Nighttime.
Obviously, not a good time to travel. However, a group still felt more comfortable moving under the veil of darkness.
Contrary to most people's belief that nighttime is the time for only villains and schemers to move around secretly, they had no ill intentions for this action. Day or night meant little to them. They simply wanted to make haste and stay away from the sight of certain groups of people.
Camping outside will only bring more trouble. The enemy could come from anywhere. So it is best to find a safe enough place before they take a rest.
They have around a dozen people in the group. All of them are men except for one.
She rode at the heart of the formation, protected by everyone surrounding her. Even without an introduction, anyone could tell she was the most important person in the group.
A translucent veil of silver-threaded silk concealed her face. Though the veil made it impossible to distinguish her facial features, it failed to mask her beauty. It softened her features into suggestion and mystery.
Her silhouette was refined and poised. The veil hid her countenance, yet it could not hide the aura that clung to her.
She was not the kind of beauty that dazzled.
She was the kind that lingered.
The group was riding Gale Horses, a breed of spirit beast known for its speed and ability to go long distances without rest in any kind of terrain. Being swift and proud, these creatures were just as hard catch as they were to tame, making them rather pricy. And these horses could be said to be exceptional even among their own kind.
This shows that these groups of people are quite wealthy.
Even if they were in the empire's capital, people would look at them and try to think of their origin. It is not only the money that one needs, but they would also need authority to acquire such creatures.
Yet despite their strength & prestige, they were now on high alert. This shows just how troublesome the enemy after them is.
"Miss, why did you change our route at the last moment? The last two transfers were still good. But this place is a shithole," the oldest one in the group said.
"I had no choice. My elder brother got a hint about which route we were taking at the last moment. So, I asked Royce to find another way as quickly as possible," the lady said.
"Even I don't know what the Eldest is thinking. There is a high chance that they would go for the kill this time. And if that happens, I don't think they would send just anybody after me. They would erase me. So, you understand, right?" -she smiled bitterly under the veil.
"But don't worry. In the next portal, we will get into the fire lord's territory. So, things should be better there. As long as we can get through the fire lord's territory, everything should be fine."
"Oh, so the Fire Lord's territory is next. As long as we don't get too deep in there, it should be fine," the man said. "But we should still be careful. Fire lord's minions are quite dangerous on their own. Some might just come to the periphery to take a stroll. And if we were to face one, things could get ugly," the man said. Then, without turning back, he said loudly, "Everyone, stay sharp."
This man is the leader of the guards here. His duty was to ensure the lady's safety.
Even though he says big trouble, from his gesture, he didn't look too worried. For him, even if a minion of the fire lord did come, it wouldn't be too big a problem to get the lady away. At most, some casualties may take place. It wouldn't hamper his mission. But he would like to evade this type of trouble if possible.
He looked at the person who was at the lead and nodded. He is in charge of scouting ahead. He was moving ten meters ahead at the front of the group. Among his skillset, he has some sensory abilities and the best evading techniques in the group. In case of a frontal ambush, he would have the best chance to evade fatality. And even if he were to fall into some formation, the rest of the team would have time to evade the trap. It may look harsh because that meant the group would be sacrificing a team member, but it couldn't be helped. The main scout of the team was absent after all.
"By the way, where did you send Royce anyway? It's been bugging me for a while that I didn't see him when we left," said the man again.
"Ho, why are you asking, Gallad? I thought you didn't like him. Are you worried?" –the lady said with a feint smile.
"No, no. Don't get the wrong idea. His character is shitty. I hate that guy." –Gallad denied.
"But his ability is real. I won't ever admit it before him, even if you ask me, but he is the best scout we have. If possible, I would like to keep him as close to me as possible. Just to keep an eye on him unless he stirs something up."
Gallad didn't trust Royce, but in this kind of situation, where they need real abilities, he is the man who could get the job done.
"Ho, so, it's like the saying 'keep your friends close but enemies closer'?" –the veiled lady said.
"Milady Elena, please don't get the wrong idea..." -Gallad replied. "I can't call him an enemy as there is no evidence of his wrongdoing."
"But I don't think he is as trustworthy as you think him to be. Things can be done in the right way or the wrong way. While there's no evidence of him doing anything wrong, the things he does are at best in the gray area. It is impossible to know what that guy has in his heart. I fear one of these days, he will bring trouble that we can't handle. And the fact that you trust him makes me distrust him that much more." –Gallad continues.
"Hah, well, that can't be helped. He is a thief after all. Anyways, I have already sent him with some other people as a decoy." –Elena.
Hearing that, Gallad's face contorted. He didn't know if it was the best decision to make.
If possible, he would feed this Royce some false information and ditch him somewhere.
But now it's too late. Saying anything else will only make things worse now. The best he could do is to be more careful. The duty comes first. He can only hope things go as planned.
But, when do things ever go just as planned?
There was a group of assassins lying in wait in their path. The group got ambushed.
Even so, the fighters guarding the lady were some of the most renowned fighters in the empire. So, it wasn't easy for the assassins either.
The battle that took place was fierce. Mountains got crushed, deep ravines were created, and the climate around the area also changed.
As for the details of the battle… it was unknown, as there was no survivor to talk about it.
People in the distance only saw a Flaming bird flying away through the night sky.
It made quite a spectacle for the watchers. But it soon disappeared from the horizon.