Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Mercenaries (II) Less than an Object

He was a bit apprehensive when he left the place.

There was no saying if this new man he had brought to his side would betray him, or exploit the kids, but he was also not able to provide and be there for the orphans every day.

"I have to believe in the man who is greedy for money, and make sure I pay more than others."

He said out loud to himself, turning back onto one of the busy streets.

At the same time even if money drove the man, it seemed he valued his life more than money at least.

Kilian knew the man had foregone the mission to kill him, knowing Kilian's lineage by the appearance of the blond hair and ice blue eyes.

The North still had some sway, even if the new nobles of the country grew up with stories of his Grandfather, they still had never experienced the frightening colossal of the Archduke in person.

"I will personally cut his hands off if he dares to terrorize the kids."

The street was bustling even when the sun had gone down. Instead, hovering lights created by magic were illuminating the streets and vendors.

It gave an ethereal look to the architecture of the residences, and people generally seemed cheery and content, going about their day.

"Clack…clack"

The sound of his cane was dulled by the sound of the many residents moving about. Still, he took in a deep breath and ignored the dull pain in his feet.

'It is not so bad anymore.' He looked down at his cane, gently rubbing the smooth amber surface at the top.

'Maybe I won't need this for much longer.'

He smiled, knowing that contrary to his thoughts, he would never completely stop using his cane.

The pain was chronic, but even if he could manage without, the cane was a part of his body now, something he would not part with easily.

Two men moved up through the crowd, directly towards him, and Kilian warily sped up, trying to turn a corner.

'What is going on.'

Someone grabbed his arm from behind twisting it up along his back, the motion making him call out in pain.

However, a big hand covered his mouth and no one on the street heard his silent scream.

It took only seconds before his being was surrounded by several people, all obscuring his view of him and the crowd of people around.

"Sleep."

The smell of the hand covering his mouth reminded him of Maarken, and he felt the nausea turn on his stomach.

"Why won't he sleep."

The voice sounded surprised and annoyed, and it came from the one behind him.

There was a commotion and Kilian was directed by the pain in his arm into a small alleyway.

"Just knock him out, and be over with it." Another voice sang in an amused cheery tone.

Kilian tried to concentrate on the many people around him. They were shabbily dressed but were carrying weapons with them.

"Mercenaries." He tried to exclaim through the hand over his mouth.

Soot had mentioned he had followed the mercenaries to the Capital.

'The Heathgraves.' Kilian thought, unable to speak more as the hand tightened its hold on him, causing him to barely be able to breathe.

"Very perceptive, Young Lord."

Something covered Kilian's eyes and sudden sharp pain at the back of his head, caused his mind to blank out.

"Rumble…creak"

The clattering sound of the wagon was as strong as the harsh constant movements it had when driving over the rough terrain.

Kilian's body was banging against the hardwood and other hard items around him, that were taking up the space for him to move freely.

But even if he could, his arms and legs were bound, and he still had his eyes covered.

'Where am I.'

The smell was moldy, and something hard pressed at his back.

He grimaced as the wagon shook, causing something to fall and hit his stomach.

He did not know how long he had been unconscious. When he had awoken he had already been on some type of wagon, thrown in there with other things like some kind of object.

'Must be those damn mercenaries.'

He gritted his teeth, unsure when his body would feel another hit.

It felt like he was laying there for hours, his body tossed around like a sack like it was nothing.

The wagon dipped under him, and he hit the wood hard, causing him to bite his lip so hard he could taste a faint metallic taste from it.

'Are they taking me back to the Heathgrave mansion?'

His back felt a cold chill, and the thoughts of going back to that residence caused him to breathe faster.

Even if his body was better it had not forgotten the years of torture it had gone through in that place, and the fear and thought of it were paralyzing him.

The wagon stopped, and Kilian laid back, there was no use in pretending to still be unconscious, the many things he could not even see, were halfway covering him by now, and they wouldn't believe someone could simply sleep through it.

"What a nice look for a young Lord."

A few different voices laughed mockingly, and something suddenly pulled at Kilian's clothes, throwing him out of the wagon.

He landed on the ground, feeling the dirt and grass under him, the smell cleaner than it had been in the wagon.

"Set up camp, we will continue tomorrow."

It was a new voice with a commanding tone, and Kilian could hear many footsteps around him, some even kicking at him when they went by.

"Urgh."

His brain was panicking, and he focused on breathing to calm himself down.

He tried to sit up, but something grabbed him by his tied wrists, pulling him up from the ground completely, the tip of his toes barely still touching the ground.

"You are in the way."

The voice was close to the point he could feel the breath on his face, and another hand, held him by the chin, so he couldn't turn his face away.

Something wet touched his cheek, the slithering feeling making his skin crawl and he was about to protest when he felt his entire body flung aside, thrown again like some object to the ground.