It was the first night of the month of moons, and I walked through the capital of the kingdom, looking around, analyzing the guards. It wasn't my first time in the city, but still, the place seemed really busy, maybe it was because of the festival, after all for a month, from now on, Morgana and Merlin would be in their full phase. The endless darkness of this Eternal Night became less threatening for a while, I imagine this makes the nobles want to celebrate as much as possible.
— Ahf… — I sighed.
— Did you see any problems, Gwin? — asked the little fairy hidden in my coat pocket.
— No, none, in fact, the city guards seem to be drunk too, our escape should be smooth.
— Don't be so sure, we still have to check the castle wall.
The way things were in the central square, I could only imagine a castle full of drunk, passed out guards. We walked for a while around the festival, the square that normally only had a few street traders, that night it looked more like a labyrinth, made up of drinks and roast meat stalls, even the capital's gigantic fountain was barely visible.
— Oh! That smell! It's lamb with orange sauce… Gwin… Maybe we can… you know… steal it on the way back?
— Ha ha ha… right, we'll stop by this tent when we escape the castle.
Without any further detour we found ourselves facing the inner walls, on the other side was the royal castle, with its back to the mountain that divides the continent. An immense building where the royal family, a few dozen servants and knights lived. Totally unprotected and with the gate raised, it even seemed like an invitation to thieves and murderers. On land there was not a single sober or awake soldier, while in the corridors of the wall there was not even a lit torch.
— Look, I know the captain of the guard isn't in town, but that's a bit much, you know — I murmured.
— Anyway, I will still cast "Mõna Acwenca" — Aisling stated with a serious expression.
From under the wall gate, hidden in the shadow, Ais came floating out of my pocket, with semi-transparent wings and greenish hair, the beautiful fairy with a young face began to chant her spell.
"Hỹran mĩn wisian sylphides and nymphs, bringan hit sceaduwe. Mõna Acwenca." The little fairy's wings, while gently flapping, gradually glowed with a mixture of green and blue colors until it ended in a quick glow, almost imperceptible to the already very drunk citizens. A few moments later, still hidden in the shadow of the gate, the brightness of the moons began to fade, as slowly huge clouds began to appear in what was previously a clean, starry night sky.
— We can go now, I should be able to maintain this magic for a few hours — Aisling said in a gentle voice as she hid in my pocket again.
We easily passed the royal guard barracks, which seemed to be abandoned, if it weren't for a single poorly lit room, which we made a point of avoiding. Once in the castle, the plan was to head to the treasure room, extinguishing as many torches as possible, but for some reason we only found one lit torch on our way, next to a large, half-open door. I caught a glimpse of what must have been the princess's bedroom, a huge four-poster bed, facing an unlit fireplace and facing a wide-open balcony.
— I have the impression that this castle was already immersed in shadows before your spell, Ais — I commented as I climbed the castle stairs.
— Yet another good reason to hurry — she replied, thoughtfully on my coat.
According to the memories of Viscount Wulf, who had somehow become the treasurer a few months ago, the treasure room was on the fifth floor, on the side facing the mountains, halfway to the top. A ten-story castle, I could only imagine the amount of gold coins they had to spend just to lift the dark marble stones.
—No knights so far, either we're lucky, or…
— Stay tuned, Ronan! — shouted a female voice from the end of the corridor — just because the prince ordered all the torches to be extinguished doesn't mean you can sleep in the middle of the round.
— But what's the problem, Jessie? Nothing ever happens in this job…
— It's not just because all the other nights were monotonous that things will always be like this — interrupted the short soldier with red hair and tired features, the tall, thin and short-haired young recruit.
The two guards continued to argue as they walked down the narrow corridor, their metal boots seemed to resonate simultaneously. The young knight, equipped with a light sword and a staff, had fun admiring the Amazon who carried a large broadsword and interrupted him whenever possible, in what seemed like a way to relieve his stress.
— They're finally gone…
— You had to open your mouth, right — exclaimed my partner, with a low voice and a look like someone who had been scared.
—He he he… leaving that aside, the treasure room is right there, let's go quickly, I don't want to have to face those two.
Unlocking the door, we found a room large enough to fit an average house, filled with fine furniture, expensive art, colorful tapestries, and chests of jewelry.
— Wow… How I wish I could teleport with all this here.
— But since we can't… enough daydreaming, we don't have all the time in the world, Gwin.
I shook my head and nodded then, going over to the smaller treasures, while Ais hid in the window frame of the corridor, watching carefully for any sign of danger. The amount of jewels in this vault could feed an entire village for a year, not to mention the value of the works in the Shadow Market. By far the least valuable objects there were the furniture, and even so, a viscount would go bankrupt trying to decorate his mansion with all of these.
The silence remained for a few minutes, until the rain began to fall, washing the stones in the castle courtyard and waking up a few drunks who had not passed out. I had already filled two bags when thunder began to roar over the skies, now pinkish gray, ready to leave, something nudged in my mind, a strange sensation that seemed to force me to look in one direction. The left corner closest to the door, poorly lit, after all we didn't have torches or moons, there was a strange dagger, made of a dark, dull stone…
— Gwin, we're running out of time, you've already taken everything — Ais whispered without taking her eyes off the window.
—…
— Gwin, did you hear me?
—…
The strange stone knife, decorated with some inscriptions in an ancient language, seemed to absorb me in a sea of darkness. The world around me disappeared, the more I focused on the strange letters that were carved into it, my companion's soft voice mixed with the peaceful sound of the falling rain…
— Wake up once and for all, you fool — said the little fairy as her face slowly moved away from me, surprising me with a strange sensation of softness and affection.
Bewildered, in a half-jump backwards, I dropped the dagger and tried to speak — Ahn… Ma… But… But what happened…
— You were taken by surprise, that's what happened, you idiot — she replied, covering the blade with a cloth she had found in the room — it seems like you found an enchanted relic…
With my head still a little confused, I got up and put the knife in the pouch on my belt — this isn't… the first relic we found… why didn't anyone else react like this?
— I don't know either, and we're out of time to try to figure it out here, let's do it…
Before Aisling could finish her sentence, our ears picked up the sound of metal boots approaching, probably the two guards from before, who apparently were the only ones working that night, with the door open, even without torches it would be impossible for them to get through the hallway. Without noticing.
— Damn rain — said the female voice that came down the corridor, followed by the rumbles of thunder — … the extinguished torches weren't enough… now… not even the moonlight.
— Look on the bright side Jessie, those drunk bums… — the thunder continued with its rhythm — … taking a freezing shower now.
— Ha ha h… — a loud and sweet laugh was what we heard, before lightning flashed through the window — … Is the door open?!
The glow, which must not have lasted even a second, was more than enough to alert the two, still fifteen steps away from us, and what seemed to be a silence, created by surprise, was soon broken by the sound of blades coming out of the sheath.
— Damn… We'll have to jump — shouted Ais as she closed the doors with the wind, and turned to me, who was already throwing a chair at the only window in the room.
The sound of the window breaking soon gave way to the sound of the rain that fell relentlessly. With the two bags on my back, already at the window, prepared to jump, I waited for the first knock on the door and threw myself from the fifth floor, it was at least twenty meters that I would have to fall before I started running with a prize worth almost twenty meters kilos on my shoulders.
— "Sylphides biddelettaþ mĩn hryre" — I shouted as the wind moved around me and slowed me down — ha… ha… ha…
— Are you okay, Gwin? — she asked me when she saw me panting.
— Don't worry… Let's just… Get out of here quickly, we still have to go through that tent… — the sound of the alarm interrupted us and made me run.
I was behind the castle, in the winter garden facing the mountains, with a huge cliff to climb we had no option but to go around and try to go through where we entered, knowing that most of the knights were drunk at the festival, that's for sure gave me confidence. As we crossed that huge, well-kept field adorned with small stone buildings, I noticed the silhouettes of five people threatening a child.
— Ais, how long do we still have with the moons covered?
— Not long, maybe 15 to 20 minutes… You're not thinking about… before she finished the sentence, I had already started running towards the people who were pointing their guns at a little girl.
- … Haha ha! — I heard laughter worthy of a villain coming from the middle of the five, as I approached — give up girl, there's no one in the castle to save you.
— And your brother won't help you either — this time a guy with a squeaky voice shouted as he approached the young woman.
— Make things easier for us, and maybe we'll let her live a little longer... he he he...
With one of the blades almost touching the face of the girl, who was wearing a very chic outfit for a servant, I finally reached them from behind, arriving with a flying blow to the back of the head of what seemed to be the leader. Then, less than three seconds had passed, with the boss falling motionless to the ground and the other four surprised, I grabbed the girl by the waist and explained — I'm sorry little girl, we're going to rock a little... Oh now.
The little fairy rattled in my coat pocket, almost dizzy and still managed to concentrate to cast another spell — "Sylphides uncscūfaþ!" — a light green glow flickered in my pocket as a dull green gust of wind, almost imperceptible in the wet, noisy darkness, approached me, propelling me forward at galloping speed.
— It seems that the wind spirits also took down the other four — I commented moments later, looking back as I rounded the corner into the front courtyard — it seems that you are really loved by the elementals, he he.
— Yeah, yeah, very funny, now how about forgetting the past and focusing on the path?
The exit was only another 300 meters away from us, still wide open as if awaiting our escape, when a girl, in her late twenties, dressed in a mixture of light and heavy armor, stepped in our path. In her left hand she held a flail, almost as long as a whip, it seems that those two managed to warn the vice-captain of the guard, the only one besides them, who was still on duty that night. As soon as I noticed it, I reduced my speed and it wasn't long before I could hear the sound of a bell ringing from one of the towers.
— Surrender at once and you might still have a chance — the woman in front of me shouted.
— Be careful… Gwin… this knight… has a strange… magical power — Aisling whispered breathlessly.
We were both close to the limit, to begin with, I don't have much aptitude with magic, and Ais had already cast a large scale one, maybe we had the strength for one or two more each, before we passed out right after.
— There will be no way. Hold on tight, Ais — I warned and then sped up again, less than 50 meters to the rider — "hyge ãscian gifweorþaþ fõere!"
The wind that rocked my feet, split and covered my back like a cape, the girl on my shoulders, seemed unconscious for a while, maybe it was for the best, what I was about to do, tends to scare people a little .
As I approached, the armored girl prepared her attack, while the other two knights appeared from behind the barracks, and further behind, the remaining four assassins came, the regret of not having killed them sooner weighed on my mind for a few moments. The rain that was beginning to weaken limited my vision, but the gate was still open and with no one approaching, indicating that no more enemies would arrive, even with the bells ringing.
— Sorry, but I don't like meetings — I commented while adjusting my mask with my free, unarmed hand.
With everything prepared, I positioned myself, less than five meters from the rider, who had apparently ignored my comment, and jumped, the greenish wind propelled me like a cannon, releasing a small shock wave, in less than a second I could already see the entire city of the Capital. Some torches were still lit, and it was possible to observe the reflection of the moons, which were finally shining again, in the large fountain, surrounded by tents.
— Why do you always say that nonsense... When we can barely escape — Ais asked me between a yawn.
- Still awake? You used a lot of magic today, you should…" A metal chain wrapped around my foot, interrupting our conversation, in the middle of our slow fall.
A strong pull on my left leg undid the magic, taking me to the ground, but before releasing the girl into the air, who was soon caught by the younger soldier, who was carrying a wand. He had raised the roots of a nearby tree, nearly 50 feet into the air, a troublesome magic knight to face if we were prepared. Somehow I survived that fall with only a few scratches and pain in my back, I got up with difficulty, and the three were already coming towards me.
— Ais… are you okay? — I asked in a whisper — I should have said that I don't like being dragged to these meetings! — I shouted as I pulled a rusty dagger from my back.
In the nick of time, the short Amazon was already on top of me with her broadsword, when our weapons met and a shrill sound echoed through the courtyard, her attack had almost split my knife in two. Cornered, I kicked her vest to push her away and jumped back, with her not seeming to move, with no time to recover, the tip of the metal whip scratched my face in a poorly made dodge.
— Gwin… I'm ready… I've recovered… enough — Aisling whispered, almost out of breath — but after this you… will have to run away… I… will sleep for a… while.
I nodded, held the dagger in my left hand and shot towards the knight, who seemed to have been preparing a spell for a while. The short red-haired girl quickly noticed my target and got in front of me, bringing her heavy sword down on me, the blades rebounded a few times, while I tried to push her away with punches and kicks and the crack in my weapon grew with each hit. .
—Ha ha… Is that all you have? — I mocked — even a child from the villages would fight better.
— …Damned thief… — she said, gritting her teeth and clenching the hilt of her sword.
— Calm down Jessie, stick to the plan!
— So this one far away… from the battle… who must be the vice-captain, huh?! — I started screaming, trying to hide my tiredness — shorty has no shame...
Our blades crossed each other as we moved, almost like a dance, spinning around the field, the tension of the battle made the seconds seem like hours, my knife couldn't hold much longer, it was really lucky that it hadn't broken yet.
— … you take orders from a younger girl … — I continued — who doesn't even help you … while a foolish newbie … tries to concentrate on a spell … so long … that he ends up losing his partner … before he even thinks about fighting with the sword on your waist!
Finally I landed a blow, although light, the cut on her eyebrow bled enough, not only to obscure her vision, but also to distract the young knight.
—Ronan! — warned the girl with the whip.
— Now all that's missing is your name… oh great naive commander… didn't it even occur to you to join the battle? — I continued to mock, with Jessie between the two of us, the three's attention was on me now — but what an incompetent leader... you've already practically revealed your entire plan to me... at least this little girl here can fight... ha ha ha... while everything you do… is scream and ruin everything, you'll end up taking them to their own graves!
—Damn… How dare you! —Shouted the vice-captain who shot towards me with surprising speed, while anger took over her face.
Jessie, who was still holding my last blow with her broadsword, noticed a smile appearing on my mask and tried to push me with her weapon, finally shattering my dagger and almost losing my balance in my feint.
— Merida is a…
— "Ƿind of norþ!" — Ais shouted, and with a fleeting white glow interrupting her.
A freezing wind from the mountains covered the courtyard, freezing both their legs and knocking Ronan to the snow-covered ground. The lack of experience of the royal guard surprised me, I couldn't stop laughing, thinking that I managed to fool them, outside the capital, no criminal would ever let me talk so much. Ais was already sleeping in my pocket and I didn't have any weapons left, I grabbed my loot and ran to the girl, left unconscious near the gate. She was already under the wall gate, when the adrenaline wore off and fatigue began to take over my body.
— Ahf… It will be a long way… home.
I took another step and heard a popping sound, my spine froze before I looked back, I should have known, they were too quiet, especially after being so humiliated. As I turned around, a metallic boot that radiated a hot red light hit me in the face, hard enough to finally throw me out of the castle grounds.
— Oh oh oh... you really don't care about this girl, do you? — I asked as I failed to get up.
— Give up, there is no longer any escape — said Merida, confident and arrogant.
— Don't do anything else and we'll let you live until trial — said Jessie, wielding the long broadsword.
—Ha... it seems that you people from the Capital never learn... as long as the enemy is kicking... you don't stop cutting!
I rushed into combat with empty hands, but something was holding me to the ground, they were roots, which had just broken the stones of the street and wrapped themselves around my legs, leaving me on my knees.
— This is your last chance, do you still choose death? — Merida I ask after the three of them approach and she points out the sword she had borrowed from the young knight.
My end was near and tiredness did not even allow me to despair, my mind was calm as I tried to think of a way out, when my hand, half hidden by the shadow, found that old stone dagger from before. A phrase appeared in my mind, giving me hope, something about it gave me the guarantee of an escape. Holding it firmly behind my back, I looked into the vice captain's green eyes and said — Yes.
— Well — she breathed as she prepared her blow — die under the light of Morgana and Merlin, thief!
With the blade approaching, in a semi-circular cut, my neck, with the rest of my strength, I threw my body back while throwing the mysterious knife towards Ronan and once again that phrase appeared in my mind.
— Scieran Niht!