Asla continued to do what she could for Jinshu as he was beginning to shake uncontrollably. Charles also knelt down to him in an attempt to help. However, both were unable to do anything to help as the fallen man began to spit out blood. Neither of them knew what was happening and were powerless to do anything.

Unfortunately, after a few moments, Jinshu stopped moving as his body became motionless. Asla began to call out to him in her native language and Taiyan did the same. Charles reached down and placed his index and middle fingers onto the lower side of Jinshu's neck. He hoped to feel some kind of pulse but unfortunately there was nothing.

Maxine too looked down, but she didn't go down to one knee like the others had. It wasn't that she didn't care but she couldn't help but feel like they were in danger. She watched as Charles looked up at her and shook his head. A clear indication to her that Jinshu had indeed passed on.

"I'm sorry Asla, but he's gone," said Charles as she looked at the weeping woman who was right next to him.

"He can't be can't!" replied Asla who was still in denial. "He's just lost consciousness that's all. We can take him to someone who can help him."

"I'm sorry but it's too late. He doesn't have a pulse. As much as I hate to admit it, he's beyond the help of anyone right now."

"No, you're lying!" Suddenly Charles felt a strong slap on his cheek from the upset woman. "How dare you lie to me about him. He's not dead!" He did place his hand over where he had been slapped and looked at her.

"I-I'm not lying to you. I know it's a difficult time for you but there's nothing we can do for him." He glanced down and could see that Jinshu's eyes were still open but there was no movement within them. It was clear to him and everyone else that Jinshu was dead.

"Stop lying!" She raised her hand to slap him again in her grief but before she could, she felt a gigantic hand grab onto her forearm. The hand itself was almost as big as the forearm and she looked behind her to see Maxine who didn't seem to be too pleased with what had happened.

"I seriously suggest that you don't do that again!" stated Maxine with a tone in her voice that made everyone take notice. "Charles is many things, but a liar is not one of them. I know what he is saying is something that you don't want to hear but sadly it's the truth. Your friend is gone and there's nothing that can be done to change that. We are very sorry for your loss but striking my squire isn't going to bring your friend back."

Asla looked up at the giantess and she couldn't help but break down as she quickly wrapped her arms around Maxine's armoured body. She could do nothing but bring her own arms down and try to comfort her. It looked quite comical seeing a woman as small as Asla hugging someone as big as Maxine, but the former didn't care. Instead, she was just trying to process the fact that she had lost someone close to her.

Charles looked over to them and although her cheek was still aching, he couldn't be angry at Asla. He knew that people dealt with grief in different ways and when he looked at the corpse, he couldn't help but think about the traumatic events at the cult inn. These were all thoughts that he was trying to bury as it was the lowest point in his life.

A few moments later, he did look down at Jinshu's neck and he couldn't help but notice something that he thought was odd. He couldn't help but investigate further and he could see that there was something that had attached itself to the neck. Charles did think that it was some kind of evidence of Jinshu being stung but he couldn't help but think that it was highly unlikely.

With some care, Charles was able to grab onto the small object that he had discovered and was able to pull it out of Jinshu's neck. This hadn't gone unnoticed by Taiyun who looked at him with some shock. What he had pulled out definitely wasn't the remains of an insect but rather appeared to be something manmade.

Quickly he took a closer look at it while Asla was still completely distraught over what she had just witnessed. Maxine did notice that something that had gotten Charles's attention and she looked at him with some curiosity on her face. For the moment she was too far away to properly see but she would soon get her answer.

"What is it, Charles?" asked Maxine as she looked down at him. She did go down to one knee as she continued to be curious.

"I-I'm not sure," replied Charles as he couldn't really explain it himself. "I can't help but think that this is some kind of dart."

"Dart?" answered Asla who was still saddened by what had happened. However, she quickly turned and looked at the tiny object in Charles's hand. She was confused for several moments but her heart sank when she could see it properly. It was something that was alien to a person from Angleland but was actually quite well known in the lands to the East. Her expression changed to that of fear in an instant.

"Do you recognise it?" Before she answered his question, she muttered something in her native language and had a very concerned look on her face.

"Now is not the time for secrets," replied Maxine who could see the seriousness of the situation and that "If there's something that you know, tell us right now." There was a sternness in her voice, almost like a parent asking a child. Thanks to their height difference it was something that only exasperated this similarity.

"I-I…" It seemed as if Asla couldn't get the words out and Maxine stood up with her arms crossed. She looked over the trio with a stern look, her helmet might have mostly covered her face, but it was still evident what her expression was.

"Spit it out! One of your companions is dead and I won't stand here and allow anyone else to die." Her mind was mainly on Charles, she thought there was a chance that she could survive such an attack, but she doubted that he would. Jinshu had been a slightly larger man than him and it had killed him in a very short span of time. If Charles was struck by a poisoned dart, it was likely he wouldn't stand a chance.

"I-It's a dart that is laced with the secretion of what translate to the Fatal Frog. One prick of this and even someone as big as you will succumb to it."

"And why would your companion be struck by a dart like that. As far as I know, there aren't any of these so-called Fatal Frogs in Angleland."

"N-No, they're not." She was still very nervous and saddened by the whole events. The fact that there was a giantess looming over her didn't make the situation any better for them. "They're only found in my native land."

"And yet that's thousands of miles away from here. So, I ask again, what is a dart like that doing in a place like this? Is there something that you need to tell us? Lie to me and I promise to break one of your fingers."

"Maxine!" stated Charles with an annoyed tone. He gave a glare over to her and it was clear that he wasn't happy with what she had just said. To him, it was as if she was going back to the more violent side of herself.

"Fine, I won't break your fingers. But you need to be honest with us. No half-truths, I can smell bullshit from a mile away."

"W-Well," said Asla as she was still finding it hard to actually say what needed to be said. She did look up to Charles who looked back down to her with a reassuring look on his face. She then looked at Taiyun who gave her a nod, his expression seemed to show that he was accepting defeat.

"It's alright Asla," added Charles. "You can tell us." He didn't want to admit that what had happened actually scared him. He was just putting on a brave face and he still felt that he was terrified of the situation. But he wanted to make her feel more at ease and willing to talk about exactly what was going on.

"W-We're being hunted." This quickly got the attention of Maxine and Charles who for the moment said nothing as they simply wanted to listen to what she was saying. "I-I was hoping that we had given the slip but unfortunately it seems that they tracked us down."

"Who tracked you down?" He was still being calm as he knew that any kind of aggression might end poorly for all of them.

"I-In my land there is someone who sits on the thrown and they see me as a threat. A few years ago, I was brought to this land for my own protection, and I hoped that I would be left at peace. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be the case."

"And why would you be a threat?" asked Maxine. She looked down at the small woman and she couldn't imagine her being a threat to anyone. But it was obvious that looks were deceiving.

"You mustn't," stated Taiyun who placed caught the attention of Asla. She turned to him for a few moments, and she could see the look of concern on his face. She owed this man more than she could ever repay but she knew that now was the time to come clean and be honest with her companions.

"It's alright," replied Asla as she turned her head back towards Maxine and Charles. "You see, I'm the rightful heir to the throne." This was a big shock to both of them who needed to take a moment to register the information that they had just been given. "My name isn't Asla, it's Princess Luxina, the rightful ruler of Abalise."

Both Charles and Maxine continued to stand there as they didn't know what to do after receiving such information. Now they weren't sure whether they should be standing or kneeling to her. They wanted to believe that this was just some farfetched tale that she had told to make herself seem important.

However, from her body language and tone, they could tell that she was telling them the truth. It did make Maxine in particular quite intimidated as she had learned from her father that it was best to stay out of the affairs of high-born people. They were normally much more trouble than they were to common folk and now she was finding herself in the presence of not just a high born but royalty.

Charles too wasn't sure exactly what to do with the information he had. He had simply expected her to be someone who might be wanted for a crime. Never did he imagine that he was interacting with royalty. This made him think that he might have been disrespectful towards her and that he could be punished for such a thing.

"Y-You're a princess of Abalise?" asked Charles. He was still trying to work out everything that was happening. "B-But what are you doing in Angleland?"

"When my father died, one of his advisors seized power and before I could be assassinated, I was whisked away here. Taiyun here is honour bound to my family and is willing to give his life to protect me. Jinshu did the same…" She then looked down at the dead body of her former bodyguard and she couldn't help but shed another tear. "And unfortunately, his duty came to the ultimate end."

"And let me guess," stated Maxine who wasn't happy with the situation at hand. "Whoever killed him is someone who intends to kill you."

"Most likely." She was still saddened inside but wanted to keep her composure. After breaking down earlier, she wanted to seem like she was keeping it together. "There had always been a possibility that assassins would track me down and kill me. Fortunately for me, Jinshu struck by the dart rather than me. It cost him his life."

"I've heard enough." A stoic Maxine stood there with her arms crossed. "Our agreement is null and void. My squire and I were led to believe that you were simply people wanting to return to your homeland. Not an exiled princess who is being targeted for assassination. You have your problems, I understand that. But we're having nothing to do with this." She looked at Charles who was still kneeling by Asla. "Charles, leave them be. We're done here."

"Maxine, you can't mean that," replied Charles as he stood up and looked up to her with some shock.

"Have you ever heard me joke about such things. Believe me, no matter how much money they give to us, it won't be worth the trouble. Now come along, I'm not going to repeat myself."

Charles looked at her and he could see her becoming more like they were when they first met. This did make him somewhat intimidated but rather than backing down, he stood his ground and looked up at the giantess. He wasn't sure if it was the wisest decision, but he was standing his ground on the situation.

"No," stated Charles with some determination in his voice. He could hear his heart rate beginning to increase but he still thought that he was in no immediate danger.

"What did you say?" replied Maxine with some anger in her voice. She was by far the most terrifying person there, but Charles still refused to back down.

"I said no. Maxine, I know that you don't want to help them, but I do. No matter what happens, I'm going to help Asla reach the coast like we promised and make sure that she is sent back to her homeland. Her people need her."

"You believe her story about being a princess?" A part of her couldn't believe that Charles was standing up to her like this. She knew that previously, he would never have done such a thing, but it seemed as though he was finding the courage to do so. Although she was annoyed at this, she couldn't help but respect him for this.

"Yes, I do. Because of that, I want to help her. If you don't want to help, then we can meet up after all of this is over. But there's no way I'm leaving them to be killed."

"And how exactly do you plan on protecting them? You're still learning how to swing a sword. In a battle with anyone who has some skill, I doubt that you'd last very long." She was hoping more than anything that he would see reason and decide to leave along with her. However, she could see the determination in his eyes.

"I know, but it's still better than doing nothing. Please understand, I simply can't abandon them in their time of need. You needn't stay if you don't want to."

"Is that really how you feel?" She continued to stand there with a stoic stance. She loomed over everyone there and during this interaction both Asla and Taiyun had both remained silent.

"Y-Yes I do." He thought that he might be making a mistake and losing the one person that he considered to be his true friend. His hands were shaking as he simply stood there and waited to see her turn around and walk away.

"You know that if you stay and protect them, you're only going to get yourself killed like he did." She gestured towards the corpse of Jinshu. Her words and gestures were disrespectful towards the deceased man, but she continued. "That is something I simply cannot allow to happen."

"W-What are you going to do?" His tone rather than mocking, he seemed to be genuinely asking her the question.

"You're my squire and if I let you get hurt or killed then that would reflect badly on me. Therefore, I will remain in order to protect you." This was her own explanation as she had much more personal reasons for this that she didn't want to talk about.

"Thank you, Maxine,…" He was about to say something else, but he saw as she lifted her hand up to him.

"Wait, I'm not finished yet. I will protect you, but my protection is only for you. I won't raise a finger to protect them. They hid valuable information from us and put us in a position that we neither wanted nor was prepared for. If they die it matters not to me, do I make myself clear?"

Charles didn't say any words and simply nodded up to her. He could see just how angry she was about this whole thing. In a way, he didn't blame her as he knew that she hated being lied to. But her words were still harsh nonetheless and he wanted to turn and apologise to Asla. However, he knew not to do such a thing while Maxine was there, and he simply sat there and agreed.

Asla herself was disappointed by Maxine's reaction. She thought that she would have been too taken aback by what she had just admitted to become angry. Now she saw that this armoured giantess was truly not to be trifled with and she saw Taiyun make the foolish mistake of getting up to his feet and annoyingly pointing towards her.

"How dare you speak to the princess in such a manner!" stated Taiyun in a not too pleased tone. "Do you have any idea who you're addressing?"

"Do you know who you're addressing?" replied Maxine as she repeated his question. "I am Maxine Martel, eldest daughter of Sir Tucker Martel of Morgan. The woman who is so tall that my head normally strikes the ceiling in a room. I'm strong enough to lift a fully grown horse and I can crush a man's skull with only my bare hands!" I think it's best that you remember that."

Taiyun had no idea who this Sir Tucker was, but he felt that he must have been a very famous and respected person in Angleland. He had no idea that he was a knight who now lived on a farm with his family. However, her other statements he thought that the last too about her strength was exaggerated. He couldn't simply dismiss it as she was by far the largest human being that he had ever seen, and he did think that she was capable of such feats whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"Maxine, please calm down," said Charles as he wanted to smooth over the situation. He thought his words might indeed calm his friend down but as he looked, he could see that this wasn't the case.

"The last thing you should tell an angry person to do is to calm down," replied Maxine. He wasn't the focus of her rage, so she did give him some leniency. Her mood remained the same as the three people there could simply do nothing but watch. "If you want to take her highness there to wherever she needs to go, then I suggest we go now. He was just killed by someone that for now we know nothing about. It's too dangerous to stay here."

"But what about Jinshu?" asked Asla who was still in some disbelief over what had happened. "We need to burn him on a pyre. That is the tradition of my people." Such a thing would take a bit of time, but he saw the armoured giantess shake her head. This instantly made her heart sink.

"We have no time for such a thing. Leave him."

"We can't leave him like he's some kind of animal!" There was some rage that was building up within her. She clenched her fist, and she began to show no fear towards the woman who was close to being twice her height.

"And I'm not prepared to waste time doing something that could get us killed. He was killed out of the blue and if we stay around here much longer than the same could happen to us. The dead are not important, it is the living that you have to worry about."

"Maxine!" stated Charles. He was becoming annoyed with her outbursts and stance. Although he did see sense in what she was saying, the way she was going about it made her seem heartless. He could understand that she was angry, but he still felt that this was too far. "We should at least bury him, this made gave his life to protect someone else. That is worthy of some respect if you ask me. If you don't want to do it, I'll bury him myself with my bare hands if need be."

"That would still take too long; besides we don't have the right tools." She gave a sigh of annoyance. "Fine, burn him but we'll have to make it quick."

Although everyone else was still quite upset about everything. They began to collect as much wood as they could. Maxine didn't help in this effort but constantly stayed close to Charles. Although she wasn't helping, she was still protecting Charles as best as she could as she was worried about him. However, she didn't say anything as he collected the wood and simply stood there.

After a few minutes, the three had collected enough wood to place Jinshu's body on top of. It was less than was normally needed for such a ceremony but given the dangers that they were facing, they didn't have much of a choice. Instead, they lit the fire which began to burn the poor man.

Normally, they would remain there and watch the body burn and even say a few words. Either Asla or Taiyun would also sing a song to help their spirit back to the afterlife. Unfortunately, they weren't given the chance as Maxine commanded them to leave. Her annoyance was still evident, and she knew how important this was to the foreign people but she still wanted to leave the area as soon as possible.

The person who had killed Jinshu was still around, and she thought that remaining was putting Charles at risk. Although Asla and Taiyun didn't really like what she was doing, they couldn't help but agree with what had been saying. It was very dangerous and although Jinshu's body was still burning, they still walked away and left him where he was. It was a difficult decision but a necessary one, nonetheless.

As far as Maxine was concerned, Charles was the one who was leading the group. Now that her protection fell only onto him, she followed him and simply allowed the others to follow behind. Her armour would still clatter as she walked, and this also seemed to make a good warning to anyone that was approaching. Her mood was still pretty low, and any agitation could cause her to explode with rage.

The rest of the journey for the day seemed to go without issue as they arrived at the inn that the armoured giantess had mentioned before. By this time of day, it was beginning to get dark and made it more dangerous to travel. Like the night before, rather than staying downstairs to have a drink and something to eat, the two groups went to their rooms without barely a word between them.

Once in their room, Maxine took off her armour and it was obvious that she was still annoyed by the situation. But she still looked over to Charles and could see that he was perfectly fine. If it had been him that had been struck by the dart and died, she would be overcome with grief. As far as she was concerned, he was the only person on this trip that was worth protecting as he was the only was honest with her.

"You know, you didn't have to do that," said Charles who was sitting down on a nearby chair. He wanted to get up and walk while he was speaking but he was fatigued after the events of the day. There had been the shock of Jinshu's death but also the sheer distance that they had travelled. Due to this, he was simply too tired and needed to sit down and recover his energy.

"Do what?" replied Maxine. She pretended to be ignorant about what he was saying and continued to sit on the bed and rest.

"You know what I mean. The way that you acted back there was uncalled for. They had just lost their companion and you acted so coldly towards them."

"Well, they kept valuable information from us. They put us in a dangerous situation and my reaction was justified."

"Do you truly believe that?" He was annoyed with her, and he crossed his arms as he looked at her. He could see that there was a look of defiance on his face as she truly believed that she was in the wrong.

"Yes, I do." She too was refusing to back down on the matter. "There was one thing that my father taught me during our practice sessions. That is to never mix with either royalty or high-borns. No matter what they offer, it is always not worth it in the end. They don't care how big or strong you are or if you can read. All they care about is what they can get out of you, and they would sacrifice you in an instant. To them we're nothing but fodder so they can achieve what they want.

Maxine continued to sit there as she had said what she had wanted on the matter. She remembered her parents telling them about when they had run into a few lords and ladies and the majority of them hadn't gone well for them. She was determined to do avoid such a thing from taking place.