The next day came like any other. Through the blocked window, a few rays of sun managed to find their way inside the room, ending as a spot on the ground.
Zephyr woke up first, getting on the side of the bed and rubbing his eyes. Not long after, Ili woke up as well, letting out a big yawn.
"Mhh... Morning!" Ili muttered, rubbing her eyes as well.
"Morning," Zephyr responded, getting out of bed and stretching his back. "Phew, I haven't slept so well in a while! So this is how it feels to be rich, huh?"
"Well, this isn't quite close to being rich but," Ili let out a sleepy chuckle, deciding not to let down Zephyr's excitement. "Eh, close enough..."
After a bit, the two went outside the room, taking their things and locking the door behind them. Afterwards, they went down the stairs into the inn, and towards the counter. The inn was mostly empty at this hour, with only a few people eating and drinking at some tables in the back. The innkeeper was sitting on his usual chair, reading a book. Seeing the kids, he put down the book and got up, moving towards the counter. "Leaving already?"
"Yes, we are. Thank you for the rooms and bath! It was really nice!" Ili said with a smile, placing the two keys on the counter.
"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed your stay!" The innkeeper took the keys and placed them back under the counter. "Have a safe journey!"
The two waved back at the man as they exited the inn, getting back out on the streets of Feinhdall. Just as they got outside, a man dressed in a grey cloak passed by them, with his cloak over his head. Ili noticed him immediately, waving her hand. "Hey, you're that guy! Uh... Eifhal, right? Hello!"
Ili's words caught his attention, as the man stopped and turned around to face them. "Oh, you're that girl from yesterday."
"Mhm! How are you? How's everyone?"
"I'm good. Pretty busy at the moment. Rainer left the city some time ago, he had some business to attend to. The others are fine too. Anything else?"
Ili looked at him, a little dumbfounded by the speed of the answers, but finally waved her arm dismissively.
"Oh, no, sorry... I just wanted to know how you were doing, that's all! I'll let you..." Before she even finished, the man left, turning a corner and getting out of view. "- be on your way..."
Ili looked at Zephyr confused, who looked at her in the same way, but decided to leave back on their way.
The streets were still quite busy, even at this hour, but there were much less people around than before.
Walking some more through the streets, they made it into a park that was blocked by a crowd of people, all muttering to themselves.
"So, they finally got to this..."
"This is inhumane..."
Many such whispers could be heard from the crowd, but none dared raise their voice or protest. Men and women were looking at the scene, some in suppressed anger, some in pain, some in horror.
Pushing their way slightly through the crowd, Ili and Zephyr were finally able to see what was happening. In the center of the park, on a wooden platform, ten men were on their knees, their heads on wooden logs, with ten Bwovnine (1) soldiers behind them, standing straight and looking at the crowd. In front of the soldiers was another man, probably their commander, looking down at a written decree on a parchment.
"By new decree of his absolute majesty, the Emperor of the Bwovn Empire, and the lord of Feinhdall, Fredrick de'Elleh, any and all people suspected of being acquainted with Æhre or any other revolutionary movements, will be decapitated in the city center or any other public place of their respective city."
The soldier closed the parchment, and as he did, the soldiers from behind the men walked forwards, unsheathing their swords.
Complete silence engulfed the air, broken by the sound of metal hitting something hard, and the subsequent sounds of something falling on the ground.
Ili got out of the crowd and fell on her knees, puking. Zephyr quickly got to her, patting her on the back. "Hey... Are you alright?"
Ili took a few deep breaths, calming herself and coughing. "I'm... I'm alright... Let's leave..."
Zephyr helped her get back up. But before they could leave, the commander opened another parchment, as one more victim was brought up onto the stage.
"By second decree..."
They didn't listen nor turn around, wanting to leave the tragic place at once, but Zephyr's body froze as he heard the commander's next words...
"Any inferior races, demons or beasts that live in the city without permission, excluding kalzraaks as per new policy, and anyone helping to hide or save these creatures, will be killed just the same, along with the traitors of the nation."
Zephyr turned his head back, and he froze as he saw two soldiers bringing a chained succubus on the platform. There was no doubt in it. Her dark hair, her purple eyes, black wings, her youthful appearance... It was Vella. She was brought and kneeled, forced to place her head on the wooden log, as the soldier took out his swords.
Without even meaning to do so, Zephyr's arm raised in the air.
"She is with us!" he shouted, his voice breaking the silence.
"Who spoke?" the commander asked coldly, looking towards the crowd.
The people from the crowd spread apart, letting a perfect view from the commander to Zephyr and Ililith. Some of the people were glancing at them expressionlessly, but most kept their heads towards the ground.
"She is with us. We're travellers. She is our companion." Zephyr spoke strongly, looking at the commander coldly. He didn't know why he was saying all of those things, but now, he was too far to back out. He tried to keep a strong facade, but his heart was pounding in his chest. "She isn't from the city, so she doesn't live here."
The commander looked coldly at the kalzraak, then back at the soldier and the succubus.
"Fine then. If you say she is with you."
Zephyr felt a wave of relief wash over him as he heard those words. But then...
"If you say she is with you, then, since our city doesn't allow succubi inside, it means that you snuck her in, which makes you trespassers. That being said, she'll be killed, and you'll be taken to the cellars to rot there for the rest of your lives. Consider your next words carefully, kalzraak."
The commander's expression darkened, looking at Zephyr with a cold glare, ready to tell his men to apprehend the two.
Zephyr clenched his fist, looking up at the commander silently. He tried thinking of something, but nothing came to mind. The only thing he could do now was to say that he had mistaken the girl on stage for someone else, and to leave the place with Ililith, safe...
But then, a man in a black cloak stepped onto the platform. His face was masked, and was holding a scroll in his gloved hands. He put his hand casually on the commander's shoulder and told him something into the ear, handing him the scroll.
The commander seemed angered, but opened the scroll and read it. Then, he turned his head up towards Ili and Zephyr, then back at the succubus.
"Let her go." the commander ordered, waving his arm towards the soldier that was holding Vella down.
The soldier looked a little dumbfounded, but knew better than to disobey and order, so he took his hands off the succubus and cut her ropes with the sword. The commander walked over to the girl, catching her by the back of her neck and pushing her towards the stairs. "Go to your companions, filthy animal!"
He scowled and turned back towards the crowd. "Today's prosecution is over. Leave!"
The people from the crowd slowly left the park, looking down. They were all silent, but their expressions seemed full of anger and contempt. Some were muttering things between themselves, some were shedding tears, but none were rising up to protest or fight back. Gradually, the park got empty, only the bloody platform remaining tall in the center.
Vella ran from the platform towards Zephyr. Before he could even say something, she hugged him, with tears in her eyes. Her body was shaking without stopping, as she kept her arms wrapped around his body and her face planted in his chest.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! I thought I was... I… Thank you..." The girl wouldn't stop clinging onto him. Zephyr finally put his hand on her shoulders, trying to slowly push her off, but deciding to leave her like that at least until she calmed a little more.
"Hey, it's alright... Don't worry, you're alright now..."
From the stage, the cloaked man was seen in the distance, approaching the two. As he got closer, Zephyr froze, moving Vella behind him and creating a crystal dagger in his hand.
"It's you..."
The cloaked man smiled as he pulled the mask off his face. It was the assassin from the mercenary camp... Rash'aa.
Before Zephyr could do anything, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking to the side, he saw Ili step in front of him, her hand on her sword, unsheathing it.
"Take one more step and you'll end up like the people on the platform." Ili spoke coldly, looking at him with an unwavering expression. But instead of attacking, the assassin laughed.
"Not even a little thank you? I just saved your friend there now, you know?"
Ili's eyes narrowed, pulling the sword further out of its sheath.
"You're still breathing. Take that as a thank you."
"Alright, fair enough. Not that you could kill me if you tried, but I'll take your threat to heart. Besides, it's your friend I promised a rematch, not you."
Zephyr looked at him coldly, strengthening his grip on the crystal dagger. "And what do you want? Are you here for the rematch?"
The assassin laughed again. "No, not quite. We'll have time for that another time, don't you worry." He put his hand inside his cloak, before pulling out a white envelope, with a red seal on it. He takes a step closer, but his palm is immediately cut as a warning. He looked at Ili with a smile, taking a step back. "Point taken. Quite the troublesome technique you have, don't you? Very well then."
His hand had healed already, but the envelope still got covered by some of his blood. Nonetheless, he casually shook it to dry slightly, before throwing the envelope at Ililith's feet.
Ili's gaze never left the man, but she bent down to pick up the envelope.
"It's an invitation." the assassin spoke. "The lord of the city expects you tonight at the castle. He is hosting a ball, where all the important people of the city will be, and is expecting you two to come as well. I believe I don't need to say what happens if you fail to be there."
Ili looked at him coldly, but finally sheathed her sword. "I suppose we weren't invited just to come to the ball now, were we?"
"Of course not!" the assassin said with a smile, putting his mask back on. "But that's all I was told to tell you. Farewell!"
The assassin smiled, taking a mocking bow, before disappearing from sight, as if he vanished into thin air.
Ili finally rests her arm to her side, turning towards the crying girl, who was just sitting quietly behind Zephyr, not understanding a thing from what just happened.
"Hey... Are you alright? Are you hurt?" she asked. The girl seemed to spike as Ili spoke to her, but finally regained her composure after a bit. She feared that Ili might have heard about what happened last night, but a wave of relief washed over her as she realized that it wasn't the case. Although, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt in her heart.
"I... I am... I'm sorry for causing so much trouble for you two..."
"Don't say that. It's alright! I'm just glad we could prevent another senseless death from happening..." Ili turned her head towards Zephyr, smiling softly. "I'm glad you did what you did. Really..."
Zephyr didn't know how to respond. That was mostly because he didn't know why he did it either. He just smiled back, before turning his head back to Vella. "What now...?"
"Well, I suppose we'll just go to the ball first... After that, if you want," Ili said, turning her head towards the succubus. ", I can bring you to the Secluded Castle. There are many girls like you there... Who have nowhere else to go. You'd be safe, and have a nice place to live in, if you want, of course."
The girl nodded softly, still looking at the ground. "Yes... That would be nice... Thank you..."
Ili smiled softly as she responded, patting her gently on the shoulder. "Don't worry... Everything will be alright as long as you're with us. Say, what's your name?"
"I'm Vella..." the succubus responded, looking up at her, wiping her tears, her wings puffing slightly at her back.
"Well, I'm Ililith, but you can call me Ili... And the person who saved you is Zephyr. Nice to meet you!" she smiled gently and welcoming, holding out her hand.
"N... Nice to meet you..." The succubus looked at Ili's hand a little perplexed, not understanding what she needed to do.
Seeing that, Ili chuckled softly, taking her hand with hers and shaking it. Seeing the even more confused look on the girl's face, she chuckled softly. "Well, we'll have to work on that a little later..."
The girl chuckled as well, finally understanding the fact that... she didn't understand what was happening. But somehow, she felt a little more at ease now. And that was good, at least. She felt something she hadn't felt in a long while... The safety of laughing, without being scared of who would hear you... It felt nice...
Footnotes:
1 - From the Bwovn Empire.