Chapter 1
Assassin
In a cold sweat, my silver bullet eyes opened wide piercing through the darkness. Distant screams and the scraping of clashing swords faded in my ears. Images of villager's homes burnt to the ground; the smell of fresh blood lingered in my nostrils.
A recurring nightmare that haunted me when I closed my eyes. No matter how many times it happened it still held control over my unconscious mind.
I glanced out the single window in my room, that allowed the silver moonlight to enter. Sitting up in the bed I slowly wipe my brow with the palm of my hand. I took a deep sigh of relief, combing my fingers in a single stroke through my slick jet black hair. Swiftly I moved my legs to the side of the bed, stepping onto the cold floor with my bare feet.
I stretched out my arms and arched my back, pulling the stiff muscles back into motion. Laid across an old wooden chest in front of the bed was my attire. A black fitted shirt, covered with a hooded cloak of the same color. Black leather gloves that left my fingers exposed.
To disguise my identity I wore a black balaclava scarf covering my nose and mouth. My bottoms were black buckled strapped pants. Used to hoist two long daggers on each side of my thighs. My footwear was black leather boots.
I quickly dressed before exiting the quiet dark room; walking down a narrow hallway to the front entrance where an older man sat behind a counter, nodding off to sleep.
Reaching into my pocket I laid five golden coins on the counter to pay for my stay, before disappearing through the front door. The soft whips of the wind whistled, as the dust particles swirled about the dirt road; while the full moon hung boldly in the night sky.
The streets laid empty and silent, as the town people slept warm in their beds. I ventured north of the town, the tail of my black hooded cloak flowing slowly behind me. A mysterious man awaited in a vacant alley. We would meet but exchange no words.
He discreetly handed me a folded note while looking cautiously to ensure we weren't being watched. I opened and read the hidden message given to me by the unknown messenger.
Followed by a nod of agreement and exchange of coins we quickly went our separate ways. Now with my new mission in hand; I headed towards the outskirts of the town.
Placing two fingers to my mouth I blew out a high pitch whistle. Suddenly sounds of horse hove in the distance galloped towards me. A large black stallion approached me, as it's long shiny mane bounced with grace. I gave it a soothing pat on the side before mounting him.
"Yah!" I shouted as I took off through the gate of the town entering into the open field of Zanevia. The kingdom of the most powerful king of that time, but also the most hated. I took the job out of interest, but mainly to get closer to the king who I held a personal grudge against. I wouldn't dare pass up the chance to get my revenge, even if it meant breaking one of my codes.
Zanevia's field was the central region that lead to all the prominent locations of the kingdom; as well as other villages, market places, lakes, and the endless forest. Surrounded by miles of grassy open plains and in the far distance tall mountains reaching the red and orange sky of the sunrise.
Traveling at a fast pace, I detoured off the road and headed for a nearby weapon shop to restock before pursuing my task. I was greeted by a young boy with dirty blonde hair and dull chestnut eyes.
"Morning sir, are you looking to buy or sell?" The boy asked cheerfully.
I glanced at him and pointed out the items I requested. Five shuriken blades, three smoke bombs and extra arrows for my bow. I handed the kid a hand full of money without counting it, then packed my weapons on my horse.
"Sir wait this is far too much!" The boy shouted to me as I mounted my horse to ride away. I gave the boy a nonchalant wave not turning my back, assuring the kid it wasn't a mistake.
"Thank you... come again. Papa...papa!" The little boy shouted as he ran to show his father the generous gift from the mysterious stranger. He held a large number of gold coins in the palm of his small dirty hands. Both of their eyes glisten with excitement for they were very poor.
It was a habit of mine to overpay to those in need. It wasn't clear if I did it out of pity or just had so much money I didn't have a need for it.
Whatever the reason it soon became a rumor amongst the lower class; of a tall mysterious man in black that paid them freehandedly for their goods. However, no one would ever guess that same man to be the deadliest killer known to the land.
I journeyed to my next destination which took half a day to travel. I reached the lively and flourishing kingdom of Ambriel.
It was famous for its large statues made of marble of beautiful angelic women, and strong young warriors posing throughout the city. With grand tall buildings that sparkled in the sun, it was a modern-day city for its time.
It was given the nickname the white castle for its clean colors of white and gold, most of the residence wore fine clothes of the same colors. However all the white and gold could not cover the darkness that hovered over the kingdom.
The fake smiles and happy faces of the people was all a facade. The city only appeared to be beautiful and great, but on the inside, it had a rotting core.
Regardless, my dark attire would stick out like a sore thumb if I were to enter through the front gate during the day.
So I opted to stay hidden outside the city walls and observe from above until nightfall. I pulled the folded note from my pocket and read the description of my next target.
My grey eyes narrowed at the name as my jaw clenched in frustration. I was usually more careful than this, but it seemed my judgment was clouded when I saw the name of the King's city. In which I didn't even bother to look at the name of the actual target.
Princess Adeliza Esperenza
Age: 18
Weight: 125
Height: 5"2
Hair color: Dark brown
Eye color: Blue
As I scanned over the details I wondered to myself why would someone want the Princess dead. It didn't seem to make much sense. The king was always in the limelight, but you never saw the Princess. It was almost like she didn't even exist.
So, why was she being targeted? I allowed my mind to ponder a bit longer until I ripped out my thoughts from the loud cheers I heard coming from the city.
Curious to see what was causing all the commotion I peered over the wall, being sure to remain unseen. With precise precision, I swiftly jumped from rooftop to rooftop to get a better view.
Once I found a hidden spot I crouched down on the ledge, looking down over the people. I watched carefully as I saw a luxurious golden carriage with royal red fabric ride through the crowd of people.
I didn't have to guess who it was; King Hector the most feared man in the region. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the edge of the roof, holding back my rage. It took everything in me not to jump down and slaughter the King right then and there.
The muscle in my jaw stiffened as my teeth slowly grind from the graphic thoughts of what I would do once I got my hands on him. When the carriage came to a halt I watched like a hawk as a servant went to open the door. Anxiously, I waited to see the King appear, but instead, it was a young woman.
Unlike those around her, she was dressed in a black sheer open back gown. Which complimented her long raven hair that was braided to one side. She was accessorized with a glamorous golden hairpiece that took place of her crown, and golden jewels that covered her exposed flawless skin on her back.
She stood out from all the white and gold colors that surrounded her, furthermore, she was brighter than them all. I carefully took in her features one by one. A young woman with dark hair and blue eyes, it was all adding up.
It's her... My target, the Princess of Ambriel. I thought to myself as my silver eyes continued to watch her from above.
Gentle like a dove, calm as the sea. Her beautiful angelic eyes called out to me. Why would anyone want to cut the roots of such a delicate and rare flower? It wasn't just her beauty that got my attention, but the light that surrounded her in a world of evil and darkness. She carried such grace and elegance, with a pure untainted soul.
Unlike her father; that I made my personal mission to end his life with my bare hands.However it was her life I agreed to take, but for some odd reason after seeing her, I felt I made a big mistake. I began to lean forward off the ledge; as I watched her walk away into the crowd, highly protected by guards and knights.
She was untouchable, and was treated like this was a special event for her to venture outside the castle. It was like a festival, as people cheered and dance. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she slowly disappeared from my view. I quickly switched locations to a dark vacant alley; still keeping my distance and remaining unseen. I kept my vision locked on her, studying her every move.
She had such a warm smile as she greeted her people. Yet as I continued to examine her, I noticed a hint of sadness that twinkled in her eyes; which she desperately tried to hide. Her people genuinely received her as their eyes glisten with admiration. It wasn't a show or a facade. She was truly loved by them all, so who would pay to have her killed?
Is she hiding something behind those stunning cyan eyes? Or was it just a wicked jealous soul; who wish death upon an innocent young girl. I had to find out the truth before taking her life. If she was free of any crime that she appeared to be; then I would spare her, and not have to break my creed of codes.
Nevertheless, if she was anything like her father I would take great pleasure in ending her life with the edge of my blade. For my hatred for him was beyond any and everything I could ever imagine. The deep root of bitterness encased the stone of my heart; falling into a void of darkness with no hope, nor light, only... revenge.
