Knightress

Chapter 11

The hills smelt strongly metallic, the constant scent of blood was sickening. Yellow tape wrapped on iron short poles plunged into the dirt, surrounding the pool of Jades blood.

Laura stood above it with her fingers pinching her nose as she inspected the area, the guards told that they left no stones unturned searching for any possible clue but couldn't find any. Their issue was finding the person responsible rather than what would lead them to the person, she doubted their ability to thoroughly search a crime scene.

Her eyes fell on the soft soil, she knelt and touched it, there were dozens of footprints from the guards who marched about to and fro. The place the person decided to draw the blood was very compressed with trees, infront of her were tall, thick trees and behind her were thin, dainty, grown together trees with weak yet sharp bark and twigs.

She left the puddle of blood and started into the tight bundle of trees, she was probably four times thinner than those guards which gave her somewhat of an advantage. She ventured through it slowly and gingerly, weaving through the tight, narrow spaces effortlessly. The trees were so close together that from where she stood, she could barely see the crime scene, it acted like a natural wall where one could stand yet not be detected. The closeness of leaves permitted only patches of sun light to enter, no birds tweeted on this side of the hill, the further she went the more tight the trees got making hard to weave through.

She hissed as a jagged piece of bark scraped her arm, tearing her long-sleeved top. As she turned to tend to the scratch, her gaze fell upon a snippet of scarlet material caught on the bark. A triumphant smile spread across her face.

"Bingo!" she whispered.

She carefully plucked the fabric from the bark and tossed it from palm to palm, examining it. On the other side, a Kingdom crest was emblazoned – a golden shell adorned with a small ruby in its curl. Laura's eyes sparkled with excitement as she extended her hand, camera at the ready. With a few quick adjustments, she snapped a photo. The printed image slowly materialized, and Laura carefully dried it. As she tucked the fabric and photo into her pouch, she scanned her surroundings, her senses on high alert. The hairs on her arm stood on end, and she felt an unsettling, unshakeable sense that she was being watched. Though she couldn't pinpoint the source, she knew instinctively that someone – or something – was lurking on this hill, observing her every move. Someone was in this hill, she knew it. But that's not what she's looking for.

She exited the tight cluster of trees and headed down the hills, she walked freely passed the barracks and up a small hill through the back door she saw Andreas use after training. She entered into a little area under a flight of stairs. As she ascended the wide, marble winder staircase, the soft hum of LED lights illuminated the minimalist architecture, casting a futuristic glow on the polished steel accents. The air was crisp and clean, with a hint of citrus from the automated scent diffusers. With each step, the soft, gray carpet beneath her feet muffled her footsteps, allowing her to move silently through the vacant hallway. Laura's eyes sparkled with excitement as she reached the top of the stairs, her gaze sweeping across the expansive, floor-to-ceiling windows that offered breathtaking views of the surrounding cityscape.

She entered an arched hallway that had floor-to-ceiling grey marble tiles and portraits of a bunch of royals she didn't know, she twirled as her eyes stared at the golden chandelier above her when she bumped into something hard.

"Ouch!" She groaned rubbing her head

"I'm so-... oh it's you..." Said the loathful voice of Prince Andreas

"Don't think I'm happy to see you either," Laura said giving him a look, which he returned.

"Don't you have something for me?" She asked