---
Chapter 16: The Viper's Sting and The Unbroken Shield
The Arkaan estate was bathed in the soft glow of moonlight and lantern light. A quiet celebration was underway in the main hall, marking Theon's return and the family's newfound hope. The air was filled with the soft melodies of an Elven song and the deep, rumbling laughter of the Dwarves as Thomas shared an old legend. Vicky sat beside his father, a sense of hard-won peace settling over him.
It was then that Reman's voice, sharp as a blade, cut through his thoughts. "Vicky! The air reeks of venom and ill intent. They are here."
Vicky's relaxed posture vanished in an instant. His eyes met Gideon's across the room, and with a nearly imperceptible nod, a silent command was given. Gideon, now a seasoned captain, smoothly excused himself, and ten of his most trusted knights quietly slipped away from the festivities, their hands resting on the pommels of their swords.
"What is it, son?" Theon asked, immediately sensing the shift in his son's demeanor.
"Uninvited guests, Father," Vicky replied, his voice calm but firm. "Nothing we cannot handle. Please, stay inside with Mother."
Outside, the peaceful night was a lie. Shadows detached themselves from deeper shadows. The assassins of the Blood Viper Sect moved with a lethal, silent grace, scaling the outer walls like phantoms.
Two Arkaan guards on patrol never saw what killed them. They fell, daggers buried in their throats, their warnings dying with them.
Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the air.
A weighted net fell from a rooftop, ensnaring one of the assassins. From the high branches of the ancient trees surrounding the manor, Sofia and her Elven archers revealed themselves. Their magically imbued arrows, glowing with a faint emerald light, found their marks in the darkness, striking with unnerving accuracy.
"To the walls! Defensive positions!" Gideon's voice roared, and the Arkaan knights, who had been waiting in ambush, solidified into an unbreakable defensive line.
Thomas the dwarf emerged from a side passage, his massive forge hammer in hand. With a grunt of effort, he swung it in a wide arc, smashing into an assassin and sending the man's sword clattering to the ground. "You will not touch a single stone of our new home!" he bellowed.
The courtyard became a chaotic battlefield. The assassins were fluid and deadly, but the Arkaan forces fought with disciplined coordination.
Then, the greatest threat made itself known. A hulking assassin, his face tattooed with poisonous vipers, dropped into the center of the courtyard. He moved with terrifying speed, dispatching two knights with a flick of his twin, envenomed daggers. His target was clear: the main door, behind which Theon and Elara stood.
"Stop him!" Gideon yelled, charging forward, but the lead assassin was a whirlwind of death.
"Leave him to me."
Vicky stood framed in the doorway, the Blood-Drinker Blade held loosely in his hand. A faint, crimson aura flickered around him, and his eyes held a terrifying, ancient calm.
"The little master," the lead assassin sneered, his voice a dry rasp. "I have orders to bring you in alive. But a few missing fingers won't matter."
He lunged, his daggers striking like twin serpents. But Vicky was a ghost. He flowed around the attacks, his movements so precise and economical he seemed to predict every strike. The Iron Blood Art enhanced his body, making him faster and stronger than the assassin could have imagined.
"Enough," Vicky stated, his voice flat.
His sword flared with a bloody light.
SHING! CRACK!
In one fluid motion, Vicky's blade shattered both of the assassin's daggers at the hilt. Before the man could react, the cold, sharp edge of the Blood-Drinker Blade was resting against his throat.
"You... you are no mere Mid-Level Knight," the assassin stammered, his confidence shattered.
"Perceptive," Vicky said, his voice low and dangerous. "Now, you will be my messenger. Return to Lin Beilong. Tell him the Arkaans are no longer his prey. The next time we meet, I will be at his doorstep. Now, get out of my sight!"
With a powerful kick, Vicky sent the man sprawling into the dirt. The lead assassin scrambled to his feet and fled into the darkness, the remnants of his broken pride left behind.
The fight was over. The remaining assassins, seeing their leader defeated, were quickly subdued or slain.
Theon walked out to stand beside his son, looking at the young man who seemed to be carved from moonlight and shadow. He placed a firm hand on Vicky's shoulder, his eyes shimmering with pride. "My son... a true warrior."
Vicky sheathed his sword, the crimson glow fading. He looked at his father, then at the loyal faces of his knights, the Elves, and the Dwarves who had fought alongside them.
"This was just a sting," Vicky said, his gaze turning towards the distant lights of the Lin estate. "The next move is ours. The Viper has shown its fangs. Now, it's time to crush its head."
---