REVIVAL by Nick Venom (great book club books .TXT) 📕

Iron nodded. “Move farther, I doubt we’ll be able to find the assassin - as long as we can find some hints about who it was. Was it the Order? Or another assassin organization.” He ordered.

His men nodded, turning around and heading towards the exit, which was next to the barracks. 

Iron watched them leave for a few seconds before turning around. He stroked his chin, staring at his surroundings. Nothing was out of place, just men strolling around in their uniforms. The Second Infantry Squad hadn’t been dispatched yet as the king didn’t want the situation to blow up in proportion. 

“Sir?” Somebody asked.

Iron turned around to find his second-in-command, James Hocks, standing behind him. James was a younger man, ten years younger than Iron, who had been in a few battles against the neighboring kingdom of Hidosta. This was evident in his face, scarred and wounded but not disfigured. He was still a handsome man with large brown eyes, a small nose, and small round lips. He was tanned-skin and had toned muscles that faintly appeared from under his uniform. 

“What is it, James?” Iron asked.

“We found nothing. There’s not a single trace of the assassin. There’s nothing we can use to track them.” James reported.

Iron nodded. “Call back every pair and have them positioned in the barracks. I’m afraid the assassin escaped. There’s no point in searching for them.” He turned around, the ‘FIS’ on his uniform being hit by the moonlight and changing the letters’ color by a few shades. Instead of its original maroon-red color, it shined blood-red.

Iron walked away after giving the order, now heading towards the throne room where the king waited for him. He entered the room, instantly kneeling. The king, who sat on his throne, squinted his eyes. He was a large man, towering at seven feet and with scars staining his pale-skinned face. His eyes were similar to Iron’s, large and filled with a thirst for blood. The king used to be a warrior on the frontlines but was forced to retire due to his status as the heir.  

He wore a red robe with gold embedded into it, a piece of clothing he used to show off his wealth. The robe covered the entirety of his body.

The king, known as King Jorge the V, stood up from his throne and stared at Iron. “What is your report?”

Iron kept his head down. “The assassin escaped your majesty. We weren’t able to locate him.”

The king bobbed his head, glancing off towards the side, his attention on the Royal Assassins, Blint, Iz, and Mind. They all kneeled in his presence, wearing a flashy red and gold cloak that they used whenever in the presence of the king or high nobles. 

“I’m afraid we weren’t able to locate the assassin targeting Zaken, but I did find a clue, your majesty.” Mind remarked, his head down.

“And what is it?” The king coldly asked.

“The assassin belonged to the Order.”

The king smiled, sitting back down on his throne. “Iron?”

“Yes, your majesty?” Iron quickly responded.

“Contact the Order. Wait for their reply. If they don’t reply in twenty-four hours, then officiate the warrant. The Heads of the Order will be delivered to me on a silver platter.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Iron and the assassins simultaneously said.

“Good, then disperse. Prepare the army to move out at first light. The Order will pay for dispatching their assassins onto royal land. Now!” He barked, throwing everybody out of the room. They scrambled outside, leaving King Jorge behind.

The Order dare makes a mockery out of my rule? They will be punished for their crimes.

TBC…

“He’s what?” A man dressed in a purplish-black cloak remarked. He sat in an office chair and behind a wooden desk. “Explain what happened?” He demanded.

“Captured by the Crown. Currently being held by them.” A female assassin remarked, wearing the Order’s uniform of a black cloak that masked the assassin from identification - alongside black lightweight boots and thin clothing under the cloak.

“Okay, Ivy. Thanks for the tip.” The man said, standing up from his chair. “Return to the barracks. You will be assigned a new mission there.”

Ivy, the female assassin, nodded. She turned around, taking a step forward before the man grabbed her attention.

“Oh, and call Sierra in. Immediately.”

Ivy nodded, not facing him. She walked with long strides out of the man’s office, disappearing through a set of black doors. Minutes later, a man dressed in a sand-colored trenchcoat appeared. The man looked to be in his mid-forties with strong black hair. His hair remained its color, not whitening. His beard, similarly, faced the same fortune, remaining black and plentiful. His beard covered the entirety of his lower face and chin. 

He took smaller strides than Ivy, almost hesitant to approach the man. He had daggers and poison inside his trenchcoat, but his hands were at his side. He didn’t dare touch any of his weapons; acting like a kid who knew they were in trouble.

“You called for me… Warden?” Sierra asked.

“Yes,” The man at the desk, an assassin named Warden, said. “Zaken’s been captured by the Crown, locked up in their cells.”

Sierra fidgeted with his thumbs, glancing up at Warden before looking away. “I… I told him to bring a partner, but he refused.”

Warden shook his head, going around his desk to confront Sierra. “Refused or not, unless he’s on the top rankings, he gets a partner!” He shouted, cracking Sierra cleanly across the face. “As an Assassin Superior, you should take the latter half of your title more seriously.” 

“Yes,” Sierra started, rubbing the bruise on his cheek. “It is as you say. I didn’t take my role seriously.” 

Warden returned to his chair, laying his intertwined hands on the desk and his eyes on Sierra. Warden’s face was covered by a hood, as many of the other assassins were - except for the minority like Sierra. 

“As an Assassin Head, I’m irritated by your mistake.”

Sierra bowed. “I apologize, Assassin Head Warden.”

Warden nodded, a small smile peeking out of his hood. The smile disappeared quickly. 

“Put a hit on Zaken. We need to prevent… an information leak.”

Sierra raised his head, staring at Warden dumbfounded. “Zaken isn’t dumb or green behind the ears. He’ll be tightlipped. He wouldn’t spill anything about the organization. He would-”

Warden released his fingers from each other, balling them up, before slamming them on the desk. “Did I… ask for your opinion Sierra?” He coldly asked, his head tilted.

Sierra shook his head. “No. No, you didn’t. I apologize again, Assassin Head Warden.”

“I accepted the first apology, but not the second.” Warden spun his chair around to face away from Sierra. “Organize the hit, I need Zaken dead by first light. Any questions?”

Sierra shook his head. “None.”

“Good… then get to work.”

Sierra bowed his head before disappearing through the black doors, leaving Warden by himself in his office.

There’s no such thing as a tightlipped assassin. Only living and dead assassins, Warden thought as he stared out of a window behind him. The glass was bulletproof, allowing him a safe passage to the beautiful scenery outside.

***

“Why have you organized a meeting, Warden?” A man dressed in a bluish-black cloak remarked. Warden sat in a chair across from the man, his legs crossed over his lap. He glanced at the other people in the room, their four chairs organized in the shape of a diamond.

“One of our assassins has been captured by the Crown. I have one of my men setting up his death, but I fear that the captured assassin will spill information.” Warden informed them.

The man who talked first shook his head. “The Crown has him? Let me go and I’ll take care of him!” He exclaimed, shooting up to his feet.

“Sit down Goliath.” A woman remarked, sitting to Goliath’s right. She wore a mostly black cloak with hints of pink in it. “You’ll get yourself killed like that.”

“Then what do we do? Let the Crown rip information from the idiot assassin?” Goliath exclaimed, raising his fist.

“What Butterfly means is that personally going there isn’t the most… excellent plan.” The fourth member said, a man dressed in a blackish-green cloak. He sat with his legs straight, staring at Goliath. “We can’t afford for any of us to be captured by the Crown. Instead… let’s send multiple rank five assassins as bait and we’ll have a rank one complete the task.”

“As always, somebody disposable takes the risks… Viper.” Warden interjected.

Viper grinned. “You know me.” He responded.

“Focus on the subject at hand, boys.” Butterfly remarked. “Let’s say if we go with Viper’s plan, who do we send? The majority of our high levels are busy with their tasks and won’t arrive in time.”

“You send me then.” Somebody remarked, pushing open a double set of crimson-black doors. The person, a female assassin dressed in a black cloak with a red streak down her chest, pressed forwards towards the Heads. “I’ll complete the task.”

“Star?” Goliath asked. “Weren’t you in the middle of a hit?”

Star, the name given to the female assassin, nodded her head, only her purple eyes being seen. “I’ll take it.”

Butterfly stared at Star. “Why you? It isn’t… that you have a personal connection to him?”

Star shook her head. “No,” She coldly responded. “And if it is, then what happens? If I remember, you took on a personal mission… isn’t that right, Butterfly?”

Butterfly looked away, her face still masked by the hood. “Hmph,” She muttered.

The other Heads kept their focus on Star. “I don’t see why, she’s the most reasonable choice,” Warden concluded.

“If she chooses to,” Viper said, clearly irritated.

“If it’s Star, then I agree,” Goliath remarked.

“Fine!” Butterfly remarked.

“Then-” Warden stood up from his chair. “-you’ve been chosen to kill Zaken. I’ll see to it that his death is confirmed. You wouldn’t mind bringing his head back right?” He asked her.

Star cringed at his words but didn’t show it. “Fine.”

“Good,” Warden passed her, headed to the doors but stopped short. “Oh, and your connection to him won’t muddy your actions?”

“It won’t.” She coldly responded.

“Attagirl; well, the meeting is adjourned. You can all return to your sectors, I’ll make sure my sector does its job.”

“As you see fit.” Viper remarked.

Butterfly stood up, glaring at Star. 

Goliath nodded. “Let’s leave in case the Crown learns of our existence here.”

“They won’t. I’ll make sure they don’t.” Star remarked. 

“Good,” Warden smiled, his smile creeping out, “I’ll check to see that the task has been completed, so don’t try to trick me by faking his death. I can tell when somebody is still alive. I want a cold heart inside of Zaken and not a beating one.”

Star turned around to face Warden, bowing her head. “I will do so.”

“Good, now leave before the Crown comes for us.”

Star nodded, raising her head. “Of course, Heads of the Order. I will complete this mission as you see fit.”

TBC…