Red eyes...like rubies on fire. But...they're not angry. I'm not...afraid. Why...? Do...do you know me? Who are you? What are you?
Eve shifted uncomfortably. They were just looking at me...somehow...knowing me? Unable to bear the thought of it anymore, she desperately searched for a way to get out. Suddenly, she realized, she was asleep. With a jerking motion, Eve sat up, her heart racing.
Her eyes focused and she saw familiar faces surrounding her. Liana and Felicia both rushed over to her and gently pushed her back to to lie down again. Eve noticed she was wearing a nightgown and she was in a comfortable bed in a room; the wooden apartment was well lit with a bunch of candles, there was a window to her right with its curtains drawn, a flower vase stood on her nightstand, and a door stood shut on her left. It wasn't a very big room, but it was safe.
Still confused, but extremely relieved, Eve collapsed back into the pillow and looked at the two people looking at her with concern. She smiled a little. "I'm...fine." she managed to muster.
Liana ran a tender hand on her forehead and to her cheek. "You're safe now, okay? Just relax." she said softly. Eve held Liana's hand and nodded. Felicia let out a sigh of relief and hastily wiped away a few tears. With her other hand, Eve touched Felicia's cheek. I worried them so much.
"Er...can I have some water, please?" asked Eve, realizing suddenly her throat was parched. Liana scrambled away. "Of course." she said, picking up the jar of water from the nightstand and pouring a glass. "Here." she brought the glass to Eve's lips and gently let her drink it.
The water worked like magic. It was as if liquid energy was being poured down her throat, and this time Eve didn't lay back down again. She leaned against the bed's backboard and grinned at Liana and Felicia.
"I'm sorry I made you both wor-" she began when the door creaked open and Robin peaked in. He exclaimed when he saw Eve, threw the door open, and rushed in. "Eve!" he screamed. He scrutinized his sister; she looked fine. A bit whiter than usual, but otherwise perfect. "You're...still alive." he grinned, his sarcasm returning with his fading worry.
Eve smiled and grinned at her brother. She knew how worried he had been. His eyes still looked a bit misty. "I'm fine, little brother. You can rest easy now." she said.
Robin grinned, his eyes showing his sincerity and suddenly Alex burst in. "Eve!" he exclaimed. "You're awake!? Oh, thank God! How are you feeling? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Al. I'm fine." replied Eve. These people...they're so...they're family. "Really, I'm fine."
Alex nodded and took a seat on the small stool facing her bed. Robin took the other stool by the window and Liana and Felicia both took either sides of her bed. Eve let out a deep inward sigh of satisfaction. This what you don't have, Prince. Family.
"What happened?" asked Eve, out loud.
"Er..." Alex began. He wanted to ask what happened to Eve, but he realized she must be feeling confused. "We were standing around in front of Venna's shop, wondering what was taking you so long, when suddenly you appeared in this...cloud of smoke...and collapsed right in the middle of the intersection. We ran over to you but you were unconscious and wouldn't wake up or respond at all. So, we rushed you over to the hospital."
This was a hospital? "How...long have I been out?" asked Eve, for some reason, fearing the answer.
"Don't worry, just a few hours." said Liana, patting her hand.
There was silence for a few minutes as each of the five just let the developments sink in. Alex looked up at Eve after a couple of minutes and gently asked: "Eve...what happened?" He feared the answer. When they'd found Eve, half of her top was torn off; he didn't even wanna think about what might have unfolded.
"I...saw him." said Eve, quietly.
"Saw who?" asked Alex. Eve opened her mouth to speak, but there was a firm knock on the open door. Standing in the doorway stood Captain Zorran.
"I'm not disturbing?" he asked gently.
"No, no." said Eve. "Come in." Another person I've worried.
Zorran walked in a little sheepishly and sympathetically patted Alex on the shoulder. "Er...are you well now, Miss Corr? Not...not hurt?"
"No, I'm...fine now." smiled Eve. There's something he wants.
"I...er...sorry about this Alex, but I have to ask her a few questions about what happened. You know, before the memory starts to fade." said Zorran, apologetically.
Alex stood up. "Look here, Zorr-" he began but Eve interrupted him. "Al. Al, it's fine. It's...I don't know, I guess it's better if he hears the story too. And I'm fine to retell the tale now." she added.
Still looking unconvinced about this official questionnaire, Alex nevertheless gave in and sank back in the stool.
Eve took a deep breath. "I...was coming back from the library, heading to Venna's shop. It was dark and the streets were empty. Suddenly, I noticed I was being followed by someone. I tried walking faster but the man increased his pace too. When I broke into a run, he ran too...till he caught up to me. Then he grabbed me and pushed me into a dark alley."
"Wait, you were in the alley?" asked Zorran, disbelievingly.
"Yes." said Eve, confused.
"I'm sorry. Please, go ahead."
"Well, he pushed me to the end of the alley, grabbed me by the throat and pushed me against the wall. Then he...he..." Eve paused, remembering the fear she'd felt...the absolute terror. What color she'd regained, drained from her face.
Everyone in the room thought that she'd been forced against her will, if even slightly, and the men shifted uncomfortably, their knuckles white from how tightly they were clenching their fists. A tear dropped from Liana's eyes and she grabbed Eve's hand.
Eve looked up and was shocked at the group's expression. It dawned on her in a second what they were thinking, and for a moment, she felt...thankful...thankful to The Prince. "No, no, it's not like that." said Eve, hastily. Everyone immediately perked up, on the brink of relief. "Although...it almost was." continued Eve. "That...man...he tried to tear off my dress, but when I screamed he removed this...bludgeon...from his coat. He was about to...to hit me with it when..." The six people in the room, leaned in a bit. "When smoke started engulfing him."
"Smoke?" asked Zorran.
"Dark...blacker than the night. It completely covered him up and he started screaming." said Eve. She gulped and continued: "That's...that's when I saw him."
"Who?"
"The Son of the Devil." said Eve. "He...he was the smoke."
Zorran's, Alex's, and Robin's expressions turned from sympathy to disbelief. "You must've just...mistaken it or something." said Zorran. "Maybe you made the smoke yourself. It is said that those with a magical affinity can cast magic when their lives are threatened. It must've been one of your own conjuring."
"Even that makes more sense." said Alex.
"It wasn't!" said Eve, angrily. "It was definitely him. The smoke almost formed into this kind of...demonic face. And...two red eyes, like rubies, stared right at me. I wasn't mistaken in that moment. That...fear...I felt? That was real. Even my would-be murderer felt it."
"But-"
"And then" said Eve, continuing on. "That smoke kind of...pushed me away. The last thing I heard was that man screaming in absolute agony and I was dumped in one of the city intersections."
"I..." began, Zorran, but fell silent. "I am inclined to believe you." he said, suddenly.
The other four wheeled around to look at him. "Why do you say that?" asked Alex.
Zorran looked a bit uncomfortable as if he didn't wanna talk about this in front of Eve. She looked at him angrily. "Captain Zorran, it was me who almost got raped and killed. Stop trying to hide things from me. Please."
Zorran looked at her defiant, irritable face, and he sighed, giving in. "Fine. That...man who attacked you? That serial killer who'd been running around killing all these women? Well, he's dead. It was...it was one of the most gruesome murders I've ever seen. It was as if he'd been cut a thousand times, but each cut missing any major artery that would make him lose consciousness. The cuts were precise...perfect." Zorran paused for a second, arranging his thoughts. "His face was beyond recognition. The only reason we could figure out he was the killer was because of his bludgeon; it still had dried blood on it and it looked like the exact weapon with which all these girls were killed before. And then his coat; we had a big piece of it from the last time he murdered someone and ripped it off on some tool in his hurry. When we matched it, it fit perfectly with the hole on the coat the dead body was wearing."
"So, he's was definitely the serial killer?" asked Robin. Good riddance, but where's this headed.
"Well, we had no idea who...or what...could've done this. Not that we cared much. Then I heard from one of the soldiers that the swordsmith's sister had collapsed on the street, her clothes torn and probably seriously injured. I ran to the hospital to see if all was okay, but you were unconscious then."
Eve nodded. "And then?"
"Well, and then when you wake up, you say it was you who that murderer tried to kill and rape. You weren't found anywhere near that alley. And what happened to that man...nothing except the darkest of magic could've done that."
"So, you believe that The Prince saved me?" asked Eve.
"I believe that there was another person in that alley. I don't know who this 'Prince' is, but I surely don't believe in legends." said Zorran, half apologetically.
Eve suddenly realized that she was putting the Captain in danger by trying to make him believe in the Prince. "You're right." she said to Zorran, quietly. "Maybe...maybe I was just...mistaken."
Zorran looked a bit confused but nodded.
"What happens now?" asked Felicia.
"Well," said Zorran. "From the looks of things, that man was our infamous serial killer. And Miss Corr's statement corroborates that. So...we drop his body in some pit and call it a day. Whatever killed him rid us of a menace. We don't waste time searching for a murderer's murderer."
"So...it's over?" asked Robin.
"Indeed, it is." said Zorran, smiling. "And now, I can finally get a good night's sleep. The sun's almost up, but I guess I'll still be able to catch a few hours."
Alex laughed, and got up to shake the Captain's hand. "You take care, Zorran." he said, warmly. The Captain gave a mock bow to the girls, and left. Alex went back to his stool, the smile from his face gone. "What is all this nonsense about The Son of the Devil, Eve?" he asked.
Eve was dreading this question coming up. She knew she had to confess everything now. He deserves that much...I worried him. And so Eve began the tale of how she was 'curious' about The Son after the blind, beggar woman had told them the story. She left out the part of how excessively obsessed she'd become with him. She told him everything that happened in the library. How the librarian had been scared, how all the cases of The Prince said he was ruthless, how it was said he was inhuman. She recounted how the old woman had showed up and she told him about her warning.
When Eve finally finished, Alex lowered his head and stared at the floor. Robin, Liana, and Felicia looked troubled too. "You don't believe me?" asked Eve, almost hurt.
Alex looked up. "I do." he said. "I do, and that's the problem. You really did see something in that alley, didn't you? Something did save you. And after all the warnings, for the 'Prince' to suddenly show up is...concerning. What if he's after you now? What will we do?"
"But...it doesn't look like he wanted to hurt Eve." said Felicia. "By all accounts, he could've whisked her away if he wanted to. But he just pushed her to us."
Alex put his face in his hands. "I don't know...I don't know anymore. Seems to me it's fate or just bad fucking luck that we always seem to get in trouble."
Felicia shifted a bit uncomfortably; Alex swearing only signaled that he was truly worried or truly annoyed. Eve wanted to cry. She'd worried everyone, she'd put everyone in danger...all for the Prince. "I'm sorry." she said, meekly. Felicia took her hand and Alex looked up. "It's okay." he said, breaking into a grin. "I'm sorry for being such a pessimist." He winked at her. "Whatever trouble might come, we'll face it together. All of us."
Robin nodded, laughing, and Liana and Felicia smiled. We'll do it...together.
"You get some rest now." said Alex, getting up and signalling Robin. "We'll come back for you by, say, afternoon?"
"It's already morning." said Robin, peeking through the curtains of the window. "We can just leave and avoid the cost-" he stopped under Alex's glare. "Right. Toodley-oo, Eve."
The two boys walked out, closing the door behind them. Liana and Felicia immediately started to bustling around, preparing to sleep.
"You two really don't have to stay, you know." said Eve. "I'm fine now." Both of her companions simultaneously rolled their eyes and ignored her. Eve gave an exasperated laugh and shrugged, then she felt silent. Should I tell them?
"You know..." said Eve, in a low voice, staring at her blanket. Liana and Felicia perked up. "When...when I saw the Prince...when I saw his eyes, all I felt was fear. But...just for a moment, it felt like those eyes...they'd seen something in me. As if...as if I was somehow familiar to them."
Liana and Felicia shot each other looks. "I know you'll think I'm crazy or I'm imagining things." continued Eve. "But...but there really was something in his eyes besides anger. And...and I can't help but feel like I should've known those eyes."
* * *
Days started to pass and Eve's energy returned. The memory of what almost happened and what did happen started to fade. She wasn't at all curious about the Prince anymore. If anything, she wanted to forget about him completely now. It was too taxing on Eve to chase after him. Plus, she didn't wanna worry her family anymore in the slightest. The five started settling back into their routine again and laughs could be heard coming from the blacksmith's little cottage again. In short, things returned to normal.
"You know, I've just realized something." said Liana. "We've never come to this part of Barfoss." Alex nodded. He had been commissioned by a noble family in Barfoss to make a sword 'fit for a king'. He'd been given a generous amount of time to complete the project and the payment had been princely with a promise of a bonus if he outdid himself. Alex felt like he'd truly done that; this sword was the best he'd ever created. Today, he was on his way to personally deliver the blade. Katherine, Robin, Liana, Eve, and Felicia had decided to tag along.
"I never thought the Raithe family would hire you." said Katherine, her voice as toneless as ever.
Robin gave her a gentle tap on the forehead. "Al's been making a real name for himself in Barfoss now. It was only a matter of time before the nobles's started noticing."
"That's because there are only two swordsmiths in Barfoss." said Katherine.
"Yeah, but...er...that's...not the only reason." stammered Robin. Katherine's blunt ways still threw Robin out of his zone.
"She's right." said Alex. "But this time," he shot a glance at the fine leather case beside him. "I think I've truly accomplished something great."
Robin grinned. "You really have. I went for a spin with it and the balance is...well...perfect. Literally perfect."
Alex laughed. "Let's hope Raithe likes it though."
"He will. Don't worry." said Felicia, roping her arm around his.
The Raithe villa was a small, but grand manor. Located right along the northwestern wall of Barfoss, it stood surrounded by huge fences instead of walls. This was done to let people see the magnificence of the house instead of hiding it behind bricks, yet still keeping out the rabble. "This...is cute." squealed Eve, looking at the red villa on the far end of the driveway. "Can we see it up close?"
"Er..." hesitated Alex. He didn't want any more nobles taking a liking to the girls and also, he didn't wanna look like he brought his entire troop with him just for a delivery. Unprofessional and...rude. "How about you guys stay here in the cart while I go deliver the sword? It'd just be...too much if all of us show up in his driveway."
"Ah, fine." said Eve, disappointed.
Alex parked up just a little farther away from the entrance, jumped off with the leather case and went to the talk to the guard behind the gate. After a brief conversation with him, the guard nodded and let him in.
Robin sighed and dropped into Katherine's lap. She didn't seem to notice at all but started running a gentle hand through his hair. "I hear Raithes are pretty decent folk." he said. "People even whisper how they'd rather have them ruling Barfoss than the Drusses."
"So, why don't they?" asked Liana, lazily.
"This isn't a democracy." said Robin, laughing. He looked up at Katherine looking at the house, and smiled. Her soft hand through his hair was heavenly. Ah, I could die in her arms and I'd be happy.
"What?" asked Katherine looking down.
"No. Nothing." said Robin, grinning.
Just then they heard loud giggling and laughing. Robin sat up to look and coming around the corner were two young girls. They were around Eve's age and it looked like they were chasing each other; they were laughing loudly as they ran. Robin had to wonder how they could maintain such loud volumes while running so hard. Behind them, a few guards were trying to catch up to them. As they got closer, Robin noticed the girls were identical, right down to the way their hair was flowing.
"The Raithe twins." said Katherine. There was a hint of irritation in her tone.
"They're beautiful." said Robin, dreamily. Katherine shot him an ice-cold look and he faltered. "Not...not that they have anything on you." he said, not daring to look at the twins again.
The two girls ran up to the cart by the side of the road without a second look. Just as one twin passed the horses, she fell down with a loud thud. The other girl immediately ran over to her, her smile instantly vanishing.
"Helena!" she exclaimed running to her sister's side and helping her up. The guards quickened their pace and ran up to the two girls.
"Are you okay?" asked the first sister. "Oh, look you scratched your hands. Oh, my-" she looked genuinely distressed. Her sister smiled. "Don't worry, El. It'll heal" she said.
"We'll get you a healing potion."
"What? For ju-" began Helena
"We're getting you a healing potion." repeated her sister, firmly.
"Fine, fine." said Helena giving in. "Give me a hand up, will you, Elena?" She grabbed her sister's shoulder and heaved herself up but immediately collapsed back in a exclamation of pain.
"What happened!?" asked Elena, bending down again. "Where it does it hurt!?"
"My foot." groaned Helena. "I think...I think it's broken."
"Oh, god." said Elena, her eyes starting to go misty. "You there!" she snapped at one of her guards. "What're you standing there for!? Pick her up! And you!" she snapped at the other guard. "Go fetch a healer. Now!"
"Nobody's picking me up." said Helena. Her sister opened her mouth to protest, but Helena overruled her. "Nobody." she said firmly.
The five had been observing all this quietly. To the Raithes, they weren't even there. The five were just simple commoners not worth a second look. Felicia jumped off the buckboard and timidly walked over. "Er...I might be able to help." she said, in a low voice. The guards and the two twins spun around to look at the person who'd just spoken.
"Stay away from here, commoner." demanded one guard, stepping in between Felicia and the fallen twin.
"But I can help." said Felicia, taking a step closer.
"Who are you?" asked Elena, haughtily, waving aside the guard.
"The blacksmith's...wif-...associate." Felicia replied, going red. Robin sniggered from the cart and Liana smiled.
"You can help?" asked Helena.
"I think so." said Felicia. "Do you mind?" she asked, stepping up the twin.
"No, no, not at all." said Helena, smiling. Felicia already liked her. She sat down on the floor and every so gently took off Helena's boot, secretly admiring how fine the leather was.
"Well, the good news is that it's not broken." said Felicia. "It's just dislocated."
"What?" asked Elena.
"I can fix this. I took first-aid classes-" began Felicia but stopped herself.
"First aid?" asked Helena, curiously.
Felicia smiled. "Don't worry. I have a little experience as a healer. If you allow me to, I can maybe pop the joint back in."
"No way. A commoner like you? We have no ide-" started Elena, but Helena placed a hand on her cheek to stop her. "Sure, go ahead. I trust you." she said to Felicia.
"Okay." said Felicia, taking a deep breath. "Elena, was it? I need you to hold her leg up a little like this. Helena, you grab on right here." Felicia directed the two, while the guards watched, half concerned and half curious. Once everything was in place, Felicia firmly pulled on Helena's foot and immediately snapped it back in place.
"Ouc-" Helena stopped. It didn't hurt anymore. "Holy shi-" she said in wonder. "How...how'd you do that?"
Felicia smiled getting up. She extended a hand to Helena, and she took it, her expression still filled with wonder. "Don't put too much weight on it." warned Felicia. "And take a healing pellet just to fix the ligaments."
"Liga-?" asked Helena in wonder. Such an amazing, beautiful girl.
"Just take one." said Felicia, grinning.
"Hey." said Elena, coming over. "I...I'm sorry I was rude to you. Please, forgive me." she bowed her head.
"No, no. It's fine." said Felicia immediately placing a hand on Elena's shoulder. "Don't worry, Miss."
"Please. Call her Elena. And call me Helena." said the other Raithe twin. Felicia just smiled. "Then call me Felicia." Now why can't the Drusses be like this?
"I must reward you, Felicia. You healed me." said Helena.
"No, no, it was noth-"
"It was something." said Elena, grinning. "You didn't have to help us, but you did. For that, you must be rewarded."
"Please. I can't accept any 'reward' for doing what was right. I could've helped you, and I did. That's all." The twins smiled. "Your pride stops you from benefiting off what was right." said Helena.
"I like that about you." continued Elena as if the sentence had been one and spoken by the same person.
"So...how about you come in the house with us? Have a drink to...to toast the good nature of humans." offered Helena.
"And we'll show you our bedroom. We just got a new quilt and it's so comfortable." said Elena.
"Yes. It's so warm...you can spend the entire night without having a single dress on." said Helena.
Robin's jaw dropped wide open and Liana went a little red. Katherine just stared at the twins, her face expressionless but her eyes glinting. Felicia shifted a bit uncomfortably going red too and praying that Alex wouldn't come out at this moment. "I...I'm sorry, but...I'm a little busy today. I...can't. I'm sorry."
"Ah, well." said Elena, a little disappointed. She smiled. "But the offer remains open any time."
"Yes, it does, Felicia." said Helena. "I won't forget what you did for me. If you ever need anything, please, don't hesitate to ask a friend."
"Friend?" asked Felicia.
"Aren't we friends now?" smiled Helena. Felicia laughed and nodded. "I will. Thank you." The twins gave her one last grin and walked away, Helena leaning on her sister while the guards wordlessly followed behind.
Felicia quietly walked back over the cart and jumped on. She winked at Liana, but didn't say a word. Robin was still staring open-mouthed at the twins walking down the driveway when Katherine pushed his jaw shut. "You think they're pretty." she said.
"What?" said Robin, snapping back. "No, no, seri-"
"It wasn't a question." said Katherine. Her expression showed no emotion to a casual observer, but by now, Robin could easily perceive her. It was all in the eyes. He suddenly cupped Katherine's face and kissed her. Shocked, she tried to resist for just a moment, but then put her slender arms around him and returned his emotion.
"No matter how pretty a girl looks, you're still the best." he whispered, breaking away a little. Katherine smiled. I love him... Unable to resist, she started kissing him again, her passion knocking Robin back a little. Liana just shook her head and quietly laughed with Felicia and Eve.
Alex came back after a few minutes and jumped back on the buckboard in good spirits. "Sorry, it took so long. Derven was having lunch, so I had to wait for him. But he's a...really cool guy."
"So, he gave you the bonus?" asked Robin.
"Oh, yes, he did. He was really, really impressed by the sword. Promised me he'd place in an order for himself soon." said Alex, whipping the reigns to get the horses moving.
"If that sword wasn't for him, then who was it for?" wondered Robin.
"Ah, he didn't tell me. But the old man's really nice. And his house is better than the Drusses. The Raithes have good taste in decor."
"Yeah, and in blankets." said Robin, sarcastically grinning.
"Bla-? What?" asked Alex, incredulously.
"Nothing." said Felicia firmly, throwing Robin a stern look. "We met the Raithe twins while you were in there."
"Oh, really? I saw them when I was coming out. They looked a little disappointed for some reason." said Alex, oblivious. Robin quietly sniggered from the back, but didn't dare say anything for fear of incurring his older sister's wrath.
"Hey, we've never been to the northern side of Barfoss." said Liana, changing the subject. "How about we take our packed lunch to the northern suburbs and find a nice spot to eat there?"
"Yes. I have been there. It's all green and pretty." said Katherine. "And the sky's clear today too."
Alex shrugged. "I don't mind. Indeed, I've never even seen Barfoss' North Gate."
The ride out of town was a pretty smooth one. The upper part of Barfoss was a lot posher than the south. The richer populace lived here; the houses were bigger, cleaner, and more well-built. The roads weren't completely destroyed and rarely any children ran in the road, playing. Even though it was, at most, middle class in the bigger cities, here, they were considered well-off. As they passed through the area, even the five, used to unkempt houses by now, were impressed.
When they finally reached The North Gate, Alex was disappointed to see that it was almost identical to the South Gate. He always loved exploring anything new about Decimandria; any new area, a new piece of knowledge, story, or history always held great interest for him.
As they passed through the gates into the road ahead, Alex saw there was no settlement in the northern suburbs of Barfoss; almost all of it was completely covered with green woods. It was extremely pretty, but somehow there was a sinister air about them. As if they held deep secrets.
"This is really nice." said Liana, admiring the beauty around her.
"I don't like coming here a lot. There's...something in the air..." said Katherine, wrapping herself around Robin's arm.
"Ah, that's just superstition. It's just woods." said Liana, looking up at the tall trees. She loved camping in areas like these. Huge trees covering the ground, squirrels and birds chirping away, the sun shining brightly, a cool wind blowing.
"So, where we picnicking?" asked Alex, ambiguously. He spotted a fairly large path leading off the main road. "We'll dive in here, see if we can find a spot." As they drove along, Alex couldn't help but notice that the path was oddly well kept. Shouldn't this be overgrown? Does anyone even come here?
"Hey, is that a house?" exclaimed Felicia, all of a sudden, pointing through a break in the trees.
"Don't be ridic-" began Robin, but he glimpsed it too. It was just a small corner of what appeared to be a huge mansion made of dark gray, almost back, bricks.
"Look there! I think that's a gate!" said Liana, pointing ahead, parallel to the road.
"Aaand there's children playing in front of it." said Robin, a bit disappointed at having company.
Alex stopped right in front of the gate, so that looking sideways, he could see into the grounds. The children who'd been playing right in front of the gate, looked at the new arrivals. There was a girl around seventeen, tossing a five year old child, presumably her brother, a ball. The boy, wearing a peasant's blue shirt, seemed overjoyed each time his sister threw the ball.
"Good afternoon." the girl greeted, smiling at the six. Alex jumped out, and smiled back. "Yes, indeed it is." The other five hopped out too and inspected the mansion through the gate. It was absolutely huge, easily dwarfing even the Druss' residence. It stood impassively, it's facade looking down upon the five. The dark stone gray bricks gave the mansion a sense of composed personality. It had two huge gargoyles standing on pillars midway through the the driveway. At the end of the driveway, there was a big circular, marble fountain of three elegant women, dancing.
"You two work here?" asked Alex, politely to the girl. He'd noticed from the corner of his eyes that she hadn't taken her gaze off him since he got here.
"What?" asked the girl, snapping out of her trance and shaking her head. "No, no. No, this mansion is abandoned as far as I know."
"It's not abandoned." said Alex, his eyes calculated. "Look at the fountain; it's running."
"I...by Mother Asflisia, you're right! I didn't notice that. You're so smart." said the girl, dreamily. Alex grinned at her and Felicia loudly cleared her throat behind him.
"What're you two doing here anyway then? Felicia asked, the forced politeness a bit too apparent in her tone.
"Oh, nothing." said the girl, a little taken back. "Mit was getting bored sitting at home, so I took him out for a walk. We just kinda wandered here and then he wanted to play."
Alex shot Felicia a look, and then turned back to the girl. "Where are my manners? I'm Alex Wright, swordsmith." He grinned.
"No, I know who you are...Champion." said the girl, her breath a little faster. "I...I was there that night in the Broken Mug when you beat Arrdem or whatever his name was." She seemed flustered and Alex picked up on it, unable to keep himself from smiling. A fangirl! They both looked at each other for a long moment until Felicia cleared her throat even louder and shot Alex a disgusted look.
The girls snapped back. "Oh, yeah. I...I'm Enria. I...my father's a tailor. And this," she pulled her brother closer to her like some sort of cover. "this is Mit. My brother."
"Nice to meet you, kid." said Robin, winking at the kid. "How about you two join us for lunch?" he offered to the girl. The gesture wasn't out of politeness as much as it was just to annoy Felicia.
Enria seemed tempted for a second, but then the thought of sitting down and eating with Alex made her turn red. "No, no. I...I think Papa would get worried about us. I...I really shouldn't."
"Aw, that's too bad." said Felicia, sarcastically. But it went right over Enria's head as she stared dreamily at Alex's biceps as he gave the mansion another look. Felicia wanted to throw something at Enria or Alex...or at both, but she settled for forcibly twiddling with her fingers.
"Throw the ball again, Enri!" said Mit, confused as to why they'd stopped for this long. Robin grinned at the kid. "You throw the ball, kid." Mit looked at Robin's smiling face. "Come on. Throw it as as high as you can."
Mit grinned. Finally, another boy to play with. He took the ball from his sister's hand and enthusiastically chucked it at Robin. But in his high spirits, he missed the target entirely, and the ball flew over the gate and into the mansion grounds.
"Ah, for fu-" Robin censored himself. "sake!" Mit turned to Enria, his eyes swelling up with tears. He pointed at the ball, unable to form words and broke down crying.
"No, no, Mit, don't cry." said Enria, getting down on her knees. "Why'd you throw the ball so hard?"
"Hey, it's not problem." said Liana, walking over to Mit and running a hand through his head. "I'll get your ball back for you."
"You will?" asked Eve.
"It's right there." said Liana, pointing at the ball within five yards of the gate from the other side. "I'll just climb up the gate, get the ball, and come back out again. No harm done." Liana was wearing some recently bought leather pants, and she was feeling brave today. She walked over to the tall gate, and put one foot on the horizontal bars, about to start the climb, when suddenly-
"Hey, what're you doing!?" someone exclaimed. Startled, everyone turned around to find Venna rushing up the path. "What're you doing!?" he repeated. "Stop it!"
Alex stared at him curiously; Venna looked genuinely worried. "Why? What's wrong?" asked Liana, taking her leg off the gate.
"Don't you know who this mansion belongs to?" asked Venna, scoldingly. "What're you even thinking?"
"Listen, she was just getting the kid's ball, Venna. Don't lose your shit over it." said Robin, a bit pissed.
Venna turned around to look at Robin, incredulously. Then he turned back to look at the ball behind the gate. "It's gone, kid." he said, turning to Mit. The child broke down into fresh cries and Liana opened her mouth to speak, but Venna silenced her. "Just trust me on this, okay?" he said. He turned to Enria. "Didn't your parents tell you who this mansion belongs to? What're you doing letting her climb over the gate?" he scolded.
"N...no." said Enria, taken back.
"It belongs to him." said Venna, with effect.
"Who?" asked Eve, curiously.
"The World's Most Dangerous Man." said Venna, as if it was the most obvious thing ever.
"I...I didn't know. I'm so sorry!" said Enria, picking up her brother who'd suddenly stopped crying at the owner's mention.
Venna sighed, calming down a little. "Tell you what? You drop by Venna's Supplies anytime, and I'll give you a ball, half off." he said to Enria, smiling. She managed to return the smile, but was clearly a little disturbed. "Thank you, Master." She turned to the six. "We...we'll be on our way now. Please, do greet us if you see us again." The six nodded and she walked away, Mit still in her arms.
Venna took a deep breath and collapsed against the cart's wheel. What if I wasn't here? What if Liana had climbed inside?
"What's wrong, Ven?" asked Alex. "You seem shaken."
"I am. Do you know what you almost did?" he asked Liana.
"Listen," said Liana, angrily. "The World's Most Powerful Man? Just who is he? Ever since we got here, we keep hearing about him but nobody seems to wanna talk about him!"
Venna blinked at her. "You guys really aren't from around here, are you?" he asked.
"No." said Felicia.
Venna sighed. "Fine. Valentine. Lord Valentine is the World's Most Powerful Man."
"Valentine?" repeated Robin.
"Lord Valentine." corrected Venna. "You guys really don't know who he is?" he asked, incredulously.
"Since nobody seems to even be able to speak his name." said Robin, sarcastically.
"It's not that we can't speak his name...it's just that people are uncomfortable saying his name. Especially in Barfoss." said Venna.
"But you're not." said Eve.
"I'm not from Barfoss." winked Venna.
"Then tell us about him." said Alex, curious. He'd heard about Valentine from Herm, Zorran, Walfred, and pretty much anybody he talked to on a regular basis, yet no one had really said much.
Venna seemed to struggle internally for a second; he shot a few glances up and down the road, then let out a deep sigh. "Fine. I'll tell you about him. It's a long story though."
"Let's have it over lunch then." said Alex, climbing into the spacious back of the cart and offering Felicia a hand up. Nobody complained; they were perfectly happy to have their meal here as long as the mystery of this World's Most Powerful Man would finally be dispelled.
As Felicia handed around the ham sandwiches, Venna began his history lesson. "Lord Valentine is the current Lord Commander of The Order."
"The order of what?" asked Robin, munching a bite of sandwich.
Venna looked at him, disbelievingly. "The Order. He's the Lord Commander of The Order." The five looked at him with bewildered eyes while Katherine looked too busy staring at the clouds to care. "This is gonna be a long lunch, isn't it?" murmured Venna to himself.
"Huh?" asked Alex.
Venna sighed. "Fine, let's begin with some context. The Order is...well, it's an order. It predates Empress Adlea's reign, predates her father's reign, it predates the entire Tezeroffian reign, in fact. It predates pretty much everything. There's not a soul alive who knows when The Order was established or for what reason. Here-" Venna withdrew a little piece of parchment and some charcoal from his pockets and drew something on it.
"If you ever see this symbol, run" He said simply. "For as long as anyone can remember, for as long as what little history books have dared to record, The Order has always existed." Venna took a bite of the sandwich. "This is good." he complimented Felicia with a genuine grin, then continued: "Now, very little is known about The Order despite its age; how its members are chosen, what their purpose is, what training they undergo, what mutations they are treated with, noth-."
"Mutations?" asked Liana.
"Indeed." nodded Venna. "None of the feats that the most basic Order member can accomplish with his eyes closed are human. Nobody knows what kind of secret alchemcial ritual they do, or what kind of demons they put inside their members, but the Order soldiers are very, very, very dangerous."
"Okay." nodded Eve. "What else?"
"Well, this is where it gets even more mysterious. Every few decades, The Order puts forth someone as their Lord Commander. Nobody knows how the Commander is chosen; if they're born, if they're made, if they're trained...nothing is known. All we know is, when a person comes forth as the Lord Commander of The Order, everyone has to accept it, whether they be commoners, kings, queens, or emperors. It doesn't matter how they're chosen, whoever the chosen is, they now have absolute control over The Order till they die. Now, The Order rules over a more than a few counties and lands. In fact, Barfoss itself is unofficially subservient to them. And the Lord Commander, when he takes charge of The Order, he automatically also becomes the lord of all the lands that are under The Order's control."
"But wait, isn't that against the law of-" began Alex.
"Kinda. Especially since Empress Adlea abolished the unnatural control the Lords held over Decimandria and their own realms. But...she can't, or rather hasn't dared to...do anything about The Order's control. Officially, they complied with her rules...but unofficially, everyone knows who holds more power." Venna took another bite of his sandwich and arranged his thoughts, then continued: "The Order hadn't had a commander in over a hundred years. Rumors were floating that it was breaking apart; that it had constant infighting, it had lost its wealth...it even lost a few counties to other lords. People were starting to lose their fear of The Order...it was fading... But then...? Then Lord Valentine came along. The new Lord Commander took the entirety of Decimandria by storm. He not only rebuilt the tarnished image of The Order, he made it more fearsome and ruthless that it had ever been. He was fierce, efficient, and merciless. The tales of his exploits, his cold-blooded methods where he spared no one whether it was women or men reached far and wide. People became afraid to even speak his name, the mere mention of The Order made entire armies turn tail and run, lords who'd taken his counties met horrifying deaths at his hand...an example to the entire world...and a statement: 'The Order was back.' "
Venna sounded like he almost admired Valentine. Alex wondered what this man's story was...how'd he end up in Barfoss as a merchant. Venna, oblivious, continued: "When his reign was rather young, he did come to Barfoss...what happened here was...well, not pleasant, but let's put that to the side for now. Anyway, Lord Valentine had fully reestablished the malevolence of The Order and carved his name on the entire world. Very few dared oppose his will. One day, he went to see Emperor Savleck; apparently, he sought to end the unofficial witch hunts and the subjugation of non-humans at the hands of Prince Treynarr. But the Emperor was not accommodating...as far as I heard, they had an argument. The Emperor supposedly lost his temper, but Lord Valentine remained composed. Calmly and politely, he took his leave and went away. After his departure, Emperor Savleck fell into a state of worry and panic. Nobody knew what scared him so. But, within days, it became apparent; Emperor Savleck died a mysterious death." Venna lowered his voice to the point it was barely audible. "Nobody knows how he died or what killed him; all the public was ever told was that he died peacefully. Even his sons didn't know how he mysteriously passed away. However, here's the key thing, he died without naming a heir. So, that meant, when the time came for Treynarr to be crowned emperor, the throne could be cont-"
"Contested for. We know." said Alex, glad there was finally something he wasn't unfamiliar with.
Venna looked at him, surprised, but nodded and continued. "Well, Treynarr's half-sister, Adlea Tezeroff, contested for the throne. And the Lord who backed her claim? None other than Lord Valentine. At first, a lot of the lords resisted...but soon, whether they saw sense or from fear of incurring Lord Valentine's wrath, came running to Aldea's side. There were a few lords who didn't though...a few who stuck by Treynarr. They soon died at the hands of Lord Valentine when he attacked their counties and seized them."
"After Empress Adlea was crowned empress, she ceased the witch hunts, stopped the inhuman bullying of non-humans and thrust Decimandria into, what is already being called, The Golden Age." Venna lowered his voice again. "Behind the scenes though...Lord Valentine had accomplished what he wanted; to bring peace to Decimandria."
"But that's a good thing, isn't it?" asked Liana, subconsciously whispering too.
"Yes, it is. Lord Commanders of the Order have rarely sought to harm Decimandria as a whole and Lord Valentine is no different. He is the one who actually brought about this Golden Age. Of course, the history books won't remember him at all. It'll be Empress Adlea's reign...and I think that's what The Order wants. They rule the entire world behind the scenes."
"Aren't you stretching a bit?" asked Robin, skeptically.
"Am I?" Venna shifted to his ultra-quiet whisper again. "It was Lord Valentine who put Empress Adlea on the throne, there's even rumors Lord Valentine is the one who selected the members of Her Majesty's Council...and...nobody really knows what kind of relationship Lord Valentine and Empress Adlea have. Rumors say Lord Valentine addresses Her Grace by her first name without her due honorific...although personally, I doubt that. And, it's almost a fact, that Empress Adlea will take Lord Valentine's advice above everyone else's on any matter...she'll always listen to him. Some even say...some even say, whenever he goes to the Capital, he sleeps in Her Majesty's personal chambers."
The six, even Katherine, who'd started listening in intently at some point, silently stared at Venna. "So, they might have a love relationship." said Felicia. "That's not such a big deal."
"No, it isn't. But...it just goes to show who might be really ruling Decimandria, no?" Venna leaned back a little. "Not that I'm complaining. Lord Valentine has a lot more experience of ruling than Her Grace. He's the one who was able to root out all the remaining witch hunters, he was the one who took care of the squabbles that arose between lords after Her Majesty's coronation. He was not only the Hero of the recent Kivv War, but he also took care of the tricky political situation that arose after the victory."
"Of course..." said Alex, in a low voice, half to himself. "He was the Lord Admiral Zorran told us about."
"Anyway, that's the story." said Venna. "Lord Valentine is very, very dangerous...and that's not just because of his battle prowess, it's because he's everywhere. His has spies in every city, town, settlement, and village. He has sources in every single guild that exists."
"Guild?" asked Eve.
"Traders Guild, Thieves Guild, Mercenaries Guild, Mages Guild...the Assassins Guild...everywhere." said Venna, the admiration in his voice showing up slightly again. "Why do you think nobody dares to ransack any of his 'unguarded' mansions? For example, even this one." said Venna, pointing sideways at the huge building. "This has laid uninhabited for years now. Taking a single step into any of his estate grounds is a death sentence. Even if you dare to brave the many magical defenses its bound to have and manage to steal something, the moment you go to the Thieves Guild to fence it off, they'll gut you. When they find out where you stole the item from, and they will, they'll cut your throat. Or, cut off all your limbs and then offer you up to Lord Valentine as a peace offering and proof they didn't dare insult him by taking in any of his possessions." Venna looked around conspiratorially. "They also say, if you go to place a hit on Lord Valentine with the Assassin Brotherhood, they'll kill you and turn you over to Lord Valentine."
This was the first time any of the five where hearing about different underground guilds that existed in Decimandria, but none of them wanted to tell Venna that...nor find out how he knew about them.
"Lord Valentine is untouchable...he has sources from the very top of the political chain down to the very depths of the underworld. There's a reason they call him the most powerful and most dangerous man in the world."
Alex let out a long sigh. Decimandria seems chock full of dangerous people...Guilds? Underworld? Assassins? The Order? Maybe it's a good thing I'm just a common blacksmith in a small town.
"That's why," said Venna, finally returning to his normal tone. "don't take a single step into those grounds, Liana. If the guards find out, and subsequently, Lord Druss, he'll have you hanged. After what Lord Valentine did here, Lord Druss does not dare insult him in the slightest. Showing no mercy to the person who had the audacity to defile Lord Valentine's sanctuary in Barfoss would be one way of showing his fealty."
"Insult? By jumping over a fence to fetch a ball?" asked Liana.
"Did you not hear what I just said about Lord Valentine? Insults and Lord Valentine are a very sensitive topic in Barfoss." said Venna. "Plus, one has no idea what kind of magical traps lay in wait for anybody who'd dare enter the grounds without permission. Trust me, it's infinitely better us commoners don't make ourselves noticeable, in the slightest, to the Lords."
"You're right." said Alex. "Us five already seem to attract a lot of unwanted attention from powerful people as is. It's better to keep our heads down whenever we can."
Eve looked down guiltily, and Liana rolled her eyes slightly at Alex. "What is the story with Barfoss and Lord Valentine, anyway?" she asked Venna.
"Ah...that...that is a tale for another day." said Venna. "For now, I'm afraid, I must be on my way. And I advise you folk to do the same. Wouldn't want to linger in front of Lord Valentine's mansion for too long."
Alex nodded and Venna jumped off the cart. "Thank you for the meal." said Venna with a gracious bow.
"Thank you for the stories." said Liana, smiling.
"Do me a favor and keep that between us." said Venna, winking. "Good day." Saying so, he took off in a brisk walk back to his shop. Alex shook his head. Every single person had a story in Decimandria...including Venna. No way a mere shop owner could know so much about such powerful people.
"Come on, let's get moving." said Alex, jumping on the buckboard. He shot the mansion one last look, staring at it for a few long seconds. Then he whipped the reigns and set off for home.