"Aaron!" Katelyn bangs on Aaron's inn door frantically until he came to answer it.

"Can we talk later? I'm trying to find Aph." He says but Katelyn rolls her eyes.

"That's why I'm here! The dinguses aren't here! And apparently, neither is Aphmau!" Katelyn comes into the room and paces, "We've been here less than 12 hours and we managed to lose them!"

"Katelyn, calm down." Aaron raises his voice. "We'll go into town, look around and won't stop until we find them. Deal?" Aaron asks.

"You got yourself a deal. I'm not about to lose Aphmau again." Katelyn says, walking towards the door.

"Me neither." Aaron and Katelyn run down the stairs to the lobby. Katelyn walks up to the counter where the old inn keeper stayed.

"Have you seen our friends? They've been missing since last night." She asks. He looks up at her and shakes his head,

"Haven't seen them since you folks checked in last night. Are you sure they aren't wandering the inn?"

"Confident," Aaron looks out the glass door, "Can you try to get us if you see them again?" He asks and the inn keeper nods.

"Will do, sir." Aaron thanks him and he and Katelyn run out the door. The inn keeper cracks a smile and opens a catalog on his desk.

"Three down, two to go." He laughs and crosses out Aphmau, Garroth, and Blaze's name. He closes the book and slides it under his chair.

~~~

Back with Katelyn and Aaron, they continue their search throughout the entire village. "Anything?" Aaron asks, meeting back up with Katelyn. She pulls out a piece of pink cloth and hands it to Aaron.

"Looks like a piece from Aphmau's dress." She says. Aaron brings it up to his shooter and sniffs it.

"Definitely hers."

"Couldn't you pick up her scent just from that?"

Aaron shakes his head, "New place, too many new smells. It'd take forever to even get on the right track."

"Perfect." Katelyn sits down on a bench and sighs. "Where the hell could they be?"

Aaron looks up and his eyes widen, "I think I found them." He looks up at a large crowd gathered around the town square. A woman in all black walks up onto a stage and clears his throat,

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls." She gains their attention. "We are gathered here today to witness the trial number 24: Law #1." She exclaims.

Aaron and Katelyn start to walk up and watch, "Last night, two men and a woman were caught frolicking the outskirts of town after midnight." A few gasps come from the crowd. "Today, we decide the punishment for these three criminals." Guards pull them out of the wooden box and pushes them onto the stage.

"Let me go! We're here now!" The woman flings the guard's hands off of her, but he automatically grabs her again and makes her bend down on her knees.

"Fighting won't help you." The guard growls at her.

"He's right, dear. Fighting is the last time you want to do." The judge joins in the conversation.

"Leave her alone! She's scared!" The blond yells. The guard gripping him throws him down on his knees right beside the woman.

"Stop treating my friends that way-ahhh!" The other man was thrown down.

"Oh my Irene." Aaron and Katelyn say in unison.

"Now. Shall we begin?" The judge gives off an sinister grin.

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"Your honor," Aphmau says, "We had no idea that staying out past midnight was against the rule."

"Against the rule or not, everyone should have common sense. That's why we have this law, you know. Surmise Falls outskirts are the perfect place to get taken away or even murdered."

"Not to offend you at all, your honor, but me and my friends know how to take care of ourselves." Aphmau slightly chuckles.

"Why are you laughing, girl? I don't know where you come from, Lucrua or Lockington, but Surmise Falls dangers isn't something to laugh at." The guard holding Aphmau says.

"Me and my friends have been defending for ourselves for years now." She says.

The judge raises an eyebrow and starts to circle Aphmau, "Nice body structure. Legs built like you've been on the run for years now." The judge hooks Aphmau's chin and makes her look up at her, "Your eyes look like you've seen some things and have a thousand stories." She smiles,

"You've been through a lot. Your childhood wasn't an easy one. Someone close to you ruined it." The judge continues.

"What game are you playing?" Garroth asks.

"Years ago, I met a girl with the same look in her eyes that you have." The judge faces Garroth, "Now let me finish." She faces Aphmau again.

"While you have a tough demeanor, there's a soft look in your eyes. A hero possibly? That's what I'd call it." She says, "And you'd do absolutely anything for this hero. Even murder." She takes her hand off of Aphmau.

"Watch your tongue next time." She whispers and lifts herself up to face the crowd.

"Who are you people? And why are you in Surmise Falls?" The judge asks.

"We're not from this place." Garroth answers.

"Well, that was obvious. Who are you and why are you in Surmise Falls?" She repeats herself. "Since you've already said some things, why don't you answer me?"

"I can't tell you why we're here." She says.

"What did you say?" The judge starts to grow angry.

"I said," Aphmau's raises her voice, "I can't tell you why we're here."

The judge smiles and whispers to the guards before facing the crowd once again, "Since our criminals don't want to share their story," She looks back at all three figures, "They'll spend their time in the cell until they tell us everything." The judge proposes.

"Your honor, that's not fair!" Aaron yells from the crowd. The judges spots him.

"Do you want to join them?" The judge asks. Katelyn grabs his arm.

"We can't risk anything." She whispers to him.

"Silence I see," She waves at the guards. "Do your thing, men." They start pulling Aphmau, Garroth, and Blaze off of the stage.

"No!" Aaron starts pushing people out of the way to get to Aphmau.

"Aaron, run!" Aphmau yells but Aaron keeps running towards her.

"I'm not leaving without you!" He raises out for her hand, but he gets knocked down by an angry villager.

"Don't worry about me! We'll get out of this dilemma! Now go!" Aphmau yells as she gets pushed into the wooden box, "Go!" The door slams on her.

"I'm going to get you back."

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Thank you for reading this chapter of "The Ultima King: Graeria Region"!

Until next time,

~Purplla 💜