District 42-Chapter 265: Birth of the Frelsi part 2
In the West region of District 42, a Crusade was happening. Lots of Jarls were walking across the streets, boasting their weapons and making their presence as flashy as possible to the citizens. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
There were just a few people who stopped to look at their march. It wasn’t something of the interest of the majority since most people didn’t like the Ridires too much in that place.
The only regions that had people approving the Castle and the Ridires when they marched around were the Midwest and North. It was a matter of wealthiness, obviously. Their taxes weren’t lower than in the others but they had more investment in different areas for their necessities, which made those the best places to live in District 42.
That day, the Ridires were doing their march as per usual. They had a relay system so they could visit each region equally every month. West region generally was the latter that they visited, generally.
Those warriors were thinking that the environment of the West region that day was quite strange. Something was really wrong there. As they passed for numerous battles and intense training, they could feel when the danger was lurking around.
Their shoulders were tense, their hairs standing on end, chills ran down their spines from time to time. That sensation of being observed didn’t leave their minds no matter how much they tried to shove it off.
Usually, they would hold their weapons instead of keeping them to show their power and fortune. It was on the protocol that they needed to stand out as much as possible and show to the citizens their authority. Nonetheless, that day, they wouldn’t keep their guns even if they allowed them to do so.
Even if their arms were trembling from holding those heavy weapons all day under very hot weather, they wouldn’t let go of it. They felt like using those things at any time.
The citizens also seemed to be acting strangely that day. Some of them were clearly showing to be unaware of that tense atmosphere, just living their days as they commonly would do. Others were looking to the warriors as if they knew something that they didn’t.
The Crusade started in the part of the region most near the Castle. They would keep marching across the streets in order to pass for the crowdest ones, where they could be noticed by the major part of the population. It would end with them going to the main square, staying there for some time, then going straight back to the Castle.
It was simple and quick. They always made sure to show off, but also to march as fast as they could. After all, everything they wanted was to go back to the balanced and comfy weather of the Castle.
Because of the strange feeling that befell them on that Crusade, marching on those streets seemed to take the double of time.
They finally got to the main square, not willing the least to stay there for more than five minutes, then go out. In such an open space, they didn’t feel prepared for an attack. Tactically speaking, anyone could make a trap to catch them off guard while being in there.
"Do you remember what happened somewhere like here?" Trying to soothe his mind by talking ordinary things, one of the Ridires spoke to his friend beside him.
"Yes. I do. I was there on that day." He briefly answered. They weren’t supposed to be talking anything, after all.
However, the other man insisted.
"Don’t you feel uneasy being here again? I heard that they couldn’t catch that trio after that rainy day. They simply vanished from the map."
"Shh, don’t talk too much. And they didn’t vanish. They are somewhere in the district. We just need to find them. The Sgails are working on this."
"How can amateurs like them fool even the Sgails?"
The most diligent Ridire went silent after that question. He didn’t want to talk anymore at all. For both reasons: their duty and no responses to give. Even he did not know how those three could keep hiding until that day.
In the start, there was some evidence that they could use to keep on their tail, but after this, their tracks started to vanish.
The Ridires were still unaware of what they were trying to do, but analyzing superficially the robbery history of Javir from the last months, they could suppose from the items he stole that the trio was trying to do something huge.
’If the Castle is alarmed like this and even our superiors are struggling to find them, it can mean only trouble.’
As the afternoon was passing, the sun started to set on the horizon. In twenty minutes the nightfall would come.
All the Ridires agreed that the time to go back to the Castle arrived. Relief befell on their shoulders once they realized that nothing happened during the time they stayed at the main square. Their march was more peaceful than in other days when robbers would end up appearing and they needed to stop them.
For some minutes, they thought if that atmosphere wasn’t something that came out of their minds. Maybe it was just a strange day for no reason at all. The citizens never sympathized with that part of District 42 to begin with, so their strange behavior could be justified.
Nevertheless, that idea fell apart once they spotted some individuals appearing on top of the buildings that surrounded the main square in the distance. Some of them were coming from random streets and walking slowly in the direction of the Ridires.
Since they were just commoners with brown masks, they couldn’t attack the Ridires. They could only fight against themselves. The only harm they could cause was to steal something from them, but that didn’t seem to be their intention at all.
In no time, those warriors were already surrounded by people. It seemed some sort of protestation. If that was the case, the Ridires could rest assured. They were used to this kind of thing. The citizens always complained and protested about the taxes as if it was their fault.
"I want to know what the hell is happening here?" The captain of that troop walked a step in front, puffing out his chest and gazing at them with critical eyes.
"What, you ask?" A voice could be heard coming from one of the buildings, specifically on top of that. Someone was speaking in a megaphone.
The Warriors changed their focus towards the buildings, looking to all sides, then finally spotting where the person was.
"Javir..." The captain mumbled, astonished. "Bastard!"
Javir was on top of that building, holding a megaphone in his right hand. Drott and Inna were beside him with confident looks on their faces.
The warriors got perplexed the moment they realized that the Shadow of the North and his two other partners were right in front of them. They raised their guns swiftly. Around 30 Ridires were pointing at those three, more than enough to kill them in some seconds.
If they did realize what was happening around them, maybe the outcome would be different. However, they didn’t pay attention to the other citizens who were there. Their only objective was to stop those three dangerous criminals.
"Javir, you have two options here! First, give up, accept your judgment, and maybe save the life of your friends. Second, fight back and die right away. What will you chose?" The captain yelled.
"I think you are not in a position to be the one deciding who chooses here, you know?" He mocked, giggling after he finished.
"Are you sure about it?" The Ridire asked, darkly. He raised his hand to give the command for his troops to fire.
"Yes, I do think, Ridire. Maybe you are forgetting who we are and why we are here." He put his hand on the left side of his mask, taking off of his face half of it.
After this, the Ridires heard a noise that wasn’t usual nowadays in District 42. The current weapons being produced didn’t do this kind of noise, but the old ones. However, it was clear for them: the sound of guns cocking.
They looked around and saw that the citizens had weapons on their hands. They were old, some of them weren’t even produced these days.
In some seconds, all of those people had their masks broken in half. Part of their faces was being exposed. The resolution in their eyes was different from the usual expression that those warriors had seen on the faces of the citizens before.
"That’s what we are, Ridires. We are Frelsi! That’s the day of our birth. For now, it was just half of it, but soon the entire mask will fall apart!"
The leader of that troop went pale, his hands trembled upon that awful sight. Those guys could pull through the perfect creation of the Forger. There were merely commoners going against them!
"No way..." The captain turned to the Frelsi on top of the building, looking at his eyes with fury. "JAVIR!!"
Those words were what triggered the battle that was about to happen.
