The ship reached the capital of the Assassin Empire in a week. As the crew prepared to make port in the hostile city, below decks, Zhōng, Xing, and Hannah prepared to get off. "This looks more painful," said Xing as she looked at Zhōng's wound on his left shoulder.
"Yeah and it's starting to bother me." groaned Zhōng as his sister put new gauze around his shoulder.
"Maybe it's worse than the Assassins thought," theorized Hannah.
Zhōng shook his head and said, "Besides the Indian Empire, the Assassin Empire is very knowledgeable in medical care. This could be worse than what it is."
Xing and Hannah looked at each other, they were worried for their brother as well as nervous about passing through a dangerous city. A sailor came down below decks searching for them. "You guys are good to get off," he said.
"Thank you," said Zhōng as he got up and led his sisters off the ship.
The three siblings walked through the streets of the Assassin Empire's capital. They felt eyes staring at them from everywhere even though they were wearing the same clothing. They kept their heads down but their senses were heightened for any surprise attacks. They followed the directions given to them by the Assassins in the Viking Empire until they arrived at a large synagogue.
Zhōng looked up at the massive doors as they towered over him, he could see silhouettes of Assassins looking down at him. He then set his head to look straight into the door as he took a couple of breaths. He knew sooner or later, he would have come to this empire but he wasn't expecting to come so soon. As he prepared to pound the massive door, it suddenly opened.
When the doors fully opened, standing on the other side were two Assassins dressed in robes with cowls over their heads. "Welcome to the Assassin Empire, General Zhōng, the Risen King, son of Emperor Huo, and wielder of the Ninja Swords." greeted one of the Assassins.
"May I ask who you are?" questioned Zhōng, he could feel Xing getting tense and knew these men were powerful.
"I am Grand Mentor Altaïr, mentor of the Assassins in the Assassin Empire, primary wielder of the Assassin Hidden Blades. This here is Mentor Kai, mentor of the Assassins in the Ninja Empire." introduced Mentor Altaïr.
"It's an honor to finally come face to face with you, you had exceptional skills for hiding in the shadows," said Mentor Kai as he bowed to Zhōng.
"Thank you," said Zhōng, returning the bow going lower than the Assassin. "Is the mentor of the Assassins in the Viking Empire nearby? I would like to give my regards to him since his Assassins helped us escape."
"You'll of course meet him, but first we must get that wound taken care of," said Mentor Altaïr, guiding Zhōng inside. Zhōng was hesitant at first but the Ninja Sword assured him it was alright.
"Where do you plan on keeping us?" asked Xing, her guard was still up and the Assassins noticed a hidden blade on her left arm.
"You'll be staying at my place in the synagogue, I have a guest room that's above the gardens. It will be small but it'll give you privacy," said Mentor Kai.
"It's okay, Xing, they're not like the Black Assassins," assured Zhōng, he watched as his sister relaxed before she and Hannah followed them inside.
"Apprentice," shouted Mentor Altaïr.
"Yes, grand mentor?" asked a boy. He was roughly around Zhōng's age (he could guest) when he appeared.
"Fetch everything you need to take care of this and meet us at Mentor Kai's guest home," ordered Mentor Altaïr.
"Yes, grand mentor," acknowledged the boy. He took off to get whatever he needed but Zhōng felt he had seen him before.
A Viking ship arrived at the Viking Capital with the sigil from the old Ninja Empire underneath their banner. When the brow was placed, Emperor Zhēngfú, Lord Sensou, and Xiōngshǒu came off the ship. Each one had an identical black blade as they marched through the streets and Vikings glared at them with hatred. They arrived at the great hall and went inside to discover hundreds of Viking generals discussing amongst themselves in confusion.
"King Alexios," greeted Emperor Zhēngfú when he spotted the Spartan king talking with a few Viking Generals. "How surprising it is to see you, you're far away from your empire."
"Emperor Zhēngfú, I've only been here for a week and a half. I had a feeling you would come here to fortify your deal," replied King Alexios.
"Where's Chief Stoick then? And what's with this commotion?" asked Emperor Zhēngfú, indicating to the generals as they continued to mutter loudly to one another.
"Chief Stoick is dead, Lord Zhēngfú," stated Wēi, she approached the men after she saw them talking.
"My pet, so that's what happened to you, I thought you died after you escaped. Now I see that you neglected your vow, a promise you can't break," said Emperor Zhēngfú as he reached out to cup her cheeks. Wēi couldn't move away as the aura around Emperor Zhēngfú made her frozen.
A hand grabbed Emperor Zhēngfú's reached-out arm and pulled it away. When he turned to see who dared, he saw two red eyes bursting with fury staring at him. "You will no longer torture my mother," growled Zhen as she tightened her grip. Lord Sensou and Xiōngshǒu reached for their swords but before they could grab them, they were surrounded by Cortana, Kotori, Pina, and Silca as they had weapons out already.
"Cute, you think you can take us all on? Zhōng struggled against my blade and our ancestor struggled while using the Ninja Sword. What makes you think you can take on three Samurai Blades?" gloated Emperor Zhēngfú. His two companions were suddenly picked up and he recognized the presence. When he turned around he was surprised to see two green eyes staring at him while it held his companions off the ground.
"You are a foreign that we allowed as a guest along with them. If any of you sheds blood in this hall, I will kill all of you." threatened Alice before dropping Lord Sensou and Xiōngshǒu.
Emperor Zhēngfú recovered from his surprise and was unimpressed by who stood in front of him. "You're good to be mistaken for my brother, but I don't fear you. Who are you again?" he asked.
"GENERAL ALEXIA!!!" bellowed a Viking general. He silenced everyone from talking in private discussions as he marched towards Alice. She turned to face him annoyed that he demanded her attention. "I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY YOU REFUSED TO BE THE NEXT CHIEF!!!"
"HE'S RIGHT, BY TRADITION AND AS SECOND IN COMMAND, YOU ARE HEIR TO THE THRONE IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO THE CHIEF!!!" bellowed another Viking general.
"WHAT IS YOUR COMMAND?! GIVE US THE ORDERS!!!" demanded a third Viking.
"I DID!!!" shouted Alice and all the Viking generals coward from her masculine voice. "WE ARE TO DO NOTHING TILL WE FIND WHOEVER WIELDS THE VIKING AXE!!!"
"Second in command, now I remembered you. I saw you shake your fist in anger when I mentioned Zhōng. I noticed that has gone, did you kill my brother or did you forgive him?" said Emperor Zhēngfú.
Alice turned around and her green eyes glowed with stronger fury than before. "If you speak one more time, Ninja, I will kill you and your companions and have you hang where all the Vikings can see you. I'll make sure you suffer more than what this empire and I have lost." she threatened.
"You speak both sides of your mouth, you aren't willing to take what you Vikings see as your rightful place but you are willing to act as if you are the chief," stated Emperor Zhēngfú, he smiled as he watched the cloaked general grit her teeth in frustration.
The door knocked, shaking the great hall as it echoed throughout. "ENTER!!!" bellowed Alice as all of them turned towards the door. The door opened and two guards escorted someone who had the Viking Axe. He was in his late teens or early adult but was shorter than the Viking guards and generals. The generals stared in surprise and disgust at what they saw as the guards and the boy stopped in front of Alice. "What is your name?" asked Alice, a little harsher than what she wanted.
"Odin, general, I'm a farmer from the west side of this empire." answered the boy.
Alice heard a couple of generals groan quietly as their suspicions and fears came true. "Do you know what you hold in your hands?" she asked the boy.
"Yes," replied Odin as he struggled to hold the powerful heavy weapon.
"Do you know what this means?" pressed Alice.
"I… I…" began Odin as he struggled to speak.
"This can't be right!" complained a Viking general, interrupting Odin.
Alice peered out into the crowd of generals as she spotted the one who spoke. "Care to explain?" she growled.
"For centuries, our chiefs have been appointed as the strongest in the empire. This boy can barely hold the Viking Axe and looks like a twig that can be easy to snap." said the Viking General.
"The chief's strength must be the highest any one of us can go. If anyone is higher, they're a threat that must be destroyed." added another Viking general nearby the first.
"Therefore, every one of us and our soldiers must perish." stated the Viking general from earlier.
"Why must you Vikings make a big deal over something trivial?" asked King Alexios, he soon felt all the glares of the Vikings in the room.
"A strong chief is a wise chief, that's what we Vikings believe in, Spartan." sneered a Viking general.
"General Alexia, I recommend you challenge this boy for the right to wield the Viking Axe." said another Viking general.
Alice looked at Odin who was terrified, he stared at her seeing she was stronger than him. His grip on the Viking Axe was loose and shaken as he stared into her green eyes. Alice personally wanted to have the Viking Axe to help Zhōng reclaim the Ninja Empire. She knew her position was under threat and the axe could destroy her challengers. However, what she saw almost two weeks ago had her quivering still.
"When Chief Stoick died, the Viking Axe vanished to find a new wielder. The axe is older, stronger, and more knowledgeable than anyone in here. It chose this boy to be its next wielder and we must respect it." stated Alice.
"But I don't want to be its wielder and its chief," whimpered Odin and the room fell silent.
"IF YOU WON'T FIGHT HIM, I WILL FIGHT HIM!!!" burst a Viking general.
"NO, I SHALL BE HIS FIRST OPPONENT!!!" declared another Viking General.
"I'M WAY STRONGER THEN YOU!!!" shouted a third Viking general. The room echoed with insults, boasting, and shouting as the Viking generals bickered amongst themselves.
"Oh boy, this is getting interesting," stated Tony as those who weren't Vikings watched the chaos.
"Is there a way to stop them?" asked John.
"Vikings tend to thirst for blood and violence, they're ruthless out on sea and land. These barbarians would fight amongst each other to settle an argument or issue," explained Tony.
"So this is normal?" asked Wēi.
"This is politics sometimes for them, pirates do this all the time," replied Tony.
"SILENCE!!!" roared Alice and the room went quiet again. "Now if you want to fight him, you all have to get through me. Unless you want to get yourselves embarrassed again, I suggest you stand down." she declared.
"You know, General Alexia, you always have a cowl over your head to hide your face. You may be the strongest, but you're small for our height standards. Just because you beat us once doesn't mean you'll win again. And what makes you think we'll be embarrassed to fight you again?" spitted the first Viking general.
Alice said nothing and pulled her cowl down, her young smooth beautiful face was exposed. Her hair was braided across her forehead and was cut very short. Her green eyes released a new level of terror as they danced wildly at all the Viking generals. They stumbled back as they realized the second in command was a woman with a darker demeanor. "Are you sure you want to have your butt spanked by a girl again?" she growled.
The first Viking general stepped back in terror as Alice's eyes pierced through his. She soon hit all the other Viking generals as they trembled before returning to Odin. His joints froze and his hands vibrated the Viking Axe as his eyes met hers. "King Alexios, Former Empress Wēi, and Emperor Zhēngfú, while I handle our military and trying to convince our new wielder of the Viking Axe to be our chief, can you three work together to handle minor conflicts?" she asked as she approached Odin and her eyes went calm like the sea.
"Of course, General Alice, I did say I was willing to help you." agreed King Alexios. Emperor Zhēngfú groaned with disgust while Wēi nodded her head in agreement.
"You seriously…" groaned a Viking general, he stopped as Alice's demonic eyes returned when she snapped her head and stared at him.
"Please, let me try to convince you to become our chief," pleaded Alice, returning her gaze to Odin.
Odin could see Alice's eyes show no hidden motives, the spoke with honesty and trust. She had so much power and strength but was willing to use it to protect him. "Very well, I'll try it for a week." he accepted.
Xing and Hannah were reading the gardens, they were wearing Assassin attire as they felt like they were being watched. "Are these the bad Assassins?" whispered Hannah.
"No, but that's not why you should feel on edge," answered Xing as she turned a page of her book.
"Is it because our father killed so many and they might want revenge by killing us?" asked Hannah.
"That's exactly why, if they knew we anticipating them, they wouldn't strike till we lower our guards," said Xing. She looked up for a break from her book, though she couldn't see them, they were close to comfort. She then turned to look at the porch of the guest room where Zhōng, Grand Mentor Altaïr, and an Assassin were sitting and watching them.
"When we noticed the majority of the forces left, we attacked the remaining Assassins on Black Island and took all the citizens to be trialed. During the trials, we discovered how harsh their leader was and gave most of them mercy and set them free. The others we sentence were lost in the beliefs of their mentor and we executed them." explained Mentor Altaïr as his apprentice worked on Zhōng's shoulder.
"Well I'm glad to hear that the Black Assassins are no more," said Zhōng, he finched in pain as the needle went deeper than he was expecting. "You don't need to go that deep," he groaned.
"There's still some out there, perhaps roaming your empire. I suggested when you become emperor, to hunt the remaining ones down," said Mentor Altaïr.
"What makes you think I'll be emperor?" chuckled Zhōng, he soon gasped and gritted his teeth when the needle went that deep again.
"Are you not? Why leave the empire into hands that are not your own?" questioned Mentor Altaïr.
"I trust her and she's been groomed to rule more recently than me," grunted Zhōng as the apprentice pierced deep again but slowly.
"But she isn't the one your people trust to save them, it's time for you to go back to the light," said Mentor Altaïr.
Zhōng smirked and shook his head slowly in disagreement. "The light blinded me from the darkness growing, I was blind to my own people's suffering for eight years. When I finally could see, they were praising Former Empress Wēi and Former Princess Zhen. I am the criminal that cripple them and destroyed their trust. They looked at me because I have the power to save them, they will turn against me once I defeat my brother. I am nothing more than a tool." he said. The apprentice forced the needle deeper than before, causing Zhōng to tense up before gripping the apprentice's arm. "You're doing this on purpose now," he growled.
Zhōng felt something on his lap, when he turned to see what it was, he discovered it was a ball similar to the one he had long ago. He returned to look at the apprentice and pulled his cowl down to see an older face of someone he knew long ago. "Apologies for not introducing myself sooner, your majesty." said the apprentice.
"Pablo, how many times do I have to say it? You can call me Zhōng," stated Zhōng and reached over to hug his old friend. Pablo returned the hug as it had been too long since they saw each other.
"It's great to see you're alive after so many years," said Pablo.
"It's great to see you too, but how did you become the apprentice of the grand mentor?" said Zhōng when they broke from their hug.
"When Pablo's family moved to the Assassin Empire, his family searched for jobs to earn money. I saw Pablo moving like a ghost a few times in the city and knew he had potential," explained Mentor Altaïr.
"I was surprised to be selected though I made mistakes along the way," said Pablo.
"Well you should tell me when you are not busy, we can tell stories while playing with this," said Zhōng, indicating the ball.
"I think we're too old to be playing child games," said Pablo.
"But it brings back memories," reasoned Zhōng and he saw his friend nod.
"I shall leave you two alone," began Mentor Altaïr as he stood up and prepared to leave. "Pablo, I will not need you for the rest of the day, enjoy your time catching up with your friend. And Zhōng, you have a week to recover as well as prepared to meet with all the mentors. You must find something to convince us to fight with you. I also recommend you reexamine yourself to find out who you truly are."
"Yes, mentor, thank you," said Pablo.
"I'll give it some thought," promised Zhōng. After feeling satisfied with their replies, Grand Mentor Altaïr soon left them and the boys began to catch up on what happened to them in the last eight years.
Alice led Odin to the war room council meeting, it's been three days since Odin was found and after some convincing decided to attend a meeting. When they entered, the Viking generals glared at him as he sat awkwardly at the head of the table. Besides, the generals, Alice and Odin, Zhen was also attending the meeting to learn other empires' battle strategies. She wanted to be better in strategy and with her mother busy running the empire, she wanted to find something to keep her entertained.
"What news do you all bring?" growled Alice as she terrifyingly glared with her exposed eyes at each general. They shrank back into their chairs as they were hit by her warning.
"Pirates have claimed to tame a legendary ship, rumors say their lord captain had sacrificed some of his body parts to survive. If it's the ship from their tales, it would be wise to avoid its cannons." reported one of the Viking generals.
"Egyptian Empire has raised their fees for making port in their empire. I believe they did this since the call was activated." reported another Viking general.
"We've pulled every warship back to port as you requested, but now our waters are unprotected from the Spartans." reported a third Viking general.
"I'll request King Alexios to send his ships back as well. The Egyptians I expected them too, they won't let this chance go to waste. For the pirates, if it's the one they feared then we should let our sailors be wary of a pirate ship covered in black." said Alice. She looked around the room and saw a few heads nodding in agreement. Though her identity was revealed, the generals still respected her decisions whether it was through fear or her success in battles.
"What about news happening on our lands?" asked Odin, shocking everyone.
"It's nothing to concern with, boy," hissed a Viking general.
"I watched as Ninja soldiers marched across the land with no resistance. What was Chief Stoick doing to stop them?" demanded Odin.
The Viking generals looked at each other, they all knew but were hesitant to tell. "One of you, speak," growled Alice. She watched as they cowered in their chairs while she stood by Odin's side.
"Chief Stoick was going to do nothing, but he did promise Emperor Zhēngfú that he'll capture Zhōng, the Risen King. And if he escapes, he will join the emperor of the Ninja Empire when the time comes. In exchange for Zhōng and loyalty, he was promised in return all the land Emperor Zhēngfú conquered." said another Viking general.
"Who here knew about this?" asked Odin, he watched in shock as all the generals raised their hands. He was even more surprised to see Alice's as she raised it with guilt on her face.
"I'll inform you that I found out on the night before Chief Stoick's death," explained Alice. Odin had enough and stormed out of the room as Alice followed behind. "My chief," she cried.
"You have no right to call me that, nor am I one." snapped Odin as he stormed faster away.
"Typical farmer, we should have known he was going to ask about that." groaned a Viking general.
"They always come and complain to us, they don't understand war and violence. They barely understand anything since some can't grow crops." complained another Viking general.
"I know your climates are the harshest in all seven empires, the food that grows here is tough. But why do you hate farmers? Aren't they responsible for the food that is presented to your tables?" asked Zhen.
"Silence, Ninja, you have no right to know." growled a Viking general. Zhen sighed with frustration, she knew she wasn't going to get answers from these Viking generals. However, there was someone she knew who can find what she was looking for.
"You want me to find out?" asked Tony after Zhen found him an hour after the meeting.
"It's something you do often is it not?" questioned Zhen.
"It's not a question if I can do it, it's a question of should I do it. We are foreigners to this empire, what's even worse is we are Ninja. If the Spartans are their most despised people for them to hate, then the Ninjas are a close second." explained Tony.
"General Alice is struggling to convince Odin to become their chief. She isn't getting any support from the generals below her. We must figure out why they despise the person the Viking Axe chose." said Zhen.
"So you want me to go to a bar, drink with a couple of Vikings to gain their trust, interrogate them when they're completely drunk, and report back to you of what I discovered." summarized Tony. Zhen nodded her head to confirm as Tony sighed with dread. "This is easier said than done. I found out that Zhōng had a hundred of beers the first night we were here. If he had that much to gain their trust, I'm pretty sure it would be the same for me."
"Then have Jack and John go with you if you desire but I want this to be a solo mission." compromised Zhen.
"Very well, your majesty," sighed Tony and he walked away.
Zhōng was reading information about the life the people from the Ninja Empire were living under his brother's control. Though he was in the empire a couple of months ago, he read how the people were treated. It scared him as it was worse than when his father ruled. He thought he could hear their cries for help and mercy of the innocent slaughtered by his brother's grip. A knock on the door snapped Zhōng away from the papers, he grinned as he knew who it was this late at night.
"Do you ever get some sleep?" asked Zhōng as he poured tea for his friend.
"When you're the apprentice of the grand mentor, you have no choice but to sleep lightly so you can respond quickly," replied Pablo taking the cup of tea and drinking it.
"I can understand to respond quickly, there were nights that I had to be alert as I traveled through hostile places," stated Zhōng, he poured himself a cup of tea and was drinking some.
"How's your shoulder?" asked Pablo. It was four days after he sewed Zhōng's shoulder and was surprised at how quickly he was using it.
"It's still sore and I must be careful of how far I push but day by day, it's getting stronger," replied Zhōng.
"There are some Assassins that lose their whole hand, you know," stated Pablo.
"I've heard, but they're limited in what they can do since they have one hand. It might be best to disguise yourself as a merchant with one hand," said Zhōng.
"They are those who do that, but they're those who returned to the line of duty," said Pablo.
"How? It's difficult to climb and swing with one hand," said Zhōng.
"Difficult, yes, but not impossible. Some have the determination to chase what they love," said Pablo.
"And so what will you do if you lose a hand?" asked Zhōng.
Pablo set down his cup and folded his hands on his lap. He looked up at Zhōng with concern and curiosity. "Well, would you mind telling me your true reason why you don't want the throne?"
Zhōng set his cup down as well and said, "I told you, Former Princess Zhen is more fit to rule the Ninja Empire. I cut my ties long ago to try and stop a war, it only quickened the pace to happen. She is their beacon of light, a pillar to gaze at while I am the shadow staring up in guilt and shame. I failed to protect her for so many times I lost count, this is my way of repaying her."
"You claim she's the beacon for the Ninja Empire, but why are the people crying for your name to help?" questioned Pablo.
"I have the Ninja Sword, I am nothing else without it," said Zhōng.
"You're mistaken," disagreed Pablo. "Those letters on the desk were written shortly after Emperor Zhēngfú took the throne. They were crying for you even after they heard Former Princess Zhen was safe. Even Klien told us they want you to lead them back to the light."
"You've been in contact with Klien?" asked Zhōng.
"We were till he went to Port Dake, that was when it demolished," said Pablo, his fists were shaking with anger. Besides them, Po and Klien were their closest friends to hang around throughout the Eight-Year War. But now with Po killed by a bounty hunter and Klien being one of the thousands massacred, they were the last of the original group of friends.
Zhōng bowed his head since he didn't know till now. His fists shaking as well with anger since Klien was the last surviving member of his spies. "I should have had him come with us," he stated.
"They wouldn't want us to dread over their deaths, now is the time to move on and you to return to the light," stated Pablo.
"And why should I, the shadows have protected me from anyone who tried to kill me. I've hidden in it so well, that even you couldn't find me. You said it yourself, the Assassins tried to find me but couldn't and you offered assistance." said Zhōng.
"It's true even with my help we couldn't ever find you, but that was because you weren't in the light. However, you weren't in the shadows either. You were somewhere between the light and the shadows, a place for you to hide from everyone but a place where you can't hear everything." stated Pablo.
"There's no such middle ground, there's the light and the shadow," argued Zhōng.
"You believe that because you were taught that, a yin and a yang, shadows and light, good and evil. I was taught that too till I came here, that zone between them only a few could ever go to. You are one of them and now we know, we can see you walking in the shadows to try and find us." stated Pablo.
"What makes you think I don't see you?" challenged Zhōng. The two boys stare at each other, they were good friends long ago but had to change to survive.
"Perhaps the day before you see all the mentors, we should have a duel in the forest nearby. Whoever can track and eliminate their opponent first wins," suggested Pablo.
"And what will it prove?" asked Zhōng.
"If you win, you are part of the shadows. But if you lose, it will prove everything I said about you is right," stated Pablo.
Zhōng poured more tea into their cups and drank. When he finished, his eyes glowed hungrily for a battle while a smile came across his face. "I assume it was you that I faced years ago, it's time we settle that battle," he said. He watched as Pablo nodded before drinking his cup of tea.