《Phantom Path》Chapter 4: The Lawless and Royalty
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By a wave of his hand, the King orders his soldiers to shut the doors. And with Harbard left on the outside, he clumsily watches as the door closes on his face, split apart from his allies by the entrance that cuts off his view, snapped by a professional’s high-end camera as he idly stands outside.
"Come closer, my old friend," The King requests of Marshall.
"Hm...I think this is the closest I'll be, Horik," Marshall smirks.
"I see...now, tell me, how has life been?"
"Not bad, partner...not bad at all," Lenny tells him, eyes threatening to the soldiers holding Ezek. "You managed to keep this country all good...like you promised you would"
"Ah yes, I just only wished you'd settled down and start your own family now," The King scratches his head. “Why don’t you do so?”
"Well, I already got a family, and one of them is right here in front of ya, right there," Lenny points.
"Hmm...he looks like a feisty one, reminds me of you when you were younger," The King smiles at Ezek, antagonizing the boy.
Lenny takes off his hat while shaking his head, as the friendliness among the both of them relaxes the room. But as everybody else sees this friendly vibe between them, they can’t help but feel the awkward sentiment within their voices, thoughts dropped by the King as he clears his throat with sensing their interest. And from there he also inspects Lenny’s friend, Elina with her own tension brewing, then glancing at the other one, eyes met with the scrawny boy who stands along with them, averting his eyes as to not to accidentally challenge the King.
"You there?" He gestures, trembling the soul of the boy. "Come forward"
Upfront he goes with promptly following the King’s order, to where his palms begin to get sweaty, more visible to the man who had demanded his presence be nearer.
"State your name, young man," The King commands him.
"Nahshon...Thompson," He states to the King, anxious in how intimidating this man is, with this being his first time talking to a person of such high power, even being in the same room as one, gulping as he now sets to challenge himself, daring to look the King in his eyes.
And so does the King acknowledges, smiling as he slowly turns his look to one of the doors at the hallway, clapping for one of his servants to come to his side. Onto his servant he whispers an order, sending them back with this time returning two others, their hands weighted with a pouch and another gift.
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"Come closer, young traveller," The King gets up, taking from his servants the items they hold.
Doubtful thoughts and hesitant eyes, Nahshon looks at Ezek, seeing his impatience grow stronger with every minute, then on making his way up the stairs of the throne. And in standing face to face with the King, it comes to his understanding that this is no mere imagination he senses, as like a mighty howl he describes it, a powerful storm yet gently with pushing at his body, creaking at his dark temple of a mind, acknowledging this as the great aura of this King.
"9000 Jackals worth of gold, and a short sword from my weaponry, for your troubles with these outlaws," The King thanks him. "I hope this sword will serve you well"
Hissing at this scene, Ezek does with wanting to get out of his cuffs, as Nahshon takes his gifts with stepping away from the throne, hesitant with saying anything else to the King as he’s truly grateful for these rewards.
"Lenny, how about we make a deal? I’ll give you that, since you're my old friend, after all," The king suggests.
"Tch..I'm listening," Lenny smirks.
"Your young partner can be freed under one of these conditions; You give to me the other two who had harmed ‘our’ people, so ‘our’ country’s law can properly bring them to justice, or...you give to that young man, a life’s moment of your boy’s company"
Sounds of his sighing as he looks up, Lenny is tempted with shooting this man dead on his seat, looking over to Ezek clamping down on his teeth with his veins exposed on his forehead. For a long while he ponders, in counting the many soldiers he'll have to hurt in order of getting Ezek out of this mess.
"...For a while, huh?" Lenny puts on his hat, hissing at this deal.
"Yes, for a while, until I say he's free to leave the boy’s side," The king smiles, as Lenny chuckles at his negotiation, wondering what he will choose for the sake of everyone.
"Bullshit!" Ezek shouts to the king. "Heh! I guess you people with all these privileges can't understand what it means to lose something! God, I hate people like you! You noble piece of shit!"
And down he goes, slapped in the knee by the soldiers who warn him of his behaviour, breathing heavily with a dangerous spirit.
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"H-Hey! Careful! What are you doing?!" Elina shouts, tempted into drawing her weapon.
"Tch...Hey, kid?" Lenny sighs to Nahshon, then grinning as he turns around. "Don't let the boy stress you out, you got that?"
"W-What...L-Lenny!" Ezek swallows a spit of bitterness, with Lenny's words cutting deep into his mind.
His eyes drop at Lenny's decision, shocked and confused, quiet in his perception of being abandoned. And remembering Lenny's oath of never giving up on his family, Elina also calms herself, understanding his decision as being the best one he could make.
"And, don't think about fooling me anytime soon, Len. Because you know I'll see through it that I'll have all three of them locked up for their crimes. So do I have your word, old partner?" The King questions, smiling with his hand postured under his jaw.
"...Horik," Lenny slowly turns around, and swiftly he pulls out his revolver, his gun clad in the appearance of scarlet-red.
"Stop!!" One of the soldiers shouts, both of them leaving Ezek's side to block the line of Lenny’s sight.
"Ah, your status as 'Red Revolver' surely is paying off...Perhaps this is expected of the man who bares 2,000,000 Jackals on his head, I suppose" The King laughs.
"Hmm...got a family since I left?" Lenny invites.
"I have. Three lovely daughters, with two of them always seeming to have their secrets among themselves...I believe the oldest may have someone she likes," The KIng undertones.
"What'd you expect? You can’t nurse them forever," He grins, spinning his red revolver back into its holster. "Ezek! Don't get yourself killed, boy"
Still upset, Ezek simply nods as the guards remove the cuffs from his hands. And so the doors reopen, with the faces of curious citizens crowding in under Harbard.
"Be safe out there, my old friend. We should have a drink sometime soon, for old time sakes," The King sends him off, gesturing they’ll see each other another time.
"Yeah likewise, Horik," Lenny smirks, tipping his hat.
They pass the crowd that seems to split apart like brushed sand with the presence of Lenny in front of them, calling to him with smiles that shape to him tipping his hat, while Nahshon looks back to the King who simply waves to his farewell, as the door now closes. And in stopping into the city, Ezek's words are cut off when Lenny places his hand on top of his head.
"How old are you, son?" Lenny questions to Nahshon.
"I'm seventeen," He answers.
"Same age. Well, you boys best get along now. I’ll see you when your term is up," Lenny tells Ezek.
"What?! You're gonna leave me with him?" Ezek challenges, annoyed at the sight of Nahshon. "He doesn't even look like he can get along with himself, much less me!"
Nahshon awkwardly scratches his head as Elina pat his shoulder, as she apologizes for his comment. She then slaps Ezek across the head, delivering to him a hug, as she sighs while taking out two dynamites along with a knife, placing them in his belt pouch.
"Have fun, my lad," Harbard gently pats his head, grinning to show that everything will be alright. "Make sure you eat plenty...and drink a lot"
"What are you telling him? He can barely manage three cups,” Elina shakes her head.
Still amazed by the giant and Lenny as they’re walking past them, civilians ponder at the sight of these two, with musical pieces performed on the streets of the city, giving to the capital a splendid and relaxing feeling as it hits eleven on the clock.
"Come see me when Horik lets you off the hook," Lenny rubs Ezek’s head. "Take the train and head back to Appleton. Go rest up"
"Tch..." Ezek sounds.
“Please listen, Ezek. Please?” Elina pushes, leaving a kiss on his cheek.
The three outlaws walk off into the loud and dense crowd, two of them looking like they’ve disappeared while Harbard is still standing out. Ezek's anger is taken over by sadness that fills his heart, seeing the ones he calls his family leave him behind. But he holds his head back up, turning around to Nahshon who stands with him without saying a word.
"Hm..." He simply sounds, walking off onto the path of the train station, with Nahshon quietly tagging behind.
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