After handing the assassin over to the royal guards, Devon and Sarah walk to their rooms, their footsteps slow. Guards walked through the hallway, their eyes scanning for any threats. Devon glances at the royal library before looking straight ahead. Sarah walked behind, slower, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Soon, Devon stops infront of his room before looking at Sarah
"Good night." He said, some affection cracking through his cold voice
Sarah replied, her worry for him clear from her voice:
"Sleep well."
Devon locked his door before looking at a dagger right beside his bed, the thing that helped him many times. Then slowly, he closed all the windows before going to sleep...
Sarah kept pacing back and forth in her room, thinking about everything. Their lives, it has never been easy. The assassins, they come and they go...
She still remembers the first time it happened and what it did to Devon...
January 12, 1573
Devon was only 13 years old, training with Sarah who was 14 years old at the time. They were like best friends, always training together. The royal guards stood right outside the royal training ground, their gaze scanning the surroundings like always, their weapons ready...
Everything was going perfectly fine when suddenly the window in the royal training ground broke and three figures climbed in, swords in their hands. The royal guards immediately heard the noise and tensed up, immediately sprinting into the training ground, throwing their spear at the intruders. Sarah immediately grabbed Devon's right hand and sprinted out of the place.
Just as they ran, three more assassins slid through the window into the hallway, blocking their way. Devon's hand immediately went to a dagger in his pocket before Sarah gave him a sword and formed another sword for herself, her eyes scanning for any potential attacks. Devon looked around, trying to find any potential escape route...
Meanwhile the Royal Guards managed to take out 2 of the 3 assassins in the training ground, 3rd one escaping just in time. They quickly turn to the hallway before sprinting there, to Sarah. One of them throwing a spear at the assassins
The assassins charge at Sarah and Devon. Sarah ducked down the strike before getting kicked back.
The assassins looked at each other before nodding, two of the assassins focused on her while one lunged at Devon.
Sarah summoned another sword on her hands, gripping them tightly. The first assassin swung his sword at her while another one threw a dagger at her. She swiftly slices through the dagger, ducking down to dodge the swing before following up with a counterattack, her sword slicing through the assassin's left leg. She immediately slashed again, cutting his right hand off, the same hand that held the sword. Before Sarah could kill the assassin off, he stabbed her left shoulder with a dagger and punched her back. The other assassin also threw a dagger which Sarah dodged by moving her head to the left. She keeps her swords raised, the pain from the dagger clear. Just then a spear flew through the air, cutting into one of the assassin, the royal guards getting there...
Sarah was happy that she was saved. She then looked at Devon. Her eyes widen in horror as she sees another assassin kick Devon through the window before looking at them and jumping off...
The assassin swung his sword at Devon but Devon barely blocked it with his sword. The assassin began to push Devon back but Devon swiftly stepped out of the way, his blade grazing the assassin's left arm. The assassin lunged at Devon, but Devon swiftly blocked the strike. The assassin immediately kicks him against the glass window, faint cracks appearing on the window. Before Devon could react, the assassin slashed Devon's sword out of his hand. Devon flinched, a cut on his hand. The assassin looked back and saw the royal guard taking out the other two assassins and immediately kicked Devon through the window before looking at the guards one last time and jumping off... The royal guards quickly sprinted to the broken window, worried for Devon...
As Devon fell, his hands barely caught the edge of a balcony. To his left, a library window. He took out a dagger before throwing it through the library window, shattering it. He then took a deep breath before jumping into the library, more glass fragments piercing into his skin as he fell in the library...
He got up, looking around. He thought he escaped the assassin when he saw a figure jump in through the same broken window. Devon quickly grabbed a big glass shard from the ground and the dagger, adrenaline flowing through his body...
There were many cuts throughout his body, his left hand dripping with blood, some of his bones broken, his eyes blurry...
The assassin charged at Devon but Devon threw the glass shard at the assassin with full force. The assassin sliced the glass shard swiftly, some small pieces cutting into his eyes. The assassin immediately flinched, the Katana falling down, some blood coming from his eyes. Devon immediately used the distraction, kicking the assassin to the ground before punching him again and again, blood pooling around the dead assassin....
He then slowly got up, his eyes blurry. He looked at his bloodied hands before falling down, against the library wall, falling unconscious, the adrenaline gone...
The royal guards soon find him and quickly take him to the healers while other guards take the assassin's body away...
January 12, 1573
After lots of efforts of the healers, Devon finally woke up. His body had shut itself off after the library fight, too much blood lost, small glass fragments in his body, bones broken. But, the healers managed to heal some of his outer body. They also took the glass fragments out of his body, doing everything they could to save him.
Sarah had stopped training altogether, either looking out of a window or sitting besides the unconscious Devon, her worry growing day by day.
When Devon finally woke up, everyone got relieved and happy, he survived something that nobody thought he could. His body was still aching, pain all over his body. But, atleast he's alive.
When he slept in the recovery room, royal guards stood outside his room while Sarah sat near his bed, looking at him and then at the window, her eyes scanning for any threats. She had almost lost him once, she didn't wanna lose him again....
January 17, 1573
Devon's cousin Lily and other noble warriors also started visiting him, wishing that he recovers quickly. They all spent days with him, helping him eat food, read him stories....
They went to the temple of Surani everyday, giving offerings and praying for Devon to get better...
They always stayed near his recovery room before ultimately having to go into a war to protect the civilians...
January 23, 1573
After they were gone, Sarah started doing everything they used to. She helped Devon eat, told him stories, tried her best to help him recover mentally...
Devon's body showed signs of fast recovery, thanks to the help of the healers. Devon took a look out of the window, thinking about everything. How everyone cared so much about him. The King got the best healers of the kingdom just for him, Sarah stayed with him throughout the time he started to show signs of recovery...
February 25, 1573
Devon had recovered a bit physically. He could walk atleast...
That night, he was sleeping in his bed, the guards stationed near the hallway. The guards immediately tensed up when they hear a faint breaking sound and immediately started to check the library and the royal training ground...
Suddenly Devon heard something breaking and immediately opened his eyes. He saw a figure jump into the room through a now shattered window. The figure immediately thrusted its sword at Devon but Devon manages to grab the dagger on the table beside the bed before rolling down the bed, avoiding the fatal strike. Before Devon could get up, the assassin attacked again but Devon managed to catch the tip of the blade with both his hands, blood immediately started dripping from his hands. Devon used all his strength to push the blade away before grabbing and throwing the dagger at the assassin, hitting him near the chest. Devon quickly rolled away and staggered to his feet, taking out two daggers from a drawer, the blood that flowed from his hands quickly covered the daggers. The assassin takes the dagger out his chest before throwing it at Devon but Devon ducks down before charging at the assassin. The assassin slashes at Devon but Devon dodges by stepping to the left before throwing a dagger at him, hitting his arm and immediately following up with a kick. The assassin slammed hard against the wall. The guards immediately notice the sound and sprint to Devon's room before seeing that it was locked and try to break it.
Before the assassin could attack, Devon stabs his right hand to the wall, the sword falling down. Then, Devon grabbed the sword and cut through its right arm before thrusting the sword right inside its skull, killing the assassin. He was exhausted, his hands bleeding. Just then, the guards manage to break the door open...
The guards immediately help Devon and take the dead assassin away.
They take him to the recovery room, wrapping bandages over his bleeding hands while the healer got there...
Atleast he was safe now...
From afar, Sarah watched. It was all getting too much. Who was sending these assassins at Devon. If she ever found out the name of the monster who sent these assassins, she will cut its head off...