- QUARIA, CITY SQUARE -
Having surmised that he was not in any immediate danger, Hielgan slowly relaxed and his gaze moved from the people around him and then he looked straight at the Princess.
"Your majesty." Hielgan quickly took a knee. "If you would have me speak freely?"
The crowd fell in complete silence as they were all surprised by the scene, Hielgan could still feel everyone's eyes on him and he understood how they all felt about his presence.
A newbie such as he to be brought in the presence of an esteemed royal, even after gaining mild recognition with his recent efforts, that did not mean he was qualified to be called forth by the Princess of Quaria.
'I see... how presumptuous of me to doubt you, my Princess.'
Hielgan recalled the words of the Princess and how she had described 'The Tyrant of Quaria' in their first meeting.
"Yes, I would. Now speak."
The Princess eyed Hielgan with a subtle beckoning glance enough for him to notice, Hielgan's new task was to partake in this public farse together with the Princess.
"My name is Hielgan the son of Himser, and I am but a humble adventurer your majesty."
Hielgan's words were firm and loud enough for most of the crowd to hear, because if he was to build up his fame in this city then people would have to know who he was, and the Princess had provided him the perfect stage to announce his name.
"Hielgan, word of your valiant effort in Seabed has reached me back at the royal palace." Hielgan mellowed at her words and waited for the Princess' guidance. "I heard you took up an old job to rid our precious farmlands over in Seabed of Ghascals?"
"Yes, your majesty."
"Unfortunately, upon arrival, you were told the Ghascals had long been taken care of, and that the request was meant for you to clear the fields of Suspine instead, is this true?"
The crowd began to murmur, even her attendees mumbled to each other as the Princess pretended to sound even more displeased.
The crowd began to jeer at the matter and Hielgan found it difficult to tell who the jeers were meant to be for, but instead, he braved the storm and conferred the Princess' explanation.
"Indeed, your majesty."
"Now my dear citizens, I want you to hear the remainder of what occurred in Seabed from this brave adventurer himself." The Princess reached her hand out to Hielgan. "Hielgan, please address the people."
Hielgan felt his tongue fall down his throat when the Princess told him to stand up and explain the rest of what had happened in Seabed, a secret that was held by a select few. Hielgan knew that the moment he said a word, he would have turned his back on those that held the truce.
"Come now, brave adventurer."
Noting his hesitation the Princess leaned down to Hielgan as though to assure him that he could stand, but then quickly winked at him.
Hielgan knew he had no right to disobey her instructions, especially after she had set up such an intricate ruse, he could only imagine what disobeying the second-highest authority in Quaria would brew.
"Yes, your majesty." Hielgan stood up and faced the crowd. "The Suspine in Seabed were destroying the crops that the farmers had worked so hard to grow, and as I explored this mammalian invasion I wondered what had caused these deep forest creatures to move into mortal territory."
As he told his tale, Hielgan noticed that some of the people in the crowd had been hooked and were keenly listening to his words.
The ruse was ripe.
"After investigating further I found that the Suspine had not come into the fields voluntarily, rather they had been forced out from the forest by one of their natural predators." Hielgan stated with a suspenseful tone. "With fangs as long as swords and a hide thicker than iron, the saber appeared from the dark and challenged me to battle."
"A saber?"
"Surely you jest?"
"How are you still alive then?"
The trance that seemed to have been on the crowd dissipated, and several people started to disbelieve Hielgan's words. The Princess stood aside as the people began to charter and before Hielgan could say a word, a familiar voice from the crowd cried out.
"It's true, I was there!"
Molina pushed between the people in the crowd and made her way to Hielgan, but before she could get to him the Princess' guards blocked her path.
"Show them the pelt Hielgan!" Molina cried out to Hielgan.
Realizing he still had the saber's pelt on him, Hielgan reached into his satchel and pulled out the large pelt from the satchel and unveiled the sabers hide.
The crowd exploded with mumbling as the mortals debated amongst each other about the authenticity of the saber's pelt. Fortunately, from among the people standing beside the Princess was a mortal who was a member of the guild council and a once renowned adventurer.
"Silence!" The Princess exclaimed and the crowd immediately fell silent. "Sir Gennwiel, if you please."
"Your majesty."
Sir Gennwiel walked over to Hielgan and then examined the saber's pelt, he sniffed the hide deeply and proceeded to rub the fur across his cheeks. The crowd was silent as they awaited the councilman's judgment, even Hielgan held his breath as the old man peered at the saber's pelt.
"Mmmh!"
With a stern gesture, Sir Gennwiel handed the pelt back to Hielgan and the crowd nodded in approval, Hielgan did not understand what had happened, but it appeared that the people now approved of his tale.
"You may proceed Hielgan."
"The saber attacked fiercely and did not relent in its assault, I was immediately forced on the defensive and waited for an opportunity to strike back." Hielgan sighed.
The crowd's eagerness could be felt from where he was standing, but Hielgan knew this was the part that would sell his story but he wondered how the people that had protected him would feel about what he was about to reveal.
"The saber was fierce indeed, but a slight mistiming by the beast turned the tide of battle and ensured my victory..."
The crowd howled with cheers the moment Hielgan completed his tale, Hielgan's name could be heard on the lips of many mortals, and some of the women in the crowd wiped away tears of joy as the men clapped and nodded with approval.
Molina looked up at Hielgan and smiled lightly, and he could tell that he had lost some of the faith she had put in him.
'Is this how I am to proceed in this life? With lies and deceit to meet my own ends?'
Hielgan turned to look at the Princess, but she appeared none the wiser and her expression remained unchanged.
'Princess..?'
Hielgan could not tell what the Princess' expression was, but he could feel that something was wrong at this moment. This experience he was having did not feel new to him, rather it felt like something he had repeated several times and continually came to this conclusion.
Time seemed to slow down and Hielgan found himself in the same instance once more.
"So what happened with the saber?"
A mortal from the crowd suddenly asked, Hielgan knew what he said to everyone a moment ago, and when he looked back at the Princess she had the same expressionless face.
'I don't know what's going on, but if this is truly what you want, so be it.'
Molina peered at Hielgan with expectancy and this time Hielgan spoke with greater confidence.
"I did fight the Saber with all my strength, but I could not overcome it. The beast was far too experienced and cunning, and before long I lost my edge and nearly died."
At first, the crowd was indecisive and nobody seemed to want to throw the first stone, Hielgan knew they had been expecting a grander ending to his tale, but this was the raw truth of what he had experienced on this journey.
"You see what I mean my people." The Princess's voice rose above all the murmurs as she stepped forward. "Our city once prided itself on the strongest adventurers, how well they fought and did as we requested."
"Yeah, now they are weak and useless." Another mortal from the crowd shouted.
"You may say that, but why do you think that is so?" She paused waiting for an answer from the crowd. "I will tell you why. It is because the people in this city have been corrupted. They have allowed the enemy to come in and deceive them, and now our foes feast on our very essence from the shadows like parasites."
The crowd seemed displeased by her tone, but this was the Princess speaking and no one dared interfere, let alone reprimand her words.
"Quaria was renowned for its adventurers and their amazing accomplishments! My grandfather King Lemiel once ventured off with the second Emperor Lukial in search of adventure! Their journeys across the continent painted a picture of Morland that even Emperor Gherial could only imagine."
Hielgan was awed by the Princess' words and for a moment he could no longer recognize that she was the one speaking these words, without sorcery she had won the hearts of these mortals, and even through criticism, the people remained and keenly listened to her as they tried to figure out how they could reform themselves.
"...But I do not blame you, times are changing rapidly, and if we do not change with them..." Some people in the crowd began to weep, others stretched out their hands begging the Princess to forgive them.
"What can we do Princess?"
"How can we make things better?"
The Princess turned to Hielgan and looked him straight in the eye, her chromatic eyes giving off the same blue hue.
"Follow me, and I will show you the right way."