Chapter III: The Black Lotus (Cont. II)

Blackheart, a wealth of knowledge for a man who didn’t believe in anything even partially theoretical, ducked his attacker’s roundhouse. “Well, these members are first level, their lotus is green. It goes green, blue, red, then black,” Blackheart panted as he kicked the other leg out from under the hooded figure and swung up, uppercutting the falling body and sending it sailing back.

“How do you know that? You didn’t even believe they existed!” Adelia dodged the woman’s swing again as it hit the wall with a resounding crash, sending sand spilling down on the assassin.

“Gamblers and thieves have a lot of down time to read,” said Blackheart as the hooded figure leapt back onto his feet. Blackheart turned and looked at Kiki, who had been tossed aside by the enraged brother, who clutched his bloody arm and brandished his rapier. Kiki snorted at Blackheart. “Oh, real loyal, Kiki,” Blackheart shouted turning back to the hooded assassin, “Looks like we got another one to deal with.”

Adelia raced towards her sword, sliding in the sand and snatching it as the female assassin charged her. Adelia scrambled to her feet and turned to see the remaining twin advancing on her also, “No fair! He’s the good fighter,” Adelia yelled, pointing at Blackheart.

“Real mature,” Blackheart retorted, swinging with his hand scythe. The hooded assassin caught the scythe between his daggers and snapped the blade clean off. Blackheart tossed the handle aside, “Great.” Once more he found himself trying to dodge all the assassins blows.

Adelia backed up to the wall, the two assassins still advancing on her.

“There’s no place to run,” the female assassin said, sneering.

Adelia looked beyond her attackers to Blackheart, hoping for help. It was then that she saw it, the black sand trailing down into the center from the trap door. “He’s coming,” Adelia yelled.

Blackheart watched as the hooded figure batted Blackheart’s sword away and planted a foot in his gut, sending him sailing near the growing pile of black sand. The hooded figure moved in for the final blow, “Who’s coming?”

“The….the black sand!” The two assassins moved in towards her as she continued to wave her sword.

“Don’t make us have to bring you back…damaged goods,” the woman sneered.

Blackheart looked back at the black sand spilling down. Quickly he snatched a handful and tosses it up, the hooded figure clutching at his eyes, the only thing exposed. Blackheart kicked up, catching the hooded figure in the groin and then in the face as he doubled-over from the first blow. The hooded figure blinked his tearing eyes and collapsed. Blackheart quickly rolled and snatched up the first assassin’s axe, “Good thinking with the sand!” He hurled the axe at the two, heroically shouting triumph at his escape from near death.

But Blackheart wasn’t a hero, he was a thief, and the axe missed the two and imbedded itself in the wall nearby. The two turned as the axe struck and Adelia took her shot, thrusting her blade into the female assassin’s gut and racing away from the two stunned assassins. The female, sneer wiped from her face, looked down at the handle in her, coughed once, and collapsed in the middle of the sand.

“You’ll have to retrieve that, it’s got sentimental value,” replied Blackheart as the fourth assassin charged, rapier aimed for Blackheart. Blackheart dove out of the way, snatching up his sword and rolling perfectly back to his feet. He gave a winning grin as he blocked the enraged assassin’s blow. “I would’ve thought you were more important than they’re letting on,” Blackheart replied, punching the assassin in his gnarled, bloody arm.

Adelia plucked the sword from the female assassin and sheathed it. “We have to get out of here, he’s going to be here any moment!”

Blackheart sighed, dodging another rapier slash and kneeing the assassin in the gut. “For a group that hasn’t existed for centuries, you’d think they’d be better,” Blackheart jested as he drove the butt of his sword down and cracked the assassin on the back of the head, laying him face down in the sand. “Shall we depart?”

Adelia nodded as Blackheart whistled. Kiki rose, trotted into the center of the four bodies, snorted in victory, and bolted towards the barred gates, smashing through them with incredible strength. Blackheart watched her peer back happily at the two, “She’s got a good heart, that’s her problem,” Blackheart sighed. “She’s terribly ferocious to inanimate objects however,” he added hopefully. The two stepped through the gates, not before snatching the lamp from the room, leaving it bathed in pale moonlight. “Bring on the Garms,” Blackheart muttered.

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