The Assassin and the Knight

by Rick Bonogofsky

  Adrian was shaking his head through the words. “No, I’m not leaving you. I just got you back, and I refuse to let you die. I can stop the bleeding, but someone else will have to heal you properly.”

  “What do you me-” Vincent started to ask, but his words ended in agonized screams as Adrian shoved his skeletal hand through the opening. His hand slipped between the exposed ribs and rested against Vincent’s torn lung. The king summoned a hot flame to his hand and seared the lung closed. Vincent screamed and coughed up blood and smoke, but his breathing became somewhat easier. Adrian moved his hand out of the wound and clamped it on the opening itself. Summoning another flame, he cauterized the wound and stopped the bleeding.

  “It’s not perfect, but at least now you won’t bleed to death,” Adrian offered.

  Vincent gasped through the pain and rolled himself off the table. His legs barely held his weight, but he stood on his own for a moment before Adrian came to his side to support him.

  “You’re a terrible healer,” Vincent choked.

  “Hey, little brother,” Adrian admonished, “You know I’m the funny one.” With that, they crept to the back of the home and slipped through the alleys, avoiding any fighting they came across. By now, the rebels had spread throughout the city and seemed to be coming from every direction. Shouts of alarm rose around the city as more rebels were spotted. Then, one shout rang out above the rest, one that chilled Adrian to the bone.

  “They’re coming from under the city! The tunnels are full of rebels!”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Ariel awoke in her apartment to a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was very wrong. She shot out of her chair and rushed into her bedroom, tearing the sheet off of her mirror. She willed the glass to show her what was going on and fueled her mental command with the worry in her heart. The scene that unfolded made her gasp in horror. Laarsa was in flames and the tower was under siege. She quickly realized she was looking at the near future, but it was not far off. She knew that this calamity was about to fall upon the capital of Hell, and she feared Vincent would be caught in it. Remembering the cryptic warning she had been given by Death, Ariel chewed her lip while trying to come up with a way to help that did not directly aid Adrian. As an angel, she was taught from an early age that the balance had to be kept, and that it was the job of every angel to strive toward total balance. She had already upset that balance unknowingly when she helped Adrian, and feared that she would further upset it if she went to Hell now. Her frustration caused her to punch the mirror, but the magic surface simply repaired itself.

  “Damn it!” she shouted, leaving her room and retrieving her spear from its hooks on the wall. She crashed through the window and unfurled her pearly wings, taking flight into the cool night air over New York. In the air, she summoned her magical ability and used her fingers to draw a teleportation circle around herself. The light from her movements formed a spiral of light around her, and she disappeared from Earth an instant later, appearing in the skies above Hell. She took a moment to get her bearings and looked around. Off in the distance she spotted a red glow, the one that gave Laarsa its name, and flew toward it. Within a few minutes, she was hovering over the city, and what she saw broke her heart. She saw fighting in the streets and it seemed the city’s defenders were outmatched and losing the fight. The entire city was in chaos, and some fires had begun to burn. She searched for something hopeful, but only found more death. Ariel calmed herself and focused, closing her eyes to block out the distressing sight. Using her hearing, she tried to pick out anything that she could recognize. All she could hear were the screams of the dying and the fearful cries of the innocent who were caught in the middle. Then, one pained scream rose above the rest. Ariel instinctively knew it was Vincent, and she knew he was hurt. Worried, her eyes shot open and she scanned the city again. She looked and searched for minutes before she finally spotted the gleaming armor that once belonged to their father. One side was covered in blood, and Adrian had himself wedged under Vincent’s other arm. The two made for the tower. Ariel watched them for a moment and noticed a pair of large demons coming down the path ahead of them. She knew the demons would cut the two men off from their path, so Ariel launched herself into a dive. Flaring her wings at the last second, she descended upon the two demons, spear leading. She took one of them in the chest, and activated the holy flame, burning the demon from the inside out. He was dead within seconds. As Ariel landed, she ripped her spear from that demon’s chest and squared off in front of the other one.

  The demon’s eyes widened in surprise and he dropped his sword in shock. Ariel seized the opportunity and struck. With blazing speed, she thrust her spear into the demon’s gullet and willed the holy fire to consume the hapless demon. He fell to the street and crumbled to ash and embers.

  “Well, shit,” came Adrian’s voice behind her. Ariel turned to look at the new king and her brother. Vincent smiled weakly at her, glad to see her again. His teeth were stained with his own blood.

  “I found out there was trouble, so I came to help,” she explained.

  “Please tell me you brought an army of angels,” Adrian begged.

  Ariel shook her head. “Just me.”

  “Thought so,” Adrian sighed. There was no anger or resentment in his voice, just calm, understanding disappointment. “Well, thank you for being here in any case. Perhaps you can clear the way for us again?”

  Ariel nodded, and they set off for the tower once again. They met with little resistance, keeping to alleys and hidden paths pointed out by Adrian. These paths were built in secret and used by the assassins as they conducted their business. Those few rebels who stood in their way were immediately cut down by Ariel. Her mood was darkening along with Adrian’s as the battle raged on in the city behind them. Before long, they came to the area of the city that gave way to the edge of the volcano, and the steps that led to the tower.

  “Here’s where things get tricky,” Adrian said. “We’ll be completely exposed as we make our way up those steps, then as we pass over the bridge.”

  “Can’t you make us invisible?” Ariel asked.

  Adrian shook his head. “I didn’t want to say anything before, but I haven’t been able to use most of my magic since the fighting began. I think the enemy might have put up some kind of antimagic field.”

  Ariel looked at him, worry in her eyes. Death’s warning came to her mind and she cursed herself for her need to help. “You said you cauterized his wound?” she asked slowly.

  Adrian nodded.

  “Using a spell?”

  Adrian nodded, a suspicious look forming in his eyes.

  “So it’s not antimagic,” Ariel surmised, mostly to herself. She said nothing else as the knowledge of what she had helped bring about was damnation enough.

  Adrian saw that she was unwilling to offer more information, so he let it go. There were more important matters to attend to. They nodded to each other and moved out from hiding. The fighting was light here, mostly contained in the center of the city, and they moved as quickly as they could. Vincent was getting weaker with every step and his breathing came in ragged gasps. He coughed and specks of fresh blood appeared on his lips.

  “Just hang in there, little brother,” Adrian said as they reached the stairs. The going was rough for them, but no rebels came out to harass them. At the top of the stairs, Laarsa soldiers spotted them and rushed to help. Two of them picked Vincent up and ran him across the bridge, allowing Adrian and Ariel to run as well. They made it to the tower faster than the king had anticipated they would, and he breathed easier, knowing the healers inside would be able to help him. He ran into the tower, following the soldiers bearing Vincent, and nearly ran into Zudas and Kizrack.

  “What’s going on down there?” Kizrack asked.

  “The rebels have invaded Laarsa,” Adrian reported. “They disguised themselves as refugees and stormed the city. When the fighting started, it appears more rebels came up through the
tunnels and caught us in a surprise attack. We need to send more soldiers down there.”

  “We don’t have any more to spare right now,” Zudas stated. “All of the soldiers posted in the tower are palace guards.”

  Adrian heaved a sigh of frustration and looked around, hoping the answer to his problems would simply jump out at him. His kingdom was falling apart around him, and he was powerless to do anything about it. “Send out the messengers,” he said in defeat. “Pull all but two guards off of each weapon cache and bring them here. Hopefully, we can last until they get here. Kizrack, send some assassins out to take out their leaders on the battlefield. If we can take out their command structure, maybe we can cause some confusion among the ranks.”

  Kizrack nodded and ran off to give the orders. Zudas stood there staring at Adrian.

  “You’re not going to have the men bring any of the weapons from the caches?” the advisor asked as much as stated.

  “I have a feeling this is a losing battle,” Adrian admitted quietly, not making eye contact with Zudas. “If we’re going to lose, I’d rather those who make it out can have some sort of protection from the enemy.” He could not see the disdainful look he was given.

  “And you won’t call for help?” Zudas asked.

  Adrian shook his head. It was not out of pride that he declined, but out of pragmatism. “This is an internal affair. Heaven will not send aid. Besides, last time they tried to help us, they lost an entire battalion of troops in less than a minute. I’m not going to ask them to sacrifice any more for us. They’ve been through enough because of our mistakes.”

  Zudas nodded and placed a hand on Adrian’s shoulder. “Fear not,” he said softly. “It will all be over soon.” As his words left his mouth, he slipped something from his robes. Adrian’s ear caught the sound of metal on cloth and saw the brief flash of light reflecting onto the stone floor. His honed instincts kicked in and he pushed himself away from Zudas, taking only a thin cut on his left arm. He looked up at Zudas in angry confusion and summoned his sword to his hand. The dagger Zudas held was made from angel metal, and it gleamed in the dull light.

  “What?” Adrian asked.

  “I knew you were too trusting to see this coming,” Zudas taunted. As he spoke, hidden soldiers stepped out of the shadows and approached Adrian. They surrounded him on all sides and drew their weapons. They wore the palace guard uniforms, but Adrian did not know any of their faces. “Did you really think every one of your advisors was to be trusted? We had far too much to gain back when your great grandfather was king to let it all go away now. I worked with Helgrathin to make this happen, along with King Damien when we brought war to Earth. That place was to be ours to rule. We were supposed to expand our borders. But no. You and your father ripped that away from us. Your father was a better king than you. He would have had the ferocity necessary to quell this rebellion. All you wanted to do was keep your people safe, which was noble enough, but you refused to fight until the fight came to you. All you did was send out people to kill the so called leaders of the rebellion, but all you did was take out those I thought would stand in my way. I gave my underlings false names so when your assassins came to call, they would be sent after the wrong people.”

  Anger bubbled within Adrian and he gripped his sword tighter. The ring on his left hand thumped with a weak pulse, telling him Vincent was still alive and wearing his own ring. Adrian sent a mental call to his brother while Zudas spoke. In the king’s mind, he could hear Vincent’s reply. He opened the connection in his own mind to relay Zudas’ words. The pulse in the ring quickened in surprise.

  “You used our plans against us, then,” Adrian spat. “You gave intelligence to my enemy during this time of crisis, and now you think you can just assassinate me?!” He stepped into a ready stance, causing the surrounding soldiers to take a step backward in nervous anticipation. They knew only stories about what Adrian was capable of, and none of them were particularly eager to find out how much truth was present in those tales. “You’re just an advisor to the crown. I am an assassin. I am the executioner for the king, and I sentence you to die.” With that, he lunged forward, slashing the leg of one soldier. As that demon fell to one knee in pain, Adrian used him as a stepping stone to leap at Zudas. The advisor barely had enough time to try to block the assassin’s attack, but it only made him swing harder. Adrian brought his sword down with all of his considerable might and cleaved through Zudas’ arm and into his body, cutting the advisor from the left shoulder to the right hip. The upper half of the demon fell to the stone floor with a wet thud, and Adrian spun to face the soldiers. They shook in fear and stayed in place. Adrian nodded as if to say, “That’s what I thought,” and ran off to find his brother. If Zudas was in control of the rebels all this time, then it was possible he had already replaced nearly everyone in the palace.

  Ariel stood by Vincent as he was gently placed on a cot in the infirmary. The soldiers who bore him there left to find a healer. She inspected the wound and saw that Adrian’s work, while effective in stopping the bleeding, had actually made things worse for Vincent. The fire used in cauterizing the wound seemed to do more damage to the other areas around the original opening. The burn was slowly spreading, and Ariel was afraid it would kill him if left alone. She had never been very adept at healing, but she decided to try anyway. Ariel placed her hand on the wound and concentrated. A soft white glow emanated from her hand and a comfortable warmth spread out from it. The redness of the burn slowly faded away, and the charred flesh softened to pink. There was still a vicious, barely closed wound in place, but the lingering damage was taken care of. Vincent seemed to breathe easier, but he was still in pain. Ariel sat back, knowing she had done what she could. At least now, she was confident that her brother would survive. For the moment.

  Vincent lifted his head from the pillow and stared into space. Worried, Ariel stood to look him over, but he seemed to stare right through her.

  “Adrian?” he asked with a worried look on his face.

  “What is it?” Ariel asked. Vincent grabbed her hand in his and she could feel a profound emptiness in the cool metal band on his finger. Through that emptiness, Ariel could hear a voice speaking in her head as if from a great distance.

  “All you did was send out people to kill the so called leaders of the rebellion, but all you did was take out those I thought would stand in my way. I gave my underlings false names so when your assassins came to call, they would be sent after the wrong people,” the voice said.

  “What?” Ariel gasped. She could feel Vincent’s grip tighten and his pulse quickened. He was getting angry and worried.

  Adrian’s response sounded in Ariel’s mind and she felt the emptiness grow hot with rage. Through the ring, she felt Adrian’s satisfaction and his telepathic message to Vincent was to stay calm and keep safe. Vincent tried to sit up, but the pain in his side made him stop.

  “We need to leave,” he wheezed. “If Zudas has taken over, we don’t know who’s an ally and who’s an enemy.”

  “I understand the feeling, but we can’t get far with you in that condition,” Ariel countered. “I don’t want you dying before we can get out of here.”

  Vincent rose out of the cot and grimaced through the pain. “You don’t understand. If he’s taken over, then the healers that may or may not be on their way are likely to be loyal to him, and will kill me rather than heal me. Then, they’ll turn their attention on you.”

  Ariel sighed and pulled Vincent’s arm around her shoulders to support him. His legs were weak and he could barely stand, but he was trying as hard as he could. With Ariel’s help, they left the infirmary. They met up with Adrian down the hall and the three of them made for the royal chambers. Adrian fought off the few disguised rebels who confronted them along the way, but they proved to be little challenge. Just outside the room stood two more guards, but Adrian recognized them immediately.

  “You two,” he said, pointing at them with his sword, “Are you still loyal?�
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  The guards stood at attention and nodded. They opened the door and let them through. Inside, Staci paced back and forth and looked up in shock. When she saw who was entering, she visibly calmed until she saw how badly wounded Vincent was.

  “Oh no!” she cried. “What happened?”

  “Wounded in battle,” Vincent grunted. “I’ll be fine, I just need a good healer.”

  Staci helped him onto her bed so he could be as comfortable as possible, then she looked to Adrian for answers. “What the hell is happening out there?”

  “Zudas betrayed us,” he muttered. “He used all of our careful planning against us. I killed him, but the tower is apparently full of traitors. There’s no safe way to leave except the tunnels at the back of this room.”

  With tears in her eyes, Staci hugged her son for comfort, and he embraced her reassuringly. “We’ll get out of here,” he promised.

  There came a knock at the door, interrupting them. “Milord? Milady?” came one of the guards’ voices. Adrian went to the door and opened it. In front of the guards stood Zhun and Kizrack. Adrian opened the door wider for them to enter, thanked the guards, and then closed the door, sliding the locking bolt into place.

  “What’s the word?” he asked the assassins.

  “The whole tower is under the control of Zudas’ men,” Zhun reported. “Once he made his proclamation to you, they all came out of the woodwork and attacked those loyal to the crown. Laarsa burns, and the tower is taken.”

  Adrian nodded grimly. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

  “Once I knew what was going on, I stopped the order for support troops,” Kizrack said. “We’re going to need allies on the outside if we’re going to make it.”

  “Good call,” Adrian praised. “It looks like we’ve lost… We’ll escape through the tunnels from this room and make our way to Earth. That way, if we get attacked, maybe then we can call on Heaven for help.” He looked to Ariel for support and she nodded.