The Dreamer's Fall

Chapter 51 - Irreconcilable

Arthur's skin crawled as a chill shot up his spine. Marquis Bennet was only a few feet away and well within Foster's line of sight, yet he appeared unable to see him.

"Y-you... can see me?" Marquis Bennet stammered as myriad emotions leaked through his expressions.

Arthur nodded as numerous questions filled his mind. He shot Kyren a glance, intending for him to take over so that Arthur could listen in.

"Hey you, Bonnet or whatever. Can you see me?" Kyren asked as he floated nearer.

Marquis Bennet's eyes darted to him in response, stumbling back in shock. "Y-you're floating? H-how are you floating?"

"Of course I can float. I'm a ghost, and you are too, by the looks of it." Kyren casually pointed to Arthur over his shoulder. "The kid's the only one who can see us, though."

Marquis Bennet's expression sank. "But, I don't... remember dying."

"I died in my sleep, so I didn't realize I was dead until I walked through my bedroom door the next morning." Kyren laughed before his head perked up. "Wait, weren't you supposed to be chasing the Bernish and Agelian trash who retreated?"

Marquis Bennet searched his thoughts. "The last thing I remember was leaving my territory in Ollerin to participate in the Bernish war... Are we in Bern now?"

Arthur tilted his head as Foster curiously awaited a response. "Young master?"

"It's nothing. I was just talking to myself." Arthur finally replied.

Kyren's eyebrow rose. "You mean to tell me ya don't remember the last few weeks?"

"Weeks?" Marquis Bennet asked back.

"Yeah, weeks." Kyren repeated. "We entered Bern about a week ago now. I don't know where your territory is, but unless it was in the army's marching path, ya must've spent some time traveling Ollerin to meet up with us."

"It's strange..." Kyren added after not receiving a response. "I didn't lose any memories when I died. At least, I don't think I did. I don't suppose you remember how ya got done in, do ya?"

Marquis Bennet shook his head. "The last thing I remember is going to sleep in my tent at the edge of my territory. When I woke up, I was in an empty field. I heard voices in the distance, so I walked toward it and wound up here, but... No one could see or hear me no matter how loudly I shouted."

As the implications of the marquis' death rattled about within Arthur's mind, he scanned the returning soldiers. He wasn't sure if he was in danger. The report from the imperial forces within Rothwel claimed that the Bernish-Agelian force was without a ninth circle mage. If that remained true, killing the marquis was no small feat.

"I found it!" A soot-covered soldier shouted from within the ash.

Arthur spotted him quickly and shouted out orders. "Help him carry the chests! Bring them here!"

As Kyren comforted the marquis, four massive chests were placed before Arthur. He jumped from Aithon's back as each chest was opened. There were no gemstones or jewelry within. Only cold, hard Bernish coin and each chest was filled to the brim with them.

Arthur grabbed ten gold coins and tossed them to the soldier who had discovered the chests as was promised.

"Arianna." Arthur called out to his new slave. "I expect some answers about this later."

"As you say, master." Arianna humbly replied.

Arthur wasn't the type to look a gift horse in the mouth, but this camp simply had too much wealth lying about it. It didn't make sense for two smaller kingdoms to allocate so much money for a force of twenty thousand. Something else had to be going on, or Arthur's concept of money was fundamentally misguided.