The Island Of Assassins! It Was Fun But...

Frides walked to the back of the bank where the Delivery Cages were. Inside the cages he could see a skinny teenager with glasses and overalls on. "Excuse me."

The boy looked down at Frides. "Just wait there. The boss should be back in a second."

"Hello? Is someone there."

"Yes, I just wanted to check for my letters. The box should be 89246. Something for FLF." Frides could hear the man fall behind the door. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah just fine. We've been getting a ton of letters because of the Graduation this afternoon. It's a real mess back here. It always get this way during holiday also. Here it is. There is something in here for FLF."

A plump and pudgy round man stepped out with an indented puffy hat and similar overalls to the teenage boy. He wore a striped grey button up shirt with short sleeves, where the teenage boy was shirtless and covered in dirt. This man took his job seriously and had for a very long time. He handed Frides the letter. "I remember receiving that one a couple days ago. It came in on an urgent bird. I think it was a purple winged, yellow bellied one from the chain of Assassin Islands." Frides looked up at him as he opened the letter. "Don't get too many of those."

Frides examined the letter with wide eyes.

-We received your update. There were two names on your contract one was for Criselda of the House Sumar, and Nero Ahmose. Now only the name of Nero Ahmose holds sole ownership of the contract. You commented on the open ended nature of your contract. If you terminate Nero Ahmose you will be failing your mission, but your contract would be rescinded if the initial signer or the appointed target should die. That is all, at this time.

"In that case, get me a quill and a bit of paper. Do you have a bird I can rent?"

"Dougin, do we have any freelance birds in the cages?" The bird tamer asked his apprentice.

"We have two but their both expensive." The boy called down without even checking.

"Is that alright with you?" The tamer asked.

"That is fine with me. I need you to send this letter to Shinoa Port."

Elle walked into a candle, incense, and aromatic oil shop. The waves of strong fumes burned her nose making her sneeze. "A new customer eh? Come on in."

Elle walked around to the front desk. "Eleanor is that you?"

"It is, how are you doing Ritan?" She smiled giving her a small wave.

"I'm doing well. I heard all about your story. Looks like you guys avoided a branding." Ritan glanced down at Elles' wrists.

"You've seen Imani?" Her voice more ecstatic than she intended.

"Eh that's true. She thought you might come here someday. So I heard."

Her face withdrew to its usual chagrined position. "You didn't see her. Is she alright? Is she still here?" The last question was more pointed than the rest.

Ritan put up a hand. "Eh, she came to New Oania. She left right after that so I heard."

"She's gone already?"

"Heh I heard she left right away, something to tell you if you came went around the homefree…" Ritan went silent and waved her head around.

"Tell me what?" Elle said snapping Ritan back.

"Ehhh sorry I thought I smelled vanilla. Did you?"

"Who cares! What did she say to tell me?"

"I don't remember lighting any vanilla. Eh oh right yeah. Well you know I didn't get the word first hand. The community has a skeptical view of me and my information but I can assure you that my information is verified." Ritan tilted her head down and leaned at Elle above the rim of her glasses. "She said to tell you that there is a message or something in your hide out but wouldn't say anymore than that. Is that where you kept your stash?"

Elle's eyes gleamed only for a second. "You wish I'd tell you."

"Am I the only Homefree that you asked?"

"No they were all clueless. But they must have been all looking for our hide out still. You were the only person to give me the message." Elle reaches into her bag and handed over some Cardis.

"Ehhh Caridian coins. Thank you."

"Well, you were the only Homefree that respected the code."

"Well I'll always give information freely." She scooped up the coins and winked at Elle.

Elle left the store and walked through the ally next to the shop. She hopped in between the walls of the buildings to the roof. She searched the different rooftops. She stopped on one with a blue canopy waving over it. She zigzagged from building to building, to the one with the canopy. Elle looked around at the debris and old bottles and trash. "Looks like its not so secret anymore." Elle stepped under the canopy thinking that Imani had to put it somewhere where the rains wouldn't do too much damage. She looked up remembering what Imani once said to her. "You're always hurt when people don't notice you, you try hard in your own way and it goes unnoticed. You're always so high up like a bird in the sky. Very few people look up do they?" There was a letter tucked into one of the folds of the canopy.

-Hey Elle, I guess you didn't get the picture. I'm letting you go. Not in the come back sense but more like lets agree to go the other way. It was fun but… See ya ❤️ -Imani

To Be Continued...

Thanks for reading!