"What are we doing here, Kota? Should we be the ones investigating this claim before daybreak?" asked a silver-plated guardsman while removing his black hood, revealing his short red hair.
Kota turned the corner and removed his black hood, running his hand through his short brown hair. His attention turned towards his friend, whose short red hair lay slicked back, while the moonlight gleamed off his silver armor. He walked over to his ally and closed the cloak over his armor. "Lukas, a letter showed up for me that gives a few details about someone knowing my mother. The letter's detailed instructions shouldn't alarm us. A secret meeting at an unprotected inn in an unfamiliar town, sent anonymously after midnight. Do not get paranoid on me now."
He met Lukas's eyes and tilted his head slightly. Kota rolled his eyes and said, "There is no need for that look. I notified Alexis, but she was out training her abilities. She knows of our location and purpose. She will come if able, with reinforcements, if she deems it necessary."
Lukas grunted as Kota tapped his left shoulder before heading past him in the direction of the central marketplace of the town. His ally suddenly turned around, witnessing the flash of lightning in the distance that signified the movement of the storm toward the town. The path to the central marketplace lay in clear view between the stone buildings before fading with the flash. "I dislike the timing of this storm, either," Lukas replied quickly.
"Are you suggesting that the incoming weather is a sign of what is coming tonight?" asked Kota, walking around a corner while he moved his hand along the stone. "I'm not a superstitious person, you know. The stars do not hold all the answers."
Walking up to Kota, Lukas pushed him from behind. He laughed slightly before the two passed a few small stores. Lukas gestured toward the buildings and windows, saying, "I am not saying the clouds and stars have any of the answers. No townsfolk are in sight, and no lit candles are in any window. Don't you find that strange?"
Kota paused and glanced around to see the buildings all laid dark and empty at a late hour. He smirked at his ally and smiled before answering him, "You realize what hour it is? These are families, likely with children and early risers, as farming and trade hold significance for this town."
Lukas sighed profoundly as the two continued to walk through the cobblestone streets. "How do you know so much about Elida? The Kingdom of Mara protects this town. They've become more aggressive lately," he said, pausing and touching his temples in the moonlight. "You do not know anything about the inhabitants of this town, do you?"
Kota shrugged and kept his eyes forward. "You can call it an educated guess."
"Why do I encourage such behavior from a royal? Why can't you be like your little sister, Grace? Always with her nose stuck in a book. It would be easy to protect someone like that," Lukas said as he examined the building next to them with broken windows and a boarded-up door.
"If my head were always in a book, I would not need you, would I?"
Lukas turned and placed his hand on the handle of his sword, and shook his head. "In this town, it is important for the Royal family of Damira to avoid being seen during both day and night. The consequences are unknown and will probably not be kind to us during these trying times."
Kota walked next to his ally and once again reached over and covered the silver armor on his chest with the cloak. He sighed as he tapped the breastplate. "That is why, unlike you, I have nothing visible to my person that would signify my worth to any kingdom. "Just the ring my sister gave me," he said, patting his chest before heading to the empty marketplace.
"If I had known you were going to a border town, I would have prepared differently, but you didn't mention it. Funny how you almost always forget to mention some details about our little adventures."
Kota turned around, holding up his hand before bringing it back to his side. "Did I not mention the town-protected-by-the-neighboring-kingdom part?" asked Kota, seeing Lukas shake his head before pointing back at him. "Next time, I will make sure I mention everything, including the neighboring-kingdom part, for your conscience."
Lukas rolled his eyes as they walked through the narrow stalls. Kota walked through the empty stalls with ease before glancing back at Lukas, who struggled more with the narrow pathways. His friend accidentally bumped into a stall, catching himself on the flat surface before Kota dashed over and caught the falling sign. With the sign in hand, he reached up and reattached it to the hooks.
"Please be more careful, Lukas. Let's avoid leaving any impression of our presence. I am sure this owner would not appreciate his sign broken," said Kota, glancing over his shoulder as he turned away before walking in the inn's direction.
Kota glanced back and witnessed his friend running to catch up with him. Lukas stood next to him as he scanned for a suitable pathway for the two of them. "I am only trying to keep up with you, as I am your protector and friend. Who knows why, but I only have your best interests in mind," Lukas said with a nudge. "I bet Alexis doesn't walk through a dark town at night without more protection. You are not even wearing real armor."
"I am not a member of the guard, as you are, plus they trained Alexis in multiple aspects of combat. She's fiercely protective of me, which is why you're here as a close friend and my guard. While you rely on strength, I need mobility to fight. You do not need armor if they can't touch you," Kota explained before demonstrating by suddenly moving his feet on the ground.
Lukas shook his head in reaction to his naïve attitude before pushing him to move forward. "Even your sister wears more armor than you do. Although she is a caller, not all callers use their abilities to conjure magic to help people. Others use it for fear and power."
Kota paused while he looked above at the sky, noticing the moon gently disappearing behind the storm clouds that were approaching the town. As another lightning strike lit up the sky, revealing the dark clouds, Lukas continued. "I am your protector, after all. You are making my duties more difficult by the day. I bet she also doesn't go on unknown ventures, as you do."
"Where do you think my curiosity comes from? My curiosity doesn't come from my brothers. The throne and kingdom consume their attention, while Grace devotes herself to her studies."
The two of them felt the cool breeze from the storm through their cloaks, causing a shiver to head down Kota's spine. They continued to move closer to the edge of the marketplace, Lukas questioned, "How do you know that the information is reliable? It was only a letter, correct?"
At the last stall, Kota's hand went to his side pouch as his chest tightened. "Anyone with any idea of the whereabouts of my birth mother, or any other information about her, I cannot ignore them. I have searched for too long, but found nothing," Kota answered with a deep breath.
Lukas placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Just because you are not born of royal blood and do not share the brand of the sovereignty does not mean you do not have a family in the castle." Walking in front of him, Lukas pointed toward the ring wrapped around Kota's neck and continued talking. "Your sister gave you that ring on your sixteenth birthday, signifying the royal family accepts you and sees you as an equal. Your brothers know you do not seek the throne, and your youngest sister, Grace, seeks your wisdom in most of her studies. You are well loved."
"I know I am well-loved within the royal family. "My birth mother could be out there, looking for me," Kota replied, pointing in front of him. "There is the inn. Let's see what this mysterious letter sender knows about my mother."
Kota watched as Lukas moved in front of him, holding his hand. "I understand the need to know, but what if this is a trap?"
"We will keep our guard up, but we do not strike until we are attacked first. I am keeping a positive attitude about this, but I am not stupid, Lukas."
Lukas shook his head after hearing this answer, but he nodded in agreement. "Your positive attitudes are going to get us killed one day. I'll go first as a precaution. I am your guardsman, after all."
Kota agreed as he matched the pace, staying a few steps behind Lukas. As the light faded, signaling an impending storm, they noticed the lantern on the door remained lit. Its light created strange shadows on the door and walls at the front of the inn. Moving closer in slow motion, Lukas knelt as he traced one shadow with his hand that was being cast. "These are claw marks."
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He watched as his friend's hand traced the markings before his hand caused the door to open, inch by inch. Lukas stood up in reaction to the door opening and continued to push on it to open it fully. Kota glanced over his shoulder at the faintly lit room, seeing the destruction that had occurred inside. "What the hell happened here?" asked Lukas.
The two of them grabbed the hilts of their weapons as they saw the wooden chairs and tables tossed across the lobby in a panicked manner. A gentle wind whispered through a small, open window, haunting the area with icy breezes. Kota examined the claw marks and the shattered wooden pieces throughout the room. His eyes focused on the torn, red rug before them as the rain poured down behind them.
"If there was a battle here with what appears to be some sort of animal, where is the blood or the bodies?" questioned Kota. "In all my hunts, I have never seen claw marks like these. They seem more focused than the reaction of an animal wandering inside and attacking at random... so it is a trap?"
Lukas glanced at his friend, nodded, and pushed him into the rain as they sprinted. Their footsteps kicked up the water on the stone with every step as they weaved through the central marketplace. Kota followed his friend as they sought cover from the rain under a large tarp that spanned the large center, only to discover a figure in their path. Lukas drew his sword and aimed it at the person.
The figure raised their arms under the black cloak that covered them, and a feminine voice yelled out, "Leaving before we even talked? I thought I was the whole reason you came tonight, Prince. Boy, do we have a lot to talk about."
She took a step forward, keeping the cloak over her head as the rain poured around them, only entering the area at small rips in the fabric above them. Flashing lightning revealed silver lacing on the cloak and the woman's red lips.
Kota moved to Lukas's side and addressed the mysterious woman. "So you must be the one who sent the letter. You know who I am, but who are you?"
She nodded in confirmation, but did not answer his question. Amidst the rain hitting the marketplace stalls, they remained focused on each other. Lukas did not move an inch before he waved the sword slightly, gesturing back at the inn. "Were you the one who attacked that inn? What happened to the people who were there?"
"Does it look like I have claws?" she asked, revealing her hands from the sleeve. "I just needed privacy with the Prince, don't worry about the people here. They are unharmed."
Kota glanced to his left to see the grip of Lukas tightening on his sword. "Then what do you know of my mother? The letter said you knew her well. Does that mean she is no longer alive?"
The woman lowered the red nails of her hand to her side and glanced at Lukas. The hood moved back to Kota before she said, "I had the pleasure of knowing her once, but that time is in the past. Quite a long time ago, but it took a while to get everything in place."
Kota moved forward in reaction to her statement, only to be stopped by Lukas. "Is she still alive? What's her name? I know nothing about her."
"You didn't listen to my letter, though." Her hand lifted slightly as she held two fingers up. "You were supposed to come alone. Now you've added an extra complication. Let's continue this conversation privately."
He noticed that her head had tilted and her stare aimed at Lukas. Casting a glance at Lukas, he replied to her comment. "You didn't think I would show up alone, did you? I may be rash, but I am not stupid."
She shook her head before taking a step to her right. Kota watched as her foot tapped against the wet stone before she widened her stance. "No, it appears you are not completely a fool, but a lady can hope, can't she? Tonight will get more interesting now."
Lukas and Kota kept their gaze fixed on the woman, anticipating her next move. He flinched as he noticed a small spark of light forming at about chest height, a few inches in front of her. After she slid her right foot along the stone, Kota hastily pushed his friend out of the way as a lightning bolt formed and struck in between the two of them. Falling away from the blast, Kota rolled as he hit the ground and watched the debris fly across the marketplace.
Kota groaned as he rolled over onto his chest, gripping his ears as they rang because of the blast. He hurriedly maneuvered his body to push himself to stand, only to freeze as he saw the tips of the woman's brown boots a foot away from his face. Kota took a deep breath when he didn't move closer and stood up, touching his head because of the ringing in his ears. He glanced at her body, noticing she wore only a little armor below the knee, but her black cloak covered everything else. He continued to gain his balance as he raised his hands. "You are a caller. Quite impressive, conjuring a lightning bolt out of thin air. Many individuals need a specific channel or allocated time even to consider attempting such a powerful calling."
She remained still as he stood. The woman stared at him before reaching out her hand in one swift move to grab Kota. He reacted fast to block her attempt with his left hand, only for her to take his wrist with her left hand. He quickly drew his sword, but she effortlessly disarmed him by knocking the blade to the ground. Without a second thought, he went to raise his knee into her side, but she met his knee with hers, stopping any attempt.
Looking at her face, he could see none of her features except her chin and lips. The lack of light blacked out the rest. He saw the red of her lips crack a smile. "What would you know about being a caller? You're not one of them," she inquired, watching his face shift.
He lowered his knee as she lowered hers. "A non-caller, like me, has to study callers' abilities if he wants to survive a fight with one."
Raising his fist, he attempted to punch her side, only for her to effortlessly push it away. Without delay, he continued an onslaught of punches and swings. Despite his training, she effortlessly evaded and blocked every one of his attempts. As he tried to hit her in the side with his right arm, she raised her own arm, knocking the attack away and forcing him to lose balance. She suddenly grabbed and twisted his left wrist as she directed him to turn around. Wasting no time, she kicked him in his lower back.
He fell forward, sliding on the wet stone before quickly flipping over on his back as another lightning strike pierced the sky with light. The woman walked towards him slowly before moving back suddenly, dodging the blade that Lukas brought straight down on her from her left side. She instantly lifted her leg at him, swiping at his head as he ducked and moved to her side. Lukas raised his blade when she caught his arm. With a twist of her body, she sent him stumbling away in the other direction. The woman grabbed his cloak and pulled it with force as she ripped him backward onto the floor with a crash, coughing as it knocked the air out of his lungs.
Kota stood to his feet and leaned against a stall, grabbing a large metal pan. He groaned and walked over to her as she laughed, pointing at the pan. "Just give up, Prince. You do not have the strength or skill to beat me. Maybe your skills are best used elsewhere?"
"Many have told me that before."
He raised the pan above his head, swinging it at her head. The woman easily ducked under the attack before grabbing his wrist while lifting her knee into his side. Kota struggled before she turned toward Lukas, lying on the ground, trying to stand up after his fall. She pinned Kota's arm against his back, dropping the pan onto the ground as she held out her left hand toward Lukas. "Now you have to watch your friend die."
Kota struggled against her hold before he rammed his foot into the back of her right leg, below the knee. With the force of the blow, she fell to her knees as lightning shot out of her palm, connecting with the stall behind Lukas. Splinters and fire spread across the area as Kota grabbed a knife strapped to his right leg and quickly slashed at her chest.
With one swift movement, she moved back, dodging the attempt. Kota grunted in frustration as he continued to slash and strike at her, to no avail. Moving a few steps back, he took a defensive stance, holding the blade in his right fist closer to his body. "Damn! How is someone this fast?"
She gave a small laugh, and just as she was about to answer his question, Lukas lunged toward her. She dodged swiftly, slipping between them, but Lukas managed to grab her cloak's hood. She repositioned herself and used Lukas's own weight against him to force him to stumble into Kota, who tried to brace against his friend's weight. Unable to gain any balance, the two of them crashed into the wet stone.
Kota looked up after falling over and noticed the mysterious woman had dark brown hair twisted into a side braid that fell onto her shoulder. As she covered her head with the hood, he caught sight of her deep-gray eyes, revealing her youth not much different from his own. After she flipped her hood back, she crossed her arms.
Lukas used Kota to brace himself as he stood. The two struggled with the continuing downpour as Lukas held out his hand. "I warned you, it's not a good idea. You know, you never listen to me."
"This is not the time for arguing. I will let you yell at me if we survive."
He grabbed his friend's outstretched arm and, as he got to his feet, pushed at Lukas, a little frustrated. The woman stood there quietly, waiting to see who would react next. Kota knocked on Lukas's armor with his knuckles, picking up his blade before lunging toward the woman, who was continuing to play with them. The two walked towards the woman as she tightened her stance and prepared herself.
Kota struck and slashed at the woman as she easily moved around his attempts. Raising the blade above his head, he started bringing it down as he watched her reaction. Seeing her left hand rise to grab his hand in a block, he let her do so before raising his knee to her side.
He felt his knee connect with her side, only to realize that it was not her side but her right hand reaching across her body, blocking him with her palm. As she pushed his knee back to the ground, he passed his blade to his left hand, using his weight and height against the woman. He leaned toward her, forcing the blade closer to her shoulder, only inches away. Trying to push the metal further down, he gritted his teeth. "What do you want from me?"
With a slight smile in the dim light, she leaned in and gazed into his eyes. "You possess something beneficial to me. You will see in time, my Prince."
The woman opened her mouth to speak, but Kota smiled. She slid her foot into his own before pushing him back, causing him to stumble. Kota observed her turning to see Lukas approaching with a plank of wood. She did not have enough time to move aside, so she raised her arms to block the blow as he smashed the plank into her upper body.
She grunted in pain as the wood cracked and pushed to the ground. Lukas watched her fall as he ran over to Kota and helped him to his feet. "We are leaving."
Kota nodded, and they both glanced back at the woman. She struggled to stand while they sheathed their weapons and turned. A sudden flash of light appeared on the stalls ahead. Lukas quickly pushed Kota away as a lightning bolt shattered another stall in front of them. "Leaving so soon, boys? I don't think we are done with our conversation yet."