Chapter 8: Escape
The heavy thud of boots echoed down the hallway, each step growing louder as Alex quickly stuffed the last of the dragon eggs into his inventory. His heart raced, a cold sweat prickling his skin as the sound of approaching footsteps vibrated through the stone floor. He'd been prepared for the possibility of an ambush, but now that it was happening, the tension in the air was unbearable.
He cursed quietly under his breath.
"Come on, damn it," Alex muttered, checking his equipment again. His pistol was loaded, its silenced barrel ready for whatever might come through that door. But as his hand tightened around the grip, a horrible realization struck him.
His drone…
The familiar buzzing in his earpiece had stopped, and when he checked his interface, it confirmed his worst fear: Drone battery depleted. The drone's surveillance, his eyes in the sky, had gone dark. And worse, it hadn't been able to alert him in time.
"Damn it!" Alex hissed, slamming his fist against the wall. "This, fuck fuck fuck. I should have checked this before".
Without the drone, he was blind. And now Illyrio and his men were closing in on him. There was no more time to strategize. He had no choice but to face them head-on.
Alex's breath steadied as he glanced at the door, the footsteps now growing even closer. He could hear the faintest whispers—commands being barked in a language he couldn't understand.
He moved quickly, stepping into the shadows behind a pillar that stood near the door. His hand was steady as he adjusted his stance, pistol aimed at the door, ready for whatever—or whoever—was about to come through.
The footsteps paused just outside. A quiet murmur passed between them, and Alex's mind raced. Illyrio's men were undoubtedly well-trained, but the element of surprise was still in his favor. The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity.
Then, the door creaked open, just slightly.
Alex's pulse quickened. He couldn't afford to wait any longer. He squeezed the trigger, sending a silenced round through the crack in the door. The shot hit its mark, a guard dropping instantly, a soft thud reverberating through the room. But that wasn't enough. The others would know now.
With no time to waste, Alex rushed the door. He threw it open wide, stepping into the corridor with his pistol raised. Two more guards stood in his way, but they were already scrambling, weapons drawn.
One of the guards lunged toward him, but Alex was faster. A quick pull of the trigger, and another guard fell without making a sound. The second guard hesitated, unsure whether to charge or retreat. Alex took the opportunity, firing again. The man dropped to the floor, his body twitching in a lifeless sprawl.
There was no time to linger. The sound of more guards approaching reached Alex's ears, and he knew Illyrio would be coming soon. He'd need to make it out of this mess if he hoped to escape with the eggs and Daenerys.
The mansion was filled with the scent of dust and blood, and Alex's heart raced as he backed into the room with the eggs. His hands were shaking slightly—not from fear, but from the adrenaline surging through him. The dragon eggs were safe in his inventory, but he knew he couldn't stay here much longer.
He reached the window and threw open the shutter, peeking out into the dark alley below. There was no way out through the front or back—Illyrio's men were likely guarding both exits. But the window led to a narrow side alley that could offer him a chance, if he moved quickly enough.
Alex's eyes narrowed. He would have to fight his way out. It was the only option left.
A voice from the hallway snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Illyrio will not be pleased!" The voice was laced with venom, and Alex could hear the footsteps growing nearer.
"Better him than me," Alex muttered to himself.
With one last glance at the door, he stepped through the window, dropping silently into the alley below. He landed with a soft grunt, quickly regaining his footing.
But the danger wasn't over.
A guard spotted him from the far end of the alley and shouted an alarm, the sound echoing through the narrow space.
Alex didn't hesitate. He sprinted, his heart pounding in his chest as he heard the sound of heavy boots chasing after him. His eyes darted around, looking for an escape route. The system's reward for this mission was close now—the Jeep he had earned could be the key to getting out of Braavos alive.
But first, he had to make it out of Illyrio's estate. One way or another, he was leaving with those eggs. He had no choice.
Alex moved quickly through the narrow alleyways of Braavos, his heart pounding as he heard the footsteps of more guards closing in. His pulse surged, each footstep he took growing louder in his ears, but he pushed forward. The pistol in his hand felt heavy, but his grip was steady.
He had made it this far, but the hardest part was still ahead. A handful of guards had almost caught him twice now, but the silenced shots from his pistol had ended their pursuit. Their armor had been no match for the sharp impact of the bullets, each shot precisely placed to ensure they went down without so much as a sound.
The city's streets were dimly lit, shadows stretching long beneath the glowing lamps, offering him cover but also giving his pursuers a better chance to spot him if he wasn't careful. His mind raced, calculating each step. He had to keep moving—keep ahead of the guards—and make it back to the hideout where Daenerys was waiting.
Just as he turned a corner, a group of three guards emerged from a side street, their swords drawn and eyes scanning the surroundings. Alex froze for a moment, calculating his options. He couldn't afford to be spotted again.
The guards had seen him. Their heads whipped around as Alex pulled the trigger without hesitation. The first guard dropped instantly, a bullet through the chest, his body crumpling to the ground without a cry. The second guard turned to react, but Alex was already ahead of him. Another quick shot rang out, hitting the man square in the head.
The third guard, however, was faster, his sword drawn in a wide arc. Alex ducked just in time, the blade missing him by inches. But he didn't hesitate. With a swift, practiced motion, Alex fired again, the guard's body hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
The alley fell silent once more.
Alex cursed under his breath, wiping the sweat from his brow. The adrenaline was still coursing through him, making his hands tremble slightly as he checked his pistol's ammo count. He was almost out. But he couldn't stop. Not yet.
With the guards eliminated, Alex continued to move swiftly, his footsteps light against the stone. He knew he couldn't afford to linger. The sound of his escape had likely alerted more guards, and his chances of slipping away unnoticed were slipping fast.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of weaving through alleyways and narrow streets, he reached the dilapidated house where Daenerys was hiding. The broken windows and sagging walls were the only signs of life left in this part of the city. Alex slipped inside, the door creaking quietly behind him.
Inside, Daenerys was asleep, just as yesterday. The blankets were still tangled around her, her soft breaths the only indication that she was at peace. Alex let out a long, relieved sigh and moved to the corner of the room, setting down the bag that carried the dragon eggs.
His heart slowed as he looked around, making sure no one had followed him. The quiet, almost peaceful stillness of the hideout was a stark contrast to the chaos he had just come from.
But as Alex began to remove his gear, a sudden thought hit him.
Illyrio.
He had taken the eggs, but he knew Illyrio wouldn't be far behind. The powerful man would be furious once he realized what had happened. Alex had no time to rest.
Meanwhile, deep inside Illyrio Mopatis's mansion, chaos was erupting. Illyrio paced back and forth in his private chamber, his face twisted in fury as he threw priceless artifacts and treasures aside, searching desperately.
"Where are they?" Illyrio growled, his voice barely controlled. He had just returned to his chambers after hearing that his guards had been slain one by one, but he hadn't expected to find the most important of his treasures—the dragon eggs—missing.
The large, ornately carved chest, which once held the three iridescent dragon eggs, was now empty. Panic surged through Illyrio, the realization dawning that someone had broken in, and worse, had taken what was his.
"Guards!" he screamed, his face reddening with anger. "Find that thief! Bring him to me, alive if possible, so I can make him pay!"
Illyrio stormed through the hallways, cursing loudly, but his fury faltered when a voice spoke from behind him.
"Lord Illyrio, we searched everywhere. No one saw him."
Illyrio whirled around to face one of his remaining guards, his nostrils flaring. "No one saw him?"
The guard shifted uncomfortably under Illyrio's glare. "No, my lord. We heard nothing. Not a single sound. He killed our men without a sound. Silent as a shadow. And then... he was gone."
Illyrio's eyes narrowed in suspicion. His mind raced as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. A thief who could strike without a sound… who had taken his most prized possessions without so much as an alarm going off. It didn't make sense.
But then, a memory surfaced in his mind—a small, fleeting moment from earlier when the guards had been sent to capture Daenerys. One of the men had spoken of something unusual.
Illyrio froze. His thoughts sharpened.
A whispering voice echoed in his mind. He's not just a thief… he's a magician.
That was it. The thief who had broken into his mansion—the one who had killed his guards without a sound—had to be a magician. Illyrio's mind spun, realizing that this was no ordinary man he was dealing with. And now, this magician had taken the very dragons that he had hoped would secure Daenerys's future.
Illyrio's anger only intensified. He turned to his remaining men, his eyes burning with rage.
"Prepare the city. If he's a magician, then we'll need more than just guards. We'll need to find him, and we'll need to use everything in our power to get those eggs back. I don't care how."
The thief might have escaped for now, but Illyrio had no intention of letting him—and the dragon eggs—slip through his fingers. Illyrio had totally forgot about Alex and his weapons due to his too much focus for dragon eggs, so he thought it must be the work of a magician who can kill someone without making any sound.