The full moon shone beatifully on the capital city of Uru'Baen; its faint glow giving a magical atmosphere. A single shadow moved under the moonlight. He wore a completely black attire with a dark blue bandana covering his blond hair. The man was tall, 5' 10'', and well built. His most noticeable feature were his eyes; one was light brown while the other completely black. He ran silently, in the shadows, getting closer to his objective.
He was now at the gate of a big mansion. Climbing over the gate with ease, he got inside his target's property. He moved behind a bush without making any noise and took out his binoculars, pointing them over to the actual entrance of the mansion. It was guarded by two men heavely armed with M96 rifles. He watched both sides of the mansion; four guards were on patrol for each side. His target's bedroom was in the west wing of the mansion. He put the binoculars into his jacket, then layed down and crawled toward the west wing. On his way he took a pebble. He had a plan, a very simple one, but it would be enough to get rid of the guards. He threw the pebble against one of the guards, and as expected all four went on alert. The boy stayed completely still, hidden in the darkness; melting in it thanks to his dark clothes. All the while two guards abandoned their posts and began to search the area.
He took another pebble and threw it with all his might in the opposite direction. Every guard immediately tensed up at the distant sound and ran to control the opposite area. The boy smirked at the guard's idiocy. Then, after the area was clearead up, he swung in action. He got closer to the nearest window and took his acid spray gun, spraying the acid on the nook of the window, sucessfully opening it. He looked inside, then he went in. Stopping for a second, he looked around trying to orientate himself, which was an easy thing thanks to his photographic memory. It made him capable of memorizing the planimetry of the place. He was right in the hallway leading to his target's room. He began to move, as silent as a shadow, toward the corner where he leaned his back. Putting a knee on the ground he looked around the corner, seeing a guard right beside the door of his target's room. Without taking his eyes off the guard he pulled out his Beretta M9 from its holster. This gun had the magazine and the barrel modified to make it shoot sleeping-darts instead of normal bullets. He counted to 3 then he rolled out of his protection, showing himself to the guard, who didn't have the time to even take a step before he was hit in the neck with a dart. The boy got closer to the door and looked through the keyhole to make sure that the target and his wife were asleep. Putting the gun in its holster, he slowly turned the doorknob and entered in. He saw the couple happily asleep, ignoring what was going to happen to the man. He closed the door without making a noise, walking toward his target while taking a little box from a pocket of his jacket, then opening it. He was now facing the man whom he was going to kill, namely Sieghart Roesnelly. He's one of the pillars of the rebel army, the Varden. The man had a strong and wide jaw, his hairs were going gray but the hitman knew that this man could pack a punch, even if he was 57.
"I'm sorry. Nothing personal." Wispered the assasin while he took a syringe from the box. With a little regret he injected the lethal dose of cyanide in Roesnelly's circulatory system and his target was no more. Mission accomplished.
--------------------------
TWO DAYS AFTER
He was staring through his apartment's panel-window, staring at void, while casually sipping his Martini. He was actually waiting for his employer, who still had to pay for his latest work, which was a nice sum of money. He emptied his glass then stood up to take a refill. He was filling his glass when he heard knocking at his door. With the glass in hand he went to open the door, shirtless and shoeless. Almost smashing the door against the boy's face, a man in business suit came in.
"Sure, come in." Said the hitman ironically, while facing his guest. The man was tall, 6' 2'', with smooth black hair and a pair of rectangular glasses. He was wearing a brown coat over his business suit. He had a briefcase which he put on the cocktail table while he sat on a chair near the table, "Hey make yourself at home." The man smiled at the boy's irony, "Don't be like that, Klaus. I'm the man with the money afterall." He patted the briefcase then continued, "Anyway you shouldn't drink at 17, you know?"
Klaus took a sip from his glass. "If I'm old enough to kill, then I'm old enough to drink" Said Klaus dryly.
"Fair enough." Said the man with a shrug. Klaus emptied his glass and went behind the table, in the barman position. "Do you want a drink?" He asked.
"A wiskey would be nice, thank you." Aswered the man with a smile. Klaus took a bottle and glass, filled it and gave it to the man before him. The man thanked him again and took a sip of the alcohol.
"So Roy..." He filled his glass with wiskey too then continued, "How are things going in our dear King's castle?"
Roy took a sip from his glass, then answered, "Always the same; the Varden are still trying to overtrow our king, and our king is still trying to eliminate them, which by the way is going to be way easier thanks to Roesnelly being out of the way. Congratulations anyway."
Klaus emptied his glass in one gulp, choosing to remain silent. Roy emptied his glass too, handing it over to Klaus, who put it on the sink behind him. Roy laid his back on the chair while looking at Klaus' eyes, "Your heterochromia sure does catch the eye." Klaus frowned, not liking when anyone talked about his eyes.
"I'm not on your hit list, am I?" Asked Klaus. Roy chuckled and said, "Don't worry Klaus, I only like men who can grow a full beard."
Klaus raised an eyebrow, "I can grow a beard."
"Not a full one." Said still smiling Roy. Klaus shrugged and said, "Just to make sure."
"Homosexual does not mean pervert." Said Roy in a good-natured way.
"Yeah, yeah, sorry."
"Anyway, wanna hear something very big?" Said Roy. Klaus laid on the sink with his arms crossed, "Sure."
"One of the most important members of the Varden is supposed to be an elf, a real one." Klaus raised an eyebrow skeptically. "An elf? Are you sure that's not a melf with slighly longer ears?"
"Nope. We're talking about an elf, a real elf, the first one in over 500 years."
"I have my doubts about that." Replied Klaus.
"Reasonably." Said Roy, then he stood up, "Well, I have to go. Your payment is in the briefcase."
Roy moved towards the door, with Klaus at his heels. "If the king has more jobs for you I'll let you know. Goodbye Klaus."
"Bye." Klaus watched Roy go away then closed the door. He went over to his cocktail table for a last drink before going to bed. He filled his glass with wiskey, and took a sip from it, thinking about nothing, just drinking. He took a last sip then put the glass on the table and went over to his bedroom. He laid down on his queen-sized bed, staring at the ceiling. He simply waited to be asleep, trying to not think of something, because if he did, he would surely think about the victim of today, and then the one before him, and the other before, and so on. He didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but he would always feel guilty about what he does, and that's not a good thing for a hitman, or a handyman as he liked to define himself.
He felt his eyelids become heavier with tiredness, with a yawn he adjusted himself on the mattress and closed his eyes when the phone rang. Klaus opened an eye, quite annoyed that he still couldn't sleep. Muttering to himself, he streched his arm to reach the cordless on the night table beside the bed.
"Hello?" Klaus asked with a tired voice and a tinge of annoyance in it.
"Schtauffen, my boy, it's me." Answered the voice on the other line.
Klaus couldn't help but groan, not caring if that sounded rude or something. The man on the phone was Jaroer Altmun, another "client" of his, who had strict contacts with king Fanestier.
"What do you need at this hour, Mr Altmun?" Asked Klaus still annoyed to have his sleep been disturbed. He heard the sound of chucklings on the phone, "You recognized me right away."
"You're the only one who calls me by my surname." Answered Klaus.
"You're false surname." Said Altmun slyly, which was answered by a growl.
"My name is Klaus Schtauffen, there's no false surname!" Klaus said darkly. He heard another chuckle, Klaus was on the verge of closing the line.
"Schtauffen, I need your services as a hitman-" Klaus scowled at this, and Altmun corrected himself, "-handyman, for a job.
"You could have called tomorrow...When people are awake and not in their bed." Replied Klaus.
"The murder is planned for tomorrow around 4:30 PM." Klaus frowned at this. "Why didn't you called before?"
"Because there was another man who was supposed to do this job, but, believe it or not, he caught a 'really bad flu', so he can't do the job for 'fear of getting worse.'"
Klaus stayed silent for a bit, then his right eyebrow began to twich. "A flu?"
"Yes, a flu." Answered Altmun.
"You're dumping this shit on me because the other guy has a flu?" Asked Klaus with a massive head-ache that made its way in the meanders of his brain.
"Pretty much." Answered Altmun. Klaus tried to soothe his head-ache, massaging his forehead, then with a scowl replied, "Fine, who's my target?"
"Your target's name is Efero Sauser, multi-billionaire CEO of the multinational HG CORP." Klaus frowned in confusion. Sauser was one of the greatest ambientalists on the planet other then the CEO of the HG CORP. Klaus really couldn't imagine a reason for wanting him dead. If the man wouldn't hurt a flower, why would he do something to hurt the king?
"Why does the king want him dead?" Asked Klaus curiously.
"I'll answer this question after you've done your mission." Said Altmun. Klaus thought about it for a little then answred, "...Fine. Tell me about the details."
"Good. Your target is coming to Uru'baen for a business trip. His airplane is going to land at 3:00 PM, so you must be ready at 3:30 PM. We have established that he will arrive at his company's branch at 4:30 PM."
"The one in Nasuada Square?" Asked Klaus. "Yes. From there, at 350 yard toward northeast, there's a building under construction. On the 37th floor you will find a sniper rifle. From there you should have a clear sight of the target. After your job is done, come meet me at Raura Café." Klaus was a little surprised, usually he would never meet a client right after the work. "Why do you want to meet me?" For a while nothing was heard, Klaus was about to speak again when he heard Altmun's voice, "Let's just say that I have something to tell you that might really interest you."
Klaus just raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Don't fail this mission Schtauffen. This is for you too." And with that Altmun hung up. Klaus stared blankly at the cordless, replaying in his mind what he just heard.
"For me too...?" Said Klaus to himself. He put the phone on the night table, then he laid back on the mattress, hoping that he could finally go to sleep.
He turned sideways, not noticing that his left hand was squeezing the pillow.
'Tomorrow, another person will die by my hands...' This was the last thought he had on that day.
--------------------------
THE NEXT DAY
He had simple clothes on: a pair of jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt; the best outfit to kill someone in broad daylight. He was in front of the building where he was supposed to kill his target. Klaus looked around making sure that nobody would notice him, then he went inside. He quickly went to the elevator and went up to the 37th floor. Looking ahead he saw a black box, almost 5 feet in length. He opened it and took out a Dragunov sniper rifle, already assembled, with a single bullet beside it. Klaus loaded the rifle with the bullet, then slowly made his way toward a pillar, he leaned against it then slid down, sitting on the floor with the rifle between his legs. For the next hour and half he remained completely still and silent, just staring ahead of him, waiting for Altmun's call. It was 4:15 PM when his phone rang. He took the call.
"Klaus here."
"Your target is coming. He's in a black limousine. Don't fail." And with that Altmun hung up. Klaus got up very slowly, going closer to the window with rifle in hand. He settled the rifle on the ledge then put his right eye on the telescopic sight. He pointed the rifle onto the road which his target should come, and waited. Soon enough a black limousine came out from Jormundur Road. Klaus followed it with his eyes until it stopped, the driver came out and opened the back door. Sauser came out. Klaus took aim at his target's head and was about to shoot, when Sauser put his trunk back inside and came out with a little girl in his arms. This complicated things a little on his mission.
Klaus zoomed in on the child's face. She had the same hair and eye color of Sause, it didn't took a genius to figure out that the girl was Sauser's daughter.
"Shit..." He couldn't help but curse at the situation. He never enjoyed killing a person, in fact he always felt bad about it, but this...This was way worse, to kill someone in front of their daughter was just...cruel. He followed Sauser as the man made his way toward his company's branch with his child in his arms. It was the best time to shoot him, but something was stopping Klaus. He then realized that the finger that had to pull the trigger was shaking. He remembered then why he did all this... why he took all these 'jobs', as the king called them. He and king Fanestier made a pact, a long time ago, when he was still an 8 year old brat. Klaus was to get trained in the arts of combat and in firearms, to get rid of the king's nuisances while Fanastier was to keep Klaus informed on the very thing that he hated the most on this planet. The thing that he swore to kill when it burned his house and killed his family, letting him see his sister gets half eaten, with only her legs and part of her arms intact. He did all these horrible things, only for this: for the hope that one day he could have vengeance for his family. With that thought he set aim on Sauser's head and without hesitating he pulled the trigger, watching as the bullet drilled through Sauser's skull, staining his daughter face with blood and gore. Mission accomplished.
Klaus threw the rifle onto the ground, then he made his way to the elevator and went down. He felt kind of numb, both on the outside and on the inside. He actually always liked when he felt like this, to not be capable to feel anything was great for him, that way he could actually walk without feeling worse then dog shit. But the face that child had made, stained with her father's blood...Well that was something he was never going to forget. Never.
--------------------------
Raura Café was actually very close to his position, so it only took him 5 minutes to get there. He was actually the only one not to run in the direction that lead to Nasuada Square. As they say "word moves fast." The café was a nice place for both teens and adults with its nice design, a particular mix of old and modern with a great use of wooden furniture and hi-tech tools. Altmun was seated right ahead of him, 5 meters away from the entrance, happily enjoying his chocolate milkshake. Altmun noted him and made sign to join him at his table. Klaus walked closer and sat on the chair in front of Altmun. Altmun gave a last suck at his straw, then he laid back on his chair, looking quite happy with himself, "Nothing's better then a chocolate milkshake, I tell ya!"
Altmun was...an eccentric man, to describe him simply. He was 67 with silver gray hair, going down almost at his shoulders, but balding at the temple. He always wore a suit and necktie, everyday of a different color. He loved staying with young people, and frequented bars like this. But most of all, he absolutely loved chocolate milkshakes, being a true milkshake fanatic. Klaus didn't really know if he should define this man as good or bad. From one perspective he was a man who soaked himself in dirty business, from the other, from what Altmun always told him, he seemed to be a loving husband, father, and grandfather.
Klaus was diverted from his thoughts by a waitress, who was trying to catch his attention.
"Sir? Do you want something?"
"Oh, sorry, no, I don't want anything."
Altmun frowned then said, "Bring us two chocolate milkshakes, dear." Klaus was about to say something but was stopped, "Don't worry my boy, my treat."
"I wanted nothing..." Muttered Klaus while he crossed his arms. They waited for a little while, both completely silent.
"Here's your milkshake." The waitress came with the two milkshakes and handed over the glasses. The two thanked her, the waitress responded with a smile and went away to take other orders. Altmun gave a suck to his straw then addressed Klaus with a serious face.
"To business now." Said Altmun, gaining Klaus' attention. "In these last months there have been reports of deforestation and decreasement of game in the Beor Mountains, without anyone knowing the reasons."
"I know, I read about that in the newspapers." Said Klaus, wondering what this had to do with anything.
"Sauser, being the good ambientalist that he is-was, decided to buy the area that had the worst damage, but the king couldn't let him, not after he found out what was going on there. Knewing that the man wouldn't desist he planned the assassination"
Now Klaus was curious, what the hell was there that caused a man to lose his life?
"Two weeks ago, the king sent one of his most trusted men to investigate. What he reported was something unbelievable. Completely amazing."
Altmun then leaned closer to Klaus and wispered, "We've found it, Schtauffen. The beast that killed your family is in the Beor Mountains."
Klaus' irises widened at an almost ridiculous amount. He actually felt his own blood become colder. He sqeezed his hands in an almost painful way and began to shake. He tightend his mouth so hard that his teeth began to hurt, but he didn't care. The one thing that he was searching for 9 long years was now found. In an istant he removed all the people that lost their life at his hands from his head; all the guilt, the remorse, that plagued his mind for all this time was now gone, replaced by feelings of primal rage. His personal vendetta was about to be fulfilled.
"The king has organized a special squad for taking care of the beast. Are you in?"
Klaus slowly turned his head toward Altmun, staring him straight in the eyes. Altmun almost took a step back. The eyes that were staring at him were not those of a simple boy, but were the eyes of a ruthless killer. In that moment Altmun truly wondered who was the beast between the boy in front of him and the one residing in the Beor Mountains.
"That thing is as good as dead..." Hissed Klaus.
The Red Dragon will die by my hands!
( to be continued...)
_____________________________________________________________________
I think I can imagine wat's your face right now: o_O
Did I get it right ?? XD
Well I don't have much to say for this first chapter, so I guess I'll just say read and let me know what you think about this. ^^
Bye.