A Most Dangerous Weapon

Chapter 71: The Second Target

Romallian soldiers stood at the palace doors with dead enemies piled around their feet. The only reason why they would still be waiting there instead of moving on to their next opponent would be to prevent further intruders from entering the palace. Maximus and his group must be roaming the halls in search of Gaius. I pitied the guards and servants within who came across him.

Arrian and Kilgorian were looking for another way into the palace. There were a couple of windows and balconies that we could climb to, but they were fairly high which would take up too much time.

"We can't miss this chance to trap Maximus. If he discovers that his brother is no longer in the palace, he'll leave the enclosed space to search the streets again. We can't have that! The Romallian army has almost broke through the city wall again, so pretty soon he'll have more soldiers to replace those he lost. His defences will quadruple in such an open space and the three of us won't be able to break through."

Kilgorian agrees with my assessment. "He should only have a couple of soldiers and high ranking officials left with him inside the palace."

"Then let's get a move on before we miss our chance!" Arrian stands in preparation. I can't help but notice him sway a little as he continues to pale, but I say nothing for fear of distracting him. He continues, "I can handle the guards at the doors. You two slip through when you see an opening and start clearing the hallways. I'll follow shortly."

He doesn't wait for us to respond. Arrian races down the street towards the Romallian men with daggers in one hand and his sword in the other. He sets the daggers loose as he moves, but his aim isn't as precise as it usually is. They land in their shields and cause minor cuts to their limbs. Normally his daggers would find a home in his opponent's chest or neck; always clean and lethal. His injury was really affecting him.

But his swordsmanship was still worth praising. He was able to out-joust his four opponents with ease, pulling their attention so Kilgorian and I could sneak along the outer palace wall and slip through the doors. I wasn't worried about leaving Arrian behind. He would have those men dead on their backs soon enough, and then he would be back by my side to assist with the officials.

Kilgorian and I stepped lightly through the halls with daggers in our hands. We couldn't let anyone signal Maximus of our approach, so we had to move fast. Dead Galacian guards and servants already littered the floors of the main hallway and adjoining rooms. A couple of Romallian soldiers remained to thoroughly search for potential secret passages or hiding spots. Our daggers flew through the air with ease, quietly burying the blade in their necks to stifle their screams as they bleed out.

The palace was smaller than its Romallian counterpart, but the basic design was quite similar. I suppose when Gaius had it designed and built all those years ago he had his former home on his mind. In the center there was a large open courtyard surrounded by multiple floors with balconies and open walkways. We snuck around this area for fear of being hit by soldiers from above; it was too open for us to have the advantage. We took the stairs to the higher levels. From there we were able to take out the wandering Romallian soldiers with ease.

We moved to various bedrooms, sitting rooms, Gaius' office, and the dining hall. The higher floors still had some Galacian guards and servants roaming around, which meant that Maximus' men still had more work to do before they could confidently report back. Kilgorian and I interrupted a fight that was taking place in one of the grand bedrooms, killing two Galacian guards, three Romallian soldiers, and a servant who was using her broom to poorly participate in the battle.

It was then that I grew anxious for Arrian. There was no way that it was taking him this long to kill four men while Kilgorian and I were basically clearing out the whole palace alone. He must have run into more trouble while outside. Maybe some passing Galacian soldiers saw him trying to enter the palace, and now he was in combat with them. Or perhaps the Romallian troops had broken through the Capital wall sooner than expected, and now a legion of soldiers was marching up the main road towards the palace with only Arrian in their way. What if his injuries were just too much to bear any longer? Or maybe he was struck down with a fatal blow? He could be lying on the ground bleeding to death outside the palace!