As night arrived,Orion found himself sneaking out of the palace once again. It had become a habit for him, and he seemed to always find ways to evade the consequences. He grabbed his bows and arrows and quietly slipped out, avoiding the guards with ease.
No one knew how he managed to evade detection, and even the guards were baffled by his ability to sneak past them undetected. It was as if he was a ghost, invisible and silent.
Orion made his way outside the palace, strung his bow, and began walking. The night air was crisp, and the sound of crickets filled the air. Suddenly, a lady's scream pierced the night, and Orion's ears perked up. He located the source of the sound and saw a man attempting to assault a young woman.
Orion's eyes narrowed, and he whispered to himself, "So people like this still exist." With swift and deadly precision, he drew his bow, shot an arrow, and hit the man in the neck. The man fell to the ground, and Orion walked up to him, his eyes blazing with anger.
He walked up to the fallen man, kicked him, and rolled him away. Orion then turned to the lady, stretched out his hand, and helped her up.
"Are you alright?" Orion asked, his voice gentle and concerned.
The lady nodded, still shaken but grateful for Orion's timely intervention. "T-thank you," she stuttered.
Orion smiled and nodded. "You're safe now."
*********************************
Orion looked at the lady with concern and asked, Where are you coming from and where are you headed? I can escort you."
The lady smiled gratefully and explained, "I was working late at a local store. We closed a bit late, and I was on my way home when I noticed someone stalking me. When I tried to run, the man chased me and caught me. He...he was going to assault me."
Orion's eyes narrowed, and his grip on his bow tightened, but he remained calm.
The lady continued, "I'm thankful and grateful that you arrived just in time and saved me. Thank you again."
Orion smiled softly and nodded. "You're safe now. Let me walk you home."
Orion made a suggestion, "Why don't you work at Ashwood Palace? I think the pay is good, and you'll get free accommodation and food. You can even stay in the palace and visit your family on weekends, instead of going through this every night."
The lady shook her head, "No, I'm not interested in working at Ashwood Palace."
Orion nodded, "Okay, fine. If you see it that way." He escorted her to her home, and when they arrived, he asked, "Is this where you live?"
The lady replied, "Yes, I live with my sisters and cousins."
Orion nodded and said, "Okay, I hope we see each other again." With that, he bid her farewell and left.
As soon as he left the place,he had walked a bit when a carriage emerged from the darkness, accompanied by guards holding lanterns. The carriage looked like a wealthy carriage, and Orion's eyes narrowed as he wondered who could be arriving at such a late hour.
As the carriage moved, Orion noticed a rope trailing behind it. A man was tied to the end of the rope, being dragged along the ground. The man yelled and pleaded, "I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"
Orion wondered what the man was accused of. Without hesitation, he sprang into action, running swiftly and leaping into the air. With a swift slash of pocket blade, he cut the rope, freeing the man.
The guards heard the commotion and were immediately alerted. They realized something was amiss and turned to face Orion.
It became clear that there was more than one carriage, as additional vehicles emerged from the darkness. More guards appeared, surrounding Orion and demanding, "Who are you? How dare you interfere with our mission?"
A minister stepped out of the shadows, his face twisted in anger. "Who is this boy? How dare you!" he shouted, ordering the guards, "Seize him! Seize him now!"
But before the guards could move, Orion sped from their sight, leaving them bewildered. In an instant, he had taken down five guards, and soon, ten more fell to the ground. Orion's superspeed made him nearly invisible, leaving the guards struggling to comprehend what was happening.
In the blink of an eye, all the guards were on the ground, writhing in pain. The minister stumbled backward, trembling with fear. "Who are you?" he stuttered. "How could you take down all these guards by yourself?"
Orion stepped forward, his blade glinting in the moonlight. He pressed the tip of the blade against the minister's neck, his eyes gleaming with intensity. "Who are you to ask me who I am?" he whispered, his voice low and menacing.
Orion's eyes blazed with anger. "How dare you drag someone like an animal?" he demanded.
The minister, still trembling, pointed a shaky finger at Orion. "What have you done? You've allowed him to escape!"
Orion's gaze never wavered. "Answer me," he growled. "How dare you treat someone like this?"
The minister swallowed hard. "He...he did a terrible thing."
Orion's brow furrowed. "What terrible thing did he do?"
The minister's voice trembled. "H-he stole...from me."
Orion's eyes narrowed. "He stole from you? How did he manage to get to your chambers? How did he manage to steal from you?"
Orion pressed on, his voice firm. "Did you confirm if it was a setup or what? These days, setups are common. Did you investigate?"
The minister's face turned red with rage. "How dare you! How dare you ask me such a stupid question!"
With a sudden, swift movement, the minister pulled out a hand knife, intent on stabbing Orion. But Orion was quicker. With a lightning-fast slash of his blade, he struck the minister, leaving a deep cross-shaped wound on his body. The mark of Orion's blade was unmistakable.
Orion casually dusted his hand, pulled out a napkin, and cleaned the blood from his pocket knife. He tucked it back into his coat pocket and disappeared into the night.
His work for the day was done, but he knew he'd be back out again tomorrow night.
As he snuck back into the palace, the guards remained oblivious to his presence. However, his luck ran out at the entrance, where he was confronted by a familiar figure.
"Where are you coming from, Orion?" his sister, Aurora, asked, standing with her arms crossed.
Orion felt a surge of anger. Why did it always have to be his sister who caught him? He gritted his teeth, wondering what she wanted now.
"Should I go tell father that you sneaked out again?" Aurora asked, a hint of mischief in her voice.
Orion glared at her. "What do you want?"
Aurora fell silent for a moment before responding, "Oh, what do I want?" She smiled sweetly. "I want you to clean my room tomorrow morning."
Orion's eyes widened in outrage. He had never felt so humiliated. "You want me to clean your room? What happened to the maids?"
Aurora shrugged. "That's your punishment. The maids won't be doing it. You'll clean my room, make sure my bed is clean, and everything is spotless. That's the only way you'll avoid getting in trouble with Father."
As Aurora walked inside, Orion seethed with anger. He felt like grabbing her and shaking some sense into her. She was so annoying, and he couldn't believe she was getting away with this.