Escape
The night was bright from the full moon in the gray sky. It was cool outside as a cold breeze blew, hinting at rain fall later in the night. I looked up at the sky and sighed. How am I suppose to escape this castle? I should have asked Kina for ideas since she's more experienced in these things if I wasn't so prideful and arrogant! Now it's too late isn't it? One thing was for certain though, I couldn't just walk out through the gate. The place will be heavily guarded. Besides it most likely closed at this hour. I guess I could scale the wall... No that'd be too difficult. If not the climb, staying hidden in such a bright night.
I frowned. I got to use my head here. How does these things work? Oh, a person's method depends on their powers. I said I couldn't just walk out through the gate, I wonder why not. I mean I can control minds.
Castle lords and servants were still about in the night. Warm lamp light shone from windows like thousands of floating lanterns. I found a servant in a remote location and asked the direction of the north gate, then asked his name and compelled him to forget what just happened. When I reached the north gate I was already fired up and sure of what I must do.
Two guards were sitting on a table playing cards. They wore a green and black uniform, their spears leaning on the wall beside them, and their helmet on the ground like falling soldiers. There was no one manning the watch towers, or the walls for yards. First I walked to them and asked them their names. They were rather startled but even though they thought I was trouble they couldn't disobey a noble. Maybe if I ask them to open the gate for me they would refuse that but I didn't need to do that. With their names I grabbed hold of their minds in an instance, made them let me through the gate, and had them forget all about meeting me.
As they went back to their card game and chat I found myself behind the gate facing a path between the woods. Clouds were gathering quickly in the east, I was sure it was going to rain this night.
Standing before the gate was not wise so I quickly hid inside the woods to wait for Kina and the others. I sat against a tree as I waited for what felt like hours but saw no one. I was bored and upset and just started dozing off when I heard the sound of the wooden gate swinging open, then the striking sound of horse hooves. My eyes were wide awake in an instance, I jumped down to lay on my stomach then peered through the bushes and trees; what I saw made my blood cold and my heart freeze in fright.
Knights on horses poured out of the gate. There was atleast a dozen of them. Their cuirasses were golden, their helmets silver, and green cape fluttered in the wind. They galloped down the road, past my hiding place not even looking at my direction. Had there came for me? I wondered. Though it's unlikely but not impossible. Kina had wanted us to leave discreetly for a reason. Besides if Crystalis gets hold of me or Celestine they'll get hostages to use against Viktora. Especially Celestine. Still I am not sure about me, whether the Highvoids will interfere since there hadn't claimed me even when I asked to be given a chance back to the family.
After the knights disappeared down the road I sat back against the tree and fell in thought. After a few minutes I was back to alertness as I sensed a mind closing on me, but sighed in relieve the next moment as I recognized the mind. Kina appeared from the thicket, beckoned me then turned back and left. I followed after her. We came to a clearing where Celestine and Cvela were standing in. "We are all here..." Kina said.
"Can you tell us what is happening?" Celestine asked.
"A war is about to break out, your mother told me to return you guys back,"
"War?"
"Come on we don't have much time," Kina said, then picked a duffle bag and started walking. "We have to get to the harbor fast before anyone notices,"
"So you mean we are going to just forget about school?" Celestine asked as we followed behind the maid.
"Yeah," Kina sighed. "Your life is more important, please stop the jest princess,"
Celestine just grinned and said nothing. I glanced at her then looked away since we weren't speaking to each other. Since the clone incident Celestine had refused to talk to me no matter how hard I tried. In the first place my patience wasn't that big so I soon found no reason to keep entertaining her childish antics. Children of her age a prone for such behaviors after all. As a father I had suffered that not to talk of as a child like her.
Still school did not worry me. In the novel the academy was closed down when the winter wars began. This war is like world war one, on earth, it's a prelude to a bigger bloodier war, the true winter wars. After this winter war ended in the novel, a year after it begun, the students returned for two more years then they graduated. In the end this war is just a teaser of sorts.
As it went in the original story. After Viktora returned from death and rebuild Fen castle city, the various factions of the continent felt threatened after they found her to possess the Eye of winter and demanded she give it to them which she refused. They declared war and tried to subdue her but after a year of battles, they had no choice but to sign a peace agreement before Adaki empire gets involved.
In the mean time after the closing of the school, Rea and her friends travels to Swornhalf region to settle the clone matter. Though all this happened later in the novel I don't think it affects the story line. That means I can still exploit it. After all unlike those reincarnation novels I had read in my previous life that people just go about manipulating everyone just because they know a lot of secrets and know what will happen in the future. This world is different, things happen but you don't see it coming, trying to scheme might lead to your death, and most things that happened in the early arcs does not give you any benefits. That's why I have been silent till now, but now since the reward this time is huge I must take the risk to gian power. After all If I do this right I might become invincible in one go. My heart beat faster, for the first time since coming to this world I have a plot to take advantage of the story line. That's no simple matter.
We walked through the woods down hill, finally breaking into a plain with houses on hills in the distance, lamp light showing from windows. We picked our way forward, avoiding the houses and farms till we reached the harbor. The place smelled like fish with muddy ground and opened gate. Taverns, inns and stores could be seeing around, and I glimpsed out lines of the ships in the water, looming in the night like demonic walls. From there it was the elusive task of finding a ship that'll go east.
The way Kina said it, we needed a small ship and a greedy sailor that'll take the journey for a mountain of gold, or hitch hike any ship that intends to go that direction. The second possibility was slim but preferable. Though beggars should not be choosers so we really weren't in any position to haggle.
"Come," Kina said. We followed her to an inn called 'Belly Girls' a little inside the harbor plaza. An image of a naked woman with leaves covering her private parts hung above the entrance beside the name. The common room was bright and seedy looking, with rough men sitting around tables. Kina walked to the counter where a large blond man in a sleeveless vest showcasing his massive biceps stood. "Hey," she said pointing at the man with her nose. "Do you have an inkling as to where I could find a ship that leaves tonight?" She punctuated her words by pushing a silver coin towards him. The man ignored her actions completely so she added another coin.
The man finally smiled snatching the coin as fast as a cobra and pocketing it in a blink. Then he reached to the drawers below the counter and brought out a book. He leafed through it leisurely before stopping at a page. He read for some time then shook his head. "Nope," he said, "but you can find one that leaves at sunrise,"
"No," Kina shook her head, "I want one that leaves this night, I'll pay handsomely,"
"What, are we running from the law?" The big man asked smirking down at me and the girls, "or is it one of them?"
"If you don't know there's no reason to waste my time," Kina scoffed in anger and started leaving.
The big man smiled. "I might know someone," ____ Kina turned lifting an eyebrow____ The man was still smiling, "For additional two silvers,"
"One,"
"You don't seem in a haste miss,"
"Fine," Kina flicked her fingers sending two coins towards him.
The man caught it easily before showing a wider grin. "Pontchi, he's the man sitting alone in the corner," I followed the man's eyes to see a middle aged man drinking alone at a table. He has a greasy black and white beard and wore a black pointy hat and long black coat.
We went to his table.