Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Asassination Halted (Me x FemShep)

Joined
Oct 11, 2009
A finely paved road twisted through the rolling countryside of southern France, passing through acres of well tended lands. Upon this road rumbled carriages of fine quality, emblazoned with crests and symbols of high status. Those riding within wore the finest of dress and highest of fashions. Men and women dressed to the nines, all with equally elaborate masks upon their faces. What lay at the end of the road explained such excessive finery and flair. A spacious manor stretched atop a hill, lit with lanterns and chandeliers that made it a beacon in the growing evening. It was there that the distinguished Desautel family was holding a grand Masquerade for their cherished daughter, in celebration of her birthday. Guests poured into the elegant home, greeted at the door by the party's illustrious host, Monsieur Desautel himself.

The warm, brightly lit hall was filled with the laughter and merriment of the guests, young men and women dancing about across the smooth marble floor. However, some chose to mingle and chat idly with others, rather than tire themselves upon the dance floor. Men and women of all ages spoke cheerfully of the splendor of the ball and of the mistresses' beauty. Among the chatter there was one man who remained quite silent. He did nothing to draw the eye to him, nothing to elicit more than a simple glance from those he passed. Despite his fine clothes and elegant mask, he still managed to be someone that none could pay more than a passing glance.

He was dressed in a black coat with a great deal of red and silver adornment, silver buttons marched up the front, and intricate embroidery in thread-of-silver lined the hem and spread across the sleeves and breast of his coat, intertwined with strips of red silk that seemed to leave a pleasant balance between the colors. White ruffles and lace peeked out along the edge of his high collar and sleeves. His pants were black as well, more silver stitching along the sides that ended below his knees, ending at snug black boots, again decorated with silver. His young face was hidden by mask that covered his entire face, coming out at a slight arc down the center, bearing no facial designs. His mask was divided in half down the middle, one half black as midnight, while the other was as red as blood. The eyes were black, his own eyes hidden behind thin fabric between his eyes and the mask, making only the eye on the red left half clearly visible. His skin was hidden by his high collar, mask and gloves, and his dark brown hair was held in a short ponytail by a strip of black velvet.

None knew him, though some asked and received the answer, "A guest of the Lady of the Evening." before he vanished into the crowd again. However, this man was no friend of the Mistress. It seemed there were some in the land who wished to gain the status that her family possessed and believed that perhaps if the daughter were to have an accident, then her family would be weakened. Dante, as that was the man's name tonight, had no interest in such things. He merely did his job as he was paid to, and tonight he would be payed well, once the dear Mistress had been... dealt with.

For now though, he continued to act as a guest at a fine party such as this should behave. He danced with a few beautiful women, as well as a few less than beautiful ones. He pretended to partake in the the various drinks that were being passed about by men in brightly colored silks, slipping gracefully between the guests without spilling a drop. He laughed at bad jokes told by half drunk old men and nodded as their equally drunken wives told him of the hardships of living in extravagant manors surrounded by an army of servants. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the arrival of the guest of honor was announced. He watched for her to emerge from the top of the steps with the rest of the hushed crowd. The time to act would be soon at hand.
 
From the top of the steps the young and beautiful Mistress, Elena Desautel emerged in front of the large crowd that awaited to see her. Her raven black hair was pulled up with only a few loose hairs that belonged to her bangs. Her sapphire blue eyes shined and sparkled behind her mask. Her skin as pale as fresh snow seeming to be flawless without a single damage to it. She looked like a perfect living glass doll with her walk down tghe steps. The sound of her heels tapping each step echoing throughout the ball room as she took each step

Her dress was long fit her upper body well while the bottom was more puffed out. As white as slik showing her innocence as a young lady with strings of golden lace and flower patterns danced along her dress. Her arms and hands were covered by snowy white gloves. Her mask only covering the upper half of her face following the same white and golden patterns as her dress did exposing her crimson red lips. Little did she know the white of her dress would soon be soaked in her own red paint
 
She appeared like a dazzling white lily at the peak of the stairs, white and gold silk flowing down her like liquid that spread outward from her narrow waist. Guests applauded, ooo-ing and ahh-ing as the guest of honor made her grand entrance. Her graceful descent was watched by all in attendance, their collective gaze held captive by her gentile arrival. Her heels clicked softly against the polished marble and was just barely heard over the hushed voices of the party-goers. Dante retained his stoic silence, his eyes fixed on the young woman from behind his mask.

He held back for the time being, waiting for the press of people to step forward and greet the pretty young thing. It would be difficult to separate her from the throng for some time yet, so he contented himself with watching her like a hawk. She would not escape his watch for an instant, and he would make sure she noticed the man in red and black. Curiosity was one thing young girls like her had in common. They could not resist that which they wished to learn more about. Dante would become that something. He would draw to her as she drew to him, unable to fight her curiosity.
 
Elena greeted and chatted with the throng of people that surrounded this young beauty. She was polite and tried to talk to everyone wishing to meet her, but she saw something that sparked her curiosity. A man in all black and red. Quite unusual for a ball with people normally wearing more then two colors and bright cheerful colors. Not dark almost frightening colors. Yet she couldn't fight the urge to speak with the unusual man.

After excusing herself from the throng of people she calmly made her way to the man luckily undisturbed by the people enjoying the celebration. She smiled sweetly at the man as she stopped in front of him. "Thank you for coming, but may I ask you a simple question? Why did you come in all red and black. It's a lovely choice it's just odd to see. If you don't mind me asking of course."
 
Dante caught her glancing his way several times as the guests surrounded her to shower her with compliments and congratulations. He made no indication that he had noticed her gaze, and simply walked through the crowd as he had before, making sure he was always just within her field of vision as he did so. Though a part of him wish to partake of the fine wines available, he had no desire to expose his face for even a second, nor did he need anything dulling his faculties, even for a simple job such as this. Still, he carried a full glass with him for his own reasons.

As he glanced towards his target, he allowed himself a brief sense of satisfaction as she began to approach him. As she drew near to him he turned to face her and bowed elegantly, taking her hand in his for a moment before straitening. "You honor me with your gratitude mademoiselle, though it is I should thank you for this delightful gathering." He presented the glass of burgundy liquid to her for her enjoyment before answering her. "I would answer any question you might ask of me without apprehension mademoiselle. While I confess it is partly my own tastes that inspired my garb this evening, it is also something of a dichotomy in my mind. Red is the color of blood, that which gives us life, while black brings thoughts of darkness and death. Together they make quite a contrast that I find most poignant." He held out his hand to her. "That being said, I fear it does have the drawback of being a tad oppressive. Would you care to join me in the garden for a moment of fresh air?"
 
Elena couldn't help, but feel somewhat charmed by this mysterious man who was interestingly different then most people that she had come across before. He seemed so interesting that it was impossible for her to say no. "That's quiet a interesting view of things. Dark yet beautiful at the same time. You're truly an interesting man misue. I'd love to join you." She answered and gently took his hand with a soft smile.

The garden was filled with assorted flowers from roses to lilies and many others. Large hedges with these flowers within them created maze like walls that could've gotten anyone lost if Elena didn't already explore the garden a million times.
 
"Please, call me Dante." he said as he took her hand in his and led her away from the constant buzz of chatter within the main ballroom. Walking past smaller groups of guests, they made their way towards the rear of the manor, where the elaborate gardens lay stretched out well out from the house. Hedgerows filled with fragrant flowers made a mazework of green splashed with dots of color. Further in the hedges became almost taller than Dante himself. This would be perfect for what he had in mind. No one around to hear or see what was about to take place.

"Please lead the way, I'm sure you are far more familiar with your own gardens than I, and I should very much enjoy walking with you and talking more." Once they made they were in the shadows of the hedges, he would end it quickly and quietly, with no one the wiser for quite some time.
 
Poor Elena wasn't suspecting a thing. She didn't expect this man she took a interest in to be her murderer, she believed he was nothing more then an unusal party guest. "Of course." She answered him happily leading him through the maze of a garden slowly walking into the darker parts of the garden. "So Dante can you please tell me more about you? I've never met an individual like yourself before." She smiled sweetly at him
 
Dante followed along beside her, gloved finger brushing against the hidden release for the blade hidden in his sleeve opposite her. It slid out silently, hidden from her view as the shadows of the hedges stretched out to greet them, welcoming them into the darkness. He stopped walking as she asked him about himself, an innocent smile on her lips. Dante would have felt bad for her if he was still capable of feeling such things. He took a deep breath, pausing briefly before facing her. "Please don't take this personally, but I'm here to kill you." With that the blade flashed forward, seeking her heart, his other hand moving to press itself over her mouth.

However, at that moment, an explosion shattered the night's quiet, startling Dante enough to send his blade plunging into her shoulder rather than her breast. He instantly withdrew it, all thoughts of the job gone, as more explosions followed the first, blowing out the fine glass windows of the lower floors. As flames began to lick the outside of the manor, party guests began streaming from inside. All ran in a panic, many with clothes now tattered, bloody, and charred. On their heels were masked men dressed as serving men, carrying an wide array of weaponry from flintlock pistols to clubs that had until recently served as chair legs.

Dante's mind was racing as one of the brutes spotted him and rushed forward, singling him out from the others. A heavy dagger in hand, he lunged at Dante, a twisted grin on his face. But the man was easy to read, and Dante sidestepped it with ease, slipping his own blade between two of the man's ribs and straight into his liver. He immediately shoved the man aside as he cried out in pain and fell to the ground. "Damn you..." he hissed through gritted teeth. "Lord Bordelon will make sure you... never see... another sunrise... damn assassin..." with that he was silent, and Dante knew they needed to get out of there immediately. "Come on, we're leaving now." he said to Elena, grabbing her hand and dragging her deeper into the hedge maze.
 
Elena felt fear strike her as she saw the man she took a fancy to say he was here to kill her. She screamed, but his hand slienced her. She closed her eyes knowing this was the end for her. They were deep in the shadows of the maze of a garden with no one abkle to hear her screams. Then she heard it, an explosion that sent an impaling sharp pain in her shoulder instead of her heart. She cried out in pain and held her shoulder that started to split out her blood. She turned to see her family manor ablaze with the screams and cried from the guest inside.

She couldn't believe this horrific sight as she walked the men responsible for the arson march out with blunt weapons and guns. Elena was frozen in fear as she watched her previous attacker fight off one of the men that came after them. Next thing she she was being pulled with her murderer deeper into the maze. She tries to break his grip, but there was no use. "Let go of me! Their killing my family! You can't just take me away!" She yelled in a rage.
 
"Right now you'll just end up dead going back there. Stick with me now and you might live to see your next birthday." Rather than try and drag her along, he swung around and hoisted her into his arms like a bride. "Now be silent or I will leave you to make acquaintances with the gentlemen burning your home to the ground." With that he began running. Long strides took him deftly through the hedgerows, moving in deeper and deeper. He had scouted out the maze prior to that evening, in case he needed a place to hide or escape. His preparation now paid off, as he soon escaped the walls of thick shrubbery and came to a wide lawn behind the manor, a stand of trees off to one side. He headed straight for it, his pace surprisingly quick for a man carrying someone else. In no more than a minute, Dante arrived at the trees, and walked up to a horse that had been hidden in the shadows.

"Get on." he said, and proceeded to lift her up into the saddle. Once she was seated he pulled himself up behind her and kicked his heels into the beasts sides. With a snort, the horse emerged from the darkness at a brisk pace, heading further and further away from the manor, the light of the burning structure growing dimmer as the distance grew. Cool night air rushed past his face as his steed carried them away from the danger that had pursued them. It would several hours before they arrived at his home, he hoped the girl did not cause him trouble along the way.
 
His comment to her struggling and questioning of him was enough to silence her and allow him to drag her along. It was to her surprise that he switched from dragging her to holding her like a gentleman's bride. She held onto him as he dashed and made his way through the maze of a garden. Elena was surprised by not only the man's abilities in fighting, but in his speed and skillful footwork as he ran with her in his arms.

As he manged to get them out of the maze she wondered where he was taking her. Her question was answered when she saw his horse hiding perfectly in the shadows of trees. Elena didn't fight him as he helped her onto the beast still hearing the screams of family and friends in the distance. As they rode the beast she saw one last glimpse of her home consumed in flames abnd smoke poisoning the skies. She looked away with a heavy heart and tear in her eyes as she was taken from everything she ever knew. Her sadness was soon replaced with a burning hate that blazed as hot as the flames that destroyed her home. She made a vow to herself as they approached the assassin's house that she will get revenge, even if it means her own death
 
Hours and hours passed as the two silently rode across open plains. While the road would have been perfectly safe at this point, it would have taken them longer to reach their destination doing so. So Dante rode on, occasionally slowing down to let the horse rest or stop to let it drink from a stream before pressing on. As the sky started to give the first hints of dawn's approach, a breeze blew towards them, carrying the smell of salt and the sound of mewling gulls. Soon enough the sound of pounding surf greeted their ears, followed by an impressive view of the Mediterranean coastline. Dante slowed the horse to a walk and proceeded down to the beach. They walked along the coast for several minutes, rocky cliff faces slowly rising above them to their left. At last, Dante stopped in front of a portion of the cliff that jutted out from the rest.

He dropped off the horse, then reached up and lifted the girl off as well, setting her down on the cool sand. He looked at the horse and spoke to it, "Well done, now go home." The horse nickered softly and turned back the way they had come. With that, Dante approached the cliff face, running his hand along a crack in one of the stones before reaching inside and pulling something. There was an audible click and a whir, followed by the rock suddenly swinging outward like a door. He stepped inside briefly to pull out a torch, which he lit with a small tinderbox that had been inside as well. "Follow me. You'll get lost otherwise." he took her hand and gently led her inside, closing the door behind them. A hollow thud echoed down the chamber they were now in. The sounds of nearly a dozen locks, latches, and bolts sliding into place followed, locking them inside the dark cavern.
 
Although the journey took hours to reach the assassin's hideout. Elena spend the entire journey silent thinking and taking in all the horrific events that came this night that was coming to an end. She almost couldn't believe that her entire family was gone. She didn't know what she would do without them, but one thing's for sure she wanted to find out who was responsible for her families death. But at the same time she wondered why the assassin still kept her. What purpose did it serve to keep her alive?

When they reached the beautiful place she was taken, by it's beauty. When he helped her down off the horse she avoided looking at him directly. She almost couldn't stand being around him, especially since he attempted to kill her. Yet she had no where to go, she didn't have much choice otherwise. As she walked into the darkness feeling his hand. She was tempted to jerk away, but had to admit she would get lost in this darkness so she decided to let him lead her for now
 
Back
Top Bottom