Zhuge lighty sat down on an old weathered stone chair. After he had brought Marianna of Stormrock to her rooms and set her in a healing slumber he had looked after the young man who so courageously jumped in front of the Gargoyle and thats poisonous venom did you do a single little scratch on him. There had bin not a single sign of flicker of magic in the boy nor did you shouted a prayer, wore the sign of a god or anything. He looked like an ordinary but very tired young man. Zhuge had found him exactly where he had left him. When he opened the door where maria was taken care off Rovan had quickly looked up to him with a shy and tired smile. But he was still awake. This youngster had a tremendous sense for duty and powerful self discipline. Even it was obvious that maria needed no one to protect her inside the keepers castle this young man had not left or fallen asleep. He sat there. Not asking. Not complaining. Zhuge had taken Rovan with him to talk. They had walked through the main building first level and outside in the back of the castle. There was a walkway through a large parc-like area with statues, old and big trees, small shrines and tiny lakes and fountains. Besides the entrydoor was an arkway with niches, and in these niches were small round tables situated which had two old weathered stone chairs associated to them. And at one of them Zhuge had sat down and encouraged Rovan with an inviting gesture to also take a seat. Rovan sat down and looked curious at the High Inquisitor.
"So no one hurt Maria while I was busy", Zhuge started the conversation. Rovan smiled:"No. She was save all the time. Save in the holy halls of Torqua where not the most confused evil person would dare to go to." "And you were by her side. Maria had a very hard and confusing day. It was important that there was someone there when she woke up. Someone she did not need to fear in anyways, someone nice and polite. Protection is for the most times not a matter of defending against physical harm. To protect someone means also to secure his sane, calm and happy state of mind. A tall warrior of my guards might have better protected her against evil but maybe should would be afraid of the warrior when she woke up. Maybe bad memories of strong men would rise in her mind. But no woman can resist a polite and dutiful young man. I am sure she is sleeping now much better after she saw and talked with you."
"I never thought about it like that your highness."
"It is nice if we can provide and learn from each other right?", Zhuge asked and folded his hands on the table in front of him.
Rovan nodded with a smile.
"I am very curious about you. You told your name was Rovan. You jumped in front of a Blade of this castle to protect him, and after that you even took a large load of the fathers poisonous spill. Without any harm. You wandered the insane city right to the keepers house without being hurt or killed by the raging mob. You are very special."
Rovan moved a little uncomforted on his chair. "No you highness. There is nothing special about me. I am just Rovan, my mother and me lived in Auenfries and wait for my father who is in the blue mountains to hunt for the lord and our living. My village was raided. I fear my mother is dead. I just wanted to come to you and ask for help for my village. But when I arrived you already knew about the attack so I was happy you are yet going and rescuing all my friends. I walked the whole night and morning to reach uhlheim. I was so tired. I still am. I just slept maybe 2 hours earlier at the hostel."
"And you had the Jar of darkness."
Roven backed a little of and looked at Zhuge slightly frightened. "Yes. This cursed stone! I wanted to bring it with me to you. To sell it. It looked precious and, you know, I lost everything. I have no place to go and nothing to eat. I have no relatives I can move to and my father will be back in almost two month. But then this man wanted to buy it and he payed a ridiculous high amount of gold for it. And, to be honest, I was happy to get rid of the stone. I feared that man would take the stone out of the pouch and the stone would torture him like he did with me. Then the man wouldn´t buy it anymore. But he did not. He left the stone inside the pouch and left the Inn. But then this most beautiful woman accused him to be a spy from the plaguebay and ordered all men of the Inn to hunt him and bring him to her. She said she was an agent of the empress but I do not believe her. She was little sloppy with all those men who were gathering around her. She acted like a queen with her subordinates. I don´t think true agents of the Empress would behave like that."
Zhuge moved his head a little forward and asked:" And all the men in the inn followed her command to hunt this man? Did you made your deal with the man in the guestroom?"
"Yes we did it at the table where I was sitting to eat. He first was interested in the pouch. Because it looked so well worked and old but still very good quality. When we discussed it he also saw what was inside so he offered to buy both."
"Lets stay at the woman for a moment rovan. Had there been other women with her ? Did she had a friend or a guardian?"
"No, she was all alone. She also had been talking with the serving girl. All seemed to like her so much. For me she just was like, dont know how to say, like acting. All smiled at her, nodded when she talked and laughed when she laughed. Dont know what made her so special but for me she was just very beautiful. No one could deny that. But you know if someone is beautiful and she knows it and acts like it, it is disgusting."
Zhuge smiled at the boy:" I totally understand what you are talking about. I see that you are very tired. You are a honor guest of the order. You proteced and saved the life of a blade of the order. And not just any blade. He is the son of colonel stormrock herself. Even we could not have helped him if the gargoyles poison had decomposed his body. You can have a meal and of course a chamber for the night. Tomorrow, Lady of stormrock and the colonol of stormrock, the blade of torqua, will want to talk to you and thank you for your deed. You should stay. You have no home and you have encountered strange people and strange beings. You are more save inside the keepers castle. HE has led you here not invain. And maybe tomorrow we can talk about how the stone came into your possession."
"Thanks your highness", Rovan stood up from his chair and bowed to the high inquisitor.