Memoirs of an Assassin

I’m guessing that you already know what I am… I’m an assassin. I only do it to hold up my family name, we’re the most well know assassins in Japan; well they were. My Mother and Father died on a mission and now it’s only me left to do their dirty work – I’m not complaining, don’t get me wrong, good adrenaline rushes and good pay but I just don’t like to see the pathetic faces after. I mean even the most powerful men are turned into young boys again, pleading and sobbing for their pitiful lives.

I’ve had no problem up until now - at the age of three I began my training and I’m seventeen so it’s not as if it’s new although that’s exactly how I’m acting. It’s as if Lord Kiyoshi is my first victim all over again, my first target I’ve ever had. I know what I’ve done wrong, I got too close - I’ve become his friend. It’s not my fault though! I’ve taken on too much at the same time, involving the same person all because of greed, the downfall of most.

I’ll try explain a little better. I have been given two missions, my first was from Lord Ryuu, he wanted me to get the battle tactics of Lord Kiyoshi and to do that I had to make him trust me. But then Lord Hiroshima gave me a mission in which I had to accept before he told me what it was… it involved Lord Kiyoshi again and this mission was to kill him. So to save my own life, I had to make him trust me and act as if I’m a loyal friend and then the time has come where I must kill him. That goes against all my morals and principles. I’ve never killed someone I’ve known before for the exact same reason a doctor doesn’t operate on family members.

So now I must choose between my life and his. He is a well respected man who owns the Land of the Waves and I am just a lowly assassin who people pay to kill others. What would my family have done? What would I do in other circumstances – if he wasn’t a Lord, if he didn’t have family, if he didn’t trust me – could kill him then? I can see Lord Hiroshima AND Lord Ryuu’s men coming closer, coming for me or him, they don’t care anymore. I’ve taken too long.

“Mizuki? What’s going on?” Lord Kiyoshi asks beside me, his beautifully soft voice filled with panic. I look up at him, he chocolate brown eyes are the most beautiful I have ever seen, his hair the most silkiest and darkest in all the land, his skin so pale, so smooth and flawless.
“I’m sorry my Lord… I have not been who you think I’ve been but I’m going to repay you for the awful thing I’m about to do. Will you trust me enough to help me get you away?” I can’t believe I have said that, without a fully formulated plan who knows if it will work or not.

“What are you talking about Mizuki, of course I trust you.”
“Then follow me…” I whisper, the warm tears threatening to slip down my cheeks. I take his hand in mine, so soft and comforting, I felt an all familiar jolt between us and all I can help but wonder if he felt it too. I pull him faster through the halls as I hear the main door of the castle being knocked down. I knock on his sister’s door and burst in, her eyes are wild fire. She is terrified. I grab her hand as well and carry on running through the halls. I take them down the stairs and start to bark orders to every man, woman and teenager in the building. “EVERYONE MUST GO TO THE BACK PASSAGES! LEAVE HERE AND YOU’LL BE SAFE!” I scream at them as they run around like headless chickens in fear.

I take Lord Kiyoshi and Lady Akemi deeper into castle, to the core. “If we’re running away, aren’t we supposed to go to the edges, not the heart?” Akemi asks in her soft smooth voice, all I can hear is her innocence.
“Just trust me, please,” I whisper; more tears threaten to fall for I can’t look Kiyoshi in the eye. I reach for my Katana that I hide behind the families riches and drew it out in front of me.
“Mizuki? What are you doing? Where did you get such a sword?” Kiyoshi asked in shock. I take a deep breath, the words running through my head. “Kill him, Kill her, Kill them both and it will all be over.”

“This is mine my Lord, this is my lie.” I manage to resist the voices and get out two shaky words, “Just follow.” I pull on his sleeve. Akemi follows behind, tripping over her expensive and long Kimono. I take them to the front door where it is almost down and flames are licking at the wooden structure. I instruct them to follow their employees and they happily agree. “LORD KIYOSHI?” I shout, stopping him in his tracks at the top of the hatch. He pauses, watching my distraught figure run over to him. I lean up, placing my lips onto his soft, warm lips. For months this is all I have wanted to do, all I have longed for, and it seems to ironic that I shall get it in the last few moments we have together. He seems shocked, but soon enough his lips move with mine, perfect synchronization, my heart singing with joy, my stomach twisting into knots. I pull away and smiled at him – a sorrowful smile with all my lies exposed. “One day my Lord, we will meet again, you will know of all my lies and you will have to chance to act upon them as you wish,” I nod to the hatch, ignoring his questioning and make sure it’s properly closed. Everyone is safe, everyone but me. This is how it’s destined to be.

I watch as the door is battered down and men flood in, surrounding me. I stand, Katana poised at my side, ready to fight to the death. I can only see things in oranges, reds and blacks. Lord Hiroshima steps through the broken door staring at me hard.

“Where are they Mizuki?”
“They are dead my Lord, as promised.”
“You lie Mizuki, I’m not stupid and naive.” He draws his sword and holds it towards me. “Lying is a killable offense Mizuki… do you know that?”
“My Lord, I have lied all my life and I am not yet dead,” I shoot back and raise my sword also.
“It is set then…” He makes a nod of his head and the second row of men step forward, their lit arrows rose. They shoot into the air, hitting the roof with their fire balls. The sound of the wood burning is deafening to my ears, the cracking and the sighing as it resists the urge to collapse. “You die here Mizuki…”
“I wish it to be so, but I promise you shall die with me My Lord.” I let out a sharp war cry and run forward, leaping at him, I bring my sword down on one of his men instead. He’s on the floor, dead, in seconds. My face is millimeters from Lord Hiroshima’s, my breath fast in anger. I feel the small ripping of my clothes as he exposes my body by cutting my tie loose – I do not loose focus.

I slip my hand towards my thigh and draw out my dagger in one swift movement. I hold it to his throat and look at his men. “Do you really care about this man?” I shout over the collapsing building. I dig the dagger in a little deeper, cutting the skin slightly. A few men part, Lord Ryuu appears between them.

“Mizuki? Do you want this man dead? He’s done nothing to the one you’ve fallen in love with, you’ve done it all on your own.” I regard the man, hearing his words cut my heart like barbed wire. I don’t remove my eyes from Lord Ryuu as I slice Lord Hiroshima’s neck, more blood on my hands. His men come at me in anger, I dodge a few slashes and make a few of my own but I am no match for the twenty or thirty men that are coming for me. I fling my dagger, being caught by Lord Ryuu – between the eyes. He falls down and his men come for me too. Screams are heard as they go through the fire, burning.

I make one last cut through the air before a sword goes through my stomach. The pain is excruciating, I let out a grunt and fall to the floor. Tears welling up into my eyes, I bite my lip, making another cut in my body for my life to flow out of.

My eyes blur and I look up to the man who hit me just seconds ago. “Lord Kiyoshi…” my raspy voice calls out to him. “I…I love… you.” Kiyoshi withdraw his sword, all is quiet. The men have stopped trying to attack me – their Lord’s dead on the floor, the Lord they want dead standing before them, the assassin they want dead hit – I think everyone is confused. I can feel the life seeping from me, my vision darkens. I feel one of the softest hands traces my cheek and delicate lips tickle my forehead.
“I love you too my dear Mizuki…” Kiyoshi’s strangled voice whispers in my ear. Somewhere deep inside of me, I can feel the little glint of hope that he’s telling the truth. His beautiful voice becomes softer as he carries on but I can’t tell if it’s just me or if it’s him, “one day we will meet again, one day I will be able forgive you and you will forgive me, one day Mizuki-chan everything will become clear and we, together, will understand what happened here today.” Somehow I knew I was going to die today, but I also know that liars only deserve to hear lies.