22 The Queens Journey, pt. 3.5 (1/2)

A group of confused citizens separated as a random caravan moved into the village. Their eyes slowly opened wide and hushed whispers commenced as they realized who was contained within the first cart.

Jin felt his cart halt, and went to look outside.

He peeked out through the open right side, but stopped when he saw the queen standing in front of the caravan.

”Greetings, citizens of Nova. I am deeply sorry that I have not the chance to engage with you, in the same pleasant manner you'd usually expect from me, but I am short on time, and I carry with me a grave proposition I must make to all of you. As many of you know, I have spent some time up north, negotiating with the demons for their aid in our war against the Griffins. I am sad to say, that the negotiations did not bear fruit. And thus, I find myself on a return journey to the capital. However, the Griffins took this moment to strike, and now, I find myself without an adequate amount of soldiers to defend me, and my daughter who travels with me. And so, I must ask of you, citizens of The Midland Village, are any of you willing to aid me in my time of need?”

Jin arched an eyebrow. It was the same speech she gave at Daysinn.

And it had the same reaction. As soon as she stopped speaking, the crowd buzzed once more.

”I understand my request is sudden. I will remain here for one day, to give myself, my daughter, and my soldiers a moment of rest. Tomorrow morning, we leave for the capital. Anyone willing to assist me, need only show up in front of my caravan. Good day.”

Again, she repeated her earlier discourse, and returned to the cart.

Jin felt a tug on his sleeve, and saw Decena pulling him back inside. The caravan rolled on.

It was just a few minutes before it stopped once again.

This time, everyone left their wooden surroundings, and stood outside.

In front of Jin stood a large castle. A bleak construct of silver and brown that extended upwards, as if it were scraping the grey sky above.

A voice spoke beside him.

”The Midland Castle. A spire that acts as both the duke's home and a watch tower for the lands beyond the village.” Theresa said, approaching Jin from his right. ”Come, we're heading inside.”

The queen up ahead, surrounded by her Saviors, began to move towards the large gates tha graced the front of the impressive structure. The enlisted followed behind her.

However, just as the group began to walk forwards, a small amount of guards unsheathed their swords.

On instinct, Jin unsheathed his.

”What's that thing doing here!?” One guard desperately screamed, pointing to someone behind Jin. The boy turned and found Ker'Tallen standing with his arms crossed across his chest. ”A Griffin is inside the village!”

”What!?” Another guard spoke up.

”Oh my...” Another said. ”S-Send word! A Griffin is here! An enemy is here!”

Did they think Ker'Tallen was on the other side?

Jin scowled. He remembered being back at Snowfall, holding Ker'Tallen as a spike of ice had just been embedded in his leg. He didn't really know Ker'Tallen that well, but he knew damn well that he was no enemy.

”Halt!” A powerful voice commanded from the front. Jin didn't realize that this tone had erupted from the queen herself. ”He rides with us.”

”What?” The prospect of what the queen had just said appeared to have destroyed the foundations of the guard's reality. ”B-But, your highness, that is a-”

”I'm well aware, soldier.” The queen hissed back. ”Now, sheath your blade at once, unless you feel like fighting a Savior today.” Cerena spoke with a venom in her words that Jin didn't think could come from such an elegant woman.

As if to illustrate her point, Olyneces half-pulled his blade out.

The guards gulped collectively, and sheathed their blades at once.

Satisfied, the queen continued forwards.

Wandering inside the castle, Jin's mouth hung open.

It was gaudy, but no less dreary. Dust-covered, slender weapons hung on the walls that stretched forwards, leading to one large seat lying beneath grey windows.

A carpet made of some kind thick fur was spread throughout the room, sadly tainted by the enlisted's dirt-ridden boots.

The servants all stopped their work and bowed when their eyes found Cerena walking past the pillars that held the ceiling up at a height Jin couldn't believe anyone had reached. How had this place even been built?

When they got to the large seat at the back, Jin noticed the man using it.

His hairline was receding into a small black pond, and his portrait displayed a line of hair on top of his lip that made him seem no less depressing than the castle he lived in. He was dressed in a red robe, like he was coated in blood.

He stood and stretched his arms out before dipping into a long bow.

”Do my eyes deceive me?” He asked, before flashing Cerena a smile. He didn't even pay any attention to the men behind her. ”The queen of Nova, here, in my castle? My heart sings.”

”Duke Gerard of house Hielthen, you flatter me.” Cerena said with a sugary tone, but Jin thought it felt a little off. He'd heard her when she sounded pleased, and this was not the same. ”But, I am afraid I have not come for trifles.”

”Yes, of-” His words stopped in his throat when he finally bothered to look at the group of men and women gathering in his hall. ”GRIFFIN!”

He shouted the word, and everyone in the hall either ran or pulled a weapon out.

Once again, Jin didn't hesitate to take his own sword out. The queen raised a hand.

”Halt!” She yelled as she had before, but with even more thunder in her voice. ”He is a member of my army. He is no threat to you.”

”Preposterous!” Gerard yelled back. ”He is the enemy! Have you, have you betrayed us?” He said.

The servants and knights of the castle started speaking amongst themselves. Jin didn't need to have lived here to understand that things were taking a bad turn.

”An enemy?” Another voice spoke among them. Cerena and Gerard both looked back. It took Jin a moment before he realized the voice had come from him.

His legs started moving on their own. Before he even realized it, he was weaving his way through the small crowd.

”I don't know much about this war, but I can tell you right now, he's no fucking enemy. An enemy...” He uttered, as if tasting the word. ”That's the dumbest shit I've heard all day.”

An uncomfortable silence spread through the room.

”... As my soldier put it so colorfully,” the queen said, looking back at the duke. ”This Griffin is just as much a part of my army as anyone else. The next time you question my loyalty, I'd advise you to gauge the worth of your own life.” She stated. Her words rang out like a bolt of lightning, stopping everyone there in their tracks. ”Now, if this foolish display is over, I would like to speak with you regarding my reason for being here.”

”S-Surely, your highness.” Gerard knelt and replied. ”We may speak in my council room.”

”Good.” Cerena smiled. ”I'd also appreciate it if you could show my enlisted where exactly they will be staying, I'm sure that's not too much to ask for, right?”

”Of course not, your highness.” Gerard replied. He nodded towards a man nearby dressed in black and white, who bowed in response and began walking towards the enlisted.

”The guest rooms are right this way. Please, follow me.” He said, but Jin didn't miss the occasional glances he'd cast in Ker'Tallen's direction.

Idiots. What do they know? He thought. Was society actually like this? People just making opinions about other people without knowing a single thing about them?

They were led through a sequence of grey, stone passageways, up a few floors before they arrived at a hall with numerous doors going in a few different directions.

”This is where you will be staying.” He briefly stated, not before offering the one Griffin in the group a cautious leer.

With that, he bowed and left.

The enlisted stood for a moment.

Decena didn't hesitate to go in the room nearest to her. All of the enlisted looked inside with her, spotting two quaint beds, about five feet away from each other.

There were a few paintings on the walls, and some empty cups and plates sitting on plain, brown drawers.

There was one window on the wall, overlooking the grey village below.

Decena shrugged and walked in, with her young blonde friend following after her.

The door closed behind them, and each one slowly dispersed, walking into different rooms.

At then end, Jin stood next to Ker'Tallen with just one room left unused.

”Well, let's see ourselves to our quarters, eh?” Ker'Tallen said beside him.

They went in. It was the same as the one Decena had discovered.

Jin set his bag down on the lefthand bed, plopping down onto it with a sigh.

It was comfortable, better than sleeping on wood, at least.

”If you get mad every time that happens,” Ker'Tallen spoke up, forcing Jin to turn around, ”you'll be mad this entire journey.”

”... It's unfair.” Jin stated.

”It's expected. Hell, I think I'll probably be murdered when we actually get to Nova.” Te Griffin was standing by the window. From his position, all Jin could see was a clouded sky, and the dark yellow haze of light coming in and hitting Ker'Tallen's scaled skin.

”... If you knew it was going to be like this, why'd you join?”

”I had nowhere else to go.” Ker'Tallen replied. ”It was terrible, you know.” He said, smiling up at the sky. ”Every day, I was whipped. Every day, I was beaten. I watched the elders personally execute my best friend. So, I escaped. One night, I killed my master, and I ran away. When I arrived at Daysinn, I was expecting to be killed on sight. When I offered myself to the queen's service, I was expecting to be laughed off and hung. And if it had happened, I wouldn't have minded much. Truth be told, I never expected to get this far. I don't even know what I'll do when, or if, we get to Nova. So,” he sighed, ”their reactions, their words, they do not hurt me, Jin. Do not be mad on my account, but, I appreciate the thought.”

”Any time.” Jin absent-mindedly replied.

As he lied on the bed for a few minutes, curiosity tugged at his mind. This might be the last place he sees before they reach the capital. Would he spend his time hold up here?

Of course not. He had to check things out. He had to commit these new surroundings to memory. That was why he left Elizabeth's cabin in the first place, right?

It didn't matter that this place was so dreary, he had to see it.

He rolled off his bed.

”I'm going out, is that allowed?” He asked. Ker'Tallen simply shrugged. ”Guess we'll see.” He said.

The instant Jin left his room, he came across Theresa who appeared to have been headed for his room.

”Ah, just the man I wanted to see. Come with me, I want to show you something.” She said.

Decena's POV

She sighed her troubles away as she dipped further into the hot spring.

How long has it been since my last shower? She thought.

The journey had worn her out. She placed a hand over her shoulder where one of those damned thralls had bitten into.

Heathens. But they weren't the problem.

I thought I took them out. She noted as she stared at the stone ceiling above her. How are they back?