The Traitor

Outskirts of Tsi Leun, Cheena Continent, Earth

***

The breeze carried dust and wafted in between them and the Assasin. The neighborhood was surprisingly empty but seemed to hide behind their homes as petrified to become witnesses of an ensuing murder. Even though Dreygo still felt the pain looming from his newly healed wounds, he should overcome this fearsome adversary.

'How could he know our current location?' Dreygo thought.

He could not grasp the thought of how the Assassin could have followed them. He assumed technology had contributed a great part to his hunt.

"Over my dead body!" Dreygo responded strongly as if trying to intimidate.

"Certainly." The assassin said while he took two knives from his vest. The technique he holds the knives was to throw them at his targets. Dreygo knew this. Knives were their secondary weapons during medieval times.

Unfortunately, the Ferrum Minus was not with him. It was in the car.

'I had to sacrifice my body to cover Elaine from possible attacks.' Dreygo assessed

He anticipated the assassin would throw knives in his initial attack. Their parked car was about ten meters away and they could use it as cover. Sprinting towards the car would be a saner option but his speed would leave Elaine behind, unprotected.

The assassin taunted as he play with his knives in his hands and started to saunter closer to his prey. He started to raise one of his knives preparing for a throw. Suddenly, a deafening sound came from behind Dreygo's ear, startling the harbinger.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

It was Elaine using the Colt 45 handgun. She was not able to hit the Assassin as the latter rolled for cover behind the nearest parked car. The two had ample time to sprint toward the nearest car as they anticipated retaliation with knives.

Suddenly, the car's side window started to clatter as knives found their way through. Elaine screamed, covering her ears as the overwhelming speed of flying knives hovered above them like bullets.

'There was no way escaping this assassin. Elaine could not shoot our way out of this.' Dreygo thought.

Dreygo carelessly took out a hand grenade from his bag and pulled the pin, as was demonstrated by the store owner recently. Elaine's eyes widen as the pin separated from the grenade's body. She curled, her hands wrapping her ears, bent her head, and screamed.

"Throw it now!"

Immediately, Dreygo threw the grenade over and luckily landed below the car's under chassis where the assassin hunkered. For a split second, the grenade exploded. Its blast elevated the vehicle and fire emerged as it landed. As it settled, Dreygo and Elaine scurried to their car with their head down. Elaine was in the driver's seat and stomped on the accelerator hard. The tires screeched as they sped away.

Smoke invaded the area as it effectively concealed their escape. Elaine was shaking with intense breathing. Sweat appeared on her forehead and trickled down to her pale face. She recklessly drove the car swerving dangerously into corners.

"Slow down, Elaine. Nobody is after us now." The harbinger confirmed as he surveyed the rear window of their car.

Eventually, Elaine forcibly calmed her senses and after a while, her driving smoothens. They took the high road, exiting the boundaries of Ningqo. The rural scenery replaced urbanized establishments with a series of tree lines that started a few meters beyond the road's girth.

Cold wind entered their car through the broken window as they drove steadily. She was silent for a long duration of the drive. Her muscles tensed, made obvious by her grip on the steering wheel.

"Do not worry, Elaine. No harm will come to us. We will keep our distance away from the fortress for our recon." Dreygo assured.

Elaine did not answer but gave a glance at him. They stopped as planned, three kilometers away from the fortress' location. The fortress was surrounded by trees and steep hills, providing them with easier vantage points.

"You should stay here in the car. Wait for me here." Dreyo said to Elaine as both disembarked the vehicle.

"No. I should come with you." She insisted, could be she felt safer at Dreygo's side or she was concerned about Dreygo's safety. She walked ahead entering the thick tree line and leaving Dreygo behind the car.

"Are you sure? You do not look fine." Dreygo's voice was concerned.

"You need me, Dreygo. And walking in the forest somewhat gives me peace." She responded sheepishly.

'There is no stopping her.' Dreygo thought and followed her.

The land was steep and heaved with trees that allowed them obscured from their enemies. Elaine's strides were challenged by the rocky mountain ground. Dreygo followed her close and watched her every step.

'She is so fragile but capable.' His amusement toward her grew stronger.

A tinge of lovely scent was carried by her hair as he closely followed her path. She slid her boot from an unsturdy outcropping and lost her balance. She started falling but Dreygo caught her halfway as he was quick with his feet. He had inhuman speed.

His arm wrapped around her abdomen and her head fell to his shoulder. Her back pressed against his chest. Dreygo felt a tingling feeling as her thin hands landed on his thigh.

'That scent again.' The sweet scent increased its aroma as her hair caressed his face.

"I got you," Dreygo whispered. A pressure loomed on his cheeks.

Elaine lifted herself and thanked him faintly. The harbinger could feel an awkward shyness in her right after what happened. Her cheeks were flustered too.

'You are suddenly a gentleman now!' His innate voice mocked him.

After an hour's walk, they finally found a spot overlooking the walls of the fortress. It was almost a thousand meters away from the site and their location was distant enough from the enemy's prying eyes.

They both sat side by side enjoying the mountain beauty transpiring before their eyes. A variety of birds with different chirping sounds frequented the place and the breeze was cold even on a sunny day. Elaine soothed her cold exposed arms with her palms, rubbing them together. Dreygo witnessed her trying to warm her body, her faint skin hair was visibly standing out almost as weirdly.

Dreygo could feel the piercing eyes of the prophetess as he took his shirt. He gave the shirt to Elaine which she received hesitantly.

Elaine tried to escape the awkwardness and started to bury her eyes in the binocular lenses. She surveyed the area with it. Observing her, Dreygo was astonished for such a small instrument could gaze upon long distances.

"What's wrong?" Dreygo asked as he noticed Elaine's worry.

"The fence is high. Heavily armed roving guards, and… ninjas!?" Elaine mused.

"Let me see," Dreygo took the binoculars.

He used the binocular as how Elaine did. He complained about the blurred images that showed through the lenses. Elaine tugged her soft hand through and under Dreygo's nose and adjusted the binoculars' position, holding gently his hands. The sweet lotion scent invaded his nostrils. He gulped saliva as he felt his mouth watery.

"There," Elaine said as she pulled her hand back.

The images now were clearer.

'Wow.' Dreygo thought for the first time using the said device.

"It looks like I am just a few meters away from the fence." He smirked.

He continued to survey the area and found the intimidating fortress. It was heavily guarded and seemed to have no way into entering the perimeter undetected.

His sixth sense activated again and identified the strong demonic presence inside the courtyard house. There were a few low-level demons that surrounded the place but most of the guards were human ninjas.

"What do you call those men with swords, and their faces covered with black masks?" Dreygo asked as he continued with his survey.

"Those are ninjas. Highly trained professionals that were developed for one clear purpose – to kill." Elaine explained. She tried to discourage Dreygo to act irresponsibly when facing these new and cunning adversaries.

"Well, I am built to kill when I was in hell." He bragged. Elaine shrugged at the statement.

"They are different, Dreygo. They could hurt you in so many ways that you can't anticipate. They move in shadows and stealth."

"Was the Assassin a ninja too?" Dreygo asked.

"Mmm. I don't think so. He does not move like them but surely he is a professional killer."

"Wait! The doors opened."

A black expensive-looking car went inside the compound. It parked in front of the courtyard house after it circled from the rotunda at the front yard's center. The guards bowed to greet him. A man, wearing a black business tie, disembarked from his vehicle. His back facing towards their vantage point. His blonde hair and his suit were familiar even from afar.

"Wait, I know this guy!" Dreygo mused.

The guy ambled towards the grey-tiled pathway. All roving guards that he passed by bowed at him with respect. His face was concealed as only his left cheek was noticeable from Dreygo's point of view.

But in one instant, the mysterious visitor stopped and turned his head to his side as he admired the fish pond that held colorful fish Kois. Then his face was unveiled. The Harbinger identified the mysterious man

Dreygo angrily said, "Azakiel!"