The Devil's Kingdom

The Master

My bet wasn't wasted. After crossing the cities & towns, those two men did entered inside a dense forest with tall & broad trees with its canopies spread like parasols on the upper portion shading most of the ground, hardly allowing any sunrays to filter through them and making the forest dark & shady.

This forest is present far far away from city and crowds, perfect for an assassin group to reside here.

I suppress my presence completely to zero as the forest is so silent that I doubt even a small creak of wood can be heard from miles away.

They were walking & walking steadily without any break deeper and deeper inside the forest. It's getting darker inside the forest. I could barely see them so all I could do is to sense their presence and follow them.

But suddenly I couldn't sense any presence. They couldn't possibly vanish! I try to concentrate all my focus and track them. I did. My eyes rounds up when I sense them standing infront me some five feet away.

They caught me.

I put my sword inside my dress, infront of my body and hold my hands up in surrender.

" Ignite. " I hear someone command. And within a minute, a fire ignites letting me see them and vice-versa. I look at the person holding the firewood walk from behind me and the other man standing with his sword out pointed towards me.

Both of them looked at me carefully from my head to toe possibly searching for a weapon I might be hiding. They can't see my sword. I've to make them believe that I'm unarmed and unharmful.

" Who are you and why are you following us? " the one holding the sword to me asks in a threatening tone.

I didn't answered them.

Both of them looked at each other deciding upon something. That's when I spoke " I can help you kill the King of Asterin! "

Two heads snaps immediately towards me with shocked eyes. But suddenly the shock turns into suspicions. That man's sword moves a little closer to me when he asks " Who are you? "

The other man- no its a woman. Both of them are wearing the same clothes & hiding their face except their eyes. That's why I realized it only when she spoke for the first time " Are you one of those spies of royal palace? Because no commoner knows about any assassin group trying to kill the King & not the royal palace seems to let the information out yet. So, how do you know about us? "

Oh no, I messed up.

" I'll tell my true identity but I've a condition too. " I say and step forward close to them " Take me to your leader! "
They look at each other again discussing upon something through their gazes. I wait for both of them to finish their silent talk. Once they're done, they guide me- or rather I would say took me as a captive with them.

I was surprised when they walked further deep into the forest. After crossing a certain point, there's not a thing visible inside the forest without the fire. This has to be the deepest part of the forest that is completely shadowed beneath these monstrous trees with extreme numbers in each of their physical features.

At a particular place, they finally stopped. That man steps ahead and pushes open something. I couldn't see what in that much of darkness but from the sound of it, I can tell it's made of wood.

After few minutes, a huge gate opens infront of us revealing a huge bonfire burning in the middle and glowing the whole area. That man nods me to walk inside first. They probably think now that I've seen their base, I'll make a run.