Eptin II , Jungle planet and home of a Callidus Temple

She sits in the jungle, surrounded by plants, animals and bugs. Numerous small insects are crawling over her but she dare not move. She has been trained to ignore them. Ignore the cramps in her legs or bites from insects. She’s been trained to crouch for hours without moving. To look for the opening, then attack. She hears the enemy moving through the jungle. Must be one of the prisoners sent to find and kill her. It’s the only thing they can do to gain the emperors forgiveness. She must find and kill them all, it’s what she has do to pass the test. She wants to move, to attack and kill them all. She must succeed this time, not like the other tests. She tries not to think about it, but she knows that if she fails again she will not be allowed to leave the temple. She will not be allowed to join the other Callidus assassins in the Office Assassinorium. She will not be allowed to join because those who fail the tests of the temple are not allowed too live. Those who fail can’t be seen by the eyes of the Emperor.

Movement to her left breaks her train of thought. A prisoner is moving through the jungle towards her. He’s stumbling trough the jungle.

“He’s getting closer” she says to herself

“Snap his neck and take his form to kill the others” a voice in her head tells her.

The assassin shakes her head as if trying to shake the voice out. She stops and slowly looks around. Still alone but, she hears the prisoner moving closer. Her muscles start to tense, the prisoner continues towards her. She lets him walk by her hiding spot, she leaps out to grab him. One hand over his mouth the other on the opposite side of his head. The assassin twists this head sideways hard and fast. A muffled snapping sound can be heard, he goes limp. She carries him deeper into the jungle. Once she’s safely hidden again, she does a quick search of the body revealing only a small knife.

“They allow me no weapons and then give them nothing worth taken” she thinks to herself

“They fear you” the voice say “They know they cannot give you any weapons or you would succeed”

“Emperor? Is that you my lord” the assassin silently ask as she bows her head.

“They fear you, that’s why you were always given the weakest weapon, the smallest blade. That’s why the master of this temple always set you against the strongest foes. She could not allow you to pass your test. Could not allow you to be victories.”

“But why?” She asks

“Because she fears you will take her place one day” The voice answers “this is why this temple has so few assassins in the ranks of the Office Assassinorium. She knows that one day one will return to battle her for the right of leadership.”

“I don’t understand my Emperor. Why is this allowed to happen” The assassin asks

“Because you Emperor cares not for the action of all those whom serve him, as long as the outcome is of his wanting.” The voice replies.

The assassin eyes narrow with rage “Who are you!” She says aloud in rage.

“We should keep our voices down” The voice answers calmly “Don’t want to attract unwanted visitors”.

The assassin quick scans the area for movement she notices some off to her right moving towards her quickly.

“Why don’t you go deal with the man over there, I wait here” the voice tells her with a chuckle. “OH! By the way, he has a Las Pistol so I would be careful”

The assassin ignores the voice and moves to her left, circling around the path she thinks the prisoner is taking. Motion in the foliage tells her she guessed correctly. Silently she continues on, moving slowly and cautiously. She sees him bending over the body of the other prisoner. She leaps the remaining ten feet, grabbing him around the throat as she shoves the small knife into his ear. He dies quickly and silently. She lowers his body nest to the other, all the while scanning the jungle for movement. She sees none, hears nothing but the nature sounds of the jungle. The assassin quickly searches the new body for weapons. She finds another small knife and a Las Pistol.

“One shot” she thinks as she shakes her head “It only has enough of a charge for one shot”

“What did you expect” the voice returns “You couldn’t be given an real advantage. After all, you are expected to fail”

“Who are you” The assassin asks firmly

“I am usually referred to as “He Who Walks In Shadows” The voice answers “You may call me the Shadow Lord”

“Chaos” She hisses

“If you wish” The Shadow Lord answers “Although I have no quarrel with the gods of Chaos, I do not consider myself among. They are aware of my existence, though your Emperor is not”

“What do you want with me” The assassin asks

“To help you reach the goal you have set for yourself” The Shadow Lord answers

“To pass this test?” she asks

“That and much more” The Shadow Lord answers “I have great plans for you my dear.”

The assassin isn’t sure that she likes that thought. All her life she has sworn to follow the path the emperor has set for her. She thinks about what the voice has said, as she has all her life. From the time she was just a little girl she has had a inner voice. Tell her what to do or not do. What to touch, eat, drink, when to run, when to fight.

“Yes, and it has always be me, my child” The shadow lord interjects.

Smoke starts rising from the bodies at her feet. Slowly a large cloak figure is formed. She cannot make out any features of the person. He is a large man easily standing eight feet tall and wearing dark black clothes and a cowl is raised up over his head. When she tries to look into the cowl all she sees is blackness. She does not fear him, somehow knowing he will not hurt her.

“Why do you want to help me?” she asks, eyeing him wearily

“I have use for you abilities.” He answers “You have the potential to become something great. I sensed this when you were born. The master of this temple senses it and fears it. The dead man on the golden throne senses only what is shown to him. You have the ability to become the greatest assassin of this temple or the Assassinorum.”

He pauses to allow he to think about what he has said. He hears her thoughts, knows her doubts. She has always had her doubts about the Master Assassin’s intentions. She has her doubts about what the Shadow Lord has said.

“You are free to do as you please” The Shadow Lord tells her “I will not force you into anything. You will join my forces freely or you are no good to me.”

“Your forces?” She asks

“Yes I have amassed a army and soon the war shall begin” The Shadow Lord tells her “I have need of an assassin. One that can take the form of anyone or anything.”

“But our drugs only allow us to take humanoid form” she tells him

“I will allow you to take any form you wish” The Shadow Lord tells her

“How?”

The Shadow Lord chuckles “My child I can allow you to do a great many things. But, you must serve me. You will have to decide now. Serve me or stay here and serve the Emperor.” The Shadow Lord starts turning into smoke again “The choice is yours. I will not make you choose me, nor will I punish you for choosing him.” The smoke is gone.

The assassin sits down in the foliage and listens to the jungle. Images, thoughts and sounds all rush through her head. She thinks of memories of a child, teachings of the Emperor. She thinks of her time at the temple. She remembers every lesson, remembers every defeat. She remembers the smirk on the Master Assassin’s face when she failed. The thing the other students said. Their jokes and the way they treated her. She prayed to the Emperor every night for the strength, a voice would always answer. It gave her the strength to continue. Now she realizes who was giving her the strength. Now she knows who was watching and what she now should do.

“Tell me what to do my Lord” She whispers out loud.

“All you have to do my child is call out to me” A deep voice answers from the jungle

She rises to her knees and lowers her head in respect

“I will serve the Shadow Lord” She bellows to the jungle.

A large dark cloud rises from the ground and moves towards her. A large black hand emerges out of the cloud and reaches towards her. She raises her head and looks directly at the cloud. The hand moves towards her and places it’s palm an her forehead. A bolt of energy shoots through her body, she screams and falls on to the jungle floor. Her screams can be heard through out the jungle. The screams are heard back in the temple as well. The Master Assassin is sitting at her desk, she looks up when he hears the scream. She smiles.

 “One less threat to my position” she says aloud. Then returns to her papers as if nothing has happened.

Back in the jungle the assassin stirs. She sits up on her knees, she reaches up to her forehead. She can feel the symbol of the Shadow Lord burned into her skin. She slowly runs her finger around the outline of the small cloud. Her skin starts to burn, the symbol fades and all the pain is gone. She smiles

“Arise my child, it is time to fulfill your destiny.” The Shadow Lord tells her

The Shadow Assassin stands she looks at the cloud still floating in front of her. It moves towards her and the hand emerges again. When it touches her skin, all her clothes change to a dull black material. The cloud lands and transforms into her new weapons of destruction.

“What would you have me do my lord” She asks

“First, what you desire most” The Shadow Lord answers “Then you can begin your reign of terror for me”

“Thank you my lord” The Shadow assassin says as she lowers her head.

“You know what to do my child” The Shadow Lord tells his assassin “And you know how to come home when your mission is complete. Go!”

“Yes, my lord’ She answers

The Shadow assassin picks her weapons off the ground and moves off through the jungle. Not a sound is made and no sign of her passing is left. She hears a prisoner running through the jungle. He’s running away from the temple but towards her. She knows he thinks she’s dead and that the temple will be coming for him now. She can hear his labored breathing, smell his sweat. She waits till he’s closer then she springs out of the foliage. She’s on him before he even knows she’s there. Her new formed talons rip out his throat. He falls to the jungle floor. He sees her bend over him, he feels her licking and sucking on the wound in his throat. She stands up, blood smeared all around her mouth. The last thing he sees before he dies is her transformed into him….smiling.
 

The master assassin of the Calladus temple sits at her desk. She’s look though papers all the while humming a tone. She hears a knock on her door and sits back in her chair.

“Yes”

The doors open and her aid comes into the room. She’s a small woman with a slight limp.

“The prisoner has return’ She says with a concerned look on her face

“Jenka, you need to relax” The master assassin says “you seem so tense”

“Ma’am she failed the tests” Jenka replies “You saw to that. If the other s are right about her, they will not be happy”

The master assassin chuckles “If they were right she would still be alive. Besides I will not allow any threat to my position to go unchecked.”

The master assassin walks over to her aid and drops a hand on her shoulder

“Don’t worry about it Jenka all is well”

The master assassin turns and starts back towards her desk From behind her she hears a strange voice speaking

“Yes, all is well”

She quickly turns back toward her aid and sees Jenka shoving a pitch blade into her chest. Jenka stands their smiling at her old friend and then begins to turns into a dark cloud. The cloud starts to grow and change shape and then the Shadow Assassin materializes.

“You were right to fear me old fool.” The Shadow Assassin tells her “Your fear and hate only made me stronger”

The Shadow assassin removes her hood. The last image the master assassin of the Callidus temple on Eptin II ever sees is the smiling face of the women she sent into the jungle to die.

The next morning the bodies of the master assassin and her aide are found. Jenka’s throat has been ripped out. The master assassin has a large gapping hole in her chest. Two words have been carved deeply into here forehead.

FEAR US