My life is forfeit. I’m a wealthy lord who rules over all of northern Emotep. I’m in good with the king, I have a large army at my disposal. But I angered the wrong person.

First let me tell you of the Black clan. The Black clan is a vicious Guild of assassins. They live off in a cave, these warriors have no honor. They fight for money, but they are lower then mercenaries. These men and women are scum, but they fight like demons, none have ever been taken alive not even defeated for that matter.

And the man I angered is their leader. He’s sent his warrior’s after me for months, chasing me back to my own castle high in the mountains. Here I believe to have found sanctuary that is I did until my men began to fall dead as we neared the castle. For the past three hours along the mountain trail we’ve trudged through mud. But soon the ground was saturated with not only water but blood. But onward we marched towards the castle and safety.

As we close on the castle a flash of lightning reveals that our sanctuary is gone. Upon the walls, towers in the trees and on the mountains around the castle, stand hundreds of Black clan assassins. They out distanced our horses on foot. And now they lay in wait for us.

“Come on men, into the castle. These men are in our lands, eating our food, and drinking our wine. Let us strike them down and drive them out. Ride now warriors of the Emotep,” I shout at me men.

We draw weapon and charge the waiting assassins. As we near they begin to fall. The warriors topple off the walls, drop from the towers and trees, and the ones on the mountains fall back and tumble down the slopes. These are nothing but effigies. We laugh at this poor display.

As we wait in the great hall eating and drinking our fill the men begin to brag about how many people they killed. I know that not a single Black life was taken on our entire three month journey. But that matters not, I join in and out-do all of them with extravagant tales of bravery.

As the night wears on the men get drunker and gayer. Many have disappeared with women of my court. And as we have a good laugh at one of the men stumbling away a pane of glass at the far end of the hall shatters and an arrow buries itself in the wood just to the right of my head.

As I look at it one of my men shouts and order, “Protect our lord. Find the sniper and cut off his damned head.”

Men scatter about the hall. A dozen or so form a barrier around me with shields and man flesh. The rest scatter about the hall or charge out the great wooden doors in search of the bowmen. But the ones who charge out the doors fall dead a few steps into the mud. And through the door more arrows fly and strike down my human shield. The arrows go through shield, armor, and flesh a like.

I retreat behind my great chair. The wind from the storm blows out the roaring fires and tiny candles. The only light now comes from the occasional lightning flash in the distance.

And it was during one of these flashes I peeked around my cover. I saw a figure rush through the open door just before it was slammed closed by my men trying to prevent further arrow attack.

I rise and stride to the center for the long room. I look about myself trying to find this nameless assassin. My men form a circle about me and wait for the attack to continue, the storm outside increases in ferocity.

“I saw you come in warrior. Tell me your name so I know what to put on your gravestone,” I yell at the darkness.

And back from the darkness, seemingly coming from everywhere a voice rose, “I am the claws in the night.”

My men began to scatter looking for the source, “I am the eyes in the darkness.”

Spears and shields are taken from the walls and the men scatter into the balconies, “I am the blade that kills all and spares none.”

My heartbeat increases as a pair of golden eyes appears in the rafters, “I am,” the eyes descend towards me, “ASSASSIN!!”

My life is forfeit. The assassin’s blade drives deep into my throat. I watch as my men draw spear and sword against him. And just before I die he disappears in a puff of red smoke. I die there in my own hall and the assassin return home to collect his reward.