The wind whipped around Kamati in a frenzy, signaling an oncoming storm. He looked up into the sky and squinted. The clouds hadn’t completely enveloped the starry sky. He had plenty of time to make it to his destination before it would start to rain. He continued his slow and steady walk down the road, pulling the tattered cowl of his cloak tighter around his head.
“You are now my vassal.” He heard echoing in his ears, “You are now a master of Death. Death could not hold you. And Death would not be able to escape you, should you wish to pursue her.” Malsvir had handed him a robe. It was old and worn, with the edges fraying; colored an inky black that seemed to absorb the light surrounding it. “Cut from the very essence of the night sky itself, none shall be able to spot you without some means of magic.” The dragon had hissed sinisterly, “It shall prove to be of the utmost use to you in your new line of work. You are to be neither seen nor heard by your target or anypony else while on a job. You are to become not but a shadow of Death; if you are detected and you retreat unsuccessful in your mission, there shall be severe consequences.”
Kamati di Malsvir threw on the fabric without a word, wrapping it around his neck and pulling the hood over his ears. He could feel himself seem to disappear from the world around him. “Good, you are learning quickly, Kamati.” Malsvir’s eyes flashed for a moment, and in spat in his dark tongue “Confn, Sepa Virlym.” He reached into his own shadow and pulled forth a wicked looking blade. Twisted metal dyed a deep black, and a hilt and sheath wrapped in a scaly looking leather, he handed it to Mac, who took it without question. “This is Sepa Virlyn, the Thief of Souls. It has taken countless lives of creatures much older than dragons, gryphons, or ponies, and not once has it failed in its task.”
Malsvir gripped Kamati’s forehead, his fingers digging into his skin. The former farm horse didn’t cry out, he did not flinch, he did not even blink as he felt his mind melt from his own body. He saw a light blue pegasus with grey hair, and a cutie mark of the sun peaking from behind storm clouds. “This is your first assignment, Kamati. You are to find, and kill, this stallion. You need not know his name. You need not know his sins. You are only to locate, and kill. Understood?” Big Macintosh nodded as he returned to his body. He didn’t bother to ask where he could find his target, somehow he could feel the information burning in the back of his mind.
“Kamati, know that success shall breed reward for you, but if you do not succeed I shall personally see to it that the throats of everypony you ever loved are ripped out, and that it was your failure that was the source of their demise. I shall know if you are successful, for I am in you, just as you are in me.” Kamati di Malsvir did not turn to acknowledge that he understood his master’s threat. He simply pushed open the door and left. Malsvir grinned and melded into the shadows surrounding him.
Kamati was pulled from his memories as a clap of thunder shook the air around him, causing him to place some speed into his stride. He could see the distant twinkling of lights burning through windows drawing closer with every step. Fat drops of rain began to beat down upon him as he stepped into the town and dashed for the nearest cover he could find. Taking shelter in an alley between two houses he pulled his cloak tightly around his body and closed his eyes. The evening was still young, and he needed to be sure that there would be no witnesses of his existence in this town before he did what he was there to do.
He breathed slowly and deeply, meditating on the information that was branded into his consciousness. His target lived on the far end of town, second story, bed located next to the window, goes to sleep at 11:30 every evening like clockwork, just before the final lights were put out for the night; now all he had to do was wait. The rain pattered heavily against the cobblestone street, and one by one the lights of the little town dimmed until the last one plunged the city into darkness.
It was time.
Slipping quietly from his cover, Kamati cautiously inspected the road. Nothing. Everything was dead still. He stepped from his dark alley and moved quickly through the rain, keeping close to the ground and letting his cloak hide him from any eyes that may look through their window for a moment. He made little noise as he swooped quickly from shadow to shadow.
The newly anointed assassin stood before a simple wooden door; painted green with a little window revealing very little of the inside to him. He tested the doorknob and it yielded quietly to him. Typical. There was very little for any of the ponies to fear from one another, so they left their doors unlocked.
Opening the portal just wide enough for him to fit through he slid into the house and shut the door noiselessly behind him. The interior of the house was pitch dark, save for the occasional flashes of lightning that illuminated the area; but from some unholy instinct he felt his way towards the stairs; dodging a number of walls, tables, and chairs effortlessly. He held his breath and stepped lightly up the stairs, stopping with each gentle creak to listen for any response. When he arrived on the landing he moved with even more caution. His prey was just within hooves reach.
Passing like a ghost past three doors, one bathroom and two guest rooms, he finally arrived at the room of his target. The door was already cracked, and it creaked ever so gently as he pushed it inwards. Another bolt of lightning filled the room with temporary light and he could see the bed, the stallion tucked tightly beneath its covers.
The room seemed to fill with an anticipation that could almost be breathed in if one were to try. Kamati stepped noiselessly to the bedside and unsheathed his dagger. The blade drew from its sheathe smoothly, and he awaited another flash of lightning to be sure that his aim was true. When the light filled the room once more he moved the razor edge to the throat of his victim, the very tip of the blade digging lightly into the blue skin. But he hesitated for a moment.
The hesitation was all fate needed to take hold of the situation, and a tremendous clap of thunder shook the room to its foundation. Kamati could see the stallion’s eyes open slightly, before the heavens once again lit the room with pale translucence and his eyes widened even further.
His victim’s breathing quickened as he started into the face of his killer, a look that knew what was going to happen reflecting in his eyes. Kamati felt a pang of dread grasp his stomach like an icy claw. This was only his first assignment and he’d already fail to remain totally invisible. The knife burrowed deeper into the skin, drawing a small droplet of blood where it penetrated. “W-wait…” the stallion stammered as the red droplet slid down his body onto the bedsheets. “I don’t know what I did to you. I don’t even know who you are. Please, just don’t hurt my little filly. Do whatever you want to me, but just leave her alone.”
A filly? Kamati did not know that he had a child. For a second he was torn. He could spare this pony, and allow him to live happily with his child for the rest of his life; but at the cost of his own loved ones. No, he couldn’t afford that price. The dagger dug a little deeper.
“C-can I at least say good-bye to her.” He begged, “I don’t want her to come in here and find me like…like that. I swear I won’t cause any kind of trouble for you.” After a moment, Kamati removed Sepa Verlyn from his victim’s neck and gave a slight nod. If he was going to be punished for his transgression he may as well grant this stallion his final wish. “Thank you.” He whispered.
The light blue pony got out of his bed slowly, keeping an eye on the glinting blade pointed at his eye. Kamati followed him out of his bedroom and into the hallway, keeping the dagger carefully trained on him so that if he tried anything funny he could silence him.
He watched silently as the pony marked for death pushed open the door directly next to his room. The stallion marked for death cast a scared look over his shoulder and Kamati returned it with a hard stare of his own. The message was clear. If he tried to warn his daughter, or escape, he would not be the only one to die that night. He stepped into the shadowy frame of the open door as Kamati stayed behind.
He listened patiently, his ear searching for the slightest sound. “Honey. Honey, wake up its daddy.”
He heard a slight movement and a tired voice asked quietly, “Daddy? What’s wrong?” He tensed. His muscles were taught as a piano wire as he prepared to have to jump in and kill them both.
“Nothing’s wrong, darling. I just wanted to see if you were okay. I know you’re a little scared of the lightning.”
The second voice spoke up a little bit, a touch of pride hanging from the eves of each word. “I’m not scared anymore of storms anymore, dad. Every time there’s a thunder sound I just hug Smarty Pants, and she makes me feel safe.”
The stallion chuckled a little bit, “That’s my big, brave girl.” There was a moment of silence and Kamati tensed, “Baby, tomorrow when you wake up I need you to not come get me, okay?”
“Why, daddy?”
“I-I’m going to be sleeping in for a long time, okay? When you wake up I need you to go over to your aunt Merrys’ house. She’ll cook you a really nice breakfast, and then you can ask her to come wake me up.” Kamati could hear the faint sound of a gentle kiss and a soft yawn following it. “Can you do that for me, sweetie?”
“Okay, daddy.”
“I love you, darling. You know I always will, right?”
“Mhmm,” the soft voice was getting quieter, “and I love you too.”
There was a soft padding of hooves and Kamati’s target exited the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He was trembling as he looked up at his killer and gave a light smile, “She takes that doll everywhere with her.” He was met with silence and a dead stare. Taking in a deep breath he walked back into his room and crawled into his bed. “Just please try and make it quick.” He closed his eyes tightly and prepared for his fate.
Kamati did not hesitate this time and drew the blade in a clean line across the stallion’s thin neck. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed as he watched his first kill convulse and choke on the bed with desperation in his eyes. He stood and watched until a long breath left the still body. He turned without a thought and left the quiet home. Not a single feeling of remorse in his heart.
***
“You have done well, Kamati.” Malsvir said as the soaked stallion stepped back into the tree that was his prison. “But we have seen all that transpired. You failed to remain invisible.” The shadows lashed out with frightening speed towards the gray assassin and struck him in the side, leaving a shallow gash in its wake. Kamati did not cry out, but stood still and took his punishment as each blow rained down upon his body. Though the burned and stung greatly the pain was trivial compared to the pain inflicted on him during his lessons.
The punishment let up soon and Malsvir stood behind his servant. “Even with your failures, you have done well. Enjoy the fruits of your labor while you can, for you shall be sent away again soon.” Kamati looked behind him and the skyspeaker of the Hawai was gone.
He stepped over to his corner and looked down. Laying on top of the hay that had served as his bed there was a folded blanket, water, bread, and even a pear. He shrugged off his shadowy cloak and tossed on the blanket. It was thin and worn, but did its best to warm his wet form. Curling into a tight ball he couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen to that little filly without her father.
He curled up a little tighter, and fell asleep, hoping to never find out.