In thirty minutes, I start my shift, yet I’m eager to begin early. I’m curious to know what Haleema has found out within nearly two hours. My curiosity gets the better of me, so I head over to her. She’s sitting criss-cross while looking through the device. Down on the ground to her right is a quill, floating over a sheet of paper. When she inches the instrument down, the quill starts writing.
“Hmm,” she mumbles, puffing up her lips. I step onto the flat rock she’s sitting on. Her right ear twitches, but she keeps looking through the lens. “Your early, I think.”
“Yeah... I...uh, was curious to hear what you’ve learned.”
“Curious?” She takes a long glance at me, then scoots over to me with the paper. “This is what I’ve seen.” The writing is small and fills the entire page. It’s legible with perfect penmanship. “There are orcs in their rank. I counted six of them.”
“Yeah. I saw some of them when I initially viewed them through the lens. Do you have any idea as to what they were doing?” She scans her finger down the left side of the paper.
“Fortifying the walls with spiked tree barricades.”
“What are those?”
“I’ll show you,” she says, adjusting the device. “Here. Come.” Right as I bring my face up to the lens, Ulrika yells my nickname. “He’s over here, Ulrika!” I view the southern wall. It’s made of wooden spikes that formed into an x-shape.
“Kaio, what are you doing here? Isn’t it too early?” Ulrika says.
“I was inquiring to know what Haleema saw,” I say, rotating up to view other areas of the city. “Since I’m here, I’ll take on my shift.”
“Alright,” Haleema says. She materializes another sheet of paper, and the quill hovers right over it. “Whatever you deem important will be written down.”
“That’s a neat trick.”
“Trick? You jest.” I chuckle, then get a gentle shove from her. “Hey, can I ask you something about yourself?”
“Sure.”
“How did you get your abilities?”
“My magic?”
“Yes! Who taught you to wield fire through your hands, catapult men with great force, and the ability to wield a sword without touching it?” Ulrika starts snickering but stops instantly when I look at her.
“You’re missing one ability,” Ulrika hints, pressing her index finger on her mouth.
“What is it?”
“Tether,” Ulrika says, pressing her hands together. “Kaio has the ability to make people immobile.”
“I was using it when Olly rushed us, and it took all three of us to stop him,” I say.
“Interesting. I didn’t know,” Haleema says with awe and wide-open eyes. “Who was your teacher? Did they give you your sword?”
“I promised to never disclose their identity to anyone nor their teachings.”
“Oh.” She slouches with her arms crossed and frowns with her lip shifted to the left.
“I’m gonna start my shift now.”
“Alright. I’ll leave you to it. If you need anything, I’ll be in my room.” She leaves me, but Ulrika remains by my side. Ulrika looks over her shoulder, then stands halfway up.
“What are you looking at?”
“Making sure Haleema is out of earshot,” she whispers, sitting shoulder to shoulder with me. “Is that true about what you said about your teacher? Was I not supposed to know about Thyrna?”
“I lied,” I whisper back with a wink. “I don’t want her to know the teachings that gained my abilities.”
“Ah, I see. That was smart.”
“My secrets are revealed to the ones I deeply trust.”
“Wow, I didn’t know you find me that trustworthy.” Silence falls between us, but it isn’t awkward. She stares at the ground with a contemplating soft smile. I feel like she wants to say something or is thinking of something to say.
“What’s on your mind?”
“It’s what Haleema asked of you and something I wondered myself. Who gave you that sword? I’ve always had a fascination with its design but never questioned who gave it to you.” I point my scabbard at her with the handle of my sword pointing at her chest.
“Weild it.” She slowly pulls it out and places it into her lap with the blade facing up the mountain. “See the elven writing on the blade?”
“It says Lyesanthir. Liberator?”
“Correct. This is the name of my sword. Crafted from an unknown metal that Thyrna gifted to me.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
“Hey, watch this.” I grip the blade tight to the point my veins bulge, then send the sword flying out my hand.
“Kaioson!” She gasps, applying pressure to my hand.
“Relax. Look.” I show my unscathed palm. “It won’t hurt me or anyone I deem friendly.” The sword floats back into her lap. “Grip the blade as tight as you can.”
“Kaio,” she says with a nervous laugh. “Are you sure about this?”
“Do you not trust me?”
“I trust you, but I’m scared.”
“Then, just touch it.” She gently taps the blade with her thumb, then touches it with all of her fingers.
“It’s dull, like super smooth. It feels like I’m touching a pillow.”
“Such a wonder, isn’t it?”
“Indeed.”
----------------------------------------
I watch the city like a hawk stalking its prey. I’m confident it’s been over half an hour or nearly an hour since I started. My mind gets fatigued from taking my task seriously from not wavering from the lens, so I move my face from it to see the city at its actual distance. It’s caked in a fog, but through the lens, it’s not. I guess this thing can make visibility clear.
Out of the corner of my right eye, I see Ulrika with my sword in her lap, admiring the fog that’s rolling over the landscape.
Huh? Why is she still here with me? I thought she left.
Ulrika moves her eyes to her left and catches me looking at her.
“Oh...yes, Kaio?” She says.
“I thought you left me.”
“Was I that quiet?”
“Yeah! What were you doing this entire time?”
“I was meditating like how you do it.” I view her body posture to see if she’s correctly positioned. Her legs are crossed, and her back is perfectly straight. “I got bored, though, and decided to look at the thick rolling fog.”
“Do you plan on staying with me for the entire time?” She hums as she lays flat on her back, pointing my sword in the air.
“I have nothing else to do, so yeah.”
“Alrighty.” I pat the open space to my right. “Sit here so I may hold you as I dabble with this thing.”
She does a quick giggle, then crab walks close to my side. I wrap my arm firmly around her waist, then view the city. Immediately, I spot someone that’s out of uniform from the rest of the cultists. The person is wearing a white cloak with their hood up. On their back is an insignia of a T-shaped letter with vines coiling down the shaft. They pull down their hood, revealing long blonde hair. I can’t tell if they’re a man or a woman, but I’m sure they’re human. Their skin is a light peachy color, and their ears aren’t at a point.
“Hey, this pen is writing tons of stuff,” Ulrika says.
“Yeah, it’s noting down what I’m seeing.” She mumbles all the details I see.
“May I see?”
“Go ahead.” She watches the person with intense concentration without needing to blink.
“I think that’s a man.” Her observation gets written down, then more details are added. It reads a hypothetical height, weight, and age.
“Are these your educated guesses?”
“Mhmm. I’m pretty good at guessing these things.”
“Really?”
“Well, a rough estimate. When I was a knight, guessing was a teaching lesson we used to size up our enemies.” She repositions herself to put her legs between the rod to fix her posture. “Made us more accurate on how much effort we should put on someone.”
“You’re a force to be reckoned with.”
“You’re damn right.” Goosebumps form on my arms as a shiver runs down my back. “Nobody fucks with, Ulrika. Unless you’re, Kaio, then I can be fucked with. Or fucked literally.” She suppresses her laugh by keeping her mouth tightly shut. I laugh with her, then she stops suppressing her laughter.
TWO DAYS LATER
Haleema, Ulrika, and I have collected enough reconnaissance on Tawaragata that we have ten pages of data. As of now, I dry my body from a calming bath with Ulrika after a big workout as we await further orders from Haleema. All this spying has given me some anxiety about how we’ll infiltrate the city. I’m no battle-hardened soldier like Ulrika or warrior-like Haleema. They might be better acquainted with the task than I am. My late childhood, all the way to adulthood, has been learning to fight and carry out bounties. I’m no soldier, yet I agreed to aid resistance to a radical cult. Maybe I’m not the impressive worthy Paladin Haleema saw in me.
Just when my stress levels begin to rise, Ulrika finally joins me in our room. She’s completely dried from head to toe. Her white towel is folded around her neck as she reaches for her underwear on the bed.
“Damn, I’m hungry,” she says, sliding her underwear up her legs. I notice her physique has gotten bigger. Her muscles are swollen and defined. She lets go of her underwear, making them slap along her waist. “Kaio.”
“Hmm?”
“Does your belly grumble for something savory?” Her body is once again enticing me and ramping up my heart.
“No, I’m fine.” I’m aroused by her beauty, yet my anxiety over the infiltration isn’t mixing well with me. I need an acceptable release from my stress yet indulge my lusting. While her back is to me, I cuddle with my hands gently around her lower stomach.
“Oh,” she says in a high volume that resonates as if she likes this. I toss the towel on the bed, so my lips can massage her neck with kisses.
“You’ve gotten bigger.” I press her into my body, then caress her right breast.
“What? My tits?!”
“No,” I say, bursting into a quiet chuckle. “My wife’s muscles have gotten bigger.”
“Oh,” she sighs, laughing. “Does husband want more of a full gander of my body, or does he wish to lay down with me?” She starts pulling down her underwear, but I stop it. The second option is tempting, but I don’t want our minds to linger on sex as we enter the city.
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“No, thanks. I just wanna hold you for a bit.”
“Are you okay, Kaio? Your voice sounded a bit somber.”
“I’m nervous about our infiltration task.” She abruptly moves out of my hold by taking one step. I stand motionless with my arms somewhat in the same position they were in. She wraps her breasts with cloth, then sits on the bed.
“Come,” she says, patting her lap. I lay my head there. Her gentle hands bring my cheek against her warm stomach. “Why are you nervous, my love?”
“I’ve never done a task like this before. Waiting for its arrival has me apprehensive about how I’ll perform. I’ve always attacked problems head-on.” I take a quick moment to relax and absorb this placid moment of her listening to me with her full attention. “Have you done these things before?”
“I have, and you’re not the only one feeling this way. I’m nervous too. I hate these types of missions.”
“Why’s that?”
“Things always go wrong, and it’s mainly what goes wrong is the hidden issue. Plus, this kingdom isn’t our ally.”
“Yeah. It’s a sworn enemy to our people.”
“Mhmm. Even though my father is Kromagian, the kingdom I grew up in, the Shemoreites also despises them.”
“Now I think about it, I can’t wear my insignia around my shoulder like I normally do.” I let out a sighing groan of anguish and stress. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this.”
“Cuddle with me until she returns. Let us ease our stress.”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes, but dealing with your stress is more important than food in my stomach.” She takes me into her arms with legs locked in around my lower back as I lay down on her. “Don’t worry, Kaioson. You’re a remarkably skilled fighter. Thyrna trained you well.”
“Thanks, Ulrika.”
“Once we’re down there, follow my lead. Furthermore, do what I do. Mimic everything.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t say that,” she says, blushing. “I’m not your superior.”
----------------------------------------
“Kaioson, Ulrika, I’m back!” Haleema says from the main room.
“We’re in here!” I say, turning my face away from Ulrika’s ear to not blast her eardrums. Haleema’s footsteps stop right behind our curtain.
“May I come in?” I look at Ulrika, and she glances down at our bodies, then gives me a nod to let her in.
“You may.” Haleema barges halfway in with a momentary pause.
“Oh, shit. Am I interrupting?”
“No. We’re waiting on you,” Ulrika says, sitting up. “So what are we doing now?”
“It’s time to infiltrate the city and see how we can take it back. So, put your gear on. We’re going light for this mission.”
“What does that mean?” I say.
“I brought daggers and throwing knives.” She walks away, leaving me more uneasy about the choice of our arsenal.
“Hmph, I might have a chance to use my dagger,” Ulrika says, sitting up and correcting the strap around her breasts.
Her dagger? Oh, that’s right. I forgot she carries one on the inside of her right boot. She rarely wields it.
I head over to my side of the room to put on my clothing. On top of my dresser is my sword. I’m not too fond of leaving it here and using a smaller weapon. Even though I do have training with those kinds of weapons, I feel more inclined to use my sword for the occasion.
“Kaio,” Ulrika says in a near whisper.
“Yes?”
“You’ve stared at your sword for quite some time. Are you still feeling stressed?”
“I feel like taking my sword.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it. If we engage with the enemy, it’ll be a CQB combat.”
“I see.”
After we dawn our gear, Ulrika heads over to Haleema. I take another glance at my sword, still debating on if I should take it. An idea comes to mind if we get into challenging situations and need better weapons to defend ourselves. I fasten my sword belt around Ulrika’s sword belts, so when I call my sword, it’ll bring hers.
I leave them on the bed and into the main room where everyone is. On the floor is an arsenal of various daggers. Alongside them, matching throwing knives and a burlap sack. I take a dagger with black leather that fits its scabbard and put on the throwing knife belt. Haleema cups her hands against the side of her head, moving it backward. In a glow of light emanating from her hands, it braids her hair.
“Ready?” Haleema says.
“What’s the plan?” I say. Haleema opens the sack, pulling out three pouches.
“Inside are explosive orbs.” She pulls one out to show us. It looks like a shiny black marble ball. “We’ll place them at barriers, strongholds, anything that’ll cripple their defenses.”
“Okay, cool. How do these things explode? I don’t see a fuse,” Ulrika says.
“Your mana will arm them. To blow them up, we say, Nite Fall. It’ll blow up your explosives no matter where you are.”
“Interesting choice of words,” I comment.
“I know, right?! So, are you two ready?”
“I’m ready,” Ulrika says, looking at me with her thumbs tucked into her pants. “Kaio?” I nod, yes.
“Alright. Come with me.” I follow behind her with a hand firmly grasped around the handle of my dagger.
We all stand on the rock where the device used to be under a new moon’s dark shade canvas. The city is covered in darkness, with scattered lanterns of fire throughout it. Haleema moves in front of us with her arms flat out. The barrier that’s around our camp opens in front of us. I can hear the wind blow and some cold air enters through the small opening.
“Stand in a single line close behind me,” Haleema says. I move behind her and Ulrika behind me. “I’ll enchant us to have the ability to fly, but don’t worry, I’ll have control of where we’ll go.”
“You better not get us killed, Haleema,” Ulrika says.
“Don’t worry. I’m an excellent flyer!” My feet levitate from the ground. Haleema leaps off the cliff, sending us with her.
“Whoa!” I shout. Ulrika shrieks, but it’s a short yelp.
“Try to compose yourself from making a sound.”
Haleema glides us down the face of the mountain. My stomach fills like it’s going to come out of my mouth. The wind smacking into my ears is deafening. We are moving so fast, that I’m worried we’ll slam into a tree or something. I know she’s banking in different directions just by the directional sways.
We rapidly approach Tawaragata’s southern wall. Haleema turns a sharp right, flying low as she tosses bombs at the barricades every few seconds. Once we lap around, she brings us into a dark corner within the walls. The flight sensation within my feet disappears. I drop to the ground and break away with my hand on my dagger, just in case I need to draw it.
No one says a word nor moves a muscle for a time. Haleema scans the sounds of cultists around us, following them in the direction they’re walking. She signals us to follow by slowly waving her hand, inward. I crouch to minimize the sound of my movements.
“We’ll move as a unit around the city, placing these orbs next to anything that’ll weaken their hold,” Haleema says. Someone above us lights a torch in a watchtower.
“Hmm,” I hum, tossing an orb at the base of the tower. “We should try to get every tower.”
“I’ll do that. Let’s split up to cover more ground.” She looks up into the sky, then looks all around her. “We’re currently located in the southwest corner of the city’s walls. Once you’re done using all of your orbs, come back here.”
“Got it.”
“Good luck to you both.” While she moves north from us, I debate on which direction I should go. I take a step in the eastern direction before Ulrika halts me with her hand on my chest.
“You’re not serious about splitting up?” Ulrika whispers with some confused aggression.
“Goodness no. I told you I was gonna follow your lead.” I remove her hand off my chest but give it a kiss hoping it’ll settle her nerves a bit. “Let’s head east and see what we’ll find.”
“Okay.”
I follow close behind Ulrika as we navigate through the dark. My eyes are beginning to adjust. Now I can see the rocks between the nearly dead patches of grass on the ground. Our footsteps are barely noticeable on this terrane. Plus, since our clothing is dark, we’re almost invisible.
“Stop,” Ulrika says with a hand signal. There’s a small house to our left with a bush that we stand next to.“Three targets in front.”She pulls me against her body and pulls out her dagger and two throwing knives. They walk right in front of us and stop with their backs turned to us. I place my hand over my weapon, just in case I need to draw it in an instant.
“Do you think he’ll return tonight?” The man on the left says, igniting his torch with fire from his hand.
“He better. That bitch empress is about to bring her whole army down here, and if we’re not ready—” the guy in the middle says before getting cut off by the woman on the right.
“You idiots have no faith,” she says, backhanding the man. “It’s all in Zadione’s will. He will get it done.” She turns to move to her left to see them. I fear they’ll see us, so I ready myself to attack them. Suddenly, a gust of wind comes from my right, swooping down on all of us. “What the hell?” The wind continues to come, blowing out the torch.
“Must be a massive thunderstorm coming through. Let’s head inside,” the first man says. They walk into the building we’re leaning on and shut the door behind them.
“That was close. Where did that storm come from?” I say.
“Me obviously,” Ulrika says, waving her fingers.
Ulrika places an orb left of the door, then we continue deep into the city. Maneuvering through the darkness is a bit eerie. From our days of reconing, we haven’t seen any civilians. Our only logical answers to why they’re not here are they’ve been killed or fled. The silence and knowing this area are full of killers, I’m amazed at how much composure I have in enemy territory. I wonder what she’s thinking about this whole situation.
“Ulrika,” I say, touching her left hip with my backhand. She stops, causing me to bump into her. We fall forward. She catches herself, including me, with her back.
“Kaio, what are you doing?” She says.
“I’m sorry!”
“Hey?” A man says to our right. Two unmasked cultists with swords in hand stare down at us like statues.
“Oh shit,” Ulrika whispers in a shout.
“Who the fuck are you two?” She franticly tries to ready herself when I jump off her. I quickly equip two of my throwing knives between my knuckles then dispatch them in a lethal throw to their necks. They gag on their blood before dying. I acquire two more knives and take out my dagger just in case someone comes rushing us.
“We’re good,” I say, looking around.
“Help me hide the bodies,” she says, hauling one of them into a nearby alleyway. I drag the second corpse as she lookouts for anyone else. “Kaioson...”
“I’m sorry for bumping into you. You stopped so suddenly. That was my mistake.” I pull my knives out their throats, clean the blood off using their clothing, then holster them back on my belt. She sighs and takes a deep breath with her eyes closed.
“That was a scare,” she says, with some chuckles. “These damn dogs are scattered all around here.”
“Yeah...”
“Did you need something of me?”
“Nevermind.”
“No, tell me.”
“It’s just a curious question. Nothing important right now.” She stares at me with her mouth shifted to the side, growling.
“Ask away, Kaioson.”
“I was wondering about your thoughts on the eeriness of the city.”
“That’s a very important question.” She checks again to see if anyone’s around, then rests her back on the adjacent wall. “I do not like this one bit. This is not the usual night raids I’m used to.”
“What makes this one different?”
“Note the lack of lit up houses and scarce patrols. I’m used to seeing heavily defended positions. How the fuck was this city taken over?”
“Your guess is good as mine.” She glances down at the bodies, then sighs a quiet gag.
“Let’s continue on.”
We move further into the dark dead city, planting bombs near houses where we find cultist gatherings. I keep reminding myself which direction is southwest, just if we have to flee or finish our task.
Ulrika spots a large stone garrison with active cultists roaming around the grounds and walking across the top walls. She signals me to follow into a derelict building that’s diagonal from it. The garrison is well lit with candles and torches, making it the most visible building throughout the city. A squad of cavalry riders gallops into the front entrance, being led by the blonde head man. Every single one of them, except for him, is wielding lances.
“That’s new. We didn’t see those before,” I say.
“Damnit,” Ulrika says through her teeth. “Now they can chase us if the plan goes south.” She sits down under the window with her back against the wall. I sit with her, and she snuggles on my arm, resting her cheek on the top of my shoulder. “Let’s take a quick break.”
“Alright.” She puts my arms between her legs. I know too well where it will end up, so I place my hand right on the special spot. She chuckles, causing me to nearly laugh. “So...”
“Yes, my love?” I try to think of something to talk about, but all I desire to do is a kiss or hold her.
“Come here.”
She looks directly at me. Even in the darkness, her green eyes bleed out. I believe she knows what I want by her darting eyes to view my lips. Right as I’m about to kiss her, the pressure in the room changes, causing my ears to make a subtle ring. I face my back towards the door as I stand in front of her, then point my dagger behind me.
“Who’s there?” I say.
“Kaioson?” Haleema says with her weapon drawn.
“Haleema?”
“Oh, thank the gods.” She leans halfway out the door, then holsters her dagger. I sheathe my weapon and return to Ulrika’s side. “Is Ulrika here?”
“I am,” Ulrika answers in a monotone voice. I resume rubbing her inner leg to bring back some bliss in her. She grins, resting her head back on my shoulder.
“Have you two planted some of your orbs?”
“Yes. We found several houses that some of the cultists dwelled in and planted them there,” I say.
“Excellent.” Haleema stands over us, viewing the garrison behind us. “Shit. That’s a lot of them. That’s more than I’ve seen along the walls.”
“Hold on. You’ve covered all the walls?” Ulrika says.
“Just only three. The last one is beyond that garrison.”
“That was quick.”
“Well, I flew to most of them.” Ulrika grunts in a low hum in a way it sounds like a scoff.
“We saw the man in white enter in there. He was flanked by lancer horsemen,” I say.
“Hmm, we need to move in closer and identify him,” Haleema says.
“And lace that garrison with these orbs,” Ulrika adds on. She takes my hand off her thigh to kiss the backhand, then she surprises me with smooches. I don’t shy her away because this is what I intended to do before Haleema found us.
“Really, you two? This is not the time for that.”
“Shut up, Haleema. He is my husband. I do as I please.” Ulrika helps me up to my feet while glaring at Haleema.
“You’re married?”
“Yes,” Ulrika softly answers, looking at me with her finger latched on my belt loop.
“Congratulations to you two, but let’s stay focused here.” Ulrika’s finger tightens before letting me go. She looks out the window, then takes a step up on the window seal.
“Wait for my signal,” she says, looking at me, then darting across the road into a ditch. Haleema and I wait at a time that feels like thirty seconds has passed.
“What is she doing?” Haleema says.
“I’m not sure,” I reply. A strong gust of wind tickles my nose. All of the garrison’s lights start going out one by one. “That’s it. Let’s go.” I hop out the window heading over to Ulrika. Haleema runs in sync with my steps as we both slide into the ditch.
“Goodness, Ulrika. Are you trying to throw a tornado at them?” Even though all the wind is cascading down on the garrison, we can somewhat feel the strong winds.
“I honestly could, but it’ll take some time,” Ulrika says. She moves her right hand in a waving manner like a bird flapping its wings in slow motion. The wind starts roaring. I hear people shouting in inaudible words.
“I got an idea. Haleema, let’s all enter from that guard tower,” I say, pointing at the right corner of the garrison. “Ulrika, keep blowing until I tell you to stop.” Haleema moves in front of Ulrika, then activates our ability to fly. We speed down the road, catapulting upwards towards our location. “Okay. Cease it, Ulrika!”
Ulrika clasps her hands together over her head. A white circular vapor ring opens ahead of us. We fly through it, and the wind around us is quiet. It feels like there’s no sound or air to notice.
Reminds me of being under the eye of a hurricane.
Haleema lands us on top of the watchtower, then jumps down the ladder. Ulrika continues to fiddle with the wind but slows down her hand movements. Someone in a feminine voice grunt in pain below me. I check to see who it is, fearing Haleema might be hurt.
“Haleema?” I say, looking down the dark hole. A body falls over into view. It’s one of the Nite cultists and not Haleema.
“What’s up?” Haleema says, with her dagger in hand.
“Nothing.” The ferocious gale dies down as Ulrika stops motioning its rampage over us. Now, it’s a gentle breeze with cool air. “That was...”
“Amazing? Wonderful? Majestic?” Ulrika says, with a smirk. I just nod in awe at how she can bring such destructive air.
“What other monumental things can you do with your power?”
“I wonder myself. I’ve never taken my magic to its limits.”
“Why’s that?”
“Never needed to, but I’m down to see the potential of my power once we’re outta here.”
“You’ve made me very curious.”
“Me too,” Haleema says, coming up the ladder. “You too, Kaioson. After seeing fire spew out your mouth, I’ve been pondering the amazing feats you can do.”
“Huh? What...? When did you do that?” Ulrika asks in a nimble voice with awe.
“I’ll explain the whole story once we get back to camp,” I say. Ulrika pinches the left side of her mouth then frowns. “Let’s get all four towers ready for detonation, identify the man in white, then cripple this place.” They nod with smiles, and we storm together to the next tower.