Strena Adventures With Cerpheres Part Six

 The Assassination Plot

They were on the road, it was early in the morning and they were getting close to the camp.

“You know there were black Smiths that can-”

“Yes, I do and I do want to find one who can make weapons for Uncle Zaryb and Bash.”

He smiled.

“They would like that!”

“Exactly!”

Cerpheres chuckled.

“Aren’t you the opportunist, eh?”

She smiled shyly.

“Not really. I’m doing it for someone else!”

“Come on! There’s nothing wrong with being an opportunist, or taking full advantage of all your options!”

“But what if I end up like my father?”

“You won’t!”

She frowned. 

“How could you know?”

“I know you!”

“How?”

“Oh please! After over three years you do tend to get to know a guy or girl, in your case!”

“Didn’t we spend one of those trapped in a dream?’

“Does it matter?”

She frowned as she looked down.

“No, I guess not!”

“See?”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Wonder what I should do after all of this?”

“I dunno, but I know that it’s got to be great.”

“Alright!”

She was about to open her mouth to speak further when she saw a man walking towards them. She caught a glimpse of the F shaped scar on his cheek and he kept his hands in his pockets. Then he walked towards her. She saw the tip of the hilt before it even lifted as he went to ‘bump’ into her. She spun out of the way as she drew Orion and Darkector and pointed it at his back.

“Who are you and why did-”

He spun at her and she blocked his blade in an X then arched the blade up and then thrust her foot in the spot it hurt him most and he dropped the knife then touched the sides of his neck.

“Did Gajellidor-”

He thrust a palm into her gut. It took all that she had within her not to drop her blades as she hit the ground. He dived upon her. She blocked his blades and cut the arm pits and his hand grabbed her neck. She slashed the arm opposite the elbow before flicking Orion back to his throat as she hit the limp arm off her.

He dived in and opened his mouth when she saw a blood red seed in his mouth. Quickly she thrust Darkector into his mouth and as she pushed him back she removed the seeds from his mouth and pulled out five.

“Who sent-”

He thrust his knuckles into her when he picked her up and she swung to the side of a wall and she landed with a crash. He picked up his blade with his remaining hand. Yet by the wince of his eyes she knew that it was not his dominant hand.

Quickly she pounced at him. He drew his blade up and she slashed down and cut through his hand like butter and her blade went to his neck.

“Who sent you?”

He opened his mouth, only for Cerpheres’s fingers to reach in and pulled out a small black seed and sniffed.

“Hmmm. The black seed of the rapid reaper! How fascinating!” 

He went to dive at him when Strena sliced the back of his legs forcing him to the ground.

“Who sent you?’

He remained silent.

“Gajellidor Darcrogh?”

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

“Someone who has a grudge against my father?”

He shook his head.

“Grasharlo?”

He shook his head and burst out laughing.

“What?”

That was when she felt an overwhelming tiredness run over her and soon she was closing her eyes. Then Cerpheres laid her down as she slept.

“There, there now. Now we can have a little privacy. Wouldn’t wasn't her to see this little piece of naughtiness!” Cerpheres chuckled.

“Wha-”

“She had a question you will answer. After all, I have been feeling so, so frustrated recently.” He purred as he looked at the man with the hunger of a starving wolf as he climbed on him pulling out a star and pressed it against his neck. “And I think that I’ll use you to calm me down!”

He sliced the back of his neck and his body went limp.

✴️

Later Strena woke up as she saw Cerpheres breathing calmly and his face was blissful.

“Where is he?”

“Dead as a doornail!” He sang lazily.

“Why did I get so tired?”

“Don’t worry about it!”

“What’s that smell?”

“He had an extra black seed of the rapid reaper in a slot at the back of his throat!”

“What?”

He laughed.

“It’s a nasty poisonous seed. Do you want to know what it does?” He asked, licking his lips.

“What?”

“When you bite into it or if it’s crushed on the body it causes that person to collapse and then quickly paralyzed each and every part of the body. And when I say, ‘each and every part’ I mean ‘each and every part’! From the brain to the heart. And as the pain receptors are part of the paralysis it delivers quite the painless death. Yet where it is crushed it immediately starts to grow and-” He pointed to a nearby bush with jet black leaves and lavender purple vines. When she got close it smelt like wine and mint.

“Turns out he was, apparently, hired by somebody else.” He purred thoughtfully as he tapped the air. “Which means that you have more enemies out there than you think!”

She nodded as she thought about the recurring dream of the man she keeps killing before leaving her kingdom of blood behind…