Fenwell, as Gareth had said, wasn't too far away from Flemdale. Maybe a two-hour ride on horseback. A wooden signpost was the only guide he saw, confirming Fenwell to be in the right direction, he was on the right path.
"Come on, K," he said, his voice stone cold, then he got comfortable in his black saddle for the ride ahead.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIc1dnQEkKQ
Trot. Trot. Trot. His horse slowly moved forward now. He knew the other two guards weren't following him. It had clearly been a good hour now. All he could see around him were grass plains, a few houses scattered here and there. And some travellers, mostly on horseback passing him by, groaning and staring suspiciously at the scary sight with a black horse. The sun was bursting with light now.
Slowly, in the distance, an old lady could be seen walking with agonizing slowness towards M. She carried a gnarled grey stick, her spine deeply slouched so much so her posture seemed to beg for relief. Her face was a tapestry of wrinkles, so deep they seemed to overlap and obscure her eyes. She wore a golden outfit adorned with intricate black engravings that formed a symbol he couldn't discern, hinting at something ancient...
She approached and stood still next to M's horse then looked up till she saw the rider.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZkrUO0pcJ
"Dearie," she croaked, her voice raspy and slow, "Spare me some coin." she muttered opening her mouth and smiling. "You're a beautiful and kind person… I can sense it."
Beauty was subjective; to some, M appeared like a hideous monster, while to others, merely a man cloaked in shadow. Though she was right about one thing, he was kind to innocents, though he would never ever admit it. M stared at her for a second, then took out his pouch, it was light now. He was running low on coin, he had only three bronze coins and two silver ones. He had given his last gold coin to Arthur.
As the old crone saw the leather brown pouch her eyes lit up and her smile beamed even more.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuVor01iJz
"Dearie… I haven't had a proper meal in… ages." She said, trying to convince him to give her more coins than he initially intended. "Dearie… If you give me some coins… I'll tell you your future." she tapped the ground with her grey stick.
M wasn't saying a word. He had already talked too much with Llyn, he couldn't be bothered to talk any more. He took two silver coins out, bent down low on his horse and handed it to her.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxpLCt5a5E
"Dearie… you're so kind. You gave me silver when those three bronze would have sufficed," she said looking up to him, how did she know how much coins he had? "Let me repay the kindness, let me look into your eyes and predict what's about to happen." she meant it, though he didn't care at all. "Please… dearie let me..." she said eyes tearing up as she sensed he was going to leave.
The lady was staring into his two eyes which could easily be seen thanks to the help of the shining sun. M was never ever interested in fortune tellers nor did he ever believe in them. This old lady probably in her seventies had lost her mind, he thought to himself. He shook his head and permitted his horse to trot on forward. She quickly turned around facing his horse.
"Stop." Her smile was now extremely disturbing, mouth reaching all the way up to her cheeks, so much so even her bones started to screech.
M's horse immediately stopped at her command. he tried tugging on his reins to walk it but K wasn't moving. He was listening to the old lady, the horse's ears pointed towards the old witch. M was still not interested, he tried commanding his horse to walk forward but he didn't budge.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14TxQ9DS8k
"I see you now." She said wickedly. "Cloakbound, red and grey eyed." M shifted uncomfortably in his saddle, clearly unnerved by how she had obtained this information. She let out an even wickeder laugh echoing through her old throat. "I know all about you." She said slowly. "Born on a red Moon. Seemingly cursed by a loving mother…” her voice mischievous.
He cut her off, "No. You lie, you've only said the past, yet you say you know the future." he wanted her to stop. He still wasn't looking at her, head straight like an arrow.
Her smile stopped. She put her wrinkly hand to her face as if surprised. Her eyes widened, she then let out a sarcastic sigh, "You are now going towards… a ghost. There… I helped you dearie."61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVt1jDdPImT
"What ghost?" M questioned.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIkZyFmNM3
"Dearie… You'll find out soon enough." she turned and started walking towards the path M had originally come from. Then stopped. "You were generous to me, for that I will pray for you dearie." She tapped her grey walking stick ominously on the path, and said one last thing, "Two will stand beneath thunder. The white one is the truly cursed one…" she then let out a pleasant smile and tilted her head, "Don't fret dearie."
The old crone laughed again, as if entertained with what was to come. Then tapped her grey stick one last time and started walking away slowly as if she were a turtle.
"Hyah!" M said in anger, slamming the reins on his beloved horse, he demanded his horse to move now and it did.
His horse did not trot anymore, M thought he had found peace escaping Flemdale but no. He needed to find out what that old hag had said. He zoomed past the massive trees which were besides the path.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRV0vLzkTdY
Thankfully, his trusty horse did not disappoint again. Fenwell was now in front of him after an hours ride. He didn't have time to put his horse into the stable. Fenwell was much bigger than Flemdale, most houses and shops were tall and wide. The murmuring of people could be heard, doing business, causing chaos and running around. People of all different colour and sizes were walking about, some hurriedly others slowly. Fenwell boasted a thousand houses, a densely crowded metropolis where golden paths snaked between buildings that shot up towards the sky.
As he entered, the town was crowded, he knew his horse would slow him down. He got off and leashed it to the nearest wooden post he found which was located right in front of the entrance. Right besides the leashed K, was a man sitting on a chair smoking a pipe. Who was looking at the bustling entrance of Fenwell. M quickly walked towards him.
"Do you know someone by the name of Gareth?" M needed information, and fast.
"What's it to ya?" a kid smoking a pipe, acting like an adult.
"I need to talk to him." M didn't have time.
The kid knew he was in a hurry.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDDK0tFKa1
"I know everyone in this massive ass town. If ya give me some coi-" the kid tried asking for money.
M grabbed him by his rusted and old collar, "Where. Is. He?" Seeing the man's devilish red eye, the kid dropped the act and could be seen shaking in fear.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2kRne90vt
"Go straight, till you see the armourer, go through the alley besides it. He lives behind the shop, wooden door with stone around it."
M started running. People were in front and behind him, but that didn't stop him from reaching the house quickly. He bolted, weaving through the throng of people ahead and behind him, their groans of protest barely registering as he raced toward the house. The path was suffocating and small as shops and other types of buildings surrounded him.
He saw the shop, beside it lay a long alley. He ran in till he saw a wooden door with intricate stone carvings to the left. He tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge. He tried ramming his shoulder against it once. No one responded; he could only hear a faint, unsettling sound. He then slammed it with his shoulder again, using his full power, the lock finally gave up.
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He entered, finding Gareth… beheaded . Crimson red blood gushed from the corpse's neck; it looked unreal and devilish. His head was a few centimetres away, resting unnaturally on the floor, tilted at an angle, eyes gone. Someone had scooped his eyeballs out with a knife. Cruel would be an understatement. His once pleasant face was disgusting and pale now with some flies already feasting on it. Kneeling beside the horrific corpse was his own son.
The boy clutched his father's shoulders with his small hands, shaking them, trying to make the lifeless corpse respond. He kept whispering, then shouting, as if volume alone could resurrect the corpse.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFuCBH1MDo
"Father… please wake up!" The young boy stared at the gap between his father's head and neck, his eyes enlarged and filled with trauma and misery no words could ever justify. Tears streamed down the boy's cheeks, which were dropping onto the floor and mixing with his dead father's blood.
M had never encountered a situation like this. He quickly shielded the boys eyes. Though M knew this would definitely haunt the boy for a long, long time to come...61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZugLh95EB
and then Add to home screen.