Chapter IV: Assassinations at the Xanadu

After what felt like an eternity swarmed with racing thoughts brought by that eye-opening revelation, I snapped back to consciousness only to find that Elder Califax' throat has been slit open by a man appearing to be one of a member of the Lunafall Consortium. He wears the cowl and the raiment of a councilman, though the absence of glowing eyes gave away his disguise as a member of the organization.

Chaos befell the great hall of Lunafall Xanadu as it became apparent an assassin has gotten in unnoticed by the guards and even by me. To top that off, he unfortunately was successful in killing the venerable Elder Califax.

The Lunafall councilmen were running away from the murderer in utter bouleversement, I could hear H'undras attempting to summon the guards of the xanadu but to no avail...

Everything had happened so fast I fear the situation might have gotten out of hand. No! Take control of the situation Miya! Be the leader that your people needs right now!

Right! Moments like these are when I am needed most by my people! I will not fail them at such a crucial time!

Now, eyes on the principal offender that is standing next to a lifeless Elder Califax directly infront of you.

The part of the table before the late Elder Califax was dressed in his blood, and his pale eyes that once radiated wisdom is now without soul, and left staring blankly at my direction.

From his dead body the assassin averts his gaze unto me; somewhat sending me a message of how I will be once he's done with me. I had no time to breathe it all in, for it seems I too am a target of the assassin.

His bloody, carnal knives thirst and his eyes are intent on killing his new target. He soon began diving towards me with every speed and agility that a panther possesses, and which I too luckily possess.

Upon nearing impact he plunged his dagger at where my heart should be with a great force.

I deftly dodged his attack and prepared to counter-strike by sending an arrow up the back of his head.

"May my aim be true!" The sacred prayer of every marksman.

The arrow flew swiftly towards the target, but the assassin was flexible enough to have turned his upper torso around and the rest of his body was swift to follow, allowing him to block the projectile via criss-crossed daggers.

It was then I knew, I wasn't dealing with any elf. Before me right now is a trained assassin with the only purpose of bringing the death of me, the Commander of my kin, together with the rest of the councilmen of Lunafall. I dare not underestimate such an opponent.

I had to step up my game. It's time I show him just who it is that he's dealing with.

"Alice sent you?"

"It matters not who sent me, it matters who I'm sent to kill." responded the assassin in his deep, raspy voice that was almost sexy. NOT NOW INNER MIYA! Wrong time, wrong odds.

He again charges at me 2 more times, and I dodge him each time.

"We can go on like this forever, but as much as I enjoy that raspy little voice of yours, I'm too busy a commander to actually have time for the frivolties that assassins like you offer.

So tell me, were you given information about your targets at the very least?"

"Do I need air to breathe? Of course we were given more than basic information about our targets. I know everything about you, little First-Bow, from unimportant things such as the moondew tea you drink every morning, to more savory matters such as a future you fail to see for your people ; you are a creature of habit, one I wouldn't hesitate to kill."

"Good. You do seem to know everything about me, all but one."

"And what would that be?"

"I can let you die from a mile away."

In an instant, I activated my stealth powers rendering me invisible from the naked eye of that annoying assassin. While in stealth, I am also able to move with greater haste.

I utilized this to run to his rear and send 2 arrows flying towards him at the same time, each piercing one of his knees.

The pain must have been terribly agonizing, since he screamed like how a young moon elf does when someone takes his berry candy from him.

No longer able to move, he was really forced "on his knees" to either surrender, or die from the cold glint of my arrows.

Immediately after, Councilman H'undras arrived with Moonsworn Templars to come after the perpetrator. They harvested his weapons and hancuffed his hands with lunar incantations.

Before they took him to the Moonsworn Citadel where he is to be imprisoned for only the rest of his long, blight elven life, I took my chance to talk to him.

"Plenty more where that came from."

"Finish me already please! A quick death is better than a lifetime of imprisonment. The old councilman was really my only target... your heads were just additional piles of gold. "

"I would but... I prefer to make use of that pretty raspy voice of yours."

"No matter what you do or say to me, you won't catch so much as a word from my mouth."

"My mother always told me, the hardest nuts to crack are the tastiest ones. Every one of us has a breaking point, assassin, and I will not tire in pushing you to reaching yours. Aratura, and I assure you that will be very soon."

As the Moonsworn Templars took away the assassin, the Lunafall councilmen gathered around me.

"You saved us all today, Commander Miya. We are gravely indebted to you." Acclaimed Councilman Corvoss.

I felt like I didn't deserve to be praised... if anything, I should be blamed for the death of the late Elder Califax.

"Thanks, everyone. But I wasn't strong enough to save ALL of you today. That assassin slipped through my one weakess and it had taken from us our venerable Elder Councilman."

"You were not responsible for the death of Elder Califax, we were." Stated H'undras.

"Rightly so. I'm afraid we were blinded by our wisdom, being unable to so much as notice the signs that would have easily given away the assassin, which would have prevented all this." Added Councilman Corvoss.

"Signs?"

"Yes. Earlier this morning I decided to visit Councilman Bandu's bungalow to return the Book of Sages, a wonderful grimoire, which he had so kindly allowed me to borrow the day before...

... I knocked 3 times but no one had answered, which was strange already since Councilman Bandu always wakes up to the sound of my knocking. After knocking a few times more I decided to just return it some other day. When I saw Councilman Bandu today just before the meeting, I saw blood which had stained the once golden lower rim of his violet councilman robe. I dared not ask how he got that, and proceeded to enter the Master Hall. I now realize that it was my biggest mistake."

"It's not only Councilman Corvoss. During the meeting, everytime I try to ask Councilman Bandu to voice out his opinions he just gives me the cold shoulder and ignores me. Maybe because it wasn't him all along." Added Councilman Agatha, a sense of guilt in her voice.

"Because of us, the late Elder Califax is dead and Councilman Bandu is nowhere to be found." Acclamed Councilman Corvoss with a sadness in his voice so real it's almost tangible.

The other councilmen were not infuriated by this as I had expected them to. Rather, they were all enchained with sorrow and started crying one after the other. Zignon and the others, even H'undras.

It was then I realized, this is not a time for pointing fingers. If we were to fight Alice, we should foster unity and trust in our ranks.

"Brothers and sisters, this is not a time for mourning. A close friend of mine had taught me once that it is the little things that matter most in this life. I know now what that saying is really trying to say, that we should be grateful for the little good things we have, no matter how big the bad things may appear to be."

The councilmen stopped crying, as their ears are now lent to my words.

"We may have lost Elder Califax and Councilman Bandu today, but something tells me they are in a better place now, with Mother Moon."

"Yes..." I could hear faint murmuring amongst them.

"... And all of you are still here to continue the mission of the Lunafall Consortium. You are HERE."

"Right!" With a more encouraged tone now.

"The late Elder Califax did not die in vain, for he was able to impart us his wisdom one last time so that we may be guided as to what we should do to win the war to come, and that is to awaken the Moon King!"

"Hear! Hear!"

"Most importantly, Councilman Agatha's hiccups... ARE NO MORE!"

"HOORAY!"

"*slightly embarassed* I might have held my breath long enough when you and that assassin were facing off, Commander Miya."

The other councilmen laughed. As for me, I felt proud that I was able to lift them up, given the situation. I have Rosden to thank for his advice.

Some time after, a special cadre of moon elves arrived at the request of Councilman H'undras to clean up the place and take with them the corpse of the late Elder Councilman where the proper rites shall be carried out tomorrow at the Moon Lake to honor his most heroic death.

It is a known Moon Elven tradition to send off our dead at the Moon Lake in a boat filled with a boquet of Nightbloom flowers, an exotic flora that blooms only when basked in Mother Moon's light. Lunar incantations are given by the Moonsworn Templars to the departed to make it easier for their spirits to leave from their physical bodies.

The loved ones of the departed usher the boat into the shallow parts of the lake, then leave it to sail on itself at the deeper parts.

When the boat nears the center of the lake where a whirlpool spins eternally, the spirit of the departed is ascended into the night sky where they become one of the stars.

Meanwhile, the boat containing the physical body of the departed is swallowed in by the whirlpool and sent to the deepest chasm of the lake.

It's an ancient tradition.

Later that night, extra Glade Guards were granted to the councilmen for their own safety, and Mikko and Rosden came over to my bungalow and we had dinner together like we usually do during weekends.

"... And he was like "You're an animal I will not give hugs to!" and I was seriously offended so I shot an arrow at each of his knee and he ended up being crippled and unable to walk. And Miya lived happily ever after, the end."

"M- moral of the story?" Asked Rosden in a nervous tone.

"Never mess with Commander Miya."

"Agreed!" exclaimed Rosden.

Each one of us had a long, hearty laughter I've never been able to fully experience in a long tims since HE left.

"Ok, now tell us what REALLY happened haha." Requested Mikko, who was always the more "serious" one out of the two.

"Okay here goes. It was a dark, stormy night at the haunted Lunafall Xanadu -"

"The REAL story, in full detail." Interrupted Mikko.

"Okay okay. So there I was, snapped back into consciousness..."

The day ended rather peaceful compared to how it had started, all things considered. After Mikko and Rosden left I couldn't help but head straight for my bed, which I have missed so, so much.

Its not only the bed which I missed though.

As I lied there, and as I stared blankly at the ceiling, I couldn't help but feel a hint of excitement as only one thing lingered in my wandering mind and ever-longing heart.

"Teetee, you better prepare your royal ass. I'm coming."