Chapter 37: Chapter 36
"Tell me, now, do you believe that wicked happenings chase only treacherous people?
Let me tell you: it isn't so.
Misfortunate circumstances are as twain sisters: one that is a mentor and the other, a scourge. When terrible times compass a mortal, it is to train the strength of heart, as a teacher, that wishes for the finest to thrive in them, or the scourge that punishes the erstwhile wrongful deeds.
And either of these nurtures the right in a soul."
~
Cottage Street in the City of Shillingston,
Kingdom of Tristendyre,
The first Phrinight of the Second month,
XXI Year of Regency
Being cunning himself, Jaycob preferred oft the alliance of the innocent, for they neither suspected malice, nor were untrustworthy.
It hadn't been so much as an hour and the man had already retrieved the black cloak of Mister Joab, exited the Under-Ground Dungeons and made his way to the City of Shillingston.
Before he could return to the Regent with the key, he wished to accomplish various other businesses.
He waited at the door of the Innes' residence patiently, after knocking. A few moments had passed before an elderly woman, wife of Mister Innes the locksmith, attended to him.
"Ah, Sir Oreius! Do step inside and rest your feet", said she, hastening to grant him warm invitation.
For a heart-throb, the ring of this name that everyone had always addressed him with felt more personal, like he was the only soul left to shouldering its honour.
Jaycob greeted her before making entrance and shrugged off his cape casting it over his arm where the dark cloak was already resting. He settled in the drawing room till the man of the house presented himself.
"What joy it brings me that you would visit our cottage this eve", said the middle-aged fellow, smiling till the mild wrinkles of his eyes dug deeper and visibly.
The ambience of the place was still slovenly like the heavy moods post the execution of the young damsel, Imogen, had not willed to waft away, even though the rains had ceased.
"Dear Mister Innes", the Royal Archer began, hesitant with his choice of words, "I have an urgent favour to receive of you, but my guilt stifles me to be handing you bother at this late hour."
"It would be no less than an honour to grant service to you, Sir", said Mister Innes. "The benefits and courtesies I have received from you are plenty. I could not repay".
Jaycob smiled before uncurtaining his coat and producing a ring where various keys were fastened. Pulling one such out of the bunch, he thrust it in the locksmith's calloused hands.
"I would like two forgeries of this key: one in exact replica and the other feigned", said the Archer.
The dark haired man in reception scratched his chin as he listened. "So you wish for a couple of like moulded instruments where the first can access the key hole to unlock and the other shall be unable?" he asked in clarification and Jaycob nodded.
The lady of the house brought a tray of two ceramic cups upon saucers and placed them before the men.
There were ingestible petals of blooms at the floor of the cups that began rising to float when Missus Innes poured the glassy auburn tea there-into. Hot steams and fresh smells rose from the drink and the men thanked the wife that made the home.
Mister Innes smiled and took the key in. "And by when would you like these, Sir?" asked the locksmith, as his keen eyes appraised the art of the metal in his hand.
"Would you be able to produce them in an hour's time?", asked Jaycob casting his glance on the man's hands that embraced the keys that bore access to the Secret Cell of the Under-Ground Dungeons, as he took a sip of the beverage that was served.
Mister Innes gave the man a pleasant smile and a nod. "The copies shall be yours, Sir Oreius", said he.
"That would be beneficial", said the tall guest. There was a slight feeling of hesitation before Jaycob asked the man, "Would it be alright for this cloak to kindly sojourn in your custody until I shall collect my favours?"
"Of course, good Sir, the honour is ours", said the man, collecting it safely.
The Head Archer gave them a pleasant smile and nod in thanks.
He drew a pouch of diamonds and handed it to the man who had offered to complete the service, saying, "I do hope this will cater to the consideration."
Mister Innes repelled, for he was a man who was strong in moral conduct, saying, "I would absolutely refuse to accept such lavish payment; kindly, Sir, spoil me not with so much. I would not mind committing these keys to you for free."
Jaycob leaned close and said, "Please do take the remuneration. It is well-deserved for reason of business beyond hours and the significance of your being to my aid in this dire situation."
For the serious tone of voice that the man spoke in, Mister Innes obliged to receive the commission.
The men rose to their feet and after bidding to them thanks and farewell, the Chief of Artillery made his way out the doors.
The tall man drew the cape over his shoulders and wore his hood low over his masked face.
He was aware that it was abundant fees being made, but at that odd hour, the man was going to commence his toils on Jaycob's behalf. And those keys were the sole gear to the Secret cells.
The olive-haired man wished to carry the original key with him, hand an imitated spare to Imogen (for he would be away on a far journey) and lastly, the fake to the Regent.
There was a fair chance that Jehoram would not suspect be-cause there was hardly need for him to make his way to the Secret-Cell.
And in any untimely case, if he did, he must not acquire access to reconstruct or decipher the stone wall bearing the markings of Zebedee Ryder. It was probably that even if the art had met their gazes, they had not counted it to be worth a rush.
If Jaycob was to face the heat for false keys, he could pretend he was inadvertent in passing the man a wrong one. After all, his return from the journey would not take longer than a week, and thus, much ado would not be spent in such fast period.
Further, he had rendered the man a greatly generous sum of recompense be-cause he knew that the family did struggle to meet expenses regarding their daughter.
Pocketing his hands, the Head Archer halted his stride and gazed up at the house of Innes to see the window of the upper floor: there, a candle's light was ignited and the man's shadows moved as one who had begun rigorous and earnest labour.
~
The Streets of the Town of Hazenvale,
Kingdom of Tristendyre,
The first Phrinight of the Second month,
XXI Year of Regency
Frustration curved the Royal Archer's brows as he walked the streets of Hazenvale, hooded.
He could not travel this great way by means of a horse, for his presence would be as obvious as the august sun in a cloudless sky, whilst he wished to move in a dormant and quiet profile to escape the notice of certain persons, much like a predator in the wild but in his case, he was the fleeing prey.
After sighting a person seeming as innocent and unassuming as Mister Joab Xavier, the man that lit the candles of the lampposts night after night, it was only obvious that the men of black cloaks were kerns and townsfolk blent in regular daily courses and guileless affairs of common life, seeming candid, but supplanting their schemes in the dark.
Jaycob drew his hood lower as he walked, feeling vulnerable and on high guard. He desperately required being careful, for there could be any threat waged against him from any direction.
Faring this journey across was not exhausting for he had stayed the previous portion of the day at rest passively mopping the Secret Under-Ground, save ever since he had retrieved Imogen.
Emotionally, he was spent, but physically, his body had seen much farther athletics and exercise nearly every week. It was by such means and enterprise that he had developed calibre and brand to his name, although that seemed to be in great danger, presently.
It wasn't much longer before Jaycob made his way towards the village of Lyrishveil, neighbouring Hazenvale's edge. He had serious business to tend to there, although he was unaware of how much he could hunt and discover at that hour and circumstance.
The attack from Mister Joab had been more of a death-blow to his trust than his body, be-cause Jaycob was engaged to assume that there was some dark and unknown overlord that has commissioned the man to murder him.
He was unawares of who it was, but he had a grand amount of suspicion that it was the Regent and his Eccleissor. However, that was only a doubtful cast of thought, for Jehoram had shown no shift of tempers upon sighting him post the attempted offence.
Recollecting the incident more vividly, Jaycob realised that Devland truly had seemed much more ruffled than necessary, but Jaycob had mildly just counted the mood to be his general disarray.
Jaycob could not be sure, for he bore no concrete corroboration; but that was the deduction offered by his intuition: that it seemed to be fair to imagine the murder attempted may have seen direction from the Eccleissor alone, besides the Regent.
As he passed the Town-Square of the Town of Hazenvale, the Archer watched the men that were removing the Pillory in reconstruction beginning their chores for the work, since the rains had calmed.
He knew that they wouldn't toil for as much as an hour be-cause the most part of this day was already spent.
The place, however, reminded the masked man of the events of the previous night when he had seen Imogen and Jehu and had committed his share of justice in breaking the stone of the cangue and retrieving a snip of the redeemed victim's long hair.
Thereafter, whilst his own hand was bleeding, he awaited in the shadows till Michavel's immediate presence arrived to collect the fainted Bishop.
He recalled seeing Mister Joab Xavier evacuating Hazenvale after the procedure of his occupation towards the lamps was completed. As had been for weeks, the man had avoided his gaze and had scurried on into the night.
Howsoever, although Jaycob knew that the man was in communion with the deep and dark organisation beneath, he mayn't have known of the Rivenhove in the candles, for he wore no mask nor scarf to protect his breath as the Archer himself had.
And further, Mister Joab's had not persisted to ensure that Jaycob was truly murdering Nathan Jehu, for he had felt the old man's presence retire home ward, just as Imogen's when he had detected (to ensure that no eyes witnessed him rupturing the pillory).
Even during the charge against him in the aisles of the Secret Under-Ground, Jaycob may not have survived the unexpected hit, had the man not lapsed in hesitation.
Further, subduing him was simple, be-cause he posed no threats, merely attempts to escape.
It was clear that subtlety was not the man's flair and he was much kinder, seeming like he was forced into the course.
However, the Archer knew that it was inexcusable still, for the man to have desired his head. After all, unlike the soft-hearted like Imogen, Jaycob would not trust any easy, let alone one that plunged to claim his life.
At present moment, Jaycob Oreius was treading his way to the village of Lyrishveil where Mister Joab Xavier's family resided, in order to interview them on any knowledge in the matter of the Organisation.
Shortly after the Regents had left, the masked Archer had tried to trace the presence of the man, but had found him deep in the lair.
It would have been a gravely dangerous endeavour to dive therein and retrieve the man, for the presence he had deciphered was reclined on the floor where Jaycob could not discern whether he was alive or murdered.
~
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone