The Assassin's Choice

[Tiki]

Well, when I saw that Stacey posted her story thingie for the Overture Awards, I decided I might post my entry as well. This was originally going to be my 50k word novel for NaNoWriMo 2005, but I didn't quite reach the deadline in one month's time! Oh well, I like to say that I used November as a starter month...I did get a very nice beginning to my novel, and a lengthy one too so it's even better!

So without further adieu, I present to you...

The Assassin's Choice

~*~

Prologue

It is a time of false peace. A civil war has been fought and won, but also lost. The majority of the citizens believe that all is well, that the victors are the ones who were supposed to win, that Fate brought them here. They believe all acts of war are over, and peace reigns indefinitely. You can trust no one in this time of untruthful harmony. Everywhere you go, you must watch your step and make sure your rights aren’t trampled upon.

However, there is a small group who disagrees with these notions, except for the notion of Fate. Fate brought them here. Fate is the reason that they are the losers in the civil war. Fate is the reason they must continue to fight for their freedom in ways that are considered vicious. You can trust no one in this time of hidden turmoil. Everywhere you go, you must watch your back and make sure a target isn’t painted there.

It is a time of dictators and assassins.

It is a time of dishonesty and betrayal.

It is a time of friends and families.



I'll post this chapter by chapter so that each post isn't hugemongous.

Tava

[Tiki]

Chapter 1

It was one of those days. The sky was overcast and the dark, voluminous clouds threatened to burst with rain over the capital city of Ileria. In the air was an ominous feeling of defeat mixed with an anger that no one wanted to welcome into their lives. The breeze warned the citizens to retreat inside so that they wouldn’t be swept away in the tumult that was to come and the people heeded its wordless plea without any questions asked.

Well, almost everyone.

Ariana didn’t care that a storm was coming. She lived through a storm every day of her life. After all, how could some rain possibly make her life any harder? Especially since she had failed the Boss for what felt like the hundredth time. So, turning her face away from the oncoming tempest, she continued pummeling her handmade punching bag that was hanging from a scrawny tree in the poorer parts of the city. Unawares to her, thunder growled quietly in the distance.

How could she have failed again? It wasn’t as if her skills were shoddy; Ariana Trulinska was one of the best assassins around. That is, if she actually did her job instead of backing out at the last possible second. Yet, Ariana sometimes felt that it was clearly wrong to take a life away, especially when the marked person was completely unaware that their life would be ended in just a few seconds. However, she was an assassin and the biggest rule of an assassin was to kill now and ask questions later. And sometimes they never asked questions at all.

Ariana drove her fists into the punching bag with a new ferocity at the thought of her failure. Blasted emotions, she thought to herself impatiently. That’s why I always come back to headquarters with no kills. I just have to let my conscience dictate my life, don’t I?

Hitting the grainy bag harder and harder with every swing, Ariana quickly worked up a sweat. Every time she took a swipe at the punching bag, a handful of salty droplets would fly from her forehead and spatter against the bag silently compared to the pent-up frustration that was finally screaming its way out of Ariana’s soul. As the minutes rolled by, Ariana’s desperation in order to do something right took hold of her and her punching bag paid the price as she beat it faster and harder and with more form than when she started. Punch after punch fell with a fluid motion, one, two, one, two, one, two.

Finally, giving her arms a rest, she lashed out with her leg and kicked the bag so strongly that the weak branch it hung upon snapped off of the tree and landed in the dirty alleyway a little less than ten feet away with a dull thud, a dust cloud rising up. The distant thunder then turned into a crack of white-hot lightning that ripped the sky in two, yet Ariana didn’t seem to notice anything. Wiping the perspiration from her brow, she sighed and moved to pick the bag up. It was time to go and listen to the Boss’ lecture that was for her, no doubt.

That’s when the clouds were torn asunder and the rain fell freely from the laden clouds above the streets. Still, Ariana made no sign that she noticed the difference in the weather as she made her way down the deserted road, the lumpy punching bag strewn over her shoulders. Even as each frigid drop pelted her and drenched her short, golden hair, she continued walking toward her rundown destination, her thin leather boots sinking into the newly made mud every time she took a step.

Ariana wasn’t sure how long she had been traveling, nor did she care, but it seemed that after only a moment of walking in the ceaseless downpour, she was presented with a roadblock, the equine sort of roadblock that was becoming more and more common in Ileria.

“Ariana, what are you doing out here?” A young man on a pacing bay horse appeared seemingly out of nowhere right in front of Ariana, causing her to jump a little bit in surprise. Before the civil war that ended a few months earlier, horses were almost never used as a form as transportation and rarely were seen on the streets, unless they were being taken to sales and whatnot. Now, they replaced the low-tech transports that used to crowd the streets no matter what. And the smell of the horses still took time to get used to, there was something about them that implied poverty, or at least it seemed that way to Ariana. Ariana remembered those days…she was younger, yet still unable to succeed in her work. Those days, her mother was still alive. “Ariana? You alright?”

She looked back up at the rider, a friend of hers, and sighed. “Sorry, Gavin. I’m just really tired. I’ve failed the organization again and can’t seem to keep enough focus to even kill one poorly-guarded dictator.” As she spoke her litany, her voice rose in pitch and speed until Gavin had to stop her just in order to get an inkling of what she was saying.

“Girl, you really need to come inside, I think this storm is going to mess with your head,” Gavin went on quietly, his normally lilting voice taking on a new characteristic. He had known Ariana for two years, but they had become close, especially during the war when friendships were few and far between. Sometimes, Ariana even caught herself thinking about the lively redhead, which caused her to laugh it off and get back to her serious lifestyle. “Not that your head was never messed up, but-“

“Gavin!” Ariana exclaimed, glad someone still tried to cheer people up. “You’re terrible and I won’t talk to you anymore.” But even as she walked past the antsy horse, she couldn’t keep a smile from tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Behind her, Gavin chuckled. “It’s official. The storm’s gotten to you.” The storm also paid its toll on him, for as he spoke, he shivered from the cold rain and his usually even voice shook. “But at least let me take your bag. I think it’s too heavy for you.” He knew that comment would cause Ariana to say something, however odd it would be.

And say something, she did.

“Are you implying that I’m weak, Gavin?” By this time, her hair plastered itself to her thin face, trapped by the relentless raindrops. After walking back to the horse and handing Gavin the punching bag, she put her hands on her hip and glared playfully at him, her smile still threatening to overtake her face. “Because, if that was your intent, I’ll have you know that I took no offence to it.”

Gavin laughed harder, though he was starting to get really cold. “I thought you weren’t talking to me anymore! And if I didn’t offend you, then why did you answer at all?” He cupped his hands and blew into them, trying to keep part of his body warm in the storm.

Ariana stared at Gavin, her mouth slightly hanging open. How had he cornered her so quickly? And how had she walked right into it? No time for it, now. She could see that Gavin was cold and she started to feel the effects of the rain as she thought about his discomfort. Shaking her head, she mounted the horse behind Gavin, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his soaking back. “Just take me up to the Boss. I want to get this lecture over with.”

“Alright,” he indicated the punching bag resting in front of him, “I’ll take this to your room, then. Oh, and I was supposed to tell you that your dad’s back.”

“He is?” Ariana asked. She didn’t want to delay her lecture because of idle chitchat, but it was good knowing her father was safe once more. “Do you know where he is?”

Gavin shook his head. “I just got a message saying he’s back and that you were to be notified immediately. He could be anywhere in Ileria. But I’d say he’s in the office building getting de-briefed.”

“Dad barely goes to those de-briefings.” Ariana sighed. “Oh well, I’ll find him somewhere. Thanks, Gavin.” Procrastination was nice, but not worthwhile for Ariana. When they arrived in front of the Boss’ office on the outskirts of Ileria and Ariana dismounted, Gavin took her calloused hand in his own and squeezed it reassuringly.

---

The Boss resided in an abandoned inn, an inn that looked as if a few good kicks to the foundation would finish it off. His office, a dark, damp, cave-like residence, was at ground level, simply because the other floors weren’t trustworthy enough to hold a desk and chair, let alone a very large man along with them. Oh yes, the Boss was big, very big. Just the mere sight of the balding man was enough to scare anyone into attempting even the most dangerous assassination attempts.

However, it seemed that Ariana was an exception to the rule.

She had been in his office more than anyone else working for the Boss, a record if ever there was one, especially since other assassins were kicked out of the organization if they paid the Boss a visit five times at the most. For Ariana, this was her sixteenth time. The other assassins came up with theories as to why she still helped out the organization, from the fact that she was a double-agent and needed work in order to keep that job running and others that stated she “bribed” the Boss in various ways to let her stay.

The truth turned out to be much simpler. Ariana’s parents were two of the best assassins ever to join the organization and since Trulinska blood flowed in her veins, the Boss believed she could be one of the best as well. Too bad she turned out to be less than acceptable as a great assassin. Yet, the Boss let her stay because of something he told Ariana’s father shortly after her mother died. The Boss promised that if something terrible happened and Ariana became an orphan, then he would look after her. But then again, the Boss was getting annoyed with the fact that Ariana couldn’t finish a simple mission.

Ariana began to feel the cold seep into her skin, but not all of it was from the rain. In his rickety rocking chair, the Boss sat, staring out at the barren landscape as the rain lashed violently against the vast windows. The mud became a nasty sludge right before their eyes, yet they watched in silence, neither of them wanting to start the conversation that was sure to upset someone in the long run.

Finally, the Boss turned his sunken eyes toward Ariana and sighed deeply, reaching for a cigar in a desk drawer. “Trulinska, would you mind telling me what your problem is?” His voice was gruff and seemed to rumble the floorboards as he spoke, yet Ariana didn’t flinch. She knew his rasping was the most threatening action he could muster.

Pausing for just a moment after being questioned, Ariana began. “My problem is quite simple, Sir. I happen to get too emotional and forget that I have a job to do.” She said it with such a lack of emphasis that it sounded like Ariana didn’t care. Of course, sometimes this was a true assumption. “This last mission ended up just like the other ones I failed before it. Same old routine.”

Finally finding a cigar he wanted, the Boss spoke while lighting it. “Trulinska, you do realize that a young woman such as yourself can’t possibly make it alone in that world out there.” He flung an arm out in the direction of the window where the storm intensified, darkening the already cloudy sky every minute. “At least you have a home in this organization, but you must get this through your head.” The Boss chomped down on his putrid cigar and started to scribble down a memo on a spare scrap of paper. “You only have a home in my organization if you pull your own weight. I can’t do it for you.” Scratch, scratch, scratch. “And yet this is the…how many times have you failed?”

“Sixteen, Sir,” Ariana answered straightforwardly, despite trying to keep the cigar’s stench from entering her lungs.

“Yes, sixteen,” the Boss went on. “You can’t keep doing this, Trulinska. So I’m giving you one more chance.” At that moment, a knock came at the splintered door. Grumbling, the Boss asked, “Who is it?”

“Trulinska, Sir.”

The Boss slammed a fist down on the desk in frustration, nearly causing one of the legs to fracture and break off altogether. “I already have a Trulinska with me, now leave me be!” Ariana simply backed away from the Boss’ desk. She was used to seeing his major mood swings, but it unsettled her nonetheless. Yet, Ariana recognized the voice.

Stepping forward cautiously, she said, “Sir, I believe that may be my father. May I go see if I’m right?” When the Boss was in one of his moods, one had to be careful and patient when asking a question. Finally, he nodded his head and Ariana quickly made her way to the door to find her father as she suspected.

She let him in without a word and he strode quickly in front of the Boss’ desk. The Boss did not look amused at all by this sudden intrusion. “What? If you didn’t notice, Trulinska, I was speaking of urgent matters with your daughter. Now, spit out whatever it is you came here to say before I burn it out of you!” He jabbed his smoking cigar toward the tall man who just chuckled. He, unlike the Boss, appeared to be amused about something.

“Sir, we’ve got information.” The Boss just glared, waiting for elaboration on the man’s part. “On our mission, Kranz and I learned that the dictators are getting funding not by rich citizens of this country, but by the bordering countries!” His voice became louder as his excitement grew. “This is just another step in the right direction of catching them red-handed. Soon, we’ll prove to the citizens that the politicians they trust with their lives are only in it for themselves, money, and power! Maybe we’ll get the recognition we deserve, as well. It’s a great revelation!” Ariana respected her father’s energy, but had a feeling the Boss wouldn’t absorb any of it. He never did.

Instead, he just puffed on his cigar for a few seconds then grunted. “I was just telling your daughter that she has one more chance to prove that she’s a worthy assassin. I was going to send her here to do this.” The Boss handed the order to Ariana’s father, who sighed when he skimmed over the message.

“Are you sure about this, Sir? This could change everything. This could interfere with our findings. We should take these dictators alive or else we’ll never have concrete evidence from their own mouths about what’s happening.”

“What are we, Trulinska?” the Boss asked wearily.

“Assassins, Sir. Nothing else.” He let his head droop. The Boss wasn’t going to change his mind now.

“Exactly. We are assassins, not the Bloody Sunshine Happy Hour! Our job is to kill and sometimes torture. If you want to save the dictators from the fate they deserve, then you can join your daughter out on the streets because I will not take care of traitors or lazy bums!” He sent a glare in Ariana’s direction, acting as a threat. “Now, if your daughter fails this mission, then she’s out on her own to die on the streets.”

“Sir!” Ariana’s father protested. “You promised me you would take care of her since she has nowhere else to go!”

“But I am tired of her incompetence!” The Boss stood up as quickly as his old age and large build would allow. His face was going beet-red and for once Ariana didn’t know if he would be able to restrain himself from doing something drastic. “She will assassinate this dictator and she’ll do it without her bloody emotions getting in the way!” he roared. Turning to Ariana, he growled, “If you fail again, don’t even bother coming back. I won’t accept you as one of my own. If you return as a failure, like you have so many times, then I’ll see to it personally that you will not take another breath. And that’s a promise I’ll keep. Do you understand?” He stuffed the cigar back between his teeth, trying to calm himself.

Ariana didn’t know what to say. She never thought in all her time as an assassin that her own boss would threaten her life, right in front of her father, as well! It was ridiculous and yet, Ariana believed every word spoken. Gathering up some strength, she managed to stutter, “Y-Yes, Sir. I understand perfectly.”

“Good,” he replied loudly as he settled himself back into the creaking chair. Realizing that both Trulinskas still stood in front of his desk, patiently waiting for orders, the Boss barked, “OUT!” Ariana and her father didn’t need telling twice.

---

Back in her cluttered room, Ariana began packing as many belongings as she could fit into a duffle bag as her father looked on, feeling guilty that there was nothing he could do. “I suppose now wouldn’t be the best time to say ‘Hello’.” Ariana knew he was trying to cheer her up, even though they would probably never see each other again. “Be careful out there, alright?”

“I’m always careful, Dad. The only difference this time is that it actually makes a difference.” She kept stuffing belongings into her bags. “If you didn’t notice, I’m packing because I know I won’t be coming back. I’ve accepted that fact and I’ll move on.”

“Where are you going to go, then?”

Ariana stopped for a moment and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know yet. I’m counting on my abilities to survive any way I can in order to get me somewhere outside of Ileria. Who knows, maybe I’ll go back home after all this.” Home. The thought calmed Ariana. When she was a young girl, she played in Willamshire with no worries about how her life would end up. Every day was a new chance to discover something new and get away from the parents, a chance to see the world inside the village. Ariana always remembered the enticing scents of grilling meat as she scampered by restaurants, the vast array of colorful fabrics draped the booths along the streets of the market, and, best of all, she remembered playing with her best friend all hours of the day. Claye Branten helped Ariana understand what true friendship was. He was her loyal friend and never let her down, no matter what faced him.

Yet, Ariana let him down. When her parents decided to move to Ileria, away from all the comfort she had known in Willamshire, she never got the chance say goodbye to Claye and that regret weighed down on her for the rest of her life. Perhaps, when she returned to Willamshire, she could apologize and amend matters between her and Claye.

Her father’s quiet voice brought Ariana out of her reverie. “Sweetheart, you’re an assassin. We’re wanted everywhere for crimes we can’t possible deny. What makes you think they’ll accept you back home?”

“I don’t.”

That silenced him temporarily. “Then, what is your plan of getting back alive?” he asked after a moment of reflection.

“After I try my hand at this new mission, I’ll go straight home, even if I succeed for once. I’m tired of this life, Dad. I’m tired of killing for a living.” Ariana fingered the sleeve hem of the trench coat she always wore. The leather softened by years of wear and tear and exposure to the many elements had also faded into a dark gray, a perfect illustration of how Ariana saw her life at that moment in time: living proof that life wears anyone down with enough time and experience in the outside world. “I need to make a new life for myself.” Satisfied that she had all she needed, she flung the bag over her shoulder, picked up her recurve bow and quiver of arrows, and walked out the door.

“Ariana!” her father’s voiced echoed from within her room. When she turned back to the doorway, she saw him standing there, worried look on his usually kind face. “Listen to me. I’ll make you a truce. If you don’t assassinate this dictator, I’ll come get you. I’ll take care of you and we can leave the organization together.”

Ariana studied her father’s face momentarily. Why would he suddenly give up his life’s ambition for her? “Dad, I’m doing this for myself. I don’t want to ruin your career because I’m not good at it.”

“You want revenge on the dictators for winning the civil war, don’t you?” His brown eyes pleaded with her to be honest.

Sighing, she answered, “Of course I do, but I want to do so peacefully. I want no more blood on my hands.”

“Yet, you told me you’d still try to assassinate this guy. I hate to say it, but you’re sounding like a hypocrite, Ariana.” His even voice masked the real tumult going on inside him, but Ariana still sensed it.

“Consider it my going away party. I’ll go out with a bang, or in my case, a simple breeze of an arrow.” She held up her quiver for emphasis. “I’m going to fight, though. I’m going to fight against the dictators and their lies and all the evils they’ve done to our country. Just let me do this, Dad. Maybe I can rally the people of Willamshire to my beliefs. They deserve the truth, just like everyone else in this country and I’ll give it to them.” Without giving him a chance to say more, Ariana hugged him and bade him goodbye. She never looked back. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to leave if she did.

Once she was out on the slick road again, she realized the rain dissipated to a simple drizzle and the clouds broke up to reveal faint rays of golden sunlight reflecting in pools of water on the road, offering another image of Ariana’s feelings. She could finally see some good among the bad in her world, but time was short and she hurried to the city limits in order to get to her mission soon.

“Wait!” a voice rang out across the barren plains as Ariana trudged on. “Ariana Trulinska, don’t walk anymore!” She turned around and saw Gavin on his horse again, which caught up to her within only a few moments of trotting. “Ariana, I must speak with you.” Gavin dismounted, took a few steps toward her, and, much to Ariana’s surprise, enveloped her in a crushing hug.

She felt her back pop as Gavin wrapped his arms around her tightly, so she gasped, “Gavin, buddy, I can’t breathe.” Hearing her distress, Gavin immediately let go and muttered an apology while bowing his head to hide the pink tinge he could feel creeping up his neck. Ariana, however, chuckled to herself at his strange behavior. He never acted like this around her, but she found it cute nonetheless. It also felt good to be hugged and accepted so openly. Gavin still hadn’t spoken until Ariana asked why he needed to speak with her.

“Oh, um…I just-just wanted to ask you something.” He didn’t look at her as she shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Yeah, I want-wanted to ask you something.” Ariana grew concerned when Gavin stuttered. Usually, it signaled that he was under a lot of stress and wanted desperately to hide something from everyone else.

“Gavin? Is everything okay?” She rested her hand on his tense shoulder and jumped when he shrugged it away. What was going on? “You can tell me anything, Gavin, you know that.” She changed her voice to a more feminine tone, hoping to calm Gavin, but it only made things more stressful.

“Wuzjuzwundrinivyoowoodmareme,” Gavin spat out insanely fast. It took Ariana a moment to realize he said anything at all when he raised his head, a hopeful look in his amber eyes.

“Could you repeat that? I couldn’t hear you for all the silence.” She offered him a smile, again, hoping to calm him.

Gavin nodded quickly and took a shaky breath. “Ariana, I-I love you.” Her eyes widened and she felt her heart hammer its way around her ribcage, threatening to beat its way out. Gavin loved her? “I wanted you to-to know that before you left. Your dad told me you were leaving. I didn’t want to see you go without telling you how I feel.”

Ariana couldn’t say anything. It was as if her voice vanished and silence took its place. She nodded for Gavin to continue. “I know this may sound weird, but I just want to ask you anyway. I have nothing to lose if I ask. Ariana, I love you and I want to marry you.” If Ariana couldn’t speak before, then how would she react now? She never expected a friend to propose to her. “I know this is a short notice and I have nothing to give you, but I wanted you to know. Ariana?”

She looked deeply into his eyes, her breathing speeding up. In those amber orbs she saw raw sincerity and honesty. He loved her. For once in her life, someone loved her for who she was and she couldn’t possibly turn that down. But something was gnawing away at the back of her mind and a vision of Willamshire kept cropping up in her mind’s eye. She pushed those thoughts away and turned to the here and now. Gavin loved her and wanted to marry her. She made up her mind. She accepted her decision and continued to look Gavin straight in the eye.

“Gavin,” she whispered. The name, which she said hundreds of times before, rolled off her tongue with a sugary taste now. The mere thought of saying his name brought a grin to her face. She loved him too, she knew that much. So, with a smile on her face and a smile in her heart, she answered him.

“Yes.”