As Agnes leads the effort to honorably bury the rebels, many villagers through windows. Elias carries a corpse of a rebel whose head couldn't be found. As he sets the body down next to other rebels he watches Celina and Agnes digging graves. Elias walks over looking at the makeshift tombstones. "Miss Agnes, why is it that you choose to bury these people?" Elias watches as Celina retrieves one of the corpses carrying it over and gently setting it into a grave. "They were attempting to kill us and go against your queen."
Agnes stops digging leaving her shovel in the ground as she looks at Elias. "Well it is what the queen would do. If it is what she views as right then I see no reason why I shouldn't do it as well," Agnes looks over at Celina watching as she buries the corpse. "I remember about ten years ago we had a rebellion that escalated to where she got involved herself. She is one hell of a fighter I tell you what, but that's beside the point. After the rebellion was put down she ordered that everyone was to be respectfully buried both rebel and our own. What I remember vividly to where even now I sometimes feel as if I'm still there, is that after she gave thanks to the soldiers who died and sent them off she turned and started to a prayer for the rebels."
Elias listens intrigued. "So you simply wish to be like her?"
"Yes. I aspire to be like our queen. I want to assure that my people are happy just as she does," Agnes looks over as Celina gently sets another rebel down into a hollow grave. "But obviously she doesn't make people happy enough." Not knowing what to say Elias simply nods before he turns around returning to gathering corpses.
Tasha sits at a table in the town square looking at a map of Rer. Godwine walks past carrying a bunch of weapons that the rebels were using. "Godwine that guy ordered them to retreat to Rillu, correct?"
"Yeah why are you curious Tasha?" Godwine sets the weapons down with a pile of swords, axes and pitchforks.
"Rillu is on the other side of the nation," Tasha looks down at the map. "That river leads towards the ocean. Rillu is land locked though," Tasha brings her finger to her chin as she closely observes the map. "Have Agnes send a messenger to Zargis. They need to be ready."
Agnes buries a rebel as Godwine walks up behind her. "Ah hello Godwine, how goes cleaning the town?" Agnes stands up as she shovels the dirt onto the corpse.
"Most if not all weapons have been collected, however many of the citizens of this town seem scared of us; only a few have been helping out," Godwine looks over at Celina who carries the last corpse from a carriage walking towards an empty grave. "I take it you are also finishing up as well."
Agnes nods as she watches Celina gently set the corpse into the grave. "Yes we are finishing up now actually," as Celina stands up Katelyn walks over holding a coin.
"Well if you have access to any messengers right now Tasha says you need to notify Rillu as soon as you can," Godwine looks at Agnes as he speaks. "The rebels are retreating to Rillu and I at least bet they will attempt something now that they know they have been exposed."
Agnes brings a finger to her chin as she watches Katelyn set the coin onto the corpse's chest as Celina begins to shovel dirt into the grave. "I don't have any messengers at the ready so we will have to send the message ourselves," Agnes looks at the flowing river. "Rillu is the capital of Rash county meaning the entire Rash county must be mounted behind the rebels. The capital of Rer, that is where they will be going."
"Are you saying they're going to be mounting a full on rebellion?" Godwine's eyes widen as the sound of the river flowing grows. "They have yet to win a fight against us to start their rebellion would be foolish even with the entire Rash county."
"Now isn't the time to think about why my hunch is correct, we have to move now!" Agnes shouts as she turns running into the town. Godwine stands for a second before glancing over at Celina and Katelyn.
As he starts to run he yells at them. "Get the others and get to the port now! Don't question me, this is an order!" Before either of them can respond Godwine is inside the town chasing after Agnes. He reaches the port hearing the turning of a water wheel along the river as Agnes is talking to a captain saying that she will pay however much is needed.
Katelyn, Tasha, Celina, and Elias all come running down shortly after as Agnes hands a pouch to the captain. "Everyone in the boat now I'll give you the run down on the way," Agnes barely turns around as she speaks getting in the boat as the others follow shortly after.
"Everyone hold on tight this river has a decent current," the captain pushes the boat from the dock out into the flowing river.
Hours have passed since they made it to the ocean Elias lays on his back as the others watch the water. Agnes taps her foot anxiously before looking at the others. "Rillu must be a part of the rebellion along with all of Rash. When we reach Khret I want all of you to stay with me."
Tasha kneels down next to Elias as she looks up at Agnes. "How are you so sure that the entire county is a part of this?"
"Becuase Rash has almost never been on good terms with the queen. It's only gotten worse since the brothers disappeared. Every single count sings praises about Krus saying they may as well just let them rule instead of following the queen. If this rebellion was able to get all of Tayan then who's to say they can't get an entire county," Agnes's voice trembles and she stutters as she speaks. "Most likely they were able to rally Rash. This whole rebellion is probably due to Krus I bet!" Agnes shouts in frustration as a pillar of smoke rises in the distance. Agnes's eyes fill with despair. "That's Zarrigis," Agnes's hands shake as she stares at the pillar of smoke. A loud bang fills the air as a second pillar of smoke rises this one closer. Agnes looks over seeing the smoke rising from the north. "Szil's," her eyes shake as a town dense and alive grows closer.
"Agnes!" Katelyn gets up standing next to Agnes. "Agnes! You gotta hold it together!" Another bang to the northeast and then another to the northwest.
"Grol and Berk," Agnes's voice cracks as she looks at the town in front of them. "The capital of Rer Khret," as Agnes stares, a click can be heard behind them.
The captain points a small weapon similar to that of a crossbow yet there are no strings, no bolt, just a barrel and a trigger. He aims the weapon at Agnes as her eyes shake her breath growing heavy. His finger tightens and a loud bag fills everyone's ears. Unable to handle the strength of the blast the weapon flies backwards out of the captain's hand as a tiny projectile flies from the barrel sleek and thin nothing like the arrows Katelyn fires. Within a second the projectile pierces Agnes's shoulder causing her to fall backwards screaming in pain. Seconds later Celina has the captain on the ground with her blade at his throat as Elias dizzily stands up puking off the side of the boat. Katelyn is down beside Agnes within a second.
"What the hell did you just do!?" Celina shouts as stares the captain down. Blood drips from where Celina's blade is. "You really just decided to attack a noble!"
Godwine calmly walks up towards the captain and Celina. "Yeah, what about it?" the captain smiles even with Celina's blade to his throat.
Elias sickly looks over at the town as they rapidly approach. "Guys we're coming in pretty fast," he barely is able to get his sentence out as the others look at the town noticing they are about to ram into the port.
"Shit!" Celina curses as within a second she cleanly slices the captain's smiling head clean off. Godwine grabs onto a rope holding tight as Celina swoops down grabbing Elias and Tasha before jumping onto the dock as Katelyn does the same with injured Agnes. Godwine smirks as the boat collides with the dock sending him flying forward. As smoke fills the port Katelyn moves Agnes to somewhere safe as Celina does the same with Elias and Tasha. As the smoke clears Godwine can be seen simply standing on the stone ground as the boat slowly sinks behind him.
Within seconds guards swarm the port surrounding Godwine who raises his hands. "Don't attack him or the other they're with me!" Agnes forces herself to shout through the pain as Katelyn helps her stand, assisting her as she walks up to the guards surrounding Godwine and the others. "We were ambushed on that boat. We are not a part of the attacks happening across our nation."
As Agnes speaks a woman begins to strut towards them. Her heels click with each step as her elegant dress flows behind her. "Stand down guards," her voice is filled with elegance and purpose. "These men must be with Lady Agnes. Return to your post and continue preparing for our defense," her words are beautiful, it is as if there was an angel before the group. As the group gathers she stands tall in front of them looking down as if assessing how much something is worth yet she doesn't give this look to either Katelyn or Agnes. "Welcome home my daughter. I hope you found what you were searching for."