Night came over Sun City. Ardon would usually comment on the irony. After all one would expect a city with such a name to never sleep. Now, however, Ardon couldn't care less about the name of the city and what it meant. He had a job to do. He dragged his horse, tying it on a tree on the opposite side of the hill. Although trained to wait for him, Ardon wouldn't risk leaving there untied. He then grabbed his crossbow and one of his swords and walked back to the top.
The camps. He had been watching them for some time now. Years had passed since his last visit to the city, yet he could remember a small hidden door in the city walls just between two of the camps. The camps themselves were not exactly hard to pass through. They both only had four wooden watchtowers with two archers each, watching from above. Ardon was going to pass between them and reach the walls unnoticed. It was a matter of time before the guard changed again. He sat and waited... Not for long though. After a while torches stood out from the watchtowers. He had to move fast.
He started descending the hill, almost falling multiple times. He was going fast, fast enough at least, for a man carrying his armor along with a sword, a crossbow, and many types of arrows. In mere seconds he was down the hill running between the camps. From inside he could hear soldiers shouting and laughing, not unusual even that late at night. He was so close he could even see the archers moving in the walls. But that was just him. The only thing they could see outside was the pitch black of the night and the dust he had left behind while running.
The guard had switched. New soldiers had, very unwillingly, taken their places in the towers and nothing had changed. Except for a lone man, breathing heavily in the dark, who was now in the even darker shadow of the gigantic city walls.
Ardon searched carefully for the door. He didn't want to make noise. This would only lead to an arrow on his head and that prospect wasn't really what the hunter would opt for. Conflict was to always be avoided if possible. And that was coming from a bounty hunter who at twenty-five years of age had killed more than a hundred people. Though his armor would probably withstand the hit, getting shot in the head was always painful.
After a few painful minutes, the hunter's gloved fingers touched with hope, not the grey, cold stone of the walls but metal and wood. The door. He had found it. But the difficult part started now.
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At this point, although a bit late, Ardon realized he really didn't have a plan. All he could do was knock and hope the guard behind the door wouldn't order two thousand archers to shoot him. And so he did. Nothing at first. Silence. But then the muffled sound of a man waking up. "I'm sorry, what?" The hunter almost laughed hearing the soldier's reaction. "Who the hell is this?" the guard continued. "Not an enemy," the hunter said trying to calm him down. "I need to enter the town." "How in the devil's name do you know of this door's existence outsider?" "Fair question" , the hunter said to himself. "I'm just very observative". No answer. For a while Ardon was left alone, to worry in the dark. All he could think was "That job certainly wasn't worth it".
Something moved behind the door. A heavier, more confident voice was heard. "State your name and request outsider". "Ardon sir", said the hunter realizing how comedic the whole scene was."I'm a hunter, here on a contract and I need to enter the city." "Well I don't know if you noticed the seige outsider, said the voice, but it exists and that means no one is entering or exiting any city." As part of the hunter's guild I have every right, sir. And I'm here on important business. Got all the paperwork". "He is technically right sir", a third voice was heard from behind the door." Plus, he could be useful for the city's defense, with the right payment of course". "What are you suggesting sergeant? Letting an unknown outsider inside during a fucking seige?" said the second man, who seemingly being in charge sounded angry. "Well barely unknown sir", the hunter had to intervene. "I'm Ardon, the same hunter that saved lord Cunnington's life all those years ago.
Silence again. The hunter couldn't help but ask himself what the hell took them so long. Eventually and with a loud creak, the small door opened, allowing Ardon to slip into the city. He observed the small, dusty alley around him. This door was certainly a very secret one. There weren't any inhabited houses close to it and the road was small and dark. In front of him stood a middle-aged man, with a grey beard, wearing a plate mail armor with the yellow crest of the SunCity royal family. Behind him, there were at least ten men, at least those Ardon counted at first glance, wearing light armor and all with no exception carrying shortswords.
The man spoke first, gazing at the hunter whose face was hidden by his helmet. "I'm Copper, the sergeant of this wall section." After a small pause, he continued. "If you have the documents you mentioned, I would be more than happy to welcome you to our city."