Valente was running, running over the roof tops of house and shops alike, swinging over pathways by the wires that connect building together. She was running to a specific house for one reason, that reason was revenge. As she was running she thought back to a night a few weeks before. She was with her arm brother Roberto, they had a simple task; break into to a villa, kill the owners; don’t get caught. It had started simple; they had scaled the outer walls with hand grappling hooks. Once inside the villa they stayed to the shadows to avoid alerting the guards. They were both fully armed, two hidden blades attacked to each wrist, a must for master assassins; Valente carried throwing knives hidden along the sides of her vambraces and a longsword hanging across her back. Roberto favoured two sabres hanging from his hips.
They made it to the master bedroom without incident but as Roberto opened the door Valente heard a ‘twang’ from inside the room. She had no time to move as a bolt flew straight into Robert’s shoulder, knocking him back. Valente sprinted into the room, located the attacker trying to reload, kicked him in the face and said ‘I never fancied a crossbow, takes too long to make another strike’ and plunged both hidden blades into his throat and twisted, ripping the head off. As the man’s body feel crumpled to the floor she heard Roberto shouting and drawing his sabres. She ran back into the hallway and saw two groups of swordsmen running towards them by either side
Roberto ran towards the group coming from the way they came earlier, Valente drew her throwing knives and turned her back on him, facing the other group.
Roberto met his first opponent by blocking his downward slash and with his other hand sliced the man’s legs. He then twisted around him by linking his arm around one of the man’s and threw him forward. As the man stumbled and fell Roberto started blocking the strikes of two other attackers. He was gradually getting slower as the pain in his right arm grew.
Valente after killing four of her five attackers with her throwing knives drew her longsword and stepped to meet the final attacker. The against her had a longsword also and started barraging her with strikes and slashes, she blocked and dodged with finesse and backed towards Roberto whom she saw would fall shortly.
Roberto jumped backwards and threw the sabre he carried in his injured arm, it buried itself deep inside the man’s torso killing him as he fell. The man beside him ran forward preparing to thrust with the spear he carried. Roberto feigned moving to the right and the man sent his spear towards where he thought Roberto would be. Roberto grabbed the spear with his right hand and span, slicing with his left, cutting most of the man’s throat open. The pain in Roberto’s shoulder seared through him while doing this and he almost fainted afterwards.
Valente ran towards the staggering Roberto and pulled him out of the way of the last attacker’s swipe that would have taken his head off. Roberto stumbled and fell, unconscious. Valente noticed but had to time to help him as the attacker then started to fight again. He swung his sword towards Valente’s head, she ducked, dropped her sword and grabbed the man’s arm. She lifted her knee into the man’s groin and twisted his arm putting his own sword into his stomach. She then took a step back and kicked the hilt of the sword, so the tip smashed through spine and erupted out his back.
She then turned her attention to Roberto who was lying in a pool of his own blood, with a puncture mark in his side. ‘A spear must have got him’ she thought
She drew a dagger off her belt and cut the armour around the cut on Roberto’s shoulder. It was turning black, a sure sign the bolt was poisoned. She then cut off a portion of his cloak and used it to bandage the wound in his side as best she could.
She grabbed his other arm and with care hauled him to his feet and leaned him onto her. He woke at this and tried to stand on his own, but stumbled. As she caught him he said ‘Thank you Valente that is again you have saved my life” His voiced sounded hoarse with pain but he tried to walk, with her helping him along.
The was no use trying to climb over the wall of the villa so she set him in the shadows just outside of the main building and sneaked around to find a wagon.
When she got to the stable she saw one guard standing outside. She ran round to the side and started to climb, using the links where the wood joined and hand and foot holds. When got up quite a bit she turned and holding onto one of the boards, moved across to hang just above the guard. She let go with one hand and drew her hidden blade. The man hearing the noise looked up as she let go. The last thing he saw was the blade enter his throat.
She then opened the doors of the stable and tied a few horses to the wagon inside. She then ran back to Roberto to find him unconscious, she lifted him and half dragged him to the wagon where she placed him inside.
Sitting up on the driver’s seat she whipped the horses to start running. The guardsmen at the main gate saw the wagon rumbling towards them and hastily opened the gate believing it was a simple messenger sent by the owner.
When she got back to the hideout, she shouted for some of the recruits to help her, as she checked how Roberto was doing she heard a few people jump down from the building and run over the the wagon. Roberto’s breathing was very shallow and blood was dripping off the bandage. She heard her name being called but remained fixed staring a Roberto’s dying body, she knew he could die and the thought of that was tearing her apart. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Jared, the doctor of the guild behind her. He told one of the recruits to take her inside while he carried Roberto to his rooms, to try and save his life.
Days past before she heard anything of Roberto’s condition. As she was sitting by the fireplace in Roberto’s study she heard Jared walk into the room and sit opposite her. From the look on Jared’s face she knew the news and broke down in tears and she hated herself for doing so. Her arm-brother, her friend and her mentor was dead. They founded The Creed together, trained together, fought together and yet. He died alone. She stood up and gazed into the fire, drew her hidden blade and put the tip in to heat up. Jared puzzled, asked her what she was doing but she didn’t reply. When the blade was red hot, she raised it to show Jared and said “By blade is the link to fire and hell. Those who fall before it will be burned until the edge of time”
Jared, knowing she meant she would have revenge said “As fire causes light may you hide in the shadows of those around you.” This meant that the guild would stand beside her to help her achieve the vengeance she desired.
Valente smiled, a sly, cold smile. “Thank you, Jared but this task is for me alone. For once I bask in the light so my enemies can see the face of their killer” With that she turned and walked out of the room to prepare herself for the task ahead and to find out where the man that betrayed the contract was hiding…
Next part we will see what Valente has planned :D
