Defect

Chapter Two: The Great Escape

Lillith waited by the edge of the roof, eyes darting over every shadowed hiding place. She could hear Hera's clumsy attempt to climb out the window and cursed herself.
What had made her think this was a good idea? The woman had never walked on a street for more than a few steps, let alone over rooftops and over mountains like she would have to so she would be safe from the Guild.
I am the most foolish person to have ever lived. Lillith thought as Hera stepped out onto the roof, only to stumble on the window sill.
Lillith stepped over and held out a hand.
"Here, stabilise yourself," she said softly as Hera wobbled again. Hera smiled and grasped Lillith's hand tightly.
A tingle went through Lillith's arm and right up her spine to the base of her skull. She shivered and shouldered Hera's pack.
"No more speaking and move as quietly as you can, yeah?"
Hera opened her mouth to speak, then slammed it shut. She nodded, with a powerful conviction in her eyes.

~~~

"Guards!" A deep, rough voice echoed through the lavish hallway. Sounds of metal clinking against metal at a fast speed signified every guard in the house running towards the source of the mighty yell.
"Sir?" The concerned voice sounded pitiful compared to the yell that had reverberated through the house mere moments earlier. The captain rounded the corner and stopped short when he saw the body.
"Mistress," he muttered softly, his voice braking and tears springing to his eyes. He stepped forwards to the bed and dropped to his knees, narrowly avoiding a pool of blood. There was so much. How her frail body had managed to hold so much blood, he had no idea. He gently touched her soft, cold face with tears running freely down his face.
After a few seconds he stood, with squared shoulders and a clenched jaw, turned towards his master.
"I swear I will hunt down whoever did this and take our vengeance." He said, hand to his heart and voice thick with emotion.
The man in front of him nodded. "Thank you, Azoth," he said, voice still thrumming with power even though he spoke barely above a whisper. "You have always served this family well." His tone conveyed all that he couldn't say and Azoth nodded, knowing all his master was trying to say.
Azoth spun away and walked down the hallway, his stride long but with his shoulders hunched, like he carried the weight of the world on them.
The man turned back to the bed and took a deep breath.
"No smell of blood," he whispered, seemingly to himself. How had Azoth not noticed that, even through his grief?
A man materialised from the shadows in the far corner of the room.
"It is indeed strange. It appears that this isn't a real person. Just a very, very good illusion. There's only one person I know of who can do this." His voice was smooth and unaccented, but had a weight to it, as if the speaker had seen many terrible things.
"Who was it, Daracon? Who broke the contract?"
"I cannot tell you just yet. I must gather more information and...  It requires methods that only the Guild is privy to."
"I understand, Daracon. Thank you for meeting me for this, and you have my sincerest apologies for your defect."

~~~

Lillith crept around the small clearing, stepping softly so she didn't wake Hera. She shimmied up a tree and peered down to the mist covered road. It seemed to be free of other travellers- as she had expected a few minutes after dawn.
She dropped back to the ground just as Hera was starting to wake up. As she waited for her to wake up fully, Lillith started to get out some of the meagre rations she'd packed.
"Good morning, Lillith," Hera said, her voice still sleepy.
"Hey, Hera. I would ask how you slept, but I think it's safe to assume you slept well, but it was slightly different to what you're used to." Lillith walked over and handed her some dried ferox and an apple.
"Yes, that is about right," Hera said with a laugh. She took the food and started to nibble on it.
"Sorry it isn't what you're used to, it's all I could grab from your kitchens quickly. I'll hunt down something for dinner- but in this area it's more than likely to be fish or rabbit."  Lillith's voice was muffled by a giant piece of apple. Hera got up and walked over, barely having touched her food.
"It is fine, Lillith, I'm just glad you didn't... Kill me..." Her voice trailed off and she stood there awkwardly.
"I, uh, yeah. Anyway, we should get moving soon, I don't want to stay in one place for too long."
"Where are we going? I don't know of anywhere the Guild of Assassins doesn't have some form of operation."
"There's one place. We were all warned to not go there. They don't take kindly to assassins. But... It's my mothers hometown. We should have a chance there."
Hera's brow scrunched up as she thought.
"I cannot think of anywhere like that. How do you know of it?"
"It's across the Elysium Sea. It's a small country on an island that has implemented magic into everyday society."
Hera's eyes widened in shock. "Surely, you don't mean Xyron? No wonder you were told never to go there, they're all brutes!"
Lillith smiled slightly. "Yeah. We'll fit in well there!"