10 Minute Tales

Jul 17 - Silent Guardian

The transaction was going smoothly. The client and his business partner laughed in their drunken stupor, relaxing in the back room of the shop they were using. The bodyguard watched silently, comfortable in his near-invisibility. Only those who knew his training would be able to detect him. The client sat up again, still chuckling to himself.

"You know, Okane-san..." he smiled, sighing happily as he sipped the drink again. It was all the bodyguard could do to avoid rolling his eyes. "We'd make a pretty good team, alright. You sure you don't want to join our resources?"

"I mean..." he shrugged, sipping his drink. "I guess I could? Not sure the family'd appreciate it, though, we've always been in th' farmin' business. We 'aven't gone commercial before..."

"I can't deny that, but..." he sipped again. "It would help your financial issues no end." he leaned in, grinning suggestively. "Y'could be the richest people in the county...!" The bodyguard tuned them out, glancing around the room once more. Something was amiss; he tensed as he noticed the window was a crack wider than before. He looked around, cautious. There was an intruder. ... there. He stared at a pile of fabric in the corner. He could see a hint of orange, one that wasn't there before. He raised a shuriken, preparing to throw it... but the owner of the orange blur moved away, darting out of sight. He blinked, surprised, but followed the orange blur up to the rafters. He frowned, looking the other assassin over. The assassin was female and far from human, a large bushy tail darting behind her as she stared at his client with large, yellow eyes. She raised a shuriken quickly but was surprised by a second shuriken. The second shuriken struck the first, sending both spinning away and disappearing into the shadow. She looked back to the bodyguard, bearing sharp fangs. He frowned and jumped into the rafters, drawing a small blade. She frowned further and drew one in kind. The two were quick to leap at each other, blades clashing silently as they landed. The two underneath laughed at some new joke, causing her to glance down quickly. She was untrained, then, and he was quick to lunge at her. The two thumped onto the rafter, him standing above her.

"Who sent you?" he asked quietly, the words barely loud enough for him to hear. She heard it well enough, though, and growled quietly, spitting at his face as she struggled to get out from under his grip. He frowned, pressing a knife to her throat. "Talk, or lose your life."

"Go ahead." she grinned toothily. "I already died." He blinked, caught aback by this claim. It was an advantage she took quickly, kicking him off of her with both legs. He landed nimbly enough, raising his blade in defence - catching hers with it.

"Well, Okane-san, I think we shall do wonderful things in the future!" the client laughed, getting up. The two shakily made their way out, forever oblivious to the narrow escape the bodyguard had granted them.