Something that even he couldn't Sense…
Something dark, stood in the very same compound with them.
Sekou realized it as soon as his Master spoke,
"Found you," whispered the crown prince.
He gripped his sword, eyes sharp as a hawk, scanning every shadow. Yet…he couldn't Sense it.
For the first time tonight, the powerful mage was on edge.
The crown prince's sight was unmatched; he was able to see what others couldn't.
"What do you see?" his gaze burned with killing intent.
"Something like you, but… different!" he answered, a smile cracking despite the chill running down his spine.
He took a step forward.
"Omari !"
For the first time tonight, Sekou called the crown prince by his name, a warning in his tone as his sword slowly tilted.
"Stay where you are!" he ordered, his sharp gaze following his master's line of sight.
The Merchant backed away from the window, fear written across his face.
Tonight, he had unknowingly attracted some of the empire's most dangerous groups.
Hosting a royal member was a mistake he would pay for.
Gasping, he ran towards the door, a whistle in hand to summon his army of Mages.
"Close the gates! No royal heir dies on my property!" he yelled, huffing.
The rain poured heavily, stirring the dust into the air. It danced, briefly before falling again refusing to settle.
Sekou eased into a fighting stance.
"You can't see it" Omari stated.
" I can still fight it!" Sekou replied, confident he could protect the crown prince.
"I don't think it's here to fight..." Omari squinted, eyes narrowing at the empty air.
"Actually it is." He finished.
As soon as he breathed those words, the air rippled —raindrops scattering as if struck by invisible wind.
Sekou moved instantly, following Omari's gaze. He leapt into the air, twisting mid flight as his sword gathered a blue glow. With a sharp cry, he swung it towards the unseen target.
A blinding flash erupted as his sword struck something solid. The impact hurled him into a tree, hitting hard. He melted into his own shadow—reappearing behind it in a gust of wind.
Invisible to naked eye, Sekou swung his sword once—shifting his master out of the chaos.
The ground distorted, tearing itself open and creating a gap between the crown prince and his mage.
Omari scoffed at his attempt to keep him away from the chaos, but he didn't move an inch. An unfathomable expression crossed his face for a brief moment.
Another wave was released into the air, huge this time and towards where he believed the enemy to be.
"On your left Sekou!" Omari yelled just in time for Sekou to block a deadly attack. He leapt high into the sky, his menacing blade ready for impact right on his unseen target.
As thunder rumbled in the sky, another attack from the side hit him with full force.
Sekou crashed into the nearest tree, his sword stuck into the ground dangling with such vibration it shook the earth.
His hand went to his chest, a strange pain shooting through him as he coughed up blood.
He froze in shock, It had been years since he had seen anything like this.
His gaze traveled up towards the sky. He could feel it now, their presence.
Multiple enemies?
He had been fighting more than one opponent all along?
He chuckled, a smile on his face yet his eyes felt impossible to thaw. A look of menace one that intensified as soon as he realized their target.
His master!
He stood up again, grabbing his sword, he twisted it in the air channeling energy from the darkness itself.
Shadows fight shadows.
He had learned that long ago.
They were cowards to have come at once, yet in battle, right and wrong no longer mattered.
His sword oozed black smoke. He slammed it into the ground; energy flared and exploded.
Darkness surged around him, swallowing him whole.
When it cleared, a young man stood cloaked in black vapours, as if it were second skin.
He charged towards them, his senses fully heightened he could now catch their scent. Something sour, yet bitter like bad wine.
He didn't need to see them, their scent would lead him.
Sekou swung without mercy, clashing with his unseen foes. Each stirke shook the earth beneath them. Twisting swiftly, he brought his sword down, sending a wave of vicious shadows spiraling into deadly vines, shredding anything in their path
His sword finally made a huge hit sending something heavily into the ground.
CRACK!
The earth gave beneath his sword, for a swift moment the outline of a human revealed itself, it swung against Sekou's sword, removing itself from under the deathly grasp of the sword and in a flash it was no longer on the floor.
It stood across from Sekou. Both their eyes locked in a tense stared down, neither blinking. Yet they both took in each other's presence.
Sekou had never seen anything this dark. There possibly couldn't exist a human this dark as the one before him.
The huge hat did nothing to hide it's golden eyes locked onto sekou.
Their breathes pierced the drizzling rain as it slowly eased.
Both blades were raised and ready, neither moved.
Sekou's sharp gaze caught the trembling hands of the strange being.
A strange glimpse of emotion crossed his face briefly.
...Could it be satisfaction?
The dark being exhaled, two images of him materialized on either side.
They looked like clones, but Sekou sensed each held it's own consciousness.
They blinked once and dissolved into the wind, not a single trace as they departed.
Sekou straightened, his hands sore but steady. He drew a deep breath, the air smelled of trouble yet he couldn't help but take it in.
Something terrible was brewing, but he couldn't act without a lead.
"Finally met your match huh?" Omari smirked. Sekou walked up to him, his expression grim, traces of blood still on his face —his own blood!
"Mali is definitely a threat to your kingdom." Sekou stated.
"It isn't mine yet." Omari coldly dismissed.
Sekou stared, his response stuck in his throat. He knew how dangerously calculative his master was, he only did things for his benefit.
"The royal squad will take it from here."
"Your highness! Your highness!" The merchant came running out of the gigantic mansion and into the open field where the fight had taken place.
A new set of mages behind him, ready for war.
Both men just stood watching him run towards them with his army.
"You are late, Alisaba! Is this how you run your estate?"
Alisaba wanted to curse, he had sent half of his men to hunt down an intruder, before another chaos broke out again. All because of a certain royal guest.
He had never handled such danger on a large scale before.
"Forgive me your highness" he bowed.
The mages behind froze in disbelief as soon as they heard their merchant address the prince.
Maybe they hadn't been listening properly due to adrenaline, but now with him saying the word 'your highness' one last time it finally clicked in their head.
"Long live the crown prince!" They all went down on their knees.
Both men turned to glare at the merchant. The poor man staggered back terrified, especially by the intense gaze of one particular mage.
He cleared his throat, "please let me lead you to a proper room for rest"
Omari scoffed "After being attacked twice due to your terrible security? I don't think so."
"Ready the royal carriage, I will be taking my leave"
Merchant Alisaba bit his tongue to stop himself from cursing one more time.
I don't have weak security, your enemies are just too strong!
He wanted to say so badly, but he breathed again before he died of anger.
As he watched them walk away, he took a look around his compound and his eyes windened in horror at the present state after the huge fight, almost having a heart attack.
"My precious estate" he whispered, the tears moments away from bursting out.
'All my millions!!!' He cried internally.
"In a few hours, three trunks of gold will be delivered for your service Alisaba!" The crown prince casually informed, before finally disappearing into the long pathways that led to the outer gates of the estate.
As soon as he heard of the pay he straightened.
"I'm honoured your highness!" He yelled, even though he was burning with frustration money was still important.
But it irked him to no end the way he was treated as a mere innkeeper.
This is a family house I built with so much love!
He cursed in his mind, despite the fact that his family were yet to move in he still cherished it dearly.
"This is the last time we are receiving any royal guest!" He swore under his breath not daring to say his thoughts out loud.
"Ahhhhh! Walahi!" He swore, irritated. His men looking away in respect from their master throwing a tantrum.
"Send for the others to come back immediately. The royal squad will take it from here, apparently, we are not needed" he ordered bitterly.
Before they could spread out, they heard another whistle.
An injured mage was heading back into the estate, his uniform signifying he was one of them.
" Sire," he stopped before the merchant, kneeling.
" Things are not looking good." he said, catching his breath.
" What do you mean?" Alisaba yelled, annoyed by the continuous events of bad luck.
"The general. he's attacking everyone…Something in the water…The river is humming!"