Meanwhile, six days earlier….
A man walked into the war room located in the Royal training field of Ohlm.
"I request permission of leave for a few days." He wasted no time getting to the point immediately after he entered.
"I deny your request, now get back to training." The man stared at the General Commander with a frown.
"I may be seen as a cruel or a mad person, but I do not go back on my words. I promised the Head Captain that I would live for her if she could best me. But when she was facing King Draven, I was not by her side. I say again. I request permission to go search for the owner of my life." The voice belonged to Migard.
After recovering from the injuries he received from the Head Captain, he had learned that Aeloria had gone missing from battle. He had rushed to the Commander in his healing robes, pushing the Oakliners that blocked his way aside.
"I still refuse. Even if you had been there, it would not have changed the outcome." Orin looked to his right where his arm was missing.
"I understand." Migard turned to leave.
"If you are planning to go even when I said no, I would kill you. I already have someone looking for her, there's no need for you to also go." Orin called after him but Migard did not slow down his pace or turn his head.
Moments later after Migard had left the room, Orin heard a knock on the door.
"Come in." A female soldier entered. She stared at the gloomy expression of the Commander with a worried look.
Ever since Aeloria disappeared, their beloved Commander had never been the same.
"Migard took one of the horses and rode off in his healing robes, I just thought you should know. Should we go after him?" Orin sighed after hearing the information, rubbing the back of his head with his remaining arm.
"Just leave him be." The soldier bowed and dismissed herself.
Meanwhile, Migard rode through the terrain without slowing his pace as memories flushed in his head.
"Hey, have you heard, they said there was a Cannibal in the kingdom." He had heard the soldiers talk one time as he served his punishment at the border.
"A cannibal? What is that?" A soldier had asked with a clueless grin.
"It's a person who eats another person. And apparently, this cannibal prefers children." Their friend had explained.
"That is so unsettling to hear. Why are they alive then? Shouldn't a person like that be burned or stabbed to death?" Another joined the conversation as they gathered around a pyre of fire.
"How could they burn her when the Queen gave her permission to serve in the army?"
"I'm trying to sleep, shut up or die." Migard's voice rang out, silencing their chatter.
"Let's just go, I don't want to get involved with that mad man," one whispered and they quickly dispersed.
How could they protest against him. According to his punishment, he was supposed to serve for only a year. However, he beat his superior to the brink of death after he was assigned night watch three times in a row. After that, he earned another year of punishment and the name mad soldier.
'A cannibal huh? Is she also caught in the entangled web of rumors? Or is she as exactly as the rumors say.'
After that, he kept hearing stories about her. He was fascinated by how she kept moving forward despite the setbacks.
So he decided to give her a little push. He had directed their hatred of her towards himself by requesting a duel against her.
When he was called names, he drowned in them. When his family shunned him, he nearly broke, but she kept going and he would make sure she never stopped.
In Present Time.
TAP, TAP.
Hanon tapped the left shoulder of Aeloria gently, waking her from her sleep.
She stirred, rubbing her eyes, gently. Hanon stared at her as she open her beautiful purple eyes slowly.
"Good morning, Aeloria. Sleep well?"
"I think so. How about you?"
"I was able to rest for a bit, so I think it's okay."
"Is it time for us to leave?" Aeloria stretched her arms, bringing herself to a sitting position.
"I'm afraid it is."
"Then we should hurry." Aeloria swung her legs off the bed, stretching her joints once more.
Meanwhile, in another inn, Ramius watched the food that had been served earlier with mild interest.
"I wasn't able to get a proper sleep because you kept your gaze on me the entire night, Zilel. Do not bother to flee, it is useless to run away from me." Ramius said as he took a stuffed vegetable meat, studying it carefully.
The man stepped forward from the shadows.
"How… how did you know my name?" He asked, his hand drifting towards the dagger at his side belt.
'I began observing everyone involved with Lord Krazel in order to figure out whom the Thornsleeper might be. I didn't think he would notice me so soon. He really is as perceptive as the rumors say.'
"I would have invited you to join me," Ramius said, looking at the meal before him. The chair scraped backwards as he stood, turning to face the man. "Unfortunately, the food is poisoned, so maybe another time." As he said this, he bit into the stuffed vegetable meat, taking a single step towards the man.
'Why eat it if it was poisoned?' He thought but asked a different question instead.
"How long have you known about me, and how did you know my name?"
"How long have I known about you? From the moment you stepped foot in Norco. As for your name, it's nothing difficult to gather information about influential people such as Krazel."
"That's absurd, Lord Krazel has countless people he looks after, it is nearly impossible for you to learn the names of every single one of us." Zilel was sure he had hidden his presence well, for him to not only identify his presence but know his name as well was something he refused to accept.
"I did it though. Normally I would not bother, but call it a hunch, I feel the merchant has been marked by a viper. You see, I'm also here in search of a Thornsleeper, so it would be great if I could meet them through Krazel." Ramius stuffed the rest of the meat in his mouth.
He walked over to the table, taking a napkin and wiped invisible stains from his lips.
"I thought you said the food was poisoned?" At last, he could not contain his curiosity and ended up asking.
"It is. My guess is, the Thornsleeper after your Lord thought I was an eyesore and hired a maid to poison my food. It's quite annoying that they made no effort to dissolve the bitter taste of the poison. Now it feels like I just ate bitter roots."
'What a strange man. He's only concerned about the taste of the food and not the effect of the poison? But since he is also after the Thornsleeper, it would be a great opportunity if I could ally myself with him. I do not trust the Protector after what I witnessed yesterday.'
"You are right, my Lord has indeed been marked. He plans to leave this morning." Zilel spoke with a confident voice.
"Drawing the Thornsleeper out in the open. The protector seems to know what they are doing. However, they're hasty. What if there was more than a single Thornsleeper?"
Ramius stared at the ground as though lost in thought.
"What do you mean? Thornsleepers don't move in groups, everyone knows that." Zilel was confused for a moment. Based on the rumors and the information he had gathered, nothing showed any case where a target had more than one Thornsleeper to deal with.
"I was just saying. Victory is sometimes not decided by the strongest, but by the most prepared. Only when one considers all outcomes can one be confident in their victory."
"Being too brilliant is a curse it would seem. There's no way there could be more than one of them," Zilel thought but ended up saying it out loud.
"It would be convenient if there was only one of them. But as the saying goes, know yourself and your enemy, and you shall never know defeat. That said, tell me, where exactly are they headed."
"Up the hill, towards the ancient oak." He still did not believe the man's words, but he took it into consideration.
After all, it does not hurt to be too careful.
Ramius smiled. 'This protector really does know what they're doing. Not straying too far from the town, but far enough to escape the rule of no murder. This way, they could flee back when things went out of hands.'
"You should go back, Zilel. I will take care of a few things and join you. Now that I know the target and the threat, victory has already been decided."
"I will trust your words. Until we meet again." With that he leapt out of the window, disappearing into the shadows of Norco.
"I should inform Jerice of the change in schedule. I don't want her to think I abandoned her," he whispered, making his way towards the door.
Meanwhile, Aeloria asked just as they were about to step out.
"What if there was more than one enemy?"
Hanon turned to her, his right hand already on the door frame.
"It will not make any difference."
Aeloria inhaled slowly. Everything she knows about Hanon told her they were in big trouble, but the confidence in his tone said otherwise.
"As long as you have the cursed tongue, the people who could challenge you in this world could be counted on one hand." This was the first time since she left Runevale that Orin's voice echoed in her head.