It was two weeks of heavy riding before he was out of the capital's holding. His destination was farther to the east than his own home was to the west. A distance he had never gone. First he traveled through the fertile farmlands and plain surrounding the central capital. But the further east and south he went, he met forests, hills and eventually a month into the journey a mountain range that surrounded the eastern province. It wasn’t anything like the mountains he had heard of from the far south. They were so tall men could barely breathe at their tops, Edward had told Kard many years ago. -

Still, the rolling hills and major valleys between made the travel hard, and he had not taken much with him, besides his horse, armor, and Comet. His father had taught him to hunt and fend for himself in the wild when he was barely old enough to lift a sword, so he knew what it was he needed to do. Yet, he had almost forgotten it. Even worse, he couldn’t get used to sleeping on the rough ground or the hay beds of the small inns he could pay for. None of the food was too horrible to eat, but he was still a noble, and he had always expected a certain luxury.

‘Maybe I am spoiled,’ he laughed to himself. He knew that he might be able to use his name to get some of that back, yet he didn’t want to. This was his journey, and he didn’t want anyone else to suffer. No one else was responsible for his own decision to abandon his duty.

Further south, he met mountains of forests filled with animals and snow low to the ground. It was the beginning of winter by then, when the sun set quickly, and the shadows loomed far. It was cold, and his armor stuck to his body at night, but his cloak warmed him. Reminding him of his true belief. Of the righteousness of the Comet and its duty to all. He was a knight of the people, not only of his king.

Almost a month later he had reached the eastern capital, hungry and thirsty and his horse was in even worse shape. It was not the one he had raised as a youngster, that one had stayed at the Lighthold, but it was a noble animal. He rubbed its hair as he walked on foot towards the half destroyed remains of a stone and wood wall. Despite the state, there were a number of people waiting in an orderly queue, and Kard found himself happy to wait among them.

“Are you a knight?” a man with a lute and bag on his back asked him as they both waited.

“Yes, I am,” was all Kard said.

“Telling by your crest, you’re from the west, aren’t you?” the man continued his questions.

Kard nodded in response, hoping the bard didn’t know more.

“A Lightwatcher then? Does the king’s marshal have a brother or a cousin?” he looked quizzically, “well, it’s none of my business, but I am sure you’ll enjoy my songs. Come visit me at the Veran tavern, it’s a small one, but with good company!”

He knew the meaning of the word in the old tongue, change, it wasn’t by coincidence this man had approached him, Kard knew that now, and he would have to give that place a visit, “I will,” he said with a friendly tone.

It took another hour before they both reached the gate, but no more words were spoken between them. Facing the guard he was asked a series of questions, but his Lightwatcher crest and knight status had dismissed the men’s wariness to let him in.

The dense urban sprawl was different from Comet's Landing, hovels and small shops dominated every street, and even the center of town was in no better condition. The paths were barely paved, most dirt or gravel, and the stone ones were clearly older than the buildings themselves. Yet, there were still grandiose churches and a single castle near the northern wall of the city.

It almost sickened Kard, the church and the governor still cared more for maintaining their own riches and luxury than even looking to help their people, it was clear.

He first wanted to head to the governor, so he approached the stone and iron gate that marked the wall of the castle. There he saw something even worse than the decay of the city. Two soldiers of the governor, among the far too many guarding there, were kicking at the body of a young man as a crowd stood nearby.

“This is what you get for disobeying the governor, is that understood? Now all of you go home before we do the same to you!” one of them barked a command as he kicked the man's head. Despite him being on the ground, Kard could see he was even younger than himself. He seemed barely sixteen, as far as Kard could tell. It made him furious, nobody should be treated that way, especially someone so young. Unfortunately the crowd agreed, and before he could react a few older men rushed the two guards.

“We won’ let you run us over no longer,” one of them shouted in response, punching the guard before he could pull his weapon, while another helped the wounded man up. In a second, chaos erupted, without mercy the soldiers used their spears to ward off the mob of people, but the more they killed the more frenzied they became.

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Kard couldn’t stop it, but once his shock had settled he could not stop himself from trying. He rushed through the mob of people, hoping not to stomp over the corpses and stood in the middle. For a second, everything quieted, as a moment of confusion passed when a knight with a sword glowing blue seemed to stand in defense of the gate instead of the guards. After all, there weren’t so many left that they could not see him.

“Stop this, all of you, whatever your issues are… They will not be solved by dying to the blades of those supposed to protect you,” he turned to the soldiers on either of his sides, “I have no idea who commanded you to treat commoners this way, but if you think any of you are more than brigands when you dare turn spears against peasants than you may come here and I will fell you myself,” bitterness and fury clouded Kard’s judgment, but instead of his speech stopping the violence, instead he found those spears turned on him instead.

One of the soldiers laughed a cold and terrible laugh, “and who are you exactly to speak above the governor? These people are traitors, trying to get inside to kill his lordship,” he looked at Kard with eyes that dared him to use his sword.

“I am the king’s marshal, and I’m here to speak to the governor,” he didn’t say why, that would destroy his position. He just hoped the news of his disappearance had not arrived yet.

Almost immediately after he finished speaking, he had to dodge two soldiers stabbing their spear at him, “then you’re just another traitor, most likely. King Heinrich himself has said you have gone for unknown reasons!” the same soldier said.

Kard moved as swiftly as he could, using the blade to cut two spears off their shafts. Years ago, Edward told him of the trick, only Comet could perform it, but if you aimed at the tip you could do it in just one blow. But the number of them around him overwhelmed him, and he did not want to let them kill him. Every single one of them had turned to him, seeing him as more dangerous. Yet behind them the mob had returned to rushing them, and in the few seconds before he had no more place to escape, Kard’s foes were dispatched by the same people they had slaughtered before.

“If you are ‘ere to see the governor, then we will help you ‘urselves!” the man who spoke before said. Kard was surprised to see him still alive, but he welcomed the help. Yet, the bloodshed in front of him still seemed untenable.

He walked forward, but this time despite the numerous guards who poured out of the castle, they all let him past. Their expressions scared, some escaped and the rest only rushed against the crowd of people. The courtyard filled with the sound of screams and pain, and all Kard wanted to do was leave, but he kept moving. Every hallway inside the castle was empty, only the noise of his own steps remained.

Yet when he reached the governor's court, he was sitting there, at the end of the large but barren hall. Among a variety of other figures, women, men and children. The nobles of the court, Kard guessed. He saw them shake in fear as he approached, yet the older man sitting on his throne calmed them down, seeing the crest on the Lightwatcher’s armor.

“What are you doing here, marshal? Are you helping those rebels?” he spoke calmly, but with a hint of aggression. Kard kept approaching, but showed his hands were empty. He didn’t wish to make a threat to the governor.

“I am here to learn about the eastern rebellion,” he spoke as soon as he was sure the governor would hear him despite his hushed voice.

“Jan’s rebellion? What about it?” Kard remembered the name, but now he needed to know more.

“Tell me everything you can, the king has gone mad. He refuses to help even those villages next to the capital. And the realm will be ravaged by another rebellion if something is not done soon,” he didn’t care about appearances much anymore, and he doubted the governor did either.

“He’s gone mad you say? I can’t be surprised when he saw his own family stoned in front of him, hidden only by a cloak and protected by Sir Stadfast alone,” the governor laughed almost sinisterly, “and you say you want to know more! Well let me tell you, a heretic by the name of Jan. A village leader of some sorts. Decided they won’t abide by the church’s laws anymore. They had the audacity to say that no more children will be taken, that their sacred duty will not be fulfilled. And then he rallied every peasant in the east with his dark magic and led them to take this city. Killing every noble they could find. Even daring to touch the royal family! My son was killed by those savages, and you expect me to tell you about it? Comet damn you marshal, none should know what happened,” the governor spit at Kard, his anger only inflamed as he ranted.

Kard could see the horror in his mind’s eye, and it was so different from what Berthold had told him, yet much the same. Both sides had suffered more than anyone should, and it would only grow worse. He had to end it, that much was still his duty.

“Thank you,” he said softly and turned around, opening the doors to the hall once more. On the other side he saw the mob now approaching, “stop!” he tried commanding them. Some did, recognizing him, but most did not, “your anger is just, I feel it just the same as you. But the east has seen enough bloodshed. A war is brewing I tell you, and all the Celestial Kingdom shall bleed, but I will not stand for any more men to die here today. So I beg you, go to your homes, save your strength for when your voices can be heard without violence, or march west and save your fellow men from the bandits swarming every road and village. Do not let the sacrifices of Jan or any other brave man and woman be destroyed.”

He knew it was useless, Kard expected them to rush past him. For more nobles and commoners to die, for another terrible rebellion to take place. But he was wrong, he underestimated them. In just a second, they turned to one another, blood on many of their faces. And an agreement spread among them as men shouted commanding them with far more force than the Lightwatcher could muster. And no one else had to die that day.