Chapter 208 - Jorick’s Benefactor?

Damien could still not understand what the man meant back then. The man knew him, but he did not know anything about that mysterious man. He used the money to establish Luna Inn, and it aided him a lot in gathering his own men.

It had been years, and he still did not hear anything from that man. In Damien's estimate, that man would not be able to last long. His injuries were severe. But, he survived and wanted to reclaim Jorick.

Damien received a message telling him when and where he should bring Jorick. Damien was certain that the man would not recover from his injuries, but he was wrong. He just lost Jorick and felt that he might face his own demise when he failed to return Jorick.

One of Damien's spies came back with a sullen face. They could not locate Jorick, and they had a hunch that he was no longer in Tissuria.

Damien's face darkened when he saw the spy. He could already feel that a piece of bad news came with him.

"Don't tell me none of you can find Jorick?"

The spy remained silent, and it infuriated Damien even more. He smashed another bottle. The spy knew that he would receive the brunt of the Ninth Prince's anger that day. He braced himself for the worse. Damien beat the spy until he was satisfied. After that, he called for someone to take away the almost lifeless body of the spy.

Damien gritted his teeth and tried to come up with a solution. He could return the money that had been given to him, but he was not certain if that man would be willing to accept. He couldn't remember the face of that man, but he could remember his words clearly.

The reason for Jorick's sudden departure baffled him. At first, he thought that Jorick was just bored and went out of his way on a little adventure. He always had those moments once in a while, but he would always return to Luna Inn after a week or two. It had been months and he still did not return.

Damien knew that the man who handed Jorick to him had something to do with what happened to Jorick's family. He was now uncertain whether the man massacred Jorick's family or actually saved them. Nonetheless, that man was Jorick's true benefactor.

To avoid possible complications, Damien gave Jorick some kind of drug that would make him unable to remember his past. Sometimes, Jorick would complain that he could see flashes of events that he thought could be related to his past. Damien would always act like he was deeply concerned whenever Jorick experienced such an event. He would increase the dosage of the drug and would often tell Jorick that he would be reunited with his family soon.

Jorick never doubted Damien's words, not even for a second. He would often wonder when would the Ninth Prince fulfill his promise, but he always believed that Damien would help him. Damien had always known that Jorick was someone loyal, and he never doubted his loyalty. He still believed Jorick's loyalty to him and that was the very reason why he was so confused at that moment.

Never in his wildest dream did he see that Jorick would leave him one day without reason. Damien could not remember when he ever treated him unjustly – well, not beyond Jorick's knowledge anyway. For Jorick, Damien had always treated him differently from the other subordinates. Damien had always treated Jorick nicely. Damien would seldom show his bad temper to Jorick.

In Damien's view, everything seemed to be falling apart. He ordered everyone in the room to leave and not to bother him. He slumped on the floor and tilted his head to look up the ceiling. He closed his eyes and tried to recall what went wrong.

'When did it start? When did everything start to fall apart?'

As Damien went back through the events that happened, he was able to link his misfortune to one person – Zenia Anisen.

Damien stood up and walked toward the window. His lips curved into a grin, and he began to laugh maniacally. The servants who heard the eerie laughter were frightened.

'Zenia Anisen, it was you who made my life like this. Ever since the news about your engagement to Vaughn came out, nothing good happened to me. You even did something to Elida and Verone. You already have some people singing praises of you even though you're a merely good-for-nothing.'

Damien suddenly stood still, devoid of emotion.

He shouted as he declared, "I must eliminate you Zenia Anisen. Only then will I be able to regain everything back."

The room was once again filled with Damien's demonic laughter that could be heard in the entire palace.

* * * * *

Jorick and the old man were able to get a booking to that posh Inn. Jorick insisted that they should just share a room to save money. It proved to be a very good decision.

The room was big, and the bed could accommodate up to four people. Both men's eyes sparkled with delight. In all of his years in Maecaea, the old man had never seen any room as good as the one they were accommodating. He wondered if the bedroom of the King of Venetia was as extravagant as the one they had.

"Grandpa, this room is so beautiful," Jorick uttered excitedly as he ran to the bed and dived.

The old man followed behind and sat on the bed.

"Oh my, this bed is so soft and fluffy. It's like lying on the clouds."

"Coming here is indeed a wise decision, grandpa. It's worth every cent."

The old man reached out his hand and patted Jorick's head.

"You should enjoy your youth lad and stop sulking all the time. Try to smile once in a while for a start. Ever since I've known you in Luna Inn, you were always frowning. It's good that you are acting like a normal teenager."

Jorick fell silent once more. He had no idea how to tell the old man that in one of his dreams he learned that he was already a twenty-year-old man. However, his current appearance looked like he was only sixteen. He did not want the old man to think that he was some kind of freak.

He sighed and decided that it was best to come clean. He was certain that his dreams were telling him something about who he really was.

"Grandpa, what if I tell you that I'm already a twenty-year-old man?"

The old man looked at Jorick and laughed. He thought that Jorick was joking. However, the old man saw that Jorick was wearing a serious face. The old man stopped laughing at once.

The old man cleared his throat, "Where did you get that idea that you're already twenty? Lad, I've been living in this world for a very long time now, and I haven't seen a twenty-year-old man who looks as young as you."

"I mean it, grandpa. In one of my dreams, I saw someone did something to me and made me lose my memory. He also made me grow so slow…" Jorick paused for a while and continued, "Do you believe in dark magic, grandpa?"

The old man looked at Jorick for a long time and sighed.

"I've heard it before, but I never believed it. Many people in Prazia can do magic, but their current ruler can't. The people from Tissuria and Ishelon are not affected by any magic. As for the reason, I don't know myself. All I know is that the inhabitants of the island that the two kingdoms share together have nothing to worry about when it comes to the possible effect of magic."

"I've met a Duke in Solaria, and he told me that I looked like someone who came from Herzegova. For as long as I remember, I have been in Tissuria. It was the Ninth Prince whom I first saw upon waking up that day, and I was in Luna Inn. I think someone used dark magic on me. I can be affected since I am not from Tissuria."

"Hmm, if it's about magic, I think we should head to Prazia. We only need to travel a bit more to reach Prazia by land. I know someone there, and he might be able to help you unseal your memory."

Jorick looked at the old man and could not believe what he just heard, "We are near Prazia?"

"Yes, but why did your dream point us in Venetia? Judging from what you saw in your dream, we should've headed to Prazia right away."

"But the place in my dream is exactly Venetia. Maybe we need to explore Venetia first?"

"Let us rest for now and think about what to do tomorrow."

The old man fell asleep quickly. Jorick was still awake and thinking about the things that were to come. He did not tell the old man that he could see a glimpse of the future as well, although it was a bit blurry.

He never dreamed of having some kind of magic power or the ability to see the future. He just wanted to regain his memory and be reunited with his family. He could always see a little boy in his dream and knew then that it was his brother. He did not dream about his mother and father – not even once. He had a hunch that his parents could no longer be found in Maecaea. They could be dead already. He wondered where he could find his little brother.

A thought suddenly struck him, 'Is he, perhaps, in Prazia?'

* * * * *

Zander received a message from his father that Zenia's private army would be deployed in a week. He must make sure to wait for their arrival in the capital. They would come in groups of five people and post as tourists to avoid suspicions.

Zander was enjoying Odessa's company, but he was beginning to feel ill at ease whenever the image of Zenia popped in his mind. They should've received a message regarding their return by now, but there was still nothing.

Zenia and Vaughn did not know, but Zander already arranged for some of his men to guard Zenia inconspicuously when in Prazia. They did their best to conceal their aura. Zenia and Vaughn did not detect them at all. The secret guards did not send any message to their Commander. Zander feared that the situation must be dangerous. It could be that sending a message might compromise the operation.

Duke Gordon and Rodham were also restless, especially the Young Duke. He could feel that the dark magic surrounding Prazia was growing. He had no idea what caused the abrupt change, but he felt that they could not stay there any longer.

'Does it have something to do with the return of the Dark Magic Lord?'

Vaughn was exhausted, and he immediately fell asleep when his back touched the bed. Zenia joined him to bed and looked at his sleeping face. She somehow felt like he was drifting somewhere far away. She always had that painful feeling that they would be separated soon. She leaned down and kissed his lips. A drop of tear landed on Vaughn's cheek, but he remained oblivious of his surroundings.

Zenia had a bittersweet smile across her lips. She lied down and hugged Vaughn tightly as if he would suddenly disappear from her side when she held him lightly. After a while, Vaughn opened his eyes and saw that Zenia was hugging him tightly. He tried to free himself from her embrace, but she did not want to let go. He just wanted her to sleep more comfortably.

Vaughn smiled and whispered, "What were you thinking by holding me so close to you?"

"I'm afraid that you might suddenly disappear," Zenia replied back, and it startled Vaughn.

He looked at his wife and saw that she was still sleeping soundly.

'Did she just talk in her sleep?'

He smiled and held his wife close to him and went back to sleep.

Everyone had something to worry about. Nobody could tell what tomorrow might bring. Hopefully, they would be able to escape or bear the consequences of the unfortunate events.