Hidden Hearts (group activity)

Thanos stood a moment in the dirty street, squinting through the rain at the entrance to the Blood Fortress.  The fortress was a rough block of land, squared off in great stone walls that spanned near a mile on each side.  The walls were built, however, to mold into the city, buildings being built against the walls of the same stone and the great Traveler's bridge that arched over the entire city from one gate to the opposite, held a tangent – a smaller bridge that dove down and stopped at another gate to the fortress itself.1

Thanos was told by a peddler who had only been interested in bartering information for gold, that the point of such architecture was so no one but the master Assassins inside the fortress knew every gate, hidden or visible, and knew who all was allowed and forbidden entrance to the place.  Thanos also suspected that he gave the master assassins numerable places to come and go without being seen and suspected.2

The guild of assassins who trained and held their headquarters inside the fortress was not a sanctioned guild by the kingdom, but neither was it made publically illegal.  The peddler whispered to Thanos how the government more often then not hired the assassins instead of spiting them.  It was true that the assassins had no loyalty to any government, but it was known that they were rather forced to either favor their king's rule, or accept a civil war, and that was always costly for everyone involved.  So the king Darveninan of Mirya had at his disposal the greatest and most secretive guild of killers on the continent.3

The entrance Thanos viewed from his muddy vantage point was actually an inn called the Hidden Dagger – quite aptly named, he thought.  Inside was one of a few well known recruiting areas.  And past the recruiters, a well guarded door led to the outer courtyard of the Blood Fortress.4

Being a small boy of no more than fifteen, Thanos was nevertheless quite sure of himself, and knew practically without doubt that he would be accepted into the assassin training ranks.  The reasons were simple: he had keen eyes, no parents, no loyalties to anyone but himself, and very little problem with incurring death.  Although he wouldn't admit it to anyone, for who knew where a royal detective hid, but Thanos had already been the source of three assassinations.  Random, without any provocation, the deaths had been a test – something Thanos had needed to know about himself, for he had little interest in life, and desired to know himself before he let himself be swallowed by death himself.5

Rain had long since soaked through Thanos' tattered, hooded cloak, and underneath, his dark brown shirt, worn to skin thickness over many years, and his newly acquired black leather pants were drenched.  Even his stolen boots were beginning admit water.  Deciding at last to do it, he clambered up the wooden patio and shouldered into the door and entering the sparsely populated common room.6

A fire twisted in a grand fireplace set with stones carved with battle scenes and the warmth seemed to relax every muscle in Thanos' body.  By habit, his eyes quickly scanned the room for danger, but there was little to fear.  A drunk in a black cloak more ripped and worn than Thanos' own sat with his head against the table and in a puddle of ale barely rustled only slightly in his alcohol inspired sleep by the closing of the door, grunted and began snoring again.7

Aside from the drunk, there was a soldier flirting with a barmaid and two young men, probably only a few years older than Thanos himself played dice in a corner.  At the bar, a man stood half dozing against a wall, drool coming down the corner of mouth.  How he remained standing was a feat worthy of a grin from the boy.8

Of all the people in the room, the two younger men playing dice were the only ones to look up as Thanos entered, and thereby were the only ones Thanos considered dangerous.9

Glancing behind him once to see both the young men seemingly deep in their gambling, Thanos approached the innkeeper.  Despite being of a height he considered fair for one his age, the bar came to the top of his chest, and sighing reluctantly, Thanos knocked a fist on the bar.10

Spluttering a curse, the innkeeper awoke and slowly focused his eyes on the boy standing at his bar.11

“Whaddayou want, boy?” he demanded gruffly, his voice thick with mucus.12

“Where do you keep the recruiter?” Thanos replied serenely, as if without a care in the world.  He let his eyes slip around the room as he asked, making sure he wasn't overly watched by anyone.13

“Hmm,” mumbled the innkeeper, leaning over the bar to look the boy up and down.  His eyes narrowed as he watched the boy's paranoia.  “Hmm,” he said again.  “What recruiter would that be, eh?”  He rested his arms against the bar, his eyes intently watching the boy.14

Thanos rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to say something sarcastic, but then, seeing how the innkeeper waited, he took a second thought.  The man wasn't being an ass, he was testing the boy.  Thanos congratulated himself on noticing the fact.15

Thinking a moment, he replied.  “The recruiter who watches me even now.”16

The innkeeper's eyes flitted away so briefly Thanos was glad his eyes hadn't been straying at the moment.  With a dawning grin, he knew where the innkeeper looked.  Nodding his head, Thanos smiled and said, “My thanks,” and walked across the room to the snoring drunk.  Sitting at the table, Thanos cleared his throat.17

“I wish to be accepted for training,” Thanos said quietly.18

The snoring stopped and the drunk lifted his head slightly, peering at Thanos with clear eyes.  The man wore his dark hair long and unruly, and it dripped from his black moustaches into the puddle of ale on the table top.  The man's eyes glinted dangerously and his mouth twisted.19

“Why would we accept a little runt like you?”20

Speaking no words, the boy smiled and stood.  Taking a slender dagger from his tunic, he turned and walked over to the soldier flirting with the barmaid.  Coming from behind, Thanos slipped the thin blade around the man's neck and sliced a deep cut.  Blood spurted against the barmaid, but instead of screaming as Thanos expected, she merely stood and glared at the boy.  Sniffing sardonically, she spun around and marched around the bar and past a swiveling doorway into the back rooms.21

Thanos watched as the soldier gasped for air that would not come and fell to the floor, his life's blood spilling into a large and growing puddle on the floor.  Turning, he yelped as the supposed drunk stood directly behind him, his arms folded across his chest.22

With a hand like lightning the man broke two of Thanos' fingers and took the dagger from his hand.  A sound grated from behind the bar, and the man spoke loudly to the innkeeper who had drawn a stunted sword.23

“Put it away Kor, and run and tell the City Guard that one of their soldiers started a brawl and was killed.”24

The innkeeper grumbled but did as he was told, donning a thick jacket and rushing out the door.25

Thanos was confused, “City Guard?  I thought...”26

“What?” smirked who Thanos knew to be the recruiter.  “You thought that fool was one of us?  An assassin?”27

Thanos narrowed his eyes, but refused to nod or speak.  The man barked a laugh and pocketed Thanos' dagger.  Ducking to Thanos' height, the man grinned a yellow, toothy grin.  “You have skill boy, there's no doubting that.  But if you think you could walk up behind one of our assassins and kill him that easily, you're sorely mistaken.”28

Thanos tried not to break the man's gaze.  His heart beat wildly, fearfully for the first time since he had decided to seek out Mirya and the assassin guild.  He spoke as clearly as he could, “I wish to be accepted into training, sir.  My name is Thanos.”  Thanos was glad his voice only cracked once.29

The recruiter arched an eyebrow momentarily, then grinned.  “Do you?”  He paused, then grinned again.  “We accept.”  Thanos didn't see the hand coming; he slumped to the floor, his eyes glazing over as the darkness took him.30

* * *31

He lurched awake, sitting up on a plain cot in a small, drab, and empty room.  At once his hand went to his head, where a small bump ached, and burned at the touch.  His eyes cleared slowly from sleep-grime and his mind focused on the complete lack of knowledge as to how much time had passed.  He only knew that he had been in the inn a moment before, and was now here; how he got here, was a complete mystery.  Slowly, rubbing his head around the sore bump, he recalled seeing the recruiter's fist.32

The paint on the walls was pealing and he could hear the trickle of insect feet on the floor.33

Jumping to his bare feet, ignoring his waking fatigue, he marched around the room smashing cockroaches wherever he found them, all the while chanting, “I HATE BUGS!” over and over again.34

When he finished with his eradication, he then noticed his clothing had changed to a simple short-sleeved black tunic.  His pants had apparently been acceptable; by the cot he found and put on his boots.  At the door, he paused and put his ear to the wood, yet heard nothing.  Twisting the doorknob, he breathed a sigh of relief as no lock caught – he wasn't a prisoner.35

No one knew anything about the training in the Blood Fortress, but it was considered that they were taken care of.  Thanos was glad that it appeared to be so.  Despite the ragged unkeep up the room he had, there was only one cot, and even though bugs were rampid, the room smelled of cleaning chemicals, not mold, disease, or urine, as was many inn rooms in which the boy had stayed in over the years.36

Opening the door slowly, carefully, and as sneakily as he could despite the groan the hinges gave, the boy peeked around into a lit corridor of polished granite, the white stone reflecting the light from a single torch over and over again until the whole hallway was bright.  The hallway turned in either directions, and all was quiet and empty, so Thanos exiting his chamber and chose to go left.37

Stone and sweat prevailed in Thanos' senses.  A single torch every twist or turn in the corridor lit the entire sections to which they seemed assigned.  Out of curiosity, Thanos noticed at each torch seemed practically new, suggesting that they had been recently place, perhaps, he thought, for Thanos himself.38

A strange clatter and din of metal on metal, and metal on wood, intermingled with shouts of assault, victory, or defeat, slowly grew out of the silence.  The boy walked silently, the soft treads of his boots making little noise on the stone floor.  As if conjured by his thoughts, he rounded a corner and saw a staircase of stone spiral upward to the next level.  Slowly, he took the steps one and a time, keeping his eyes open and wary.  He was scared, but didn't let himself condone the feeling.  He firmly kept his mouth shut, and his hands in tight fists, letting his fear turn to a slow-kindled “hunt” type feeling, turning himself from the prey, to the hunter by will alone.39

Conquering the top step, Thanos stood still and quiet.  A man in all black – mostly leather – stood with his back to the hallway, leaning against the wall edge to an opening with no door, watching, Thanos assumed from the now loud noise of combat, the training yard within.40

Thanos opened his mouth to speak.41

“Good morning, young Thanos,” said the man.  Turning, Thanos beheld the recruiter from the inn.  His mouth curved under his thick black moustaches.  “How are  you?  I trust the bump on your head hurts only a little.”  He grinned as Thanos' eyes narrowed and his everpresent frown deepened.  Chuckling, but dismissing Thanos' glare, the recruiter placed an arm around the boy's shoulders and turned him toward the door-less door.42

In a training yard of compacted dirt, under a night sky and lit by a ring of toches, the citizens of the Blood Fortress trained.  From boys to gray-haired men, the assassins used a plethora of weapons.  Thanos was less amazed at the weapons, and more so by the fierce, hard eyes, and supple, defined muscles.  He was stunned by the cat-like grace with which the men confused the younger boys.  The boys struck with lightning fast lunges and slashes, while the older men moved fluidly, as if dancing.43

Thanos blinked in surprise and shock while watching one man, with his eyes closed, moved his hands in a series of disarming strikes followed by a side-handed thrust as if to the side of a head.  Upon closer inspection, Thanos saw a dark, sharpened rod on about four inches, almost completely hidden in the palm of the man's hand, the rod held to the palm with his thumb.44

Many of the men taught the boys acrobatics, spinning and vaulting around, upside down and backwards.  Others, taught hand to hand combat.45

Arching a brow, the boy lookd up at the recruiter grinning back down at him.  The man winked and said, "You will learn, young Thanos."46

In a sudden rush, all noises of combat silenced, and Thanos peered out at unblinking eyes, and a few crooked smirks as every training man and boy silently addressed him.47

Thanos moved foward, entering the training yard.  The recruiter took a step away and held out a hand toward the boy.48

"Brothers, may I present the newest recruit to the Blood Fortress.  Death Child Thanos Bor'lanis."49

In the silence that followed, Thanos at first tried to hide the blood from his cheeks.  He bowed awkwardly, and upon straightening, he thought of something.50

"How did you know my family name?" he asked of the recruiter.  In response, most if not all of the assassins in training laughed aloud.  The recruiter simply winked in response.51

* * *52

Thanos walked with the recruiter down the stone hallways of the Blood Fortress.  Among the introductions that had followed his announcement into the guild, Thanos had learned many names.  Thinking of those names, he saw many faces, some he knew would become friends, others, who had born cynical, mistrusting, or outright looks of hatred, he was not so sure about.53

The recruiter's name was Mason Kreig, and all the younger trainees looked at him with awe.  The men and elderly in the yard, introduced as assassins and master assassins - not necessary depending on any age - had bowed their heads briefly to Mason and Mason had returned the gesture.  There seemed to be an unspoken rule of respect, which confused Thanos.  Somehow, he had not expected the assassins to appear to be nothing more than respectful gentlemen.54

As the two walked, they turned a corner, and Thanos heard more sounds of combat.  Yet these sounds were different - higher pitched, and almost blood-curdling.55

At his glance, Mason smiled and simply replied, "Wait, my young Death Child, and meet the other, darker and well-hidden side of the assassin guild.56

There was another door-less entrance, and taking the last step into the entrance, Thanos blinked in disbelief as he saw females of all ages, fighting the same patterns as the men he had seen, with some of the same weapons, yet more of perhaps a more slender, although wickedly curved and spiked type flashing through the air, some at such speeds the wind whistled.57

The younger girls trained hand to hand, and seemed even more lithe than the men with their acrobatics.58

The girls wore black leather like the boys, but the women wore a great number of - albeit comfortable and never in the way of movement - fashions.  Some wore slit, ankle-length skirts and beautifully entricate blouses, although upon a closer look, Thanos could see the tight weaves.  Some wore fitted pants, others wore shorter skirts, revealing so much leg Thanos gulped despite himself.  Although their clothes were beautiful, and their movments even more pleasing to the eye.  But he couldn't fathom thinking of them as pretty.  Exotic, maybe, but pretty, to Thanos seemed to hint of weakness, and he could see no weakness in any of the female trainees.  And, those he assumed were ranked assassins, were breathtaking.59

Again, a silence overcame the group and the women stared unblinking at Thanos, although he seemed to notice more crooked grins than the men showed.60

Mason gestured at Thanos with similar movments as earlier.61

"Sisters, may I introduce the newest to our guild, Death Child Thanos Bor'lanis."62

In response, the women curtseyed or bowed, dependong upon the appropriate clothing.  But none, Thanos again noticed, appeared to be weak in their movements.  In fact, his throat had constricted and his stomach fluttered.  Not in twitterpation or attraction, but with a strange feeling of being among a group of assassin even more dangerous than the men.  Each girl and woman in his mind switched back and forth between friend, and enemy, so fast that he almost lost his balance.  He had never been more afraid.63

The women seemed to see Thanos' nervousness, and many giggled or barked laughter, some even slapping their knees in amusement.64

Mason grinned at Thanos.  "You will learn," was all he said.65

* * *66

Sitting, each handling a jug of ale, Mason talked quietly with Thanos in an empty dining room.  Mason talked quietly, although there was no one else about, and Thanos kept having a urge to lean closer to hear better.67

"There are many things you will learn here, young Death Child," he said.68

Thanos interrupted.  "Why do you call me Death Child?" he asked.69

"All new recruits of your age are referred to as Death Children.  Latter you will gain other ranks and names.  You will learn of the innerworkings of the guild soon, but that is of lesser importance."  He took a swig of ale and continued.  His eyes seemed to dull as he gazed into some unseen void as if remembering a day long past.  "You will learn to fight with your hands, and with weapons of all types.  But the battle is also mental, and you will learn to use your mind to manipulate others and make them cower.  You will win your battles before you ever strike with a blade.  We will teach you languages, arts, crafts, care of money, and the politics of the caste systems in the world.  You will learn to use shadow and light, noise and silence, as a cloak."  He seemed to hesitate.  "And...you will learn the greatest trick of all."70

Thanos couldn't help himself but to speak, "What trick?"71

Mason leveled a gaze of dull eyes betraying no emotion whatsoever.  "You will learn to hide your heart."72