Cecil glanced at her. His senses raised to the highest alert with one hand on his weapon, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
Elaine watched the two men approaching from the other side and felt more presence from behind—their figures surrounded Elaine and her guard like they were conducting a siege. "Do not engage. Follow my lead," she whispered, her silent gaze continuously tracking Viscount Marius and the Léonasian man. They, too, monitored her movements like hunting predators, waiting for their prey to slip up. Beside her, Cecil settled, though his hand remained on the sword hilt.
The adversaries arrived within feet of their table yet did not approach further. They blended in with the other guests, encircling Elaine and Cecil from a distance. One man wearing a green mask stepped forward and sat opposite her. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous glow. "If you do not wish harm upon yourself and your companion, quietly follow us," he threatened them in a rigid, monotonous voice. "My master desires to speak with you."
"I did not intend to offend your master, mister. Please do not hurt us," Elaine said, switching her attention to the man and pleading. "My brother and I will do as you wish." Her voice elevated to a higher pitch, shrouded in a facade of childish innocence. There was no escape from a confrontation. However, Elaine wanted to remain concealed and learn the Viscount's intention.
The man did not indicate whether he believed her acting, only briefly nodded and rose from his seat, signaling them to follow. She cast a furtive glance below. Roiland remained engrossed in his mission, laughing and chatting, blissfully unaware of the situation above. Good, she sighed. Elaine's hand sought Cecil's from under the table, leading him to trail after their kidnappers. Minutes later, they entered an ordinary guest chamber on the second floor. To her disappointment, she did not find the Viscount or his companion on-premise.
She eyed suspiciously at the green-masked man and his associates, waiting for their explanation. Tension gripped the air as the silence between them stretched. Suddenly, the men extracted their weapons and charged at Elaine and her guard. Their polished blades flashed with killing intent. Cecil grabbed and pulled Elaine into his arm, shielding her from the incoming assault. "Please stay close to me, milady," he whispered. His other hand unsheathed his sword to block a strike from above while dodging another, thrusting his weapon behind him into an assailant's abdomen and twisting before removing it. His bloodied blade brought the man's intestines outward, then flung them toward the other attackers, obstructing their views.
So Marius has decided to eradicate me. He has no desire to spare any witness from the beginning. Elaine glowered, hands clenching Cecil's shirt. Like moths to a flame, troubles kept flocking to her despite her efforts to avoid them.
During the chaos, several sudden harsh screeching sounds snatched everyone's attention from the fighting to the surrounding windows. Sharp claws scratched and punctured the glass when dozens of birds smashed through from the outside and attacked the masked men. Their agonizing scream flooded the chamber as the birds plucked their eyes and pecked their faces and bodies. Yet, because of the soundproofing wards embedded in every room of the Ynones Tavern, neither the workers nor the guests noticed anything amiss in other parts despite the significant disturbance. Peculiarly, the winged beasts never touched Elaine's party.
It happens the second time…
Elaine glanced up, taking notes of the creatures assisting her again. Despite her curiosity, she pushed aside the urge to investigate the mystery as now was not the time. After incapacitating the attackers, the birds departed, leaving a scene of carnage behind. "Kill everyone here, but keep him alive," Elaine instructed, pointing at the green-masked man.
"As you wish, milady." The brown-haired young man held her close while dashing toward the terrified enemies, swiftly swinging his sword to decapitate one, then plunging it into another's chest. Cecil plugged his sword from the corpse and moved on to his last target. The wounded man opened his mouth to beg for mercy, yet the brown-haired young man's blade split his skull in half before any sound could escape. Throughout the killing, the young guard used his body to shelter Elaine from the copious blood spatters, maintaining her pristine appearance.
Elaine pulled a handkerchief from her dress pocket and wiped the dark, viscous fluid from her guard's countenance. She then advanced toward the last remaining attacker, her expression covered in an icy veil.
The man sat against the wall, wheezing and groaning in pain. Both his head and body had blood and tiny wounds all over. The green mask, half broken and no longer attached to his face, now slipped to his chest. Beneath the disguise was an unremarkable, scruffy middle-aged appearance.
"How cruel of you, mister." Elaine stopped a few steps before the older man and leaned forward, staring down playfully at him. "I was only an innocent bystander."
Cecil moved behind the man and yanked his hair backward, forcing him to face her. "You…" The man glared at her, croaking in a barely audible voice. "You ignorant peasants don't know what you have done. We were going to grant you a merciful kill." He paused momentarily and then displayed a wicked smile on his lips. "However, your execution by my master now shall be a fate worse than death," the man hissed before coughing up more blood.
"Is that so?" Elaine exaggerated a gasp. "That makes me want to meet him more," she smiled sweetly at the man like his statement was an encouragement instead of a threat. "Could you lead me to him?" she asked, her breath transforming into a frosty mist.
A thin layer of ice climbed from the floor to the attacker's feet, rapidly spreading throughout his body. "You…" The man's lips quivered, with an innate fear materializing in his widened eyes. "W, who are you?"
Elaine did not respond, only repeating her request in his almost frozen ears. "Will you take me to Viscount Marius?"
