The stable, where Curtis saw the servant, was mainly used by travelers. The possibility of finding the servant was slim but even so, to be of help to his masters, Curtis still tried his luck and went back.
As he arrived at the stable, he immediately made his way towards the stable manager's office while he still kept himself aware of his surrounding in case he would be able to spot the servant.
The stable manager's office was really not an office. It was just a medium-sized wooden table with some drawers on the side partnered with an almost comfortable looking chair. It was at the right side of the stable near the entrance.
"Excuse me, May I trouble you for a moment?" Curtis politely asked a stout yet young looking fellow, who was seated behind the table busy in reviewing some documents.
When he first arrived in the stable, Curtis already noticed that the stable manager was not one of those approachable person but nevertheless, when it came to business the stable manager tried his best to be polite in accommodating the travelers and servants alike whom wanted to lease one of the stall in their stable as they stayed in town.
The man looked up and eyed Curtis from top to bottom. Curtis became a little conscious by the gazed he received from the stable manager but it did not fazed him. "How may I help you?" the stable manager said with annoyance in his tone as Curtis somewhat disturbed him in whatever he was doing.
Curtis already expected the stable manager's attitude. He smiled and answered him, "I would like to inquire about a young servant who seemed to frequent this stable. He has red hair and wore a wood-colored tunic on top of black trousers and leather boots."
"What do you need with this young servant?" The stable manager asked nonchalantly as he returned back to what he was doing before Curtis came.
"I would just like to ask him a few questions. I heard about his home town and I'm a little curious about it." Curtis answered back without revealing his true intention.
"Hmm…" The stable manager hummed then he stopped what he was doing and looked at Curtis, with an unfriendly expression, that indicated that Curtis was being a bother and that what he was asking was not important.
"This stable receives many travelers and servants alike on a daily basis remembering a young insignificant servant is hardly plausible. If you want, you can run around town, if you are lucky you might spot him." The stable manager said in sarcasm before he completely ignored Curtis' presence.
Curtis was disappointed and displeased but he didn't show it. Instead, he smiled as he bowed and thanked the stable manager before he went his way towards their horses. He checked them for a little while and after he made sure everything was good, he decided to check the market as it was still early for him to visit the tavern.
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Curtis arrived at the market. It was very lively and prosperous as expected of a rich town's center of trade.
As he walked the streets of the market, he was hit by nostalgia. It was the memories of his past adventures with his masters. Back then he was just a naïve young lad that got curious and excited whenever he found something new.
He smiled as the memories came to him like it was just yesterday. As he remembered his clumsiness back then, Curtis shook his head at his curiosity since it almost led him to be deceived by merchants in towns they went to. If not for his masters he would have a lot of trinkets lying around in one of the mansion's rooms and he would be definitely be broke.
Before Curtis get sucked in by memory lane his attention was caught by the commotion not far from where he was. His curiosity got piqued again so he decided to make way towards the crowd. As he got closer he heard voices, other than the murmurs of the crowd, so he squeezed in himself more and eventually ended up near the center of the crowd.
At the center of it all, there stood two children and a man. It seemed like they're arguing about something.
To some it might seem like that the children were being intimidated but if one looked closer it was the other way around. The man's expression was not one of haughtiness but of anger and somewhat of embarrassment.
Curtis turned to the one beside him as he wanted to know what was happening, "Good day dear friend! May I know what is happening? The children seemed like in an argument with that big man there." he said as politely as he could so that the man beside him would tell him what had happened.
"Well, good day to you too." The man said as he looked at Curtis who has a friendly smile plastered on him. The man smiled back and relayed what had happened earlier.
It turned out that the children was walking leisurely when the man bumped in to them and instead of apologizing the man called out the children and asked for an apology. The children was shocked but instead of getting intimidated the older looking child commented on how the man was not taught manners.
This made the crowd astonished as to how a child can be so confident and fearless while the man was left with embarrassment and anger.
While Curtis was listening to the good man, they heard the older looking child spoke again, this time as she looked at the younger one, "Since we won't be getting any apology from this mister…" She smiled mischievously, "Should we call for reinforcements?"
But before the younger could answer her, she already shouted, "KIESO~". The crowd was even more surprised than before as an even older child suddenly appeared in front of them.
"How may I be of help, young miss?" He knelt in front of the older child like a knight while he bowed his head a little in respect. The young miss smirked and pointed towards the man in front of them.
"That man bullied us! He bumped into Beni but did not apologized, instead he intimidated us and wanted us to apologize." The young miss said as she looked dejected, all the confidence and arrogance from earlier were nowhere to be found, instead the young miss displayed one of innocence and aggrieved.
As the young lad heard of what happened, he stood up, his expression did not changed. He just disappeared and before everyone knew what had happened, the man was already slumped on one of the stalls. It turned out he was sent flying to the opposite direction more likely by the young lad.
The owner of the food stand and the crowd along with Curtis were all amazed on what happened but even before everyone can react the children along with the young lad disappeared and only left a pouch of gold coins, a compensation for the destroyed food stand.
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In a dark desolate area somewhere in Louka, faint sounds of footsteps can be heard as the knights dragged a half conscious man along the dark path. The path was not only lacking of light but it was also damp and narrow. The knights with their captive, still half conscious, arrived in front of an ancient looking door.
As the knights opened it, rotten pieces fell down from its side as it creaked sending an eerie feeling on their spine. The door revealed a larger room with dim lights that came from a few pieces of candle attached on the wall farther apart from one another.
The man slowly came into his senses as he was thrown near the center of the room. He squinted his eyes as it adjusted on the little light in the area while being confused on why was he there. He thought he was about to be brought in another prison cell but instead he was brought in a very large but lightly lit room with no furniture insight except for that one large bed on top of a platform-like elevation in the middle of the room.
The bed looked large enough to fit three to five persons slightly snuggled up together. The bed was not the only thing that the room offered. As the knights and the man stayed longer, their noses got invaded by a pungent foul smell that made them immediately covered them but it was of no use. The smell also made their heads felt heavy.
The man, still a little out of it, tried his best to firmly stand squinted his eyes not from the lack of light but he thought he saw something on the bed but before he made any movement, a light metallic-like sound was heard. It echoed throughout the whole room.
"What was that?" the man questioned no one in particular but sure enough it was directed at the knights behind him. The knights looked at each other not answering but they do now what it was. They made their stance that showed their alertness on whatever may come.
The man felt chills ran down his spine as his body instinctively backed away from the center. The sound earlier echoed again but this time it was louder and more hurried.
The man panicked and tried to move away from the center but before he can move any further he felt a light push that made him stumbled forwards. He looked back and knew that it was the knights doing but before he could say anything he felt something cold on his nape.
The knights who were already on their feet towards the door, just heard a pitiful and yet frightening scream.