IronGuard

CHAPTER 10

I miss you brother

Rithia has read that line for many times now after picking it up from the floor. The note had only four words in it and yet it had caused so much chaos in one day. Rumors have spread that the IronGuard are losing their grip on themselves and are slowly abandoning their oaths and with Marcus' disappearance made it more influencing. Rithia sits on a bench near the healers' tent and sees Finn quickly roaming around gathering IronGuard recruits and Knights alike to the main hall.

Finn woke up a few hours after Marcus left with Mordin and he immediately asks that all IronGuard gather in the hall but so far only a few hundred listened to him because of the tension rising in the city and some already call Marcus a traitor. Rithia approaches Finn and asks him. 

"What are you doing Finn? everyone is troubled enough as it is" she says. 

"I have too tell everyone that Marcus did not betray us" he says as he walks away towards another group of Knights "Be in the main hall by midday!"

Rithia asks permission from the healers to leave early and they allow her. She quickly changes into her armor but not all of it. She passes by Marcus' room and finds that Lady Therese is there but she doesn't want to talk to her for now.

She's the first one to come in the main hall, hundreds of seats and tables but only she is there to use them. She sits there in the corner with the note in her hand, reading it over and over gain. She's only known Marcus for a short time and doesn't know a lot about him but her thoughts ponder about who Marcus really is. Before she knows it Dello and the rest of their group who survived the quest in Icehold arrives and sits beside her. At first whispered chatter came from them but Dello cuts the uncomfortable mood. 

"Marcus did not betray us" Dello declares but in a calm voice. "He has no reason to"

"But why would he runaway with some stranger? The soldiers say that it was a demon" Zel replies. 

Rithia places the note at the center of the table and all of them stare at it. Reading the words. 

"His sister?" Merriell asks. "His sister was taken by the demons"

"And she's the reason why Marcus joined the IronGuard" Dello says. "And she's alive"

"But why wouldn't he tell us about it?" Zel asks.

"Because he couldn't" Ortos replies. 

"What? That doesn't make sense!" Zel replies as looks at Rithia. "Why would he leave?"

"She doesn't know Marcus well enough" Merriell replies. "Only one of us here can answer that question" They all turn to Dello.

"He always said that no matter what he will get his little sister back" Dello picks up the note. "He has done so much to get here, to survive to this day and I don't think he will risk it all for just one note. There must be a real truth, the only truth you could see and you'll find it when you look at his eyes." Dello turns to Rithia. "I know you're the last one to have seen him close. So tell us what you think?"

"I...uh" Before Rithia can say much the main hall's doors burst open and a sea of IronGuard come pouring in and the council enters from the other side. 

"Finn!" Merriell calls. Finn hurries to get everyone seated, he hurries to his friends. "What's going on?"

"I have something to tell everyone and the council has approved" Finn quickly leaves and heads to the front of the hall where the council members are seated. Owen, Elos and Annalyn comes shortly and sits with Dello and the others.