The noon sunlight shone down upon the training grounds. Around where the gates should be, a large amount of people were busy with something. Nil leaned over the waist high stone wall of one of the elevated stone walkway, paying close attention. With a loud thunk that spread throughout the area, the new front gate of the fortress was finally put into place.
Nil leaned further down upon the wall, pleased with all the work that was accomplished. At this rate, the entire fortress would be rebuilt by the time Mordokai came back. He was already planning on his gloating speech at how everything went perfect when he was put in charge of the academy.
"There is an intruder in the fortress walls."
Blue's voice was as sudden as his magical appearance, accompanied with a soft pop.
Nil nearly jumped with a start as he turned around to look at the wizard.
"Gods' sakes, Blue. You trying to give me a heart attack?"
"It would be less than ideal for your body to shut down after receiving troubling news."
"I meant you suddenly teleporting in behind me."
He steps forward, raising a hand questioningly.
"And what do you mean there's an intruder? How could he have gotten in?"
"I don't know as to how he got in, I only know that he is here. I detected a large source of sound not a moment ago."
Nil looked over his shoulder at the newly completed gate before looking back at Blue, looking skeptical.
"The timings are coincidental. The sources are not. The sound I detected was magical in nature, similar to the magic each one of you carry."
Nil unconciously reached out a hand to feel the slight bulge in his pocket before speaking.
"You mean Viola blasted someone again? Its probably just Kurama."
"I see. That is indeed a possibility. But if you could look to the water canister for a moment."
Nil turned his head unconvinced towards the canisters. He stops as he recognizes Kurama drinking a cup of water in the distance.
"Well? What is your new answer."
Nil didn't take his eyes off Kurama.
"And... everyone else is outside?"
"It is what you requested until the fortress was fully built, was it not?"
A feeling of unease spread throughout Nil.
"But...How could anyone get in without us knowing?"
"That is what I intend to ask him."
Nil looked back at Blue.
"What do you-?"
"Just wait."
_________________
The door burst open as Recaiden sprinted out into the hall. His time was short before he would be discovered. He had to make it back to the passageway before it was too late. He turned right down another hallway before stopping dead. This was the same hallway he first emerged on, exactly as he remembered. But something new was in the hallway.
In the middle of the hallway, hovering right about where the entrance to the passageway, was a small blue glowing sphere of light. It twinkled for a little bit, not moving at all. Recaiden froze as he stared at the blue orb. Fear spread through his mind as he saw the source of magic in front of him. He could tell that is was conjured by a wizard and he did not need reminding on how much he hated magic.
Hesitantly, he took a small step back. It was then that the orb suddenly moved, speeding towards him. Instinct took over and Recaiden turned and ran away from the sphere of light as it chased him from behind. As the hallways fell behind him in a blur, the sphere was still keeping pace with him. He came to another hallway intersection and meant to turn left into it, only to find another sphere down that hallway already racing towards him. He nearly stumbled as he once again turned and chose to go right down that hallway instead.
He looked back at the two orbs speeding after him before looking forward. A door suddenly opened on its own and another blue orb came out right in front of him. He found himself leaning back to slide under the orb as a blue burst of electricity shot out from the orb towards him. The electricity barely missed as he slid across the ground. He then elegantly got back to his feet on the other side of the orb and continued his mad sprint from the orbs of light, knowing all too well that there were 3 now behind him.
As he zigzagged through the hallways, he began to get lost. He snarled with anger as the information about how the fortress was designed to be confusing rose to the front of his mind. He then turned into another hallway, narrowly missing another bolt of blue electricity, to find him self out onto an outside walkway of the fortress. He then skidded to a stop as two more orbs of light were flying towards him from the front. He did several double takes with the three orbs behind him and the two orbs in front of him before accepting how desperate the situation had become.
As the orbs were nearly upon him, he turned and ran straight for the waist high wall. In a fluid movement, he had reached into his cloak, grabbed onto something inside it, and found himself leaping from the wall. He quickly threw out a grappling hook behind him as his other hand held the rope securely. He felt the tug that told him the hook was fastened onto the wall, and he continued to slide down the rope to the training grounds below, knowing all too well that nearly every eye was now upon him.
**************
A door creaks open upon a dimly lit room with a dark figure inside. Recaiden closes the door behind him with a snap.
"I require-"
"More poison for the assassination of the King's Nephew. Yes, I was expecting you."
Sarudark turns to face Recaiden before putting the vial of orange liquid before the assassin. Recaiden set a stack of gold beside the vial before reaching for the vial. Before he could grab hold of it however, a stringed pendant dangled in front of the vial.
Recaiden recoiled from the floating pendant.
"What is this?"
"Another item that is for sale."
Recaiden spoke impatently.
"I don't want it."
He then began to reach for the vial again.
"Oh, you probably do want it Recaiden. For you see, its free of charge."
Recaiden looked up at him.
"What is it? What's the catch?"
Sarudark smiled widely, his red eye's glowing more dangerously.
"Think about it logically, Recaiden. You think that if the King's nephew is murdered, the paladin's will just let you walk willy-nilly? That pendant has a protection spell cast upon it that will shield you from the paladins and their spells for a short time."
Recaiden stood there, watching Sarudark.
"And why would you give this to me for free?"
"Because your my best customer, of course."
He gave a little chuckle that made the hair on the back of Recaiden's head stand up.
"And besides, its not entirely free. You can hold onto it, but once you activate it, I shall charge you for its use the next time you're in here."
Recaiden looked back down at the pendant before looking up back up at Sarudark.
"And how would I activate it?"
Sarudark continued his haunting smile.
"Simply take it off your neck and smash it onto the ground. It will activate once you shatter the pendant."
*****************
Recaiden's hand emerged from his pocket to pull out the pendant that Sarudark had given him. His feet hit ground as he got to the end of the rope. All around him, paladins were reacting to his appearance. He clenched his fist and raised it up high.
"There was no way in hell I was going to be wearing this around my neck, you magical freak!"
He then swung his hand down, throwing the pendant at his feet. The glass shattered into a fine dust as a glowing mist emerged from it before vanishing.
__________________
In a dark room, a crystal orb suddenly glowed bright orange. Sarudark smiled and turned around to look at it. He stepped forward, pulling out a piece of chalk as he did so.
"So, you require saving, do you Recaiden?"
He raised his piece of chalk as his red eyes suddenly glowed brighter as he prepared to cast magic.
"Now then, lets see what chaos we can throw upon the world."