Ch5 - Prison City

A city better built for keeping citizens in, than keeping enemies out.

Purpura stood in his proper assassin's garb.
It was night, and the twin moons were nearly half formed.
He was standing on the roof.
He looked out at the city, it was a rather large city.
A large imposing wall was built as 'protection' to keep threats out.
However he'd always found it easier to get into the city that to get out.
The name of the city always escaped him, he simply called it Prison City.
Because he felt imprisoned each time he found an assignment in the city.
It was the largest city in the Empire, it's location made it great for trade.
It also had a large dock for import/export, the dock was however outside the walls.
The city attracted the worst and best of society.
Purpura often found that the two were intermingled and any lines of separation were blurred.
He saw a light flicker on, in the window of the building just across from where he was standing.
He knelt and watched for a moment.
The shadow of a figure moved about, pacing.
He leaned a bit, before pushing off the ledge and tackling thru the window.
The window busted open, having not been locked.
The woman inside was clearly startled, but covered her own mouth to prevent screaming.
Purpura stood, and looked to her.
"You came! You actually came.
Oh, I thought for sure you'd turn down my contract.
When the messenger stopped by for the deposit..."
Purpura was staring at her emptily.
"I'm sorry. The job, yes.
Well, as my contract said...
I need Tergan Hepthan framed for it.
Do you need his picture? Or..."
Purpura shook his head, he already had the picture she'd previously supplied, he pulled a small notebook out of a pocket.
He flipped it open, and held it out to her, with a little pencil.
Atop the page simply said, 'Address'
"oh! Yes, you would need his address." she took the pencil and wrote down the address.
"There you go."
He examined it, closed the notebook and put it away.
"I'm ready." she grabbed a knife off the dresser,
"I stole this knife from his shop the day after I gave the deposit.
He reported it stolen..." she stared at the knife as if contemplating it.
Purpura gently took the knife from the woman.
She looked extremely nervous, "Do you do this often?"
He looked to her, unsure exactly what she meant.
"I mean... Is the client often the target?"
He looked at the knife, and gave a small head shake no.
"I didn't imagine so. Well, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
Purpura nodded, before suddenly slicing the woman's throat and chest in a diagonal slice.
Before she dropped, he sliced at her stomach as well.
Once on the ground, he knelt over her.
The life in her was fading quickly as blood soaked the floor.
"His daughter" she coughed, "Has the rest of the payment." blood frothed at her lips.
He nodded again, it was something he already knew.

He stabbed her a couple times in the stomach.
It was overkill, but it was what she had requested.

To make it look brutal and violent.

He stood up, and looked about for a spot a man who'd suddenly murdered a woman may drop a knife.
He decided on near the window, he walked over and set it a little away from the window.
As if dropped when escaping thru the window.
He looked at the scene, before walking over to the woman's corpse.
He touched his gloved hand to the woman's blood.
A little blood climbed up his arm, joining the blood in his armor.
A small ball formed into his hand, and he opened a vial.

The blood climbed in the vial, and he corked it.
He gave her corpse a respectful bow, before leaving putting the vial in his pocket.

She was willing to give her life to ensure he children's future.

He knew the son was to find her in the morning, when he came to open the shop with her.
He had to move quickly.
He exited out the window, climbing down.
He moved down the street, and went down another block.
He paused and pulled out the address, he looked at the building.
The addresses matched.
He went up to the front door, glanced about.
He ducked down, spotting a patrol walking by.
They walked by without noticing him.
He put his hand against the lock, and blood moved in, before the lock gave a light click.
He opened the door, entered and closed it behind himself.
He crept upstairs to the bedrooms.
He leaned against the door, and listened to the beating hearts.
The heart of youth, this was a child, a teen at most, not his target.
He moved to the next room, and listened.
An older heart, possibly this Tergan.
He took a deep breath, and focused.
They were the only heartbeats in the house, absent a couple mice.
He entered the room, the man was fast asleep.
He had odd goat-like traits.
Purpura went over, and pulled out the vial.
He opened it, and blood came out.
He held it in a small ball, before gently dropping it on a small pile of clothing.
What was more damning that a supposedly stolen knife, and bloody clothing?
Having a very public racial hatred of each other.
Least that was the explanation in the contract, and apparently the man's daughter was in on it, but not the woman's son.
He didn't question these things, that wasn't his job.
He exited, closing the door just as it had been before.
Kipsy and his 'messengers' were in charge of payment collection.
He moved silently, but stopped.
The daughter was awake, she was getting out of bed.
He looked about quickly, before moving into a hall closet.
The daughter exited her room, and walked across the hall to what he believed to be a bathroom.
He exited quickly, and hurried downstairs.
Even if she was in on it, actually seeing him may startle her.
Young women were likely to scream as a first reaction, when faced with a assassin.
He couldn't risk her waking her father.
He exited the house, and locked the door behind himself.
He was in the clear, now to leave this prison city.
He moved down the street a bit, before climbing up the side of a building.
Once on the roof, he moved with quiet footed grace.
He climbed another building, and stood atop.
He looked about, and began to move.
Roofs were perfect for assassins.
Suddenly he felt himself be bumped, he growled.
Before tackling an ebony dressed thief.
The thief looked to Purpura, "Purpura!" he whispered.
"I'm so sorry, didn't recognize you.
You haven't been in town forever.
Thought you were so new meat."
Purpura let the male up, and held out his hand.
The thief patted it with a wiry smile.
Purpura growled
The thief scrambled, and pulled out a coin purse, plus the empty vial.
He offered them to Purpura, who grabbed them and put them away.
The thief began to leave, when Purpura grabbed him from behind.
The thief cowered a bit, "Can- uh... I help you with anything else?"
Purpura reached into the thief's pocket and pulled his notebook out.
"I'm sorry, I totally forgot!" the thief lied
Purpura rolled his eyes, before effortlessly tossing the thief off the roof.
The fall wouldn't kill him, but it would hurt for sure.
He already didn't care for thieves, and he hated being lied to.