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Kayn quickly moved deeper into the forest thicket, skillfully moving between the shadows so that not a single twig cracked, not a single leaf fell off and gave away his location. He reached the Noxian camp when the night had just seized its power in the cloudless sky, and the full bright moon had not yet had time to illuminate the earth. There he found a suitable position on a thick branch of a giant tree, from where he could see the whole clearing: twenty identical tents located next to each other near a common campfire and a dining area. Then there was a headquarters tent, a medical tent, two warehouses and a workshop.
The order from Zed, his master, was crystal clear: get information from this camp about the movement of wagons with viands that supply the enemy army, and leave no witnesses. It would be done in order to cut off the supply line in the future - that is, to deprive tens of thousands of soldiers of the provisions they need, to undermine their health and morale. Hence, gain an advantage in the next battle.
This information is a groundwork for the future, but what to do now is something to think about.
«It's better to start the search from the headquarters, but I won't sneak in there, even with a shadow step: the moon will be out soon. I'll be surrounded quickly. Try to remove the patrol, and then those who are already sleeping in tents?..»
«Are you afraid of a couple of scratches, Kayn? Give them a bloodbath. If you kill their leader, the others will run away in fear.»
«Shut up, Rhaast. I'll kill everyone anyway, but I'll do it my way.»
«In your own way, you can only shit yourself. Listen to me, and make them afraid.»
«They know who I am. They should fear me beforehand.»
Kayn rolled his eyes mentally and Rhaast fell silent, leaving room for his vessel's imagination. Darkin was somehow sure The Reaper would provide him with a delightful scene. After a short consideration of the situation, Shieda decided to play a little with his victims. He jumped noisily to a neighbouring branch, attracting the attention of the patrol. His shadow glided with rapid speed between the trees, from the foliage to the bushes on the ground, like an unknown forest creature driving its prey into a corner, but his deep echoing laughter made noxians realise they have no chance to escape such a night monster. One careless soldier did not even have time to come to his senses, as the moonlight gleam of steel flashed before his eyes. The others noticed only a lying corpse with a severed head and prepared their blunt knives, hatchets and arrows for battle. Nothing helped them against the scythe of the Shadow Reaper, as he attacked from the darkness precisely pointwise at the weak points, leaving behind pools of blood, disfigured bodies and fear on the faces of witnesses. Screams of horror and pain quickly drowned out the sound of the clang of metal, torn flesh as well as rustling in the foliage and the whistle of shurikens from somewhere above.
"Again! Yes! Again! Yea-ah!" Rhaast provoked Kayn and he responded gloatingly, the demon within was fed by the suffering souls and the death cries of the victims. Unworthy, pathetic, they had no chance against the skill of Zed's apprentice, "No mercy, right, Noxians?"
Soon there were so few enemies left that they could be counted on the fingers. But he had completely lost count of them, having forgotten himself in the exciting feeling of superiority, getting real pleasure in killing so many people at once.
When the grass in the forest clearing was stained with the remains of the last, twenty-ninth fighter (according to the count of the witness), and the forest symphony regained its quiet balance after the brutal sounds of battle, Shieda was already celebrating his victory. It turned out, a little earlier than he should have been: two kunai blades flew past him, one of which stopped an arrow flying into Kayn's back, and the second hit the heart of the unfortunate archer, marking the end of the battle.
Kayn tensed and prepared to meet the mysterious observer, but he did not expect to meet the gaze of those brown eyes directed at him from the opposite tree. He knew what to do with the witnesses, but...
But it couldn't have been an enemy scout, no. They don't wear green clothes and masks.
«What are you doing here, Akali?» he thought to himself.
He knew that Tethi had left the Kinkou Order long ago, preferring the path of a lone assassin: without a master, without a supervisor, without a framework. But he had a hunch that someone else was involved in her appearance in this place. After all, it was not easy to get information about the location of this soldiers' camp.
The girl jumped to the ground, a step away from someone's severed leg, and counted the thirtieth condemned man in thought. And Kayn visibly relaxed, because he knew that she would not attack, having standing right in front of him. Therefore, he could afford to behave uninhibited and defiant again.
"Hey, you stole my kill," he said with mock malice.
"You were inattentive, idiot."
"Think what you want, handsome, but I saved your life," she shrugged lazily, calmly walking past him to the main tent at the Noxian camp. The Reaper hurriedly followed her inside with satisfied smile as he allowed himself the luxury of gazing at the tattooed back with clear contours not only of the drawing, but also of the trained muscles. A view he wished he could observe every night.
«I see your thoughts, Kayn.»
«Not thoughts. Plans.»
"I would have dodged, beauty", he really heard the flying arrow, but would he have time? The question is open.
"B eauty?"
"I'm just returning the favor, Rhaast," Kayn said innocently.
"Are you talking to yourself there?" The Rogue Assassin asked with a grin and bent over the documents lying on a small table in the center. Although she knew for sure that the inaudible interlocutor of this madman was a scythe. Kali found their interactions funny, especially considering how stupid Shieda looks during this time. However, the girl bitterly looked at the hand covered with filth. You won't get the power of Darkin weapons for free.
"None of your business. And these papers are none of your business," Kayn pushed her away with his shoulder and began raking the papers into his pants pocket, hidden under a light leather plate.
"We're actually on the same side! Could've shared it," she sighed wearily and irritably.
"Considering that our orders don't get along, then no."
"I'm not part of the Order anymore", Akali sighed irritably once again, so Kayn interrupted his occupation and looked thoughtfully at Akali. She stood with her arms crossed on her chest and a dissatisfied look. The kind that burns through skin.
"Yes, you may have renounced the Kinkou, but that doesn't stop you from helping them, or anyone else," he said after a moment of silence, "And while you're helping someone other than the Shadow Order, we can't be on the same side," here Kayn grinned, "However, have you thought about joining us? My offer of cooperation is still valid."
"No, I haven't", the girl's eyelids drooped; a noticeable note of ulcer slipped into her speech.
"In that case, I suppose I should take you out as a witness," Kayn couldn't resist to charmingly smile, accompanying this with a wink. The double meaning of his phrase is obvious.
"In that case, why shouldn't I take you out first?" she replied with a mocking charm, keeping her eyes glued to the remaining papers. This flirt doesn't interest her right now. At least she is trying to convince herself on that.
"Oh? Try it, i dare you", he laughed quietly but so floutingly that she wanted to shut him up with a deft punch on the nose or grab him by the shirt and throw him against the table. Oh, yeah. He doesn't wear a shirt.
"I'm always welcome to kick your ass."
Akali frowned slightly, answering in a similar cheeky, but joking manner, and shifted her gaze from the papers back to him, lingering for a second on his constantly exposed chest while raising her eyes to the level of his face.
And this little action did not go unnoticed:
"Yeah, as soon as you stop staring at me," Kayn smiled smugly, leaning his palm on the table.
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm just surprised they still don't give you shirts there. Such a terrible organization... And you really think I'll join you?"
"Well, the lack of shirts is a good thing. I'm sure you'll look much better without one." He said blatantly and almost immediately felt regret. A pleasant one, though, because he could feel the girl's nervousness along with his. Akali, although she didn't want to, immediately took the hint, and her cheeks turned slightly pink, which is really not so noticeable in the dim light in the tent, especially under a mask. The palpable silence and the cold air made the skin crawl.
"And you will look much better with your mouth shut. So don't open it if you don't want to annoy me anymore," with these words, she walked back to the table, just to make sure that there was nothing useful on it for her. Except for one envelope with a military Noxian seal.
"Hell no", as soon as Akali reached out to the envelope, a demonic hand with claws sharp as a good sword covered her palm. He had enough strength to nail Akali and leave scars on the wooden surface. There is indignation and quite a bit of embarrassment in his voice, "Tell me, is that why you're here?"
"I warned you," Akali said quietly, releasing her hand from the grip with a sharp rotational movement. The next blow is a kick under the foot, and now Kayn is lying on his back on the ground with a kama pointed at him. He clenched his teeth in pain and raised his arms bent at the elbow in a mute surrender gesture.
«You were inattentive again. Great job.»
«Don't jump to conclusions, darkin.»
Kayn smiled mysteriously, which made Kali frown in surprise and wariness. She dodged his counter-kick in time and thereby gave him the opportunity to stand up. Kayn grabbed the scythe more comfortably, with the other hand straightening the stray bangs. A pose that does not imply a willingness to start a fight, but rather confidence in the ability to repel possible attacks.
"Are you going to kick my ass already? Well, well."
"I don't want to dirty my weapon on you, but I'll have to if you don't back down", the ninja sighed indifferently. She started to get bored with this whole situation. She hoped to finish this mission quickly.
"Do you need an envelope?" The Reaper arched an eyebrow, taking the paper from the table. He could continue to bicker with her at least until the morning, because the most fun in their interactions was how she responded, "Then take it away."
A shuriken flied into the fingers, which knocked the envelope out of Kayn's hands. The bloody piece of paper elegantly rotated in the air, falling approximately in the middle between them. Kayn shook his hurt hand. Funnily enough that's the first scratch he had for today.
"How about this? We silently take what we came for and disperse. I don't have time for this anymore," although the Rogue Assassin assumed that they were looking for the same thing here.
"One condition: you will tell me what's in this letter from the envelope," Kayn said without thinking twice, and Akali shook her head negatively, "What if we're hunting for the same information? I need to know."
"Fine," she finally agreed after a minute of reflection, figuring that it wouldn't be a big deal if the Order of Shadows intervened in this operation. She would hardly be able to cope alone anyway, and so, all responsibility will fall on the members of the Order. The ninja slowly picked up the envelope from the ground and removed the seal, starting to read, "It says here that in three days in the morning, reinforcements of five companies, including cavalry, will arrive to continue the offensive. The caravan with provisions will arrive at the same time on line B. It must be safely escorted to the next point of operation."
"And that's it?!"
"Apart from the formalities, yes."
"What the hell is that B—line? Do they have multiple supply lines?.."
"Did it just become clear to you now?"
"What do you mean just now?! How did you know that?"
Akali giggled softly at first. Then louder. And then she laughed heartily when she saw how Kayn's face was transformed. This mixture of anger, annoyance and misunderstanding.
"What a fool you are. Were you sent to find out about the supply lines? It's a pity that I already have all the information that was supposed to be delivered to this camp," Akali tapped her fingers on her bag, "The only thing I missed was the envelope. Apparently, it was delivered separately," after thinking aloud, the girl grinned, using only her eyes, because the lower half of her face, as always, is hidden under a mask worn specifically to hide her mocking laughter, "Well, now it looks like you can only wait for reinforcements. Take care, loser."
Black smoke filled the room, forcing Kayn to close his eyes and cough. When he went outside, it was too late to look for the fugitive.
"So it was me who jumped to conclusions here?"
Shieda growled something like death curses through his teeth as he stabbed the scythe into the unknown corpse.
He has two ways. Chase after an impudent thief or shamefacedly return to Zed. But there is only one choice: to catch up and teach Akali a lesson, and then deliver all the information to his master.