Chapter Nineteen

A wave of relief crashes over Ludwig as soon as the forest around him becomes warmer and bathed in the moonlight of midnight. It is as if all of his problems are left in the dark forest where the Kuu reside, and his cheerfulness resides in the three camps of Keiju besides the Rosenrough.

But that, no matter how much Ludwig believed it, wasn't true. He was still going to die from the infection given to him by the magic in a replica of the most powerful weapon known to Keiju. If he thought about it, though, Theo was the reason he wasn't dead yet. Who knows what would have happened if Ludwig was actually hit by the spear with no barrier to deflect it? He would have definitely been dead then.

The spy distracts himself from his sorrowful thoughts about the far-off future by looking down at the map he holds in both his hands, picking out where he is and how close he is to the Fielnon camp. He was honestly more excited than he could verbally express to meet with Fredrick (and a little less to find out how he "lost a life"), and ask for his help in finding Theo before formulating a plan to rescue the prince.

But, he was still aware of Keiju from the Rosenrough bloodline possibly hunting him down for killing Aviva's son. Which, now that Ludwig knew the truth about Rye and Edgar's lineage with Rowan and Aviva, he was curious to know who Fidel's father was, if not Rowan or Braylon. Aviva certainly had a lot of male admirers should Fidel's father not be that of Rye or what she told people concerning Edgar.

That didn't still change Ludwig's opinion of Edgar being Scary Black Spear guy. It did terrify him to know Edgar was actually the son of two leaders of different Keiju bloodlines and tried to kill Rye for the throne. What if he tried to kill Theo for the throne in Luimesha? What if he killed Ludwig for getting in the way of that plan (because the spy promised to both the prince and Mykel that he would see bringing the prince home to the end), or just as a witness to Theo's death should it come first?

The young man stops in his tracks as he hits the trunk of a tree, and takes a moment to calm himself down and focus on the present. Edgar was not of his concern. Theo was. Theo was who Ludwig was protecting and guiding, Ludwig just convinced Edgar to come along up to this point, so if he continued to travel with the two after the spy rescued the Crown Prince, that would be entirely his choice, and Ludwig had no reason to ensure his survival through Zador, across the Carovell Sea, and then across Beryn or Khovalon and into Luimesha.

Maybe the dragons protecting Luimesha wouldn't let Edgar into the kingdom? He knew that the dragon who was believed to create Luimesha, Reivan, permitted those with good intentions and pure hearts to enter Luimesha, while those who had an ill will or other negative aspects of their being towards the kingdom were not allowed past the "barrier" that Reivan's younger brother, Riyus created.

Ludwig loved studying Luimesha's history in his free time, mostly because it involved dragons, and who didn't love dragons? Well, Aegia clearly didn't, and Zador probably didn't like how most of their peddlers, once reaching Luimesha, were never allowed past the barrier and were smitten should they ever have the sense to try again with a more direct and aggressive method. Did the Etaithen Empire look favorably upon Luimesha and or at least its dragon-related lore? Just because some bounty hunters from said empire would be after Theo's head didn't mean they hated the kingdom...probably.

Picking out where he is and how far he is from the Fielnon bloodline camp, Ludwig begins to walk along the same path he was taking before he somehow found himself receiving a much-needed smack from a tree. He would be free of the Cineian Forest once crossing the border with Zador. All Zador consisted of was a wide valley with a few trees and rolling hills. The danger came from the practicing Esmon if the activity underground was disregarded, and Ludwig hoped to avoid going underground even just to hide for a bit should their plan to travel on the surface of Zador become compromised in some way.

Around him, as he continues walking, more moonlight is allowed to reach the forest floor, and Ludwig can not help but smile as the thought of meeting with the energetic leader of the Fielnon bloodline draws ever so closer. Ludwig would, no doubt, idolize him, and want to have a long chat with him about his life as a Keiju in his particular bloodline once he returned here after his journey with Theo came to an end.

Eventually, Ludwig notices odd colored sticks appear in the ground along the path he walks. Green sticks surrounded trees, while blue ones mark rivers or streams. White ones are in clearings where moonlight is freely allowed to reach them. Red staves are found where black debris could be caught hiding amongst the recovering green vegetation after a possible fire or other disasters.

Upon closer inspection of a green stick that Ludwig almost bumped into, they are staves. The green staves are decorated with leaves and give off the scent of, well, a forest, the blue staves are decorated with water droplets and possess the scent of rain, while the red staves smell faintly of smoke and ash while tiny flames dance about the tip of the item. And the white staves give off a faint glow and the calming scent of a clear, starry night, whatever that smelled like nowadays.

He was definitely in the vicinity of the Fielnon camp at this point, remembering Yor mentioning they loved and were talented in using staves, which was just like little Theo. Maybe they would know about his staff and what powers it held besides that Ludwig witnessed and very much also experienced firsthand?

Before the spy can look down at his map to make sure he is going in the right direction to enter the camp and not just skip right past it, he feels that something is coming for him with the intent to injure or kill him. The young man spins around and backflips, jumping just in time to avoid being hit by an arrow. He lands and begins to run, but can hear more arrows being notched and shot in his direction, as well as the pale skin of Rosenrough Keiju running just inside of his peripheral vision.

How did they know he killed Fidel? How did they find him? Were they going to kill him? Was someone going to save him, or would he be left to rely on his stamina and speed as a spy (which wasn't at all great)?

Ludwig hears the footsteps grow louder and the wind of arrows flying past his head and ankles. Though his lungs are fine, his head begins to spin. Did the pain in his abdomen pop up again? He couldn't tell, but he was beginning to involuntary give up.

Maybe it would be best to surrender and have the slightest possibility to live rather than keep running and die trying his best to resist the consequences of his crime. Just as Ludwig beings to slow down, a shout comes from in front of where he is running.

"Freeze!"

Ludwig does as the voice commands, and after several seconds, he finds that he can move. He looks around him and sees all the Rosenrough Keiju who were chasing him- ten as far as he could see and count- frozen on either the ground or in a jump, arrows notched within bows aimed right at his head.

A young man with long blond hair and bright amber eyes, dressed in a brilliant white robe and holding a shining golden staff with an icy-blue rotating crystal atop it, walks into view. Ludwig stands completely still and sees the man's eyes switch from the spy to the other Keiju.

"I wasn't expecting a murderous entourage to come after Mister Casimir. Is this about Fidel's murder? Are you, the Rosenrough archers, certain Mister Casimir killed him?" the Keiju points his staff at the archer holding the only golden bow of the ten aimed at their target, and Ludwig hears him speak.

"We aren't certain he killed Fidel, but-"

The Keiju waves his staff, and Ludwig cannot tell if he stopped the Keiju from speaking any further, or if he interrupted him and the one who was speaking before didn't care to continue his point.

"Ah. So if you are not certain, why are you so intent on satisfying your desire for vengeance with Mister Casimir? Couldn't someone else possibly have the skill to duel and kill him, save for us leaders of the four Keiju bloodlines, as I believe your own leader and bloodline would have no reason to kill Fidel?"

All the Keiju are either silent or are not physically able to voice their answers or opinions.

"I'm getting quite cold, so I will let you go. But do not try and kill Mister Casimir until you have concrete evidence of his suspected crime. Goodbye."

The Keiju waves his staff, and Ludwig sees the Keiju who were in midair land on the ground, and all of them return their notched arrows to holsters on their backs and turn around, bows still in hand, and disappear into the forest the way they came.

Ludwig turns back around to face the young man, and notices the crystal in his staff is now emitting a warm orange glow. It seemed, so far, similar to Theo's staff, in regard to the color-changing crystal.

"I apologize for not arriving earlier, Mister Casimir. I only heard of your crime a few minutes ago."