Previous Chapters:
Part VIII
*Rustling noise *
In the Forest of Gloom, a large number of men are are hiding amongst the bushes and trees. Weapons at hand, they prepared to attack.
"Are you sure there inside?" Asked the arrogant nobleman.
"Yes, milord! I saw the young lady called Amy enters the cave," answered the scout.
"Good! You'll be rewarded after this," the nobleman declared.
"Thank you milord!" The scout exclaimed excitedly.
Assured that the information is real, the nobleman ordered a few warriors to smoke Matthew and his group out. But after several attempts, the warriors failed to start a fire.
"Milord, the air here is too humid and the fire cannot be lit," a warrior reported.
Grumbling, the nobleman decided to just storm the cave. He ordered his archers to fire arrows inside the cave!
*Phew! * *Phew! * *Phew! *
After several barrage of arrows, the archers stopped and listened.
*Groaning noises *
"I heard groanings!" An archer said.
"They're wounded for sure!" Another archer butts in.
Eyes gleaming, the nobleman ordered his warriors to storm the cave. The nobleman is so sure of his victory that he didn't noticed the cloaked-assassin leaving. But even if he did he still wouldn't care.
Meanwhile...
"Why did you leave?" Asked a man with a gruffy voice.
The voice was coming from a strange looking artifact.
"My instinct is telling me to do so," answered the cloaked-assassin.
The man stays silent for several seconds.
"It seemed that our client had understimated the targets," the man said.
"There are too many unknowns in this mission, especially that young man called Matthew," answered the cloaked-assasin.
"I see... abort the mission. The client didn't pay enough for you to sacrifice your life," the man ordered.
"Yes!" The assassin then quickly left through the mist and disappeared.
Inside the cave...
"H-how... could this have happened...?" Asked the nobleman weakly.
Looking at the bodies that littered the floor of the cave, arrogant nobleman is in denial.
"Hmph! It's because of your arrogance!" Aria answered grudgingly.
"Y-you can't kill me, I'm a noble!" Screamed the nobleman in despair.
After entering the cave, the arrogant nobleman and his warriors were caught in the traps laid inside. Using hallucinogenic herbs and poisons, dozens of men meet their demise. The only reason the said nobleman is still alive is because he's a coward and stayed at the back. But after his men fall, he succumbed to fear, hence the current situation.
"Ah noble? You mean traitor right?" Aria sneered.
While Aria is taunting the nobleman, Matthew and Amy converses.
"Aria, sure is enjoying herself," Amy said wryly.
"Just let her, she's frustrated being hunted like a beast," said Matthew nonchalantly.
"Is it ready?" He asked.
"Yes! He'll tell us everything he knows with this potion!" Amy said excitedly.
Seeing his childhood friend so excited with the thought of interrogating the nobleman, Matthew sighed inside his heart. The two young ladies in their group seemed to be showing a bit of their sadistic tendencies. Swearing in his heart that he will not get on their bad sides, Matthew calls Boris who is guarding the entrance from the assassin.
After forcing the nobleman to drink the potion, the nobleman lost all arrogance and spilled everything he knows.
Hearing the confession, everyone's expression went solemn. The conspiracy is deeper than what they initially thought. Boris then knocked the nobleman unconscious and carried him out of the cave.
To be continued...
