The Assassins

"Vincent?!" A shout pierced the silence of the forest. "Where are you, Vin?!" A girl moves in and out of the shadows looking for her partner and friend.

"I'm up here, Romans!" A boy called down to her from a tree. She climbed the tree he was sitting in, waiting for their friend Leviticus, his sisters, Lorane, and Avangelina, and the girl they found two months ago, Lucy.

"Vin, I've told you to call me a Roma a million times. I hate it when people call me Romans," The girl said in exasperation. Vincent has called her Romans the entire time she has known him, all over a stupid debt he thinks he owes to her.

"You saved my life. I owe you and your father a life debt; honoring that debt requires that I call you Romans as it is your given name," Vincent explained for the umpteenth time that week. "Why does it bother you so much?" He has been asking that question since the first time he called the woman next to him Romans and has never gotten a clear answer.

"Because I don't like it," she always did. "So please stop."

"I'll stop," Vincent started.

"Thank you-" Roma began to say but was cut off when Vincent finished with, "when you explain why you don't want to be called Romans."

"Fine!" Roma exclaimed, jumping to the next tree and storming off.

"Wait, Romans! Where are you going? We are supposed to wait here, Leviticus and the girls," He called out into the darkness, only to be answered by the still silence of the night. "Whatever. She will be back later," he sighed and continued to scan the forest for any signs of the people they were waiting on. The pitch-black color of the night would cause an inability to see even with the moon and stars shining through the forest canopy. Being taught at an assassin school run by a magic user has its benefits, and one of them is learning how to channel the mana in one's blood for magic. Most of the spells they were taught could kill people or heal people, but some of them were used to give the people using their abilities that people who could not use magic wouldn't have, such as seeing at night like the nocturnal predator and prey animals. Vincent scanned the forest floor and saw Leviticus from the corner of his eye.

"Roma?! Vincent?! Where are you guys?!" He yelled.

"Up here, Leviticus!" He yelled back. Leviticus climbed up to sit with Vincent in the tree.

"Where is Roma?" he asked.

"I don't know. Romans stormed off after I told her I would stop calling her Romans when she explained why it bothered her so much."

"Oh, okay."

"Sure. I must say you climb trees very well; for a prince, Leviticus," Vincent said, nudging him in the ribs.

"Ouch! You know you shouldn't say things like that, but thanks," Levi said. "Oh, and while outside of the castle walls, I have asked Ava and Lorane to call me Levi."

"You are welcome. Got it; when we see Romans, you should tell her. Did you tell Lucy?"

"Ah... Fuck. I didn't! I completely fucking forgot. I was so busy telling her about you and Roma that it slipped my mind," Levi said with a grimace, "I'm an idiot."

"Yeah, but it's not like you can't tell her later, right?"

"Hey, Vincent, I found the girls and brought them into the camp, but I can't seem to find him," Roma cut herself off as she got closer and saw that he wasn't alone. "Leviticus. Of course, you would find Vincent first." Roma laughed, looking at the two, who resembled a deer who had been caught off guard by something it didn't hear.

"Oh, hey, Roma. Sorry, I just wanted to talk to him, and I figured you two would be together anyway. Also, I have asked everybody, but you and Lucy, to call me Levi while traveling. As soon as we get to camp, I will also ask her," Levi told her.

"Alright, well, there's a fire going at the camp. It's about a hundred feet south of this tree. I want to speak to my partner alone, please, if you don't mind," Roma said, more of an order than a request.

"Okay, well, having settled that, I'll take my leave. See you at camp, Vin." Levi started back down the tree and followed Roma's directions to find the camp she and Vincent had set up for them. It was easy enough to see with the fire going. Once Roma was sure Leviticus had made it to camp and was out of earshot, she turned to Vincent, "I have decided that it is only fair to tell you why I don't like to be called Romans, as you have explained why you prefer to go by Dragon while we are on missions."

"Roma, you don't have to. I was stupid, and I should have just listened and called you Roma while we weren't on missions, as you have asked of me repeatedly," Vincent said. "And I'm sorry for not respecting your wishes sooner. Please forgive me for my incompetence."

"No, it's only fair that I tell you. After all, you told me of the abuse you suffered at the hands of your father that led you to run away. My mother picked out my name before I was born. My father told me she used to say, 'Romans, Laeken, that will be our child's name. Because they will be strong, kind, and their name will be known in every corner of the globe.' When she died, my father was never the same. He devoted all of his time to the school they started; that's when it happened when all the children of the village knew that I was alone and vulnerable. At first, it was just taunts; 'The Romans are coming!' was a crowd favorite. As time went on, the bullying became physical. But the worst it got was a broken arm before my father noticed and started my training," Roma said, observing Vincent's face for his reaction.

"You didn't have to tell me," his answer came, repeating himself. "I only had to tell you because it was the reason Laeken let me into the school. He told me that if I was going to be your partner, I would have to explain my reasoning to you, no matter what." With that said, he lept down from the branch he had been sitting in and returned to the fire. The dull chatter from the group gathered around filled his ears as the heat licked at his exposed arms. 

"Hey, Vincent, over here," Leviticus said, reaching up to grab his wrist. 

"Thanks, Levi. You don't always have to help me, you know. I can use magic."

"Yeah, but you shouldn't have to; I know it takes a toll on your body. Let me help you, so you don't get worn out. It's the least I could do since you guys aren't getting paid for this journey." Vincent smiled as their whispered conversation came to an end. Roma walked up and joined the group shortly after. "So, Lucy, has my partner introduced himself yet? Or did he just come to sit and brood," Roma asked, giggling to herself when Vincent shot an indignant look her way. 

"I'll have you know you got here just a few seconds after I sat down, Miss Lyiem," Dragon said, Laughing at Leviticus's description of Roma's horrified face. "Anyway, Princess, my name is Vincent, and it is lovely to make your acquaintance finally."

Lucy smiled brightly, "It's nice to meet you too, Vincent, but I have a question."

"Oh yeah? What about?"

"I overheard you and Leviticus talking, and I was wondering what exactly you use magic for that makes people feel the need to help you all the time," Lucy's question shocked everybody. The groups sat in stunned silence until Vincent started to laugh uncontrollably. It took a few minutes for him to calm down enough to say, "My, my, Princess, you are a bold one. No one besides my Master Laeken and Levi dared to ask me that. Not even Laeken's daughter and my partner."

"Oh, I'm sorry if it was offensive! It isn't any of my business anyway; you don't have to answer," Lucy rushed out, turning red.

"My eyes." Vincent's answer was so short and quiet that it seemed as though the crackling flames would drown it out. "I'm blind."

The group was as silent as the dead as they let Vincent's words sink in. "Well, we have a long and early day tomorrow, so we best be off to bed now, I think," Roma said, breaking the silence. Everyone mumbled some sort of agreement and stretched out by the fire.