Kingdom of Hallos, City of Beswind, Present day.
The city was overtaken by the orange haze of sunset.
The clay tiles of the city rooftops clattered loudly as Keilerah leapt from one elegant home to another. She peered into the market, a vast open stone-paved road with variegated stalls.
Townsfolk walked up and down the road, their voices overlapping one another, creating a sea of commotion.
The Regalia District's roofs were practically made to be used as stepping stones to traverse the city quickly. Her destination wasn't far, it was the courtyard on the edge of city. She'd seen it before, it was used as an execution ground by the nobles. They must have had it at the edge so they could dispose of the bodies into the eastern coast. That would be their downfall.
Keilerah picked up speed jumping from roof to roof. A bitterness rested on her tongue; it came with the thought of saving that imbecile of a soldier. Xeto, was it? Erik…I saw you as a father, I trusted you. This is the final contract I take…when it's done—we're done. Keilerah pushed out the thoughts. Focus was what allowed her to survive this long, she wouldn't let emotions get in the way of that. A large gap was coming up. Child's play. She burst into a faster sprint, the sniper on her back bounced rapidly. She ran across a nearby wall, using it like a vertical bridge. She landed with a roll and with no cut to her speed. The contract was simple: reach the upper walls that surrounded the execution courtyard, use the sniper provided by the huntress to sever the noose, then join Adulfus and Labav within the crowd and escort the target through eastern exit. Free to kill any opposing guards, no matter their faction.
The waves of water grew louder, winds carried droplets of freezing water. The rocky cliffs that lined up against the walls were too jagged for anyone to climb.
Keilerah was kissed by the trickles of water as she jumped over to the rocky cliffs. She dug her boots into any available crevice and gripped every ledge as she scaled without any complication. She wouldn't have to worry about any sentries either, they wouldn't place guards on the eastern wall. And if they did, nothing her blade couldn't handle. She reached the top of the rocky slope, the wall's edge now at her fingertips. "Focus and fulfil," she muttered as she took hold of the wall and hoisted herself up, the rifle dangling behind her. From the wall-walk she jumped onto the lowered roof of an empty sentry tower. It was steep, but not so much as to make it impossible to walk on.
In the courtyard below countless of guards walked about, they were almost the size of fleas at this height.
Keilerah took her position as she rested against the cold stone. She pulled the bolt of the cobalt sniper, reassuring that a bullet was chambered. Six were ready to go, though all she needed was one shot. It seemed the Rebecca girl kept her rifle in good condition. Keilerah relaxed her shoulders as she looked through the scope, it was perfectly centered. Her target, the scaffolds that held the noose. It had been a good while since she had fired a magicarm, it was far from her preferred weapon. Magicarms drained too much aura and a minor defect could make the bullet trail off mark. Cleaning and replacing the aurastone was another priority as well. Those were too many factors that came into play.
"Squeeze don't pull," the huntress had said when she gave up the weapon.
Keilerah rolled her eyes. "I don't need your guidance, girl," she mumbled.
A group of four guards emerged from a tunnel from the opposite side of yard. In their grasp was the target, a burlap sack covered his head.
The prisoner shook and kicked weakly. Was that all he could muster? A true weakling.
They walked him up the wooden platform and held him in place as the remaining guards took their positions.
Keilerah had a clear view of the King's seating area. A stone box with throne-like chairs. Her eyes landed on the fat lard that was the King of Hallos. You're fortunate I don't kill you now for what you did. She breathed in slowly. Focus and Fulfil.
In the next seat was the golden-haired heiress of Zuland with a large autumn-furred kasaber standing at her side. Erik said it was her Shield.
Next was Ered, a man she had only seen paintings of. Though the paintings portrayed him as full of color and proper. The man she saw now was far cry from the paintings and songs. He appeared sickly because of his pale skin and heavy eyelids.
Next to him was Rebecca, his substitute Shield. At least the girl wasn't idiotic enough to glance up and bring attention to her.
Lastly was the dark-skinned Prince Lanace. The Usurper, that's what the Akatar's titled him.
An audience of people sat in separate tiers of height that surrounded the courtyard. Such pitiful people. Was this truly entertaining to them? Watching a man hang for crimes they knew nothing about. If Xeto was to die, they would cheer as if they had received a long-waited justice. Pathetic.
Keilerah cracked her knuckles before she took hold of the rifle once more. It was about to begin, and she would give this audience something to gawk at.