The Forge Of Kings

Chapter 20: Protecting those in need

     I ran through the small alley ways avoiding missing gun shots, I ducked and swerved trying to be a difficult shot, Rostov fired again, I yelped in pain and held the wound, He fucking shot me! WHAT THE FUCK is wrong with him?! I continued to run and hold the wound. I turned a corner and then another and crouched down in a doorway. I tried to steady my breathing and keep silent, I heard Rostov shout in the distance. "Find them NOW!" I heard a stampede of footsteps approach and recede.

     I took a shallow breath and looked at my arm, it was bleeding alot but the bullet went completely through. I ripped off a piece of my ratty makeshift cloak and wrapped it around my arm. I stood up and saw the trail of blood I had left behind, I better get a move on before Rostov finds me. I exited the alley way and found myself near the southern gates of the city. I considered leaving the city, but a few blocks away I heard shooting, and screams, Rostov has gone psychotic, he is just killing people at random now. As much as I need to search the city for Drake, I need more to go on, I have no leads, I turned towards the gates leading to Eîthor, I could see the lights of the kingdom from here. I pressed my hand against the cool slatted metal bars.

     I stepped back and looked for another way in, this one won't be as easy as the last one, the city seems to be on a lock down to keep the citizens inside. I sighed, I can't stay here with Rostov rampaging the streets, and I don't see a way through this gate. "Psst" I looked around the source of the sound. "PSSSST" I turned to a nearby alley way and approached, a boy stood in the shadows, "looking for a way out of the city?" He asked, I nodded, he gave me a wave and walked past me and approached the wall, I followed slowly behind him, we walked along the curvature of the wall and came up to a house in the corner of the east and south wall the boy pulled out a wooden ladder.

     The boy leaned the ladder up against the house and climbed to the roof, He gave me a hurried wave of the hand, I followed cautiously and finally joined him on the roof, I began to see why he let me here, the wall was shorter at the corner because of the change in terrain, and kingdom, the ground dips in and they contoured the wall to the ground. The boy laid the ladder across the gap between the wall and the rooftop. He carefully walked along the rungs and made it to the wall, I followed.

     The boy threw the ladder down and led me to the southern boarder. The drop wasn't even that high, maybe 20-30 feet. I sighed, and knelt down by the boy, "Thank you." I said, He gave me a smile and ran off and hopped off the wall, I did the same. I landed with a roll and headed for the houses in the distance.

     I after about a half hour of walking, I finally reached the houses, of the port district. I stopped in my tracks, why am I even here? I should be searching for Drake in Sylhalin. I don't have any ideas as to where he could be, I have no proof he was even in Sylhalin. So why am I here? I was about to head back to the gate when I heard cheering nearby. I slowly walked in the direction and found a tavern full of people, I tried to see what the big deal was and got nowhere, so I asked one of the people there, a man turned and replied "We're cheering for an encore, the singer was terrific." He turned back and cheered, I watched as a woman stepped out into the stage, she had beautiful features, dark skin, long shoulder length dreadlocks with woven items giving her a bit of color. She wore a red dress which had slits in the front to expose her legs as she walked.

     The woman smiled, she took a nervous breath and took a moment, she began to sing, she vocalized a beautiful song that carried melancholic qualities, as she sang she began to cry, tears began to stream down her cheeks. Though the song didn't have words, it was one of the best I had ever heard. The woman's vocals started to soften until stop, she then did a feminine bow and pulled on the sides of her dress. She smiled and wiped the tears from her cheeks, and she spoke with a beautiful accent that I couldn't recognize. "Thank you, Thank you, please excuse me, I have a meeting, but it was an honor to preform before you all!" The woman gave one last bow as she spoke and then disappeared behind the stage.

     The crowd booed but she didn't return. I ordered a drink and sat at the bar, the crowd began to dissipate but didn't leave the tavern empty. I sat there drinking my whiskey, when a group of men sat down next to me. They were talking about conspiracies that have been happening among the people of Rhōva. One said Sarnawen is preparing for a siege of Zodan, and Sylhalin, they're looking to claim the Sarnawenian country side and restore the reigon to their rule.

     I kept my hood up, and my scarf down, continuing to eavesdrop on the conversation, but the men got up and went to a table across the room, I stood up, and followed by using the crowd as camouflage. The men continued talking. "I heard that Lólem is defecting to Lord Verath's side. Queen Cilmair was seen leaving the Eîthorian keep." The man seemed happy to gossip about the information. Another man piped up, "I work in the Dungeon and Verath has a prisoner, the first one I've seen for a while since his return." I tuned out the conversation for a bit, Verath has a prisoner? That's odd. I wonder if he found the Heiress? I tuned back to the conversation, but as I was beginning to focus there was a horn in the distance, it distracted me and I got shoved to the floor. The crowd headed outside to investigate the noise, one of the men I was eavesdropping on stopped and offered me a hand.

     "Are you okay?" He asked, he gave me a faint smile. I shooed him off, he chuckled and walked to the door. "If you had been more subtle, I may have spilled some good information before I spotted you." He mocked as he left the tavern. I followed soon after, there was another horn in the distance. It sounded like it was coming from the gates. The gates to Sylhalin rose, and men marched through in a unified fashion.

     It's a siege? The people began to panic and fled in random directions. I stood and watched them march for the Eîthorian castle. My mind wanted to find Drake, rush into the city, and search the streets while they were clear, but I thought back to the Oracle's prediction. "You no longer stand for yourself, you stand for the innocent,  those in need of a savior." Her words echoed in my head, I removed my cloak, unsheathed my sword and turned to the frantic crowd behind me. "EVERYONE! IN YOUR HOUSES AND BLOCK THE DOORS! NOW!" I shouted as loud as I could, the marching men split between the castle and the town, I watched them march down the hill. I let out a sigh, Over my dead body.