An Assassination
Warning: Contains nudity and mention of slightly more adult themes (Death/Assassination)
This is basically something a bit different to my usual writing, as I wanted to have a go at something a little more descriptive, and focus on development a little more. It is also non-adult, which is a first for me on here!
Was written six years ago as the prologue for my human fantasy story and it may still play some sort of part in one of my current works, but I have no intention of using it right now.
Once again, I had no idea of exactly what rating this was. I put it as adult because it's not something I would necessarily be comfortable with anybody being able to read, but I'm happy to change it.
Enjoy.
Taking great care to keep his breathing as slow and silent as he possibly could, the short, muscular creature edged his body softly forward through the trees, his gaze focused intently upon the large, stone building dominating the many miles of flat, barren land before him. It was the first time his eyes had been able to rest upon it, and by now the darkness that was settling over the surrounding plains had enveloped the horizon, but he could still see how immense the structure was, and he had never in his life encounter something quite so remarkable.
Though his vision was limited only to the rough, stone wall stretching endlessly into the darkness beyond even his powerful vision, he had already been warned of what to expect inside. According to the wise words of his incredibly knowledgeable master, the humans prided themselves on the careful, well planned security of those under their care, and what he was likely to find within this construction was a vast web of walls and buildings designed to confuse the mind of strangers, while protecting the inhabitants of this place from those who wished them harm.
On first impression, he had to admit that they had built a structure worthy of him, and one which he would take great pleasure in exploiting the weaknesses of. Having travelled across the very oceans themselves to find himself before this place, he felt a strange tingling excitement as he thought about what lay within, and just how much this mission meant to his people.
His master was depending on him, for the orders that had sent him here came from the highest power amongst their own kind. In order to emphasize the importance of the situation, their master had stepped forth from amongst the shadows to deliver his plan, and it was the greatest honour he could imagine to be the representative of one who commanded such power. It was essential to their survival that an agent should penetrate this vast fortress and carry out the essential task he had assigned; a brutal and very public assassination of one of the key members of the humans strict hierarchy. There would be much danger, and a high probability of failure, and though the creature was experienced in missions of this type, never before had he attempted to make his way into something as vast and dangerous as the city before him, and the cost of failure had never been nearly so high.
Not that he could allow that to bother him, for whatever he felt about the mission ahead, he knew that failure was not an option. A war between the primary races of this land was desperately required to assist the plans of his own people, and the master himself had assured them that it would be easy enough to spark. An assassination to frame one race for the murder of a representative of the other would be sufficient to make them rethink the dangers of living in peace, and should push both sides into taking action to exterminate the other.
That was the master's plan, for according to his vast stores of knowledge, there was animosity between the races stretching over nearly two hundred years. They loathed and detested each other, and though they had reached an agreement for the sake of neutral lives, each side was looking only for an excuse to once again rage a brutal war like their people had been seen once before. This hatred and desire for war was perhaps their greatest weakness, and it would require little effort to draw these blood-thirsty warriors forth from behind their protective wall of stone. The flames of hatred would be well and truly fanned, ultimately leaving their people no choice but to partake in a pointless, bloody war that would greatly diminish the strength of each race and leave the land defenceless against a well-organised foreign force.
That would be the time to strike, and the power the master had stored away for centuries would finally be theirs to command. While these races controlled the land, the master refused to act, for he knew that to reveal himself could prove fatal to their plans. A target that the opposing races could combine their forces against would bring them unity, and they would not hesitate to attempt to destroy one who threatened the power the humans had come to love.
Even with the unnatural forces he controlled, he would not be able to help his charges repel a force of the strength and size the differing people could amass, and he would be defeated along with the hopes and dreams of their kind. He would not risk it, and they knew better than to persuade him otherwise. Instead, their attention would be better focused on getting these races engrossed in their pointless war, for then the master would finally be free to throw off the shroud of darkness that enveloped him, emerging in all his glory to seize control of a shattered and broken world.
This was the story the assassin had been told, and the one he had constantly repeated to himself as he travelled forth from his homeland. Though he saw the necessity of his actions, he did not consider himself an evil person, and the idea that he was about to sacrifice thousands of lives, several races and even a whole land itself was only bearable due to his unwavering belief that his actions were for the best - after all, it was the master's plan, and the master was never wrong. Using his vast stores of knowledge and the seemingly infinite power and his disposal, the master would help the land be rebuilt anew; creating a safe and peaceful environment in which the respective races of this foreign place could live together without fear. That was the master's plan, and, to the keen eyes of his faithful servant, it was one worth fighting for, no matter what the cost.
Shivering slightly as the ferocity of the wind blustering around his body intensified, he pulled himself away from his gathering thoughts and back to the world around him. He knew that timing was of utmost importance, for if he struck before the residents of the city had retired to their beds he was more likely to encounter resistance that could prove fatal to his plan. Fortunately, darkness had been settling in for a while now, and as he lay hidden in the light, woodland area he had chosen as his sanctuary, he had been able to watch the regular, determined patrol of the soldiers upon the wall before him.
They had increased in number as time drew on, and he knew that they must now be preparing their forces for the night. He knew the time was right to strike, but first it was essential that he disguise himself well.
Pulling himself back into the cover of the trees, he pulled back the hood of his cloak to reveal a grey, furry head, accompanied by large, pointed ears and a long, slender muzzle. Here and there, patches of his fur were flecked with small amounts of white, and as he ripped the cloak from around his shoulders, a thick, brush-like tail could be seen, bearing a similar colour scheme to the fur upon his head and wagging lightly from beneath the thick, metal skirt he wore around his waist.
Beneath the covering of the heavy cloak, there was much more to be betrayed of his obvious non-human appearance. His short, stocky body was primarily covered in thick, slightly worn leather armour, designed to offer maximum protection at minimal restriction of his natural abilities, but the view of his thick, muscular arms remained as a sign that his powerful body lay covered in a thick sheet of fur.
Though he wore an armoured skirt around his waist, his legs lay bare and unprotected. These were slightly less muscular than the naked arms of the creature, and bore a slightly differing colour-scheme from the rest of his body, being primarily of white fur with small strips of grey. His large hind-paws bore a set of hardy, well-worn leather boots, coated in the mud and assorted wild life that he had accumulated on his travels, and a thick, leather belt hung loosely around his waist. This held by far his most prized possession; a sturdy, rather battered leather scabbard, containing a short, slightly curved sword that had been enchanted by his master to aid him in his journey.
This he had been determined to use, but he had realized that it would be foolish to attempt to retain it. In order for his mission to succeed, he would be forced to take on the appearance of one of the little-known people of the land. Casting aside everything he had known as a warrior, he would be required to strip down to nothing but fur and skin as he attempted to convince the humans that he belonged to one of the wild, blood-thirsty tribes that inhabited this land.
The master had known all about them, for he had studied their ways extensively and had learnt everything needed to allow his agent to imitate them well. Apparently they chose to wield neither weapons nor armour, or to wear clothing for anything but the most exceptional of circumstances. To survive they had made their homes in the darkest of places, seeking solace and sanctuary in the vast, hostile swampland where even the bravest of humans dared not to tread.
When feasting they made use of their natural weapons, utilizing both teeth and claw as they hunted their enemies and devoured the raw, bloody flesh. They cared little for hygiene or personal appearance, and though they lived in packs, they were ruthless and savage, killing even their own as they sought greater and greater power. It was an extremely wild way of living, bearing remarkable similarities to that of the animals that shared their damp and murky home. Though they showed signs of intelligence, including knowledge of the common tongue, the ability to walk on just two of their powerful paws and the utilizing of tools when they chose too, there was no doubt that they were a wild and dangerous people, much different from his own.
Letting out a deep sigh of resignation at the idea of betraying everything he had ever known, he began to fumble with the rusty, metal buckles binding his armour around his chest, before pulling it reluctantly away from his body. Beneath this he wore a thick wool vest, to prevent the metal buckles and rough pieces of leather rubbing against his exposed skin, and also to absorb the large amounts of sweat exuded through days of travelling through humid environments. This he would've had to remove anyway, for the stench of the garment was rather unpleasant even to his own nose, and would no doubt have attracted unwanted attention even if he wasn't going to such lengths to blend into his new surroundings.
Aided by the gentle caress of the wind ruffling the exposed fur on his powerful chest, he began to feel slightly more relaxed. With more enthusiasm than he had so far shown, he kicked off the leather boots that were suffocating his paws, and flexed his furry toes into the breeze. There was no doubt that he was physically more comfortable like this, and that shedding himself of bulky garments would allow him to move more freely, but he was still reluctant to take the next step.
He knew that it was vital that he remove the remainder of his clothing, but he had been taught of decency and respect for his body in his own land. To remove all that was covering him went against everything he had learnt, and it was a rather shaky and reluctant pair of paws that fumbled nervously with the rusted metal buckle on his belt.
With this removed and placed carefully upon the floor before him, he knew that he could hesitate no longer. Taking one final deep breath in order to steady himself, he placed his paws on the sides of the armoured skirt, and yanked both it and the thick, padded undergarments beneath it down towards his ankles. Bending down briefly, he removed them and placed them with the rest of his clothes, before standing up straight once more and embracing his animal side.
He had to admit that it was rather pleasant being free from the bulky garments. Tight, heavy armour and clothing had a way of suffocating an already furry body, and the breeze brushing against his exposed fur was both cool and refreshing to his hot, sweaty frame.
Having been ordered not to bathe for the duration of his journey, the scent lingering around him was rather sickly; a combination of sweat, urine, blood and wildlife, mixed with his own, rather potent, natural scent. Although sections of his fur remained relatively clean, those that had been encased in clothing were matted and damp, covered in sweat and small amounts of dirt and grime from days spent suffocated by the thick leather. Around his short, stubby sheath, streaks of light yellow stained the usual white fur, and parts of his chest and stomach contained dark, crimson traces of dried blood.
Combined these provided him with a slightly wild, well-travelled looked. No longer was he the professional warrior who took great pride in both his work and his appearance. Though he was no longer what his people would consider respectable to behold, he knew that it really should be of little concern. With the warrior garments tossed aside, his appearance now better matched that which he was attempting to be, and he was much better suited for framing another for the heinous crime he was about to commit.
Knowing the howl of the wind would serve well to cover what little noise he made, he burst forth from his leafy sanctuary and lunged towards the unguarded stone wall. Pushing his naked body firmly against the rough, cold stone, he cast his gaze up towards the battlements in the distance, where a lone figure appeared to be standing, watching out over the vast plain stretching towards the South. This would be just one of a great deal of sentries on duty in the darkness of the night, and it was imperative that he not be seen. If he could keep his presence a secret for the moment, using his sharp, hooked claws for scaling the wall would be a simple task, but he could not risk doing it while a sentry was nearby.
Seeing the dark silhouette disappearing into the darkness, he cocked his ears and turned his head slightly to the left to allow greater access to the noises around him through his favoured ear. Without being able to see the creature that he knew would be heading his way, he was forced instead to turn to his hearing to detect the location of the danger, for scent and vision would be unable to aid him now. Although he had a powerful sense of smell, humans had a rather annoying habit of cramming thousands of their own into safe, walled environments, creating a huge web of scents that it was impossible to pick apart. Even though the air around him was full of their stench, overpowering even the powerful stink of his own unclean body, they were nothing but a wall of smell, impossible to separate to determine the location of a single enemy.
It was a nuisance to have one of his powerful senses rendered so useless, but fortunately his hearing was more powerful and precise than his eyes or nose could ever be. Everything around him, from the heavy, laboured footsteps of the soldier upon the hard stone floor, the occasional grunt or muttering of conversation and even the opening and closing of doors beyond the wall were all clear to him, and they perfectly betrayed the locations of those working upon the wall.
From his position at the base of the wall, he could hear the weary shuffling of the human's boots upon the cold, stone floor. He was neither careful nor light with his movements, and it seemed that, though he was doing his duty, he did not consider it important enough to take care not to be heard. Perhaps he did not expect one with immaculate hearing to be making an attempt to breach the supposed security of their walls, but he would soon learn that it was dangerous to make such arrogant assumptions.
As the footsteps began to draw away once more, the creature turned his focus back towards the wall before him. Now was the time to resume his mission, for he knew there would be a significant pause between the passing of this sentry and the coming of the next.
Keeping his hearing focused, lest he should be mistaken about their numbers, he dug his long, hooked claws into the crumbling stone and began to hoist himself up towards the top. It was not a difficult task, for the deterioration of the wall had provided many small crevices in which to slot his claws for balance, but the rough grazing of the stone against his naked body made it a rather uncomfortable task to carry out.
It cut against his chest, legs and stomach, leaving a heavy burning sensation in its wake that only intensified as he neared the top. Though it was perhaps to be expected, it was the first time he had ever climbed such a structure unclothed, and it was not an occurrence he, or his body, was accustomed too.
It was unpleasant, but he quickly forgot it as he reached the top of the wall and pulled himself over onto the walkway at last, for his attention was drawn instead to the remarkable sight spread out before his disbelieving eyes.
Stretching over what must have once been miles of wild countryside, hundreds, if not thousands, of large stone dwellings had been built, so close to one another that it was sometimes impossible to tell where one ended and another began. Pathways were cut between some of them, creating vast streets upon which solitary figures could be seen making their way, by the dull light of the few oil lamps littered here and there along their route.
Walls and gateways separated various sections of the city from one another, so that even he could tell them apart. The buildings varied between sectors, with some being larger and obviously more magnificent to the human eyes, while the ones in the area he stood above were smaller and of a poorer design.
From where he stood, only the rough, wooden roofs of most of them were visible, but in the distance, where the city began to slope upwards slightly, the buildings seemed to stretch towards the sky. They seemed to grow in size the further they were from his eyes, getting progressively bigger before finally reaching the most remarkable spectacle of all; an immense stone structure decorated with brightly coloured flags, completely overshadowing anything unfortunate enough to be built within its immense shadow.
Nothing he had been told could have prepared him for what lay before his eyes, and for a moment he merely stood and stared in awe at the magnificence of human design. Though he came from a land where people lived together in safe communities, they were rarely more than a few hundred combined - little more than villages, often ruled over by a leader with a dozen or so small settlements under his control.
There was one city, but it was nothing compared to this fantastic creation, for it housed barely more than a thousand of their people, and was walled only by a simple wooden palisade. It was clear to him why the master needed to weaken these creatures. He was afraid of them, afraid of trying to tackle those that could build such a structure in which to house their people. They were better prepared and more dangerous than anybody could have realised, and it made his mission all the more important.
Though he would've thoroughly enjoyed spending more time taking in the sights before him, he turned his focus instead to the immediate area. He had to get down, and he did not much like the idea of finding the stairs, for any number of armed guards may be encountered along the way. Falling to the floor was an option, but it would be unwise, for it was quite a way down, and even if he landed well there was a chance of sustaining a minor injury. He couldn't take that risk, not when so much depended on him.
Instead he decided to make use of human architecture for a while. Not too far ahead of him, one of the poorly build, slightly broken wooden roofs was within jumping range. He could make a leap for it, grasp it with his claws and make his way across them until he came to the next separating wall. He was unsure whether he would have to scale another, or whether a gate would be provide for the residents to use, and it seemed more practical to stay off the ground.
Taking only a brief pause to prepare himself for what he was about to do, he dropped down onto all-four of his powerful paws and lunged over the edge of the wall. By using his front paws, he managed to dig his claws into the thick planks of wood upon the roof before him, before slipping slightly as the weight of his body hanging over the edge of the building began to drag him downwards.
Scrabbling at the damaged planks, he managed to grasp at the shattered edge of a broken piece of wood. Though it splintered his paw and caused him to let out a light whimper of pain, it steadied his fall, allowing him to hoist himself up onto the security of the roof and dig his hind claws into the wood to steady his body.
"That was close," He muttered softly to himself, panting slightly as he gazed cautiously around at the passage of housetops laid out before him. The distance between these was much shorter than the jump he had just made, but he still took a moment to catch his breath before darting across them towards the stone wall in the distance; the separator between this section and the slightly more expensive one beyond.
He was unsure exactly where he was heading, for the advice of his master was only valid until he entered the city itself. Now he was alone, all he knew was that he was looking for the largest of buildings; taking advantage of the human habit of having larger accommodation for the more valuable of their people.
There was no specific target, but his instructions were to kill one of importance to their race. These would be those most heavily protected, and those who would be encased in smaller fortresses of stone. They would prove to be difficult targets to take out without creating a major disturbance, but he only needed to reach them without alerting them to his presence. Beyond that, any trouble would become a bonus, for the more that knew of his appearance here, the better it would be for their cause.
Reaching the edge of the long row of buildings, he found the gap between himself and the wall too much to jump. Knowing that his time above ground was up, he leapt down instead onto the cobbled street below, before making his way, on all-fours, through the open gateway and into another section of the city.