Leisel raced through the forest on horse back, her beautiful large black horse was wearing a magnificent black barding with golden stripes made out of silk, Her golden eyes scanning every shadow. The boy had vanished, but she knew he couldn't be far. His footprints, faint but traceable, guided her along the forest, though the night had erased much of his trail. She followed the footprints until she reached a pond in the forest, she dismounted her horse and looked around.
The grass was wet, perhaps splashed by a drinking animal. The trees were dug up and their resin was extracted. Someone was here, they used these the resin for something, but what? Lookin at her surroindings it's obvious that resin wasn't used for art, but perhaps crafting something? She saw fresh footprints again, this boy...He was going to the capital. Why? She wondered. She followed the footsteps until she reached a hill.
She climbed the hill, expecting to spot him. Nothing. Only the faint glow of the distant capital. Damn it, she muttered under her breath, frustration tightening her jaw. Then she realized the footprints, recognized the marks of horseshoe.
He escaped on bare foot but then somehow magicly found a horse? Unlikely. Then she found other footprints, bigger than the first one. The boy got help, someone was waiting for him...To help him to enter the capital maybe? She thought. She thought maybe she could question the men of city watch, after all there can't be many people who comes to the city at such hour, right? Two men on horseback, not many could fit the description. Footprints should be easy to follow since they are fresh. Although the road to capital was full of horseshoe marks on the grounds. She sighed and made her way towards the city gates, when a man of city watch tried to open his mouth she didn't even let him and began speaking.
"Hal-"
She cut him off "Did you see 2 men on horseback entering the city in the last hour?" She asked in a commanding tone. The men were surprised but as they quickly recognized her from her armour and insignia they immediately answered.
"Y-yes, my lady. Two men. One was the heir of the Petasius family, Lord-"
"What about the other one?" She cut him off "Did you get a good look at him?"
"N-no, my lady. He was wearing a dark cloak, covering his entire body..."
Why would the heir of a noble family help a boy from prison to come here? Just who is this boy? Is this a prison break? Was he just a new guard who hated in there and ran away with the help of a man from a noble house? Although, if house Petasius wanted to help this guard boy they would simply use their influence to get him out, would they not? That leaves one option left, that boy was not a guard but a prisoner who escaped with the help of Lord Petasius! I need to confrim this, but I can not just barge into the manor of a nobleman. I need an excuse... I will go back to prison, unravel the truth about that imposter then I will have the reason to confront the house Petasius.
With a swift turn, she retraced her path toward the prison. Her mind was already moving forward, formulating questions she would demand answers to. Travis had been left behind to secure the scene and interrogate survivors; his report would tell her everything about the boy's last known movements and the prisoner she was curious about.
As she reached the prison's gates, the snow crunching underfoot, she spotted Travis waiting near the main hall. His sunflower-marked armor glimmered faintly under the moonlight. Leisel's gaze hardened. "Speak," she commanded.
Travis saluted sharply. "My lady, the survivors have been questioned. The men accounted for, as best as possible. No one knows anything about the boy… he did not return. No one has seen him since he was sent to get help from the shore patrol. Captain Owen confirms the boy never came back."[1]
Leisel's eyes narrowed, the fire of her anger mingling with her frustration. "Does anyone know anything about this boy? His name, his unit. Anything?"
Travis answered, "That's the mysterious part, my lady. Nobody knows who this boy might be. He was reported to be one of the recent recruits from the capital. We checked the records, there were only six new recruits in total. Of them, we've confirmed two alive, one dead, and two others remain unidentified. Their bodies were badly burned, so we cannot yet confirm if the missing boy's identity."
Leisel began piecing the puzzle together in her mind. She asked, "Did you determine where the fire began?"
Travis replied, "It started in the barracks. If it was deliberate, then the arsonist likely intended to trap the main force of men who would have put the fire out. Still, I believe we should wait for the investigation team to arrive with Luther before drawing conclusions."
Leisel's eyes narrowed. "And what of that prisoner? Artorias?"
At the name, Travis grew visibly uneasy. "H-he was found dead in his cell, my lady, along with the other prisoners. His body was badly burned, nearly unrecognizable."
Her tone sharpened. "And the deaths of all prisoners are confirmed?"
"Yes, my lady. Every prisoner died in the fire."
Leisel said nothing further. Without another glance at Travis, she turned and began walking toward the prison block, ignoring his protests.
"M-my lady, please wait."
When Leisel entered the prison block, she carefully avoided the wreckage and pushed deeper inside until she reached the rows of cells.
"Which cell was his?" she asked firmly.
Travis swallowed hard and pointed to one of the blackened doors. She stepped inside, her eyes falling on the charred remains sprawled across the floor. Bones could be seen over ashes, the body unrecognizable. Leisel stared in silence, her gaze was fixed on the ashes and bones. It was unreadable.
"My lady, we should—" Travis began, but his words were cut short as Luther entered briskly, saluting.
"My lady, I have brought the investigation team, alongside Overseer Mystes."
Leisel turned her attention to Luther and then to the woman beside him. Mystes was beautiful, long dark hair framing forest-green eyes, her expression sharp and composed. She wore a long black coat over a green shirt and dark trousers.
"Overseer, I trust your team will uncover the truth behind this fire," Leisel said.
Mystes responded, her voice calm yet cold. "Lady Leisel, my team will conduct a thorough investigation. However, you must accept the possibility that this was an accident."
Leisel's voice hardened. "Accidental or not, a prison near the capital has been reduced to ashes. All prisoners are declared 'dead', and three-quarters of the garrison are either dead or wounded. I want to know how and why this happened."
Mystes gave a faint, unreadable smile. "Yes, my lady. I will investigate fully and deliver a report once we are done. Is there anything further?"
A chill ran through Leisel at the overseer's demeanor, but she maintained her commanding tone. "Yes. There are two individuals I want you to investigate closely. One is the boy sent to fetch reinforcements, he never returned. The other is a prisoner named Artorias. Though presumed dead, I want a full report on him nonetheless."
"Understood," Mystes replied smoothly. "I will inform you at once if I uncover anything."
Leisel nodded. "Make haste. We don't have much time; I hope you understand the urgency."
That boy could already be leaving the city with the aid of that noble… she thought.
She turned her eyes at Luther and Travis. For a moment she considered assigning them to shadow Lord Petasius. But no, Travis had shown too much hesitation during the fire, and while Luther was a formidable hero, stealth had never been his strength.
Then, her eyes widened slightly. I know just the person.
She would assign the duty soon. After that, she had to wait. Wait, and return to her responsibilities, for she was still Captain of the Heroes, and the capital demanded her presence.
Mounting her horse, Leisel rode for the capital.
[1] Because the ones know about him (the ones who interacted with him such as Orson) doesn't know that he was the one who was sent to get help.