Seinerd Spirals (Finale)

Seinerd's heart was beating rapidly. It pumped so fast and so loudly he feared the man whose eyes he stared into would hear and give him judgement.

At the sound of a sword being unsheathed, Seinerd knew he'd run out of time. With the blade pointed at his neck, Seinerd backed into his chair, hands up, eyes closed and reasonably terrified of being cut.

"Who sent you? What is your purpose? Sabotage? Kidnapping? Blackmail?" the man asked, increasingly becoming more anxious and hurried.

"I was not se-" Seinerd ceased speaking as the tip of the sword pushed harder against his skin, drawing blood.

"Do not attempt to lie, Seinerd Blanc! Just answer the questions and I'll see that you survive."

Although the promise of survival was sweet, surviving alone could kill him as the punishment that will be met onto him could be fatal.

Peering his tightly shut eyes open, Seinerd resigned to what seemed to be his fate, he might as well survive to be judged by Desmond himself.

"The Lord Regent of Aville sent me here to Harsem."

"What?!" Surprise was evident enough by the ridiculous face he was making, "Haha! You're telling me that Lord Desmond sent you here? To spy?" confusingly, the previously tense mood that enshrouded the room was lifted with his cackles.

Seinerd shook his head and hands frantically, "No no no, Lord Rainald is Regent now, perhaps word has not gone around as of yet." yet the man continued to bawl with laughter, sheathing his sword only so he could properly laugh at joke that was beyond Seinerd.

"What's so funny?" Seinerd asked annoyingly cleaning the blood off his neck. Slowly the man's laughter died out and he could finally speak without roaring into another bout of laughter.

With a smile still large on his face, he explained the reason behind his mirth, "Well, you see, I just found it quite hilarious to think that the Chancellor of Aville would send…" he slapped his hand to his mouth, holding back yet another burst of laughter with great difficulty, "…someone as weak, incompetent, and see-through as you are." He said, lips still quivering.

Seinerd's face flushed, not surprisingly embarrassed at being called out for his incompetence, "Well, it was Lord Rainald that sent me here as I am the aid of the Chancellor."

Unfortunately for Seinerd, his attempts to pass blame didn't work out as well as he'd hoped as the man once more burst out laughing, "So! You mean to say you are tutored under the Chancellor himself and yet, you ar-" he couldn't finish his statement as he interrupted himself with more hearty laughs.

"Oh, enough already! It can't possibly be so entertaining to realize my failure!" Seinerd exclaimed rising from his seat.

"Okay Okay!" the man said, trying to calm Seinerd down and seat him down, his laughing had died out at last, "By the way, when did Lord Rainald fully take on the role of Special Advisor?" he asked as Seinerd got himself seated.

"Oh, as far as I know, during the festivals yesterday. He took command of the Duchy this very morning though, immediately the Duke left."

Rubbing his chin as he hummed thoughtfully to himself the man further inquired, "So, he must have done something quite impressive for the Duke to leave the entirety of the Duchy to him immediately he fully took on the Special Advisor title."

Seinerd, chuckled, a bright smile gracing his lips for the first time since their exchange began, "Well, yes, as far as it seems, Lord Rainald very well saved your way of life." He smirked, "You should be grateful."

Without smiling, laughing or saying a word, the man rose from his seat to briefly leave the room only to return moments later with what looked like a sheet of white paper and an ink pot with a white feathered quill in it. Slamming the sheet of paper onto the wooden table, right in front of Seinerd, he glared into his eyes and spoke quite angrily, "It is you who should be grateful," he looked down at Seinerd, having nothing but pity and disgust in his eyes, "Be grateful I am loyal only to the Duchy of Aville, be grateful I was the guard to interrogate you, be grateful I do not question the actions of my superiors. Be grateful!"

In the brief moment that the man had stepped out, Seinerd had lost the smug look on his face and concocted several fatal scenarios involving his death, or worse. But he never thought his life would be redeemed even as he bantered back and forth with the man.

The sheet of paper set in front of him as well as the man's 'grateful' outburst, had quelled his fears of being sent to the hangman. The paper had in beautiful handwriting, a section for most of the questions he had just been asked and a long black dash beside each question, presumably for the answers.

"What are…?" Seinerd asked lifting the sheet of paper waving it in the air.

The man gave a slow closed-eyed nod, "Mhm," he heaved a sigh suddenly looking very stressed, "Lord Desmond arrived with it about a year ago, it was part of this large 'security system revamp' at least that's what he referred to it as. He didn't seem to understand it much either." He spoke thoughtfully, shifting his weight in his seat he continued, "Ah, well he called those 'forms', and they are part of a very exhausting 'filing system'"

Seinerd shook his head, not having gotten a straightforward or understandable answer, he picked up the quill and began writing. "What if I couldn't write?" Seinerd asked, "A lot of people, even some merchants are not learned enough to learn how to read and write. What happens when you get one of those?" he set the quill down, awaiting an answer to assuage his sudden curiosity.

The man let out a long yawn before bothering to answer the question, "Haa, well, the guards on toll duty, like myself, are all compulsorily learned in reading and writing, if someone can't read or write, we do it for them." He picked up the quill and stuffed it into Seinerd's hand, "Now hurry up, I've wasted more time with you than is allowed, others are waiting in line."

Nodding his head Seinerd took the quill in hand and filled out the form. "There, done. Now what am I to do?"

Sneering at Seinerd the man said, "Your job."

***

Seinerd was kicked out of the interrogation room quite swiftly. He had passed through the same door the man-whose name he realized he'd never asked for-used when arriving to interrogate him.

Through the door, Seinerd was introduced to the township of Harsem. Even near the gates, guarded by tens of men wielding weapons, there was chaos. He quietly gave greetings to the guards guarding the entrance to the tower he was exiting, they gave only curt nods in response.

As he trekked into the town he began recounting his expenses; his pouch was still heavy but he needed to make it last over the mission. A little extra coin in his pocket after a job well done wouldn't hurt anyone.

So far he had spent a total cost of thirteen bronze and fifty copper. What he had leftover still rounded up to two silver so he was satisfied. Done counting his value, Seinerd headed off to buy the materials he would need to perform his job.

Shifting about the town, through market squares, men and women noisily shouting out the quality of the pottery, foods, clothes, and occasionally, weapons. Hounded by many men asking and presuming what he needed with very uncouth manners, women fashionably catching his attention with their dressings or lack thereof. There was chaos. Chaos Seinerd couldn't completely navigate through.

"Feeling a bit lost?" said a familiar-sounding voice. Seinerd turned to face the source and found none other than the guard who interrogated him. "Didn't think I would find you here so soon." He said, making way for a passing carriage.

Surprise evident on his face, Seinerd forced a smile to crawl onto his face as he looked onto the man across the street. "Well, not entirely my fault," he began as the man started towards him as the carriage passed by, "This place may as well be a maze, not quite sure I know my way back to the gate."

With the man in front of him, Seinerd studied him aside from the unchanging smugness of his smile Seinerd took notice of a difference, "Not in your armour, gotten fired from the force I hope."

The man rolled his eyes, "The gate is that giant overhead wall of stone you see in every direction," he scoffed, circling a finger around, "And to your apparent dismay, no, I have not been dismissed. My shift is just over and that armour goes to the person on the next shift."

Seinerd nodded, "Right, right, the property of Aville."

The man shrugged, "Not enough to have a personal set of armour. Armour is quite expensive, as you know."

"Ah, so are weapons, you still have that offending sword of yours," Seinerd said, disdain in his voice as he rubbed the spot on his neck the sword had been pressed onto.

"Right, sorry about that, the job is tense." he said, sounding surprisingly remorseful for a man who'd just threatened a life, "And weapons aren't as expensive as armour, we each got one crafted to our liking on the orders of the Duke. Said his retinue needed to be sharp and ready for anything. We are." The pride in his voice didn't escape Seinerd's observations as the man straightened up the moment he spoke of the Duke and the retinue he belonged.

"Anyway, if you let me know what you need I could direct you, how's that?" he offered the smile on his face genuine yet Seinerd couldn't help his hesitance.

Raising an eyebrow, the man shifted his weight and let out his hand for a handshake, "I'm sorry, we haven't been properly introduced, I'm Michael." He had a bright ear to ear grin etched onto his face as he introduced himself. "I know I'm quite different when I'm not on duty, again I'm sorry about that."

Seinerd looked onto him and for the second time realized Michael's youthful exuberance; his unassuming smile and visage, the soft. kindly voice he spoke with and the tenderness held within his blue eyes. Seinerd looked upon Michael and saw a pawn.

"And I am Seinerd, as you well know." He said shaking Michael's hand with vigour renewed and a smile as wide as Michael's, "I am looking for some ink pots, I left all of mine back home as I hurried to leave, help me find where to buy some will you?"

Michael nodded, "Of course right this way."

And Seinerd, with all his suffering, finally relaxed. It seemed there was hope for him yet.