The Dragon's Gate
Leila watched from the shadows as Ephidel strode past. Though the man's face showed no emotion, Leila could tell that something had upset him. And an upset Ephidel, though rarely if ever seen, was highly frightening. When the Ostian spy heard the swish of Ephidel's cloak past, she began tailing him from the large pillars that supported the ceiling that was hidden by shadows.
"Lord Elbert that wretch." Ephidel spat, as he walked. "I can't believe he set those twins free. Jaffar!"
Out of thin air, another man appeared from the shadows. This one a head shorter than Ephidel, whose red hair was partially hidden under his cowl, and an almost dead look in his eyes. "You summoned me Lord Ephidel."
"I did indeed." Ephidel said, seemingly placated by the assassin's appearance. "You have a new mission in Bern. You leave at once."
Jaffar nodded, and vanished once more into the shadows. All the while, Leila felt her legs shake, and her hands were slick with sweat. She had to report to Lord Hector, and tell him what she had heard. She quietly made her way back to the entrance to the darkened shrine.
"Going somewhere Leila?" A soft smooth voice asked from behind the Ostian spy, and she felt her stomach drop, and her veins turn to ice. She spun on around, and came face to face with Ephidel.
"Lord Ephidel." Leila said taken completely by surprise. "I was going to check the sentries."
Ephidel smiled in a way that meant he knew. "It was such a shame. You showed such promise. Ah well, Jaffar dispose of her."
The same red haired assassin appeared from behind the Morph, his wicked curved killing daggers in his hands. Leila suddenly had her own blades in her hands, as they had been hidden up the sleeves in her jacket. Her hands were shaking as she gripped her weapons. Deep down she knew she had no chance against the famed Angel of Death, but if she wanted to get out of here and find Lord Hector, she had no other choice other than to do battle with Jaffar.
A long moment of silence passed between Leila and Jaffar, during which he blinked once. That was the signal for the two to begin. To the naked eye, it looked as if the two had vanished into the shadows. Not far off in this case as both were skilled assassins. The clash of metal on metal was the only sound of the two assassins doing battle. While Leila was skilled, she was no match for Jaffar, and the sharp stinging pain in her arms had proven this point.
Stabbing one of her blades forward, Leila was shocked to find nothing but air. Jaffar had vanished, and was preparing to finish her. Leila halted her breathing, straining her ears for any sound that might give Jaffar away. And give him away was exactly what Jaffar's cloak did. Though her stomach jolted with fear, the blade in her left hand sliced through the air, catching Jaffar in his left shoulder. Seizing her chance, Leila ran from the shrine as fast as her legs could carry her. She was stopped only once by two Black Fang guards.
"Lady Leila. What is the matter? Why are you injured?" One of them had asked.
"There is a traitor on the loose." Leila panted out. "They ran down the east corridor."
The two guards, had just turned their attention towards the east corridor, when Leila struck. Her twin blades flashed, catching both guards across the throat. They convulsed violently, as her blades had been poisoned, before they collapsed to the ground. Not looking back, Leila ran from the shrine. Heading for water, so if anyone pursuing her would not be able to pursue her any farther than that.
To say Ephidel was angered would have been an understatement. The Morph was beside himself with rage. First Lord Elbert freeing the twins, now Leila had betrayed them and managed to escape. Any scout that had reported back with now news of Leila's whereabouts did not last a moment longer when the Morph's rage broke. "Damnit all! Someone get me Uhai!"
Aboard the Darvos
Jace closed his eyes, as the sea breeze ran through his hair. The only time he had been aboard a ship until now, was when he was an infant. Although unsettling as the motion of the ship was, as it sailed over the water, the air blowing through his hair was rather calming as the thoughts raced through his head.
"What's on that brilliant mind of yours?" The tactician was snapped out of his thoughts as Eliwood approached him.
Jace was silent for a moment, before he found his voice. "There is much on my mind at the moment Lord Eliwood. The biggest ones involve your father, and Lord Darin. From what Lord Uther's spy Leila I believe her name was. From what she had said, Lord Darin and this war of his would have spread across not just Lycia, but Etrua, Illia, and Bern as well. My question to this is why? What does all this accomplish? And what it have to do with Lord Elbert."
Eliwood drummed his fingers along the smooth wood of the Darvos as Jace spoke. "Perhaps we can find the answers we seek on Valor. At least I hope we can."
"If Naga smiles upon us, hopefully we will." Jace replied, before a small wooden craft caught his attention. Bringing out his spyglass, the tactician stared through the looking glass at who or what was in it. "Eliwood, get Fargus. We have a drifter."
Several men of Fargus' crew hauled the small craft up from the water, and a moment later everyone was surrounding a young beautiful woman with long pale blue hair. "By Naga, is that Ninian!?"
"Anything this far off, must have come from Valor." Fargus said, as Jace called over Sera and Priscilla.