Unraveling

An eerie sense of foreboding could be felt throughout the palace grounds tonight.

It was deathly still, incredibly unusual even for the most unusual of nights. The bright full moon hung high on the horizon, giving the darkness a mystical hue.

It was an atypical night for the kingdom of Where. Their officers and soldiers had pulled out of the front lines of the war in Ubwiza a few days ago after a peace treaty had been signed between the neighboring shifter kingdom. But after they arrived earlier this afternoon, the celebrations that should accompany the ending of a war, most notably in the palace, were nonexistent. 

Sure, outside the palace, the celebrations had already begun to hit a fever pitch. Barrels of ale had been overflowing in the street parties, the smell of roast meat flavored the air with its unmistakable aroma of grease and oil, scenes of cheerful return to families, and tall tales of the brave soldiers from the battlefront…

But inside the palace, there was nothing. No banners, no cheery atmosphere, no beer, not even a single pip from the monarch...

There was only a small, seemingly overused wooden note hung in front of the doorway leading to the royal residence that said…

"Don't disturb me… I'll be partaking in the arduous, holy task of making royal heirs forced upon me by this crown, until the morning. I may just be coerced into this by my station, but if any of you disturb me, I will personally wipe you and your family off the face of the earth."

As much as it sounded like an edict forced upon him, every single member of the palace didn't even bat an eyelid. Because as much as it sounded like a task he never wanted to do, this was just how every single day ended for the workforce of the palace.

"He's at it again with one of those sessions isn't he?" A female court servant holding a tray of tea grumbled to a fellow servant as she walked past the dark, single floor residence.

"Shhh! Don't say that out loud! He'll really wipe your clan out until there's none left if he hears you!" The veteran servant said in haste. She doesn't want to get implicated in a petty crime like that.

Besides, a king producing kids is for the benefit of the country. 

These two, along with the rest of the night courtiers, and even the night guard of the palace were oblivious to the conspiracies that were about to take place that night.

It was a night that could change the course of the kingdom forever.

As of this moment, several hooded figures are hiding in several dark places within the  palace walls.

How they got there, no one knew.

These people moved stealthily, through the shadows, and the gaps where the palace yard torchlights couldn't reach. All of them wore black clothing, and had a light foot adept for missions like these.

All of them had started taking positions outside the royal residence, which was surprisingly unmanned by even a singular member of the kingsguard. 

It was inevitable then, that when these assailants in black raised their muskets on to their shoulders and got ready to fire, no one was there to sniff out the attempt.

The debauchery of the moans inside the massive hall had continued drowning out the silence of the place, with pleasure and passion the only thing occupying the lewd minds of the King, and however many royal harem members were inside.

However, why would these assassins care about that?

If it would make their jobs easier, then so be it.

Static crackled from the radio of the leader of the assassins. His face dripped a zeal that he had acquired from the thrill of a hundred successful assassinations. 

Now that the palace guards have all died seamlessly, the final phase of the long term conspiracy is about to enter its climax. To be a part of it, was a momentous honor that only assassins of the highest caliber could have.

At once, the thirty six strong musketeers drained the mana from the small containers they had with them which loaded it with deadly bullets. Once the standard runes on their muskets had fully lit up, they cocked their guns in front of the wooden walls at each side of the small royal bedroom with precise movements.

Every single one of them was itching to pepper the King's body with their auric lead.

The gunners calmed their nerves, focused their senses, slowed their breathing to almost a standstill, waiting for the exact moment where their bullets rip the tyrant King's body into shreds.

Three… 

Two…

One…

Fire!

A melodious stream of runic gunfire mixed with the incessant shattering of wood and stone sent the pin drop silence of the palace into a whirling cyclone of death and destruction.

The moon, who shone bright over the horizon, emitted an almost reddish glow, seemingly enjoying the rain of musket fire.

Slice!

Amid their musket assault, the captain of the assassins heard a weird, and horrifying, slicing sound in the wind, seemingly cutting through his soul. 

As the entirety of Where's royal residence got torn apart at the seams after an unwinnable bout with empowered bullets, two figures, one naked and one clothed, emerged in the middle of the rubble and smoke.

The cruel scene of their unsuccessful mission was the last the crew of assassins saw of the world.

"Good. My swordsmanship has not regressed to an unusable level yet." The naked Lupus scratched the itch on his pot belly with the butt of his razor sharp sword. "It still felt a little weak, however…"

He was unharmed.

The other person beside him, apparently a lady, disappeared without a trace.

Short, high-pitched shrieks could be heard on several locations throughout the palace grounds within the next minute or so. 

All the while, Lupus took his time to put on his gray robes, and strolled to the front of his now destroyed residence.

"You lowlifes can't kill me." He gazed at the lifeless lower halves of the people who had just tried to end his life with disdain, even going so far as to further decapitate the body of the person he thought led the attempt. 

Lupus welcomed the rain of blood that came after the carnage, as the finely sliced upper halves of the assassins started raining down, all with their mix of stunned, confused, and indignant expressions. He could also see that his unlikely companion had made the rain of blood even more feistier, as a few dozen more upper halves and heads were added to the gore collection. 

Now that he'd seen the full moon shining bright above him, he fought the urge to show his true colors.

Maybe, it's time for action.

Maybe, it's time to rent his own kingdom asunder.