A stealthy approach

Flinch could see two towers, one on either side of the nearby gate. They were equipped with torches and at a glance he spotted at least two archers per tower. He gave gestures for everyone to stay quiet and stay put, then motioned for Vix and Zip to follow him. They snuck along the palisade, staying as close to the pointed logs as possible as they approached the gate. There were no guard stationed outside, and the gate was closed, which was a natural choice for the night. Vix and Zip waited under the first tower while Flinch moved to the second. He raised a hand with three fingers raised, then he counted down.

Three, two, one.

Three shadows rushed up the outside wall of the towers and descended upon the stationed guards. Flinch vaulted over the railing and landed right in front of the first archer. The man barely had time to open his mouth in surprise, before Flinch broke his neck with a chop of the hand. Two more archers turned to Flinch when the body of their comrade fell to the ground. On of them drew a blade while the other ran towards the bell at the other end of the tower. There was no time to waste.

Flinch rushed forward and grabbed the arm of the first archer, crushing his bones. His other hand covered the man’s mouth and muffled his scream. Flinch noticed the other archer was barely a step away from the bell. He also noticed the dagger was about to fall from the broken hand of the archer in his grasp. When the dagger fell, Flinch kicked it before it reached the ground, which launched it into the neck of the last archer. The man fell to the floor with a wet gurgle and Flinch broke the neck of the last archer. All of this had taken less than three seconds.

Immediately he scanned the other tower, where Vix and Zip were removing their daggers from the bodies of two more archers. The town was still peaceful and quiet, none the wiser than their first line of defence had just fallen. Flinch took a step back, then two quick steps forward and launched himself about 20 feet onto the other tower. The landing was a bit heavier than he had hoped, to which both Vix and Zip put a finger over their lips, shushing him. It filled him with pride, how serious his daughters were about their job. They weren’t shy to reprimand him despite their immense respect.

“Good job.”, Flinch whispered, “I want you to open the gate and lead the Clan inside. Lead Astra, and our elite fighters to the guardhouse. Strike fast and hard. The rest are to spread out and prepare, as soon as any alarm is raised, they are to attack.”. Vix and Zip nodded acknowledging their father’s plan, but Zip realized something, “What will you do?”, she asked. Flinch smiled, “I’ll find that wizard you told me about.”.