The last rays of the setting sun hit the top of the castle. Castles were rare in the Kingdom of Luminae, a remnant of when it was once divided. Alexander patiently waited, his outstretched hand poised to catch the final touch of sunlight. Perched on the rooftop of a nearby bakery, he observed the imposing walls of the castle. They were about 13 metres tall, but Alexander could see some bricks jutting out, and a path appeared to the top.
He got up to his feet and walked towards the edge closest to the walls. Peering down at the moat encircling the fortress, he calculated the daunting distance of the jump. Eight metres was a significant span to cover. Alexander took a deep breath, moved back a few steps away from the edge, and took out a knife. He sprinted towards the wall, launching himself into the air at the very last moment.
With a resounding thud, he landed on the wall, his hand gripping onto a protruding brick. Pain reverberated through his bones, but he continued onwards, jabbing his knife into a crack to use as a platform. Alexander quickly made his way up to the top till he was just about to climb onto the walkway, when he heard the metallic crunching of armour that became louder each second.
He peered through an arrow slit, spotting a guard in shiny iron armour jogging towards him. Ducking down quickly, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Judging by his armour, the new guards had been hired for extra protection for tomorrow. This would mean it would be a bit harder to get into the castle, but it also presented him with an excellent opportunity. As the sound faded away, Alexander could finally set foot on solid ground once again, seeing the guard jogging towards a tower a few ways up the catwalk.
Silently, he trailed the guard as the sky transitioned into a dusky shade of blue. Once he arrived at the tower, he saw the guard struggling to move a crate of swords. Alexander silently walked up behind the crouching guard, his right hand crackling with electricity, waiting for the right moment. The guard must’ve heard the slight crackle, turning around with his hand on the hilt of his sword. But before he had a chance to unsheathe it, he found Alexander’s hand on his mouth. The guard’s body convulsed for a bit, his scream being muffled by his attacker’s hand. It took about 30 seconds for the guard to lose consciousness, the voltage of the electricity lower than usual, so as not to damage the armour.
Alexander dragged the unconscious body into the darkest corner he could find. Within moments the sparkling armour was on above his usual clothes, surprisingly still quite loose. He quickly put on the helmet as he sprinted down the tower’s spiral stairs. He had learned the layout of the castle grounds when he had visited the city a few years ago, allowing him to easily avoid most of the patrols as Alexander made his way towards the ‘garden’. It took about five minutes for him to reach the entrance. The belittling designation of “garden” failed to capture the true essence of what was a meticulously tended woodland, the size rivalling the castle it was a part of, that had been cared for by the Earl’s family for over a century.
So far so good.
The entrance to the forest was marked by two ash-white trees that both drooped down to form a type of arch. Veins of blue coursed through their boots, giving them a bit of an enchanted look. As Alexander crossed the threshold and entered their domain, their leaves seemed to bow in welcome. The trees towered above him as he ran. The entrance of the Garden created a natural labyrinth, confusing anyone who did not know the path through. But Alexander just kept rushing through, already knowing where it led to. And in a few short minutes, he saw his goal, a thicket of Firewood trees.
The person who first found a Firewood tree was not creative. They had dark brown bark, with fire-red leaves, and even from 5 metres away, Alexander could see the slight shine of its inflammable, translucent sap that flowed within. The trees bore a fruit that consisted mostly of water. Firewood was notorious for catching fire quite easily, and that was exactly what Alexander needed. He kicked off the trunk of the lowest tree in the thicket, snatching a fruit from its branch. Crouching beside the roots, Alexander pulled out a spherical metal device. He twisted it, popping the outer layer, revealing a web of machinery inside, with a slumbering infant fire elemental at its core. Alexander placed the orb gently on the ground as he started to dig a small hole, burying the fruit in it.
He held the orb in his hands and started to pour his mana slowly into it. The orb started to hiss and whir, his energy bringing it to life. Anxiety crept over him, as the noises from the orb started to become more erratic, before suddenly, after a minute of sustained mana infusion, it fell silent, becoming a perfect sphere once again. Alexander threw the orb onto the crown of the Firewood tree, making sure to scare any animals that may have been living there. Alexander turned around to face the direction he came from, turning roughly fifteen degrees to the left, and started running.
It didn’t take long before he reached the castle grounds once again, facing a newly installed steel fence. The fence was a cinch to climb, even while lugging twenty kilograms of armour. Following the map he had etched in his mind, Alexander knew he was towards the rear of the castle. He quickly got out of the armour, tossing it into a bush, and started to climb the castle’s exterior. He kept up the ascent till he reached an open window, climbing into the castle’s quite expansive attic. Alexander plopped down on an old dusty chair in front of him, glad to take a breather, pulling out a copper pocket watch. It had only been ten or so minutes since he started, and now he had to wait another twelve.
As he settled into the chair, he heard some floorboards’ creek, probably a rat or even a rust eater, but he had to be sure. Focusing his attention, concentrating his magic into a singularity, before releasing a wave of mana, akin to the echolocation of a bat. He felt something tall to his right, and worse of all, it seemed to be moving towards him. Alexander straightened in his chair, crossing one leg over the other, and clasped his hands in his lap, intertwining his fingers.
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Alexander said, as calmly as one could, “If you’re trying to stab me, I would strongly advise against it.”
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Elyza stood over the unconscious guard, contemplating whether to kill him or not. Her window of opportunity was quickly closing. She had tracked the slave trade to this town, and this had to be its end. She paced the shed, her mind racing to think of something. Slipping in with the delivery was the only way she could think of. Fortunately, the approaching footsteps made that decision for her. Elyza lifted the guard, armour and all, and plopped him into an open crate.
She ran towards the back of the shed, finding a hatch to the roof, and pulled herself up. She scanned the Earl’s castle for a way in and spotted an open window. Elyza didn’t think why that was, only that it would lead to her slicing the earl’s throat ever so quicker. She jumped into a cluster of bushes to break her fall. As she started to get up, a guard ran past her with the unconscious person on his back. Elyza fell flat to the floor, only standing when she was sure that the coast was clear. She sneaked her way towards the open wall, hiding whenever she heard any sound even remotely close to one of a footstep.
Elyza pulled out a rope out of her pouch as she neared the open window. A three-pronged hook was attached to one end of her rope. The hook was showing its age, with rust creeping through the metal. She let out a slow sigh, spinning the hook end of the rope in her hand, and tossed it over the castle. When she felt the hook land on the roof, Elyza started pulling, waiting for it to catch. As soon as it did, she started to scale the building relatively easily. She had almost reached the window, when she felt the rope become slack for a moment. She managed to slip through the window just before the prongs on the hook gave way, sending the rope tumbling below. As she caught her breath, Elyza glanced down to see a small rust-eater creature grab the fallen hook and run, pulling the rope behind it.
Elyza looked around the attic. Most of the stuff was covered with cobwebs and dirt, having been left and forgotten. She walked around through a maze of crates, trying to find a way down, some of them holding antiques, some just filled with junk. Finally, she spotted a door. Her hand reached out to grab the door’s handle, but it hesitated. Elyza didn’t know why, her revenge would be over if she continued on her way, yet something in her mind stopped her.
The creak of wood echoed through the attic, shifting Elyza’s attention completely. Quietly walking back toward the open window, she pulled out a throwing knife from her pouch. As she got closer to the window, she started using the myriads of crates as cover. She peeked to the corner, trying to spot what had made the noise. The emerging moon was shining through the window, and she could make out a figure sitting on a chair.
Elyza wanted to get closer to the figure, but as soon as she put her foot forward, a deafening creak bellowed throughout the attic. Her heart was beating faster than ever as she dived into cover, thankfully not making even more noise. Elyza glanced at the figure once again, distinguishing the silhouette of a mysterious black cloak. It didn’t seem to have noticed the noise, just sitting silently. She started to approach again, her movements being shrouded in darkness, her knife slowly raising in anticipation. The figure suddenly straightened itself. It looked in her general direction and spoke,
“If you’re trying to stab me, I would strongly advise against it.”
Elyza stopped dead in her tracks. The voice sounded crisp and clear. She could guess that the figure was a man, and that he was at the younger side. Noticing that she had stopped, the figure got up with both hands in the air, showing that he was unarmed.
“Since you haven’t stabbed me yet, I’m going to guess you’re still thinking what to do next,” he said, speaking softly. He approached Elyza with empty hands in the air, and said, “May I propose we try to talk things out,” presenting his hand to her.
Elyza's mind faltered, the rational part of her mind telling her to stab him, however her gut wanted to hear him out. His hand dangled in the air for a few more seconds, before he withdrew it, sitting back on the chair
“Suspicion or bafflement at my behaviour, either is understandable.”
The figure crossed his legs, “My name’s Alex, and I’m an assassin. Now, your turn,” he said, waiting for a response. Elyza’s knife came down, still ready to strike, yet now she was interested in the conversation with a man who had easily revealed what many would think of as their darkest secret.
Alex continued talking, “I’m willing to bet the world on the fact that we’re both here to do the same thing. But I’m sure we have different reasons to,” pausing for effect, “Mine is the job, but yours… Yours is revenge, right?”
Elyza’s mind went into panic mode, trying to think of ways he could possibly have known. He must have met her before, but she would’ve remembered him. Her face must have betrayed her thoughts, as a smug grin spread over Alex’s face.
Elyza spoke with feigned flatness, “How’d you -”
“Don’t worry, I can’t read minds, as far as I know. Your ears are visible through your hood, ya’know. And I've heard enough rumours about the Earl’s opinions about non-humans to know what horrors he must’ve made you suffer, directly or indirectly,” He said delicately.
Elyza cleared her head, “Then you know what I must do, so if you try to give me a speech about how ‘revenge is bad’ or some other philosophical bullshit.”
“Oh please,” Alex chuckled, “You don’t need to tell me. I know some of us won’t be able to rest till we finish the job,” approaching her, “So, how about I help you reach him quietly, and then, if you feel like it,” extending his hand once again, “You hear what I have to say.”
Elyza thought about it for a moment, the deal sounded too good to be true, but as far as she could tell there wasn’t a shred of dishonesty in his words. She didn’t want to trust a human, but the burning desire for revenge within her heart ultimately overshadowed her cautious instincts. Elyza took his hand and shook it.
Alex smiled softly, “Great,” pulling out a pocket watch, “Now we just have to wait for nine minutes.”