The Fallen Throne

Chapter 5.2 ✦ Beginning Of Fire

"We've been walking for ages!"

"By my calculations, we should be in Caelus before nightfall. If, in any case, we were to be delayed by unfortunate events, we can simply stop nearby -- I've studied the maps, many times, and there are many taverns between Theia and Caelus. We can rest and gather information at the same time."

"Stop complaining, you. Are you regretting ever joining us in the first place, now? Need I accompany you back to Theia?" Lancaster frowns at nearly the twentieth complaint since they exited the kingdom. Turning to Lloyd, who is fumbling in his bag for something and muttering to himself while using his other free hand to make some sort of calculation, he says with clear irritation in his voice, "and will you please stop being an insufferable know-it-all?" Lancaster runs his fingers through his hair very quickly, as if his words and tone are not enough to convey the message that he is extremely frustrated.

"But I do know nearly everything," Lloyd replies, his head up high.

"Nearly?" Rose questions.

"Nearly," Lloyd repeats. "You can't be too sure, and knowledge is as vast as an infinite sea."

"What is the point of knowing everything," Lancaster butts in, "if you have zero practical skills?" he asks, though it sounds more like a challenge, and to Lloyd, no less.

"Are you saying I don't?"

"Do you?"

"What do you think?"

"You know better yourself."

"Will you two please knock it off?" Alaina comes between them, her voice loud and stern, pushing them away from each other as they were nearly nose to nose. She had long lost count on the many times they break into a fight seemingly out of nowhere, out of no particular logical explanation. She honestly doesn't exactly know how much longer she would be able to stop them before they rip each other apart completely.

"As per her highness' wishes, I shall back down," Lancaster says, retreating. "Otherwise..." he glares at Lloyd.

"Lancaster," Alaina stops him.

He turns away, muttering under his breath, "why did we even allow him to tag along?"

But Lloyd hears it crystal clearly, and is too full of pride to let it simply slip away. Adjusting his glasses, he says, "well then, other than travelling to the Kingdom of Caelus, what else do you have planned in mind, if you don't even have the slightest bit of idea what you're going up against? What information do you even have, to begin searching for answers?"

"That is why we are going to Caelus in the first place," Lancaster says, trying not to raise his voice, because Alaina had already warned him -- twice, in fact -- to stop arguing with Lloyd. "We are going to start there."

Lloyd seems pleased at his answer. He searches through his bag, and then pulls out a sheet of paper. "At least, I'm sensible enough to know I can simply start here," he brandishes the paper over at Lancaster. "Bet you'd forgotten that everything started with this pure, innocent piece of paper."

Lancaster examines the paper still in Lloyd's hand curiously. It is the paper that could be found all over Theia: the paper proclaiming the formation of a new empire, with a sinister looking man right in the centre of the paper. Lancaster maintains his calm expression, although he is lost for words inside, somewhat thanking Lloyd for this simple reminder. Caecilius Black, he remembers, the name of the man -- the trigger to everything happening now.

Refusing to acknowledge him, Lancaster simply says, "thank you very much, for bringing that along; we might as well need it."

"The time will come, when you need me," Lloyd replies.

Alaina and Rose exchange glances, feeling the increasing tension between the both of them. After a moment of awkward silence, Alaina clears her throat. "Why don't we - uh - move on? We won't be able to reach Caelus anytime soon if we continue to just hang around here," she nudges Rose with her elbow, "right, Rose?"

"What Alaina said," Rose adds quickly.

"Right, your highness," Lancaster finally says, walking ahead.

As they proceed, Lancaster and Lloyd keep an obvious distance between themselves, with Alaina and Rose following worriedly close behind. Alaina wishes that -- despite the very warm weather -- she can somehow put an end to this coldness she's feeling. When will they set aside their differences and start acknowledging the other's strengths?

But her thoughts are being interrupted by loud voices she hears nearby. She isn't the only one who noticed, because Lancaster, who was walking way in the front, stops in his tracks and turns back to them questioningly.

"We must be getting close," Lloyd says between the silence only broken by the voices and chattering up ahead, "to a tavern."

"A tavern?" Rose asks Lloyd, a hint of gleam in her eyes. "Can we go? Please? I haven't been to one before!"

"No," says Lancaster immediately. "We are to head to our destination as soon as possible, before nightfall. Besides, how sure are we, that a tavern is up ahead? It could just be a group of travellers -- like us."

"I'm positive," says Lloyd. "I've studied the maps --"

"Many times," Alaina interrupts, earning looks from all three of the others. "And I agree with Lancaster. We shouldn't be bothered, to be distracted so simply --"

"Travellers!"

Two men appear from behind them, one with a unique dragon tattoo up along his left arm that Alaina and the rest do not fail to notice.

"Looking for a place?" one of the men asks.

"No - uh - well, we..." Alaina stops as she tries to find the right words, "no, we're fine, thank you."

The man who'd asked the question shrugs, looking over to the man with the dragon tattoo. At the sight of the man with the dragon tattoo's stern eyes, Alaina immediately swears to herself that this man is not one to cross.

"There's a really crowded and very entertaining tavern up ahead, you know," the friendlier man says. "Stop by. May be able to aid you on your journey -- a casual resting spot with drinks, food supplies, and heck, some simple weaponry... oh, even the best and latest informations and gossips, current talks of the kingdoms and stuff. Lots of random informants hang around lately."

At the mention of information, not only Lloyd perks, the others immediately pay their full attentions to the man. Unfortunately, though, the man is done talking.

"See ya around, maybe," he bids farewell, walking out of sight with the tattooed man.

"Information," Lloyd repeats, processing his thoughts. "Informants. We might benefit from them," he suggests, looking around at the others for their support.

"So we do get to visit a tavern after all!" Rose perks happily.

"It should be just right ahead, if I'm not mistaken," Lloyd presses on. "We can follow the voices to their source."

"Well then, your highness?" Lancaster asks for approval from the princess herself.

After a long thought, Alaina says, "doesn't hurt to try, I guess."

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