Chapter 2: Exiled Truth

I felt someone tapped my shoulders, and a faint voice getting closer and clearer as it called me.

“Wake up…” muttered the faint voice.

All I saw was black, but still I somehow heard it calling, and I’m awaken by a light seeping through my vision.

“I said wake up!” the voice shouted.

Then I was suddenly woken up by a very cold splash of water hit my face.

“Aagh!” I squirmed and vomited water on myself.

My vision recovered from the deep blackout, and my eyes slowly opened as my consciousness came back. I looked around and realized I’m at the plaza inside the city Goldbury, and in front of me is a large crowd of people in every race from low class to the highest, above and below all are staring at me with silence. My knees touching the wooden floor, and both my hands and feet behind my back tied to a metal pole. The edges of the platform each has a guard standing to it, they wear heavy pieces of gold armor, etched with weird unknown symbols, and on their hands they each hold a massive great sword with some unknown empty slot on the center of its blade.

I heard footsteps nearing behind me, and now stopped by my side is a tall man wearing the same armor but slimmer and fit by design, wrapping around his armor is a white cape just stopping by the hips, he has broad shoulders and his medium hair is brown, and around his neck is an amulet with an empty slot in the middle, hanging on his waist is a beautiful scabbard attached with a silver lining to support its leather. Weirded as I looked at him, I then took my glance back into his face and what I saw was an evil grin with disgust, and his eyes staring directly into mine. I looked down on the floor thinking what I’ve done wrong to be in this miserable situation , feeling hopeless and no idea of what I got myself into, I can only hoped that what is to come is not my very end.

Beside me, he then started to walked towards the front left of the platform while still making me visible for the crowd to see.

“Hello citizens of Goldbury, my name is Lennard The Claw, and as you may all know I’m one of the captains of the Elite Golden Guards and for those who doesn’t, I’m also the one who led the attack on the lands of those mindless Barbarians and eradicated those savages once and for all, but that was only made to assure the safety of this country Gold’berg and its people, and that being said the higher ups of the Golden Council made a decision for this man to be executed.” Lennard said with a lively face.

Shocked of what I heard, I lifted my head up and looked directly in Lennard.

“But I didn’t do anything!” I said to him.

Lennard raised his right eyebrow in disbelief. “Oh making excuses, I see…” Lennard replied.

“I was only wandering in the nearby forest as a woodcutter when I saw—“and before I can even finish, one of the guards slugged my face.

“Know your position you scum!” shouted the guard.

Suddenly one of the man in the crowd talked.

“Just who the heck is that man?!” the man in the crowd asked.

“Yeah tell us who that man is!” followed by a lady.

“Oh you all want to know?” Lennard questioned with a smile. “Okay listen up, the name of this scoundrel right here is Svend, and currently he works as a woodcutter and lives in one of the Inn on the villages, just outside this city. Now for the reason of his execution we just recently found out of his precious little past, and that is just a year ago he was a Rogue Thief both scaling houses of any kind and robbing innocent people left and right. And to anyone who will defend this lowly scum shall face the same faith, and that is death. This is only a dire warning to those who will defy, question and go against the Golden Order, now for those who have questions and are disagreeing with the law and order of this country, please speak up!!” Lennard shouted while looking around the crowd.

The whole crowd went full silent as everyone heard the warnings of Lennard, directly from the Golden Order and since then no one from the crowd muttered a single word.

I didn’t try to defend and talked back, and just accepted my faith, my body became numb and my mind gone blank. I just wanted it all to end after my past has been exposed making myself have no place anymore in this country. I’m no different than any criminal and considering my past deeds, whatever hole I dug and blanket that I cover, my past is a part of my life and that is the truth. I was a rogue thief, a cunning and deceitful person whose only done in life is to rob and inflict bad luck to a person, I’m a worthless human being, low as a dirt on the ground, no I’m a vile scum dirtier than a mud in a puddle.

Satisfied with the crowd’s reaction, Lennard took his glance back at me.

“Now that being said, the execution shall commence and—“Lennard’s expression changed as he looked behind me.

I took my gaze to the ground behind me, and there was a tall slim figure wearing a white wizards robe with gold patterns.

The unknown person climbed up the stairs and as it stepped on the platform, it slowly took off its hood and revealed a beautiful elven woman. She has very fair skin, and her legs are long and slim, she has long dark hair and her figure is very feminine, but yet those dark blue eyes can strike fear. As seen from her stage presence, the crowd started muttering amongst themselves, making the whole place noisy as if nothing happened.

“L-lady Minerva!” Lennard said with surprise.

He then quickly took off from where his standing and approached the elven woman, and started to bow in front of her.

“What brings you here Minerva?” he lifted his head. “I thought the Golden Council is on an important meeting that should not be disrupted, and a superior like yourself isn’t necessarily needed at this kind of event. Why come now on this fools execution, considering of your position?” Lennard asked with a troubled face.

“Fear not, I came here on the Councils behalf, there is an important message from the higher ups that you must do Lennard.” Minerva said while glaring at him.

She then signals Lennard to come closer to speak of the message, and as she started whispering to him, I saw his eyes widen with surprise.

“But it doesn’t make sense!” Lennard gritted his teeth. “We already have him, and I can end it right now, but yet they want to prolong the process when clearly both ideas are the same, and they even want me to parade him too?!” Lennard questioned with annoyance.

“Don’t shout at me Lennard, for this is the orders of the Golden Council, and failing to do so will have you a bad image inside this country, and the worst case a bad taste among your superiors to have you punished.” She then put her hood on. “Do what you must Lennard.” Minerva said while bidding farewell.

As she leaved the platform, I saw Lennard stomped his left foot in disbelief, he then once again approached the front of the platform from my right.

“Damn those old fools…” Lennard muttered as he goes to the front.

“Citizens of Goldbury, there has been a change of plans for this event, coming from the orders of the Golden Council, and that is to change the faith of this scoundrel from being executed to just being thrown out of this country, permanently making him lose his current job as a woodcutter and we will force him to be evicted out from the Inn, not only that his belongings shall be burned immediately as to erase his entire existence and leave no traces behind, therefore Svend the former rogue thief shall be Exiled!” Lennard said to the crowd.

Hearing all of this made me feel a huge relief, as if the weight on my shoulders have banished, but still I can’t shake off the feeling of unease, why would they changed the event plans too suddenly when they have me by my throat, still I should be glad that my life didn’t end in this miserable situation, even so if I have to lose everything in life but as long as I’m still breathing, I can make a new chapter of my life.

“Now that being said and all are settled, I hereby declare the end of this event, you all may now go home and do what you were doing, and thank you all for attending, glory to Gold’berg!!” Lennard announced, as the crowd started to disband.

He then looked at me with a disgusted grin while unchaining both my feet and arms from the metal pole behind me.

“Stand up you scum, and don’t even think of running away!” he then raised his arms like a signal. “Elite guards make and clear a road from here until to the outside of the country, we will parade him before the set, so please make haste!” Lennard ordered the elite guards.

And four of the elite guards that are guarding the platform have now separated into two groups going through the city.

Lennard then brought his arms down, and to my surprise four new guards wearing leather vests are standing behind me and are anticipating for the next order. He then looked at them with seriousness and making sure that they are ready.

“And you trainees will assist me of parading this man, out from this city until were in the wilderness even far away from the villages, so ready yourselves men!” Lennard ordered them.

“Yes Captain!” all the four guards shouted in unison.

“Ok then, two of you on me, we shall guide the front and the remaining two will guide his rear.” Lennard instructed.

We then stepped down from the platform, and on the ground we made formation as Lennard described two guards are both to be beside my front and rear making me inside the middle, while the captain is at the outer front, leading our march.

As we walked through the city of Goldbury, the atmosphere was very silent, and as I looked above the buildings, I saw people staring from afar from their windows. The road was being monitored by guards patrolling the place, and on both sides of the road filled with crowds of people watching as I march my way out of this city, no one dared to speak or throw something at me. And now in front of me is the main city gate, a huge and massive golden gate so big that even a giant can pass through it, attached on both sides are high towers with its own archers towering with the walls encircling the city, and on the ground guarding the gate are heavily equipped elite guards just like the ones on the platform.

“Open the gates!” Lennard ordered the gate guards.

I heard the gate creaking as it was being opened, and there offered a space for just the six of us to pass through.

And as we stepped outside the city gate, were now standing on the inner part of the villages, unlike inside the city these villages are known for being the Low District, the houses are still made of wood and the road isn’t even covered with stones. As we walked through the villages, people are watching from their windows and no one dared to stepped outside. We got near the Inn were I was currently staying and outside of it was a thin smoke coming out from a small pit of fire assuming it was all my belongings being burned, Maria was outside and looking at me as I passed her.

“Svend what have you done?!” Maria asked with a worried face, she then covered her mouth with both hands.

I then looked at her and gave a warm smile.

“It’s okay Maria I’m gonna be fine, thank you for everything and for keeping us safe at your Inn, It was a good stay and please be careful, be safe.” I said to her smiling.

“You Buffoon!” she smiled back. “Those guards that are burning your belongings payed for your stay this month, so you’re the one who should be careful, you troublesome boy!” Maria said while waving her right hand.

I waved my farewell while looking at the road straight ahead, Ah so she have been payed on my behalf, I’m so glad, I wish to see her again sometime. And now we are finally outside the village, what’s in front of us is a vast land of wilderness, group of trees dominate this region and the ground is soil, healthy as green.

“Um is this it, am I finally free—“I was suddenly pushed forward by a guard from my back.

“Hey, keep moving!” said the guard.

“We shall continue our walk until we find a nearby forest, so keep moving!” Lennard followed.

We kept on walking through the main road, and as we walked no one even started a conversation let alone speak to each other, but it seems that eventually our little journey will come to an end, after we saw a nearby forest from afar the road. Walking towards it something dawned on me, a memory and the familiarity of this region same as to where I saw those blood stains that are near this main road, wait isn’t that the same forest?, the thoughts made me anxious but I didn’t show them.

After walking for twenty minutes, we finally got near the forest, but just before we entered the tree line, Lennard suddenly stopped to his tracks and raised his right hand, he faced me looking at me with an evil grin.

“You see Svend, the order I received earlier was just the same but longer in process, and that is instead of just executing you there on the spot, it has been decided that you are to be paraded to show the people fear and the might of the Golden Order, in short you’ll still die here.” Lennard said to me casually.

After I heard those words, my body collapsed on its knees, hopeless and no way of escaping my faith.

“Oh and before you die, just so you know the dead man you saw being buried in this forest was the conspiracy nutcase named Joseph, he was a former people’s advocate, and he used it against us, speaking ill of the country’s system and law, the fool wanted a complete reform of the current order and he even wants the king lord Nerodius to be replaced, and because he was being a nuisance we basically took action, and I myself killed him.” Lennard said while looking down on me.

I then slowly lifted my head and looked him straight into the eyes, “More like he knows something about your little Golden Order that made you all scared, and the fact that a single person can shake a whole country is what gave me hope for Gold’berg, compared to the likes of you, a bunch of cowards taking orders from evil old fools!!” I shouted at him with seriousness, making his eyebrows raised in surprise.

If I’m going to die here anyway, I might as well retaliate and take my chances of escape!

I slowly stood up from the ground, and hiding in my right boot is a small dagger, as I raised my body I’ve already hid it in my left arm sleeve waiting for the moment.

“Going somewhere?” Lennard asked me, pointing to where I’m standing.

I looked and it was the same circle of unknown symbols from before, trapping my movements.

“One last thing and no hard feelings Svend, when you tried escaping back in this forest, I was the one who casted that same stun spell, and you may have survived that first struck but just like Joseph, your life will end inside a deep burrow Heh heh.” Lennard said while laughing.

“You Coward!!” I shouted at him.

Lennard grinned, all the guards faced me and unsheathed their swords, but just before they stepped forward, the circle below me dispersed and a new symbol appeared above my head.

“Cancellation Magic!” Lennard said with panic. “Who goes there?!” he then looked up on the tree line.

And to my surprise as I looked up the trees, what’s above us is a shadowy figure standing on a large branch while holding onto the body with his left hand, and as the sunlight shined over the shadowed figure, I saw it wearing a wizards robe and a hat, his mouth and nose covered by a brown cloth, hiding his identity.