Chapter: Chapter 32 - Together AgainFrosthold Castle was in turmoil. The tribe was blamed for the calamity that would be unleashed if they didn't leave. Some wanted to help and were willing to fight, having already grown fond of them.George quelled their voices and united the Frostholds by reminding them that the Inquisition could paint anyone as their enemy, like what happened to them forty years ago. Whether they believed him or not, the Inquisition could sway the public trust, and their only hope of surviving the night was to prepare.Ingrid's grandmother joined George and ordered her hunters to listen. "They will kill Ingrid when we step out of the gate." She spoke with pain in her voice and told the tribe she was willing to let Ingrid die if it meant saving the many. An answer no one wanted to hear, but it was the reason she was their leader. She will do everything to keep the majority alive."Frosthold has stood countless invasions for centuries. We have fought many battles since and more after this," George said
Last Updated: 2025-04-21
Chapter: Chapter 31 - To the Rescue!As the Inquisitor left, his Blades followed behind him. William noticed that the Blades were all the same height as the Inquisitor except for his right-hand man, Morgan. Inquisition supporters in the Capital packed their items and traveled with the Inquisitor to Frosthold Castle.William's dark thoughts urged him to use Bane and save Ingrid. The Zonian blood within him was boiling. But William clenched his fist and stood still as they left the Capital with Ingrid.The air returned to silence. The public court was left in the hands of the knights as they began retrieving the bodies of the so-called 'assassins'. Furious at the Inquisition for what had been done to their families, the knights wondered how to clear their names. Amidst their blistering snow, they all looked at Rolfe, who openly defied the Inquisition the most. The young knight asked others to remember their oath. When the Inquisition fails, becomes greedy with corruption, or another battle comes to the Kingdom, the knight
Last Updated: 2025-04-14
Chapter: Chapter 30 - Sham TrialA witch hunt for the Inquisition and any Zonian descent has begun. The Inquisition has overturned many families suspected of having ties with Margaret and Abigail into their custody. To show fairness, the Inquisition made public trials. The guilty are sentenced to life imprisonment at the Abandoned Abyss. And despite the power that the Inquisition wielded, the streets remain bloodless. There was no senseless killing, and everything the Inquisitor did was within the Inquisitor's promise to the King.With each guilty verdict, the people's approval of the Inquisition grew, and more young people voiced their support for the Inquisition and the King.As weeks passed, the Inquisition almost reached the Kingdom's entire region. The only realm it hasn't visited is the Frosthold, the most northern part of the Kingdom. Positioned in an icy terrain, surrounded by the intense cold winds of winter and the tall mountains, the Inquisition's visit to this region was difficult.Messenger pigeons could
Last Updated: 2025-04-12
Chapter: Chapter 29 - We are the Inquisition!Fires ravaged the Royal Court all night. Their bright lights could be seen from the edges of the Capital. Pentalium bared its fangs and showed the Kingdom that it could kill anyone in this realm.Come morning, after the fires have been put out, the bodies in the courtroom will be laid out on the steps of the Court to be inspected by the Inquisition.Crying from seeing their relatives among the dead, the citizens demand that they claim the bodies of their relatives. The King, standing beside his friend the Inquisitor, asked the people to remain calm, for he asked the Inquisitor to do a public inspection to show the public that the Inquisition does not do forgeries and is doing their best to root out Pentalium from this Kingdom.The Inquisitor turned to the victims and pointed out that the majority who died were also not innocent and deserved to die. His statement angered many people in the crowd, but there was quick silence when the Inquisitor pointed out that those who died were all b
Last Updated: 2025-04-10
Chapter: Chapter 28 - AssassinationJohn was eager to share his story with his friends, but his gaze shifted warily to a pair of passing Inquisition agents. "We have much catching up to do," he muttered, eyes narrowing. But not here."John led them to the secret room where the Princess used to teach the boys. Far from Inquisition agents who could eavesdrop on them, the boys traded a month's worth of information.First, William filled in what transpired since he last saw John, from meeting Julie to their encounter with the assassins and their way back here.Though intrigued, John was more concerned about the exiled royal families still serving Pentalium. After they defeated Margaret, the boys assumed the exiled families had just given up after their failed plans.William expressed how tired he was fighting those people.John then reminded William that desperate people will do anything: opportunity for money, a life out of exile, or revenge against the Kingdom. In that case, Pentalium can easily control their motivations
Last Updated: 2025-04-07
Chapter: Chapter 27 - The Ride to HomeJulie and William returned to the camp, celebrating with the team. For a moment, William forgot his worries and felt he belonged with Julie. Her simple smile burned away the anxiety that had haunted him for three years. As William went to bed that night, he hoped that things would improve, hoping this feeling wouldn't disappear.At daybreak, the research team was awoken by the assembly of knights. Their commanding officer shouted at the top of his lungs, searching for three missing knights. Though they had been allowed to celebrate with the researchers, they were not excused from abandoning their posts.Shamus, a knight of Greymound assigned to a post at the far end of the sewer by the seawall, had gone missing. Two other knights stationed with him were also gone. The commander ordered his men to sweep the remaining structures around the Keep, suspecting they had gotten drunk and fallen asleep on the job.After the assembly, William turned to the research team and thanked them for the
Last Updated: 2025-04-02