Beginning of Someth...Ch3

I looked around the roof, no obvious entrances, I couldn't risk a window because you never knew what you could run into. Information gathered by several Zaishen spies has indicated that the Mantle not only have their powerful ranks, but they also have demons or some such at their disposal. I had to find entrance through the roof, I roamed the roof, hearing a noise I turned around and loosed my arrows in the direction of said noise. Catching a bird through its body, I turned around, only find my feet weren't on solid ground, all I could see was a drop, a glass window to let light in during the day, and a very familiar face looking up at me in shock.

Leaving the hallway, I made my way further in. coming to an open ground within the fortress, the ceiling was glass, I guess they used it to let light in during the day, there was an ornately carved fountain there, the waters were blessed with magic. When I moved closer, blessed was the wrong word, the water had been tainted by demonic magic. I could feel the chaos, quickly moved across the area, I saw a shadow projected on the ground below me, I looked up to see a familiar looking female, falling.

'This is going to hurt'

I was falling, Drake was still stunned, I ran several ideas through my head, if I hit the glass I'm going to break it, alerting every single Mantle knight, acolyte, mage to our presence, I had nothing at my disposal to save myself from the fall, I just hoped Drake had a plan.

'Feck! Feck! Feck! Think fast, think fast, think fast! That fall is gonna land us in some deep shit'

I raised my hands, I shot flames up at the glass, melting it, split second before Kairi fell through, I ran under her and caught her, her weight and the speed of her fall made me collapse, but we didn't make a sound, even though I'm pretty sure I pulled a muscle. She didn't look hurt, from looks of things I broke her fall, I checked her vitals, she was still alive, just shaken up. I gently slapped her face.

"Kairi, wake up, this isn't the time for you to go cold on me, we are in the middle of the stronghold, if we are seen we are dead"

She opened her eyes, she looked like she was about to scream, her eyes were wide open, I quickly clasped my hand around her mouth trying my best to comfort her.

I was being slapped, I was caught, if I screamed I could get Drake's attention both of us could take down this assailant. I opened my eyes and was about to scream when a hand covered my mouth with a familiar looking pair of eyes looking down at me with concern.

What was she thinking? She is going to get us both killed, but as I sat there with her resting on my knee with my hand over her mouth, she was bathed in moonlight. Her jade eyes looked up at me, in confusion only to relax, I removed my hand to gaze at her moonlit face, she was beautiful, I almost lowered my head to kiss her, before I remembered where we were.

"Its a long way from town to just drop in"

When those words escaped his lips, I knew the moment was gone. There he was, bathed in moonlight, every part of him was accentuated, his physique, his face, he looked so handsome, lost in the moment I just wanted him to kiss me, reality hit me with that joke, Mantle Stronghold, Danger, Hide, anything, must keep moving. I quickly got up.

"Figured you could use the backup"

Quickly standing up as well, I composed myself, the moment was a bit awkward, I could tell that we both were thinking something else, however I present location didn't allow us that moment. Kairi looked at me, looking for injuries I don't know, but I didn't press it. We had to get somewhere safe so we can have a small update as to why the hell she was here.

He put a finger to his lips and beckoned me to follow him, we moved fast across the courtyard, he stood against a wall, he turned and faced the wall, touching around it with his hands, I kept a look out in case anyone spots us. I turned to ask him what he was doing, only to find that he had disappeared, before I could register a hand pulled me through the wall and into it. Confused and bewildered I tried to make sense of what just happened. Shaking my head I saw Drake looking at me with questioning eyes.

"Sorry about that, old trick I learnt when hunting prey, become part of the environment, I essentially have taken us to an alternate dimension, we can see out no one can see in, short of walking in here, no one will know we are here. Now would you like to explain to me why you are here, and please don't tell me your here to help me."

He was to the point, didn't even know humans could do that, but Drake has proven himself anything but normal, his power exceeds anything I have seen. I'm starting to be attracted to him for possibly the wrong reasons.

"Everything you told me was the truth, Zaishen have been watching the Mantle, the chosen that you speak off are being slaughtered in a place called Bloodstone Fen in the Maguuma Jungle. My mission is to discover the reason as to why they are being slaughtered, when I reached the Stronghold I knew that you had entered, so I had to find my way in, the library you mentioned should have the resources that should give me the information I need to get the clearance to take down these Mantle. So what have you discovered, any leads, any information as to the location of the library."

His look said it all.

"Yeeeeeaaaaah.....about that"

Groaning, I gave him a stern look.

"Drake, by the Five, you've been in here for almost an entire day, it look me hours to scale the walls of this damn place. I was really counting on you to have gotten some intel by now."

"Don't look at me like that, Kairi, I'm making this up as I go along, I don't want to capture one of the Mantle because they are tightly knit, one person goes missing, then a search will begin and they will know they have rats in the building, so interrogation is out of the question. I do know that only the highest ranked Mantle have access to the library. However I have yet to run into any, knowing them they are asleep and have enough guards to make sure nothing enters their chambers. They may be complacent about Lions Arch, but they take care of their own. If we are discovered in those chambers the entire stronghold will descend upon us. I have run around a lot in this place. I have yet to see the library however, I did notice a massive door about a kilo meter from our location. There are patrols, heavily armed with knight and mages, its either the library or the armoury, for our sakes lets hope its not the latter. While we might be well equipped there is only so much we can hold, they have the numbers, and best not be caught in a place where there are weapons everywhere. If it is the library, then we have the issue of the guards, from the look of that door, it seems to be opened from the inside, therefore there is security within it. Not sure how the commanders get inside, but it might be a waiting, we shall see. I noticed two patrols, six numbers to each, two knights, three mages and an acolyte, those acolytes can sense me coming, I still haven't learnt how to subdue my magical resonance. So technically sneaking in is impossible ergo plan A is gone. Plan B is we have to slay them somehow get into the library, kill the security inside, seal the door and look for the information we seek."

"Sounds just as hard if not impossible."

"Great thing about the alphabet, you've got plenty of plans to choose from"

I punched him in the arm as hard as I could, this wasn't the time for jokes, the night will end, then sneaking around will be even more impossible.

"Plan C, we hope one of the commanders would fancy a read at this unearthly hour and we attempt to sneak in with him, that would, however, require the acquisition of Mantle uniforms, which means doubling back to the barracks and finding some."

"While plan C sounds the most plausible, probability is low."

"Plan D anyone?"

I punched him again. This time in the ribs, he groaned but chuckled soon after.

"You've really got to lighten up."

While his jokes weren't the best thing right now, I couldn't help but swallow a smile, there was something charming about the way he could lighten up a dire situation.

She hit hard, she may look beautiful but under that female exterior she was a beast, the shot to my ribs was sure to bruise, but its true, jokes alone will not walk us through this. We had little to go on, and even less at our disposal. Between the two of us we could make a significant dent in their ranks, but their numbers will overwhelm us. Plus the issue of whether that door led to the library is still in question. I looked over the door again, it wasn't enchanted, or had any magical wards on it. So it was easy to destroy. The area was small, Five Large pillars on the left and the right of centre of the hallway which was a pond. Only Kairi could get in striking distance, the again she could nail all of them herself from where she stood. We needed to get closer, I had to suppress my magic I wasn't sure how, but whatever it was I was going it hadnt alerted our presence, we slowly crept from pillar to pillar, we got closer, we were able to get a better look.

"These troops are heavily armed, that double handed Longsword alone could cleave us in half, this has to be the library."

"Okay Drake, what is the plan?"

I looked around me, to see whatever I could use to either lure those soldiers away, or find a way into the library short of destroying the door. Nothing looks plausible, brutal force seemed the only way that we could get in there, the risk of alerting the entire stronghold is there, but we are running out of time we had to find what we need and get out of here.

"Kairi, the time for subtlety is over. We cant get in there short of sheer force. Are you ready to slaughter some soldiers and gain the knowledge we seek?"

Like as if he had to ask, I'm not a fan of sneaking around, unless that was required, I preferred a nice direct approach to whatever I need to do short of compromising my beliefs.

"Lead on, Sir."

In a less dangerous situation I would have had a comeback for that. I pulled out my scythe, pulled up my hood, I could feel my powers grow.

He was ready, I could feel his aura, it was powerfully ancient, I noticed the Acolytes turn.

"By the Unseen One, can you feel that aura? It's tremendous, ready yourselves, I do believe someone is planning to break into the library."

Ah so Drake was right, but now the patrol was ready. What is strange is that they haven't signalled for help yet. To be fair they haven't revealed their powers yet. They only had their weapons drawn. Drake seemed to notice this too. Took his hood off and put his scythe away.

"What...its gone...where is it? Spread out, find it."

What the in the name of Balthazar is going on, these acolytes are a bunch of amateurs, I could have slaughtered them in seconds and no one would have known. I whispered to Kairi.

"Stay here, these soldiers are good as dead."

After he finished saying that he disappeared from my side, and appeared in front of the patrol, watching him work was like watching a dance, each mantle soldier was taken down by a strange martial art. I noticed he had a bottle with him. He was weaving back and forth, they couldn't touch him with their weapons, but each attack he made struck true and hard. By the end all the mantle were on the floor, and not a sound had been uttered. He stood up and waved at me with a stupid smile on his face.

'He is drunk....'

I left my hiding place and walked up to him.

"ELL....."

Before he shouted out anything I clamped my hand over his mouth.

"Men...."

He removed my hand, and pulled a pill from his robe and swallowed it. It was like watching a transformation, from stone drunk, back to his senses within seconds. I was going to ask him.

"Not now Kairi, I'll explain later."

Still no alarm had tolled. No soldiers rushing to kill us. I think I may have over estimated the Mantle's effectiveness. I placed my hand on walls, I needed to find out where the internal security was. I closed my eyes, and focused, I could feel vibrations once I have reached a state of equilibrium. I could feel the vibrations from voices. I kept moving closer and closer to the source of the sound, until I was in front of it. I looked at the wall, it was quite thick, I could slice a hole in it, but id alert the soldier inside of my presence before I am able to kill him. Might give him enough time activate the alarm. I noticed that Kairi was smiling. She asked me to point where his head is on the stone, I marked the location, she took a few paces back, pulled out her bow. She was going to shoot through stone?? That was a laughable idea, but she seemed determined.

I could see his questioning eyes, but he said nothing, I'm glad, at least he knows when to keep his mouth shut. I pulled the arrow back, lifted my bow so I could aim. Keeping an eye on the target, I felt everything around me slow down. It was quiet, nothing could disturb me, I let loose, the arrow flew, I watched it, as those arrows did at the blacksmiths, the arrows spun, longer it flew the faster is spun, it pierced through the stone without resistance. I lowered my bow, time came back to normal. I looked at Drake and his face was in shock, pointing at the wall with his mouth wide open.

"Ill explain later."

I looked through the hole to make sure I had hit my target, two mantle soldiers pierced by arrows through their heads. The arrow was no where to be seen, but they were dead. Drake moved to the door, and pulled it open, slightly, enough for both of us to slip through. Once the door was closed behind us, Drake placed a defensive ward around the door. Alert us to anyone who might choose to enter. We both turned around and our jaws dropped.