Chapter 4: Hidden plots
The door creaked open, Bacon's father foot stepped inside his study and approached his work desk. He had dismissed the servants, leaving himself alone in the darkening room.
Using a matchstick, he lit up the sole candle on the desk. The light dimly filled the study, a warm glow compared to the harsh darkness of the creeping nightfall. The room had some shelves and barrels, most of them held scrolls and bounded books. There were a few paintings with poems on the walls. A large banner read 'Flamglac' in flowing calligraphy hung on the wall behind the seat. There were some pedestals for plants but they were empty. There were lanterns but they remained unlit. On the desk, there was an inkwell along with some quills laying about. The surface of the table was worn from use and the wood no longer shined so brightly. The cushion of the chair had some slight tears, tilting slightly when he sat down.
The amount of paperwork stacked high. There were countless documents that had to be filed; taxes, remuneration for soldiers, and salaries for the manor's servants.
Taking a quill, Lord Sausage resumed his workload. After a while of silence, he stopped his scribbling and laid down his quill. He mindlessly stared out into the courtyard through his open doors. Shivering as if from the cold, he stood up to close the door before bolting it shut.
Returning to his desk, he reached beneath it to press his finger up against a hidden slot. The contraption gave away with a soft click as he retrieved from there a slip of paper.
Moving the remaining documents to the side, he cleared the table to lay out the paper. Untying the ribbon that bounded the scroll, he unfurled it, spreading it out over the desk. He weighed down the corners with an inkwell and some stamps.
It was a map. This map of the northern borders was the most detailed one available, marking the terrain, weather, and hidden shortcuts of the hilly terrain and the small hedges throughout the area. It took quite the amount of scouts and surveyors to plot out this region.
Glancing above into the rafters, he nodded his head slightly. A small squadron of black-cloaked figures dropped down and surrounded the desk. The eight stood silently beside the city lord as they all observed the map.
He turned around and looked at each of his comrades, "We are not under strict watch anymore. Our operation will begin in three days time. The plan must not fail, and I expect there to be no blunders. I have waited for far too long to get my revenge and so have you all."
Their eyes turned red at that thought. A mix of anger and bloodthirst spilled out from two of them before quickly dispersing.
Lord Sausage glanced at them and continued, pointing at a particular trail, "We know that this is the route that they will take. The entourage will definitely be guarded well, but if we can kidnap the princess, we will have succeeded."
He faced one of the robed figures, "Bacon must not be involved. I am too weak to protect him any longer, he will be found by them if he stays. Fourth Crow, I expect that you will take him to safety and leave this forsaken place when the time comes. Take him and run. Bring him to the true world. Just watch over him to make sure he doesn't die. Tell him everything once he has become 'worthy' enough."
The figure that stood leftmost to him nodded. Waving a hand, he dismissed them. All of them saluted to the fifty-something-year-old man before they lept back up into the rafters and blended into the darkness.
Lord Sausage took a deep breath. Leaning back in his seat, he took off his pair of gloves, holding his left hand high above himself. On his ring finger, he wore a thin circlet of gold with a small gem of sapphire. A stone that was shaped into a flame was embedded at the center of the ring.
Tears began to emerge at the corners of his eye wrinkles. He murmured, "After I have fulfilled my promise. Soon, I will return to be with you again."
He sat in silence for a while, reminiscing of the past. Some of the wax of the candle dripped onto the table. Finally, he blew out the wick which had been burning for a while. He stood up and headed to bed.
*****
Bacon had been dreaming a lucid dream where he conquered shrimp monsters and had lavish meals all to himself. He toured the world to explore the different cuisines of the cultures around the Great Continent. Sadly, this dream was interrupted when he woke up in the middle of the night from the sounds of scratching outside his room.
Confused, he sat up. Trying to remain as silent as possible, he crept over to investigate. His feet lightly moved across the cold stone floor. His room was very easy to navigate as it did not have much aside from paintings of food.
He peered out his window to see a pale face staring back at him, "AHHHH!"
He fell hard onto his buttocks, scrambling back up against the wall. He only saw the face briefly before long black hair covered it.
His door swung open slowly. There appeared to be no one in the doorway in the pitch black nighttime.
"Clack. Clack." The sound of chains along with a heavy horseshoe-like sound came from outside.
A figure in white, whose feet were bound in chains and wore metal shoes. It had a bed of hair and rags for clothes. Its skin was pale to the point of it being translucent.
It suddenly jolted to a halt right before his door. Its head swiveled around abruptly, facing Bacon as if staring into his soul. Bacon's irregular breathing stopped.
But it seemed that he appeared invisible. Turning its head back, it resumed its path, seemingly uninterested in the fat teenager.
The doors of the next residence over slammed open. A scream sounded out before an eerie silence replaced it. Sitting up, Bacon composed himself and rushed to the doorway. He checked the rooms next to his and found all the doors closed. Peeping inside, he saw its residents were sleeping soundly.
— New chapter is coming soon — Write a review
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone