The Assassin's Blade

by H J Peterson

  Adelric shook his head. “Musician, actually.”

  “Explains why you have such delicate little fingers,” Aki said. He held his hand up and made a ball of water condense in the air in his hand.

  The ball hardened into a solid block of ice, and Aki threw it at him, hard.

  Adelric tried to get out of the way, but he wasn’t fast enough: he didn’t have much strength in him left, anymore. The ice hit him square in the shoulder, hard.

  There was a very loud pop, and a bolt of pain went through his body.

  Adelric yelped, grabbing his shoulder, sinking to the ground. He had no doubt that last hit had dislocated his shoulder.

  “No fire? Nothing?” Aki sighed. “Klara’s told me all about you, but I’d always assumed that she was exaggerating.”

  He looked up at where Klara had gone, scratching the back of his neck. “Doesn’t look like Klara will be finishing up any time soon, does it?” He looked back at Adelric and pulled a pistol out. “I’m done with this: I think you’d agree that it’s about time I finished you off.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut.

  A gun went off.

  And yet… he didn’t feel anything. Shouldn’t he be in a lot of pain or something?

  Because if this was how it felt to die of a gunshot, then it wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought it would be.

  Finally, though, he opened his eyes.

  Aki was on the ground, grabbing at his stomach. Hiro stood behind him, her pistol leveled at her brother. And behind her still were that Eltz boy and his wife and their body guard. All of them looked beat up: Hiro even had a…

  “Did you get shot?” Adelric croaked as Hiro came over and helped him up.

  “I’ll be fine,” Hiro said, helping him up. Wincing. “I think it’s about time we got out of here.”

  “How are we going to do that?” Adelric asked.

  Hiro got a smirk on her face, and he suddenly got a very, very bad feeling about this idea.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  She looked over at the body guard. What was his name? Maddox?

  “You ever ride a steam bike, before? And can one of you lordlings drive a car?”

  LXVI. FRIEDRICH

  Maddox had, in fact, ridden a steam bike, before. And, as it turned out, Katalin knew how to drive a car.

  “When did you learn to drive a car?” Friedrich asked as the two of them hopped into a car that had been abandoned by its owner. Luckily for them, the rebels had completely ignored the car.

  “I don’t think that’s the important question,” Katalin said as Maddox shoved Adelric into the back of the car. She looked over at Maddox. “What’s the plan?”

  “You’re going to step on it and follow us the second you see me and Hiro leave that alley,” Maddox said. “And you aren’t going to stop for anything: run people over if you have to.”

  Friedrich could feel the blood drain from his face at that suggestion, but Katalin didn’t: she just nodded.

  “Will do,” Katalin said. “Don’t get yourself killed.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  He shut the car door and sprinted over to the alleyway where Hiro had parked her bike earlier.

  Katalin started the car, the engine groaning to life beneath them. “Friedrich, I’m going to need you to do something for me.”

  “What is it?”

  “If people start coming at this car, I need you to shoot them.”

  Friedrich looked over at his wife, shocked and a little horrified. “W-what?”

  “Everyone out there is out to kill every noble they can find, and you’re high profile,” Katalin said. “I’m sure that the Archangel would award the person that possibly kills us. I’ll be focused on driving: I’ll need you to make sure nobody tries to kill us.”

  “We’re all going to die,” Adelric groaned from the back of the car.

  The bike with Hiro and Maddox on it launched out of the alleyway and tore a path through the crowd of rebels.

  Katalin put the car in gear and slammed her foot down on one of the pedals.

  The car zoomed forward faster than he could’ve imagined it.

  He found himself grabbing the handle in the door as the car raced through the streets of Königstadt, going faster than he would’ve though possible with the streets so crowded. Sure enough, just as Maddox had requested, Katalin didn’t stop for anything: her foot didn’t even go near the brakes. Thanks to Maddox, who was clearing a path by changing everyone else’s Orientation so they were standing on the walls, they had a straight shot through the streets: all Katalin had to do was keep up with Hiro on her steambike.

  And, surprisingly enough, that was a little difficult to do. The bike was able to go even faster through the streets than they were. Hiro took it fast enough that he knew that she would’ve been arrested for reckless driving in normal circumstances.

  Of course, those circumstances weren’t anywhere near normal.

  Friedrich pulled out his pistol and began to load it, silently cursing his shaking fingers. “D-do you know where we’re headed?”

  Katalin shook her head. “No idea.”

  Friedrich gave a look. “So what if we get separated? What then?”

  “That was kind of the point,” she said. “If one of us gets caught, we can’t lead the Archangel to the other. So, Hiro will tell them wherever they were going, while we head somewhere else, and we’ll likely tell them a different place from the one they’re headed to. That way, one of us will be able to escape all of this.”

  “So if one of us gets arrested…”

  “We leave them behind,” Katalin finished for him.

  Friedrich swallowed as the gravity of the situation fully hit him. The Archangel and his followers were going to do everything they could to track them all down and kill them. He was a fugitive, running from the law.

  “This is crazy,” he groaned, rubbing his temples. “This is absolutely insane.”

  Adelric chuckled in the back. “Lordling, you’re just scratching the surface of the underground life: things are just going to get crazier.”

  Friedrich had the suspicion that Adelric was a little too correct.

  LXVII. HIRO

  Faster.

  Faster!

  FASTER!

  That was the only thought that went through her head as she zipped through the streets of Königstadt.

  She took the bike fast, even faster than she had earlier in the day. She was going so fast, in fact, she questioned whether or not the bike would be able to hold out long enough to get them to the Hikari monastery a few miles away from the city center. The fact that she had to wind her way through the city, making sure that nobody would be able to follow them, made that even worse.

  Luckily for her, though, Maddox was able to clear the way for them. The Dodger, rather than hold onto her like a normal person, threw people to the side like rag dolls, changing the Orientation of everyone on the streets so they were on the walls. And, if she wasn’t mistaken, he was Orientating everyone towards objects farther up on the building. That way, they wouldn’t be in the way of Katalin’s car as it followed close behind. The man also threw off bullets as necessary, swinging his cutlass at anybody that tried to get close to the bike.

  She had to admit: it was rather impressive. He road like a cavalry man, confidently wrapping his legs around his seat on the bike.

  “This is crazy,” she heard Maddox saying over the sound of the engine and the roar of the wind in her ears. “Why did I agree to this, again?”

  “Oh, don’t complain,” Hiro responded. “I know you’re having fun back there.”

  She could almost see him smiling in her mind’s eye.

  “So, where are we headed?” Maddox asked. “Out of the city, I hope?”

  “Not quite,” Hiro said. “You know the Hikari monastery in town? That weird-looking building in the middle of that park.”

  “That’s what that is?” Maddox asked. “How do you know they’ll take
us in? I kind of thought the whole point of a monastery was to keep out the influences of the world. Aka, Gerechtists like myself, Katalin, Friedrich, and possibly A… Adri… that nervous kid.”

  “They don’t much care about that,” Hiro said. “According to Vorbereicher law, anyone who seeks asylum in a church–no matter the denomination–cannot be taken into custody. And the Archangel cares too much about getting on the people’s good side to change that law until he convinces the people it’s a good idea. We’ll be safe there until that law gets changed. And I certainly don’t plan on staying there that long.”

  “Got it,” Maddox said as they turned a corner a tad too sharply. Hiro nearly had to lay the bike down, but luckily for them, she still had enough control over the bike to keep it from tipping.

  Maddox let out a short stream of curses. Had their situation not been so serious, Hiro might have laughed.

  “I hate to be a backseat driver, but would you mind not doing that, again-”

  Suddenly, the bike went airborne, heading towards the wall.

  Hiro let out a shout as she did her best to correct the bike before they hit the wall.

  Luckily for both of them, though, Maddox was thinking along the same lines. He wrapped one arm around her and shifted his weight at the same time she did. Hiro swerved a bit as the bike hit the wall and nearly lost control altogether when the front tire hit a decorative feature on the façade of the building, but she was able to keep it upright.

  “What the hell was that?” Hiro asked as she concentrated on keeping the bike from tipping.

  Maddox cursed. He put his sword back in its sheathe and traded it out for the rifle slung over his shoulder. “Our friend’s back!”

  The Archangel.

  “Please, tell me you have a plan,” Hiro said as Maddox began to shoot at the Archangel.

  “Plan?” Maddox asked. “Don’t die.”

  He wrapped an arm around her, again. “Orientation change!”

  Sure enough, the second he said that, they began to drop back towards the ground.

  Another weight shift, and they were able to stay upright.

  “And what do you need me to do, exactly?” Hiro asked.

  “Keep driving,” Maddox said as he continued to shoot. She heard someone else start shooting, and Maddox cursed as bullets began to whiz right past them. Somehow, Hiro was able to not react too badly. “Keep driving, and don’t stop for anything-”

  Hiro felt something go through her side.

  She cursed and leaned forward. She could feel the bike start to tilt.

  Maddox cursed and grabbed the handlebars before the bike could fall over.

  “What the hell-” He began, until he noticed the bullet wound. “Hiro…”

  “Maddox, please tell me you know how to get to the monastery,” Hiro whispered. Oh, sweet heaven, it hurt!

  “Hope you don’t mind if we take the long way,” Maddox said as he made the bike go even faster. “We’ve got to lose our new friend.”

  LXVIII. FRIEDRICH

  Something was horribly wrong.

  Friedrich knew it the second he watched Hiro bend over and nearly lose control of the bike. And he had the horrible feeling that it had something to do with the gunshots he’d just heard.

  The bike slowed down for a brief second. Katalin cursed as she slammed down on the brake, before they could rear-end the bike.

  Friedrich nearly hit the front of the car. And poor Adelric, who didn’t actually have anything strapping him into the car, flew forward a little, smacking against the front seats, and ending up in the aisle between the back seats and the front seats.

  “DAMN IT!” He shrieked.

  Katalin glanced back at Adelric. “Oh, hush up!”

  “Let’s dislocate your shoulder and see how you like it-“

  Friedrich turned to face Adelric. “Don’t you dare threaten my wife like that-“

  Katalin’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “EVERYBODY, SHUT THE HELL UP!”

  The entire car got silent as Katalin put her foot on the pedal, again.

  “Now, listen up,” Katalin said. “We need to take care of that guy up there, or he’s going to kill us all.” She looked over at Friedrich. “You still have shots in that pistol?”

  Friedrich swallowed. “You want me to try and shoot him, don’t you?”

  Katalin nodded. “I can’t take the shot, obviously, but I’ll try and help. Take the shot, and I’ll do what I can to bend the bullet.”

  “If we’re depending on the lordling to kill the Archangel, we’re all dead,” Adelric groaned.

  Katalin jerked the car to the side, but just slightly. There was a loud band, and Adelric cursed as he hit his head on the car door.

  “Adelric, I think you’d be wise to remember that the wife of the lordling is the one driving the car,” Katalin threatened. She looked back at Friedrich. “You can do this, honey: I’ll help you.”

  “I think Adelric might have a bit of a point-” he began.

  “No he doesn’t,” Katalin said quickly. “I know that you haven’t always been on good terms with guns and violence and whatnot, but I know there’s a part of you that can do this. Find the Friedrich that followed me up to the roof while the rebels were attacking Eltz Manor and the one that threatened the Archangel with a sword and help me kill the bastard.”

  “Good luck with that,” Adelric piped up from his spot. “The guy up there is the Archangel, and he’s a pretty good Doc: bullets hardly slow him down-”

  “Shut up!” Katalin and Friedrich said in unison.

  Katalin turned to him, again. “Now, roll down your window, and we’ll shoot this guy, together.”

  Friedrich nodded and rolled down the window, letting in the wind.

  “Alright,” Friedrich said, taking aim at the man on the roof of the building that was still shooting at Maddox and Hiro. The Archangel, if Adelric were to be believed. “What do you want me to do, next?”

  “Take aim and tell me when you’re about to shoot,” Katalin said. “If you can, tell me how far off the bullet was, and in what direction it ended up going.”

  That simple? Sounded good.

  And so, Friedrich took aim, getting the Archangel’s head in his sights.

  “Firing!” Friedrich called.

  Katalin put her arm up to control the bullet, and he pulled the trigger.

  The bullet missed. It hit the ledge of the building, a little to the right of the Archangel.

  “How close was it?” Katalin asked as the Archangel turned his attention on them.

  Friedrich’s heart jumped into his throat as the Archangel took aim at them.

  “He’s firing!”

  The Archangel fired a second later, and the bullet smashed into the back window, nearly shattering the window, entirely.

  “O-our shot was low and to the right,” Friedrich said quickly as the Archangel took aim, again. He got his pistol up faster and called out: “Firing!”

  He pulled the trigger.

  That shot grazed his left shoulder. The Archangel, from what Friedrich could tell, didn’t even react.

  “That was to the left!” Friedrich said, looking back at Katalin. He couldn’t even hold the gun up right, he was shaking so badly. “Thatwastotheleft andifwedon’t makethenextshot we’reallgoingtodie and-”

  “Friedrich, I need you to take a deep breath and relax,” Katalin said. Her knuckles were practically white on the steering wheel, her entire body tense, but she still tried to speak calmly.

  The Archangel fired, again. This shot hit Friedrich’s door, but thank heaven, it didn’t go through the door.

  “Just… don’t think about it,” Katalin finally told her husband. “The more you think about it, the more nervous you’re going to get, and that’s not what we need, right now. I just want you to take a few deep breaths and pretend that the Archangel is a wooden target-”

  Another shot from the Archangel, one that hit in nearly the same spot. Friedrich had the feeling tha
t they were lucky that the bullet didn’t go right through the already weakened door.

  “You said that that last shot we did was a little to the left?” Katalin prompted, trying to get Friedrich to focus.

  “R-right,” Friedrich said, taking aim, again. “Firing!”

  He took another shot.

  That one hit: it hit a little too well, actually. It looked like… it looked like that last hit had taken the Archangel in the head.

  Immediately, Friedrich bent over, putting his head between his knees. Oh, he felt like he was going to be sick.

  Katalin looked over at him. “How was that? Was that a hit?”

  Friedrich nodded. “I… I think we took him in the head.”

  Katalin relaxed a little. “Friedrich, I know that this is probably a little tough for you, but I…”

  “It’s fine,” Friedrich said quickly. “Please just… just tell me that we’re close to… wherever we’re going.”

  Katalin looked forward and sat back in her seat. “I hope so: I certainly hope so.”

  LXIX. ADELRIC

  The rest of the drive passed by in relative silence. Once they got out of the city center, they didn’t have nearly as many people trying to attack and kill them. Adelric managed to get himself back up on the seats, even with his shoulder, and watched what was going on around him. Friedrich was looking down at his gun, fiddling with it. Adelric had the feeling that he kept thinking back on shooting and, possibly, killing the Archangel. Katalin was completely focused on what she was doing, her hands white on the steering wheel. The tension between them all could’ve been cut with a knife.

  Mostly, though, Adelric stared up at the roof of the car, thinking about everything he’d seen. Manfred II was dead, for sure. Whether or not the other heads of government were gone, though, was anyone’s guess. Who was emperor, now? He guessed that the Archangel was the emperor, now, but… who was the real emperor? He wasn’t all that familiar with the line of succession. If Lady von Braun had survived the ordeal, he guessed that she would be the rightful ruler of Vorbereich.