Halden led the group up the grand staircase and into the ornate palace. His mind trying to come up with possible explanations for the guards, but to his surprise, none were necessary.
"Welcome to Gallopolis!" one guard greeted warmly. "If it is the sultan you seek, you will find him atop the great staircase."
"Oh, uh, thank you," Halden replied in a quiet voice before looking back to his friends.
Erik shrugged in his usual calm manner, "A palace that just lets anyone waltz in? Guys' too trusting." he said while shaking his head a bit in disbelief.
Halden scanned the grand hall. The area was spacious, with glittering mosaics and towering pillars that stretched to the ceiling. On either side of the walkway, soldiers trained on mats while staff bustled about. Near the training area, two maids gossiped loudly enough for Halden to hear.
"Have you heard the rumors?" one whispered urgently. "They say a wicked man called the Darkspawn had escaped Heliodor and is terrorizing Edrea!"
Halden's chest tightened. Heliodor's influence had reached Gallopolis, and the young Luminary suddenly wished to escape back to the desert.
"You don't need to worry! The knights of Gallopolis will keep us safe! I am sure of it!" the other maid replied confidently, leaving Halden with the unfortunate image of being chased by desert knights.
A light pat on his shoulder drew his attention. Raeyla passed him with a calm expression. "Don't listen to them" she said softly before stopping by a nearby wall. Halden's heart sunk once more when he saw her reading a wanted poster - his wanted poster.
Without hesitation, she tore it down and tucked it into her bag. She cast a glance around to ensure no one had noticed and Halden felt a flicker of relief, her small gesture easing his rising panic. He knew that he shouldn't take too much offense of what others thought of him, but the idea of people believing he was trying to bring about the destruction of Erdrea hurt.
As Raeyla slipped the sign into her bag, Erik leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and a knowing grin tugging at his lips. "Always thinking ahead, aren't you?" he said, just loud enough for the group to hear. She shot him a quick look, as if she were proud of herself before looking at Halden.
He gave Raeyla a small smile in gratitude as Veronica walked up to her, having seen what happened. "We'll just skip that part of the story," she said with a sharp look, then turned on her heel. "Up we go." He looked over toward Serena, who smiled warmly at him, her quiet reassurance helping him push forward.
As Halden climbed the stairs, he couldn't help but notice Raeyla glancing at Erik, her expression unreadable but purposeful. Something passed between them - a flicker of understanding that Halden couldn't place. Erik's lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Whatever silent conversation they were having, it left Halden feeling uneasy. They had a history of cunning survival, and with the news of the Darkspawn rumor reaching the city… What if they were planning to take the branch by force?
At the top of the stairs, the group encountered a man in golden robes, pacing before two thrones. His booming voice echoed across the chamber. "Fellow Gallopolitans! This is no ordinary Sand National! This race marks the day that Faris, my son and heir, comes of age, and as such - ugh!" He groaned, shaking his head and turning to face toward the group, his overcoat swaying and revealing that he wore no shirt under the coat. He brought up his hand and dragged it along his face, rubbing his black moustache and goatee in frustration.
He turned to a woman sitting in one of the thrones, wearing a pink and green dress, who looked back at him with a worried expression. He groaned in response to her look, "An event of such significance must have eloquence to match! Such functional pleasantries will not thrill my beloved subjects…" As he spoke to the woman Halden could only assume was his wife, he turned toward the stairs and finally noticed the group before his brow lowered in confusion.
"Hm? And who exactly might you be? I have no time to grant an audience today. You must leave. Immediately!" He said quickly and with authority.
Halden's hopes sank, though he was relieved the Sultan hadn't called him the Darkspawn. He turned to face the group to gauge what they should do next but found they all wore various expressions. Serena's expression mirrored his disappointment, her hands clasped anxiously, whereas on the other hand Veronica's scowl promised fiery retaliation. Finally, Raeyla and Erik's calm demeanours hinted at silent planning, leaving Halden to sigh inwardly. He didn't want to consider stealing the branch but feared that they may soon make the case for it.
Just then, a voice called out. "Father! My training is complete!"
A young man with lime-green hair and a confident grin strode up the stairs and past the group. His vibrant attire and exuberant demeanor contrasted sharply with the Sultan's dour mood.
The sultan forgot about the group and stepped forward, his previous look of frustration replaced with one of pride. He stopped himself from moving even closer however and coughed before returning to a more serious tone. "Then give me the pledge!" He ordered.
The Prince quickly straightened his back and placed his fist over his heart. "A knight's word is his bond, his kingdom his master! He serves the weak untiringly, challenges the strong un-..." He struggled for words, looking for the words of the pledge his father asked for, before remembering once more. "Unflinchingly! Ha! … and never retreats in the face of adversity!" He finished and let out a deep breath, looking over at the Sultan with a proud face.
The Sultan looked at him, beaming with pride. "Mm. Yes, very good. The Knight's Pledge must always be your guide, my son."
Gallopolis' leader turned from the Prince and the group and walked back to his throne. Once he sat down on his throne, he spoke to his son, "You are a man now, Faris, and tomorrow's race shall prove it. You must show your people that you are worthy of their adulation."
The Prince, now known to Halden as Faris, wasted no time in responding to his father, speaking in a clear and loud voice, "Fear not, beloved father! I shall disappoint neither you nor they!"
The Sultan nodded in acceptance of his son's response and Faris turned on his heels to descend back down the stairs. As he walked past the group, he stopped in front of Halden. When the Prince's gaze landed on Halden, the young Luminary felt a wave of unease. "What brings you to Gallopolis, stranger?" Faris asked.
Halden swallowed his nerves. "We're seeking a branch of Yggdrasil," he said, hoping the Prince might prove more approachable than his father.
Faris paused, then smiled. "I believe I can assist you. Meet me in my chambers at the foot of the stairs."
As the Prince vanished from view, Serena moved to stand where Faris once was, bouncing with joy at the news. "Did you hear that? Oh how wonderful!" Serena cheered. Veronica looked up at her sister with a big grin on her face, Raeyla and Erik holding a similar look on their faces as they looked to the young Luminary.
"Well, let's not keep the Prince waiting then!" Erik said happily and led the group down the stairs and to the left, where the guard said the group could find Prince Faris.
When Halden entered the room, he took a moment to admire the exotic and ornate style of the room before the Prince could approach him, "Ah, you came. Thank you."
Before Halden could reply to him, the young royal began inspecting him with unnerving intensity.
"What are you doing?" Veronica snapped, her patience wearing thin.
Faris barely glanced at her. "Your physique… your height… It's perfect! And you have the face of… one who knows horses…"
Raeyla stepped forward and questioned the Prince in a calm voice, "Perfect for what?"
He glanced at Raeyla for a moment and then finally made eye contact with Halden, ending the uncomfortable inspection. "You should be aware that the branch you seek is a priceless royal treasure. My father is unlikely to give it away freely to some… wandering stranger."
Halden tried not to feel disheartened by what the Prince said, and waited for him to continue. "However, he might be persuaded to part with it if the request came from his beloved son. I have but one small favor to ask in return."
Prince Faris paused at this, suddenly looking around the room anxiously, "But the palace walls have so many unwelcome ears." He continued to look around until an idea flashed in his eyes, "Ah! The noise of the circus will… protect our privacy. Will you join me there?" He asked the group.
Halden held back the smile that tried to creep on his face. This worked out, as he, Serena, and Veronica had wanted to see the circus anyway. After there were no objections from the others, he nodded at Faris and said, "We'll be there."
A triumphant smile adorned the Prince's face, "Then it is agreed. I will meet you at the entrance to that ridiculous tent this evening. Do not be late, please."
After that, Halden took it as his hint to leave the Prince to the rest of his day. The group walked back out onto the streets of Gallopolis before rejoicing.
Serena and Veronica celebrated the chance to see the circus, almost as if it were their priority more so than the branch. Raeyla raised an eyebrow. "We finally have a solid lead on this branch, and you're excited about a circus?"
"We can enjoy small moments too," Serena said with a smile.
Erik laughed lightly at the comment, "Fair enough. What should we do until then? Find some lunch and relax?"
"Oh so now you want to laze around." Veronica challenged the cyan-haired thief, who shrugged at her tone.
"Now that we have to wait until we can continue our mission, yes." Erik said in a matter of fact tone.
"Why can't you just admit it was fine for us to enjoy ourselves a little!" Veronica continued to challenge him, leaving Erik's face to take on one of annoyance.
"Figuring out our next steps are more important, being a tourist comes second." He spat back at her.
"Seems we were able to do both just fine!" She argued, and this time Raeyla stepped in.
"If it weren't for me and Erik asking around, we wouldn't have been in the Palace when the Prince came by." Raeyla's tone was measured, but she gave Erik a quick glance, her expression softening for just a moment. Halden noticed that Erik returned the look before the brunette male turned to face Serena and Veronica.
Serena looked toward her sister with worry, and after looking at the shorter blonde, Halden could see that it wasn't Veronica she was worried about. Veronica was furious.
The mage rounded on the brunette girl, looking to explode, worrying Halden as equally as Serena. Thinking quickly, Halden stepped in and spoke in a rushed voice, "What matters is that it all turned out alright. Thank you Raeyla and Erik for working hard for my quest." He looked to Veronica and hoped that the attempt to diffuse the situation had worked.
When the fiery twin looked to be still seething, her sister joined Halden's efforts. "Yes, you must accept our gratitude." Serena offered with a smile. Raeyla's face softened as she looked at Halden and Serena, finally giving a small smile back.
"We didn't do it for gratitude, we just want to help Halden. But, you're right. It all worked out. So, how about lunch, did you guys eat yet?" She asked, looking at Veronica, a compromising look on the brunette girl's face.
The girl looked at Raeyla and Erik for moment and let out a sigh, "No, tried to eat at this cafe that has a local dish, but the kitchen is closed. The nerve of that guy." She huffed, recounting their experience, earning a confused expression from the two former thieves.
"Why's that?" Erik asked, having cooled down himself.
"The chef wants to improve the dish, but lacks the ingredients to complete it. He was hoping we could get the materials from a monster in exchange for a free meal." Serena explained, and Halden watched as Raeyla and Erik's eyebrows perked up.
"Free you say?" Raeyla asked.
"Where do we get the ingredients?" Erik followed up, causing Veronica to scoff loudly.
"Oh please, the man just wants free labor! Why would we go and do his job for him?" She argued, but found no one agreed with her.
"I'm in for a free meal, plus it'll waste time until the circus. Why don't we go talk to him and see if the offer is still there?" Erik said, and minus Veronica, everyone agreed.
The chef was more than happy for them to take him up on his offer, and a few hours later, the group sat around at the cafe table with cool drinks and a hearty cactus cutlet meal. Halden told Raeyla and Erik about their adventure of the day, meeting the jester of the circus they were meant to attend tonight, and they in turn told him how their day went asking around the city. Raeyla laughing at the memory of a girl hitting on Erik in the tavern that they entered just after separating from the trio.
Veronica made comments about who would even want to talk to Erik, but he seemed unphased by the attempt at teasing him. Erik simply responded that he wasn't interested in the advances of a strange girl at a bar, earning an annoyed look from Veronica, and stifled laughs from Halden, Raeyla and Serena.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur, Halden enjoying wandering the city with his new friends until the sun had set and it was time to head toward the circus tent.
Prince Faris stood outside of the entrance in the same outfit they saw him in earlier, but with a small hood on. Halden couldn't help but wonder if the royal really thought it made him hard to notice.
"… Is that supposed to be a disguise?" Raeyla commented as soon as she saw him, uncaring if the Prince heard her as they approached him.
In a rare moment, Veronica snickered at Raeyla's comment, "Does he honestly believe no one is going to notice him in that pathetic excuse of a cloak?" She threw out her own observation.
"What do you mean? This will ensure the people do not recognise me!" Faris said, hearing Veronica's comment as they drew closer. Raeyla didn't hold back in responding with a small chuckle, "No offense your highness, but it doesn't even cover your shoulders."
Halden heard Erik hold back a laugh.
The Prince coughed slightly at their comments and motioned toward the entrance to the tent. "Yes, well, no one will be looking at us, and the noise of the circus will allow us to speak without being overheard. Shall we go inside?" Halden nodded and everyone followed him inside.
The inside of the tent was impressive, with a large ring in the center of the tent, presumably where the acts would be held. There was a large white tarp in the ring, with red, blue, and yellow pieces of fabric coming down from the ceiling to sit at the edges of the circle. On the outside of the ring were long benches that rose up all the way to the top, where a few tables were located for VIP customers.
Prince Faris led them to one of the tables, and everyone took a seat to face him. Erik, before sitting, spun his chair around before sitting on it backwards.
The group had just finished introducing themselves to Prince Faris when the show started. The circus members flooded the ring, each showing their amazing talents, from acrobatics, to animal taming, amazing Halden with every act in a captivating manner. Prince Faris tried to get his attention, and finally he was willing to give it when the ringleader, a short and portly man with an ornate red coat and brown hair and mustache called for their attention again.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! It's time for the act you've all been waiting for - the wandering wonder who amazes audiences wherever he goes!" He announced, lifting his arms into the sky "Prepare yourselves for an experience like no other! Prepare yourselves for… the Great Sylvando!"
The crowd screamed at the announcement as the lights in the tent turned off, plunging everything into darkness. The spotlight popped back up and revealed Sylvando, the jester they had met earlier that day, standing in the middle of the ring.
He smiled at the crowd and threw a yellow ball up into the air before spinning around. As he finished the turn, he caught the yellow ball and revealed five more to join it from seemingly nowhere. Halden stared in awe as Sylvando began juggling the six balls for a moment before throwing them all in the air. He spun again and winked at the crowd while snapping his fingers. Halden heard Serena gasp as the balls turned into swords, which he then began to juggle.
"Impressive," Raeyla commented from behind Halden as Sylvando did a few more tricks whilst juggling the swords before he threw them into one side of the crowd. As the swords began to point downward toward the crowd, Halden's stomach dropped for a moment before being yet again amazed by the jester. Sylvando spat fire toward the swords, making them vanish in a flurry of confetti. Halden joined the crowd in cheering the jester on.
At the appraisal, Sylvando bowed to his audience before addressing the crowd, "Ladies and gentleman, please! There is no need to be afraid! The Great Sylando will never endanger his adoring audience! After all, darlings - you are the ones who make this show so special! I love you all! Thank you! Thank you!"
As the crowd continued to roar their applause, Erik stretched, leaning back from his chair, "Well, that was worth sticking around for."
Raeyla nodded, her expression thoughtful. "He's good. A little too good for a simple circus act."
Veronica crossed her arms. "He certainly is impressive, but are we going to talk about the reason we're here?"
Faris cleared his throat then, his voice cutting through their murmurs. "Speaking of which, quickly, we must talk while the people are distracted. And please - not a word of this to anyone." When no one responded, the Prince continued, "Now, as you may be aware, the Sand National is the most important event of the year here in Gallopolis. And tomorrow I am due to make my debut in the race to end all races. However, there is a problem. One teeny, tiny… terrible problem…" He looked down, shame consuming his emotions, "I cannot ride. In fact, I have barely so much as sat in a saddle" he finally confessed.
The group sat in silence for a moment when Erik broke it, "Well that's kind of a problem."
The Prince nodded, "I have so far been able to hide this… unfortunate fact, but if I were to take part in the race, the inconvenient truth would surely be uncovered…"
He lowered his head to grip his hair with his hands in frustration, before looking back up at the group, "And yet I have no choice! For a prince of Gallopolis not to take part in the Sand National on the year of his coming of age is unthinkable! Unthinkable! So you see, your coming here was fated! It is a sign! The forces of destiny mean me to use you as my double! Ta-da!" He finally confessed what he'd wanted from Halden, and suddenly the constant inspections made sense. He was looking to see how similar they looked. Halden, however, instantly thought of one major issue with the Prince's plan.
"But, your highness, we look nothing alike." Halden said, and Erik followed up on his comments, "Yeah, won't everyone notice as soon as he walks out onto the track?"
The Prince smiled, "Ah! The fates have provided there also! For you see, the royal family always races in full armour, lest the unthinkable occur! His face will be hidden from view!" He explained, and Halden knew he was out of arguments.
Prince Faris stood up and bowed to Halden, his hands together in a prayer motion, "Please! Please, I beg of you! You must help me! You must enter the Sand National in my place!"
Halden didn't see how he could turn him down.
Veronica jumped up and threw her hands on the table before pointing an accusing finger at the Prince. "YOU are the most pathetic excuse for a Prince I've ever seen! If you think we're going to help you lie to your people, you've got another thing coming!" She shouted, and for a moment, Halden thought she was going to gain the attention of attendees behind her.
Prince Faris stood straight and crossed his arms against his chest. "Is that so? Then I assume that your need of the Rainbough is not so great after all…"
They all knew he had won.
Veronica slumped down back to the table and put her chin in her hand, "Wow… talk about shameless" she said, accepting the group's fate. Halden caught Erik and Raeyla exchanging another look and he wished he was close enough to them to know what it meant.
The Prince gauged the mood from the group and shrugged, "Call me what you will, it changes nothing. You will do as the fates wish and take my place in the race, yes?" He finished, while looking at Halden.
He didn't know why the Prince bothered asking him if he agreed, he knew that they wanted the branch. "Well… I guess so."
"As if he had a choice." Raeyla muttered, but the Prince ignored her. Instead, he leaned toward Halden with a wide grin on his face, "Ha ha! I knew you would see sense in the end! Thank you! I will talk to my father about the Rainbough as soon as the race is over - you have my word!"
He ignored a few more eye rolls from Erik, Veronica and Raeyla as he stood, feeling victorious, "I took the liberty of arranging rooms for you at the inn. Rest well. I will see you in the stables bright and early, Halden. You will find the stable entrance in the western part of the city. Do not be late. Now, I must be on my way. Farewell, friends!"
After Prince Faris left the tent, Serena started talking to Veronica and Halden, trying to raise the mood. She'd correctly pointed out that at least they'd confirmed the existence of the branch and had a way of obtaining it.
Halden saw Raeyla and Erik stand up and talk in hushed tones away from the table, leaving the young Luminary concerned. He left the twins and walked over, gaining their attention as soon as got within ear shot.
"Is something wrong?" He asked. Causing the two to look at each other once more before Raeyla spoke up.
"That Prince is lying to his people, and wants us to cover up his tracks. Who's to say he's not lying to us about the branch of Yggdrasil." she admitted.
Halden opened his mouth to give Prince Faris the benefit of the doubt, but found that he couldn't disagree with their worry.
"Surely something as rare as a branch of Yggdrasil would be held by a royal family." Was all he could come up with.
"We can't know for sure." Erik backed up Raeyla. Halden, without any other arguments, sighed and accepted his defeat.
"What do you want to do then?" He asked.
Raeyla spoke easily, "We ask around more. Now we know it's the Sultan's treasure. The locals are bound to have heard about it."
Erik leaned closer and wrapped his arms around Raeyla's shoulders, his grin softening slightly. "That's what I was thinking. Glad we're on the same page. Maybe we can get a visual too."
"We can't steal from the Sultan." Halden said as firmly as he could, not willing to let the two go any further with their plan.
"We're not gonna. We just want to see it, make sure it's real. Surely something as magical as a branch from Yggdrasil will be easy to verify." Raeyla reasoned.
The plan sounded dangerous to Halden. If they got caught, they'd end up in another dungeon, and he didn't think he could convince Veronica to help get them out.
"I just think it's a bit dangerou-" Halden started, but was cut off by the sound of Veronica's voice.
"The thieves have a point."
He turned around to face the voice, thinking that it couldn't possibly be Veronica that had agreed to their plan. But there she was, standing behind the trio with her arms crossed and a devilish smile on her face. Serena stood behind her, unsure how to react as well.
"You actually agree." Raeyla commented in disbelief.
"Prince Faris is desperate. I'm sure he'll do anything to win over daddy's approval, including promising to give us a branch we've only heard of in rumor. If we're going to help him, we need to see it." Veronica explained earning a smile from Raeyla and a grin from Erik.
"Serena?" Halden asked, trying to get a bit of back up in his opinion. He looked over to the timid blonde and found her looking at Veronica, torn between the two arguments.
"I suppose we should verify that the branch is real. If they only want to look at it…" she trailed off, sounding a bit nervous to voice her next thoughts.
"What she means is don't go stealing the damned thing. I'm not agreeing to this so you can get us thrown in the dungeons." Veronica finished for her sister.
"You think too little of us. Of course we won't steal the branch. The Prince knew we wanted it, and the Sultan saw us. We'd be suspect number one." Raeyla reasoned.
After that, they'd agreed on a plan. They would all go and eat dinner at the pub again. While eating, they would ask around for the branch.
Halden didn't get any worthwhile leads, but Serena did. One of the men at the bar used to date one of the palace servants, and she often spoke of a beautiful glittering branch that the Sultan had purchased years ago.
It was all the confirmation Raeyla and Erik needed to head toward the palace after eating. Serena and Halden decided it was best to just try and hope they wouldn't get caught in whatever they were doing.
They waited for a while, until the twins began to look too tired from the day's events and so they gave up waiting for the thieving duo. They walked to the inn that the Prince had set up a room for them.
"Welcome! I must apologize, but our hotel is all booked out." The man said.
"Actually, we were told that rooms had been booked for us?" Halden asked timidly, unsure of whether he should mention the Prince or not.
"Ah yes! You are Halden, are you not? I was told there would be five of you." The innkeeper flicked his eyes behind him and toward the twins.
"Oh, there are. The other two didn't want to sleep yet. I'm sure they'll be here soon." The Luminary tried to keep his response as vague as possible.
The Innkeeper accepted the response and gave the group their keys. The Prince had booked them three rooms, as each room had 2 beds. He left one key with the front desk to give to his friends when they came back and left Serena and Veronica to head off into one of the rooms. Halden's was down the hall more, in a cozy room facing the desert outside of the city.
Before settling into bed, he looked out the window and into the desert. As he looked out into the darkness, straining to see the landscape they had traveled just that day, he thought of his adventure. The twins that had sworn themselves to him, the places he had seen so far, Raeyla and Erik who had been there with him every step of the way. He wondered if his granddad would be proud of all he's accomplished since leaving Cobblestone.
"Cobblestone…" Halden whispered to himself.
It was beginning to feel like a lifetime ago that he was in Cobblestone, sitting at the docks of the river with Gemma just before their birthday. He couldn't believe that it had barely been a week.
As he laid in bed to sleep, he took his focus off home and shifted to Raeyla and Erik. His eyes felt heavy, but before sleep overtook him, he hoped that come morning he would see them safe and sound.
~~ I'm back! My assignments are done and I can now finally fully devote myself to writing. Sorry for the long wait. I'm really excited to get back to it, and I'll have time off during the holiday's to pump out some more chapters. See you soon!~~