Alratha – Amber Dust, Daggers Rust 3

Night has fallen. Alratha kneels on the slightly tilted roof of a men’s house. Truth be told she would rather be anywhere else in this outer city. The roof is of bad quality and looks like it could break under her at any moment and makes her plainly visible for anyone smart enough to position scouts on other roofs. Well, it would make her plainly visible if it were not for her enchanted uniform. With the mask on her face the enchantments in the uniform are active and the black of the leather becomes one with the darkness of the night.

However, the advantage is that she can see every single torch patrolling the streets and as she has to find somebody she is taking that risk.

And it soon enough pays off as a trio comes into view. Two fully armoured guards with torches closely follow a woman in a tight uniform made from white and red cloth, she wears a red tabard above the uniform that shows the symbol of Acrae, the silhouette of a woman holding a giant bowl above her head, with a belt that holds two daggers. She is a beauty, with black, curvy hair, big tits and amber eyes. The last thing Alratha can’t actually see but she doesn’t need to confirm that she has found her target.

She waits until the trio is below her and jumps down, landing on one of the guards and forcing her to the ground under the impact before she rockets at the second guard, dagger unsheathed and drives it through the eye-slit in the helmet. Then she quickly spins around and finishes the guard on the ground, who is unable to stand up on her own, dragged down by the heavy plate.

The she turns to Rethal. The ambassador has calmly watched the whole scene and is smiling at Alratha. “Why are you wearing that mask, dear?” Rethal asks in a caring voice, her eyes keeping track of Alratha’s every moment, “You always had the most beautiful smile.”

The assassin is indeed smiling under the mask, the rush of killing is enough to somewhat dull the rage inside her. She takes of the mask and binds it to her belt. “Hello, mother.” Alratha says, her smile curving into a cruel expression. “Finally found you.” “Found ME?” Rethal asks, “Dear I have been trying to find you for as long as you were gone. I must say you made excellent work of your training but you really needed long to find me. Every day I was here, I made myself an easy target. I went alone to a hunting trip, booked a single room in the Opera, Sleep alone. You shouldn’t make your mother wait like that, you know?”

Alratha shrugs, “Sorry, I only found out you were here yesterday.” She apologizes. “But now I can kill you.” Rethal silently laughs into her raised hand, “Kill me? Dear, you are not good enough to do that. You weren’t last time you tried.” Memories flash at those words, Alratha pushes them aside. “Whatever, bring it old hag.”

Rethal’s eyes narrow and she draws her daggers. One of them is stainless steel, the other one old and rusty. “I hope you recognize the knife.” Rethal hisses and storms at her. Alratha blocks her attack, the rusty daggers screeches along the smooth glass “It’s the one you killed your sisters with.” Her mother hisses and stabs at her with the other one.

Alratha jumps back but Rethal immediately sets after her. In a flurry of blades that glisten in the glow of the two dead guards torches they lock in combat. Daggers cut through the air as mother and daughter show their agility and battle prowess through faints and counter faints. Where Alratha is slightly quicker Rethal shows her higher experience. However the gap between them is no longer as big as it was ten years ago and Alratha has matures as her mother has only grown older.

Two daggers met again and as Rethal tries to take another stab, Alratha turns and kicks her arm away. The stainless steel cuts through the air and lands in the dirt leaving Rethal only with the rusty one. Robbed of her advantage Rethal fights a desperate battle. Recklessly she charges at Alratha in an attempt to take the assassin down with her.

Alratha takes a simple step to the side and Rethal stumbles and falls to the ground on her knees. “Look at you, mother.” Alratha laughs, sure of her victory, “Beaten by your own daughter. How does it feel knowing that you were right?” “I am not beaten yet, child.” Rethal mumbles and suddenly turns around. The rusty dagger flies at Alratha and she narrowly dodged, only to be tackled by Rethal a moment later. The glass dagger flies through the air and sticks in the ground a few metres away. The older woman on top of her rings her to the ground. Sitting on Alratha’s chest Rethal’s hands close around her throat and squeeze. Weapon less Alratha tries to throw Rethal of her but her position doesn’t allow her too. Now it is Rethal’s turn to laugh victoriously. “Last time you escaped me, you sly little thing, but this time your arrogance will be your undoing.” Rethal ignores the punches of her daughter into her side, she has finally caught her daughter, no amount of pain make her let go.

“Always laughing, always smiling, you always were insane but you always were the best. I knew you would overtake me one day and I was proud of you. Proud you hear and then you decided to betray all of Acrae, why, Alratha?” Alratha presses out a few weak words, “Because – I – could.” Rethal looks furious and continues to strangle the life from her own daughter.

Alratha has given up hitting her, the word is slowly turning black and she has no way to escape. In desperation, her arms try to reach for the stilettos. Of course, they aren’t there, she thrown them at Catherine earlier. There is something else however. A holster with ten needles. “Use them only if you really need them.” Uklag has warned her. ‘I am about to die here.’ Alratha thinks and grabs one of the needles and rams it in her mothers side.

“That stung.” She says and her eyes twitch, “But you really think that –“ Suddenly she starts screaming in pain. Fingers loosen around her neck and she takes a deep, hassling breath. She frees herself of Rethal and rolls away.

“WHAT DID YOU DO, ALRATHA?” her mother screams and looks at her hands. Her skin illuminates from within as unknown pain thrashes through her body. Her whole being shakes and she looks at Alratha again, her maniacal smile is the last thing she sees.

Her strength is sapped away and then she becomes a small inferno, her whole body turning to fire and stretching into the night sky. “Wow.” Alratha cackles and picks up her dagger. With Rethal gone, she feels the rage subside and her usual good mood returns. “That was neat, one less body to dispose. Now for those guards...”