The night fell over the town of Goldrose, casting a veil of shadow over the city. The cool night air prickled my skin, a familiar sensation that I had learned to ignore. This was the perfect time for our plan. As we moved through the cobblestone streets, I led the group into the cover of darkness, each of us with a role to play. The streets of Goldrose were quieter at night, but I knew we couldn't let our guard down. The town had a way of surprising even the most seasoned travelers. As we approached the inn where Aurora was being held, the building loomed large, just as I had described it. Its stone walls and green roof were unmistakable, a fortress of opulence in a city marked by disparity.
From our vantage point, I spotted two guards up ahead, their silver armor and spears glinting faintly in the darkness. They were alert, their eyes scanning the area for any sign of trouble. I turned to Key, who nodded to me, signaling the beginning of our plan.
"Make your way around the back side once you hear a commotion," he whispered, his voice barely audible. I nodded, my mind already shifting into the focused state I needed for the task. The man I was taking orders from I had only tried to rob a half a day ago. How had things progressed so quickly? Perhaps it was his unique charm. His green eyes always had a hint of confidence.
When I first met him, he just seemed like another easy target. I was going to steal from him and be done with it. I had no idea he would turn the tables on me and offer me something nobody else had: trust. It wasn't something I was used to, especially from someone I'd just tried to steal from. Yet, here I was, following his lead without hesitation.
Once we were close enough, Key declared, "Time to move. Rune, you have the biggest role here: sneak in undetected and leave the guards to us." I turned away from him to make my way to a better spot, and he stopped me. His face was stern, "Be careful, okay?" Jeez, what was he, my dad? I blushed a bit. "Take care of yourself. This will be easy for me."
With that, I made my way to the right, blending into the darkness of the buildings. Moving through the shadows, I navigated the side of the inn. The night was my ally, masking my movements as I crept along the building's perimeter. My dhampir senses guided me, every sound and scent heightened in the cool night air. The windows were numerous, but I had already memorized the layout. One of the smaller windows on the second floor was my target. I stopped once I reached my vantage point. I waited for the commotion to begin. I climbed a nearby building with my superior body. I could now see the gates in front of the inn. I waited for the signal patiently in the cold night air.
A few minutes passed, and I got the signal. I heard a gunshot ring out in front of the gates. The plan to make a scene was that Vice would play the role of a ruffian stealing a slave. The person who would act as the slave owner was Key, and the slave was supposed to be Alice. We had roughed up one of her outfits and put chains around her to fit the part. We were hoping to cause the guards to try to intervene. I spotted Vice pretending to run away with Alice, and Key running after them. The guards naturally started to give chase themselves. Even if they were supposed to guard the noble, they couldn't turn a blind eye to a rampaging Vice.
I couldn't help but smile a bit. The scheme was pretty smart; it drew the attention of the nearby guards. I hadn't known him long, but that man really is reliable. I made my way to the side of the inn. My target was the back of the inn. I had predicted one of the back rooms was probably the place they had been keeping Aurora. Once I got close to the window, I took out some tools. My sister was a lot better at lockpicking than I was, but I could at least pick a lock like this. The window slid open silently, and I slipped inside, landing softly on the wooden floor. The room was dimly lit, but I could see enough to navigate.
The room was empty. Shit, had I guessed wrong? I spotted a small bed by the window with nobody in it. The wind blew silently through the open window, but there were no signs of life. I noticed the white closet door was cracked open. The sight sent a chill down my spine. It hit me all at once. The smell of iron. No. No way. My feet shuffled across the floor slowly. As I got closer, I spotted a body hanging out of the closet. The person's feet were tied together, and their body was leaking badly. My hands started shaking as I slowly moved the closet open.
Aurora's battered form fell out, her eyes barely open. She was bloodied, her face swollen, and her clothes torn. I began to scream, but stopped myself. I couldn't alert anyone I was here. I settled for a muffled gasp. I was panicking. I had never seen a body in this bad of a state before. I had no idea what to do. I bent down and felt her body. My senses felt a pulse behind her skin. She was alive, but her breathing was incredibly shallow. Rage boiled inside me, but I forced myself to stay calm.
She was completely unconscious. No, this wasn't how it was supposed to go. We were supposed to save her. She was supposed to be okay. I picked her up. Her weak, fragile human form was like a sack of feathers in my hands. She was light, too light. Blood poured out of her hands and feet. I had no doubt she was left in here to die. I moved swiftly, carrying her towards the window. The commotion outside had grown louder, the sounds of struggle and shouting filling the night. I knew we had little time. Carefully, I climbed out of the window, holding Aurora close. The night air hit us, and I could feel her shiver. I moved through the shadows, making my way back to our rendezvous point.
I whistled into the air just as we had rehearsed. I heard a shout from the street after a few minutes, "That's alright, officers. I will take her to the station in the morning. Oh, and thanks again for the help dealing with her." I watched as the group made their way over to the meeting spot we had picked beforehand. The voices got closer. They were happy. Vice laughed a bit, "You did good, shrimp. You played your role well, even if Key was a bit too rough with both of us." Finally, they spotted me in the dark. I was carrying Aurora on my back. Key and Vice froze mid-step once their eyes landed on me. Key was the first to speak. He was frantic. "What the hell happened!" Vice followed up with, "Holy shit, kid. Is she..."
Anger boiled in me. I hated the idea of a slave being treated like this. I shot back, anger making my blood boil, "No, she's not dead. Just barely. She might die any second!" Vice shouted, "Let's get a move on. We need to pay for a healer right away!" Alice whimpered a bit, sensing something was off, "Is she okay?" Key patted her head, "Yes, but we're going to get her help." His usual confident demeanor was shattered. It seemed he never knew how cruel being a slave actually was. That was the kind of naïve attitude that put Aurora in such a position. Part of me wanted to blame Key, but at the same time, I should really direct my attention to that scumbag of a noble. Right now, we should worry about her survival. I asked, "Is any healer even open at this time?" Key shook his head, "No, probably not." I said frantically, "What do we do then!" Vice shouted, "Calm down, kid. We will figure this out."
In our panic, a small voice spoke from behind me, "Freaking idiots. I should have known this plan was stupid. Mytril... make Mytril for me." Key stepped forward, "Mytril?" Aurora choked out, "My bag... I have ingredients. They should work. Do you... know how to mix medicine?" Key nodded, "I have made some basic remedies before." Aurora seemed to fade in and out of consciousness, "Tiger seed, lemon grass, moonstone dust, and water. I have all of them. Mix them together in one of my vials. A handful of tiger seed, and lemongrass with a spoon of moonstone dust, and two spoonfuls of water." Key got to work right away as I laid Aurora down on my knee on the road.
Key was fast with his hands. He pulled out the ingredients one by one with skilled fingers. He smashed and matted up the lemongrass and tiger seed with a nearby rock. He put them in the vial, then took a spoonful of grey dust and placed it inside with two spoonfuls of water. Once all the ingredients were inside, he shook the vial hard. Once it was ready, he put it to Aurora's lips, and she drank down the medicine. We watched with tense expressions as Aurora swallowed the mixture, her throat working weakly to ingest the remedy. We all held our breath, waiting for any sign that it was taking effect. Moments stretched into what felt like hours, the cool night air biting into our skin, but we didn't dare move or speak.
Aurora's breathing, which had been shallow and erratic, began to even out. Color slowly returned to her cheeks, and her eyes fluttered open, still hazy but more focused than before. Relief washed over me like a wave, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
"It's working," Key murmured, his voice full of astonishment and relief. He glanced at Aurora. "Just hold on, okay? We'll get you proper help soon."
Aurora gave a faint nod, her strength slowly returning. Vice, who had been keeping a vigilant watch, motioned for us to move. "We can't stay here. We need to get to a safer place before anyone realizes what's happened."
Alice, still looking worried but more determined now, took Aurora's hand gently. "We'll protect you." With that, we all dashed away from the scene of the crime. We needed to get her more help, even if she was stabilized. The night had quickly turned into a nightmare as our simple plan of rescue had turned into a race against time.