Kingdom’s Bloodline

With complicated emotions, Thales left the ominous "Ghost Prince" tower.

The chaos and noise in the Saber Camp suddenly came back to my ears.

"I guess the sudden blockade order caught many people off guard, plus the soldiers..." Old Hammer exhaled: "The whole camp is more chaotic than usual. Of course, it's not very safe at ordinary times."

Thales shuttled behind the old hammer and the fast rope, squeezed past three men arguing with each other with different accents, dismissed a blacksmith who was spitting at him for selling rusty fighting swords, and politely avoided someone who thought about it. The gorgeously made-up woman who pushed back her petticoat on her thighs cleverly avoided a group of gangsters who were watching secretly in the corner and approached drunkenly when they saw a newcomer approaching.

But when he saw a timid beggar reaching out to him, sighing and trying to take out a few Northland copper coins, he was held down by the old hammer.

"No, if you show your sympathy now, there will be seven or eight people staring at you later—the Saber Camp is not as good as it used to be," Old Hammer stuffed Thales' purse back into his luggage, looking vigilantly around, and patted the weapons on his body at the same time:

"A few years ago, after the Blood Bottle Gang shrunk on a large scale, and it could even be said that they let the Saber Camp go, the people on the road didn't follow the rules very much, and they had no bottom line in doing things until they stripped you off and sold you—and you It's not yet known who is responsible."

Kuaisheng's face turned pale, as if he remembered something, he muttered a few words in a low voice.

Thales was slightly taken aback by Old Hammer's words.

"Blood Bottle Gang?"

Old Hammer nodded.

"When I was still in the army, it was this group of bastards who called themselves the Blood Bottle Gang who controlled the underground world here. They were once very powerful. They colluded with the local nobles, called brothers and brothers with the high-level army, and lived in the Saber Camp. , Regardless of goods smuggling or black market transactions, street guards or skin and meat business, one-third of them are covered by them, and many people who leave the army have nowhere to stay, and they will go to the blood bottle gang to earn food and clothing."

"But two or three years ago, when we returned to the Saber Camp, the power of the Blood Bottle Gang was not as good as before, at least it was restrained a lot." Their more ruthless opponents have been taught a lesson, suffered heavy losses, and even the prestige here has been affected."

Thales thought about it.

The accents from all parts of the mainland are mixed, and even unfamiliar languages ​​from far away occasionally appear. Various businesses and transactions come and go, and the currencies of many countries are mixed and used, allowing Thales to refresh the established concept of this "Desert Frontline" once again. impression.

The three walked through the dusty streets, and after passing by a group of fortresses, a strange building appeared in front of them:

From a distance, it looks like a big upside-down bowl, but it occupies a vast area, comparable to the Sunset Temple in Eternal Star City, just like a giant built a huge sandstone block in the desert.

This semi-circular building does not seem to have much connection with the outside world. On the mottled and rough curved walls, there are small holes that can only be seen with squinting, accepting the penetration of sunlight and the invasion of sand and dust.

As far as Thales could see, there was only one narrow arch in the wide outer wall, which was guarded by a group of heavily armed soldiers. The arch was dark and hazy, unrecognizable, faintly revealing gloom and ominousness .

Doubts arose in Thales' heart.

It's a bunker, at least a military building?

Or is it simply the commander's residence? Then maybe, I can see here...

"Oh, do we have to go this way?" Kuaisheng's frustrated voice sounded, and he covered his head, not looking at the building.

"Don't complain," Old Hammer said without turning his head, "This is the fastest way."

"What's the meaning?"

Thales pointed suspiciously at the semicircular bunker that looked like a Colosseum: "That's..."

Quick Rope let out a strange sigh.

"The Prison of Bones."

"The last place in the world you don't want to go."

Looking at the group of guarding soldiers,

Thales frowned: "The Prison of Bones?"

Old Hammer nodded: "The entire Western Wilderness and even the kingdom's exile place for felons."

Thales seemed to realize something.

He knows the place.

At the beginning of the founding of the Star Kingdom, the strange wasteland under your feet, which reaches Extrem, the Great Desert in the middle, and the small countries in the south, is a veritable nightmare land. As the newly conquered Star Kingdom, most of its areas are desolate and the borders are dangerous. It has been plagued by wind and sand all year round, and the landform is unfavorable for living. Apart from being enshrined for meritorious service-many historians believe that the Falkenhauser family's confinement in the Western Wilderness is a disguised punishment, which actually reflects their relationship with Tormon. De I's bad relationship - the nobles and lords, only the people who were exiled here for their crimes reluctantly took root, year after year, day after day, and became today's Westland Territory.

During this period, what added color to the arduous journey and fierce reputation of the Westland Territory was the cruel prison of bones.

I don't know when it started, especially for those criminals who have committed heinous crimes or are controversial, when the usual convictions are no longer applicable, they will often be exiled to the Western Wilderness, exiled to the Blade Camp, and imprisoned in the notorious Bone Prison, a new way to atone for crimes and serve sentences, not only saves the trouble of judges and local prisons, but also sends free hard labor to the difficult Western Wilderness and even the Saber Camp, and relieves the heavy pressure on the western front.

"See the part on the ground, those small windows? That's the 'White Prison' in the Prison of Bones," Old Hammer glanced sideways at the ominous building, avoiding the guard's scrutiny: "The prisoner inside is People who have been convicted locally and charged with lesser crimes—at least they can see the sun, and they only need to do hard labor to make up for their crimes.”

It was rare that Kuai Rope didn't interrupt, he just looked at the oppressive bone prison with disgust.

"But the White Prison is only a small part of the Prison of Bones. It is more of a 'black prison' built underground—countless dark caves, specially prepared for felons exiled from all over the kingdom. The heavier the prison, the deeper the detention, the black cell goes down layer by layer, the number of prisoners is getting smaller and the danger is more and more."

"Once in the black prison, there is no other way to leave except to become a death squad that never survives, charge desperately on the battlefield or act as a bait."

Thales stared fixedly at the foundation outside the Prison of Bones, imagining the scene below.

Old Hammer sighed slightly: "Of course, the Death Squad does not mean that there will be one, and the number of places is also very tight - after the desert war is over, there are not many places that need the Death Squad. Waiting to die of old age one after another, leaving white bones for the hapless latecomers to trample on."

"That's how the Prison of Bones got its name."

"Let's go," Kuaisheng frowned unnaturally, slightly embarrassed: "This place makes me nervous."

Old Hammer patted him on the shoulder: "When Kuaisheng first arrived, he was sent to a white prison. I guess he was very impressed."

Thales looked at the fast rope in surprise.

But Kuaisheng just pursed his lips and didn't answer.

Thales wisely didn't ask any further questions, he turned his eyes away from the mysterious and deep prison of bones.

They left the prison of bones and crossed the corner of a square fortress.

"So, where are we going?"

Old Hammer shrugged: "My family."

Thales couldn't help but startled.

"Your home? I thought you said that your hometown is in ruins?"

Old Hammer chuckled and shook his head.

"Oh, I'm not talking about my home, but... In short, you'll know when you arrive."

Kuai Rope blinked slyly, making the bewildered Thales even more confused.

But his doubts did not last long.

After crossing a dusty street again, they pushed their way through the crowd to a busy three-story oval bunker with a wide open front door wide enough for a carriage to drive in.

"It's here," Kuaisheng patted Thales on the shoulder: "My house."

Thales raised his head curiously, and found a huge wooden signboard hanging in front of the bunker door, with a vivid wine glass pattern carved on the signboard, spilling wine outside, swaying slightly with the wind in the desert.

The moment he saw the signboard clearly, the prince's eyebrows trembled involuntarily.

I saw two big words engraved in the center of the wine glass:

【my home】

There is a line of small characters engraved under the signboard:

[Humans will die, orcs will fall, the queen will die, and we will never close the door—beginning in 386 years of the end calendar, Queen Elijah's last wine glass]

Thales followed Old Hammer into the gate with a feeling of dumbfounding.

What came into view was a dozen wooden round tables randomly placed, with the unique dusty atmosphere of the desert, all kinds of customers and tavern girls came and went, drinking and drinking, playing and noisy, from toasting songs to playing dice, and even quarreling Shouts and angry yells, almost all the voices rushed to the face at the same time, so lively.

Old Hammer ignored Thales' surprised gaze, and familiarly pushed away two men who were about to get drunk under the table, stuffed a copper coin into the chest of a waitress, and resolutely held his hand under her aggrieved eyes. Pull it out and head straight to the bar.

"I've always wanted to do this," Kuaisheng said quietly to Thales, and glanced at the hot waitress: "But Luisa and the others said that I don't have enough strength to pull my hand back."

Maybe they have a point.

Thales looked at the fast rope following his eyes, and said silently in his heart.

"Seaman," Old Hammer sat on the bar, and said to a gray-haired middle-aged man beside him, "We are back."

The middle-aged man turned his head, revealing a vicissitudes of life face.

"Someone is saying that a caravan entered the camp despite the blockade," Seaman glanced lightly at Quick Rope and Thales who were also sitting down:

"I was worried it was you."

Old Hammer shrugged: "Obviously, your worries came true."

"How many?"

Seaman said softly: "I mean... how much will be reduced?"

Thales noticed that he was quite old.

This topic shocked both Old Hammer and Kuai Rope.

"How do you..."

"I've been in this business for twenty years, Hammer, and I was a soldier for ten years before that," Seaman heaved a sigh of relief, turning the wine glass in his hand: "I know what a man who loses his comrades looks like." expression."

These words seem to have a magical power, blocking all the noise of the tavern outside this corner.

Both Old Hammer and Fast Rope were silent for a long time.

Affected by them, Thales thought of his experience in the desert, and the ending of the great swords he had been with for a short time, and he was heartbroken for a while.

The gray-haired Seaman didn't continue, he sighed heavily, and turned to the bar: "Tampa, give this man a strong drink!"

A fierce man with a knife mark on his neck came out from behind the bar in response. He grabbed three wine bottles and "gathered" a glass of wine in a way Thales couldn't see clearly. He pushed it over and ignored it during the process. After seeing Kuaisheng's slightly expectant eyes, he also glanced at Thales coldly.

Seaman pushed the wine glass to the old hammer: "How much."

Old Hammer took a sip of the wine, shook his head while hissing, knocked the wine glass heavily on the table, and let out a sigh of unwillingness.

Kuaisheng answered sullenly from the side: "Six."

Seaman sneered: "Who else survived?"

Old Hammer looked sad.

"Louisa, McGee, and Dean."

Seaman didn't speak, his eyes were glued to the glass.

"By the way, this is Huaiya..." Kuaisheng coughed as if to liven up the atmosphere:

"The young man we rescued on the road, to be honest, helped us a lot. He... Huaiya, this is Seaman, one of the left-behind members of our team."

Thales, who was looking at this magical tavern, took a deep breath, trying to force a smile.

But Seaman obviously didn't intend to greet him.

"One is lost, another is added, one is killed in battle, one is new, it's always like this..." The mercenary left behind looked at the wine glass that was about to bottom out, and murmured: "The fate of the mercenary, isn't it?"

Old Hammer shook his head, not in a high mood: "No, Seaman, Wyah, isn't he..."

But Seaman didn't let him go on.

"Come on, kid, it's time for a team meeting." The left-behind waved his hand, put away the fleeting sadness, and grabbed the old hammer: "Tell me the details, and wait for Dean to come back by the way... I think Dante's big sword will usher in a big turn in the near future."

They left the bar.

Kuaisheng's eyes moved: "Me too..."

"You stay here, Quick Rope," Old Hammer pointed back, "Take care of Wyatt, he's here for the first time."

"But..." Kuaisheng spread his hands with an aggrieved face, and Thales, who was in embarrassment, smiled back.

Seeing Old Hammer and Seaman walking up the stone ladder, Kuaisheng arched his shoulders, retracted his half-stretched hand, sat back in his seat disappointed, and whispered: "Okay..."

Thales couldn't think of any words to comfort this novice who hadn't been accepted by the core of the team, so he could only sit there uncomfortably, silently thinking about the next step.

"Six?"

A hoarse voice came from the noisy tavern, Thales and Kuaisheng raised their heads, only to see the fierce-looking tavern owner wiping his wine glass, and came to them at some point.

His complexion was dark, and he looked like a local who had been scorched by the scorching sun and wind and sand.

"You know, after the blockade was imposed, the number of troops coming in was beyond imagination...I was thinking at that time, maybe someone is going to learn a lesson..."

Quick Rope raised his mouth: "No, Tampa."

"Not now."

Thales frowned slightly, vaguely remembering the name.

The tavern owner named Tampa snorted softly, but didn't shut up: "You have ten experienced professional killers who are fully armed, and one novice who at least seems to be able to make up the numbers..."

Ignoring the voice of the fast-rope protest, Tampa wiped the wine glass faster and faster: "People who can survive in the desert are very smart. As long as Tomdin is willing to pay some tolls, the sand robbers and exiles will not have to bear such a burden." A high price will eat you hard..."

Kuaisheng exhaled in pain, and fell down on the bar counter as if resigned to his fate.

"We've got the gray bastard, Tampa."

"Lots and lots of gray bastards."

Tampa stopped wiping his glass.

A few seconds later, just when Thales thought he was about to say something, Tampa suddenly bent down. When he stood up again, there was an extra wine glass in front of the fast rope.

"Drink, the best Northland rye alcohol, brought from the north," Tampa held up a bottle of wine, and filled the glass for Quick Rope with a blank expression:

"Trust me, it's the only way."

"Very useful."

Kuaisheng looked at the wine in front of him in surprise.

But only a second later, he was slightly depressed, grabbed his glass and took a gulp.

Just when Thales was trying to find an excuse to slip away, the tavern owner suddenly pouted at him.

"So, Quick Rope... who is this new pretty girl? Your girlfriend?"

Boom!

Kuaisheng put down his glass and coughed violently.