Chapter 54: This Was It
As the night drew on, the group watched the palace from afar, sitting by the cliffside, their legs dangling off. Each night the palace was lit up in all its glory to show off its grandeur, but tonight, it seemed the celebration made it look even more extravagant. Evanna looked on in delight; it appeared from this distance, they could enjoy a marvellous view until it was time for the heist.
Even with their past adventures, where they had seen quite a lot on the road, the men still sat there in awe. Tonight, there was different lighting displays showing off various colours flashing across the palace, along with some form of magical spell on the water by its side before it fell down the waterfall.
The water lifted in the air, formed into mini tornados that spun in a splendid display on top of the water’s surface. It then developed into the shapes of men and women, waltzing across the vast river before they fell down the side in its standard form. This was on a repeated loop. As soon as the water dancers fell to the side, more formed and began the routine again.
CRUNCH
Everyone’s head whipped to the side and looked at Cilv, who ate an apple; her look was one of boredom.
"Time?" Ger asked as he turned his head to Evanna.
Evanna pulled her pocket watch out and read out the time, "It’s 10."
"We should make our way down," Axel spoke up from the position behind the others. Unlike them, he once again sat comfortably on the solid ground, not near the cliffside. He tutted when they first sat there that evening; it was far too dangerous in the dark and with the wind picking up.
The group stood up and began walking away from their little hiding spot. Evanna was both relieved and anxious at leaving the area, but the further away she got from the cave and the creature that lay within, the clearer her mind became.
Their prediction was correct. As the party snuck through the woods on high alert, they noticed fewer guards were patrolling on the outskirts of the palace. Still, Cilv climbed a tree and scouted ahead, just in case. But their route to the palace was peaceful; it seemed that even the villages they sneaked past were deadly quiet, either by settling down for the night or from being at the celebration.
Each village screamed of a luxurious lifestyle; Evanna had no doubt in her mind that everyone was at the celebration. Before they made it to the bridge that connected to the palace, the group hid behind a white tower, which seemed to be an outpost. Cilv jumped down from the tower’s height, landing elegantly next to Evanna.