by Logan Jacobs
I was confused, but I still missed him and his wisdom even if he was pissed at me. But if there were a time he would show up again, it would be tomorrow.
“Where are you?” I muttered to myself.
“So, uh …” Penny came over and stood next to me near the cottage. “About tomorrow.”
“What about it?” I asked with my eyes still closed.
“You were pretty vague when describing where we are going,” Penny began. “Care to share a little more detail with me?”
“What do you want to know?” I asked as I opened my eyes to see her staring at me.
“What are we gonna do once the bodies burn down to ash?” Dar yelled out and caused both me and the red-head to turn his way. His hair was disheveled, and his round face was covered in blood and soot. “Do we just let the fire burn out or what? I’ve never done this fuckin’ shi--”
“Ask Wade, asshole!” Penny responded with a huff and then turned to face me again. “I want to know where we’re headed. I don’t like to be in the dark, especially if my life is on the line.”
Looked like the pretty red-head was a little like me.
“I get that,” I said as I crossed my arms. “It’s close to here, so we should stay the night in the cottage.”
“Okay,” Penny said with a nod. “That’s actually great, I’m fuckin’ tired and don’t feel like traveling anymore.”
“Mm-hmm,” I hummed. “It’ll be a bit of a hike if we walk, but is that horse available for taking?”
“The one under the side port?” Penny asked as she gestured to the small shack just to the right of us where a horse was hitched. “I think that’s Marver’s spare, but who gives a shit?”
“Well, we’ll make sure and bring him back,” I said with a shrug. “It won’t take us long on horseback.”
“Are we going to another guild out this way or …” Penny prodded for more information.
“It’s a house,” I replied. “It’s a place I’ve visited many times.”
“Alright,” Penny said as Dar pulled her attention away as he approached us.
“Where the fuck is Wade?” Dar wiped his forehead with soot-covered hands.
“I think he’s inside with Skam,” Penny answered. “The fire has a while until it’s burnt out so do--“
“I know, I know,” Dar said as he wiped his hands off on his trousers and turned to look at the smoldering fire. “I just hope no one gets curious and comes here to take a look.”
“If they do,” I said as I uncrossed my arms and opened the door for Dar. “We’ll be here, waiting.”
“Shit,” Dar chuckled as he stepped inside the cottage. “I’ll keep sayin’ it, I’m glad you’re with us, Ava.”
“Sure,” I said with a smirk and then faced Penny. “Any other questions for me?”
“Of course,” Penny began. “But you probably won't answer them.”
“You’re probably right,” I said. “So, let’s just do what we need to do until we leave for the house in the morning.”
“Whatever you say,” Penny sniffed as she too went inside the cottage.
I stayed outside and checked to make sure the fire didn’t spread. They may have not had to burn multiple bodies before, but I have. Many times, back in the day when I first started as an assassin.
Fallor and Adrian always made the young recruits clean up a scene or remove a body. Basically, I spent a lot of my younger years burning away bodies and cleaning up the blood.
Cleaning is one of the more critical duties a good assassin needs to learn, Ava.
Adrian’s voice echoed in my mind and nearly pushed me over out of surprise.
Was it really him, or was I just imagining his voice from the many times he had to tell me that?
Either way, I felt a sense of comfort return to my spirit.
The rest of the day passed without another word from Adrian, the fire diminished, and so did the sun.
“Stay sharp out here,” Wade said as he, Dar, and Skam started to get on the wagon to return to the Entertainment District. “There could be more coming, or th--”
“I think they are done, for now,” I said. “If it’s been this long, the rest of the guilds will wait to hear from Fallor.”
“But they won’t get that chance,” Wade added.
“Right,” I replied with a smirk. “They won’t.”
“Alright,” Wade said as he was the last to get on the wagon. “After you complete the job, travel back to the apartment in the Halfling District because our stables will be swarming with elves.”
“Fuck them,” Penny remarked. “What’re you doing about the dragon?”
“I will take him to the apartment when I get back,” Wade said.
“So, we’re staying in the new place?” Dar’s voice was full of excitement.
“Yeah,” Wade chuckled. “Alright, let’s get out of here, man.”
“Got it,” Dar said and then waved toward us. “See you both tomorrow to celebrate.”
“Good luck!” Penny said as she waved back. “Skam, have Cimarra change your bandage!”
“Aye,” Skam said with a nod and waved. I could tell he was still hurting from the arrow. Thankfully, it was a normal arrowhead and not a poisonous one that assassins liked to use to ensure their targets died. That made me think that the assassins were being sloppy and unprepared.
That was good for us.
“What now?” Penny asked as she turned to face me.
“We get some sleep,” I said as I turned toward the cottage.
“You’re probably right,” Penny agreed. “All your blades sharpened?”
“Always,” I said as I tapped my knife at my side.
“I might spend some time prepping mine,” Penny said as she meandered over to the stone column and sat down.
“Good,” I said as I opened the cottage door. “I’m exhausted, so I’ll be inside.”
“Okay,” Penny muttered as she took out her blade and a sharpening stone from her satchel. “I don’t know how you haven’t passed out yet.”
“Why?” I asked as I stood in the doorway.
“You literally ran for your life all week and destroyed an entire guild,” Penny chuckled. “You deserve some rest.”
“See you in the morning,” I said with a chuckle.
“Oh, one more thing.” Penny stopped me before I shut the door.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Where did you put the nightshade flower and seeds?” Penny questioned.
“You’ll see tomorrow.” I smirked.
“Alright,” Penny replied with a shrug.
Then I shut the door behind me and turned to see the mess we made in the cottage. Skam had left a trail of blood across the floor, and bandages were scattered throughout the entire place.
The smell of Dar’s garlic potato stew made my eyes water as I walked to the back office. The office was small and had a small desk, some bookshelves, and a couch with a few blankets strung over the side.
Penny was right, the adrenaline from running and fighting the past few days finally wore off, and my eyes felt like they were covered in thick mud.
Maybe they were, but I just wanted to keep my eyes closed.
So, I grabbed a blanket, curled up on one end of the couch, and gave Penny enough room on the other side. Before I could even finish yawning, I was asleep and surrounded by murky darkness.
But the darkness didn’t last for long. Instead, I saw Adrian standing in front of me. He was much older than I remembered him to be. Maybe it was because everything about him was either grey or white. The tunic, his hair, his eyebrows were like white caterpillars, and his beard was a stretched out piece of cotton.
But he didn’t look fragile, in fact he looked as strong as ever.
“You haven’t spoken to me in a long time,” I said as I walked up to him in my dream space.
“You haven’t slept for a long time.” Adrian’s dark eyes softened as he held out his arms and hugged me.
I
t had been a long time since I had felt Adrian’s hug, actually just any kind of hug. But Adrian always made me feel cared for. He was the only father figure I ever had and he was a good one.
“Where are we?” I asked as the murky dreamscape suddenly shifted to a mountainside covered in grass. The sun burned red and orange and sent streaks of pink across the sky in front of us.
“Where you imagine me to be,” Adrian chuckled. “Not too different from my house, eh?”
“Where are you, then?” I ignored his statement, sat down in the grass, and absorbed the sun’s warmth.
“I am wherever you want me to be, Ava,” Adrian moaned as he sat down next to me. “These old bones even hurt in your dreams.”
“Sorry?” I smirked, and then we both sat silently on top of the mountainside for a few moments. “Have I just made up hearing your voice in my head?”
“Humph,” Adrian hummed and stroked his beard. “Yes and no.”
“What does that even mean?” I asked.
“Ava, it doesn't matter, because I’m always on your side,” Adrian began. “All I ever knew was the guild life and the assassin code, and I dedicated the last years of my life to teach it all to you.”
“I know,” I said as I furrowed my brow.
“And you fought me every step of the way,” Adrian chuckled. “You hated it.”
“I did?” I asked. “I don’t remember that.”
“Of course you don’t,” Adrian replied. “Because you grew up and started to live by everything I taught you, but do you want to know what made you different, and why I spent so much time training you?”
“I was human?” I guessed.
“No.” Adrian shook his head. “It was that fight in you that made you different. Every other assassin just accepted everything I told them, but not you. You abided by the guidelines because you had to, but you still made them your own, you always did, and I loved that about you.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because I knew you’d be someone to change the guild for the better after I died. I just wish …” Adrian closed his eyes. “I wish I could’ve lived long enough to put you in charge.”
“No, you don’t,” I said as I felt a rush of emotions surge through my body. “I’m not even part of the guild anymore, Adrian. I mean, I literally just killed everyone in it!”
“No, you didn’t,” Adrian sighed. “There is one left.”
“Fallor?” I asked. “I know, but even if I kill him I have the other guilds up my ass ready to end me because I broke the sa—”
“The code?” Adrian finished my thought for me.
“Even with that, you’d still want me in charge of the guild?” I questioned.
“It’s because of that,” Adrian stated. “We made the code to control, but as you know, we cannot control a true assassin, Ava.”
“I know,” I muttered. “What’re you saying?”
“You already know what I’m saying,” Adrian replied. “You are a true leader of the assassin way of life.”
“Adrian, did you not hear me?” I began. “I just killed countless assassins, and I’m going to kill Fallor too!”
“I know,” Adrian said. “You are bringing forth the change I always saw in you.”
“I’m not part of the guild anymore,” I said again.
“I know,” Adrian said again as he laughed. “You’re in the middle of creating a new one with Wade, are you not?”
“Not the same guild-like …”
“Exactly,” Adrian cut me off. “You are on the front-line of ushering in a new era, Ava, a new realm.”
“What does that even mean?” I asked with wide eyes.
“You already know,” Adrian remarked. “Speak with the very ones chasing you, they wi--“
“Ava?” Penny’s voice cut Adrian off and the mountain, and the sun vanished. “Ava, wake up.”
“Huh?” I shot up off the couch with my blade in my hand.
“Shit.” Penny blinked at me. “We should head out to wherever we are going, the sun is coming up.”
“Already?” I asked through a yawn.
“Yeah.” Penny mirrored my yawn and gestured to the front of the cottage. “I found some coffee if you want some.”
“No, I’m fine,” I said as I tried to remember the dream of Adrian. I felt like I knew what he was saying, but there was something else lingering underneath his words about the guild.
I’m ushering in a new era of the realm with Wade?
What did he mean to speak with the ones chasing me?
The assassins?
Why?
So they could kill me?
Fuck.
“You sure?” Penny eyed me as if I was on fire. “The look on your face says something different.”
“I’m good,” I answered. “You ready to get going?”
“Yeah,” Penny said as she folded the blanket on the couch. “How long of a ride do we have?”
“Not long,” I said as I made sure I had everything I needed, then walked through the cottage and opened the door.
The air outside was crisp and smelled like smoke from the pit of charred ash just to my left. That was all that remained of my previous life, a pile of dust and smoke.
“Alright,” Penny followed me out but locked the cottage door. “Don’t let me forget to give this key back to Dar.”
“I won’t,” I muttered as I moved over to the horse in the shack. “I’ll drive.”
“Sure,” Penny said as she stayed back a bit and watched me un-hitch the horse, secure the saddle, and hop on.
“You need any help?” I asked as I extended my hand out to the red-head.
“Naw,” Penny pushed my hand over as she climbed up the side of the horse and then sat behind me.
“Hang on,” I said as I nudged the horse with my heel and steered onto the dirt path.
We rode in silence for a few minutes as the sun continued to rise over the green hills in the distance.
“Is this house near the Capital?” Penny asked.
“No,” I said as I veered off the dirt path. “It’s on top of those hills.”
A focused silence filled the air around us as the looming hills grew closer and bigger.
I should’ve known this was where Fallor would be.
The horse started to neigh and pant as we began to ride up the first grassy hill.
“C’ mon, boy,” I whispered into the animal’s ear and felt it quicken its pace. “Just over this hill.”
After we crested the hill, a valley full of hills appeared in front of us. The clouds above us now cast massive shadows that looked like black blankets over the hilly stretch of land.
“It’s beautiful,” Penny breathed. “I always wanted to live on one of these hills.”
“That’s what he always said, too,” I muttered as I slowed the horse down to a trot.
“Fallor?” Penny questioned.
“No,” I said. “My mentor.”
“Is that where we’re going?” Penny asked as she nudged my shoulder. “Your mentor’s house?”
“Yes,” I sighed. “Have your blade ready, we are almost there.”
“Got it,” Penny said as she unsheathed her knife.
After another few minutes of riding through the hilly valley, Adrian’s old house appeared.
The house itself was as humble as Adrian was, but it was perfect. The stone and brick structure was molded into the bottom of a hill, and the roof was made from grass. The chimney was the only thing that gave it away, or else it just blended within the hill itself.
“Is that Fallor?” Penny hissed as we approached.
“Yes,” I muttered when Fallor turned around from picking a flower from the patch that surrounded the entire home. He was no longer in business attire like he was at the guild. He was in his red assassin cloak that featured spiked sleeves on his arms.
“What’s the plan, Ava?” Penny asked.
“Just follow my lead, and do not underestimate him,” I said a
s I slowed the horse down until we stopped just a few yards away from Fallor.
“I didn’t think you’d be here so soon,” Fallor chuckled as he tilted the flower in his hand. “I thought we’d put up a better fight, but looks like I was wrong, eh?”
I said nothing.
I hopped off the horse and felt Penny do the same. Then I unsheathed both of my blades.
“How in the name of the Ancients did Adrian get Nightshade to grow up here?” Fallor asked as he tilted the purple flower towards me. “It’s growing well, too.”
Fuck.
“He didn’t,” I replied.
“So, you got it here?” Adrian chuckled. “Of course.”
“Put the flower down,” Penny demanded.
“And lookie here, eh?” Fallor aimed the flower at Penny. “I know you.”
“I don’t give a shit what you know,” Penny said through a clenched jaw.
“What happened, Ava?” Fallor eyed me as he twirled the poisonous flower in his hand. “What would Adrian think?”
If he only knew what he told me in my dream.
“I think he would surprise us both, Fallor,” I replied. “Now, put the flower down and die like a true assassin.”
“Adrian always told me how you were the best thing to happen to the guild,” Fallor said as he turned around, dug a small hole into the dirt, and placed the flower back into the soil. “And I never understood why. Sure, you proved to be formidable and a natural talent, but you weren’t better than me. So, why?”
I stepped closer and began to swipe my blades together to create the metallic whistle I loved.
“I thought, maybe my uncle was just into young human girls, and you caught his eye,” Fallor said as he turned around to face me.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” I spat.
“Watch yours,” he retorted. “But I know, I know, he wasn’t like that, but still, why? Why you?”
Again, I held my tongue and continued to step forward.
I clicked my tongue.
Twenty yards.
“Such a shame,” Fallor said as he scratched at the long scar on his chin. “Adrain hoped for so much more from you, and now you, you kill the entire guild he helped create from the ground up?”
I clicked my tongue.