Warrior's Mission Part 1

Somewhere far away in the beautiful city of London it was vastly approaching midnight. Sparkling minuscule stars decorated the azure night sky while the moonlight reflected upon the land – the sight so mesmerising but yet haunting at the same time. Complete and utter silence echoed around the streets of London while the people were sleeping comfortably in their beds, silently dreaming away. They were completely dead to the world.

All that they were looking forward to was another day, so they could earn successful profits for themselves while working hard. That way they were trying their best to provide for their families. With the city shrouded in a dreamlike state, it would seem that no one was in sight. That is with the exception of a twenty year old woman prowling a deserted street, the sounds of her heels clicking gently against the cobbled pavement.

It was hard to believe that at the tender age of twenty ,Katalina O’Mara was such a talented and seasoned warrior. Normally it would have taken a normal person a good part of their lives to have accomplished something tremendous like that, but thanks to her superior skill and her natural prowess she was able to go the distance. Having been brought up in a respectable British family ,she was able to have some experience with weapons at a young age. Not many young girls could say that they had that privilege.

The Englishwoman had come to the end of the street, her piercing blue eyes peering around her surroundings, looking from left to right. A small sigh drew from her lips as the faint wind slightly ruffled loose blonde hair strands that escaped her ponytail. Where the hell could he be? Katalina had been looking around for him for a good three quarters of an hour, but still to no avail she couldn’t find him. She was about to turn back and head the way that she came when she caught a glimmer of a red cloak from the right corner of the street.

Moving discreetly to the side, Katalina pressed her back to the edge of the wall, careful not to make any sound whatsoever so that she wouldn’t alert the person. She waited a few seconds, detecting faint footsteps from the near distance until they had stopped fully. The lithe Englishwoman licked her dry lips while her heart was beating furiously in her chest – it was now or never. Carefully she began to pace forward, still keeping her back to the wall and when she got to the end, she popped her head around the corner, settling her eyes on the unsuspecting man.

Her target appeared to have her back towards her, just standing there with his hands in his pockets. From her position, Katalina squinted at the man, frowning slightly. This couldn’t be the one she was supposed to meet up with, could it? It would have helped if she happened to have met the man before, however last week he only left her a note with the instructions to encounter him in the city. Couldn’t he have given her a hint as to what he was wearing or what part of London they were supposed to meet up? But that would be too damn easy, wouldn’t it?

She shook her head, inwardly cursing her slight misfortune. There was only two ways of going about this situation. She could either leave him alone to resume her hunt or she could confront the man. Katalina listened to the voice in her head and decided to go with the latter. After so many years of being a warrior she had learnt to follow her instincts, using her mind and her soul to guide her. When it comes to business Katalina would always put her emotions to one side, being a warrior first then a woman second. She stepped away from her hiding place and slowly started to approach the man, determined to get some answers from him.

As if almost the man had sensed her presence, he gracefully turned around, focusing his penetrating glance on Katalina. She stood frozen to the spot, gasping a little while the pupils of her eyes largened to some extent. For as long as she shall live she would never forget the man who was standing a few yards from her. It was her good childhood friend, Lucas Andre. A warm grin laced his handsome features when he first noticed her staring at him with her thin eyebrows raised. Her confusion gave way to delight as she returned his smile, walking over to the man. The two friends shared a gentle embrace.

“What the hell are you doing out there at this time of night?” Katalina asked, laughing as he pressed a tender kiss on her forehead. The twenty two year old man chuckled lovingly and softly pushed her back in his arms to look at her properly.

“I thought I might help you search for the mysterious man,” Lucas explained. “After all, you did seem a bit anxious when you told me about the note.”

Katalina released herself from his grasp, adjusting her ponytail. “Even though you’re an exceptional fighter, my dear friend, I can still manage this by myself. No offence.”

“None taken…Katalina?”

“Yes, Lucas?”

“Where is your halberd?”

Katalina sighed gently, thinking back to Hades, her most cherished halberd. That had been her favourite choice of weapon since when her father gave it to her on her sixth birthday. It never let her down at all when she fought in countless wars and battles all over the world.

“This mission does not call for any means of force,” she simply informed, reasoning with him. “Hopefully the man and I will have a civilised conversation instead of exchanging blows with each other.”

“Well, please do be careful, Katalina.” Lucas placed a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to smile faintly. “I know you’re capable of looking after yourself, but I don’t want you to get hurt.”

All that she could do was nod politely and not utter a word. It was typical of Lucas to say such a thing like that. Ever since they were growing up he would constantly look out for her, letting no harm come to her. As far as Kataline was concerned, he was the older brother that she never had and she was grateful for that.

“Thanks, Lucas. I really appreciate your concern.”

“So, is there any way I can convince you to aid you on your mission?” he asked fondly, his brown eyes lighting up. Katalina smirked a bit, chuckling to herself while folding her arms over her chest.

“I’m afraid not,” she said. “I have a duty to complete for Hilde.”

Lucas’ facial expression didn’t falter at all, still maintaining eye contact with the younger female. Instead he raked his fingers through his longish auburn hair, smoothing down the curls. For a second Katalina was tempted to tease him by suggesting that he should cut his hair, but she opted not to. The only thing that she was supposed to be preoccupied was her inevitable encounter with the man.

“Anyway you should be heading home,” she remarked, breaking the lingering silence. “There’s no need to be worried about me.”

“Fine,” he agreed. Lucas gave her a friendly nod before walking past her. She smiled to herself as she continued her way down the street. She only took a few steps forward until she could hear Lucas say her name. Katalina turned around with a patient expression on her face.

“Before I forget, there’s something I must tell you.”

“Oh, and what is that?”

“You know where The Duke’s Arms tavern is? Well, just as I was passing by I heard some strange noises coming from the roof,” Lucas explained. “You should check it out.”

“Will do,” she promised, winking. “Night, Lucas.”

“Take care.”

Taking Lucas’ advice, Katalina followed the street downwards until she came to The Duke’s Arms. Unwanted memories came flooding back to her as she recalled a time almost two years back a powerful magician turned London upside down by casting a spell over the people in order to kill one another. Luckily Katalina escaped the terrible massacre and made it her sole aim to free those who were seduced by the evil curse. The showdown with the sage had been one of the most gruelling tribulations that she had to endure as the magician was extremely skilled in the dark arts. She had nearly lost her life in the fierce battle, but with all the remaining strength that she could muster, she defeated him.

Just thinking about it made her break into a cold sweat. Many nights she would often toss and turn in bed as her dreams were plagued with violent images of carnage, blood and screams of death. Katalina’s footsteps eventually slowed down, coming to a complete halt. Emotions got the better of her, which caused her to swallow the bitter lump in her throat. Her hand rose to her forehead as if to ease off the painful memories, firmly closing her eyes. She remained this way for a short moment, taking deep breathes to compose herself emotionally and mentally.

“Come on, you’re much better than that!”  Katalina scolded herself, slipping into fluent Gaelic.

What caught her attention just then was scurrying movements coming from the tavern’s roof and it was soon followed by a loose tile falling, crashing to tiny shards onto the ground on impact. She cocked her head upwards in reaction – something, no…someone must be on top of the building. A small smile appeared on her face. Looks like there was no turning back now!

The Englishwoman took a few steps backwards, her face contorted with seriousness while she tried to focus. With a deep breath she rushed towards the wall, both feet stealthily running up the bricks until she had reached the top. Katalina hoisted herself up on the roof, coming to stand on her feet. Right in front of her on the far side of the roof was a lone man sitting with his legs crossed, just overlooking the city without a care in the world. The raven, long hair of his ponytail blowed slightly in the wind. It must be him then, the one who had requested their meeting...

Her eyes burned a simmering hole into the man’s bare back as she silently neared him, thoughts rushing through her mind like the speed of light. It only took her a few seconds to close the distance between the two of them. Standing there on the spot, she casually planted her hands on her hips, a smug expression on her face. Before any words could come out of her mouth, the man spoke first, his voice deep and low.

“Finally…you’re here.”