The Kings Personal Joker (boyxboy)

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Five

[A/N] As people have informed me the chapter was, for some reason, a copy of the last chapter. I have no idea how that happened but I'm lucky to have a backup of the correct chapter on Patreon so I've pasted the correct content.

Sorry about that! ( ' ﹋ ' ; )

[Demosthenes' POV]

After some early training and some bread and fruits followed the trail from my sleeping area down to the trees, who soldiers were working hurriedly to fell, despite any such energy being wasted. The enemy was closer, the twittering of peace in the air was a lie, and we would soon be marching forwards.

There was still some visible brown blood crusted into the grass where the dead soldier had lain, the brambles his body cast upon still indented from his weight. His throat had been slit and he had bled a great deal and a few flies still seemed to collect near the area.

I examined the path he must have taken, traversed the gap slowly and spotted a few small feathers hear and there.

I tried to measure the distance mentally, the distance between the cage and the spot where they had danced free and made such a ruckus.

For a good measure of time I stood and thought and remained dark with my confusion. Someone must have released them there. And one very much doubted another assassin would be privy to a bit of livestock thievery while on a mission to cut off the kings head.

My feelings of suspicion did not ease as I followed the path back to the cage. It was not far, but it was a narrow, diagonal path, and alone these chickens would have no reason to run out from there.

It was not clearly visible either, so whoever took the animals knew their way around the camp.

I pressed my lips together, squinting at the path between the two tents. It was only when I meant to leave again that I saw the glint on the floor.

Initially I assumed it was a piece of metal, cast off of the lock from the cage, but it turned to be a flat metal container, either for disguising scars or used in mourning, to cover their hands with in order to touch one's deceased loved ones and not be tainted.

I narrowed my eyes.

I felt the atmosphere prickle around me, and even thought I saw the grass shiver beneath me.

The silver between my narrowed vision glinted as I turned the light thin container in my fingers.

I exhaled, cold eyes stared back at me on the most reflective edge, a little distorted.

A noise was made from the sow in the second cage, I turned sharply to glare at it and it fell silent immediately, backing up a few steps.

I took a long breath, considered the value of my sanity carefully, and then headed, calmly, back toward the worn down earth, where the first to rise bowed hurriedly as they noticed me coming from a distance.

[General Nikola's POV]

The day dragged on until the sun had already set.

The messenger from the front gave word that their armies had taken another step forward, at this point they were practically within our sights, just over the hill that crossed the edge of the mountain, still just far away enough that they would take the opportunity they had to build as much of a base as they could before rushing us into battle.