Tye was walking inside a village and met up with an innkeeper.
Getting more information from the duke of the region could spark concerns, so he has decided to meet up with the common people.
The innkeeper broght in warm water to wash his feet and after attempting to leave, he was grabbed by hand.
"I beg your pardon?—" he asked annoyed
"My name is Tye and I'm new to the South-eastern region of Misk.
Do you mind telling me about this land?"
The stout innkeeper in his mid-thirties peered at him.
"Well, I'm done for the day, so I guess I have some time. What do you want to know?"
"The way people fare here. Do they have caring rulers?"
The innkeeper thought for a while.
"That's an interesting question. In my own opinion, Misk is a fine country.
We were known as the friendliest country cause if in an arguement with another country, we immediately solve hostilities.
But things changed when the former king of Kiltar died. Kiltar has been in no communication with Misk ever since.
There are even rumours that the prince is missing."
Tye's heartbeat doubled and he began to sweat and said
"Oh, I see... I've been behind current events, so how do you think this prince got missing?"
The innkeeper's expression became grave.
"This is just us here so I'll say. As you might have heard, after the king's death, his brother took over.
Ever since, Kiltar hasn't been so good.
Cause the leader is indifferent, with other goals. It is alleged Kiltar's prince fled as the king believed he was the creator of the Rogues.
Whom wish to overthrow the king. Best case, he sent a Knight to watch him. Worst case... He sent an assassin."
Tye began to wipe off profuse amounts of sweat.
"Anything else you want to know?" the innkeeper asked.
"N-no. T-thank you."
"Goodnight! By the way, your fee for the night is 10—"
Tye handed him 20 gold coins.
"For this night and the next."
The innkeeper thanked him and took his leave.
But Tye wouldn't be having a good night.
As the prince of Kiltar, he fled cause his uncle was doing nothing about the epidemic.
So he took matters into his own hands and came to a country in search of anything that could help.
And with there being loads of attention towards him, he came under the name Tye.
But him being able to sleep would be a lie.
Cause now, rumours both in Kiltar and Misk have it that he's fled.
All night he just paced around in the room, with a dying candle.
{5 hours later}
Tye set out for a farm nearby, hoping to get more insight from the locals.
He met a man his seventies and a man in his forties. Father and son.
"Hello! Please let me work on your farm, it looks like you two have a lots of work here." he said smiling
They looked at each and the old man responded.
"We contribute a great amount to the village's market. You sure of this?"
Tye nodded and the son showed him grounds that needed tilling.
Tye tilled the ground, over and over and over again.
Without stopping.
The men were shocked by his stamina.
"You're doing a great job lad!" remarked the old man.
Tye thanked him, but stopped without a moment.
The son squinted his eyes at him in suspicion.
"Say, how is it that you're doing work worth ten people by yourself, with little sweet?"
Tye stopped and realised he over did it.
He raised his head and looked at the young man
"I thought I should let you two relieved some of work. After all, it's tiresome, right?"
The man was speechless.
Tye finished thirty minutes later.
"Wonderful! Surely we must pay you—" Tye interrupted the old man.
"I came here to work for free. I've done that, now I'll leave. Glad I could—" the old man now interrupted him instead
"If you won't take payment, please recline at our house."
Tye smirked.
"You're very kind. Thank you, I shall accept."
Tye was ushered into their home and sat down on a clothing clearly made out of bear skin.
He was given fish as food from the son.
They sat together in silence till Tye stirred up a conversation
"How has life in the village been?" he asked
"It's been peaceful. My son here used to be an adventurer until things got rough and he joined me up here.
It was all fine until, Kiltar's king died."
"How's that? Kiltar's king is ruler of another land." He said with eagerness.
"As you know if you live in these parts, Misk depends on Kiltar for water.
Ever since the new king came, he increased the trading fee for water by 50%." The old man said with gloom.
Tye was fuming as he recalled the fact.
The old man continued
"Many businesses suffered. In response to this, the Dukes of Misk increased our taxes by 10%. Increase in water, increase in taxes."
The man rubbed sweet off his face.
"And so, the only way to survive here was that you're either a business owner, knight or adventurer."
As gloom increased on him, his son was patting his back.
His son said
"For some reason, no one knows what killed the former king. Many did not expect a kind man's brother to be like this.
Who knows what such a cruel man would do.
And—"
*Ring ring*
A town crier with a bell was passing their street.
And in Misk, it's usually interesting or shocking news.
They rushed outside.
"The prince of Kiltar has fled! Kiltar's king declares him leader of The Rogues."
Tye's heartbeat was beating so hard he didn't realise when he fainted in-between the men.
"Quickly!" The old man rushed his son to help him carry Tye and they poured water on him.
His son a former adventurer, checked his body for vital signs of life.
"He's alive. Maybe the work was too much."
{5 hours later}
"I will... Stop..."
The old and his son were cutting wood and rushed over to him as he slowly woke up.
Tye was half asleep. Still recalling his promise to himself the moment he stepped into the land of Misk.
With the hope of saving Kiltar.
"I will stop the nonsense at home—" he shut his mouth realising he almost revealed his identity.
"Are you okay?" they asked him.
But he wasn't. He had been struck by a splitting headache.
A side effect from a drink he got from a vendor when he came into Misk.
It helps with stamina, but weakens the consumer hours after consumption.
"T-thank you." Tye said getting up on his feet.
But collapsed onto one knee.
"Stay over night—" the old man tried suggesting, but Tye won't let him
"I have to—" his body became heavier and he was flat on the ground.
"You rest here for now." The old man said and his son took him to some shade.
But they didn't know it wasn't work that tired him.
And it wasn't only the drink's side effect.
His mother vanished weeks after his father's death.
An epidemic is only getting worse in Kiltar and the rulers can only make the place more unliveable.
With no one else with him, the weight of all this crushes him by the second.
And now, he might be followed.
His uncle is threatening him from the shadows.
He's been falsely declared as the Rogue's leader. Threating him with knight covered in steel.
Another two hours later, all this dawned deeper on Tye.
He opened his eyes, taking in the evening breeze.
"They have power" he thought and gnashed his teeth.
His eyes filled with rage.
"But they're not without weakness!"
***
With four horses charging towards four travellers, there's nowhere to run.
Roy and Dil swung their blades at the necks of the horses in front of them.
Blood gushed out and the horses ended up falling over themselves.
Lina and Yiss ran in opposite directions as the horses ran towards them.
Whereby they avoided death by a line of thread.
The problem with these horses is they were out to kill.
So even though they missed the women at first, they turned and ran even harder towards them.
And there was nothing Roy and Dil could do as everything happened in an instant.
But then the mad horses stopped in their tracks.
Lina and Yiss had disappeared.
And the horses could only detect the smell of an anaconda.
Filled with fear, the horses ran away.
"I know this smell... But how? There's no nearby beast." Remarked Roy.
His remark shook and shocked Dil.
They started hearing footsteps and reached for their weapons.
But it was Lina and Yiss that emerged.
"Ha ha! You think we're out of tricks?!" Yiss asked in laughter.
The sight of them calmed the adventurers down.
"I knew it!" Lina said while visually scanning the dead horses.
They had the same madness as the men from earlier.
But their madness was unusual.
From the men from earlier stopping their fight at the sight of travellers, to horses desperate for blood.
"This is indeed not sorcery
." Yiss said after studying the horses at Lina's side.
Something, inside this forest, wants the blood of people.
"We'll have to continue. No going back."
Yiss said.
They all agreed.
For courage is needed on a journey.
But a journey that's life and death, will need grit.