The Blades of a Thousand: Chapter Six WARNING

Chapter Six: The Beauty of Truth, Serum

As the hatch squealed open, blinding light filtered in through the manhole with an intensity like a Dragon's flame. Stinging in agony at the brightness, Kate squinted as she pushed her way up onto the immaculate stone floor behind Kenai. She tried to search for any kind of evidence of an enemy nearby but could barely distinguish the floors from the walls after exited the dark pipe.
“Bloody 'ell it's bright.”
Turning towards Jack, she attempted a glare – but failed miserably.
“This room seems to be clear. We seem to be in a kind of maintenance area.” Was Kenai always this matter of fact?
Kate's own eyes were finally starting to adjust to the painful light. For a maintenance room, it seemed beyond eloquent.

The room was filled with fancily crafted metal shelves stacked with chemicals, soaps, oils and a range of different perfumes. Other shelves also held a variety of cleaning goods and mechanical looking tools, but those didn't interest her. Stalking up to the shelf with oils, she read the labels and their contents.
“They have Galbanum oil; this stuff is quite expensive.”
Pulling one of the tiny bottles from the shelf, she went to pocket the oil. Opening her pouch she noticed the fact it was still filled with body matter and waste. Cringing she dropped the bag to the floor. “I need a new bag.”
“Catch.” Jack threw her what looked like a saddle bag from one of the shelves.
The bag had several different pockets held together by three pronged metal clasps. The actual material was a sturdy off-white canvas, definitely a keeper. “Thanks Jack.”

“Could you two stop robbing the joint? We don't want to be noticed.”
It was highly doubtful that the missing loot would be the give away to their presence within the manor. If anything, the trail of muck from the sewer hatch would be the alarming detail. Instead she ignored Kenai's concerns and moved to the back of the room where a ground level sink rested against the white and blue tiles that made up the pristine walls. Washing out her old pouch and its contents, she cleaned her precious bottles, phials and syringes of potions and poisons and placed them into different pockets. Her new bag was far more convenient for categorising the small bottles. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed Jack watching her like a hawk; it was plain creepy, enough to make her spine crawl like the spiders from the sewers were creeping up her back.

“Kate.” It was Kenai who had whispered her name.
With the tap still running she looked over at the young man who had been peering through the lock hole moments ago. He was waving his hands frantically at her. Hastily she turned off the water, cursing inwardly as the pipes behind the wall gave a rattling shudder. Sneaking over the oak wood door, she peered through the key hole. On the other side of the heavy polished door were a bunch of the baths – with two armed guards walking between two of the pools.
“Did you hear that?”
Brilliant, their stealthy plan had gotten far.
“What, you scared of some pipes.” Both guards were quite thin but equipped with rifles with bladed ends. “Watch out, the castle's previous duke still haunts these baths.”
She pulled one of her truth serum phials from her new bag, might as well take advantage of the situation.
“Don't be an ass. Let's just check it out.”
The tallest that had joked about the ghost was laughing as they approached they door. Kenai was crouched beside the edge of the door. Kate stepped away from the door and nodded towards Jack and Kenai. They didn't need to talk to have know what they were doing. This was what the Thousand Swords was good at – killing and acquiring information.

The door handle started to turn with a daunting creak.
“Watch out!” One of the guard yelled from the other side of the door.
The handle snapped back into it's initial position.
“Man you're an ass hole.”
More chuckling, probably the taller man. “Yeah, but I got yah pretty good.”
“Whatever” The handle turned once more and the door swung open to reveal the two armoured blokes.
“Huh”
The two stared at Kate in complete surprise.
Kate moved her shoulder in an alluring way. “I'm a dirty, dirty girl.”
Why the hell did she just say that? Either way the two guys simply just looked at each other in confusion, a perfect opening.

Kenai struck like a snake with a wavy dagger directly into the throat of the shorter bloke. The guy gave a gurgle as the blade slipped out from his neck. Before the other guy could react, Jack grabbed his mouth and pulled him into the room. With excessive force, he thrust the guy against the wall and punched him in the gut. Kate pulled the cork from the phial and walked to the captured guard's side. “Eat this.”
Jack removed his hand from the soldier's mouth long enough for Kate to force the fluid down his throat.
“It will take a few moments to take affect, keep him there for me.”
Jack grinned in response as he glared at the terrified captive.

“We can probably use this armour to sneak about the castle in plain sight. It will be good to have a change of clothes at least. If we tie up Jack's arms we can pretend he is a captured criminal.” Kenai removed the shorter man's helmet.
The guy had a chin coated in bum fluff but other wise he looked rather mature. A scar across the eye showed the man had been in combat previously. Shame, this time he'd had no chance.
“It may actually be better to save Julian first if we go with this stealth plan. Still then he will be unarmed.”
Saving Julian first sounded like a harmonic symphony to her ears, but the risk of his life was like a strangled cat as the singer.
“Aye, won't 'at leave me unarm?”
“Yeah you will be, but you could probably just punch things to death. Plus, I'll be carrying your sword on my back.”
Kate looked at the mammoth of a Blade and could not imagine how that would be possible.
Jack burst out in laughter, laughter far too loud for their situation “Bullshit. You couldn' carry 'is baby if you actually had some muscle on your cowa'd arms.”
“Damn, keep it down you oversized moron. Fine, we'll have to keep your blade tied to your back and hope nobody questions the fact.”
“Good plan, want me ta dance aroun' in front o' yah while we walk down tha' hallways as well?”
Kate sighed at the two bickering. “We don't really have any other ideas so let's just go with Kenai's plan. Lets just concentrate on the current task, get cleaned then move out.”

The taller guard had far longer hair than his companion had, and had and offset jaw that gave a strange slant to his entire face. His eyes were glazed with the affects of the drug Kate had given him.
“Now, where is the Duke at and what cell are the invaders you caught being held.”
Kate was hesitant at the idea of Jack lifting his hand away from the guys mouth, but it was a necessary risk.
“The Duke is on the second floor – he's taken to one of the servants as a mistress and they meet in the art gallery generally around this time. They don't exactly keep it secret, even his wife knows. Your friends, well friend, is being held in the lowest level cell block on the right wing. I cannot remember the cell number.”
Kate nodded, satisfied with the quality of her potion and its results. Not knowing the cell number was a bit of an issue, but she was certain it wouldn't be too hard to find. The Greenthorne Castle cells weren't exactly expansive.
“Good. Jack, do what you do best. I'm going for a bath.”
“Ma pleasure.” There wasn't even a scream as Jack caved in the long haired man's face in with his giant knuckles. “I'll get tha clothes of for yah two then I'll go guard the outa door, aye.”

Walking across to one of the large soap filled and rose aroma baths, she tossed off her shit stained shirt. Standing by the side of the steaming water, she pulled down her pants and underwear, glancing over her shoulder to see if the two guys were looking. Kenai was busy taking of his own clothes, while Jack was true to his word and stripping the two dead guards.
“Man, this bloke is 'ung like an ant – poor fella. Good thin' I put 'im out o' his misery aye.”
Jack still didn't seem to comprehend the concept of silence, then again with the patrol unit taken out, they should be safe for the time being.
Slowly she dipped her toes into the bath water, feeling the warm tingle as the water rippled around her right foot. Just the surface of the water was remarkably soothing. Pulling her foot out she sat down on the edge with both her dangling into the soapy water. Pushing into the soothing water slowly she felt the water try to creep up her thin pale body -across her chemical stains and slightly noticeable ribs. Up underneath her boobs, circling her brown nipples and swirling about her collar bone. The water pulled the muck blissfully away from her body. She stood in the pool with her neck and head above the water.

The water was constantly flowing and being filtered in and out, keeping the water around her remarkably clean. Ducking her head into the water, she ran her fingers through her mottled hair – pulling the gunk from her long brown strands. Twisting in the water, she enjoyed the wonderful warm water. Having trodden through sewerage for the last hour, the bath was amasing. Even in the Thousand swords, her baths usually consisted of a swim in a nearby river. Pulling her head out from underneath the depths, she shook her hair amongst the scented steam. Moving her ands over her body, she scrapped any wedged in dirt from her crevices. She ran her pals up and down her arms. Around her small soft breasts. Tried to reach between her shoulder blades, trying not to aggregative the scar under her left. She moved her hands down her back, peeling of some dried pieces of crap that were refusing to wash away. Between her ribs and across her stomach. Between her legs and around her flaps. She cleaned with delicacy as she let her body relax in the soothing soapy water. She wiped off her legs. Behind her knees. Around her ankles. Between her toes. It was heaven to be clean once more.

Kenai dove through the air like a swan, Wang dangling in the air like a snake kite. Plunging into the water, Kate watched as he swam over to the other end of the enormous bath. He didn't seem in the slightest interested in Kate's presence. She had often wondered if he were gay, she had never seen the rather dashing looking take even a glance at a woman. Smiling she rolled onto her back and drifted across the water, gazing up at the painted ceiling. The roof was draped in a gorgeous scene of an ocean view from the top of a forest covered cliff. The artist must have been talented. She closed her eyes as she let the water carry her into the middle of the pool.

An image of Jack towering over her stole into her mind and she snapped out of her relaxation and quickly returned to an upright position. Covering her breasts and vagina with her hands she looked around for the monstrous brute. He was nowhere within the bath, in fact he was standing by the one entrance to this section of the bathhouse off the main area. Maybe she had judged Jack to harshly. He was poised with his back turned away from the bath, watching for any enemies that might approach. Maybe he was finally beginning to change his take what he wanted attitude. She reached behind her and stroked the scar he had left her. That had been a long time ago.

Slipping out of the pool she walked back to the maintenance room where the armour from the guards had been laid out. Slipping on the smaller attire, the fabric of the under shirts and pants clung to her skin. Jack had disposed of the two bodies down into the sewer, judging by the line of blood that stretched from the wall to the manhole hatch. Dressed, she walked to where Jack was standing watch. Kenai got out from the bath as Kate passed, shaking off his body like a wet dog. She giggled as his penis whipped back and forth. He the young man had no shame.

“Aren't you going to go for a wash?”
Juggling the helmet between her hands, Kate walked up to Jack's side.
“Nah, I'll look more like a crim like this.”
That was true, but his odour was rancid; she couldn't believe she had smelled like that herself but moments ago.
“If you think I'm walking beside an ogre reeking of faeces then you have another thing coming.”
With one eyebrow raised, Jack looked at her with a smug smirk.
“Ah yeah, an' what thin' is that aye?”
“Just go have a bath you dirty mutt.”
“Aye Sir.”
Jack ran across the blue tiles to the pool like an over excited child before leaping into the air. He wouldn't? Tucking his legs under his arms he slammed into the water with a loud roaring splash that exploded across the entire room. Her forehead pulsed in irritation. Honestly, it was like the concept of stealth was completely unheard of to the Neanderthal.

As quickly as he had jumped in Jack was out, still some what dirty but smelling much better.
“How's this.”
Kate shook her head at the barbarian while Kenai joined the small gathering.
“Shall we proceed now he's done.” Kenai motioned his head towards Jack who was casually scratching his balls. “I have rope.”
“Awwww fuck nah! I ain' in ta that kinky shit.”
Smiling alongside Kenai she unsheathed her venom filled rapier. “I'll keep him at bay.”
“Schemin' bastards.”