"What d'you think happened?"

"Didn't you hear? There was a heretic cultist spotted within the plaza. Apparently, he wrecked the place, so now the guards are lookin' for him,"

Two men chatted to each other over the strong aroma of beer and spirits. Both were mercenaries downing some bottles to finish off their day.

"Ay man, don't kid with me. That's the funniest crap I've heard all day,"

"Oi! It ain't bull alright!"

*Boom!*

Just a district away from the pub an enormous explosion occurred followed by the fumes of engulfing flames.

"Gods damn! The hell was that!?" He exclaimed rising from his seat.

"Think we should check it out?"

"I dunno man, it feels kinda suspicious,"

Similar interactions happened between many other citizens around the district as they pondered on the cause of the commotion.

…

"Jeff, you absolute sped! How? Just how!?" Savage yells at me whilst we're running "You do realize we're both in the same boat, right?"

"Well yes, but actually no,"

We were indeed stuck in the same situation, but I just couldn't find a reasoning to prove why we were in the same boat, or in any boat for that matter.

Nonetheless, recalling what happened a moment ago, the plan was to escape through the sewers and exit the city that way but…

"You somehow, miraculously found a way to screw us over," Savage hisses at me, as we run a considerable distance away from the explosion site.

We slink around the dark streets, somehow escaping the area without being seen.

"Damn, Sharne is really slacking, huh?" He says, sporting a glance behind us and noticing the adequate lack of guards streaming to the location, despite the not so little ruckus caused.

However, we would be caught sooner or later, so it was best to act now before the guards properly get their bearings. Additionally, with a Knight Order stationed in the city, there was a higher likelihood of bumping into them if we lingered for too long.

However, as we turn a corner-

"Hey! Who goes there!"

An encounter!

Suddenly confronting another party in the alley, the team captain immediately issues a demand.

"Identify yourselves!"

Phew, looks they don't recognise us. Makes sense, a few hours wouldn't be enough to disseminate our portraits across all the guards in the city. So, as long as we give a credible sounding spiel, we should be able to successfully evade this patrol.

"We're part of the guard patrol team, we were attracted by the explosion just then,"

"Hmm, you don't look it, you two, show some proof!" The captain yelled, finding our cover story suspicious. However, I wouldn't just back myself into a corner like this, I was still, up until a couple hours ago a guard, even if I was mostly relegated to the blockhouse and nearby oubliette-cum-execution grounds. And as a member of the city's law enforcement, I obviously had a guard identification badge, and with that, it displayed a valuable option to present itself in this interrogation. Item, go!

"Here," I grunt, presenting my guard badge.

But! This wasn't enough to alleviate the captain's suspicions.

"Hmm, this would be pretty solid evidence…"

He ruminates for a moment, putting a hand to his chin in thought. Only to look back at me with eyes filled with mirth. Judgement fail!

"If you ignore the fact that patrol teams have a minimum of three people!"

Critical hit! The captain immediately pointed out a major flaw in my argument from the very beginning. He was just playing along! Pressing on he continues tearing up this opening.

"Plus! You aren't even wearing guard uniforms! How mentally ill do you have to be to impersonate a guard, and not even wear the uniform?!"

Arg, what a bastard! No need to be so rude! You could've just exposed us and been done with but you just have to drag it out. At this point, your askin' for it. If you want the smoke so bad you can have it! No need for the formalities chief!

"If you think you ca-"

*Tch!* A crisp sound reverberates through the alleyway.

Staring down at the hole through his torso, he gapes inaudibly, as his lungs filled with blood. Ha, too busy being smug were ya'? That's what you get!

Indeed, that was me, whilst the patrol guard was hung up on the battle of words, I pulled out my crossbow, before blasting an iron bolt in his gut, enchanted with the essence of steel.

After all, according to everything I've experienced, violence is always the answer!

The other members were stunned, only till his body hit the ground with a thud, did they register the situation. Though, by that time, Savage, taking my cue, had already cut them up. His daggers expertly targeting vital points, ruthlessly crippling and killing the guards. Their yelling and screaming dying away before they even began. Looking at the mess of body parts on the ground, I can't help but frown at Savage. Why are you so violent? I know that violence is the answer, but going this far was clearly unnecessary.

However, as always, he ignores me and silently presses forward.

Fine, be silent. Granted, I wasn't speaking either…

Though as luck would have it, we immediately bump into someone else, and he was quite unnerving if I had to say. I mean he looked like a normal person, however, as he turned around to face us, the guy had no face! Well, it was not that he had no face, but rather he was covered by a sort of ethereal black smoke, all I could see was a white plastered smile and two white dots which presumably served as eyes.

Nope nope. We're going the long way. Hm, Savage? No, no don't approach him.

We're going the other way! Alright? The other way! What the heck is with this city today?! I swear it wasn't like this yesterday.

Reeling away from the second encounter tonight, I just feel tired. So very tired of all the shenanigans. But that doesn't stop my legs from sprinting as fast as I can.

And eventually, we reach the destination of this ludicrous footslog. At night, the city gates would be closed and a platoon of guards would be placed at each gate, followed by patrol teams scattered across the walls themselves. The place was guarded as such due to the high monster population near the area, which means higher defences are required, and there would probably be more guards on the walls as well, to prevent me from escaping.

The original plan was to just sneak out of the city through the sewers and that would be that, but that plan is dashed due to… unforeseen events.

"Don't pretend like this wasn't your fault," Savage lashes at me.

Anyway, ignoring that, the new plan is to get on the walls, then jump off of them, and escape. Jumping off of ten meter high walls is suicide you say? Nonsense, we won't be throwing ourselves off the walls all willy nilly, no, we were going to scale off the walls. We'll get shot at you say? No, I was their comrade up until today, surely they wouldn't be so cruel…

Okay, you got me, the plan sucks ass and I'd most certainly get shot. But what better plan could you come up with, huh? That's what I thought.

"Alright, Jeffrey follow my lead and don't do anything stupid," Savage says as he eyed the blockhouse connecting to the wall. We plan to get on the wall through there and luckily, it's deserted for the time being. Kicking down the door Savage rushes in without a word. Godsdamnit! I have the keys man! You didn't have to kick the door down!

Seeing me still outside, he gives me a strange look. I used to work here, so of course I have the keys!

Sigh. I follow him in, exasperated and nearly losing sight of him for a second, which was quite ridiculous as Savage was a big fella so it should've been super easy to just follow him. And not to brag, but I can see rather well in the dark, so that should not have happened.

Nonetheless, getting on the wall walk, we find someone already there, not too surprising, until you see the coat of arms he bears.

Mhm, if I recall correctly, he was from a knight order and one that excels at nighttime expeditions at that. And look at that, it's nighttime…

Where's the alcohol? Let me drown my sorrows.

"Oh, you must be the so called cultist everyone's lookin' for," He surprisingly doesn't immediately start attacking and instead opts for a rather polite introduction, "You can call me Derrick,"

He pauses, before continuing on.

"Knight Commander of the second Night Knight Order,"

Sigh, you might as well end me now.