Patriot and Queen – Part 05
The journey continued. Hooves clattered over bridges, wheels rumbled as they left deep ruts across the grasslands, and every day Aria complained about her aching back. Cecily had suggested she rest in her sheath, but Aria refused because it would be lonely.
Meanwhile, Lisa was wilting from constant motion sickness. Her energy drained away little by little, leading to several unscheduled vomit breaks along the route.
“I think it’s just temporary physical weakness,” Lisa mumbled vacantly, saliva trailing from her lips. “In the city, demons like me feed off the abundant Aetheria. Out here, my body’s struggling to adjust to the lack of it. Aria has traveled all over the continent, so I’m sure it doesn’t hit her as hard, but me… ugh, bleegh!
Disaster occasionally struck the inside of the carriage.
Six days had passed since they set off, and the group finally arrived at a staging post near the border of the Militant Nation.
The station stood alone on the plains, its shadow stretching long in the fading light. Aside from the building itself, nothing else broke the horizon, lending the area a strange stillness.
“The sun’s setting soon, yes,” Arvie noted. “We’ll stay here for the night and cross the border tomorrow. And we’ll need to switch horses.”
Cecily hopped out of the carriage, rubbing her sore lower back. Inside, Aria and Lisa were still slumped against the seats, completely spent. Chuckling at their state, Doris dismounted from the driver’s seat to unhitch the horses, while Luke and the other men took the steeds to the station’s stable.
For now, Cecily was the only one without a task.
“I’ll check in with the innkeeper,” she offered.
“Thanks,” Doris replied.
Cecily eyed the inn ahead. It was a two-story wooden building that seemed to have a decent number of rooms. It looked a bit cheap, but it was leagues better than those cramped inns where you had to sleep in a shared room on the floor. Having a private room was a luxury.
“Excuse me, we’d like to stay for the night.”
The moment she stepped inside, Cecily froze.
She glanced around. The counter was directly in front of her, with a dining area beyond filled with tables and chairs. She could see into the kitchen as well. The late sunlight filtering through the glass windows cast a warm, crimson glow on the well-kept furnishings. It looked like one of the cozier places so far on their journey—if not for the deathly silence.
“…”
There were no sounds of life. Not even the slightest noise.
Cautiously, Cecily leaned over the counter to peek behind it. A burly man was gagged and tied up on the floor.
Creak.
The faint sound of a floorboard shifting came from her side. Someone had misstepped.
Cecily turned to see a flash of steel aimed straight at her throat.
“Ugh, another brutal day,” Aria groaned, leaning back into her seat. Even though the carriage had stopped, it still felt like the ground was swaying beneath her. And to think they were only about halfway through the journey.
“Lisa, wake up,” Luke called as he returned from the stables. He leaned into the carriage, shaking Lisa’s shoulder gently. As her unofficial guardian, it was his job to make sure she was fine by the end of the day.
“I can see fields of flowers,” Lisa muttered deliriously as her eyes rolled around in their sockets.
“Hey, get it together. If you’re going to puke, do it outside. You already made a mess yesterday—”
Luke’s voice cut off abruptly as he glanced over his shoulder.
Aria followed his gaze toward the inn’s open doorway. It was nothing out of the ordinary, just a typical entrance. Cecily had walked in there just moments ago.
“Something wrong, Luke?” Aria asked.
“Turn into an Infernal Blade, now!” Luke barked, whipping around, urgency crackling in his voice. “Hurry, or she’s dead!”
She instantly understood. Not fully, no. But Luke was telling her that someone was going to die. While she didn’t know how, he knew exactly who he meant.
Cecily was in danger, and Luke had sensed it. That was all she needed to know.
“Unshackle from slumber. Seize the truth. The wind, in my hand. Slay God.”
As the words of transformation left her lips, a silver whirlwind engulfed Aria. The sudden gale was so fierce it smacked Lisa’s head against the carriage. They spared her no thought for now.
The wind enveloped every part of Aria’s body. She closed her eyes, surrendering to the sensation as her shoulders, fingers, hair, limbs, and clothes melted away, merging into something entirely new. A second later, the whirlwind shattered outward like chains breaking.
In its wake stood a rapier. A one-handed sword designed purely for thrusting, its silhouette resembled a cross, with an intricately-designed handle known as a swept hilt. This was Aria’s alternate form.
As soon as the Infernal Blade materialized, Luke snatched it from the air. He flipped it into a reverse grip and raised it high.
“Cecily!”
He slammed his foot into the ground, tearing up chunks of dirt, and hurled the rapier toward the inn with a powerful, overhand throw.
With an explosive blast of air, the Infernal Blade shot forward in a straight line at breathtaking speed.
Blood spilled.
“Tch!”
But the cut was shallow, just a thin, bleeding line along the side of Cecily’s neck. She had twisted back just in time to avoid a fatal strike.
Had she not caught the faint noise, the blade would’ve skewered her throat, and blood would be spraying everywhere. Maybe that training session with Luke had honed her reflexes after all. Watching the blade’s tip pass mere inches from her neck, Cecily felt a rush of gratitude.
Cecily spun and put some distance between herself and the assassin, who, realizing their strike had missed, gave chase. With swift, measured steps, the assassin closed in, dagger flashing in their hand.
So this is the one who attacked the innkeeper.
Cecily tossed the cloak draped over her shoulder at the assassin. The brown fabric billowed outward, briefly obscuring vision. As the assassin’s weapon tore through the cloak, Cecily glided around to the assassin’s left side. Her right hand gripped Aria’s scabbard at her waist, while her left hand yanked at the clasp holding it in place. As the clasp flew off, she swung the scabbard sideways.
The strike came from a complete blind spot, but the scabbard was stopped by the assassin’s left arm. Worse, instead of the soft give of flesh, the strike rebounded with the sharp, metallic resistance of iron.
Hidden gauntlets!
Pain shot up Cecily’s arm, nearly causing her to drop the scabbard. For a split second, her mind went blank. The assassin was already raising their weapon.
I won’t make it in time, Cecily thought, bracing herself for the blow.
Then, she heard her name being called from outside.
Sensing something, the assassin retreated with a click of the tongue. At the same moment, the open door shattered, and a rapier flew inside.
The instant her name was called, Cecily steeled herself. The Infernal Blade, streaking with the speed on an arrow, came hurtling toward her.
“Aria!”
Just before the sword could pass her, Cecily grabbed the hilt with her off-hand. The sword’s momentum dragged her a few steps, but she planted her heels and fought to steady herself. Pain shot up her arm as her muscles stretched, but she gritted her teeth, spun the sword into the correct grip, and readied herself to strike. She pointed the blade straight at the assassin.
The assassin kept their distance, eyeing Cecily warily, but ready to attack. It was clear that the change in Cecily’s demeanor hadn’t gone unnoticed. The assassin was sharp. Only with the rapier could Cecily fight at full strength.
Regaining her composure, Cecily was now able to study her foe more closely. She frowned slightly. The assassin was dressed in a black outfit that covered everything, including their mouth. Surprisingly, the features visible beneath the disguise belonged to a woman.
Her weapon was a short dagger with a strange shape. Long and slender, the blade’s tip tapered to a sharp point. The handle was short, meant to be gripped in one hand, with a round pommel and a small guard. It was a stiletto, a weapon designed for stabbing, even more than a rapier.
Cecily scanned her surroundings. They had moved deeper into the inn, to the dining area. The setting sun split the room into shades of crimson and darkness. Tables and chairs cast long shadows across the floor.
From outside came the sound of violent swordplay and shouts. A scuffle had broken out. The assassin wasn’t the only one waiting for an ambush.
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