Yet another nightmare had seized Luth's mind and plagued his senses.
A field of ashes, he treaded carefully, the dust swirling in the sky, uncontrollably, madness ceased them. The world was drowning in its own cries, yelling to their names; yelling to his names. The same figure walked behind him, the creature of his nightmare still on his tail, ceaseless to disappear from sight.
Who are you? he tried to yell but could not due to his dry throat. His steps became heavier and the sky began to fall. It shattered into pieces then the clusters came crashing down. A shard of space onto his neck.
The existence around him morphed, he sat onto a wooden column inside a place warm and calm. Luth stared down to find people sitting on chairs, crashing their glasses of various spirits on the wooden tables. Words floating in the airs, the atmosphere did not seem anything hostile. He looked around to figure out where he was. There were several people inside their but he did not recognize any of them since their faces were shrouded by a layer of blur.
No one seemed to notice Luth and he did not move as well. He then looked towards a face that he finally figured. The assassin sat on a chair with his brother and consumed a glass of wine slowly. He tried to say something, but found his throat dry again.
Suddenly their cloaks fluttered and fell onto the ground. A hand reached out of the cloak and climbed out to reveal a man covered in darkness. The shadow-like figure did not react, did not move for a moment and then looked straight up, his eyes met his. He saw nothing the, darkness engulfed him.
His eyes opened wide and sat up onto the bed. Luth wiped his sweaty body and stumbled in his actions to fall of the soft mattress onto the floor. He stood up just to realize how sore his body was. He really did do plenty much yesterday that he would have been surprised if he did not find any unpleasant feelings down his whole system.
He gave a very audible groan before he stood back up and wore back his shirt that rested on the table. It was not in a good condition at all, far from it. How was he supposed to present himself in an attire like this?
He draped over his knight's cloak over to the torn outfit to hopefully cover the abysmal state of his cloths but that did not do much due to the parallel state of the cloak.
"Just how I prefer my day," he said sarcastically. He wished to get a better outfit but there was neither any time, nor coins to his name that he could spend to get another, cleaner outfit.
He climbed down the stairs and had a hasty breakfast in the dining room of the inn. It was nothing special, just some bread alongside butter and some honey. He was getting quite a few stares from the patrons and customers and the innkeeper himself, though it was no surprise since he did look like a war-worn soldier.
He consumed all of it greedily for he had been famished since last day and had no grain of food in his throat even last night. That had exhausted him, but now he felt a little cheerful with something nourishing him from his tiredness.
After his stomach was filled, Luth could shut his eyes for a bit and take his time in the morning silence. The tranquility of the moment had consumed him with some sort of peace that he could appreciate. Oh, how he wished for the moment to last longer!
But he could not, not for now at least. He had questions to be answered and his duty to fulfil.
He stood up and walked to the counter to pay for his meal when he realized that he had no coins in his pockets to pay for the meal that he just had. The innkeeper thankfully averted it with a wave of his hand and assured him that there was no need for payments this morning. The innkeeper probably noticed his Order's cloak and thought that there is no reason to make a knight's day worse.
the gave a little apology before he went away, out of the inn. He took Mehir out of the stable and rode out of the place.
Time passed the moments and he found himself at the gates of the Province head. He looked down at Mehir and decided that he should first put him in the stable before he went inside. And he did just that, and gave him to the stable that was at the back of the Province Head, near the training field.
He took Mehir to the grassy field at the end of the inn, and the horse neighed, releasing a hot breath before he walked forward to the other horses. He could feel that Mehir was very healthy till this point. That is something to be glad about, he thought to himself then wen back to head to the province head.
As he walked out the field, at the gate, he saw the old man who kept the stable, busy with tending another horse. The old man turned to him and his eyes widened at his state.
"Boy, you look like a Saber pounced over you." he said as he put his brush down and walked to his direction.
Luth stretched his body lightly, he could see how he would come to that conclusion, he would come to that too if he ever saw a man in such a condition.
"I am fine really," he said, though much of it was not believable, "just had a rougher day than usual you can say."
"Rougher?" he spoke with a mix of anger and concern, "Any rougher more would land you in the First Realm. No wonder you picked that horse. It sounds like you're haunted by your own fate."
Luth laughed that off, even though he thought that there was some merit in his comment. "This is ridiculous. Anyways, I must be leaving, Armon must be seeking my sight."
"And why is that?"
the boy made reply for he was in haste and walked past the older man. He walked through the halls of the province head—to which he was yet to grow accustomed to—and despite his nervousness, he kept his mind in a single place and ambulated silently. He saw a large staircase and naturally figured that the commander resided in the upper-floors of the province head. He stepped onto the stone steps, cleanly carved and draped with a think cloth to finish it.
His doubts appeared to be true, when he saw how much grander the surroundings were on the upper floors of the building. The walls were furnished with a bright red wallpaper, and the aroma of pine and papers was the only thing that could be smelt; which was different to the mixed array below.
There were still about a dozen people that he was which were in sight. He ignored them and headed to the direction to find Armon's office. He did not want to resort to asking the people there for they would likely not let him if he told them he wanted to meet the commander.
It did not take very long for someone to stop him in his way. A woman—give or take about 20 of age—came to his direction, dressed in the Order's cloak. She did not look very upset, but there was some angry intrigue in her eyes as she questioned him,
"I do not want to trouble you, but where are you headed, knight?" she asked plainly, nd it was a simple question. He was not going to lie about it as well.
"I want to meet Sir Armon." he told her.
This boosted her suspicious even further but she kept her composure and spoke in a calmness. "Why is that?"
"He summoned me."
"Summoned you?" she said and looked all over his state, "And you will go like this? This is how you present yourself to the commander?"
"I—"
Luth was about to answer but the conversation halted when a sound was heard as a man walked out of a room.
"Why are you troubling the boy, Crisa?" spoke a voice that he had heard before.
Crisa, the girl, turned around to look at the man. "This man wants to meet the commander."
"I know," said Kara with an almost bored tone, "Armon told me already." the other continued as he fully stepped out of the door and pointed inside. "He is in this room."
The girl was about to object but Kara lifted his other finger, "You have paperwork." and with that they both left. But before Kara's departure he left a last remark, "I do not know what you did, but you have had Armon a bit troubled. Mind not making him angry."
Luth nodded and stepped into the room.
It was a well-furnished room, and here the same pine and paper smell became more prominent while also being mixed with the aroma of ink. there were three tables inside, one was on the right end of the room, where there was an abundance of papers, some scattered while a aligned row sat cleanly in the ends of it. the other table was on the far left which carried several things, almost in a mess. A Order's Cloak, Armon's sword which he recognized from the bright blue gemstone on its pommel and an set of other books and papers—though they did not seem to contain anything important seeing how they were plainly crumpled or disorganized.
The final table, the grandest one in the room, made of expensive, dark wood which stood with several engravings beautiful and intricate. The table was covered with another cloth of silk dyed yellow. A small mount of paper laid on it, dilled with letters and words. A inkwell behind the paper at the right side of the table was resting soundlessly. A quill then poised down into the small bottle.
Behind the grand table, was an grander man. Armon sat leaning back onto his chair as his eyes scanned Luth over his body.
"Cassovin told me everything." he sighed, "I don't know if I should thank you for saving the Tribunal Member or scold you for acting so recklessly when you found out about the assassins. Where is Shari?"
Luth walked closer to the commander still he was in front of the table. "Shari is well, but he was injured, so I told him to rest in Flocia for the night until he recovers."
Armon gave the first expression of relief since Luth came in. "That is good. Shari's safe... Whatabout the assassins?"
"There were two," Luth spoke, "I do not know what happened to the one that Shari fought but the other one is safe."
"Safe?" Armon repeated, "In what way? Did he escape?"
"Not at all."
"Then do tell what you mean." he asked.
And then Luth explained.