Sera moved first, disappearing into the darkness with experienced ease. Mira followed soon after, the air around her crackling with gathering energy.
But then Kael rushed forward.
The enemy archers noticed him right away.
"Shit! He's coming straight at us!"
"Kill him!"
Thwip! Thwip!
Arrows whistled through the air, aimed straight for his chest.
Kael swerved between the incoming fire like a shadow. His reflexes were faster and his motions more precise due to his increased dexterity. He moved closer with each step, too fast for them to catch up.
Before they could fire again, Mira struck.
Lightning erupted from her fingertips, arcing through the night. Two archers were hit by the electric surge at the same time, and they both collapsed onto the ground, convulsing.
Sera took her shot next.
"Wind-Guided Arrows."
Her first arrow curved mid-flight and pierced an archer's throat before he could react. The rest of the enemies went into a panic.
Kael was already upon them.
His dagger flashed in the moonlight as he closed the gap between him and the nearest archer.
The man barely had time to scream before Kael's blade sank into his ribs, twisting as he yanked it free. Blood sprayed across the dirt.
The second archer reached for a sword after dropping his bow, but Kael was faster.
He snapped the man's knee backward with a kick. The archer screamed in pain, but Kael silenced him with a quick slash across the throat.
The final two attempted to escape.
Mira struck one of the archers in the back with one of her lightning strikes. His body jerked violently before crumpling to the ground, lifeless.
The final archer was struck by Sera's arrow, which cut through the wind and went straight through the back of his skull.
The battlefield fell silent.
Kael rolled his shoulders and let out a breath. He had a steady pulse and he regulated his breathing. They had won.
Mira walked up to one of the fallen enemies and nudged the corpse with her boot. "Not bad. They were disciplined, but not enough to handle us."
Sera, however, continued to stare at the corpses.
Kael kept a watchful eye on her. "You hesitated."
Her eyes were sharp as she gazed up. "I still killed them."
Kael took a while to respond. Instead, while crouching next to the archer's corpse, whom he had gutted, he wiped his dagger on the man's clothing.
Then he said something in a calm voice. "You hesitated with the water mage back at the city wall. We wouldn't have come this far if she had gotten away."
Sera balled her hands into fists. "And yet she didn't get away."
Kael looked her in the eye. "Because I forced you to act."
Sera's jaw tensed as she maintained his gaze. "I know what needs to be done, Kael. I don't need you to remind me."
With a groan, Mira stepped away from them. "This is not something we have time for." She held up a small map she had found on one of the archers. "This might be useful."
Kael took it from her and looked through it; Guard shifts, routes, and a marked location—the fortress. He committed the information to memory before throwing it into a fallen torch's flames.
"We're moving now," he declared. "Before reinforcements arrive."
Sera nodded, but Kael didn't miss the way her fingers lingered on her bowstring.
The fortress grew bigger by the minute as they rode in silence. The building was enormous, with guarded towers overlooking the entryway and old stone walls dotted with torches.
Even from a distance, Kael could see the patrolling soldiers in their armor which gleamed in the faint moonlight. Getting inside wouldn't be easy.
Mira was the first to speak. "So, what's the plan?"
Kael looked at the terrain. The main gate was too heavily guarded to be attacked from the front. Finding a side entry or scaling the walls were the only remaining possibilities.
"We split up once more," he decided. Mira and Sera, you find a vantage point. Cover me from above. I'll find a way in."
Sera frowned. "You're going alone?"
Kael smirked. "Don't you guys trust me already?"
Mira gave a snort. "No, not at all. Not even a little."
Kael chuckled. "Then stay sharp."
With that, they started to move.
Sera and Mira disappeared into the trees, moving toward higher ground. Kael stayed low, slipping through the shadows undetected as he approached the fortress wall.
His silver eyes cautiously scanned the structure.
Then he discovered something—a small, unguarded passageway close to the eastern side. It was a tunnel for drainage. Narrow, but not impossible to pass through for someone of his stature.
Kael smirked. "Perfect."
He crept inside unobstructed.
Even though the tunnel was narrow and damp, Kael moved quickly because his senses were sharper than before. He came out into a dark hallway with only dim flames illuminating the stone walls.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded.
Kael pressed himself against the wall as two guards walked past, speaking in hushed tones.
"According to the commander, the prisoners will soon be moved."
"Where?"
"The lower chambers. They don't want any risks before the nobles arrive."
Kael's gaze grew strained as he thought. 'Nobles... But from which of the kingdoms? And also, the royals were still alive.'
He waited for the guards to pass before moving forward, his footsteps silent. Every corridor he went through was securely guarded, but he was patient and moved like a ghost in the darkness.
Then he came to a big iron door with thick bars for reinforcement—the chambers in the prison cells.
Kael pressed his ear against the door. He could hear faint voices coming from the other side. He took a step back and examined the lock. It was also reinforced and too powerful for only his dagger.
But Kael wasn't worried.
Mira's voice crackled softly from a tiny magical stone in the form of an earpiece in his ear, which they had previously taken from a dead mercenary.
"We're in position," she muttered. "Do you see anything?"
Kael nodded. "Yeah. I think I've found them."
Sera's voice cut in. "Then what are we waiting for?"
Kael drew his dagger, his eyes gleaming.