"I made it!" Austen cheered in triumph. He stood at the grand gate to the Capital.
The Capital roughly covered over 200,000 square miles. Encircled all around by giant, magnificent walls. The blond traveler starred up at the walls in awe, they seemed to stretch up to the heavens, never ending.
"Looks like we got a new country bumpkin." Said a voice on the boys rights. Austen turned to the silky voice. It belonged to a beautiful girl. She was extraordinary, with long blond hair that fell down to her waist. She wore simple sandals, a short white skirt, and a deep cut red top, helping to further show off her big breasts.
"What's wrong? I don't scare you do I?" The blond girl asked with a wink, causing Austen's face to grow hot.
"N-no of course not!" Austen stuttered. Earning a laugh from the Capital girl.
"I would hope not. My names Hannah, please to meet you." Hannah introduced herself, holding out a hand.
Austen's face lit up and shook the beautiful girl's hand, "My names Austen, Austen Baechle."
"Well Baechle, what brings you out of the forest and into the big Capital?" Hannah asked as she led the two through the gates.
"My village is starving, and in in desperate need of help. Our economy is failing because of the heavy wildfires this summer. I was sent along with my brother to try and find some kind of work, and send any money we can earn back to our village. Whether that be at one of these awesome shops, or even the military." Austen explained, his eyes trying to take in everything around him.
Hannah continued to lead them through the streets,"That's a pretty important mission. Where's your little brother then?"
"We had a few hardships along the way. At one point we were attacked by bandits and got separated. But I'm not worried about him, he's equally as strong as me. And we planned on meeting here in the lower ring of the city should we ever get separated, so I'm not worried."
"Well that's good to hear. Well I'm afraid this is where we part ways. Just make sure you watch out for pick-pockets and I'm sure you'll be fine.," Hannah suddenly pulled Austen into a hug. Causing his face to grow red once again. "Until next time!" Hannah shouted over her shoulder as she disappeared into the crowd.
Austen waved back until the city dweller was out of sight, 'I'm glad the people here are so nice.' Austen thought warmly. 'My next step should be to get some food and find a place to stay for the night.'
The young adventurer quickly found a small pub and placed an order. "That'll be ten dollars flat." Said the elderly waitress.
"Right right!" Austen said quickly as he rummaged through his large backpack. A bead of sweat slowly forming as he continued to search with no evidence of his wallet. The women's foot tapped faster and faster with her growing impatience. Causing the desperate boy to search faster and faster, opening every pocket for a third and fourth time.
"He-hehe, it seems I've misplaced my wallet somewhe-" A harsh yank on the ear and Austen was drug off towards the kitchen.
Austen finally exited the pub somewhere around 1:00am. His body sore and red from the amount of dishes he was forced to wash to pay off his meal. 'But how could I already have lost my wallet? I've only been here a single day!' Baechle thought miserably as he trudged through the empty city streets. 'I haven't even spoken to anyone yet. Only Hann-' Austen stopped mid step.
"Watch out for pick-pockets!" Austen shouted Hannah's words. "That evil conniving whore!" Austen spat into the night.
'I thought she was one of the nice ones.' Baechle thought miserable once again. 'Guess I'll be spending my first night outside.' Using his backpack as a pillow he brought his jacket around to the front of him to use as a blanket and dozed off.
Maybe it was fate, maybe it was destiny, maybe it was simply a coincidence. But something woke Austen up from his slumber. He groggily opened his heavy eyes and looked up into the night sky towards the full moon.
Austen blinked, not fully understanding what he was seeing. High in the sky floated what looked to be six men and women, soaring high overhead. As they passed by the full moon Baechle was able to get a better look at them.
There appeared to be six figures in the sky, all wearing cloaks and some kind of weapon. He saw a scythe, swords, and even what we thought were wings on someone. They seemed to be floating in the air, flying at high speed towards some unknown destination by some unknown magic.
Baechle looked back at the ground once the group was out of sight. "What the hell?" He mumbled as he took off down the road in pursuit. The mysterious group seemed to be slowing down, making keeping up with them easy. They eventually led Austen to a huge beautiful mansion. Baechle quickly scaled the tall metal fence, determined to see what these people were up to.
"Loughmiller, the father. Hannah, the mother. Emily, the daughter. Meredith, the five guards. Execute." In a flash the four assassins were gone, all off towards their own targets. Tobar looked on in mild interest as windows were shattered and screams filled the air.
"We might have a problem." Cameron Bonner stated in a bored tone. He pointed down to a boy crouching down below them in a tree. He looked to be watching the assassins with wide eyes.
Tobar sighed, "It's not his lucky day. Now that he's seen us he either dies or comes with us. We will follow when he runs." A high pitched scream brought the spectators eyes back to the house. The daughter was being dragged by two guards away from the house in a attempt to save her life.
"Making for the warehouse by the looks of it." Bonner noted.
"As is our tree spy." Tobar added, watching the blond boy sprint after the house residents. 'How interesting.' Tobar thought with a raised eyebrow.
Austen dashed through the trees after the girl and her guards. He had watched in a mix of shock and horror as the mother and father were mercilessly murdered in front of a second story window. 'I can't allow the same to happen to this poor girl.' Austen thought as he ran. 'But still, if these are the Night Raid assassins they were talking about back at the Pub, I don't know how long I'll be able to last against them...' Baechle shook his head, 'I can't think like that, I just have to think about saving this girl.'
Baechle slid out from the corner of the trees to see the new battle field before him. On his right stood one of the Night Raid members. She had light brown skin with dark almond eyes and black, shoulder length hair. She held two twin blade swords. One that glowed bright red and the second glowed blue that looked to be so cold it let off a white mist. On the left stood the two guards in front of the young girl who cowered on the ground. Both parties stood in front of a large dark two story building that seemed to be a warehouse of some kind.
'She must not even be twelve.' Austen thought angrily as he ran out in front of the guards drawing his sword.
"Who are you?" Barked one of the guards.
"Does it matter? I'm here to help." Baechle answered back, squaring off to the assassin.
"Oh thank you kind sir!" The cowering girl cried out in thanks.
"You are not a target." The female assassin said flatly. "You are to move out of my way or you will be executed along with the others."
"I wont let you take any more innocent lives." Baechle called back.
The assassin chuckled, "If you only knew." Wasting no more time the dark hair girl flew at across the clearing towards her targets.
Sparks lit up the night sky as steel hit steel. Baechle felt sweat drip down his body as the duel continued, while his opponent seemed to be almost bored with the fight.
"I don't like to kill unnecessarily." The female duelist stated through the sound of their blades clashing. She kicked Austen's sword upwards, exposing his chest. With a second kick Austen was sent flying up and over the guards. The Night Raid member quickly continued forward in her assault, her eyes set on her targets. With a single spin the assassin hacked the two guards to the ground. One laid lifeless with black burn marks crawling up his body. While the second guards body slowly turned a dark blue, ice forming inside his organs. The girl sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face which she covered with her small hands, as though not seeing the bad guys would keep her safe.
The assassin slowly raised a blade, death in her eyes. But as she brought her sword down in a final arc another blade intervened, blocking her strike.
"I told you," Baechle said through grit teeth. "I won't let allow you to take any more innocent lives."
Emily sighed, "I warned you." The duelists pushed away from each other, squaring off for the final time.
Austen watched with wide eyes as the assassins swords suddenly came alive. The one on the right suddenly sprouted flames up the length of the blade. While the sword on the left froze in pure ice.
But before either of them could move another voice called out from above, interrupting them. "Oh come on Emily! Is he that much of a challenge you have to use 'that' move? He's just a country bumpkin for goodness sakes!"
Baechle looked up in shock at the other five Night Raid members who hovered above them in the air. "You're the bitch who stole my money!" Austen shouted up at Hannah, pointing a finger accusingly. The blond assassin flipped out of the air and landed lightly on her feet in between the two swordsmen.
"What are you doing?" Emily asked, her swords now back to normal.
"For some reason saving this kids life..." Hannah muttered. "Yo, shorty! You want to know why we're killing these people? Go open those doors."
Austen glanced at the warehouse doors Hannah pointed to, "What's in there?"
"N-nothing!" The young girl cried out desperately. "Just get me out of here!"
Austen looked at the girl, then back at the warehouse. After a moments thought Austen's curiosity got the better of him. He quickly crossed the clearing and kicked open the open the doors, unaware of what laid on the other side.
Baechle fell to his knees as the dim lights flickered on, illuminating the inside of the building. The inside was filled purely with human torturing devices. People moaning, bleeding, and crying filled the two story warehouse. Austen felt all power drain out of his body as he looked on into the hell in front of him.
"Who is he?" Tobar asked Hannah stepping up to her side.
Hannah sighed, "Some kid from the country. I met him right as he entered the Capital. He said he was sent by his village with his brother to try ad make some money from their small village."
"Can he be trusted?" Tobar asked stepping up Hannah's side.
"I believe so. He's a talented swordsmen. Able to go toe to toe with Emily, at least for a few seconds. I'm just waiting for when he realizes his brother is in ther-"
A bone chilling scream cut Hannah off. "- When he realizes his brother is in there." Hannah finished with a sad sigh.
Austen starred down at his brothers lifeless body mortified. His kins body laid on an old style guillotine. His disembodied head sat in basket with countless others. The older brother felt numb to the world, not even feeling when Hannah put a hand on his shoulder.
"I am so, so sorry for you loss. No living being deserves this." Hannah whispered softly. "We call ourselves Night Raid. We are part of the rebellion against the Capital. Against the corruption and evil that resides here. Unfortunately things like this aren't that uncommon."
Austen slowly rose to his feet, his eyes emotionless. The brother walked towards the warehouse doors, unsheathing his sword along the way.
The young girl laughed as Baechle drew near, "What's wrong? I hope that boy was you kin. I will say he was a fighter. Somehow able to survive two rounds of the electric chair. But alas, not strong enough." As Baechle looked down upon the unholy thing that laid in front of him, he no longer saw a little girl. Only a demonic, corrupt, evil monster. Not worthy of being called human. With a single swing of his blade the girls head flew away from her body, silencing her evil crackling.
After a few moments Austen turned to the assassins that had assembled behind him, getting a good look at them all for the first time. Austen silently bowed to the group, trying to control his emotions.
Tobar starred at the figure in front of him debating what to do, "Loughmiller, he comes with us. Either way we can't allow him to leave."
A member from inside a full cast of black body armor nodded, "Understood." The assassin easily picked Baechle up by the waist.
"H-hey! Put me down! I never agreed to go anywhere with you people." Austen protested helplessly.
"Bonner," The lead assassin continued ignoring Austen. "Take us home."
Baechle was unable to see who caused it, but suddenly the air around their feet began to spin, lifting them high into the night sky. Austen tried not to look down at the world speeding past below him. 'Great, first day in the Capital and you've been stolen away by assassins.' Baechle thought sighing. 'Let's see what day two will bring.'
