I woke well before dawn, the skylight above the bed still dark. Marci was nestled on one of the pillows while Van preferred to sleep on the floor next to the bed. It only took a few moments to get ready after packing most of the equipment the night before. The mine was quiet as I walked to the mess hall for an early breakfast.
With the extra rooms now open on the second level, there was no one left sleeping in the mess hall. I ate in silence as Marci and Van declined to eat. Van was keeping his emotions suppressed, I could feel little through our bond. The young forest ape sat sullenly beside me. I tried to project love and friendship, that I would return soon.
Marci was sitting on my shoulder in her normal spot. She couldn’t hide her emotions as well and fear, sadness and loneliness poured across. I reached up to scratch her head, she nuzzled against my hand. Separating closer to Etes was going to be difficult, the young falcon had only been in my life for a little while but her impact was massive.
Leaving the mess hall, I headed up to the guard outpost. Arthur was on guard duty to see me off and I was surprised to see Jason from Thorks Mine on duty as well. The newest members of the mine were quick to acclimate to their new surroundings. Jason had been a key part of the success in the second level of the dungeon and showed bravery and courage that were well suited for a guard. They were both seated when I climbed out of the hatch, Arthur standing to greet me. I noticed Nadia was sitting with her back to the mine, watching the forest.
“Syl. Time to go already?” The big man asked and pulled me in for a hug.
“I want to make it to Etes before nightfall, if what Nadia was told is true there are only six days left.” I answered quietly. Speaking about it made it real and that was terrifying.
“Nadia is ready as well. We gave her enough supplies. Be careful Sylar, we don’t know what the King plans for you. Remember that you are strong, both in body and spirit. You have a home here and friends, we want you to come back to us. If you get access to a town interface you should be able to send us a message.” Arthur said before letting me go.
“Thank you Arthur. I will be careful. I only want to get to my mother and then get back out and return with her to the mine. If the access tunnels Nadia described still work, I hope to be back in a week or two.” I replied with much more confidence than I felt.
Arthur gave Marci a pet on her head and she chirped back at him. Arthur and Camile both promised me to take good care of her while we were separated. Van pounded his chest once and Arthur and Jason responded in the same way. The residents of the mine had quickly warmed to the forest ape after hearing about his role in the dungeon.
We left without any more fanfare. Nadia knew a route that went directly south of the mine and out of the south end of the forest. From there we would turn west and join a road that traveled between several towns before reaching the city of Etes. It had taken Nadia two days to travel to Etes and return, I hoped to make it in one.
I set a fast pace, desire to see my mother again rising with every step. For the last few months finding her had been repeatedly delayed as things out of my control kept happening. Now it might be too late and I couldn’t bear to think about it. The thought of her alone and scared in some dark prison made me sick.
Nadia didn’t know what kind of condition my mother was in or where she was being held. Etes didn’t have a large prison as it hanged most criminals that rose to that level of punishment. Arthur had said that the Kings of Eter preferred to use financial and social punishment rather than jail for minor offenses.
My pack and supplies were strapped down in a way that allowed me to run. Nadia had far less supplies and must have had a pretty high stamina as she kept pace. She didn’t speak for a few hours as we moved through the forest. Marci circled above us and kept watch for any threats, there was little in the forest that could truly threaten me below the level of a regional beast lord. Van followed behind us, preferring to jump through the trees rather than run on the ground.
I was able to borrow some of Marci’s sharp eyesight to pick the path until we came across the old trader trail that Nadia had used. We took our first break shortly after to give Nadia a chance to rest. I explored the area for ingredients, there were so many markers on my map. One day when it was more peaceful I wanted to spend weeks just wandering the forest and collecting supplies.
The cynical part of me expected Nadia to be gone when we returned to the clearing we had used for rest. She was resting with her eyes closed against a tree trunk as the light started to filter down through the canopy. Marci chirped and flew over to her and gave her a peck to wake her up. It startled the stryker and she jumped up ready for combat as she looked around wildly.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
It took everything I had not to burst out laughing. Marci was a playful bird but I hadn’t expected her to warm to the recent foe so quickly. Once Nadia realized she wasn’t under attack she giggled and reached out to touch Marci, that broke the dam and I bent over laughing. Van grunted in amusement.
“Sorry about that. She is very young and playful, she hasn’t learned her manners yet.” I called out. Marci gave an indignant chirp.
“It’s ok. I have to admit my nerves are frayed out here like this.” She gave a half smile but it disappeared quickly.
“There's nothing in this part of the forest that can harm us. It will be safe until we reach the towns and Etes.” I responded, confused that the stryker captain was scared of the forest. Even before the framework this would have been a normal mission and scenario for someone of her status.
“It’s...not exactly the forest that worries me, Sylar.” She took a deep breath and sank back down against the tree. “It is a rare circumstance in my life to be so completely spun around like I have been the last week. We left on a simple mission to retrieve a teenager and make peace with a former General turned blacksmith in a remote and abandoned mine. Should be easy right?”
“We went to Burch to listen to the report of a worthless sycophant of the King. He ranted and raved about peasants rebelling against their rightful betters and sent us on our way. We scouted the entire area around the mine, found half your traps and disarmed them. We had a superior force to any threat Eter has faced in decades, not counting Norx.”
“We summarily got out planned, out fought and overpowered by said teenager and blacksmith with an army of forest apes like a child's story. I lost two members of my squad, my first casualties in a decade of being a squad leader. I have served as the stryker captain for the first army for thirteen years. Just sending me on such a mission was a direct insult from the King for my outspoken opinions on his recent cruel turn.”
“Reporting the disastrous outcome to General Rale and indirectly the King, I thought the King was going to execute me alongside Captain Tuol to make a point. Instead I was forced to run back and tell the fifth strongest person in the known world that his mother was going to be publicly hanged in a week.”
“Here I am now, alone in the forest with someone twice my level who could kill me as easily as snapping his fingers. Nor is it comforting that he has every reason to want me dead for attacking his home, but that person is an eighteen year old with a playful falcon and a forest ape for a companion. It all feels ridiculous and I keep waiting to wake up and be free from this nightmare.”
She was panting now as tears streamed down her face. I was frozen, not knowing what to say or do. I stood in the clearing a few feet away from her only now realizing how things must seem from her vantage. I tried to appear as non-threatening as possible and let her have space to continue. Marci glided over and sat on her shoulder and gave a soft chirp.
Something she said tickled my mind. Fifth highest level? Last time I checked I had moved from the top spot in favor of the Norx emperor but did I really drop all the way to fifth? It took a moment to remember how to view the leaderboard which doubled as useful silence for the stryker captain.
Leaderboard - Level
Allain
57
Omrock
49
Lina
44
Luor
44
Sylar
40
Peter
40
Rale
37
Di’ll’uio
37
Anazaritan
37
Beladred
37
It felt ridiculous to care but it did bother me. How had I lost out on so much experience? It felt like I was constantly fighting without any breaks. Allain was the Norx Emperor waging war against his entire country so that one made sense. I wondered if anyone had any information on the rest of the leaderboard.
“My husband, my loving, loyal and wonderful husband. Rudeo is probably hanging from his wrists in some dark cellar being tortured by a Kingsworn while my children are paraded around the palace as warnings against dissent.” She began speaking again and sobbed. “Everyone my rank and above had their families taken. The Kingsworn act as the personal brutes of the King.”
“Why do the people follow his commands if they are so horrible? Why don’t they stand up against him?” I asked, appalled at the mistreant of Eter citizens.
“The commands he gives, they are enforced by the framework. The more layers of separation from the King to each person gives some leeway but direct commands are all but impossible to ignore. That’s why we need to split up before we reach Etes, I have been commanded to betray you in the tunnels under the city.” She said, she grimaced and hung her head in resignation.