Chapter 101

101 Into the Wolgala (Part 4)

(Warning! The chapter has mentioned about child abused, readers discretion needs it)

The refreshing bath makes the three gentlemen ready to hit the bed. They walked warm and toasty, and tired.

“I was too tired, probably going to bed immediately,” Said Vale while yawning.

“Vale dried your hair first, you could get coldness.” Henry scolded him. He even handed the magi captain a new dry towel.

Justice saw the interaction and chuckled, “Taking care of your little brother, Henry?”

The other two looks at the crown prince and scoffed at him.

Henry smirked and playfully punched Justice’s arms, “Shut up, Justice, You know...”

Before Henry could finish his sentences, a girl came out of her room. Fear was visible on her face, her purple color hair swayed with the nightgown that she wear.

“Anne!” All of them muttered while they rushed towards the girl.

.....

A relief came into Anne when she looks at three men that came running towards her.

“What happened? Why are you running from your room?” Justice asked her, with his hand grabbing into her shoulder.

“I... I saw something!” Anne’s face was pale, she was stuttering while her hand trembling pointing at her room.

“What did you see, Anne?” Asked Henry to the terrified girl.

There are no words coming from Anne anymore. Vale opts to go into her room. He checks every corner and found nothing. He asked Anne, who was just going back to her room with Justice and Henry.

“There was nothing here. What exactly did you see?”

“I saw it by my window, outside in the small forest nearby.” With a meek voice, she explained the source of her fear to the three of them.

Henry swiftly peeks at the window, but there was nothing in his sight, “There was nothing there, Anne, probably it went away already,” Said Henry to Anne, he turned his attention to the girl once again, “Tell us, what did you see?”

Trembling in fear, Anne told them about the peculiar sighting, “I... I saw a man with a normal body but... but the head... the head... it was a wolf’s head!”

All three gentlemen got alerted immediately. Justice commanded Vale to stay with Anne while Henry and himself go outside into the walking path of the small forest. They draw their sword expecting any danger. Justice looks up to the second floor and saw Vale at the window. Looking at them, he pointed to the place and Vale gave him a thumbs up.

“It was here. Look for the footprints.” Said Justice.

“Yes, I saw it, definitely one of them,” Henry confirmed to the crown prince, he scratches his head and looks at Justice, “What should we do?”

“There’s nothing we can do for now. We just need to go to Wolgala and figure out what happened to Xavier.” Justice gave him a sigh. This founding makes their expedition a lot of complicated mess.

“Ugh, Xavier, if only they gave us some news,” Grumbled Henry, he withdraws his weapon and stands up from the place he was founding the footprints, “Now, look at us, we were even brought Anne, the one that we are trying to protect at all cost!”

“Don’t worry, we are going to find Xavier, punched him, and go back home to hear the result about Anne becoming the certified healer.” Justice gave Henry a smile, and both of them were walking back to the inn.

Vale and Anne were already waiting. When they saw Justice and Henry, Anne demanded answers immediately.

“So, how was it? There was something, right?”

Justice and Henry shared a glance, and the crown prince then smile, “Nothing, it probably branches that make an odd and terrifying shape.”

A frown came over Anne’s face. “Really? Are you sure? I mean I saw...”

“Nothing, I can assure you,” Said Henry, cutting Anne’s sentence immediately, “Now, you must be tired. We have another half journey tomorrow. Probably it will be best if you go to sleep right now.”

Looking reluctant, she finally gave up and nodded her head, “Oh... alright, you might be right, maybe... maybe you could please close the window tightly, Vale?” She pleaded at Vale with her doe eyes.

Vale chuckles at her attempt to plead, “Don’t worry, I’ll cast some spell for your window...”

“And her door, please Vale.” Muttered Justice before he goes outside, “Go to sleep, Anne, you must be tired now.” He gave a meaningful look to Vale and go outside with Henry.

Vale know there was something going on. He cast the strongest ward spell for the whole room, and tell Anne that she would be safe. After they exchange a good night, he closes the bedroom door and goes to Justice’s room as soon as possible.

The two of them were sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace, their faces looking so gloomed and morose. Vale enters the room and begins to add more wood to the fireplace.

“Gods! What did the two of you see on that bushed, seriously?” Vale asked them while his hands were busy poking the new woods inside the fireplace.

“There were here, probably watching us from a distance for now.” Said Justice with a sigh.

Vale turns his head to Justice. “Wait, you don’t mean?”

“Yes, and I was sure now that Xavier was in danger or already in a dangerous situation.” Justice gave Vale a bittered smile.

Henry punched Justice on his arm, “Don’t worry, he isn’t a coward. He will persevere. I trusted him completely.”

The three of them have a silent moment. Although they know how strong Xavier is, this new threat wasn’t something that they could fight easily. Henry takes a deep breath and goes to one of the trunks. He revealed a decanter fill with aggrus, and the other two nodded their head.

“God! To have them here, closer than we think, and I just couldn’t believe that everything that Xavier said about them was real.” Henry said to Vale. A glass of aggrus was in his hand.

“Xavier never lied, when he told us about who he really is and also the abused that he was going through in that orphanage,” Vale looks into the fire crackling in the fireplace, “You know, how he will starve for days because of the matron and the scarred on his back from the whipped...”

“I remembered little Xavier already through it all,” There’s sadness in Henry’s voice, “Thankfully he got away, and secured a spot on the civil service exam. He promised to never take a step on Wolgala anymore, but looks at him now, all because of finding the dragon’s eggshells.”

Justice put his empty glass on the table. “There’s nothing we can do for now. We just need to go as fast as we could to Wolgala and find some clues about Xavier’s whereabouts.”

The other two nodded their heads, they go back to their designated room. The morning come, and Vale was getting ready to go to the tailor to buy some coats. When he almost reached the door, a knock can be heard resounding from the door. He open the door and saw Anne with Chikara on her shoulder looking at him with one eye closed.

“Anne? what are you doing here?” Asked Vale to the girl.

“I... I can’t sleep and when I saw it was morning already, I thought to have a walk in the town with Chikara, and perhaps you wanted to join me?”

Vale could see the obvious puffy eyes on her face, he smile at her and said, “Come on, I’m going to the tailor anyway, we need thicker coats.”

“Oh, then can I choose the coat for me?” Her face was lit, looking at Vale with such excitement.

“Of course, you can even choose our coats.” Said Vale to Anne. He tried to amuse her by giving her more than she want.

Inside the tailor, Anne had so much fun picking coats for her and also for the three gentlemen, Vale was negotiating the price for the coats. In every shop in the kingdom, you can have a chance to negotiate a price, especially if you buy items in bulk. Anne hummed while looking at other clothes in the shop. Chikara was sleeping on the cushion above a table. That’s when she looks at someone outside, someone wearing a cape covering his face, looking directly at her.

“Anne, what happened?” Vale asked her. He felt the energy as well, someone definitely looking at them from outside. He looks beyond the window and the man tried to get away after realizing that Vale noticed his presence.

“Oh, you’re not going away!” Said Vale, he run outside and order Anne to stay put inside the shop.

He chases the cape man from between the alleyway. The cape man was fast, but Vale know better than just speed. He cast a slow spell on everyone in the alleyway, including the mysterious cape man, and when he finally reached him, Vale tackled him to the ground after releasing everyone from his spell.

The cape man revealed himself while laughing so hard, “Gods! I just knew that I could never have a fight with the genius magi of this century.”

When Vale saw his face, he shouted and get annoyed by the presence, “Xavier?! What in the world?!”

The cape men gave Vale a smirk. “Oh, you know my brother?”