33 Chapter 32
It took a day for Auron to get to the Windblown camp and when he arrived at the vicinity, it was already nightfall.
He dismounted his mule, patted it before saying, "Go home my friend. Thanks for the ride."
Strangely, the mule seem to understand him so it trotted back from whence they came. He did this because it might get caught in the crossfire if things go south with him.
He climbed up the hill for a better view and when he arrived at the top, he was able to see the camp down. He scouted and counted the patrol guards as well as their route. They seems pretty lax cause they probably isn't expecting an attack. Who would expect they would be attacked by single person. Their mind was set that even if they were being attacked, they would hear it as they expected it to be coming from a proper army. The patrol going around might be for wolves or a tiger in the wild.
He waited until the night deepened. It's a large camp and they seems to be celebrating for something.
He activated the 'Sneak' skill and his whole self seems to blend in to the surroundings. His footsteps were silent, even his breathing turn into an erratic pattern that was so hard to detect.
He could see that almost all men in the camp was drunk, dancing in the clearing while the rest were asleep sitting on the ground.
He quickly found the barrels of ale where they get their booze. He sneak his way to the barrels careful not to be seen.
He crouch down the ground as there were two men who were approaching. They might be refilling the pitchers. He waited for a few minutes until the two guys went away, then he nipped a small hole in each barrel using his sword.
He fished out a bottle of tears of Lys gifted by the alchemists and he pour a quarter on each barrel. The tears of Lys might get delluted and weakened it's effects but Auron thought at least it would get some effect on the soldiers weakening them.
He sneaked out once again locating all the outer patrol guards. He waited for an opportunity before striking for a kill. He covered the guard's mouth pulling him down before slitting his throat so he won't be able to make any noise.
There were fifty of them so he repeated the process killing them one by one.
Eventually, some noise couldn't escape specially when he pull the victim onto the ground. It ruffles the grass and the sound of it made the patrols became alert.
"Who's there?" said one of the guards.
"What is it, Kenny!?" asked one of his fellow soldiers.
"I heard something, there's someone prowling around here." Kenny said while looking around trying to find someone.
"It must've been the wind." his companion replied.
Auron's expression change finding the words somewhere familiar.
Kenny relaxed upon hearing that. His feet was a few inches from Auron's hand.
When his companion left the area, Auron slowly stood up before covering Kenny's mouth slicing his throat. This time, Auron embraced the body and putting it down slowly.
Then he crouched down rushing towards the direction where his companion left.
After the fifty patrolling guards were killed, he some time to rest since he's waiting for the the drunkards to get more drunk and for the tears of Lys to take effect.
He commence his stealthy assault after half an hour. He chose to start on the outer tents.
He slashed a tiny hole on the first tent peeking inside. There were five men inside, all of them was dead drunk sleeping. He made his way in carefully and killed all of them in their sleep with a slice in their throat.
On the next tent, he found servants among the sleepy soldiers. He steeled his heart and killed them all with a minimal noise even if they are innocent. At this point in time, a single mistake will get Auron in a dangerous situation which can alert a thousand strong men to overwhelm him to death.
Slowly and steadily, their numbers continue to decrease. He even caught a few fucking their female servants but he killed them all the same.
Fortunately, their celebration helped in Auron's favor. No one find anything unusual yet. They thought their men were just drunk.
Auron suddenly felt a pulse in his left finger coming from 'Sneak' skill. Apparently, after hundreds of men died using this skill, it leveled up.
His footsteps became more silent and his visage blending into the darkness. His movements became more agile boosting his speed.
His kills became more faster as he moved from one tent to another without leaving a single one alive.
Eventually, his luck ran out. The officers on the main tent felt something was wrong. And the smell of blood became thick.
They also noticed some men are convulsing after they drunk the ale.
"Alert everyone, we are under attack!"
"Check the leader in the main tent and see if he's alright." Denzo D'han ordered.
One of his who aren't affected ran towards the main tent.
"For fuck sake, Denzo! I was just having fun with my three girls until you shouted like a little girl."
A huge man with seamed and scarred face came out on one of tent near the clearing. He was Caggo, the captain of Windblown and the right hand man of the Tattered Prince. He was fixing up his belt with a Valerian steel arakh in his waist.
Denzo didn't mind as he continued giving instructions.
"Don't drink the ale. It was poisoned."
Denzo and Caggo crouched down to check the affected soldier. Seeing the black veins appearing on his face, both of them wore a solemn expression.
"Tears of Lys." Denzel confirmed.
Caggo nodded before looking out the surroundings. It was quiet.
The unaffected members gathered at the clearing in front of the main tent. There were still hundreds of them but a large part was missing.
Then the Tattered Prince came out of the main tent to see the situation. He was already an old man but his stature was still straight like retired general from the army. When he came out, he already worn hi armor ready for battle.
"What's the situation?"
"We don't know yet, but the air permeated a thick scent of blood and a lot of our men was drunk and poisoned by tears of Lys."
"Have we identified our attackers?"
"Not yet, Sir."
"Stay vigilant and form a circular defensive formation."
Auron on the other hand, realized that his enemies has been alerted. Since he doesn't want to leave anyone alive, he cut the reins of the horses driving them out of the camp. He moved fast as he knows there might be someone who was trying to escape.
After making sure no horse was left behind, he went towards the main tent only to find hundreds of soldiers regrouped in a defensive formation. He stopped an hid at the corner.
He found a shield on one of the crates and picked it up. Still, the situation was unfavorable for him.
Seeing this situation, he changed his tactics. Break their formation bu luring them in small numbers. But he got to even the field.
He placed his sword and shield down, grabbed his long bow and nock an arrow and fired. His target were the torches around.
Swisssssssssssssh!
Swishhhhh!
Swishhhhh!
The torches were knocked down and snuffed out one by one. Some broke in half.
"Watch out! Archers! Raised your shields!"
Seeing he still have arrows left, he targeted the lower part of the soldiers body who were raising their shields. He move around while he shoot rapidly emptying his quiver.
Groans of pain rang out among the soldiers. The old Tattered Prince gritted his teeth and asked in the darkness trying to know who their enemy is.
"Who are you?! Why are you attacking us?"
Auron decided to reply to lure the soldiers out of the formation.
"You will soon find out, Tattered Prince. Your offended us for being unable to control your men. They have offended someone they shouldn't have." Auron replied and then he changed his position.
The Tattered Prince nodded at his men signalling them to head towards the source of the voice. He decided to send twenty men.
"How did they offended you?" The Tattered Prince spoke out once more trying to keep the conversation. He guessed that their enemy was just one man because he's the only one who spoke. If Auron have an army, they would've heard some shouts from other directions.
But Auron didn't reply, he watched as twenty men slowly walked to their deaths. With his speed and agility, he killed them all by picking them one by one.
He then changed his clothes to one of theirs and activated the 'Perfect Disguise' skill.
Caggo and the rest of them heard the terrified screams of their men at a distance. It only confirm that their guess was correct. They heard no clashing of multiple swords. Their morale suddenly went up.
Then the Tattered Prince made the most incorrect decision he made in his entire life. He split his forces into three. A hundred men to guard him, then the rest was split into two led by Denzo and Caggo. Each has taken direction, left and right.
Auron first blend in Caggo's men, he waited for Caggo's group to move far enough from Denzo's group before he strike. He just held a small knife stabbing those men's in their throat to destroy their windpipe. Then he pretended to be one of them.
Caggo didn't realize that his men were decreasing in a very fast rate until finally ten of them are left excluding Caggo. Then Caggo realized they are being hunted by a very terrifying enemy.
He shouted in the dark and said, "Come out little rat! Once I find you, I will skin you alive. I will trace your family, rape your wife and murder your children in front of a large crowd. Hehehe!"
Auron kept his mind calm as if he didn't say anything because he was Among them. This situation was like a game in his past life called 'Among us'. Except this is in medieval setting.
To lower his suspicion, he actively pointed out to Caggo, "Captain, we're decreasing in numbers. He might be near. Look that's one of our men!"
Caggo nodded and said, "I noticed, he must be around us."
He slowly but surely, he was getting closer to Caggo while stabbing and slitting the throat of every soldier he came accross quietly when they are not looking in his direction.
When Auron got closer to Caggo, he said actively to him, "Captain, three of us will cover your blindspot."
He then signalled to the two soldiers to stand behind Caggo with him.
When they are in position, Auron stabbed the two soldiers with sword and dagger for each. Then he swing his sword like a whirlwind slicing down on his rear cutting Caggo's tendons.
"Arghhhhh! Fuck!"
Caggo swing his sword grazing Auron's chest.
He winced in pain but Auron held it in and gritted his teeth.
With Caggo still distracted by the pain, he immediately stabbed his nape with his sword, whispering something.
"~Shade away.."
He kicked Caggo's body pulling out his sword. Then Caggo toppled over, definitely dead by the sudden strike.
Auron remembered one important thing before he proceeded with Denzo's group and it is one of the reason why he wanted to kill them.
He crouched down and picked up Caggo's arakh, which rumored to be reforged from House Blackfyre's ancestral sword called Blackfyre. The sword was lost when Aegor Rivers, also known as bittersteel took the sword with him in exile to free cities. After forming the Golden Company, no one knew what happened to the sword. Nevertheless, it is a Valerian steel. Regardless of its origin, he ought to have it one way or another.
