The first thing he noticed was long, insistent gazes. Not pointed at him but towards Violet. He wanted to ignore this, turn a blind eye, or say these men are just wary of strangers.
Alas, the brothel's owner noticed these gazes as well. Hell, she was the first to notice, and as such, she did the only thing she could. Violet stepped closer to Alex, some sort of post-anxiousness clarity hitting her like a sack of bricks.
Violet felt her attire wasn't the most suitable in this situation, making her shrink back, trying to make herself as unnoticeable as possible.
Not that it mattered, with a tall doofus like Alex walking beside her. Even so, she would not choose to walk ahead or go her own way. The time is not yet right.
The two passed through the overly pompous hallways beside statues and paintings of great Moonmare warriors and leaders, doing their best to ignore the looks these guards threw at them. Well, Violet did.
Alex was more interested in how to possibly de-escalate the situation if things heated up. There weren't many options, and the most effective one was to kill the fuckers. De-escalating to the extreme.
If the fuckers don't move, they cannot escalate shit. The best thought process Alex has ever had.
While he thought that, Alex's gaze never stopped searching for enemies and potential escape routes. It would be hard to fight against a group of highly trained guards while not even having a single advantage, so to speak.
Alex would've preferred if he had the surprise attack advantage, but he was on the guards' home turf. He would be kicking a hornet's nest if he started trouble here.
Suddenly his attention shifted towards his arm, where Violet wrapped her hands around his, walking hand-in-hand with him.
It would've annoyed Alex if the situation was any different, but frankly, he felt like they would be attacked any second now. 'Why isn't that bitch commander doing anything?' Alex cursed inwardly as his fingers started twitching. He wanted nothing more than to grip his sword, but he also knew he shouldn't be pressured into doing so.
Taking a calming breath, Alex reigned in his emotions and focused on the path ahead.
Alex and Violet left the building, leaving the guards behind. Yet, nothing changed. Perverted gazes followed after Violet like wasps to honey, looking for any opportunity to kill this protector bee.
Tension brewed in the air, even as Alex and Violet firmly stepped on the hard dirt streets of Vizin. Even in broad daylight, the guards have obscured neither their eyes, nor intentions.
"Let's go outside the city," Alex said out of the blue, taking the woman by surprise.
"Is there a need to?"
"Some of the guards are hell-bent on following us."
"Can you take care of them?" Violet asked, tightening her grip on Alex's arm.
The latter wore a pondering look on his face. "If there's some incentive, I will."
"Would you leave a defenseless woman to those brutes if you aren't paid?" Violet asked, bewildered, shuddering ever so slightly.
"Money makes the world run, no? Besides, I really need the money." Alex argued, but if he would actually take her money, that was something future Alex had to decide.
Without even waiting for a response, Alex turned and increased his speed, powerwalking towards the eastern gate of the city, confusing Violet.
Behind them, around five men carrying halberts followed, looking over the crowd ever so often.
Fortunately, the gates in this city weren't taxed, so people could walk through like they owned the place. The security around here was also minimal, which was good for Alex.
To the northeast, an abandoned part of the Old City was left to rot. Stone pillars and shadows of what once were great walls lay topped over the ground, providing moss and grass a perfect ground to colonize. Green mixed with ash-white and grey, and half-broken arches covered the ruined city.
In the middle of all the rubble, only one structure remained standing and strong, even if weathered and wrinkled. And old bridge over the river that now passed by Vizin, was the only living record of the Old Vizin, the Toppled City.
Long ago, before the rise of the current Vizin, there stood a grand and thriving city known as Old Vizin. It was a bustling center of trade, culture, and art, its grand architecture and majestic structures a testament to its prosperity. Situated on the banks of the same river that now flows through the new city, Old Vizin was a jewel of the region, drawing visitors and traders from far and wide.
Or that's how it was supposed to be.
Reality was often cruel, however, and the Old City was abandoned. No one ever bothered to look at it aside from a distance. The reason? This city wasn't unique or even rare.
After a war 150 or so years ago, many border cities were destroyed, so the sight of a toppled city wasn't anything rare to see.
That said, there were many teens and youth that often visited the ruins, be it because they found it interesting or because they could do stuff away from prying eyes. The latter part was perpetuated by love-blinded lovers.
Knowing this, Alex took great care in not touching anything, especially walls or fallen rocks. Gods know how many fluids they have seen.
Alex's disgust was cut short, however, as five guards stepped into the Old City after the duo. Smirking and waving their halberts from side to side, the men slowly circled Alex and Violet, leaving no room for escape.
Alex didn't look at the men, his gaze fixed on the bridge that connected the two halves of the Toppled City together.
He enjoyed the chilly breeze that blew underneath it, even as the guards jumped into action.
A blur was all that followed. Alex's body shifted, and he was surrounded no more.
Standing outside the encirclement, Alex had Violet by her waist, locking gazes with each guard.