Silver Moon: Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Assassination

Rhyken, Jak and Khan slowly made their way through Rowe. The Festival was slowly winding down as the sun had disappeared covering Rowe in a soft summer’s night. Rhyken could hear from a distance the low singing of one of the woman performers. She was singing a verse from an elfin song that was created just after the fire of Ossier. The song was sung like a sad lullaby with not a note out of place, Rhyken could just hear the words over the music. Her sorrowful voice sung in a low tone:

Wa railr dhair rulr llus dha naen eln dha sisran,
Thairr wairr raiya ul ail uis nanusaiar fid,
Thairr wairr layas dsirirr fa llsaa
Uldair dhan sia cailer sadislr du dhan dhsula.

He knew the meaning well for his elf-mother had sung him the song over and over saying it was the most important thing he should know, she said it meant:

We sing this song for the dead and the cursed,
They will live on in our memories but,
They will never truly be free
Until the true king returns to the throne.

He sighed telling himself he was a fool for reminiscing at a time like this. He had to focus at the task at hand. Running faster in front of Jak and Khan he rounded a corner silently leading them towards the manor house in the middle of the town. Garret had spent no expense in building it. It was two storeys tall and had large pillars at the entrance. Rhyken scoffed at Garrets greed and bad taste. Four guards were stationed outside the door and two walking around the perimeter.

Rhyken darted into an alleyway, Jak and Khan following him a second later. He looked at them and grinned which they both returned with a mischievous smile. He slid his hood over his head which Jak and Khan did after him after one final nod they all ran out of the alleyway.

Jak and Khan were to be the distraction as Rhyken infiltrated Garrets’ manor. As Khan and Jak rushed forward into the square Rhyken went through the many alleyways leading to the side of the mansion. Soon he could hear the clashing of metal on metal and new the guards had taken the bait. He threw one of the daggers he had strapped to his thigh towards the house wall. With a thud it had buried itself half way up the wall. When Rhyken was close enough he used the dagger as a stepping stone and swung himself up onto the manor’s roof. He looked over the edge to see Jak and Khan pretend to be out matched and get pushed back. He quickly made a hole in the tiling and slipped between the cracks onto a rafter below. When he looked down he could see he was in one of the many unused bedrooms on the second storey of the house and guessed if Garret wasn’t in his chambers he would be in the cellar concocting all kinds of insane plans. He heard a soft thud behind him and looked over his shoulder to see Khan trying to regain his balance.

"Where’s Jak?" Rhyken whispered. He could tell Khan was grinning when he replied, "He’s got those guards running all over Rowe chasing him."

Slipping off the beam Rhyken landed silently on the floor below him. Khan soon followed and they opened the bedroom door. Outside the bedroom was a large hallway that led to many other different rooms after deeming the coast clear the two slipped out of the room and made their way down the hallway. Rhyken stopped halfway down the corridor at the sound of footsteps approaching. He and Khan quickly slipped into a room opposite them, leaving the door open ajar they saw a maid with a blank expression walk down the way they came with a trolley that held a bowl of water, towels and a mixture of foul looking potions in glass bottles. They watched as she opened the door at the very end of the hallway and pushed her way inside. A few minutes later she came back out but with no trolley. When she was gone the two intruders made their way back down the passage and slipped in the door without making the slightest sound. The room was empty and filled with books and a desk in the corner. The window had been blacked out with a thick coat of paint and the only light in the room came from a door left slightly open. They crossed the room and hid behind the door just before a bald man stepped out of it cackling maliciously. On the back of his head was the clan tattoo of Rowe: A compass and a pair of eyes with two elfin symbols under it that meant ‘New home’. He was a tall, willowy man with long bony fingers. He was dressed in a fine green tunic but when he turned to look back into the room where he just came from. The front of his tunic was covered with blood. Rhyken could tell this was Garret just by his foul pungent odour of decaying fruit and sweat. Rhyken looked through the crack to see what used to be a bathroom turned into a make-shift dungeon. Cuffed to the wall in metal shackles was a young man with dull red hair, breathing heavily, blood seeped out through several long gashes on his chest. The young man raised his head weakly and looked in Rhyken’s direction with cold dull grey eyes. Rhyken gritted his teeth and put a hand on his white hilted sword ‘Sorrow’. Khan noticed and understood that while Rhyken confronted he was to go save the young man.

Without another look Rhyken moved out of the shadows and unsheathed his sword. Garret swung around and the noise to see one cloaked figure in front of him brandishing a wicked looking blade with the word Sorrow engraved into it while another hooded figure slipped into his dungeon releasing his prey from its shackles. Bellowing in rage Garret grabbed a broadsword that was on the desk and charged forward directing the blade towards Rhyken’s ribcage but Rhyken was faster running his sword down the blade of Garrets he flicked his hand sending Garrets sword flying out of his hands. Rhyken then drove the tip of his sword into Garrets shoulder and tripping the tall man over with one sweep of the leg then driving the blade in further he pinned Garret to the wooden floor. Garret let out futile scream of pain from his lips as Rhyken leant on the sword.

"This is nothing compared what you did to your prisoners!" Rhyken growled pushing on the sword. Garret hissed and spat out blood. Khan emerged from the make-shift dungeon with the red-haired boy unconscious in his arms.

Garret started to laugh like a madman "You think you’re going to get out of here alive? You stupid fools!" his eyes began to roll into the back of his head. Rhyken snarled and pulled out his black hilted blade ‘Despair’ and with one clean swing cut Garrets throat silencing the madman’s crazy laughter. Suddenly he could hear thudding and the door swung open as six maids’ brandished swords at Khan and Rhyken let out a low growl. Rhyken pulled out ‘Sorrow’ from Garrets shoulder and rushed forward dispatching the maid’s so fast it was almost a blur. His swords were stained red as he turned to look at Khan. Rhyken walked back into the room kicking the window. Blackened glass fell to the ground outside as moonlight entered the room. Rhyken pointed up signalling where they were going to go. Khan went first; with one powerful swing he flung himself and the boy to the roof. Rhyken followed suit and saw Jak was waiting for them there.

"So what are we waiting for?" Jak said impatiently.

Before Rhyken could reply a large ship that seemed to be floating on air slowly made its way over the city of Rowe, it was large with massive flame red sails that trailed behind it as it hovered over the clouds. The ship had two large wings like sails on either side of it facing down so that the sails caught the wind in them and surged the ship upwards. Large colourful streamers flowed in the wind behind it. The ship was eerily beautiful as it flew over them. A rope ladder dropped from the side of the ship Rhyken grabbed hold of it and grinned.

"This is what we were waiting for," Rhyken shouted over the roaring wind, still grinning he climbed the ladder and swung his legs over the railing and landed with a thud on the wooden deck. He looked around to see a crew of 18 men staring at him. They looked just like how people described pirates. They were tanned, broad, battle hardened men wearing colourful bandanas and dirty shirts with ragged pants. Every single one of them had large menacing swords at their hips. Jak and Khan clambered up onto the deck and one pirate raised the ladder as the wind caught the sails surging the ship forward.

"Ahoy there!" They heard a voice say from the helm, he turned to see Willow standing on railing with a broad smile she waved to them. He took of his cloak hood and waved back. She soon joined them on the main deck and he noticed she had changed clothes. She was wearing a loose unbuttoned shirt revealing some of her cleavage also she was dressed in black pants and a belt that hugged her figure. She was also wearing knee high brown leather boots and a red satin bandana around her head. She immediately saw the wounded boy and called over two men she ordered them to tend to his wounds and after they had taken him to the hull she lead Rhyken, Jak and Khan into the Captain’s Cabin. Once inside she sat in the captain’s chair, "Welcome to the Sacred Everlast gentlemen" she said with a sly smile.

"Your Captain Ravenhart?" Khan said clearly impressed. She smiled and inclined her head.

"It seems you are now fugitives just like me and my crew, so you might as well stay with us for a bit"

Willow said looking directly at Rhyken.

His lips curved into a slight smile, "It would be our pleasure."

Suddenly a pirate burst through the cabin door with singed clothing that wisps of smoke still coming of them, "Captain you better come out on deck!"

Concern flashed across Willow’s face and got up from her chair racing to the door Rhyken, Jak and Khan right behind her. On deck stood the young man Khan and Rhyken had just saved but he seemed different. It had been only mere minutes but the young man seemed to have recovered some of his strength and his fists engulfed in flames. His hair was messy and about shoulder length and glowed crimson in the moonlight, a tattoo on his back just at the base of his neck could be seen, it was of curling flames around a rose. He belonged to Dotrindor, the flame mages. He wore only loose black pants and even though he had a slender frame he was very intimidating. Stepping out onto the deck Rhyken saw the mages eyes flash a brilliant blue-grey. The fire mage held out his flame engulfed hand threateningly.

"I mean you know harm," Rhyken raised his arms to show he was not going to hurt him but the mage was in too much of a panic. Swiftly moving his arm the mage sent a ball of flame hurtling towards Rhyken. Silver eyes flashing Rhyken out stretched his hands as he conjured a wall of water, he took a step forward pushing his hands forward causing the wall of water to surge forward and engulf the young man and the fireball. Shocked and dazed the fire mage looked at Rhyken on his back. The pirates who had been watching the sight were just as shocked as the young man. Sighing Rhyken sat on the deck and crossed his legs, making sure the young mage was watching he created a small ball of flame slowly melding it into a rose. Dotrindor mages did this a sign of peace and friendship. Letting the flower slip from his hands it hovered in the air between him and the mage, the people around them stared in wonder. The mages face softened and seemed to finally calm down, he held out his hand guiding the flame rose to the palm of his hand. He let out a long sigh and quenched the fire by closing his hand into a fist.

The mage stared out into space before he tapped the side of his temple smiling at Rhyken. Rhyken tilted his head to the side as he felt another presence touch his mind.

"My name is Aubrey Falian, I have to speak through telepathy because I am unable to speak" an unfamiliar voice said in his mind. Shocked at first Rhyken reeled his head back but soon got used to Aubrey’s presence.

Rhyken replied, "Nice to meet you Aubrey, I am Rhyken Shadowstalker."

Aubrey smiled weakly and nodded towards Willow apologetically. Willow looked perplexed.

"He can’t speak so he will need to talk to you through his mind" Rhyken said looking over his shoulder and Willow nodded her consent. Aubrey’s consciousness slowly touched the mind of everyone on deck so that he could speak to all of them, "I’m sorry for attacking you all, I was frightened Garret was taking me somewhere else" he let his head bob up and down weakly as if he was fighting sleep.

"It’s ok, you’re safe now" Willow said slowly approaching him and kneeled down beside him. He gratefully rested his head on her shoulder and fell into a deep sleep. Rhyken couldn’t help feel a pang of jealousy but he pushed it aside and focused on the sky around him. It would soon be dawn so he decided it would be best to get some sleep before having to plan out his next move. He leaned back and slid his eyes shut and fell into a dreamless slumber.