Usual Disclaimers apply. I don't own Suikoden, Konami do. I kinda own the new characters though...in a way...

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Kahri's Story – Chapter Thirteen, Andrew's Story – Chapter Five and Elaine's Story – Chapter One

The Assassin Strikes!

(Location – White Deer Inn)

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The Inn seemed empty.

Well, apart from the overturned tables and chairs anyway.

Alex looked frantic: "Hilda! HILDA! Where are you?"

Andrew walked in. He looked a bit shocked: "You don't keep your inn very tidy do you?"

Alex refused to comment. He continued his search for Hilda. And all seemed normal until Riou walked into the inn.

And at that precise moment a silver dagger whistled through the air, aimed right at Riou's head. Luckily for him, he managed to roll out of the way...and instead headed towards Kahri, who let out a small scream before using his Spatula to block the dagger. The dagger went all the way through the Spatula, and only just missed Kahri's face. Riou turned around and put on an apologetic look.

Kahri nodded, Not his fault...aww, Riou has that cute puppy dog eye look going on...wait a second...who threw that dagger anyway?

Kahri looked at the general direction of the thrown dagger. As did everyone else. No-one emerged.

Jowy walked up to Riou: "You okay?"

Riou nodded before Nanami ran over, and gave him a quick once over before answering: "Of course he's okay!"

Andrew had his sword unsheathed and was looking around the room: "Might be outside now."

Jowy nodded: "Come on, we'd better look."

Nanami walked over: "I'll go outside too!"

Kahri walked over to the stairs: "Well, Shiro's already out there. Better make sure he's okay too guys."

Andrew nodded before he, Nanami and Jowy went outside to check. Kahri motioned Millie over: "We'd better check upstairs too."

Millie looked over at Riou: "But...leaving him down here alone..."

Kahri shrugged: "Alex is there. Besides, that dagger came from this way. I'm sure of it."

Millie saw Riou nodding: "Okay, we'll go upstairs and check. But be careful Riou."

And with that, Kahri and Millie charged up the stairs. Leaving Riou to look around with Alex. Who looked even more frantic than before.

"They're not here. Hilda, Pete, that girl who came with you...there are all...gone." Alex said. Before turning a bit angry, "I should've stayed here...I could've done something..."

Riou shook his head: "Or you could've gotten kidnapped too."

Alex didn't seem convinced: "Still...I wasn't here for them when I needed them...what kind of man am I?"

"Well, I'd say a pretty stupid one, but that's just first impressions."

Alex and Riou quickly turned around to see who had spoke. Behind them stood a figure, dressed head (complete with a mask) to toe in black – perfectly suited to blend into the shadows. The figure looked at Riou with disdain in his eyes. Riou took out his Tonfa and motioned Alex to stand back. Alex did so, but not before yelling

"Where are my wife and the kids? What did you do to them?!?"

The figure's eyes narrowed: "Oh don't worry. They're out back. By now you're little friends should have found them. I didn't want the children to see this, you see. I'm not cruel. Just terribly good at what I do."

Alex ran out the door to see his family, leaving Riou and the figure in a face off. Riou adopted his traditional fighting stance and looked over at his opponent

"So what exactly do you do?"

The smile faded as the person took out a silver knife: "Well, if you really wanna know. I'm here to kill you."

Riou looked a bit shocked: "So you're an assassin? Why would somebody want me dead...?"

The person shrugged: "I don't really care. But I'm getting paid well for this, so do me a favour and die quickly."

Riou shook his head, and prepared his attack. There was another shrug before continuing: "Well, I didn't think you'd give up easily. Tell you what, I'll make it painless!"

He (she?) charged, his (her?) knife held ready to slash. He brought it down in a swift arc, Riou only just dodged out of the way in time. Riou tried to bring his left Tonfa up to catch him (her?) in the stomach, but he backflipped away, catching Riou's chin with his feet. Riou staggered backwards, but regained his footing in time to see him charging at him again. He jumped in the air and landed just behind Riou. Riou spun around quickly, ducking a swift knife swipe. But he was obviously expecting that attack, as he managed to sweep away Riou's legs with a swift kick. Riou landed with a thud.

The assassin brought his knife down straight for Riou's heart. Riou's Tonfa lay out of his reach. Things didn't look good.

And then they got better as two familiar voices rang out: "Riou! Look out!"

The figure looked up in dismay as a Boomerang and a Mini Spatula hurtled towards him with incredible speed and unbelievable accuracy. The Knife was knocked away by the Spatula, landing on the other side of the room, and the Boomerang caught him on the back of his head. He fell to the floor, and in a second Riou was on top of him, with one of the Tonfa across his throat.

Kahri and Millie walked over to Riou and his would be assassin. Riou never faltered as Kahri bent down: "Let's see his face then."

The assassin struggled, but there was little he could do as Kahri grasped the mask. With one quick tug, the mask was off. Kahri and Millie leant in for a closer look.

Suffice it to say, all three were a little shocked by the unmasked assassin.

Kahri stood up, the most confused looking of the three: "Whoa. Now I was not expecting this."

Riou's attention had wavered, and the figure was able to throw Riou off. Riou tumbled into Millie and Kahri, all three landing very unceremoniously in a heap. The assassin moved to grab her knife...

Only to be tackled at an incredible speed by a very angry girl...

"LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE YOU JERK!"

Nanami pinned down the assassin, as the others all came back into the inn. Jowy walked over to the assassin, raised his staff and brought it down, swift and hard, aimed straight for the assassin's head.

"Stop it Jowy!"

Jowy stopped, the staff mere centimetres away from the assassin's head: "Uh...hello? This bastard just tried to kill you, remember?"

Kahri pointed at the assassin: "Better take another look there hotshot."

And they did look. Properly. Expecting to find a scar filled face of an evil man, who only loves the kill.

What they were not expecting to see was the pale skinned face of a young girl. Her light blonde hair spread out across the floor of the inn.

Jowy then went and stated the obvious: "It's a girl?!?"

Nanami leapt off her: "W...what?!?"

The lady assassin sat up against the wall, like a cornered rat so to speak. Her knife had been knocked too far away in the scuffle, and she knew it. Defeat settled in her heart.

"Yeah? So? You've never seen a female assassin before? Sexist pigs."

Andrew sheathed his sword and walked over: "Let me get this straight here...you kill for money? And you're okay with this!?"

She didn't even blink: "It's what I do. Get over it."

She looked over to see Alex and his family huddled close together, before her expression changed.

"I didn't hurt them. I just needed them out of the way. I wasn't expecting the kid to put up such a fight."

She looked over at Riou before continuing

"I'm impressed. So you and your friends managed to stop me. What do you plan on doing to me now? Kill me? Doesn't matter, I can't go back now. They'd kill me for failing to kill you, if you get my meaning."

Andrew cocked his head at the girl: "And I'm guessing you're not gonna tell us who employed you, right?"

She shook her head: "No. I'm saying no more. Do what you want with me. Lock me up, kill me...doesn't matter. They don't take failure lightly..."

Kahri leaned in closer to the girl, as did Riou. She almost seemed to be crying dry tears...
Kahri spoke first: "You're afraid they'll hurt you..."

Jowy snorted: "Well, she tried to kill Riou, she's going to get everything she deserves."

Riou looked over at Jowy, and Jowy was surprised to see anger in his eyes: "She's not the one who wanted me dead Jowy. It was the person who hired her. I don't blame her."

He turned back to the girl before continuing: "I know you can't tell us anything...but I won't let anything happen to you now. You're more than welcome to come along with us to Muse City."

Everybody looked at Riou, and as usual Nanami was first to speak: "RIOU! She tried to kill you once, what's gonna stop her trying again?"

There were general murmurs of agreement from most of the others. Especially Jowy.

Kahri however walked over to the girl

"You can't be serious guys! We can't just let her get hunted down by whoever would hunt her down because she failed...like Riou said, it's not her fault. She doesn't really want to kill Riou, she's not the one who wants him dead! It's gotta be somebody like..."

Riou cut him off: "Captain Rowd! Who else would want me dead so much?"

The girl scored a point; her facial expression barely flickered, but just enough for Jowy to see. His angry expression swiftly changed to one of concern. Even Nanami seemed convinced at this.

Riou looked around at everyone before he continued: "It makes perfect sense! We know what Rowd is really up to, and we know what he'd do to her once he knows she failed."

Jowy just shook his head in sympathy: "Oh...you're right Riou. We can't let her go back there now."

Andrew looked down at the girl, who seemed to be shivering a little bit now: "You have to come with us. For your own safety. Think of it as protective custody."

Riou walked over to her, and extended his hand: "We'd be delighted if you came with us...miss...?"

The girl looked at Riou's hand, then looked around the room. At all the expectant faces.

She thought it through...

I can't go back to them...no payment...I have no money now.

They're actually willing to help me. They want to help me...because they are full of compassion. Especially the boy I was supposed to kill.

I can't do it now. I could never kill someone like that...for any price.

I may have no choice in the matter, but it's not a bad thing. I...want to go with them. I want to know what's going on. I want to stop anybody from attacking them...hurting them...killing them.

I want to help them. I NEED to help him.

She took Riou's hand, and let him pull her up. She stood for a second, looked up...

And she smiled: "Elaine. I'm Elaine. I would be honoured to join you and your party my Lord."

Everybody made an altogether unnecessary applause in the inn. Elaine blushed a little before going over to pick up her knife. She tucked it into her belt and turned back to the others.

"Muse City huh? How are you planning to get in there anyway? It's guarded pretty well."

Alex rummaged in his pocket, and pulled out a piece of paper.

"That's right! You'll be needing this Pass right? Here, take it. Thanks for all of your help Lord Riou, everyone."

Andrew walked over to Alex and extended his hand, and Alex shook it. Andrew grinned: "Next time I'm gonna beat you to it!"

Alex returned the grin before replying: "We'll just see about that, eh?"

Riou looked around at everybody. His sister Nanami. His best friend Jowy. His companions Millie, Shiro, Kahri and Andrew. He looked at his newest friend Elaine. Finally he spoke:

"Let's get to Muse guys."

Elaine smiled as she picked up her discarded cloak, black of course, and put it on.

I've made the right choice. I'm sure of it!

*ELAINE JOINED THE GROUP*

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Another new character joins up, find out how they're attempts to get into Muse City goes in the next chapter!