"I do believe we are under attack." came the effeminate voice of the elderly lalafell that sat by the third floor window. The white-haired male watched as figures rushed from the fields of vines towards the house, several firing rounds as they went.
"What was your first clue?"Â came a female voice, frantic and sarcastic at the same time as she scurried around the room, tearing off her dress and frantically trying to pull on brown trousers and a red shirt at the same time, stumbling about as she did so.
"Well, the gunfire was probably the first clue." the male lalafell answered as he dropped off the dresser he had climb atop and went for a chest.
The female spun and managed to get her shirt over her head, her brilliant blue eyes coming into view as she pulled her blonde hair behind her head and tied it into a bun, her tail twitching in agitation as the sounds of a struggle filled the hallway outside her door.
"What the hells is going on, Z?" the female miqo'te said as the elderly lalafell pulled out a gunblade and groaned as he held the handle to her. The female synched her belt around her waist and took the weapon in her hand. It was heavy and a bit awkward but her father had taught her the basics.
The thought of her adoptive father made her stomach knot and she swallowed. She had never been told how she had come to be Adin's daughter. He had only told her it didn't matter. She was his little girl, his only girl, and he would always love her. She had spent twenty-eight of her twenty nine years of life as an Adonis, spending her later years rebuffing male advances and promoting the wine the family produced. She was a sharp business woman, but not a warrior by any means.
"I wish father was here now, Z." the female said nervously as he looked at the door and then straightened up. Her father had told her never be afraid.
"I don't, Lady Ashwynn." Z answered as he looked up at the female miqo'te. Z had been Ashwynn's personal valet for years. He had been entrusted with her because he was a eunuch, celibate, old, and a loyal servant to the Adonis line. To Ashwynn, the lalafell had always been ancient, but he moved well enough as he pulled out a small dagger and held it.Â
"You are just as smart as your father."Â Z said as he nodded at her.
"Just as smart." Ashwynn repeated as she went to the door and opened it. The hallway was long and currently empty but she could her the fighting, the gunshots. Just a few rooms away there was a study with a hidden passage behind a bookcase. Her father had always told her, always have an escape route. Ashwynn heard a gunshot and she sprinted for the room.
She did not look around. Her blue eyes locked onto the handle of the room and she turned the knob and flung the door open as she entered. She gasped.
A figure in black stood there, his gunblade shoved through a young man's chest. Ashwynn cried out in horror as she recognized the face of her little bother Von whom had spent only twenty-one winters in this world.
Von gazed at her, blood oozing form his lips as blood filled his lungs and he gargled as the assassin pulled the blade free and tried to turn it on her.
Z had wasted no time and the assassin screamed as the old lalafell sunk his knife into his ankle. The assassin fell to the floor and Ashwynn narrowed her eyes as he hefted the gunblade up and pulled the trigger. She had meant to hit the assassin's chest. Instead the recoil jerked her hand to the side and she blew a hole in the assassin's head.  The assassin wasn't the first man Ashwynn had killed. Her father, Adin, had taken each of his children to a prison to execute a murderer. He did this to make sure they had no fear when killing in self defense. She had not fear of killing, just a knot in her stomach as she rushed over to the body of her little brother. The boy was twitching but his eyes had glazed over and Ashwynn felt herself go numb as she looked at the body of Von, whom had just earlier let her taste the special barrel of wine he had been aging as a gift to Hersh when he and his wife had their next child.
Ashwynn heard the secret passage open and felt Z tugging her. She let the old male lead her away, her blue eyes never leaving her Von's face until Z pulled the passage way shut, leaving the two in the darkness of the long tunnel that led to the river at the base of the cliff; and the boat that would be moored there.
***
Meanwhile, the manor was ablaze, fire rolling through the building, charring portraits, furniture, and combatants alike. The servants and house guard had been caught unaware and had only been able to put up a sliver of resistance. In the main hall, Frenhia stood, drenched in blood, the corpses of six different attackers at her feet, bloody weapons in either hand as her grey eyes stared at the man whom entered the front door, flanked on either side by four assassins. The bearded man whom had dinner with the major just hours before.
"Grefton." Frenhia spat calmly, dropping the longer of the two gunblades, its ammunition spent as she reached into a dresser beside her and pulled out a box. Fire roared up the walls and the smells of burning wood and charring flesh filled the heated air. Grefton smiled as he shouted over the crackling of wood.
"Seems your time has come at last, Lady Adonis. Give my regards to your husband in the hells."
Grefton hefted his gunblade the same moment Frenhia opened the box and heaved the cerelium grenade that had rested inside. Gefton's eyes went wide.
"Give them yourself."Â Frenhia spat as the grenade exploded and the front of the house disappeared in a ball of fire.
"What was your first clue?"Â came a female voice, frantic and sarcastic at the same time as she scurried around the room, tearing off her dress and frantically trying to pull on brown trousers and a red shirt at the same time, stumbling about as she did so.
"Well, the gunfire was probably the first clue." the male lalafell answered as he dropped off the dresser he had climb atop and went for a chest.
The female spun and managed to get her shirt over her head, her brilliant blue eyes coming into view as she pulled her blonde hair behind her head and tied it into a bun, her tail twitching in agitation as the sounds of a struggle filled the hallway outside her door.
"What the hells is going on, Z?" the female miqo'te said as the elderly lalafell pulled out a gunblade and groaned as he held the handle to her. The female synched her belt around her waist and took the weapon in her hand. It was heavy and a bit awkward but her father had taught her the basics.
The thought of her adoptive father made her stomach knot and she swallowed. She had never been told how she had come to be Adin's daughter. He had only told her it didn't matter. She was his little girl, his only girl, and he would always love her. She had spent twenty-eight of her twenty nine years of life as an Adonis, spending her later years rebuffing male advances and promoting the wine the family produced. She was a sharp business woman, but not a warrior by any means.
"I wish father was here now, Z." the female said nervously as he looked at the door and then straightened up. Her father had told her never be afraid.
"I don't, Lady Ashwynn." Z answered as he looked up at the female miqo'te. Z had been Ashwynn's personal valet for years. He had been entrusted with her because he was a eunuch, celibate, old, and a loyal servant to the Adonis line. To Ashwynn, the lalafell had always been ancient, but he moved well enough as he pulled out a small dagger and held it.Â
"You are just as smart as your father."Â Z said as he nodded at her.
"Just as smart." Ashwynn repeated as she went to the door and opened it. The hallway was long and currently empty but she could her the fighting, the gunshots. Just a few rooms away there was a study with a hidden passage behind a bookcase. Her father had always told her, always have an escape route. Ashwynn heard a gunshot and she sprinted for the room.
She did not look around. Her blue eyes locked onto the handle of the room and she turned the knob and flung the door open as she entered. She gasped.
A figure in black stood there, his gunblade shoved through a young man's chest. Ashwynn cried out in horror as she recognized the face of her little bother Von whom had spent only twenty-one winters in this world.
Von gazed at her, blood oozing form his lips as blood filled his lungs and he gargled as the assassin pulled the blade free and tried to turn it on her.
Z had wasted no time and the assassin screamed as the old lalafell sunk his knife into his ankle. The assassin fell to the floor and Ashwynn narrowed her eyes as he hefted the gunblade up and pulled the trigger. She had meant to hit the assassin's chest. Instead the recoil jerked her hand to the side and she blew a hole in the assassin's head.  The assassin wasn't the first man Ashwynn had killed. Her father, Adin, had taken each of his children to a prison to execute a murderer. He did this to make sure they had no fear when killing in self defense. She had not fear of killing, just a knot in her stomach as she rushed over to the body of her little brother. The boy was twitching but his eyes had glazed over and Ashwynn felt herself go numb as she looked at the body of Von, whom had just earlier let her taste the special barrel of wine he had been aging as a gift to Hersh when he and his wife had their next child.
Ashwynn heard the secret passage open and felt Z tugging her. She let the old male lead her away, her blue eyes never leaving her Von's face until Z pulled the passage way shut, leaving the two in the darkness of the long tunnel that led to the river at the base of the cliff; and the boat that would be moored there.
***
Meanwhile, the manor was ablaze, fire rolling through the building, charring portraits, furniture, and combatants alike. The servants and house guard had been caught unaware and had only been able to put up a sliver of resistance. In the main hall, Frenhia stood, drenched in blood, the corpses of six different attackers at her feet, bloody weapons in either hand as her grey eyes stared at the man whom entered the front door, flanked on either side by four assassins. The bearded man whom had dinner with the major just hours before.
"Grefton." Frenhia spat calmly, dropping the longer of the two gunblades, its ammunition spent as she reached into a dresser beside her and pulled out a box. Fire roared up the walls and the smells of burning wood and charring flesh filled the heated air. Grefton smiled as he shouted over the crackling of wood.
"Seems your time has come at last, Lady Adonis. Give my regards to your husband in the hells."
Grefton hefted his gunblade the same moment Frenhia opened the box and heaved the cerelium grenade that had rested inside. Gefton's eyes went wide.
"Give them yourself."Â Frenhia spat as the grenade exploded and the front of the house disappeared in a ball of fire.
