Going on a....Business Trip.

The letter arrived in the morning, when most were just beginning to wake up. Cedric awoke earlier than the others, king business and all that, so he was the one the letter got to first.

Which was good, because it was addressed to him, with no name as to who sent it.

Cedric smiled as he opened it, like a child opening up a long awaited present. Inside he found what he had expected, a note asking him to assassinate someone (with all those little details he needed to know) and a handsome payment to do so.

They usually sent a payment because most people knew three things about Cedric:

1) His name
2) He never turns a job down
3) He's good at his job

All of these things equated to him being trustworthy, which was funny. Trusting an assassin, he couldn't help chuckling to himself.

He heard Rowena, Psyre, and Archea start to awaken. He had to move quickly, not wanting to disrupt Rowena today. Thinking back he had never told Psyre either.... Time to get a move on, it would get too complicated to fast.

He put the letter in his pocket, already having what he needed for the trip, and took some parchment and ink to write down a note.

He thought about his phrasing, he never did say the word "assassin" or any variation thereof in front of Rowena for, well, unpleasant memories.

And he really should tell Psyre soon, but he'd rather do it in person.

Archea would know, probably. Or maybe he'd just agree to what Cedric had now written down.

I'm going off on a business trip for a few days, I'll be back soon. Take care of yourselves, if you need to contact me declare your undying love for me from the rooftops and I'll be sure to come running.

-Cedric

That would do.

Cedric quickly started his journey, thinking of how to get to his new target.

Rowena had slept well. The past few days...had been an adventure to say the least. She was ready for things to start calming down, though who knew if that would actually happened. She dragged herself out of bed, an almost impossible feat to win against the warm blankets that seemed to try and drag her back, and went to find Cedric. He was usually the first one awake. 

However, instead of Cedric, Rowena found a note. Cedric was gone on a business trip. She desperately wanted to believe that he had gone only to guild the leaf she had found the other day, but she knew he had probably gone to work. The money he used to guild the leaves didn't come from nowhere after all. 

Sudden flashbacks to the first, and only, time she had followed him when she wasn't supposed to. The look in his eyes still gave her nightmares. Rowena quickly dropped the note and ran back to bed to hide under the covers until she knew Cedric was back and safe. Somedays, she still felt like she was seven.

The cold northern air caressed Cedric’s skin, creating a trail of goosebumps. He was glad the target wasn't too far out of reach, in fact he had traveled to the North recently, at least that’s what Cedric had read in the letter. It helped he had eyes all over the lands, being an influential assassin would do that.
 
Something about the Target’s name though… It felt familiar to Cedric. Ultio was the name that was left in the envelope, which tickled something in Cedric’s memory. An old flame? Someone he had met on his travels?(If Cedric was being fair, that probably still meant an old flame.)
 
Cedric sighed and rubbed his face. Who was it? It seemed to be a relic of old times, something he had forgotten. This meant one of two things:
1.      1. He suddenly lost his picture perfect assassin memory or
2.      2. It was from his time in the small town at the orphanage.
 
Cedric toyed with that idea, the orphanage. He hadn't thought of that place in years, not since Rowena… He tended to block that part of his history out. It was a conscious decision, due to the fact he was abandoned and, oh I don’t know, the whole town thought he was literal demon spawn. Cedric rolled his eyes as he walked. Whispers of cruel words and the throbbing of old, deep scars suddenly shook Cedric from his thoughts of that place. He shook his head and rubbed his arms a little.
 
He can’t think of that, he can’t. Any reminder at all would lead him to revert back to his inner self, the one he hid… the one he had to. He quickly shifted his thoughts from his old abusive town, and looked forward, realizing he was reaching an old coffee shop. This place, he hadn't noticed it before… How strange.
 
The shop stood nestled in a dark, cramped alley with one lamp to illuminate the front. The paint, Cedric assumes used to be red but what now a dull rust color, peeled off of the door frame.  “Co fee” Stood out in large, bold letters above the shabby door. Cedric chuckled at the missing letter on the sign, this place was bound to close soon, if not today. Cedric wondered as to why his mind had brought him here, to this dark wet alley to this shabby shop doomed to foreclose. He never came across somewhere on accident, so he walked up to the slightly too small door, reached for the handle, and ducked into the building.
 
Cedric looked around himself, taking in the surroundings. The shop was bigger than once thought, and was rather quaint. The back opened up a bit more, showing a medium sized room lined with small tables with one or two chairs at each. On the left wall there was a counter, probably where the owner took and made orders. There was a small door, probably to some sort of closet sized cooking area, where he heard two voices talking. Cedric walked to the counter, consciously letting his feet make noise on the worn wood floor.
 
“Hello?” Cedric called. “Is anyone here?” There was some shuffling, and a grown man came out of the back.
 
“Hello, sir! Are you lost?” Cedric studied his appearance quickly, taking in his greying hair and stocky build. This was not his target.
 
“Ah, no I don’t Believe I am.” Cedric said, looking up and seeing a sort of menu hung above the counter. “I’d like to order something, that is if you’re serving right now?”
 
“Oh? Oh! Yes, yes! Of course,” The man smiled, Cedric watched him closely, but smiled back. “You can call me ‘Ol Ollie, everyone else does. What will you have?”
 
Cedric looked up, pretending to read the menu and seeming pensive. “Well, this is a hard choice. It all seems to good!” Cedric smiled sheepishly, seemingly at himself. “I’m bad at this…” He looked back down to Ollie and chuckled nervously. “What would you recommend, ‘Ol Ollie? Do you have an old favorite?”
 
Ollie stopped for a second, squinting in thought. “I’ll set you up with the house special, how’s that?” He smiled brightly at Cedric. Cedric smiled back.
 
“That sounds lovely! How much will that cost?” Cedric made a show of taking out his money pouch, knowing it must look small. Ollie glanced down, and Cedric smiled inwardly as he saw a gleam in Ollie’s eyes.
 
“Don’t worry about that now, old boy, just g ahead and pick any seat you’d like. We’ll have your order out shortly."
 
“Oh, I can’t do that!” Cedric frowned slightly. “You must let me pay you!”
 
Ollie shook his head, “Let me get the food first, my boy! If you like it, then you can pay. Now go sit.” Ollie motioned at Cedric and a chair with his chin, and Cedric complied. Not without a show of internal debate on his side, which Ollie noticed and smiled sweetly. THEN Cedric sat.
 
“Alright, but I’m certain it’ll be delicious and I’ll have to pay you.” Ollie laughed at that, and opened the door to the back and called out.
 
“Ultio! We have a costumer, come greet them!” Cedric showed no outward reaction to the call, but internally he gave himself a very complicated and enthusiastic high five. His instincts always were the best. He didn’t become an assassin for nothing, that was for sure. Cedric mentally prepared himself to see the potential target, ready to check if the description matched and this truly was who he was after. While it was great to have confidence in his abilities, he could always be wrong. Wouldn’t want to make that mistake.
 
“Alright, alright! Sheesh, what a slave driver you are!” Cedric watched as a figure, much skinnier than Ollie, come out from the back. Cedric felt his eyes widen, his heart skip a beat.
 
Oh Gods. No. No No No No No No NO! This couldn't be happening, how could this be happening?
 
Ultio turned his body towards Cedric, confirming his beliefs. Cedric watched as Ultio’s eyes widened, as his mouth opened slightly then closed.
 
“C…Caddaric?” Ultio whispered, taking a step closer to Cedric. Cedric flinched back from his chair, standing up. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.
 
Cedric opened his mouth, then closed it. He swallowed deeply, and blinked a couple times. The sudden flood of memories left him feeling… not stable. He cleared his throat.
 
“Ultio.”
 
“Caddy!” Ultio broke into a huge grin, and ran towards Cedric. Cedric couldn't move, only watch as Ultio wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly. Cedric stayed still, not trusting himself to move. Ultio hugged tighter. “It’s been so long.”
 
Cedric felt something on his cheek, odd. He reached up and touched it, in the process putting an arm on Ultio. It was a tear? He hadn't cried in years, not since… His resolve broke, and he brought his arms around Ultio, hugging him back tightly.
 
“I’m sorry.” Cedric whispered, clutching Ultio.
 
Ultio pulled back a little, making Cedric look up into his eyes.
 
“It’s okay, brother. It wasn’t your fault.” Cedric stared at him, suddenly lost in a fog of memory.
 
At the orphanage, in that town of the West, Cedric wasn’t treated the best. The rumors of his mother being a demon enraged the villagers, and that anger was placed on him. The amount of things he was blamed for were endless, as were the punishments. Cedric pushed the memories away for a reason, the scars they left weren’t all just physical (though there were plenty of those). Cedric couldn’t go through a day without getting spat at, or harmed in some way. He was the town’s scapegoat, and being an orphan didn’t help. Nobody liked orphans, they made people feel bad. If Cedric knew one thing, people didn’t like feeling bad.
 
Everyday was a struggle, especially because THE OTHER ORPHANS DIDN’T HELP HIM OUT. Demon child, and all that. Also because he was far better looking, even in his haggard shape, food and water being limited in quantity and quality. Cedric was by far the worst off of theorphans in that small town of the west, but he had dealt with it. He decided there was no controling the onslaught of humanity, the torture of it. There was one boy, however, who looked out for him. They looked out for eachother, really.
 
Ultio was a scrawny boy, lithe and thin (due to the emancipation and will to survive in his enviorment. His Black hair went down to his shoulders, always in a permenant state of messy, like a birdsnest. When he smirked at Cedric, his dark green eyes shone with promise, with belonging. It was the first person Cedric hadn’t thought about killing, the one person he truly cared for.
 
At the orphanage, his name was Caddaric. Cedric never liked that name, never enjoyed that life. He did everything to change himself from that time since, even his hair color. Let it never be known, but Cedric wasn’t a natural blonde. He didn’t have bleach handy for nothing, after all.
 
“Caddy, I got us some bread!” It was a warm, too warm, day in the summer. The flies buzzed around the fish market, which smelled of rot and salt water. You could never find fresh air in that town, only coal fumes. Ultio walked over to Cedric, ruffling his head of(if you believe it) deep, dark red hair.
 
“Hey!” Cedric laughed, hitting Ultio’s hand away from his head. “Where’d you score this, it has seeds on it and everything!” Cedric made to take the bread, which Ultio had snatched away before he could.
 
“Nice try, slowpoke. You’re even slower than the baker!” Ultio smiled broadly, cause Cedric to laugh. Ultio handed over the bread, and they had eaten in silence.
 
Most days went like this, some more bloody and most without that good of food. Or food in general.
 
Many things happened in that town, but Cedric regretted one the most. He had just discovered his… Talent. Getting paid for killing wasn’t the worst job he could have, and he was good at it. He felt no remorse for those people. In the end, however, he had made a mistake.
 
The mistake causing Ultio to be beaten to death, or at least that’s what Cedric had thought. It was a usual job, small amount of pay for killing someone during that time. During his last excursion, he had been followed. It wasn’t hard for the followers to discover the young assassin, and his best friend. The one who mattered most to him.
 
Cedric’s only memory of it was Ultio, a bloody pulp, and the tears he felt streaming down his face.
 
“We couldn’t fight them, Caddy. We were just boys, I wanted you to run.” Ultio patted Cedric’s head gently. “You sure have changed though! Tell me all about my favorite partner in crime.”
 
Cedric laughed bitterly at Ultio’s tone, so joyful as always.
 
“You always were my better half, Ultio. I’ll tell you everything you want to know, but only if I get to hear about my childhood crush’s return from the dead.” Cedric winked at Ultio, causing them both to erupt into peals of unstoppable laughter.
 
“You don’t change on the inside, Stud. Let’s sit.”
 
Over the course of the next few hours, Cedric caught him up to about a few weeks ago and Ollie came to join them.
 
“So, long story short, I’m a womanizing assassin king of the North with a daughter, new son, and a Seer as an advisor.”
 
Ultio leaned back in his chair and laughed lightly in disbelief.
 
“A Seer! Just like the stories we read as kids. With a beautiful daughter and son!”  Ultio smiled. “I’m so proud of you!”
 
“Thanks, Psyre actually reminds me a lot of you. Thinking on it, maybe that’s why he was so important to me so fast.” Cedric chuckled. Psyre really did remind him of Ultio, even down to appearance and how he interacted with Cedric. “I guess I just couldn't deal with losing you again.” Cedric whispered, a rueful smile playing on his lips. “Anyway, enough about me. Tell me about you.”
 
“Well, not much to tell really. After those guys left me alone to bleed someone found me,” Ultio casted his eyes to Ollie. “Just so happened Ollie’s son is a medicine healer, after five years I was my old self again.
 
I tried finding you for years, always missing you just whenyou left. AT some point, though, I had to return my debt to Ollie and his family. During the moving I couldn’t track you. Looking at you now, I can see why. You even changed your name!” Ultio laughed and leaned toward Cedric. “Even you’re hair! Truly you’re in the right profession.”
 
“You flatter me.”
 
“Not enough my friend, not enough. I haven’t got as grand a story as you, but I did live. I helped Ollie through the passing of his son, terrible disease, and I got him back on his feet.” Ollie smiled at Ultio, nodding his head slightly. “I’m glad we found eachother again, Caddy. Really glad.”
 
“Me too.” Cedric smiled brightly, his heart soaring with the renewed love and life of his friend.
 
“Did you ever find anything out about your parents?”
 
“Just that they came from the North, so here I am,” Cedric shrugged. Ultio nodded to the information, knowing not to push.
 
“What brings you here anyway? You’re the king, correct?” Cedric froze mentally at the question. Should he tell Ultio, or not?
 
“Well, you have to walk around the town as king or you lose touch. Rather not be impeached, you know?” The lie came easily to Cedric’s lips, knowing he showed no sign of a tell.
 
“What a chance of fate, then!”Ollie exclaimed and got up from his chair. “I’ll go get you boys something to snack on.” Ultio and Cedric watched at Ollie went to the back of the store, hearing the sounds of cooking through the thin wall.
 
“Will you stay with us tonight, Caddaric –I mean Cedric. Sorry, hard to get used to.” Ultio rubbed the back of his head and cleared his throat.
 
“It’s fine, really. Caddy is perfect, as always,” Cedric smiled.”I’d be delighted to stay.”
 
Cedric watched as Ultio beamed with joy, and a sudden apprehension gripped his heart. Cedric couldn’t trust Ultio by what his instincts were saying… But why? Cedric thought back to Ultio’s story. He had been found and nursed back to health, but Cedric had seen his wounds. Those… Couldn’ be healed in just five years, if ever! Something was off. Ultio was hiding something, but what we he hide from Cedric. He wanted nothing more than to trust his closest friend, but he couldn’t.
 
But I will, watch me. You’re wrong on this one.
 
That night, Cedric slept in the same bed as Ultio for the first time in years. It was the first time in years he hadn’t had nightmares.
 
Upon awakening, Cedric saw Ultio had woken up first, and was watching him.
 
“Is my beauty so grand you must awaken the sun itself to gaze upon it?” Cedric smiled, words muffled by sleep.
 
“You look just like you did back then when you sleep.”
 
“You’re creepy.”
 
“I’m not the one who hits on anything that moves.” Ultio shot back, causing Cedric to raise a hand to his chest in mock enraged way.
 
“How dare you! I’ll have you know I’m just friendly.”
 
“Mmmmhm, so that’s what you call it.” Cedric grabbed the pillow, and hit Ultio in the face with it,  a cascade of laughing and fighting followed.
 
Ultio and Cedric sat together and talked, barely leaving eachother’s side throughout the course of a week. It was then Cedric needed to tell Ultio the truth of how he found him.
 
Cedric walked towards the kitchen, but stopped as he heard whispering. It was Ollie and Ultio, Cedric shouldn’t be listening… but something told him to.
 
“He’s been here for a week, when are you going to do it?” Ollie whispered.
 
“You know his reputation, I can’t just jump on him.” Ultio responded, Cedric heard one of them take a step.
 
“His guard is down around you, and you know it! I’m tired of excuses.”
 
“Excuses? Why would I need one to kill that leech? He left me to die when we were kids. He’s worthless. Scum.” Cedric couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t see in front of him. This couldn’t be real, it couldn’t… But it was.
 
“I didn’t hire him to assassinate you for it to actually happen, make your move!”
 
“He doesn’t have the balls to take a hit on me, he cares too much. He always cared to much.”
 
“Then you’ll have no problem putting a knife through one of his essensial organs, will you? Or do you also care too much?”
 
“Don’t be ridiculous. As soon as we finish him, the sooner we can go collect our payment and go find work with Zanthro.”
 
Cedric shook his head slightly, slowly walking backwards towards his room. He slowly closed his door, not making a sound. He sat down on his bed, not able to stand. Ultio hated him. Ultip was going to kill him. Ultio was in contact with Zanthro…
 
Psyre flashed through his mind, and that’s all it took.
 
Tears fell down Cedrics face, and he could feel himself breaking. This couldn’t happen. He had to protect his family, but how could he. He was scum. He ruined everything he touched.
 
He wasn’t cut out for human interaction. There was a knock on his door, and he looked up as it opened, showing Ultio with a tray of food. He was smiling like he was happy to see Cedric, but he noticed now.
 
He noticed the hatred in his eyes.
 
“Caddy? What’s wrong?” Ultio quickly put down the tray and rushed to sit next to Cedric and put his arm around him. “Did something happen?”
 
“I… I um. I just remembered how I left you back then.” Cedric forced himself to look his new enemy in the eyes. It hurt. Everything hurt. “I’m so sorry. I’ll never forgive myself.”


“But I forgive you. It’s okay,” Ultion hugged Cedric harder, causing more emotional distress to Cedric.
 
“You can’t, you shouldn’t.” Cedric sat up, turning himself away from Ultio slightly. “I thought about ending my own life, after you… after I thought you died.”
 
“Why didn't you?” Cedric paused, and held his breath for just a second before he remembered to keep breathing. There was no care or concern in that question, only anger. Hunger. He had wanted Cedric to kill himself for that. Cedric almost laughed.
 
“I found my daughter.” Cedric lied easily, all of this looked easy on the outside. Ultio could never know he was breaking inside.
 
Ultio smiled, and rubbed Cedric’s shoulder.
 
“I have something to show you,” Ultio turned away, reaching for something under the bed. Everything else happened in slow motion for Cedric.
 
Ultio reached under the bed, and pulled out a large knife. He lunged it towards Cedric, but Cedric rolled out of the way, and flipped over Ultio so he was behind him.
 
Cedric didn't pause as he punched Ultio in his pressure points, rendering him immobile. He crumbled in front of Cedric. As Cedric moved him to sit up against the wall, Ultio spoke.
 
“Fuck you.” His words were gargled, due to the lack of mobility he had. Cedric was impressed he could speak at all.
 
“To save you your strength, yes, I did hear you talk to Ollie. No, I’m not too weak to kill you. Yes, this is a huge betrayal and I’ll have to cross you off of my cutest guys list. Too bad, you had the number one spot.” Cedric smirked at Ultio’s hate filled gaze. He felt numb, and numb felt good.
 
“You. Piece. Of. Shit.” Ultio spat, struggling. He was starting to regain some movement. Good.
 
Cedric picked up Ultio’s knife, and held it in his hand to test it’s weight. He gripped the handle, and cut a slow, shallow line across Ultio’s cheek. He watched Ultio’s eyes the entire time, noticing the change. He was afraid.
 
“Says the guy who faked his own death.” Cedric replied, sounding bored. “Tell me where Zanthro will be and I wont kill you.” He dug the knife deeper into the shallow line, and cut back to the start of it. Ultio screamed as he felt the knife go through his flesh and touch his teeth. “Ollie left already, I’m sure. No loose ends, right? You taught me that.”
 
Cedric wiped the blood from the blade onto Ultio’s shirt.
 
“He- He’s going to be at the tavern… The one by the docks…..” Ultio kept pausing to spit blood out of his mouth, trying not to drown in it. “He’ll be looking for help- th-that’s all I know. Please let me go.”
 
Cedric smiled sweetly at Ultio.
 
“You’re the best, you know that? Let’s get that cut cleaned up.” Ultio watched Cedric with weary eyes as he went out of the room, and came back with a wet cloth. “Hold still.”
 
They sat in silence for a few minutes as Cedric entle washed Ultio’s wound, and stitched it back up.
 
“I’m sorry about that, it’ll heal in a couple weeks.” Cedric dabbed the wound one more time before leaning back, and stared at Ultio.
 
“Why didn’t you just kill me?” Ultio stared back at Cedric, confusion in his eyes.
 
“I already have, in a way. Although if you do that again I can’t promise you’ll be alive to tell the tale.” Cedric smiled. Ultio smiled back.
 
“We really are fucked up, you know that?” Ultio asked, laughing. Cedric laughed with him. He thought about how important Ultio was to him, how he had betrayed him. He felt the cracks in his outer wall, which were ready to break. For now, though, they held strong.
 
Cedric stopped laughing, and reached out to hug Ultio. Ultio hesitated for a second, and then hugged him back.
 
“I’m sorry, Caddy. You’re a good man.”
 
“Not really.” Cedric said, deadpan. Ultio voiced confusion, which was quickly cut off by the sound of gargling blood. Cedric pulled back from the hug, and pulled out the knife from Ultio’s lungs.
 
Cedric saw the betrayal in his eyes, and the rage. Cedric wasn’t surprised by those, though. He saw heart break in them as well.
 
Cedric felt tears slide down his face, and he smiled lovingly at his childhood friend.
 
“I was never a good man, Ultio. Neither were you.” Cedric brushed the hair out of Ultio’s face. “The difference, however, is that I have children to look after. Children that had their entire family butchered by the likes of you and Zanthro.”
 
Ultio’s eyes became lifeless, and Cedric laid his body down on the floor. Cedric heard the front  door open, and Ollie’s voice calling out for Ultio.

“Ultio, we have to get moving. I got a job with Zanthro under the name Stanton,” Cedric walked over to the entrance of the room, right when Ollie came to the door and saw him.
 
“Too late, Ollie,” Cedric Moved quickly, grabbing Ollie by the throat and throwing him into the room. Ollie gasped for air, and tried to crawl away. Noticing Ultio’s body, he stopped wide-eyed.
 
“Yeah, Kind of bloody. But that’s what you get when you try to kill one of the best assassins in the land, right buddy?” Cedric grabbed Ollie by the hair, and slit his throat deeply.
 
He calmly dusted off himself, and went to the kitchen. He turned on all the gas, and left the building.
 
He’d have to go immediately to the job with Zanthro then. He thought about telling his family, but there was no time. He’d explain everything once it was over. He glanced behind him to the store.
 
His past blew up behind him.

[[EXIT: Word count: 4,326 2332 words going to assassin class, now complete. points: 86. 20 to endurance, 20 to health, 20 to dexterity, 20 to health, and 6 to craft.]]

Oh dear lord. Well.... I'm not sure how much of this I'll even read, so, approved

Nice nice.