"First Commandment: Thee shan't venerate other beings for I am thy creator and benefactor."
The silhouette approaches the man crawling away, despair imbued in his eyes as it slowly emerges from the darkness. A long bright claw gives terror to the man as he is cornered, like a rat, and pleads for his life.
"Second Commandment: Thee shall serve I, for I am your god and Annihilator."
Screams envelop the hall as lives perish, corpses falling down to the ground as it echoes through, the stench of blood lurks like mist and perforates the sense of smell.
"Third Commandment: Thee shall incorporate my holy teachings for I am righteous and adjudicator."
"Please have mercy on me, I don't want to die!"
The cornered man pleads as his tears flow down, consumed by fear and trembling like a leaf as the tip of the claw touches his throat. The assassin watches the man with disdain and spite for his vain and pitiful act of begging salvation.
"You have defied the three commandments, there is no mercy for those who go against god."
Her claw penetrates the tender and warm meat of the poor man, blood gushes out as his ominous screeches consume his last breath. His body drowning in his own blood, the hellish orchestral music of terror and carnage dies out as the assassin leaves the hall in flames to erase any evidence of the eradication. She wipes out the blood out off her claw as she walks through the woods, concealed once again from the eyes of the moon.
"Great job as always Natalia."
The other assassin says as she follows while sheathing her daggers, Natalia smugs in return,
"More importantly, Domenica. Did you make sure no renegade has escaped?"
"Of course, every one of them went through our blades and claw. All 36 of them."
"As if someone can survive from my deadly claw."
Domenica simply sighs against Natalia's remark, she has the talent and cold blood to booth but that conceitedness of hers is the only flaw. Natalia was raised as an assassin, to be precise it was fate that decided for her to become one, and serve the church of light with her ability.
"Let's hurry Domenica after we report to the holy church I want some ale. Your treat!"
"Huh? wai-"
Natalia vanishes before Domenica could even retort to her. The two disappears in the thick forest leaving no trace nor scent that can be followed by someone, leaving only the naked beauty of the trees. After a few hours of travel, the assassins arrived at the church. A humongous gothic structure adorned with statues made of marble, veiled in light to fend off darkness from entering the holy ground.
"So you have returned my children. Natalia, Domenica. The purification was successful I presume?"
An old man, wearing a white robe and golden stole with crystals embedded on it, spoke as soon as the two assassins arrived. He gives off the air of authority amidst his wrinkly face and gray hair, sitting on a cathedra made of marble and fingers decorated with precious looking rings. The two assassins kneel in front of the autocrat with their heads facing the crimson carpet.
"Yes, reverend cardinal. The renegades that have been spreading false teaching on the east gate are now purified and their souls sent to the purgatory to repent and return to our almighty god."
Domenica responds with utmost humility and respect to the second most powerful entity of the church of light.
"We've also gathered new intel from them. It seems that their headquarters is located near the ruins, southwest, 125 kilometers from here. The cult leader is known as Faramis, an ex-alchemist from the oriental lands. That's all reverend cardinal."
Natalia adds as soon as her companion gave her report. The cardinal smiles with glee at the two, nodding his head with content and slowly claps his hands to congratulate them for the excellent job.
"Very well done. Three days from now you will depart and purify the blight at the ruins, we have an agent dispatched in a town near it, report and learn from him the topography and other basic knowledge of the area. For now, you have time to rest and prepare before the mission. You are now dismissed, may our omnipotent god bless you."
"Amen!"
The two exalts as they stand and bow at the cardinal before leaving his office. Another night had passed as her claw grows fond of taking away lives, it is her partner since she was a little girl. Together they experienced harsh training and bitter reality that this world is filtered with. Along with Domenica who, like Natalia, is an orphan and grew from the code of the blade. They were like sisters even though they are not blood-related, they accomplished many assassinations under the volition of the church of light. Killing for the sake of god, taking someone's life whoever tries to defy the church or tarnishes its good reputation. With the many achievements that Natalia claimed from the past few years, she became prideful and arrogant, causing her to neglect basic training and teamwork exercises that are keys for successful assassinations. She just plunges toward the opportunity as soon as it appears in front of her, disregarding your team can be proven fatal but as of now nothing happened of the sort between Natalia and Domenica. The three days went by like the wind and the two arrived at the town where they met Tigreal, the agent that the cardinal was referring to, a well-built man forged in the frontline of the war. Taking account of the intel that Tigreal had, where only a little information about Faramis is in disposition, they will execute the mission at twilight.
"So you want me to be a diversion while you sneak through?"
Tigreal asks to clarify the objectives,
"Run havoc at the gates so you will keep the guards and other cultists busy. As for me and Domenica, we'll deal the last blow. Easy right?"
"Are you really sure that a childish tactic like this will work?"
Domenica questions Natalia's plan, making sure that she might have a better one. Since Faramis is still unknown to them.
"Experience is our best weapon Domenica."
"It might be bu-"
"No more questions, let our blades do the talking. Time to purify the blight."
Natalia interrupts Domenica and wears her most trusted weapon as she assumes her position. Domenica shrugs and follows her with a little disappointment in her eyes, a sigh slips through her mouth to quench all the negativity and heightens her focus. Natalia signals Tigreal to start the chaos and with no hesitation, he complies the order alerting the guards and sending a dozen of them flying, a few enemy reinforcements came after. At the span of a second, the assassins reach Faramis accompanied by his guards peeking at the cause of the disturbance.
"Who is this insolent disturbing the peace of my place?"
"We don't know, great mage Faramis, but he suddenly appeared from nowhere."
A guard replied to him, with a sour expression he glares at the guards
"He's alone and you incompetent fodders with the number as advantage can't even silence him? Go you imbeciles!"
With fear, the guards run away to assist the others, but before they could reach the door Domenica sweeps them away. Faramis looks at her with stupor,
"Who are you?"
"You can call us the tools of god."
Natalia suddenly appears behind him pointing her claw on his throat, he chokes for the sudden appearance of the other assassin. With malice, he looks at Natalia,
"What do you want from me, you church dogs?"
"Your atonement and convergence towards our god."
Her claw lacerates Faramis' throat leaving his head hanging at a thread of meat from his body, now that her enemy is inanimated she walks toward Domenica smugging on her way. An eerie snicker suddenly reverberates throughout the walls alerting the two that the mission is still far from finished.
"Ridiculous! Have a taste, of my most sinister magic!"
Natalia suddenly returns from where she came from and in front of her a spectral being arises from Faramis' body, making ominous sounds as it levitates in the air. She became immobilized as if petrified by the grotesque creature that is readying to kill her.
"Natalia!"
Domenica leaps toward them shoving Natalia away, she took the damage in her stead. She knew that it is impossible to survive the attack, an attack that rotten the very soul, as her body cripples away a faint smile surfaces from her as if bidding farewell. The specter holds Domenica's soul with satisfaction as he juggles it in his hands, he then consumes it giving him power. Natalia felt a surge of vengeance as she sees Domenica's body becoming ashes, the pain of losing a precious comrade, the anger of oneself for being the cause of the loss; all those emotions mixes inside of her driving her to end this madness once and for all.
"Why don't we spice things up? Come forth, my slaves!"
A magic circle appears beneath them, making tremors and the corpses that were on the floor are suddenly reanimated. A tear runs on her cheek as she sees Domenica standing up once again but in a spectral form.
"Its five versus one. Now let's see what you'll do, tool of god."
Nothing can stop Natalia now, with a war cry she plunges toward them giving a flurry of attacks that destroys anything that it is on the way. Even though Faramis is getting overwhelmed it doesn't bother him because no matter how many times his slaves fall apart they will just return from the ashes. A battle of time, a two-edged sword that can decide the end of this battle, whether Natalia will collapse of exhaustion or Faramis will run out of magic essence. Natalia can easily beat the reanimated guards but she's having a hard time against Domenica's specter, it has the strength and cunningness of the real Domenica and most of all it pains her to hurt someone she held dear.
"C' mon! Keep it up! Are you already out of breath?"
"I swear in god's name. Faramis, you're going straight to hell!"
"Gladly! If you can, that is!"
Faramis casts again the attack that killed her companion, sending spirit balls that latch to the enemy causing a shock that damages the very soul. Natalia, fatigued and wounded, barely dodges it but still took some heavy damage causing her to be paralyzed.
"I guess this is the end. I'm gonna take your soul then make you one of my slaves, be honored."
Natalia lies on the floor, immobilized as she looks at him with loathing, her will to fight seeps away as Faramis comes to finish her off. Her soul slowly drifting away from her body, flashbacks of her life runs through her head as excruciating pain accompanies her every lament. Just when she thought that everything has ended a sudden ray of hope comes and saves her from the brink of death. Tigreal charges towards Faramis, interrupting the extraction of Natalia's soul.
"Get up and end Domenica's pain!"
As she regains control to her body she dives at the speed of light, disintegrating the corrupted souls and Faramis launches one final screech of agony as he slowly disappears from existence. The battle finally ended and Natalia breaks from crying as she collects Domenica's daggers, lost her precious person and her arrogance was the reason. There is no one to blame but herself, remorse is all she feels now for being weak and stupid. Tigreal also feels sad for a valuable comrade is now gone but tears won't bring them back to life,
"You have to become strong Natalia, not for the sake of defeating enemies. But for the sake of carrying the wishes of your fallen comrades on your shoulders."
She wipes her tears as she listens to Tigreal's words, it gave her a little push to move forward and a reason to stand again,
"I know, and this is only the beginning."