An Assassin's Retirement

[Wyvern]

The first time Ariella Terranzus drew blood, she was 5 years old...

 

The Sherashi Gardens glowed in a particularly beautiful hue of green that day, as the Sun casted it's radiance upon the lush strawberry bushes and dense flower beds of the foliage. A light Summer breeze offered temporary protection from the heat, it's fleeting nature rendering it an irresistable tease to the senses. The laughter of children echoed jovially along the cobblestone pathways conjoined throughout the foliage, and the air was occasionally clouded by the light release of pollen.

 

"Watcha playing...?" managed Ariella softly as she timidly approached a small group of children her age who seemed to be laughing together and playing beside a large bed of dandelions. The young girl lightly bit her lip in apprehension as one of the boys of the group turned to her while scratching his head lightly, unaccustomed to being approached by strangers. Smiling broadly towards Ariella, the boy pointed towards a string of leaves he held in one hand and exclaimed:

 

"Wranderry Man!"

 

This exclamation was followed by many comically grotesque monster poses from several of the other children, which disturbed Ariella a bit. Placing her right thumb in her mouth and sucking on it lightly, she muttered:

 

"Wranderry Man? Whosat?"

 

Stepping out of the group, a plump boy with freckles grinned at Ariella and decided to give her a lecture on the character his friends were trying to immitate, a haughty tone of importance ringing through his high pitched voice:

 

"Wranderry Man issa monster who lives under the floor in yer room... My momma said that the crooked Ashettus put'im there, and that if you don't eat your veggies, he'll snatch ya up in a sack he has an' sell ya to the circus!"

 

"An' he has a great big snout, an' two long teeth, an' red eyes, an'anna great long tail!" chipped in another child from the group.

 

"An' in da circus, you don't get any peanuts an' you're in a CAGE!" exclaimed a short haired girl from the group.

 

Ariella remained silent and continued to suck on her thumb, a bit frightened by the sudden barrage of information.

 

"You c'n play with us if ya want..." chipped in the first boy that had approached her while fiddling with his string of leaves and wandering closer to her. "Wally Wally Wook! You're the Wranderry Man!"

 

With that, the boy slapped the string of leaves he had been carrying onto Ariella's back and let out a gale of laughter as he ran off along with all of the other boys and girls. Ariella's thumb exitted her mouth and she cried in dismay, noticing that the string of leaves was stuck to her back like a tail. The young girl's lips trembled and her eyes watered as she tried to figure out the direction she should run in, uncertain as the boys and girls had all departed down different paths.

 

To the group of children, it was a fun game... an amusing sport. But to Ariella, it was a betrayal of devastating proportions. She was not a social child, and this had been the first time she had deviated from her regular solitary garden wandering to bravely attempt to play with other children. After building up the courage to approach them and speak to them, this was the reception she recieved. Needless to say, the poor girl was heartbroken.

 

Sobbing and yelling to the boys and girls to come back, Ariella managed to catch up with the plump freckled child, who had a hard time escaping due to his physical condition. Grabbing the boys shoulders as hot tears streamed down her cheeks, Ariella pushed him with all her might towards a bush of roses in the anger of her betrayal. The thorns of the bush cut through several of the startled boy's garmets with ease, and before Ariella knew it, the substance was streaming before her... Bright red, hazy in the sunlit afternoon, rolling down his arms and legs... Ariella only had a few moments to gape at it before the boy broke out into a wail that alerted the entire Garden and sent the child's guardians running. It was only a matter of minutes before the ominous shadows of the plump boy's parents loomed over Ariella menacingly.

 

Ariella learned two lessons that day. One was that no action comes without it's consequences, the other was that society is often an unfair and cruel place to live. For her action, Ariella was beaten within an inch of her life by the plump child's overprotective parents... a punishment her guardians could not prevent, due to a significant difference in classes. Not that her guardians would have prevented it should they have had the power... they thought the little brat deserved all the punishment she could recieve.

 

"Ariel doesn't have a mommy... she has an Auntie!" the children used to yell.

 

How she had hated their jeers.

[Wyvern]

The first time Ariella Terranzus was kissed by a boy, she was 8 and a half...

 

She remembered him vividly, though their relationship had been a trivial and innocent one. Judeth Marian Walsorru... A well built boy three years over her age who was considered somewhat of a peasant hero by the people of her neighborhood. He had a head of short brown hair and a comforting laugh, with eyes that were light green in color... a trait which had often reminded Ariella of four-leaf clovers. When bullies were harrassing innocent children or someone was about to have an accident, Judeth often arrived on the scene to protect those in need.

 

Ariella had gotten to know Judeth through the errands she had to regularly run for her Aunt Gretha, as he worked in the Friar's Fiddle Market where she went to purchase provisions. She was fond of him as a friend, as his lighthearted attitude and humor always put her in a good mood, no matter how gloomy and desolate her day had previously been. At the time, she had been too innocent to comprehend her own feelings... It was possible that she had had a crush on him at a time, but she would never truly know for sure...

 

The day that Ariella was kissed, a giant festival was taking place in Sherashi... Her Aunt Gretha had decided to join the festivities, and had forcefully dragged Ariella along with her. The young girl was pulled through the thronging crowds of people by her Aunt's firm hand, only occasionally resting when Gretha decided to have a few drinks and chat with some strange acquaintances. Eventually, Ariella was dragged passed a group of torch eaters and yellow confetti to a clearing where numerous people had gathered in a circle, and were yelling obscenities while cheering.

 

At the center of the clearing, three men had been chained to three seperate multicolored posts, shirtless and sweating as the crowd of people cursed and jeered at them. By the tattoos of winged serpents on their chests, it was obvious that the three men were Ashettus... possibly thieves who had been caught, or perhaps previous prisoners of war. They were currently being stoned and mocked by the audience surrounding them... a festivity that Gretha was keen to participate in, and eager to expose her niece to...

 

"These are the people who have defaced the honor of our society, who have been lifelong enemies to the Sherashi." explained Gretha coldly to Ariella while picking up a large jagged rock from the ground by her feet. Tossing the rock angrily at the third chained man of the group, she watched in satisfaction as it created a large gash across the imprisonned man's chest and caused him to cry out in pain... Grasping Ariella's right hand and placing a stone in it, she then said:

 

"Now Ariella, prove to me your worth. Throw this stone at the Ashettu, and feel proud of their pain... Feel proud that you are parading the honor of our people. I will never love you, child... but you now have the opportunity of proving to me that you have a shred of dignity."

 

Ariella's lower lip trembled and her eyes swelled up with tears as she glanced at the rock that she held, and then at the helpless chained men. She was accustomed to being the one who was mocked, who was teased, who was bullied... She felt the men's pain, she cringed at the sight of every rock that hit... their eyes seemed to speak more words to her than all of her Aunt's lectures combined. Ariella sobbed deeply as she dropped the rock that she had been holding, losing all dignity in the eyes of her aunt but unable to commit the act of harming the chained men.

 

"Then you truly are a disgrace to me..." muttered Gretha coldly before angrily departing from Ariella and leaving the poor child alone in the large throng of people of present. Ariella cried to herself, uncertain of which direction to head in to catch up with her Aunt and frightened by being lost in the crowd. As if to amplify her emotional distress, she was then suddenly hit by a rock directly on her right cheek. This projectile had been thrown by a boy around her age, who then proceeded to point at her and mocked:

 

"You couldn't even throw a rock... you're nothin but a dirty ol' Ashettu lover!"

 

Ariella continued crying as the boy picked up another rock and attempted to toss it at her, but was suddenly surprised as none other than Judeth Walsomu blocked the boy in mid-swing and twisted his arm, sending the child running back to his parents...

 

Turning towards the sobbing Ariella with an expression of sorrow on his visage, Judeth approached her and hugged her lovingly, stroking one of his strong hands through her hair and whispering in her ear that it would be alright. Looking over her face, he noticed that her right cheek was bruised, and kissed it in the hopes of making it feel better...

 

That was Ariella's first kiss from a boy... It comforted her immensely and put a cease to her sobbing. Though Ariella learned no lessons from the incedent, it was never the less an important moment in her life which would be forever embedded in her memories...

 

It was one of the few moments in Ariella's life when someone had cared for her.

[Wyvern]

The first time Ariella Terranzus encountered an assassin, she was 12.

 

It was a windy night outdoors and Ariella lied safely in her spacious room, her quarters dimly lit by two flickering candles that had nearly expired. Shadows of light played across the walls of her chamber, creating fleeting images that vaguely reminded her of the mythological specters and goblins she had feared as a child. The howling wind outdoors seemed to amplify the illusion, imitating the calls of a banshee or werewolf...

 

Ariella no longer had any fear of superstitions, but was never the less awake in bed with worry. Though ghouls and vampires no longer existed in her eyes, the countenances of her Aunt's acquaintances seemed to be every bit as frightening. Whenever they'd visit, Gretha always had Ariella serve them drinks and cocktails... She tried her best to keep her calm when around them, but something about them had always deeply frightened her. Ariella was uncertain whether it was their long gray hair, their gnarled fingers, or the light lisp in their speech, but somehow she had understood that they were malicious people from the beginning. She had often locked herself in her room and begged to her Aunt to avoid the chore of serving them, as their very presence seemed painful to her.

 

Lifting herself from her bed, Ariella noticed that her throat was parched and decided that she needed a drink of water... Walking barefoot into the central hall of her Aunt's large mansion and quietly shutting the door to her room behind her, she briefly straightened out her wrinkled purple nightgown before heading towards the spiral staircase that led down to the main kitchen. Glancing at the pictures of ancient Sherashi heroes that lined the walls of the hall, Ariella abandoned her haunting fears for a moment in favor of pride and comfort. Her Aunt had once told her that the luxurious mansion had been won through the respect of heroes such as Wrendell Fortuna and Ferrien "Hotfoot" Harbinge, who had given the house to Gretha as a gift in honor of her dedication. As a heralded diplomat of the Sherashi, Gretha often received exquisite gifts of this nature... Ariella was too young to understand the politics of her Aunt, and was thus blind to the corruption behind her negotiations and acquaintances...

 

As she briefly admired a fine ink painting of the hero Roricadius Fencefallow, Ariella suddenly heard a moan of pain and stopped in her steps, remaining motionless only a few feet away from the spiral staircase leading to the kitchen. At the far end of the hall before her stood her Aunt, wavering back and forth as she clutched her bleeding chest in pain. Three crossbolts had been embedded in her torso, two directly above her heart and one in her lower abdomen. Staring dumbfounded at Ariella, Gretha opened her mouth to scream, but was unable to make a sound... She hobbled towards her niece clumsily before a fourth and final crossbolt was shot through the back of her neck, causing her to collapse to the ground in a lifeless heap. At a doorway several feet away from where her Aunt had fallen, Ariella noticed a shadowy figure holding a crossbow...

 

For a long moment, the poor girl was frozen with fear, afraid that the man would take her life along with that of her Aunt. Her terror was further amplified as two eyes suddenly stared at her from the shadow, noticing her presence. The figure was like one of the mythical shades Ariella had read about as a child... cold and unseen, yet deadly upon touch. Her short life seemed to flash before her eyes as Ariella took a deep breath that she thought would be her last...

 

But surprisingly, the assassin didn't act upon her fear. He stared at her for a few moments, then turned and walked away from her as if she hadn't existed...

 

Ariella was overcome with relief, thankful that she was still alive... She had reached a point in her life where tragedy no longer brought her to tears, nor did shocking events such as murder and death. The loss of her Aunt seemed like an insignificant occurrence, as if she had accidentally witnessed a play in which a minor character had been murdered. Yet strangely, she experienced another emotion, one that teased her relentlessly... Disappointment. Why had the assassin chosen not to notice her? Was she not fit to be his victim?

 

It was this influence that would lead Ariella down the path of the assassin in years to come.

[Wyvern]

When Ariella Terranzus abandonned her past to join the Serrated Scale, she was 18 years old.

 

The first time Ariella arrived at the front gates of the guild's headquarters, she considered turning back and abandonning her plans due to the buildings rather menacing appearence. The two statues of lions looming in front of it's marble steps seemed to emanate a silent growl, and the pillars supporting it's foundation seemed to suggest that acceptence was a platform impossible for her to reach. Yet Ariella was determined, driven by her will to gain recognition amongst assassins, and decided to ascend the marble steps towards her ambivalent destiny.

 

Entering through the arched gateway into the enormous building, Ariella was initially shocked by the interior appearence of the headquarters. Far from the training dojo she had vividly imagined, the building bore more of a ressemblence to a townshouse than anything else. A dusty smell of old books was dominant in the air, and the corridors were silent apart from the light echo of footsteps and the occasional soft-spoken whisper. As she slowly walked down the central corridor of the building and searched for some signs of a registrar, Ariella was suddenly caught off guard by a strong yet thoroughly fluid voice behind her:

 

"Excuse me, miss..."

 

She turned and was greeted by a tall man wearing a dark cloak that had an emblem of a blade etched onto it. The man had a head of rugged black hair and a small goatee that stretched underneath his long, crooked nose. His eyes flashed in a wild hue of blue as he looked Ariella in the eyes and continued:

 

"May I help you with something?"

 

Ariella stood silent for a moment, unable to believe that she hadn't noticed the man approaching her, before responding:

 

"Yes... I'm searching for a guild known as the Serrated Scale, though I fear I may have stumbled across the wrong building..."

 

The man let out a quiet laugh before responding:

 

"No, you're in the correct place, I can assure you... What brings you here? Are you visiting a relative, or...?"

 

Ariella cleared her throat out and tried to bravely air her purpose, only to find herself unable to speak... There was something about the hue of the man's eyes that corroded her determination, that made her feel uneasy and prevented her from talking. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the man spoke up again:

 

"I take it you're a visitor then... perhaps one that has lost a relative in the field of duty...?"

 

Before Ariella could attempt to respond, a plump figure across the hall waved a hand towards her inquisitor and rudely exclaimed:

 

"Hey Histmark, what are you up to?"

 

As he approached them, Ariella eyed the plump man curiously. He was short, standing at only around 5'8, and wore dirty purple robes that dragged across the ground as he walked. Ever so often, the man would trip a bit over part of his outfit, which caused him to frequently readjust his spectacles...

 

"Have you heard from Cleamer or Rufus yet? Hey, who's she...?"

 

Histmark turned his eyes towards his associate and responded:

 

"Hi Jud... nothing from Cleamer or Rufus yet. As for her, she seems to be-"

 

"I-" interrupted Ariella, diverting her attention from Histmark's eyes long enough to muster speech "...am Ariella Tarranzus. And I'm here in the hopes of applying to become a member of your honorable guild."

 

Histmark and Jud both stared at her in disbelief for a long moment before the former finally shook his head and responded:

 

"Sorry, we have no need for weak-willed individuals here..."

 

"I thought as much..." answered Ariella "But before you overlook me, know that my former aunt's name was Gretha Tarranzus. As I'm sure you know, she was a fine diplomat of the Sherashi..."

 

Jud nodded sagely while Histmark smirked and shrugged, murmering:

 

"And...? She's passed away, the lineage is now nothing more than a bloodtie, you have no diplomatic immunity or special benefits from it... I'm sorry, but it's simply out of the question..."

 

With that, Histmark nodded to his companion Jud, who tipped his hat and muttered "Good day, ma'am" before walking off down the corridor with his associate, abandonning her. Yet before the two men were completely out of sight, a surge of anger rushed through Ariella's blood and she firmly exclaimed:

 

"I was there when she died!"

 

Histmark suddenly stopped walking off, noticing the change in the tone of Ariella's voice. It was strong and determined... far more interesting then the non-existant tone she had used while conversing with him.

 

"I was ignored then!" continues Ariella, a growing anger present in her voice as her fists clenched and her eyes flared. "And I refuse to be ignored now!!!"

 

Histmark exchanged a glance with Jud, then turned and walked back towards Ariella. Crossing his arms over his chest, the assassin growled:

 

"Are you willing to abandon all of those dear to you? All of your homes? Essentially, all of your past?"

 

Ariella turned her eyes directly towards Histmark's and locked in a gaze so cold and powerful that even he was impressed.

 

"I have no past..."

 

A small smile made it's away across Histmark's face.

 

"Then perhaps something can be arranged..."

[Jareena Faye]

Why am I the first to comment on this?! It's been here a while!

 

Very cool. I like how each important mark in her life was started with "The first time Ariella..." This made me want to take up my old, abandoned assassin story. I hope you'll find more time to dedicate this. I also liked the way you made the little kids talk... it was precious!

 

Is casted a word?

[Wyvern]

After being given the nod of approval from Histmark, Ariella was forced to endure countless days of intense interviews and paperwork. Everything from her name and age to her deepest hidden desires were exposed in full to the registrars of the guild. Her past and what they knew of it became of little importance to her, and she devoted every bit of her attention to what was to become of her future.

 

After the tedious application process had ended, Histmark assigned a thin and rather sickly looking man wearing a slightly tattered grey coat to act as Ariella's guide.

 

"Qwein" said Histmark, pointing a finger towards Ariella. "Take Ms. Terranzus here and show her around the guild a bit before dropping her off at her room. She should become acquainted with the functionings of the assassin community before she commences her training."

 

With that, Histmark gave a nod and walked off to attend other matters of business, tossing Ariella a set of keys as he passed her on his way down the hall. After following his every step with her eyes until he disappeared around a corner, Ariella turned her gaze towards the darkly-ringed eyes of the man that now stood beside her.

 

"Q-q-qw-qwe-Qwein" the man introduced himself after much difficulty, extending a frail palm that Ariella hesitantly shook. "Assassin of the fifth division of the Serrated Scale, sometimes known as 'the Beggar.' And you're Arellia, I take it?"

 

"Ariella." Ariella corrected.

 

"Ariella! Of course, of course..." Qwein said, half-grinning in a somewhat disturbing manner. His smile struck Ariella as too frail and sickly to emit any kind of warmth. "Come with me, please, I'll show you around."

 

Ariella nodded to this and began walking with Qwein down the hallway.

 

"So, I'm curious as to what brings you to our humble community Ariella?"

 

Ariella rolled her eyes at the question and grumbled. Even after seven days of paperwork, the questioning never ceased.

 

"Personal business." she said as coolly as possible, evoking a short gale of laughter from Qwein.

 

"Personal business... there's a common excuse around these parts!" exclaimed Qwein as the two of them arrived at a large double door. "Ah, here's the first room you should become familiar with in these quarters: the center of communications."

 

Having said this, Qwein pushed open the two doors only to reveal an enormous dusty-smelling library. Countless shelves of ancient tomes lined each and every wall, with three majestic floors of books ascending to a glass dome that made up the ceiling. A few scholars wandered back and forth between the books, but the lack of many readers suggested that the library was private. Ariella's eyes widened in a mixture of awe and confusion.

 

"This is the center of communications?" she whispered to Qwein as quietly as possible. "It's so quiet... how do assassins discuss things here?"

 

Qwein grinned and whispered back:

 

"I think you'll find, Ariella, that the work of assassins is not a very speech-based affair. Follow me."

 

Qwein directed Ariella up a flight of twisting steps towards a shelf where authors were listed by "T." Scanning through the shelf with one finger while muttering the last names present under his breath, his finger eventually stopped as it came to the name "Taranteppur." Pulling the book from the shelf and handing it to Ariella, he whispered:

 

"Taranteppur, this should be your author. You can remember the name as the first five letters should match those of your last name."

 

Ariella stared at the book curiously, brushing a hand over it's ancient englossing and muttering the title to herself.

 

"'Every Last Dawns Awakening?'" Ariella smirked and glanced at Qwein. "Looks like a boring romance."

 

Qwein grinned. "It is."

 

Ariella raised a brow. "Then what...?"

 

"Observe" interrupted Qwein in a whisper, moving closer to Ariella and drawing a small dagger from his grey cloak. "I'll only be able to show you this once, so pay close attention."

 

After looking in both directions to make certain that noone was observing them, Qwein opened the book to it's center page and swiftly slit his dagger down the length of the books binding. Ariella's eyes widened as noticed a letter carefully hidden in the interior of the binding, rolled up like a scroll and tucked there neatly. Qwein carefully handed the letter to Ariella, who gently opened it and quietly read it to herself:

 

Ariella Taranzus, fourth division~

Welcome to the Serrated Scale.

Shidon-

 

"Shidon?" whispered Ariella to Qwein while stuffing the letter into a pocket of her tunic. The Beggar simply smirked and whispered back:

 

"The head of the Serrated Scale, though you may as well forget his name since it changes every week. Noone here at the Scale has ever seen or spoken to him, so he's more of a legend than anything else."

 

Qwein glanced towards a grandfather clock slowly ticking in the far lefthand corner of the second floor.

 

"No time to explain further, there are other things you need to see... Remember to search here on a daily basis for communications and assignments given to you through letters found in the binding of that book. Now please, follow me."

 

Without a moment of hesitation, Ariella placed the book back in it's rightful position and obediently trailed after Qwein as quickly as possible.

[Wyvern]

Qwein led Ariella back down to the first floor and behind a large bookshelf where a locked door with a blade emblem etched into it was located. He then searched through his pockets and pulled out a set of keys, unlocking the door with a long and intricately crafted key located on the end of his keychain and escorting Ariella into a narrow, carpeted hallway.

 

Quietly shutting the door behind him and leading Ariella down the hall, Qwein turned to her and muttered:

 

"The next room of importance I'll be showing you is the tactics hall, where Jud developes magical items for assassin use. Are you at all hungry, by the way? We could stop and-"

 

"I'm not hungry." interrupted Ariella quickly. She then raised a brow and turned to Qwein curiously. "Wait a minute... did you say magical items?"

 

Qwein grinned and nodded.

 

"I know what you're probably thinking, Ariella. Since magic is always thought of as being an Ashettu technique, it's often considered blasphemous in the context of Sherashi society. But then, the Serrated Scale needs a way to compete with Ashettu techniques, and the only thing that rivals magic is magic itself. You'll like Jud, he's a nice guy."

 

"I've met him." said Ariella, looking a bit skeptical. "It's a bit hard to believe that someone with such a friendly attitude could wield magic."

 

"You'll just have to see it for yourself." said Qwein as they arrived at two purple curtains leading into a room on the far left end of the hall. Stopping in front of the curtains, Qwein patiently waited until a voice called from within:

 

"Who's there?"

 

"Q-q-qw-q-qw-Qwein" answered Qwein with some difficulty. "And I've brought our new recruit, Ariella, along with me."

 

"Ah, please come in!"

 

Qwein nodded to Ariella and pushed open the curtains, leading her into a room that looked as if it might have been ran over by a herd of elephants at some point in its existance. Half-empty beakers, bubbling pots and pans, pages torn from books, and small cages containing a variety of animals littered the floor, walls, tables and ceiling. Ariella choked as a smell similar to a mixture of burning sulfur and skunk scent hit her nostrils, and felt queasy as a strange aura seemed to engulf her. Magic seemed to resonate throughout the room.

 

Jud, in the same purple robes and spectacles he had been wearing when Ariella had first met him, turned from a handsome man and a short woman that he had been chatting with and waved towards Qwein and Ariella.

 

"You've arrived just in time!" the plump mage exclaimed. "I was just about to demonstrate the latest product of my labors to Terrance and Mina here."

 

Ariella carefully stepped over the cluttered mess that made up the ground of the room and made her way to the group with Qwein, stopping as she arrived beside Terrance. Her heart fluttered slightly as she exchanged a quick glance with him, and she almost jumped when he extended a hand to her.

 

"Don't believe we've met. I'm Terrance, an assassin of the second division."

 

Ariella quickly shook his hand, nervously hesitating before responding:

 

"Ariella... fourth division."

 

Terrance smiled and pointed a finger towards the short woman beside him.

 

"This is Mina, an assassin of the third division. She's mute and deaf, so you'll have to forgive her if she doesn't give you a warm welcome herself."

 

Ariella cracked a small smile and nodded towards Mina, who silently made a short bow back. Then, a sudden screech from an animal resting in a cage on the left wall of the room startled Ariella, causing her to turn towards the source of the sound. She raised a brow as she noticed an exotically colored parrot resting in a cage on the wall.

 

*Waaarrrrrrk* toned the animal. "Why the heck is Mina an assassin?" *Waaarrrrrk*

 

Ariella's jaw dropped open as she stared at the animal, dumbfounded.

 

"That's Quarkus." explained Jud, giggling to himself and patting Ariella on the shoulder to awaken her from her trance. "My pet psychic parrot. He usually stays quiet, but occasionally he'll repeat peoples thoughts if he takes a liking to them. To answer the question you were too polite to ask: Mina is an assassin due to her excellent eyesight."

 

Ariella cast an angry glance towards the parrot and shook her head a few times, suddenly glad that Mina was deaf. Terrance let out a little laugh, which calmed Ariella's nerves a bit.

 

"Now then..." muttered Jud happily while grabbing a small vial of clear liquid from a nearby table. "I'd like to demonstrate the merits of my latest product, which I call 'Iris Shift.' Observe."

 

With that, Jud picked up a cage containing a monkey from off the ground and waved his hand a bit around the monkey's eyes, causing the animal to stand up straight and freeze in a staring position. Jud then carefully placed one drop of the clear liquid he held into each of the monkey's eyes, and snapped a finger causing it to blink. When the monkey opened it's eyes again, they had changed from green to blue.

 

"That's brilliant!" exclaimed Terrance, his face lighting up. Mina and Qwein also applauded the spectacle, while Ariella could not help but to stare in confusion.

 

*Waaaaarrrrrrk* screeched Quarkus "What's the use of that?" *Waaarrrrrk*

 

Ariella deeply blushed and suppressed her urge to rush over and strangle the parrot as a gale of laughter broke from the crowd once again. Terrance then grinned, and responded:

 

"This item should prove to be immensely useful to assassins, Ariella, as it can help with disguises and identity shifts."

 

Jud nodded to this, then added:

 

"The Ashettu clan also favours those with blue eyes as their diplomats, as they consider them a marker of intelligence. Expect 'Iris shift' to play a large role in infiltration operations in the near future."

 

"Thanks for the demonstation, Jud." said Qwein, a hint of anxiety present in his voice. "I wish we could stay but I should get going with Ariella, since she still needs to be shown the training dojo. Terrance, I'll see you and Mina later."

 

With that, Qwein nodded and led Ariella out of Jud's tactics hall. The newly recruited assassin exchanged a final glance with Terrance before devoting her attention once again to her guide.