Prologue
A dagger was drawn from its scabbard with the sound of steel ringing as it rubbed over the sheath. Long, thin, and deadly, this dagger with its hilt being held on tightly by unshaking hands, is a very powerful weapon for anyone who is trained. But at the hands of a master Assassin, this weapon is most potent and is the deadliest.
Recent changes to the way people are living their lives made it not surprising when an unknown death of a person would occur as this is rare. Some would think it as rare as one in a hundred. But as the war was being fought over and over again Sat the vast expanse of the outside void which is called the Abyss, assassinations happening are not that surprising anymore. This war, this Abyss War, as historians would call it, far shrouded any insignificant news of any person being assassinated. At the very least, it is no longer surprising if some unknown person's life gets an untimely end.
But war is different. Whenever wars are waged, people die. Countless lives are spent on the cause. But that is not always the case. In this war, which had been going for countless years, lives - no matter how insignificant - are precious. If possible, it would be good if they are not wasted. And life is not wasted if they ended in a 'gloriously insignificant' death. For an Assassin, ending life in such a way is an accomplishment. What's more accomplishing is if the death blow was done on someone significant, like a Brigadier General of an entire enemy legion.
This is Danovos' mission: Kill the Brigadier General of an Elyos Legion without getting found out, then report back to Lady Triniel, the Shedim Lady of Death. He trained to become an uncommon assassin to prove his skills are far superior to anybody of his class. Danovos trained all his life in becoming her agent. Lady Triniel, herself, who is rumored to be the best fighter among all the Empyrean Lords, trained him. Killing the high-ranking Elyos Officer would surely tip the scale in their favor.
He hid under the cover of his invisibility skill. He got no other motive. The ever-watchful eyes of the Elyos soldiers of the enemy Rangers or Assassin Class could detect even invisible creatures. He took caution in moving from tree to tree or from bush to bush in the hopes that the Elyos are not keen enough to notice his silent trances. He hid behind one tree while taking a peek at two Elyos daevas, They were armed to the fullest. He made a decision not to strike at them. Any unnecessary strike on the enemy aside from the target would mean capture.
"Your insignificant lives are spared for now," he whispered to himself whilst looking at them. He sheathed the dagger back in its scabbard and waited for a while until the Elyos took another round towards the Fortress gate away from between him and the target. While waiting, he thought that the Fortress had been so easy to infiltrate. Just a few minutes ago, he had been sneaking past one spot to the other in hopes of getting to the fortress undetected, and so far accomplished them.
The Fortress of Verteron was indeed an easy one to infiltrate. Built in the middle of a valley, the nearby mountaintops protected the sides while the deep lake protected the front. The circular citadel itself is located atop a low mountain like an acropolis. The wall surrounding the citadel is just enough to cover the people inside from any ground attackers. However, these same walls provide minimum protection against attackers from the sky. Just above the citadel is an Abyss Gate that allows entry and exit from and to the Abyss. Here any enemy can come through so a legion was sent to garrison inside the citadel and protect the entire Verteron Region. The Abyss Gate above the citadel was jutted through a floating rocky promontory above the crown that served as the roof of the citadel.
Here on top of the promontory Danovos waited. He waited for the other two patrolling Elyos daevas to fly away so he can make his sneak attack. When he noticed that they are further away, he then drew his two daggers and applied a magical rune on them. This would make the weapons venomous, so if he could not strike a deadly blow on his target, at least the venom would kill him. He then unfurled his black wings and again used his invisibility spell. He then stood atop and took a deep breath.
He remembered how his fierce Mistress and Legion Commander Lady Triniel made sure he did his task. She would usually instill fear on her subjects how she does not allow any windows for failure. The Lady demanded tribulation towards the Elyos ranks and assigned him the task with her words forever remained inside his head: "Do this successfully and you get to see your home again. Fail and you will forever be banished from Asmodae."
Remembering this, he felt regretful for having agreed to this task. He would not have been in this situation now. He would not have been left alone while his comrades were able to get back to Asmodae, their home world. He did see that this enemy country which is called Elysea is a vibrant and lush place.
The day is bright with the light from the nearby star bringing forth energy to all living things. The climate is just right. The breeze blows with a fresh air from the nearby mountains. Green trees paint the entire landscape with a great blue from the river nearby which drains out towards the sea.
This is Elysea, he thought. He wondered how it would have been if he lived in this place. Elysea is totally different from the place he called home. The solitary Asmodian looked up and saw the clear blue sky with clouds evenly distributed to provide a perfect view from those below. And among those clouds are lights as if those were constellations of small faraway stars. But no, these lights are from his home world, Asmodae. Asmodae is a dark world. The light from this same star only appears in certain places and only shows on a fleeting moment. The climates are harsh and unfriendly. His people had to fight to survive. Monsters also lurk in almost every corner and would prey or kill on every unwary passerby. Food is scarce with the rough competition to remain on top of the food chain. He remembered that he joined to become a daeva in order to provide for his family.
He felt a pang of regret for becoming a part of the legion who answered directly to Lady Triniel, the Shedim Lady of Death. Even though many Asmodians prefer to become members of Lady Triniel's legions, only a few were chosen and fewer still ever get to live and be granted an honor assigned with special tasks from the Lady herself.
But Danovos never enjoyed being part of the legion. He did feel grateful for being trained by the Lady herself, but he intended to use that training only to help him and his family survive the harsh regions of Asmodae. He never even thought that surviving the previous battles he had joined would grant him a ticket to finally rest from the ordeals he faced at the Abyss while fighting the Elyos. This survival only made him realize his mistake.
He brushed away his thoughts on the matter. This is not yet the time to think on such thoughts. He can think of these once he gets back home to his wife's arms – if he could ever return safely.
He leapt down from the Abyss Gate and glided through the openings of the crown and the columns holding the crown. His wings spread wide so he can bank to his right whilst looking at the roofs of the buildings. He noticed that there was a roof with the emblem of an Elyos Legion on it so he flew towards that roof. He saw the people just doing their everyday living and not able to see him. His invisibility worked, he thought. When he got close, he noticed that there were a total of six Elyos daevas that just came out of the building and behind them was the target.
The Brigadier General was wearing orange-dyed plate armor and carrying a sword. He is accompanied by six of his centurions. Two were Templars carrying huge tower shields, two were Sorcerers carrying magical orbs, and the other two were Rangers that had their longbow slung on their shoulders.
Danovos' fiery-red eyes focused on possible critical spots that would be easy to hit on first strike. He needed to make sure they are not heavily armored. But since the target is heavily armored, he looked on the less protected nape. At first he was unsure if he can deal a fatal blow. But a little mistake is everything. He needed to make sure. He must be sure.
He raised his arm and poised for his strike when he got in range for a striking distance. So far the Elyos daevas accompanying his target hadn't noticed him, so he summed up all his courage and whatever glory he can. Any mistake or error would mean death. Even a successful strike could also mean his death if he cannot escape after killing his target.
"For Asmodae!" he shouted while slashing his dagger at the back of the unwary Elyos general. His hand fell down with sheer force and speed. The blade found its target. He just wished that his strike is true. For if it is not, he will die and remain a fallen warrior in the lands of the Elyos, his enemy.