"Is that magic?" Casey asked in amazement. "No" he replied closing his hands quickly snuffing out the spell. "It was a firefly and now it's dead. See no lights in here. I don't know what you're talking about. You're crazy. No I'm not shut up." He went on a rant talking and answering himself. "Why are you here" Casey asked. Fear had seeped in as she realized it wasn't a game this time. This insane mage was probably here to kill everyone. She began backing a way shakily when he looked at her with sad eyes. "I fell. I fell Blam! Hard hit my head got lost. I fell hard, hard,fell." He kept repeating. Casey turned to leave when se ran straight into Vincent. Her brother came in moments later with a tall man wearing a bright blue suit. He had a dark black beard with streaks of white in it. His short cut hair like wise had white streaks running along the side of his head. "Sir Mr Graves was already on his way here. He said he felt a monster close by. Came to check it out." "Thank you Benjamin. Please take your sister home. Casey if I catch you in her again I'm going to lock you up for a week" he said not looking at her. Mr Graves stepped forward "by the gods this damn fool." "What is it" Vincent ask. "This idiot has influenced himself with a monster core. It's corrupting his mind." Berry was still sitting there repeating himself "hard fell,hard,fell,hard." "Can you do anything, we still need to get information out of him." Said Vincent. "I can try removing the core. Hopefully the damage can be reversed. After I get it out of him I should be able to safely scan his memories." Vincent nodded his head "OK do it." Looking at Berry he said with a grinn" looks like today is your lucky day Mr Hardfall."
Benjamin dragged Casey out of the guard house. "Damn Cas are you trying to get me into trouble."He said pleading with her. "You know how hard I worked to get here. Please don't screw this up for me." She looked down at her feet and kicked a rock."I'm sorry Ben. I didn't realize how dangerous it was. Everything is usually so quiet around here I never thought someone so scary would show up." Benjamin pulled her in for a hug "I just don't want you to get hurts" he said letting her go." Go on go home" she nodded and walked off. They had a small house not to far away. It was closer to the edge of town and had access to the woods. She would often play out there tossing her boomerang at whatever looked like a good target. Her boomerang had been a gift for her tenth birthday from her uncle Brian. Her father's brother ran a shop in town making specialized equipment for a hefty price. After her father's death uncle Brian had offered to provide for their family till Benjamin was old enough to take over. She loved her now worn boomerang it had a fun little enchantment on it. It flew faster and farther than its little wood frame should, but the best part was the recall function. With just a thought it would simply pop back into her hand. She had broken many windows and gotten into just as much trouble with it. Now, as she so often did when she wanted to think, she was sitting on the roof of their house. She would give her boomerang a good toss and call it back once it had reached it peak distance. She was worried the story's of war seemed so far away, but she had seen the Frostharrow soldier herself. Were they all insane like him, the look in his eyes flashed into her memory. She pulled her knees toward her chest and started to cry. All this had brought her dad to mind. It still hurt whenever she thought of him. He had died in the first war with Frostharrow, many people died then, many kids become orphans. She feared they wouldn't stop this time. Not until everyone was dead or under their control.
Benjamin returned to the cell room seeing Mr Graves standing over the prisoner well commander Vincent watched from nearby. Mr Graves had one hand on the prisoners head and the other on his chest. The prisoner screamed in pain as a black and brownish light erupted from his chest. "Almost got it," he said grasping the tip of the protruding core. With a final yank it came free. The prisoners body collapsed to the floor with a loud thud. Mr Graves sat back out of breath and held up the monster core. "It belongs to ether a high level monster or a dungeon boss. The damn fool." Vincent excepted the crystal from his out stretched hand. "He had this in him, by the gods that's unbelievable. Did you get anything from his memories? Was this done by Frostharrow, are they trying to make some kind of monster soldiers?" Vincent ask the panic clear in his normally impossible to read voice. "His mind was very damaged by that thing but no. I was able to clearly see him putting it into himself. Apparently he had been stranded on a island not to far from here for quite some time. He knows very little of the Frostharrow army, it appears he was rather new before becoming separated." Mr Graves let out a loud exhail, "it's all pretty jumbled. I'm surprised he could function at all. The speed of corruption seemed to be accelerated by the wards in the cell."
"He's awake" one of the guards called from down the hall. Benjamin smiled as he ran down to where Marcus had called from. "You owe me seven copper." He said passing Marcus. "Damn I didn't think he'd make it." Marcus grumbled. Benjamin entered the cell room seeing commander Vincent already in there. "I already sent for Graves." He said unprompted. "Has he said anything yet" Benjamin asked. "Yet I've just been watching him. He seems lost and confused." The two heavily armed men observed the prisoner from a distance well they waited for Mr Graves. Graves was the local expert on all things magic related. He himself was over a hundred and fifty years old despite looking to be in his mid fourths. He strode in wearing another extravagantly elaborate outfit, this one was green lined with golden patterns. "Let us see what is left of his mind." He said waltzing straight up to the cell door. "Hello, do you know where you are?" Graves ask pulling a small clear crystal ball from his sleeve. The prisoner shoke his head no. "Let's try a easier one. Can you speak?" With a raspie voice he replied "yes I can speak, I don't understand what's going on? I can remember anything." Graves held up the crystal ball for Vincent to see. White swirls of mist had formed in the middle. "He's telling the truth. It's just as I suspected, well removing the cores corruption we also removed his memories." "Will they ever come back?" Vincent ask. "No" he said bluntly. "It's not like he forgot something and just needs to remember. I ripped them out along with that thing. Good thing I got to it when I did otherwise." He said trailing off into thought. Mr Graves motioned for them to follow as he left the cell room heading to the commanders office. "I don't believe he poses a threat to us. Likewise I don't think we should keep him locked up." Snorting Vincent said "so you're suggesting we just let him go just like that and hope he doesn't hurt someone." Graves shook his head "no I'm not but what ever he was before he isn't now. We should give him a chance to show us what kind of man he is." Vincent grunted in frustration "I won't allow him to wander free. If hurts someone, no we can't risk it." Benjamin cleared his throat, "what if I looked after him. I mean I'd have to talk it over with my ma and sister but we have a empty room and we live close by. If there's trouble half the guard could be to my house in minutes." Vincent considered this for so time. "OK but when you're on duty he comes with you. He can earn his freedom by doing chores around here till I say he's not a treat." "Understood sir" Benjamin said with a salute. "Officer Benjamin I hear by release the prisoner known as Hardfall into your custody." Vincent said returning his salute.
Things went as one might have expected when Benjamin brought home a formally insane prisoner for the enemy army. Casey was scared "what if he murders us in are sleep" she had protested. There mom on the other hand was always ready to offer a helping hand. It was one of the best traits Benjamin had inherited from her. After a lot of back and forth it was finally settled, they would have a new person living in their home.