The Tavern Part 1

Hesitant, quiet footsteps echoed down the hall as Cameron made his way to the parlour, following the manservant who was instructed by the Chief to lead him to where his friends were.

His mind was filled with confusing thoughts. Thoughts that were making him question the life he led on his home planet. 'Did I miss the signs of me being this chosen one?' Cam thought to himself. 'Did I not realize I was that different from everyone?'

The manservant stopped and unlocked the double wooden doors, opening one for Cameron to go inside before he closed the door and locked it once again.

Cam looked up from the floor for the first time since discovering the Paladin's prophecy, and the sight before him made the worry disappear and be filled with amusement.

There on the coffee table was a board game that looked similar to chess and had pieces of paper as you would find in monopoly. Surrounding the table were Pierce, Data and Sophie, shouting at each other while trying to understand the rules of the game.

"No, I moved here and I collected a silver coin, then I moved here," Pierce said, showing how he moved to Sophie and Data.

"But the book says if you land there then you pay the bank, Sophie, a bronze coin in return for the silver!" Data argued.

"Why would I do that? That makes no sense!" Pierce growled.

"It's a downpayment!" Data told him.

Pierce stood from his chair about to yell at Data about how stupid that sounded only for him to stop as Sophie says in a happy tone, "Cameron!"

Sophie stood from her spot beside Data on the couch and jogged to Cameron, hugging him. "Everything okay?" she asked, whispering in his ear so the two boys behind them didn't hear.

"I'm fine," he assured her.

Sophie pulled back from Cam and gave him a reassuring smile, patting his shoulder. Then she grabbed his arm and led him to the chair he sat in earlier.

"We found this game in the cupboard over in the corner. It's called Knights of Old and it's a combination of monopoly and chess," Sophie explained to Cam, picking up the rule book from where she was sitting.

"It's confusing like chess," Pierce said sharply, exhaling a breath of frustration.

"Okay, okay. I'll watch you guys play and help Sophie. You handle the rule book I'll take care of the bank," Cam said, joining in.

He let the talk with the Chief disappear from his mind, even if for a while. Instead, he focused on what was happening now; his three friends playing a game and arguing about the rules, just like in the old days.

Meanwhile, in the courtroom, Chief Stonewalker walked inside, his higher-ups gathered around the circled stone round table with papers covering the top of the table.

"Chief," each officer greeted him as Darren walked past.

The Chief made his way to the front of the courtroom, standing before all the higher officers.

He placed his hands on the table, looking down at all the papers laid before him. "These are everyone's statements?" he questioned.

"Yes, sir," Captain Peter Henderson of the fifth regiment answered. "The entire village has given their statements and all are written down right here."

The six captains that stood at the round table alongside the chief and the major, gathered the notes their foot soldiers had collected and placed them into separate piles for the Chief to examine with Major Morgenstern and their help.

When the night had dawned upon them, leaving the sky a midnight hue and the courtroom a dim-lit room, they finally had finished going over each of the statements concocting a full report to be sent to the high council.

"Is there anything else you wish to say, Chief Stonewalker?" Perry, the note scriber, asked.

"Yes, Perry," the Chief answered, standing from his chair. "Say, and while our town has experienced some damage, I believe that the one has been found." The Chief's words had each of the captains look up from the notes they were placing into files, watching the Chief walk out of the room with surprised looks on their faces.

The Chief walked out of the courtroom, a tired expression on his face. "Sleep..." he whispers to himself while making his way to his bed chambers for the night.