I took the journey by foot to get back to the guild headquarters. It was a long journey, taking me a year to make it back. I was 20 by the time I returned, and I realized much had changed in the time I left.
I knocked on the door, and I was immediately greeted with spears protruding out the crack in the door.
“Who goes there?!” I heard Rosso shout, his voice covered in edge.
“Verità.” I said, and I heard him sigh with relief.
“Verita! Sweet Luna, where have you been? It’s been four years since you left! A year since you killed Heraldmane! We all thought you were dead!” He exclaimed, and gave me a big hug. I returned it, and I looked inside the mess hall. It was a mess, things strewn everywhere, the banners torn, and everyone looked solemn.
“What the happened?” I asked, and Rosso shook his head.
“Ever since Velgia’s death, everything has spun out of control. He wasn’t killed by a weapon like a sword, or a axe. But a hidden blade.” He said, and my eyes grew wide.
“We have a traitor among our ranks?” I asked quietly, and he nodded his head.
“Traitors, to be exact. We’ve had many of the council members killed. The circle is doing its best to find out who it is. Which, on another hand, we are having another meeting with Luna today, I suggest you attend.” He said, looking around.
“Alright, I will do that. But who do I give the feather to?” I asked, pulling the bloody feather from my teeth.
“Me. I’m guild leader now.” Said a voice. I looked over, and I saw a youngish colt walking towards me. He had a midnight blue coat, and a silver mane.
“Ah, Grande Protettore. It is good to see you.” Said Rosso. Grande looked at me, and sighed.
“New apprentice?” He asked, and Rosso shook his head.
“This is one of the best Assassins here. She’s the one who killed Heraldmane just over a year ago.” Said Rosso, and I handed the feather to Grande.
“Well, a job well done. Congratulazioni on your first Tempest kill.” Said Grande, who then promptly walked off.
“Weird one, he is.” Said Rosso, and we both chuckled.
“I’ll go and get cleaned up. I will see you at the meeting.” I said, walking to my room.
“Today, we celebrate the death of the Assassin who took both Heraldmane, and The Captain of the guard’s death!” I heard Celestia shout out across the courtyard. She was sitting in her throne, and everypony was celebrating.
“Any last request, assassino?” asked the headsman, and I just laughed.
“I would like a sip of black tea, if I may.” I asked, and the guards looked at eachother in confusion.
“Well, if you say so. Get her a cup of tea, cameriere.” Said the headsman, and I heard the slave trot away.
Way to buy time, Verità.
I closed my eyes once more, and thought back to my first and final meeting with the Assassins circle.
“I would like to welcome our new member, Verità, to her first circle meeting.” Said Luna, who was smiling gently at all of us. I blushed a bit, as they all murmured greetings to me.
“Now, let’s get this meeting up to speed, shall we?” asked Rosso, and everypony nodded.
“First and foremost. Heraldmane is dead. The Tempests no longer have a steady supplier of healthy foods and such.” I said, and they all murmured congratulations.
“We have uncovered an extremely dire threat. Tempests have been found somewhat working with high nobles inside Canterlot. We cannot let this happen. While Celestia may have her own Assassin, he will not stand a chance against several, well-armed Tempests.” Said Luna, and everypony got wide eyed.
“She has an Assassin?”
“We must kill him!”
“That threat is more major than the Tempests!”
While everypony else was bickering about how they should deal with the problem, I just sighed.
“He’s an Assassin, just like us. We don’t kill other Assassins, due to the fact that we were once all a brotherhood, binded by blood.” I said, and they all looked at me weird. While Luna, Rosso, and a couple others nodded in approval, Grande spoke up.
“We were once. No longer. I must say, you do have a twisted sight on things. He is our enemy. We are Luna’s guild, and they are Celestia’s guild. There shall be no more discussion on this!” He said loudly. He watched everyone sink back into their seats, except me.
“Do you view me as a threat, Verità?” He asked, calmly putting his hoof on the table.
“No, my lord. I just find it odd that you so forcefully push your opinions on us, and make it seem likes it the most important one. I would think you would take the example from Veglia, seeing as how he was always open to opinions” I said. The circle stared at me in awe, and I could see Luna holding back a laugh.
“You dare question my authority? I will see you and Rosso after the meeting. Tonight.” He said, and I sighed.
“fine.” I added, and sat back down for the rest of the time.
“Your tea, signora.” Said the slave, and I took a long sip. It was the tastiest tea I had ever had. I always thought imperial drinks were terrible, but this one was wonderful. I finished off the last drop, and laid my head back onto the rock. I heard the sound of Tempest nobles squealing in happiness. Another Assassin, falling to their blade. I thought back to after the meeting, and how it changed my life forever.
“You know, Rosso, I thought you taught your apprentice better.” Said Grande, who we were alone with now. There was an assassin on each side of side of him, dressed in blood red.
“I taught her to speak her mind. She was in no way questioning your authority, my lord.” Said Rosso, and Grande chuckled.
“You know, Verità, I hated you since the day I saw you. I knew you were a threat. You were such an over achiever, joining the circle before you even became a known assassin. I made sure to tell Celestia about your deeds.” He said, and my eyes got wide.
“What?” I said, and Grande pulled a cross from his robes.
“I thought you would have seen it by now. Pity. Well, nopony will ever know that there is a bunch of Tempest’s inside their guild, killing them off one by one. Soon, I will have all the Assassins killed here. And there won’t be anything you can do, because you will be dead.” He said, and his guards lunged for us.
I was quick to react, jumping out of the way of the guard that lunged for me.
Rosso wasn’t so lucky. He was knocked to the ground, and stabbed twice before he bucked the assailant off, and got into the fray of things. I drew my sword, swiveling it in my teeth.
“You are weak, Verità, face it!” Shouted Grande, and I just mumbled some not so nice words. His guard lunged at me, his sword tip down.
Bad move.
I dodged out of the way, and put the tip of my sword through his mid-section, piercing his heart. He dropped dead, and I turned to see something I never saw coming.
Rosso, blood pooling around his body, with a steaming hole in his head. Next to him, I saw Grande and the other Assassin, each with a gun in their mouth.
“No…” I muttered to myself. Grande just grinned, and I raised my for hoof.
I pulled back the action, letting the massive lead ball smash into Grande’s second guard. He flew at the wall, guts spewn everywere, and Grande was dumbfounded.
“What, wait, huh?” He stumbled over his words, and I lunged at him. He got his sense back, and fired a shot from his pistol. I smashed into the side of my gauntlet, hitting my own gun, and destroying it.
I’m going to have to go back to that vendor and thank him for making that gun able to block bullets.
I slammed into Grande, and he just stared up at me in fear. I poised my blade over his neck, and I looked at him sternly.
“Mercy? Please!” He shouted, trying to fiddle his way out of this one.
“Mercy doesn’t come for traitors.” I said, and with that, I plunged my blade into his throat, twisting it so that it would do more damage.
I went over to Rosso, said a small prayer, took a feather from his wing, and bathed it into Grande’s blood.
“I’m-I’m sorry master. I should have acted sooner.” I said, looking at Rosso’s body. A small tear filled my eye, and I opened the window, and took flight, vowing to never return to that corrupt place.
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A/N:
You guys have been patient, so here, have two chapters!
Translations: Grande Protettore: Grand protector
Assassino: Assassin.
Congratulazioni: congratulations
cameriere: Slave
Signora: Ma'am