As the caravan wound its way through Baron Mortimer's territory, the atmosphere grew increasingly grim.
Adrian, Sophia, and Eve had fended off several more bandit attacks, and each skirmish left the group more on edge.
Despite their victory in each encounter, a sense of unease lingered in the air. The constant threats revealed a deeper issue within the barony—an issue that went beyond mere banditry.
The rolling hills and farmlands they passed through bore the scars of neglect and oppression. The crops were stunted, barely clinging to life in the parched soil.
The villages they encountered were filled with dilapidated homes, their occupants gaunt and hollow-eyed from hunger. It was a land drained of vitality, and the cause was evident in every weary face they saw.
As the caravan continued its journey, a grizzled veteran named Roland, who had been hired as one of the caravan guards, rode up beside Adrian during a brief lull in the journey.
His weathered face bore the marks of a life hardened by conflict, but now it was etched with bitterness and sorrow. He spoke quietly, as if the weight of the words themselves was too much to bear.
"These bandit attacks..." Roland began, his voice low and gravelly. "They've gotten worse over the past few months. Used to be a rare thing, but now? Almost every caravan's a target."
Adrian, still in his Darian disguise, kept his gaze forward but listened intently. He suspected there was more to these attacks than simple banditry.
"Why now?" he asked, though the question was more of a prompt for Roland to continue than a genuine inquiry.
Roland sighed, glancing around to make sure none of the other travelers were too close. His eyes, once sharp with vigilance, now held a deep weariness.
"It's the baron," he said with a mixture of anger and resignation. "Mortimer's taxes have gotten unbearable. He's squeezing every last coin from the villages. Those that can't pay... well, they end up like those bandits. Desperate. Some turn to robbing travelers just to keep their families alive. Not that it makes it right, but... it's hard to blame them when they're starving."
The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of their implications. Sophia, riding nearby, overheard the conversation and frowned. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword, a subtle sign of her growing frustration.
"So, the baron leaves them with no choice but to become criminals," she said, her voice sharp with disdain. "Yet, they still choose to rob and kill."
Roland nodded grimly.
"Aye. It's a damned situation. But the common folk don't have any power to change it. The baron's got his soldiers, and he's been conscripting every able-bodied man to fight in some war against Everhart territory. Not much left in the villages but the old, the sick, and the desperate."
Eve, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke. Her voice was soft, almost reflective, as she looked out over the bleak landscape.
"The baron may be cruel, but that doesn't excuse those who prey on others. They still have a choice, and they chose wrong."
But even as she said the words, a deep sense of unease settled in her chest. She knew better than anyone the desperation that could drive people to commit unspeakable acts.
She had lived it herself, forced into a life of manipulation, intimidation, and worse—all to protect her mother from the baron's cruel grip. The faces of those she had threatened, those she had hurt, flashed through her mind.
It was a life she had never wanted, but Mortimer had given her no other option. Her mother's life had been dangled before her, a constant reminder of the price of defiance.
Adrian glanced at Eve, noticing the subtle shift in her demeanor. He knew some of her past, knew that she had been forced to carry out Mortimer's dirty work to ensure her mother's safety.
But even he couldn't fully comprehend the depth of her guilt and sorrow. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, his touch light but steady.
"We'll deal with Mortimer soon enough," he said, his tone firm. "The people deserve better than this."
Eve looked up at him, her eyes searching his face for any sign of doubt. But there was none. Adrian was resolute, and that certainty gave her strength. She nodded, her resolve hardening. Mortimer's reign of terror would end, and she would make sure of it.
As the caravan pressed on, the stark contrast between the suffering in the rural areas and the relative wealth in the city became more evident.
The closer they got to Baron Mortimer's stronghold, the more pronounced the divide became. The villages were crumbling, but the city was bustling, though it was clear that the prosperity here was unevenly distributed.
The streets were filled with beggars, their gaunt faces a stark reminder of the baron's cruelty. Desperate citizens huddled in alleys, while the wealthier residents flaunted their riches, seemingly untouched by the suffering of their fellow townspeople.
The castle loomed on a hill overlooking the city, its dark stone walls casting a long shadow over the surrounding area. It was an imposing structure, designed to intimidate and remind the people of Mortimer's absolute power. Guards patrolled the walls, their faces stern and their eyes watchful, as if daring anyone to challenge the baron's authority.
The caravan came to a halt near the city gates, and the group dismounted from their horses. Adrian, Sophia, and Eve blended into the crowd of travelers as they made their way through the bustling streets.
The noise of the city was a stark contrast to the silence of the countryside, but beneath the surface, the same sense of despair lingered.
Once they found a secluded alleyway, they stopped. Adrian turned to the others, his expression serious. "It's time."
He dismissed the clone he had created back at the manor, the illusion dissipating as the magic released its hold.
With a deep breath, Adrian channeled a portion of his power and created a new clone, draped in a cloaked outfit, this one carrying 20% of his stats. The clone, identical in appearance to Darian, nodded at Adrian before stepping aside.
Sophia followed suit, creating her own clone and allowing Adrian to disguise it as Eve. The transformation was seamless, and soon, the two clones stood before them, ready to carry out their part of the plan.
"You know what to do," Adrian said, his voice calm and commanding. The clones nodded, their expressions determined as they turned and headed toward the castle, blending into the crowd with ease.
As the clones disappeared into the throng of people, the real Adrian, Sophia, and Eve carefully made their way out of the city, avoiding any unwanted attention.
They moved with purpose, their minds focused on the task ahead: infiltrating the castle, finding Eve's mother, and putting an end to Baron Mortimer's reign of terror.
Eve's heart pounded in her chest as they slipped through the city's backstreets. The memories of her past weighed heavily on her, but she knew she couldn't let them control her.
This was her chance to make things right, to free her mother and all the others who had suffered under the baron's tyranny.
She had lived in the shadows for too long, a puppet to Mortimer's whims. But now, with Adrian and Sophia by her side, she felt a glimmer of hope. This time, she would not fail.
The city began to recede behind them as they moved toward the secret tunnel they had identified earlier.
The moonlight bathed the landscape in an eerie glow, casting long shadows that danced across the ground. The night was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. It was the calm before the storm.