Someone entered her room, and Vessa woke immediately, but stayed still.
Male 102: 94%, Male 115: 97%
She’d never been a deep sleeper in the homes, but after her first trip to the Learning Center, she had woke to the slightest sound. It was more often Douwell trying to mess with her, but sometimes it was them testing her reflexes and while not all failures had led to the Center, some did.
The person’s footsteps lead to the desk and the sound of quiet rummaging ensued, then silence. Footsteps came over to her and she could hear and smell his breath. Quiet fast inhales and exhales of mint.
A hand hovered over hers and the file in her grasp. A slight tug at the file and then steps back and pacing. The door opened again and soft whispering ensued.
“Did you…”
“Tightly grasped.”
“Fuck.”
“do I do?”
“Nothing….. “
“yelled at,”
“… come on.”
Footsteps walking out and then the door shutting. Vessa did nothing, but she couldn’t fall asleep, so after waiting a couple moments, she got up and went to sit at the desk, skimming through the politics section.
All the while, Vessa wondered why they’d been after her file. To add more, or was there someone they no longer wanted dead? She hadn’t been informed much about Umbaan politics and the little she had heard did not give a reason. The Umbaan were in bed with the Casters and were struggling to keep magic secret as the Empire expanded further and further out. Some planets weren’t happy about it. Caster worlds had been forced to allow the Empire to conquer them in return for goods and services from the Umbaan.
She felt like she was missing so much, but there was nothing to be done for it. Vessa flipped to the child’s page. Just stared, feeling slightly sick. She began writing. If I don’t they’ll torture me over and over again. Then switched to sometimes we must do hard things, and it’s the nature of our curse.
Vessa pushed away from the table and looked out the window. It was too small for her to escape through. There was no escape. This was what she was. An assassin. It was her purpose. It was how she served her people, who fed and sheltered her. Who pointed her at righteous targets as to make her curse useful. Vessa could hear Douwell laughing. Saying that was just propaganda to keep her in line.
Vessa punched a wall.
“What choice do I have?” She asked no one and then sat down.
She just stared at the file until there was a knock at the door. She rose from the chair, stretched, and looked at the file on her desk and then at the door. Vessa pulled out her assignment book, put the file in between the pages and both went into her pocket, the book shrinking down to fit. It would be easier to keep track of the file this way, as others seemed to want it.
A knock at the door again and Vessa went to open it to the smiling Umbaan rep standing on the other side. His eyes were sharp, but his smile inviting. Vessa grasped his number again.
Male 544: 89%
“Good morning Vessa, how did you sleep?”
“Well enough.” She lied, and he nodded as his eyes scanned her room.
“I hope your room was satisfactory?” He asked, and she nodded again. His eyes tightened further and her stomach growled. He smiled as he gestured her out into the hall.
“We’ll have time to stop and get something to eat after the meeting.” He said as he led her down hallway after hallway. He opened the door and Vessa looked in.
There was a crescent table with ten people seated around it, as others stood directly behind chairs or at the back by the wall. They all stared at her. Vessa stepped back. Her heart racing. If she killed them all, then none could kill her. Vessa took a breath. The Umbaan rep guided Vessa through entrance and into the middle of the room with the table semi circling around her.
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All ten people seated had unreadable faces. Vessa almost reached for their numbers, but didn’t at the last second. As she was worried, she’d act on her nerves and have a room full of the dead. Vessa wasn’t sure what the Wishers would have to do to make up for that or what Castillo would do to her. Actually, she was sure what Castillo would do and it wouldn’t be pleasant.
“Welcome to Esaul?” A woman in the middle said, was her face worried?
“Thank you.” Vessa said.
“Who knew even assassins get stage freight?” An older man on the left said and Vessa turned to stare at him. Was that fear on his face? She couldn’t tell. When she saw fear, it usually wasn’t subtle.
“Heshan, be nice to our guest, as she is greatly helping us.” The woman in the middle said and Vessa turned back.
“I am sure the long ride has you not at your best. Hopefully, your accommodations will help.” The woman said, and Vessa nodded. Numbers pushing in at the edge of her mind as she tried to ignore them. It just occurred to Vessa she hadn’t often talk to a group of people. Except when she was killing them, like when she’d been sent to bring a prison back into order. Or at the Pantry, but then none of them had been like this and there had been people trying to kill them. Nothing like the threat of death to calm the nerves.
“Agnell, are we going to get into the meat of this meeting or you going to keep sweet talking?” Heshan said and Vessa realized the woman had been talking.
“I am sure she’d love to bring our guest back to her rooms.” A different woman on the right of the table said and there were laughs. Vessa breathed out. Trying to reorient. She needed a task. That would help keep her focused, calm. Calm was good. Calm didn’t kill a room full of people on accident. Calm did not grab the numbers humming in the mind and squash all of the noise.
“I would never make such an indiscretion, and I find being polite and welcoming the best policy, but very well. Vessa the reason we’ve asked you here today was for some clarity. We understand that your help was arranged between your people and the Casters.”
“Yes. That is correct.” Vessa said proud her voice sounded steady. How many people were here in this room anyway? 27 people her mind helpfully provided as it tried to get her to end them all, and while she was at it, why not take out everyone else in reach?
“That is good. Unfortunately, though, I don’t think either the Wishers or the Casters for as amazing as they are really understand what we need done.”
“The Umbaan rep said my information was outdated misinformation.” Vessa blurted and Agnell paused, a smile crookedly frozen on her face.
“Very helpful of Lamell.” A man next to Angell said and Vessa took another breath, as she failed to think of any task to keep her mind busy. Had the Umbaan rep told her his name? It sounded familiar.
“Ah yes, well, Lamell is right. It is outdated misinformation, and we would all like to look at your file to fix any issues if that would be alright?” Agnell finally said, and her smile went back to being friendly and open.
“The file will be passed around to all of us, correct?” A woman dressed in blue three seats down from Agnell asked.
“Of course, that is what I said.”
“One is never sure.” The woman in blue said.
“At any rate, Vessa would you mind bringing it out, so we all can look at it together?” Agnell said, turning to smile at the woman in blue. Vessa’s hand went to her pocket, pulling out her assignment book and grabbing the file within before putting the book back in her pocket.
“Ahhhh, what a wonderful place to ensure its safety.” Agnell said, did her eyes flicker to Lamell for a second? Vessa handed her file to the woman in blue. Who gave Vessa a surprised smile, much more genuine than Lamell’s or Agnell’s.
“So Vessa what are your intentions here on Esaul?” A young woman next to Heshan asked and Vessa fully turned to look at them, unsure of how to answer that.
“To murder people, girl. What do you think assassins do? Your parents must have mastered the art of fellatio on the Casters for you to be here,” Heshan said as Vessa froze.
“Heshan! This meeting will keep its decorum.” Agnell said and Vessa gave up trying to find a task and committed to just staying above water and not killing everyone.
“Decorum? As we plan cowardly murder with an unknown tool of the Casters and Wishers? Any decorum, we had died a two hundred and fifty years ago.” Heshan said, shaking his head.
‘‘I heartily disagree and would ask you to keep your tongue in check, as in line with your obligations.” Agnell said as she passed Vessa’s file to the left.
“I am sure there are a multitude of people who would ask you favors, that should simply fall under your obligations.” The woman in blue said, giving Vessa weird look of compassion and calculation. Though Vessa wasn’t sure. Her eyes catching Heshan’s as she fought a yawn.
“I will only murder those you tell me to.” Vessa said and then quickly gestured to the whole table, so no one would think she was just talking to Heshan. Vessa didn’t realize people in the back had been writing until the entire room went quiet. She did not think she was doing very well.
“That is good to hear Vessa.” Agnell said and Heshan harrumphed.
“It is true that they’ll torture you if you don’t succeed?” The young woman right next to Heshan asked as she handed him the file, and Vessa remembered what she had written on the child’s page over and over again. She hadn’t realized they’d want to see it. Castillo was going to have her tortured purely for how badly she’d botched this meeting.
“I am sure everything will be alright.” Agness said, her eyes almost devouring Vessa. What had changed?
“It appears even assassins aren’t keen on killing children. Never the less I see the need, and the Casters took our input and didn’t add anyone. I think this meeting can be over.” Heshan said and Agnell opened her mouth and then shut it and nodded.
“Of course. Vessa, Lamell will take you around the city today and you can begin your work tomorrow.” Agnell said, and Heshan held out Vessa’s file, his eyes unreadable.
It went back in between the pages of her assignment book and then into her pocket. Lamell guided her out of the room and the day became a blur around the city. Until Vessa was back in her room. Her mind spinning and nothing really remembered from the day. Tomorrow she’d get to work and then, soon after that, it would all be over.