Chapter 1: Sicarius

  I was running, the guards were right on my tail. I turned quickly to the left, to avoid hitting the brick wall of a house. Most of the guards made the turn, others didn't. I laughed as I saw them skid into the wall and fall into a puddle. I kept running at my relentless pace, to see that the guards had soon given up their chase.  I slowed and eventually came to a stop. I looked around at the grey, dismal city, and realized that I was just outside the castle walls. A dangerous place for an assassin to be, even if you worked with the Association.

A slight rain was falling, as usual; I walked the streets, looking for a vendor that was occupied by another customer. Right now I would do anything to get some food, but I had to keep a low profile. I had become too recognized here, a city known by the name of Erendain. But the vendors were clueless and easily tricked, making it a prime spot for someone like me to live.

I walked by a vendor that was occupied and snagged an apple with my blade. Then I found a quiet crevice where I would be blocked from the rain and the wind that had started to pick up. I took a big bite out of the apple and let the sweet flavour seep into my dried mouth before chewing and swallowing. I watched the rain as I ate and fingered at the paper I had concealed in my pocket.

  The cold was beginning to seep into my clothes and chill my bones. The rain had been dragging on for hours, it was stopping me from getting home, no doubt it was stopping my brother as well. The worst part was that I needed to see him, I had finally figured out the schedule that the palace guards were on.

I was hired four day ago to assassinate the King, so his daughter would take the throne; and we still had tons of planning to do. Abruptly the rain ceased, I looked out of the crevice I had been sitting in. There were no people on the streets, which was odd, even if it had been raining. I knew I should have stayed hidden for a while longer, but I needed get home. I slipped the remaining half of the apple into my pocket and walked out into the street.

  I was close to my house when I felt it; moist eyes, watching me. My hand nonchalantly slid to my assassin’s blade on the leather belt around my waist.  My hand rested on the shaft, letting the action of a back flip slice come into my mind. It wasn't long till I heard footsteps behind me. With ease, I kept my heart rate low as the person behind me quickened their pace. As their pace increased I still walked with my casual sway, not letting the actions around me distract me from my goal. I was about to turn around and attack the person, but I heard the sound of another person in the ally-way I had just passed. I turned around and saw the target fall to the ground with the remnants of a spell dissipating off his body.

  "Honestly sis, you have got to be more careful" the figure said.

  "Well excuse me for trying to get home with the plans.” I said, holding out the paper I had in my pocket.

 "It’s good that you have those. Tomorrow would be a lot harder without them.” The figure walked out of the shadows and put his hand on the paper.

  "Ah." I pulled the plans away, "Not until we get home. There might be guards about and I don’t want to be taken out before we start the mission.” I smiled. His face was shocked, but he managed a smile. Then he was surrounded by a black mist, and soon a wolf was standing in his place.

  "And you seem to have the nerve to tell me to be careful." I said to the wolf

  "Look" he said "you’re the assassin that was seen infiltrating the guards room in the palace, and I'm just a wizard registered as a traveling apprentice with the ministry."

  "That can turn into a wolf." I stated, with a small smile.

  "It's a blessing and a curse,” he sighed “now let's go home." The wolf started to pace in the direction of the palace.

“Um… Magia, other direction.” I said as I slid down a rail next to the steps in front of me. He turned and looked at me.

“I knew that…” Then he padded after me.

 

※

 

Today is the day I kill the king. My brother was practicing his magic in his room, and I was cleaning my favourite blade. But for some reason, despite all that was to happen today, the day seemed uneventful. As I put my whetstone away there was a knock on the door.

  "I'll get it" I said, getting up from the table, and putting my blade in the sheath that was around my waist. I opened the door; there was a magician in front of me. I could tell he was a grand master from the clothing he wore and the way he held himself. He also had an old tome in his had that read Advanced Spells for the Master Magician.

  "Hi" I said unenthusiastically.

  "Greetings young child, is Magia here?" he asked

  "Hey Magia... Fifth one this week" I called upstairs. The grand master came in the door and set his book on the kitchen table as he sat down in my seat. As he took a seat Magia came running down the stairs, almost falling on the last step. As usual, Magia’s hair was a mess, his clothes had patches in them, and his wizard hat was crooked, obviously pulled on at the last minute. This was usual until about noon, which often became an entertaining inconvenience for any master wizard that came looking to talk to him.

  "Who are you?" Magia asked sluggishly as he rubbed his eyes.

  "I am a master in wizardry,” he said pretentiously, “I was told to come here and speak with you, and no one else." he pointed at me with an old, slightly quivering, finger.

 "Well that's nice" he said "and why can’t she hear this?"

  "Because she is a mere human, and you are a wizard." He had spat out the she as an insult, and I was enraged by that, but I managed to stay calm.

  "Hey, Sicarius happens to be my twin sister, who also happens to be able to use magic." Magia said defensively, then continued “She just didn’t pursue Wizardry like me.”

  "What!" he said surprised “...Well then, let me properly introduce myself. I am the Wizard Master Aklin. And I am a wizard of earth magic. I- wait, if you two are twins, why don't you look alike?"

  "We are fraternal twins, not identical, you idiot." I said casually as I sat down at the table directly across from Aklin and continued to examine my blade.

“Did you just call me an idiot!?”

I inclined my head towards him, “Look who’s smart now…”

He ignored my statement and continued talking to Magia “Okay, anyway, I am here... Doesn’t Sicarius mean assassin?"

“Yes! Now get on with why you are here." Magia pleaded.

“I am here to help the Grand Wizard train you in magic; so that you can properly become his predecessor when the time comes.” Aklin finally managed to get out.

  "Well thanks, but no thanks. I prefer to practice on my own." Magia said. Aklin nodded kindly, and then left. I thought this odd, normally they persist more before leaving, but Magia didn’t seem distracted by it, so I set my focus back to the blade I had been sharpening.

 

※

 

  I was running through the castle, ten minutes away from completing my contract. I was behind on my schedule, and was supposed to be in the throne room five minutes ago. But I had seen something as I passed a room. To others it may have looked like two people guarding the youngest princess, but I saw an assassin in the room with the baby.

I stopped running and crept back to look through the doorway. There, almost invisible, was an assassin concealed in the shadows. He had his Blade drawn, and the guard in the room didn't see him. I focused on the blade and saw a black crystal on top. The color resembled the type of assassin he was, and he happened to be a starter of wars. Quickly I pulled out my blade and threw it at him. I was risking too much for all of this to be ruined by an assassin acting on his own behalf.

It hit the assassin, but drew the guard’s attention to me. The guard grabbed his spear and pointed it at me, I would have been intimidated, but his hands were shaking and there was a thin line of sweat running down his face. I walked into the room slowly, and with my hands up, I bent down next to the dead assassin and grabbed my blade.

  "Tell me; is this your first meeting with an assassin?" I questioned. I used a smooth soft tone to try and calm the guard down, and to show him that I meant no harm to him or the child.

  "Y-yes" he sutured.

  "Then I shall let you live. Next time you won't be so lucky." I smiled, and then ran out of the room.

I knew it was too late to kill the king. He would have left the throne room by now, and would be headed to his room. I stopped, and thought on that. His room, I thought to myself. I turned around and ran back down the hall, in the direction of the king’s chambers. ‘It will be risky, but worth it’, I thought. I turned the corner where the king’s room was. Earlier when I had run by the doors were open, they were still open, telling me that the king had not yet returned. I walked in, found a shaded corner where I would be useable, and waited.

  I was waiting for the king. But it was already five after twelve, he should have been here by now. I got out of my hiding place and walked out of the room. There was no one in the halls, or in any of the rooms. I walked down the stairs and out into a corridor, where I had a view of the gardens.

They were swarming with guards, there I saw the one that had been guarding the princess. I listened to the conversation:

  "Are you sure you saw an assassin" the king asked.

  "Not just one, sire," the guard said calm and relaxed ", there were two. And by the looks of it one was of war, the other had a red crystal in her blade. I looked in the records, and there is no meaning to that crystal. But the black is a representation of war."

  "Where were they?"

  "One was in the corner, hidden from view, the other was in the hall" the guard recalled with great ease, despite the fear he had shown earlier.

  "Thanks, that's all we need. And thanks for telling us to move the King, Christian." Said one of the head guards to the lower level guard.

  I was pacing in the corridor; obviously they had checked this place while I was hiding. So I figured I was safe, for now. I knew that there was no way I was going to get the king today, but there was also no way I was going to get out of here without being spotted. And if I got spotted, then I would be captured. I sat down in one of the fancy chairs in the hallway. I pulled out a small vial of poison that Magia had given me to help with my escape. I cast a small spell that turned it invisible to the human eye, then replaced it in my pocket.

I could use the underground passages to get out, but there are guards in there. I was pondering again. Then I heard people walking down the hall. By the metallic sound of the shoes, I could tell they were guards. I sat up as they rounded the corner. I ran, they saw me, and gave chase. I knew I was going to get caught because I didn't know the entire layout of the castle very well, I just knew the way the guards patrolled.  But I knew they would get me outside, where all the guards where. I stopped; I could tell that either way I was going to get caught. I might as well have it sooner than later, instead of waste all the energy getting caught anyway.

  The guards grabbed my arms and pulled them behind my back, then used shackles to bind them together. I studied them, they were old and rusted, but they were strong. They walked me out to the garden, which was sickeningly filled with bright, radiant colored tulips. They were even more colorful and fragrant because the sky was slightly spotted with clouds and there was a breeze.

  "We found her." a guard said with a gruff voice, as the other pushed me to the ground. I was forced to kneel on the ground as the guards were taking. Then the king looked down at me. He saw the childish look in my eyes, one that I had used to constantly fool people that I was just a child.

He went and scolded the guards for how they had treated me. Then he sat me down on a bench, and undid the shackles. I brought my hands to my front and started to rub my sore wrists. A guard pointed his spear at me, and instinctively, my hand went to my blade. I didn’t draw it, for I knew that if I did the childish illusion would be broken. The king ordered the guard to put the spear down, he did, but I didn’t relax. My eyes switched back to a cruel, wise gaze of an assassin, but I still held the childlike appeal.

  "So, why are you here?" The king asked; obviously not seeing the change in my eyes.

  "Honestly, I was hired to kill the king." I replied smoothly.

  "Then why did you save my youngest daughter?" He asked.

  "Well that's easy. If I kill the king, your daughter will take the throne, but if your daughter is depressed from the death of her sister, then your brother will take the throne. And no one want that to happen." I gave a teasing glance to the king. He avoided my eyes.

  "Who hired you?" he asked.

  "People.”

 "How many of these people are there?" He questioned.

 "A number greater than zero." I sassed. The king got up and walked away, with a regal gaze on his face.

 "If you won't tell us anything useful, then you are a useless child to me" the king was almost yelling, yet there was grin on his face. "Take her to the dungeon!" then I was picked up, reshackled, and dragged to the dungeon. I smiled, the plan had worked.

Then the guard from the room spoke up. “Sire if you may, I have some questions for this child assassin.” The king held up his hands to stop the guards who were carrying me, he stared at Christian for a moment. The smile disappeared from my face.

“Very well” he sighed. Christian nodded his thanks, and I was set down.

He walked up to me, looking very kind compared to the frightened guard I had seen before. But as he asked his first question the kindness melted away from his appearance. “What does the red crystal stand for?”

“What?” I said, confused as to why that was the question he had asked.

“The red, what does it mean?” His cruel figure towered over me from where I was sitting.

“Why should I tell you, and how do you know that the black stands for a war starter?” He may have been a cruel looking creature, but I knew with the right pressure I could appear more frightening than him. I started to increase my pressure, completely shattering the childish act that most of the guards had fallen for.

“Easy, I’m an assassin expert. I’ve done extensive research on the assassins and how they have different types. I know all the types, but I can easily say that red is a new colour to me. So what is it?” I looked at him, wondering why my pressure didn’t seem to be affecting him. ‘Odd’ I thought. I tried to increase it further, but I had reached my limit, any further and I could permanently damage my body.

I sighed and smiled “I have nothing more to say.” He waved his hand, a signal to take me to the dungeon. I thought while I was carried away, then shouted back “Why didn’t it affect you.”

“I’m not gonna tell you.” He shouted back as he walked off to talk with the king. ‘Gotch ya’, I thought, ‘only an assassin would know that I had been talking about my pressure.’

 

※

 

I meditated on my bed in the jail cell. Everything was dark and quiet, then I sensed some movement. I focused on the slight indications of the movement, then smiled once I realized who it was.

“You know, when you hired me, I figured you would’ve been a better actor.” I paused as the figure emerged from the dark “My liege.”

The king stood just outside my cell, looking to make sure there was no one around. “I didn’t need to be a good actor to put on a convincing performance. You saw it, didn’t you?”

I looked up from my bed, “You mean that none of them wanted to look directly at you, especially not the ones who are about to betray you? Yeah, I noticed, and from what I can tell, Christian is your only true ally.”

“Sorry about dragging you into this.” The king apologized.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, it’s the least I could do for an old friend. Either way, I’m sorry I couldn’t complete my mission today. I would’ve preferred it for you to rule longer.”

“Yes, but if you had succeeded then what you told the guards today in the garden would have been a lie.”

I leaned back in my bed and looked up through the small window.

“I hired you to kill the king, not myself, but the future king. So for you to complete your mission, I must die.”

I nodded, “If that other assassin hadn’t of been there this mission would be done.”

“Why was there a second assassin? Christian called him a war started but we don’t have any enemies that would want to start a war with us at the moment.”

“He was probably hired by your brother to make sure both the princesses were killed. War starters aren’t just used for wars between countries, they are also used to start internal fighting.” Just then I heard the door to the dungeon open.

“It’s time for me to depart,” the king said as he turned away, “I doubt I’ll live to see the light of tomorrow, so for my final words I wish you good night, Sicarius.”

I looked up from my window, but he was gone.

Author's Note

Any review is welcome, good or bad.

Reviews

[Krizito]

Great story outline...but not gripping enough. I felt you over-explained the actions in this. With the bits of flight and fight you threw in, I was expecting a bit of heightened pace; but I felt your need to narrate every single activity taking place gave it more of sluggish pace than fast. And also the points from her capture to the end were a bit blurry. For one, you jumped to conclusions without giving away enough facts. "How did she know Christian was for the king? How did she know the guards meant to betray him? And I thought her mission was killing the future King...what did it have to do with the current King dying for it to be successful?
Overall, I feel this is a story with great potential and pretty likable characters..

[Zoë]

I agree that this story can be really slow. It's one of my older works and its hardly been reviewed, so I can only imagine how slow it is and how heavy the writing can be. I do have a habit of over explaining actions, it's not as evident in my newer writings but, like I said, this is older. If I ever edit it I'll make sure to take out actions to speed it up more :)
I reread it and I do need to give more evidence behind Sicarius's conclusions. I never really though out that because normally she jumps to conclusions without evidence, but I can see how it would make the story confusing. But a lot of your questions (like the betrayal and the whole thing about the king) can be answered with a flashback of the king hiring her, so I may also add that if I ever get around to editing it.
Thanks for your compliment at the end, but Sicarius isn't supposed to be likable character. If you read more, and it's more prevalent in the later chapters, Sicarius is pretty narcissistic.

[Kuro]

I may be wrong but from your writing I am assuming that you are a young person. The story seems solid, as in the idea behind it is great. The fact that you seem to have written so many chapters on a single topic is very impressive, again I am assuming you are young. I think great writing is not just about inspiration but also about perfecting your craft; and honing it comes from a tireless drive to edit and make it better. Overall solid performance, I will probably continue reading the next chapter at a later time.

[Zoë]

I am a young writer, in fact I'm not even in college yet, but you may mostly be picking up on the fact that I haven't edited this chapter in a few years. The later chapters are more recent, within a few months, but this one is almost 2 years old with no current editing. I really do need to edit this and thin some stuff out, I just haven't found the time to work in it...
If you want to read something more recent of mine I would suggest New Dawn, but I don't know if you'd like the plot/concept of it. Also, let me know what you think as the story progresses :)

[theHobbit]

Wow this was really great! Great build up and amazing descriptive characters!

[Zoë]

Thanks, since this story is in the first person it's a lot harder to make "descriptive characters", especially because they view is skewed by the protagonist.