The aftermath of the battle hung heavy in the air, the oppressive darkness finally gone, replaced by the soft hues of an eerie twilight. Xyenn knelt on top of Nacht, his Dark Sun Blade driven deep into the dragon god's chest. The once-proud deity of shadows lay battered and broken beneath him, his form flickering weakly as though he could barely hold himself together. Nacht's ethereal wings were torn and tattered, his violet eyes dimmed and unfocused.
Xyenn, covered in dirt and grime, bore only a few scratches from the fight, though a streak of dried blood ran down the side of his face. His breathing was heavy but controlled. He didn't gloat. He didn't speak. His face burned with quiet intensity as he stared down at his fallen opponent.
Nacht coughed weakly, his voice trembling with frustration and desperation. "You… you think you've won, boy…"
Before Nacht could continue, the sound of footsteps crunching through the rubble reached them. Klem, Faera, and Vektor emerged into the clearing, their weapons still at the ready. They stopped a few paces away, their eyes falling on the scene before them: Xyenn, kneeling atop a dragon god, sword plunged deep into his chest. The three clerics exchanged glances but said nothing, their expressions a mix of surprise and quiet approval.
Nacht's dim eyes flickered toward the clerics, his voice weak but filled with desperation. "You… clerics… if you kill him… I will give you power… unimaginable power. You could rival the gods themselves. Just rid me of this pest…"
Klem was the first to respond, letting out a loud, booming laugh. "Power? From you? You look like you couldn't even rival a wet loaf of bread right now." He leaned on his massive, glowing axe, pretending to consider the offer. "But… I dunno. Sounds tempting. Maybe I should…" He took a step toward Xyenn, raising his axe slightly.
Xyenn's head snapped toward him, his eyes wide with panic. "Klem! Don't you dare—! You fat—!"
Klem smirked and stopped mid-strike, lowering his axe. "Nah, I can't do it. You're too youngling to take seriously."
Xyenn screeched comedically, his voice cracking. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! FIGHT ME. I'm A MAN."
Klem raised his axe again, pretending to strike once more. "Alright, I'll do it this time. For real."
"STOP IT!" Xyenn yelped, flailing his free arm in Klem's direction.
"I thought you said—."
Faera, ever-serene, placed a gentle hand on Klem's shoulder. "Klem, leave Xyenn alone," she chided softly, though there was a faint smile on her face. "You're going to give him a heart attack."
Vektor crossed his arms, his golden eyes narrowing. "Klem, you're embarrassing us. Again. Can you try to act professional for once?"
Klem shrugged, flashing a toothy grin. "What? I'm just having a little fun."
Vektor sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "You're impossible."
"I know," Klem replied with pride, clearly unbothered.
The banter continued, but Nacht's dim eyes watched them carefully. His voice, though weak, took on a strange tone—part wistful, part bitter. "That camaraderie… that bond…" He coughed, dark ichor spilling from his lips as his body trembled beneath Xyenn's weight. "You humans… you mortals…"
The clerics and Xyenn fell silent as Nacht's voice grew quieter, filled with a strange sadness. "I only wanted to be like you all. To feel what it's like to have… that. To be part of something greater than myself. To be…" His voice broke. "A hero."
Xyenn didn't respond. He stared down at Nacht, his expression unreadable.
Nacht's voice wavered as he continued. "I could've been hailed as one… if only I wasn't the weakest. The weakest of all the dragon gods."
Xyenn stood still, the weight of his words forming in his mind as he faced the dragon god's desperate speech. For a moment, the silence stretched between them, the air thick with tension and the faint hum of power emanating from the divine creature before him. His eye brow narrowed, the light in them hardened, not with hatred, but with something deeper—resolve. He let out a slow, measured breath, his voice low but steady, each word deliberate.
"You think I don't understand you?" he began. "I do. More than you think. I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your voice. You're just another piece of this broken world trying to claw your way out of the pit it threw you into. You think taking my body, my strength, will make you a hero. You think if you can redeem yourself, you'll rewrite how the world sees you—how it remembers you. I get it. I was like you once. When I was younger, I dreamed of being a hero too. A savior. Someone who'd swoop in and fix everything. I thought if I could prove myself, if I could be something bigger than the nothing I felt like, maybe people would finally notice me. Maybe I'd finally matter."
He paused, his expression darkening as he glanced at the ground for a brief moment, as if recalling a distant memory. When he spoke again, his voice carried the weight of scars that had long since healed, but never fully disappeared.
"Back then, I was just a kid no one cared about. Neglected by everyone—hell, even the gods didn't bother to look my way. I was invisible. Forgotten. All I wanted was what everyone else seemed to have so easily: connection. Friends. A family. Someone to share the damn weight of being alive with. But when no one gave a damn, I started thinking maybe no one ever would. And when you're alone long enough, well shit..." He gave a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. "You start to think there's nothing left to fight for. Nothing left to live for."
His hand clenched into a fist at his side, the faintest tremor running through it before he forced himself to relax. "That was the day I almost gave up. The day I almost ended it all. I did end up doing it though. Ending it all. But then, Yuuna showed up. She didn't save me with some grand speech or anything. She was just there, sitting beside me, like I wasn't invisible anymore. Sure at first she wanted to use me and not give a shit about me. But then as we grew, she talked to me like I mattered, like I wasn't just another forgotten nobody. And that changed everything. Little by little, I started to find people who stuck around. People who fought for me, and fought with me. The Tyrants, Yuuna—they've got their own problems, sure, but we've got each other. For the first time, I wasn't alone anymore..." His gaze snapped back to the dragon god, sharp as a blade. "That's worth more than any dream of being a hero ever was."
'I mean all of this..don't I? Of course I do. The younger me wouldn't have even dreamed of saying this shit to anyone.'
Xyenn took a step closer, his voice growing stronger, each word cutting through the air like steel. "You want to be a hero? This world... this damn world doesn't need heroes. Not the kind who think they can save it with shiny ideals. You think this world has room for saints? For goody-goody heroes who dream of justice and glory? Take a look around. This world is rotten. People are dying, clawing for scraps while your kind sits on thrones built from their worship. You force them to bow, to bleed, just so you can keep yourselves alive. And you've got the nerve to call it a cycle? No. I wouldn't even call it that anymore." His voice dropped to a growl, the heat of his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "That's not a cycle. That's a cage. And I'll be damned if I let you or anyone else keep it locked. A cage the dragon gods are locked in, sure. But a cage the people are in as well. Since you're trapped, they are trapped as well."
He let the words hang for a moment, the tension between them palpable. There was no anger in his expression now, only cold, unshakable certainty. "You know what this world really needs? Reinforcements. People who don't care about glory or recognition, but who'll fight in the deep end, side by side, to fix this broken mess. People who'll do what needs to be done, even if it's ugly. Even if it's thankless. Heroes... they're just stories you tell kids to make them feel safe. But reinforcements? They're the ones who stand in the fire and make sure no one else burns."
Nacht growled, "You're calling yourself a hero…."
Xyenn's body shifted slightly, his stance solid, unyielding, the chains wrapped around his arms faintly glowing with power. His voice dropped lower, colder, as he delivered the final blow. "You fought me, someone who's already been through hell and came out the other side stronger. Someone who doesn't give a damn about your redemption or your survival. You're fighting me, and I'm the one who's gonna tear this world's cage apart, one chain at a time. My ideals a few weeks ago have changed severely. After what I've been through, my mind has changed. There is no room for heroes."
It was silent amongst them, and even Klem thought, 'A boy that young saying all of that…he's realizing this around the same age I learned about how crooked this world is.'
Before anyone could respond, the sound of trees being felled and rocks crashing to the ground filled the clearing. From every direction, Nacht's assassins emerged, their glowing red eyes cutting through the dim light. They dropped from trees, slid over rocks, their movements swift and silent as they surrounded the group.
Klem tilted his head, his grin widening. "Oh, look. The cheerleading squad finally showed up."
Faera glanced around, her lantern glowing faintly as she raised it higher. "There are so many of them…"
Vektor narrowed his eyes, his radiant blanket of light shifting slightly around him. "They're not going to let us leave without a fight."
Xyenn, still kneeling on top of Nacht, didn't even flinch. He gripped the hilt of his sword tighter, the flames crackling faintly as he muttered, "Let them try."
Before anyone could make a move, a deep, familiar voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Even if I leave you alone for *one second,* you always find a way to get into trouble."
The group turned as Gorran stepped into the clearing, his dark figure emerging from the shadows with an almost casual stride. He didn't look at the assassins or Nacht—his piercing gaze was locked solely on Xyenn.
Xyenn's face lit up with surprise and joy, completely at odds with the tense atmosphere. "Gorran! You're here!" He leapt to his feet, sprinting toward him with an almost childish excitement. "You're not gonna believe this! I killed a dragon god! By myself! I—"
Before Xyenn could get any closer, Gorran extended a hand, pressing it firmly against Xyenn's face to stop him in his tracks. Xyenn flailed his arms uselessly, his voice muffled against Gorran's palm.
Gorran's expression was one of utter disgust as he held Xyenn at arm's length. "Are you possessed?" he asked flatly. "Or is this still that bard's music messing with your head after Soulcaris?"
Gorran looked around, thinking, 'Assassins. Which group of assassins are these? Shadows…shadows..Nacht's Brotherhood. They've been around for years since u was a child, a young assassin for the Xenith Clan. They're their ultimate rivals.'
Xyenn pulled away, swatting at Gorran's hand. "Hell no! I'm fine!" He pointed dramatically back at Nacht, who was still pinned to the ground. "Look! I killed my first dragon god!"
Gorran glanced at Nacht, his expression unimpressed. "He's not even dead yet."
Xyenn blinked, then his lips curled into a mischievous grin. "Oh, right." He turned back toward Nacht, raising his Dark Sun Blade high above his head. The flames flared brighter, crackling with explosive energy. "I'll make it quick."
But just as he was about to bring the blade down, Xyenn stopped. The edge of the sword hovered mere inches from Nacht's neck.
The clearing fell silent. Even the assassins, poised to strike, seemed frozen in place.
Klem tilted his head, his grin faltering. "Uh… kid? What are you doing?"
Vektor's eyes narrowed. "Why did you stop?"
Faera's soft voice broke the silence. "Xyenn…?"
But it was Gorran who looked the most shocked. His sharp eyes widened slightly as he stared at Xyenn, his voice low and uncertain. "What… are you doing?"
Xyenn didn't say a word. He remained locked on Nacht as his blade continued to hover, unmoving.
The tense silence in the clearing was suffocating as Xyenn held his Dark Sun Blade inches from Nacht's neck. The black and yellow flames swirled violently, lighting up the battered and dirt-covered Xyenn as he stared down at the broken dragon god of shadows beneath him. Nacht's violet eyes flickered weakly, his body trembling as he clung to what little strength he had left.
Klem, Faera, and Gorran all stood silently in the background, watching with varying degrees of curiosity and concern. Even Nacht's assassins, perched in the trees or hidden among the rubble, remained frozen, awaiting their master's fate.
Xyenn finally broke the silence, his voice calm but firm. "I'm not going to kill you."
Nacht's dim eyes widened, a flicker of surprise crossing his battered face. "What…?" he rasped, his voice shaky.
Xyenn lifted his blade slightly, the flames dimming just enough to ease the tension. "Technically, you didn't do anything wrong."
Klem raised an eyebrow, confused. "Uh, kid? He tried to kill you. And Yuuna. And steal your body. And, you know, obliterate your entire existence."
Xyenn nodded, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I know. But hear me out." He stood, pulling his sword from Nacht's chest with a sickening crunch. Nacht gasped weakly, clutching his chest as Xyenn continued.
"You're the dragon god of shadows, ruling over assassins who cleanse the world of filth." Xyenn glanced down at Nacht, his mismatched eyes gleaming faintly. "I can relate to that."
Nacht's brows furrowed, his face a mix of confusion and anger. "You… relate to me? A god?"
Xyenn ignored the tone and kept talking, pacing back and forth as he spoke. "I get it. You're doing what you were meant to do. Shadows exist to balance the light, don't they?" He paused, glancing at the assassins in the distance. "But here's the thing. You lost. And now, I've got the upper hand."
He stopped pacing and turned back to Nacht, his expression serious. "I'm not going to kill you, Nacht. But only under one condition."
Nacht's eyes narrowed. "What… condition?"
Xyenn grinned, his excitement bubbling just under the surface. "You and your assassins? You work for me now."
The silence that followed was deafening. Nacht's eyes widened in disbelief, his body trembling as he processed the words. "What?"
"You heard me," Xyenn said, crossing his arms. "You and your assassins will be under the Tyrants' command. You'll work for us. When we need you, you'll come. No arguments. No complaints. That's the deal."
Nacht's face twisted into a snarl. "You dare to enslave a dragon god?! I would rather die than be at the mercy of a mortal!"
Xyenn's grin widened, and he crouched down, leaning in close to Nacht's face. "Oh, you can die. And you won't be reborn, either. Not with Yuuna's power backing me up."
At that, Nacht visibly winced, his defiance faltering. The mention of Yuuna's power—something even he didn't fully understand—was enough to make him hesitate.
Gorran said, "I'm not sure about this."
'Why am I still holding onto the fact that Nacht's Brotherhood rivaled with the Xenith clan? I left the Xenith clan in the past. I can't let it hold back my decisions. But I know Nacht's Brother are extremely deadly, and extremely brutal. They can't do anything against us, but against weaker people, they could wipe an entire continent of those who have weak magic.'
Xyenn stood up, turning to Gorran with a new spark of enthusiasm in his eyes. "Think about it, Gorran. Nacht and his assassins could help us when we need them the most! Imagine the possibilities!"
Gorran, his dark and brooding demeanor as sharp as ever, crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "We already have enough chaos with the Tyrants as it is."
"But assassins!" Xyenn exclaimed, his excitement almost childlike. "A whole brotherhood of them! Do you know how cool that is? I've always been infatuated with assassins. The stealth, the precision, the way they move through the shadows—it's unreal!" His eyes practically glowed as he spoke, and for a moment, the exhaustion on his face seemed to fade away, replaced by pure joy.
Klem let out a booming laugh, patting Xyenn on the back so hard it nearly knocked him over. "I like this kid. He's got ambition!"
Faera, ever serene, smiled softly. "It's… unconventional, but it could be useful."
Even Gorran, after a long, brooding pause, finally sighed. "Fine. If you think this will help us, I won't argue."
Vektor thought, 'The upcoming war against Sugred and the Clerics on his side, they could tend to be useful. If I'm accepting help from a literal goddess of darkness, Yuuna, it wouldn't make much of a difference if I garner the help from assassins. I'll do anything to succeed in this. Maybe then..'
Xyenn's enthusiasm dimmed slightly as his thoughts turned darker. His expression grew serious, and he tightened his grip on his sword. "Besides," he muttered, "we're also going to need all the help we can get when the time comes to face King Haldrek."
The mention of Haldrek sent a chill through the air. Even Klem's grin faltered, and Faera's soft expression hardened.
'We will meet soon…bastard..'
Nacht, still trembling on the ground, growled weakly. "You… would push a god to serve as your pawn? You're delusional."
Xyenn turned back to him, his grin returning. "It's not about pushing you around, Nacht. It's about giving you a second chance." He gestured to the assassins surrounding them. "You've got all these people following you. You're their leader. You said it yourself—you just wanted to be part of something greater, to be a hero and shit."
Nacht glared at him, his body tense. "And you think I'll find redemption by serving mortals?"
Xyenn shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe you'll just get a chance to do something meaningful for once. Or just die by me, you're choice."
Nacht looked away, his lips curling into a snarl. His pride screamed at him to refuse, but the fear of death—and the finality of Yuuna's power—was too strong. After a long, tense silence, he sighed heavily. "Fine. I'll… follow your command."
Xyenn's grin widened. "Great! I knew you'd see reason."
With a grimace, Nacht reached into his own chest, his hand disappearing into the swirling shadows that made up his body. When he pulled it out, he held a **black and purple stone**, its surface shimmering faintly as shadows curled around it like smoke.
"This," Nacht said, his voice low and bitter, "is the Shard of the Brotherhood. It can summon me or any of my assassins." He held it out, his hand trembling slightly. "When assassins join my brotherhood, they consume a piece of the shard. It binds us together, no matter where we are. It ensures we are always united."
Xyenn took the shard, holding it up to inspect it. "So… do I have to eat a piece?"
Nacht scowled. "No, brat. You hold it and recite the Veil: "Through shadow, we unite. Through the veil, we fight."
Xyenn nodded, gripping the shard tightly. "Alright. Let's try it."
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before reciting the Veil. "Through shadow, we unite. Through the veil, we fight."
For a moment, nothing happened. The clearing was silent, and Xyenn opened one eye, pouting slightly. "Uh… is it broken or someth—"
A deafening KATHOOM shook the ground, cutting him off. Dozens upon dozens of assassins descended from the trees, the rocks, and the shadows themselves, landing in perfect, synchronized movements. Their glowing red eyes flickered in the dim light as they stood at attention, their weapons gleaming.
The sheer number was overwhelming—over a hundred assassins, each one radiating deadly precision and discipline.
Klem let out a whistle, clearly impressed. "Well, damn. That's one hell of a squad."
Faera smiled faintly. "It's… quite the sight."
Even Gorran couldn't hide the faint flicker of surprise in his usually stoic expression. He kept his hand on the hilt of his blade, gritting his teeth. Being around his ancient rivals made him uneasy, nonetheless.
Xyenn, on the other hand, was practically glowing with excitement. His personality sparkled as he turned back to Nacht. "This is amazing! I'm definitely calling you guys when I need you."
Nacht scowled but said nothing, his pride still stinging.
Xyenn gripped the shard tightly, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Alright, assassins. Welcome to the Tyrants."
The wind carried a faint chill through the remnants of the once-grand Delleren estate and forest. Its halls, now broken and crumbling, echoed with the silence of impending death. The air was heavy, thick with the promise of bloodshed.
Xyenn still in the forest, stood at the center, as the Shard of the Brotherhood rested in his hand, pulsing with a dim, otherworldly energy. Around him, over a hundred assassins stood watch, their glowing red eyes cutting through the gloom, waiting for his command.
From his kneeling position, Nacht looked up weakly at Xyenn, his battered form trembling as he clung to the last shreds of his strength. "They respect you now," Nacht rasped, his voice low and bitter. "You defeated me. You hold the shard. They are yours to command. Give them their first orders, mortal."
Xyenn's gaze swept over the assassins, and then, slowly, he turned his head toward Gorran. His lips curled into a mischievous grin, the kind that immediately put Gorran on edge. "Xyenn," Gorran said flatly, his dark, brooding tone carrying a warning. "Don't do anything crazy."
Then Xyenn remembered why everyone was there in the first place. He let his excitement of assassins and his battle with Nacht distract him from the fact of why they're there in the first.
The Delleren family. The wicked family of nobles who use magic to breed babies faster during orgies, and those who aren't up to par are thrown out, and one baby in particular had came out the womb ill, their own souls becoming devoured by a demon as the family tried to perform a dark ritual to fix the baby.
Xyenn's grin faded, replaced by a cold, serious expression. Xyenn raised the shard, his voice steady and commanding. "Find the rest of the Delleren family," he ordered. "Every last one of them. Kill them. Make them pay for what they did to that baby… and the others."
The assassins didn't respond. They didn't so much as nod. As one, they dissolved into the shadows, their forms melting into the night like smoke.
From the sidelines, Vektor smirked faintly, muttering under his breath, "This kid…"
Even Nacht, though visibly bitter, managed a faint nod of approval. "A mortal human," he said quietly, "but you have a good head on your shoulders."
What followed was nothing short of a nightmare. The Delleren family was hunted down, their wealth and influence meaningless against the silent, merciless assassins. The estate became a slaughterhouse, its halls and surrounding forest painted red with blood.
In the dense woods surrounding the estate, a young Delleren man sprinted for his life. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his legs burning with exertion as he pushed himself to keep running. Branches tore at his clothes and skin, leaving thin lines of blood in their wake. He dared to glance over his shoulder, his eyes wide with terror, but he saw nothing—only the vast, empty forest.
When he turned forward again, his heart dropped. An assassin stood in his path, its glowing red eyes the only feature visible beneath its hood. He tried to stop, but his momentum carried him forward, and he tripped, sprawling to the ground.
"Please!" he cried, scrambling backward on his hands and knees. "I'll give you anything! Gold! Land! Whatever you want! Just let me go!"
The assassin didn't move. It raised a hand, and from the shadows around it, jagged snakes of black energy erupted from the ground, coiling around the young man's limbs like snakes. He screamed as the tendrils tightened, snapping his bones with sickening cracks. Blood poured from his mouth as the assassin stepped forward, unsheathing a blade that glimmered with a faint, shadowy aura.
With one quick motion, the assassin drove the blade deep into the man's stomach, twisting it savagely before yanking it upward, splitting his torso open in a gruesome display of gore. The man's screams turned to wet gurgles as he collapsed, his intestines spilling onto the forest floor. The assassin stepped over the corpse and vanished into the shadows once more.
Inside one of the estate's upper towers, a middle-aged woman cowered in a corner, her hands trembling as she held a decorative dagger. She had barricaded the door with furniture, piling it high in a desperate attempt to protect herself. Sweat dripped down her face as she muttered incoherent prayers, her voice shaking.
The shadows in the room began to shift, pooling unnaturally in the corners like ink spreading across water. The woman's breath hitched as she noticed the movement. "No," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "No, no, no…"
An assassin emerged from the darkness, its body sliding out of the wall like liquid. It moved silently, its glowing red eyes fixed on her. The woman screamed, hurling the dagger with all her strength, but the assassin caught it mid-air, snapping the blade in half with a flick of its wrist.
"Please!" she sobbed, crawling backward as the assassin approached. "I can pay you! I'll do anything! Just don't—"
Her words were cut off as the assassin lunged forward, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her head against the wall. The force of the impact cracked her skull, blood oozing from the wound as she slumped to the floor. The assassin didn't stop. It unsheathed a thin, serrated blade and began carving into her chest with slow, deliberate motions. Her screams echoed through the tower, growing weaker with every passing second.
In the main hall of the estate, a Delleren patriarch stood with several of his relatives, all of them wielding ice magic. Frost spread across the floor and walls, the air growing colder with each passing moment. The patriarch, an older man with a commanding presence, barked orders to the others. "Hold the line! We're not going down without a fight!"
The others exclaimed:
"Yes!"
"Damn assassins…"
The patriarch yelled, "This won't be over. We made more money than our entire ancestors combined! We won't let it all end here! Without us, our operation won't continue, but we won't fall today!"
The shadows flickered, and the assassins emerged. They moved with inhuman speed, darting between the pillars and broken furniture like wraiths. One of the younger family members, a young adult, raised his hands to unleash a blast of icy shards, but an assassin appeared behind him, driving a blade through his throat. Blood sprayed across the floor as the boy collapsed, choking on his own blood.
"Here they come!"
"Watch out! Don't trust you one shadow!"
SHIIIING!
One by one, blades carved, ripped, and blood splattered on the walls and blood hit the floor and ice magic skewered around them. The assassins were untouchable..
Another family member, a woman in her thirties, screamed as an assassin severed her arm with a single strike. She tried to retaliate, forming a jagged spear of ice, but the assassin grabbed her by the face, slamming her head into the ground with enough force to crack her skull open.
The patriarch roared in fury, unleashing a wave of frost that froze one of the assassins in place. "Fight, damn you!" he shouted, his voice trembling with desperation. Before he could attack again, another assassin dropped from the ceiling, driving its blade into his shoulder. The patriarch screamed, swinging wildly with a conjured ice hammer, but the assassin dodged effortlessly.
The other assassins closed in, and the family was overwhelmed. Blood splattered across the icy floor as blades sliced through flesh, severing limbs and spilling entrails. The patriarch was the last to fall, his body pinned against the wall by shadowy blades. An assassin approached him slowly, raising a curved dagger. The man's final scream was cut short as the blade plunged into his chest, carving through muscle and bone.
Elsewhere on the estate, a Delleren woman tried to seduce her attacker, stripping off her clothes in a desperate ploy for survival. "You don't have to kill me," she whispered, stepping closer with trembling hands. "I can give you something better…"
The assassin didn't hesitate. It grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off the ground as she kicked and clawed uselessly. With a brutal twist, it snapped her neck, tossing her lifeless body aside like a discarded doll.
The massacre continued. Some family members tried to run, only to be skewered by shadowy spikes that erupted from the ground. Others tried to fight, their magic and weapons useless against the silent, relentless assassins.
One by one, the main Delleren family nobles was wiped out. The estate became a scene of unspeakable carnage, its walls painted with blood and littered with the mangled remains of its former inhabitants.
When it was over, the assassins regrouped, standing silently in the trees, on the broken walls, and amidst the rubble. Their bodies were drenched in blood, their glowing red eyes fixed on Xyenn.
Xyenn and the rest of the group watched them from a distance.
'They'll be useful. Definitely. I hope I made the right decision.'