After countless minutes of asking for directions and a lot of wrong turns, Azel finally arrived at Saksle street.
He scanned the area in mild confusion, was this really the right place? It was so run-down and desolate, it was almost abnormal.
What was a noble lady doing in a place like this? It would make one think she was up to something shady.
Azel merely shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. He supposed it would make it easier for him to find her then, since she would stand out the most.
But that would mean he would have to visit almost every decrepit shop and stall available. This was going to be more work than he thought.
He stared down at the hairpiece in his grasp; why was he doing this again? …Oh yes, he needed a distraction, but it wasn't much of a distraction if he kept remembering it was.
Azel turned to his right to see a shabby shop standing a few meters away from him. He decided he was going to check that one first.
He walked over to it with a few long strides and pried open the dilapidated wooden doors.
He would have sputtered and his eyes would have widened at what he saw the moment he opened the doors, but it wasn't so unusual for a street as empty as Saksle was.
Still, that didn't stop him from freezing halfway in surprise.
Inside the shop, on one of the long worn, wooden tables, was a couple having a passionate moment. Maybe, passionate was a bit of an understatement.
They were both nearly naked, and were interlocked intimately. How had he not heard this before he opened the door?
Before he could slip away unnoticed, the couple spotted him and stopped midway, staring at him with shocked and embarrassed expressions, and maybe a little irritation.
The silence between all three of them hung heavy and uncomfortably in the air for a few seconds before Azel went back outside a few steps.
"My apologies," he murmured softly and closed the door quietly.
He supposed it was an abandoned shop then.
He walked a few paces away from the wooden door before he broke into a small smile and huffed a laugh. "Honestly… to think I would go through this much trouble to find a single woman…"
He took another look at the hairpiece and sniffed at it. Surely it would have her scent, wouldn't it? He could find her by following it. He wondered why he hadn't done that in the first place.
Azel inhaled a little and then scrunched up his nose in displeasure. Metals and gems only retained scents for a short while, so obviously the noble woman's fragrance would have disappeared from it by now.
Now only leaving him with a nose full of the scent of rosemary from the middle aged woman.
"Hah…" Azel sighed in mild exasperation. "What was that old woman thinking, giving an errand like this? I should have let her do it herself."
'I should probably just throw it aside.' He pondered. 'It's not so important… but then…'
He would have nothing to do.
Azel groaned. "Of all the people I had to run into, it had to be—"
He stopped short and inhaled a little, there was a familiar scent in the air that made his brows furrow.
The fragrance was of Jasmines, a scent that was near intoxicating to him.
"What…?" He exclaimed quietly, his jaw clenching. "What the hell is she doing here…?"
Azel gripped the hairpiece in his hands tightly; and why today of all days?! Just his cruel luck!
No, all he had to do was ignore her, he would have to ignore her!
To think this errand would turn into more of a problem than he'd bargained for. He quickly turned around to leave when he froze again.
His eyes widened; what accompanied her fragrance was the smell of raw fear and…
Azel's hand went to hover over his nose, slightly quivering. "...Blood?"
****
"Edward!"
It was on impulse.
Adelia had no idea of when or how she had done it, but all she knew was that a gust of wind had escaped her and hit the assassin square in the chest.
It sent him hurling backwards a few meters and he fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. Adelia stood with her eyes wide and one of her arms extended in front of her, trembling slightly.
She gulped. Had she killed him? No she couldn't have, that kind of power wasn't supposed to come out of her while she wore her pendant.
But then, even if she had, was it wrong? No, it wasn't wrong to kill someone who was aiming for your life.
It wasn't wrong to kill an assassin who was so close to ending her Knight's life.
Still, she could hardly stomach the possibility. A terrible jolt went through her and she stumbled and almost fell, but Edward was quick to steady her, his eyes still on their advancing attackers.
"Thank you, my lady." He said with a rather grateful smile. "I owe you my life."
Adelia could only look up at him and nod, unable to speak.
"That was truly impressive," he said, then his brows furrowed. "But they won't go down that easily."
As if on cue, the assassin Adelia had thrown back, struggled unsteadily to his feet. He took a moment to gather himself before his dark eyes found her and she nearly whimpered.
The bloodlust emanating from him was terrifying. She could almost feel it coiling around her neck like a cruel serpent.
That was it? All these people had gathered here just to kill her? To kill Edward? Adelia stared around, barely managing to keep her composure. Who could have sent them?
Before she knew it, another assassin made his way towards them with unthinkable speed, but this time, Edward was alert enough to catch him sword on sword, then he kicked the man in the stomach, throwing him back.
Which gave him just enough time to address his young Mistress. "You will have to run, my lady." He told her. "I might be strong but I will not be able to take care of all of them. I hate to admit it, but they are well trained."
Assassins were known to possess average strength and if they intended to beat someone like Edward, they would have to wear him down enough. From the looks of it, that was what they intended to do.
Edward spared a quick glance her way and saw that she was unwilling to move.
Adelia's feet were rooted to the ground, her body was slightly trembling but there was unmistakable determination in her eyes.
She knew she wouldn't be able to do much damage to any of them in her current state, but she would try. All she had to do was assist her Knight and he would do the rest.
That was all she had to do.
But only moments after she had that thought, did two of the attackers leap towards him.
It was instinct to call out his name to warn him but she clamped her mouth shut, it would surely do the opposite.
Edward clicked his tongue, apparently irritated by her reaction, and met the both of his attackers head on. Leaning far enough to dodge one's blade and kicking the other away in the abdomen.
The one he kicked was now out of sight but almost immediately the first took another swing at him, he managed to deflect the sword strike and stabbed the assassin right in the heart.
"One down." Edward breathed quietly as he pulled out his sword, then delved fully into the fight.
Adelia watched on in horror as everything unfolded, clutching the ceramic jar tightly to her chest. Was this truly how battle looked like?
What could she do?
Her eyes darted around but she didn't see any opening or maybe, she couldn't bring herself to see one. She was so disoriented, so much so that she knew she wouldn't be able to cast a decent spell.
But she had to do something!
She took a deep, shaky breath and extended her right hand, readying herself to cast another spell, similar to the one she had done before, when her gaze caught one of the attackers lurking behind her Knight!
Her eyes widened. "Edward—!"
But she was too late to warn him. Almost instantly, the assassin's poisoned blade slashed across the Knight's back in a clean arc.