On the fourth floor of the brothel, William and Visidia stopped in their way at an unexpected obstacle: someone guarding the mafia lord's office on the other side of the passage.
But he didn't look like any of the mafia henchmen downstairs, or any person in Inanna, for that matter. Between the shadows and the barely lit candles on the walls, the man dressed in a bulky, dark grey leather armor, reinforced pauldrons covering his shoulders, and chainmail covering his greaves above his thick boots.
His head was covered by a long hood. The silhouette of a curved sword hung next to his legs, the darkness surrounding him not allowing him to discern any details.
William had a bad feeling; as if they were dealing with someone they shouldn't. Visidia didn't wear the same confidence on her face as she did when they entered the brothel.
"Godammit. I knew you were a clever bastard, Erish Dagrim..." she cursed in a low voice, both kneeling on the stairs as they lurked.
"Who is that?" asked William. Certainly, she could know more. Or at least reveal her concerns.
"...That's an Inkerekh Keeper," she whispered. "they are a hidden sect of assassins who are difficult to contact and hire. The bastarded hog must know we were coming... And he must really value what's inside his place if he hired a Keeper."
"What's wrong?" William raised one eyebrow. Both slowly crawled back to avoid being seen or heard. "Can't we just take him out?"
"No," she responded. "Look, he's not one of those stinky vagrants we screwed out of this whorehouse. These assassins are not to be played with. One mistake and he'll kill us both. We won't even have a chance."
Seeing her now concerned and hesitating she was made William nervous to be there. What was she talking about? Those armed hooligans were no match for both of them, yet she was sure that shawled figure could easily murder them.
Could it be even worse than Oraesh's skeletons, or that apparition he and Miris fought in the cemetery? It was better to pay attention to Visidia; she knew what he didn't. But what the heck were they supposed to do now?
"Look, I have an idea..." she thought for a moment. "I can take the bastard out. I'm gonna do something, but I will only have one chance."
"Tell me. I'll help you—"
"No," she interrupted. "You go downstairs and check out no one's coming. I'll likely make lots of noise, so I need you covering my back."
"This is insane. Let me help you," said William. He was already there and there was nothing to change that. They had to risk it out together if they wanted the best chances of succeeding.
"I said no. Listen up. We're already this far, and we both don't need to die here. I'll do my best to take the bastard out, but you gotta continue if I don't survive."
"Visidia, what the heck is going on," he was frustrated. What was so suddenly dangerous about that man? And why was she so self-sacrificing out of the blue? She put it as if they were dealing with an army of demons coming from the freezing void.
"No time to explain, William. Now go downstairs. I'll call you when I'm done. If I haven't finished in 5 minutes then come up. Take whatever you can. Leave me here."
He tried to extend his hand, but the girl was already crawling up like a stealthy assassin about to liquidate his victim. William didn't say anything, sighing in more frustration. Whatever. She could do what she wanted. Not like he had even known her for that long.
Once down, he waited in the shadows, his improved ears sharp at every movement. The wooden ceiling above him cracked and rumbled as if it was being marched on by silent soldiers. What the heck was going up there?
Curiosity made him want to return upstairs, but Visidia was right. The noise above became stronger with each moment passed, and someone could come and realize everything going on. He needed to be there. He couldn't simply knock out every guard coming upstairs.
More anxious minutes passed, and he decided that was enough. He was going upstairs. Was she dead? What was he supposed to do, then? A heavy feeling kicked in his chest at the thought of having left her alone. Taking his dagger out, he returned up.
The noise ceased. At the end of the passage, outside of the office, Visidia sat on a barrel, cleaning her bloody forehead and hands. Her respiration was agitated.
"Visidia? What the heck happened here?" He rushed, noticing the Inkerekh assassin laying on the floor, still as a ragdoll, his whole body other than his boots covered by various potato sacks.
She took a deep breath and looked at him with a tired, yet victorious smile. "I did it... I told you I could take him out. I managed to sneak on him and get the advantage. Gotta say the bastard almost killed me. I underestimated him."
He stepped back, moving away from the dead man in dark grey. What was she insinuating? Visidia had demonstrated to be inhumanely strong and good in fighting —so much he had doubts about her nature.
Seeing her bleeding, tired, admitting she was almost killed made him feel helplessly powerless. How many dangers did that cursed land hold?
"A-are you alright? Where did he hurt you?"
"Relax... You make it sound as if he abused me," she straightened up with a hurting frown. "It's just some cuts. I'll be alright. Look at this."
She passed him a paper note covered in blood, which he read.
****
'I'm very sure she's coming one of these days. She's been inquiring all kinds of questions around and seducing my boys it's hard to miss out. What I have there is very important, so you must not fail. That's why I'm requiring your services. Murder that bitch. I want her head as proof. 400 stars as accorded are already paid. The rest will be paid once it's done.'
—E.D.
****
"I knew it," she held her stomach in pain. "You know what hurts me the most? How little money they were going for to take me out. Do you think I'm only worth 800 stupid pieces of metal? Bastards. Hard to think those assassins would take a hit for such little money. They used to take down monarchs."
Was she joking? William didn't know how much was that, in the sense of what that quantity of money could do. She had given 200 stars as a bribe to the guard below, a quantity that Artur mentioned was no near few. Was the girl rich, or was whatever was in that safe worth it that much?
"...Damn it," he said. "Seems like your head's had a price all this time. And Erish Dagrim knows what we're doing. We better be more cautious."
"The bastard must think his so-renowned assassin from those secret Inkerekh cultists is already separating my head from my shoulders. Gotta say he was stronger than I thought. I almost didn't make it. If I knew a Keeper was gonna be here I would have surely aborted this mission."
"You'll have to tell me about them some other time and what makes them so unique and powerful," said William. "Anyway, why didn't you let me help you? It would have been easier for the two of us to take him out."
"No," she said. "I'll tell you some other time, but he would have killed you. Don't misunderstand me. You're strong, but... Inkerekh keepers are on another whole level."
"So... you saved me?"
"I couldn't let a boy I like just die just like that," she smiled, straightening up again with a pained expression, and moving to the door of the office. "C'mon. We still have a safe to rob. That hog Erish is gonna return soon to claim my head. Hehe, I really want to see his face when he finds out his assassin, dead like a stray dog in the cold..."
"Alright. But next time we fight someone like that let me join you. I guess we need each other right now."
Visidia put out her complex lockpick tool and began to ruin the lock. Saving him, did she say? He would have thought she was some con artist who was going to betray and scam him for personal gain.
Maybe he had judged her wrong. And he couldn't deny he liked her too, considering everything that just happened.
But their quest wasn't over, and they were at only one door from finding out what Erish Dagrim held inside his office and safe. As long as there were no more nasty surprises...