Klarion stirred from sleep, his mind struggling to pull itself from the depths of unconsciousness. His body felt heavy, limbs sluggish as if weighed down by invisible chains. The world was a haze of shadows, shapes shifting in the dim light of the room. The fire had likely been reduced to embers some time ago.


    His head throbbed, senses still dulled by sleep. He was just starting to drift back into sleep’s warm embrace when a voice pulled him back. Close. Urgent.


    “Klarion. Wake up.”


    His eyes snapped open to find Hatsune leaning over him, her face mere inches away from his own. Her silver-grey hair framed her sharp, worried features, long ears twitching toward the door as she listened to something beyond his hearing. She was already dressed in her armor, it fitting snugly over her form. Even in the dim light, he could tell that her green eyes were sharp, alert, and focused. Whatever woke her wasn’t a bad dream.


    “Hatsune?” he mumbled, still hoarse with sleep. “What’s… what’s going on?”


    Her nose twitched. “Someone’s banging on the front door.”


    The fog of sleep lifted a little more, replaced by a creeping sense of unease. It wasn’t just the words she spoke, but the tension in her voice, the way her fingers rested on the hilt of her sword. She was ready for trouble.


    Klarion closed his eyes, and tried to listen for whatever it was that had woken the Leporine. For a long moment, he didn’t hear anything. Then just the barest bit of sound. Straining his hearing as far as he could, he could just make out a rhythmic thudding echoing through Blacksword Manor. The longer he listened, the more it seemed like each impact vibrated through the stone walls, heavy enough that Klarion was surprised that he himself hadn’t been jerked from sleep.


    Someone was at the front door. No, someone was beating on the front door.


    Klarion’s instincts flared, his mind finally catching up to the urgency of the situation. He tried to push himself up, but his body protested, heavy and unwilling from a lack of sleep. “What time is it?”


    “Middle of the night, perhaps a bit later,” Hatsune answered. “No one would come here at this hour unless it was important. Or dangerous.” She looked to the door of the room, her ears still straining to catch any noise, before turning back to him. “The banging hasn’t stopped. It’s been rhythmic since I woke you, like someone’s using all their strength. Might be trouble.”


    That got him moving. The haze of sleep vanished as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, planting his feet on the cold floor. He ignored the bright blush on Hatsune’s face, and the way her eyes darted across his body as he bent over to pull on his uniform. Once dressed, he stepped around the Leporine to take the greatsword Rolfun had given him from its spot next to the dresser. His hand closed around the hilt, the familiar weight a comfort.


    He looked for Hatsune, finding her already moving toward the door, the hilt of her sword gripped tightly in her hands, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice. She looked back at him, her expression firm. “I’ll go first.”


    He wanted to protest, to remind her that he was the one who should be leading the way, but the look in her eyes stopped him. She was his bodyguard, sworn to protect him. He couldn’t take that from her.


    “Alright,” he agreed, nodding. “But stay close.”


    Hatune’s ears flicked, and a small, determined smile appeared on her lips. “Always.”


    whatever was on the other side.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.