The Palace of Selenicar was a shining beacon standing high above the city, it''s white stone walls casting shadows on the townhouses below. The palace had a main building with two walkways splitting off high from each side. The walkways ending on Twin spires that were so high, they pierced the clouds. Tycon hadn''t had much of a chance to take in its beauty since he arrived. He stood at the gate in awe at the monolithic structures before him. The white walls reflected sunlight which caused them to appear heavenly and bright. It was somewhat surreal like he had reached the gates of the heavens above.


    After spending so much time in shanty towns and poor villages, it was always a real surprise to look upon something so high above his class. Tycon almost felt unworthy to enter the building and hesitated. A guard clad in white armor glanced over at him for a moment, studying him closely. He avoided the guard''s gaze and quickly stepped in the palace.


    "So, what exactly is the plan?" Eva asked.


    "I''d very much like to know the details too," Duchess Ellington said, her strong and confident voice emitting authority within the room.


    Evaline stood by the large wooden table, leaning in on both arms. She was dressed in a large, beautiful, white dress That had gold patterns weaved through the middle and circled the neckline. Her hair was dyed blonde and was styled in a ponytail, with strands that curled down the temple. Her was forehead wrapped in a silver circlet and she was pale with make-up. She didn''t look like Evaline at all and she only just resembled the Duchess that stood next to her. Tycon hoped it would be enough.


    The Duchess was enthusiastic with the outline of the plan, according to Balin, which took Tycon by surprise. He''d expected her to be severely reluctant or outright deny the request. But she was quick to supply a dress and hair dye for Evaline, amongst other things. Duchess Ellington stood before him, not in elegance but as a simple woman who cared for her people, yet, she still carried the authority of a leader and Tycon found it to be, both, admirable and attractive.


    Balin stood next to him and across the large table was Evaline, Vera, and the Duchess. He was also concentrating on the plans crudely drawn before him. Tycon was rather embarrassed but he was anything but an artist. The crew seemed intensely restless, ready to get the job done as quick as possible. He knew it because he, himself felt the gnawing anxiety that wouldn''t go away. Plagued by How''s, but''s and what if''s.


    "Balin," Tycon suddenly said and instantly Balin looked to him, anticipating, "You will be wearing the disguise of the Duchess''s personal guard and you will be by Evaline''s side at all times." He looked to Duchess Ellington "I trust you''re aware of the basics?"


    Both the Duchess and Balin nodded.


    "Vera, I''ll need you on the roof watching over the parade and I''ll stay on the street and watch from there," He looked to all three of his comrades standing around him, "You all know what they look like," he paused, "we''ll have to trust grey can get the third one for us."


    "Assuming he does, where do you think Sinclair will be?" Balin asked.


    Tycon thought for a moment "My guess is he''ll be manning an escape ship, or someone will be."


    Vera scratched her chin "Jinx knows you''re alive, which means he''ll adjust his plan right? So there''s a good chance this might not even work."


    "It will," Tycon said, "The Duchess is only set to appear today. Whatever they''re after will slip through their fingers for a long time if they don''t get it done today... So we can count on them showing up, we just don''t know where or when. So stay on high alert."


    The room fell silent as they all played it out in their heads. It wasn''t much of a plan, all Tycon knew was that they''d strike today. He set his people in strategic positions in hopes they could catch the criminals before they struck. Tycon admired Eva, Balin, and Vera for risking themselves for not, only coin, but the greater good of Selenicar.


    "What about me?" The Duchess asked.


    "You stay in the palace where it''s safe."


    He expected her to argue but she simply nodded.


    "Vera?"


    "Hm?"


    "I need a weapon."


    ***************************************


    The large parade passed slowly, weaving through the streets like a slug. Evaline sat atop a wooden platform being hauled by several servants. She was clumsily waving her arms to the crowd. Tycon could see the uneasiness on her face, if worse came to worse she had a dagger hidden under her dress.


    Below the platform, just behind Evaline was Balin, his face obscured by a full-helm and carrying a halberd in one hand. He was still equipped with his sword and shield, the sword on his hip and shield on his back. Looking up, Tycon saw Vera standing above and across from him on an orange brick roof, her gaze solely on the parade.


    Tycon weaved through the revelers as they cheered the fake-Duchess. He kept his gaze in a constant shift looking for any suspicious activity. So far he hadn''t seen anything that caught his attention. The lack of anything suspicious made Tycon feel uneasy, everything seemed to be going too well. Did he mishear?. He felt stupid for being afraid that nothing bad was happening.Was the plan a ruse to throw us off track? no, couldn''t be. He thought.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Tycon couldn''t help but feel he was missing something, that something wasn''t right. He tried his best to throw the thought to the back of his mind and continued guarding Evaline against potential threats. The crowds were dense, all dressed formally as they had a few nights prior. The density made it significantly harder to spot suspicious activity, so he glanced up to Vera to see if she was signaling him but nothing. She just stood there as she had before, hands behind her back and her posture straight, staring down at the parade below.


    He looked to Balin who seemed to simply be following the parade as best he could in his full-plate armor. They all were expecting something and now felt increasingly uneasy as the parade moved along. He looked around for Grey, seeing if he were perched somewhere nearby but saw nothing.Not unusual.


    The increasing feeling of unease eventually became too much to handle and he felt a sudden impulse to check on the Duchess back at the palace. Tycon hesitated on abandoning his post, it seemed rather selfish. He knew full well it was better to be safe than sorry and he was confident in Vera, Balin and Evaline''s abilities, should the need arise. So, Tycon followed his gut and made his way back to Selenicar Palace.


    The streets outside of the parade were almost empty, save for a few young children playing a game Tycon couldn''t recall seeing before. The white-stone road was almost covered entirely in confetti and an assortment of litter. He wondered who would be the unlucky one to clean it up.


    Pulling himself from his thoughts, he charged ahead to the white-stone palace that stood high above the city.


    The guard surrounding the palace appeared light, as expected. Most of them had gathered with Eva. The uneasy feeling in his gut began to stir again. He quickened his pace and soon pushed through the two maple-wooden doors of the palace. Looking eagerly for the Duchess, he went from room to room. Starting with the throne room and ending with the kitchen of all places, yet he couldn''t find her. Soon and in a subtle panic, he decided to make his way upstairs to her private quarters. The idea of barging in on the Duchess was obviously frowned upon. Should she be okay, he was willing to accept the consequences, but for now he felt it necessary to check.


    Tycon arrived at the Duchess'' quarters to see the door was slightly open. Yet another rush of anxiety seeped its way within him and he pushed the door open quickly to see something he regretted almost instantly. The Duchess sat there in a wooden chair in the center of the room, motionless and in a theatrical pose. Almost looking like an ancient painting from wars past or something he would find on a tapestry in a foreign castle. Her white dress was half stained crimson and stuck to her form, exposing the hourglass shape. A hand lay lifelessly in her lap, while the other hung off the side with a stream of blood descending down her arm and dropping to a pool on the carpet floor.


    His heart sunk when he saw the person responsible. Standing behind the Duchess and ogling a silver tiara with a large blue gem embedded in it, was Grey. He didn''t acknowledge Tycon''s presence by turning his way, but instead, simply spoke.


    "I didn''t expect to find you here," He said nonchalantly, still ogling the tiara.


    "W-What the fuck are you doing?" Tycon let his rage seep into his words.


    Grey didn''t react but instead pulled a small knife from his belt and slipped the tip into the head that held the great blue gemstone, prying it from its prone position. He held it between his index finger and thumb, raising it to the light and peering into it.


    "The gem of the fallen star," Grey said softly to himself, not removing his gaze from the gem.


    "So this is it? A fucking robbery?" Tycon shouted.


    "It''s a lot more than that."


    Tycon felt his arms begin to shake and clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.


    "Don''t give me that shit. You''re a liar and a scumbag"


    Suddenly Grey lowered his hand and turned to Tycon then shrugged.


    "What can I say? This paid better."


    "You piece of shi-"


    "Tell me, Tycon. Did you come here to play a hero or for the coin? My guess is for the coin. So how can you blame me for simply wanting better pay."


    "The methods are unjust," Tycon argued.


    "Methods don''t concern me, just money," He gestured to the Duchess'' body "Her life was worth a lot of it."


    Tycon lowered his brow and peered at Grey, drawing his shortsword from the scabbard with a hiss.


    "You know I''ll have to kill you right?"


    Grey cocked his head.


    "Oh I know," He said, "But the question is, can you kill me?"


    With that grey suddenly threw his arm, the small knife flew his way. Tycon reacted quickly, dodging the incoming blade. He heard the window slam open and suddenly Grey was gone. Tycon rushed down through the palace pushing his legs as fast as they could go. He knew Grey was heading to the port where he assumed Jinx and Sinclair would be waiting in an escape ship. He wished Vera were there, she could have ordered a blockade and prevent their escape. He was wrong about it all, her death was on him. A regret he would carry for a long time.


    *************************************


    He burst through the palace doors, the bright sun blinding him. Tycon searched desperately for Grey but saw nothing. He sprinted out the gate to the city below and in the corner of his eye, saw Grey''s shadowy shape on a distant rooftop, making his way to the port. Tycon followed as fast as he could. Luckily the parade meant the streets were empty so he wouldn''t have too much trouble making his way to the port. He considered finding Vera and getting her help but there was no time. He wasn''t about to let them escape. The news of the Duchess'' death would spread like wildfire and cause a panic. He hoped to reach the port before then.


    His breaths grew short and rapid as fatigue set in, he forced himself to continue running despite his body''s protests. The ambient sounds of the city had disappeared and were replaced with the thumping of each footstep on the stone road. A few people stared at him as he passed them, confused. Tycon paid no attention to it and focused on the ever enclosing port ahead. His mind focused on a single objective. To find and kill them all.


    He knew his pay was likely to be forfeit in light of the Duchess'' death, but that no longer bothered him. They had to be stopped, for the good of the city. It was no longer a simple job, it had grown to a national catastrophe. He wished he could have prevented it but at least he could prevent another from occurring. That made finding Grey and his crew a top priority.


    Reaching the port, the seagulls were silent this time. Like a looming shadow had suddenly cast itself over the once-bright city. It didn''t take him long to find where Grey had run to, a lone ship was docked nearby and there were no other ships on the horizon. The ship was monolithic. Made of what appeared to be a mix of Spruce and Oakwood, it towered over the port it was docked at, casting a large shadow upon the waterfront.


    Tycon knew he had to be smart about what to do next. The odds were severely against him, outnumbered and outclassed. He didn''t have his daggers and fighting with a shortsword would prove difficult. He knew a thing or two about fighting with a single blade, but not enough for him to be confident.


    Ding.


    A loud bell rang in the distance. The news of the Duchess'' death had spread, he felt bad for being relieved but it meant that backup would soon arrive. He wasn''t very subtle when he left the palace in a rush. Even if the guard thought it was him that murdered the Duchess, it wouldn''t be too hard to convince them otherwise. He hoped. All he needed to do now was stall for time and stay alive.


    Tycon knew that it wouldn''t be easy.