|
| A hard winter. The snow falled down as some heavy disease from the skies. And suddenly, it turned black. Black as the void, but still cold as some freaky icetomb. This happens only once in a houndred years. I was still standing in that burned-down house. With my brother. So it was Lian.
"What, what are you doing here?" I asked.
"Look, I couldn't leave you just like that. I knew your in danger. I had to look after you see..."
First time, I though I gonna shout at him. Leave him. But then, I realised I cannot run away now. No, everything's changed. He saved my life.
"Uh, who were those henchmen?"
"Well, those were followers of Falster, from the south..."
"What? But you can't make deals with your enemy..." The King heated the men from the south, so I was hooked.
"Not in this case.. You were more important to me... You see, we do not have a father anymore..."
"... I.. did not know..."
"But there is no time to be sad, we have to hurry!"
"What, where? We must find that Captain, you know..."
"Then, I fear you know less more than me..."
| | |
| Life in a prison is never good. Especially when its the prison of the capital. They keep watching you day and night, and if you do any suspicious, they kill you before you can say "whoops"... Some of them came to me, and started to laugh, others said I'm the biggest disappointment. I wanted to tell them the truth, but they never listened to me. Well, if thats my fate, I cannot change it anyway...
The day came... They wanted to do it public, so they dragged me in front of the royal palace, so they could show everybody what a traitors deserves... They moved me to a bigger podium looking place, where the executioner already waited for me.. with his weapon. They told me to put my head on that iron box. I closed my eyes and wsited the hangman to rip my head away from me. But after a few seconds, I heard shouting, and screaming. I looked up, and I saw the executioner in front of me, lying in his own pool of blood. A masked man was behind him, with a shortblade.
"Hurry, theres no time, follow me."
I looked around, and I saw similar masked fighters around the place, fighting with the templars around. Since they was kinda busy, they did not notice me going away with my little helper. We've run across all around the city avoiding people running around, and shouting. The man stopped, and pointed towards a well...
"Climb down.. don't worry, its empty. There is a passage down there, follow that, and you will meet somebody there."
"Thanks for your help..."
I guess he didn't hear my words, becouse he continued running down the road. Well, as he said, I climbed down with the rope, and I climbed further through a small hole leading me to that underground passage, I followed it, until I saw the end... I got up near a burned down building, in the middle of the snowy forest. Eeh, I wish I could have known about that secret passage... I walked in the door, then I saw a man sitting on a chair, near the fireplace..
I was hooked for a second, but then I forged my only word I could say then:
"You..."
| | |
| When I got near the captial, a realised this is rather a suicide, not lurking around. The whole city is guarded by templars and black templars no matter what time it is. The is no way for me to hide, I will have to be... "undercover". I saw a caravan comin to the city, so I knocked out the fat merchant who was on the horse, and dressed like him, I told the gatekeepers to let me in. They weren't really suspicious for a dirty merchant, so I could calm down for a bit.
The look of the capital was awsome. Gigantic buildings, people, shops everywhere. I could even see the black templar headquarters, the second most precious building after the Ancient Library. Thats the second way in to the catacombs wich leads near the library, but its as guarded, as the one in the monastery.
But under the great look of the city, there are a lot of black merchants and dark guilds within the walls. I knew one of the leaders, who had the most open ears all over the nothern wastes. Their guild was located in a building in a dark alley. I encountered the door, but it was sealed in... well, they must have gone elsewhere, but when I was last here it was still open.
I walked out the black alley, but somebody grabbed my arms. A templar. He looked at me with anger...
"I would never guess *I* will find the traitor after all..."
I did not hesitate. I kicked him away from me, and ran... he did the same, and started shouting all around about me. I knew everything's over...
I could not escape. After a few streets of endless running, they caought me... After this, they threw me into their highly guarded prison...
They told me they will kill me next day... So this is it. I've failed... Now I'll never know who was the real tritor...
| | |
| I barely travelled on the path, becouse I did not want to risk my neck. The templar patrols doubled these times, especially on the main roads. Of course, the capital has the most main roads connected to it...
So these days, the only thing I saw were these forests, and snowy hills... But one morning, I encountered some tents.. A royal patrol! They had four or five bigger tents, and an armory-looking place. Some soldiers in red and gold outfit roamed around the place, though they did not look very tough. Since I was running low on equipment, I though I will sneak in the armory for some goods. But when I managed to get in, I met someone I would never wanted to see again. He turned around to see who entered, then he saw my angry, but still suprised face.
"Brother..." His voice was calm and cold...
"You..."
"What are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same question... you dare to enter our lands?!"
"Ahh, so its YOURS, too, eh?"
"...you faced away from Thorn..."
"Oh, really, *brother*? Who do you think was the one who left its home for following a god, who doesn't even..."
"If you mock him with one world, you will regret it."
"Really? So thats what you turned into? You would attack your own brother for this?"
"Do not call me your brother. Your a puppet. A puppet for your *king*.."
"So you are for Thorn..."
"ENOUGH!!"
"You have changed. Still, I'm not mad at you... Look, I can help you if..."
"I do not need any help of your kind."
"Really? So where are your *friends*, then? Huh?"
"Thats none of your business. And you know what? I will solve my problems for myself...!"
Another man entered the tent. A soldier.
"I heard shouting and... wait.. A TEMPLAR! A TEM...."
"QUIET! Leave him go."
"Uh, sorry, Captain Lian."
I looked at him once more. Captain, eh? Doesn't matter. I will still go to the captital for information. I turned away, and crushed my way through the foolish soldier, then leave again.. I tried to forget my business with Lian, but I would never have though he could be around here. Yes, I lived in the main lands when I was a child. My mother was once a priest, but she married a soldier of the king. I never liked my father... thats why I left to be a real Templar, and be a loyal fighter of Thorn. But my brother was always different from me... he wanted father to br proud of him, not like me after mother's death. I still don't know how could she die so soon..
Doesn't matter. I will go to the capital, find out who is this Captain G... I won't ask Lian for help..
| | |
| Casius and I continued the discussion:
"So, friend, whoever the tritor is, he will leave you alone for now. It has come in handy for him, that the others think your the one who killed Erond. But... as you know, the only way to clear your name is to find the real traitor..."
"Where should I start?"
"Well, I think you should somehow get close to the royal troops, and if you can, find that captain. And spy on him. We will keep checking every letter that comes through the monastery nor any barracks. If we can."
"Alright. But how will this get me close to the letter?"
"I'm sure there is a connection between the sender of the letter, the captain, and the traitor."
"Yeah... *sure*..."
I still though there is something more interesting about it at all. I know only one thing for sure; I cannot trust anybody. I will have to work alone, and see things for myself. I had an old connection with some of the thief thugs within the capital city of the templars. I know its risky, but its the only way to find out the location of the troops.
Oh, yeah the capital. Full of rich people, and thieves. And everybody knows they know every hot information. Too bad the capital is a bit too far away... So I packed food with myself, slept in the order, then left early morning, when there isn't much people outside.
Now its time for the real "adventure", I guess...
| | |
|
