The Assassin and the Knight

by Rick Bonogofsky

  “That’s right,” Jake whispered. “I remember studying the story of Beowulf when I was younger.” The knowledge that his father was the dragon immortalized by the ancient epic brought renewed respect to the young man’s heart.

  “I just wanted you to know,” Tiamat smiled. “Now you can properly research your father’s great deeds and learn what you must to add to your family’s legacy.” After shaking Jake’s hand, she turned and left, joining Kur and Enlil. His world once again rattled by greatness, the young dragon returned to the room he shared with Sara and sat with her on the plush couch near the fireplace.

  “I’m sorry for hiding away,” Sara offered when he sat down. “I didn’t want to be put on display anymore.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to be sorry,” Jake replied. “I wouldn’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position, either. Besides, they have enough to think about with reality falling apart. How do we fix that?”

  “Well…” Sara muttered quietly. “I may have part of the answer to that…” She trailed off, as if there was more she wanted to say, but did not know the words.

  Jake shifted to face her more directly. “What is it?” he asked gently.

  Sara shrugged. “It has to do with what Artemis showed me. I haven’t told you about the moments before you brought me back to life. I was dead on the floor of the lab. I saw my dead body as if I was standing over it. I saw Death, and he took me to Artemis. Artemis then showed me my purpose in life, or at least what I’m supposed to do to keep the world from dying.”

  “What did he show you?” Jake asked, his voice taking on a hushed but insistent tone.

  Sara looked from her hands to him, looking into his eyes. “He showed me us. He showed me that you and I have a future together and that we’re very happy. In order for us to help the world, we just need to remain together.”

  “No pressure,” Jake laughed sarcastically. Seeing the look of seriousness on Sara’s face stole his mirth. “I’m sorry. I want you to know that I am here for you. I don’t plan on going anywhere that will lead me away from you.”

  Sara smiled at that and took his hand in hers. “Good. Because I’m not going anywhere, either.” She brought his hand to her lips and gently kissed it.

  Adrian appeared in his personal chambers in the assassin headquarters in Hell and took a few deep breaths to steady himself. He knew that his next move was going to start something that would have to be dealt with swiftly and without rest. He went to his closet and removed the ragged clothes he had traveled in, replacing them with the black armor of his station. Dressed in his finest gear, he looked himself over in the mirror. The reflection stared back at him and he felt a pang of sadness stab into him. There were paintings of his father all over the tower, and he was always told how much he resembled Dante, but it was not until now that he truly saw it. Aside from his longer hair and sharp fangs, Adrian looked almost identical to his father. The stabbing pain turned into intense pride, helping him to regain his composure and determination to carry out the upcoming task. He walked out of his room to find Zhun straightening up the desks sitting around the common room. She was standing over Berron’s desk with tears in her eyes when Adrian swept into the room.

  “You’re back,” she gasped. “That was fast.”

  “I’m not here because Vincent is fixed,” Adrian replied tersely. “Do you remember the false advisor who signed off on the reports from the caches?”

  Zhun looked confused for a moment, then nodded. “I do.”

  “What if that false advisor actually exists and he was placed here by the vampires to fuck with my kingdom?”

  Zhun’s widening eyes told Adrian his fear was shared by her. “They could be plotting untold danger for Hell,” she stated. She dropped the papers she was holding onto Berron’s desk. “How shall we proceed, boss? Secret meetings and a hunt?”

  Adrian was shaking his head before she finished. “Nope. This asshole wants chaos in the kingdom, he’ll get it. I’m going to announce myself to the court and claim the throne. From there, I’m going to declare that there is an intruder to the advisory team and let whoever it is make his mistakes. There needs to be order for this false advisor to do as he pleases, so we’re going to take that away.”

  Zhun nodded her understanding. “I’ll inform Kizrack of your plan. We’ll set extra assassins in strategic locations around the kingdom and I’ll see to our contacts.”

  “Good. You and the imp take care of things on this end while I go and make a mess of things.” Adrian turned and marched out of his headquarters, exiting through the main doors. He walked through the halls of the tower over the volcano in Laarsa, sheathed sword bouncing against his thigh with every confident step. There was no doubt as to who he was in the eyes of the demons and devils he passed, but none dared to step into his path. He made no secret of his return, allowing the sound of his heavy footsteps to echo through the stone halls. There were whispered conversations as he passed. Confusion was the common thread, and before long, there were runners headed out to spread the word: Hell’s prince had returned from the dead. When he finally came to the decorated double doors leading into the court, Adrian never hesitated. He threw the doors open with enough force that they slammed against the walls on either side of the archway. All eyes snapped to him and there were more than a few gasps of surprise. Staci stood from the throne in shock, mouth agape. Kizrack stood next to her, an amused twinkle in his eye. Zhun had told him what was going to happen, and the imp was excited to see the outcome. Adrian strode unimpeded to the throne and threw his arms around his mother’s shoulders. He could feel her sobbing into his chest as he stroked her hair. After a tearful moment, Adrian pulled her to arm’s length and smiled.

  “I’m home,” he whispered. He then turned to the rest of the court, where hundreds of demons and devils stood to witness the return of their prince. “I’m home!” he shouted to all in attendance. “And I am here to claim my throne! By now, the news of my father’s death has undoubtedly spread. He was killed at the hands of the vampires who were in turn dearly punished for their crimes against this kingdom. Let all who stand here today bear witness to the new king of Hell.” With that, he gently stepped past his mother to sit on the throne. His crimson eyes glared a challenge to any who would dare come against him, but none came forward. Instead, a great cheer rang out from the gathered throng. Adrian surveyed the people gathered and smiled. His plan was working out fairly well so far, something he had not entirely expected.

  Staci took her seat at Adrian’s right hand, sitting in the throne she used when Dante was king. She placed a supportive hand on her son’s arm and squeezed gently. She gasped when all she felt under her fingers was bone under the armor, and gave the new king a concerned look.

  “It’s a weird story,” he whispered to her. “I’ll tell you all about it later.”

  Staci nodded, and sat back in her throne. “You’d better,” she smiled. “You have a lot of explaining to do, my little d’yavol.” Hearing her nickname for him for the first time since he was a child nearly brought tears to Adrian’s eyes, but he remained strong in front of the gathered subjects. There was a chaotic bombardment of questions coming from them, but Adrian ignored them for a while, enjoying the feeling of being back in the realm of the living once more. Finally, when he had enough of the noise, Adrian stood, silencing the room with a look. The gathered demons and devils watched him with bated breath.

  The new king could not help but allow himself a small smile upon seeing the effect he was having. “If you have questions, I will answer them,” he stated loudly. His voice carried over the throng and their voices exploded. “QUIET!” Adrian shouted, silencing them once more. “Better. Now, one at a time, like civilized people.”

  One demon lifted her hand into the air, and when Adrian nodded at her to speak, she asked, “How are you back from the dead? There was a funeral for you. Your body was interred.”

  “I don’t know,” Adrian shrugged. “Next?”

 
Another demon raised his hand. “Will there be a war with the vampires?”

  “Not if they play nicely. We were successful in killing their leader, thus killing every fang he turned, and their spawns, and so on down the line. It was not our goal to commit genocide, but the vampires can come back from the brink of extinction with minimal effort. They will survive and if they elect the right leader, there can be peace between our people. If they choose poorly, then we will wipe them out.”

  There came a cautious cheer from some members of the crowd when Adrian denied going to war, then another cheer when it came to wiping out the vampires. When all was silent again, another voice rang out. “What will change under your rule?”

  “Everything my father put in place shall remain the same,” Adrian replied. “There will be a few changes to my advisory staff, but there should be no real change outside this tower. As my father did before me, I will stamp out all acts of treason, and will not tolerate anyone trying to usurp my family’s throne. This kingdom belongs to the bloodline of Osiris, and those who live in Hell will be free people as long as that remains to be true.” There came another cheer at that, eliciting another smile from Adrian. “Now, go home, people. I will address more concerns tomorrow.” The demons and devils slowly filtered out of the audience hall, occasionally looking back to look at the new king. The news of Dante’s death was still fresh in their minds, but seeing Adrian back from the dead had astonished them into mild disbelief.

  Adrian turned from the people and faced his mother, who stood with tears still in her eyes. “Do you really not know how you’re back from the dead?” she asked.

  Adrian shrugged, putting his left hand on her shoulder. “I can honestly say that I have no idea. All I know is that I saw my brother’s sword sticking me in the chest, then the next thing I remember is waking up on the shore of a freezing lake in Siberia. I told you, it’s a weird story.”

  Staci nodded, accepting his answer. “How is Vincent?”

  “You don’t have to worry about him, mother,” Adrian lied, smiling warmly. “He’s fine. Actually, we met his sister on Earth. He’s with her now.”

  “He has a sister?” Staci asked, shocked.

  Adrian nodded. “Turns out Victor had a daughter way back when, and she was sent to collect Vincent. I imagine she’s going to take him to Heaven to be with the angels.”

  Staci stared into Adrian’s eyes and nodded. She knew he was lying for her benefit, but she also knew that not everything he said was untrue. “Your right eye just twitched,” she stated. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Adrian sighed. He forgot that his mother knew his tells. “Okay… He was captured by vampires. My people went in to save him while father went after Ibsen. The vampires brainwashed him while they were holding him. I took him to a place on Earth that helped me get better, and they’re helping him now. I plan on going back soon to check on him. He’s safe, but he does not have control of his body.”

  Staci sighed. A few tears rolled down her cheeks, but she nodded. “I trust you to keep your brother safe,” she said.

  “Of course,” Adrian reassured her. He led his mother to the private chambers set aside for the royal family to meet, and they each took a seat in the comfortable chairs situated around a squat table filled with fruit and wine. “Now we can talk,” Adrian said as he sat. “I didn’t want anyone interrupting us.”

  “So, you really don’t know how you’re still alive?” Staci asked again.

  Adrian simply shrugged his shoulders again. “I really don’t know. All I know is that I woke up in Siberia with a hole in my chest. Turns out, I might be unable to actually die. I’ve already died another time. I was being consumed by my own magic and had to cut off my arm to survive. I bled out anyway and died. I came back, got my arm reattached, then eventually came back home.” He unbuckled the front of his armor to slip his skeletal arm out of its sleeve. Waving the blackened bones around to show Staci that he had full control of the appendage, Adrian said, “See? All bones and magic in this thing. I’m still not quite used to it yet, but I’m getting better. The lack of skin and muscle makes things interesting, though.”

  Staci stared at the arm in mild revulsion and discomfort. “It’s… um… gross…” she muttered.

  Adrian offered her an apologetic smile and slipped his arm back in the sleeve. “True,” he said, fastening the buckles of his armor again. “It isn’t really ideal, but it works for me. I can use my sword again, which is what matters. If I can’t defend my home, then I’m not happy. Speaking of defending Hell, there’s something I need to tell you. There’s likely an advisor in the ranks who isn’t exactly who he says he is. Before I died - the first time - I was looking into a treason plot that ended up being a fairly clever ruse put on by the vampires. They framed a knight and an assassin to make us think the angel weapons were handed to our enemies by them. I found out that the vampires had staged the whole thing. It looked like treason, but it was all just a big game of chess for them. I’m convinced the vampires placed a mole within our advisory team without us knowing, and I plan to flush him out and kill him.”

  “You know, that would explain why the advisors were all trying to gain my favor once we heard of Dante’s death,” Staci offered.

  “Did any of them seem to stand out as odd?” Adrian asked.

  Staci shook her head. “No, I don’t… wait… There was one who seemed adamant that I abdicate and give the throne to someone else…”

  “That sounds like Drascus,” Adrian muttered dryly. “He’s always talked about giving the throne to someone else, using Damien’s warmongering as a solid reason as to why.”

  “Actually, Drascus made sure to fight for my staying on the throne,” she countered. “He said that now was the time to remain strong and keep the peace among the people. No, it was a different advisor, one who doesn’t often speak up at the meetings. I can’t seem to recall his name, though.”

  “What about Drae?” Adrian asked pointedly.

  Staci nodded. “That’s it! He’s always been somewhat quiet, until now. He mentioned the abdication and putting reign of Hell to a vote.”

  Adrian shook his head in frustration. “Great… I’ll find him. Does he attend every meeting?”

  “He does.”

  “Good. So will I, then. I’ll have Zhun tail him and find out where he goes after the meetings. We’ll find out what he’s up to, and deal with him as needed.”

  “Then, I suggest we take care of the problem quickly. If Drae is allied with the vampires, we need to make it look like his death came about as a result of Ibsen’s demise.”

  Adrian smiled at his mother. “You think like an assassin,” he chuckled.

  “You didn’t get it all from your father, dear,” she remarked wryly.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Adrian attended meeting after boring meeting, even a brief coronation to make his ascension to the throne official and legitimate. As the last surviving member of the bloodline of Osiris, he was the heir to the kingdom. With his position secured, Adrian was granted all of the political power necessary to rule his home, but there was a small problem. It was widely known throughout Hell that whoever became king of Hell would be granted incredible magical abilities and power beyond what that ruler would be granted naturally. There was no surge of power that went through the new king. He was left with the gifts he had before taking the throne. The advisors and other politicians whispered amongst themselves, and Adrian began to fear a coup would be attempted. The dukes and other monarchs of Hell had never seen an ascension without the added power given to the new king, and they took it as an omen, suggesting Adrian was not the true king. None stepped forward, however, preferring to keep their grievances silent for the time being. The new king was left wondering who else would try to usurp the throne once he had dealt with Drae. He entertained the thought of using the false advisor as an example, staging a public execution or making a show of dragging the vampire to the Pits to be tortured until the end of time
. Both ideas had their merits, but he felt it would make him look too much like a murderous dictator, rather than a king looking for justice. Still, he would have to find some way to show the monarchy that he was fit to rule and quell their plans of removing him from the throne.

  During the various meetings, Adrian kept a keen eye on each of the advisors. There were a few who expressed their polite displeasure at the assassin taking the throne, saying it sent the wrong message to the other rulers. They claimed it made the vampires nervous, and Amun-Ra openly opposed it. Having not spoken with the king of Heaven in person yet, Adrian could not attribute any truth to the advisors’ words. As far as the vampires were concerned, he felt it was better that they remain nervous. Vampire high command, a newly formed group of the fanged people, had sent word of their careful expansion to regain their lost numbers, but kept well away from known demon locations on Earth. It seemed they had enough of the war and bloodshed that Ibsen had wrought, and were making plans to become a much more peaceful people. As Adrian listened to his advisors, most agreed with his ideas and worked to implement them quickly and efficiently. Those few who opposed the new ideas still accepted that it be put to a vote, and accepted the outcomes. But, there was one advisor that held Adrian’s attention. Drae was outwardly calm and amenable, but Adrian could see the hatred and cunning behind the man’s eyes. He was keeping his disguise as a demon intact, and impressively so. If not for the name, Adrian would never have guessed that the false advisor was anything other than the horned brute who sat at the meeting table. The subtleties of the disguising magic were intricate and layered, allowing the vampire to remain hidden from demonic eyes. Adrian was no longer a demon, though, and his newfound magic was not of demonic origin, so he was able to see the falsehood for what it was. He was impressed, but not enough to actually praise the vampire in demon clothing.