175 Assassins (1/2)

\”They're after me more than my brother,\” Aura explained as we followed who through the adjoining corridor that connected her suite with the rest of the palace. \”At least, the bulk of them are… a few will still try to attack Auranos.\”

\”That would be the Claw,\” Edo grunted.

He shadowed Aura like the good bodyguard he was and only went ahead of her to check every dark corner or entryway we passed before allowing her to move forward.

\”Him surviving over their first attempt to assassinate your family, that's been a black mark on their record ever since,\” Edo added.

Aura nodded.

\”So other than the three drow Luca and I killed, the rest of them might have gone for your brother,\” I reasoned. \”Sucks to be them…\”

Auranos was guarded by his aunt, and Darah would make very short work assassins who weren't at least at Azuma's level which was highly unlikely.

\”But the Hashashin and the Crippling Blades aren't accounted for,\” Luca reminded us.

\”I've heard tales of the Hashashin when I was training to be a shieldmaiden…\” Ashley said. \”The Mother Superior once told me of a story where a single warrior from that famous tribe invaded a Shieldmaiden's Tower and slaughtered everyone inside… and they didn't know who was killing them until the hashashin revealed itself to the only survivor… the Mother Superior of that fallen tower.\”

\”They always leave one alive to spread the fear of them,\” Edo noted. \”That's how we know they're real…\”

\”Dean,\” Luca began, but I already knew what he was going to say.

\”Hashashin… users of hashish,\” I repeated a line I'd read in a book from my world. \”On our world, the hashashin was the name for the first assassins.\”

\”It's the same with ours…\” Edo draped his glaive over his shoulder. \”If it's after the princess then we need to get her to safety now.\”

We all nodded in agreement, all except for Aurana who refused to leave until her brother was safe.

She'd added a scale mail jacket over her flimsy day gown and the brown boots she wore were steel-toed. Strapped to her belt was a sword I'd never seen before but it was expected that she wouldn't use her staff as it was the weapon of Aura and not Princess Aurana. Appearances had to be kept even in this situation.

Basically, Aurana was dressed for battle, not escape. This meant convincing her to run might be more challenging than I figured.

\”Is there only one hashashin?\” Luca asked. \”What if there are two and one went after Auranos?\”

Both Ashley and Edo shook their heads.

\”There's always only one per assassination,\” Edo explained.

\”And if the hit was for the princess,\” Luca continued.

\”Then the hashashin will come for her,\” Ashley finished.

\”You and me,\” she tapped her chest and then mine, \”we don't run away… ever, remember?\”

\”It's not running away,\” I reasoned while racking my brain for an excuse she might accept. \”It's a strategic retreat… finding a spot where we can ambush the sucker.\”

Aurana raised an eyebrow at me.

\”I took on Azuma solo… I'm not afraid of no drugged up legendary killer,\” I grinned.

This was a half-truth. I did fight Azuma solo but I wasn't exactly feeling brave over fighting some legendary assassin. I wasn't that foolhardy, I think.

Aurana hesitated for another few seconds before she finally relented, and for a moment, the princess mask fell off and the Aura I knew had made an appearance in the smile she gave me.

\”Fine…\” she said. \”Edo, we'll head for the Silent Room.\”

Edo nodded and then led the way forward.

The Palanquin Palace was a maze of wooden corridors and naturally growing flora where awnings gave way to dense foliage that allowed very little patches of sunlight to peek through. Wooden statues of fairy guardians lined up beside walls with intricately carved mosaics.

As we roamed through these ancient hallways, I felt certain that Luca and I would have gotten lost if we didn't have a guide as the limit of my awareness was the shortest route to Aurana's suite.

No, I wasn't planning to visit her late in the day to do something creepy. I was simply being expedient about reaching her in the nick of time if necessary which is exactly what happened today.

We reached the second-floor meditation hall of the palace's south wing. But Edo stopped at the entrance suddenly.

\”What's up, big guy?\” Luca asked.

\”Something's not right,\” Edo said in a hushed tone.

\”But it looks empty,\” Luca insisted.

\”And too quiet,\” Ashley added. \”Ambush?\”

\”Dean, use your sight,\” Edo suggested.

It was more like an order but I preferred my interpretation. I was the commander after all.

I glimpsed the mediation hall from just outside the entryway. My eyes glazed over the white wood floors and thin trunks of the birches around the hall but I couldn't tell if anything was amiss.

\”What are you sensing, Edo?\” I asked.

\”Bloodlust…\” Edo said with a finality that convinced me despite my insight showing me nothing.