The Wayward Assassin
AN: Massive twist in this chapter. I'm going to admit to having some second thoughts with this particular arc, but I'll explain more about that down at the bottom. I don't want to give anything away.
In other news, next chapter should be the last one in this arc.
Also, I misremembered some things, so I changed a small detail in last chapter. Instead of starting six weeks ago, the events of this arc start three months ago.
Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire. Nimbus, Sobek, Mistral, and Veneno are my OCs. Bloodwalker belongs to SpyroAndSisuFan. Certus, Solstice, and Swiftback belong to Epsilon33. Bear belongs to Schwanze. The concept for the character Soulseer partially belongs to SpyroAndSisuFan. Mystic belongs to Flerovium.
Well, it was a clean room. Surprisingly so, if I'm being honest. I've done business in the Scorpion Den before, though not for several years now. I'll not claim to know every nook and cranny of this place. Neither will I claim to know everyone here, what they do, and who they might be aligned with. I knew more than someone who'd never been here, but not as much as someone who had lived here.
My point being, I came to the Scorpion Den with a set of assumptions about this being a filthy, lawless place and what I'd seen so far had proved it. Stepping foot into this inn, however, made me realize that I didn't know nearly as much as I thought I did. From the outside, it looked mostly the same as the other buildings around, if slightly cleaner and less rundown looking. Some potted cactuses flanked the front door, which was sturdy and clean. There wasn't a chip to be seen on it, which was a far cry from the surrounding establishments.
The inn's sign hung off to the side of the door, swaying gently on its chains in the light, desert breeze. On it was a painted Sandwing tail clutching a dagger, and below that design were the words 'Barb and Dagger Inn'. It was a two-story building with small balconies lining the second story on every side but the front.
On the inside, the bar was on the far side of the room with the stairs hugging the right wall. The rest of the floor was filled with clean tables. A few Sandwings dotted the room, some were talking while others were playing cards. The noise was completely tolerable, and the guests were completely civil. It was different from what I'd expected—you know...less rowdy and violent. Actually, the squalid tavern I'd been drinking at in the Sky Kingdom was more what I'd been expecting.
It was only after I'd looked around in surprise that I noticed all of the dragons in the room were watching me in suspicion. Without a word, I made my way to the bar. The barkeep was watching me with an unsmiling face as he wiped down the counter. The glint of metal off to my side was enough for me to know that the Sandwings were prepared to strike me down at the slightest tell. To not let them know I was on to them, I kept my gaze forward.
"I'd like a room," I told the barkeep, placing Vulture's token on the counter as Mystic had instructed me.
The Sandwing barkeep looked down at the token and then stared at me in well concealed surprise before nodding. He turned and grabbed a key from the wall behind him and placed it next to the token. "Last one on the right." I nodded and grabbed the two items and turned away just as he said. "Stay as long as you need, sir."
The 'sir' remark threw me off a bit, but I didn't let that show. I merely went to the stairs without a word, and once upstairs, found my room, unlocked it, and entered.
And that's where I currently found myself. The room was rustic but nice. Clean, too. The bed was covered with animal pelts. A rug was on the floor at the foot of the bed that was definitely made by a traditional Sandwing weaver. The design was utterly exquisite with many different colors. Expensive curtains hung on the twin windows, and between them was the door to the balcony. Expensive paintings hung on the three walls that the bed wasn't resting against. Above the bed hung a dragon's skull, and I had a disturbing suspicion that it was a real one.
Other than that, everything else seemed normal enough with a wardrobe, an end table, and a few shelves full of scrolls.
In total, I spent three days in that room, only coming out to eat and take care of business, before someone came to fetch me. The boredom of sitting in that room all day was starting to get to me, and I'd resorted to reading scrolls...of a certain kind...to pass the time.
Don't judge me, it's the only kind of scrolls that were on those shelves. This was the Scorpion Den. It's not exactly a prime place for higher education.
It was just past noon, and I was getting hungry. Just when I set down the scroll to go down and get something to eat, there came a knock on the door. Figuring that was the dragon meant to lead me to Vulture's compound, I quickly got up and opened it. I didn't expect there to be an unfamiliar Nightwing standing there. He looked me up and down, a strange expression on his face that I couldn't place.
As he was looking me over, I was doing the same to him. His chest was heavily scarred, and he had a similar lean physique as me. He was just a smidge taller than me, but he was older, so that was only expected. If I had to guess, he was about ten to fifteen years older than me. Once we were done looking the other over, I asked, "Who are you?"
He huffed in amusement, a small grin appearing on his muzzle. "Yes, I suppose you wouldn't recognize me." So we'd met before? I took in his features again and got the sense that I knew him from somewhere, but I couldn't put my talon on it. But then, I remembered my reason for being here at the same time he revealed the truth. "I'm your father, Deathbringer."
I stared at him in a new light, but other than that momentary shock, it eventually faded and I was left with...nothing. I felt nothing towards this dragon. Don't get me wrong, I was excited to get to know him, but...I didn't know him. I had no memories of him. The only thing I had was a name because he left before I even got to meet him. I held no love nor hate for him. Despite him leaving, I wasn't angry. Quickstrike raised me well enough on her own until she was killed. After she was gone, I took care of myself well enough, though I had Bloodwalker's parents to help me out when I needed it.
As my silence continued, he nodded with a thoughtful hum. "Guess that doesn't mean much, does it? Seein' as how I was never part of your life."
I nodded, curiosity overcoming me. "And why is that?"
He shook his head and sighed. "I didn't plan on stayin' gone. I had every intention of going back to the island, but I was captured by Burn's forces during a job. Was tortured on and off for a good four months before I was busted out by one of Vulture's agents. According to him, I had a debt to pay, so I was forced to stay and work for him. Three years later, I earned my freedom, but...I liked my place here. And Morrowseer would've killed me had I returned, anyway, since most of my jobs interfered with his plans."
That made sense, I suppose. Vulture saved him, so he owed the crime lord, and if Morrowseer knew he was responsible for working against him, he would've killed Soulseer. "So why not come back after the exodus?"
He chuckled. "Did you seriously need me at that point?" I shook my head, knowing he had a point. I'd lived my life well enough on my own without him. "I figured it was too little, too late. Besides, you served a Queen, and I worked for the biggest crime boss in Pyrrhia." He grew quiet, and a look of sadness entered his expression. "I may be your father, but I was never your dad. I wanted to be...but fate had other ideas, I suppose."
"So...what about now?" I asked him. Because I honestly had no idea what to do or think.
He shrugged. "Well, I'm to take you to one of our compounds. But as for us?" He shrugged again. "We're simultaneously father and son yet also complete strangers. Whether or not we'll ever be the former, I can't say. But maybe we can fix the latter? Get to know each other a bit?"
A small smile grew upon my face, and I nodded. "Sounds good." I turned to the table next to the door long enough to grab my bag before following him down the hall. "Mom died, you know."
"I heard," he responded. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, for what it's worth." Once downstairs, I gave the barkeep my room key and then followed Soulseer outside. He was waiting for me next to the door as soon as I left the building. The streets were busy, but everyone seemed to part before us. "How's your cousin?"
"Bloodwalker's fine," I answered. But then I realized that he wasn't around when my younger cousin was hatched. The two had never met. "How do you know about him?"
The older Nightwing was quiet for a short while before admitting, "I've kept tabs on you both. We were enemies, technically, but I still wanted to make sure you two were doing alright."
He was keeping tabs? "So...did you ever come to the Rainforest?" The thought of an 'enemy' assassin watching me and Bloodwalker from the shadows sent a shiver down my spine. If he had been there, I'd never known about it.
Thankfully, those fears were laid to rest. "No. I asked Vulture to keep me away from the Rainforest. Most of my work is done here in the Sand Kingdom or the Mud Kingdom, though I have taken jobs in the Sky and Sea Kingdoms before."
"So you've been just about everywhere," I observed.
"Comes with the life," he responded simply. Then, he turned to me. "As you yourself would know." I nodded. He definitely had me there. Being an assassin, I've been all across Pyrrhia. Some places more often than others, of course, but I knew the continent well by this point.
"So you're still an assassin, then?" I just wanted to make sure. "Or are you an enforcer? Something else?"
"An assassin," he confirmed. "Sometimes a bit of a saboteur." He grinned a bit darkly. "Sometimes a trainer for the new recruits. I do enjoy beating them senseless." I stared at him uncomfortably, and he chuckled. "Oh, don't feel sorry about them, Deathbringer. They're the worst of the worst, the kind of dragons that'd kill for a single coin and think themselves better than you for it. I temper them, make them more disciplined. Vulture doesn't like unhinged mavericks in his ranks."
As we continued down the streets, heading towards the west side of the city, I decided to slightly change the topic of conversation. "So do you work closely with Vulture often?"
He nodded. "I'm one of his top agents. I take my orders directly from him and no one else."
"So what's he like?" I wondered.
"Terrifying," he immediately responded. "Worthy of both fear and respect. Cruel and cunning, and he knows how far he can go before dragons start pushing back. To his enemies, he's their worst nightmare made incarnate." Hearing that from his own mouth, I started second guessing my choice to come here. But then, he continued. "To those who work for him, though, he's a good leader. He takes care of his own. He's harsh but fair." He snorted. "But to those who cross him? Moons have mercy on them."
"So he has your loyalty?" I asked.
"Seems strange, doesn't it? I'm loyal to the dragon who forced me into his service?" He chuckled. "Someone else might hold some resentment towards him, but I'm content with my lot in life."
It was an interesting story, to be sure. I myself couldn't understand it, but I suppose that's because I'd never had more than a single conversation with Vulture. Even then, I would admit the dragon was charismatic. You almost couldn't help but listen to him.
Still...
It was at this point that I started recognizing our surroundings. "This is Thorn's old camp."
He nodded, confirming my observation. "Thorn took the throne he wanted, so he took her old compound. It was more a symbolic move than anything, showing the rest of the Den that he was the one in charge again."
"'Sup, hottie!" The strange shout made both of us turn our gazes to the right to see Mystic strolling towards us. She had a flirtatious look about her as she winked at me. Her smirk made me blush.
When Soulseer noticed my obvious discomfort, he barked out a boisterous laugh. "I see you've met our resident flirt." Without wasting a beat, the female Nightwing stopped right next to me and leaned her full weight onto my side, her head resting on my neck.
"So your Soulseer's dragonet, huh? I guess I know where you get your blazing good looks from now." She giggled, and in an impressive athletic display, hopped over both of us and leaned against Soulseer in much the same way she had me. Except this time, she reached her head up and playfully nipped at his jaw. I watched the scene with growing curiosity. That curiosity only grew when I saw Soulseer tilt his head to let her peck his cheek. Once she did that, she hopped away and began walking with us at a more...normal spacing. "So how'd it go?"
"Shouldn't you already know?" he asked her.
She shrugged. "Maybe I want to hear it from you. You know how much I love spending time with you." After saying that, she turned to me and winked. Well...'flirt' is right.
He hummed. "It went well. Give it a couple of weeks, and both Cobra and Mastermind should be with us.
That made me recoil in shock. "Mastermind!? What do you want with him?"
Once again, Mystic hopped over the two of us, and then she was next to me again. "All in good time, hot stuff. You still gotta prove yourself before you become one of us." She looked me up and down, which made me blush in discomfort. "And I really hope you do. Having two hot hunks around would make things interesting, for sure."
"I get the sense that you think everyone is hot..." I muttered.
She giggled again, but it was Soulseer who answered. "You're not far off, but the Nightwing pickings around here are rather slim."
I furrowed my brow as we walked past the pair of gate guards into the compound proper. "Glory was investigating a cult of Darkstalker worshippers. Aren't they working with you?" He didn't know that for sure, but it was a theory he'd come up with since learning Vulture was somehow involved. He wasn't sure how Vulture was involved, but this was a bit of a coincidence.
As far as he could tell, there were two possibilities. One, the cult was somehow involved with Vulture's organization. Or two, maybe Vulture just came and recruited him because of his father. Maybe this was just a coincidence. Point being, he wasn't sure what was going on in the big picture, but he'd like some more information. Hence, why he was fishing.
Both of the other Nightwings looked at me for a moment, and Mystic snorted. "I guess you could say that." Both her and Soulseer shared a look, as if they were in on some inside joke that I didn't understand.
"By the way..." Soulseer began, glancing at Mystic. "Weren't you supposed to be heading off to the Sky Kingdom?"
We were walking through the main courtyard now. Sandwings were milling about everywhere, and not one of them that I saw had an unmarked neck. Every single one of them had at least one dragon skull tattoo, physical evidence of their kill count for the world to see. I noticed that our little trio attracted quite a few looks, though none of them moved to intercept or speak with us.
She shrugged. "Well, I still have time before I actually need to be there," she explained. "I just wanted to stick around another day to see Deathy's initiation."
"Please don't call me that." My request drew another amused snort from her.
"Would you prefer 'hot stuff', then? Because you didn't make a fuss when I called you that." I opened my mouth to respond, thought about it, and then shut it. She had a point. So I figured the best thing to do was to just drop it. "Speaking of..." she grinned mischievously. "Vulture wants to oversee it personally. He sent me to fetch you both."
"He's back?" Soulseer sounded surprised. But I was more so. I don't know what they meant by 'initiation', but it probably wasn't anything good. And if Vulture himself was going to oversee it, I probably wouldn't have any choice but to go through with it. "When?"
"Just five minutes ago," she responded. "And he insisted this be taken care of now." Both Nightwings glanced at me, and I couldn't help the hint of unease that slowly churned my stomach. "He's in the temple."
Temple? The vast majority of Pyrrhia wasn't religious. Each tribe had their own superstitions, sure, but none of them were believed in enough to warrant a temple. "Temple?" I asked, dreading the answer.
And the one I got was what I both expected to hear but wished I hadn't. "To Lord Darkstalker."
Mystic's matter-of-fact answer sent a bolt of fear down my spine. I guess that confirmed the connection with the cult, but it wasn't the cultists that scared me. Unlike most of them, I'd met the Darkstalker. I knew what he was capable of...and he terrified me. It wasn't the terror most Nightwings held of him, the instinctual fear of bedtime stories meant to keep dragonets in line. No, the fear I had of him was real. I had a face to put to the name, which is more than I could say for most of these fools. All of the Nightwings in the Rainforest came from the Island. Some left, sure, but most of the Nightwings in this cult were probably from other, hidden communities that never actually saw the terror.
"I know what you're thinking," Soulseer began. "You think we're fools for thinking him a god." He looked forward then, and I hesitantly followed the direction of his gaze. A simple but large sandstone building stood in the distance. Twin bronze braziers flanked the massive doorway, one that I expected even Darkstalker could fit through. I estimated the building itself to be about five stories tall, which was comparable to the Skywing palace, and the roof had five distinct domes. One on each corner, and a much larger one topped with a spire in the center. It definitely screamed 'temple'. "But soon you'll find out why we think that, and I dare say, you'll find it hard to disagree."
Those words lingered in the air for a moment before Soulseer continued walking towards the temple. After a moment, I followed, with Mystic at my side. The silence was uncomfortable, but there was nothing I could say to what I was just told. Vulture's organization wasn't working with the cult. They were the cult. Or, at the very least, the cult was a facet of his organization. Mystic and Soulseer were part of Vulture's crew, yet they also worshipped Darkstalker. The former I could understand. Mystic hated Icewings, as did Darkstalker. Plus, I knew she was all about 'Nightwing superiority' just like the ancient animus had been.
My father, though...that was a tougher morsel to swallow.
Of course, I had no personal experiences with him, but when my mother spoke of him, she said he was smart and level-headed even under pressure. In a word, rational. He listened more to logic than emotions, and from the little time I'd been with him, I could kind of see that. He wasn't completely dictated by logic like Mastermind or Morrowseer, but he still leaned more that way. For a dragon like that to worship Darkstalker as a god...
I mean, I get it. Darkstalker was two millennia old when he reappeared, and he was larger than any dragon who ever lived. He was immortal, had both Nightwing abilities, and animus magic. There was no doubting his power...but he was still just a regular dragon.
Wasn't he?
My thoughts screeched to a halt when we entered the temple. The first thing that hit me was the sheer size of the room I suddenly found myself in. There was no doubt in my mind that Darkstalker could fit in here easily and still have enough room to walk around a bit. It wouldn't exactly be spacious for a dragon that size, but he wouldn't be cramped in a single spot. Small windows were cut out near the top of the walls at regular intervals and were the only source of natural light in this rather dim building.
The second, and far more horrifying, thing I noticed was the circular dais in the middle of the room. On its north, south, east, and west edges, there were lit braziers. Heavy metal chains were connected to the middle of the braziers, the flames licking at the metal links and causing the closest links to glow orange hot. Halfway up the chains, the links were still red hot. Each of those chains connected to a heavy metal collar, which sat around the neck of a captive Icewing, who was groaning softly from the heat of the flames and the hot metal around his neck. Blue blood leaked from where the collar had rubbed his skin raw and from multiple other wounds across his body. He wasn't far from death.
Vulture was the only other dragon in the room, and he stood on the other side of the dais from the entrance, watching us approach. With a sickening churn of my stomach, I suddenly realized what my 'initiation' was going to be. They were going to make me kill—or even torture—this dragon. Call me selfish, but...I was just glad I didn't recognize the poor soul.
"Every dragon who works for me must be a killer," Vulture announced. His voice echoed off the walls and ceiling, making it sound like he came from everywhere at once. "And so, to prove that killer instinct, each dragon must take a life before joining."
"I've taken my fair share of lives already," I countered.
Soulseer and Mystic didn't react other than to look at me in mild concern, but Vulture just chuckled darkly. "True. You are an assassin. I know you can kill." Vulture walked around the dais until he was mere feet in front of me, and he leaned in, giving me a hard look. "But can you kill for me?" He backed away and gestured to the prisoner. "It's Icewings I want dead now."
"I've killed my fair share of them, too," I interjected.
"Then what's one more?" Vulture's immediate response made me go quiet as I gazed at the dying Icewing. He was staring at me, not in fear or hatred, but in dejected acceptance. He knew he was about to die, and I almost got sick when I saw the glimmer of hope in his gaze. He wanted death, as it was the only way to escape from this nightmare he was trapped in. Vulture watched as I gazed at the dying Icewing. Several seconds of silence was broken when he began to speak again. "You want to know why, don't you?"
I nodded, tearing my gaze away from the Icewing to look back at the Sandwing. "I can understand Nightwings wanting to worship Darkstalker. But why you? What do you get out of this?"
He huffed and shook his head. Without answering, he turned and began walking to the far side of the room, beckoning for me to follow with a single wing. I did, and the other two followed behind me at a distance. At the far side of the room was an alcove with a single table. Upon the table sat a single object, a perfectly spherical black, glass ball upon a silver base. It looked...smoky. Like there was smoke trapped inside the glass ball, and it was swirling around at a casual yet steady pace.
"Darkstalker enchanted me, too, you know," Vulture began. "Before he disappeared, he used me like a puppet, forced me to feel and do different things in front of my grandson simply to prove a point." He shook his head again. "Most dragons would be shaken up or terrified of animus magic after something like that."
"But not you?"
He grinned. "Not me." He gazed at the crystal ball for a moment before turning to me. "I'd never been a particularly religious dragon until then. I saw true power that day, and it changed something in me." He began pacing as he told his story. "At first, it was just a thirst for knowledge. I wanted to know more about animus magic in general, and Darkstalker, specifically. Then, a year or two later, I heard about this cult that worshipped him that the Icewings and Skywings destroyed. This was about a decade ago, now. At first, I was as skeptical as you probably are right now. How could anyone worship Darkstalker as a god? He's powerful, sure, but he's just another dragon."
Those were the exact words I'd used to rationalize it. My surprise must have shown because Mystic commented on it. "We were all skeptical at one point, Deathbringer. We all tried to rationalize it the same way, but the truth is...he's not just another dragon."
"So I dug deeper," Vulture continued, as if the interruption hadn't happened. "I tracked down the surviving members, asked them why they worshipped him." He shook his head. "Most of them didn't give satisfying answers. They just said he was 'deserving' of it. Still...the idea was in my head now."
"And then...a few years later..." He trailed off for a moment and gestured to the ball. "I found this. I'd sent dragons to the old Night Kingdom to see what salvage we could find, see if anything of Darkstalker's had survived these last two thousand years."
Apparently, something had if this crystal ball was any indication. I studied it a bit closer. "What is it?"
Vulture just grinned. "Touch it." I studied him suspiciously, the thought that it might be a trap going through my mind before he chuckled. "Go ahead," he repeated. "It won't bite."
Cautiously, I moved towards the ball, studying the swirly smoke within for a moment before slowly touching it with a claw. I gasped as a brief spike of pain lanced through my entire body, and I saw a flash of Darkstalker's face in my mind as the room darkened consirerably. I tried to move my claw away, but it was seemingly stuck fast to the ball. A brief moment of panic was immediately halted, and my eyes widened in shock and terror when I heard him speak to me.
"Ah...Deathbringer. It's been so long. I was hoping to have the chance to speak with you again. After all, you deserve better than that Rainwing pretender who stole our tribe."
All of the air whooshed out of my lungs in an instant. "This isn't possible..." I desperately tried to deny. Darkstalker was supposed to be dead! Qibli and Moon had assured all of us that he was gone forever!
"Please...do you really think someone like me can just disappear? Qibli and Moon...they thought they were clever with their little scheme. But their assumption of my demise was utterly incorrect. I made this contingency months before I was trapped under the mountain, just in case my immortality and invincibility were somehow overcome. A good foresight, wouldn't you agree?" He chuckled good-humoredly. "I'll save the lengthy explanation for later, but the thing you need to take away from this is..." He trailed off, and suddenly my claw fell away from the orb. In a panic, I leapt away from the thing just as Darkstalker's visage appeared within the smoke. "I cheated death."
He laughed, and his visage faded away into the smoke once more. I turned to see the other three dragons all bowing to the orb. I looked back at the orb, and this time, a single eye watched me. "W-What are you?"
"I think you know the answer to that, Deathbringer. I may have started out as a normal dragon...but I have become a god."
The ability to see the future, to read the thoughts of every dragon around him, to reshape the very world with but a few sentences. Immortality. Invincibility. And now, the ability cheat death itself...
He was unkillable.
He was all-powerful.
Based on those two things along, and I can't believe I was admitting this, but...I was starting to understand. Darkstalker was just beyond mortality now. He was no longer bound by the limitations of flesh and blood to influence the world around him. What did that make him if not a god? Maybe the delusions of grandeur were getting to him, but if it was the truth...
I found myself bowing, too stunned by this revelation to even deny the truth anymore. Eventually, I was fully on the floor, prostrated before the orb just like the other three. "Serve me, Deathbringer, and I will give you everything you've ever wanted. I could even make Glory love you again." That possibility, while tempting, also didn't sit right with me. I didn't want to force her into a relationship. "But she owes you, does she not? For how she treated you? Or perhaps, if ignorance truly is bliss, I could make you forget she was even enchanted."
I have never been so conflicted in my entire life. I remained silent, my thoughts a whirl of doubt and potentiality. Eventually, Darkstalker's attention was turned away from me when Vulture spoke. "And what of the threads, Master? What have they revealed to you?"
"I would tell you when we are alone. For now, proceed with the initiation. Watching that Icewing die would bring me great enjoyment."
"Of course, Master. As you command." Darkstalker's presence seemed to recede as the room brightened again. All four of us rose, though I was the last to stand.
My gaze remained locked upon the crystal ball, unable to believe what just happened despite the memory remaining burned in my mind. His voice still seemed to echo in my mind. "Do you understand now, my son?"
I had to force myself to tear my gaze away from the orb when Soulseer posed that question to me. I found myself nodding. I did understand, loathe as I was to admit it. Darkstalker couldn't die, and you know what they said: 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.' It's not like I had anywhere else to go, either.
Resolved, I marched over to the dying Icewing, and with a quick flick of my wrist, slashed his throat open. He died immediatedly, blue blood pooling upon the dais. In the back of the room, I saw the orb glow ominously for a moment. "I will serve you, Lord Darkstalker!" I shouted.
There was no response, but I knew he'd heard me.
Of course, I wasn't doing this for myself. No matter what they wanted to believe, my friends were wrong. Darkstalker may not be here physically, but he was still alive. He couldn't be defeated. In fact, he was probably more powerful now than he was twelve years ago. The only consolation I could see was that he presumably couldn't cast spells while stuck in that ball. If he could, he probably wouldn't be in that ball.
It wasn't a matter of 'if' he escaped, either. It was a matter of 'when'. Even if the cult failed now, there would always be others. Darkstalker's name had lived on for two thousand years after his original disappearance. After what happened twelve years ago, who's to say he wouldn't be remembered for the rest of time?
No...
His return was inevitable, and if serving him meant I could save Glory and Bloodwalker and the rest of my friends, I'd do it. Without hesitation.
AN: First Urfael, now Darkstalker. I'm sensing a theme of me trapping all powerful villains within crystals.
And yes, that is actually Darkstalker. His soul , or part of it, is trapped within that crystal ball. I'm sure that leave you all with a lot of questions. Some of those will be answered next chapter, such as what part Peacemaker plays in all this. Others will have to wait.
Now, getting back to what I said up top about me second-guessing this arc. I originally had the plan that the story Deathbringer tells in this arc is a lie, partially, but then I thought that might be confusing down the line. Now, my current plan is to tell the actual events, meaning everything that happens in 'The Wayward Assassin' actually happens. But for reasons that will be revealed later (it comes with spoilers), this may also be confusing down the line. However, this second format would be a bit less confusing, so I went with that route.
The other reason I second guessed this is the contents of the actual chapter. I thought revealing Darkstalker at this point might be a bit too early, but then again, we are almost 250k words into this. He needed to be revealed at some point, and I didn't want to wait until the very end like in Dragons Change since a lot of people didn't seem to like that.
See...I'm learning...
Anyways,
Until Next Time
AdmiralCole22
