This was originally supposed to be longer but had to cut it down because it was too long.
Chapter 9
Trust? What a foolish sentiment. In this world full of sin you can't trust anybody regardless of the so called "bond" you share. Whether it be the bond between friends, husband and wife, parent or child, or even between master and student. You'll only get hurt in the end.
In our training we were taught to trust one another and our masters and of course being young and naïve I believed them. I was still considered a rookie even though I had been an assassin for a couple of years now. One day I was sent to gather information on some aristocrat in Begnion. Only I got caught and thrown into their dungeon for trespassing. Like any rookie my master was my seconded so of course I thought he would get me out of this mess. But help was the last thing I would receive.
Just a few hours into my imprisonment I heard someone coming into the dungeon. It wasn't my master but it was a fellow assassin. I had believed I was saved until the iron bars were open and the assassin pointed his sword at me.
"Sorry kid," the man said, "Nothing personal. We just can't have you spilling your guts about us."
I was going to die by the hands of the people I served? Why? I was loyal, wasn't I? Did I give them a reason to believe I would ever betray them?
No, I couldn't have. I now had the desire to live. I wanted to find out what I had done to deserve death.
As the assassin lunged his sword at me I pivoted to the side, grabbed hold of his wrist holding the sword, and twisted it around so he stabbed himself with his own sword. His hand fell lifelessly down his side. As I pulled the blade from his body he dropped to the ground like lead.
With no feelings of remorse or even guilt over what I had just done I chuckled to myself. Thanks for leaving me an exit.
I easily escaped, almost too easy. There were hardly any guards around at all which I thought to be odd. But I didn't dwell on it. My full focus was finding my master in order to get answers.
It hadn't been two hours of walking before I spotted him sitting on a rock with his back to me. Killing him had crossed my mind but I didn't. Some days I regret it and some days I don't. But I'll never know if it would have worked. Probably not, because before I was even in range he spoke to be as if he had been waiting for me. "I should have suspected you'd be the one that returned, Nyoka."
To say I was angry was an understatement, I was furious. I stomped to face my master. He had a rather conceited look on his face that had seen many decades. "What is the meaning of this, master?" I demanded speaking in a louder tone then I'm used to. "Why would you send someone to kill me?"
And he laughed! "Why to test you of course." He jumped down from his rock and strolled a little ways from me. "Years ago that's how things were done. So our secrets didn't fall into enemy hands. Nowadays are different with the new Grandmaster. But I wanted to see which was stronger in people; desire for duty or survival."
I knew about executing your own but why would I be? That noble only thought I was trespassing. It wasn't like he knew anything about Lynn or what I was doing. Unless…
My eyes grew wide at the realization. "You set me up!" I yelled at him. "You knew I would get caught!"
"Quite so, quite so," he said sounding proud of himself. "He's on my payroll. I've set this scenario to many others and majority of them just rolled over and died. Never once questioning why? But you, you are different. You desire to know the greatest question; why?"
I stared at him. This man was supposedly a genus but a little strange. Now I was wondering if this man was just simply crazy. "Doesn't anyone wish to know why they must die?" I rebuked.
"Oh Nyoka, what you say is true but I can see it in your eyes. You desire to know more." I tried to keep a straight face but it became difficult when he said, "Don't you want to know why a man would leave his family and what could cause a mother to kill her own daughter?"
Of course I do! I thought angrily, unable to hold my emotions back any longer. There wasn't a day that went by when I didn't think about the father that left and the little sister I lost. It happened just before I left for my training. I my mother was unstable but I never would have imagined she'd do something like this! She was, of course, executed for her crime but that left me alone in Lynn. All I wanted was to forget but others wouldn't let me. They would whisper when they thought I couldn't hear. Treat me as if I were broken glass. Worse yet they treated me as if I had committed those crimes. Like a debt, I had inherited the sins of my parents.
My master smiled, "We aren't so different. Neither of us asked to be born so why must we suffer from other's sins?"
This was dangerous talk, I know this. But…yet…I was slightly intrigued at where he was going with this. "So what's your point?" I asked. I still didn't trust him and didn't want to let on that I was interested.
"Let me answer you with another question; why do you think Lynn was formed?"
I raised an eyebrow at him wondering what that had to do with anything. "To ensure peace throughout Tellius. We strive to bring the races together." I answered like I was in class, knowing full well how hypocritical that sounded. Though Lynn had succeeded in peace within its walls it had yet to do such beyond the mountains.
"That's the textbook answer, yes, but the not the true answer. It is because Lynn holds the greatest secrets of this world." Well I guess that would make more sense. Lynn always seemed to be in constant danger and secrets were very expensive. My master went on, "The truth about the goddess and the dark god, the great flood, even the greatest why; why we are here. I've only stumbled upon the surface but imagine what else there could be to learn!"
He was mad. He had to be. "What do I care about some old history lesson?"
"I figured that wouldn't interest you," he said with a sigh. He reached into his bag and pulled out a roll of parchment. After he spread it out over the rock he said, "This, however, might."
Hesitant at first, I went over to see what was on it. There was a large circle with a triangle in the middle. All along the sides were words in the ancient language but were too faded for me to read. Only three words were legible; balance, pure, and control. Why would he show me this? I wondered.
As if he read my mind he answered, "It is a ritual that will cleanse the lands; to wash the dirty sins of man from this land. No more war, no more pain, no more betrayal. It something this land needs desperately and I believe the two of us are the ones to do it."
Was there really such a way? And if there was what would that mean? Would it all just go away? "Why tell me all this? You tried to have me killed just hours ago. I could just threaten to tell the Grandmaster!" I warned but part of me was on his side.
"This has nothing to do with trust. If you were serious about that threat you'd already be halfway to Lynn!" He snapped at me. "I would do it myself but this requires the hands of many. You desire a new world just as much as I do, so why not help me?"
"If I help you, what then? I glared at him.
"Worry not; there will be plenty to do. But for now I just need more time to learn about this ritual," he told me as he pulled out a scroll and rolled in out over the parchment. It held five names that were written in red ink, two of the names I recognized. Then there was what appeared to be a small burn mark but not enough to burn though. "Now if you want to help me we'll have to make it official and sign you name. Of course you have the option of refusing but you'll have to die here."
So, he didn't trust me either. My choices are to die or help him with his plan. It was a no brainer; there was no way I could take him in a fight and besides, I somewhat agreed with what he was saying. "Fine, give me a quell." I'll play your game.
"No need for that, all I need is a drop of your blood on the scroll."
I sighed but took the sword in my hand and slid it across my palm making a thin red line. Holding my hand over the scroll I squeezed until the red liquid fell onto the paper. I was signing my soul to the devil, I know, but I was just so sick and tired of the way this world was run. The moment my blood connected it spread into the form of a snake. It slithered around until it left a crimson trail that was my name. The rest slithered off the scroll onto the rock becoming liquid yet again.
What sorcery is this? I wondered but not for long because my chest began to burn. Falling to my knees I clutched the spot that burnt and it was hot. I cried out through the searing pain, halfway fearing my heart would catch fire. But as quickly as it came it vanished though it still left a lingering pain like after someone burnt their hand in a fire place. I pulled the collar of my tunic down to inspect if any damage had been done and there was. Over my heart was a mark, it was the ancient word for bound servant. It now looked like I had a tattoo. But how?
"Now you are bound to me," my master said as he rolled the scroll that I had signed my life away on.
Funny, I didn't really care. After all, when had my life really belonged to me anyway?
/~/~/
Nyoka blinked his eyes open to the night air. He had decided to rest before meeting up with his master for his progress report but ended up taking a nap. He groaned when he tried to get up. It would seem his age was catching up with him.
Normal people would retire once they reached his age; in fact many asked when he planned to do so. But he knew for a fact he would never be able to. He had every intention of serving his master till the end even if he did believe his master was a coward. After forty years ago the mark didn't burn like it used to; either because the spell had weakened over the years or he had simply gotten used to it.
Ignoring what his bones were saying, Nyoka got to his feet and continued on his way.
It wasn't long till he came to a small clearing where he saw three figures, one being his master leaning his full weight on his staff. Master Dihsar was one of the few branded living in Lynn. He had raven black hair with a face that hadn't seemed to age since Nyoka met him. He wore simple black robes as a scholar in Lynn would wear. Dihsar's left leg was now crippled after the medallion incident twenty years to which Nyoka believed he had done it to himself on purpose. One would imagine this would make him look vulnerable but in fact it just made him more dangerous.
The second person was Zephyr. He was maybe in his early thirties with short, wild green hair. His mouth and nose were covered by a mask and wore a long coat. He also happened to be one of the people who touched the medallion but unlike the others he liked the madness. He always was a blood thirsty killer; the madness just gave him an excuse to be one. On more than one occasion he had tried to kill Nyoka. Needless to say he kept his guard up around him since it was hard to tell when he was just being himself are going berserk. Maybe there wasn't a difference.
The last one Nyoka despised with a passion. It was Naiya, a young woman trained to be an assassin with a bow. Wearing the typical assassin robes with the hood up, she turned to him giving a loathing look. She may not have been as good as Kyle but she was still pretty deadly but that wasn't what he hated about her. It was the fact that she so blindly put her trust in their master. He knew she held so sort of attraction for him and so Nyoka believed her to be foolish. That always seemed to be the problem with these young people.
Dihsar made no notice of his arrival nor did Nyoka until he reached him. "Forgive me for my tardiness."
"All shall be forgiven if you bring good news," he said. "But Naiya will go first since she was here first."
A smirk crossed her face that made Nyoka want to gag and from Zephyr's reaction he wanted to do the same. "I have done as you commanded and shot the arrow at the sellsword girl."
"And?"
"Nothing. The girl didn't react as that so called doctor's patients did. We've finally found her, the last piece," she reported sounding rather proud of herself.
A brief laugh escaped Dihsar. "Reinrag certainly was the useful pawn. But I guess I should really thank him. After all I would never have learned if my enactment would produce the same effects as Lehran's Medallion."
During that brief time that item was in Lynn Dihsar had studied it and somehow came up with the idea of making a synthesis version of it. But in order to do it he had to see how the medallion would affect those who touched it. So he had placed it in the market and observed and crippled himself to make him look like a victim. Of course the synthesis version was much weaker, causing whoever touched to go crazy for a brief moment before they died.
If that girl didn't do any of that then it was a safe bet she had no chaos in her. "So we have two of the three," Nyoka commented. "The One with no chaos and the One in-between to control all. Now all that's left is the wings that sing rather than fight."
"Worry not on him. He's in the capital now." Zephyr confirmed.
"Ah, so the bird tribe came to the ceremony after all. Looks like Mailliw served his purpose. I had feared he wouldn't." Dihsar said then added, "So all the pieces are in our sight and the day of darkness is just around the corner."
Nyoka couldn't believe it. The time was finally coming. He feared he wouldn't be able to see it coming.
Dihsar smiled, "Honestly, I thought that branded child would have been the most difficult to gain, but she made it easier by running away." That was true. Even though she was always there she was under constant watch, especially by her father. Like his master, that was someone Nyoka did not want to cross swords with.
"But what about her watch dog?" Zephyr asked. "If she so much as catches a scent of her…"
"No need to worry about her," Nyoka interrupted. "Very soon she'll be dead."
"You don't expect me to believe one of them is going to silence her, do you?" They'd point the blade at themselves before thinking of doing something like that," Naiya frowned at him.
This was what he hated most about these younger recruits. They just think they know so much when it was the opposite. "Of course not. I've kept her busy, so she hasn't taken her medicine regularly. It'll only be a matter of time."
It was Zephyr's turn to laugh now. "Out from under her father's wing and her caretaker is about to die. How could Natsu fail at capturing her?"
"At least that stupid sub-human is dead," Naiya sneered.
"Dead?" Nyoka wiped his head around to her. He knew he shouldn't be surprised that Natsu died but he was. He and his group had been tricked to signing their names and Natsu openly declared his dissatisfaction; trying anything to break the curse of the bond servant. Before the branded child had run away Dihsar had planned to use the trust Natsu had gained from her and her father to capture her.
"That's old news now," Dihsar told him. "Now for new orders. Zephyr, Kifar has been asking too many questions about my work and somehow managed to steal some of it. Retrieve it and make sure he can't tell anyone of our plans."
Nyoka was sure a smile was under that mask. For a moment, he pitied Kifar. No doubt he'll receive fate worse than death.
"Naiya, I need you to deliver these orders to who it's addressed to," Dihsar ordered as he tossed a small scroll at her. She wasn't happy, either because she was now a delivery girl or because of whom the person was or even both.
Their master turned to Nyoka last. "I trust you know what to do."
He did indeed. Continue to monitor this child of no chaos and ensure the wolf laguz died.
Dishar reached his hands to the sky like he was trying to grab one of the thousand stars. "Finally! This world will get what it deserves! Not even that so called 'goddess' will be able to stop me!"
Yes, our goals are just in sight.
/~/~/
Ike had made it to the castle in no time at all but headed straight for the dungeon. Thankfully for the late hour not many people he knew personally were out and about which is what he wanted since he wasn't sure how to explain himself. Then again they may have been busy with Titania and finding the guy who shot the arrow. He hoped they would find the archer but he highly doubted it.
As he reached the prison a horrible coughing sound echoed off the stone hallway. It sounded worse the further he walked down. By the way it sounded someone had to be dying. He wasn't sure what to expect.
Finally he reached the row of cells and there was a guard standing next to the hallway rubbing his head in annoyance. "What's going on down here? Ike asked him.
Startled, he looked to Ike knowing who he was. "Oh, well, that assassin's trying to play sick, but no one's buying it!" He yelled the last part toward the assassin's cell. But the coughing continued.
Ike listened to closely and it certainly didn't sound fake. "Have you considered she's really sick?" He questioned him.
"Of course, but General Geoffrey says under no circumstance to open her cell without at least ten blades pointed at her."
Well there was a good chance of that. After his brief fight with her he was sure she could escape this place healthy or not. But right now he needed answers and it would be better if this guard wasn't around. "How about you go get some food, I'll stay and watch over our guest," Ike suggested.
The guard's face lit up like Ike had just bestowed a blessing to him. "W-well if you're sure." He started making his way down the hall. "I promise I won't be long."
"Take you time," Ike added and once he was sure he was out of hearing range walked over to the cell that held the assassin.
She was leaned against the wall on the bunk. Without her large tunic she was left in a dark high collar shirt, which hung tightly on a rather impressive figure, dark pants and boots. Her silver tail hung over the bunk swaying back and forth slowly. With her braid down her hair reached all the way to her elbows.
A few more coughs escaped her before she glared at her with those piercing yellow eyes. He noticed that her sash was still around her waist so that may be where he should start. He took a breath before saying, "The black on your sash means your father passed away and the red means you mother passed away."
There was silence for a moment. The assassin swung her legs around and stared at him like she was studying him. Her eyes didn't change and they made Ike want to fidget under them. But he didn't, he had to stand his ground if he wanted answers.
But she didn't say anything. But he was right about her, he just knew it. So he went on, maybe to find out if this laguz was after Leila too. "A friend of mine is from a village called Lynn. She has a red sash to mourn her mother. I was thinking you two were from the same village." She said nothing so Ike added, "Her name's Leila. Maybe you know her."
She did indeed know her. For a brief moment her face was full of shock and recognition but soon returned to a glazed look. Although not completely because she spoke for the first time. "You lie," she stated in a cold tone that fit her eyes. "She's safely in Lynn."
Now it was his move now. He only had one more and it was a huge gamble. So he turned away from her because there was no way he could keep a straight face since he had no intention of doing what he's about to say. "Fine, I'll just go get her and prove it to you."
He had only taken two steps away when he heard the assassin jump to her feet and rush to the bars. "Wait!" She cried out to which Ike couldn't help to turn around with grin for his bluff. Her hand was outstretched toward him and at that moment she banged had against the iron bars, realizing what she had done. But her eyes shot up at him. "So you now have leverage on me. Are you planning to use Leila to get me to tell you why I killed that man?"
"I'm not a soldier but a mercenary. I'm here on my own business. But I told you the truth; Leila is a friend of mine." Ike pulled out the arrow out to show her. "Someone shot this thing at my sister."
"And so you think I magically shot it from inside this cell?" The laguz rolled her eyes.
"Leila told me that this thing isn't too different from a certain medallion that caused some of the people in Lynn to go mad."
"Now I know you're lying, beorc boy," the laguz said. "Leila would never speak of that day to anyone, especially to a bunch of sellswords."
"Well she had to tell us about it since someone with the madness tried to capture her and nearly killed some of my own men!
This was news to her. She looked both worried and frustrated, like Ike had backed her into a corner. She paced back and forth in her cell no longer looking like the strong deadly warrior she was just moments ago. Finally she stopped in front of Ike. "Look," she snapped, "if I tell you everything I know about the medallion will you keep her safe and out of this affair?"
"Of course, but don't you want her to know you're here? And what exactly is she endangered of?"
Her cold look returned. "If you really know Leila then you should already know the answer."
Yeah, I guess that was a rather pointless question.
"Also the less you know about her the safer she'll be." Ike wasn't too happy about that response but he came here for answers for the medallion. Of course now he was wondering how Leila got tangled up with assassins in the first place.
A heavy sigh escaped the assassin followed by a cough. "I'm afraid I don't know much either. I wasn't even aware such a thing was there until that day. But it was horrible. I had been called to do damage control. The streets were painted red and littered with limbs. After it was over a man came forward claiming he had thought the medallion was something to be sold in the market. The Grandmaster immediately killed him after the statement."
"How did it leave Lynn? Ike asked.
"It wasn't long after that day when we came under attacked by the Daein. We had already suffered so many casualties that we didn't stand a chance against them. We were forced to the keep. Finally the leader of the army made his demands. All he wanted was the medallion that had caused many to lose their life. The Grandmaster wasted no time. He threw the thing at his feet and said, 'Take this damned thing from hell and never come back!'And they did just that."
Ike wondered if it was Ashnard who attacked them. I guess that makes sense. But why would he throw it away if he knew how dangerous it was? "How could he just get rid of it?" Ike demanded, slightly angered about hearing that. Eventually, the medallion will end up with Prince Reyson's sister, then his mother and father, and finally Ashnard again who started a war because of it! So many lives had been ruined because of this small thing.
The assassin's face turned to anger. "You have no idea what the medallion did to him! Because of it he had to-" She stopped herself from saying too much.
He took a moment to regain his composure. There was no use getting angry at her, this "Grandmaster" was her master so of course she would defend him. "So…are you saying he touched it too?"
She wouldn't look him in the eye. "No, but he might as well have. He…wasn't much better off than the ones who did." Now her fierce look returned. "I have answered you questions, sellsword, now answer mine. Who was it with madness that's going after Leila?"
"It was a laguz by the name of Natsu," he answered her hoping she could shed a little light on that whole situation.
Instead she looked like he had just insulted her master again. "I'm seriously starting to doubt that you're even a sellsword. You just keep coming up with the most ridicules tells. Natsu has forbidden himself from ever leaving Lynn. And that's not something he would break easily nor would he ever dream of hurting Leila."
"Whether you want to believe it or not that's who Leila believed him to be," Ike rebuked. "One thing we can agree on is he won't be going after her anymore."
"What do you mean by that?" She asked and Ike realized that she really knew nothing about that. She also held him in the same regard as Leila dose…and she doesn't know about his passing.
"He's…he died," Ike managed to say.
The assassin fell down on her bunk stunned by the news. "No, there's…there's no way that could have happened. Natsu's…" Suddenly her ears flinched and she attempted to regain her composer but was still a little shaky.
No, the guard couldn't be back yet, Ike thought as he looked over his shoulder. He quickly turned back to the laguz. In a whisper he said, "Before Natsu died, he said someone was after Leila, that there was a traitor in Lynn." She looked away from him and he thought she didn't hear him. "Please, if you care anything for Leila tell me anything you know."
She didn't look at him when she said in a hushed voice, "Look for the link between the people who were killed, they may even have an answer for that arrow you hold."
He stared at her, "They've looked, and there is no connection."
Her head turned sharply at him. "Look. Harder," she hissed between her teeth then turned back to the wall.
It wasn't long before an awful cough escaped from her. She tried to hide it but Ike saw the blood that was in her hand now. "You really are sick," Ike confirmed. She moved her hand from his view and didn't say another word. The conversation was over.
"Still not talking, huh?" The guard said once he entered the room.
"Right," he mumbled as he began to leave.
/~/~/
Shortly after, Ike found Titania explaining things to Bastian. He then gave the arrow to Bastian who promised to keep it safe and away from anyone who might touch it.
Afterwards Ike and Titania returned to the inn to learn that the guy who shot Mist was nowhere to be found. Of course Ike suspected this to be the case. The two of them then informed everyone that the arrow was safely with Bastian and that they'll keep an eye out for any other strange things like it. So then Ike suggested they take turns keeping watch in case the archer came back.
He volunteered first since his head was still swimming with all the things the assassin told him; he'd be lucky to get any sleep to tonight. The rest drew for times and went to their assigned rooms to sleep after this long day, except Soren.
The young tactician had his arms folded and stared at him much like the assassin did. "You don't fool me for a minute," he said.
"What are you talking about?" Ike asked but had a good feeling what.
He looked around to make sure they weren't being overheard. Then he stated, "You went and talked to the assassin, didn't you?"
Ike cursed inside his head. Why did Soren have to be so sharp? "I did," he admitted.
"Well, did you get any useful information?"
"Yes and no. She knows Leila and she knew a little more about the medallion in Lynn, but not much," he explained.
"What about the arrow?"
"Not sure. We were interrupted. However…she said to look for the link between those that are dead."
"Let me guess, you want me to find this said 'link'. You really trust the words of an assassin?"
He had a point, like always, and it had crossed Ike's mind several times during his conversation with her. "It's the only words we have Soren," he told his friend.
A sigh escaped the young mage. "Fine, I was going to look up the eclipse in the morning anyway. I'll just add that to my list."
/~/~/
It was well past midnight and Kyle was the only one awake. Rhona and Colin were asleep on the cots not far from him, while Ghost and Nyoke were out gathering intel. Kyle was noting his arrows when he heard a scrapping sound outside.
All ground floor door and windows were sealed shut years ago to keep the curious from wondering in here by accident. So the only way in was through the window on the third floor. An assassin was silent when climbing, this was the sound of someone who wasn't use to scaling a building and they weren't doing a good job either if Kyle was able to hear it.
He quickly grabbed his bow and loaded a ready arrow. "Rhona, Colin," Kyle alerted them in a low tone.
Rhona instantly jumped out of bed with the dagger she slept with out and ready. Colin was a little more sluggish but was none the less up. The two of them stood on either side of the door while Kyle stood in front prepared to fire his arrow at any moment. The three of them stood motionless, ready to strike when the intruder walked through the door.
Though it was faint he could hear the intruder climbing though the window and feet shuffling on the floor toward them. Kyle steadied his heartbeat and prepared himself for whatever came over the threshold. Rhona was her usual self while Colin tightened his grip on the dagger.
Finally when the feet reached the door they stopped. "It's me, a voice that could only belong to Ralik called at to them. But something sounded different about him.
None of them lowered their weapons till Ralik came through the door. He looked tired, ragged, and he was clutching his shoulder.
"What's the deal Ralik?" Kyle asked. "I was able to hear you."
Ralik growled at him. "Well sorry, I'm not use to climbing with one arm."
"M-master Ralik, what happened to you?" Colin asked noticing the blood running down his arm.
"One of those damned slavers had a laguz blade. It nicked me in the shoulder," he answered like it was nothing. But he was in great pain no doubt still feeling the burning a laguz blade was said to inflect. It didn't just nick him; it almost cut into the bone. A little more he might have lost that arm.
"Rhona, take care of Ralik's arm," Kyle told her.
She rolled her eyes but didn't object, although Ralik did, "I think I'd rather lose my arm."
Rhona pulled at his injured arm making him whimper a little. "Just remember, that can be arranged."
Grumbling, he sat down on a box while Rhona rummaged through their supplies. She found some bandages and grabbed a bottle of rum. Very carelessly she opened the bottle and poured half of it on his shoulder. The laguz let out cry shot up away from her. "Whoops," she said with no remorse.
"Woman!" He yelled.
"Ralik quit being a baby. At least the poison from the blade is gone," Kyle reasoned with him since a fight between the two could happen any moment.
"If you didn't like it you should have thought things through better. They're slavers! Of course one or two of them would have laguz weapons! But of course you didn't think of that," Rhona lectured him.
"So does it mean his carelessness caused Lalat to get away?" A low tone from the shadows spoke making everyone but Kyle to stumble to the ground in fright. Colin even backed into some boxes making some lose ones fall on top of him. Kyle knew it was Ghost; always true to his name. He seemed to appear out of nowhere from the shadows with a rather smug smile on his face.
Once everyone realized it was the heron Rhone let out an embarrassed groan, Colin looked white, and Ralik looked pissed. "Do that again, Ghost, and I'll bit your wings off," he threatened.
Since the Ralik was injured it seemed Ghost was bold enough to say, "What's the matter? Is the big bad wolf afraid of a small heron?"
"Keep talking and we'll see," the wolf growled.
"Didn't expect you back so soon Ghost," Kyle commented.
His business face returned. "We'll I saw Ralik returned and wanted to know if Lalat is dead. So?" Ghost directed at Ralik.
"They're all dead. I even bit Lalet's head off for good measure," he informed him.
The heron sighed, "Good, now I have to go to the safe house to inform Kifar of their deaths so he can let the Grandmaster know."
"But what about…you know?" Rhona said meaning 'what about Anna?'
Nobody said anything till Ghost turned to Colin. "Go out and make sure no one notice Ralik coming here," he ordered.
He began to obey till he reached the door. He spun sharply to toward them, his legs were shaking. "Th-this…this is about Master Anna…isn't it?" They were still silent. "I know you all are keeping something from me. And…if it is about her…I…I want to help her too."
From Ghost's face, it looked like he was considering what he was asking. Seeing his look Rhona objected. "You can't be serious. He's a bloodless. What we're doing is dangerous even for us."
"Just let him come," Ralik suddenly declared.
"Why?" Rhona asked. "He's only a kid; I would have thought you of all people would be against it."
He shrugged, "I guess I like his guts. It's not easy to stand up to four masters. But I have to ask: you going to have these same guts when Nyoka finds out what we did?" He asked the rookie.
Colin shifted his weight thinking this all through. Finally he nodded.
"Speaking of Nyoka," Ghost interrupted, "He went to Tarreftnom to see if he can find out anything about Duoqun. We have maybe two, three days before he returns so we'll have to move fast."
"The assassins are here somewhere! There are more watching us now! They will kill us all!"
"Of course. With this new piece it all makes sense." He turned to the guards. "Bring the assassin."
Ghost remained absolutely still, although he doubted he'd live long hiding from someone with Lehran Madness.