By the age of twenty, he had mastered the basic skills of the artistry
of assassination. For four years, the masters in the Black Circle had devulged
unto him all the training and techniques of the black arts. Now he was
eager and ready to prove his worth to the guild.
This mission, their first, was the hardest mission for many of the initiates,
for failure and death were the same thing. If you failed the mission, you
had better make sure you were not seen in a civilised area for the rest
of your life.
But it was the lure of success that made the young assassin shrug off any
doubts or fears he had about his own abilities, because success meant a
title and induction into the appropriate branch.
There was also the lust for revenge. Revenge against the world. Against
the pain it had dealt apon him. And of course...the rewards.
The Black Circle cared for its loyal and successful members like royalty.
The headquarters of the Black Circle was situated deep inside of an underground
prison. Forgotten and abandoned long ago to the history books of Britannia.
And below the ground of the great forest of Yew it lay.
The old warden's quarters had been redug and refurbished into a large meeting
hall, designed by Darkblade, supreme potentate of the Black Circle. The
hall itself rose high up into the dark depths, concealing the roof in a
veil of darkness that the light from the lower candles could not reach.
This in itself, impressed apon the members the depth of this abandoned
dungeon.
But dungeon would be a harsh word to use, the design of the place, the
throne room, the assassin's quarters, the armoury, the treasure rooms were
designed and decorated to a degree that would make the designer's of Lord
British' castle envious.
The master assassin slowly ran his finger along the blade of his dagger
to test it's edge.
Looking up, he fixed his eyes on his apprentice. "Tis a simple task. Prove
your worth and prove to us the time we have put into you has been worth
it." he whispered.
The assassin master was one of many within the guild, and Avatus was his
apprentice. His small luxurious quarters was dimly lit by a single torch
that caused the soft shadows to flicker against it's smooth walls. He sat
behind his desk and stared across at his apprentice.
The young assassin bowed his head slightly. "Master. What you ask will
be done."
"You sound confident." commented the master with a wry smile.
"Trying to scare me, master?"
The assassin laid his dagger apon the table and then sat back comfortably
into his chair and smiled. "What would be the point, I've never succeeded
in doing so before?"
Avatus did not smile, or nod or flinch, but continued to stare at his master
with cold, emotionless eyes. Oh how the master loved those eyes. Born of
one without conscience or remorse.
The perfect assassin.
The master explained to him, the details of his mission. On the mainland
section of Skara Brae, just east of the suburbs was a small wood where
lived two rangers of the forest. Jackoth and Salome. The target for him
would be Kally, daughter of these two. He explained to Avatus that she
was a threat to their dealings in Skara Brae and had to be silenced. Immediately.
The apprentice looked across at his master and raised his head slightly.
"I will find their exact location and do as you ask...I will not fail you."
The older assassin stood up from his table and turned toward the wall as
if to admire the small portrait that hung there. He put his hands behind
his back and stood there staring at the portrait for many minutes, testing
his apprentice' patience.
Avatus returned his silence with more unmoving silence.
Eventually the master spoke. "Remember this Avatus...and remember it well...."
He then turned to face his apprentice. "..she can see your heart,
she will know your motives. You must avoid her, you must not speak
with her, you must not let her even see you, avoid eye contact at all costs
and most of all, do not walk close to her, even in a crowd or in a town,
in fact, I feel the best way for you to carry this out is that she never
sees you at any time whatsoever until you are prepared to strike...if she
does...she will know who you are and what you come for..."
"And so will my life..." the young apprentice thought to himself. He then
pushed any thought of failure from his mind, he knew without a doubt that
nothing less than success would be his.
The master continued "You must strike without her knowing of your existence.
THIS......will be your test."
Avatus bowed slowly "Consider it done my master" and turned to leave.
Before he left the room, his master spoke again "Avatus..."
The young assassin stopped and turned "Master?"
"You may feel this is a bit more difficult test than most apprentice's
receive for their full membership. And you are right....it is. However,
I selected you for this as I truly feel you are different from the other
young apprentices. You have a gift of perception, it is as if...." he paused
and shrugged off the thought. "..we shall discuss that another time, but
suffice to say I have never seen such a depth of perception among other
apprentices...I know you will succeed against the girl. Your...gift...shall
be her weakness."
Avatus felt honored that his master felt that way, but a part of him also
knew it wasn't just an encouragement talk, it was the truth.
The master gestured for Avatus to leave and the young assassin closed the
door behind him as he left the master's quarters.
The master sat still at his desk, still staring at the door.
Another dark form in a similar robe melted out of the shadows silently
and stealthfully, even the candleflame held still and upright without flickering
any with his movement. The second darker figure, his voice cracked with
age spoke. "Do you think he suspects who is he is, or who his father was
for that matter?"
The master in the chair shrugged and replied. "Of course, he is quite aware
that his father was one of Lord British most beloved Paladin's"
The figure from the shadows shook his head. "No I mean, do you think he
really knows who he is. Does he ever show any signs of his bloodline's
inheritence?"
The master looked back at the door. "Ah, I see what you mean. But to answer,
no. He is aware of his perception but I have assured him it is due to his
training here with us."
The dark figure laid his hand apon the master's shoulder. "Very well my
friend. Keep me informed of any changes in his personality, no matter how
trivial. He must not know of who he is and he must not find the other four."
The master smiled. "Relax my old friend, that was another world and nigh
on a millenia ago, that world would probably have forgotten all about it
by now, let alone anybody or anything in Britannia knowing of it."
"Good, good. I suspect you are correct." agreed the second dark figure
and he then slipped out the door like a shadow moving through shadows.
The master slowly laid back in his chair again, hoping that the necromancer
could not tell he had just lied to him.