The King's Game - Blackbarrow Arc (Part 1)

Chapter 11: Garnet's Plan & The Cloaked Man

A few vrots back, while Jacob was getting evidence to prove the existence of the Fallen in Silverdrift, Baron Garnet had just learnt that 100 of his men were missing after they were deployed to face Royland.

"What do you mean they missing!" Garnet exclaimed, "You mean to tell me 100 of my men are deserters and have betrayed me?"

"No, not at all Sir. It's just strange that if a battle had taken place, why is there no sign of battle?"

"So you think maybe that warrior used some sort of magic to turn my men against me?"

"It seems to be the only logical explanation Sir. Blackbarrow guards are loyal to you and only you Sir."

Garnet sat at his desk and thought for quite some time. The guard stood silently and waited for Garnet to dismiss him or give him orders. After a while a sinister smile crept across Garnet's face. He stood up and starting mumbling to himself as he walked over to his torture rack.

"Sir, do you have a plan?" The guard asked, clearly confused by what was transpiring.

"Bring me a random woman from the city. Use force if you must."

The guard wasted no time once he got his orders, he left the room to carry out his task. It wasn't long before he returned with a young lady, who was frightened and confused with what was happening. The woman's fears weren't put to rest when she saw Garnet inspecting his torture tools. She was uncertain whether to talk or not. When her nerves finally got the best of her, she managed to speak.

"Uhm, Baron Garnet; is there something you need from me?" The woman managed to stammer.

As if only realising now that the woman was in the room with him, Garnet turned and spoke with a smile, "In fact there is something I need from you, but don't worry it isn't much."

"Anything for you baron, just name it." The woman said with a hint of hope in her voice.

"Excellent, you see I have a slight problem that I think you can help me with. I need somebody to check something for me, unfortunately I cannot send any of the guards, nor can I send one of my slaves as they might just try to run away."

"That is quite the predicament, baron. So this is where I come in?"

"Exactly, this is where you come in. You see what I need you to do is to enter The Desolate Plains and report back to me what is going on inside there. Simple right."

"The Desolate Plains?", the woman's face turned pale, "Baron please no, those are cursed lands. I have a family, my husband died so I have to raise my two children all alone. I can't leave them, please I will do anything else, just don't send me there."

"Now we have a problem, you see I need you to do a job for me and you need to look after your children. Wait I have a solution!", Garnet said with a smile and turned to the guard in the room, "Kill her children, you can give them to the hounds or use them as training dummies in the barracks, that way this lovely lady here won't have any children to worry about."

"Sir that is truly genius! I will get on it right away." The guard exclaimed.

"No! Please no!", the woman begun to sob as she threw herself at Garnet's leg, "Please don't hurt my children. I beg you, I beg you, I beg you, please don't do this!"

A genuine look of disgust formed on Garnet's face, he grabbed a flogging whip from the rack and begun to whip the woman. Despite the whipping the woman clutched tightly at Garnet's leg and she wept and begged him to not harm her children. Garnet had now turned red with anger; it was at this point that the guard stepped in. He grabbed the woman and pulled her off Garnet's leg, she turned to face him only to get slapped right in the face. The woman fell to the ground and held her face, the shock of what happened had worn off and the pain started to surface. The woman did nothing but wept on the floor.