Yes, this is another new chapter that I wanted to insert. 

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The twins annoyed him. Vicuska kept screaming at him whenever she saw him and Porcys glared at him and never answered to any of his questions. Babysitting them was the worst job Vritra could have assigned to him.

"I hope they mix poison ivy in your food!" Vicuska screeched at him. "Why are you even doing this? Why-"

He ignored her. Master had said him to look after them, not listen to them. The common room was humid and uncomfortable. It was hot yet cold. The kind of weather Caelin despised. Vritra trusted the twins only in the common room which had no windows. If there were windows, these two would jump and escape. Where could they escape by the way? Ras-Denyis was an island.

He yawned and pulled his dagger out. The markings it bore on the pommel was fascinating. Why had he not noticed that earlier?

Vicuska had stopped her yapping. Perhaps she realised that he was not listening. Even if he had, he had heard worse threats. Or it could have been the dagger in his hands.

Without even knocking, Blayke opened the door. That one action allowed fresh air to enter the sweltering room. Behind him, Holia Ceren stood in an attire similar to Blayke. Holia was one of the four female assassins who was not sent for missions on seduction. She refused to train under Chiara. Her wife, Lyette, however, was one of the best seductresses the base had.

"Caelin," Holia smirked as she entered. "Long time."

He cocked his head in acknowledgement.

"Master wants to send you on a mission," Blayke said, sneering at the confused twins. "I will take care of them."

Caelin chortled and got up. "Good luck, my friend. You will need it." Turning towards Holia he asked, "You?"

She waved her hand. "I am here just to see you. I can't take care of babies, let alone adults who behave like one. I would end up killing them."

"What?" Vicuska screeched. She looked at Caelin with wide eyes. "She can't do that, can she?"

Unable to contain his smirk, he let one slip past his defences, "Oh! She can."

Vicuska shut her mouth and turned towards her brother. Porcys, on the other hand, looked least affected. He subtly scoffed, but he knew that Caelin saw it. What could the assassin comment?

Leaving a suspicious looking Blayke in the room, Caelin came out. Holia shut the door.

The young and the juvenile assassins bowed low for them. Caelin and Holia had been here for more than fifteen years and they had survived and were in the good looks of Vritra. Not to mention, they were the best.

"Do you think Blake can take care of them?" Holia asked as they walked towards Master's study.

Caelin snorted. "He will not last more than five minutes."

"That reminds me," Holia smirked. "How did you do it."

Peeking at his friend's face he knew she had asked him just to rile him up. In spite of knowing, he groaned, "Don't remind me. I would rather be out on the mainland killing my targets."

Holia sniggered. "I understand you, Caelin. Did you forget that Master did give me one such assignment to look after Sclyd?"

Caelin laughed at the colourful memory. Lyho had been one among them, his brother, not so. Learning that Lyho was here, Sclyd followed him like a puppy following its mother. But once here, Sclyd could not cope up. He used to complain about everything.

At that time, Holia had brought in Lyette, her lover back then. To punish her, Vritra had asked Holia to take care of Sclyd. How he managed to get out alive, Caelin would never know. He knew of Holia's anger and he had seen what she was capable of.

"You brought in Lyette," Caelin said. "I did not bring anyone."

"You mentioned Leilah," Holia said, her voice a little sharper when she said the name. "That was enough to aggravate Master."

It was not a secret that the four female assassins trained by Vritra despised each other. Well, three did. No one knew about the fourth. No one knew whether she lived or she was dead, she was completely out of Master's grasp. But the other three - Holia Ceren, Mika Tioren and of course, Master's protegee, Leilah Taimore.

"I just asked about her whereabouts," he mumbled.

Holia did not reply. She continued walking until they reached the familiar door. She knocked twice and waited.

In spite of the doors being closed, he knew who was inside. His Immortality gave him senses many would die for. His five sense organs were levelled up than a normal human. He could hear Chiara shout at Vritra, he could even smell her from here.

"Come in!" Vritra's voice was heard over Chiara's.

Holia opened the door and bowed to Vritra. When she saw Chiara, she shrugged. Chiara was not her superior, it was Vritra. All the three female assassins made sure Chiara knew that.

Chiara glowered at them. Waiting for either of them to acknowledge her.

"Chiara," Caelin said politely.

She straightened her posture. "Caelin."

The seductress' eyes had a flame that announced that she would destroy everything Holia ever cared, but Holia rolled her eyes. Holia cared only about her wife, Lyette. And she knew Chiara would not do anything to her precious student.

"Chiara," Vritra said, his voice harbouring a hardness. "I will speak with you later. For now, leave."

She gritted her teeth and hissed like she wanted to spittle something, but she shook her head and left the room in aggression.

"May I ask, Master," Holia said, taking a few steps front. "Why are you being hard on her? You are never like that towards her."

Vritra sighed and lifted his head, his blue eyes boring into Caelin's emerald green. "She brought the subject of my wife. Again."

Holia nodded. "Oh!"

"Yes," Vritra said. "And Holia I am proud of your work. You can take the next two days off before I send you to Samariya. The woman is in Enos. She is supporting the rebels inside Samariya and that is the last thing we need."

"I will do my best, Master," Holia said with seriousness. "Rest assured, that woman will be killed."

"I know, Holia," he said smiling at her. "Now you may leave."

Bowing low, she left before giving Caelin a small smile. She left leaving the two alone in the dim room. The drapes stopped the sun rays from entering the study. The Thyssil Sea was singing a sonnet to which the winds wept.

"Sit here." Vritra gestured him to take a seat opposite to him.

Gulping Caelin sat on the chair. Was he no longer commanded that punishment? Was he no longer responsible for the twins? If the answer was yes, Caelin would be really grateful.

Taking out a talisman made of silver from his desk, Vritra held it out for him to take. Giving his master a curious look, Caelin took it. Instead of a normal pulse of mortals, he felt a strong and a compelling beat. It was not a mortal. This one belonged to an Immortal.

He looked at Vritra with sharp eyes. His master never sent one of his students after an Immortal. Any rogue Immortal in the land, Vritra would be the one to take care of them. He would go there and do it himself.

"Master?" Caelin asked, breathing deeply.

"The is... an Immortal."

Vritra's choice of words made him frown. "An Immortal?"

"A Guardian to be more specific," Vritra said, leaning on his chair.

Caelin hoped to keep the bewilderment off his face.

But knowing his master, Vritra would have seen it. He sighed, "I know, my dear boy. You will have to do this. I cannot. Because I am performing a ritual that day." He shrugged, "More specifically, I need you to kill him when I am performing the ritual for it to a success."

"But Master!" he protested. "This is a Guardian! They exist to maintain the balance."

"Balance?" he scoffed. "Who needs that? Darkness gives you power, Caelin. Learn to embrace it."

"But Master!"

"He is Darpan, Guardian of Sins," Vritra continued as though he had not protested. "Ia'rad has demanded his blood for her entry. You will do it, Caelin."

He wanted to protest. Trash the room with the lurking shadows. Cast this life away and throw everything he knew for a fresh beginning. But his body resisted him. His mind was frozen and he could not even draw a breath in his will. Vritra controlled his body, mind and soul now. What was his power anyway?

After a pause, the hold on Caelin's body released. His master smirked. "Whether you like it or not."

He stood in at the borders of Tantalia and Icathus. The evening was perfect for a man like him. It had enough shadow and darkness. The waning moon hid behind the thick clouds and refused to show his face. The orangish mellow sunrays were denied its path to speak to her friend earth by the huge canopied trees.

The place where he stood had once been a settlement. The houses and the structures were destroyed. The trees grew unrestrained and the vines and honeysuckles twined with them and raised to great heights. The songbirds filled the air, brandying whose voice was the sweetest.

A soft breeze teased his soul, giving him a taste of freedom before it fled. Until today, Caelin had never thought of fleeing, but Vritra's work, made him do so. When his master first saved him the eight-year-old boy was indebted to him. Caelin would lay his life down for him, but this forced action of killing a Guardian did not settle well with him. Perhaps it could have been due to the fact that he respected them, in spite of everything.

His aura picked up the presence of another Immortal. This Immortal's aura was not supple as a normal Immortal's would have been. It was stronger, more powerful. After all, the Guardians' did have their soul attached to their patron.

The earlier calm skies were turning violent. Clouds from afar gathered here to them dance with steel and blood. The chillness rose from the ground beneath him. Slowly his shadows weaved around his fists.

Before his other three sense of sight, smell and sound could announce him the presence of the Guardian, his shadows found him first. They wanted to curl around Caelin's victim and wanted to be his good looks.

But they could not. This was the Guardian of Sins. He was the one to represent Ruhan. Any mortal's count of sins lied with him. If Caelin were to kill him, who would do that work? And to imagine the magnitude of Sins that would add to his soul! Even he would not be able to carry such a weight.

Yet, fearlessly, the Guardian came. Perhaps, it should have been him who should have been cowering, but Vritra dark power coursing through him, made sure otherwise.

"Caelin," Darpan said calmly when he came to his sight. "What brings you here?"

He stared at the Guardian. "Ho-how do you know my name."

"It is hard to pass by without hearing your name carried by the wind," he said, his black eyes shining in amusement. "Or the other one."

Caelin froze. This time, it was not his Master's hold.

"Vritra has sent you here to kill me, is it?" Darpan asked, taking his twin blades from his back. One to represent the sins and the other virtues.

Caelin drew his scimitar, Cahya out. He rarely used the one he forged but, tonight even though he had not taken it, his master had forced him to do so.

Of course, his blade was made from the star tears. It was rumoured that whenever a star dropped their tear in the ocean, it cooled down and formed a metal that could withstand time. A weapon made out of this metal did not need polishing or sharpening. Trystan, Aeron, Leilah all forged their sword in this metal. This metal could kill Immortals and Guardians were not an exception for this metal.

Darpan's nose flared when he saw his weapon. "Finally a worthy opponent."

The guardian perhaps felt his hesitance as he dove in. Caelin moved just to avoid the blade that was aimed at his heart, yet the Guardian's blade nicked his right arm.

Sneering, Caelin rotated his right wrist. He did not want to do this. But what else could he do?

"Regret," Darpan said, cocking his head. "You do not wish to fight me."

"Yes," he said, his voice barely audible to him, but he was sure the Guardian heard it.

"Then why are you here?" Darpan asked, a frown marring his face. For the time since they met, Darpan looked the age of the body he was in. the frown made his appear somewhere around forty-five. "Why are you keen on fighting me, when you do not wish to fight me?"

"My master," Caelin said, gripping the handle of Cahya. "He wants your blood."

"And you would do anything for your master, Caelin?"

Would he? He did not know.

"Would you lay your soul bare to him?"

"He saved me," he croaked. "He saved me that day."

"Your loyalty baffles me, Caelin," Darpan said, his eyes softening. "Misplaced. But nonetheless strong and firm."

Caelin closed his eyes and tried to escape from Vritra's hold. But his master had a noose around his neck, one little tug, Caelin would cease to exist.

"I regret this," Darpan whispered. "But know one thing, my boy. Do your duty. Stay loyal. As much I am the Guardian of Sins, I am the Guardian of virtues. I forgive your crimes. For my comrades will not."

The Immortal assassin nodded. He raised his arm and held Cahya in a defensive position. Darpan shifted his legs and looked at him sharply. And Caelin knew only one would walk away alive.

Darpan came forward with both his hands deciding to attack. Caelin answered him with Cahya. The metals resonated in the dead town. The stars stopped moving their place once their warble began. The birds either fell quiet or they flew away to continue their contest.

The Guardian was relentless, so was Caelin. Cahya moulded as a part of his arm. When Caelin thought Darpan was going to strike him from the left, he struck from the right. What else could he expect from a Guardian? Darpan despite his domain not being war, knew how to fight in one.

Darpan dove with one blade pointed towards him. Caelin raised his scimitar just in time to stop the powerful blow, but from the other hand, the guardian gave him a huge gash on his left side. Caelin tried to move away from the path of the blade but managed to go beneath two layers of his skin. Pushing Darpan with his blade, Caelin hissed when he saw his wound. It was beginning to cover, but it was slow. Had it been any other blade, he would have healed within the second the blade left his skin. His opponent came at him again, this time instead of using his blade end, Darpan used the pommel to punch on his nose.

The action was strong enough for him to fall on his knees. Without giving him time to get up, Darpan attacked him, as much it would have been a strain for his spine, Caelin blocked most of his blows, but sometimes the blade did manage to kiss his skin.

Slowly, he refuelled his will to live. He might have no one, but that never meant he did not have the right to live. He had the right to breathe in the free air one day and walk the lands no one has ever dreamed off. He did have the right.

His failing strength returned. His arms and torso were covered in scratches and cuts. None were too deep nor were they major except for the gash on his left side that he had to treat immediately. But if it was going to continue on this bad note for him, Caelin was sure he would drop down.

Darpan took a few seconds to recognise the change in him, but in the matter of those few seconds, Caelin had managed to land a severe cut on Darpan's right arm. Then using his blade as a leverage, Caelin got on his feet again.

This time, there was a resistance in his bones. He was no longer the master of his body. His master was pulling the strings and he was a mere puppet. He hated this feeling of being controlled.

He was pushed to the corner of his own mind and was forced to watch what was happening. His limbs and body moved with a fluidity. Was his hesitancy to fight a Guardian that had been his barrier from the beginning?

His shadows accompanied him on the show he was staging. Without a single practice, they were in complete synchrony. Yet, it had taken him a thousand practices before his shadows ever began to listen to him.

An hour or so later, Darpan began losing his strength. But this was not fair. He was a single Immortal, and Caelin had the power of two.

His shadows held Darpan in their tight hold and forced the Guardian to drop his weapon. Once the two metals clanged on the earth, he raised Cahya and pointed it towards Darpan's heart.

Darpan gave him a last, broken smile, "Put my blades on my body."

He tried to nod, but his lips snarled and hand gave the right pressure for Cahya to tear the skin and pierce his heart.

At Darpan's last breath, Caelin's restraints released. His heart started beating normally and his mind was cleared. Much clearer. Why would Vritra do this? His master knew Caelin hated to do this. Was this his punishment for thinking about the welfare of his friend? Why did master hate Leilah so much?

Caelin would have liked to find out if only his loyalty did not get the best of him. Even this mission, he should have been able to do without Vritra's help. But did those moments of vulnerability that made you who you are? That gave you a sense of life? He could not tell.

But at least, he would do what the Guardian had requested him. Caelin bent down and closed the Guardian's wide open eyes. The other Guardians would be out for him, Caelin was sure of it. But he had time.

He patiently took the fallen blades and placed it on his chest. Slowly, the blades disappeared and then a bright flash of grey light erupted from Darpan and then vanished all of a sudden. He closed his eyes. The soul was leaving, perhaps to find another body. Never did he expect to see the death of a Guardian. As much as the soul that was visible for a second was beautiful, it tore something from Caelin's soul. It filled him with sadness and despair for the second it lasted. Perhaps that was what a death of a Guardian would do.

When he opened his eyes to see the Darpan's body to bury, the corpse was no longer there.

Well, how was it?

The name Cahya means light.

What do you think of Caelin now? Any feeling about Vicuska and Porcys?

Leave your thoughts below!

~Quill