Take a Shot

Father

The large, green-haired man sat, visible red eye patiently trained on the door. He shifted backwards in his chair slowly, as though every movement pained him. Finally, back against the back of the leather chair, he took a breath in, then out.

"I knew it would be you."

The sigh was quiet, barely audible. "There is no one else."

"Have you killed your mentors, as well?"

"I do not imagine I'd have made it this far without slaying them."

The large man in the leather chair offered a wry chuckle, then the bass of his voice shook the room as he spoke, "Yes. They couldn't hope to match up to you. My crowning jewel, as it were." He lifted his head to the corner she'd hidden herself in. Their red eyes matched. "Emerald."

She leaned over in a small bow with an oddly-formed smile. "My lord."

"Tell me why my halls are absorbed in battle. I can hear magicians." He paused, head inclining to the side. There was silence. "At least, I could."

Emerald took in a large breath, then let it out slowly. He motioned to the chair across his large desk, back to the door. She moved, footsteps silent, eyes towards the ground as she slowly came to stand behind the chair. His gaze followed her wary movements, years of training not enough to keep her from slouching even in such a crucial moment.

"Emerald, if you killed the Triad, I know why you're here. Sit. I'm far too old to hurt you now."

"A sirlaai isn't nearly as impacted by age as the rest of us hmangtu." Emerald cut her eyes up at the lord of the castle. She was no fool.

Geechis's vicious smile reminded her, as always, of a great, green wolf. He nodded with a dark, ominous chuckle. "You've learned something, at least, from your studies. Though I still wish you would refrain from using such dirty language about our own kind."

Emerald shrugged the comment off, as she always did. Geechis folded his hands together on the table, visible eye trained on her in a way somehow less threatening than it ever had been before.

"You may not be a fool, Emerald, but neither am I. Tell me why my halls were absorbed in battle," the man demanded in his calm way. His assassin nodded.

"A coup," she said shortly. Geechis huffed.

"I don't suppose you're here to get me to safety, are you?" The assassin averted her eyes once more, fingers lacing in front of her. The green-haired man sighed, nodding. She waited for anger, for fear, for resentment, for a fight, none of which came. Instead, the sage said, "Very well. Do an old man one favor before you take his life. Light some incense."

Emerald bowed, "Forgive me, but I'm not all that fond of paralyzing agents."

She looked back up to see his odd, vicious smile was back. He nodded approvingly. The sage did frequently burn incense, but Emerald had seen through the innocuous request to the self-preserving underpinning. Geechis took a deep breath in, wincing as though in pain, then sighed once more.

"You truly are my crowning jewel, my Star assassin," the old man said fondly. A small smile made itself known on Emerald's stern face.

"I am glad to have done you proud for all these years, my lord."

He nodded slowly. The Star assassin took a deep breath and sent a glance towards the ceiling, her lips moving in a brief prayer. When she looked back down to her boss, his eyes were narrowed at her.

"Why do you delay?"

Emerald sighed, "I've kept something from you for...far too long now. I wish to clear my conscious before we move forward."