Veno finally showed up, reaching the second floor just in time to see Harlan's legs and waist flop to the ground in a smoky mess. The smell of burnt wood and charred flesh penetrated the atmosphere with enough strength to make him gag.

  Eujal was on the ground, his eyes wide and watering at the sight before him. His body trembled as he kept inching backwards towards the stairs.

  It was clear to Veno that Eujal was in shock. The poor kid was probably in over his head. Veno had suspected that he had a weak stomach, and the events of tonight had proven his suspicion true.

  His vision blurred slightly and he blinked hard, trying to clear his mind.

  He had to focus. Harlan was dead and Eujal was basically useless. It was up to him to finish the job.

  Footsteps drew his attention.

  Veno looked ahead and his eyes immediately met the sight of the red-haired woman, the target. She was clad in a white nightgown. Her hair was wild, a look of fury in her blue eyes. She stood there, emptyhanded, staring at Veno and Eujal with a piercing, penetrating gaze.

  "Osha the storyteller," Veno began, drawing his blade. "Your time has come. The guild wishes for your head."

  Osha's lips twisted into a grin, her eyebrows raised. She looked at the corpse of Harlan and the trembling, cowering form of Eujal. Her eyes moved up and down, analyzing Veno and the longsword in his hand.

  "Is that so? I guess I should've known this would happen," she muttered. "Working for the Asir does have downsides after—"

  "Enough! Let us begin!" Veno roared, his feet carrying him forward, his sword drawn.

  Eujal watched in horror as the captain closed the distance in an instant. Despite his somewhat drunken state, he had reached where Harlan's corpse was in less than a second. He was an expert at moving around at incredible speeds.

  "May his boots detonate," the storyteller shouted.

  Veno's eyes widened and his head turned to his feet.

  There was a loud bang.

  Blood splattered everywhere.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Veno's body flew across the hall, slamming into the wall. He was dead before he hit the ground.

  Eujal watched in horror as the captain's upper body began to leak its contents onto the wooden floor.

  Osha, her blue eyes still full of life, walked forward, her white nightgown trailing behind her. Eujal felt fear as she approached. It felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest. He scooted away, trying to keep his distance.

  "Now that I'm close... you're just a kid, aren't you?" she said, her lips pressed together, a thoughtful look on her face. "Aren't you a little too young to be a murderer?"

  Eujal didn't respond. Instead, he turned his gaze to his captain.

  Veno was dead.

  He couldn't believe it. The Zhardokhan mercenary captain was a well-respected warrior, a veteran who had participated in many battles and had succeeded in every mission he had embarked upon.

  And yet, this woman, this storyteller, had managed to defeat him in seconds.

  "Let's have a chat... you and I," the woman said, a small smile appearing on her face. "After all, it isn't often that a mercenary is sent to assassinate me."

  Eujal didn't respond. Fear filled his body. He wanted to run, but the woman's eyes were locked on him. If he moved, she would probably kill him.

  Osha's lips twitched, the smile on her face growing wider. Her eyes were bright, full of life. They were beautiful.

  "I'm a very powerful woman, as you may know. I have a lot of enemies, which is why I'm always traveling. I've had many attempts on my life, and each time the assassins are defeated. But never have they been as young as you."

  Osha knelt down, her knees sinking into the pool of blood. Her eyes focused on his face.

  "It's a shame. You should have focused on a fruitful path instead of joining a... hmm... who is your employer?"

  "Zhardokhan," Eujal said, his voice coming out as a croak.

  "Ha! Those scumbags," Osha hissed. Her teeth were showing. Her expression was angry, but her eyes were still bright. "How old are you? Seventeen? Eighteen?"

  "Seventeen," Eujal replied, his voice cracking.

  "So even they are after the youth," she murmured, shaking her head. She pressed off the ground and grasped an edge of her nightgown. With a loud tear, she ripped a portion of the cloth and began wrapping it over Eujal's trembling right wrist.

  What is she doing?

  Eujal was frozen, his eyes fixed on the red-haired woman, who was still kneeling over him. She finished wrapping his wrist and tied a knot. Then, she looked into his eyes.

  "I'm sorry."

  "Huh—"

  "May this cloth become like glue."

  The wrapping immediately felt sticky, and a burning sensation seared his wrist. It felt like he was being constricted by a python. He flinched and grabbed at the wrapping, but couldn't pull it off. It was stuck.

  "May this cloth detonate after an hour."

  Eujal's eyes widened with horror. Osha met them with a cold smile.

  "There you go. If you're able to free yourself from this... then you may live. I, on the other hand, must leave very soon. The villagers may find this mess and I don't want it to stain my reputation. I would like them to believe I am innocent."

  Eujal didn't respond, his mind racing.

  "What are you doing? Leave!”

  Eujal struggled to get his feet underneath him. He was trembling. He needed to get outside. He needed fresh air. He needed to get this off.

  He staggered toward the stairs, the sticky cloth still wrapped tightly around his wrist.

  Osha spoke up once more.

  “And don’t you dare tell anyone about this!”