XXX: Live With A Red World 

I raise an eyebrow. "I've already answered your Captain's questions." 

"Yes, but unfortunately, once he takes a liking to someone, he tends to go easy on them. I, on the other hand, don't," Pamela says. She's all business. 

I give Riddeck a glance. He scratches his head, cheeks flushing a little out of embarrassment. If he's the one who goes easy, how much is she going to ask of me here? 

I sigh. I hope that Sorina is doing her best to find me — or maybe she thinks I'm dead. No, Umbrahorn should have my scent. They'll find me. And… maybe they'll spring me out of here. 

I just have to stall a little while longer. 

Pamela walks around me, circling my form. "What clan do you hail from?" 

"Adachi." 

"Good. I recognize you now, actually — Thunder Watcher." 

That surprises me. "What, did you ever cross into Adachi lands?" I try remembering her from my time at the tower, but nothing comes up. 

She shakes her head. "No, but I was camped outside of Adachi once. That was when Catolica and Adachi were on the brink of war."

Right. The Galley Incident five years ago. 

I chuckle: "Your father brought you to the battlefield?" 

"Of course. He taught me that true monarchs lead from the front. That way, they don't get stabbed in the back." 

"That doesn't make sense." 

"I don't expect you to understand," she says, coming in front of me now. She narrows her dark green eyes. "What were you fighting out here, Thunder Watcher? And… how have you left the Adachi lands?" 

"I was facing… an old enemy." I don't elaborate on purpose. Instead, I eye the amulet sack on the Captain's side. If I could just reach that—

"Don't try anything. I'm not your enemy. In fact, I think we can be allies." 

I scoff. "Tempting, but I think I'll pass. I don't like thieves." 

She stays silent for a second, as if gathering her thoughts. I consider kicking her and headbutting Riddeck, but then she starts speaking again: "You know, I've taken a great risk bringing you to me directly. After all, very few people know I'm here." 

"Not my problem." 

"Don't be so combative. I'm trying to help you." 

I shake my chains. "If you want to help me, free me and leave me be." 

She shrugs. "Free him, Riddeck." 

"And if you don't, I'll — wait what?" 

Riddeck stands, head hanging low in respect, while he produces the keys from his belt and uncuffs me. 

I open my palms in and out, gingerly caressing my wrist. Then, I give the Queen a dark stare. What trick are you playing? 

"Oh, and give him the amulets back. They're his after all." 

"But, my Queen —" Riddeck begins before she cuts him off. 

"Riddeck, don't question me." 

"Apologies." He hands me the sack. I take it… hesitantly. I look inside just in case. All four amulets remain untouched. 

"You may leave," the Queen says. 

I look to the door and then back to Pamela's blank face. 

Gripping the amulets, I walk slowly to the door, wary, watchful, eyes wide and strained. 

"You don't agree with our methods, is that correct?" she says suddenly. "You don't agree with the way we toll Havenmarchers? It is cruel, I do agree. But, it is necessary. We need all the resources we can muster to combat Sorayvlad. After all, they have a master strategist on their side." 

I keep walking, though I slow my pace. What is she getting at — 

"Does the name Masaru ring a bell?" 

I freeze. 

Then, slowly, I turn to her. 

And for the first time in our entire conversation, the Queen makes an expression. 

She smiles ever so slightly, as if saying 'I have you now.' And she does. And I don't care if I'm being played anymore. 

Because everything is going red. 

…

On the day of my mother's death four elders initially sentenced me in the judgement ring: Renji, the head elder whose presence was like that of a giant. Kai, stalwart and commanding, which was to be expected of the clan's military leader. Hikaru, diminutive and cowardly — the pathetic lorekeeper and negotiator. Daichi, contemptuous and ever-vile. I still don't really understand his role amongst the Elders. Perhaps he's just an evil old bastard who stayed on the council through grit and venom. 

Masaru was initially missing from the procession. 

He was Kai's mentor, in a way. The oldest strategist of Clan Adachi, wisened and virtuous according to the people. When they beat me in the rink, the elders talked of how Masaru was in prayer to the spirits — more distraught than the others about the theft of the Dragon Blade. The Scaled Nodachi was, after all, promised to his son. 

When Renji said, "Let him stay. He can watch his mother die," a primal panic seized me. I bit and screamed, but the guards held me down and the warrior beat me some more, till my eye was swollen and my ribs ached. 

"Please," I pleaded. "Please, she has nothing to do with this." 

Daichi scoffed. "Kuragami has everything to do with this, boy. After all, the whore spawned you. And you have dishonored us all." 

"Then kill me," I said. I was trying to be brave — as brave as a ten-year-old could be. But piss trickled down my pants and I was weeping like a babe. "Please — she's my mother." 

"Quiet his rabble," Daichi said dismissively. When I opened my mouth to speak once more, a warrior kicked my jaw, breaking loose a few baby teeth. I yelled in pain, but another kick to my sternum stifled that wail. 

Maybe it took an eternity or maybe it took thirty seconds, but when they brought my mother I could not bear to look. 

Renji spoke up: "make sure he watches." And Kai saw to that personally, standing up from his seat in the judgement rink and sitting on my backside. He tugged my head up by the hair and pried my eyes open. 

My mother looked beautiful, in her own way. Sure her hair was matted with dirt and grime, her clothes were but simple robes and her skin was blemished — however, she always looked so confident. Even then, there was a quiet defiance to her gaze as she glared daggers at the elders. 

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked. My eyes crossed over Masaru finally — the elder that led her to the rink. He was a strongly built man, though shorter than the other elders. His hair was short cropped and his red and blue robes were wrinkled. Yet there was an awesome rage that burned in his eyes for both my mother and I. 

He clasped my mother's wrist and yanked her to the center of the rink, making her yelp. 

"I have done nothing wrong. Let my son go—" she began, before Masaru struck her. Once with a stinging slap across the face, bloodying her nose. She crumpled to the ground at that — confidence gone. When she tried to raise her eyes to meet the elders, Masaru delivered a backhand, raking his knuckles across her other cheek. She fell to the stone glyphs. 

"Enough Masaru," Renji said. "We're killing her anyway." 

"I should have the pleasure of silencing the bitch," Masaru spat. At the time, I couldn't understand why he of all people was so angry at her and not me. 

Still, seeing my mother lying on the stones like that, whimpering, made me the angriest I'd ever been in my life up to that point. 

My world went red. 

Just as it does now. 

"Where. Is. He?" I ask Queen Pamela. 

Her smile just broadens.