by Sean J Leith
The others seemed battle-hardened and more prepared than Lira ever could be. She glanced to the path whence she came. She shook her head. No. This is what I must do.
The woman shifted over and moved her gold-accented scythe to the other side, opening some space to sit. She patted the seat and gave Lira a warm smile. “I’m Domika. What’s your name?”
Lira inched over to the log, and gently, slowly sat down, eyeing the others. “I’m, ah—” She lost her voice a moment, barely able to spit out her nerves. “Lira,” she said quietly.
“Nice to meet you.” Domika pointed to a heavily armored man with small horns protruding from his forehead, and a middle-aged man with a long grey beard intermingled with whites, wearing a loose, violet robe. “This is Magnus and Vesper.” The young man gave a serious, blank nod, while the middle-aged man smiled brightly. Domika motioned to a third young man across from her. “And this is Miggen. He’s keeping an eye on us. We’re all new aside from him, so don’t feel like you’re the only one here.”
Kayden leaned aloof against a tree around the clearing edge, opening her hand mouthing ‘blah, blah, blah,’ before she rolled her eyes.
Miggen was a young man, barely sixteen she reckoned. While adjusting the scale mail and patting a spiked mace at his side, he stood up. With a subtle cough, he cleared his throat, and spoke. “The others already know where we’re going, so I’ll fill you in. The Lord of Koffer Forest to the west, Dolph Rogan, ordered a very large number of questionable arrests recently. We want to find out if this is Drayfus’ doing. His castle is a day’s walk out of the forest, but we have horses. We strike before night’s end. Shouldn’t be too hard. I’ve heard his guards are minimal. This is a reconnaissance mission, not an attack.”
Drayfus. The previous royal advisor, and now the King after the late King, Bracchus Tirilin, fell ill a year prior. After his death, nobles claimed Bracchus’s son was too young to rule at seventeen, and his brother was not a good choice due to a number of reasons. Unpredictability. Brutal. Unreasonable. Or so Lira heard.
Lira scratched the nape of her neck. “Will we have to fight anyone?” she said thinly.
“Not if I have something to say about it. If you do as I say, we should be in and out without a problem,” Kayden spoke up.
“Shouldn’t we let Miggen show the way?” Domika sneered. “You don’t lead us.”
“Actually Miss Mirado, I’m simply here to make sure things go to plan, and ensure our safety if things go south. As far as I’ve heard, she’s the most qualified,” Miggen cut in.
“Well, she certainly looks like a criminal,” Domika said with a frown.
Jirah’s sister, Lira thought. The pressure to not make any mistakes grew heavier. Lira looked over to Kayden, who scowled at her fiery accuser.
She had a plain face with a few thick scars across her eyes and cheeks, knotted mousy hair, and dirt accenting her olive skin. “I’ll take that as a compliment. We’re all criminals here,” Kayden shot back.
“That’s enough,” Miggen said roughly. Stepping between their locked eyes, he said, “We’re a team. We watch each other’s backs. We don’t exchange insults.” He sighed. “Now, we might have to knock a couple out, but we aren’t killing anyone. We need to find his study, or anything, to get evidence. These arrests are strange and suspicious. There are no trials, and there are rumors of them not being released.” Miggen rose to his feet. “With the horses, we’ll make good time—maybe a few hours. I’m sorry to leave so soon Lira, but as Kayden said, you were late. Pack your things. We’re heading out.” He pointed to Kayden and gave a commanding look toward Domika. “I gave her the map of the manor that we acquired recently.”
Lira checked her things, got her rucksack on again, and started walking toward a horse. She didn’t know how to ride one. Rubbing her throbbing head, she looked toward Kayden, which only made the pain worse. Especially when she turned with a sharp glare and eye roll as if reading Lira’s skill level. Lira scratched her head, too embarrassed to say anything. She watched the others pick a horse that suited them. Kayden hopped up on a horse with one hand, with the other carrying a pack. She looked toward the opposing path she came from, wondering if she made a mistake.
Miggen tip-toed over. “Do you know how to ride a horse?” he whispered.
Lira looked to the dirt below and shook her head subtly.
He gave a soft smile and nodded. “I’ll just say we can only take five. You can ride with me, all right?”
Lira nodded. “Thanks,” she whispered. He helped her up onto his horse, and not too soon after, they took off.
They trotted alongside Magnus, whom Lira attempted to make conversation with. He was large, nearly half a foot taller than Lira at six-feet and four inches, but had a torso as thick as an old tree. His skin was pale, and eyes blood red. He was a half-Devil, a race of monstrous beings.
I’ve only heard terrible things about them, she thought nervously. They were a race of thieves and murderers—yet he seemed calm and kind. She probed him with a few questions as they traveled, but he didn’t give much information up. She wondered what his, or rather, what all of their motives were.
Miggen spoke calmly as they went but kept one hand on the haft of his orange-sized mace. Should I worry? Lira wondered. He was a tanner before he joined Jirah’s plight. Now he was a ‘mace-wielding warrior of truth.’ Lira giggled at his self-proclaimed title; he was an interesting fellow.
Most of the trip, the only sound among the clop of hooves was the sociable chatter of Domika with anyone who would listen, and mumbling from the older man, Vesper, who spoke whether he was listened to or not. His violet robe swayed in the wind as his horse trotted. He read from a large book named ‘Focus of the Arcana,’ constantly, barely looking ahead of him. His voice was vibrant, and he always tended to swish his finger in the air as he spoke to anyone who listened.
After a few hours, they stopped. Kayden motioned for them to hop off and tie up the horses. “We’re almost there,” Kayden said. She hopped off, and the rest followed. They walked together, along with Miggen, who was present to ensure the plan succeeded.
Clothier to a Scion of fire. Knowing Miggen was a modest tanner helped settle her nerves. The five companions around her walked with purpose, while she stumbled over root and thorn, trying not to make a fool of herself. It didn’t help that her head still throbbed with pain; ever since she’d laid eyes on Kayden, her mind felt fit to explode.
Why won’t this headache go away? she wondered. She glanced at Kayden, wondering if she felt it too.
Kayden looked back with a squint, shooing the others to move quicker. “Damn it, I can barely see with this blood moon.” She walked at the head of the pack, quicker than the rest, despite her short stature. She hadn’t bothered to learn any of their names, and instead gave each a nickname while they traveled. “Princess, keep up,” Kayden said with a harsh tone.
Lira’s nickname wasn’t her favorite. She didn’t mind it, but she didn’t enjoy it much either. I’m no princess, she thought. She’s only making fun of me. She tried to quicken her pace. “I’m trying. What if we get caught?” Lira asked. I hope the allegations are wrong. But most of all, she worried for her missing brother. She looked to her silver ring and spun it on her finger. It reminded her of why she’d joined. She didn’t want others to lose family, and she didn’t want to lose hers, either.
“We won’t get caught, princess. How are they gonna know we’re coming?” Kayden whispered. She rubbed the back of her head and grumbled, “Damn headache.”
“Not to worry. I will be watching,” Magnus said.
Lira could just barely see the small castle in the distance. A grey stone wall shielded it, and a mansion sat nestled within. “There it is! I can see it.”
“Yeah, well, not all of us are blessed with the ability to see in the dark. How can you see? You’re only human,” Kayden spat.
Lira scratched the back of her neck. “I just can, I don’t know.” She always had good sig
ht at night time; her and Noren would go out adventuring at night to view the stars, and she would have to lead him along.
“I can see it, too,” Magnus said. Lira may have good vision, but Half-Devils could see in the dark as if they lived in it.
“Well, good for both of you. The old man and I can’t, so keep an eye out.”
Lira noticed that she didn’t mention Domika, who walked behind her. Since they’d started off, Domika and Kayden hadn’t gotten along. Blaziks were borne of fire, of which Lira always found fascinating. She hadn’t seen more than a couple in her life, as they lived far across the continent of Renalia in the deserts, as well as past the southern seas in the land of Feyamin.
“Why are you at the head if you can’t see?” Domika asked.
“Don’t sass me,” Kayden said with a growl. “Someone around here needs to take some initiative. Mace-boy isn’t here to show us where to go. He’s here to help only if we need it.”
“Well, have it be Magnus or something. He can see perfectly out here,” Domika said.
“Now, now my friends, let us be silent. Our first goal is to not get caught, yes? Miss Ralta has been perfectly capable of reading our path as of yet,” Vesper said from behind.
Kayden waved a dismissive hand back toward them. “At least someone appreciates my work.”
“All right, you five. Calm down. I may be an escort to make sure things go well, but don’t think I won’t step in if there’s an argument,” Miggen said. He kept quiet for the trip. “We should be at the castle soon. Keep in the shadows, and don’t talk too much when we’re there. Guards have been more vigilant in recent days. I actually helped on a mission a few cities over, and we stole all of the documents and orders from Drayfus. Arrests would come for petty crimes. We have no idea why, but it’s concerning.” Miggen’s tone grew brittle. “Remember, what you do here is important. This isn’t some practice mission. This could save lives—and ours are at risk.”
Kayden looked back and nodded, then walked in silence.
Lira wondered how everything became so chaotic where she lived. After Bracchus’ son pitted war against the advisor, Lord Drayfus, from the new nation of Orinas in the north, the realm worsened. To make matters even worse, the late King’s brother brought war from the new nation of Zenato in the east, south of the neutral kingdom of Amirion. Is it the war that caused issues? Or the new King himself? Renalia was once one massive nation, but now was three.
Lira knew the rebellion started for a reason, and she saw it lay between the lines. They knew King Drayfus’ reign was filled with corruption: from the extortion of tradesmen, to the mistreatment of injured soldiers, to the overtaxing of commoners. Not only that, but the arrests for petty crimes, or nothing at all. And some are missing, like Noren. I hope I can find out what happened. I couldn’t bear to lose him. Lira wondered what they would find out tonight.
Part of her wanted to leave Loughran for one of the other nations, but she couldn’t abandon her home.
The group came out of the thick, blackwood maple forest to see the manor. The gates basked in the dim light of adjacent torches and were accompanied by guards with spears and blades. Lira shuffled her feet. She wasn’t comfortable with combat.
“We can probably grapple over the western wall, over there.” Kayden pointed to a shadowed spot on the wall that was absent of guards. “I can get up there and fasten the rope better for heavier people. I’m light, so I don’t need much to hook onto.”
Lira walked forward and rubbed her arms. A cool breeze blew over them, and a chill ran down her spine.
Magnus’ blood-red eyes fixed on Lira’s, but it was a soft gaze. “Not to worry, my lady.”
“Quiet.” Kayden peered around the trees and closely analyzed the entrances and walls.
Magnus wore heavy, plated armor, and it made quite a bit of noise in the night. The crickets sang to the moon, the owls hooted together, and the wind soared through the forest to rustle branches and leaves. Lira hoped it was enough to cover the noise of their movement. She hoped the mission would go off without an issue, as it was their first. She didn’t want her first experience to be a bad one—especially if her inexperience caused problems.
Kayden looked out, analyzing the walls closely, then turned back with narrowed eyes. “I spotted an opening.” She swished a poignant finger at different parts of the keep. “We’ll run along the forest line and hit the wall there. I’ll grapple up and lead the rest of you in. We go down the wall and get into the mansion from there. Don’t fall behind, or I’ll leave you behind.” Kayden pulled a rope decorated by a hooked metal claw at the end of it. “Let’s move.” She sprang forward, and Lira followed with the others.
As they made their way along the forest’s edge, and a chill went down Lira’s spine again. The walls were high, and there were a few guards far from where Kayden pointed.
As they approached the wall, Kayden swung the hook and threw it over with a quiet tink while the others looked out.
Lira worried the guards would hear, but she didn’t hear any voices. By the time Lira looked back, Kayden was already up the wall. She disappeared for a couple of moments, then two ropes dropped over the side followed by her sly smirk. Miggen climbed deftly, as did Domika. Magnus seemed like he would tear the rope, but he managed. As Lira and Vesper climbed, she saw they were being pulled up. As she reached the top, Lira ducked down low as the others did.
Kayden motioned her hand low, and her eyes shot around to different parts of the wall, the yard below, and the towers around them. Her ears perked up, as if she could hear every sound in the area. Kayden pulled out the map and looked closely, tracing her fingers along the page. “Keep up,” she whispered. She crawled over to the far side of the wall, looked over the edge, and dropped a rope she already deftly tied to a crenellation. She hopped off the side, waving with her.
Lira looked over the edge, seeing a large elaborate hedge garden beside the manor. By the time Lira hurled over the side, two armored men collapsed upon the ground. “Did you kill them?” she whispered in a brittle tone.
Kayden turned and fiercely put her forefinger to her lips, and then shook her head.
Lira’s hands shook wildly at the beat of her pounding heart. Calm down, calm down, you can do this… Her breathing sped up, and heart sped faster than a horse’s charge. A plate gauntlet rested on her shoulder. Lira jumped and nearly yelped, barely covering her mouth with a hand.
“Worry not,” Magnus said in a deep whisper. He crept after Kayden, just below the hedge line. Lira tip-toed to the door where Kayden worked. Domika peeked around the corner and whirled her hand in a circle to hurry Kayden, who growled in response. The door opened with a click and Kayden slinked inside.
The others did their best to follow, as quiet as they could. Magnus’s were surprisingly silent, even in his heavy plate. The halls were a pale grey stone, with a few paintings of men in satin rubes and silk doublets, many with the last name Rogan. Kayden checked her map every so often, only stopping to look frantically to each hallway, or pull out a small bamboo tube to blow a small dart into the neck of an unsuspecting soldier. They’d fall to the ground and that was that.
Lira felt a little embarrassed as she hadn’t done anything yet. Kayden did all the work.
Kayden shifted her sharp gaze from one group member to the next, until she locked eyes with Lira, which made her freeze in her tracks.
Did I do something wrong? she thought.
After a brief pause, Kayden motioned in the door with a nod. “Princess, go in and find information, and I’ll keep watch. Clunky, with me. You three, go with her,” Kayden whispered. With a nod, Magnus stayed at her side.
Lira was surprised Kayden would pick her of all people, but didn’t ask questions. She slipped into the office lined with ornate bookshelves. An intricately carved blackwood desk stood in the back with papers strewn across it. Lira ran over with Domika and Vesper. Miggen searched papers that were on the ground, and frequently peered out of the door to
check on the others.
There were many notes on delegations to other advisors and high house citizens in the region, and some orders from the capital, but nothing out of the ordinary. Domika shuffled around the papers in a huff, stopped, and crossed her arms. Magnus stood back and scratched his head.
Kayden put her head through the door and whispered, “hurry the hell up!”
Domika just responded with “There’s nothing here.”
Lira felt around under the desk. There had to be something. Inspecting the bottom of the drawer area, she noticed it was slightly larger than the drawer itself. She felt a depression in the wood and pressed it with a click. A drawer lowered, revealing a small stack of papers. “Here, I found some!” Lira said excitedly, almost doing a little dance. The others shushed her, but she felt useful. There were orders to arrest citizens for even small thefts, like food and other cheap goods. In Wyrwood to the southwest, laws were put in to arrest people for bumping into guards, claiming that it was ‘assaulting a soldier of the state.’
Lira couldn’t believe it. She covered her mouth when she read what was next. Prisoners were to be sent to a city in southern Loughran, Deurbin, for torture, each of them. They were to ask for information on the rebellion and—whether they knew anything or not—they were to be delivered to a designated location revealed soon for ‘special treatment.’
Noren, no…
Two marks were set at the bottom of the letter—a violet lidless eye, and a scroll on a field of yellow and orange. She barely thought about it. She was more worried about the prisoners. Why would they do this for such petty things? What do they mean by special treatment? Lira wondered. It was her fault Noren was arrested, and then he was moved from the jail. Now she suspected he might be part of this movement for torture, or worse.
Domika’s and Vesper’s eyes were wide as dinner plates, mouth dropped open in shock. “It is true, I cannot believe it. Such a disgraceful King,” Vesper said in a brittle tone. “What do we do?”
“Miggen, over here,” Lira whispered.
