Iron Hearth Castle. The Seventh Night – 02:00 AM.
The moon was hidden behind thick clouds. Total darkness blanketed Northreach. The old castle appeared dead; not a single torch was lit on the outer walls.
Ten shadows moved soundlessly across the fortress walls. Their movements were fluid as water, making no noise whatsoever.
They were the Elites of "The Silent Step" Guild. Their fee was 1,000 gold per head.
Their leader, Viper, signaled with his hand: Enter. Kill all witnesses. Retrieve 'The Item'.
They infiltrated through a second-floor window that was "accidentally" unlocked.
They landed in a pitch-black long corridor.
Too easy, Viper thought. The guards are all asleep. Amateurs.
Viper signaled again: Advance.
First step. Safe.
Second step. Safe.
Third step...
CRUNCH.
One of Viper's subordinates stepped on something crisp.
Not a twig. Not a tripwire.
But... Broken Glass.
Hundreds of sharp glass shards (waste from Rumina's factory) were scattered across the dark corridor floor. And poured over the glass was a slippery, fragrant liquid. Liquid Soap Waste.
"ARGH!" The Assassin slipped. His feet were punctured by glass, his body sliding uncontrollably due to the soap's slickness.
The sound of his fall was deafening in the silent castle. THUD!
"What the hell?!" Viper was startled.
Suddenly, from the ventilation shaft in the ceiling, the sound of children giggling could be heard.
Secret Passage (Behind the Walls).
Raphael (10) and Raveena (12) were peeking through a small hole. They were wearing Saucepan Helmets (for safety) and holding ropes.
"Gotcha!" Raphael whispered gleefully. "Take a taste of Brother Rian's 'Dance Floor'!"
"Raph, now! Pull Rope B!" ordered Raveena, acting as the Spotter. Her sharp eyes tracked the enemy movement in the dark.
"Roger, Commander Veena!"
Raphael pulled the rope beside him with all his might.
Back in the Corridor.
Above the heads of the Assassins, who were panicking on the slippery, sharp floor, a wooden hatch opened.
WHOOSH!
Not rocks falling. Not hot oil.
But Wheat Flour mixed with Black Pepper Powder (Martha's kitchen stock).
White dust exploded, filling the narrow corridor.
"COUGH! COUGH!"
The Assassins coughed violently. Their eyes stung, their noses burned. A chorus of sneezes shattered their stealth mode.
"ACHOO! Fall back! We're compromised!" Viper shouted, his eyes watering.
They tried to run back, but the soapy floor made them stumble and fall like drunk circus performers.
"Run to the Main Hall! It's open space!" Viper ordered.
They crawled and scrambled toward the double doors of the Main Hall. They kicked the doors open. BANG!
They entered the spacious Main Hall. Pitch black.
Ten Assassins gathered in the center of the room, weapons drawn, breathing heavily, their bodies covered in white flour like powdered donuts.
"Come out, you cowards!" Viper screamed.
From the second-floor balcony of the Hall, a voice answered. A calm, annoying voice.
"Good evening, Gentlemen. Sorry the welcome is a bit messy. My little sister likes playing cooking games."
It was Sir Rianor's voice.
Beside Rianor stood Lady Rumina.
They both wore something strange over their eyes: Thick Black Sunglasses (triple-layered dark glass lenses).
"Looking for something?" Rianor asked.
"Hand over the Mithril!" Viper barked.
"Oh, sure," Rianor smiled. "Rumi, turn on the lights."
Rumina sparked a flame in her hand. She threw a clay ball into the middle of the Assassins.
"Close your eyes!" Rumina shouted.
The Assassins were confused. A bomb?
BLARRRR!!!
The ball exploded. Not a fire explosion, but a burst of Magnesium White Light.
The brightness rivaled the midday sun but occurred in a pitch-black room.
The Assassins' retinas, adjusted to the dark, were instantly "burned" (overexposed).
"AAAAARGHHH! MY EYES!"
"I'M BLIND! IT'S DARK! EVERYTHING IS WHITE!"
They screamed, clutching their temporarily blinded eyes. The Flashbang was a massive success.
"Now it's the adults' turn," Duke Lucian's heavy voice came from the shadows of the throne.
Candles on the walls lit up simultaneously.
A terrifying sight was revealed to anyone who could still see.
At the left door: Sir Riven, holding his battleaxe with a savage grin.
At the right door: Lady Rhea, twirling her daggers.
In the center: Duke Lucian, sitting casually on the throne.
The Assassins were blind, deaf from pepper, and surrounded.
"Finish them," Lucian ordered flatly.
It wasn't a fight. It was a slaughter.
Riven charged like a truck, swinging his axe.
Rhea danced among the blind enemies, slitting throats with surgical precision.
Viper, the leader, tried to attack blindly with his sword.
"Where are you?! Fight me!"
Lucian stepped down from the throne. He walked casually toward Viper.
He caught Viper's sword with his bare hand (clad in a steel gauntlet).
Crack. He snapped the sword in two.
Then one punch to the face. BAM.
Viper fell unconscious.
Nine Assassins dead. One unconscious (for interrogation).
"Done," Riven said, wiping his axe on one of the corpses' clothes. "Too easy. I'm lacking exercise."
They were elite, but they underestimated us. Arrogance kills faster than swords.
Family Room (Upper Floor). Family Mode: ON.
"WUUHUUU! HIGH FIVE, KAK!"
Raphael jumped into Riven's arms.
"You crazy kid!" Riven ruffled his little brother's hair. "Whose idea was the flour and pepper?"
"Veena's idea!" Raveena chimed in proudly, still wearing her saucepan helmet. "Because Mbak Martha once got mad when pepper spilled, and everyone sneezed. So Veena just turned it into a weapon."
"Creative," Rianor praised, taking off his sunglasses. "Very effective. They panicked, formation broke, became sitting ducks."
Aurelia arrived carrying a tray of hot chocolate.
"Mama's children are so smart," Aurelia kissed Raph and Veena's cheeks. "But promise, straight to bed after this. School tomorrow... uh, I mean history lessons with Mr. Silas."
"Aww... boring," Raph complained. "War is more fun."
"Hey, watch your mouth," Lucian admonished (Dad Mode) while sitting on the sofa. "War is exhausting. Look, Dad's back pain is acting up again."
Everyone laughed.
"But seriously," said Roland, who just appeared (he had been hiding in the iron safe, just in case). "We got one live prisoner, right? That Viper guy?"
"Yup," Rhea answered while peeling an orange. "He's tied up in the dungeon right now, keeping General Kael company. Grimm is preparing 'warm tea' for him."
"We have to ask who hired them," Rianor said, his face turning slightly serious again. "If my guess is right... it's not Morvath."
"Not Morvath?" Riven asked. "But Kael said Morvath wanted the Mithril."
"Morvath is a politician. He plays with armies or laws," Rianor analyzed. "Assassins are toys for people who are afraid of getting caught. People who are more cunning."
Rianor stared out the dark window.
"There is a Third Player on this chessboard. And I think... he is inside the Palace."