Chapter 2: The Vows of Silence
The weather in Asoria was unseasonable: it was raining, and raining hard. Laiken made sure to wear some extra cloth, and a hood, while walking with Lucien back to the Asorian Docks. The rain almost spoiled Lucien's notes that he took about Laiken's progress in swordplay, but due to the extra cloth Laiken had ripped from his cloak, they stayed fresh and safe. The docks, as one might expect, were not so filled on a rainy day, so Laiken and Lucien had no trouble getting to Lucien's boat before other people had filled all the comfortable spots.
"This should keep me entertained, at least for the 6 day journey back to the Eastern Kingdoms", Lucien said, taking a quill and jotting some more notes down.
Laiken help Lucien set up his dormitory on the ship, before the Captain called for all people who weren't travelling back to the mainland, to get off before they set sail.
"That's me, sir", Laiken solemnly said.
"Do not worry, Laiken. Your training is in need of some field experience. Everyone needs some, once in a while. Just be patient… we'll head back to the mainland soon enough, and you can see some of the glorious sights I've spoke up, from up close!" Lucien laughed.
Laiken hesitantly laughed as well, and headed off the ship, hearing the blaring horns sound, and the ship leaving port. The sun started to show faintly through the grey clouds, ushering in Laiken with feelings of hope.
…
Some days later, a few hours before the ship that had left Asoria would dock in the Stormwind Harbor, Lucien chuckled to himself as he walked about the deck of the ship, looking out at the sea, walking back into the cabin, and repeating. He didn't know why he was pacing, just that he was, and it wasn't settling well with him or the crew. He then, after walking back into the cabin for a 16th time, had a surge of purpose driven thought.
"Back to my dormitory, it seems", he whispered to himself.
As he headed back to his quaint room, he swore to himself, thinking he kept hearing someone following him. He brushed these thoughts off, and took a set on the edge of his bed, reviewing his notes, before he heard his door slam shut. In the doorway, was a robed-man.
"Now… this is strange isn't it?" Lucien said slamming his notes shut.
"Indeed it is, Hartshire", the robed man replied.
"What would bring an assassin to kill an old ambassador to a foreign island? Did I anger someone that far back…?" Lucien trailed off, looking at the would-be assassin's belt, which contained no weapons or holsters of any kind.
"Not to kill, no…" the assassin hissed.
"So your purpose is not with purpose… makes sense, doesn't it?" Lucien sardonically asked.
"Shut your trap, old man", the assassin barked.
"I'm not that old…" Lucien laughed.
"I swear to whatever order you and your pathetic paladin order prays to, I will choke you to death before I tell you my plight", the assassin deadpanned.
"Then tell me!" Lucien boomed.
The air seemed to stiffen, as Lucien looked into the sightless leather helm that the infiltrator-assassin was wearing.
"Laiken Tearshorn", the assassin murmured.
"What about him?" Lucien retorted.
"He's not very human, is he?" the assassin remarked.
"Does that matter? He is my protégé, and I will treat him as an equal", Lucien stated.
"Why? Mixed blood is not good. He is nothing but a foul creation, when a human-being gets bored, and… insinuates himself with an orc… it's not a pretty sight…" the assassin said.
"If you seek empathy for your cause, leave me be assassin. Half-orcs are the new generation we will be seeing in the near future. Bigots… such as yourself will not hold a candle to the new world, if you cannot first accept it", Lucien spat.
The assassin seemed to curl up in anger. His breathing was heard throughout the dormitory, and he sprang up, like a cat, and pounced on Lucien, tackling him onto the floor, his hands at his neck.
"Hear this, paladin, you may not understand, or care to understand, but I am no bigot, bigotry is not something that I look up to, or respect. We both have enough years as soldiers to understand that war changes people, either for good, or for worse, orcs and humans interbreeding only causes chaos", his voice seemed as cold as ice.
Lucien kneed the assassin in the stomach, and punched him twice in his chest, seeing the assassin back off was enough to get him to stop attacking him.
"If you cannot accept what is to come, then you are a bigot, assassin. Leave me be, or attempt to strike me down", Lucien snapped, revealing a hidden short-sword.
The assassin cracked his neck and knuckles, threw his head back, and laughed, the rich laughter echoing off the walls of the small room.
"We all have orders to follow… agendas to abide by… mine and yours are different, yes, but, in their differences, we find similarities", he cryptically hissed.
"Whatever order you're associated with, I want no part in, just leave me be", Lucien yelled.
By now, there was horn sound, letting both Lucien and the assassin know that they had docked in Stormwind City's Harbor. Both Lucien and the assassin suspiciously eyed Lucien's notes on Laiken's progress. The assassin made a grab for them, but Lucien quickly slashed with his short-sword, cutting the assassin's wrist, and causing a slight whelp to be heard, before he leaped through the open window of Lucien's dormitory, and dived into the water.
Lucien fled the boat with his notes clutched onto his chest harder than ever, as he almost ran through the Stormwind City Graveyard, and back to his home, in Old Town.