At the break of dawn Sam shoved Jeremy Anderson through the south checkpoint of the city, and together they left Taelliwey and followed the coast for the rest of the day. It was easy going and the path was smooth and free of any bandits – being so close to the capital. Then the path receded as the terrain became rockier, and the beach fell away as the ocean washed up against the rocks below. Anderson explained that this was a sign they were getting close.
Sam’s prisoner was submissive. He did not talk or curse or try to escape. Sam figured he was afraid, but the question was, of who? No doubt the thieves who stole the Aprillian Codex would be irritated at his betrayal, and here Sam was returning him to what could possibly be their camp.
The sun was beginning to sink and it cast the ocean waves into a dark orange. They were running out of daylight and the camp was nowhere in sight. “Actually,” said Jeremy, “we’re right on top of ‘em.”
Sam pushed on another hundred meters or so and found that his captive was right. He was standing on the peak of a large crevice in the rocks, and down below was the camp that he had been searching for. The bottom of the crevice was filled with sand and rocks. Huts and other buildings were built on wooden platforms above the high-tide line, as well as a pier that clung to the cliffs above the ocean. Boats were moored, bobbing about on the waves, and people came to fro. Deeper within the large crevice was a cave. Sam could see rocky spikes hanging from the roof of the cave, as well as on the ground, as if the cave had teeth. “Looks friendly enough,” Sam told Jeremy. “Let’s go down there and see what’s what.” Of course, Jeremy remained quiet, and was very reluctant to move.
A passage led them down the side of the cliff and onto the pier over the ocean. Sam suspected that most of the sea captains there were smugglers running illegal items up and down the coast. He thought that one day he would do something about it; when he returned to Juliet and the freedom fighters. They wouldn’t want an organisation this large supplying their enemies. For now, though, he needed to get a look at whoever was in charge.
He approached the cave and found himself confronted with a strangely familiar sight. Beneath the entrance to the cave was an arena, where the wooden platform dropped down suddenly into a pit full of white sand. All around people were cheering and screaming. There was a fight going on down below. Sam was amazed. It can’t be! He thought.
He pushed himself forward and witnessed two shirtless men punching each other. There was little skill in their technique, however Sam decided in his mind who the winner would be. One of the men was getting terribly hot-headed, and as he rushed his opponent he was pushed into the wall; when he bounced back it took one more blow to the face to knock him out. The crowd erupted with excitement and Sam glanced up to the mouth of the cave, for inside was an old friend.
Johnathan Bernard was a self-proclaimed king, not of any city or nation, but of his own magical realm. He was a proud and ambitious man who ran the majority of Noveria’s criminal underworld from the comfort of his throne. Of course, a feat such as this cannot be achieved by just anyone; Bernard was cunning, a politician of sorts, capable of manipulating the masses to his will. More and more resistance groups around Noveria were finding they shared a common goal with Bernard, even though his true intent was never to overthrow any government in any province. He just wanted to be left alone in a world where his ideals were unquestioned.
The young man beside Bernard, with an expressionless face and merciless eyes, was Saizo Vittori, Bernard’s right hand man, or ‘champion’ as he called it. Sam was there the day Saizo was given his role. He had showed up out of nowhere to enter the fighting pits, where he showed his worth and skill in combat. Sam had defeated the old champion in order to get to Bernard, and Saizo had defeated Sam to gain the title. The man was young but his loyalty to Bernard was impenetrable.
Once again Sam needed Bernard’s attention, and the guard was unlikely to let just anyone have an audience with the Phantom King – as he was known by many. Sam was forced to enter the pit, but this time he had no intention of fighting. A confused mumble swept over the crowd as they saw Sam, fully clothed and with no opponent, and in the centre of the arena and face Bernard. “I request an audience with ‘His Majesty’,” he said with a low and royal bow.
The next thing Sam knew there were several weapon of all variety aimed at him. Bernard turned and raised a curious eyebrow. “What’s this?” he wondered. “Can it be? Samuel Ford has returned to my pits. Oh how delightful!” Bernard was still smug about the last time his pits had bested the valiant soldier.
“I’m not here to fight,” Sam yelled up at him. “I need your help.”
Bernard smiled meticulously – no doubt he was thinking of some game he could play at Sam’s expense. “You shouldn’t make demands of a king in such a way, but I will hear you. Someone bring him up!”
Sam then unexpectedly found himself drinking wine at a banquet table with Johnathan Bernard – the Phantom King. He didn’t know where Jeremy Anderson had run off to within all the rabble about the pits, but the man had served his purpose for now. Sam was interested in Bernard now; it appeared the little band of misfits had grown. He had also not forgotten the smuggling boats outside. Sam watched as Bernard removed his top hat and sipped at his wine, and he remarked, “I see you’re taking this Phantom King business rather seriously.”
“Quite,” Bernard replied, “although in truth it’s everything I aspired for it to be. Business has never been better; the money’s flowing – as is the wine – and I am granted my every desire, men and women bow at my will, and best of all I remain free of all governments in Noveria!”
“So what are like a crime lord now?”
Bernard shook his head. “Not at all; well, not anymore. Criminals answer to crime lords and crime lords answer to me. Smuggling, mercenary work, prostitution; I am building an empire from the foundations of the criminal underworld and under me these people will unite and we will be untouchable from the tyranny of Taelliwey or Surra or Rhaetalia, and safe from vigilantes like you and your freedom fighters.”
Sam began to feel a little nervous. “Well Bernard I don’t know what I think of all this but I don’t plan on making you an enemy any time soon.”
“Don’t worry Sam, I’m not a monster. I wouldn’t beat up a child if I could help it, or steal from a kind old lady, but we’re hardly living in a fairy tale anymore; the pan’s getting hotter for all of us and soon we’ll be jumping into the fire. There is a great change coming to Noveria and I plan to emerge on top when it’s over. But enough politics and talk about me. Why are you here?”
Naturally Sam had no idea that Bernard had risen to such heights, and he was getting so worried that he forgot his initial purpose. “A few weeks ago an artefact was stolen from Lady Arial’s Basilica in Surra. At about the same time a series of texts regarding this artefact where stolen from the National Archive in Taelliwey. The one who stole the texts was one of your men, and he had this,” Sam showed Bernard a drawing of the skull tattoo with green eyes. “The same tattoo was found on a man at the basilica.”
Bernard observed the picture with recognition, and Sam thought he saw a solemn smile touch his lips. “So at last,” he said to himself, “my old friend and played the first pawn, and the game has begun.” He laughed, almost hysterically. “Oh, you poor fool! Don’t be surprised when you move your queen to find that your opponent is very a very different game.”
Sam suddenly realised that Bernard knew more than he let on – there was a history in his eyes, a wisdom gained from experiences long since forgotten. “Old friend?” was all he said, and then, more assertively, he asked, “What is your involvement in Grey Skull?”
So Bernard began to tell a story that went back further than Sam suspected. “Involvement?” he began, “I’m no longer a part of that organisation, but back in the old days, hell, I wasn’t far off still being a kid, a had a friend who today appears to have become your enemy – the world’s enemy! Together we created Grey Skull to defend the people who were discriminated against because of their beliefs. Strangely though I had little faith back then and I still don’t care much for the goings on of those up above now; for me it was all about freedom, to challenge the authority that sought to control us. But Josiah Avenberch, now he was the true idealist! His god was Vivica, the Lady of Darkness, and he practiced her ways like few ever did. For the most part everything was fine until Josiah discovered the secret of Ludovic’s Cage, of course we all knew the stories, but those were just old fairy tales. What Josiah claimed was that he had a vision from the Lady of Darkness herself. ‘Free my only child,’ she had said. That’s when Josiah and I drifted apart. I was afraid that if I stayed with him any longer he’d get me killed. After that I didn’t hear from him for twenty years or so, and then I learn that a member of Parliament in Taelliwey had suddenly disappeared, and that it was Josiah. I assumed he had given up his stupid crusade and weaved his way into politics, but in the end it was all part of his plan, for after the supposed ‘death’ of Josiah Avenberch Grey Skull miraculously re-emerged with a new leader, a mysterious man in a golden mask, said to be the champion of Vivica herself. I knew better. It was Josiah still, and finally after all these years of planning and scheming it appears he is ready to finish what he started so long ago.”
It seemed that at last all of Sam’s fears had come true. Grey Skull planned on releasing Ludovic onto the world. What was worse, however, was the king’s interest in all this. Did the king plan using the divine power as well to win the war? Whatever the case, Sam had to find out how they planned on unlocking the cage so he could stop it.
“I suspect Grey Skull may come after me,” Bernard continued. “Now that they’re emerging from their shadows they will want to eliminate any opposition swiftly and without mercy. I doubt my old friend Josiah still thinks of me from time to time, but he will assume I know Grey Skull’s workings better than most. I can help you defeat them in whatever way I can, however I need to focus on defending my empire. I’m afraid Josiah is your fight.”
Sam left the camp under an escort appointed by Bernard. Jeremy Anderson was apprehended before he could escape. Bernard put him under guard and began questioning as to what information he had relayed to Avenberch and his men. It was time for Sam to launch an attack against Grey Skull, and he would need everyone in order to achieve victory.
ns 172.70.178.130da2
and then Add to home screen.