Wherever they were taking him, it took a while to get there. His body scraped across varied terrains, some harsher than others, and he found himself momentarily grateful that the tent wrapped around him shielded him from the ground. In a dizzying haze of strained breaths and impacts with the earth, he could discern the pounding of hooves. Where are those fucking Adventurers taking me?
They didn’t stop for a second the whole way. Not even when a stone on the ground tore through the sheet and cut his arm, causing blood to seep onto the tent. Despite his blurred vision, he vividly saw the dark stain spreading on the fabric around his lower body. A faint light from a torch filtered through the cloth, offering scant assistance in assessing the severity of the cut. They continued for what felt like an endless stretch of time, during which he tried to maintain calm breaths to avoid fainting, before the horse came to a halt.
“That’s him,” he heard Reacher’s voice.
“Then what are you waiting for, you oaf? I want to see his face,” a youthful voice replied.
A thud followed by metallic clanks suggested the Mace had dismounted, muttering under his breath as he began untying the ropes. When the bindings loosened and the covers were removed, he could finally, finally breathe freely. His relief was short-lived as he found himself face-to-face with an irate Reacher.
“Get up,” the knight ordered, stepping aside.
He hesitated to follow the order, acutely aware of his nakedness.
“Come closer,” the youthful voice beckoned once more.
image [https://i.imgur.com/vxpW8IH.jpeg]A few metres behind Reacher and his horse sat a young man on a gem-adorned chair enclosed within a glass box. The young man had a smooth, wrinkle-free face and wore a long red mantle neatly tucked inside the box to avoid touching the ground. Moonlight gleamed off a golden ring on his left hand and an ornately crafted sword in his right. It was evident that this was the Baron. Two large poles protruded from either side of the glass box, supported by four tall men, likely tasked with carrying the Baron. Three of them donned garments similar to Lydia’s, though theirs fit perfectly, complete with trousers. The fourth man wore only slave rags, his skin a darker hue. The slave gazed blankly at his cut arm. He recognised the chains around the fourth slave’s wrists. What is PP doing here?
Abruptly pushed to his knees beside the glass box, he looked back to see Becket had delivered the kick.
“The Baron spoke,” Becket stated coldly.
His heart raced unrelentingly. I’m in trouble. Big time.
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A knight on an armoured horse approached him from the side. His helmet, a fearsome visage of jagged metal, concealed his face entirely behind a ridged visor, transforming him into something less than human, something primal. Each sharp line and cruel angle of the helm hinted at a creature more beast than man, with horn-like protrusions flaring outward in a manner both regal and terrifying. His broad shoulders were weighed down by immense, spiked pauldrons that curved outward like the wings of a predator. The armor across his chest was layered, its design almost organic—ribs of dark metal encased his body, as if the steel had been fused to his very bones. A fur mantle rested around his neck, the rich, wild texture a stark contrast to the cold, hard steel. It was the only hint of something alive in his otherwise metallic form. he held an enormous battle axe, the blade wide and curved like a crescent moon its edges as jagged and cruel as the armor he wore. There was something relentless about him.
“You are in the presence of Baron Lucio Bonatelli von Carnifex, member of the High Council of King Ahlgren I. As his property, you are to address him as ‘My Lord’. Am I understood?” the knight declared with a deep voice.
“Yes, Sir!” he answered.
That guy is even bigger trouble than Reacher and Becket!
“Now, slave,” Baron Bonatelli took over, “I have a couple of questions you’re going to provide the answers to. If you’re a good boy, I might allow you to go back to the other dogs digging for bones. It all depends on whether I like what you’ll tell me or not. All you really have to do is be honest. Isn’t that nice of me?”
Kneeling naked with his head down in the dirt, surrounded by far larger and fully equipped knights, all he could do in response to the Baron’s insulting stream of words was clench his jaw. What a disgusting pig!
“Yes, my Lord,” he answered begrudgingly, “that does sound nice.”
“Splendid!” The Baron faked his happiness. “It’s always refreshing to have your orders understood immediately.”
In the corner of his eye, he saw Reacher’s hand clenching to a fist.
The Baron gestured to the knights. “You didn’t have to be so rough with him, you brutes. Paladin, do something about that arm.”
Reacher placed a hand on his shoulder. Instantly, the wound on his arm closed, and the bleeding ceased.
“Knight, do something about the situation-” the Baron indicated him repeatedly, “downstairs.”
Becket surveyed the area briefly before using a clean part of the tent to cover him, cutting the rope used for his transport and throwing a short piece of it to him. Understanding, he wrapped the cloth around his waist without standing. Why can this guy boss around the knights like that?
“Perfect,” the Baron said with a smile, “you’re both capable of thinking along. That will make the next part easier.”
The Baron rose from his chair, allowing his mantle to spill onto the grimy ground. He advanced towards him with deliberate steps, sword in hand, though the Baron’s stride had an exaggerated swagger, far less elegant than what he had seen from Jacoby that morning. Observing the Baron up close, he estimated they were of similar age.
“Slave.” The Baron’s fabricated smile had vanished. “Let’s begin with my questions.”
Lucio Bonatelli stood directly in front of him. The Baron’s presence exerted an exalted pressure on him. He felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His hands went cold.
“First and foremost, I want to know one thing:” The Baron raised the peculiar sword towards his chin, the tip nearly touching his throat. “Who sent you here?”