Chapter 333 To The Mines (2/2)
After several days of this, Arran approached Captain Kaleesh, curious to hear what the explanation for the guards' odd behavior was
”Why aren't they guarding us?” he asked, eyes turned toward the guards at the front of the group
”They have no reason to,” the captain replied ”Until we receive our citizenshi+p, any priest within the Inize us as outsiders Even if we fled, we'd be discovered the moment we set foot in any town”
Arran frowned deeply ”The priests can see whether someone's a citizen? How?”
”The priests' secrets are their own,” Captain Kaleesh replied with a shrug ”All I know is that they have the ability So if you mean to leave us, you'd best wait until they've ht not know the answer, Arran was all but certain it had to involvecould be achieved, if the priests soic, it was an iht had already occurred to hiht actually be true And if it was, then he would have to reconsider his view of the Imperium
But there was still far too ot the chance to explore the Imperium And to do that, he would first have to becoer than Arran would have liked Led by the guards, they spent well over a week sluggishlythe Imperium's many roads, with little indication of how o
Yet when Arran saw the shapes of mountains appear in the distance, he knew they were at last nearing their destination
This was confirh a town in the e and dirty, it had nu town, Arran knew, much like the ones he'd passed in the mountains near Ae crowd of curious onlookers, and Arran kneith just a glance that most of them were borderlanders While a handful of the people were Body Refiners, the vast majority were commoners, little different from the people houards passed through the toithout pausing, and barely an hour later, they arrived at a vast cas that Arran took for barracks, it was a thoroughly unpleasant place, clearly built for function rather than beauty
Here, too, all but a few of the people were borderlanders, and they looked at the newcomers with eyes that showed curiosity and suspicion in equal roup came to a halt, a talltoward thean, but he stoppedith surprise ”Are all of theave a small nod in response and handed the ive you this”
The tall roup of mercenaries, then hurriedly opened the letter And as he read it, a look of shock gradually formed on his face
When he finally looked up from the letter, he had an expression of barely veiled horror ”This can't be right,” he said
The guard shrugged ”Not our problem If there's an issue, you'll have to take it up with the steward Either e're leaving”
The group of guards wasted no ti the tall man's pleas as they headed back out of the caone, the man faced the mercenaries with a panicked expression
Several moments passed before Captain Kaleesh finally broke the silence
”Is there a problem?”
The tall man nodded emphatically ”I' across the hundreds of uards to keep order Not with such a large group of—”
”We don't need your guards,” the captain interrupted him ”My men answer to me, and they will not cause disorder Not unless I order them to do so, at least”
”Then you're their leader?” Some relief showed in the tall man's eyes, but he continued, ”I' mine”
”How so?” the captain asked
”This an, ”it's only a simple ironof value here — not unless you enter the lower levels” He shook his head ”But no one has gone down there in centuries It isn't safe”
His eyebrow raised, Captain Kaleesh stepped forward to face the man ”What's in the lower levels? And why isn't it safe?”
Again, the tall man shook his head ”There is no need for you to know that,” he said ”What's down there is no business of yours”
”You will tell me,” the captain said, ”and you will do so now If not, there may be some disorder after all”