A Blade’s Dilemma
Date: May 21 Time: Late evening Location: Sideway street in Khaggon
@efraincrayhorn
It appeared to be a common occurence to have more shadow than light in a city like Khaggon. Especially in the less affluent parts of town, where the workers resided and the streets were less likely to be overrun with guards and other martial representatives of the law. Ash had seen more of the king’s soldiers lately on her journeys back and forth between Myrefall and Khaggon. It was the sort of travel that allowed her plenty of time to experience the goings-on that the cities and settlements might not be the most privy to.
Clad in simple street wear and a dark cloak, Ash had been meeting with a new acquaintance over a few drinks, and she may have overdone it on the drinking part of it. She wasn’t too bad off, just a little off-balance and… Oh, who was she kidding, she was obviously past the point of tipsy by now.
“You know…” Ash froze at the sound of an unfamiliar voice nearby. She turned around to see a pair of humans walk towards her, a man and a woman. “I was expecting the Liberator to be a bit tougher-lookin’ than this.”
The woman let out a dark chuckle. “It’s always the ones you least expect, isn’t it? Just ‘cause you look sweet and innocent like this doesn’t we don’t know what you’re really all about.”
Ash stopped herself from swaying too much and adopted as much of a confused face as possible. “I’m sorry… Do I know you?” She looked from the woman back to the man, playing the part of confused passer-by like she’d done plenty of times before. The Liberator… That was a new one.
The man seemed to buy it as he looked towards his partner. “Did… Do we have the right one?”
“You know those shapechangers.” She brandished the longsword at her side and threw Ash a stone cold stare. “Whether or not she’s the one, there’s no need to go back now.” The sword came out of its scabbard, pointed towards her. “You’re coming with us, or you die at our hands.”
“I… Please, I’m not who you think I am…” Her voice was shaky, partly from fear and partly to keep up the innocent act, but it seemed like they had made up their mind. “Help! Someone, please help!”
She really didn’t want to fight them and blow her cover like this, but that seemed to be what was happening here.
———
Efrain had had enough of people for the day. It had been dull and stressful and long and absolutely full of entitled, obnoxious, damnably demanding people. He marched through the winding streets of Khaggon and allowed his own muscle memory to lead him. He hadn’t gotten lost in Khaggon since he was a scared child attempting to hide from Eobald and his tutors. The nooks and crannies, winding side streets, empty buildings, and perpetual construction zones had served as perfect hiding spots. Before he’d learned to fight and to store his fear in little locked boxes in the back of his mind Efrain had hidden a lot across the city.
He’d learned to tune out much of the city’s noises: the criss-cross of voices, the stamping of feet, the never-ending hum of life around him. What he’d never learned to ignore, or quiet, were calls of distress. Before the plea for aid even registered Efrain dropped his hand to the pommel of his sheathed rapier. He tracked the call to a nearby side-street and stepped into its mouth. The guards posted in this neighborhood were sparse this time of night. More often than not they were needed in the more populated areas. He hadn’t intended to play guard for the night, but even if his morals allowed him to ignore it, his knighthood’s allegiance did not.
As he stepped forward, Efrain dropped his shoulders back and straightened his spine. He wanted to be ready to act, but not appear overtly threatening yet. “Trouble brewing?” he asked, tone dry and only mildly curious.
He didn’t recognize anyone present, but that meant little. Their were two aggressors and one potential victim. His eyes glanced to each one in turn.














