Chapter 44:

Fool

Silas’s consciousness was hazy as he felt his body being carried through the streets. With the weight of his eyelids, Silas felt it was impossible for him to open his eyes, but he could feel the sensations around him, like the light tussle of the autumn wind, the smell of stream water, and even the voices of Holland Joey and Vaan discussing their next plan on action. Even though their words were garbled by Silas’s muddled brain, he could pick out particular words, such as ‘bad shape’, and ‘mission’. 

He could only close his eyes and rest once again, slowing the dizziness of his head. 

Vaan and Holland stood together in front of a tall drainage tunnel, near the northern edge of town. Holland kept his hold on Silas, carrying him on his back, as Meredith raised his hand and touched Silas’s forehead with the back of his hand. After a moment, Meredith lowered his hand and sighed lightly to himself as Neema and Saoirse followed closely behind, holding their bags in their hands as they looked at the narrow tunnel with some apprehension. 

“You know, I kind of miss traveling like a normal mercenary.” Neema said, rubbing her nose as she looked at the metal bars, bent open with indents made from a human hand. Vaan stood next to the grate with his arms crossed, looking silently ahead at the drainpipe. Saoirse walked up next to Neema with a frown on her face, looking at the murky water inside with a wrinkle of her nose. There was a strange smell emanating from the water, and the two could only raise their collars to cover their noses.+-

Eva, wearing her traveling boots, seemed unbothered by the poor conditions of the tunnel. To someone unfamiliar with Eva, it appeared she was almost at home in the murky tunnel. However, to a keen eye, Eva’s displeasure at her situation was palpable. Her nose wrinkled slightly and her eyes closed slightly as she looked towards the narrow tunnel, saying in a heavy tone, “We don’t have much time.” She then turned towards the group, her face now relaxed, and her rouged lips slightly drooped, “Vaan, lead the way.” 

After moving aside the metal bars as far as possible to accommodate the members of the group, Vaan ducked his head and entered the pipe, semi-crawling due to his height. With the width of his shoulders, he was just barely able to walk through the narrow pipe with his arms at his sides. 

Water and grime lined the inside of the drainage pipe, and only the brave would place their bare hands on it to balance themselves as they walked through the shallow, murky water. Water occasionally dripped down from the top of the pipe, and many in the group fell victim to the droplets. Neema’s luck seemed to be the poorest, and a drop of ice cold water trailed down her neck, making her squeak out in frustration. Saoirse could only pat her sister’s back and lead her forward, just behind Meredith. 

It was not a long walk, but it was an uncomfortable one. Holland carried Silas on his back and adjusted the unconscious man’s head on his shoulder, making sure it was held in place before he kept moving forward. Similar to Vaan’s difficulty, Holland’s shoulders and arms were broad and muscular from years of training. Fortunately, Holland was smaller than Vaan and he was able to bow his head only slightly without issue, making him feel relieved he was not much taller. Looking forward to Vaan, he felt pity for the large man. 

Only Meredith and Eva seemed unbothered by the walk, but it was obvious Meredith’s thoughts were elsewhere as they moved forward, making him almost bump into Holland’s back more than once as they reached near the end of the tunnel. Seeing the light of the outside, they all became a little more spirited, prepared to leave Cailith behind them and return home.

The tunnel cut off less than a mile from the city and into a small river where the water was dumped down onto the wet soil below, trailing the narrow ditch below with the smelly water and other debris picked up by the water. Plants were overgrown in the area, leaving flies and other wildlife to surround them. Vaan was the first to survey the area, only peeking his head out of the drainage pipe before he jumped down into the grass, motioning for the others to follow him. He then held out his hands to help catch his companions as they fell. 

Holland was the first to jump down from the tunnel, adjusting his hold on Silas as he landed on his feet, just off to the side of the pile of water. Soon Meredith jumped out, followed by Neema and Saoirse, both who gladly took Vaan’s help, and who seemed particularly excited to leave the tunnel. Eva was the last to leave the tunnel, and she moved quickly as she jumped down without touching the sides of the tunnel with her hands. As she fell into Vaan’s grip, her expression was dark, and a tight frown hung on her face. Vaan gracefully helped her down to her feet, and she nodded at him in thanks.

“Lady Eva, the tunnel’s exit has taken us towards the western exit. We should be able to continue traveling in this direction until we reach the windmill. The surrounding area is quiet, so we should be able to make it to our destination without problem.” After walking around the immediate area, Vaan returned to the group and reported their location to Eva. It was not difficult to see the blades of the dilapidated windmill in the distance, roughly a mile away from their current position. 

Eva sighed to herself as she said, “Let’s move. We need to reach our next destination soon, otherwise Captain Laurent and the guards might find us. Though I can not see that bloodhound walking through that sewage waste.” Hearing her command, Vaan led the group, watching over the area until they arrived at the windmill outside of Cailith. 

Once the group had entered the small field around the windmill, Vaan was the first to scout the area surrounding the stone building. His armor clattered lightly as he swiftly drew his sword and checked the field. After a few minutes, Vaan returned with his sword lowered in his right hand. His eyes then moved to the flimsy closed door on the windmill, and then to their group, his gaze beckoning over Neema. 

With her rapier on her hip, Neema stepped forward and looked towards the door. If there were any threats inside, she and Vaan would be able to easily take care of it. Though Eva’s sponsors were trustworthy, it was difficult to know if any squatters had taken over the windmill in its dilapidated state. After discussing for a short moment, Vaan and Neema entered the windmill itself and cleared the inside. When Vaan and Neema grabbed the rotten wood planks on the windmill’s door, the door fell off its hinges in a haphazard fashion. The building itself was barely standing with only a patchy thatch roof that threatened to collapse. The stones on the side were cracked and falling out in some places, coated with a thick layer of dust from disuse. Once it was deemed safe to enter, Neema called for them to enter as Vaan gathered the supplies prepared by Eva’s sponsor. 

Eva stood in the middle of the small wood floor as Meredith and Saoirse looked through the herbs and other items, noting what had been prepared by their partners as Holland placed Silas gently onto the ground with his back to the wall. Though Silas had been unconscious for some time, his face had regained some color and the mana around his body had increased. Meredith could only sigh in relief as he walked to Silas’s side and assessed his condition.

While Meredith tended to Silas, the others discussed the items they had collected. “These were the items delivered, Lady Eva.” Holland’s eyes scanned over the various items as he nodded his head towards Eva. 

Two transformation necklaces and other potions were among the items provided, as well as a small note written in a language unfamiliar to most of the Yursineans. Neema grabbed the note in her hand and read it over as the others stood by, waiting for the notice. Her eyes moved over the note and then towards Eva as she translated, “It says that the items provided in the package need to be delivered to Meuridge, and that they hope the supplies provided are sufficient.” The words were vague, but understandable.

Hearing the message, Eva turned to Meredith as she simply said, “Meredith, I’ve held up my side of the deal. Now it’s your turn.”

Now that Silas’s safety was assured, Meredith nodded his head and reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, where a small brown package rested. Carefully, Meredith retrieved the item and walked to Eva’s side, holding out his hand with the item as he wordlessly passed it to her grasp. It was not until Eva received the package did she smile, holding the item in her hand with some relief. 

“This is what we came here for.” Eva’s gloved fingers trailed over the package until they stopped at the seam, where the item had been tucked closed in the paper wrapping. Carefully, Eva pulled back the tip of the paper and opened the package. Inside the paper was a grainy, pepper colored powder. It emitted a strange scent that effused through the room. 

Meredith glanced over the powder, but he never saw anything quite like it. Raising his brow, he asked, “What is this?”

Even Holland and Vaan were curious, staring over at the powder with some curiosity. It was not until Eva answered did they receive their answer. “This is gunpowder.” She unrolled the paper back, exposing more of the powder as she held it in the middle of her palm, a smile donning on her face that made her look warm. “This is what we will be using to overthrow the  Yursinean monarchy.”

… 

The distance between Cailith and the Yursear Palace was not a great distance, but it would take at least five days with consistent travel to arrive, and with the prince’s poor condition, Captain Laurent could not afford to take him back to the palace without immediate treatment. With Beau’s various connections, they were able to travel a short distance to a local town with a famous physician to treat the prince’s wounds.

Few select knights were picked from Cailith by Beau to help transport the prince. They told extreme care in moving Clarence, who Beau disguised as a high ranking noble, injured after a brutal attack. Using one of the best rooms prepared by the local inn, Clarence was being cared for by the doctor as Beau directed the other knights to watch the room as he stepped out to greet the anxious Alywin, who had been waiting outside the room for any news. 

Beau looked at Alywin with a gaze heavier than sin as he gestured with his hand towards the room next door to the prince’s. “Marquis Cyneric, we need to talk.” Alywin, steeling his expression as his gaze met Captain Laurent’s, nodded his head and walked with the captain to the room, entering the room without hesitation. 

After Alywin walked into the small room and sat at the small table near the bedside, Captain Laurent shut the door and locked it behind him as he strode across the room and sat down in the other chair, directly across from Alywin. The captain’s expression tightened as he rested his hands on the table and said in a biting tone. “What were you and the prince doing outside of the palace? With no guards? No one to help you both when you got into trouble?” His words dripped with fury. If anything were to happen to any members of the royal family, there would be anarchy. It was impossible for the two not to know this. 

Faced with Beau’s intensive pressure, Alywin kept his calm and looked lax as he spoke innocently to the captain, “We were on a trip.” 

Alywin’s words were succinct, but Captain Laurent was not pleased with his response. “Marquis Cyneric, you of all people should know how important Prince Clarence is to the kingdom. Something like this was not only incredibly dangerous, it was incredibly stupid! What would you have done if I was not there? Prince Clarence would have died! And then what would you have done?!” Beau barely kept his voice below a scream, which he contained only because he did not want anyone else in the inn to know Clarence’s true identity.

Alywin sat back in his chair and looked to the side, annoyed by Beau’s chiding, “Don’t you think I know that, Captain Laurent? I had it handled. I just did not expect Clarence to encounter-” Alywin paused, unsure if he should reveal the identity of Clarence’s sworn enemy. He waited for a moment, considering, before he continued, “Someone that wanted to kill him.”

“Yes, well you’d be surprised by how many people actually want to do that.” Captain Beau said, holding his own chin in his hand while his elbow rested on his armchair, deep in contemplation. His face, which was contorted in anger, was beginning to relax, though his annoyance was written heavily on his face.

“Except everyone believes Clarence is still in the castle in the capital. Safe from harm.” Alywin said shortly, rolling his eyes. Beau glanced over, curious to have Alywin expand on that point, but by Alywin’s face, Beau could tell Alywin would not say much more than he already had. 

“You and the prince are bigger fools than I thought.” Beau pushed back his chair and stood up from the desk with a heavy gaze, “If I hear even a word of either of you leaving the castle without permission again, I’ll make you regret it.” Beau’s dark eyes burned with a fury that intimidated Alywin. His words were direct and cold, allowing for no room to argue. 

Alywin could only sit at the table with his hands clasped, looking as if he were thinking before he said a simple, “Fine.” As much as he wanted to refute the captain, Alywin’s mind was elsewhere. He bit his lip as his thoughts involuntarily flashed back to a pale, lifeless Clarence. Alywin shuddered at the thought. He had never been so afraid in all of his life. Just thinking about it made his hands shake and his stomach sick.  

As Beau strode across the room and placed his hand on the door knob, there was a heavy knock at the door, followed by the stern voice of one of the knights, calling out through the door. “Captain Laurent, the patient has woken up.”

Alywin stood up quickly from the chair, sliding it out audibly in the process as Beau opened the door and stepped outside, surprising the knight outside. The knight could only take a step back as the captain strode past him and walked into the large room next door, where Clarence was resting. Alywin hurried behind him as he ran into the room, feeling his heart beating fast, threatening to tear itself out of his chest. 

As Alywin ran to Clarence’s side, the prince was resting with his back on the bed, looking dazed as he slowly opened his blurry, unfocused eyes. After blinking twice, the prince’s vision seemed to clear some as he slowly sat up, groaning as he did so with his hand on his abdomen. Clarence could only look to the side of his bed, where Alywin had his hand reached out towards him. 

“What happened, Alywin?” Clarence asked in a hoarse voice. His shirt had been opened, exposing part of his bare chest where the knights had wrapped fresh bandages around his wounds. There were small cuts and bruises around his neck and face, and the cut on Clarence’s lip had begun to swell, making his lips appear three times their original size. With his poor state, he looked almost comical, but it was easy to see how weak he looked. All the color had left his face, highlighting the dark circles under his eyes. 

“You-” Alywin was about to answer, Clarence moved his arms to the side of the bed and attempted to lift his chest off the bed, but as soon as he moved, he groaned aloud and fell back into the bed with a pained expression, cold sweat lining his brow. 

The nearby knights moved closer, preparing to treat the prince when Clarence raised his hand and said with a grimace, “My condition isn’t important.” His teeth were ground tight against each other. “Tell me what happened to the elf.”

The knights stood by, their bodies tense as they looked towards the prince and then to Alywin with unsure gazes. Hearing their silence, Clarence looked towards them and then asked in a voice much unlike his own, “Don’t tell me… that I failed?” 

…

First off, I wanted to thank Hunny for her help as always, and a huge thanks to my friend Coco for secretly following YMtK! Good luck on your capstone!! (´,,•ω•,,)♡ Also, more craziness is coming for YMtK, and it's been extremely hard for me not to spoil, as I know how the story goes (hehe)! I've been studying the difference between trauma-related behaviors, acute stress disorder, and PTSD, and it's been very helpful for what I'm planning. It's important to remember everyone responds to trauma differently, and things like coping skills, support systems, environment, etc. make a huge difference. Ah, it's fascinating (*/▽＼*)

Thank you all for your support! Things have been crazy in my life, and I apologize for my absence.... I'm planning to move soon with my family which means a lot of preparation and packing. And my PPO was approved, which honestly felt just insurmountable at first, but now it's done. I feel like Silas (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞ The last three chapters feel too close to home (￣ ￣|||) bah

Also, just as a way to practice my Japanese, I am looking for dropped/ untranslated Japanese novels to translate for fun. If you guys have any suggestions, I'll all ears, though I don't know if I'll be able to post regularly. My fingers are itching, as I love translating.... The break from stress is well needed. Please feel free to comment some below ♥ Maybe I can translate into Spanish?

And thank you all again for reading ♥ It means so much to Hunny and me ♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡