CHAPTER 11

When Oliver returned to Nanda Parbat, he quickly proceeded to his own quarters. Saying goodbye to everyone absolutely took its toll and decided to be alone to rest because his day was not yet over. There was still a branding and naming ceremony to be had later in the day and he was trying to mentally prepare for it.

Oliver was not disturbed by anyone during the rest of the day. He was not even summoned by Ra's Al Ghul for anything. All of his meals were delivered to his room. He was glad of it actually. It gave him time to relax, gather his bearings, and prepare to mentally and physically become a full-fledged member of the League of Assassins.

Oliver was standing at his balcony, watching the beautiful sunset over the mountains when Sarab entered his quarters. Sensing his presence, Oliver turned around to acknowledge him. Sarab bowed down before him and then saying, "Oliver, it's time."

"You don't have to bow down to me, Maseo." Oliver said. He still considers Maseo as his friend and it felt awkward for him to have his friend bow down before him in reverence and respect.

"Maseo is dead. I am Sarab and it is customary for assassins to bow down to their leaders. I am no different." He replied before stepping back and closing the doors in order to allow Oliver his last minute preparations before his branding and naming.

Once Oliver was ready, he was escorted by Sarab, as well as three more assassins who were flanking him on each side, forming some sort of square around him. They proceeded outside the palace towards the clearing wherein they first greeted him when he brought Thea to be resurrected. This time all the assassins had been recalled to Nanda Parbat and they filled the clearing but they were formed in a circle. They parted a way for Oliver to come through as the assassins that accompanied him and Sarab took their positions.

Oliver proceeded to the center of the clearing and there he saw a fire pit, a platform with two poles attached to it and leather straps tied to each of the poles. At the middle of the clearing, Ra's Al Ghul was directly in front of his line of vision as well as the priestess who was just a few inches behind him. He took a deep breath before removing his brown colored T-shirt exposing his scars, proceeded to the platform and strapped himself in by wrapping his arms around the leather straps that were provided for him.

Ra's then began circling around him. He was admiring Oliver's scars that led to a smirk. Based on Oliver's scars, Ra's saw Oliver as a very powerful warrior, a man of tremendous strength, fortitude and power. He was smirking because based on what he saw, Oliver is the perfect candidate to be his heir.

"The word 'assassin' has fallen victim to many abuses of language." Ra's said as he began the ceremony. "It's real meaning hidden beneath the sediment of lies and falsehoods. In truth, "assassin" comes from hashishiyya, which means 'those who stand apart from society'." As Ra's said this, the priestess went over to the fire pit and placed the branding iron of an arrow onto the fire in order to heat it up to be used to brand Oliver with this symbol.

"Now, every man and woman in here have renounced their past life and forfeited their identity in the name of something new. And it is a cleansing only achieved by fire." Once the branding iron was hot enough, the priestess took it out of the fire and gave it to Ra's Al Ghul. Prior to the ceremony, he said to the Priestess that he wished to brand his heir himself. This was not the usual tradition of the League because for normal members, it was the Priestess who did the branding. In this case, it was not a normal tradition for the one being branded has also been named as heir. As such, Ra's Al Ghul insisted that he perform this ceremony himself which the Priestess agreed to.

Ra's then placed the branding iron onto Oliver's right shoulder blade, opposite the tattoo given to him by Slade Wilson. "Embrace the pain, for it is your soul finally being unburdened." Ra's let the arrow branding iron stew in Oliver's skin for a while, probably testing his heir's mettle before finally removing the branding iron from his back.

For Oliver, as soon as the branding iron touched his skin, he thought it was painful. However, he was used to the pain so he just gasped, clenched his jaw and sucked up the pain that he was feeling. His body was shaking uncontrollably from the pain but he held his own and not fall on his knees even though he felt his knees buckle a few times as he was being branded. The leather straps that held him in place helped him prevent himself from falling down on his knees as his knuckles turned white while his shoulder blade was being burned by the branding iron. He wanted to scream from the pain but held his tongue because if he screamed, it would be shown as a weakness by the assassins who were currently watching him become their Heir. He was not going to let the assassins, and Ra's Al Ghul, have that luxury. He had to be strong to prove his worth and his strength both to Ra's Al Ghul and the assassins. He had to earn the assassins' respect if he was going to be their heir and this branding could serve as a show of strength and power on his part which would make Ra's proud and the assassins fearful of him. He also realized that Ra's let the branding iron stew in his skin for a while, which made him blink a couple of times from the pain before Ra's finally removed the branding iron from his left shoulder blade. He took deep breaths because he knew that his initiation was not over yet.

Ra's then circled him again and was proud at what he saw. Oliver, his heir, did not make a sound as he was branded. He also did not fall on his knees as he was being branded. Ra's saw many a man fall on their knees during this part of the ceremony in the temple and seeing Oliver not fall impressed him and made him proud of his decision. He was definitely right in his assessment that Oliver has tremendous strength, fortitude and power and his branding proved this point to Ra's and all of the assassins that were present.

"The League of Assassins is a brotherhood." Ra's then stated as he continued to circle around Oliver. "It is a family built around loyalty, fealty and blood. Each and every man here has, and will, spill their blood in order to protect one another and especially their leaders from outside forces. And tonight, you will do the same." The Priestess then handed Ra's a ceremonial knife to be used for this particular section of the ceremony. "Are you ready to join the brotherhood Al Sah-Him?" Ra's inquired as part of the process.

The mark on his shoulder blade was now throbbing but he knew full well that his ceremony was not yet over. When Ra's asked the question about him joining the brotherhood of the League of Assassins, he replied, through gritted teeth, "I am."

Ra's then unsheathed the ceremonial knife and proceeded to the platform. He then used the ceremonial knife to slowly cut Oliver across the chest. Oliver seethed and grunted a bit due to the slowness of the knife now cutting his skin and the force in which Ra's used to cut him. Oliver then closed his eyes and took a deep breath to block away the pain until Ra's was done cutting him.

This part of the ceremony now over, Ra's then ordered Sarab, "Clothe him." Oliver was now presented with league clothing. He removed his arms from the leather straps that held him and put the clothes on. He was also presented with a compound bow, a quiver full of arrows with black fletchings, a Chinese Dao sword (swords especially presented and used by the Heir to the Demon), and a dark green mask that only revealed his eyes as a symbol of his history. Once he received all of his new gear, he was presented with a red colored pin which he attached to the upper part of the black leather that went across his upper body in order to hold his quiver in place and a necklace with a hozen in the shape of an arrowhead to be worn around his neck. He then put his hood up and presented himself to the assassins.

Oliver bowed down his head and then he heard Ra's say, "Oliver Queen is dead, eventually to be reborn as Ra's Al Ghul. But for now, only the Arrow, Al Sah-Him shall remain." Ra's then smiled, proud of himself and what he has done. "Al Sah-Him…" he continued, relishing every word, "Heir to the Demon."

Oliver then looked up through the mask and he looked menacing to anyone not affiliated with the League.

As the pronouncement was made that Al Sah-Him is now the Heir to the Demon, the assassins unsheathed their swords and lifted them up towards the black sky before placing their swords on the ground horizontally before them and kneeling down before him. This was the ultimate sign of respect and acceptance that he was now Heir and basically under his command when the time comes.

Al Sah-Him then ordered them to stand which they did and carried their swords as they rose, they then sheathed their swords and one by one and disappeared into the night only leaving Ra's, Sarab, Ubu, the Priestess, and Oliver behind.

"Go get some rest my Heir, for tomorrow, your transformation begins." Ra's then said to his heir. Al-Sahim bowed down to Ra's Al Ghul in his attempt to be obedient even though his heart was not in it and Ra's Al Ghul walked past him followed by the Priestess. He then followed Ra's Al Ghul back to the palace and flanked by both Ubu and Sarab.

As Al Sah-Him reached his quarters, he stripped down until he was topless exposing his burnt and bloodied skin. Suddenly a knock came through the door and a woman wearing black entered his chambers. "Ra's Al Ghul sent me to tend to your wounds my lord." She said to him while facing the ground and holding a tray of herbs, cloth and a basin of water.

Al Sah-Him motioned her to get started and he sat on the couch which exposed most of his back. The woman then started by cleaning his back and placing a cooling and healing salve onto the arrowhead that was branded upon his skin. Al Sah-Him closed his eyes as the sensation of the salve felt good to him.

The woman then kneeled down in front of him and cleaned his chest, which was now covered with blood, and stitched it up using a needle and thread. After doing so, she placed an ointment over it and covered it up with a white cloth. "My lord, you may remove the white cloth tomorrow morning." She said as she stood up. She then gathered her things and bowed down before him before leaving the room.

By this time, Al Sah-Him was extremely tired by the activities of the day. He did not even bother changing. He just removed his boots and lied down on his bed and as soon as he did this, he fell asleep.