Thief of Twilight

Part One: Chapter 8

"Let's go! Let's go!" Mouna waved his hand at Basal and the others as they raced through the portal. They cleared their campsite during the time that Ajri was at the palace. Rais ensured that their tracks were covered so that no one could follow. Ajri burst through the trees with her bow and arrows on her back. As she leaped through the portal, Mouna quickly followed.

The portal closed behind them, only to open a doorway in another location. The portal opened in a cellar. Lord Ayad stood against the stone wall with his arms crossed over his chest. As his assassins bowed their heads, he stepped forward.

"All of you are dismissed. All except, Ajri and Mouna."

The other four stood up and left the room through a wooden door. Once the door had closed, Mouna and Ajri looked up.

"How did it go? What did you find out?" Lord Dahi questioned.

"Zurine is now Lady Abedayo of Jincheon. It would appear as if she is going to marry Emperor Kang Yohan." Ajri explained.

"Emperor Kang?" Lord Ayad rubbed his chin. "He is the youngest son of Great Emperor Kang Chunwoo, correct?"

"Yes." Mouna nodded his head.

"I see...interesting. I wonder what made him choose her over all of the noblewomen in the region." Lord Ayad laughed. "There are many women across Sincheon who are eager to become empress."

Mouna and Ajri remained silent.

"What happened while you were there? What did you see?"

"I stayed in the forest." Mouna answered.

"Tell me, what are the forests like?" Lord Ayad inquired. "Are they full of exotic animals?"

"There are deer, rabbits, and other large creatures. There seems to be an abundance of wildlife and plants. There seems to be a balance between predator and prey. The days are warm and the nights are cool. It doesn't appear to get too hot or too cold either.

"I see..." Lord Ayad nodded his head. "And what about the palace?"

"The palace is rather large. It took me several days to figure out exactly where Zurine was staying. She does not sleep with the emperor. I wouldn't say that she doesn't like him. But the countries customs are more...conservative."

"Conservative? I doubt it. All countries have their lewd secrets."

"Palace security is average. It would appear that there is only one entrance but...there are two walls that you must pass through before entering the palace grounds. The first two lead to the throne room." Ajri explained.

"What do you mean?" Lord Ayad chuckled. "Surely, you can just walk through one gate."

"That is not true, Lord Ayad." Ajri sighed. "Yes, the palace is surrounded by a wall that separates it from the city. But there are two walls beyond the entrance. After the second wall, you have access to the palace grounds. From there, you would be able to venture to the other buildings such as the imperial study, imperial library, and so on."

"That's interesting. What is Zurine's relationship with the emperor?"

"It doesn't look like she likes him. It would appear that she is trying to avoid him as much as possible. She is...very mean to him." Ajri smirked. "I wouldn't say that she is using him for protection though."

"Do you think she knows that we are searching for her?"

"She will now."

Lord Ayad narrowed his eyes. "What did you do?"

"During the engagement party, I shot an arrow at the ox that she was admiring. Its blood sent her into a panic."

"Next time, do as you are told. You know that Lord Baldwin treasures her deeply."