บท 42: The End of the Beginning
Two days later...
The Three Heads Tavern was going to open for business in a few minutes. However, the initial atmosphere inside the establishment today wasn't that happy.
"Where's Allen? He didn't get to work yesterday.", Kate paced back and forth inside the tavern.
"Hey, hey! Sit down first. Maybe he's just late?", Drake speculated.
"Maybe? I don't know either.", Kate didn't stop her actions and continued walking back and forth.
"Just sit down first, and calm down. You're making me dizzy!", Drake dragged Kate and made her sit down.
"I feel like something happened to him.", Kate slowly calmed down and drank a glass of water which was provided by Drake.
"We'll go visit his house later after working, alright?", Drake said.
"Okay.", Kate nodded.
"I don't know why you get concerned about Allen these past few days.", Drake wondered out loud. However, Kate didn't pay attention to what Drake just said.
"Go to the kitchen, let's open for business.", Kate said.
Drake nodded and immediately went to the kitchen.
...
The business time passed by and it was already dusk. For Kate, it was as if the time has moved very slowly, torturing her into waiting.
When the last customer left, Kate hanged her apron beside Allen's and called out to Drake.
"I'm coming! Wait for me.", Drake went out of the kitchen and also hanged his apron beside Allen's.
"Okay, let's go now.", Drake said.
However, before they could exit the building, they saw a boy who looked like Allen, albeit a bit younger than him enter the tavern.
"Erm... excuse me, are you my big brother's... I mean Allen's workmate?", of course, it was none other than William.
"Uh-huh, aren't you Allen's little brother?", Kate asked.
"Looks like we don't have to go to his house after all.", Drake added.
"Yes, I am his little brother.", William nodded in agreement.
After a pause, the younger Morgan asked, "Have you seen big brother? He didn't come back home yesterday and didn't tell me anything that he won't be able to return soon."
Hearing what William has just said, Kate and Drake suddenly felt that there was really something wrong going on.
"No we didn't, but can you inform us if he came back to your house?", Kate asked.
"Of course, but can you also please inform me if he came here? I think he might have been staying here until midnight, sneaking in and out of the town for some time.", William shrugged as he said.
"Alright.", Kate nodded.
"Thank you big sister.", William gladly replied, he didn't waste more time and exited the establishment.
"Something serious really happened on Allen.", Kate said.
"Looks like I can't doubt your intuition anymore.", Drake sat on the counter and pondered what could happen to Allen.
"We better look for him, but where do we start?", Kate pondered.
"Err... excuse me, is this Three Heads Tavern?", a man carrying a sack walked in and asked.
"Haven't you read the sign above the door on the outside?", Drake asked.
"Umm... I did, I was just checking.", the man blushed a little from embarrassment.
After a pause, the man said, "There's a mail for your establishment."
After which, the man took out a small box from the sack and handed it to Kate. On the other hand, the girl accepted it.
"Do we need to pay for the delivering fee?", Kate asked.
"No, it's already paid by the sender. Have a nice day.", the mailman hastily left the establishment.
"This must be for master.", Kate said.
"Let's take it to him.", Drake said.
The two of them walked upstairs towards Mr. Sanchez office room and knocked on the door.
"Come in.", Mr. Sanchez said.
The two kids entered the room and presented Mr. Sanchez the mail.
"Oh?", Mr. Sanchez gave a curious look. He looked up to Kate and Drake who were about to leave the room.
"Hold on, don't leave yet.", Mr. Sanchez called out.
The two kids obeyed Mr. Sanchez and stayed by his side.
"Is there a name of the sender?", Mr. Sanchez asked.
"No.", Drake and Kate shook their heads.
The tavern owner opened the box. Inside which, they saw a small gem resting inside the box.
"What is that?", Drake asked.
"A recording gem.", Mr. Sanchez answered. Afterwards, the tavern owner activated the object.
-whoosh-
A holographic video appeared in front of them. After which, the eyes of the two kids widened as they saw who was in the video.
"Allen?!" They blurted out in surprise.
***
A day ago, at the outskirts of Loraint Town...
Loraint Town was located at far southwest of Crescent Town. It was built near the same river that was connected to the Riverboard City but it wasn't that well-developed unlike the mentioned city.
On the east of the town was the Rigel Farmlands, the biggest farmlands in the entire southern region.
On its north was the Victorian Lake, where the river in the southern region ends.
On the outskirts of the said town. Atop of a hill, there was an old castle which was long abandoned.
However, a group of people arrived and occupied it last night, but the townsfolks didn't notice their presence yet.
That group of people was none other than from that secret organization.
"Why have you called me, sir?", Lazar asked to the leader.
"Just follow me.", the leader guided Lazar down to the deepest part of the castle, where there was a steel door.
The leader took out a key and opened the door. Inside it, they saw Allen, whose head was bowing down.
His body was magically tied up to a steel chair, his arms down to his hands were tied on its armrests and his two legs were tied to each other towards the stand of the chair.
The kid was shivering and wheezing at the same time. He looked up and saw the two men. He was already familiar with one of them, who was the leader.
However, he didn't know the other one, but he could see how the new person gritted his teeth as he saw him.
"Didn't you say that he killed your brother?", the leader asked towards Lazar.
"Yes.", Lazar nodded. He could still remember Allen's face when he killed his brother due to his and his brother's innate connection.
"Well then, I'm tasking you to force him to spit out where's the treasure and who's possessing it.", the leader said and pointed towards a large table full of 'equipments', "You can use any of those things, but remember, don't kill him. There are healing vials in the drawers of the table, use it to prevent him from dying due to getting succumbed to his injuries."
After a pause, the leader exited the room and closed the door, with the small hole on the door, he peeked inside and chuckled, "Have fun avenging your brother." After which, the window was closed tightly.
"W-what are you going to do?", Allen asked. He had feeling that something bad would happen.
Lazar approached the table and calmly replied, "Avenging my brother."
The barbarian picked up a large scissor and approached Allen.
"No... no! Stay away!", Allen frantically shouted.
...
"GAHHHH..."
The painful shout could be heard from inside the room. However, it never got out of the deepest level of the castle.
***
Back to the present time in the Three Heads Tavern...
"Allen?!", Kate and Drake blurted out as they saw Allen, who was looking down towards the floor while tied to a steel chair, with a puddle of blood on the floor below him.
The kid on the projection was shivering, breathing heavily and sobbing non-stop, making the two kids' and Mr. Sanchez's hearts go cold.
After which, Lazar appeared on the video while carrying a dagger.
"What did you do to Allen?", Kate angrily asked.
"They won't hear you, it's recorded.", Mr. Sanchez said.
At the same time, Lazar spoke, "We just want the treasure. I won't talk too much, because I know that you know what I'm talking about."
"Treasure? What treasure?", Drake was baffled.
"Are those the treasures we got from Mount Watchtower?", Kate pondered.
"No.", Mr. Sanchez shook his head.
"But first, we'll give you a warning for meddling with the affairs of the organization.", Lazar lifted Allen's head up with his big hand, and the latter's frightened face was seen by the two kids and Mr. Sanchez.
The kid tried to shake his grasp off, but Lazar grabbed his head even harder making him momentarily shout due to the pain.
"What the heck did they do to him?", Drake asked.
"They....", Mr. Sanchez was about to answer but didn't finish his sentence in the end.
Seeing the tavern owner didn't answer, Kate and Drake speculated within their minds instead.
"Have you ever heard of the Reptile's Condemnation?", Lazar suddenly asked.
Kate and Drake curiously looked towards the tavern owner for the answer, "Reptile's Condemnation is a kind of liquid which was mixed from a minor dragon's saliva and an ancient viper's poison. Mixing it with it water would create a clear liquid. If you smeared on a weapon, then if you injure somebody with that weapon, their injuries would never heal normally."
Hearing Mr. Sanchez explaination, Kate and Drake was enlightened, but at the same time felt that something very bad was about to happen... or rather, it has already happened.
"If you say that it would make an injury never be able to heal, then you are correct.", Lazar said.
"The tip of this dagger is smeared with that liquid. This kid would be able to heal his wound from that injury... but I can't say about his eyesight on his right eye.", Lazar plunged the dagger on Allen's right eye. The kid madly shook his body and shouted in pain.
"GAHHHHHHHHH..."
-pshew-
The dagger was driven even deeper, though it didn't hit any vital organs of Allen.
Seeing what occurred, Kate's and Drake's faces became pale while Mr. Sanchez's face became gloomy.
"Tomorrow night, go towards into the middle of the Rigel Farmlands and hand over the treasure, or else this kid would be blind forever or die.", Lazar said and after which, the projection ended.
When Kate and Drake snapped out on what just happened, the former immediately said, "We need to rescue Allen!"
In addition, Drake said, "Damn it, they might do something even worse to him later on, we need to rescue him, master!"
Hearing the complaints of the two, Mr. Sanchez said, "We still don't know where they are, but by tomorrow I could probably obtain the information where they are hiding."
"But..."
"No buts... go get a rest, now!", Mr. Sanchez angrily said.
Seeing the rare anger of the tavern owner, the two kids left the room immediately.
After they left, Mr. Sanchez quietly sighed and muttered, "It's not that I don't know his location... but it's not yet the right time to do so."
The tavern owner rubbed his forehead in distress as he said, "I'm so sorry kid, I'm powerless in front of fate."
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