Fantasy Assassin's Pledge: Whispers Of Myth

[GojiBean]

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The Red-Eyed Demon

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Kyero's eyes narrowed.

"Have you at least been able to fend them off? Or have you been overpowered?"

NemuiTeru

 

[kakemha]

Inka Ve' Lie​

Date: Year 754, 16th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

She paused when hearing Lorraine's opinion. Processing it in her brain, it took Inka a few minutes before she could respond once more. It confused her slightly, from where she was from people did derive pleasure from killings. But she decided to answer with an open mind. "Sure, I understand that's the way most people feel. Although, I'm not sure if I can change how I feel, sorry to disappoint Dr. Lorraine." She answered, the last part coming out a bit sassier than she had anticipated, but she didn't realise that yet. Her eyes returned to her book as she flipped to another page. "Does Kyero derive pleasure from it? Or even Mayumi?" She asked, not directing at Lorraine, but a thought spoken out loud, as her eyes did not break from her book as she read on. Kyero and Mayumi might have been able to hear the question, that depends how hard they were listening.

GojiBean

 

[NemuiTeru]

MAYUMI
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"Have you at least been able to fend them off? Or have you been overpowered?"

Mayumi had a distant gaze as she answered him, recalling the things they did to her.

"I was able to fend off when they first started... but for some reason they grew desperate, and as time passed." She stopped there refusing to continue.

"You would be unable to as well." She told him and left to organize her thoughts.

She would not speak any further on the matter.

GojiBean

 

[GojiBean]

The Red-Eyed Demon & Lorraine Xe' Almna​

Lorraine brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"I can't speak for Kyero or Mayumi. But nobody should enjoy killing. Life is precious, and we each only get one."

Lorraine went back to her bed and sat on the edge looking out the nearby window to the moon.

"Please think about it, Inka."

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"Hmph." Was his only reply to Mayumi's final statement before hopping down from his perch and landing softly in the grass just outside the entrance of the structure.

"'Desperate'... I doubt it." He muttered.

Kyero knelt down and let out a sigh as he felt his side with one hand.

Still not healed. He thought as his hand gripped the afflicted zone.

You wish the pain to end? Came a harsh whisper in his head.

Kyero closed his eyes and his head jerked slightly.

"Fuck off." He said aloud.

Your pain is our strength.

"Fuck!! Off!!" He yelled as he rapidly stood to his feet.

The whisper went silent, but Kyero suddenly found himself struggling to catch his breath as his side began to burn. The wound was old and had long since closed. It should have healed by now. But it hadn't. And the pain... Why was it in pain?

kakemha NemuiTeru

 

[GojiBean]

The Red-Eyed Demon & Lorraine Xe' Almna​

The following morning saw a dark cloud hovering over Kyero. His eyes, permanently angry as they may have been, looked extra heavy this morning with subtle bags under them and a paler complexion than normal.

Lorraine, similarly, woke with a little less color in her face, but otherwise looked about as normal as normal could look for a woman of her position.

As they gathered outside the broken down cabin, Kyero kept an eye on the horizon in the direction of Valkyom to make sure nobody was coming for them and that the roads were clear of any travelers that might spot them and come too close or ask too many questions.

Lorraine washed her face in a nearby stream running from the mountains, and did her best to wash her long hair given the minimal amount of water trickling through. Once cleaned up, she rejoined everyone back at the cabin and sat down on a stump of wood which she presumed had once been either a bench or some kind of solid stool.

"Kyero, could you please remind me why we're out here?"

Kyero's head slowly turned in her direction until he met her gaze.

"Based on what I can gather, they're after you and Mayumi again."

"But why? What could they possibly want with either of us at this point? The Grandmaster's dead, and so is his second in command. You saw to that yourself three years ago. Why are they still after us after all this time?"

"Because they don't care about how much time has passed. Once they begin a course, they're bound by the Pledge to finish it. No matter how long it takes or how many sacrifices must be made."

"Didn't the Grandmaster implement that Pledge? Shouldn't it die with him?"

"He made it a permanent. And too many of them still believe in the Pledge to let it go now."

Lorraine sighed. "So why Mayumi? What did she do?"

"She exists."

"That's not an answer!!" She barked.

"It is to Mayumi and I. And chances murder girl is either in their sights now, or will be soon."

"... What will it take to make them stop?"

"One of two things. They abandon the Pledge, or they all die."

"It's always an absolute with you, isn't it? Black and white. Life or death..." Her eyes lowered, and her face darkened. "It's one of the few things I genuinely dislike about you."

Kyero blinked slowly, and looked away. "That's fine."

Lorraine's eyes disappeared behind her bangs. "Not for me." She whispered.

Kyero huffed. "Go take a walk, Lorraine. I need to speak to Mayumi and murder girl."

Lorraine stood and walked away to meander the fields to the Northwest while Kyero kept his eyes on Valkyom which still stood against the backdrop of the horizon line.

"Murder girl. Do you know who Mayumi and I are talking about when we say "they"?"

kakemha NemuiTeru

 

[kakemha]

Inka Ve' Lie​

Date: Year 754, 17th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

Inka didn't have much to do in the morning. She fixed things in her satchel and took a count of her inventory of ingredients and poisons, she made a note to look for herbs and such around where they were or were going and to look for a way to make more poisons. She made herself look relatively presentable and made her way to where the group was outside. She spotted Lorraine washing her hair, it looked difficult to Inka, it made her appreciate that fact that her hair was short and easy to maintain.

Listening to the conversation that Lorraine and Kyero were having, she had absolutely no clue who they were talking about or anything they were talking about for the matter. She still decided to listen but she couldn't say anything on the matter since she didn't know who or what it was about. She heard that someone could be after her now, she didn't know who, but that's what Kyero had said. But soon Lorraine left and she was left with Kyero and Mayumi... alone.

Answering the question, Inka replied. "Unfortunately, I don't know who you are talking about. I'm not originally from there originally. I only moved there about a year or two maybe. So no, I don't know who "they" are."

 

[GojiBean]

The Red-Eyed Demon & Lorraine Xe' Almna​

"'They' refers to Te'i Sai. The Assassin organization which turned me into what I am."

He looked out past Valkyom to the high mountain peaks in the distance beyond it.

"I didn't meet Lorraine by choice. But when we did meet she asked a lot of questions which I had no answers for. But those questions forced me to think. And by thinking for myself I was breaking one of the rules Te'i Sai had placed on me. That's what led to my rebellion against them, and they marked Lorraine for death for interfering with me as a result of it."

He turned and looked at Lorraine in the flower field nearby, not paying attention to them.

"She almost died when they came for her. And they've been continuing to come after her ever since."

He turned and looked at Inka.

"Once an Assassin of Te'i Sai makes a Pledge, they're bound to keep it. Death is the only thing that can break a Pledge. But since they've been dying while coming after her they've slowed their efforts. But they'll never stop. Not unless the entire organization is destroyed."

He looked at Mayumi.

"She's in the same boat. Marked, and bound under a Pledge made by another in the organization. The one who's currently 'in charge.' He has an obsession with Mayumi's gifts, and he won't stop hunting her."

He looked back to Inka.

"Now that there are those in the organization who've seen you with us, they'll no doubt make a Pledge to eliminate you as well. And even if you're a natural born killer who's taken out a few street thugs, you're nowhere near ready to take on anyone from Te'i Sai on your own."

He paused and looked back towards Valkyom, and the mountains looming eerily over its roofline.

"Fighting one of them isn't so different from fighting either myself or Mayumi. But luckily for you I've developed a way to counter their combat style which makes their strength less of an issue. But their ability to use ranged weapons, poisons, and other tactics are still as dangerous as any you'll ever see."

He looked back at Inka.

"So, Murder Girl. Think you're ready to start learning how to fight Te'i Sai?"

kakemha NemuiTeru

 

[kakemha]

Inka Ve' Lie​

Date: Year 754, 17th Day, 1st Laetal Moon

Inka sat silently as she listened to Kyero speak. It answered a lot of questions for her. Like how Lorraine and Kyero know each other, who was coming after them, and how they worked. Te'i Sai and those kinds of organizations reminded her of home in a sense. She's see those kinds of organizations and and people like that around Veilbrand. She'd seen mercenaries, assassins, basically name any deadly profession she'd probably seen them in her youth. She never went near them, she wasn't as bold as some of the others in her hometown, who'd attempt to steal from them. Suffice it to say, she saw a lot people brutally murdered in front of her eyes.

But now the opportunity to become stronger, to be able to fight them arouse, with Kyero offering it to her. No one in Veilbrand knew that she was a poisons master, if they did, they would use her relentlessly. Whether that be the government or organizations like the ones Mayumi and Kyero were once in, it didn't matter, poisons are powerful and can be used for so many things aside from killing. She didn't even hesitate to answer.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be, Kyero."

GojiBean NemuiTeru

 

[GojiBean]

The Red-Eyed Demon & Lorraine Xe' Almna​

Kyero huffed.

"We'll see."

He glanced to Mayumi for a moment, then over to Lorraine who was starting to return from the flower fields, and back to Inka.

"You need a better weapon."

Lorraine had come just close enough to hear the statement and her breath hitched.

"You-... Oh Gods, Kyero. You're not going back there, are you?"

Kyero's eyes slid to the corners of their sockets to lock onto Lorraine's.

"We won't find Orichalcum anywhere else."

Lorraine took a deep breath and released it on a sigh.

"Of course. So it's back to the valley... Back into close quarters with Te'i Sai."

Kyero nodded.

"Time to move. Hiding out here would only have lasted so long anyway." He said before looking one last time at Inka. "You and I will be training every time we stop along the way."

Kyero turned towards the mountains and began down the Eastern path towards them.

As they walked, Lorraine tapped Inka's shoulder. "Inka. Kyero's not exactly known for being kind or courteous. If he pushes you too hard, please say so and I'll make sure he stops."

kakemha NemuiTeru