The sky grew increasingly darker by the minute as nightfall approached. Archers began to light torches across the top of the city wall.
Soft and quiet like the wind, small snowflakes began to fall down.
“Be swift, quiet. Once you have reached the top, stay hidden. The shadows are our friends, and the moonlight is our enemy. Fortunately, our enemy hides tonight,” Ciro said as he walked to the wall and began his ascent.
Ashley walked close to me and put a hand on my shoulder. I could feel the warmth coming off of her as she leaned in to my ear. “Stay safe, let your body guide you,” her breath tickled my neck. I watched her walk towards the gate, and she turned back with a hand up, “Attilio, watch your words and how you speak here. For the guards and townspeople may find it unusual the way you say things.”
I waved her goodbye as she disappeared through the main gate. Time to climb, I thought approaching the wall. I put my right hand onto a stone that stuck out a little further than the rest. Its cold, rough texture enabled me to grasp it firmly between my fingers. Then, as if the same as when I crossed the stream, I began moving fluidly upwards. I kept my eyes above me as I climbed, searching for another foot-hole or handle. As I made my way up a bar in a window, I looked down. Quickly, I pulled myself tightly to the wall and gasped. I had to be at least 50 feet up already.
My fear seemed to melt away though, as I remembered who I was. I wasn’t Jason, I was Attilio. And apparently Attilio was afraid of nothing, which in turn meant that I was afraid of nothing.
I lunged to the top of the window, and began to climb even faster than before. Soon, I had caught up to Ciro, who awaited just below the top of the wall.
He grinned wide, showing his white teeth again in the dark. “Attilio, you seem to be coming back to us now.”
I tilted my head a little, “Yeah, but what do you mean ‘back’?”
Ciro looked confused. “I mean, you fell, off that tower. You died Attilio.”
“Died? Then how am I here?”
Ciro let out a sigh, “You see, when you die in this world, you come back. The problem is, sometimes you come back differently…”
“Differently?” I echoed.
“Yes, as in you might not remember anything or anybody. It takes a long time to get you to remember.”
I thought about that for minute. “But I got the agility still?”
Ciro nodded, “Your agility is a gift. In this world, you are more agile than anybody else. You use some of it in the real world for that sport…football is it?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, luckily for you, Anna worked with you every night for two years. You might not remember it when you would awake, but once you dream, you do,” he explained.
I let myself slouch a little bit. “So that means you and Ashley are people like me?”
He shook his head, “No, we’re only in this world. If we die, we die the same way you would in your real world.”
I opened my mouth to protest but he held up his hand. “I know you saw Anna in your room, but she was merely an illusion. Working inside your mind.”
This was to much to handle, I thought. “And what is our goal in this world? Just for the fun of it?”
Ciro laughed so hard that he had to cover his mouth to keep quiet. “I guess Anna only had time to help you remember a few things. You really don’t know who you are, do you?”
I laughed a little with him as I looked down at the ground below us. “I guess not.”
“Come, you will learn all once we reach the house.”
Ciro climbed over the wall and reached down to help pull me up. The night was still quiet, and the archers were talking and playing cards inside one of the towers. We literally walked right by, unseen.
Once we reached the house that Ciro had spoke of, we were greeted by Ashley and another man that I’d never seen before. Again though, he seemed familiar.
“Attilio! Good to see you back to your old self again!” he said.
Ashley took my hand and walked me into the house. “That is your best friend, Gavino,” she whispered in my ear.
“As to you, Gavino,” I called back. Ashley wrinkled her brow at my accent.
I sat down behind a long wooden table and the others filled in the seats around me.
Ashley spoke first, “Now, Attilio, tell me what you need to know.”
I thought for a moment; there were to many questions I had to ask. “Is this the only world we operate in?”
Ciro answered, “Normally we keep different places under control. That means we often keep on the move.”
“Like, in different time periods?”
“Exactly,” Gavino replied. “You specialize in a specific field of work Attilio. The work of an assassin.”
I shook my head abruptly. “That’s not my style.”
“Oh, but it is. You work here, with the creed.” Ciro stepped in. “But in modern dream realms, you operate as a military tool. Navy SEALs, Special Forces, and highly trained tactical assassins. You wouldn’t happen to remember yourself working as a Green Beret inside Vietnam, do you?”
I shook my head again.
“The helicopter crash? Anna getting shot in the leg twice? You dragging my ass back to base?” Givano recalled.
I shrugged. “Nope, but it sounds like a good time.”
Ashley leaned forward. “If you hadn’t been there, none of us would be here now.”
Hearing her say that was like music to my ears. I might just like this line of work after all…