Hand of Sorrow: Summons - 032108

The shifter, known only as Hyanth, stood before the massive, onyx-carved doors that led to the grand hall of his Great Lord. His pale face, devoid of any emotion, was transfixed on the doors’ surface only inches away; his body, tall and willowy yet still bearing signs of a barreled chest, stood stock still. Outside, a semblance of perfect quiet and calm…on the inside, however, he was terrified and yet still determined to make his Master proud.

After all, HE had been the only shifter summoned to his Master’s court, and if word was correct, it was a secret mission. He would have felt proud…but pride tended to get one killed in his line of work…and so, he remained humble and quiet, and for this, he had lasted his 150 years of life-servitude to his Master.

But now…now was a mission that, if rumor proved true, would take all he had as a shifter. As an Elite Assassin for his Master.

A scream of agony from inside the court startled Hyanth out of his thoughts, though his expression didn’t change. “It is time,” a small peon sniped, and without a word, Hyanth waited as the heavy doors opened into the court. With silent steps, the shifter stepped inside, his long dark locks drifting slightly as he walked in towards the center of the court.

The room was pitch black, save for the throne on which his Master sat, a reddish-orange glow emitting from the floor and the throne; only the hint of an outline showed the shifter where his Master sat. Hyanth hadn’t gotten a quarter of the way before he saw through the gloom the remains of what was once a person; as far as his golden eyes could tell, all that remained was a pile of torn flesh and splintered bone wrapped in ripped silk. The fool…he thought as he walked up to the corpse. He stopped before it, looking down at it. With a grim smile, the shifter asked, “Master, may I take out the garbage for you?” Not once did he look up from the carnage before him.

A dry, evil chuckle rose up from the throne above Hyanth. “Do so, my shifter.” Hyanth’s eyes started to glow gold as if on cue. He lifted an arm, and waved it over the corpse. In an instant, it exploded into a red flame, before dying down a second later, leaving no trace of the unfortunate thing of flesh and bone. Another chuckle, “Well done, shifter.” Hyanth closed his eyes, and bowed low to his Master before lowering himself onto his knee in a gesture of his servitude. His insides crawled in disgust as he said, “My utmost pleasure, Master.” He didn’t like dealing with death as he did, but it was as his Master commanded, and he was loyal to his Master. No matter what was needed of him, his loyalty to his Master overpowered his distaste for death-dealing.

Hyanth stood with his head bowed in silence until his Master spoke in His smooth voice, “Do you know why I summoned you hear today, Hyanth the shifter?” The shifter’s ears quirked slightly as his Master used his given name; only those of importance to the Great Lord ever were referred to by name, and Hyanth was a lowly assassin…

“No, Master, I do not,” Hyanth responded after quickly getting over his initial surprise. The figure on the throne shifted, His elbows resting on the ornate armrests as His hands came together, weaving His fingers together; on one finger, a bloodstone ring glistened in the glow of his throne. Hyanth watched all this without blinking an eye.

“I have a mission of great importance that needs to be carried out urgently,” the Master spoke with fluid grace. “You have shown countless times your…TALENT…of completing any mission given to you.” The shadowed figure swung out the hand adorned with the bloodstone ring, sweeping it towards Hyanth palm up, “And you have been the most loyal to me in all these years. Your…HONOR…drives you to complete every mission with perfect precision. Am I right?”

Hyanth was silent for only a second before replying, “Always, my Master.” It was true, not just of him, but of all the shifters under His command. Despite the terrible, prejudiced views those of the Light had created of his people, they were driven by honor and loyalty to those they swore an allegiance to. Was it his people’s fault if everyone but the Lord of Iniquity had shunned them? He alone had accepted him, had given the shifters a purpose in their previously worthless lives.

He raised his golden eyes, their whites a pitch black, towards the hidden face of his Master, “I will always be loyal to You, my Great Lord. I shall never question You nor question your judgment.” His eyes never strayed from the glowing red slits that were his Master’s own eyes. A chuckle rose from the shadowed face, to slowly crescendo into a louder laugh, “Wonderous! I know now that I chose well!” The laugh died back down to a quiet chuckle as his hand withdrew and weaved fingers again with it’s partner. “But to business…”

The shadowed face turned ever so slightly, to look upon an enormous mirror that had previously been hidden from view; it’s surface glistened and shimmered like water. The shifter followed his Master’s gaze, fixating on the mirror as it glowed and took shape. An image of a small, greenish blue world came into view among the blackness of space. “Your mission is to go to the world of Lustrekehl, to the village of Hone,” He in His mellifluous tone, and the image warped into itself in green streaks, suddenly taking the image of a forest-lined village. The image panned, showing at the village’s center a large, white temple. “There reside the Guardians of Lustrekehl, the protectors of the fifth world.”

Hyanth darted his eyes to his Master. “The Guardians? They are no threat to Your cause, my Lord. Why concern yourself with something so miniscule?” His words did hold truth; the Guardians were indeed powerful to an extent, but their undoing was their choice to remain peaceful and refusing to fight. A small chuckle rose from his Master, “True, my Hyanth, the Guardians themselves are of no threat to me. But…” One large hand waved to the mirror again, and Hyanth followed again. The distorted image took form, of which Hyanth could see was a female Wanderer. “There is…ONE woman who may indeed become…a PROBLEM in the near future, so long as she continues to live; she is the High Guardian of Lustrekehl. She has managed to block our sight from seeing her face, which has thwarted previous attempts at her life.” The mirror faded away to black, and Hyanth turned his face towards his Master once more.

“Your mission is to assassinate this Guardian, so that she shall not impede my rule in the future. Complete this mission without err, bring her head back to me, and you shall be greatly rewarded upon your return.” Hyanth bowed, his face low to the ground, “It is an honor and a reward in itself to serve you, my Master. I shall not fail.”

Another chuckle, this one dripping with venom and darkness, “Good.”