The Assassin's Legacy

The reaper launched the attack first, sprinting forward at breakneck speed before he slashed downward with his scythe, Leo dodged the attack with a feint to the left launching a right attack with outstretched paws.

To his surprise and annoyance, the reaper turned into a dark stream of smoke on impact and in the process made him to collapse unto the ground seconds before a white fist crashed into Leo's muzzle, sending the panther flying into the stone wall of the castle. Leo spat blood and had no chance to feel the pain as he was forced to dodge another downward slash.

"Maybe turning into a panther is not really the best of ideas" Leo thought before in a split second he stood on two legs with a very nasty bruise on his face.

Clenching the both daggers with enough force to crack a turtle's shell, Leo blocked another slash and followed it up with a vertical slash that went straight for the reaper's head.

The reaper like earlier turned into a black stream of smoke leaving Leo's slash to continue to head forward until it divided some trees at the entrance of the castle. Trying to find the ominous reaper's position, Leo sniffed the air picking up what smelled like the stench of a rotting carcass and in the next minute rolled to his left, dodging another downward slash that left a rather deep imprint on the ground.

The reaper sparing him not a single minute to recuperate from the earlier attack lunged forward with a horizontal slash contrary to his earlier mode of attacks. Leo this time around was very much prepared for a counterattack as his eyes had been following the reaper's arms the whole time, and then with a quick movement of his right hand caught the reaper by the wrist disrupting the slash from delivering.

Leo took advantage of the situation and using a slippery movement of his left hand aimed for the reaper's chest.

The reaper who had been fooled into thinking that Leo had been aiming for his head was surprised when the blade plunged into his dark cloak."That was a close one" the reaper smiled, leaving Leo's grip once again empty and making the assassin wonder where the reaper had once again disappeared to.

"It seems his weakness must be the heart" Leo thought frowning "Which means there is some half-truths in the myths after all" Leo's new plan was simple and also based on what a great knight had written about a certain reaper that had been summoned by a human witch. 'The adventures of the holy Knight' written by a knight that had travelled through the kingdoms hunting down monsters and beasts was a children classic that many considered to be a work of fiction. In a certain chapter the knight also known as Sir Gerund the great had killed the reaper by destroying the creature's heart with a flaming sword.

From this battle and the way his opponent fought giving not a single care for his head but instead shielding his body Leo knew that the reaper's weakness must be his heart. Though the question that remained was how his earlier feint had failed miserably earlier. "Unless, maybe he can change the position of his heart" Leo thought cursing the fact that this knowledge couldn't help him at all for he had no ability that could enable him to see the inside of an entity.

A painful slash to the right shoulder brought Leo out of his thoughts as bright red blood dripped down his body. "Such a nice armor" snickered the Reaper swinging his scythe "You're so lucky that your right arm is still attached".

Leo frowned and was thankful that the armor had absorbed most of the damage though his shoulder plate now had a large tear that exposed the injured skin beneath.

Muttering a small spell that had been taught to him by Cassandra, Leo heaved a sigh of relief when small stitches felt on his shoulder reassured him that the armor had started its regenerative function which also covered the wounds beneath.

"If I can't find his heart, then all I have to do is to stab all parts of his body until I am sure I get it right" Leo smiled charging forward while he performed a series of slashes that left invisible lines in their wake.The reaper also ran forward unleashing slashes of his own as the two covered the small distance separating them.

Dodging a slash, the reaper turned incorporeal again turning into a dark smoke while the other slashes passed through his body harmlessly before they imbedded themselves into the castle's wall, with a few entering the dark hall.

At the other end Leo stood there bleeding while he slowly dropped the hands that protected his chests. "You are one of the few people I know to actually lay a scratch on me" the reaper sighed brushing his tattered cloaks.

"You have to be kidding me" Leo growled seeing that aside from the tattered cloaks, the reaper seemed to be literally unscathed. And to make matters worse he was low on the mana and energy he needed to use more of his devourer ability not to even mention the fact that his armor had stopped the regeneration ability a sign that further indicated the low amount of mana in his body.

Regardless of all this Leo continued to stand firm clenching his daggers, proving to the reaper that the fight was far from over. Raising his right hand Leo managed to block another attack from the reaper and with a flip evaded some slashes that headed straight for his body.

Leo landed on his feet panting while he sniffed the air for signs of the reaper that had once again disappeared from his sight, closing his eyes he waited patiently and then when the scent of rot and death became even more strong, he threw a dagger and smiled as his ears became filled with a loud scream of agony and pain.

"You will pay for that" The reaper cursed pulling out the silver dagger from his left shoulder. Black goo containing maggots oozed out of the gaping hole; giving off a smell that could make one consider the reaper's former smell pleasant.

"How? The reaper asked kneeling down and panting as his cloak started to slowly fade away.

Leo staggering to his feet replied "Each of my slashes were aimed at a particular body part that I knew had the possibility of harboring your heart, the slashes followed each other in succession so that you will be forced to shift your heart into the only place that could not be affected by my slashes. A place that I had on purpose missed knowing that you will not deem it necessary to change its position once more.

"Nice one it seems I have been out played" the reaper laughed "But mind you I also had a contingency plan of my own". Leo hearing this turned around but froze when a silver sword plunged deep into his chest, the headless body of the pale elf also greeted him; its hand clenching the sword ever so tightly.

The reaper with a sigh rose to his feet panting "The story books always forget to mention the fact that all reapers possess two hearts; one within us and the other in a vessel dead or alive, that ties us to this realm. "And in this case my second heart has always be in this elf who served as my vessel without him even knowing. "How do you think I even appeared here in the first place? The reaper sighed again and turning into a dark smoke appeared at Leo's side with his scythe raised up high

"All I have to do is make sure you stay dead"