“It’s like this, remember?” She shook her head to indicate that she didn’t, and he smiled apologetically and shifted his footing. “Okay, put your feet like this. Right foot in front of the other. Crouch a bit. Yes, that it’s it” Victoria moved to follow his instructions. “See? It’s easy. Just basic defense. Make sure you keep one hand behind your back, and the other near your dagger at all times.” Roman demonstrated the move. “See, come at me, like an attacker” He gestured to her with both hands, before falling back into the position.
Victoria smiled, and made large, exaggerated moves towards Roman. “I’m attacking you!” She said, unable to keep laughter from creeping into her voice. “Victoria, this is serious.” He responded, but he said it as if he were trying to convince himself as well. As she neared, Roman whipped an imaginary dagger from inside his robe, and made a stabbing motion in her direction.
“In all honesty, Victoria, that was probably how Raela got you. It’s a basic defense move, but it can be used for offense as well.” Victoria felt her face fall. She’d nearly been killed over a basic move. One you should have known, the nasty little voice in her head piped up.
“No, Victoria, it’s alright, really. You didn’t know it, and it’s not your fault. We just have to focus on learning it now.” Roman smiled tentatively, as if he were unsure as to how she might react. At last, Victoria smiled back. “You’re right, I guess. But how is it you know so much more than me? We’re nearly the same age.” Roman looked at her and frowned. “I guess there’s a lot you don’t know. I’m not sure why Sister Katherine would have kept you in the dark about so much, but I suppose she has her reasons.”
Victoria felt her anger flare at Roman’s words, as she realized that they were all true. Sister Katherine had indeed kept her in the dark, her entire life. She’d always known of the Other Sisterhood’s existence. That sort of thing was hard to hide, especially when you actually lived in the convent. But Sister Katherine had failed to tell her that the other nuns had a family, and had a choice. Hell, she hadn’t even realized she had her own choice, until Grace told her. She wondered what other details about her life Sister Katherine had conveniently left out, but most of all, she wondered why.
“Victoria, hey, are you listening?” “Uh, yes. Go on.” She turned her attention back to Roman, who was now peering down at her, evidently concerned.
“Alright, I said, that, at least for the Other Brotherhood, you are inducted as soon as you want to be, really. My parents sent me to be a part of the Good Brotherhood when I was about 10. Shortly after, I learned of the Other Brotherhood, and demanded that I be inducted.” Roman’s face darkened for a moment. “I don’t know if that was really the best decision for me, at the time.” “Why?” Victoria settled down on the grass besides him, as she found herself growing increasingly enraptured by his tale.
“It’s not something I really like to discuss.” “Why?” “I just don’t.” He said, but this time, with an edge to his voice. “Don’t you have some things like that? Personal things?” Victoria looked down at her knees as she thought about this. “Well, I did, but someone named Roman came along, and decided that he was going to inform me of my innermost thoughts. If I had any personal thoughts, you did your best to make sure they weren’t any longer.” She said calmly, surprising herself more than anything. It had certainly irritated her at the time, that he could just get in her head and tell her how she felt, but in retrospect, it was kind of funny.
“So, what happened?” Victoria treaded forward carefully. Roman had always been privy to her personal beliefs, but never once had she had the same sort of discussions with him.
“I killed someone.”
For a moment, Victoria wondered if someone had replaced her heart with a tin can, because to tell the absolute truth, Roman’s confession raised no response in her whatsoever. “Okay, so you killed someone. That’s what the Other Brotherhood does. It’s really not that shocking.”
“I killed lots of people.”
“Okay.”
“I liked it.”
“Okay. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but I think I like it too.”
“I killed someone innocent.”
“So? A death is a death.”
“But this guy was innocent! He had a family, he had a life, and I took it from him.”
“Are you still going on about this Roman, seriously?”
“Yes, Victoria, seriously. I feel bad about it. Why don’t you?”
“Oh, I don’t know Roman, perhaps I have a wooden heart, who knows. But the fact is, you did it. I don’t know the whole situation or anything, but I do know this. If you wanted to stop working for the Other Brotherhood, since it’s getting in the way of your righteousness, then just stop. It’s that simple. Just stop. Work for the Good Brotherhood, feed some poor children, and feel better about yourself.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Why isn’t it? You actually had the choice, didn’t you? Well, I had the choice, I guess, but that’s a different matter entirely” Victoria waved her hand dismissively.”
“I can’t stop.”
“Why?” Victoria asked, exasperatedly.
“I don’t want to.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes. “So, you mean to tell me, that all this time, when you were complaining about me getting my “thrills” from this stuff, which, by the way, I’ve never actually killed anyone like you have, you were getting the same rush? And you were telling me I was wrong?” Victoria rolled her eyes as far back as they would go. “Oh boy. You’re the biggest hypocrite I’ve ever met, in my life.”
“No, I’m not!”
“Yes, you are. I’ll never meet a hypocrite as big as you. You’re the king of hypocrites really. And you rule over Hypocrite Land, too. Is it nice there?”
“Victoria, stop, seriously.”
Victoria stopped talking for a moment. Even if he was a hypocrite, the least she could do was hear him out, she supposed. “What?”
“I didn’t want you to enjoy killing, because I thought you were better than me.”
“Better than you?”
“You were raised in the convent, not the Other Sisterhood, up until very recently. I knew that you found the Other Sisterhood interesting and all, because I watched you, a few months ago, though.” He said, apologetically. “But, you were still a good person. I saw you argue with Sister Katherine over lying to the poor children. I really thought you were something. I never did that. I accepted the Other Brotherhood without asking, without caring. At least you cared. And that made you a better person, to me.”
Victoria stared back at Roman, unsure of what to say. It was the first time he’d ever really bared his soul to her, and unfortunately, he chose to do it at a time when they were broken up, so Victoria found herself treading carefully. “You really think I’m a better person than you?” Roman nodded, fervently. “Yes.”
Victoria sighed. “You know, Roman, I don’t know a lot about this, but maybe we’re looking at this too narrowly. Not everything is so black and white. We don’t have to be separated into good and bad people, right? We just do good and bad things.” She bit her lip, instinctively. It all sounded good, but she found herself wondering how practical it was, in the real world, in her real life. How could she, or anyone justify running a convent, and an assassin’s guild out of the same building? Tending to kids by day, and killing by night?
“But Sister Katherine is so good, and kind. How can she be?” Roman murmured, more to himself than to her. Victoria sighed heavily. “I don’t know. I really don’t. It makes me feel…lost” She admitted, feeling somewhat lame for doing so. “Me too.” Roman muttered, as the two of them remained seated on the grassy forest floor, too deep in thought to resume their training for the day.
The following day, Victoria and Roman met for training again. This time, there was a marked change in mood. They set to the training with a fervor neither of them had shown before, and by the end of the day, when they’d f
inally collapsed to the grassy floor, their expressions were grim, and unchanging. All morality questions aside, the task in which they had volunteered for needed to be completed, and as Roman told Victoria, while disappearing into the forest before nightfall, when taking on a task, an assassin is always expected to put his life on the line. “If he doesn’t finish it, quickly and efficiently”, Roman said, as he brushed past her shoulder in the darkness, “Be sure, that’ll be the way he dies. The code, of an assassin.”
“I guess it’s time then.” Victoria said, as she stood with Roman in the forest clearing. They’d been training for a week, and while it was not nearly enough time, Sister Katherine had informed her that the Board member who’d ordered the hit was getting antsy. “I guess so.” Roman replied, softly.
As the big moment grew nearer and nearer, Victoria found herself feeling the weight of her break up with Roman. It wasn’t anything he said, but rather, it was what he didn’t say. She’d told herself that she would have a fantastic time even if she had to drag Roman along, but she couldn’t help but notice how much that lessened the fun. On the plus side, however, their new-found friendship was getting less awkward, as there seemed to be some unspoken rule that whenever conversation turned too intimate, someone should bring up the weather.
“So, what now?” She asked, fingering her dagger nervously. She didn’t suppose that they could just walk up to the Prince’s residence and assassinate him. “We watch. Remember?” Victoria didn’t. Much to her dismay, her memory was still a tad fuzzy, probably from her injury.
“We’ve got to watch for a few days. Learn our target, and see what the best way is, to complete this. It’s all about patience. Do you have the maps?” Victoria nodded, and withdrew several folded pieces of paper from her robes and handed them to Roman. He in turn unfolded them and scanned over them quickly. “Alright. I’ve got it. This shouldn’t be too hard. It’s all right here.”
“It’s all right where?” Victoria asked, as she approached Roman and looked over his shoulder at the maps, bewildered. She heard Roman sigh impatiently, before launching into an explanation. “The Gloucester Estate is a historical landmark. It’s not all that hard to reach. You can even tour it during the day. The problem is, the part you can tour, isn’t actually where the Gloucester family lives. The estate is so huge, they could be anyway, but Prince Alexander, he’ll probably be in the back, with the game room, and all the other entertainment. I can see a teenage guy living there.”
“That’s just an assumption though, right?” Victoria asked, uncertainly.
“I mean, yeah, I guess it is, but I’m a teenage guy too, and I’d want to live by the ping pong table.”
Victoria stared at Roman in disbelief, opened her mouth to say something, but shut it, instead opting to roll her eyes. “Okay then…do you know the way? Are we going right now?”
“I don’t see why not, we’ve really got to get started. It’s this way. We’ll take the city route.” Roman set off back towards the convent, and Victoria fell in step behind him, her heart racing. It was really happening. Earlier, Roman’s spirits were dampening her own, but as she followed him, heading towards the Gloucester Estate, her excitement only grew. It was actually happening. She found herself wondering why she had allowed Roman to berate her over her giddiness. “Damn it. I don’t care what Roman says. This beats serving slop any day.”
The two entered the city just before dusk, and Victoria found herself looking every which way, with wonder. She’d never seen the city at night before, but after seeing it now, if she survived, she would make sure to return. Neon signs were everywhere. At the diner she and Roman had eaten at several months before, a large, flashing neon hamburger towered over it, along with the words “Best Hamburgers in Town!”
Victoria frowned, disappointedly, as Roman steered her past the diner, and further into the city of Gracelia. “Stay close, this isn’t a great part of town.” He said, and Victoria saw him reach in his pocket, to grip his dagger.
She looked around, down the various alleyways as they passed through. Everywhere she looked, the streets were deserted. A few stray pieces of paper rustled about on the pavement, along with the cigarette butts and bottles that littered the streets as well. Victoria looked back over at Roman, who still seemed tense, and wondered if this particular area was home to a lot of trouble. She can’t say she would mind a little scuffle before they got started though, as she still needed the practice. And besides, how could Roman possibly protect either of them with a knife, when the common street thug probably had a gun?
Knives and daggers were good for assassinations, she expected, as you could get up close and personal, and get the job done without spattering blood everywhere, if you were good. But in reality, they didn’t stand a chance when faced with a gun. Victoria thought about this, and then repeated her thoughts to Roman, who was still looking around, shoulders tensed.
“Don’t be the guy that brings a knife to a gunfight, Roman.” She said, laughing. He didn’t look at her, instead just increased his stride. “I will bring a knife to a gunfight, and win.” He said quietly. “Now, come on.” He grabbed her hand, and pulled her forward, roughly.
“What was that for?” Victoria asked, yanking her hand back, as she felt quite manhandled. “This area is safer. You were walking too slow.”
“What area?” She looked around. She couldn’t tell the difference, except perhaps there were more street lamps, and less trash.
“This one. We’re getting closer to the Prince.” Victoria looked around again, still apparently not seeing what he was. “Alright, if you say so.” She said shrugging, and she fell in step besides him.
They continued forward until gradually, the street lamps grew brighter, and more numerous. At last, they finally stepped into an area that was completely lit, and unlike where they’d just been, was as bustling as the city. Victoria glanced left and right, taking in her surroundings. It wasn’t a city, per se. A suburb would be a better word for it, she mused.
On both sides of her, she could see the beginnings of sprawling estates, complete with long winding driveways, with security booths at the front. “This is pretty much where all the board members live, I’m guessing?” Victoria asked, as she watched an automobile creep up a snaking driveway, to what she presumed was a very large house hidden deep beyond the brush. “It is.” “But, then how will we know where the Prince lives? And shouldn’t we be more, I don’t know, sneaky about this?”
“It’s fine, Victoria. We’re dressed like a monk and a nun. We don’t look suspicious.”
“But we ARE a monk and a nun. An assassin monk and nun, for that matter. Don’t people know that?”
“Nope.”
“You mean, no one knows that we exist? They think we just serve slop and pray?”
“Pretty much.”
“But why?” Victoria was beyond confused. “If a Board member did in fact order this hit, then he would know, wouldn’t he? It can’t be some sort of secret if the government knows.”
Roman sighed, and turned to face her. “Much of the government knows about us. Generally, they place the largest amount of requests each year. Against other cities, towns, and each other.”
“That’s…sick.”
“Well, that’s how it is.” Roman replied, wryly.
As she and Roman inched closer to the Gloucester Estate, Victoria’s mind was spinning. She was literally here, and about to do this. Well, the actual assassination wouldn’t happen yet. Tonight, was just the watching. But the watching started it all. She felt her fingers tingling with excitement.
“Ah, I think we’re getting close. Look, Victoria.” She looked up, and followed Roman’s eyes to what was clearly the grandest estate in the area. For as far as her eyes could see, there was lush, green grass, and a smooth, asphalt driveway that seemed never-ending. And, to add a finishing touch to the clear exclusivity of the estate, a tall, barbed wire fence ran the length of it. “Tie up your robe, and put on your hood.” Roman w
hispered, urgently. Victoria did as she was told, and looked over to Roman who was doing the same, and couldn’t believe her eyes.
Roman was gone.
Well, at the very least, she couldn’t see him. He blended in with the night perfectly. Victoria truly would not have noticed his presence, if hadn’t already known he was there. “It’s great, right?” Roman’s voice came from somewhere in front of her. To her pleasant surprise, despite his adamant, and (Victoria could say this now, as they were separated) boring moral discussions, even he seemed to be catching the excitement. It must be contagious, she thought. “You look just the same. Except for that golden strip, there.” Victoria felt a rush of movement in front of her, and she realized that he was pointing at her. She looked down, to see the familiar golden strip running across her abdomen. “What’s this even here for, anyways?” Roman shrugged, or at least, she thought he did. “I think it’s supposed to reflect light.”
Victoria shrugged herself. “Well, okay. I hope it doesn’t get me spotted, though.” No worries, Victoria. It won’t. Besides, if we’re lucky, we won’t even need to go inside, except for the actual kill.” She felt herself shiver at the word kill, and waited for the metaphorical angel on her shoulder to show up, and tell her that this was all wrong. It didn’t, so she pulled her hood lower over her eyes, and fingered her dagger. “I’m ready. Now, how do we get in?”
She and Roman spent the next ten minutes plotting a way to get around the barbed wire. They sat down on the street curb, and looked over the maps. Whenever people stopped to stare in their direction for more than a moment, Roman would loudly proclaim “I see the nearest convent is just 5 miles east of Gracelia. Remember to bring your tithes.”
“The Prince’s quarters, I believe, are around the back.” “Right, where the game room is.” “Right. So, we’ll need to start walking east along the fence. There are plenty of trees about, so we should have more than enough coverage.”
Rise Page 14
