Writing Prompt: an assassin and a serial killer run into each other while both trying to get rid of their prospective bodies
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" Personally I would have chosen a much more secure place to dismember a body if I were you. "
The young mans head snapped up and to the side to locate the sudden voice. His hands were currently occupied with sawing through the old Counts shoulder to separate his arm from the rest of his body. Warm blood slicked his hands and pooled on the ground under his knees. It had only been a few minutes since he began the task of separating the older mans body into smaller pieces for easier transport and disposal. His hands froze on the small saw he was using and looked to where the stranger who spoke had appeared.
A figure now stood at the top of the small hill that crested the clearing where he worked. A dark cloak concealed most of the intruders body, but did not stop him from spotting the rope they held in their left hand which trailed back down the other side of the hill, out of view.
He quickly scanned them and the surrounding area but was unable to conclude if they had any weapons or if they were alone. Although the voice he heard did allow him to realize something- this stranger was a woman. The figure spoke again.
" You know just about anybody can walk up on you here, yes?"
She took a step down the hill in his direction.
" You're totally exposed to anyone who comes up this side if your back is turned." She gestured to the denser line of trees across from them. " I would have gone in there, it's darker and easier to hide if needed."
He stayed frozen in place on the ground. Who in the seven hells was this woman? Was she insane? Who sees a man carving up a corpse in the middle of the woods and strikes up a conversation with them? Much less gives them advice on where to dice up a body. This situation could turn nasty very quickly. He wasn't opposed to silencing witnesses if he had to - even if they were women - but he never usually enjoyed taking the life of someone that was not his quarry. He needed to decide what to do and quickly. He plastered a sly smile on his face and slowly began to stand, the blood that had soaked into his trousers now much more noticeable.
" Lady I'm going to give you ten seconds to turn and go back down that hill before I take your advice and put it to use." He jerked his chin in her direction and smiled a little wider, twirling the saw in his hand. Any sane person would have heeded his words and turned tail and ran in the opposite direction, but he clearly was not dealing with a sane woman. She threw back her head and laughed.
Laughed.
He froze again unable to discern what this reaction meant. He was never really good at understanding women anyway. This interaction was not helping. She continued to laugh for a few more seconds then looked back to him. Her right hand came up and threw back the hood that was covering her face. A full head of black curls sprang free and cascaded down her back. Green eyes locked with his as the young woman smiled at him.
" You should definitely work on your line delivery that threat wouldn't have even scared the urchins on the streets." She took another step down the hill and he finally noticed the rope in her hand was tied to something that had appeared behind her. A large burlap sack had began to descend the hill after her, the material dark and stained by an unknown substance. She pulled on the rope harder and let the bag slide past her and down the hill until it came to a stop in front of his feet. Looking closer he could see that it was large enough to conceal an adult man and definitely smelled like one.
He looked back up to see that the woman was now directly in front of him, her head slightly tilted as she inspected him. He gasped softly and jumped back wielding the saw in a defensive stance. He hadn't heard her approach or any noise for that matter, and yet she was able to close the distance between them fairly quickly without alerting him. She smiled at him again.
This was not an ordinary woman.
It took him a moment to reorient himself but as he did he decided on the answer to his earlier quandary. Kill now ask questions later.
He lunged forward with the saw aiming for the side of her neck, hoping for a swift and killing blow. What he wasn't expecting was for a long blade to meet it and block her neck from his attack. Where was she concealing it? The silver blade was about the length of her forearm and had simple ornamentation. Nothing too flashy but probably effective for whatever uses she had for it. The sharp clang of metal on metal rang out through the clearing, scaring a nearby flock of birds from the tree they were roosting in.
" You're different from how I imagined you," the woman said, eyes wildly boring into his. " Your wanted posters make you look like a brutish meathead, I didn't realize you would look better in person." She winked at him. Her fist came around to strike him in the face but he swiftly drew up his arm and blocked. The strength of her blow surprised him. She quickly moved again and dropped to the ground to sweep his legs out from under him. He landed on the ground with a hard thud and felt the air leave his lungs. Gasping for air he rolled to the side just as her blade plunged into the dirt where he was laying a moment before.
" Who the hell are you," he rasped as he regained his breath. He rose and remained in a crouched position as he eyed his attacker. She paused for a moment then swept her arm forward into a low bow.
" My formal name is Sen but you can call me The Moons Shadow," she rose and placed her hands on her hips. " It's a pleasure to meet the notorious Night Butcher in the flesh."
Ah.. so she knew who he was. And now he knew who she was. This sudden altercation made much more sense.
Of course having an assassin stumble upon you and your work would throw a wrench into anyones day.
" What do you want Shadow?" He rose to stand again and warily regarded her, she had put away the blade she was carrying - where she put it he had no idea - and had instead taken out a page of parchment and was holding it in her hand.
" I counted at least three of these on every street corner on my way here and you're telling me you haven't skipped town yet?" She looked at him like a mother chastizing her child after catching them doing something she explicitly told them not to. " It's totally amateur!" She huffed and rolled up the page. " How you haven't been caught yet is beyond me."
He merely stared at her. One moment she's attacking him with what he assumed was intent to kill and now she's scolding him?
If he survived this encounter he was taking a long bath when he returned home.
Holding the rolled up parchment in her hand she pointed to the sack she had been dragging behind her. " I came to dispose of this guy when I noticed the footsteps in the dirt, I don't usually see people out here so I followed them and found you." She crossed her arms. " A bear has more grace and stealth than you do."
He was stunned, now she was insulting him?
The assassin sighed and looked beyond him to the counts body that lay on the ground. She narrowed her eyes and began to walk toward it, giving him a wide berth. He did not try to stop her as she walked past him and crouched beside the body, studying it.
" Count Veldin?" she murmured. Reaching out she held up the old mans hand that was attached to the arm he had began cutting off. She held the hand closer to her face and seemed to be looking at the insignia ring he wore on his finger. Satisfied with what she saw, she dropped his arm with a thump and looked back at him over her shoulder.
" So you were the one that finally took this bastard out." She was smiling at him again.
"Uh..," he trailed off. How was he supposed to respond to a situation like this? He couldn't tell whether this revelation made her happy or if she was ready to pounce at him with her blade again.
He needed to steel himself.
" Are you upset I took away some prey of yours?" he asked.
It probably wasn't a good idea to goad the assassin who nearly killed you but he was never one to make the best decisions.
" As upset that I am that it wasn't me I'm just glad that someone did the job," she said, rising. " He was a monster that should have been taken out a long time ago." She kicked the corpse with a booted foot.
She spoke again in a low voice. Harsher.
" May he rot in the seven hells."
The Butcher found himself agreeing with the woman. He wasn't sure if there was a history there or if she was one of the many citizens that was held in the counts vice like grip over his city, but he had thoroughly enjoyed snuffing out the mans life. Finding him drunk behind a brothel stumbling against the wall had been a welcome surprise.
Sen looked him over and then nodded. She began to walk toward him again and he readied himself for another fight, but she slowly reached out her hands to show she held no weapon. Her hands rose and cradled his face. He was frozen in place, heart thundering. Eyes wide, he watched as her face neared his and her lips softly met his.
He didn't move, didn't dare to.
The assassin's lips were soft and only on his for a few seconds. She smelled...wonderful.
She took a few steps back and smiled at him again. " Your reward," she stated, matter of factly. " I assume you don't get many of those for the work you do."
He gave her a genuine smile. " I don't kiss many assassins in my line of work no."
She laughed again. " Don't get used to it Butcher, that was a one time thank you." She stepped around him and bent to pick up the rope that was attached to her recent kill. Dragging it along a few feet farther into the woods, she stopped and turned to regard him.
" Just so you know some of Veldins confidants have hired me to put you in the ground. "
He met her gaze, realizing with a start that he had completely lowered his defenses and allowed himself to be kissed by this woman.
By the seven hells he was such an idiot.
The paralyzing agent took effect quickly.
He swayed as vertigo hit him suddenly, the loss of feeling in his legs slowly creeping up his body. He dropped to his knees as his arms went numb as well.
Sen smiled softly.
" I think your nickname is a bit unwarranted when you have a habit of taking out those that wield their power without check." She walked back and crouched in front of him, caressing a finger down his cheek.
He grit his teeth and glared at her.
She leaned forward and whispered in his ear.
" Im going to enjoy playing with you Butcher," she cooed. She rose again and began walking back to her catch.
" The effects should ware off soon, maybe in an hour or so give or take."
The assassin began to disappear into the thick line of trees, shrouded in darkening shadows she raised a hand and waved to the paralyzed man she had left behind.
The Night Butcher, named by those that feared his judgmental hand of death, leaned back his head with what feeling he had left and laughed.
For the first time in a long time, he genuinely laughed and stared into the trees where the young woman had disappeared, her perfume lingering around him.
He inhaled deeply and smiled to himself.
This sudden wrench in his day had turned out to be a pleasant and welcome game that he was itching to begin playing.
