How is everyone doing? Your son is doing well. I've met a lot of good people on my journey, and I hope you're all doing well too.
Happy birthday, Ina. Leo, are you behaving yourself? I hope you're listening to Mom and Dad.
Your big brother will come back soon. I'll take you both to see the world.
It's a promise.
—Your brother, Sam
"Sam, are you certain?" A young soldier looks up at Sam.
"Just sent it."
"Sam, are you bullying him again?" A tall man enters the tent. "Sigh... Just go and deliver the message, I want some privacy with him."
"Yes, sir!" The young soldier hurriedly runs away tripping a few times on his way out.
"This leaves both of us, I must say... you're cruel for letting a new recruit write such a letter for you." The giant man sighs deeply looking towards the direction of Sam with his blind eyes.
"I would write it..." Sam looked at the empty sleeve hovering in the wind.
"That boy, he is an orphan right?"
A heavy exhale escapes the Paladin, "His brother was a friend of mine, the original Paladin to the Saintess. Sadly, he was chosen to help Saintess Madeline in the war, we lost a lot of brave men...since then onward I prefer to hire mercenaries."
"I see, the soldiers are payed by the government or church but mercenaries are normal people who had no other choice to make money...You pondered about it deeply."
"Let's get back to the topic. You know you will be branded as a traitor of humanity right?"
I looked back sternly at his eyes. "I know, that's the reason I'll be going in alone, no?"
"Good luck on your journey, Sam...even if it doesn't work out. Come out safe." With that the blind paladin left the tent.
I followed after him, my neck, wrist, and ankles bounded by heavy metal chains.
Most here are new recruits freshly picked from the church.
They only know me as a cold prisoner named Sam.
The few mercenaries that stayed with us were Maldon the one who lost a bet to me and calls me brother, and Mayver, muscular older brother of Maldon.
Thanks to them I wasn't really badly treated by these new recruits.
The Saintess had to stay at church, but it is better this way.
"We will soon reach Grandmuck! Everyone on alert!"
"Understood!" The new recruits screamed loud and proud at Paladin Ethelred command.
Sitting underneath a tree shade. A bread was shoved to me. "Hmm?"
It was Mayver. "Here eat this now... It's hell you're going into, I don't have much but this bread will be better than anything that place gives you."
"Thanks,"
"Don't mention it...I know it's a secret mission but try to get out safely." He stays beside me while I take a bite of the bread.
A warm steam escapes when I bite, it is fresh... It is slightly sugary and the crust is a bit hard, yet it also has raisins here and there. "It's good."
"Hahhaha, of course my wife followed your instructions. It was my wife's first batch, thank you by the way. If she can make bread like this maybe I can stay by her and open a bakery, selling this bread." His hand was shaking slightly, the way he said his dream towards me the slight tremor.
"A dream can always be rebuilt but a life gone can never return. So love her like it's the first time." Hearing my words his body stopped trembling.
"Hahhaha, so young yet teaching about love, hahaha."
I broke the bread in half. "Here, you should taste it." There was hesitation in his movement.
"No need, I'll ask my wife to make another one after dropping you off." He wanted to since what kind of place I'm going he didn't dare.
I poked the half bread towards him. "You said, this was her first try... As my friend, why not help me finish this?"
He smiled at the bread I was offering. "Maldon, Paladin, come here!"
"Brother, how dare you command a Paladin!" Maldon rushed here anxiously.
"I don't take offense to such small matters, don't worry." Paladin Ethelred was standing behind him.
"What reason did you summon me, Mayver?" Ethelred looked down on us sitting.
"Nothing important let's eat." Mayver broke his half bread into three. Giving each of them a piece.
The onlooking knights whispered between each other. "What is Paladin Ethelred eating? It seems like bread."
"But the smell is so unique, I just had a meal but I'm still hungry just from the smell."
"You're a glutton!"
"Why is Paladin Ethelred eating with the prisoner?"
"I have a theory...the reason, why we are not allowed to get too close to that prisoner, think about it. We are all just finished training, we're rookies. That two mercenaries have more battle experience than us, that's why they aren't scared of him, and Paladin Ethelred is a top eight paladin in the church. They're not letting us get closer because of our safety!"
"Yeah that makes sense you hella smart."
"Do you think we don't have ears?" The murmuring crowd was instantly scattered by an angry Maldon's shout.
Ethelred looked at me. Maybe he was seeing my emotions, or just looking in my direction. "Sam, why are you so calm when you know the place you're entering is described only by hell?"
"Hell? I believe hell is not a wicked burning pit. But a cold, non-ending darkness where you are all alone, for eternity."
"That's a unique way of imagining hell. Get ready we will reach Grandmuck just behind the hill." With that the blind Paladin left first.
Soon Maldon followed after, even Mayver got ready to leave.
Soon we all started to move, just over the hill as he said.
A massive fort ahead black stone walls higher than the trees, ringed by deep moats and iron-spiked barriers.
We followed the only road that led straight to the sealed gates.