Chapter 20: The Perfect Assassination
It was the afternoon with the sun burning bright in the clear sky, yet everyone who was familiar with the Great Tree and its surroundings knew that the atmosphere could change at any moment.
As the countless trees bathed in the warm sunlight, two figures ran at an incredible speed towards a distant hill. Their movements were swift and precise, alerting no one to their presence.
"Are you thinking about something?" Kael asked as he jumped over a vine hanging from a tree.
"Yes. About this operation we are about to do," Kiona nodded, as she nimbly dodged a scorpion without slowing down. "My father has always taught me about honor and pride, that it's cowardice to use methods like these."
"Is your father alive?" Kael asked bluntly.
Kiona almost staggered upon hearing the straightforward question and couldn't speak for a few seconds. After that, she sighed and replied, "He is not... Are you saying honor killed him?"
"Sort of. I respect honorable people, actually, because they are someone I can never become," Kael said. "But I also know that being honorable in a land of snakes is nothing but asking for death."
Kiona turned silent, as she began contemplating his words. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that he was right.
If her father had just listened to her brother, then things might have been different and he might have still been alive. Perhaps, even their pride...
"Don't blame him," Kael's stern tone brought her out of her reverie.
"You're contradicting your own words," Kiona felt annoyed by how much his words were affecting her.