Maddox POV:
There was a storm brewing inside of him. One he hadn't felt in years as Maddox watched the fires spread to the nearby buildings.
The moment he got a look at Wolf Brook's unmasked face, he felt the itch to kill something. But he knew that the real culprit was out of reach, so taking a torch to the dungeon was the next best thing, especially knowing how fast the fires would spread. There would be casualties and chaos. Hopefully enough to distract the whole capital from Lord Brook's escape.
Standing back, keeping his face hidden beneath the hood of his cape, he watched as guards rushed to get buckets of water from the nearby fountains. Civilians were screaming, and rushing to collect valuables from their burning shops.
This did not seem to satisfy his rage. The more he watched, the angrier he felt, and he could not understand why.
Lord Brooks had been captured and tortured beyond recognition by these people. Would a fire be enough after that?
Glancing up towards the palace, where the wretched Emperor's family lived, his anger grew unchecked. Despite his precarious position, he found himself drawing his sword and pointing towards the structure. He let his magic flow into the blade, and in one startling blast, unleashed his rage.
Everyone ducked from the explosion, covering their heads and looking around wildly for where it came from.
"You!" A guard pointing accusingly at Maddox. "Stay right there and put down the weapon!"
Wordlessly, the villain turned the blade upon the woman. She froze, knowing the power that it possessed, but did not run under the scrutiny of the villains glowing eyes.
He made sure to keep eye contact with her as he backed down into a nearby alleyway. She watched, wordlessly so as not to antagonize him into turning his wrath upon more innocents, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
Cain POV:
Cain felt wretched. His body was shivering uncontrollably as waves of nausea washed over him. His face broke out in a cold sweat, and suddenly he sat up and dry-heaved over the side of the bed. After five agonizing minutes of nothing coming up, he laid back down and gasped for air.
This wasn't his home, nor the dungeons. Where was he?
The last thing he remembered was Catalina walking him down an alleyway. A stranger was wearing a green cape and hood, but he had no idea what relevance that had or who he was.
"Master Cain!" Someone drew him from his thoughts, and he turned to find what looked like a guard approaching him.
Cain immediately struggled to sit back up and away but was still too weak to react as the man held his hands up.
He was young, with a strong build and tousled strawberry hair. His slender nose and square jawline were prominent, as were his emerald green eyes. He was dressed in armor from the capital and wore the emperor's insignia.
"Who are you?" Cain demanded, finally taking in his surroundings.
The two men were currently held up in a barn, with a makeshift bed built just for him in the far corner, away from the animals. There was hay covering the floor, and lanterns hanging from the walls to keep the space illuminated.
"Shhh!" The guard put a finger to his lips. "Please, let me explain. I used to be one of the servants in the Duclair household. I didn't work directly under you, but I heard many things about you. Right up until you were accused of killing Master William that is. Oh! But none of us believed that! Most of us knew you were gone when it happened, and Gideon refused to let anyone talk about it after you'd disappeared. Then Master Andrew let go of half the staff, including me and my sister, and I've been training to become a guard ever since."
"I don't-" Cain broke out into a coughing fit, to which the guard produced a wineskin full of water. The ex-marquess greedily drank it up, but almost immediately vomited from drinking too fast. The man waited patiently, patting the blonde's back, until he was ready to try drinking again. This time slower.
"You've been here for a little over a day. Madam Catalina insisted you not be moved any further lest your condition worsen."
His thirst quenched, Cain laid back down and processed the information. "What is your name?"
"Edwin, sir." He gave a slight bow, just as a servant would for their lord. "I feel that staying dressed in uniform will help prevent any other guards from checking here for you."
"Smart. Where's Catalina at?"
"I believe she's getting food."
"I see." Cain closed his eyes, trying to relax after everything that had happened. He tried not to let it sink in that his entire villainous career had blown up in his face. With no money, no businesses, and no reputation, he was back to square one. Worse, he no longer had the crystal to teleport to Chalot and warn them of the Prince's plan.
"For the record, the people are on your side still." Edwin chimed in, as though reading his mind. "The capital has already been informed of the Emperor's lies about you, but it doesn't change the fact that you helped all of us when we were in need."
"Us?"
"The lower class." The guard shrugged. "At first I was skeptical of who Wolf Brooks was. For all, we knew he was just someone trying to get favor with the royal family and was using us as stepping stones, but learning he was you made me realize you were genuinely trying to help people."
Cain flinched at those words as something akin to guilt stirred within him.
"That is why I doubt the Emperor will so easily turn the people against you. You've done far more than he ever has. And having served you before, I can easily vouch for your innocence in the future. As soon as we get you someplace safer."
"Or cleaner." Catalina came up behind the guard with a basket of bread and a flask of broth. "This isn't exactly the ideal place to help care for someone sick."
"I'll be fine." He argued, weakly turning his head to eye the food. "Is that for me?"
"Of course." She handed it to the guard. "While you were unconscious, I've run into multiple ex-maids and servants from your old home. You made a lasting impression on them as Cain Duclair."
"Wolf Brooks had more success I think." He countered, sipping carefully from the flask of broth that Edwin offered.
"Does the name matter if it's the same person?"
He didn't respond and continued to try and fill his empty stomach before another bout of nausea kicked in.
"By the way, things are going to get pretty hairy from here on out after that attack."
"What attack?" Cain asked, noticing a disturbed look in Edwin's eyes.
"Your boyfriend set the dungeon entrance on fire, and then shot one of the Palace towers with that magic sword of his."
"Boyf-You mean Maddox?"
"Who else? You remember that look he gave when he saw how poorly you were. I supposed he doesn't have much reason to hide his power anymore now that he's been ousted."
That was true. The Crown Prince had claimed that Maddox's home was under siege, and all his assets frozen. And even though the villain had an extensive network of underground informants, they couldn't very well be trusted if the Emperor offered a big enough bounty for his head.
"I suppose the good news is that his actions had distracted the other guards from their search for you," Edwin explained. "It made bringing you here much easier. Unfortunately, there's no way that man will be able to stay in the country after killing a Prince."
Cain's eyes widened. "He what?"
"Oh, you heard him." Catalina flipped a lock of hair from her face and put a hand on her hip. "Technically, the Prince died from rubble falling upon him in the Palace, so he didn't kill the man directly. But it won't change the fact that the Emperor is out for blood now. And with you being a suspected accomplice, well let's just say we need to get back to the Forest of death as soon as possible."
Cain agreed and finished his meal slowly once Edwin had left. After a few more hours of rest, he was able to stand without a wobble.
"Excellent. Let's get out of here." Catalina handed Cain a more appealing cape to cover his torn and dirty tunic. He took it gratefully, then hesitated at the barn door. Voices could be heard outside. Not threateningly, but everyday chatter.
"What's the matter?" She asked.
Cain didn't want to admit weakness, but he also didn't want to just strut out onto the street only to be hanged by the locals for committing treason. The demon stared him down, expectantly, and when he didn't respond, she rolled her eyes and swung open the door.
The blond stepped back, prepared to run but knowing the barn behind him was a dead end. He fully expected the people to take one look at him and raise their pitchforks, demanding justice for his lies and betrayal, and for having burnt down all their homes. His heart thumped in his chest as he waited for their reactions.
A few looked up at the pair curiously. And here Cain realized they were not in a town, but a makeshift field where tents from survivors had been erected in place of the crops. Firepits, racks, and other minor vestiges were scattered around with people milling about, wearing what little clothes they had left after coming to the outskirts of the Capital for help.
Finally, one of the nearest beggars recognized Cain and motioned for his friend to look as well. "Ain't that Lord Brooks?"
The common chatter he'd heard died into hushed whispers. Cain could only hold his breath and wait for their judgment when an older woman who looked to be nothing but skin and bones approached him. Catalina didn't appear worried, so Cain tried to remain relaxed as well.
"Don't worry Lord Brooks. No one here is going to turn you in." She smiled with what few teeth she had left.
"What?"
"Yeah." A younger woman in the crowd agreed, and everyone began nodding their heads. "We won't say a word."
"You've done more for us in a year than that old bastard of an Emperor has done for us his whole career. We've no reason to hand you over."
He didn't know how to respond to their words. Guilt swelled up within him like a blight, and he couldn't ignore it any longer. "But, I was working with the Chalot Kingdom."
Catalina slapped him on the shoulder as though to say 'Shut up!'.
"We heard. But the problems we've been facing existed long before the war happened. I for one think a change would be nice."
Again, a round of nods.
He couldn't believe it. His reputation wasn't as shattered as he thought. Then again, the Prince must not have figured out that Cain was the Arsonist as well, which saved a huge bit of his reputation. If these people had known Cain was the reason they were stuck here, begging for scraps like dogs at the Emperors table, he was certain they'd change their tune. "Thank you." Was all he could think to say. That was when a man in a green cape and hood approached with three horses. His ominous presence was enough to let Cain know who it was as he turned to Maddox, who was keeping his face hidden in an ironic twist of fate.
For a moment, he considered covering his own face, then recalled that not even the Crown Prince had recognized him. While Cain Duclair had been an important person to their household staff, he had been insignificant to the nobility. So much so that he felt confident that the villain also had no idea who he was, making him feel foolish for latching onto his identity for so long.
"Do you think you'll be able to ride?" Maddox asked in a slightly distorted voice.
Cain knew the man couldn't as easily reveal his face. Unlike Cain, Maddox was known for working with middle and upper-class aristocrats. These people wouldn't be so welcoming of him. So instead of ousting the man, he took one of the reins and nodded.
"Let's go." Cain climbed upon the horse and waited for Catalina and Maddox to do the same.
There was a sinking feeling in his gut as he realized his safety had only been assured through the very people he had harmed in his selfish escapades. He wondered if burning down all those villages had been necessary. No, it was still necessary. The people would never have tried to take action if they weren't pushed to the brink.
That logic didn't exactly make Cain feel better, but he did feel that he could perhaps focus a little more on paying these people back in the future. That is, if he lived long enough to do so.
---
This story is Copyrighted ©Darksparx via Wattpad. Do not translate, post, or publish on any other platforms without the author's express permission.
Please consider tipping the author at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/DarkSparx if you enjoy this story! Coffee link is also on my profile.