BLADE Chapter 4 – AniontingProsper
CHAPTER FOUR: He has always needed this
Hardong walked up to the rest after the last batch of victims were driven out of the valley, a few yellow scouts following them.
Ripper stood beside Blade, resting his back on the gate while Blade sat on a rock, his left leg using a dry Skull as his footstool.
Vesper and Ripper frowned at each other,intentionally bumping into each other before Vesper passed by Ripper.
They were all waiting for dawn so they could all sneak back into the Citadel as the surveillance of the Citadel was always at it’s pick by midnight, through the very early hours of the morning.
Even though, they wouldn’t be questioned as Black Robes, the possibility that a spy of Elder Hans would report them was something they couldn’t risk.
“How sure are we that the victims themselves won’t rat us out? … Because from my years of experience, desperate Robes can do anything to get what they desperately want and some can go as far as ratting out their savior” Hardong asked, his eyebrows scrunched up in worry.
“They won’t. I fed them Antropine pills personally. They won’t remember that a place called the Citadel exists. Besides, they would be dropped in different parts of the country” Blade responded, his face down as he looked into the holes in the Skull laying not too far from him.
“So what is our fate now?” Ripper asked, his eyes lifted up to the dark night that didn’t even have a single star to give him hope.
“To continually follow orders like killing machines” Hardong answered.
“Or we would be killed for trying to ‘elope with our lovers'” Vesper quoted Elder Hans and Ripper scoffed.
“Elope with their lovers? Elder Hans has been scheming for years and now it seems he’s run out of ideas. How would the men who have been poisoned and are to receive their antidotes every end of the month, be able to elope with lovers that they didn’t even have time to see?”
“Can’t still believe that people were killed because they were potential threats to his reign. The years they have served so far disappeared into thin air without a trace, every pain they endured and sadness they overcame all came to waste” Hardong was pissed.
Blade tuned them all out as each of them gave a piece of their mind on what they found uncomfortable in the Citadel. His heart was suddenly racing and his breathing in disorder. He found it difficult to inhale. His breathing became gradually shorter. Before he knew it, he was panting for air as his lungs seemed to be contracting more than it should.
And the icing on the cake for him was the sudden pain in his chest like he was stabbed, his hand flying to his chest immediately, like holding it would reduce the pain.
Suddenly, he felt a sudden surge go up his throat and before he knew it, he spurted out blood, calling the attention of those around him.
“Blade! Blade!! Blade!!!” He heard his name from every direction, the voices slowly faded away, as his eyes kept dropping until he passed out finally into the arms of Ripper.
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The room was too quiet for him. Just too quiet. He felt his bones ache and his eyes were still too heavy for him to open. The smell of the incense filled the air and it seemed to bring comfort to his lungs.
He found himself in between consciousness and unconsciousness, his mind replaying for him, the manner at which his victims displayed the sudden occurrence of death to him. Some seemed surprised to the very end, some were motionless while few were already in pain before death came which was like a comfort drug. With the memories that kept popping into his head, he was still very much aware of the incense in the room.
His head ached but his heart ached more, and no, the heartache wasn’t physical, it was more emotional.
Even though he knew that it was dangerous for an assassin to go soft hearted, the intentional killing of the assassins and the unnatural order given to his father made him realize that anyone could be a victim, the fact that it hasn’t happened to one yet doesn’t mean the person is luckier than the rest.
In the Citadel, the predator will eventually become a prey if he’s not aware of the silent watch of his predators.
There was a knock that came heavily on the door that jerked Blade right out of his thoughts. He managed to open his eyes, but they were still blurry so it shut itself again.
A loud hissed could be heard not too far from his side and dragged footsteps followed to the door.
A moment of silence preceded the heavy voice of Viper, and a few thumps that came from his boots.
“I’m here to see Blade”
Blade himself couldn’t help but smile for he knew how Vesper hated Viper’s guts and pride.
“I’m sure you’ve heard it from fellow black Robes that he is unwell. Common sense requires that you don’t bang the door like you were locked out of your own house. How hard could that be?” Vesper hissed.
There was silence in the room and for a moment Blade was scared Viper had harmed Vesper, but his thoughts were abolished when he heard Viper say, “We never can tell, Blade might be avoiding responsibilities now that my father is in charge”
“Avoid responsibilities? Why? You think he’s you? Even your father knows he’s more responsible than you that’s why he promoted him before you, bitch” Vesper slammed back at him.
There was a sudden tussle and from the way the occasional thumps that came from the floor, Blade knew there was a wrestle going on between them both.
“I decided not to be a black robe. So don’t think you’re more skilled than I am just because you’re one” Vesper’s labored breathing could be heard.
Viper was good at playing dirty tricks and that was why, no one ever wanted to Spar with him. While he and Vesper struggled, Viper was about to plunge a nail into Vesper neck, with the aid of his toes, but thankfully, Blade held it just in time before it pierced the young man’s skin.
He knew he had to intervene or Viper would do something nasty. He practically pushed them apart, both of them falling to the floor while he landed on the floor too because he was too weak to keep standing.
“You pig! I guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree!” Vesper yelled, plunging forward towards Viper but Blade used his limited strength to hold him down.
“You’d appoint yourself… a day of death…if something goes wrong” Blade whispered, which brought his temper down a little.
Viper rose to his feet, a devilish smirk smeared across his face, “You need to look after your friend, Blade. Even though a nuisance on earth, the reason why he’s still here is because of you” Viper told Blade, who nodded as he struggled to sit up.
“I will” Blade assured him.
“He was only shocked by your visit” Blade whispered.
“Anyways,” Viper began, totally changing the subject, “I was walking past your room and for the first time in two years, your room doesn’t have cobwebs at the door. That’s why I decided to check in. Never knew you were ill” Viper explained himself.
“You brat! Even I don’t believe that came from your heart” The elderly voice suddenly cut in, as the elderly figure walked in.
Stretching out his hand to help Blade stand up, Blade and Vesper were still too shocked to see him there.
“I was wondering why you didn’t attend the three morning meetings we had and I was told you were indisposed. So, I asked my irresponsible son to come and check on you to see if you’re fine. I apologize on behalf of his rudeness” Elder Hans smiled, his hand still in the air, urging him to take his hand.
Blade took his hand and the old man helped him stand to his feet, Blade trying his absolute best to stand tall on his weak legs.
“Has Doctor Pierce checked in?” Asked Elder Hans and Blade nodded in affirmative.
“I’m sorry for being insensitive to the load of work given to you. I didn’t know it was telling on your health. I thereby order you to take some time off till your health is back to normal while Viper takes over your supposed duties. As long as the work is done, it doesn’t matter who does it. What do you think, Blade?”
His supposed concern was in favor of his son, of course.
But it wouldn’t be Elder Hans if he wasn’t sly.
“Your wish is my command” Blade replied straightforwardly, letting the Elder know that his words were clearly understood.
Elder Hans frowned, “Don’t say it like that, Blade. You don’t want people to think I pushed you out of your post, do you?”
“No, Elder. I do know, I need some rest too” Blade replied and the old man smiled.
“I hope you have a good rest. Take very good care of yourself” Elder Hans patted Blade on his shoulder before working out with his viperous son.
Vesper was so angry that his face was literally red but his anger didn’t stop him from catching his friend whose weak legs gave up on him.
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Like a radio turned on, the only thing Blade was listening to for the past thirty minutes was Vesper complains and grumbling. And no matter how many times he sighed, Vesper didn’t even want to take the clue that he needed some quiet.
Frustrated, he sighed out loud, “What exactly do you find unfair?” Blade asked his friend.
“What I find unfair? The fact that he killed half the Citadel because he wanted to establish his throne? Or the fact that he lured your father out of the city? Or the fact that he indirectly and illegally replaced you with his son? Which one do you think is the most unfair?! Not to talk of the Elders that died. Just two days before the public assassination, a red robe said that the marks on the Elders bodies looked like that of Elder Hans murder weapon. How funny it is that part of the people that died, was that red robe that said his observation” Vesper ranted.
Blade only laughed, as he laid back on his pillow and picked up the book he was reading before.
“It gladdens my heart to know that the turbulence in this Citadel amuses you” Vesper’s Sarcasm was glaring through, slapping the folded bedsheets on Blade’s face before dropping it beside him.
Blade laughed more heartily which caused him to cough heavily due to his dry throat. Like an attendee, Vesper quickly served him water, which he drank before the cough subsided.
“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown,” Blade started, “Both father and Son are after the title. Soon, it would dawn on them the responsibilities that comes with those titles” Blade comforted Vesper.
“It amazes me how you’re happy in this situation”
“Someone took my burdens away, for free for that matter, who wouldn’t be happy?” Blade beamed.
Vesper just shook his head and walked to the nearest chair beside him.
“Do you have a plan?”
“Yes”
“What’s the Plan?”
“Sit and relax. Enjoy each day like it was my last till my father comes back” Blade smiled.
“That’s if that man doesn’t have any devilish schemes up his sleeve” Vesper opposed.
“How are you feeling now?” Vesper asked.
“You talked my ear out for forty-five minutes but you’re just worried about my body? How do you think I am feeling?” Blade asked Vesper who only murmured something incoherently.
And just like that, the room fell into another round of silence.
