"Hurry up, empty the ship."
A burly man with a protruding belly commanded the workers by the shore.
The men from early teens, middle age to even some of old age ran onboard to the ship and unloaded heavy boxes of goods on to the shore, from where another group of people shifted those boxes to different carriages stationed near the entrance of the shore.
*Rumble*
"This damn weather."
With lightning came loud thunder, both accompanied by storming rain.
"Sir Masa."
A man next to the now identified Masa took out an umbrella and shielded the other while letting himself drench in the rain.
"Hm, Vasu any news from the capital."
"It's on fire sir, the rebellion has burned not only the people and the land but as the royals have called back most of the troops, the borders to the neighbouring kingdom have been weakened."
"The big fish will soon start hunting. Profit may come with conflict, while war always guarantees opportunities."
"Sir should we…"
"Hahahaha… not even 'he' has the right to participate there, so how could we."
Vasu takes in a cold breath at the implication of that sentence.
Black Ridge is not a desirable place to stay in, well for the most at least. The corrupt and debouche though are a different story. Money and status run the black blood of the entire city. Power will be divided to all people cruel enough to snatch it, but all is mere an illusion. The entirety of Black Ridge is under just one person.
"Get your hands off of me."
"Shut up you shit."
A man who was supposed to be guiding the workers on the ship came holding what looked like a boy not older than 8/9.
"Sir I found this boy hiding on the ship. Seemed like he was trying to escape so I caught him or I would not have even found him."
"Why bring him here, go throw him in the water." Coldly looking at the man and the boy Vasu said. But it worked only on the man as the boy didn't even flinch and stared back at Vasu
"Hm… interesting, did you find any food around the place he was hiding?" Masa stopped the man.
"Huh."
"Answer" Vasu demanded.
"No… no sir, the way it looked he was hiding there throughout the trip."
Vasu was shocked as he realised what Masa was guessing at. And it was not easy to accept that anybody could have survived a trip that long not to say a kid at that.
"Take him."
"Ye...yes sir." The man didn't know what was going but started leaving.
"Tie him up and throw him at the back." Vasu further instructed him.
"The cage is next week, I want him in it." Masa saw something in him, he saw determination and strong will uncommon on some one of that age with that also saw what he recognises all too well, desperation. Still it paled against something else in them...
"Yes sir."
-
"Why…why…" A man was asking the person he was holding by the collar while punching and slapping him repeatedly. And through all this he did not show any emotion at all. But inside he was seething and frustrated but most of all sad because the person he was hitting was none other than his son.
"Sorr…"
"You dare apologise now." He brought him closer to his face and shouted at the ingrate.
"Why the fuck could you not have kept that dick in your pants. And even if you wanted to, you could have gone for any of the many bitchs from all around the city but no, you had to lay your hands on one of the whores from the batch send to 'Him'"
"Father I had sights on her for so long how could I see someone else lay his hands on her first." The son shouts back his grievance with tears flowing from his eyes as to beg pity from his father.
"Ahhh..." All that did though was further infuriate the man. He pulled his arm back and punched so hard that the son had been thrown across the floor with most of his teeth falling to the ground.
The guards all around them did not even flinch through all this, but if you look in their eyes. You will see fear, not for their master in front of them but towards…
*Bang*
"Head of the House Stone come forth, for I am here to deliver the message of the Lord."
Blasting the door in walked a dozen soldiers while the house guards and all the rest did not dare interrupt their way.
"Sir Sean please listen to me. The boy had committed a mistake. He had been dropped on the head when he was little, please…" The house head Stone rushed downward and started trying to somehow salvage the situation with the man who was maybe the only guy who could help dealing with 'Him'.
"Accept it house head Stone, or do you prefer Daru comes in my place to deliver it."
"Ah… no sir, no." Hear the name of the mad dog house head stone immediately shut up to listen. Seeing him the rest of the people also paid attention.
Then the fat man with small eyes with no facial hair at all, not even eye brows but medium black hair slicked back spoke.
"At dawn tomorrow the Lord of all Black Ridge demands the entirety of House Stone to be present."