Chapter 1: The Unlikeliest Target
Assassins versus Ponies
By ShadowAmongstShadows
Chapter 1: The Unlikeliest Target
He was scared. No, he was terrified. Everywhere he looked he could see the shadow of a person fleeting around the corner. Sometimes they would blend into the shadows, other times he’d spot said person’s shadow staring down from a rooftop. He didn’t know who this person was, why they were following him, and he couldn’t seem to lose them.
As he rounded a corner he could only yell in alarm and back up as he spotted said person. Unfortunately, backing up made him fall back and land on his spine. His back stung for a second but he quickly brushed it off as fear took hold.
He looked up at the person before him. The person was male although he couldn’t see the top part of his face from the white hood it was behind. The hooded man also wore a small cape over his shoulder that went just past his hand. Increasing horror welled up within him as the man moved his cape out of the way. Attached to the hooded man’s forearm was a device made of what appeared to be silvery metal. Perhaps it was silver but he would never know. For as soon as he laid eyes upon it the mechanism inside the device forced a blade to protrude from it. Within less than a second the he was dead.
Lupo II lifted his hood a bit so he could get a good view of his target. He was a fat balding man that appeared to be in his late 30’s. His eyelids came closer together in disgust as he thought about the man. The man’s name had been Francisco Huerdino. From the report Lupo learned that the man was a constant womanizer. He’d constantly trick girls into bed with him with promises of fortune and a good life only to leave them out on the street by morning. Lupo smiled to himself as he watched the blood bleed from the now open wound in the bastard’s neck.
He sighed before turning on his heel to head away from the scene. Before he could take more than a few steps he was interrupted by a person. Said person was shrouded in the shadows of the building. “Prowler” the man spoke in a rather deep almost echoing voice. This person knew his name or his codename at least. If he knew his name he was either here for a contract, or to kill him. His shoulders tensed a little but that was the only visible sign of suspicion. The man quickly raised his hands up showing he was holding nothing and said, “I mean you no harm, we just require your ‘services’ as you would call it.”
Prowler relaxed a bit and allowed the man to continue, “My master has been trying to gain a kingdom of his own you see. Unfortunately, the kingdom he wants is controlled by two very powerful, influential, and well-loved leaders. He simply wants you to go in with some other men we’ve hired and cause disrest amongst the people.” Once he was finished he seemed to turn around, although Prowler couldn’t see into the shadows that well, and somehow open a door more than 10 feet away.
“If you will simply come with me, we can discuss the rest of your contract.” There was an overbearing silence as Prowler thought. There was a simple nod from Prowler before he could see a smile form on the shadowed man’s face. His teeth almost seemed to glisten in the darkness. “Right this way then.”
The man traveled at speeds Prowler thought wasn’t possible and quickly went through the door. A few seconds later the hooded man also began his short trek towards the door. As he got closer he realized the room the door led to was completely pitch black. He paused at the door for a second. After a few seconds of staring into what appeared to be an abyss, he stepped foot inside.
The door quickly and silently closed behind him.
“So how did your last contract go?” A man with a trimmed mustache and long black hair asked his compatriot. The man that replied was wearing a bird like mask, completely black robes, and was topped off with a cheerful black hat. “It went quite smoothly actually. No one even guessed that the syringe would make sure he died from his illness, not cure him.” The man talking to said plague doctor was officially a barber. Unofficially he was a hitman for the Templars codenamed “The Barber.” “Well since all went well I assume you’ll want this” The Barber said to his compatriot as he pulled out an envelope.
The Barber couldn’t see anything but underneath the mask Malfatto codenamed “The Doctor” raised his brow in curiosity. “And whom might it be from?” Malfatto enquired as he eyeballed the envelope. The Barber quickly replied, “Not sure. Just said he had a job for you and that the envelope would explain it.”
The Doctor quickly snatched the envelope from his co-worker’s hand and opened it. Inside was a letter. He quickly went over it and looked back at The Barber. A sadistic smile formed on Malfatto’s face that suggested that he was of unsound mind as he tore the paper to pieces. “Well it appears I will be on my way” Malfatto said as he got up. The Barber raised his eyebrow and asked “where to exactly?” The Doctor chuckled in a way that made him seem derailed from reality. He turned back, the mask not able to hide the madness in his eyes as he spoke, “To practice medicine.”
The man’s head was cut clean off in one powerful sweep from Verulo Gallo. Codenamed “The Knight.” He had just finished the last execution in a battle that seemed stacked against him and his men. He was faithful to the Templars though and he was sure that was why he won. From the crowd of his bloodthirsty warriors and knights came a man in a hood. He was small in size but that wasn’t what bothered him. The man gave off an aura of evil that he couldn’t quite describe. Even the man’s voice was off when he spoke, “Ah Gallo, this was quite the battle. I know you’re probably tired after your ‘victory’ here but my master would very much like to acquire your services.”
The Knight gave the man a wary look before nodding his head and saying, “Then take me to your “master” as you called him.” The hooded man smiled and Gallo could see the man’s razor sharp teeth. “Right this way then” he said as he walked through the crowd of warriors, with The Knight in tow.
The man was wearing a mask of the gladiators and sitting. The mask fit him quite well he thought, especially since his codename was “The Gladiator.” Anacletos smiled under his helmet at the thought.
Across from him sat a smaller man in a hood. The room was almost pitch black except for where they were. “I assume you know why you’re here” the hooded man said in a plain tone.
“Yeah yeah I know. You want me to cause chaos in this ‘kingdom’ that you say is in a different dimension while another group deals with the leaders. We’ll be given strange powers to turn invisible or create copies of ourselves. And for my troubles I’ll be rewarded handsomely. And on top off all of that, we’ll be fighting ponies?”
“That’s the basic gist of it, yes” replied the hooded man.
“Will you accept the contract then?”
“Yes” The Nobleman AKA Silvestro Sabbatini said while he nodded his head.
“Yes” Gallo said in an unemotional tone.
“Yes” The Hellequin and the Harlequin said at the same time with unnervingly wide smiles.
The Prowler simply nodded his head.
“Oh I’m going to enjoy this” Malfatto said under his mask.
“Yes” Donato Mancini, codenamed The Captain said.
“Yes” The Executioner AKA Carnifece the second said while sharpening his axe.
“Yes” Lanz, codenamed The Footpad said.
“You have my hammer” The Blacksmith AKA Auguste Oberlin said while holding his Warhammer in one hand.
“Yes” The Crusader AKA Haras said.
“Yes” Val cel Tradat, codenamed The Sentinel said.
“I live to serve” The Deacon AKA Cyril of Rhodes said from under his hood.
“Yes” Scevola Spina also codenamed The Knight said.
The Gladiator stared at him for a moment before replying “this is going to be too easy.”
“Yes” Seraffo, also codenamed The Doctor said in a shrill voice.
The Coyote Man just stared for a few moments. Making the hooded man question if he even understood him. Then the crazed Native American nodded.
“Yes” The Sharpshooter AKA Garret said.
“Anything for our lord” Frederico Padre, codenamed The Preacher said.
“Yes” The Hessian AKA von Stantten said.
The Cutthroat AKA Adrian Flood giggled dementedly and said “this should be fun!”
“I’ve been all over this world. I think I’m willing to go see a different one.” The Wayfarer AKA Manuel Mendoza said while adjusting his hat.
“Of course” the Physician AKA Edmund Judge said.
The hooded man handed Gallo a list. “You are to lead these men into combat and be our bulldozers you could say.”
The Knight stared at the list that read
Knight Gallo < Leader
Knight Spina
The Blacksmith
The Executioner
The Gladiator
“Any questions?”
“Just one. What’s a bulldozer?”
“You three” the hooded man said to The Footpad, The Wayfarer, and The Sharpshooter. “You’ll be the scouting members.”
The trio nodded their heads in confirmation.
The Deacon received a list of his own from the hooded man as he said, “You will be leading a group of negotiators and intimidators. Strike fear into their hearts.”
The Deacon < Leader
The Preacher
The Crusader
The Physician
The Hessian
The Captain
Doctor Seraffo
The hooded man was in a separate room with some of the more questionably sane members of the group of assassins. He quickly pointed to a board on the wall that read “Partner pairings.”
The Cutthroat
<
The Coyote Man
The Prowler
<
The Sentinel
The Nobleman
<
Doctor Malfatto
The Hellequin
<
The Harlequin
“As you can see you will be split into pairings of two and your assignment will be to cause chaos throughout the kingdom. Also whoever happens to come across the two bonus targets will get an extra reward to your regular pay.
The hooded man stared awkwardly at the three men assembled before him. Two wore a metal mask over their face with two small slits to see from. The mask almost made them look constantly angry. Now that he took a second look the two men were near identical. They both wore a broad rimmed had that was bent in on the side, they had an assortment of knives on their belts, and two nasty looking hooks.
The third one was sitting in front of the last two. He wore the same mask as the other two but that was wear the similarities ended. The man wore a small helmet that pointed on top that matched his mask. He wore a colored scarf around his neck, a vest that split down the middle, and only carried a spear for weapons. At least from what he could tell.
They all just sat there staring and waiting to see the leader’s choice for a moment. Then in a surprising act of sanity the leader spoke “we agree to your terms.” The hooded man actually breathed out a sigh of relief.
He then had an idea. “You three will be on a team that will be taking out the two co-rulers. Understand?”
“If you wish to identify between the two of us simply look into the helmet” one of the Night Stalkers said. As he did, he realized that one had cold blue eyes while the other had green eyes that were so dark they almost appeared black.
Before he could say anything else the trio got up and said, “The legend never dies” and walked out.
The Hooded Man felt his eye twitch.
All the assassins and murderers were gathered into one large room. On a podium was the Hooded Man and he said, “You all have your groups and targets. My master hopes that you will be able to accomplish this task for both our benefits. We’re starting the operation now.”
As soon as he had said now a bright light covered the room and when it had faded the group found themselves in a rather dark forest.
“Alright people! Let’s get this job done!” There were some cheers from the crowd until The Footpad spoke up
“Does anyone know how to get out of the forest?”
