Prologue : Battle for paris

The night was still young as Louis Heredeaux entered the alley of Sacremento. The alley was pretty small and Louis often used it as a shortcut to go back to his place after work. He admired the calm (stillness) of the place, that helped him focus his thought while walking. But this evening, there seemed to be people walking towards the alley, coming towards him. It was only when he heard the sound of steel blades echoing in the distance that Louis realized that the figures coming were not ordinary people.

Five figures, all dressed the same way : dark red pants with some laced armour. And blue masks. That last part, Louis would have noticed earlier if he wasn't lost in his thought. Two figures seemed male, the other three lurking in the distance were  probably female. The young man didn't lose time to talk them into some diplomatic conversation. They obviously were there for only one thing : to kill him. And Louis even had a fair idea of why.

Louis put his right hand on the pommel of his rapier and unsheathed the blade. Then he took stance, ready to receive his opponents. Dressed in black leather pants and a light brown leather jacket, the man looked in his early thirties. His brown short hair were hidden under a dark blue hat.

The two male figures and two of the female ones closed on him. The last female killer stayed behind, rapier in hand but as if waiting to look at the fight instead of participating in it.

Louis used the slightly higher ground he had on his opponents. They all tried to lunge at once, making him easier to deflect all their blades in one swing, then he spun his wrist to center his rapier and thrusted at throat of the killer on the left. The man tried to cry as the blade pierced his windpipe and came off his neck. He put his free hand to the wound, as if it could save him in any way. Louis didn't lose time and removed his blade, stepped back and turn slightly to the right to face his three remaining opponents.

"You'll pay for that, bastard !" said one of the female killer.

The swordswoman didn't wait for her fellow masked friends and try to rush  Louis. The man had anticipated it and just dodged the blade by stepping sideways. And his blade was already in the right position so the woman got stabbed in a mere second. Louis merely had to push his arm, the girl just impaled herself on the rapier.

" Well, it seemed you liked your friend so much you were really eager to join him on the other side" said the young man.

Louis twisted his blade in the wound then pushed back the masked woman. He could see in her blue eyes that she wasn't believing what was happening to her. She sidestepped, as if leaving the scene could help her in any way. She couldn't walk for more than a couple of feet when she finally dropped her blade and fell to the ground.

The other two killers were already attacking again, eager to avenge their fallen comrades. Louis parried their assault with some ease while stepping back a little. With two opponents left, he decided he could try to deflect  the one on his left at their next assault. There was a small hole in the ground on that side of the path, that could make the swordsman trip in it and fall, giving him a moment alone with the other killer.

As he was about to put his plan in action. Completely unaware, a sharp pain tore at his back. Lowering his eyes, Louis saw the tip of a blade piercing his leather jacket from the inside. The fifth killer ! He was so focused on the opponents he was engaged in that he forgot about her. He could felt the end of the rapier touching his back, the swords-woman had run her blade through him.

"A lady don't like it when a man pays her no attention." said a soft and warm female voice to his left ear. "But at least you gave me an opportunity to take some pleasure, mister Heredeaux."

He could almost feel her breath on his left cheek. Then she twisted her blade and pain ran through his whole body. The female killer removed her agonizing rapier and stepped back. Louis dropped his blade and put both hands to his chest.

The masked swords-woman had taken a look at the man she had just murdered . He would have made a good opponent to her in a one to one duel. But her instructions were clearly : the man had to die and she couldn't have waited for him to kill all his opponents. Two were dead and that was already much. She didn't mind about them dying : if you're not good enough as a fencer, you die, that's simple enough. But if she lost too many, she could be made accountable for it. Anyway, the two defeats were acceptable and she managed to kill the man herself. As Louis lay there in a pond of blood,he simply passed away.  The masked assailants left as soon as Louis was dead.