War Of Freedom- Fallen (book One)

Ch 1: The Adventure Of Life

AT PRESENT
EMPIRE OF SAVERNIA, AZSINELLI CITY.

Four teenagers loitered outside the palace. The sun had dipped beyond the horizon, but its golden glow still tinted the sky. They had no choice but to wait until the Azsinelli city fell asleep in order to execute their plan.

Once the night fell, Jadenyx peeped through the cracks in the granite stone fence. The palace guards' day shift had just ended, and the wooden corridor around the palace fell empty. The timing was perfect.

He turned his head sideways and whispered, "It's empty. Hurrun after me."

The other three teenagers, two boys and a girl, standing beside him nodded. They tightened their leather gloves and fastened their boot laces. Their sharp eyes scanned the area for ambushes.

Jadenyx jumped across the stone fence and darted over the Hind Garden to hide behind a huge Oak tree in an instant. He placed his palm on the bark and kept an eye on the corridor.

A cold breeze brushed past him, carrying the lavender aroma from the incense at the foot of the tree. He pulled his collar up and tucked his hands in his pocket.

Savernians worshipped the Oak tree as an embodiment of immortality. Be it famine, floods or spring, it never withered. To Jadenyx, it was nothing but a perfect cover to hide as its extensive green canopy grazed the palace walls, casting a wide shadow.

He skulked while running towards the corridor, crossed the handrail, and plastered himself against the wall. The other followed him soon.

So far, this has been the biggest quest in his seventeen years of life. Never before had he thought of invading the palace this way. One wrong move, and the executioner's blade would plummet directly onto his neck without any mercy- exactly why his heart thumped against his chest and blood gushed through his veins along with overwhelming excitement. He smudged the nervous sweat trickling down his temples. Fear, intermingled with adrenaline, burned him up in this cold weather.

He slid along the wall to peep around the corner and locate his next target. Two palace guards, covered in full armour, stood at the entrance of a gloomy alleyway opening into the bowels of the palace. Their sharp eyes scanned the area, ready to catch even a single, tiny spark. Jadenyx should reach the alleyway as discreetly as possible to get closer to his destination.

Handover during shift changes occurred in two phases. Firstly, the guards guarding the doors and paths changed. In the second phase, the patrolling guards changed their shifts. Phase one completed. According to the plan, the teenagers should enter the alleyway before the patrolling guards resume their duties.

Jadenyx smirked. By now, he knew every corner of the palace like it was his home.

A gentle tug at his coat sleeve interrupted his chain of thoughts. He twisted his neck sideways, where a boy of his age, dressed in plain and neat clothes that betrayed the purpose of the quest, reminded him in a tender tone, "Be careful."

Jadenyx nodded and twisted back to spy on the guards.

When the guards seemed unfocused, he nudged the boy and whispered, "Your turn."

The boy stopped leaning. Adjusted his collar and brushed off the dew drops on his coat. With clasped hands at his back and a slightly raised chin, he leisurely strolled along the corridor, acting like he was admiring nature.