Turn of the Nightingale

Part 5 of the Nightingale Saga

Again, these stories are based on a character that I did not create, one of the characters known as the Royal Thieves in the Top Games game “Evony; The King’s Return.” I make no claim to actually owning the right to the original Nightingale as these are stories based on my own imagination.

Nightingale checked her abdomen again as she moved along the hallway.  Yes, just like before, the wound was healed nicely, but she had to admit that she liked it.

The medicines weren’t too far and she knew, by experience, what kinds the rich people of this particular town would expect to receive.  And it all came down to another little con the Royal Thieves pulled off.

It made all of them laugh a little.  It had been 300 years since they pulled off that first royal heist, but, even after that, when other royal heists happened, they were always said to have happened by the Royal Thieves.

Which was only true for about 2/3 of them.  Still, they were becoming legends, vigilantes that meted out justice, even though they mostly just gave a huge part of their bounty to those who weren’t so fortunate. They helped, but still nobody ever suspected that the three Royal Thieves were, in fact, immortal beings who decided, long ago, that it was what they would do.

But this time it was different.  Sure, they’d come into towns all over the kingdoms, and there was usually some corruption going on.  It was still common 1300 years after they started.  They’d set themselves up as performers or merchants, even a few times as wandering workers, and ferret out the corrupt ones, and then they’d strike.

But, for this town, it was a little different.  The poor population had disease running rampant.  All over the less fortunate abodes they saw windows open to let fresh air in with candles and the scent of sickness around them.

But it was only among the poor.  The wealthy citizens seemed to be doing very well, but also seemed a little more on-guard.

That’s when they came up with this plan.  They’d ensure that these poor citizens got the medicines they needed due to a little show in which someone would need to stay in the town healing center, a place listed as a hospital.

The plan was simple and effective to pull off.  Nightingale knew that Nell was an expert knife thrower and could hit a mark dead center at a hundred feet away, and she also knew that if he messed up it would be a couple of days before she’d be able to rejoin them.

But they’d never intentionally hurt themselves or each other.  Would it work for them?  Nightingale knew that, if it was bad enough, they would die, but that brought on a wonderful sensation, such a pleasing sensation that only sex could be better.

And Nightingale could get sex whenever she wanted.  That was no problem, but another issue kept in her mind.  Sure, sex was fantastic, but would she ever really find someone? Would she ever really find someone so special and so intoxicating that he’d take her mind off her own schemes and make it so she wanted to stay with him for his lifetime?

Would she ever fall in love?

But she found out something else as they were setting up, practicing this new con, something she had to do her best to try and hide.

They’d set up a knife-throwing exhibition in the town, Nell demonstrating how well he could handle a blade as he picked off targets and Duke acted as the barker.  Nightingale waited among the crowd, dressed as a commoner, as her partners performed the show.  Sure, she knew she could entrance the whole audience with her singing, but that wasn’t a part of this scheme.

Duke spoke up, walking into the crowd. “And now, to demonstrate the expertise of his blades, Sir Nell needs a volunteer from the audience, someone brave, someone unafraid to face certain death.”

Nightingale wanted to shout out she’d do it, because she knew what was coming, but she also knew what part she had to play.  She demonstrated a desire not to be chosen by trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, something that wasn’t easy, so that it was a complete surprise when Duke stretched out his hand. “How about you, young lady?”

Nightingale looked up, trying to show fear, as Duke cajoled her. “Come on.  I promise, you won’t be hurt.”

Nightingale slumped her shoulders, completing the illusion. “Okay, I guess.”

Duke took her hand and led her up on the stage.  She tried to act afraid, as if she really were facing death, as Duke spoke up for everyone to hear. “I promise, young lady, you won’t be permanently damaged.”

Nightingale almost glared at him, fighting the urge.  She knew she wouldn’t be permanently damaged, none of them would be.  Even if Nell missed and hit her fatally, she’d just come back a couple days later.  But she fought the urge down and tried to act scared again as Nell spoke up himself. “Try to keep still.”

Just as in practice, as Duke moved out of the way, Nell flung a blade in her direction.  She felt a slight breeze as it hit the board with a definite thud.  She winced, just as they’d acted before, knowing the knife hit somewhere around her left hip.

She took a steadying breath as she watched him pick up two knives at once, trying to act like she was petrified as he flung them both at her.  Just as before, one hit at her right side and the other at her left.

The audience applauded as Duke picked up a sash. “Now for the most dazzling part.”

He tied the sash around Nell’s face, covering his eyes, and Nightingale couldn’t help but smile.  It was the best part for her, anyway.  As they practiced this, she found she LOVED this part, even though the other two thought she was crazy.

Nell turned, facing her, and drew back another knife.  Nightingale burst out grinning, feeling that familiar rush, that adrenaline coursing through her body as the knife flew towards her.

It hit her in her abdomen, causing her to scream.  Others screamed as well as she collapsed in supposed pain, the sobbing sounds coming from her as blood pooled on the ground.  Nell rushed to her, taking her shoulders. “I’m sorry, so sorry!”

Nightingale looked up at her friend, winking, as the soldiers took him away, declaring that she should go to the hospital.

But she liked it.  She liked the feeling of getting hurt like that. She had no idea why, but she did. And she knew the wound wasn’t permanent. Sure, she probably wouldn’t die, it wasn’t like that feeling, and she knew that she had something else to do.

It took a couple of hours before her wound was healed enough for her to move around again on her own. The blood wasn’t a problem, not for them, but, as she slunk through the corridors, looking for the medicines that were their target, she had to wonder.

What other devices were there that could elicit the same kind of marvelous sensation for her? What methods were there that could make her feel so good?

She found the medicine, collecting what she could as well as a document that would allow one of the literate townsfolk to use it on the sick, and made her way out.

Duke had already freed Nell when she rejoined them, both of them fussing over her for a moment before they were assured she was okay.  She produced their plunder for this town, taking it, under their aliases, to the chosen person with the instruction to use it to get people better before they headed out.

Again, no trace and nobody in the town even bothered with the fact that a patient disappeared along with her attacker.  The Royal Thieves were reported to have hit a hospital, but nothing much was made of it. Nobody even had a clear description of what they looked like.

And Nightingale continued to wonder.  Would she ever find someone she wanted to spend the rest of his life with?  What would that mean to their group?