Season of Keres(Season of Chaos)
Ethake, Kingdom of Ficheria
I suppose there were worse ways to go, at least he got to relax before I coated a blade with his blood. From my spot on the street I could see directly into my target’s house. I had been following him around for two weeks to make sure his schedule stayed consistent. It does. He is a very boring man. I wonder what he possibly could’ve done to make someone mad enough to kill him. But my job isn’t to ask questions. I sit on the street and peer through his window, it is stupid to keep it open with such a busy street outside it. Right now he is reading and drinking tea. I look around to make sure no one is watching and rub snow on my dress until it is clinging onto my body. I conjure up some tears and rub at my eyes.
I rush up to his door and knock frantically. He opens his door slightly annoyed. He looks at me and his gaze softens. Good, there is no need to think a girl like me is any danger.
“Are you okay Miss?” he asks me. I can hear he is still irritated by the interruption but is also worried about the girl at his doorstep. I sniff a bit and dab at my nose.
“My friend said that she would be back soon but I haven’t seen her in twenty-five minutes. I am just cold and a buggy splashed water all over me” I let out a strangled sob. The sob was the breaking point for him. He ushers me into his house and sits me by the fire. He goes to make me some tea.
I crack my neck and look around. I spot his dagger sitting on the table he was just reading at. Everyone in Vicris carries a dagger at all times, it’s tradition. It makes my job so much more fun. I get up and walk over to it. I test the sharpness against my finger. I click my tongue in disappointment, not very sharp but it will have to do.
He walks in with a cup of tea. I look up with his dagger still in my hand. He looks at me and his eyes flit from my face to his weapon in my hands. I giggle and bat my eyelashes at him. I am very glad I can’t see myself right now.
“What are your thoughts on the Assassin of Light? I think it’s a very tacky name” I drawl. My voice is different from everyone else in Vicris from all my time in the other kingdoms. I picked up all of the kingdom's distinct accents and it all mixed together to make my very own. It works to my advantage because when I am speaking no one can tell where I’m really from.
“I think that the person doing all of those things is evil and violent. They must be disposed of as soon as possible and His Highness Kanik Carlton is looking for them right now. He is going to find them and bring that person to justice” he responds. I widen my eyes and nod along as he speaks. When he finishes talking I sigh and put a hand over my heart. Pretty picture of innocence.
“Yes, you are right that person must be really wicked and should be killed. But you’re wrong about one thing- His Highness will never find me” I let the picture drop and let the coldness seep back into my body. There’s my girl, you know what to do, the chilling voice of my god floats through my head. I smile and twirl his dagger between my fingers. His eyebrows furrow and he shakes his head a little. Then he blinks a few times and looks at me. His mouth opens and closes like a fish. I take a few steps toward him. He tries to back away but stumbles. I shake my head. The ones who panic and trip never fight back.
“I was really looking forward to a fight” I whine. I caught him by the arm. I bring my other arm up and slash his throat. I let go of his arm once he starts to gasp and gurgle, choking on his own blood. He brings his hands to his neck trying to keep the blood in.
I can’t bring myself to wince or get sick like most people would but I do look away. Not because of the gory scene I just created but merely so he can have some privacy in his final moments. Watching someone die is a very intimate interaction and not one I am going to put myself through.
Once he falls I take one of his arms and slash the wrist, repeat the action on the other arm, and finally stab his own dagger into his heart.
Goodbye Lord Potemkin.
- - - - - - - -
Dardellin, Kingdom of Vicris
I sit at my desk staring absently at the paperwork on my desk. I sigh. I am not even the king yet and I already want to fake my death and run away. A worker walks in and fidgets with his hands. I look up and know I am about to get bad news. I make a hand motion for him to hurry up and talk.
“Your Highness, the Assassin of Light has struck again” he mumbles. My eyes dart up. I rub my hands against my temples. The Assassin of Light has been a thorn in my side for going on three years. After their third kill my father, the king, gave the job to me. He wanted me to find the person and get rid of them but so far nothing. He claimed to be too busy to take care of some vigilante.
“How do we even know this is all the same person?” I ask. Of course I already know the answer. I have read the reports over and over again at midnight.
“Because every murder is the exact same. One slice to the neck, both wrists sliced, and the victim’s own dagger stabbed in their chest” the servant recites off the information blankly. I already knew this but I needed to hear it from someone else. Of course there were other murders that we assumed were the work of the Assassin of Light but that was only speculation since they did not match the pattern.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
The name Assassin of Light came along when a spy of mine went to look at the scene and the body. He came back with a haunted look in his eyes and his teeth chattering. When I asked him what he saw all he said was that whoever had done that had also killed all light and warmth in the area. The memory still sent shivers down my spine.
“Who was it this time?” I ask. I looked at all the victims and I saw no parallels between them.
“Lord Potemkin in Ethake, Kingdom of Ficheria” his face remained stoic. I admire his ability to hide how he is feeling. I know that if I let the Assassin live much longer chaos will take over. We can’t keep these deaths hidden much longer.
I need to find the Assassin of Light and kill them.
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Mudyoto, Kingdom of Vicris
“Lysie! Job well-done darling!” Ezri cheers as I walk into his office. I roll my eyes as I pull the hood from my paper-straight, champagne-colored hair. Ezrix is my boss and more well known as The King of Cheats. Everyone knows that if you need someone gone or some information you shouldn't know, Ezrix is gonna have the person to do the job, at a price of course.
“Achlys to you. Why did you call me here? I still have blood under my nails and in my hair'' I snip. I swipe a handkerchief off his desk and use it to wipe the semi-dry crimson blood from my hands. Ezri chuckles.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, darling you have been trying to get me to call you by your birth name for three years and yet you are still my dear Lysie. Unless you prefer for me to call you Assassin Of Light” Ezrix jokes. I snarl at him but can’t help a slight twitch upwards on the corners of my lips because he’s right. I still remember the dark night in the alley where he found me, I had just fought an aristocrat for his dagger. I was bruised and battered but I had won, I had the weapon on my hip and Ezrix was impressed.
Almost immediately I became Ezrix’s favored spy, assassin, whatever you would like to call what I am. He helped me hone my senses and perfect my combat skills. He became almost like family to me but given my history with family it doesn’t mean much to me. Now nearing three and half years I still work for Ezrix but I can’t complain. I’m good at what I do and live well because of it.
“I hate that name. It is stupid and unoriginal. It sounds like it’s from a bad book” I snarl.
“Anywho, I know you just got back from a job but I have another one from you. I would give you a break but there is no time, I know how you like to prepare” he sounds almost apologetic but I can hear his urgency. I nod for him to continue.
“As you know the current king has two sons. Now the younger son, Prince Harlow Carlton, wants his older brother, Crown Prince Kanik Carlton, dead. Normally I don’t ask questions but this is a special circumstance. Prince Harlow wants the throne but only because of the fear of his brother leading us to our demise. And frankly, after my research, I agree” Ezrix explains. I narrow my eyes, cross my arms and lean against a wall. The picture of indifference.
“And what would that research consist of?” I question. I had my doubts as soon as he started talking about the royal family, but now he is speaking of killing the crown prince? He sounds mad.
“I sent Nyer Twilen in as a spy to monitor and report the actions of Prince Kanik. He found that he almost always has a glass in his hand with two fingers of his favorite liquor, he neglects his studies, and almost every night he has a different maiden slinking her way out of the castle. Based on that alone I feel no need to question Prince Harlow '' Ezrix explains quickly like if he doesn’t get the words out fast enough I will turn around and walk out. I just quirk a brow keeping my cards close to my chest, knowing I hold all the power. Even though walking out is exactly what I want to do.
“Achlys Eztli you are the only one with the right amount of skill and crazy to pull this off,” Ezrix says with as much dignity as a begging man can have. And now what can I say, I’m intrigued. But still, the very idea of me going anywhere near that castle is insane.
“Don’t insult me. We both know very well that I can’t step twenty miles into Dardellin without being recognized. The entire nobel court lives there” I finally snap. The whole reason I was out on the street was that my family sent me away because of lack of money, they didn’t want anyone in the court to know that they were running out of money. To them, I was no longer their daughter but just extra funds they couldn’t afford. Ezrix just gives me a small chuckle and it makes my skin crawl.
“My sweet Lysie, you deeply underestimate me. You will be attending White Winter Ball where the long lost daughter of the High Lord Chavac, Lady of the Court Achlys Ealan Eztli will be making her grand return while visiting home after her graduation” Ezrix explains proudly. I can feel the blood drain from my face. Now I truly believe he has gone mad and this time I tell him so.
“By the Gods! Have you gone truly insane? I really believe you have!” I burst. I scoff and shake my head. I have had enough of this nonsense. I turn to walk off. Ezrix jumps in front of me. I look at him in disbelief, he would be dead before he could say “stay” if I wanted out of this room. I know he knows this and something about him being willing to put himself in that position makes me stop anyway.
“Hear me out, your parents sent you off because of money issues but nobody else knew that. And after you left your parents just claimed they sent you to The School For Noble Maidens. Some of the nobles were planning your marriage to their sons. You are beautiful, smart, witty, rich as far as they knew, everything that anyone would have wanted. You were loved, Lysie. You will be instantly trusted and welcomed back into the court” Ezrix pleads with me. Part of me wants to snap his neck and then walk off without looking back. But again that little part of me that craves danger rears its ugly head.
Listen to him child, a voice from my shoulder whispers, you are a child of death for a reason. Prove it. I close my eyes and take a breath letting the words run over me.
“I’ve changed Ezrix, I’m not that loved little girl anymore” I speak softly. For once I feel like I don’t have control. The feeling makes me sick. Ezrix sighs and puts on his “dad face”. I mentally steel myself for a really bad pep talk.
“Achlys Eztli, you have been on over twenty-five missions for me. Each of which you had to assume a different persona. And you did, wonderfully. This one may hit a bit closer to home but all you have to do is pretend that shouldn’t be too hard right?” Ezrix lectures. I sigh. Of course, I don’t want to do it but I know I have to. This is probably the biggest job I’ve ever been offered. And if the prince is close to finding that I’m the Assassin of Light, all of his leads will die with him.
“Fine, I’ll do it, '' I snap. Now I decide to walk away and not look back.