Strega valleys
Quilton
...
It was dusk of the second day and the convoy of nobles and knights fleeing from Greenfields had finally crossed the border into Quilton as they watched the crimson autumn sun setting into the horizon.
The group unanimously decided to stop and set up camp for the night.
While they weren't worried about being ambushed by bandits due to the size of their group, given that they were now in another kingdom it wouldn't be advisable for them to go snooping around in the dead of the night since they could easily be mistaken by the resident nobility as ambushing invaders...
The groups separated to set up camp a little distance away from one another in four separate groups of tents.
Sean's group consisting of the various knights and soldiers along with some of the servants of the von Greifenberg household who defected camped just a bit off from the rest of the convoy.
The campsite tonight was eerily quiet with only the occasional whispers among the servants or the nervous neighing of horses in the dead of the night with a brewing scheme was underway.
Around midnight in the forest dimly lit by the autumn moonlight, several cloaked figures shrouded in the shadows crept and shuttled amongst the trees in the direction of Sean's camp.
Over thirty men suddenly barged into the campsite frightening awake several servants, while a few soldiers who were on guard duty attempted to stop the attackers, but sadly were quickly silenced with a few swings of the blade.
The cloaked intruders ripped through the camp's hastily mounted defence like a hot knife through butter as they stormed towards Sean's tent with glaring murderous intent.
It was clear from their demeanour and efficiency that these weren't bandits or the usual rabble that prowled the region but well trained and organized assailants with a clear cut goal in mind.
They quickly descended on the large tent, ripping off the tent flaps to complete their mission. But to their surprise instead of the former first young master of the von Greifenberg household they had expected to find and quickly dispatch, they were met with the sight of a male servant gagged and lying prone in a scandalous position beside the young master's favourite maid who also was gagged, staring wide-eyed in fright at the intruders.
The young man shaking in fear whilst the little maid had already fainted at the despairing sight.
HAA!!!
*SLASH*
"WHAT IS THIS ABOUT!?"
One of the cloaked aggressors growled at the sight as he cut down the struggling servant boy in a fit of rage before casually stabbing his blade in the chest of the unconscious maid.
"I thought you said Sean was in his tent as usual with his servant girl, why is there another person here instead?" Another individual growled sounding fairly middle-aged at another one of the cloaked attackers.
"I promise my lord the informant told me that the young master was here, I don't know why this happened. I think we were played here, someone must have leaked our plans to Sean and gave him a chance to flee." The man fellow quickly explained to the middle-aged man sounding pathetically subservient.
"I am not dumb, I can see that you fool!" The middle-aged cloaked man howled in frustration as he looked at the dead bodies of the guards strewn across the floor with an ashen face.
Unsurprisingly none of the dead guards was actual knights, the best amongst them were just a few unlucky Calvary men with the rest being infantrymen. It was clear to the middle-aged man that they had just walked into an elaborate trap possibly devised by that scheming young man as there were no knights in the camp, just servants and the non-elites.
"Bluemoon I think we had better return now it's clear that now that we have been double-crossed if I'm to guess I am sure that Sean's men have already begun to surround this place in order cage us--"
*WHIZZ*
*THUD*
Another middle-aged man said to the previous middle-aged man before he was rudely interrupted by dull sound as a heavy bolt pierced his through the armour he wore underneath his cloak and pierced his collarbone.
"Ugh!!!" The injured middle-aged man groaned out in pain as he fell to his knees with an absurdly large crossbow bolt lodged in his back, stabbing through his left lung just a few inches away from his heart.
"Rapierhawk!" Duke Bluemoon cried out in shock seeing his associate being heavily wounded. The cloaked men all took cover behind what they could as they pulled the injured duke away from the line of fire.
*WHIZZ*
*THUD*
The sound of another airborne bolt was immediately followed by the sound of a body falling when another unfortunate man was struck again from the dark, this time though he was unluckily shot in the head and didn't even get the chance to cry out before succumbing to his grim fate.
More bolts whizzed out from the darkness from different angles all around claiming lives live the grim reapers curse. The cloaked men rained curses at their assailants, trying to goad them to fight openly but to no avail, as the attackers continued their rain of death.
They attempted to retaliate but in the darkness, they found it very hard to discern the general direction of their assailants and thus impossible to counterattack.
Bolts whizzed out of the darkness continuously for a few short minutes, wilting down their numbers a man every few seconds until just five remained heavily injured and incapacitated.
From the darkness, several men lightly dressed in leather armour or padded clothing came out surrounding the heavily injured five.
Leading the new group were two very familiar faces...
"He... Hehehe..! So you knew all along?" The one referred to as duke Bluemoon asked with a burst of self-deprecating laughter.
"Duke Bluemoon, Duke Rapierhwak, oh how unexpected! why didn't you inform me you were going to visit and at such a time, I could have at least prepared a proper reception for your honourable selves." Sean said strutting up to the injured men.
"Cut the crap, you bastard! I should have expected at least this much from a sinister snake such as yourself." Duke Bluemoon spat out in a voice full of menace.
"Hehehe... You like my surprise?" Sean giggled strangely once more before he asked with a self-satisfied, gloating grin.
"*Cough*
*cough*
Who... who leaked...
leaked our plans to you?" The injured Rapierhawk asked in a hoarse voice as blood dripped down his chin staining his dentition brown.
"I suppose since you are going to die anyway I should tell you, but...
I would prefer you go to the afterlife as a confused ghost for the crimes of coveting what is mine, besides you killed my favourite servant girl, now how am I supposed to find a good replacement.
I can't let you go scot-free for ruining my toy can I?" Sean asked glancing at the young maid's body with apathetic eyes.
"Don't worry I would take care of your wives and daughters after your demise, I am sure they would make much better replacements than that little maid of mine." He added with a fiendish grin
"BASTARD I WILL--" The Duke roared as he moved to strike Sean in a fit of rage before he was beheaded with a swing of one of the knight's sword.
"Kill them," Sean uttered plainly while watching the knights with apathetic eyes overwhelm and butcher the remaining men, slashing them to death.
Just as he was about to issue another order to his knights, Sean felt a piercing pain in his lower back as he was knocked off his feet to the ground.
"Lord Sean!!!" A few knights roared seeing Sean stabbed as they impulsively wanted to come to his aid but they were suddenly blocked by some of the other knights.
When they saw the ones blocking them were their own comrades they stopped to look at the person who attacked the young master and realized it was the young lord's closest confidant, Sir Drake.
The knights silently put aside their weapons and took a few steps back clearly indicating that they were not planning on intervening in the matter anymore after they comprehended this new development.
The reason they all unhesitatingly backed away was when they checked the number of people preventing the young lord from being aided they realized that the number well outnumbers them who were trying to help Sean by at least two to one.
These knights were never truly loyal for them to be here in the first place given how easily they betrayed Aden's trust in them for profit. They were clear that there's no chance of rescuing Sean from whatever ploy Drake cook up and hence, they no longer had any such intentions.
Besides they were at least certain that just by staying to the side doing nothing, they would still gain a lot since Drake would still need a lot more men than he currently has to help him defend the loot at the end of this ordeal.
As long as they don't go against Drake now and hinder whatever plans he has for Sean they were sure he would eventually take them under his banner at the end of this all.
Drake looked to the knights that rationally backed off and gave a subtle nod of approval before turning back to stare coldly at the injured Sean edging away from him on the floor.
"Why? Didn't I promise to make you my second in command, why did you have to do this?" Sean growled painfully whilst crawling away from his once trusted confidant gripping the dagger in his waist. He too had realized the crux of the matter and was not expecting aid from any of the knights anymore.
Besides he knew that if he was in their shoes he would do the same, if not worse so he didn't dwell too much on the fact they so easily turned against him but instead begun to think of a way out of his current predicament.
Drake could faintly feel that the former young master was trying to buy time for some reason, but since he was certain that nothing could go wrong anymore and he was in such a good mood since everything went according to his plan he decided to entertain Sean a little before sending him off.
"Oh? You don't know?" Drake asked in a playful tone
"Do you remember Anna? That young cheerful lady who was always full of sunshine... From three years ago."
"Anna... Who?" Sean asked sounding genuinely confused.
Drake suddenly froze hearing Sean's question before letting out a cold chuckle.
"Hehehe... Don't tell me you don't remember? Hahahaha!!! YOU BASTARD!!! I can't believe you DARE to forget." Drake cackled letting out a loose hoarse roar.
"After ruining by beloved's life by forcefully tainting her with your vile seed and having pushed her to commit suicide when she found out she was carrying your wretched child you dare say that YOU FORGOT!
You bastard! I will skin you ALIVE if you dare tell me that B*llshit!"
"Oh...
That Anna? How was I supposed to know she was your beloved at that time? She was only a merchants daughter whom I took interest in when first I met her.
Arggh!. And...
And even after I found out she was betrothed to you didn't I gift yo-you another woman to whom you are now betrothed.
You never told me... told me that she was that...
She was that close to you and even helped me hide the matter from... from my father." Sean gasped as he yanked the bloodstained dagger from his lower waist before using the opportunity to stealthily reach into his shirt for something when he was certain drake wouldn't notice
"Of course I hid it from lord Aden, how could I let my beloved be tainted with the shame of being used by a vile beast such as yourself. But never mind this for I have shamed my love for her by letting you live so long...
So DIE!!!"
Drake shouted as he lifted his blade to cleave the injured Sean when Sean suddenly raised his hands and shouted.
"PLEASE WAIT!!!
I...
I forgot to tell you something!" Sean said suddenly looking particularly pitiful
"Hmm? What... Do you want to plead for mercy or what because regardless of what happens I am still going to kill you!" Drake asked as he was very curious as to what useless reason Sean would give now for ruining his beloved's life.
"Oh nothing I just... just wanted to remind you that.. that next time... yo-you decide something like this don't waste your time on foolish monologues, it feels beyond... stupid... especially if you... do it." Sean gasped as his voice turned strangely calm. Then he fumbled around in his padded shirt for a moment before shutting his eyes right after he pulled out a porcelain bottle, tossing hard at on the floor.
"What are you--" Drake started but was interrupted by a bright flash of light and heat from the smashed vial Sean threw on the ground. The light was bright like a miniature sun, utterly blinding in the moonlit night.
Arggh!!!
My eyes!!!
I can't see it!!!
Different shouts of anger and agony rang from the group of knights who surrounded Sean as they were suddenly blinded by the unexpectedly bright flash of light.
The powdery substance that Sean threw in the air immediately ignited after exposed to the air in a sudden and violently bright flash of flames which died out almost immediately but not without temporarily blinding almost everyone in the vicinity.
A few seconds later Drake's vision returned to him, albeit still very blurry as he realized that Sean was nowhere to be found.
He turned to look around the camp and saw Sean a few dozen meters away limping quickly towards a horse before unsteadily mounting it to flee.
Not willing to let the devious young man escape Drake picked up an arbalest crossbow to shot him down but unfortunately it was the heavy armour-piercing kind that took a short while to reload.
After reloading the took aim and fired at the blurry image of a fleeing Sean but missed by an arms-length and directly pierced a tree by the side. He tried to quickly reload and take aim again but Sean had already managed to get away from his line of sight riding deep into the dark forest."
"CATCH HIM!!!"
Drake roared in anger to the remaining knights as he hurriedly ran to mount a steed giving chase with a few other quick-witted knights after the fleeing young lord into the dark gloomy forest.