I made my way back to town, retracing my steps to return back to the inn. All the while, my brain was going into overkill. Could Elrith be the killer? Why would she be the killer? Or was it possible that it wasn’t her, and the culprit was just another female? Too many questions stuck in my brain, with no answered to them. I entered my room at the inn and finally changed back into my cloak. Back in familiar clothing, and re-equipped with my hidden blades, I felt more at ease.

“That’s better.”

Another note of suspicion was that the dress Elrith wore to go to the supper was sprawled over one of the beds. That meant Elrith came here, changed back into her regular garb and then left. I left the inn walking around the town, looking around if there would be more criminals, but the streets were very peaceful. The only thing that was of any threat to this town was me. Then I remembered the faces of some citizens from earlier today. They didn’t express happiness that I was here to take care of the problem of the town, but they didn’t display that emotion. They expressed surprise and shock that I was in town.

“This town didn’t have a problem, Elrith purposely lured me here,” I muttered aloud.

The only problem was that she was nowhere to be found. I asked around town, to anyone who dared to talk to me, but alas, nobody knew where my runaway wolf spirit ran off too. My last hope was the mayor, so I made my way to his office.

“Come in,” he called out when I knocked on his door.

He looked up from his paperwork and displayed surprise when he saw it was me.

“Assassin, what a surprise, I never expected you to come visit me. Is there I can help you with?”

He pointed at a chair in front of his deck. I took up his offer and I sat down.

“Now before you ask me anything, I must thank you for, um, disposing of that thug who dared harmed this community. Many citizens reported you chasing after the criminal. As mayor of Bear, I must thank you.” He stated.

“Please I don’t need any praise, I was only doing what was just.”

The mayor played with his mustache. “Very well, so what may I help you with tonight?”

“Have you seen a Wolf spirit around here recently? She is my… disciple per sy, and she has disappeared, after the incident with the previously mentioned thug.” I explained.

The mayor stayed silent for a bit, taking the information.

“I see.” He started. “This is quite troubling to hear. The town of Bear has a good reputation within the empire, and I’ve worked hard to maintain it. If news of murder and disappearance of people, reach other towns, what we as a town have worked hard to build will be ruined. But unfortunately assassin, I have not seen your disciple you speak of, I am truly sorry.”

I nodded and thanked him for his time. As I was about to leave he spoke once more.

“Actually, if it wouldn’t mind to investigate, there have been some rumors that people have been spotted near the abandoned mine just north of here. Maybe your friend could be there. Of cour,se you’ll be paid.”

The mine, of course! It had completely slipped from my mind. I had talked with Elrith of investigating that mine tonight.

“Thank you for the new information mayor. Keep your coin, this one is on the house.”

I exited the mayor’s office and headed north, to the abandoned mine. I was convinced that is where Elrith was. I also came to terms, that Elrith may not be who she said she was all this time. I accepted that I may have to kill her. Upon reaching the mine, I recalled what Elrith told me when she first found this spot. The camp indeed has worn out, decaying buildings, with the entrance of the mine in the middle of camp. A campfire was flickering nearby, confirming the mayor’s rumors that someone has been in the vicinity. Lights also laminated from the mouth of the mine, heavily suggesting someone was down there.

“Only one way to find out.”

So I entered the mine, following the lit torches that hung on the mine’s walls. The mine itself was quite small. The narrow pathways made it very claustrophobic. Suddenly, the pathway started to get steeper. The only option was to go down. I was on constant guard. I was as silent as I could not to give away my presence, and intently listening to my surroundings. Nothing, I couldn’t hear anything. That wasn’t reassuring. Yet I still pushed forward, trudging along, going deeper and deeper into the belly of the beast.

“Woah.”

The pathway suddenly made a straight drop. I peered down the hole. It was pitch black, no torches to light it up. I got down on my knees, feeling where the drop started for a ladder, there wasn’t one. I would have to climb down this drop without any aid.

“Well here goes nothing.”

I unsheathed my blades planning to use them as tools to help me descend the drop, but I felt rocks. I decided to use the rocks to descend down. Delicately, I would navigate my way down the black pit, feeling the wall with my hand and feet for rocks to latch on. I put a hand on a rock, and started to shift my weight onto it, but it gave way and fell down the pit. I almost lost my composer and could’ve followed that rock, but I managed to get a grip on another stone.

When my left foot felt dirt underneath it, I felt relief filling up inside me. Finally, I made it to the bottom. The drop opened up to a giant cavern, which was also lit up by torches. If there was someone in this mine, they were in here. Walking to the middle of the cavern, I scanned my surroundings. The drop I just climbed down from seemed to be the only way out of here. At the edge, there was a metallic gate, with tools and a stack of dynamite on the other side, but the door was locked. I walked back in the middle. There was nobody here. Did they realize there was nothing to offer here and they simply left? No, there was definitely someone here. But where? From above!

I lunged away from where I was, but a tad too late. I felt a blade graze my right leg. I winced in pain and rolled to the ground. I unsheathed my hidden blades to face my attacker. My heart dropped as my fears were confirmed. My assailant was indeed Elrith.

“Nice dodge Seth, but a bit too slow.” She taunted, while licking the blood off her daggers.

“What are you doing Elrith?!” I yelled at her.

She crocked her head as if dumbfounded by my statement. “I thought it was pretty obvious, I’m trying to kill you.”

“But why?! I took you in! I trained you!”

She laughed. I stood there stunned. “Oh please. I remember when you took me in. Did you really think I was that helpless? Ha, that’s pathetic. I never was captured by those bandits.”

“What about the ragged clothing, the wounds, the cuts?!” I yelled, desperate to find answers.

“It was a disguise to fit in, and the wounds were self-inflicted. All to make you take me in as a disciple and it worked!”

“So from the beginning you wanted to kill me, why wait so long?”

“Yes, from the beginning I wanted you dead. You see, your existence makes it hard for my little group and me to operate, so we made a plan to kill you. I waited so long because; a few months ago when you took me in, if I attacked you, you’d easily kill me. I couldn’t kill you during the knight as you never trusted me. But know I’m stronger, you’ve taught me so much, so now I can kill you!” she grinned.

“Like you’d manage to actually kill me.” I spat at her. “I’m the Blade of Gaia!”

“Ohhhhh, scary, but you don’t threaten me Seth. Plus you’re wounded. I have the advantage.”

“I cared for you.” I muttered.

“Yes I suppose you have, now Seth, let us dance!”

Elrith surged forward, slashing her daggers wildly at me, yet with deadly accuracy. I dodged and stepped aside to avoid her attacks, learning her attack pattern but when I put pressure on my injured leg, pain shot through me. I groan and fell. Elrith turned around and slashed at my chest. I rolled away from her, almost being slashed across the back. I got back onto my feet and slashed my blades at her. She dodged my attack easily and thrusted a dagger, directed at my chest. Ducking, I grabbed her hands and exposed my blades, aiming for the heart. She sensed this and swiftly kicked me in the chest. I grunted and let her go.

“Not bad Seth, not bad at all.” She taunted.

“Who is this group anyway?”

“I rather not reveal their identity, but let’s go with O.”

“You’re the one who made that man kill someone aren’t you?”

“Correct, you’re the one who told me fear is a powerful weapon. I just used it to fulfill my agenda.”

Elrith charged me once again, viciously slashing and stabbing. I parried her attacks and threw in my own slashes and stabs, with no fruition. I had taught her well, maybe a little bit too well. I couldn’t get a hit on her; I was stuck on the defensive.

“What’s this? Only avoiding my attacks? I never knew the Blade was such a coward! You certainly don’t live up to your reputation.” Elrith said while laughing.

She took another lunge at me, but this time I was able to get a hit. She was to confident that she’d win, that she made a crucial error. She decided to go for an overhead strike instead of a simpler and faster shank. I parried her attack and kicked her in the leg, with enough force to potentially break bones. She howled and slammed onto the floor.

She turned around to me, while she clutched leg, as I drew near. I felt anger resonating deep inside, ready to erupt, demanding to be set free. This time I gladly obliged. Her confidence was washed away, and fear took over.

“What’s wrong with your eye? Why is it glowing so much?”

“Taunt me all you want, hurt me all you want, but betraying me is inexcusable. Elrith, you will die, and it will not be a pleasant death.”

“You don’t scare me Seth!” she yelled with a wavering voice. Fear truly was a devastating weapon.

She got back up, lunging at me. This time I was on the offensive. I got a slash on her arm, her leg and her back. They were deep cuts, she was soaking in her own blood, but she wouldn’t give in. Elrith constantly got back up and attacked me, but her strength was failing her. The decisive blow that ended her arrived. She tried to stab me, but I had predicted the move. I put pressure on my wounded leg, ignoring the pain, and dodged to the right. I brought my blades up and swung for her arm. Elrith didn’t have the time or strength to evade me; my blades cut clean through her arm, slicing it clean off. She let out a blood hurdling cry as she fell to the ground, blood everywhere. I thrust my blades into Elrith’s heart, effectively killing her. Her body went slack and crumbled to the ground.

I sheathed my blades and knelt next to the corpse. The anger inside of me, vanish, satisfied that I had released it. This kill was a painful one. It carried weight, something I’ve never experienced. Was this what grief felt like?

“You poor fool, you could’ve never beaten me.” I whispered.

I searched her body and found two objects: The key for the metal door and a bloody note. I opened it and read it.

Dear Sister,

Your mission is to become a disciple of the assassin called Seth Nox, also known as the Blade, wait for as long as you need and when the time is right, and kill him. He is a hindrance to our plans. May you be victorious in combat sister.

-D.