Chapter 20 – Ploy (1)

In the office of Mia of Avilla. There lays a letter sealed with wax. A man wearing a military coat with a big red cross on his heart was seen standing with his arms tucked behind his back. Mia of Avilla seemed like she did not like the messenger. Her eyes having this strange look. Almost seething to the point of spitting fire.

“Is this true?” said Mia, taking her eyes off the letter.

“It is madam.”

“Bali and Cagan spies had really come to this place. And despite all of this that is happening. You expect me to believe that the greedy warlords of the Freelands wanted to warn me about these assassins. How generous.”

“I am only a messenger madam.” The messenger said.

“Yes, it seemed like you are. You deliver their words through tongue and words. How many months had you traveled to get to the Freelands soldier?”

“Two months, Madam.” said the messenger. “I had to trek the mountains and avoid the recent Cagan headhunter’s madam.”

“Headhunters?” Mia raised a brow.

“Yes, scalpers that came from Cagan. They have been picking off Knight Templar’s off the road. Three weeks ago this humble messenger almost became part. Only through luck and skill that I was able to reach this city, madam.”

“Hmm, indeed I’ve heard of that caravan attack resulting in the death of a fifty templar knights armed with rifles and bayonet. So you are a survivor.”

“Yes, Madam,” The messenger swallowed hard.

“To employ a Knight Templar messenger to be their errand boy. Not to mention this far from the Holy Midland. This is rather too generous. What’s inside this letter bastard?”

“Nothing Madam...I shall now leave.”

“Shig,” Mia called out.

The messenger tried to leave out of the door but he saw a burly body blocking his way. He looked up and saw the two horns of Shig. The Knight Templar messenger shivered. Sweat beads fell down his forehead as he tries to gather words to say.

“May I know why you are in such a hurry?”

“I have things to deliver,” answered the messenger.

Shig wasn’t having any of it. “You think of us fools. Leiko had sniffed three poisons on that letter. The message carried by word had truth on it but it was ploy to let our guard down.”

“Shit!” the messenger tried to take the dagger hung on his boots. But Shig was faster and was able to grab the messenger. The messenger struggled but before long he was knocked unconscious by the bear hug that Shig did.

Mia reclined in her chair with a matchstick in her hand. “And the bastards think that such foolish trick will kill me.” She lit the letter. “Or are they messing with me? Thinking that I’d be foolish to open a letter sealed with three kinds of poison, hoping that I’d die? How ridiculous.”

“Indeed.” Shig crossed his arms. “The leaders of the Freelands are getting ridiculous. All the money and all the greed is getting to them. They think that it would be easy to take this land from your hands”

“At least we got something from this messenger.”

“Bad news!” a voice called.

Shig turned and saw a soldier with a rifle running.

“What’s wrong soldier?”

“An Assassin has slipped past us! They are after Old Gale!”

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“What!?” Mia stood up. “What do they need him for?”

“We don’t know madam!” the soldier huffed air. “All we know is that other one had gone and scaled the walls! The other now lies dead after biting his tongue!”

“Shig!” Leiko came out of the shadows.

“Go ahead Leiko! Take care of Old Gale and make sure they are safe!”

Leiko ran at full speed out of the office. Her heart pumping badly at the thought of her sister being in danger. Shig looked at her before dragging the soldier that was sleeping on the floor with a look of anger that made Mia feel a cold wisp of air on her spine.

...

Meanwhile, in the study room, a person running at full speed launched towards Old Gale. Surprised, Old Gale stumbled back and saw the pistol pointed at his face.

Joshua saw the pistol and the trigger finger of the assailant moving.

Unknowingly he threw his book at the assassin.

The assassin staggered but he closed in at Joshua and was about to pull the trigger in anger.

Joshua thought that he was done for. But words floated in front of his eyes. When these visions appeared Joshua focused his mind.

>Counter!

Without his input, his body moved on its own. His right arm crooked and held the assailant by the wrist. Joshua then grabbed the torso of the assassin and tackled him out of the window where things slowed down for Joshua.

The glasses broke. The wooden frame of the window splintered.

Joshua saw the sky first before seeing the words floating in front of him. The wind caressed his face as gravity does its job and made Joshua and the assassin's body plummet straight down the ground.

He didn’t hesitate.

Nor he could back down when faced with death.

His action was outrageous.

But he didn’t turn tail as he chooses.

His body moved while time seemed slow.

Time didn’t slow down.

But it was those words that made his body feel like it slowed down.

His arms moved as he took the pistol from his holster

He pointed the flintlock’s barrel at the person’s chest.

He took a shot.

The man screamed in pain.

He tried to struggle but they were in mid-air.

Joshua took another pistol without his will.

He aimed it at the man again.

He pulled the trigger.

Blood splattered.

The man’s eyes then rolled up.

Joshua then saw the words in front of him changed. He focused his mind on the words.

As he kneed the body of the man.

Using the man’s body as a cushion. He landed on the bed of flowers with a loud splat. Joshua bounced like a ball as he quicly stood up while shuddering.

His limbs felt numb and when the words vanished. Joshua felt like he lost all strength in him. He looked at the assassin that attacked them before falling down flat on the flagstone.

He heard someone shout. There were boots hurrying to where he was. What was that? Who was that? Why did they attack Old Gale? Joshua thought as his consciousness disappears.