Chapter 2

Cracow and its Captain

Cracow, capital City of Kingdom of Poland

I looked at the stone wall of the city we were entering. The sky was cloudy and wind was giving cold breeze. I tried to cover myself better with blanket I got from soldiers, but with bound hands it was slightly difficult. I looked at Mokou who was looking slightly in awe at walls of the city. But I think it wasn't nothing to be surprised about.

These kinds of walls were common in bigger cities. I can even guess that bigger city got bigger walls. We stopped for a short period of time in the gate when the Captain was talking with the guard of the gate. I looked at them and saw how the guardian gave me an odd look. I looked past them and saw people doing their daily routine.

I could tell the city wasn't rich but it wasn't poor either. I saw citizens wearing clothes from poor material, but somehow, the clothes were giving impression that they were quite durable. The Captain shouted to his people to move. The cart moved again. I looked at people stopping what they were doing and looked at us. More specifically, at me and Mokou. They probably wondered why we are brought here, or probably they are looking at Mokou because of her gray hair. I couldn't tell. Mokou seemed indifferent to those looks.

The road was muddy, even with stones in it. The road here was poorly made, as I could see. I looked at buildings. The sound of metal hitting metal could be heard in distance, the crows were flying at one spot. The wooden buildings had seen better days. Some were run down with small holes or broken wood. Some were about to fall because of low quality materials.

I wondered if they were taking us straight to prison or to the barracks. I didn't know their procedures. After ten minutes of riding we stopped in front of building which was slightly larger than the rest nearby. It was a stone building with an entrance enough for a squad to enter when entering in line. It got small plaza enough for quite large amount of unit to fit there.

I saw a few soldiers walking around. I didn't pay them much attention. I looked at Mokou who was looking around without much goal. The Captain called for someone. Soon one soldier ran to him. The Captain said something and the soldier bowed and ran away. I couldn't hear what he was told. He soon turned his horse and shouted to another soldier near the cart we were in. Here is the place where we are leaving.

The soldier motioned to us to get off the cart. I sighed and gave Mokou a look. We jumped from cart and waited. I yawned.

Mokou asked, "Tired already? Earlier you seemed fine."

I shocked her head and said, "Weather. So gloomy it makes me tired. Nothing to worry about." I yawned again. Damn this morning weather. Mokou shrugged and looked away. Soon the sound of metal scraping on metal could be heard. We turned to the source of the sound and saw a man in his late age.

He had black short hair, the face of someone who would punch you in the face for a wrong word and a scar on his left chin. He wore chainmail over white leather armor and red covering with the emblem on Poland. He wore brown leather pants with chainmail covering his hips and a with sword on his left side. I recognized him as a drill commander.

The captain of the horse squad dismounted from his horse and greeted the guy with a handshake.

"So, how was your hunt? Did you get bandits I was talking about?" The captain of this building asked with curiosity.

The Captain of Fifty shook his head. "We found their old camp, but they were long gone. The sons of bitches ran away to the north. We tried to catch them, but we lost track of them in the deeper part of woods. But we found these two on our way back. I have never seen clothes like theirs." The Captain of Fifty pointed at us. The second captain gave us a quick glance before he turned back to Captain.

"I see. Shame we didn't get those bastards. Anyway good job, I will send horsemen to the north. They will deal with them." The captain of the building gave the Squad Captain a pat on shoulder.

"Don't worry. It happens. Take your men and rest. You earned it." He pat the guy again and looking at him for a second walked to me and Mokou. He measured us with his blue eyes before he muttered.

"Hmmm… You don't look like thieves. Who are you?" He finally said.

I pointed to myself. "My name is Mateusz and she is Mokou. She don't understand Polish so I'm her translator," I said with a nervous smile.

The Captain looked at me, then at Mokou and nodded. "Anyway, let's go inside. The morning is freezing and I don't want to stand here too long." He motioned us to follow him.

We entered a large room with stone walls and floor. It was quite comfortable to walk, for me at least. Mokou didn't seem to be fazed. There was large desk in front of the main entrance, two bookshelf with some kinds of book and documents. There was also wooden chairs next to table and behind table, again in front of door, Polish emblem of Poland. There were torches on the wall, burning, filling room with smell of burned wood and something else, I forgot. If not windows opened next to doors, there would be a lot of smokes inside.

On the table were a map of city, a few documents, a small candle and a group of chalices made of iron.

The Captain loosened the leather armor at his neck and sighed. He moved behind the table and said, "Sit down, this will take a while." He motioned to the chairs. He was cautious but he was also comfortable with us. I didn't know why, but he had an air of mystery about him. Mokou and I sat down. He asked, "Something to drink? Wine, water?"

I looked at Mokou who shook her head. "I will have water."

He nodded and filled a chalice and gave it to me. I thanked him and took a sip. He sat down and crossed his fingers. "Ok, I didn't introduce myself yet. I'm Tomasz Glidzki, Captain of the garrison in this city."

I guess Mokou get his name but got surprised expression.

"Is everything alright, Mokou?" I asked her.

She shook her head and said grabbing her head.

"Nothing, his name is just… hard to say," she responded.

"Anyway, I want to ask few questions. Your clothing gives the impression of someone… dangerous," he said. I chuckled again and translated this to Mokou.

"She said in her land your clothing would be suspicious. Well… I guess it would be true..." I said.

Captain nodded and said, "That's true. Anyway, what were you doing in forest in night when my men found you?" He picked up a piece of paper and feather with ink.

Oh dear, what to say. I looked at Mokou and said. "Got any idea what to say to him about, what we were doing in the forest at night. Help me." Mokou looked at me and shrugged. Come on! I rolled my eyes with open mouth. Captain rose eye brow at my behavior but didn't said anything. I sighed and try to calm down.

"How that say that… We were camping… before bandits showed up. We didn't have anything valuable, so it's we didn't lost anything special except food ration and some money. We manage to sneak from our camp, before we were capture. After that we run and then we met your people." I lied. He looked at me before he start writing. After few minutes he said.

"Excuse me, but I don't trust you. I could order arrest you right here and now. You will be imprisoned in a deep dungeon and only rats would be your friends." He said with a sinister smile. I gulped, this was bad.

Mokou looked at me and frowned. She then looked at the Captain with her frown but didn't said anything, but I could tell she was getting angry. The temperature rose around her. Captain bend to table with finger still closed and said with smirk.

"But there is way you could make me reconsider my thoughts." He said with smirk. He tapped his finger at map. Mokou looked slightly calmer but still was angry. "I've got a proposition for you. There's a bit of a problem with some smugglers in city. Someone in my unit is a rat. That someone is opening the gates late at night for the smugglers."

"You can clearly deal with it yourself right?" I asked, but I felt this was dangerous question.

He smirked again but this time his smirk was bigger. "Oh, I know who opened the gate. The problem is the smugglers in their hideout. If I wanted to, I would deal with those traitors at the gate already. But this won't stop them," he hissed.

"Cut off the snake's head and the body will die," I mused.

The Captain smirked and nodded. "Exactly. Here is the deal. I will provide you with clothing, so you won't stand out, and some old weapons. You need to get into organization and find out where their hideouts are. If you manage to do that, I'll forget we ever met in these circumstances."

I turned to Mokou and said, "We're in deep shit."

Mokou raised an eyebrow. "What's happening? I can't understand him at all, but I'm angry."

"To make a long story short, my lie didn't work and he offered us a deal. We will help him find the smuggler base. If we don't agree, he will put us in a dungeon where our only friends will be rats." I explained.

Mokou looked at her hands. "You know that their dungeons won't hold me."

"You could run away but where would you go?," I said.

Mokou closed her eyes and groaned. "Fine, we will do this, but only because you're the only one I can talk to in this damn land." Mokou gave me a dangerous glare.

I sighed with relief. "I guess we have a deal, Captain." I said.

The Captain clapped his hands. "Perfect. I will order one of my men to lead you to room where you can rest. Later I will call for you when I will got prepared equipment for you. Guard!" He shouted. Doors soon opened revealing soldier. "Cut the ropes on their hands and take them to the barracks."

As we left, the Captain said, "Remember if they catch you, they will kill you and your corpses will lie on the roads as dog food."

Barracks

I laid down on bed which was poorly made. But it still was more comfortable that sleeping on the ground. Every bed got also small wooden table with candle on it. Mokou was laying on the bed next to mine. She got her backs turned to me. I sighed and lay on my backs. Ceiling was made of stone with wooden beams as support.

Few torches were inside but none were lighten. Except us, no one was here. For now at least. I looked at Mokou but didn't said anything. I didn't have anything to say. I get us in some deep shit. I groaned under my nose and turned on my side.

"What to do? This is a mess. I never thought we would do something like that. But what did I expect. It was obvious they would trust me or Mokou. Ahhhh! I can't think straight. I'm nervous." I thought. My mind was racing, losing thoughts, connecting different thoughts, making new. I was in complete mess. I turned on the other side and sighed.

I wonder if everything will be alright. What if we get caught. I don't worry about Mokou if they would capture her. She got her fire, but me. I would be defenseless. They would easily kill me. I may have little experience with weapon, but I don't think what I know would help me. I only played with sword, but maybe it would help me. We will see. I should try catch some shut eye. Maybe that would help me.

Few hours later

A loud crash of wood hitting stone wake me up. I slowly opened the eyes and looked. Two soldiers were inside looking around. When they spot us one said.

"Those are those two. Get them up. Captain orders." Second nodded and walked to me and shake me by my shoulder. I groaned but stood up. He then walked to Mokou and did the same thing. Mokou shot soldier death glare, because he took few steps back but she didn't do anything to him. I stretched myself and yawned. Mokou cracked her neck and stood up. I asked her.

"How was your sleeping?" She looked at me and shrugged.

"I got worse." She muttered. I only sighed. I guess earning her trust would be very difficult task. Soldier motioned to fallow him. We fallow him on plaza where was few men standing in circle with Captain in the middle. Next to him were boxes with equipment. Knives, daggers, old clothes some small bags on belt. We walked to them and Captain looked at us.

"Ahh, you're here. Great. Now you can choose whatever you like from these boxes. Those are mostly garbage we confiscated. Feel free to take what would you need. Don't worry about the girl with you. We got some clothes for her as well. You would be surprised how many women are chose to live that life." Captain said and walked few meters away discussing something with his soldiers.

I shock head and turned to Mokou.

"Let's grab something. We can use everything from these boxes. He said there should be some women clothes as well." I said nervously. Mokou nodded and she started to look what was inside. I looked in other box and found some old knife. It was slightly rusty, but it would be useful. Found leather pants with hole on knee and on right hip. Some old shoes, slightly too big for me. White old shirt and dark green vest with pocket on chest. I also found belt and another knife, this time not rusty. But it was blunt. But with enough force you could still probably stab someone in neck with it.

Mokou found white shirt with short sleeve, brown leather vest and belt as well. She also found leather pants with leather, dark brown boots reaching half of her calves. When I looked at what she found I was surprised how in good condition those clothes were, probably recently acquired. She also found some knives but those were smaller. Probably throwing knives. Mokou inspect them before adding them to things she would take.

Overall we found clothes, two small bags on belt, three knives, five throwing knives and broken, short sword which we didn't take. After that we were order to go change. After that they grabbed our old clothes and Captain said.

"You won't need them anymore." soldier throw them on the ground and second with lighten torch ignite them. I was shocked and Mokou was going to explode. But she manage to stay calm. I watched how my only thing connecting to my home fly away in form of ashes. I looked at Captain who was smirking. After clothes were burned he walked to us.

Mokou was going to kill him, from what I could say but she tried to hold herself from killing him, I don't know why. Captain said.

"Now, your former live is no more. You're born anew. Now fulfill your part of deal and I will fulfill my part." And he turned away. Mokou called him in Japanese. He probably instinctively turned around to us with eye brow rose. That was his mistake. Mokou smashed her fist in his face, hard. He was send flying with bloody nose.

I jumped from shock. The soldiers around ready their weapons to kill her but Captain stopped them.

"Stop it! Lower your weapons!" Soldiers were confused but did as they were told. Captain wipe out blood and smirked. He said.

"I don't care if you don't understand me but let me be clear. One more such act and you and your friend will be beheaded, got it?" He spat blood on the ground and walked away. Mokou was glaring at him before turned away and walked out of barracks. I looked at Captain and at her with mouth open and soon ran after Mokou.

Mokou was going straight with red face because of anger, she had her teeth gritted and hand clenched in fists. She didn't care where she went. I was running after her and shouted.

"Mokou wait!" I huffed. She turned rapidly to me and shouted.

"WHAT!?" I stopped to catch and looked at her.

"Don't… walk away… like that… finding you… here… would be a… a problem..." I said and groaned at the end. Mokou still was angry but looked at me spat.

"Like I care! That bastard burn down my clothes!" She shouted.

"Mine as well!" I shouted. Mokou now looked at me slightly calmer. I sighed to calm down my breath.

"I lost the only things which were connecting me to my real world. You lost your. I don't know how important your clothes were, so I won't lecture you about it! But don't allow anger to control you ok, You can be angry, you can be mad for all I care, but don't lose yourself in anger ok? That's all I ask." I said. Mokou looked at me with rose eye brow before she scratched her head.

"Fine! I get it!" Mokou shouted and sighed. She sit down and nearest barrel near one house. I smiled slightly. I walked to her but still was few feats away from her. Mokou then pulled something from pocket in her pants. It was photo of Mokou and Keine if I recognize person correctly, but I guess only she wear such strange hat.

On photo, Mokou was giving Keine one arm hug and got bright smile. Keine also got bright smile. The photo was made on in Village, because of buildings I saw behind them. I sighed with smile and said.

"Do you miss her?" Mokou didn't responded. She keep looking at photo. After that she responded.

"I guess. We were friends and this photo was made when we were slightly drunk after some small party held in Village." Mokou responded. Middle of the day and they got party huh? I deadpanned but didn't said anything. I pat her on the shoulder and said.

"At least you got something to remember of your home. I don't have." I smiled sadly. Mokou looked at me slightly surprised. She was giving me question look. I chuckled. "That's right, everything I had was burned by that asshole captain. Well, maybe it's for better." I smiled sadly again. Mokou asked.

"How this is 'for better!?" She couldn't understand that. I chuckled and said.

"I don't think I would be able to go back. You on the other hand got that possibility. If you go to East you will find Russia. Go further to East and you should encounter China. Go further to the sea, and get a boat to Japan. You're an immortal and can control fire, people don't know about it. You would made it easily. After that you just need to wait and made new memories." I responded. Mokou gawked and bowed her head slightly.

"I on the other hand am mortal who would live max 80 years, 70? I came from 21 century. I don't have time like you have. So my only option is to make myself a new life, here, right here right now. Because what else left me? Search for Space-Time rift? Find some sorcerer or demon? I don't think that gonna work. And to what I would return? To family I reject, because of how stupid they act and behave? To friends who would forget about me after some times?"I asked seriously. Mokou didn't responded. I sighed and said.

"I won't hold you now, if you want, you can go. I on the other hand will try to live as much as I can." and I turned away, walking away, leaving her to her thoughts. I hate myself. First being all happy and alright, next sad and telling some nonsense. I sounded back there like some hero from low-grade drama.

I sighed. I keep walking until I felt hand on my shoulder. I slowly looked and saw Mokou with her head up looking at me.

"Don't you dare to act like some sad hero of some poor book. You and me are in this shit together! So we stick together, for now at least. When you will die, then I will leave." I rolled my eyes. Thanks for honest.

"But right now we are in this together. So we will go through this together, got it!?" Mokou now shook me. I nodded slowly, trying to see again properly. She is bloody strong. I should knew that. Mokou looked at me and on her face appeared small, almost not visible smile. I chuckled and showed my fist.

"Partners?" I asked. Mokou nodded with slightly more visible smile and bump her fist with mine.

"Partners." She responded. I got feelings we will encounter some really nasty things, but I ignore it. Right now we got work to do.

Ok, her is another chapter. I hope you like it. I tried to make this as realistic as possible. Also I know Mokou would burn them to ashes after what Captain did but for the sake of story ignore it.

Also I hope to see you guys in next chapters. See ya :D