A Welcome Reunion

The silence was booming. Arthur could feel his ears ring and throb, and his heartbeat seemed to send tremors into the very earth. He had sat there cold in the darkness for what felt like an hour at least, but it could have been less. He touched the top of his head in search of a now lost possession.

"Oh, darn it all! I must've dropped my hat during all that ruckus," he mused. His voice cut through the silence and echoed in the dark cell for a longer time than he felt it should have. The butlers had kept Tok in check with their flimsy little pistols as they coerced him back into the dark corridors and away from Arthur. And unfortunately, as reality would have it, men are no match for bullets.

Up until now, he had wondered what happened to Soran in the end. Did he eat of the pie? Did he manage to escape? But alas, these questions beckoned no answers. And what would happen of his own life? Would he be excused? Arthur doubted it. The order came from Jeana, after all. Arthur shifted positions to try to fend off the coldness emitting from the floor into his legs, but it was no longer effective as his whole body had already become cold and shivering.

He pushed himself off the ground and stood up, trotting around inside the square stone room in a valiant attempt to warm up, but Arthur was not particularly well trained and soon found himself too tired to continue. The breakfast he had today was certainly not enough to sustain him here, he thought. Perhaps it was better to save his energy. If it came down to it, he would want to go down fighting.

Suddenly, Arthur heard the sound of echoing footsteps, and lots of them. Though labored, he sprung up as quick as a fox to the iron bars of the cell and grasped them firmly, pushing his bulbous nose through the space in between.

"Here in this hour you come back to haunt me, do you!? If your wish is to beat me 'til I cower and beg like some squire, I'll have you know, I shan't bend!" he shouted stoically into the corridor outside his cell, but no answer came to greet him. Soon, a golden light had dimly illuminated the corridor, and it was slowly but surely getting brighter. He tried to squeeze his big round head through the cell bars to get a better look, but to no avail.

"You leave me in the dark like some forgotten testament of inheritance, waiting for it to become all dusty and torn before opening it up and claiming of its content freely as you please!? Well, you can forget it! I am neither torn nor dusty, and I'm certainly no testament! I'm more so a secure safe made of the finest dwarven steel you could find! You'll never reap my knowledge!" he shouted once more with the full power of his will.

"Quiet down, old man. We've come to bail you out, not to reap of your so-called 'knowledge'," echoed a familiar voice.

"By the twin moons, Soran!? Is that you!? I cannot believe it!" cried Arthur. Now standing before the cell in the full glory of the golden light, Arthur could see the party of four.

"Tok! Alice! How good to see you're alright! And-" he cheered before looking at Monkey. "And, you were?"

"Monkey. Just Monkey," said Monkey, and to that Arthur laughed.

"Oh you jokester, now is not a time for jesting!" said Arthur amused, but more so relieved over the fact that good folk had come to his rescue. Monkey, however, pouted at Arthur's negligence.

"It's good to see you're well, sir Arthur," said Alice and bowed.

"Well, time to get you out I guess," said Soran looking for the cell door.

"Actually, Soran, before you release me, I have something to tell you," said Arthur lowering his head and looking at the floor.

"What is it?" asked Soran nonchalantly while tugging at the whining iron door which would not open.

"I-, I mean, the thing I was trying to tell you at the table earlier," he continued, and at that notion, Soran refocused and looked at Arthur. "Well, maybe it doesn't matter now, seeing you're both alive and well." Arthur looked at both Soran and Monkey.

"Of course I'm alive and well, for me there is no other state," said Monkey gesturing gallantly.

"What do you mean?" asked Soran as he stepped up closer to the cell bars. "It doesn't matter now? What are you hiding?"

Arthur grunted and meandered around before slapping himself on his cheeks with both hands.

"It wouldn't be right not to tell now," he said. "Those pies that were served, and thank goodness you did not eat them, were poisoned with one of the strongest poisons that exist. I knew of this, yet I didn't say anything." Arthur looked at the floor in shame. "I meant to tell you, I promise. I was going to tell you as soon as I came back from checking on their quality, but in truth, I was just stalling. That woman. Jeana. She scared me, and I couldn't convey what was necessary to convey in time. I was too conflicted between the goodness in my heart and the greed I felt tingling in my fingers and my head. But you know, Jeana, they say she can read thoughts. And I've seen her powers used right in front of me. She spares no one of her wrath." Arthur grasped at his head before looking up at Soran with a greatly distressed frown. "But yet, I can't seem to forgive my actions. I'm sorry Soran, for I have failed you. I'm not even worth being valley-folk anymore..."

Soran stared at the sulking Arthur in silence, before looking at Monkey who had also turned his head to look at Soran. Monkey lifted his eyebrow and smirked, and then Soran turned to face Arthur.

"You stupid old man. Your heart was in the right place, you just need to work on your conviction, that's all. However, it was a grand mistake, and you really should have been more upfront, even though I know not of the powers of this 'Jeana'," said Soran, before suddenly furrowing his brow and pondering for but a moment. "But it was strange. She looked at me, and I know that it was not by mistake. She knew who I was, and somehow, it felt as if she meant me harm. As if she was staring into my very soul, and preparing to corrupt it." Soran sighed a big sigh. "Well, whoever she is, or perhaps, 'whatever' she is, nevertheless, I forgive you, Arthur. You are yet valley-folk, because your heart does not betray you for greed, like one too many hearts do." As Soran said this, his gaze became gloomy for a moment, and Monkey looked with empathic eyes upon him.

"Thank you for understanding, Soran. Yet still, I shall make myself into a better man. Henceforth, my conviction must be strong!" said Arthur before slamming his hands into the cell bars. "You can trust that I shall make that true, my old friend."

"And I believe you will," said Soran smiling. "By the way, Alice, do you have a key? This iron door here is a little bit locked, it seems."

"I'm sorry, but the key is only accessible to the jailer," she answered. "I'm fairly certain the jailer was part of the group we met earlier." Alice looked at Tok before crossing her arms and pouting. "I hope you remembered to bring the key. Even though we did not discuss it, I think it was probably your job to do by default, was it not!?"

Tok chuckled awkwardly before saying: "sorry, I think I forgot to get it".

"Looks like we're walking back all the way. Sorry Arthur," said Soran clicking his tongue.

"No need," exclaimed Monkey who walked up to the cell doors. "Just remove these flimsy bars, like this-", and with that proceeded Monkey to grab two of the bars and pull them from their upper hinges, making a great ruckus of breaking stone that fell upon the rest of the party who took cover behind their arms. He did so again with the two bars adjacent, so now, four iron bars attached to and bent at the floor leaned outward, but it was no path yet.

"So, what now?" asked Alice looking at the slightly bent bars.

Monkey proceeded to reach up with his arms and put both of his hands atop two of the metal poles and adjusting his positions slightly.

"I have to find the angle..." he mumbled.

"The what?" asked Alice, before Monkey suddenly bent downwards and sent the poles boring into the stone with a booming and screeching of stone and metal. It ended with his open hands slapping hard against the floor, and now those metal poles were gone; sent into the earth.

"What in the-" swore Tok before Monkey did the same with the remaining two loose bars, making Arthur recoil and fall on his behind.

"There we are! An open pathway just for you, Arthur," winked Monkey.

"Such ghastly strength! cried Tok.

Alice covered her mouth in astonishment and shock, and Soran just chuckled before walking up to Arthur and helping him get back up on his feet.

"That's why," said Soran to Arthur as he smirked, and Arthur did not know to what statement Soran had answered, but quickly remembered his own remark regarding why Soran had teamed up with Monkey.

"I see!" cheered Arthur before cracking into laughter, and soon the whole gathering was merry.

"And I'll have you know," continued Soran. "I may not have eaten the pie, but he certainly did."

"Good pie, good pie," said Monkey.

Arthur looked up with sparkling wide eyes at Monkey.

"Who in the world are you exactly?"

"I told you, I'm Monkey, and you shan't neglect it this time!" proclaimed Monkey.

"Monkey? How interesting. And that strength of yours? Divine! And you are glowing golden! I cannot believe what my eyes are seeing! Not to mention, how are you fine after eating such a pie? It makes no sense," said Arthur.

Monkey thought back to his time spent in the Far Lands, before answering.

"There is a prophecy that says that one day, the smallest monkey shall conquer the largest ape. That monkey shall become king of all there is, and the world shall follow his rule, basking in its glory. I guess that is who I am!"

"Perhaps you are right, my friend!" cheered Arthur as he walked up to shake Monkey's hand, and Monkey reciprocated. Arthur then stroked his mustache and mused: "perhaps we truly have a real shot at defeating Jeana and her evildoings".

"If it comes along the path, and if this evil truly is evil, then I shall quench it," said Monkey as he put his hand upon Arthur's shoulder. "Don't you worry, my friend."

"Well, before defeating anybody, I think we should get out of town," said Soran. "Any ideas?"

"Well, I was thinking about that, actually," said Tok. "It's clear that neither one of you could stay here, except for me and you I guess, uh, Alice, was it?"

"Yes, Alice. I suppose it should be fine-" she said before abruptly ending her phrase as she covered her mouth in shocked realization. "Wait, no, they saw my face! I didn't think of that! What do I do!"

"Alice, calm down," said Arthur. "You work for me anyway, and I've got to escape from here, so just come with me!"

"Come with us!" said Monkey as he flung his arm around Soran. "We were already planning to leave by morning! On an adventure, you see!"

Soran looked almost pink-red when Monkey mentioned 'adventure'.

"Adventure, huh? Is that so?" said Arthur, cocking one of his eyebrows and looking at Soran who averted his gaze. "Well, I guess the more the merrier, as they say! Well then, if we wish to leave from here, I believe going through the main gates would be a suicide mission. This whole situation has probably gotten every corner of River Valley manned by mooks and mercenaries. Though, there is one place that without a doubt remains unchecked."

"You don't mean?..." said Alice.

"The Swindler's Sanctuary! Of course!" cheered Soran.

"The swine handler sang what?" asked Monkey confused.

"The Swindler's Sanctuary. A den for all sorts of low-life and criminality," said Tok. "I've got connections there with a couple of fellows who deal in smuggling. Give me some time and I should be able to strike a deal with those guys."

"Perfect!" cheered Arthur. "Things will certainly go smoothly with a competent company like us!"

"I don't like this plan," sulked Alice. "That place is no place of comfort for a lady like me."

"I know, I know, Alice, but just this once. Our lives may depend on it," explained Arthur, and Alice sighed with such complacency that a maid is taught early on in her career.

"Fine," she muttered.

"So, why can't we just walk through the main gate? What's with all this secrecy in the shadows?" asked Monkey, peering at everyone. "If anything goes awry, leave it to me. Soran and I shall make sure you're all protected and safe! You've got nothing to worry about!"

Everyone looked sort of uncertain about that idea. They did not know if they could trust their safety in the hands of Monkey just yet.

"I guess, it's possible?" said Alice who had come to experience Monkey's capabilities on multiple occasions, and his shining confidence certainly helped shape her opinion.

"No, we will not do that," affirmed Soran sternly. "Firstly, to protect multiple individuals is far more difficult than you'd think. I know you're powerful, but if one mistake goes wrong then who shall pay? It is not us, that's for sure. Secondly, even if we are able to protect them, the destruction we, and I guess especially you, will cause upon my town, I will not tolerate. In our defense we employ offense, so what will end up taking the brunt of offense? Well, with your fire-power, the town I'd presume, right? I don't like the Jinho's, but at least they're the only ones with a vision of a future for River Valley; a real future, and in that, I don't want to hinder them, or rather, to hinder the prosperous future of my valley."

"Well said my boy," nodded Arthur.

"You talk a lot about the snakes, yet you seem to not mind them building your own town for you," remarked Monkey.

"Well, the Jinho's are no good, but as it is, the number of true valley-folk has dwindled, so I've concluded there is no other choice but to let them do the building," answered Soran seriously. "Accepting work from the Jinho's as a mercenary is one thing—we all have to eat—but licking their boots? Those are not the kind of individuals who led this town into its next generation, let me tell you that."

"The time for our rebellion will come eventually, but for now, we must remain hidden," said Arthur.

"I see," said Monkey. "Well, I understand your cause. I can see your frustration. I guess, even if I despise it, I'll go slink along into the shadows just this once."

"Talking about slinking, I think it's time to get out of here," noted Tok. "For each minute that passes, another pawn of the Jinho's fills an alleyway, ready to inform every guard unit in town of our presence."

"Well, let's hurry up then," said Arthur as he began briskly walking down the corridor. "Chop chop, come now! I know the way out!"