Ten minutes later five would be assasins lay on the brick road unconscious, while another lay with his skull crushed and blood slowly seeping out.

Breathing slowly, Jachum’s father waved him over. “Come stand next to me were gonna go talk to my father now.”

They ended up sitting for another day, with the challengers watching them, it was evening when the massive gates slowly began to open, and they were escorted into the fortress by the men who had stood watching the fight. Directly inside the gate was a large open platform where roughly 250 men women and children were training. Jachum was amazed how so many people could move the exact same way the exact same time, it was super cool. They and their escort past through the middle of them, Jachum staring wide eye at the different colors and races of the people training.

They entered a massive hall where on a dark chair a older man sat. Upon entering the man on the black chair on the far end of the room growled. “Get out” they father and sons escort quickly filed out of the hall and closed to door behind them.

“Ohanzee, its been so long my son where have you been hiding? I was shocked to hear that son I’ve been searching for so desperately for the past 16 years would suddenly appear before me, you look a little more grown up if I might add.” It was a dark cool voice that spoke sounding very sincere.

“I apologize for not writing earlier father” Said Ohanzee “May I introduce my son Jachum, coincidently he just turned 16 not that long ago.”

Hello Grandfather.” Said Jachum aware that this was the first time he had heard his father’s given name.

The name in shadow snorted. “At least you taught him manners, though if the dead man at my doorstep is anything to go by it doesn’t seem like you did a good job about it.”

“It was a misunderstanding on my part grandfather, I offer my sincerest apologies.” Replied Jachum in place of his father. There was a grunt of confirmation from their host as he stood up. Jachum had been expecting an elderly man, but his grandfather looked more like his father than anything else. Shoulder-length black hair covered a tan face and the black eyes of a tall slim figure. “Jeez if I stood them next to each other they might even look like twins.” thought Jachum.

Once his grandfather stood only a couple feet apart from them, he said. “Apologies have been given but reparations must be made Ohanzee. What will you give?”

Ohanzee rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you have an idea or two, say what you’re thinking.” Jachums grandfather pointed at him. “Your son will become apart of my black troop for 5 years.”

“The guard you sent out was killed in ten seconds, for his terrible skill only six months.” Replied Ohanzee quickly.

Their host’s eyes flared at Ohanzee. “Don’t test me son or would you rather I remind you of how two of my best assassins disappeared.”

Ohanzee refuse to back down and growled back “Maybe if someone hadn’t sent them are his own blood, they would still be two of his best assassins.”

“Three years or I’ll throw him in the pit.” Sighed the older man. “Fine” replied Ohanzee.

“Splendid, Ohanzee and …. Jachum, come with me we’re going to have a feast to honor the return of my son from a 16-year disappearance and my first grandson.”

It wasn’t much of a feast with only the three of them eating, but Jachum didn’t mind. Every word his grandfather spoke was insight into his father’s past. Stories that he had never thought to ask, and silly things his father used to do while out on missions. He was slightly disappointed when his grandfather sent him away, but after a couple of hand signals inquiring about his safety and what to do, Jachum acquiesced without much of a fuss.

A hooded figure stepped out of the shadows and lead Jachum from the private dining hall. The figure didn’t make a sound as he walked. “Where are you taking me?” asked Jachum

“To your private quarters, the little prince of death won’t be sleeping in a barracks.” Replied the man is a calm tone that seemed more like the wind whispering than a man talking.

“Little prince of death?” Questioned Jachum as they walked up the stairs of a lone tower. The man waved his hand nonchalantly as if it didn’t matter. They continued walking up the steps of the tower, at the top there was a door that the man unlocked with a key he then tossed to Jachum. “Everything you need in the relative future will be found in the room. Let me know tomorrow if something is unsuitable and I’ll provide it. Enjoy your night little prince.” With that the figure bowed and glided down the stares.

Jachum shrugged at the odd behavior, it wasn’t really his business to judge one of the bodyguards his grandfather kept close to him. Pushing open the door showed a circular room with a large bed, two cabinets, a window with metal bars across, a small weapons rack, a table and chair, and a shelf filled with a couple dozen books.

Jachum spent twenty minutes locking the door, scanning the sheets mattress and blankets of the bed. He checked for hidden passages, tested a small piece of the materials for poisons and looked for hidden needles. Satisfied his father wouldn’t have yelled at him if he had been there, he pushed the table against.

Jachum sat down in on the floor and began to think. There wasn’t a whole lot he could do at this moment in time, he had just been dragged by his father hundreds of miles across the continent only to be forced to work as an assassin for the next three years. He trusted his father, but he had the sneaking suspicion that this had been his plan all along. Now that it was done, there wasn’t a lot Jachum could do. He could disappear but than he would be leaving the only person he really knew and would leave him wide open to the tricks and painful experiences the fox’s petty games always brought him. It was never really a question, he had no real choice, his father wanted him so here he would be staying. “Killing for money probably isn’t the worst job I could do.” Sighing Jachum stood up and went to bed, unwilling to waste any more time bogged down by questions he wouldn’t be able to answer.