《Flight of the Ravens》


 New-Paris

    A moonless sky loomed above the disturbingly quiet city of New-Paris. Most would expect a megapolis of that size, a few million residents, to be bustling with activity on a warm Friday night but there was little noise to be heard. The windows were bolted shut, the doors locked tight, and the few courageous enough to wander the streets made sure to look back twice before turning a corner.


    Even the rodents, usually so active and relentless in its assault of humanity''s most glorious accomplishment were laying low. However, it would be foolish to think that New-Paris always hung around itself this aura of unrelenting gloom. In the day, the streets were full of children playing happily, of merchants peddling whatever their craft fancied and visitors looking to experience the splendour of one of Europe''s last gems. But the night was different.


    The night was home to the lawless, the most heinous of them all, the cruellest among the wicked dregs that wandered where the watchful eye of the law couldn''t see. As terrifying as those criminals could be, none of them could evoke, by their name alone, as much sheer terror as the Ravens could. Assassins famed for the little regard they had for human life, they were first known for the various attempts they made to topple the Order, most of which ended in a bloodbath. To some, they were revolutionary heroes, fighting the oppressive regime that had ruled most of the world for the past eight hundred years. To others, they were butchers who would stop at nothing to bring down the Order. However, to most, they were merely a legend; a gentle yet deadly whisper on a warm Friday night.


    Despite the apparent fear that the night instilled in the citizens of New-Paris, a few establishments were still open to those who were brave enough to venture in the streets. One of those was a tavern whose old fashioned signboard had been rendered illegible by the elements for so long even the current owner had forgotten what it used to be called. To the patrons and the local community, it was known as the Den; a refuge for those who needed a drink. The brick building stood in sharp contrast to the rest of the neighbourhood which had been renovated a few years back to accommodate the growing population. As such, the surrounding area boasted mostly tall and sleek apartment complex and multipurpose office buildings over individual shops.


    However, the Den was an exception. It was one of the few things form the original Paris to survive the war, and as such, it was considered a relic of some sort. It also endeared itself to the locals, mostly lower class workers, by having very affordable pricing despite alcohol being severely taxed by the Order. The interior also mimicked old establishments by having a fireplace, somewhat of a rarity in this age of fantastical advancements in both the technological field and the medical field.


    Currently, there were around forty patrons quietly enjoying a drink while a tall man sat beside the crackling fireplace telling a well-known tale regarding the Ravens. He had chosen this topic as the night drew to a close, knowing full well that hearing of the Ravens would instill an underlying fear in those listening to his stories as they walked the short distance back home. He loved seeing them act tough in front of friends and lovers despite the slight shaking of their legs. He was a skilled storyteller, and despite the somewhat childish nature of such a tale, he was able to weave a story so realistic that some swore the shadows themselves shivered in fear.


    At the back of the tavern were two hooded figures slowly sipping a drink. Anywhere else in the world their attire might be seen as somewhat conspicuous, but in New-Paris it wasn''t rare for people to prefer staying anonymous as they dealt with their occupations. The watchful eye of the Order was ever so present, and some would sooner hide than allow it to control their every movement. The two men were listening to the storyteller weave his grandiose masterpiece as they shared an amused smirk. The lankier one of the two stood at an impressive 205 centimetre though his usual slouched posture might make him seem shorter than he was. The other''s height might seem less impressive with a nearly 25-centimetre difference but his heavy build and defined musculature made up for it. The taller one leaned over to the other and whispered:Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Hey Amon, don''t you think he''s exaggerating a bit too much? I mean, I don''t remember ever fighting an entire squadron of guards as explosives were set off all around me. Though we were in a bit of trouble that one time in Berlin when we were surrounded and had to breach a wall to escape.


    -And whose fault do you think that was? Replied Amon with an exasperated sigh. Anyway, you shouldn''t lend too much of an ear to him. They''re just stories after all; there''s no way he was there to know the full truth.


    -But doesn''t it leave a bad taste in your mouth? I don''t want to appear like a bloodthirsty killer.


    -Aren''t you?


    -Hmph. The only reason you can say that is because he hasn''t named you personally yet.


    -I have to give him credit where it''s due though; Bel the Terrible has a nice ring to it. It makes you sound like a crazed emperor.


    -Being an emperor sounds good; having unlimited power over the people, making even the blue sea bend to my every whim!


    -Stop daydreaming. That kind of life isn''t for us; we are bound to the shadows. Speaking of which, we''ve got a mission to do."


    Bel let out a dissatisfied growl as he downed his beer. Amon knew better than to let him drink his fill. Not only would it cost a fortune but he would probably go on a drunken rampage, and he wasn''t confident that he could stop him. After all, despite his terrible character and his utter lack of a moral compass, Bel was one of the best fighters to walk this earth. Amon left the money for their drinks on the table as he dragged the still dissatisfied Bel outside. No one in the tavern seemed to pay attention to them, despite it being unusual for people to leave on their own.


    Usually, the patrons would depart as a group to mitigate the risk of being assaulted by one of the many small-time robbers that plagued the neighbourhood. However, what they wouldn''t know is that the two men who just a moment ago were peacefully drinking were the ones discussed in the legends the storyteller used to frighten the masses. They were Ravens, killing machines unleashed upon the Order to bring chaos in pursuit of an objective so elusive yet so appealing: freedom.


    As he felt the warm breeze wash upon his face, Amon drew a cold smirk. Tonight they would likely dye the streets with the blood of their target, and he could feel Bel by his side licking his lips in anticipation at the mere thought of the act. Amon felt the left side of his waist, still covered by the long dark blue cloak and felt reassured when his hand gripped the handle of his weapon.


    It was the favoured weapon of both soldiers and brigands as the whole blade part could be kept in the handle itself. A powerful electrical impulse would propel the multiple chevron-like parts that constituted the blade out of the handle once activated, and that same electrical impulse would keep a specially made wire that was attached to said chevron-like edges under tension while the weapon was in use. Since the metal was made of a recently discovered alloy, it was unlikely to break, even when facing extreme shocks. As for the wire, it was also a discovery from the Order that allowed for a finished product that was both flexible and possessed incredible tensile strength. This weapon was dubbed the "retractable sword," and since its creation, many replicas were made and sold outside the Order''s main forces.


    Guns and the like were abandoned a long time ago when their firepower couldn''t keep up with the way the Order''s medical science improved the body. Before the war, nearly eight hundred years ago, humans lived up to seventy-five years old on average. But with the way the Order altered the human genome, they could now live up to nearly two hundred and fifty years old. Somehow, the Order found a way to slow the ageing process while still allowing the growth period of a child to last about as long as it did before. They also manage to improve strength, reflexes and endurance significantly. But that was only for the average citizens.


    To soldiers and members of outside organizations possessing medical facilities, such as the Ravens, this boost could be improved even further with either the use of more advanced genetics, for those whose bodies could support it, or nanotechnologies that allowed for mind-bending abilities. In the face of such advancements regarding the human body, guns were discarded in favour of weapons that could exploit this newfound strength. That being said, there were still some firearms in existence, but they were mostly rather large and heavy and primarily designed to be stationary.


    Amon took a deep breath, savouring the last instant of tranquillity they would have for the foreseeable future as he and Bel made their way deeper into the city. Their objective was the head of the city guard, and neither of them would rest until they brought him down, no matter the cost.

 Ambush in the Dark

    The dim light provided by the street lamps was barely enough for the two men to see in front of them, but this was of no problem since they had surveyed the area multiple times before in preparation for this mission. Their short stay at the Den was no coincidence either. It just was the most inconspicuous spot for them to spy on the patrol of the city guard. Despite their willingness to fight, it was still better for them to employ the way of subtlety and avoid being seen by the city guard.


    Their steps were unhurried yet fast, appearing as if they were merely locals attempting to get home quickly after a night of drinking. They advanced without problems for about two hours, until they reached the exit of the 5th residential district, leading to the business district. The layout of New-Paris had little to do with the original planning of the city as there was very little of the old Paris that survived the war. Instead, when the Order had taken over, they chose practicality over historical accuracy. As such, the city was centred around the business district, which also housed most government buildings, and around it, were sixteen residential areas arranged circularly. Such a layout made it nearly impossible for Amon and Bel to conduct their assassination during the day since their target would be residing in the busiest part of town.


    However, they had planned and snooped a bit, and they found out that tonight, the city guard would hold a special counsel regarding matters of public order. That counsel was expected to last the whole day and end late at night. This fact would present them with the perfect opportunity to attempt to take the captain''s life. And it just so happened that the captain resided in the 5th residential district. Despite his status allowing him to live elsewhere, the captain was born of humble descent, and he chose to live there as he felt uncomfortable surrounded by wealth.


    The two assassins quickly hid in the shadow between two apartment complexes and waited for their victim to pass by. Their choice of hiding spot might seem somewhat simplistic, but with the lack of any decent lighting from the street lamps and the moon being absent from the sky, their dark blue cloak concealed them perfectly as long as they stayed entirely still. Such a task wasn''t a problem for killers used to stalking their prey for a prolonged amount of time. It was only about an hour after they arrived that they could hear some voices in the distance.


    Judging by the direction of the sound, they came from the business district and were most likely from their target. However, it was outside of their expectation that some of his men would accompany the captain. Faced with this unexpected setback, Bel whispered to Amon.


    "What now? Do we go ahead with the plan? Although I''m confident a few city guards won''t be much of a problem if we take too long, we might attract some unwanted attention. If we fail this attempt, I''m afraid it will be much harder to try again if they are alerted to our presence.


    Underneath his cowl, Amon scrunched up his eyebrows as he took a few seconds to think. Ordinarily, he was a prudent man, the opposite of Bel, but he knew that they couldn''t delay their mission too much. Who knew how much longer they would have to wait for another opportunity like this to present itself. Plus, he was confident that even if they didn''t manage to care of all of their enemies, just killing the captain wasn''t too hard of a task.


    -Indeed it''s a bit of a problem. They arrived later than I thought and we only have a window of about five minutes before the regular patrol comes. However, as long as we can take care of the captain, the rest of his troupe matters little. We''ll do it like this; I''ll leave the guards to you while I take care of the captain. You only need to hold on while I finish him. Once we''re done here, we need to escape before the patrol can arrive so let''s flee in separate directions. Tomorrow, we meet up at the rendezvous point in the business district.


    -Sounds good. I knew I could count on you to find a great plan!"


    Although he couldn''t see Bel''s face under his hood, Amon could imagine the sarcastic smirk that made its way unto his lips. He knew Bel didn''t respect both as a human and a partner, but he was efficient, so Amon ignored it. As the sounds of the guards discussing became increasingly close, Amon signalled to Bel, and they jumped out of the shadows building unto the unsuspecting men. The roads of New-Paris were considered reasonably large and could accommodate two vehicles both way and included a sidewalk.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Since no cars were allowed in the streets past seven o''clock, it was commonplace for people to walk in the middle of the road in the evenings. As such, the two assassins felt confident fighting in that environment.


    As soon as they jumped out, they both took out their retractable swords and faced the city guards. There were seven of them, all dressed in the same uniform apart from the one at the front of the group. Their uniform was a very simple black uniform with streaks of gold, and the emblem of the empire was embroidered at the back, a circle with a cross in the middle. A simple black cap completed the ensemble. The captain wore a similar attire except for a star on his right breast, indicating his higher rank. The group was visibly startled when they saw the dark figures rushing at them but years of training and service had prepared them for moments such as these.


    They all drew their weapon with incredible speed but sadly they were a tad too slow as Bel had already reached the group, and his fully deployed sword had chopped down on the closest guard. However, the guard was rather sharp, and he took a step back when he saw the man attacking him, and he managed to avoid getting severed in half and only received a long wound on his left arm, rendering it unusable. Immediately, the captain yelled, "Surround him!" But before he could do so himself, he was intercepted by Amon, whose powerful thurst forced the captain to sidestep away from the rest of his team.


    Seizing the advantage, Amon followed with a series of quick but deadly swings, driving the captain further and further away from his comrades. Sensing that he was getting isolated, the captain tried his best to break the barrage of attack, but he could only level the playing field, unable to win over Amon''s pure speed and savagery. Although he wasn''t as good a fighter as the two Ravens, the captain was no over pushover either, and he could hold his own to Amon, which surprised the latter. Ordinary humans couldn''t hold a candle to him due to the strength and agility that his various genetic augmentations provided him. However, for the captain to last more than a few seconds against his barrage to attack meant that he received some augmentations himself


    . However, when they took their mission, there was a specific mention that the captain was in every way an ordinary human, if not one that was skilled with a blade. Feeling that something was wrong, Amon made an especially powerful swing, forcing the captain back a few steps, to gain himself an instant to warn Bel. As he turned towards Bel to shout, his vision was filled with red, and he could hear Bel curse loudly. "They have a pyromancer!"


    This shout of alarm by Bel confirmed Amon''s suspicions. For one reason or another, the guards who were supposed to be slightly strong but still regular humans had been augmented. Apart from genetic augmentations which could enhance the natural abilities of a person, nanotechnological augmentations could allow their owner to do things impossible to the rest. Pyromancer referred to those who received an augmentation allowing them to generate intense friction outside of their body, creating fire. The strength of the flame and the distance at which it could be made varied based on the compatibility of the individual with the augmentation and the quality of said augmentation.


    This new found information spelled trouble for the two of them as it meant that their mission had just got significantly harder. It wasn''t that the two assassins couldn''t deal with the few augmented guards, but instead doing so as fast as possible meant that they had to take some risks. Without worrying about Bel, Amon resumed his assault, but this time, he took the initiative to release the electrical current that maintained tension in his sword.


    As the multiple parts hung limply from the handle, he used his weapon like a whip to entangle the captain''s sword. Taken aback by this novel tactic, the captain couldn''t react in time as Amon yanked the sword out of his hand. However, he wasn''t a simple man and knowing that he was defenceless, he chose to charge towards Amon.


    If the two of them got stuck in a close quarter fight, Amon''s sword wouldn''t be nearly as useful and the captain saw this as his only chance of survival as the two of them weren''t far apart. Amon couldn''t get out of the way of the captain''s charge and could only use his free hand to try and brace himself. Being stronger than the captain, he managed to stop his assault without much harm and chose to drop his sword as he predicted it would be hard to put some distance between the two of them if the captain was insistent on staying in close quarters. Amon was still confident it wouldn''t take long to finish off the captain, with or without his weapon.

 Blood on the Pavement

    Without any weapon, Amon might look less menacing, but the captain would make a deadly mistake if he were to underestimate him. The two men were about seventy-five centimetres apart from each other when the captain tried to kick Amon''s knee. The latter crouched closer to the ground to block the blow with his arm and took the opportunity to slip under his opponent''s guard to land a punch on his stomach. The captain didn''t expect Amon to have so much raw power and a metallic taste filled his mouth as he took a step back, his eyes bulging in surprise. Amon didn''t let his opponent''s weakness go to waste, and he stood back up, following his first jab with an uppercut straight in the captain''s jaw.


    As he felt the bones creaking, Amon couldn''t help but let a smirk make his way unto his lips. He tried to follow up with a punch straight on the captain''s nose, but the latter recovered and managed to block the blow by parrying it to the side. Having tasted the power behind Amon''s punches, the captain didn''t want to take the risk of receiving another blow head on. Having just parried Amon, the captain tried to grab hold of his arm to throw him to the ground. Sadly for him, Amon was faster, and he kicked his opponent right in the shins. The captain felt the pain ringing throughout his whole body, and he was forced to let go to stabilize himself.


    Right now, the captain felt overwhelmed by his opponent, and he knew he was no ordinary man. To free himself from this ordeal, he had to either stall long enough for his subordinates to finish off the man''s accomplice, or bet his life on a crazy strategy. He wasn''t confident in his guard''s chance to neutralize the other man before he fell, so he decided to take a gamble. Without care for defence, he threw a flurry of punches to Amon who deflected them all with calm. When he saw a momentaneous gap in the barrage, Amon closed in, took the captain''s head and smashed it against his knee, breaking the captain''s nose in the process which shot a short spray of blood.


    Amon was feeling somewhat confident in his chance of killing the captain in the next instants when he realized he had underestimated the captain''s will to live. The captain had used Amon''s proximity and had bet on the fact that Amon would be careless after he landed his strike to draw a short knife and stab Amon right under the left clavicle. Initially, the captain had wanted to strike directly into his opponent''s heart, but he didn''t expect that Amon would attack using his knee and the impact had tilted the trajectory of his otherwise expertly timed stab. The captain took a few steps back, deciding not to capitalize on his strike as he needed a few moments to breathe. The last few hits he took had taken a toll on his endurance, and he felt like he couldn''t last much longer. Hopefully, this stab would buy him the time that he needed to survive.


    In truth, Amon had been careless. After all, it was somewhat rare for members of the guard to carry around knives, and he didn''t expect the captain would wait until such a moment to use it. Had he not looked down on his opponent, this injury could have been easily avoided, but he decided not to fret over it. As soon as the captain stepped back, Amon pulled out the dagger and threw it to the side. When the blade entered his body, he felt it crack and knew that the weapon would snap if he tried using it again as the blade was made of ordinary steel and couldn''t handle striking against the tough body of the augmented. Thankfully the wound was shallow but feeling the warm blood dripping against his side made Amon''s expression darken. Instantly, he felt like a different person, and the captain was startled.


    Amon lunged towards the captain who immediately positioned himself to parry, but instead of striking, Amon gripped his arms and flung the captain towards him. Seizing the opportunity while the captain was off-balance, Amon sent a powerful kick flying straight into the captain''s face. Unable to avoid it, the captain could only watch in horror as the heavy boot made contact with his face and sent him to the ground. Without losing a second, Amon pounced on the captain and smashed his head on the pavement. Lifting his right arm in the air, he struck down with his finger towards the captain''s throat.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    At that moment, the captain was hit with a sudden realization as he saw the silhouette of the man about to kill him contrasted in the dim street light. Although he was filled with regret, he knew in that instant that no matter what kind of trick he might have pulled, it would all have been in vain as he was faced with a Raven. He closed his eyes and waited for the fingers to send him on his last journey.


    Amon removed his bloodstained fingers from the captain''s throat. There was no need to verify the man was dead as he felt both the trachea and the jugular snap. He hurriedly got off the body as he didn''t want the fountain of blood that was spraying from the gaping wound to soak him and he looked back to Bel. He was astonished as he realized how intense their fight had been. It had barely been a minute since they had jumped out yet Bel''s six opponents all suffered various injuries, ranging from some shallow cuts to broken bones and gaping wounds. Bel wasn''t left uninjured either as Amon could see the hem of his cloak and the exposed parts of his hands had been burnt. The pyromancer was giving him some trouble, and not without reason.


    Out of every augmentation that the Order had developed over the years, those that could influence the world outside of the user''s body were the rarest and some of the strongest. After all, no matter how great of a fighter Bel was, it was hard for him to handle the pyromancer''s fire while also dealing with the rest of the augmented guards. To have inflicted such severe injuries to his enemies while being so severely disadvantaged showcased how much of a great fighter Bel was.


    Without losing a second, Amon rushed to his weapon and hardened the sword. Currently, all six of the remaining guards were too busy handling Bel that they had forgotten entirely about Amon''s fight with the captain. Amon quickly made his way to the nearest guard, and before he could react, he shoved his sword right in the man''s waist, instantly severing his spine and killing him. He yanked his sword right out, and in one fluid motion, he took a step forward and swung down his sword of the next guard, severing his right arm. At this point, Amon wanted to avoid fighting any longer as he had guessed that the sounds of their fight had attracted some unwanted attention from the residents and most certainly, the rest of the guard had been alerted to the whole affair.


    As soon as the two Ravens joined forces, the pressure on Bel fell considerably, and the remaining guards were no match for their prowess. The survivor wee getting pushed back harder and harder and the injuries on their body started getting worse and worse. Through the sound of metal clashing harshly, some yells could be heard in the distance. Both parties knew that meant reinforcements were on the way. In a desperate bid to gain some time, the pyromancer chose to ignite a big fireball right between the two Ravens. It had to be said that although they were powerful, augmentations that acted outside of the user''s body also had a significant toll on the use. The bigger their manipulation of nature, the harsher the repercussions on their body. To create this fireball, the pyromancer vomited some blood; he had most likely suffered some severe internal injuries to delay the two assassins.


    Alas, his attempt was futile as the two were now on guards against such tactics and with a powerful kick to the ground, they both jumped a few metres away. Coincidentally, Amon had jumped back to where the captain''s retractable sword. An idea suddenly sprung into his mind, and he picked up the sword. When a retractable blade left the hand of its user, the electrical current wouldn''t flow for much longer, and there was only about a second before the blade became limp again.


    Amon didn''t want to let the pyromancer off, even though he wasn''t part of the mission, as he could spell trouble for later. He threw the sword in hand with all the strength he could muster, and in an instant, it was stuck in the pyromancer''s throat. Out of the corner of his eye, Amon noticed Bel had already fled the scene and couldn''t help but shrug helplessly as he too turned around and headed for the closest alleyway. Although their mission could be considered a success, there had been too much-unexpected elements for Amon to feel satisfied with the results. HQ had given very little information, and something was amiss.


    For the captain of a remote city like New-Paris, no matter how big it was, to be suddenly augmented along with some subordinates meant something bigger was happening. Determined to find out what that was, Amon swore that he would investigate when morning came and he met with Bel once more. He breathed in the night air and the slight tinge of blood he could still smell even though he had gotten pretty far away drew a small smile on his lips

 Word from Above

    It had been nearly an hour since Amon had successfully killed the captain of the guards and he was now making his way back to the hotel room he had booked a few days prior when they came to New-Paris. The shallow wound he had received stinging a bit, but he reckoned that by dawn it would have healed itself. His regenerative capabilities were on a whole new level when compared to most augmented, and it had saved his life many times before.


    In the lightless labyrinth of the New-Paris alleyways, Amon skillfully made his way through the narrow alleys, avoiding the few gangs that had made it their home. As he came into view of his hotel, he decided against going in by the front door. If he were caught with a blood-stained cloak at this moment, it would be hard to avoid suspicion. Thankfully, he was able to use the balconies outside to climb up to his room. He fiddled with the lock on the windows for a while before he was able to enter his room. By now, the first few rays of sunlight had lazily made their way above the city skyline, and Amon let out a long breath. At long last, the night was over, but before he could get some rest, he needed to communicate with his superiors.


    Amon went to his bed and pulled out a big suitcase from underneath. He entered the combination to the lock and opened it. Inside, were a range of weapons and tools that he prepared for this mission. He pulled out a small back box that he set took with him to the bathroom. He rested the little box next to the sink and pressed a button on the top of it. As he waited for the communication device to establish a communication to his liaison officer, he took off his cloak and hung it behind the door.


    In the mirror, a handsome face was revealed. His skin was the colour of obsidian, and his features were well defined. He had a strong jawline, and his dark eyes possessed an intense magnetism. He took a towel from the rack nearby and wiped off the thin layer of sweat that had resulted from his twelve storey climb in such warm weather. He then took off his shirt as the black device let out a small ringing sound, indicating it had established a secure and encrypted connection. A tired voice rang out from the device as if it had been roused up from a deep sleep. Evidently, this operator wasn''t too keen on getting woken up for a regular status report.


    "Amon, have you completed your assignment?


    The voice didn''t bother verifying the identity of his interlocutor as the device was activated via fingerprints. There was also a small pulse sensor to ensure that the one enabling the device was alive, and hadn''t acquired the finger of a Raven with the purpose of unlocking the device.


    -Yes, we took care of the captain. However, there were a few problems. First of all, the captain wasn''t alone when we found him. According to the information we had received, he always walked back home alone as he was the only one in the whole guard that resided in the fifth residential district.


    -That should hardly be cause for concern. With your strength, a few city guards should be short work.


    As he was talking, Amon was examining the wound he had received earlier. By now, the two-centimetre cut was mostly closed and would be entirely healed by tomorrow. Amon grabbed a new towel and ran it under some cold water. He carefully cleaned up around the wound making sure not to exert too much strength, lest he reopened the cut.


    -Indeed, a few guards are nothing much, but that would only be the case if they were regular guards.


    -What do you mean? The voice on the other side of the line had suddenly perked up as if this new information was finally worth his time.


    -All of them were augmented. The captain seemed to have received some regular strengthening augmentations, the same for the rest of them. However, they had a pyromancer with them. Judging by the strength of his creations and his endurance, he wasn''t all that compatible with the nanotechnology and should be at the bottom of the ladder if compared to other pyromancers. That being said, the presence of such an augmentation means that something is wrong. Also, was there a need to send Bel and me here? If the captain were only a regular human, the presence of two Ravens would have been way overkill. In truth, regardless of what happened, I was expecting the two of us to face a much more significant challenge.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    -You aren''t exactly wrong. We sent teams of Ravens to Berlin, London, Beijing and Moscow with the same mission as you two.


    -For what purpose? It''s not like eliminating the guard''s captains would be a significant detriment to the Order on the long term. It might disable the chain of command for a short while, but that''s about it.


    -The reason we sent you on this mission is that one month ago, one of our covert operatives in Cairo made an alarming report. The Order had sent three of their Holy Knights on a mission to eradicate one of our safehouses. At the time, the operative couldn''t pinpoint with exact accuracy which city would be targeted, but he narrowed it down to five. I think you can see where I''m going with this.


    Cairo was the capital of the Order and also one the cities in which the Ravens had the least influence due to the presence of a corps of elite augmented named the Holy Knights. On an individual basis, the Holy Knights had a strength that was on par with the most elite Ravens and with the support of the Order, they had dealt a severe blow to their plans of suppressing the Order. For three of them to move simultaneously, they had to have some big projects.


    -I see, so this is why the guards were so much stronger, they had the support of three Holy Knights. You sent these units on some sort of recon mission, and we just happened to be the one to win the jackpot. Are they planning a campaign to root out the Ravens from Europe?


    -It isn''t impossible, but it''s hard to know what the Order thinks. However, we can''t let such a chance slip right by us. It''s so rare for the Holy Knights to move out of Cairo we need to capitalize on this. We will give the order to evacuate the safe house so you can do your thing.


    -Are you asking us to take care of three Holy Knights by ourselves?


    -Indeed. I know this is your first time clashing directly with one of them, but Bel should have some experience. Luckily for you, we also know the identities of the Holy Knights you''ll be facing, so you won''t be fighting blind.


    -Do we know where they are posted in the city?


    -No clue. But we have time so you should do some recon, try and see if you can''t find where they''re hidden.


    After thoroughly cleaning the wound and drying the skin, Amon took the communication device and went back into the bedroom. He set the device on his nightstand and rummaged around his luggage to find a clean shirt.


    -Alright, are there special directives?


    -None. You can use every means necessary.


    Amon flinched when he heard those words. He had been with the Ravens his whole life, and he knew that when they were told to use every means necessary, they meant it. Even if they set New-Paris ablaze to eliminate the Holy Knights, the Ravens wouldn''t bat an eye.


    -If there''s nothing else, I''ll begin preparation for the mission. How long will it take the safehouse to evacuate fully?


    -It should take no longer than three days. We wish you the best of luck; the success of this mission could significantly affect the Ravens'' future. The details about the Holy Knights have already been sent to your hotel room and should arrive shortly.


    -In that case, I better get to work."


    With another tap on the black box, Amon cut the connection, and he stored the device back in his luggage. He shoved the bags under the bed when there was a light knock on the door. In the peephole, he could see a short lady in the hotel''s uniform and surmised that she was here to deliver the paper that had been sent his way. He opened the door and greeted the lady with a smile.


    "Hello there! Anything I can do for you?


    She was visibly startled and blushed a little as she handed him a sealed envelope.


    -This came for a certain Amon, would that be you?


    -Indeed, I''ll take that. Have a great day."


    He immediately closed the door on the poor employee. Although he felt a bit sorry for the lady, who was quite pretty, his mind was entirely focused on the task at hand. Inside this envelope was information on some of the greatest fighters of this world. Amon couldn''t help but feel his blood boil with excitement at the thought of battling them.

 The Names of the Justs

    Amon slowly unsealed the envelope, his hands trembling with excitement. Inside were three massive files. Sitting on the bed, he left the records on the side only picking up the first one. At the top was a codename, Stormbringer. From what he had heard, these codenames were passed from one generation of Holy Knights to the next. As such, Stormbringer wasn''t the first to bear this name.


    Besides the title was a small picture of Stormbringer''s face. He appeared to be rather young, with a head full of golden hair and a thin, almost emaciated, visage. Amon committed this face to memory as it was likely they would soon meet, and possible fight to the death. Inside the file was a plethora of information.


    First, was a physical description and an account of the several times he had been seen outside of Cairo, and how the Ravens first became aware of this individual. According to this file, Stormbringer was quite active as he was seen acting twenty-seven times over the last twelve years, about ten times as much as any of his colleagues for a similar length of time. This meant he not only had plenty of field experience but he surely had the skills to back it up.


    Delving deeper into the file, Amon could now see why. In those twenty-seven missions, he had managed to kill a total of nine Ravens and completely stop their activities in West Africa. He was a high profile target; no wonder the higher-ups were keen on eliminating him, though his track record made Amon somewhat doubtful as to their ability to kill him.


    The next section detailed his know augmentations and special talents. Stormbringer, as his name would imply, possessed a rare but deadly nanotechnological implant, one that allowed it''s user to conjure electricity. The lightning augmentation as it was commonly called was compatible with only a microscopic fragment of the population, so the Order treated each compatible individual with great care. Stormbringer was described as being zealous, almost to the point of insanity. One anecdote related in the file described a time when he sacrificed a whole company of soldiers to catch a member of the Ravens.


    Amon slowly massaged his temple as he felt a headache coming. Dealing with fanatics was always the hardest as they had minimal regard for common sense. However, Amon was confident that as long as he could deal with Stormbringer''s ability, he could easily take care of him. The file described Stormbringer as being average in both strength and endurance so if he could neutralize his lightning augmentation; he would stand no chance against Amon''s sheer power and skills.


    As he was flipping through the pages, absorbing the relevant information, he noticed that Stormbringer had received a formal military education and was described by his teachers as "a genius, if not a little eccentric." He felt this wouldn''t be a problem as military strategies wouldn''t help the man when he was getting assassinated, but he still thought it might be useful to know.


    Feeling like he had seen enough, he tossed Stormbringer''s file aside and picked the next one. The record was titled The Lion, and the picture was that of an older man. He had a long mane of white hair as if he was trying to embody his title and a deep scar ran through his left cheek up to his ear.


    With the available medical technology, fixing a scar of that size was of no problem at all, especially for the higher-ups in the Order, so the fact he chose to keep it meant it had some significance. Amon flipped the page and was instantly surprised to learn that the man''s real age was one hundred and eighty-six years old. Even with humans living up to two-hundred and fifty, it was incredibly rare for someone to still fight at that age. This meant he was an old fox or rather an old lion, and he had to have a few tricks in his bag.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Amon could barely imagine how good someone might be after practicing swordplay for a century and a half. Since The Lion''s augmentation all pertained to strength and endurance, Amon guessed he was a specialist in brute force and head-on combat. Engaging such a foe without proper preparation was foolish and it would him well to think of a way to kill him without a fight. Sadly, very few poisons were effective on augmented humans since their metabolism was too strong; otherwise, it would have been the perfect way to take care of him.


    Apart from his age, there seemed to be little about The Lion that made him stand out, so Amon put his file aside and picked up the last one. To his surprise, it was the only document that had no picture, and the title simply stated "The Undying." Such a powerful name! Amon couldn''t help but draw a breath as he knew that to be given such a title, the man had to be someone else entirely.


    With the advent of advanced medical science, eternal life had been speculated but was never officially proven to be possible, and there was no record of someone living for an ungodly amount of time. The word undying suggested that the Order had either succeeded in making an immortal being or groomed an individual so strong he was untouchable.


    Without speculating any further, Amon read the information that was provided to him. It described this Undying person as extremely mysterious, and each encounter the Ravens had with him left them astonished. For every report that he had been killed, there was another one stating that he was seen alive. Each time, The Undying left behind a trail of blood.


    Accounts from operatives state that what made him so scary wasn''t his strength, as he was rather average in that field, but instead his sheer relentlessness and the little regard he showed for his safety. From the data they had gathered on him, the Ravens thought that his ability to seemingly never die might reside in a freakishly high regenerative capacity.


    Amon suddenly felt cold sweats as he read this part of the report. An opponent that never died was honestly the worst nightmare imaginable. He had a high regeneration rate which allowed him to disregard minor injuries, so he understood how useful it could be.


    Imagine being on the brink of death one day and fully healed the next. The fear of death guided most actions that humans took in critical situations. This lack of fear meant that he could do away with common sense and act in totally unpredictable ways.


    The file suggested a few possible ways to get rid of him. None of those were tested, but from what was known, they were the best guess to solve this problem. The first way to eliminate him would be total extermination. To destroy every single part of his being to ensure that no regeneration would ever be possible. To this effect, a fire would be the most efficient tool.


    The second solution suggested that there might be an anti-agent that could temporarily neutralize the regeneration long enough to kill him. The last solution was, in fact, the most simple; if he could not be disposed of, was there a need to kill him? Wouldn''t it make more sense to capture him? This solution also presented the obvious perk that if caught, he could be studied and interrogated. This would be the ideal way to deal with things, but the execution could prove tricky.


    Amon took the three files and stored them in his luggage. Before he could think of a concrete plan of action, he needed to rendezvous with Bel to make sure everything was alright on his end. They had chosen to stay in different hotels to blur traces that could link them together and to the Ravens. Their rendezvous point was at the Den, the tavern they had been in last night. Amon''s hotel was in the seventh district which wasn''t all that far from the fifth district, but Bel''s hotel was in the first district which was quite farther away. Looking at the clock, he guessed that a little nap wouldn''t hurt as it was still quite early and he needed to catch some sleep if he wanted to be in his ideal form.


    Amon directly laid on his bed without bothering to change his clothes and before long, he fell into a deep sleep.

 Meeting at the Den

    After a few hours, Amon''s eyes instantly opened and he got up. To him, waking up so suddenly was of no concern, and he was pretty used to it. He checked the time; it was a half-past noun. At this time of day, the Den was open and served lunch to its early patrons. As he didn''t want to bother eating at the hotel, Amon just changed his clothes and headed out of his bedroom. He left his cloak in his room as it was not only soaked in blood but also rather conspicuous after the events of last night. As he got to the elevator, a young woman gave him a quick smile. She was dressed in a drab outfit consisting of a plain shirt and some black pants. Amon responded in kind but paid no further attention to her.


    Sensing his disinterest, she gave a slight pout as she was quite confident that although her outfit was unremarkable, she was still quite cute. In the interest of being polite, she tried to strike up a conversation with him. "Have you heard the news about what happened yesterday evening? They say two terrorists assassinated the guard''s captain! How awful!


    Amon couldn''t help but feel his face twitch a little. Were this any other situation, he might have felt like she was testing him, but this was too much of a coincidence. At this point, ignoring her wouldn''t do him any favour, so he had no choice but to respond.


    -Indeed, I wonder who could do such a thing. I hope the city is still safe.


    Towards his acting, Amon was confident that she wouldn''t find out the truth. He felt a bit weird having a conversation about his actions as if some alien monster did them, but the situation forced him to.


    -Sure makes you worry! Are you here for work?


    -Indeed, I was sent here to conduct some market research. My company fears some severe loss in profit soon, so I came to try and find a solution.


    -How bizarre! I was also sent by my company to conduct some research. However, in our case, we''re trying to expand to new markets and felt that New-Paris was the right move. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ven. Pleased to meet you.


    With those words, she extended her hand. Amon couldn''t help but feel slightly irritated by the elevator who refused to come and free him from the pure agony that was this conversation. He dared not show his discontent on his face, so he plastered his best fake smile and shook her hand.


    -I''m Amon, pleased to make your acquaintance."


    At that moment, the elevator arrived, and the door opened. Acting like a true gentleman, Amon let Ven enter first but just as the doors were about to close, he suddenly exclaimed. "How my, how careless of me! I seem to have forgotten something in my room; you''ll have to go on without me."


    Without waiting for Ven to respond, he dashed back to his room.


    In the elevator, Ven was too startled to respond, and before she knew it, the doors had closed, and the elevator had started going down. It seemed that Amon fellow didn''t want to talk to her. She shrugged her shoulders, and although dissatisfied with his attitude, she blamed his lack of good taste.


    Back in his hotel room, Amon was happy to have escaped such a tedious encounter. He wasn''t anti-social by any means, but he was here on a mission and engaging in small talk about that very mission with strangers was something he wasn''t willing to do. He was aware that he acted somewhat unnaturally, but it wasn''t bad enough for someone to be suspicious of his reaction.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    After a few minutes, he went out again, and this time there was nobody at the elevator. Sighing in relief, Amon went down to the lobby. The hotel he was staying in was rather luxurious and followed the minimalist design that was in vogue in the Order right now. As such, the lobby was devoid of gaudy decorations and only a few small black sofas and some abstract sculpture decorated the hall.


    Today, he was wearing a simple white shirt that showcased his sculpted body and some black jeans. Although this wouldn''t be the best attire to fight in, Amon wanted to look as normal as possible and avoid fighting while Bel and he were doing some surveillance.


    Outside the hotel, the streets were calm, but that was to be expected of a mostly residential district in the middle of the day. Without delay, he headed towards the fifth district, where he would meet up with Bel. Last night, the trip had only taken him about an hour and a half, but since he couldn''t borrow the alleyways and the multiple shortcuts they offered, it took him twice as long.


    He arrived at The Den without incident and could see Bel was already seated. He was about to join him when he noticed the number of empty plates that were piling up in front of him. It was like a sports team had had a whole three-course meal when it was only Bel who had eaten.


    Amon was aware of his monstrous eating habits, but he had always tried to restrain him a bit when they were in public, but it seemed he had arrived too late. Bel''s face without the hood was emaciated. Well, It would be more accurate to describe his whole body as emaciated. His arms looked so thin that a gust of wind could probably break them.


    Over the years he had worked with him, Amon had guessed that it came from his augmentations that were having a significant toll on his energy consumption, but he could never verify it as Bel was very secretive about himself, like all Ravens. He wasn''t ugly by any means, but his greasy mid-shoulder length dishevelled hair and half-assedly cut beard made him look very unkempt. However, his piercing blue eyes housed a spark of madness that couldn''t be seen at the first look, but Amon knew how Bel could be.


    He had not witnessed any of these incidents himself, as they were from before the two started working together, but there were reports of Bel committing horrifying acts. These ranged from torture to gratuitous killing to even one claiming he had eaten the flesh of an enemy. Amon wasn''t sure whether or not to believe these rumours as in the five years he had known Bel, there had never been such an occurrence. The fact he didn''t see it happen didn''t mean it didn''t happen, but Amon wasn''t dissatisfied with him as a partner.


    Amon nodded towards the waiter who looked at Bel''s table with despair in his eyes. He also doubled as a dish cleaner when they weren''t that busy, and he felt like washing this table would be his job. Sensing this, Amon slipped him a few bills and patted him on the shoulder. A look of gratitude appeared on his face, and he left a menu with Amon as he took Bel''s plates back to the kitchen.


    "So you''re finally up eh. How was your night?


    -Not too bad, I was able to get back without a problem. How about you?


    The two of them talked in a low voice, but they didn''t bother speaking in code as The Den was mostly empty and their table was at the back, where no one could hear them.


    -I met some thugs on the way back, but I took care of them.


    -Did you leave any traces behind?


    -I made sure to kill them without spilling a drop of blood, and I hid their body rather well so it should take some time before they''re discovered.


    As he spoke, Amon noticed Bel''s hands were covered in a thin layer of bandages, and he remember he had been burnt by the pyromancer in the fight last night.


    -We should get you some gloves. Those bandages are suspicious. Since we couldn''t kill all of them, we should avoid wearing anytime that could lead to them identifying us.


    -What a shame, if only we could have gotten rid of them all. Have you contacted HQ? I did, but they told me you would be in charge of this one and that I should ask you for the details of our next assignment.


    Amon was a bit surprised by this as it was rare for them to put one person in charge of a two-man team. Usually, both would work in tandem. For HQ to make this decision meant they were testing him on some level. If he could complete this mission, he would most likely see a rise in the ranks or some other benefits. Amon had been in the Ravens for 15 years which made him a junior member of the organization. Compared to Bel who was pushing seventy-five this year, Amon had a lot to prove.

 Planning the operation

    Feeling the weight of the responsibility that had been given to him, Amon drew a deep breath and composed himself. This assignment was heavy with consequences, but it was also an excellent opportunity to prove himself. The Ravens had always been a secretive organization, as they had to be if they opposed the Order, and only higher ranking members could access the more confidential information.


    Amon started giving a run-down of the information he had received to Bel. As he was describing the Holy Knights they would have to face; he saw Bel''s face getting darker and darker. At some point, he even stopped eating, something unusual for him. When Amon finished his presentation, Bel said. "We hit it big this time.


    -Indeed, it''s quite the mission. I think the hardest opponent will be this Undying individual. Dealing with him will prove to be quite a challenge.


    Bel shook his head slowly.


    -I think you''re mistaken. I''ve never fought this Undying, but I have had a brush with Stormbringer in the past. We didn''t fight directly, but I could never forget how he changed things around. We were in the outskirts of Bamako. We were a team of two hundred augmented fighters, and we sieged one of the Order''s main operational center in West Africa. Our victory was assured as we outnumbered and we bested them in terms of skill. We needed only two or three days to break their last defences. At least, that was until Stormbringer came in the picture.


    At that point, the waiter came back, and Amon quickly placed his order before he signalled to Bel to resume his tale.


    -Stormbringer immediately changed the Order''s strategy. They started laying traps and willingly abandoned parts of their stronghold to tighten their defence. They also raided us during the night, something they had never done before. They took the fight to us and out of nowhere, we started feeling like we were the ones being sieged. However, this change of strategy would have been meaningless in any other circumstance as their manpower wasn''t enough to pull it off. But Stormbringer''s strength was the deciding factor. His use of the lightning augmentation was wanton, to say the least; the storm in his name wasn''t just for show. We also discovered some peculiar things about his power. When the electricity hit our retractable swords, it disrupted the circuitry and made us unable to use our weapon.


    "At that point, we were left without weapons and always on the defensive, so our leader chose to retreat. The power of this one man changed the whole outcome of the battle. If he already been in New-Paris for an entire month, I dread to think about what kind of measures he has to place to make our life hell.


    - We already know he has augmented a portion of the city guards. It''ll be hard to predict what kind of moves he has taken to ensure their safety as they deal with the safehouse.


    -The faster we act, the less time he has to prepare.


    -In that case, we shouldn''t delay too much. We will need to do some recon work first. If I were to guess, I''d say they are somewhere in the business district. The area they are in should be somewhat restricted. Scouting potential location might be the most efficient way to find them. Since we can''t use the operatives stationed in the city, who are too busy evacuating, we can only count on ourselves.


    -When we find the place, how do we act?


    -I think our best bet if infiltration. I want to avoid a direct confrontation as the three Holy Knights sound like troublesome opponents.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    -Shall we head out?


    In Bel''s voice, Amon could sense impatience and a hint of bloodlust. Bel seemed eager to get to kill and that worried Amon. In a bind, he wasn''t sure Bel would follow his directive as he preferred bloody combat to stealth action. However, he needed to trust him as Amon couldn''t deal with this alone.


    -Let me eat first, and we still need to pinpoint the most probable location of their base of operation.


    At that moment, the waiter came back with Amon''s food. As he ate, Bel and he discussed the sites they would scout first. They also decided to act separately to cover more ground. Since time was of the essence, the quicker they could find their enemies'' whereabouts, the faster they could kill them.


    Amon paid for both of their food, and his heart ached a bit as he saw the bill. They headed for the business district in the center of the city. Walking this way meant they would pass by where they had killed the captain of the guards yesterday. After about an hour they saw a large crowd blocking the road. It seemed like the guard had set up a perimeter and cut off all circulation in the area. With a mischievous smile, Bel headed for the crowd. Amon could only helplessly follow him as he didn''t want to let him on his own in a situation like this. With his unpredictable character, Amon didn''t feel safe.


    The crowd was relatively large, with about two-hundred people gathered around the scene of the incident. They had little difficulty making their way to the front of the group as Bel''s height was enough to make people subconsciously get out of his way. When they got to the front, they could see the aftermath of their battle more clearly with the aid of the daylight.


    The were several black marks on the pavements where the pyromancer had unleashed his fire. Thankfully there were no flammable materials nearby when they fought yesterday, or it could have devolved in a massive explosion. The bodies had not been cleared up yet, probably because they were waiting for some crime scene experts to come to analyze what had happened. The gore did not seem to discourage the crowd who seemed morbidly fascinated by the whole ordeal. Two dozen guards were keeping the people at bay behind the security tape.


    An officer of the guard, probably an investigator was crouched next to the body of the captain. His furrowed brow signalled his lack of understanding of how the event could have unfolded. As far as they knew their captain and the few who had accompanied him had been recently augmented and it would hard for them to find their match in the city.


    Amon didn''t want to stay here for too long. He looked up to Bel and saw a disgusting smile on his lips. He motioned to him and albeit reluctantly, Bel followed him. As they were leaving, Amon saw from the corner of his eye a familiar figure among the crowd. It was the young lady from this morning. Ven was it? However, what grabbed Amon''s attention wasn''t the fact that she was here but rather the expression on her face. Most of the people in the crowd had either a shocked or fascinated expression, but her''s was somewhat pensive as if she had encountered a puzzle that needed solving.


    When Amon noticed her, she seemed to have sensed his gaze and turned towards him. They were easily seen among the crowd, especially Bel with his height. A look of surprise flashed through her eyes when she saw Amon. As she looked up to Bel, her gaze completely changed and seemed to become much sharper. An understanding smirk also flashed on her face for an instant, so short Amon wasn''t sure if he had hallucinated it.


    Amon felt like it would do them no good if they stayed here and he led Bel outside the crowd. A few minutes later, Bel asked Amon: "Who was that lady with whom you were having a staring contest? She seemed to know us. Don''t tell me you''re having some fun outside of our mission. If that was the case, you should have called me.


    The insinuation behind Bel''s remark made Amon shiver slightly. He did not doubt that if he did, the night would find a way to end in blood.


    -I merely met her at the hotel this morning.


    -Is that so. You should be careful. I felt like something was weird about her."


    Amon didn''t reply, but he committed Bel''s warning to mind. No matter of much of an animal he was, Bel indeed had sharp instincts, and his experience was vast. If he bothered warning him, it meant there might genuinely be something more to her than Amon first thought.


    After circling the crowd, they entered the business district, and the sight was a far cry from what it had been the night before.

 Getting to work

    At night, the district had been an empty wasteland, but it was now bustling with activity. Cars were lining up the streets and pedestrians occupied nearly every free square metre of space. Along the roads were an abundance of shops ranging from small, privately owned stores to the more prominent brands famous throughout the Order. The sheer volume of people was giving Amon a headache. He signalled to Bel, and with a nod, the two of them headed their respective way.


    Amon was in charge of scouting the guard''s barrack; after all, it seemed like the most obvious choice. Knowing it would be hard to go against the flow of people, he let himself be taken away by the waves of people. It was the middle of summer, and there were a lot of tourists, crowding the place even more than usual. Though New-Paris was considered something of a remote city in the Order, the prestige that its name carried couldn''t be easily erased. In truth, it had little to do with the original Paris as most of it had burnt in the war of 2065 that shook the world and gave birth to the order. In this war, nuclear bombs laid waste to the Americas who were now known as a barren and hostile wasteland. In a few years, the major centres of power were wholly shaken, and it had only taken ten years for the newly established Order to position itself as the only force capable of salvaging what was left of humanity. They had set their capital in Cairo, near the resting place of the pharaohs and ruled the world with an iron fist. Regardless of the way they ruled, it was undeniable that they brought great advancement to science and had shot humanity in a new golden age of science. Their critics weren''t few, but their contribution to the world was such that most supported them. Of course, their military strength also helped.


    In the current world, there was only a single state that was not under the jurisdiction of the Order and was known as the Free Republic of Australia, FRA for short. They had been mostly spared during the war and were able to keep a coherent government throughout the whole crisis. They currently had a pact of non-aggression with the Order, and the two agreed to stay out of each other''s business. As such, the world had attained a state of fragile peace.


    As he was swept away by the crowd, Amon couldn''t stop thinking about the fact that this peace had been bought with the price of freedom. Never in their life did these people have any say about the way their life would go. Never did they vote, never did they change policies. They were forced to go along to the Order''s every whim. That was why the Ravens existed. To give these people their freedom back, even if it meant alienating them; even if it meant some of them would perish in the crossfire.


    Lost in reveries, Amon didn''t know how long had passed, but he was getting closer to the guard''s barrack. It was a very eye-catching building. It looked like a gigantic steel fortress with metal walls several meters high. It stuck out like a sore thumb in the colourful and lively business district and served as a constant reminder of the Order''s power. This fortress was built long before the rest of the city was ever constructed during the war and served as a command point for the Order in its early days. After New-Paris was established, it was repurposed into a garrison. It could hold several thousand guards and was the last set of defence for the city.


    The area surrounding the barracks was called the Justice Square and was a mostly paved park with benches and some beautiful sculptures and vegetation. It was a popular place for shoppers to take a rest before going about with the rest of their errands. Despite the metal fortress being massive and clashing with the city''s aesthetic, it wasn''t ugly by any means. The silvery walls were adorned with beautiful engraving, and the main building''s spire that was visible from everywhere in the district was iconic.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    When he got to the square, Amon quietly sat down on a bench, pretending like he was pausing after a relaxing stroll through the town. He was positioned perfectly to spy on the entrance of the barracks and could observe to see if there was any suspect movement from inside.


    He waited for a few hours, and as the sun started to set, he realized that there had been an unusually large amount of activity from inside with a large number of patrols going in and out of the barracks. However, he was unable to tell if it was due to the events of last night or if the Holy Knights were actively searching for the Ravens'' safehouse. To gain a more accurate picture of what was going on, he would need to infiltrate the barracks and see for himself.


    He hadn''t set a time for Bel and him to report to each other so he assumed that if Bel had an emergency, he would contact him on his phone. They didn''t use regular phones when communicating with their contacts in the Ravens, but they did have an encrypted phone for their personal use.


    To infiltrate the barracks, Amon would need a good disguise. It would be hard for him to fake being a repairman or something of the sort without the support of the operatives in the city so he would need to find another role to imitate. The simplest would be to take a guard''s uniform to pass the metal walls. Once inside, he would need to navigate carefully and get as much information as possible before quietly leaving the place.


    A guard uniform wouldn''t be so hard to get if he just found someone his size on patrol and stole his clothes, but he would need to get back to the garrison before they discovered that a patrol wasn''t responding. He also would need a good excuse as to why he wasn''t with the rest of his unit. However, those were details that could be worked out later. The most important part was to acquire a guard uniform without making too much noise.


    Amon got up from his bench and decided to roam around in the residential district until he found a patrol. It seemed like it wouldn''t be too hard as the Order was in a state of heightened security following the killing of their captain. Amon was surprised that there weren''t checkpoints set up in the city to control the flow of circulation. They also had taken no action to restrain exits to the town. The magnetic train was still up and running at full capacity while the airport was functioning unimpeded. Amon assumed that such a thing happened because the chain of command had been disrupted and paid it no mind.


    He decided to try his luck in the ninth district as it was the closest to his location. He set off, and it took him about forty-five minutes to meet the first patrol in the ninth district. At this time of day, the flow of people in the streets had reduced considerably, and it was mostly people finishing up their errands before shops closed for the day. Amon knew that patrols wouldn''t stay on the main roads for long and would eventually delve deep in the alleyways where the real shady parts of the city resided.


    Bidding his time, he followed them from a distance making sure not to be sure or to appear too suspicious to the eyes of passers-by. Amon was afraid that the climate in the city would only get tenser with the murder of the guards and the Holy Knights operating in the city. In such an environment, he had to be careful not to exhibit any suspicious behaviour. The twelve man patrol continued roaming the main streets of the area for about another thirty minutes before something seemed to catch their attention in a small and deserted alleyway between two tall apartment complexes. Amon saw this as his chance and followed them. He wasn''t armed, but this was hardly a concern as he was deadlier unarmed than most people, even when equipped with a weapon.


    Moreover, he needed to kill the guard from whom he wanted the uniform without spilling a drop of blood or damaging the clothing if he wanted to use it, so a weapon might only be a detriment to his mission. He readied himself and spied on the small road where the patrol had gone. They were currently in the middle of restraining a group of thugs. Sensing that this was his chance, Amon readied himself and sneaked behind the men.

 A New Skin

    Amon moved silently behind the guards. All of them were too busy restraining the group of seven thugs to notice him. Amon spotted a guard that was about his height, though he was a tad plumper and heavy. He surmised that his uniform would fit decently enough. He was about two meters from the man when he took a big lunge et grabbed the man by the neck. Using his enormous strength, he snapped the man''s neck without hesitation and threw his body about five meters to the side to avoid it being stained by the fight that would ensue.


    Immediately, the rest of the guards turned around and drew their weapon. However, Amon was still faster than them, and he seized the arm of the man closest to his left. He yanked him down and used his left foot to stomp on his arm, instantly breaking it. The sounds of bone breaking made the thugs, still on the ground and handcuffed, cringe. The man yelled in pain, but Amon did not let him off. He tugged on his broken arm and pulled the man back up just in time for Amon to push the poor guard straight in front of the slash his colleague had intended for Amon. In a flash, the man crumbled to the ground, a wide slash across the chest.


    There were still ten guards but the enclosed space made it harder for them to surround him as the alley was only about large enough for three people. Shocked by the fact he had been forced to kill his comrade, the guard didn''t react in time when Amon closed in on him and kicked the retractable sword out of his hand. In one motion, Amon grabbed the sword and immediately hardened it.


    Another guard charged him from the back, and the rest could only watch in horror as Amon side-stepped the attack and decapitated the man. He then went back to the guard from whom he took the sword and shoved it deep in his stomach. As he wanted to make this quick, Amon simply pushed the body aside and faced the remaining eight guards. By now, fear had gripped their hearts as they knew they had very little chance to survive this encounter.


    Amon Slashed down with his full strength and piercing one guard''s blocking stance and biting deep into his shoulder. He quickly dislodged the blade, causing a fountain of blood to erupt. He advanced to the next guard who tried a feint, but Amon saw right through it and once again, his sword found its way to through the man''s stomach. Seeing their comrade falling like leaves, the remaining six turned around and tried to escape. They knew they couldn''t get by him, but if they could flee, they would be safe. However, their thinking was naive. As soon as they escaped, Amon was right on their tail and considering how much faster he was, this chase didn''t last long, and the last man had only covered about five meters before being brought down.


    From beginning to end, the men had been too shocked to call for help, and the fight only lasted for a few moments. Facing regular humans, Amon didn''t need to exert himself. He first checked to see if the man he had singled out for his clothing was still relatively clean and he nodded in satisfaction when he saw there wasn''t a drop of blood on him. Amon stripped right then and there and exchanged clothes with the guard. He hung the weapon by his waist and opened the man''s wallet. The man''s name was Oliver Black. His badge was stuck to the inside of the wallet, and as Amon was putting it away, a small piece of paper fell. When Amon picked it up, he saw that it was a picture of a middle-aged lady cradling two young children. At this sight, he sighed and tossed the picture away. The man could only blame himself for having chosen the wrong side.


    Amon was leaving the alleyway when he remembered the thugs that had been arrested by the guards. They had kept very silent, hoping Amon would forget about them and they could live to see another day. Sadly for them, Amon didn''t want to leave any witnesses, and he came back, quickly executing the men. By now, the large cracks in the pavements were full of blood, and even Amon''s shoes were stained. He picked up his old shirt, still relatively clean and cleaned them up.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Finally satisfied with his appearance, Amon walked out of the alleyway, acting as if nothing happened. He made his way back to the barracks while thinking of a cover story. He couldn''t be confident that his story would work, after all, he lacked crucial information about the inner-workings of the city guard, but sadly he didn''t have the time nor the manpower to go hunting for that information.


    Once he arrived in front of the barrack, he saw the checkpoint at the entrance which was guarded by four individuals. Straightening his clothes, he walked to them and offered them a small nod before trying to enter. Before he could do so, however, the voice of the man of the right closest to him rang out. "Halt! Identify yourself and state your purpose!


    The man''s powerful voice rang out in Amon''s ear as he took out his wallet and delivered the speech he had prepared. For his whole plan to work, the man''s whose identity he stole needed to be an unfamiliar figure to the guards he encountered. If any of the four men at the checkpoint knew who this Oliver Black was, then his identity would be busted, and things would get ugly.


    " Oliver Black, I discharged for the day and on my way home when I noticed I forgot something in my locker.


    As he was talking, Amon took out Oliver''s wallet and flashed the badge inside. The guard looked to the man next to him and seeing him nod; he motioned to Amon to enter. Amon nodded once more and proceded inside.


    The sight behind the silver walls was something Amon had not expected. A small paved road led to a large courtyard with a gigantic bronze statue in the middle. From the yard, three paths led to different buildings. One was presumably the armoury, one the guards'' quarter and the last was the control center. Unsure as to which building was what, Amon slowly advanced to the courtyard. As he got closer to the statue, he realized what it represented. It was the founder of the Order, the commander-in-chief, the most powerful man in the world. His name was unknown to the masses and his likeness hidden. This was mostly done to add a layer of security, but Amon suspected there was another, more nefarious motive. As such, the face of the statue was blank and created an uneasy feeling in Amon.


    The commander-in-chief was identifiable by the book he held in his right hand and the sword he carried in his left, symbols of might and knowledge. Amon couldn''t help but snicker in disdain at the man he had sworn to take down. Suddenly a voice sneaked on him from behind. Amon was startled and was about to reach for his weapon, but he managed to restrain himself. It would do him no good to pull out his sword at a time like this. "Something funny sergeant Amon?


    Amon froze when he heard his name spoken. He was supposed to have the identity of a whole different man right now. He had minimal interactions with others in the time he had been in New-Paris. For someone to recognize him and call him by his name was bizarre. The voice was female, and for it to manage to sneak up to him without him noticing, Amon was shocked.


    He composed himself and turned around slowly, but the mask he had constructed on the fly broke apart instantly. Standing before him was a cheekily smiling Ven, the lady he had met in the hotel and had spotted in the fifth district. He was sure she wasn''t a part of the city guard, but here she was.


    Amon knew that the way he would deal with this situation would determine the success of his mission. If Ven wasn''t a military officer, then she had to have contacts that would allow her to infiltrate the military without resorting to the same kind of tactics Amon had used. She also shouldn''t be aware that he was part of the Ravens. If her goals required her to infiltrate, maybe an alliance would be possible? With this in mind, Amon smiled and answered: "Sergeant Ven! What a surprise! Is there anything I can do to help you?"

 Dealings in the Dark

    Ven hadn''t expected Amon to play along with her game and she gave him a curious look. "This is where I work, is it that surprising I would be here? Regardless, there''s something I''d like to speak to you about if you have time.


    -What a coincidence, there''s also something I need to discuss with you. How about we go somewhere private?


    Without a word, Ven headed for the largest building of the three, probably the command center. She didn''t turn back to see if Amon would follow her, knowing full he didn''t have a choice. Sighing at his misfortune, Amon gritted his teeth and went after her. The interior of the command center was, as was the rest of the Order''s official building, decorated in a minimalist design and had very in the way of furniture. They were in a big empty hall with white floors and white walls. A large set of stairs in the middle of the building lead to the next storey, but Ven headed for a small door of the right side of the hall. She opened it using a magnetic card and signalled to Amon to follow her quickly.


    The both of them then went down a narrow spiral staircase made of stone. After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at a metal gate which was once again opened via Ven''s magnetic card. Amon started to have a bad feeling about the whole ordeal, but he needed to see it through. Behind the door was a long hallway with a series of similarly heavy-looking metal doors of each side. Ven went to the first one on the left and opened it with her access card.


    Resigning himself, Amon followed her inside and saw an interrogation room. There were only two chairs and a table; all bolted to the ground. The room was somewhat spacious, but the lack of windows and the drab cement walls made it slightly claustrophobic. A single bright lightbulb protected by a metal grate bolted to the ceiling provided the only light. Without prompt from Ven, Amon closed the door behind him. They were now five meters apart and staring into each other''s eyes.


    Almost simultaneously, they reached for their retractable sword. Amon was slightly faster and lead with a thrust to close the gap between them. Ven was more agile than he expected and she dodged the attack by quickly stepping to the side. Amon tried to redirect his blow into a sideways slash, but due to his lousy positioning it lacked power and couldn''t break Ven''s guard. Amon was slightly surprised because although his last-minute adjustment weakened his blow, Ven still had no problem defending against it. A normal human would have recoiled from the shock. Amon knew he had to exercise caution if she was augmented.


    Ven took advantage of the fact that Amon was destabilized to slash down with her sword. Amon managed to draw back his arm just in time to block but doing so, he lost the advantaged and was pushed back by the flurry of blows immediately unleashed by Ven following her first attack. The door was right behind Amon, and he didn''t have much space left to retreat, so he decided to drop down when Ven did a high slash. He executed a quick somersault and struck with his sword while still crouching down. Ven jumped back to avoid the blow, and the two halted their assault and resumed their staring contest.


    "You''re good, but sadly for you, you won''t get to live another day." With those words, Ven stuck out her left hand and Amon had a bad feeling when he saw a small vein near her temple throb. Out of sheer instinct, he jumped to the side. Just as he did, a powerful gust of wind blasted the area where he stood previously. A bead of sweat rolled down Amon''s forehead; she was an augmented with the gust augmentation! This augmentation allowed it''s used to manipulate small pockets of air and create strong winds at a short range. Among the nanotechnological augmentations, it was one of the weakest but also had the smallest backlash on the user''s body. As such, it was a great complement to a good fighter. A well-timed gust of wind could change the course of battle. Ven seemed to need a short instant to use her abilities, a fact that didn''t escape Amon''s sight.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Not wanting to give her the time to send another gust his way, he charged and one more thrust his sword. She evaded the blow, but this time Amon was prepared. He forcefully stopped his charge and spun to redirect the momentum he had accumulated right into his next slash. Ven was pushed back, and Amon followed with a strike at her leg. Ven couldn''t recover in time, and she felt the metal bite into her leg. The wound wasn''t deep, but it was enough to throw her off.


    Amon took advantage of her temporary weakness to land a couple of solid blows, and a few wounds were added her body. She was weakening quickly, and Amon saw this as the perfect opportunity to land a crippling blow. He readied himself and launched a powerful thurst to her stomach. However, instead of the feeling of his sword tearing into flesh, Amon only felt a strong force suddenly striking him in the gut. Having put his full power into his blow, he was caught off guard and was sent flying to the wall of the room. He fell violently, and the shock almost made him drop his weapon. He looked up to see Ven charging towards him. She had tricked him! She was able to release her gust of wind faster than what she had let on and used his misunderstanding to land a solid blow.


    Amon wasn''t ready to admit defeat, and he waited until she was close enough to send a violent kick to the back of her knee from his position laying down. He quickly got up and pointed his sword right at her throat. Amon smiled victoriously and said, "You almost had me there, but I guess you were a bit out of luck. So, how about we discuss things more calmly now?


    -What do you mean ''almost had you''? I''d say we managed a pretty fair draw.


    Startled by her words, Amon looked down and saw the sword hovering a few centimetres in front of his crotch. Beads of sweat formed furiously on his forehead, and he thanked his past self for not rashly trying to finish her off just then. The two of them squared off for a while before Amon retracted his sword as a show of good faith. He hung the handle on his hip and stepped back. Without looking at Ven''s reaction, he sat in one of the chairs in the middle of the room.


    With a slight smile, Ven also retracted her weapon. She got up and dusted her clothes before sitting in front of Amon. A strange silence settled in the room. For the first time, Amon truly looked at the woman that sat in front of him. He hadn''t noticed the first time, but she was stunning. She had shoulder length silky brown hair and green eyes. He celestial nose throned above her sensual mouth. She had high cheekbones that emphasized the features of her face. Amon couldn''t keep his jaw from gaping a little bit. Upon seeing the playful light in Ven''s eyes, he composed himself and said. " You aren''t a Holy Knight, you aren''t part of the military, yet you infiltrated them. Just who are you?


    -I could ask the same. You called yourself Oliver Black on one instance and Amon the other. That''s not something a righteous man would do. However, what tells you I''m not a Holy Knight?


    Amon kept his mouth shut, realizing he might have said too much.


    -So, here we have a man who knows about holy knights, infiltrates the city guard and is augmented with some powerful physical augmentations. If I didn''t know better, I might say you were a part of the Ravens.


    Amon saw the bait she had laid in front of him and decided to skip past it with an enquiry of his own.


    -Well, how about you? A woman infiltrates the military, has a gust augmentation and tries to kill someone she knows is aware of her status as an impostor. If I didn''t know better, I might say you were the one who is part of the Ravens. By the way, how is the cut on your leg?


    -It''s okay; it''ll heal in no time if I apply some ointment and let it for a few days. It looks like we''ll get nowhere if someone doesn''t take the plunge first. I''m an intelligence operative for the Ravens.


    Amon was startled as he didn''t expect her to reveal that on her own. He hesitated a little before speaking. Even though he couldn''t trust her, he was confident that if things turned awry, he would be able to take care of her.


    -I see. I also am a part of the Ravens, though I am a field operative. Aren''t you worried that I won''t let you live to see the light of day now that I''ve revealed that?


    -I am confident that if we fought seriously, I could take you down.


    The seriousness in her tone and the resolution in her eyes sent a chill down Amon''s spine, and he took a mental note to be careful around her.


    -So, mind telling me why you''re here? And why HQ didn''t warn me of the presence of other operatives in New-Paris?

 Found in Unexpected Places

    Ven sat upright on her chair and looked Amon in the eyes while she started telling the reason for her presence in New-Paris. " As I''ve said, I''m an intelligence operative. My work consists mainly of infiltrating and monitoring the Order. I was previously stationed in Cairo. About a month ago I made a report to the Order that three Holy Knights had left the capital and were headed to one of our safehouses. However, I wasn''t able to discover where exactly they were heading because my cover was at risk of getting found.


    As such, I requested a withdrawal from my current mission and a reassignment. For the past month, I was in one of the Ravens'' hidden base, waiting for a new identity to come through, and a new mission to go with it. Since I''m a New-Paris native, they sent me here to observe the Order''s movement in Europe. I arrived two days ago.


    My new identity was that of an Order''s soldier who was transferring because of familial reasons. This afternoon I reported to the New-Paris command and was placed in a unit. My goal is essential to climb the ranks and not get discovered.


    -I see; although, I''m surprised you answered. Usually, intelligence operatives are quite secretive.


    -I just thought it might be good to make myself some allies. Plus, without the support of the safe house, it might be pretty hard for you to do your work.


    -How much do you know about my mission?


    -Most of it. Remember, I was the one who found out that Holy Knights were deployed. The fact you tried to infiltrate the guard even after killing the captain shows you still have another objective. Most likely, those three Holy Knights are in New-Paris.


    -Indeed, I don''t have much time before they raid our base.


    -You have at most three days, so you better hurry it up.


    -What? Three days only?


    -Don''t forget the Holy Knights have been here for almost a month now. They''ve had plenty of time to prepare. I would guess the only reason they didn''t act sooner is that they didn''t want to alert our operatives in the city.


    -Can our men hurry up with the evacuation?


    -Sadly, no. We have too much physical evidence and material that needs to be moved. Now that their location is compromised, they need to flee regardless, but if you can''t take care of the Holy Knights in three days, some crucial information regarding our operations in Europe might lend in the Order''s hands.


    Amon sat back in his chair, thinking deeply. They had even less time than he had anticipated. They might need to take care of the Holy Knights without optimal preparation. As he was thinking, Amon noticed a detail that had escaped him.


    -When we met this morning, did you know who I was?


    -I only thought you were weird; Ven let out a silvery laugh. During my mission, I need to act as normal as possible and interacting with people is part of my job. However, I became suspicious after I saw you near the scene of the captain''s murder.


    -I remember you having a weird look after seeing Bel.


    -Is Bel the tall guy that was with you?


    -Yeah, Bel''s pretty eye-catching.


    As she heard him speak, Ven looked she had an epiphany.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    -Wait, Bel as in Bel the Ravens'' legendary crazed assassin? No wonder I felt like I recognized him. You''re quite something to be working with him.


    -We''ve been together for the past five years, but this is our first real mission. The rest was just some odd jobs. Is Bel that famous?


    -Infamous rather. But as an intelligence operative, I wouldn''t want to give you some wrong information, so I''ll just shut up. Regardless, I have a proposition for you. How about we work together; I help you with your mission, and you owe me a favour.


    -What type of favour?


    -I don''t want to stay an intelligence operative forever; there''s not much advancement. So how about you request for me to be a part of your team once this is all over and we can work together in the future. You guys have much more authority and prestige in that regard; plus, my skills might prove useful to you.


    Amon paused to think. Ven had already proved herself quite capable in terms of combat capabilities, and she had managed to dig out some vital information. An ally like her surely couldn''t hurt. However, he felt like she had a hidden purpose in making such a request.


    He didn''t need to doubt her identity as she had revealed some information that could only be known by someone who belonged to the Ravens. What he suspected was why she wanted to join him. Seeing him so deep in thought, Ven guessed that something was bugging him.


    -If you doubt my motive in wanting to join you, let me say this. It''s true that there is something I want to do and I might need your help in the future, but I can swear it won''t be detrimental to you. As we work together and get closer, I''ll let you in on the details. For now, we''ll have to trust each other. The information you know pretty much confirms your identity to me, and it''s probably the same for you.


    Amon weighed his options and realized that she was right. They were both a part of the Ravens and even if she had a hidden purpose, that wasn''t something that he needed to worry about for now. And even if something were to happen in the future, he was confident in handling it.


    -Alright then, let''s work together to get rid of these Holy Knights."


    The two of them then reached across the table and shook hands. If they were working together, Amon''s job would get much more comfortable as he had little experience doing actual reconnaissance work. For the next fifteen minutes, Ven explained everything he had done wrong in trying to infiltrate the guard''s barrack. Amon knew his plan was somewhat weak but he didn''t realize it was that bad and the lecture made him slightly depressed. He always loved to be on the safe side and to take unnecessary risks was against his nature, and he realized just how much he had put himself at risk unknowingly.


    After that embarrassing episode, the two started discussing the possible location of the three Holy Knights. Amon asked, "Are you sure the three Holy Knights aren''t in here?


    -I''m pretty sure. I haven''t been here long, but from the few conversations I had with other guards, it seems that when they only communicated orders through the captain. This morning, after finding out he was killed, they appointed someone else to relay their instructions.


    -It seems they''re using a puppet to avoid revealing themselves too soon. I guess that they will only willingly come out when they start the raid on the safehouse. Have they brought any of their men with them? Or are they using local troops only?


    -I don''t have any confirmation for this, but I highly doubt they would only use local troops. After all, most guards aren''t augmented. Even the captain wasn''t before the Holy Knights came. To have a stronger strike force, they will surely have brought their troops. Plus, it''s better to be safe than sorry. Anyway, I might have an idea as to where the Holy Knights are hidden.


    -Please do tell me.


    -I have a sneaking suspicion that they might be at the mayor''s house. Not only is he one of the few officials from the Order with enough authority to host them, but rumour also has it that is mansion is quite something.


    -In what sense? Is it that big?


    -It is gigantic, but it''s more about the sheer amount of defensive capabilities it has. You haven''t been here long so you might not know, but the mayor is the only place in New-Paris equipped with mounted turrets. There have always been rumours from former servants and employees that the house was also equipped with a ton of gadgets and defensive mechanisms. If the Holy Knights wanted a safe place to rest and house their troops, then it might be the best choice.


    -It might be worth investigating if that is the case. Do you have any way of getting us into the mansion? Like an assignment from the guard or something?


    -I wouldn''t bet on it. Although the guard and the mayor are both a part of the Order, the mayor has his security force assigned by the Order, so he doesn''t rely on the guard. Even so, the two must interact in some way so I''ll try to do some digging. However, don''t get your hopes up. You should also take some action on your own to avoid the worst if I don''t succeed.

 Investing in Investigations

    Amon listened closely as Ven told him everything she knew about the mayor. His name was John Glass, and he had offended a high ranking official of the Order, resulting in him getting assigned to a distant city and permanently being excluded from the Order''s decision process. He was massively wealthy regardless of his disgrace and didn''t care much for power. He left most decisions to experts in various fields, and they ensured the city ran smoothly. As such, the city was able to function relatively well despite the mayor''s lack of investment.


    They discussed a variety of plans but eventually came up with a two-facetted idea. First, Ven would try to infiltrate the mayor''s mansion using her connections in the city guard. In case that failed, Amon and Bel would try to find more analog, and more forceful, ways to enter the mansion. As soon as either of them had a way inside, they would take action. As for the way they would take care of the Holy Knights individually, they would have to wait to see the situation inside, but they would prioritize stealth action over fighting.


    Before they parted ways to complete their part of the assignment, the two of them exchanged contact information and agreed to contact each other via their encrypted phone. Before they parted ways, Amon''s gaze drifted to the multiple cuts he had managed to land on Ven in the fight earlier, and something suddenly dawned on him. " I might not be the best person to ask this but, how are you going to deal with your uniform having several cuts? It''s not exactly inconspicuous.


    -That shouldn''t be a significant problem. I have a spare uniform in my locker. As long as I can get there without attracting attention, I should be fine. There aren''t that many people here at this hour, so I''ll be fine unless you want to lend me your clothes?


    Ven''s cheeky smile almost made Amon blush, and he ignored her last comment. He got up and motioned to the door.


    -We should probably leave before someone finds us here.


    -Alright, I''ll contact you if I find anything. Otherwise, contact me when you manage to enter the mansion. Also, we should leave at slightly different times to avoid some suspicion."


    Amon understood her meaning and took the initiative to leave first. As he borrowed the identity of a dead man, it was much more urgent for him to get out early. He opened the door and followed the way they had taken to get here. Looking around in Oliver Black''s wallet, he found a magnetic card similar to the one Ven had used, and with its help he made it made it back into the lobby of the Barrack. Without tarrying, he left the way he came. The guards at the entrance of the metal walls were different, and they didn''t pay him any attention as he went home.


    It wasn''t convenient for Amon to be seen in his hotel with this guard uniform, so he took his time going back. It was already evening, and by the time he had arrived, the sky had darkened considerably. Borrowing the cover of darkness, Amon climbed to his hotel room once more. The night hadn''t gotten any cooler and to wipe away the dampness that invaded his clothes, he hopped in the shower.


    While he was scrubbing his body clean, he thought back to the events of the past few days. This was his first real mission for the Ravens, and he was anxious to accomplish it flawlessly. On the one hand, he was ambitious and wanted to move up the ranks and on the other, he merely wanted to repay the Ravens for saving his life when he was just a kid.


    He was born in the slums of Cairo and was an orphan by the age of five. He was taken in by a group of thieves who used him to complete petty theft and treated him horribly. One day, that group crossed the path of a Raven, and they were instantly obliterated. Instead of abandoning Amon, that man had chosen to take him under his wing. He barely ever spoke, and when he did, he was teaching Amon about the cruelty of the world the Order had created. By the age of fifteen, Amon volunteered to join the Ravens, and the man gladly introduced him. He found out he had excellent compatibility with physical augmentations and the Ravens trained him for a while, before assigning him to do some odd jobs with Bel to gain some experience.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Amon cut off the water and dried himself with a towel. He wrapped it around his body as he got out of the bathroom. He saw a light on cellphone blinking, and he guessed either Bel or Ven had sent him a message. He used his fingerprint to open the device and saw that Bel had sent him a short but efficient message: "Couldn''t find anything. Any luck on your side?" Amon quickly typed out a reply saying he had an unexpected encounter and a new lead. He asked Bel to come to his hotel room tomorrow morning, and he would fill him in on the details then.


    Amon didn''t want to meet at the Den this time as they needed to prepare for the mission ahead. In his luggage, he had some clothes and essentials, but it was mostly filled with gadgets and weapons that could be useful for the task ahead. He quickly sent another message to Bel asking him to bring his luggage tomorrow morning. He didn''t know what to expect from the mayor''s mansion, but he wanted to be prepared for everything.


    Amon looked at the guard''s clothes he had taken from the man named Oliver Black. Would his family miss him? Was he a good father, a good husband? Amon couldn''t help but regret the situation he had been put in. He didn''t regret what he did; he regretted that the Order''s arrogance in ruling over the world had led to this. The only way for everything to come to an end would be either the collapse of the Ravens or the collapse of the Order. With a last sigh, Amon folded the man''s clothes and stored them in his luggage. This military uniform might come in useful later.


    Amon cleared up his bed and laid down for a good night of sleep.


    When morning came, Amon rose with a start. He was immediately fully awake as years of practice had allowed him to be ready for action as soon as he woke up. There was a small coffee machine on the small dresser in the room, and Amon fixed himself a drink. When he realized he was naked, he quickly put on a pair of underwear and slowly drank his coffee as he looked back on the files concerning the Holy Knights.


    From what he knew, Bel was a morning person and should be here shortly. As he was supposed to lead this operation, he wanted to be prepared and not have to rely too much on Bel to bridge the gap in his experience. It was about eight in the morning when there was a light thud from the door. Amon put the files to the side and approached the door. In the peephole, he could only see the sinking chest of a man in a light shirt. Judging solely from the height and the skinniness, Amon knew it was Bel and opened the door.


    Bel looked around the room and greeted Amon with a loud "Good morning." It seemed the prospect of finally fighting Holy Knights put him in high spirits. He dumped his luggage on the ground near the dresser and sat on the chair by the desk in front of the bed. He was dressed in regular clothes, but they couldn''t hide his bony body. "So boss, what have you found yesterday?"


    Prompted by Bel, Amon recounted the events of the previous day while omitting the whole part about Ven. He instead made up some event about him interrogating some guard from the Order to gain this information. He didn''t know why but he wanted to avoid telling Bel about Ven just yet. He didn''t trust her fully just yet, and he had an inkling that if Bel found out he had talked about their mission with someone else he wouldn''t hesitate to eliminate them.


    -I see, so they have turrets mounted to the mansion itself. That could be a problem, but thankfully we aren''t doing a frontal assault. Do you have any plans to sneak inside the mansion?


    -To supply the troops from the Order brought by the Holy Knights, the entourage of the mayor and every servant, they have to have supplies come in at regular intervals. If there is an auxiliary entrance for delivery, we might be able to use this to gain access to the mansion itself. If we wait until nighttime, there will be minimal security inside as most of it is outside. We''ll have to be careful, but with most people inside asleep, we''ll be able to move almost unimpeded.


    -Do we take care of any Holy Knight if we happen across them?


    -If we can, it''d be best to kill them as fast as possible."


    A grim smile flashed on Bel''s face, and he threw his luggage on the bed. "We better start preparing then."

 The Sharper the Blade

    When Bel threw his luggage on the bed, Amon did the same, and the two exposed the material they would have on hand for this operation. They couldn''t bring everything so they would have to choose carefully. Being ill-prepared while facing Holy Knights could spell their end. Both of them took out their retractable sword, but to Amon''s surprise, the one Bel took out was different. Sensing Amon''s gaze, Bel explained; "This was custom-made for me. It''s larger, longer and way heavier. The average retractable sword doesn''t suit my build." Amon shrugged and suppressed the chill climbing his spine. The gigantic Bel wielding an oversized sword was the stuff of nightmares.


    Amon drew that despite its power, only someone who possessed sufficient physical strength could use it. Otherwise, if every soldier of the Order were equipped with such a weapon, things would be a lot more complicated.


    These swords functioned using electrical current; their power source had predetermined longevity. Most swords could last for a few weeks of constant activation before running of power, but such a sword would run out faster. Not that this mattered to most as retractable swords could be recharged with any power socket.


    Next, Amon took out several metal tubes, each about fifteen centimetres in length, with a pin at the top. They were very clearly grenades. Although most grenades weren''t a threat to augmented warriors, they could still be used to either cover their retreat or create some chaos. It wasn''t that the explosive force of those grenades was weak but rather that with the athletic abilities of most augmented, it was easy to either get out of the way or to lob it back at the attacker.


    Out of his bag, Bel took out several syringes and divided them into two piles. The first pile was full of a bright blue liquid that seemed to squirm and twist as Amon looked at it befuddled. With a proud smile, Bel introduced the fluid. "These aren''t your regular syringes. When I heard we were fighting The Undying, I made a trip to a shop that deals in ''unusual goods.'' The liquid in itself is only water but what it contains it rather amusing. There are a plethora of small nanobots that have the sole purpose of disrupting nanotechnological augmentation. Its somewhat rare and expensive and I was only able to acquire two of them.


    Amon was shocked to see such a thing in Bel''s possession. He knew that these types of things existed, but they were so rare that he never thought he would get to see them one day. Even the Ravens only had a minimal supply of them and would only take them out when dealing with the strongest Holy Knights. For Bel to get his hands on these showed that he had some seriously influential contacts.


    -I''m impressed, though wouldn''t they be useless against The Undying, after all, he only has physical augmentations.


    -I doubt it. If he indeed has such a powerful regeneration, it has to be supported by some nanotechnology. However, this will only disrupt it temporarily and won''t get rid of his restoration altogether.


    -That''s still better than nothing. Couldn''t we also use one of those on Stormbringer?


    -If you can get close enough to him, though I doubt you''ll ever get the chance.


    Amon nodded. He knew how hard it would be to get rid of an augmented that could send streams of electricity flying towards them from a distance. Amon pointed to the other syringes and looked at Bel quizzically.


    -These are for my personal use only. You''ll see if I ever need to use them.


    Without another word, Amon took out two dark blue vests from his luggage. The jacket had long sleeves that ended within a fingerless glove with the palm left uncovered. He handed one to Bel and wore the second one. It took him a while to adjust the various straps and make himself comfortable, and when he was done, he saw that Bel was blankly looking at him.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    -Aren''t you going to wear it?


    -Are these body armour? I don''t like the way they restrict movement. Plus, they have a hard time blocking strikes from retractable swords.


    -These are the latest prototypes and were given to me by my benefactor before we headed out of Cairo. Supposedly they can stop several sword attacks before needing replacement. Plus, they should be so light and flexible that they act like any other shirt would. Wearing it now, I must agree that it''s quite comfortable. The one I gave you should be made in your size.


    With a skeptical look, Bel wore the jacket and light flickered in his eyes once he was done trying it out. He felt the vest wasn''t interfering with his movements. Plus, it was so light that it didn''t interfere with his actions. Feeling satisfied, he wore his shirt over it and knew that this piece of protection might very well save his life in this operation. At first, Bel wasn''t so confident in fighting The Lion without resorting to some underhanded tricks, but this allowed him to be much more confident. He gave Amon a big thumbs up and proceded to store some of the grenades and his syringes in the few pockets sewn in the jacket. He gave one syringe of blue disruption liquid and left the other for Amon.


    Amon also stored his equipment in his pockets before pulling out a couple of knives from his luggage. Unlike the one the captain of the guards had used to stab him, these were made of the same alloy as the retractable swords and wouldn''t break on impact. He offered some to Bel who declined and kept all five of them. The length of those blades was only about ten centimetres, but they could be used both as throwing knives and a bad surprise during a close-quarter fight.


    The two of them rumbled through their luggage for a while before concluding that this was everything they could bring while remaining inconspicuous. Bel turned to Amon and asked: "When are we setting out?


    -Let''s head out as soon as we finish here.


    It was still early in the day, and they had plenty of time to find somewhere they could have a good view of the mansion while remaining hidden, in the dark or plain sight. A restaurant or public park would be the ideal as they could pretend to idle the whole day through. Since it was Sunday, nobody would think it was weird for people to hang out outside.


    Amon tidied up the room and left, Bel by his side. The two of them went down to the lobby and left the hotel. The sky was getting cloudy, but the rays of the sun still found the way to make this day an exceptionally bright one. The two men set out in the direction of the mayor''s mansion. Unlike most official buildings, it wasn''t in the business district but rather in the first residential district, quite a way from where they were. To avoid walking all the way there, the two men took a bus.


    As always, the streets of New-Paris were crowded, and it was no different inside the bus. There were no sitting places left, and they were forced to stand at the front of the vehicle. The two were careful not to brush too close to other people as they did not want other people feeling that they concealed some things under their clothes.


    Like all the vehicles in the Order, the bus functioned fully on electricity. The Order was rigorous on matters of pollution and had spent a lot of their resources finding ways to create clean energy. By now, the Order was able to recycle pretty much everything that was thrown away, and there was little pollution emitted by either vehicles or industries.


    After about thirty minutes, Amon and Bel had arrived as close to their destination as the bus would get them, so they got off and headed closer. The first residential district was the wealthiest one, and instead of tall apartment buildings and steel skyscrapers, there were large homes and elegant condominiums. The main street in this district was named l''Avenue des Champs-Elysee after a famous street from the old Paris. Even though nobody spoke french anymore, they chose this name as a way to demonstrate the prestige of the first residential district.


    The avenue was broad and on both sides were beautifully maintained flowerbeds. Shops rivalling those in the business district lined the streets. However, those shops weren''t intended for everybody. Instead, they were luxury shops designed for the upper class of New-Paris. From what Amon knew, the mayor''s mansion was situated near the end of this road. As the two of them walked down the street, they managed to avoid strange looks from the locals by simply looking confident. The clothes they wore weren''t ostentatious, but they were clean. Plus, since Amon was quite handsome, the two of them didn''t appear too of place. Their attitude also helped bridge the gap between reality and what they wanted to project. By looking as if they were entitled to walk here, they seemed the part.


    After about thirty minutes, the two of them saw the mayor''s mansion in the distance. Even at a single glance, they were able to determine that it was their target.

 Wealth, Knowledge and Power

    Even from a distance, the mayor''s mansion was quite eye-catching. Not only was it more prominent than all other buildings in the area by a factor of three, but its architecture was also unique as well. Instead of following the minimalist conventions that ran through the Order at the moment, it followed the style of the palace of Versailles of old. It seemed evident that this mayor was somewhat interested in the history of the old Paris and of France in general.


    The mansion itself was separated from the streets by a big lawn that was maintained carefully. A tall metal fence blocked off the path to the estate. On the building itself, several turrets surveyed the perimeter. It was hard to tell if they were automated or handled by a human operator. On the side of the estate, there was a path that led to a road perpendicular to the main street, on the eastern side of the estate. This was the path suppliers would take when they wanted to deliver to the mansion and, just like the main entrance, it was guarded by a checkpoint of the mayor''s forces.


    As they did not want to stand around and look at the mansion all day, as it would be both suspicious and annoying, the two looked across the street to find a coffee shop or something. Immediately, something caught their eye. Not because it seemed like something they would enjoy particularly, but because it was positioned at just the right place to spy on both the auxiliary entrance and the main entrance. The shop seemed to be called "The Right Word" and was a mix of a library and a teahouse.


    As there was little circulation in the streets, the two men didn''t bother looking for an intersection and just crossed the road where they were. When they entered the shops, an older lady excitedly guided them to a seat and handed them a menu. She explained that while they were here, they could read any book that was on the shelves. The place was deserted, and Amon could understand why. Everything just seemed kind of dusty. There were only a few tables at the front with a perfect view outside thanks to the huge window. The back was lined with bookshelves that looked ready to crumble under the weight of the books.


    To keep up appearances, Amon got up and walked to the rows of dimly lit bookshelves, much to the delight of the owner. He perused the books on display and was given a fright when he realized how old they were. The spines which were once presumably white were now yellow, and the covers were so withered Amon felt they would turn to dust when he touched them. Amon hesitated to pick anything up, and the old lady noticed this and came to him. "These books might be old, but they''re only reproduction. They''re as sturdy as can be.


    To demonstrate her point, the old lady picked a book at random and smacked it a bit. She looked at it affectionately before putting it back in place.


    -Although the cover is only made to look old, the content in them is genuinely ancient. All of these books date back to before the war. There are stories, textbooks, biographies and everything you could dream of can be found here. Sadly we only have these few bookshelves, but the historical value inside is truly astounding. The mayor is a big fan of this teahouse and even pleaded with us to move right in front of his house to give him easier access to this wealth of knowledge.


    Amon looked at these bookshelves with a new appreciation. He was an assassin, but he was still curious about the history of the world before the Order took over. He had the intimate conviction that if they could retrace the origins of the Order, they might be able to find some clues to defeat it. After all, the beginnings of the Order were shrouded in mystery and schools mostly taught modern history, claiming that the teachings of old had lead to the war. With this apparent righteous reason, the Order had restricted the presence of pre-Order history in circulation.


    The shop before his eyes was indeed an anomaly and it was without a doubt that the only reason it could exist in this world was with the protection of the mayor. Amon felt that this was a golden opportunity to learn more about the mayor and maybe gain some useful information about their mission, but first, he had to earn the old lady''s trust. He felt like it wouldn''t be too hard considering how quickly she had started telling him everything about her shop.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He listened to her quietly, sometimes asking some questions and nodding his head. After what seemed like an eternity but what probably only a half-hour, the old lady seemed to come to her senses. "My God! I''ve kept you for too long. How about you choose a book, and I''ll bring you my best tea?


    -That sounds lovely, I''ll also choose something for my friend, and I''ll wait for your tea with impatience.


    With a charming smile, Amon picked two books after looking at them intensely. When he walked back to their table, Bel was looking at him amusedly.


    -It looked like you were getting along well with that old fart, I didn''t know you strike zone was so intense, but I respect it.


    -Stop talking trash; she might prove useful. The mayor is a fan of this shop and even personally paid for it to move in front of his house. He comes here often so we might be able to get some interesting information from her.


    -Who knew the mayor was like you, interested in lady past their prime.


    -I think it has more to do with the books. They are all reproduction of books from before the war. It''s a goldmine of knowledge.


    Bel wasn''t impressed and looked quite bored while looking at the bookshelves. Amon knew he wasn''t interested in the past, or any academic matter, so he didn''t press the subject.


    -At least look like you''re interested. This is a golden opportunity to fish for intel on the mayor.


    Bel lazily nodded his head and opened the book Amon had brought him. It was titled "A short history of modern art" and was a textbook from before the war. Bel''s face visibly dropped when he saw the contents, but he couldn''t be bothered to get up and get another book so he could only look at Amon and weep silently. Satisfied by his little prank, Amon also opened his book and waited for the lady to bring him their tea.


    Amon didn''t pay attention to what he was reading, even if he was interested, as he had to keep an eye on the mayor''s estate for any activity. As such he had picked a book that seemed like it would take a long time to read, to justify passing the whole day at the tea shop.


    After a few minutes, the old lady was back with their tea and set it before the two men. She picked the teapot and served them. She looked pleased with their choice of book and excused herself, leaving them to their reading.


    The morning passed slowly as the two "enjoyed" their tea and reading. There was little activity coming from the mayor''s mansion apart from the occasional shift rotation of the guards at the entrance. Eventually, the two of them finished their tea, and the old lady came towards them with a big smile plastered on her face."How was it, young men? I''m pretty confident in my team.


    Amon answered as Bel seemed like his mask of gentleness would break at any moment if he was forced to converse with the old lady.


    -It was lovely; it goes well with the impressive collection you''ve got here. If you don''t mind me asking, what is the big mansion right across the street?


    -Oh, that''s the mayor''s residence. He''s such a darling; I wish I had a son like that. I take it you two aren''t from around here if you don''t know that.


    -We''re here on a business assignment and took the opportunity to visit this beautiful city. Your shop was without a doubt the crowning jewel of this whole visit.


    At these words, Bel looked like he was about to get sick. He couldn''t stand the sweet tone that Amon had borrowed, and even Amon felt that it was too much. However, the old lady seemed to appreciate the flattery as she blushed slightly.


    -Oh, stop it, young man! I might have made a move on you if I weren''t already old.


    It took Amon''s full willpower not to spit out the tea he had in his mouth. He composed himself and decided that he had done bootlicking enough and he asked about the mayor again.


    -The mayor has such a big mansion! It must take a lot of employees to sustain that big of an estate. I wonder if he gets his food delivered directly.


    -Indeed he does! Every day he gets fresh produce delivered from the market near noon.


    At these words, Amon looked at the clock at the back of the shop. It indicated a quarter past eleven. If they wanted to get into position and find the optimal way to go about it, they would need to act quick. Amon closed his book, got up and shook the old lady''s hand. "We had a lovely morning, but I believe we have a meeting coming soon so we''ll have to take our leave.


    -Make sure to come back. I always appreciate strapping young men who enjoy reading."


    With these parting words from the old lady, the two of them paid for their tea and left in a hurry. After this whole exchange, Amon swore never to set foot in this shop again, no matter how much he was interested in the books she held.