It wasn't long before Ashoka found himself at the edge of civilization, near the border of the land of Casamir.
Under the starry night sky, the moon-lit landscape contrasted sharply against the bright streak of golden flames atop the second border wall, signifying the very end of the crown's domain. The flames danced like living serpents along the massive barrier, casting flickering shadows that made the surrounding plains seem alive with unseen threats. Beyond that wall lay the true wilderness—untamed forests teeming with corrupted creatures.
Walking right behind Prince Gaius, Ashoka sighed under the silent yet suffocating atmosphere. This was a really good time to rethink his life choices, wasn't it?
He had noticed he had been doing that a lot lately.
How had it come to this? Just a few days ago, he had been living the life of an outskirts rat, fighting tooth and nail just to survive till the next day, scrounging for scraps, dodging gangs, and sleeping in a rusted cargo container that stinked of rust and trash.
Before that, he had been an ordinary 17-year-old, doomscrolling on his phone for hours without end, reading novels late into the night, grinding video games, and studying not-so-diligently for exams he secretly doubted would matter in the grand scheme of life. A normal kid from a normal world, with normal worries about grades, friends, and the occasional existential dread that came with scrolling through endless feeds of other people's happiness.
So how exactly had he come to be inside a nightmare, walking behind a man who could rip away all of his limbs with a simple twist of his wrist — something he might very well do if Ashoka didn't watch his tongue — both of them on their way into the maw of a nightmarish forest to discuss a "super evil scheme" to rebel against the king and seize the crown, dooming many innocents in the process, while also secretly planning on backstabbing the Ascended?
Oh, and did he mention that there were two more Ascended Princes just like him?
Attribute: [Cursed]
Attribute description: Curse of unknown marks your soul, snatching your repose for a fate envied by none.
Yup... The answer to all his misery floated mockingly right in front of him, the runes of the Spell shining with a golden light, visible only to him.
Dismissing the runes with a mental flick, Ashoka shifted his gaze to the prince walking in front of him. Gaius's figure was surprisingly even stiffer than his own, shoulders squared like a man marching to his own execution. Ashoka could roughly guess what was going through his head: probably also wanting to rethink all his life decisions. After all, to someone who had always lived under the nigh-supreme reign of the crown, the concept of "rebelling" was much weaker, almost non-existent.
Right after handing him the note in the soldiers' ward, Ashoka had made a formal request for Prince Gaius to escort him on his way to the outer reaches of the land, to where the farmer who had appeared at the court lived.
The official purpose of the request was to investigate Prince Oswald's case, backed by the signed royal warrant from young King Eldrin himself. But Ashoka had also subtly hinted at "perhaps going beyond the border for a little chat." Fortunately, Gaius had decided to play along even though his eyes narrowed with a mix of suspicion and hesitation.
This act of inviting Gaius to a talk was a risky gamble, but one that Ashoka was confident in.
"Power hungry" was how Alariv had described his younger brother, which matched the various tales of his deeds sung by the commoners of the kingdom — stories of favors traded like currency, of a man who chafed under the shadow of his siblings. This, coupled with his current post as chief commander — which just so happened to be the strongest position right below the king — made Ashoka suspect that a small flame of ambition still burned in Gaius's heart.
In the end, the prince did not end his life just there in the ward — a possibility Ashoka was very aware of, yet wouldn't have been able to do anything about— Instead, Gaius had chosen to follow the whispers in his heart.
The investigation with the farmer hadn't been very fruitful, except for the name of the officer who had helped Prince Oswald in procuring the land illegally. Nothing else of substance was found. Of course, the farmer was more than elated just at the prospect of an investigation at all, and one led by the Second Prince himself no less!
The old man had wept again, clutching the hem of Gaius's cloak and babbling thanks that made Ashoka's stomach twist with guilt.
Innocents doomed in the process, he bit the inside of his cheeks, disgusted by his own thoughts.
"Should we talk now?" Gaius asked, his voice dry and edged with impatience. They were currently roaming around the farmer's land, acting like they were truly investigating the scene— kicking at overturned soil, examining broken fences, all for the benefit of any distant eyes that might report back. Actually, there wasn't even a need to "report back" in the typical sense of the word.
"No," Ashoka replied smoothly, his lawyer-trained tongue making the lie pour out like butter, as natural as breathing. "And it would be best if we could only speak about it when we get to the desired place." In reality, they could talk about whatever they wanted right now, without the fear of the crown's 'omniscient' surveillance as long as they were alone. All these precautions were just an act on his part.
Nobody spoke after that. The silence stretched as they finished their charade. Ashoka's mind raced the entire time; he still hadn't come up with a truly foolproof plan, only a rough outline.
As they walked, a bright dot appeared in the distance, shining like a beacon in the deep darkness. It came from the direction opposite the border wall, approaching them slowly.
Soon enough, the figure of a man was revealed under the illumination of the blazing torch — a lean and athletic physique with long arms. He wore light, incomplete armour, mostly protecting the right side of his torso and arm, while a simple sword and a short spear dangled at his waist and thighs.
"He's Ascended Cathal, my right-hand man," Gaius whispered to Ashoka while the man was still far away. "I'll handle this. Don't speak."
A hundred meters or so away, the man shouted, "Ay, who goes there?!"
"It's me, Cathal!" Gaius called back. "Gaius!"
The figure halted for a second, then broke into a sprint toward them. "Aha! Chief! What a surprise to see you here in the fields!"
Arriving in front of them, Cathal halted, his gaze flicking to Ashoka standing beside Gaius. "What brought you here? Maybe I can help if it falls under my expertise."
Then, after a brief pause, he pointed at Ashoka. "And it might be rude of me, but... what are the both of you doing at this hour, all alone?"
Gaius shook his head at the offer. "It's nothing important. I was asked by Eldrin to investigate some matter that came up recently. Since nothing urgent came up tonight, I decided to go along." He gestured toward Ashoka. "He's supposed to help me with certain matters."
Cathal nodded in understanding, but his eyes lingered. After a moment, he asked in a careful tone, "Is it about Prince Oswald?"
It seemed the news of the prince's exploit had already spread far and wide. Only the prince himself remained clueless about the trial awaiting him.
Gaius nodded silently, offering no further explanation.
"I see..." Cathal muttered, his brow furrowing slightly.
At that moment, Gaius glanced over Cathal's shoulder, noting the direction he had come from. "You're on your way home, aren't you? Did something happen with Meredith? Or is it little Georgina?"
Cathal scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "It's nothing serious, really. Georgina was making a fuss at home about me, so Meredith decided to call me back for a night, right after I finished my evening patrol, a week earlier than planned. I was just heading back to the base."
Don't worry. Go home." Gaius gave Cathal's shoulder a firm squeeze. "That guy, Corvin, he's already been lazing around in the wards for a week. He should be healed up enough by now. I'll call him up for your post on my way back."
A genuine smile crossed Gaius's face, one Ashoka could clearly recognize as sincere. Cathal's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he gave Gaius a thumbs up. Without another word, he turned and walked back the way he had come.
Silently watching Cathal's retreating figure, Ashoka turned to Gaius and asked in a hushed voice, "You know the way outside, right?"
Gaius nodded, his expression unreadable in the flickering torchlight. "I do." With that, he dropped the torch to the ground and extinguished it with a firm stomp.
And indeed he did. Led by Gaius, they both entered a small patch of dense forest about a kilometre away from the border. After a few minutes of roaming, Gaius stopped and began thumping his foot on the ground with precise, measured force. Nothing happened for a while, then a soft sound like glass shattering echoed, as if an ancient spell had been broken. The next thump produced a hollow echo from below. Looking closely, Ashoka realized it was a trapdoor, an entrance to a tunnel hidden by a weak spell. he suspected that this tunnel led outside the border wall of Casamir.
The tunnel was narrow and incredibly long, at least two kilometres in length. It was completely dark and dusty, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and ground stone. Ashoka felt like there were eyes watching him from the darkness.
I have really gone mad, haven't I?
Every breath of air almost made him cough, and he had to focus just to keep his breathing steady and his steps confident.
Gaius moved ahead without hesitation, his Ascended senses likely piercing the gloom where Ashoka's human eyes struggled. "This passage was built during the early days of the kingdom," the prince muttered at one point, his voice echoing oddly. "For scouts and emergencies. My father... the old king, used it once to evade a terror beast swarm, pretty nasty thing they were." There was a rare note of complex emotion in his tone that Ashoka couldn't fully decipher.
Was it nostalgia?
Emerging on the other side, Ashoka once again found himself in the company towering trees, these were akin to titans compared to the ones they had left behind from the other side of the tunnel, blocking out the stars with their expansive branches.
Holy moly!
If he had been more knowledgeable, he would have compared them to giant sequoias — ancient behemoths whose trunks were as wide as cars.
They walked deeper into the forest for another hour, Gaius leading them to a small clearing ringed by fallen logs that formed natural seats. Although Gaius still kept his hand near his sword for protection against any unexpected company, they opted not to light a bonfire. Only then did Gaius stop, turning to face Ashoka with arms crossed. His eyes, sharp as blades, bored into him.
"Why?" he asked. "Why do you wish to rebell?"
Ashoka remained silent for a moment, as if thinking, before offering Gaius a sheepish smile. "Why, you ask? You already know, don't you?"
This was finally the time to use his eloquence at its fullest.
He shifted in place and asked in an even tone, "How is your plan to deal with the corrupted going?"