Life Begins Anew

Chapter 9 The Master Assassin Part VI

FLASHBACK CONINUES

Grabbing her wand, Sara stepped out of the shower and walked up to the wardrobe. Naked and dripping wet, she examined the clothing thinking on what to wear.

DEATH formed up behind her. She whirled around, wand in hand.

"Your reaction is impressive Sara." DEATH sat down in a chair next to the fireplace and looked up to her. "You are going to need it. Your assassins are waiting. They have found a clause to get rid of you. Attend to your Guild. I promise to tell you everything when you get back."

Sara thought for a moment. As the brotherhood had to experience Travis's pain, they were not going to be in a good mood. It would not matter that the memory was fading, like the pain of childbirth for a witch.

Sara selected her assassin suit. It was form fitting and had undetectable pockets where you could hide just about any weapon that could be used by hand.

DEATH looked up, and nodded. The witch chose wisely. Robes could be grabbed up and used to pull her into an enemy's hand.

Sara smirked as she finished dressing. Nudity around DEATH did not bother her . She went to her weapons room and thought about what to stow on her suit. She pocketed a garrote (could be handy), and several different size muggle handguns about her. She also stowed many knives as well. She did not get any poisons this time, as if there was an encounter with the brotherhood, it would be physical.

Sara exited her chambers and walked to the meeting room. Bootstray and Slightly stood outside the closed doors of the meeting room, resplendent in their office robes. She quirked an eyebrow at them, asking the unspoken question.

"DEATH was right, master. The essence of the Guild is influencing the brotherhood. We have taken their wands, but I would urge caution. " Slightly said, his eyes filled with worry.

Bootstray looked over her form fitting fighting attire. "Very wise choice of clothing master."

He and Slightly opened the doors to the meeting hall. She walked through the doors and suddenly dived for the left. The thunk of daggers embedding on the door was heard in the silent chamber.

"Nice try my brothers." Sara softly said in a dangerous, cold tone. "Shame, as your daggers are thirsty."

The brotherhood eyed her apphrensively.

She grabbed the six daggers and pulled them off the door. Throwing the daggers toward the group, she cried "Find your masters and take the blood that you demand!" The daggers found their owners, plunging deeply within the chest. They glowed brightly, the light covering the dead owner. There was a bright flash and the bodies disappeared.

She glanced at the remaining assassins, whose masked faces had looks of shock.

"When you use your dagger, make sure your target can be hit. Or you cause your own death." She smirked and cackled loudly. She could not have thought of a better entrance.

As she walked, the assassins made way for her. She spoke while walking. "I have been an assassin for 20 years, 17 of those as your Master. I assure you there is not one here that is better than I."

As she walked, the assassins noticed her attire and weapons. She definitely had come prepared.

She stood at the center of the meeting hall. "Please feel free to challenge me directly instead of those cowards throwing their daggers at me. Obviously, they did not know the rules governing the assassin s dagger. It cannot be used to kill a Master. You must use other means. Good riddance to the unworthy!" She stood still waiting to see if anyone was going to take up her challenge.

She walked to her desk. Chairs appeared for the brotherhood. "Sit my brothers. You act surprised that I am still among you. I assure you, it will take much more than a traitor's ceremony to take me to the Veil."

She sat down. "What business do you have for me today?"

Jacobs stood up nervously. Sara could tell he was doing something that he did not agree with. She loved him like a father and could always tell his emotions, despite the mask.

Sara intoned "I recognize Jacobs, longest serving assassin at 30 years. An advantage to our guild! What say you?"

Jacobs sighed, glancing around at his fellow assassins. He could feel their anger and hate radiating toward the Master.

"Master, as the longest serving assassin in the ranks of the brotherhood, I have been chosen to speak. While you were in an unknown status, we began discussing Lord Voldemort. We felt the guild s presence instructing use to seek a witch or wizard that we could question. The essence chose me as I am senior to the rest. He is waiting in the ante-room. As long as this Lord Voldemort is alive, the guild is at risk. As the master, you must search out this wizard and destroy him. The guild has decided to invoke the Master s Quest."

Sara opened her master handbook and read it through. Hmmm, interesting.

"Very well , bring in the visitor!" Sara replied, still looking at the book.

Bootstray and Slightly approached, escorting a tall, black, bald wizard between them. Sara s eyes narrowed. The wizard was clothed in the robes of an Auror. He looked dazed and confused of his surroundings.

She glanced at Jacobs.

Jacobs s eyes did not meet hers. "I may have drugged him before explaining our needs, Master."

She sighed. The essence of the guild was behind this.

She pointed her wand at the Auror and said Reinverate! The visitor became lucid all at once. She conjured up a chair and forced the visitor into it.

"What is your name, Auror?"

"I am Kingsley Shacklebot, Auror for the Ministry of Magic" He replied in his deep rumbling voice. "I must admit you have me at a disadvantage Madame. I was talking to someone about a lead on He Who Must Not Be Named and a magical guild. Now I find myself in your presence."

"This Lord Voldemort is the reason for your presence." Sara replied, putting on an air of indifference, noticing Kingsley cringe at the name. She filed that information away for later.

"You do not know of He Who Must Not Be Named?!" Kingsley spoke with surprise in his voice. "You wish to learn about the Dark Lord?"

"We keep to ourselves mostly, Auror Shacklebot." She pulled out a parchment and quill. "Please fill us in."

Kingsley spoke at length to the assembled group, going over the History of Lord Voldemort s rise to power. He spoke of the dementors siding with the dark lord and of the muggle attacks and torture. After he was finished, discussions started out around him.

He put his Auror skills to work. The drug might have affected part of his brain, but it seemed the assembly was happy with this information, and was talking excitedly.

He used the time to examine the witch. She left no doubts that she was the leader of this group. She looked unshaken by the information. She was looking at her notes thoughtfully, not paying attention to her surroundings. She was dressed in some kind of fighting suit, and a silver mask covered her face. He was surprised to see muggle weapons placed around her outfit. Her black hair was clipped short, like a wizards. There seemed to be about 22 wizards in blood red robes and black masks. He looked for his escorts. They were dressed in midnight blue robes and black masks. They were standing at the back of the gathering, guarding the entrance doors.

She looked up at the group and the Sergeant at Arms called for silence.

"Auror Shacklebot, does your ministry have their own assassins?" Sara asked.

"Yes we do Madame" Kingsley shifted slightly in his chair. "However, the Ministry is rife with the Dark Lords followers. Each attempt has failed. The remaining assassin that we have refuses to go after him."

Some angry muttering was heard around him. A true assassin would never turn down an assignment.

Sara stood and addressed her brothers. "Is this the Master's Quest that you wish to press upon me?"

All raised their balled fist, a resounding shout of "Aye!" thundered across the room.

Kingsley sat down hard, his face in disbelief. A fabled assassin's guild was going to take out the Dark Lord!? He could not wait to tell Albus Dumbledore the news.

Sara was watching her visitor, mouth frowning.

She entered his mind stealthily. "Auror Shacklebot, I must have your Wizard s Oath that knowledge of our Guild and my Quest be revealed to no one unless I say so."

He jerked his head up, shocked.

"You are very lucky that the essence of the guild sought you out. See, they are trying to get rid of me. I am sure you noticed the cheery conversations around you. She smirked back at him. "If it were any other circumstance, you would have never been allowed to leave here alive. However, I may need your assistance in the future, and as the Quest rules allow, I can spare your life. Swear to me!"

Kingsley had no choice. He spoke aloud. "I swear I will not reveal anything about the Guild or the Quest." Magic swirled around him. Just as well he thought. If this got out, the Wizarding world would have thought that the Ministry was getting desperate.

"Slightly, escort our visitor to wherever he wishes to go."

Slightly looked toward his Master while walking toward Kingsley and mouthed Obliviate? She shook her head. Slightly and Kingsley silently left the room.

Sara turned back to the assembled assassins. "So you have invoked The Quest." She picked up her Master Assassins Guide off the desk and held it up for all to see.

"It says that I have one year to complete my task. Also, as this is a Quest, it means that the Brotherhood has no faith in its officers. The Sergeant at Arms are Quested as well. A temporary Master will be selected and will run the guild. The Quest dictates that once I leave this estate, there will be no Guild resources available to me. The target of the Quest is Lord Voldemort, yes?"

"Aye!" the Brotherhood agreed and the oath of the Guild and old majiks swirled around her.

"Very well!" Sara's eyes glinted. "Now to the compensation. Each assassin is to give me 75 percent of their wealth. If I am not successful, then the wealth is returned. It seems that our founders would have been affronted if a successful master falsely accused returned after completing their task, empty handed."

She laughed inwardly as she heard grumbling and feeling the guild's efforts to soothe the assassins. Yes, the guild forgot to mention that tidbit .

"All we need is this parchment, listing the Quest, and a tap of your wand to deposit your 75 percent." There was grumbling but they started to line up.

Bootstray carried a wooden box containing the confiscated wands. "There will be no trouble here." His voice menacing. "After you sign you are to leave the guild and return when called upon. Jacobs must remain behind."

She was surprised he said that, as that was exactly what she was going to say. "Master, remember our darkest bonding. It is still here. While I cannot read your mind like legillimens, I can feel and sense what you need. Handy thing to have, as we re Questing." She felt him pull back, remaining at the back of her mind.

Soon, Jacobs and Sara were left in the meeting room.

Jacobs grabbed up her hand with the skull ring upon it and croaked "Master, I did not want to do it!"

Not saying anything, she gestured for the assassin to follow her into the office. They entered and she accio'd the firewhisky and fetched up 2 glasses from the drawer of her office desk. She motioned for the assassin to sit as she poured out 2 generous helping of the golden drink. She handed one to Jacobs, sipped on hers, sighing to herself. Tense muscles began to relax. Looking at Jacobs she asked him if he knew why he was in her office. He replied back that he has a suspension.

She silently glamoured herself and removed her mask.

Jacobs shot out of his chair in shock. "Calm down Jacobs, it is okay. This is the Quest. As you are going to be the Temporary Master, you are required to know your assassins. As I am not the master now, I do this for you as the first assassin you put to memory." She laughed softly. You know there is a very good chance that I will never make it back here. Now Jacobs, you must remove your mask to claim your mastership."

She pulled him over until he was sitting directly in front of her. She opened a drawer and withdrew a heavily jeweled box. She set it on the desk and opened it up, revealing a small tool with a circled MA. She took it out and muttered an incantation. The circled MA began to glow a hot red, heat emanating from it. She grabbed his right hand and pressed the tool down on the life line of his palm. He hissed in pain as she withdrew the tool. She grabbed up her wand and placed on her mark. He did the same, except wand tip was to her mark. She closed her eyes as the guilds essence flowed from her mark and went to Jacobs. He felt instantly relieved and peaceful.

"Enjoy that feeling of Nirvana, for it fades fast." Sara felt strange, like a part of her magic had been lost.

She pulled off her skull ring and placed it on his left ring finger. The skull glowed for a moment.

"Now, pull out your dagger." Touching the metal with the same tool that marked him, the blade began to glow and transform itself into the same dagger that Sara had.

She showed Jacob her arm with the flesh encased dagger. He immediately understood and sheathed the blade into his flesh.

Master Assassin blades were created by the guild using the original blade assigned to the assassin. As Sara was not dead, her dagger had not disappeared.

She put her mask back on. "Test your mark by silently calling Bootstray. Just hold your wand on it and he will come."

He did and noticed the mark glow bright and disappear.

Bootstray immediately entered. He seemed confused for a moment but noticing where Jacobs now sat he instantly went to his knees and intoned "What service do you require, Master?"

"Reveal yourself assassin, so I may know thy look."

Bootstray immediately removed his mask, revealing himself.

Jacobs studied Bootstray. "You are Quested, so you will not have my call or support. Take care of her Bootstray. She holds a place of importance in my heart, as I feel like a father towards her."

Bootstray nodded toward the new Master. "Of that you will have no worries. I will protect with all that I have to offer."

Jacobs felt the wizard's mind and decided to try silent communication.

Bootstray stood up and left room.

"That went very well."

Sara reached into her robes and pulled her Assassins book. The book was not handed down, but created for every new master. It listed every assassination that the master and the guild did during a master s reign. As she still was a Master hers had not disappeared to the annals of the guild. Hers was quite thick. She tapped hers and a new one appeared with his name .

"Read this book well, and know it. I mean really KNOW it!" Sara said, with a slight crack in her voice. "These are dangerous times my dear one,and knowing our ways will protect you. It is a curse that you are the longest serving assassin. You, who took me under your wing as a child. I would have been driven insane if not for you. I love you as a daughter loves her father, for you were that. This position is certain death for you."

"Ssssh!" Jacobs replied. "One cannot control fate, daughter."

Grabbing the witch up he pulled her to him and pulled off her mask, and held her in his arms. They looked in one another's eyes as he held her silently, comforting her as a father would.

A/N Promise the end of the flashback next chapter, and back to the present with for continuation. SS/HG interaction will occur. Just later in the story. As I said, I think you will enjoy as it goes along. Thanks for patience. As always please review, if positive or negative. It will help me map out future chapters.