Assassin [#ProjectWomanUp]

Chapter Two: Sister Dearest

"Holly..." Eliza muttered.

Eliza hadn't seem Hollene Mendel since she left home for the Assassins. Growing up, the two sisters had been very close, but their chosen occupations had driven them apart.

Eliza quickly backed away. She knew what Hollene was capable of when she was angry, and didn't want to be caught in the blast.

Hollene stormed over to Cogsworth. "Darren, you useless scum!"

Cogsworth tried to charm his way out of it. "Aster, hey, calm down. I was just-"

"Calm down? Where have you been? Drinking, no doubt. Everyone else has been working hard to pay off your debt, and here you are, gambling away our hard-earned gold."

"Aster-"

"You better have a good explination."

"He doesn't." Eliza stepped out of the shadows.

Hollene nodded politely. "I apologize for my idiot of a brother-in-law."

"I would have dealt with him anyway."

Hollene nodded again. "Asterodea Cogsworth."

"Eliza M- Chicken... worth. Chickensworth."

Hollene looked skeptical, and a little weirded out, but she nodded anyway. "I had a sister named Eliza."

Eliza nodded. "So, H- Asterodea, what do you do around here?"

"I work on a farm about five miles from here. It's family owned."

"Interesting. Now, I believe Darren here deserves a punishment of some sort."

"I quite agree."

Hollene's eyes turned purple as her body glowed with energy. Eliza watched with awe- and a little bit of fear- as she channeled the energy and directed it at Darren.

Eliza didn't miss a beat as she hurled her knife- hilt-first- at him. He had just recovered from Hollene's stunning blast when he was knocked back by Eliza's knife.

"That's for being a total waste of space," Hollene said as she stepped toward the door. Eliza hurried after her.

~~~

"Asterodea! Wait!"

Hollene turned. "Do you need something?"

Eliza pushed back her hood. "Holly, I missed you."

Tears formed in Hollene's eyes, but behind them was unchecked rage. Purple energy formed around Hollene's hand. "It didn't seem like you cared when you left."

"Holly, I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing-"

"It seemed like you knew what you were doing when you were terrorizing Darren. I saw you, the other day, under the guise of a fortune teller. You haven't lost an ounce of drama."

"Holly-"

"Don't call me that!" Hollene sighed. "When- when I was at the Sorceress Academy, I- I had to leave my past behind me. I had to abandon Hollene Mendel. I am Asterodea now. I'm not Holly anymore."

Hollene- Asterodea- was crying now. "Liz, I missed you too. I missed seeing you every day, running in the forest, planning our futures." Asterodea shuddered with sobs. "You missed my wedding. I have a two year old daughter." She smiled now. "Her name is Elizabeth. She looks like you."

Eliza was crying now, and smiling. Asterodea hadn't forgotten her- just as Eliza hadn't forgotten her.

"Come home, Lizzie," Asterodea continued. "Come meet my family. You can leave this life of death and killing behind."

"Is your life any better?" Eliza countered. "You live a lie. The magic you practice is outlawed. And how do you use it? I've met many of your kind. None of them have shown any reason to let magic be free."

"You use magic too, you know."

"It is a mere broadening if the senses."

"Let me help you," Asterodea pleaded. "Let me show you- not all magic is evil."

Eliza stepped back. "I must go." With that, she turned. Silent as an owl, she ran through the forest- away from the ruins of her sister.

"Liz- Lizzie! Eliza!" Asterodea called. Eliza kept running, not letting her see the tears streaming freely down her face.

Okay... I'm not certian where that was headed until it happened. A little heartbreaking, though, wasn't it?
I must go. I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am.
~Patchesmimi