The Dark Brotherhood [ON HOLD]

The Scars

Rhila ran into Commander Maro's office. "I saw them! I saw them, the – the Brotherhood." Rhila exclaimed with a trembling voice. She tried to make her reaction as realistic as possible. "What!?" Maro's eyes widened and he immediately stood up and put on his jacket. "Where?" he added. "Just by Katla's farm, hurry!" Rhila answered in a small voice with pretended relief to be safe. Maro hurried out of the office. He ran through the town all the way to Katla's farm.

It was a beautiful day, the weather was clear and the last rays of sunshine colored the nature an intense orange. The sunset was bright but was getting darker every minute. The darkness was coming. Maro searched the surroundings for any movements or people. Suddenly he heard a low thud behind him. "Well hello there Commander" Astrid had come out of nowhere and was standing right in plain sight, with her hood on. "Whatever you're planning, you won't get away with it!" Astrid laughed her sweetest, most evil laugh. "We both know that's not true. Now, we could make a deal. Either you let us go forth with our plan and leave the Brotherhood alone - I'll give you something back in return, whatever you want - or we could kill you in your pathetic attempt of stopping us."

Maro's eyes were narrowed, looking at Astrid with burning hatred. "Who is your target? Why should I agree to a deal with you?" Maro asked suspiciously. "Because I've got two dark brothers in the Penitus. Both very close to you." Astrid said calmly. Maro shook his head with an intense frown and was about to say something when Astrid cut him off. "You don't have to say anything. Betrayal is a bitter thing, surely something you haven't experienced before Maro. Or should I say Cairo." Maro's eyes widened as he stared at her. "Anyone that ever had known me by that name is dead... It – it can't be..."

With a violent move she pulled her hood back and her blond curls fell down on her shoulders. "Oh, right, you thought I was dead. Guess what, I'm not. I'm the leader of the Brotherhood. And if you don't cooperate Cairo, I'll slit the throat of someone you love." Maro looked into her green eyes. "Astrid, I – I'm sorry... It was a mistake, you know that. Come on, you don't have to kill me." Astrid chuckled. "I'm not going to. But when I'm done with you, you'll wish you were dead."

Maro looked confused. "If you're not going to kill me, who are you going to kill if I don't cooperate?" Astrid smirked and said "Someone you've hidden well. You can't hide your past, Cairo. Even if you change names. You see, I'm going to kill Gaius." Panic attacked Maro like a shockwave. "No! No, you can't do this! You can't kill my son!" Maro exclaimed in a high pitched wail.

Astrid smiled, ignoring Maro's plea "We had some fun back in the days, I admit that. But that does not change the fact that you took a mere child out in the woods and left her there, left her to die. Now, I'll have my revenge on you soon enough anyway. So, it's up to you, deal or no deal?" She said angrily with her sweet and vicious voice. Maro nodded and said "Deal." He was at a loss, what was he supposed to do? He thought Astrid had died in that forest all those years ago. The fact never occurred to him that she might be alive.

If only I hadn't been so stupid - so ignorant - this would've never happened. He thought with frustration and blamed his adolescent self for this unpleasant discovery.