The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 269: Red Hare Castle (1)

Chapter 269: Red Hare Castle (1)

"I assume I am a Lord because of this?"

Hex pointed at the element circle on the back of his hand. He controlled his voice so only Sterling could hear him. They stood side by side as they waited for the others to harvest the crystals of the Sandsnares.

"Yes. Edune has a different way of classifying people. They know the regular stages, Squire, Knight, Refined Knight, bla bla bla. They just prefer the one they used for ages. Regular people are just that...regular. Squires are known as Chosen. The Knights are known as Elites. But those who reach the Refined Stage and above are known as Lords."

"They don’t differ between the stages above?" Hex asked surprised. From what he gathered, the differences became bigger with ascending stages.

"They do differ but the distinction comes in their castles and names. Or titles if you will. You see, a Refined Knight is the lowest level of Lordship. Their castle can have only a single spire. And they are bestowed a single-word title. At the Transformed Stage, they can add another word and a spire. And at the Enlightened Stage yet another."

"What a weird system. It’s almost as if they are limiting people in what they can and can’t do. And doesn’t their system allow conmen to thrive?"

Hex didn’t think much about the names. If they wished to call themselves Lord, they could. As long as everyone was on the same page, the system worked. But adding words and spires to show your rank? It sounded like people could easily add a second or third spire to lure others in. After all, not everyone had the means to determine the stage of someone.

"It is," Sterling chuckled. "But it makes things simple, doesn’t it? There are no fixed locations. Everyone and everything shifts in these lands. Having something visual to rely on helps the wandering treasure seekers and merchants."

"That....does make sense." Hex hadn’t considered that. But then something else struck him. "Wait. Wouldn’t that just make conning others easier? No one can find you and you keep looting others."

"Yes. And that made generation after generation embed their customs and beliefs deep into their teaching. You saw how Bashar acted before you? Their reverence for power and their culture exceed their greed. In most cases. There are some cases of people looting and conning. But don’t let the sand mislead you. News travels fast in these lands. It’s easy to disappear."

Hex mulled over the information. Edune was simple yet complex. He looked over toward the team gathering the crystals. They were almost done, it seemed.

Bashar – the man they had saved – helped the others harvest the crystals. Hex had observed the first time he showed the group how to retrieve its crystal. The snare’s main body was a small pod from which the snares sprouted. It had a small coiled-up tail.

According to Bashar, the snare used the tail as a rudder of sorts. It moved through the sand with the help of its tail. But unlike other creatures, the snares moved backward. That way, they didn’t need to burn energy to move their tendrils or snares. They just left it and moved away from it. He enjoyed learning about them.

Once they gathered the crystals, they gave the pouch to Sterling. Bashar didn’t see fault in that. Which Lord carried their luggage? What purpose did Elites serve in that case?

Bashar stepped at the front, acting as a guide. He was still close to Hex so he could hear the Lord’s commands.

While they moved through the sand, Hex inquired about Bashar. Sterling and he planned to extract as much information as they could before reaching the castle. It would help to acclimate in these lands.

Bashar didn’t hold back. He didn’t even try to cover things up. The experience opened Hex’s eyes to Edune’s culture.

Bashar was on his way to the Sandcastle when he heard about the sandstorm. He was the leader of his little tribe. His tribe lived by rearing Glass Scorpions. Their colorful shells were in high demand. They were used in embroidery and house decorations.

When he noticed the storm, curiosity, and greed got the better of him. He wished to rake the area before others arrived. But he stepped in the middle of a Sandsnare nest. His two underlings fell while he fled. He doubted whether he could have survived if not for Hex’s help.

Hex didn’t ask a lot. He wished to know more but as the one acting as a lord, he couldn’t mingle with an Elite. And Bashar didn’t know Sterling or someone else to talk with them. They moved their horses in complete silence.

The size of their group scared off all the little and mid-size packs. Their journey was smooth. And by noon, they reached their target.

Hex watched in awe at the massive construct. It sat in the middle of a few dunes. The massive walls, towers, and stairs were all made of sand. The reddish color of the sand stood out in the faded yellow sand of the dunes.

From atop a hill he had seen the layout of the castle. It was oval-shaped. The gates at the front were made of some sort of white wood. Although there wasn’t much traffic going in or coming out, he sensed close to a thousand people inside the castle.

The most eye-catching thing about the castle was its two spires. He expected to see two spike-shaped buildings piercing right upward. But these spires were different.

They stood at either side of the main building. They were shaped like an oval. And the spires slanted a bit to the back.

As they approached the gates, Hex saw a couple of sentries collecting a fee to enter. Bashar had explained that this was something normal. Sterling had nodded too.

The sentries bowed when Bashar introduced Hex and his team to them. A lord, Hex realized, was quite rare. They bowed and welcomed them.

As Hex entered the castle, the noise of the castle fell onto his ears. The sentry guiding them in left them inside, and as they closed it off, they bowed. And welcomed him.

"Welcome sir. We hope you enjoy your stay at the Red Hare Castle."