Dragon Realms Cypress

The daybreak sky coated Lost Dawns in a film of cooling tones in a crisp winter air. Already the first season’s snowfall had begun; not yet sticking, but still noticeable.

Wiccer and his Ghost Foxes watched the city from the rooftops of the lower set buildings of the Roots. The seedy district of Lost Dawns was the prime spot for a new meeting with Inle and his shadowy yikahti. The Ghost Fox were spread around the closely built rooftops, each within earshot of each other. The local ARO unit had been commanded by Wiccer to ignore the Roots while their meeting took place.

“I don’t like this,” whispered Wiccer to Elucard, “They are late.” “Calm yourself Wiccer. What did the message say?” asked Elucard. “It just said, Eveningtide, the Roots.”

Elucard glanced at the giant clocktower that towered over the city. “We still have an hour or two until the sun has fully risen.”

“Perhaps this is a test?” Rulan piped in as he adjusted his fox mask, “To see if we can manage the stress of being watched.”

Wiccer and Elucard both nodded.

“Let us not disappoint them,” said Wiccer.

“You have not disappointed us, yet,” the yikahti’s ragged voice broke from nowhere as he and Inle stepped into their midst from out of thin air. A swirl of vacuuming wind sucked air around the Collector and Inle into an alabaster sword that the Collector wielded. At last the illusion faded and the Ghost Fox members could see that the mysterious yikahti and Inle had been hiding in plain sight this entire time.

The cat’s strange, white sword disappeared into the void of his oblivion cloak before he graciously bowed to his waiting audience.

“Thank you for your punctuality, my friends,” he said.

Elucard went to speak, but Wiccer gestured him back, answering for the Ghost Fox himself, “We have been doing these small tasks as you ask, starting with robbing the convoy. Then robbing the granaries. And now dealing with ARO and getting them to not patrol the streets as tightly.”

“How did you pull that one off?” Inle looked around for the Red Rabbits but saw no ARO bounding from the roofs.

“We are highly skilled assassins. Picking off ARO soldiers one by one until they are too afraid to stay vigilant within the streets is child’s play for a Fox.”

“Very well. Very well indeed.” The Collector wrung his hands, pleased with the grunt work of his newfound allies.

“Will you invite us into your organization now?” asked Wiccer. His undercover Watchers inched closer as they itched to take down Long Whisper’s most wanted criminal, Inle.

“You have done good work for us,” said Inle, “but Lost Dawns has yet to feel the true impact of its people.”

“What else do you ask of us?”

The Collector stepped forward and lowered his head, smiling as he did. “We wish you to kill the Mage King’s advisor.”

Wiccer gasped underneath his wooden fox mask and leaned back towards Elucard. “He wants us to assassinate Tull,” he said using the rare silent whisper technique, “We are getting in over our heads.”

Inle shoved his way in between them, and grabbed Wiccer by the cloak. “Black Rabbits!? You are Black Rabbits?” Inle moved to remove Wiccer’s mask, but the Watcher knocked his hand away. “Only a Rabbit knows how to silent whisper...or a Watcher!”

Of course Inle could hear us. How foolish of me!

“We were all Black Rabbits! We left the clan to become mercenaries when Avalon defected,” Elucard quickly spoke up in order to cover for

Wiccer’s blunder, “We thought the Rabbits were doomed without a real High Blade to lead them.”

Inle stared hard at Wiccer’s mask. He tilted his head until his clown mask touched the fox mask. The tension between the two mortal enemies boiled. A long silence coursed through the air like the blast of a gale force wind.

“My kin.” Inle finally silent whispered, “You were before my time.”

Wiccer hid his trembling hand behind his back and did his best to suppress his heavy breathing. “In another time we might have killed together,”

Wiccer whispered back. His voice was raspy and weak, unable to form the correct level of sound to properly silent whisper.

Inle nodded and walked back to the Collector’s side.

“What say you, my ghostly friends?” asked the Collector, seeing that the incident had passed. “We will need a moment to discuss this amongst ourselves,” said Elucard as he patted

Wiccer on the shoulder. His captain seemed frozen in a daze. “Please allow us some privacy.” The Collector bowed once more. “We shall give you fifteen minutes.”

The yikahti motioned for Inle to walk to the edge of the building as the Ghost Foxes gathered on the other side. Elucard jolted Wiccer out of his nervous stupor. The White Cloak shook his head and then nodded to the rest.

Lear was the first to speak up, “This yikahti thinks he speaks for everyone, we shouldn’t go through with this.”

Blayvaar, Rulan, and Essie agreed. Kyzo spoke against the vote, “Master Elucard, Master Wiccer, this is a chance for us to dig in deep and learn about Inle’s plans. If he is as clever a criminal as you all say he is, then he has something up his sleeve.”

“You’re just a kid, you don’t grasp the consequences of killing a noble, especially King Koda’s own uncle!” argued Blayvaar.

“I agree with Kyzo,” said Elucard, “Tull’s loss will hurt the King, but we could gain more than we lose. Inle is the scent that will lead us to a bigger game.”

Essie turned to Wiccer. “Whichever you decide, we are with you, Captain.”

Wiccer stared blankly at Essie. Her words gradually became distant and muffled. He slowly twisted his head, scanning the rooftop, but saw no Ghost Foxes. No buildings. No city. Just grave sites. And his brother. Avren stood in front of him, dressed in his fine guild clothing, draped in his admirable white cloak. Neither stained by blood. Immaculate, as if he were to attend a ball.

“A-Avren?” stuttered Wiccer. Confused to see his brother in such a condition. Seemingly alive and well.

“I am here to help you, little brother,” Avren’s light hearted personality was still intact, his tone gentle and nurturing. “Why do you hesitate? What troubles you?”

“I can’t do this anymore, Avren!” Wiccer’s knees hit the soft bed of soil. “I can’t lead, I could never lead. Every failure has eaten at my soul! Now people are going to die no matter which decision I make!”

Avren knelt down and placed his gloved hand on Wiccer’s head, “No one said this would be easy, little brother.”

“T-tell me w-what to do?” Wiccer sniffled.

Avren helped his brother up. “You know what to do. Trust your instincts.”

Wiccer thought back to his training as a child. Lessons with Avren and his father flooded his memories. “Trust my instincts. Look at the bigger picture of this mess.”

“Inle isn’t the focus anymore.”

“Inle isn’t the focus anymore,” repeated Wiccer, “He was rescued by this shadow organization. Inle’s revenge is not their concern. They want Lost Dawns to burn...but as a distraction.”

“Distraction for what?”

“That is what we must find out!” Wiccer pounded his fist into his hand.

“Just like old times, eh Wiccer?” Avren smiled.

“I have my answer.” Wiccer found himself back on the rooftop looking onto the waiting faces of his unit. “Elucard and I will dispatch Tull. The rest of you will be on standby.”

“It’s settled then,” said Elucard.

“Master, I should be by your side,” whined Kyzo.

“Do as you are told, Kyzo,” affirmed Elucard. He placed a hand on his student’s head and ruffled the boy’s white hair.

“I won’t be a part of this!” snapped Blayvaar, “I spent two years in jail for lesser crimes than this. I am not going back!”

“We understand, Blayvaar,” nodded Wiccer, “You may quit, but you are still sworn to secrecy.”

“Your secret is safe with me, but for Tull’s sake and the good of this country, I hope you fail,” said Blayvaar. He waved goodbye to Lear before leaping off the roof.

The fifteen minutes had finally passed and the remaining Ghost Fox regrouped around the Collector and Inle.

“You are one fox short.” cackled Inle.

“The mark intimidates him, he will not compromise us,” said Elucard standing with confidence.

“See that he doesn’t.” The Collector looked around at the assassins. “I take it you have made your decision to continue our partnership.”

“Only if you promise us membership after this mission,” sneered Elucard.

“We do.”

“Then it is settled, we accept your task.” Wiccer offered his hand.

The Collector grasped it and shook it rigorously. “May Alanna grant us grace.”

***

The final morning hours slowly lifted the remaining shadows from the Roots as the Collector and Inle strolled through the winding alleyways, discussing the business that had transpired.

“You seemed to have had quite the stand against the Ghost Fox High Blade,” said the yikahti, not bothering to look at Inle as he spoke.

“It's weird, but they seemed familiar, like I knew them.” Inle removed his mask and hooked it to his belt as the people of the Roots emerged from their shacks. “Like I’d wronged them.”

“It would explain the fear they had.”

“Yes, but in any case, they are to kill Tull.”

“If they do not betray us first…” snarled the Collector.

“They won’t, I have a gut feeling we can trust them whether they fear us or not.”

The Collector turned into a dead end and waited for Inle to follow. “If they get the job done, Lost Dawns will burn. Let us hope we can move onto the next step of our plan. There are other matters that concern us at this moment.”

Inle pulled his hood up and leaned his shoulder against the nearby wall.

“Explain.”

“Your former clansman, Malady, has resurfaced-” “Malady!?” exclaimed Inle.

“Yes, yes, lower your voice,” shushed the cat, “He has reformed the Black Rabbits in Varis. We will need to deal with him.”

“I agree, I will take his place!”

The Collected formed a shadow portal with his finger. “We have other plans for the true Silent Master.”

“What kind of Silent Master doesn’t have his own clan?” Inle’s ears drooped in disappointment.

“You will command the largest clan this world has ever seen.” the cat ushered the shadow elf into the portal. “All in due time, of course.”

“What of the Black Rabbits?” stalled Inle.

“The matter will be considered,” scoffed the Collector as he pushed Inle into the portal. it closed behind the two only leaving a faint wisp of magi behind.