The inn itself was much nicer than any I had seen before. The wooden counters and chairs were polished and sleek, the wood floor was smooth with no bumps or gaps, the walls were a white washed stone, and the main chamber had ceilings double the height with a spiralling staircase that curved along the wall to an upper balcony that disappeared to where guests would no doubt stay.
As I marvelled at the room, Kona had already walked up to the counter, asking for two rooms for the night, one double and one single. She had been here before, of course, she would pay a sight like this no mind. Nigel approached the counter to pay for the rooms, while I kept looking around, noticing the fine, engraved details in the wood, on the chairs, and the handrails around the door. Then, one of the guards from the checkpoint entered the building and stepped to the side, watching us unapologetically.
Nigel tapped my shoulder as he and Kona returned with keys and began to usher me upstairs. As we started our ascent, the guard approached the counter but quickly fell out of sight. Clearly, we were being tracked, and they weren't afraid to be obvious about it.
I followed behind Kona down the hallway as Nigel followed behind. Kona stopped and unlocked a room door, opening it. I felt Nigel shoving me from behind before closing the door. In the scuffle, I found myself tripping and falling onto a bed. Before I knew it, Kona pulled me up and sat next to me as Nigel pulled up a chair from nearby.
"What the fu-"
Nigel looked at me intently, his finger pressed over his lip. His one eye darted to the side. We followed his gaze as we looked at the door. Footsteps grew louder, stopping in front of the door before walking away again.
"This can't be good," Nigel kept his voice to a whisper. "The fact that they not only know us but also knew we were coming, 'tis an ill omen."
"We have no right to refuse summons; to disobey would mean death. This is the law of the empire."
Nigel let out a huff at Kona's words, turning his head and thinking for a moment. "Then I suppose we have little choice but to grin and bear whatever is to come."
I looked at Nigel curiously. His manner of speech had changed; he started to sound more like a noble again, a far cry from what he had been like in the Black Lands, but much more like how I expected him to sound at this age, remembering back to how we met in the forest.
"Regardless, we should tread with caution. We know not why we were issued a summons, but in the case of a summary execution… I don't intend to go down quietly."
Kona nodded in agreement, as did I.
"How long will he have tomorrow before the palace receives word? Surely it would take time for them to deliver the message and to receive orders."
"No, no, the palace already knows. They can communicate instantly."
Both Nigel and I were taken aback by this claim. To communicate instantly over distance, with someone you can not see or hear, how? We didn't need to ask the question aloud as it was written on our faces.
"They communicate through a wire. I don't understand how it works, but it works. They will be getting their orders now, any moment. The only reason I suspect we are not marched to the palace now is that the walk there will take hours, and it's already getting late."
It seemed we were at the mercy of fate; of course, we could do something about it, of course, we could fight against it right here, right now, but I would rather not kill innocent people.
'They probably won't allow us to leave this building, or they will follow us closely. So… what do we do about dinner?"
We decide to wander back downstairs, order our food and eat it here. It felt expansive, but I didn't quite understand the currency yet; however, the quality of the food was sublime, making it well worth the price. After which we retired to our respective rooms, Nigel getting his own while I would share one with Kona.
She removed most of her armour and clothing, leaving her undergarments on. I helped her with the removal of the mechanical leg, as she said it is slightly uncomfortable and would make sleeping difficult. As the two of us lay side by side in the bed, I looked up at the dark ceiling, wondering about many things. The ability to communicate instantly seemed like magic to me; the fact that Kona now has a leg made of metal, what might become of us at the palace tomorrow? These thoughts made me restless.
"Kona?"
She let out a soft, throaty grunt in response.
"Are you okay?"
"No… are you?"
"...no."
She rolled into her side, and I felt her arm slide under the back of my neck as she pulled me into an embrace. I leaned my head against her as I draped my arm over her side. So much had happened in the last two days, so much had changed forever as a result. I kept thinking about last night, about the horror I witnessed.
"Kona?"
She let out a softer sound this time.
"Why four more years?"
She breathed in and let out a long sigh from her nose. "Because, then you would be twenty. Then we could marry without causing problems to the Godi tribe."
I felt my face warm suddenly, and my mind was then filled with happier thoughts. A life with Kona as my wife. That is a life I would very much desire. Pleasant thoughts gave way to pleasant dreams, overshadowed with a lingering dread that it all will one day end, and end in pain and suffering.
Early the next morning, we were awoken by a loud thudding at the door, jolting the two of us awake.
"This is the imperial royal guard. We are to escort you to the palace. Please clothe and present yourselves quickly; we will be waiting in the lobby. You have five minutes."
With a groan of annoyance, we both sat up. I got out of bed as Kona reached the floor and grabbed her artificial leg, beginning to reattach it. I glanced over my shoulder at her, wanting to rush over and help her, but I knew she was stubborn. She wouldn't refuse my aid, but she wouldn't want me to. She's a fighter after all, her fight is this now rather than on a battlefield.
After I was dressed and armoured fully, I moved to help Kona. We had kept the boot from her severed leg, and I helped to place the boot into the metallic foot. The ankle of the foot was a ball joint designed to stop it from rotating too far in any direction, and a series of springs inside that held the foot in the correct orientation. I tied the boot as best I could, considering the new leg was thinner than the old. With her armour, her right leg was mostly exposed anyway, with mainly a strap and chains covering the upper thigh.
She stood and grabbed her cane that was resting against the wall. As she took a few steps towards the door, she stopped, turned and walked the other way. She paced back and forth a few times, looking down at the metal leg in confusion.
"Is something wrong with it?"
She kept her eyes on the leg as she lifted her cane from the ground and walked without it. She walked up to me and held the cane out for me to grab as she smiled.
"The boot makes it easier to balance. I don't think I need this."
I took the cane in one hand and, as we left, I held her hand with the other, so that she could rely on me for balance if needed, as every few steps, I noticed her balance would shift, but she would quickly catch herself. We descended the stairs, where Nigel was sitting, waiting for us with a small loaf of bread in hand and two more at the table. Across from him were two guards, armed with a sword and a gun slung over their backs, but the clothing was unlike anything seen before. Far removed was it from the normal armour one would expect; they wore something more akin to a noble, a long, flowing black coat with golden lines running along it with stunning embroidery and stitchwork. They wore white gloves and polished boots; the two of them looked refined and elegant.
"Right, grab your bread, let's go. We have a schedule to keep."
The two moved towards the door as Nigel stood, clutching the bread in his arms.
"Wait," Kona spoke out, causing the guards to stop. "I need to shit first."
Nigel and I waited outside in a horse-drawn wagon with plush seating, a carpet interior and pillows. I was amazed by the quality and design of it all as Nigel sat, eating his bread, staring at the door to the inn as onlookers walked by.
"This seems more like a royal welcome than a prison wagon, no?"
"It's definitely royal."
"I don't like this. Be on your guard."
"Right."
Kona and one of the royal guards exited the building and both entered the carriage. Then the carriage began to move as the second guard was driving. The ride was long, quiet and awkward; we dared not speak our mind with this guard present, sitting with us, for most of the trip, we each spent our time gazing out the window.
We watched as the buildings we passed became more extravagant, with more glass-fronted stores. As we passed the second wall, the streets were more sparse, the houses, each and every one of them, would put any building in Vilta to shame, all looking like a lord would reside within. The inner circle was the smallest by far as we quickly reached the third and final wall.
What were densely packed buildings gave way to a grand, open, and lavish courtyard with gardens and trees that were all well kept and groomed to perfection. As the carriage neared the palace, it turned and curved to the side. The door opened onto a carpeted walkway leading up to grand stairs. The palace itself towered over all things, which was predominantly black and gold in design with intricate carvings. Looking more like a work of art made of marble than a building, it was a statement that clearly said, This is the home to all the wealth and power in this world, It truly was a thing of wonder.
The two guards let us up the stairs and to the grand door that stood three stories tall. It was pushed open with a lumbering groan, revealing a large circular room before us. At the far end were two flights of stairs, curved around each wall, meeting in the middle opposite the door we had entered. Atop the stairs, a platform where figures stood, looking down on us and in the middle of this raised platform, a throne.
We wandered the room side by side, walking to the middle with our heads slung low. Nigel stood at the front as Kona and I followed behind, mimicking his actions. Once we arrived at the centre of the room, in the middle of a large compass engraved into the floor, we all knelt and bowed our heads.
"Is that the demon?" The voice of a child rang out gleefully. I had not seen a child among the silhouettes watching us from above, but it was unmistakable that that was where the voice came from.
"Arise" A deeper voice echoed through the large chamber. You could tell from the voice that the man was on the larger side. We stood and looked up to the platform above, our eyes now fully adjusted to see.
Sitting atop the throne of the world, a child.