An Assassin's Tale

[justify]The full moon glowed intensely under the bright sapphire blue sky as the contours of the moon made the sky look eerily surreal. The soft cool breeze was the only thing that would be felt as the chill in the air ran quite deep. It was an enigma but it made the heavens all that much more mysterious in turn. Nothing on the land stirred nor did the animals seem to make an appearance. It was almost as if it were made with the idea of a horror story in mind. As to why that was, only the Heavens and the Sky knew. Yet, for some reason,. it lay in wait almost as if it were witnessing the collision of two opposing forces and did not want to miss a thing. Minutes went by and dark, ebony clouds had begun to hide it almost as it were trying to bury a secret from itself. It would be soon that the brightness would disappear from the lands with nothing to illuminate ‘cept the soft glow of the magic lacrimas scattered about.

Yet, despite the quietness of the lands and the sleeplike state it had found itself in, there were only two who lay in wake. Fortunately, for one, it was far from civilization thus making it all the harder to obtain the light from the city along with its knowledge about what was to come. For, as of now, a young woman was holding a silver pistol in her right hand and had aimed at the forehead of the other. Her stance was rigid as it was tense. It almost seemed as if she had never done this before but, in some ways, she had. Unfortunately, she was too clouded with hatred to care. It was no laughing matter as revenge was sprouting out of her in oozes of intense and uncontrollable rage. As per the other, he hardly paid any mind to it and continued to have his back faced towards her. It was almost as if he did not fear the thought of Death itself. Regardless, the pistol laid cool against her hands although the shaking wasn't something she could hide.


Beads of sweat were beginning rise as she fought back her nerves. She was an assassin for Heaven’s sake. Why would she fear this man? Why? Yet, undeniably so, she was afraid of him. No, she was terrified. Her legs had begun to tremble and her strength seemed as if it were to be sapped at any moment yet, how could this be so? All her life she had learned to control these sorts of emotions as well as fear but it seemed as it were no use against him. She was starting to let the fear take over and she could almost feel the slow wave of paralyzed fear begin to claim her. Yet, she refused to give in. Her eyes narrowed into a hateful glare as she clenched her teeth in hopes that it would give her the strength to keep going. He, on the other hand, though, seemed to not care. He hardly had moved or given her much interest but she could tell his power was far greater than she had ever seen. He was obviously no ordinary man.

Still, a heavy cloud seemed to linger over the revenge seeking assassin as her long, slender finger lay ready at the trigger. Yet, when she attempted to further her threat, no words came out. In fact, she could not even open her mouth. Her clenched teeth refused to become unlocked as they grinded into each other in an unforgiving stronghold. Her fingers had cramped from the tightness of her clenched fist and her body seemed to creek whenever she attempted to move. In some ways, she felt as if she were a tin man in need of some oil for her joints. She screamed at herself internally for she felt she had failed even before she had started. Her clan had been right to deny her request but she had been too blinded by stupidity to even care. They had warned her it was too dangerous and to leave it alone. She had thought they were weak but, oh, how she was wrong. Now, she would pay the price.


Having mustered her courage, she spoke those words with much more confidence than she currently had. It came out strong and determined so much so that she had even surprised herself. It was a good development, at least in her part, until what happened next would cause dread to rise from within. Unfortunately for her, this, too, seemed to stir something in the man before her as he began to turn his head towards her direction in newfound amusement. Oh, how she now wished he had remained ignoring her. The man simply grinned as a sinister gleam in his eyes twinkled in delight, ”Oh?” Chills, with hints of unsolicited excitement, seemed to creep slowly throughout her spine from that one simple word. It was obvious that his voice had captured her in a form of invisible thread and she hated it. He stirred and fluidly seemed to move his gaze to peer at the wild woman before her. ”I sincerely doubt that.”

Before the assassin could react, the demon was already facing her from just a few centimeters away. He peered curiously into the icy blue abyss and smiled in satisfaction. He seemed to nod in deep thought as his thumb gently caressing her bottom lip. “So, how exactly am I doing to pay?” He was toying with her and, for the most part, it seemed to be working. Yet, as this was occuring, an involuntary tremble raced throughout her body and made its way towards her still raised arm. Reaching its mark, the tremble caused her fingers to jolt and eventually pull the trigger causing her to discharge her weapon. Although too late, the bullet hit its previously intended mark upon the wall. She grimaced and eventually ripped her gaze from him to look at her unintended handiwork. This had to be embarrassing.

The man blinked in surprise and shifted his gaze towards the hole the bullet had made. He found it quite an amusing sight and grinned in further amusement. Perhaps she wasn’t as dumb as he thought she was. She had quite the spirit and stupidity to face him. It was something he could not simply pass up. ”Your name.” The assassin blinked in confusion and said nothing. The demon sighed inwardly and moved his face closer so that his nose would touch hers. ”Name.” His voiced had turned huskier as it purred his demand. This immediately made the assassin grow both irritated and intrigued as she flushed red in embarrassment and inexperience. ”Kat...kataleya.” He smiled in satisfaction as he pulled away -his gaze still capturing hers. Still, her eyes quivered as she peered even deeper into his red hellish eyes. A mistake for all she saw were the pits of fiery hell before she, too, would succumb to the darkness.



”Idiot…” Azrael scowled irritably as he glanced out of his office’s window. He stood with his arms folded behind his back in obvious disbelief while his paperwork laid in forgotten disarray across his desk. ”She’s not even doing it like I told her to.” The demon then shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind from being overcome with pity. Unfortunately for him, it did not seem to ease his annoyance. Still, as he continued to observe over his young pupil, the young woman was still doing her best to attempt at conjuring the most basic of spells from her potentially would-be magic, the Rapture. Yet, the more he watched, the more painful and pitiful it all seemed. He finally gave an exasperated sigh hoping that she would finally use that brain of hers for once. But, in reality, it was unlikely that the hard-headed fool would listen to anything he would have to say. After all, she was stubborn as a mule. He watched as she had finally managed to conjure up a small flame only to have it spin out of control. That idiot...” His eyes narrowed in frustrated disbelief as the assassin continued her fruitless attempts. Still, he kept steady watch over his young apprentice in hopes that his mental insults towards her would penetrate into her thick skull.

Yet, despite their constant bickering and his countless barrage of mental insults towards her, the Demon Lord had undoubtedly fallen in love with the young assassin. It was also something he had recently come to accept. Initially, he had had a very strong debate with himself until, finally, he allowed his feelings to blossom. Strange, especially considering how it was they had met. For, what had first started as a revenge mission in her part had eventually intertwined both of their fates into unlikely allies. More than that, he had taken her under his wing and had begun to teach her the ways of Hell Demon Slaying magic. Unfortunately, she hardly had any knack for it. He did, though, see strong potential and he definitely wasn’t going to let it go to waste. Especially as she had proven that she wasn't one to easily give up. It was a trait that intrigued him to her. Especially since she was relearning everything she had ever known about the world and absorbed it as best she could. It was a large feat more so because she had no magical capabilities making her the perfect vessel for the Hell Demon Slaying magic. A small smile suddenly etched itself upon his lips and his eyes softened ever so slightly. As of now, she was attempting to accomplish the task he had given her prior but to no avail. He debated going down there to help. He did not, though, and chose to continue to oversee her instead.  

To those that truly knew the demon, it would be obvious that he had grown soft and, for once, he didn’t seem to mind it. His only unsettlement, though, were that the wrong people would find out and target them both. Perhaps it was also the reason why he forbade any exit from the mansion until the magic was mastered. To keep her hidden and safe until she could finally be able to protect herself. Then again, it could just have been an excuse to keep her close. A few more moments would pass until a small bird came flying across the room and perched on its Master’s right shoulder. Its curious gaze looked downwards towards the courtyard in an attempt to see what had captured its Master’s gaze so intently. Upon seeing the assassin, though, it began to guffaw in laughter. ”Master..! Did you see that?” It pointed  its wing towards the direction of the girl. ”She wasn’t very good choice, right, Master?” Azrael would shift his focus to his faithful companion and give out a small, exasperated sigh. He would move his eyes towards the courtyard but the bird wasn’t done. ’Why did you choose her then?”  Its little head looked up to study his Master’s face before looking out into the courtyard.

Azrael said nothing and the bird began to get restless, ”She’s completely useless! It chirped in frustration. The bird had never liked the girl and couldn’t understand why its Master had finally taken on a pupil. Sure, other demons had taken apprentices as well but the Master was different. He had no need for them for he was Lord to them all or so it thought. Still, it refused to accept the assassin as worthy of its Master’s time and magic. ”She's completely useless!” Unperturbed, Azrael’s stoic face would simply break out into wide grin causing the bird to stare at him in utmost confusion. ”She has spunk, Mattheus. Even you can understand that.” He then frowned thoughtfully, “You know… Maybe we have this all wrong.” The bird cocked its head and said nothing. “Perhaps, I haven't been teaching her the right way.” The bird shifted its tiny body and peered dubious down at the assassin. ”You think?” It ruffled its feathers. Azrael frowned at his small companion while Mattheus refused to meet its Master’s gaze. Sure it had replied incredulously but it had a right to… right?


Meanwhile, the young assassin continued her fruitless attempts at awakening her potential hellish powers. She was determined to keep going, even if it meant she would not sleep the night. Unfortunately for her, though, it was simply wishful thinking. A small yawn escaped her rosy lips as fatigue began to slowly take over. Her muscles ached and her feet were sore but she felt she owed it to Azrael to at least finish the task. It was surprising how long it was taking her to master one small spell. Especially since she had studied the magic from the various books she had deciphered. Yet, she had quickly begun to realize that simply reading about something did not equate to actually knowing how to perform it. After all, she had had no magical capabilities until she had met Azrael. Despite having known all of the information there was to know about it. Still, she had originally hoped that she would have been a natural at this but she was wrong.

Her eyebrows furrowed in what seemed to be in deep concentration. Taking in a deep breath and closing her eyes with just thoughts about the fire in focus, she began to conjure the spell. Eventually, a small shadowy flame sprung from her hands and bobbed just centimeters from her palms. The assassin opened up her eyes and widened them at the unexpected sight. It had, apparently, taken her by complete surprise that she cried out in both surprise and glee. Finally, after so long, she had managed to produce a demonic flame. Yet, due to over excitement, she let her emotions take the best of her and the little bob of shadow sprung from her hands and laid siege across a small cove of Greek statues. The assassin grimaced for a moment. She was sure Azrael would make her pay for that. Still, it was not long before a huge smile sprung across her face. Sure she had destroyed pricey statues but it seemed worth it to her.

The young assassin grinned with admiration. Ever since Azrael had taken her in or, rather, had basically abducted her, she was enjoying the time she spent with him. Sure, Azrail had his faults (and huge ego) but, in the end, he was a good guy at heart. He just had a hard time showing it. She chuckled softly to herself as glided back back to her original position. In doing so, she caught wisp of him standing at the window. She had no time to view his expression as she had not made it evident that she had seen him but, she hoped he was proud. After all, it was her goal to change his mind about her. The assassin brought her hands out again and took an inward sigh. Closing her fists, she brought them towards her chest and concentrated on the mark before her. ”Here goes nothing…” she murmured to herself as she adjusted her stance. With one fluid movement, she thrust her arms from their position towards as far as they could stretch. ”Hell Demon: RAPTURE!” Nothing.

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Azrael gazed thoughtfully onto the courtyard as the assassin continued her unfaltering training. ”She seems to have it just right but, perhaps, she needs a demon to hunt.” Mattheus huffed, ”Just grab one of your servants, Sire. They’d serve use.” Yet, the Demon Lord narrowed his eyes in thought. He could use his lessers but what point would that be? If there was no challenge then what would be the point? ”She serves better than that…” He murmured as he placed a closed fist under his chin for support. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. It was then that an epiphany came. The only problem was to convince Mattheus and it would not be an easy task. Yet, before he was about to share his idea with his faithful companion, the assassin glanced up at him from below and smiled. The stoic looking demon would soon turn a soft pink as she rose her hand in a small wave before turning back to practice.

Azrael’s gaped in surprise and embarrassment at having been taken off guard. He let a few moments pass before he cleared his throat to turn towards the bird. Only thing was, Mattheus was looking right back in suspicion. ”What?” That word seemed to wake the small bird up as he jolted. Mattheus then opened its eyes wide as its beak fell open from shock and newfound understanding. “You're… in love with her, aren't you, Azrael?”  The demon chuckled softly after the shock from the abrupt question passed but offered no reply. He would let his silence speak for itself. Mattheus said nothing as it looked down at its talons in deep thought. Was this why the Master had decided to take on a pupil? Because, from within the human world, he had finally found a bride? It made sense yet it was something Mattheus could not comprehend. Yet again, it was not his place to object. The bird sighed and turned it gaze downwards.

It continued to peer down at the young woman in new light. “Hm… you will never tell her, will you, Master?” The question came out soft and sad yet the demon did not mind. He simply looked at the bird -a faraway look in his eyes. “It would change nothing, Mattheus. I wouldn't even be around to see her continue to grow.” The bird was pensive until realization hit it like a ton of bricks. The bird flapped its wings in an immediate panic, “You don't mean..!” Azrael simply laughed. “It's the only way. Plus, I'll always come back in the next couple centuries.” Mattheus flew about the room in a crazed frenzy. “You can't, Sire..! That's.. That's insane!!!” Azrael simply shrugged. ”If she were to continue to grow, her life needs to be threatened.”

The bird did not stop its panic as it remained hovering in front of the doors. ”She’s never agree to it..! She… She loves you, too!” Azrael’s eyes turned soft but, even so, they held fiery determination. Mattheus knew it, too, but refused to give up. ”Wouldn’t you rather spend your days with her?” It was a low blow, even for the bird, but Mattheus was resolved to keep Azrael alive in the human world. Even if just a few centuries more. Still, Azrael ignored the bird and snapped his fingers. Almost immediately, the doors flung open. “Take care of her, old friend. Watch over her until I come back.” The bird swooped in its final attempt to stop its Master. “B-but..!” Azrael grinned his famed devilish grin. “It's about time i went back.” He rose his hand up and gave it a single wavelike gesture as he walked away. ”I'll be back for you, my faithful Angel of Death. Take care.” As he disappeared from view, Azrael vowed he would return.

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It had been several years since Azrael’s disappearance and it still weighed heavily within her. He was gone too soon and with little to no explanation as to why. It frustrated her but she was determined to see him one last time. It would not be too hard, though, as her demonic powers had corrupted her physique to resemble that of an immortal. Which meant, she would still be alive and well for when he would return to this world. That was, if someone hadn’t killed her first. Let alone, she herself. ”Stupid girl!” A small bird shrieked in anger, ”Watch where you’re going..!” The assassin jolted away as she moved just in time before running right into a pole. It was times like these that she even wondered how she had managed to stay alive all of this time. ”Yeah, I wonder that, too.” Mattheus muttered earning a glare from the young assassin. The bird simply shrugged its shoulders and tightened its grip on her.

Mattheus wasn't going to let her forget it. It would make sure that the Master’s legacy live on despite his objection to the chosen vessel. The bird trusted its Master wholeheartedly but it just didn’t trust her. Still, he was stuck taking care of this young idiot. ”Just a little further,” The bird instructed as they weaved across the city rooftops. The assassin nodded as she sped throughout the night. It did not take long, though, for them to become interrupted by a something or, rather, someone. ”Devil’s Spawn!” A deep voice bellowed. ”Come meet your fate!” Almost too quickly, a large object came heading her way at top speed. The assassin jumped back seconds prior to the impact, propelling herself into the air with the speed and agility she had been using to move forward. She had managed to dodge but the attack had been way too close to her liking.

The assassin narrowed her eyes as she remained vigilant at the now invisible foe. She adjusted her mask as her icy blue eyes surveyed the scene. It was then that an almost inaudible crunch came from behind. Yet, now, better prepared, she spun and delivered a swift, rapid kick to the temple of her unaware foe. Problem was, it didn’t even flinch. Even worse, it had captured her foot in the process. ”Sh-t.” With no seconds to spare, she used her other foot to propel herself, grabbed hold of her opponent’s head, and jab him in the face with her uncaught knee. This caused the orc to let her go as he clenched his face. ”You LITTLE-!” He howled as he came at her. The bird, who had just moments ago been flying in the air, came to land neatly on the assassin’s shoulder. ”End it fast. You know what to do.” It chirped before flying away.

The assassin prepared her stance as she lay ready in wait. The orc, fueled by his hatred, came charging in leaving him wide open to her attack. As he came closer, she rose her arms before her as she stood crouched in wait. ”Hell Demon’s Abyss!” She yelled out as connected her hands in one fluid motion. It was then that a column of shadow sprouted from her combined hands directly towards the orc. The impact was great so much so that the orc was sent back a few feet. It stared at her in both shock in surprise. The assassin grinned from behind her mask.  Perhaps it wouldn’t be too hard to deal with the monster, after all. As the orc stood in surprise for the brief moment, the assassin was already preparing her next attack. ”Hell Demon’s Rising Fist!” Before the orc could react, a large shadowy hand came rising from underneath the orc. It moved along with hers almost as if it were an extension of her own. It grabbed it tight and clenched as her fist in her knuckles turned white.

The orc cried in pain. The assassin’s eyes gleamed with amusement and dark satisfaction. ”You were saying?” The orc wriggled but it could not let itself be free. Therefore, it growled at her as she came closer. The assassin simply grinned, alighting her eyes in devilish delight. She withdrew her sword from its sheath and allowed it to ignite in a shadowy flame. It began to grow as the shadow seemed to create it into something from the demonic realm itself. She brought her sword up to par as the orc began to desperately attempt to regain its freedom. ”You really shouldn’t have come after me,” The assassin cooed. ”It’s a mistake that you’ll pay for with your life.” With such swiftness and with no hesitation whatsoever, she sliced it across the orc’s throat. The blade was moved with such precision and grace that its throat split open and the orc was left agape.

Bloodlust engulfed her vision as the she let her spell dissipate, causing the orc to lay sprawled on the ground. Disappointedly, the orc still fought for his right to live as it clenched its throat in pain. The assassin frowned as she circled her fallen prey. She would finally crouch down to feer into the eyes of her victim. Cocking her head to the side, she watched as his life was held by a single string. One that she wished to destroy as painfully as she could. The assassin snapped her fingers as oozes of shadow began to surround her. ”Any last words?” She asked the orc innocently yet the orc could only gurgle in retort. ”Very well,” She replied as she rose gracefully to her feet. ”As you wish.” The assassin would then let the shadows engulf her to form an armor of hellish design. Her sword would, too, morph into that of a Reaper’s Scythe. ”May you soul never reach the peaceful rivers of Heaven.” The scythe rose. ”Hell Demon’s RAPTURE.” The scythe connected and it was done.

The orc stood rigid on the ground as the shadow armor evaporated into thin air. It was obvious it was now dead which only caused her to regret killing it too fast. The assassin sighed with disappointment while she adjusted her mask unperturbed of what had just occurred. She couldn’t help but wonder, though, who it was that was behind all of this. It was becoming too frequent, the monsters, yet she could never get to the bottom as to why they were sent her way. She could only speculate that it had something to do with Azrael. For now, though, she would take a trophy from this fool. The assassin would then thrust her arm into his chest -breaking through the tough exterior. Her fingers grabbed hold of his still beating heart and pulled it out in one swift motion. Wonder crossed her face as what greeted her wasn’t flesh but machine. As the mechanical muscle continued to work into its last moments, she blinked in confusion and tossed it behind her as she walked away.

Mattheus perched at the edge of the gaping hole of the orc’s chest as it peered into his face curiously. ”It… has no soul,” The bird murmured to itself. ”It was already dead long before it found you.” The assassin rose an eyebrow in disbelief as the bird continued its murmur. ”Do your best to remain vigilant, girl. Someone obviously wants Azrael’s powers to themselves.” The assassin nodded in understand. She said nothing as she walked back towards the direction they had originally gone towards. She knew better than to question the Angel of Death himself. Yet, it unsettled her how even the Grim Reaper did not seem to know where the soul had gone. For now, though, they would continue their search for the one thing that could bring their Master back from Hell.