The Iron Butterfly (Iron Butterfly 1)

Trying to wiggle my toes to keep them from falling asleep, I decided to count how many lighted windows I could see in the dorm rooms. There were a lot of people still awake when the bell rang out twelve times. A cheer of excitement rang out among the guards and a frenzied pace of patrolling began.

I scouted this spot out days ago. I knew for a fact that you couldn’t see onto the roof I was lying on unless you were in a far field outside of the grounds.

The stable backed right up to the edge of the grounds, so in order for anyone to see me they would have to be out of bounds or get a ladder. After about an hour and no commotion, many of the students that were celebrating or out hunting decided to go to bed.

It was almost two in the morning when I heard the first scream followed by a second. The sound sent chills down my back because they sounded so real, until I heard some cursing, name calling and laughter.

“He’s over here. Get him!” a male voice called.

“Hey, you are dead; you can’t call out for help. That’s not fair,” a loud chiding female voice retorted.

A unit of guards hurried over to where three students wearing cloaks covered in blue dye were emerging from the greenhouse. They were too far away to distinguish faces.

“Where did he go?” a guard yelled. I could see a female student glare at her fallen blue splattered comrade and shake her head stubbornly.

“Sorry, can’t talk. We’re dead and must report inside. It wouldn’t be fair to tell you.” She pulled her upset comrade by his cloak and he started walking, grumbling and complaining.

Her third companion was chuckling at their misfortune and just shrugged at the guards and followed behind. The guards took off running into the direction that they came from as the three students headed inside.

It wasn’t long before more yelling, shouts, screams and laughing were heard, as student after student was taken out.

“He’s in the Citadel! Go…go…go!” yelled a Captain, as a line of guards rushed inside, only to come back out covered in blue paint, cursing and swearing.

One short man threw his sword on the ground and kicked the dirt. They dejectedly made their way back toward the barracks in humiliation. I could hear the jeering as they went inside and waited. They didn’t wait long before they were joined by five more guards with bright blue spots on their back.

“He’s a sneaky turd, isn’t he!” one of the first killed, yelled at the newcomer. “He shot us one by one, when we came in the front, couldn’t even see where it came from.”

I watched as more lights came on as the students woke up during the commotion. My hands itched for action, but the last place I wanted to be right now was in the middle of that madhouse.

The one advantage I had was that I knew that he was eventually going to come after me, and I wasn’t going to be an easy target and wait quietly in my room. The next hour was similar to the first with more screams and laughter. My skin crawled in nervousness as I realized he was going for the students first. Students, who in all reality, really, were the biggest threat over the guards.

Now the guards weren’t treating this like a normal attack, because they knew that no one was actually going to get hurt. They were counting on ambushing the assailants and stealth.

Soon I saw Adept Pax and Lorna walk out of the main hall across the courtyard and head toward the barracks and Captain Meryl.

Captain Meryl wiped his sweaty bald head and asked, “How’s it going inside?”

“Unfortunately, good and bad,” Adept Pax remarked. His dark skin looked even darker under the moonlight. “The SwordBrother is very good and is teaching many of our uptight students a lesson; that you need more than just Denai power to defeat an opponent.”

Adept Lorna frowned, her body stiff. “Too bad, it’s somewhat humiliating to the students that are being hit, and to our training. It shows how unprepared we really were.”

“Ah, come now, Lorna,” Adept Pax patted her shoulder reassuringly. “How often in their life will they really be fighting against a SwordBrother? We agreed that this would be a good lesson for them. We believe two of the Captains, Rugen and Barstol have already been taken out by Joss.”

“Not to mention a few of the younger more eager students created elaborate traps with nets and despite all of their effort only managed to catch their fellow students.”

In my head I calculated how many attackers were left. There were a total of five people that we would have to contend with; four of Commander Meryl’s Captains and one crazy SwordBrother. If Joss took out two, then that meant that there were three left?

“What about the SwordBrother?” Commander Meryl asked, his face gleaming with wild anticipation.

Adept Lorna threw her head back and laughed. “That one walked right in the front door.”

“WHAT! Impossible! How…..the three students?”

“He walked in wearing a cloak splattered with his own blue paint. He followed the first two students he killed, right into the main hall. He’s also taken the highest number of students and guards out. He is one to be reckoned with.”

Commander Meryl clapped his hands in delight and laughed out loud. “Aha, that is one cocky son of a SwordBrother. I wouldn’t have expected that.” After wiping the tears from his eyes his face became serious. “Any word on Thalia?”

“No one has seen or heard from her since this afternoon,” Lorna said turning toward the courtyard, a worried look on her face.

“She was last seen running around the keep,” Adept Pax replied, eyes darting to and fro looking for movement in the shadows.

Commander Meryl took in the Adepts position and brought his voice down to a whisper. “She wasn’t planning on running away, was she?”

Adept Pax snorted in reply. “No, I think she was getting ready to hunker down and wait out the SwordBrother. She had been practicing all week for this. I don’t think she would run from this chance. I truly believe she would rise to the task.”

Movement. By the south tower.

I quit spying on the Adepts down below and turned my eyes to where Faraway saw something. Sure enough, there was either one the Captains or the SwordBrother lying flat on the ground and crawling along the side of the wall in the shadows.

Moving to my knees, I blew heat back into my fingertips and flexed the muscles. Pulling out my bow, I notched my padded, paint-filled arrow and took aim. Following all of my training, I aimed and released, watching it fly through the air to come down on top of the sneaking assassin.

A loud “OOMMPHH” coming from the person in shadow declared it to be a true shot, as well as the splash of yellow that slowly moved from the ground into the form of a standing person. But it also gave away my position as the Adepts and Commander Meryl’s gaze immediately flew to the top of the stable where I kneeled. Slinging the bow over my shoulder, I gave a spry little wave to them as I ducked down and slid to the low end of the roof using my hook to climb down.

I could hear the Adepts and the Commander laughing as Adept Pax said, “Definitely has risen to the occasion.”

Mentally I counted down. Three left.

Wait! Faraway commanded, I froze and tried to slow my beating heart and breath.

On your left, he’s coming around the armory. It’s a Captain, he’s going to try and surprise you. He’s fifty feet, forty-five feet, forty feet. NOW.