Chapter 9: The Necklace of the Gods

~Fort Kingsley, Kingdom of Vasilosse~

The fort might have been a massive, intriguing location, but for runaways hiding from the army in plain sight, there was very little to do. Hunter, for one, wandered the base alone with his thoughts, his hand playing with his mother’s necklace in his pocket. He carried it as a memento of her, knowing it bore a significance for the Royal Army, albeit unknowing of what that significance truly was.

Hunter tried as much as possible to avoid coming into contact with soldiers, despite them running all over the fort like ants scurrying back to their monticule. By orders of General Ophelia Freyne, no soldiers bothered Hunter and his friends, but he could not shake the feeling of their eyes being glued on him no matter where he went.

Hunter stood on a footbridge overlooking the entrance of the mine, peering below at the spinning gears and rising smoke, listening to distant chatter.

Ophelia joined him in his solitude. “This mine is the kingdom’s main distributor in coal,” she informed him.

Hunter responded with a bothered sigh. “I know. The big guy already told us.”

 “How are you doing?”

“Not good.”

Ophelia nodded awkwardly. “I’m going to free your cousin later today.”

“Good.”

“You don’t seem very happy about the news.”

“Whether we’re behind bars or not doesn’t matter much if the entire kingdom’s looking for us.”

“Not the entire kingdom.”

“You know what I mean,” he irritably tsked.

Ophelia’s eyes drifted to the twinkle of Hunter’s necklace. “What’s that?” she asked, continuing her attempt to strike up a friendly conversation with him.

“None of your business.”

“Is it gold? It looks like gold.”

Hunter sighed. “It’s a necklace.”

“Why not put it around your neck?” she asked jokingly.

Hunter took the necklace out of his pocket and held it in front of his face, dangling it softly. “It’s not meant to be worn.”

Ophelia did not respond. Her eyes were stuck on the necklace, hypnotized by its slow swinging. Her mouth was agape, her entire body frozen in awe. Hunter turned to look at her, confused by her sudden silence.

“Where did you get that?” The words stuttered out of the general’s trembling mouth.

Hunter instantly grew suspicious of her reaction and brought the necklace closer to his chest.

“Do you have any idea what that is?” asked Ophelia.

“Do you?”

“If that’s what I think it is… No, it can’t be…”

“Hey, are you gonna keep mumbling to yourself like a lunatic or are you gonna tell me what it is?”

“No. You can’t know. It’s far too dangerous.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You have to hide that necklace immediately. If the king gets his hands on it… I can’t begin to imagine the damage it might cause.”

Hunter shook the necklace. “This is a piece of jewelry, not a bomb.”

“It’s far more than that. I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. You can’t let anyone know you have it in your possession.”

Hunter squinched. “You know.”

“I know. I’ll keep it to myself.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“If I wanted to take it from you, I would have no trouble doing so.” She straightened herself and regained her composure. “Let’s go, your cousin is waiting for us.”

Begrudgingly, Hunter followed the general away from his peaceful lookout, stuffing the necklace back in his pocket. The last thing he needed at the moment was a mystery to solve, but he digressed.

***

“Broccoli is the food that tastes the most like how it looks,” observed Luck, putting a raw broccoli head in his mouth. “It really tastes like a tiny green tree.”

Ken poked the slab of miscellaneous meat on his plate with his fork. “What about celery? It’s just a crunchy water stick.”

Luck nodded along. “I see what you mean. I still think broccoli is the clear champion here.”

“Why are we having this conversation?”

Luck shrugged. “Aren’t you gonna eat? Surely, you’re hungry.”

“I don’t eat animals.”

“Seriously? Damn, you’re gonna have a hard time. This is an army base, no doubt meat is part of every meal.”

“Guess I’ll starve, then.”

“Don’t say that. I’m sure we can make an arrangement for you.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you. I’m probably set for the gallows anyway.”

“Man, you’re even more depressing than Hunter.”

“Speak of the devil.”

They both turned to the end of the hallway, where Ophelia and Hunter followed the creaking of the metal door.

The general unlocked her prisoners’ cell and looked at Luck. “You’re free to go.”

Ken threw a knowing look at his cellmate and chuckled.

“Only me?” asked Luck.

“Yes. You will join the rest of your party in relative freedom.” Ophelia turned to address herself to Ken. “As for you, you will remain in this cell. Your crimes were too severe for me to overlook.”

Ken waved his hand in the air. “I know, I know.”

“It seems you’ve come to peace with your fate. I applaud your maturity.”

“It is what it is.”

Ophelia locked the door once more, as she and the cousins left the underground levels of the fort. The walk back to the room Hunter and the others were staying in was long, tiresome, and quiet, save for the typical background noises of machinery and chatter. After a day in the fort, all that brouhaha became white noise.

It was Luck who broke the silence. “Can I cook Ken’s next meal?”

The general raised an eyebrow. “You wish to cook for him?”

“Yeah, he doesn’t eat meat, and I’d hate for him to go hungry.”

“Who cares?” said Hunter unsympathetically.

“I see no reason to object to a good deed,” said Ophelia. “I’ll guide you to the kitchen, and there you will be at a liberty to create whatever dish you can think of.”

“Nice, thanks a lot. Thanks for letting me out, also.”

“You needn’t mention it. I thought about it, weighed the severity of your crimes, and made an informed decision.”

“Man, am I glad we landed on you. Had we run into any other officer, we’d probably be back in the capital awaiting punishment.”

“I’ve always operated prioritizing my own sense of justice over the kingdom’s.”

Luck and Ophelia’s conversation went on without interruption until they reached the kitchen.

Like almost everything else in Fort Kingsley, it was massive, requiring tens of staff to run effectively. It was by far the most fast-paced part of the fort, cooks walking around with a spring in their step, hollering directives and questions at each other while staying focused on their individual tasks.

“Make yourselves small, and you shouldn’t be bothered,” said Ophelia. “I’ll be going. Hunter, I trust you to show him back to your room after.”

As the general left the kitchen, Hunter was forced to stay with Luck, lest he wanted him to disorient himself by wandering alone until he stumbled upon their room later.

Luck walked past a few cooks, who surprisingly paid him no mind. He rummaged in nearby cupboards and drawers to find suitable utensils to cook a proper meal, before scouring the kitchen for ingredients, all while Hunter rubbed his fingers on his forehead exasperatedly.

“Why do you care about that guy, anyway?” Hunter asked his cousin.

“You learn to bond with someone when you’re in jail with them.”

“You were in there for a couple of hours.”

“Plenty of time to get to know him.”

“He’s a murderer and a thief.”

“That’s not all he is. He likes animals.”

“Hates people, though.”

“People killed his cat.”

“One guy killed his cat. Are you taking his defense, now?”

“It doesn’t matter what he is, or what he’s done, or why he is the way he is. No one should go hungry. Can you help me whip something up? It’ll be quicker that way.”

Hunter flailed his arms childishly and grunted. “Fine.”

In actuality, Hunter merely wanted to head back to their room for the night. Now was hardly the time for an argument.

Once they finished preparing Ken’s meal, the two cousins walked all the way back from where they had recently come from, across the fort, down the elevator and into the sublevel in which lay the jail cells. They made their way to Ken’s den of solitude, a metal tray containing his meal in hand.

Luck was about to call out to him when he noticed from across the bars keeping them apart that he was fast asleep. Aiming to preserve his momentary peacefulness, he snuck the tray between two bars and laid it on the floor.

Quickly thereafter, he and Hunter went back to their room, where Taina bolted to her feet upon seeing Luck. He may have only been locked away for under a day, but with uncertainty dampening the air, it felt like it had been an eternity since she had last seen him.

She rushed over to him and hugged him tightly, to which he responded with a choked laugh and an awkward hug back.

“I haven’t been gone that long,” Luck teased her.

“I was scared,” said Taina, nearly whimpering.

“Don’t be.”

“I’m not anymore. You’re safe.”

“I was always safe.”

Hunter bypassed them and sat in the corner of the room, directly on the floor. He only had time to dig his mother’s necklace out of his pocket that Jim literally jumped off his bed and faceplanted on the floor.

Jim brushed off the pain and excitedly slammed his hands on the carpeted floor. “Is that what I think it is!”

“Okay, am I the only one who doesn’t know?” asked Hunter, annoyed.

“Let me see it!”

“Back off!”

“Please! I don’t have to hold it if you don’t want to.”

Hunter reluctantly brought the necklace closer so that Jim could examine it, if it would make him shut up. With eyes drowning in wonder, Jim gave it a thorough visual inspection.

“This is it!” exclaimed Jim.

“This is what?” said Hunter equally loudly, but far more miffed.

“It looks exactly like the necklace of the gods described in the Asakiwara mythos!”

Taina’s curiosity was piqued by Jim’s enthusiasm. She crouched next to Hunter and looked at the necklace deeply. “I never realised.”

Hunter threw his hands in exasperation. “So, you knew as well?”

“In my book, it says that once, a long time ago, before people walked the earth or sailed the seas, the world was crippled by natural disasters. Tsunamis, tornados, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, violent storms all ravaged our young planet. No life could prosper in such extreme conditions, so when the god of creation wished to bring forth life to the world, the five elemental gods of fire, wind, water, earth, and lightning had to contain the powers they had been born to control. They each took a piece of their own hearts and infused a necklace with their powers. That necklace was set to be given to the first creature worthy of its power.”

Jim nodded so hard his head could have fallen off. “Yup! And apparently, it was an Asakiwara who inherited the task of owning the necklace of the gods.”

Taina continued. “So long as the necklace and the hearts of gods remained intact, the world would continue to know peace from natural disasters.”

“I take it the ‘hearts of gods’ were supposed to be in these five little chambers?” asked Hunter.

“I would assume.”

“Well, look at that, they’re nowhere to be seen.”

“Sure, I mean, I would take the story with a grain of salt. It’s just a strange coincidence how your mother’s necklace perfectly fits the description of the one in the Asakiwara mythos.”

“Yeah, well coincidences tend to be strange. That’s the whole point.”

Hunter said that, but he recalled what his uncle had told him about his mother and the necklace, about what Prince Windfrey had said. The king wanted something left behind by Hunter’s father. Could it have been the necklace? What meaning did it carry?

“You guys are making my head spin with all this legend talk,” said Luck. “I thought it was just Jewel’s necklace that Hunter kept as a way to remember her.”

“It is,” said Hunter, putting an end to the theories swirling in Jim and Taina’s heads. “I’m tired, so let’s keep the talking to a minimum.” Hunter closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall.

“Aren’t you taking a bed?” asked Taina.

“I’m already sitting here. Besides, there’s five of us and only two beds. It would be too cramped for comfort.”

He lay on the floor and turned to face the wall. It may not have been the most pleasant way to sleep, but his mind was so weary that it did not matter. Luck tossed him a pillow and a blanket from the closet, and soon after, everyone went to bed, closing the curtains on a momentous first day in Fort Kingsley.

Early in the morning, before the sun had time to fully emerge from bellow the horizon outside, a high-pitched, resounding bell rang across the fort, signaling the beginning of the miners’ long workday in the depths of the mountain. Despite being far from their room, the bell reached far, waking everyone except for Luck, who seemed deep in a dream, spread across the bed like a starfish, his limbs pushing Taina off her side.

Hunter headed for the door to stretch his waking body outside of the room, but when he opened the door, he was met with a soldier guarding their room.

The soldier turned to face Hunter. “I am under direct orders from General Freyne to keep you inside your room until further notice. Please be cooperative.”

“What’s going on?” asked Hunter.

“You needn’t worry. You’ll be safe as long as you stay here. Those were the general’s words.”

“And what danger lies outside, exactly?”

“Someone is coming for you. She did not share more details with me, but I will do my duty and keep you here. Please understand.”

Hunter squinted and backed away. “Sure…”

“What’s going on?” worriedly asked Taina.

“I think we’ve been found already. Damn it all. We can’t stay here.”

“What do we do? We can’t exactly leave the room either.”

Jim crossed his arms to stabilize his shaking. “We’ll just have to trust big bro and the general.”

***

Outside the gate of Fort Kingsley, General Freyne and Captain Kareese waited along with a slew of soldiers standing behind them. On the road coming from the west, a truck belonging to the Royal Army approached, coming into view as it exuded a dark smoke from burning coal. The vehicle came to a halt before reaching the barrage of people standing in its way.

As the pillar of smoke dissipated, the passenger side door opened, and out came Vice Admiral Floke, his open coat swaying in the wind dramatically. He took a few steps forward, followed by soldiers of his own, to greet General Freyne.

He stopped some paces in front of his welcome party. The officers exchanged stern looks, but no words. Only the wind howling against the cold metal of the fort made itself heard.

Finally, Brock broke the silence. “General Freyne, Captain Kareese,” he greeted his contemporaries. “Such a warm welcome in Fort Kingsley, as always. Commander Cole is the only one missing.”

“Eugene is busy working in the mines,” said Ophelia.

“I shouldn’t be surprised. He’s always been a hard worker, that one. Now, I would hate to waste your precious time, general, so let’s get straight to the point. Surely, you’ve been made aware of the reason of my visit?”

“I have my guess.”

“Recently, a group of criminals caused mayhem in the capital, injuring Commander Blacke and threatening the peace of the high town. Suspicions have arisen that mayhap, the sons of the Reas brothers are part of said group. As you know, we currently hold Silvers Reas prisoner in the capital, but Travis, the infamous treasure hunter, still evades us.”

“I’m well aware of the Reas situation. You can quit beating around the bush, Vice Admiral.”

Brock chuckled. “Very well. We have reason to believe the criminals may have chosen to seek refuge in your fort. After all, among them, we know for certain are Jim Kareese and Elesia Kareese.” He turned to grin at Bradley, who returned a blank expression. “Given the Kareese family’s concern for each other, we’ve come to the conclusion they may have sought their older brother’s protection.”

“Your concerns are understandable, but no group has come through here.”

“Is that so? Then, I suppose you wouldn’t be opposed to me searching your base? Just to make sure.”

“You can do as you please, but Fort Kingsley is large. It will take days to search the whole base.”

“Then you will have to grow accustomed to my presence. I have been sent by the king himself, and I intend to fulfill my duty.”

“Of course. Follow me. I’ll show you around the base.”

“A most generous offer, but I simply must refuse. I would like to explore at my own leisure.”

“And I must object. This is no place to wander aimlessly.”

“Your objection is unfounded, general. Unless, of course, you have something to hide. Did you wish to steer me off course?”

“Spare me the baseless accusations, please. You are injured, and the fort is a dangerous place. I simply wish to ensure your safety.”

“Thank you for your consideration, general, but I’ll be quite alright. Remember, I am under orders from the king himself.”

“And I am not. This is my base, and all who come in will follow my rules.”

“You forget your place, general. All of us are under direct orders from the king. His wish is our command, whether he speaks it to us directly or not.”

“I believe I have made myself abundantly clear, vide admiral.”

Brock tossed his healthy arm in the air and snickered. “It is your base, general. Very well, I shall follow your rules while under your roof. However, know that if I find out you are harbouring the criminals we’re searching for, I will act under my own authority, not yours.”

“Of course.” Ophelia turned around and rolled her eyes. “Follow me, vice admiral. Bradley, you may go back to your duties.”

As everyone went back to their respective post, Vice Admiral Brock followed General Ophelia into her base. He had in the past been to Fort Kingsley but had never gotten the chance to visit it in all its mechanical glory.

Brock stared at the mine below him, impressed by the apparent efficiency of the workers. “Do you reckon the mine will ever run out of coal? At the rate it’s being exploited, surely it won’t last forever.”

Ophelia loathed having to keep the vice admiral company, but decided humouring him was a safer, less confrontational approach. “All things eventually run out; nothing is infinite. We likely won’t see it in our lifetime, but one day, the mine will outlive its original purpose.”

“I see. Very insightful. You have a very hardworking crew.”

“I do.”

“What’s the secret behind such productivity?”

“Respect, rest, nutrition, and a positive work environment.”

“How amusing.”

“What is?”

“You treat them like friends.”

“I treat them as human beings and show them the basic respect everyone deserves.”

“Nobody is deserving of respect without first earning it.”

“Then, I assume you spit in the face of those you meet until they prove themselves worthy of being treated with a modicum of respect?”

“My, such antagonism coming from such a pretty face.”

“You and I are not friends, vice admiral. I will treat you with the respect I would give to any other officer but be careful how you speak to me or my soldiers.”

“It seems you and I got off on the wrong foot, general.” He extended his hand. “Let’s be friends.”

He was obviously ridiculing her. From his small, deceiving eyes twisted by his multiple scars to his disparaging smile, he was making fun of the fundamental differences between the two of them.

Ophelia looked at his hand long enough to try to make him uncomfortable, ultimately refusing to shake it. “I have somewhere to be. You may search the fort but mind your manners.”

“Why, of course, general. Thank you for your hospitality.”

With a devilish grin, Brock set out in the fort, with the goal of finding Hunter and Luck. He distrusted Ophelia and Bradley long before he had set foot on their turf, but their wariness to receive him only reinforced the sentiment. He knew they were hiding something, and he would find out what, no matter the cost.