Ale, holding Luca by his hand, went down the stairs outside of the inn. By the time they reached the ground, the crowd was dispersed. Very few people were still around. Out of the corner of his eye Ale saw the waitress from before. He then looked at the rest of the citizens, even he is shocked by his composure of the situation. He then asked the people as loud as he could, "who are the ones resposible for the mimics?"
Even though his face remained neutrual, the citizens could feel his anger that was growing more and more. The old man answered back to him, "the council of the city, of course." He raised his trembling hand pointing towards the centre of the city. "If you wish to talk to them, go ahead. But know this, it will be your funeral!"
Ale smirked as he nodded his head silently, he started walking towards the waitress and he gave her Luca. The waitress stared back at him with blank eyes. "I'd appreaciate it if you could take him out of here." She started to shake her head but Ale stopped her, "please, if you have someone you take care off take them with you. Run out of this place." He put his right hand of his cloak and pulled out a small sack of enchanted rocks and handed them to her. "If anyone attempts to stop you in any way, start throwing this towards them, ok?" She was still hesitant but she gave in, even though she was shaking violently.
As she started running away the few members of the crowd who were left gave her angry looks, before Ale left to the council he stopped and threatened those who were around. "What you saw, is just a taste of what I am capable of!"
As the carriage was approaching the port, Ale was scanning the horizon. There was nothing but the sea and the sky. He kept looking around. "Maybe they are just late." The king looked at his worried expression and asked him, "is everything ok?" Metus looked at Ale whom stared back at the king, he put down his binoculars. "The ship in not on sight, my mind goes to the worst-case scenario. You know me." He laughed akwardly.
Valerious and the king exchanged looks. "They've never been late before! They are the ones who wait for our arrival!" Valerious spoke up.
"Indeed," the king said scraching his beard, "could they have been attacked?"
"That's impossible!" Ale quickly jumped, "Thalassa would never let sailors die like this! They've signed a treaty to protect any ship that sail on the east!" The king nodded whereas Valerious remained silent. "Nobody is blaming them dear Reemptio, we are just worried about our people."
Ale looked down, "you're right, I apologise. They probably were tired from their multiple trips." The king smiled warmly, "that's a more likey to be true. Let's remain positive!" The king smiled at Metus. Although he smiled back at him, he couldn't shake this annoying feeling that something went very poor for the sailors.
Ale reached the tallest building in the city, opened the doors and encountered multiple guards whom, he had no problem holding of, he started climbing the stairs to the very top where the council were.
He reached the top but didn't go in immediataly, as he wanted to regein his breath. "God dammit, I wonder if beer is what's taking a toll on me or if it's the age." He continued to breath heavily as he looked around the place outside the council's room. Full of dark colors such as purple, black and dark green were puked around the hall. With hideous paitings and object splatered around the hall.
Paintings of children burning people, rich people throwin bones to the poor that were previously devouring each other and people dressed in traditional clothing dancing with skeletons. "Fancy place, hun?" He wiped his sweat from face and entred the council's room.
All three were already seated on their chairs as if they'd been expecting him, Ale laid his eyes on a crystal ball on the middle of the desk. The room was extremely dark with no windows, the only thing that were giving light was the lighted fire place, even though the building had no chimney.
Ale stopped right in front of them and looked in an angry expression. The council was made out of a man who wore a red cloack with bald head and weird symbols drawn on his body, a woman who wore a purple cloack that also covered her face while also wearing couple rings on her hands and a female elf who wore a crown on her forehead with long blonde hair and a pair of snake eyes. The man and woman were on the left and right whereas the elf was sitting in the middle.
"Please, take a seat." The woman said in a clod voice signaling an armchair which stopped behind Ale. He nodded and touched it with the end of his staff and said "deleri," causing it to blow it up. "Do as you wish."
The elf spoke up and asked him, "how could we help you Reemptio?"
"You know who I am? I am flattered." He said in a sarcastic tone.
They laughed, causing Ale to become more angry.
"You once were the king's teacher, weren't you?" The man said with a cocky smile.
"Just tell us, what would you like from us?"
Ale stayed silent to think his next words carefully, "how can you sleep at night, knowing what you do to so many children?"
They started laughing as if he told the best joke ever.
"We just follow orders!" The elf spoke.
"From who?"
"The king, of course."
"Yeah? Is he aware of this 'orders' you are following?"
"He never specefied how we should make his dream come true, I doubt he'll have any problem with this."
Ale hated admiting it, but they were right. Metus wasn't the kid he once knew, "all of this . . . It's my fault!" "How many children have you killed?"
"'Killed' is a big word," the man said, "their parents, they are the killers. We're just doing what's requested of us!" He said with an over confident smile. While Ale got more and more irritated.
"If what you want from us is to stop this, I'm afraid you wasted our time." The elf said.
He looked at all of them, "I never planned to solve it with words, I just wanted to give it a shot."
The three councilors exchanged amused looks and began to laugh once more.
"Do you truly think you can kill the three of us?" The woman asked.
"I know I can!"
The man and woman laughed while the elf slowly stopped and stared at him. The way his gaze hit her made feel a sense of familiarity that she dispised. She looked over at his staff, they way it was carved and the symbols drawn in it."Your master's name . . ." the elf breathed, her snake eyes widening. "Is it Cassa?"
The others stopped laughing as their faces turned pale. While Ale raised an eyebrow.
"T-The legendary mage?" Asked the man stammering between each words.
He nodded. "Yes! Or at least, she was from my childhood to my mid 20's. How did you find this out."
She got up and raised her staff, witch was carved very similarly to Ale's and similar symblos.
Ale laughed sarcastically, "we should become best friends."
She laughed, "I want to know what she has tought you."
"Now you want to have a conversation? I'm afraid you're late."
She stared at him as if he was a piece of meat.
"But, we can still have a short chat, outside!" He quickly raised his staff and before anyone could react. "Vim extermina!" The top of the building blew up like a valcano the attacke was powerful to damage the elf and the womman while also causing the man to die, since he didn't manage to cast a spell in time leading to him being crashed by the stones the flew from the building. While the citizens came out to see what was happening, a lot were already celebrating thinking that Ale was killed. Luca tried to call out to Ale but the waitress covered his mouth and dragged him and a small baby away from the city. Nobody tried to stop her from the fear of Ale, but also because they had bigger problems.
After an hour of waiting there still was no ship on the horizon. The men were getting more and more worried as Metus staring at the sea in hopes of the ship arriving. As the wind hit each of their faces from one side because the high mountains are covering the rest, with the sun wrapping them in it's hug and increasing the heat on the sand below their feet.
After some more time had passed they had enough, the king told Ale "Reemptio, please scan the place from above. Maybe you can see something clearer." He nodded, he walked over where he was away from the rest. "Vola." He said as he flew to the sky, up enough he could touch the clouds. His eyes searched for signs of a ship, he found it miles away from the port. He went back down to inform the others.
One of the guards got angry with Ale, "why didn't you go towards the ship?" As Ale started drawing a map on his notebook. "What if there are wizards, mages or in general magicians? Should I waste my mana on this while we can simply take a small boat?" Valerious laughed at his comment. The guard was embarassed ut stood silent. The king, Ale and 3 guards were getting ready to sail but Metus jumped on the boat at the last moment. "Are you crazy son? This is too dangerous for you!" Ale nodded silently but Valerious shook his head. "I believe it's best he sees the things that have happened, if something has happened that is." Everyone was shocked by his comment. "He'll get hurt." Ale claimed. "It's your duty to protect the prince, is it not?" They stayed silent as Valerious turned to the king. "Your majesty, the prince is extremely intelligent and already has acquired knowledge very few have, not just at his age. But of all age. I'm sure he can protect himself." He turned to face Metus as he kneeled, "be aware, you might see some of the worst people you've ever met!" The prince was shaking a little, but he swallowed his fears and nodded. They sailed off with Valerious standing behind, with a puzzled look.
Arriving next to the ship they realishe that there is no sound on the ship but the that of the sea and the birds flying by. Ale and the king exchanged looks, he then flew on top of the ship and started walking slowly on top of the deck. The wood's cracking noise is the only thing that can be heard in the entire ship. The uncanny atmosphere floating in the air made Ale more and more cautious with each step he took. He looked over the deck, it was covered in the blood of the sailors. He just looked numb, "here we go again. Once I'd cry just by the idea of someone dying, now I feel nothing. Neither by the view of murdered people, nor by the idea of killing someone." He laughed to himself. "How much I've changed, huh? Hate it when that old hag is right."
While the rest sood put, Ale entered the cabin and searched through the dead bodies and the blood left behind. He looked around but he felt as if he heard something below the desk. He stopped moving waiting for a sound. He couldn't hear clearly, but he was sure he heard something. He jumped on top of the desk, the breathing got heavier. "He most likely is part of the crew." "Come out, or I'll blow this room down!" The person below the desk let out a sigh, he pulled up the door to come out of the desk he raised his hands. "Reemptio, thank god!" "Solomon?" Ale ran up to him and pulled him in a hug. They broke the hug up and Ale patted him on his shoulders while smiling. "I'm glad at least one is still alive." They both laughed, "yeah, I also am glad I'm alive."
"What happened?" Ale asked in a serious tone, already havin an idea about what happened.
"We were attacked by pirates couple hours ago." "Is there anyone left?" He shook his head, "I doubt it." "Wait up, I'd like to search the ship a little more."
After Ale was done searching the ship he got down by using his staff alongside Solomon and landed like a leaf in autumn. Where the rest were waiting for them. They were relived that there was a survivor. "I searched the entire ship sire, it appears that the pirates stole everything and either killed or kidnapped everybody else that was on the ship."
"Pirates . . ." The king said calmly scratching his beard. "How is it possible that they weren't spotted by the Thalassian army?"
"There was a heavy mist floating on top the sea sire!" Solomon moved forward with trembling hands. "It didn't help that we did not hear them preying on us until it was too late!"
While the king was trying to come up with a solution, Metus observed all the grown ups around him. Their fear, anxiety and uncertainty. Yet his father and Ale were still calm as ice and didn't allow the enemy to get on their heads. "That's how I should go on with things, calm even in the worst situations." He noodded to himself slowly, "that's very difficult for me, but I should do it. The people need a hero to trust, it must be me. That's what everybody tells me."
Ale interrupted his thought procces and announced in a determined voice, "I vollunteer to follow them sire!" The rest were shocked by his confidence in his words.
"How will you even find them?" The king questioned him.
"I have spells that could help me find my way to their hideout, and since we're at sea," he smirked while gently tapping his hands at the ship behind him, " might as well give this darling a ride."
The king smiled while the guards were annoyed at his arrogance. "You will go alone?" Metus asked him. Ale kneeled at his leven and patted his head.
"I need some help to make the ship go, that's why I'll take Solomon with me and the guards just in case. As for the rest I can handle them on my own." Both smile wereas Solomon got petrified.
"Dear Reemptio," he said stumbling on his words, "I am not in a posistion to guide anyone-"
Ale cut him off, "trust me, it will be as if you are chilling on the beatch."
"But-"
"That is an order, Solomon. Do as you are told!" The king called him out on his cowardness in a stiff voice. Solomon still seemed shaken up by the idea of him going after the pirates but Reemptio put a hand on his shoulder and reassured him, "I will look after you, old friend!" He said with a genuine smile. Although Solomon smiled, he still wasn't convinced by the idea.
"REEMPTIO!" Metus yelled, "I want to come with you!"
Both Ale and the king were taken aback by his comment but he seemed sure of what he wanted to do. "Metus," the king said calmly, "it is too dangerous for you to go with them. I cannot allow you to-"
"Please father! I can protect myself, Reemptio can protect me and so can the guards!"
The king was still unsure of what to do whereas Ale thought to himself, "Valerious, you sure have effected the kid, haven't you?" He smiled again, "you bastard . . . you know what?"
"Your majesty, let's not throw out more time to waste. We are all heading out, you, the guards and the young prince, got back to the shore take along what's neccesary and convince Valerious to come with you. By the time you arrive, the ship will be ready."
The rest wore blank expressions and stared at Ale as if he was a ghost, but the king just smiled. "So be it!"
30 minutes before the battle between Ale and the council
The sun shone through Metus' bedroom as he peeled and cut a red apple with a silver and shinning knife, laying back on his chair and placing pieces of the apple on a silver plate. His bedroom was as big as two classrooms, splattered in the colors of yellow like the sun and brown as trees' lodge.
He could hear his people's voices from the outside, even though he couldn't make up what they were saying, it was enough to make him smile, dispite the fact that his smile never reached his eyes. When he was done peeling and cutting the apple he stared at his reflexation through his knife. His blue eyes once full of life, now, it seemed to him as if he was dead. Once curious and hopeful, not anymore.
He let out a sigh as he started eating slowly, looking outside his window at the beautiful blue sky with white clouds. A knock came from his door, he looked over, "come in!" Valerious came in, much older wearing a purple and black robe.
"Good afternoon Valerious." He kneeled while smiling, "good afternoon, your majesty." "Is it time to head out to the carnival?" He nodded, "not exactly, my lord. There's another reason we should be in our way." Metus raised his eyebrows, "what's the occasion?" His face darkenned, "I really hope Solerion hasn't sent their troops?" Valerious smiled again, "no, my lord. It's an old friend that is dragging us to leave the capital." The knife that Metus was holding fell to the ground, his eyes looking at the floor, he met Valerious' eyes and spoke in a low tone, "is it Reemptio?" Valerious smiled nodding his head slowly, "it appears so." Metus quickly got up and started to dress, "make the soldiers ready!" He ordered. "They already are, they're waiting for you!" Metus looked at his sword, "where are we going?" "Romasan." "Go up ahead, I'll catch up to you later!" He nodded and went out of the room, as Metus started tearing up while getting dressed.