The Five [COMPLETED]

Part Twelve

Two years before . . .

Silent as a shadow, the assassin flitted from roof to roof.

Hidden by the darkness of night, the ninja crossed the moat, scaled the inner wall and infiltrated deep into the castle grounds. His objective, the main tower, was a formidable keep of eight floors that sat at the heart of the supposedly impenetrable castle. Evading the guards on the outer walls had been a simple matter. Lethargic due to the hot, airless night, they were more concerned about their own discomfort than the safety of their lord within the tower. Besides, their very belief that the castle was impenetrable meant that the guards were slack in their duty - who would even attempt to break into such a fortress?

For the assassin, the hardest part would be getting inside the keep. The lord's personal bodyguard wouldn't be so negligent and the ninja had come as close as he could by traversing the roofs of the outer building. He now had to cross open ground. To be honest, he admired the way the castle was structured. Because it will soon be in my possession. And then, I will be able to destroy Sifu's apprentices easily.

The ninja dropped from the roof and skirted the edge of a courtyard, using the trees for cover. Passing silently through a small garden, he made his way to the central well house. The assassin ducked as he heard a warrior patrol approach. When the way was clear, the ninja darted across to the keep and like a black-skinned gecko effortlessly scaled the steep slope of its' immense base. Swiftly reaching the fourth floor, he slipped in through an open window.

Once inside, the assassin knew exactly where he was going. Padding down the darkened corridor, he passed several doors then bore right, making for a wooden staircase. He was about to ascend when a guard suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs. Like smoke, the ninja sank back into the shadows, his all-black outfit rendering him virtually invisible. Quietly, he drew his knife in readiness to slit the man's throat.

Oblivious to his proximity to death, the guard came down the stairs and walked straight past. The assassin allowed the man to live, having no wish to draw attention to his presence within the keep. As soon as the guard rounded the corner, the ninja resheathed his blade and climbed the stairs to the upper corridor.

Through the thin paper wall before him, he could see the halos of two candles glowing in the gloom. Sliding the door open a notch, he put his single eye to the crack. A man sat in quiet meditation. There were no guards present.

The assassin crept inside.

When he was within striking distance, the ninja stopped, clutching his blade.

"About time," the man growled, sensing the ninja's presence. Without turning to the ninja, he asked, "And what of the foreign children? Are they dead?"

"No."

"Why not? My instructions were explicit."

"As you know, Master Sifu has been training them since they were very young," the ninja explained. "They are now highly skilled and from what I've been told, have proven to be somewhat . . . resilient."

"Resilient? Are you telling me that mere children have defeated the great Dokugan Ryu?"

Dragon Eye's single emerald-green eye flared in annoyance at the man's mockery. He contemplated snapping his neck there and then, but he was cunning. Such pleasures would have to wait.

"I allied with you because you showed me you were the best. The most ruthless," continued the man. "Am I mistaken in my judgement, Dragon Eye? Why haven't you killed them?"

"Because you may still need them."

The man turned, his face cast in shadow. "What could I possibly want with the Furious Five?"