Chapter 172: Shattered Pride
Arthur continued to move along the castle walls in his smoke form.
He could see the guards patrolling in their uniforms, their eyes scanning for threats that were not there. Little did they know that he was among them, lurking just beyond their perceptions.
As he glided along the battlements, he eventually reached the courtyard and coalesced back into his physical form. He had already assessed his surroundings, noting the patrol patterns of the guards. Timing was everything; he knew that one wrong move could alert the others.
Using the guards passing by as cover, he swiftly moved to one of them. He mimicked their actions at a close distance while they were having a conversation.
One guard, a hefty man, paused to speak with his colleague, grumbling about their increasingly rough shifts.
"Ugh, these hours just keep getting worse," he complained, scratching his head in frustration. "I've had to deal with those prisoners screaming all night long. Haven't we had enough of this nonsense?"
"Yeah, I hear ya," his companion replied. "But what can we do? Orders are orders. Just keep your head down and watch your back, especially with the new ones we've got locked up. You never know what kind of tricks these guys are hiding."
Arthur had positioned himself directly behind the guard, his form so close that he could almost feel the fabric of the man's clothes. The guard continued to talk, unaware of the fact that he was right there.
Suddenly, just as the guard began to shift away, Arthur moved, mimicking his every motion as if he were the guard's shadow. The coordination was impeccable; he slipped along seamlessly, ensuring he remained undetected.
As another guard walked past, a momentary sound caught their attention.
"Did you hear that?" he instinctively turned, scanning the darkness.