Jason had no idea what rank or who the soldier leading them was, but if his earlier interactions with the gate guards hadn't been enough, the servants' reactions made it clear that he wasn't someone to mess with. The palace courtyard was lavish with beautiful paths tangling through a mess of carefully manicured gardens and it was currently filled with liveried servants.
Their uniforms of red and blue were crisp, and they were lavish enough that he might have mistaken them for nobles if he hadn't seen their faces. To the last man or woman, they looked exhausted and hopeless. They went about their tasks with little more enthusiasm than Jason might have imagined they would if they were slaves.
When they caught sight of the man leading Jason and his companions, they turned away in fear, like beaten dogs unable to do anything but wait for the next strike.
The soldier did not pay them a glance though. He walked purposefully through the courtyard and through a large set of doors into the main hall of the palace. Flags lined the hall on either side of the opulent room, hanging from the ceiling. A small sparrow with rays coming out from it in all directions laid on a field of red and blue.
The sparrow had climbed through the small opening in the top of Jason's pack so it was unlikely anyone would notice her, but Jason didn't want to think about what would happen if anyone saw her. Were sparrows considered sacred or were they just a symbol of some kind?
"People consider them a sign of good luck, but it would be best if nobody saw me."
Jason could sense something wrong here. He had never set foot in this palace, or any palace for that matter, but there was still a sense of wrongness that went beyond the servant's faces. As they passed out of the main hall, and down a side corridor, Jason couldn't help wondering where all the people were.
The bright red carpet was well worn down the middle, but he did not see a single other person as they walked. They walked straight passed rooms with open doors filled with large tables, all devoid of life.
They took another turn and finally encountered a small squad of guards marching through the wide hallway. Jason was sure he could see the apprehension on their faces as they went by. All but the squad leader who met Jason's eyes without expression.
"His highness will see you shortly," the man said as they approached another large pair of doors. "He is a busy man, but I'm sure he will be interested in what you have to say."
The man's lip curved up into a crooked smile as he said it. Jason hated everything about this man. His self important strut, the way he obviously treated people, and even his face oozed superiority.
His highness? The king had been killed hadn't he. Did that mean that the hero had officially taken over for the king? It didn't really matter in the end. All he needed to do was get into his good graces with the information they could bring and use the small amount of time they had here to find the world item and get out.
Even if he didn't take them in as guests, they could use this to get a good idea of how to sneak into the castle. It might even be easier than he had thought. If he just impersonated this one man, it didn't seem like anyone would get in his way. He might even be able to walk in and out the front gate. He could do this. Everything would work out just fine.
"Perhaps you could tell me a little bit about your supposed encounter with Dodek Dadrian." He said the name pointedly, without the distaste that everyone else seemed to have. In its place was something else. Reverence? "A great many people watched his public execution, so I assume that you have significant proof."
Derek was visibly shaking as the man laughed. Perhaps it would have been better if he had left them outside. No, that was impossible. The second he ditched these two, Vanya would kill them to make sure they couldn't talk, which Jason couldn't deny that they almost certainly would.
Jason spoke up, trying to take attention off of Derek. "Yes, my lord, I witnessed him with my own eyes."
"Eyes can be deceiving Master…?" he paused.
"Willum," Jason filled in, giving the mason's name that the two apprentices had given him.
"Willum," the man finished, mulling the words over. He did not give his own name. "Eyes can be deceiving Master Willum. I hope that you have a little more than that."
"Yes, of…of course my lord," Jason stuttered. "Nearly the entire village witnessed him," he continued. "There is no doubt amongst any of us, and we knew that the king must be notified immediately."
Well that much was true he was pretty sure. The mason had sent his apprentices on the long trip all the way here, so it wasn't a stretch to think that they were confident. Unfortunately, nobody in the village could have predicted the king's murder, and if the sparrow was right, and the hero was the new incarnation of Dodek Dadrian then would he believe that?
What would he say when he heard that his old body was seen all the way out there? Would he think that Jason was lying to him? Jason didn't think so.
He had discussed this exact topic with the sparrow constantly over their long journey here, and she insisted that Dodek Dadrian was careful to a fault. She was sure that he wouldn't make any move until he was absolutely certain of what he suspected.
If that was true then that should give them just enough time to get in, find what they need, and get out.
"We are almost on top of the world item," the sparrow said, answering his thoughts. "All we will need are a few minutes of freedom and I am certain I can lead you there."
If this man would just leave for a moment, maybe they could get it out of the way now. The longer they were here, the more uncomfortable Jason was growing.
"No doubt, you say." The man spoke casually, but his eyes were razor sharp.
Just who was this guy? And why hadn't he sent someone to get the king or hero or whoever it was? He couldn't discount that he might have done so before they even started following him. Or maybe it had been some kind of inconspicuous gesture as they walked.
He looked down at Derek. "What do you say, young man? Is what your master says true?"
Please just say yes and be done with it, Jason thought. "Yes, my lord," Derek said, voice cracking halfway through, but it was good enough.
"Very good, very good," the man continued, pacing in front of them. Couldn't he just stop talking? "You saw Dodek Dadrian."
Derek looked back at Jason before he turned back and gave a tiny nod.
"Come now you can speak for yourself can't you? Tell me exactly what you saw, and let's get this all figured out."
"My lord…" Jason began.
"Not now, Master Willum," the man interrupted. "Let the man speak for himself."
"I…" Derek faltered. "I didn't see him at first, I just watched him as he left the village."
"As he was leaving the village," the man repeated thoughtfully. "Very interesting, tell me more."
"I don't know what else to say, my lord," Derek said.
"Please try."
On top of his shaking he was now visibly sweating. "Uh…Lukas saw him better so maybe you could ask him?"
"Just tell me what you know. Surely you can at least tell me what you were doing?" His words, patient and friendly, were at complete odds with his eyes.
"Umm…" Derek spoke quickly. He obviously wanted nothing more than to be out of the center of attention. "I was still inside cleaning and Lukas came in telling me that Master Willum needed us to go to the capital to let the king know, he said it was…"
"Your master sent the two of you?"
"Yes, and…" Derek froze.
The man's smile grew even bigger and his sword flashed out faster than Jason could react.