COF 6: The Last Oracle

7 | Raid (III)

Now, to Nyxis, that idiom sounded like the guard just threatened he would smoke oshella. Instead of laughing at the strange analogy, Nyxis kept his face straight and made sure to speak with an offended tone.

"You pushed my brother," he said, keeping his voice loud and at the same time, modulated. He was trained to do that since the age of five. His tutor always told him that the technique could be useful in multiple areas and vowed that it would even save his life. Well, Nyxis made a mental note to thank his voice tutor if he saw the old man again. "You have to let us go without identification."

The guard's features crumpled into that of a scowl. "I would have to call for reinforcements!" he yelled before his features relaxed. "Yes, I will not check you for identification."

Nyxis's heart thumped in his ears. "You will step aside and let us pass without a fight," he said.

"Without a fight, got it," the brownie repeated. His tone became dreamier by the second. It sounded like he really just did pop oshella up his nose. Most importantly, he stepped aside and gestured for Nyxis and Cyrdel to pass through.

Excellent.

"Thank you, officer," Cyrdel smiled brightly and made a show of rubbing his sore backside. "I hope you understand that we are in a hurry. We are also not suspicious and we did not attack you or anything."

"Or anything," the guard replied, blinking.

"Good," Nyxis switched to Ylanenla. "Have a nice day."

"Nice day," the guard's eyes fluttered.

Cyrdel and Nyxis hurried past the wall, both holding their breaths until they were a few alleys away. As soon as they rounded a corner, Nyxis exhaled loudly and braced the wall as his knees shook with a delayed reaction to their situation.

"Oh, gods," Nyxis rasped, wiping his brow with his forearm. His skin came away wet. It's just so damn hot in Alkara. "Remind me to never do that again."

"I never thought I would survive," Cyrdel plopped to the ground and rested his back against a wall of a circular house. "I never thought the kuna extract would work so well."

Nyxis swallowed air as he took a deep breath. It had been the brownie's idea to use the potion. There wasn't enough research on that plant and Nyxis, himself, hasn't been exposed to its effects until now so they operated with the huge possibility that it would not work.

But it did. Nyxis induced the extract to the guard's shoulder as soon as he applied pressure when he attempted to push the guard back. There had been a hidden injector, courtesy of Cyrdel, between Nyxis's fingers that snapped into action as it connected with enough force on the guard's shoulder. As soon as the drug was inside the guard's system, it was expected to make him submissive and open to suggestion.

That's what Nyxis and Cyrdel did. The drug would wear off after a few minutes so they really should get going. Nyxis looked back at the border and cursed. "Uh, Cyrdel?" Nyxis called to his companion who promptly pushed himself up and followed Nyxis's gaze.

The people behind them in the line were now haggling for an entry even without identification. They saw what happened to Nyxis and Cyrdel and demanded the same treatment. Sadly, as the drug's effect wore off, so did the guard's suggestibility. People were going to notice that something amiss went on. "We should go," Nyxis said. "It is only a matter of time."

As a matter of fact, it really was just a matter of time.

Cyrdel and Nyxis tore through the silent streets of Depandes, making their way towards the Palace. This road was supposed to lead them to the busiest part of the city. When they got there, it was like walking through Gulstead and that's saying something.