There was a loud explosion, followed by a rising mushroom cloud. It was 5 stories tall and everyone in the block witnessed the tragedy that happened. Rumble of concrete rain mercilessly onto the passersby pavement, as the innocent tried their best to find cover. Nearby buildings had their windows shattered and stalls split into bits, beams and torn cloth.
Overall, it was a sudden blood bath and there were visible victims in dire condition as marron blood stained the gray, hoove-marked streets of the people. Whilst that degree of injury was considering only the passive victims, the results of those within that bombed building remained constant.
It was impossible that none of them died from that blast alone and more lives would be taken from the entrapment of the ensuing fire, that’s steadily making its way to full consumption. One ran to alert more of the police guard. Some attended to the wounded. The others quickly formed lines to carry water buckets in hopes of lessening the raging flames. For one particular laborer, his eyes stared straight at the sign above the main entrance, continuously billowing clouds of thick, poisonous smoke.
In the midst of the blanket of gray and orange-red, the sight of an illustration of a brush, blackened beyond recognition, soon reached its boiling point and melted into molten liquid.
The beloved primary communication pub, White Ink Headquarters, ceased to exist that day, falling to ruin.
.
.
.
Minutes after that explosion occurred, where the police guard and firemen surrounded the diminishing premise, and beyond, a growing crowd of onlookers, there came an eye-catching stagecoach that promptly screeched to a halt in front of the masses gathered. Slamming the doors open, the He couple stepped out of the carriage, only to be greeted by a cacophony of noises and shortly after, they halted in their tracks.
“No…”
An instantaneous mutter crawled out of the devastated lady.
Surprisingly, there was no scream.
Crackle…
She saw another structural beam fall, nearly killing some of the firemen below.
“...”
Even if she did so, no one would hear her. She could not hear herself as well. It was worthless effort. The crackling and crashing of further framework, the screams of firemen and the howls and chatter of the crowd. She was just one woman amongst them all and the one with the most attachment to what was destroyed.
Being the co-founder of this establishment, who had spent over a decade to achieve such success, all of it was engulfed in flames in front of her very eyes. Her shiny onyx irises reflected back this unforgetful sight. In response, her fist clenched tighter in frustration, digging deep into her palm.
She dared say it was incomparable to the time she was stabbed in the thigh. This felt worse, like the edge of said blade scraping her heart, slowly but coldly; peeling out muscle per muscle before chopping the insides with haphazardous delight.
In the end, TianXing fell to her knees, failing her hardest to imagine that this was another nightmare of hers, and that she was still in the warm snuggle of Hamilton’s arms; awakened to the sounds of not people’s, but Eddisson’s wails instead. As foolish as it was, at that moment, she sincerely wanted that to be true. However, that was all for naught and the tears never came out.
“ARGGGHHHHHH!!”
She shrieked horribly…
“TianXing…”
Fortunately for her, there was someone she could hold her head to, and Hamilton, who grieved the fact that he saw her in such a state, readily embraced her as tightly as he humanely could, slowly moving her eyes away from the sight to behold.
…until her throat soared and scarred, and the wails died down.
.
.
.
After making sure that his wife was steady in her mental wellbeing, he handed her a small canteen of water as they finally entered the actual site of the incident.
The day was nearing its end and all the roaring crowds had already split off to tend to their own businesses.
Passing the wooden barricades placed, they were approached by an official in no time.
Dressed in blackened red leather armor with a dao at his hip, the middle-aged man held a booklet in his left hand, prepared to write more details and discussions. Ignoring Hamilton, he asked TianXing.
“Lady Xu, this is your property, isn't it? The wondrous letter center.”
“Yes, I am now present.”
“...Confirmed.” His brush hand began to move.
Whilst that happened, taking a closer look around the ruins, she sighed heavily.
“What happened here, officer? I hope there is some closure in finding out who is the perpetrator.”
Stopping, he answered, “Be pleased to hear this, Lady. There were multiple-”
“I’M SORRY!!!”
Silence came.
Stunned, the officer twitched, “What’s the matter, Lady Xu?” He was clearly angered at her interruption to an otherwise already much busier day for him.
Lowering her head down, she answered.
“I was selfish. I have forgotten the most important thing. How are all my employees?! What did the casualty report say?”
“Hmmm…in regards to that,” He flipped several pages, “Out of the 847 people within and around the building at recorded time, 261 people were killed and none came out unscathed. 485 of them were dealt severe injuries and the rest only had minor bruising and burns.”
Averting her gaze in the face of this news, she asked again.
“Did Mr Tai survive?”
“Mr Tai…He came out unharmed, besides a scorched part of his forehead.”
“T-thank goodness…”
She felt her heart was relieved.
“Well, that’s what you get for having martial artists as your personal guard, Lady.”
But as he looked at her, the guard could tell she was distraught.
“Erhmm, Lady, don’t be so down. This attack is unavoidable no matter the amount of security you implement to this place. I suggest you arrange fast evacuative measures in the other branches.”
“...” She raised her head up.
“After all, I don’t want the only way of communicating with my daughter now destroyed, do we? She just delivered a grandson last month so I regularly sent that damn son-in-law proper parenting tips. Hahaha!”
“...wonderful…So officer, where’s Mr Tai as we speak?”
“I told him to say but he insisted that there are other matters to attend to, so I let him go.”
“...I see.”
“Anyhow, back to your previous question, that is where the more ‘exciting’ news comes up.”
“...Say the facts, Sir. I will take it.”
“There was no bomb. Nor was it an aura-initiated attack. Based on eye witnesses and the analysts, it was a large ball of fire that collided with the building, creating the huge explosion.”
“Ball of fire?”
“And this ball of fire wasn’t made of aura. Hence, we can confidently say that…” He sideyed the blond gentleman accompanying her, “It was a barbarian’s technique that caused this tragedy.”
“...”
“End of the first-minute report, Lady. The rest, we must discuss back at the headquarters. Understood?”
“I’m all ears, officer. Thank you for your services.”
She tipped him several bronze.
“Just a sign of appreciation for your overtime work.”
Bowing deeply, the officer proceeded back to his other duties, leaving the couple to their own.
Dumbfounded from the lack of foreign language comprehension, Hamilton walked up beside her.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was void of joy.
Meeting his gaze at the corner of her eye, she smiled exasperatedly. The first time this evening.
“Mr Tai has already begun the operation, Hamilton. The deaths of 261 innocent bystanders were caused by the very people you call family. I am sure of it.”
He grimaced.
“...I can’t defend against the truth. At the end of that pile of rubble, there is a dump of concentrated mana that has yet to subside, and where else do people use this form of energy other than our kind.”
“I suppose they really want you to realize that it's them that’s after you and me. How bold of the Kiefrurpez to orchestrate this in broad daylight, especially on foreign land.”
“Well, this is not the first time that has happened in our house’s lifetime. Rather, it’s the beginning of upcoming and unannounced routine attacks on your nation’s hard-earned soil.”
“Kingdom, Hamilton. We still have the Emperor.”
“A synonym of minor inaccuracy.”
“Anyway, this calls for the start of our part of the operation, doesn't it?”
“I’ll get Eddisson back at the mansion. TianXing, I trust you will get to the basement safely.”
“Silly, no foreigner knows these streets better than me!” She puffed her chest high.
Giggling, the gentleman embraced her once more.
“Wait for me there.”
“Be careful.”
Signaling for a different carriage, his personal stagecoach set off in another direction as planned. Once Hamilton was on his way, TianXing took one last look at the headquarters of White Ink. The main sign was lost to the flames of conflict.
‘If I had my camera now, I would love to take one last picture of this place,’ she looked with a somber expression. “Oh well…”
Now was no longer the time for weeping.
Time was racing fast.
It’s now or never. It’s time to make their escape.
---
Three days later.
The clock struck midnight within a pocket watch, grasp tightly by the black gloved hand of Hamilton. Beside him was his wife, and they were currently riding on a hired rickshaw. The lean man sprinted his way across alleyways and all-night busy streets. After attending to some finalizing business with a particular informant, in the few hours to come, the steamship upon which they will depart for the Meso Unity will be released from the docks and set course.
“Foo…Chilly night, tonight Hamilton! Reminds me of the trip from my hometown to ShanWei, and in both of them, I escape on a boat when the moon shines bright! What a coincidence, ain’t it?”
“What a pleasant mood you have, dear.”
“Wait, does that mean…”
“Oh no, I too am excited! But…for the last few days, when Ferase, Eddisson and I met up with you and Mr Tai, until all our luggage was secretly loaded up on the steamship a day before departure, I…My family. Besides attacks on our other branches and my very own mansion the day after the headquarters was destroyed, there hadn’t been any more attacks on locations where you and I may be hiding and we have already moved to five different places during that time. It’s just so tense…and I myself know how good the Kiefrurpez are at intelligence gathering and tracking.”
He clenched his fist close to his chest.
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“...Hamilton,” TianXing breathed and laid her hand on his, “Isn’t that the reason why we spent years setting up for the perfect escape plan? You know how good they are, thus you spent sleepless nights doing maps and connections while aiding me in raising our baby. Believe in yourself that your efforts will pay off.”
As she laid her head on her broad shoulders, he sheepishly blushed around his ears.
“Right now, Eddisson must be sleeping in the ‘deluxe’ suite. Once he wakes up, the boy will be greeted by the sight of the open blue ocean.”
“Hamilton, did you acquire a dreadnought for the journey or the typical liner?”
“...It’s a mix. Hehe.”
“...”
“Don’t worry, his room, technically our room, is the most heavily armored section of the ship, if you do not count the bridge and gun ports.”
Just as Hamilton tried to lighten the mood by bragging about his priced ship, the sound of the crashing tides grew louder by the second. Misty air entered both their nostrils, indicating one thing. They arrived at the docks. More specifically, they were at the central district of the harbor where the moonlight shone upon rows of other foreign steamships similarly built to theirs.
Having given the supervisor counterfeit identity files and a permit, the couple made their way past crowds of laborers, inspectors and merchants. From one port to the next, they counted until they reached the 26th. The cold sea wind blew against her thick robe and his all-weather trench coat.
In the darkness, the outline of numerous piles of cargo could still be seen on the branching pier, waiting for the next one to be loaded onto the steamship. Under a lamppost flickering ambient orange light, familiar faces could be seen amidst a group of sailors.
“Ferase!”
Hamilton impatiently screamed out for the old man.
The butler, whose beard became a dusty white color, turned to the call of his name in an instant. As they made eye contact, the both of them smiled.
“Master Hamilton, you’re just in time! Captain, please excuse me for a moment.”
With that, the crew splitted, returning to their stations.
Leaning on the railing of the stairway towards the boarding ramp, Ferase welcomed the both of them for a successful return.
“How are the migration documents?”
Holding up the briefcase for it to be basked in glory, Hamilton smirked.
“All set for the Meso Unity.”
“How splendid, Master! Speaking of which, Lady Xu, Eddisson is now fast asleep and surprise, surprise…he did his potty all by himself tonight. What a fast learner he truly is!”
“Come on, dear Ferase, my proud boy said his first words 6 months after he was born. Half the average baby! So of course, this news is commonplace in my ears. Haha.”
That’s when he received a hard elbow from his wife.
“Alright Hamilton, it’s fine to praise the boy, but remember to not spoil him once we settle in.” She said it in a tone, reminiscent of a doting matured mother.
“TianXing, TianXing, if anyone knows when to stop, it’s myself. Instead, darling, you should start thinking of having an official wedding ceremony for the both of us. Having only a single family photo would be the most foolish of me as an accomplished father of four.”
“Hehe, I suppose so…”
She instinctively pulled out the necklace given to her on their 2nd anniversary. Flipping open the lid for the next countless time, there was their family’s portrait. A crisp, water-proofed film of monotonous shades and color brightened up her expression, feeling a warm sensation in her heart whenever she saw it.
“Gentlemen, I think I should be going to Eddisson’s room and set up the room for the journey. Hence, I will leave you two for now. But, remember to not loiter around the docks for too long. It’s a cold night tonight.”
“That’s my line, Lady.”
She nodded in surrender and made her way up the boarding ramp, passing a thick metal door that was rusted at the hinges and into the hull of the metal beast. The butler and master watched on with vigilant eyes.
That’s when the duo heard some chatter up on the entrance, springing Hamilton’s attention. Moments later, a recognisable clerkman exited the vessel and joined up with the other two men. No longer donned in his flowy work robes, he wore an industrial tunic with hard pants and a fastened sash. It was TianXing’s advisor, Mr Tai.
His wild, long goatee fluttered in the tidal winds as another set of waves crashed roughly on the stands that held the port above sea level. In return, the ship could be seen rocking to a side, followed by a low groan. Though horrifying, everyone immediately returned to their duties including the three associates. There was something that had kept their worries on high alert and if assumptions are true, it will spoil trouble.
“Mr Tai, what brings you down here?”
“Same reason you are, Butler Ferase.” Through the last few years working under TianXing and White Ink, the former head waiter of a popular eatery was finally fluent in speaking and understanding English.
“Mr Hamilton, have you done what I assigned you to do while on the way here?”
Although, he carried quite the thick Mandarin accent no matter how much he interacted with the native speakers. Due to this realization, Mr Tai readily accepted that TianXing was a naturally borned proficient linguist.
“I did and I finally understood your point.”
“Master, does it have to do with the police hunt for the assailant?”
“No Ferase, rather, Mr Tai suggested the police are just putting up an act.”
“What?”
“Just as Mr Hamilton pointed out, all our preparations may be in vain against an overarching trap.”
“How so, Mr Tai?”
“Remember the Third Young Master?”
“Yes, but we rarely meet him these past few years. I even heard they called him back to your capital.”
“Even so, it is mandatory for the Clan of the White Crane to send out martial warriors to aid in the hunt, especially when these attacks have already killed at least more than a thousand people. One of their primary roles in ShanWei is security after all and no other clan has overtaken their position as guard dog.”
“In that case…”
“As Mr Hamilton confirmed, they reported no activity. So…can you connect the dots, Butler Ferase?”
“...Master, do you really believe that the ShanWei city council is in cahoots with the Kiefrurpez Intelligence Bureau? You know how reluctant those bastards are these days.”
“Might as well take precautions, Ferase, since they did cooperate with Terredylid on building that railway and our plan is nearly reaching completion without any hiccups.”
Turning to the ship, he asked Mr Tai.
“When do we leave the harbor?”
“In about an hour, Mr Hamilton.”
“There will be no delays, Master. I previously talked to the captain.”
“...That’s good news.”
Adjusting his clothes and straightening the lapels, Hamilton let out a deep sigh. He was visibly exhausted and so, he closed his eyes whilst standing.
His hearing heightened and the beats of the waves, the cranking of cranes and the shouts of men; he heard them all. Later, a similar scene will come once they arrive at Laurelton city on the West Coast. His nostrils were filled with the scent of mold and salty sea air. He would have to endure that for the several day trip. He stocked up on powdered milk and beef jerky. It’s finally coming true.
“hah…”
He muttered.
.
.
.
And that’s when it happened.
BOOM!!!
The steamship rose above the waters as the explosion tore apart the mid-section of the armored metal vessel. The shockwave caused large ripples under the docks, displacing huge amounts of black seawater. The ‘flimsy’ platform upon which they stood, wobbled like a thin metal sheet whacked by a drumstick, causing workers and cargo to fall into the cramped depths of the water beneath. Scorching plates and melted nails of metal flung carelessly towards the neighboring ships and the surrounding moorage. Tall cranes that stood tall, were pulled by gravity and crashed onto the remaining platforms, destroying escape routes for those unfortunate. The masts that supported the steamship’s framework snapped and a multitude of them fell onto other ships’ masts, creating a domino effect as their superstructure was also knocked down along with it. If the falling debris and the rushing currents haven’t killed you already, then the immense heat and blaze rising from the boiler rooms and ammunition rack would. In its aftermath, flames the size of buildings engulfed the vessel like a cooking stove of death. They soar high into the bleak darkness we call the night sky and the clouds near them turned into a lighter gray. Due to the sheer volume of the inferno emerging from the cracks of the steamship, they coalesced with great vigor into a miniature firestorm of bright orange-red, fueled by the abundant gunpowder and fanned by the warmed sea gales. The smog that followed, blended in with the night, overshadowed by their furious progenitor.
In other words, it was a horrifying catastrophe.
For Hamilton, who dodged all of those in the nick of time and came out with a bruised, burnt left shoulder, despite the brutality and chaos that was ongoing around him, filled with devastation and screams, the only thing that was racing endlessly in his mind was his family. His wife and 3-year old son were still within that smelting cesspool of a battered warship and it was gonna be a matter of time until they will be cooked alive in there.
Time was of essence.
Spontaneously, without hesitation and deaf to the cries of his beloved Ferase in the background, the blonde gentleman unbuttoned his trenchcoat, rushed into the pulsing heat waves and dived deep into the waters below. Once he figured he was fully drenched, with his firearm equipped with a grappling hook attachment from a dimensional ring, Hamilton shot it up to the surface and using his superior marksmanship, the hook successfully locked onto an intact rigid metal pillar that served as part of the crane onboard which revolved out towards the docks as a part of the separated ship that was listing to port.
Ensuring the grip, Hamilton ran the motors and his heavy body flew out of the currents, making a rough roll onto the burning deck. Quickly covering his lower half of his face with a handkerchief, he kicked open a door at the corner that led into a room housing a flight of spiraling stairs. Immediately, a body of smoke rushed out like a stampede herd. He flinched, but Hamilton knew that he would never let this obstruction stop his advance and so, he forced himself through, coughing heavily as he did in gritted teeth, reaching inside the depths within.
.
.
.
Outside, crowds of people were closing in onto the shore and onto safe land. They jumped over gates and shoved through one another. You might see a rich merchant intermingling amongst scruffy laborers, fighting shoulder to shoulder for their own survival.
In regards to the appointed supervisor, his face was visibly pale from the sight of ruin, shouting out orders like a mad man as his job was on the line.
He screamed for the man to evacuate all the priceless cargo that was present and sent messengers to relay news to the firemen despite knowing by the time they arrived, the damage caused would be beyond repairable.
.
.
.
Watching his master as he selflessly, or selfishly one might say, ran into the inferno, Ferase was clearly stunned at what he witnessed.
Overwhelmed with the over stimulation of the severity of this explosion, he soon began to doubt himself. Although he knew this was totally unnecessary in a place where quick thinking determines whether you live or die, he could not help but contemplate his actions.
‘Was I wrong in letting my Master court Lady Xu?’
‘Should I have instead encouraged Hamilton to confront his father, knowing this possibly might happen?’
‘I have known his father for years and the Matriarch, even more so? How has my judgment led to this…?’
‘Was there anything I could have done better?!”
Distraught and disappointment swirled uncontrollably in his heart, and having made out of the ordeal unharmed, Ferase suddenly felt a stinging ache below his neck. Moaning in agony, he was suddenly approached by Mr Tai who smacked him out of his ‘daze’.
“What the hell are you doing!?”
“...”
“Can’t you see we are in danger right now!?”
“...”
“Our masters are still in there! Keep your cool, Ferase!”
“I....I’m sorry…I-I just…”
“D-damn that good-for-nothing!”
As Ferase was recollecting his thoughts, Mr Tai looked out at the burning vessel. That ship was burning its fuel like there was no tomorrow. Most of his clothes were burned and his bun was loosened. His black and gray hair fluttered messily in the heat wave, while a significant portion of his goatee was singed black, crawling up onto his left cheek.
‘What a s-’
Amidst the waves of retreating masses, Mr Tai unfortunately made out a group of robed figures shoving against the onslaught in the opposing direction. To make things worse, it appeared to be that they are approaching close to their section of the docks. It didn’t take long for him to figure out that they are most likely the culprits who caused the ship to blow up. With how much work his master’s husband has put into concealing this ship by submitting false documents of operations that were disclosed for the public, finding a spot where other similar steamships were parked to blend into the crowd and doing it in a time where other Anglosphere merchants were also present…
“The Kiefrurpez are quite the bold bunch.”
Mr Tai grinned in misery.
Taken aback by his statement, Ferase looked at Mr Tai’s general direction. And at the sight of the black robes, his face darkened. Instantly, he summoned out his cane from his dimensional ring. This time, Mr Tai looked back at the butler in hidden fright.
“What now…”
“Mr Tai, this is a Kiefrurpez affair.”
“W-what are you sayin-”
“Get out of here…if you stay here any longer, you might die. No, you will die.”
“I-I can’t!”
“More importantly, you will just get in the way.” Ferase looked back at him with stone-cold eyes. Never has he seen Ferase with such hostility since that conflict at the opening party. “Another liability.”
“...” At a loss for words, Mr Tai knew what he said was true.
“Hurry, scram!”
“...I will get help somehow!” Slowly he backed away, before sprinting off in the opposite direction to take a detour. “Stay alive until then, Ferase, and save our masters!”
As the last traces of his white hair disappeared into the smoke and rubble, Ferase smirked with melancholy.
“I will do my best, Mr Tai. For you, myself, Lady Xu, Young Master Eddisson…and the master I pledge to serve, Hamilton Claure von Kiefrurpez!”
With this surge of encouragement, the old butler exercised his towering pressure, blowing out dust and flames, clearing the path as five hooded figures of varying heights approached past the smog.
Meters apart, they stopped in unison. Hard leather boots, lined with metal plates clacked in rhythm.
There was silence as the fire around them continued to burn. The fiery storm above mattered less to them than the opposition's exerted pressures. Confidently, that one old man’s aura matched nicely against these five.
Ferase examined them closely. Black hoods, black masks and black robes. The latter draped down to the ankles, charmed with all sorts of environmental immunities. Visible outlines of daggers, shortswords and wands with none of them specializing in only one. Three males and two females, the typical line up for an ambush squad. He gathered that in seconds.
Seeing how they are still silent, Ferase decided to spark up a conversation.
“What incredible timing, assassins. If not for you all, I would have gathered all my mana to extinguish these flames and my Master would no longer have to suffer on his own right now.”
Silence.
“That’s what we intend to do, Sir Edelane. But, I am sure there is no need for violence. Our leader has an offer for you,” explained the one in the middle, “He knows how much you lived your life serving the Kiefrurpez so they are willing to give you a pardon. All you have to do is surrender your support for the eldest son.”
But, pretending to consider the offer, Ferase sneered.
“Why isn’t my Master pardoned? Isn’t he that rascal’s son?”
Shocked at the language used to address their overlord, the five assassins promptly drew out their weapons.
In an instant, where the ship’s interior caved in significantly out of the limelight, the assassin in the middle felt his view change as one would when they do a backflip. But he didn’t. It was only too late for him to realize that he was beheaded as he drew his blade.
The site of the exposed neck spewed blood high into the air like a water pump before the wound cauterized unnaturally quickly. His body then limped to the side, stunning those beside him.
Looking back to the old man Ferase, the remaining four readied their weapons, holding varied stances in a well-trained reorganized spearhead formation as trained from young. Their eyes were no longer those held by a top predator.
“Darn myself, I intend to kill three at once. I guess this is what they meant by waning with age.”
He, on the other hand, held no stance and was instead planting his cane hard onto the steaming hot wooden platform below. They could not figure out what attack he did to incapacitate the captain of their team but it was obviously clear that that attack was lethal!
Snickering from ear to ear, Ferase growled back.
“I will grant all of you a swift death! Ultimately, my priorities lie with my Master’s and his newfound families’ safety! Hence…”
“...”
“All of you, COME AT ME!!!”