Chapter 7: New Path

        Caden and Rilyn walked up a hill. They exited Sharsden on the opposite road that they came in on. Neither talked on the hike up the steep hill. At the top, they stopped next to the lone tree and looked back at the town. A few people stood at the edge of town and stared back up at them.

        "Makes you wonder," Rilyn said. "Doesn't it?"

        "What?"

        "What the Dragon Knights have done to that town to make them react like that."

        "No, it doesn't," Caden said. "It's clear that the man has corrupted the town."

        "What man?"

        "The man with the dark shroud," said Caden. "I don't know what it means, but I know he caused this."

        "Sucks doesn't it?" said a voice from the tree.

        Rilyn and Caden looked up. The young woman from Tinate sat on a branch. She wore brown boots with a short dark green dress. 

        "What does?" Rilyn asked. He dropped his hands under his cloak and grabbed the handle of his curved swords.

        "Getting chased out of town for something you didn't do." She jumped out of the tree and landed in front of Rilyn. She stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Suzidan."

        "Hey Su," Caden said. "What are you doing out here?"

        Su spun around on her toe. She faced Caden. "Hi Cady. I followed you. Thought maybe you could use my help."

        "And what makes you think you can help us?" asked Rilyn.

        "Well, let's see." She placed a finger on her lips. "Caden saved my life, so I guess I owe him the same." She tapped her mouth. "What else, oh that's right! I know where the Dragon Knight training camp is."

        "Will you show us?" asked Caden.

        "Of course I will." Su kicked the tree. It shook and a bag fell out of the branches. She caught it and slipped the strap over her shoulders. "Shall we go then?" She walked away from the town as leaves from the tree drifted down around her.

        Caden followed. Rilyn grabbed his elbow, stopping him. "This is too convient," he said. "I don't trust her."

        Caden shook his arm free. "Will you relax," Caden said. "She's not a witch. Trust me on this."

        "Not unless you can tell me what happened in that tower."

        Caden dropped his head. "It's complicated." He clicked his tongue and pulled Starlight by the reigns. He walked after Su.

Chapter 6: Witch

        The crowd of people hauled two woman bound to seven foot stakes. One was an old woman, in her seventies. The other was a young brunette, barely over 17 harvest. The old woman was cackling and crying out about the crowd being tortured for a thousands years and black death reigning from above, destroying the town.

        The young woman was shouting, "I'm not a witch."

        Caden heard about witches in temple service, but had never seen one before. He didn't know if he was actually seeing one right now. What he did know was, the old crone had the same shroud of darkness as Father Coteson, the undead Dragon Knights, and the Bandit leader in the forest. Yet the young girl, she didn't have it. She looked normal, like everyone else in the crowd.

        "Rilyn," said Caden. "I think that girl is telling the truth."

        "What? Why?"

        "Doesn't the older woman remind you of the bandit leader who vanished on the highway?"

        "Well, she does have the same eyes, but that's not all that strange on someone her age."

        "No, the black shroud."

        "What shroud?"

        "You don't see that darkness surrounding her?"

        "No," Rilyn said. "And the bandit leader had the same thing?"

        "Same with Father Coteson."

        "And the girl doesn't?"

        "Right," Caden said. "We have to save her."

        "So do you want to tell the angry mob that they got the wrong person?"

        "Follow me." Caden pushed through the crowd and ran down a side street.

        Caden and Rilyn emerged from an alley. They were at the temple mall. Large, flat, white stones paved the ground. The mob was already there, carrying the two women into the temple.

        "Damn." Caden punched the side of the alley. "I was hoping to beat them here."

        Rilyn noticed the cracks left in the stone from Caden's punch. "I'm surprised we got here when we did." Rilyn walked past Caden and onto the mall. "After all, you did try to take a short cut in a city you've never been to."

        "How hard is it to head towards the giant stone tower." Caden pointed at the white marble tower above the temple. It was the tallest building in Tinate.

        "Apparently it is," said Rilyn. "Judging from the number of dead ends you lead us to." He looked back at Caden. "What do you want to do now?"

        "Only thing we can do," Caden said. "We wait for the crowd to leave, then we speak with the Father."

        The sun was setting by the time the crowd completely disbursed. The Father was walking in the garden, tending to the plants. He wore the daily vestments of plain white shirt and pants under his black and silver coat. The holy, ten-pointed star was embroidered in gold on the back of his jacket. Caden and Rilyn walked with him as he moved through the garden.

        "So why don't you think she's evil?" he asked.

        "It's hard to explain, Father Achilleos," Caden said. "But I feel a fire in my gut telling me that this is the right thing to do."

        Father Achilleos stopped next to a flowering tree. He lifted a shriveled, rotting flower in his gloved hand. "This flower isn't evil, it'll soon be dead. Yet if left on the tree, the rot will spread to the other flowers. If left untended, the disease will consume more flowers and leaves, till the tree can no longer function. It won't die from the rot, but it will die from the loss. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Father Achilleos snipped the flower off and handed it Caden.

        "Yes."

        "I wonder if that's true."

        "I will save her from the rot."

        "It's not easy, they have already been placed on the top of the Shrift Tower." Father Achilleos pointed to the white marble tower. "The only thing you can do now, is stand witness to her judgment by the goddess."

        Caden looked up at the tower. "Very well." 

        "You might get cut off with the flower you want to save."

        He walked into the temple. "I know."

        "Interesting boy you're traveling with." Father Achilleos turns to Rilyn. "Does he know about you?"

        "He knows nothing." They turn and watch Caden enter the shadows inside the temple.

        "Come, my child," Father Achilleos lead Rilyn into the temple. "I sense that you're in need of some absolution yourself."

        Caden stood on top of the spire. The roof was flat, with no walls on the outside edge. He was next to the chained women. The old hag screamed like she was being burned. The young girl cried. The wind whipped through his hair and clothes. Caden watched the sunset. When the last part of the sun fell below the horizon, the sky flashed green. Caden raised his arms and shielded his eyes. The wind picked up and he felt like he was going to be blown off the edge.

Chapter 5: Tinate

        Caden and Rilyn walked along the highway. The weapons were put away, and Caden massaged his shoulder. Rilyn moved behind Caden. When he got next to Starlight, she nipped at him. Rilyn jumped away. Caden pulled the reigns.
        "I don't think she likes me," Rilyn said.

        "She senses that you're afraid of her," said Caden. "That makes her in charge. With animals, it's all about who's the master."

        "Yeah," said Rilyn. "But people aren't that way."

        "You're not going to start up on the bandits again?"

        "It was a mistake to leave them alive."

        "Enough already," Caden said. "One is never going to be able to walk right again, and if infection sets in, the other is going to lose his sword arm. Even if he avoids infection, wounds like that never heal straight. We won't see them again."

        "You know what they say, a wounded Kryptop is the most dangerous."

        Where does he get these sayings? "Besides, you stole their bush axes," Caden said. "So I guess they're wounded and toothless Kryptops."

        Caden and Rilyn walked through the southern gate of Tinate. The gate had two massive stone pillars, each almost 5 fathom's tall and 15 hands wide. They were 1 and a half fathom's apart. The pillars were connected by two cross beams, one above the other. In the center of the cross beams, a vertical sign displayed, "南 Tinate." Four guards, two on each side, stood at the gate.

        Caden stopped under the gate. Rilyn continued to walk. The guards looked at him. The traffic moved around him. "Um? Excuse me?" asked Caden.

        "What do you want, kid?"

        "Have the Dragon Knights passed through here?"

        "Who're they?" asked the first Guard.

        "Don't know know that Dragon's don't exist, kid?" said the second guard. "Now get lost."

        Caden looked at them. They started making jokes about dragons. Caden pulled on Starlight's reigns and caught up to Rilyn.

        They searched the city for cheap lodging. They settled on the Blue Fox. Caden tied Starlight up in the central courtyard next to a trough. They walked into the common room. Caden looked at the barkeep. He knodded at them, so they sat at a table near the fire place. 

        Caden leaned next to Rilyn. "I hope it's okay for me to be here."

        "Why wouldn't it?" asked Rilyn.

        "In Erdon, they said I was too young."

        The serving girl walked over to the table. Caden guessed that she was about 20 harvests. Caden stared, she wore only a black skirt, yellow camisole, and red bodice. She set two mugs down. "If you're hungry, we have lamb, roasted with onions, potatoes, and carrots. I can fix you up with some bread and cheese if you prefer that. We have rooms available. If you want separate chambers, it'll cost 30 swans, but only 20 if you share a room." She looked at Caden staring. "If you want company tonight, that costs more."

        "What?"

        Rilyn kicked Caden under the table. Caden looked away from the serving girl's chest and looked at Rilyn. "We'll share a room, thanks," said Rilyn. "And bring us two plates of lamb, and some bread and cheese to share, and make the next round a pitcher of dark stout."

        "Sure thing, sweetie." The serving girl walked off. 

        Caden stared at her leaving. "Maybe we should look for some place cheaper," he said. He turned to Rilyn. "I only have about 12 swans."

        "Relax," Rilyn said. "The mayor knew you wouldn't have any money. He's covering all of this." Rilyn removed the coins from under his cloak. "Just promise not to do anything stupid and lose what money you do have."

        "What's that mean?" Caden took a drink from his mug. The clear liquid felt like fire. Caden coughed.

        "And go easy on the shine."

        The serving girl set down the plates, a loaf of bread, a wheel of cheese with a small knife, and a pitcher. She winked at Caden. "My name's Cassy, by the way." She took Rilyn's coin and left. Caden watched her leave again.

        Caden left the table shortly after eating. The shine and stout made his face feel hot, and the rest of his body feel very tired. He remembered that he'd been awake since the night before. He went out into the court yard, and brushed and fed Starlight. He took the saddle, stone sword, and his knapsack into their room. He fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.

        Caden woke up in the middle of the night. Someone was taking his boots off. He looked up and saw a figure moving in the dim light. He squinted, and in the shadows saw a woman moving around the room. He rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head.

        The next morning, Caden woke up after Rilyn was already up and out of the room. He walked over to the dresser where there was a pitcher and bowl. He poured the cold water into the bowl and washed his face. Then he opened the window and dumped it outside. He put his boots on and walked out of the room into the courtyard.

        Caden found Rilyn eating in the common room. "Have fun last night?" Caden sat down.

        "What do you mean?" Rilyn ate a bowl of pumpkin porridge.

        "I woke up last night. I saw that you brought Cassy back to our room."

        "I think you are confused," Rilyn said. He took a sip from a steaming mug. "It was only us in the room last night."

        "What ever, I know what I saw."

        Cassy walked up and gave Caden a bowl of porridge and a steaming mug. She was dressed more conservatively that morning.

        "The guards said they didn't know who the Dragon Knights were." Caden took a bite of porridge. "What's up with that," he said with his mouth full."

        "Cover your mouth, you barbarian."

        Caden swallowed. "Sorry."

        "After you went to bed last night, I asked around. It seems they're called the King's Knights around here." Rilyn looked around the room and leaned across the table. "And I wouldn't say anything about the Dragon Queen here, either," he said in a soft whisper.

        Rilyn and Caden looked out the front window. A loud commotion of people were walking past. They both heard the crowd shouting, "Witches!"