Angel Assassins - Book 1 Lineage & Lies

Chapter 33 - Weight of the World

Jake, Xavier and Nathan had used an orb portal to get them to Jarako. Nathan had left Jinn at the house to monitor any further action from Lucifer. He had given him an orb to get him to Jarako in an emergency. Leaving Jarako they had made their way to the plains. 

They camped on the edge of the plain the first night, Nathan advising them to get their rest for the three day trek across the plains with a further three day climb through the mountains to come.

Jake woke with a yawn, he still felt tired from the last few days walking across the plains. When asked why they couldn't just use an orb, Nathan had told him it was part of his conditioning work. Nathan was already up making breakfast. 

The smell wafted across the camp and Jake inhaled deeply, whatever it was smelt good. He climbed out of his hammock and slipped on his trousers and boots. He rummaged around in his pack and found a rough brown top which he put on. Rubbing his hands through his hair he headed to the centre of the camp for breakfast.

'Good morning' said Nathan 'I hope you're hungry'

Jake sat down on the log they were using as a make shift seat as Nathan served up the breakfast.

'Where's Xavier' asked Jake.

'He's gone up the mountain to scout out the best route, he will be back by the time we break camp'

Jake shovelled the food into his mouth, he wasn't sure what it was, but it tasted ok. His right hand ached were the stone was embedded into the skin. He rubbed it gingerly

'It will take a while for your body to adjust to the stone, some days you will hardly even notice it and some days it will irritate you to distraction'

Jake put his now empty bowl down beside him.

'How do you know so much about it?' he asked.

Nathan looked up from his own food.

'Many years ago, I was a member of the Drakim and although I was never on the council, I was the keeper of the code; the code that all the assassins lived and died by. As well as teaching you to combat skills, I will be teaching you the code.'

Jake thought that having a code sounded a bit stupid, especially for a group of assassins. In fact he wasn't even sure that killing another being was on his top ten things to do before you die list. Jake got up from his seat.

'I'm just going for a walk, I won't be long'

Nathan paused, mid mouthful.

'Make sure you can see the camp at all times.'

Jake felt like a child again. He remembered his mother always saying 'make sure you don't go out of sight.' He wandered from the camp. He hadn't had much time to take in what had happened to him, what it would all mean. What would his mother think? 

For the first time he had really thought about what he was to become. An assassin! Not just any assassin either, one that killed spiritual beings, an uber-assassin. He made his way through the long grass, mindful to keep Nathan in sight; he didn't want another incident like New York.

The memories of his encounter with Lucifer clouded his mind. He had almost been broken and yet the power that had surged through him felt good. He sat down, his head just visible above the grass. He stared at the stone that was fused to the back of his right hand

'I didn't ask for any of this' he said to himself.

He pressed the stone and the silver surround expanded and formed the gauntlet around his hand. His vision and sight changed, heightened by the power of the stone. With a thought the blade extended from the gauntlet.