Killers

Yuri felt no danger, as he glanced at the other assassin. There was nowhere else for him to go. His whole world had collapsed. Days before, Yuri was expelled from his military training, by officers who were deathly afraid of him. Meanwhile, Tim wore an expression of extreme conviction, as he ended the silence with a whisper. "You shouldn't be here, Yuri," he urged. What possible role could the Kuschan play, since he was no longer a student at Maliek's school nor bound by any requirement of service?

"This is a suicide mission. Get away, while you still have a chance!"

Shaking his head, Yuri answered,

"I know you want to get the captain out alive," he spoke, "and I want to help. You can't get in there, by yourself, Tim. There are too many guards!"

Though Tim could not really understand Yuri's motives, he could easily see meaningful use in the kid's assistance. Smiling, he responded, "All right. We'll run counter-distraction, first you then I; right up to the edge. Past the outer picket, you'll have to take the lead off my right flank, then we'll travel right of line at the oblique. I'll draw as you take them out. But make sure it's quiet!"

Yuri nodded, in affirmation as Tim continued. "We'll use our bows on the first ones. After that it's a dead give away, if we're seen so armed. Still it is probably dark enough."

Passing Yuri five arrows, Tim said, "I only had a dozen now seven. How many do you got?"

"Thirteen," counted Yuri. "Now, eighteen! May be not enough to do much good." Patting a dagger mounted on his waits belt, the Kuschan commented, "guess this'll be mostly close work."

"It may take most of the arrows to break through the picket," sugested Tim. "Let's wait another half an hour, should be better dark... if these clouds hold, then start off."

Yuri remained still, while his muscles tightened. He was eager for action, but this would not be the first occasion where he took lives. In his home nation of Kusch, Yuri had once been a slave. The daily work was crushing and his master's demands impossible. Once while clearing stone he had dropped a small piece which bounced down a gradual slope to hit a free man below. As punishment he was made to work through three consecutive days and nights and then severely whipped. In that ordeal something in the boy snapped. This time he had been pushed too far by his cruel masters. He lay near death for two days and then after a week as his meager strength returned he decided to escape.

The following night he was caught by the gateman as he attempted to scale the wall at the only possible place which was too close to the gateman's post. The gateman began to buffet Yuri around the face and neck never expecting what was about to happen next. Yuri spied the formal dagger at his attacker's waist and lunged for it. The surprised gateman was the first to die that night as the blade pierced the the mans side the point of it finding his heart.

Going berserk, Yuri no longer sought immediate escape but went on a rampage through the rooms of his master's home. Men women and children while they slept, masters and other servant slaves. The next coherent moment Yuri knew, he found himself covered in blood and realized that he the slave boy had ruthlessly killed fourteen people. He stole food before escaping and the other slaves watched aghast as the boy walked out the gate to make his way into the countryside.

Once free life was little better, Yuri had nothing, could trust no one, and knew that by now he was being searched for. He nearly starved to death before eventually being taken prisoner by a local constable who promised him laughingly a quick trial and speedy execution.

His death was not yet to be!

Yuri was rescued by an Embrian Secret Service agent, who had heard the story of the savage murders committed by a young boy and busied himself in searching for the murderer. The Agent knew a Captain in his former post who was seeking after children who could kill. Yuri seemed a logical candidate for the Captain who had recently opened a school for young assassins.

The constable being suddenly killed by the secret service agent surprised Yuri at first but as the man explained where the boy was bound it all came clear. The nation of Embrey was now locked in a brutal war with its neighbor The Branell Empire. Yuri was told that he was destined to fight and possibly die in that war.

Since recollection, Yuri had always been a slavewith no prospects. So now thoughts of dying in a futile war, between Embrey and Branell, somehow did not frighten him. With Tim at his side, the Kuschan considered his short time at the school. Both the young teens had been marked as different by their mates at school, and were subsequently marked as outsiders.

The Captain who started the School the two boys had so recently attended was so feared by the high command that at first they pretty much allowed him to do as he pleased. He was after all the premier Assassin of the west, his note known from well into the Far East, Actinia in the far south and all over the neighboring nations. As a school master he was hard because he knew that if he were not his pupils would be less than effective in the trade he knew so well. Of all the boys in the school Yuri was the only one who loved the Captain the man taking the shape of the father he had never had.

After careful thought the Embrian high command betrayed the captain while at the same time Cashiering young Yuri who they feared almost as much as his master.

Held captive now by the Army of Branell the captain was undergoing torture for anything he might know. Since he was not instantly put to death the Embrian High Command decided he had to die by their action not trusting that Branell would do the job before vital secrets were lost.

Tim Was Captain Maliek's first student and while the captain knew better of the lad, the other officers at the school discounted him badly. Tim never really opened to anyone, and had no friends. He would be small loss upon his death in those minds so he was chosen to infiltrate the enemy stronghold and insure the Captains death and probably his own as well since there could be no possible escape after the job was done.

The task laid out before them was a suicide mission, assigned to Tim because school officials viewed him as "dull." Yet, they also regarded him as deadly efficient with all tools of the trade.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Tim finally stood, while Yuri followed his lead. Smiling, Tim grabbed Yuri's sleeve. "Good luck," he spoke, quietly. "Looks like you're going to work yourself into a mess that's hard to get free of."

"I don't care," laughed Yuri. "Let's just do it."

Separating, the two teens moved stealthily into the no-man's land, beyond the forward edge of the battle area. Concealing his bow, Yuri lurched ahead, awaiting the inevitable challenge. There was none as seconds later, he sent an arrow straight into his first victim's forehead. The outward picket's companion knew nothing of this assault,his being asleep at the time and he followed his companion to hell at the point of a dagger.

Yuri crouched down, as Tim veered to the right, then followed the Kuschan about twenty-five feet behind. Instantly, the next post was encountered. It was something of a "nest," holding seven men who calmly chatted among themselves. Tim was practically on top of the enemy soldiers, and purposely made a noise to draw their attention. The startled foe all jumped to their feet and readied their weapons, before one began to laugh. "It's just some damned dumb kid," he stated, "who wandered out here."

Without warning, Tim swung up his short composit bow and loosened a shaft through the speaker's guts, causing the others to make a hasty general assault. For Yuri, those men were not opponents, they were simply easy moving targets. Rapidly he dropped them, one after the other, as they moved to encircle Tim.

The commotion of this quick but deadly skirmish caught the attention of the next two nearest posts. Briefly, a number of arrows were exchanged between Tim and his nearest foes, as Yuri sprung upon them from their carelessly exposed flank. Once again, two enemy soldiers had no clue what hit them, and the final man surrendered. Tim forced the survivor to call out to the other alerted post; telling his comrades that all was well.

Though Tim viewed the captive soldier as a catastrophic problem, Yuri viewed him as an easily thwarted "obstacle." In one cold stroke, he silently finished the prisoner off.

Now, Yuri and Tim charged the final post. Again, this armed debate proved deadly for the tired soldiers, who'd been too long on duty in too peaceful a sector. Yuri grinned, as the grisly job was completed. "What's next?" he asked, nonchalantly.

"They dug a cavalry ditch a short distance to our front! It looks like a trench but is not a post so it won't be defended," explained Tim. "After that's a log wall. It's only a few feet high, but heavily guarded."

"How do you want to do it?" asked Yuri, ready to renew the brawl.

"You have to distract them, so I can get in, barring that kill anyone who gets in my way. Make it count, then get the hell out of here."

"It's dark," laughed Yuri. "I'll stay until you come out with the captain, so be quick about it. All right, Tim?"

Shaking his head desperately, Tim begged, "Do the right thing, Yuri, and go!"

Yuri answered the demand with silent defiance, and reluctantly, Tim again had no choice but to agree to the Kuschan's presence, and help. In short order the lads crossed the cavalry ditch, and headed for the wall. They covered the final distance on their stomachs, gradually moving apart from each other. Once Yuri was twenty feet from the wall, he stood and searched for an exposed target. Initially, the wall structure seemed deserted, then suddenly a Branellian officer peeked over just long enough to catch an arrow in his face. Wailing loudly, the man fell. Yuri shot the next enemy soldier who become visible, then pushed hard away from Tim. Counter-fire archery whizzed past the Kuschan, as he sprinted away before quickly reversing his direction as he moved out of sight of the enemy in the darkness.

Clearing the wall, on approach to the ditch the outgoing reactionary force was surprised by Yuri's sudden attack from the rear. Yuri's arrows depleted, the remaining soldiers now turned on him. But, rather than making a swift getaway, Yuri advanced on his surprised opponents. He whipped his nearest foe across the face with his bow, then spilled his victim's guts with his dagger. Using the dead soldier as a shield, Yuri pivoted around, drawing his sword and striking another soldier before quickly disappearing again into the darkness. He heard the enemy soldiers curse behind him, as a Branellian officer gave orders to pursue. Dropping into the cavalry ditch, Yuri then dashed back down it in the opposite direction the soldiers would expect.

A loud commotion came from the left, indicating that Tim must be on his way out with Captain Maliek. Once more Yuri sprang into action, heading toward where Tim would appear but he never made it that far.

Encountering a hesitant group of Branellian soldiers all huddled together, Yuri managed to kill three and wound two, before he received a severe sword slash across his right thigh. Struggling back into the cavalry ditch, the Kuschan anxiously worked for a few moments at dressed his injury with his emergency field kit. After completing this painful, gruesome task without being found, Yuri began dragging himself southward along the ditch, fearing he'd soon be caught if he didn't first bleed to death.

A fearful flood of emotions swept in and he suddenly regretted his entire life and his agony addressed the night ever so quietly.

"This is it . . .

I'll never be free . . ."

Within a short time, Yuri neared a road which cut across the ditch. A bright full moon had now cleared the clouds and it did too much work that night illuminating the landscape well enough that any attempt to cross the road would give the assassin's position away. As the young one prepared to face his inevitable end, to Yuri's amazement, a contingent of armed Embrian warriors, along with an important diplomat, arrived returning from the Branellian side. Behind them, the Branellians protested over the raid, which had been carried out during a difficultly negotiated talk on a prisoner exchange.

Glancing momentarily toward the disgruntled Branellians; as he turned back in the direction of travel, the diplomat caught sight of Yuri, still hiding in the ditch. "Who is that?" the diplomat asked, curiously.

With a high-pitched voice and heavy Kuschan accent, Yuri replied, "I . . . I'm just a boy! I got lost and the Branellians . . . they hurt me real bad!"

The diplomat, a fellow named Councilor Theo, ordered two Embrian soldiers to retrieve the injured youth. From the get-go, Theo realized Yuri was no harmless child, no mere child was buckled in such manner with the expensive and deadly weapons Yuri carried.

Yuri smiled at the realization that tonight was not his time to die. His tales will continue!