Solace and Nox: A New Light

Chapter 8

Where was he?

He told Cytra to be there at that exact time. He said he would find her. So where was he?

It was one minute until midnight. The moonlight came from directly above her. Cytra was in an abandoned building, on the outskirts of Shodon. the building looked like a thin pyramid, that stretched up, rather than out. The tip of the pillar-like building was missing. The gaping hole is what let the moonlight in. Each floor was hollow at the center, making it looked like there was one gigantic hole straight up from where Cytra stood.

No one had been to the place in years. Cobwebs lined the walls, dust particles were visible, and the furniture was tossed around and broken. Cytra wondered why she hadn't found this place before. It was the perfect place to isolate herself... which is probably why Moldark picked it for a meeting.

It was midnight. Moldark told Cytra that he would be at this abandoned building. He didn't mention the name of this building, but he wrote in his letter that he would be here at midnight, the day of the funerals. Well, she was waiting for him.

"You were early," a voice said from behind her. When she heard the voice, it sent a shiver down her spine.

Cytra spun toward the voice. In the shadows was Moldark. His tall figure was intimidating in the shadow. Cytra couldn't see the details of his face, but she didn't have to. She'd seen him before. Even with his face shadowed, his haunting yellow eyes were clearly visible. In fact, they glowed.

"I was pleased to see your approval of my invitation, Cytra Nox," Moldark said, matter-of-factly.

"I figured there was no reason for me to refuse," Cytra replied. "It was a decent offer, and I'm sure you would have been very upset if I rejected it. And we wouldn't want that."

He chuckled, sending another shiver down Cytra's spine. "You've got spunk kid," he said, amused. "I like that. I knew that you would be a good choice for the job when I first met you."

"How do you know I'm a good choice if I haven't done the work yet?" she asked.

"Your dark powers were enough to catch my interest, but your attitude and personality are perfect for this line of work. You have a dark hatred for those who have caused you pain, you are skeptical to trust anyone, and you aren't afraid to question authority, ignoring the consequences of those questions. What's not to like?"

"Moldark, what do you want? I know you didn't come here to praise me, and I know you didn't come to give me a mission. You could easily have given me a mission in the letter. What do you want?"

"I'm glad you asked," he said. He stepped out of the shadows. His midnight black hair rested on his shoulders, and he wore an evil grin on his face, as if truly pleased she asked the question. He wore a dark cloak, similar to the one that Cytra was wearing, that made him look like he was still standing in the shadows. "I came to give you another offer."

"But, I just accepted your first offer. I haven't even done anything, and you are already willing to promote me?" Cytra asked.

"Cytra, I know you were on the balcony the night I attacked King Lotharius," Moldark began. "Your dark aura was clearly visible in the eyes of another dark mage."

"I'm no mage," Cytra shot back.

"Not yet my dear," he said. "If you work with me, I will help you develop your powers beyond anything you can possibly imagine. You will be unstoppable. You will be the Essence of Darkness. I know you overheard our conversation, so you know the promises I made to Lotharius. With your help, you get back at those who caused you harm, and I can do the same. It's a win-win situation."

Moldark made a very enticing case. Cytra was tempted. The opportunity to actually use her powers for something, and to get back at those who hurt her, was too good to pass up.

"Okay, I'm in," Cytra said. "When do we begin?"

Moldark's grin grew wider, and as he looked down at Cytra, his midnight black hair shadowed his face, leaving nothing for Cytra to see but his glowing yellow eyes. Moldark had to have been at least seven feet tall, about a foot and a half taller than Cytra, making him even more intimidating.

"First thing's first," Moldark said. "You need to be trained properly to be an assassin."

Assassin. It was the term that Cytra had been avoiding the entire conversation. Was becoming an assassin the right thing to do, or did it make her just as bad as those who caused her pain? She wasn't sure what she should do, so she pushed her thoughts away, and let Moldark teach her.

"What do I have to do?"