Raz'Kul straightened from his stoop, and with a flick of his wrist released two throwing stars from his left hand.

Launching two stars from the same hand with such accuracy (especially his left) was no simple feat. He had spent hundreds of hours practising this and his aim was true - one aimed straight for the assassins right eye, the other for his left inner thigh. 

The star aimed for the eye was bright steel which caught in the moonlight. The star aimed for the inner thigh was fire blackened like the assassins daggers, and near impossible to see at night.

As Raz'Kul expected the assassin focused on protecting his eye and his dagger came up to deflect the star - which he executed perfectly. 

The second star would...

...sail straight past the assassins leg as he neatly pirouetted to avoid it?

The assassin laughed. “I was told you were good Raz'Kul. I have to admit I was dubious, but I think I do now believe some of the stories!”

“That would have worked on all but the very best of us. But I am the best!”

The figure pulled his mask down to let Raz'Kul note the cruel features of the grinning assassin. Raz'Kul regarded the unshaven face with a vivid pink scar on the left side, reaching from his chin almost to his eye.

Assassins were trained to be covert, silent, unseen and unknown - which is why Raz'Kul had been surprised by this ones lengthy rhetoric.

Few assassins ever revealed their face, and if they took on a name, it was a fake one designed to strike fear into their targets. 

The most notorious assassins took on such a fake name for the leader boards, which were on public display next to the bounty board in the main square. The assassins rankings were determined by the total amount of bounty claimed.

The board leader was simply named “Unknown” with 72,500 shards.

Second place was “Scar” with 67,200 shards.

Raz'Kul knew this because the entire city knew this. It was a stroke of genius the King had introduced seventeen years ago when crime started getting out of hand. It had reached the point that even the Militia were afraid to go out on patrol at nights.

It was a plan designed to strike fear into the criminal underworld, and stop them going too far. As soon as the words “Dead or Alive” were added to a criminals bounty, the Assassins Guild were involved. And they only did the “Dead” side of things. 

The Assassins Guild now work legitimately and officially, with the Kings approval. They pay taxes, and even have limited access to the Kings spy network. 

For these reasons, combined with their intensive and expert training - they do things a lot better, a lot more efficiently, and with a massively higher success rate than any of the bounty hunters.

Within months the major crimes and killings in the city had dropped by two thirds. To offset the drop in pay for the assassins guild, the bounty rates were increased.

The score boards are updated weekly in the main square right next to the bounty board, where Raz'Kul was sure his wanted poster now had prime position.

The scores are likewise updated in numerous inns and betting houses. They are even chalked above the bar of The Dishonest Return, with huge sums of money bet on the rankings at the end of each quarter.

Raz'Kul's bounty wouldn't just put Scar on top, it would more than double his score.

Raz'Kul said softly. “You're the second best by all accounts? I thought Unknown was the best...”

Scar laughed gleefully as if he had been waiting for exactly this comment. “I'll let you into a little secret Raz'Kul, and very few people know this. Those who do? Well they don't live long enough to share it, like yourself.”

“I was so far out in front on the leader boards it wasn't so lucrative on the betting front. So we created 'Unknown' to make things a little more...competitive?“

“Unknown is actually a group of four assassins, and their scores are added together. We had to try make it at least seem a bit more balanced...”

Raz'Kul laughed at this. “That sounds highly unlikely! The Assassins Guild would never allow that.”

Scars grin deepened, again as if he'd expected this exact response. Raz'Kul suspected this cruel man took more pleasure from the intimidation of his targets than the killing of them. Scar's words had a well practised air, implying this wasn't the first time he'd said them. “You don't seem to understand Raz'Kul. I don't answer to the Assassins Guild...”

“...they answer to me!”

Scar continued casually. “Besides, I am also one of the four Unknown! I can add your bounty to my own score or to Unknown, as I see fit...”

“However we all have huge bets on Scar winning by the end of this quarter. So whether I kill you, or one of the other three Unknown do? We've all agreed Scar, gets the points!”

Raz'Kul glanced around and realised that Scar had been stalling for time. He had somehow signalled more assassins. He could see another two assassins silhouetted on adjacent rooftops, but couldn't locate the fourth.

Raz'Kul sneered at Scar. “I thought you were supposed to be the best, yet you need three friends to help you? I heard the assassins pride themselves on working solo?”

Scar replied cruelly. “Oh we do, and I will kill you myself Raz'Kul. But the fact is you're lighter and faster than me. I knew if you ran you'd have a reasonable chance of escape. But I will kill you, once you tell me the location of your stash. I do believe that was not a ploy? But whatever the outcome? We all get rich!”

Raz'Kul cursed himself as his mind raced. He had been tricked by delaying tactics. Scar was not only good, he was more cunning and devious than he'd first given him credit for.

Raz'Kul could see three of the four assassins, and the obvious escape route was the widest gap between the assassins to the North.

That was too blatantly obvious, they were deliberately spread this way, they would expect him to assume the fourth assassin was there, then immediately discount it as an obvious trap?

But then again..? They would never actually leave such a wide gap and chance of escape open regardless...

Looking at the spacing Raz'Kul realised just how devious Scar was. He had lied when he claimed there was four assassins. There must be at least five of them, maybe even six? They had both potential escape routes covered.

That left...nothing! There was a slightly better chance between two of the other assassins - was that deliberate and where the fifth assassin lay in waiting?

If there was a sixth assassin there was no chance of escape if they were anywhere near as good as Scar. 

On a whim Raz'Kul whispered “Help?” as he languidly spun 360 degrees.

Barely audible chimes at the very reach of Raz'Kul's hearing marked the location of each of the assassins as he spun - both those he could see, and those he could not.

Six in total, and he now knew the location of the three hidden assassins, almost exactly where he might have guessed. 

As Raz'Kul completed his rotation he dropped into a fighting stance facing Scar, with a dagger in each hand.

Scar laughed gleefully. “Excellent! I so hoped you wouldn't run. I heard rumour you had been trained by The Dauntilus? The Shade?”

“I didn't believe it until I saw you run up that wall, and that most excellent double throwing star trick. I will be practising that one!”

Raz'Kul laughed at the assassin, and with both blades poised ran straight at him. “You don't seem to understand Scar? I wasn't trained by The Shade...” 

Raz'Kul echoed Scars words, pausing for an instant and measuring his timing.

“...I trained them!”

Raz'Kul's words took effect, and for a split second a moment of doubt crossed Scars features as Raz'Kul lazily tossed the dagger from his left hand in front of him.

Raz'Kul had realised that the only route allowing him to engage a single assassin was straight through Scar. The assassin was overconfident.

As Scar recovered, his hesitation turned to laughter at Raz'Kul's pathetically thrown dagger, which didn't even reach the assassin.

The distraction however was enough to conceal his true plan, and Raz'Kul closed his eyes as the daggers pommel struck the roof top in front of Scar.

There was a blinding flash like a lightning bolt, and even with Raz'Kul's eyes closed, it hurt!

Raz'Kul shoulder charged through the blinded Scar and kept on running, knowing all the assassins were now behind him and his path was clear. Once he was free of line of sight they would never catch him, he was too fast, and he had too much of a head start.

Raz'Kul allowed himself a grin as he dropped from the rooftop to safety.

A grin that was just a split second premature as a throwing knife lodged itself in his back beneath his right shoulder blade.

Raz'Kul's clean drop to the street turned into an uncontrolled spin, and he landed heavily on his side, closely followed by his head.

Everything went black as he fell into unconsciousness...

Chapter 8