Assassins: Target

by J Chen

  It was the symbol of The Brotherhood; a group of trained assassins who had been fighting a war with our own Hungarian sect known as The Hammer for hundreds of years, or so the book told. A war that had been in recent years ended by the careful machinations of King Andras and the great Mar Dragos; who I knew to be Genevieve's own Queen Mother, was a careful machination of Andras himself.

  With the end of the war came a promise from Mar Dragos that she would leave Transylvania alone, allowing it to be silently ruled by the Hungarian's even as the land and title returned to Romania. King Andras. I had taken it to be mere coincidence that the King in the stories shared my father's name, and that the stories were somehow set long long ago, but it dawned on me that nearly everything the book contained must have been rooted in a more recent truth. I read on as Luca kept a respectful, silent vigil near the doorway; though I noticed that his sword had been drawn and kept at the ready in his right hand.

  The Brotherhood were known to move in packs, and lone members were rare save for the Beta; Mar Dragos' own son, Octavian: the most ruthless and deadly of them all. I wondered briefly why he had let me live, turning to Luca in order to ask him what he knew of Octavian. To my shock, Luca was held fast by a man in dark clothing whom I instantly recognized as the very man I was curious about.

  “Octavian.”

  I spoke the word in such a way that it was both a question and a warning, his tightening grip on Luca making me tense as he stared at me unblinking. Luca growled in response, the sound like Octavian's and yet different, but the chill that ran up my spine in response was the same. I felt a warning in the tone, both directed at me and at the Assassin that had him pinned. He wanted me to flee, but I refused to leave him to the Romanian's mercy.

  “Varga. Give me the book.”

  Luca tried to fight against the Assassin's grip, but was held fast by his strong, carefully placed arms. There was a burning anger in Luca that I had never seen before, and I could tell Octavian was growing weary of his struggling.

  “Don't listen to this filth, Laszlo! Who do you think cut the fingers from your father's hand? Who do you think it was who took your mother? He no doubt killed her as well!”

  I felt sick to my stomach, realizing that if anyone had been responsible for my parent's death from the Dragos Clan, it would have had to have been Octavian. This was why Luca had wanted me to stay away from Genevieve, but my heart refused to believe that the person I had cared for so deeply could have held such a secret from me.

  “No. This cannot be true! Genevieve...she never mentioned...she was my friend!”

  Luca growled as Octavian gripped him tighter, angry that I had not yet seen the light. I had befriended the family that had murdered my parents, and my stomach rolled just thinking about it.

  “The book, Varga.

  His tone carried his own unspoken threat loud and clear, and without argument I knelt to slide the book to him; my fear for Luca's safety leaving me no other choice. As soon as I did so however, Octavian tightened his grip and moved his arm upwards to Luca's neck; and I watched helplessly as he was choked unconscious before being unceremoniously dumped onto the hard floor.

  “You're coming with me.”

  I hesitated and he roared; the sound filling the room with a painful echo that seemed almost inhuman. My heart thundered with fear as I stepped back, knowing it would only be moments before the sound drew in the guards. I looked back at Luca, unconscious and vulnerable, and I was filled with anger. How could I have trusted Genevieve? How could I allow myself to be so drawn to Octavian?

  “Varga, I will kill them, one by one, and still take you from this place in order to find my sister.”

  I sensed the shift in him, and knew that his words were no longer simple threats. He truly feared for Genevieve, and I could not ignore his command. I stepped towards him purposefully, and he grabbed my arm and lead me to the window next to my father's desk.

  Opening it with a grunt, he pushed me towards the opening with a one word command that made my blood run cold.

  “Jump.”

  I looked back towards him with what I hoped was mere astonishment on my face, though I was certain it was closer to a look of pure panic. The drop was sixty feet, and I would surely break my limbs if I were to follow his ridiculous-

  I felt a push, and I found my hands scrambling for something to grab onto in the air in front of me before tumbling end over end and hitting the ground with an audible crack. I screamed in pain, looking down to see that both legs had indeed been broken, the bones pushing through the sturdy leather of my pants as I looked towards the window in horror.

  Was he trying to kill me? Was this still part of the torture? Octavian watched me from the window with what I was certain was a smirk on his face, before he took to the windowsill and jumped as I turned away, unable to watch the impact. The small thump that followed made me look back to find him standing feet from me, watching me with a smile.

  “We need to work on your landing, Varga.”

  My mind, trying not to dwell on the fact that the man had just jumped the distance and landed upright and uninjured, blocked out the pain in my legs in order for me to properly chastise him.

  “What the fuck, Octavian? If you wanted to kill me you could have done it already, preferably in a less gruesome manner! My damned legs! Do you see what you've done?”

  His brow furrowed and he looked to my injuries in confusion, as if noticing them for the first time. He knelt next to me for several long minutes and regarded me strangely, silent as he stared into my eyes before sighing in frustration and looking away.

  “You haven't been trained. How is it that a Prince your age has never been trained?”

  Prince?

  I was reminded of the passage in the Black Book, the one that had identified my father as a King. Octavian exhaled with annoyance, coming to crouch near me, his hand lying gently on my thigh.

  “Look at me, Varga.”

  I felt something burning inside of me as my brown eyes met his green ones, and I found myself unable to look away; drawn in and completely forgetting about my injuries. A moment later, Octavian removed his hand and stood, breaking the moment and bringing me back to the present.

  “Stand up. We need to keep moving.”

  It was my turn to look at him in confusion, as if I needed to remind him that my legs were now shattered and I wouldn't be going anywhere.

  “Get up, Varga!”

  I glanced down at my legs in order to point out my injuries to him, only to feel my heart rate increase as I realized that I was no longer hurt. My hands carefully ran along the bloodied gashes in the fabric of my pants where the bones had protruded, only to find the skin beneath completely untouched.

  Had I been imagining things?

  “What the hell is going on?”

  ~~

  Chapter 3

  I struggled to my feet slowly, testing them with tentative steps as I looked at him incredulously. He took me by the arm and dragged me forcefully towards the trees that bordered the house, leading me away from the shouts and calls of the approaching guards.

  “I'll explain everything later. Right now we have to move, and it isn't your guards I'm worried about. Your friend from the Library will look for back up in order to get you back, and it will be The Hammer that he calls on. If they get their hands on me, there will be no getting Genevieve back. I won't survive.”

  I was still dwelling on Luca's words about my father, and I turned to him with a seething rage that caught me off guard. There weren't enough words in my language to let Octavian know what he had done to me when he took my parents.

  “Why the hell should I help you, heathen? You killed my father! My mother; a woman who was not of war! I will never help you!”

  Tears prickled in the corner of my eyes and I balled my fists up as I faced him down, my anger becoming a wave I could practically see as it washed over him again and again. Octavian was taken aback by my words, his confusion evident as I stared
at him. Could Luca have been wrong?

  Without another word, Octavian grabbed my arm, in his other fist he held a dagger. I didn't argue, almost broken by the confusion that warred in my heart. I had no idea if I could trust the Romanian, but I could not leave Genevieve to fight this battle alone.

  Octavian led me away from my home; along the main roadway that bordered our lands and headed straight towards Budapest. I had never been in the city before, though Genevieve had regaled me with tales that kept my wandering mind hooked on the idea of the sprawling city.

  “I did not harm your family. I have never harmed them. The King and Queen Vargas; they were beyond reproach in our war. When the war ended, so too did our quarrel with your people and The Hammer. There was a truce in place. One that I swore just as your brethren, Luca did. I have faced him many times in battle, and neither of us could ever best each other. He is a nemesis like no other, but still; I did not strike to end his life tonight. You were my only target, Vargas.”

  I still didn't understand why I had been made his target, and he could tell as such.

  “I don't have answers for you. I was told to end your life because you were responsible for Genevieve's kidnapping. I was told you left a ransom note, one where you claimed to be taking revenge for what happened to your parents.”

  I shook my head, realizing we had both been deceived. Luca truly believed the Dragos family to be responsible for the murder of my parents, and Octavian truly believed I was responsible for Genevieve's kidnapping. I had to help him in order to get to the truth, but we were running out of time.

  The Hammer; my father's now disbanded group of warriors that resided in the mountains were coming, and I worried greatly for their safety. From what I knew, the men had all retired; leading simple lives as farmers and merchants since the end of the war. What could they possibly do against these well-trained Assassins? Were the stories of their deeds in The Black Book entirely true?

  The Hammer was not my only concern however, knowing them to be loyal and steadfast warriors to my family for centuries. It was Octavian's men that I feared, and Octavian himself. Despite being drawn to him; craving his presence as if he had me under a spell, I also feared him in a way that shook me to my core. He wasn't human, of that I was absolutely certain, but he also had an unnatural hold on me that made me feel weak every time he looked at me.

  “And what of The Brotherhood? Your men?”

  He narrowed his eyes as he glanced towards me, but didn't speak a word as we continued through the woods and towards the main roadway that snaked through the valley where I had grown up. Eventually, he spoke again, though his voice was low and free of emotion. He was the Dragos Beta after all, and though he had lied to his men earlier about having dispatched me, I wondered if I was still in danger from them. And from him.

  “It will be dealt with. I need to find them soon, to give them the book and buy us some time.”

  I bristled at the mention of The Black Book, my childhood and only connection to my father now a bargaining chip that I had no say in.

  “What's in the book that's so important to you? Why did you want it so badly? Is that why you're keeping me alive? Where are we going, Octavian?”

  He shot me a look that made the next question die in my throat, his annoyance evident in every one of his feature as he glared at me. I swallowed and looked away, walking towards the break in the trees before he was suddenly upon me, his hands covering my mouth as he pulled me into the bushes near the edge of the road.

  “Quiet!”

  He pointed down the road, to the barely visible line of cloaked men that approached. They were clearly of The Brotherhood, and Octavian seemed torn on whether or not to approach them. He seemed almost defeated, looking towards me with those intense eyes as if he was almost worried about me.

  Placing a hand out and indicating that he wanted me to remain silent and still, he took to the roadway, where I watched The Brotherhood face him with weapons drawn before falling at ease when they recognized their leader.

  “What did you find?”

  I watched as he produced The Black Book and the Assassin smiled in return, clapping Octavian on the back and leading the group away from the roadside and out of sight. They moved like water; flowing silently through the landscape and blending into the trees until I could no longer see them.

  I waited in the dark for him to return, but as the cold crept into the early morning hours, I found myself falling asleep, drifting between wakefulness and a nightmare that seemed too real to ignore; one where my legs were broken and repaired again and again, and I could not escape the endless pain no matter how hard I fought.

  Waking with a start as dawn approached, I opened my eyes to see Octavian hovering above me, his face of concern melting into nothingness in an instant as he stood and turned away from me.

  “I thought you were dead.”

  Wondering how long he had been watching me, I shook the cold stiffness from my limbs, and made to stand as his arms encircled my waist and pulled me to a standing position. He held me close for longer than was necessary as he rubbed my limbs and helped me chase away the cold.

  His eyes locked with mine, and I swallowed at the panic that rose in my throat as he stared deeply into my own. He was silent, as if studying me closely; though the seriousness in his face made me remain still; afraid of leaning into his touch and breaking the moment.

  I felt the warmth again as it burst from the center of my chest; filling my limbs with a tingling, heated sensation that took my breath away.

  “Good.”

  He stepped away from me slightly, certain that I was now able to control my body heat, and I instantly felt his absence, my body following as he moved away. Noticing this, Octavian did not drop his arms from where they held me; allowing me to move closer again as my heart beat quickened in my chest. I felt as if I was on fire; his hands rubbing lazy patterns against my back as I leaned my head down onto his shoulder; shivering from the closeness and the need I suddenly felt for the older man I had only just met. I lifted my head to look him in the eyes again, reveling in the sudden softness of his gaze as he looked at me.

  “What is this? I've never felt-”

  I couldn't put into words what I was feeling, but they had opposite of the intended affect on Octavian. He dropped his arms quickly and stepped away, his eyes falling to the ground and no longer able to meet my own.

  “Octavian?”

  I stepped towards him slowly, but for each step forward he stepped back still refusing to look at me as he kept his distance. Realizing the moment was over, I backed down, only to notice Octavian's posture suddenly change as he stepped between me and the now approaching and uninvited Assassin, Marius.

  “What's this, Octavian?”

  A moment passed between the two men, and I sensed a broiling rivalry under the surface of their interaction that made me worry.

  “This doesn't concern you, Marius.”

  Marius smirked briefly before letting his face fall into neutral yet again.

  “A forfeited kill concerns us all. The Mar Dragos' instructions were clear when it came to the Varga boy. Death.”

  Octavian bristled and growled, the vibrations seemingly affecting everything around him, myself included.

  “He's the only one who can lead us to Genevieve, Marius! We need him alive!”

  Marius grimaced as he looked me over, smirking again as his eyes returned to Octavian.

  “Lead us to Genevieve? Is that what you've been telling yourself? It doesn't matter, Octavian, the Mar Dragos will lead us to her heir. Her instructions are too be followed, Beta. Take his life, or we will take yours.”

  Marius produced a dagger, and it was only then that I realized that we were surrounded by the Brotherhood, and Octavian looked fearful for the first time.

  “What are you doing, Marius?”

  Marius stepped back to join the line of men that stood behind him, his eyes on Octavian the entire time.

  “Following
orders, Octavian. Following the Code.”

  Octavian inhaled and exhaled slowly, seemingly accepting his fate with a gentle nod. Rearing his head back, he let out a ferocious growl that echoed through the woods; the low timbre vibrating bark off of trees and making my head shake and my vision blurry.

  The Brotherhood was upon us then, but I quickly found that Octavian was the Beta for a reason; his movements and strength unmatched by the Assassins that had come to finish him. They were left broken and bleeding at his feet, one by one fallen until only Marius stood against him.

  “End this, brother. I have to find another way. This kill cannot be allowed.”

  Marius growled in indignation, looking at me with disgust.

  “The Hammer is an embarrassment to our kind! They are weak and impure! Just look at him, the son of a King trembling at the sight of blood. What an utter disgrace.”

  He spat at the ground between them, their bodies shifting and changing as I watched; hair covering their limbs and their faces elongating. Sparkling lights danced at the edge of my vision and I fought to remain standing, but to no avail. As I collapsed the last thing I saw were two, giant dire wolves locked in a bloody battle, with Octavian and Marius nowhere to be seen.

  My dreams were upon me then, the terrifying crack of bones echoing throughout the darkness of the space I found myself trapped in. I saw Octavian ahead of me, but as he turned his body shifted until he was no longer human, and the terrifying creature that I now faced turned on me, causing me to flee into the dark in a blind panic.

  His growls carried through the air and vibrated the blood in my veins, stopping me in my tracks as he too slowed his pursuit; stalking towards me purposely as I felt my body freeze in fear. I felt his breath hot at my neck, and I struck out as he opened his jaws to bite; striking him square in the jaw and finally waking from the dark.