253: 6.13 Foolish Humans

6.13 Foolish Humans

The night was silent and the rain was falling gently, sending the temperature plunging a few degrees lower. Thick snow crunched under their footsteps as they plastered themselves to the wall of the side building, the drizzle washing away whatever trail was left on their wake. Truly, the perfect night for an assasination attempt.  2

"Are you sure that Marquis Ouin's information is correct?" One of them, who was eyeing the west wing where the Duke's room was, asked in a hushed voice.

"It's certain." Another grunted. "He has bribed the stableboy to our side. In a few minutes, the kitchen door will be opened for us and from there, we only have to stick to the plan. I heard the only one who is allowed to make rounds inside the manor is their head servant. He's just an old fogey. Take care of him first so no one will get in our way. No matter what, failure isn't an option."

They looked at each other and nodded. They were trained, secret assassins of Marquis Ouin, also the man who had sealed a deal with the barbarians. Kill the Duke and they would grant the Marquis victory in the upcoming battle, elevating his reputation among the nobility and the King. They would steadily bring Marquis Ouin up until the day when they barged into the Royal Palace to take the King's head. Without an heir, the throne could only fall on the most qualified. 

Duke Lacrosa was the first in line for that, the most dangerous and volatile piece in this intricate scheme. It was apparent that the King favored him so, almost that there were talks that the monarch would make an exception and bestow the Duke another noble title for his contribution to the war. A Royal Prince. By then, he would truly be unstoppable.

His prowess in the battlefield had spread far and wide, drilling fear into the enemy troops. No one knew how this ticking bomb would react if he was the one whom the barbarians reached out to, and they didn't want to take such a great risk. Hence, they could only start with Marquis Ouin who was the easiest to manipulate and dispose of if one day he were to get in their way. 

Of course, Marquis Ouin was unaware of that, he was beside himself with joy that he was chosen out of everyone. There was no one who hated Duke Lacrosa more than Marquis Ouin! Despite having the same authority on the battlefield, the soldiers tend to worship the Duke more. If the Duke continued to exist, then there was no way Marquis Ouin would be able to thrive! That's why when the barbarians proposed to get rid of the Duke, Marquis Ouin instantly offered his trained assassins to finish the job.

And here they were, after two months of careful planning, ready to take home victory and the Duke's head.

"I see the stableboy." One of them said. "Now's the time."

"Alright, we will separate into two groups. Three of us will advance first to clear the way and the rest will follow after the signal is given. Clear?"

"Clear!"

Under the veil of the darkness, three figures dashed out from the shadows straight toward the backdoor, so fast that their silhouette became a blur. The other three were on standby, eyes alert as they scanned the surroundings. Hence they took notice in an instant when the side door to the building they were using as a cover swung open and a tall man stepped out silently. The assassins promptly took out their knives and put on a defensive stance, ready to kill whoever it was as soon as he turned his back on them.

"You shouldn't play with such a dangerous thing, you know."

The sudden voice behind them caused them to turn so quickly that their necks issued a crack, but that wasn't important now. Their eyes were wide as they took in the sudden appearance of a man who wasn't there a second ago. S—Since when did he get behind them?! Why didn't they notice him at all?! This… This was impossible!

Cyrus was standing there with a serene look, hands clasped behind his back. He was wearing an all white silk pajama with puffy sleeves, the trousers widened down his thighs and pooled around his feet, making him look soft and harmless. Alas, it was the lack of caution and fear in his eyes that made the assassins raise their guard even more.

"If I were you, I would put that down and go back to where I come from." Cyrus advised genially.

"The two travelers that are staying in the Duke's guest house." One of them, who recalled Cyrus' identity, whispered to his teammates and the others belatedly realized the identity of the two mysterious men. Their shoulders relaxed minutely enough that their hold on the knives turned slack.

"We have no business with the Duke's guests. If you still cherish your life, you'd better go back inside the building and pretend you saw nothing. You're mere travelers, no?" One of them inquired. "We can give you money if you keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, we will just get rid of you right here and now." 

"Why are you talking so much?" The other clicked his tongue. "Just kill them already!"

Cyrus tilted his head and blinked. "So I take it that you will not leave this place in a civil manner?"

"Shut up! Don't come crying to us and say that we haven't warned you!" The most impatient one of them snapped, his weapons brandished above his head; a curved, thin blade that looked deadly. However before he could attack, a voice sounded behind him. It was gravelly, raspy as if the owner hadn't spoken in a long time and even though he said it quietly, the words echoed loudly as if the man spoke it right beside his ear.

"Thick root, in front of your feet."

The assassin's breath stuttered when his feet suddenly tripped on something solid, causing him to fall flat to the snowy ground. "W—What?!" He sputtered and looked back, but there was nothing — let alone any thick root, there wasn't even a strand of grass! So what had made him slip up earlier?!

"Ah-ah." Cyrus singsonged and crouched down in front of the fallen man, his chin tucked on his palm. "Why aren't you careful when you walk? Can you stand?"

The other two snapped out of their senses and grew apprehensive. "Don't move!" They bellowed. "Stay where you are!" They stared at Luan in vigilance but to their dismay, the man hadn't moved from where they had seen him last time! What was that earlier? A coincidence…?

Luan turned his gaze to the man nearest him, giving him a deliberate once-over before his amber eyes landed on the dagger in the man's grip. "A poisonous snake, crawling up your arms."

The man's eyes widened in confusion and he subconsciously followed Luan's line of sight only to cry out in alarm. "A—A snake?!" He dropped his dagger and swung his arm roughly. "There's a snake! Get it off me!!!"

His teammates were looking at him in bewilderment. W—What was he talking about? How could there be a snake in the middle of winter? They hadn't had the chance to react yet when the man suddenly let out a choked sound. "It bit me. It bit me right…on my neck…" Foam appeared on the corner of his mouth and he dropped on his knees, his eyes bulged out in fear as he scrambled to scratch his collar, trying to get rid of the snake that wasn't even there in the first place. "Help… Help me…" Then he crashed face first to the ground, spasmed a few times and died. 

For a few seconds, the atmosphere was so still that not even a hint of breathing could be heard.

And then the last assassin, the only one that was still standing, suddenly leapt toward Luan with his sword held high, eyes hardening in determination to kill. Alas, he was stopped by a hand grabbing his shoulder from behind. Truly, literally stopped. His whole body froze. Let alone his limbs, he couldn't even move his eyes or tongues! W—What was happening?! Fear finally crept up his spine, drenching him in cold sweat. He… He couldn't breathe. It wasn't only his body that was immobilized but slowly, his blood, his lungs, his heart… Everything gradually stopped. Like the previous one, he dropped to his knees and toppled to the ground. He died slowly, yet he couldn't even let out a squeak no matter how much agony he was in. 

Cyrus circled around the man's body to reach Luan's side, pulling his sleeves down to cover his hand once again. "Ah, I hate touching humans. They are so fragile."

Luan turned to him, questions in his eyes. 

"I'm fine." Cyrus chuckled. "It has just been a long time. What about you, is your throat okay?"

Luan nodded silently.

In less than five minutes, two trained assassins died without being able to fight back, leaving only the man who had tripped earlier. He couldn't even get up, petrified as he looked up at the two travelers. "Y—You… who are you two? You aren't humans, are you…?"

Right as his sentence fell, the dark clouds parted and a ray of moonlight sprinkled through. His heart almost jumped out of his throat when he saw the two's amber eyes and slit pupils that glowed in the dark like predators. Dread crawled up the sole of his feet to his entire body and despair clouded his eyes. "S—Spare me…"

"My apologies." Cyrus covered the lower half of his face with his wide sleeves and his eyes curved into a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. It only made him look all the more terrifying. "You have discovered us…"

Luan's lips parted. "A hand, crushing your heart."

The man let out a choked noise as he reached out to clutch his chest. Veins bulged out of his neck and tears gathered in his eyes. He could only open and close his mouth silently before his eyes rolled back and he tipped sideways, lifeless. 

"...and you have come to endanger someone precious to us, so we can't let you live." Cyrus finished with a brief laughter that sounded like teeth clicking together. He turned to the direction of Jillian's room, sighing. "Foolish humans. I hope Regius won't let them off lightly." 

Luan merely patted his head and returned inside the building.

"Ah wait, Luan, what should we do about the bodies?!"

.

.

A/N:

In case you are wondering:

Cyrus is a silver dragon, the gatekeeper of Heaven. Bestowed with the power of touch that can weigh a soul and decide whether to let them pass. That's why he hates to touch humans because he can clearly see into the darkness in their heart. His power also enables him to destroy and restrain and if he's not careful, he might be corrupted himself.

Luan is a black dragon, the gatekeeper of Hell. Bestowed with the power of words that makes everything he says become true so he can pass judgement to vicious and rebelling souls. Hence, the muteness. Of course, there's a price in exchange to the power. It consumes his lifespan so he's careful not to use it as much as possible.

(Is this a foreshadowing? *cough*)

pqdm.com