breakfast on the counter. Hilda quickly noticed the boy and started making small talk with the boy with occassion questions about events in the forest. Simple responses such as ¡°Widow Spider¡±, ¡°Hawk¡±, and ¡°Blessing¡± came from Morgan. Hilda tried to pry for explanations but Morgan¡¯s responses were only short and vague.
A question then suddenly came to Morgan mind. ¡°Reverend Father who?¡±
Hilda was surprised by the question and simply pretended not to hear.
Morgan was frustrated by the lack of response and was about to ask again when Gilles walked in clearly in a good mood. Gilles was holding two wooden short swords in his hand and hung two wooden long swords on his back while humming a little to himself.
Seeing Gilles return and so happy Hilda mockingly inquired ¡°Looking real happy since ya got rid of ya lover. Did ya bed some wretch this early?¡±
¡°No coin.¡± Morgan said as if he was stating a fact.
¡°True, with that mug they¡¯ll charge him at least triple.¡± Hilda laughed.
¡°Don¡¯t talk such vulgarity in front of the boy Hilda.¡± Gilles said with a slight frown.
¡°I stop when ya pay ya tab. Ya owe me so much coin I could buy me self another inn when ya pay.¡± Hilda said while narrowing her eyes.
¡°Do I look like I have the coin on me.¡± Gilles said pleadingly.
¡°Ye, ya do look like a bandit. Surprised no guards stop ya for questioning.¡± Hilda scoffed.
¡°Bum.¡± Morgan egged on.
Gilles hit Morgan¡¯s head a little harder than usual. ¡°Come on, let''s go to the forest I¡¯ll impart some swordsmanship on to you today. I can¡¯t stand being insulted on two fronts.¡± Gilles said to Morgan.
¡°Have fun, don¡¯t get interrogated by a guard on ya way!¡± Hilda waved the father and son goodbye.
The father and son arrive at a small clearing in the forest north of Elrantel. The spot was in a place few would pass and close enough to the city that if anything happens they could make it back without too much trouble.
¡°Your father back in the day was the best with the short sword and shield, but the long sword is also worth learning.¡± Gilles said while being a bit smug.
Morgan was very focused and serious as he already had a goal for himself to become strong.
Gilles demonstrated the basic styles of long sword and then short sword with great precision. His movements were slow in order for Morgan to observe and comprehend. The swordsmanship style was a modified version of the standard swordsmanship style of the Temple but Morgan would not realize that fact for a long time.
Morgan practiced the sword movements while Gilles instructed and corrected mistakes. Morgan¡¯s talent for swordsmanship wasn¡¯t great but it wasn¡¯t bad. It was better than average but nothing exceptional or noteworthy.
This continued until late evening, both Morgan and Gilles forgot about lunch and only started heading back when the sky was darkening and both of them started to feel hungry.
¡°Why do you want to become strong?¡± Gilles asked as the duo walked back to the inn.
¡°Justice.¡± Morgan replied honestly.
¡°You think just like me when I was younger.¡± Gilles laughed heartily. ¡°What if to achieve true justice you had to become unjust and step on the weak.¡±
¡°If I have to harm the weak to achieve justice then I have achieved no real justice.¡± Morgan replied in a long sentence, a rare occurrence, implying his seriousness.
Gilles was a bit surprised at Morgan¡¯s seriousness, Gilles agreed in his heart. He hoped his son could stay true to this idea even when he himself is long gone.
After hearing Morgan¡¯s words the last doubts in Gilles heart was washed away and he believed himself to have made the right choice in leaving the Temple.
Arc 1: Chapter 3 - Ominous Clouds
In a darkly room communication orbs started to shine. One after another glowed until five communication orbs emitted a faint light.
¡°How many are gathered?¡± A regal voice spoke.
¡°The holy light shines.¡± a soft voice responded.
¡°The sword awaits.¡± a study voice spoke.
¡°The shadow beacons.¡± A creepy voice whispered.
¡°The new dawn approaches.¡± A child¡¯s voice answered.
¡°The object not retrieved, circumstances arose.¡± the soft voice said.
¡°Unforeseen or unforetold?¡± The creepy voice hushed.
¡°Gilles.¡± the regal voice responded with a sad tone.
¡°His death is required.¡± The creepy voice responded.
¡°No!¡± The regal voice responded harshly.
¡°It must be done, a new hand is ready.¡± the soft voice spoke.
¡°You know he will not return nor be convinced.¡± the sturdy voice said coldly.
¡°How can we betray his-¡±
¡°¡°¡°¡°We must.¡±¡±¡±¡± The rest of the voices interrupted the regal voice at the same time.
¡°I then beg for no part in the plan.¡± the regal voice said with frustration and sadness.
¡°The boy and I shall handle it.¡± the creepy voice rasped.
¡°Yes!¡± an adolescent voice said cutely.
¡°The new hand must be loyal, his death must not be in vain.¡± the regal voice spoke again.
The communication orbs dimmed. The dark room returned to its eery silence.
The sun shone lightly upon a man and a boy as their sweat glimmer in the sunlight and a cool breeze blew through the trees. The man and the boy spared and the sound of wood clashing reverberated throughout the forest.
¡°Good. You are ready.¡± Gilles said as he looked at Morgan who is out of breath and still in stance.
¡°Ready?¡± Morgan said in between breaths with a look of disbelief.
¡°You¡¯re probably even slightly better than those your age. It''s only because you¡¯re against your old man that the gap feels huge.¡± Gilles laughed. ¡°Too bad your talents for magic and archery was mediocre. I don¡¯t even want to talk about your academics.¡± Gilles sighed.
Perhaps Morgan was a bit tick off at being insulted he started swinging at Gilles with impatience seemingly desperate for improvement.
Gilles easily pushed Morgan¡¯s exhausted movements back. ¡°Have patience, even your father was bad at swordsmanship in the beginning. I actually had less talent than you when I started.¡±
¡°No wonder swordsmanship ugly.¡± Morgan grinned.
Gilles grasped his heart and looked extremely sad. He mumbled to himself ¡°I always thought it was cool.¡±
Morgan took this chance to attack again, ran towards Gilles and did a jumping attack taking advantage of Gilles still look at the ground dejected.
PAAH!
Morgan¡¯s sword shattered and Gilles kicked Morgan away in the stomach. Morgan rolled on the ground in pain holding the broken sword.
¡°A hundred years too early to trick your old man.¡± Gilles smiled smugly.
Morgan forced himself up and walked towards a wooden long sword nearby to retrieve it.
¡°Enough¡± Gilles said noticing Morgan still wanted to spar. ¡°Today is the last day of your training. I¡¯m throwing you in Knight¡¯s Academy I¡¯m sure someone will pick you as their squire.¡±
¡°No.¡± Morgan simply shook his head.
¡°Be glad I trained you to be a squire. Trust me being a page is a lot worse. Trust me this is the best for you.¡± Gilles attempted to persuade Morgan.
¡°With Father.¡± Morgan said sternly.
¡°Father is planning to go somewhere very dangerous, you are much safer here.¡± Gilles said with sadness.
Morgan simply crossed his arms and turned his back to Gilles not willing to compromise or discuss further. Gilles tried his best to convince Morgan, but after a couple of hours Gilles voice became hoarse. Gilles was secretly glad to see Morgan¡¯s rarely seen childish side, but he had to leave the boy someplace safe and somewhere Morgan can grow.
At this point Gilles noticing the sun reaching zenith We can¡¯t be late to the appointment, mind as well reach there first then sort this out. Gilles then lifted up by the ankle ignoring the resentment in Morgan¡¯s eyes.
Two guards stationed at the gate in front of the Knight¡¯s Academy saw a man dragging a boy by the foot. The boy crossed his arms with disdain as he skid across the ground. The guard looked with both a sense of confusion and amusement as the man and the boy drew closer. The man said ¡°Gilles. Appointment with headmaster.¡± then the guards immediately opened the gate and let the man in. The headmaster has already instructed them to swiftly let Gilles through swiftly. After the man went by the guards conversed with each other about the ridiculous sight.
In a beautiful looking room sat three people with various expressions. One happy, one frustrated, and one with deeply furrowed brows. The happy one was of course Gilles, the frustrated was Morgan, and the confused one was the pudgy headmaster. The headmaster may be overweight and could be described to be pig-ish looking, but the headmaster had a kind heart. He truly cared for the students of his academy and prioritized their wellbeing and happiness.
¡°Mister Gilles although happy to enroll your son, your son doesn¡¯t seem to be too willing.¡± the headmaster said as he studied the boy. The boy was extremely dirty from being dragged all the way here and the chair so much so the once white chair was already caked brown. The headmaster coughed and continued ¡°I can let the boy enroll but I can¡¯t make the boy stay.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°Oh he will stay¡± Gilles said reassuringly and stared daggers at the Morgan. Morgan felt a deep chill down his spine. ¡°Won''t you my obedient son.¡±
¡°YES FATHER!¡± Morgan shouted. Morgan knew that look on Gilles, the look of when Gilles was going to give someone a heavy beating. Morgan weighed his options and thought he really couldn¡¯t stay with his father forever and had to become independent at some point. He could only reluctantly agree. Perhaps learning here will help my own growth.
The headmaster was slightly shocked by the loud response and almost fell back on his chair. He whipped cold sweat off his forehead and stated. ¡°Well that will be that then. I¡¯ll get someone to show him to his new quarters.¡± the headmaster quickly shouted for his assistant who whisked Morgan away.
¡°Mister Gilles you have my most assurance I will take care of your son. But I cannot do anything to help you advance to a knight.¡± the headmaster said firmly, but he was quivering from fear.
¡°No need. Just make sure he is fed and feel free to discipline him.¡± Gilles said with a smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be on my way. If you ever need to contact me ask for me at Fat Maiden¡¯s inn.¡± Gilles said before he quickly got up and left.
Only after the headmaster saw Gilles figure disappear before he sighed and relaxed in his chair. Who could he be, to be able to use the Emperor¡¯s insignia and yet still dressed in commoner''s clothing. Quite odd, quite odd indeed. The headmaster thought deeply, but cannot come up with an answer.
As the headmaster assistant showed Morgan to his quarter she explained to Morgan coldly ¡°Showers are public and on the first floor. It uses water crystals which can be repowered at the Student¡¯s Hearth building if needed. Any supplies you may need is also available there and you can drop off your equipment there for repairs. This is one of the male student dorm building specifically Deer¡¯s Nest. Student¡¯s Hearth is directly south of here, we just came from the main academy building from the south-east. The stables are north of the main building and other teaching facilities are west of the main building. Cafeteria and library are in the main building both are paid for in your tuition. The headmaster specifically instructed if you have issues report to me and not your direct teacher. Oh, your room number is 220 and here is your key.¡±
The assistant handed Morgan his key and sighed as she knew although on paper commoners and nobles are equal in the academy the noble teachers may not always deal with dispute between commoners and nobles fairly. Thus the headmaster took special consideration for Morgan to report directly to her. ¡°Any questions?¡± the assistant asked impatiently.
¡°No clothes.¡± Morgan said embarrassingly.
¡°It¡¯s all prepared for in your room. Your schedule should also be in there.¡± The assistant answered coldly before immediately walking back towards the main building not caring if Morgan had further questions.
Morgan could only dejectedly go to his room.
It was late at night when Gilles made it back to Fat Maiden¡¯s. He quickly sat down and Hilda passed him a mug of beer and a letter.
¡°Letter for ya, from Trins. Calling in some favours aren¡¯t ya.¡± Hilda said with a grin before speaking in a young maiden''s voice. ¡°Oh, the great and righteous Sir Gilles is calling for aid. Woe is he, the mighty has fallen.¡± Hilda then laughed shrewdly.
Shivers went down Gilles spines. Gilles drank before before speaking. ¡°It¡¯s not for me, it¡¯s for my boy, don¡¯t want him to get bullied by the nobles.¡± Gilles then quickly opened and scanned through the letter, before muttering ¡°Morgan Trins, not too bad sounding.¡±
¡°Oh they made the lil¡¯ lad a Trins? Aren¡¯t ya something.¡± Hilda mused.
¡°Not a true Trins, only in name for now. You know Lord Trins, one has to hunt a epic beast before he¡¯s considered a true Trins.¡± Gilles sighed.
The Trins were a respected house they were north of Elrantel and the closest house to the front tier. With the banner of a wall they proud themselves in guarding the Empire from beasts and strange creatures. Their house were small but extremely respected as all knights of the Trins house had killed at least one epic beast.
The wild beast rankings were simple it went goes from common, uncommon, rare, epic, legendary, and lastly divine. Common beast could be hunted by one average man, uncommon four, rare sixteen, epic sixty-four, legendary at least two-hundred, and divine was believed to be only huntable by the gods.
The western houses were known for being strong at hunting beasts because the western frontier were unclaimed land. Home to uncountable beasts and dangers. While the eastern houses were known for man versus man combat. They defend and push against the eastern barbarians whose savagery is only rivaled by their power. Although the Empire is a pseudo-theocracy that incorporates both a royal power and church power both are selected and obeys the Goddess. The main difference is the royal forces is mostly responsible for the western front and the Temple¡¯s forces is responsible for the conversion of the eastern front. The royal forces would be described as servants of the Goddess while the Temple¡¯s forces could be described as devout servants.
¡°Are ya staying in Elrantel? The academy ¡®s close and Temple¡¯s power is weak here.¡±
¡°No, I have to travel to the eastern ward. If I could convince The Hoard to help the tribes to weaken the temple forces perhaps there is still hope.¡±
¡°Ya going to ABANDON ya son!?¡± Hilda said with fury.
¡°I can¡¯t bring him with me, I can only hope he will be strong enough to weather the storm.
¡°How is one ol¡¯man going to convince The Horde?¡± Hilda said suppressing her anger.
¡°Elixir of Immortality.¡± Gilles whispered.
Hilda expression paled when she heard the words. Hilda knew that reason is enough for any ruler to move their armies. It was a carefully guarded secret of the Temple rumoured to be fake. However from the mouth of Gilles the existence of the elixir is definitely confirmed. Hilda thought it over before stating ¡°the Goddess will not idle if The Horde invades.¡±
¡°The Goddess is weak, from my personal estimate her might will only be restored after millions of devouts die. If we wait any longer we might lose our reason to wait.¡± Gilles sighed deeply.
¡°Millions will die.¡± Hilda stated while shaking.
¡°We aren¡¯t strong enough to stop the Goddess without lost. This is the only path left.¡± Gilles said bitterly as he clutched his fist so tight it drew blood from his palms. ¡°I want my son¡¯s ideals to be possible. I want the innocents to not suffer, but the only path for survival is bloody. I hope the future will know real peace and not just the calm before the storm.¡± Gilles tone became even more bitter and his eyes moistened. Gilles finished his beer and stood up. ¡°I leave tomorrow.¡± he then put a sack of coins on the counter then looked at Hilda in the eyes then spoke ¡°and my debt is paid.¡±
Hilda could only bite her lips bitterly and her eye moistened knowing that this will be the last time she will see Gilles.
Few days later
It was an ominous night that was cloudy without rain. The wind blew softly in the city of Elrantel. The streets were quieter than usual as an creepy old man with his entourage walked to Fat Maiden''s inn.
Hilda was cleaning beer mugs when she saw a familiar old fragile man walking in. She immediately cringed and was displeased.
¡°Haven¡¯t seen ya disgusting face in a few blue moons. Hoped I never had to.¡±
The sound of a cane strike the ground could be heard as the hunchback old man drew near.
¡°Circumstances allowed for our reunion.¡± a creepy voice resounded from the old man.
Hilda only narrowed her eyes in response.
¡°I am looking for our old friend Gilles, heard he¡¯s been around.¡± The creepy man asked with a slight smile. The smile revealed his blackened teeth and his face sent shivers down Hilda¡¯s spine.
¡°Never see-¡± Hilda wasn¡¯t going to tell the creepy man where Gilles was going, but in her heart she hoped the creepy man could convince Gilles to stay. ¡°- I¡¯ll tell ya, if ya can convince him to stay, perhaps even roost here at Elrantel.¡±
The creepy man smiled and said ¡°Oh, he¡¯ll stay in the country alright.¡± then cackled with laughter. The laughter was short lived before he started suffering a coughing fit.
Hilda reluctantly told the creepy man that Gilles left for the east but not much else. She didn¡¯t fully trust the creepy man, but she believed that the creepy man wouldn¡¯t harm Gilles as he owed Gilles an unpayable favour. No matter how villainous or vile a man was each person has their own bottom line.
Soon after the creepy man left the inn and whispered some orders to his subjects waiting outside. Then the creepy man and his subjects quickly disappeared into the shadows.
Arc 1: Chapter 4 - The Pest
The Empire¡¯s capital Dextella is the forerunner of the Empire, a place of new technologies, ideas, and policies. It is said the first step forward always starts at the Dextella. The land of opportunity, dreams, and progress. The capital casts a bright light across the Empire and is a shining example that every city strive to be.
Unfortunately every light casts a shadow.
The slum district of the Empire¡¯s capital was one of the capital¡¯s shadows, the streets smelled heavily of excrement and urine. The streets were narrow, only allowing three people to walk side-by-side. The street consisted of brown dirt and pebbles. It was slightly concave and had a small dugout channel in the middle. This channel allowed rainwater runoff to flow out of the slums into the river. The shacks were made out of scraps of wood, bricks, harden mud and any other salvageable materials. Each shack was barely able to fit a family of three, the living conditions in the shacks were dirty and uncomfortable for its residences. It was a place of survival not a place for living.
In a shack that appeared to be uninteresting and ordinary. There contained a hidden door which lead to the Pests¡¯ Hideout. The tiny shack was only a cover up to keep away from prying eyes. The slums was a district where people kept to themselves and had the least faith in the Goddess. In company of death, disease, and hunger many found themselves forsaken and unwanted. Authorities, specifically the Temple¡¯s men, would only be met with scorn here. A perfect spot to be incognito for members of the underworld.
Deep underground roughly two hundred meters under the city exists a network of tunnels few knew how to properly traverse. The tunnels were wide enough for a man to walk without bending and were supported by beams of wood at fixed intervals. No one alive knew who dug these tunnels or the true purpose of the tunnels, but nevertheless it was made use of by members of the underworld. In one of the wide openings within the maze was the Pests¡¯ Hideout. The opening area was around a one hundred meter squared and the height was two meters, slightly taller than the tunnels. The open area consisted of door ways to guard the entrance and separated areas. One area for sleeping, one for paper work, one for briefing, and the last one was supplies. It had no structures besides support beams and some furniture such as shelves, desks, tables, and chairs. The sleeping area only consisted of sleeping bags on the ground. The location seemed too simple to be a headquarter for the biggest group of criminals. It in fact was only the main secret meet up locations. The actual headquarters was in fact the main building of the Golden Trade Company.
The Golden Trade Company is the biggest and richest trading company in the Empire, it is the main front of the Pests¡¯ organization. The dark side of the Golden company was known by few and many employees and executives in the Golden company are ignorant to its underworld dealings. Nevertheless, the main purpose of the Golden company without a doubt is to divert power and financial resources from the Temple. It seeks to limit the influence of the Temple within the economics of the Empire and subsequently the Empire¡¯s dependence on the Temple.
In precisely the darkly lit hideout a meeting was held to conspire against the right-hand of the Goddess: Gilles.
¡°The plan will be executed at the royal capital, I am sure Gilles will visit to Alfred before leaving the country.¡± Roach explained to the rest of his council.
Roach was the leader of the Pests and and true leader of the Golden Trade Company. He seldomly is seen publicly due to his haggard appearance and creepy voice. His hunched appearance is too sinister to represent the face of the Golden company and could only pull the strings in the shadows.
¡°Master Roach, shall I inform Master Francis of the plan and have him move his people in the capital?¡±
¡°No, I would like to hear some suggestions from my council before the plan is set in stone.¡± Roach replied calmly.
¡°I think the plan has too many variables, it relies on too many assumptions. It assumes that Reverend Father Gilles will visit the slums or live in a poor residential area. If he chooses to reside in the wealthier districts the operatives may arouse suspicion.¡±
¡°Although I do not know Reverend Father Gilles personally, from what Alfred told me he prefers a humble lifestyle. I doubt he will live in extravagance. As for his personality I cannot say much except Alfred suggests he is different from the public perception, but I do believe he has a basic sense of righteousness.¡± Roach spoke with assurance.
¡°Are we sure of the Temples movements? If they learn of the right-hand¡¯s return they may move before we have the opportunity.¡±
¡°According to my information we shouldn¡¯t have any problems with the Temple, but it is a variable. Master Roach may I suggest a distraction near in a city near the holy capital?¡±
¡°If it¡¯s not absolutely required I do not want to lose any more of my men. The last distraction lost us twenty loyals. I have yet to find suitable candidates to replace the them.¡± Another council member rebuked.
Roach realize the plan wouldn¡¯t be so straightforward after all and called for a vote. ¡°Alright with a raise of hands who believes the plan will succeed in its current state.¡±
5 hands were raised out of 11 not including Roach¡¯s.
¡°Looks like we have a long meeting ahead of us.¡± Roach sighed.
¡°Here I was looking to go home early.¡± A council member sighed as well.
¡°Not all of us have a pretty wife waiting at home.¡± Another council member joked.
¡°Let us get back on track we have plenty of work ahead of us.¡± Roach said as he calmed the council.
After many modifications and debate the plan finally reached general consensus. The council members dispersed leaving Roach to his own thoughts.
A cruel faith, to be betrayed by people whom he saved. Roach sighed.
Elsewhere, two council members who were leaving chatted to themselves in the tunnels.
¡°Master Roach is not looking too happy today, it seems like he isn¡¯t too fond of the plan.¡±
¡°You should know that Reverend Father saved our Master indirectly before. He feels like he owes him a debt of gratitude. To have to kill a benefactor in cold blood must be unpleasant.¡±
¡°Sometimes I feel our Master is too kind for this line of work.¡± The council member mused.
¡°Not everyone here enjoys what we do, we do what we must.¡± The other council member shook his head.
¡°I heard Reverend Father Gilles is a kind and righteous man. Truly a pity for a great man to die.¡±
¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I assume it is a necessity otherwise Master Roach would never agree to it.¡±
¡°Truly too kind for this line of work¡±
Both of the council members laughed and gossiped as they walked. They seemed more like chatty school girls rather than sinister members of the underworld.
There exists a main roadway that connects Elrantel to the main capital. The road is well paved, composed of flat rectangular stones surrounded by concrete and is resistant to flooding, weathering, and prolong use. The main road name is Fur Road since it¡¯s frequented by beast fur merchants. It is 6m wide allowing for two escorted groups of caravans to pass abreast, the road sheer size displays the might and commitment of the empire to its roads.
It is on such a roadway two wealthy merchants are chatting to each other in a luxury two horse coach. The coach was one of the newer luxury designs that had two smaller wheels in front and two larger wheels in the back. It¡¯s primary colour was black with silver patterns intricately laced throughout. The two horses that pulled the coach were black war horses that had twice the stamina of a normal horse. The coachman looked stern and strong seemingly capable to hold his own in a fight.
¡°Master Farhad, If I knew you were in Elrantel I definitely would have invited you to dinner. We haven¡¯t seen each other since the merchant guild¡¯s meeting.¡±
¡°Master Rowan it matters not now that we are traveling together. I imagine we will have many meals together.¡±
Master Farhad was a man from the southern deserts a land that is alliances with the Empire but not yet conquered. Master Farhad was in his forties had brown-skin, brown short hair, thick black eyebrows, brown eyes, a thick mustache, and a skinny figure. Mater Rowan was also in his forties but from the capital, he had fair skin, blue eyes, blond hair, was clean shaven, and slightly overweight.
¡°Ah, I am blessed. I do hope Master Farhad would indulge me in some of your travel stories. Rumours say you represented the merchants guild during the talks with the Great Khan.¡±
¡°Master Rowan how can I one humble merchant represent the entire merchants guild, there were others with me. In fact I believed myself to be the most insignificant person there.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be humble with me Master Farhad, less flowery talk and more details. What was the Great Khan like? Is he as ferocious and bloodthirsty as the stories? Does he drink the blood of his enemies with every meal?¡±
Master Farhad laughed heartily. ¡°The Great Khan is fair he does not pillage without reason. From what I have seen he is only cruel to his enemies and is extremely amicable with his friends and allies. The Great Khan is also wise, he knows that a establishing good relationships with the merchants guild will only bring benefits. ¡±
¡°Is that so? I hear the citizens live in oppression.¡±
Master Farhad laughed again. ¡°The Great Khan¡¯s reputation in the Empire sure is negative. On the contrary from my sources I hear the Horde is quite tolerant of religion and culture. I cannot say the same for the Empire.¡± Master Farhad frowned at thought.
¡°Why would you tolerate anyone who believes in false gods? Only the Goddess is real anyways.¡± Master Rowan scoffed.
¡°Let us not discuss religion, my ears are still sore from the Emperor''s ambassadors praising the Goddess. I know I shouldn¡¯t have stayed in the Shemesh embassy.¡±
Master Rowan then turned serious and asked in a whisper. ¡°What are the chance of invasion?¡±
Master Fahad frowned and thought deeply for a few moments then spoke softly. ¡°The Shemesh Kingdom does not respect the Great Khan thinking he is just the leader of a few barbarian tribes and the Kingdom of Hao fell due to their lack of battle experience.¡±
¡°The same goes for the Empire. The upper members of the Temple are already planning to declare the Great Khan an apostle of calamity. I even heard whispers of a call for a crusade against the Khan.¡±
Master Fahad showed a look of surprise. ¡°You seem to be quite well informed on the matters of the Temple, though is the source reliable?¡±
¡°Reliable enough.¡±
Master Fahad pondered again for a few moments and then his facial expression turned ugly. ¡°It is looking really bad. If the Empire and Shemesh both denounces the Great Khan the flames of war is sure to spread to both our realms. Looks like both of us have to move our south-east branches.¡±
Little to their knowledge a distance behind their coach a man wrapped in a ragged cloak was eavesdropping to their conversation. The man was Gilles who was also planning to travel to the capital. Seems like I manage to hear something interesting. Perhaps my journey may prove to be unnecessary. No, to avoid casualties I need to talk to the Khan myself. Gilles manage to find himself able to travel with the trade caravan by pure luck. He had been recognized by one of the caravan guards and recommended to join them. Gilles had a good reputation in Elrantel from doing odd jobs and beating up many groups of scoundrels with in the city. The city guards often think Gilles is doing them a favour by teaching troublemakers a lesson and would often look the otherway when Gilles got into a scuffle.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
The trade caravan had coaches, wagons, and carts. Some city guards will often be employed along with mercenaries to help protect the trade caravan from dangers. But as the trade caravan travelled many pass-by-ers will join to have free security. The guards cannot simply shoo off the tag alongs since the main road is a public road after all. This however did not mean they accepted them into the group, since many tagalongs are beggars the guards would never allow them too close to the merchants or their wagons.
Gilles decided to hang with the tagalongs because being with the guards and mercenaries was a bit uncomfortable. He had a hard time being the only person doing nothing while everyone else acted vigilant and protected the caravan.
Seeing Gilles stare at the coach intently an old beggar beside him couldn¡¯t help but whisper.
¡°Young lad, I do not recommend doing what you think of doing. This group of guards and mercenaries look especially though. Having a life is better than having coin after all.¡±
Gilles looked at the old man confused then realize the old man mistaken him for a bandit mixing along with the beggars that will attempt a secret robbery. Gilles could only cough and divert the conversation. Giles looked at the old man who had a bald head, hunched back, in rags and walked with a cain. The old man missed a few teeths here and there but overall looked friendly.
¡°My good elder I am simply curious at the coach design nothing more.¡± Gilles said with a smile.
The old man found Gilles honorable looking and decided not to continue the topic and instead inquired ¡°may I ask why a young lad is travelling to the capital. The able bodied should be able to find a easier job at the frontier. Always a need for hands around these parts.¡± The old man asked caringly.
¡°I have some business that require me passing through the capital not at the capitol.¡± Gilles smiled at the old man¡¯s concern.
¡°Don¡¯t fight the Empire¡¯s war lad. Better off finding honest work at a farm.¡± The old man seemed to have recall a bitter memory.
Gilles also recalled bitter memories and both of them walked in gloomy silence.
It wasn¡¯t long until they passed a few milestones and more people started to join the group. There was travelling performers, more beggars, and even a few stempets. The guards managed to keep the peace and the caravan was also glad to have some entertainment along the way.
It wasn¡¯t long until an official outpost was hit and a few guards tried to invite Gilles to stay at a government owned Inn, but Gilles insisted he made a few friends and wanted to find a private inn with them instead. The guards could only shake their heads and tell Gilles they resume travel at day break.
Gilles and the old man along with a clown who found the pair interesting walked down the road to find a nearby inn. The clown honked his nose at Gilles to get his attention.
*honk* *honk* ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay in the government inn, it¡¯s going to be a lot nicer there than where we are going.¡±
Gilles don¡¯t know why this clown was insistent on following him and the old man. He tried to tell the clown off but the clown simply honked his nose non-stop until everyone else begged Gilles to let the clown into their group. The clown had no respect for Gilles privacy and kept asking about his travel plans, background, and personal life. The worse part is every time Gilles ignored a question or refused to answer the clown would honk his nose until Gilles gave up. The noise from the nose honk could only be considered magical. There was no device on the clown¡¯s nose but every time he pinches his nose a honking noise would emerge. If it was truly magic it begs the question on why someone with the talent of arcane arts would choose to be a clown.
¡°I been meaning to ask how in the world do you make the honking noise from your nose?¡± Gilles couldn¡¯t help but finally ask seeing the clown was going to be a traveling companion.
¡°The Goddess gives many blessings, for I am lucky to receive such a wonderous one.¡± The clown kneed and praised the sky as he explained.
¡°Oh really, every Goddess blessing has a name what is the name of yours?¡± Gilles asked with sarcasm.
¡°Must you take a fool¡¯s word seriously? I thought you were an intelligent man, but it seems you are too are a fool.¡± The clown jumped up off the ground and laughed.
Gilles felt it was unfair that no matter where he goes he manage to get a companion that will mock him. He could only sigh. It was then he realize the clown¡¯s attire was slightly odd. Sure the clown¡¯s clothing was typical, very gaudy and colourful, but the hat was odd. The fool¡¯s hat usually consisted of three points with bells attached but the hat the clown was donning had many points giving it an almost colourful cloth crown look.
¡°Weird hat you have there.¡± Gilles said as he studied the clown¡¯s hat more carefully and realize each point had a different colour and it had all the colours of the rainbow. It must be an expensive hat certain colour dye isn¡¯t cheap. ¡°Tell me how does a fool have the coin for such a luxurious hat?¡±
The clown skipped close to Gilles and whispered ¡°I am not just a simple fool¡± then suddenly back flipped away, put his hands on his waist puffed his chest, cleared his throat, and finally announced with with a regal voice ¡°I am a KING, the KING OF FOOLS! Respect me or die! Worship me or starve! For my army is great and my intelligence is high! All outside of my kingdom are savages!¡±
The old man found the banter between Gilles and the clown amusing and joined in. ¡°Oh great king what kingdom do you rule?¡¯
¡°WHAT KINGDOM?¡± The clown acted insulted before shouting ¡°I am no normal KING I rule all the kingdoms for where man exists there is sure to be a fool leading them!¡±
The clown drew attention with his loud voice and many people who were observing laughed heartily at that comment. Even Master Farhad who was getting off his own carriage chuckled slightly.
¡°NOW my steed¡± the clown said as he looked at Gilles ¡°onward to the land of sleep!¡± and suddenly attempted to jump onto Gilles back. Gilles however saw the clown¡¯s intentions and quickly dodged which made the clown land on his arse.
¡°OW! My steed why has thou forsaken your master. Didn¡¯t I feed thy until thee adulthood, aren¡¯t thou strong from drinking the milk from my bosom?¡± The clown yelled in resentment.
A wave of chuckles again sounded from a growing crowd. Gilles simply ignored the clown¡¯s question again and started walking further away down the road. The clown and the old man quickly followed. A short while before they found an inn.
The inn compared to the public inn for officials was a lot more shabby. It was a simple wooden construction and resembled a giant shack. There was vandalization on the walls and looks rather runned down.
The innkeeper looked at the three and found them odd. Two beggars and a fool? ¡°Beat it if you ain¡¯t got the coin. One room is 20 prandiums minimum. No room for negotiation.¡±
¡°Oh we got the coin, a fool makes proper living you see! How much for a room with two beds?¡±
The innkeeper grunted ¡°25 prandiums only one person per bed.¡±
¡°Two rooms one with two beds¡± The clown then took some coins from seemingly out of nowhere and put them on the counter.
¡°Thank you strange lad¡± The old man bowed in gratitude.
¡°Obliged.¡± Gilles responded.
¡°Pleasure doing business.. Here¡¯s two keys. This one is the single room. Room numbers are on the keys.¡± The innkeeper said with a smile and handed the clown two keys.
The clown gently put the single room key into the old man¡¯s hands and wrapped his arm around Gilles shoulder.
¡°My old bones are worn out by the long journey and I¡¯ll retire now. Good night to the both of you.¡± The old man said before he quickly walked upstairs and retired into his room.
The clown looked at Gilles before inquiring ¡°want to grab a bite before sleeping?¡±
The next two week passed uneventfully, with the caravan traveling during the day and sleeping at outpost inns and occasionally towns or village inns. The caravan finally arrived near the capital.
People started breaking off from the caravan, the tag alongs wouldn¡¯t be able to enter through the main gate and could only enter through the south gate which was opposite. The south gate directly lead into the slum district where the tagalongs could enter.
After bidding the guards farewell and promising to have a drink with them in the capital Gilles and his two companions went into the slum district without any trouble.
¡°This is where we say goodbye¡± the old man said with a bit of emotion. ¡°I may never be able to repay the hospitality you two have shown me, but honor this old man with your names and perhaps in the future before I might be able to help in some small way.¡±
The clown waved the old man off before saying his company was gratitude enough and Gilles did the same.
The old man looked regretful and could only bow slightly before walking away.
¡°Why are you still following me? The journey is over we have reached the capital.¡± Gilles said with a look of disapproval at the clown. ?_?
¡°Why not, we are going the same way aren¡¯t we?¡± The clown replied with his usual grin.
The grin looked both genuine and fake. It seemingly said that the clown was happy to enjoy the misfortune of others.
¡°Oh are we now? I am just passing through the capital.¡±
¡°Oh? So am I.¡± The clown puffed his chest.
¡°I¡¯ll be going that way.¡± Gilles started walking.
¡°What a coincidence so am I.¡± The clown followed.
¡°Ah I changed my mind I¡¯ll be going the otherway.¡±
¡°So have I.¡±
The exchange continued with Gilles going a direction before another and the clown insistent on following until they manage to reach the checkpoint from the slum district into the lower district.
¡°Halt!¡± said one of the guards at the checkpoint. ¡°What business do you two have in the lower district?¡±
The clown simply looked at Gilles waiting for his response first.
Gilles reached into his pouch and held up a pendent that had a golden turtle on it.
The guards looked at each other and then whispered amongst themselves, it didn¡¯t take long until they reached a consensus.
¡°Would the kind sir allow an escort to the Golden Company. It would be a great fault on our parts if anything happened.¡±
Gilles simply nodded.
¡°And is the fool your companion?¡± The guard inquired then looked around, but the clown was nowhere to be found.
Gilles looked around as well and simply shrugged. One less headache I suppose.
In a luxury residence in the nobleman¡¯s district Roach was again pondering about the conspiracy to kill Gilles. The thought troubled him for the pass weeks. He sincerely hoped it wouldn¡¯t have to resort to the death of a benefactor. He finally made up his mind to at least talk to Gilles one last time before the plan.
A newly trained maid approached Roach with tea. Her hands were nervous and shaking, she was quite scared of Roach. The face and stature of Roach was indeed too sinister for the new maid. She had to muster all her courage just to hold the plate with the tea set.
Meanwhile Roach paid no attention the to approaching foot steps and still was in deep thought. I just have to convince him, I just have to. ¡°I must.¡± Roach carelessly said his thoughts out loud.
The sound of Roach¡¯s creepy voice startled the maid at an unfortunate time. She was just putting down the tea set when she heard the sudden eery voice. The maid flinched and lost control of her hands and the tea set along with the tea came crashing down onto Roach.
¡°AHHH¡± Roach screamed in pain from the hot tea.
¡°Sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to sir! Sorry!¡± The maid said quickly in a panic. She knew her life was over, she started tearing up, both fear and panic overcame her.
The head maid quickly approached when she heard the commotion.
¡°I¡¯ll bring you a change of clothes Master Roach.¡± The head maid said calmly.
¡°Damn, She¡¯s the new maid right?¡± Roach said while still in pain.
¡°Correct, Master Roach. She just finished her training.¡±
¡°Train her more carefully.¡± Roach said in a chilling tone.
The new maid face started becoming more and more pale. Train, am I going to get tortured? I never should have taken this job. Her face is now completely pale and she is on the verge of passing out.
The head maid couldn¡¯t help but laugh inwardly as she dragged the new maid out of the room and instructed another maid to bring Master Roach a new set of clothes. The head maid was especially mischievous today and decided to bring the new trainee down to the basement. The new maid seeing where they were going was on the verge of passing out. She couldn¡¯t help but plea to the head maid ¡°I am too young to die, I have brothers at home that need me, please show mercy¡± as she teared up.
Seeing the new maid starting to cry the head maid let go and started to explain in a soft tone. ¡°The Master isn¡¯t actually evil like the rumours, when he said for me to train you better he just mean a light scolding.¡± The head maid then started looking sad as she explained further ¡°the Master often gets mistaken for being cruel because of his looks, but I can guarantee with my life that the Master is kind man.¡±
The new maid sniffles and still had a look of disbelief ¡°really?¡±
¡°Do you know why you are currently here?¡±
The new maid sniffles again and shock her head.
¡°It¡¯s because Master upon hearing an old maid had a injured leg he sent her away and secretly gave her enough gold to retire without ever needing to work.¡± The head maid said as she started smiling.
The new maid looked slightly better but doubt can still be seen in her eyes.
¡°Alright be more careful next time. Trust me with in a month you will see I am tell you the truth.¡±
While the head maid was chatting with the new maid the house butler entered Roach¡¯s and informed Roach ¡°Master Gilles has arrived at the capital and wants to seek an audience.¡±
Roach made a complex expression and commanded to the butler ¡°bring him here.¡±