The Knights of Grimm - Act 4 - Whispers of Arkhonex

Chapter 22 - The Enemy of My Enemy

Ortega

As Twilight has fallen...

The Admiral without a ship or an army ducks down behind a dumpster with his chrome revolver in his grasp, held up in his hand as he peers round to look at the street. Multiple Acolytes of Lien jog down with their rifles aimed up and flashlights activated as they walk around, searching for where he is hiding. Fingers held above the triggers until they get a target, carefully taking each step as they move, knowing that he could take them out with ease.

And he is not even a Huntsman.

"Keep your eyes peeled, Ortega has to be around here somewhere, no way he could have gotten far from the Academy." One of the Mercenaries advises as he walks forward, eyes darting around as they stare through the T-Shaped glowing red visor built into his helmet. The ray of light from the lamp attached to the underside of his rifle passes across the dark alleyway. White misty breath parts from his partially open mouth, the cold biting against his skin constantly as he remains on one knee, ready to attack when the opportunity arises.

He reaches down slowly to his knife and draws it, one of the other weapons he has sheathed on his belt. With a serrated edge and made of stainless steel and with golden accents in the blade, it is quite impressive. And clearly, he looks after this weapon a lot from the lack of scuffing and stains on its sharp surface.

The soldiers investigate each of the alleyways available to them, aiming their rifles down both of them as they prepare to investigate the area. Ortega grasps the dagger in his hand tight as one of the soldiers walks in his direction, about to check the dumpster. Ortega swiftly rises up, reaching to the gun and lifting the barrel up above his head, then ramming the knife up his neck where the helmet does not offer any protection. He quickly rips the blade from his bleeding throat and drags the body behind the dumpster, taking his Assault Rifle and his magazines on him, along with another grenades he fits into his pouch on his belt. He remains low, checking the chamber for any rounds currently loaded in, and he has not fired a shot yet.

Atlas is currently still under Martial Law, meaning that there is a Curfew at this hour, no civilians are meant to be outside right now, and if there is...well they get one warning before they are shot on sight. Luckily this means that this soldier has not killed any poor unlucky civilian so far, but there are Mercenaries absolutely everywhere in this once proud Kingdom. He takes the sling and hangs it over his shoulder and neck, then holstering his revolver now that he has a better weapon for this kind of situation.

"This isn't good, Darren...I need to find a way off this godforsaken Kingdom." He mumbles to himself, but he no longer has access to the Drift of Wandering Star, they would have been planning this. Kelham's signature has most likely replaced his own, meaning that his handprint and eyes can will mean absolutely nothing.

Ortega keeps his head down as best as he can, carefully moving down the path in the Alleyway, then he quickly takes cover when noticing a long beam of red light from a Sharpshooter on one of the rooftops, searching the Academy Grounds for the Former Admiral of their Flagship.

There are many more soldiers in the area, armed to the teeth and ready to gun him down the second they set their eyes on him, walking ever so slowly through the streets, with fingers close to their triggers if they see movement. The rumbling of countless vehicles can be felt and heard nearby, both in the sky and on the ground, the Acolytes are checking every nook a and cranny for where Ortega could have gone.

The Admiral scratches his short beard with his nails as he stops by the wall, multiple soldiers walking down the path and then a huge Armoured Personnel Carrier at their left. The vehicle is huge with a long Tank Cannon built into it, no match for a man like himself. He needs to get out of here without alerting the soldiers, otherwise he will be killed quicker than he can blink.