Not Playing With A Full Deck
Draw For Turn 2.6
"Shit. Can you tell who it is?" Onyx was silent for a few long moments. [I… technically have the capabilities to do so, but they are sealed off. Lord Zelretch said that it would allow him to gather better data.]
I felt my eyebrow twitch. '
Tamamo?Make note of this: we are going to find a way to get to Zelretch, and when we do, we are going to inflict copious amounts of Repentance Through Crotch Violence unto him.'
Tamamo gleefully agreed, and I nodded to myself.
"Well, where are we, Onyx?" I asked.
[It seems to be a sub-dimensional space between worlds, connected to the Throne in a very distant manner. I suggest we press on. I won't be able to get us out of here until who or whatever brought us here releases us.]
I nodded, and the three of us began walking on the cobblestone path. As we made our way, we passed several figures, some of them Assassin Class Servants, some individuals from other realities that would qualify for the Class.
-A child in a bloodstained nightgown, holding a knife and a lantern.
-A man with long violet hair, swinging a nodachi in a practiced motion.
-A man with white hair and a longcoat adorned with horses, standing next to a towering guillotine.
-A woman in a kimono, a severe expression on her face as she fingered her tanto.
-A smirking man in a tuxedo, all slyness and charm, counting a large amount of money as his two compatriots looked on; one bore a katana, and the other twirled a pistol.
-A youth with shaggy dark hair, a white domino mask perched on his nose and a long black trench coat billowed behind him. His shadow stretched long behind him, and from it extended six phantom wings, ones that morphed from those like that of a Fallen to those of a Devil.
I recognized them all, and I shook my head. Truly, this was the home of the Assassins. As I continued on, more figures lined the path, but these were different. These all had the same basic appearance: black cloaks and white skull masks. Clearly, I was now in the presence of the 'True Assassins', the members of the Hashashin.
As I passed them, their eyes turned towards the path ahead, and they prostrated themselves. I was reminded of the times a friend of mine who'd been Muslim had bowed toward Mecca, such was the depth of their reverence. I shivered with unease as an unfortunate idea began to grow in the back of my mind.
'
God, I hope I'm wrong.'
Unfortunately, it seemed that my prayers would go unanswered. As we reached the end of the path, we came upon a raised dais, with steps ascending like a ziggurat. At the top, I could see a throne of stone, with a terrifying sight seated in it.
He was tall, easily above 6 feet. His armor was covered in metal skulls, azure flames burning in their eyes. This same flame wreathed his armor. One hand supported his skull-masked face, while the other rested on the hilt of an absolutely massive sword. His mask tilted toward me as we approached.
The first of the Hashashin, the Assassin of Assassins known as King Hassan, addressed me in a deep, booming voice. "
Mortal. Why have you come to the Sea of Souls?"
I knelt before the nearest thing to an incarnation of Death that existed among Heroic Spirits, and spoke. "Truly, it was not by our own hands that we were brought here. We were utilizing a teleportation spell to return home, and somehow we arrived here."
Hassan hummed thoughtfully. "
How interesting… No matter. Your presence here presents me with a problem… and an opportunity. On one hand, one not of the Sea may not be permitted to enter. On the other, I can sense a the presence of two other denizens within you, a Caster and a Rider.
"It has been too long since I have left this place, too long since I have honed my edges." Hassan rose from his stone throne.
"Demonstrate your abilities to me. If you can survive this, I shall take up residence in your soul, lend you my sovereignty over Death."
Hassan pulled his claymore from the ground, and lazily swept it through the air in my direction. I reflexively Included the Caster card, and pushed a full three fourths of my Prana into Mantra: Aphotic Cave. The rest, I poured into Reinforcing my body, and not a moment too soon. The next instant, an arc of blue consumed my vision, and Tamamo's mirror bent under the strain of receiving a strike from that blade. I grunted with effort, and my bad leg buckled under the pressure. The sheer force of that single, lazy, unserious strike was forcing me back.
I growled. I was well aware that I was no match for the Grand Assassin, but I'd be damned if I was going to fall so easily to such a disdainful attack! I pushed further, drew in more Mana and pushed out more Prana. Tamamo's mirror gleamed brightly, and an incantation sprang to my lips unbidden.
"Yata-no-Kagmi."
The crumbling barrier created by Aphotic Cave mended itself and flashed a brilliant red gold, the color of the Sun itself. I roared, an inhuman, vulpine sound. The blue slash produced by the blade known as Azrael clashed with a fragment of a sun goddess' power. Miraculously, each force canceled out the other, and Hassan nodded in approval, even as I fell to a knee, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Splendid. You do your Spirits credit; I shall surely find splendid heads to take should I go with you. Very well! I, Hassan-I Sabbah the First, offer my blade to you, so long as you keep to the path you know to be right."
I bowed my head to him, and said thickly, "I accept your vow. I, Johan Blair, apprentice Magus and medium of Spirits, do swear to abide by your terms."
Freed cleared his throat. "This is all frightening, and awesome, but have either of you any idea how to leave?"
There was naught but silence in response to the exorcists question.
AN: Well, here's the big reveal! Grand Assassin, in all his glory. Truth be told, until this morning, the Assassin was going to be Charles-Henri Sanson. However, after looking again at the amazingness that is Hassan the first, I could only make one choice: long live Grand Assassin! As always, I thank Mecraphone for being wonderful, and you all for reading. To think, I already have more than 200 followers on fanfiction net! Awesome…
This is currently unbetaed, and I will update with the betaed version as soon as I can.
