When I returned I found the stack of books strewn across the sand. Snapping my fingers the books disappeared with a pop. Then something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. I saw on the rocks a note pinned and fluttering in the wind. On closer inspection I recognized the dart holding the piece of paper down. It belonged to an assassin by the name of Willow. On the note was the place, The Mourning Rocks, and below that a smear of blood. Smelling the note I could tell it was Seth’s.

The smell made me angry. How could I leave him alone? I crushed the note in my hands. How did they know? I thought. No one knew we were here.

I looked down at the crushed note in my hand. It’s all my fault. If only I had brought him with me. These thoughts sickened me, then quickly replaced with the cold heat of anger. I will get him back, and this will not happen ever again. I was so close to screaming now, but I looked back over to the ocean’s horizon. Anger won’t help get the job done. I told myself. If I want both of us to get out of this alive, I need to calm down and focus.

******

It only took a moment, but the dread made it feel like hours had passed. The Mourning Rocks were just as I remembered them. A cliff-like collection of rocks in the middle of a tan desert. All the rocks were faintly redder on the top and pale tan for the rest, a literal stain of a memory on this place’s past. I could still smell the iron from all the blood.

For a split second I was back on the battlefield. The smoke from burning bodies and the smell of blood covering the rocks and sand. Then the memory of Enyo flitted in front of the others. This snapped me back to the present as I staggered back. Shaking my head I started edging around the boulder I was hiding behind. I slowly made my way around until I saw a collection of people standing in front of a cliff-like stone jutting out of the sand. I mentaly counted eight people of varying age and size, but two of them stood out as obvious leaders.

The first was a female in a suit of black knight's armor and a large black broadsword. She had long black hair and red eyes. Her hair and take no survivors policy was what gave her the nickname Black Flag. Though to her friends she prefers to go by the name Ruby Blood. Her team specializes in head on assault in war. Back in the day they were known for leveling villages and drinking the blood of any survivors they saw as a threat.

The other I recognized was the man arguing with Ruby. He was tall and thin with short brown hair with thin gray streaks. His eyes were the color of mercury with gold flecks. He was wearing a dark green cloak that hid his body and made him look like a walking bush. He is known as the Wraith, but he personally goes by Willow.If the rumors were true, he was the one you called to take out high level political targets quietly.

Looking down I saw Seth lying down at Ruby’s feet. I felt a cold sinking feeling in my stomach as I saw he wasn't moving. Those two aren’t known for keeping survivors alive for long, and with Seth being human, they might have killed him accidentally. I have only just met Seth, but he was under my supervision. To leave him alone like that was just plain stupid on my part, and if my stupidity lead to another death of a teammate I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.

As I watched, the two killers argue I noticed Seth’s shallow shaky breathing. I slipped down the boulder and felt my hand scrape against a sharp edge. Looking down I saw a small amount of blood trickle and pool in my palm. I realized too late that Ruby was the daughter of Sekhmet and could smell the blood from where she stood. That was when I heard the man named Willow address me.

“Algea. Glad to see you made it. Do you like our meeting place? Does it bring back memories?” Willow rasped with a grin. I glared a response, as I walked out into the opening. “I mean…… this is the place where you earned your reputation as the One Eyed Reaper of Duryona.” A look of aw crossed his face. “To defeat so many, all alone. How many were there? One hundred? A thousand? What was it like killing so many?” With each word he got closer. He only stopped advancing, when Ruby interrupted.

“Enough admiration Willow! I want to get this over with.” She snapped. “We don’t want to keep the Commander separated from her little kitten any longer.” She punctuated “kitten” with a sneer.

Ruby was standing next to Seth’s head and leaning on her sword. The edge barely touching Seth’s loose hair. Her message was very clear. Move in a way I don’t like, and he gets more than a haircut.

“Fine!” He shrugged, a frown tugging at his lips. “You always get to have conversations with your marks. I just wanted to have some fun for once.” He turned to me “Algea, come quietly. I would hate for both of us to suffer casualties in any attempt you might make to resist us.” As he said this Ruby kicked Seth over and pressed her broadsword into Seth’s chest. I could barely hear him inhale with shock. I quickly raised my hands in surrender.

“Okay! Okay!” I shouted. “There’s no need to get hasty.”

“Fantastic! I’m glad we could come to an understanding.” He waved and Ruby moved to a less threatening stance.

I watched the other six men and women positioned themselves in a defensive formation around Ruby and Seth as I approached Willow.

“Willow I think you misunderstand. I’m not surrendering. In fact, you have until three to leave. I won’t give you another chance.”

“I told you!” Hissed Ruby as she raised her weapon to kill Seth.

I acted quickly. I vaulted over Willow, through the barricade, and slammed Ruby into the rocks. I could hear the air leave her lungs when she hit, but she quickly stood while gasping.

“Why you!” Ruby stepped forward. Willow threw up his hand to stop Ruby.

“I am sorry to hear that. I was hoping we both could be civil, but I see that is not the case.” Suddenly he moved and I had my weapon drawn. On either side of Seth two clouds of dust appeared. He looked over to see half a blow dart on each side of him. By the look in his eyes he was losing faith in us winning this. Then Ruby’s team charged. I ran forward. I dodged the first guy’s blow and stabbed the other in the throat. He dropped hard into the sand. The other took another swing at me, I rolled off his fallen brother and blocked his attack cutting off his hand. Then behind my opponent I heard a click of a gun.

“Algea watch out!” Shouted Seth, struggling to sit up.

I shoved the guy out of my way to run up to the gunman. I cut the gun in half, and stabbed him in the stomach, but he was able to get a shot off first that went through my side. I turned around just in time to dodge Ruby’s sword. Her sword went straight through the man behind me. Then Willow’s men came from behind. I launched myself over them and threw three knives into the middle one’s back and the other two’s legs. I landed and ran forward to decapitate the wounded men. Once they were dead, I turned to Ruby. Her face contorted with shock and horror.

“No…….. my men” she sank to the ground. Then she grew furious. “You little domestic feline!”

I was growing tired of this. In all honesty, she was getting on my nerves. So, when she moved to attack me again I knocked her out with a punch to the face. I looked back at Willow expecting more of a fight. He, however, looked calm.

“What a performance.” He looked at his men. “That is what I get for hiring my men.” He threw up his hands. “I give up. You may go.”

“I-I don’t understand” My weapons disappeared, but I stayed in my fighting stance.

“I like my head on my shoulders so….. go. I’ll clean up.” He turned toward his fallen men and made a “T” in the air, and a golden scale appeared. “Father. Judge them fairly when they meet you.” The men became mummies and sank under the sand. He picked up Ruby and threw her over his shoulder.

“Farewell Algea. Though, before I go, I want to tell you something. Enyo wants your head on one of her ornate dishes, and she will do anything to see that fulfilled. The others are not so easy nor so lenient.” With that he and Ruby disappeared into a shower of sand.

“Seth!” I said running to him. I found Seth in the sand stunned with a terrified look on his face. As I went to touch him on the arm, he flinched.

I froze. “You - you were never supposed to see that.”

“Y-you killed them.” He whispered.

“I did” I stared at him. “They would have killed me.”

“You could have knocked them out. You didn’t have to kill them. They were just doing their jobs!”

“This is my life. I told you it was dangerous, and how fate was not on your side, remember.” He tried to stand but his leg couldn’t take the weight, and he fell. I extended my hand “Please, let me help you.” He looked scared. “I won’t hurt you. I swear.”

He grabbed my hand and I pulled him up allowing him to put all his weight on me and his left foot.

“That looks broken.”

“I may not look like it, but I did try to put up a fight. ” I looked at him. A small smile was on his lips.

“That was foolish.” I smiled back “Good job.”