Cassandra's cart suddenly stopped midair few places away from Malachi's mansion. An uneasy silence hung in the air, broken only by the driver's whispered words.
"My lady," he stammered, his voice tight with fear. "Something's amiss. There's... there's blood. Streaks of it, running from the entrance."
Zafron's eyes widened, his heart pounding. Without a word, he flung open the cart door and leapt out. The gravel crunched beneath his boots as he strode forward, his gaze fixed on the mansion's grand entrance.
His mind raced, a torrent of worry and anger. 'Mara... Matilda... if they've been harmed...' His jaw clenched, bitterness rising like bile in his throat. "I swear," he muttered through gritted teeth, "if a single hair on their heads has been touched, there won't be enough left of the responsible parties to bury, not even Malachi himself."
Cassandra exited the carriage with more composure, but her eyes betrayed her concern. She turned to the driver, her voice low but firm. "Stay here, at a safe distance. Be ready to leave at a moment's notice."
The driver's knuckles were white on the reins. "But my lady, are you certain you'll be alright?"
Cassandra managed a tight smile. "We'll be fine. Just be ready."
With a nod to Zafron, she fell in step beside him. Together, they approached the entrance, the ominous streaks of blood growing more vivid with each step.
As they approached closer, Zafron noticed the blood was oozing from the bush by the main entrance.
Zafron approached the bush cautiously, his hand steady as he pushed aside the branches. The sight that greeted him made his stomach churn - Malachi's guard, brutally slaughtered and unceremoniously dumped among the foliage.
'Fucking diabolical!'
He turned to Cassandra, his voice low and tense. "This isn't right. Someone's beaten us here." His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the grounds. "We need to stay sharp."
Cassandra nodded. "Agreed. Any idea who?"
Zafron shook his head. "Could be anyone. A man like Vex would have no shortage of enemies."
With a deep breath, he pushed open the mansion's ornate doors. The eerie silence that greeted them was heavy.
Zafron's eyes darted from corner to corner, taking in the signs of recent violence - overturned furniture, shattered ornaments, and most disturbingly, trails of blood on the polished floor.
"Damn it," he muttered, stepping inside with Cassandra close behind. "Where is everyone?"
Cassandra's voice was barely above a whisper. "You don't think... they've already come and gone?"
Zafron's jaw clenched. "If they have, and Mara or Matilda are hurt..." He left the threat unspoken as anger welled up from within him.
They moved deeper into the mansion, every creak and shadow putting them more on edge. Zafron's mind raced with possibilities, each worse than the last.
As they approached the main door leading to the sitting room, Zafron's trained eye caught the subtle movement of the bushes. His hand shot out, grasping Cassandra's wrist.
"Hold up," he murmured, eyes scanning the foliage. "We've got company."
Cassandra tensed, her voice barely audible. "Where?"
Zafron's gaze swept the area. "The bushes. Someone's playing hide and seek."
With a deep breath, he raised his voice. "Alright, enough games. We know you're there. Come out now, unless you fancy a more violent introduction."
For a moment, silence reigned. Then, with a rustle of leaves, two figures, Brutus and Ratface emerged from the bushes flanking the door. Blades glinted in their hands as they approached.
Zafron's eyes narrowed in recognition. 'Wait a minute...'
"Well, well," he said, his tone deceptively casual. "If it isn't our troublemakers from the festival. Quite the coincidence, finding you here."
Brutus sneered. "Ain't no coincidence, pretty boy."
Ratface, piped up. "Yeah, we got business here. Best you back down and get an easy kill."
Zafron's mind raced. 'Are they after Malachi? Or Matilda? What's their angle?'
Zafron not moved by their threats replied. "I'm afraid that's not an option. You guys appeared to have done quite the work here. But I'm just here for two ladies and then I'll be gone. If you won't allow it however,then I'm not going down without a fight." His eyes hardened.
Just then, Brutus tapped Ratface, the smaller man let out three exaggerated sneezes. Before Zafron could process the oddity of the action, he felt a vice-like grip around his ankles.
"What the—" he managed before being yanked off his feet. He hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind from his lungs. Beside him, he heard Cassandra's startled cry as she too was pulled down.
Gasping, Zafron's mind raced. 'They're on the ground too? But where—'
He scrambled to his feet, reaching for Cassandra, as the men beneath the ground surfaced up. "You alright?" he asked, helping her up.
She nodded, brushing dirt from her clothes. "I'm fine, but what in blazes was that?"
Their answer came in the form of rustling and movement all around them. From the gardens, from behind statues, even from cleverly concealed holes in the ground, men began to emerge.
Within seconds, Zafron and Cassandra found themselves surrounded by about 30 armed individuals, all brandishing various blades. Some of them had large scars on their bodies, blood still oozing from them.
Cassandra accessing the situation turned to Zafron. "Seems these gentlemen prefer a more... direct approach."
"Do you still think that is not an opt....." Ratface start but Brutus interrupted, his voice laced with impatience. "Ey, Ratface, we ain't got time for this chit-chat. Remember what Gustavo and Mordred said? No one in or out. Let's just finish 'em and be done with it before they come out."
At the mention of Gustavo's name, Zafron's eyes widened, his jaw clenching visibly. 'Gustavo? Here? After Matilda?' A wave of rage washed over him. 'Gustavo's involved in this?'
'I'll run him through myself if he so much as looks at Matilda or Mara.'
Ratface, oblivious to Zafron's internal turmoil, nodded at Brutus. "Right you are. No sense wastin' more time." He turned to the gathered thugs, raising his voice. "Alright, boys! You heard Mordred - no one gets in or out. Let's make this quick and messy!"
The circle of armed men began to tighten around Zafron and Cassandra. Zafron still enveloped by rage turned to Cassandra, his voice low and tense. "Cassandra, we're going to have to fight our way out of this. You ready?"
Cassandra's response was grim but determined. "Always. But hey, don't lose your head."
Zafron nodded, forcing himself to focus on the immediate threat. "Right."
As they positioned themselves, Brutus's laugh cut through the tension. "Aw, ain't that sweet? They think they stand a chance. Oi! Boys, show these two how wrong they are!"
With a collective roar, the thugs charged forward, their blades glinting menacingly in the light. Cassandra's instincts kicked in, her body shifting seamlessly into combat mode.
Her slime ability activated, encasing her hand in a massive, gelatinous fist. She swung it with devastating force towards the approaching men, sending them flying backward.
Seizing one of the fallen attackers, Cassandra slammed him into the ground with bone-crushing force, the impact silencing him permanently. Her eyes darted around, searching for the next threat.
Meanwhile, Zafron's gaze was fixed intently on the mansion's entrance. He knew Gustavo was inside, likely with Mara and Matilda. A sense of foreboding gripped him he turned to Cassandra. "Gustavo might harm one of them. I can't stay out here; I need to go in and protect them."
"Go on then... I can handle these guys outside," Cassandra said, her eyes unwavering as she focused on the approaching thugs.
"What? Are you sure?" Zafron asked doing a quick head count and seeing as many as thirty men still left.
"You ever asked yourself what the Beaumont's are famous for? My great grandfather made weapons and so did my granddad and my dad and ...see the point is, Cassie may not look like it. Neither does Bobbles. But I know someone who can handle these men," Cassandra said.
Zafron could see the conviction in her eyes. He had seen her fighting before and knew she was strong. Also her slime powers which he too had now was ridiculously strong as well. As much as he wanted to stay and run through the fade with her, he knew being here was not wise. What if they got injured and couldn't help Mara and Matilda who were inside? Or worse, what if Gustavo gets to them first?
He resolved to making a quick entry and exit. Get Mara and Matilda and then return to beat the living day lights out of anyone who touched Cassandra while he was gone. He was going to trust in her that she was fine and would protect herself.
"Thank you, Cassan..."
"It's miss Beaumont to you and you're welcome," Cassandra said, pulling and tying her hair in a ponytail.
'Did she just switch personalities?' Zafron thought for a second imagining the amount of crazy he had been riding with. But there was no time to focus on that as he had two lovely damsels of his to rescue from a murderous assassin that was working for the man whose wife he stole from him.
As Zafron neared the entrance, Calista's voice resonated in his mind. [The system has calculated your chances of survival. The odds aren't looking good. Do you wish to activate your combat skills?]
"Activate everything,"