Chapter 18: Life of an Assassin

It soon came to pass that the human race had finally found the sanctuary they were looking for. We found a single solar system capable of supporting human life that was not already inhabited. What’s more, the planet seemed to be perfectly suited to mankind’s needs. The gravity was mysteriously just right, despite the planet being larger than Earth. The atmosphere had a perfect oxygen and nitrogen ratio.

It was as if the universe itself had made this planet especially as a refuge for the human race. And to make the world even more enticing, the aliens finally seemed to cease their attacks as they had been badgering our fleet from the very moment that we came into the new galaxy. Things finally seemed to be going right for a change. But our trials were not yet finished. Before mankind could finally step into the golden age of Elemency, he would soon have to be tested one last time.

In a dark corner on the streets of Tarrus during the night cycle of the sector, a well-dressed man stood in stark contrast to his surroundings within an abandoned demolition site. His environment consisted of the littered wasteland of a decimated playground. Some children’s rides still stood among the ruin, which only contributed to the overall lonely visage of the atmosphere.

The man in question chose this specific location for his meeting place with the creature because it was one of the few places completely devoid of life. Not a living soul in sight for miles, making interruptions all but impossible. Lord Gregory checked his wrist communicator again as the holographic image of a classic golden chained watch floated before his face.

He’s late. It’s not like him to be late.

As if on cue, a shadow suddenly materialized out of the darkness behind Lord Gregory and slowly took on the shape of a humanoid creature with green skin and yellow eyes. It took Gregory a couple of seconds to realize the intrusion. As Gregory beheld the ghastly creature, a very undignified yelp escaped his noble lips. Then, without further ado, Lord Gregory backhanded his creepy companion across the jaw, and a second time for good measure.

“Merde! Would you kindly not do that again, Galzar? And while we’re on the topic of your incompetence, why are you so late?”

The Goblin just stared at Lord Gregory with a blank expression as if he didn’t even feel the injury. “Apologies, sir. I was unable to find a suitable location to dissolve the body. It took approximately 2.33 minutes longer than calculated.”

“I couldn’t care less about the inconveniences of assassination. Just do the job that I pay you for and let’s keep the complaints to a minimum, shall we?”

“Yes, sir,” replied the creature in his whispering voice.

“Speaking of which, have you spoken to our contact in the Ministry of Fire ... that Mystic you hired.”

“Indeed, I have, sir. He has already dealt with that gang member we supplied, so there is no chance of the Ministry tracing the incident back to you. However, he reports that he is having a little bit of trouble securing his latest target, but it is only a matter of time before he succeeds. Our man is very passionate about his work.”

“Très bon,” said Gregory, scratching his chin properly. “Let this be the last one we pick up. We have more than enough test subjects to experiment with my anti-elemental weaponry. Besides, if too many spawns went missing, it might look suspicious, and I can ill afford to look suspicious. Especially now of all times when I’m on the verge of making my move.”

“As you wish, sir. So then, shall we proceed with the plan?”

“Not quite yet. I have received a summons from the Emperor. He wants me to deliver a message or something. But afterwards, I intend to put all weapons manufacturing into overdrive. We’re about to have a great demand, and I wouldn’t be much of a businessman if I didn’t increase the supply.”

The nobleman turned to leave, but before he did, a cruel smile crossed his lips as he remembered something that brought pleasure to his lecherous thoughts. “Oh, by the way, how is young Silvia coming along on her assignment?”

“I should hear from her within the hour. She has never failed before, so I do not expect there to be any complications.”

Silvia controlled her breathing, steadied her racing heart, and quieted her thoughts.

Always control ... always maintain. I am the shadow on the wall. I am nothing, so therefore, I feel nothing.

The mission had proven a little more strenuous than previously calculated. Her target, a rival weapons merchant of Gregory Industries, proved to be more cunning than his profile had suggested. However, that’s not to say that Silvia felt worried. She was an assassin, a mere arm of her teacher. She didn’t get worried. To worry was equivalent to acknowledging feeling, and she had been trained to act otherwise. At least, that’s what Silvia kept telling herself these days, and yet there was no denying that feelings somehow seeped their way into her heart at times.

Goblin Assassins of the old order were taught to crush all lingering emotions within their psyche. Only then could one attain the true power of the perfect assassin. The perfect shadow. Only then could one become heartless. Silvia’s teacher, Galzar, had already attained this enlightened state of being. He had effectively smothered all emotions from his spirit, thereby, achieving a state of living that no other creature could scarcely even imagine.

Galzar saw the world without bias, without prejudice. He viewed things in a light impossible for normal, emotionally flawed beings, and therefore, made the right decisions accordingly no matter what situation he faced. Silvia knew all this, though she found it hard to eliminate the small trace of doubt that permeated her thoughts.

Silvia was not like her teacher. She had been raised outside of the order ... had been given the opportunity to feel. She had been tainted. Only when she grew older did she come to realize the truth of this world, the truth that her teacher imparted to her. And that is why she became tainted, that is why she still had doubts ... that is why she still felt.

This was an old argument, an old train of thought that sometimes took hold of Silvia in her moments of weakness. She was a Goblin Assassin, not some teenage human girl with identity issues. She had better things to do with her thoughts, namely focusing all her efforts into killing her target. Governor Olrick Tras, a leading voice in the Imperial Senate and a high-ranking weapons contractor, much like Silvia’s own employer. Like any seasoned assassin, Silvia had gotten to know her target intimately.

Silvia crouched in the shadows, carefully staying out of the light. In the dark corners of any living space, no matter how secure, there were always shadows. Thanks to her training, Silvia bent those shadows around her to hide from prying eyes, but only if she stayed absolutely still.

Movement! The steady rhythm of military-grade boots on the metallic surface of the secret bunker. Just from listening to the man’s footsteps, Silvia gauged the weight, height, and general mental state of the guard as he steadily moved towards her position. Judging from the echo of his feet hitting the floor, the man was at least 99 kg. Heavily built for a typical human male, and with adequate muscle tone derived from years of training within the Imperial Core.

Judging from the amount of time between his steps, Silvia reasoned him at approximately 1.86 meters tall; 6.1 feet according to the common measuring system. But the most important factor to consider was his mental state. The emotional state of his mind translated into his body movement and would tell Silvia the best time to attack.

His steps were methodical and purposeful, but not wary. This guard had been well-trained at feigning discipline, but his experience didn’t go far beyond that. Judging from the carefree tone of his movements, this man had obviously not experienced much trouble in his work.

He was probably a few years out of the academy; since working in the plant, things had been quiet, so he had no reason to expect any problems tonight. For this man, today was just another boring, uneventful shift. So what reason could he possibly have to suspect that this shift might be his last?

Unfortunately for him, this guard stood between Silvia and her target. Tras had been clever up to this point, devising dozens of traps and obstacles within his bunker, making it nearly impossible for any normal assassin to infiltrate unscathed, let alone undetected. But thankfully, Silvia was no normal assassin, so she had infiltrated unscathed and undetected. No mean feat to be sure.

There came several times when she’d been tempted to eliminate the guards posted in previous rooms instead of sticking to the plan and quietly making her way to the bunker’s interior. However, her experience had taught her that she should avoid killing until the target was within her grasp. The governor’s room lay just at the end of the corridor where the inexperienced bodyguard did his rounds. She had already taken more time than she had wanted in sneaking past the other guards and defenses. Silvia could not afford any more delays. She had held herself back long enough.

Taking a deep breath and silencing her thoughts, Silvia concentrated on the four tenets of assassination.

Wait for your target to drop his guard.

The thud of the boots drew closer.

Become nothing ... feel nothing ... think of nothing.

Closer! He was barely ten steps away now.

When you are truly nothing, then your enemy thinks he has nothing to fear.

Five steps away.

When he believes that he has nothing to fear, that is when he should be most afraid!

One step away. One step away from death.

“Mason? Mason? Are you there?” asked Olrick Tras into the projected screen showing the hallway outside his secured room.

For a moment, he lost sight of his young bodyguard. Olrick Tras was not a paranoid man, but he opted to be a careful one. He would never have made it to his position of power otherwise. The Empire was becoming an increasingly more divided place ever since Chissler became Emperor, and any smart politician knew that if one didn’t adapt, one became obsolete.

However, Olrick’s worries were put to rest as the large figure of Lieutenant Mason appeared in the holo-projection. A tall man with a youthful face partially hidden behind the glass visor on his helmet. He wore standard military-grade armor as well as an energy rifle just as all of Olrick’s security sported. So far, there’d been nothing too distinguishing about the young man, but Tras took a liking to him. He was one of the few security guards unafraid to speak his mind.