Chapter14

�Minax got them, Slap�� Derean piped up. �Vlad followed them through their gate hidden and watched em get snatched up by her General and the Defilers. We gotta get them outta there��

�How does Vlad propose we get them out of there?� Snoopy spoke for the first time.

Vlad smirked at the question. �Thought you�d never ask� follow me�� Vlad took off towards the tree line where the four of them remounted. "This way..." Vlad made a beeline through the trees.

"Um..." Slap looked at Snoopy as they followed. "Is he headed where I think he's headed?"

"Looks like it, bub... straight for the Terathan Keep. What the hell does he have in mind?" Snoopy was just as confused as Slap.

"Try and keep up, would you guys?! Sheesh!" Vlad called back over his shoulder. A few moments later, through a break in the thick jungle vegetation, the four men could see the keep towering in the distance. Vlad reigned his horse in and the thieves stood there staring silently.

Snoopy broke the silence first. "Oh, man... I know you do not want us to go in there..." Snoopy shook his head. "Nuh-uh... no way in hell, bro!"

"We're not going in, man. Don't get your sash in a bind. Gather 'round boys... here's the plan..."

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"When and where?" Those were the only words the assassin had spoken since the king had ushered him off to a private area in the throne room.

"Tomorrow. And I'll give you the details a bit later on as to where. That is still uncertain." British looked around nervously.

"When do I get paid?"

"Half now... the other half upon completion of the deed. Agreed?"

"Yeah. How do you want it done?"

"Mmm, I have a... special weapon in mind. Wait one moment..." British walked over to his throne and pulled out from behind it a small crossbow and a pouch, then returned to the man. "Here... I want you to use this." He handed over the crossbow. "I trust you know how to use one of these?"

"Yeah... I can practice a bit. It's been a while."

"Well you've got one shot, got it? And it better be a damned good one, boy!" British realized he was shouting and lowered his voice again. "I had the best fletcher in the lands create a special bolt... here..." British passed the steel tipped bolt to the man. "This thing, coupled with that bow, will pierce a heart at a hundred yards through a solid platemail tunic. And leave the target dead... permanently."

The assassin was ruffled for the first time in ages. "Permanently? This isn't..."

"Yes... it is, m'boy. It's a bow of vanquishing. It's also your first half of payment. You'll receive the other upon his death. Now, if you'll excuse me..." British turned to leave. "Oh, yes... I almost forgot. Take this..." British reached into the pouch and produced a communications crystal. "This has a direct link from me to you and vice versa. I'll use this to communicate to you when and where to be tomorrow. Don't lose it." British looked about the throne room once more and marched off.

The assassin placed the crystal from the king in his pack carefully. Looking down, he began to study the crossbow. It was an amazing piece... and would go great with his other weapons collection. He turned it over and over in his hands. A weapon of vanquishing was hard to come by. Most all the old vanqs had been destroyed or worn down with excessive use. Any regular weapon would get the job done, but a weapon of vanquishing was meant to get the job done forever.

The man couldn't begin to count the number of times he had seen men vanquished in his lifetime. Fortunately he had never met such a fate. But then again, he had himself been struck down by weapons of Power and Force... known the anguish of floating about as a ghost, moaning and "OoOOooO"ing about the countryside, looking for someone to resurrect him. He had known the searing pain of having one's soul wrenched from the cool calm of death and burned back into the land of the living. But to be vanquished... forever... your soul struck dead by a cold blooded murderer. That was beyond his comprehension. And it would be delicious to deliver. The man grinned to himself and Recalled home.

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