Chương 27: Offer

"I always use to admire you my dear. You where an...inspiration to us all. Your skill, your tact, your wisdom. But being away from your home has made you soft, weak. We warned you about making friends Aria. It would make you unreliable. Now you understand don't you? So I came to make an offer. We know where your hideout is, and I don't want any more bloodshed then their needs to be. We will leave your brother and comrades alone if you come quietly. If you don't, as soon as we subdue you, I will see to it personally that your brother suffers." I felt my fingers twitch against the hilt of the blade. I couldn't trust a damn word he said. I knew that he would say anything to get me to go willingly, because I was going to be a problem for them if I decided against them.

"Save your pretty words General. I can already assume you know what my answer is. But to save you some thought processing. Let me tell you to kindly bite me!" I growled drawing my daggers towards my chest in a defensive stance. The General chuckled darkly, his hood shaking as he laughed, louder and louder it grew. The hairs on the back of my neck rose as he manically laughed once again. He truly was unhinged. I could see why Drakos made him my replacement.

I may not be able to take them all on my own. With out my blades, it would be difficult to get the upper hand. Especially because I would have to face them all at such a short distance. Each one of them stood rigid and stoic. No emotions as they all stared me down, their hoods masking their identities. Where they people that I met before? Would they know my skill and tact? I would have to be very careful when attacking them. If they where to throw me off balance even once that could throw me into deeper trouble.

I felt the assassin to my left shift and it drew my attention towards him. He came barreling towards me, his sword held high in the air above him. What an idiot, he practically exposed himself with so many openings. As he approached I ran towards him, his surprise throwing him off balance as I clipped my shoulder into his stomach. As he collapsed to the ground, I reached for his blade in his hands and snapped his wrist with a fluid motion. Screaming in pain, he dropped the blade. Grinning I snatched the blade from the air as it fell, and twirled it in my hand. With out missing a beat, I dragged the blade downward and impaled him through the chest. He heaved out loud as I pulled the blade out, leaving him to gasp for air as he died.

"Please tell me this isn't all you have General. I almost feel insulted." I flicked the blade in my hand again a sneer upon my face. But the General said nothing as he flicked his hands in the air, motioning to come after me. I planted my feet apart from each other as they all lunged for me. I parried and evaded each swing towards me, assessing their skills. But they where clumsy, almost to easy for me. They couldn't have been with the assassin guild for very long if they couldn't attack properly. Why send such lowly assassins to fetch an elite?

I parried another blow, forcing him back with a push to catch him off guard. With fast reflexes, I swung the blade around and dragged it across his legs. Screaming, blood oozed everywhere. It seeped all over the ground. A thick metallic scent now covered the air. For some reason, the smell made me calm and alive. I could feel my muscles relax and a deadly calm spread over me. These bastards didn't have any idea what they had done. I stood and turned, waiting for the next attack. But they had all froze, terror written in their tense faces. This was the look I craved to see. The fear that over took them.

"H-her eyes. They are....glowing!" One of them screamed aloud as he fell to the ground. What was he mumbling about? Was he that pathetic he had to come up with lies? Was he so fearful that he was hallucinating? I let the stolen blade tip drag across the ground as I slowly walked towards the other assassins. They slowly backed up with my advances. A grin spread across my face, so slow and deadly. The assassin who fell to the ground was struggling to get up, his feet barely moving as I stood before him.

"You fools. You though that you could subdue me, but really the only way you will get me back to the guild, is if you kill me. Your threats are empty and meaningless. Now you will all die." I let a dark chuckle escape my lips as I brought my blade down and severed the head of the scared assassin. His hood fell away from his face as the brown hair head rolled down the hill. His brown eyes opened wide, his lips frozen in horror. I was right about the inexperience. He was nothing more than a teenaged boy. I felt guilty having murdered him. I am sure he wasn't here on his own will, but I didn't have a choice. It was my life they where threatening.

"After her you fools!" The General hissed. With only two left, they hesitated. I could sense that they where fighting the urge to run. It was instinct after all for the weak to run. I wasn't going to wait all day for them to make up their minds either. Gripping the blade in my hand, I ran towards them. They didn't have a chance to react, they where paralyzed. My blade passed through the abdomen of one man, a grunt and wet gargle escaped his mouth as I withdrew. Then brought it up to sever his neck. Blood came pouring out as he dropped to his knees, grasping his neck before falling to the ground.

The other assassin sat motionless, his hood aimed down towards the fallen assassin that stood before him moments ago. These poor boys where probably told that this was a simple extraction mission. That they would just grab me and be on our way. But not once where they told that this female was once the general of their guild, and was highly skilled. They probably all lead quite lives once just like me before the guild came along and killed everyone of them. Promising them that they would never be weak again, that they would be safe as long as they served Drakos.

They never stood a chance. They where all misguided and misled. Now they had to die because a man was so arrogant to send in a fresh group of young boys. Maybe Drakos did it on purpose, to remind me that I was once as useless as them. But just because they faced the same unfortunate events like I did, I would not sympathize with them. They attacked willingly without hesitation. If they had even a little bit of remorse, they would have gauged the situation and not attacked so willingly. They had already started to become corrupt, so they had no place in this life.

At least when I tracked down missing assassins, I didn't kill them. In fact I let them go, knowing that this life was absolute shit and even I wanted to get away. But not every assassin is lucky. Not every man or woman is ever given the chance to escape, or even given the opportunity to leave behind a life full of misery. So I watched as the General came up behind the scared boy, and shoved the blade into his back. It came cleanly out the front of his chest, blood dripping from the exposed blade. I watched as his arms went lips to his sides, the life draining from him as the blade severed his spine.

"The lot of you are so useless. I will not fail because if your incompetence. I will deal with her alone." The General hissed under his breath as he yanked the blade from the young man's back. He pushed the body to the ground and it fell with a sickening thud. A twinge of empathy sprang from my heart, but it was quickly replaced with a dark calm. It was just the General and I now. Or at least that was what I thought. Foot steps quickly approached from the dirt path. It was coming from the Manor. But if I where to take my eyes off the General, he would use that moment to stab me.

"I see your absence as alerted your friends Aria. I will not fail my duty to my Master." I watched as he drew his blade back and made a quick flick of his wrist, bringing the blade towards my chest. I easily brought it up to deflect his blow, and sent him back with a shove before making my own chain of assaults. Metal hit metal as we continued to spar, both of us trying to get the upper hand as the air filled with clashing metal. He aimed for my legs, my chest, my head, and each was met with my own blade. I could sense him getting impatient. He would make a mistake soon. His impatience would be his downfall.

I took a step backwards to avoid his blade, but with utter dismay my foot slipped on a loose rock. I felt my form slip as I fell backwards and onto my back. I grunted my annoyance, bringing my blade up to meet the General's. But it missed by merely an inch, and stabbed into my shoulder. The shoulder of my dominant arm that I used to slay so many people. A scream of pain ripped from my lips. The blade had torn the tissue, and it spread quickly across my chest, making it squeeze in pain. Panting I used my non dominant arm and swung the blade towards his knees. With a satisfied clip, I watched the blood gush out as he fell, cursing me in the process.

"Aria!" The shout was still distant, but I could tell that they where hoofing it. I gripped the hilt of the blade that protruded from my shoulder and yanked it out. I hissed in pain, the throbbing getting worse as the blood came creeping out. I sighed in disgust as I rolled to my feet, standing over the General who was whimpering and clutching at his knees.

"I have no sympathy for people like you General. You follow a man that only feeds on the misfortune of others. A man that would rip a child from the safety and protection of their families. These kids died today because of people like you. I won't forgive you, or your "Master". I will only hunt everyone of you until the Guild is nothing but shambles." I said through gritted teeth, my good arm holding the blade to his throat. The General gave a weak chuckle, his shoulders shaking with his amusement.

"You don't have a damned clue. It's really sad to see how lost you truly are. If you think for a moment that you are even capable of standing in front of Drakos you are very wrong. And at the end of the day, you will bend to his will just like the rest of us." I scoffed at him and brought my blade up, ready to bring it down upon him. "Do you think at the end of the day your friends will stay by your side once they realize what you are? Who you truly are? Why hide with them when you can embrace yourself at Drakos's side?" What I truly was? A monster that he created?

"You speak nonsenses. What are you talking about?" He laughed again, a hand raising to his chest. Clutching as he ran out of breath. The footsteps had now stopped running, and walking casually up to my side. Not looking I aimed my bad arm towards them, making a silent threat that if they moved I would have no troubles injuring them. As of right now, I had no allies. I wasn't about to trust them again, not so soon after being betrayed.

"How sad that not even you know. You are being hunted and you aren't even aware as to why? This really is too good. That was why Drakos sent such weak humans, because he underestimated you. He will know now, and he will come at you full force. It is your destiny to serve him, and you will fall Aria." He laughed darkly once again, loud and desperate. Having heard enough I brought my blade over my head and brought it down upon him. I forced it so far through that the blade penetrated the earth below. His laughing was replaced with gurgling as he fought for his last breath. Blood was now entering his lungs faster than he could process. I watched him struggle until he laid still and silent.

What the hell did he mean by all this? What was so special about me that I had to be hunted. Gripping the blade with my bad arm, I launched myself at the two people who had approached from behind. Metal once again meeting with metal.

"Aria wait stop! It's us!" It was Master's voice, it almost sounded distressed. I growled angrily and swung my blade towards the other cloaked man. The white fabric was a dead giveaway that the Henchman was also with him.

"Enough Aria. You need to stop!" The Henchman hissed at me. I would be more inclined to listen, but no one else knew where I was. So how was it that these bastards knew where to find me. They had to be working for Drakos. There was no other explanation. Traitorous bastards. This was all a ploy from the start. Get me to trust them, then when the time was right they would force me over to Drakos. What other explanation was there? I withdrew my blade from them, my arm starting to weaken and tire from my injury. I took a few steps back, panting heavily as I dropped the blade and gripped my shoulder.

"Why should I? The only person who knew where I was, was Aspin and he just attacked me. Why should I trust you?" Master and Henchman stood with their blades still poised in front of them, waiting to see if I was going to attack once again. I watched as their hoods faced each other as they exchanged silent glances. Like they where having a private conversation between themselves.

"Aria we aren't the enemies. If we truly wanted to kill you-" I silenced him by drawing the blade towards the General's dead body.

"They don't want me dead you idiot. They want me captured. I thought Aspin was suppose to be a friendly? I thought we where suppose to trust each other. Drake used his charms to bring my guard down so that Aspin could get to me. You all are so conniving. What ever you think I am, what ever you need me for, it will never happen. So you can tell Drakos to kiss my ass." I lunged at them again, but this time it was different. I could feel my body starting to get tired. My limbs where starting to get heavy. What was happening to me? I felt myself fall through the air, my blade no longer gripped in my hands. Strong hands grabbed me under the arms before I could make contact with the ground.

I fought to keep my eyes open, trying to figure out what was happening. Did the General poison his blade? No he wouldn't dare knowing that I was needed alive. A narcotic maybe? But there was no way that I wouldn't have seen it on the blade all this time. I heard the faint murmurs of Master and Henchman. They where slowly fading as my eyes flickered slowly shut.

"This is troubling. I thought Aspin was a little to gung ho about the Assassins life, but it seems he himself was one after all. Drake will not be pleased to hear about this." I heard the Henchman whisper. I could feel myself being lifted into the air, nothing but a lifeless ragdoll as I felt my body dangle towards the ground.

"Let's worry about her for now. She knows something we don't. If it has anything to do with Drakos we could use her against him." Master stated, his words empty and close. He must be the one that is carrying me. They quietly trekked up the dirt path, no longer providing me any useful information. I could feel myself being pulled by my fatigue, slowly dragging me under. The drowning feeling once again returning as I could no longer fight to keep myself awake.

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