The Gentlemen of War

Chapter III: The strange stranger

Last night was the new moon. Joseph wakes up in cold sweat. He fears that Serus, now free from his bond to save blood until the moon had waned completely, might do some horrible deeds of violence. Joseph knew him to be the rash man, who could burn anything in his moment of fire. It didn't sit right with his conscience. If he didn't do anything, Serus might cause some trouble for the people of the town. But then again, if he DID do something, Serus might cause even more chaos for everyone. Damned Serus, always making trouble. Damned Davis. Both of them, troublemakers.

Serus, always causing problems for everyone with his lit torch of recklessness. And Davis, with his silver tongue, putting me to oath in order to protect his brother. His dying breath would be the plague that might come to afflict me in my last days, and save his brother's life.

The dilemma still bounced around Joseph's head. He HAD sworn an oath to watch out for Serus, and try to be like a brother to him. After all, they were on the same side, under the same captain and the same fleet. But Serus was too much to watch out for. He'd run around and get himself into all manner of sticky situations, and Joseph would have to fish him out. And he knew that Serus harbored a resentment against him. He KNEW that Serus would blame him for Davis' death. Why? Because Joseph couldn't do anything. Because Fate took Davis away. Because Joseph's hands were tied by the binding chain of Fate, and Joseph was too weak to resist it.

"Captain, sir, Serus has run off again. I request permission to track him." Joseph decides to do it. He will look for Serus and make sure he's not out doing anything that would cost him dearly afterwards. He pleads with the captain of his squadron, who is still severely wounded. He might not be coming back for a long time. He took a musket to the eye, survived, and suffered through it. The captain gives a grunt of approval, followed by a wince of pain (this just shows the degree of the pain he is in). There. Now it was set. Joseph had responsibility over Serus' actions. What mess had he gotten himself into? Joseph didn't want to know.

Joseph is skilled with moving himself from place to place. He immediately took to the roof. He could track Serus more easily from up there.

Joseph breaks into a slow run across the tiled rooftops of the cluster of houses near his captain's brigade. It's beautiful, even if you see it a hundred times, the tilted tile roofs, and then flat bars, and towering churches with towering steeples, with soberly dressed gentlemen and ladies somberly walking through the dim streets below. Occasionally a horse here and there, and a fenced off mayor's house (although the mayor was mayor only in name, and not deed), and cannons on the shore. Docks to the left, docks to the right, and a towering mountain in the center of all of it. It's beautiful, no doubt about it. And see, that's why Joseph wanted to ban duels. All the beauty tends to evaporate in the presence of hellfire and gunpowder. Problem is, no one has time for beauty these days. It's all just honor, and the cause, and Fate, family, the church, or whatever noble ideal the savages are fighting for. No one has time for it. No one notices the mountain, or the wonderfully crafted tiles on the roofs, or the holy steeples of the holy churches.

Joseph snaps awake, back to his senses from his philosophies, seeing a familiar, though drenched, figure. He drops from the rooftop, near silently, into an alley near Serus. If Serus knew Joseph had been tracking him, Joseph was in for some trouble. Serus didn't want anyone, especially Joseph, to care about him. It was a worthless pity, a useless worry, and Serus didn't want it. Of course, Joseph had to approach him casually, and take him back to base.

And it all came in one moment. Serus was gone again. How? Joseph missed it. Serus was gone. In one moment. Breathtaking. He leapt into the shadows. And he was gone. How? How? And where? Damn that rascal...

Joseph leapt down from the rooftops into the same shadow Serus went down into. In hindsight, it was a horrible idea to run into a wall. But luckily for Joseph, he slid through the shadow into a secret wooden hinge, revealing a large earthy chasm. Now, THIS was a discovery! After all these years of enjoying the city, even after all this time, he never knew of such a place! The chasm must span all the way under the city! There weren't too many people, but then again, most men were off working, and the women... actually, Joseph never thought about them. I suppose he was too absorbed in the pathetic state of humanity, that he couldn't even care about half of it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement, and a blur of cloth that he recognized. That had to be Serus. Had to be. And Joseph couldn't be seen down here. He didn't want to see what consequences he might suffer. He already got the vibe that this was some sort of secret society. Anyways, Serus, where did he go...

Right, that way. Joseph climbed onto the roof of the cavern, and started tracking him. Joseph had this extraordinary talent to get around, even in the most extraordinary ways. Of course, climbing on the ceiling always made his head dizzy, but no one has ever caught him doing that. Damn it, Joseph, always getting distracted. The ceiling of the Great Cavern was nice and earthy, and just a little cool. It was pleasant to run his fingers through the crumbly dirt on the ceiling of a secret society he never knew about, under a city he had lived in for ages. It was a new sensation. Something about it was so incredibly picturesque and adventurous, and Romantic, Joseph couldn't resist but relish the moment.

But down there was Serus! And... a strange figure wearing a hood. Joseph couldn't identify the stranger. Was Serus seeing someone in secret? Joseph would remember this. The stranger had a signage written onto his cloak. It couldn't be one of the gangs. No, Joseph didn't recognize it. Perhaps it was the signage of the Secret Society (or Great Cavern, whichever name you like, although Joseph thought both were quite grand). But Joseph would remember this. This strange adventure, the Grand Cavern and the Secret Society, and the stranger in the strange cloak with the strange symbol, and Serus in the midst of all of this.

. . .

Joseph watched Serus head to the base. After he saw Serus go in, Joseph followed. He couldn't stop thinking about what he saw that day. What could all of it mean.... He would definitely go and visit again, once he had the time. Serus, on the other hand, was completely oblivious of what happened that day.

And so the forest slowly catches on fire. The Wilde men all over the forest begin to light their separate bonfires. But embers spread in this forest, and the wind catches fire to envelope the whole land in unholy fire. So too will all these things come back to haunt this land for ages to come. But for now, Joseph explores his Romantic fantasies. Serus continues to meet with the strange stranger. And the Secret Society marches onward. Little waves crash on the shore tonight. Everyone knows, there's a calm before the storm. And the tide is rising. Those stuck in the high tide join the Bottomless.