Jasmine slipped out of the treeline and darted across the open field. The two wall guards had turned their backs, allowing the assassin easy access to the wall. She found a small hole beneath the wall, likely dug by animals.
She scanned the area, finding no roaming sentries before activating her skill. Much like a cat, if Jasmine could fit her head through an opening, the rest of her body could fit.
She peeked around the other side, confirming the absence of patrols. With an unnatural twist, she slid into the stronghold. She hugged the wall, eyeing the closest guard.
Firewater's intel was superb. The blind spot was barely wide enough for her but too small for the guards to care. She waited for both guards to look away before moving.
In a flash, she made it to the inner building, slipping straight into an open window. Her landing didn't make a sound as she caught her bearings. She heard approaching women from her left as she ducked behind a decorative suit of armor.
Torchlight flickered down the hallway. Two women came into view, one of them holding a torch. Jasmine studied the two from behind the armor, recognizing the Ravian skin tone.
Jasmine steadied her breathing, slowing her heart. She had tested the bounds of Ursa's senses ever since she'd joined. Slowing her bodily functions to a near halt allowed her to go unnoticed by the northerner.
"-ny word from those bastards?" The Ravian's voice cut through the silence.
"Not yet," the woman beside the archer responded. "He encountered a group, then went silent."
The Ravian chuckled, "Maybe the bastard bit the dust. Maybe Astrid will let me at-"
"Stop!" her companion snapped. "You know not to finish that sentence."
Jasmine watched as the two approached her hiding spot. The torch created shadows that she melted into.
"I know," the Ravian said, annoyed. "But come on! Have you seen that goblin? I'm not even into women."
"Don't let Astrid hear that." The woman said as the two passed the suit of armor. Jasmine didn't dare breathe or move. "She's very possessive of that thing."
"Ugh, now I'm just horny." The archer muttered. "Heard this new batch was incredibly hot. Gods, I can already smell them!"
A cold feeling went down Jasmine's spine. She hoped to any god that would listen that the smell wasn't coming from her. She kept still until the torchlight and voices disappeared down the hall.
Jasmine slowly exhaled and crawled out from behind the armor. She eyed the path the two took, her conscience screaming at her to save those boys. But she had a job to do.
Jasmine crept along inside, keeping her body low and bow hugged tightly to her chest. She scoped out a route for the boys above to escape to, passing only one pair of guards on the way.
She eyed the two guards, both were taller than her and covered in tattoos. The same style as those traffickers from before. Jasmine silenced her instincts to attack the two, and patiently watched.
One stared out the window, not even bothering to inspect her surroundings, while the other fiddled with her hilt. Both seemed incredibly annoyed.
Fire could cause too much collateral damage. There didn't seem to be any black powder in the area and the guards all seemed to know each other. But Jasmine's plans started to form when one broke the silence, nearly causing Jasmine to flinch.
"AH!" The window watcher cried. "Why do we have to guard? Why can't we go downstairs?"
The other guard rolled her eyes, "Cause Astrid said so."
"Yeah but why? No one fucking comes here. No one's dumb enough to cross us, so why can't we take the day off?"
"Goblins are missing," the second reminded her. "And Astrid found goblin and human corpses on the road."
"Yeah, and good riddance." The first guard scoffed. "Astrid said she found that thing's body."
"Whatever or whoever can kill that goblin thing is trouble." The second guard responded.
"Ugh, I don't care!" The first guard said, her voice filled with lust. "Nearly soaked myself upon seeing those boys. I think it'll be fine if we just pop down there."
Jasmine nearly laughed. Here she was trying to find an elaborate plan to distract the guards, but the guards were practically dismissing themselves. They may appear to be fearsome warriors, but these types of women were piss-poor guards.
Just in case, though, Jasmine needed to push them. She slipped past them, towards the alcohol storage. Firewater had told her about the mead these women peddled. It was enhanced with magic and addictive, unlike other alcohol. The boys weren't the only ones the guards indulged in.
Evading one last guard, she slipped into the storage room. She quietly filled a flask, making sure to leave no traces, before escaping again.
Jasmine returned to the two, who were in the middle of bickering. Jasmine slipped past them, ignoring their words. She was far enough away that they couldn't hear her, but close enough for the smell to waft over. She dumped a bit of the mead, then placed the flask on the ground. She made it seem like another guard dropped it.
She slipped into an alcove and waited for her prey to notice. She waited for several minutes, noticing they didn't have as strong of senses as Ursa or that archer.
"It'd be both our asses!" One exclaimed before both stopped. A moment of silence fell between the two before the other chimed in.
"I smell it too."
Torchlight slowly lit the hallway as the two approached.
"Oh fuck!" One cried out in delight. She raced forward and scooped the flask up. "Terra must have dropped her flask."
"We should-" the other tried to say, but was cut off. The first one didn't even hesitate to take a swig of the mead. Jasmine heard the guard gulp as the other one scrambled.
"Hey! Give me some."
A small scuffle occurred before the other one got her hands on the flask. She drank as much as she could before the first guard wrestled it away from her. Jasmine didn't dare move as the two fought over the beverage.
"Damn!" One said as they threw the flask to the ground. "No more."
"Fuck," Jasmine watched as the guard who argued against leaving rubbed her thighs together. A sly smile appeared on Jasmine's face as her plan started working. "Now I'm just horny…"
The first one chuckled and slapped her back. "Come on! Let's go before I ruin my pants."
"Fine, but only for a little while."
Jasmine's eyes locked on the keys dangling from one woman's belt. One swift motion, a careful grip to silence the jingle, and they were hers.
"Sure. Said that last time too."
In the blink of an eye, Jasmine grabbed the keys. As the two continued talking
"Hehehe, yeah."
"To be fair, those boys were hung."
The two staggered off as their voices began to slur. The alcohol worked incredibly fast, surprising Jasmine. She crawled out from under her alcove and darted towards the boys.
She found them in cells, just like on the map. They were huddled together, malnourished, and barely clothed. Their eyes looked dead. Jasmine bit back her fury as she quickly unlocked the first lock.
Then she unlocked the second and the third. All three doors whined as they opened, but none of the boys dared to move. Jasmine appeared before them, causing them all to cower.
"Shhh." Jasmine cut them off before they made noises. "I'm here to rescue you."
Their eyes were full of terror as they stared, motionless at Jasmine. None of them dared to move or make a sound. Jasmine gestured for them to escape, but they didn't.
They were too scared to move.