The mist was no longer empty. Voices of the dead called for others and echoed to their ears. Stephan turned his head to the woods and gasped in terror. The Undead were back from death again. The zombies that roamed the safe zone called safe because of the low number of the Undead, wasn't safe again. The boy turned his head from the hideous scene and shifted his attention to the men again.
"Do you have a spare weapon I could use? I believe you must ask for something in return but I don't have anything with me right now," Stephan remembered a movie he watched and tried to act like the iconic character in it Jack. One of the things he was proud of at that moment was the fact that he watched many movies and animes. "I can find something to give of equivalent value in the future. Lastly, I don't know of any Maddock."
"You are a human, aren't you? And you have the uncanny appearance of the man. I can't believe you have no threads to him. If you're rolling lies at me in the presence of veteran knights like us, you're either incredibly stupid or incredibly brave."
"It's remarkable how you sound so sarcastic but I will keep your words away. I am neither. Just a crazy boy who was running the whole night and managed to escape a night shadow after seeing one," Stephan moved next to one of the knights. "Now, if you'll excuse me, can you give me a seat next to you? I am incredibly tired and the ground is not good for my butt."
The knight opened his mouth flabbergasted; the youngster had so much gut that it made him ponder if it was remarkable or simply classify it as insolence. The second night that Stephan moved next to was a man in his forties. For the knights that ventured outside the walls, it was a feat to live past forty. His name was Jean. So Sir Jean turned his head to Sir Jack raised an eyebrow at him then grimaced with his mouth. The two exchanged a set of grimace like talking by telepathy while it wasn't the case.
Stephan was panicking inside. He didn't know if he did good or not but seeing their exchange of clown faces, he thought it was a good result. It was better to come with guts than show weakness of character. After all, he came from the mist and he wasn't infected with the Ustriestan. Sir Jack looked at Stephan as he game a half-salute to Mike's glare. He looked across his shoulder and noticed how the boy was holding himself well despite being weak.
The reason why they didn't brought out their swords was because he came with Mike and the second was because he came from the mist and the blessed road didn't reject him. As the knight didn't want to give him a seat next to him and there was clearly enough for his butt to sit, Stephan turned around and sat, his broken sceptre still in hand. There was a gem by the end of it that glowed each time he used mana on it.
"So speak to me, young man, how did you end up in the mist?"
"Oh! About that? You can call me the man from the fog or the mist, whatever. I was travelling alone and I had things planned out but something…" his eyes moved from the campfire to each of the faces, gauging their expressions.
"Something?"
"Yes, something! Are you doubting my words?" Mike looked at Stephan in a way that said 'what kind of bullshit the boy was saying?' "Something came out from there at night. Well, I had plans to be in Valtrar before the night but something happened and I stayed outside the walls. And Oh mother goodness! I had to run and run, run and run, the whole night," he frowned. "Do you believe me? I saw it," he whispered the last sentence like it was a secret. "I saw the shadows and they were real."
Sir Jack looked at him in exaggeratedly innocent surprise. He let out an 'Oh, really?' exclamation then laughed. "I think you would be a great humorous entertainer for the king. You know he is looking for one."
"I can consider that for some cash since I spent my whole earning and I even sold my clothes in Darsoania for that. Can I have some rum? I am really thirsty. I will pay it back in double when I see you again."
"What makes you think I will see you again? Are you a criminal?"
"No, but surely I don't think Valtrar is big enough to be lost in it, Sir Jack. You need to help wanderers, who knows maybe you will hit the jackpot?"
Sir Jack looked at the sky and noticed the shift to midday. The only place where one could see the sky when outside the walls was the roads. The fog was a thick on that didn't even let the eyes circulate freely inside it. He drank the half of his bottle then stretched the left to Stephan. The latter had to stand from his place to get to the drink. He grinned in satisfaction seeing the chance to quiver his thirst and also some of his hunger.
Stephan stumbled on Sir Jean feet and almost fell. He looked back awkwardly at him and Mike noticed they would bully the newcomer too. He sighed and averted his eyes from what would happen. They really intended to do so: bully him as a reward for entertaining them and then at the same time for showing insolence and spouting lies. However, something came out from his neck. The pendant he found before turned slowly, dangling over his neck.
It turned until the shape of a woman with serpent hair showed. It had the eyes closed. A shaft of light hit it and it glinted. Sir Jack retracted his bottle when Stephan almost touched it. "I believe you said you didn't have something to give in exchange… If it was the case, what's that? Hanging over your neck."
Stephan stood up correctly adjusting his pose and without leaving Sir Jack eyes, he pointed with a finger at the pendent. "Oh this! Don't mind it! It's a cursed one, a cursed object. I can give it in exchange but it's cursed. Do you still want to keep it? I found in a dungeon. I fought so hard to have and by the end it was cursed. I am just keeping around because I didn't want to leave that dungeon without a reward."