Even when she slept, Lily was always aware of her surroundings. So when she felt several people surrounding the inn where she and Luna were sleeping, she immediately became alert. "We're surrounded," Lily said as she sat up, noticing with an amused smile that Luna was hugging her in her sleep.
"It's cute how she thinks I won't notice." Lily whispered softly.
Luna, jolted awake by Lily's sudden movement, immediately became alert and jumped out of bed to gather her weapons and put on her armor. "Surrounded? What's going on, mistress?" she asked, her voice a mixture of confusion and readiness for battle.
Luna's eyes darted from the door to Lily, her heart racing at the sight of Lily's nakedness, the silver hair framing her alabaster skin like a halo of moonlight. She felt a strange heat in her cheeks, but the gravity of their situation quickly brought her focus back.
Lily stretched lazily, the fabric of her kimono shimmering into existence around her as she reached for her cursed black katana. The room grew tense as they waited for the next move from their unseen adversaries. Luna's hand rested on her dagger, the leather-covered hilt cool and familiar in her grip. Lily, on the other hand, remained eerily calm, her eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought. "There are twenty of them, fifteen outside and five approaching our room," she announced, her voice a low purr that seemed to dance in the air.
The footsteps grew louder, and Luna felt a bead of sweat trickle down her neck. "Mistress," she murmured, "are we going to fight?" Lily's eyes snapped open, revealing the cold, gleaming steel of her gaze. "Fight?" she mused, her lips curling into a smile that was more predatory than comforting. "Why start a fight when we could have some fun instead?"
Not long after they made themselves comfortable on the bed, a thunderous knock echoed through the room. "Come in, the door is unlocked," Lily called out with a chilling sweetness that sent a pleasant shiver down Luna's spine.
The door to the room was thrown open with such force that it banged against the wall, and a tall, dark-skinned man with a shaved head and a leather vest entered. His muscles bulged under the vest, and a cruel grin spread across his face as he took in the sight of the two young women in the room. He was flanked by four other men, each one looking more menacing than the last, their eyes greedy as they surveyed Lily and Luna.
"Good evening, young ladies," the man announced, his voice a gravelly rumble that seemed to shake the very floorboards. "My name is John, and I am one of the captains under Draco, boss of the Draco Bandits. We've heard that two such lovely creatures have graced our town with their presence, and our boss thought you might enjoy a little... hospitality." His smile widened, revealing a set of crooked, yellowed teeth.
Luna's eyes narrowed at the insinuation, but Lily remained calm with a composure that was almost unnerving. "How kind of you to offer," Lily replied, her voice as smooth as a river rock, "but I'm afraid we're a little busy at the moment. Perhaps another time?"
One of the thugs at the back of the group snorted and spat on the floor. "Can't we just take them by force as usual? Maybe we can sample the goods, the pale one looks like a good fuck," he said, eyeing Lily with a leer that made Luna's blood boil. The tension grew palpable as Luna's hand tightened around her dagger, eager to rip the man's throat out, but before she could jump off the bed Lily's hand was on her head, gently stroking her hair. "Now, now," Lily said to John, looking him dead in the eyes, "there's no need to act so uncivilized, especially when we've just met."
A sudden sense of dread settled over John, and he said hastily, "Of course not, Miss..."
"Pardon my manners, I am Lily and this is my friend Luna," she introduced, her smile never reaching her cold, deep eyes.
John's men looked around uncertainly, realizing that they might have underestimated their prey. Luna felt the warmth of Lily's hand on her shoulder, a gentle reassurance that she had not felt since her mother held her as a cub. The leader's eyes darted to Luna, then back to Lily, his smile slipping just a fraction.
"Miss Lily," John managed to get out, his voice a mixture of fear and dread, "this man will be dealt with accordingly."
"Is that so? May I take care of this?" Lily's smile grew wider, her eyes gleaming with a cold excitement that sent shivers down the spines of the remaining bandits.
John just nodded, his voice refusing to come out.
With a flick of her wrist, the thug who had spoken so lewdly was yanked into the air, his body contorting as he was bound by invisible shackles made of shadows. His eyes bulged with terror as he struggled against the shadowy bonds. "Luna, darling," Lily said sweetly, her voice a stark contrast to the horror unfolding before them, "would you be a dear and fetch my throwing knives?"
Luna nodded, her own anger simmering, and moved swiftly to the table where their weapons lay. As she picked them up, the room grew hotter, and the winds grew fiercer. The other bandits watched in horror as the shadows grew around them, the very air seeming to thicken with malice.
John's eyes darted around the room, despair setting in as he realized he had underestimated this seemingly delicate woman. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out as the room was filled with the crackling of flames and the howling of the wind. The thug who had spoken so crudely was now a terrifying spectacle, bound by the very shadows that danced around Lily's form. His eyes were nothing but smoking sockets, and his fingernails were being ripped out by an invisible force, leaving trails of blood.
Luna's eyes grew wide with awe and admiration as she watched her mentor, her own anger forgotten in the face of such power. She moved as if in a trance, fetching the throwing knives from the table with trembling hands. The silver blades glinted in the moonlight as she offered them to Lily, who took them with a grace that belied their deadly intent.
With a flick of her wrist, Lily sent the first knife spinning through the air. It embedded itself in the throat of one of the screaming thugs, silencing him instantly. The second knife followed, striking another in the heart. The remaining two bandits stared, frozen with fear, as the knives returned to Lily's hand as if pulled by invisible strings.
John looked on, his heart pounding in his chest. He had seen powerful mages before, but none like Lily. The way she had dispatched his men with such ease was not something he could have expected. The woman's power was something out of a nightmare, a force that seemed to bend reality to her will.
"Luna, my dear," Lily spoke in a honeyed voice, placing an index finger under Luna's chin and guiding her gaze to the bandit, still bound by shadows, "now it's your turn to show your appreciation for their hospitality."
With a nod that seemed to release a dam of pent-up rage, Luna stepped forward and wrapped her hand around the thug's neck. Her grip tightened, and with a sickening crunch, she tore his throat open, spraying warm blood across the wooden floor. The man's eyes went wide with shock and pain before his lifeless body hit the ground with a thud.
John wanted nothing more than to run away, but he knew, he would die before he could take a single step.
"Wonderful," Lily said, her eyes gleaming with a cold delight, "now that the trash has been taken out," she turned to John, "we would like to accept your boss's invitation." The bandit captain swallowed hard, his mind racing with the knowledge that he had just signed his own death warrant. He knew the horror that was about to unfold and could only hope to survive long enough to warn Draco.
John led the way out of the inn, his steps heavy with a newfound fear of the two women he had underestimated so greatly. His men, who had been waiting outside, took one look at him and knew something was off. They saw the fear in their captain's eyes and the way he held himself, as if he had encountered something far more terrifying than all of their past battles combined.
"Sir, where are the others?" the thug's question hung in the air, his eyes darting between Lily and Luna.
John's hand was still shaking from the sheer power he had just witnessed. He looked at his subordinate with hollow eyes. "Dead, all of them," he whispered, "and you will wish for a quick death if you get on the bad side of these girls." His voice was a mere echo of his former confidence.
"What are you talking about? Are you trying to tell us that these two whores…" The thug's words were abruptly cut off when John's fist connected with his face. The sound of bone crunching echoed through the night, and the thug crumpled to the ground, dead. The remaining bandits took a step back, fear etched on their faces.
"I am sorry Miss Lily, Miss Luna," John said with a deep bow, his voice quivering, "some of these idiots just don't know when to shut up."
"He should be happy that his death was at least painless," Luna said, her voice as cold as the steel of her dagger, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
John nodded, his own fear palpable. "This way," he gestured with a trembling hand, leading them through the dark streets of Naly, the moon casting long, dramatic shadows behind them. They moved swiftly and silently, like ghosts in the night.
"Now that we have had some fun," Lily said, her voice as cold as the moonlit shadows that clung to the streets of Naly, "I think it's time to pay your boss a visit."
John nodded, his face a mask of fear, ordered the bandits to form up and began leading the way to the camp. The journey was tense, filled with the anticipation of what was to come. The men around them were on edge, their eyes darting nervously to Lily and Luna, who walked side by side with an air of confidence that seemed to radiate power.
"Wouldn't it be more efficient to just eliminate everyone here and be done with it?" Luna asked curiously, her hand tightly clenched around the hilt of her dagger. The excitement of the kill still lingered in the air, the smell of blood and fear was intoxicating.
"Patience, Luna," Lily chided gently, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "This Draco seems to be quite the character. Besides, I have a feeling there's a connection between these bandits kidnapping children in this town and the missing children in the next town. Let's just have some fun and maybe even get some answers," she whispered, her silver hair fluttering in the breeze as they approached the camp.
The camp was more like a small town, sprawling with wooden structures that creaked with the whispers of fear and malice. Luna's nose twitched as she caught the scent of roasting meat and booze, mixed with something much darker—the sweet scent of fear. Lily's hand was cool and steady on the small of her back, guiding her through the maze of tents and shackles.
John led them to a two-story wooden house that stood out among the others. It was the only one that wasn't weathered and worn, a clear sign of power. The guard at the door eyed them suspiciously before nodding to John. "The boss is waiting," he grunted, and Lily felt a rush of excitement.
A nod from John was all it took for the second guard, guarding the stairs, to step aside and allow them to ascend to the second floor. The anticipation grew with every step, and when they reached the top, John knocked on a heavy wooden door with the same trembling hand he had used to silence his men earlier.
The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit room with a large wooden table in the center, surrounded by shadows dancing in the candlelight. A figure emerged from the gloom, and Luna felt her excitement building as she recognized the man from the tavern sketches. This was Draco, the fearsome leader of the bandits.
"Boss, I brought the ones you wanted to see," John said with a voice that barely concealed his trepidation. He bowed low, his eyes darting nervously between Lily and Draco.
Lily leaned her head on Luna's shoulder and whispered, "Well, isn't that interesting…" Luna couldn't help but feel a shiver of excitement as she watched Lily's expression transform from cold indifference to playful curiosity.