Prologue (2/?)
It was warm. That was the way Earl Oklaind liked it.
A roaring fire. Some fine wine. A gorgeous woman or two to cozy up with. Such an existence was close to heavenly, an existence where one could lounge about and do as one desired whenever they so pleased.
This was especially true during the colder parts of the calender years, when the weather became much more unpredictable and chaotic. Whilst the guards and Knights paraded around Castle Oklaind and its freezing stone halls, the middle-aged noble stayed as cozy as could be in his room. With servants working round the clock, tending to his every need and desire, there was never a moment where he would have to vacate such a paradise. Even for the matters of work and politics, they paled in comparison to the tender flesh of a young maiden and the succulent taste of freshly cut fruit.
On that particular night, the olden noble had managed to snag one of the female guards, using her need for familial funds as a bargaining chip. Even though it was obvious how much the woman was disgusted by his presence, he paid it no heed and divulged in his newfound treat.
That was where he was when the door to his room was unceremoniously kicked open, sword deep in the very guard he had managed to coax.
"So. This is his room huh? Makes sense. We nearly freeze to death every night and this pig gets to live the lavish lifestyle he never even earned."
"Yes. But focus on the mission. Ghost will be here soon."
"I know." Alice grumbled as she walked into the room. "More than anyone, I know. This is the moment. I won't mess it up."
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE??"
Without even waiting for an explanation, Earl pulled himself to his feet, kicking the covers away.
"Put some clothes on." Alice narrowed her eyes in disgust. "Have some shame."
A few seconds passed after the redhead said those words. Then, as if realizing who it was, Earl seemed to calm down a little, sitting back down onto the bed. He still seemed angry and a tad shocked but he had regained some semblance of confidence. The guard on the other hand had no such confidence, having clambered out of the bed and holed herself up in the corner the moment the noble had moved away, sheet clutched to her chest.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, my dear Alice?" Earls black hues fixed onto the redhead, an aroused expression mixing in with his anger. "Did a servant send for you to join me?"
Alice ignored his question and glanced over to the cowering guard. "You. You'll do as a witness. Stand there and you won't be harmed."
Earl scoffed. "Harm. That would raise the implications that you'll be harming me then. Correct?"
"Well. The pig can think."
The rotund noble smirked as he raised his hand. "You think you and that weak crested lout could match nobility? Don't make me-"
BAM!!
Before the man could finish his sentence, let alone cast any magic, he was struck in the face with the end of Alice's sheathed blade, causing him to flop out of bed. Screams of pain filled the room as Earl rolled on the ground, clutching his broken nose, dark red blood pouring out like a leaky faucet. Curses and muffled whimpers escaped the nobles lips, eyes filled with a newfound fear as well as a deep rage. However, even with all of that, Alice didn't so much as flinch, reattaching her longsword to her hip.
"It seems you don't recognize who I am. That's alright. You don't need to know." Alice pulled her leg back.
Crunch!!
The unholy scream that left Earl's lips was loud enough to wake the dead, or at least loud enough to be heard through the entire Castle. Panting squeals quickly replaced the scream as the noble held his now limp noodle in between his hands, tears pouring down his cheeks. He didn't even seem to register what was going on, the pain keeping him from seeing or hearing anything important.
Alice grit her teeth, a feeling of deep rage coursing through her very body. She wanted to stomp his face into mush, to hear him beg for mercy, to see blood pour from every hole in his body. Had she been alone with the man, she'd already have severed each one of his arms off and proceeded to watch him bleed out. However, despite the overwhelming emotions coursing through her, she managed to restrain herself, taking a step away and allowing Robin to take control. Kicking his genitals was already her having held back.
"I didn't break his jaw. He can still talk." Alice clenched her fists tightly.
"I understand. Let me take it from here." Robin tapped her shoulder as he walked over to the noble.
"Do you remember what happened two years ago?" Robin asked, kneeling down closer to the still squealing Earl. "Down in Aramion's Dungeon. In the Litezo Kingdom."
"Please. Don't kill me. I'm sorry." Earl rolled himself onto his knees, hands still covering his crotch. "What are you after? Money? Power? Women? I'll give you everything I have."
"Do you really think we want money?"
The air seemed to get colder as a voice travelled into the room, a voice free of all emotion. No rage, no fear, no happiness, no empathy. Just a deadpan tone that seemed to linger in the air.
"Do you really think we want power?"
Tak. Tak. Tak. Tak.
From the outside, one could hear a light tapping of footsteps against the concrete. The steps seemed to echo, rebounding off the walls over and over again. From the same doorway that Robin and Alice had entered, a shadow appeared, getting larger and larger as the one it belonged to grew closer and closer. The two intruders immediately moved out of the way, allowing the arrival to freely enter the room.
An unidentifiable individual, completely covered from head to toe. Pitch black cloak barely concealing a clean white cotton shirt and black pants padded with leather starting from the knee and extending downwards. The mans face was covered by a white mask.
A multitude of different items could be seen beneath the cloak whenever the masked stranger moved. A sash that held a number of small orbs, three separate knives in various locations, small little pouches fixed to the outside of the pants. Earl didn't know who or what he was now looking at, but every cell in his body began to scream at him to run. It wasn't a feeling of overwhelming magic power or some form of murderous intent. It wasn't really something he could explain. The only thing he knew was that the moment the stranger stepped into the room, his entire body wanted to turn tail and run.
"Alice. Robin. You did good work." The figure gave the two a glance as he made his way inside. "Thank you. I couldn't have gotten here without you. I know it was hard."
"No thanks needed." Robin gave a small bow. "Just following orders."
"Yeah. It wasn't a problem at all."
"And the others?" The man turned towards Oklaind, moving over to him. "What of them?"
"Cleaning up the area and laying down the explosive jelly as you instructed them. I believe most of the guards have already been taken care of, though I believe most of them are unconscious."
"Very well. Robin. Assist them with cleanup. Alice and I will join you when we wrap up here."
"Understood, Ghost."
Without another word, Robin took his leave, shutting the door behind him.
"Who's the girl?" Ghost asked, looking towards the female guard still cowering in the corner.
"Our witness."
"Very well."
"Excuse me. I beg you. Please. Let me go." Earl mustered up every ounce of courage he could gather. "I promise to not breath a word of this. I'll give you whatever you desire."
Ghost said nothing, merely looking at the noble with a mask that gave nothing away.
"You didn't answer my friends question."
"What?" Earl frowned in confusion.
"No worries. I'll repeat it." The man reached up and slowly took off the mask, kneeling down till he was eye level. "Do you remember what happened two years ago? "Down in Aramion's Dungeon. In the Litezo Kingdom."
Silence. Dead silence.
No one so much as even breathed as the individuals face was revealed, especially not Earl Oklaind whose face immediately turned pale. It was as if he had seen a ghost, a phantom that had come for his very life.
"Ah, so it seems you do remember." The young man spoke very calmly, not an ounce of emotion in his words. "Good. That makes things very easy. I won't have to waste my time explaining."
"But. But. You were-"
"Alice."
BAM!
A leg came flying in from the left, connecting with the nobles mouth. Blood splattered along the floor, teeth following closely afterward. Just like earlier, screams of pain filled the room, tears once again flowing down the mans face.
"From this point on, you'll only nod or shake your head to my questions."
"Pleas-"
"Alice."
BAM!
This time, the foot descended sharply from above, stomping the mans face into the soft carpet. If it had been cement, it was likely that the head would've been turned to mush. However, all it did was cause the man to scream even louder, his face now covered in his own blood.
"Do I make myself clear?"
"Please. Just let me-"
BAM! WHAM! BAM!
Over and over again, Alice struck at the noble, each and every time the noble opened his mouth to speak. It wasn't until Earl looked half dead that Ghost raised his hand, signaling her to stop in her tracks.
"You aren't very good at listening to directions." The youths void like black hues locked onto the noble blackened ones. "Yet, two years ago, in that Dungeon, you followed your instructions to the letter. I wonder what makes now any different? Maybe you've gotten complacent in your old age."
The noble didn't even respond, a groggy expression on his face. It was a miracle that the man was even still conscious.
"It doesn't matter." Ghost shook his head as he rose onto his feet. "I didn't plan on asking you any question in the first place. I only have one mission. Monologues aren't my things so I'll leave you with one piece of advice."
The young man turned around, slowly reattaching his mask onto his face. "Try not to offend anyone in your next life. He's all yours Alice."
Shing! The sound of a sword being drawn could be heard as the Ghost exited the room. When the door closed, even though it was supposedly soundproof, the screams of agony rang through it.