"Rise and shine," Ardine's voice rang to Lyn as she awoke from her slumber. He tossed Lyn an apple and placed his rifle besides a battered tent, destroyed from the raze of the city sinker. "Palace is a long walk. Won't be a problem for you, I dare say. Sleep well?"
"Yeah." She said. Lyn arose from her makeshift bed, dressed in her bandit clothing. She placed her hand on her side, wanting to seize Alfaic to ensure he was by her side, but she remembered his fate. She sighed and stood up, straightening her long hair and wrapping it into its normal ponytail style.
"You know, he used to be a friend of mine," Ardine's tone shifted into a more rough and husky tenor. He placed bullets from his pouch into a small magazine, prepping himself for any battles should he and the others encounter. "Daresay, it was a stressful yet ambitious relationship. Do you know what he had that we all lacked? Loyalty to the cause, and the bravery to execute it."
Lyn moved beside Ardine.
"But power corrupts all, and he was the one that I thought would survive it in the end. In Buchasa, he was a celebrity. All the talk in the town. More and more talk, and he became bigger. We traveled. And now he's nothing but a power-hungry fool. In the end, he had no more loyalty," He placed the magazine in his rifle and cocked it back. "These days, I wish I could tell him that."
"You can tell him yourself when we see him," Lyn replied. "But as your friend, is it okay for me?"
"What?"
"The Lords must die. If he is a Lord, then he is not exempt," Lyn reminded. "This is-"
"If you are the one to slay him, then give him an honorable death," Ardine interrupted. "Honorable blood... innocent blood has stained his lips. The chalice he drinks from can't wipe away his sorrows and disloyalty to our cause. But... he deserves an honorable death, because he wasn't always like this," He pressed his lips together, thinking of the future. "He deserves better.
"Will you feel pain?" Lyn asked, reminding herself of Cethe's death. "Will you feel a hole in your heart?"
Ardine dropped his head down to his chest, scoffing once before inhaling an acceptance from his low willpower. He looked at Lyn and nodded briefly, eyes lost in darkness. He blinked rapidly. "Yeah," He bluntly stated before grabbing his rifle. He placed it behind him and stretched his arms outward. "After everything he's done, I know I can't forgive him. But maybe fate holds something different in store for us, you think?"
Lyn placed her hand on Ardine's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. She looked into his eyes with a blank stare before protruding a light smile, just as he taught her yesterday. "I will give you want you want. An honorable death, free from harm." She said.
Ardine chuckled and placed his hand on Lyn's. "That would mean a lot to me. Thank you." He then moved toward a small refuge that survivors of the sinking aftermath recovered in with Dorothy and Scabs both waiting. He placed a tattered hood over his head and blended in secrecy over the panic.
The four moved through a bazaar selling rations and medical supplies for the fallen, bumping into hurried buyers as they tried to reach the palace. The mere sight of blood and gore from survivors teetering on the brink of death made Scabs vomit, were it not Dorothy who kept him in check. Ardine seemed immune to it, along with Lyn. Gietha was a home they had frequently visited, but it didn't hold much value than their main goal.
Lyn's unique appearance had others staring despite the dangers of the sinking. She struggled to blend in with her peers, often colliding with others darting through their rank. At one point, Ardine needed to turn around to snatch her hand to keep her close, not wanting to attract more attention to their group.
"Breathe," A medic ordered a child, who was bleeding from the chest. The child's weak gasps and pressured eyes made Lyn conscious about Kaiden's doing. "You need to breathe, or you won't make it." They repeated.
"Don't look," said Ardine. "Don't get distracted from our mission."
Lyn looked away from the child and kept moving. "Okay." She reminded herself.
The four made their way in the center of Gietha, where most people were not in from all of the lingering injuries. Cracks on the floors began to show where floors were dispersed, indicating extreme damage from the underground systems. Chunks of buildings toppled on civilians, leading to instantaneous death. A group of miners whose job was to distribute materials throughout the city were trapped underneath a cave-like structure, and others attempted to attach weak cables to pull them free. It was however, futile, and they ended up surrendering their efforts to save others.
"The entrance to the palace is close," Ardine said, stopping the others. "The longer path seems to be the way to go. Kaiden's guards will definitely be patrolling. They want to silence all the backlash from the decision to sink."
"I still can't believe he'd do such a thing..." Scabs exclaimed, putting his hands on his hips. "Just why?"
"Let's not get our emotions in this," Dorothy said. "We should take the long path and finish this. I've seen enough people get hurt."
"Lyn, are you in?" Ardine asked, doubtful of her choice. "I need you on the same page as us."
"Well, if it isn't the Lord Protector, Ardine Buchasa," A gruff voice intervened the four in the center of the square. Gleaming above the broken buildings out of sight were armed assassins and bandits, hooded and dressed lightly from the scorching desert heat. Seven of them perched over the side of the buildings, kneeling with their iron-clad weapons in hand. "You gave our bandits a run for their money yesterday, didn't you? Killed all of them at first sight without a chance to breathe."
Lyn stood firmly besides the other three. Without Alfaic, she was at an immediate disadvantage. But her immortality over the lack of fear was already the main advantage.
"Lord Kaiden wants to see you," The assassin spoke again, acting as their main leader. "He knew you'd be here to witness the sinking. And so, he was right."
Ardine scoffed. "Can't say there's any other way to say hello at this point in time," He sarcastically remarked. "A simple word of mouth would have sufficed, not the destruction of an entire city."
"You don't seem to understand. Lord Kaiden wants to send a message, one that can't be ignored. The sinking of the city proved that he holds the power, the crown jewel of the Wastes. Only he can steer our community to survival after the invasion of those rotten. And he already has, weaponizing them for our pleasure as you've seen before."
"Then allow me to pass on the message to my old friend," Ardine continued. "Sink every city and you'll eventually sink yourself. The greedy bastard deserves to witness the fall of his Wastes if he's to rule like this. And you can tell him I'm coming." He pulled out his rifle and pointed it directly at the leader assassin.
"Then why don't we take you to him right now!?" The leader assassin cried, signaling the others beside him with his hand. Three of the assailants tossed a purple circular object in front of Lyn and the others, expanding and bursting into a cloud of purple smoke.
Lyn felt a huge shove beside her, followed by their attackers seizing control of Ardine, Dorothy, and Scabs. She managed to see right through the smoke with her machine-like vision, drawing her bandit sword and stabbing right through the chests of those who seized Ardine and Dorothy. She brushed the smoke aside with one slash, watching the assassins take off with Scabs in a dark alleyway.
Without hesitation, Lyn sprinted at lightning velocity toward the escaping assassins.
"Don't...!" Dorothy cried.
But it was too late, as Lyn had already departed. She raced through the city, leaping off of structures and broken buildings to reach Scabs, calling for help. The assassins knocked the structures down to slow Lyn, but her immaculate speed and accuracy failed to knock her down.
One of the assassins leapt from above, striking her down with a dagger to the shoulder. But try as they might, they completely missed as Lyn redirected the blow to their neck, killing them on sight. She pushed through frightened civilians toward a circular-like building covered in a colosseum-like iron structure barricading the outside, and one of the assassins trip-wired a gate that would seal Lyn inside to trap her.
"You're an interesting one, aren't you?" The assassin leader complimented. "You must be the one who killed the others. Well, it's perfect for us then. We can take our time-"
She wasted none of it. Pulling out her rifle attached to her back, she unfolded it and blasted a single bullet into the center of the leader's forehead. His eyes rolled back as he slumped forward, collapsing to the sand below. The other assassins watched in absolute horror as a blood pool formed beside his forehead, seeping into the sand below.
An assassin released their grip on Scabs, allowing him to retreat behind a wall. The assassins dropped down besides their leaders and charged at Lyn at the same time, roaring on their rampage into combat.
Scabs watched as Lyn dealt with them with ease. She delivered punishing executions to their lethal spots, making the arena rain with blood. The assassins whimpered in fright after Lyn did not hold back a single shred of mercy or innocence. Even as they decided to flee altogether, Lyn approached them and executed them on sight.
"Help..." The final assassin whimpered, dragging himself through the sand and crying for assistance as they bled out.
Lyn kneeled on top of the assassin, blood saturated all over her face. Pinning the assassin down, she primed her blade in the air, prepared to stab downward to finish the enemy.
The assassin extended their palm outward, begging and shivering to survive. "P-please..."
Right before Lyn pushed downward, Scabs snatched Lyn's left arm and tugged her backward. He shook his head and offered his discomforting silence, not wanting more blood to be spilt. "Don't..." He whispered.
"He is the enemy," Lyn reminded him. "He has to die."
"He's not a part of this," Scabs said. "It's all... Kaiden. Let him go."
"Blade," Lyn made up an excuse. "He took my Blade."
"No," Scabs said. "Stop. Please."
Lyn released the blade and allowed it to drop onto the surviving assassin's shoulder, sparing him from her deadly rampage. She stood up with Scabs, allowing her temper to calm down indefinitely. The assassin pushed back against the sand, rearing back in terror. As Scabs took Lyn near the locked entrance, a large boot crushed the final assassin's arm, leaving him in utter shock.
"I wanted to see you for myself," A hulking dark voice trembled through the arena. Kaiden, the second lord, stood firmly and executed the assassin by crushing his throat with his heel. His massive stature created a menacing aura of silence unlike anyone had ever witnessed. Scabs released his grip on Lyn and stepped away, letting Lyn glare into his eyes with bitter rage and regret. "The infamous one. The one who's the talk of the town."
"You?" Lyn's hate began to corrupt her mind as she faced him entirely, fists primed. "Who am I to you?"
"You're actually quite marvelous, I must say," Kaiden said, pacing through the arena. Each step seemed to shake the ground. "Unlike the one you've been scheming with. Ardine, isn't it? How is he doing?"
"Let's finish this." Lyn impatiently said, drawing her blade from the sand.
Kaiden chuckled. "But if you do, you won't get a chance to hear me speak about your missing blade. Alfaic, was it?"
Lyn's eyes widened as her muscles tensed up. She clenched her teeth. "You," she denounced. "Where is he?" She seethed.
"Let's make a deal," Kaiden continued. "I sink the cities because I wish to establish total control over them. It's all about sending a message over who's the most powerful. This world has been overrun by rot, and it's only a matter of time before we all sink with them. But we can change this. I've seen enough of you, and I am impressed. Join us, and I shall return your blade to you."
"My mission is to eliminate you. All of you. There will be no bargains. Give me my Blade." Lyn coldly replied.
"Your mission," Kaiden lightly mused, examining the twinkling jewels on his large fingers. "The Lord Slayer, is that what they call you? A construct from long past without a purpose, walking on our soil. Have you ever wondered; do you even really belong here? Living has its purpose… but you are one without. A fragile little being with no mother or father, no home, nothing to guide them. And you… you are a nothing but a machine directed to follow orders."
Lyn double-crossed her eyes down at the sand before looking back at Kaiden, glaring as far into his eyes as possible with confusion and malice. "How… how could you possibly know this?"
Kaiden swept his hands toward Lyn, tossing a golden gambling chip. She caught it with ease.
"I invite you personally into my palace with this. Come, and we shall talk more about our deal. But I should see no one else but you. Break my code, and another city shall sink under your name."
Lyn looked down at the golden chip before tracing her eyes back to Kaiden. He vanished without another word.