The Song of Eternity
Canto 1
Parm: The Forsaken Realm
Verse 3
Assassins
The ones shrouded in darkness,
Given their mission,
Meet with one of their own,
And are given the means to finish their mission.
They both hold secrets,
But only one knows his.
The cloaked figure walked away from Ashura's departing airship and headed back into the populated part of the city. He kept his cloak pulled tight out of habit. No one knew who he was, but it was how he was trained to be. He made his way to the closest inn, paid the innkeeper, and headed to his room to sleep.
He awoke the next morning and headed to the pub for lunch and to meet with his partner. He had never met his partner before, so he took a table in the corner and waved the waitress over. He studied the waitress as she neared, thinking he had seen her somewhere before. She was about five and a half feet tall with purple hair and appeared to be about his age.
"I'm Eiko, I'll be your waitress, what can I get you?" She asked as she blinked the last of the sleep out of her eyes and looked over her customer. He had taken off a dark cloak and laid it across the back of his chair, revealing the clothes of a desert nomad underneath. She studied his face while she read off today's menu from memory. He had jet black hair and skin that couldn't be called white. It was normal most of the time, but every now and then a shadow crossed his face, causing the area it hit to become black as night.
"I'll have two steaks and a two waters, I'm expecting someone. Pardon me for asking, but have we met?" He asked Eiko as his vision blurred a little.
"Not that I know of, what's your name?" Eiko replied politely and she kept the order in mind.
"Deklin. I just have a feeling I've met you before…" he countered, as he massaged the bridge of his nose.
"Sorry Deklin, can't say we have. I'll go take care of your order now," she smiled politely as she turned around and went back to work.
Deklin sat at the table in silence, massaging his skull, trying to get rid of a dull headache. He felt the table move a little and looked up to see a stranger sitting across from him. Upon closer inspection he saw the similar style of clothes and realized it was his contact. "Jack Raccoumb I presume?" he questioned the red-haired stranger.
"Keep it down, I'm a wanted man in most places," Jack replied as he settled down into his seat. They both looked each other over, noting the similar clothes. They were both dressed in dusty brown pants and shirts, made especially for hiding in the desert. "So you're one of his elites?" Jack asked.
"Yes, and you are one of his mercenaries?"
"I prefer to call myself a thief, it sounds better, at least I think," he laughed as Eiko arrived with their food. They were both silent until Eiko went away, then started to eat their food. Jack studied his partner while they were eating, noticing the same peculiarity Eiko had. "What's the deal with your face, the whole light and darkness thing?" Jack questioned between bites.
Deklin swallowed and looked up at his partner. "I've been like this for as long as I can remember, I can't explain it," Deklin said quietly before sipping some water. "I can't even remember most of my life. I woke up in a training camp, apparently I hit my head a couple weeks earlier and almost died. That's my first memory. I believe I know all about you though."
"That kinda goes with being the most well known thief on this planet. Yeah, raised in the desert, trained for Ashura, bailed from that, and I'm wanted by damn near every kingdom out there. Only good thing is almost no one knows what I look like," he smiled. "So you got a plan?"
"He wants it done publicly, that's my job. The best shot we have is at the ball tonight, only problem is it's sold out, we can't get in without a ticket. So we are probably going to have to break in to the ball," Deklin stopped as Eiko came over with the bill.
"Thirty gil, and you really shouldn't try to break into the ball, security is way too tight," she pointed out as she leaned against the wall.
"You heard us?" Deklin asked worriedly, calculating how to get to his knife quickly.
"Yeah, you two want to get in the ball, but don't have tickets," Eiko replied as Deklin breathed a sigh of relief. "No way you can get in, only 1 entrance, and that's gonna be heavily guarded. Give me five thousand gil and I'll introduce you to someone that might be able to get you in," Eiko smirked as she stuck out her hand.
"Five thousand…." Jack muttered under his breath.
"Here," Deklin counted it out as he put it in her hand. "This better be worth it Eiko," he said annoyed.
Eiko whistled and waved at a guy at the end of the bar to come over. "I'm only doing this cause I like you two," Eiko explained. The man stumbled over and took the chair Eiko held out for him and sat down. "Starting a little early today Deke?" She laughed at him in his drunken mid-morning stupor.
"Cram it Eiko. What's up?"
"Deke, meet Jack and Deklin. Jack and Deklin, meet Deke." They all shook hands and Deklin got a chance to look Deke over. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, dark red hair, about six feet tall, dressed in a black trench coat, black gloves and all. "Deke, these two guys want to get into the ball tonight," Eiko explained.
"Damnit girl, I can't be getting too many people in or I won't get hired again. This is the last time!" He slurred at the chuckling Eiko. "Thousand gil apiece, and you gotta carry my stuff," Deke said putting his hand out.
"Here," Deklin paid him the last of his money. "What stuff do we have to carry?"
"The instruments for the band. Be back here at 5, if you wanna wear something nice to the ball bring that too," Deke explained as he stumbled away.
"Who the hell was that?" Jack laughed as Deke fell down splintering a chair.
"Deke, he and his band are playing the ball tonight. He goes a little bit overboard before the shows, but always comes through. I'll see you at the ball then," Eiko smiled as she walked away.
"Let's go grab some suits Deklin, we need to hurry," Jack said as he stretched, grabbing his cloak.
"Agreed…." Deklin nodded. "Eiko…." he whispered as he left the bar with a headache.