Elira raised her left hand and, with her pointer finger, slowly pushed his sword away. The man looked confused but lowered and sheathed his dual swords. From a pocket, he pulled out a journal and a pen.
Elira and Nick, stunned, lowered their guard in confusion.
He opened the journal. "What's your name?" he asked, looking at Elira.
She studied him for a second before answering. As soon as she did, he jotted notes down, reading aloud as he wrote.
"Elira," he muttered. "Female, around 18, seems skilled with swords, physically weak, intelligence… here or there."
Elira's face twisted in annoyance. "Hey!" she snapped.
He ignored her. "Cool sword with symbols… might take."
Turning the page, his gaze shifted. "Your name?"
Nick stuttered, sensing no immediate danger from the man. "Nick."
Without missing a beat, the man continued. "Male, around 18, seems hopeless, weak, could be smart."
Nick clenched his jaw but knew there was truth in the words.
The journal snapped shut and disappeared into his pocket.
"Now, what's your name?" Elira asked, her tone devoid of emotion.
"Felix," he replied quickly.
Elira and Nick exchanged glances before unleashing their own commentary.
"Male?" Elira said.
"Old," Nick added.
"Only skilled at writing."
"No muscle."
"As dumb as a paralyzed proun."
That last comment hit Felix deep. His eyes darkened as he unsheathed his swords and pointed them at their throats. "Don't go too far now," he warned, though inwardly, he fumed. Do I really look that old? The thought distracted him long enough.
Seizing the opportunity, Elira flicked her sword upward, knocking one of his weapons into the air. It spun before landing with a metallic clang on the rocky ground beside him.
Felix blinked in surprise before grinning. "That was nice. I take it you're the assassin?"
Without warning, he lunged at her. She intercepted his strike, but his strength was overwhelming. He pushed with increasing force, causing her to stagger.
Elira gritted her teeth. The weight behind his attacks was more than she expected. Her legs trembled under the strain, and she knew she wouldn't hold out much longer.
A sword shot through the air, breaking the clash. Both combatants instinctively leaped back.
Nick stood firm, arm extended from the throw. Elira turned to him and nodded with a smirk.
Felix, still smiling, glanced at Nick in surprise before retrieving his fallen sword. Dual-wielding again, he wouldn't let another opening like that happen.
He advanced. Slowly.
Elira stepped between him and Nick, her stance firm.
"We got a dual team here, don't we?" Felix teased. His smirk widened as both Elira and Nick blushed.
Elira's eyes never left him. "Nick, leave him to me. Go find Renn, he's alone."
Nick hesitated. He couldn't abandon her. Not again. But Renn needed help. His mind raced.
A choice. And it had to be quick.
He clenched his fists, took one glance at Elira, turned and ran.
Elira smiled as Felix ignored Nick's retreat, his focus sharpening on her.
Nick looked back at them and saw their fight continue. Felix shoved Elira to the ground. She groaned but quickly lifted her head. Before she could regain her footing, Felix's blade struck. Piercing through her right ankle, pinning her boot to the rocky ground.
A scream tore from her throat, echoing across the kingdom. It rang in Nick's ears, haunting him as he ran. His steps faltered, heart hammering in his chest. He wanted to turn back, but he couldn't. He had to trust her. Renn needed him.
His calculated route aimed to intercept Renn and the traitor triplets. As he reached the location, he found it empty.
A touch on his shoulder sent a shock through his body. He whirled around, fists raised in a comical yet determined stance.
"It's just me."
Nick exhaled sharply as he recognized the voice. Talon, the assassin.
"What are you doing here?" Nick asked. "Aren't you supposed to be guarding the north?"
"Yeah, but someone told me to come here and wait for Kirith."
Nick's expression darkened. "Who?"
"Actually, there were three of them. They looked very similar to each other."
Nick's stomach sank. The triplets. It was a trap. Again.
Before he could explain, a sound cut through the air.
Nick and Talon turned in sync. The triplets appeared, Renn in the middle. They froze at the sight of Nick, as shocked as he was.
"What are you doing here?" Renn asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, weren't you with Elira?" one of the triplets added, feigning innocence.
Nick's eyes narrowed. "I was."
His face twisted with anger. He raised his hand, pointing at the girl. "You traitor. You set us up."
She put on an exaggerated look of shock. "What? Why would I betray my home kingdom?"
Nick wasn't buying it. Her eyes darted up and to the right before locking onto him again. A slow, smug smile spread across her face as she stepped back.
A meteor crashed from the sky, slamming into the ground between them. The impact sent everyone tumbling backward.
The brothers chuckled and bolted, leaving their sister and Renn behind.
A shadow stirred from the crater. As dust cleared, a towering figure emerged, a man with barely visible hair, one missing eye, and a chest built like a giant's. He rose to his full height, arms crossed, dwarfing everyone around him.
He looked at the girl. "Hey, Sara."
She nodded and turned to Nick with a smirk. "Oh, sorry, let me introduce you. This is Riven."
Nick and Renn gawked at his sheer size.
"And them?" she gestured dramatically. "Kestrel and Vasha!"
They turned to see two more figures. A woman dressed in dark red with a lace veil, and beside her, a man in a raven-feathered cloak.
Nick's thoughts spiraled. There's more?
Sara tapped her foot impatiently, scanning the area. "And…" She sighed, rolling her hand in the air. "Where are they?"
Vasha raised an eyebrow. "Honey, I'm not their mama. How should I know?"
Sara shot a glance at Riven, but he only shrugged.
She groaned. "You guys are going to kill me. Whatever, this is enough."
She turned to Nick and Renn, arms spread wide. "And this, my friends, is The Red Hand!" A pause. "Well… at least 3/5 of it. Would've been cooler with the full squad."
Nick and Renn remained frozen. Helpless. But Talon was already analyzing potential attack strategies. If things went well, with a coordinated effort, they might stand a chance.
Sara grinned, her expression twisting with sadistic glee. "As per the orders of Ikaris, I'll be giving commands now. Kill them all!" Her laughter rang out, high and sharp, cutting through the tense air.
"But keep this weak one alive." She smirked. "Orders from Ikaris."
She raised a single finger. Her hand hovered, lingering in the space between them, before locking onto its target. Renn.