The slain ASSR officers were part of the Border Guard stationed by the southeast frontier Arseny shares with the Kingdom of Lorendum. The station was razed in the early hours of morning. There were no survivors. Similar attacks hit other stations throughout the country, but few sustained the level of damage the first one did. Instead of fighting for their life, an officer of the southeast station transmitted a warning to the others, giving them time to prepare for the assault and mitigating the destruction.

Scene:

Alter and Arwen at the port city of Adelheid, named two centuries ago after its founder. They arrived in the dead of night, but the largest port in the country was still lively, steamships sailing into the harbor waiting to be docked and unloaded.

Because the spot marked on the map, a warehouse, was most definitely a trap, it was decided to withhold this information from the ASSR so only Alter and Arwen can investigate the place. The warehouse was located in a quieter area far from the main hubs of activity.

It was the dead of night but the largest port in the country was still lively, steamships sailing into the harbor waiting to be docked and unloaded of cargo. Seagulls circled overhead, arguably the crows of the sea, and the racket they made was stifled by the occasional ship's whistling. Alter always found the coast intriguing, so different from the central lands. Inland air was still and crisp, perfumed with clumps of decaying leaves and the scent of trees, but the air here was flavored with salt and the blunt odor of burnt seaweed. The ocean breeze battered the smell into the face, rousing the mind in an invigoratingly smarting way.

Alter and Arwen hid in the darkness of the warehouses to avoid workers working frantically to store all sorts of goods in their proper locations. The map flaunted a mark of arrogant provocation and the building it indicated was located in a quieter area far from the main hubs of activity. A trap. They refrained from informing the ASSR so only Alter and Arwen would investigate it. The fewer casualties the better. And fewer eyes meant the massacre would not spark backlash.

Arwen climbed atop some barrels leaning against the building's side.

He whispered, "Ready?"

Alter smirked, "Give them death."

He took a few steps back and crashed through the wall, wood splinters raining down on him. Glass broke above him as the canisters diffused smoke.

Alter picked clear fragments out of his collar, "You couldn't break a different window?"

Arwen clapped Alter's arm and ran past, "You couldn't step aside?"

They separated to cover the entire building. Alter forced his ears to pick up even the tiniest noise. Boxes stacked high and without light and in the smoke, sight was near impossible. More than once he barely avoided colliding with boxes. But that wasn't the only problem. He heard nothing. No footsteps, shouts, shots, or heartbeats. Nothing. He met Arwen in the center.

Alter lowered his rifle, and said, in disbelief, "Empty. The place is empty." Arwen put his hands on his hips.

"The cowards!"

Arwen prepared to leave, but Alter felt uneasy. Perhaps playing a game was the enemy's way of tormenting them? Alter stood in front of some boxes. His skin began to crawl. Two butchered officers, what next? What was in these boxes? He tore off the lid-and was greeted by pyramids of dynamite. Alter whirled to see Arwen pacing near the tallest stacks of boxes. He ran. Hiss. Fire igniting a fuse.

"Arwen!"