For the first time since they'd been together, Armando Indie didn't see a reason to oppose Vandorr in his decisions. Vandorr had been expecting criticism about his recent suggestion, going to an average town called Settlescore in search of Celiona's daughter.
Settlescore belong to the Serth Family or more simply, a town which was founded by their great grandfather, Tuggen Serth. Upon hearing that Celiona, his daughter had been found and was going to be taken in by the Priests of Andorra, Hermis the leading character of the Serth family took the whole family back to their majestic castle at Settlescore.
"Do you think Aretha would have any memory of what happened to her as a two year old?!" Celiona seemed to be the one skeptical about their plan. "I think you should just worry about seeing your daughter, every other thing might as well fall into place" Vandorr said as they approached a stable.
"How much for the horses??" Armando had immediately approached a man working inside it while the other two stood outside. Celiona bowed her head a little as though not very encouraged about anything. "Do you think she would remember me?!" She looked up at the tall Vandorr who beamed a mild smile on his hairy face. "We may never know, I do believe a mother's connection with her child never breaks" He responded with a gleaming expression. Armando had traced back to them with three horses.
"I pay for the horses and I still get to do the whole work of bringing them to you. When will you ever pay for something, Nameless man?!" Armando grunted as he struggled with the ropes tied on the horses. "It's been long since we went on an adventure, I do hope to kill a Yeti too" Vandorr responded with a loud laugh that made Armando furious, he let go off one of the horses which burst into a sprint, leaving him to chase it.
Vandorr knew he had hit a spot but for all he knew, the Yeti story couldn't have been real, Zoroboa had never seen an iota of snow ever and seeing a yeti in such a region would have been impossible, whatever Armando had killed was never a Yeti. He never regretted his mockery as he wanted the story to stick even longer.
Hairless Yeti of Zoroboa?! Hairless....
He chased after his horse, still laughing really loud as he thought of it. "You do know I am the only one who knows how to get to where we are going..." He said as he mounted his horse some minutes later. "Took you a while... You flatter yourself. Celiona must have been there" Armando replied seemingly satisfied with his revenge.
"You might call me a bastard. I've never been to Settlescore in my entire life" Celiona said softly as though trying to hide the disappointment she was feeling. Armando frowned as he stared at her with a little bit of surprise. "Never been out of Araguaia?!" He spoke this time looking away from her. "I have been to Wellfall though" She said again.
"Ha! A bit of the consolation, nothing more. What about Truffle, Zuderia,Budweis?? Have you ever heard of these lands?!" Armando asked with enthusiasm, Vandorr had never seen him so interested.
"No,never heard of them" Celiona replied blankly.
"You trouble her,Armando. Unlike you, she stayed still" Vandorr spoke this time still trying to hide a laugh but pissing him off. "Settlescore.... What does it look like??" She spoke, breaking the silence that had followed from earlier. "Heard Tuggen bought it from a bunch of natives with nothing more than a small mirror and a bucket" Armando said confidently that it made Celiona laugh and snort at the same time.
"As ridiculous as the story sounds, it's true. Several natives had been killed at first while trying to take the place by force but Tuggen soon realised they loved to see their reflection and found the bucket a groundbreaking invention. It's strange, I must say" Vandorr added. "But why haven't I heard that story before?!" Celiona asked still managing to control her laughter. "Would have had the same reaction as now if you were told" He responded again.
"True..." She laughed again.
"I find it more strange that Hermis did all he could to make the Bishop recognize Settlescore. Your father is only but a crafty man" Armando beamed strangely. He seemed to be convinced he had made a compliment but was a different story as Celiona's face had gone white. "I'm pretty sure Calqués would have done same" Vandorr spoke immediately in a bid to ease the already serious tension.
The journey continued without either of any of them talking not more than few words and in a few hours, they had arrived on a hilltop that exposed a vast green landscape in front and nothing more than a few settlement and a more revealing magnificent building standing alone away from the remaining buildings. "Nothing more than Settlescore!" Vandorr pointed to the castle at quite the distance standing alone close to a cliff.
"Remember when we fought off the barbarians from Geldad on that very cliff, Vandorr?!" Armando said with a satisfied sigh as they galloped gently from the high ground they were on, towards the small town. "Ha! Your very first battle too, you were only but a little boy" Vandorr roared a laughter. "You speak like you're older than you look" Armando replied spitefully.
They hadn't gotten quite far when something so sudden to death happened, an arrow had been fired towards their direction, only Vandorr's super human reflex had saved Celiona's eyes as he had grabbed the arrow not more than a few inches from her very face. "A target Shooter!!!" Armando said jumping off his horse grabbing her along with him that they landed laying flat on the green sharp grass. Looking ahead, they found nothing but the only forest that separated them from the small town.
"Here in Settlescore!? How does it even quantify?! I haven't seen their kind in years....!" Vandorr whispered sharply as they laid on the grass lifeless. "I shall try something..." Armando pulled up a piece of rag on a stick, raising it high above the grass. Without much blink of an eye, the piece of rag pierced twice almost at once.
"There are two..." He pulled his hand back to himself.
"Would be rude to not show gratitude for saving my life but how do we get out of these?! What about my family?!" Celiona shrieked in the most frightened way. "They hoped to kill you, I can't say much for your family...they might as well be ....dead" Vandorr said looking around critically. "You are never one to quickly judge, Vandorr.... A benefit of doubt at least for the lass" Armando said between gasps.
Vandorr looked ahead as a reflection caught his attention, like a glitter from glass. He had seen it earlier but only imagined it to be his mind playing tricks but as it became consistent, it struck him. "Armando!! Glitters! They might be using Binoculars. I can see one at a few metres to your left!" He turned to Armando immediately. "I see him, shall i take him out?!" Armando had pulled out his pistol on he had strapped to his back.
"Not until we find the other, we'll take them out at the same time" Vandorr replied. They had not spoken much when another reflection streamed across his gaze. "I see the other, I shall take care of this one" He said pulling out his own gun and at the very same time, they shot. The sound from their pistols resonated their surrounding, sending birds flying from their nests.
"Did we get them?!" Armando turned to Vandorr and whispered. "Only one way to find out..." Vandorr said standing to his feet, Armando had cursed him almost immediately. "You're a mad man!!".
" I think we did. We need to move quickly!" Vandorr said as he pulled Celiona up. "Argh! The horses were scared off by the shots from our guns!" Armando said with a feat of disappointment as he turned to look around him, only to see them standing in the green landscape alone.
In no time, they burst into a run, approaching the target men they had shot. "Incanian assassins! Why would they come all this way to kill?" Armando frowned a little as he rummage the lifeless bodies of the men they had killed. "I think the word Assassin speak it all, Gurhum would go any mile to keep the secrets of the Crest safe" Vandorr spat.
"How did you even know them to be incanians?!" Celiona asked this time, kicking one of the men. "The tattoo on the neck. They've been marked" Armando said pointing to a tattoo of a tulip flower on the necks of the lifeless men. "But Gurhum couldn't have been aware of our coming to Settlescore except..." Armando's eyes grew wide.
"Hermis?! But why would Hermis want to kill his own daughter?!" Vandorr frowned.