1 A Wind Fairy

Asuren Nightgloom was on his way to slaughter an evil princess from a disgusting place called Northern Peaks.

He was the thirtieth assassin deployed to that seemingly dangerous place. Ten of the assassins sent before him managed to return but with terrible injuries. The rest never came back and could only be assumed dead.

According to the assassins that barely survived, the second princess of the Gailbreeze family was a formidable and scheming sorceress. They warned Asuren that her words were like a powerful enchantment. He should take great precautions to avoid being captivated or it will be too difficult for him to break out of it.

Asuren took those words seriously. He could not lose like the assassins sent before him. His mother had finally entrusted that important mission to him. Failure was not an option. He should return victorious and make her proud.

From Southern Peaks, Asuren could always glimpse the abundant sunlight showering Northern Peaks and assumed that it was only a tactical illusion. A place filled with evil royalties should never be blessed by that much radiance.

His cousins telling him that it was a beautiful place were hopeless dreamers. They always were. And Asuren could not blame them for that crazy belief.

Born in a place where any heavenly light could never penetrate the dark clouds covering their land, his cousins can only imagine what a paradise Northern Peaks might be. They were always forgetting the fact that evil royalties ruled that pretentious place and what they deemed to be light from the heavens can only be a product of their nasty spells.

The gods will never favor a revolting realm like Northern Peaks. Never.

Asuren entered a forest not far from the northern boundary of Southern Peaks. At the very heart of it was an ancient tree named Kayah. Its enormous body as well as its bountiful leaves were as white as snow and glittering like diamonds.

"Kayah…" Asuren whispered as he gently tapped the ancient tree. "Please take me to the Gailbreeze Mountain at the Northern Peaks."

The ancient tree instantly opened a passage through its enormous body.

Asuren smiled gratefully as he entered and traversed that pitch-black tunnel. It was always a smooth and straight path that never gave him any difficulty crossing.

It took him no more than an hour to reach the other end of the tunnel. When he walked out of it, he was blinded by too much brilliance.

Asuren had never been under that much ray of light. It was always dark in Southern Peaks. He had only known about the sun, moon, and stars from the storybooks his cousins were forcing him to read.

Sunlight was described as warm and dazzling and the light touching his skin at that moment was more intense than what he had read in those silly pages. He could not even look up and see what the sun looks like. There was too much radiance for his pitiful eyes.

He needed a few moments for his sight to adjust against the vibrant sunshine and, for a little while, he felt a relaxing warmth that neither blanket nor fire had ever provided to him.

Before he could fully enjoy that soothing sensation, the warnings of the assassins that nearly died in that horrible place had flooded his mind.

The evil Gailbreeze Princess must be quietly observing him right after he stepped out of Kayah. She must be trying to enchant him.

Asuren should not allow that to happen.

The passage led him to a deserted alley. He cautiously walked out of it and was astonished at the crowded street that welcomed him. He must have reached the capital of Gailbreeze Mountain. Children were happily running around and playing with each other. Vendors lined up at the side of the streets and were busy entertaining plenty of customers. Asuren had never seen such a lively place. Northern Peaks seemed to be the opposite of his gloomy hometown… or…

That evil Gailbreeze Princess was trying a more powerful enchantment on him. He should find her before she could cast another spell on him.

"Excuse me, Mister," a little girl who seemed anxious had approached him. "Are you lost?"

"No," Asuren could not help but smile as he remembered his cousins that were as nice as that little girl. "I am looking for someone."

"Let me guess!!!" the little girl suddenly seemed excited. "Are you looking for our Princess Thea? Many fairies do!"

"Do you know where she is?" Asuren cautiously asked. He hated doubting the little girl but if the evil princess was quietly observing him, then the child could be one of her tricks. He should be extremely careful with everything and everyone around him.

"Princess Thea is at the foot of this mountain!" the child eagerly answered and wave a hand at him. "Be careful when meeting our princess!"

Asuren smiled and wondered if the evil princess was that powerful. She could be surrounded by plenty of powerful guards. Though Asuren did not hear anything about a powerful guard protecting the evil princess, he still prepared himself to be intercepted by some while traveling down the mountain.

Guards were roaming around but none of them had given him a suspicious glare. They were even helpful in his search for the evil princess and, like the little girl, they advised him to be careful.

His curiosity was growing.

Is the second princess of the Gailbreeze Family really that powerful?

It took Asuren three hours to reach the foot of the mountain. And he understood only then why everyone was careless in revealing the position of their princess.

Guards formed a circle at the border of Gailbreeze Mountain. In the middle of that armed crowd was a fairy whose face was nearly as radiant as the blinding sun. She was passionately performing a protection dance. Flowing elegantly with her graceful movements was her waist-length and meticulously braided jet-black hair. It had a few strands that sparkled like emerald when hit by the glaring sunlight. Her slender body was covered by a green, sleeveless, and knee-length overcoat. Underneath was a translucent blouse with a lighter shade than her topcoat and a skirt that ran a few inches past her knees. Covering her feet were knee-high boots that had a darker shade than her overcoat. Her butterfly wings were translucent green and had an intricate pattern. Whenever it moves, it releases thousands of glowing powdery substances. It was as stunning as her emerald green eyes.

And her smile… It was the most beautiful smile Asuren had ever seen in his entire lifetime.

Princess Thea, the second princess of the Gailbreeze family was gracious and skilled enough to perform such a delicate protection dance to strengthen their borders.

The assassins that survived was not exaggerating. The fairy he had to eliminate was dangerously powerful and captivating. She was completely different from what Asuren had imagined.

Born in a place where outlaws had scattered, Asuren never doubted even once the wickedness of the fairies he had to slaughter. But Thea Gailbreeze appeared nowhere near wicked.

He had seen his mother and aunts perform that dance since he was a child. It was a long and tiring ritual. The princess could never cast a spell on him while performing it.

Is there another fairy that is trying to enchant me? Is it her parents? Or her siblings?

The dance had ended. The second princess excused herself from the guards that gathered around her and approached Asuren.

Instead of being cautious in front of a stranger, Princess Thea flashed a radiant smile as she said, "You look troubled. What can I help you with?"

The sincerity in her eyes was like the look Asuren was seeing from his thoughtful Aunt Kamia. None of his targets had ever looked at him like that and asked such a silly question. It left him dumbfounded. But only for a few moments.

Asuren found composure with the fact that his mother never lied to him about his targets. They were all evil and should be eliminated.

All the nice things he was seeing must be the effect of a powerful enchantment. He should break out of it.

Asuren raised his right hand. On his palm, a gust of wind had formed and transformed into a sharp blade that was covered with a faint green light. He attacked and was astonished at the fighting skills Thea possessed. Though he had seen part of her powers while she was strengthening the borders of Gailbreeze Mountain, he was not expecting the fairy princess to keep up with him. He was stronger than the previous assassins sent to kill the second princess but she could still keep up with him.

Thea Gailbreeze was proving herself to be an excellent fighter, but aside from her incredible speed and tough wind spirit partner, she had an additional treacherous weapon.

Her bewitching smile.

She must have cast another spell and Asuren was completely clueless on how the second princess had done it without being noticed. She must have had an accomplice. But no one from the guards was moving or paying attention to them. They were all occupied in watching the border. Either that or they were so confident with the strength of their second princess.

In the first few minutes of their battle, Thea Gailbreeze only had a grave look in her eyes. She was seriously fighting for her life. Then, out of nowhere, a bright smile curved on her lips, and instead of worrying for her life, she began enjoying their fight.

That was the first time Asuren battled someone who smiled happily at him. He thought it was only a strategy from a scheming fairy but when Asuren pretended defeat, Thea Gailbreeze did not take advantage of the situation. She even knew that he was faking it.

"Come at me whenever you want to," her confusing smile had never left her face. "Fighting you is a great opportunity to hone my skills."

Asuren was told that the Gailbreeze family were evil fairies faking kindness. He had seen a lot of pretentious and wicked smile. The one that Thea Gailbreeze flashed at him was too radiant to be fake.

But it could still be an effect of a powerful spell and he was seeing what the princess wanted him to see.

After their first baffling encounter, Asuren quietly followed and carefully observed the enigmatic second princess. If she were using a powerful enchantment on him or faking a smile, she could not hold it for a long time. It would be too exhausting for her. She had to rest. But her radiant smile was rarely leaving her face. Fairies at the capital were happy to see her and some were comfortably confiding to her. Even after performing that ritual and fighting Asuren, she was tirelessly listening to every word spoken to her and would only give advice and assistance when needed. Her sympathetic smile and incredible patience were enough consolations for fairies seeking a bit of relief. Even Asuren found himself being comforted just by seeing her captivating smile…

… and it was awfully bad for his mission.

In his next attempts to take away her life, Thea never looked annoyed. She was welcoming him like a sparring partner instead of an assassin and he… he was starting to like it…

… which was terrible for his mission.

With a heavy sigh, Asuren looked away from the fairy princess he was observing and wearily slouched on the branch of a tree where he was quietly hiding. He took a few deeps breaths before unclenching his fist. He stared at his empty palm with renewed determination. A few moments later, a gust of wind had formed on his upturned hand which gradually transformed into a lethal wind blade.

He had seen Thea perform the protection dance for the tenth time. And it would be the same number of times he had threatened her life.

He never needed that much time and attempts in killing a fairy, be it a male or a female. He should stop being captivated and finish his mission as soon as possible. The longer it takes, the more disappointed his mother will become. He could not fail like the previous assassins before him. He should not let his mother down.

"Ugong," that was the name he had given his wind spirit partner that transformed into a lethal wind blade. "Let's finish this task and go home."

^####################################^

After performing the last ritual dance for that month, Thea headed towards her favorite place at the Mortal Domain.

Rainforest Inn was the nearest manmade structure to the vast mountain range where Thea was residing. She and her three fairy best friends were always gathering at that cozy tavern after performing the last ritual dance of the month. It was an extremely ordinary place where they can simply enjoy and relax.

On her way to the inn, she noticed a familiar presence cautiously trailing her.

The smile on her lips widened as she began counting in her mind.

One.

Two.

Three.

From her rear, Thea felt a rapid increase of energy as the stalker rushed towards her direction.

She instantly released a thin yet sturdy layer of wind and covered her body with it before turning around to face her stalker.

It was the same striking male fairy. His long black hair was neatly ponytailed. His tall and lean body was covered by a sleeveless crimson overcoat, black pants, and black boots. On his right hand, he was holding a dagger with an intensely glowing blade. He was obviously after her life but beyond that ominous look in his sky-blue eyes, Thea could always sense a bit of hesitation.

The fairy assassin aimed the wind blade at her chest. Thea dodged it in time and grabbed the weapon hand of her opponent. Gripping it as tightly as she could, Thea leaned her head closer to his face and kissed him on the lips.

The eyes of the fairy assassin widened with shock. It took him a few heartbeats to understand what had happened. And when he did, he finally gathered the strength to overcome his paralysis and shove Thea away.

"I told you, I will kiss you the next time you attack me," Thea was beaming happily at the extremely confused fairy.

"Are you doing this to all the assassins who want to kill you?"

"Is that anger or jealousy?" Thea curiously raised an eyebrow and took a step closer to the male fairy.

He cautiously moved away from her and seethed, "You…"

"You don't want to kill me," Thea had confidently spoken, silencing the fairy in front of her. "If you are serious about it, I will be dead by now or gravely wounded. I've been assisting my family in strengthening our borders for years. I've seen and battled countless assassins. I can sense that you are stronger than they were, but your eyes and the way you move are somehow different from them. You don't want to do this. So, you better stop doing this," she smiled at the bewildered fairy before telling him, "I like you. And admit it or not, you feel the same for me," she reached out her hand to him and suggested, "Why don't we become friends instead of enemies?"

"You're crazy," the fairy mumbled despite his confusion then surrounded himself with a strong gust of wind.

When it vanished, the assassin disappeared with it.

Thea only smiled and continue marching towards her favorite inn.

"I agree with him," a gentle and comforting wind had blown around Thea and formed a tiny gust of wind above her right shoulder. It only had a pair of big emerald green eyes and a wide mouth that went on saying, "You are crazy."

"You also agree with me, Monsoon. He is not an evil fairy," Thea grinned at the wind spirit that had come into existence and been bonded to her since the day she was born.

In dangerous times, Monsoon could transform into a reliable shield or weapon. On ordinary days, he could turn into an annoying confidant.

"I agree. He is not YET an evil fairy. But is that enough for you to kiss him on the lips?!" Monsoon was a little hysterical. "In your entire lifetime, this is the only instance I had seen you kiss a stranger! You don't even know his name! And he is an assassin from Southern Peaks! You are crazy, Thea!"

"I told you, Monsoon. I like him," Thea shrugged her shoulders and beamed happily at her wind spirit buddy.

"He might not want to kill you now but later he could gather enough motivation to take away your life. He is still an assassin," Monsoon seriously warned her. "We both felt his strength. His attacks are getting tougher."

"I'll think about it when the time comes," Thea looked up at the sky with a determined smile. "But right now, his eyes are telling me that he wants to be pulled out of the darkness covering him. He might not be aware of it but I am. He wants to be saved and I will save him, Monsoon."

"Crazy," the wind spirit scowled, "You only like him because he is a troubled individual."

"Maybe," Thea shrugged her shoulders then smiled a bit wider when she added, "Or maybe not."

^#######################################^

Asuren drifted in the air without direction. His mind was in chaos.

The evil princess kissed him.

I will kiss you the next time you attack me.

The gentle voice of the fairy princess echoed in his mind.

She did warn him about the kiss on their second to the last encounter. Asuren only thought that it was an empty threat.

Why will she kiss someone who wants to take away her life?

NO!!!

DID SHE CURSE ME WITH THAT KISS?!

His alarming train of thoughts was disrupted by a tiny blade that pierced the back of his right shoulder.

His vision instantly blurred, and his body weakened not because of the pain in his shoulder but because of the poison entering his body.

"Your mother is right, Asuren. This mission is taking a toll on you," a voluptuous woman descended in front of Asuren. She was wearing a black and velvet striped overcoat, black high-heeled sandals, and a belt filled with sheathed poisonous blades. She was smiling ominously as she informed Asuren, "Don't worry. I will give you the antidote after I kill Thea Gailbreeze and her entire family."

The evil princess must have truly cursed him with that kiss, for in his dying breath, Asuren felt the urge to beg the assassin before him, "Don't… kill her... please…"

^##############################################^