Assassin in the Night

A shadow slid quickly across the cobbled road. A shimmering figure darted between shadows at a fast pace. Shir-ka sensed its prey moving and sped to catch up. The daemon did not have eyes instead it saw the world through its flaring nostrils. The beast was inside a shadow slipping across the ground. It flared it's nose while scanning for it's target. The environmental magic was like a soft light that reflected on the surrounding surfaces. The mind of the creature clearly drew an image of large buildings on either side of a street. The prey released a trail of magic that Shir-ka saw as a red floating smoky image. The shadow creature sped up to it's top speed. A tenuous thread connected the minds of "The Ancient One" and the rushing shadow.

Shir-ka knew that his master would not take kindly to letting the prey go, and the thread of thought proved him right. It wasn't words that could be shared through the connected minds, instead it was images, emotions, and impulses. Shir-ka was scared of "The Ancient One". Shir-ka's will had never been subdued and destroyed like "The Ancient One" did to him.

A faint trace of anger flowed through the thought gap and into Shir-ka urging him to collect his target. It had already been more than half an hour since his master released him to capture the fleeing mage. His master wanted the mage captured at all costs.

The reddish smoky trail of magic turned down a narrow alley with the Shadow Lion nipping at his heels. As Shir-ka turned the corner, a silvery light shone and bisected the shadow spell the velthum was using. The lion was forced out of its protective shadow and landed on all fours while flaring it's nose rapidly. A reddish tinge hung all over of the area blinding the creature to it's prey. The beast quickly turned its head left and right searching for its target. Another Silvery light shone and the creature tried to move. Shir-ka felt like something was wrong. It's body wouldn't respond. It tried to move it's head but another silver arc flashed. Shir-ka's mind's vision faded to black. There was an overflowing anger slipping through the closing mind gap.

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Drindle sat bolt upright on his bed and stared through Lionel. His eyebrows were furrowed and a dangerous light exuded from his pale blue eyes. "It's dead" His voice sounded astonished and didn't quite match the anger that his face shown with.

Those words meant little to nothing to Lionel who stared at the geezer with a quizzical expression. "what's dead?"

The old man's eyes had been looking beyond Lionel as if he wasn't there, but as soon as the boy spoke they snapped to attention. "The Velthum. We must see the queen immediately." The old man stood and stuck his hand out in front of him.

Lionel could feel magic flow into Drindle. reality began to change at the old man's command and a crack spread in the air. Soon Lionel was staring through the crack and at the inside of the castle throne room. "Wh... the..." Was all the boy could say before the old man cut him off.

"Let's go." was all the ancient man said before walking through the opening.

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Lionel fell to his knees as his body rejoined itself. Stepping through the crack made his body feel as if it was being pulled in two different directions. It wasn't until he stood that he realized there were 14 pairs of eyes on him and the old man.

"What is the meaning of this?" a snooty man's voice spoke loudly before anyone could react. It took Lionel only a second before realizing that man was Galorian. The slim man was standing beside the seated queen and looking down from their raised dias.

"No time to be butt hurt, we have an emergency" Drindle spoke while barely glancing at the angry slim man. Galorian looked taken aback and was about to speak before Drindle cut him off. "There is an enemy in the City and it's killed one of my Daemons"

The council of advisors eyes shone with a fear Lionel hadn't seen since his mother pushed him down into their cellar. They all turned and looked at the Queen and Galorian for direction. Queen Sophia's face shown with little emotion as she began to ask questions of Drindle.

"How many are there?"

"One that I saw"

"What did they use to kill the Daemon?'

"I'm unsure but it would have to be a mage with great skill to cut a Daemon down" The old man spoke while rubbing his chin.

"What were they after?" The Queen looked at Lionel with a wondering expression. Galorian didn't miss the glance and he too looked at Lionel.

"Aye" was all Drindle spoke before Galorian boisterously reacted.

"What do you mean 'Aye'?! This boy is barely a mage let alone worthy of an opponent that can kill a Velthum!" Galorian waved his hand widely.

"Astia was destroyed because someone was after this 'boy'" Drindle's cold response froze Galorian from speaking.

The queen stood quickly "What do you mean? Why would a whole town of more than three thousand be decimated for a boy?"

"This boy has with him a Token of Tsun." A slight gasp escaped the few members of the council who knew the legends. "I thought I masked it's power with an amulet of Angels I imbued." Drindle looked down at Lionel with a strange expression that the boy hadn't seen before.

Lionel's dream flashed before his eyes. His father stood before him in a field saying he must go on a journey to protect him.

"Was this the same perpetrator that destroyed Astia?" This time it was Galorian who spoke.

"I am pretty sure it is. I only caught a glimpse of his magic in Astia but I am fairly certain it is the same person." As Drindle finished speaking the queen rubbed her temples. "We must get him to the Grand Library at all costs." The old man looked toward Galorian and the Queen. "I thought I could handle this on my own, but if one of my Velthums has died..." The old man trailed off and looked at Galorian before speaking again. "There Catarina of the Nephrem will be better able to protect him"

Galorian's face was shaded as he looked down at the floor. "What are you going on about? We can use the Token of Tsun against our enemies. Just like they are trying to collect it and use it against us, so too can we use it against them."

The Queen sat hard on her throne. "Drindle, What do they want with this 'Token'?"

The old man shook his head slightly before speaking again. "I honestly don't know. I am not even sure what this token is capable of. Catarina the master Librarian may know more. I have been unable to study the old manuscripts for millennia, so I am unsure what she may have discovered in these years."

A man in his early thirties stood from one of the far seats of council members. "Well what are you doing then contact her already!"

Drindle turned to answer but was beaten by Galorian. "There is no way to do that. The Library is sealed from all outsiders. Only those Who the library deem worthy are allowed to enter."

At that Drindle spoke again. "If we go now, We can be to the Library in a few days."

"You would leave us unprotected?" Galorian spoke with a deep tone.

"The boy is the target, The enemy would follow him." The old man shrugged "I think this is the only way to avoid a repeat of Astia."

"We have eight thousand Apprentice Mages here and another Two hundred Master mages. There won't be a repeat of Astia." the slim old man on the dias spoke proudly.

The queen stopped rubbing her temples and spoke cooly. "You know as well as I do that this enemy has hellhounds and other underbeings. Hellhounds are the closest relation to Daemons in Slydall and therefore have the highest resistance to magic. Your mages will do little to protect this castle and Wastrial's people."

"Then what do you suggest?" Galorian retorted.

"Let them go to the Library and Leave Lionel in the care of Catarina. Drindle will then Join your forces and track this enemy down and wipe them from existence."