The car was going at a moderate speed on the empty road, out of sight and out of mind. The thin forest on either side was blocking the view, and a light fog was moving across the asphalt like a gray scarf.
Tia was sitting in front of me in her maid's uniform, but this time she wasn't your typical maid. She's looking around corners, and her right hand is holding a short sword under her dress.
Kyle's got his head in the game. He told me that shadow is his bread and butter. Sounds like he's more of an assassin than a knight.
Everything seemed too quiet...
The road is quiet... too quiet," Tia said.
Then, out of nowhere, the car shook like crazy, and I heard this faint explosion from under the car.
"A tire?!" Tia said.
The driver pulled over right away, but there wasn't any time to think.
"What the..." I said, looking out the window.
"This is different from last time. Did they notice me?"
"Just stay inside the carriage, young master!" Tia shouted, opening the door quickly.
I got out right behind her. I wasn't going to just sit there when my life was on the line.
The first one popped up nearby.
He was wearing a dark cloak, a mask covering his face, and a thin sword in his hand. He was moving quickly, his eyes not wandering... but focused on me.
The first assassin.
"young master! Back!" Tia shouted as she raised her sword and rushed towards him.
They traded a couple of quick blows, her sword just missing his, but the assassin's move was spot on and brutal. He was trying to get past her and reach me.
Before he could...
A quick whistle sounds.
A sharp arrow hit the assassin in the shoulder from the side — Kyle fired it from above.
"Tia! Now!" I shouted.
Tia ran towards the injured assassin, hitting him in the chest with her sword, but he didn't fall.
He let out a scream, then shoved her hard and stepped back, trying to retreat.
"Don't let him get away!" I shouted, running towards him.
But before we caught up with him, another object fell from the top of the building next to us.
The second assassin.
He landed lightly on the ground, holding two curved swords, and his face was completely hidden by the mask.
"These aren't just assassins," Tia said, taking a step back.
Kyle came out from the other corner, holding his sword, looked at the second assassin, and said in a cold tone:
"That first one is mine... this one, take him alive."
Kyle moved quickly, colliding with the first assassin before he could get away. The sound of iron striking iron, and soon the two of them fell to the ground in a violent struggle.
Tia and I took on the second assassin. Well ,She was the one doing the fighting, and I was more of a cheerleader.
Tia hit him in the thigh, and as he backed off, she kicked and knocked him down, then put the sword to his neck."
"We want info, any movement, and we'll cut your tongue out first."
He let out a breath through his nose, but he didn't fight it.
At that moment, Kyle came back, dragging the unconscious body of the other assassin.
"One's alive, and the other's gonna bleed until he talks," he said, sounding pretty casual about it.
The attack didn't work.
But this wasn't quite a win.
It was just the beginning.
It's in an old warehouse near the road.
The place had that musty, damp smell, and the metal ceiling reflected our breathing, making the tension in the room even more obvious.
The two assassins were tied up and blindfolded on the floor. One had an arrow in his shoulder, and the other had a nasty bruise on the side of his face. Tia stood behind one of them, her hands crossed, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground. Kyle was watching quietly, his hand on his sword.
I started the conversation.
"You're not amateurs... who sent you?"
No one picked up.
I went up to the one with the arrow and knelt in front of him.
"I'm not into torture, and I don't know much about it, but she does." Then I pointed to Tia.
He didn't answer.
I looked at Tia, and she pulled a small bottle out of her pocket.
"This isn't poison. It's what wakes up damaged nerves."
She put a few drops on the arrow in his shoulder, and he let out a soft cry, his body shaking.
Kyle finally spoke, his voice raspy:
"We're not here to kill you. We want to know who sent you. Nothing more."
There was a moment of silence, and then someone said something from behind the blindfold:
"A man."
I looked at him quickly.
"Who? What's his name?"
" We haven't seen his face... just a middleman. But the emblem the Noctein family crest—it's in my pocket."
Tia's eyes locked on the assassin's pocket, and she saw the emblem.
"The Noctein family crest. It belonged to a family member..."
Kyle pursed his lips and said, "If we talk without proof, the accusation will be turned against us."
I stood up and looked at them coldly:
"We have the evidence now."
I pointed at Kyle.
"Let's keep them alive — we'll take them with us."