The Night Watch | The Nocturnal Chronicles {Book One}

i. the assassin

"The way to succeed is to train. If you do not train, you will never learn how to succeed. Without succeeding, you would fail."

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The Hunt. It was the term she used for when she chased down her mark. She was the predator and they were her prey, and like a predator, she would kill them on the sight at which she found them. It was her job, and though she didn't enjoy it, it was what put food on the table and the clothes on her back. With the lives she took, she got a week's worth of food for each mark. Then, she would be on to the next one. Sometimes they would take her across the kingdom, and on the rare occasion, to one of the two neighboring kingdoms. She had seen the world, everything beautiful and hideous. She was the king's Assassin, raised to kill whomever he wanted. From the age of eight, she had been a part of this life. It was natural to her.

     The sky was dark and filled with stars overhead, and the streets were lit with the faint glow of torches that lined the cobblestone streets. The figure in front of her was fast on his feet, graceful too. She was faster though. As he darted into an alleyway, she dropped down from the rooftop above and cornered him. She brandished her dagger as she approached him. Though his face was hidden in the shadows of his hooded cloak, her eyes had become accustomed to dark lighting. Fear was written in every detail of his face as if he knew there was no escaping his fate. He stood tall, accepting defeat.

     "Listen, Frankin. I am feeling generous today. If you want, we can skip the whole me killing you thing. All you have to do is tell me what you stole from the Archives," She said, holding up her hand in a non-threatening way.

     He eyed the dagger in her other hand and swallowed. "How do I know you will not kill me anyway? You are the Assassin. You always finish the job."

     She smiled coyly. "I guess you'll just have to trust me."

     He was backed up against the stone wall behind him. The fear in his eyes was the same as in everyone's before they met their fate. "Erudessa Drakon, no one can trust you. That's why you are who you are. I stole scrolls from the Elder. They were labeled Nocturne Specto. I don't have them anymore. Someone bought them off me. I didn't get a name and his face was hidden underneath his hood."

     She flinched at her name. It had been lost to her ears as no one had uttered it for years. Erudessa Drakon. It sounded like a memory from long ago. She shook off the thought of it and raised her dagger to his throat. "I am sorry, but I was only going to spare you if I got those scrolls. You were right not to trust me." In one swift motion, Frankin was crumpled on the ground with blood spilling from his neck.

     As she exited the alleyway, she whistled and her horse came galloping down the road to her. She jumped on and rode back up the hill to the castle. Luckily, this trip hadn't taken her very far from home: the Royal Castle of Raecasta, home of the Royal Family, and the king's Assassin. The royal household was made up of King Eben, Queen Miriel, Crown Prince Rowe, Princess Nestariel, and Prince Adan. It was rare to catch a glimpse of Prince Rowe, Adan, or Princess Nestariel. Nestariel and Adan were always in their studies learning all about the ways of being royal while Rowe was constantly traveling around the kingdom to meet his future subjects.

     Rowe had to be the one royal Erudessa hated most of all. Whenever he was around he would shove his way into her life. He even had the nerve to ask her to take someone out for him. Even if he was the king's son, it gave him no right to make requests. She killed who she had to on orders of the king. If she disobeyed those orders, it would be considered treason and she would be killed. Rowe was her future king and until that title became 'King', she would keep her dagger sheathed toward his requests. He had no respect for her whatsoever. "Kill him" or "kill her". That just wasn't how she did things.