Author's Note: Check it out! I finally got around to doing this! I DEFY YOU, HIGH-SCHOOL HOMEWORK!! :D
Okay, apologies in advance... I haven't written anything substantial in like... a year. I'm still getting back into the swing of it, so I'm still a bit rusty...
Anyhoo, hope you like!
Disclaimer: I don't own Di-Gata Defenders. But I do own Liora!! -ownership dance!- :D
Chapter 1
He was still about fifteen paces from where she was. The guy sure was taking his own sweet time.
The girl shifted her weight, briefly relieving her stiff legs. She was in a foul mood, and sitting around waiting for this man, from her rather uncomfortable position in the crook of a tree, was beginning to grind on her last nerves. A powerful temptation to simply annihilate the man and be done with it washed over her, but curiosity held her back. Something about his message had intrigued her. Firstly, she had been summoned by name - which meant either the man or his employer had connections within the Guild. It was rare that an assassin's name would be shared with an outsider. However, what had really captured the girl's attention was his reference to her possible assignment as "the most challenging, and rewarding task you shall ever receive". Surely if her potential employer knew her name, he knew of her great achievements for the Guild, and would not throw the term "challenging" around lightly. And the idea of a true challenge was intoxicating. Besides, she thought with a grim smirk, the Guild would have her head if she knocked off a paying customer.
The man was finally approaching the petrified tree stump that had been chosen for their meeting place. The girl pressed her body against her own tree, feeling for the minuscule vibrations created by the man's footsteps. It often amazed the girl how much could be told just from feeling the way a man walks. This man had an awkward gait, and the girl could feel the swift thumping of his heartbeat when his feet connected with the ground. She guessed that the man was older, fairly short with a lean, almost gangly build. More importantly though, the man was nervous.
The footsteps stopped and the girl could hear a rustling of parchment as the man cleared his throat with a wheezing cough.
"Dako, altas, sum. Sum, altas, nega." The man read in a shrill, whiny voice.
A password was a necessary precaution that was standard for members of the Red Guild. These were usually hand-delivered by an apprentice assassin to the employer, to be read upon reaching the place designated for the meeting. The man's password was correct, and the girl gladly swung down from her hiding place, landing on the balls of her moccasined feet as nimbly as a cat.
She sensed the man jump, apparently startled by her sudden entrance, and had to conceal a smile of bemused satisfaction. The man quickly composed himself and went straight to business.
"Liora? Assassin of the Red Guild?"
His voice had an annoying nasal twang to it. The girl answered simply.
"Yes."
Now, in closer proximity to the man, the girl could better evaluate him. She could immediately sense a strong infinis presence, however his inner energy seemed restless and changing. Liora quickly pegged him as a man whose loyalty lay with the highest bidder. This man was obviously not her employer, but a messenger sent in his place. This was not at all uncommon, as people with power were naturally wary of people in her profession, and it was a show of good faith to have the messenger unescorted by a guard. The girl allowed herself a wry grin. She wondered if the messenger knew that.
The man had apparently been appraising her as well. He spoke in a huffy tone, "Well, you're not quite what I was expecting."
"Looks are deceiving." Liora snapped.
"Still, I wasn't told I'd be putting this assignment in the hands of a blind child." He waved his hand in front of her face to make his point.
In one swift motion, Liora snatched his hand out of the air. She listened with pleasure while the man let out a yelp of pain as his hand made an audible crunch.
"Just because I can't see, doesn't make me blind." She hissed through clenched teeth.
"Okay, okay! You've made your point, now release me!" The man shrieked.
Liora released his hand, not without a hint of contempt, and crossed her arms, waiting.
The man took a moment to nurse his injured hand, then brushed off his cloak and made an effort to regain his composure. "Well now, if we could get down to business!"
The girl motioned to the petrified stump and walked in step with the man, finally bending down to kneel on opposite sides of the stump.
The man cleared his throat again. "I expect you've heard of the Di-Gata Defenders."
The question startled Liora. However, her training instinctively took over, and she managed to hide her feelings behind a cool mask of indifference.
"Everyone's heard of them. So what? What are you getting at?" She could feel her heart begin to beat just a bit faster.
"What I offer is the chance to go down in history..." The man leaned closer, Liora could feel his breath on her face, "...as the assassin who brought down the Di-Gata Defenders!"
The girl's heart skipped a beat.
"Well, do we have a deal?"
Liora wanted more than anything to just say yes. To jump on top of the stump, throw back her head, and laugh for all of Rados to hear. So many times she had dreamed of this. So many times had she been refused her revenge. Now her chance lay in the palm of her hand. Justice would finally be served. The thought sent a sweet chill up her spine.
However, she knew the game this man was up to, and wasn't going to be taken as a fool.
"We'll see, after we talk about how much this is going to cost you."
She heard the man grumble and smiled in spite of herself.
"Very well."
Liora heard the familiar clinking of stones as the man retrieved a bulging canvas sack from beneath his cloak. He threw the sack on the stump.
The girl reached forward and untied the rough twine around the opening of the sack. She could already sense ten booster stones, and the unmistakable energy signature of a warrior stone. Liora wrinkled her nose. While the presence of a warrior stone was impressive, it was still a bit less than she would have expected as payment for destroying five Defenders. She would, of course, have been happy for an excuse to eliminate the Di-Gata Defenders at any price, but she knew she was obligated to look out for the best interests of the Guild.
"Your payment's a bit low." She said icily as she pocketed the stones. "I thought your letter said this would be the most rewarding task I would ever receive."
"Yes, and it will be. You will receive the second part of your reward once the Di-Gata Defenders have been destroyed."
Liora frowned. She didn't like working under these kinds of terms as a rule, and was especially uncomfortable with the thought of putting her trust in this slippery little man. "And how do I know you'll follow through? What kind of reward am I supposed to expect?"
"I'm assured it's to be the very best kind." He pulled a stone out of his cloak and held it out to her. "Do you know what this is?"
Liora took the stone and examined it. It's energy signature was unfamiliar to her. A troubled frown creased her brow. She ran her fingers along the surface of the stone. The sigil too, was unfamiliar to her. She put the stone on the stump and pushed it back to the man. Something about the stone's energy just seemed... dark. Wrong, somehow.
"What kind of stone is that? I've never come across that sigil before." She tried to keep her voice even, but something about the stone had shaken her, and she could hear her voice waver.
"That is your reward. The secrets of the most powerful sigil Rados has ever seen, yours to control."
Liora sat silently, her sightless eyes transfixed on the stone sitting so innocently on the stump. She could not deny that the sigil was powerful, and despite her reservations on the nature of the sigil, it's power called to her. The temptation was too much for her to resist.
"Well? Do we have a deal or not?" The man whined, tapping his fingers impatiently.
She had made her decision. Whether it was a fair trade or not paled in comparison to the fact that this man was offering her what could be her only chance to destroy the Defenders once and for all. She stood up and bowed ceremoniously.
"I accept your offer. Your enemies will fall." Flashing a wicked grin, she turned and disappeared into the brush.
--
The man stood up from the stump and threw back his hood. "Well, thank goodness that ordeal is over with."
Standing up rather awkwardly, he turned back the way he had come. He could feel the tension that had been pressing down on him melt away with every step he took away from the meeting place. He had been dreading going down to meet the assassin, but nothing could have prepared him for the shock to the system that was Liora. Those eyes, blind, yet somehow not... it was simply unnatural. The man's nerves had nearly been frazzled away to nothing during their brief time together.
"Flinch!"
The man almost jumped out of his skin.
"Flinch, report!"
The man rummaged around the inside of his cloak, finally finding his communicator. He punched the receive button to see the holographic image of Malco's head, looking quite unimpressed.
"Honestly Malco, you nearly gave me a heart-attack!" Flinch whined irritably.
"Did the girl accept her assignment?"
"'Gee Flinch, I'm sorry... I should really make an effort to be less rude and obnoxious toward-'"
"FLINCH!"
Flinch winced. "All right, all right. Yes, the girl accepted her assignment. Happy?"
Malco smiled. "Excellent."
The connection terminated and the image of Malco disappeared. Flinch stuffed the disk back into his cloak huffily. "Never so much as a 'thank-you'..."
--
Malco watched as the communicator slid shut. He grinned. Today was turning out to be a good day.
"I still object to this. I could handle the brats myself."
Malco looked over his shoulder at Lady K'Tash, standing with her arms crossed, a dangerous look on her face.
"I didn't mean to bruise your ego, Lady."
K'Tash shot him a withering look.
Malco continued, unperturbed. "Have no fear K'Tash, I do not underestimate your skill. I have far more important business for you to attend to than the Di-Gata Defenders. The assassin is simply to make your work a bit less... contested."
K'Tash was not yet convinced. "And what was the purpose of showing the girl the sigil of Al-Mortiguar?"
Malco suddenly seemed weary. "We both know that this body was only meant to be temporary. I feel it weakening with each passing day." He paused. "I cannot inhabit this body much longer. I need a new host."
Lady K'Tash understood at once.
The possessed Malco's mouth twisted into a dark grin. "If the assassin succeeds, she will receive the greatest reward imaginable. The honor of being my new host."