[https://i.imgur.com/sfHqwWT.jpg]

Silent boots stepped on stone. Shadows weave through the dark. Figures stalk in the night, avoiding guards’ eyes. Four men sneak through a window and creep down a corridor until they find two soldiers. Lit by a single lantern, they stand still with spears by their sides, guarding a single trap door. The leader of the dark-cloaked men gestures towards them with hand signals, and two move in fast. Two daggers shine before they slay two men. Unguarded, the cloaked men gather around the trap. One man went to get a pick from an inside pocket before he was stopped.

The leader mouths in silence. “It's unlocked. Ready yourselves.” and two daggers turn to four. The leader lifted the trapdoor, and the rest dropped in quick succession. The leader dropped after them on top of the dirty floor. Blood splashed on his boot, and he went into stance. A head rolled on the excrement-smeared ground, and a headless body gushed blood. A lean but built woman stood by the target; her rapier was coated in the blood of his apprentice.

The leader whispered, and two men encircled the woman. Throwing daggers from each ere sliced with speed beyond belief. The leader appeared closed, and the woman's not-so-local face twists in surprise. Rapier and dagger connect. The leader twisted the rapier down, turned his body, and kicked at the woman's face with his heel. The woman leaned back, letting the kick pass her and kick at his chest. He fell back, clutching his chest. The woman cut around the target to prevent the other two from getting close. She strikes beautifully and effortlessly. Swift and sharp enough to cleave the air. The two cloaks drop back with lines of red on dark clothes. The woman relaxed and faced the leader.

“Loman, haven't seen you in a while.”

The leader relaxed his stance and spoke through his mask. “Been busy. Got a boss now. Big pockets.”

The woman gestured behind her with a thumb. “Him?”

Loman nodded. “Move Maki, I would not like to kill a good friend's daughter.” He flipped his dagger in his hand. “We just want Danor.”

“Mother? Friends?!” She laughed with her hand on her stomach. "I didn't know assassins could be this funny.” Her tone switched in a beat. “Unrequited crush or not, Danor is not leaving here.”

Anger showed through his dark mask. She’s just like that fatty. “I understand.” He went to his stance and crouched. “Hopefully she won't mourn too long.” Loman concentrates. He used less and less aura. His body grows cold.

His presence is gone.

Loman sidestepped to the left and disappeared. Maki nervously looked around for him while guarding against the other two cloaks.

“Time to rest.” A vial appears under Maki’s nose. Before she could react, she breathed in the fumes and slowly collapsed to the ground. “Fucking… assassin’s. Cowardly… lot…” She slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Loman gestured, and the two cloaks picked locks and unchained the Duke. The weak noble woke up with welts, cuts, and black eyes. He glanced at his rescuers, the head bodies, and the bane of his existence.

"Who… are you? Who sent you here?”

“Nobody. A family friend.”

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

The wounded duke was lifted to his feet by the two assassins. He peeked down at Maki. His eyes were full of uncontrollable wrath.

“No. Do anything to her, and I leave you here with the rats and shit.”

“Everything radiates a tune; the job for mages is to find what the tune is and play it ourselves.”

Drac nodded as trees passed the caravan by. Marina and Drac sit on top meditating. The wind blows on Marina’s blonde hair, which has grown from neck length to about her shoulders. She tied her hair into a bun to stop the air from blowing it around. Drac Afro has grown to finger length. Drac seldom wears his hood with hair that long.

“At the mage schools, they spend days to weeks acclimating their bodies to different materials to find the vibration they amit. Fire is easy to figure out. Murus is intermediate; Terra is sorcerer level.”

“Terra is the hardest? But it's everywhere." Drac said, with a confused expression.

Brother, I am so confused.

“Terra, the most common material, is but a sum of millions.” Marina continued. “Thousand different types of stone mixed with many different metals make the ground we walk on. Imagine trying to figure out the tune of the different fragments to carry the whole. The only thing that comes close to that kind of complexity is life. That is what you creepy.”

“Creepy? What did I do?”

“Let me ask another question: Do you levitate your clothes or yourself?"

“Both.”

“Fuck sake…”

“What?!”

"You're so talented, it's creepy!”

I am talented…?

Of course, you are. You almost beat me!

“Talented? No, that should go to Hood.” Drac looked down at the sword on his lap. It reflects the trees on the flat of the blade. In the mirror of his blade, he saw his hair. Drac thought he should change his hairstyle soon.

Maybe Locs?

“The purer the material, the easier it is to lift with Levitation, which the human body is anything but. Look here.” Marina had her hand open on the side and tuned Murus. A ball of blue appeared above her hand.

“Murus. A mix of aura and condensed air.” She levitates the ball around Drac. “Controlling the few elements air has, a ball of this size is easy to move around.” The ball disappears from Drac’s face, and Marina summons a large block of Murus above her head. “Even some of this size isn't much of a big deal since it's made of the same simple materials.” She pushed the blue block into the air. “But to levitate a complex body, controlling speed trajectory and making sure your body doesn't split apart while fighting and using other spells.”

Marina pointed at Drac.

“Hood may have learned, but you are the one doing all that.”

She's right, Drac. I do help sometimes, but only to make sure you don't feel the burden of energies clashing. How you fight is you alone.

And I do fuck all.

A knock on the side of the carriage surprised Drac. Flida climbed out the window with her hazel hair blowing in the air.

“I sense people ahead. They are in the midst of a battle with orcs. They seem to be having some trouble. Ignore them or rescue them?” She looked at Drac for the answer, and a Drac answered behind him, lying down on luggage deep in a book.

“Adventurers?” Drac put his tome down.

Flida nodded.

A Drac spoke while sparring with another beside the caravan. “I will go. See you there.“

The Drac practising with Marina dissipates along with the reader and the sparring partner. A lone Drac crouched on the road while the caravan went past with speed.

Pulse-step explodes on the ground. Ignis blasted him forward from his back and feet. Ventus divided the wind in front. With blinding speed, he passed the caravan, becoming a blur, flying above the trees and close to the clouds. Below, sparks fly and clubs hit an adventurers sword.

Think they will give us clues on Asa?

Who cares! ORCS!!

Levitation guides Drac down.