The walk back from the wall was supposed to be a peaceful transition from a rare moment of joy back to the grind of survival.
Alista and his cohort descended the ancient stairs, their spirits lighter than they had been in months. The memory of the fire, the alcohol, and the shared stories lingered like a warm afterglow.
'Maybe I should organize parties like this more often,' Alista mused, glancing back at his team. Artemis looked less rigid, her posture relaxed. Klaus was humming a tune Gwen had taught him, and Fors was actually smiling without a hint of sarcasm. Even Gwen seemed to have a bounce in her step.
Alista smiled at them. "I hope there are no issues back at base. It would be a shame to ruin this mood."
As if the universe were listening and eager to spite him, they reached the perimeter of the Outer Settlements to find chaos.
The usual hum of the slums had been replaced by a cacophony of panic. People were running, shouting, and clustering in fearful groups. The scent of fear was palpable in the air.
Alista's smile vanished instantly. His face hardened into a mask of command.
"Get the details," he barked at his team. "Split up. Find out what happened. Meet me in the central plaza in one hour."
"On it," Klaus said, his playfulness gone. The team scattered into the crowd.
Alista moved directly toward the center of the commotion. He spotted Chris, one of the Changing Star's most prominent lieutenants, standing amidst a group of terrified Sleepers. Chris looked like a man drowning on dry land—flustered, pale, and shouting orders that no one was following.
As Alista approached, the crowd parted instinctively. Chris saw the Blood Emperor coming and froze. The relief in his eyes was immediate, quickly followed by shame.
"Chris, is it?" Alista asked, stopping in front of him. "I would like to know what is happening. Why is the settlement in an uproar?"
Chris swallowed hard, looking around nervously. "Gunlaug's guards… they came down here. They arrested one of ours."
Alista's eyes widened slightly. "Who? And for what reason?"
'To be frank, Gunlaug doesn't need a reason to arrest anyone,' Alista thought cynically. 'He is the law here. But usually, he ignores the slums unless he wants tribute. This feels… targeted.'
"A few days ago," Chris explained, his voice trembling, "several of the Castle Guards were killed in the Dark City. The rumor is that Effie killed them before she left on the expedition with Nephis."
Alista nodded. He knew this. It was part of the original events. "Effie has left. She is beyond his reach for now. So, who did they arrest?"
"Sid," Chris whispered.
Alista felt a cold jolt. "Sid? What did they arrest her for?"
"They claimed she colluded with Effie," Chris said, wringing his hands. "They said she helped plan the murders. They dragged her to the Bright Castle."
Alista's mind raced. 'Are they trying to create chaos to draw me out? Or is Gunlaug just lashing out because he can't reach the Changing Star? Either way, Sid is innocent.'
"Okay," Alista said, his voice calm but intense. "What are you planning to do?"
Chris looked defeated. "We are trying to gather evidence to prove her innocence, but… Gunlaug won't listen. If they proceed with a formal judgment, it will likely end in a summary execution. Or worse… a Trial by Combat."
Alista looked around at the faces of the Sleepers—both his followers and Nephis's. They looked hopeless. They were waiting for a hero, but their hero was miles away in the wilderness.
"Gather everyone," Alista commanded. "I will lead this."
Chris blinked. "What?"
"If it leads to a Trial by Combat, I will fight for you guys," Alista stated.
Chris was shocked. "Why? Why are you doing this? There is no benefit for you. We are Nephis's people. Even if you save her, we won't submit to you or switch sides…"
"I don't want your loyalty," Alista interrupted, his voice sharp. "I'm not doing this for politics."
He paused, his mind flashing back to the conversation in the alleyway, to the young woman who just wanted to keep the peace.
"I promised someone I would take care of her in case she got in trouble," Alista said quietly. "A King keeps his word."
Chris stared at him for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Understood."
He turned to the crowd and began to shout, rallying the people. Alista turned away, his hand resting on his sword hilt. It was time to go to the Castle.
The procession that marched up the winding path to the Bright Castle was unlike anything the Forgotten Shore had seen in years.
At the front walked Alista Tudor, flanked by his elite cohort—Klaus, Artemis, Gwen, and Fors. Beside him walked Chris, representing the absent Changing Star. Behind them streamed hundreds of Sleepers from the Outer Settlements, a unified mass of humanity irrespective of faction.
They marched through the massive gates, past the silent, intimidating guards, and into the Great Hall.
The Castle was magnificent, a testament to the power of the First Bright Lord, but today it felt like a tomb. The air was thick with oppression.
As Alista entered the hallway, he took in the layout of the enemy.
Lined up on the sides were the lieutenants of the Bright Castle.
On the left stood Seishan's group. The thief looked elegant in grey, her expression unreadable. She caught Alista's eye for a fleeting second before looking away.
Nearby stood Tessai, the giant tank, sneering openly at the "slum rats" invading the hall.
On the right were Genma and Kido, looking at Alista with smug superiority.
And in the center of the hall, near the steps of the throne, was the reason for this march.
Sid.
She was wrapped in heavy iron chains, kneeling on the cold floor. Her clothes were torn to shreds, barely covering her dignity. Her body was a map of fresh scars and bruises; blood matted her hair and pooled beneath her knees. Her face was sunken, her eyes vacant. She looked like someone who had already been broken, who had lost the will to live.
Alista felt a surge of rage so pure it nearly choked him.
He lifted his gaze to the throne.
Sitting there, bathed in the light of the luminaries, was Gunlaug. He wore the golden armor of the Bright Lord, a magnificent, seamless suit that radiated a terrifying mind Attack.
Alista felt the mental attack immediately—a wave of crushing fear designed to make him kneel. But Alista stood firm. His own [Barbarian], though dormant, fortified his mind. He straightened his back, meeting the tyrant's gaze.
"This is shocking," Gunlaug spoke, his voice amplified by the acoustics of the hall. "It seems the great Blood Emperor has become the Changing Star's lackey. Running errands for your rival now?"
Alista smirked, stepping forward. "You got one thing wrong, Gunlaug. I am no one's lackey. But I believe that guilt deserves punishment, and innocence deserves protection."
Gunlaug leaned forward, the golden metal creaking softly. "What makes you think Sid is not a conspirator?"
"What makes you think she is?" Alista retorted. "What proof do you have? Or do we simply execute people based on your mood swings now?"
Gunlaug signaled with a lazy wave of his hand. A guard stepped forward, looking nervous.
"I… I saw Effie and Sid talking," the guard stammered. "A few days before the guards went missing. They were whispering."
The Sleepers from the Outer Settlement erupted in murmurs of fury. They knew this was bullshit.
Alista laughed. It was a cold, cutting sound. "That is your proof? Because two people spoke to each other? By that logic, half the settlement is guilty. Effie might have been ordering extra food. She might have been asking about the weather. Since when is conversation a capital crime?"
Gunlaug's aura flared, the pressure in the room increasing. "Are you questioning my authority, outsider? This is my city. These are my people. What do you know about ruling?"
The hall went silent. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Alista took a step closer to the throne, his smirk widening into a grin of pure disrespect.
"Sure, I don't have a throne," Alista said, his voice ringing clear. "But at least I can lead my people without hiding in a two-piece suit that looks like an overgrown golden diaper."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Seishan's eyes widened. Tessai's jaw dropped. Genma and Kido looked stunned. Even the Sleepers behind Alista held their breath. No one—absolutely no one—had ever spoken to the Bright Lord like that.
Gunlaug froze. Beneath the golden armor, his face twisted in fury.
"You insolent worm," Gunlaug sneered, standing up. "Do you have any proof for your claim of her innocence?"
Alista sighed, bored. "I have an alibi. I have witnesses. But a pussy like you won't accept logic, will you?"
He drew his sword, pointing it at the floor.
"I invoke the law. Trial by Combat. I will represent Sid."
Gunlaug stared at him, and then he began to laugh. It was a dark, rumbling sound.
"You want to die for a stranger? Very well. Trial by Combat it is."
Gunlaug looked toward the shadows behind the throne.
"Harus. Entertain our guest."
From the darkness, a figure emerged. He was a nightmare made flesh. He had a severe hunchback, his body twisted and malformed, yet radiating a terrifying, raw strength. In his hands, he held wicked, curved blades attached to long chains.
Harus. The Butcher of the Castle. The man who hunted humans for sport.
Alista thought, 'He is good at hiding. I didn't sense him until he moved.'
Harus stepped to the center of the hall, his eyes locking onto Alista with sadistic glee. "You will regret your decision, worm."
Alista stepped forward, raising his [Hunter's Sword]. He faced the effects of the [Mad King].
"Make me."