The four rode east from the City. To the south, the Great Desert stretched out beyond the horizon. Gregor rode in silence for the remainder of the morning, recalling the events that had led to their journey and their departure from the monastery and isle that was their home.
“The Ascension is closer than we had feared Brother,” Nicolas had warned. He had been called away from that day’s training for an audience with the Elder. “Brother Robert and Brother Duncan have had a shared vision. The content was most disturbing.”
Gregor frowned. “Have the Conclave been made aware?”
“The Conclave have been notified of our fears. To ensure they take our warning seriously I have let them know we are sending a delegation to them in person. I had you in mind, Brother Gregor.”
“Me?” Gregor raised his eyebrows incredulously.
“You are among the most experienced Brothers here, Gregor. You have already made the journey to the capital on two occasions. No one else here can claim that.”
“I was no more than a boy the first time, Elder,” Gregor pointed out.
“Nonetheless, you are the best choice to lead the delegation.”
Gregor nodded acquiescence, then paused thoughtful. “Who else will make the journey? Brother Robert will not be able to travel at speed…”
“Brother Duncan will accompany you in place of Brother Robert. The other members of the group I leave up to you.”
“The fewer the better.” He paused again before continuing. “Brother Terrance should be included. He is worth many times our number in a conflict. And Brother William. He has made many trips to the mainland.”
Elder Nicolas nodded in agreement. “Good. Notify them immediately. You will be leaving on the morning tide.”
Gregor had left to notify the others of their impending journey and to organise supplies for the group. He retired early, hoping to gain a good night of rest.
The night, however, did not pass quietly. The fire started in an outlying building and spread quickly. Monks were roused from sleep by the tolling of the main bell and quickly set about containing the blaze before it spread out of control. Gregor ran towards the bucket line and caught sight of Terrance, standing off to one side. He turned, fingering the hilts of his twin swords as Gregor approached.
“Something is not right,” Terrance stated. Gregor slowed, facing the blaze.
“How did it start?”
“That is my point.” Terrance looked around at the monks battling the blaze then over at the main complex, secure behind the fortified inner walls. “It is a diversion,” Terrance concluded and broke into a run back towards the main buildings. Gregor followed, his mind racing.
“A diversion for what?” he called out. Terrance did not answer, but increased his pace. Gregor struggled to keep up. They came to a halt outside the main dormitory, Gregor panting slightly for breath. “The Elders?”
Without replying, Terrance was off again, running through the main doors and up the stairs. Gregor took a deep breath and followed.
They found the first body on the third floor. Terrance stooped over a small smear of blood on the floor as Gregor came up behind him. He rose and drew both his blades, advancing on the nearest doorway. The door swung open to reveal the body of a young monk, dead from a single thrust from behind.
“Arm yourself, Brother. It is as I feared. Assassins are loose this night.”
Gregor picked up the dead monk’s sword and tested it for balance. “We must get to the Elders.”
They hurried towards the Elder’s wing, Gregor checking every shadow on the way. The sound of fighting suddenly sounded up ahead. Two more bodies lay in the corridor as nearby a third monk fended off the attack of two dark clad men. The monk was wounded and hard pressed. As Terrance and Gregor rushed to his aid, he stumbled, leaving an opening. An assassin’s blade swept in slicing across the monk’s throat.
“Their fighting prowess is overrated it would seem,” the first assassin commented to his companion as the monk fell. He looked up as the two monks raced down the corridor towards them. Terrance was on him in an instant, closing the remaining gap with a furious burst of speed.
“Try me,” he challenged, his blades sweeping in. The assassin blocked the first blow but backed up hastily under the fury of the assault. The second assassin moved to engage but found his attack blocked and countered. He fell back, his torso sliced open twice before he could respond. The first assassin died a moment later, the killing blow a blur to the eyes. They both hit the floor as Gregor slowed to a stop two paces behind him. Quickly he checked the bodies of the fallen monks.
“They’re dead,” Gregor confirmed. Terrance nodded and moved further down the corridor, senses alert. “The enemy is moving faster than we feared, for their servants to be here now.”
They hurried on, anxious to reach the Elder’s chambers with no further delay. Several doors stood open and they found more bodies.
“Brother Robert,” Gregor murmured. The old seer lay abed, his throat cut in his sleep. Gregor forced himself to turn away and continue on. “What of the others?” he asked. Terrance appeared from a room on the other side of the corridor.
“Dead or empty so far,” he replied grimly. A shout and the ring of steel on steel spurred them into movement again. They burst into a room further along and found themselves immediately in battle. Five dark clad figures stood with short swords drawn, a sixth lay dead across the simple bed. Elder Nicolas was on his feet, garbed in his night robe, no weapon in his hand.
The closest assassin lunged at the old man as the others turned to face the two newcomers. Nicolas swayed aside from the blow and hands a blur, sent his attacker reeling backwards, his sword clattering to the floor. Terrance rushed at the others, engaging three with his twin blades. Gregor struck at the other, trying to get to Elder Nicolas’ side. The assassin was skilled, and parried Gregor’s first blow with ease. He soon backed up as the attack continued.
Glancing over at Terrance, Gregor saw he had downed one of his opponents and was holding back the other two, his blades a whirling blur. Gregor blocked as his own opponent lashed out, seeing his attention momentarily diverted. The assassin cried out in surprise as his legs were swept out from under him. Nicolas completed the sweep, circling to his right as the man hit the floor. He quickly recovered, flipping back to his feet, as Gregor’s blade swept in again unchecked. A second gash appeared on the man’s tunic as blade swept back and Gregor knocked him off his feet again.
Nicolas danced aside as his earlier attacker struck at him again, this time wielding a knife. He caught the man’s sleeve, pulling the knife hand harmlessly past and spun behind him, placing an open palm strike to his lower back, propelling the assassin across the room and into the wall with no apparent effort.
Gregor spun and struck the closest of Terrance’s opponents in the back of the neck, dropping him instantly. His second blade suddenly free, Terrance dispatched his remaining foe in a matter of moments. Elder Nicolas bowed to the two monks, thanking them for their timely arrival. Gregor and Terrance bowed in return then proceeded to make sure the assassins were dead.
“I do not think we need to question them,” Elder Nicolas confirmed. “It seems fairly certain who they were working for.”
“We know who our enemy is for certain,” Gregor replied, “but his minions remain a mystery to us.”
“True, Brother Gregor.” Nicolas nodded at the assassin by the wall. “Bind that one. We will discover what he knows.”
They had not learned much.
The assassin had killed himself at the first opportunity. Four Elders lay dead from the attack, including Brother Robert, the seer. The monastery got no more sleep that night. Gregor, Terrance, William and Duncan helped wherever they could, as the monks returned order to their violated sanctuary.
The atmosphere at the morning’s training had been subdued as the four monks left to catch the morning tide. Gregor found himself taking a last look back at the rows of monks drilling in the training yard. Their rows moved and swayed in perfect synchronisation as they punched and kicked the air before them. The monastery fortress loomed behind them, rising protectively out of the ancient ruins, its roots sinking deep into the vast network of chambers beneath them.
-Excerpt from Book One of the Ascension Wars
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