Stargazer

Chapter 10

“This will happen tonight,” Belefius continued as if there hadn't been any interruptions. “Solé will infiltrate the palace during the night guard’s shift change at exactly 11:00 pm and make her way into the Prince’s private sleeping quarters. There, she will place this, into his private decanter the Prince always indulges in before sleep. He doesn't sleep without it.” He held up a black looking vial of sludge. “It is Canton, a strong poison we’ve discovered in the Guild Forests. It's easily dissolved and virtually tasteless. Nova and Pierce, you will assist in the mission and entry to the city. We will provide a shipment tonight. During Solé's mission, you are to remain in hiding outside the palace and assess the situation as backup to Solé. Questions?”

I couldn’t help but ask more, but this time, I remained in my seat. “Yes, um, what if the Prince decides to not indulge in his nightcap? And also, how will eliminating him lead us to ownership of Geldel?”

Belefius sighed in exasperation.

“If, for some reason, part of the plan fails, you are to eliminate him another way...of your choosing. I would suggest keeping it quick and simple. And if you need help, you will alert the other two who will be waiting for your sign. But those weapons of yours," he smiled and nodded at the weapons on my belt. "Once sharpened, should do nicely, I think," Elder Thomas picked up where he had left off. "As far as the answer to your second question goes, the act of losing the leader of Geldel will set the realm into panic. This is only the first step of our plan. We are not prepared to fully reveal the rest until the first part has been carried out."

The meeting basically ended there. I could tell they didn't want any more questions asked, and I would have to be okay with the info provided. I would need to murder the Prince, there was no other way. It was decided for me.

Before the guild meeting was adjourned, it was announced that the hall would be open for food for them all day today. Everyone should get a good meal and good rest before tonight. EVERYONE should be ready. Markham stood and offered his services of sharpening weapons. They said we must be prepared for anything to take place tonight.

My weapons were duller than smooth stones being they most likely hadn't been sharpened or used in many years. I was excited to go see Markham.

“Let’s see ‘em” he said. He was a very handsome man. I felt overshadowed and outshined by standing in the room with him, his presence overwhelming. He kept his hair plain and cut short, but every other feature of him automatically wreaked with perfect masculinity. I wondered if there was a whole other life he led of secret drauma with the ladies at the academy and found myself wondering who they might be.

I could just imagine him at night sneaking into the other lady’s tents and revealing his affection like Pierce had. Then again, maybe he was an asshole like Pierce and didn’t understand the word “no”. I got the feeling he wasn’t, though.

I pulled out my weapons and a look of surprise came to his face.

“Not the standard looking issue around here,” he said, holding the hilts and taking in their details.

“They were the only ones I had to choose from at my ceremony,” I explained. “And were hidden under a layer of filth. A little polish really brought them to life today!”

“Hmmm,” he said thoughtfully, then smiled. “I think someone must’ve left these here, at the academy, specifically for you. That’d be my guess, anyway. Whoever these belonged to, it must've been part of their request. Personally, I don’t recognize them and I’ve been here my whole life. But I wouldn't know people before my time. Now, how about I give them a little spin on the wheel and get those edges cleaned up!”

He took them carefully over to a giant stone wheel he had on a turning crank. Once the wheel sped up the blades were each meticulously ground over, causing hot sparks to fly in the air. When he was complete, my blades were extremely sharp and as I looked at the edges, the words from the guild meeting played over my mind of eliminating the prince however I chose. I hoped I wouldn't have to use the blade tonight, but if I did, it looked like a swift, easy death would come of it.

The rest of the day went quickly. I wasn't very hungry from nerves settling in my stomach, but I did indulge in a long nap in the afternoon. Before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set and the others were headed for dinner in the hall.

I dressed myself in my Assassin tunic, the dark gray side would be facing out tonight. I took a charcoal pencil and outlined my eyes, and as I peered into my mirror, my presence was startling. I didn't look like myself, but rather I was replaced by an older looking woman, who stared back at me seductively.

As the sun was setting, Nova, Pierce and I met at the Academy. Nova looked glorious with her platinum blond hair being bound in a ponytail corded with ringlets.

“You ready for this, Solé?” She seemed utterly exhilarated and bursting to the brim with excitement. I, on the other hand, wasn’t sure how I felt, other than a full load of nerves. I nodded at her anyway and showed her a face full of confidence, which she accepted with glee.

We all walked together to the stables in silence. The horses were all inside the long lean-to, partly open, stable house and I thought it odd that none seemed to have been geared up in preparation. As I walked to find Vanilla, who I had a strange desire to ride despite being moody with me, Nova stopped me with her hand on my shoulder. “

“No, this way. I have something to show you.” She led us to another row of lean-to style stables farther back than the first. I was about to wonder why the first set of horses wouldn’t do, until we stepped inside and my question was immediately answered. Two long rows in the stable housed long, feathered necks and slivers of orange eyes that looked up in unison at our entrance.

“These are bauble birds,” Nova gestured to all the birds. “They are not advertised to others outside of the assassins guild. Originally from the guild forest, we have been able to breed them here and they are one of our pride and joys as assassins. It’s our duty to take great care of them, often taking them out for the day and allowing them to experience nature at it’s finest.”

The birds looked almost as if they were part reptile. They were large, two legged creatures with some feathers, colorful and bright like a tropical bird, but orange, laser eyes that seemed to bore into my soul and cause a stir.

“We’re gonna ride these!?” I asked, incredulously. Pierce clearly had rode one before as he walked over comfortably to one with a saddle and hopped on effortlessly. Nova walked over to another and held out her hand to assist me.

“Yup!” She laughed at me. “It’s gonna be great, you’re gonna love them! Twice as fast as any horse! And they can see in pitch black!” Twice as fast!? I thought I was going to be sick just hearing that. I used her hand and lifted myself onto the creature. This was terrifying to me. The creature eyed me from the side just like Vanilla had before taking a nip at me, except this creature had a semi-hard beak and I was sure it would take off my hand.

The saddles were different from horses, leather and sturdy but with an additional hard leather hoop at the front to hold onto. Similarly, though, the creatures had reigns to help guide, the same as a horse.

Nova hopped on hers and off she raced, mine shooting off to catch up with hers automatically.

I had never moved so fast in my life, other than when I was falling. This had felt like falling, the force taking the wind from my lungs, except moving forward instead of down. My first reaction was I wanted off immediately, but couldn’t have stopped the beast even if I wanted to. Then, a flip in my stomach caused a smile to spread onto my face. Wait, was I smiling? Was I actually enjoying this?

I yelled out in a thrill to the night sky and closed my eyes as my bauble bird caught up to Nova’s. We looked at each other and laughed as she looked up to the sky and let out a big, squealing 'Whoop!' as her platinum ponytail flew out behind her.

“I told you! It’s exhilarating, isn’t it!?” she shouted as her crystal eyes twinkled. I smiled back and looked up to the sky, wondering for the first time how she knew where we were going.