The old priest had a wary look on his face as he lifted the lantern over his head.
"You there." He said in a hoarse voice.
Damian tightened his hold on the horse's reins, not saying a word.
"Take off your hoodie, let me see your face." The priest said, inching closer to the horse.
Baron studied Damian's uneasiness. He understood that something was wrong and tried to salvage the situation.
"I believe we should not touch this man," he began.
"And why is that?" One of the soldiers inquired, his hands already reaching for his sword.
"Because he is infected by a rare disease. It's contagious. We're on our way to get medicine for him from the physician in the mountains." Baron explained, turning to Damian. "Isn't that right, John?"
Damian nodded slowly.
"Let's see how contagious the disease is. Take off your hood, man." The same soldier barked his orders.
"You will be infected too." Baron blarred his warning. The lie was not selling its value as he had hoped.
"By God will I take my chances. Unhood thyself!" came the command from the same soldier. This time he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Damian.
To Baron, Damian whispered. "Run."
"What are you doing?" Baron clutched the horses' reins in his hands.
"Run!" Damian yelled.
"He's the prince!" The guard cried out.
Immediately, the sky bellowed with a mumbling anger. And the dark clouds expunged the light in the once-brightened sky. Darkness extinguished the light and shadows swallowed up the entire port. In the next 5 seconds, screams followed. Screams of agony and madness.
Baron raced the horse with his heart beating wildly in his chest. The road homeward had light in the sky and the air was cool but towards the port was like a demon dimension - it was dark all over and the air thickened with blood lust.
"What the hell was that?" he whispered to himself. Fear gripped him so hard that his hands trembled as he rode the horse.
With the screeches and squeals of a thousand furies, myriads of bats towards him. In fear, he dragged the reins pulling a sharp right.
The horse neighed uncomfortably and shoved him off it's back. He landed on the cold earth with a loud thud and winced in pain.
"Oh God." he turned around to look towards the port once riddled in eternal darkness. The sky was bright once again. The people engaged in their businesses speaking their local dialects and trading.
Baron rubbed both his eyes with the heels of his hands. "What did I just see? It - it was dark a few minutes ago. The bats -"
"We don't have much time. Where can we find another boat?" A voice said.
Baron whipped around to find Damian leaning against a tree with his hand clutched to his stomach.
"What happened back there? You're the prince? What did you do?" Baron asked as he stood on his feet.
Damian lost his patience. "I paid you more than you are worth so you will deliver me to the boat right now!"
"Find him! Find the hooded man!" cried the priest from the port.
"They're looking for you. What are you, Damian?" Baron's breath came out in shudders. He had never been terrified since the night House Yelmen fell to House Von Burren.
"You don't need to know for your own safety." Damian said as a warning.
Baron wet his chapped lower lip. "Well….We cannot find another boat now. Everyone will be looking for you."
Damian ripped off the hoodie and threw the material to the ground. "Is this the part where you sell me out to the humans? I am Prince Damian after all. The one accused of High treason."
Baron shook his head. "I betray for the right reason and the right price. Your matter is not something I haven't heard of before. I have delivered Furies, vampires and Faes all around the continent, each with one bad story to tell. Yours is just the same and besides, a man never ignores the needs of his family."
Damian was taken aback. This man knew he was but chose to help him. He never knew humans were this kind.
Damian fell on his knees, his gaze on the snowy floor. "Thank you."
"No need for that. We must make haste. The soldiers must have gathered more reinforcements," Baron said as he helped Damian up. "We cannot follow the same road home. It's probably filled with knights and snow-hunters. We will take another route to my home. No one will find you there."
"Thank you." Damian muttered.
Baron said was they walked home through the old forest. "One last thing, If anyone asks, your name is John and if we can't get ourselves of a drag drastic situation, do what you did at the port. It's dangerous but it will come in handy."
Like every other dominion in Drakensberg, House Canterbury erected their high walls - a metaphor for enhanced military security and magical protection for word of Damian's escape had reached their ears.
Breakfast at the Duke's castle was unusually quiet and Lucia hated it. Ever since she saw Archer in that drawing room, things had been awkward between them and her sister.
"I wish to be excused," Lucia said with a thin-drawn smile.
"But you haven't touched your food." Archer noted out and Colette lifted her eyes from her plate to look at her sister's.
"I'm not hungry." Lucia pushed back her seat, escaping the deafening silence.
"Finish your food, Lucia. It's not a request." Colette gave Lucia a hard stare, forcing her to take her seat.
Lucia wondered if her sister was angry at her. Well, any woman would. Here she was, the woman her husband spent years to get over after rejecting his love.
Colette set down her fork on the napkin beside her plate as though giving a signal to her husband.
Archer took a sip of water and relaxed in his chair. "Towncriers, printed broadsides, traveling minstrels, church networks even the royal couriers all carry one message nowadays."
Lucia watched him, wondering where he was headed with his message.
Archer leaned in and whispered. "Prince Damian de Caspian murdered his father in the most gruesome way possible and is headed for us all."