The Legends of Ithan Book 1: Ghosts & Fire

33

Sandros waited, barely out of sight of the entranceway with his new sword ready for blood. Akin waited on the opposite side with the cutlass Marion had been carrying. Sandros had made her give it to Akin and then he had put Marion near the back of the basement and told her to only fight if it was necessary. Of course Marion had already come to the conclusion that it was necessary and had armed herself with the wooden tops of two rum barrels. She smiled to herself in the dark as she squatted behind the barrels. She intended to bash the brains out of any green man that dared to come close to where she was hidden.

            A black shoed foot began its descent down the stairs following the red footprints Marion had left. White skin-tight breeches flowed up from the soft leathered shoes. Each step was taken with deadly silence and precision. Then a green dress could be seen with slits up the side. The point of 2 katanas began slowly making their way down the stairs. Step by step more was revealed of the intruder. There was no mistaking the intertwined red and yellow dragons on the front of the emerald green dress. A leather strap cut across the intruder’s chest and held a bow with arrows securely to the intruders back. Silver arm plates covered the forearms of the intruder underneath the green dress’s billowy sleeves. Then bare shoulders appeared and then a green hood covered the head but black wisps of hair still found their way out. The lower part of the face was covered with an ominous skull mask and Sandros knew then they were dealing with an Assassin. The deadly fanatics always marked themselves with some sort of skull to distinguish themselves. They were nothing but hired killers but why had this one decided to sell her allegiance completely to the green men?

            Suddenly the assassin stopped her descent down the stairs and glared into the dark with her ash colored eyes. She could sense others in the dark although she could not see them. There was one on her right and another on her left and still yet even another. She gripped her katanas harder. They thought they could take her with their numbers but they would be sorely mistaken.

            Sandros gripped his sword harder as he watched the Assassin stop her descent and look around in the darkness. They had been found out and surprise was no longer on their side. He had heard all manner of stories about Assassins. Some believed they were supernatural and could teleport from where they desired to another place in a matter of seconds. Others believed they were one with the night and partners of death. Their very mortality was in question as many believed they had sold their souls to some demon to achieve such supernatural gifts. Sandros wasn’t sure he believed any of that superstitious nonsense but he had already seen things in the past three days that he never thought possible and  his sense of security in what was logical was quickly becoming distorted. In three days he had seen two villages slaughtered by huge dragon lizards, he had become a free man and was given a gift of golden armor, been kissed three times by the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and had even lived to tell the tale of being swallowed by one of the lizards. To scoff at supernatural wonders now might counter fate against him.

            He continued to watch the Assassin as she assessed the basement and he realized she must be alone as he had only heard one set of footsteps, but he knew he distinctly heard a man’s voice yell about the footprints leading into the inn. Where were the other green men? He stilled himself with patience as he needed to make sure the Assassin was indeed alone or else his luck might not be able to save him from his own misjudgment.

            The Assassin suddenly jumped from the stair she was on and did a mid-air somersault to land at the left of the stairs, directly in front of Akin. Her katana slashed and the dagger flew out of Akin’s hands and in another flash Akin was her prisoner with both of her katanas to his throat in an “x“ shape. “I will kill him,” she whispered softly into the darkness.