In an alley near the Arthur's guild hall, Anna materialized silently.
The princess had never before sent her away.
Not during assassination attempts, not during political upheavals.
Which ant that this guild master, was very important in Elara's eyes.
Anna moved to a rooftop overlooking the guild hall, her body lting into shadows as she prepared for a long night of vigilance.
Whoever ca for Arthur would find death waiting instead.
...
As Elara had suspected, ten figures in dark clothing gathered on a rooftop far away from Arthur's guild hall.
Moonlight glinted off the leader's silver mask, the only distinguishing feature among them.
"Paraters?" a woman asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Silver Mask unrolled a small scroll. "Target na: Azarel. Recently manifested a guild called Power."
"Manifested?" another assassin questioned. "As in a pillar?"
"Yes," Silver Mask confird. "Hence the rush job."
A tall figure tested his bowstring. "Paynt?"
"Triple the usual rate. Half now, half upon confirmation."
Low whistles from several mbers.
"What's the ti window?" the woman asked.
"He must not see the dawn."
A shorter assassin adjusted his daggers. "Why the urgency?"
Silver Mask's voice hardened. "We don't ask questions. We complete contracts."
But the question hung in the air. A guild manifestation hadn't occurred in a very long ti. Soone was terrified enough to order an imdiate elimination.
"Defenses?" the archer asked.
"Unknown, but assu the worst. The target triggered a manifestation."
"Approach from all sides," the woman suggested. "Fen and Taris take the roof. rrol and I through the front. Lostar and Kythe from below if there's access."
Silver Mask nodded. "The rest with through the back. Quick, clean, no evidence."
They moved into position as darkness settled over Caldera City.
Anna crouched on a chimney stack, counting the assassins as they spread out. Ten. All wearing the distinctive dark leathers of the Shadowhand Guild.
'High-end killers,' she thought. 'Soone spent serious gold.'
The Shadowhand didn't take trivial contracts.
Anna withdrew a small crystal from her pouch. "Shadow team of ten surrounding the guild hall. Shadowhand markings. Preparing to breach."
The crystal pulsed once, acknowledgnt from the palace.
She slid a thin blade from her sleeve. Protocol dictated she should watch, gather intelligence, identify the employer.
But the princess had been clear: protect him.
Her decision made, Anna lted into the shadows, tracking the two assassins moving toward the roof.
Inside the guild hall, Arthur surveyed his transford headquarters with satisfaction.
'Not bad for one day's work,' he mused.
He stopped by a window, looking out at Caldera's night skyline.
Arthur wasn't naive.
He knew enough about Caldera's political landscape to understand what would co next. A manifestation. A new power stepping onto the board.
Soone would move against him tonight. The only question was who would strike first.
"Formicia, return," he commanded.
The massive spider queen dissolved into motes of light, returning to the summon space.
Arthur checked his inventory, then glanced at the empty guild hall. Brand new, barely used, and already a target.
'They will attack today without a doubt,' he thought. 'I'm not going to risk it. I'll simply log out... they can't kill a man who doesn't exist after all.'
A smile played across his lips as he opened his nu. The logout option glowed invitingly.
"Let them co. They'd find nothing but air."
Arthur pressed it, his body dissolving into blue particles, leaving the empty guild hall behind.
...
The assassin called Fen reached the roof first, testing a skylight. Locked.
"Need a minute," she whispered to Taris.
"Make it fast," he replied, nocking an arrow.
A shadow moved behind them.
Taris spun as he felt sothing, albeit it was too late.
His weapon raised, but it was too late.
Anna's blade sliced across his throat with surgical precision. Before his body hit the roof, she was already moving toward Fen.
The woman sensed the attack, rolling aside as Anna's blade struck where her head had been a mont before.
"Royal guard," Fen hissed, recognizing the distinctive fighting style. "Why—"
Her question ended in a gurgle as Anna's second blade found her heart.
Anna wiped her weapons clean. "Two down," she whispered to herself.
Below, the remaining assassins continued their approach, unaware of their dwindling numbers.
Silver Mask paused at the back entrance, listening. Sothing felt wrong.
"Fen, status?" he whispered into a communication crystal.
Silence.
"Taris?"
Nothing.
"They're compromised," he told the others. "New plan. All teams converge on my position. Now."
Four shadows slipped beside him imdiately. Two more approached from the side of the building.
"Where are rrol and Kitha?" soone asked.
As if in answer, a body tumbled from above, landing with a sickening crunch at their feet. rrol's dead eyes stared skyward, a neat slash across his throat.
"Trap," Silver Mask hissed. "Defensive positions!"
The assassins ford a circle, their weapons drawn.
Anna's voice drifted from everywhere and nowhere. "Leave now."
Silver Mask's voice remained cold. "You wish."
"You have a death wish."
An arrow flew from the darkness, piercing the throat of the assassin beside Silver Mask.
The remaining killers scattered, seeking cover.
"Find her!" Silver Mask ordered.
Another assassin fell, a throwing blade embedded in his eye.
Five down.
The archer fired blindly into shadows, arrows splintering against stone.
"There!" he shouted, spotting movent.
Three arrows flew true, only to pass through empty air.
Anna appeared behind him, her blade opening his back from shoulder to hip.
Six.
Inside the palace, Princess Elara paced her chambers. The communication crystal on her desk had pulsed six tis, Anna's signal for eliminating threats.
A servant knocked gently. "Your Highness? Your father requests your presence."
"Now?" Elara frowned.
"Yes."
Elara composed herself, smoothing her expression into pleasant neutrality.
"Tell him I'll be right there."
As the servant left, Elara touched the crystal once, sending encouragent to Anna.
Silver Mask realized they were losing badly. Seven of his team already down, their bodies scattered across the guild hall grounds.
"Retreat," he ordered the two survivors. "Contract aborted."
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