Lars POV:

I had no idea who called the guards, but one thing I couldn’t explain to myself...

Why did the guards take us all, not only the two Halfling robbers, but also our party, to the holding cells? It was almost daytime outside, and there was one more thing I was unable to explain to myself:

Why the fudge were we in the same holding cell as the robbers?

“So, are you all adventurers?” the purple eyed Halfling was talkative. It was not like he grimaced, or acted like a robber. No, his grin was blinding, and there was a twinkle in his eyes. How did he get purple eyes? I thought that only people from a magical lineage could get them.

Arkano was full of people that could fit this description, but here in Lergo one would be hard-pressed to find someone with such eyes.

“Yes,” Mike still looked pained. And how could he not? He did get a boot to the jewels. Not only a boot, but a boot inlaid with iron. Something that the guards took away, thankfully.

“And how much does something like that pay?” This time the redhead was the one to ask. I looked at Mike, who was the only one willing to speak with the two robbers. They had names, and I think one of them was called Basil, and the other Rowan, but I still refused to call them by name.

The guild master could forgive many things, yes. Still, we were on thin ice, what with me giving him the shits and all. Now, on top of that, he had to bail us from jail. Something that would cost the guild money. 

No, I didn't feel so, as if I had any luck these days. Sure, I met new friends, but honestly, I could have been thankful if we just got paid for a quest.

“Not much. I think that the house-sitting quests could net us 50 copper coins,” pipped in Nate, and I nodded along.

“Oh, and you all think that is not enough?” The redhead spoke again, narrowing his eyes. Yes, spoken like that we sounded like entitled young masters, but honest, with the prices that were to be found on something as simple as bread, I felt that 50 copper coins were not enough to get us all through the day.

“Let it rest, Rowan. What do they know? They are from Lergo,” this comment made me blink.

“And you are not?” Who would want to come to Lergo, the way the country was? Honestly, we had throngs of people immigrating out. Who would ever want to subject himself to misery?

“I am from Arkano,” said the purple-eyed Halfling, as he shrugged with his shoulders. “And Rowan is from Naschestan. Now you can all feel free to ready your pitchforks.”

He chuckled at his own joke, then leaned on the redhead.

“You honestly should stop telling people about our secret, Basil,” even though the redhead sounded reproachful, he did nothing to stop his partner.

“Why? It is not like we are wanted back home, or do you honestly think we would be in Lergo otherwise?” Basil chuckled once more, closed his eyes moments later. “And, honestly, it is just that we already act and live as outlaws. What difference does it make?”

“The difference, love,” spoke Rowan, which made me blink. Weren't they also teenagers? They didn't look older than us. “Is that they might actually summon pitchforks from somewhere. Do you remember that one farmhand, who...”

“How dare you come to Lergo?” Nate’s voice was cold like ice, and I had to look at him. His fists were balled, and his eyes gave out a red light. For the first time since I got to know him, I was confronted with the fact that he had demon blood.

Yes, there were also small hints along the way, but he never looked demonic before. As if he could break bones and suck out the morrow. Burn fields, leave widows behind to tend to the ashes.

Our connection made me uneasy. The only thing I could think of at that moment was to lay a hand over his shoulder.

“Oh, and you are one to talk?” Basil showed Nate his teeth. Didn't look concerned in the slightest. “The son of a demoness, who wanted the throne! Ha! What a joke! Do you not know what your mother did? How she nearly destroyed the world? Or do you think that our rules raged a war against a country which was stronger than all of them combined just for laughs?”

Basil's smile slipped from his lips; he bared his teeth once more. 

“No, your mother is burning in hell right now, and that is what she deserves!” He was digging his grave; I didn't want to hear such things spoken about Queen Sybil. Not because I could remember her and what she did, but because Nate looked ready to tear heads off.

It was one thing to be in a brawl, but after a murder, he would surely get the death sentence. No one in Lergo liked him. The various merchants and dirty looks he received convinced me of that.

“My mother did nothing wrong!” Nate tried to get up, but I wrapped both of my arms around him. Sometimes it paid to be heavy.

“Oh, is that what you think? And her digging operation at the Heart of the World glacier, something which could have seen the entire planet going under the ocean, was what you mind by nothing wrong?” Basil's grin was poisonous. Didn't he have any mercy?

“Enough,” Rowan patted Basil on the head, who just snorted, and relaxed at his side. “You shouldn't blame the son for the sins of the mother.”

“My mother did nothing wrong!” Yelled Nate. Yet... I had my doubts. What if they were right? What if the Queen really did something in the Heart of the World?

“Nate... maybe we should hear them out,” the history lessons in Lergo would have one believe, that our three neighbors hated us from the get-go. Yet, they were given by teachers from Lergo, bitter and filled with regret, hate, and the desire to keep on blaming others.

“Why? So, they can insult my mother?” That was the first time Nate ever glared at me. Unfortunately for him, he was not the first person to do such a thing. I had gotten worse reactions before.

“No because you deserve to put the pieces of this puzzle together, and find the truth,” which was something that my mother always used to me when I was being difficult. “And if we find out that they are lying, we could always tell on them, and get them deported.”

“Heartwarming,” Basil chuckled again. The sighed. “You won't believe us anyway, but if you want to hear the truth, then sit tight, kiddies.”

I was ready to hear their story, but not to accept it at face value. Still, I held Nate tight, to prevent him from beating the two up, and listened.