By a small riverbank slightly removed from Nordford, the sound of flowing water weaving through tiny pebbles mingled with the distant echoes of animal cries resonating through the forest. A scarlet fire blazed, and the moon hung bright in the night sky.
"Gwook. The air's already starting to sting…"
Khearook, rubbing their shoulders with both arms, spoke to the other two Grongs.
"Autumn's coming soon. Let's finish this job and spend the time until spring in Frogrok. Right, Grook?"
"Exactly. We were supposed to head back to Frogrok after the Vieyovern matter, but when they're offering quintuplethe pay? How could we say no?"
Grook tossed a few branches into the crackling fire before them, addressing Khearook.
"Grrok. By the way, who was assigned to watch the Knight of the Hidden Moon earlier?"
"That's me. Not much to call 'watching' though. Since morning, they went to the guild in the city center, then left a few guards at the tavern to watch the carriage and headed to the western wall with some soldiers. They're rebuilding the wall. Gruu."
"Rebuilding the wall all of a sudden while moving the statue to Ves-Dinas? This is the orange-haired Knight of the Hidden Moon, right? And the soldiers were regular troops from the House Vanas?"
At Logon's words, Grook rolled their large eyes and questioned Logon in return.
"Correct. The ones guarding the carriage, too. I confirmed there's a black-haired woman and man as well. Groooo."
"Earlier, the black-haired man left with the tavern owner."
"Right. Black hair isn't common… so it's not a different target. So, what's the plan? Each of us takes one? Or do we pick them off one by one as they split up?"
Grook's gaze alternated between Khearook and Logon, locking eyes with them.
"Kerrook. How about we wait nearby and decide from there?"
"I think that's best. We've got three targets this time, so let's observe the situation from close by. Krooo."
"Alright. Then let's head to the tavern for now. Grrroo."
"Until the day we slay the Pale Serpent."
"Until the day we slay the Pale Serpent."
"Until the day we slay the Pale Serpent."
The three Grongs spoke in unison and began to move. Khearook stepped quickly to the river, dipping their hands in the flowing water and splashing it over their arms and face before hurrying to catch up with Grook and Logon, who had started ahead.
The three small Grongs crouched low, skillfully navigating the pathless forest, dodging grass and bushes. Moving in sync with the sound of the wind rustling the leaves, accompanied by the calls of forest birds and the cries of reindeer, they swiftly exited the woods and arrived at Nordford's ramparts.
Though lower than the walls of great cities or fortresses, the ramparts still towered far above the height of the three Grongs standing below. Grook glanced upward briefly before leaping toward the wall. Khearook and Logon followed, vaulting toward it in unison.
Using the suction pads on their fingertips, the three scaled the wall without slipping. For Grongs, most walls posed no challenge. The sticky mucus secreted by their skin, combined with their suction pads, allowed them to climb walls or trees with ease, never losing grip.
Having effortlessly surmounted the wall, the three split up. Grook darted into a narrow alley between buildings. Khearook leaped from the wall to a nearby rooftop. Logon, pulling their hood low, crept slowly along the shadowed wall to avoid the moonlight. Scattered thus, they passed a few buildings on the city's outskirts until they reached a spot where The Great Forepaw Bear Tavern came into view.
As Grook stood on the street opposite the tavern, the moonlight illuminating their form seemed to bother them. They glanced up at the moon before slipping into a dark, narrow alley untouched by its glow. Khearook and Logon followed.
"Groo. What do you think? Shall we wait here?"
"Yeah. Let's set up the Veil Sigil in the alley. We might be waiting a while."
"Sounds good. It's our last job before winter, so let's go all out."
As Khearook finished speaking, the three pulled small pieces of chalk from their pockets. Khearook and Logon began drawing sigils on the alley walls, while Grook etched them onto the ground. Scratch, scratch. Strange, intricate symbols took shape under their fingertips. By the time the chalk had worn down to nothing, black smoke rose from the sigils, enveloping the three Grongs. It spread further, reaching the alley's edge before fading into a faint haze and vanishing.
"Perfect. Now we can watch comfortably. Grrooog."
Grook leaned against the alley wall. The three fixed their eyes on the tavern beyond the alley. A passerby walked by. A drunk slumped against the tavern door, asleep. A cat crossed the street in front of the alley. Time passed, and eventually, the soldiers and Diala returned. The Grongs' large eyes widened, their nictitating membranes occasionally flickering over them, but their intense focus never wavered, tracking every movement outside the alley.
More time passed, and the street's lights gradually dimmed. The city began to fall asleep.
"(They're moving!)"
Grook signaled to Khearook and Logon with a silent gesture, shaping their hand for the others to see.
Cloaked and hooded, the Grong assassins moved like black shadows. They glided soundlessly, pausing briefly at a tree by the roadside. Three shadows then darted toward the tavern's stables.
"(Stables. First. Kill. Guarding. Soldiers. Then inside.)" Grook signaled again with one hand while moving. Khearook and Logon met Grook's eyes and nodded.
The three Grongs sped toward the stables. At the entrance, wide enough for carriages and horses to pass, the three black shadows converged. Khearook, Grook, Logon. The Grongs halted simultaneously.
By plan, they shouldn't have stopped. They were meant to charge straight to the carriage and eliminate the guarding soldiers before they could react. Yet, all three stopped as if by unspoken agreement, standing still at the stable entrance.
The three Grongs… Khearook's pupils trembled. Their gaping mouth twitched in spasms. Grook's hand, gripping the hilt of their sword, shook. Logon, eyes narrowed sharply, glanced down at their motionless legs, struggling to control their trembling body.
The reason for their halt began approaching from within the stables.
Silver-white armor gleamed, reflecting the moonlight. In stark contrast, long, dark hair absorbed the moon's glow entirely. It was Iris. Radiating a menacing aura of murderous intent toward the intruders, Iris advanced slowly toward the Grongs. Though she hadn't drawn her sword, the Grongs could feel it.
'One wrong move, and that woman's blade will tear us apart.'
That single thought consumed their minds.
From the moment they rushed toward the tavern with weapons drawn, there was no turning back. The target had merely shifted from drowsy soldiers guarding a carriage to this armored knight. After all, she was one of the three targets they were contracted to kill. Their minds repeated this logic over and over, but their bodies refused to move.
Before the overwhelming, oppressive hostility of the slender knight approaching, the Grongs were like frogs before a colossal serpent. Despite her armor, Iris moved with light, silent, and graceful steps, closing in on the Grong assassins.
Three frogs stared at approaching death. Their eyes couldn't even roll in their sockets. Their arms and legs twitched faintly, as if struggling to move, but remained frozen. Without a word, Iris stepped forward. Slowly, her right hand reached for the hilt of her sword.
"(Move!!!)"
Khearook, briefly breaking free from paralyzing fear, opened their mouth as if to scream, but no sound emerged. Still, their body, frozen by terror, could move. Khearook kicked off the ground, leaping toward Iris and hurling a dagger drawn from their chest.
Seeing Khearook leap, Logon charged forward, drawing their sword and aiming it at Iris. Grook, watching the other two surge ahead, finally moved, drawing swords from both sides of their waist and following a beat behind.
As the three Grongs' mouths slowly opened, their eyes squinting as if to roar, Iris drew her sword. Holding it in her right hand, she walked slightly faster than before. Khearook was still airborne, the thrown dagger flying toward Iris. Time seemed to freeze, everything motionless except Iris, who moved as if on a different plane. With a light flick of her sword arm, she slashed Khearook.
Khearook's waist was cleaved by Iris's blade mid-air. A second strike severed their neck and legs, and a third sliced diagonally through the falling torso and limbs. The blindingly fast sword carved Khearook into pieces. Iris spun, swinging her blade to behead Logon.
In the split second Grook witnessed Khearook and Logon fall to Iris's sword just steps away, before their mind could process, Grook kicked off the ground and leaped backward. But even that unhesitating move couldn't evade Iris's blade, which severed both of Grook's hands. As her next strike closed in on Grook—
"One needs to stay alive, Iris."
A voice accompanied the sudden appearance of Gravel, who stepped between Iris and Grook, blocking Iris's blade while gazing at Grook.
"Ah… they won't be able to speak. I cast 'Tace' on them."
Grook's face contorted in agony from the delayed pain of losing their arms, their tongue lolling as they tried to scream, but no sound came from their mouth.
"Hmm… I cast the silence spell to avoid waking the sleeping soldiers, but this makes conversation impossible."
As Gravel cast a healing spell on Grook, writhing on the ground from the pain of severed arms, new arms sprouted. Grook's eyes widened even further, their expression bewildered. The searing pain, like iron needles piercing and coursing through their body, vanished.