After spending three weeks on a ship, it was a relief when Kai reached land. The ship docked at port Hava, which was apparently the most reliable port in all of Arocelli.
It was a bustling place with many stalls and shops on several corners. Beggars lined up in a corner and a busker settled at a far area in the pier.
Kai had only a few coins with him and was in need of a serious bath, food and a horse to further his journey. Sleep was not on the agenda, there was no point when he'd wake every twenty minutes from a nightmare, the nightmare he was running from now. He decided to get all three things.
First he bought bread and cheese with the few coins he had, then he stole a horse from a distracted stables master on the other side of the port. It was easy to scale the fence and cut the rope holding the horse, then he led the muscular horse out of the stables with full speed. Before the stables master understood what was going on he had already been on the other side of the port.
After two days of riding and resting he located a stream of running water. He had a bath and put some in a water pouch for the road. A week later he arrived at Queens capital, where the Queens palace was located.
It was no wonder the place was beautiful and orderly even with the mass of people going about with their day. The houses were nicely lined up and differed in colors while shops lined up selling various items like jewelry and clothes and occasionally pastries.
A bakery was nearby and it brought the aroma of freshly baked bread. It made Kai remember he ate nothing yesterday and this morning. He traded the black muscular horse for a good sum and bought fresh bread and other pastries from a young shop girl who kept smiling shyly at him.
Then he spotted a flat roof top with a chimney and a shade created on it by the height of the opposite building, at least that's what anyone else would see. What he saw was a perfect resting place and he needed sleep whether he had nightmares or not.
He went into the alley created by the building he wanted to rest on and an opposite building looking worn out by time but no less inhabited than others. Then he began climbing and reached the rooftop easily.
No one would spot him because of how dark the alley was. He unhooked the sheath of his sword, 'Heros', it's blade gleaming in the sunlight and it's hilt furnished perfectly, and laid it beside the chimney. He ate his meal and relaxed against the chimney and then eventually shut his eyes.
Fifteen minutes later he was soaked with sweat as he woke up vehemently. As expected, he thought glumly. He then lay awake taking a view of the vast city. For some reason it seemed to differ from most places...and he had been to most places.
In the other six kingdoms, mostly Baros and Mohja, the castle was far from its people. It's citizens mostly took care of themselves while its Kings lavished it's taxes on themselves and whoever pleased them, in which case the kingdom had no organization or regal beauty whereas it was well off in finance.
Arocelli on the other hand was well built and well cared of. It could be because it was ruled by a Queen, Queen Esther who was also known to be the first Queen in recent years.
Soon he began to hear a stir below him like there was a gathering. He got up from his lazy position and tucked a thick dread lock of his dark hair behind his ear as he looked below and ahead to see a crowd forming on two sides of the road.
In between them was a carriage, not just a regular carriage but a grand one with no roof, used more for viewing its content than moving around. And it's content was the Princess of Arocelli...Princess Katherine, sister to the queen. Either that or it was the queen herself.
Kai knew this because it was known in all six kingdoms that the women in the Arocelli family had pale moon white hair. And no regular person entered a carriage surrounded by fifteen royal guards distinguished by their blue and white color, so he knew it had to be someone royal.
She stood there on the carriage wearing a yellow dress and waving at basically everyone while people cheered. How noble, Kai thought sarcastically.
He was about to go back to sleep, preferring nightmares to this theatrical when an arrow flew straight into one of the chest of one of the guards walking ahead of the carriage.
Then there was chaos.
The guards quickly set into a defensive formation, three putting themselves as suicide shields from any other arrows while people screamed and ran from the street into homes and shops.
Then five men suddenly came out of dark corners, their faces wrapped in black scarves so that only their eyes would show. They held curved blades and they looked like they were ready to use it.
Ten of the guards immediately rushed at them as the suicidal guards joined two others in trying to turn the horses and the carriage around seeing that one of the five attackers was holding a bow and arrow, obviously presuming he was the shooter.
Kai couldn't interfere cause then he'd be involved and he did not want to be involved.
The five attacker's were too skilled. They had already taken out three of the ten royal guards with ease. Kai saw one of the attackers break off from the fight and go straight for the princess.
Two of the five who had succeeded in turning the carriage around leapt for the attacker but in three swipes they were both dead. The attacker threw a dagger at one of the remaining three guards and he fell.
He knew not to intervene but when he saw the princess - queen pick up the dead guards sword in preparation for a fight, not minding the obvious pleas from the guards to take the carriage and go, he picked up heros and headed straight for them, jumping from roof to roof till he reached the scene. Then he dared a jump to the ground and rolled. His leg ached but it didn't matter now.
He unsheathed a dagger hidden at his ankle and hauled it straight at the attackers neck. His dead body thudded on the ground. The princess - queen and her remaining two guards looked at him. The shock and fear in their eyes turned into appreciation when they realized he seemed to be on their side.
He stared at the princess queen in particular noticing that no one ever mentioned how unnaturally blue her eyes were.
He quickly pivoted while bending and cut through an attacker with heros. He knew the unfriendly steps of an attacker when he heard one. The attacker fell to the ground dead. Three to go, he thought in dismay. Killing was not something he appreciated.
The attackers had already taken out three more from the initial ten guards who went to face them making four remain. The guards hadn't even taken out one. He knew it wasn't the fault of the guards. The attackers fought with a grace he hardly saw.
Two of the attackers broke off to attack him while one faced the remaining four guards, confidence limned his every movement. The two attackers who had broken off came charging at him with the skill of people who had trained together, but kai had been training since his feeble hands could lift a sword.
To him...they were game.
He dodged each attack they threw at him and caught every feint they made. When one of the attackers made a feint, kai saw it coming and put his sword through the attackers unguarded side. He fell and there was a deep indignation that came off the remaining standing attacker.
He attacked ferociously which left kai defending every move. Kai dodged a particularly strong attack and pulled the scarf off the attackers head only to be so astonished he stood there standing in shock.
"Elves" he said.
Before Kai knew what was happening the elf had lunged and sliced his abdomen but not before he sliced the elf's neck. They both fell knee first to the ground then collapsed.
Kai saw the guards capture the last attacker before darkness took him.