Chapter 156: Children of Faith

Raven stopped as he reached the back door. He grabbed the sword in his hand and took a deep breath. Outside, he saw a man wearing a mask. His sabre curved as the sunlight reflected off it. Raven didn’t want to admit it, but sunlight reflected off the man, and the way he dressed made him almost look holy. Despite what he came to do, an air of innocence radiated off him.

Raven clicked his tongue. A couple of his men stayed back to defend his retreat, and he didn’t know how long they would last. Raven walked forward with his men. He was not the best warrior alive, and heard from Chris the almost animalistic instincts the man before him had. Pressing down on the symbol of Sol on his chest plate, he silently prayed before fighting.

He had the advantage in terms of armour, but Raven knew that the man before him was able to pierce even the smallest gaps in his armour. It was a risky situation he found himself in, and he hoped that Marcus would arrive with his reinforcement soon to help ease the situation.

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Esmond slipped through the streets of Nakhla unnoticed. He was fast, and arriving at his destination, he saw the residence. He scouted it quickly, but seeing no guards, he sighed in relief and calmly walked in. It was easy, and he swiftly looked for her tea storage. It didn’t take long for him to find it, and he carefully opened the top and poured the powder in, blending it in with the tea leaves.

Closing it, he didn’t stop there. Next, he walked to the drawers and checked them. Finding a bottle of alcohol, he poured it in there next before putting it back exactly how he found it. From what Gregor had told him, she only drank tea, but it didn’t hurt to be careful. If she had a major loss today and escaped, she may seek solace in the bottle. Esmond smiled at his work and left the house. He removed all traces of his forced entry and slipped away with his hands in his pockets.

His here was done, now he had to move on to his next mission. He sighed at his huge workload but paid it no mind, understanding it was his job. He saw how everyone else was working today and couldn’t be the only one left behind.

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Raven clashed blades with Aseel. He watched as his men fought those who came with Aseel, but unlike the previous people who attacked him, they had skill. They simply defended, knowing that Raven was surrounded. He clicked his tongue in annoyance at the situation but didn’t give up. In his momentary distraction that lasted less than five seconds, Aseel attacked. He reached behind his back and pulled a dagger. Spinning it, he aimed for the small gap in his chest piece.

Raven took a step back, swinging his sword up and deflecting his blade. He couldn’t let himself be distracted and focused fully on the fight in front of him. He felt the cold breath of death on his neck from that one move, and a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. Raven watched as Aseel’s sabre curved up, reaching for his armpit. He swung to intercept, hitting it away. In the momentary opening, he threw his elbow out to protect his face.

Aseel was quick. He dodged his head to the right, avoiding the blow, before stabbing for his neck with the dagger. Gritting his teeth, Raven bent down, avoiding his blow, but Aseel, reacting quickly, flipped the dagger and stabbed down. Raven once more felt the breath of death and, using the power in his legs, charged forward.

He silently thanked his brother. How many times had he fought like this and beaten him? Fighting like a knight could only work so many times, and now he needed to fight much like a beast. Aseel felt the weight of Raven hitting his waist, and a small breath of air escaped his mouth.

The dagger hit the back of his armour, bouncing off. With the sudden attack from Raven and the vibration from attacking the armour, he felt the grip on the dagger lost as he dropped it to the ground. Raven heard the sound of the metal bouncing. Aseel didn’t let it bother him. Pulling his hand back, he shoved a finger into Raven’s eye, forcing him off as he clutched it. Blood poured through his fingers as the pain overwhelmed him.

He quickly recovered and clicked his tongue. He couldn’t see from his left anymore. Raven didn’t panic, however. He didn’t have time to and could only back up as he adjusted himself to his newfound disadvantage. Aseel threw himself to his feet with the nimbleness of a cat. He looked down at the dagger on the floor and back up at Raven. Raven saw his eyes wander, and the two made a dash for the dagger. Raven watched as he dived for it and swung down, missing him.

Aseel dived into a roll, picking up the dagger. He looked at the sabre in his hand and threw it to the ground, pulling out a second dagger. He slouched over, making himself smaller, the two daggers falling to his side. Raven could see he was betting everything on his speed and precision, and he gulped a little. He wasn’t too confident in being able to dodge every attack, especially with his ruined eye.

He didn’t dare look for his guards but did wonder where they were. Had he seen, he would have known that Aseel’s men were guiding them away from the fight between the two. Although the Inquisition was highly skilled, it was outnumbered against an enemy who focused solely on defending, making it hard to defeat.

Aseel moved. He came from the left, and Raven was forced to move to be able to see. The cold dagger reached for his armpit once more, but pulling a feint, Aseel attacked his right side. The dagger pierced through Raven’s waist. He didn’t bother to focus on the wound, and with his left hand, grabbed Aseel’s right. The pain was awful, but he knew he would die if he focused on it. He couldn’t let him stab him twice. Aseel tried to free himself, but Raven held on tightly.

Pulling the knife out of his waist, he stabbed again, aiming for the gap in his chest. Raven expected this. A sure-fire kill that any assassin would make. He lowered his right shoulder, closing the gap off, and Aseel quickly pulled back. Yet Raven didn’t give him a chance. He pulled the sword back. Pulling Aseel’s left hand with all his strength, he stabbed his sword deep into the man’s stomach. Aseel was unable to do anything. The strength he had been pulled with forced him to fall on the blade.

Raven watched as the killer’s eyes before him teared up from the pain, but not a single scream left his mouth. He saw the cold, almost mechanical eyes, radiate a purity he would only expect to find in a child, and it surprised him. Aseel looked around in a panic as his brain was overwhelmed. The pain spread through his body, but one thought entered his mind. Disappointing Mother. His breathing became hectic as he quickly attacked again. Raven watched as the dagger swung for his neck, and he knew he couldn’t dodge it normally. Releasing his left hand,d he pushed himself back and pulled his sword out.

Aseel’s dagger barely reached his neck, and the tip of the dagger created a small hole in his neck. Raven clutched it as he crouched down. His mind ran quickly, and thinking on his feet, he stabbed his pinky into it to block the hole. He was on a timer now. Putting pressure on his waist, he could only leave his fate in Sol’s hands. The Inquisition guards saw this and increased the ferocity with which they attacked.

Despite his attack, he watched as Aseel, who fell to the ground silently, crawled over, still trying to kill him. A trail of blood followed behind him, but all Raven felt was pity for him. He could see in his eyes the extreme pain and fear he felt. He could only wonder what could cause so much fear in a man. How broken was his mind that he feared not killing him more than death?

The strength he crawled forward with slowly disappeared, as he breathed heavier and heavier. Despite what he tried, Aseel knew he had failed. Tears exploded from his eyes as his vision darkened. With his final strength, he flipped himself over, looking into the clear sky. The sun shone brightly on his body, and he cried even harder. He wanted to call out to Mother, but once more he couldn’t talk. He was scared. He failed Mother, but didn’t want to leave her. Who would protect her if he died?

He tried once more to move, but not a single muscle did as he wanted as a pool of blood formed under him. He felt his vision darken, and finally, the fear of death filled them. A fear driven by not wishing to leave the one he loved. No matter how hard he fought, his vision continued to darken. Raven watched as the final signs of life left Aseel’s body. He looked around and saw his guards forming a tight circle around him. He gritted his teeth and fought to stay awake. The moment he slept he knew he would end up like Aseel.