Amiri was the capital of Mordino in all senses, in terms of wealth, in terms of architecture, in terms of nobility and also in terms of organised cris.
There was a wall before entering the Amiri, and I saw the real contrast of what lay inside. The outskirts of Amiri were fringed with small towns that were slums and filled with dreary ruins and impoverished people.
For instance, I felt angry but then the icy coolness settled in my bones. This kind of scene was seen everywhere, there was always a dark side to the world. It was just how far the extres went.
In this case, it seed as if these people were abandoned not only by the other humans but also by God.
The inside of the city was so ostentatious that I couldn’t help but look at the grand architecture and the expensive jewellery that the n and won flaunted as they walked on the streets.
"This place seems to be made of gold." I mumbled.
"Only stealing from one person here would be enough to buy a mansion." Lyall comnted and I nodded. But apart from the extravagantly dressed people, there were also the ones who wore simple outfits and had their heads down as they walked behind their Masters.
It was a good thing that Lyall and I had already changed our outfits in the previous town but it was still going to be a problem to blend in. We stood out like sore thumbs with our pale skin among these sun-kissed people.
"We should exchange roles from here, Lyall." I told him.
The kingdom of Mordino was in reality a town that was settled around a huge oasis, the capital was the closest to this oasis while the other towns were established around the smaller oasis resorts.
Lyall and I entered the nearest clothing shop and the person inside greeted us with a professional-looking smile before looking us up and down.
"We’re here to shop for clothes, traveling around in these clothes is a bit uncomfortable in this heat." Lyall spoke up in the Master-like tone as I had instructed him to and the man nodded.
"Sure, sure, My Lord. We have all kinds of fabrics and patterns that would suit your tastes."
He showed him various clothes and we ended up selecting a few outfits and Lyall dressed into a white skirt with a peacock-feather designed golden belt and a sandy colored tunic with a turban.
I got dressed in a simple outfit that would match my position as his servant, Lyall looked a bit awkward being dressed in the traditional outfit of the Mordino but after adjusting his weapons he was comfortable.
For now, our role play was that of a foreigner rchant who ca to Mordino with his slave.
We stepped out and now it was easier to blend in.
There were various stalls and shops around along with the large structure sitting in the heart of the capital and which was yet again seperated from the town by the layer of a wall that ran around the expanse of the landscape.
The royal palace of Mordino was just beyond this wall, the place where I had to infiltrate.
We waited till nightfall by roaming around the streets and taking in the structure and the pathways along with the buildings.
As soon as the night was drowned deep into slumber, we stepped out with black shawls covering our forms. We had a fixed rendezvous with the people whom I had sent here. The ones who would give an overview of the situation which would help make a solid plan.
The place of eting was a tavern which was close to the outskirts of the capital where usually the criminals and the shady people gathered.
The place was pretty noisy with the sound of music and song along with chatter and boisterous laughter.
Lyall and I entered the place and I instantly scrunched my nose as the scent of sweaty and drunk n hit like a punch.
Lyall walked in front of and we walked over and Lyall sat down on the table farthest away from the noisy people while I stood behind him leaning against the wall with my arms crossed at my chest.
The barmaid walked over asking for the order and Lyall after a glance at ordered so beer.
I had allowed him to do whatever he wanted till the ti he was a Master except for foiling my plans.
After a while of waiting, one by one three more n and one woman walked over and took a seat on the sa table with their drinks.
"Burglar." The woman started with her codeword.
"Sniper."
"Cook."
"Doctor."
One by one they spoke their respective code words which were also their assigned aliases from and then looked at Lyall who in turn spoke up his codeword.
"Swordsman."
"We were expecting Captain." The person who had the codeword of Cook asked.
"Captain is busy,"
"Who is that?" Sniper asked pointing at as I stood a few feet away with my back against the wall observing the surroundings.
"That is my servant."
I didn’t look at them as my eyes drifted around the place, it was probably because of my senses that I had been feeling this for a while but we were being tailed.
It wasn’t for all day but ever since we had entered the outskirts.
It was apparently only three people but they were unmistakably targetting us.
They had also entered the tavern after us and were sitting at a distance from Lyall’s table occassionally glancing at him and the people.
The discussion of my team started and I stood in the back listening quietly while observing our surveillance who were still seated in their stools.
My spies had gathered so valuable information but they couldn’t get to the place where I wanted to reach.
"It’s a highly guarded area and unless you are a special guard you won’t be assigned to these two places."
One of them was the lower level dungeon where the "worse" kind of criminals were kept. The emphasis was because the ones dubbed as worse criminals were those people who were the enemies of the King. The people who were fanning the flas of civil war in Mordino, the ones who claid themselves to be Revolutionary Army.
The Revolutionary Army had been in existence since the ti of the ascension of the new King. It was made of the mbers of the people who were loyal to the previous King as well as the ones who had suffered hell at the hands of the new King.
And the second place which wasn’t as easy to infiltrate was the private chambers of the King.
"We have the layout of the Scorpion’s lair but there are still places which are sealed and we don’t have any way of knowing what is inside."
The na Scorpion suited for a ruthless killer who lived as a King in this desert land. Although, I guess Crocodile might have suited.
The Burglar placed the map on the table and Lyall placed it in his tunic without a word.
"Is there any way of infiltrating the prison?" Lyall asked.
"No, unless you are caught as a criminal but even that is very risky since they break the legs and gouge the eyes of those criminals so that they won’t have a chance of escaping."
Too brutal.
Lyall sighed and I tilted my head watching the slight movent from the three who were tailing us, sothing exchanged between them in minute gestures.
"But there is sothing peculiar which we found regarding the Scorpion..."
I didn’t listen to what they were saying after that pause as one of our followers left the place and I moved after him. If he was a spy from the King’s side then my people and plan were as good as gone.
I quietly snuck up behind him and grabbed his head slamming it in the wall beside twice knocking him unconscious before I turned.
I heard the footsteps of two more as they stepped out of the tavern, I gripped the first person and kicked the second one before they had any ti to react.
I tied all three of the unconscious n up and waited in the nearby ruins of a small house for Lyall and my spies to co out.
After a few minutes, they all stepped out and I whistled lowly for Lyall to know of my location.
He and the others walked towards and then looked at the three who were tied in a corner.
"Are they all?" Lyall asked and I nodded.
There was no one else whom I sensed except for these three, but even they didn’t seem like they had any killing intent.
"See if you have seen them around the Scorpion or in the guard." Lyall ordered gesturing at the three.
Burglar walked over first and looked at the three and frowned slightly.
"I don’t think I’ve seen them anywhere near the lair."
The other two followed giving sa answer until Doctor had a look and gasped.
"I know them."
"You do?" Lyall asked.
"Yes," he spoke and then looked at Lyall.
"They’re not the Scorpion’s n."
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