City of Assassins

by Farah Cook

  “We would take the land of eternity that was forged hundreds of years ago by our ancestors and lost in battle. Arres is a portal to the past and where the assassins lived an afterlife in exchange for our loyalty. We took an oath never to harm the Goths. We’ve kept our side of the bargain. Frederick is no Goth. Yet we let him live with that creature in one of the fallen houses behind the markets. Oh yes, we knew about your arrival. How do you think you survived the desert all alone, Nora? Have you forgotten the mercy we showed you?”

  “Your oath has nothing to do with me.” I say. “I have my own battles to win.”

  “Let me remind you, Nora Hunt, you are an assassin by blood and by descent. We’ve kept our part of the deal, whereas your ancestors have suppressed us and driven us underground. Now, they are dead and all that stands between Arres and us is the Emperor. He’s a cruel and heartless man; you shouldn’t feel guilty killing him. His blood is cold, his soul black. He belongs in Helheim now and in all eternity.”

  “If we help you, will you keep your end of the bargain and help us when we need you?” I say looking into her eyes. “Will you get us out of here, and send us back to the Triangle?”

  “You still being alive is a sign that the Garms are not just a low ranked Klan but loyal and stick to their promise.”

  “So have the Goths,” I say. “You were given Arres.”

  “Arres came with baggage,” says Nezma. “The assassins were cursed to stay. Now that they’re dead the Emperor is weak and must be defeated. We will not trouble you about Midgard. We’ve waited long enough for Arres.”

  “What do you want me to do to the Emperor?” I say. “Should I murder him in his sleep, cut his throat in front of the very people that fear and worship him, or do you want a war?”

  “Nora,” whispers Frederick. “What are you doing? We should just leave. Like now!”

  “Wait,” I say. “We might need their help. We have no one else to rely on. The Garm Klan is better than nothing. If I help them they’ll get us straight into the Triangle.”

  “We don’t need them; we have the weapons.”

  “What if that’s not enough?” I say. “What if they don’t work in the Triangle?”

  “The sword does, so why not the remaining weapons?” he says. “Nora, please listen to me. We need to leave Arres; we’re putting far too much at risk for low-ranked creatures.”

  “Frederick, trust me. I’ll make it a swift kill, and then we’re out of here.”

  “While you’re at it, why not kill his entire army? It seems to me you enjoy killing. While you happen to be in Arres, why not collect the Emperor’s head for a souvenir? You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You have a thing for collecting human heads.”

  “You sound ridiculous,” I hiss. “What’s the matter with you? I need you to trust me.”

  “And I need you to listen to me,” says Frederick loudly. “But you never do. You’re just too stubborn, and now you’re becoming a stubborn killer. An assassin.”

  “Don’t go all soft on me,” I say. “You knew what you signed up for. Did you think any of this would be easy?”

  “No, I know it’s not,” says Frederick. “It’s not about easy. It’s about being fair. Where’s that girl from the East? The one who wouldn’t kill animals or other living creatures?”

  “That coming from you?” I say. “You use black magic, is that better?”

  “You don’t know what you’re getting us into,” says Frederick. Nezma is looking at me, her eyes wide and intense like she’s showed up to an uninvited party. “To hell with everything,” shouts Frederick, and I don’t think I’ve seen him angrier than he is now.

  19

  FREDERICK

  I’M FURIOUS. STEAMING. It makes no sense to form an alliance. We have the assassin weapons; it’s what we came for. Not the assassination of Justus Markus, his army, or any other political crap that Nora is getting us into. I still don’t trust the Garm Klan. Why haven’t we heard anything about the alliance before?

  Some part of me just wants to grab Nora’s hand and get us the hell out of here, and another wants to leave her behind. I feel as if she never listens.

  As we gear up to journey to the Emperor’s palace, I can’t help thinking that we may not get out of Arres alive. It will take us days to reach the southern tip. To gain time, we have to travel by air, and may risk being seen.

  Queen Nezma is half human with Mulhog blood. Although she looks nothing like an animal, her instincts are animalistic and she kills ruthlessly. She handles all the affairs of the Klan, but was unable to strike a deal with the assassins who refused to let them inhabit the holy land. That’s when they rose as Rebels and began killing the people of Arres, and the believers of the sky god, Zohra. According to their own legend, the Emperor was chosen by Zohra to rule Arres, and the rule cannot be given to savage animals.

  The Emperor rules as the higher King of the kingdom of Arres, and Zohra gave him a secret vision that no one knows the details of. Some say it’s the reason he kills every baby girl that’s born among his several wives, concubines, and mistresses who desperately want to give him a boy. No boy has been born for the past decade. Rumor has it he will die without an heir, and his kingdom will fall.

  The Garm Klan is not sitting around and waiting. Their Rebel group has been growing, but not as fast as the Emperor’s army. With the assassins dead, the barrier to take over City of Assassins is broken. I am not sure why the Garms don’t move their troops in. Are they afraid that the Emperor will defeat them? The assassins were his strength, and their loyalty was bought in return for power over the city they viciously ruled. The assassins killed many members of the Garm Klan and broke the trust that was established. The Garms are no fools. They knew of Nora and what she’s capable of. They need her to claim what is theirs. Without her and the weapons, the Emperor may not be defeated.

  We’re out of the City of Assassins, and the air is damp. The desert heat feels dry and cold. We head south, through isolated streets and abandoned houses. Nora has tried to hold my hand, but each time I break loose and walk ahead of her. We’re actually doing this– assassinating the Emperor. Is it a good thing? I don’t know. Whatever gets us back to the Triangle.

  We have to get past the main gateway and travel across the desert for days to make it south to the Emperor’s ruling land, Trinzantine. I’m assured there are means in place to get us there faster, but the Garms don’t reveal much. They are secretive, unpredictable. They are animals, I remind myself. We pass the gateway unusually fast, through a secret backdoor in one of the houses closer to the portal between the castle and the desert.

  The heat of the sand dunes and the cawing of the predatory birds are all I see and hear. For hours, we wander across the deadly rocky valleys. To begin with all we can see is red dust, and then in the distance we see caves and hollow canyons that stare at us like death. We walk into the mouth of this deadly gorge and continue our journey. We have little food and water and can’t go on for much longer.

  “What is this place?” I say. “Where are we going?

  “The port of time is hidden here,” says Queen Nezma. “It will take us straight to Trinzantine.”

  “How about the Triangle?” I say. “Can this port transport us home?”

  She’s quiet, but her silence speaks volumes.

  “It can take you anywhere,” she says. “But there are consequences.”

  “What consequences?” says Nora and leans in closer.

  “Your mind,” she says, “will be affected.”

  “You expect us to walk through the port and suffer brain damage,” I say.

  “It’s temporary,” she says. “In the worst case, you get out of touch with some of your emotions.”

  “What if I don’t want to,” I say.

  “Wait!” says Nora. “Why did you not tell us this before? You expect us to walk into Trinzantine and murder the Emperor, and we may not even know who we are or what we feel for one another?”

  “Y
ou have a choice,” says Queen Nezma. “Leave Arres now and return to the Triangle with the same consequences or—”

  “Or what?” I say.

  “Or help us release Arres from an evil Emperor who will not stop until he gets what he wants.”

  “What’s that?” says Nora. She holds her breath, her eyes wide. “By the gods, I know now… I know what he wants. You tricked us, you dirty animals.” She draws her sword, but the Garms have surrounded us and take away the weapons from Nora. We’re trapped and have no choice but to surrender.

  20

  NORA

  FREDERICK IS ANGRY with me, and I can feel his fury radiate like a burning torch. I want to hold his hand and tell him I am sorry for risking our lives. I cannot walk away from Arres knowing we could have done something to prevent the Emperor from killing innocent girls. The very thought makes me feel ill, and I need to know his reason for taking the lives of his own daughters. I want to look into his eyes before I slit his throat and ask why? I can’t explain the emotions I carry, but I feel the need to put things right. I feel responsible.

  An alliance with the Mulhogs could benefit Frederick and me. We don’t know what to expect when we return to the Triangle. We will not be met with a warm welcome after serving time away. I need this alliance. Besides I am accountable for keeping the promise that was made by the Goths, am I not? My ancestors viciously murdered Garm Klan members and threw them out of their own land. They’ve done us no harm. I understand Frederick’s troubled mind. We have the weapons. It’s the only thing we came for, why risk everything now? Frederick doesn’t trust the Mulhogs. He thinks they are hiding something, but they’ve not made an attempt to eat us yet. Should I be worried something bigger is at play? Is Frederick right and will the Mulhogs corner us? I doubt it. I don’t think that’s what they’re after. Animals don’t have that kind of intelligence. If they did they’d be ruling the world.

  We walk into a deep ghostly gorge leaving the hot spell of the desert dunes behind. The shade gives the air a subtle chill and my thirst and hunger disappears. After walking a great distance Frederick stops and demands that Queen Nezma tell us why we’re heading into the rocky mountain terrain. She says to get to Trinzantine quicker we’ll have to walk through the portal of time hidden inside the canyons.

  Frederick’s expression changes, and I sense danger as he persists in asking about returning to the Triangle via the portal. I can see why. We could walk through the door and forget about the Emperor, Arres, the assassins, and the Mulhogs. We need to go home and leave this eternal land. Anything else is madness, isn’t it?

  “Speak in the name of Odin,” he shouts. The sound of his voice echoes in the deadly valley. “Can we go back to the Triangle through that portal?”

  “You can go anywhere, if you know where you’re heading and have the right spells, but be aware of the consequences.” she says.

  I walk up close and look her straight in her golden eyes bright like miniature suns. I sense suppressed animal instincts, secrets and lies. She’s hiding something, but I don’t get a clear sense of what.

  “Consequences?” I say and tighten the grip around the hilt of my sword. The other weapons are fastened in a belt against my back. “You didn’t mention anything about that.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have, but I was afraid what it would mean if I did. Travel between time lapses has an effect on the mind,” she says. “You could lose your memory for a longer period, and the impact could also change certain feelings, simply because they get erased or replaced. Nothing is certain, and we try not to use the portal of time unless we absolutely have to.”

  Frederick is furious. He fears we’ll suffer permanent damage, but Queen Nezma assures us it’s only temporary. I have other worries. Why didn’t she tell us this before? What is she up to? Killing the Emperor to stop his insanity is one thing, but it’s another to suffer unknown consequences. I’ve already lost my memory once. What will happen the second time I walk past the time portal?

  “Why did you keep it a secret?” I say keeping my voice controlled.

  “You are here because you want to be,” says Queen Nezma. “Leave Arres or—”

  “Or what?” I say.

  “Someone has to stop Justus Markus from getting what he wants,” she says. “Nora, you’re the last Viking assassin. It is your responsibility to set this right.”

  “What does he want?” I say. I thought he wanted a male heir. Why is he killing his own newborn daughters? Then it all becomes clear like rays of morning light. I hold my breath so I don’t explode. You fool, Nora! How could I have been so blind? Before I get to take out my sword the Mulhogs surround us and take away my weapons.

  “I never forced you,” says Queen Nezma, “I wanted the choice to be yours. You feel it now, don’t you? The urge to kill the Emperor, for he will not stop until he finds you.”

  “Nora, what’s going on?” says Frederick. “Why does he want to find you?”

  “You know what you need to do,” says Queen Nezma. “You’re the chosen assassin after your ancestors, the last of your kind. We’re just animals. We use our instincts, which is why you have to enter Trinzantine and do what your heart tells you to. If you don’t the risk remains and he will come after you. It’s only a matter of time till he finds out what you did to the assassins, to your own blood.”

  “Will someone tell me what I’ve missed?” Frederick’s voice is shrill.

  “The Emperor’s secret vision from the sky god Zohra, no one knows it, but there are rumors,” says Queen Nezma. “According to their own myth and legends Justus Markus was chosen to rule this holy land, but all great leaders fall one day, and the Emperor’s rule is threatened. We think the vision showed him his future murder committed by his own flesh and blood. A girl. That’s the only explanation we have for his ruthless killings. Other gossip suggests a girl of Viking assassin descent will bear him a son from divine light. The Emperor is rumored to be behind some secret killings of the newborn girls in Arres. The assassins were his army of protection against us, against the Arrians. He will never see it coming.”

  “See what coming?” says Frederick.

  “Nora Hunt,” she says. “Even if he does, she will only trick him.”

  “You sound too certain,” I say. “I am not going in there to seduce or carry some divine light to life. The deal is off.”

  “When the Emperor first set out to kill his newborn daughters to favor a male heir he hesitated, but only until the vision became clear in his mind. We cannot be sure of what he saw, but everything suggests he’s protecting himself from being assassinated.”

  “He kills the girls before they become a threat.” I say.

  “Do you want this madness to go on?” says Queen Nezma. “Nora, you can’t leave Arres without killing the Emperor first.”

  “Why did you not tell me sooner?” I say. “This changes everything.”

  “Nothing is purer, more impeccable than free will,” says Queen Nezma. “Had I forced you or mentioned this earlier your motives would have been driven by guilt and responsibility. Belief is driven by willpower and gives better results.”

  “You were afraid I’d bail on you like the Goths?”

  “You were going to as soon as you learned about the portal of time, were you not?”

  “Maybe,” I say. “But I am not going to now.”

  “Nora,” Frederick holds my hand. “Think carefully what you’re getting yourself into. Who knows what he saw in this vision of his. Don’t do this. Think about the time lapses. They can cause more than just memory loss.”

  “That is true,” says Queen Nezma. “Hallucinations can occur in rare cases. An open and vulnerable mind is prone to them.”

  “All this has a connection to me. Besides, I refuse to live with the guilt that I could have done something to stop him. Where does that leave the Triangle or Midgard? We don’t want to blend the past with the future. The Emperor has to die.”

  “Then do it,” says Frederick. �
��I’ll be by your side.” I look into his deep blue eyes and see hope, fear, and love. Most of all I see a reflection of my own determination.

  “Frederick must return to the Triangle,” says Queen Nezma. “The two of you will attract far too much attention and curiosity in Trinzantine. Nora’s advantage is her feminine charm which will serve well there to seduce the enemy if she has to.”

  “What do you mean?” I say.

  “You’ll see when you get there.” says Queen Nezma.

  “I’m going to Trinzantine with Nora no matter what.” says Frederick his voice firm.

  “Frederick, I think Queen Nezma is right. I need to do this on my own.”

  “Are you sure?” he says. “I can’t just let you do this alone.”

  I nod and look away so I don’t lose courage.

  “It’s time I put an end to the evil,” I say. “But we cannot lose the weapons. You have to bring them back. I’ll kill the evil monster somehow.”

  “If that’s what you want,” says Frederick. “But don’t let your bravery control your emotions. You don’t have to do this. You don’t owe the Garms or the people of Trinzantine anything. You are not responsible for your ancestor’s doings. They promised the land to The Garms. No one predicted the Emperor’s rule. His curse. We deserve to be returned home and be free. The Rebels made a promise to bring us there safely.”

  “I need to do this.” I say “We both know it’s the right thing to do.”

  “I do, but I don’t favor the right thing over your life,” says Frederick.

  “I will return, I promise you,” I say. “Do you believe me?”

  “I do.” says Frederick. “If that’s what you want then I will meet you in the City of Skies.” He stands tall looking strong, but I know deep inside he feels weak and afraid, just like me.

  “Get me to Trinzantine.” I say and stalk away, before I regret my decision.