Crimson Twilight: Midnight

Chapter 33: Makaelthos Solcry

Part II. Consequences of indecision

The shadows of the Eviskrae mansion remained the same as Kallifen walked among them. It was not something he ever considered though. He had been walking the darkened halls for a long time. For as long as he remembered them, the same shadows flickered inside the mansion. It was almost as if they were already a part of the interior design. Of course, Kallifen knew that while the building remained the same, those who lurked within it were a different matter.

Back in the old days, every time he walked inside the main guild house, the thieves, assassins and rogues would acknowledge his presence with respect. They did not bow or genuflect; knights and crusaders did that. The respect was in their eyes. They looked on him as a senior member, someone whose experience was an asset to the guild. They also respected him because he was the guild mistress's personal guardian and an insult to him was an insult to Trynis Eviskrae herself. Such insults never went unpunished.

The old days were gone, however. The assassins and rogues that lurked in the shadows of the hallways eyed him with contempt or malice. He was no longer an asset in their view. He was just an old relic from the past, fit only to be discarded. It was all too obvious that he was past his prime. He no longer moved with the same speed that made him so dangerous back then. The principles he followed, the code of the assassins who once served the emperors of Morocc, had become too burdensome to the younger, unprincipled assassins who flocked to the guild. Not only that, it was also clear that he was not as important to the guild mistress as Makaelthos Solcry. It was the crusader that had to be avoided, not this old assassin.

All these things hit Kallifen at full force as he descended to the lower chambers of the mansion. He had a report for the guild mistress but it was mentioned that she was "interrogating" a guild member who was accused of defecting to the pronteran government. The iron doors of the "interrogation" room swung open and he was faced with Trynis herself. A cadre of rogues was behind her, each of them stared at him in scorn before returning their focus on their "subject". Another rogue was manacled to the wall. His chains were attached to a device that when turned, slowly pulled his limbs apart.

"Kallifen…I trust that this is important."

The assassin bowed slightly and pushed his thoughts aside.

"If I can speak to you in private, mistress…"

Trynis Eviskrae tilted her head, as if considering the option, before nodding once.

"It looks like Eizth here has passed out anyway so I have a few minutes…"

The guild mistress glanced at the rogues behind her out of the corner of her eye. At once they stepped back and vanished. Kallifen looked once at the unconscious Eizth. He knew the rogue that was being subjected to the rack. He was loyal to the guild and did his job well. Perhaps he was just another victim of Trynis's paranoia of betrayals. The assassin suppressed a shudder. How long would it be before he found himself on the same rack?

"Speak up, Kallifen. You have only until Eizth wakes up."

Kallifen chose his words carefully. Judging by the almost whisper-like hiss that Trynis's voice took on, she was still in a bad mood. It had been only half a day since one of her spies reported the "incident" between Makaelthos and the knight, Eliarainne. It took two hours for a pair of orc slaves to clean up the mess that resulted. Kallifen could not suppress another shudder as he remembered the expression on Trynis's face. It was a moment, even less that, but her fury had shown back then; a terrible, black and cold fury that she usually kept inside her.

"Makaelthos Solcry is in Morocc, mistress."

Kallifen left his report at that. He did not bother mentioning that the crusader was heading for the mansion with Mysteltainne in his grip. Trynis would assume it in an instant anyway and the choice, as always, would be hers to make.

"Is that whore with him?"

Kallifen shook his head. To his surprise, Trynis's eyes narrowed in concern. Her dark green eyes did not glimmer with the usual shrewdness that meant that her plans were going well. It was clear that she did not expect Makaelthos to come to Morocc…

"I know that Prontera had some breathing space, but he wouldn't just come and visit, unless…"

The rogue suddenly smiled.

"Kallifen, where is Rianne?"

The assassin shook his head.

"She's been gone since this morning, mistress…"

The rogue's smile widened as she stepped into the shadows.

"This is what I want you to do, Kallifen…"

······

"Are you sure of this decision, wielder? Destroying an entire guild is not something to decide on a whim."

Despite his warning, Mysteltainne was almost quivering with anticipation. There were several reasons for his wanting to start plunging into the bodies of the crusader's enemies. First was that he wanted to see how Makaelthos Solcry fought. Second was that he knew he would lock blades with his older brother, Grimtooth. Another reason was that he wanted the sohee to see that he was more of a threat to his wielder's enemies than to the wielder himself.

"This isn't just a whim, Mysteltainne. It's something I should have done years ago."

Makaelthos moved swiftly around the confusing, maze-like backstreets and alleys of Morocc. There was no need to pause and see if he was going in the right direction. He had been going through this path for a long time and he knew by heart where each path went. In a matter of minutes he was already facing the ominous mansion that served as the main guild house of NightKnife…

"You've got a lot of nerve coming here like this, Makaelthos Solcry!"

The crusader did not bother to turn and see who spoke. He knew that there would be at least six rogues or assassins on his trail the moment he stepped out of the warp portal. There was no point in looking anyway; all he would see would be nothing more but shadows. Vision was useless for detecting assassins and rogues unless aided by relentless training like a hunter's or magical means such as a mage's or an acolyte's. Swordsmen relied on something else to keep them on an even footing with stealth.

"Stop mumbling in the dark and fight already, you cowardly pile of pecopeco dung. If you even had so much as a sliver of backbone in that woman's body of yours you'd be squirming in your own blood before me already!"

Makaelthos smiled grimly as he heard the snarl that indicated that he got the reaction he was hoping for. Swiftly, almost instinctively, he swung Mysteltainne towards his right side, aiming the blade diagonally and downwards. As he expected an assassin had dashed at him and was about to plunge a katar into the gap in his armor, near his arm pit. There was something that he didn't anticipate though. Mysteltainne's gray-green blade cleaved through flesh and bone so smoothly that he was almost thrown off balance. The assassin screamed hoarsely as his arm was chopped off. Mysteltainne pulsed slightly and continued down his path, slicing off the assassin's right leg as well…

"The flesh of assassins…it's like cutting through vegetables, hardly any resistance…"

Makaelthos grit his teeth and spun about just in time to deflect a barrage of crossbow bolts that flew from the shadows behind him. He plunged Mysteltainne into the neck of the fallen assassin before him and dashed towards the shadows. He never took any pleasure in watching dying men suffer before the end.

'Master Makaelthos!'

Khaesilya followed Makaelthos's movements closely and pressed her back against his tightly. She kept to the crusader's instructions on what to do when faced with multiple stealthy opponents. Keep your back against something, make sure that you are not flanked, stay close to your allies and pay close attention to your peripheral vision. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the movement of one of the rogues who fired at them. Makaelthos noticed it faster though; he dashed towards the exposed rogue and raised his sword. Another rogue appeared to his left and aimed a damascus at his side. The blade glinted menacingly in the shadows but the crusader was expecting it. The damascus struck his shield uselessly. The rogue grunted and stepped back to recover. He had nearly dropped the weapon from the shock of striking metal. The moment of hesitation was all that Makaelthos needed. Mysteltainne swung in the darkness, the slight whistling of his path was echoed by another dying scream. Makaelthos had just sliced the rogue into two neat halves. Another wave of bolts flew from the darkness but the crusader was ready for them. They bounced off his shield as he continued to charge.

'Wielder…there's a rogue a few steps to your right.'

Mysteltainne's eye glanced about rapidly, as if the battle was exciting it. Makaelthos followed the advice and slashed to his right. His weapon hit something in the dark. Again, there was little resistance as he cleaved right through it. There was a scream, followed by something plopping to the ground. Mysteltainne glanced around again. The darkness did nothing to hide the rogues from his senses. His eye could see them as if they were out in the open desert.

'I'll leave the sensing to you then, Mysteltainne.'

Makaelthos felt the sword vibrate in his hand.

'As you wish, wielder…'

Makaelthos headed straight for the center of the darkest part of the alley. Most of the rogues and assassins that had been tailing him earlier would likely be there anyway. Khaesilya was right behind him.

'Master Makaelthos, do you think it is fine to trust in Mysteltainne?'

The sohee froze momentarily as she remembered that the sword was capable of reading minds. Still her master's reply came anyway.

'Trynis wields Grimtooth, Khaesilya. Mysteltainne will see us through this if only for the chance to face his fellow doomed sword.'

The sohee nodded. She still did not trust Mysteltainne but she had to agree that the doomed sword was giving her master a great advantage over their enemies. Mysteltainne spotted enemies faster than either Makaelthos or Khaesilya. His reaction was superb, allowing Makaelthos to parry the attacks that came his way and strike back viciously. Mysteltainne's blade was also unparalleled in sharpness and speed. Some of the enemies that were cut down did even get a chance to scream before they were killed.

"Solcry!"

Makaelthos whirled at the voice. He had only heard the voice once and it was enough for him to attach it to a face he had seen before. The assassin's features were concealed by the shadows but he knew who it was…

"You're that assassin from the tavern…the one with the pipe."

The assassin brought out his katars with one fluid motion and advanced on the crusader. It did not matter to him that his enemy was covered in the blood of his guild members. It did not matter to him either to see that four rogues and three assassins lay dead all around the same crusader, their corpses sliced in several pieces. Even the pitiless expression on his opponent's face or the horrible glare from his opponent's sword's eye did not dissuade the assassin. This was Makaelthos Solcry, NightKnife's most hated enemy.

"You remember me, even though I would have been any assassin in this city. That's an impressive feat. I also remember you, Makaelthos Solcry, although it doesn't take an impressive feat to do so. All of NightKnife knows who and what you are."

Makaelthos's eyes hardened. It had just occurred to him how sick he was of this. He was tired of being linked to NightKnife. He was tired of Trynis watching his every move, having assassins and rogues chase after him because he was a traitor to them. He had tried so hard for the past five years to be free of them but the shadow of the guild still hung over him.

"Assassin, when this day ends your guild will have no reason to remember me and that will be for two reasons only. No one bothers to remember the dead or because the dead don't remember anything!"

Makaelthos charged, Mysteltainne gleaming in his right hand. Khaesilya gasped in surprise, this was the first time she had seen her master attack so aggressively. It was almost as if he was possessed. The assassin jumped backward to avoid the killing strike. The doomed sword's gray-green edge whistled past his face as it descended in a vertical strike. Suddenly a length of chain shot from Mysteltainne's hilt, wrapping itself on the assassin's leg. The assassin stared at it in surprise at first, before his eyes widened in panic. Makaelthos tugged at the chain, sending the assassin crashing to the ground. The crusader stood over his fallen opponent. There would be no time to dodge his attack from a prone position, the fight was over.

"The main guild house holds over twenty assassins and twenty rogues. Since you have about five outposts in Morocc alone you have at least a hundred assassins and rogues after me. Assuming that you called for reinforcements from each outpost and if the message gets to them fast enough, I'll get at least thirty guild members after me."

The crusader looked at the slaughter he had just caused. His bright green eyes seemed almost menacing in the shadows of the alley. His sohee companion watched him warily from afar.

"I have twenty-two to go then…"

The calculating, cold-heartedness of the crusader's words nearly caused the assassin to shudder. He looked closely at his opponent. Makaelthos Solcry seemed so different now than during the time he had encountered him in the tavern. Back then he was the very picture of the pronteran crusader, concerned over the safety of his knight partner and the sohee, at the same time true to his mission. His posture then reflected his courage and unrelenting desire to complete his duties. Right now, however, Makaelthos Solcry looked at him as if he was just a figure in his calculations. Already he seemed so distant from the battle he had just ended, as if already planning intricate schemes that would bring down the guild. The assassin's eyes suddenly widened in realization.

"I want four assassins and four rogues to engage him as soon as he comes within a stone's throw away from the guild mansion. Take him down if you can,"

The assassin tried to back away from the crusader. He finally remembered where he had seen a similar expression before.

"M-Mistress Trynis…"

The crusader stepped forward and raised his sword.

"I'll settle things with your guild mistress soon enough."

Mysteltainne descended at an incredible speed, severing the assassin's head so fast that the expression on the assassin's face did not even change from surprise. It spun on its shoulders a few times before crashing to the ground. Khaesilya gasped at the ruthless killing. The way her master acted now…she had seen him like this before…

'It's just like when he was still a NightKnife Master…'

The sohee approached her master warily. Even though she knew who he was, it felt like he was a complete stranger right now.

"Master Makaelthos."

The crusader glanced at her. His eyes still did not reflect anything. Just cold, ruthless planning…

"What are we going to do, master?"

The crusader began to walk ahead. His pace was hurried but controlled.

"We're going to destroy NightKnife, Khaesilya, even if we have to do it one assassin at a time. The most efficient way however will be to eliminate their leader."

The sohee's voice was tinged with concern.

"You're going to kill Trynis Eviskrae?"

The crusader nodded silently and continued walking. Mysteltainne was still in his grip. The sohee shuddered. She did not care for Trynis Eviskrae. As far as she was concerned, the guild mistress was the cause of her earlier misery as a slave. Still, she knew that it wasn't the case with Makaelthos.

"Why won't you just fight Trynis Eviskrae, Master Makaelthos? She has done nothing but make your life more difficult ever since you left the guild…"

Makaelthos smiled sadly as he took a sip of his favorite Morocc wine. After a difficult mission, he found it relaxing to stay at Baelthran's for a while.

"I do not want Trynis dead, Khaesilya. I want her to go on with her own life. I want her to forget about me and start moving on. When that happens we will face each other not as former allies or lovers but as a pronteran crusader chasing down the mistress of a criminal guild. Only then can we battle without regrets."

The sohee looked at Makaelthos and smiled.

"You still care for her, do you?"

The crusader stared at his wine.

"When I was but a slave in clan Eviskrae's mansion, Trynis was the only one who ever befriended me. To me, she was the kindest, most thoughtful person I knew. Without her I would have become a bitter servant like many of their household slaves. You might say that she saved me once. Right now she's different but I still believe that deep down she's still that kind person I regarded as a friend. The person that I swore I'd serve always. I won't abandon her in her darker times."

Khaesilya pushed the memory away.

'Have you abandoned her now, Master Makaelthos?'