Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Powerless

He entered a dead end that he was familiar with from previous jobs, just two streets away from the east gate. Raven carefully rounded the corner while leaning forward to peek inside. He still wasn't sure if the person who had been following him since before recognized him or was simply trying to rob him.

He ignored the pain in his right leg and jumped inside a trash can as soon as he was out of sight. He drew his dagger from his belt with his right hand, holding onto the still sheaved cane with the other. For a few moments, he held his breath.

A rugged and poor-looking fellow turned the corner, wearing old leather armor and holding a club in one hand. He cast a suspicious glance inside the vacant lane. He went a few more steps inside before stopping. His gaze darted from the various trash cans to the empty crates.

"I'll tell you what, old man, I'm not getting paid enough for this s***." He turned around, wanting to leave the location. Raven aimed his cane carefully, waiting for the proper moment to strike the man on the head with full force, readying his blade just in case. The man fell to the ground like a sack of rice. He observed his surroundings while snatching the small coin bag from the man's waist and slowly making his way back out, acting as if nothing had happened.

He came to a halt and looked around, not noticing a single passerby. The majority of the windows were closed, and the two exits were blocked by wagons. He threw his cape away with a swish and assumed a combat stance.

He quickly turned around and leaned backward. When he looked to the other side, he discovered an arrow sticking out of a nearby door. He heard multiple blades colliding, and the scene quickly became chaotic. On the roofs and from one of the wagons, several archers, swordsmen, and assassins appeared. They were divided into two groups, with one attempting to prevent them from approaching him. The others attempted to push through, occasionally shooting at him. He was soon surrounded by familiar faces. "My boy, Raven!" Grumpit hit his shoulder furiously with one hand while holding a sword in a defensive position with the other.

"Good to see you are well." Raymond nodded and smiled at him. He'd lost an eye and a few fingers since the last battle, and his left hand clutched a blood-splattered dagger.

"Someone come over here!" Alvin was a few feet ahead of them, caught up in a spearman duel. "Help him, Raymond! I'll defend Raven!" exclaimed Grumpit. Raymond nodded and dashed over to Alvin to relieve some of his stress.

"Boy, I'm sorry; we planned to distract them and let you leave quietly!" Grumpit shrugged his shoulders apologetically. "Why would you all do that for me?" Raven clenched his teeth, looking at some of the members who had become friends with him after many years in the dancing skeletons.

"We got you into this s***, and we'll get you out; we're all family."

Just as Raven was about to say something, a hooded figure leapt from a nearby roof, clearly intending to dispose of Grumpit first. The man raised his sword above his head. Raven's eyes widened in terror as he saw the sword. He recognized the blade even now. He drew his cane, ran, and jumped in front of Grumpit. However, when he put all of his weight on his right foot, it gave way.

As he fell, Grumpit grabbed his shirt from behind, attempting to pull him out of harm's way. The attacker shifted the trajectory to a sideways slash. The golden light flashed for a fraction of a second, extending the blade the few inches needed to cut Raven straight through the middle.

Many people in the capitol who were stargazing with their loved ones at this time noticed one of the red stars dim for a second before returning to his splendour.

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Raven was surrounded by a translucent barrier as the box at his waist broke in half. He had the impression that the stars were protecting him for a split second. The strike still had enough power to send both flying against a nearby wall. Grumpit's body was between him and the wall; he could only hear white noise. As soon as his vision returned, he noticed an expanding pool of dark red blood beneath his feet. He noticed his friend, who appeared to have been smashed between two boulders. His head hung limp and motionless.

The man, who had just come over his own surprise, walked forward slowly.

"Give me the artifact, and I'll ensure you a painless death." He pointed his blade at a star-shaped amulet that was lying next to Raven. He drew his dagger and threw it at the man. The man frowned casually as he deflected the blade, then felt a piercing pain in his left thigh. Behind him, a skeleton crept up and pierced him with a spear.

"Raven, well done. I'll deal with him while you handle the big one." Kamira Nightfall jumped over the wagon from the other side of the road, followed by two more skeletons.

Ignoring the fight behind him, he scrambled to open his bag and apply all the bandages to Grumpit's wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Suddenly, he felt a hand pressing against his chest. He looked up to see Grumpit trying to say something. Raven put his ear to his mouth.

"Protect your family, my boy. You need to be stronger than me." He managed to get the words out in one last breath. Raven clutched Grumpit's raised hand with both of his own as it fell limp. The necklace had fallen into his lap. He leaned forward, shaking, and closed his friend's eyes. He stood up again, turned around, and saw that the fight had already ended.

Nightfall stood next to the last skeleton, holding her severed right arm in her left hand. "They escaped after the fight." She walked slowly towards him, wincing as she reattached her own limb.

"Did he survive?" Her gaze lingered on the blood that had ceased to flow. Raven simply shook his head.

"I see." As the rest of the gang began cleaning up the battlefield, silence descended. "Would you like to find out who this man was?" Nightfall inquired. Raven gave a nod.

"I was unsure before, but now I am certain. This man was an Assassin King follower." Raven raised his head, a cold glint in his eyes.

He spat out the words, "Edmund Valette."

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