Ash kept on her own path. She had to get to her own quarters right now, she had to prepare herself to tomorrow. She would not sleep. Ash simply couldn't help feeling that something terrible would happen to her if she fell asleep.
You are being paranoid with this, she scolded herself. And ignoring her instincts she went off to her own room and locked herself inside it. Ash looked over to the room that had been once beautiful and fancy, but now this manor's room was nothing but some other place she used as her own quarters.
There was nothing more than weapons, and her own bed. There was a window which was open and there was some moonlight traces filtering her quarters. Ash closed the window with ferocity. She never liked to look up to the moon nor the stars.
Ash sat on her bed and instantly, a black sword with its borders of a red highlight, would appear in her right hand. She gazed at the strange, magical weapon. Her red eye was reflected in the sword's black blade. With a glow of red flames, the sword disappeared.
The assassin sighed and stood still there. Sitting, her ears were twitching slightly as thought she could catch some sounds that couldn't be heard. The only thing she was thinking of, was fire being engulfed by frost and ice, before it was darkness who devoured it all.
Ash's hands were dirty with scarlet liquid, it was cold. Her feet was hidden because of the pool of blood in which she was standing. Her red eye reflected hatred and ancient savagery. There were bodies lying in the pool of blood, their faces were the only thing that could be seen from the corpses. There was still that expression of fear, that expression of horror that would always mark anyone's faces whenever Death appeared in a more 'human' way, ready to claim their lives.
She laughed… she simply laughed. There was no fun on her voice, there was only bitterness and pain, hatred and coldness. Scars marked her muscles.
A crimson moon would glow in the middle of the dark sky. There was no star, there was no salvation. Madness was a feeling that would trap someone like an annoying mosquito fell in a trap. Insanity was other way to see it, insanity was another way to express the darkness's beauty. Such hatred, such darkness. So beautiful.
She kept laughing. Showing her bleeding mouth, and it wasn't her own blood. When she touched her eyes, she felt no eye but a hole. Those holes… were like the same hole she felt in her heart. She had no pity, no joy, no sadness. She laughed, laughed, and laughed all over again. And stopped, and suddenly, she started to cry black tears. Black, black, all the color she was.
She looked up to the crimson moon, before letting out a scream of pure anger and pain.
Ash opened her eyes, and her gaze was looking up to the roof. Cold sweat ran down her neck. That nightmare had worsened this time, this time, there was a crimson moon. The last time it was a very dark sky. She stood up and rubbed the palm of her right hand against her forehead.
Is my insanity getting out of control again?
She let out a sigh and walked out from her quarters. Her bones were shivering, but she did whatever to stop them. Nobody could see how weak she was now. With her tail lashing sideways, she directed to Ze'ev's throne room, and as soon as she stepped in, The Grandmaster lifted his muzzle to look at her.
"Ah, Ash,"greeted Ze'ev.
"What did you want to talk about?"asked Ash, as she stepped and knelt in front of The Grandmaster.
"Is about your new mission,"he responded. "Recently, one of our sentinels had reported many strangers trespassing the border between the City and the Lawless lands. Our lands."Ze'ev sighed and his gaze revealed how tired he was. "Your mission consist in investigate why there had been trespassers too many times, kill them if necessary."
Ash nodded, and her ragged ears flattened. If there were trespassers, it couldn't be any good.
Did someone reveal our location? Another traitor?
"I'll go now,"Ash grunted as she stood up, and started to walk off to the throne room's exit. Her fists were moving without control. Maybe, she was anxious for a quarrel with the idiots who dared to leave Tokoyama's side to enter a dangerous land were the most strongest and feared mafias lived.
If it was a fight they were looking for, they would have one. However, she had in mind Ze'ev's order: don't kill if necessary. She stopped in her tracks when she realized someone was there, in the hallway that went towards the old manor's exit.
"Reo,"growled Ash. "What brings your ass here?"
Reo stopped leaning against the wall and stood in front of the assassin. He was very tall man, with a long scar that crossed all his face.
"I've heard about your new mission,"Reo answered. "I'd like to help you. Besides, I am the one who told Ze'ev of the trespassers."
"I see,"she spat. "You can come then. Should we bring another one?"
"Hatsumo would be glad to help,"Reo said. "He needs something to distract himself from Tsume's death."
True. True. Hatsumo's sorry ass needs some mission to distract his mind.
"Did someone called me?"
Ash turned to see the young man. His eyes were still without his usual spark of life. He looked tired, and he looked different from the Hatsumo Ash and Reo always knew.
"Would you like to come with me and Reo in my new mission?"asked Ash. Hoping for some moments her comrade would decline her offer. However, Hatsumo's eyes sparkled when Ash commented about the mission.
"I would be glad to help!"said Hatsumo, now cheery and happy. Ash made efforts not to show her disappointment. She wanted him to get over his grief, yes, but the truth was that she never felt comfortable doing missions with company. She'd rather be alone.
"Good, now let's go. I don't want the whole Dead Man's Brotherhood asking if they can come too."
Ash started to move on again, followed by Hatsumo and Reo, both seemed glad to help. And as they moved on, Ash had started to form some plans in her head. They would need many available plans, in case the mission didn't went as Ash planned.
As they reached the old manor's exit, Ash turned to both of her comrades.
"The trespassers must be really hard to defeat if they are brave to get into the Lawless lands,"she grunted. "Did both of you bring your weapons? And your masks?"
Hatsumo and Reo nodded. Hatsumo grabbed his two daggers, while Reo grabbed two of his AK's. Ahs nodded and put on her white bloody-smiling mask. Hatsumo used a mask that covered his jaw and nose too, however, there was just some tears painted on it. Reo only used his favourite bandana.
"We are ready now,"Ash growled, and stepped out of the manor. Her comrades behind her. The three gave a gesture to the twin guards, who simply growled back. They swiftly went close to one of the most ruined buildings, close to the manor's location.
"What are we supposed to do here?"asked Reo, his breath almost unhearable under his bandana.
"We are gonna use the ceilings of any building."Ash answered, dryly. "It'll help us to locate our targets,"
Reo nodded. Ash jumped and grabbed a drain bar and pushed herself to jump again. She landed silently over the ceiling. Reo and Hatsumo landed behind her. With no word, she started to run, to then jump again and to land in a old apartment ceiling, Reo and Hatsumo were able to keep up with her.
While they jumped, Ash's ears catched different sounds, and her nose could detect different scents, however, she didn't recognize any intruder scent… yet.
"Where did you see those trespassers, Reo?"asked Ash as soon as they landed over the ceiling of another old apartment.
"Close to this location,"answered Reo. "We just need to jump two or four more times, the intruders must be roaming by there,"
"Good,"grunted Ash. She ran over the ceiling and as soon as she reached the edge of the ceiling, she jumped again.
Her nose then hit a different scent. An intruder scent. Her limbs went even more faster and her muscles tensed, ready to fight if necessary. As soon as Ash and her comrades reached the edge of the last building they had to pass to encounter the intruders, they jumped and landed in the floor, quiet as if they were nothing but feathers. Ash was grateful her own weapons hadn't cuased any loud noise.