Missed

Unexpected Foe

We appeared on the ground, hidden in the trees and darkness before making our way inside. We listened to some of the men talk as they prepared for battle.

"Have you heard? They killed him..." The man with the purple armor began.

"Hush. You heard the Lieutenant, don't speak of him." Another wore green armor, he glared at the other man.

"But--!"

"I said hush! We must follow orders!"

"But...whose?! The man in the black clothing who doesn't show their face?!"

"Lower your voice! Someone will hear you!" The man in the green armor smacked the man in the purple armor.

"I'm just saying...it's odd that he would show himself all of a sudden! Don't you think it's weird?! He stays up there in his room, looking down at us!" The man in the purple pointed at the room that was all the way at the top.

The man in the green armor slammed his fists to the table, making the other man stumble back. "Do I have to turn you in as a traitor?" he growled.

The man in purple glared at him. "All I'm saying, BROTHER, is you should be careful. This man in the black, has another plan." He growled as he walked out furious. The man in green shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Dammit." He grunted as he grabbed his sword and walked off.

"We found our mystery man." Saizo chuckled.

"Let's go." I whispered and we vanished just as their lieutenants yelled to march to the palace walls.

We appeared on the roof, made sure no one was around and inside the walls. The hallways were lit by torches that were a few feet away from each other. With our senses on high alert, we sensed a group of men coming down the hallway we were at. Saizo shoved me in a room and we waited in darkness until the men ran passed us.

"Saizo." I whispered as I looked up in to his glowing red eyes. He nodded and then we looked around before leaving the room we were hiding in and searching through the rooms to the top level. Every so often, we would encounter guards patrolling the area, and each time, we'd kill and hide their bodies.

When we finally arrived on the floor the mystery man was hiding in, he was protected by more men than we had thought. We wouldn't be able to get in to his room without being noticed. We heard footsteps coming up the stairs as they talked about another route in to the room with a hushed voice. Saizo and I exchanged glances as we jumped to the ceiling and blended in with our surroundings. We made ourselves completely small as an insect.

"Be quiet before someone hears you!" One of the men hushed the other.

The man grunted as they turned the corner. "All I'm saying is we should make sure it is protected! Someone could easily spot the entry from the back if they moved those bushes!" I stared closely at the man, sweat was dripping down his forehead.

"No one knows it exists! Except you, I and our lord." He grabbed the other man by the collar as he slammed him against the wall. "I plan to keep it that way." He hissed. He released him and composed himself as he walked away.

The other man glared at his back as he clicked his tongue and followed him.

I looked at Saizo as we vanished on the roof. "He's lying." Saizo whispered.

"I know."

I looked around and thought of an alternate route, but we were soon discovered. Then men in the floor we were just at began to shoot through the roof with their arrows. I clicked my tongue as we appeared in the middle of them, killing them off. I stared at Saizo.

"No way they could have discovered us...unless." I looked at the door with a glare.

"He knows we are here." Saizo finished my sentence.

The door slowly opened as the man walked out holding two blades in each hand and a black mask covering his face. He was covered from head to toe in black clothing.

"I sensed you didn't fall for the trap." The man's voice was deep, and oddly familiar as he chuckled.

Saizo and I pulled out our blades as an explosion irrupted from behind us. The man swung his swords at us as more men came running up the stairs.

"Take care of them! I can handle him!" Saizo yelled as he bent down and I jumped off of his back, held the blade up as the man tried to hit me while I was in the air. When I landed, his men surrounded me and began attacking me.

"I can't wait to tell the men we killed the legendary assassin Ri--!" One man laughed.

I scoffed as I vanished and held my blade to his throat as I sliced it, glaring at the men as they exchanged glances. I can still hear Saizo and the man exchanging blows. I gritted my teeth as I finished the rest of them off before being shot with an arrow on my shoulder. I gritted my teeth and looked back at the source that shot me. He stepped back as he stumbled to get another arrow. I yanked it out of my shoulder and threw it back at him, piercing his throat. I looked back at Saizo, and he vanished as the man swung his sword on the ground, making it spark and igniting flames. The man looked back at me, I could see his eyes through the mask; they were sad and angry.

"Where did you go, little snake?" He chuckled as he faced me. "Leaving me alone with your little bird isn't a good idea."

I glared at him. "I can handle myself." I hissed.

He tilted his head to the side before wiping his blade of blood. My eyes widened as my heart raced and my blood boiled. He hurt Saizo. My grip tightened on my blade as he clicked his tongue.

"Tsk, tsk, little bird. You really should keep your emotions in check."

I didn't respond. I vanished, and struck him from behind, but he was just as fast, blocking with his blade.

"Not one for talking, huh? I suppose you really are known as a silent killer." He chuckled, grabbing his other sword, swinging it up at me. I quickly grabbed my knife and blocked it, only for him to grab me and throw me. Saizo reappeared, holding me from falling back further.

I glanced at Saizo, quickly examining him before staring back at the man. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I managed to get away before he cut any deeper. How is your shoulder?"

"Fine. Let's get this over with." I didn't feel the pain anymore, my concern for Saizo was overflowing from every pore in my body.

We fought, for what seemed like forever. The clouds began to grow dark as ash, fire and smoke rose to the heavens. Thunder roared as our blades clashed, soon, the rain began pouring down from the sky as we fought, tearing the room where he stayed in to pieces.

"Why are you doing this?!" Saizo yelled as we stood on the roof in the rain.

The man chuckled as he held his side where I stabbed him at. "Losing everything, changes a person. But my reasoning's are none of your concern!" He yelled as the lighting lit the sky behind him.

Saizo's grip tightened as he rushed him from the front, holding his blade to him, as I vanished and rushed him from behind, but he quickly threw Saizo and blocked my attack, only slightly. I grabbed the knife from my sleeve and aimed it for his neck, but it cut his mask in half instead, revealing a face I thought I'd never see again. I was in such shock that my eyes widened and his kick caught me off guard.

I was thrown in the air, he vanished and reappeared above me, shoving his blade through my stomach. I yelled, coughing up blood in my mask as Saizo yelled.

"NOOO!!! RISA!!!" Saizo threw his knife at him and with his eyes wide, he flew off of me with a blade in his shoulder.

Saizo appeared beside me, a look of panic crossing his eyes as he quickly took off his mask. His eyes were getting watery.

"R-risa?" The man grunted as he slowly stood up.

"W-we need to retreat and get you--!"

I shook my head, pulling the blade from my stomach and tossing it to the side, along with my mask. I slowly stood up, my clothes were beginning to get soaked with blood.

"Hello...brother." I mumbled.

"Brother?" Saizo questioned.