Assassin's Mark

Prologue.....

Gasten ran down the mist filled corridor, quick glances failed to detect any pursuit but he felt a presence tracking his retreat.

Something in his consciousness told him he had been here several times before but every step was like the first.

Mist, damp walls and floor. Mist, damp walls and… ‘How far above was the ceiling..’ he wondered, raising his eyes, straining to see if the pursuit came from above. But only the cloying mist could be seen.

The sound of his footsteps echoed in his mind and Gasten slowed as he reached another junction.

‘Which way?’ he asked himself. If he followed the pattern this time he would turn left, but Gasten only hesitated a moment before continuing in the same direction.

Within moments he felt the mist closing in around him, tendrils swirling round his body caressing his skin, whispering warnings of an unknown menace.

Gasten slowed, skidding slightly on the wet floor, slipping to one knee. As he did so Gasten noticed the mist drifting apart in front of his eyes as is a cone of air was pushing it aside but all he felt on his skin now was the slow trickle of sweat that ran down his back.

Then a sound came to him, half growl, half grating of steel on stone. Whatever it was the sound had come from ahead of him. Gasten reached down with his right hand partly to support himself as he rose and in part for the assuring feel of solid ground.

Gasten wiped his brow and peered ahead once more. This time the mist condensed on itself, falling away from the walls, swirling into an ethereal shape of a giant dog-like creature.

“What trick is this?” Gasten called out. “Stop your games”. A deep growl sounded from the throat of the beast followed by the screeching of claws on stone as the creature halved the distance to Gasten in the time it took for him to take a terrified gasp of air.

Gasten reached frantically for the sword at his belt but his hand met only air.

Just as the realisation struck home that the sword was no longer there, the beast leaped…...


ooooh how excitiing stayed tuned for the next installment......

Prologue – part two lol

Gasten woke in a sweat. It had all been a dream. Memories of the last few nights drifted back to him, the corridor, the mist… but tonight was the first time he had seen the beast and the first time it had torn at his throat. Gasten almost laughed out loud in relief but he could still feel pain in his neck and the drip, drip, drip of blood onto his chest.

It took his mind and body a moment to register that fact. He could still feel the pain. Gasten’s left hand reached up towards his neck to check if his mind was playing tricks on him, but a sharp increase in pain and a voice from the surrounding darkness stayed his hand.

“I don’t think you should move” stated the voice.

“Who are you? What do you want of me?” demanded Gasten, at the same moment as he realised it was a dagger at his throat.

“Silence! You are in no position to ask questions.” The voice hissed. An increase in pressure from the dagger reinforced the message.

The angle of the blade shifted once more, forcing Gasten to turn his head towards the sound of the voice. In doing so a vague outline of a figure shifted amongst the shadows perched on the edge of his bed.

“Shall we have a little more light?” The figure asked, while at the same time reaching for a shuttered lantern that rested on a table pushed to the side of Gasten’s bed. The increase in light was small but enough to reveal a figure clad wholly in black. Even eyes remained hidden behind a black gauze mask covering the figure’s face.

“So Gasten, have your dreams been troubling you?”

“Was that your doing? Why….”

The pain increased again, and Gasten fell silent.

The talk of dreams and his own experiences brought back to Gasten’s mind rumours he had been hearing about former comrades in arms. Stories of haunted faces, horrifying deaths and disappearances. Tales of men he had known who would spit in the face of any number of adversaries that had been said to wander the city in terror as if a demon was hunting their very souls. He had dismissed the talk at the time but now…..

Gasten’s well trained mind evaluated the situation. He could not act alone. Unable to see the figure’s face he had no way of knowing how keenly he was watched. His thoughts drifted to the guards positioned outside of the locked door. Had they heard anything? Were they even now rushing with the steward to open the door with a spare key? Or more likely were they about to attempt to batter the door down, forcing the figure to cut Gasten’s throat and make good an escape.

But no sound came from beyond the door.

As if the figure had read his mind it adjusted its position, allowing Gasten to see several crumpled forms lying at the far end of the room.

“Were you hoping for rescue?” the voice mocked. “They will not be missed for sometime, nearly four hours in fact. The time has come for you to pay for your crimes Gasten. Are you ready to pay my price?”

“Y-y-yes anything. What do you want?” Gasten gasped.

“Oh I am afraid you misunderstood” replied the figure, a faint chuckle escaping from the mask. “There is only one price to pay and it is not something you can afford to pay willingly.


more to come.....