The Golden Throne

Caged beast Pt. 2

Hilbert looked over his shoulder. The men were approaching quick. He faced the teen-guard again. He saw a sword sheathed on the boy's belt. The boy slowly reached for it. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Hilbert said, trying to sound brave. Hilbert raised his fists. He didn't know how to fight but hopefully he could discourage the boy in some way. The guard looked just as startled and afraid as he was. The boy unsheathed his sword.

And threw it aside with a clang.

"Huh?" Hilbert squinted.

"Follow me if you want to live!" The boy beckoned.

"Now way in hell I'm trusting you," Hilbert hissed. The shouting and footsteps were as close as ever now. And Hilbert was running out of options.

"We have to go now!" The boy stressed.

"To hell with it," Hilbert sighed. "Let's go!"

Hilbert followed the young guard. The guard brought him to a smaller corridor and opened a door to a room. He shoved Hilbert inside and closed the door behind them.

"Why are you helping me?" Hilbert asked.

"You are Hilbert Black, correct?" The boy-guard asked.

"Why are you helping me?" Hilbert stressed again.

"You are him!" the boy's eyes lit up. "The Kaiserin is obsessed with looking for you."

"If turning me in is your plan, then I'll make you regret it," Hilbert growled.

"No, of course not!" The boy shook his head vigorously. "We need you."

"What?" Hilbert was at a loss for words. As if his day couldn't get any more confusing. "Wait, of course you need me. You need me for that reward!"

"For the last time I will not turn you in!" The boy said. "If you don't trust me then... then here! Take my gun. It's my only weapon," he handed Hilbert a pistol which Hilbert had not seen earlier.

Hilbert looked at the boy skeptically. "So all this while you had a gun? What was the whole sword-throwing earlier about then?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Look," he threw the gun aside as well. "See? I'm unarmed."

Hilbert had been studying the boy's eyes this whole time. In his adventures, he slowly began to understand people and there was something about this kid he couldn't put his finger on. Warmth? Sincerity? "You're pretty desperate for my help aren't you?" Hilbert said.

"Yes," the boy bluntly said.

"Well whatever it is, I'm afraid I can't do much. Not with that damn Pokeball jammer or whatever it's called," Hilbert grunted.

"I can help you shut it down. I'll also help free your friends," he said. "I want to help you get out of here."

"No way. Not yet," Hilbert shook his head. "And why would you help me escape?"

"Because you need to stop the Kaiserin! I don't care if you collaborated with the Zaff... or were responsible for the deaths of the Emperor's children. At least not now. Right now you're an enemy of the Kaiserin and the Kaiserin is the enemy of peace. And I'll- we'll do what we must to preserve that peace."

"We... ?" Hilbert inquired.

"I'm not the only Odaran who feels this way," he said. "Ripley and her cohorts are mad. There I said it. She's claims she wants to make Odara great again, but... through chaos? She has to be stopped, Hilbert. And you're the one to do it."

"I can't stop her if I don't get what I came for," Hilbert said. He placed his hands on the guard's shoulders. "I need to know how to get to Zultan."