Freelands

VIII. VENGEANCE ON A COLD BODY

4. Punishment comes to all

"Tell me what the hell happened, Harper! I was off for just a few days and I come back to see the entire city garissoned like some war is imminent!" Lance says strictly while he, Harper and Gere sit on the counseling room. Two soilders stand behind Lance. One being Pherephono and the other one similar to him, not so trained and disciplined as the other one but relatively dangerous too.

"...These two are just going to hear the whole talk?" Harper says pointing the two guards from Strong-Tower.

"You know Pherephono, Harper. He doesn't say a thing to anyone! They are here as a gift from Cynnon until the day of the Corronation." Lance answers.

"More gifts from the Tyrrant! Tell me did he offer you all the whores in the Theeran Empire in exchange for your kingdom?" Harper answers in irony.

"Can you two please set your differences aside and discuss about the matter we came here for; Informing King Lance Hail about what happened these two days." Gere says trying to curb the argument the brothers wage and avoid the worst.

"Yes, brother. You have a lot to explain to me." Lance says in an ironic smile crossing his hands on top of the table.

"Alright...The Boar started his slave trading bussiness 20 years ago. He was also known to give information about the Theeran empire to those willing to pay him a lot of gold. The Boar contacted our father for a deal. He would give him information that could save his life in exchange to store all of Boar's gold in a secret crypt somewhere in the city. Our father was more interested in getting the gold rather in the info he would give him, so he agreed. The Boar then informed him straight out not to protect the city of Goldengate by Cynnon Theera's attacks. He told him that Cynnon plans a vicious charge to the city that will bring it down and noone will survive it."

"He was correct..." Lance says skeptical.

"Yes, The Boar was correct and indirectly saved our father's life. Goldengate fell and no one survived the tyrrant's wrath. Cynnon's wrath!" Harper says looking at Lance right in the eyes in a death stare.

"Years passed..." Harper continues "... and the gold was staying in a secret crypt. The Boar was at Hardrow all those years and our father used that gold in secret to the good of the city."

"Then, the Boar was kicked out from Hardrow by general Marcus and father offered him the wooden cabin in Hierydor for him to plan his dirty bussiness. The Boar without gold and very few slaves, decided it's time to open the crypt with his gold. When he did he found all the gold gone and he didn't take that lightly, at all. He used Scarter as an inside spy blackmailing him to hurt his sister if he acts otherwise, he also brought someone from their partners to help him in Hierydor, he who turned out to be Vinco. The rest is known... Vinco put some poison in his wine, which Father drank too little to kill him on spot but enough to sicken him terribly."

Harper finishes his narration and Lance looks at him at a different way, he is clearly angry this time not by his brother but Boar and Vinco. Lance raises up from his throne, hits the table with his fist and yells;

"How dare those criminals to murder our father! I'm taking a vow infront of Father Ice that I will hire the best assassins in the south to hunt down the pig's head! One phrase I learned from my journey to Strong-Tower is “Timoria Apasoi Erxetai", which translates into..."

"Punishment comes to all..." Harper interupts Lance as he says the same phrase the Boar told him in the brothel.

"Yes... how do you... know it?" Lance asks in question and confusion, he didn't expect his brother to know this phrase.