Love's Assassin
My progress on a current story. Please note that only certain characters are mine. (see the note at the bottom of the story)
Sunlight filters down between the branches of the dense trees surrounding Tri-Link's Café. Called the Dark Forest, it is home and haven for all creatures that walk the world. Strangers are not welcomed or kept out. They must merely be able to care for themselves. Lives start in the Dark Forest. And lives end there, too.
The kobold steps out of the protective shade of the tree. Resembling a bizarre mix between a lizard and a rat, kobolds are employed for use as foot soldiers in armies, messengers, and in some cases, kobolds are used for assassination. This particular kobold covered its odd appearance with a heavy cloak and gloves. Its rat-like tail sneaks out. As it steps out of the tree cover, it looks around cautiously. It slowly moves to the body of a human male. The kobold stares at the body, cursing its luck under his breath. He was an assassin, why would he be ordered to take the human prisoner? The kobold's childlike mind races for a reason, an excuse to his failure. He notices a ring and a dagger sparkling in the sunlight. He claims these as his own. The sight of the glimmering gold and metal re-boost his confidence. "There was a bunch of them...you had said that he'd be alone, but you were mistaken...overtook me and had me surrounded...but fought like a demon I did...fought them all off, but one threw a sword at me, so I ducked behind another...I did not know that my shield was the guy I was supposed to take prisoner..." The kobold chews on a nail. It could have happened that way, sure. The hard part will be convincing him of that. Grasping its treasures, the kobold disappears into the Forest.
Many miles away from the assassin, there is a small cottage made of wood. The weather has rotted the tiny place, inside and out. A family lives in this place. A family made of a mother, daughter, and father. The father's name is Katayk. He is about twenty-two. His hair is a dark blonde and his eyes are brown. Katayk is well built and muscular. He is wearing a dark shirt with darker pants. Rikali, the mother, also wears dark clothes that complement her dark red hair and the smattering of freckles on her nose. Her eyes are blue and little lines appear around her eyes when she laughs. Riki is of slight build and has fragile-looking hands. Rose, or Roselenna, is the daughter of Riki and Katayk. Her hair is a strawberry blonde, worn shoulder length. It often falls in her face, covering her blue eyes that are not from her mother or her father. She has a cheerful, childish face. Her clothes are simple. A white shirt and faded, torn jeans make up her attire. Together, they are a family. Alone, Katayk and Rikali are fighters, rebels, and warriors.
Within the cottage, Katayk and his family sit down to dinner. Rikali sets a bowl of soup down in front of him. She then deals out two more bowls before sitting down across from him. Rose scowls and sighs. "We had soup last night," she complains. Seeing Rikali's stressed look, Katayk laughs and grins. "Yep, soup again. That's all mean old mom serves." Katayk winks at Rikali, trying to keep the mood light. Rikali smiles and throws a piece of bread at him.
Later that night, Rikali slides into bed next to her husband. "We need food." Her beautiful face is marred by worry and stress. Katayk's heart melts and he draws her closer. "We need money for that. I'll take care of you, Rikali. Don't worry." She smiles slightly, reassured, and closes her eyes.
"Damn, kobold! I wanted him alive!" The small assassin thuds heavily against a cement wall. A light flickers on, illuminating the basement of Tri-Link's Café. The creature cowers on the floor. "I'm sorry, Sadik. It won't happen again! Please, Sadik, have mercy!" Sadik's eyes glisten. He smiles, revealing his vampire fangs. Sadik is a vampire, but he is also a demon. Bandages cover his entire body, hidden under a torn and burnt shirt, hidden under baggy and oversized pants. He has black hair that does not hide his bright red eyes that sparkle with malevolence. "No, Stilch. You won't." Stilch, the unlucky kobold, panics and bolts. He hits the light dangling from the ceiling, stunning him and sending the light flickering wildly. Sadik approaches his prey slowly. Picking the creature off the floor, he bares his long fangs, sinking them into Stilch's neck. The kobold's pain-filled scream is cut miserably short.
The basement door slams open. Sedia, Sadik's cohort and lover, leaps the stairs and lands in front of Sadik, cursing viciously. Sedia has green eyes that glow from her pale complexion. Her hair is black, like Sadik's. She wears overly tight clothes that emphasis her body. "Sadik, we needed that kobold!" Sadik shrugs and wipes his mouth. "Keep your shirt on. I have replacements in mind." Sedia stares at the drained body of the once-assassin. "Wait, let me guess. Katayk and his whore. It won't work, you do realize. Your brother would die before he returned to Axis." Sadik walks over to the stairs leading to the café. He pauses and looks at Sedia. "You're right. Katayk wouldn't come back. But I'm not interested in Katayk." Laughing, he leaves Sedia alone in the darkening basement.
Dawn's light breaks over the small, weatherworn house. On the decomposing porch, Katayk pulls Riki close, locking lips with her. She pulls back slowly, reluctantly, after a couple moments. "Good luck, Katayk." He smiles and opens his mouth to reply as Wolf walks out of the woodlands. "Good morning, you two. Babysitter Wolf reporting for duty." The large, furry wolf wags her tail and smiles. Rikali smiles. "Rose is-" "Right here." Rose finishes, walking from the house. "Have fun, you two. Be careful." Rikali calls to the retreating figures. The couple stands quietly for a moment. Katayk sighs and grins ruefully." I'll be back soon, with a job, promise." He smiles happily. "Don't miss me too much." Rikali returns his smile. "Miss you? I can't wait to get you out of my hair. I'll finally have time to clean up this..." she hesitates, gesturing at the shack behind her. "Home, Rikali. Not a glamorous one, but ours." Rikali shrugs. After a good-bye kiss, she walks inside.
Around noon, Rikali hears someone knock at the door. "Come in!" She calls from the kitchen, which is in the back of the house. She turns away from her freshly baked cookies. Suddenly, the door separating the kitchen and living room slams open. Sadik and Sedia enter the room, both grinning most malevolently. "Sa-Sadik? You're...alive?" Sadik looks in a mirror hanging on the wall of the kitchen. "Why, yes, yes I am." Smirking, he takes a seat in a spare chair kept in the kitchen. Sedia sniffs the air, smelling the cookies. As she reaches out to take one, Riki smacks her hand away. "Those aren't yours. What do you two want?" Sadik frowns. "You're not a very good hostess, Riki." "Screw you, Sadik. What do you want?" Sadik mulls over how to break the news to her as Sedia once again tries to snatch a cookie. As Riki pushes her away, Sedia's back hits the door. She curses and lunges at Rikali. Riki side steps. Sadik, shrugging and going with the flow, grabs her arm. Rikali pulls away and slugs Sadik across the face. Spitting out a loose tooth, Sadik snarls and grabs Riki's hair, pulling her close. "What do we want?" he whispers venomously, "We want you." Sadik's perverted laugh turns into a scream of pain as Riki grabs a knife off the counter and slashes at his stomach. Sadik immediately lets go and backs off. Riki puts her back to the counter and waves the bloody knife threatingly. "Get out, both of you. Now." Sedia snarls something and strikes Riki's face with the oven-hot cookie pan. She screams and drops the knife, which Sadik snatches up. Sadik advances on her, the perverted grin splayed big on his face. Rikali yells again as the knife slashes across her face, then again as Sedia swings the pan up into her falling face. Something in her face breaks, and a cold part of Rikali's mind realizes that the bitch broke her nose. "My nose, you freak, that was my nose!"
Sadik kicks Riki to the floor and stands over her. As she looks up, Sadik notes with interest the spreading look of terror across her face that has previously only been anger filled. "She's been hurt bad before, and it's left its mark on her," Sadik thinks. Using this to his advantage, he moves down closer to her. She cringes and moves away. "Leave, Sadik...please leave." Her words were pleading. Sadik sneers and mimics her. His hand moves down towards her body. Rikali cries in terror and rolls away, throwing Sadik off balance. Slowly climbing to her feet, she falls again as Sedia brings the pan down on her head. Stars explode in front of her eyes and as she falls into darkness, Rikali prays for death.
Katayk runs through the forest, racing away from memory. Yet, the memory follows him. It comes upon him completely as he trips over an exposed tree-root. Ignoring the stinging sensation on his knee, he gets up and continues running, ignoring Wolf's voice crying for him to slow down. As he runs...he remembers.
Katayk returned from his successful job hunt around eight o'clock in the evening. He was in a light and happy mood, excited to tell Rikali. As he entered the small clearing holding his humble house, he pauses. A silence hung over the place. Terror rose in his throat. "Riki?" He cries out, suddenly scared. Fighting the sensation, he races towards the house. The next two hours are a blur. The empty house. Rose's pale, scared face. A message...a message written on the floor in cookie crumbs. Running from the house. The message. Running. Pain. Trees. The message.
Katayk trips again, landing hard on his knees. His voice, hoarse from screaming and crying, calls out in the forest again. "RIKI!" "She's gone," "Rikali! Where are you!" "Not here. Not with you. With-" "NO! RIKI!" "She's not here. She's gone, gone forever, and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!" "RIKI!" Holding his head between his hands, he sobs. Rikali was gone, and it was his entire fault. His entire fault. "Katayk!" Katayk...dear brother... "Katayk? Where did you go?" We have Riki. With the Axis now, ain't that a kick in the pants? "Katayk! There you are. I found-" Don't bother chasing after her... "-her trail!" Sadik.
Katayk raises his tear-stained face. "It's worthless, Wolf. Worthless. She's gone, gone forever." Wolf shakes her head. "No, you can't say that. She isn't gone, we can rescue her!" "Didn't you read it?! She's GONE! The Axis is untouchable when it wants to be, I'll never see her again!" Wolf snaps at his arm. Katayk flinches but doesn't move. "You're wrong, Katayk. She loves you, and you love her. So you'd be able to save her. And if not...I WILL!" Katayk stands up and watches her go. "No. Wolf. Stay with Rose. This is my battle."
Without another word, Katayk pulls away into the forest.
Dull, thumping pain. Like a rock being continually being pounded, complete with the annoying click, click, click noise. Shoot-me-right-now pain. Rikali moans as her head throbs with this awful feeling. She keeps her eyes shut, overwhelmed by the dull ache in her head. Her body shuts out all other sensations and focuses on her head. The dull ache of her head throbs in tune with the cuts and burns on her face. Her hand moves to touch the sizeable lump on the back of her head...? Riki's eyes open in confusion, then focus in realization. "Of course." She curses.
Riki is sitting on a cold, damp floor. Her back is against a metal pole, with her hands tied behind it. Wherever she is, the place is cold and dark. Rikali's eyes can barely pierce its cover. She feels a rat skitter over her foot. Shivering, she kicks it away and takes stock of herself. Her head throbs. Her face is burnt and cut. The stab wound on her shoulder is festering and gross. Riki sighs. It could be worse, she reasons. For a losing a fight with Sadik. I could be dead instead...or worse. Rikali shudders. The pain in her head dies to an aggravating throb. Feeling very awful and miserable, she shifts to a more comfortable position and falls asleep.
Time passes. Rikali has no idea how much, since her glow-in-the-dark watch has long since lost its glow. Sighing, she pulls at the bonds on her hands. The rope cuts into her wrists. Riki grimaces and tugs again, with no better result. Expert hands had tied the knots. She sighs again. Better think of a way out of this mess. Better not wait for him to come instead. More time inches by before Rikali fills her prison with an agonized cry. Light has illuminated the room-a basement. Unaccustomed to such brightness, Riki's eyes water and burn. She closes her eyes and curses the light, this place, Sadik-anything that comes to mind. When the light filtering in through her eyelids becomes bearable, she risks opening them. Taking a peek out, Sadik's twisted face fills her vision. He grins. "Morning, sunshine." Rikali makes a show of gagging on the smell of his breath. "If your wish is to kill me, just keep breathing, Sadik." Sadik laughs and moves back slightly. "Glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor." "What do you want with me?" "Well, you see...recently, the Axis has fallen on some pretty hard times. We're a little low on employees." "And this has to with me because..." "Riki, you're a good fighter. There's no denying it. You've got that warrior talent. Now, I've got quite a deal for you, see. You take care of a couple missions for me, and in return, I, being the swell guy I am, send money and food to your lovely family." "And if I refuse to work for you?" "Then I kill you and your body rots in this hotel's basement." Sadik's eyes flash. "That sounds just like you, Sadik. Pick on the person who's tied to a pole. I refuse your offer. I'd rather die then work for scum like you." Sadik sneers and punches Riki across the face. Riki doesn't cry out and just holds her head to the side. Her hair, which was once soft and smooth, is now matted and dirty and falls in her face. "Is that the best you can do?" Rikali challenges. Sadik hisses and punches Rikali in her broken nose. Rikali cries out and tears mingle with the blood that falls on her lap. She grits her teeth, however, and lifts her head to stare Sadik in the eyes. "I will not break to your will." Sadik slashes across her cheek and part of her neck with a knife. Rikali cries again and recoils. "You will work for me or I will slowly carve the skin from you." "Then so be it, Sadik." Rikali faces her tormentor with a quiet dignity and pride. "I will not break to you. My soul is my own." Sadik stares at her, her dirty and bloody face, her torn and threadbare clothes. She really would die here rather then face enslavement in the Axis. I need a different tactic. "Fine. Then I guess I will just have to kill Katayk and Rose." Rikali looks up, shock in her eyes. "You would kill your own brother and niece?" Sadik grins. Rikali had taken the bait. "Yes. But if you work for me..." His eyes glitter with a pure and evil malevolence. Riki stares at him, her face a battlefield of emotions. Sadik watches with interest as pain, anger, defiance and doubt rage across her face in a futile attempt to not break into Sadik's will. Eventually, sorrow wins the war. "I will."
Two days later, Rikali stands before Sadik in a scrubby motel room. The motel was cheap, but clean. The green walls collide with the red floral furniture and tacky yellow border. A television weakly blears out a second-hand car advertisement. The bed is sagged and the once-brown quilt has faded to a dirty yellow. Sedia is watching the television from the arms of Sadik on the bed. She scowls at Riki, who is partially blocking the TV. Sadik looks up at Riki and shakes his head in disgust.
Riki's face, arms, and hands are covered in basement filth. The bruises on her body stand out in ugly masses. The burn on her cheek festers around the cut, oozing a yellow liquid. She hides the other injuries under a torn and mouse-eaten cloak. The cloak is gray, like stone, with traces of green and brown in it. Her head is hidden in the cloak hood's depths. She wears a black tee shirt underneath and dark brown pants. Her black sneakers are mostly brownish-gray from the amount of filth on them. Strapped across her back is a battle-axe. Rikali's prized possession, the battle-axe she calls Bliss is massive. The head of the axe expands two feet across and the blade length is that length again. Its handle is made of a heavy and durable wood. Along with Bliss, dozens of daggers are hidden under the cloak. In her mind, Rikali resembled a walking arsenal.
"You look filthy, Riki. Don't you ever shower?" Sadik laughs. Rikali stands still in stoic silence. "Hurry up, Sadik. She smells like a sewer." Sedia wrinkles her nose and shifts closer to Sadik. "Besides, there are other things to accomplish today." Sadik glances down at Sedia and grins. "Okay, Sedia. Riki my dear, here's your mission." Sadik tosses Riki a packet. "You'll find everything you need to know about Richard Mauls in there...pictures, personal history, everything down to how he prefers his steak cooked. We are being paid good money to eliminate Mr. Mauls by some government or other who expects Mauls is a threat to their workings and wish to have him removed. So if you screw up, I'll kill your precious family. Mauls will be traveling from Tri-Link's Café to here in Tyrina in two days time." So we're in Tyrina. Lovely. Riki thinks. "I want you to kill him before he gets here. There is a river running to the northeast of here, east of Tri-Link's. Make use of it to destroy the evidence. If you don't come back here in one week, I'll come after you. And here's a word of advice, Rikali. Don't make me come after you." Sadik's previously good-humor attitude dissipates. He stares hard into Riki's eyes and lifts his lips in a sneer. "You make me come after you and you'll regret it. Leave now."
Riki turns towards the door. She opens it and pauses for a moment. A blade whistles through the air and lands, quivering, inches from Sadik's head in the headboard of the bed. Rikali leaves the room, closing the door behind her. Sadik stares at the blade and pulls it out. Sedia studies it. "She won't, you realize, do the mission. She'll likely run." Sadik laughs. "I know, Sedia. That's why you're going to follow her. If she starts to run, don't let her. If she fights, kill her." Sedia scowls. "I have missions of my own, Sadik. I can't spend my time chasing her around." Sadik laughs again and kisses Sedia's head. "You will track Rikali. I will take care of your missions." Sedia doesn't look reassured. "What about my pay?" Sadik raises an eyebrow. "You'll be paid if Rikali comes back here alive. Now, before you go..." Sadik kisses Sedia and slides under the covers.
"
Katayk continues through the forest. His breathing is ragged and shallow. Sweat falls into his eyes, making them sting and burn. His feet catch on tree roots and rocks, sending him to the ground. Always, he gets back up and keeps going. A part of his mind registers that without food, rest, and water he will collapse soon. His heart sullenly tells his mind to be quiet. Katayk's harsh journey comes to a sudden halt as he trips and rolls down a small hill. Bouncing and sliding down, he falls over the side of a small cliff and into a murky slime-covered puddle. Coughing and gagging, he pulls himself out of the puddle with the help of a low-hanging branch. He is too tired, too miserable, to keep going at this point. "What did I do to deserve this?" "That's an easy one. You stood against me." The laughing, mocking voice surrounds Katayk. He looks around, wiping the muck from his eyes. "Damn you, Sadik. Show your ugly face!" A pine cone bounces off Katayk's head. "Watch you tounge. I'm bea-u-tiful." Sadik laughs and materilizes on a branch overhead. "You're so stubborn, Katayk. Didn't I tell you that running after Riki would be pointless?" Katayk sighs and looks up at him, squinting in the sunlight. "Give me back my Riki, you charred bastard." "No can do, Katayk. She's on her first mission." "Fuck you, Sadik! Give her back!" "Such language. Didn't I teach you any better then that?" A poisoned nail whizzes by Sadik's face. "There's your warning. Now tell me where Rikali is!" "I already did. She's on her first mission." Katayk launches another assult at Sadik, but he disappears. His voice rings out, laced with venom. "She's mine. You'd do well to fuck off. If you pursue in this little rescue mission, I'll be forced to kill you." Katayk screams curses at Sadik and launches through the woods. "I'll find her and kill you, Sadik! I WILL KILL YOU!"
I only take responisbilty for the characters of Rose, Wolf, and Riki. The others are NOT mine, and I take no credit for them.