The Dead King

Marin leaned back in his office chair as he waited for the sun to finally rise.

At the other end of the castle, and a few floors lower, Gus Albore also eagerly waited. The young lad anticipated this morning all night, and noticing his first break out of sleep, he became alert, checking the clock, and seeing how much more time he had before morning officially made itself known.

Marin on the other hand was not excited. In fact, in no way did he favor this mission he put upon himself. This was the one time since he had woken back up that he patiently waited for the sun’s showing.

After some time of deep plotting, the sky started to lighten, its black void of endlessness finally changing color.

“Alright then, time to get to it,” Marin had said to himself.

The guards changed shift at the crack of dawn, and the denizens of the castle began to stir. As always, Marin left his office wide awake and moving as if he so easily could shrug off the paralysis of sleep, which always came as a wonder to those who saw him at that hour.

Marin didn’t expect Gus to be up as early as him. So it came as a shock to see the boy equally as wide awake and bushy-tailed as he was when he entered the common areas.

“Gus, good morning. I see you have prepared,” Marin noted, hiding all sign of surprise. Gus had on his guard attire, a mixture of leather, plate, and chain. His gear usually included a tabard that all the guards of Nocturne dawned, but seeing as his role would be a traveling companion, he deemed it unnecessary.

Along with the armor he mastered wearing, Gus had his pack and sizable claymore hanging from his back. It was in contrast to the single traveler's bag that Marin shouldered, slung down to his side.

Gus greeted him back, and made known his eagerness for the journey ahead. Marin instructed for them to leave their possessions in the foyer and enjoy breakfast before embarking.

In the grand dining room, Marin made his semi-usual speech to everyone who was in attendance. He tried keeping them brief whenever he did have to talk, worried that he was keeping everyone’s empty stomachs from the gourmet food his kitchen always provided.

In this speech, Marin made his announcement about the mission he was embarking on. This caused a stir of concern from his citizens, but he reassured them it was for good reason and that he would be back as soon as possible. He explained that in the meantime Loid would take charge, and all aspects of the castle would continue to run normally.

After he was done talking, he sat down, and everyone began eating. Gus had the privilege today of sitting at the end of the table near Marin and his administration. He felt so insignificant in the eyes of the elders who ran the kingdom. Helva and Marge talked about logistics and paperwork from RAM, Harrel and Loid discussed potential orders for items they both would submit for the kingdom. Gus remained quiet as he listened to them all.

Marin gave input when necessary, but allowed his staff to make most of the decisions for him. He was not one to micromanage. After much conversation of the kingdom’s affairs, Loid took notice of Gus, who seemed completely misplaced. He took pity on the lad, and didn’t want him to go unnoticed.

“Are you excited, Gus?” Loid asked him.

Gus appreciated Loid’s attempt at conversation so he wouldn’t feel left out. His face lit up.

“King Marin has not mentioned our destinations yet, so that makes it even more of a surprise. I have no idea where we will end up.”

Marin grinned under the mask. “Have you ever been outside of Whitewood or Heroca?” He asked.

“Never. I wonder what kind of world is out there. Deep down I’ve always wanted to travel,” Gus admitted.

Loid was satisfied. He turned to Marin. “Looks like I recommended the perfect candidate,” he stated.

Marin nodded in agreement, deep in thought.

Gus looked in bewilderment. “You recommended me, Loid?”

“Sure did. I think this will be a great experience for you.”

Marin looked over to Loid as he spoke. He was fairly sure Loid would be able to handle being in command in his absence, but wondered if he pushed the responsibility onto him without enough regard. A larger concern that overshadowed that one was the risk of an attack. That would be out of his control, however, and he felt no need to remind the former innkeeper of his fear. He had to worry only about the things he could control.

“Do you think you’ll have any problems holding the castle down while I’m gone?” Marin asked Loid.

“I think I’ll do just fine,” Loid responded. “It’s been nearly a month now since my role of managing the castle. How would you rate me?”

“You’ve done a fantastic job,” King Marin reviewed.

Loid was pleased with the answer, but didn’t want to take all the credit. “I can’t do it without Helva. She is a huge help in managing day to day issues that arise.”

Helva waved her hand in dismissal with a mouthful of food.

“That’s an easy part of my job. No need to flatter me. If anything, its the legal work that’s been giving me a run for my money,” she interjected.

“Speaking of which,” Marin told her, “I will send mail to you from the city I recruit from. I have not yet decided which city that will be yet. From there, I will check daily for mail from you. Send me updates of the castle, and let me know as soon as you hear anything from RAM.”

Helva gave the a-ok symbol with her hand. “Understood.”

They all finished breakfast, and everyone headed off for their regular tasks. Marin performed his usual stunt of going to a private room to eat, which he did no such thing. After 15 minutes or so, he met Gus and they walked back towards the foyer where they had left their traveling equipment. It was all resting beside a large oaken pillar that reached for the slanted ceiling.

“I have a carriage prepared for us,” Marin explained as they grabbed their bags. “It’s waiting for us in the front yard. It will take us to Whitewood City. From there, we will walk.”

“How long do you think we will be gone?” Gus asked.

“I’m hoping no longer than two weeks. But if I’m having trouble finding a good place to recruit from, we may be out for almost a month,” Marin responded with a hint of worry in his voice.

Gus picked up his claymore, secured in its scabbard. It weighed over ten pounds. The straps on the outer case allowed him to sling it to his back or backpack, which ever he preferred.

“That’s a fine sword. How’d you get it?” Marin inquired as they headed to the front doors.

“Max issued it to me when I became a guard. I was offered the standard sword and board, but I feel more in control with both hands on a single weapon. He’s letting me take it with us. I guess he figured if you wanted a guard to company you, you’d also want them to be properly armed.”

Gus was greeted with the stinging cold air once they cracked the large doors open. Marin, unaffected by temperature, felt nothing, and paid no notice. Down the yard a little ways was a wooden carriage with a horse drawn to it, and sitting at the driver’s seat was Bob Galrus in a beret and coat.

This caught Marin by surprise. He ordered a carriage driver, but did not expect Bob to be heading it up. He ran the general goods store in the castle that the citizens bought from, and did not think he’d want to take this task on.

“Mr. Galrus. What a pleasant surprise,” Marin stated as the two of them climbed into the back of the carriage.

“Hello, Marin. Maybe you weren’t expecting me, but when I heard that the King himself needed a ride down to the city, I demanded to take on the job. It would be an honor if you’d allow me.”

Marin did not expect the praise. “Absolutely. I’ve been meaning to catch up with you anyways.”

Bob shook the reigns of the horse, and the carriage took off down the snowy path of the mountains. As they made their way down the mountains, the three of them held conversations. Marin asked Bob how life was in the castle, and Bob happily went into detail about his family’s adjustment to the large living space.

They talked about the general goods store in the castle. The whole Galrus family worked as a team to run it, and he mentioned that his wife held it down while he was gone.

“I also took the task so I could see Whitewood again, and maybe pick some stuff out. I haven’t left the castle since my initial supply run when the villagers first got to the castle,” he explained.

They also talked about the food in Nocturne, and life there in general. Bob told a few jokes that got a laugh from Marin and Gus. The conversation shifted to Helva and Harrel, and Bob had nothing but praise for them too.

“It’s really nice having the same people who ran our town also running the castle. Makes it all very familiar… Honestly like we never even left Heroca. You’ve been so generous, my King.”

“I just want you all to be happy,” Marin explained. “Citizens who get all their needs met perform much better in making up a kingdom.”

When Marin had said that though, he mentally trailed off. He started feeling ill. For some reason, that phrase he said felt so contradictory. It didn’t feel right.

“I’ll agree to that!” Bob said with a fist in the air.

Why did that phrase sit so ill with him? He tried really hard to think. He tried hard to remember something, anything. That was a perfectly nice thing to say, and for some reason, he had shocked himself in saying it. Why? He had this mindset the entire time he had been awake, and why now did that idea sit terribly with him?

Who was I before I died? What kind of person was I? Why can’t I remember any details of my life?

“Marin, is something wrong?” Gus asked.

Marin looked up at him. Gus had a look of concern in his brown eyes. The King never took real notice of Gus before, and studied his brown hair that was parted in the middle, reaching down to the bottom of his neck. In that moment, he realized he had been quiet for too long.

“Nothing, nothing,” Marin lied. “Just hoping that I’ve made everyone happy enough.”

“I think I can speak for everyone,” Bob responded. “We’re all living such a high quality of life now. You need not worry yourself that you’re not doing enough.”

Marin was still taken back from the sudden ill feeling.

I really, really, wish I had not lost so much of my memory. Was this the potion’s doing, or had so much leaked out from years of being dead? Something’s not right about me.

He tried his best to shake the feeling off, but he realized more introspection would need to be done to figure out what had happened. They all continued to talk about various topics. Soon they were passing Heroca village, what was left of it, anyway.

Marin studied it for a while as the road passed through the heart of the ghost town. It was the first time he had seen the village since he rode back up to the castle with Gus. Bob uttered a few comments as they fixed on it for a while. Gus replayed the raid in his mind as he mainly looked at the burned down houses.

“I still can’t understand why they attacked us,” Bob stated sulkily.

“I killed my first person ever on that day,” Gus stated with dread. “With this very sword.” He pat the claymore that laid on the bench besides him.

To this day, Marin still was afraid that deep down, some might still believe he had something to do with the attack on the village. What a coincidence it was, that when Marin woke back up, two days later, the city was torched by a haughty fire elemental.

“It was just by chance that I was here,” Marin remembered. “It’s a good thing I was.”

“Tell me a little more about that,” Bob requested.

“I had returned to Nocturne Castle a few days ago. Your village just happens to be an arm’s reach from the place. From up there, I saw the smoke rising. I knew something terrible had happened, so I rushed down here as quick as possible.”

After they passed through the town, they discussed possible ideas for the village. Bob wanted to tear it all down to stop any remembrance of the events, and Gus suggested restoring some of it and turning it into an outpost for the castle. Both were reasonable ideas, Marin believed.

Soon they were more than halfway to White Forest. The mountain air began to thicken as their elevation fell, and rocky cliffs and pines began to be replaced with forest trees and grass. This was indeed the first time Marin had been away from the mountains since his long slumber.

The anticipation of Whitewood City triggered new questions in Marin’s mind.

“Gus, you said you have family in Whitewood?”

Gus gave a slight look of distaste as his mouth stretched. “Yeah, they live there.”

“If you have any desire to see them, I wouldn’t mind stopping there for a spell,” Marin offered.

Gus shook his head. “I don’t talk to them anymore. We’re not on good terms.”

There was silence for a moment, a bit of shock from Marin and Bob.

“Look, they’re good people, we just don’t see eye to eye, and I wanted to move away. That’s why I went to Heroca.”

Marin’s curiosity was piqued, but refused to pry. “I’m sorry to hear that. Perhaps one day it can be resolved.”

Gus was eager to change the subject, and seeing as it was now an hour past midday, they discussed grabbing a bite to eat in the city. The scenery became quite wooded, and Marin couldn’t help but gaze at the large trees that formed a roof of nearly infinite leaves as they entered White Forest.

“An incredible forest,” Marin noted. Gus hardly looked up at any of it.

When they reached Whitewood City, the three stabled their horse for a small fee, and exited the carriage. Marin started to have mild anxiety at the huge change in population density. He tried his best to hide it, and allowed Gus to guide him down the busy street.

A few people gave Marin a double take because of his black mask, but no one made any comments, thankfully. Gus had the perfect restaurant in mind, close to where they were. Bob knew of the place too, and they all agreed to eat there.

“Grubber’s makes the best sandwiches,” Bob stated.

Gus nodded in agreement. “I used to eat there all the time when I was a child.”

Marin felt all eyes on him from everyone he passed. He stayed close to Bob and Gus as they made their way to a restaurant apparently named Grubber’s. He began to play out scenarios where someone would make accusations of him or demand that he remove his mask, and he was still undecided how he would react.

“There it is,” Gus pointed. A small building had a chef with a burly black mustache painted at the top. Fancy lettering below read Grubber’s. The portrait that made the building stand out was impressive, but it was faded from age. It must’ve been established long ago.

Inside, the massive front windows handled most of the lighting inside. Tables were painted in checkered patterns, and in the back, a counter stretched left and right, with workers furiously preparing sandwiches.

Marin felt a tad left out when Bob took in a big whiff.

“You smell that? That’s a good sandwich over there, I don’t care who you are!” Bob seemed to be having the best time out of the three.

“King Marin, will you be able to eat somewhere private?” Gus asked with concern.

“Actually… I do not eat lunch. Only breakfast and dinner. Personal reasons, that’s all,” Marin conveniently explained.

Bob seemed offended. “You’re missing out on a damn good sandwich, I’ll tell you that. Maybe order one to go?”

“Maybe.”

Marin really started to loathe his undead state. The only thing that rivaled it was the fact that he had to keep it a secret as well, and come up with convoluted reasons why he wasn’t able to do things a regular person could.

The three of them approached the front counter and began ordering their sandwiches. When the worker turned to Marin, he waved his hand, and told him that he was not ordering. He watched as they assembled the sandwiches in front of them. He was impressed to see such a trivial job done so skillfully. The speed and accuracy they created the sandwiches was remarkable.

“This is a Nocturne funded mission,” Marin told them when it was time to pay. “I am covering the costs.” He pulled out a small coin purse, and gave the sandwich maker a silver coin stamped 5. He received back several copper pieces.

“Free food is the best food, eh Gus?” Bob teased as he gave a playful hit to Gus’ arm.

Gus just smiled back to himself, not because Bob made a joke, but because Bob thought he was funny, and that was more funny.

They sat at one of many small round tables, and chowed into the sandwiches. Marin sat back and watched them eat behind his black mask. Watching other people eat usually didn’t bother him much, but it might’ve this time some. Especially after how much Bob praised the sandwiches, and they really seemed to enjoy them.

They held conversation a while longer, and after a brief period of chowing down, it was time for Bob to part ways. He crumbled up the paper from his sandwich, and leaned on the stool to get off.

“I suppose you both will be on your way?” He stated as he dusted crumbs off his shirt.

“Yes. Thank you very much for bringing us down here. It was a good time,” Marin responded.

Bob Galrus thanked Marin for the meal, and headed on out.

“Don’t be gone too long!” He said on his way out. “I like Loid and all, but uh… Well anyways I hope you get us some power players.”

Gus squinted thinking about what that meant. He wondered if Marin was starting to realize that Bob was off his rocker as much as he realized he was.

“Hey Marin?” Gus asked.

“Yes?” He responded as they watched Bob through the window walk back to the stables.

Gus had it on his mind to say something about Bob, but the thought was fleeting, and he decided against it. Instead he came up with a different question.

“Any ideas on what cities we will visit?” He finally said.

“Yes!” Marin pat his traveler’s bag at the answer, hinting at the map in there. “Let’s hit the road, and later we will figure out where we need to continue to go. We have a lot of ground to cover, and I’d rather not spend most my absence from the castle traveling around, so let’s be off.”

Gus adjusted the sword on his back, and they left the restaurant.

“We need to get to the south side of Whitewood and head out that way. I’ll let you guide us accordingly.”

Gus sensed a hint of urgency in his voice. He was shocked that Marin was allowing him to guide, as well. He was thankful that Marin’s assumptions in him knowing the city were true. If not, then he would really begin to doubt himself for this mission.

“Uh… it’s this way, follow me.”

Marin walked to the right of Gus, but in tight spots, had to walk behind him. They navigated the city, and several times Gus gave Marin tips about being in the city. One being to avoid eye contact with street sellers. He picked up on Marin struggling to be in such a rural area.

“Just stay close to me, I’ll get us there safely,” Gus told him.

“Very good.”

They passed apartments, shops, and various buildings. Gus had them turn on several streets. Despite not living in Whitewood for many years, he still knew his way around really well. That was for good reason, he was getting close to where his family lived.

Without Marin knowing, Gus took a slight detour to his family’s house. It was on the way to the south side of the city, so crossing an extra street or two to pass by it wouldn’t be a problem, he figured. After a little more leg work, they turned on the street in which he grew up.

Gus took note of every change over the years. His pace slowed down some when he caught sight of his old house. Marin noticed the slow down, but said nothing. Gus studied the house as much as he could. He wondered if his parents would recognize him after the years, but he bet against it, seeing he now had longer hair and a short beard covering most of his face.

Maybe they’d recognize him if they stared at him long enough, but he wouldn’t let that happen. The house looked the same more or less, but the windows were dirty. He looked into the windows as much as he could to see if anyone was in there.

The house was in slight disrepair. He wondered if they had moved out and gone on somewhere else. If that was the case, he’d have a difficult time finding them again. Finally, the front door opened, and he saw his father walking out of the house with a bucket of water. He noticed how much more gray hair he had grown. He almost looked sad.

For a split second, he thought about waving to him.

“Gus, why have we stopped?” Marin inquired.

Gus’s head snapped back. “Oh sorry, I thought I saw something. Let’s keep going.”

With that, he passed by his house and continued on. He looked back a single time.

Marin found that to be suspicious. He turned around also, and took note of the older man looking like an aged Gus. He made no comment, however.

“This is Whitewood’s main street going south,” Gus noted as they turned onto a new street. “We can take this all the way out of the city. It will take us directly south.”

“Excellent. You’ve done a great job so far,” Marin reviewed.

As they continued to walk, Gus tried putting the image of his father out of his mind. How many years had it been now? Seven? Or was it ten. Regardless, Gus became much less talkative after the fact. Both of them paced side by side, not a word escaping them.

Marin looked over to Gus, and read a troubled look on his face, maybe one that he was trying to hide.

“You could’ve said hi to him.” Marin finally said.

“What?!” Gus belted out as he turned to the king.

“I wasn’t born yesterday, Gus. I know that was your father, you took us past your old house.”

“Why didn’t you say anything, then?”

“I didn’t want to interject on whatever you were planning to do,” Marin explained.

Gus looked straight ahead, a slight smirk, and shaking his head. He was half embarrassed, half frustrated that he got found out.

“I can go back and talk to him whenever I want,” he stated as a matter of fact.

“People don’t live forever, my friend. If you have any ounce of wanting to do so, I’d plan on doing it sooner than later.”

After a while longer of walking, Marin could see the front gates of the city. Ahead of them was a dense forest, but they were definitely going south, as he took note of the position of the sun. Up ahead were stables for horses, and a few cargo wagons entered and left the city.

“There’s the gates. We’ve gotten through the city,” Gus pointed out.

“That didn’t take too long. It’s been maybe an hour?”

“Sounds about right.”

“Whitewood has grown quite a bit from how I remember it,” Marin commented.

“It’s easy to grow a city when you have building materials surrounding you, I suppose.”

Marin looked around at the trees that made up the forest. “It’s really good wood, huh?”

“It’s what the city is known for.”

When they passed the gates, Marin opened his bag and unraveled the map. He laid the paper on a tree stump, and with his glove covered hand, pointed out the direction they’d be heading. His finger ran down the road away from White Forest, and stopped at a large dot away from any kingdom.

“Tarenfall? We’re going there?!”

“It was an idea. Why? You seem upset.”

“No! I mean, that’s a pretty good bet, I’d think. Huge city. It’s high in crime, but there’s bound to be strong elementals there.”

Marin didn’t like Gus mentioning crime, but that almost gave him some ideas.

“Very well, we will head there first. It’s near the heartland, so if that doesn’t work out, we can go in almost any direction to our next destination. Let’s continue on.”

He wrapped the map back up, and placed it back into his bag. Gus prepared for the long walk by shrugging his back pack some. To be honest, he was very excited to see what the large city had to offer.

Gus was now traveling the continent with a powerful elemental king he served.

If only his father knew what he was doing now.