Stalemate | A Rise To Power

𝘊𝘢𝘪𝘶𝘴

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅ ◈ ⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

Caius stood outside the door, his hand poised to knock, but the door swung open before he could move his fist back. It had taken him many days of questioning and tracking to find the house, all while concealing the pouch at his side loaded with the coins he had been paid. There had been a quick payment delivered by a cloaked messenger, and Caius had counted it all before he left.

His horse was swift and had carried him quickly through towns where he asked questions in taverns and inns. Information took a while to find; the person he was searching for was good at hiding, and few could answer him. It took a lot of careful wording to end up outside a cottage on the outskirts of a town, a small plume of smoke coming out from the chimney. The warmth from the cottage flooded out, washing over him with welcome heat, and his horse whinnied where he had tied it to the side.

A slender lady in her thirties watched him from the open doorway, her arms folded and her eyebrows raised. She had the dark, penetrating eyes typical of Islanders, light skin, and black hair twirled into two buns at the back of her head. She wasn't pretty in an obvious way, but there was something about her prominent black eyes and stature that made her stand out, nonetheless. Paint covered the front of her simple dress and her hands were covered in shades of blue and green, some of the paint already flaking.

"What do you want?" the woman asked. She spoke with an Eastern accent, a lovely, rich tone.

"Are you The Fish?" Caius asked, examining the room behind her. Intricate tapestries and paintings covered the walls, an unfinished painting sitting on a wooden easel. Looking closer, he saw a picture of a lonely flower in a green field, the sky still unpainted.

He smiled to himself. He had no doubts about who she was.

The woman frowned before gesturing for him to enter. "Come in."

He walked in and heard a door close behind him, then a lock.

A sudden shove to his back knocked him over before The Fish grabbed him and pulled him up on his knees with his hands behind his back and a knife to his throat.

"Who are you and how have you found me?" The Fish demanded, twisting his arm painfully. If Caius was not so used to pain, he would have cried out loud.

"It's nice to see you again, Anastasia," Caius smiled. "But you always use the same tactics."

He dug his elbow into her stomach, causing her to double over, and took that moment to wrestle the knife off her and push her back, pressing her against the wall with her knife in his hand.

With his other hand, he felt his side to find his pouch of coins missing. He had no clue when she had swiped it.

"You sly pickpocket," he mused.

"Caius, is that you?" Anastasia asked, looking up at him strangely. She didn't seem to care about the knife at her throat. "It's been years... I thought you were dead. I can't believe I didn't... Why the hood? Is it the fear of being hunted?"

She suddenly twisted his knife arm with a hand to his lower arm and one to his upper arm, causing him to drop her knife. She picked it up and tucked it into one of her buns, and Caius smiled slightly.

"Anonymity is a surprisingly good tactic," Caius replied, examining his paint-covered wrists where she had grabbed them, then his eyes flitted over the place, searching for a hint of a lover, of a child, but there was nothing, to his relief. He needed Anastasia, and he had hoped for no complications. "You have this place to yourself?"

Anastasia sighed, walking to the stone hearth and sitting in front of the fire. "It's just me now. Stealing and doing business as usual. Alone, though." Anastasia glanced at him. "Have you seen Adam and Ox around?"

"They're highwaymen now," Caius said, sitting beside her. "They might not want a part of anything involving us."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Maybe. Would you help me free Erik?" Caius asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Those days are over. We aren't killers anymore."

"And yet you have a bounty over your head. You were given your title for never being caught. 'Slippery as a fish', as I recall. I need you to help me get Giulio and Erik back," Caius said.

"Not Giulio!" Anastasia started back as if he was mad. "He betrayed Vittorio, and they were best friends. He is now deemed as some sort of travelling hero."

"Trust me, we need him. We need everyone back for this."

"For what? One of your pathetic schemes?"

"Yes."

"I am not risking my life to get a broken group back together," Anastasia insisted.

"You do nothing with your life. You live alone with only your paintings for company. Do something with your life, I beg you. Help me. I can reunite you and Erik, and you may kill Giulio after."

"A suicide mission," she muttered.

"Who is better suited for one than us?" Caius asked.

Caius glimpsed the small smile on her face as she turned her head away. "I hate you."

"I know. Come, Ana, let's save some old friends and wreck some kings." Caius held out his hand.

After a pause, The Fish took it.

I usually end parts on a death but this time I'm being nice and ending it on a nice handshake and short chapter :)

It's just that this is an important point so... new part I guessss

Love you all,

Shelly M x