Chapter 32: Arrested! And an offer!

Lucian found himself surrounded by the guards of Dragonfront town, including a captain whose level was around the same as Collins had been.

Lucian wanted to fight and chase after Hestia, but he was no fool. Knowing that he would never find her if he was dead.

"You are surrounded, surrender now or die!" The captain shouted as he drew his sword.

Lucian slowly raised his hands into the air in defeat.

"I surrender."

Two guards quickly ran over and bound Lucian's arms with shackles, placing his arms behind his back.

"Alright men, take him away and search him." The captain said, watching Lucian carefully.

The guards did as the commander instructed and took Lucian away, throwing him into a horse and carriage before they locked him inside.

The captain watched as they dragged him away before turning his head to look at the estate.

"Still, it's hard to believe he did all this." He said, taking in all of the damage that had been done, along with the bodies that littered the estate.

Lucian found himself being carted off to yet another prison cell, not being able to save Hestia again had taken its toll on him as tears ran down his face.

"I couldn't save her..." He thought as he stared at the sold wooden carriage wall before he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.

The carriage had no windows or bars and was designed to be almost impossible to break out of, with the only way in and out being the steel door that was locked and bolted from the outside.

"Why are you acting so pathetic?" The demon lord suddenly asked, snapping him out of his trance.

"You, who have been granted the power of Satan, the destroyer of worlds." The demon lord said as he materialized into physical form once again, sitting across from Lucian as he rested his chin on his fist with his legs crossed.

"What do you want?" Lucian asked slowly.

"I dont want anything... For now." He said with a sinister smile.

"Then why are you here?" Lucian asked as he looked into the eyes of the demon lord.

"Hmmm, why am I here?" He asked himself with a questioning look coming to his face before he started pacing around the carriage.

"Oh yes, that's right." He then said as the idea popped back into his head.

"Give me control of you're body and allow me to kill them all." He said as he extended his arms.

"I will grant your revenge and destroy your enemies for you!"

"All you have to do is give in." He then said as he leaned forwards to look Lucian in the eye.

Lucian listened to his words carefully and even considered them for a moment.

"I thought I already told you to fuck off," Lucian said with a straight face.

Satan smiled as he stood back up and brushed his hair from his face.

"Maybe one day you will listen to reason..." The demon said as he faded away, returning to Lucian's body.

The carriage stopped as he did and the steel door was unbolted before it opened.

Two guards stepped into the wagon and gripped Lucian, one on each arm before dragging him out.

"Move it!" One on the right said as he punched Lucian in the stomach.

The punch didnt really do anything, but Lucian still moved as if it had hurt allowing him to get a look around.

He could see that he was still surrounded by at least twenty guards, meaning his escape was not looking likey at the moment.

The guards dragged him into a large barracks and tossed him into a cell.

"Oh and dont even try to use any magic in here, the cell is protected by a special barrier that will reflect any magic you use against it." One of them said as they shut the cell door and locked it.

Lucian took a look around at his new cell, it was similar to his other, complete with a straw bed and a pot to piss and shit in.

"How lovely." He said as he looked down to the shackles he was still wearing.

Lucian pulled his arms apart using his strength and broke the chain before he snapped the metal braces off his wrists.

"So now what?" He asked himself as he sat down on the bed, trying to think of a plan to escape.

Lucian looked over at the cell bars remembering that the guard said it was protected by a magical barrier.

pointing his hand he fired a small water bullet to test it. True to the guard's words, the barrier activated and repelled the water bullet back at Lucian, causing the water to hit him in his chest where it splashed harmlessly.

"So magic is out of the question. Guess I'll have to bust out the same way as last time." He thought.

"I have to save Hestia..." He then said quietly to himself.

Footsteps caught his attention. heading from down the hall.

"Where is he?" A voice asked.

"Cell twelve sir." A guards voice told him.

Lucian could hear the footsteps getting louder and louder before finally, they stopped.

Lucian looked up to see a very well dressed man standing before his prison cell. He had short well-groomed blond hair that was combed to the side, his armour was new and shiny too and he bore some kind of crest on his chest plate.

"Please to meet you. I am lord Zachery Lovell, of the Lovell family." He said bowing ever so slightly as he greeted Lucian.

Lucian looked at him funny, confused as to why he was here.

"Nice to meet you." He said, nevertheless.

"I'm sorry but why are you here?" Lucian then asked, getting to the point.

"Ah yes, allow me to explain." The lord said.

The man scanned Lucian's cell with a gemstone. The guards had taken Lucian's ID crystal from him when they had arrested him and searched him. The woman at the adventures guild hadn't been lying when she said you really couldn't lose that crystal.

"Lucian..." The man said as he read his information.

"You are a copper rank adventure, yet you were able to breach the Gorestar estate and survive," Zachery said, seeming impressed.

Lucian was again left confused. He was sure they would try and kill him for what he did, yet here this person was almost praising him for it.

"It's very difficult to talk like this isn't it." He then said as he looked at the steel bars.

"Guards." He said snapping his fingers.

The guards quickly ran over and unlocked the cell doors, much to their disapproval of doing so.

"That's better," Zachery said as he walked into the cell before the guards shut and locked the door.

"Who are you?" Lucian asked, finding all of this very strange.

"As I said, my name is lord Zachery Lovell of the Lovell family here in Dragonfront."

The name meant nothing to Lucian as he had never heard of him before, but he guessed he was some important big wig from the way he dressed.

"I am the third cousin of his royal emperor and lord advisor for the duke here in Dragonfront." He said, explaining a little more for Lucian.

"And what do you want with me?" Lucian asked.

"You see Lucian. The Gorestar family are what you would say... Corrupt." He said as he wiped a bit of dust off the wall with his finger before pulling a face and wiping it on his robe.

"They spread fear and poison here in this city. Thinking that their power and wealth makes them untouchable from even the likes of the emperor himself." He said crossing his arms behind his back.

"And..." Lucian said.

"And, until now they were." He said with a smile.

"Until now, no one dared to move against them, not without risking a political catastrophe." He said.

"You see, one of the many reasons why the Gorestar family is allowed to conduct such shady business is because of the secrets they hold. Secrets other noble families would rather not be exposed. That is why no one dare move against them."

Lucian crossed his arms over his chest as he listened to Zachery explain.

"However, thanks to your sudden assault on their estate and causing a huge mess. You have given myself and the other lords willing to fight against them a chance. With Lord Gilbert fleeing the city and his men dead, we were able to search the estate and find a substantial amount of evidence that can be used against him."

Lucian looked Zachery in the eyes as he could feel an offer coming his way.

"However, Lord Gilbert has filed for your immediate execution. Of course, your arrest for the assault of a Lord has also been filed with the adventurers guild that you belonged to, and due to your low ranking, you have no right to defend yourself and will be hung from the neck."

Lucian pulled a face as he thought about being hung.

"Oh great."

"But, there is something I can offer you. It's not much, but it is a chance." Zachery said with a serious face.

"I understand Lord Gilbert took something that belongs to you. A hobgoblin slave girl you were travelling with, correct?"

Lucian suddenly got angry and stood to his feet.

"Tell me what you know about her!" He shouted.

"Please calm yourself, my people are looking into it as we speak." He said raising his hands for Lucian to see he meant no offence.

Lucian bit his lip and slammed his fist into the wall, cracking it with his strength.

"That bastard, I'll kill him!"

Zachery was impressed by Lucian's strength and slowly lower his hands.

"From what we can gather, Lord Gilbert is a collector of rare monsters. He will most likely use her to fight in his games, and as she is a female, for other things as well..." He said as he lowered his head.

Lucian's eyes opened wide as the rage inside of him grew.

"I offer you this, Lucian. A way out of here and a chance to be reunited with your slave." Zachery said.

Lucian turned to face him with a despite look on his face.

"What is it you want of me?"

"The duke has agreed to spare your life on one condition. You see we are currently at war with the Lizardmen tribes of the swamp to the east. We need powerful fighters and adventures alike to join our ranks and help push them back."

Zachery took a pause as he extended his arm to Lucian.

"I offer you this. Join our imperial army and help in the fight against the Lizardmen. Do this and you have my word that I will do everything in my power to reunite you with your slave." Zachery said.

Lucian looked down at the ground as he thought about his options here. Sure he could bust of this cell and make a run for it. But he would spend the rest of his days on the run as a criminal, and there was no guarantee that he would ever be able to find Gilly again or Hestia. Leaving him with only one option.

"Very well. Tell me what I have to do." Lucian said as he looked Zachery in the eyes.