[13:49] 30 March, in Ensham, with Gherico
When we entered the "House", I was amazed. The combination of ornaments, precious materials, and the play of colors with white walls and columns surmounted by red friezes and red lines between one brick and another, it was stunning.
The floor was made of black stone with stripes that looked like wood, covered in gold or silver on the sides.
Additionally, there was an incredible quantity of plants; creepers descended neatly from the upper floors, surrounded by columns with many little gardens filled with flowers of every color.
"Now things get serious. Don't even try to make any movements without permission. Before meeting him, we should climb a few steps."
DJ commanded.
After a few minutes of climbing the stairs, I was already out of breath.
We crossed a bridge that connected two tall towers, and I could feel the strong wind moving my hair in every direction.
My attention was caught by a training ground that we could see from the bridge. It was a large piece of land covered by a lawn, and probably some members of the family were training there.
I could hear the clank of the swords crossing, the shouts of the teachers scolding some students, and the chatter of the boys who were resting.
I had been on a training campus once, so those feelings brought me back to when I was a teenager. The view was spectacular. I could see all the way to the first ring's gate and even the Royale Blossom Restaurant.
We entered the second tower following DJ.
As we went inside, the room was quite dark compared to the rest.
"Hi!!, DJ, who are you bringing with you?" A sibilant voice inquired. It was the doorman, seated behind his black desk, cluttered with papers.
"Cannon fodder, I am going to see Lord Vitra." DJ replied while continuing down the hallway.
"Oh! Oh! You could have left me some; you know I am currently running low on cavies." He said in a tone reminiscent of a mother speaking to her child.
DJ ignored him completely and proceeded. That doorman gave me chills, and I avoided looking at his face.
I caught only a glimpse of a hooded man, dressed in what seemed like purple and green, though I couldn't be sure, as I was in a hurry. After passing through a few empty hallways, he knocked on a door and said,
"Your Majesty. I brought you the troublemakers,"
The hall was spacious, probably a receiving room. At the far end of the room, a long table was set, and someone was having lunch.
As we approached, I noticed his unusual attire: a large red fur coat, despite it being full spring, and beneath the fur, he wore a light blue bathrobe.
"Oh, forget the formalities, Dan," He exclaimed, opening his arms. "Welcome to the great Royale House. I hope it meets your expectations. I believe you know why you've been summoned here, today."
Instinctively we all knelt down,
"Yes, your Majesty." We chorused.
"Stand up; I am not too attached to formalities. You probably haven't met me before. I am the man who entrusted the child to you.
Marcus should have told you about me." We exchanged perplexed glances.
The Nobleman put a hand on his chin and said. "Well, I was expecting this from him."
I was thinking, I know someone named Marcus, that's Orite's father, and he gave us the task of watching the child.
However, he didn't mention anything about this man.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vitra Ensham, a member of the Ensham family. I will now explain the nature of your quest."
He unrolled a piece of paper and read it aloud.
"The trio composed of Orite Sheffelord, Abello Rocket, and Gherico Tundervod are responsible for completing negotiations with the man named Turin Ensham The objective is to bring the individual back to Ensham and persuade him to join the Royal army."
"You'll have two months to complete the mission. The current position of Turin is unknown; scouts last spotted him near the city of Parvati two weeks ago. You'll be provided with three purebred horses, but every other expense will be covered by the trio. Failure will result in severe consequences"
After finishing reading, he closed the paper, took a deep breath, and added: "Many in my family want to take you down for what you have done to the child. I am giving you a second chance. However, if you fail this time, I will have no choice but to declare you as Ghosts."
It sounded like a heavy punishment, but we didn't know what he was talking about. "Sorry, Lord Vitra, what does this mean," Orite asked, almost whispering. Vitra smiled at him and said, "It's understandable that you might not be familiar with the term Ghosts,"
"In Ensham, this status is reserved for particular criminals, and since our city is known for its low crime rates, we use this status to maintain it close to 0%. While no one will know you're a criminal, in this city and its allied cities, the guards will be after you, and even crossing a gate will be impossible."
He paused for a moment "Usually the Ghosts status doesn't last for long, the current record is one week and seven hours" He clapped his hands once. "This concludes my explanation of the quest. Do you have any questions?"
He asked as he returned to his seat. We looked at each other, knowing what to do, as back in the school days whenever the teacher asked for questions. Pure Silence.
Vitra took a sip of his wine and continued; "I suppose I've been very clear. Your stay here at the Royale House is canceled. Dan will provide you with new documents that will allow you to return to Ensham"
"Thank you, Lord Vitra, for giving us a second chance. We will do our best not to disappoint your expectations again." Abello said while kneeling one more time.
Vitra gestured and turned back to leave that room.