He froze.
Without the wardrobe obstructing Prana Vision, he could now see the sleeping girl’s affinities.
They were not Mina’s affinities. They weren’t Water and Lightning.
The person who slept there possessed Apex Earth Affinity. A Talent wielder, and a strong one at that.
What’s more, they wore armor. And they weren’t asleep. The rise and fall of their chest did not resemble the calm, even rhythm of sleep. Rather, it looked more like someone trying to feign sleep.
This is a trap! Mina knows I’m coming.
Vir looked to the door of the princess’ room, and through Prana Vision, saw a dozen guards posted outside, weapons at the ready. Pointed outward, at the hall.
Why’d they be guarding from intruders coming from the hall? Unless…
Vir wracked his mind to piece together this puzzle as fast as he possibly could. He could not linger here with the Talent wielder so close. Should he abort? Or should he proceed with the mission?
If Mina knew he was coming, did that mean Prince Sanobar betrayed him? Perhaps her taste tester somehow caught wind of the sedative.
If the former, then Vir would be best served by doubling back and aborting the mission. But if it was the latter… maybe he couldn’t take out the princess, but at least the royal priest was still an option. If Mina thought this was an attempt on her life, then the priest ought to be sleeping in his quarters.
There was no doubt that turning back now was the safest, wisest option. He could regroup, ascertain Sanobar’s loyalty, and then formulate a new plan.
But…
When Vir’s thoughts turned to the man who’d ordered the deaths of those he’d loved, he found himself unable to retreat.
The priest would be gone tomorrow. Maybe Vir would get a chance to kill the man in the future, or maybe he wouldn’t. But tonight was his best chance. Even if it meant giving up on Mina, he had to take this opportunity. With Mina on guard, there may not be another.
Moreover, Vir couldn’t live with himself knowing he let an opportunity to end Harak slip through his fingers.
With his mind set, he snuck over to the large stained-glass window next to Mina’s bed, carefully stepping with his heel first, bending his knees, all to soften his steps.
Once again, Dance of the Shadow Demon could get him outside the room, but if he used it here, he’d lose his greatest power.
The window was the kind that swung open. If he could get there unnoticed, he could sneak out, then scale the wall to the castle’s roof. From there, he’d use the fortress’ ramparts to get closer to the temple building where the royal priest slept. It’d been his plan all along, just that the stakes were now higher.
Vir edged to the window and grasped the latch. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened it.
Unfortunately, the window’s hinges weren’t nearly as lubricated as the wardrobe’s. It squealed—only for a split second before Vir stopped—but it was enough.
“Who goes there?” the woman in the bed shouted. In one smooth motion, she jumped off the bed and drew her talwar.
Vir didn’t wait. Riyan had warned him about Mina’s bodyguard. Balar 100. If this was her—and Vir doubted Mina would trust anyone else with this task—he stood no chance against her.
Activating a Micro Leap, he crashed through the window and sailed through the air to the castle grounds.
Using Light Step to dull some of the impact, he threw himself into a roll, leveraging his momentum to run through the gardens.
Mina’s guard, being a Talent wielder, was hot on his heels. He had to assume she possessed every Talent he had, plus some others.
She’s catching up!
Vir vaulted hedges. He ducked and rolled and sprinted as fast as he could, but it wasn’t enough. The woman Leaped with each step, rapidly closing the distance.
He had to do something or he’d end up fighting her. Even if he could hold her off, it’d only be a matter of time before guards swarmed him.
Dance was unavailable. Running as swiftly as he was, coupled with the low Ash prana in the ground, made it impossible. In anticipation, he changed his trajectory. Out here in the open grass, he was a sitting duck. He angled for the walls of the castle instead.
His pursuer made her move. Feeling a pulse of prana behind him, he threw himself to the side. Just barely in time. A blade of pure prana shredded all the vegetation in its path, leaving a line of upended dirt and devastation. It only dissipated after it had traveled far into the distance.
Blade Projection? No!
Projection merely doubled the reach of the blade. True masters could triple their blade length, but that was the limit. The Talent she’d just fired was far, far more powerful. It was pure Earth Affinity prana that traveled independently. Like the C Grade Wind Blade, but far stronger. Where Wind Blade was small and traveled through the air, this Talent traveled through the ground, cutting everything that touched the earth in its path.
Blade Launch? Vir’s blood ran cold. It was a Mythic rarity Talent that few in this world possessed. Was she really only Balar 100? Or was that a deception?
Chala’s knees, I almost lost my legs…
Vir immediately stopped and raised his hands, slowly turning around.
There was no winning this battle. To try was to die. She was in a league of her own. The only way out—the only chance he had—was to stall… and hope she took mercy.
“Please,” he drawled. “I—I surrender. I’ll tell you anything you wish to know.”
Twenty-Five seconds…
Mina’s bodyguard Leaped right up to him and leveled her katar at his throat. “Drop your weapon. Do it now!”
Vir slowly retrieved his katar and threw it down.
“Your chakrams and chakris too. You can’t fool me, assassin.”
Tch. Vir reluctantly dropped his weapons one by one, taking his own sweet time.
Ten seconds…
“You’re a slippery one, aren’t you? I’ve been monitoring you since you entered the city, and believe me, you haven’t made it easy. You’re quite good at hiding, I’ll give you that. But all was for naught. We have you now. We know Riyan Savar sent you. There’s no point hiding it. So, will you come quietly? Or shall we do this the hard way?”
“P-Please don’t hurt me! I was coerced into this. He—he threatened me!”
“Oh? You seem a bit too proficient for someone doing this under blackmail. We know all about General Savar’s plan. He sent you as a distraction while he made his own move. But unfortunately for both of you, things aren’t going to work out as you’ve planned. We’ve already dealt with Riyan.”
Riyan was going to launch his own attack? Vir thought. He hadn’t heard anything to that effect, though it wouldn’t surprise him if the man was operating in secret behind the scenes.
“I—no!” Vir said, feigning shock. “And you’re mistaken. It wasn’t this Savar person who sent me.”
“Oh? Then please enlighten me.”
“W-Well, you see, I was most surprised myself,” he said. “I work for someone you know quite well, after all. I was sent… by your mother.”
By the time she reacted, Vir had already disappeared into the shadows.
89
PRINCESS ASSASSIN (PART TWO)
Vir gazed out from the shadows. Many exits presented themselves, all peeking into a world frozen in time. For ten seconds, Vir was untouchable. Ten seconds may not have been much, but in the heat of battle, it was everything.