Chapter 64 - Kelaila Shadow & Hidden Intentions (2)

After that morning appointment with the tailor, I went to the academy security building to claim back my longsword, which they had confiscated for the time being. The Mage Academy's security force were known as Enforcers and each of the academy's guard had the power to quell any troubles or conflicts they saw.

It took quite a while before I received my weapon along with their express permission and a warning to not draw my weapon on academy grounds. It took even further to convince them to grant permission on whether I could do practices with the weapon on academy grounds.

All that said and done, I practiced the Wandering Flame style at an isolated place of the academy grounds, near one of its many forest. The academy Enforcers had reluctantly given permission to practices on the condition that I could only do so in isolated areas, away from crowds.

After practicing, I used the “free reign” Calina had given me, and left the academy grounds to head toward the nearby southern town. It was the place where Veena would be lying low waiting for me. I knew that I looked suspicious in leaving the academy, but I had told Calina that it was for personal reasons, and that I would most likely be back in two weeks.

Calina had agreed, but there was a forlorn look on her face, though she tried to hide it. She was most likely assuming that I would never come back. I was not sure where she got that idea from, but oh well, I did not have much care for it.

There was no need for me to attend any of the academy classes because my status as a student was special, an exception. To be blunt, the academy administration did not give a shit about me.

The academy grounds were extensive, so depending on your walking speed, it would take about two hours to get there. All of the academy lands, however, are not used for buildings and other necessary faculties. Having such large grounds, there were still forests close to where the academy borders ended, and where the surrounding towns began.

It took only a short moment of traveling unseen and at a quick pace before I arrived at the southern town.

I activated the bond Veena had created between the two of us. It was a bond of servitude, which she had called a “Dark Fealty.” It had take some time getting used to this bond; in a way, the bond felt as if I had grown a new hand, or even a new appendage. A strange feeling, I must admit. It was comparable to the time when I had just been hatched as a newly born wyrm.

Upon activation, the bond told me of Veena's location, or at least the general direction she was at. Her Dark Fealty would also stop her from doing any harm toward me, her master. And in the event of my death, Veena would also die along with me.

Following the bond's sense, I arrived at one of the town's inn and asked the middle-aged innkeeper for the patron named Veena—there were no need for different names since the name Veena itself was a fake name. Her real name, or so she had told me, was Kelaila Shadow. (I shall, however, continue calling her Veena, for the most part).

I knocked on the door.

“It is open,” Veena's voice came from within the room.

Veena had no need to confirm who I was, as the bond went both ways. The differences, however, were that I could harm her if I chose to and that if she were to die, I would not die. I know, it was quite a convenient bond.

Opening the door, I found the female assassin entirely naked, her legs crossed in a way that barely covered her sex. She was on the edge of the bed, sharpening a dagger on a small whetstone. The motions made the muscles on her lithe body flex outward and her small breasts slightly bounced, accompanying those motions.

And what should have been an otherwise unmarred and graceful body, there were multiple thin, white scars tracing her golden-brown skin. They covered almost her entire body, except for her back where there was a large tattoo of a shadowy snake wrapped around a dagger. The only reason I saw this from my perspective was that the female assassin had gotten up from the bed to pick up the laid out daggers on the table.

After that initial observation, I did not pay her naked form anymore heed, nor did I pay attention to some of the more brutal scars on her body. Though I was a little curious about it, to be honest.

Veena went back to sit down on the bed after obtaining another dagger, her body faced toward my position where I was standing in front of the door. She turned her head slightly upward toward me, but continued slowly sharpening her dagger, as if attempting to taunt me. “So, my Dark Master, why the sudden need to see me?”

Her body shifted, but I remained indifferent to her spread legs, which revealed a small tuft of red hair above her sex.

“Starting today, we shall begin eliminating the organization known as Malice.”

Veena's large, slit-like eyes, which had a twinge of golden in them, widened considerably. “Surely you do not think the two of us could do such a feat...”

I ignored her doubts. “For now, we shall remain in this town for tonight. It is too late to do any real traveling.”

I turned my back toward her and proceeded to leave the room.

“Wait! Are you not curious about my body.”

“Why would I be, Veena? In the end, you are only a tool, whose goals aligns with mine."

There was a palpable silence as she took in my words. “I see. Will you at least listen to my story?”

The female assassin was mistaken if she thought I was a priest to confess her life story to me. I was neither her comrade nor her family. In fact, I was not even a human, though she seems to have temporarily forgotten about this fact.

Still, I decided to listen to her story. After all, it could contain some clues, and I was a bit curious. Her personality, I was beginning to think, was strange, perhaps even insane. She had been so vehement toward me a while ago, and now she was acting somewhat docile.

“Alright,” I said.

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My true name, as you already know, is Kelaila Shadow.

At first thought, without any knowledge of the darker and more secretive aspects of this kingdom, you would not know that the name Shadow comes from a long line of assassins. You would only think it was a strange name.

If you truly knew of the name Shadow, you would fear it, for the Shadows were an elite branch of Malice, the assassin organization you seem to have a grudge with.

That said, I was born to this family of assassins, and my training began when I turned six.

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“Before we even start any training, Novice Kelaila, I must blood you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, father,” I replied as any obedient daughter would.

I felt a sharp stinging sensation—father had slapped me. It was hard enough to put me off balance.

“It is master to you, Novice Kelaila.”

“Yes, master.”

“Good. Let us proceed then.”

Father—no, Master—left for a while and brought back a small boy. I recognized him instantly; he was the boy whom father had adopted; my brother, who was a year older than me.

Brother was bounded with thick ropes and was forced to kneel in the center of the underground arena, an area of the underground facility we were in. His clothes were ragged and there were remnants of tears on his face.

“Kill it, Novice Kelaila,” Master said, handing me a small dagger. The dagger felt cold to the touch on my naked hands. Holding on to the hilt, I could feel the deadliness of the small weapon.

“It?” I replied hesitantly. “Brother?”

Master reaffirmed bluntly. “It is not your brother. Now, kill it!”

My six year old mind was dumbfounded at the unexpectedness of it, at the suddenness of it. “No! I won't, father! That is cruel!” I shouted.

I felt another sharp stinging slap on my face.

“No,” I said softly, small tears streaming down on my face.

Minutes passed before father finally gave up on slapping my face for my disobedience. How many times he had slapped me, I could no longer keep count. In front of me, still tied in thick brown ropes, brother was crying. He was crying for my pain. His pain. Our pain.

Master—father—sighed briefly. In a cold voice, he spoke, “If you do not kill it, I shall torture it for days and days and days, until you will regret not killing it. Then I shall sell it as a slave.”

At that point, something broke in my mind. Even back then, I knew of the word slave and torture. I came from a long line of assassins, after all.

I held the dagger tightly in both of my small hands. Then I stabbed my brother in the stomach. Scarlet blood, brother's life, soon drenched my tiny hands.

“Very good, Novice Kelaila. Very good. But there is one thing you did wrong, Novice Kelaila.” Master pointed toward brother's, no, its neck. “The stomach is not a very good target. I, myself, prefer the neck.”

I knew what Master expected of me. Once more, I thrust the dagger into its body, the neck, to be precise.

All during this time, the small screams of agony from it, were let out before they became gurgled as its neck was wounded. Its round, soft-brown eyes also stared at me.

Lifeless and accusing, those eyes looked to me.

“Good,” Master said, a large hand on one of my shoulders. “Well done, Novice Kelaila, well done indeed. Now, let us start the training.”

“Yes, Master.”

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Soon after my adopted brother's death, my first kill and blood, I killed some more “its” after undergoing intense training. It was at the age of twelve that I killed six more.

All of the other Novices Master was training were put in a closed arena. And though Master never said it, I knew that I was the main novice. None of these Novices, after all, came from the main Shadow family. I was the sole child and heir.

Twenty Novices were put inside the closed arena, and only three came out.

I knew that I had killed the most Novices. I had kept a close count. It was expected of me.

The results of my training spoke for itself. The arena battle was over in an hour, and I had only been wounded slightly on my left arm, a small cut which I ignored all throughout the battles.

In the end, there were no words of praise from Master.

The result, it had been expected of me.

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It was at the age of seventeen that I no longer kept track of my kills. All of my sympathies for the dead had been wrung out. You could even say I was proud of my skills in the dark arts of assassination. I had nothing else to be proud of, after all.

There was no need to look at myself in the mirror. I knew I had multiple scars, and the Shadow tattoo had already been permanently inked onto my back. I was scarred, and would never be considered a beauty.

But there was no need to care about my body. I knew that I was broken. I no longer felt empathy or even sympathy for another human's death. The only comfort I took was from my skills in swordplay and assassination. I felt a need to win, to overcome everyone and everything through these motions. There was an unspoken joy of silence in executing these motions.

Yes, the only one I cared about was myself.

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It was not long after that I grew bored of my tasks and murders. The sole interest I had was in improving myself.

Thus, on a rainy night, inside the room where father often frequented, I killed my only parent while looking straight into his slightly surprised eyes. We had been holding a conversation about the family's Dark Fealty, which father was going to use to bond me to a rich noble.

Something inside my mind further broke down, as I cut short father's ambitions and life. I could only laugh at his death. Master—no, father—had been such a large presence in my life.

My mother, I never knew.

It was thus that I fled the house, killing a few more servants who tried to raise the alarm. Along the way, I was somehow wounded on my left leg, but I paid it no mind. It was only a flesh wound.

In the safety of the soothing darkness of the forest, I threw away the Shadow ring—my father's. Then I laughed loudly into the night air.

My life had become my own.

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“Well that is the end of my story, my Dark Master. Not to worry though, I cannot kill you like my father. I would, however, like to spar with you.”

“I see. I will think about it,” I said calmly.

I am sure now, I thought to myself.

The female assassin in front of me was slightly insane, but I could work with slightly insane. And somehow, I had the feeling that she would not harm me, nor would she betray me.

I had a lot to think upon.