The uncertain future of the commander

The two launched into a fight, which they didn't even realize had already seen each other in the past.

"Wait! But aren't you that adventurer boy who was in Deria?" Jery is the first to remember, while blocking a blow from Sanryu.

"Yeah...now that I think about it, you're that commander." Sanryu distances himself, and starts to remember him too. "I didn't believe that a commander like you, who served under Berdo Floga, is protecting the house of this slimy marquis is infamous." Sanryu is disappointed in Commander Jery.

"The task of a commander is to serve people of high rank, there is no distinction whether they are noble or infamous." The commander explains that it is duty that makes him serve, not the marquis. "But I cannot ignore your insults towards a marquis... I am heartened to do so, even if for a short time, you were my ally, I will have to kill you." Jery raises his guard as he prepares to lash out at Sanryu. 'What is driving this boy to come all this way, to kill the Marquis?'

"Then you've made your choice." Sanryu lashes out at Jery again, resuming their fight.

At the same time, Lysandra is fending off the guards who are reaching this section of the mansion, not allowing them to interfere with the fight. 'I don't know how long I can hold on...Sanryu hurry, please.' Lysandra won't be able to buy Sanryu much time.

The clash between the two seems to be on par, but for different reasons. Jery is a commander who has served the kingdom for many years, he has a great deal of experience behind him. His skills and technique make him a tough opponent to beat, not to mention that he has also activated his warrior power, increasing the difficulty of the fight.

While Sanryu, has his power on his side, which is mostly stronger than that of the warrior, he seems like an improved version of the latter. The boy also has his battle instinct, in fact he is able to perceive approximately the commander's moves.

'I can't drag this out...oh soon we'll be surrounded by guards.' Sanryu notices out of the corner of his eye that Lysandra is facing some guards, but he knows full well that she won't be able to last long. 'I have to end this.' Sanryu would like to end this battle immediately, but Jery is too skilled an opponent to defeat in a few moves.

"Sanryu!" Suddenly, a girl's voice comes from behind the boy, attracting his attention.

"Zaria!" Sanryu turns away from Jery, and turns in the direction of the voice, finally seeing Zaria again. "Are you OK?" Sanryu no longer pays attention to Jery, he starts asking the girl if she is okay.

"Yes, nothing has happened to me yet...but what are you doing here? Have you gone crazy?!" Zaria doesn't understand the reason for Sanryu's presence in this mansion.

"I'm here for you, I can't leave you in the hands of this Marquis, not after what he's doing." Sanryu approaches Zaria, but two guards, more authoritarian looking than normal guards, stand between Zaria and Sanryu.

"Stop there, boy! I'm in charge of Miss Zaria's safety, I can't let you get close to her so calmly." Sanryu recognizes this guard, he was one of Deria's captains, the one who escorted Zaria from the mansion.

"See you again, boy, I'm glad you survived that rat invasion." The other captain, greeting Sanryu, is none other than Ros, the captain who accompanied Sanryu most of the time in the city of Deria, during the Skaven invasion.

"Captain Ros, glad you survived too, but there's no time for such talk now...I have to get Zaria away from this place." Sanryu tells the two captains that he must take Zaria away.

"And you think we'll make you do it?" Commander Jery approaches from behind, but maintains a certain distance. "Captain Ros, Captain Endryu, don't let anyone get any closer-" The commander's command is interrupted by a voice.

"Wait, commander! Sanryu is not talking nonsense, Marquis Walter is planning something in this city... something dark. Do you still intend to serve a marquis who is, most likely, harming the safety of his citizens? And this is the commander who served under my father?" Zaria curbs Jery's command and begins to criticize him.

"Unfortunately, I cannot believe your words, young lady, unless you have proof here with you." Jery can't just believe words, he's not a kid who believes everything.

"Technically you are still under the service of the Floga, even though my father is dead, his family still lives. So you are under my command, and therefore I order you, to let Sanryu do what he came to do." Zaria tries to convince the commander, having no evidence with her at the moment.

"It's not that simple miss, I can't obey such a reckless command, and you're not yet my superior." Jery is pressured by two feelings. One is the duty that he must follow as commander, that is, to stay under the Marquis Walter, until the authority of the next head of the Floga family is granted. And the other is that he would like to follow what Zaria is ordering, since he also doesn't like Marquis Walter. 'What can I do?'

"Sanryu! I won't last long!" Lysandra warns the boy, who is having a very hard time right now.

"I have to take Zaria away now! If you get in my way...I will not spare my resources to achieve my goal, you know that." Sanryu glares at the three men who are getting in the way of his mission.

"Ahhh, you can take the young lady away, but the two captains will come with you. I can't let her go away alone, I need someone trustworthy to watch over her." Jery makes a decision, sheathing his sword and lowering his shield.

"I thank you." Sanryu thanks Jery for understanding him. Zaria's eyes, shining with intensity, is happy to hear the commander's sentences.

"With all due respect, sir. Just let Endryu go with the young lady, he is the one who has the task of protecting her. I will stay here with her to face what awaits her." Ros doesn't seem to want to abandon his commander, Endryu would also like to say the same, but Berdo Floga left him one last order to follow, and it is his duty to do so until his death.

"No, there is no reason why you should also have to answer for the punishment I will face. I alone suffice as a scapegoat." The commander then turns his gaze towards Sanryu. "Boy, I'm trusting you blindly, I hope what you said is the right one, otherwise my ghost will haunt you for life." Jery seems to be ready for what happens to him.

"Can't you come with us? We need as many allies as possible for what we plan to do." Sanryu tries to ask the commander to escape with them.

"I won't do it, I won't run away from my responsibilities. I'm letting the young lady be kidnapped, I have to answer for my decisions, that's my honor." Jery has no intention of fleeing, he is a solid commander.

"I understand, if this is your decision, then I will respect it. Zaria, come on! We can't stay in this mansion any longer." Sanryu tells the girl, it's time to leave.

"It was an honor, Commander Jery." Endryu greets his commander, followed by Ros, then the two captains follow the couple of boys.

'Good luck, miss.' These are the phrases that Jery mutters in his mind, waiting for his judgement.

"Lysandra, we're leaving." Sanryu tells the female crusader that it's time for her to leave.

Thus, the group makes their way into the mansion, running away from the house. Luckily, most of the guards were stationed in the Marquis' quarters, apparently they misunderstood Sanryu's goal. They believed they were here to assassinate Walter, so they moved most of their troops to guard the Marquis.

Just outside the mansion, the group passes through the alleys and dark streets, so as not to be noticed. Fenrya manages to track them down shortly after, so the entire group heads to the inn.

"We have to leave while we still have time. The Marquis will track us down shortly, and we can't stay here much longer." Sanryu warns the group that they must escape Strath.

"And our mission?" Lysandra asks the boy.

"Obviously I haven't forgotten it, but we can't implement it anytime soon. You Lysandra need to restore your strength, and we need to devise a strategy. It will take a few days, and we can't afford to prolong our presence in this inn, so we will flee outside the city, we will camp in the forest, and when the time comes, we will infiltrate the walls and then find a way to enter that room where that crystal resides." The group must think of an efficient strategy to stop the Marquis's plans, otherwise it will all be useless.

"I agree with Sanryu, we should execute a strategic retreat for now." Fenrya agrees with what Sanryu said. This way they will also be able to give explanations to the new arrivals.

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"What did you say, commander? I think I misunderstood." Marquis Walter is talking with Commander Jery, in the section of the mansion where Zaria fled.

"I let him go, it was Miss Zaria's will, and I obeyed." Jery looks up at Walter, telling him the truth.

"I couldn't care less about that little girl's wishes! You have to obey me! Am I the marquis or am I wrong, commander? Is old age making your duties lose the luster? Now I understand the reason for the fall of Deria, I am not surprised at the defeat of that city if there was a commander like you there to protect it." Walter hurls insults at the old commander. "Imprison the commander, take him to the prisons, he is no longer of any value."

"You won't kill me?" Jery is surrounded by guards, who begin to confiscate his shield and sword, not forgetting his upper armour.

"Kill you? You are of no use to me dead, you are much more useful as a prisoner, after all I need as many prisoners as possible, and one as strong as you will be a good specimen." Walter emits an evil grin, then turns and returns to his rooms. 'With this commander, I have partially compensated for the absence of that female paladin, even if she is not at her level, but she certainly does no harm.'

'What does this Marquis have in mind?' Jery has these thoughts in her mind as she watches Walter leave.

"Come on, let's go to the dungeons, traitor! I'm sure you'll be happy to meet some of your iconoscendents hehe." One of the guards pushes the commander forward, forcing him to walk.

'Acquaintances? Who is he talking about?' Jery is forcibly escorted into the prisons below, not knowing what he will face.

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At the same time, in another, other machinations are moving.

"My lady, I have prepared everything for the prince's arrival, he will not notice my diversion." A figure, wearing fine clothes, is currently talking to the hooded woman. This man is certainly the marquis of this city, another pawn on the chessboard, one of many.

"Excellent, continue like this Marquis, and soon we will be able to open the passage for a special guest." The hooded woman seems to raise a devious smile from her lips.

"Guest? Must we not bring in a horde of demons, my lady?" The Marquis looks confused.

"No, Marquis Walter will take care of that, we have other plans here, after all the guest who will cross the passage of this gate already has subordinates in our regions." The cloaked figure creates another portal. "And now that I return to the capital, speaking of guests, we have one who has just arrived at the palace, you continue with your plans, Marquis." The woman passes through the portal, leaving the Marquis alone in this room.

In the forests surrounding Drolbane, you can hear the evil laughter of beasts looking only for prey to slaughter to fill their stomachs.