Chapter 2
Seth looked at the bright sunshine from the treetops and thought hard about his next action. He would train Elina as best as he could, then he would pay a visit to Thanatos the Demon Lord. He smiled at the image, remembering that the Demon was at first very reproachful to his role but was convinced in the end. He missed the solemn Thanatos. Gareth had grown older and his appearance surprised him. Still handsome but his hair no longer thick and it looked dyed. What scared him most however was his ragged breathing which was uneven and syncopated.
“Seth?” Elina said behind him.
“You’re early,” he said, annoyed to be snapped out of his thoughts, she seemed to detect this but hid it.
“Tell me, what are the Regiment?”
Seth smiled as he knew she could not contain her curiosity and he was tempted not to answer… then sighed at his own benevolence.
“The Regiment is what is left of the Angels who combat the undead.”
“Undead?”
“Exactly what it means, the ‘not dead’ moving corpses that feed on any flesh, even themselves if necessary. That is what you faced yesterday.”
“That man was a Regiment assassin, he tried to kill me but I got to him first,” she explained.
“That is highly unlikely, the lowest rank of the Regiment could easily overpower you at your current state. I think you must have faced someone who was already on death’s door. People do not naturally become Undead when they die, a living must come into contact with a poison which is located in their claws and it gradually makes your body degenerate.”
“I did not need to know about the mechanics,” she said.
“It is not important,” he admitted, “Just don’t get scratched.”
“I don’t plan to.”
She looked downcast and gone was her cheerful and rebellious attitude, he thought hard on how to restore it and sighed. He threw a slow punch towards her face and was horrified when she made no movement to fend off the attack. Rather she threw her head forward into the punch so that her forehead made full contact with his fist. He staggered, his right hand aching painfully.
“That was new,” he commented massaging his wrist, he tried to make the motion seem painless but the more he rotated it the more painful it got and she sensed it. She was grinning now ear to ear which turned his previous empathy into annoyance.
“But all of this is not important for now, we need to test your abilities. Stand in front of me,” he commanded.
She groaned but approached the man, back straight her chest forward and shoulders thrown behind her. Seth was momentarily caught off guard. She was tall and slim, her hair a beautiful chestnut tinge and her eyes piercing yet warm. Her forehead showed a small mark where he had made contact, but it did not look painful. He pushed such thoughts from his mind and told her to spread out her arms. She did so and flinched as he began gently rubbing them with his own hands, tracing through every muscle of both her arms, the touch sure and strong. Her face was bright red when he released her and he could tell she failed to see the point of that exercise.
“Your hips and legs have strength, there are some supple muscles but your back and arms lack the substance for you to wield a sword well.”
“I am a brawler not a swordswoman,” she retorted.
“Use both and double your killing power,” he said offhandedly already searching the nearby trees for something. Seth could tell that Elina was struggling to formulate an argument and he continued before she could voice them.
“Remove your breastplate,” he commanded.
“Why?” she answered back instinctively.
“You women and your ‘whys’,” he barked at her strictly making her jump.
“Knowledge is needed for strength,” she retorted.
“It’s common sense, or are you just a stupid donkey?”
“Hold your tongue lest I carve it out,” she threatened eyes turning to steel.
“What do we have here? A lass with a shade of iron, I like that.”
“Answer my question!”
“Take the breast plate off so it does not interfere with this first exercise.”
Her face was bright red as she proceeded to remove the brown strap around her back and let her silver half breastplate fall to the floor with a dull clash. Underneath she wore a tight red tunic that spanned just above her knees.
“For a fighter you wear heavy equipment,” he said.
“Gauntlets and boots make good weapons and breastplates although heavy, allows full movement in your arms while giving you protection against blades,”
“Gareth’s teachings are wondrous as always,” he said sarcastically his eyes lingering to the plate of armour again. She had developed a fine amount of stamina and muscle to wear that on a daily basis.
“Here,” he said pointing at a tree with an outstretched thick branch just above his head. “Grab on to this.” She stood under the branch and jumped holding onto the course wood feeling her soft hands strain around it.
“Pull yourself up until your chin touches the branch, then back down slowly, do as many as you can,” Seth commanded adjusting his rectangular glasses. She inhaled a slow shuddering breath, already her biceps were straining. She slowly drew herself until her chin touched the branch and repeated this motion. He could see that after three her biceps began to flare and she dropped after doing five.
“We need to do some serious work,” he said folding his arms looking very unimpressed. “I would have at least expected ten, especially from your weight class.” Elina said nothing breathing heavily her face red and her arms aching.
“Every morning you will do five of these, by next week I expect ten and the week after that twenty,” he demanded. “Follow!” he shouted before she could answer and she grit her teeth in anger but kept a face passive.
“Smile,” Seth suddenly barked at her. Elina flinched and slowly her mouth formed the best smile she could muster.
“Make it more natural, you will fool no one with that.”
“Why is this necessary?” she retorted.
“You are a woman, know how to use your beauty and enhance an aura of innocence so you can deceive,” he replied.
“I do not want to deceive,” she said softly.
“It is important, may even be vital when taking on stronger opponents. Use the fact that women are generally looked down upon by men and then let your presence be known.”
Elina sighed again, there it was. The ‘Seth’s logic,’ she thought sarcastically but she gently smiled making sure not to crease her eyebrows.
“That is good, very good,” he congratulated. “With some work you will become a formidable foe. Now you see that log a hundred metres to your left?”
She nodded staring at the only large fallen plank surrounded by the orange leaves and the mild dew of the morning.
“Lean down with your back arched while you run there and back three times,” he commanded. She was about to set off, she seemed confident on her stamina but he stopped her. He searched the surroundings for a collection of branches and wrapped them using thick rope around her back secured around the waist and shoulders.
“Extra weight to train those stomach muscles when you lean forward,” he said smiling. She did not return it and started to run, her footwork ungainly yet fast. After two minutes her speed slowed considerably and her breathing was ragged and harsh.
“I think you get the point,” Seth unhelpfully added in. After consecutive exercises one after the other he finally called for a break saying he would fetch some lunch. As he was running back to the cabin she laid spread eagled across the floor.
Her breathing was even but her body sore, in many places that were alien to her each one exposing another weakness. The cool air was comforting to her and she weakly held a hand out to the blue sky watching the rays of light diffract from her finger tips.
“Women should deceive?” she softly murmured questionably at the sky but dropped her hand and shook her head feeling the coarse leaves against her soft hair.
“I think we will call it a day with the training of the body, I think we better start on swordplay,” Seth said throwing a chunk of bread and some dried but sweet fruit at her. She devoured them hungrily.
*
That night Elina stretched and felt her biceps burning like fire and she was all too obliged to fall asleep, indeed that was part of her plan although Gareth and Seth were still talking by the fire place and she wanted to listen to more of what they had to say. It was aggravating knowing that something was being kept a secret from her. She crept behind the door and found a small hole in which she could peer through and she could hear them perfectly.
"I see you're doing quite well for yourself," Gareth said coolly looking towards him. "Last time I saw you, you were working for the Regiment."
"Do not mention those scumbags ever," Seth said harshly making Elina jump. "They are cruel heartless monsters, it took me a while but I realised it. No, I came to warn you.”
“Claire would not pleased you said that,” Gareth said apprehensively receiving a short whimsical smile from Seth.
“How was Elina’s training?”
“Better than expected. Her swordplay is still crude but her brawling is second to none.”
“She has a punch of a lion and a demour of a tiger.”
"To me it looks like a punch of a chicken and a demour of a stray pit hound."
Elina clenched her jaws together, there was something comical in the thought and she was not offended. Rather she sensed his kindness in those words… his voice perhaps, not the actual words.
"You are fond of her then!"
"She's... entertaining."
Elina had heard enough and slipped through the dark hallway into her room, from there into her bed. She had learnt a new name… Claire, what was her connection to Seth she wondered. It took her seconds to realise that it did not matter to her and she addressed the most daunting question within her. Why were the Regiment after Gareth?
*
“Basics! Basics! Basics!” Seth bellowed at Elina as she tried her best to pierce his defence with her sabre but his rapier was amazingly swift.
Every strike she launched was in perfect balance, yet when it made contact with his rapier it was like hitting a stone wall. Soon her arm became numb yet she still kept on relentlessly slashing eyes looking for an opening.
“No good,” he said shaking his head and with a flick of his wrist disarmed her. “Your grip is too tight, your footwork is good but your arms lack the strength.” Elina smiled innocently apologising, her progress she could tell, was slow. She had just managed to haul herself up twelve times up the branch before she became exhausted this morning and even though she was satisfied Seth was still unimpressed.
“Do not let it go to your head, some people can do over a hundred.”
“Can you?” she asked coyly.
Seth looked towards the branch and hauled himself up and in quick succession did twenty making the motion seem effortless.
“Soon you will also get to this level,” he said flexing his arm as he descended.
“When will that be?” she wondered out loud.
“Soon,” he answered evasively.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked suddenly aware of his silence.
“Eavesdropping is the skill of the females,” Seth said chuckling making Elina shift uncomfortably and she let the subject drop, then moved onto another subject.
“Are you a mage?”
“Yes,” he said the reply short and brutal.
“Gareth said in the outside world mages are sadistic beings who use people in the most gruesome ways.”
“That is what the world believes yes,” he said smiling. “What do you believe however?”
“I do not believe in magic.”
Seth chuckled again earning a haughty glare from Elina. He called the end to the break and she got to her feet picking up her sabre once more.
Elina parried the slash from Seth and launched a quick riposte but missed his body. He leaned casually to one side and hit her wrist with the butt of his sword, sighing in what seemed like disappointment.
“I’m trying my hardest,” Elina said defensively picking up her sabre once more.
“I’m guess I’m just tired,” Seth said drifting off, then snapped out of his thoughts immediately. “You are making me say strange things now,” he said grinning his face no longer sad. Elina cocked her head to one side but was unable to read into what he was previously saying or even identify the man’s thoughts. The day seemed to end instantly after that encounter.
*
“Now we need to enhance your ability of natural instinct,” Seth said the next morning. Elina was still tired and her muscles sore. She felt the power in her limbs but was lacking the motivation to completely obey him.
“What does that mean?”
“Let me demonstrate,” he said kneeling and picking up two stones.
“Catch!” he shouted hurling one of them with lightening speed. Her left hand snaked out and caught it firmly but a second stone flew by her face narrowly missing her temple.
“If you had good reactions you would have reacted to an unknown stimulus.”
"Throw them again," she commanded.
"That exercise has been pointless now that you know the secret, though there will be more up in the mountains," he said indicating the inclined land behind him.
"Why the mountain?" she asked.
"Do not question my teaching methods!" he barked at her.
Elina grinded her teeth in anger but strangely her mind was clear. The path he wanted to lead them up was the escape route that Gareth showed her in the past and it was not hard to know what he was trying to achieve.
“How many are coming?”
“Sorry?” Seth asked perplexed.
“How many assassins are there?”
“What assassins?” he answered looking uncomfortable.
“You are a terrible liar.”
“There are at least 14 maybe more,” he said resigning to her glare. “You’ll be a hindrance if you stay.”
“I will hide so you will aid him.”
He grabbed her hand and forced her into a burrow below a bush. He whispered two words and the tunnel expanded more until Elina could fit into place.
“Wait what are you doing?” she asked.
“Hiding you,” he said a wisp of smile on his face before he turned and ran from her. She leaned back and closed her eyes, she felt useless yet at the same time reassured that someone like Seth would be there with Gareth it took her worries away. It was only until she heard a scream of death that she realised that all men could die, be they godlike or not.
She squirmed a bit in the hole uncomfortable and stiff, noticing only now that the hole she was in was perfectly square. How was that possible? Then she remembered Seth whispering words, he could have created this undergrowth using magic. She shook her head and laughed, that was ridiculous there was no such thing as magic. It was merely a coincidence that this grove existed... and happened to be perfectly square. Another scream sounded and she was nearing point of madness, deciding eventually to emerge from the grove. Her first action was to stretch out her tired muscles and check for her sword and knives. An arrow snaked out and she saw it approach her face in horror, she could not avoid it… The face of the Undead formulated in her mind and she wrenched her neck back her left hand dipping into her thigh pocket and she hurled a dagger. The arrow grazed her cheek and she stumbled to the floor expecting another shaft but a body crumbled from the bushes, a dagger in their eye socket. Elina breathed heavily removing the weapon and she cleaned it on the dead man’s clothes, as she expected the Regiment emblem was again on his shoulder pad. She backed away and threw herself into the bushes reaching for another knife. She was now an assassin hunting the hunters, she smiled as she crept upon another figure, his back towards her and his Regiment shoulder pad clear. She slit his throat.
*
The grassland around them was ever greened tinged with the yellow onslaught of autumn and the sun radiating its first bright rays of light down through the plains. Endymon kept silent knowing that Celes was still recollecting her own thoughts and that she did not want to talk either. Night fell and in the distance an illumination of light was appearing showing the presence of a village.
“Do you want to sleep outside?” he asked her.
“I prefer an inn bed actually,” she said laughing. “We have money why not use it?”
“I guess.”
It was not the most warm greeting with the guardsman eyeing them especially around the crest of the Regiment which made him a bit uneasy and he was annoyed to see that Celes was not bothered by it at all, she had ought to be more alert. They received stares from the villagers but then a tall dark man smiled at them introducing himself as the Village Elder.
The Elder was a kindly man, bragging about his wife and two children. He offered them a place to stay and they gladly accepted. Inside were wondrous crafts of clay and marble, which stood out against the soft orange wooden floor. A pretty woman entered wearing a long green dress and her blonde hair flowing onto her narrow shoulders, the Elder’s wife he concluded.
Endymon awoke with a thumping headache, to see a woman sitting in front of him in a chair. Instantly he knew it was Celes.
“What are you doing in here?” Endymon asked her though keeping his voice quiet. He remembered wishing her good night after they had decided to sleep in different rooms and he was puzzled but intrigued by this scene. She was sitting in the darkness and Endymon could not clearly see her face.
“I am here not because I want to be,” she replied. Her voice was even, rough and completely unnatural.
“It is too early for riddles,” Endymon said yawning.
“The fact you can see me means you are close to dying,” she chuckled. Endymon froze. “I think that was the answer you were looking for.”
“What have you done with Celes?”.
“She’s not here actually,” she said with contempt.
“You mean she’s dead?” Endymon shouted in frustration.
“She is and at the same time she is not.”
“What have you done with her?”
“I am Celes, the Celes you know is also Celes.”
“Again too early for riddles,” he complained rubbing his temples. He could not think clearly, as if something was spiked in his food. The figure jerked forward suddenly pinning Endymon to the bed restraining his arms so that she was above him, her hair flowing and falling like water. She lay there silent and the clouds parted so that moonlight flowed from the window revealing her features clearly.
“You are not Celes,” he said suddenly. Every feature was undeniably accurate, but he had noticed almost straight away that the eyes were blood red and not the usual sensual dark purple. She laughed thrillingly, throwing her head back and she began to caress his neck with her lips softly.
“I cannot wait to touch your smooth and firm flesh,” she said biting harshly into his shoulder. He clenched his teeth together and threw her off him, drawing a hidden dagger from his belt. She landed on all fours skidding on the rough wood biting into her flesh, she leapt forwards. He side stepped the first leap, but staggered as something tore into his arm. Endymon realised in horror that his own knife had been taken from him and it was embedded into his bicep.
“You’re so slow,” she moaned. He looked up to see a shadow engulf his face and a pressure applied to his skull before he know with certainty that he was dead. That his skull was crushed…
Endymon roared and lashed out striking Celes on the face. She stumbled back shocked as he was staring at her eyes fearful, sweating profusely.
“What are you doing?” she cried out. He noticed her eyes were purple, it was morning and he almost believed it was a dream… almost.
“How did you get that wound on your arm?” she asked puzzled staring at where his knife had cut his flesh. He knew then to be afraid.
“Nothing,” he said shrugging.
“Is that a bite mark?” she said coldly staring at his shoulder coolly. Yes from you, he thought with some amusement, he wanted to tell her.
“Celes…”
“Say too much and you will die,” she said suddenly her eyes flashing red.
“What did you say?” he said startled.
“Where did you get that bite mark Endymon?” she asked again, her voice was completely different from before.
“It was from a long time ago,” he said softly still staring at her eyes which remained purple. Then he realised the ridiculous claim he made because it looked recent and he was glad when she let the subject drop. After a hasty breakfast of bread, cheese and dried apples Endymon paid the village elder two silver coins.
“Why the money?” he said questionably.
“You know who we are, if anyone asks, tell them we did not arrive,” he replied slyly.
“You place a lot of trust in me,” the elder admitted.
“No I trust myself that you will take the money.”
“Audacious but true.” He expertly pocketed the money and shook Endymon’s hand before he departed.
“You think that he will not tell anyone?” Celes asked after they were out of his ear shot.
“We are no longer the secret organisation we once were. It is to keep old traditions.”
“You can never bring back the past,” she said softly.
“We are close to the mage city Serenity now, do you feel anything?” he asked her. She narrowed her eyes and concentrated hard, to this day her power confused him, it was like she could commune with the spirits.
“Why is it that I feel such waves of Undead activity?”
Endymon chose not to answer but he re-entered his talk with Liandra.
What was she thinking? There were already three disappearances concerning the investigation of Serenity, why send your own daughter there? Then again something was strange about Celes, she was always quiet, sweet and friendly but it was like another person was inside of her. The red eyes… it was the first Endymon saw of it in the six years he had known her and it worried him. If Rhys were here then it would be better for there was no stronger or wiser person than him.
“It’s going to be dangerous Celes,” Endymon said. She did not reply for a while and closed her eyes, then she swore at him quietly smiling. Endymon was too far away to hear.
“Was not our mission to subdue Gareth?” she asked.
“It was also to find out about the disappearances in Serenity. The Commander asked me to confirm this first before confronting Gareth,” he explained.
“Why do we have to do this?” she replied in a disgusted voice. “I liked Gareth.”
“So did I,” Endymon admitted remembering the tall charismatic human. “I know not of what he did, but orders must be obeyed.”
“We are not slaves or soldiers, we should be allowed to know what we are fighting for!”
Endymon could not think of a retort, he even agreed with her line of thought but the only thing that was left in his life was to purge the world of the unholy.
*
On some mornings Elina would see Gareth running in the distance or doing some form of exercise perhaps to prepare himself for the assassins she thought grimly. This morning he was stripped to the waist and hoisting himself up and down effortlessly on the same tree that Elina did twelve yesterday. She counted fifty before she decided to look away and properly bathe herself. The cold water on her skin was not only pleasurable but also a necessity. Dressing herself she prepared for another ordeal with Seth. Already her muscles were sore but not like it had been on the first day and although she could feel the difference in power since the beginning of this training, Seth was a hard mentor to please. She smiled as she remembered how many people she had killed, seven, she wore that number with pride.
“Why are you so happy?” Seth asked behind her. She jumped not noticing his presence until he had spoken.
“I’ve become a lot stronger,” she stated. He laughed and gently shook his head from side to side.
“You are still weak.”
“You said even the weakest Regiment assassin would overpower me,” she argued.
“Those were mercenaries,” he said laughing. “They were human, true Regiment agents are Angels, the difference in power is astounding.”
“But they all had that emblem,” she said voice trailing away.
“Uniforms do not make a soldier,” he said strictly. Then he sighed and rubbed his temples with his index fingers.
“You’re tired,” she said to him. He laughed slumping to the ground and stretching lavishly.
“I am, after you live a long life you tend to get tired thinking.”
“How old are you?” she dared to ask.
“Older than time,” he said wearily passing a hand over his eyes. “But you won’t believe me.”
“Try me!” she challenged.
“I don’t think I will,” he said laughing. Elina looked over his face carefully before placing a hand over his brow, stroking the hair from his eyes.
“Try me…” she said more slowly.
“No,” he said lifting her hand away from him. She then placed her other hand close to his and she realised that her opinion of him changed over
the days. She was looking forward to the times where they would talk in between exercises, look forward to seeing him. It was beginning to manifest inside of her like a parasite and as much as she did not want the attraction towards him to exist out of fear… it was a still a delicious fear.
“A weapon user should always have a weapon on them, even when they are bathing.”
“Seth, pray tell me how you knew I was unarmed at the time!” she said her voice deepening and her fist clenched tightly.
“I have them on me now,” he said quickly showing her the assortment of knives she usually carried around her thigh pocket. She did not realise they were not present.
“I’m sorry it won’t happen again.”
“It should not,” Elina’s hand trailed and held his but he did not respond to her grip but rather pushed her away.
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” he said quietly. She blew her cheeks in scorn, but she moved closer towards him until her body was close to his and she felt him back away.
“I’ve caught you now,” she said slowly.
“Stop this,” he ordered but it was losing the authority he started with. Lightly she placed the dagger from her belt next to his throat and laughed in mirth while he took time to register what she had just done.
“Has my acting becoming better?”
“Quite…” he replied still a bit flushed and she could tell he was angry with himself which raised her mood.
“Should we spar now?” she asked.
“Is your pride ready for another beating?” he replied cracking his knuckles. Elina laughed though mentally she was prepared for another round of losses.
