September 7, 535
The group led by Asante the rest of the day after leaving Clerud and took a short break overnight. The trip was mostly uneventful, with Kistler gone they could focus on the land in front of them rather than Rietveld's family issues. When they stopped to rest overnight, they slept in shifts leaving two awake at all times.
When the morning of the 7th came, everything had been as it always was. Asante rode in the front with George closely behind. Hagen, Erick, Kastor and Leonard followed. They engaged in light conversations about the weather and certain animals they found in the Land of Solitude, but nothing of note was brought up. Henry was never brought up, but the weight his absence left was felt by the recruits.
"At this pace, we should make Greenwood by tomorrow morning." Asante rode while looking at an old parchment map he'd taken from Clerud. The map was half burnt but showed enough for him to get his bearings. "Unless we're stopped by stalkers, we'll have no issues."
"We might have a few regardless, Malik," George noted. "We're on contested land, you know. People might think we're bandits."
"Or worse, Imperials!" Hagen joked as his face bore a large grin.
"As much as I hate to admit it, that's an excellent point, Freeman." Asante put the map away and extended his arm to the side. "Everyone. Remain vigilant. You may never know when we might be assaulted by unknown enemies."
"You mean like him?" Hagen pointed to the group's right as a lone figure danced along the horizon. He was not on horseback and appeared to be fleeing from something. "If all bandits are like him, we'll do just fine!"
"Sh-should we go up to him?" Leonard stuttered. "He might be in trouble."
Asante looked over the group who'd slowed their horses to get a better look. Turning to the horizon where the figure continued to move in spastic ways, he made up his mind. "Stop!" He extended his hand once more as the group seized their movement. "Freeman and I will investigate this strange figure. If we're in any danger, one of us will shoot my flare. Hagen Miura will remain in charge until we return. Understood?"
George got closer to Asante. "What are you thinking? He could be a trap waiting for someone to help him out. I thought you just agreed that we should keep an eye out for unknown enemies."
"Your indecisiveness will be your demise, Freeman." Asante kicked his horse to get moving. "If it is a trap, then sitting here we are already dead!"
With a dreadful look on his face, George set off to join Asante and began glancing from left to right in anticipation of an ambush. As they got closer, the figure began to take the shape of a man. He wasn't incredibly tall, but his clothes were tattered and he was out of breath as he stumbled across the desolate horizon. When he saw the captain and drunkard approach him, he dropped to his knees and looked to the sky.
"It's over," he mumbled. "My judgement has come." He continued to mumble to himself as Malik exchanged glances with George.
"Where are your companions?" George did not leave his horse as he questioned the strange man.
"It's over. I'm dead." The man continued to mumble to himself as he gave no answers to Asante.
Asante glanced between the two before jumping from his horse. George stuck his hand out in protest but was ineffective. Asante walked up to the strange man and sat down in front of him. Slowly, the man lowered his head and looked George in the eyes.
"What happened?" Malik asked with a stoic look on his face.
The man stuttered and fumbled over his words before he could retrieve anything that resembled a sentence. "The death. He was death." As the man grabbed his head, his eyes began to widen. "My mind. It- It was- He did it."
"Who did what?"
He shook his head vigorously. "He did it. Made me kill myself. Made them do it."
"This man has lost his mind," George stated. "He won't survive a day out here. Let's go."
"You're right. No need for extra baggage." Asante began towards his horse before the man began mumbling once more.
"Ah~ Ah!!!!!" He screamed as he fell backwards, sticking his finger out in front of him. Asante and George followed the finger in the direction of the horizon where a group of horseback riders were galloping rapidly towards the three of them.
"Malik," George commanded.
"Yeah, I got it." Reaching into the pouch on the back of the horse, Asante revealed a small flare gun, which he promptly shot vertically into the air. Immediately, the young cadets began making their way towards them.
"Ambush?" Asante asked as he jumped to his horse.
"Unlikely," George responded calmly. "They would've been closer if it had been. They're giving us too much time to react." Thinking for a moment, George jumped from his horse and knelt by the man.
"What're you doing?!" Asante screamed. "Have you gone mad?"
"We're helping him," George said. "If they're his allies, there's a chance they might be ours as well."
"And if they're not?"
"We'll see."
The remainder of Asante's squad arrived shortly before the mysterious horseman did. Malik briefed them on the situation and prepared them to intercept, though instructing none to draw their weapons.
"It's a good thing Henry isn't here, right?" Hagen joked.
"You better keep your mouth shut when these guys get here," Erick replied.
"You're no fun."
The mysterious horsemen were a group of 5 men clothed in gray and tan rags. Their faces were obscured except for their eyes which looked dark and intimidating. All of them wielded spears except the leader at the front, who drew two small swords. The horsemen stopped about 50 meters from the group, lending nothing but the wind to communicate between the two of them.
"Strangers." The lead horseman spoke in a deep, booming voice. "You step onto Paulek's land and kneel by her dead, what say you?"
George and Asante exchanged glances before Asante rode forward, closing the gap by 15 meters. "We came upon this man and sought to give him aide. We know nothing of what befell him or his comrades." His voice was calm, carrying across the short distance with clarity.
"Yet you ride onto Her Grace's land armed with rifles and pistols, smoking at the barrel. Have you no shame?"
"We have come from Clerud, a day's trip on horseback out. We bear no ill intentions upon entering Paulek's land."
The horsemen began conversing with one another. George helped the mumbling man to his feet and assured the rest of the group not to unholster their weapons. Asante sat strong on his horse, his hand firmly planted on his gun, waiting for their answer.
"Very well." The leader of the horsemen trotted forward, his two swords unsheathed and at the ready. "You are to follow us to Abatu where Paulek will speak with you. The man will ride with us. Understood?"
Asante nodded and led the horseman back to the group, where George lifted him onto the ragged man's brown horse. "How far is the ride to Abatu?"
"Not far," the horseman said affirmably. "It will take us westward about two hours."
George sighed. "Malik," he whispered, "can't we just leave them to the man?"
Asante elbowed him in the stomach. "We don't have a choice, Freeman. They control the land. If we leave, they'll kill us faster than we could say we got away."
"I could easily take them in a fight."
"Yes, you could," Asante said sarcastically. "Can they?"
George looked at the young cadets, who were conversing amongst themselves. "They wouldn't need to."
Asante sighed. "I would rather not insight any violence when we have so little men. Do as I say and get on your horse."
Freeman slowly nodded. The group followed the horsemen as they led them westward, the sun getting closer and closer to the horizon as they went.
* * *
Two hours had passed almost exactly before Abatu had revealed itself from the horizon. The sun had began setting, casting long dark shadows across the dirt which the group travelled on. George had tread lightly near the back of the group as he watched his comrades converse with each other. The horsemen had surrounded them, one on each side, two in the back, and the leader in the front. They rode in silence, each wielding their weapon as if ready to fight at a moment's notice.
Abatu had large wooden walls which surrounded a small gathering place and a large tower. The tower was crooked as it spiraled into the sky, architecture which gave George a moment of respite. Two guards stood at the front gate, each holding large spears imitating the ones the horsemen carried. When the group reached the gate, the leader spoke briefly with the two guards before dismounting his horse. The other horsemen did the same.
"You are to dismount and give your horses to these men here," the leader stated. "There is no room for you and your horses inside. Rest assured, they will be kept safe, and no items will be stolen from you."
Leonard grew a worried face. "This isn't looking good."
"You're such a worrywart," Kastor assured. "We're guests here, and we helped one of their men. I'm sure we're being offered a reward or at least a transfer of information."
The group dismounted their horses and walked forward to the gate. The right guard, much shorter than the left guard, had taken liberty of the horses, while the left guard stopped them before entering.
"Your weapons, please," he requested.
"We're entering unknown lands, yet we are to be disarmed?" Erick questioned. "This seems a little unfair."
Asante glared him down. "You are to follow his instructions. We are at their liberty."
Sighing, Erick obliged and handed over his rifle. The leader of the horsemen smiled and led them inside. Inside was a small dirt courtyard where several buildings had been built, the two most notable being the large crooked tower and a small tavern and inn. Once the group had entered, the two guards closed the gates and locked it up before heading inside the tavern for a drink. Merchants walked about as their day of trading was over, convening all at the tavern where song had quietly poured out the front door.
"I had no idea people actually lived out here," Leonard said. "I mean, I knew there had to be people out here, but not that there was anything like this."
"You'd be surprised," Hagen said gleefully. "I hear there are more than a thousand different outposts where people gather for trade and hospitality."
"Correct. The Land of Solitude has all sorts of people," George noted. "Black market dealers, ex-convicts, nobles who've lost their status, people like me from the Red-Light-District, they're all trying to avoid war and famine."
"Like Eldric, huh?" Kastor said.
George shrugged. "Maybe."
When the group reached the crooked tower, the leader of the horsemen halted them. He quickly ran inside before a chorus of men's voices erupted from the building. Asante exchanged glances with George as a new man exited the building. He was well-dressed in a suit and his hair was slicked back. He had small glasses that perched on top of his pointed nose which he adjusted every few moments, and his hands were thin and veiny.
"Welcome, esteemed guests," the man began in a smooth, light tone. "Paulek will see you yet. I hear you had a run in with the Enclave?"
Asante pushed to the front of the group. "We're just passing through, unfortunately. We'd like to meet with her and be on our way."
"Westward?" The man grew a slight grin and adjusted his glasses.
"No, we're headed to Reinbose. Eastward." Asante glanced back at George who walked forward to join the conversation.
"We wish to seek Paulek's permission to walk through the lands," George said. "We're willing to offer her one of our horses."
The man bore a toothy smile. "You've dealt with her prior, haven't you?"
George did not respond.
Clapping, the man swiveled on his heels to face the door. "Come! She is ready for you."
Inside, the room was dark and circular. Candles illuminated the walls and the floor was made of a dark wood. There was a balcony overlooking the room about a story above them and three doors in every direction.
"Please wait here," the man stated with a grin. He walked through the door in front of them, leaving the group in silence.
"How many times are they going to make us stop and go?" Kastor said with a sigh. "Just make us go some place and have us there the whole time!"
"I'm sure there's some process they have to follow," Erick noted. "From the looks of it, Paulek is a very powerful person."
"She is," George stated. "And she's very careful with her words. Don't speak unless spoken to, for every word you say to her gives her more ammo to attack back."
"You know of this Paulek woman?" Hagen questioned.
"I ran into her in my travels years ago." George sat on the ground and drew a heavy breath. "In the empire of course."
"And she's the same as she's always been." Asante joined George on the ground. "We'll be waiting here for some time."
Kastor chuckled as he too sat upon the ground. "It's a good thing Henry isn't here then; he'd get fed up with waiting and explore every crevice of this place looking for Paulek."
Hagen thought and smiled. "Why don't we? Newborn. Let's go."
"I don't think that's such a great idea, Hagen." Erick rubbed his temples. "Besides, you don't think the doors would be locked?"
"Worth a try!" Hagen stepped to the door on the left, swinging it open with little force. He turned to the rest of the group, who had all looked on with caution. "Erick you are to come with."
"I'd advise against it," George stated. "This tower is filled to the brim with guards. You sense it too, don't you?"
Hagen rolled his eyes. "Sure. But guards aren't a problem if you can just avoid all of them! Come on, Erick."
Asante groaned. "Go with him, Newborn. You won't be captured with him at your side, and there's nothing stopping him now."
Drooping over, Erick slowly marched towards Hagen, who's grin had only widened. "Alright."
The two exited the door, slamming it shut and leaving the remaining four in the silent circular room.
"I'm surprised you let them go, Captain," Kastor joked. "Awfully out of character for you, don't you think?"
"Hardly." Asante scratched the skin around his mouth while staring at the balcony, never breaking eye contact. "It was a strategic move."
"S-Strategic?" Leonard stuttered.
"Correct. As I'm sure you'll notice soon, we're in the middle of a trap. One in which they've underestimated us. I let them go before we've dug a hole too deep to get ourselves out of."
* * *
Behind the door, Erick and Hagen came upon a long narrow corridor. It was dimly lit with nothing to catch the eye except several doors on either side of the corridor and a large iron gate at the end of it. Hagen smiled gleefully as no personnel had been assigned to this hallway, leaving the two of them alone in the dark.
"Great, we've seen it," Erick said calmly. "Let's return now, shall we?"
"Not yet." Hagen ran down the hallway to one of the doors on the left wall of the corridor, putting his ear against its wooden frame. "Through this door."
"And how do you expect us to find Paulek doing that? There's no chance she's on the ground floor, and there are no stairs, so let's return to the Captain."
"You're no fun," Hagen removed his ear from the door and opened it slightly, illuminating the hallway. The door led to a staircase leading upwards "See? Staircase."
The stairs spiraled up several floors above them. Erick followed closely behind Hagen as they climbed floor after floor. At each floor, Hagen put his ear to the door leading out of the staircase before returning to the stairwell to continue upwards. Strangely, there were no guards in the stairwell which would give the duo any problems. Eventually, on what felt like the tenth floor, Hagen put his ear to the door and nodded with a grin, swinging it open and running inside. Erick poked his head through the door to see yet another hallway almost identical to the first one he'd seen. He followed Hagen down several turns before Hagen stopped at one of the doors, putting his ear once again to the door's wooden frame. After a moment, he smiled, slightly opening the door and illuminating the hallway.
Peering inside, he could see it was a map room, filled with scrolls and books—and empty. He waved Erick over and stepped into the room, which had a single large lantern in the middle illuminating all the walls of the paper-smelling room.
"Great. Maps, books, and the like. How is this supposed to help us find Paulek?"
"It won't." Hagen pulled a chair that had been sitting in the corner to one of the shelves. He stood on it and grabbed a small paper map from the top shelf. It had been folded into a small square, and as Hagen unfolded it, he quickly tossed it aside and grabbed another. He did the same a few more times before jumping from the chair and moving it to a new shelf. "A map won't help us find Paulek, but it will help us find Eldric."
"How so?" Erick picked one of the maps Hagen had tossed aside from the ground and peered at it. It had been unfinished and written in a language he could not read. "All I see is chicken scratch."
"Simple. Eldric passed through here recently. We take the same path they took and find him!"
Erick was taken aback. "What? He passed through here?"
"Yup!" Hagen tossed another map aside.
"What makes you say that?"
Hagen turned to Erick with a large grin. "I asked!"
Erick ran his hands through his hair. "You asked?! Asked who?! I need an explanation!"
Hagen shrugged. "Easy. I found the time to ask a guard if there had been more travelers through here in the past few days and he said yes. Meaning Eldric has been through here."
Erick sighed. "You know there are more travelers that pass through here than just Eldric."
"Well, yeah, of course." Hagen jumped from the chair and moved it once more. "But he was talking about Eldric."
"And you know this how?"
Hagen's movements stopped. Without turning to Erick, he shrugged. "Intuition, I guess?" Chuckling, he continued looking at maps.
Erick crossed his arms and his eyebrows lowered. "And I'm guessing 'intuition' led you directly to the map room as well—where I assume you were always headed. Was this even about finding Paulek to begin with?"
Hagen did not reply.
"You're behaving strangely, Hagen. Stranger than I'd normally give you credit for. I understand you have secrets, but this is beginning to compound more than you'd like. I'd like to trust you, but you're not giving me any reason to."
"I never asked for your trust." Hagen once again jumped from the chair and moved it to a new shelf. "I only asked you to join me. I never even mentioned Paulek when I asked you to do so."
"Does the Captain know?"
"Know what? That I'm helping his cause? Of course he does! He's not an idiot like that Kistler fellow I tell you."
"That you're not going for Paulek."
"Whether I go for Paulek or not is my business. And what he does while we're gone is his own."
"That doesn't explain your urgency to find this map. Do you want to find Eldric that badly? What did the Captain promise you?"
Hagen faced Erick, no smile formed on his face. "I was promised nothing, and my reasons are my own. Why did you tag along on this journey, Erick?"
"Don't stray from the topic at hand."
"You weren't promised anything either. Same with Kastor, Leonard, hell even Kistler. None of us were promised anything with our being here, yet here we are, all for our own reasons. I have never inquired about your enlistment into the Guardian Force, have I?"
"That can't possibly be the same thing-"
"Oh, but it is. To you, I might be acting very suspicious, but to me I'm acting with purpose. Do you act with purpose?"
"I-"
"No. You don't. Imperials haven't acted with purpose in over four hundred years. Not since the First Alcrestian War. Not since they lost to Reinbose. Your people are a bunch of cowards who claim anyone suspicious is the enemy. That anyone who isn't them is wrong, and that anyone who is them should act in a certain way Ein forbid they don't."
"Where's this coming from? I was just asking the reasons behind your behavior. I'm not trying to antagonize you-"
"Whether you are or you are not isn't the point. The point is that what's my business is my own and what's your business is your own. Now help me find this map."
"You still haven't explained to me what we're looking for. I was under the impression we're finding Paulek to meet with her before we have to wait. Now we're looking for a map? You're insane." Erick turned and placed his hand on the door handle. "I'm returning to the group. Feel free to join me, or continue doing whatever it is you're doing."
"I wouldn't exit if I were you," Hagen warned, his back still turned to Erick. "There's currently a guard on the other side of the door."
Erick jolted. Slowly, he turned to face Hagen, who continued to toss aside map after map. "How do you know that?"
"If you don't believe me, feel free to get us both captured."
Erick looked at his hand, still firmly grasped to the door handle. "That doesn't answer my question."
"It doesn't, you're right. If you don't trust me, as you say, then go ahead. Open the door."
Erick squeezed hard on the door handle. He wanted to open the door—to prove Hagen wrong. He didn't want to trust him. Hagen had been acting too strange to give him that luxury. Yet, he could not twist the door handle. His brain told him to do so, to swing it wide open and sprint back to Captain Asante and the others, yet he could not. He slowly removed his hand from the doorknob and sat in a chair still situated in the corner. The two sat silent with each other as the quiet movements of Hagen examined each map.
After several movings of the chair, Hagen jumped down with a sigh. "I don't think anything here is going to help."
Erick rested his head on his hand. "So we wasted our time."
"No, we didn't. We learned a valuable piece of information!" Hagen exclaimed with a smile.
"Which is what?"
"That Paulek has every intention of following them."
Erick put his palms in his face. "You're grossly jumping to conclusions here. How can you be so sure?"
"The map we want isn't here, meaning Paulek has it. We get that information; we go to Eldric."
"You know," Erick said, talking through his hands. "If we went to Paulek in the first place, we wouldn't have had to wait here for Ein knows how long!"
"Well, I got a few collectables for myself, so it wasn't all lost."
Erick stood up. "I can't believe I followed you. Let's get going."
"Agreed." Hagen put his ear to the door before nodding and opening it back up to the hallway. The two exited and began their descent to the rest of the group.
* * *
George, Leonard, Kastor, and Asante all sat in silence for what seemed to be hours. No noise came from any of the doors surrounding them and the balcony which locked eyes with Asante had seen no changes.
"I'm starting to think I should've gone with Hagen and Erick," Kastor said as he slumped over. "This waiting has me aching all over."
"I assure you, you wouldn't want to go with those two," George said. "Newborn likely has his mind being tossed and turned right about now."
Asante suddenly jolted and jumped to his feet, causing the rest of the group to follow suit. Suddenly, a large booming laugh began echoing throughout the room, amplifying with every echo. Above them, light entered from the doors to the balcony and a large woman stepped forward. She looked down at the four with a large grin, locking eyes almost immediately with George.
"Georgey!" The woman exclaimed, bearing a toothy smile. "I had hoped it was you when I heard someone had known me! What an eventful week it's been!"
"Hello, Paulek." George did not smile. He tried to grip for his weapon but found nothing but air. "I see time hasn't done much for you."
"I could say the same about yourself, Georgey." Turning towards Asante, her smile faded. "Malik Asante. It's been some time."
"It has."
"Always a man of few words. And to the two of you who I've never had the pleasure, I am Paulek! Leader of these lands. It is ever so good to meet you."
Kastor and Leonard bowed at George's command.
"Well, dears I'm afraid our meeting must be cut short. You see, you killed some of my men, and for that we must punish you. How, though, we have yet to decide. For now, we'll throw you into the holding cells below. Does that sound alright Georgey?"
George chuckled sarcastically. "No time for tea, Paulek? Why don't we catch up on the years that have passed us!"
Paulek did not smile. "I'm afraid not, Georgey. I'm a very busy woman, and would not like to deal with rats who are past their prime. Good day." Turning about herself, Paulek exited the balcony and was replaced by two soldiers clad in the same rags the horsemen were dressed in. They both held rifles and loaded them swiftly and efficiently.
"Sleeper darts." Asante said angrily. "Everyone get away!"
Quickly, the two soldiers fired their rifles, knocking darts into Leonard and Kastor. The two fell asleep almost instantly. George and Asante dodged the first few rounds, but the darts came at such an alarming rate that they could not dodge them all, and succumbed to his fate. As George's vision faded, he saw the door in front of them open giving way to several guards. In his fading consciousness he swore to get Paulek back for what she had done.
* * *
George was the first to regain consciousness. As he glanced around, he quickly gained his bearings and realized that the group had been taken to a holding cell. It was a rectangular room with enough space to hold them all comfortably, with thick bars running from the ground to the ceiling. A singular guard sat on the other side of the bars, diligently looking at the end of the hallway where stairs were placed. As he looked at the ground, everyone had been spread around haphazardly as though they were a second thought. He did not see the mumbling soldier in the cell with them which he thought was for the best. Looking across the hallway, he saw another cell where a lone person slept with their back to them.
Stepping over his knocked out allies, he approached the lone guard who quickly took notice.
"Good morning, newcomer! Sleep well?!" The soldier burst into laughter before gaining his composure once more.
"Where are we? How long was I out?"
"Uh, let me see. How should I put this? We're still in Abatu, yes, but we're in the holding cells. Underground. Won't say where, but that's the long and short of it. I wasn't keeping track of the time exactly, but I'd say roughly a day's worth of sleep you all had."
George grabbed the bars. "A day?! We can't have slept for a day!"
"Sorry, but you did. Oh, don't worry about your trade offer, Paulek took care of the horses."
Sighing, George turned and began shaking his comrades awake. As they all rose from their sleep, Leonard and Kastor rubbed their heads in pain.
"I don't know what waking everyone up will do," the soldier stated. "Y'all won't be able to get outta here until we say so. Could be a day, a week, a month, who knows!"
As George woke up Asante, he stepped back to the guard. "Are we able to negotiate with Paulek?"
"Negotiate?" The soldier laughed once more. "Paulek doesn't speak to prisoners."
"She'll speak to me."
"Will she now? How'd that go last time?"
George fell silent. He turned back to the cell and sat on the ground as he watched the group gain their bearings in the room. As Kastor retrieved his, he stepped forward to the bars and watched the lone sleeper across the hall.
"Say," Kastor asked from the ground, garnering the guard's attention. "Who's that over there? He's the only other prisoner I see."
The guard glanced at the sleeping prisoner, who had not moved since George awoke. "Who knows? He came in last night while y'all were asleep. Apparently, he'd been talking smack towards one of Paulek's men, and they didn't take too kindly to that sort of thing."
As if on cue, the door leading back to civilization had swung open with a large crash. The sound of chains and moving armor had grown louder and louder until the four could see two guards escorting two prisoners: Hagen and Erick.
"Erick!" Leonard exclaimed.
"We found these two snooping about the tower," one of the armor-clad soldiers stated firmly. "Likely on George Freeman's command."
"Throw 'em in with these folk," the guard in the chair replied. The bars slid open and the two new prisoners were thrown into the large cell with the rest of the group. As quickly it had opened, the bars slid shut and the two new guards returned upwards.
"So, we got caught!" Hagen said with a smile.
"Who's fault is that?!" Erick shouted, pushing Hagen aside and standing up.
"Did you guys reach Paulek?" Kastor helped Hagen to his feet.
"No, we didn't." Erick dusted himself off and pointed towards Hagen. "This idiot didn't want us to reach her anyways!"
"Like I told you, Erick," Hagen replied with a smile. "My business is my own, as is the same to you."
"No time for arguments," Asante assured, placing his hand on Erick's shoulder. "Miura. What did you find?"
"Nothing, unfortunately. Looks like we need to talk to Paulek directly to find anything about Eldric."
"As I said," the guard blurted, "you won't be seeing Paulek unless myself or another guard comes in to let you see her."
"She'll see us," Asante retorted positively. "She will."
The guard chuckled. "Whatever you say Captain boy."
Time passed slowly in the holding cell. George, Leonard, Kastor, Asante, Hagen, and Erick occupied themselves with various activities to stave off boredom and anxiety. Asante paced the length of the cell, lost in thought, occasionally glancing at the lone prisoner in the opposite cell, who still hadn't moved. His mind raced with strategies, but the lack of information and the imposing guard outside the bars kept his ideas grounded in reality. He was trying to piece together their next move without attracting too much attention.
Leonard and Kastor, once their headaches subsided, engaged in a whispered conversation. They discussed their recent encounters and speculated on Paulek's intentions. Leonard fiddled with a small, smooth stone he found on the ground, tossing it from hand to hand nervously. Kastor, on the other hand, leaned against the bars, his gaze shifting between their captors and the hallway beyond, searching for any signs of activity or an opportunity.
Hagen sat cross-legged in a corner, eyes closed, meditating. He focused on calming his mind and conserving his energy, knowing they might need every bit of strength for what lay ahead. Occasionally, he opened his eyes to observe his companions and ensure everyone was holding up.
Erick, meanwhile, watched Hagen's every move. He didn't know what to think of the strange, short man. Why had he acted so strange, and why was he now acting as if it had never happened? Thoughts continued to race through his mind as though it would never leave it.
The lone prisoner across the hall finally stirred, drawing George's attention. The man turned slightly, but then returned to his slumber, revealing nothing of his stature.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the underground corridor. The group tensed, each wondering if this might be their chance to negotiate or at least gather more information. The footsteps stopped outside their cell, and another guard appeared, carrying a tray of food. The guard placed the tray on the floor just inside the cell, shoving it through a small opening at the bottom of the bars.
The food was meager: stale bread, a few slices of dried meat, and a small jug of water. George distributed the rations, ensuring everyone got their share. The food wasn't much, but it was enough to keep them going.
As they ate in silence, George's mind continued to churn. He knew they couldn't stay here indefinitely. They needed a plan, a way to reach Paulek or at least communicate their intentions. The guard's earlier words about Paulek not speaking to prisoners weighed heavily on him. He needed to find a way to change that.
Hours turned into another day, and the group fell into a routine of sorts. They slept in shifts, ensuring at least one person was always awake to keep an eye on their surroundings. George continued to watch the lone prisoner across the hall, hoping for a chance to communicate, though no chance came.
The guard's shifts changed regularly, providing brief moments of relief from the oppressive vigilance. George took mental notes of the guards' routines, their demeanor, and any small details that might aid in their escape. He knew they couldn't rely on luck alone; they needed a plan, and they needed to act soon.
As another day drew to a close, George gathered the group. They huddled together, speaking in hushed tones, formulating a plan. They couldn't wait for Paulek to come to them. They had to take matters into their own hands and find a way to escape or force a meeting with Paulek. The stakes were high, but their resolve was unshakable.
And then.
Suddenly, a different sound came from the door from above. Instead of the usual armor-clad walks the group was used to, it was instead the sound of rags similar to the horsemen they'd encountered out on the horizon. Two men, including the leader of the horsemen, walked from above and exchanged a few brief words with the guard-on-duty before turning to the holding cell.
"Two of you are to come with us," the leader of the horsemen spoke in his deep, low voice. "Paulek will see you now."
The group exchanged glances and immediately their faces lit up.
"Excellent," Asante said, stepping over to the cell door. "George will go with whomever he chooses."
George jumped. "You're just going to volunteer me?!"
"Yes, I will. You've spoken to Paulek before, as you've said. None of us know her tricks like you do. Pick who you will go with, and please get us out of this mess."
"Why don't you volunteer yourself?"
"I've never spoken to her. It appears the only logical conclusion is that you are to go to her."
"That's hardly logical."
"Do you disagree? Who should go then, instead of you?"
"I-" George looked at the ground and his mind began racing. He had no idea what Asante had in mind, though based on his words he knew Asante did not want to speak to Paulek. After a moment of anger towards the captain, he stilled his resolve and began looking over the group. Leonard was out of the question, as was Hagen. Both were too much of a liability for him and would reveal too much information with or without realizing it. Between Erick and Kastor however…
"Take me."
George looked up and saw Kastor in front of him, a firm look on his face.
"My parents were both merchants. I can deal with just about anyone on the planet when it comes to negotiations."
"You're sure about this? Paulek is no easy opponent."
Kastor nodded.
"No objections here," Hagen said with a large grin. "Kastor'll get just the information we need."
"Agreed." Erick stood by Kastor and placed his hand on his shoulder.
Asante stepped behind Gregor and gave him a push. "Well done, Gregor. Looks like you don't need to pick, George. Same as always."
The cell door slid open, letting Kastor and George exit. The two were quickly tied at the hands and blindfolded as they were led all throughout the building. Several stairs and turns later, the two were forced to kneel before the blindfolds were removed.
Just then, Kastor felt an immense weight around him. He felt it hard to keep his neck up, and even harder to stay kneeling. In front of him was the large woman Paulek, who's presence had caused the room to be as intense a room as he'd ever felt. Sweat dripped from his pores, falling on the ground and creating a noise that rang in his ears. Paulek wiped her brow with her handkerchief before returning it to her front pocket. She sat upon a large circular chair at the end of the room and propped both her feet onto an ottoman as she smiled and looked between the two men. George did not react.
"I apologize for the wait, you two." The large woman spoke in a high-pitched feminine tone. "It's been, what? Two days?"
George stole a look from Kastor and with his eyes told him to be quiet. Kastor slightly nodded and the two looked back at Paulek.
"Georgey. It's been far too long hasn't it? Almost five decades now?"
George did not respond. His eyes narrowed as he glared to the large woman, who wiped her brow once more with her handkerchief.
Paulek shifted back in the large chair, losing her smile and dropping her tone of voice. "I see as though you're still frustrated with what happened back then. Then there is nothing for us to speak of." Turning to Kastor, her eyebrow raised. "And who are you, boy? Speak now."
Kastor could barely lift his head. Paulek's presence had completely enswirled him, pouring into every fiber of his being. He mustered a look towards George, who gave him a slight nod of approval to speak. Gathering his strength, he lifted his head and locked eyes with Paulek, who stared deep into his soul. He could not move a muscle, nor lower his head once more. It was as if Paulek had grabbed onto his skull and held it in place. "Kastor," he said with a slight quiver in his voice. "Kastor Gregor."
With those two words, the presence he felt of Paulek had all but dissipated. She shifted in her chair, rubbing her fingers on her chin. "Gregor," she said with an analytical tone, "the pleasure is all mine. I am Paulek, leader of these lands you stand on." She regained her smile and raised her voice. "Tell me, Gregor. What brings you and your friends to Abatu?"
George moved. He placed his right foot forward and entered to a standing kneel. "If you want to speak, speak to me. You have nothing to-"
Paulek's head jolted. "We have nothing to speak about George Freeman, if you even go by that name anymore." Kastor felt her presence return, though it did not surround him as it once did. "I am going to speak to Kastor Gregor with or without your presence, it would be most agreeable for you to stay put and stay quiet."
George did not move for a few moments before returning to the kneel he was in before. "Understood." He turned to Kastor. "Don't say anything unnecessary," he stated with caution in his voice.
Kastor slightly nodded before turning back to Paulek. "We're here from the Einrich Empire. We came across one of your men on our quest and sought to bring him to health."
"Came across, you say?" Paulek removed her feet from the ottoman and sat forward. "Tell me. Where are you headed, and how did you encounter one of my men?"
Kastor thought for a moment. The presence which consumed him earlier did not exist anymore. Instead, he felt quite confident. He began to process her words and George's warning. Without saying too much, was there a way to get information out of her? He thought about what Hagen had mentioned: that Paulek might have information about Eldric. Doing what he thought was best, he stood up to the best of his ability, his hands still tied. "Sorry Paulek, our business is our own."
Paulek raised her eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak.
"But that information is willing to be traded."
Her mouth shut, replacing it with a large smile. "A trade, you say?"
Kastor nodded. "A trade. For our information, you will give us the information we seek."
Standing from her chair, Paulek towered over Kastor. She looked down at him, her eyes locking his head once again. "Information for information, is it? And what if I have no answers for you?"
Kastor smiled, his parent's training giving him the confidence of an entire army. "Then I'm sure the information we give you will be very useful. We'll walk away empty handed, and you've won the deal."
"There's no telling I'll find your information useful. I merely seek it as a means for finding your punishment."
"Then we offer a horse as well," Kastor said with conviction. "Surely you have use for that."
"I could easily take your horses right here and now, why would that add any weight to the trade?"
"You let merchants stay here for free, I'm sure you'd hardly be so heartless to steal mere horses when you have an entire stable full of them."
"An entire stables worth, yes. What's the need for one more?"
"An imperial breed, not more than 3 years of age." At this point, Kastor had been making up his trades on the spot. George looked on with a face of worry as the confident cadet continued to bargain with the looming Paulek. "Surely you haven't had a young horse in some time. I've seen the horses you have."
This gave Paulek a moment of thought. She returned to her seat, a large grin on her face. "It's a deal then. So tell me, where are you headed?"
"I believe that answer depends on the information you give us. So if you'd be so kind, since we're offering a horse, why don't you give us our information before we reveal our destination?"
Paulek sat back in her chair, her large face creating several folds in her neck. "Very well," she said with a wave of her hand. "What is it you seek?"
Kastor smiled and looked at George, who hadn't changed his expression. He extended a thumbs up to the kneeling man and returned his glance to Paulek, puffing his chest forward. "We're looking for a single person and have reason to believe they've passed through here in the last couple of days, prior to our visit."
Leaning against her arm, Paulek's grin turned to a look of boredom. "You're going to have to be more specific than that. We have tens of people who come through every day."
"An imperial. Specifically, we're looking for a man by the name of Eldric."
Paulek's ears perked. "Eldric?"
"Yes. Eldric. No description. If you know he passed through here, then we wish to know his destination."
Paulek's smile returned. She rose from her chair and stepped to her balcony door overlooking the outpost. "I was right, wasn't I?" She mumbled to herself.
"What's that?"
Turning to face Kastor, she extended her long arms to shake his hand. "Thank you, Gregor. You've given me just the information I needed. Guards, you may take them away!"
Just then, the door to the room opened up and several armor-clad guards entered the room, grabbing hold of the two men's arms. George sighed and did not resist while Kastor struggled against their strong grasp, succumbing to their might. "What about his destination?!"
Paulek jumped. "Oh! That's right. He's headed to Greenwood, in the Reinbose Republic." She grinned as the two were dragged from the room. "Thank you for this lovely discussion, Kastor Gregor, as thanks, you may also free the man across from your cell. I think I'm done talking with Imperials for some time."
Kastor and George were blinded once more and led through several corridors before feeling the warmth and wind of what they could only believe is the outside. Several steps later, their blindfolds were taken off and the ragged guards returned to the inside to hopefully retrieve the remainder of the party.
"You did good, Kastor," George said, squatting down. "I doubt I could've done better, that's for sure."
Chuckling, Kastor rubbed the back of his head. "No, I bet I just got lucky. Told her the right things and in exchange got told the right things."
With a sad smile, George stood. "Maybe you did get lucky. Regardless, he's headed to Greenwood, huh?"
"What's over there?"
"Don't know. Never been. I heard it's pretty welcoming to outsiders, though." George thought about adding to his statement, but was interrupted by the opening of the tower door, where Asante, Hagen, Erick, and Leonard were all practically thrown outside, followed by the mysterious cell mate, still wrapped in his cell blanket.
"I assume all went well," Asante said, dusting himself off.
Kastor nodded.
"No shit," Hagen said chuckling. "We made it out without a scratch! Anyway, did you find out where Eldric is headed?"
"Greenwood." George talked directly to Asante, who immediately understood where they were headed. The cadets all looked amongst each other without a clue where that was.
"Greenwood is known as the birthplace of the Republic," Asante mentioned. "Meinir Rietveld is said to have been born there."
The group looked at Leonard, who at this looked to the ground. Erick stood beside him and grasped his shoulder. "They won't crucify you there."
Leonard nodded without looking up.
"It should be about the time of the President's Festival, no?" Hagen questioned with a large smile.
Erick's eyes flickered. "President's Festival?"
"Happens every September. If I'm not mistaken, it should happen on the twelfth of September, no?"
Asante nodded. "Yes, but how are you aware of this?"
Hagen shrugged. "I paid attention in history class, I guess. Some might say I'm 'well-versed' in other cultures."
"Some might say," Erick stated with a straight face.
Hagen did not react. "You know, there's another surprise we found while you were up winning Paulek over!"
"Oh?" George said curiously. "What's that?"
Hagen pointed to the cellmate still rolled in his blanket. "You wouldn't guess who happened to be captured the day after we were!"
Walking over to the curled-up man, Asante kicked the body. "Get up you spineless rat. We have only so much sunlight."
The body jolted before slowly rising. To Kastor and George's surprise, it was the last person they had expected to show up. He was quite thin and his skin was turning an odd shade of gray. His muscles slouched and his eyes held bags that were deeper than a well.
"Henry!" Kastor ran up to the shriveled man who could not look him in the eye. "What the hell happened to you?"
"He's been wiped out." Asante pulled Kastor from the decrepit man. "He never slept a wink since he got here. Something you said must've triggered in him."
Kastor looked on. He couldn't believe Henry had become this shameful of a person. What was once a man filled with vigor had so quickly turned into a husk of himself in a matter of days. "Henry what happened?"
"I-" Henry could only muster a single sound from his mouth before shutting it and meandering off towards the inn.
"Do we go get him?" Leonard questioned.
"We don't have the time." Asante began heading to the gate. "If Henry wishes to join us, now's the time. If not, then he will have to find a way back to the empire."
Hagen, Erick, and Leonard all exchanged looks with each other before joining Asante towards the gate. George watched Kastor, who never lost eye contact with the stumbling man, before tapping him on the shoulder. "I know you want to speak with him again. Do it now before you may never see him again."
Kastor nodded without looking at George and walked to the drunk-like human. He grabbed his shoulder and stood him up, facing him towards each other. Henry couldn't look him in the eyes.
"Kistler look at me."
No reaction.
"Look at me!" Kastor raised his voice, causing Henry to jump. Immediately he looked him in the eyes with a frightened expression. "You cannot carry on like this, you understand?"
Henry drooped his head again. The two stood in silence for minutes before Henry opened his mouth. "But-" he mustered, "I cannot return home. Knowing what my family has done. Knowing what I have done."
"We've all done shitty stuff in the past, Kistler. That doesn't mean you can run and hide from it."
"I'm not running-"
"You are running. You're running from your problems because you don't want to face them. You're not the only one who's done fucked up shit before, right? What gives you the right to complain and run whilst everyone else fights to make things right? Are you going to crumble away and let things be as they were? Or are you going to change, and become a better man?"
Henry did not reply.
"Well?!" Kastor shook the thin man, who did not utter another word. Kastor looked deep into Henry's eyes, who did not look back. No answer was given, and Kastor grew tired of waiting. "I see." He let go of Henry, patting his shoulders to alleviate the grip he held. "So that's your choice. Fine. We're leaving now. I'm sure Paulek would have you leaving soon anyways. If you wish to change, you will leave with us. If not? Well you can rot away in the Land of Solitude for all I care." Kastor turned and made way to the gate.
Outside the gate, the others had already boarded their horses. They were now down to three horses, so they all paired up. Hagen with Asante, Leonard with George, and Erick with Kastor.
"If Henry does join," Leonard asked, "who does he ride with?"
"He's not coming," Asante replied. "We won't have to worry about that."
Leonard nodded and remained quiet. After a few more moments of waiting, Kastor had finally gotten situated. He looked back at the outpost, where Henry had remained standing as if he were a statue. With a solemn look on his face. Kastor shook his head towards George, who acknowledged the effort was in vain. With a kick and a whinny, the horses had gone into a full sprint, making headway for the republican town of Greenwood.