Zandor was a tiny planet, yet it had its own shares of secrets. Even with its modest size, some areas remained unexplored and dark forces slowly spread through the land. With the Dark Kingdom drawing most of the Wielder Association's attention, the formerly docile forces had become braver. Yet with their newfound bravery came newfound cautiousness and secrecy. Hence, though they slowly grew more influential than they previously were, they became far more secretive, making their locations and actions hard to pin down. Besides, anytime any of their actions came into light, many assumed that it was the Dark Kingdom's doing, and they had no issues with that. Normally one would be unhappy when another gets credit for their actions, yet these organisations weren't. When you were around before the emergence of the Dark Kingdom, when you were there during the era where the Wielders Association kept a short leash on them, you will understand why they were unwilling to stand out. At least, not until they were strong enough to stand toe to toe with strong forces like the Dark Kingdom. This didn't mean that they were weak. It was quite the opposite. These were forces that had gone against the Wielder's Association in the past, but lost. To be able to maintain themselves after losing a war was testament of their strength. They weren't weak, they just learned from their mistakes. And they'd be damned if they made them again. One of these secretive forces was the Assassins Organisation.
With a headquarters that was hidden from the eyes of even the Dark Kingdom itself, this secretive organisation performed all its actions in the shadows. It was the strangest of them all. Not because it was a loose organisation (at least that was what they claimed) for many of these secretive organisations were loose. It was much more than that. Loose organisations are organisations that do not impose any stringent requirements on their members. People were free to leave or join as many times as they wanted. The Assassins Organisation was built with such a structure, yet that's not where its uniqueness lay. Its strangeness came from the fact that it had no branches. Unlike every organisation in the world, the Assassins Organisation had only one headquarters. In the past, long before the Dark Kingdom, it wasn't so. But their war with the Wielders Association had taught them to limit themselves, and they did just that. Choosing one secure location that was unknown to all, with the exception of its members, this obscure organisation had operated from the dark with just this one gathering place. Every member was aware of its location, so how could it even function as a loose organisation? If the rumours were to be trusted, there was a seal on its members that prevented them from leaking out the secrets of the organisation, captive or free. And although they claimed to be a loose organisation, most members who did choose to leave were found dead no sooner than they had. Their recruitment process was impressive as well. It was impressive because no one knew how they did it. Till date, no assassin had ever been captured alive. This was thanks to the curse placed on their souls the moment they become members of the association. This seal prevented them from ever leaking out the organisations secrets, bringing death to any assassin facing a dead end before he/she could be captured. The Wielders Association had long given up on capturing these elusive shadows alive. So the location of the Assassin Headquarters had always been safe- until now.
"Master, they failed." In a brightly lit room, a figure knelt on all fours with his face bowed into the ground as he addressed the man seated before him. The man addressed as 'master' had his back facing his subordinate, he sat calmly with a tea cup in his hands. His elegant demeanour was reflective of one who was raised as a noble. He seemed ignorant to the words of his subordinate, yet the one who knelt behind him didn't say anything else, maintaining his posture without any signs of getting up.
"I know" the master finally replied. He sighed lightly as he placed his cup on the table before him. "They were first class assassins, and very strong in their own rights. Even though we didn't necessarily have control over them, it is still a great loss for the organisation. I am now more curious about the boy. He must have the protection of a few experts to survive the attack. His background is not ordinary." The master spoke lightly, not really affected by the death of two of his members. To him, they were but a good source of income and nothing more. His concern now was the boy. The organisation didn't care about the background of their targets, after all, even royalty had fallen to their hands. But for a boy to have this much protection, that not even royalty were subjected to, he was clearly very unordinary.
Although many didn't know what happened that night, he was aware from the information of his sources that the boy escaped with 'heavy' injuries. This meant that those who were protecting him weren't omnipotent. They couldn't fully protect the boy and kill the assailants. As long as a stronger team took on the task, he was certain that they would succeed. So what was this growing sense of unease he felt in his chest. That sensation he had whenever his life was in danger.
"We have stayed here too long. Our safety is no longer guaranteed. We must move." The master commanded, his eyes watching the movements on the road just outside. The lively atmosphere of the large city did nothing to calm his unease.
"Yes master", the kneeling subordinate assented. This was why the association was never found out. They kept switching locations. Added to the fact that no one would think to look for the headquarters of one of the bloodiest associations in the bustling cities, they had always been safe. After all, when your leader was a high noble of the Northern Empire with ties in the imperial court, and several houses in various cities, there was no way you'd be suspected.
On the compound of the same building, a few men sat staring at the people that passed by. Occasionally, upon seeing a pretty girl, they would oohh and ahhh, catcalling and embarrassing her. Their boisterous laughter livened up the place, making the already vibrant city even more vibrant. They sure were having a good time in the Northern Empire's capital. Suddenly, one of them noticed a streak of light hurtling through the bright blue sky. On such a clear day, the golden radiance was easily noticeable to all.
"What the hell is that?" one of the men asked uncouthly. His friends didn't have time to reply before the golden radiance descended with terrifying speed.
"Run!" another screamed, waking the others up from their shock as they rushed towards the main house. This building, just like every other building belonging to the nobles, was protected by a formation. But they would be fools to think it could possibly stop what was coming. And they were right.
*BOOM*
The bright light descended in an even flashier manner, and with a great, big, bang. Out from the flames walked a handsome man. His long brown hair was held tightly by a white band, and there was a genial smile on his face. The men who had lost their balance and had been sent flying stood up shakily. How could a person have that much power? And he could fly?
"Who are you sir?" One of them questioned fearfully.
The intruder smiled even brighter and lifted his left arm. Lightning crackled in the sky, with the formerly bright sky now littered with dark clouds that stretched so far that the eye couldn't see it all. Little bolts of lightning danced around his open palms as he stated with certainty,
"The dead need no names, only rest. And trust me when I say yours wouldn't be in peace."