The Midnight: Dark Horizon

Chapter 8: Face to Face

     A loud knock came from the wooden door, startling Shani. Regaining her sense of awareness, she instantaneously hid under the bed next to the entrance, making sure the blankets covered the gap between the bed and floor. A voice pierced through the door, ordering for someone to open the room. Feeling a tightness within himself, Sebastian faltered as he reached for the knob. The knocking persisted once more. Not wanting to keep them waiting, Sebastian turned the handle, uncertain if this was the best idea.

     Three guards in wrinkled light guard uniforms stood looking unprofessional while giving off an intimidating presence from the past guards he's encountered before, most notable the man in the middle. The short man wore a vertical scar from the right side of his lips, almost reaching his small eye. His greasy dark hair peeked from underneath his sturdy helmet covering the top of his head down to his nose. Connected to the back of his headgear, two plates enveloped his cheeks, leaving his chin visible followed by a sinister grin. On his hip, two one-handed swords dangled in their brown sheaths.

     "May we come in fhr a bit?" His accent filled with musical intonations danced into Sebastian's ears with an icy sting. Without another word, he along with his men forced themselves through Sebastian until he noticed Aiden blocking his way with his robust torso. The man's eyes widened looking up at him, "Is dat you Aiden? It's been years! How have you been old friend?"

     Scoffing, Aiden's upper lip raised on one side, looking the most furious any of the group had seen him be to that point, "I'm not yer friend, Sephtis. Not efter whit ye did to me."

     "Aw come on, laddie! It was eider me or you, and I knew you'd take wan fhr de team." Sephtis's cackle cut through the air, digging its way deep into everyone's mind. Settling down, he continued, "Anyway, I'm not 'ere fhr you, but it's nice to see you playeng along with others." As he spoke his sentence, Sephtis glanced toward the rest of the group, ominously smirking at every one of them, "Who are dey, by de way, your new friends?"

     As Sebastian was about to answer, Aiden interfered, "They're wi' me, aye 'n' from whit I've seen, they would never betray me as ye did to me."

     "Oh, please -" Pushing his way past Aiden with the help of the other two guards, Sephtis's group began to search the room, "- water under de bridge, move on, will you?"

     Remembering how Shani tends to hide from guards, Sebastian tilted his head at Aiden to the bed where she was under. One of his large eyebrows raised in question to Sebastian's gesture. It hit Aiden within a second to understand and moved himself in front of it before Sephtis reached Shani.

     Looking at Aiden's feet, Sephtis let out a small chuckle through his teeth, "Do you mind?"

     Standing tall with his chest puffed out, Aiden stared at Sephtis, "I do. Whit exactly are ye looking fur?"

     "If you must know; I've gotten reports av sightings av a girl in town; dark skin, wearing 'eadwrappengs av some kind, and carrying two swords. Have you by any chance seen 'er?"

     Now with concrete evidence they were searching for Shani, Aiden didn't let up, "Na, she isn't 'ere as ye can see. She may have left toun already, so why don't ye 'n' yer men get oot of our room before ah batter yer head in?"

     A devilish giggle escaped from Sephtis, "You don't want to do this." Reaching for his weapons, he looked up straight into Aiden's eyes towering above him.

     "Oh, trust me -" One of Aiden's hands reached behind his back, grasping the grip of his new war hammer, "- ah do."

     The atmosphere in the room changed heavily; Sebastian's hand trembled while holding the handle of his katana. The two other guards had their armored hands on their own weapon, and Nia stepped back with her back against a corner with no way to reach her bow. Feeling the weight of the situation, Nia knew that if anything happened, there would be no way for her to help in such an enclosed place even if she had her weapon. The best option she had was to stay away from all the fighting if it broke out so she would not get in their way.