This Is My Town

Chapter Ten ~ Enzo

After receiving news of where this 'Kiara' girl he had been hearing so much about was located from Jaspar, Enzo really had no other choice than to follow Pandora's orders and get the girl. Well, was it really the right thing to do? He didn't know. But it was going to give him his freedom if he simply escorted the girl back to Montilo, into Pandora's palace. Sure, he didn't know what was going to happen to her, but it wasn't any of his business, anyway. He didn't know the girl at all and he hadn't even seen her before. How could he be held responsible for what was to happen to her if he was simply following orders for the greater good? If what Pandora had said was true, then this would work out well for everyone. Pandora would get Kiara, Enzo's parents would get happiness and Enzo would get freedom. Who was in the wrong here? Who was getting the worse part of the deal? Who wasn't Enzo thinking about?

Kiara.

She was a Vampire too, right? She was like everyone else, no matter if Enzo didn't know her or not. But was she really worth Enzo's freedom? Did she really matter if Pandora was going to be with her? She didn't seem so bad when Enzo first met her, but then again, the stories about her make it seem like Pandora wanted this girl for completely bad reasons altogether. Was she going to be killed? Was she going to be imprisoned, or even tortured? Maybe she knew or had something that Pandora needed? Enzo didn't know, but it wasn't his duty to find out, either. His duty was to locate Kiara in Longreach, get her while she slept in the midst of her condition without the blacksmith finding out and get out as soon as possible.

Simple, right?

Enzo sighed and leaned forward on the black horse he was riding, gaining a little more speed. Seeing as how the night was only half way through, Enzo figured that if he kept going like this, he'd get there in twelve hours; midday the following day. He could wait outside the blacksmith, or rent a room in the Inn of Longreach and make sure that the girl was inside before nightfall came where he could just sneak in, grab her and be long gone before the blacksmith even woke up. Was it possible? Enzo had no idea, but he figured there was only one way to find out.

But then again, he started having second thoughts about his plan. What if she was gone when he got there?

Talk to the blacksmith. Locate her.

But what if she was on her way out as soon as Enzo arrived? She would certainly see him and the blacksmith would notice the follower before she would.

Talk to the blacksmith. Locate her.

And what if, when Enzo was sneaking in to grab the girl, the blacksmith was awake and saw him? What if he was attacked?

Don't talk to the blacksmith. Kill him.

Enzo shivered. The mere thought of having to kill someone was heart-wrenching. He couldn't kill anyone. He had sliced and stabbed many a man, but to kill one? That was not something he had the heart to do. There was a difference between hurting someone's arm and hurting someone's heart. He had no intention of driving his blade into one of his own kin with the knowledge that they were not going to be breathing when that blade came back out again. That just wasn't like Enzo. He knew better. He needed to spare as many lives as he could in the little time he had to complete this mission. So if it came down to killing the blacksmith? Enzo knew he couldn't do it. He knew that he wouldn't do it. He would be disappointing a few people, but as long as he did his job, he could deal with disappointment. It was, after all, all that he had received from his parents all his life. He was used to it.

So what if he did have to face the blacksmith? Surely he would tell someone if Enzo knocked him out that Kiara had been taken.

But then the words that Jaspar had exchanged with him before he left Pandora's palace came back to him and his confidence boosted mildly.

"No one else in Longreach knows of Kiara's existence," Jaspar had told him. "They will not help the blacksmith because they do not know of her."

Nodding his head strongly, Enzo kept riding on through the night until the sun finally rose up and his horse had slowed down almost completely. Pulling it to the side of the road, he dismounted the animal and pulled some water from his bag that he gave to the horse as well as himself. Seeing as how he was still of Royal blood, he could choose to eat the crops he saw on the side of the road if he wanted to, but he did not feel hungry at all. He had not eaten since the evening Dred had showed up, and Jaspar had taken him to Montilo that night where they spoke with Pandora. Jaspar had a thing for moving quickly and quietly, but Enzo wasn't worried about that.

It was that same night that was vanishing into the horizon as the sun rose up on the opposite side altogether. It was dull and lifeless in the sky, but it gave out as much light as Enzo needed to actually keep moving with the sight to see Longreach when it came up. Surely, it wouldn't take so long now. A few more hours and he'd be close enough to slow down and walk the rest of the way. Maybe he would even put his horse in the stables of Longreach to make himself known so there would be no arousing suspicion if someone saw him hanging about with no horse or anything to have gotten him this far.

After the horse was rested up, Enzo was ready to mount his horse again when he heard an arrow whizzing through the air, missing his head and his horse by a mere centimetre. Grabbing the sword from its scabbard around his waist, Enzo whirled around, his golden eyes narrowed dangerously.

Before him were three people; two seemed to be men and the other was a woman. All around the same age, from what Enzo could see; early thirties, he guessed. The man in the middle had long hair that he tied up behind his head, the slickness of it seeming to be glossy. His dark skin was covered in thick, iron armour like he was on a mission, and his fellow companions looked to be the same. All in banded armour with thick weapons, as well. The woman's skin had a dark tan to it that didn't quite match her hair colour; a lighter brown that made Enzo's heart skip a beat. He knew the girl he was looking for was twenty years of age, so he needed to stop freaking out about every strand of light, brown hair he saw.

The man on the other side had eyes as wide as saucers and skin as light as parchment. His bright, shining red eyes gazed at Enzo, as did the identical red eyes of the people standing beside him. Enzo's hand tightened on his sword.

"I do not wish for trouble," he announced, and the man with the long, slick hair shrugged.

"You are a Royal," he replied, his voice deep and booming. "You are most certainly asking for trouble."

"I did not shoot an arrow at you," Enzo shot back, glaring at the woman for a second before returning his gaze coolly to the man in the middle, who seemed to be the leader of the trio.

"Problem, sweetheart?" the woman asked, and spat on the ground in front of her. Enzo shrugged.

"I do not know," he said. "Is there?"

"What is one of Royal blood doing out in the Eastern part of Frate?" the man with the large red eyes asked, his voice small yet firm.

"And coming from the Western part," the woman added, smirking slightly.

"I do not think that is any of your business," Enzo snapped. "Leave me and my horse be and I will not have to kill you."

The man in the middle exchanged glances with his companions, and he narrowed his eyes.

"We did not come here looking for a Prince," he admitted. "We came looking for a boy. Rye Turner. You seen him?"

Enzo frowned. "Should I ever have heard of that name?" he asked, slightly confused. "No, I apologize but I have not heard of that name."

The man with the black hair nodded his head and gestured it to his friends. "Let us keep moving," he announced. "He cannot be far. Come to Longreach if you find word of him. We will be staying in the Inn there," he added to Enzo, and he nodded his head, watching as the three cut across the road and into the bush beside him and his horse.

When they were gone, Enzo let out a frustrated shout because he needed to be in Longreach without the interference of some people who had seen his face who had business of their own to take care of. Guards would come if these three got into a fight in Longreach, and Enzo would be seen by someone. His gold eyes are, quite obviously, very easy to see.

Enzo sighed. What was he going to do now?