Ultimate Assassin Saga: Tundra

That was a glorious deed and he deserved something for doing it. He'd won the trust of the Amazons and that wasn't an easy thing to do. For Humans to trust an entire clan of Demons was an absurdity, and if he was honest with himself, he never thought that it would happen. He had believed that Breal would fail, but that he would be free when the Emperor came and killed them all. All that would've mattered was that Breal was alive and free.

However, he'd somehow managed to win over the trust of the Amazons and for that he deserved a reward. He could only think of one thing that he could give Breal that he would value, and even though it would hurt to tell him, he knew that it was time to tell him.

He would tell Breal why he had let him live.

Azrieal felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on what. There was something missing from Dalkia, but he couldn't figure it out. Just what the hell was the problem? It was this very thing that kept him awake tonight and he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep until he figured it out. He also knew that there was only one way for him to figure out what was going on in his city.

He sat up in his bed and he pulled the cover back. He slid his legs over the side of the bed and he pushed to his feet. He walked across his bedroom and he picked up a black silk robe. Shrugging it onto his shoulders and tying it closed, he closed his eyes before he began to summon one of his minions. His lips formed the words and he didn't have to wait long before his servant arrived.

From the shadowy corner of his room, a figure appeared and stepped forward into the low light. He smiled as the servant sank to one knee before him, bowing his head. If there was one thing that all of his servants knew, it was to show respect for the Emperor and never anger him. It was a valuable lesson learned and one that was learned from seeing what happened to those who weren't respectful.

The creature was an Imp, but not like the one's that he normally employed. This one was of a higher level of power, and because of that, he was also a level higher of intelligence. However, both kinds of Imps were still dumber than your average rat, but smart enough to relay intelligence.

The Imp was short, around five foot tall, and heavily muscled. Truly, it was a bulky creature with all its muscle, but it still moved with a sort of fluid grace. Its skin was a deep brown and was as smooth as smooth can get. The Imp had a bald head and glowing blood red eyes. From its forehead protruded a thick, razor sharp horn that could tear apart just about anything. Its teeth were needlepoint and razor sharp, able to rend steel without resistance. Its torso was bare of any clothing, but it did wear a pair of loose fitting white trousers and ankle high black leather boots.

The Chaos Demon moved towards the Imp and he stood over the creature. He had mastered the art of intimidation over the years and there was none more adept at it than him. He could see the Imp visibly shaking as if it thought that it was going to die and such a simple thought from such a simple creature didn't surprise him. After all, they weren't very smart and they feared the Emperor more than anyone else in Dalkia. If he could instill that kind of fear in the rest of Dalkia, he would have no traitors, but it was just a lowly Imp.

"Rise Imp." Azrieal said in a stern and commanding voice. He saw the brown skinned Imp flinch slightly, but it didn't look up. The creature knew better than to look him in the eye, but he did rise to his feet. The Imp stared at his chest, but not once did it lift its eyes to his. Azrieal smiled cruelly and he allowed his hands to brush against the silk of his robe. "I have a job for you. One of the utmost importance."

The Imp opened its mouth and it hissed. He knew the Imps were incapable of speech because they lacked the intelligence to shape words, but they could understand language. Also, they could give responses in a fashion and the hiss the brown skinned Imp had given was one of those responses. He knew that not one of the Imps would are defy him so he took it as an acceptance of whatever it was going to be asked to do. All of his servants should be so well trained and loyal.

"I need you to search Dalkia. Find out if something has changed. Anything, even the smallest little thing can be important." Azrieal told the Imp, his voice bringing across just how important this was. The Imp hissed again and nodded its head, but he wasn't done. "I will be watching through your eyes and I will be present in your mind. If I order you to do something while your out, I fully expect you to do it. Do you understand?"

The Imp seemed surprised by the question, but it nodded its head anyway. When the Emperor stepped back away from the creature, the Imp stepped back into the shadows. With the blink of an eye, the Imp had disappeared to do its job. In the meantime, the emperor stepped back to his bed and he sat down on the foot of the bed.

He knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep until the Imp returned because he needed to watch. With that, he closed his eyes and he chanted the single word of connection. One moment he was staring at the darkness behind his eyes and the next he was staring at the streets of Dalkia. Good, the connection had gone through without issue.

The Chaos Demon watched through the eyes of the Imp as it moved from shadow to shadow, searching the city for something unknown. He wasn't exactly certain what was bothering him, but he knew that it had something to do with the Demon Clans. With that thought in mind, he knew exactly what his first order to the Imp would be.

"Imp, do a cursory run over the clan compounds." Azrieal ordered the creature in a stern mental voice and he felt the creature nod its head. He watched as the creature bounded through the shadows and headed for the clan compounds that lined the city limits. He knew that anything that he found could be damning, but he wasn't exactly certain what he might find.

Maybe one of the clan's were massing for civil war and wanted to kill the Emperor. That would make sense. After all, Clan Lords were always scheming how to get into a higher rank among the Empire. What higher rank was there than Emperor and Command Assassin?

He gritted his teeth, thinking what he would do to the traitors if he found them massing. However, as the Imp flew over each clan compound, he found no signs of an army massing. He found himself growing disappointed with the search and he wondered if maybe he was just being paranoid.

Then, he noticed it.

As the Imp flew over the top of the Blood Demon compound, he noticed that there was absolutely no movement. True, it was late at night and many people would be in bed by now, but there was always one person up roaming around at night. Especially in a clan as large as the Blood Demons. However, there wasn't a single light on within the Blood Demon compound and he found that to be suspicious. It could be nothing, but he was going to make sure first.

"Stop Imp." Azrieal ordered the creature sternly and he noticed that the creature stopped right away. It would be hovering in mid-air and anyone that walked by would've noticed, but he didn't care. This was the most important thing thus far and he was going to find out what was going on. "I want you to check the Blood clan compound. Look through every building and every room."

He could sense the confusion from the Imp, but it did lower down to the Blood clan compound. The creature moved through every house and every room searching, but there was no one. He gritted his teeth and he cursed loudly. It would seem that the Blood Demon clan had abandoned the Empire as well. But why would they do such a thing?

Then, it dawned on him. The Blood Demon clan had served under Acheron when he was a General. They had fought side by side to spread the borders of Dalkia as far as they were stretched. It was obvious that they still felt loyalty towards Acheron for that. Now, they had abandoned the Empire for the former General, and in the process, they had become traitors.

There was one way and one way only to deal with traitors to the Empire: execution. When he caught up with the Blood Clan, he would make an example of them. He would execute every last man, woman, and child in public so everyone could see what happened when you decided to betray the Empire. Then, he would have his other agent bring in Acheron and he could kill him as well.

The Imp was standing in the middle of the Blood compound and it was obvious it needed an order. It wouldn't act without his Emperor's actions. More Dalkians needed to learn to be that way and he would make sure that one day they would. They would be completely and utterly loyal to him, willing to take their own lives if their Emperor thought it necessary.

"Return to the palace and go about your way." Azrieal ordered the Imp in his mind and he felt the affirmation from the Imp. He cut his tie with the Imp and he sat back on his bed. At least now he knew what it was that had changed in Dalkia. It was quite a simple thing actually: he had been betrayed and deserted once again. This would not stand.

As he thought of ways to get revenge, he was picturing his brother and all that he could do to him as well. Executing his brother was the ultimate aim, but he would like to torture him first. However, he knew his brother and torturing him would do no good. He wouldn't apologize or beg for his life. He would simply take it with no emotion on his face and he probably wouldn't even scream in pain. He was a hard one and that was the only reason that it worried him at all.

Acheron was powerful, considered to be near the strength of the Emperor himself, and because of that, many people feared him. However, the majority of killers wanted his place as Command Assassin and that rank of prestige was enough to bring enough volunteers forward to try to kill him. He had had many Demons come to him and tell him that they wanted to go after him. For the most part, he had refused them, but there were about a dozen of them that he had told to go after at their own free will. He didn't honestly believe that they would be able to kill him, but it was worth a shot.

Mind at ease, the Emperor rose to his feet and he untied his robe. He allowed his arms to fall to his sides and the robe slipped from his shoulders to the floor. Done disrobing, he pulled back the black silk sheets and he crawled under the covers of the bed. He lay back and threaded his fingers behind his head and he smiled up at the dark ceiling.

Things were going to come down hard, and if things didn't work out with the assassins he sent after his brother, then there would be only one option left. War. To be honest, Azrieal didn't want to mobilize for war and take it to his brother. However, he might not have a choice and he didn't particularly care for that idea that he didn't have a choice in this. He might just have to mobilize for war and take it to the Wilds.

Banishing those thoughts, Azrieal turned over on his side and pulled the cover up to his neck. He closed his eyes and he began to breath more even. Before he knew it, he was falling into a deep, dreamless slumber that rested him.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tessla glided through the darkness, silent as a mouse and never seen. The Barbarian tribe was sleeping for the night and none of them would see him. Then again, it could be broad daylight and they still wouldn't see him. He was able to move under a cloak of invisibility that prevented anyone from seeing him and he was glad for that power. Otherwise, his job would be all that much harder, and when it came to the Command Assassin, he couldn't afford any more hardships.

The Lightning Demon knew Acheron all too well, and because of that, he'd been forced to fall back on other skills. He wasn't use to using deceptive means, but he was adept at it. Normally, his marks were weak beings and he could kill them with a single strike of lightning. However, he knew better when it came to the Command Assassin. That man was powerful - too powerful - for his lightning to be of any effect, and to be honest, he wasn't sure that he could deal with the older Demon at all in a physical match.

That wasn't what he had planned for the Command Assassin though.

No, his means of dealing with the Chaos Demon would be more roundabout and would take more time, but it would accomplish the same end. The Command Assassin would die and he would be the new Command Assassin of the Dalkian Empire. That was the rank that he'd fought for for centuries, and even though he was yet to attain it, he could taste it now. It was within his grasp now.

Tessla glided through the darkness towards the palace of the Elk. He knew of the plans of the Elk's King and he was all for it. It would only further his plan for the Command Assassin. However, he didn't have to know that he was being manipulated. If he had anything to do with it, the pathetic Human would never know how much he was being manipulated.

He slipped through the doors of the palace and he slunk down the hallways of the palace. He appeared immaterial and no one could see him at present time. He smirked as he moved deeper into the palace and up the stairs. He knew exactly where the new King slept and there was no reason to wait for him to wake up to do this. In fact, there was no reason to wait for his consent either.

Reaching the door to the Elk King's room, the Lightning Demon phased through the thick wooden door and he stepped into the room of the King. He narrowed his eyes and he searched out the man. He was sleeping soundly in his bed and he knew that the man would sense nothing. He wouldn't realize anything until it was too late and then he wouldn't be able to control himself. He would be destroyed and he would take Acheron with him.

The Assassin slipped over to the side of the bed and he stared down at the sleeping face of Darcine. The pathetic Human didn't even stir. These creatures surely were the weakest and most useless of all beings upon the Mortal Plane. He didn't know how these creatures had survived as long as they had, but the simple fact was that they had. The only Humans that he had any sort of respect for were the cutthroats of Dalkia and he even those were nothing more than scurrying little rats.

Tessla held out his hands and he gathered his essence into his palms. His hands glowed a dark blue and he began to wash the Human in his essence. His essence would invade his body, mind, heart, and soul. It would twist the Human until he was driven mad and he would become nothing short of a rabid dog to be put down. Also, any Human that Darcine went around would become infected with Tessla's essence.

Before they knew it, the Elk tribe would be completely and utterly infected. They would be driven insane and they would become the mindless warriors that the first Humans had been. All they would want was to fight and to kill. Losing men in battle wouldn't matter at all and there was only one way to reverse the affects. One could save the rest of the infected if the source - namely Tessla - was slain.

After several minutes, the Lightning Demon lowered his hands and he smiled. There was a faint glow around the man as his essence was settling in, but before dawn came, that glow would be gone. No one would be any the wiser to his infection, and before they figured it out, it would be too late.

Finished with what he had come to do, the Assassin turned and left the King's chamber. As he slunk from the palace and out of the Elk tribe village, he felt elation wash over him. He had just begun the second phase of his plan and there was no stopping him now. Then, his thoughts turned to Acheron and he smirked.

Tessla had appeared on the outskirts of the village when Acheron and the other Human were leaving, never to return. In retrospect, it probably wasn't a good thing to reveal his presence in the village, but he hadn't been able to resist it. He'd wanted nothing more than to rub his nose in the fact that he'd been forced out of the village and he was going to stay to control them while there was nothing that he could do about it. Of course, he knew the Command Assassin and he knew that he would be trying to figure out a way to handle Tessla without getting caught or killed.

That didn't matter though. There was nothing Acheron could do about his presence in the Elk village and they both knew it. He wouldn't be able to come after him without the Elk tribe turning against him and he knew that he wanted the Elk as his allies. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the possibility of having the Elk as his allies and he knew it.

Tessla smiled.

Acheron sat and stared into the flames of their campfire. His mind was lost in thought, but he wasn't ignorant of the things around him. He still heard the wind blowing and felt the temperature dropping. He heard the man across from him shifting as he waited for their food to be ready and he could smell that the cooking snow rabbits were just about ready.

He was yet to inform Darville of the Demon's appearance on the edge of the village and for good reason. If he had told him right then and there, he would've insisted on racing back into the village to kill the being. That was an understandable reaction, but he couldn't have that at that moment. It would be bad for their cause and it would get Darville killed. He'd been exiled and he could never return to the Elk.

If he'd rushed back into the village at that time, the guards would've caught him and killed him. He couldn't have that if he intended on the Elk being allies with him. As it stood right now, there was no way that the Elk tribe would be his allies. Not with Darcine as its new King.

He looked across the fire at the Barbarian, but he wasn't looking up at him. The Barbarian was staring at the landscape beyond with a look of wonder on his face. His brow was furrowed up with thought and he was pretty sure about what he would be thinking about. His thoughts would be on the Elk Barbarian tribe and how he could get back in their good graces. He had an idea of how he could do that, but he didn't think the man would think it was a good idea.

Even to him it sounded a little far fetched and extreme. After all, there was no guarantee that it would work, and if they failed, Darville would be killed. However, he should at least inform him of the idea and see if he wanted to run with it or not. Also, he should inform Darville about the Demon that was residing in the Elk village and was likely controlling the new King's actions.

The Chaos Demon gritted his teeth and kept silent for a while longer. He didn't know how much longer he could keep it inside, and in fact, he didn't know that he should. Maybe he should just come out and say it. It could be appreciated by the Barbarian. Or it could be shot down and he could be berated for such a ludicrous idea. Either way, it would be the Barbarian who would decide whether to go forward with such a plan or not. To be honest, he didn't see much choice. Really, it was the only option they had.

The Command Assassin kept his silence and he reached out, taking hold of the sticks of the rabbits. He sniffed them a couple more times to see if they were done, and finding that they were in fact ready, he held out one to the Barbarian, whistling to get his attention. The Barbarian looked up with a curious look on his face and he held the stick of rabbit meat out to him. His gaze dropped to the stick and he seemed to come back to his faculties because he reached out, taking it from him.

Acheron frowned, but he said nothing and he set to eating. The meat was juicy and well cooked. It was good for the stomach and filled him quickly. Despite the fact that he did like to eat a lot of food at one time, he could get by with just the one rabbit for now. He didn't need a lot of food, and from what the Human had told him, he didn't need a lot either.