Javander's hand met Zaylknork's chest with a careful, measured shove. The villain took one step back, boots dragging with dusty resistance.
Javander rose fully and turned toward the guards.
"I came of my own volition," he said, loud enough to echo once off the gate's interior. "And I brought him here. Not in chains. Not by force. He will see the Queen. Because I say so."
The guards exchanged looks. Helmets hid their brows, but their silence carried the rigid reluctance of men who were violently aware of paperwork rules.
One of them clicked his spear vertically to the ground, then pulled it back. A long pause followed.
"The hero vouches for the fiend," the spear-clicker muttered. "So part we must."
They stepped aside together, shoulders turning stiffly. The wedge of their parting created a narrow lane just wide enough for Zaylknork, Leonard and his minions to walk through.
Their visible eyes, tracked Zaylknork with suspicion that bordered on personal disappointment.
Zaylknork blinked. His jaw tightened to prepare a curse. "These fucking motherfuc—" and then Leonard's palm hit him in the face first. Oof!
Leonard's gloved hand smothered Zaylknork's mouth, fingers pressing just under the villain's nose. With his other hand, Leonard raised a small scroll folder to his chest.
"My Lord." Leonard leaned in as he whispered. "The Queen's signature will not magically appear if you call her foot soldiers gutter waste. If we want retirement, you must act like a functional adult for at least ten minutes."
Zaylknork clawed Leonard's wrist away, glaring. He muttered under his breath, voice rough enough to sand down wood—thankfully wasted on internal dialogue since no one heard it. His coat swayed as he turned.
Behind him, his minions shuffled forward.
Minion 1 dragged two black leather duffel bags. Each was bigger than his entire torso. The bags scratched against the rough carriage wood behind them. One bag bulged unevenly at corners, filled with Leonard's 'Essentials'.
Minion 2 carried a stack of travel crates tied tightly with coarse jute ropes; the wood was painted black but chipped heavily in places where the planks met.
The crates held folded blankets, books wrapped with leather straps, the very one suspicious frame encased in cloth, and kettles for tea wrapped in padded canvas covers.
The luggage tower on the roof had smaller trunks with metal clasps and leather banding, tied again with rope twice over because Leonard demanded it should be done like that.
The group walked forward when the gates fully opened behind the parted guards.
Inside, the stone paved the streets in rectangular bricks. There were tall, narrow Victorian houses buildings flanked them on both sides, with thick timber frames between each window. The roofs were steep and layered with thick shingles of baked clay in black and deep brown.
Ho-jin's consciousness walked beside Zaylknork, hands tucked into his coat pockets. His head tilted away from the hero.
Javander followed just behind Leonard.
Minion 1 started his unnecessary dialogues, again.
"So," he said, voice soft. "Hero… now that you no longer desire to kill our master, what do you do for cardio?"
Minion 2 bobbed his head. "Yeah, answer. We're taking notes."
Javander exhaled, shifting one shoulder forward just a little to relax. "My body is ordained to peak form, even without rituals." He pointed at himself with a thumb. "I sprint across battlefields. I dodge. I leap. I occasionally plummet from heights. All trials of destiny."
Yet he fainted when I hit him. Zaylknork thought.
Minion 1 tilted his head. "How often is occasionally?"
Javander thought about it. "Every arc. Sometimes twice if the author has spatial awareness issues."
"Spatial awareness issues? What's that?" Minion 2 asked.
"Being deadass stupid," Zaylknork growled from farther ahead without looking back.
"Now both of you actually zip your mouths unless you want your fitness routine to be 'eating the cobblestones one pebble at a time.'" My headache would get worse if I don't keep them quiet.
Lowering their heads, the two minions gulped slowly.
As they entered the castle before them, the grand doors of the palace were carved oak reinforced with iron bands in symmetrical half-moon arcs.
When they opened, a crimson rug ran from the threshold into a vast throne chamber. The rug was thick wool, dyed deep red, but worn at the edges where tassels had frayed.
Tall pillars lined the sides of the room, chiseled stone, fluted grooves up their sides, capped with carved capitals of crown emblems.
The room was lit by tall stained-glass windows showing abstract history of many many past rulers.
And there she was...
Queen Felisa, seated on the high throne placed above them.
Leonard, Minion 1 and 2, and even Javander bowed deeply.
Zaylknork, however, did not.
He stood. Coat still swaying slightly from the walk. Hair falling free down both sides of his face. Arms relaxed at his sides, fists un-dramatically clenched this time.
His red eyes narrowed once, but only the tiniest bit.
Yes, that was right.
Zaylknork hated Queen Felisa.
Humming, Queen Felisa rose from her throne. She was tall, poised, and pastel white. It reminded Zaylknork of the female heroines in historical Manhwas he'd read.
Her hair was thick, bright blonde, waved into large curls that rested over her shoulders.
Her eyes were sharp and light blue, rings of darker blue outlining each iris clean and crisp.
Her gown was a royal two-layered dress.
The outer layer was thick brocade fabric in white, threaded with gold floral stitching, the inner layer was silk in pale gold, flowing down into a floor-length hem.
She walked forward. Gracefully descending off her throne, completely ignoring the Villain.
Zaylknork felt the air twitch.
A terrible omen.
Felisa's right hand swung from her side, arm extending fast.
She slapped Javander in the face.
Javander's head turned violently to the side, eyes widening from the sudden betrayal. His body froze, breath held.
"Why," Queen Felisa said, voice icy, mortified, "have you brought the evil I banished, right back into my kingdom?"
Queen Felisa, also, hated Zaylknork.