Masquerade of Madness Creating Madness: Part three

The king felt utter sympathy for Creed's plight. This was his doing. If only he had not created that treaty. If that treaty just did not exist, Creed would not have had to put up with all the extremities of his existence.

The Authority Force surrounded the two council members. An Authority officer stepped to the front and spoke gruffly through his sizeable crooked nose, "You are under seizure!"

Siphon smiled his sadistic smile. "Under whose orders?" he demanded.

"The king verbally gave us the orders to seize you and place you in the holding cell."

Siphon tried again to reason with the crowd, as hand restraints were placed on him. "You see, everyone oversteps their boundaries when it comes to their race." But the Casalyians would not hear him.

Siphon noticed that everything he tried was not working, so he changed his tactic. "Their problems are not over yet. When I realized that we were dealing with the halfling's request a couple of months ago, I planned this out. There are far more treacherous beings waiting at the portals for them."

Vincent stopped walking. Creed tried to get through the crowd politely, but there was no polite way. No one was moving.

Siphon boasted, "I will make sure that scum is wiped off the face of the earth, just like the scum who bore him."

The king's heart fell. Casalynn needed change. King Fredal had never realized the council harbored such ill-intent toward the treaty.

Before the Authority Force took the two council members away, Vincent spoke again, "Take them to Dungeon A3 and start interrogating the rest of the council members. Punish the ones that had their hands in this dirty scene. Release the others on tri-level domain arrest for their own safety, because Casalyians are not so forgiving."

The Authority officer with the crooked nose spoke up. "Is this really what I should do?"

Vincent let his commanding officer tone take over. "Do what I say without question. I am above you in authority!" And then Vincent continued his way through the crowd. He stopped midway to tell the group to move, and they did.

Creed was in the middle of the crowd, trying to get through, but having a difficult time. Then he saw that a path cleared in front of him. He raised his eyebrows in surprise with no idea what could be going on.

Vincent walked calmly over to Creed, who was lost in his thoughts. Gently, Vincent tugged his brother's arm, leading him through the cleared pathway.

Creed suddenly realized he was moving but did not know it was his brother pulling him along. "Hmm, hey, I mean what did I do?" Creed became a bit frightened that he might have done something wrong.

Vincent chuckled lightly, "Moron," he teased.

"I am not." That was all Creed could manage after realizing he was with Vincent.

The crowd of Casalyians turned their attention on them. Creed felt very uncomfortable again.

Vincent released his brother and forced him to walk beside him. He lifted up his arm and placed it around Creed's shoulders. Then he moved his arm up in front of Creed's face. "Look at my arm, you will feel more comfortable," he teased.

Creed looked at Vincent's arm instead of the crowd. He was relieved to know that if he looked at his arm, he would not have to acknowledge the crowd. He also felt relief that his brother remained beside him. They finally made it to the edge of the portals. Vincent called Jade, who came on command and Spike followed.

Vincent stopped short of the portals. He glanced around, making sure he saw Spike there. Suddenly, he spoke releasing a red mist of energy, "Shield of honor." The power began to form a circle around them. He released another red cloud that formed a ring around the circle that he had already created.

This brought Jade back to the first time she met her master. Vincent was using the shield of honor then, to shield his wife and him from attack. Creed was just a little boy, and Vincent was married to a beautiful Casalyian named Mininna. But sometime after that attack, Mininna disappeared. Her master has searched for his wife regularly during the past three years, but to no avail.

Spike was curious. What was this red bubble around her? She went to touch it, but Creed grabbed her hand. "Do not touch it – it is the shield of honor, meant to keep the things that are inside, inside; and the things that are outside, outside. It releases a shock charge every time something touches it or hits it. The shock is much more deadly on the outside than inside. But it will still hurt. Understand?"

Spike nodded.

Vincent closed his eyes, sensing what lay behind the entrance of the portals. "Red eyes," he snorted with disgust. "We must move. The quest is finally at its climax." He stepped into the dimly lit portals, venturing toward whatever fate waited for them.