A World of Stories: An Anthology

The Assassin's Alliance

"The Assassin's Alliance" is about, you guessed it!, an assassin's alliance. Can anything redeem murder? What happens when you discover your connection to the people you swore were evil? Do people change?

***

"He enslaved children, Kyla. No older than ten. Imagine Kailyn." Clark was cruel to use Kyla's sister as an example, but she knew why he did it.

"He didn't deserve to die," Kyla said anyway. "The Council would have imprisoned him rightfully."

"The Council is too busy tracking down the Alliance."

"Then that betrays the purpose of the Alliance; does it not?"

Clark smiled. "The only way to ensure the safety of the innocent is to rid the world of the guilty."

"Nobody deserves to die."

"Yet, we are all going to anyway."

"God's will is in His hands. Why do people kill?"

With their brown hair and porcelain skin, Clark and Kyla had more than enough similarities, to make up for their disagreement over the Assassin's Alliance. A renowned, illegal, and well-hidden group of vigilantes, the Assassins killed the criminals which had taken over the Forge. The Council spent all their time and resources trying to break the Alliance, as it was commonly known... time which should've been spent taking down the Alliance's targets.

"I need to go."

"Where?" Kyla asked.

"Out." To the area of the rich... away from the familiarity of the villages and into the order of the city.

"Stay safe."

Kyla watched Clark run over the bridge into the pathway through the forest. He would turn left at the fork towards the city, with its mansions and castles. She remained sitting on the ledge, her legs dangling over the water, looking down at the clear river that ran through the Forge. When Kyla went home, she would take the same pathway, but turn right at the fork towards the villages. Her home was in a clearing in the forest, where most of the Forge's poor lived. Kyla and Clark enjoyed meeting in this part of the forest, where status didn't matter and the only noise was the crash of the river on the rocks. They talked for hours here on the rare days when both had time off. Even when overwhelmed with work, Kyla and Clark spent many nights staring at the stars, dreaming of a better life. They were happy with the life they led and they were happy with each other, but perhaps it could be better.

Kyla knew she should get going; supper would be ready soon, but she rarely got a day off. She worked as a servant in a councilman's house. As far as masters went, he was much better than Kyla should ask for. After all, most of the others in the villages found themselves working for cruel merchants and barons.

With a reluctant sigh, Kyla rose, and crossed the bridge. She hummed a children's song to herself as she walked through the trees.

"That's a nice bracelet."

Kyla spun around and found herself facing a bald man with thick muscles and scars covering his open arms. Kyla's breath sped up and her heart beat quickly. Odds were, he only wanted her bracelet, but many villagers found themselves dead at the hands of simple thieves. She couldn't outrun the bandit, no matter how large he was. She knew that.

"Give it to me," the man said, referring to the bracelet.

Kyla touched her the circlet of blue gemstones around her left wrist. She had worn it for many years; it had belonged to Clark's mother, but it survived the fire.