by S. K. Ng
“Reasons _ of these, only he knows,” answered Rod, shaking his head in disappointment.
Clover could see the sadness written on the faces of these two former defenders of Fort Eastguard. Sensing the awkwardness of the situation, she tried to change the subject.
“Participate _ of this, who else is?” asked Clover.
“Participate _ of this, besides Orgavian Lidell, are our distant cousins Horizon, Fiery and Tip,” answered Serene.
“Serving _ they are still doing of this in the Provincial Guards; so how is it possible?” asked Clover, surprised.
“Leave _ of this, they were granted by the king,” answered Serene.
Clover nodded her head in understanding. She was surprised that the king had granted leave for three of her cousins who were still serving in the Fallsian Military. She had thought that the king would deny such a request, seeing that the Fallsian Military was as short-handed as it was. So this news was a pleasant surprise of sorts!
Noon on the 12th Day of Fifth Month of Dry Season found Dawn Breven hidden in a large, leafy tree overlooking the venue where she was supposed to meet her uncle. Her eyes scanned everywhere for signs of movement. She could see none. Her ears strained to listen out for any unusual noises. She could hear none. She sniffed the air around her. She smelt nothing unusual. She had been in this area since the night before, scouting the place to make sure that the meeting was not a trap, or if the meeting was genuine, that no trap could be set by her enemies. Then suddenly, she started to hear soft footsteps of several people approaching her location. She turned her head very slowly to see who they were. There were nine of them. They were clad in black as she was, but with their faces exposed. Dawn recognised her uncle Rake and Eclipse amongst them. As Rake and Eclipse arrived at the boulder, they automatically got into a kneeling position while the others formed a circular perimeter around them, kneeling as well. They had not drawn out their swords but had their hands inside the lapel of their shirts, their fingers holding onto a few Airblades, no doubt. But despite their appearance of skill and caution, they had failed to detect Dawn’s presence.
Dawn climbed down quietly from the tree she was hiding in. She did not want to trigger a panic attack amongst the new arrivals. She slowly walked out from behind the tree trunk with her hands raised, clutching in one of them the paper that they had ‘shot’ at her with.
Rake, upon recognising Dawn, told his men to let her approach. He then signalled for Dawn to hurry up. Dawn broke into a light run and kneeled facing her uncle.
“You were right! We should’ve left the clan a long time ago. We’re leaving it now. Will you join us?” asked Rake.
“Yes, uncle,” replied Dawn.
“I’m glad you’re joining us. And we do need your help. There’s a question of how we’re going to leave. A significant number of families of the original clansmen will be leaving with us. This makes for a huge bulk of women and children. How do we get them out without raising the suspicion of Venom Collart?” said Eclipse.
“We need some sort of excuse to get everybody out of The Lair. When everyone’s outside, it’ll be easier for the women and children to make an escape while our fighters cover them from Collart’s minions,” suggested Dawn.
“What about a fire!? That’s a good excuse to evacuate everybody from The Lair,” suggested Rake.
“Not advisable! The smoke will reveal our location to the Sollenthars. We’d be attacked or get pinned down by them. Their presence will complicate our escape,” objected Dawn.
Both Rake and Eclipse were shocked. Dawn was surprised herself. She was surprised that the clan was not aware of the Sollenthars’ presence.
“Sollenthars!? Here!? They’re a long way from Fallsene City!” said Eclipse.
“Yes, they’re here. They’ve somehow managed to track me when I escaped and followed me here. But they don’t know the exact location of The Lair. They’ve taken over The Spot and are using it as their base of operations. I’ve been watching them since,” explained Dawn.
“Well, you’re right! Their presence certainly does complicate matters. I had my suspicions when two of Collart’s recruits disappeared recently. They must’ve been caught by these accursed Sollenthars!” said Rake.
“No, uncle! I terminated those two, myself. They were about to lead the Sollenthars to The Lair,” corrected Dawn.
Eclipse cleared her throat. She wanted to get the Brevens’ attention.
“The problem remains, how do we get everybody out of The Lair?” she said.
“If fire wouldn’t work, perhaps water would! What if we crack one of the ceilings that runs underneath the river? Not a big rack, just a small one. That would cause The Lair to be flooded. Everyone would be forced to evacuate. It’ll not attract the attention of the Sollenthars, and it’ll also distract Collart and his minions by forcing them to either try to repair the crack or search for a new lair; and in this way they’ll neither have the time nor manpower to pursue us” suggested Dawn.
“I like it!” expressed Eclipse.
“Me, too. It sounds like a good idea!” agreed Rake.
“That’s a fantastic idea!” agreed a loud booming voice in the forest.
Instantly Dawn, Rake and Eclipse started to look around, searching for the source of the booming voice. Clanmaster Venom Collart stood up from behind a thick bush, smiling.
“Flooding The Lair! Destabilising me and my ‘minions’! What a fantastic idea!” he mocked.
Dawn, Rake, Eclipse and the others drew out their swords and Airblades.
“The Lair has been our home for 19 years! 19 years, Dawn! And you were willing to destroy it in a heartbeat! Why!? For what!? For some silly idea of nobility? Revenge? The cause? Can’t you see? I’ve provided a means of livelihood for the clan for the past 20 years! 20 years, Dawn! That’s how long I’ve been feeding you and your family. And I’ve been feeding the many mouths at The Lair, keeping them alive, safe and well! And you three accuse me of ‘losing my way!?’ It’s you who’ve lost sight of reality!” accused Venom.
“Fed us!? Yes, you’ve fed us. You’ve fed us with your lies and treachery! Embezzlements and abuses! Unnecessary handicaps and deaths! You’ve fed the widows and orphans well, haven’t you!? You’ve murdered their husbands and fathers by sending them on unnecessary missions or worse still, sent your minions to assassinate them when they were away on those missions! Yes, you fed them so well that you’ve caused them to be what they are today; you’re the cause of their losses and their sufferings!” countered Rake angrily.
“I’m just trying to make a living, Rake. I’m not a dumb idealist like you. But I see no point in explaining myself further. Don’t take this personally. It’s just business. Good bye, Rake, Eclipse, Dawn,” said Venom Collart.
Clanmaster Venom Collart raises his right hand and snaps his fingers. Immediately, thirty black-clad figures with drawn swords stand up from the surrounding bushes. Slowly, these black-clad attackers move closer towards them. The clanmaster affords a sinister smile as he turns to walk away. Dawn reacts fast, sending an Airblade towards him. Venom, upon hearing the twirling of the Airblade, dives to the ground. His smile turns to an angry snarl. The attackers charge in. Dawn and her companions, the defenders, instinctively react. And so the battle begins.
Airblades twirl across the air in all directions. Attackers and defenders alike are busy parrying off each others Airblades while sending out their own. Pretty soon, sword blades meet other sword blades and also human flesh. The screams of pain and agony fill the air.
Dawn steps forward and parries off an attacker’s blade to her left, then swiftly swings her sword to the right and follows up with a Right Downwards Diagonal Cut. The attacker lets out a scream of pain and falls to the ground. Another attacker, immediately behind him, cuts down vertically. Dawn side-steps to the left and slashes him across the knee, bringing him down to a kneeling position screaming in pain. She then ends his misery with a quick cut across the neck, decapitating him.
>
Suddenly, Dawn feels a sharp pain in her left arm. She glances down to see an Airblade embedded there. Crimson fluid oozes out from where the metal has met the flesh. Dawn ignores the pain. She slides backwards just in time to avoid a desperate horizontal slash from a third attacker and then steps forward to end his life with a Vertical Downwards Cut.
“This way!” she yells, as she runs through the opening that she has just created.
The other defenders retreat towards the opening. But by now, there are not many defenders left. Besides Dawn, Rake and Eclipse; only two other defenders remain.
“Run!” commands Rake.
Eclipse and Dawn dash away from the scene. Rake blocks an attack and slashes back at the neck level, decapitating his adversary. He turns to run, but collapses to the ground after a few limping steps as an Airblade embeds itself into the back of his right knee. Dawn turns in time to see her uncle go down. She starts to run back towards him, but Eclipse grabs her arm.
“It’s too late! Let him go!” says Eclipse.
“No!” replies Dawn as she struggles to free her arm.
“RUN!!!” yells Rake to his niece as two attackers plunge the blade of their swords into his back.
Blood sprays from Rake’s mouth and back. But as Rake dies, he affords a gentle smile on his face. ‘Tiller, Fragrance, Drizzle; I’ll finally get to see you all again!’ forms his last, dying thoughts.
Warm fluid flows down Dawn’s cheek. These are not crimson in colour, but are clear and transparent instead. Dawn realises that she has just lost her only living relative left in this world and now she is truly alone.
“Run, you silly girl!” yells Eclipse as she pulls Dawn along.
Reluctantly, Dawn’s feet cooperate, but her mind is still in a daze. All she knows is that she is running, and that she needs to keep on running. Nothing else appears in her thoughts, except for the last image of her uncle being killed.
Spirit was the first to arrive at the scene, guided by his keen sense of smell. Ray arrived a short moment later with the rest of 3rd River. The sun was already low on the horizon. The scene that lay before them was gruesome. There were at least thirty bodies lying mutilated on the ground. Dried blood had turned the grass red. For a moment, Ray had a flashback of the images of his dead order. He had to snap himself out of it. He looked around again. The brutality of the carnage was intense. But he did not understand what he was seeing. They were all Shadow Deathmerchant Clan assassins and it looked like they had killed each other. But why? Or were they killed by an unknown party? If so, then who? Were there any survivors? Many curious questions raced through his mind.
Spirit, however, had a different issue on his mind. There was that smell again, the smell of the female assassin. The very one who had defeated him over and over again! Should he pursue her, or should he let go? She had spared his life. He was indebted to her. Spirit gave a soft yelp of despair. He was very conflicted. Ray heard the yelp and turned to look at Spirit. He patted Spirit on the forehead and scratched the white wolf behind the ears a little bit. Spirit’s mood changed a little. He began to wag his tail. But his dilemma still remained, should he pursue her or let go?
Meanwhile, in a dark and gloomy cave a long distance away, Dawn sat broken by a small campfire. She was broken not in body but in spirit. Tears streamed down her cheeks, which was something she never thought still possible. Her many years as Lead Assassin should have made her desensitised to death. It should have been meaningless and casual to her, but it was not. Her uncle’s death still shocked her. The sorrow and anger were all consuming. And that was when it hurt the most. When hope was at its greatest and all seemed infallible, and then disaster struck and the rug was pulled from under her feet. The fall from such a great height of confidence and security was downright tragic and disastrous. The hurt that followed was worse than a cold blade piercing her heart.
Eclipse sat across the campfire from Dawn. She too was still and silent. But she was not broken like Dawn. Instead, she was in a state of concern. Her concern was not for Dawn, but for her fellow clansmen who were still trapped in the clan. All the widows and orphans and her few remaining loyal followers who would be in grave danger should that greed-driven clanmaster, Venom Collart, decide to exterminate them to ensure his stranglehold on the clan. The solution to her concerns was obvious, but unimaginable. In order for her to save them, she would have to make a deal with the government. She would have to sell the clan out to the government in exchange for immunity for herself and her followers, or at least safe passage and exile to a distant land. But why should she not? The clan as she knew it no longer existed. Its very essence, once pure and sincere, had been perverted and corrupted.
Vengeance must now give way to survival, Eclipse realised. But who shall she approach? Who in this treacherous government can she trust? And what will she do if the government turns back on their promises and betrays her?
Clanmaster Venom Collart was back in The Lair. There was blood on his hands, literally. He had not had blood on his hands for years. Clearly, these new recruits were not up to the higher standards of the original clansmen! But business was business, and the next item on his business list was to hire more recruits to replenish the ones who had just been killed. As for the clansmen who were loyal to Eclipse and Rake, well, there was but one solution for that problem. He would have to make the slaughter fast and ‘clean’. Clean in the sense of minimal casualties to his ‘less capable’ recruits and complete extermination of Eclipse and Rake’s followers.
The sun had barely risen the next morning when the shouts of alarm echoed throughout the Sollenthar’s camp. Ray rushed out of his tent with his silver staff held firmly in his left hand, ready for a fight. Most of 3rd River were up and ready at arms and were all running towards the source of the alarm. Convian Spear Prodence was running just behind Ray with his sword already drawn. But when Ray got to the source of the alarm, he was totally surprised.
There, standing right in front of him bearing a white flag and being escorted by four of his own subordinates, was Dawn Breven. But there was something different about her. It was her eyes. When he had first met her, her eyes were cold and impersonal. They were totally calm and focussed, even during a fight. But now, they burned with fire. The fire of ...vengeance? Yes, it was vengeance. Ray knew this fire only too well. Then his attention turned to the kind-looking elderly lady standing next to Dawn, who looked like ‘the aunt next door’, if not for the assassin’s clothes she was wearing and the thick bloodstains that she had on them.
They stood there, staring at each other for a while. No one was sure of what to say. It was an awkward moment for all of them.
“Surrender _ you have not come to do of this, have you!?” said Ray in a matter of factly tone.
“No, we haven’t. We wish to deal, to negotiate,” answered the elderly woman.
“Negotiate!? Arrest _ what is to stop me from doing of this to you anyway?” retorted Ray.
Eclipse had anticipated Ray’s reaction. And she had the perfect answer.
“Your high sense of honour! You’re not a common soldier but an Elementhar, aren’t you? The only living Fire Elementhar left! You seek to destroy the Shadow Deathmerchant Clan. But more importantly, you seek vengeance upon the one who had hired the clan to massacre your order. He’s your true target, isn’t he? Why would you want to arrest us? We’re meaningless. We’re merely pawns. It’s the chess master whom you want. Yes, Baron Chessmaster! He was the one who had hired the clan to massacre your order. That’s who you really want! Elementhar, we’ve come to you under a flag of truce, to negotiate a matter of great importance to the both of us. And you know that if you arrest us now, you’d kill any possibility of developing a trust between us. The identity of Baron Chessmaster will forever be lost to you. Trust me when I say this. You’ll have the most to gain if you honour this white flag and we’ve nothing to lose if you don’t,” answered the elderly lady.
Ray stood silent for a while. His mind was b
usy analysing her cryptic words and contemplating whether he should trust her or not. But she had clearly trusted him enough to approach him unarmed and in doing so, surrounded herself with a large number of enemies. And she was asking that that trust be reciprocated. But could he trust her? She was an assassin after all. A cold blooded killer. One who had no loyalties to anyone, or anything; except money!
“Truce _ we will honour of this, therefore, you are safe in our camp. Hungry _ you look of this, and tired too; so my subordinates shall bring to you food and drinks and you may rest in one of our tents. Ready _ when you are of this you may call for me and then we can negotiate,” said Ray, curiosity getting the better of him.
“I’m glad I didn’t misplace my trust in you. By the way, I’m Eclipse Menox, one of the Ten Founders of the Shadow Deathmerchant Clan,” said the elderly woman.
“Minvian Ray Iddell,” was Ray’s only answer.
He said nothing else to either Dawn or Eclipse, but nodded to his subordinates to escort the two assassins to receive the hospitality that he had offered them. His subordinates bowed. Ray reciprocated, turned and walked towards his tent. Convian Prodence was right behind him. Ray was very curious now, but he forced himself to remain patient. It could still be some sort of a trick.
“Watch _ do of this carefully to our guests, they are not to be trusted nor are they to be left alone, understand?” he said to Convian Prodence.
“Understand _ I do of this,” replied Convian Prodence.
By midday, a servian came to Ray with the news that Eclipse and Dawn were ready to talk. Ray instructed for the two assassins to be brought to him. A makeshift table and three foldable stools had already been prepared outside Ray’s tent. Ray sat patiently awaiting the two deadly ladies. Dawn and Eclipse arrived a few moments later. Eclipse portrayed a cheerful expression but Dawn’s expression remained unchanged since she got to the camp. Her face was an expression of gloom and anger. Her eyes were still red and moist. Ray knew something had seriously affected Dawn.