Chapter 2

After a while, she finished building the wall around the city of Glandithe.

She wasn't sure how many people she had killed that day, but she was more than thrilled with the new star that would go into her private collection of the Guards' stars.

Kayla looked around for a while, and skimmed her fingers for a while in the air and lifted all the soldiers and members of House Scyaeth that were dead, dripping in blood.

She started to walk with the bodies of indigo flares behind her and began to walk up to where a hill was. All cities of the Bounds have at least one mountain; except Joalarkin.

She brought them to one of the shallow hills and stroked the ground a bit so that a pit of soil crumbled down. A huge space for these disgusting humans in her thoughts.

In the Bounds, if you didn't listen to the King's or any of the noble family's orders, you'll lose your head in the most realistic way ever. And that wasn't the only reason why Kayla, Adrian and Alex became rebels, and most of the people too.

When the soil crumbled to a deepness enough for all of them to be buried, she started moving the soldiers and House Scyaeth deep into the soil.

They should be thankful, she thought, I still buried them.

She then put her head under the cloak's hoodie and walked down the hill, going to where the others were heading.

They were already far away, crossing a small path through Everwood Forest to get to Emitha and Pendagline.

She found her black horse, still tied on a tree, away from where all the bloodshed was.

She hopped on top of the saddle and the horse huffed a bit as she petted her head, "Let's go, Cyl,"

The black horse neighed and treaded its feet lightly as it brought them both out of Glandithe, as they headed for Pendagline.

There was no stopping until the Bounds was under her rule, away from filthiness and greed. And if filthiness and greed still lay in the kingdom, she was there to get rid of it.

~~~

A few hours passed and there was still no news from Guard Valente. There was no bigger chance that he lived than he died, and Jayden had twisted feelings in him.

On one hand, another Guard had died in the hands of the Assassin. But on the other hand, it would mean that Jayden would be promoted to become the Seventh Guard. And with that title, the King would trust him more and more and more.

But his concern of Guard Valente's death was the least of that at the moment. He needed to focus on gaining the King's trust on this night's mission. Killing Eros Falecith.

He had tricked the king into buying his silk of five pieces of gold.

King Garland was stupid, of course. Everyone thought the same way. No silk that would be sold to the King would have such price. But he fell for it anyway.

Jayden was now at his house. He lived in Coranius since he was born. He was born there, he studied there, he was raised there, he lived there.

His father was the First Guard, and with that title, he was rich. He was considered a noble. And so, his house wasn't made of wood and stones. It was made of bricks.

He went inside his house to get his cloak after sharpening his sword from the base. The last time he went on his hunt, his cloak was ripped off by the target, and so, he was basically cloak-less at that point.

As he entered his house, which was located near the hills beside the castle, he was welcomed by the bright candle-chandelier that hung on top. Stands of torches were put across the hall, and paintings of medieval art were hung on the rocky walls.

A red and golden carpet furnished the wooden flooring as stone-carved statues of goddesses and gods were placed on the tops of the shallow pillars in the side.

Jayden rarely went home. He spent his days training and training in the base. He ate, slept and trained there. Nearly everyday.

The house didn't seem to change. His mother wouldn't have wanted to. Penelope wasn't an open mother who would tell him everything. They kept secrets from each other, yet they never forced one another to tell it.

Suddenly, the door behind him opened to his mother, who was holding a paper bag filled with vegetables and fruits and meat from the market. It was a surprise.

Penelope stood frozen, then went inside, "What brings you here, son?" she asked, going to the kitchen.

Jayden raised a brow, "I came here to get my cloak. Who are you cooking for? I think those are too much things for you to eat alone, mother," he asked.

"Do you really think I only cook for you, Jayden?" she laughed nervously, as if hiding something. But Jayden didn't want to push her to say it. "On the other hand, why would you need your cloak?"

His mother didn't even know he was a bounty hunter.

"Are you spying?" she narrowed her eyes and leaned on the kitchen table, crossing her arms, scowling. "You know I don't like it when you do that, Jayden."

His father was a Guard and a spy and a bounty hunter. Jayden didn't want his mother to worry.

Sorry to break it to you, mother, but I'm about to be all of the things you oppose, his mind spoke.

"No, it's just the base is cold, even in this fall. And my other cloak got ripped when I was training. I just came here to take another one," he replied casually.

"Very well then," she said as she saw her son's hand. "You've never taken off the ring your father gave to you,"

"This was his last gift, hours before he was executed. I'd like to cherish it very well."

~~~

"You really need to get a grip of your balance," Adrian scolded Alex as they were creeping above the roofs of the Santelle neighborhood, trying to find where House Tulaine kept the people's money.

The people's money included paying off unnecessary taxes that the noble families made, with irrelevant prices. They then use it for their own extravagant fun; from buying jewelry to gambling.

The two, who were like brothers, had left Pendagline as soon as the rest of the citizens arrived there. They trusted the army they had built from the rebels of Pendagline and Emitha to help the newcomers from Glandithe find their stay and make sure they were treated fairly.

When they left, Kayla had not arrived. They only had one thought: she was murdering people.

Kayla and Adrian, they both met when he wasn't even born yet. They had a long history. A very long one. And when things started going downhill when they were 10 years old, they fled.

"Shut up," Alex said, "We need to steal the soldier uniforms,"

Their eyes glared over to where two soldiers were guarding the residence of House Tulaine.

"That should be our shot," Adrian grinned and went to the edge of the rooftop, and slid down, thumping both his feet on the solid ground below.

He looked back up where Alex was just looking down, and dangling his feet over the edge. It was as if he was going to die.

"Hello? Are you coming down or not?" the blonde boy asked, crossing his arms.

"Yep, just give me 10 seconds," he replied, "Why the hell is this so tall?"

"Just jump for goodness sake,"

"Yeah, okay, it's not 10 seconds yet,"

"Jump." Adrian stated.

"Yeah okay wait,"

"HEY! WHO ARE YOU?" a yell was heard from the end of the row of houses they were at.

"ALEX, JUMP!" Adrian yelled and suddenly some heavy thing dropped on top of him that made him fall to the ground. He groaned.

Alex had jumped, with the hope Adrian would catch him, and instead, made both of them fall down.

"I jumped," Alex mumbled as he rolled over beside him.

"Yay, congrats," Adrian replied as he stood up and took Alex's hand as they went to where House Tulaine was and through the alleyway beside the house, as soldiers kept on chasing them.

In the alleyway, they came across two soldiers.

"Who are you?" one of them asked.

Alex reached for one of his knives in his belt, and threw it at one of them. It went straight to his head and he fell down.

The other soldier held his spear and charged at them. Adrian took a small flask of pink liquid and threw it at him. The man fell as he screamed while yelling. His skin was peeling off.

"Sorry, we just needed your clothes," he pursed his lips and went to both the soldiers, who were unconscious (or dead, take your pick) and took off their uniform.

The two boys switched their clothes with the soldiers' clothes and covered their heads with their cloaks. Adrian left his arrows with the soldiers, and only went in with the uniform, his potions and Alex with his knives.

The two went around the other side of the residence, and went inside through the soldiers' gateway.

There were only a few soldiers inside the residence and most of them guarded the outside.

They went inside the house, which, of course, was luxurious, and found the front door opened as a man entered the front doorway with a sinister look planted on his face.

He was a tall man, with dark hair and dark eyes, yet had expensive silk clothing.

"Secretary Eros Falecith," one of the soldiers said from the front, saluting.

"I'm here to store money. Where's the Tulaines?" he asked again.

"They're still in their chambers, sleeping, Secretary," the soldier said again.

"Very well then, just inform them I was here, settling in 5 pieces of gold,"

"Yes, sir,"

Eros Falecith started walking through the hallways and Adrian and Alex acted respectful to him.

"That's our man," Alex muttered.

The two started following Falecith into the twisted hallways, and followed him like personal guards. He didn't seem to mind.

At the end of a hallway, Falecith stopped walking and Adrian and Alex went to the next hallway beside them to avoid him from suspecting them.

He took out two silver keys, one bigger and one smaller, from his back pocket and put the smaller key in a small hole on the beige bricked-wall. He turned the key around and sounds of gears cracking were heard.

The walls parted to reveal a thick tungsten-door, that was definitely expensive. He put the larger key in another keyhole on the door, and it opened to a high yet small room that reached to the tops.

The walls were filled with shelves of money and coins and gold and jewelry and many other things that the people had given forcefully.

"That's all we need," Adrian whispered.

"Let's go," Alex said, and they walked out of the hallway, back to the main hallway and the wall behind them closed and Eros was now walking behind them.

"You both must think that I didn't know you were following me. I've worked here for years to know no soldier would ever follow me to the vault. You may ask why I let you follow me. It's because I want to see both your faces to put you as a felon," he spoke with a deep voice, threatening and warning.

"Fuzz Freak," Adrian tugged his friend's arm, "I think our cover's been blown,"

Alex gulped for a while before he spoke, "Run."

The two bolted off, running as if the world was collapsing as the man behind them yelled, "SEIZE THEM."

Soldiers surrounded the main hall, as Adrian pulled Alex to the soldiers' gateway and they both took out their weapons.

A few soldiers charged at them both, and Alex stabbed them in the abdomen, as Adrian started throwing random potions at them.

Some of them exploded, some of them fell and others had parts of their body turn into tails.

"Why the hell did you leave your arrows outside?" Alex yelled, while kicking a soldier off and stabbing them in the head.

"Was I supposed to bring them around?" Adrian yelled back, and threw a potion bottle to one of the soldiers that was approaching Alex. He didn't know how to fight like fist to fist, but he sure knew a lot about brewing and throwing.

There were too many of them, so they had to run. Alex took Adrian's shoulder and pulled them out and closed the soldiers' gates.

"FOLLOW THEM!" Eros yelled from inside.

Adrian quickly took his arrows from the dead soldiers and ran away with Alex, going back to where they placed their horses at.

The soldiers, which were quite a few now, chased after them from behind, yelling at them to stop.

"They're pretty much wasting their voice right now," Adrian muttered as they both continued running inside and out the market, stepping over some stuff.

"Don't worry, madam and mister. We'll replace them in the future!" Alex apologized and continued sprinting. His breaths were getting shorter.

Alex found a way to escape them a little faster. Wit. He stepped on a cart wagon and hung on to a short wooden pole. He climbed up to the roofs, although he didn't really want to.

"Give me your hand," he said, reaching down to Adrian who was panting, out of breath.

"Don't you think I should be the one pulling you up?" he asked, wondering.

"Does that matter right now?" he demanded.

Adrian jumped off the cart wagon and held onto Alex. And what Adrian said was true: it should've been the other way around.

He groaned as he pulled him up to the roof and they both lied there for a while before the soldiers were down there.

"Run now, relax later," Adrian stood up quickly and held Alex's wrist, running across the rooftops.

They had to get back to their horses, which were on the end of the town, near the entrance.

Their paces halted at the edge of the rooftop. The only way out was to jump to the next rooftop.

"I don't think this was a very good idea," Alex muttered.

"It was your idea," Adrian scowled, "Jump."

"Oh my Bounds," he groaned, and got himself ready to jump, taking deep breaths.

The two walked over to the middle of the rooftop, and got ready to sprint. The soldiers were beginning to climb on top, and they both lifted their feet and bolted to the edge of the rooftop and jumped.

Their feet dangled in the air as they both finally got hold of the other edge's rooftop and climbed atop. Adrian pulled Alex up and they both had to start running again.

"I need a drink," the blonde boy remarked.

"As if Kayla will allow you," the brunette boy scowled as they both slithered down another wooden pole and got on their horses.

Their horses were twins, or at least they thought so. Both were brown, and went by the name A1 and A2. A1 was Adrian's and A2 was Alex's.

But they didn't really have time at that moment to determine which one was A1 and A2 so they were switched.

The horses neighed and they tugged on the reins, and they dashed out of the entrance.

The soldiers from behind followed them on horses with spears and swords in their hands, including Eros. Sure, they were there, following them, but they didn't bring crossbows.

Adrian took this shot to make sure they wouldn't follow them anymore. He turned back on his horse that he was now facing the men and took his bow and arrow from the back and began shooting.

One fell with an arrow pierced through the chest.

"Why didn't you do that before?" Alex whined.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because I was shaking and running," Adrian replied back, as he kept on shooting arrows at the men.

"Keep Eros alive. He's Kayla's target. If you kill him-"

"We'll lose the key and bla bla bla. I'm not stupid, Fuzz Freak,"

"Says the idiot who puked over his potions when he's drunk," Alex mumbled.

"Should I puke over your bed?" he asked, as he shot an arrow to the last man except Eros. "That should do it,"

Eros and his horse halted from afar and two boys exclaimed in victory as they both rode into the evening.

Adrian turned back and put his hands back on the reins. He then noticed that the horse's hair was very much different from A1.

"I think this is your horse," Adrian remarked. "A1 has perfect hair care,"

"Are you saying A2 doesn't have perfect hair care?" Alex felt offended.

"Yes. Now give me back my horse," he scowled, reaching for his horse's reins.

Alex slapped his hand, "Not until you apologize for saying A2 has imperfect hair care," he glared and kicked the side of A1 lightly.

The horse treaded faster, going into some sort of run, escaping from Adrian.

"HEY!" Adrian yelled and Alex kept on going. He signaled A2 to go after A1 as well, "FUZZ FREAK GIVE ME MY HORSE BACK!"

~~~

Kayla arrived back at Pendagline, and passed through the wall with ease. Only her, Alex, Adrian and the animals had the right to pass through the wall with ease.

If anyone else was trying to go away, it would mean they were either enjoying life outside in the rule of King Garland and was probably one of the greedy ones. They could be spies, who were sent by the King to be in there, to find out her face.

But that has never happened. Yet.

Everyone in the North was happier than they lived before.

She stepped down her horse and walked up the road, as people greeted her and she greeted them back with a warm smile.

Many men and women and boys and girls were training. From archery to swordplay to potion-making.

Alex and Adrian weren't there, so it definitely meant they were still in Santelle. They never once failed a mission, but they always improvise.

She walked far through the training places and forts, and to a residence of black and gray. The Allensilf House.

House Allensilf, her family. Her biological family. They were a noble family until before the King found out they were witches and burnt the house to the ground and everyone in it. Kayla still hated the history of the house.

But that was not the only reason why she hated the King.

A girl, way younger than her, stood in front. She had short black hair and green eyes, and she seemed new.

"Hello there," Kayla said, approaching her, putting down her cloak and giving Cyl to one of the horse-keepers.

"Hi," the girl croaked and looked at her.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Cecille," the girl replied. "I asked around about who saved us and brought us here, and they told me to go here,"

Kayla thinly smiled and knelt down. Her hand flicked on the side and a flower appeared. She gave it to Cecille, "Well, you've met her," she replied to her previous statement.

"Wow," Cecille said and took the flower, "It's beautiful,"

The blonde girl stroked the girl's hair, "Where are your parents?"

"Me and my sister were from an orphanage. But House Scyaeth always takes money from it, so it's hard for me and my friends to eat sometimes," the girl explained. "Nevertheless, now that I'm here, I can eat whatever I want,"

She gave a small chuckle, "Enjoy yourself here, Cecille. You deserve it," she stood up, "It was nice meeting you,"

"You too, although I have a request,"

"What's that?"

"Can you help me find my sister?"

"Your sister? I thought she was with you,"

"No, she works as a maid in the castle," she replied, "Her name's Kyra. She's a lot older than me in her 20s but she's my sister no matter what,"

She sighed, "I'll see what I can find, okay?"

Cecille nodded slowly, "Thank you,"

"No worries,"

Kayla paced towards her house, and opened the gates. She opened the door, placed her cloak on the side as she entered the hall, with stairs that stood in the center.

She loved the house; not that it was huge and luxurious and extravagant. No, it wasn't because of that. It was because she could only see her family's faces from it.

She went upstairs, to the second floor and passed by the hallway to her room. Paintings that were hung on the walls. There were 9 of them.

The 2nd daughter of the family up to the 10th daughter.

The 10th daughter, Faye Allensilf, was Kayla's mother. She never met her. But from her paintings, they were alike.

The dirty-blonde hair, the sharp gaze, the light-amber eyes, the small freckles on the cheeks. All of it. It was all her.

The 1st daughter, Olivia Allensilf, never had a painting. Maybe because the times were old, but witches were immortal.

Their powers will start to grow by the age of 10 and their face will stop aging by the age of 20. And that was Kayla's age at the moment.

It wasn't nice; being immortal; the only way you could truly die was when your head was decapitated.

She touched her necklace on her chest. It was a simple necklace, with a purple stone at the end. Her mother gave it to her, at least that's what Johanius said.

Johanius Nellister and Catherine Nellister, parents of Adrian, has taken her in as a newborn. And the necklace was left by her mother to her.

But there was more to the story than just the adoption and the burning of Allensilf's residence. There was more to the story of Faye, Kayla, Adrian, Alex, the retaliation and all that died in the hands of King Garland.

Because she, Kayla Allensilf, had to reclaim what was hers: the throne.