City of Assassins

by Farah Cook

  “We must get Nora.” The concern in Mina’s eyes is visible.

  “It’s not going to be easy. We need to think this through first. I will keep an eye on the tribesman. He is going to sell her in the morning.”

  “Nora, slave?”

  “Yes.” I sigh. “She might have suffered trauma. Her eyes were hollow and dark. Her body weak but not broken. She will be okay; she’s strong and will know what to do.”

  “Why Nora no come to you?”

  “She wasn’t herself. She wasn’t smiling or happy to see me. She was questioning who I was. If she’d recognized me, I’m sure she’d have found a way to cut lose and find us.”

  “Nora, no memory.”

  “Yes. That’s the only explanation. I do believe she felt something when she saw me because she noticed me. She must be confused.”

  Mina and I have been hiding inside the city for nearly one month. We were lucky we didn’t end up slaves. They must have caught Nora just outside the desert reef, the only point of life before entering the Sand Valley of Death.

  “What we do, Frederick?” Mina is nervous and so am I. It’s going to be more dangerous than I imagined to free her.

  “I used my heightened senses and overheard the tribesman’s wish to sell her to the assassins. He’s no fool. He knows they pay a better price for strong slaves. The brothels and whorehouses are lucky. Nora would kill them in a matter of seconds if they were to take her there.”

  “Why tribesman take Nora to assassins? Kill them too. Assassins dead. Nora hold Sword. Frederick? Frederick” She yanks my cape hard like a desperate child.

  “He has to if he wants to cover his cost for buying her,” I say. “Mina, I need your help to keep a watch on the tribesman’s house. We’ll follow him when he brings Nora to the assassins.”

  Mina looks confused. “Tribesman dumb. Might change mind. Sell Nora to housekeeping.”

  “He wouldn’t. Nora doesn’t look like a typical slave girl, ready to cook meals and keep a master’s house clean.”

  “Nora fight with tribesman, kill him?”

  “I am convinced she cannot remember anything. Maybe that’s a good thing, as she will resist less. When we landed in that horse dung, I, too, had a minor memory loss but recovered swiftly. You remember that don’t you, Mina? If Nora suffers memory loss, she will recover. She has to or else we might have a problem getting the weapons from the assassins.”

  Mina’s eyes grow narrow. I can almost see what she’s thinking. Nora is defiant. She always was. She has an edge about her that says, “I’m not taking crap from anyone.” That’s what drew me to her when I first saw her—her rawness. Her stubbornness and willingness no matter what the odds are. Mina sees that too, and I am sure so did the tribesman. They are fighters, strong men. Hardly ever any women are brought and bringing Nora will raise questions. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. We want to go unnoticed for as long as we can and find the Rebels to get out of Arres with the weapons.

  “You no worry,” says Mina and stares at me as if she understands what’s going through my mind, She’s bound to both me and to Nora, the wonderful creature that she is. She’s shown her loyalty, which gives her purpose. She stares at me with her large beetle eyes. “We get to Nora. If not, Nora come to us.”

  “Don’t do anything that will blow our cover, Mina. We’ve kept quiet and safe from the eyes of the curious crowds in the city.”

  “Nora must come.”

  “She will; she’s smart,” I say. “I’ve made eye contact with her, and she will come looking for me. I can feel it.”

  My body lies restless all night. I want to go to the tribesman’s house to see Nora again. I could say that I want to buy her, but I don’t have the money, and he will suspect something if I show up unannounced. It would do more harm than good. I wish I had the power of manipulation in Arres. I feel useless.

  He is trying to get rid of Nora as quickly as possible to avoid caring for a deeply troubled slave girl. That’s what she is in his eyes. He’s the key trader of Arres, and all slaves that come from the desert pass through him, except for the ones that go straight to the infamous brothels.

  For weeks, I’ve kept watch on people and events in the City of Assassins. I may not be the great Rognvald Viking with black magic, but I have other powers that allow me to hear, see, and smell things that go unnoticed by others.

  The Emperor’s bloodthirsty desert huntsmen leave the castle grounds freely while all other citizens need permission. How we shall ever return to the Triangle, I have no clue. We are relying on finding the Rebels to get us back. I hear people speak of them, but have not seen a sign of them.

  It is our good fortune that Mina and I landed inside the city walls. The Triangle doesn’t even exist in this world, but in Arres I have supernatural strength, and it is all we need to get by. I have powers and a strength I am getting to know, which is the only reason we have survived the past weeks. I hear danger lurking, people whispering, and scents and smells from miles away.

  The moment we walked through that door leaving the City of Vikings a heavy storm swept me away. Nora was suddenly far from my reach. I became unconscious and when I opened my eyes, I was lying next to horse dung with Mina by my side. Everything was different just as the wizard had predicted. The thick air is perfumed with deadly spices. The people are ruthless. Arrians kill without guilt, without hesitation. I’ve seen traders kill young children for stealing dry fruits from the market.

  Who would have known an ancient world like Arres existed between time lapses? Who would ever have imagined the assassin weapons are kept in the past? Without a doubt, this mission will be difficult. Can we rely on the mysterious rebels? I don’t want to be trapped here among these uncivilized people. They lack all morality, ethics, and manners and are no different to animals. We need the weapons fast. I pray to the gods the assassins accept the trade and take in Nora.

  I’ve heard plenty rumors. The Arrians gossip about the assassins. They call them ruthless, merciless barbarians from the North. They kill people in the most unimaginable ways—carving up the bodies of those who dare resist against the rules of the Emperor. Beheaded bodies are hung on stakes and left to rot in the desert. Animals eat their raw flesh. Heads of men, women, and children are on spikes and countless dry skulls and bones decorate the tall walls of the castle grounds. I’ve seen the assassins from the deserted tower. Their watch and security is weak. They know anyone entering their territory will face a horrible death. No one dares or is foolish enough, except us.

  It is hard to believe we descend from the assassins. For five hundred years, our line was unbroken, almost sacred. We’ve had to keep the one secret we are now ironically missioned to reveal—the weapons. They carry our legacy. We have to succeed. In the time I’ve been in Arres with Mina gathering information, I have not heard people speak or mention much about the weapons. That’s a good sign. In a city like this, everyone gossips. They talk mainly about the Emperor and his apparent strength visible in the brutal army he keeps controlled by the barbarians from the North aka. The assassins.

  According to legend the assassins forged four magnificent weapons to empower their greatness: The assassin sword, which Nora was given, slays anything by the power of magic, and a weapon that enlarges and reduces to combat any size and shape of enemy; A powerful shield, forged with a secret layer of protection against attacks. If faced with an army of thousands of men, if one has the shield one can walk unharmed through any battle; A spear that never misses its target, no matter how far the distance and how large or small the object aimed at; And an axe with a blade so sharp, it cuts through anything, just like Thor’s hammer.

  I’ve only read ancient tales about the weapons. After Ragnarok, the terrible war that destroyed the world of the past, the Triangle came together Peace was sworn among the clans. War was frowned upon. When the Verans took control, the transition led to a silent shift in power, and the Goths remained but only as a submissive entity, a threat. They’ve
been trying to regain power ever since.

  Should Nora fail, everything will be lost. Lord Nourusa will take the throne of Midgard, and the Verans will become stronger. They saw this coming. War will be a reality. The clan who holds supreme power will not want to give it up. They outsmarted everyone long before the weapons were in question. The summoning of the old Viking lord, Nourusa, who is powerful and cruel, makes me question my clan.

  Soon Nourusa will be strong enough to wipe out those he considers a threat. He will be hard to defeat, even with Magnus as leader. Rumor has it Magnus holds Odin’s lost eye, and it sees everything. If that’s true, then he has access to a great source of wisdom. Magnus strikes me as a reasonable man and not someone that wants war. He’s also a man of ethics and rules. He’d prepare Jarls to chase us as soon as he gets news of our return. I have a feeling he’s up to something. He’d know from Odin’s eye what we plan to do.

  Should Nourusa come to rule, the world will fall into darkness and eternal suffering. Life in the Triangle will become a horror. Everyone will be a slave to the dark lord. The East, where Nora grew up, will no longer exist. Everything will disappear, the green forests and meadows. The clear blue sky will bleed.

  I am not sure how to feel about my own misfortune—my crisis, which I have suppressed. Ever since I learned that I might not be a Veran but of Goth descent, I’ve been living in a shadow. Suddenly, all I thought I was might no longer be. Am I someone’s brother? Someone’s son? Lord Wilhelm who raised me as his own, is he not my father? He taught me everything about our past as Vikings. Tommy was never cut out to do what he had in mind. I never questioned why I was different. Could Nora really be my sister? I don’t want to believe it. But I may have to fake it, to get as far as I can on this journey.

  I am not sure if I can stand up to the clan that raised me as their son and step away as leader from my dynasty. I can’t deceive the ones that trust me the most. How can I stop loving the girl I cannot live without? The girl who reminds me of who I am—a Viking warrior. I’d rather run away than face the demons. Nora and I will become outlaws and fugitives when we return. We will not submit ourselves to the Triangle’s cruel rulers.

  I’ve traveled to the City of Assassins to take what belongs to us. I am learning new things about the assassins, and it is not pretty. Their grim past of killings, power, and greed is what lies hidden in the veins of our clans who strive to achieve absolute power.

  I’ve heard the story countless times from the Arrians. It all began when the Emperor Justus Markus, took in three warriors that came from the North. He offered them everything they wanted in return for their sworn loyalty to protect his lands that faced the threat of the Rebels—a threat that has been growing. Arrians speak of them as if they were inhuman and odd creatures. With their fearless and mighty powers, the three warriors brutally killed some of the Rebels, those posing a threat to the Emperor and his kingdom. They forged the most powerful weapons and keep control of the City of Assassins, the thriving desert capital.

  Despite the assassin’s known brutality, inside and outside the castle walls the rebellion group is growing. They are becoming a greater threat to Arres every day. They call themselves Freedom Seekers. Justus Markus will have none of it. He makes all the rules in his desert kingdoms. There’s a water supply from a large well on the rocky mountain peak, known as the Eternity Well. The water feeds the city. An eastern tribe brings animals and other trades into the castle from beyond the reef on flying horses. But that’s not it; there’s something more.

  Something supernatural is looming. I can’t explain it, but I sense it. It may not be obvious, and if the Emperor was a powerful magician or had a source of magic, then why raise and train an army to spellbind the assassins? Why not rule solely. Build his own army? He needs something from the assassins. They might be the source that feeds the city. Evil perhaps? Maybe the Emperor needs the assassins to fend off the Rebels.

  They are breeding a legion of brutal soldiers, and the tribesman is taking Nora there to join them. The training is tough and has killed eight out of ten trainees. It’s incredible what I’ve learned in one month while snooping around with Mina. People chatter. The women in corners of the bazaars whisper. The salesmen gossip with their customers. Even the children shout out things to one another. I’ve picked up everything with my raw new senses. Mina also keeps her eyes and ears open. Together, we’ve made it this far. Now that Nora is here, it’s time we strike our target.

  Whenever the desert wind blows, Mina knows. Nothing escapes her, and I’ve learned to follow her lead. The psychic strength I have gained in Arres has given us cover. Every time I sense someone approaching, I use my powers to escape quicker than the wind. From our appearances, we’re obviously not locals and certainly not slaves. In any case, it has kept us safe. We’ve gotten by inside the city surviving without being questioned because we’ve kept hidden in a secret place, fallen and deserted behind the bazaars that no one cares much for.

  Black magic cannot be used in Arres, as only some spells work in the ancient world. I’ve discovered that I have enormous strength in this world. I can walk and run faster than average. My ability to sense things is much stronger. The other day at the bazar, I picked up a ceramic pot with pickles and crushed it into dust. I escaped the scene before the trader could turn around. I didn’t mean for it to happen. It just did. In the Triangle, my powers were not as strong; I could barely lift off the ground or crush things with one hand. Nora, on the other hand, had something special, and I wonder what powers she is hiding in Arres. I fear for her. Yggdrasil will soon spread her roots to the Nine Worlds. Nora needs to be prepared for receiving the runes.

  I remember when I first saw Nora at Dock Harbor, those bright green eyes. She hid her strengths and abilities. She was like a child growing up among lions to become a lioness. Stronger, better, faster than any of us. She was driven by her conviction and determination to find Robert Hunt, the man who failed her. She deserved better. And I’ve sworn to myself I will love her and protect her until I die.

  Yet Nora is always a step ahead of me. She’s saved me countless times. I feel for her and what she’s been through and is still going through. Just like Nora, I feel my life was built on a lie, and it is devastating. I am Lord Wilhelm’s most precious asset. I will seek justice when I return to the Triangle. Well, if I return from this cursed city.

  The dry wind blows from the small window in the dark hole where Mina and I still hide, but the wind doesn’t smell of rock or sand or even rotten corpses. It smells tangy and sharp. Familiar. Wild flowers. Just as I shift to my side, I feel the pointed edge of the steel against my neck, moving slowly and drawing a fine line of blood.

  “If you move, I’ll cut through the pulse in your throat.”

  There’s no mistake, and even in the darkness, I see those beautiful green eyes glow. I knew she’d come seeking me; she is, after all, a Viking assassin.

  10

  NORA

  THE HAIR AT the back of my neck rises when I hear them whisper of the creatures that haunt the desert outside the walls. They speak of rare breeds of creatures that carry a dead spirit and eat women, men, and children alive to gain possession of their mortal souls. I’ve never laid eyes on one as far as I can remember from the time I spent in the desert. But the stories they tell alone are enough to evoke nightmares. These creatures have claws, sharp fangs, and have the ability to talk. They are the reason the assassins are building an army. The creatures are known as Rebels.

  From the curtain slit, Vance’s enormous shadow appears. He moves heavily across the room. I see him take off his leather gloves, which he hands to one of the women that tied me up at the back chamber, where I’ve been sitting for hours trying to remember anything about who I am and how I came to be here. But I still remember nothing.

  Vance cracks his fingers and sighs as their whispers dim with the fading candles on the table. His face is puffy and the demons are dancing in the darkness of his eyes. He looks worried,
like he’s witnessed some terrible crime. The woman puts a hand on his shoulder.

  “What did they do to them?” She speaks in a low voice as I continue to listen in. I realize that I hear them speak as if they were standing right next to me. At this distance, I shouldn’t be able to hear them at all. I sharpen my focus and hear Vance reply.

  “They buried them, Petra. Buried all four of them alive in the desert.” He wipes the sweat from his forehead. I see his bloodshot eyes.

  “I helped dig their graves before closing the stone coffins to muffle their screams. They were all buried alive.”

  Cold shivers run down my spine. How can anyone be so heartless? I don’t want to listen in, but I can’t turn off the volume, which only seems to be amplifying inside my head. There’s no door between us, only a thin, flimsy curtain with a slit long enough to see some of their expressions and movements. I realize I am not ordinary. But what is ordinary in a damned place like this?

  The woman covers her mouth with her hands and steps back. She says nothing. Vance goes on, his gaze locked on to the dirt underneath him.

  “The Emperor’s will is the will of the sky god, Zohra, who chose him as ruler of this holy land and higher King of the kingdom of Arres. The god gave him a vision he still keeps secret from the Arrians. This vision must be the reason for his demonic acts. I saw him with my own eyes as he held his sword across the newborn necks of his daughters. He could not do it. We, the tribesmen know the desert. We were asked to bury his daughters, and so we did. I wish for no one to ever commit such a crime.”

  “You had no choice. Had you not done it—” The woman stops. She clasps her hands over her head and says in a muffled voice, “It might have been all of us in those stone coffins.”