The Beginning

The next three days passed in an uneventful routine of scouting, preparing the terrain for the job, and improving his mana channels. Every morning, Kez would walk just beyond the hills on the eastern side of Avinea to get used to the terrain. It was now evening. Sun has already left the sky, and no lanterns were present to light the road.

Keziah had Augustus with him, alongside his usual pack of dried jerky, and a container with lamp oil. He was waiting for the carriage to arrive at the selected area. The small lamps attached to it could be seen leaving the city gate. Kez watched it standing on top of the hill, dressed in his knee-reaching, black coat. His double collar was pulled up, covering his face up almost to the top of his aquiline nose. His light orange-shaded eyes, often mistaken for brown, were peeking from under the hood, which was usually hidden by the double collar. Leather boots planted in the short grass of the hill as he awaited the two lamp lights to arrive.

When they got to a few hundred yards from Kez, he moved to his position in the forest. He would pretend to be a bandit, demanding that the driver give him the reins and then scaring him off. Setting the fire to it would be the easy part after that. Kez never got the reason as to why exactly was he doing it. The Captain left before Kez could ask more questions and then only communicated the time and location the carriage was supposed to be in.

He was getting a little bit curious about what was so important about this one single carriage that the Captain of the Royal Guard would want to handle personally. Well, he wouldn't actually burn the carriage, but still. He was the one giving the order in person. Kez suspected that it must carry some important documents, possibly intended to reach Volgan. Or maybe some new matchlock prototype.

What Kez didn't expect was that the carriage would be guarded by six men. Royal Guards, no less. His eyes, now used to the dark, could discern between the dark and the blue jacket and red pants. Similar uniform to that of the Captain but less expensive-looking. Why would the Captain want to burn something that's protected by his men? Was he trying to squash a potential rebellion? Was there insubordination and factions forming within the Royal Guards? Maybe they were just acting as a ruse and wouldn't interfere with his order. But the Captain surely would tell him about them in that case…

<That sure does seem a little fishy, kid, > Augustus shared his suspicion from the inside of his scabbard, which was hanging around Kez's waist.

There wasn't enough information. Keziah could only act on what facts were before him right now. The coach needed to be burnt and for that; the guards needed to be taken care of. As his target came closer and closer, Kez moved to silently knock out the two guards walking behind the carriage. The bandit act wouldn't work with these odds. As soon as the carriage, with its escort, entered the small patch of trees, the first guard's breath was taken away from him.

The creaking of the wooden wheels and the sound of steps on the muddy road masked the sound of the guard's body dropping slowly to the ground. Kez quickly moved to take care of the second guard similarly. He had to act fast before any of the guards up front or the two driving the carriage would look back or shout to try to confirm their presence. It wouldn't take long for them to check, with them being professional soldiers, guided by duty rather than money.

The next two targets were sitting on the raised seat, too close to each other to take them individually. Keziah, with some quick thinking, threw a rock to the side of the road, trying to bait the soldiers walking in front of the coach away from it. The coach stopped at the sound of rustling in the bushes caused by the thrown rock. The guards moved as Kez hoped they would, leaving the two drivers to him. Jumping on the carriage, he pushed mana through his channels to his hands. Electricity gathered in both of them and, with a light touch to their shoulders, they slumped off of the seat.

The last two, hearing their comrades fall, swiftly turned back and dashed towards Kez. One on two, he could manage in a straight-up fight. Jumping down to greet them, Keziah pulled Augustus out of his scabbard, already swinging it at the nearer guard, forcing him to block with his sword. Kez dominated the quick exchange with a flurry of attacks, taking advantage of the shape of Augustus. He finished him with a slash across the chest, cutting through the chainmail under the blue jacket. Blood spattered on the ground as the last soldier, late to help his partner, dashed with a stab aimed at Kez's stomach, which was smoothly deflected. With a flick of the wrist, Augustus circled above Keziah's head and then, utilizing the whole arm, landed on his opponent's shoulder, leaving a long cut from top to bottom of the guard's torso.

With that, there were no guards left to defend what was inside the carriage. The horse, trained for battle, never moved a hoof this whole time. For Royal Guards, they didn't put much resistance. The swordsmanship of the two he fought wasn't so bad. Kez wagered that against a normal bandit, they wouldn't have any problems. It was just that… like they weren't in their best condition. Or maybe not experienced enough.

While on closer inspection, Kez discovered that they would live provided medical attention. He also noticed they were rather… old. Not old enough to be considered decrepit, but old enough to be nearly retired from duty. The same could be said about the two unconscious drivers, although the guards in the back were too young to be Royal Guards. Recruits? Did they send their worst men to protect this caravan? Was it to make the job easier for him or because what's inside wasn't that important after all?

It wasn't his business, but it still got him curious. Stepping closer to the carriage, Kez noticed that there was a small light inside. A candle probably, the glow was too small for an oil lantern. He grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. Looking for papers or weapons, he found instead a small figure huddled in the corner of the cushioned seats. A million thoughts raced through his mind. Who was she? Why did the Captain want him to burn the carriage knowing she would be in it? Or maybe he didn't know she would be inside.

Whatever the reason behind her being here, he couldn't possibly burn the carriage with her inside it. Kez extinguished the candle just to be safe from Captain's light manipulation. Small eyes tracked his movement while he repeated it with the two lamps outside. Coming back inside, he looked the young girl in the eyes.

"Who are you?" they said at the same time.

Both tried to remain calm in what was quite a tumultuous few minutes for them. The girl looked less scared now than she was when he first opened the carriage door. She had raven black hair, darker even than Keziah's. Small silver earrings dangled faintly from her ears. She wore an expensive-looking blue dress and flat-heeled stylish brown shoes. If he didn't know better, he would say she was a high-ranking noble's daughter. Everything fit except the look on her face. Focused but tired eyes were looking at him, eyes of someone who was repeatedly brought down but never gave up.

<Doesn't she look a lot like you, kid? >

"What? She doesn't," Kez answered hurriedly.

<I don't know. Could have passed for being your sister if you ask me. >

"Oh, shut up."

"Um, who are you talking to?" asked the girl.

"Sorry about that. My name is Keziah. What's yours?"

"Annette."

"What were you doing in this carriage?"

"I-I think I was supposed to travel to see a doctor."

A doctor? What was going on? He was sure he got the right carriage. There wasn't any other going in or out of the city for a few hours. There wasn't anything else of value in the carriage, which meant that the Captain wanted him to kill this young girl. He knew he was shady, but not to this degree.

"Alright, let's step out of this carriage for now."

Annette nodded and moved out through the door, Kez following behind. Out of nowhere, a sharp gust of wind soared towards them. A cut appeared on Kez's left arm, then on his right thigh. They weren't deep, but drew blood, nonetheless.

"Get behind me!" he shouted to Annette, grabbing her and dashing to get cover on the other side of the coach.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked.

"N-no, I don't think so…"

Did the wind blades somehow miss her when she was right in front of him? He couldn't complain about that. He took a peek at where the attack came from. Black-robed man was coming out of the forest, his face covered by a big cowl. He spoke no words, even steps carrying him closer to where Kez and Annette were hiding.