Keagan found himself in a familiar hall, but this time, he saw the number of guards had doubled. "I want my weapons" he uttered calmly.

He noticed some of the people in the hall shifting uncomfortably. He turned his gaze back to the heir of the castle.

"I have heard you managed to complete the task," Lord Yuri said slowly, as if unhurried and the matter was trivial.

"Yes, I did," Keagan replied. "I've come to retrieve my weapons."

"I recall I never…. said I'd return your items," Lord Yuri said, with a hint of a sneer. Keagan's expression hardened in response.

"However, in light of your....completion of the task, I will overlook your disrespect from before.." Lord Yuri waved his hand dismissively, as if bestowing a generous gift.

Keagan let out a sigh hearing that, he knew that the young lord hadn't actually said he'd return the items when he finished his task. But at the time, he hadn't cared much. He'd dealt with this kind of crap back home, and he was sick of it, even after leaving court for years. He'd endured it then to achieve his goal, and he knew he should endure it now as well. But damn how he hated it. There was a time when he'd been labeled a tyrant for lacking patience for this very thing.

"It doesn't matter," Keagan declared, taking a step forward. "I'm here for one goal, and it remains the same: my weapons. I'm not leaving without them." This single action prompted all the guards to point their weapons at him.

"One more step," the elder man with the scarred face growled, his hand tightening on the sword at his waist, "and you'll lose more than just your weapons!"

"If you think you can simply…. in here and demand something..." Lord Yuri began, his face contorting into a frown. However, Keagan cut him off before he could finish.

"I demand what's rightfully mine," Keagan declared and repeated the words the young lord previously said. "I'm not here to play. I'm getting those weapons back, one way or another."

The elder man with the scar looked even more furious now. "You dare threaten the heir of House June!" he bellowed.

"I threaten no one but a liar and a thief," Keagan retorted, his gaze fixed on the young lord.

"You think you can…in here and utter such words without consequence?" Lord Yuri said with a scowl and a derisive laugh, as if reveling in the situation.

"Seize him," the young lord commanded. "I should not have expected dignity and…. from a barbarian." He waved his hand dismissively, and more guards flooded the hall, encircling the lone figure.

Lady Sienna bit her lip, torn between speaking up and honoring her agreement with Lord Yuri. They'd decided she wouldn't defend the barbarian, but only because they planned a non-lethal capture if things got worse. Now, things were escalating faster than anticipated. 'Doesn't this foreigner know when to retreat?' she thought in frustration.

Keagan simply watched the faces of the guards surrounding him. His face had turned completely expressionless. Then, he turned his gaze back to the young lord.

"You don't have enough soldiers to stop me," he said, his tone flat. As he spoke, a fierce aura seemed to radiate from him, his eyes flickering with a light too swift for anyone to capture.

He took a step forward. Tension spiked immediately, and the closest guards even flinched backward. The castle guards braced themselves for a coming battle when a voice rang out.

"He doesn't have it," the voice declared.

The words halted the impending clash. Tension dissipated slightly as Keagan turned his gaze towards Lady Sienna.

"He doesn't?" He asked.

Sweat trickled down Lady Sienna's forehead, unbeknownst to her, as she answered, "He delivered them to his uncle..." She ignored Lord Yuri's gaze.

"His uncle...in Castle Reed?"

"Yes," Lady Sienna confirmed.

Keagan paused and inhaled deeply. The tension and the dangerous aura that had filled the hall seemed to dissipate.

Keagan met the young lord's gaze. He could see sweat dampening the lord's clothes, and his composure had faltered.

"Waste of time," Keagan muttered, shaking his head in dismissal. He turned around, spears pointed at him, yet he continued walking as if they weren't there. His confident demeanor unnerved the guards, making them hesitate and make way for him, unsure what to do.

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"Wait," Sienna called out, stopping him. He turned to look at her, and she continued, "Perhaps you'll need some…. there. You may not be aware, but many important lords are currently gathered at Castle Reed." She said slowly as if afraid the foreigner won’t understand.

Keagan, already aware of this, wondered what Lady Sienna was about to say.

"I believe simply walking up to the castle won't grant you the audience you require," Lady Sienna said, regaining her composure slowly. She glanced briefly at Lord Yuri, who appeared utterly lost, his clothes damp with sweat as if he'd just been running. Lady Sienna touched her neck, finding it slick with perspiration herself, and continued, "For your troubles, I would offer you this..." She reached into one of the many hidden pockets of her dress and retrieved something.

"A token of our house," Lady Sienna presented a coin, larger than any currency Keagan had ever seen. It was colored with green and gray, and bore what he assumed was the letter "R" of House Rain alongside a cloud symbol. "This will identify you to them as someone recognized and befriended by House Rain."

Keagan raised an eyebrow at this..."What's the catch?" He asked...

With those words, Lady Sienna reverted to her previous demeanor. She offered a small smile and glanced briefly at Lord Yuri, who seemed to be regaining his composure. "Consider it payment," she said, "for my friends…. lie."

Keagan took a moment to consider the offer before stepping towards Lady Sienna. As he did, the guards behind her, except for Hughie who he presumed one the figure hidden by the helmet, tensed and reached for their weapons.

Keagan simply accepted the coin, wanting to say more. However, he realized he would only be taunting the young lord further. With that realization, he left the hall.

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"So, we weren't imagining that, were we?" Sienna asked, taking a sip from her goblet.

Yuri swirled the wine in his own cup, lost in thought. If his hand trembled as he held it, Sienna chose not to comment. There was a time for teasing her friend, and a time for consideration.

Yuri remained silent for a moment, then, seemingly gathering his courage, spoke out. "To allow such a person to spout off like that and simply walk out of the castle..." he muttered, clenching his jaw but the tone lacked strength.

Sienna scoffed at this. "Then why didn't you apprehend him when you had the opportunity?" she countered.

Yuri froze, his expression twisting into a complex mix of emotions.

'Why did I just let the barbarian walk free?' he thought, frustration gnawing at him. He could conjure up a few possible reasons, but he knew the words that would come out of his mouth would only be lies.

With a shake of his head, he tried to grasp what just happened. Yet, his mind seemed intent on burying the memory. Instead, a different scene flickered across his thoughts.

Once, while hunting in the forest, he became separated from the main group. Lost and alone, he encountered a mountain king – a green tiger as tall as a horse, with a body that was bigger than a bull. In that moment, death felt imminent. Yet, what he remembered most vividly was the way the tiger looked at him....

He felt like prey...exposed and vulnerable in front of a creature built for dominance, a predator in its purest form. The only reason he survived that encounter was because mountain king simply wasn't hungry.

For a moment, the tiger's eyes seemed to overlap with the fiery orange ones he'd just encountered, sending shivers down his spine.

He took another sip of wine, suppressing the urge to confide in his mischievous friend. He already lost enough dignity for today.

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"It didn't turn out well, uh...sir?" Russ inquired, standing up from his squatting position next to a barrel of wine. His previously cautious and guarded gaze vanished.

Keagan sighed and shook his head. "He didn't have it."

"Oh," Russ muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "Then... uh, who does have it?"

"The lord of the house.."

"But isn't he..."

"Yup, in Castle Reed," Keagan sighed again, then shook his head. "Come on, let's go to that store you mentioned. I'm not carrying this thing around until I get to Castle Reed."

As Keagan reached for the barrel, he paused, noticing Russ deep in thought. Turning to him, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Russ took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Would you be interested in taking on a servant, sir? I'm skilled with a bow, I know how to hunt, and I have a decent knowledge of these lands. And..."

Keagan listened trying to suppress a smirk as Russ, clearly nervous, laid out his qualifications like a job applicant. When Russ finished, he took a deep breath to regain his composure.

Seeing this, Keagan finally spoke. "Indeed, I am looking for a servant..."

Russ's face lit up at that, but Keagan continued, his tone serious. "However, I must be upfront with you. In the near future, I may well offend some of the lords in these lands. There's even a chance we might come to blows."

'In fact, I was so close to fighting one already... ' Keagan thought, his expression hardened.

There was a path, a harsh one, that he would to take again if he was left with no choice. He'd come this far, to this strange land to finish and achieve his goal. And if the only option is that path..,then so be it.

Of course, that was the worst-case scenario. He didn't want to shed any more blood than necessary just to for his selfish goal.

Russ paled considerably upon hearing this. He blinked rapidly, wrestling with a decision. Finally, he squared his shoulders and declared, "What's life without a little risk?"

When Keagan heard that answer, he was stunned, then he erupted out in laughter, loud enough it caught the attention of passerby.

An echo from the past resonated in his head: "What's life without risk?" He heard himself say.

Oh, how many adventures and exciting things had happened when he uttered those words, and how much struggle and pain he had to live with after that…

He threw his head back and laughed loudly, clutching his stomach. When his laughter subsided, he noticed Russ now looked uncomfortable.

He shook his head, "Well then..." Keagan extended his hand getting back his bearing. "You'd better be prepared..."