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Chapter 89

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A man who goes by the name of Jamal ran through the fancy hallway of the castle itself as he made his way towards the throne room. His frantic footsteps echoed throughout empty corridors, causing several guards stationed near walls to glance at one another with curiosity etched across their faces while also wondering if something bad had occurred that they needed to address immediately.

Jamal was a toned and athletic young man who wore a white tunic with black gloves that matched the color of his black combat boots. His backpack was filled with letters that he had yet to deliver to their destined recipients. His wavy black hair bounced slightly with each stride forward as his olive skin glistened beneath the soft rays of sunlight peeking through the stained-glass windows nearby.

The messenger himself, whom Mathias was sent to tell of the news that Seth was finally found and awaiting trial inside the praetorium for committing heresy, ran faster than before as sweat dripped down his forehead. This cannot wait any longer; they are wasting precious time, and there's no telling what Cinder might do if she learns this.

Eventually, he found the person he was looking for—a tall and muscular man clad in armor—the one Jamal had come to inform. This particular veteran soldier has proven to be capable of leading men in battle against their enemies, defeating them without breaking a sweat in the process.

Stopping just in front of the bewildered Gus, Jamal breathed heavily from the long run he just completed. "Wait! Hold on. Let me catch myself." The exhausted young man panted heavily, looking down at the polished floor. "Okay, I think I'm okay now." He took one more deep inhale, glancing upwards to see Gus, who had patiently waited for him to speak once more.

"I am the messenger Mathias has sent me."

Gus widened his eyes in surprise, arms folded together with anticipation, "so that man is still bent on helping us," sighing deeply before he rubbed his forehead in frustration over this sudden change of plans. "Alright, give me the letter," he urged with a gesture of his own hand, "come on, I don't have all day."

Nodding weakly, the messenger pulled out a piece of folded paper from his backpack, handing it to Gus, who quickly took it away from him and opened it with haste. "Alright, I'll be going!" Jamal said before making his way back to where he came from, while the large man began reading carefully written messages that contained important details.

Slowly, his focused expression turned to surprise after finishing each line on the page. Once done, Gus glanced upwards from the letter in disbelief.So, "he's here," he quietly remarked, taking a moment to gather thoughts on what should be done. After a brief pause, he looked down at the letter before tearing it with both of his hands.

Sighing exhaustively, he placed his back on a nearby wall while covering his mouth in shock. "What should I do?" In this type of circumstance, Gus would already have done so and arrested this holy man, but after having encountered him firsthand,.

Seth had changed him in some way, making him more contemplative in his actions and consequences than ever before. It's strange because normally, Gus would do whatever order was given to him, regardless of how insane it may seem.

But Gus has grown to secretly respect that man, seeing him as a person of righteous character who does the right thing by saving others no matter what, which contrasts greatly with Gus himself, who simply follows orders without thinking twice.

How did this happen? How could he be the one to do this? Loyalty and respect are beginning to become meaningless as this conflict within his mind continues to plague his thoughts constantly. Is Gus really loyal to the queen or the empire?

He doesn't know as he stares down at the floor, unable to comprehend these mixed emotions swirling around his brain to the very end without ever stopping. In what way would General Solana act upon hearing this? Gus and Mathias have been working together with letters until now.

"His here, isn't he?"

Cyan's presence completely caught Gus off guard, startling him when she appeared out of nowhere. She's usually good at sneaking up on people at times like this. It takes a trained soldier years to become adept at such a task, so why did this young magician manage to accomplish it so easily?

Noticing Gus reaction, she raised an eyebrow. "I guess my future readings were correct all along," the girl concluded with a sigh. "Should we alert Solana and everyone else about this?" She questioned him, waiting for his reply in order to move forward.

Turning around, he faced his direction towards her as he processed the information given by her words. He then responded, "Not now," Gus said with some uncertainty laced in his voice, "let us visit the praetorium first and hear what they have to say," reasonable enough since they're not exactly sure if this is the right call.

At first, Cyan wanted to argue, but after giving some thought, she nodded hesitantly before following along in step. "Fine, then, let's go and find out what's happening," she suggested, gesturing her hand over in the opposite direction as her partner followed her lead silently.

Both then walked side by side, silent and focused on getting to their destination as soon as possible. "Do you know what will happen when we get there?" He inquired curiously, unsure if this course of action was actually smart or not.

Glancing sideways, she replied with a discomforting look. "I can't tell of my vague visions," the girl revealed, glancing around at her surroundings uneasily. "Just that it won't be pretty," she murmured. Her expression made it obvious that she has no intention of revealing more details than necessary to save herself from explaining unnecessary things, which would only complicate matters further.

"This Mathias guy is willing to betray a fellow brother because of tradition," he pondered, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I would never understand why someone would do that when Seth had given them everything they asked for," remembering how the holy man risked his life for everyone.

She agreed on that take. "I am not sure what made several of the priests become this angry, but I think it's better if we find out for ourselves than try to speculate without proof," the magician advised wisely, not wanting anything to become more chaotic than it already was.

Gus frowned. "That is true, but how are we supposed to handle it when they start asking questions?" The veteran soldier inquired in concern, "I doubt they will listen," feeling uncertain about this whole situation despite knowing very well that it's bound to happen sooner than later.

Then, Cyan paused in her tracks, turning around to face him head-on as she gazed deeply into his soul without hesitation. "Aren't we friends?" She asked with a smile, her eyes sparkling with hope that she has faith in him for making decisions when needed. "We were with this together," the little girl reminded softly.

He took a step back after hearing this: "I know, kid, but they don't allow women to make the decisions, let alone children," the soldier explained bluntly but calmly, trying not to upset her when discussing sensitive topics. "So it's best if I do it with him alone," the man added, referring to himself more than anything else.

Listening patiently, she sighed in defeat, "Yeah, I'm aware," saddened by how unfair it is, as aside from the queen, Solana is an exception because of her amazing leadership and knowledge in warfare that would make her a great asset to the empire.

However, in society, most of the roles are assigned to men only because they are stronger and smarter, as the saying goes. "Where will I go then once we reach there?" She wondered, gazing away from his face, when she noticed people passing by them from each direction.

Thinking this through, he could just let her stay here instead of coming with him. "Why don't you stay here while I handle everything myself?" Gus offered casually, not seeing any problems with the solution offered since it was fairly simple to understand as well as follow through on the request, "It's better this way."

Looking down at it for a moment, she contemplated it, but knowing how much she wanted to see the holy man with her own two eyes, it would be a shame to pass this chance. "No," she said, lifting her head up to him, "I want to come." The answer was straight forward.

"Huh? Why is that?" The confused Gus questioned. He didn't expect such a response from her: "Don't you prefer to isolate yourself than engage in this type of activity?" Countering the previous notion offered in hopes of changing her mind.

Her cheeks flushed crimson as embarrassment washed over like a tidal wave. "Because..." she mumbled under her breath. "I want to see him." Her response caused further confusion for the tall man, unable to comprehend the reasons for this sudden desire.

He looked down at Cyan suspiciously. "To see him?" The veteran repeated in disbelief, "Why would you want to see Seth?" Gus inquired curiously about this sudden interest in meeting Seth. The way she phrased this made it sound like she's fascinated by him rather than afraid of the person who represents itself.

She shyly glanced away from him with a noticeable blush still visible across her face as she slowly replied, "I wanted to believe those rumors people are talking about, the miracles he has done, and I want to see if they're true," the magician explained, looking back into her companion's eyes. "Also, he sounds interesting."

Lifting an eyebrow at this explanation, "interesting enough for you to get out of your comfort zone?" He challenged, crossing arms across his chest firmly. The soldier found her excuse far-fetched at best and unrealistic at worst, but if this makes her feel more open about herself, then it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Yes, he describes me as someone who I want to learn about the fundamental beliefs in hopes of finding myself as a person," she explained with a tone filled with pure sincerity. "To accept my flaws, embrace who I am, and make amends for all mistakes committed before I move forward towards tomorrow without regret," the girl uttered with the clear intent of her own wishes.

Her voice wasn't filled with greed or resentment; it held passion and interest. "You want knowledge," she said, finally understanding the reason behind this behavior. "It's fine, but please stay close to me since it could be dangerous if you're not careful," Gus warned sternly.

She nodded in getting the answer. "Something like that," Cyan admitted while being content with this compromise between both parties, "I'll make sure to not lose our way when we reach there," adding as an afterthought of their interesting conversation.

"Just don't get lost while we are at it, kiddo."

Cyan tilted her head, pouting at this new nickname given to her by Gus, who found amusement in teasing her. "I'll make sure to eat your words when I grow up," the little girl retorted, poking his arm playfully before taking her hand off afterward. "Don't worry though; I've never gotten lost in my entire life because I'm not some simpleton," was the reasoning behind why she doesn't wander aimlessly in order to explore places like other people.

The man smirked amusingly at her response, "You have a lot of confidence in yourself," chuckling under his breath at how adorable she sounded despite being serious, "but promise me you will not get lost while we are at it. Solana is going to kill me if it happens," he requested once more, putting emphasis on words as he reasoned how important keeping this promise is.

With a gentle nod of assurance, "of course," she agreed on this deal, "I'll make sure it won't be the case," reassuring him that she'll abide by their arrangement until they reach their destination safely while also being careful during this trip.

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.042 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 09:16, Nov 16 2024