Chapter 23
The soldiers left Zayne and Chris behind at the entrance of the keep as they went off to let whoever know what transpired that night. The portcullis was where everyone was led to enter the kingdom as they were forced to undergo searches and the like. The line was starting to get long in the early morning sun and Chris just knew that he and his friend were going to get into trouble. He wouldn’t be that far off from the truth.
The guards that were on duty were slow going as the line shifted, Chris began to pull Zayne along with him. His hand clasped onto Zayne’s shoulder bringing him to the back of the line but that never happen. Instead, his sleeve got caught in one of Zayne’s plates in his armor as Zayne began walking inside. The force of Zayne’s steps pulled Chris along as he sided stepped the two guards making his way inside only to have a hand raised in front of him.
“Hold on sir, we need your papers before you can enter.” Guard 1 asked as guard 2 kept a steady eye on the both of them.
Chris was off balance as he coached guard 1 through a practice speech he had prepared on they’re travels. “The papers, sadly those were lost during our conflict with the brood mother last night. Captain Margellio can vouge for us.” It wasn’t too out there as the guard stood considering the story.
“Is that why you were with the night captain? That would explain what happen to his men but ill send a runner just in case. One can never be too carful these days.” He said and Chris could only agree.
Guard 1 turned to the other on duty guard as he began giving him orders, guard one was human like everyone else here in this line. He was older and seemed to be a season veteran, not too aggressive and had a good head on his shoulders. The second guard unfortunately was the younger type that seemed he didn’t like to be given orders. The two guards started to get into a squabble as the younger one didn’t want to leave his post, forcing the older gent to go himself.
Guard 1 turned to Chris and Zayne, “Sorry, the younger generation can be a stickler for rules. Ill be back after I gotten word your story checks out. Until then, I asked that you stand off to the side and wait for me. Don’t cause too many problems for the kid while I’m away yeah?”
“Zayne don’t start anything ok.” Chris’ demeanor was one that was demanding. Zayne didn’t have any intention to cause any mischief. That was until the young guard that was on duty walked over and started to demand their names and who they were in relations with the night captain. He didn’t say anything didn’t hear before, who are you and where are you from. Are you here under orders and whose orders was it. the final question was why the knight didn’t say anything. That was when everything started to fall apart. First off, the young guard wasn’t doing his job. The crowd that was lined up started to get antsy, yelling out what was going on. A few even started to attempt to get inside without being checked, causing his temper to skyrocket from the lack of respect he was shown. This was happening while he tried to get his answers out of them.
“I will not ask again! Can’t you talk.” The guard shouted in Zayne’s face the best that he could.
“For the last time.” Chris sighed in exacerbation. “He doesn’t talk after the loss of his last squire; he took a vow of silents. It doesn’t help that he has to deal with idiots like you to explain himself.”
The veins on the guards’ face began to throb as his face turned bright red, but Chris was getting tired of this idiot. Zayne was chill as a cucumber, as he endured all of this quietly.
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Inside Zayne’s head, The turmoil was very much there contrary to his appearance. Foulness and Jiminy where both arguing as Zayne was developing one of his famous headaches. This only happens when both of his voices argue, like his parents did back when he was little.
“For crying out loud, cant you see that he has come so far from those days when he would massacre people. There is a very real chance that those days can be left behind us, no more.” Jiminy was on the stick again of Zayne being a good guy.
Foulness wasn’t hearing any of it. “You and me both know that wont happen for long, why fight it when we can just embrace it. He wont go as far as you think he will. TOO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE WANT HIM DEAD!”
The fighting was getting worst inside his head and outside with Chris. His fingers started to twitch feeling the need to stab something. Right when Zayne decided that he was going to chop off everyone’s head off here, guard 1 came back with a smile on his face.
“Good news-” Guard one took in the atmosphere around the guard and the squire, it was pungent with strife and the killing intent was thickness with the sir knight beside them.
“For god sakes man, I left you alone here for a few moments and you haven’t moved anyone else into the kingdom! Instead, I find you here arguing with what I just found out are the hero’s that help save Margellio and his men. The guard captain wont here any of it, he doesn’t care who your daddy is!” Guard 1 said in a heated tone.
He turned to Zayne and Chris calming down quickly, “You two may enter. Margellio asked that all you do is collect your new papers from the guard’s station over at the barracks. He was quite insistent on being the one to hand you your new papers.”
He turned over to the young man that stood silently. “Hensworth, you are to report back in and tell the captain what you were just doing, escort them there then wait for following orders.”
The young guard visibly looked pained as he muttered “I hate escort quest” as he started leading Zayne and his squire to their destination.
The older guard looked back at the longer line then he had left it, shaking his head as he asked who was next.
Zayne and Chris made there way following the young guard as they took in the sights. It was nothing new to Zayne after dealing with the humans’ keep in his tutorial. It was much grander than this. But Chis never got the chance to see that so this was all spectacular for him. The walls that surrounded the city was over thirty ft tall making it so the buildings inside were hidden except for their roofs. The streets were made out of cobble stone that was kept clean to a surprising degree. The housing all had a base of cobble stone then were finished with timber; straw was used for the roof giving it the appearance of the medieval movies he used to watch when he was young. Off in the distance he could spot the castle where he could only guess that it was were the king lived.
Civilians were out and about going on with their day as this was just another one to all of them. Never knowing that a killer was in their presents.
As they made their way to the guard’s barracks Chris spotted familiar faces that he knew to be Margellio’s men. A few of the men recognized them as they passed by, calling out to Zayne giving him praise.
Chris looked over to Zayne that was still wearing the knights’ armor with his face still hidden. Zayne caught him looking and turned over to him. Chris didn’t know what to say so he gave out what he had heard as they entered the barracks. “You really did do something good. I…I hope you continue to be an upright guy.” He quickly looked away feeling he had said something embarrassing.
Zayne could hear Jiminy giggle in his head as Foulness groaned.
Soon they were in front of the night captain’s office, it was labeled with big letters. The young guard that was escorting them turn in a 180-degree turned and left back were they came from. Zayne and Chris heard a voice call off in the office.
“Come in.” as it was inviting a tone Chris ever heard. Though it sounded feminine in nature.
Chris lead the way in with Zayne following close behind him. The interior was as Chris expected it to be. Wooden structure with a simple bed in the corner and a desk in the center, candles was burning in the chandler that was holding them up on the celling.
The night captain was standing off to the side of the desk with an unknown woman that was in a comfortable position with her legs crossed atop of the desk.
The woman was the one that spoke first. “I want you both two know that you aren’t sir Ogre and his squire. He died a few days ago and we know this because of the charm we have enchanted with all of our knights are connected with their life force. Sir Ogre’s broke, so I’ll only ask you this once. WHO ARE YOU?” the force of the magic pasted through them as the door behind gave an audible click.