The End and The Cause

Chapter 1

"Now this is a story about a girl who causes disasters, and a girl who ends them." A tough relationship, and certainly not without a few curses, but one that was something I'd never regret.

"I need you to kill her" the hooded man with a gravelly voice slid a wanted poster over to me. The person on it looked average compared to standard aesthetics, but what wasn't normal was the amount of the bounty on her.

"Fifty hov coins?" I gasped looking at the paper, "That's a whole fucking lot." What the hell did she do? Did she commit heresy and summon the devil? Maybe murdered a king? A witch? Necromancy? Ah fuck, I'm overthinking again, let's just take it. "Hand the sheet over old man, 'A bird will sing tonight'"

Deciding to take time to gather information I head to a tavern near where my prey was last sighted. Sitting down at the bar I noticed a figure with a cloak next to me, they look pretty stupid but may as well try and talk to them. "Hey, how's your night going? It's pretty busy in here."

She looks up and a look of panic flashes her blue eyes, her pale turquoise fell out in braids, and elf ears on fire. Something about that looks a bit familiar to me... OH SHIT! It's her, the one I was meant to kill! Looking at her she doesn't seem like much at all, just an elf girl in a tavern that's just drunk.

"'Scuse me." she said getting up and wobbling out of the door with a cheesy grin. A good thing too, makes it so that there's less witnesses to her demise. Leaving a few affil on the table I followed her outside and into some woods. Wait is she sitting down to nap? That drunkard can't even make it back home! Why does she have ten hov coins on her head? What the actual fuck? I mean I guess it makes my job easy so I can't complain.

Walking closer the sheen of my dagger glistened in the starlight, the most beautiful sight before a kill. Preparing my dagger I lean in close to her round, pale face that was happily smiling. After plunging my dagger into her stomach and twisting it I pulled it out for good measure. Turning around about to walk away a voice spoke.

"So you're the famous bird sent to kill me?" the corpse said

"And what of it?" I said retorting saltily "It's not like you're going to be alive for much longer after all."

"'What am I doing talking to a dead man is pointless!'" a whisper caressed my ear. Quickly turning around I saw the corpse behind me standing right behind me. "Is what you're thinking right?" Her soft voice chuckled.

"WHAT THE FUCK HOW ARE YOU ALIVE!"

"You don't do much research do you?" smirking the dead girl gloated, "To teach ya some manners I will introduce myself and maybe buy ya a drink."

She took my hand and walked into the woods, a bad idea to take a fully trained assassin into. Taking a out my speciality poison needles I pricked her palm. "That hurt ya asshole!" She spun around and smacked me.

"HAH! Now you're gonna die." I smiled wide. "Ten hov coins, I'll be able to live in luxury!"

"Poison doesn't work ya know, I'm immortal to most everything." she deadpanned

"Then why do people try to kill you?"

"Because....." hesitating she continued, "It's a secret!"

"Well then how about your fucking name then?"

"You may call me Asta Ingrid Lund, I am but a humble alchemist traveling throughout the world. If ya would ever like to try any of my wares let me know and I'll give ya a free sample of my best product! You've been tracking me to kill me for a week now, it makes me so happy to meet one of my biggest fans Kyouka."

"Asta, I am not your fan." I said

"So you do respond to what I found out!" She said delighted and with sparkles in her eyes. "They didn't lie to me after all! That asshole mislead me the last time but with you, they didn't!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Your name! Kyouka! That is your name right?"

"That is supposed to be unknown."

"Yeah but I'm with very good resources most cannot use."

"Then let me use it to find out how to kill you"

"Well the timing is a bit off, so lets make a deal!"

"I work with no one." I responded to the fool scoffing.

"It isn't working with me," She paused with a devilish grin, "it's making sure you're the only one who gets to kill me. The only thing I request is you get rid of any others who try to execute me."

"Why would you let someone trying to kill you travel with you?" I stammered very confused, "Don't most people try to avoid their deaths?"

"I quite like to involve interesting people in my life," Asta smiled and looked me up and down, "and you seem to be very interesting especially with your backstory which I could not obtain from my source. It appears to be a mystery to most, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. After all you have quite a secretive past."

"What do you even get out of this? The only one who benefits from this this is me. That doesn't work out well for you."

"After many years of having people coming after my head I find it to be quite nice to talk to somebody on my journey. If you can promise me that you can keep me company through our long trip together, I will promise you will be the only one to kill me. How does that sound to the wild and lone sparrow?"

"Fine, for fifty hov coins that's the very least I can do. Taking care of an incompetent fool will be a piece of cake." I smirked, "But I want an extra reward."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, your source that knew my name, I want to meet them as soon as possible. Do you understand Asta?"

"Oh wow! That's a super good deal!" She smiled but looked up to the waning moon soon after those phrases were uttered. "There's quite a little problem with that... You can only meet them during the cerlin(new) moon."

"I suppose that isn't too bad, five days? Could be like trying to kill an immortal."

"Really? You're the first one to accept that!" She squealed childishly and spun around. "I'm really glad, now I don't have to eat alone."

"Wait, what happened to the others?" I asked as she finished spinning. With a mischievous smile she winked and held a finger to her mouth. Right after that moment the fact had become clear, I had gotten myself into the devil's snare.