It was past midnight when they entered the Opis district. He usually entered these broad streets as his home, but now he walked as a criminal’s lookout. He was nervous, especially about the prospect of encountering his father, though he had doubts the man was stalking the streets this late. Every shadow seemed to dance with menace, and each distant noise set his heart racing. Virelia, and three men, Lucius, Otto, and another, name unheard, lead the way. Their confident strides a stark contrast to his own hesitant steps.
They’d given him an ill-fitting doublet to hide his fancy clothes. He felt like a child playing dress-up, or as though he were a younger cousin, a mother forcing siblings to let him tag along. Virelia looked back on occasion, to give him an encouraging smile. a little beacon of reassurance in the darkness. The city’s usual sounds faded to a distant hum as they navigated the little alleys between the grand palatia. Moonlight struggled to penetrate here. His companions seemed mere outlines, ghost-like apparitions ahead. Virelia moved with easy grace, her brown hair hidden beneath a hood. Otto was broad-shouldered and quick to flash his crooked teeth, whereas Lucius was slender and moved in fits and starts. The other man walked as though he was gliding. Aquila had only gotten a brief look at his dark-skinned face, deciding he hailed from Alamun. Virelia said this was his first job too.
The further they ventured, the more foreign the district felt. He was cold, and the buildings stretched taller above him. The silence broke only on the occasion of distant barking. He whispered silent thanks to Vardus that the dragonflower had worn off. Though in truth, he supposed that Vardus was responsible for it in the first place, as he was all intoxication.
As they neared the Senator’s palatia, the group slowed their pace. The grand residence looked like a temple. The white marble was almost blue in the moonlight. Intricate carvings lined the walls, casting strange shadows, creeping downward like vines. There was a perimeter wall between them and the building itself. The main gate was wrought from sturdy polished oak, adorned with bronze fittings. Two small statues of lions guarded either side of it, and a real, human guard stood in the middle. They could see him from the dark alley across the wide paved road. Otto spoke up.
“So, whit’s th’ plan again?” He asked, as Aquila still adjusted to his thick Hinterland accent.
“First we hit the slave quarters, Lucius and I will make sure the girl is safe. Once she’s outside, you and Sharad will show on the other. I wear mine at my neck. If there’s anyone coming inside, or the guard’s back in position, you get the stone in moonlight, or better yet torchlight, and we’ll know.” She said.
“All right, until then I’ll keep it clutched in my hand.” Aquila replied, and Virelia smiled, nodding.
“You’re learning fast. You three, let's move.” She said, and they stole towards the wall, and Otto began boosting them over. Virelia gave one last grin at Aquila as she crouched on top of it, and she blew him a kiss. Aquila flushed red, as always and she stifled a laugh as she dropped out of sight.
Aquila watched as the last of the group disappeared over the stone wall, Otto, who was tall enough not to need a boost. With a deep breath, he tightened his grip on the mirror stone, feeling its cool surface against his skin. His eyes scanned the opulent window frames for any sign of movement, interior or exterior. The distant barking finally fell silent. Only the distant hoot of an owl and the rustling of leaves in the breeze broke the quiet of the night. Minutes passed that felt like hours. Aquila's heart pounded in his chest, the adrenaline in his veins making every sound sharper, every shadow a potential threat. Despite that, he couldn't help but think about Virelia's parting gift. The memory made his face feel hot, even in the cool night air. He peaked his head around the side and tried to see if anyone was coming.
And then he heard it. A sudden cry out, hoarse like an old man, from inside. He froze, sweat beginning to stream down his forehead. He frantically looked for movement but saw nothing. The gates opened from inside to his equal surprise, nearly letting out a gasp of fear. But he was relieved to see it was Lucius and what must be the slave woman. She didn’t look pregnant to him.
“Where’s Virelia?” Aquila whispered as Lucius joined him in the alley. The woman was weeping, seeming a mix of fear and relief.
“She decided to pay the Senator a visit herself, couldn’t resist.” He replied. Aquila nodded and looked at the woman, who was facing away from them.
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“I thought she was pregnant?”
“Miscarried. On account of the whippings, I expect.” Lucius suggested, trying to make sure the woman didn’t hear. Aquila nodded sadly. “One less mouth to feed.” Lucius said, and Aquila frowned at his callousness.
The trio waited for a long time. Lucius was the first to notice the footsteps. Aquila froze when he saw the guard, still rubbing his stomach, lumbering back to the front of the gate. He panicked and held the mirror stone tight. Adrenaline coursed through him as he rushed down the alley, out of the bottom, and to a nearby torch stand to hold it in the light. It glowed in response, and Aquila desperately hoped it would reach Virelia before she left the building. He ran back up the cobbles as fast as he could. When he reached Lucius and the slave woman, the heavy wooden gate groaned slowly outward. The breath caught in Aquila’s throat at the sight. Virelia was leading, smeared with blood, but not her own. Her face was pale, but Otto was far paler. He sagged against Sharrad, his consciousness fading. Otto’s jerkin and right leg were soaked a sinister crimson, his skin taking on a deathly shade of blue. Sharrad struggled beneath his weight as they staggered forward.
The guard turned around casually, before recoiling in fear as he unsheathed his longsword. Virelia’s mirror stone, dangling from her neck, gradually extinguished as she charged away from the lights of the house. The guard tried to get in a proper stance, but she burst forward, plunging her dagger between the guard’s chest plate and pauldron. Spurts of blood and gasps of dismay came from him. He reeled backwards but steadied his stance. Virelia pressed her advantage, and unleashed a flurry of slashes, forcing the guard onto the defensive. Steel rang against steel as he parried in desperation. She danced to his side gracefully, momentum carrying her, allowing her to evade his wandering swings. Her dagger struck again, carving a deep gash in the guard’s forearm. Enraged, he charged forward with a haggard cry, raising his longsword. At the last moment, Virelia sidestepped and slashed the guard's leg as he lumbered past. He crashed to the ground with a shout of pain. As he struggled to rise from the ground, Virelia pounced onto his back. She wrenched his head back and drawing her dagger across his exposed throat in one vicious motion. Blood splashed across the cobbles as the guard gurgled wetly, then fell limp. Breathing heavily, Virelia rose from her fresh kill. She pulled a blood-stained cloth from inside her leathers and wiped her dagger clean. Sharrad and Otto stumbled past, and Aquila stood in horror. Virelia slipped the dagger into her belt and immediately took control.
“Otto’s hurt, very bad. The Senator hid a blade near his desk. We need to get him to a healer now.” She commanded, and Lucius nodded, taking Otto’s other arm as he grimaced, sucking on his teeth.
“Ah will be jus’ fine. Is the lassie alright?” He said, close to shouting, Lucius covered his mouth and replied.
“She’s doing alright, you on the other hand have got Moros on your tail. Now shut up and let us take care of things.” He said, and Otto nodded as he gritted his teeth. Virelia sidled up to Aquila and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Are you with us? We need to go.” She urged him, pulling him along as she walked. He brushed her hand off and wobbled in place for a moment.
“I-I’m sorry. I’m going to go h-home. I have to go, I can’t um…” He stuttered, tumbling over his words. Virelia stopped, while the others began to move down the alley as fast as they could.
“Are you alright Aquila? That was a bit brutal, but one missed step and I’d be dead, Otto and Sharrad too probably. Now come on, we need to go.” She held out her hand for him to take, and he stared at it for a moment, seeing only the blood dripping from it. He looked her in the eyes.
“I have to g-go home Virelia. I should never have come. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I hope Otto is okay. I’ll… I’ll see you again .” He said, as he turned and began to run in the opposite direction. Virelia made a noise of frustration and called his name a final time, but he wasn’t stopping now.
He ran through the streets alone. Dogs snapped, sweat lashed, every shadow an attacker, every window an observer. Heart burning in his chest, oversized doublet thrown to the ground. Flying over the cobbles, footsteps pound, muscles torn, a door painted brown. Key. Lock. Twist. Open. Shut.
Aquila sprinted down the hall, burst into his bedroom and let the door swing behind him. He didn’t think anyone saw him, but that did not quell his paranoia. He sat in the windowsill, staring at the empty street below. The black abyss beyond the torch light seemed to stare back at him, and he could look no longer. He closed his curtains and sat on his bed, trying to calm himself the way his father had taught him. All he could think about was blood. As he sat in the dark, he saw something glowing between his fingers, and remembered he was still clutching the mirror stone. He opened his palm to look at it, and saw it flash, light and then dark. He thought Virelia might be trying to send a message of some kind, but he didn’t want to know what it was. He placed the stone beneath his pillow and sat upright, waiting for dawn.