Stargazer

Chapter 2

A wooden door opened to reveal a small group of people that filed in clapping and congratulating Pierce. I recognized them and their gray and red-orange Assassin tunics right away. Us students were only given tan tunics so there was no waste of dyes on us. The Assassin's could flip their tunics between the red-orange, to blend with the sand in daytime, or dark gray, to conceal at night.

Nova, one of the Assassins who had long, sleek, platinum-blond hair, walked up to Pierce and shook his hand, not seeming to care that he was covered in sweat and grime. "Congratulations, Pierce, we are excited to have you as one of the Assassin family,” she said in her soft-spoken voice.

“Congratulations, we’ll be glad to have ya in the guild,” belted Jermain, a large, friendly Assassin who shook Pierce’s hand wildly.

While Pierce continued to be congratulated, Master Kahlweh came up to me. “That was a brave stunt you pulled out there on that tree. But, it was stupid,” She eyed me for a response, but I had none to give. She pursed her lips, “I sure hope you think the risk was worth it.” She turned back to the congratulatory crowd leaving me to feel like a scolded child, tears now blurring my eyes. I hated dissappointing anyone.

“I didn’t know you had it in ya!” Jermain approached & patted me harder than intended on the back. “That was a gutsy move you did out there with that tree ya know!”

“I know, It was stupid,” I said in mimick to Master Kahlweh and wiped my eyes with the long sleeve beneath my tunic.

“No, not stupid! It was genius!” I looked up at him in shock. 

“But, I could’ve killed myself.” He let out a deep laugh and his massive, red beard was thrown about.

“Could’ve! But didn’t! Then again, you could’ve killed yourself falling in the shower this mornin'!” He got real close to me now and I could smell meat snacks on his breath. “Between yer and me, if the risk is worth it, then ya might as well take it while ya have the chance.” He smiled and shrugged, “Gotta live a little, don’tcha?” His candid words struck me with a surprising truthfulness, and I nodded to him in agreement.

“Well now, I may have a few tricks up my sleeve, not for the faint of heart.” He squinted in thought. “But seeing as you’re not faint-hearted, why don’tcha come see me when you're on breaks. That way, ya won’t be so pitiful and alone, like usual,” He teased. 

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! I was being offered to be trained personally by a very experienced Assassin, and couldn’t contain my excitement. 

“Wow, yes! That would be wonderful!” He winked at me and nodded.

“See ya starting tomorrow, then!”

As he turned away, Belefius moved to the middle of the circular tower room, and spoke again.

“It is decided that Solé has proven great strength, speed, and integrity today. In time, she will be tested again, solo, with a test of the Lead’s and Master’s choosing. If she can complete the test, she will have the opportunity of also becoming an Assassin.” My heart skipped a beat as I simultaneously began shaking with excitement and fear. “We will see everyone this evening to feast in the great hall, for Pierce’s ceremony!”

I walked over to a window and looked down. Below was Jasmine, sitting against the stone tower, her head laying on her knees. Pulling open the wooden door in the tower room, a stone staircase spiraled down to another door, where a skeleton key sat in the keyhole. I hadn’t even thought of looking for a door during the trials, but knew if there was one, it wouldn’t be that easy; it was locked from the inside. I unlocked it and ran out into the blinding sunlight, once again, to Jasmine who looked up at my approach with tear stains on her sandy face.

“I couldn’t do it, I failed.” She cried bitterly as I sat beside her. 

“It’s okay, Jasmine, there’ll be other chances, I’m sure!”

“No, you don’t understand, it won’t matter,” even beneath the tears and sand dust, she had a raw beauty with her delicate features that left me feeling like a boy. Jasmine had always said I was attractive, but I always felt too masculine compared to her, with my strong jawline, and muscular arms. The tight wrapping I placed around my chest each morning before training didn’t help much either, but was necessary in my eyes.

“Of course it’ll matter, you just don’t see it now. We’ll train some more, get more comfortable, get stronger!”

“Strength isn’t the problem!” She shouted at me, which she rarely had ever done. I was taken aback for a second. I realized there was something she wasn't saying, something she was keeping from me. 

“What do you mean? What is the problem, Jasmine? Please just tell me!” She stood up and looked to the top of the tower, and let out a big sigh. Her crying had stopped now. 

“I’m afraid of heights,” She said.

#

Pleasant Music echoed throughout the hall, and as I stepped through one of the open archways and into the great room, aromas of the most enticing meats, potatoes and herbs filled my head, causing an immediate growling in my stomach.

Inside, everyone began to be seated in preparation of the ceremony. I saw the table for the Assassin’s-in-training, separate from the children’s table. Everyone looked shiny and clean in their fresh tunics and washed skin, glowing with tans from the desert sun; myself included. “Lookin’ good Sol! You clean up nice,” Jasmine teased.

“Thanks, and speak for yourself,” I replied playfully and sat down at the wooden bench across from her and next to Keegan on my right, who smirked at me as he tore off a shred of tender meat from the table center. Still only 15 years old, he had a round “baby” face that hadn’t toned up yet, which resulted in an immediate effect of “annoying younger child” on me.

“Heard about today,” he said to me vaguely. I didn’t feel like playing his games tonight. With a look of disinterest, I pulled a shred of the smoked venison from the middle, stabbing at it with a meat fork.

"Oh yeah? And what is it you think you heard, exactly?" I happily bit into the meat and tore shreds off as well, silently rejoicing the rosemary and butter.

"Heard you failed today," he said matter of fact.

"Well, no s**t! Do you see me sitting up there!?" I pointed towards Pierce sitting at the head table in front, as we briefly made eye contact and he raised his glass in acknowledgment. I quickly turned away and back to Keegan.

He ignored my previous statement, "Heard they're giving you another chance." Jasmine stopped eating.

"Wait, what?! Solé, is that true?" She demanded an answer. I winced knowing full well she'd been outside the tower when it was announced, and I hadn't wanted to break the news to her. We had left things patchy after she told me her secret; I didn't know how to make things better. I pretended to finish chewing as everyone awaited an answer at our table, including Lyric and Ryker seated on either side of Jasmine.

"It's true," I mumbled looking down at my plate trying to make it out as no big deal. When I looked up at Jasmine, her eyes were darts of red daggers and she breathed heavily. She suddenly jumped up, violently threw her napkin on the table, and stormed off from the great hall. I jumped up to chase after her when Lyric grabbed my hand. "Don't," She said. "Just let her be. She needs time to cool off." Realizing she may have a good point, I slowly sat back down, unable to shake my concern for my best friend.

I was so livid at Keegan for his big mouth. As he reached for more meat, I slammed the meat fork down in front of the tray, impaling the table and narrowly missing his hand in the skewers. He stopped, surprised, and reading the fire in my face, pulled his hand back into his lap. But I didn't have much more time to punish Keegan before the ceremony began.

The Assassin Elders, Leads, Masters, and remaining members of the guild stood in rank order at the front of the hall, and Pierce by the first Elder at the far left. They all had their hoods up and blades held out on open palms.

The first elder spoke, "Pierce, today you have become our brother of the Assassin's guild," then he kneeled on one knee and rested the point of his dagger to the floor as it continued on to the next elder.

"We vow to take your side in times of war" he kneeled as well, and the ceremony continued all the way down the line.

"We vow to have your back in protection from the unknown."

"We vow to offer up our second weapon if you have none." It continued on, a splendid vision of dedication, until the last Assassin spoke.

"We vow to respect your opinions as an individual."

Then the room filled with the sound of all their voices now in conjunction, "Pierce, do you pledge all these vows for the guild?"

"I do vow," he replied likewise kneeling back to them, the only difference being, he had no weapon.

"Please arise then," it was Belefius' loud voice, "and choose your weapons!" A large, wooden decorative box was carried in by two academy employees who held it up by a set of wooden handles on each end. The box resembled a large armoire and was opened to reveal hundreds of shining blades of every kind.

We were told about this moment and how we should follow our gut feeling to pick the right weapons, because it is said: your soul will guide you. We all dreamed of this moment when we would finally be given one of our own, and it would become a piece of us.

Pierce took his time hovering his hand over each one as if he might feel something. He eventually stopped on a Dao, like a Saber but thick at the edge. He picked it up and held the polished leather-wrapped handle in his fist, weighing it, before he raised it to the guild and said, "this is the one I choose." Then everyone clapped as he continued the search for his small weapon of choice. He immediately landed on a dagger, the handle also wrapped in the same polished leather to match his other, and held that one up as well. Everyone applauded again while the wardrobe was folded back up and taken away.

A couple Assassins gave Pierce his new tunic and he pulled off his tan one, bare-chested underneath. His body was perfectly toned and I couldn’t look away; it stirred thoughts in me I hadn't realized I could have about Pierce. Again, he looked over at me and caught me looking. My cheeks burned as I looked at my cup pretending to be invested in drinking from it. When I looked back, his new, sleeveless tunic was in place, now the brilliant red-orange mimicking both the sand and sunset. The Assassins also placed his new weapons in sheaths, adding them to his tunic belt so that Pierce officially looked the part of a true Assassin. I still had a hint of jealousy and it hurt to watch him, but at the same time I couldn’t help but admire him.

The last part of the ceremony began with Belefius holding out a basket to Pierce of papers gently rolled with ribbon and sitting upright. They filled the basket like flowers in a vase. This was his first quest. He drew one out, unrolled the paper, and smiled with his dimples as he showed it to the other guild members. We wouldn’t be allowed to hear of his quest until we became members of the Guild. Only those with the Assassin titles would know, and be part of the planning for his quest. But, I couldn’t help but wonder what the first quest he had been assigned was. Would it be eavesdropping for information? One on one combat? Kidnapping? Thieving? Gah! I just couldn’t take not knowing!

But then there was a tapping on my shoulder and it startled me from my thoughts. I swirled around to find Pierce holding a jug and 2 cups. “Come with me?” He asked gently with that smile.