The Albright Villa had more a subtle charm one would not expect from merchant nobility. It was bathed in the dim, eerie moonlight of a cloudy summer night. The light breeze brought a hint of salty sea air from the east, and the waves crashed violently into the coastline below. It soothed Kayden after a long day's ride in the sun, but he could see the dark, menacing clouds on the horizon.
"It's going to be a storm, maybe in an hour or two?" the pudgy young man next to him said with concern. He dabbed his chubby cheeks with an elegant napkin and smiled.
Kayden just shrugged, and adjusted his posture on the ground, feeling the coarse dirt grind into his gray breeches. He did another check of his gear, the quick patdown that let him know his blades and pouches were in place. He took out a small one, pocket knife, not for combat but for carving, along with a tiny square piece of wood.
Kayden was a short, but well built young man, with wavy chestnut hair down to his shoulders. His eyes were green and gaze sharp. His blade ran along the wood smoothly, and he would lift it to examine if the shape was right before continuing his work under the watch of his chatty companion.
The sky was still mostly clear, dotted with stars like diamonds. He thought that having diamonds in his pockets would make him feel better.
"It will be good cover; no light, I hope."
Temsol, their leader, was up ahead, prone with his spyglass extended, waiting for the wizard's signal. Mages always worked in a tower, and his was a decent one by Kayden's limited experience, circular with large glass windows, each painted. They sometimes shone green, sometimes purple--a sign of an arcane laboratory in use. Then there came a white blast, and Temsol waved up at the tree.
The guards would change soon, so it was showtime. Everyone's hair stood on their necks. Kayden put away the unfinished carving in a rush, along with his knife, then prepared the rope and a blackjack. A row of daggers glimmered in the moonlight for a second as he stood in a crouch.
The chubby man just sat, blank-faced.
"Deep breaths, Angus. It will be a breeze." Kayden whispered, and a small rock hit his head from above. It was Asala getting them both to shut up.
The dour elf up in the crown of the tree leaned forward on the branch and adjusted her crossbow. The men in the towers had plate armor, but at the end of a shift late at night one's desire to feel the wind on the face overpowers caution. All Kayden could hear below was a twang of the bowstring and a crash, a little clack as she cocked the bow again, then another twang. The guards were no doubt dead, or they soon would be from the poison in the bolts.
"Clear," the serious woman's voice said from above.
Temsol stared at Kayden. "You know what to do."
"Actually, I forgot."
One slap later, a frantic dash over the gravely path led him to the stables. The sound of horses shuffling and shifting in their sleep came from the gaps in the planks, and he could smell the hay. He judged the jump, then went for it, hoisting himself onto the stable.
The towers were not really that tall. It was a villa, not a fort, and was supposed to be somewhat secretive. Just about five guards and ten servants was what they were told, and it felt about right.
From there he would need the rope, and he took it by the hook, spun around, and tossed. With a few pulls he was sure it could hold him, and he was up on the tower.
The dead guardsman curled up in front of the box he was sitting on, his helmet still on it. He had a crossbow bolt poking out of the right eye, which oozed a dark stain on the creaky wooden boards.
The guard's replacement would be coming along the seaside wall. And despite the order, he would rather not kill the man without reason. He pulled the body to the edge, making it appear as if the unfortunate was leaning over the rail drunk, then hid against the wall in a shadow.
The sound of footsteps grew louder over the crashing of the waves. There came a strong gust of wind, bringing in some dust too.
"Alphonse, what are you doing?"
The guard coughed and drew in closer to check on his mate.
"No helmet either. What great luck." Kayden thought as he smashed him over the skull with a blackjack.
"You..." a yell came from the other tower, but a bolt cut it off with a slam into his neck. He choked on blood for a moment, then crashed to the ground. Asala, nuts as she was, saved his ass, and he'd not hear the end of it.
"Perhaps I should have just knifed them both," he thought as he pulled the unconscious guard behind the boxes, checked his breathing, then tied his hands behind the back with a short rope.
From a dark sack hidden under a board, he pulled out the rope ladder, and let it loose right in front of the stables. The rest of the group followed shortly, climbing one at a time.
Asala was first, deliberately paying no attention to him, then Temsol. The tall, bearded man stared him down and said, "You were supposed to use your throwing knives. Do you think this is a game, boy?" He lifted his hood and covered his face.
"It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't. And what are you doing, elf?"
Asala was just about to cut the throat of the unconscious guard.
"We could use the rope."
"We might need him later. Get down to the west wing and deal with the last guard, then secure the stables. And don't kill the servants, you psychopath, just lock them up."
She gave a stiff grin and a distant stare, giddy at some cruel thought, before running off over the gate to the southwest tower.
Angus finally climbed up the ladder, lugging along a giant toolbox. He slumped to the boards, panting, and put on a smiling white carnival mask.
I'm going to rendezvous with our client," he said to Angus. "You are to find Lady Albright's study and open the safe. I'm sure you'll find it."
"Behind a painting?" Angus said with a smirk.
"Don't be smug. Her daughter should not be around, but Rayla Albright is a tricky one. Kayden will make sure you have no issues, though, if he can find it in himself to put up a fight."
The last line was almost lost in the thunderous crash of the wave. Then, for a split second, they were all illuminated by the distant lightning flash.
"And stop worrying about that. It looks close, but it takes time for storms to travel in this region. We'll be safe inside when it hits."
With this, they made their way to the main wing of the house along the eastern wall. To their right, the sea grew dark and turbulent, crashing into the coast with foamy fury. And below, on the left, was the garden, with its neat rows of waist-high hedges trimmed to perfection. Fragrant flowerbeds were dotted with red and purple petals. The north wing's balcony had ivy climbing the marble columns, giving the otherwise simple façade a more natural feel.
A faint yelp and a crash came from the servant's wing. "Damn you, you psycho elf. Last time I hired you!" Temsol grumbled. He had to hold his scarf in place as the wind swept it up. Kayden swallowed some dust and coughed as quietly as he could. Angus was about to slap his back, but Kayden waved him to stop.
They entered the midsection of the wizard's tower, the tallest and probably newest addition to the villa. The spiraling staircase climbed up to a sturdy wooden door with runes carved on the front. It spiraled down further than it should, several stories, with tiny specs of torches flickering in their sconces.
Temsol went up, while Kayden tapped his buddy and pointed at the door to their left.
Fading starlight spilled into the opulent hallway from the balcony doors. On the walls were paintings of many unknown royal faces. They wore uniforms, expedition gear, or were standing in front of or on ships. A long, light blue carpet stretched from their door to the other side.
The right wall had many doors, but only one was double-width and ornate enough to say, "I'm important." They were about to head for it when a servant boy in a short white tunic stumbled out, candle holder in hand, wiping his eyes. He might have missed them, but Angus dropped his box and startled the lad.
"What are you doing here? Who are you?" he started, before Kayden grabbed him and spun him around. He put him into a choke hold, flexing tight around the poor boy's neck until he felt him go limp.
"Dammit, Angus, I thought you were the thief and I the hunter."
"Sorry."
"Let's just toss him back into his bed."
He was light enough for Kayden to pick him up alone, and they laid him back down in his bed.
"He's the valet or such. This is right next to that fancy door."
"Let's head in then! Help me with the tools."
They could only see vague silhouettes of ornate furniture in the pitch-black study. The only light source was the dim magical reading lamp, mounted to the desk and bathing the surface in pale green.
Kayden went first and peered behind the velvety curtains out onto the balcony, where a turbulent sea was washing over the coastline below.
"I'll check the bedroom. You look around for that safe here."
Angus nodded, then got to work, lifting up the frames of each painting one by one. In one corner was a smaller round frame with a larger woman depicted in her natural state. Her plump body was completely exposed as she stretched on a divan. Angus smirked, then checked behind it, then pointed at a tiny safe with a satisfied grin.
Kayden went across the study, then turned the bedroom knob slowly and pushed the door, hoping it didn't creak.
It went smoothly, and he was peering inside Lady Albright's bedchambers. The smell of scented candles, lavender and chamomile, would have made him crave sleep had he not prepared for an all-nighter. In colorful shimmers, they made the shadows of the four-poster bed dance. The bed had thin, transparent curtains with dozens of cushions on the sheet. The rest of the furniture was what one would expect of a lady of her station: a vanity with a round silver-rimmed mirror, many cosmetics drawers, and a dark-wood divider with many little holes.
"You could probably see everything when she changes," he chuckled while checking behind and under the bed. Safety ensured, he rummaged through her vanity's drawers for jewelry. A small box had a bundle of them, but he didn't really know how to tell real ones from fake so he took them all, counting on Angus to go over them later.
"What are you doing in my room, you slime!?"
"It's not what you think, my lady! I am just a..."
"A horrible liar. Now sleep!" she said, and right as Kayden rushed back, he could see Angus drop slowly and curl up next to his bag of tricks.
The woman could be none other than Lady Rayla Albright. She stood at the wide open balcony door, tall and stunning, her tight nightgown billowing in the light draft, doing little to cover up her curvaceous body. The silver amulet around her neck stopped shining as she wound down from a spell.
"It is impolite to stare. Or to enter a lady's chamber uninvited."
"Is he dead?" he motioned to Angus.
"You will find out soon."
Rayla held her amulet again and weaved the spell, but before she could finish, Kayden's throwing knife was flying towards her throat. The butt of the handle struck her right on the throat, and the spell fizzled out as she choked.
"You're a lousy shot."
He threw another blade, this time tip-first, into the proud face of the late Albert Albright, painted only, of course.
