Life Begins Anew

WARNING: SCENES OF EXTREME VIOLENCE, TORTURE AND DEATH!!! You have been warned!

Chapter 8 The Master Assassin Part V

BOLD text is speaking in the mind

Sara, Bootstray, and Slightly stood in front of the entrance to the Room of Regret. They were already feeling the heavy foreboding that exuded from the room. Holding the glass of black liquid that Sara had poured out earlier, they stood silent.

Sara looked at the two assassins. They nodded.

“Proditor Extremitas Ritus!” each intoned, then drank the vile looking liquid down. Everyone fell to the ground, writhing in terrible pain. After a few minutes, the pain subsided. They could not hear or feel anything but themselves. It was like feeling unemotionally attached.

“Must’ve been the darkest bonding that was mentioned” thought Slightly to himself.

“I heard that thought” Bootstray directing his thoughts to both the master and other assassin.

“Yes” thought the witch back. You feel me in your mind as I feel yours in mine. It is a cold, cold feeling” Bootstary and Slightly nodded.

Sara gestured to the now open doorway. They entered and looked around the room. It was dimly lit by torches. It was circular in shape and had no noticeable type of furniture or accessories.

As Slightly closed the door, it faded out of existence. Sara pulled her master assassin book out of her robes, opening the book to the correct page. She placed the book down on the podium that appeared from nowhere.

“Bootstray, Slightly…once the participants are here, we are not allowed to voice out anything. Use this bond and do as I direct you, or what you feel. I have a thought that this ceremony will be compelling us to do things. Ready?”

The assassins replied yes.

Sara approached them, her wand out. Slightly and Bootstray pulled their wands from their robes and the assassins formed a circle, holding hands. Their wands were pointed into the center.

“In Venio Nostra Socius…….” They chanted together.

The room went completely black.

“Pono Quantus Neccessarius……” continuing the chant. “Fortis Capio Mens Mentis…..” They intoned as they felt the wind and heard movement around them.

“Fero Tuli Latum Proditor Per Antea…..”

The wind began to howl around them.

“Vindico Procul Defungo!”

The wind stopped and the torches of the room flared up, brightly illuminating the room. Twenty seven confused, masked assassins stood against the circular walls glancing around in suspicion. One assassin, also masked was standing in the circle formed by the Sergeants at Arms and the Master Assassin.

Silence! Sara coldly thought to the entire group. You were called here by the Proditor Extemitas Ritus. It is a spell that I and other masters have used when they suspect betrayal in the Guild. You are here to observe and feel the punishment of the Betrayer, as we all were responsible for not discovering him until our Guild was breached by an outsider. The Guild demands its justice.

Sara stood beside the assassin and removed the mask, revealing Travis. Sarah glinted coldly down at him. Bootstrap and Slightly felt the quick sense of shock, before she pushed it away. “How long betrayer, have you been in our ranks? She thought to Travis.

9 months he thought back miserably.

And, how long have you been in service to this Lord Voldemort?

Travis hesitated, knowing if he answered truthfully, his punishment would be worse. He then realized that it would not be worse. He shivered slightly. He was going to die, slowly and painfully. “17 years, master.” he thought back. The assassins started to shift about angrily.

“You came with the intent to betray us all along” Sarah thought, starting to feel angry herself.

“Yes” was his thought back. There was really nothing else he could say.

Sarah raised her wand. “Divesto” she silently thought. Travis’ robes and underclothing vanished, leaving him naked before the gathered assassins.

9 Hours Sarah silently intoned to everyone in the room. 1 hour for each month in the guild. You will plead for death before the end, and it will be denied you. Everyone will feel the pain you will endure, but not the damage. Face your fate betrayer!

She stepped over to the walls while Bootstray and Slightly shackled him with chains that appeared from the ceiling. They then stepped next to her.

Sara drew down a wicked looking Cat 0’ 9 tails with bits of sharp metal at the end. The sergeants grabbed up theirs as well and they turned as one to Travis. One Hour she coldly thought to the assembled assassins. An hourglass appeared floating in the air, starting the countdown. They began to whip Travis unmercifully and screams began echoing of the walls. As they worked their whips bits of flesh started falling to the floor, landing into the quickly expanding pool of blood gathering under Travis’ hanging body. Bone could be seen under the shredded flesh and muscle.

Travis was on fire and feeling pain beyond what even the cruciatus curse had ever caused him. He tried to will himself unconscious as he normally would do when under the Dark Lord’s torture. He could not will his mind to drift away either. The only thing he could concentrate on was the pain. Constant agony. Circe. Travis thought. Not even one hour and he already longed for death. Travis looked up and saw the hour glass glow and disappeared. He watched as the master assassin and her assistants drop the whips onto the bloody floor and picked up the buckets that had appeared beside them. They emptied the content of the liquid on his tortured body. He could feel his body repair itself. His heart sank as he realized the pain would start anew.

One hour the witch thought out to the group. She turned and took down a spiked club from the wall, her sergeant at arms following her actions. They faced Travis once again raising their clubs……..

“Oh Mercy!” Travis rasped as he felt the spikes entering and leaving his body. He could not scream anymore, his voice gone. He felt the blood flowing from his mangled body. “It is the Fates that have come down upon him” he thought. “Their justice for the torturing of mud bloods and muggles. It is an ironic fact the Travis did not miss that his death would also be caused by torture.

When he tortured people, he felt nothing but the power that he held over his victims. Oh, they would beg and beg. He reveled in the awareness that they were powerless before him. Reflecting back on this, he found that he was disgusted with himself. He felt remorse and loathing on his decision to join the Dark Lord. It was that decision that led him down the road to this juncture.

The torture continued non-stop. He remembered to count the hourglasses as they appeared. He was surprised that he did not fear the last one.

Hourglass number 8 faded. “Thank Merlin” He croaked out. “It is almost over.” He felt his body repair itself once again.

Sara approached Travis with a pail full of a strong smelling liquid. After dousing him with it, she threw the bucket down. Her eyes looked at him with no emotion as she grabbed a torch from the wall. She dropped the torch at Travis’ feet.

Travis began screaming loudly and insanely, his body writhing as the fire slowly crept up his body. He fought against the restraints. The hour glass appeared, marking time.

They saved his worse fear about death for the last. The flame now covered the body totally. Sara, Bootstray and Slightly silently watched, never choking on the unpleasant smell of burning human flesh.

He felt his body repair itself for the last time. He was ready

Betrayer, you have been punished Sara emotionlessly thought out to the assembled assassins.

She slipped in Travis mind. What surprised her was the remorse and self loathing that the wizard was projecting. He had truly repented.

Do you have family? Sara thought to Travis alone.

No. He thought back.

Who recruited you into the Death Eaters She asked in his mind.

Severus Snape he thought back. Do you want your body sent to him?

Travis thought about it and it warmed him somewhat. They already knew his failure at the mission because of Dolohov, and it would worry Snape constantly. The fates, it appeared could be ironic as well. Please Master. You have a cunning mind. Travis thought back to her.

You will die well Travis. I’m sure that the Veil will embrace you. Sarah projected to only him. Just make it quick, master. I am weary. was his reply as he felt her leave his mind.

Have you anything to say before the final punishment? She thought out to the room.

“Regret.” Croaked Travis. “Regret for all of it.” He went silent.

She looked into his eyes as she plunged her master dagger deep into his heart. She watched his eyes as they became unfocussed. His shuddering body stilled. She looked back to Travis face and saw that there was a slight smile there.

She looked up and saw DEATH and Travis standing together. Then everything started to swirl around her. She fell to the ground, and started crawling in the pools of blood, trying to get to Bootsrap and Slightly. As they caught each other’s hands, a blinding light followed by the worse, most intense, pain you could ever imagine descended upon them and they knew no more.

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Sara felt the mist swirling around her. She felt herself begin to rise through it. When the mist cleared, she saw DEATH standing next to the translucent forms of Bootstrap and Slightly. Both the assassins looked in fear, eyeing DEATH’s scythe apprehensively.

She held her hand up to examine it. It looked translucent as well. Her eyes locked on her hand, her eyes transfixed.

“Yes Sara. You have died” DEATH answered her unspoken question. Unlike Bootstrap and Slightly, she had a look of joy. In all of her other “deaths” DEATH had prevented her from reaching this stage.

“Walk with me.” Said DEATH. They complied and followed. Presently, they came upon the Veil. The Veil was an object that all magical creatures crossed into when life ended. Truly, no witch or wizard knew much about the Veil at all. DEATH knew the Veil. It was like the sorting hat at Hogwarts. It was a sorter of souls, and determined your afterlife. Sometimes it went as far as rejecting the soul, and DEATH would lead the subject back to the body. It didn’t happen very often.

“This is the ending of the ceremony.” DEATH intoned and leaned his scythe outward.

Bootstray looked ill and Slightly stood still, mouth agape. “But” Slightly stuttered “The Book didn’t mention anything about dying!” “

“No, it did not.” DEATH chuckled “Otherwise, you would not go through with it. That is why it is the only ceremony you can refuse as a Sergeant at Arm. You read what was required of you. Remember the part, death sets the betrayer and officers free? Remember it stating the failure of the Guild, its officers, and master. You are the guild’s officers. As officers, you are expected to serve and protect it.” DEATH turned to Slightly. “When Dolohov walked through those doors, all three of you failed.”

He touched his scythe to the assassins. Immediately they felt disgust, self loathing, guilt and regret of their actions tonight. DEATH knew that this was the final effect of the dark liquid that was taken previously. DEATH looked at the wizards. “You two wizards have a choice. You can choose to go through the Veil and remove the taint of your acts and bring you peace. This would be the best choice, for if you had died naturally, the Veil would not have been so thoughtful about your afterlife."

DEATH looked to Sara. “The witch is not eligible, as she is bound by other oaths.”

Bootstray noticed her look of joy fall, and she looked down, translucent streams of tears rolling down her cheek. He wondered what had been of her life to make her long for death. What had happened for a lovely witch such as her to look forward to death so happily? “Bloody Hell!” He thought. “I think I’m falling for this witch.”

Bootstray addressed DEATH. “So, the essence of the guild does not expect us to return?” DEATH nodded. Everyone accepted the Veil at the end of that particular ceremony.

Slightly spoke up quietly. “Our master does not have a choice. What will happen to her?”

“Your guild is in the process of selecting a new master. Once your bodies appear, they will bury you away from the other assassins that have passed before you. You are considered failures, thus tainted” answered DEATH. “Anyway, it will not matter. When Sara goes back, she is still the rightful Master of the Guild. The essence of the guild will assign two new officers. Hopefully, those will serve her well, and show her the loyalty and dedication that you have. She will need it. I imagine the assassination attempts will start after things have settled down.”

Bootstray looked at Sara again. He made his decision. “I choose to stand beside the Master. My soul and my being are shattered enough. I’ll not have the witch suffer through it alone. I vow I will protect her with my life!” Bootstray felt the magic swirl around him as Sara looked at him in shock.

DEATH was not surprised. He sensed the level of emotion in the wizard at the mention of her fate.

“But” Sara began to speak, but Bootstray interrupted. “Slightly, what say you, mate?”

Slightly was unconsciously edging toward the veil, looking longingly at it. “Whaaaa….OH! ….Erm…”

Sighing, Slightly looked over to the witch and wizard. While an accomplished assassin, he never had the fortitude to stand against anything. Circe only knows why he was selected as a Sergeant at Arm in the first place. Tonight’s ceremony had broken him. He no longer wanted to be an assassin. He did not think he could take another life. He felt as all his feelings had been sucked away. He remembered something as he walked towards them. His vow. Slightly was not ashamed to admit that he always looked out for himself first. But, his word was never freely given. He remembered the binding to her to accept the office. He looked to her.

“I won’t see her suffer alone as well. I will also protect her with my life. This is not a guild vow, but one of my own.” Again the magic swirled around them.

Sara realized what DEATH had done. He manipulated the wizards to turn down their redemption. She narrowed her eyes and glared at DEATH.

DEATH addressed the two assassins. “Bootstray! Slightly! Return to the guild and make preparations for your master’s return. You understand what needs to be done?” They nodded.

DEATH touched his scythe to them and they began the journey back to their corpses. They thought that it would be wise to start temporally confiscating wands.

DEATH and Sara began to walk aimlessly. DEATH hoped that this would calm the witch down. Presently, they arrived at her body, which was still face down in the pool of blood that was now coagulating. DEATH helped adjust her spirit back into her body.

She felt uncomfortable for a moment as her body readjusted to her. She gasped for air and angrily shouted “DEATH! Release me from my mother’s oath. I cannot do this any longer! I will not have Bootstray and Slightly lost because of me! I can’t believe that you manipulated them out of their chance to be at peace!”

DEATH stood looking down at her and flatly stated “You know I cannot undo a vow that is not yours.”

Sara snorted at that statement as she did not believe it at all. DEATH decided that now was the time to reveal the prophecy.

“Your quarters do not currently exist in time. The guild is not aware of your essence as of yet. Go and clean up. I think you and I should have a little chat.”

Sara looked at DEATH. Oh yes she was going to have a little chat alright.

DEATH held out his arm and Sarah grabbed it. She found herself in her assassin quarters, alone. Sighing, she began to clean off the caked blood on her face.

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A/N Getting toward the end of the flashback it is important to the story. They are are broken now