"Just tell me who she is already!" Alena urged, already fed up with Axel's silence. She tapped her foot on the ground continuously as she waited for Axel to speak.
"Ever heard of the Night Knights?" Alena's eyebrows raised and her eyes widened, her lips parted and closed a few times before she finally clamped her lips together.
"Are you being serious right now? Everyone knows them! They are the most impressive guild in the world! If I was not already with you, I would have joined them long ago!"
Axel furrowed his brow, not quite impressed with Alena's last statement. She continued, "And I know you may not know or even care but Hannah is a member of that guild. She is the most impressive one out of them. Rumor has it that she has been kicked out of the guild but that is only a rumor. I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to send such an impressive woman out of their guild! She can take down a thousand men all by herself without breaking a sweat…."
Axel listened quietly as Alena rambled all about Hannah's 'good works'. Usually, he would be irritated by now but the longer he listened to Alena, the more he thought that he had made the right decision by calling her here. If anything, from the way Alena spoke, she was a fan of Hannah. She knew almost every skill of Hannah, the kind of knives she used, her way of dressing, which was by the way, very accurate– dressed in black and all of that– and the kind of masks she wore.
He had made the right decision indeed!
"...if the rumours are true, you should find Hannah and get her to work for you! She doesn't have much of a choice anyway, since she is out of the guild now. Assassins without the protection of their guild don't live the prettiest lives. You can make her your shield, that way, you won't have to worry about anything for the rest of your life! You would be invincible with her as your shield". Alena concluded and smiled brightly as if waiting for Axel to praise her for her superb suggestion.
Axel shook his head slightly. If he wanted Hannah to be a shield, he would have turned her into one immediately after he saw her fight for the very first time. Though he knew nothing about Hannah or the Night Knights before, she had left an impression on him after he watched her fight and she was impressive just like Alena had said. He knew she wasn't exaggerating when she said that Hannah could kill a thousand men. With those skills, she could end the lives of ten thousand men.
"You don't want her?" Alena was baffled when Axel shook his head. "Did you even hear anything I said? If you could get her to become your shield…."
"Enough Alena!" Axel growled in a low voice. He was not comfortable with Alenas' suggestion of turning Hannah into his shield even though it was tempting.
Alena sighed before muttering something under her breath. She looked at Hannah again and asked, "Why did you ask about the Night Knights suddenly?"
Axel also turned his head to look at Hannah "I want you to be her bodyguard, she is Hannah, from the Night Knights".
If Alena was not leaning on a tree, she would have fallen backwards, but that did nothing to prevent it as her knees buckled and in the next second, she was falling forward.
Seeing her fall, Axel did nothing to help her. It would be better if she came to terms with what he told her and from Alena's reaction, he knew he had guessed wrongly.
Alena was no fan of Hannah's!
"Please tell me my ears are faulty". Alena truly hoped that she had heard wrongly, maybe due to stress over the last few days. She looked up at Axel but only saw his signature solemn and unreadable expression. Does that mean…
Alena stood up immediately and stood in front of Axel. "If you know who she is, then why are you with her? Do you know what you have gotten yourself into?!" Alena asked frantically as she pushed back the urge to grab Axel's collar and shake some sense into the man.
"Don't raise your voice, Alena". Axel warned through gritted teeth.
"Listen to me; keeping her with you will only put you in danger. She has lost protection from her group. Think about it, it will only put you in the spotlight!" Alena explained as she threw her hands about.
Axel knew that she was right. Everything she said was absolutely right. Keeping Hannah with him is suicidal and would only put him in the spotlight as she said. All his years of hard work and hiding would be in vain.
But Axel had already given Hannah his word. She was now one of his people and his responsibility, and he was going to stick to that. He did not mind being in the spotlight once again and having everyone running around for his head.
He's had so much peace that he was now yearning for some disturbance in this peaceful bubble of his. And if Hannah's presence was going to make that happen, then he was willing to do it all the while, protecting Hannah.
"I have made my decision. Any objections?" Alena looked at Axel like he was a retard before running her hands through her hair. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that Axel was under a spell.
"I don't know what has gotten into you Axel but this needs to stop!" Alena pulled out her phone. "I am calling your grandfather right now…."
Alena's words were cut short when her phone disappeared from her hand and she heard a faint splash from the distance. She looked at Axel who was now giving her a glare that could kill. She gulped. If Axel was angry enough to snatch her phone and throw it into the ocean, she knew without anyone telling her, that she would be the next thing to fall into the water.
"I already made my decision and Hannah is now one of you". Everything moved in slow motion for Alena at that moment. There was a loud buzz in her ear and she could see nothing but black.
One of them?
Alena suddenly laughed, "You could have said this earlier instead of making me worry for nothing. Since she is one of us now, I should go talk to her. I am the best at getting acquainted with the newbies!"
Axel was slightly surprised at Alena's emotional flip. One minute she was angry and worried, the next minute however, she wanted to get acquainted with Hannah and was now even walking towards her.
Wait, what…
"Wait!" Axel called out behind Alena and she stopped immediately. She turned to look at Axel with a questioning look and saw a trace of urgency on his face. "She doesn't know who I am yet. Control your tongue".
Now, Alena was even more confused. "She doesn't know who you are?!?" She yelled
Before Axel could respond, he saw Hannah approaching them and gave Alena a warning look which she brushed off with a smile.