Of Regal Courts and Modest Prisons

"So, let's make sure I understand..."

Before Mesui and Jarad stood a goblin clad in the usual teal and golden colors alluring to the Kenet dynasty, with a golden sun plate on his chest. He was of average height and build, but he nonetheless carried the weight of a hundred battles upon his shoulders as he rested his hands on a large war table.

The room around them smelled like old parchments and incense, and to their right Makeb's inner city, carved and painted in beautiful harmonies of colors, contrasting the more blunt and monotone sandy colors of the outer layers. Next to them, captain Abagai held her post with her helmet by her side, gulping and clearing her sweat.

"General Akrumei... these two—" the captain said, before being interrupted by the general.

"These two... people from different regions of the Khan's realm come these days to pay tribute to his lordship, it is a time of much unrest, given that we have orcs, ogres, genies, and goblins all gobbled up in one place," he said, clearing a lock falling into his forehead, "As if it were not enough, his majesty the Khan took it upon himself to go... hunting..." 

His hesitation made Mesui and Abagai unsure of what he meant, but as he turned to glare at them like a menacing beast, their eyes diverted to a point in space where eye contact would not be possible.

"And despite these very, very poignant factors accumulating like a pile of garbage, you guys somehow think it is a great idea to start a brawl—one block away from his lordship's palace!"

Mesui, Jarad, and Abagai sank in their shame as the most reputable general in the Khan's horde turned to them, cracking his knuckles one by one, "The Twin Sisters have deemed the Khan's dynasty to shine bright in this part of the world, and Makeb, by consequence, must be the living manifestation of that blessing, so I am not the kind of person to let such matters alone."

Mesui could not help but notice the ogre next to her trembled, and it was then when she realized, his body was not as defined and muscled as the one she had seen. The very thought of that man—particularly how his muscles tensed as they took the brunt of Narwa's powered assault—made her blush, something she immediately regretted upon snapping back to General Akrumei's words. Moreover, both she and the female captain turned to the ogre as the trembling became more evident. A glance at his face revealed a mixture of embarrassment and... rage as if he were utterly destroyed by having to live through this shame. Whether that was being tossed around by a skinny girl or being scolded by a goblin general... the line between both was too blurred to see.

"Captain," Akrumei continued, "I understand the princess and the paladin's subordinates are locked up in the barracks?"

"General," the captain bowed her head, "the Palace Keshig were insistent on at least making an example of them, as they felt locking the Paladin master and a tribal princess would cause too many problems..."

"Hmm, which they then referred to me, at least something's working right in this mess," the general said, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes with clear exhaustion. 

Akrumei walked closer to Jarad and Mesui. The ogre calmed his nerves as to hide his discomfort. The goblin general passed him and observed Mesui for a moment before smiling, "You're Tulag's daughter, yes?"

"General," Mesui confirmed, "My name is Mesui, it's unfortunate we had to meet under these circumstances."

"You have your father's fiery hair, and determined eyes. However, I must say this is not the first time we've seen each other," Akrumei said.

Mesui looked at him, "I must admit your face does look familiar, but I can't seem to remember..."

Akrumei chuckled, "I don't blame you, young lady, It was a long time ago, back when Kenet Khan was doing his conquests... I hail from the southeast steppe, same as you."

"Oh?" Mesui said, "Was my father your liege?"

"For a time, yes, before my clan was absorbed into the retinue of the Kenets. The Khan is known to see diamonds in the rough," Akrumei said, his face gesturing at himself.

"Well, I don't know about your exploits, I'm afraid history is not one of my strengths," Mesui lamented, now more relaxed by the interaction.

"Hmm, that's too bad, your father never spoke about me?"

"Let's just say I gave him other things to talk about..."

"Ha!" Akrumei laughed, "A troublemaker through and through? Judging from the little scuffle with the ogres back there, I have no reason to doubt that."

"Again, I regret what happened," Mesui said, placing her hand on her chest.

Akrumei sipped from his mug before turning to the hulking ogre beside Mesui, "Speaking of which, Paladin Jarad, is it?"

"G-general!" Jarad jumped.

"At ease, Paladin, is this your first time in Makeb?"

"I-indeed, my lord."

"Not a very nice first impression."

"M-my lord, I formally apologize for what happened, it was a long trip from Kalad and the steppe's heat and cold got the best of us."

Akrumei walked towards him, his hands clasped on his back, "You started a fight with a caravan that was being inspected by the palace guards. You attacked a goblin princess' retinue as if they had robbed you on the road... it would seem you decided to cling to the other side of the pendulum in terms of first impressions."

Jarad remained silent, playing with his hands on the back as he looked at a single point in space.

"By the laws our beloved Khan drafted, public disturbance should earn you a few months by the city's dungeon, you know? Both of you..." he said, looking at Mesui, who lost all recent confidence and tranquility.

Akrumei sighed, "However, as I said, having orcish, ogren, and goblin delegations bearing gifts to his lordship makes things complicated in the city, and like his eminence, Kenet Khan, I am a man who knows how to exploit an opportunity when I see one."

Both Jarad and Mesui looked at him, puzzled.

"Captain," Akrumei continued, "you say Mesui's party here is... gifted?"

"General!" captain Abagai nodded, "They took two monsters afflicted by the black demon that would otherwise need a hundred warriors to deal with, my entire Zuun can testify of this."

Akrumei looked at Mesui, "Impressive... what is it that they do? Bring fire down from the heavens?" he joked, grinning.

"Well..." Abagai muttered, remembering the flames invoked by Arsec.

"What? They do?" Akrumei said, arching an eyebrow.

"One of them, apparently..." she finally responded.

"And... he's kind of locked in the barracks," Mesui noted.

Jarad turned to her with his eyes lighted up, "That human? Cast flames down from the heavens?"

Akrumei scratched his jaw.

"Huh, and you say the princess here bears gifts from the Twin Sisters?"

Abagai's eyes lightened up, "My lord, the winds have truly blessed her, it was... beautiful!"

Akrumei waved his hand for the captain to calm her emotions, "As much as I want to dig into all these new developments, I have other matters to attend to and, as I said, I'm a man of opportunity... Princess Mesui!" he said, turning to his war table and unfolding a city map as he gestured her to follow him.

"M-my lord?" Mesui reacted bluntly.

"I will need your talents, there is a situation I would like you and your friends to look into..."

Jarad looked left and right, unsure of what to do.

"Master Paladin?" 

"G-general?" he jumped again.

"This concerns you as well, if you want your apprentice free again, listen well."

******

The clinking of metal echoed through the stone corridors of the palace barracks, a sound that matched the dreary mood of its occupants. In the center of the main courtyard, a large metallic cage stood prominently, its bars thick and unyielding. Within this impromptu holding cell, three figures sat with varying degrees of discomfort and frustration.

Arsec leaned against the back wall of the cage, arms crossed, trying to maintain an air of calm amidst the chaos that had become their morning. Across from him, Narwa paced restlessly, her fists clenched as she muttered under her breath. Ronai, slumped on a bench that looked far too small for his muscled frame, sat with his head in his hands, lost in his world of gloomy thoughts.

The courtyard beyond was alive with activity. The Keshig, the elite warriors of the Khan, moved in perfect unison, their spears glinting under the mid-morning sun as they trained. The rhythmic thuds of their movements were almost hypnotic, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere inside the cage.

Arsec sighed, running a hand through his hair before turning to Narwa, who was now grumbling loudly about the absurdity of their situation. “You know,” he began, trying to keep his voice steady and reasonable, “coming and going like a caged animal won't speed up the time."

Narwa shot him a look that could have melted stone, rushing to his face and breathing heavily, "Youuu," she murmured, "What in all the beasts of the world are you doing? WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' EEEH?!"

"We're paying a fine, I'm told," Arsec said, unbothered and completely used to Narwa's behavior.

"Fine my ass," Narwa said, "Fine those muscles of his," she pointed at Ronai, "You, on the other hand, I don't get you."

"It seems like a common trend for you," Arsec said, calmly.

"I saw you fight a monster ten times your size, match its strength, brush off the bites of a dozen beasts... you could easily bend the bars and take us away from this place. But nooo, you think it is better to stay here?"

"Mesui will get us out," Arsec said, "we should not make things for her more difficult than they already are."

"Disgusting!" Narwa said, "All of this, this place stinks!"

Arsec rolled his eyes and looked at Ronai, whose eyes had greyed every passing moment, "What's up with you?"

The ogre glanced over his crossed arms and sank back again.

"Yes, you should feel ashamed!" Narwa said, "It's because of your friend that we're here."

"Hey hey, Narwa, we're all in this, cut him some slack."

"Argh!" Narwa said, before staring at the outside, her hands and face glued to the bars.

"Don't be bothered by her, she's just angry at you because you blocked her so easily," Arsec said.

Narwa did not turn around, but her hands squealed the metal bars.

"Stinky, say that again and we'll be stuck here for a hundred years due to the beating I'll give you."

Arsec was about to reply, but then he felt the ogre's heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Please, don't say anything!" he begged, "Last time you did, you guys rolled on the cage's floor for ten minutes until the guards came to poke you with spears. Then you proceeded to choke her when she bragged about being stronger. Then, when I thought you had calmed down, she had her revenge by choking you! 

"Hmpf!" Narwa exclaimed, crossing her arms and looking away. The ogre paid her no mind as he addressed the most reasonable one in the cage.

"It's an unending cycle, please stop," he begged.

Arsec considered him briefly and then sighed, lifting his hands, "All right, all right, I'm sorry."

The ogre recoiled, letting out a huge sigh of relief, "At least grant me this peace."

"Come on, man, it's not like we'll die here."

"I feel like it, I'm sent to Makeb to bear my shame, assigned to a master that the only thing he does is complain, and I am sent to jail for trying to calm the situation."

"You tell me, I'm a human, and humans here are pretty much slaves, I don't know if Princess Mesui would be able to get me out."

Narwa turned to him, "So what the hell are we doing—?"

"But I have full confidence in her!" Arsec continued, interrupting the masked girl, who then turned back to see the Keshig practice.

"The name's Arsec, what's yours?" he asked.

"Ronai," the ogre said.

"Well met, Ronai, I take it you come from Kalad?"

"Yes, that's home."

"What brings you here, besides to bear your shame?"

Ronai sighed, "To pay tribute to Kenet Khan."

"Ah, same as Mesui, nice, really nice..."

"Yes..."

Arsec felt like Ronai should have asked something in return. Mesui would normally just blurt another question, and he was used to being on the receiving end of the conversation. He looked at the palace, erected way up beyond the barracks' walls.

"What do you think of Makeb?" he asked, wanting to give it a try at conversation.

"I don't know, I barely know it," Ronai answered, shrugging.

"But... isn't the palace like, right in the center of the city? Come on, you can't tell me you didn't see the market by the gates."

Ronai shrugged.

"What about the shrine to the Twin Sisters? Come on, you noticed the street leading to that big building, didn't you."

Ronai shook his head. Arsec scratched his own, "So what in the Twin Sisters' name were you staring at the whole time."

"Your giant bison."

"All the time?"

"It is quite a big distraction, besides, my rhino was always trying to play with it, didn't you feel like a bump or two?"

Arsec shook his head, "I was more impressed by the orcs's tendency to put golden or silver earrings on their lips and noses."

Ronai shrugged, "Ah, that they do."

"Right?"

There was an awkward silence afterward with an embarrassing weight that only Arsec seemed to feel.

Arsec slumped, "Am I always like this with Mesui?" he thought.

A loud explosion echoed from the floor above the courtyard, instantly deafening everyone in the area. The noise came from the other side of the training grounds, right above, by the windows of the upper floor. The sudden commotion caused a stir, drawing the attention of many people in the court. Arsec, Narwa, and Ronai quickly looked up to find the source of the disturbance. All they could see was a group of goblins scrambling to pick up something from the ground, nervously offering apologies to someone who remained hidden from the trio’s view behind the pillars.

"What was that?" Narwa asked.

Arsec furrowed his eyes, "By the sound of it, I'd say a lot of silverware just went flying and crashing around that hall, believe me, I know the feeling."

"You would?" Ronai asked.

Arsec turned to him, surprised to be asked something by the depressed ogre, "Y-yes! Ehem, you see, I used to serve at the hall of the great Chief Tulag!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

"Huh," Ronai said, looking elsewhere, "That's interesting, you don't look like a slave to me."

"Huh?" Arsec skipped a beat, "But all humans in the Khanate are slaves, no free humans are coming to these parts!"

"W-well, I wouldn't know about humans specifically, I just say that you pushed a dozen healthy ogres away with a forced shrug back there. You have that cape of yours that emits this, very weird and enticing aura, and that spear, what's wrong with that blackness anyway?"

Arsec remained silent by that remark, as Ronai simply slumped and breathed deeply.

"All I'm saying is, you look like a mystic to me, a prophet from some distant land."

Arsec cleared his throat. For some reason, Ronai's sincerity had poked at something in his heart.

You're a slave. You have no voice among us, a pesky goblin yelled in his mind.

No one will care about one little slave dying in his sleep, said another voice.

The lack of green in your skin will unsettle the flock, another echoed.

With all due respect, Princess, you should know better than to let your servant speak for you.

All those words stung his heart, leaving black wounds in it as his mind circled and circled in frustration.

But then, a flash. Right after, a flame of red embers.

You carry my essence.

You were never alone, I know your heart...

Whoever and whatever is named in the breath of my flames... holds power... 

The flame seemed to burst and shine with every utterance in his heart, and Arsec found himself healing from something he had always concealed. Then, Ronai's words appeared, like a cherry on top of a delicious cake.

You don't look like a slave to me...

...Like a mystic to me, a prophet from some distant land.

Suddenly, he did not feel at the mercy of others, and he took his hand to his pounding chest.

"Narwa?" Arsec called her.

"What?" Narwa said.

"This man... this man needs to be protected!"

"Huh?" Narwa twitched her head, "Oi, did you hurt your head or—"

Narwa shuddered she turned to Arsec, who was clearing some tears off his face, "What the...!? Oi, come on what is it?" she asked, alarmed.

Arsec sniffled, "It's all right..."

Narwa noticed a very honest smile off Arsec's now weeping face, and her heart skipped a beat, recoiling a bit to regain her composure over how innocent that smile was.

All the while, Ronai sighed.

******

 Samina’s heart nearly stopped when she spotted him—the man from her dreams, with his unmistakable red cape and brown hair, standing nonchalantly within a metal cage in the barracks' courtyard. She froze, eyes wide in disbelief, as the scrolls she carried slipped from her trembling hands. 

Before she could even process what she had seen, she stumbled back in shock, accidentally colliding with a passing goblin servant. 

The poor goblin lost his balance, sending a platter of food and silverware crashing to the ground. He accidentally pushed another passing goblin carrying a pile of swords, which proceeded to fall. At the very end of the hallway, an old goblin servant rubbed aggressively his chest as he sweated, with two newly arriving goblins noticing he was having a stroke.

The clatter echoed through the courtyard and the voices panicked at the chaos ensuing in the hallway, but Samina barely registered the noise. Her entire being was focused on the figure in the metal cage. It’s him, she thought, a mix of fear and excitement tightening in her chest. The man from my dreams... he’s real.

The goblins around her scrambled to pick up the scattered items, muttering apologies and curses under their breath as they too tried incessantly to bring the old goblin back to his senses, but Samina paid them no mind. She was too fixated on the scene before her—on him. 

The young man and his companions turned to her general direction, obviously distraught by the noise. In her panic, she jumped behind the pillar next to her, hopefully before they could spot her.

Samina panted, her hand placed on her chest, raising it to her throat, as she reminisced the fragments of those very weird dreams. 

The old goblin burst back to life with a sudden scream, the younger goblins celebrating with watery eyes.

Samina peeked around the pillar closely to take a good look at him. "He's truly real..."

The young man was strangely smiling now, tears rolling down his cheeks, a clear vision of joy, as his masked companion worryingly tried to capture his attention.

Samina’s mind raced, her thoughts a chaotic whirl. She needed to get closer, to see him up close, to understand why he was here. But how? He was locked in the barracks, a place she had no business being.

She then steeled her heart, smiling, "If he found his way here, he will find me. I'm now certain of it."

 She continued her stroll, completely forgetting about the scrolls she once carried. As she was about to leave the hallway above the barracks, she halted.

"But..." Samina wondered, touching her lips as she smiled mischievously, "Maybe I could speed up fate a bit, eh?"