[S1] Chapter 10 : East Hesperia

The cloud cover the sky, and protect the creatures bellow it from the sun. The sky pitch black while the rain pouring heavily. Torches and lantern glimmering in every single corner to reveal the road. The activities seems stopped since it's afternoon, but the guards still patrolling around the block. As soon as they're spot us, they're draw their sword and start getting closer to us.

Some of my friends draw their weapon, but I hold a hand to stop them. They get my signal and stop drawing their sword, but the guards still paranoid, and come to us with sword in hands.

"What's your business here." Says one out of six guards that brave enough to ask. The other seems scared since I got so many people here.

I hold my hands to him, but he startle and grip his sword more tightly. He's eyeing me up and down, trying to find what's trick I trying to pull under my sleeve.

"No shaking hands?" I ask. "Fine." I drop my hand back to my side.

"Answer my question, Stranger." Replies the guard.

"I'm Vincent, I need to see the King himself."

"Tell me first, what is your business." He insists.

Najeen take a step forward and stand beside me. "I'm Najeen Nakia, I usually have chit chat with the king, I can vouch them."

The guard examine Najeen slowly, gulping along the line but then he sheath his sword back. "Then it's better be truth." He says and nod to other guards for sheath their sword.

"Sir. Fransisco, I think you should stay outside with the army while I talk inside." I say.

"I think I have better idea my Prince." He says. "I've sent massage to Queen Anne about our location, and I think she has sent your entire army for sail. So I think it's better for us to wait at docks and when they come, we're ready to go."

"Alright, take care than." I says and then gesture for the guard to lead us to the palace.the

"Follow me." The guard says and lead me, Valerie, Gali, Najeen, Riga and other guards to the palace.

We start walking on the paving road, and breach through the rain. Along the road, of course there's so many building. Some of building is just civilians house, but some of the building selling things or two. There's someone who sells herbs, weapon, magic book, garb and fancy stuff, and many more especially in the city square. The city square is basically centered on a fountain, with a person on the center, which I assume is one of the King or maybe the first settler.

Soon, we leaving the city square and make our way through another gate, but this one is for castle. The guard that lead us, talk to the gatekeeper and after a few minutes, he let us get through the gate. After the metal gate raised, we walking again to the castle door. After reach the castle door without accident, he talks again with the guard.

"Okay, get in. But don't get any idea." Says the guards and then let all of us enter the door.

I march to the throne, which I fortunate to see the King has been there, talking with some peasant. He has many guards flanking him, even in their eyes, I can see looks of amateur.

"--er your tax." Says the King, but I can only catch the half.

"Thanks my King." Says the peasant and then get to the front door.

We move forward cause it's our turn to talk. "Well...well. Looks who decide to pay a visit." Says the King, and he quickly stand from his throne and then move closer to the Najeen. "Lady from Northland, what did you need right now. Ship? Money? Food? Wine?" He ask while holding Najeen's hand with one hand.

"I wonder, what is their relationship." Whisper Riga to me, but I just roll my eyes.

"No need, Alipio. I just need some favor." She says and give the King, which I assume is Alipio a smirk.

"What kind of favor?" He says and holding Najeen's hand with two hands.

"I wanna, what kind of relationship they have." Whisper Gali, just like Riga.

Najeen not answering yet and instead, she takes a step back to reveal rest of us. "This, is Vincent Walch." She says and pointing to me.

"Oh, ho-- I know you. My name is Alipio Saldani but you can call me Alipio. And you surely look like your father, Vincent." He says and then inspecting me. "What you need, young King? Just tell me."

"I don't need any men. I just need permission to move across your border, and permission for military access." I says sharply.

"Okay, that's easy one. It's hundred percent sure I can get it. And cause of all of you," he pointing to all of us. "Is friend of Najeen, so you're welcome to my castle quarters." He says with a smile and no hesitation. "Oi Pasle! Lead this young lad to their own room." He shout to a servant.

The servant quickly march to our group. "Okay ladies and gentlemen, my name is Pasle and I'm going to show all of your room." He says and then lead us through the castle.

I look around as following the servant. They got really cold castle stone because of the stone they pick, and the layer of the stone. It's nothing strange, since they got nothing except economy. In every single part of wall has banner with East Hesperia flag. But not just that, they also got so many glamour window with colorful glass pane.

"This must be your quarters." Suddenly he says and pointing to five wooden door in front of us. "Some clothes has been stored inside, but..." He look to the Riga. "Sorry, we haven't Qunari size."

Riga chuckles. "It's understandable." He says and gesturing to his body which is inhuman for human race.

Pasle got no command or stop sign, but just casually move back to the throne and left us behind.

"Well... Better if we got rest." Says Najeen and quickly goes inside her quarters.

"Can we-"

"Don't talk about that again, please." I cut Gali off, I know what's on his mind.

"Okay.." he says and silently going inside his quarters. Not long after, Riga enter his own quarters.

"What..are you talking about with that dumb, Vincent?" Ask Valerie that not yet enter his room.

Suddenly Gali pop his head from the quarter door. "I hear that." He says and quickly move inside and close his own door.

"Just some stuff I don't like to talk about." I says and hold my quarters doorknob. "You're not tired yet?" I finnaly ask.

"Not yet, but it's better to rest." She says and then enter her quarters.

I twist the doorknob and then let my body enter the quarters. The room is so fancy. Compared to Gallia's quarter, it's not too different but pretty sure, this one have more design like King quarters not the normal quarters.

I open my waist holster, and put every attachment down on the table. I open my armor that cover my body, and also opening my chainmail. I literally just covered by plain clothes. I look at the bed and found a pair selection of clothes. I browse three set of clothes, one is coloured yellow, stand for East Hesperia royal colour. One is coloured midnight blue. And the last one is coloured red maroon.

I use the midnight blue coloured, since It's the one that close enough to black. I slump to the bed and trying to make myself sleep. I'm trying for some minutes, I think, but still awaked. I decided to sit on the bed side. Looking outside the window and see a moonlight dancing, without rain anymore.

I stand on my feet and move to the window. I look outside the window again, but now more focus on the land. I can see some kind of castle garden, training yard, et cetera. After some while, I make another decision. I move to the table where I put Sword of Odense. I take the sword and the scabbard, and then attach it to my waist. I open the door slowly, fear the other will awake when hear it.

I make my way through the castle, and then try to make my own way to the castle garden. I little confuse but use my feeling about the castle blueprint. And suddenly I meet the King himself.

"Vincent, I surprised you're still awake." He says.

"And I also surprised you're still walking around, my King." I says but he hold a hand.

"Don't call me King, just name, I don't like that call."

"Me too." I says and make him chuckles.

"Are you trying to find some way out or something?" He ask.

"Yeah, actually...I want to find castle garden, where should I go?"

"Ohh, it's easy. Just take this straight corridor, then take one turn to the left on the second T-turn."

"Okay, thanks, Alipio. Hope you get good dreams." I says and then follow his direction, as he move away from the last position we talked.

After some while walking through the corridor, I can finally make my way to the castle garden. It's so quite down here, just sound of nature with me. I can hear fire crackling from the torch, while the butterfly flying across the flower. I can't blame why there's so many butterfly here, since they're so many beautiful flower. Some of them from the Deutchland, some of them from Anglia, some of them from Kalmar, some of them from West Hesperia (Spain) and some of them I don't know. But it's still beautiful.

I can't feel or hear any mosquito here, and I think it's effect from the lavender. Lavender is actually also my favorite flower. They got glazing purple colour and have an amazing smell. Beside lavender, there's also my favorite flower, jasmine. I'm crouching and then take one of the jasmine flower and then looking at it. I back to my feet and then moving to the edge of garden. I really like this moment. It's quite, good smell, and midnight. I always want to enjoy life like this. But then war always coming.

I hold the flower in my right hand and close my eyes. I want to feel every moment here. And suddenly I hear cracks of branch. I slowly open my eyes, and use my left hand to hold my scabbard tightly. With quick movement, I turn around and almost set my sword free from the scabbard, but I sheath it again when I see Valerie's face.

"What the hell, I've tell you before to stop lurking." I says and try not to make my voice heard from other quarter.

"Okay, sorry, I just don't want to bother you." She says, and she maybe right.

I'm calming myself and realize I still holding the jasmine flower. "I don't know you like flowers too." I says right when she look around the garden.

"What?! Did you forget?" She face me with half angry face. "Me, you and that dumb were always playing in garden until you and Gali choose training yard in teenage."

"Forgive me mademoiselle." I says jokingly and put the jasmine flower that I have, to the gap between her upper left ear and her head.

"Ha?" She surprised about what just I do.

I look at her face and then I see...red cheeks? "You beaming?" I ask which she reply with jab on my stomach. "Haha! This is the first time I see you beaming." I says and she chokes me lightly with force.

I'm not even choked, but she release me. "I... Uh.." She look like she want to say something, with her doubt look it's pretty obvious. "I..think...."

"Sorry, Valerie." Suddenly Najeen coming out of nowhere and make two of us startle. "Do you mind, if I have a second with Vincent?"

She appears to be not sure. "Uh yeah.. it's fine."

I move to the Najeen. "What happen?" I ask.

"You need to look at these." She says, then she chant something in his mouth. The chant stop then she throw four rocks to the garden's floor. The four of it suddenly reach each other with one bright light and make a rectangle. After a while, it show a familiar place with some kind of crowd. "This is Denmark." Says Najeen. Sure it is Denmark. But there's a fight between the fake guards of Deutchland and....another country armies?

"Like Riga promise to you, they're helping." She says and make me remember that promise. "Kalmar have supplies the rebel with weapon, and then fight along them. Now, Denmark have belong to unknown, and that's make Alexander think the Kalmar is war without declaration. And sooner or later, they're going to push, of course the land is belong to you, in the end." She explain as the stone vision disperse.

"Thanks." I can't say another word.

"I better get going." She says when she notice Valerie still here. She take no glance back and move back to the quarters.

I move my way back to Valerie. "What you want to say before?"

"Uh...I wanna say.." she's moving back and forth, and make me feels odd. "I think... it's better if we back to quarters before other search us."

"Yeah, I think you're right." I says and move back to quarters with her beside me. It's awkward when she suddenly so quite, not typical of Valerie.

And then, the night pass so fast. I awake with fresh feel. I use all of my strength to do breakfast with others. Moving back to my quarters to use all of my armor back. After that, I made my way to the dock where Sir. Francisco says he's going to be. I search through the dock and easily catch up with him.

"My prince, they're going to be arrive soon." Says Sir. Fransisco as soon as I arrive.

"Who?" I ask, but the answer is obvious.

"Friends." He says, right when the sound of bell heard.

I glance at the free ocean and can see a Man O' War sailing on the horizon. I don't think it's enough to take my army sails. But I got surprised by other appearance. There's many big birds flying on top of the ship vassals. Wait.....no it's not a big bird. It's Griffin, the mythology creature. Head, wings and front leg of eagle; body, tail and back leg of lion. It's not just regular Griffin, cause it's rideable. I can't count the mass but its a lot.

"Are they--"

"Yes." Sir. Fransisco says like he can read my mind.

Soon, one of the Griffin with the riders land in front of me. "My pleasure to meet you, Vincent. My name is Galagher, son of Torin the King of Ibernia(Ireland)." Says the Elf, and make all of my guess correct. "The King himself want to help your rebellion, and me as prince, is just following his order. But deep down, I think the Tyrant need to stoped." He says.

"So... you're just going to fight with me?"

"Yes, Elf tribes never attack people without good reason, but I'm sure enough this is good reason." He says and make me sigh in relief.

I maybe don't deserve this much of help, but I can't turn it down.