Blades of Shadow

Destiny Changer

For a time after killing Kavyn, Talon had it made. The gold he had 'acquired' was enough to tide him over for quite a few months. He was able to purchase food and new clothes as well as some new blades. They gave him a sense of safety and control over his life. Talon definitely had it easy. But that was short lived.

Just a few days after Kavyn met his end, the first assassin made his presence known.

Walking back to his old hideout from the market while carrying a loaf of bread and some cheese, Talon heard footsteps behind him. Unlike most of the other scum suckers loafing around the road, this pair had a purposeful cadence to it's steps.

Talon quickly ducked into a nearby alley, dropping the bag containing the food and checking the knives attached to his belt. He his in the shadow on a doorway as he peered around the corner towards the entrance of the alley.

He waited patiently for the mystery person to appear, but all Talon saw was the passing crowd in the street. Hmm… He must be getting paranoid. Extricating himself from the darkness, Talon made his way towards the fallen bag.

"At least you have some skill in survival."

Whirling around, Talon gazed at the source of the voice. Further back in the alley was a slim man with black pants and a long sleeved shirt. His face was curled into a sneer as he coldly regarded Talon with his black eyes.

Initially caught off guard, Talon quickly recovered and had his usual impassive face on. His hand slowly crept towards one of his blades.

"Don't." The man voice stopped his hand in its tracks. "I have not come to fight. But to give you an offer."

Suspiciously, Talon asked, "What kind of offer?"

"My higher ups heard of your exploits at the military payroll tower…"

Hearing this Talon unsheathed a dagger and held it out, threateningly, towards the man.

Unperturbed, the man continued. "Relax. We are not the military. But rather a group with a specific set of skills.. that utilize them to further our interests."

Lowering the blade, Talon questioned, "What does this have to do with me?"

With a smile, the man answered, "Ahh. So we come to the heart of the matter. Our group is offering you a position within our ranks. Your skills would be refined and you would sent on various assignments. You will also…"

"No."

"Excuse me?" The smile faltering.

"No. I won't join." Talon simply stated.

The man's smile was now completely gone, to be replaced by a semi-hidden angry edge. "I urge you to reconsider."

Talon's face remained impassive, he calmly said, "I have made my choice."

"It is not a question anymore. It's a demand." Clearly not used to being turned down, the recruiter's face had turned red, filled with rage.

"Alright, I've reconsidered."

A confused glint shone through the man's eyes at this, "Oh..?"

"No." Talon grinned, "Fuck you."

The rage was back. Even stronger this time. "You insolent swine. You have no idea what you have turned down. But now I know you would never be one of us anyways. And so you must die!"

At the last word, the assassin had grabbed a dagger from his person and sent it flying. Talon barely had time to shrink against the wall as the knife sailed past him. But the man was already coming at him with another knife already clutched in his hand. He made a swipe for Talon's head, but he ducked under the blow, the knife sinking into the wall.

Seizing his opponents momentary position, Talon sent an uppercut at his jaw, launching the other man to land in a heap on the ground his knife still in the wall. Getting to his feet, he pulled out yet another knife and eyed Talon.

This time, it was Talon who went on the offensive. Springing forward, he thrust towards his enemies' midsection; the man hastily brought up his blade to parry. Changing his grip on the knife, Talon made a swipe towards the neck. Another sloppy parry. Talon pulled a second blade from his belt and made quick stab. This time the dagger sunk into the man's shoulder making him drop the knife.

Yanking the knife from flesh, none too gently, Talon wiped the blood on the man's shirt. Calmly he walked behind to man and put his dagger on his throat.

"You will regret the day you crossed us."

Without further ado, Talon slid the blade across the soft skin and watched at the red tide flowed down into the former assassin's shirt. Letting go of the head, the body slid to the ground with a thump.

"But you will regret it more."

--

That was twelve assassin's ago. Each one offered him the same choice: join or die. Death was the only chosen option, and so far, he had granted it to all of them. On top of that, he was gathering quite a collection of blades from the bodies.

Tossing the latest corpse into a ditch, he stood back up admiring a particularly sleek knife taken from the would-be-assassin. Staring into it's shining exterior, Talon noticed a flash of movement in its reflection. Turning on his heel, he brought the blade up to bear just as another knife thudded into it.

Talon jumped away as the other person made a swipe at him with a second dagger. Taking this short break in fighting, Talon analyzed the mystery assailant. He was swathed in so many layers of cloth that it made it impossible to see any bare skin save for his eyes. Those same eyes seemed to be doing the same thing as they looked Talon up and down.

"I won't join. Talon broke the silence with a gruff voice.

Without answering, the person pushed himself on the balls of his feet. Preparing for an attack, Talon brought his blades up in anticipation. With a leap, the man rushed at Talon, knives at the ready. He then commenced a coordinated assault on Talon from all angles, testing him for weak spots.

Talon, for his part, managed to deflect all incoming attacks, but just barely. This constant barrage went on for what seemed like hours, but could have only been a few minutes.

Talon's defense was slowly crumbling. His arms were weakening. His malnourished body failing him. Grimly holding on, he kept up his parrying as the man showed no signs of slowing or stopping.

Bringing both blades up to block yet another strike, the man knocked both blades away. Talon watched as his weapons clattered uselessly to the ground ten feet away. Struggling to even stand, he slowly sank to his knees, waiting for the finishing blow. It never came.

Talon glanced up, "Go ahead and finish it, you bastard."

In reply, the man slowly let unwrapped his headgear to reveal his features. He was an older gentleman, sporting a short haircut with some grey creeping in on the edges. The lines in his face held a deep wisdom that Talon could not fathom. And again, those eyes searched him, still judging him.

"My name is Marcus Du Couteau." He said in a large and deep voice, "I would like to offer you a place in my family. You will be fed, housed, and under my protection. All I ask is that you follow my orders. Reject this, and you will die."

Talon sat back on his heels, considering this proposal. He debated the options mentally for a long while before finally replying.

"As you are the only person to beat me in combat, I accept. So long as you are the only person to give me orders."