The cheers continues outside. The parade has made it through the plaza, and into city. In there is the house where some of the mercenaries are last, as far as we knew. It is a house with a large window to the street, where storm covers must be covering it now. The road isn’t too wide. If someone are to jump out of the window, it would take them less than ten strides to reach the parade. While there would be a crowd along the way, that isn’t much of an obstacle… Besides, they would most likely use a range weapon. All that is left after this point is a bridge across a large waterway that lead to the return route. If they are going to make a move, it would be here.

***

Along the street, inside a house close to the waterway, behind closed storm shutters, men are at work. A large ballista that they have snuck in somehow is aimed out through the storm shutters. Two men holding crossbows emerges from the back of the ballista. All of them has similar facial features, and one would assume that they are related. They grimaces at each other in the dark room.

They are mercenaries dubbed the Four Brothers. Although they are independent and violent, they also made a living by assassination. This is the biggest job they had ever taken on, but they still retain a sense of calm under the pressure.

"After this brother, we’ll be on our way out of the waterway in the basement. …Man on the inside. Dangerous by easy work."

"Hey brother, once the crossbows are set, you’re up. Show me that doll of yours, won’t ya?"

Giggling could be heard in the house. The youngest brother has some talent in magic, so he has dabbled in necromancy. His arsenal is full with the unfortunate residents of the house, and the unfortunate mercenaries who had knocked on the door. While he couldn’t make any detailed commands, it is easy for him to make the corpses run. They took some time to prepare, but they are just corpses. The perfect disposable tool for buying time.

"We’re good, brother. This one can run pretty fast. The kid’s staring to rot, but I can still use it. Heh heh heh…"

"All right, let’s do it. Keep your faces covered, boys."

The Four Brother put on simple helmets and cover their faces with their hoods before getting to work.

***

The window flies open. The citizens on the street who have heard that from behind them are astonished by the armoured men and ballista jumping out of the window. They retreat like a pulling tide from the window.

Of course, it was aimed at the stage in the center of the parade; King, Margrave Blare, Loghain and Lyla are standing atop it. The soldiers who have noticed this try to run over, but are delayed a few steps by the fleeing citizens. Arrows are shot at them, too.

"Why would anyone work alone? This is how we’ve survived."

With a cackle, they aimed at the moveable stage (right on schedule), and freeze. Between them and their target, there are several knights holding up their shields, as if they have known where the attack is going to come from.

He glances at the quite utterance beside him, to see a thick arrow penetrating his brother’s face. He doesn’t stand a chance. He looks back to see a few soldiers approaching them, holding up crossbows. Even if they are in the parade, it is too lucky for them that they happen to be at the right place at the right time. It is more improbable that they would have the time to react and fire back with crossbows so quickly… They seem to have known that the attack is coming from this house.

"It can’t be…"

"Brother, one’s charging at us! "

Pulling away from the parade, a more lavishly armoured knight is charging at them on his horse. While his spear would produce formidable force, a horse would never fit through the window.

"Making this difficult… Die, already!"

The speed at which a large ballista would fire its arrow from a close distance is inconceivable. No matter how thick the armour, it would penetrate or blow it away. As fast as they have envisioned the knight blowing up to pieces, they witness the unthinkable.

The horse jump. The men are professionals, who had dodged death before, more than once. They aren’t taken aback. Even though their aim suffered, the ballista is fired… And struck the horse. The horse should have been blown back, and there should have been nothing more to it than the rider being crushed by the dead animal. In reality, however, the knight has jumped off the horse.

The last thing the oldest brother saw was a thin blade rushing towards him, and the sigil of Lambert on the shield. He never found out that the sigil belonged to the force behind his employer…And he didn’t understand the voice he heard at the last moment of his life.

The knight who has flew, Lubreo of House Lambert, albeit under his breath, shouts:

"Let the battle begin. It’s life or death. Entertain me!"

Blood sprays the interior of the house. A massacre takes place before anyone could scream, adding four to the count of corpses in the house. Lubreo wipes the blood off of his sword, and looks around the room. No one is hiding, and there are no more men there than what was told to him. While he already knew it, he couldn’t help but utter in disappointment:

"…Not even a fight… Not even a thrill."

With a ring, one of their heads is off, and the Head of House Lambert jumps inside. The horse has taken the blow of the ballista, and couldn’t be saved. The people have forgotten to scream as they are entranced, watching these events take place from afar. As they have just realized that they have been forgetting to breathe, the door opens. A knight with blood-stained armour emerges… Lubreo of House Lambert.

Lubreo was originally with the King, Prime minister, Lyla and Margrave Blare on the stage. The crowd saw him jumping off the stage and chased after the assailants.

Now, there are only four left on the stage.

"The assassins have been vanquished!"

With this exclamation, the crowd goes wild. The parade, which has sped up in attempt to pass the scene, returns to its normal speed. At that moment, an explosion erupted on the other side of the street. The smell of burning fleshes assault the crowd. The people cries out again, fracturing the sea of people.

Someone shouts:

"Poison!"