THE NEXT TOWN seemed to be on edge as they approached. Guards were posted on either side of the main road, with swords and massive shields in their hands. Said swords were lifted, aimed toward them. The buildings behind them were dark, as if everyone in town had retired for the night. Ravenna glanced to Vyses, somewhat worried.

"Be on guard," he murmured to her under his breath. "They might be expecting us."

Ravenna sucked in a sharp breath and squared her shoulders, mentally preparing herself for an attack. It was highly unlikely that the guards knew their actual identity, however. During every attack, every use of magic, Ravenna made sure to keep her hood up, concealing her features. At this point, the guards were probably just wary of all travelers.

"State your business," one of the guards demanded as their horses slowed to a stop in front of them.

"We are just passing through," Vyses told them, lifting his hands in a cautious gesture. "We had hoped to find an inn for the night. We have been traveling for several days now."

"We mean no harm," Ravenna added.

The guards shared an uneasy glance. Slowly, they lowered their weapons and stepped back. "Alright," the guard said. "We permit you entry. But if you cause any trouble, you will be executed on the spot. Understood?"

Ravenna's eyes grew wider than the moon. She glanced toward Vyses, her mouth opening slightly. "That is quite a drastic punishment," she remarked. "Not that we intend to cause trouble. Is there reasoning behind your hostility?"

She knew the answer, but she really wanted to hear their own version of it.

The guards all shared another hesitant look. Another guard spoke this time. He stood closer to the back of the group, his face obscured beneath a helmet of iron. "A pair of travelers have gone from town to town, murdering all of the guards. We have to be on the lookout for them."

"Oh my," Ravenna feigned surprise. "That is very scary. Are you sure that they will arrive here soon?"

One of the guards flashed her a warm smile. "Fear not, my lady," he said. "You will be safe here. Though I do suggest that you remain indoors for the night, just to be safe."

"We will keep that in mind," Vyses responded. He sounded mildly cross, which made Ravenna snicker. "Would you mind directing us toward the nearest inn?"

Ravenna took that opportunity to tune them out. She glanced over the guards again, zeroing in on their features. None of them looked familiar, but she felt as though she'd seen some of them before.

As they dismounted their horses and walked into town, Ravenna asked, "Where are we, exactly?"

"I don't remember the name of this town," Vyses answered. "It won't matter anyways once morning hits."

Ravenna hummed in response. She glanced around at the buildings that surrounded them. One stood out amongst the rest --a large wooden structure with an elaborate sign hanging in front of a pair of doors. Ravenna's eyes widened. On the sign, a glass of frothy ale was etched into the wood. A memory appeared in the forefront of her mind, a memory of smelly men and dancing women.

"I've been here before," she whispered.

Vyses glanced back at her. "You have?"

"This is where a guard tried to rape me," she said, her voice a mere whisper in the nighttime breeze. "I killed him."

"Good," Vyses said.

"What if they remember me?"

"But they didn't. We just went through most of the guards in this town. Not a one seemed to remember you. Otherwise, they would have attacked us."

Ravenna forced her lungs to work around the swell of anxiety that bristled within her. She quietly stroked her horse's mane, trying to push the memory from her mind. She followed Vyses to a smaller wooden building, one with many windows and a small stable attached to the side of it. A stable boy rushed forward, taking their horses from them. Ravenna relinquished her horse reluctantly and followed Vyses inside the inn.

Purchasing their room wasn't a difficult task. Once Vyses held the key in his hands, he lead Ravenna and Lyth up the staircase, to the second floor. The moment the door shut behind them, he turned to Ravenna, his lips pursed. "I wouldn't be surprised if the King has already learned of our actions from yesterday. Word travels quick."

"Do you think that the Blood Knights are already on our trail?" Ravenna asked him quietly. She hugged her arms to her chest.

"I'm certain of it."

She sighed. "We need to get as much information as possible tomorrow, before we slaughter the guards in this town. We need to know if the King has started to make moves against us."

"I agree," Vyses remarked. "The guards almost refused us entry to this town. Who knows if they will allow us entrance to the next one."

Silence passed between them for a moment. Ravenna moved to the window, peering through the glass at the street that stretched out in front of it. Several guards walked by, heavy torches in hand. Their swords clattered against their armor.

"I think we need to make a bigger move," she said softly. She watched absently as a guard bent down beneath their window, picking up an abandoned coin.

"What do you mean, lass?"

"The King knows of our existence, there is no denying that. But slaughtering small towns on the outskirts of the kingdom hasn't made him move yet. The next town that we take needs to be a larger one. One that he cannot ignore."

"Do you have a town in mind?"

"Not yet," Ravenna admitted. "It needs to be somewhere strategic. A town that his kingdom needs."

"Maybe one that is military advanced," Vyses said. "One that provides great protection to the kingdom. If we can take it down, it would make the King himself look weak."

She turned around, her eyes wide. "You are talking about Zeporia, aren't you?"

Zeporia was one of the largest cities in the kingdom, aside from the Capitol itself, that specialized in military training. Most of the guards were sent there to train and even some Blood Knights originated from Zeporia. It would take at least a week of travel to get to, as it was much further inland than the small towns they'd been slaughtering. But if they managed to take control of it, it would definitely cause the King to retaliate faster.

Vyses nodded. "I'm confident that we can do it."

Ravenna pursed her lips. "It will require more soldiers," she said. "And we will not be able to leave it. Not immediately. The moment word reaches the King, he will immediately want to reclaim it."

"Then we will wait for him," Vyses remarked. "And maybe, just maybe, he will show up in the flesh."

"Maybe," Ravenna whispered.

I AM ALIVE!

I am so sorry for the lack of updates over the last week or two. My senior project (aka: the determining factor as to whether or not I'll graduate this semester) was due Wednesday morning. And not only was I incredibly stressed out/unable to sleep, I wound up getting really sick too. I've literally just been sleeping for the past like two days, trying to recover all that mess.

On the bright side, YA GIRL IS GRADUATING COLLEGE THIS SEMESTER!

Honestly, I can't say it enough. Thank you all so, so, so much for your patience with me! Your continued support means the world. ❤❤❤