Chapter 14 - Infiltration

Ingrid's camp is exposed to the eyes of the Pentalium. With her grandma sick, she has to lead the tribe north, away from any rodents and Pentalium that might come after.

"We will find you in the northern region once we find the cure," John promised Ingrid and their tribe. Saving the Elder, the tribe, the Princess, and the Kingdom is weighing heavily on William and John's shoulders. Failure is the last thing on their minds. 

John and William began their dangerous trek to Margaret's Keep. Along the way, they spotted bandits on the road. The boys eavesdropped and heard that these bandits were looking for Ingrid's tribe. William wanted to stop them, but John reason not to engage. Time is not on their side. Those who can't afford the cure will succumb to the plague in a few more weeks. 

William and John have passed some villages and towns along the way. All are infested with rats, and its people are showing the same signs of the disease. Rumors of Margaret's Infirmary offering help to those infected with the plague began to spread amongst the people of this region. Soon, the once treacherous roads are now filled with the infected, all traveling in the same direction as them. And all are hopeful that the Infirmary can help them.

Finally, they reached their destination. From a distance, the boys can see the old keep sitting atop the mountain of rocks by the coast. Seeing such a fortified structure full of men patrolling the walls was intimidating. 

"Their armor is the same as the ones of the bandits," William remarked, seeing the silver glitter on the armor with his Sense from afar. John feared that these were no ordinary guards but the hired bandits. Over at the left is a village that Margaret built with her money. Stone walls surround the town like the old keep. It will be challenging to scale with the guards patrolling the borders.

On the right of the keep is the sea. Huge waves constantly come crashing into the side of the keep. Any would thieves would be eaten by the waves before they could climb the walls.

"Looks like there's only one way for us to enter this keep," John says as he covers himself with heavy clothe and bandages. Disguising like one of the infected and imitating their coughs, he hopes it will fool the guards to let him get inside. William began to follow as well and hoped his friend's idea would win the guard over.

The gate is open, but soldiers are constantly on the watch, inspecting the people before letting them in. People with weapons are being turned away except those with a heavy pocket of gold. 

William began to sweat under his wraps. "Hey, we don't have any gold in there, do we?" He whispered to John, pointing out the weapon they carried. But John asked him to stay quiet and let him do the talking.

As they arrived, John and William convinced the guards of their coughing and labored breathing. But when the guard searched and found their weapons, they too were asked to go away.

John took an ink bottle out of his pockets and presented it to the guards as payment.

"Argue with me, and you will meet the end of my blade. " Go before I change my mind," the guard said, but John was standing his ground and asking the guard to check the ink bottle's insignia. 

The guard's eyes glitter with greed as he sees Charleston's family crest in the bottle. This family is well known for its quality inks and quills. A drop of its ink is worth a silver. John slipped a cup of the royal family and gave the guard a wink. 

"Let them pass! They're traders," the guard yells. William was bewildered how John got those items. William knew John would never steal. William glanced at the ink bottle with his Sense and quickly identified that the black liquid was not an ink but a tar. His eyes shifted, and he saw the scratches around the emblem. 

"A clever imitation. I guess this is how John managed to get close with those rich aristocrats", William muttered to himself as he admired his friend's handwork. 

William and John were searching for an inn to stay for the night when they saw a crowd standing before a familiar-looking lady. William and John blended into the group and saw the commotion in the middle. A man with blisters was stripped of his clothes and begged the guards to let him return to the Infirmary, but the lady denied the man. 

"We welcomed you with open arms, gave you food, and even provided you with a place to live. But what did you do? You stole a mug of wine!" The lady shouted.

"But it was just a sip! I was merely quenching my thirst." The man then raised his arms with a pocket of gold. "I can pay back the wine!"

The lady tied the man's hand with a rope to the lid of the manhole. Then she signaled the guards to open a manhole and pushed the man inside. The man was screaming nonstop, asking for mercy, but the lady and the ignored his scream as the guards closed the lid.

The man kept screaming till the high tide came. The village's sewer and the keep's are ocean to the ocean. And as the high tide came, the screaming stopped.

All the people can do is bear his screams until it is quiet. Nothing else needs to be said. The message is clear for anyone to see. William and John were shocked to see this village accept this cruel justice. Their minds quickly settle that the people in this place are all accustomed to this kind of living. They could find themselves drowning in the sewer if they are not careful.

They managed to settle in an inn. While resting in their room, the boys discuss what they saw today and how they will go about infiltrating the keep. William asked John why he has those tar wherever he goes. Back at the snake, he carries a bottle of tar from Tarwood.

"Remember what Sir Eldric told taught us? He always said to remember your roots. Be proud of what we came from and what we are." John says as he holds another bottle of tar close to his chest. 

It has been almost two years since Eldric death, and the boys are nowhere near serving him justice. They know Pentalium's existence but do not know why they killed Eldric. Did Eldric discover their member? Did he uncover a mystery of Pentalium and had him killed? Whatever the reason, the boys hope they can find their answers here. They had never been this close to Pentalium before and expected the surprise element would be an advantage for them.

"That lady that drowned the thief, that's the same lady I fought at Lenato's. We can assume the other masked members here too." William says as he points out he cannot roam where the lady is. She will recognize William and for sure arouse suspicion.

"Then let me scout the ground. Since this lady never saw me, I can freely move the village and the keep. Then there's only one place for you to go." John says as he hands William his weapons.

"Above. Yeah, at least this way, I can use my Sense and look for clues, away from prying eyes." William replied as he grabbed John's bow and arrows. John can easily integrate himself without raising suspicion, but William fears that John is defenseless if the situation arises. 

"Then I either fight to the death, or you can save me with my arrows." John smiled as he exited their room. 

John began his investigation across the village. He visited different pubs, drank with their patrons, and used his charms to loosen up any information he could find. But despite his sweet-talking, none of the villagers seem to give any information regarding any info about Margaret's whereabouts or if they heard anything about masked individuals. All they told him were useless gossip and how they owe their lives to Margaret's Infirmary. John discovered that most villagers were initially leppers and street urchins of the Kingdom. They were living off scraps and forgotten by the people who swore to take care of them. Nobody cared for them until Margaret somehow cured them of their leprosy. With her miraculous concoction, they felt they owed their lives to Margaret. Thus, the reason why villagers are readily accepting any rules that Margaret or her guards impose.

"Do you she can cure this plague?" John asked one of the patrons.

"She healed leprosy before. I'm sure she can." the patron said as he gave a toast to Margaret. Confidence and loyalty in Margaret are a dangerous combination. If John and William find decisive evidence that Margaret is a Pentalium member, this village will not go down without a fight. John feigns his fears and raises his mug.

While John was scouting for more info, William began to traverse the rooftops of the village. Sense allowed him to eavesdrop on conversations and pick up different information. One news that made him curious was how Margaret ordered all Deathshade, flowers native to this region, are only to be planted in her garden inside the keep. The villagers helped Margaret to collect Deathshade seeds and gave them to her. They all believed that the Deathshade might be the solution to the plague.

William was curious to know what that flower was. If that flower is an ingredient to cure this sickness, then it is his top priority to get one for himself. William knows he must lie down and gather more evidence, but curiosity gets the best of him. William traversed quietly across the roofs and finally got into near the keep. He stealthfully crawls around the keep until he reaches the side where the walls meet the ocean's waves. 

Willaim used his Sense and made him see the structural weakness of the keep and potential climbing spots for him. He shot arrows at the crack and wedges along the keep's walls. The keep was indeed impregnable, but the guards took no notice over this side, as they knew the giant waves would easily swallow any thief. 

But William was strong. His grip was developed by climbing the steepest slopes of the mountains, and with Ingrid's tribe, he learned how to climb like those monkeys of the forest.

When the coast was clear, he began climbing the wall and used the arrows as support. It was a breeze for William to scale the walls. When the waves hit him, he tightened his hatch on the wall. The climb was a cakewalk and allowed him to infiltrate the keep without being detected by the guards on patrol.

William slid into an open window at the keep and began investigating the halls. It was enormous and well-lit. The decorations were on par with the Kingdom's richest. But despite the grandeur, William Sense allowed him to smell something hideous inside the keep. It was a lingering scent before it disappeared, but William was sure that smell was like the one he found underneath Lenato's pantry.

"Tha Chalice is here!" William whispered to himself as he began to follow the smell. The smell led him to an alchemy lab where a keg of wine was boiling, and beside it was the fuming funnel where the smell was coming. William then turned his head to the end where empty barrels of wine were resting. The word Chalice with the same red paint he found at Lenato's is written on the barrels' side. 

William shakes with excitement as he finally gets closer to finding Pentalium. But his celebration would be cut short as a familiar voice echoes the keep halls. William followed the voice and arrived at the entrance of the keep. He peaked from a corner and saw John caught by the guards.

"This was seen questioning around different bars and pubs in the village. What shall we do with him?" The guard pushes John towards the lady at the reception.

"Ah, why would a young man be lurking around at our village this late?" the lady asked John as she limped towards him. 

John remained adamant, but William's blood began to boil. The lady he fought is here, and his friend is now in their clutches. 

"Hold on, John. I will get you out of here." William whispered to himself, preparing his daggers and sword for the worse.