A lonely Winter night

{It began on a lonely Winter night:

I was the grumpiest Knight around,

He was the most villain Sacrifice.}

The knights sang over a campfire and glasses of rum. The latter was light rum that was given to the knights, especially the ones that belonged to the Outside Walls Corporation. It was given often because the rations were low and they had to do with what was available. The rum had sugar and water in it. Taking rum to the outside was better than water. At least, it provided with a source of energy and hydration.

{He was my enemy… My villain enemy… My Sacrifice…}

Mike walked followed by Stephan who didn't stop examining the area around. He thought getting a new sceptre was a must and he had to go to Valtrar. At least, to get provisions and he was growing tired and hungry, also thirsty. He had spent the whole night without a shred of food and sleep. He rolled his eyes at the horrible singing that resembled a ballad.

{We went to the cursed lands together,

Back then, we wanted to seek glory together, around the world,

We wanted it all.}

"The lyrics are good but the singing, I cannot say the same to it. If I would say, it's the same voice my slipper makes when I come out from the shower," Stephan commented. "Do you think I can enter Valtrar without verifying my identity?"

"Can you stop commenting on everything? I don't mean to offend but you see those men won't like a talking parrot in their company. Furthermore, if you are an apprentice magician, you will only have to prove it by your barrier around you. Since you didn't turn it off yet, it won't be hard."

Now, Stephan had a big problem. The barrier wouldn't keep around him for more than seven hours and the latter was already shorter. Stephan thought if he was a girl then maybe he could use his body to get in quickly and make the eyes bling but unfortunately, he was a man and his genetic organs were ones of a boy... Of a boy…

He looked down and peeked inside his pants. He was a boy… Why?

He summoned the system window again and looked through the penalty quest. There was a section called the archive and in it were the rewards and the last one had a weird reward. Not only the system protected him against the Ustriestan, it rewound the body's time. Maddock was supposedly 28 years old but he was now 16. Who was the woman? What kind of power did she have? Was she a kind of deity like the ones humans worshipped?

She clearly said she was a seat holder. Who were the seat holders? The game had never mentioned anything like it. His ears and memory didn't find the word familiar. There was something going on and he didn't know what it was.

Both of them stepped inside the blessed road. Stephan shielded his eyes from the unexpected light; he stayed for far too long inside darkness that both his eyeballs hurt from the impact. He couldn't get used to the light even when he stayed in it for a few moments. A drunkard laugh resounded in front of him.

"Did the light hurt your delicate eyes? Where did you find that long girl-like boy? Don't bring us burdens! We still have to progress further and once we cross the line, there would be no ally."

There were six men dressing in similar attire as Mike but they had them richer and more expensive. The armours showed how they had higher ranks and also how they survived and returned after each missions. For humans, they would be heroes, saviors, cleaners. There was a line that was drawn by the veteran knights, one that marked where the danger rose, the zone with more dangerous undead. Before those dangerous zones, there was the easy one and the main focus of the knights that patrolled the area around the walls was to get rid of all threats and keep the road safe.

"I apologize for bringing a stranger but I believe he was lost," Mike bowed his head slightly politely. There was a vacant seat left but it was on the ground. The young knight took his seat as usual. He expected Sir Jack to ask him for a duel again but he didn't. Instead, he kept his eyes on the boy.

Stephan held his gaze and felt a slight fear invade him. He was Maddock Prowell, an Exile who was forced to walk Valtrar streets and thrown outside in front of everyone. Obviously, everyone knew him, especially the knights. He apprehended if the man recognized him. Sir Jack had a wide scar on his face cutting it in two and green eyes. He turned his head towards his comrade.

"Have you heard of Maddock having a child?"

"No. As far as I know the man was exiled without touching a woman's skin. I don't think he had the mind to think of anything else. He was working so much for Valtrar. He had to take the bullet."

"Yes," Sir Jack nodded. "He had to take the bullet and drag a lot of us with him. If he intended to win, he had to do it and if he intended otherwise, he had to keep us clear. But here we are, cleaning behind the roads for them to walk freely and travel between the lands without any hindrance," his eyes rolled to the corner and looked at Stephan who didn't move an inch. He was also calculating his choice, whether to return to the mist or wait till he got an answer. "Who are you, young boy? From your attire, you seem like a poor apprentice magician. That's a rare occurrence in the human kind."

"I am still an apprentice, Sir Jack. I believe that's what everyone calls you here," Mike's eyes jolted to Stephan who left his shamelessness aside and spoke with a firm tone. "I am Stephan Lancaster, an apprentice mage. Most importantly, I don't have a weak mind."