Lucas Drachen Act 2, Kitten

[Lucas Drachen]

The mission was simple. The Orphanage's owner was a strong supporter of The Noble Lucas had taken out months earlier. He had been picking up where the noble left off, Giving anti crime speeches and going as far as naming known Guild members. Lucas was impressed at the tenacity these freedom fighters had.  He was to move into The Orphanage and take the owner out and any witnesses...

The night was like any other, black, cold, and the silent streets barren of life. Death walked unseen in this city and it had a name, Lucas Drachen. His footsteps echoed across the empty alleyways. Shadows appeared to back away in fear of the man and clouds began filling the nightsky as if aware of the tragedy about to befall the city of Nujelm.

Climbing the trellis outside the orphanage Lucas made his way into the window of a storage room. He crept out into the empty hallways peering into each room as he passed. The rooms housed sleeping children of varying ages. Continuing on he found his way to an office, He peered in to see an old gentleman writing at a desk. He reached for his crossbow slowly..only to be stopped by a tiny voice.

"Are you the new caretaker Mr. Griffith sent for...?" Lucas turned to see a young girl no older than five looking up at him rubbing her eyes.

"No..well...yes...yes I am." Lucas spoke softly hiding his crossbow inside his cloak.

"I was just going to have a talk with Mr. Griffith....maybe you should go back to bed...?" Lucas stated softly.

"I can't sleep...The Darkman keeps scaring me..." The little girl said with tears in her eyes.

"Wh...The Dark Man...What are you on about child?" Lucas retorted getting a bit annoyed.

Without warning the little girl grabbed Lucas by the sleeve and started pulling him down the hallway. Lucas turned to the office grasping at it as he was dragged away by the child futilely. The girl brought him into a room and pointed to the closet in it. Within the closet hung a long black robe.

"That's just a robe kid...."  Lucas stated a little annoyed.

"No! it's the darkman! he keeps scaring me and...and..." The child went on before breaking down in tears.

"H..hey come on now stop that...Be quiet now!" Lucas yelled keeping his voice down as best he could.

"He killed mommy and daddy and now he wants to kill me!" The child bawled her eyes out.

Lucas suddenly lifted his crossbow from his cloak. The young girl jumped back terrified. He pointed the bow towards the closet suddenly letting a bolt loose into the robe nailing it to the wall with a thunk.

"There....if he's still in there....he ain't happy..." Lucas said with a grim nod.

The girl jumped at him and hugged him tightly around the neck with both of her tiny arms. She smelled like the sea, It brought a strange feeling back to Lucas...He quickly shrugged it off unsure if it was out of fear or annoyance..

"Now you can go back to sleep right...?" Lucas asked the girl.

"Yuhuh, thank you! I hope you stay, you're a nice man" The girl said to him with a smile.

Lucas stood there for a moment blind sided. "Nice Man..?" he thought to himself. This girl had no idea who he was or what he did. For all she knew he could be the Darkman that killed her parents. He had killed many people...So many people...

"We'll see...what's your name kid..?" Lucas asked curiously.

"I don't have one...But I remember my mommy always called me Kitten" The girl said with sad grin.

"Kitten...that's cute.....well alright Kitten...get some sleep then huh?" Lucas said as he began to leave the room.

"Wait!....can you tuck me in?" The child asked

"W...what?! really?" Lucas turned looking perplexed

"It's just....no one here ever calls me kitten...they gave me the name Lucy....They won't call me what mommy called me...so hearing it feels special....please tuck me in..?" The little girl begged to Lucas.

"Alright Kitten...Alright..." Lucas spoke as he walked over to the child and tucked her into the covers.

"Thank you....say what's your name..?" The girl asked curiously.

He didn't know what came over him...He didn't understand why then and there that he didn't just make a name up. But something inside of him just wouldn't let him...

"Lucas....My name is Lucas" He said with a smile and strolled out of the room.

He moved down the hallway slowly. The light in the office had gotten strangely brighter. He strolled over and peered in. The Man was no longer there, This was odd and Lucas thought of only one thing...

"It's a trap..." He spoke out none too soon as he found himself suddenly shoved into the office.

Within the office stood two guards with torches explaining the extra light. Lucas peered around the room seeing The Owner standing there looking at him sternly.

"I knew I didn't leave  The Storage room's window opened...Tell me who sent you and what is your reason for being here?" The Owner spoke coldly.

"Well, I am here to kill you...You don't keep your mouth shut very well...So.. I have to shut it for you" Lucas spoke with a smirk.

At that moment one of the guards punch Lucas in the stomach. He lurched forward his crossbow being snatched from his hands as he did.

"And how praytell do you plan to do that...without your weapon?" The Owner smiled a bit at his own comment.

The Guards drew their weapons at the bent over assassin. Lucas caught his breath still recovering from the blow to his gut and looked up at The Owner.

"Guess I'll just have to Beat you to death..." Lucas said in a smile.

The Guards moved in suddenly as if by reflex to stop him.  Lucas rolled to the side as a sword hit the floor where he was at. The Owner backed into a corner quickly as if by surprise. Lucas lept to his feet and let loose a a hard elbow shot into the throat of the second guard sending him backwards with a gagging sound.

The guard who missed his swing suddenly came at Lucas again taking a quick slash at his midsection. Lucas jumped backwards the blade skimming his shirt. He landed awkwardly on his own cloak and almost toppled over. The Second guard then moved in taking this as his chance. Lucas quickly unclasped his cloak and spun hurling it unfurled into the approaching guard. The Guard got caught within the cloak like a net. The First guard rushed in as well lunging at him with a stab from his longsword.

Lucas moved to the side and wrapped his arm around the guard's arm. With a bit of redirection he arced the guards lunge forcing his attack to hit the second guard in the gut. A slicing sound filled the room as the longsword penetrated the cloak and through the guard's ringmail into the tender flesh below. A yelp of pain followed by the trembling of his form brought terror in the eyes of the attacking guard. Lucas grinned at him wickedly then struck two fingers into the guards arm by the joint. The guard attempted to pull free but as he did Lucas brought a second attack down in the form of an elbow strike to the guard's forearm.

The Guard Roared in pain as his elbow got reversed and released his sword. He stumbled back his arm now bent the other way, looking at Lucas in pure terror.

"Pressure points are a bitch aren't they?" Lucas said with a grin pulling the sword out of the other guard who fell to the floor trembling in pain.

"Please....Mercy?" The Guard spoke quivering with fear.

Lucas suddenly shoved the sword through the Guard's throat emotionlessly. Only a quick gagging sound followed by gurgling came from the guards lips as he collapsed onto the ground lifeless.

"Mercy...? think she's a stripper in the beach district..." Lucas said with a smile

Lucas flinched suddenly and moved to the side just in time as The Owner lunged with a dagger at him. The blade cut his side slightly and sent his bag of potions rolling across the ground violently with a cracking sound.

"Shit...Wai.." Lucas began to say as a dagger suddenly slammed into his side painfully.

"I am sorry....But this is how it has to be..." The Owner said matter of factly as he held the blade in  Lucas.

Lucas gritted his teeth in pain and looked down at his feet...and grinned.

"Sorry chap....But I already decided how it will be..." Lucas spoke as a twang filled the room.

The Owner stumbled backwards gripping a bolt in his stomach. He glanced to Lucas's feet to see the assassin had actually fired his crossbow with his boots.  Lucas grabbed the dagger and pulled it out with a grunt.

"Why....What have I done wrong to deserve this...?" The Owner asked as he stumbled backwards gripping the bolt.

"You have done nothing but good for this city...You've fed the poor..put evil to justice...and given homes to children in need..." Lucas said as he held the dagger in his hand looking it over.

"..Then why must I die..?" The Owner said with a grunt.

"....I don't know" Lucas said as he suddenly hurled the dagger. It's blade finds it's place in The Owner's forehead with a sickening "Thwack".

The Owner's lifeless body fell backwards. a look of terror suddenly filled Lucas as he saw what onto. The Body fell onto the bag of potions with the sound of glass smashing...followed by a large explosion. Lucas flew backwards into the wall as the potions in his bag went off...

"Aghh!! Damnit!! Three Explosions and two Conflags! this isn't going to end well!!"  Lucas yelled as two more explosions came from the flames.

The Fire began to spread across the wooden building quickly Lucas looked around and began to escape out a window..but something stopped him...something came into his mind..

"Kitten...." Lucas didn't know why it happened....why he thought of her...

Wounded and starting to suffer from bloodloss he smashed through the flaming door to the hallway. He rushed past other burning rooms till he got to hers. She laid coughing on the bed, the smoke filling the building seeming to have knocked her back out into sleep. He moved over flinching from the pain in his side and grabbed her off the bed.

"Don't you worry Kitten.....The Darkman isn't getting you..not tonight" Lucas spoke as he cradled her in his arms and charged down the burning hallway. Cries of pain and terror came from rooms as he passed them. Children and Orphanage workers were burning alive...but he couldn't save them all. He dove through the window to the Storage room with the young girl in his arms landing on the roof of the neighboring building. He watched as the flames consumed the structure.. He saw faces of children looking out the windows in pure terror....but they slowly faded into the flames and smoke...

Lucas delivered the young girl to the local healers. He told them he saved her from the fire, but wanted no recognition for it. he told them of a family in Cove who's son was murdered....By him sadly but it wasn't important. That they would probably love a daughter to take care of...

"What's her name then....?" The Healer's asked him..

"She doesn't have one yet....But you can call her Kitten..." Lucas said with a smile as he exitted The Healers.

Back at The Guild Headquarters Cordelia began her lecture on what Lucas had done wrong.

"Why didn't you kill him when you arrived?!" Cordelia yelled angrily

"I tried, but a young girl got in my way." Lucas responded.

"So? she counts as a witness! Why didn't you kill her?" Cordelia snapped back venomously.

"Does it matter...they're all dead now anyways...just more property damage than we expected.." Lucas retorted.

"Be more careful next time...You are supposed to be the best we have...Don't let yourself faulter next time" Cordelia spoke as she calmed down.

"Yes Mistress, as you order" Lucas bowed his head as he exited to return to his bed...

Many things troubled him that evening. Why had a mere girl troubled him so much. He had killed many before this night and never before had anyone gotten in his way. He shrugged it off, As long as he had his orders he was fine...

As long as he had his orders......