Chapter 27 - The Ride to Home

Julie 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 their kindness, allowing him to see the mural and experience the wonder of the Zonians. He then announced that he would be leaving and returning to Tarwood.

"I'll miss your stories, William," Harold said, thanking him again for saving his life. The rest of the researchers shared the same sentiments, except for Julie. She had grown fond of him over the past few days and couldn't bear to see him go. Without a word, she turned and went back to her tent.

This pained William. He didn't want to part with her either.

By the afternoon, William prepared his horse and began his journey back to Tarwood. However, as he rode out of the Keep, he found Julie waiting by the road.

"Come on. Don't keep a lady waiting," she said with a smile. The baggage on the back of her horse made it clear she was going with him.

"I thought you were mad at me for leaving," William said, grinning so wide it almost hurt.

"Mad just to see you go? No. But if you didn't take me to explore your hometown, then I would be mad." Julie replied.

The two set off for Tarwood. There was never a dull moment between them—the more time they spent together, the closer they grew.

Their journey led them through a breathtaking field of roses and dahlias. This picturesque landscape felt like a fairy tale scene.

But their happiness was short-lived. From the other end of the road, William spotted a tall, cloaked figure cleaning their bloodied mace, and there were four dead Inquisition agents at the foot of his horse.

Julie noticed the man and rode closer to William, grabbing his shoulder. "What should we do?" she asked.

William reached for his sword. "Stay with me at all times." William tried to maneuver their horses away from the figure, but the cloaked man managed to spot them from afar.

"Witnesses!" the man exclaimed. And without warning, the man drew a bow beneath his cloak and fired a volley of arrows.

William's reflexes took over, and he sliced each arrow in midair with his blade. He and Julie spurred their horses, galloping toward the nearest town for shelter. But the cloaked man gave chase, never falling behind.

William prepared himself, Bane poised to defend against further attacks. The pursuer switched his bow for a mace and closed in. His attacks were wide and forceful, but William maneuvered his horse skillfully, dodging the swings.

The enemy adjusted his approach, tightening his swings and aiming at William's horse. This time, William was forced to block. While distracted, the assassin swung a hidden dagger at his neck. William barely caught the attack in time but failed to anticipate a sudden headbutt.

The impact knocked him from his horse, sending him crashing to the ground. Before the cloaked man could trample him, William rolled aside.

Julie, swallowing her fear, turned her horse and rode back for him. She grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it at the assassin's horse, blinding it. The beast reared, throwing its rider to the ground and galloping away.

William quickly analyzed his foe's combat style and identified every movement was to disorient and kill as efficiently as possible. The foe wasn't just any soldier; this was an assassin.

Humiliated by Julie, the assassin turned his attention to her. Desperately, William unleashed the full power of his Sense. Though he was far from Julie, his near-perfect coordination allowed him to fling a knife straight into the assassin's hand, making the arrow he had prepared miss its mark.

The assassin did not relent and struck Julie's horse with his mace. The poor animal collapsed, pinning Julie beneath it.

William roared in fury. He lunged at the assassin, his blade moving in a deadly dance. His red eyes glowed, striking fear even into Julie, who had never seen him like this. The assassin collapsed under the relentless onslaught, blood gushing from his wounds.

William turned to Julie, helping her to her feet. But she recoiled from William's crimson eyes. She clung to William's horse for support, unable to stand alone.

William is heartbroken that Julie has to see his secret. He puts on a brave face and asks Julie if everything will be okay.

She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and thought of why William had to lie to her. She recalled every story William told her and tried to discern the truth.

Ignoring his exhaustion, William pulled back the assassin's cloak. Beneath it, he found an 'U’-shaped birthmark on the man's neck, a trait unique to the exiled Travers royal family. William recalled that when he and John infiltrated the Keep, they had seen soldiers from exiled noble families there.

Yet, unlike others who had reacted with shock to his glowing red eyes, this assassin remained calm, almost contemptuous.

"My eyes didn't surprise you. That confirms that you are working for Pentalium," William said. Then, he demanded, "Why kill the Inquisition agents?"

The assassin remained silent.

William pressed his finger into one of the man's wounds. The assassin gasped in agony, his breathing growing labored. He knew that William wouldn't stop until he got answers.

Finally, the assassin broke. "Those inquisition agents have snooped around and almost led it back to our order. It's just simply cleaning up the mess before they reach us."

He demanded that the assassin reveal who the other Pentalium members were.

Before the assassin could answer, William heard arrows whistling through the air. He dodged out of the way, but the assassin was pinned with arrows, striking him dead. William turned only to find five more cloaked figures had emerged from the road.

Wasting no time, William hoisted Julie onto his horse and spurred it forward. The assassins gave chase.

William veered off the road, galloping through fields and craggy hills to break the line of sight. But the pursuers were relentless. One caught up, blade ready. William blocked the strike, while Julie, quick-thinking, snatched a knife from William's waist and stabbed the attacker's hand. William finished the fight by cutting the support ties of the assassin's saddle, sending him crashing to the ground.

They reached a river, smoke rising from a distant town. They were close, but two assassins were right behind them, blades poised at their throats.

"Do you trust me?" William shouted.

"Yes! Of course!" Julie replied.

"Then hold on tight!"

Julie clung to him as William leaped straight into the rushing river from the horse.

The assassins skidded to a stop, realizing they had lost them.

The rapids carried William and Julie downstream, throwing them onto the shore of the town's port area. Julie groaned, crying, soaked, and exhausted, "This is definitely not one of my favorite days."

William reverted his eyes to their usual green. Surprisingly, Julie seemed to recover quickly from the revelation.

"You're full of surprises," she said. "Honestly, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a Pentalium spy."

William chuckled. "Why aren't you shocked to know that I am Zonian? Are you not afraid that I might be working for Pentalium?"

"Of course, I was afraid and mad that you lied to me."

William can't look directly at Julie because he is ashamed of what he did. But Julie replies that she understands it as his way of sheltering her from harm.

"You saved my life twice already, William. If I am Pentalium's target, I am long dead already with all of the times we are alone." Julie smiled genuinely at William.

"And next time, don't talk too much about your experience. It gives you away that you are a Zonian."  Julie said as the two sat together, catching their breath.

"Funny thing. As I never seem to talk that much to others about myself. Only when I was with you." William felt it again. Sheer happiness that made him forget his troubles.

But they cannot stay here for too long, as the assassins strike at them when they least expect it. The two made their way into the town, turned to the Inquisition agents and guards, and told their tale. The authority inspected the scene and found the bodies of the Inquisition agents.

The citizens of this town are still weary and recovering from the civil war. This crime only made them angrier and warier of Pentalium's movement. The town talked, and their story was relegated to the other people passing by. The Inquisition agents didn't waste any time. They sent reports back to the Capital about the sighting of the cloaked figures.

The town thought they were the only ones who encountered it, but to their surprise, other towns and cities across the Kingdom have seen and experienced the murders of these cloaked people in this past week. Pentalium became desperate when the Inquisition agents began investigating, leading the masses to support the Inquisitor more than before.

The citizens wanted to fight fire with fire. If they were dealing with a hidden army within the walls of the Kingdom, then restoring the Inquisitor's ability to be a judge, jury, and executioner on the field would be crucial in fighting Pentalium.

The King heard the plea of his Kingdom but relented to provide this power back to the Inquisition, for he reminded his subjects there were still people who were afraid of the power that it wields, for once reinstated, the Inquisitor and his soldiers would be the judge, jury, and executioner. A power that they used to wield and resulted in the death of the Sand People and other innocent civilians forty years ago.

The Inquisitor reminded the citizens that he had promised the King that the Inquisition would not kill anyone until proven guilty and to trust their work. As long as the Royal Court stands, justice will prevail.

A week later, Julie and William arrived at Tarwood and heard the Inquisitor's statement gossip in his town. This statement shocked William, as he had never been taught that the Inquisitor would be a diplomatic leader.  

But Julie was more stunned to see Tarwood before her. From the books she read, she knew Tarwood as a backwater town, but nothing would prepare her for the sight of the huge walls erected around it, paved roads, a bustling market, and a huge library being constructed.

William was supposed to be back within a week after leaving Tarwood, but after meeting Julie, he had been on the road for an additional three weeks.

"You planned this, too?" Julie said as she pointed to the library that could rival the size one in her university

"I'm sure this isn't in my plans," William recalled. He didn't.

"Of course you didn't! The kids need a place to read so they can be more intelligent than you!" John jokingly said.

William turned and immediately introduced Julie to John.

"I know! Kids need to read for them to learn how to think." Julie said as she warmly greeted John.

"Ah, Julie. Yes, the Princess told me that William has a girl... friend?" John asked.

And the pair didn't shy away this time. The two smiled to confirm his inquiry.

"Well! Now, I have someone I can talk to and share every embarrassing thing William did when he was a kid." John teased William.

"Don't you dare, John!" William quickly tried to cover his friend's mouth. Still, John intercepted William's hand and began to tell Julie all the tales of William's embarrassing moments.

Their shared bond is a respite they will have to savor. Pentalium's next attack will shatter the foundation of the Kingdom's justice. The Inquisition and Pentalium will clash, and if there is any hope, William has to step up and be the leader he is shaping up to be.