In every world there are the heroes. Heroes who save their land from whatever
evil has befallen it. They are the ones who help keep the balance between everyone
so that their world is at peace. Also in every world there are the villains.
They are the ones who try and break the balance, but are always stopped by the
heroes. But what about the ones that every one forgets; the ones who take no
side? They are the ones who are both good and evil. These creatures take many
names for themselves, and one of them is the assassin. This is the story of
a Zafara who lives by her wits, and not just any Zafara. She is the Zafara Assassin.
I ran down the stairs with cries of, "Stop that Zafara!" and "Get the scoundrel!"
following me. I ignored the cries, for my first priority was escape. I was halfway
down the stairs when I noticed that a Gelert and a Kyrii were coming up the
stairs after me. At the top of the stairs, a few more pets were coming down
towards me. I looked to the right where a stained glass window was; it was my
only chance of escape. I watched and waited as the pets crept in closer to me,
thinking that they had me cornered, then I drew out my green handled dagger.
"Watch out, she has a dagger." The Gelert yelled backing up.
I sneered at him, "All the better to escape with." And I threw the dagger
at the window, shattering it. I jumped through the window pane and ran to the
edge of the roof, wiping the sweat off my brow. Behind me I saw the pets start
to climb out through the window, so I looked down at the ground. It wasn't that
high of a drop, so I jumped, my blue cape waving with the wind as I fell to
the ground. Then, after picking my blade off the ground, I ran into the forest,
my brown tunic and pants providing me camouflage against the Neopets sitting
baffled, looking for me on the roof. I had completed my mission.
I am Zarrel Charmain. I am the Zafara Assassin, known as the red ghost to
my victims, the best in the job to my employers. Master of disguise, my job
is to target and destroy whomever I am assigned to.
I took off my gloves and carefully hung them besides my dagger, for my gloves
are one of the most important items in my job. They let me work without leaving
fingerprints, and they provide a grip for holding on to my dagger, so I could
not risk them being ripped or torn as I made my way through the night.
There was no moon this night, however from years of living out in the forests
I had no trouble finding my way home. I walked through the forest, the trees'
branches scratched over my back, and I couldn't help but give a small shiver.
The rocks in front of me were practically invisible, but I still made it over
and around them without any problems. I walked closer and closer towards home,
until I saw the large oak that marked where I lived. Once I was home, I walked
over and sat down on a rock beside my sleeping mat, and from my bag of provisions
I took out a needle and some thread, and I started patching up a hole in my
tunic. "With what you get paid you should probably just buy a new tunic," My
Airax Tarnox said, landing on my shoulder.
"Well, this tunic is lucky. I am not just going to throw it away, and besides
the patches should help me blend in better, instead of being a solid color."
I said, stroking the feathers on his head, his favorite part to be scratched
on. They were as soft as anything I could possibly imagine. "Now go and find
another perch. It is hard to sew when an Airax is on your shoulder." Tarnox
smiled and he flew over to a branch, ruffled his feathers, and closed his eyes.
"Goodnight, Zarrel Charmain," he said to me, then when I heard the soft noises
of his breath quiet. I knew that he was asleep.
Tarnox and I had been together for many years. I had found Tarnox in the burning
rubble of a house, where his past owner had abandoned him. I made my way through
the flames, and saved him. Since then, he and I have been together at all times.
Finished with sewing up my tunic, I put the needle and thread away, then I
laid down on my sleeping mat, pulled a warm blanket over me, and fell asleep
listening to crickets chirp, and all the soft murmurs of the night.
I awoke to the sound of chirping birds, and to the morning sun's glare. I
got up and took a couple of eggs from my pack, built a fire, then started to
cook breakfast for Tarnox and I. Tarnox woke just as the eggs were finished,
so I put his egg on a plate and put it down next to me. "Quickly finish up your
breakfast Tarnox, for we are leaving for Teralk's headquarters to get my pay
in about one fourth an hour." Teralk was one of my many employers, and he owed
me my pay for completing a job.
Later on I was walking towards Teralk's HQ with my provisions pack over one
shoulder and Tarnox on the other. The morning sun was at my back, making our
shadows twice as long a usual. Tarnox lifted his wings up and down to watch
his shadow grow and shrink. "Look Zarrel," he said, "I am bigger than you,"
he said lifting his wings. "Now I am smaller again," he said, putting his wings
back down.
I laughed at Tarnox, "You are a great friend, and partner." I said rubbing
his head feathers.
Soon Teralk's HQ was in sight, so I quickened my pace. I walked up to the
front gate where two Tonu stood guard. "State your name and business!" the red
one roared at me.
"Must I say this every time? I am Zarrel Charmain, and I come here to receive
my pay from Teralk for completing my assignment."
The other Tonu, a blue one, said, "Wait here," and he walked inside the gate.
He appeared a little bit later and said, "Follow me." He led Tarnox and I around
several buildings, then up and down a few flights of stairs to try and confuse
me to where the location of Teralk was. However, because I have already been
through this so many times, I could find the location of Teralk no problem.
Finally, the blue Tonu stopped us at a large door that was laden with designs,
and said, "Enter here."
"That guard doesn't talk much. All he can handle is two words a sentence."
Tarnox said in my ear while eyeing the blue Tonu.
"When we are inside, and in Teralk's presence, keep your head held high Tarnox."
I said to my Airax.
"I won't forget Zarrel Charmain!" Tarnox said.
"Also keep quiet!" I hissed to Tarnox as we walked towards the door, with
Tarnox nodding to show that he understood.
I walked in hard eyed and stiff shouldered, as an assassin should be when
approaching an employer. The room was dimly lit with just one window, so it
seemed as if the room was filled with a blue glow. I walked up to Teralk, who
was standing looking out the window surveying his fortress. Teralk turned and
faced me. He was a fire Lupe, strong eyed, and muscular. "So Zarrel Charmain,"
he said with a sneer, "you have eliminated the Kyrii lord's son?"
"Yes, Teralk. Now, that will be 2000 as agreed." I said sternly, slitting
my eyes, for I did not want to have been cheated.
"Yes, take your neopkins." He held out the bag of Neopoints to me, which I
snatched up. Holding the bag, I started to make my way out of the room. "Hold
up Zarrel Charmain, I have a job offering for you. One that is dangerous, and
involves your skill, for you are the greatest, and the most experienced assassin
alive." Teralk looked at me to make sure that he had my attention.
"Yes, go on." I said, ready for another job.
Teralk then continued, "Of course, one can expect to be paid a hefty sum of
neopkins for this job." Teralk grinned at me, showing all of his white teeth,
knowing that I wouldn't turn him down.
"What kind of job?" I said to Teralk staring into his eyes.
"Well Zarrel Charmain, do you know Pailoth?" Teralk said, his knife-tip teeth
showing through his smile again.
"Of course I know him. He is the prince of this country. He is destined to
become the king." I practically yelled to Teralk, for I hated it when creatures
started to play guessing games with me.
"He is your target, Zarrel Charmain. I want you to destroy the prince of this
country. I am offering 8,000 neopkins. What do you say?" Teralk snickered evilly
towards me. He knew that I would raise the price.
"There will be many guards, so 30,000... and I want to be paid in advance."
I bargained, expecting Teralk to lower the price like any employer would do.
"Deal! A perfect price for the best assassin in the land." And Teralk handed
me the Neopoints. At first I was dumbfounded, but almost immediately I recovered
my wit. That was too easy, I thought to myself. He didn't even ask for
a lower price; I knew he had something up his sleeves. Perhaps something that
had to do with my new job, but what?
Teralk sent Tarnox and me out, and we walked through his HQ, led by the blue
Tonu, until we exited the main gate. Then the two Tonus had us take our leave.
As we walked out of sight of his HQ, Tarnox asked me, "Did that seem a little
bit too easy, or was it just me?"
"Okay, I am glad that I am not the only one who thinks that things are a little
weird." And I rubbed his feathers. "Lets go put these Neopoints back at our
camp; I want to travel light, so that we can have speed on our side."
I jogged back to my camp, for the sooner I left to do my job the better. Once
there I unloaded my pay, and I rolled up my sleeping mat. I then grabbed a few
items that could help me, and after that I left with Tarnox flying just above
my head.
As we walked on, and more of the day passed, I motioned for Tarnox to come
closer, "Tarnox, fly up into the sky and tell me if anyone is coming." I continued
walking through the forest, my Airax high in the sky above me, checking to make
sure that no one ran into me.
As the day dragged on and the sun went lower on the horizon, nothing much
happened at all. Even Tarnox did not have to warn me of any creature that might
be a problem. When it got darker I called Tarnox in, for I did not want us to
be separated by the coming night, so I walked on with Tarnox on my shoulder.
"Where are we going exactly, anyways?" Tarnox asked me.
"We are headed for the kings castle over in south Laxcorna. There we can find
a way to destroy prince Pailoth." I said to Tarnox. As we walked, I looked at
the pendant that I used to hold my cape on. It was shining gold with the sun's
last rays of light. It was made for me especially; shaped like a skull to show
that I was an assassin. It was like my symbol, standing proud on my front.
I looked up into the sky, the clouds a golden pink color. Rays of yellow shot
through the clouds, and rays of blue and green covered the sky. The sun was
a giant golden yellow sphere on the horizon. It had clouds going through it
to give to it an even more dazzling appearance then it already had. "I love
sunsets." I said to Tarnox. "Them and sunrises."
"So do I, Zarrel. The colors make it look as if all the great painters of
the world flew up and painted a lovely picture right in the sky."
We sat there watching as the sun went down a sliver at a time, until all that
was left was a tiny sliver on the horizon. Then that went away also. I stood
up with Tarnox on my shoulder, and started walking just as the first star appeared
in the sky.
Tarnox and I went on under the stars for most of the night, and we made camp
only when we breached the rim of the forest, for the forest provides safety
and cover. I unrolled my sleeping mat and laid it out, while Tarnox found a
suitable branch to sleep on. "Good night, Tarnox. Sleep well, for in the morning
we shall complete our job."
"Good night, Zarrel Charmain" Tarnox said. I looked into the sky, at the millions
of stars, wondering how many there were, then I fell asleep.
I woke up in the morning and got right to work on disguising myself, for I
could not go out looking for prince Pailoth dressed like what I was, an assassin.
I reached into my pack, pulling out all of the necessary items I would need,
then I was ready to disguise myself. First I put on a shawl, and then I placed
a bonnet over my head, shadowing my face to cover my identity. I took off my
cape, folded it, and packed it up. Then I put on an overly large jacket, which
concealed the belt that held my dagger. After that I put on a knee long skirt,
and an apron. For finishing touches, I rubbed dirt over my face and arms, so
I appeared as a common working maiden.
I put our breakfast on the fire, and cooked some bacon strips for Tarnox and
me. I had just finished making and eating breakfast when Tarnox awoke "Wow,
you look awful Zarrel Charmain. You can hardly see your bright red features
with that hat and that dirt all over you. A good thing no one will recognize
you, because what would they say?" he declared.
"That's the point of a disguise Tarnox, to have no one recognize you. Now
hurry up and eat, so we can get going."
I was off by the hour, with Tarnox on my shoulder, and as we walked into the
city of Laxcorna, I whispered to Tarnox, "Keep your head bent. We have to keep
up our disguise as a working maiden and her Airax, so we can't be walking proudly
with our heads held high. Working maidens just don't walk around that way."
And then we continued into Laxcorna.
I walked, shoulders slumped and head lowered through the city towards the
kings castle, which stood on top of a hill in the center of the city. No one
even paid us a glance as we walked up towards the castle's front gate. "Okay
Tarnox, we will just blend in with the other workers, so that we can get in."
Luckily for us, at the front gate there was a group of maids walking into
the castle, so I walked over and got into the middle of their group. I walked
along with all of them jabbering about how much work there was to be done. Just
when their jabbering was starting to get on my nerves, we approached the castle
gates of Prince Pailoth, and we were able to pass the guards without a second
glance.
As soon as I was in, I ran out of the annoying group of workers, and ran down
a hall into an unoccupied room. "Well, what's the plan?" Tarnox asked me.
I grinned. "While we walked through the city, I heard several creatures talking
about a banquet tonight in honor of the king."
"And?" said Tarnox.
"And as the tradition goes, the first person to eat or drink to the king's
health will be the creature next in line to the throne, and that creature is
prince Pailoth." I reached into my pack and took out a half-full glass vial.
"We could just put a little poison into his food, and finish the job without
any problems. Now, we have to go and find the kitchens, so that I can pour some
of this into Pailoth's plate."
"Good plan Zarrel Charmain. Lets go."
I put the vial back into my bag, and started to walk around looking for the
kitchens. I was searching around the hallways, looking for the kitchens, when
a door opened up in front or me. I ran into a vacant room, out of the sight
of whomever was coming out of that door. I put my ear up to the door, and I
listened as their footsteps grew fainter and fainter, then I came out of the
room. I was just about to start up my search for the kitchens again, when a
voice sounded behind me. "Hey you! Who are you, and what are you doing here?!?"
To be continued... |