William:

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! HE'S THE SECOND STRONGEST PERSON I KNOW. HE WOULDN'T DIE TO TRASH."

The old drunken man spoke, now losing interest in this conversation.

"Listen, boy, I don't know what to tell you. If you want to talk to the man who killed him, he's at the council. That's all I can tell you, boy."

"TSk, fine."

I nodded to the princess and Arthur to go. We entered through the door and, to my surprise, it was peaceful. There were people all over having a wonderful time, children smiling, adults having fun, everyone looked happy. When we entered, they all stopped what they were doing and looked at us, then ignored us and went back to what they were doing. A woman from a little restaurant approached us and asked us in a polite manner:

"Hello, travelers. It seems you've been through quite a lot. Would you like some food?"

Arthur quickly answered excitedly:

"YES, ma'am, I do!"

She smiled and waved us inside. We all stood there, not knowing what to do, then Arthur whispered.

"Come on, guys, let's not cause too much of a stir. If what the old drunk said is true, then we just have to find Sentinel here, but for now, let's play along."

The princess and I looked at each other and nodded. We followed the woman into the restaurant. Inside, there was no one but us and the woman behind the counter. She spoke:

"Please take a seat. I'll have tons of food right out!"

"This feels like a trap," I said sternly.

"It most likely is, but what other option do we have? Continue to run until we miraculously find Sentinel?" Arthur whispered.

"I agree with Arthur, William. Even if this is a trap, we can at least get some information from whoever tries to capture us," the princess said.

"I disagree. This is too risky. Let's just leave and ask around until they send a captor for us."

Just as Arthur was going to say something, a man came out from behind the counter with food in his hands. He was dressed in elegant clothing, something a waiter wouldn't wear but royalty would. The man put the food down and spoke in a raspy voice:

"Here is your food. Would you like anything else?"

"UGH, no thanks!" Arthur spoke.

"Well then, enjoy."

The man left, leaving me confused. I thought he was going to try something or say something. Nonetheless, we all began to eat in silence, each of us keeping our guard up in case that man tried to do something. Minutes passed, and nothing happened. We enjoyed our food in peace. Once we all finished eating, the man came out again and took a chair next to our table and sat, then began talking.

"Now that you've finished eating, we can talk. I'll go first. I know who the three of you are: William, the royal guard who killed King Henry; Arthur, the swordsman; and the Princess of Thornwolf. All of you are wanted criminals, and HE wants to capture all of you. So, what business do you have coming to my kingdom and endangering my people?"

I spoke:

"We came here seeking the help of Sentinel."

"Well, I'm afraid that I've killed that man. If that's all you needed, then please get out of my kingdom. I wouldn't hand you over to HIM, but I also don't want to go against HIS wishes."

"What do you mean, HIS wishes?"

"After you three escaped, HE sent out a message to the other kingdoms explaining what happened and if any of the kingdoms allow you three to seek refuge, HE will come and destroy the kingdom you were at. Personally, I don't care for that man, but I'm not stupid enough to fight him just yet."

"IF I may, did you ever see Sentinel's body after you killed him, sir?" Arthur asked.

"No, I did not, but I assure you that the hole in his chest definitely killed him."

"OK, thank you!" Arthur saluted the man.

"HE won't stop with my kingdom; he will come after every kingdom. What will you do when that happens?" I said, looking him directly in his eyes.

"I will do what any good king does and protect his kingdom. I know HE will attack, but not for another 2 years, max. In that time, I will figure out a plan to stop HIM."

I laughed at the man.

"Do you really think your poor kingdom has any chance, not only against HIM but the whole kingdom of Thornwolf? Your kingdom solely relies on Thornwolf to even survive. If you want to win against HIM, you will need our help. So, instead of throwing us out, let us help your kingdom stop HIM."

"Do not speak ill of my kingdom again, William. I know what we are and aren't. I will handle HIM, just like I handled Sentinel."

"Oh, please. If you really did kill Sentinel, it was because he had a kind soul, and you exploited that. HE does not have any flaws. The only way to beat HIM is to overpower HIM, which I assume you do not have that kind of power."

"Enough of this conversation. Leave now and don't return. The only reason I will not turn you over is that the princess is the daughter of King Henry, and I had the utmost respect for him we all did. So, leave now before I change my mind. Kate, please escort them back to the wall."

"TSK."

We all got up and followed Kate out the door. I was so frustrated with that man, thinking his poor kingdom could stand a chance. Maybe if we teamed up, we could win, but he's too much of a coward to do that. And now the three kingdoms know what happened, so who knows if the other kingdoms will allow us to seek refuge there. As we approached the door, Kate spoke:

"Look, I'm sorry this is happening to you, so please don't get angry at Sir Kephalos. He's just doing what's best for us. If he wasn't the king, I promise you he would help you. Since King Henry is basically a hero to him, he admires him so much and is trying to replicate his work with this kingdom. But since we're a poor kingdom, we don't really have the power or the resources to help anyone outside of the kingdom, so please don't hate him."

The princess spoke in a gentle and convincing voice:

"It's okay. You don't have to feel bad for us. We're strong enough to figure something out. And as for your king, while I don't think my father would go this route, I do believe in a couple of years, this kingdom will flourish with King Kephalos in charge."

kate began to cry and thanked the princess. We then arrived at the wall, and Kate bowed, wished us well on our journey, and left. We went through the door and out to the other side, where the same old drunk was sleeping.

"Well, what now, William?" Arthur asked.

"I'm not sure. Sentinel was the only one who was strong enough to team with."

"I know the Princess of Valyndor. Maybe we can go there, but I'm not too sure if they will allow us," the princess said, still thinking.

Then an old drunken man spoke from behind us:

"You brats seem to be in a bit of a pickle, huh."

"Yes, it seems like that, old man."

"Well, lucky enough for you, I'm your golden goose. Come with me, and I'll show you Sentinel."