The Druid Wielder

Chapter 16

"Not many Beggars make it to Commoners, let alone Royals. So a lot have given up trying."

"That's rather sad." My thoughts slipped from my lips.

"Remember, they are all criminals. It's better to be here than prison or the gallows."

"I am not a criminal."

She shrugged. Her attention was on the few Royals who had walked over to Comett.

"Can you give me one minute?" She stopped and ran towards the group. I continued to watch her as I practiced my downward swings.

She walked up to the ogre looking one, Trogan. Wasn't everyone intimidated by him? She just walked straight up to him.

She had her back turned to me so I couldn't make out what she was saying.

"So you're the newbie, eh?" A group who I had noticed earlier walked up to me. They were the ones who had helped me in the food tent.

"We should have introduced ourselves earlier. I am Kelrith," the man with glasses said. "My partner here is Bargonaan." Kelrith gestured to the one who had stepped in when the pirate was bugging me.

"You might know us as the slithering ciphers?!" Kelrith boasted.

Two others who I hadn't met snickered quietly.

"Stop laughing! In the south, everyone fears the slithering ciphers!" Kelrith exclaimed.

The others laughed even harder. Bargonaan just shook his head.

"Kelrith, you wouldn't hurt a fly. Everyone knows that the only reason you are here is that you tried selling a fake diamond to a Lord and he found out." Kelrith pouted.

"Palleas at your service," A young man with stubby blonde hair took my hand and kissed it gently, giving me a devilishly handsome smile. "What is your name, may I ask?"

"Ezailia." I told them.

"Ezailia like Queen Ezailia?" He asked.

I nodded my head. Why had I chosen the queen's name again? Such a silly fake name to choose for myself.

"What a perfect name!" He exclaimed. "You almost look like her."

Then again, perhaps it wasn't such a bad name.

"Don't be foolish, boy," Bargonaan said. "She looks nothing like her."

Palleaas shrugged.

"Perhaps you just don't have vision."

"Bah. Perhaps you are just blind." Bargonaan retorted.

I looked over the last unknown man who chuckled at Bargonaan and Kelrith's bickering. His bright green eyes lured me. Palleas caught my gaze.

"Ah, this is my relatively new partner Carther. If anyone is going to make it all the way to Royal, it's him. Apparently, he tried to protect an assassin from the King's guards."

"I told you I didn't know they were assassins at the time." Carther argued.

Palleas shrugged at Carther's complaint.

Were they talking about the murder in Alkamar?

"What about you, beautiful?" Palleas looked over at me. "What are you in for?"

"What happened?" I asked Carther, sidestepping Palleas's question.

"Hmm?" They both looked at me confused.

"You mean what happened with the assassins?" Carther responded.

"Yes."

"Well, the damn guards caught me and put me here for treason. That's what happened!" He had to be talking about the Alkamar murder. I knew it! "And the soldiers, they- my family didn't make it. The others were silent. My memory flashed back. Hadn't Reuben mentioned something about a girl who had survived?