The Assasin's Raven (Part 1)

178 AD Heliopolis, Roman Augustamnica province1

The sand blew in Keir's face and he pulled the cloth over his mouth. He traveled for years across the Sahara so it didn't bother him much. He'd become immune to the pain of sand in his lungs. The heavy sand storm oppressed the entire city. He didn't mind the lonely streets. They made his life easier. He only protected himself now, because he felt something out of place. He stood on the tallest building in Heliopolis and scanned the trees as they all swayed to one side. 2

The thick dust made it difficult to even see the trees. His superior eyesight allowed him to filter through the dust and make out the line along the wide river. One tree did not move like the others. He squinted and believed he saw a human shape in it. His senses were right; there was another here.3

A black bird flew from the tree. Strange, he thought, I've never seen one so big. He knew it was an omen, one that did not portend well. Inpu, God of the dead, was coming to lead them to the underworld.4

He snuck his way down towards the trees and saw movement in the starless sky. He took a moment to concentrate and sense it was the bird, dark as the night around him, flying not far overhead. He watched under cover of the building as the bird circled then flew back in the direction of the tree where he spotted the intruder. It made him uneasy.5

He gripped his spatha (the sword all centurions carried) at his side. He kept low to the ground and out of what little light the moon provided. Near the tree line he stopped again and scanned the trees. There was nothing. Even the animals pretended to be asleep and the only sound was that of the river water busily rushing to unknown locations.6

He couldn't have imagined it all. He still felt as if something stalked him. He moved with stealth through the trees and heard the strangest sounding "caw" that frightened him. The pitch was that of children crying and it ate at his soul. 7

He drew his sword and stepped forward. Someone was here; he knew it.8

A lithe woman blended into the trees. Keir smelled her. Oh, she did her best to hide her scent but his nose never lied. The dust couldn't even mask it. Even though she made herself smell like the trees around her, she had a distinctly feminine scent about her. He didn't see her, but he knew exactly where she was and made out her crouching outline in the faint moonlight.9

He faced her and spoke with authority in the Roman's language, then repeated it in Coptic, the language of the Egyptian people. "Come down now or I will kill you."10

An arrow landing between his toes was his answer. He didn't waver as he flung a pugio into the tree. There was a tender thump of it hitting flesh, but no scream followed. This woman at least had control.11

"I certainly hope your pathetic attempt to kill me was weak because I'm a woman, otherwise I believe you are in trouble," she said in Latin.12

Keir laughed hard at that, "Why don't you come down and see what I can do?" The knife came hurling back at him mid-sentence and he hardly had time to dodge it. "You are not much better."13

She landed lightly beside him her bow aimed squarely at his chest.14

"That will not kill me," he said mockingly.15

"No, but it will incapacitate you long enough for me to take your head." She moved as he moved always just out of reach. He didn't understand how she anticipated him so easily. 16

He examined her as they circled each other. Her fit body was almost too thin for his taste. Her clothing was nothing more than leather bridles lashed around her. Blood stained the brown leather in places and he licked his lips eager to taste hers. He admired the fair skin underneath; not even the Romans were so pale. In contrast to his own dark skin she looked like a ghost. Her bow glowed with the light of the moon and reflections of the river.17

"What do you want here?" he finally asked.18

"The same thing you want: to feel the blood of the humans upon my teeth."19

"No!" He sliced at her bow with his spatha knocking it from her hands. Clearly he continued to deny his taste for blood. After killing his own son many years back, is it any wonder? He could still taste Duka's blood upon his lips and see the small, limp body in his arms. He nearly let a tear fall until he realized she watched him with curiosity. She stood with her hand upon her sword but did not draw it. "What? Why don't you fight?" He knew she pitied him, but how? Why would she? Besides her lowered eyes, how did he know? He simply couldn't understand it. A single caw of the bird in the tree attracted his attention. He wondered if it was magic, or a god in disguise. Did it speak to her?20

"Fight me!" he finally yelled. He had no compunctions fighting a woman and certainly not one that threatened his people. She shrugged and swung her broad, curved sword he believed they called a dao. 21

He met the blow easily with his spatha. He pushed her back and lunged for her. She sidestepped him and withdrew a second dao. He raised his eyebrows and laughed heartily again. "Yes, now we shall see if you are worthy to challenge me."22

"I thought you were the one doing the challenging?" She danced around his advance and sliced him along the upper arm as he passed.23

He grunted at the flames biting his skin as he healed quickly. The metallic scent accosted his nose. He licked the small amount of blood he could reach hoping to disgust her and throw her off. She in turn licked the blood off her sword with a smile. This woman was full of surprises.24

His pugio lay close by and he picked it up using it as a shield. He mentally abused himself for leaving his scutum behind. The large shield was too bulky to allow him to sneak into the woods. She seemed to enjoy his internal turmoil and played with him as if he was a mouse.25

"Feeling insecure behind such a tiny weapon?" She swung her dao lazily and he blocked it. "I could lend you one of mine." Two faster swings came at him and he backed up a step to keep her from getting too close. Her taunts didn't enrage him like they normally would, especially coming from a female. He should have killed her by now. Why hadn't he killed her? He didn't even try to kill her. He continued to wonder what sort of spell she must hold over him. She whacked at him several times until he nearly backed into a tree, and the roots nearly tripped him. This woke him from his musings and he realized she had the upper hand. This he could not allow. 26

He doubled his effort and took the offensive. He hit high and fast then switched to low and hard, never giving her a chance to anticipate. Yet she held her ground like a starving lioness facing off her prey.27

"And what a beautiful cat she is," he thought.28

She rolled her eyes as if she knew what he was thinking then switched up and kicked his pugio from his hand. As she came back about with her left hand he grabbed it, swung her around so that it twisted behind her, she still didn't let go of the dao so he bit her hand. She dropped her sword and pulled away.29

He received only a couple drops of blood on his tongue but it was enough; enough for him to hate himself, enough for him to know he wanted more. That thick honey laid upon his taste buds like the Greek's ambrosia. He hadn't tasted anything like since... No, he put it out of his mind again. He had to concentrate on her. After all she hadn't even hesitated. She swung the back of her right hand at him as if slapping him for an insult.30

He surprised himself by enjoying that. She had fire! He licked the blood off his lips as he imagined the things he could do to her. Her blood filled him with such passion, and that was only a small helping.31

"You will never..." She used her swords and grunted between each word pushing him back farther each time. "...have me!" she said with a final kick.32

He fell to the ground his sword flew out of his hand, and in an instant she'd straddled him placing her sword to his neck.33

"Though he is kind of cute lying there helpless. I wouldn't mind kissing him while he looks like that." He didn't see her lips move, it was so strange, he heard her but she didn't talk.34

"You want to kiss me?" he asked in all his confusion.35

Her eyes opened wide and he saw the beauty of ages in them. He didn't let that distract him too much. While she was off guard he twisted and kicked her leg out from under her. She fell a bit more gracefully than he and he admired the cat like agility and flexibility. Her sword popped out of her hand when it hit a rock and he took the opportunity to roll over on top of her.36

He pinned her limbs under his own. He may have been heavy enough to keep her from moving but he floated with the smell of her. 37

"Get off me you oaf." She struggled like a jackal beneath him but to him she was as beautiful as a lioness. He fought down the lustful images and concentrated on his job.38

"Tell me why you're here first."39

"I already-"40

"No," he growled, "you were sent for another reason. Tell me."41

She didn't, but he could see in her wile grin she was ready to pounce. Still somehow he knew. "You wish to assassinate the legatus. Whom do you work for? Not the Romans. Egyptian rebels?"42

She laughed at him, "You really have no idea do you?" She seemed to be so confident, even in the position he had her in now. "You have no idea what runs through your veins," she purred.43

He stared into her midnight sea eyes, swimming in emotions. "Tell me!" he commanded hitting her arms hard against the ground and he heard the crack of bone. She squeaked in pain and his heart ached when he knew he hurt her. Then he chastised himself for the weak sentiment.44

Again silence pervaded her, but she answered in another way; snapping at him with sharp teeth and... Fangs? He wasn't sure he'd seen them, but when she smiled again they were certainly there. He toothed his own teeth that project when he attacks. She was what he was? How could this be? He'd roamed most of Northern Africa and hadn't found another since his Roman master bit him then revived him. He wasn't sure there were any others. Yet here she was. He wondered what it would feel like to have those fangs pierce his skin; better than her dao's bite no doubt.45

His grip on her wrists loosened. The water kissed their feet and the sand glittered upon her face. She reminded him of the statues he'd seen of Cleopatra, shining and Godlike. Her breathing became deeper and he felt her chest rubbing against his. He longed to take her. His hand, acting on its own slid from her wrist to her palm then intertwined with her fingers. 46

He smelled the blood on her lips, flowing within her. He wanted to taste it for his own. He leaned into her and she didn't resist.47

A cry came from above him. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, claws embedded themselves in his neck. He roared in pain as a hard, pointed beak punctured his skull like a nut. He abruptly stood batting at the bird missing entirely. He picked up a rock and hurled it at the black menace as it flew away.48

When he looked back to the woman she stood with her sword pointed at his neck. He saw his over twelve feet away. He looked at her and the wide wonder of all the land seemed not to compare to her. How could he not have seen it before? She simply was hypnotic, a golden goddess in human form.49

"What are you?" he asked all bravado gone.50

"What you are. What you yearn to be. You were born to own the night. It calls to you doesn't it?" Her voice seduced him. "Come with me."51

He felt torn, he did want to be with her, yet he had a duty to his legatus. He looked back to the city uneasily. What would they do if he abandoned them? What more could the Romans take from him?52

"Very well," she said stiffly. Suddenly, she transformed from the lithe kitten back to the tigress on the hunt. "If you will not, then I suggest you leave the city, for at nightfall my King attacks. It would not be wise to watch the massacre that will ensue."53

He heard other words in her voice but still was unsure if they came from her, "and I do not wish to see you killed."54

"I--" there was no finishing his sentence, for she sped off into the woods. He searched for traces of her path and found none. Again she amazed him, but then the gods come and go as they please. He smiled to himself then ran to warn Legatus Propraetor Laërtius.55