Intertwined

Chapter 6 | The Assassin

Dedicated to Tamaradw~ Her book, Skipping Time, is definitely something you'd want to take a look at ^.^

Chapter 6: The Assassin

He slipped around the corner, padding softly in his black rubber shoes. The poisoned dagger lay concealed in the sleeves of his shirt, cold metal pressing against his skin. His Master had told him that the Overlord could not be killed with one’s elaementus; his dark powers were too strong for them to overcome. He would have to be taken by surprise.

In the distance, a child shrieked in delight as he played, making him jump. He was reminded of the girl – the one who had yet to be tested to see if she was really a Keeper, and if so, which one. She was very small, even for a human, more the size of the sierens. The Overlord, cunning as he was, had been an idiot to leave her alone, even for one minute. He would come back for her once he was finished with the dirty job of murdering the Overlord, or Lance, as he went by.

Many before him had failed, but he was convinced he would not. He wasn’t a Master Assassin for nothing. He would not die before his target. After all, Lance would be caught off guard, unarmed, while he had the advantage of surprise, not to mention the full assortment of assassination weapons he had on him.

***

“Ash! Where are you?” Jade shouted desperately.

She ran down the seemingly empty corridors, all of which looked the same. It was not for her life that she ran for, and Lance had better thank her for it. How do you want me to kill him? Roran’s voice had become cold and expressionless the second he thought he was out of her sight. She shuddered, recalling how he had led her back from the balcony and into her room. She could hardly believe she’d thought he was a friend.

“Ash!” Jade shouted until her voice was hoarse. She bit her lip. It would be her fault if Lance died because of her. She had to warn him, or tell Ash, somehow.

Jade reached a silver lift. The doors automatically opened. She ran in, looking for buttons to bring her to the ground floor, or at least somewhere. There were none. She turned back to get out, but the metallic silver doors had slid close.

“Which level would you like to reach?” a vaguely robotic female voice asked, startling her. Ash had mentioned something about voice activation, hadn’t he?

“Um, ground floor!” she told it. Jade clenched her fists impatiently, glancing around the interior of the lift. There were railings all round the sides to hold on, and strangely, strap-like handholds hanging from above, sort of like the ones in a bus. She was up so high, it would probably take minutes to reach the ground floor. What if she was too late? She pushed the unpleasant thought away, drumming her fingers on the rails.

“Command accepted. Please hang on to the handholds provided.”

“Wha-” Before she could wonder why it was necessary to hold on, the lift dropped. She clutched at the rails and screamed her lungs out as it fell the 156 floors down to the ground floor in seconds. The only other sound she could hear was the soft whooshing sound of the air outside. When the lift finally slowed to a smooth halt, her hands were clamped on the rails in a vice-like hold and she was half crouched on the floor, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

“Ground level. You have reached your destinated level.”

The twin silver doors slid open once more and Jade stumbled out, gasping and feeling very nauseated. Her head spun and the breakfast she had had earlier threatened to come bubbling out any minute.

“Miss, are you okay?” A concerned receptionist had hurried over to where she was.

“Ash!” Jade gasped, trying to calm down after the terrifying lift ride. “I need. To find. Ash,” she said in between breaths.