Crossing Enemies

In the adventurers' guild, a bright blueish light glow in the suddenly came out of thin air.

The light grows rapidly and like a bubble popping, all of the adventurers burst out and fell on the floor.

They all grunt in pain for a little and all got up.

Except for Ray that has passed out from exhaustion.

Toru holds Ray's unconscious body.

"We need to get help and fast!"

"What about Ray?!"

"Get lay her on there, she's just ran out Mana, all she need it to rest."

The guild doors then open's and first entered.

The man then entered and it was Merlin.

"This the adventurers' guild right?"

"Merlin!"

Cecilia and Toru then ran to Merlin with drips of sweat and in desperate need of help.

"Merlin! Luke! Luke got!"

"Luke got caught by the knights!"

Merlin covers he's nose by the smell of the two.

"Oh god…"

"We need to tell Father about this!"

"He already knows."

"What?"

"What are you talking about?"

Merlin then looked at the adventurers with a calm expression.

"If all of you are in worry of Luke, please, no need to. We have all under control."

"What do you mean?!"

"We got things under controlled."

Merlin then holds Toru and Cecilia hands.

"When we get back, tell the others the new."

"Lanuae"

Merlin then casted a spell and instantly the three disappeared in a bright.

"Where did they go?"

"We'll… Merlin said it's all under control…"

"And that's it? All of us are now calm when WE JUST SAW LUKE GETTING CAUGHT?!"

"There's nothing else we can do… you can go to the kingdom Rhuth if you want to rescue Luke."

The man's face then straightens out.

"Well… He was a good man."

In Arthur's office, Arthur is sitting, besides him is Qeniver with Alex on the couch sitting and Brute on the middle sitting.

Merlin, Cecilia and Toru then came out in flash of light.

Merlin levitates on the air and slowly goes down while the two drops on the floor.

"Great, you three are back."

The realize where they are as they heard Arthur's voice and got up fast.

"Father!"

"Why are you two so sweaty?"

"Luke got caught! We need him fast!"

"Need to panic Cecilia, I'm perfectly fine."

Cecilia then looked at Brute.

"Did I just?"

"Yes, I'm speaking directly from Brute."

Toru then got close to Brute and starts petting Brute.

"Woaw… that's cool."

Brute then bites Toru's hand but with quick reflexes, Toru moved his hand away and just barely hitting bit's his hand.

"Ahh!"

"How is that even possible?"

"It's just a touch of magic."

"But are you really sure that you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

"If you say so…"

"Hey about the knights! They said something when we-"

"Yes, they spoke about the new King."

"Yeah! What he's name again?" "Now… I'm still in the carriage, Soon I will enter Ruth."

"King Clark…"

The room sat in silence.

"You think this King Clark guy is the same Clark that Franky told us?"

"In a great possibility, yes."

"So where are you now Luke?"

Luke sat on the carriage cage with his eyes looking around.

"Why not just… you know… to escape there?"

"I want to investigate this new King of theirs, so now… I won't try to escape just yet."

"By the way Luke, once you get back here. Can you bring me a souvenir?"

Cecilia then punches Toru on the stomach.

A muffled laugh came out of Luke.

"If you say so."

Luke then noticed the gates and now he indicates that his now at the kingdom of Rhuth.

"I'm about to enter the kingdom, I'll shall speak with all of you once more later."

Luke stopped talking through Brute.

"Be… careful…"

"I hope he'll be alright there."

"Hold on… if Luke can talk through Brute… have you guys been talking to Luke behind our back?"

"Perhaps…"

"Maybe…"

The gates open's and they entered the City.

"Oh…my…"

As they entered the City, Luke smelled a fowl awful smell wafting in the air.

As the wheels of the carriage rolls, Luke noticed a child on the street begging for food.

Luke looked at the other side of the street and saw a pack of dogs eating something.

A man and a woman opens the door next of dogs.

Luke also saw a dead child on he's hands of the man and went to pack of dogs.

The man throws the child on the pack of dog they began to mowing on the child.

While the woman covers her nose in the disgust and walked back on the building.

Luke then heard a woman crying on his back and turned around.

There, Luke saw a woman getting beaten while she has a child on hand.

The woman cries for the person to stop hitting her and the person stopped.

The person was a man.

The man then points away while making eye contact on the woman that indicates that the man wants the woman to leave and slammed the door.

The woman then went to the door with tears on her eyes as she begs for the man to let in but to no avail.

The knight then bangs the cage bars with his sword and shouted.

"You'll be executed if you don't comply, so don't make ANY FUCKING SUDDEN MOVEMENT!"

The carriage stops.

The knight opens the door and forceful pulled out Luke from the cage.

The knight grabs the shoulder of Luke and pushed his to a building.

The is a jail for small pity crimes like stealing or fight.

They put Luke on the cell and locked him in.

"Once we get back, you'll be sent to a deferent place."

The knight then left.

The cell has a rusty smell and no windows. The room was dark but outside light granted a bit of light just enough to see a little.

Luke then looked around on the cell and found 2 men in the corner of the cell curling together as if they are scared in which they are.

Luke then noticed someone sitting with his back on the wall.

The men seem to be afraid of that person. But neither the less, Luke did not care for it is not his business.

Luke then found a wooden chair with one of its leg is broken.

The leg of the chair barely attach and Luke simply put his hand to the broken leg and fixes itself.

Luke sat on the chair as if his waiting for someone and feels a feeling that someone is watching him.

He looked and found the strange person sitting with his back on the wall looking straight at him.

Luke was not bothered and simply crossed his hand and lower his head.

Suddenly, Luke hears the sound of footsteps and with the men starts to create noises of fear.

The last step stops directly at front of Luke but did not react to it.

"Oy, why you got here?"

Luke remind silent.

"Not talking ey?"

Luke heard more footsteps but this time it stopped right beside him.

Luke open his eyes and looked at the right of him and found the strange person sitting right next to him.

The person has brown long hair with a stand of white in front, a small scar from his left eye from top to bottom and with a smelly odor.

"You're an adventurer, right?"

Luke still remind silent and has his eyes closed.

"I'm also adventurer, Lapis Rank and all by my self."

Luke let out a muffle of air from his nose to say his interested.

"Got on some fight with some bastards and got here. What's yours?"

Luke then opens his eyes slowly.

"I'm an… adventurer like yourself but from a deferent kingdom."

"Figured, I don't remember your face in the guild."

"As you can see, I'm a copper. Those knights impression me because the new so called King rejected a letter from the previous king and got me here."

"Ah… King Clark…"

They then heard loud footsteps and clanking metals and it is coming closer and closer.

2 knights with one opened the jail gate and shouted at them to get out.

They all get out and as they got out, they were cuffed by the outer knight.

All four of them were cuffed and was forced to go make a line one the stone wall while they face they wall.

"Listen! We're about to take you four to the prison! Make any sudden movements and I'll kill you!"

"To be honest, we'll kill you neither less if we get bored. Like this."

The knight then thrust his sword to the man with no remorse and then slowly twist and pulled back his sword.

The man falls down with blood courses down rapidly and asked for help to the others.

The three simply did not looked at him as he bleeds to death with the ordering the other man to clean and throw the body away.

"Clean it and I'll let you go."

The man began to clean.

"And as for the both of you, go in the carriage and shut your mouth!"

They were pushed and pulled by the knights then puts them on then carriage with a cage on the back.

They got on the carriage and the wheels starts to roll.

The person sat on the side of the cage while Luke sat the cage's door.

While the wheels roll, Luke noticed the person looking at him looked away from.

Luke then noticed that the person has a large chest and realized that the person was a woman.

Luke then lift his hand to the woman.

"I'm Luke, by the way."

The woman did the same.

"I'm…Sherni."

They shook hands for a moment and let go.

"Now then, I have to go."

"Go where? We are in a cage…"

The knight then saw Luke.

"Hey! Sit down!"

Luke then waved at the man once and he falls instantly to the ground sleeping.

"What did you just…?"

Luke then touched the bars of the cage and turned to dust.

Luke then jumped down and proceed to walk.

"Hey! You ganna get yourself in trouble!"

"I can handle myself, thanks for your concern."

Luke continues to walk.

"Well… he and I is already on trouble."

Sherni then jumped as well and starts running towards Luke.

She catches up with Luke and walked together with him.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know really; however, I do want to know about this King Clark."

"Why are you curious about him?"

"I have my reasons."

The two gave an awkward silence and Sherni went in front of Luke and stopped him.

"I know a person who might help with that?"

"And who might that be?"

"Follow me."

Sherni took the lead and Luke follows.

In their walk, Luke saw how poor the people in close up and the their faces of hunger.

Sherni then saw Luke and got closer to him.

"If your wandering why this is happening, it's because of this damn king."

"King Clark?"

"No, That fat ass Buthward. King Clark has been a king for a few days, maybe everything will change now."

They continue to walk.

"Do you know anything about King Clark?"

"Nothing really, he just came out of nowhere and announced that his the new King."

"I see…"

"Where almost there, we just have head straight. I'll go head there first and ready things up… It's a bit when you get there."

Sherni then run up straight for a few blocks and stops at a door and knocks.

Luke continues to walk and looks at the house and admiring the crafts and the design of the houses.

Luke then heard a faint noise of someone.

He then notices two men holding a knife on a girl with a ragged bag and a small packet knife which she is pointing towards the men.

Luke couldn't hear what were they saying but he knows that the girl is on trouble.

The man gestures his hand as if to tell her to give the bag.

The girl promptly hugged her bag tightly and keeps on pointing her small knife towards them.

The man then thinks to himself that this is a one-sided fight and gets cocky.

He tossed his knife from his hand to the other as if to taunt her and scare.

One on the men had enough and charged towards the girl.

The man was quick and dodge the knife and grabbed her wrist that's holding the knife.

He tightens and twisted her wrist and drops her knife to the ground.

As she lost all hope for escape, she closes her eyes to accepts her faith.

Suddenly, the chimney of the roof of the house falls.

The men looked up as they heard a noise and saw bricks falling.

They didn't react fast enough and their faces was hit by the bricks as a loud splatter echoes on the alley way.

The girl opens her eyes as she hears a weird noise and no longer feels the hand of the man.

She looked down and saw a splatter of blood scattered from her foot to chest.

A terrified face is written all over her face and dropped down on her knees.

She looked up and saw floating brick above her.

The bricks slowly moved asides and drops.

Luke then started to walk away and the girl turned around and found a dark robe moved aside.

Luke then heard the voice of Sherni calling for him.

"Hey Luke!"

Luke walks forward and finally reaches the house where Sherni stood.

"Right here."

Luke noticed a sign on the top of the house but someone pulled his hand inside.

"Welcome!"

A drunk white man lifted Luke's hand with rum in the other hand.

Sherni slaps the hand of the man pushed him.

"Stop it, his new here."

Luke noticed more drunken men with other races like Demi-humans and dwarfs.

They started to sing in a drunken melody and Sherni grabs Luke hand and moved forward.

They stopped at the counter and talked to a girl in uniform.

"Sherni, your back. I thought got in jail?"

"Nevermind that, I need favor from you."

"What is it?"

"This guy's name is Luke and he has some questions."

"Like what?"

"He wants to know more about King Clark."

"Maybe the head master knows about that. Why don't you ask him?"

"Where is he?"

"Ye called?"

A thick bearded yet bald with thick eyebrows and muscular dwarf approach with beer on his hand.

"Head master, this man needs to ask you something."

The head master dwarf the looked at Luke and his eyes is dazzled as well as Luke.

"By ma beard, it's you! Come."

The dwarf then walks towards at the back and heads to his office.

Sherni looked at Luke with confusion.

"Do you know him?"

"Yes… we should follow him."

They followed the Head master to his office.

There, they saw the Head master put a bottle of wine with a glass on the side.

"Here lad, sit."

Sherni and Luke sat on the comfy couch.

"Oooooh how long has it been lad, how have you been?"

"I've been great Rūkk."

"Wait you two know each other?"

"aye, he the man used to help us back in Rukmon."

"Rukmon?"

"Aye, The Dwarven Kingdom itself. It's been 200 years' lad, what have ya been doin?"

"Nothing much really, I just have a new few students that all."

"Ohh and ya still look young.''

"Indeed, right let's get back."

"Aye, ya want to ask me something, right?"

"Yes, It's about this New King Clark."

"Ohh this is serious ey? Ask away lad."

"I don't really know what to ask… do you know anything about this King Clark?"

"Lad, nobody knows who the hell he is, he just came out of nowhere."

"But Sherni said you know something a thing or two?"

"I don no what ye the girl is thinking; I don no shit."

"Shame."

"I didn't make any promises."

"But lad, I know someone who can definitely help."

"Please, tell me."

"I'll take ya with her, follow me."

Rūkk then went to the back door and the two follows with Sherni grabbing the wine along the way.

The three walked together as the exit another door and went to the streets.

"A woman I know is sorceress and noble, so maybe she has some answer in ya question."

"So you're not curtain."

"Ey, if she doesn't know then you have to go to ask Clark himself."

Rūkk stopped at a fancy house with pretty decoration.

"Wait here."

Rūkk then shouted.

"Ey! Let me in!"

The door suddenly opens.

"Come in."

The three came inside.

Inside, many painting and artifacts were laying with cute decorations.

Sherni was fascinated on the arts and crafts on the place and specially the artifacts.

"And ya, She also me wife."

They followed Rūkk to a door in which he opened.

There, they found Rūkk's wife sitting with a young dwarf and girl human practicing magic.

"What ye want Rūkk? Can't ya see I'm teaching little kids here."

She then noticed Luke and just like Rūkk, her eyes glimmers.

"By ma Husband's beard! Luke? Is that ya?"

"Hello Christine, it's been so long."

"Oohh, ya still young and handsome."

Christine then went over to hug Luke and let go.

"Ey, what brings ya here?"

"Luke here want to know the king."

"The new one or the fat one?"

"new one."

"Oohh Luke, a great danger on that information lad. But ya ar Luke, danger doesn't really matta to ya."

"You know me well."

"Haha, come, sit."

Luke then sat on a chair and before the other two could sit, Christine stopped them.

"Ey! Ya two play with children for a moment"

"No buts!"

Christine then looked over to the two children.

"Ya two gon' to play with papa and ya big sista ey, go."

"Hey I didn't sign up for thi-."

Christine used a strong wind magic to push the two out and a gentle breeze of air flows to the two little children that made them float out of the room along with the door closing.

"Ight, what do ya need to know?"

"Everything about this that man."

"Ayyayay, okay then."

She then sat on her chair.

"Clark is a mysterious man, so I only know little about the man."

A table, a cup and kettle floats and landed in front of Luke.

The kettle then began to pour itself to the cup as the cup floats towards Luke in which Luke grabbed the handle of the cup.

"Clark calls himself an engineer and a strategist. To this, he was recruited to be the new strategist of king Buthward because the old one was assassinated."

Luke promptly sips his tea.

"He then planned for a war against the kingdom of Beramuth in which the king, nobles and the adviser agreed."

"So he's the reason why the war is at heat. What about the dragons and monsters, I heard they kept them imprisoned somewhere here?"

"Aye it's true lad, though I don't know the fall reason, I think their planning to release them when the war begins."

"Impossible, the dragons would turn on them if they let them get out of just escape."

"Right? That's wha I was thinkin."

"What about the earth dragons attack?"

"Dunno lad, you thinkin he did that as well?"

"Perhaps… what about King Buthward, is he really dead?"

"I don't think so; his body was never found but his butler was."

"Do you think it's Clark who did all of this?"

"Most likely yes, there no other reason to who would've than it, but we can't do anything, even the nobles like me."

"Why's that?"

"Dunno really, all the nobles are cut out from the castle for investigation, they say. We did try to go but guard won't let us in."

"I see, anything more you know?"

"That's all I have lad."

"Shame…"

Luke then stood up.

"Ey, where ya goin?"

"I'm going back."

"Where?"

"Well… my place to stay right now is a inn to the kingdom of Beramuth."

"Ah, be careful."

"I will, thanks."

Luke then opens the door and Sherni and Rūkk falls along with the children on the floor.

"What are you doing?"

They then stood up while the kids run up to Christine and sat on her lap.

"We were just…"

"About to go out, Yes! Indeed."

"Okay… I'll head out now, Christine."

Christine nods.

Luke then walked out.

"Hey, don't leave me!"

Sherni then walked along with Luke while Rūkk is stayed.

They went out of the door and continue walking.

"Where are you heading now, Luke?"

"I'll go back to my… well…home. But before I do that, I promised someone that I'll bring him a souvenir."

"I know a place where to buy."

"Why are you so persistent to help me?"

"I just feel like… a good person today, that's all."

"We barely know each other."

"Just let me help you."

"Fine, do as you please."

"Great, this place is very good."

While Sherni is walking and talking with Luke, a man in a tuxedo walked past them a calm face.

Luke turned around to look at the man once more and feels something bad about him.

Even though with his calm expression, Luke feels a strong feelings of anger.

Luke then noticed the man right hand, clumping on a hard fist.

"What's wrong Luke."

Luke then turns away and continued walking.

"Nothing, let's go to the place you so called good."

"Okay, it's a really big place like really big."

The two continue to walk and walk while the man walks to the opposite.

Till he stops and turned his whole body to Christine's door and knocks.