Restart Again: Volume 2 by Adam Scott (best adventure books to read .TXT) 📗

the distance between us and held out the prize, his hands visibly shaking. I took the reward and opened the lid; much to my surprise, it was filled with the promised contents, and a significantly higher sum of gold than originally promised. This is...not what I was expecting.

He smiled down at us as I finished inspecting the reward. “You may notice that you have been paid double what you were owed. Please consider this gift recompense for our less than agreeable first meeting.”

“That is very generous of you, King Yorrell. We are honored,” I replied, bowing again.

Virram clapped his hands excitedly. “Now! With that out of the way, I simply have a few questions about certain details of your mission, and then you will be free to go. My Shield provided an excellent, in-depth summary of the events, but some things still remain unclear.” Despite being a constant topic of conversation, Val remained expressionless as she stood her vigil. “Just a few questions. It won’t take long.”

My stomach lurched as I put on a false smile. “Of course. What would you like to know?”

“I was told that, on the night of your raid on the Attetsian statehouse, you nobly stayed behind as a distraction while your companions snuck past the guards.” He tilted his head to the side, resting it on his fist. “Tell me, how is it you were able to eliminate four dozen soldiers by yourself? Such a feat of heroism seems impossible.”

Of all the things he could’ve asked about, why this? There’s no way he could know what happened, unless...My eyes tracked down to Val, and my hand clenched reflexively into a fist. “The truth of the matter is much less heroic, I’m afraid,” I admitted with a nervous laugh. “I set fire to the building we were hiding in, and ambushed the first guards who investigated. When they didn’t return, the bulk of the remaining soldiers ran to search the area, and I snuck away through the smoke. I can’t say for sure what happened to them after I left.”

He smirked and, although I couldn’t identify why, I knew I had walked into a trap. “That’s very interesting. You see, I’ve heard a very different account of how things happened that night.”

Val and Lia weren’t there to see what happened, and everyone else who did is dead. I thought back to the events of the fight, using every bit of concentration I could muster not to flinch at the horrors I inflicted. What is he talking about?

“Contrary to what you were told upon accepting this mission, I was not uninformed of the situation of Attetsia. What sort of king would I be if I wasn’t keeping a careful eye on our closest potential enemies?” He let out a triumphant, bitter laugh. “My agents had already joined the local ranks of the Unbound before you left Yoria, and had done an excellent job of keeping me updated on their movements throughout the occupation.”

Pieces began to lock into place in my mind as I continued to scan the fight, desperately trying to find what I had missed. The Strategist was telling the truth. They were in league from the start. That still doesn’t explain how he could...wait.

I arrived at the answer, a second too late. “One of my men happened to be in the courtyard during the incident in question. The things he saw that night were truly disturbing.” Virram leaned forward in his chair. “He claims that a man consumed by black flames killed every man present with such brutality that nothing remained but blood and ash. Only by the blessing of the Primes was he able to escape with his life, while the monster was distracted in its rampage.” He turned to his nearest councilor. “What was it he called it?”

“The locals have referred to it as the Umbral Flame, my King,” Gullen answered.

Too ashamed to face Lia, I locked eyes with the King. “I’m afraid I don’t know anything about that.”

“That is a shame, but I suppose it can’t be helped,” he said with a shrug. “I have only one other question, about your fight with the General.”

“He was a fearsome warrior, to be sure, but—”

“The question is not for you,” Virram interrupted. “I was speaking to Marlia Corell. Daughter of Marten and Hana Corell.”

I felt a chill down my spine as I heard the implied message. I know who you are. I know where your family lives. My heart began to race in my chest as my fight or flight reflexes activated, sending an electric tingle to the ends of my extremities. The atmosphere of the room remained the same, but Virram’s game was abundantly clear: accept the offer, or bring death upon yourselves and the ones you love.

“Now, Lia,” he continued, lingering on her name once again, “how is it that a trader’s daughter won a fight against one of the world’s most dangerous warriors?”

“That is an exaggeration, my King,” she replied calmly. “While it is true that I delivered the killing blow, I only had the chance to do so because of the protection of your Shield. The General would have killed me if she had not been there. To say that I won a fight against him would be inaccurate.”

His eyes narrowed. “Still, to even stand against him is a great feat. Men with decades of training have died by his sword in mere moments. Clearly, you are a gifted prodigy.”

“You honor me,” she said with a respectful bow. “I do not know what to say.”

“Say that you will join my Royal Guard,” he countered.

There was a long pause as they stared each other down. “I will not,” she answered eventually, the warmth and courtesy in her voice markedly absent.

“That is truly unfortunate. Maybe you’d like a day to think it over? Discuss it with your parents!” he suggested pointedly. “Come to think of it, perhaps I’ll bring them here for a private audience. They might be more willing—”

“We’ll be taking