Assassins in the Woods

"I am sorry to interrupt, but Balam, you should try to rest as much as possible today. I want to push hard tomorrow and make it to Uipol tomorrow evening; remember, mother, she must be worried about our return." She spoke softly, interrupting the conversation about wood grains and pressure the two males were engrossed in.

Though slightly disappointed, the boy nodded slowly, understanding the importance of recuperation. He tucked himself snugly into his bedding, preparing to embrace the embrace of slumber. Meanwhile, Daiyu rose from her seat, securely fastening her sword to her waist as she approached Liang. She came to rest beside his shoulder as he sat drinking tea on the stool at the small table.

"The rain seems to be momentarily lightning, I wish to venture into the woods in search of gamefowl for our evening meal. I apologize for burdening you with Balam's care in my absence," she whispered softly when she noticed the boy had almost instantly drifted to sleep, her words like a gentle breeze brushing against his ear.

"The woods are dangerous, and the cloud cover is still heavy; I have plenty of salted meat…." He countered her suggestion knowing from his experience in the woods the storm's lull would be very short-lived. She was injured herself and should not be out in the wet weather. Unbeknownst to Liang, Daiyu's mind was already at work, seeking a solution that would save her precious time.

*Zalgras, is there a way to render him unconscious without causing harm? I do not wish to explain myself, and weaving lies is burdensome.* She inquired with lazy frustration; after all, what was the point of having a cheat system if you didn't take full advantage?

*If you can touch him, skin to skin, this one can send a shock that will suffice. However, the duration of its effects is uncertain.* Daiyu nodded slowly, seemingly agreeing with Liang's reasoning. With a carefully executed ruse, she pretended to fumble and drop the still-hot teapot, as if attempting to catch it with her injured hand. She winced in apparent pain as the scalding water scorched her skin. In a concerned reaction, the man cursed and reached out to inspect her injuries. The moment his touch connected with her skin, the darkness consumed his vision, and his body slumped onto the table, accompanied by a small puddle of cooling water.

*That was very effective. Are you sure he is alright?* Satisfied with the effectiveness of her plan, Daiyu wasted no time. Without checking the man's vital signs, she swiftly moved to the rear of the cave, retrieving a compact K-box. From within its confines, she extracted a lightweight repeating crossbow and a quiver filled with arrows. Securing the quiver to her back, she added a large vial containing a viscous, deep red liquid akin to thick syrup, along with a sturdy, water-resistant leather cloak. Hastily returning the K-box to its diminutive form, she stowed it back into her pack before dashing out of the cave, driven by urgency and determination.

*His vital responses are stable, and there seem to be no irregular fluctuations in his brain patterns, as observed by this one.* Daiyu nodded in approval as she swiftly moved. If he were to awaken early, the relentless storm would have masked her tracks, making it exceedingly challenging for him to determine the direction she had taken. With Zalgras monitoring their well-being from a distance, she would be promptly alerted should any intruder dare to disturb the slumber of the two vulnerable souls within the cavernous embrace.

Following Zalgras' instructions with unwavering determination, Daiyu sprinted through the dense undergrowth, the scent of damp soil rising to greet her nostrils, until she was within a hundred steps of the approaching search party. The towering trees provided some respite from the rain, their branches swaying in the wind. However, there were occasional openings where it cascaded down like a waterfall. The intertwining canopies and the thick mist made it difficult to see far, even though the sun had yet to reach its zenith.

*They will pass through this area soon,* the creature informed her. Daiyu scanned her surroundings, swiftly formulating a plan. The tree branches were too high, and the terrain was to level for her to gain a vantage point from above. Kneeling down, she deftly loaded six arrows into the magazine of her crossbow, the metallic clicks blending with the murmurs of the rain. After each shot, she had to pull a lever forward and then back, setting the next bolt in place within a quarter of a second. The force behind each arrow held the power to pierce solid stone or shatter the fragile skull of a living being, their impact accompanied by an ominous, lingering echo—a symphony of destruction. Perhaps it was overkill for a few imperial assassins, but she justified it in her mind, considering they were hunting a child of merely five lunar years. In such a context, a gruesome death seemed an apt punishment.

*Please sharpen my senses, my friend; we must relocate after each shot and engage them while on the move,* she requested of Zalgras, who complied without hesitation, infusing her world with heightened acuity. It then confirmed that the assassins marched in a loose fan formation, their footsteps composing a somber cadence, heading almost directly north toward the base of the plateau wall where the cave concealed its inhabitants.

Daiyu devised her strategy. She would begin from the east and move west, eliminating the farthest member first. Then, she would swiftly maneuver behind the formation to take down the most distant man to confuse their perception of the attack's origin. Progressing forward, she aimed to eliminate the second-closest combatant before confronting the final man—she intended to keep him alive for questioning. She fervently hoped that her assumption was correct, that the man positioned closest to the middle was indeed their leader.

Despite her speed and advanced firepower, Daiyu knew she was still smaller than her opponents and not at her peak performance due to years of malnourishment, mistreatment, and current injuries. This placed her at risk if forced into close-quarters combat. She attuned her senses to the approaching sounds, the cadence of their voices growing ever closer, intertwined with the symphony of raindrops. Raising her weapon, she surveyed the surrounding trees, their whispered breezy movements guiding her aim, their woody fragrance mingling with the earthy scent of the rain-washed forest.

"Makers tits, it's darker than the depth balls out here; why don't we make camp for now? It's not like he's getting far in this sludge," grumbled a voice, coarse and filled with annoyance.

"He's slippery. According to the intel, he's wounded, and we can catch him off guard. Easy money. If we wait for the rain to let up, he might hear or spot us and escape faster than a rabbit," responded another, his voice more authoritative, tinged with a hint of disdain. It seemed this wasn't the first time he had expressed this sentiment to the first man.

"What was the price of killing a worthless prince again? Just so I'm sure the mold growing on my balls is worth the discomfort." One further away from her position groused.

"Trust me, fifty thousand gold gints will secure us a lifetime of warmth and comfort once we're finished here," reassured the second man, his voice as smooth as flowing silk. Daiyu's eyebrows arched in astonishment—fifty thousand gold gints, a sum so vast it resonated like distant thunder. Though their conversation puzzled her, she couldn't dwell on it now. The capture of their leader held far greater importance. Answers must be extracted before anything else.

The shape of the first speaker came into view without hesitation. Inhaling deeply, she released the bolt on her exhale, her movements fluid and swift like a gust of wind. She was already in motion, gracefully circling the group, blending with the dense forest. Concealed by the ancient trees and the echo of the bolt's release, she crouched low, her presence merging with the ambient sounds of nature—the gentle rustling of leaves and the whisper of the wind through branches. She pulled back the leaver loading the next bolt with utmost precision, her hands steady despite the adrenaline surging through her veins.

The remaining assassins cried out in anger and alarm, their senses heightened but unable to pinpoint her position. She was halfway around them, a phantom in the darkness when they froze, swords raised defensively, their gazes searching the shadowy woods. She dashed westward, leaving behind confusion and unease in her wake. Concealed by a thicket of bushes, she observed the two men, their expressions a symphony of wariness and rage.

"The wretched depths! He's already here!" cursed the third speaker, his voice low and filled with urgency, his body lowering to the ground almost in a complete squatting position as his eyes roamed the tops of the trees.

"Get up, you idiot; we need to…." The words barely left the second speaker's lips when the first man's skull caved in, blood spraying like a crimson blossom. Before the shock could register, the same arrow found its mark, piercing the arm of the remaining man. His sword slipped from his grasp, and he stumbled backward, sliding through the muddy terrain until he landed unceremoniously on his ass in a frigid puddle. The air became heavy with the metallic scent of fresh blood, mingling with the earthy aroma of rain-soaked soil. Anguish and horror contorted the man's face as he screamed, his voice merging with the ambient sound of the pouring rain.

Emerging from her concealed position, her small lithe figure bathed in the ethereal glow of the forest. With utmost precision, she readied the next bolt, her delicate fingers cranking the mechanism of her crossbow. Her voice, as soft as a whispering breeze, cut through the chaos.

"Greetings, good sir; I wondered if you wouldn't mind answering a few of my questions." Her words danced in the air, carrying a hint of intrigue and curiosity. The man, his injured shoulder held tightly, spat curses at her, his face a mask of pain and defiance. Without flinching, she released another bolt, piercing his right thigh. He splashed back into the mire, his round face now pale and smeared with mud, his breathing ragged and labored. She tutted lightly as if reprimanding a disobedient child, her serene countenance unaffected as she prepared the second-to-last bolt.

"I must apologize, that was not really a request, and I honestly am not very interested in what you have to say. I was just mildly curious about why you men were roaming the woods in such lovely weather." She stated mildly as she rested the crossbow on her shoulder before fishing out the glass bottle of red liquid from a pocket of the rain cloak. She walked to the man she had shot in the head and casually let a single thick drop fall onto what was left of the man's exposed forehead. The drop sizzled, and instantly the flesh became black. The blackness spread quickly down what was left of the man's face onto his neck and under his clothes. She gracefully stepped around him, moving toward her second victim, her steps fluid and purposeful as a sweet cloying fragrance drifted from the first corpse.

"What the depths is that? What are you doing to them?" The remaining man struggled to rise once more, his frantic splashing punctuated by his cries of fear and distress.

"I have two more bolts; if you keep that racket up, you may find yourself bereft of certain masculine qualities, just so that I can hear you wail in a new pitch." She deadpanned. She heard a small effeminate scream from her conversation partner as she surveyed her first victim. Her bolt had taken him in the neck, and he had yet to entirely expire. The wet gurgling sounds were faint but evident. So she capped the bottle and put it back in her pocket.

Frowning at the man before her, the serum only ate decaying red blood cells, calcium, and surrounding tissue, meaning in order for it to work, the man before her needed to stop producing oxygen. With a swift motion, she drew her sword, the blade glinting in the rain before bringing it straight down into the man's chest with both hands piercing his heart before swiftly retrieving her sword.

She walked back to the man in the puddle, sword in hand, while she gave the first victim a moment to fully expire. The serum required an incredible amount of resources to fabricate, and she didn't want to waste a second drop on a severed head; better for the body to be whole.

"You will be executed for this; we are here by royal decree!" The man's face had gone ashen and taunt; it was apparent he was losing a lot of blood. The puddle surrounding him had transformed into a crimson pool, reflecting his precarious state.

"Oh?" Her tone suggested she was interested in hearing more, her left eyebrow going up in mild inquisition as she allowed the rain to wash her sword clean before sheathing it.

"We are hunting a dangerous criminal!" He offered like a man bargaining for his life and suddenly seeing hope.

"I heard you say a prince and something about a lot of gold. However, I was upset at the time that you were ruining my quiet walk, so admittedly was distracted." Her board tone was lazy and calm. The man looked at her as if she had grown a second head. She had killed them all because they had ruined her walk in a torrential storm?

"Yes, yes, we are looking for the second son of the former Esteem; he is charged with treason and murder! A highly dangerous individual! Young miss, if you know these woods well, perhaps you have seen signs of this man in passing. If you help me capture or kill him…." She laughed; she couldn't help it. Cao Liang was the brother of the current Esteem and Balam's uncle by blood! The Fates were not just playing tricks on her; they apparently had written a whole tragic divine comedy with her and the minor half-brother in leading roles!

*This emotion feels unique…* Zalgras interrupted her dark, sarcastic fit of humor.

*I'll explain it later.* She replied blandly.

"Miss…" The man's confused voice brought her back from her musings.

"I do apologize; I've been under a lot of stress lately; the joke wasn't really that funny. I just felt very euphoric after the laughter started and my system just needed to let it out." Her cold blue eyes bore into the man, as the crossbow slid comfortably back into her palms, her alluring smile turning her into a bewitching enigma, her gaze alight with hidden depths.

"Joke?" The man asked nervously; her smile gave the weak man the sense he was being glared at by a giant spider when paired with her sparkling dark eyes.

"Oh yes, such a large joke. I must thank The Fates for their great and vast humor. However, as for aiding or facing execution, these matters are separate and unique matters. You see, I will only be helping you meet The Maker today, and my execution may very well come at the end of a royal decree eventually. However, that will also not be immediately forthcoming and will definitely have nothing to do with the death of such an insignificant person as yourself." The man's eyes widened, and he began to scrabble desperately, only to flail and fall repeatedly, never seeing her fire the bolt that split his skull and spilled his brain matter into the rain-soaked surroundings.