The Awakening

Clarissa- Gold and Silver

What motivated her to kiss him? It was only on his cheek, Clarissa reminded herself. But the way he looked at her...

Oh, it was nothing. She was excited about seeing her father, that's it. And nervous about this Secretum Buntovnik. And curious about the person Oliver wanted her to meet tomorrow. And so very smitten...

"Clarissa!" Oliver shook her shoulder.

"What, what happened?"

"We need to find Secretum Buntovnik, remember?"

An old, frail voice spoke up. "Did you say Secretum Buntovnik?"

They turned around to find an old woman looking at them curiously. "Um, yes?" Clarissa replied.

"I know where to find him. If you could pay me, perhaps..."

Oliver pulled out ten Para from the money bag in his jacket pocket.

"Why thank you, young man!" the old woman grabbed the Para from his hand so fast, one second it was there, the next, gone.

"All you have to do is go down Main Street five blocks, take a left, and knock three times on the house with the skull shaped knocker."

"Thank you, ma'am!" Clarissa grabbed Oliver's forearm and jogged down Main Street five blocks. She turned left, just as the old woman said, and began scanning the houses for skull knockers.

"Wait!" Oliver whispered. "If this guy knows who you were, then he could be an assassin."

"How do we tell?"

"He should have a golden streak in his hair."

"So apprentices have a silver streak and assassins have gold?"

"Yes. That's how I knew you were an apprentice, not the real thing. I'm just saying that we should be careful."

Clarissa barely heard him, because she had spotted the house the old woman spoke of.

"There it is!" she raced up the stairs and knocked three times, Oliver right behind her.

The door opened slowly, revealing a man with a close cut beard, black hair, and eyes so dark they looked black. The man saw Clarissa's silver streak immediately.

"My child! Is everything alright?"

"I was told I could come to you for answers about my past. It's a mystery to me and I don't know why."

"Come in, my child, come in. And who is your friend here?"

"He saved my life, and now I owe him."

The man looked at Oliver and recognition crossed over his face, then disappeared.

"Your friend is welcome inside, as well. Please, follow me."

The man led Clarissa and Oliver to a sitting room with three rickety chairs and a small table. He sat down, so they did as well.

"My child, I don't understand. What do you mean, your past is a mystery?"

"I can't remember anything up to the year I turned thirteen. But I do have a strange reoccurring dream, which I think must come from around the time everything  disappeared."

"Explain this dream, my child. Tell me exactly what happens."

"Well, a younger version of myself stands on top of a roof. And guards from the palace surround the building on the ground. I think that I have to escape, so I run and jump to the next roof, but a human figure stands in my way. I guess they know I won't escape, because they shoot me in the head."

Clarissa looked to Oliver, whose eyes were wide.

"Could you perhaps describe what the figure looked like, what weapon they were holding?"

"The person was glowing white, and the weapon was a gun, of sorts. It was solid black, sort of weird shaped. Sometimes the dream goes in slow motion so I can see that the bullet is bright red."

The man's eyes also widened. "This was a weapon created by a guild of assassins, used to wipe the minds of their own if one of them was captured. Though you were not a part of this group, because they dyed all of their hair silver or gold. You only have a streak, like me."

"So, does that mean we're a part of the same guild?"

"No, the streak is universal, but this particular group of extremists doesn't follow the rules."

"You guys have rules? I thought you just killed people who got in the way of your plans." Oliver said.

"My particular clan values honor. We are loyal to each other and our families. And we only rid the world of those who need to be ridden of. Since you do not have a guild anymore, I can convince my clan to take you in." the man smiled at Clarissa.

"Wait, so if I'm from an assassin's guild, then does that mean... Am I really related to my father?"

"If the man who took care of you did not have a gold streak in his hair, then he is not your father."

Clarissa was in shock. Not her father? How? Why? His voice rang in her head. I will always love you, no matter what! That dream, could it have been real? If so, then her father must have taken her in after the palace guards brought her to the castle.

"You wouldn't happen to have a cure to the weapon, would you?" Oliver asked.

"I'm afraid not, but I know someone who does. You, sir, know him as the man with the cat."

"Wait, I never told anyone about the cat except for..."

"Yes, I am him."

Oliver's jaw dropped.

"Tomorrow at noon I will meet you here, and everything will be explained." he stood. "Please do not tell anyone the location of this place, it is best kept secret."

Clarissa and Oliver nodded, stood, and left the building.