267 THE INACTIVATED CURSE
[At the secret Temple of Assassin- before the governor came to arrest Aseran Deghad in his residence]
Lady Dassa moved swiftly through the shadowed corridors beneath the Assassin Guild markets, her footsteps silent against the cold stone.
"The Deghad family is exposed. The plan is foiled," Dassa complained as she navigated through the dark stairs. "But there is still a chance to salvage the situation," she told herself scheming another plan.
Soon, she reached the hidden chambers of the Temple of Assassins.
Standing at the center of the chamber was the Deacon of Death, his skeletal mask gleaming in the dim light. Around him stood a circle of assassins, their faces obscured by hoods, their blades glinting like shards of ice, but Dassa recognized them immediately.
"Whew." Dassa allowed herself a moment of relief.
These were the assassins loaned from the Temple of Hera—her assassins. The fool didn't change our operatives, she thought, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Why have you summoned me, Godmother of the Temple of Hera?" the Deacon of Death asked, his voice echoing unnaturally in the chamber.
His masked face tilted slightly as he studied her, his gaze inscrutable.
Lady Dassa stepped forward, acknowledging her position, her posture regal and unyielding. "Yes, I represent the Temple of Hera. We seek the cooperation of the Temple of Assassins. The Koresh army will soon invade Sodom City. The time has come to act."
The Deacon stiffened, his masked face betraying no emotion, but his voice carried a note of shock. "Invade Sodom? This is treason."
"The true traitor is the governor of Sodom," Dassa replied, her voice sharp and unwavering. "His independence against the emperor cannot be tolerated. This conquest will restore order in the city and the empire."
The Deacon of Death fell silent, his masked face turning slightly as if considering her words. "What do you plan for us to do?"
"Help us secure one of the gates to Sodom city and allow the Koresh army march through unchallenged", Dassa proposed.
After a long pause, Death spoke. "The Temple of Assassins has always remained neutral in the conflicts of Sodom City. We do not take sides in politics and wars."
Dassa's eyes narrowed, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Neutrality is no longer an option. You are either dining with us, or you will be the dish served on the table."
The Deacon stumbled back, his composure faltering for the first time. "I… I cannot—" he began, but his words were cut short as a blade pierced his back, the tip emerging from his chest.
He gasped, his body slumping forward as the assassins behind him—Dassa's assassins—stepped back, their faces impassive.
"Good work, my girls," Dassa said, her voice dripping with satisfaction.
The assassins bowed their heads in unison, their loyalty unquestionable. The Deacon of Death crumpled to the ground, his skeletal mask clattering against the stone floor.
Dassa laughed, a cold, mirthless sound that echoed through the chamber. She stepped over the Deacon's lifeless body and approached the secret altar at the center of the temple.
"I've never seen this altar before," she mused, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "It's time to uncover its secrets."
Her assassins flanked her, their movements precise and protective. Dassa waved a hand dismissively. "There's no need for such vigilance. The threat has been eliminated."
The assassins stepped back slightly, their eyes still scanning the shadows.
Dassa reached the center of the temple, her gaze sweeping over the intricate carvings and ancient runes that adorned the altar. But as she stood there, a sudden, searing pain shot through her body.
Magical chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around her neck, wrists, and ankles. The chains glowed with an otherworldly light, suppressing her powers.
"What is the meaning of this?" Dassa screamed, her voice filled with rage and disbelief.
The Deacon of Death rose to his feet shockingly, his body unharmed, his skeletal mask gleaming once more. His death was a charade to fool the Godmother.
"Did you truly believe you could kill me in my own temple?" he asked, his voice dripping with mockery.
Dassa turned to her assassins, her eyes blazing. "Kill him! Now!" she commanded.
But the assassins did not move. Instead, they stepped behind the Deacon of Death, their faces blank and unreadable.
"How dare you betray the Temple of Hera?" Dassa shrieked, her voice trembling with fury. "You will all die for this!"
She clenched her fists, summoning the kill curses she had placed upon each of the assassins.
But nothing happened. The curses did not activate.
Dassa's eyes widened in shock.
"What is happening? Why don't the kill curses work?" she screamed, her voice breaking.
From the shadows, a woman emerged. It was Sujira, her face calm and composed. "Your curses no longer bind us," she said, her voice steady.
"Sujira?" Dassa's voice was a mixture of disbelief and rage. "You betrayed me?"
"None of us would continue to serve you if not for the curses hanging over our hearts," Sujira replied, her gaze unwavering. "You forced us into this life, but now we are free."
"Impossible", Dassa screamed with disbelief.
The Deacon of Death stepped forward, his voice cold and commanding. "Sujira offered them a choice—their freedom or their continued servitude to you. They chose wisely."
"This is not possible, how did you stop our curse?" Dassa's mind raced as the truth dawned on her.
The assassins from the Temple of Hera were beholden to the temple because their lives were in the hands of the temple byu virtue of the kill curse.
They were freed from their kill curses. Leo changed the coding on their kill curses, inactivating them.
Dassa's control over the curses was gone.
Dassa's mind raced. She lost completely. There was only one thing left to do. She must kill herself and return her soul to her original host to report what has happened here.
"I will return, I promise", Dassa screamed.
She clenched her fists again, this time summoning her own kill curse, the one she had placed upon herself. If she could not escape, she would take her own life and release her soul.
"Stop her soul from escaping", Sujira shouted.