It took almost all of the rest of the night to find them. Stellus asked dozens of people finally figuring out they were on the island. Then, dozens more to find that they would be found somewhere along the North-South Road. It was just a lucky thing, he thought, that Maidens are easy to spot.
He found them huddled against a post of one of the elevated houses, just underneath it. As luck would have it, there were few other people around, and they all seemed to be asleep. The Maiden sat, keeping watch, however. She knew her duty, he thought. He admired that. He thought it a shame he must ruin her life.
He kept to the open part of the street, approaching in plain view. He kept a smile on his face, as if pleased to see her. He held a powdered substance gripped in his left hand.
“Ah, excuse me,” he said. “Are you a Sword Maiden?” He continued before she could brush him off, “I ask because my daughter has been so hoping she would be chosen-.”
She was on her feet, standing in front of the girl, who continued to sleep quietly.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” Stellus went on. “I just have a few questions.”
With that, he threw the powder in her face. Caught off guard by such a tactic, the Maiden inhaled involuntarily, and began to choke. In a few seconds, she was collapsing. He caught her, and dragged her under the house, and approached the spot where the girl was sleeping.
She was gone!
Stellus cursed, loudly.
Kira retreated into the shadows of the underside of the house when she saw Nessa begin to choke. In a moment, she had her sword out and was searching for a way to approach the assassin without him seeing her.
He now had a dagger out, and was standing, indecisive, just beyond the house. The happy sounds of the inhabitants celebrating some occasion could be heard above her head. Keeping to the shadows for as long as possible, she didn’t reveal herself until the final second before her attack.
He parried her first blow, and came back at her. There was something in his demeanor which seemed to indicate he didn’t want to kill her. He didn’t attack, for instance. He seemed content, for the moment, to defend.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Never mind that, girl,” he answered. “What is important is who you are. Apparently, you are important for some reason. It is simply my job to retrieve you.”
“Retrieve?”
“Barring that, I must kill you,” he admitted, with a shrug.
She attacked again, deciding not to wait for him to decide. He parried again, but she didn’t hesitate, this time. She caught him with a second attack, just below the left arm, delving deep into his chest.
He looked surprised for a moment, and suddenly crumpled to the ground.
It was just then that the town watch arrived.
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