Tyrant reborn

[Zerith]

((Closed))

It has to be here…

Josephus’ mood was sullen as he watch his hired help continue to dig long through the night.

As the rest of Moriah slept peacefully, the noble lord was still wide awake despite the fact it was the early hours of the morning. The pale, full moon glowed brightly alongside the blanket of stars that filled the black canvas of the sky. The trees of the wilderness swayed gently in the breeze and the overall temperature made it so that everyone outside was lightly dressed. It was a gorgeous evening to be out for a leisurely walk, however all the men that worked around the torches in the middle of nowhere were having anything but a pleasant time.

Six men, all covered in dirt worked silently. In their hands they held old iron shovels, some of which seemed likely to break at any moment. The physical manifestation of their effort throughout the night was represented by the large singular hole they had created. Why they were digging, none of them really understood. All they knew was that the noble lord watching them wanted to dig, and since the price was right, they dug.

The lord dressed in a long, dark blue jacket frowned as he stared at an old and tattered piece of parchment. Things didn’t seem to make sense to him, the piece of paper clearly stated that what he was looking for was right infront of him. Yet, it seemed like there was nothing awaiting him.

“There’s no way this map could be fake,” he thought. “Eric wouldn’t have lied given what the stakes were at the time.”

Though what if that was exactly what the Kind did? What if the map Josephus held in his hands was just something his wife or sister drew up in a few minutes? Then all of his time and money would have been wasted. All of his ambitions and dreams would have been broken, only to probably end up buried here in this pit he was paying to be made.

Suddenly as if on cue, the audible ‘thud’ as a shovel hit something hidden it the dirt was heard. It was such a beautiful musical note to the noble’s ears that it immediately brought his mind back to the moment and with it brought the taste of something else.

Victory.

“Out of my way!” the noble yelled, pushing the hired hands aside as if they were small children. He practically leapt into the pit and immediately dropped to his knees only to begin digging with his gloved hands frantically. Excitement rushed through him, eagerness to finally lay his eyes upon what he had been dreaming to find for so many months until finally his fingers felt something solid.

Carefully, he wiped away the remaining soil with his fingers, revealing a pale colour stained with earth underneath. As more and more of his treasure was revealed, his lips formed into a wide grin as he unearthed exactly what he was looking for.

Staring into the empty sockets of a human skull, Lord Josephus laughed.

“Hello, Uncle.”

***

Four days later.

“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“That’s easy for you to say!” Zerith replied as he climbed to his feet and turned to his friend, Zevernus. “You didn’t do anything. I did all the work!”

The two friends were standing in the halberdier's bedroom. A large, four posted mahogany bed was the central focus surrounded by blue silk fabric that hung gracefully from the canopy. The think carpet they were standing on was mostly blue as well, though the shade of it was quite darker while the edging around it was an intricate silver design. Most of the other furniture were comprised of the same things. Mahogany wood with rich detail carved in, the colour blue with silver accent. A great deal of sunlight shone through the open doors that led out onto the balcony. On walls hung an wide selection of pictures, most of them being painting or portraits, including one of Zerith and Jasmine on their wedding day. Though dispite the beauty and comfort that surrounded the two men, they continued to argue over something.

“What are you talking about? I told you the directions while you followed them.” The swordsman shot back, his dark brown eyes fixed on the warder.

Surprised that his friend actually thought he was helping at one point, the brown haired, blue eyed halberdier rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and you weren’t reading them properly! I didn’t know what to do until I took the damn piece of paper from you and followed them myself!”

Zevernus shrugged and gave his usual grin. The expression was expected, the swordsman never stayed angry with his friend for a long time and seemed to drop issues incredibly easily. Especially when he was proven wrong, that was usually when he would act like nothing happened. “Oh well. At least know you can say it’s finished, and it looks fantastic.”

Zerith was about to respond when he too, turned his head to admire his finished project. A gorgeous, brand new mahogany crib for a baby and designed to match the bed stood proudly where the halberdier had spend the better part of his morning working tirelessly. Still, pride stirred in his chest for being able to assemble it on his own, followed by the excitement of knowing that it wouldn’t be much longer until the crib was occupied by his first born child.

“Jasmine will be overjoyed to see this. One less thing to scatch of the to-do list before the baby comes.” He thought to himself.

Yes, his wife would probably be very excited to see the finished crib. Knowing that she would probably be returning with her brother and his wife any minute only made him more eager to see her reaction. Of course when he saw her small frame yet large belly only made him admire her more, not to mention also feel some more pride. It was probably just a guy thing. As if to stick out your chest and say to another, “Yeah, that was me.”

Yeah, definitely a guy thing.

Rubbing his hands together, Zerith grinned as he continued to marvel at his latest achievement and imagine his wife’s reaction. Indeed, he could really get into all of this commotion of getting ready for the baby. With so little time left it was almost overwhelming to think of all the work that still need to be done. Once Jasmine returned with Melody and Eric, all of them would be able to combine their efforts and get everything done in time.

And then when Zerith held his baby in his arms. Everything would be worth it.

[Jasmine]

Jasmine laughed lightly as she sat in the mahogany rocking chair beside her sister-in-law, Queen Melody. She and the queen were sorting, folding and putting away a wide variety of baby clothes and blankets. The people of Moriah had been very generous. Gifts for her and the baby, and even a few for Zerith, had been arriving almost daily for the last month. She and Zerith, with help from Zevernus, had put the nursery together over the course of the last few months. All that remained to be done was a crib.

As she chatted with Melody, she glanced around at the sky blue walls. The ceiling was also blue, with white fluffy clouds painted on it. A white armoire stood along one wall. It was into this that Jasmine and Melody were packing baby clothes. She was quite proud of the work they’d done on the nursery. In her mind, the sky blue would fit either gender, though she had a hunch that the baby was a girl. Most of the other women that had already had several children thought so too, simply because she’d had a lot of heartburn throughout her pregnancy. A large bay window overlooked the gardens and had a padded bench built into it along with several pillows ranging from very small to very large. Beside the window was a small balcony. It had no stairs to lead down to the gardens, but did have a very nice chair on it for Jasmine to sit on.

The blonde queen watched her friend as they chatted idly about plans for the next few days and smiled. She remembered how giddy she had been when she was this close to finally having Dylan. Eric had been extremely protective of her, hardly allowing her to do anything. The memory made her smile even more; the protective husband was also a protective brother. If Eric could have his way, Jasmine would be confined to bed or a large armchair, and certainly not permitted to leave the palace. However, Jasmine was stubborn and insisted on being permitted to do as much as she felt she was capable of doing. She was nearly as excited as Jasmine was for the baby to come.

King Eric, Jasmine’s brother, watched from his post at the door between the nursery they were sitting in and the master bedroom, hiding an amused smile. He had been made aware of Zerith’s plan for that morning and had arranged to keep Jasmine out of the bedroom she shared with her husband for the morning. The pregnancy, so obviously started before the wedding, had taken him by surprise. He had been absolutely furious with Jasmine, but as per normal his wife had managed to calm him down before he said or did anything stupid or hurtful. He had not even yelled at Jasmine or Zerith about the situation. Though it took a few begrudging months, he was now as excited as anyone else about the coming baby, even more so now that she was due within the next 2 weeks.

The king took a good look at his sister. She positively glowed, though her belly was huge. Though he was careful not to mention it, he though she looked quite funny. Being such a petite woman, her pregnancy at nine months was very obvious. Today she wore a gown of light blue and had her hair pulled back in a half-tail with a pretty clip holding it in place. He wondered, for the millionth time, how different their lives would have been if certain events had not taken place. Certainly, if Montego had not staged his coup, and Jasmine had not returned to claim her throne, he would not be king right now. More importantly though, if that had not happened, then Jasmine would not have had to run away or learn how to use a sword. Neither would she have met her husband whom she obviously adored. Still smiling to himself, he put his hand on the doorknob of the door to the room Zerith and Zevernus had been working in all morning.


“Are you ready for your surprise, Jas?”

“What do you think? You two have been keeping me busy all morning!” she responded as she got slowly out of the rocking chair and settled onto her feet. She waddled the short distance across the room. “You know what those two have been up to all morning, don’t you?”

Eric didn’t answer her, grinning knowingly, he bid her to close her eyes as he took her hands and opened the door. He led her a few steps into the room then let her open her eyes.

Zerith and Zevernus stood beside their project, waiting for Jasmine. She stared in amazement for a few silent seconds at what they had done then squealed in delight at the sight of the mahogany crib. She moved over to it in her now normal waddle running her hands over it. “OH! It’s beautiful! You did a wonderful job, Zerith,” she told her husband as she went over to him and stretched up to kiss him lightly.

“I’m glad you like it. I thought you’d like for it to match our bed and your rocking chair,” her husband grinned, resting one hand on her back and the other on her belly.

“Hey! What about me? I helped , too, ya know!” Zevernus protested.

“I’m sure you did, Zev,” Jas agreed and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “I think I know exactly where I want to put it in the nursery, too. Come, and I’ll show you.”

She took Zerith’s hand in hers and lead the way back into the nursery. She had reserved a spot along the wall that the room shared with their bedroom for the crib. Eric and Zev collected the crib and followed Jasmine. She directed them to place it so that it was to the immediate left of the bedroom entrance. The bay window would be at the crib’s feet.

“Perfect! Thank you, boys.” She beamed up at Zerith, “I think we’re pretty much set now and can relax until she’s ready to come out.”

[Zerith]

Jasmine’s squeal of delight was music to the halberdier’s ear, painful music mind you, but he knew it was sound that meant she was pleased nonetheless. Although it took quite the amount of willpower to not wince at the high pitch sound, he figured it would be better in the end to endure it than to endure a lecture or something from his wife.

“What do you mean ‘she’?” it was Zevernus’ voice that spoke up this time. His arms crossed in front of his chest, a very obvious frown of disapproval on his face. “Now I don’t want to disappoint you, Jas. But I’d like to enlighten you to the fact that it’s obviously going to be a boy.”

With the tone the swordsman carried and the defiant body language he gave off, Zerith couldn’t help but smile with some amusement. Melody merely rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with the manner that Zevernus decided to state his opinion. Eric on the other hand was just as amused as Zerith was, however he decided to take the step and bravely see just how the warder’s friend came up with his revelation. “Really? How on Althanas can you tell?”

The foreigner grinned widely. “Well you see, since I’m just so incredibly awesome. I have a gift of being able to see some things others just can’t?”

“Oh, really?” this time it was Jasmine herself who challenged. While normally she would have just ignored Zerith’s friend, just as she had ignored all of his advances in the past, she did not appreciate have her opinions about her baby treated as if they were invalid. “Care to give me another example?”

Zevernus laughed, “Easy. Out of the two of us, if I look down right now I’ll be the only one out of the two of us able to see my toes!”

The King and Warder broke out into a loud fit of laughter, to the point where Eric almost felt like he was in tears and had to lean on the crib for support. Jasmine on the other hand was not impressed in the least. Her blue eyes immediately turned to her look at brother, who in turn immediately ceased laughing when he noticed her eyes change almost instantaneously to amethyst. Normally, all three men had teased Jasmine every now and then about her pregnancy and how it affected her. Most times it was just a playful act, and Jasmine would just laugh and find it amusing as well. Yet for some reason, Zevernus must have crossed a line with Jasmine this time. Perhaps it wasn’t the joke itself that made Jasmine so irritated, but the fact that she really believed her baby was a girl. Zerith on the other hand didn’t really mind what the gender of his child was. All that really mattered to him was the fact that he was the father, and not a certain prince of Myrusia.

When his laughter had finally subsided, Zerith calmly approached his wife and gave her a warm hug. “It’s okay, Jasmine, Zevernus didn’t mean any harm. Come on, why don’t we all head into the city this afternoon like we had
planned? I thought you had wanted to bring Melody and pick up one or two items for the baby?” He asked. After the years of knowing the princess, he knew he stood a better chance of getting her to relax if he could manage to convince her to do something. It had worked wonders back in the fortress of Erebus, when he convinced her to do an assignment with him. Surely, enjoying a nice afternoon in the capital of her homeland would be just the she would enjoy.

“She most certainly will not!” Eric shouted. The protective brother followed the couple as the exited the nursery and went back into the master bedroom. “I understand that Jasmine may feel like she can go out for an afternoon or go for her morning ride on her mare, but let’s be reasonable here. She’s due in two weeks, Zerith! What will you do if all that walking just makes her go into labour faster or something?”

After looking to Jasmine who only offered an apologetic smile, Zerith turned to face the King and actually spoke in a calm, collective matter for once rather than all the prior times when he snapped at his brother-in-law. “I am more than capable of looking after my wife, Eric. We’ll take our time and walk at a pace she can feel comfortable with, and I’ll make sure she sits down and rests frequently. Besides, Melody will keep a close on Jasmine too. With her experience, I’m sure she knows better than any of us just want your sister can or can’t handle. Isn’t that right, Melody?”

The halberdier didn’t even bother to wait for the King to respond and instead left for the Queen to step in between the two of them and reassure her husband that everything was alright. It was just a fact that out of everyone in Althanas, Melody seemed to be the only individual with the ability to make her husband decide to take a deep breath and calm down. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Eric decided to marry her. However, Zerith wasn’t about to waste his time wondering why the royal couple decided to marry each other. Instead he began preparing to head outside. As he quickly headed towards where his halberd leaned against the corner of the room, he stopped just as held his arm out to retrieve it. Seeing this, Jasmine couldn’t help but inquire. “Zerith? Is something wrong?”

“What? No, nothing’s wrong,” was the immediately reply. The Warder made a fist briefly before opening it again as he continued to stare at Amenzanil. “Nah, it’s nothing.” He repeated as he turned and joined the others. “I just think I’ll pass on taking my halberd this time. I don’t want to feel as if I’m invading the market or something.”

“Okay then buddy,” Zevernus responded as looked at his friend with a strange expression. “I’ve never known you to suddenly decide to leave that thing behind, but I won’t argue with you. Can we get going now?”

A loud audible sigh came from the King, who was finally convinced by his wife to let the two men, the princess and the queen go on their trip as planned. “Alright, I suppose you guys can go as long as Jasmine is careful. Though I will have two guards accompany you just to be safe.”

Zerith, Jasmine and Zevernus all seemed to roll their eyes simultaneously. Indeed, despite all the excitement of the coming addition to the family, some things never chanced one bit.

***

The market of Nadai was just a busy as it and always been. Numerous booths lined the sides of the cobblestone streets with no real organization to them noticeable. The nicer of the shops were stationed in legitimate stores, the stunning stonework of the buildings a testament to the old architecture of the capital’s past. The merchandise of each particular booth varied as much as each individual person from another. Some carried vast amount of fruits and vegatables, others had delicate pieces of jewellery displayed for many woman to admire over. One booth in particular carried polearms made from Akashiman Redwood, while another sold various types of glass from Fallien. Through the busy traffic four people walked side by side, followed by two guards who casually chatted with each other as well. Zerith and Jasmine walked in the middle, with Zevernus and Melody at their respective sides. In her arms, the queen carried a large stuffed bear with a pink bow on its head while Zevernus occupied himself with eating a chicken fajita. All in all, it seemed to be an enjoyable afternoon for everyone.

Far ahead of them, a man dress in strange dark brown robes stood before a slowly growing crowd of people. From a distance, the halberdier could have sworn the man looked like he was one of the monks of the Citadel in Corone. However, as they grew closer he couldn’t help but notice the large facial tattoo of some tribal design and the lip piercing that completely differentiated him from those monks. Though what really shocked the group didn’t have anything to do with his physical appearance. Rather, it was the absolute nonsense that was pouring out from his lips.

“You would think that will all these taxes in place, King Eric would actually do something about this place!” he shouted as he waved his arms around extravagantly around him to gesture to the city. “Yet can any of you tell me of a time where he’s even bothered to get Nadai cleaned up? I doubt it! I’ll tell you what he does instead. Instead he spends all of his time in his palace and spends our money on his family and that precious little ‘sister’ of his! I don’t care that she is going to have a baby! As King, his first priority should be the welfare of us, his people! We’re the one’s putting forth the cash, it’s about time we start seeing it used productively! Am I right?”

As the crowd cheered, Jasmine couldn’t help but frown in disgust. “I don’t believe this,” she exclaimed in disbelief. “He’s feeding them lies and they’re just blindly eating it up at absolutely truth! Eric is trying really hard to clean Nadai up, and he most certainly wouldn’t spend gold obtained from taxes on some selfish whims. Where are those guards? They should arrest this man!” she demanded as she stomped her foot down and clenched her fists tightly.

Gently placing his hands on her shoulders, Zerith calmly spoke into her ear. “This man isn’t worth your anger Jasmine. He’s just looking for attention to feed off of. Yes, some people may listen now, but once they realize it’s nothing but nonsense they’ll just continue on their-“

“Oh, well look what we have here” the stranger spoke loudly and cut Zerith off. The halberdier looked up to notice that the man had been speaking specifically of them, and they the every person in the crowd had also turned their gaze to the four of them. “If it isn’t Eric’s little lapdog, and bitch of a sister! You see, gentlemen, this is what happens when you don’t keep a close eye on your daughters. All they manage to do is get knocked up by some foreigner!”

The Warder stepped in front of his wife, crossing his arm in front of him as he looked at the man with a rather disappointing expression. “I don’t know what your issue with King Eric is, But I’m certain that neither my wife or I have done anything to offend you. Therefore, I politely ask you to apologize.”

The man laughed loudly, “You must be joking. Do you want to know what you’ve done wrong? I’ll tell you, you’ve blindly lowered yourself to do Eric’s bidding and not once questioned how he treats his people. I can understand that you were probably only doing it to impress the fair princess, but you still only managed to prove you're just a filthy mutt. You see everyone, this is exactly the type of behaviour Eric wants us to have, this blind obedience and faith in him while he secretly pockets our gold. Gold that I will have you remember, is rightfully ours.”

“That’s a pretty big claim to make there, friend,” Zerith countered. He briefly turned to a worried Melody and flashed her a quick, reassuring smile. “But I don’t think you can’t really make accusations like that without some sort of evidence to support your claims. I assume you have some?”

The men glared at the halberdier and grit his teeth together when he inwardly realized he didn’t have an argument to that. “Proof? I don’t need proof to know when I’m being swindled. Eric is nowhere near close to the type of man Montego was. If you ask me, he was ten times the King Eric is n-“

“Since you don’t have any proof, I can safely say all you’re doing is just wasting everybody’s time,” Zerith cut him off. His sapphire eyes turned to look upon the crowd that was quickly dispersing as people began to see exactly what Zerith saw at first. “You all may as well go on and continue your shopping since this fool clearly doesn’t have any idea what he’s talking about. He’s wasted enough of our time as it is already.” Taking Jasmine’s hand in his, the halberdier turned away from the crowd and called out to Zevernus, Melody and the guards. “Come on, guys. We’re done here.”

“You...you bastard!” The man yelled a loud as he possibly could as he watched Zerith begin to walk away. “I won’t allow some mere dog to just walk away from me because his pathetic master calls! What I’m saying is absolutely truth, boy! And you will rightfully listen to me! You all will!” Without thinking straight, the right hand of the man reach out to his side and grabbed hold onto the first thing he could feel. With all the strength he could muster, he launched the big, red tomato forward as hard as he could with enough rage to crack Zerith’s skull it if was a rock.

With his back turned, there was no way that the warder could have seen the cowardly act performed against him until it was too late. With a loud, audible Splat! The tomato collided directly into the back of his head. The wet interior stuck in his curly hair along with the seeds. Some even splashed onto Zevernus, who immediately stopped eating long enough to verbally demanded an answer to what was going on. Zerith on the other hand stood in silence for a minute as he struggled to overcome the sudden surprise of what just happened. Anger surged through his veins as he gripped onto Jasmine’s hand so tightly he was afraid he could hurt her.

“You have got to be kidding me,” he thought. “What did I do to be treated like this?”

[Jasmine]

“THAT IS ENOUGH!!”

Melody turned on the man standing on his pedestal, his eyes alight with his fury. Petite though she was, she drew herself up regally, her crown glinting in the sunlight.

“You are more than welcome to come to the palace and lay your complaints before the Sapphire Throne, as are all citizens. You are even perfectly within your rights to stand on your little soapbox and denounce the king and his policies.”

She paused for a moment as the man started to sneer and open his mouth to respond, but she held up a hand and continued in a curt voice, “Do not interrupt your Queen she is speaking to you! As I was saying, you are perfectly within your rights to complain. Assault is another matter. James, Anthony, arrest this man for assault on the royal family.”

Inwardly pleased at having something useful to do, the guards kept their faces grim as they nearly lifted the man off his feet between them, ignoring his spluttering protests. “How long, Your Majesty?” James asked.

“Hmmm, three days, that ought to be long enough for him to cool his heels and reconsider his tactics.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The two men saluted and dragged the complaining man away. Melody watched until they were swallowed up by the crowd then smiled. “That’s much better. Good people, remember that you don’t have to resort to soapboxes to make your concerns known to me or your king.”

In a few minutes the people drifted away and they were able to finish their trip to the market. Melody enjoyed the few trips out of the palace grounds she managed to get. The things the man had been saying and the fact that he’d been trying to get support worried her though. I’ll just have to make sure I talk to Eric about it later tonight.


***

Much later that night, as Jasmine and Zerith were getting ready for bed, Jasmine sat at her vanity table, brushing her hair before bed. The events from that day were replaying in her head and she glanced over at her husband. She set her brush down and climbed into bed, pulling up the hem of the light blue nightgown she wore up a little as she did.

“Zerith, are you sure you’re okay? I mean about that man earlier today?”

“Of course, sweetheart,” he assured her as he kissed her forehead. “Melody took care of things and there’s nothing to worry about. Now get some sleep.”

Jasmine smiled and snuggled down into the covers. She wasn’t as comfortable as she would have liked, but in a couple more weeks, sleeping would be at least a little bit easier. For now, she just hoped her baby would allow her to get a full night’s sleep tonight.

[Zerith]

Finding himself unable to sleep, Zerith sighed heavily and climbed out of large canopy bed as quietly as he could. The thick carpet felt warm to his bare feet, and comfortably cushioned them as he made his way to the set of doors that let out onto their private balcony. Slowly, he turned the doorknobs and was pleasantly greeted with the cool breeze on his bare chest when he opened the barrier, crossed the threshold and stepped outside. Clad in only a dark green pair of pyjama pants, the fresh air felt great as he caressed every inch of his well toned body. The beautiful stonework of the extension , though hard and solid felt soothing to his feet at the same time. Approaching the edge, he placed his hands on the railing and tried his best to relax as the wind ruffled his curly hair.

Below, the city of Nadai was slowly drifting to sleep as well. Lit windows lay scattered through the city streets, distant conversations could barely be heard to the point where the halberdier couldn’t successfully eavesdrop even if he tried. Looking down, he could see the odd person here or there walked down one of the many empty cities streets. Far above him, hundreds of stars shone beautifully in the black canvas that was the night sky. All in all, the atmosphere was serene and comforting.

Despite his surroundings, the thoughts that were going through the Warder’s mind were far different. He felt uneasy, as he reflected on what had happened earlier. Yes, it was only a tomato that hit him, and that really didn’t bother time. However, he couldn’t seem to forget the look in that stranger’s eyes. There was something hidden beneath, some secret he knew of and was subtly implying. Although he had tried to think of what it could have possibly been throughout the rest of the day, the answer was still so very far out of Zerith reach. Once again, he repeated what the man had said in his mind.

“Eric is nowhere near close to the type of man Montego was.”

Opening his mouth to repeat the phrase aloud, the words died in his throat when he felt two small, delicate hands gingerly touch his upper arms. “Zerith?” the quiet voice of Jasmine spoke softly, a touch of concern in her tone. “What are you thinking about?”

The halberdier closed his eyes, and quickly thought of a lie. “I’m sorry, love. I wasn’t really feeling tired, so I decided to come out here for some fresh air.” He tried to fake a laugh afterwards, but it came out choppy and unbelievable.

He felt pressure on his back as the princess laid her head against it, enjoying the feel of her husband’s skin and the warmth that came with it. Unknown to him, she closed her eyes and didn’t nothing but listen to his steady heartbeat for a few moments. Finally, she responded, "Zerith, you're not fooling anyone, least of all me. I know you better than that. What's bothering you, love? You can tell me anything, remember? I can't help you through things if you don't tell me what's going on. Please, tell me what's on your mind."

Sighing again, the Warder was a little hesitant for a brief moment or two. The truth was he didn’t want to worry her with what his thoughts were if they weren’t true. Though she did make a valid point, and in his heart he knew he could trust her more than anyone else. “It’s just what that man sad about Montego today,” Zerith admitted as he looked his head and stared blankly at the railing right in front of him. “I can’t really put my finger on it, but I think he’s hiding something about Montego. Something doesn’t feel right, and I feel like something bad is about to take place.”

“Oh, Zerith,” Jasmine replied and a very calm and soothing tone. She gently guiding her husband’s body to turn around, and gave him a warm, reassuring smile as she gazed up at him lovingly. “Listen to me carefully when I say this. Nothing bad is going to happen to us, okay? Montego has been dead for years, and Moriah has flourished since then. Eric is doing a marvellous job leading the country, and the two of us are about to have a beautiful baby and become a family. Everything is perfect and wonderful.”

It took some time for the words to really sink in. Jasmine made a very good point; Montego really was a thing of the past. So in reality, the old tyrant couldn’t really do anything anyways. Although he hadn’t witnessed the climactic battle between the fiend as his wife, the fact that Jasmine was standing before him alive and well only proved that she was right. Indeed, there truly wasn’t anything negative for the halberdier to obsess over now. His sapphire eyes lowered to look at her large belly, and that old familiar smile of Zerith’s that his princess loved to see suddenly came back. “You’re right, you know. We really are going to have a beautiful baby.”

Jasmine smiled widely; overjoyed to watch the husband she married come back to her. Rising up onto her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. “Of course I’m right. Now it really is getting late, so it’s time for you to come to bed.” She didn’t even allow the Warder to respond and instead just took one of his hands in hers and lead the way back to their bed. Strangely enough, once they were both settled, Zerith had no problem falling asleep this time.

Just like that, Everything going on in his life really was perfect and wonderful.

[Jasmine]

Once settled back into bed, Jasmine fell asleep almost instantly. Curled up in Zerith’s arms the princess felt completely at ease and deep in the recesses of her mind a dream began to unfold…

It was a perfect day. The sun was warm, the sky was clear and a gentle breeze blew softly. Birds chattered as they swooped through the air. Jasmine’s long, black hair was tossed about lightly by the playful wind as she laughed at something Zerith said. Her husband had a wide smile on his face and was dressed in casual clothes of the type he’d worn when they traveled all around Althanas. She wore a simple gown of pale blue that had capped sleeves and a modest neckline. It fell to her ankles, revealing that her feet were bare.

The couple was walking through lush, ankle-deep, green grass on the hills behind what was now Dracosius Manor. Between them, holding to one of each of their hands, was a little girl of about three years. Her features were a perfect blend of her parents’ features. Her hair, which would have brushed her shoulders if it was loose, was tied up in two pigtails that curled slightly. The tails swayed every which direction as the child laughed and bounced along. Like her parents, the girl had blue eyes framed with long lashes. Her cheeks were a little had a healthy flush to them as she swung between her parents in a game of “1-2-3” in which Jasmine and Zerith swung her forward on three. Her laughter was music to her parents’ ears as the happy family enjoyed their obligation-free day.

Suddenly, the sky turned dark and the sense that all was right in the world disappeared, replaced by a heavy sense of foreboding and evil. Dark clouds filled the sky as thunder rolled. Jasmine picked up her daughter, who had begun to cry at the sound of the thunder and ran for the mansion with Zerith right behind her. The gates to the manor slammed shut behind them as they entered the manor grounds, but feeling of a vile presence did not go away. In fact, it seemed to grow worse with every step they took into the manor.

As the family neared the center of the courtyard, a black mist rose up and took the form of a long dead nemesis. The man was tall, with dark hair, but his eyes flashed red. As he took full form, lighting ripped across the sky, illuminating his silhouette, but strangely not his face. The figure stretched forth his hand and a gust of black wind swept up and pulled the little girl from Jasmine’s arms.

“MOOOOMMYYYYY!!!”

The child’s heart wrenching scream echoed off the courtyard walls. The figure smiled evilly as it made the little girl fly high above them. Her sobs and screams of terror were like knives in Jasmine’s heart. Zerith dashed forward, intent on making the man bring his daughter back to the ground, but the evil man simply stretched forth his other hand and Zerith, too, was raised high in the air.

Finally, for a reason she couldn’t figure out, the man’s face became clear and she could see that it was Montego, long dead traitor and murderer, that held her husband and daughter hostage. He smirked as he brought Zerith crashing to the ground then picked him up. He repeated this a couple more times as he addressed Jasmine, who could not move from where she stood.

“All that you hold dear…”

CRASH!

“All that you love…”

CRASH!

The last time he raised Zerith, who was now a limp, bloody mess, and her daughter up extremely high.

“I will destroy!”

He let them go and Jasmine watched horrified as their bodies came crashing down to the earth. She fell to her knees beside Zerith and her daughter, able at last to move. Her daughter’s eyes stared, wide-eyed, frozen in terror at her mother; the dead stare somehow accusatory. Shockingly, Zerith’s lips were moving and she bent lower to hear him.

“Forgive me, my love…”

He became stone still at that point and Jasmine rose to her feet, anger and grief clearly evident on her face. But before she could do anything the bodies and manor around her faded away until it was just her and Montego in a gray, featureless domain.

“I’m coming for them… I’m coming for you!”

On “you” he turned back into a black mist and lunged at Jasmine. She flung her arms up as though to protect herself, but the mist did not harm her. As his presence faded away, the images of the manor and the dead bodies of her daughter and husband came back.
“No, no, no...

...no, NOOO!!!!"

She sat bolt upright as the last two “no’s” were said aloud, quite a feat for someone nine months pregnant. Her breathing was ragged and sweat dampened the hair around her face. She looked around frantically, trying to scramble out of bed and turn a light up. The fact that she had some difficulty in doing so and the shape of a body in the bed beside her calmed her somewhat, but not entirely. At last she managed to get a hold of a lamp and turned the flame up a bit.

The sudden light caused Zerith to stir in his sleep. Grumbling, he rolled over from where he laid in bed. "It's the middle of the night, Jasmine. Now's not the time to be reading one of your fantasy novels," he complained.

She looked over at him, terror still in her eyes and tears threatening, "Not reading...nightmare. It was Montego."

The name spurred Zerith to turn over, eyes open with surprise. "Montego? He's dead, Jasmine, you killed him yourself. It was just a dream."

She shook her head, "Something's not right. He… he came at me... there was something more to it."
She looked up at him, "Zerith, I'm scared..."

Sighing, the halberdier slowly sat up and held his arm out, offering a hug despite how tired he was. "Alright, tell me what else happened in the dream."

She scooted over and leaned against him, "It started out quite nice actually. You and I were walking along on the hills behind the manor; between us we were swinging a little girl." She smiled as she said this then continued, "But then the dream changed suddenly. It got dark and we ran to the manor for shelter from a sudden storm and..and Montego was there in the courtyard.. but I didn't know it was him at first. It was just a man-shaped shadow... it, it ripped our daughter away from me." She looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes, "Zerith, she screamed for me but the shadowman just lifted her higher. Then you, you tried to rescue her, but you were yanked up off the ground too. He..he smashed you," she stumbled over her words as the images from the nightmare came back. “...into the ground several times and...and he spoke to me.”

As he listened, Zerith yawned and squinted his eyes against the light and his fatigue. Everyone had nightmares; even he had them from time to time. So while his wife spoke, the warder didn't really think much of it. "Is that all?" he asked, the tone in his voice coming out wrong, possibly expressing to Jasmine that he didn't really care about her dream at all.

"He said, 'all that you hold dear, all that you love, I will destroy.' Then he raised you up as high as our daughter and dropped you both. I… I saw your bodies on the ground, crushed. Our daughter’s eyes were wide open and accusing me, as though I had killed her. Next, everything disappeared and it was just me and Montego. He said he's coming for you and our baby...and me." Finished with her story she finally noticed his tired attitude, "Zerith! You could at least pretend like you cared about this. I've had nightmares before, but not like this. Nothing like this! I could feel the malevolence and hatred toward me."

He sighed again, a little disappointed that she seemed to have forgotten just who she was sitting next to. "I understand you're frightened, and you have every right to be. Yet I have fought demons, dwarves, assassins and armies. I've encountered one of the Thaynes and even have been to the Antifirmament and back. Now I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I assure you that IF Montego did manage to somehow come back from the dead, I would crush him."

She just shook her head and snuggled closer to him, "It still just doesn't feel right. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Smiling, he kissed her forehead. "You won't, as I would fight my way back. If he helps you feel better, I promise that if Montego did reappear, I would cut him into pieces and make sure they were separated. That way he could never come back again."

She smiled at that. Just having Zerith's arms around her was settling her mind and she started to drift back to sleep, "Mmm… you'd better or I shall be very disappointed."

"Damn, guess I can't have that then," he joked. "Though seriously, when have I ever disappointed you?"

"Never, which is a pretty darn good record," she said softly, falling back to sleep, "so keep it up."

Yawning, the noble lay back down again and began to find himself drifting off to sleep as well. Arm wrapped around his wife, he held her tightly against him and allowed the warmth of his body to help comfort her. "Yeah, sure thing."

[Zerith]

For the vast majority of Moriah, the late hour of night was a time of silence. With the sun hanging somewhere over the other side of Althanas, most Morians slept soundly without a care in the world. For them, their blissful rest after the long day was a peaceful time. Those that were like Jasmine and had nightmares would merely shrug them off and go back to sleep, dismissing their fear as is they were nothing. However not everyone in the kingdom was sleeping at that hour, as there were a few exceptions. It was only appropriate that these people stirred in the darkness of the night, as what they were doing was not only disturbing to some, but also forbidden.

Far beneath the glamour and professional appearance of his estate, Lord Josephus rubbed his hands together with excitement. Surrounding him were just four old, dirty, dusty stone walls of brick, quite possibly forming a room that was originally created back when his family’s house was built by his ancestors. The room was so old that nothing adorned it, as the only things that stood in the room other than himself were the dozens of candles that littered the room and the numerous strangers he gathered together in order to perform what he seriously believed was Moriah’s salvation. Everything he had planned for years culminated on this single event, and he was more than eager to see how all of his word would pay off.

His cold and calculating grey eyes stared at the stone slab that stood in the middle of the table, a large table or pedestal that seemed to be chiselled from a single piece of rock. Surrounding it were six men, all dress in dark red robes, their hoods raised so their individual faces laid hidden in shadow while they bowed their heads as if they were praying with hands clasped together. Six voices chanted in unison, the words belonging to some ancient ritual that supposedly made what some thought impossible a mere bump in the road. Whatever the words meant was irrelevant to Josephus as long as it would give him what he wanted. If it did, then every penny spent on gathering everything together would have been worth it.

As the deep voices went through their incantation, the noble’s eyes shifted from the mages to the form that rested on the pedestal. There, clad in an ornate suit of black plated armor laid skeletal remains. Clasped together over the breastplate, its boney fingers were wrapped around a massive, menacing, double-edged axe emblazoned with a large skull on either side of the blades. Although Josephus couldn’t see it from where he stood, a sickly green light glowed faintly from the weapon’s eye sockets. Not only that, but the light seemed to pulse to the rhythm of the mantra that flooded the chamber.

“Soon,” Josephus thought to himself. “Soon I’ll watch those arrogant grins wipe off of Eric and Jasmine’s faces. Then I’ll laugh as that foreigner gets slaughtered in front of her wife’s face before and mount all of their heads on my wall.”

Lost in his daydreaming, the noble didn’t notice as the ritual began to work. Starting off slowly before it grew to a rapid back, the armoured corpse began to regenerate. Muscles and Tendons seemed to materialize from nothing accompanied by veins, arteries and all of a person’s organs. Beneath the armor a heart came to life, flooding the earthly vessel with life as it began to pump one again. Flesh and hair were two of the final things that were created, along with eyes and all of the physical things that formed the exterior of a man. As the volume of the chanting reached its climax, the large hands of a man came to life and clutched onto the axe as tightly as they could. The body rose from the table in an instant so that it was now sitting upright as someone’s eyes flew open for the first time in years. Gasping for air to fill his empty lungs, the man wouldn’t notice that the axe in his hands came to life alongside him. Vicious green flame surrounded the weapon, and the eye sockets of the skull glowed brightly with that same sickly light it had earlier.

The spectacle of watching a dead man come to life was incredible, and a dream come true. Grinning from ear to ear, Lord Josephus couldn’t help by applaud as he approached the man that was climbed down off the stone table,. The six mages began to slowly make their way out of the room while remaining silent now that their job done was and purpose fulfilled. As the black cape that was draped across the stranger’s broad shoulders finally slid off the old altar, Josephus was finally able to say the words he had been dreaming of uttering for months. Kneeling before the large beast of a man that towered over him, the noble would find that the words escaped his lips far easier that he ever imagined.

“Long live King Montego.”

[Jasmine]

Melody’s soft, tinkling laugh filled the garden patio where she, her husband and Jasmine were waiting for Zerith. Her son, Prince Dylan roamed the patio while waiting for lunch to be served. Though it wasn’t quite spring yet, early buds were starting to appear in the garden. The sweet scent of new life on the verge of blooming wafted through the air. Jasmine’s laugh joined her sister-in-law’s as she watched her young nephew chasing a small, inquisitive bird that had daring come looking for crumbs.

The little prince scowled at them but said nothing. Dylan was determined to have the black and blue feathered thief for a pet. The bird pecked at the ground, seemingly oblivious to the child trying to be sneaky. At the very last moment, the bird would take wing over to the other side of the patio. The little waxwing thought it a marvelous game, despite the prince’s increasing frustration.

Finally, Eric collected his son and settle Dylan between himself and Melody. “So Jasmine,” he asked, once he was sure that Dylan was not going to slip away, “where is Zerith? He should have been here by now.”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged in response. “He left earlier this morning saying he was going to have a walk about town and that he’d be back for lunch.” She leaned back in her seat, trying in vain to stretch her lower back. The last few weeks her back had started aching. The women in her family as well as the mid-wife assured her that the pain was pregnancy related and that she’d be fine once the baby was here. After nearly 39 weeks of pregnancy, Jasmine was very ready for the baby to be born. In fact, she could hardly wait.

“Well, let’s give him a few more minutes. Then we’ll just have to eat without him,” Eric said with a chuckle. “I’m sure he won’t be too upset.”

“No…” Jasmine said, her voice trailing off distractedly.

The queen put her hand over Jasmine’s, “Is something wrong? I’m sure Zerith is fine.”

“Sorry, I’m just worried. It’s just not like him to miss a meal like this.”

A small voice cleared its throat, interrupting the conversation. “My apologies for interrupting Majesties, but I’ve been sent with a message.”

The royal family all looked at the blue and silver liveried messenger. The teen shuffled his feet nervously then remembered his message, “Sire, there is rioting in the streets of Nadai.”

Eric’s eyes popped open in surprise, “Where are Taren and Zerith? They should be able to handle this.”

“I’m told they are both already there. Sire, I’m told the riots are over you being king. They claim you’re unfit and want you to cede the throne.”

“But that’s ridiculous!” Jasmine objected, “By law a monarch may cede the throne to whomever he or she deems worthy and capable.”

“The rioters claim that you took the throne dishonestly, Highness, and thus did not have the authority to cede the throne to just anyone. They want a whole new regime.”

“How are Taren and Zerith holding up, lad?”

“I’m not sure, Majesty, but I’m sure they would appreciate more help.”

Eric grimly got to his feet, “It appears I will have to postpone my own lunch. You three should go ahead and eat. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Messenger, run ahead and tell Captain Johns to meet me in my office.”

The messenger bowed and hurried away with Eric right behind him. Jasmine watched her brother leave. Uneasiness welled up within her as she remembered her nightmare from a few nights ago.

Zerith, what is going on?

[Zerith]

Up until this point in the halberdier’s life, he had never seen an angry mob before. While they definitely didn’t look like an army, the large group of rioters still frightened Zerith in a way. Perhaps it was the sense of anger that seemed to radiate from them, or maybe it was the amount of destruction they had apparently caused in their rage. Whatever the reason was, he certainly made the prince hesitant to intervene. Instead he merely watched from a safe distance, far away from the rioters and behind the large group of armoured guards that were intervening.

By the time the foreigner arrived, broken glass covered the cobblestone streets of Nadai from where men and women and thrown whatever they could get their hands on through numbers windows of stores and houses. Stalls and booth along the street in the market were broken and splintered, produce had been used to be thrown against doors and at the member of the city guard. Some citizens laid strewn about the streets, groaning in pain from behind pushed to the ground and trampled or being attacked by others. Even worse was the fact that few were probably unconscious or even worse, but medical attention was currently out of the question due to the cruel reality that the mob stood between the victims and any possible form of aid.

“Can you believe this?” a calm and collected voice spoke to the warder. It was only when Zerith turned his head to see the person beside him that he realized it was Taren that was talking. “They have absolutely no respect for anything the people Nadai worked for. I’m not looking forward to see how many people will be forced to pay for the cost of this.”

“I don’t understand,” the prince replied honestly. “Aren’t they the people of Nadai?”

The Captain-Commander shrugged, “Yes and no I suppose. While they are citizens normally they’re definitely not acting like them now.” He stopped talking to the halberdier and turned his head back to the approaching crowd. “In the name of King Eric!” he shouted “I demand that this demonstration is ceased immediately!”

“WE HAVE NO KING!!” the protestors boomed in one voice. “NOT SINCE MONTEGO DIED!!”

The response forced a heavy sigh of disappointment to escape Mathew Taren’s lips, “So much for ending this peacefully.” He began walking on ahead toward the human wall of guard that was taking form in order to subdue the rioters before things got any worse. He turned his head to call over his shoulder as he continued on his way. “You are coming to help, aren’t you Zerith?”

The prince had been so distracted with watching the mob come closer that he had completely forgotten that he had even offered to help the guards in the first place. Luckily he had already donned an identical suit of armor all the others worse and had a shield strapped to his left arm. In his right he gripped the handle of a mace, believing it was better to leave his halberd or the sharp edge of a sword behind and substitute for something that had the potential for deal some less lethal amounts of damage if need be. Swallowing his fears and uneasiness with a heavy gulp, the prince stepped forward and took his place in the front line.

When the mob finally physically crashed into the shields of the guard like a wave colliding against the face of a cliff, chaos erupted. Through unarmored, the mob still had numbers behind it and they’re shouts and cries of rage protest against the royal family did nothing to make Zerith feel in any less danger. Marriage to Jasmine now made him feel like a lion before the a fearless army of lambs, and even as he desperately pushed his shield forward to ward off two attackers that were rushing him he couldn’t help be feeling like he made a bad decision to do this.

Suddenly he felt something sharp pierce his left thigh and he fell down on his right knee as he cried in pain. His right hand moved on instinct, dropping the mace in an instant in order to feel for whatever was stabbed into his leg. His fingers quickly discovered the culprit, and large dagger that must have been wielded by one of his assailants in order to try and cripple a guard. He released another painful cry as he yanked the dagger out, but was then suddenly assaulted by another angry citizen who had picked up the fallen mace and threatened to crush the prince’s skull. Zerith managed to raise his shield just in time and diverted the deadly amount of force onto solid steel. After that the guard finally acted when they recognized their prince had fallen, forming a human barricade to separate Zerith from the mob. “Prince Zerith has been injured!” Taren cried. “Ensure his safety and help him back to the palace!”

“DOWN WITH ERIC!!” the rioters roared, “DOWN WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY!!”

“Tell Taren this riot must be put under control within the hour,” Zerith
ordered one knight as two others helped him limp back to the palace to seek medical attention. “Be sure to notify me immediately when someone is arrested. I’ll want to question them myself.”

Although he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, some small part of the halberdier was telling him that something wasn’t right. He needed to find some answers quickly, as he was getting really sick of people treated like this not only by his wife’s own people, but people he once consider putting his life on the line for.

[Jasmine]

While Eric moved off to organize help for Zerith and the Captain Commander, Jasmine, Melody and Dylan quietly ate their meal. Neither of the adults spoke, each woman keeping her thoughts about the news to herself. Though he was quite young, Dylan was an observant boy. He picked up on the somber mood of his mother and aunt and kept quiet. When they were finished, he politely excused himself to go play in his nursery.

Jasmine got to her feet and started going inside. She was worried about Zerith. Though she couldn’t hear what her husband was hearing from the rioters, she could feel his disbelief in how these people were acting. She knew he needed to be able to concentrate on what he was doing, so she refrained from speaking to him through their bond. The only thing she could have said was to be careful anyway, and that was something that went without saying. She closed her eyes briefly as she felt the adrenaline rush of meeting in combat and hoped that Zerith and the Captain Commander would be able to regain control with little bloodshed.

“Jasmine?”

She paused as she heard her sister-in-law’s voice call out to her and waited for the Queen to catch up.

“Don’t worry so much, Jas. He’ll be fine.”

Jasmine smiled, “I know, it’s just— AAHHH!”

Her words cut off with a cry of pain as one knee briefly gave out. The sudden, brief pain, though small, caught her off guard and she stumbled. She would have fallen had Melody not grabbed her by the arm and held her steady.

“Jasmine? What’s wrong? What happened?”

“I’m okay. Really, Melody I’m fine. Zerith is hurt. His thigh, hold on a moment.” She closed her eyes and concentrated, focusing on Zerith. “Someone stabbed him in the front of the left thigh…they’re bringing him here. He can hardly walk on his injured leg. “ She smiled briefly, “And he’s totally pissed off about it, too. Beatrice!”

The servant girl in question was just passing by as Jasmine called her name. She stopped and bobbed a quick curtsy, “Yes, m’Lady?”

“Go find a healer and then prepare a room for them to work in. Prince Zerith is on his way here and he’s been hurt.”

“At once, Your Highness.” Beatrice bobbed another quick curtsy then hurried away to fulfill her instructions.

Melody looked at Jasmine concernedly. She’d never actually witnessed what happened to either Jasmine or Zerith when the other was hurt. She didn’t even really understand how their bond worked, though Jasmine had tried to explain it many times. “Are you sure you’re okay, Jasmine?”

“Quite, it just caught me off guard is all. I’m not hurt at all; I just felt some of Zerith’s pain. They’ll be here soon.”

Jasmine and Melody hurried on to the room that Beatrice had prepared. The girl has worked very fast. An older woman was in the room, setting up her materials in preparation for Zerith’s arrival. The women quietly took seats out of the way while they waited.

A few minutes later, the guards arrived with Zerith limping between them. Jasmine smiled encouragingly to her husband as the healer took over. In short order she had Zerith sitting with the injured leg cleared of pant leg and was now cleaning his wound.. While she hadn't made him take his pants off completely, the old woman had cut the left pant leg off a good three inches above the wound. Jasmine sat beside him.

“Shame on you,“ she teased lightheartedly, “letting someone slip up on you like that. But really, what’s going on out there?”

The prince winced a little as the healer started working in a compound to ward off infection. “Someone or something is riling them up. I’m not quite certain about it and I can’t tell you why I’m so certain, but something just isn't right.”

“Well, whatever it is, I’m sure between you and Taren you’ll figure it out. In the meantime, you will follow the healer’s directions so your leg will heal properly. That dagger cut you fairly deep. You’ll probably limp for a while too.”

With Jasmine’s support, Zerith got to his feet and the healer quickly finished bandaging the wound. Properly cleaned and stitched up, all that was left was for the prince’s natural healing processes to finish the job.

“There, now come and rest.”

Just as they were leaving the impromptu emergency room, a guard hurried up. “Prince Zerith, you asked that you be informed when we made an arrest. Captain Commander Taren said to let you know that we have someone. He’s in the second level dungeons as we speak.”

“Perfect.”

“Zerith—“

“I need to question him, Jas. I’ll rest later.”

For once, Jasmine didn’t argue with her husband. “Guard, make sure the prince doesn’t stumble. He’s just had his wound fixed up and he will regret it if he does something foolish to reopen it.”

The guard paled a little at the implied threat to Zerith but moved closer to help the halberdier along to the dungeons. Together, guard and prince moved as quickly as the prince could manage to the dungeons. Jasmine watched them, fuming at her husband’s stubbornness. She relaxed somewhat as Melody laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. He’s too stubborn to let a little ol’ stab wound like that get the better of him. Besides, Mother Gerta here is a wonderful healer.”

“You’re right I suppose. I just can’t help it.”

[Zerith]

“Dude, are you sure this is a good idea?” Zevernus asked, a slight hint of concern was hidden in his voice. The swordsman had taken the duty of helping his friend walk without being asked to. Together, the two were just about to reach the holding cell Taren was waiting by in the small section that served as a dungeon in Eric’s palace. “I’m only asking because I think you shouldn’t be on your feet.”

“I’ll sit down after we’re done here,” the halberdier answered, pushing aside his friend’s worries with determination and resolve. The lower level of the jail was cold and its stone walls were dark and dirty. Any maintenance it received was minimal, made apparent by the old metal bars that separated the felons from authority in ten tiny cells. Every step someone took was heard clearly and the sound carried down the wide corridor with little effort. Other than the two of them and Taren, only two guards stationed at either end of the tiny prison were the only people there. It was probably designed for the prisoners, a means to make them feel like they were deserted by society and left to rot for their transgression. It was simple and effective. So in his current state of mind, Zerith liked it that way.

Taren stood patiently with his arms held across his chest and merely nodded when the prince finally reached him. “This guy in here says he’s looking forward to meeting you, Zerith. Right now he’s only shackled to the wall by his wrists, so please try keep your distance in case he tries to kick you or something, okay?”

“Just open the cell so I can talk to him,” Zerith ordered, his patience waning with each passing moment. The Captain Commander merely nodded once again and turned to open the cell. It only took a minute before the door squealed in protest as it was pried open. Then once it was clear Zevernus quickly helped his companion limp through the threshold and see the detainee face to face.

The man that stood against the wall looked like he had taken a beating already. Bruises covered his arms while they were forced into a position that obviously looked uncomfortable while his head was hung down and his disheveled hair left his face obscured. Once he heard the halberdier enter, the prisoner swung his head to the side and giggled softly. “So the famous prince decides to give little ol’ me an audience. I’m sooooo honoured.” He stopped talked long enough to lift his face and look at his visitors through the dark hair that lay matted to his forehead. “How’s the leg?”

“You little son of a bitch…” Zevernus whispered. “You’re the little prick that stabbed Zerith, aren’t you?”

“Oh, you’re just so clever, aren’t you? Did you figure that out all by yourself?” The stranger mocked, laughing as he watched the fighter’s face turn red. “Yeah, that was me. I’ll even admit that I felt good doing it. It’s about time you people deserve some punishment.”

“You’re hardly in a position to brag.” Zerith finally spoke up, pushing Zevernus aside and insisting that he could stand without assistance. “You knew you couldn’t stand a chance against me on even ground, so you had to pull an underhanded trick to hurt me. You’re pathetic.”

“Ooooo, Lady Jasmine’s trophy husband actually has some bark.” Zerith’s assaulter taunted, grinning as he reveled in the attention he was getting. “Maybe you’re more than just the little bulldog we all think you are.”

“I’d watch what say if I were you,” the prince threatened. “I can make your life hell with just a single order.”

“Isn’t that how things have always been? Your family and Eric are just as oppressive as Montego was. The only difference is that Montego didn’t hide his true colours.”

“I’ve had it with these comparisons between King Eric and a dead man!” Zerith shouted as he stormed forwards, shrugging off the pain that shot him his leg as he moved. “Now tell me who started the riot. I want some names now!”

“Whatever, you can’t hurt me-“

A sudden flash of sharp metal proved otherwise, as in an instant the warder had reached to the back of his belt and drew his serrated dagger. “Care to test your luck? It would only take a second for me to accidently slip and slit your throat. I’d release the news that you tried to assassinate me, and you were executed for it. Or you can use your head for the first time today and just give me a straight up answer. Then you can probably be back with your family in a few days and a slap on the wrist.”

“Jasmine wouldn’t let you-“

“She wouldn’t have to know,” Zerith countered and pressed the blade against the vulnerable skin of the man’s neck. “I’ll give you one more chance. Who organized the riot? Five seconds.”

“You can’t be serious,” the prisoner pleaded.

“Four.”

“Eric won’t stand for this-“

“Three.”

“There’s no way I could know that!” the man begged.

“Two,” Zerith counted, gripping the dagger tightly as he grabbed his assailant by the hair.

“Please, I’m begging you!!”

“One-“

“IT WAS MONTEGO!!!” the prison cried, sobbing as he desperately confessed to save his life. “Montego order for some of us to start it and said it was time people realized that they had to force Eric to step down.

“Do you really think I’d believe a dead man could initiate a riot?” Zerith asked. “I’m sorry, but lying to me isn’t save you.”

“I swear I’m telling the truth, man! Some people dug him up and brought him back to life. You can even go see the empty grave where he was buried if you don’t believe me!”

“Z, I think he’s actually telling the truth….” Zevernus admitted in astonishment.

“That’s impossible,” the halberdier replied as he put his dagger away and turned around to face his friend. “Nobody knows where Montego is buried-“

Zerith’s explanation ended abruptly when he felt something smash right into his wounded thigh. With the prince’s back to him, the prisoner had taken the opportunity to lash out the only way he could by delivered a strong kick right next to where he had cut into the warder. He laughed as he watched the noble crumble before his very eyes and couldn’t stop himself from shouting as Zerith’s cries caused Taren and both guard to rush into the cell as soon as they could. “Your time is running out, your highness! Montego’s going to take back everything that’s his and all you people aren’t going to be around to see him sit on the Sapphire throne again! It’s only a matter of time now, Zerith, and you can’t stop it now!”

Unable to focus on what was happening around him due to the sheer pain, Zerith was couldn’t help but continue to scream in agony as he felt his blood flow down his leg and soak through his clothing. Taren and Zevernus rushed to pull him out of the cell and dungeon in a frantic hurry as quickly as possible while the guards remained to restrain his attacker as he continued to shout and fight back as hard as he could.

Even after he was carried out of the lower level and back into the palace, the stranger’s words would continue to linger in the halberdier’s memory and leave him in a state of unease. He didn't even want to think about how he would explain what happened to Jasmine or Eric. Instead he'd let Taren be the one handle it. The thought of what Jasmine's reaction would be was what worried Zerith more than anything now.