Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Conflict
Augustus, Evan, and Ethan made their way down the stairs, crossing the ramp and stopped where Augustus had first seen them.
Augustus now knew that Evan and Ethan had started their journey on the other side, not too far away from each other, in what Augustus felt was the keep. Based on the layout of the structure, it was at the center of the pathways, it had a bigger space, and had two walkways that reached it on either side.
This was a medieval city, it had old stone-made buildings, and looked like a castle.
Ethan had been on the upper floor of the structure when he removed the blindfold. The room had a golden glass mirror, a soft cushion bed, with cotton sheets. Only the rich could afford it.
Evan on the other hand had also been on the upper floor, but in a completely different room. It was a chamber, it was dark, with a single candle that lit up the room. What it revealed was a table at the center, with ropes that looked like it was used to tie a body, hooks dangled from the ceiling, and the walls were covered in weapons that looked like it was used to induce pain.
It was a torture chamber.
Augustus knew this was normal. During the medieval times, there would be many that would have their bodies slowly ripped apart, his parents had told him the reason why they had both rooms was to show off the rich to be powerful, and that they were in control of the lives of the poor.
It was a good way to scare the prisoners, and the peasants to never think of challenging the king.
Luckily for them though, when they opened the door, they were able to recognize each other because they had chosen the same armor, to be worn, and besides they were twins! How could they not recognize each other?
They had not taken a step further after opening the doors though when they got out of the room, the chamber was filled with dozens of children, each of them was chasing each other, they knew that they had to get the coins and this only drove the kids crazier.
Ethan said that there were kids from their group, that smashed their maces at other kids, crushing them in the head and taking away the coins.
There were others that were sneaking around, always looking around them, and using knives to slit open pockets of other kids and steal their coins. It was as if they had been training their whole life to steal the coins, it was so fluid and smooth.
The twins had waited for at least an hour, when all the kids had finished doing what they wanted before they moved down the stairs, being statues, had worked well for them, so when they had seen Augustus, they had decided to act dead again.
But Augustus was smart, he had run the other way, so there was no chance of them stealing from him.
Now, there were back here, at the front of the door.
Augustus was dressed in a comfortable loose white shirt, that allowed the air blow through it, he also wore black cargo pants, with many pockets on it, and inside one of the pockets was his three coins.
Evan and Ethan had dropped their armor and stuck with their stripe onesies. The only thing was they were no longer as beautiful as when they first met Augustus. The reason being that Augustus had advised them that they needed to look like they had been mugged and bashed.
Augustus had asked them to roll around on the dirt while in the watchtower, and now they were covered in black patches. There were even cuts on their shirts, with bits of red, which they had smudged on from the dead corpses that covered the passageway.
It was disgusting but it would save lives.
And standing behind a jiggered wall was the shadow of two stilettos, that had been watching them from the moment they had gotten out of the watchtower.
One of them was even holding a knife.
"Based on what you're telling me, you were inside a keep. Why didn't you go all the way down, instead of crossing the passageway?"
"Well for starters, we didn't know it was a Keep."
"I still don't know what it is?
"Why does it even matter?"
"It does matter. I might not be the smartest kid, but I do know my castles. The keep normally connects to the Bailey, which is where all the kids were running around in the courtyard. It's important because normally this will also connect to the draw bridge, which is only way out."
"Why can't we just swim in the what's it called? Moat?"
"Because you might be swimming with hungry sharks or alligators! Do you really want to be bitten?"
"That would be perfect!"
"I'd give them a run for their money!"
"Idiot. Why do we even need to cross the moat Augustus?" Evan butted in.
"If we can get the four coins, it's the only way out. Surrounding this whole castle is the moat, and if we cannot cross it, we will be stuck here forever."
"We also need to cross it, because it's the only way we can make our way to that lovely bell…"
"Tower! The commentators said that we had to get there and pay up in order to leave."
"Exactly, so our focus now should be to find the exit."
"You boys already have your coins, so you will be good to go."
"Don't worry, silly boy, I'm sure we will be able to mug someone else and get you the coins to leave with us. You just need to promise to stay close."
"I will definitely stay close. Look at you boys, weapons out, I feel like no one would dare attack us even if we did have coins."
They made their way across the gate to the keep, and the shadows, stalked them, from behind. Following them step after step. Their footsteps matching the boys.
With a quick movement of the arms, the knife cut through Augustus's back pocket, and the three coins dropped.
Dung!
"Wow, there goes that bloody bell again! Why does it always make such a loud noise!" Ethan said while swinging his lance to the right, accidentally cutting into the thief. Blood trickled down his lance. "Oh sugar mama, did I accidentally cut you, brother?"
"Not me."
"Are you bleeding Augustus?"
"I don't think so…" just as he said that he knew something was a miss. Patting his bottom he let out a scream.
"The coins are missing!"
"What?"
"How?"
"I knew I couldn't trust you," Evan replied with his arms up. He was furious. He hated people that double-crossed him and cheated him. His face was burning red, with veins popping out if Augustus was not able to explain himself, he was going to be thrown in for a beating.
"I swear on my mother it was not me!"
"Wow! You are one horrible child. I mean I know your parents abandoned you, but do you have to put their lives on the line, when your telling lies!"
"I'm not lying."
"You are so cold my friend."
"Then who was it?" Evan continued. "If it wasn't you then who would have known which pocket the coins were at, I mean look at your pants, how could they have possibly guessed which pocket you would have placed them in."
"Just tell your little friends to come out and give us back the coins."
Augustus was speechless, but he couldn't just stand there and look back at Evan and Ethan. He had lost the coins, and the worse thing was he didn't even know who took it. Their newly built relationship was already crumbling, he had to speak out.
"Look, man, if it was really me. Why would I steal from myself and not you?"
"Obviously, because you don't know where our coins are…"
"They are in your shoes. I saw you with my own two eyes when you took them out when you had all four coins."
"Damn it. Was it that obvious?"
"Look, think about it. If it really was me, would I still be standing here and speaking with you?"
"Wouldn't I have disappeared with them?"
"That's easy, you can't because your big and round and small."
"Ethan, shut up. You're not helping!"
"Wowsers. I did at least cut them. So, we can find out who they are if we ever see them again."
Evan was standing there, with his broad sword still pointed towards Augustus. He was deep in thought. He was trying to put it together and make sense of it.
"It's not me man. Trust me."
"My mother once said that those that tell you to trust them are the most untrustworthy…"
"…"
"It's not beneficial for me to do this. I'm in your hands." He looked at Evan. "I'm working with you guys, we are family. We are going to get out of this together."
"You both have not made any lost yet. You still have all your coins."
"It's only me who has lost my set of coins. I know some of them were yours but at the end of the day. It's still me who has lost the coins."
"So why don't we work together, we just need to find someone and steal their coins, and then you boys are free to leave."
"You don't have to look for coins for me."
"We just got to find the coins for you, and you are free to go."
Augustus looked at Evan and then back to Ethan. Hoping that they would understand where he was coming from. He was also hoping that they would also consider helping him find the coins, but it was better to live another day than to be killed by his teammates.
"He's got a point brother. We should focus on action rather than the issue. Otherwise, we are going to be here all day. I'd rather go back to the academy and enjoy a warm bath."
"Fine. But if I find out that you were involved. Then you're a dead man."
"Of course."
Augustus let out a sigh of relief.
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