Part I
"He's not coming back, is he?" a fat boy in a yellow tunic aghast. "Shut up you pigface, He's not a coward like you! of course he'll come back!" another boy exclaimed. "Didn't granny say it's dangerous here?" fatty replied.
"Shh!. just shut the fuck up Oli!"
There was almost nothing that their eyes could gather, it was the peak of the night and it seems that the guards were sitting, backs laid against the rubbles and ruins, dead asleep hugging their spears and halberds. Their metal caps covered their faces as if to wander off mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects. The boys didn't count the guardsmen.
"Oy! did you hear that?" Oli whispered indistinctly. They were hiding behind the bush ten steps away from the Mine. "Hear what?"
"Listen! to the ground!"
The boys pressed their ears on the ground, anxiously observing the vibrations it's making. The sound came louder and more chaotic. Stomps, like a race of giant footsteps banging against the soil.
"Hide!" exclaimed Oli "Don't reveal an inch!" they curled down and closed their eyes hoping no one has seen them. The horses snorted as they arrived at a full stop. They were still hiding, but they could hear the weapons being sheathed. Men murmuring and collection of panic then came silence.
Oli managed to peak through the leaves, he could barely see, not much but enough to see what the commotion was about. A man with an iron helm that covered his entire head unmounted, he was wearing metallic boots that covered his feet to his knees. A cuirass fitted from his neck to his waist with a symbol of a sun with eight rays inscribed with two eyes inside the circle. With all his metal outfit radiating in brilliance, no one would notice his tight leather pants tucked inside his armor.
"A scenic view!" the man clapped in amusement, a banging of metal seconding his claps "Who's your superintendent?"
"Sir! apologies!" the guardsmen gathered standing straight up facing the men who just arrived. "We take orders from Lady Dortis, sir!"
The man with iron fittings grabbed his helm with his iron-gloved hands. He shook his head as he removes the helm and his long, soft and golden hair bounced with the movement of his head. The guards even stood more firmly hands straight down to the sides.
"And the order?" Coryl fixed his hair.
The guardsmen looked at each other waiting for someone to answer the Knight's inquiry.
"To guard the cave and prevent anyone from entering, by all means, sir Coryl!" a guardsman from behind the row, shaking as he pronounced the words.
"And?" Coryl pressed his palm at the edge of his hilt.
"That's everything, sir-"
Coryl grabbed the hilt and unsheathed the blade before the guardsman finished his sentence he dashed forward and swung the blade slightly upward at the two guardsmen, it happened so fast the guardsmen didn't even have the chance to flinch. Coryl sheathed the blade, back to its scabbard. The guardsmen were stunned, didn't move and were sweating out of fear. The blade didn't hit them, but the wind the blade made slashed through their garments, sliced through their chainmail and made a slim cut to their chest. One of the guards fell to the ground face down, fainted. While the other one dropped hard to his knees, blood squirting out from his neck as his head rolled to the ground.
Oli covered his mouth with his hands, terrified. "Oli! what is it?" whispered the other boy. "Run! Run! we're done for! he killed them!" he once more peaked through the leaves.
Coryl the Knight didn't move but his head, looking at the direction which leads to where they're hiding. Their eyes met and in the pure sanguine smile, he blinked at Oli.
