Chapter 7: Pursuit in the Quiet Streets
If it had been the bustling marketplace it once was, they might have lost the fleeing man in the crowd. But thanks to Leon’s strategy of gradually evacuating non-essential personnel, the streets of Belgrave were now unusually quiet. The silence was almost eerie, with only the distant rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of birds breaking it.
The once vibrant stalls were now empty, their colors faded, and the air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and old wood. Alicia couldn’t help but silently commend Leon; his foresight in anticipating the need to catch a runaway was proving invaluable. The calm streets made the fugitive’s footsteps all the more distinct as they echoed through the village.
Alicia and Leon had finally cornered their target, a young man who had been fleeing through the narrow, winding streets. Alicia glanced at Leon, noticing how effortlessly he moved, his eyes sharp and focused. She felt a mix of admiration and suspicion.
Alicia’s heart pounded with determination, her mind racing with thoughts of who this mysterious person could be and what they wanted. Leon stood beside her, his presence a reassuring constant. "Who are you?" Alicia demanded, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
The man remained silent, his eyes glinting with defiance from beneath his hood. Slowly, he reached up and pulled it back, revealing sharp features and dark skin—a clear indication of his origins from the sun-drenched Nocturne Kingdom. Alicia noted the layers of clothing he wore despite the mild day and the distinct scent of insect repellent common in Nocturne.
Before Alicia could respond, Leon swiftly moved forward and grabbed the young man by the arm, pinning him against the wall of a nearby building. The rough stone scraped against the man’s skin. "You’d better start talking," Leon said, his voice low and menacing. "Who are you working for?"
The young man struggled, but Leon’s grip was firm. Beads of sweat formed on the man’s forehead as he realized he had no escape. "I don’t know his real name," he finally spat out. "He calls himself Black Raven. He paid us to come here and steal something. We don’t ask questions. We just do the job."
Alicia frowned, trying to make sense of this information. "What were you supposed to steal?" she asked, her voice softening slightly, trying to coax more information out of him.
The young man hesitated, then said, "Some documents, some valuable items. I don’t know what they were exactly. I can’t read."
Leon glanced at Alicia, his expression grim. "We need to find out more about this Black Raven," he said. "But first, we need to deal with these intruders."
Just then, they heard a commotion from behind. The midday sun cast long shadows on the walls, making the figures emerging from the shadows appear even more menacing. Alicia’s pulse quickened as she turned to see several more figures emerging from the shadows, moving with deadly precision. Their weapons glinted ominously, and Alicia felt a chill run down her spine. Alicia’s eyes widened in alarm, but before she or Leon could react, one of the assailants had already grabbed the village chief, pressing a knife to his throat.
"Let him go, or he dies," one of the figures hissed, his voice dripping with malice. He pulled out a small vial filled with a dark liquid and forced it into the chief’s mouth. The scent of the poison was sharp and unmistakable, a concoction commonly used in the Nocturne Kingdom. "This is a poison from Nocturne. If you don’t let us go, he will be dead in 24 hours."
Alicia’s heart sank. The village chief’s life hung in the balance, and the weight of responsibility pressed heavily upon her. She glanced at Leon, who looked equally tormented, his jaw clenched in frustration. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, the gravity of the situation suffocating.
Leon’s eyes met hers, a silent understanding passing between them. They had no choice. To save the village chief, they had to let the culprits go. Alicia’s voice trembled with suppressed rage as she addressed the attackers. "Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "But know this—we will find you."
The figures smirked, confident in their temporary victory, and released the village chief. They fled into the alleys, their forms quickly swallowed by the shadows. Alicia and Leon were left standing in the eerie silence, the village chief crumpling to the ground between them.
Alicia rushed to the chief’s side, her hands trembling as she checked his pulse. "He’s still alive," she whispered, relief flooding her voice. "But we need to act fast."
Leon knelt beside her, his expression a mixture of anger and determination. "We will find them, Alicia. And we will make them pay for this."
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Alicia noticed a piece of parchment on the ground where the figures had stood. Picking it up, she found it to be a recipe for an antidote, detailing the herbs and their quantities required to counteract the poison:
> Nightshade leaf *5 pieces
>
> Moonflower petals *2 petals
>
> Dragonroot extract *1 drop
>
> Starblossom sap *1 vial
They carefully lifted the village chief and carried him back to his home, each step filled with urgency. The quiet streets of Belgrave, once a refuge of peace, now felt like a battleground filled with unseen dangers. The weight of their responsibility pressed heavily upon them, but they knew they couldn’t falter.
Upon entering the chief’s modest bedroom, they laid him gently on the bed. The room was sparsely furnished, a stark contrast to the lively street outside. A simple wooden bed, a small dresser, and a worn-out chair were the only pieces of furniture. Alicia’s mind raced as she thought about where to find the necessary herbs for the antidote.
"We need to find these herbs quickly," she said, her voice tinged with urgency. As she spoke, she noticed a faint, distinctive smell of herbs in the air. Following the scent, Alicia and Leon discovered a door adjacent to the bedroom. They opened it to reveal a small room filled with various herbs and potions—a hidden apothecary.
The room was a half-open space, part indoor and part outdoor. One side was an enclosed area with shelves lined with jars of dried herbs, vials of potions, and books filled with handwritten notes. The other side opened into a small courtyard, covered by a glass roof that allowed sunlight to stream in, casting an ethereal glow over the array of colorful bottles and mysterious concoctions.
Leon looked around in amazement. "No wonder the chief lives so modestly. It seems all his money went into this collection."
Alicia’s eyes scanned the room, taking in the sight of shelves crammed with jars labeled in an elegant script. Many of the books contained records of various ailments and their treatments, some marked with an ‘X’, indicating failed attempts. Alicia’s gaze lingered on a particularly worn journal. Flipping through its pages, she noticed several entries describing the chief’s attempts to cure nightmares and paranoia, all ultimately unsuccessful. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of empathy for his struggles.
"We don’t have much time," Alicia said, urgency in her voice. She quickly set to work, comparing the herbs in the room with the antidote recipe. After a thorough search, she found the necessary ingredients and began preparing the antidote. Leon assisted, fetching items as she needed them.
Hours passed as they carefully brewed the potion. The room was filled with the sound of boiling liquids and the soft rustling of pages as Alicia referred to the chief’s notes. Finally, the antidote was ready. Alicia administered it to the village chief, hoping it would work. As they watched over the chief, Alicia finally broke the silence.
"Leon, there’s something that’s been bothering me," Alicia began, hesitating slightly. "The first time I came here, I noticed that the inside of this house feels smaller than it should. Do you think there might be hidden rooms or spaces?"
Leon raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You mean like secret compartments or hidden passages?"
Alicia nodded. "Yes, exactly. It might sound strange, but I’ve always had a knack for finding hidden places. When I was a child, exploring the secret passages in Aisha’s castle was a big adventure for me and my childhood friend. So, when I first came here, I felt a sense of... spatial inconsistency."
Leon seemed to ponder this for a moment before responding. "You might be onto something. Considering the village chief’s role, he might have more secrets than we know. Let’s investigate."
He looked around the room, his eyes landing on a bookshelf. "Maybe we’ll find the chief’s hidden treasure trove," he joked, attempting to lighten the mood. But then he turned serious again. "Let’s check the apothecary first. If there are any hidden rooms, that’s where they would be."
They carefully searched the apothecary, and in the corner, Alicia noticed something odd about the floorboards. "Leon, over here," she called. Together, they found a trapdoor, leading to a small, locked cellar.
"Strange," Leon murmured, examining the lock. "Why would he keep this room so secure?"
They couldn’t find a way to open it, but their investigation was cut short when the village chief began to stir. They returned to his side, watching anxiously as he slowly regained consciousness.
The village chief groaned, his eyes fluttering open. "You... you saved me," he said weakly, gratitude evident in his voice.
Alicia smiled gently, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "We couldn’t let you die. But we need to know more about these attackers and Black Raven. What else can you tell us?"
The chief sighed, his expression filled with regret. "I wish I knew more. Black Raven is a mystery even to us. But I can tell you this—whatever he’s planning, it’s dangerous. You must be careful."
Alicia nodded, determination in her eyes. "We will be. Thank you for your help."
Alicia’s thoughts swirled as they left the house. A meticulously planned theft, a hidden figure known as Black Raven, the Shadow Kingdom’s covert involvement, missing crucial documents, the intervention of Nocturne Kingdom, and the village chief’s mysterious cellar door—all clues that seemed to lead only to more questions. "With our current resources, there’s so little we can do. If only we had more comprehensive sources of information..." she mused aloud, her voice tinged with frustration.
Leon, hearing her, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Alicia, we’ve done remarkably well given the circumstances. But you’re right, the situation in Seren is more chaotic than I ever anticipated. The undercurrents and power struggles are spiraling out of control. It’s going to be tough, but we have to keep pushing forward."
Alicia looked up at him, feeling a mixture of gratitude and determination. "You’re right. We have to be strong and face whatever comes next. Together."
After explaining the current situation to the village chief, Leon suggested that they should split up and take some time to regroup. He proposed that Alicia return to Aisha Castle to organize the current intelligence. Given the implications for both Aisha and Seren’s security, it was crucial that Alicia notify the major families in Aisha and prepare for potential conflict. Additionally, she could expand Aisha’s intelligence network to gather more information on Black Raven.
As for Leon, he planned to use this time to report their progress to Lord Seren. He assured Alicia that he would return to her side as soon as he finished his report.