The Apprentice Assassin (Complete but editing) MxM

Journal Entry #1

Not even a minute had passed since I had notched my first kill, and I was beginning to feel woozy from the pain in my hand. I knew I was going to die, yet I was tantalized with the man in front of me. He risked his life and killed a handful of Flara guards for me, even going so far as to fight their leader for me. I had no idea why, but I felt grateful he had tried regardless.

The blade dance had come to a bitter end as both of the hooded man's blades buried into guards chest. He pulled the blades out with disgust and kicked the man down. Leaning over him, my master wiped the blades dry of blood on his shirt. Standing back up, he ignored the pitiful cries of revenge. I was happy to see that monster had gotten what he deserved, and that's when I started to fade away. I remember hitting the ground, then the man in white turned and started towards me, dropping the blades and pulling a small vial of green liquid from his robe. He ripped a portion of my sleeve from my shirt, then and wrapped it around my hand and poured the liquid into the cloth bandage. The pain was immediate, searing hot, and ice-cold at the same time. I remember him saying something as he picked me up, but I faded into unconsciousness before I could register what it was.

I woke up in my room later with a small pouch of gold, a letter, and the empty vial from the man. They were sitting in my lap, and I tried to clear the thoughts from my head as if it were just a dream. My wool curtains had been opened and were swaying in the breeze. The door had been shut and barricaded from the inside with a chair. The fireplace had also been lit, and had a few logs burning in it. I fearfully looked down at my hand, worried that I didn't feel anything. To my amazement however, my hand had mended itself. The blood from the makeshift bandage had dried, and there wasn't even a scar. I was so surprised my hand was no longer broken, I completely overlooked the objects in my lap. I quickly stood up, sending the gold coins tumbling to the ground. The letter fluttered down beside the bag, and the empty vial stayed on the bed. I dropped to my hands and knee's picking up the coins as fast as I could. After I had gathered them all and put them back in the pouch, I opened the letter and felt my blood chill.

Thomas turned the page and a small letter fell out. He opened it carefully, then read the formal cursive letter.

To whom it may concern, this letter is our way of showing you that there is a better way than ripping off guards to resist. Meet me at the Drunken Hound if you want to see all that life has to offer.

-Your angel in white.

Thomas folded the ancient letter tenderly, and looked at the bubble around him, the timer on the machine said it still had another few minutes before it would fade. So he put the note back into the journal on the page before and started reading again, making sure to avoid looking at the corpse beside him.

I thought he probably wanted something, and I looked over to the pouch of gold coins that I had put back on the bed. I reached for it and quickly went to my satchel to hide it in the bottom before I started for the door. Moving the blockage, I quietly opened the door and saw my father laying there. He seemed to be resting and didn't seem to be in pain. I knew he would sleep for a while yet before he needed his medicine. It had only been a few hours since the encounter with the guards, as the sun had only just begun to fall. I knew it was going to be cold, so I wandered over to the hearth, and put a few longs in the fire to keep him warm before heading for the door.

The second I got out the door I started getting weird looks from the other locals. I hastily began towards the center of town where The Drunken Hound was located. I saw the sign long before I got there, and knew the smell from even further. This bar was where the lowest of the low went to get drunk. The alcohol was brewed in the worst possible conditions, it could potentially kill you with every drink. Thus the booze was so cheap, and the poorer folks flocked to it. As I wandered closer, I heard somebody call to me. I turned my head to look over towards the voice, then felt a blade against my neck. "I came alone!" I cried out as the blade pressed harder against my neck.

"I know you did." A deep silky voice replied as the pressure held firm. "I followed you from the rooftops after you left. I assume you came because of the letter? His warm breath blowing over my neck sent shivers down my spine. I tried to nod my head, but the blade cut a small portion of my neck, which made me yelp.

Another voice called out through the darkness of the alleyway and told him to let me go. The blade pulled away, and I turned around to look at the man behind me. He was wearing the same white robe as before, and he had a small cut in his cloth near his arm which gave me the impression it was the same man as before. "T-Thank you for saving my life." I shivered again as his hot breath pushed towards me.

"That wasn't a big deal. You looked like you needed a hand." His voice was curt, but it screamed desire. "I'm glad your alive, that was a bad break. I'm honestly surprised you lived-"

"No you're not!" The other voice echoed in disbelief. You gave him some of the alchemist's medicine. There's no way he would have died, even is he was on the brink of death!"

I was mesmerized by the hooded man, almost as if I were in a trance. The one behind me growled in disgust, making my master take a step back. Shaking my head, I continued to look at the darkness that hid his face. "Well, like I said before, thank you for saving me." Looking down, I noticed the shadowy man in front of me had blood drops on his outfit. I felt anxious as we stood in the open, exposed to the people nearby. "So uh, why did you save me?"

I remember his silky voice turning ice cold. "Since I knew you were a dead man if I didn't." He growled as he started forward, pulling me into the alley nearby. Before I could say anything, he pressed me up against the wall, pinning me in place. "The Flara are going to kill you for resisting, you know that right?" He paused for a moment thinking about what he wanted to say. His next words chilled me to the bone, and I will remember them for the rest of my life. "How would you like to make a martyr of your father, instead of just another casualty of the Flara's cruelty?

The timer went off, and the first layer of the shield powered down. A few seconds later, Thomas heard the beam starting to fade. He shut the journal and pressed a black button on his armor. It opened a small panel revealing an empty space. Placing the journal inside, he pressed the button again shutting it. The machine let out a small hiss as it pressurized. Thomas looked down and saw the spy again making his stomach turn. The body had paled, and the smells that were coming from him  made it clear that his body had voided its bowels. Closing his eyes, Thomas quickly reached for his trusty sidearm. Pulling it from its holster in a swift motion, he activated his visual implants and opened his eyes. Looking past all the bombed-out area, he tried to find anywhere he could take shelter. 

I need to find somewhere safe until I can establish communication with H.Q. and figure out what the hell is going on! Thomas thought as he looked around the bombed-out field. Before long he spotted a town in the far off distance. He let out a soft sigh as he closed his eyes and deactivated his implants, then quickly started running towards the small town, trying to ignore the thought of his squad looking like the spy behind him. 

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Hey there friends! I hope you are enjoying the story! If you like what you're reading, and want to make my day, maybe you can leave me a few comments and a vote? I hope you are all having a wonderful day, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the story so far! Don't forget to drink lots of water!

-Asted!