**RAYAN'S POV**
"sorry about this, we'll leave as soon as she can start limping," I said.
"don't worry about it Rayan, you know you are always welcome here,"
"so anything troubling you that I might be of assistance?" he said as he sipped his tea.
"the sleeping drugs aren't working anymore, I've become more tolerant of them, maybe if you could prescribe me some new ones,"
"Rayan those drugs have only lasted three months, just how are you taking them? " he asked with his brow slightly raised something that he usually does when he's surprised.
Mrs Aenease interrupted us by clearing her throat, she had just got out of the kitchen, she had a ladle in her hand and an apron on her, the ladle had brown soup on it. In the Aeneases house the dining room was just a door away from the kitchen. She walked to the dining table where the two of us were.
"am sorry for the interruption but dinner is ready," she said.
"well you are going to have to eat without me, there's something that I have to take care of," I said as I picked up my long broad sword and tied it around my waist. I had just place them on the wall when I sat down I took my scimitars wrapped them in my sack.
"oh really Chloe was really excited to eat with you," Mrs Aeneas said.
"yes you know she's fond of you," Mr Aeneas said in his calm tone.
"well maybe tomorrow, am pretty sure my baggage wouldn't have healed by tomorrow," I said.
"Baggage that's not a nice way to refer to a lady," Mrs Aeneas scolded.
She's only eight years older than me but she still scolds me like a child. I didn't bother wearing my mask and hood my bare face has never been seen but my attire is known by almost everyone. I left while I was wearing a simple white tunic and black pants. Before leaving I went to the room I was given and hid the weapons on the top where I was sure Chloe could not reach.
I left for Tonic, the most popular entertainment district in half of the kingdom. It rivals most of the business towns. It mostly frequented by mercenaries, bandits, knights even nobles at times. I thought to myself that the person who had the guts to kidnap the princess of one of the largest growing kingdoms in the continent and had the power to corrupt their servants obviously wouldn't sit quietly with me ruining what he had in store for the princess.
It wasn't a long walk from Koshar to Tonic, it only took three hours and even from two kilometers away I could still smell the strong perfumes the harlots would wear to attract customers and the sound of the loud music. Even at the entrance there were prostitutes just waiting for a customer.
"hey there handsome, for five copper pieces I will make this a night you will never forget," she said as soon as she saw me, she then fluttered her eyelashes and moved her chest forward so that her large breasts were in my view.
I was taller than her by a lot, I think even that royal is taller than her. What's worse was that once she approached me the others came in like a bunch of vendors trying to sell me their 'merchandise' .
"I'll do it for three with double the hours,"
"I'll do it for two,"
"I only serve high nobles but with your face I'll make am exception,"
Ow! If this goes on my head is going to hurt.
"I'm not interested in sex,"
That was all it took, they left with a lot of insults. The first woman didn't leave.
"well what are you interested in?" she asked.
"information, I'll pay the same price as your services,"
"well I could offer my services as a bonus," she said with a smile as she lowered the string on her shoulder that was holding up her dress.
"flattered but no," I said.
I don't think I said it in my usual asshole tone that everyone says I have.
"fine make it seven," she said
"Why the extra three coins?" I asked in all honesty copper coins is not that painful to depart with but still.
"you ruined my mood,"
"well I'll first pay you four, if your information sounds more of a lie then say goodbye to your neck," I said in my low threatening voice.
She rolled here eyes at me and stretched her hand. I dropped the four coins in her hand.
"okay what do you want to know?"
"anything unique about this past few weeks?"
"uhm well we've been seeing a lot of mercenaries and what's strange is also knights,"
"huh knights?"
"not the usual knights but the knights of the dark order, the bounty or the client must be big,"
Dark order, those are first class assassin's they don't have any allegiance, rumors are that they have been trained by Lucifer himself. They don't just take any client, so that person must be really powerful. If they hunt you they are sure to kill you their reputation rivals mine.
I need to gather more Intel. I paid the remaining three and I went into tavern by tavern, brothel by brothel and bar by bar for anything I may find. It's true there was a lot of mercenaries, Hagrid, Ingrid, Lucian and Lucias. Those are some I saw they wouldn't recognize me thankfully I didn't see any knights of the dark order. I was about to leave the tavern but I bumped into someone.
The sound it made and the slight pain made me sure that it was metal. I moved back a step to see, the man was wearing armor the armor was strange, on the left shoulder the armor plate had spikes, from the chest to boots it had the same shine as scales the armor was dark purple, his helmet was a strange combination of spartan without the mane on top and it had the face guard that covered his entire face. He had a broad sword.
Behind him was nine more with the same type of weapon and armor. On their left side of their chest was a sign like two scythes making an x. The dark order they are as frightening as the rumors say not that they scared me but the tavern showed fear to them.
"sorry about that," I said.
They didn't say anything they went past me and sat at their table, they even took chairs from other tables so that they could all sit together.
I went and sat close to them just two tables away from them where we couldn't see each other but I was sure that I could hear them.
"you thinks she's already home?" one of them asked.
"no it's unlikely otherwise we would have seen them pass,"
"what if they passed through the forest? That would explain why we can't find them,"
"no a horse can't navigate the woods and royalty would not want to travel by foot,"
Seriously who the hell did that bastard king fuck with, even if he trusts that I can do the job, I know I'm good but I can't fight off an army I have my limits and what's worse I brought the problem straight to the Aeneases if it comes to it I'll chop that bitch's head off. I should try to lead them off, so if they started tracking me from the mansion then they may have tried looking for horse tracks that gives me enough time to clear our tracks in the wood which would explain why they haven't found me.
I left a lot of them, like burnt wood, animal carcasses and the obvious the broken twigs and leaves that we may have stepped on. What else? What else? What else? Oh right she spilled her blood I don't remember where. Guess I can't make it to dinner tomorrow sorry Chloe maybe next time.