Rise From The Ashes

Chapter 7 - Trials and Tribulations

Richmond

"What did they mean about this?!" Palm slammed on a wooden table back in our tent as hard as possible. It hurts a bit, but I don't care.

"Richmond, calm down. I know, this is a very bad situation and we have been wrong from the start, but right now we should focus on our objective." Dylan tries his best to calm the two of us down.

"Easy for you to say." Roland cuts in. His cheerful expression has been replaced with a silent anger one.

"And what are you going to do now? Banging on the door of Head Scholar Carden to hear his whole explanation?" Dylan also looks frustrated, but because of an entirely different reason.

"If that is really necessary."

"Calm down. You two need to calm down. We wouldn't want this grand opportunity to end in ruins just because you are confused and desperate for an answer at this very late hour." Dylan urges us.

" ... Fine. Though I doubt that we can sleep well tonight." Roland replies in a sarcastic tone.

"Roland..."

"You don't know anything!" Roland suddenly explodes into a fit of rage. "You don't know our thirst for information about him. The only possible person that can lead us to him has died, and no one knows why or how he could be transported here, and you want us to calm down?!"

"Yeah?! So what if I don't know anything?!" Dylan counters him in a way angrier tone. "In case you've forgotten, they are the only source of information and we need to get on their good side for that!"

The atmosphere in our private tent is becoming more tense. Neither Roland nor Dylan is willing to back down their argument. I too still in an anger and will explode in any moment.

"Roland, we need to lay down ... For now." I command him, trying to suppress my own anger in the tone as hard as possible.

Roland looks dissatisfied, but he quietly back down and decided to open one of the bedrolls for himself.

"Just for now. We are going to press them for information tomorrow, and I won't be hesitating to do that." Roland says angrily as he lies down on the bedroll.

"Thanks. I promise that I too will help you in pressing them for anything we need to know." Dylan replied before turning his focus on me. "I'll try my best."

"You better will."

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The rest of the night were spent in a rather uncomfortable situation. None of us talked to each other, nor sleep until the daylight. The growing tension are preventing us from sleeping peacefully, only resting the eyes are able to be achieved.

As soon as the sun has risen, all of us have a quick breakfast, still in a complete silence. Roland's cheerful persona has completely diminished and Dylan mostly frowns. Myself, I decided to suppress my emotion to focus on what needs to be done, but I think I have the same expression as Dylan does.

Once we have had our simple breakfast, our objective is only to meet with the Head Scholar Carden. Still in the morning, we figured that he should be still in his tent.

His tent is actually hard to be missed. His yellow tent stands out from the usual green tents. It is also large, around twice the size of our tent.

We enter the tent to find a person, currently on his back viewing on some papers. He is wearing the usual outfit for a scholar in this place; white and golden-trimmed robe, but cleaner and slightly more luxurious, signalling a person of a higher social status. One of his hand is holding a ration. Must be having his breakfast. Perhaps this person is the Head Scholar we're looking for?