A Journey through Kingdoms

CHAPTER 20- ALL AT ONCE

The night grew darker. as the time was now ticking. The metronomic sounds of the clock echoed once again through the halls, but this time they were accompanied by footsteps as Mortimer made his way down the halls towards his office. Once he reaches the door, he opens it with a sinister smile on his face as he sees what he expected to see. "Have you come back with good news?" The hooded man had now returned as he stood menacingly in the middle of the room to meet Mortimer. "Wonderful news, actually. The boy has a companion with him. One that frequents the bars, according to one of the knights," Mortimer explains as he walks over to his desk to take his seat while the hooded man stands still, looming over him. "How did this information come about?" The hooded man asks as Mortimer lets out a chuckle. "It's surprising what things you can get with one simple threat," Mortimer says with a devilish smile. "I assume you already have a plan in mind," the hooded man assumes as Mortimer interlocks his fingers together and leans into his table as he looks straight at him. "The man that the boy is with, Tetsuga Katsugoyo, is a raging alcoholic, so it's obvious he'll be at the tavern even at this hour. And great timing since I have a bit of a grudge against those miscreants there. I'll keep him busy by sending knights there to 'arrest' Katsugoyo, who will be labeled as a suspect in the illegal enchanting smuggling." Mortimer explains thoroughly, which left only one question. "And what is my part of the plan?" The hooded man asks. Mortimer smirks, and an evil glint shines upon his eye as a shadow casts down onto his figure. Leaving nothing but a sinister silhouette. "Easy. You take care of the boy. According to my source, he lives just on the outskirts of town, all alone. With no one to stop you," Mortimer says as the hooded figure holds his sword tightly.

"And when are we going to enact this plan of yours?" The hooded man asks. "This night, well, throw everything onto their way-all of it-at once," Mortimer says as the hooded man lets out a silent chuckle before disappearing like he always does into the night. Leaving Mortimer all alone in his chair. Waiting for everything to go down for this night will be his night. And no one was going to ruin it again. And as this was all going down in the kingdom,. We take ourselves over to the outskirts, as within Derrick's laboratory, the boy is seen making a new concoction as he mixed and stirred some things into a big beaker before heating it up with an alcohol lamp. I was completely unaware of what was to come... or who was to come for him.

....

"Tetsuga. There's something I need to tell you." Over at the tavern, the tenants were now recovering after a fierce drinking battle between Finch and Tetsuga, in which the victor was Tetsuga as usual. The bartender had yet to inform him of his conversation with Mortimer, so the man decided now was the time to tell him as he called for him in his drunken stupor. "Yeah, big B? Whatchu got for me. I'm all nose... I mean ears," Tetsuga says with a hiccup as he has yet again drank a little too much. "Earlier, you saw a guy storm out of this place, right?" The bartender inquires, to which Tetsuga drunkenly nods his head. Confirming that suspicion. "Yup. What about him?" Tetsuga responds. "Well, apparently, he wanted to know something about that Derrick kid," he tells him, which took Tetsuga aback. Which woke him up a little from his drunken state of being. "Derrick? Why would he want to know anything about the kid? All that kid does is smile and collect rocks," Tetsuga argues. "Exactly. Which is why I found it suspect that a royal adviser wanted to dig up some info on him. Naturally, I didn't give him anything, but I doubt he'll stop it there. He's notorious for being a narcissistic, short-tempered, persistent prick." The bartender informs Tetsuga, who cups his chin with his fingers. "Look, all I'm saying is to look out for him," the bartender tells him. Warning him in advance. But they would soon realize that his attempt at warning him would prove futile as the sounds of metal marching down the street outside slowly got louder and louder before stopping right outside the tavern doors.

"ATTENTION PEOPLE OF THE TAVERN! WE REQUEST YOU HAND OVER THE CRIMINAL SUSPECT, TETSUGA KATSUGOYO NOW!" A knight shouts from outside, taking everyone in the tavern by surprise as their chatter turned into silence as some went over to the windows to see what was going on outside. And lo and behold, a bunch of armed royal soldiers stood right outside. Demanding they hand over Tetsuga. "HE IS SUSPECTED FOR THE CRIME OF ILLEGAL ENCHANTMENT SMUGGLING AND SHALL BE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY BY THE ORDER OF THE ROYAL ADVISER! ANY ATTEMPTS AT PROTECTING THE CRIMINAL WILL BE GROUNDS FOR ARREST!" They shout. Stirring up everyone inside the tavern. "What the hell?" They're arresting Katsugoyo?""This doesn't look good." The tavern people spoke as they looked over to the man in question, who could only give one response: a sigh of irritation. "Here we go again... hold my beer, will you? " Tetsuga says to the bartender as he stands up from the counter and makes his way over to the doors. "Wait, the hell are you going out for? You're clearly being framed here," The bartender says as he tries to stop Tetsuga from going outside. "It's alright. I'm used to being framed for stuff like this. It's why I travel a lot. Besides... tavern rules, remember? No fighting inside the establishment," Tetsuga states before continuing his way over to the doors. He pushes the doors open, revealing himself to the knights outside as they held their weapons at the ready. "Tetsuga Katsugoyo, you are hereby under arrest. Give yourself up quietly or else you face further punishment!"They commanded him, but Tetsuga didn't budge. He looked straight at them, as if observing something about them all.