Melody of Blood and Night

One

She moved through the night like a wraith. Her form, nothing but a shadow, a ghost, as she leapt from one roof to another, like they were puddles in a well-trodden street. A force to be reckoned with. Soft tendrils of her blue-black hair escaped her cloak's hood. She slowed her pace to a jog as the towering building of the Gold Lion came into view. The infamous casino of Esmain, the city of dreams, the heart of Caestros, the Kingdom where everyone could be someone, or so they said. Though the slums, with their tumbled down, half-crumbled hovels illustrated exactly the opposite.

The city was said to be safe heaven, from the War in the North. The refugee numbers had increased twice fold this past month, they said, such was the havoc Imperium wreaked, with its impenetrable defence, Shadow warriors who could go on fighting for days with undiminished vigour; without food or water. Aedlyn didnt think of all this as she took a calculating step back to study the rain-streaked grey brick wall of the casino. Today, her target was a stout petty lord, fifty-five years in age, with dusty grey hair. She had observed him, tailed him too, that was precisely how she had learnt of his dirty little secret, about how he liked to gamble every Friday and drink till he could no longer stand whereupon he would head to his room with one of the illegal escorts the casino offered to whoever could pay enough coin, and leave at dawn.

The wall facing towards her had two big, rectangular windows that offered a peek into the luxurious hallway complete with two beautiful glass chandeliers, red wallpaper with a pattern of gold leaves and a piano at the far end, near the stairway. Classy, she thought as she took a few more steps backwards and then broke into a run. She leapt forward with great momentum, to overcome the width of the wide alleyway that lay between the house she stood atop and the Gold Lion, and latched onto the parapet of the casinos roof with a soft thud. She lowered herself slowly until her feet were touching the windows transom and gently kicked it open. She swung herself inside and landed on her feet. She walked to the other end of the corridor and dropped her hood, revealing an ethereal beauty. Sudden laughter of triumph that even the thick walls of the gambling room could not contain filled the corridor and soon after, three middle-aged men stumbled out of the room, her target being the one on the left. Her cold, demeanour, quickly melted into a polite, submissive countenance and a welcoming smile lit up her face as she bowed and said, with a voice like golden honey, "Greetings, Lord Hemmingway, right this way, if you please." The Lord's face turned bright red as his glassy eyes darkened with lust as did the lewd eyes of his other two companions. Adelyn walked past them towards the room that lay closest to the window and with a seductive glace, full of passionate promise, walked into the room.

She quickly opened the window in the room and stealthily stepped behind the open door as the Lords heavy tread drew closer. He entered the room a heartbeat later, ready to pounce on her like a tiger onto a deer. His expression grew confused as he beheld the sight of an empty bed before him, and thats when she struck, her mesmerizing eyes turned cold and her gaze turned sharp and focused, fixated on his every move. Her movements were swift, surreptitious like a felines when it corners the mouse. In the blink of an eye, she was upon him, the wickedly sharp blade of her silver Kris Dragon Dagger angled at his throat. "One sound out of your mouth and I will cut out your tongue." She warned in a grave tone and a voice as sharp and lethal as her blade. His throat bobbed. "Please. If.... if it is money you want, you can have as much as you like. I promise you enough to last a lifetime. Just...just let me go. Please!" he said meekly, but Aedlyn asked in a nonchalant manner," Who bribed you to change the battalion being sent to the front Hemmingway?" at which his pleading eyes grew to the size of saucers." How did you- "he began to ask but she cut him off."I am the one asking questions here Robert. Now, Who. Bribed. You?" She repeated but the Lord just looked at her with uncertain, fearful eyes, "No answer?" she asked again. "Maybe this will help," she said as she pressed her Dagger further into the soft flesh of his fat neck. "It was the Duke! It was Duke Williams!" he choked out. "Hmm, interesting. Well, thank you for your co-operation, he will join you shortly", she said. "What do you mea-" his question died with him as she slit his throat with the precision of a professional. She sighed deeply at the Lord, whose body now lay lifeless, his blood staining the woollen carpet beneath, and muttered a small prayer to Keres, the Goddess of Death, for his soul before she slipped out into the cold night, her heart heavier than before.