Asil Bir Kan (Blood of Nobility)
As I sit at my desk now, writing my journal, I realize everything has changed. The city I once called home. The order I belong to, and even the enemies I face. Nothing is the same, ever. Our world is always changing, always moving in an odd current neither I or any of my many brothers and sisters of my order have understood. Yet we flow with it, bind with it. Never stopping it, never slowing it. As if we all have a destiny, and the more we try and stop it, the faster it comes to us.
"Sizin için Ash, mesaj!"
A voice snapped me out of my writing stupor. No matter what happened, I always found some peace in writing. As if it was the only thing that kept me sane. Sometimes, that was just it. I turned in my chair, looking towards the door to my study, expecting an apprentice to come bursting through with some scroll sent from Equestria telling us how things were going over there.
"Gelir lütfen!" I shouted, as a young apprentice assassin walked in.
"Merhaba, öğretmen," The young apprentice greeted me, his teeth wrapped around a nicely sealed scroll, the assassin mark branded on the front in wax. "Message from the Luna guild, sir."
My horn glowed orange, as I floated the scroll over to my desk. I waved my hoof, dismissing the young assassin from the study, so that I may read in peace. The young colt bowed, and ran out, closing the door behind him.
I turned my attention to the scroll, noting it was much neater than some of the previous scrolls I had received. Perhaps things were finally up and running in Equestria. It had been a long time since it had been that way.
I opened the light paper, letting it roll across my desk. The neat handwriting notified me that it was not written from Ombra, but Verità. It brought a bit of relief to my soul to know that my old friend was still alive. She was rather reckless, unlike her fellow assassin, Ombra, and had a way of getting into trouble.
"Dear Ash Storm,
I am glad to say that things in Equestria are running well. While our guild is not yet as large or powerful as it was, we have gained a few recruits, as well as bringing back a few old friends. Celestia has not yet moved upon us, nor has she attempted to attack any other assassins. Nonetheless, our lines are spread rather thin, as I am the only maestro in the guild at this moment. Artiglio refuses to teach, and Ombra is away on a mission, as always. I am eager to bring our guild back to its former power, and help bring the light of truth to this land shadowed by secrets. I hope to see you soon.
Regards, Verità Camminatore, "
I smiled slightly at the letter, wondering how long it had been since I had seen Verità. Only a few years ago we had met, on a ship heading back to Heliopolis. Now, we had gone on some of our greatest adventures together. While we were definitely polar opposites- Reckless, happy, and strong- compared to my careful, pessimistic, and scalpel like accuracy being, we still made a good team.
I pulled out some pen and and paper, and quickly scratched in some notes onto a paper, before standing up. I had a full days work to do, and training apprentices was no easy task. I would send a reply letter, but that would have to wait.
I grabbed my assassin garbs, a mixture of traditional Heliopolis robes, and multiple Equestrian wolf furs that binded the robes together. While it was mostly grey, it had little gold trim to it. Not the best for combat, but it suited my position. That and it provided a good contrast to my dappled, coal colored fur.
I walked into the courtyard of the Assassin's guild, where most of the apprentices, save the ones who had a free day, were already training, their blades slashing across dummies. While I was the only mentor in the guild at the very moment, there were plenty of master assassins to train their own disciples.
"Merhaba, Ash. I trust you slept well?" Asked a young Assassin, greeting me as I walked into the courtyard. Her pale fur and blue eyes set her aside from the darker, more colorful shades of ponies that inhabited the Sun City.
"Merhaba, Snow. How goes your training?" I asked, walking down the stairs to the training area.
"Very well, Master. I believe I've perfected the hook-blade," Snow said, her blade extending. The Eagle head hoof on the end glistened silver, as she charged at a wall, and climbed it with ease. A feat for an earthpony, especially at her age.
"Well done, Snow. I will talk to your master about perhaps continuing in an advanced course of training," I said simply, getting a gleaming smile from the young pony.
"Thank you, master!" She chimed, before running off to her master.
"Such young spirit is nice to see, isn't it?" asked a sly but calm voice. I turned my head to see a batpony hanging upside down, wings wrapped around a pole.
"It is, Vera. Welcome back," I said. Vera was my very best scout, so she was often away on missions. When she was home, she wouldn't be very social. While her skills were the finest, she gave them up in social ability.
"Thank you, Master." Vera said, dropping down next to me, her black cloak rippling around her. "Have things been sound here?"
"Of course," I said, planting a friendly kiss on Vera's cheek, a common greeting in Heliopolian culture.
"I see. Are you attending the crowning of the Sultan today?" Asked Vera, as we started to walk into the courtyard. I nodded quietly, looking around. The dirt floor of the coliseum was covered in apprentice's practicing wrestling. Vera's eye's glinted with pride, as she watched another batpony subdue a young unicorn.
"Yes. While we know that the new sultan is not exactly fond of us, I'd rather see him than his brother ascend to the the Sultanate," I said.
The time had been coming for months, since the Sultan was desperately ill. He crowned his eldest son as the new Sultan, as usual, and last night he had passed away. Now, we had a new, unstable government to deal with if his son didn't make the right moves. Last time that happened, my family was slaughtered.
"I see. I suppose you have a new mission for me, then?"Asked Vera. I thought for a moment as we walked, then shook my head.
"You can accompany Sparrow and I to the Sultanate crowning tonight. It'll help to have a experienced assassin as backup," I said, getting a gratifying nod from Vera.
