Chapter VI
Author's Note: I do like Loki…admirable isn't he? Please R&R…
Disclaimer: I do not own Ragnarok Into the Abyss!
The swish of rope and the clang of the metal claw as it took hold of a ledge on the monastery walls went unheard…it had been timed perfectly during the tolling of the church bells that signalled the beginning of the angelus, moments before sunset. The bells rang only thrice, and the intruder used their resounding clangs to cover the sound of his steps as he scaled the monastery wall, crumbling stones and loosened bits of the wall didn't make the lightest bit of noise as they fell, cushioned by the thick, deep, desert sands of Morocc.
Suspicious…the Monastery was trailed by guards, but it was perfect for the young assassin to make use of his skills. Furtively, he jumped off the top of the wall, landing soundlessly on the other side. Despite the stealth with which he succeeded in penetrating the walled buildings, his presence was suddenly sensed by the trained guards…all of whom were assassins like himself, but not as excellent as he.
"There's someone there…" a guard muttered to his companion, while the intruder hid himself well, camouflaged against the dark shadows.
The young assassin hidden in the shadows remained silent, not in the least perturbed whether he was found or not. The guards loomed closer…coming closer and closer…metres away from him…he tightened the grip at the knife in his hand, but inner sense told him he would not be using it.
"Ziarth!" the guard exclaimed, with the sudden mention of a name, another guardsman appeared out of hiding. "Did you think we'd miss you! You must think we're stupid not to know that someone was sneaking around here!"
A grin crossed the intruder's face, "That's what you think…" he thought, the guardsmen had sensed a presence, but not his. He was still left undetected. The guardsmen and there comrade went to a series of goads and friendly insults with each other, while the trespasser continued his intrusion on the monastery grounds.
He managed to enter the small cathedral where the supposed angelus was taking place and found other assassins clashing knives, swords and other weapons, the sun was near setting and the cathedral walls seemed to turn red as the sun's rays slowly ebbed its dying light before departing. "A sparring session" he observed, watching sparks fly, as weapons strongly collided with each other and hearing battle cries either of pain or victory from hand to hand combat sparring.
The old cathedral was empty of seats, and the altar was bare of any image or religious paraphernalia except for an embossed wooden cross upon its wall…almost unnoticed because it had dried and camouflaged with the color of the walls. "It's almost time…" he said to himself, not loosing the strength and grip he had as he climbed the pillars and hid behind one of the gargoyles at the corner of the cathedral. They were life sized monsters with wide gaping mouths filled with sharp teeth, wide wings that looked almost ready to take off and cold stone eyes that were marked with such detail that it seemed to observe the assassin cloaked behind its stone body.
A muscular man stepped out of the corner of the cathedral, and at once the sparring assassins stopped, he took out a list and started reading those in charge of the next assignment…faces of his fellow assassins showed no sign either of nervousness or fear, all held a sureness and confidence that was as much required and important in their line of work.
As the announcer ended announcing the list of names, the assassin immediately made his move, he scaled the pillars again, hiding behind the gargoyles as he reached closer to the embossed wooden cross. The other assassins had once again began sparring, and he took advantage of the noise they made by hitting the embossed cross with a rock cushioned with a layer of foam to make less noise.
As the assassins finished their sparring and left the cathedral, the intruder descended from the gargoyles where he hid and walked to the altar. Just under the altar table, there was a hidden door which had opened when the embossed cross was hit. The stairs that descended into the darkness was narrow, and he felt cold damp stone as he walked quietly to his destination. He reached the door at the end of the tunnel, there was light coming from the inside that peeked through the side spaces of the door. The intruder unsheathed his knife, and slid it under the door, with the reflections glinting on his knife's metal, he immediately knew that there were no other men in the room except for the old man who sat half-asleep on a table at the center of the room,
Emboldened, he opened the door and walked in, at once the old man at the table welcomed him, "I see you still enjoy intruding…" The reverend laughed, as he welcomed him, "God Be with you…" he greeted, raising a cup of wine to his lips,
"You make a lousy Priest," Loki mocked,
"Don't sass me Loki, you know as much as I do, that I'm not really a priest…" The former head of the assassins guild, smiled at his protégé. He was already an old man, and Loki had already taken his place. No one knew his real name, but everyone called him "Reverend", his codename. The monastery, was in truth, the real base of the assassins guild, masked as a religious order.
There was no list of their order at the Vatican, and there was no mention of this particular old man called reverend amongst their list of Priests. But still, Rune Midgard had been blinded by the belief that the secluded monastery situated at Morocc was a newly established order that was yet to be included among the records of the Vatican.
"I see everything is still going well," Loki mused, "I saw the sparring session a while ago…I suggest we make it three against each other instead of just one against another, it would make their training much harder and give them better reaction time and reflexes,"
"You're the boss, Loki," Reverend reminded, "I'm only around here because you hang around with that boy Chaos too much,"
"I'm not the boss yet…I haven't accepted the position," Loki answered, his face unlined of any annoyance nor worry.
"But the guild recognizes you as it's head," Reverend told him, "They put great faith in your abilities, Loki, and you have their respect, in their eyes, they will serve you and you alone,"
Loki sat down and poured the reverend another drink and watched as the latter eagerly gulped down the wine. "I prefer to accept the position in my own time…" Loki declared, "I have much more to do outside the monastery,"
"The truth is…you're bored" Reverend theorized, "You prefer working with that triad boss Chaos and his father Odin, because you enjoy the action their assignments bring you," Loki remained quiet, and sat down before the reverend, taking a wine glass and pouring himself a drink while listening to the old man's theories, "The moment I took you in, I knew you were restless, but you have talent, but now I realize that you truly enjoy doing assignments more than actually directing them, sitting within the monastery as the head and giving orders while other performed them for you must sound like a very boring experience….isn't it Loki?"
Loki didn't make any response, but took another drink of wine. After a stilling silence, he replied, "The proposition of being Head of the Assassin's guild has always been very attractive," he began, "but like I said, I'll accept the position in my own time…" with that last words, he stood up and began to leave, "I came here to get a few weapons, and I'll be leaving the same way I came, I prefer that the other assassins wouldn't know I was here…"
"Is it true the inauguration of that boy, Chaos, has been cancelled?" The Reverend inquired, meaning to get information from a much better source than from the third person remarks of the younger insubordinate assassins.
"Yes, its next month," Loki answered,
"I'm guessing it will be my responsibility to tell Taulin that you wouldn't need her as a date for the party any longer, since there wont be any inauguration…" The Reverend said, slightly perturbed since he knew just how much they young female assassin, Taulin, had looked forward to being Loki's date for the party.
"It would be very much appreciated if you will…" Loki answered, and he left, leaving as inconspicuously as he had arrived.
Lydia waited for Loki in the city of Morocc, it had not taken her long to have gotten a copter from Prontera and take it there, it was just too easy to steal, or as she termed "borrow" from the last company building she robbed that same afternoon. Though she had been anticipating a nice trip with Loki over the clouds in the copter, it dissipated as she glanced impatiently at her watch, tapping her foot in consternation. "Loki's late…" she grumbled, but as if on cue, she saw a tall familiar figure pushing amongst the crowd. Despite her impatience, she was content to observe Loki as he stood out among the people, "Damn is he hot!" she declared to herself, suddenly wondering whether the sudden heat she felt was borne of temperature of the desert land Morocc, or more likely…Loki's presence.
"Hullo Lydia…" he greeted as he saw her, and taking notice of the copter that was obviously stolen, he grinned. "Nice copter…"
"I thought you'd think so…" Lydia agreed, "and it's complete with auto pilot…" she declared and pushed open the door to reveal a trembling pilot who shivered and felt cold despite the heat…all borne of the horrid experience of being held hostage by a woman---who happened to hold a 42 caliber rifle in her hand.
Loki frowned,
"What's the matter Loki honey?" Lydia groaned, "I thought it would be better to take the pilot as well…that way both of us wont be pre-occupied with flying and focus only on each other…"
She clasped his arm tightly, and urged him to join her on the copter. "Lydia…do you realize that he's gonna be a witness and reveal our identities to the police after this?"
Lydia beamed widely, and produced a small flask from her pocket. "We'll have him drink this…it's a mild hallucinogenic drug which would make everything seem like a dream after waking, usual after-effects would make him forget everything about the said dream in a matter of seconds…"
Loki began to grin, "I love it when you actually use that mischievous mind of yours…"
At the comment, Lydia's heart began to swell and she clasped tightly to Loki's arm as they both entered the copter and ordered the pilot to take them to Prontera.
No sooner had they taken off, Lydia contented herself to watching over Loki's handsome face, "Ooh –la-la, man is he hot!" she thought again to herself, "Especially now when he's in his 'thinking mood'"
Little did Lydia know, Loki was preoccupied with something, or rather someone else within the confined privacy of his thoughts.
"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, thankful that the copter's noise drowned out his words so Lydia wouldn't hear him, and yet despite curses…a small smile threatened to creep the line of his lips, "Fenris…" he thought, "It's not over…I'll get you yet"
And all the while during the copter's flight, he relished the thought of a challenging chase…though unbeknownst to himself, he was beginning to have second thoughts of actually finishing off his assignment with regards to Fenris Fenrir...and reminiscing about her quick yet surprising kiss, made his green eyes sparkle almost warmly and the corner of his lips twitch in a suppressed chuckle…