Khal spent the rest of the night sleeping under an old tree. He had taken one of the horses from the carriage before the rest of his group left for Gontu. He made sure to cover his Black Recluse outfit under his new farmer garments. Luckily, the Recluse uniform was made in such a way to be disguised under various clothing.

Khal hadn't spent any real time within the Hive outside of the Hollows. In fact, he was still unclear about most of it. From what he could gather from both Ewin and Arzela, the Black Recluse was a secret assassination organized of House Dor. Besides giving him a small scroll labeled Code of the Recluse, there was little else they could tell him.

It didn't take much for Khal to fall asleep and before he knew it, the sun was already shining through the leaves of the tree, seemingly trying to find his face. He packed his small bag of rations and stuffed it at the side of his saddle before he mounted the horse and headed towards the north.

The ride towards Braxton Bridge lasted for the majority of the morning. He remained on the saddle, meditating all the while. It wasn't until he was within sight of the bridge that he stopped. Ahead of him, there was a small camp of soldiers dressed in leather armor with a strange banner at the side of the bridge. Khal could see them stopping every traveler along the path. Mercenaries, Khal thought to himself. He slowly guided the horse towards the bridge as he kept his eyes on the road.

Most commoners in these parts were wheat farmers from the Stix swamplands south of Igbal or merchants from Braxton who would visit Igbal to procure precious goods. Since Khal had neither a carriage nor was he dressed fancy enough to be a merchant he had no choice but to play the role of a farmer.

"Halt!" a loud voice commanded to Khal.

Stopping the horse, Khal looked towards the incoming mercenaries headed his way. Before long, a squad of five men was in front of him. "State your name and purpose traveler!" a short stocky man commanded.

With his head low, Khal responded, "Rod milord. I'm a humble farmer."

"Since when does a farmer speak the bloody King's tongue, then?" The leader of the mercenaries asked suspiciously.

Khal knew there was little he could do. Although he had grown up in Sydenham Town among the commoners, Lord Tommel had beaten the King's Tongue into him. Usually, only nobles and high-ranking officials were able to speak the King's Tongue since it was too expensive for a commoner to afford. Commoners were too busy trying to survive with the heavy tax and minimum wages. Only those commoners, native to large cities stood a chance of learning it and even then only a select few were able to master it.

"My father was once a lowly scholar milord, brightest in Elfheim city a few years back," Khal responded. It was better to mix the lies with the truths he knew he thought.

"Bah! Scholars! The bloody lot of them should be given swords instead," The man responded.

"Agreed!" Khal said, hoping to butter up the mercenary a little.

"Right then, your free ter go. Be careful on the road." The mercenary leader whistled loudly before he and his men rode off towards the camp. Khal breathed a sigh of relief as he rode towards the Bridge. He could see at least twenty men in the camp. It was a conglomerate of tents that lined either side of the road.

Just as he was about to cross another voice said, "Hold it!" Khal watched another mercenary approach him quickly. He held firm to the reins, considering whether he should make a run for it or not. Without control of his wind element, Khal wasn't sure how far he could reach before they eventually caught him. Maybe they had already seen through him. No, they couldn't have known, He finally convinced himself.

"Where'd ya say yer comin' from, lad? The mercenary asked as the leader watched on from the camp. Khal thought about his answer carefully. Since he wasn't from Braxton he would have had to pass the bridge, but how long were they posted here? Khal couldn't tell.

"Eldermire City," Khal responded concisely.

"Duke Braxton's city?" The mercenary asked.

"Aye," Khal nodded.

Another loud whistle went off before two archers on either side of Khal slackened their bows. He didn't even notice them until now and it sent a shiver down his spine. "Yer free to go lad."Khal didn't even wait to hear another word, he sped off towards Topaz Road.

---

Only a few hours had passed since Khal passed the bridge. This part of Topaz Road was especially mushy, considering the marshlands spread westwards of southern Igbal. Instead of heading straight towards Elfheim City which was still a few days away, Khal decided to restock on supplies and find a good bed to rest.

It was already dark out when Khal found his way towards Teal City. It was a small city in the middle of the swamplands. Khal noticed that the city walls were too low to repel any sort of attack, unlike Elfheim city. He was sure that the only purpose they serve was to keep the critters out. The gates were manned by a lone guard who sat at the side asleep. Khal shook his head as his horse walked pass and into the city.

Although it was dark out, there were many farmers headed into the city at this time. The majority had carts filled with grains and provision from the swamplands. Khal dipped his hand in his shirt pocket to remove a pouch filled with gold. After all the killing done in the Hollows, Khal had more coin that he knew what to do with it. He headed down the market road where the majority of the stalls were closing. He quickly asked directions to the local inn before leading his horse down the road.

The stableman at the inn nodded quickly as he grabbed Khal's horse. "Make sure you keep him fed properly," Khal said as he flipped a gold coin in the man's hand.

"Of course, Ser," the man said as he bowed slowly. Though Khal was dressed like a farmer, the stableman could sense the noble air around him. Many nobles would dress less flashy when they were trying to travel low key and Khal fit the description completely.

After a small walk, Khal entered the Inn. The building was a two floored wooded structure with barely any customers. Khal tapped the bell and the receptionist quickly made her way towards the counter. "Good night Ser, how may I be of service," she said with a practiced smile.

"Give me the best room you have to offer," he asked confidently. It had been more than a year since he last slept on a proper bed and Khal was tired of the cold, hard floor.

"Right this way Ser," the lady responded as she signaled one of the workers to show Khal the room. It was a young man no older than twelve by Khal's assumption. Khal leisurely walked up towards the room without saying a word to the worker. Although it looked like he was walking without a care in the world, a sharper eye would notice that he was completely guarded without any openings. It was a habit he developed after his year in the Hollows. Death could come at any minute and he wasn't quite ready to give up on his old habit. Just as he reached in front of the room, he took the keys from the boy before saying, "If you can find a new shirt and pants for me before the night ends then this yellow lady is yours."

The young man's eyes opened wide with greed, "No problem Ser!" he said quickly before grabbing the coin.

"Make sure it's fit for a young lord," Khal added.

"No problem milord," he bowed before running down the stairs and out of the inn.

Khal closed the door behind him quickly before disrobing completely. It had been a few days since he last took a bath and he needed to get rid of the accumulated dirt. Khal closed his eyes as he stepped into the bathtub. The water caressed his feet first before his entire body plunged into the water. Somehow, Khal could feel the water more intimately than before. He could feel every part of it as it hugged his body affectionately.

Khal felt his nucleus within his stomach. Although it was growing much larger since he first started meditating, it had shrunk considerably since his coma. "Why can't I use wind element? Is it because I've awakened the water element? Speaking of, I should try to control it."

He enhanced his sense, feeling the tub of water around him. Almost instinctively he curled his fingers, eliciting a small ripple around him. It wasn't long before the water rippled out of control before a finger sized body of water curled up the same way his finger did. Khal grinned triumphantly.

Suddenly the tub vibrated uncontrollably, forcing Khal to grab the edge. Without any hesitation, the water slowly forced its way into his pores. He tried his best to control the influx, but the water rushed eve faster until the last drop was gone. Khal groaned as his pores bled uncontrollably. He quickly crossed his legs and meditated, trying his best to heal himself as best as he could.

---

Khal wasn' sure how much time passed before a weak knock at his door caught his attention. He got out of the tub and placed the bathrobe around him before answering. "Hmm, these will do," he said as he inspected the garments. He quickly flipped another coin to the young man before closing the door again.

It had been many months since Khal last checked his spirit power. He quickly removed the gauge stone from his small pouch before resting it down.

...

E983

Khal smiled in satisfaction. At thirteen years old he was already a Senior Knight Masterclass! He was close to the threshold to Knight Sergeant. Although he knew where he should be ranked in an official army since he was not affiliated with any he was still technically a civilian, albeit a noble nonetheless.

He swiftly donned his new clothes, a dark blue tunic with a black trouser with a black surcoat. The surcoat had an extravagant design of a tailed creature that wrapped around the sleeves. Khal then walked downstairs into the nearby tavern. He was both famished and needed any information that he could get his hands on. Khal's disposition and tall frame could fool almost everyone who saw him. His height and strong built could pass for an eighteen-year-old while his noble aura gave off a feeling of authority.

The tavern was a large building, almost twice the size of the inn. It was packed with commoners and a few nobles. Khal could tell the nobles from the rest by their isolation from the festivities of the crowd. On the right, He noticed neat rows of tables and chairs, but all were occupied. Left with no choice, Khal walked towards the bartender before taking a seat directly in front of him.

"Wot will yer be having Ser?" The bartender asked with a bored expression.

"What the special?" Khal asked. It was his first time visiting the tavern. He had read about them from Lord Tommel's books but he had never actually been allowed to visit.

"Gut-rot milord, the finest in Igbal."

Khal could tell that the bartender expected him to be pleasantly surprised, but Khal just stared at him blankly. "Fine, I'll have one, bring me a plate of meat with it."

Khal waited for his order as he listened in on the various conversations around him. Most of them weren't interesting in the least. Khal took his drink as soon as it arrived and gulped in one fluid motion. Not realizing the strength of the drink, he coughed loudly attracting the gaze of more than a half of the patrons. "hahaha! An eager one ain't ya?" The bartender said as he laughed heartily. Khal ignored him as he continued to listen in. It wasn't long until he heard something that caught his attention.

"I'm tellin' yer Varne, I seen it wit me own eyes. A heavy bag o' coins. I say we help ourselves while the Barons' out."

Khal sipped his drink much slower as he gazed at the two men from his peripherals. They were sitting near a table on the far right of the tavern, away from most of the other locals. They both dressed in loose rags that were marred with dirt and whatever they usually ate. The one that just spoke was short and fat with no other distinguishable features. He held a large jug of Gut-rot as he continued. Khal followed their mark to see a petite woman giggling discretely as a well-dressed man showed her a good time.

"She's the bloody Baron's niece for God's sake Danner. The last time yer choose a target we seen the dungeon for three months straight," the taller and slimmer of the two responded.

"The Baron won't be 'round for another few days. Are yer a coward then Varne?" he teased.

"Bah! Never! Yer forgot that I saved your ass the last time Lowel," Varne rebutted as he stared at the petite woman. "How sure are yer that the Baron won't be back for a few days, then eh?"

Lowel looked around cautiously before whispering to Varne. Khal strained but could not pick up any more from the conversation.

Khal finished up his food and paid the bartender before leaving the Tavern. Just as he stood up, the petite woman walked in front of him with her charmer leading her out. Khal made way, allowing them to pass him. A sweet aroma of flowers trailed the woman as she passed by, catching Khal's interest. He stared, mesmerized by her elegant walk. The red gown fitted tightly, showing off her figure. Her hair remained in a bun, allowing her pale neck to tease Khal. It was as though the world had stopped for her. Only his racing heart reminded him that the world was still moving. His loins grew far warmer and his breathing uneven. Just as she exited, Varne and Lowel slowly followed.

---

Khal wasn't sure why he trailed the two. This wasn't his business, but the young woman had caught his interest. He couldn't say he liked her but there was a subtle curiosity that permeated his mind. He cladded his feet and kicked off the wall of the tavern, reaching the roof in no time. From his view, he could see Varne and Lowel mounting their horses as they followed a carriage further up the road.

Although it was dark out, the maginite lights kept away the darkness. The cobblestone road was uneven, but the carriage was moving slow enough to steer away from the potholes. Varne signaled to Lowel before speeding up in front of the carriage. He unexpectedly stopped the horse, forcing the carriage driver to stop in turn.

"Oi! Stand aside stranger!"

Varne jumped off his horse before unsheathing his sword, "We're here for the ladies, yellow ladies. Cough up the bloody coins or else!" Varne chuckled before licking his sword. The carriage driver was about to unsheathe his sword when an arrow found its way into his sword arm. Screaming, the driver grabbed his reins and pull. In quick succession, Varne cut the reins, preventing the driver from moving the carriage any further.

"What's the meaning of this commoner!" A brash voice shouted from inside the carriage. Khal watched the well-dressed man step out of the carriage with his sword in hand. Varne smirked as he approached the man, "Ya heard me loud and clear, cough up the coins!"

Khal knitted his brows together as he stared at Lowel a short distance away. His surprised look when the man exited the carriage was more than suspicious for his liking. Shortly after the back and forth, Varne engaged the man, slashing and stabbing. Khal suspected that he had some form of training. Although he couldn't be described as a proficient swordsman, he at least knew how to swing a sword.

The bout lasted a few minutes as the well-dressed man eventually gained the upper hand. "Lowel, shoot him!" Varne screamed as he stepped back but Lowel simply turned his horse the opposite direction and rode off speedily. Shallow cuts led to deeper ones as Varne tried his best to defend himself. His eyes slowly lost hope the further Lowel rode. After a desperate swing, Varne lost his footing, only to be stabbed in the stomach. He grabbed the man's sword arm, as he looked him in the eyes filled with hatred. The man unceremoniously kicked Varne off the blade as his flaccid body rolled into a deformed posture.

"You can come outside now Lady Stigs," he said as he bowed towards the carriage entrance with a satisfied smile. Slowly, Lady stigs exited the carriage before a low screech escaped her mouth. The blood and the dead body had ruined the scenery.

"Ser Longcross, please take me home," she whispered after snuggling neatly in his arms.

"I told you before, I will protect you." Ser Longcross then grabbed one of the horses and gently placed Lady Stigs before riding off, Stigs mansion Khal assumed.

Khal then jumped off the roof, landing directly in front of Varne. He had already donned his Recluse mask. He searched the corpse, not bothered by it at all. He had experienced so many deaths in the Hollows that it was now a part of him. He found a small scroll in the man's pocket, "Hmm, a former Stigs Guard?" Khal read the termination of employment document thoroughly before stuffing it into his pocket. Next, he checked the carriage, but the driver was long gone, he probably left the second the fighting started Khal suspected.

Sighing to himself, Khal scaled the wall towards the roof before disappearing into the night.