Eventide Scriptures I - The Shattering of an Era

Chapter 16.1 - A Clash of Blades and Lies (Part I)

Author's note: Sorry, I couldn't provide an update on time yesterday because my illness relapsed.

The city guards stood vigilant at the northern gate of Renfru. Ryse had not anticipated that on the day he set foot in Renfru, the city would be closed due to a conference between King Ordofel and envoys from Arvane.

He needed to head east to stop his mentor. Time was running out. However, sneaking out or forcing his way would only lead to more trouble.

Ryse held mid-rank membership of the Adventurer Guild, Merchant Guild, and Monster Hunter Guild – the three main Guilds. These should have allowed Ryse to leave, but using them would enable his mentor to track him, compromising the plan to ambush him before his mentor could unleash calamity.

As the day turned to evening and group of ravens returned to their nests, Ryse went to a tavern to drink, hear the latest gossip, and seek information on leaving the city.

"Do you have any idea who's the Arvane representative?" a man said. He and his two companions were seated a few tables away from Ryse. With enhanced hearing, he could hear even the mice gossiping.

"Some flabby old fart?" the second person asked.

"Revionne Ilvamar! The Crown Princess of Arvane!"

"That's nonsense. Where'd you pick that up from?"

"While dropping off some salt to the palace kitchen, I happened to catch a glimpse of her. Her gray-blue hair and eyes. And let me tell you, her beauty is impossible to ignore."

Ryse sipped his pewter cup of apricot mead. Five people with Adventurer Guild emblems in the corner seemed to be having a more interesting conversation. He would eavesdrop on them.

Someone tapped his shoulder. Turning, he saw four city guards in light armor encircling his table.

"Well, well, taking it easy here, are we? Nothing better than a glass of apricot mead after raping a wild boar, right, Mister Boar Rapist?"

"You tell me. You seem experienced."

"Your joke's as bad as your taste in partner." The man who tapped his shoulder sat across him. "You raped a wild boar in the king's forest. That's a crime."

"You've got the wrong guy. I just got here this afternoon. Ask the harbormaster if you don't believe me."

A guard lifted the edge of Ryse's jacket with a short stick, revealing his whip, Tempest, at the waist.

"We're not wrong about this," the guard in front of him said. "Someone specifically mentioned the rapist carried a golden whip. Aren't you concerned about the boar? We have the perfect place for you to ponder over your deeds."

Ryse realized he was being framed. He did not even know which was the crime, raping the boar, doing it in the king's forest, or both. He placed three bronze coins on the table to pay for his drink and complied as the four guards escorted him.

Shaking off the tail of four regulars would not be difficult. However, causing a commotion at this time was unwise. Moreover, any infraction involving the use of Prana or Mana within the city would face severe penalties.

The cliffs bordering the west and east of Renfru were not parallel but tapered towards the north. They formed a long corridor before diverging again into an open area where the prison, soldier barracks, and Renfru palace were located. He imagined the city and palace layout of Renfru resembling a long-necked hourglass.

He could do nothing when they confiscated his belongings, including Tempest, and put him in a cell.

"Sigh..." The woman at the docks. She must have set him up. Now he was certain he had not misrecognized her.

Ryse exhaled again. The jailer treated him, a Thief Master, as a common street thief. It was an insult, though also a stroke of luck. A thief would not complain about an unlocked treasure chest.

They had only placed ordinary shackles on him, not bracelet to restrain Prana and Mana. He shifted his thumb joint and the shackles slipped off.

The cell was one level below ground. Moonlight streamed through the barred window in the ceiling. Had the guards inspected him more, they would have noticed that his shoelaces were serrated wire.

He removed the wire and sawed through the iron bars. In no time, a way out was open without even tickling the Sense Field.

The night air of late autumn welcomed him with icy caress as he emerged to the surface. After retying the wire, he surveyed his surroundings. The moon was waning, making the dew on the prison walls glisten.

Laughter and shadows of the guards came from the main intersections. Beyond the main roads, many areas were untouched by light, and patrols were infrequent. They were more vigilant against external threats than internal, that only made challenges that were once easy become dull for him.

Ryse's shoes made soft taps on the stone floor, quieter than a guard slapping a mosquito on his arm. To them, his presence was just a breeze or a flicker of torch smoke in the darkest corners, gentler than another guard's sighs of complaint. And before one finished grumbling to another, he had already escaped from the prison block.

Prana vision allowed him to see beyond regulars during a full moon. His current position was near the prison block on the west side. To the east lay the barracks block, while the gleaming north side was Renfru Palace.

Earlier, the jailer had instructed someone to take Tempest to the palace treasury. It indeed belonged there. He followed the shadows along the cliff contours northward. The palace silhouette, with its towers, was pierced by the bright squares of window lights.

A hedge maze surrounded all four corners of the palace, providing ample hiding spots. The garden also had several ponds inhabited by swans. Swans are territorial and can be more sensitive than guard dogs. However, the placement of the ponds prioritized aesthetics over security, leaving many gaps for him to exploit.

The palace walls and their rooftop ornaments grew taller as he moved from one hiding spot to another. Even here, the security was not as stringent as it should be, though this time he suspected some deliberate manipulation. Someone, likely that woman, had tampered with the security. The loopholes were not visible to the untrained eye but were enough for Ryse and those of his trade.

The sweet scent told him he was near the palace even if he could not see it, as the most fragrant flowers were usually placed closest to the main rooms.

The light from the palace windows and ornate braziers reduced his hiding spots. To get closer, he pretended to be one of the human-sized statues in the garden corners. Simple, maybe silly, but this very thought made the guards overlook him.

Once he reached the palace wall, the hardest part of the infiltration was over. The wall ornaments were like steps to him. With precise timing, he climbed while torch-bearing guards passed below, and reached the roof.

The palace had a trapezoid-shaped roof with grated windows on each face. Ryse stepped on the slate roof tiles, ensuring his foot always landed on rafters or ridges, and was careful of signs of leaks. It would be awkward if he fell through the roof amidst armed soldiers.

He checked each roof window until he found the treasury. The window had sliding glass, and he opened it from outside. His serrated wire then made a soft sound like a sword being unsheathed as he cut through the grates. He did not cut the grates at both ends; just one end was enough, then he bent the rest.

He hung with both hands before dropping to reduce noise. The treasury was full of treasures – a fact not as obvious as it sounded. He had often broken into treasuries only to find them empty, their contents spent on the owners' lavish feasts.

Tempest hung on the wall. He took it along with a handful of gem-studded rings as compensation. He then jumped to reach the window ledge and pulled himself back to the roof. Passive use of Prana to strengthen the body did not trigger the Sense Field.

He was contemplating the best way down when the roof window beside him lit up. Ryse lay flat before anyone noticed him.