Chapter 4- Devils inside the walls
After they returned, Getsuryu immediately turned to his office, hastily bidding Eraqus farewell, as the latter departed to collect the young Sairu from his quarters. His office was a rather extravagant tower room, adorned with numerous banners from eons past, a fireplace to the side of the room, where a small fire currently burned, creating a rather cosy atmosphere in the elaborate room. At the far end of the room from the door, stood a wide, ornate desk, littered with many documents concerning the affairs of his nation. Amongst this stood differing picture frames, many featuring him and his beloved and now late wife, smiling, as they stood atop the incredible view that the tower they stood on gave them. There was also a document that had also been framed and hung on the wall opposite the fireplace, the armistice that had been signed between himself and the leader of the rebels from the civil war, to bring the abhorrent conflict between the two. Finally, behind the desk, was a window that looked out over the expanse of the entire castle and the surrounding town, which in the glorious sunlight, was a spectacle to behold.
As soon as Getsuryu sat down behind his desk, his eyes immediately fell upon the pictures, and both deep sadness and overwhelming joy struck him simultaneously, as he remembered the days he spent with the one he loved above all else, whilst still mourning her in silence. As he gazed upon them for what seemed an eternity, a knock on the door rang out, snapping the lord out of his reverie and called stoically "Enter". At this, Captain Drahcir opened the door and addressed the lord "My lord, thank goodness you have returned. Half the castle was worried about you and were ready to begin a search party" he said, evidently relieved. At this, Getsuryu gave a wave of his hand, and replied in a sorrowful voice "I apologise for my absence, but owing to the tragic events of the previous night, I needed some time to grieve. Surely, you understand, Captain Drahcir". The Captain nodded and bowed, before replying "Yes, sir. Now that you are here, I have matters to discuss with you" With that, he closed the door and approached the desk.
"I was informed of the rumours of intruders in the castle. What evidence is there to support these claims?" he asked in both curiosity and concern. "At present, there is nothing to support these claims, but given the fact that the civil war was resolved little than a week ago, we cannot rule out the possibility" the captain answered. "Understood. But whilst keeping the possibility in mind, it would be feasible to continue as per normal at present" Getsuryu replied, which earned him an unnerved look from the Captain who responded "Are you certain that is wise, sir? With all due respect, we must make efforts to-" "Captain" Getsuryu interrupted as he rose and stood eyeing the Captain "at present, you yourself noted that there was nothing to confirm these suspicions, yet now, you're insisting on taking measures to prevent an event that may not transpire. Perhaps you know something more about these 'intruders' that you choose to keep hidden from the rest of us?" Drahcir's unnerved feeling deepened internally, but he was able to maintain his composure and responded calmly "Not at all, sir. The truth of the matter is that if it were to be true, and we are unprepared, you will most likely be targeted, and if they were to also discover the fact that you now have a son, that would only complicate matters; theoretically speaking, at least. But we cannot afford to take any risk if it is indeed true" At this, Getsuryu stood there, contemplating all that was said, until he unconsciously smiled at the logic behind the Captain's argument.
"You do have a point... Very well. Captain, organise around the clock guards for my office and my personal quarters. I want the guards at all entrances to this castle doubled, every hour, every day until this has been confirmed or unfounded. I will organise protection for my son myself. There is someone I have in mind for the task" Getsuryu ordered, at which the Captain bowed and replied "Yes, sir. Right away". And he left, and unbeknownst to Getsuryu, wore an expression of malicious glee. Not long after, Eraqus emerged in the doorway, holding a bundle of blankets in his arms: the baby Sairu, who laid awake, surprisingly. "I think someone wants to see you" Eraqus said playfully, as he approached Getsuryu and gently gave the baby Sairu to him. At this, Getsuryu could only tear up at looking down at his baby boy, having not held him since last night. "Sairu, my little boy. I only hope I can provide you with the care and love your mother would have" he sobbed as the tears fell upon his little boy's face. Though the Sairu in his arms didn't show it, the elder Sairu within was crying himself, touched by the raw emotion his father exhibited right now.
At this, he returned Sairu to Eraqus's arms, who took him carefully. "Has there been any development on what the Captain said?" Eraqus asked, seriously. At this, after wiping his eyes, Getsuryu replied "At present, they are still rumours. But the Captain insisted on measures of preparation for such an event. The guard is to be doubled at the entrances to the castle, and I've organised guards to stand on duty around this office and my quarters, day and night. And in relation to this, I have a couple of favours to ask of you" "And what may that be?" Eraqus asked curiously. "I hope you will stand guard over Sairu until this threat has been confirmed as either true or false" Eraqus simply nodded in response, as Getsuryu continued. "Also... I want you to keep an eye on Captain Drahcir. I do trust him, but something didn't seem right as we spoke a moment ago. The fact that he insisted we take measures to protect my life is not like him, and it leaves me quite uneasy to say the least. I want you to watch his movements for me and see what he's up to" At this, Eraqus hesitated for a moment but also nodded, as he looked down upon the infant in his arms, and he suddenly scrunched his face, as did Getsuryu himself, as a foul stench suddenly filled the room.
"It appears Sairu needs to be changed. I shall take him to the midwife" he said, tears now stinging his eyes. "Yes, by all means, please" Getsuryu said quickly as he held his hand over his mouth and nose. At this, Eraqus fled the room with unimaginable speed, and was gone in a matter of seconds, much to Getsuryu's relief. Inside his mind, Sairu felt deeply embarrassed at what just happened, but knew he had no real control over his body. Pushing that to the back of his mind, he replayed everything that had also been conversed between Getsuryu and Eraqus. 'Well, I'm glad Dad is taking measures to protect me, and I'm glad to see he doesn't trust Captain Drahcir completely. But still, how does any of this lead to my home's downfall? If this goes off without a hitch, how will this world disappear in the first place? More to the point, who is that man the Captain was talking to?'
Elsewhere, in a darker, secluded area of the castle, in a secret domain within the castle, was a dismal room, with little light whatsoever, except for a small sphere of light at the centre of the room. At the head of the table in the room, sat Captain Drahcir, and to his opposite, sat the mysterious visitor he encountered earlier, the tanned man with golden eyes and pointed ears. "How do your plans fare, Captain Drahcir?" he asked, his face obscured by the overarching darkness in the room. At this, the Captain growled and gruffly responded "For the most part, everything is going as we planned. But he was adamant at choosing someone himself to protect his son. I can only surmise it would be Eraqus, which, if proven true, will ruin everything we set out to achieve"
At this, the mysterious visitor simply scoffed and responded "I know Eraqus well. Whilst he obeys his duties as both a Master and a friend, he does not hesitate to abandon it if it means fewer people will disappear as a result. What we need to do is lure him away, and the boy is ours, then it will be checkmate" At hearing this, the Captain's curiosity piqued and asked "What did you have in mind?" Hidden in the shadows, the stranger simply smirked and responded "Do not worry. I have... allies that will aid in our endeavours. In just a matter of days, we shall both achieve our goals. Right now, we must be patient" he explained, which satisfied the Captain, who grinned evilly. Elsewhere in the shadows of the room, a scurrying could be heard, but all that was seen were many pairs of eyes.