Fate of A White Flower

Lightning ripped through the night sky, bringing with it the promise of an impending rainstorm. All over the village of Shèngsuo, farmers sat in their beds at home, hoping for the rain to fall and bring life to their crops in the field. The streets were mostly empty, the population of the village having retired for the night. Only a few night stalls are open and the traders hung hurricane lamps inside to shed light on their wares.

A black wagon pulled by two horses rolled down a street, its wheels disturbing the silence of the night. As it passed, all the open stalls in its path quickly closed up as their owners recognized the wagon. It was over that had brought suffering on many of the traders in the village. When it went past them without stopping, many traders sighed in relief. It seemed that the heavens were lenient with them tonight despite what the weather might suggest. In front of the wagon, the rider gripped the reins tightly, his face set in a grimace. He was not supposed to be doing this right now. His normal job included exploitative raids on the villagers for food and funds for his organization.

Recently he had been tasked by his employer to transport something very valuable and had been ordered to bring the item unfailingly tonight. When the order had come, he had been surprised and scared at once. His role in the organization was not a vital I've and none of the higher ups usually cared about what he did, so long as he produced results that satisfied them. Now that he had been given such an important task directly from their leader, he would make sure he did not fail.

Not that he could afford to. His leader was not a merciful individual.

The wagon came to a halt in front of a large black gate guarded by armed guards with large sheathed swords slung across their backs. The gate was the only entrance into the wagon's destination: a large compound containing four buildings linked together to form a square. In the middle of the square, there was a tower-like structure that was obviously the most important part of the whole thing. The entire place was fenced by fifteen feet tall walls and guards stood along the walls, ready to draw their swords at any sight of an uninvited guest.

From the outside, the compound looked like a well fortified army garrison but it actually served a different purpose. It was the dwelling place of a very deadly individual, a person whose very name struck terror into the hearts of even the bravest of warriors.

The rider came down and walked up to the guards at the gate, his face so set in a frown. He rolled up his sleeve to reveal the dark jade tattoo in his forearm. It was a sign that bound all members of the association to its creator.

"I've pledged myself to fufil Her wishes," he recited the secret password to them. Two guards nodded and stepped back to open the heavy metal gate. The man all but ran back to his wagon and tugged on the reins to direct the horses inside. The gates shut behind them with a loud clang and the man shuddered slightly. He had never been into the organization headquarters before and he did not want mess up on his first time.

Thee wagon moved slowly to the front of the building facing the gate and he quickly got down and moved to the back to retrieve the precious cargo. It was a beautiful ornate chest that had good mosaic drawings imprinted on its body. The edges were smooth and several precious stones decorated the box, giving it an old but exquisite appearance. The chest sat in the middle of the dark room of the wagon atop a red velvet cushion.

The man stopped and went back to his seat to get the lamp that hung in the front of his wagon. Returning with the lamp for slightly better illumination, he took hold of the chest by its handles. The skin of his hands glistened with a light sweat as he carefully lifted the chest out of the wagon. His entire attention was on the item he was carrying, making him completely oblivious to the four dark figures hanging at the four corners of the wagon's ceiling. They were perfectly still, their chests rising every so slightly with each intake of breath. The figures were dressed in black clothing with their heads wrapped with a black cloth as well, leaving only their eyes glinting with the light from the lamp as they watched the man take the chest out of the wagon.

A small breeze blew past the man and snuffed out the light of the lamp. An indescribable fear creeped into his heart as he felt the sensation of being watched. Quickly he placed the chest back into the wagon and fished about in his pockets for a matchbox. Finding one, he struck a match and relit the lamp. Its yellow light filled the small room in the wagon again, only this time there was nothing inside except the chest. The man's actions became hurried as he took the chest and closed the wagon. He walked up to the front door of the building with the chest in hand and knocked once. A few seconds later, the door slid backwards to open and reveal a hefty muscular man wearing only a pair of loose trousers and a simple shirt that clung tightly to his form. He stared down at the delivery man hardly and the smaller man nearly cowered in fear.

"Do you have it?" The hefty man asked in a booming voice.

"Y-yes, I-I do... it's in here," the man replied shakily and held up the chest. The muscular man looked at the chest in an appraising manner. Once he was convinced, he stepped aside with a grunt of approval for the man to pass. The wagon rider swallowed deeply and walked in, his mission having been without a hitch so far.

The large man put his head out to look around the compound for any unfamiliar sight. On finding none but the recently arrived wagon, he turned around to go back inside. A soft whistle cut through the silence as a long metal chain extended from the darkness behind him and wrapped itself tightly around his neck., immediately cutting off his air supply and silencing his voice. Before he could even do anything about it, the chain was drawn back sharply with enough strength to drag him as well despite his size, into the darkness outside.

The soft sound of a rapidly twisted neck sounded and everywhere feel silent one more. Then, like formless phantoms, four shadows slipped into the building quickly and silently. The encounter had been so quick and quiet that none of the guards patrolling the inside walls had noticed anything. The door that had been left open was gently pushed close by a soft breeze that merely ruffled the flower bushes planted in the compound.

The man carrying the chest trudged on hurriedly through a dark passage. The box in his hands seemed to increase in weight with each step and he adjusted his grip to carry it better. Maybe it was just his nervousness that was causing it but he constantly kept looking over his shoulder with the uneasy feeling that he was being followed. The darkness did not reveal and he continued on, holding his lamp in front of him to illuminate his path. He came across two guards who were standing sentry in front of a large wooden door.

Their faces were grim and intimidating and they each held a flaming torch in one hand and a lance in the other. As soon as they saw him, they crossed their weapons in front of him.

The man halted long enough to hold up the golden chest up for them to see. The guards inspected the bids and eyed the man warily before acquiescing and opening the door to let him pass. After he had gone through, they were about to shut the heavy door but a soft clanging noise made them stop. The guards immediately became alert and pointed their weapons in the direction of the noise. In the darkness, they could not see anything further than a few feet in front of them with their torches. Both men looked at each other and nodded in understanding before taking slow steps forward while placing the flaming sticks on holsters that had been fixed to the walls. Their hands clutched their spears tightly and they looked carefully for anything even remotely suspicious.

From the darkness, a gentle gust of wind blew through the passage, putting out one of the lights and setting them on edge. One of the guards moved quickly and relit the extinguished torch, only to turn around and find his partner missing. Danger signals blared in his head and he spun around in a futile attempt to find the man. From above a drop of blood fell onto his his shoulder and stained the brown cloak he was wearing. His eyes went up and widened at the sight above him; his partner hung suspended from the dark ceiling by a chain around his neck with blood trickling from his mouth. The man's eyes and mouth were open in an unending soundless scream of horror.

The end of the chain was in the hands of one of four shadowy figures climbing like spiders on the ceiling, their eyes fixated coldly on him. Before the guard could move, the shadows flickered past him and he fell on his back. The torch clattered noisily to the floor and rolled out of his limp hand. It stopped a few inches away from his motionless body, the orange flames casting light on the dead man's face. His mouth was open, like his deceased partner, in a shout that was never heard and blood pooled around his head, leaking from the deep horizontal slit across his throat.

The shadows continued tailing the man with the chest as he moved deeper and deeper into the building. When they reached a point where the passage went in two ways, the group silently divided with two of them continuing after the man. The other pair went down the other hallway. They had their plan mapped out and memorized, each of them knew where they were supposed to go and what they were to do to achieve their aim in this mission.

The man finally stopped in front of a black door and knocked over before waiting for an answer. He had reached the last point of his transportation assignment. Now all that remained was for him hand over the box to his superior. Inside the room, a young woman sat in a lotus position in the middle of the carpeted floor. She was dressed in black form fitting clothes that showed off her incredible figure with a long black overcoat that was unbuttoned, leaving the material to pool behind her. Her dark hair was rolled up and held in place be two long needless. Two locks of hair hung loosely on both sides of her face that was adorned with the barest hint of makeup. An unsheathed katana lay in front of her, its thin edge glinting with with dangerous sharpness.

The sound of the man's knock broke the woman out of her meditation. Her eyelids flicked open revealing cold black eyes that reflected her ruthless nature. She rose and opened the door to state pointedly at the man. His knees went weak under her cold gaze and his words came out unsteadily.

"I bring the artifact," he said and offered the chest to her. The woman watched him closely with an intimidating gaze for a while before collecting the box and carrying it easily with one slender hand.

"Were there any interruptions during your journey?"she asked slowly.

"No, none at all," the man hurriedly replied. He did not want to antagonize the woman before him. If the leader of the organization could be said to be a merciless queen, then this woman could be accurately called her ruthless regent. Whilst she was not the leader herself, she had enough strength to solidify her position as second-in-command.

"Good. Now leave me. On your way out, go to the west wing and tell them to bring the girl here."

The man bowed in respect and hastened back the way he had come. The woman brought the box into the room and placed it on a table at a corner of the room. She ran her hands lightly over the edges of the lid in admiration of the fine craftsmanship. An urge came to her to open tee the box and take a look inside, if only out of curiosity but she immediately suppressed it. Only her mistress had the right to open the chest and utilize its content and she had no intention of disobeying her orders any time soon.

Besides, there was something else that required her attention at the moment.

The instant the hairs on the back of her neck rose, she spun around and at the same time raised her sword to block the spear that had been thrown at her from behind. A figure materialized from the ceiling and caught the spear midair. He placed the blunt end of the weapon on the floor and used it as a pivot to push himself towards the woman in av dropkick. She used the flat of her blade to stop the attack and pushed him back, utilizing the opportunity to properly analyze her opponent. The dark robed figure landed carefully and held his spear upright beside him.

Another dark figure appeared near him, dressed in the same manner and wielding a long slender katana. The woman's eyes narrowed in recognition once she saw the blade. She knew who they were and had encountered them multiple times in the past, none of which had been on peaceful terms. She would be a fool to think she would be able to engage both of them at once. The fact that they were still alive despite being active enemies of her mistress spoke volumes of their strength. Their skill was nothing to laugh at either. That fool of a wagon driver must have unknowingly led them here. And he had dared to say there had been no complications. A frown appeared on her face as she raised her sword and entered a fighting stance. She would kill the driver as soon as she was done here.

"So you've managed to find your way into here? Very well then. As my mistress has ordered me, I will offer you one chance to turn around and leave before I end your wretched lives," she stated while maintaining her grip on her sword's handle.

The katana-wielding assassin turned to his colleague. "Go and help the others. I'll handle this one."

The other assassin nodded and jumped back, disappearing into the darkness once more. The one with the sword then turned to the young woman and twirled his sword in a silver circle, the faint outline of a smile was visible through his mask. Her jaw clenched in suppressed frustration. He was mocking as if he has already won the battle.

"You hide your face like a coward while fighting. Is that what you call honor?"

The assassin chuckled and held up his sword. "Why do you care? It's not like you haven't seen enough of my face already."

She dashed towards him and swung the sword at his head. He parried the strike with his own blade and attempted to cut off her arm but she deflected the blow easily with a flick of her wrist. The assassin smiled to himself; she had fallen right into his trap. With a quick jerk of the knee, he kicked the woman in the gut and sent her tumbling backwards. She landed gracefully on her feet, her body crouched low like a feline set to pounce. The assassin stood directly in front of the door and held up his blade with both hands. The message was clear: she would not be getting through that door any time soon.

In the building west of the compound, the two shadowy figures moved quickly from one torchlit passageway to another in search of their target. They were fast, so fast that even stationed guards saw them as little more than shadowed blurs caused by the flickering lights. They stopped a few meters away from where seven guards say on benches laughing and drinking together. Behind them was a small dark and dreary cell built into the wall. Its sole occupant was a girl that looked to be about nineteen years who lay horizontally on a small bed in the corner of the cell.

She had pretty features with an oval face and almond-shaped eyes that reflected the light from the passage's torches brightly. Snow white hair fell in a straight curtain around her head, slightly dirtied by the less than pristine surroundings. Her nose was small and pointed in a manner that that fit well with her soft looking pink lips. But her facial disposition was quite different from the way she looked. The girl's face resembled that of a prisoner condemned to death, filled with despair and resignation.

The hidden assassins scanned the area before them and after reaching an agreement, they separated into the shadows. The guards were still talking and laughing boisterously, completely oblivious to the approaching danger. Just like the previous times, a imperceptible breeze wafted through the passageway and one of the two torches went out, plunging them all into partial darkness.

In an instant, the guards became alarmed and reached for their weapons. One of them noticed movement in the pitch black area beyond the illumination of the remaining burning torch. He squinted his eyes to see better, only to find a concealed face staring back at him. Fear shot through the man and he spun around on his heel to alert the other guards. Before he could get out more than a whimper, a chain sprung from the darkness and wrapped around his neck. His eyes expanded in size as the chain dragged him off into the darkness. A second later, a strangled cry sounded through the quietened passageway.

Now aware of the threat facing them, the men rallied together and stood with their backs to one another. Uncertainty permeated the atmosphere around them and some clutched their weapons with shaky hands in terror of an invisible danger. Out of nowhere, the chain returned and dragged off a young man with low cut hair to his quick death. They turned their attention to the direction the chain had come from immediately, a fatal mistake on their part. The other assassin dropped silently in their midst and snuffed the last light.

With darkness came unbridled confusion. The men scattered apart aimlessly, alarmed shouts and screams ringing out in the passageway. An individual tried to locate the torch stick and was struck across the face by the blunt hard metal end of the second assassin's staff. The blow was strong enough to crack his skull and he crumpled to the floor in a heap. Without breaking his stride, the assassin spun around and smashed the head of one guard into the wall then bent low to sweep the staff in a wide arc, shattering the legs of another.

The first assassin was a much more skillful killer. His weapon of choice, a long metal that had a small scythe blade attached to it, moved around like a living serpent, bringing death everywhere it went. He threw the blade towards one of the remaining guards and the man brought up his sword to defend the attack. The assassin then made a swift and subtle movement with the hand holding the other end of the chain and altered the direction of the blade.

Deflecting off the the guard's sword, the scythe blade went around him and wrapped around the neck of another man behind. A quick tug on the chain and the blade severed the man's neck halfway, spraying blood everywhere. The assassin then leapt up into the air and in an incredible display of acrobatics, rotated clockwise over the heads of everyone in the hallway with his weapon spinning around him.

As soon as his feet touched the floor, the dismembered bodies of the slaughtered guards fell to the ground in pieces. Blood dripped from the sharp edge of the blade onto the already soaked floor. The fight now over as there were no guards alive, the assassins went toward the cell with slow careful steps. Inside the cell, the girl stumbled back from the door in an effort to put as much distance as possible between her and the dark clothed men. For the first time since her capture, she was actually glad to have been in a prison cell. Having watched the men massacre the guards who had been watching over her, she eyed them with severe caution and no small amount of fear. For all she knew, they might be worse than her initial kidnappers.

Unfortunately her plan to hide behind the cell door fell through when the one with the reaper chain swiped the keys from one of the dead guards. With an ominous click, the door creaked open and he slipped inside only to vanish instantly into the shadows. Alarmed, the girl attempted to escape through the now open door. However before she could get farther than a few steps, a gentle yet firm blow to the back of her head knocked her out cold.

Her eyes closed and she fell back into the arms of the assassin who lifted her up on his shoulder and came out of the small room. The man with the staff was already their recently arrived spear-wielding comrade when he saw them. Both men laid eyes on their acquired target and nodded furtively to the third man. All three slipped away from the passage in quick bursts of speed. Their mission here was over, now it was time for them to leave before things got more complicated.