Chapter 104: The Golden Gates and the Trojan Skeleton
The Capital of Aethelgard, known as the "City of Eternal Noon," loomed before them like a mountain of white marble and arrogance. Its walls were fifty feet high, reinforced with celestial crystals that hummed with a defensive frequency so high it made the teeth of anyone nearby ache. Normally, the city gates were a place of trade and bustling crowds, but today, they were sealed tight, guarded by a legion of Paladins in shimmering gold armor.
"Okay, I've changed my mind," Aki whispered, squinting at the blinding reflection of the sun off the Paladins' breastplates. "Let's go back to the swamp. I miss the leeches. The leeches didn't have twelve-foot-long spears aimed at my internal organs."
Von (Volt) stood a few hundred yards from the main gate, his crimson eyes fixed on the golden banner of the Academy flying above the ramparts. Behind him, his five hundred skeletons stood in perfect, silent formation, though one of them was still accidentally wearing Aki's colorful silk scarf around its neck.
"We need a way in without triggering the Solar Flare cannons on those towers," Sai said, his voice muffled by his heavy helmet as he adjusted his grip on his shield. "If we just march forward, we'll be turned into ash before we can say 'Long live the King.'"
Von looked at Aki. A slow, dangerous smirk began to form on his face. "Aki, you're the world's greatest thief, right? Or was that just something you wrote on your own bounty poster?"
Aki puffed out his chest, momentarily forgetting his fear. "Greatest in three continents, boss! I once stole the crown off a sleeping king without waking his mistress. Why?"
"Good," Von said, pointing toward a massive merchant caravan that was stalled a mile down the road, waiting for the gates to reopen. "They're carrying 'Heavenly Incense' for the Academy's ritual. It's stored in large, hollow wooden crates."
Aki's eyes widened. "No. No, no, no. Von, I know that look. That's the 'I have a terrible idea that involves me almost dying' look."
The Plan (Or: How to Make a Skeleton Sneaky)
Twenty minutes later, the merchant caravan began to move again. The head merchant, a sweaty man named Barnaby, was nervous. The Paladins had been extra strict lately. He didn't notice that his two largest crates of incense felt significantly heavier.
Inside Crate #1, Aki was squeezed between three skeletons. "Watch the ribs, Bonesy! That's my kidney you're poking! And stop clicking your jaw, you're going to blow our cover!"
Inside Crate #2, Rena and Sai were trying to stay silent, though Sai's massive shield kept bumping against the wooden walls. "If we survive this," Rena whispered, her hands glowing with a low-level concealment spell, "I am going to write a very stern letter to my father about the company I've been keeping."
Von, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen. He was moving through the shadows cast by the caravan, a literal ghost in the machine.
As the caravan reached the Golden Gates, a high-ranking Paladin stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of a glowing broadsword. "Halt! By order of the High Inquisitor, all cargo must be inspected for Abyssal corruption."
Aki froze. Through a small crack in the crate, he saw the Paladin approach. The Paladin drew a 'Detection Rod' and pointed it directly at Aki's crate.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Stealth Check Initiated. Probability of Success: 14%. Warning: The Paladin's 'Sense Evil' skill is Level 80. Suggestion: Do something incredibly stupid to distract him.]
Aki didn't hesitate. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small vial of 'Itching Powder' he'd stolen from a prank shop in the previous town, and blew it through the crack in the crate toward the Paladin's horse.
The horse's eyes went wide. It let out a shrill neigh and began to dance frantically, kicking its hind legs and knocking over a stack of barrels.
"Woah! Easy, girl!" the Paladin shouted, distracted as he tried to regain control of his mount. "Barnaby! What did you feed this beast? Move your crates along before she kicks a hole in the city wall!"
Barnaby, terrified, whipped his oxen. The caravan rattled through the gates. They were in.
The Chaos Unleashed
Once they were deep inside the merchant district, hidden in a dark alleyway, Von emerged from the shadows and tapped on the crates. "Out. Now."
The crates exploded outward. Aki tumbled out, followed by a pile of clattering skeletons. "I'm never doing that again! One of those skeletons tried to hold my hand! It was weird, Von! Very weird!"
Sai and Rena stepped out more gracefully, though Sai looked ready to hit something. "We're inside the secondary perimeter. But the Palace is still guarded by the 'Light-Bound Wardens.' They can't be distracted by itching powder."
Von looked up at the Palace, his obsidian eyes reflecting the golden light of the city. He raised his hand, and the two fragments of the 'Crown of Eternal Night' began to glow with a violent, violet intensity.
[SYSTEM ALERT: Zone Entry - The City of Eternal Noon. Quest Objective: Reach the Throne Room. New Skill Unlocked: 'Nightfall's Veil' (Temporary). Effect: Turns the surrounding 500 meters into absolute darkness for 10 minutes.]
"Aki, you and Sai take the skeletons and create a distraction at the West Barracks," Von commanded, his voice vibrating with a newfound power. "Rena, I need you to bypass the magical locks on the main lift."
Aki looked at the five hundred skeletons, who were now standing at attention, waiting for his command. He sighed and put on his silk scarf, adjusting it around his neck. "Fine. But if I get a bounty increase, I'm taking it out of the royal treasury."
He turned to the skeletons. "Alright, you bone-headed beauties! Listen up! We're going to go over there, make a lot of noise, and try not to get turned into calcium supplements! Follow the guy with the fancy scarf!"
With a clattering roar, the 'Skeleton Diversion Team' charged out of the alleyway. Within seconds, the sounds of screaming Paladins and clashing steel filled the air.
Von looked at Rena. "Ready?"
Rena nodded, her eyes glowing with determination. "Let's go show them that the night isn't something to be feared. It's something to be respected."
As Von stepped onto the main street, he triggered the skill. 'Nightfall's Veil' erupted from his body like a black explosion. In an instant, the "City of Eternal Noon" was plunged into a darkness so thick that even the sun-crystals on the walls were snuffed out.
The screams of the citizens and the confusion of the guards were the only sounds in the sudden, terrifying night. In the center of it all, Von walked toward the Palace, his scythe trailing on the marble floor, sparks of violet fire marking his path.
The King was home. And he had forgotten his keys.