During his journey southwest, Quartermain had no solace aside from his own mind, and ale. Lots of ale. The weight of his adventure had hit him hard, but despite the setback of his own psyche, he prevailed. Finally reaching the empire to the southwest of Valcourt, Quartermain requested an audience with the Emperor Ludovic Quentin Castillo. To his surprise and wonder, it was fairly easy.
The Emperor of Lupine. A man notorious for being unforgiving to the flaws of others. He was not an individual to be trifled with. Ruthless, that was how he was described. But the man who sat in front of Quartemain held no resemblance to the cutthroat murderer described in rumor. A frail white bearded man. He appeared weak and as if a slight breeze might knock him over. The decrepit emperor cleared his throat as Quartermain stepped forward.
"Young man, you have requested my presence. And out of the kindness in my heart, I have humored you. I would advise you not to waste my precious time."
After spending a month in isolation during his travels, it had given Quartermain an excessive amount of time to weigh his options. Although, his decision had not changed. He would convince the emperor to deter the king, a man of power like Ludovic Quentin Castillo could convince his majesty to stop the nefarious action of harming his servants.
"I have news from the northeast. I have a reliable source from within the Valcourt Castle that has given me notice that King Virgil Matthen has slaughtered his own servants. A tragedy." Quartermain had thought it best not to reveal his position in the castle, he wasn't sure how the emperor would treat him as a citizen of Kalad. A servant of the king as well.
"A monarch slaughtering his own servants! This will not stand. I commend you for your bravery young man, what shall I refer to you as?" Debating his options, Quartermain pushed back his hood.
"You may refer to me as Edison your majesty" keeping up his rouse, he referred to himself by his original name. He had to be careful.
"The blessing of red hair. You would be welcome to join our priesthood if you so wish?" He had regretted pulling back his hood. He knew red hair was rare in Lupine, but he didn't know of its holy status. It was an interesting offer, but a few things stood in between making such a rash decision. Firstly, he had no real knowledge of what being a priest in Lupine meant. Secondly, Edison was a religious man, but to his knowledge, not of the same faith as the empire. Thirdly, he has planned on returning to Kalad, he had Aurelia waiting for him.
"... I thank you for the offer, but I do not follow the faith of the empire, and I was not planning on staying within the borders of Lupine for long."
"Oh leaving is not an option. We plan to take down the corrupt monarchy, and absorb them into the glorious empire. You shall not be leaving Varoux, you are an important witness to their crimes, Edison." The guards around him all chanted in unison. The cries of 'glory to the empire' echoed through-out the hall.
Interlocking his fingers, Edison fiddled with his thumbs. He was on edge at the loud rowdy men screeching of the empire. Gulping Quartermain rubbed his sweaty palms together and paced himself out the large ornate door of the castle hall. He gathered himself, and waded towards the local pub, The Bawdy Cleric. Someone had been trailing him from the castle, he could feel it. The emperor must have sent someone to make sure he doesn't leave the capital. What a dreary. Timidly pushing his way through the door, he sat himself down on a barstool. Examining his hand he saw the black ink that had stained his dark skin had started to fade. Had it really been a month since he left Kalad?
Hollering the pale lanky bartender, he ordered a Delben Ale. A common sight the last month during his trek. As the atmosphere of the room started to dizzy around him, he felt a cloth around his mouth. The wet cloth covered his air supply, it tasted foul. Edison fell unconscious, falling away from the bar. He felt someone with a thin female frame catch him from behind.
