Midnight.
Heavy rain.
The world was swallowed by darkness, save for the city lights and the flash of distant lightning that illuminated the massive perimeter walls of the king's royal palace.
Beyond the back of the palace walls, where the manicured gardens dissolved into dense, unkept woodland, two dark hooded figures moved like ghosts.
They ran in a low crouch along the edge of the foliage, meticulously staying perfectly within the shadows cast by the trees to avoid the powerful magical spotlights beaming down from the walls and watch towers.
Suddenly, the front figure's hand shot out, stopping the one behind from moving any further.
"Austin, stop," Gary hissed, his voice cutting through the thundering roar of the rain. "There's a patrol guard directly on top of the wall. He's looking our way."
Austin wrapped his fingers around the edge of his own hood and peered through the sheet of rain with an irritated scowl.
