And here we are again, in the capital. We received glances from the local population as we crossed the main gate, and despite all the time we'd been away, nothing had changed, judging by the quick look I cast around.
Our house and shop were still in place, seemingly unharmed, which relieved me. I did well to summon the skeletons to protect it. The same seemed to apply to the neighbors and merchants we met along the way, greeting those we knew.
Now we headed towards the castle, for we had barely arrived when a royal messenger brought a message; the king demanded our presence, which was unexpected, since according to Buldrokkas'tee, the correct procedure would be to wait a few days for the expedition to rest and compile a report.
In any case, we shouldn't keep the king waiting, so we made our way to the castle, crossing the same path as my last visit and entering the corridors of the fortification, but instead of being led to the court hall, Buldrokkas'tee, Warfarin, and I were separated from the rest of the group and taken to the king's office.
"This is due to my deeds considered absurd by the Sarkaz, right?"
I asked hesitantly, breaking the tense silence during our walk. There was no immediate answer, until the Wendigo sighed, snorting before replying.
"You have no idea. We sent messages to His Majesty whenever possible, and I have no doubt that the rumors told by the people you helped have already spread; after all, a good amount of time has passed, more than enough for someone to travel great distances."
"Then we will probably be questioned about whether what happened is true or just exaggerated stories, perhaps even a request for a demonstration."
"Perhaps, but remember our conversation, be careful what you reveal. I trust the king and am loyal to him, but the machinations of royalty move faster than a swift beast. If you don't find yourself caught in a scheme he's devised, then another nobleman will."
I nodded, pondering how I would handle the situation, wondering if I should confirm everything as true or keep some secrets to myself, but in the end, I would only know what to do after hearing what the king wanted.
In the meantime, I turned to Warfarin, who was silent. Since I revealed some truths about myself, a certain strangeness had formed between us. We weren't fighting, but now she knew that I had lied and concealed information about many things.
In other words, although it wasn't betrayal, I may have abused her trust. In the places I visited on my journey, this was the basic instinct: you should be cordial and friendly, but never naive and unprepared; you should keep your secrets and skills to yourself so that no one abuses your weakness or goodwill, and I learned this the hard way.
Looking back, we knew almost nothing about each other. Yes, there were some details like hobbies, skills, and favorite foods, and some stories from the past, but we never had an open conversation about our lives.
Where should I begin? The moment I woke up on an ancient altar in the space between realities? I barely remembered my past, if I remembered it at all. Again, I returned to the thought that I would sound crazy if I told the truth, but if I wanted to improve the situation between us all, I should try.
"Just be careful what you say. I don't want to be dragged into whatever the Royal Court is planning."
It took me a moment to realize she had spoken, and emerging from my stupor, I spent a few seconds understanding what she said before nodding, sending a weak smile that she returned.
Eventually we arrived at our destination, a pair of double doors guarded by two guards. They opened and we were allowed to enter before they slammed shut behind us with a heavy bang.
I couldn't help but take in the decoration around us. Compared to the rest of the castle, and the capital in general, this place could be considered luxurious. There were bookshelves full of books and cushioned sofas in the corners, a glass door adorned with red curtains leading to a marble balcony, a large carpet covering the floor, and an unlit fireplace on the other side of the chamber, with a painting of a man unknown to me just above it.
Between us and the fireplace was a large wooden table full of detailed carvings, with a mountain of papers above it, and behind that mountain, seated in a chair that looked more like a throne, was King Baruch.
Frankly, he looked exhausted, his hair and clothes were a mess, and as soon as he stopped writing on the parchment and faced us, I noticed the bags under his eyes. Sighing, he put his quill down and said,
"Come closer, we have much to discuss."
We did as he asked without question, approaching his desk. He then rummaged through the various papers around him, removing one that didn't stand out from the others in appearance, but revealed itself to be a list when its contents were recited aloud.
"Rekindling an eternal flame and demonstrating a certain connection with the wraiths, summoning the spirit of a legendary Sarkaz for combat, possessing a supposed cure for Oripathy, assisting in the defense of a strategically important city against the forces of two warlords, confronting a giant metallic bird, not to mention, of course, various strange abilities and artifacts. Am I forgetting anything?"
"In my defense, Your Majesty wished to hear interesting stories about my exploits, so I hope the news that has reached your ears is to your liking."
Baruch's face was taken over by a frigid seriousness, and his half-closed eyes gave me a scorching gaze.
"In another situation, your audacity would be grounds for execution."
Hmph! As if that would work. Perhaps I should let it happen just to revel in everyone's reaction.
"I only did what Your Majesty asked."
I bowed politely, hiding my satisfied smile as the king muttered something in an irritated tone.
"Right, enough wasting time! Day after day I received increasingly absurd messages about what you did! I don't know how a simple expedition became something worthy of a legend, but you three were the most mentioned! So I want a detailed explanation of what happened, and then I will decide how to deal with people asking me to treat their Oripathy or speak with their deceased loved ones!"
We looked at each other, wondering who would speak first. Finally, Buldrokkas'tee stepped forward.
"It all started when…"
-XXXXXX-
Silence filled the room as we watched Baruch reclining in his chair, hands clasped in front of his face after we recounted what had happened, a silence only intensified by the smaller CPAA resting on the table, conversing with the king.
"...Again, I would like to apologize for trespassing on a sacred location for your people. I do not wish to cause harm to Kazdel and its population, and I am willing to share some of my non-harmful knowledge for its development if Mr. Alden permits it."
There was no response when the small machine finished speaking; the king simply remained silent, his disbelieving gaze shifting between all of us.
"How?"
We exchanged glances, not understanding the question.
"How?"
He asked again, slowly rising.
"HOW?!"
CRACK!
The king slammed his fist on the table, the force of Sarkaz nearly splitting the furniture in two.
"ABSURD THINGS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING SINCE YOU, RED-HAIRED FOREIGNER, ARRIVED! YOUR BEING FROM A DIFFERENT CONTINENT EXPLAINS A LOT, BUT NOT HOW YOU ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF KAZDEL! I WON'T DENY THE GOOD YOU'VE DONE, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE COMMOTION YOU'VE CAUSED?! YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN IT TODAY, BUT I'VE HAD CROWDS GATHERING AT MY DOOR, DISTANT NOBLES DEMANDING EXPLANATIONS AS TO WHY THEIR POPULATION IS AGITATED, AND WARLORDS SWEARING THEIR LOYALTY TO ME OUT OF FEAR! SO I'LL ASK ONCE MORE, WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE HERE?!"
I looked at the finger pointed in my direction and honestly, I wasn't offended. I arrived in his lands causing all sorts of trouble; I believe I would have the same reaction if I were a ruler, but at that moment, I responded with something that, if there were someone else in my place, would be considered a joke.
"Helping the Sarkaz. Now, Your Majesty only knows a fraction of what I am capable of. Give me time to continue my research, and when I acquire results, provide me with the resources to scale up my cure. I don't promise miracles, but I can make the arduous life of the population a little better. Furthermore, I believe that openly funding the man who possesses the supposed cure for Oripathy will do wonders for your reputation, because during my journey, I realized that not all the settlements under your control like you. Wouldn't it be nice to change that? The fewer problems in your government, the better, right?"
Baruch frowned; for a moment I thought he would be furious, but then a soft laugh escaped his lips and his expression softened.
"Ha! Now you're speaking like a nobleman! Very well, continue what you're doing and show me the results. If I like what I see, then I will provide what you need, as long as it is reasonable and within my reach. Until then, I would like to speak with this strange creature, CPAA, right?"
"Correct, Your Majesty."
The small sphere with legs replied. The idea didn't appeal to me, but it reminded me that it was just a body being controlled from afar, so any threat made to it didn't matter in the end.
"You may leave now."
With the order given, we bowed and bid farewell to the king. The doors to the office opened and closed as we passed through. At the last moment, I glanced over my shoulder, seeing Baruch conversing with CPAA. I only hope I don't regret making the two meet.
-XXXXXX-
Finally, after so long away, we returned home. I just had to go in first and send the skeletons away to avoid scaring Warfarin. Now it was night and I was in my room, in front of my mirror, analyzing my reflection. Batted, hair, beard and mustache combed, and clothes on.
I made a promise to my vampire friend, and now I plan to keep it. I was wearing Lucatiel's set, but without the breastplate, hat and mask, wearing only a loose white shirt with the chest open, brown gloves and boots, and dark red pants.
Hmm… I wasn't the best judge of appearance, but I admit the sight in the mirror pleased me. I wonder what other armor sets would also serve as outfits for special occasions. However, I felt a pang of sadness remembering the original owner of these clothes.
Lucatiel, where did you go? Are you still alive? Don't worry, I kept our promise.
I sighed, pushing those thoughts aside and trying to maintain a cheerful expression, storing my usual equipment, except for the rings, in my bottomless bag and leaving my room, seeing Covetous crawling down the hallway.
"Don't cause trouble while we're gone."
It was just a joke, but the slug stopped as if it understood before continuing on its way. I shrugged, crossing the hallway and down the stairs, finding Warfarin waiting for me near the door.
"It's usually the woman who keeps the man waiting."
She laughed while crossing her arms, pretending to be annoyed.
"Forgive me, I'm not used to looking good for others, so I had trouble deciding what to wear."
My words caused her to lose some of her composure and laugh even harder. It was contagious, so I couldn't help but laugh too.
"So, where are you taking me?"
"To a tavern near the castle. They say they serve the best food in the capital."
"Oh, fancy!"
"We'll only know when we get there."
I opened the front door, letting her pass before locking it behind me, then I called Torrent, helping her mount him and beginning our ride through the empty, silent streets.
The two moons shone in the sky amidst the dark sea of blurred stars, and occasionally, a Banshee leaped from rooftop to rooftop, blowing her whistle. We didn't exchange words, enjoying the ride.
It's in these small moments that the streets of the capital seem better, without crowds, garbage, or people in need, but it was just an illusion; the buildings and streets remained dirty and worn, and there were still individuals huddled together in the alleys, trying to survive the cold.
I clicked my tongue, trying to put that aside for the moment. Everything in its own time, Alden. Help others, but don't forget yourself.
We arrived at the tavern, a beautiful stone and wood building that stood out from the rest of the capital, but which just looked like another one in the district near the castle.
Light streamed from the doors and windows, occasionally cut by the dark outline of the people inside, whose voices we could hear from afar. We dismounted Torrent and approached, climbing a few steps, entering a front porch, and crossing a pair of small doors that swayed on their hinges.
Perhaps the population was getting used to us, as we didn't become the target of many intense stares compared to our first days here. A relief; I'd hate to spoil this night.
We chose our table and ordered our food, which arrived quickly. Steak seasoned with herbs, cooked vegetables and roots, and a paste made from something unknown to me, but which, according to Warfarin, had a sweet taste. It's a shame I couldn't enjoy it, but I ate it anyway.
"So Alden, can you tell me more about your homeland? What about your friends?"
I paused for a moment. Most of those I consider my friends have either died or gone their separate ways, and many of them weren't exactly normal by Terran standards. A talking head without a body, a sorcerer slowly going mad in a cave, an old warrior trying to unleash the power of his fake magic sword, a half-wolf, a talking jar with arms and legs, and a demigod possessing an empty suit of armor.
"Well, where should I begin?"
I replied, letting out a nervous laugh.
END OF CHAPTER