Blades of Death

Chapter 10

After a four hour long sleep, Khizo's eyes finally opened. Once he was awake, he didn't waste any more time in getting up and dragging his half sleepy body outside the room.

As soon as he came out of the room, he realized that the situation outside wasn't good. Kota was silently sitting on a chair, deprived of all colors from his face while Laing was peeking at the streets outside from the window. 

"Is everything okay?" Khizo asked, declaring his presence. Two pair of eyes turned to Khizo instantly.

"It's not okay." Laing answered. "Krimaghan and Asjatan soldiers are everywhere. They are searching every house. and will soon search our house as well."

"Then it's time for me and Cloris to leave." Khizo declared.

"But why? There are soldiers everywhere. You both will get spotted very soon in open." Kota said.

"We are not safe inside too. At least you both will be safe if we leave." Khizo stated.

"You are safe here. Do you think there are no secret hiding places inside the house of a Kodus?" Laing smirked.

"You have one?"

"Yes, I do. Go and wake Cloris."

Khizo disappeared inside the room and came back a while later with Cloris.

"Follow me." Laing urged. 

They followed Laing to his bedroom where a bed and a wardrobe was placed.

"Do you not have a family?" Khizo asked as he eyed Laing who struggled to move aside his bed.

"I had a wife. She died due to fever." Laing said between his breaths.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop with this and help me first."

Immediately, Cloris, Khizo and Kota rushed to help Laing move the bed. With their help, the bed was moved aside which revealed a set of stairs leading downstairs.

Upon going down the stairs, Khizo and Cloris found themselves in an underground tunnel brightly lit by torches.

"This tunnel connects all the houses of Kodus Warriors." Laing shouted from above.

"My house too?" Khizo asked.

"Yes, your house too. But don't venture deeper in the tunnel. You'll get lost."

"We'll take care of it." Cloris assured.

"Alright then, don't make much noises." Laing said before moving the bed back to its place with the help of Kota.

As soon as the bed was put back in its place, they heard a sudden knock on the door which caused them to freeze for a moment.

Laing gave Kota a nod and went to open the door. Waiting in front of the door was the heavily armored General of Krimaghan army accompanies by ten soldiers.

"Laing, is that you?" The General removed his helmet to reveal his face.

"Nice seeing you after so long, Triston." Laing smiled.

"You know the General of Army?" Kota interrupted.

"Who is this?" Triston asked.

"This is Kota. He–" Laing stopped in the middle upon realizing the presence of other soldiers. Triston understood it quite well.

"Continue the search. I'll join you in a while." Triston ordered his soldiers.

"Yes sir." the soldiers departed.

"He too was a Kodus. He didn't fight in battles but all our plans were his work." Laing stated.

"I am surprised that you both know each other." Kota remarked.

"We were the secret weapon of the king. Why would we not know the man our king trusts the most." Laing said.

"So Laing, what do you do nowadays?" Triston enquired.

"Train Assassins." Laing said in his mind but outside, he revealed to Triston that he had no other job and is dependent on his saving. "Anyway Triston, I don't want to waste your time anymore. You must be quite busy with those assassins on the loose."

"Yes, I am. I need to find them before the Asjatans do."

"Why? Will you get a reward for it?"

"No, it's because our king wants to lay hands on him first. It's for a reason."

"What reason?" Laing asked with interest.

"It's a secret but I think I could trust you with it. The king has a job for them."

"What job?"

"You know very well how the king always wanted Krimagha to be a free country. That's why Kodus was formed. However, with your defeat, the king had lost all his hopes of Krimagha being a free city. But, his hopes have returned ever since those assassins killed Vostok. He wants their help to achieve this long lost dream."

"Triston; is all of this true!" Laing cried, grabbing Triston's hands.

"It's true. Why?"

"What if I tell you that the assassins are hiding in my house."

Triston gave a confused look and then burst out laughing.

"You don't believe us?" Kota asked.

"No, I don't." Triston said between his laughs.

"Alright then. Khizo and Cloris, it's safe to come out now." Laing shouted.

"What sort of joke is this?" Triston enquired.

Laing and Kota gave no reply to him but simply waited.

After some waiting, Khizo and Cloris emerged from Laing's bedroom. Both of them were as shocked on seeing Triston as Triston was on seeing them.

"There's a soldier inside our house." Khizo shouted, looking at Triston who had lost all his words. 

"Y-Yo-You weren't ly-lying?" Triston stammered.

"Yes. I wasn't lying." Laing then turned to Khizo and Cloris, "You don't need to worry about him. He's my old friend."

"I need explanation for this." Triston declared.

"Alright then, sit down everyone. It's gonna be a long story."

All the people inside the room sat down before Laing explained everything to everyone.

"I must inform the King now." Triston said once the explanation was done. "Don't leave the house at all. The king will meet you here tonight." Saying this, Triston departed.

Late at night, in the deserted streets of Krimagha, two figures were walking and whispering to each other. 

"Are you sure it is them?" one of them whispered.

"Yes, my lord." the other replied.

"I hope you are right because they are our only chance to free Krimagha. Otherwise it will always remain in hands of The Great Alliance. Look at me, I am walking like a thief in my own land."

They finally arrived at Laing's house and knocked at the door. The door opened slightly revealing Laing's face. As soon as it was confirmed that it was the King, he opened fully.

"King William, the third. It's a pleasure to have you in my house, my lord." Laing bowed and Kota followed his example.

"Bow down to the king." Kota whispered to Khizo and Cloris.

Very soon, everyone inside the house bowed down to the man wearing yellow robes and having a crown embedded on his top including Triston who had escorted the king to the house. The king had clearly aged. His beard had turned grey.

"So you both are the assassins." King William turned to Khizo and Cloris.

"Ye-Yes, my lord." Khizo's voice trembled before the King.

"You must know that I always wanted Krimagha to be a free kingdom. I had lost the dream when your father died and now, the dream returns with the coming of his son." The king stated. "I was told that you are after Davis, the ruler of Petuk."

"Yes, my lord."

"I give both of you a chance that can settle your life. If you succeed in your mission, I will make both of you kings."

"What is the mission, my lord?" Cloris asked.

"Tomorrow, all the rulers of The Great Alliance will gather for a council to dicuss Vostok's death and what actions must be taken. I too am invited. This could be our best chance to kill all the rulers of the Alliance."

"But all the Kings will bring huge armies with them. Won't we be outnumbered?" Khizo asked.

"Yes, we will be but not much. The law clearly states that nobody is allowed to bring more than thirty soldiers." The King replied.

"We still need a plan. Luckily, the man who made all the plans for Kodus is still alive." Laing turned to Kota.

"Kota Banz. I have heard a lot about you but never had the privilege to meet you." The king turned to Kota.

"The pleasure is all mine."

"They say you were trained by a legendary swordfighter."

"Yes, my lord. Brojok trained me."

"The Injustice Slayer? I have heard a lot about him. He freed the people of Hotho from its cruel monarch."

"Yes, my lord. You're right."

"Now let's see how well Brojok trained you. Can you make a plan for us?"

"I can't make a plan if I don't know anything about the place where the council will be held." Kota said.

"That won't be a problem." Laing disappeared inside his room and came back with a map drawn on an old piece of paper.

"I still have the map of Palace on Heavens, the place where all the councils of the Alliance are held." Laing laid down the map on the table for Kota.

For the next ten minutes, every pair of eyes, even the King's, turned to Kota who silently observed the map.

"I may have an idea." Kota said at last. "It's not going to be easy and it could go very wrong too. But, if I come with you and supervise things, we could be successful in ending The Great Alliance once and for all."