Each year the Kingdom of Khearia throws a festival in remembrance of one of their most beloved kings who had tragically perished along with his wife and second son. His first son, Prince Fabian, was the only one to survive. Witnesses claimed his cro...
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It's natural for humans to have instincts. After all, they were just like the animals they lived next to. Deep primitive compulsions that seemingly came from no rational basis, yet felt so desperately certain and compelling that one can't help but listen to it. Often, these instincts turn out to be right for James; his drive to flee having saved him more times than he could count. He owed his survival to the force which was often unjustly blamed as irrational.
ㅤHowever, these competing instincts weren't always compatible. In James' case, his next strongest compulsion was his curiosity; his intense desire to fully understand the questions that squirmed in his head. There was a value in knowing what your enemy was capable of and what they wanted. Knowledge was also survival.
ㅤJames wanted to keep running, but he really didn't understand how the knights had gotten this close to him so suddenly. He wasn't that significant in the greater scheme of the kingdom. Why put this much effort into him? How did they suddenly catch up to him? Why now?
ㅤThese were the questions that plagued James' mind as he crossed the last house of the town, on the edge of the deep forest beyond him. He stopped.
ㅤThere was too much he didn't know. That alone seemed more dangerous than simple proximity.
ㅤIn this case, his instinct of curiosity won the battle, and he turned around. Perhaps James was too self-centred, and it was his middle-man they were interested in. Or not. Either way, it was important for him to know.
ㅤHe knew bits and pieces about his middlemen, it was important to have the leverage. It kept them quiet, in theory, but James never let those bastards see his face anyway. He always picked the worst scum around for the job he could, but that made them the least trustworthy as a result.
ㅤJames wanted to be thorough in his investigation, so he would need more than what was available on the top of his head. He made his way to the slums.
ㅤThe slums were his favourite place to be, despite the poverty and crime. It was the kind of place you wouldn't want to walk alone through after dark, but it was also where the criminal heart of the town thrived.
ㅤThe stench of sewage became stronger the deeper James went, flesh, filth, and rot littering the streets. The flimsy buildings creaked with a breeze, being held up by sheer proximity and density alone; it left the walkways so narrow that he had to walk slightly sideways just to avoid bumping into others. He knew better than to make eye contact with the characters that lurked and loitered. He didn't plan to stay long.
ㅤThis was where that middleman had the unfortunate, but deserved, fate to live; just like all the others. He would never let these people live comfortably.
ㅤJames slipped away into a long thin alley that was so tight he had to keep his back pressed to the wall behind him, lacking the arm space to be able to draw Eris if he needed to. That fact hiked up his anxiety.
