L`Univers: "The Sigil" Book 2

Betrayal

     “Sire,” called out one of the soldiers.

     “What is it?” asked Anfroy as the soldier led him inside a white tent full with wooden crates. “What`s this?”

     “How long till we reach Everpeak sire?” 

     “I don`t know.”

     “This sire,” the soldier looked at the crates that were stacked on top of each other, but there wasn`t much of them. “These are the rations that are supposed to get us to Everpeak, by this rate they won`t be enough, the soldiers will starve,” Anfroy and the soldier looked at each other with despair. There was something bothering Anfroy, maybe it wasn`t the food, they could hold on without food for some time until they reach Everpeak, but the food shortage may perhaps be the starting point of something very bad. He left the tent and walked toward Teodryll`s tent and was about to enter until he was stopped by the hand of the guard that pushed on his chest. “I need to talk to your king!” he looked at the guard.

     “He won`t take visitors at this time.”

     “Please tell him it`s urgent!” Anfroy raised his voice on purpose.

     “What`s going on?” he came out of the tent.

     “We need to talk,” Anfroy looked at him.

     “Come,” he called him inside the tent. “What`s the matter?” he looked at him.

     “My men are concerned that our rations may not be enough,” explained Anfroy.

     “Anfroy there is nothing to be concerned about, these are hardened men and we are not far from Everpeak. We just have to pass the frozen land and we shall reach the green walls of Everpeak. The soldiers could hold on, there would be plenty of food in Everpeak.”

     “The frozen land?” he asked.

     “Well yes, it is the border between our realm and the other realms,” for Teodryll it seemed like a normal thing but Anfroy had a keen eye on seeing the potential problems, first the food shortage and now the frozen land… He knew that this is going to cause discontent amongst the soldiers and loss of morale. But it can`t be that bad, Teodryll`s soldiers have crossed the borders countless times, they are used to it. However, for him and Cedric, they would just have to walk it off. Anfroy was tired and retreated to his tent, he laid in the makeshift bed with fur and wool and starred at the canopy, his mind was filled with the potential problems that could cause but he was going to burn that bridge when he gets to it, but for now, he dozed off.

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     The group woke up and gathered themselves in front of the inn, they were all still tired and sore from the bad beds, but it was the best they could get. The morning was breezy and the air felt fresh, the birds were chirping and the sun was there but it didn`t provide much heat. Francis scratched his head as he turned back towards the inn.

     “I have to come back to this place,” his head was still ringing from all the music and the hangover, he walked closer to one of the wooden columns at the entrance and tore a poster that was attached with a nail, he read the poster and looked at the others as he showed them the poster: ‘Wanted a group of six, a hefty price for their heads.’ Franco almost ran towards him and yanked the poster from his hand as he read it just to make sure.

     “Come on guys, that could be any group that has six members,” comforted Liza but they could hear a loud galloping echo of horses in the distance.

     “We have to move to safety,” warned Hugo as Francis pushed the door of the inn, he was angry and looked left and right and then looked straight ahead at the bar, he moved towards and heard the whimpering keeper he was hiding behind it. Francis pulled him off and threw him on one of the tables.

     “Francis stop!” yelled Liza as she tried to pull him back, but he just pushed her aside.

     “Who is after us?” he grabbed the keeper like he was nothing.

     “You know very well, he has the power of The Watchers in his grasp,” whimpered the keeper.

     “Well he can take that power and stick it up where the sun never shines,” Francis threw the keeper on the floor and pulled out his sword as he aimed the pointy end next to the innkeeper's throat.

     “His undead general, please don`t kill me, strong sir,” he kept whimpering.

     “Undead?” asked Cristina.

     “Francis stop!” she kept yelling, but he ignored her. “Bernard run!”

     “Get on your knees!”

     “Please sir!” he got on his knees and begged Francis for his life but Francis just swung his sword to the back to gain momentum and then swung it forwards, it was so fast and efficiently, the inn-keepers head just rolled off on the floor as blood splattered all around his headless body.

     “No!!!” screamed Liza, but it was already done, the others were devastated by his actions as Franco ran outside feeling the fear crawled in his bones, he was in shock, he couldn`t even feel his legs.

     “We must leave,” Francis looked at Hugo and Cristina hugging and gasping at the dead body, and Liza covering her face that was full of tears, but Aelizia was a different story, she didn`t show any emotion. He got outside and saw as Franco was starring at one spot and didn`t respond nor move.

     “Come on!” Francis spooked him as he jumped and fell on his back and hitting his head on one of the water troughs, he got concussed as his head started bleeding, Francis helped him get up but he could barely stand as he picked him up on his shoulders.

     “You monster!” Liza came running and slapped him on his face as he just stood still and ignored watching Liza in the eyes. “You will burn,” she kept hitting him on the chest as she fell down to his feet crying.

     “He was a traitor,” he kneeled next to her. “We would have been dead by now and he would have gotten that money, this will send a message to our enemies,” he stood up and picked up Franco as he moved further up the road.

     “Come on,” Aelizia picked up Liza from the ground who could not stop crying, they held each other and Liza eventually stopped mourning but she was still cross with Francis, he was going to get what`s coming to him eventually. They stopped on a clearing in the forest as Francis looked around the trees, they were high and had a lot of covers, the perfect place for an ambush and he was going to ambush the undead general.

     The undead general however wasn`t far behind, it was a matter of time before their paths crossed, he and his companions stopped at the inn. The general got off from his undead horse and walked towards the entrance, the skeleton stopped and kneeled, he picked up the poster and looked toward the inn. He threw the poster as he entered inside. He saw the dead body and kneeled to it as he touched the blood with his skeletal fingers, he licked the blood, it tasted bad from all the alcohol or at least it tasted bad to him. The general got out and sat on his horse again, as he attached the inn-keepers head on his horse.

     “We keep riding forth! They are not far,” he ordered as he galloped his horse in the distance and the others followed.