#c:nyx

It wasn’t long before their wait was over; whatever the pair waited for seemed to have arrived, as the fronds of a sapling began to quiver with movement. The female tensed, as if she were a feline ready to pounce, and watched the branches and tall grass part.

From the green of the grass came a female coatl, her nose flaring slightly as she, too, kept a wary eye around her. Her ivory scales blended in well with the icy white snow, and her Ice eyes told the assassins that she was very likely the dragon they were waiting for.

With a flick of her tail, the female skydancer indicated to her brother that they were to begin the maneuver, and the pair slid silently in opposite directions. Although the coatl was also a native to the Icefields, any expertise in staying silent in the snow paled in comparison to the two trained skydancers. This was more than just a familiar playground to them—it was their livelihood.

Like shadows, the pair slipped through the undergrowth until they stood on each side of the coatl. A flick of a crystalline tail from the female, and the pair melted through the trees to corner the other dragon.

To her credit, the coatl barely tensed up. The panic was in her eyes, though, and that was harder to hide. “I assume Arix sent you?” she said, her voice even and haughty. She drew her coat tight around herself, as if to get warm.

Nyx, the female skydancer, only nodded once. Slow, precise. Deadly.

“And did Arix tell you that you’re not the first assassins to be sent after me?” she asked next, the ridges of her brows pulling together slightly.

“He did.” This came from the brother, Orpheus, his voice smooth and steady. Where his sister promised violent fury, he was the ice that chilled beneath their feet.

The coatl raised her chin, ever imperious. “You expect to succeed where others have failed?” she bit out, voice scathing. “If Arix believes himself to be Death, then I am three years past my due.”

Nyx grinned venomously at the coatl. “Arix does not believe himself to be Death.” She drew close to the coatl, tail lashing behind her. “That’s why he sent us.”

She lunged.

Two assassins waited in a hall. “He’s late,” Nyx replied, claws tapping on the smooth stone of the floor. “He knows we’re busy. He does this to insult us without outright doing anything.” She ground her teeth together, always quick to work herself into a rage.

Orpheus tried not to sound too exasperated when he replied, “He’s a busy dragon, Nyx. He’s had three attempts on his life, thanks to Janna, and now gets to know peace.” Until the next politician comes. He didn’t need to add the last bit—Nyx knew the game as well as he did.

She didn’t reply, instead took to staring at the arched doorway that the vicar was fond of emerging from. It was a long way from his quarters, but the light coming in the from windows made it look much more impressive than the stale staircase on the other side of the hall.

Turning his gaze from his sister, and doing his best to ignore her annoyed tap-dancing, Orpheus drew his gaze up to admire the impressive murals on the stone walls of the cathedral. Depictions of the deities battling the Shade made for the ceiling, with windows stained to look like sprites enclosing them in. It was a mixture of white and splashes of colour, but the designs were quite stunning. Orpheus wasn’t nearly as pious as the priests and shamans who ran the sanctuary, but he did admire the work put into worshipping the deities. During the festival, the cathedral had to look stunning.

“Apologies, friends, for making you wait once more!” The vicar’s chirping voice came from down the hall and, as expected, Arix did emerge from beneath the impressive stone archway. His face was split in an unnatural smile, at least for a fae. Emotions always looked…warped on the breed.

Nyx eyed the vicar with obvious distaste, but smoothed her features into something more neutral before the smaller dragon could reach them. Ignoring his apology, she went to business. “We have done as you ask, vicar. Janna is-”

“And the cathedral thanks you!” Arix interrupted, clasping his tiny talons together. “Although, I will remind you, that the cathedral does not necessarily know of this adventure. I implore you to take to silence.” His smile verged on becoming too forced, but Nyx only rolled her eyes.

“This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve done our job quietly, vicar. If you keep silent, we’ll keep silent.”

The vicar nodded, unclasping his hands and reached for the small bag tied at his waist. “Your payment, as promised.” He held it out to Nyx, but it was Orpheus who took it from him and secured it to his own waist.

“Thank you,” Orpheus replied. “We look forward to any future business with you.”

“Yes…” Aris replied, frowning at Orpheus. “Let us hope for more…business.” He glanced between the two siblings, clicked his tongue, and left as quickly as he arrived.