Dreams of Hardovia and The Green Throne (Part 1)

4: The Heroes of Slaves

"I came from Eithaf." Said Philip and smirked, for he successfully resolved the problem efficiently.

Bevyn's forehead wrinkled, and his eyebrows met with what Philip had just said.

"I never heard of such a place. Where is that?"

"It's Eithaf woods. I lived there before I came here," explained Philip. "My turn to ask?" he added.

"Of course. What is it?" asked Bevyn.

"Where are we?"

"You are in Tref town." Bevyn noticed that Philip's face wrinkled out of confusion. "It is a town where... everyone is free!" he added, which confused Philip.

"How could the town be called free if people wander around in chains?"

Because of Philip's words and current knowledge, Bevyn was assured that Philip was an outsider. Bevyn sat down on the side, and so was Philip. It drowned Philip in confusion at what Bevyn was talking about. He couldn't absorb it in his mind quickly like a sponge. It's been days of mental chaos. Every time he traveled by his dreams, it spilled a bucket more. None at least one answer to plenty of questions. This world's existence, the purpose of this unknown phenomenon to him, and the cycle of his dreams — baffled Philip.

"— hey! —" snapped Bevyn. "Are you okay?"

As Philip's mind floated, he didn't notice his mouth was partially open. He eventually closed it and joggled his head in response.

"Are there any more places here?"

"Of course! Hardovia is magnificent land. It —"

"Hardovia?"

"Boy, where in the world do you live? You even have no knowledge about Hardovia?"

"I have been living in the woods as far as I remember, so you can't blame me for my ignorance."

"Oh, apologies."

Bevyn accepted that this man actually lived in the woods. The lack of knowledge of the outside world was understandable.

"Okay. I will explain it to you. As I said earlier, we are in Hardovia. Hardovia is a vast mystical world. This land has kingdoms, empires, and a town. You are in Tref town — the only town here in Hardovia. It is also called the freedom land, as everyone here can do anything. Including festivals, tournaments, and selling their goods — renting from the government. You can do everything fun here."

"But there are guards here. I was chased by two earlier," Philip stated.

"Those men are sent by a nearby empire for peacekeeping," explained Bevyn.

"Everything fun can be done? So, slavery and torture are fun here?" exclaimed Philip.

"No... but it is one of the freedoms granted this land."

"What do you mean?"

"It means slavery is also not prohibited. Hey Uhm, how did you get captured."

"They caught me peeking on their slavery transaction."

"I think the people just thought of you as a spy or something," said Philip.

"Spy? To what?"

"To the transaction. You know some slave masters keep their transactions a secret."

"So that's what they are called... slave master? I would rather call them as... Never mind. So, why do they have to hide some of their transactions?"

"I have no knowledge of that either."