Chapter 1

-Xen-

"Again!" Dag commanded as I fell to the floor. The mat did nothing to cushion my fall, sometimes I thought I would suffer less damage if it wasn't there.

Either way, I dragged myself to my feet and held up my fists. He threw a punch, which I dodged by spinning out of the way. I didn't like to have my back to my opponent for long, but the momentum allowed me to put more force into my swing. My arm was caught and shoved to the side and another fist came my way. I leaped backwards and ducked under another of his arms.

He predicted that and lowered himself, sticking a foot out to trip me up. I stood on his ankle and shifted my weight, so I didn't cause too much harm. He straightened up and we faced each other again.

I launched myself at him, faking a left punch and then uppercutting him. He recovered quickly and grabbed both of my arms. I tried to kick him, but he leant out of the way, still holding my arms. I was stuck. I don't like to resort to foul play.

"You're too slow," Dag told me, pushing me backwards. "You could've headbutted me, or went for the stomach."

I bit my lip and wiped my forehead. We had been working for a solid 5 hours now, but that wasn't unusual. "I didn't want to hurt you," I told him. "That would mean less training for me."

He raised his eyebrow. "Sure, I don't believe you at all." He threw a water bottle in my general direction. My shoulders slumped as I chased after it. "You know, if you're slow in the field-"

"-I'll get killed," I finished for him. "You tell me at least once a day."

He nodded and pointed at me. "And you should do good to remember it. You only have one life, Xen."

I rolled my eyes. "Again, you tell me every single day." I put my bag over my shoulder. "Yet, you all send me into situations which could get me killed."

"Not particularly our choice," he said. "Your parents were the ones to leave you here."

His words didn't sting, I didn't have any negative emotions towards the parents I couldn't remember. I was angry when I found out they had left me here, parents who were supposed to care for me more than anything. They didn't leave me anything, they just dropped me off in a guild full of assassins and thieves. The anger simmered down when I thought about what could've caused them to go to such drastic measures.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Dag punching me in the shoulder. "I could've stabbed you right there."

I shook my head and followed him out the door. "You could do that at any point, silly." I nudged him with my shoulder. "Come on, I want cake."

"You always want cake, we'd run out quickly if Ellsworth didn't hide it from you."

"No more," Ellsworth said as he hit me on the top of the head with a scroll of paper. "You need to stay fit and healthy."

"I am fit and healthy," I whined. "If I wasn't, I'd be dead. I wouldn't be able to do half the amount of training you put me through."

"It's a wonder you're still alive," Ash told me. Ash was a disciple just like me, she was actually the newest member of the guild. "Back in-"

"-Ash," Ellsworth interrupted with a stern stare.

Ash put her head down and nodded. They had moments like that often, something I never understood. Ash wasn't really allowed to talk about how she got here, unlike the rest of us.

"Anyway," I trailed off. "Isn't' there something more to be done today than complain 'bout my love of cake?"

Ellsworth smiled, his moustache twitching. He started hitting the palm of his right hand with the scroll of paper. "Thank you for reminding me, Xen. I actually wanted to have a word with you."

I looked up at him expectantly, hope in my eyes.

"In my office," he concluded.

My smile turned to a frown and my heart started to pound. That was not a good sign. My mind started to whirl with the possibilities of me messing up. Maybe I should cut back on the cake, or I hadn't been training hard enough. Ellsworth was a patient man and master, but I didn't want to be one of the people he summoned to his office and never returned.

Dag patted my shoulder. "Still want that cake?"

I didn't.

Ellsworth's office was like a library, full of scrolls and different symbols painted on the walls. He was born and raised in China, but moved to the UK when he was thirty. He doesn't talk about his past, only the lessons that he has learnt from it. Judging by those lessons, and the pain he causes when teaching them, I'm not sure I'd like to know.

"Xen, I think that you're ready for your first assignment," Ellsworth said. My eyes darted over to him. His hawk-like eyes were pinned on me from across the room.

I had been looking at the odds and ends that he had in his office, the paper fans always intrigued me, and the different Chinese characters made me wonder what they stood for. Now, I was frozen in my tracks, feeling like a deer in headlights.

"You do?" I asked cluelessly. "I-don't know what to say in return."

He chuckled at me and stepped forward, like a predator stalking its prey. He always walked like that, a force of habit I assumed. "You should tell me if you think you are ready or not."

Was I? Was I ready to put my life in danger for the family which I had grown up in? I wasn't sure I cared too much about my life being in danger, but I would be crazy if I didn't care just a little bit. I think I was more scared of disappointing them.

"I'm assuming Dag knows?" I asked. I was wringing my hands and rocking on my heels.

"Naturally," Ellsworth replied. "I needed his input on whether or not he agreed that you were suitable for this."

"Why me?" The question came out of my mouth before I could stop it. "Why not Ash?"

Ellsworth sighed, gesturing with an arm for me to step forward. "Ash is the newest member of our family. She is not yet ready in my eyes to do what I want you to do."

I hesitantly stepped forward and let him wrap an arm around me. "What is it you want me to do?"

I ducked as his other fist swung at me. I twisted his arm and flipped him onto his back. He was going easy on me, it was a test. You could never really relax in the Stranger's den.

"I want you to kill Arlen Steinroot."