Agithara's cane slipped from her grasp as Raymond's declaration hung in the air. Never in her recollection had such a precedent been set.
While it was true that a Ghansiki's orders could supersede tradition, disregarding a crime of this severity would be unprecedented. The weight of Toby's failure to protect Idonado made this decision all the more remarkable.
"W-what!?" Agithara said, and her exclamation was followed by an outburst from the villagers.
"To live a dishonorable life?" one of the elders said, his voice echoing through the din.
"He will be an outcast among his peers," another said. "Who will he live as? Who is he going to protect now?"
"He will continue living as he always had!" Raymond replied, suppressing the noises. "Toby will protect me as he had once protected the previous Ghansiki!"
"Then it will not be long before we have another Lord," an elder said.
Raymond spotted him right away, a bald man with the little hair on his head all gray. He walked toward him and locked eyes with the old man.
"When that time comes, Toby will accept his fate as he did today," he said. "But I am sure that would never happen, because now Toby will protect me as he would his family."
"What makes you so certain?" Agithara wondered.
Raymond smiled and walked back to the stone slab, his eyes now on Toby who was still on his knees. "Because Toby wants to live to see his unborn child. He wants to become a good father and husband. Thus, he will put his life on the line to protect me."
What in Ava's name is this? Agithara thought to herself. She regarded Raymond with admiration before closing her eyes for a moment, perhaps to consult her goddess.
When she opened them she nodded at the redhead behind Toby. The lady bowed and turned to the crowd, her eyes emotionless still.
"Per the order of the Ghansiki, Toby Drym is a free man henceforth, tasked with protecting the new Lord of the Wedge," she announced.
"Tell me this is not a dream," Fillian whispered.
"It is not," replied Jako.
"Nothing like this has ever been recorded in the history of the Wedge," Fillian said.
"That's because the Verndari have never lived to see the new Ghansiki," said Jako.
"I still think I'm dreaming, really—" Fillian wasn't able to finish his sentence before a slap landed on his back, causing him to stagger two steps forward. "What did—"
"I just helped make you realize that this is not a dream," Bigbody said, grinning from ear to ear. "Let us go get our friend."
Before they could take a step, a loud voice echoed through the air.
"ALL HAIL THE GHANSIKI!"
Another voice joined in. Then another, until all the villagers participated in the chorus. Raymond was startled; he had never expected to win the people's hearts just by saving Toby.
Phoebe rushed toward him and pulled him away from the crowd. "We need to leave now, my Lord," she whispered.
But Raymond was so drunk on the attention and praises he was receiving and didn't wish to leave too soon. However, Phoebe's nagging became persistent and he had no choice but to comply.
As he walked away from the throng, he glanced at Toby. The man was also looking back at him, his expression lost in the distance. It didn't matter to Raymond anyway, Toby had no choice but to serve and protect him now no matter how resentful he was toward him.
Raymond smiled at himself for his bravery and accomplishments. He knew he would receive a good scolding from Agithara later, and he would be prepared for it.
What mattered and relieved him now was that no one else died because of him. He wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if that had happened.
*****
Mason and Amie returned to the trail, where the three ladies had been waiting for them.
"We're sorry for the delay," Mason said as he finally neared them.
"Who are you?" Isolde gasped, her eyes widening as she focused on Mason.
Sibyl hustled toward Amie and grabbed her shoulder. "Is he really him?" she asked. "Your friend we saved earlier, is he him?"
Amie chuckled softly. "My man, yes he is," she said confidently.
"Holy bones of Hargarus!" Sibyl exclaimed. "How can a man be this handsome?"
Now things looked satisfying for Mason. This was what he had been expecting, the looks he'd been wanting to see on the ladies' faces.
The ladies pulled back their hoods to reveal their faces. Isolde had a small face and very long blonde hair that might've reached her waist. However, Sibyl had short brown hair, which appeared to have been cut recently.
Kiya, on the other hand, had long dark hair and large brown eyes that seemed to shimmer even in the daylight.
"Thank you for saving me," Mason said. "I am Mason, and sorry for the late introduction."
"It is alright, but… You are so—"
"Enough!" Kiya cut Isolde's sentence off. "The sky is darkening, let's move."
With this, everyone mounted and began to ride on. Occasionally, Mason caught Isolde and Sibyl looking back at him to feed their eyes, even though he was behind Amie.
At one point, one of them or the other would slow their mounts just to take a better look at Mason again. The stare Mason and they both knew would never satisfy even half of their curiosity.
After some minutes of journey, they reached a four-way intersection. Merchants and travelers joined them on the wide road, heading in the same direction as them.
Shouts and curses from all directions filled the air. A particular wagon driver from the left almost collided with Mason's party. His gaze roved over them for a while until Kiya's glare warned him to lower his head.
Seeing his demeanor, Mason assumed he was no more than just a farmer who was traveling to trade his goods with no intention of causing trouble.
Kiya and her friends have covered their heads with their hoods as they had done before. Approaching from the other road on the right were a couple of entities that stunned Mason.
"Oh my fucking god!" he exclaimed in disbelief. "Dwarves! It's the dwarves! They actually exist! This is so fucking amazing!"
The dwarves, on the other hand, looked displeased and surprised. One of them, a man with a striped cloak and a braided hair and beard, readied his warhammer.
And a second, wearing a hat and a red tunic fingered the string of his bow. All that was needed was just one more word to get everywhere bloody.
"Shut that damn mouth of yours if you do not want to die!" Kiya shouted at Mason. She locked eyes with Amie for a moment and waved her hand. "Tell your man to watch his mouth or I will kill him myself."
Amie said nothing, her gaze fixed on the approaching dwarves. Mason craned his head to see her face. She was just as surprised as him.
Amie probably had never seen a dwarf before, since she had lived her entire life in Letico. She had heard stories about how formidable they are whenever they are together, and their bragging about little or lesser victories.
"Apologies for my man's rudeness," Amie said to the dwarves. "He and I have heard tales of your glory. I suppose he could not contain his joy to have the honor of meeting your kind."
The dwarves paused their advancement and examined Amie and Mason for a moment, as though they could detect deception. Finally, they released a collective grunt.
All six dwarves strutted and lowered their guards. "They sure are full-wits," one of them said, stroking his scraggly beard. "Indeed we are men of honor."
"Dwarves!" another corrected in a loud shrilly voice. "Dwarves of honor! We are not humans. Not men."
"Shut up Gori. You are drunk again," a third said.
True enough, the one called Gori couldn't maintain a proper composure. At least he tried to, but couldn't help occasional stumbles. His friends, however, helped him lean against the cart, pulled one of them.
They turned back to Amie and grinned. "Have you heard of the tale of our victory against the Orcs of Vorlay?" the one with a braided beard asked, strutting again.
"The thousands of you against the hundreds of them, I supposed?" Amie asked.
The dwarf tapped his teeth thoughtfully and finally nodded. "Not quite… but, yes," he replied. "They have their Dire Wolves with them."
"Which I heard were ten," Amie said.
The dwarves grunted but said nothing.
"You guys are still at an advantage then," Mason chimed in. "Thousands of you and hundreds of them, with ten wolves. They stand no chance. The highest you could lose was 200 men."
"They lost two thousand," Amie whispered.
"Two thousand!?" Mason voiced out in surprise. "Are you guys fighting blindfoldedly?"
"This one seems to be tired of his life," the dwarf with a hat grumbled. "He yammers his mouth carelessly."
Amie glanced and saw Kiya and her friends already leaving. Without a moment to lose, she hurried her horse after them. The dwarves muttered curses in a strange language but it was now too far to hear their voices.