Un Souvenir d'Événements

Rise of the Angel of Death

I couldn't sleep, I had no appetite and I had little desire to work or watch my beloved sunset in the days following Erik's arrest.

My family was safe, it was true, but at what cost? I had betrayed perhaps one of the only true friends I'd ever had. Not only had I handed him over to the man who had poisoned him, but I'd condemned him to be locked away behind bars once again, goodness knows what that did to him and his fragile mind.

What had I become?

Guilt wracked my conscience every passing day and I was unable to rid my mind of the echos of his screams and pleas and sobs. His desperation and primal fear haunted my every action and I couldn't help but be left to wonder if I'd done the right thing.

I continued to work and began to visit my family in my every spare moment, but seeing them did not elevate my guilty conscience in the slightest. My mother attempted to console my troubled mind, but it did nothing. The man I'd worked to save for most of my life was now trapped again thanks to me.

I couldn't bare to think of him alone, afraid, and without anyone to turn to, all because of me. But little did I know that this could not have been further from the truth, though I should have suspected that Erik would be anything but predicable.

The Shah was in a good mood; which was incredibly unfortunate for anyone around him. Since he'd reacquired Erik, he'd always been preoccupied and said little to me, though I was somewhat glad about that. I was aware that the Shah had been gathering a number of individuals from far flung countries, and it didn't take me long to realise he was looking for a new assassin.

I stood beside him as each and every man demonstrated their skills to him, but rather than remain unimpressed as I'd expected, he would smile and grant them a place in the still standing summer house. He accepted at least twenty out of the vast amount of applicants, which was unlike his particular nature, and I did wonder what his plan was.

Once the last man had left, I was summoned to attention beside him, watching as the men returned to the throne room. All were muscular, well-built, intimidating looking specimens, all of whom bore the scars from previous battles and were decorated with various malicious looking weapons.

The men eyed me up from where I stood. Compared to them, I appeared weak and inexperienced. Though my travels and daily activities enabled me to have a slightly more muscular physique than the average man, I was put to shame by many of the men who stood before the Shah.

"All who have been selected are the most promising to me. However, I can only employ one of you. So, I intend to put each and every one of you through a trial. The one who is either most impressive or the survivor will be employed."

"A trial, Sir?"

"To see if any of you are truly worthy to follow in the footsteps of the most skilled assassin I've ever known. I intend to pit you against him."

"Twenty men against one? Pardon me Sire but that hardly seems fair. Besides, what if he is killed immediately, how will you be able to deem who is the worthy one?"

A man asked.

"If He dies then I will have you fight one another until only one survives."

I felt my stomach plummet then and there for the fate that Erik would now meet. Twenty men against one emaciated, weakened terrified shell of a man? He didn't stand a chance. What had I started?

Eager to sink their teeth into the challenge, the men shouted their approval and the Shah gestured for me to lead them out into the courtyard. Bowing, I obeyed and timidly passed the rowdy men in order to lead them from the room. I took my time to lead them towards the courtyard in the centre of the old summer house, which had now become the residence of Amira. Why she'd been gifted with such a lavish present I didn't know, but I wasn't there to question.