A knocking could be heard at the door. Kaldur walked up to the door and opened it.
It was noon that day.
"What is the matter?"
The queen whispered to his ear.
"There is a rider before our gates, one we've seen before. It wants to talk to you."
"I'll be right there."
Outside the gates, 3 elves stood guard around the rider. Its face was shrouded by a hood.
"Give the rider entry."
And just like that the doors opened and the rider passed through.
Kaldur escorted the rider to the inner sanctums of the castle.
5 guards were in the sanctum.
"Leave us."
The obediently did so. When they locked the door, that's when Kaldur started the conversation.
"Raquel, what news comes this way."
Raquel took off her hood revealing herself as a beautiful, fair Tarranid lady.
"King Agmar has heard word of King Richard's heinous atrocity. The temptation to use the Dark energy increases in him, I can see it."
"It grows inside Richard as well for the atrocity itself may have been triggered by the death of his brother."
"That is not good, we are running out of time. When can you send them?"
"Not now, for now they are reconnecting with loved ones. They've been fighting for 3 years."
"If they do not go soon, they will have no loved ones to reconnect with anymore."
Kaldur sighed. She was right. Eventually, if nothing is done, chaos would cover the land.
"I will see to it that they come your way."
"Good."
She then began to walk away. Kaldur turned around.
"Are you not staying?"
"In the likely chance that your friends fail, I much rather be prepared in the likely event that you fail."
Kaldur stood in silence as Raquel walked away.
Garfield was sitting on a stool alone in a tavern with a glass full of mead.
After taking a sip he looked up and smiled.
"Victor, you did come after all."
"Of course I would, otherwise my legendary status would be false."
"Hardly, how could something non-existent be false?"
Victor and Garfield laughed, but then Victor looked past Garfield's shoulder. Garfield took another sip and turned around and saw a beautiful, tanned woman wiping the inside of a glass. Garfield chuckled.
"She's quite the looker isn't she?"
Victor looked down.
"I don't know what you mean?"
"Come on. Many of you think I have sac of potatoes for brains, and usually you're right, but you can't fool me with that look, you're attracted to her."
"Even if I was, it's not like I would be able to court her. Besides, I've seen the looks on many of these men, they show great interest in her as well, some I fear have more sinister intentions than others."
"And you're worried? You're Victor, famed knight of Tamoria! With tree trunks for legs and the strength of a bear! Heck, your last name is even Stone!"
"Yeah...you're right."
Victor stood up from his seat and took the glass that Garfield lend to him and chugged the rest of mead down.
"Today, I bring home a very, very fair lady."
"Go get her, Victor. She's all yours...wait..."
Garfield reached into his pocket and tossed 2 silver coins at Victor.
"Go buy a drink from her, you must not let her now you intend to court her until she's ready."
"Thank you, but why two?"
"You drank my mead, and I want another."
Victor turned around. Took a deep breath and walked towards the bartender with his chest more puffed up than usual.
Garfield turned his seat around to watch the show. He placed his feet on a chair. The man sitting on it turned around, Garfield had his sleeves of shirt rolled halfway up showing his muscular and scarred forearms and he simply waved back.
The man didn't dare oppose him.
Garfield saw Victor approach the bartender calmly. He see his mouth moving and he see her mouth move too. He then saw Victor's mouth turn into a slight smile.
"There you go Victor."
He then saw the bartender use her finger to gesture Victor to move closer. Garfield smiled, but then something unexpected happened.
The bartender wrapped her arms around his neck and...
headbutted him and then slammed his head onto the table, snapping it in half. The woman then got up on another table and shouted.
"OI! ANYONE WHO EVEN REMOTELY ATTEMPTS TO COURT WILL GET HIS SORRY ARSE KICKED! GOT IT! YOU ALL NEED TO TREAT US WOMEN WITH RESPECT, WE ARE NOT WHORES OR DIRTY WENCHES, TREAT US AS SUCH!"
The men in the bar stayed silent while the woman raised their drinks and cheered. Garfield ran up to Victor and slung his arm around his neck to pick him up.
"Woah..Victor are you alright?"
Victor raised his face showing his bloodied and broken nose.
"What do you think?"
"Hey, anyone here have a spare cloth I can use to fix up my friend?"
The bartender tossed a towel at Garfield.
"Here. Tell your friend to watch his tongue, he's lucky I did not rip it off."
Garfield chuckled nervously.
"Will do."
He immediately gave it to Victor who used it cover his nose. He sat on a stool with a towel on his face.
"What did you say to her to provoke such a...reaction?"
"Well, I went up to her and asked to refill the glass as you instructed. Then I suggested to her that I can fill her up."
Garfield snickered.
"Please...continue.."
"I then said how I can fill her up...with tools at my disposal larger than that of the great oaks of old. Then you know the rest."
"Sometimes I wonder who's wit is mightier."
The towel partially muffled Victor's voice, but it sounded somewhere along the lines of "Still yours."
Victor then looked up and widened his eyes.
Garfield raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Victor then turned Garfield around. He saw Roy entering the bar with his hood on...as usual.
"It's Roy!"
Roy didn't even look up and walked away with a two glasses of mead.
"Two? Why is he getting two?"
Victor's muffled voice sounded again.
"Maybe he has found a woman."
"Um...I'd say we follow, we wouldn't be good friends if we weren't making sure he wasn't getting in trouble right?"
"I agree."
"Let's go then."
Victor and Garfield followed Roy throughout the city, eventually they were led down an alley.
"I'm only going to warn you both once. Back off!"
Garfield raised his arms in defense.
"Woah! Woah! We're just trying to help. You being all secretive is making us suspicious."
"What he said!"
"Look, if something's wrong just tell us, if you're trouble we'll get you out."
Roy looked away.
"It's not that simple."
"Then make it simple."
Suddenly another hooded figure came out from the shadows.
"Roy, why are you standing there?"
The figure was covered head to toe, but Garfield and Victor recognized the woman's voice.
"Queen Koriander? Is that you?"
The pull down her hood. Revealing her beautiful face and luscious red hair.
"Yes it is me."
Garfield smiled at first, but then it quickly turned into the complete opposite.
"Please tell me that what I think you're both doing isn't not what you're actually doing?"
Roy and Koriander looked away. Victor stepped up.
"Are you serious? You two?"
Garfield rubbed his forehead.
"Roy, not only are you having an affair with your best friend's wife, you're having an affair with someone who just so happens to be our queen! Do you know how bad this looks right now?"
Victor then asked,
"How...how did it...how did this happen? I know Richard can be irritable at times, but surely he is a good husband."
Koriander then solemnly spoke
"You are mistaken, my friend, for Richard was not a good husband even before we were married."
"How so?"
"He engaged in...several affairs...the first was with the woman from Torvinth, the witch-doctor."
Garfield widened his eyes.
"As in Zatanna the witch-doctor? Isn't she like...twice his age?"
"Even in her more senior years, her beauty is renowned throughout the kingdom."
Victor spoke up.
"Can't fault her for that."
Garfield nudged him a bit too painfully.
"So Richard made a mistake, can't you forgive him?"
"I did, the first time, but after we were married, he continued to have affairs with many other women. Roy had offered me comfort and one night we just..."
"No...don't tell me...just don't.."
Garfield sat on a crate with his hands around his head.
"If Richard...finds out...hell will get lose I assure you."
"We don't intend to let him find out."
"Then are you really sure you're willing to live your lives like this...with a GIGANTIC portion of it spent in secrecy?"
After a few seconds Roy looked at Garfield.
"No."
"Then?"
"Then what, just because we're willing to do it doesn't mean we will do it."
"What? That...that doesn't even make sense!"
"None of this makes sense alright."
Roy then looked at Koriander.
"Go to the castle, I shall rejoin you there."
After she left, Roy grabbed Garfield by his collar and pushed him to the wall.
"You're the one to talk about forgiving Richard. If I remember correctly, of all of us you are the one you opposed his actions the most."
Garfield grabbed Roy's arms and pushed him away.
"That's different."
"One second you're telling us all kinds of jests, then the next you're all serious and down to business. What is with you, Garfield?"
"I'm just being me. I'll be a jester when I want to, and I'll be a serious person when I want to."
"Forget it."
"What do mean forget it? We are the king's trusted knights and you've just betrayed his trust."
Roy then looked at him and spoke with a dark tone.
"You and I both know the days of serving the king are numbered. Each day his sanity dwindles and he drifts ever closer to the dark."
"Choose your words carefully, snake!"
"I am. For now I shall serve the king until I see fit. I suggest you do the same."
"What about loyalty? Aren't you the one who always preaches about loyalty?"
"Loyalty was once an honorable art, but in this day and age it will bring nothing but ruin and despair..."
Roy looked to the East where Richard would be far, far away. He could imagine the sound of beating drums and clanking metal.
"...I once believed Richard could change his ways. But I think he is too far gone now."
"Serve him. He may change yet."
Victor who was shocked from what he just saw and heard lowered his bloodied towel.
"Damn"
Kaldur put on a green robe and got on his worse. One of the guards walked up to him.
"Where are you going my lord?"
"I ride for Innsbrook."
"May I ask why my lord?"
"I'd tell if I knew but a sliver of the reasoning behind my journey."
He got on his white horse and rode to the gate, he then faced the same guard.
"Regardless of my fate beyond these walls, guard this city with your life."
"Will do my lord."
Kaldur turned the horse around and rode him through the city.
'Time rides against us like the forces of woe. Forcing our hand to act with little preparation. May we be equal to this burden.'
ANOTHER CHAPTER. STORIES MAY NOT BE UPDATED REGULARLY AS I HAVE VOLUNTEER WORK DURING THIS SUMMER. STILL I SHALL TRY MY BEST TO UPDATE.
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!