Some people are outside. Words echoed inside Shinji’s head.
Shinji plunged the sword inside Chosokabe’s rib cage.
“No!” Fujimoto yelled and pushed Shinji.
Chosokabe was still far from dying.
“Fujimoto, kill him!” Shinji begged him.
“Never!”
The door flung open, almost putting a dent in the wall. Men in armor ran inside the chamber. Ser Akimitsu being the last.
“Seize this man.” Ser Akimitsu pointed at Fujimoto.
While the soldiers were busy in stopping Fujimoto from being resistive, the breathing body of Nobukazu Chosokabe dissolved in air. The sword with spotless top collapsed on floor.
“Where are you taking him?” Shinji asked while Fujimoto was being forced outside the room.
“We had made Nobukazu’s doppelganger to test you two. Your friend hesitated to kill him.” Ser Akimitsu explained.
You were watching us through the keyhole.
“Get some sleep, Shinji.” said Akimitsu.
_
Shinji couldn’t believe he had slept well despite of all the things he had endured in last several days. Fujimoto’s incident in particular. Waking up where he had slept made things hard to fathom. Every damage he had taken in past days was now surfacing to his awareness in the form of pain and discomfort.
His ribs had stinging pain. Same was the case with his shoulders.
A night of comfort had made him realize what toll his body had taken. Opening his eyes wide apart, he saw the fireplace where ashes remained of fire which had died last night.
Some half-burnt logs were scattered around the room.
Shinji turned his head at the window after failing to hear wind hammering on the glass. Wind had relaxed, and the weather seemed to have lost its ruthlessness. There was no better time to open the window.
Shinji got on his knees, then unlocked the window. He observed the things happening underneath him from the distance of over a hundred feet.
Military tents were looking tiny from where he was right now. Smoke was still rising from the fire lit by soldiers last night. Men in armor had gathered around the fire, which had survived the wind. What Shinji was seeing was limited to the things inside castle walls.
He heard someone on the door. Shinji reckoned he had spun fast enough to see who the person was till he saw a man staring at him from the door. The person didn’t move away from the door even though Shinji got an eye contact with him.
Must be a servant. Shinji thought when he saw him holding a tray occupied by chalices. Shinji shut the window and slid the lock to its place.
He turned to see what the squire was thinking about his action, but he was gone already. Shinji just hoped the servant wouldn’t make any wrong assumptions about opening the window.
A while after the watcher’s departure, Commander Eiga came inside the room.
“Are you good with swords?” asked Commander Eiga from the door.
“Why are you asking?” Shinji questioned back the red haired foe.
“It wasn’t my question. Ser Akimitsu wants to know.” Eiga said a long pause.
“I have learned sword fight in the past.” Shinji replied.
“Follow me.” The commander said and started marching, not waiting for Shinji.
Shinji hasted his way down from bed and began following him.
“Where are you from?” Commander Eiga asked him when Shinji caught up with his pace.
“Pryeg.” Shinji lied, looking at the guards standing with lances on either sides of the passage.
“People of Pryeg,” scoffed Eiga, “they have got a white flag to show for every situation.”
“Well,” Shinji said and even got the commander’s attention, “the sword one wasn’t your question, but I’m sure you share the same curiosity.”
“And right now you are not curious about anything, are you?”
Where is Fujimoto? Every bit of Shinji’s brain wanted him to ask the question. Shinji, instead, chose silence in response of Eiga’s jest. He followed his footsteps till they reached infront of a door somewhere deep inside the castle.
Odor of medicines and unknown herbs got strong while Commander Eiga knocked. After a click from inside, both got inside the chamber where Ser Akimitsu was the first man Shinji saw.
