Chapter 6: Faction 3: Inviting
"Killing is not so easy as the innocent believe."
J.K. Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
-Faction 3: The Assassin's Keep-
Sora erased the chalkboard again, the white powder falling into a pile on the ground. She let out a frustrated groan, going back to her anxious pacing. Sam's eyes followed the woman, "Sora. Come on. You're literally a notorious assassin. Why are you so caught up on this one job?"
She stopped her pacing, turning to face her companion. "I don't know. I wish I know. It was like… Like something… I know him. I think?" Sora scratched her chin, lost in her thoughts of her hesitation. Sam rolled his eyes, standing and swiping the chalk out of her grasp. "Oh? You know him? Why, I never took you to be a social butterfly." He got a look of annoyance from the girl. Yes, she never really left the Keep so how would she know someone other than the assassin's and Linus.
"No, Sam. Listen to me. His eyes. I knew them!" Sam chuckled, beginning to mark the board, starting with the man's name 'Lord Tyler Roul'. "Okay, Sora. Me of all people love a good story. Were his eyes just so dreamy that the ruthless assassin was stopped in her tracks?" He joked, drawing a line from the name to the next word 'Schedule'. "Because if that is the case, I would love to meet such a man. Did he have strong arms? I've always wanted to be held by strong arms. Oh! His back. Tell me about is ba-" Annoyed, Sora stood, the chair scraping across the ground.
"NO. What? Why would that even distract me? That's not what I meant, Sam." She pinched her temples, looking at the board. "What are you doing?" Sam smiled, drawing a second line from the man's name, 'Hobbies'. "I'm planning, like you said we were going to do. While you're going over your future honeymoon in your mind, I'm trying to figure out what we need to learn in order to get the job done." He raised an eyebrow, humming as he pondered what to put next. Sora walked over to him, snatching her piece of chalk back. "Give me that… I'm the 'top assassin', I get the chalk." Sam placed his hand on his chest, "Fiesty, I like this Sora. Who is she?"
Soar rolled her eyes, smirking as she drew a large circle around the word 'schedule' and crossed out 'Hobbies'. "Oh. No? I thought I would see if him and I had any common interests," Sam pouted, accepting defeat. Sora let out a small laugh, Sam always knew how to make a tough situation better. "Come on, let's see what this guy is all about." Sora set the chalk down, wiping the dust off of her black suit. As she was leaving the room she stopped, she slipped her cloak onto her shoulders, leaving the hood off. Her red hair fell down her back.
"You know, I was bummed about not learning of his hobbies, but I'm excited to be the crazy stalker," Sam smiled, letting the sun hit his face. His grey cloak flowed in the wind and he pulled it closer, relishing the chilly fresh air. Sora was staring at the ground, lost in her own thoughts of focusing on the plan. "Mhm sure, yeah stalker. Um okay so Lord Roul is in the book business. Random, I know, but that's about all of the information I have on him." She looked to Sam, hoping he knew more.
"Don't look at me, I'm just your sideman. I follow and listen, not give input." Sam stopped at a vendor's table, his green eyes searching for something he might like. He pursed his lips, smiling at the vendor as he fell back into step next to Sora. "Maybe the vendors know something." Sora pondered his idea, shrugging as she couldn't think of anything better. "Would it be suspicious if we asked? Maybe there's a book vendor…"
Right as the words left her mouth, Sora's gaze landed on a book vendor. "Well what do you know, she can kickass and she's a psychic?" Sora covered her mouth, stifling her laughter. "Sam… Please." Sam stopped and smiled, approaching the table of books.
The book vendor was a tall man with dark blue hair, glasses framed his eyes. He smiled as the two approached his table. "Ah. Curious minds?" He motioned over the books, "Perhaps one for the lady?" Sam smiled "Oh no, I'm good thank you." Sora tried her hardest to not laugh, Sam always had to make serious situations a bit more bearable. The book vendor blinked at his response, clearing his throat as he shifted his gaze to Sora. "Well, may I help you two with anything?"
"Yes, actually. In a society where not many of us have the luxury of being able to obtain books, let alone learn how to read, where do you get yours?" Her fingers traced over the smooth hardcovers hardcovers.
The vendor smirked, a chuckle passing his lips. "And may I ask why you are so curious? Perhaps you've caught wind of the disturbance in the Roul household last night?" He raised an eyebrow, "or you could just really be curious."
Sora and Sam did not give into the bait. "Roul household? The new nobleman?" Sam asked, looking at Sora with mastered confusion. Sora bit her bottom lip. "A disturbance? What kind? Should we… Should we all be worried?" The vendor crossed his arms, throwing a blanket over his table while stating "Sorry, closed on Saturdays".
Sam coughed as the blanket stirred up the dust from the ground, frowning. "But we could offer such a great price for you books," the vendors shook his head, quickly placing his books into a box. "No. No price is good enough for what you two are digging around for." He picked up the box and hurried off.
Sighing, Sora turned towards Sam. 'Well, that was weird." The two stood staring in his direction, watching the vendor push past other pedestrians in the market. "… Let's follow him?" Sam smiled, "I was waiting for you to say that." Not wanting to draw attention to themselves chasing a man through the streets, the two assassins slipped into an alleyway and pulled themselves to the rooftop.
Once on the shingles, Sora pulled her hood to cover her hair and face, smirking as excitement coarse through her body. "I love a good chase," Same chuckled as he did the same. "We aren't going to kill the guy, Sora. Just hope to get some information."She playfully rolled her eyes, her feet pressing against the roof as she readied herself to leap to the next.
The two assassins had been trailing the book vendor for a half hour, quietly slipping across the roofs, stalking him like pray. Sora stopped abruptly, Sam yelping as he almost ran into her. "He's going into a shop." Sora whispered, Sam squinted as he tried to read the title. "Mel's Goods." Sam read, his mouth smirking. "Like physical goods, or goods…" Sora slapped him playfully on the shoulder before making the leap over the gap to the shop's roof. The two soundlessly crept on the roof, a skylight showing into the main room.
"Convenient." Sam said, trying to unlatch the window. He frowned, the window not budging beneath his hands. "I didn't want to be noticed anyway." He stepped away and crossed his arms. Sora went to reply, but her eyes were drawn to the man entering the store. "Sam," she waved him over, "that's him. That's Roul." She pointed to the tall, brunette figure slipping into the shop after the book vender. Sam nudged Sora, wiggling his brows, "Girl. We aren't killing that man until he takes me to dinner." Sora shook her head, chuckling at her friend's words. "Okay, noted. But what is he doing here?" She turned to go back to the skylight, peaking in to watch.
Along with the book vender and Roul, Sora counted three others sitting around a large table. A young, brunette girl, the infamous captain of the guard, and who she assumed to be Mel. She sighed, sitting back on her feet as she tapped into the powerful feeling that gave her her success in the world of being an assassin. Her senses amplified, the setting sun flashing brightly across her eyes, the feeling of the damp air heavier on her skin, and her ears picking up on the conversations of the room below. "Oh… Smart…" Sam settled next to her, doing the same.
"… They were asking about the books and I wasn't buying their story," the book vendor said to the group. "What did they look like, Joe?" Asked the young girl. "The man was tall and his hair was red," Joe tapped his chin, "oh. And he had strikingly green eyes."
"He thinks my eyes are striking," whispered Sam just loud enough for Sora's enhanced senses to pick up on. "Shhhhh," she held back a giggle.
"Was there anyone else with them?" The girl asked again. "Yes, Kari. There was also a small woman. Her hair was red, a bit brighter than his and her eyes were like a crimson." Roul groaned, brushing his hand through his hair. "Sounds like the woman who wants me dead." Kari laughed. "Oh don't be so dramatic Tai, I doubt these two are the same people. Not every woman is after you, you know."
Hm. We have names for all of them, maybe this will make it easier to figure out why this Tai is on Linus' list, Sora thought, leaning over to look into the window. She recognized three of the figures, but she still couldn't pinpoint from where.
"Oh. I've failed to mention that they both had cloaks. The man's a grey color and the woman's a deep blue." Tai's eyes shot across the table to his sister's, "Yeah? Not out to kill me? That's the exact description I gave you." Kari sighed, accepting defeat. "Well it seems like you've got yourself a little fan club," Mel chuckled from across the table.
Marla stood in the corner, lost in thought about the guard she had lost protecting Tai. Her golden eyes caught a shadow on the ground, coming from the sunlight. She quickly swept her eyes up, noting two figures leaning in. "You guys," she said loudly, "I think we have some company." The others looked up towards her point, the figures already gone.
The two assassins were sprinting across the roofs, laughing at their close call. The sun had just set and darkness began to sweep across the city. They paused on top of the Keep, catching their breath. "Oh my gosh, wow. I can't believe we got caught," Sam said before laughs and gasps. Sora held her stomach, laughing from the adrenaline. "Honestly, we've been making stupid mistakes lately. Why are we like this?" The two slipped through a window into the Keep, stopping as they stared at a letter left for them on the table.
"Oh? Perhaps a love letter," Sam picked up the envelope, carefully breaking the seal. The letter was an invitation to a ball, not exactly their forte.
To the Keep,
Join us tonight for a marvelous ball, the biggest social
gathering of the year. Mingle upon the rich and important
and make business worthy connections.
We will be welcoming back the powerful Myotismon.
Must wear formal clothing, no street clothes allowed.
Ball begins at Nine o'clock sharp.
~ The Ministry
Sam raised an eyebrow as he slid the note to Sora, "Hm. Should we go celebrate Myotismon?" Sora was about to reply, her words interrupted by Linus descending the stairs. "Oh, you two have no choice. You will attend the ball, armed with your daggers of course, and get as much information as possible." Linus stood in front of his top two with crossed arms.
"In your rooms I have supplied you with what you are to wear and the names you are to go by. If I catch word of you two causing any trouble, you will meet an end worse than Samuel's dear brother." Sam's eyes shifted to the ground as he nodded, "Yes captain, all is understood." Sora did the same. "And Sora?" She looked up, feeling his lengthy fingers crawl across her cheek, "do act like a lady. We shouldn't want a pretty thing like you getting a bad name." He gripped her chin tightly, his pointer finger running down her lips before her roughly let go. "Yes, captain." Linus smirked, turning to leave.
The man was almost to the door before he turned around slowly, his dark eyes meeting the assassins. "And if I ever hear that you two are sneaking around during the day and getting caught again, the next time we meet will not be as pleasant." The two gasped, crumpling to the ground as an electric shock traveled through their bodies. They weren't sure how Linus could do it, but they never asked him about it. Linus smirked, leaving the two to themselves.
"Still an asshole." Sam muttered as he tried to stand on shaky legs. Sora just turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling. "You know, I hate Linus, but I hate dresses and being social more than I hate Linus." Sam stared at her, "Dramatics won't get you out of this. Come on, we have a ball to get ready for."
*Author's Note:
Sorry to those who might think this story is going slow. All will come together sooner or later! I hope everyone is enjoying this. Let me know your thoughts! Happy readings :)
~MoonPhasing