Johannes came by to round up Lucullus and Aela early in the morning, just a couple hours after dawn. It was enough time to have a meal and some ale before setting out, but not long enough to see the big spike in activity at the inn. Johannes waved farewell to the innkeeper as he led his party out of the inn. According to his directions, their journey would be a few days’ walk south of Inselhauptstadt along the main road. They stopped by a market in the city before leaving, upon Lucullus’s request, so that Aela could buy some supplies for the road.

Lucullus and Aela traveled beside Johannes, while the rest of the group trailed close behind. The paths were well-traveled, and saw much traffic when the group set out. Peasants and merchants alike traveled along for business, and the atmosphere brought a relaxing change of pace for Lucullus as well as Aela. The birds were flying about and chirping at this time of year, and the dark green of Immergrun’s trees on the main island were unobstructed by any leftover snowfall from the winter.

“How did you two come to hunt Chaodites?” Johannes asked casually.

Aela shrugged. “Only Lucullus can give you the whole story.”

Johannes looked over to Lucullus. “It is a most curious thing how a man from Lucium would decide to take up the fight against Chaodites.”

“It was never my intention to end up where I am. I was just a simple farmer, but I couldn’t let murder go unpunished.”

“Murder? Of who?”

Lucullus looked away. “He was a good friend of many years. The man responsible for his death was a mystery, but I set out to solve it… He wasn’t the only friend I lost from that…”

“This man killed two of your friends.”

Lucullus paused to repress the memories. “Yea.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s not dwell on it, though. Do you think your boss will help me with raiding these Chaodites?”

Johannes shrugged. “He’s quite the man. He might just be feeling crazy enough to do it himself. Sometimes I never know what crazy plan he has next. But he is a good leader, and his plans generally work out… even if it doesn’t always go to plan.” He chuckled a little to himself. “I suppose it also depends on what sort of Chaodites we’re dealing with. The novices shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but a master would be another story.”

“I still appreciate you giving us the opportunity to see him.”

“I try to help where I can. That’s why I joined the Kampfergilde.”

“The what?”

“We’re a group of mercenaries, really. We take jobs from the local nobility to eliminate any brigands who make too much trouble.”

Aela admired the peaceful countryside, and let its tranquil atmosphere wash away the memories of the noisy inn. “I imagine your boss will want some sort of payment if he does decide to help us.”

Johannes nodded. “That’s how we make our living. I don’t know if you can afford the price, though. Usually it’s the nobility that seek us, not travelers.”

Lucullus interjected, “If we can’t afford the price, and I know we can’t, I would be willing to offer him my sword on whatever sort of missions he had.”

“Quite bold, outlander. Are you sure about that?”

He nodded vigorously. “Fighting brigands is much easier on my sanity than what I’ve been doing to earn the favor of other leaders.”

“I take it you must be somewhat of a mercenary yourself, then.”

“I’ve felt more like a burglar than anything else,” he mumbled to himself.

“What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m just glad to have an opportunity that doesn’t involve a formal setting, or sneaking into a den of thieves.”

Aela added, “All of our fighting has been done on our own time. Most of the ones who have helped us have been nobles. It’s a long story.”

“Well, it’ll be a few days before we meet the boss. I’ve got time if you’re willing to tell it.”

It was their last night before reaching Suden, where the boss was located. Lucullus and Aela sat together, but away from the rest of the group. The fire popped and crackled in the silence of the night, with the only accompanying sounds being the occasional distant rustling in the grass, or one of the men sharpening their blades. Johannes stood up from the midst of his men, and sat by his guests.

Aela gave him a glance of acknowledgment, but kept her gaze mostly on the fire. “Hello, Johannes. Did you need something?”

He threw some nearby sticks into the fire. “Just coming over to chat. I know speaking with strangers isn’t pleasant in a land hostile to your people.”

“At least I know when they’re making crude remarks about me.” She looked up at Lucullus’s neutral expression. “He would never know if your people were blessing him or cursing him.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Johannes nodded. “I would be most curious, outlander, as to what your full story is.”

Lucullus replied in a low tone, “Not sure I’m in the mood to give certain details away,” he scanned over Johannes’s men, “certainly not with all the eager listeners in the camp.”

Johannes sighed. “I assure you that none of my men are as fluent as I am in the northern dialect.”

Lucullus shot him a look that could pierce steel.

He shifted away a little from Lucullus. “I can see that you don’t want to share, and I won’t force you. I know a man’s past is his business, to which he can share when he wants to.”

Aela added, “I’ve been traveling with him for a little bit, and I’ve still not heard all the details.”

“I tell what I need to. Trust has to be earned.”

Aela gave him an annoyed look.

“Of all the people I’ve met since I left Lucium, I trust you the most, even more than most of my own kind. You have proven yourself many times to me, but that means I trust you with my life. It doesn’t mean that I’m ready to pour my heart out.”

“Outlander, I won’t ask for any personal details, but if ever you feel ready, I’m interested in hearing of your adventures.”

Lucullus nodded. “Maybe when your men have gone to sleep, I may be more willing to share some stories. Just know, the things I share are not for everyone to hear. I’ve done many things which shouldn’t be shouted in a busy tavern. That’s all I’ll say on it for now.” He reclined in the grass, and admired the stars.

“I see.” He stood up and dusted off his trousers. “I guess I’ll see you two a little later tonight, then,” he said as he walked off.

“If you want to know any personal details while they’re with us, I suggest you speak in the Altum tongue only. I know none of them could understand a word of it,” he said in his native language.

She nodded. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that friend of yours who investigated the Chaodites.”

“Decimus.”

“Yea, him.”

He sighed. “What do you want to know?” he asked with a scrutinizing gaze.

“I’ve just been thinking about how you started your spiritual journey with the Savra… And I wanted to know what his journey was.”

“I told you before that he didn’t really give me any details about his investigation.”

“But surely he had some interest in the Savra. Did he ever wear anything like the emblem I wear?” she asked, holding up the flawless carved stone.

He cast a glance at it, admiring its elegant carving as it glimmered from the fire’s light. “If he ever did wear anything like that, I never saw it. He was probably more worried about me or a regular citizen seeing it than he was a Chaodite seeing it. That is, assuming he even wore something like that.”

She looked down in disappointment. “It’s a shame he never told you about any of this.”

He turned his gaze back to the fire. “Yea. Sometimes, I do wonder how things would’ve gone if he had told me. Maybe I could’ve helped him. Maybe I could’ve saved him…” He looked down. “But I would’ve been killed, too. If someone had no objection to killing a man, and he had the means to do it without even looking at his victim, who can say he wouldn’t kill two men at once? Who can say there aren’t more monsters like that, ready to strike a man down for finding the truth?” He stared at the fire once more, then looked around the camp. “Looks like the others have went to their tents. I expect we’ll be seeing Johannes soon.”

She put her hand on Lucullus’s shoulder. “Are you still fine with talking more about your past? I can see it does bother you a lot. I wouldn’t have said as much if I were in your place.”

“I’ll be fine. He won’t get much more than basic details,” he replied with a slight smile.

Soon enough, Johannes emerged from the dark into the light of the fire. He waved as he made his way over to sit down with them. “I wasn’t sure if you two were going to stay up late enough. I heard you talking, but it wasn’t Dasosan.”

Lucullus replied, “It was my native tongue.”

He nodded. “I see. Well, I suppose we can talk a little more freely, then.” He took a stick and stoked the waning fire. “How did you get into this kind of life? I can’t remember the last time I saw an Altum this far south.”

“I’m earning my freedom.”

“I think we can all understand that. That’s why I work for the man I do. He wants to offer Immergrun a kind of freedom that can only be won through many tough battles.”

“I once knew a man like that.”

“Quite a shame there are so few in the world. Makes a man wonder how any of the nations are still standing.”

“I know one less nation will be standing if I don’t succeed.”

Johannes’s eyes widened. “Is Lucium in trouble, I mean, more than the rest of the world?”

“That’s why I’ve risked as much as I have. Well, it’s more personal than that, but I’m not going any further tonight. At least, not with that topic.”

“I understand.” He paused for a moment. “Care to recount any of your battles?”

“Huh?”

“Surely, you have some good fights to tell about, don’t you? Every warrior has some.”

“Well,” he sighed, “The only one I’ve done with Aela was on a group of Chaodites in a forest. This was back in Emporikos.”

“A group?”

He nodded. “We had surprise on our side a bit, I think. Aela was able to remove their fake rock. I guess they figured nobody would come by and use Mystiko on their trick.”

“How were you able to figure out that the rock was fake?”

“I couldn’t lift it; not even nudge it, either. It wasn’t that big.”

Johannes looked at him, focused on his sturdy arms. “I take it you’ve lifted many heavy things in your years.”

“Sometimes you have to move stubborn animals, and sometimes it means dragging or carrying them. But the interesting part was that Aela felt a dark presence.”

“It’s the lingering energy from Chaodite spells. I’d say you’re blessed if you don’t have the burden of feeling it like I do.”

“A true gift of the Savra to turn a burden into a blessing as you did.”

She shrugged. “I guess I didn’t think of it like that. Either way, that dark presence was horrible. It was worse than smelling a hundred rotting corpses.”

“It certainly describes what we left at that hideout… Well, maybe not quite a hundred, but I guarantee it’s nothing but a fancy tomb at this point.”

“Impressive. How many did you encounter?”

Lucullus gave an exaggerated shrug. “I didn’t bother keeping count. I know it was more than ten, but I was more concerned with raiding their documents.”

“Documents?”

“Yea. What routes their patrols and caravans are taking, outpost locations, that sort of thing.”

“Both a warrior and a strategist. I like that.”

Lucullus yawned, and looked up at the night sky. “I think it’s time to retire for the night. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time in the coming days to reminisce, but I’m quite ready to lay my head down.”

“It is getting quite late, I suppose.” Johannes stood up and stretched. “It’s been a pleasure talking with you, outlander.”

“Likewise, Johannes.”