“You idiot, that’s not how it’s pronounced,” the guard says to another guard.

“How else is it supposed to be pronounced? ‘Star’ is ‘star’; there’s no other way to say it.” The other guard responds, clearly dissatisfied with the rebuke.

“The first ‘r’ in Starr is just an ‘r’ but once you hit the second ‘r’ you need to put some emphasis into it. It’s like the ‘r’ in a dog’s growl. Try it; say ‘grrr,’” The first guard directs.

“Fuck you, I’m not a dog,” The other guard reacts, displeased at the implied insult.

“So uncivilized. Why are all the villagers I’ve met so uneducated?” The first guard says subconsciously, growing disinterested in the conversation.

The other guard readies his body, clearly pissed and about to throw a punch, when Frey came into view. The guard lowers his fist and offers a bow.

Frey nods to the guard, and as he walks by he couldn’t help but say, “Remember; it’s the ‘r’ in a lion’s roar.”

The guard clearly looks surprised and as he processes the words, he laughs.

Frey walks by the guards and into the building.

…

…

Siyu had left to continue the mission with the Blooming Flower Cult, Elizabeth went back home, and Frey was to be assigned other duties.

“Since you were clearly not cut out for the task you were assigned, and Siyu is not here to babysit, I’m going to be assigning you some simpler tasks to gauge where you stand,” Colonel Reyle says, putting down his pipe to take a good look at Frey. “If you don’t live up to standards I’ll be assigning you under Major Raz. Although you share the same rank, Major Raz will not see it that way, and in fact, it is not that way. A crimson faced baby boy like you; Major Raz will undoubtedly take a great liking to you, and it will be in your best interest to avoid this fate, even if you are a prince. Do you understand, Frey?”

Frey bows his head and salutes. “Yes, Colonel Reyle,” Frey says, dreading the possibility. I’m a prince; surely they wouldn’t go too far… Frey thinks, his imagination wandering.

Colonel Reyle once more picks up his pipe to take a puff before continuing, “As for your assignment, you are to go to the Country of Tupil, to the East, on the edges of the Sitting Mountains. There will be a courier waiting there with a package; you will offer him 2500 gold coins and he will give you the package. Do not antagonize the courier and notify no one of your identity or purpose. Within Seer, at the border city of Montemn, you will be provided with a new identity, the necessary gold, and a carriage. If you are discovered in Tupil, I will consider the mission a failure and I will be sending you to Major Raz. The journey should take 1-2 months; you depart tomorrow,” Commander Reyle says with a wave of his hand before turning his head to his other work.

…

…

A month passes…

“The gold is in a carriage outside the inn; if you wish you can verify it,” Frey says before taking a sip of beer from my mug.

The man with long hair and a brown robe gives a signal with his hand and a fellow who was casually chatting with his friends at a table nearby got up and left the inn.

“Damn; you guys are prepared. I’m curious if there is someone here who isn’t one of your people,” Frey says with a chuckle.

“Well, there’s you,” The brown-robed man says as he reaches for the mixed nuts and casually throws them in his mouth.

**CRUNCH**

**CRUNCH**

Frey frowns before taking another sip of his beer. “If there’s so many of you, why don’t you just rob me? I take it you aren’t of the chivalrous kind,” Frey asks before putting his mug down, somewhat hoping for a fight.

“It’s not you who we fear if that’s what you’re asking, and although we are not chivalrous, we are not dumb either,” the brown-robed man says before reaching for more nuts.

For some reason, this annoys Frey, and his hand moves instinctively, sending the bowl of mixed nuts to the floor. “Oops,” He say before casually taking another drink.

The brown-robed man frowns, but before he could react the man who had left the inn came back and approaches. He leans down and says something to the brown-robed man.

“Alright,” the brown-robed man says as the other man stands back up. The brown-robed man lifts a chest off the ground and sets it on the table. “The item is within. I’d ask you to verify it, but you probably wouldn't know what you were looking at,” The brown-robed man says with a laugh before standing up. “Our business is done,” The man says before walking and leaving the inn, along with a large portion of the inn’s guests.

Frey takes the chest and walks back up to his room before setting the chest down and laying on the bed. “First I was a messenger and now I’m a delivery man,” Frey grumbles bitterly before closing his eyes and letting the weight of the journey settle on his mind. Before long, he was asleep.

…

…

As Frey slept a feeling overcame him and he quickly sits up. Although Frey wasn’t a divinator, a bad feeling overcame his body and he got out of the bed.

Frey moves the curtains to take a peek outside, but the night was silent and it was hard to see. It seems nothing was happening but the anxiety Frey was feeling only got worse. Frey leans down to the candle and moves his hand towards it, his cultivation energy causing the heat from his hand to light the candlewick.

Frey then takes out his sword and simply waits in the room; waiting for the feeling to pass.

As Frey listens to the silence, his heart slowly grows calm, but before it could settle the door handle to his room started to twist, but the lock stops the door from opening.

Frey stays silent as he watches the door, his body becoming battle-ready.

The door handle twists a few more times before silence. Then, a large force impacts the door and it was forced open. Outside the door was a black-robed man with a white silk belt and flowing grey hair. He had a sheathed sword, attached to his silk belt, clearly not coming with peaceful intentions. The grey-haired man casually looks at Frey before walking into the room.

Frey, knowing this wasn’t going to end peacefully, immediately pounces when the boundary to his room was crossed, a red-hot sword swinging towards the grey-haired man.

The grey-haired man takes a quick step forward his left hand lightly hitting Frey’s sword hand. Frey immediately felt something like an electric shock, causing his hand to open and release his sword, and before he could react any further, the grey-haired man’s other hand pushes forward towards Frey’s chest, a heavy impact causing Frey’s body to fly back and hit the wall. As he falls, the candle on the nightstand becomes unstable and also falls to the floor before rolling to the curtains causing it to catch fire.

“Who are you?” Frey asks as he lays on the floor, clutching his chest, clearly knowing he was outmatched.

The grey-haired man ignores him before looking around the room and finding the chest. He opens it up to inspect before taking out a key and placing it within his robes. The grey-haired man then looks to Frey and takes out his sword, preparing to put an end to him.

But before the grey-haired man could strike an old man walks into the room. He had long grey hair and a large beard. With his hands hidden in his large sleeves he takes a step forward and orders, “Stay your hand. This man will be useful to you in the future.”

The grey-haired man gives Frey a deep look, surprise evident on his face, before sheathing his sword and walking out of the room.

Frey looks up to the bearded man, and he thought the man looked somewhat familiar.

The bearded man smiles and says, “Grow up well, young Frey. Your services will soon be needed.”

The bearded man laughs before walking back out of the room, his hands in his sleeves.

Smoke had started to fill the room, now dimmed with orange light. The curtains were fully lit and soon the room would be filled with flames. Frey forces himself back up before a large pang of pain impacts his heart and he coughs out a mouthful of blood. “Fuck,” Frey says before beginning to lose consciousness and collapsing onto the ground. Before his consciousness drifted he couldn’t help but wonder what Siyu was doing.