Kismet (Book One - Completed)

Chapter 7: Ten Commanders

Chapter 7: Ten Commanders

[Back in time when Kayla and the masked man had jumped down the abyss]

Kayla looked heatedly at the masked man who was deep in thought. She was already plotting her escape. When she remembered that she had promised Lanet not to endanger her life, however, Kayla followed the masked man reluctantly. Sensing that Kayla's mind was occupied by something, the masked man checked in on her to make sure that she was not wandering off. Kayla returned him with a blistering glare of aspersion, which could be translated to: 'Do not mess with me.'

Along the way, they met a group of soldiers who were taking a break. The soldiers greeted the masked man respectfully. Kayla and the masked man moved along until they found themselves in a secluded place. Once Kayla felt secure enough to say something, she spoke.

"Where are we going?" Kayla asked the masked man heatedly. Even though Kayla knew that she was a valuable captive and Oliver needed her to lure Lanet to Merdice, her mind was wrecked with doubts. He was not going to hurt her, was he?

"What is this place you have brought me to? What's your name?" She demanded to know.

"You don't have to know about it. All you need to know is that I work for D. Sareus."

"Wait a second. You are not telling me your name and you expect me to follow you all the way to some remote area in this dungeon or camp?!"

"It's a base." He corrected her flatly, "Now I need you to keep quiet unless you want to make your presence known to everyone in here."

"How can I trust you unless you tell me your name and show me your face first?! You can't expect me to follow you like a meek, little-"

"Right now, you are the hostage here!" The masked man yelled sharply. "So act like one."

"Otherwise, what?"

"Otherwise, I will bring you to D. Sareus."

"So bringing me to D. Sareus was not part of your initial plan." Kayla said satisfactorily, "What were you intending to do?"

"Look." He said, coming closer to whisper in her ear, "I am bringing you around the base camp to show commanders that I'm following D. Sareus' orders. I need you to comply. If you don't, I can't vouch for your safety. Rest your mind though, I won't do anything that puts us in danger as long as you stick close to me and stop complaining." He said.

"Hmph...I guess that I can't get out of here by myself anyway. I will listen to you for a while. But if I suspect that you are out to kill me or to lock me away somewhere, I will let you know that I am a skilled martial artist." She said, "Even if I can't take down all of D. Sareus' troops, I can still knock out a rib or two from you."

"Don't worry, Kassie."

"Kayla." She corrected him.

"Once we reach Merdice Village and get out of here, I will tell you what is going on." He said.

Even though Kayla knew that the masked man had spared Lanet's life, she distrusted his words. Specifically, when he said that he was not going to hurt her if she abided by the rules. Nonetheless, she was the hostage in this situation. She could not defeat Oliver without a relic.

"This guy said that nothing will happen to me as long as we reach Merdice." She thought, "But it is likely that he is using me to trap Lanet in Merdice. I can't trust this guy!"

Still, she was itching to ask him what made him spare Lanet's life in Kerpal Forest. Just as she was about to ask, the masked man told her to be still. "We are already in the territory of the Deviant Lord. The Deviant Lord's army has built a network of paths that brings them across the lands and this one happens to bring us to Merdice Village. So watch your words and heed my instructions carefully." He cautioned.