An hour passed, when the carriage stopped at the bread store, Tricen opened his eyes that has turned into chestnut, the average color of a human, his hair turned brownish, yet hints of redness. His face was nearly the same, droopy eyelids, slightly small nose, thin small lips that curves downward, always relaxed eyebrows, all fits perfectly on his small face.
"You only seemed like you have aged less. What I want is for you to devolve your face." Estes facepalms at the sight of Tricen looking more appealing to the eyes.
"....." Tricen who was extremely tired couldn't care less what he may look, he wanted peace for a moment, yet the universe seems to have other plans for him. "It's hard to change it, maybe if you punch both sides of my cheek, you might see what you wish to see." He said. Estes stared at his tired eyes for a moment and did so. He punched the left before the right side of the cheek of Tricen. However, rather than it helping him look less pleasing, Tricen only looked the same as a bullied maiden.
"This is aggravating..." Estes grumbled and opened the carriage door, leaving behind Tricen. Then a few minutes passed, he came back with two sack of bread. Tricen with his tired self doesn't feel like asking questions regarding the two sacks of bread. So the carriage remained silent as it travel from the bread store to Estes' winehouse.
The moment Estes felt the carriage stop, he swiftly get himself off and opened the back door of the winehouse with the key he kept in his pocket. Coming in as natural as he can be.
•••
In a room, dimly lit by the closed curtains, where there are no furniture in sight, a shadow of a human figure sat on the cold dirty wooden floor.
"AWOOOHWAA!!" A broken shriek echoed, startling birds near the cabin in the middle of nowhere. The old man who shrieked as soon as he awake, resides on the second room. With one eye blinded, and the second reddish from sleepless nights, he peeked through the barred window. He saw great standing trees and different kinds of greeneries, both poison and herbs, flowers and bushes. But what took all his attention was a dark figure standing only a meter in front of him, seemingly watching intensely with eyes as though saying 'I am watching.' the old man was intimidated, he trembled in fear.
"Quite loud now, aren't we?" The voice of the man was deeply overwhelming for the old man. Although the voice was not as deep as an adult man, the old man perceive its words as a monster's. The man looking the eyes of old man with disdain shows no hints of remorse to the countless horrible, gruesome things he had done to the old man. Rather, the man smirked, further intimidating his half-sane captive to his wits. "Shall I remove your tongue next?" The man added as he snigger. His captive staggered and fell backwards. Noticing that, ecstacy run through his veins, his heart palpate. Satisfied with his 'teasing' he turned and decided to leave. His tall and muscular figure of silhouette slowly disappears, but the captive, the old man's fear lingers quite deeply, causing more suffering and strain to the old man's mental health.
He, the old man, who was captive of the villain has longed forgotten how to talk, it has been fifteen years since he lasspoken to anyone. Fifteen years he did not know anything happening outside his currently, pitifully small world inside the cabin. Thousands of wanted posters of his face circulating all around the continent in search for their ruler, in search for him. His bounty raised from one million gold coins to two, then to four, until all imperial treasury, yet no body of the missing ruler showed up. Even after the poster had the words "Dead or alive", not a single hair of their ruler became evident of his existence to ease and cease their worries, and that their ruler is still out there waiting for them to find him.
The old man, the continent's ruler who have forgotten who he is and what his name is has lost his elegance and charisma, he now cowers and curve himself to a corner, with his thumb in his mouth, sucking it like he did when he was a baby. Suicidal thoughts relentlessly eat up his mind, yet he couldn't do so, no sharp or even a single object was in the room for him to use to take his life, he does not even have a single piece of clothing. He unconsciously once thought about cutting his tongue with his teeth, but it has already been cut to half when he was castrated before he was half disposed of in the cabin.
•••
At the outskirts of the certain Baron's feif, at the end on an alley where a certain counterfeit wine sell at a very cheap price of two brass coins, just enough money for even homeless men to afford, are being distributed.
A woman in his fifties walked in. Wearing brownish hooded cloak that achieved to hide the woman's stunningly beautiful feature, although there may be wrinkles beside her hopeful and unwavering eyes, and hints of tiredness, none of those could hide her beauty. She was a noble lady, a wise and respected one. However, she now lost some of it, with too much stress building up on her, nearly destroying her, she might soon lose herself. She sat near the bartender who was not the oldest and not the youngest of the others.
"I have heard of a rumor on the way here that this is the place where a great consultant reside and talk to their clients, May I talk to them?" Her voice, so low and slightly horse put a half on the bartender's analyzing mind of her.
" A good afternoon my lady. I am.... This humble pheasant's name is James. We are honored to have you here. However, as the person in question is but a child, it is hard to meet him. Our young master's parents are quite strict, you see." James, the bartender said softly, quietly. Humbly bowing his head slightly, as though nodding.
'The rumor was not just a rumor without a basis, I see. For him to know that I am a noble. However, to reveal or to lie that the consultant(information breaker, a detective) is a child in this dangerous place, they are not smart after all.' She thought, half impressed.
For the first time in a while, the backdoor which was a door that can only be opened and closed by only one person, opened and revealed a young man in his teens walking in without regard to other people's bewilderment of his sudden visit.
"Where is it now?" The young man in his teens, known in the name of "Jobert" commanded.
"But before that, we have an important client to-"
"Enough. I want to know where the the bird is." 'Jobert' or shall I address as Estes, commanded once more without any regard to the noble lady that he had only glanced at. He could tell that she had recognized him the moment he walked in.
"Jobert, no matter how great you are at your job as a counselor, provoking a noble is bad news." The older bartender next to James told Estes firmly. Those who have heard his voice left, afraid to be in presence of Jobert's anger that may follow.