Chapter 16

"Fifteen bronze shrillings, per room for a day, my lord." The innkeeper replied to Kylian's inquiry with a smile. After the change of clothes, Kylian looked like a young noble and seeing 'Hodor whom the innkeeper had misunderstood for a guard only assured him further of Kylian's high birth.

"No, you are charging us extra." Benn complained.

The innkeeper immediately gave Benn a daggering look. "Lord if I must say, we have some cheap rooms that your servant here might use."

Now it was Benn's face that soured, at the indication.

Benn was about to lash out when Kylian spoke aloud- "Huh.. so cheap... We will take three rooms." there was an air of arrogance in his tone. Kylian then casually tossed a silver shrilling towards the innkeeper.

Although the innkeeper was charging them more, but Kylian had to enact well to fit the role. And a silver shrilling for their lives was just a petty sum.

"We will be staying for two days."

When Kylian saw the innkeeper take out ten bronze shrillings, he further added "You can keep the change, just some bronze shrillings."

The keep's face lit up, delight was visible on the man's face, that was his week salary- "Lord you are generous."

Then the man himself showed the three to their rooms.

The sun was already down, it was time for Kylian to make his move. He sneaked through the window, down on the dark alleyway. He made sure no one had seen him get down so even if things took a wrong turn in the assassin guild building, he still would have a perfect alibi.

The Honourless guild was located just a couple of building away from the inn. Kylian had purposely chosen this inn as the dark alleyway directly linked it with the back of the guild building. He wanted to avoid the main road, needless to say this part of the city was crawling with guards, soldiers and assassins. Every one of them, owned and fed by the nobles.

Kylian had taken extra precaution as according to Benn the guild was an elite so he wanted to avoid making mistakes. Kylian put up the assassin's uniform he had taken earlier and walked in the dark alley making his way towards the guild.

He had to admit he was impressed when he reached the backside of the building. It was a four-storied building with a large area around it, much bigger than he had expected.

If somehow someone managed to scale the walls it would be useless since the roof was secured by slate tiles, too smooth to balance on.

Kylian walked around the building, moving vigilantly from shadow to shadows.

He quickly crouched down in the shadow of a carved figure of a half-broken shield as one of the assassins passed by in his petrol. Kylian had expected them. After the patrolling assassin passed, Kylian quickly sprinted to the covered alcove in front of the building.

The door of the guild was twenty strides away from Kylian, in between stood an assassin ten strides from him and the door. The assassin was looking away from the door, looking for anyone coming towards the perimeter rather than for someone who was already in the perimeter.

The best plan was to simply walk through the door. Making sure not to make any sound, Kylian circled the assassin and reached the door. Without wasting any time he slid in.

The place was big like some nobles' house, and dozens of doors made it look grand and confusing at the same time. But the tricky part was over, now Kylian had to act confident and just rely on instincts that were engraved in him. He was taught the assassin's ways, with a mask he was one of them.

"Hey." Kylian spoke aloud as he spotted an assassin "I have some important news for the master. Where is he" he spoke with confidence.

"Is the job done ?" the assassin asked "Tell me that slave is dead, that killed our young master Ray" scorn clear from his voice.

Kylian gave a slight nod to the question.

"Really" the assassin spoke excitedly "master will be so happy hearing the news. You will be rewarded so well. I envy you."

"Do you wish to accompany me ?" Kylian asked casually, but the question was anything but casual. The knife under his sleeve was ready to be tossed if the assassin got suspicious.

"Yes." the assassin jumped cheerfully "Let's go" the assassin took the lead and started walking, chirping like a bird.

Kylian followed the assassin, carefully memorizing the path of his exit and trying to get a general number of assassins inside the building.

"So when and where did you get him ?" the assassin asked

" Yesterday night, around Ginimore forest."

" I heard there was even a Jeyan with him? is that true ?"

"Yeah, " Kylian replied with just a word.

The assassin frequently asked questions, and Kylian made sure to answer them using minimal words or just nods. The less he spoke the less the chances were for him being caught.

"We are here. Let me check if he is busy or not" the assassin gently pushed the door and it opened "A good time. It looks he is free." the assassin spoke excitedly. It was common for the guild leader to bolt the room if they weren't accepting any visitors or simply put up a board outside.

The assassin went in, followed by masked Kylian.

"Master. We have good news." the assassin spoke aloud. His exposed eyes brimming with delight.

Kylian was really surprised to see the master of the guild. He was a really fat man, his cheeks bulging out, and his neck was so thick and small that he looked neckless or was neckless.

The fat man was in his early fifties. He wore a flashy shirt made of silk. Kylian doubted if the man had ever wielded a weapon.

"What is it ?" Without looking up the man asked.

"Master," the assassin spoke " Ray has been avenged that slave has been killed."

The fat man flinched- "You fool" . He had just received reports of the team they sent, to have been completely annihilated.

Before the assassin could even give any response to his master's strange reply he was already falling to the ground, blood gushing out from the back of his neck.

Without wasting any time Kylian quickly flung a knife at the fat man, catching him at the shoulder.

'Ahhhhhhh' he screamed in pain and fell off the chair with a heavy thud.

Kylian quickly rushed to the man, meanwhile the fat man was struggling to pull out the knife which was dug in his shoulder.

"How did you get in" he grunted through the piercing pain in his shoulder, tears were already rolling down his eyes "What do you want? Money ?" he looked at the masked figure ahead of him and whimpered.

"Answers." Kylian replied and crouched down. With one of his hands Kylian gripped the shaft of the dagger and applied pressure. The fat man trembled in pain.

Kylian had done his research on the guild, and the room was made with special wood which can absorb most of the sound so that no one from the outside could hear anything that happened inside.

"And you gotta answer me."

The fat man nodded in agreement.

"What is the name of the fire mage in this nation?"

The man hesitated, he wasn't sure but the look on Kylian's eyes assured him if he weren't to answer Kylian wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

"Cenetaur... Tremeur" he muttered.

"Where is he right now ?" Kylian had tried searching for the mages' whereabouts, it seems that the kingdom had made sure to keep the information of mages a secret.

"I don't know. " a searing pain ran through the fat man's shoulder as Kylian applied more pressure. "I don't know" he shouted in pain.

"You have to give me something." Kylian spoke "I did not come here all the way here just to get a name."

The man paused for a while, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "He will be coming to the city. Three nights from now." the man spoke "He has some business inside the rich circle."

Kylian was amazed at his good luck, he had never imagined he would just have to wait three more days to confront him.

"Master there are som-" two assassins entered the room. The room wasn't locked. Kylian had been too desperate to get the information that he hadn't latched the door causing such a blunder.

The two soldiers froze as they saw their master's pitiful state. One of them rushed to the rescue of his master while the other ran outside to inform everyone.

There was no time finishing the fat man, Kylian jumped up on his feet and parried away the incoming assassin's blade just in time.

Kylian sighed when he heard the bell ringing outside the room through the open door. The building was crawling with at least two dozen assassins. Things hadn't gone as he had planned them.