Chapter 7 : Understanding the Assasins, Journey for strength.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Disclaimer: I don't own ragnarok and the job system or the skills used in this fanfic.
A month has passed since the mission when Twin is seen packing his belongings in a bag when he heard someone knock on his door. He stopped his activity before walking toward the door and opened it, revealing the now familiar assassin with golden blonde hair. Twin left the door open for her to come in as he turns back to packing his items.
The girl doesn't look offended of being ignored as if she doesn't exist. In fact, a small smile rose from her lips as she entered the knight's house casually and sit on nearby chair. It has become a common action for both of them since Twin was released from the hospital a few day prior, Melisa will come to his house in daily basis and he will welcome her without saying anything before she make herself comfortable in the small home. The said girl continues watching the owner's activity in fascination like a small child looking through a candy store when she decides to open a conversation.
"Going somewhere?" She asked cheerily, Twin nod his head slightly as if it answers the question enough.
Melisa pouted slightly like a small child that is being denied of her daily snack before shooting another question, "Where are you going?"
This time, Twin has finished packing and turn around with the bag hold firmly over his shoulder. His expression still that of aloof and emotionless when he answered, "A Journey."
He walk passed the Assassin to the door before opening it and signalled her to get out. Melisa complied with his silent request and exit the house followed by Twin who closed the door and locked it before continue walking toward the south gate of Prontera with the female assassin besides him. The pair walk through the hustle of the city known as the capital of Rune Midgard without saying anything to each other until the outgoing assassin decide that its too much.
"How long will you be gone?" She said while skipping slightly to keep up with her taller companion.
"Dunno, might be a year or two." Twin answered shortly but don't say anything.
Feeling annoyed that Twin being so cold, Melisa decide to annoy him a bit. She let herself left behind slightly before reaching toward his bag and pulled it slightly. When Twin turned around to reprimand her, she giggled and act innocent but continue doing it over and over when Twin turn back front. Finally, Twin's patience has reached its first limit as he stops walking and scold her directly.
"Will you stop that?!" He said with a scowl which deepens as he saw the younger assassin whistling innocently.
She replied with a simple, "What? I didn't do anything."
Twin put his bag down and crossed his hands in front of his chest and give her the look that says, 'You expect me to believe that?'
Melisa thinks silently, 'He look kind of cute with that expression.' but crossed it from her mind just as quickly as it come, 'Where did that come from? He's just someone that I barely know for a few days.'
Apparently her thinking takes quite a few minutes as Twin has picked up his bag and continue walking to the gate, leaving her to catch up. Melisa gets herself out of her stupor and ran slightly until she catches up with him. Still curious about the knight's intention for leaving, she decides to ask again.
"Why are you leaving? A mission?"
The said knight doesn't turn to face her but answered her question anyway, "Training, I want to get stronger. Our mission was classified as postponed as we fail to get the information and I have every intention to finish it. However, the last battle shows me that I'm not strong enough yet. I want to take a Journey to improve myself."
Melisa seems a bit shocked that the knight besides her answered her completely, in fact this is the first time she heard him talk in such a long sentences. She nods quietly, showing that she understands what he means. She has been informed about the status of the mission by her own Job Master and the fact that she failed to save her comrade left a scar on her pride too.
"You know, this is quite an accident. I also going to train, I heard there is a secret training ground that was said to be a place where the legendary Loki elected as Assassin Cross. I've got clues on where is it so I want to find it, who knows I might be able to become an Assassin Cross myself." She told the knight besides her with a smile as if she's half dreaming.
"I see" Twin answered followed with a nod before continuing, "May I ask something?"
Melisa look at him in shock before composing herself and give a nod, too shocked to use her voice to answer.
"Why they elect you as assassin? Even I don't think you really cut out to become one." Twin told her directly.
Feeling slightly angered, she got in front of him and blocked his passage as she put her hands on her hips, her lips curved in a scowl and her face is red with anger "What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I have bad skills? Have you forgotten how many times I save you during the mission?"
Twin look at the apparently pissed girl in front of him, 'She looks kinda childishly cute like this. Wait… I didn't just think of that.'
Getting impatient and her patience running thin as she felt as if she's being ignored by the knight, she strode over him and poke him on the chest, getting Twin out of his though, "If you have a problem with my skill, say it directly to my face."
Twin looks at her and smirked a bit, "I wasn't talking about your skill. I'm talking about that attitude of yours."
Melisa is stunned at his words while Twin walk passed her before she shake herself awake and run again to catch up once again, "Whats wrong with my attitude?"
Twin shot her a questioning look as he answered, "I heard Assassins are cold blooded killer with little to no emotion. They also do not reveal themselves to be seen most of the time. While you… are the exact opposite of them."
Melisa giggled a bit before her laugh rang out loud, making Twin and some other passerby looking at her weirdly. She composes herself slowly before answering his question.
"I'm sorry about that. Well, to start of. What you heard is all a lie, well, most of them at least." She said with a smile. Feeling confused, Twin wait for her to continue, never he would ever guessed that her explanation will turn the "Job" as he know it up side down, and continue she did.
"First of all, we are NOT cold blooded killer. Don't get me wrong, we kill, yes. But we don't kill unjustly. For every assassination missions we got, the victims are people who are a corrupt, tyrant or terrorise. Each of the missions we got is "filtered" to make sure that the mission is just as it stated to prevent us killing innocents."
Twin look at her as if she has told him that the king is a beggar and apparently Melisa found his expression to be funny as she start giggling again before continuing.
"Secondly, we do have emotions. We laugh, we cried, some of us are even romantic. The thing is, we know when we have to lock them up and swallow the guilt. Like when we're killing a tyrant, we cannot afford our emotion to run free, it may result in failure as however skilled, we are always human and human always hesitate to kill their own kind."
This time, Twin nods his head understandingly as he has felt it first hand. The locking the emotions part, that is. Seeing that he understands, Melisa continues to the last of her explanation.
"Lastly, as for not revealing ourselves; What you heard is somewhat true but it doesn't mean that we do not exist. We rarely hiding ourself, most of the times, its just the people just choose not to see us. 1 thing about humans is they only wish to see what they want to see and we assassins take advantage of it. We do not hide per se but we "become" something that people do not want to see. For all you know, we might be in plain sight and still no one knows we are there."
Twin is having difficulty processing the things that he has just heards, "So basically, you told me that you could be stripping in front of the king himself and he won't even know it?"
If she feeling insulted with the stripping part, she don't show it as she continue smiling, "Cool, right?"
Twin nod his head slightly and realized that they has reached the gate. He turns to the assassin and offered his hand.
"I'll be leaving now. May we meet again."
Melisa looked at the offered hand with a slight shock before her face brightened and she shook the hand enthusiastically, "Of course."
Twin takes another look to the girl on front of him and grins a bit as he pulled her face toward him and gives her a chaste kiss on the cheek before whispering, "Thank you for saving my life back there and for helping me cope with my loss."
He pulled back and grins wider at the girl's beet red face. He picked up his bag again and turns around before he starts to walk away from the city, leaving the stunned and slightly drooling girl whose face now resembles a tomato as she fingered the spot where he kissed her.
Meanwhile, Melisa touched the place where Twin kissed her before her face broke in a huge smile. She holds the urge to squeal and hurriedly run back to the inn to prepare for her own journey, all the while thinking.
'Yes Twin, we will meet again. And when that time comes, I hope you're prepared you will not get away with kissing me.'
There, this takes longer than I expect to write. Uni is a pain and I don't have much spare time anymore. The next chapter will take even longer I'm afraid but I hope you guys will be patient to wait. For now, R&R please.
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