Ashes Whisper

Chapter 9 : Samael

As the assassins closed to them, Samael drew his sword and stood in front of Elara, Zarek, and Khai, his eyes flashing with determination. He recognized the black cloaks and masks of the assassins as belonging to the infamous Black Orders, a group known for their ruthless tactics and their allegiance to no one but themselves. Samael knew that they were facing a dangerous and skilled foe, but he refused to back down.

"You are the assassins of the Black Orders," Samael spoke with a steely voice, his grip on his sword tightening. "I am Prince Samael of Arvandor, and I will not let you harm these innocent people. Stand down or face the consequences."

The assassins responded with derisive laughter, their swords glinting menacingly in the dappled sunlight. "You think you can take us on, little prince?" one of them sneered. "We are the Black Orders, the deadliest assassins in all the land. You and your ragtag group don't stand a chance against us."

But Samael stood firm, his eyes locked onto theirs. He had faced many challenges in his life, but he refused to let fear hold him back. He knew that this was a fight he had to win, for the sake of Elara and the memory of his dear friend Riven. With a fierce battle cry, Samael charged forward, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he engaged the assassins in combat.

In a swift and deadly motion, Samael struck back against the assassins, his sword flashing in the sunlight. As he delivered a blow to one of his attackers, the mask covering their face broke off, revealing a face that Elara recognized. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that one of the assassins was someone she knew.

"Wait!" she called out, as she stepped forward to get a closer look. "That's...that's Mikaela. She's my younger sisters"

The realization hit Elara like a ton of bricks. Mikaela was her younger sister, whom she thought had been killed in war years ago. She could hardly believe her eyes as she saw her sister standing there, dressed in the uniform of the Black Orders. Elara's heart sank as she wondered how her sister could have possibly ended up as an assassin.

As Elara approached Mikaela, her sister's expression remained cold and unyielding. "What happened to our father and mother?" Elara asked, her voice laced with desperation.

But to Elara's surprise, Mikaela simply looked at her blankly. "Do I know you?" she asked, her voice devoid of any emotion. "As I remember, I don't have a sister."

Elara was taken aback by her sister's response. It was as if Mikaela had no memory of their shared past, or worse, was deliberately choosing to forget. She wondered how much of her sister's life had been shaped by her time with the Black Orders, and what dark secrets she may be keeping.

Samael stepped forward, his expression grim. "Enough games, you know who we are, and you know why we're here. Release us, and we won't have to fight."

But Mikaela remained silent, her eyes nothing as she reached for her sword. The tension in the air was palpable, as Elara and her companions braced themselves for the fight of their lives.

As the chaos continued to unfold around them, the leader of the assassin group stepped forward, a wicked grin on his face. "HAHAHAHAH," he laughed maniacally. "Oh, our prince Samael, have you ever wondered who sent us? It was your own father, Lord Thrush. He's been keeping tabs on you and now he wants what you have found." His eyes gleamed with malice as he motioned towards Elara.

As Samael stood there, trying to process the shocking revelation that his own father could be behind this attack, the leader of the assassin group motioned to one of his followers. In a flash, the assassin stepped forward and delivered a powerful blow to Samael, knocking him off his feet.

As he struggled to regain his footing, Samael felt a searing pain in his side, and he knew that he had been wounded, determined not to let his attackers win. "I won't believe it until I hear it from him," staring down the leader of the assassin group.