Life in the capital...well too noisy and hyperactive. The weather was a bit chilly. People were too indulged in their commercial activities - every man for himself. Lores strolled along the busy street, carefully observing everything around him. It was as if he had nothing to do.
Joanne had started up her embroidery and Vicksen would work under a blacksmith. Here he was, roaming about with the laughable hope of espying palace dignitaries he would stalk. Lores admittedly told himself that he was a distinctively aimless enthusiast. There were many decent manors and huge structures, but none looked like the almighty palace he fancifully pictured in his heart where the terror of the world would reside.
Though he hadn't seen it in person, his intuition presented an incredible assuredness in him. Only few days in the capital seemed like he was born and brought up here. The speed of his adaptation was strange...so strange; if adaptation wasn't an overstatement in this context.
Flumping sounds of gaiting hoofs won Lores' gaze. A proud looking horse, white as the clouds, pastern coated in ring black as it graced with splendour. The horse was indeed beautiful and the person sitting on it was no different. His shoulder length hair rested on the dark blue cloak adorned with snow-white fur that smoothly touched his jaw. His face lustered oily with wealth, and his appearance was commanding reverence.
The horse and its rider had a characteristic match that blended with their proximity. Two horsed guards escorted him - one on the right, one on the left.
Lores watched as their horses gaited towards him and then past him. He discovered that they were screamingly familiar. They seemed not to have noticed him from his spot, so Lores decided to stalk.
"He must be the prince I encountered in the forest. I'll secretly follow him to check out the palace." Lores could tell from the ear cuff on Mo's ear. He smirked like a villain at this thought and sneaked after them with undetectable moves. His long crazy wish had materialized just like that.
Prince Mo's quick-witted guards did not hesitate to inform him that they were being followed.
"Your highness, someone is after us. Shall we capture them?" Boln inquired. His tone zealous and keen.
"No need." Prince Mo answered without batting an eye.
"I'm not on a secret mission neither I'm I on official duty to be spied on by my rivals. Whoever that person may be is not important." He continued. Prince Mo, the third prince of Liz was an outdoorsy person. Since he could no longer explore the world because of his responsibility, he would spend time leisurely around the capital.
His check up on the the castle of Everdusk was productive. He found out that the Dawcanes were discreetly integrating their troops with the troops guarding the castle. If he failed to send someone there to supervise the castle in his stead, the matter may get out of hand.
"Concerning the attempted assassination, shall we aid the manhunt?" Boln questioned with curiosity. Prince Mo thought for a while before replying.
"Speaking of which, many eyes are on that case. We don't have to scramble for benefits. Just keep in touch with the latest development and report to me."
"Roger." Boln replied firmly.
"The Supervisory Council second branch has put up a notice asking for civil assistance. The enthusiastic ones will eye up their surroundings. Some will even go as far as taking it up as a task. Ergo, It's of little consequence if His Highness makes a move or not." Hilbwet told his comrade who unspeakingly concurred. Prince Mo lips suddenly curled up into a smile, picking a unique interest in the matter.
"Interesting! The Supervisory Council for sure knows how to bring the best out of the people. I command you two to follow up the case. I'd like to see who wins the reward at the end of the day." He said with excitement.
"Roger that." His guards chorused in unison. At that moment, a brave beggar crawled up the road and impeded the prince's advancement.
"Sir, please any amount you render will be highly appreciated. Help my miserable life sir!" He wheedled with a tearful voice. The prince sighed, feeling disturbed. He stared with ordinary pity at the pitiable shriveled, tattered dressed man for a good while. His guards glanced at him with questioning looks, waiting to receive an order; either to ignore the beggar or to heed his plea.
"Boln." Prince Mo's voice was languid, and the one whose name was called understood the message behind the intonation and expression. He dipped his hand into his pouch and took out some coins which he lobbed at the wanting beggar.
The coinage glinted as it caught the sun. The beggar's eyes became as wide as saucers when he realized that five gold coins were waiting to be picked up. A gold coin was worth twenty-five pieces of silver. No doubt it would be more than enough for him to start a new life. One more shocked glance at the prince and then he began kowtowing repeatedly.
"Thank you sir! Thank you sir! You're very generous! Thank you sir!"
Lores witnessed from his secret spot, face darkening.
"His quite charitable but he does it with reluctance. What an arrogant prince!"
Once Prince Mo left the beggar, other onlooking beggars crowded about the latter as if he was a debtor, and began to tussle in order to grasp at least one gold coin.
Lores watched with wide open eyes. This is typically the capital. Even street beggars are not exempted from the boisterous style of living. He reached the wrestling scene and espied a calm beggar at a corner awaiting with implacable patience. His face was buried between his knees, arms wrapped around legs. His bowl was empty and it was as if he didn't give a damn about it. Lores instantly developed compassion for the trouble-free beggar.
He took a silver coin from the pouch tied to the three-inch belt on his decrepit ankle-length tunic, bent and dropped it politely. The recipient sharply tilted his head at his benefactor, releasing a smile of gratitude. Lores smiled back and continued his stalking mission.
Prince Mo and his men stopped in front of a magnificent tavern, leaving Lores in a state of utter confusion and annoyance.
"So all these while, they weren't heading to the palace?" He was disappointed about the unexpected turn up. That moment, he caught sight of a familiar profile view holding a furled paper and quickly approached to clear his doubt.
"Jerman!" He exclaimed, eyelids twinkling in surprise. Jerman eyes were lit up, but it didn't stop him from grinning widely. He hadn't changed, not even a bit.
"Ah! Lo...lo...what's the name again?" Jerman wore a thoughtful face for a split second. Lores frowned.
"How is it that you no longer remember my name. It's Lores." Jerman grinned happily as if he learnt a new secret. He pointed at Lores and exclaimed.
"Oh yes! Lores, we meet again." Lores threw him a playful punch. Although Jerman was silly, he would make a good company in the midst of the no-batting-of-eye environment that could make one feel lonesome at times.
"The world is small. I never expected to find you so effortlessly." Lores affirmed. The two boys went down the lane and entered a tavern to take their time.
"Relax! It's on me. Waiter! A jar of wine!" Jerman exclaimed once they sat across from each other. It was as if they were old time friends that eventually stumbled upon each other after many years of separation. In spite of the fact that they've met only once, their mutual correspondence incredibly dovetailed.
Once the waiter served the wine, Jerman unceremoniously filled their cups and dropped a question.
"What are you doing here?" Lores drank from his cup. It would be of no use to disclose his main aim of coming to Sueve as it would lead to unsolicited discussions. Besides, Jerman would be of no help to him getting into the palace.
"I came to seek a better life." He lied. "What about you, why are you here?" He asked.
Jerman lips was always busy with grinning, and it made Lores wonder how the boy had never suffered from paralysis.
"I'm an aimless wanderer. It's not a thing of wonder that I can be found anywhere at any point in time." Jerman responded unabashed. Lores' eyes fell on the furled paper resting on their table, and it piqued his interest.
"What's that paper about?" He inquired. Jerman took the paper and unfurled it. Lores saw that it was the portrait of a man, exactly the same as the ones he saw mapped on every corner of the street. He glanced at Jerman.
"Have you been searching for him?" Jerman sighed as he furled back the paper.
"This man is a hard nut to crack. I've been searching every tavern and brothel all to no avail." Lores couldn't understand why everyone was after the wanted criminal. He never regarded it as it was the last thing on his mind. He sorted for enlightenment.
"What horrible crime has he committed that has made the authorities keen on capturing him?" Jerman who had studied the case quite well provided a vague answer.
"He relayed information with a pigeon." He grinned as Lores' face twisted in confusion. It seemed as though he was pleased with the ignorance of Lores.
"And how's that a crime?" Jerman drank his wine before placating the confused Lores.
"The use of pigeons have been monopolized by the royal court, and only licensed individuals are liable to make use of them."
"Oh!" Lores exclaimed. "I see. I thought he even killed someone." Lores further said. Jerman grinned and drank from his cup once more. He wasn't done with his explanation.
"That how it seems from a superficial outlook. When studied critically, he might have killed someone. The information he relayed was key to the failed assassination carried on the Duke of Bantacur. Here, he is convicted of two crimes. The first being the illegal use of pigeons, and the other; involvement in the attempted assassination of a dignitary."
Lores listened with interest. He filled his cup and drank from it before asking another question.
"Have the assassins been caught?" He incredibly developed enthusiasm in the case.
"Yes, they've been caught. But the man in the portrait is the clue to the mastermind behind the plot that's why the second branch of the Supervisory Council issued an arrest warrant for him. He must be captured." Jerman resolved, undeterred by his failure. Lores finished his thought with a suggestion. He thought it fascinating to go for some adventure.
"How about we hunt him together?" His tone spirited.
"No, I don't want to share the reward." Jerman replied almost before Lores could finish his question. He filled his cup, still putting on a smiley face. Lores face darkened, amused by the levity of Jerman.
"Look at you. Always thinking of rewards. Listen, I have no intention of sharing the reward with you. It's just that I feel bored not doing anything. I'd like to go for an adventure."
"Fine. As you wish. So, how do we capture this man?" Jerman asked in furtherance of their mission. Lores thought it through. He sat upright and replied based on his analysis.
"Many people currently have their eyes on this man. That being the established fact, he will not be in the taverns and brothels of a populated area. Moreover, these spots can be accessed by soldiers at any time. He dare not be there. Let's scrutinize the less populated areas." When Lores finished speaking, Jerman spoke up his thought.
"The capital is strictly guarded for his sake which means he has no way out. I've been to Bantacur. It is a small douchy. He would have been caught if he were to be hiding there. Going to the less populated areas is definitely a good idea. I know of a quiet area called Bram Lane. We can check there." Once he finished talking, he dropped the charges on the table, face not failing to hide his light-hearted grin.
"Now that you've become smart enough, this mission is a success." Lores complimented before adding another statement. "Jerman, you really took your time to study this case. You seem to be very eager to get the award."
Jerman laughed.
"I'm putting my course of wandering into good use. Bro, let's go hunting before someone else gets ahead of us." Lores chuckled. Scrambling for rewards was the par for the course with Jerman.
The two got horses and rode for an hour until they got to a lonesome narrow street which was typical of a ghetto. There were beggers and sick people lying helplessly on the street. Some metres away, a smith was working on his anvil. The taverns around were old, smaller and very few. They kept checking the taverns one after the other for the man in the portrait.
They got into one particular tavern and caught sight of the posterior view of a man close to his middle age. He exuded an aura worthy of suspicion. His table contained a jar of wine which he drank directly from. They approached him with thudded steps. Lores sat across from him while Jerman stood upright with arms crossed.
The man stared at the boys uneasily. To the joy of the bounty hunters, the man bore a striking resemblance to the portrait. At that point, Lores inwardly showered praises on whoever the artist may be for producing such a masterpiece of an elaborate portrait.
"Do I know the both of you?" His voice was hoarse and stern. Jerman was callous as he grinned in response. Lores kept looking at him as if he had something interesting on his face. After a good while, Lores answered the alarmed man.
"No, you don't. You're apparently convicted with crime charges. We want to tie you up and hand you over to the authorities. Kindly cooperate with us sir."
The man glanced at the both of them as if he didn't know what they were talking about.
"Brats, you must be mistaken. I have no idea of what you're talking about." He drank from his jar, turning a blind eye to the boys. Lores sagged his shoulder and sighed, pretending to consider the man's speech.
"Is that so? How did you get here if I may ask?" There was no need to rush the interrogation. The bounty hunters enjoyed the uneasiness of the man, so they played along.
"I came all the way from a faraway village to find greener pastures here in the capital. I just arrived yesterday and here you are accusing me of being a criminal. Is it a crime that I came to the capital?!"
Lores and Jerman exchanged glances and guffawed together. They really took satisfactory delight in the misery of the man. The latter looked at the boys with perplexity.
"Of course it's not a crime that you came to the capital. Relax. It's just that the man we are searching for illegally used a pigeon, and that man looks exactly like you." Lores said. The man was goaded to anger with nostrils expanding, face stern.
"Do you even know what you are saying? The use of pigeons are under the administration of the ministry of information bureau. I am an irrelevant villager who just arrived yesterday. How is it realistic that I made use of a pigeon?" Lores gave him a serious look.
"You claim to come from a faraway distance but you seem familiar with the politics here. Don't you think it's too weird?" The man spasmed when he realized he had inadvertently implicated himself. Afterward, he then tried to comport himself.
"Do you have an evidence?" He asked defiantly. Jerman chuckled before chiming in.
"Now that it has come this, do you still need an evidence? Fine, I'll show you." Jerman unfurled the portrait and presented it in full view for the disclaimer to see clearly. The man viewed his carbon copy with big pair of eyes, lips twitching.
"If only you know how long I have suffered to search for you. You're a hard nut but I have successfully cracked you." Jerman added mockingly.
The man briskly got to his feet and attempted to escape. Jerman blocked him while Lores gave him a powerful kick. He thumped on his table and shattered it prompting other customers to look in the direction.
Jerman turned and addressed light-heartedly.
"Gentlemen, do not get startled. We are only handling a criminal."
The man pulled out a dagger from no where and tried to defend himself. Jerman shrunk backward. The man aimed for Lores but the latter dodged, caught the criminal's wrist and wramped it, his dagger dropping straight to the ground. The criminal groaned in pain as the tavern was now in disarray with the few customers watching in shock and alarm.
"What's the nuisance all about!? These troublesome youths of nowadays!" They were muttering.
"Do you know how precious you are? Everyone in the capital is searching for you. Even if you leave here you will still get caught by thousands of people." Lores guaranteed his captive, smirking triumphantly.
Afterwards, the man was tied up with a cord by his arrestors and bundled to the authorities.
After the success of the mission, Jerman counted twenty-five out of the fifty silver coins they were awarded and offered the coinage to Lores. The latter hesitated, feigning reluctance. He knew how well money was highly essential in a place like Sueve.
"Who said he didn't want to share the reward earlier?"
"I was just kidding bro." Jerman replied and then sighed. "Since you are not going to accept the money, I will..." Before he could end his statement, Lores snatched it from him.
-
Boln hurried to where Prince Mo was seated, stooped and whispered.
"Urgent report from the Supervisory Council second branch. The criminal has been captured." The prince's eye shone intriguingly.
"Who was responsible for the arrest?" He questioned almost immediately.
"It was a civil act. Two boys colluded to capture the criminal. One of them was the person who stalked us recently. I'm certain we've met him before." Boln reported affirmingly. Prince Mo's interest grew taller than him, head slightly tilted to the side.
"We've met before?" He echoed as if he heard wrongly. A unique and unquenchable interest in the person in question originated in him. Boln gave a curt nod.
"He's one that wields the sword and he seemed to be capable. It must have taken an well organized plan for the success of the arrest which shows that he is quite resourceful. If you were to recruit him as your agent..." Boln intentionally stopped halfway, allowing the prince some time to imaginatively bask in the productive outcome.
Prince Mo spoke after extending far and wide with his train of thought.
"Find a way to lure him here."