Freelands

VIII. VENGEANCE ON A COLD BODY

2. Midnight Arrival

Gere and Vinco enter the gates of Hierydor, suprised by the amount of soilders present on the walls.

"I guess things are serious very, Gere." Vinco says as he looks at the soilders.

Afterwards they enter the palace where they see Harper and a group of soilders being given orders by him. As he sees them both, though, he dismisses the soilders and gets to them.

"My lord, We arrived as fast as we could from Hardrow! What happened!" Here asks in a tone of curiosity and stress.

"Let's go upstairs to tell you." Harper answers and the three get inside Harper father's room.

"It was the Boar. He hired someone to poison him and probably the dose wasn't strong enough to kill him on spot but enough to make him very very sick. Scarter was blackmailed by him so he could spy in the palace because my father and him worked together and for some reason things went down, and his trust towards my father was lost. Scarter told me he lives in a brothel on a road next to Everflow river, outside the city. We prepare an organized attack so we could bring him down." Harper says and both Here and Vinco appear dazzled and shocked. Vinco then approaches Harper and suggests to him.

"Dux Harper, I knew about slave trader the Boar, since he was still in his estate in Hardrow. I suggest you to don't attack in numbers, he has spies everywhere and might scare him off. Take a group small instead and sneak him."

Harper looks outside the balcony skeptical about Vinco's suggestion. He just doesn't want the Boar to slip through his hands. After thinking that he turns back to Vinco and answers to his suggestion.

"You are right, Vinco. We can't just risk to scare him out of the city. Gere! Dismiss the garisson, me, Vinco and two soilders will take the Boar a visit. After dismissing them send the invitations to all the Kings of the Freelands to the coronation of my brother. Is that clear?"

"Yes lord Harper, I'm on it." Here answers and exits the room, it's now only Harper and Vinco in.

"Dux Harper, where are we going to Boar's cabin?" Vinco asks.

"Straight away, We take two or three soilders from the royal guard and we get there. Let's go." Harper answers and they both exit the room and walk down the stairs to the main hall. There they take three soilders with them and start walking to the Boar's cabin. As they are walking in the dark streets of Hierydor in the middle of the night, Harper checks his belt and realizes he is missing a sword, then the memory of him smashing his father's tomb and the image of his father turning into pure shards of ice, reimmerse from his mind. Small memory flashes that disconnect him reality for a moment.

"Is everything alright, Dux Harper?" Vinco aks as he watches Haroer being confused and stressful.

"Yes...yes... Um, do you happen to have a spare sword with you? I forgot mine at my father's chambers."

"Yes, of course. Here take this." Vinco answers and pulls out a sword from his belt and gives it to Harper. It is a big broadsword that Harper can barely hold in his hands. Vinco laughs as he watches Harper struggling to lift it.

"Somebody isn't eating well enough!" He jokes but Harper remains serious and struggles to hold the sword with both his hands. Though he is determined to reach the Boar's cabin.