One Hundred Eyes

[Byzantine_Bithynia]

One Hundred Eyes

Constantinople, the Great Palace.

Darkness had descended upon the Earth, and most honest folk were fast asleep. In the Great Palace of Constantinople this was also true, with the royal family having retired to their respective chambers and gone to sleep. To ensure their safety guards patrolled the palace even in these late hours, but tonight someone else would join them in their quiet wandering of the palace.

A man, wearing a dark robe and armed with a short sword, crept around the back of the palace where he could not be seen by the guards. He securely grasped a protrusion from the wall, and began to climb. He was careful not to loose his grasp, but also careful not to make too much noise. He knew well the behavior of the palace guards, he had been one after all, and they were practically trained to be paranoid. If he made even the slightest sound that was out of place, there would be guards swarming the back of the palace, and he'd likely be killed.

After what seemed like an eternity to him, he finally reached the top of the palace, and pulled himself onto the roof. He crawled across the roof, occasionally looking down at the wall left of him, until he had reached his destination. He peered over the edge, and saw two guards stood on the ground talking with each other. The man slowly came to the edge, and began to position himself to climb down the wall that now was afront him - all the while carefully watching the guards below. He reached the lower sill of the window, and began to open the window. Once it was open he slipped into the room and closed the window again. He had entered a room that served as a small library, with a couple of chairs and some shelves of books. He looked around the room until he found a book simply titled "Affectus". He removed the book, and opened it, revealing that the pages had been cut out making a small compartment. Inside was a key, which the man took.

The sound of footsteps and quiet whispering told the man that the guards were coming, so he quickly placed the book back in the shelf and moved the the corner of the room. The Guards passed the room, as noted by the light of their torches passing. After a couple minutes had passed the man crept over to the door, and slowly opened it. The hallway was empty, and so the man exited the room. He walked down the way the guards had gone, but reaching a point where the hallway split, went the direction opposite of them. He reached the quarters of one of the members of the royal family, Lutatia. He quietly opened the door using the key from the book, being extra quiet as Lutatia was sleeping within, and moved along the side of the bed. He removed from his tunic a small paper, and placed it on the table beside the bed. He then exited the room, and made his way to another family members room. He found the room belonging to Aemilia, and slipped the key under her door. He then made his way back to the room he came in from, and took with him the book titled "Affectus". He climbed out of the window, again careful not to alert the guards below, and once again made his way along the room. Finally he climbed down the back wall of the palace, and walked off into the street.

"You there, stop."

The words made the man freeze in place, slowly turning to see a guard behind him - with his spear lowered towards him.

"What are you doing walking around here so late at night?" the guard asked him, and though a mail aventail covered his face, the man could tell the guard was not in the greatest of moods.

"I'm sorry, I was just passing by, I have no ill intent I assure you."

The guard grunted, and raised his spear.

"Next time you plan on walking near the palace don't wear things that make you look like a spy of some sort."

"Of course, I apologize once again, I just wore this as it's a bit cold out tonight." The man said in reply.

The guard said nothing more, merely bidding the man go on with a wave, and turning back to his patrols.

The man was all too happy to get going, and sighed with relief as he made his way down the empty streets. His job was complete, and he hadn't been caught. Things were off to a good start.

Varius awoke early, to the sound of knocking at his rooms door. The room was lit only by the slivers of sun coming in from window, which covered the room in a light orange glow. His wife, Opelia, was still asleep beside him.

Another knock came, and a man outside spoke.

"You alright?" the man asked, slightly concerned.

"Yeah, yeah. Just give me a minute." Responded Varius, who was still quite groggy and tired.

"Well, there is a dispute between the administrators of the Nikomedia and Nikaea Parvos-Themata, and both are threatening to attack the other if it's not resolved." The man outside said to Varius.

Varius sighed, and looked to his sleeping wife. It is the dream of the common man to be King, but if they knew the burden it was, they would never dream for such a thing again. He begrudgingly got up from his bed, and walked across his room. It was a large room, with tapestries hung from the back wall. The furniture was exquisite, and the Roman architecture gave the entire building a very clean look. Varius walked about halfway across the room, where a large dresser sat. He opened the dresser and took from within a beautiful purple robe, with a golden embroidering. He placed it atop the dresser, and stripped out of his sleeping clothes. He then donned his day attire, and closed the dresser. Next he opened an ornate box which sat atop the dresser, and removed from within a crown. Across the crown were jems, which sparkled even in the dim light. He placed the crown on his head, and cleared his throat. He turned back to his bed and walked beside it. Leaning over, he kissed his wife on the cheek, and then walked to the door. He opened it quietly, so as not to awake his wife.

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Perikles had long served as the personal guard to King Varius, and had served in his army even longer. He had joined Varius' army before the nation that is now Bithynia could really even have been said to exist. He had fought in battle after battle to unite the lands, and had fought alongside the King himself. It was that which had earned him a place in the Royal Guard, and finally as the personal guard of the King. Perikles was only a year younger than Varis, and the two had come to be quite good friends ever since they fought alongside each other. Perikles had seen Varius go from a young, enthusiastic, man who wanted to do right by his people, to a man who had been bogged down by the burden of being a King. It afforded many benefits to him, wealth and power to name two, but it also took a toll on him in ways. Varius had four children and a wife, who he loved dearly. It was common that matters of managing the realm pulled him away from spending time with his family. Perikles himself had two young kids, and to be pulled away from them and his beloved wife was something that tore him apart inside.

Perikles now stood outside the Kings door, waiting for him to get himself ready. Perikles was clad in the best equipment available to soldiers in Bithynia, befitting of his position. He had the standard padded armor as the first layer of protect, then atop that a mail hauberk. What he had unique to most, was a metal cuirass that mimicked the shape of a mans chest. Coming down his shoulders and from his waist were strips of leather that went over the mail but not the cuirass. His head was protected by a mail coif and a conical helm with a faceplate on the front. At present, he held the helmet at his side.

Finally the King opened the door, and came outside his room. The two nodded, and began on their way. They made their way into the hall that led to the rooms of Varius' children, but when the hall split off in two ways they took the route leading them away. As they rounded the corner Varius saw something at the end of the hall, under a door. A slight glint, as though something shiny was there. He paid little mind to it until they got further along the hall and Perikles realized that there was something else on the floor - blood. Varius had seen it as well, and the two men stopped. They looked at each other, both somewhat confused, and then slowly walked towards the door.

Perikles stood in front, and slowly opened the door. Inside was a blade, a sword, on the floor. Around it was blood. Nothing else was in the room, which was currently pretty much completely empty. Perikles knelt down and picked up the sword, and examined it. It was fairly standard, aside from the hilt. Engraved in the hilt were intricate designs, the most striking of which depicted a naked man with eyes covering his body. Perikles gave the sword to Varius, who examined it as well.

Varius looked up from the blade to Perikles, and said with a slight grin:

"Just when I thought this job was getting boring."