Isekai Assassin, Volume 2
Author: Grayson Sinclair
Date: 2021-05-19 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy
Description: It takes a sinner, to kill a saint. Count Vohra is dead, and with his city almost completely under my control, I can finally start building the foundations for the new underworld. But before I can begin, there’s a particularly nasty thorn in my side that I have to deal with first. The leader of the assassin guild, Crescent Thorn, wants to meet me, and I doubt talking is on his mind. And as if that wasn’t enough, Weilin has another contract for me, one I can’t refuse. He wants me to assassinate a high priest.

Copyright © 2021 Grayson Sinclair

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Well, last volume, you were a random stranger. Are we acquaintances now? Friends? Yes. Let's be friends!

Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter 1- Back and Forth

Chapter 2- Improving

Chapter 3- Blood Contract

Chapter 4- A Friendly Chat

Chapter 5- The Rose’s Thorns

Chapter 6- A Long Night

Chapter 7- Odra City

Chapter 8- Complications

Chapter 9- The Plan

Chapter 10- Watching the Watcher

Chapter 11- Crescent Thorn

Chapter 12- Thorn

Chapter 13- Library of Magic

Chapter 14- A Woman Scorned

Chapter 15- The Second Contract

Chapter 16- Watch and Wait

Chapter 17- The Hale Job

Chapter 18- Extra Security

Chapter 19- The Second Attempt

Chapter 20- Back in Vohra

Chapter 21- Paperwork

Chapter 22- Perfectionist

Chapter 23- Into the Forest

Chapter 24- Turnabout

Chapter 25- Fallen Rose

Chapter 26- Once the Smoke Clears

Thanks for Reading!

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My Horrendous Map Skills

“If you worry about what everyone is trying to do, you become a spectator and not a player.”

─Brent Weeks

Chapter 1- Back and Forth

A too heavy-handed hook came for my jaw. I stepped back just in time. Air rippled and brushed over my skin as she struck.

Aless leaned into the punch, pivoting her hips and bringing a sharp roundhouse towards my ribs.

I grinned wide as her leg came around. Her speed and precision were truly something to behold.

She’s impressive as hell, but then, I knew this.

As her kick neared me, I shuffled to the side, and her foot sailed through empty air, nearly striking one of the many wooden combat dummies littering the training room.

“Would you stand still so I can hit you?” she asked, laughter tinging the edge of her words.

“Nope. If you can’t hit me, that’s your fault. Go faster.”

She let out a playful growl and came toward me with renewed effort. Aless raced towards me so quickly that her clothes ruffled as she set up her next combination of strikes. She wore a thin, black cotton tunic with a revealing neckline that I found incredibly distracting.

Which is why she picked it for our spar.

Her shirt paired with her pants, which were a slightly lighter shade of black and made from the same material.

She’d brushed her thick red hair back, but a few wavy strands slipped out and stuck to her sweat-drenched forehead.

Her hands came up, and she threw a few jabs toward my chin that forced me to step my game up as I slipped her punches.

Which is what she wanted me to do.

I fed into her setup, eager to see what she was capable of.

Aless fired off one more jab before throwing a heavy cross. It shot toward my nose, but I brought a hand up and caught her punch with my palm.

I stepped back to distribute the force. My hand stung where her knuckles landed, but I was rewarded with a sharp look of surprise on Aless’s face as her gray eyes widened.

Before she could react to my sudden counter, I stepped forward and grabbed her arm by the bicep and wrist. I pulled her to me while shifting to the side and catching her ankle with my foot.

Aless tumbled off balance and turned toward me as she fell. But before she could step off the mat and hit the stone floor, she crashed into one of the dummies.

Its outstretched wooden arms caught her as she hit its chest, and the back of her head knocked lightly against the wood.

“Ow,” she muttered.

Two steps forward, and I had her pinned, my knee to her thigh and my hand around her throat.

“A good attempt. But you shouldn’t use such a heavy strike against a trained opponent. Because they can counter, and if they do,” I motioned to her current predicament as her body pressed against me, “you’re screwed.”

I flashed her a smile and eased off her, offering her my hand. She took it with a wry smile.

“Gotcha.”

Aless stood, and we returned to the padded mat that covered most of the space in the training room, settling on opposite sides.

Aless brushed away the few hairs that clung to her skin with the back of her hand and settled into her fighting stance once more.

Light drifted in from the wooden accented windows around the room, and while she stood in their path, her face practically glowed, bringing a little life to the otherwise gray stone surrounding us.

“Ready for round four?” she asked.

“Always.” I grinned.

Before I could finish the sentence, she exploded from her corner and rushed me.

She threw an even faster combination of punches that had me backpedaling on instinct. I barely dodged them and was forced to counter.

I threw a palm strike to the center of her chest to halt her breathing just as she inhaled. Aless lurched as her lungs seized for a second. I brought my own hand up to tap her jaw, but when I swung, she ducked.

My punch sailed through open air as Aless slipped it and slid under my guard. She came up with a vicious uppercut that slammed into my chin and snapped my head back.

My eyes watered from the force of the blow, but I shook it off almost instantly.

However, Aless wasn’t finished yet. Even as my head went back, she threw a hard jab to my solar plexus and robbed me of my breath this time. Her strikes were precise and had her full weight behind them.

But I’d been punched much harder by much bigger people than a hundred-and-ten-pound girl.

As she came up, she tried to capitalize on her sudden attack, but I was prepared for her. She threw a left-handed punch to my chin, but I blocked at her wrist with my forearm. At the same time, I grabbed her right wrist with my offhand, trapping her.

I slipped my right hand up past her arm to grip her neck while I stepped to her side and pushed her off balance with both hands. I turned, putting my back to her as I lifted her off her feet and over my back, slamming her to the mat.

As she landed, I gripped her wrist and locked her arm.

She was mine.

When she looked up, she shook off the daze of having been thrown and chuckled.

“Damn. I really thought I had you that time.”

I grinned at her and eased up on her hand so I didn’t hurt her. “You prepared for my strike to your chest. I was sure that would have taken you out of the fight.”

She returned my grin. “Well, that is one of your favorite moves. I figured if I could surprise you, I might be able to win.” She shrugged. “Guess not.”

I knelt and held out my hand. “Maybe you’ll get lucky next time.”

Her eyes flashed, defiant, and she gripped my arm hard as she yanked me toward her and shot her foot to my hips, and suddenly I found myself sailing over her and to the mat.

As I hit, I dispersed the impact by slapping the ground, and I could’ve rolled, come up out of the sneak attack throw Aless had used, but I didn’t. I let her have it, curious to see what she would do next.

She shifted and slithered on top of me, one hand on my neck while the other was jammed into my solar plexus, and her knee was to my groin.

Not bad.

Her eyes held delight and pride in them, and after weeks of training, she deserved both.

I knew I wasn’t the easiest instructor, so a little victory would do her good.

Her hair fell in her face as she leaned over me, her breath coming out ragged, and her heart pulsed fast through her hands, pulsing along my neck.

“You cheated,” I said, laughing.

She nodded, her eyes sparkling with delight. “A certain pain in the ass taught me there’s no such thing as cheating. Only winning and losing.”

“Sounds like a smart man,” I replied.

“He has his moments,” she said, leaning down.

Her breathing slowed and then heated back up as her face flushed. Her breath was sweet as it rolled over me as she crept ever closer.

The neckline of her tunic fell, giving me a good glimpse of her breasts as she loosened her grip on me and pressed her body against mine. Her hand slipped to the back of my neck and wound through my hair as she closed her eyes, her lips an inch from mine.

I slipped my hand to her waist and hooked my calf around her leg as I pushed off the ground and rolled.

Aless yelped in surprise as I pinned her to the mat. Her eyes flew open, and she frowned.

“Elias! Couldn’t you have waited another minute?”

I grinned wide. “Never try to kiss the instructor during combat practice. That’s a day one lesson.”

She laughed as her hands went to my back. Her fingers dug into my skin as she clutched at me, but I didn’t mind.

“I certainly don’t remember going over that lesson.”

“That means you weren’t paying attention.”

She shook her head, still holding her smile. “I’m sure that’s it. And not that you just made it up on the spot.”

“I would never.”

Aless smirked, and her hands traveled to my lower back, slipping under my shirt as she pulled me closer to her.

“Okay. So, the student can’t kiss the teacher during training, but I didn’t hear anything about the teacher being unable to kiss the student.”

“Yeah. Noticed that little loophole, did you?”

“Uh-huh. Now get down here already.”

Her heart rate increased again as I lowered down. I brushed her crimson hair back, and she closed her eyes, nuzzling into my hand as my right moved under her shirt to cup her breast.

Aless moaned softly, her fingernails digging into my skin as she clawed down my back. I leaned down as her pale pink lips parted, inviting me in.

Her scent drew me to her like a moth to the flame.

Our lips were so close.

Then the door to the training room flew open, and the wood smacked against the stone as loud as a gunshot.

“How’s training going?” a sweet, feminine voice asked. “You’ve been in here for hours, so I thought you two might be thirsty─oh my.”

Aless and I immediately halted what we were doing and turned to greet our newcomer.

She was a tall, thin girl of about twenty-five. She stood just under my chin and had thick, golden-brown hair that traveled to her shoulder blades, a soft face that was made for laughing, and bright, honey brown eyes that turned to gold in the sun.

She wore a black and white maid uniform that was tailor-made for her frame. And it accented her hips and bust while still remaining modest.

Cora grinned wide and smirked at the sight of Aless and I locked together. The tray of drinks in her hands was forgotten.

“Oh, by all means, don’t let me stop you. Continue with whatever you were about to do before I arrived.” Her golden eyes smoldered as she leaned back against the wall and watched us both with barely contained excitement. “Pretend I’m not even here.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about. We were just wrestling.”

“That’s what we’re calling it now?” Aless asked, letting go of me.

Cora chuckled, letting out a light, musical laugh as I leaned back and stood, helping Aless stand.

She brushed herself off and looked to me with fire in her eyes, promising that our little entanglement wasn’t over by a long shot.

Aless walked over to Cora and accepted one of the cups she carried.

“Thank you, Cora.” She took several deep gulps and then set the cup back. “But you know you don’t have to keep serving us. It’s not necessary.”

Cora smiled at Aless then turned to me, proffering the tray, wanting me to take my drink.

I sighed and crossed the room and accepted my drink with thanks. It was just water, but it was from the well out back, and it was clean and cool. And after several hours of training, I greedily drank it down.

“Thank you again, but as Aless said, whatever debt you think you owe has been paid. You don’t have to keep acting as our maid.”

Cora harrumphed, setting the tray in the arms of one of the nearby wooden training dummies. She crossed her arms and gave me a stern look.

“Well, I disagree on that. But even if I wanted to leave, someone in this room just had to go and murder my employer. And with the city still recovering from Count Vohra’s death, no nobleman in their right mind is going to hire me as a maid, especially when they learn who I used to serve.”

She laughed and brushed a strand of her hair back and deftly tucked it under her black and white lace headband she wore to complete her outfit.

“You thoroughly ruined my job prospects. So, who else am I going to serve but the two of you?”

I held my hands up and grinned sheepishly. “I’ve offered to give you money and transport out of the city. I don’t know what else I can offer you.”

Cora marched over and wagged a finger in my face. “A job. You could offer me a job. It’s the least you can do.” She raised her shirt, revealing the tanned skin of her flat stomach and slightly defined muscles as she pushed it up to her chest. Just above her abdomen was a thin, red scar. “You did stab me, you know.”

“I apologized for that. It was necessary to save your life. That makes us even.”

“Not by a long shot, Elias.” She sighed and leaned her head back on the stone before a grin lifted her red lips. “Hire me, though, and that would make us even.”

Her persistence to be hired on at Blackfall Manor was something she kept up in the weeks since I’d brought her back from Vohra’s estate.

Guess I understand.

I had taken her job prospects from her. If I were a nobleman, I wouldn’t go near anyone that had anything to do with the former count. And I was getting tired of going around in circles with her.

Not like this place couldn’t use a maid. And she’s okay with my profession, but I think that’s only because I saved her.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, just wanting to get this conversation over with.

“Fine. If you want to stay here so much, and Aless is okay with it, you can work here.”

Her eyes lit up, and she turned to Aless with hope building in her golden gaze. “Well, can I?”

Aless shrugged. “Sure. It’ll be nice to have another girl here. And this place is too big for us to clean by ourselves.” She nudged Cora with her elbow. “He won’t admit it, but he’s enjoyed having you here these past couple of weeks.”

“I just said that I enjoyed her cooking, that’s it.”

Cora gripped Aless’s hands and shook them. “Thank you, Aless. You won’t regret hiring me, I swear.”

With that, she grabbed the tray and left the room, leaving the two of us alone once more.

“You know, she only wants to work here because she knows I’ll pay her better than Vohra,” I said.

“Perhaps. I think she’s also grateful, but the money is probably a nice incentive. For how much wealth the count had, he didn’t pay his servants well,” Aless replied.

“Well, it probably won’t be the worst thing in the world to have a maid helping out. Means we can spend less time cleaning and more time training.”

Aless laughed lightly as she walked to the door. “That’s true. And I won’t say I’ll miss cleaning the cobwebs off the ceiling.”

“Me either.” I shrugged and took off my shirt to wipe my face. I recoiled at myself. “I need a bath.”

“Want some company?” she asked as she stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame.

I smirked, meeting her gaze as I stepped toward her. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” She reached a hand to my chest and hooked a finger in my waistband, tugging it toward her. “What say you and I finish what we started?”

I was about to respond when Cora peeked her head around the corner once more.

“Oh, and I almost forgot. Elias, you have your appointment with Angela in an hour,” she said, beaming at me.

“I’m well aware,” I grumbled. “Thank you, Cora.”

Aless giggled as Cora disappeared round the corner. “Okay, the first was an accident, but that time was intentional.”

“Yep.” I sighed.

“Offer’s still on the table, though,” she said.

I shook my head as I walked past her. “Another time. I need to take a bath and get dressed to meet Angela. Lord knows I don’t want to make her wait on me.”

Aless shivered and blanched, her face paling as I walked by her. She shook her head. “I don’t see how you do it, but if you want me to come with you, all you have to do is ask.”

I smiled at her and kissed her cheek, which caused her to blush.

“I appreciate it, but I’d rather you not see me like that again.”

After that, I left her standing in the doorway, looking at me with a dopey smile on her face.

I headed across the hall, padding softly on the warm green rugs that lined the stone floor as I made my way to one of several bathing rooms. I stripped out of my sweaty clothes and began running a bath.

As the tub filled, I went over to one of the mirrors along the wall next to a stone washbasin and lathered my face. I brushed my blond hair out of my blue eyes and stared down at my body.

I had several new scars from my few months on Xenai. A thick, angry scar along my abdomen from when the late Captain Mays stuck me with a knife and a single thin line going up my jaw from my scuffle with the guards at Vohra’s estate.

Cora wasn’t the only one who got a scar that night.

I quickly shaved and then toweled off before I stepped into the steaming bath. The pipes that fed to the baths ran up through the house, and there was a small room in the basement that held a reservoir of water with a fire pit under it. Cora made sure to keep it heated, so we always had warm water.

I stared at my reflection before I noticed the small blinking light in the corner of my vision.

I focused on it and pulled up my status.

Your Hand-to-Hand skill has increased by 2! [Hand-to-Hand: 22 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

Your Charm skill has increased by 1! [Charm: 2 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Teaching skill has increased by 3! [Teaching: 3 (Novice)] +75 Exp!

(Warning! Continued advancement along this path could lead to a potential Job change)

Do you wish to delete this skill and forfeit the Exp?

Yes/No?

Yes.

It was disappointing that I couldn’t keep all the experience I gained from teaching Aless. Over the past few weeks, it would have added up to nearly a thousand experience points.

Oh, well. Teaching was never something I enjoyed doing. But I picked up that distaste from my master. He never liked it either, despite how good he was.

It had been a while since I’d thought about the old man, and despite everyone I knew from Earth, he was the person I missed the most.

But he’d died years before I ever came to this world.

I shook away the melancholic thoughts and accepted the notifications before my screen changed to my actual status.

Name: Elias McKinley

Age: 29

Race: Human

Job: Assassin

Level: 2

Exp: 8241/12376

Stat Points: 5

Stats

Strength: 31

Constitution: 25

Endurance: 36

Wisdom: 24

Perception: 33

Agility: 47

Charisma: 15

Luck: 19

The few jobs I’d taken in the last weeks and constant training had given me a decent bit of growth.

Some aspects of myself hadn’t really changed, like my hand-to-hand. I still didn’t detect a difference in my skill compared to what the status said. The system couldn’t match my skill just yet, but the few points added to my strength gave me a small but noticeable boost, as did my wisdom.

I wasn’t more intelligent by any means, but my store of magic had grown. I didn’t get as tired after using Shade’s Rest or when I practiced with Fireball.

But given magic didn’t exist on Earth, leveling a stat I’d never used before would, of course, show drastic improvements.

I closed out my status and finished bathing before throwing on a set of fine silk clothes, my nicest emerald cloak that hid the two daggers I belted at my waist, and left Blackfall Manor.

Chapter 2- Improving

The brisk summer air molded around me like water as I walked through the forest and toward Vohra City. The sun was high overhead, and the sky was so blue, the giant planet Koel nearly disappeared into it.

I made my way through the woods over the next ten minutes and came to the large gray walls surrounding the city. I turned along the road and headed for the west gate.

There were a lot of farms and land around Vohra, so it wasn’t strange to have people coming and going at all hours, but I still tried to vary which gate I went through each time I entered the city.

Though the guards had a lot more important things to worry about than me, I was still cautious and didn’t want to get into habits that could cause trouble for me down the line.

I showed them my visa, and with a comment that I would need to renew it soon, the fresh-faced guard handed it back to me, and the wrought-iron gate rose, letting me in.

Living out in the forest had reminded me what fresh air tasted like, and it only made the musty, overbearing scent of the city that much more pungent as I passed by numerous people working or going about their daily shopping.

Hundreds of different smells lingered in the air and drifted past me as I walked, but as always, I eventually got used to it as I made my way to the slums and Pleasure District.

Angela’s wasn’t located in the Pleasure District itself but was close enough that I thought the distinction didn’t really matter.

But it sure as hell mattered to her.

When I reached the dark and dusty alley that her shop was on, I stepped inside accompanied by a small chime as the bell above my head rang.

Her shop was much the same as it always was.

Overflowing with unmitigated chaos.

Dark wooden shelves filled with several of every item in existence were shadowed by stacks of books lining the floors and a seemingly impossible array of cast iron pots and pans that stretched to the vaulted ceiling and nearly touched the support beam.

How it remained standing was beyond me, but at this point, I didn’t question anything I found at Angela’s.

I maneuvered through the cramped aisles and nearly stepped on what appeared to be a stuffed taxidermy cat before I made it to the counter equally covered with detritus.

After searching under the mess for the bell, I tapped it three times, then once more a second later.

“Yeah, yeah. Keep yer shirt on, Elias. I’m comin’.”

Angela shuffled out of the backroom, passing through the thick beaded curtain that separated the storefront from the hallway that led to her workshop.

She reached the counter and leaned on it, her breathing heavy, and she shook with fatigue.

Her steel gray hair covered her face, but her dark ebony skin drooped and quivered as she caught her breath.

“You that tired out from the walk to the counter? You’re going to die an early death if you don’t get your weight under control.”

She looked up, and her dark eyes flared. “Boy. I’ll skin yer hide ya try an’ tell me how to live ma life. An’ for tha record, smartass, I just gotta shipment in, an’ those crates are damned heavy.”

I grinned and held my hands up. “Fair enough. You want me to help you unload them?” I asked, trying to placate her.

Angela shook her head. “All done now. But I ‘preciate the offer.”

She paused and looked at me. “Now, why're you here?” she asked as her heavy accent faded slightly as it usually did when I was the only one around her. Her eyes lit up, and her silver eyebrows stretched to her wrinkled forehead. “Right. It’s the fifth. Our appointment.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She turned and waved at me. “Come on back. Got to get everthin’ set up. But shouldn’ take but a moment.”

I followed Angela as she parted the beads, and they clacked against the wooden walls as we stepped out of the cluttered mess and into the neat, precise, and most importantly, clean section of her shop.

Bright mana stones lit up her workshop, casting a soft blue glow everywhere that put candles to shame.

I ignored the various workstations with neatly labeled drawers and boxes filled with god knows what and headed off to a small side room.

Inside were heavy wooden crates next to a door that led to a side alley behind her shop and a table and two stools on opposite ends. Unlike the soft wooden floors of her shop. Cold and smooth gray stone lined the ground, save for a small drain that emptied into the nearby sewers.

“Sit down, get comfortable. Ya know the drill,” she said and nodded to the chair. “I’ll be right back.”

Then she left, and I began to strip. I took off my cloak, weapons, and clothing and stored them away in my dimension ring.

I stood in the room naked, freezing my ass off. Before Angela could come back, I pulled out a pair of worn, black cotton trousers, much like I’d worn during my spar with Aless earlier, and slid them on.

I sat down, and the cold wood seeped into my arms as I laid them on the table. Before I could count to twenty, Angela came back and sat in front of me.

“Arms, please,” she said.

I laid my palms flat on the table and she reached over to the iron manacles bolted into the wood and slid the cold metal over my wrists before locking them.

Though I expected it, the slight cold made me flinch.

“Sorry. I know cold iron is uncomfortable.”

I shook my head and chuckled. “I wouldn’t say uncomfortable, just…well, yeah. This whole thing is uncomfortable, to say the least. You’re right.”

She laughed and pulled out two small bundles of canvas and set them on the table. Knowing what was coming didn’t help the tiny bit of fear that prickled my stomach and sent goosebumps along my skin.

I was an assassin, a killer, but that didn’t mean I was immune to fear.

But I shoved it down and coughed, focusing on Angela rather than what was on the table.

“Have you given any more thought to my offer?” I asked.

She looked up from her work and nodded. “I have. It’s not a bad deal, and I know you’d always play it straight with me.” She paused and then asked me to turn my hand over. “But it’s not a simple thing. Running a black market is more than just a one-person job.”

I nodded and complied, twisting my hand up and scraping along the frigid iron as I turned my hand toward her.

“Well, if everything goes as planned, it wouldn’t be just you. I don’t know if you know Terrance Ironblood, but he’s considering it. Jin’s already working underground, so what’s a little more to him. And Christoff is already on board, selling Thanatos for me.” I tried to nudge her with my elbow and smiled. “And you can’t tell me you wouldn’t enjoy the chance to work with your son.”

She snorted and leaned over with a rag soaked in disinfectant. She swabbed up my arm, and the sharp scent burned in my nose as the rag rubbed rough over my skin.

“Yeah. Tha’ I would. But he wants nothin’ to do with me. No matter what I try.” She shook her head. “But that’s my problem. We can discuss the whole black-market idea when the time comes, but for now, I need you to be still.”

Angela unrolled the cloth and pulled out a large syringe and a small vial of clear liquid.

Silent night.

She retrieved a quarter inch of the poison and then pulled out a second vial, much smaller than the first. It held a shimmering blue liquid that I couldn’t identify.

“What is that?” I asked.

“Just a recovery booster. It’ll help, trust me.”

The unknown freaked me out, and even though it went against my nature, I did trust Angela. Trusted her implicitly.

She took only a few drops of the new drug and then held the needle over my vein.

“Ready?”

I nodded.

The sharp, slight pain of the needle punctured my arm, and then there was nothing but darkness.

Something strong burned in my nostrils, and I bolted upright, fighting on instinct only to hit the iron around my wrists that stopped me cold.

Angela smiled at me and withdrew the smelling salts. “Ya’ always do that.” She leaned over me and snapped her fingers. “Elias, ya’ with me?”

“Ugh, yeah. Gimme a second.”

The fog surrounding my brain slowly began to fade, and though my head rang with a fierce headache, I shook it off and looked around the room.

Something warm and wet slid down my back to drip to the floor, splashing softly, which reminded me of my screaming throat.

“Water,” I managed to croak out.

Though my eyes were bleary and unfocused, my hearing was fine, and Angela stood from the table and waddled over to me.

A ceramic cup was placed against my lips, and I drank deep, soothing my parched mouth. As soon as I finished the first cup, it was removed, and a second was brought to me. When my dry mouth was cured, I coughed as water spilled cold around my lips and dripped to my chest.

The slight chill of the water was completely overshadowed by a fierce burning pain that radiated up through my whole body. An agony so miserable that it nearly robbed me of my breath.

Using the numerous techniques my master taught me to control my pain, I fought it down and blinked my eyes until I could see properly again.

“I’m good,” I finally said.

Angela shifted and produced a small key from her pocket and leaned over to unlock the cuffs.

As soon as my hands were free, I brought them back and rubbed my aching wrists as I rolled my stiff shoulders back and forth, ignoring the pain. “How long was I out for?”

“Only two hours this time. A new record.”

I chuckled and reached around to my inflamed, aching back. I touched something wet, and my hand came back slick with blood.

I wiped it away on my pants and chuckled, which hurt like hell.

“That’s an hour sooner than last time. Good. Means we’re making progress.”

Angela tilted her head and then cursed, shifting around behind me to get a better look.

“By Weilin, how you can sit and have a conversation after this is beyond me. I did a real number on you this time, Elias.” She chuckled. “A stubborn, prideful fool. But yer a tough sonuvabitch, I’ll give you that.”

She got around behind me and started dabbing at my back with her disinfectant-soaked rag.

White-hot fire crawled up my skin and bit deep into my bones as I tried and failed to bite back a curse.

“Fuck!” I hissed as my breath caught in my chest, and I forgot how to breathe for a second as my lungs seized up. “I thought you said you’d be gentler this time.”

“I lied,” she said and kept wiping my back with the disinfectant.

I had to grip the table to keep from lashing out at her on principle as she cleaned my wounds. Angela was precise, methodical, and utterly ruthless as she soaked each of my wounds with her acid.

In front of me on the table was the second bundle of canvas that she’d brought. It was unrolled and revealed a set of gleaming silver instruments of torture, from scalpels to thick knives and even a small saw.

All of them gleamed crimson, heavily stained with my blood.

When Angela was done swabbing my back, she dried it and then slathered a bunch of ointment that burned even worse than the disinfectant before slowly numbing the pain and then finally bandaging the cuts and gashes littering my flesh.

When she was done, she slapped my back, and I groaned and doubled over.

“You’re a sadistic bitch, y’know that?”

“Says the man that pays me to do this to him.” She walked back in front of me and started cleaning the bloody tools she’d used on me. “But I’ve been called a lot worse, by a lot worse than you.”

She smiled wide. “But I know you don’ really mean it,’ so I won’ hold it against you this time. And speaking of, how’d we do this round?”

With clammy, shaky fingers, I brought up my status.

Your Poison Resistance has increased by 2! [Poison Resistance: 21 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

Your Durability has increased by 3! [Durability: 25 (Journeyman)] +100 Exp!

(Durability has increased to Journeyman. +20% resistance to all forms of damage.)

Your Recovery skill has increased by 2! [Recovery: 12 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

Your Constitution has increased by 1! [Constitution: 26] +100 Exp!

I shrugged, which stung like a son of a bitch. “Not bad. All the skills went up by at least two, and we finally got durability to journeyman.”

Angela’s eyes lit up in delight. “Which means we can push even harder next session. Excellent.”

“Yeah, you’re having way too much fun with my suffering.” I smiled at her. “But thanks for doing this for me.”

“Hey, I’m happy to help, you know that. Besides, I wasn’t going to make Aless keep doing it.”

I nodded. “She lacks your delicate touch.”

We both laughed, and I pulled out a small pouch of vahn and handed it over. At first, she’d only charged me for the poison and medicine I used during our sessions, but for all that she went through, including having to clean up my blood, I was more than willing to shell out the extra coin.

Angela took the money and motioned toward my back as we left the cramped storage room.

“The medicine should start to work its magic in an hour or so, and I cut you pretty deep, enough to leave some serious scars. But you asked what that blue liquid was. It’s called Vitae. It’s holy water purified through mana stones, which imbues it with magic. It activates your own store of mana and uses it to speed up your recovery.

“Expensive as hell, but as long as you aren’t too strenuous and tear open your wounds, you should be right as rain in a day or two.”

“You know me. The perfect paragon of restraint.”

“My ass.” Angela scoffed, and we walked to the storefront. She pointed to the dressing room. “Put your clothes on and get out. If you open your wounds back up, don’t come cryin’ t’ me. Have that lass o’ yours fix you right up. Weilin knows she wouldn’t mind playing doctor.”

“Yeah, yeah. What do I owe you for the Vitae?”

“Three hundred vahn.”

“For that little vial?” I whistled slowly and dug out my coin purse once more. “Expensive is right. But worth it if it does what you claim.”

I paid her and then slid into the large dressing booth and quickly changed out of my bloody pants, storing them away. I changed, but this time I switched to my black leather armor. I belted my weapons to myself and threw on my dark emerald cloak this time.

When I came back out, Angela scowled at me and jabbed me in the chest with a surprisingly strong finger.

“Elias McKinley. Dammit. If you had a job tonight, then why did you let me mutilate you to hell and back like that?”

“Because it’s the son of a minor nobleman. A soft-faced, spoiled little rich kid who likes putting his hands on girls without their permission. Nothing I can’t handle with one arm tied behind my bloody, very, very sore back.” I grinned. “I’ll be fine, Angie.”

Her scowl turned into a grimace as I called her by her nickname. “Fine, go get yer fool head taken off for all I care.”

I just smiled at her until she dropped her frown and gave me a half chuckle.

“See you later.”

As I was about to leave, Angela called out to me just as I stepped back over the ugly stuffed cat, who looked up at me with glassy false eyes. I turned back to her and raised an eyebrow.

“Would you do me a favor, Elias?”

“Always.” I nodded and walked back over to the counter.

She reached under it and rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a crumpled, faded letter. It was tied closed with a string. Angela slid it across the table and looked up at me with somber eyes.

“Would you deliver this to Christoff for me? I’ve tried. Weilin knows I’ve tried. But I can never seem to make it to the door before my nerve leaves me.”

I didn’t know the story, but it was clear that Angela and Christoff had deep troubles and couldn’t communicate with each other.

It was none of my business, and I couldn’t really understand family drama.

Yeah. Me and my family got along well, besides a few fights with my brothers and sisters, of course.

It’d been too many years since I’d said their names aloud. And I wasn’t going to break that streak now.

But regardless, Angela and Christoff were my friends, and if I could help them, I would.

I took the letter gently and gave her a reassuring smile. “You know I will. I had plans to visit the Cask tonight after I finished my job, so it’s no trouble. And after everything you’ve done for me, it would be rude not to. Besides, I owe you, and I always pay my debts.”

“Thank you.” The sad look in her eye was replaced by gratitude as she reached under the counter once more and pulled out a small, paper-wrapped parcel. “It’s not much, but I made you some clothes. I used fine silk to make them, so I hope they’re to your tastes.”

I accepted the present and told her I’d like them no matter what.

After I stored them away, I bid her farewell and left the oddities shop.

Despite the desire to stop by the Cracked Cask and have whatever delicious meal Christoff had prepared today, I had a job to do and a man to kill.

Chapter 3- Blood Contract

Midafternoon slowly turned to dusk as I tracked my target from a string of taverns in the Noble District as he spent his family's money to his heart’s content.

The man, Jerome Whitley, was a typical noble’s son.

He had short, precisely styled, and combed blond hair several shades lighter than mine and dull green eyes. His face was handsome, symmetrical and regal, but his thin, pink lips sneered almost constantly, and there was a sharpness to his nose that turned his handsomeness to something darker.

Jerome was dressed in the latest fashion and wore a crimson doublet and matching hose, with a pair of leather shoes that looked to cost more than I was making for the contract.

I sat; my cloak pulled tight over my armor as I watched from the roof of the restaurant opposite Jerome’s current drinking spot.

I’d been following him for hours, and it had paid off, rewarding me with a new level up in tracking and stealth.

Your Tailing skill has increased by 1! [Tailing: 9 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Stealth skill has increased by 1! [Stealth: 29 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

The couple of jobs I’d taken in the weeks since Count Vohra’s death had given me a few skill-ups as well, and I wouldn’t complain. I was excited to see what more journeyman skills were unlocked.

The burnt orange skyline cast numerous shadows over the polished streets, and the shadows of buildings brought more than enough darkness for me to hide myself in.

And so, I watched, nearly invisible from my perch. It would take a concerted effort for someone to spot me from where I sat.

Not that anyone has even bothered glancing around. I scoffed. Nobles. I swear they just want to die with how they go about their lives as if the world revolves around them.

At least make an effort.

But my thoughts were for naught. Nobles never changed, and Jerome would walk headfirst into my blade without a care in the world, right up until I ended his miserable existence.

Despite the summer heat of the afternoon, the falling sun had brought a reprieve, and a cool breeze followed through the clean streets, bringing a pleasant calm to the atmosphere.

Because of the cool air, my target moved from the bar inside the well-built tavern to the patio, where several wooden tables sat with candles burning. He sat at a table near the balcony where he could look out to the small park with freshly cut grass and a small water fountain that burbled nicely while waiting on his round of drinks.

The Noble District was truly a beautiful place, but the people who called it home ruined any charm the place had for me.

I’d much rather live in the woods away from prying eyes. And besides, it’s not like Blackfall Manor isn’t nice.

It was actually the nicest place I’d ever lived.

I was worried when we first moved in that we’d have to leave before we could ever get settled. But after killing Vohra, there was no one officially looking for us. The guards were too preoccupied keeping order in the city to bother checking out the abandoned mansion in the middle of the forest.

And if they do, well, they’ll find a few nasty surprises waiting for them.

Aless and I had done a splendid job of trapping the grounds around the house. If anyone but us decided to visit us, they wouldn’t live long enough to regret it.

Besides, Bernard should have the paperwork started to fully legitimize my ownership, but still, we can’t stay there forever.

Sitting there, watching Jerome drinking his weight in ale brought my own thirst to a head, and I disregarded the first rule of a stakeout as I pulled out a small flask and sipped sparingly on the fresh water inside.

I wouldn’t have minded an ale, but I didn’t drink while working.

The hours passed as Jerome sat drinking, slowly gathering more friends, all equally as well dressed and inebriated as he was. They drank until the sun faded over the horizon, and Aurella shone brightly in the night sky.

As her light hit my face, my eyes flashed, and an ethereal blue light sparked, sending warmth through my cheeks.

Aurella’s Light activated, and instantly, the darkened streets lit up as if the sun had been pulled back up. My eyesight sharpened considerably, and strength flooded through my veins.

I grinned as the light faded from my eyes a second after it appeared, but the strength lingered in my limbs.

Now I just have to wait for the opportune moment to strike.

I’d already scouted out Jerome’s house. He lived in a less extravagant section of the Noble District in a house that was built just for him. Paid for by his rich father, of course.

But unless he had a girl over, he lived alone. And the way he was drinking, he was making it too easy for me.

I sighed as I knelt and kept a careful eye on the brat. It’s not the job I want, but the pay is decent.

I could take solace in that, at least.

Eventually, several mind-numbing hours later, it seemed Jerome and his friends had drunk their fill and were getting told to leave by the owner. They were too far away for me to eavesdrop, but from the angry, exaggerated movements of the tavern owner, he wasn’t happy.

The kid slapped down a fistful of vahn on the table and stood, leaving with his friends after he spat on the owner's shoes.

Yeah. I’m going to enjoy watching you die—you pissant.

The group of five drunk nobles started walking away from the residential area and toward the gate that led to the rest of the city.

Now, where are you going, I wonder?

I rose from my spot on the roof and slipped to the edge. I jumped and landed in a roll beside a bush.

Your Acrobatics skill has increased by 1! [Acrobatics: 22 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

The restaurant I’d been on had closed hours ago, so no one was around to hear me land, and even if they were, it was too dark for anyone but me to see.

I kept to the shadows, sticking by the pruned and manicured trees and bushes that lined the cobblestone pathway that led to the entrance gate.

The kids were loud, boisterous as they walked. They talked in too loud voices, nearly shouting as they slurred their words and shoved one another.

A blind man could have followed them by the smell, let alone the noise they made, so even though I kept my distance, I knew exactly where they were at all times.

As they reached the gate, the guards on duty let them through without a care. They stepped out onto main street while I veered right and hopped the brick fence that kept out the undesirables from heaven.

The men kept going straight down the largest road in Vohra. I dropped to the ground and kept after them, which was even easier in the city proper. I stayed on the opposite side of the road and kept my hood up as I walked calmly.

I followed them for another twenty minutes as they drunkenly stumbled to the slums, bypassing the Pleasure District entirely.

The buildings grew more decrepit as they headed for the center of the slums, and after a time, they suddenly stopped.

One of the taller men pointed ahead and began whispering to the rest of them.

I couldn’t make it out, but I had no trouble seeing what they were pointing at. Ahead, walking by herself, was a young girl carrying a basket.

She was obviously a resident of the slums. Dirty, torn clothing and slightly grimy skin, but underneath that lay a rather cute girl. She had long, brown hair and walked with an assured gait that told me she lived close by.

People always feel most comfortable near home, yet that’s when they should keep their guards up the most.

The men grew excited at the sight, and I spat as anger built in my chest. I knew what they were here for.

So, Jerome isn’t the only rapist. It’s a group of them.

I reached for my dagger on principle.

They were rich, all of them well off, so if they wanted to get laid, they could have easily paid for it, or hell, just gone to a tavern and bought a few drinks. People always gravitated towards wealth, so they had a half dozen other methods available to them.

Yet, they chose to go after the poor, helpless people who couldn’t fight back, and even if they did, it wouldn’t matter.

I was a professional, and I knew better than to get emotional when on a job, but after spending so much time with Aless and coming to care for her a great deal, all I could think about was them doing that to her, and my blood burned.

My target was a single man, but he wouldn’t be my only kill of the evening.

I hurried to the other side of the street as the girl turned down a side alley, oblivious to the danger she was in.

If memory served me, I knew where the alley let out and could likely guess where the men would ambush her at.

There was a rundown old bakery that had been turned into a hostel, but they’d left the sign up, just written the word Hostel underneath the picture of bread and grain. The windows were aging, and the mortar holding the building together was missing or crumbling, offering excellent handholds as I climbed to the roof.

I raced over broken shingles as I leapt to the next roof and slowed up so my footsteps wouldn’t alert the men.

Their voices carried in the empty alley, bringing their vile thoughts to my ears.

“Just grab her. It’ll be quick, over before she knows it,” one of the men whispered, but because of his drunken stupor, he wasn’t quiet at all.

“Might be quick for you, Hulbert, but I’m gonna take my time,” Jerome said.

The others laughed, and there was a shove.

“Fuck you, Jer. Not what I meant, asshole.”

He chuckled lowly, and their footsteps picked up. “Not my fault you gave me the setup. Now hurry, before she gets out of the alley.”

They quickened their pace toward the girl, whose head was just visible from my angle. She turned at their approach as I slid down the vaulted roof and picked up speed as I jumped to the roof in front of me, keeping my eyes to my left and on the girl.

“Hey, sweetheart!” one of the men shouted. “Where you goin’?”

The others catcalled, and she sped up, not quite running, but close.

“Wait, don’t go!” they shouted and picked up speed.

I’d heard all I wanted and raced forward as I angled to the left and jumped. I leapt from the roof and as I jumped, I drew my crossbow. I snapped it in place in the second that I hung in the air. I landed in a roll in the middle of the darkly lit alley. The light of the moon was the only source around, but I could see just fine.

As I came up, I spun and put Jerome in my sights.

Before anyone could react, I pulled the trigger. Five pounds of pressure later, and Jerome’s skull decorated his friend's faces.

My status blinked, letting me know I had a notification, but I blinked it away.

I wasn’t done yet.

The others were too drunk to react properly, but when Jerome’s body fell to the ground and began spilling his life out around the noble's expensive shoes, then they took notice.

Each of them panicked and stared at me wide-eyed, still not quite believing what they were seeing.

It made the rest of my job incredibly easy.

While they stood there, slack jawed, I drew two of my throwing knives and threw them. They buried to the hilts in Hulbert and another man’s throats, robbing them of breath and spilling thick blood down their chests.

I sprinted forward and savagely ripped the blades from their necks, splitting them open further. As the two men sunk to their knees, I spun both blades over my hands and reversed my grip. I stepped back and slammed the knives into the base of their necks, severing their spinal cords.

While I killed them, the remaining two rapists fled back down the alleyway, drunkenly sprinting as fast as they could.

I drew two more throwing knives, judged my distance, and put as much power behind them as I could.

Which was a considerable amount these days.

Both knives sailed end over end. One struck home in one of the men’s legs, while the other missed, sailing past his thigh and skittering off the stone beside him.

Dammit.

The one I missed the throw on was almost out of the alley, and I didn’t want a mad chase up the streets. Even if it was the slums, people were still out and about at this time of night.

I activated Shade’s Rest, and the world inverted.

Every darkened part of the world lit up a bright white as all the light faded. The sky turned from a soft blue to an endless black as every brick and stone of the alley became as white as paper.

The shadows called to me, and I chose the one I wanted.

There was a tug in my chest as my vision swam and blurred. I moved faster than the wind until I reached my desired shadow, the one cast by the fleeing man.

I swam in darkness for only a split second before I canceled Shade’s Rest. I rose from his shadow and the world returned to normal. As I stepped out of his shadow, I slid my hand around his neck and cut off his airflow.

Using Shade’s Rest drained my limited mana quickly. And though I didn’t have a concrete, tangible indicator of how much I had burned, my dwindling mana pool presented itself as fatigue.

Sweat beaded along my skin, and my breathing increased as my heart hammered softly, beating into my fingertips as I pulled a knife free and pressed it to the man’s neck.

I brought it sharply across his flesh, and blood splashed in an arc as I severed both sides of his carotid before a mess of crimson drenched down his chest.

He gurgled and fought me, but with the heavy blood loss and his lungs slowly filling with his life, he couldn’t manage more than a half-muttered gurgle before his strength failed him, and he slumped against me as he died.

I dropped him and knelt, slamming my blade into his heart.

He coughed and spat up a mouthful of blood before he sighed and turned his head as the last of his life pooled beneath him.

As I stood, I found his blood had splashed along the sidewall and slowly dripped through the cracks in the brick to the ground.

With him dead, four of the five rapists had been dealt with. The only one left was the one with my knife in his leg to deal with.

I whirled around and found him kneeling more or less where he’d been when I threw my knife. It’d gone in through his calf. A painful wound, but he was so hopped up and excited that he probably didn’t feel it.

He’s scared half to death. His reflexes kicked in, and his body told him to freeze.

It was either fight, flight, or freeze.

He froze.

I started walking toward him, and by the time I got close enough that his ale-soaked breath wrinkled my nose, he snapped out of his fear only to panic once more at the sight of me.

He turned to run but only managed one step on his injured leg before I flicked my foot out and caught the handle of my knife. The force of my kick ripped it from his calf along with a good chunk of meat.

The man screamed in pain and dropped to the ground in agony. He fell on his ass and clutched his bleeding leg, tears streaming down his face. I stepped to him and put my entire weight into a snap kick that took him in his face.

Bone crunched and cartilage burst as his nose gushed blood like a faucet. His voice broke as he screamed and fell back.

I stooped to pick up my knife with bits of muscle fiber still stuck to it and quickly wiped it on the man curled in on himself.

“You stay right there. I’ll be right back,” I told him, but he was in so much pain that he didn’t even hear me.

I turned my attention to my target. Jerome Whitley.

My aim had been true, and the crossbow bolt had taken half of his head off as it passed through and buried itself in the brick wall behind where he’d been standing.

Jerome was most certainly dead.

But I was a man of principle.

I took my knife and plunged it into Jerome’s heart three times, just to make sure. With that done, my contract was officially complete.

The Whitley job is done.

4 Killed: 400 Exp!

Your Archery skill has increased by 1! [Archery: 7 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Throwing Knives skill has increased by 2! [Throwing Knives: 9 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

I accepted my notifications and turned my attention back to the remaining man in the alley.

He’d certainly suffered. If he lived, the scars of what I’d done would linger until the day he died.

But that wasn’t good enough.

Not by a long shot.

I walked over to him and knelt, taking out a second knife. I lowered them both to his legs and quickly severed his Achilles's tendons. My blades bit deep and neatly bisected the flesh.

Even as he cried out in pain, I was moving. I slid to his chest and pinned his arms as my knives flashed in the moonlight, severing the flexor tendons of his wrists.

His arms and legs were useless. He would never stand or hold anything again. And I didn’t think even this world's crazy healing could save him. Unless he had magic up his sleeves, he was crippled for the rest of his life.

Which, judging from the blood loss, wouldn’t be that long.

He moaned as his entire existence became misery. I grabbed him by his hair and forced him to look at me.

His blue eyes were bleary, unfocused. Blood dribbled out from his lips, meaning he’d bitten his tongue at some point.

“Normally, I wouldn’t let this stand. I usually kill my targets without hesitation, and you’d already be dead if that was the case. But today is your unlucky day. You’re not my target, and you don’t have a contract on your head.”

He coughed, peppering me with flecks of blood. His eyes locked on mine and begged me to spare him. “Then why? Why did you do this to me?”

“Because you deserved it for what you were planning to do to that girl.”

He shook his head, trying to back up, but he couldn’t get anywhere on his useless limbs. He fell back with a groan, and I took an inordinate amount of pleasure in watching him squirm and flail about.

When he finally sat back up, he cursed me and glared death at me.

“That?” He threw his limp hands up and winced as blood rained everywhere. “Was just a bit of fun!”

I slugged him. His head snapped back and cracked against the cobblestone.

He was dazed but not unconscious. And as I stood, I pressed my boot to his neck, forcing him to look at me.

“Fun? Well, so is this. You like fun so much, then we should play a game. Let’s see if you can crawl your useless body out of this alleyway and to a doctor.” I looked around and chuckled. “But you’re in the heart of the slums, at least a mile from anyone capable of saving your life. You’ll bleed to death long before you get halfway.

“But hey, maybe you’ll get lucky and find someone charitable enough to help your worthless ass.”

I stood from him and turned to start walking down the alley, only stopping to look back and glare at his mangled body as he tried to figure out how to crawl.

“But I doubt it,” I finished.

1 Wounded: 50 Exp!

Huh, wounded? I chuckled. Guess I’ve never left anyone wounded before.

I walked down the alley, and just before I turned to head back toward the Noble District, I paused and tilted my head to the right.

There, crouched down behind a pile of trash, was the pretty brunette girl with the basket. She hadn’t fled and instead stayed and watched as I killed four men.

She turned her head and met my bloody gaze, and she held it, refusing to flinch.

Your Killer’s Stare skill has increased by 1! [Killer’s Stare: 12 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

I pulled out one of my throwing knives and handed it to her hilt first.

She looked at it and then back to me, quizzical but refusing to speak.

I nodded toward the man trying to crawl out of the alley. “He’s all yours,” I said and then left.

***

I headed back up to the Noble District, though it was the last place I wanted to be right now. I really didn’t want to come back tomorrow, so I climbed the fence for the second time that evening.

The route to Caplan’s house wasn’t complicated. He wasn’t one of the richest nobles in Vohra, but he ran Caplan’s Apparel, which catered to most of the city’s elite. Even after half the nobles fled after Vohra’s death, I wagered he still earned a tidy sum.

Especially if he could afford my prices.

His house was a relatively modest two-story in the cheaper side of the Noble District. A chest-high cobblestone fence surrounded the property with a small lawn and garden along the side. The house was built in the half-timbered style, with its heavy wooden beams visible to the outside and freshly whitewashed plaster for the infill.

Dark glass windows obscured what lay beyond, but I’d already been here once before when I scouted the place after deciding to take the contract.

There were many jobs in Charles’s dimension ring that my rules wouldn’t let me take, but as luck would have it, there happened to be a few of them that were perfect for me.

I went to the window that looked into the kitchen and pulled out my pry bar. I slipped it under the sill. A quick tug and the latch popped with a slight groan, and I hopped inside.

Your Lockpicking skill has increased by 1! [Lockpicking: 15 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

I snorted at the notification.

Breaking a lock isn’t the same as picking a lock, but I guess I did bypass the lock. And I did get some experience, so I won’t complain.

The kitchen was quaint, well used from the heavy scent of spice and oil in the air. A small three-person dining table sat off to the side, and an array of cast iron hung just over my head above a small island next to the wood fire stove.

I stepped with the balls of my feet, careful of the creaking floorboards as I passed through the lounge to the stairs.

When I reached the top, I skipped the first door, which led to the daughter's room, and turned to the right, where the wooden door led to the parents’ bedroom.

The door was unlocked, and I opened it and left it open as I walked in.

The bedroom was modest for a noble, but still, the furniture was high quality. A four-post bed dominated most of the room, and beside it were two nightstands, one for the husband and one for the wife.

I went to the man’s side.

Francis Caplan was a middle-aged man who’d been handsome once upon a time, but time had weathered his features, slightly crinkling his tanned skin. He had short, brown hair that was balding and stubble that would just come back no matter how many times a day he shaved.

My left hand went to his mouth while my right gripped his arm so he wouldn’t thrash when he woke up.

His brown eyes bolted open instantly, and as I predicted, he started to turn, and I didn’t want him to wake his wife on the other side of the bed.

“Shh,” I whispered, leaning down to where our faces were nearly touching. “I’m not here to hurt you, but if you wake up your wife and she screams, I can’t make any promises.”

He nodded frantically, and I slowly removed my hand from his mouth.

“Who are you?” he asked. “What are you doing here? Please, just take our money and leave.”

I smiled and eased up off him. I knelt as he leaned up. “Well, I am here for your money. But I’m not here to rob you.” I nodded toward his daughter's room. “The man who violated your daughter is dead.”

Francis’s eyes shot up. “Reall─”

I quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, and the rest of his words died on my palm. I shook my head and sighed.

“Let’s discuss this somewhere with a little more privacy, shall we?”

He nodded, and I let go of him as he slowly climbed out of bed and walked over to the far wall where a silk robe hung on a peg. He got dressed and headed down the stairs.

I followed after him until we reached the lounge where he sat on the sofa, and I sat back in a plush leather chair.

Francis lit a candle, and the room was soon bathed in a warm glow, canceling out Aurella’s Light.

My vision dimmed, and I already missed having the ability activated.

He crossed his legs and looked me over. He searched for deception and found none.

“Well, you’ve certainly dressed the part, and you have blood on your clothes. So, I’m inclined to believe you, but I’m also a businessman and never got anywhere by trusting people.

“How do I know you aren’t lying?”

I thumbed back toward the slums. “Jerome and a few of his friends who liked to take advantage of helpless women are lying in pools of their own blood in an alley in the heart of the slums. You could go check for yourself, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

He nodded. “I should think not.” He sighed. “I’m inclined to believe you. Not because of anything you did, but just because it’s been hell these past few weeks. I sent the letter to that disgusting drug peddler, hoping that something would get done, but I began to give up hope when weeks went by and nothing. And when I heard he’d been killed, I gave up completely.”

“Well, Charles was certainly a disgusting man. I’m doing things differently.”

Francis snorted. “Can’t do any worse in this god-forsaken city. With Vohra dead, this city is reeling. Weilin knows Captain Bernard is doing all he can, and with him in charge, I was hoping things would change, but it’s just more of the same.”

I crossed my legs. “As much as I would like to sit and discuss politics, I have places to be, so if you could pay me for the contract, I’ll be on my way.”

“Right. Of course.”

He stood and headed through a door to my left next to the kitchen that led to his private office. He was gone for a few moments when he came back with a purse laden with vahn.

“Two thousand vahn, as promised. You can count it if you like.”

I didn’t need to. I knew what two thousand vahn looked like, and it matched close enough.

He handed me the purse, and I quickly stowed it away.

As I collected the money, the quest updated.

Quest: Assassinate Jerome Whitley

Difficulty: Easy

Reward: 500 Exp+2000 Vahn

(10% Bonus Exp for Job-related Quest)

Name: Elias McKinley

Age: 29

Race: Human

Job: Assassin

Level: 2

Exp: 9716/12376

Stat Points: 5

Stats

Strength: 31

Constitution: 26

Endurance: 36

Wisdom: 24

Perception: 33

Agility: 47

Charisma: 15

Luck: 19

Not bad. Not great, but I’ll take it.

“There’s no need.” I shrugged. “If it isn’t, then I’ll be back for the rest, and I won’t be pleased.”

I stared at him, giving him a cold glare.

Your Killer’s Stare skill has increased by 1! [Killer’s Stare: 13 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Francis blanched and shivered. “It’s all there, I swear.”

“Good.” I dropped my glare and returned my face to its pleasant indifference. “Then our business is concluded.”

I turned to leave when he called out.

“Hold up, please,” he said, reaching out to me before deciding that was a bad idea. “I’m not the only one in this city with problems, and with all the chaos recently, the City Watch is too busy for us.

“If others need your services, how do we get in touch?”

It was a good question and one I’d prepared for. I’d used some of Aless’s Prowlers to further set up my network.

I pulled a slip of paper from my ring and placed it on the table.

“Send your request to this address in the Pleasure District. It will eventually get back to me.”

“I will. Thank you again. You don’t know what this means to me.”

I nodded. “I think I do,” I said as I left the house, slipping back out of the window in the kitchen and heading out of the Noble District.

The contract had been more taxing than I thought, and I’d worked up a thirst.

I hope the Cask is still open.

Chapter 4- A Friendly Chat

The way to the Cask was clear at this time of night, and I made it there without incident. Even though it was around two in the morning, the cask was in full swing, and shouts and singing were audible through the scarred wooden door.

I stepped inside and the heat to the place settled around me as I slipped through the throng of patrons and headed to the bar.

It was crowded, but I still found a stool at the edge of the bar top and sat down, waiting for Christoff as he ran around getting everyone at the bar their drinks and orders. Several of the ale wenches were bustling around behind him, grabbing the drinks for the patrons scattered throughout the rest of the room.

I sat and kept tabs on the comings and goings as I listened to the singer who stood on a makeshift stage on the far wall next to the fire pit.

She was good, her voice throaty and rich.

Eventually, Christoff noticed me, and his eyes lit up. His thick, black hair was tied back, and his dark skin held a light sheen of sweat. His white button-up shirt also had a few spills of ale down it.

“Evening, Elias! Or is it morning? I can’t tell.”

“Evening works, seeing as I haven’t gone to bed yet.”

He chuckled and poured me an ale without me having to ask and slid it over while he went to the heavy iron cauldron over the fire and fetched me a huge bowl of his perpetual stew.

When he came back, I slid him ten vahn.

“Too much,” he said, passing me back the seven extra vahn I’d given him.

“Nope. Worth every penny.”

He looked at me strangely. “What an odd phrase. But I’ll take it as a compliment.

“How was your night?”

I’d changed out of my armor and bloodied cloak and now wore the set of clothes Angela had made for me and my backup cloak.

“Productive and cathartic.”

Christoff laughed and nodded. “Those are the best kind of days.” He motioned to his patrons. “Need to serve the rest of the rabble, but if you need anything, just holler.”

He went back to serving his customers while I enjoyed his always amazing cuisine. The ale was cool and refreshing after the night I had.

I polished off both the food and drink, and by the time I was finished, Christoff was already back with another drink.

“How was the meal?” he asked, refilling my mug.

“Delicious as always.” I grinned as I slid him my empty bowl and spoon. “Man, I’ve got to ask. How do you make your food taste so good? Aless and I are decent cooks, but you put us both to shame. Hell, even Cora can’t compete.”

Christoff laughed and tugged at his ponytail. He smiled, showing off his white teeth. “It’s no big secret. It’s my skill.”

“Skill. Your job skill?”

“Yep.” He nodded. “I’m a chef, technically, though I have to be careful not to let my class switch to tavern owner. But my skill is called Chef’s Kiss. It increases the efficacy of all my food and drinks. And has the added benefit of making it all taste better.”

I whistled, long and slow, returning his smile. “That’s pretty impressive. And I can’t deny its effectiveness.”

My eyebrows shot up. “I almost forgot.” I pulled out the letter Angela had given me. “Your mother wanted me to give you this.”

He scowled and shook his head. “Thought I recognized her stitchwork in your clothes. What, she bribe you to deliver the letter?”

I shook my head. “Not like that. But I do owe her a lot, and she doesn’t ask things of me often. And when she does, it usually revolves around you.” I prodded him with the crumpled letter. “Both of you are my friends, so take the damn letter. It’ll make her happy.”

Christoff grumbled before snatching the letter from my hand. “Fine, but I’m not promising to read it. But you can tell her you delivered it at least.”

“Thanks.” I shrugged. “I know whatever feud the two of you have is none of my business, but if you join the market, you’ll have to work with her.”

I took a gulp of my beer while he turned away and shoved the letter in his pocket before he served the next few customers.

There were still a few things I had to discuss with him, but I didn’t want to do it with such a large crowd. So, I nursed my drink while the hours passed, and the heavy crowd of patrons paid their bills and left.

I was tired. The time spent watching Jerome and then the fight, not to mention crossing back and forth through the city all night, had worn me down.

And then I ate and drank my fill, which left me very sleepy. But I kept my guard up and patiently waited until Christoff closed the bar and everyone but the two of us had left.

He stood leaning over the bar, wiping his counter down with a rag as I drained the last of my lukewarm beer.

“Guess you have something you want to talk about?” he asked.

“Yeah.” I pulled out a small pouch from my dimension ring and handed it to him. It was filled with twenty vials of Thanatos, enough to last him a couple of weeks. “Got your doses of Thanatos here. How’s business going?”

He took the vials and stored them in a ring of his own that he slipped onto a silver chain he wore around his neck.

“Business is good. In fact.” He knelt and slid back a false panel along the counter.

I couldn’t see from my angle, but wood scraped against wood and then clacked as he shoved it aside. He slid a key from his pocket and unlocked a safe. The heavy iron door groaned as it swung open, and Christoff removed a heavy pouch of coins that clinked as he brought it up and tossed it on the bar.

It landed with a hefty thump and my eyes widened. “Is this total profits?” I asked.

He shook his head and grinned. “Nope, that’s all yours. I’ve already taken my ten percent.”

I picked up the bag and laughed as I stored it in my ring. “How much is that?”

Christof shrugged as he knelt and shut the safe back before sliding the false panel back in place. “Six, seven thousand vahn. I don’t remember the exact total, but my cut was almost eight hundred vahn. So, around there.”

“Seven thousand vahn for a month’s sales?” I whistled. “That’s a lot of coin.”

He grinned wide as he slid me one last ale. “Isn’t it, though? It used to be lower, but as we’re the sole sellers of Thanatos in the city, we can charge a premium.”

“Yeah, but that kind of money comes with risks. We need to be careful so we don’t get robbed.”

I took a drink and stood from the stool while Christoff laughed.

“I understand your need for caution.” He pointed at the spot where the safe was located. “But that safe is the best money can buy. Jin himself installed it, and he said that even you had a difficult time picking it.”

“So that’s what he was working on?” I nodded. “Yeah. He had me pick like fifteen locks for him, but my lockpicking skill went up, so I won’t complain too much. The last one was especially a bastard, so I think you’re in good hands, as long as a thief doesn’t come along with the same skill Aless has, like her Skeleton Key.”

Christoff gave me a cheeky smile. “That’s why this safe has two locks. Can’t magic them both open.”

I laughed out loud and slapped the counter. “That’ll do it alright. Glad you’re thinking ahead.”

“Always.” He grinned. “And in the spirit of that, I had an idea.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Christoff nodded and refilled my beer before grabbing one for himself. As he leaned against the counter, he spoke.

“I’ve been talking to a few suppliers and smugglers, trying to arrange a steady supply of Thanatos for the city…but it’s not looking good.”

“How so?” I asked.

He sighed. “Well, after Charles's sudden death, and then Count Vohra. Most of them are treating the city like we treat the Plague District. They're all being cagey, and the few who seem receptive want to gouge the living shit out of us to bring it into the city.

“So even if we agree to it, there goes a fucking hefty chunk of our profits.”

Makes sense with how turbulent the city has been lately. I wouldn’t want much to do with us either.

“What’s your solution?”

He took a sip of beer and wiped the foam from his mouth. “I was thinking of having the base potion delivered and then having it refined in the city. It would cut out the hefty fee for the smuggler if we can just get the potion, which isn’t illegal in and of itself. But I would need some rather expensive equipment.”

“Would it save us money?”

“In the long run, yes. A lot.”

I nodded. “Then get things set up. If you need coin, just let me know. You’ll have everything you need.”

His smile lit up the darkened bar. “Thanks for trusting me, Elias.”

“Course. We both profit from it, so why wouldn’t I?”

I knocked back the last of my beer, and as I finished it, I yawned.

“Long night?”

“Yeah. And I’m not looking forward to walking all the way back to the manor tonight.”

Christoff finished his own ale and pointed towards the basement. “Why don’t you just crash here? I’ve got an extra bed down there, and the door is reinforced steel.” He shrugged. “Be easier, at least.”

“It would.” I rubbed my chin as a smile blossomed on my face. “And I’d get fresh breakfast in the morning.”

He laughed and came around the counter. “That you would. So whaddya say?”

It was enticing, and I really didn’t feel like heading back tonight. Plus, the offer of Christoff’s fresh cooking in the morning was mouthwatering.

“Alright, fine. Twist my arm.”

He chuckled and began walking to the door that led outside. “Head on down. I’ve just got to lock up, and I’ll be right behind you.”

I didn’t bother replying. Instead, I stood and turned on my heels before heading for the basement. Christoff had been telling the truth, and the door was a lot different than when Charles had been living here. The door was heavy as I forced it open.

As I padded down the steps, I marveled at the change in the basement.

The last time I’d been here, the place was disgusting, a den of vile that Charles had used for his paid conquests, and it had reeked to high heaven, but now, the space was pristine.

The stone walls had been covered with wood paneling, as had the floor, which kept out a bit of the cold, but it was still a cellar, so it could only do so much. The furniture had changed. There were actual beds instead of a soiled mattress, and the desk and bookshelf in the corner had been thoroughly cleaned.

Christoff had done a fine job in getting the place to livable standards.

There were two beds. One was next to the door leading to the actual cellar where Christoff kept his barrels of ale and wine. It was slightly ruffled, which told me it was his bed. I chose the one on the opposite side of the wall next to the bookshelf.

By the time I got undressed and stowed my knives and crossbow within arm’s reach, Christoff came down the stairs after he locked the door to the basement.

He snorted when he noticed my weapons. “Paranoid much?” he asked as he stripped out of his work clothes.

His body was well-toned with muscle, and he had a few scars that denoted time spent as a fighter. He quickly threw on a shirt that was three sizes too big and climbed into bed.

A few lit candles bathed the room in soft light and allowed me to just barely see.

“So, how long were you a fighter?” I asked.

There was silence from the other side of the room for a moment before Christoff sighed and shifted on the bed.

“Scars?” he asked.

“Yep.”

“Yeah. Shoulda figured you see them. You don’t miss much, do you, Elias?”

I chuckled and propped my hands under my head as I stared at the stone ceiling as the cool air settled around me.

“Hazard of the occupation, I’m afraid. A dull assassin is a dead assassin, as my master always said.”

“Must’ve been one hell of a teacher.”

“That he was,” I replied.

“What was he like? Had to have been something special for you to turn out the way you are.”

I nodded, though he couldn’t see it. “He was strict, gruff to the point of being dry, and honest to a fault. He never minced words or coddled people. They were either worth his time, or they were disregarded and dismissed.

“It made working with him interesting, to say the least.”

“Where is he now?”

“Dead.” I sighed. “Died nearly eight years ago now. He was old, nearly sixty by the time I met him when I was just a boy, and by the time I completed my training when I was twenty-one, he was nearing eighty.”

Christoff laughed and sat up. The idea of sleep was nearly forgotten. He stood and walked to the desk and lit a few more candles, which brought a little bit more light to the room.

“I hope you don’t mind the light,” he said.

I shrugged. “When you’ve slept in some of the places I have, light won’t bother you as much. It’s the noise that sets me off.

“So, how long were you a fighter? Nice try on the evasion, though.”

We both laughed, and Christoff looked over to me with a sharp grin on his face. He raised his hand towards me. “Tell you what. When you finally tell me your story and where you really came from, I’ll tell you mine, fair?”

I couldn’t help the smile on my face.

Of course, he’d notice. Aless too. Both are smart.

It was a too long and frankly insane story to tell, but one I would tell eventually. When the time was right, and I could make them understand without sounding crazy.

“Fair, but that includes whatever the hell is going on with you and your mother.”

He grumbled but held out his hand.

“Fine, deal.”

Our beds were just close enough together that I could lean out and shake his hand.

“Deal.”

We let our hands drop, and both shifted, trying to get comfortable. After a minute of tossing, we both settled down, and I glanced over at Christoff, who laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

“So, you gonna read the letter?” I asked.

He looked at me and then rolled over. “Goodnight, Elias.”

I chuckled and closed my eyes. “Night, Christoff.”

Surprisingly, I actually slept peacefully that night. The cellar was cold, which was to my liking and insulated by the stone, so very few sounds managed to wake me up.

Save for Christoff’s snoring.

The man snored like a herd of horses stampeding, and it woke me up about ten minutes after I’d fallen asleep.

But I found I quickly got used to the noise, and once I fell back asleep, I slept through the night.

Until the creak of wood sounded, and I bolted my eyes open, my crossbow out, and pointed at the source in two seconds.

I blinked and stared at Christoff’s still form. He stood wide-eyed, not moving, staring at me without speaking. It took me a moment to come back to myself, and when I did, I lowered the weapon and sat up.

“Sorry, Christoff.”

He nodded and slowly began moving. He laughed as he went around the bed to the small chest at the foot.

“You wake Aless up like that?” he asked.

I shook my head and broke down the crossbow. “No, actually, she usually wakes me up when she rolls over on the bed. But I’ve gotten used to it.”

Christoff turned to me with a sly grin on his face. “So, you’re sleeping together?”

“Purely sleeping, not what you’re thinking.”

He pulled a black shirt and brown corduroy pants out of the trunk and stood. “Why not? She’s clearly heads over heels for you, and from the dopey-eyed looks you give her, I’d say you’re not far off.”

I waved him off and scoffed.

It wasn’t like I wasn’t aware of Aless’s feelings for me or mine for her. But it wasn’t that simple.

“It’s complicated.”

He started getting changed without a care and laughed as he pulled his nightshirt over his head. “No, the relationship I have with Angela is complicated. You, my stabby, murder friend, are very much uncomplicated.”

He turned to me and tossed his old shirt at me. I snagged it out of the air and tossed it on the bed.

“Seriously, what could be so complicated that you can’t just have a normal relationship with Little Bit. She’s cute as hell.”

I shrugged and walked past him to the stairs. “Well, I murdered my last lover, so there’s that.”

The shirt in his hands fell to the floor, and he whirled on me so fast the air whistled slightly.

“What?” he shouted.

I ignored him and unbolted the door. “Hey, what’s for breakfast?”

“Uh-uh. Hell no. You don’t get breakfast until we unpack what you just said.”

He gripped the handrail and stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at me.

I nodded and turned back around, heading to the bar. “Fine, but can we at least talk while we eat? I’m starving.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

I headed for the bar, sitting in the same spot as I had the night before, and nursed a mug of ale while Christoff got the bar opened and started breakfast.

Half an hour after we woke up, there was a knock on the door, and a small child carrying two massive jugs of water stood in the doorway, a cart laden with more jugs sat just behind him on the street.

“Water delivery,” he said.

Christoff paid the boy and took the water.

“See you in a few hours,” the boy said and took off, back to deliver more water for the thirsty citizens.

Christoff set a plate of steaming eggs, sausage, and toast in front of me and refilled my ale as he left.

I tucked in and devoured the food in minutes and then slowly nursed my ale until Christoff came and sat down next to me with his own meal.

“So.” He eyed me while chewing on a thick-cut strip of bacon. “You killed your ex-lover?”

I shrugged. “In my defense, she tried to kill me first.”

As he ate, I told him about Liz, how our relationship started, and how it ended when she took a contract out on my head.

By the time I finished the story, he’d eaten his breakfast and casually wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth.

“Damn. That’s a hell of a story.” He chuckled. “I can see why you’re playing it slow with Aless.” Christoff nudged me with his elbow. “Just not too slow, okay? She’s got it bad for you.”

I laughed and stood, clapping him on the back. I pulled out some vahn for the food, but he shook his head.

“On the house.” He turned to me and held out his hand. “Hey, thanks for sticking with me last night. I’m so busy that I’ve never really had time for friends. Even if you’re a cold-blooded killer, I still appreciate it.”

I took his hand and pressed the vahn into his palm as we shook.

“Yeah. Never had many friends either. It’s…nice.”

When we released, I turned and headed for the door when he spoke up.

“Take your damn money!”

“Nope. Not paying for such a delicious meal would be a crime. And as a fine, upstanding member of society─” I cracked up before I could finish. “Just take the coin, Christoff. You deserve it, and I’m not about to stop paying when I take half my meals here.”

“I was just offering this one time.” He laughed. “You still have to pay next time.

“See you later, Elias.”

“Later.”

I opened the door, and a figure stood in the doorway, blocking my exit.

He was tall, well built, but lean. Pure functionality. Dark skin and even darker eyes. His face was sharp, hard cut, and his chin looked like it had been carved from marble.

He had thick hair short on the sides but longer on top and it draped over his scalp and ears. His clothes were fine, a slim fitting charcoal tunic that was tailor made for him, a pair of black silk trousers, and fine leather boots.

Even as I took in his face, I reacted, going for my knife even as he backpedaled, holding his hands up.

“Peace!” he shouted in a smooth, almost suave voice. “Peace. I mean you no harm.”

I scowled and drew both daggers.

“Rhys.”

The man who’d once tried to kill me stood a few feet away and was speaking of peace. My first instinct was to cut him to shreds, to end his life in the most efficient manner possible, and I was about to attack, his call of peace be damned.

But the mark on his hand stopped me. A black rose with long thorns.

Crescent Thorn.

A guild of assassins, who, before Vohra died, had a contract for my head.

If he’s here and calling for peace, the contract is gone. Which means I was right about Vohra being the one who had the price on my head.

Had to be.

There was no way Rhys would show up without his gear and call for peace if he were trying to kill me.

He stepped back into the morning light, his hands up. “What I say is true. I’m just here to talk, nothing more. I swear. You can search me if you want.”

I wanted to kill him, but if he was calling for peace, then he was here for only one other reason.

But why he was here was irrelevant for the most part. What mattered was that he was a member of Crescent Thorn, and I only knew the barest hint of details about the guild. I needed more information if I was going to stand against them in the future.

As I debated in my head, I slid my daggers back in their sheaths and drew my crossbow. It flicked into action, and Rhys’s eyes widened.

“What kind of crossbow is that?” he asked, forgoing the fact that it was pointed at his heart as he peered forward, trying to get a better look at it.

I stepped back into the bar. “The one that’s going to kill you if you don’t do exactly as I say.” I motioned with my free hand towards the bar. “Get in here. And don’t make any sudden movements, or I might slip, and then you’ll have a hole in that expensive-looking shirt of yours.”

Rhys laughed. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t. This is my favorite shirt.” He picked up the sleeve and rubbed it back and forth between his fingers. “This is an original Gregor Rivel, and you don’t want to know who I had to kill to afford it. Pure Arachne silk. It’s a one of a kind, and I can’t get another one.” He shook his head. “A damn shame about Gregor, though.”

“You kill him?” I asked.

“No, the Beastkin did. Arachne are also known for their highly lethal venom, and well, I guess he got careless. It was bound to happen, keeping those things as slaves.”

As he finished his story, he sat down at the bar, and I stood on the opposite side, keeping the crossbow aimed at him.

“Christoff, would you mind searching him?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. Not like I have better things to do than frisk assassins.”

Rhys laughed as Christoff came over. “Not to worry. I told you, I’m unarmed.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t make me feel better.” Christoff thumbed to me. “I’ve seen what he can do without a weapon.” He shook his head. “No thank you.”

Rhys stood and held his arms out, being very precise and careful with his movements. He let Christoff pat him down and check him over for any weapons.

“Don’t forget his neckline and waistband, the hem of his pants, and his shoes,” I said.

After a comprehensive check, I told Christoff to back off and allowed Rhys to sit down.

He sat at the bar and leaned heavily on the counter. “Could I get an ale and some food, barkeep? I’m afraid I left my money with my weapons. But I promise to return and pay promptly after my discussion with your friend.”

“Yeah.” Christoff gave me a sidelong look, and I nodded. “Sure.”

He poured Rhys an ale and then went to make some food, leaving Rhys and me alone to talk.

“So, talk. What’s so important that you came here unarmed?”

“Seems I’ve been demoted to courier.” He shrugged and took a gulp of his ale. “My boss took an interest in your abilities and wants to meet you.”

Chapter 5- The Rose’s Thorns

“Hell no,” I said, taking a sip of the fresh water Christoff brought me as I eyed Rhys across the bar. “And if that’s all you came here for, you can kindly get the fuck out of my city.”

Rhys eyed me over the lip of his mug, almost hiding the smirk on his lips. “Your city, eh?”

“Might as well be.” I shrugged. “Though I don’t plan on running things for long. It’s not my specialty.

“But enough of this.” I pointed to the door. “Leave before I kill you.”

He stood slowly, turning to me as he climbed off the stool and set down his mug of ale.

“You’re not even going to hear what I have to say?” he asked.

“Don’t need to,” I replied. “There’s only two things your boss could want from me.”

Rhys raised his eyebrows, leaning on the wooden stool next to the bar. “And those are?”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose, and shook my head. “It’s simple. Either Crescent Thorn is still after my head because of the contract, despite the death of Vohra, in which case meeting your boss is a trap aimed to see me dead. Or he wants me to join your little guild.” I held up a hand. “Or some combination of the two. So, three things technically. I don’t know much about Crescent Thorn, but from what I’ve seen, my ideals and your guilds don’t mesh, and I have no interest in following orders. I’m also not going to willfully put myself at your mercy by walking headlong into a place I have no control over.”

He looked at me and grinned. “Maybe he just wants to see what you can do. He’s a reasonable man, and even if you don’t want to join our guild, there are benefits to being allies with us.”

“Leave,” I said again. “While I have an academic interest in your guild, my curiosity can wait. The risks are too great. And I’m not going to chance it.”

“Look, Elias.” Rhys took a step forward. “Thorn is a man of his word, and he wants to meet you, just meet you. It’d be beneficial to at least hear him out. He’s not a man you want to cross lightly.”

I let out a harsh bark of laughter and stared him down. “No. I’m not a man you want to cross lightly. You know that firsthand. So, run back to your boss and tell him I said piss off. If he wants to meet, he can come to me himself.”

Rhys nodded and stood from the stool, edging toward the door. “If that’s your response, then that’s what I’ll tell him.” He paused, and his eyes shifted to Christoff, who for our entire conversation had been behind his bar, desperately trying to remain invisible. “But he won’t like your answer. And he might just take his anger out on those around you.”

I shifted, tilting my head toward him as cold fury boiled in my chest. “What was that?”

Rhys shrugged, grabbing the door handle. “Nothing, just a warning. You might be a challenge to go after, but the bartender, the shopkeeper, that pretty little redhead that hangs on you like your shadow. Thorn might just take your insults personally, and who knows what he might do.”

My eyes hardened as I let the cold, ruthless side of myself out from behind the mask and stared him down as I marched across the room.

Rhys was like me, a killer. Underneath his own mask, he had a stare just like mine. But he was also young, early twenties at most. And even if he was skilled, he hadn’t seen half the things I had.

He resisted my glare for a moment, bringing his own hard-edged stare to bear, but as I got closer to him, his gaze wavered, then it withered as he tried and failed to match mine.

Your Killer’s Stare skill has increased by 1! [Killer’s Stare: 14 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

I reached him and slammed the door shut before he had a chance to more than crack it.

“Understand this. Threaten me all you want. I’ve been threatened by far more powerful men than you or your master. But threatening the people in my life is pointless and will get you nothing, so I’d recommend against it.”

Rhys stared up at me, and a twinge of fear ran through him. He remembered what happened between us. How I’d beaten him, and he knew he couldn’t win against me. He could only flee like a coward.

He’d already ran once. And he was debating running again.

Eventually, he nodded and managed to find his voice, his ebony skin beading with sweat as he shrank under my stare before finding his voice.

“Why, though? Thorn’s not above hurting those around you to get what he wants.”

I snorted. “There’s the answer I needed. I assumed, but it’s good to know for certain.

“I will not now, nor ever, join your guild. Because I live by a certain code, a set of rules, and your guild doesn’t live up to my standards.” I edged closer to him. “But since you asked, let me tell you why it’s a waste of time for you to go after my friends. Rule four. Having friends is fine. Having weaknesses is not. Never give your enemies the rope you swing from.

“In case you’re confused, let me clarify for you. I can’t be everywhere at once, and I know I can’t always protect the people I care about. So, if this Thorn thinks he can use them to get to me, then he’s woefully mistaken. I will never allow myself to be captured.” I leaned in close to him, and my shadow covered his face. “If you take them in the hopes to lure me into rescuing them, I will not come for them. And if he hurts them because of that, then so be it. But know that I will never forget it. I will hunt you and yours to the ends of the earth. I will be patient. I will not stop. I will show no mercy. So tell your boss he’d better think twice about his actions because it will gain him nothing and cost him everything.”

At the end of my speech, I shoved open the door so fast that Rhys couldn’t react in time, and he came towards me. He stepped to the side just as the door was about to smack into him.

As the door passed him and bathed the darkened bar in the early morning sunlight, I shoved Rhys through the doorway, and he stumbled, stepping back to the wooden porch.

He caught his balance quickly and straightened up. He brushed his hands down his shirt and shook his head, turning to leave.

“Yeah. I expected that reaction, but I’m just the messenger.” He paused and turned back to me, holding his hands up. “Look. That might have been the wrong way to go about trying to get you to come with me, but I was just following orders. Nothing personal. I’ve seen what you can do, and I respect it.

“So, you should know that when I’m telling you that coming to the meeting is in your best interest, you know I mean it.”

Rhys turned his back on me and stepped off the porch, kicking up a small cloud of dust as he hopped down to the dirt road.

“Seriously, Elias. Think it over. I can buy some time, but not much. I’ll be waiting for you in Odra. At the town center, under the fountain at noon, four days from now. If you’re not there by then, then I have to tell Thorn what your answer was.” He glanced back at me once more. “Just consider it. That’s all I ask.”

I nodded and then shut the door, turning the brightened bar into a pit of gloom once more lit only by the sparse candles around the room and the fire pit.

As the door shut, I heaved a sigh and returned to the bar top.

“I think you could use this after that,” Christoff said, sliding a small shot glass of liquor my way along with an ale.

Normally, I didn’t drink hard liquor that often. It dulled the senses, and I liked it. Which meant sometimes I tended to overindulge, so I learned years ago just to leave the stuff alone.

But the conversation with Rhys lingered in my head, and I gripped the wooden counter as anger roiled through me.

“Thanks,” I said and downed the shot.

It was whiskey, but unlike any I’d ever had before. Of course, this was Xenai, not Earth, so I was sure it wasn’t called whiskey, but my translator automatically corrected for it and just called it whiskey.

Which made things simple for me.

Christoff came over and leaned against the bar in front of me. “What are you going to do?”

Good question.

I sighed and slowly sipped my beer, lost in thought.

“Well, I’m not taking his offer, obviously.”

I shouldn’t have gotten angry. Even though I know better, I just reacted because he threatened Aless and Christoff.

I wasn’t going to consider his offer because there was more going on than a simple meeting. I knew that. And the risks were too great.

Crescent Thorn isn’t going to go away. I know that. Which means they need to be dealt with. But walking into something that is obviously a trap is something I refuse to do.

I’d walked into traps before. Of course, that had been when I was younger, less experienced. But I still managed to come out clean.

I could do nothing to nullify all the risk, but I knew I could mitigate it and even sway the risk in my favor.

Even if they have magic or some traps up their sleeve, I have Shade’s Rest which is a guaranteed escape if I need it, and other tricks up my sleeve.

All depends on Jin. But that can come later. I should talk to Aless. Let her know the plan.

I finished my drink and left a few coins on the table. “Thanks for the drink. And letting me sleep here. It was fun.”

Christoff nodded. “Yeah, sure. Anytime.” He looked sideways at me and chuckled. “That speech you gave was something else. Nearly chilled me to my bones. You really had him fooled.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, standing up.

“You know, the whole, I won’t-come-for-my-friends bit. Really sold the whole thing.” His smile faltered a bit as I turned to leave. “You were lying. Right?”

“I’ll see you later, Christoff.”

I reached the door by the time he spoke again.

“Elias?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper as I opened the door and walked out of the bar.

The morning sun was just now reaching over the tops of the brothel across the street, shining bright in my eyes, and I sighed as I headed away from the gate that would take me home and towards uptown, where Jin’s shop was located.

I really just want to go home.

It took half an hour to reach, but one of the perks of being up this early was that very few people were out and about.

Most of the men had gone to work the farms surrounding Vohra or to open their shops, and most of the people shopping hadn’t yet gotten up and out. So, I walked in relative peace as I stopped in front of Jin’s shop.

It was a nice store, built of good quality wood. The crystal-clear glass storefront showcased several expensive weaponry for sale, costing in the thousands to tens of thousands of vahn.

The bell chimed as I opened the door and stepped inside.

“Welcome to Jin’s,” the bored, studious man at the counter said, not looking up from the book in his hand.

“Morning, Ned.” I peered at the book in his hands and smiled. “You know, the main character in that was hallucinating the entire time. Victor was dead the entire time.”

Ned looked up from the book with a look of pure anger and betrayal on his face. “Why would you do that? You monster!” he shouted.

I shrugged. “Now you can unlock the door, so I can go see Jin.”

Ned slammed the book on the counter and huffed as he marched over to the hidden door and unlocked it.

“There. I hope you trip and break your neck.”

I just gave him a cheeky grin as I slipped past him and down the steps to Jin’s workshop.

As always, when I came down to the shop proper, I was put at ease. The stone walls were lined with wooden boards with tools neatly labeled and cabinets with everything in its proper place.

The soft blue mana lights bathed the workshop in bright ethereal light as I walked around the stairs towards the rows of tables and workbenches.

“You know, that was a very rude thing to do to Ned, right?” Jin asked, hunched over a long, metal table as he fiddled with something in his hands.

His black cat-like ears twitched, and I grinned, knowing he’d heard everything. As one of the Beastkin, his Nekojin ears could pick up sounds better than any human.

“Well, he could stand to be a little more polite. And besides, there’s a time and a place for reading, and while at work isn’t one of them.”

Jin chuckled and turned around, leaning back on the table. He wore a flawless white tunic, black pants, and a brown leather apron filled with tools.

He grinned wide at me, showing off his long canines as his bright orange eyes lit up in humor. “I don’t mind him reading because he’s incredibly loyal and never takes a day off, so I let him have his way with his books, but you’re right. He could stand to be a little more cheerful. He’s so dour all the time.”

Jin waved me off. “But you’re not here to talk about my employees. You’re here for your order.”

He walked over to the side of the room where a wooden case sat. He opened it and pulled out an identical crossbow to the one strapped to my thigh. It was just as flawless as the first, and I knew it would work just as well.

“Thank you for making another one. Trading off with Aless was getting tiresome. So, I’m glad she has her own now.”

“I’m always at your service,” he replied and picked up something else from the case. It was one of the quarrels, and he casually twirled it around his fingers as he turned and held it out to me. “I also took your suggestions to heart and began working on crafting a few different kinds of bolts for you.”

I picked up the one in his hand. It was steel coated in a coarse, matte-black material, so it didn’t reflect light, but at the end, where there should have been an arrowhead, was the tip of one attached to a small, bulbous container.

“Explosive arrows?” I asked.

Jin nodded. “Indeed. I took some of that ‘gunpowder’ you had me make and filled a container with it.” He pointed to the arrowhead. “It’s made of flint, so when it strikes a surface, it sparks and ignites the powder, causing an explosion.”

He grinned. “I also filled the container with bits of glass. It’s…rather brutal if I say so myself. But damned effective.”

I grinned wide as I carefully handed him back the bolt. “Thanks for working so hard on this for me.”

His orange eyes sparkled with delight. “It was my pleasure, trust me. I had a blast.” He winked at me as I groaned.

“Not to push you, but since you mastered gunpowder, did you happen to make the other designs I gave you?” I asked.

Jin dropped the smile and frowned slightly. “That’s complicated.” He motioned me to follow him. “Come and see for yourself.”

We crossed the room until we reached a long, wooden work table with bits of metal and wood all around. He reached over and picked up a very familiar looking object.

It was slightly crude and a little unrefined, clearly a work in progress, but as I picked up the prototype flintlock, I was impressed that he’d been able to build it just from my drawings.

A flintlock in another world. I grinned. It sure is something else.

“It’s really close. What’s the problem?” I asked, handing it back to him.

He took it and shrugged. “The design is fine, but unfortunately, we’ve both kind of rendered it obsolete.”

I cocked my head to the side. “I don’t quite follow.”

Jin pointed to the crossbow on the far side of the room. “While I understand the implications of the flintlock, the work I’ve done on your crossbow has rendered this gun rather ineffective.” He picked at a loose thread on his shirt, tearing it off with lithe precision. “The lead shot the flintlock fires is only slightly more powerful than my crossbow design. I tested them both. But the slight increase in power is ruined by the loud noise the gun produces, and the time it takes to reload after a single shot makes it vastly inferior to the crossbow.

“You’re honestly better off sticking with it. It’s quieter, a lot more versatile, and packs almost as big a punch.”

Damn.

I sighed. “Was hoping for better news than that but can’t say I’m surprised.” I glanced down at the sleek black crossbow at my hip. “You did an outstanding job.”

Jin grinned at me and leaned over to pat me on the shoulder. “Fear not. I wouldn’t give you bad news without following it up with good news.” He took a step back and turned to another one of his workbenches. “While your flintlock design might not outshine the crossbow, your second design, what you called a musket.” Jin’s eyes narrowed into slits as they lit up, excitement building in his voice. “Now that, I think I can work with.

“It will take some time, as your version is far too inelegant, but give me a few weeks, and I should have a working prototype that will far exceed your expectations.”

“Good,” I replied, not bothering to hide my excitement. “I’m glad at least one of my designs was of use.”

Jin chuckled. “Speaking of use. With the crossbow being superior to this flintlock pistol, perhaps we could market them? They’d make us a fortune, and you would still retain the technological advantage with the crossbow if you ever faced them so that we could market the design and rake in a mountain of vahn.”

Despite the glint in his eye, I didn’t answer right away. It wasn’t such an easy question to answer.

I rubbed my chin. My initial response is to say no. But sooner or later, someone else will invent them. Hell, it only took a week for Jin to make gunpowder.

Of course, he had my help, and I told him exactly how to make it, but it’s not difficult.

And the fact that I needed money echoed in the back of my head. Even though I personally had a good bit of coin, it wasn’t nearly enough for what I had planned in the future, and I found I was spending it as fast as I was making it to keep myself and Aless outfitted.

I held up a hand to stop Jin’s mad gleam. “I’m not saying no. But let me give it some thought and get back to you.”

Yeah, just one of the many things I’ll have to think over and decide on.

He sighed and nodded. “I guess I should just be glad you didn’t immediately say no.”

“Silver linings,” I said. “How much do I owe you?”

“Five for the crossbow, let’s say an extra five hundred for the quarrels.”

I pulled out the money and handed it over. “Thanks, Jin.” As I was about to leave, I remembered something Terrance Ironblood and I had talked about a few days prior. “Hey, Jin. I’ve heard of a substance called cold iron that’s supposed to nullify magic and skills. You think if I brought you some you could make something for me?”

“If it’s manacles you need, just ask Terrance. His contacts can get it readily enough.”

I shook my head. “No this is for something else. I picked a few pairs of shackles from his previous shipment, but I have an idea for something and I want to see if you can build it.”

He nodded. “Just give me the materials and the specs and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Good. I’ll come see you in a few weeks when the musket is ready, and we can discuss everything then.”

“Have a good one, Elias,” he replied as he bent over his worktable, already engrossed in another project.

With that, I took the gear, stored it away in my dimension ring, and left, giving Ned a cheeky grin on the way out.

“Have fun reading,” I called as I stepped outside.

“Fall in a sewer, Elias!” he shouted as I shut the door.

When I was outside, I looked up at the cloudless sky and sighed. It’s been one hell of a day.

I really wanted to go home. I had a lot to think over, but I had one more stop to make just in case I left Vohra City.

After heading to the Market District, I stopped at a random grocer and picked up two weeks of provisions and foodstuffs. Nothing fancy, but it would keep well, so it was perfect.

Once I paid for the food, I tossed it in a small canvas sack and held it as I walked through the now bustling city, taking a few streets at random as I doubled back and made sure I wasn’t followed.

By the time I reached the Plague District, it was nearing midday.

The rough, abandoned section looked haunted at night when the moon was out, but the sun took away the mystery and fear and pulled back the curtain to reveal a crumbling section of the city slowly withering away and sinking into the muck.

Everything was decaying, rotting from the inside and out from over twenty years of neglect.

The once regal and palatial homes for Vohra’s nobility were nothing but broken wrecks succumbing to mildew and rot.

It’s a good thing the locals are superstitious. Though, since magic exists, they might not be that insane after all.

The heavy stench of mold hung in the air as my boots squelched underfoot as I walked the muddy road until I came to a small single-story house that was less rundown than most.

It wasn’t saying much, but the fact that the foundation wasn’t totally crumbled was a miracle as I walked up to the flimsy wooden door and knocked three times, once more, twice, then once.

There was silence for a moment before footsteps approached the door.

“Passphrase?”

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”

The door was unlocked, and a young man wearing a thick linen shirt, heavy canvas trousers, and worn leather boots appeared. He was one of Aless’s Prowlers and had thick, light brown hair, a thin face with a hint of stubble, and bright green eyes.

“Afternoon, Elias,” he said.

“How are you, Kaiden?”

“No complaints. My belly is full, and my purse is fat.” He held out his hand, and we shook.

As we released, he peered behind me. “Aless not come with you today?”

“Nope.”

Kaiden held up his hands and laughed. “She’s all yours. I know not to press my luck there, but she’s still a friend.”

“Yeah, sure.” I smiled and dropped the issue.

Kaiden was a nice enough young man who had an infatuation with Aless. I couldn’t fault him for it, but he knew better than to pursue her.

She was mine.

“How have things been?” I asked.

“Quiet for the most part. They’ve stopped complaining at least.” He glanced at the sack in my hand. “That time already? Feels like you just dropped off food less than a week ago.”

I nodded and held the foodstuffs out for him. “I might be heading to Odra for a few days, so I wanted to prepare just in case.”

“Sure.” He took the food. “What’s in Odra?”

“A problem,” I said and turned to the door. “While we’re gone, if something changes, send a pigeon to Cora. She knows what to do.”

“Gotcha,” he said and shut the door behind me.

I waited until the sharp but definite clink of the lock engaged, and then I left the Plague District and headed for home.

Chapter 6- A Long Night

By the time I got back to Blackfall Manor, it was nearing early evening. And though it wasn’t unusual for me to be gone for a few days at a time, I still relished the sight of the stone manor as I broke through the forest.

We had only been here a short time, but it was already home to me. And with Vohra dead, no one in the city was looking for us, so we were free to stay to our heart’s content.

Of course, that didn’t mean the place was secure. It was still a known headquarters for the old Foxes thieves guild, but I had a plan in the works that would hopefully change that in the short term, and I had a long-term plan that just needed a bit of time to get ready.

We’ll see how things work out in due time.

The rusted iron gate squealed as I opened it and stepped into the small courtyard before I headed up to the entryway.

Before I could even touch the handle, the door opened, and Cora appeared, wearing her golden-brown hair up, where I could barely see her headdress. As always, she looked immaculate in her maid uniform, and she even curtsied when she saw me. She held duster in both hands as she bowed her head.

“Welcome home, Elias.”

“It’s good to be home,” I said.

When she lifted her head, a flash of white in her iris caught my attention. They glowed with an ethereal brightness.

It was unusual, almost like my Aurella’s Light skill. As she moved out of the doorway, I walked inside.

“Your eyes were glowing just now,” I said.

“Ah.” Cora chuckled and nodded. “That’s just one of my skills. And one I arguably use the most.”

Wonder what kind of skills a maid job confers?

“What’s the skill, if you don’t mind my asking. I’m actually not sure if that’s a rude question or not?”

“Normally, yes. It’s rather personal information, but since it’s you, and you’ve been so kind to me. I don’t have an issue telling you.

“It’s called Eye for Detail, and it lets me pick up what I would otherwise miss. It enhances my sight and is especially helpful in this huge dark house.” She smiled and shut the door behind me. “Now, if you’ll leave your armor and equipment here, I’ll have them cleaned and polished for you by the morning.”

I shook my head. “Thank you, Cora. But I’ll handle the maintenance of my gear. It’s nothing personal.”

She nodded. “Well, dinner is being prepared, and if I may speak freely.” She grinned and let her dutiful maid act slip for just a moment. “You could use a bath.”

“Isn’t that the truth.”

I paused and pulled out a scrap of parchment. I walked to the left and quickly scribbled out a set of instructions for Cora. When I was finished, I handed it to her.

“But if you wouldn’t mind heading into the city early tomorrow morning and getting these things for me, I’d be much obliged.”

She took the list and the small pouch of vahn I handed her with a smile. “But of course.”

Cora stowed them away and went through the door by the bar that led to the kitchen. When it opened, I caught hints of garlic and spice.

My stomach rumbled on reflex.

Something smells good. I sniffed and then caught my own scent. But it certainly isn’t me.

Bath time.

I went to the entry hall and took the steps two at a time as I headed for the third-floor baths.

When I got inside, I quickly stripped and drew a hot bath. As it filled with steaming water, I got in and sighed in bliss as the hot water worked its magic.

Though I hadn’t been in the tub for more than a few minutes before the door opened and Aless walked in.

I turned as she entered and smiled. “Hey.”

She grinned and padded over to me. “Hey yourself.” She knelt as she approached the tub and leaned heavily on me, wrapping her arms around my neck as her sweet breath traveled across my skin. “How was the contract?”

“Um. It was…different.”

Her sparkling gray eyes dominated my vision as she leaned around and stared at me, her lips pursed and a question clear on her face.

“How so?”

“Well, Jerome was easy enough, but as I tracked him, I found he hung out with a gang of like-minded noblemen who liked to spend their evenings as he did.”

Her face scrunched in disgust. “You took care of them, right?”

I snorted. “I most certainly did.” I held up a hand and let the steaming water sluice down the back of my hand and slide over my forearm and toward Aless’s white tunic. “I’ve always been efficient with my kills, but this.” I shook my head softly and sighed. “I killed them without mercy and then brutalized the last one alive. I tortured him, and what’s worse is I took pleasure in it.”

She drew closer to me and rested her forehead against my temple. “That’s not like you, Elias. Rule seven, remember? Never kill just to kill. It must serve a purpose, or else that would make you a monster.”

I chuckled, but it was cold. “I’m well aware. And I didn’t break the rule. The kills served their purpose because they were after an innocent girl. My rules remain unbroken, and my conscience is clear.”

Aless nuzzled against me, her lips resting against my cheek. “Then why are you fighting with yourself over this?”

I sighed and brushed my hair back, letting the hot water run down my back. “Because, when I tailed them, when I saw what they were about to do, all I could think about was you. What if it was Aless was the question that kept repeating itself in my head, and I got angry. I was furious, and I took it out on them. I─”

My words were interrupted by Aless pressing her lips to my own and winding her hands through my hair.

She leaned into me and parted her mouth as her sweet breath brushed against my lips.

I was surprised by the suddenness of her kiss, but before I could think, I returned it. I let go of every reservation that had been holding me back from just being with Aless.

I wanted to be with her. And that was all that mattered.

Her tongue flicked out, teasing my mouth, searching for ingress. I gave it to her and wound my hand around her waist. I pulled her toward me, not caring that she was still clothed.

She came willingly, pausing only long enough to kick off her boots without breaking our kiss before she climbed over the lip of the porcelain bathtub and sunk into the hot water atop me.

Aless’s weight was a comfort as she placed her hands to my chest and shoved me back against the tub. She followed me down, straddling me as the water rose to the bottom of her chest, soaking into her shirt and revealing the outline of her bust and a hint of her nipples as the fabric stubbornly clung to her body.

Only when she was fully atop me did she break our kiss, and it was only for a moment as she pressed herself against me and trailed her lips over my cheek, to my neck, laying a kiss each time she moved.

Until she reached my collarbone.

Aless rested her teeth right on the bone and bit down gently, teasing me as she looked up at me, and grinned with her teeth still on my neck. She bit down harder as if daring me to say something, but pain was a friend.

I didn’t mind a little of it now and again.

As she came back up, I slipped my hands to her waist and pulled her soaking wet shirt up and over her head, revealing her pale skin and small, perky breasts. Her pink nipples were stiff as she leaned back and let me drink in the perfection of her body.

Her hands went to the laces holding her pants up, and she had them undone in seconds and lifted her ass as she pulled them off languidly, drawing it out as she lifted them over her thighs, baring herself fully to me.

She smirked as she drew them past her calves and then over her feet before she balled the wet fabric in her hands and tossed them away.

She slowly brought her legs back down and straddled atop me, pressing herself against me as she moved her hips back and forth.

Her eyes closed for a moment, and a deliciously soft moan slipped through her parted lips as she leaned down to whisper into my ear.

“How about we finish our sparring match?” she purred before nibbling on my ear.

My hands traveled over the taut skin of her back. I rested them on her supple ass as she sank her hips back, her eyes aflame with desire.

There was only one response, and I was only happy to give her the answer she wanted.

***

A cool breeze blew through the open window, carrying birdsong and the scent of the forest into the room. I shivered slightly and instinctually reached over and pulled Aless closer to me. Her bare skin was the perfect warmth to combat the sudden chill, and she molded against my chest as her steady breathing pulsed against me.

I brushed a lock of hair from her face, and she responded by turning over and nuzzling against me.

Her gray eyes opened slowly, still heavy with sleep. When she saw it was me, a dopey grin sprouted over her lips.

“Morning.”

“Morning.” I smiled back.

She tilted her head up and kissed me. “Last night was…” she trailed off.

“Yeah.”

Aless let out a breath, and her hands went to my chest as she scooted closer to me. “So, have you decided on what you’re going to do?”

After we’d crawled into bed last night, I’d told her everything about Rhys and his offer. She hastily agreed that it was a bad idea.

Which I already knew. That was obvious.

I nodded. “They need to be dealt with now. Because they’re not going to just up and leave us alone. I need to take care of them, but like hell am I going to dance to their tune.”

“So, what’s your plan?” she asked.

“This Thorn and I are going to have a meeting alright, but it’s not going to be the one they want. Rhys expects me to meet him in Odra four days from now.”

Aless propped up on her hands. “And you’re not going to go?”

I shook my head. “Oh, I’m going, but not to meet Rhys. I’ll wait and watch and then follow him back to his guild hideout.

“And then we’ll see what happens.”

As I spoke, a notification flared to life in my vison.

Quest: Deal with Crescent Thorn

Difficulty: Very Hard

Reward: 5200 Exp

I can’t just let the threat of Crescent Thorn go unchecked, and if this Thorn wants to threaten my friends, then I’ll kill him before he ever gets the chance to get near them.

“But still, that’s risky. They are trained assassins, after all.”

“Not nearly as trained as I am.” I grinned. “I’ll be fine. I’m pretty tough these days.”

Aless ran her hand over my collar, and despite how rough she’d been with her mouth, there were no lingering marks.

She grinned. “Guess your special training with Angela is paying off.” Her smirk turned devious. “Maybe I can be even rougher next time.”

I chuckled and shrugged. “If that’s what you want. After torturing myself for weeks, your love bites feel like…well, love bites.”

She laughed, sitting up and stretching. Aless half turned to me as she did so. She winked at me as my eyes wandered.

But she wanted me to look. She liked it.

And I could no longer deny that I liked it too.

As I sat up, some of my hair fell in my face, so I brushed it back and popped my back, working the sleep from my body. I reached over for the glass of water on the nightstand and downed it in several gulps while Aless did the same.

“You know, never would’ve thought to keep water by the bed, but it really helps me get going in the morning.”

I nodded as I set my glass down. “Gets your body working. It’s one of the best things you can do when you wake up.”

When she finished drinking hers, she turned to me and shook her head. “So, we’re going to Odra?”

“I am, at least. I want to cut off the problem before it becomes one.”

She frowned. “You know, I’m sure that you think you have a perfectly logical reason for doing this. But I don’t think that’s the end of it.

“Are you sure it’s not just that you’re looking forward to facing off against a group of trained killers?”

“I…” I went to respond, but the words fell short.

Aless dropped to all fours and crawled over to me. She pressed herself to my back and laid her head on my shoulder as she looked up at me.

“You live for the challenge. And I can’t think of a greater challenge than the most highly trained guild in Chordis.” Her voice vibrated up my skin with every word she spoke, and I had to stop and ponder what she’d said.

Is that why I want to go? Truly?

I had at least a decently logical argument for wanting to go. But Aless wasn’t wrong. I did relish the chance to test myself against this guild. To truly see how far I’d come since coming to this world.

My last moments on Earth were bloody and painful. I’d gone up against Elizabeth and Marcel, along with his gang of killers. Two of the most accomplished assassins alive, and though I’d killed Liz, I had lost to Marcel.

He’d simply overwhelmed me with numbers.

I had been beaten.

And no matter what I did, that fact still lingered.

There was no way for me to go back, to challenge Marcel with the strength I had now. I would never get a rematch against him.

But I could prove myself by taking on an entire guild of assassins.

It was foolish, suicidally reckless, and yet, I still yearned to test myself.

I still wanted to go.

Aless frowned and lifted. She punched me in the arm as hard as she could, which, even with my increased durability, wasn’t nothing.

“Elias, you dumbass. You’re going to get yourself killed to prove something to yourself that you already know. You’re one of the most talented people I know, isn’t that enough?”

I turned to her and kissed her softly. As I gazed into her eyes, I wanted my answer to be yes, but I knew, deep down, that it was a lie.

It wasn’t enough.

And my resolve hardened in my gaze.

She sighed and nodded. “Yeah. Figures.” She gave me a half-smile. “You’re the most stubborn man I’ve ever met.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said as I stood from the bed and went and threw on some clothes while Aless did the same.

“Guess we’re going to Odra,” she said.

“We?”

“Hell yes. We. If I can’t talk you out of it, then I’m at least going to watch your ass.”

I tossed a black silk shirt on and shook my head. “You can come with me to the city, but I’m going alone to the meeting.”

Aless whirled around, her shirt halfway on. She glared at me, but I quickly held my hand up.

“This is not a discussion, Aless. Despite what you think, I do realize how incredibly dangerous this is. And I have no illusions that I can walk into a den of trained killers and slaughter the lot of them.

“If things get dicey, I’m going to have to flee. And I can because of Shade’s Rest. You haven’t hit your class change yet, so you can’t just fade into the shadows like I can. You can’t come with me. End of story.”

She huffed at me, and we finished getting dressed in silence.

Once I was clothed, I headed to the bathroom to retrieve my armor, but I found it wasn’t where I left it.

Footsteps behind me caused me to turn, but I already knew who it was from the gait. Cora walked through the doorway, her golden-brown hair down today. It fell to her back in thick waves.

“Good morning, Cora,” I said.

“And a fine morning it is,” she replied with a small curtsy. “If you are looking for your armor, I moved it and cleaned it.”

I crossed my arms. “I thought I─”

“You did. But you and Aless looked…indisposed, and with the splashing around the two of you were doing, your armor was lying in a puddle of water an inch thick. I weighed which you would have preferred, me cleaning your armor or it getting waterlogged. And well, you can see the choice I made.”

“I…” I sighed and rubbed my forehead. “Thank you, Cora. That was kind of you.”

“It’s what I’m here for, Elias.” She reached a hand out and took off a small silver ring. “And on that note, I went to the city like you asked and retrieved everything you wanted.”

I took the ring, thanking her again, and headed downstairs.

My armor was lying on one of the many small tables next to the couches in the sitting room to my left as I came downstairs. It had been used as a lounge area for the former Foxes guild members, but Aless and I hadn’t had much use for it since we came to Blackfall Manor.

I picked it up and took my time going over every inch of it. Despite my reticence, Cora had done a remarkable job in cleaning it. She’d even oiled the trouble spots where the leather rubbed against each other.

Though I tried, I couldn’t find a single fault in her methods.

After I finished checking it over, I stored it in my dimension ring and took out the supplies and gear she’d bought for me.

For some reason, you couldn’t store a dimension ring inside another dimension ring. The two were like polar opposite magnets and refused to interact with each other. So I had to store everything in one ring.

With the additional supplies, I was nearing the limit on the amount that could be stored inside, and I would have to start deciding what to leave behind.

I’m carrying all of my coin, the entire shipment of Thanatos, and a couple hundred pounds of letters, gear, and other stuff that I have no use for but don’t want to leave behind.

Maybe I should have Jin make me a safe as well. Have it bolted into the house somewhere.

It was a thought, but one that would have to wait until I got back from Odra.

By the time I finished inspecting my gear and making sure it was all properly cleaned and oiled, Aless was ready to go as well.

She padded down the stairs with Cora right behind her. She wore a cream-colored shirt and loose-fitting brown pants.

As they both stepped to the ground floor, Cora turned to me. “I also took the liberty of renting you a stagecoach. It’s waiting for you both at the East Gate.”

I raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Thanks. I was just going to rent one when we reached the city, but having one already prepared makes things even easier.”

Cora was rapidly becoming someone I relied on. I was so used to doing everything by myself that I’d forgotten what trust felt like.

She nodded. “I figured you would, but that would have taken time, and I imagine you’ll want to reach Odra early for whatever job you have.”

“It’s not a job, but I would like the chance to see the city before I meet Rhys. I haven’t been to any other city in Chordis.”

I was ready to go, and so was Aless, but before we could leave, Cora stopped me.

“Oh. One more thing. I nearly forgot.” She pulled a letter from the pocket of her maid uniform and handed it over. “One of the Prowlers stopped by and wanted me to deliver this letter to you.”

Cora handed it over, and I glanced down at it.

Very few people knew where I lived. In fact, only four people did. And two of them were in the room with me.

Angela wouldn’t send a letter. She’d have just told Cora to tell me to come and talk to her.

Which left only one person.

Captain Bernard.

I opened the letter and read it.

To Edward Kinley,

It’s been some time since we last spoke, and there is much we need to discuss about your merchant business that is far too sensitive to relay over a letter.

Please come and see me at the earliest possible convenience.

─Captain Michael Bernard. 7th day of the First of Fall. 1727

I frowned as I folded the letter up.

“Ember.”

The paper went up in a gulf of flame and turned to ash before it hit the ground.

If Bernard is writing me, then it is probably something important, but everything is important to him.

I needed to see him to discuss the city and our future plans, but it wasn’t desperately important.

It could wait a few days.

“If you would be so kind as to send a letter to our dear captain and let him know that I’ll be out of the city for a few days, but I will see him as soon as I get back?” I asked Cora.

“Of course,” she said.

With that, there was nothing else for us to do, so we bid Cora farewell and left the manor.

Our walk through the forest was peaceful, and I hadn’t noticed it before but, walking through it with Aless, the place was very romantic.

A fact that was not lost on Aless as she stuck close to me, nearly leaning against me as we walked.

We took our time with the walk. A few extra minutes wouldn’t make a difference, and Cora had saved me probably an hour or so by renting the coach ahead of time, so we could afford to spend a few moments enjoying the scenery and each other’s company.

It was something that I’d lost as an assassin. I never looked at a place anymore unless I was surveying it, searching for enemies, traps, or counting the exits and planning my escape routes.

I hadn’t just stopped and looked at the beauty of a place in a long damn time.

And it was nice—a simple pleasure.

But of course, it didn’t last long as my years of honed instincts kicked in, and I began searching and keeping my body alert as we made it to the city.

We took a roundabout way to get to the East Gate, and like Cora said, our stagecoach was waiting for us.

It was rather large for what it was, built with quality materials meant for long voyages. The outside was painted black, and the cabin was rather spacious, red velvet plush cushions lined both sides, and the long benches were big enough for us to sleep on.

Our drivers, a team of two men, greeted us as we approached.

“Mornin’!” the older of the pair called.

He was graying, with a salt and pepper beard and kind blue eyes with crow’s feet at the corner. He offered me his hand.

“How are you?” I asked as we shook.

“Jus’ fine. Names Obadiah. You must be Elias.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied, putting on a cheery face. “A pleasure.”

Obadiah thumbed back to the other man. “This is ma son, Jonah. He’s a bit of a quiet one but a damn fine driver.” He looked past me to Aless, nodded politely to her, and gave us both a once over. “Seein’ as you have no bags, you mus’ be usin’ them fancy magic rings.”

He shrugged and chuckled to himself.

“Makes my job easier. If you two are ready, we can set off. We just checked over everything, so have no fear.” He slapped the door of the cabin and opened the door.

I looked to Aless, and she glanced at me.

“You ready?”

She nodded. “Yep, I’ve never been out of Vohra before, so I’m kind of excited.”

With that, the two of us climbed aboard, and in a handful of minutes, we set off, heading north toward Odra.

Chapter 7- Odra City

The trip to Odra took two days, and for the most part, it was a very relaxing two days.

The road was rather smooth, well-worn dirt that made for one of the nicer carriage rides I’d ever had. The land on either side of us had been farmland as we left Vohra, but now, endless stretches of bright green plains dominated my world.

“I’m bored, Elias,” Aless said, kicking her feet up as she leaned back and laid her head in my lap.

Despite there being a whole other side of the carriage, she’d chosen to come over and use me as her personal pillow. I looked down from the single book I’d brought with me and sighed.

“I am too. I should have figured I’d read through this book in a day.” I sighed and closed it.

Reading the same book just after you finished it was just the worst.

“Entertain me,” she said, poking my chin with her finger. “Regale me of your exploits, oh master assassin.”

I chuckled and looked down at her as she smiled at me.

Ever so slowly, I’d been telling her more of my past, the life I’d led, and the people I’d killed. She liked most of them, and with nothing else to do stuck in the stagecoach for fourteen hours a day, we talked.

A lot.

“Okay,” I relented. “What kind do you want to hear?”

“Tell me more about your master. Is it really true that he never told you his name?”

I nodded. “I swear. I knew the man for over a decade, and in all that time, the only thing I ever called him was ‘master.’”

“That's just─that’s just...complicated. And seems very unnecessary.”

“I disagree. It worked well for him. Though he was incredibly famous in certain circles, especially the underworld. He was always the nameless assassin.

“With no identity came complete freedom. He could do anything, be anything, and was truly a master of becoming anyone. He could slip so seamlessly into a role that the man I knew disappeared without a trace, only to come back when the job was done.”

Aless nodded, the back of her head digging into my thigh. “Okay, that does sound like a worthwhile skill, but I don’t know if the tradeoff is worth it.”

“I didn’t think so either.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

A flock of birds were startled by the horses and rose from the field in a drove, scattering into the air and flying to the trees in the distance.

But beyond the trees, white stone peeked over the canopy where the beginnings of a city could be made out next to some rather large mountains.

I turned my attention back to Aless, who was patiently waiting for me to continue.

“My master wanted me to follow in his footsteps. He wanted a successor, someone to take up the mantle of the nameless assassin. But shortly after I completed my blooding, my master died.”

“How did he die?”

“On a job.” I chuckled. “But that’s a story for a later time. We’re close to Odra.”

She frowned, but I leaned down and kissed her, which quickly wiped the frown away. It was such a little thing but having her smile at me was something I’d come to treasure.

It’s been a while since I’ve loved anyone. But hell, I fell headfirst for her, didn’t I?

The master assassin who fell in love.

A cautionary tale if there ever was one.

I sighed. “To be the nameless assassin was to have no weaknesses. He was the best for a reason, and he lived to his eighties. Over seventy years of his life spent as an assassin, but as you pointed out, his lifestyle had its drawbacks.

“He died alone, with no one save me to remember or mourn him. His stories, the legend, lived on. But for him, whoever he really was, died with him. And with the turbulent and chaotic nature of the underworld, people rose and fell all the time, which meant that most of the people who really knew him either died or fled, never to be heard from again. And while he was always a legend, only a few years after he passed, he became a ghost story. Something people talked about but didn’t really believe.”

“And you didn’t want to end up like that?” she asked, sitting up.

Aless swiveled and sat next to me in the carriage, and her gray eyes focused on me.

“No.” I shook my head. “I most certainly didn’t. I got to watch firsthand how the legendary nameless assassin turned into a myth. He left behind no one but me to carry his memory, and I wasn’t enough to stop him from being forgotten.

“So, I went the complete opposite path. I became infamous. In the underworld, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hadn’t heard my name at least once. One day, I’ll take a job that kills me. As my master took a job that killed him.” I stared directly into Aless’s eyes. “As you’ll take a job that’ll kill you. Assassins don’t die of old age. It just doesn’t happen.

“But I have to believe that even if I’m gone, my name, the legend that I cultivated, will live on. That there will be someone to remember me and the life that I lived.”

As I finished, Aless leaned over and kissed me. Her hand found its way to my cheek, and she pressed her forehead to mine.

“That’s what friends and family are for. That’s what I’m here for.” She smirked at me. “You better not go anywhere anytime soon, but you do have people who care for you.” She beamed at me. “Like me, who, despite my better judgment, cares for you a hell of a lot. You gave me my life back, and I can promise you that I will remember you till the day I die.”

A small smile tugged at my lips, and we rode the rest of the way to Odra in comfortable silence.

As we rounded a curve, Odra fully came into view.

It seemed like a custom for large walls to be built around the cities in this country. I assumed because of the more hostile and rabid Beastkin that were more monster than person.

I’d yet to meet one, but I couldn’t deny the prospect was tantalizing.

I’ve never killed a monster before. Could be fun.

But if the walls were anything to go by, fun was not the word I should use to describe my first encounter with one.

Odra’s walls were nearly white, made from limestone, or Xenai’s equivalent. And like Vohra, they stretched nearly forty feet to the sky, with parapets for archers to rain arrows down on anything that dared attack.

A trio of guards armed with longbows patrolled atop as we approached a gate. Just like Vohra, two men guarded the gate at all times, but these men weren’t the fresh-faced patrolmen I’d come to see manning the post.

From the plumage in their helms, each was a sergeant of the guard, only one step down from a lieutenant.

I rose, forcing Aless to sit up. “Alright, time to get dolled up.”

“Ugh.” Aless stuck out her tongue and shook her head. “I get it, but I hate it.”

“It’s not exactly my favorite thing, either. But Crescent Thorn is likely watching the gate, so we go in disguised.”

Aless and I quickly dressed in our fanciest garbs. I wore a velvet doublet with pristine hose and a plumed hat that covered my blond hair completely, while Aless wore a dress that was only a shade darker than her hair and matched my velvet well. She also wore a shawl that hid her rather vibrant hair.

We’d color coordinated, and I hated it, but I had to admit, we looked good together.

Your Disguise skill has increased by 1! [Disguise: 7 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

As our stagecoach approached, Obadiah stopped and slowed just before the gate. He hopped down and came and opened our carriage door.

“We’ve arrived, good sir and lady. I’m afraid this is where we part ways,” he said.

I was fine with it. We only had a couple of dozen feet until we reached the gate, but it was odd. I’d seen plenty of carriages driving through the streets of Vohra.

“Of course, but why here?” I asked.

Obadiah motioned to the gate guards. “The entrance tax would eat up most of the profit we earned for this trip. It’s just not worth it.” He paused. “Of course, good sir, if you wish for us to keep transporting you, you could pay the fee.”

I shook my head and stepped out of the stagecoach. “That won’t be necessary. Thank you.”

I handed the man a little extra vahn for his trouble and a rather smooth ride, and Aless and I walked toward the gate guards.

“Good afternoon, sir and madam. Is this your first time to our fair city?” the sergeant on the right asked.

He was tall and broad, with a craggy face and thick stubble across his jaw. He was well decorated though he lacked the pure white feather that signified a member of the nobility.

Which meant he earned his position rather than it was handed to him.

“It is,” I replied with a nod.

He smiled, showing teeth. “Wonderful. We’re glad to have you here. You just have to apply for a temporary visa and pay the entrance tax.

“The visa will cost fifty vahn, and the tax is the same.”

“A hundred vahn, each?”

He nodded. “That’s correct, sir.”

I resisted the urge to whistle as I glanced up at the white stone that cast a too dark shadow over us.

A hundred vahn isn’t anything to me. But for an average citizen, a hundred vahn is likely what they make in a week. That’s steep. The tax to enter Vohra was only fifteen vahn.

There was nothing I could do about it but pay the man. I paid for Aless and me. The guard handed us a wax-stamped piece of parchment.

“This is good for a three-week stay. And of course, if you wish to stay longer, you can pay for an extended visa or apply for a residential visa.”

It was almost the same speech the guards had given me when I first arrived in this world. I took the scrolls and handed Aless hers as the guards let us through the gate.

When we crossed the other side, I was taken aback.

So used to the chaos and bustle of Vohra, not to mention London before that, that stepping into Odra was quite a shock to my system.

It was clean.

Most of the buildings on the street were comprised of similar white stone as the walls surrounding Odra. A few wooden and half-timbered buildings were thrown in to break up the otherwise endless stream of stone.

Hell, even the streets were made of smooth paving stones.

It all reminded me of Vohra’s Noble District, but where that was only a small section of the city, the pristine nature of it was everywhere.

Merchants of all kinds lined the streets, and the signs that their buildings were advertised on were perfect, freshly painted. Even the chains were free of kinks.

People went about their days with smiles on their faces, giving polite greetings as they passed by their neighbors.

Aless and I just stared at the place for a few long moments.

“Fuck this,” Aless said, blanching. “This place makes my skin crawl.”

“Yeah.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I was an elegant and orderly person. I liked having everything in its proper place.

But this.

This is unnatural. Humans don’t behave like this. They’re inherently lazy, filthy creatures who refuse to do anything without the proper motivation.

Vohra was proof of this. It was chaotic, like any city on Earth. But this place, it was just wrong.

And yet, the citizens were polite, happy.

There wasn’t a single thing that rubbed me wrong, but it made my skin itch when it was put together.

I shook off the unease and nudged Aless. “C’mon. It doesn’t matter. We have work to do, and standing around gawking is making us stand out, which I definitely don’t want to do here.”

“Right,” she replied and started walking.

As soon as we were away from the main gate and I was certain we didn’t have any eyes on us, we slipped into a side alley that was just dark enough to provide some cover and the two of us changed out of our finery and back into our more casual clothes. I threw a cloak over my shoulders as Aless did the same, hiding the weapons at our waists.

When we finished, we got back on the main street. It was wide enough that Aless and I could walk side by side without worrying about bumping into any of the dozens of people going about their day.

A subtle scent wafted past my nose as we passed a bakery, and I took a deep breath, inhaling the savory steam from the fresh bread baking.

The air was different here as well. It lacked the tinge of sweat and body odor from the masses. All I could detect were the numerous smells of the many shops melding together.

“This place may give me the creeps, but I can’t deny it’s pretty,” Aless said as we skirted around a grocer who was sweeping the street.

“Good afternoon!” he called, moving past his shop as he swept, making sure he cleaned not only his storefront but the road in front of it as well.

“Why are you sweeping the street?” I asked, stopping as I turned back to the merchant.

He grinned wide at me and looked down at his broom with a shrug. “Must be new here. This is part of my area of responsibility. I ensure that it’s always clean and everything is in its proper place.”

I scratched my chin. “What happens if you don’t?”

He sighed. “A hefty fine. But…that’s not the worst thing. If I don’t keep my area clean, then shame will fall on my business.” He shook his head. “I’d lose all my customers, and I’d be ruined.”

The man quickly got back to cleaning, giving it his entire focus.

This place is something else.

But I had a partial answer. The stigma of being unclean here would be perfect motivation.

Self-interest, after all. Even if it unnerves the hell out of me.

Aless tugged on my arm. “C’mon, let’s keep going.”

We left the grocer to his task and continued up the street.

Rhys told me to meet him in the city square, but that wasn’t until tomorrow, so our goal in the short term was to find a place of lodging and get our bearings in this strange city.

The place unnerved me so much that my guard was on high alert, and as we walked, the soft padding of footsteps every so often behind us caught my attention.

I didn’t stop or turn around. I just pretended that I hadn’t noticed while Aless and I walked along.

To my right was the well-polished glass window of a seamstress. The needle and thread painted on the sign were so fresh the sharp tang of paint burned in my nose as we passed. I kept one eye on the mirror, and for a moment, just before we passed it, I caught a glimpse of our tail.

He was young, with light auburn hair and a thin, wiry build. He wore clean clothes of grays and brown, but they were older, having been hemmed several times. The simple, easy on the eyes color of his clothes and cloak and the way he moved marked him as a thief, likely a cutpurse from the way his hands were held inside the cloak.

Aless and I both carried a small pouch of coins at our waists. Before we’d arrived in the city, I’d taken a small leather cord and put my dimension ring around my neck. It was a bit of precaution, but I’d rather have it hidden than displayed on my hand since.

In any other situation, I’d have been a little annoyed, but after all the strangeness in the city, a common cutpurse made me want to sigh with relief.

“We’re being followed,” Aless said softly.

“Yep. Russet-haired cutpurse, twenty feet back.”

She snorted. “Course you knew. When were you going to let me know?”

I shrugged. “I wasn’t. You have perfectly fine senses. If you can’t use them, you’ll make a poor assassin.”

She ribbed me in the side. “You certainly put the ass in assassin.”

“I’m still your master first, lover second. Gotta teach you something,” I said with a grin.

We’d kept our voices low for our entire conversation and never let on that we knew that we were being followed.

“What do you want to do?” Aless asked.

“Let’s see how this plays out. It’d be good to get the lay of the land before we venture off into the unknown, and what better way than a local thief?”

“Now, why does that plan sound familiar?” She laughed.

I chuckled alongside her. “Hey, if it worked on one of the most talented girls I’ve ever met, then he doesn’t stand a chance.”

She practically glowed as we walked.

We led the thief around for a few minutes until I picked an alleyway coming up between a sculptor and a bookstore. It was wide and secluded enough for our purposes.

The two of us slowed, letting the cutpurse catch up.

His footsteps increased, and there was a ruffle of a cloak as he prepared to make his move.

From his footsteps, he shifted towards Aless. He wasn’t going for me. He was going for her, likely thinking she was the easier target.

As he approached, I put a foot of distance between Aless and me so she could move without fear of hitting me.

Out of the corner of my eye, the thief struck, his hand flashed out in an instant, and a small, curved blade was in his palm. He snagged the strings of her purse with his knife hand and held his other directly under the bag so it wouldn’t clink or jostle when dropped.

It was smooth, practiced, and efficient.

But he wasn’t nearly good enough to steal from Aless.

She turned, lashed out with the side of her palm to the man’s radial nerve that ran up his forearm. Her strike landed, and his arm locked up in pain.

He dropped the knife even as Aless continued, and I caught it on the top of my boot and flicked it up and to my palm while Aless pinned his arm behind his back and shoved him into the alley.

The thief fell back with a muffled groan of agony as he landed on his ass.

I strolled forward with the thief’s own blade in hand as I dropped down, jamming my knee to his solar plexus as I pressed the blade to his neck.

“Ouch. Having your own weapon used against you.” I shook my head and smiled down at the lad. He was on the younger side and handsome if a little hardened by life. His gray-blue eyes stared up at me, filled with pain and fear. “Today’s just not your day.”

“Wait!” he shouted.

I wasn’t really going to kill him, at least, not until I got some answers, but his panicked voice was loud, and I didn’t want anyone to overhear.

I clamped my hand down over his mouth and was about to speak when Aless rushed to my side.

She let out a gasp, and I increased my grip on the thief as I tilted my head and peered up at her.

Aless wasn’t looking at me. She was looking down at the thief with a heavy mixture of emotions in her eyes. Sadness, regret, and joy all melded together.

Her hand went to her mouth. “Micah? Is that you?”

The man who might have been Micah looked from her to me and nodded. My hand was still around his mouth, so I removed it, and he winced in pain as he tried to laugh.

“Alessandra. It’s been a long, long damn time.”

I looked back at her. “You know him?”

She nodded, still not looking at me. “A long time ago. He’s one of my old guildmates. A Prowler, like I was.”

I eased the blade off his neck and stood, stowing the knife on my belt. “He tried to rob you?”

Micah laughed and rubbed his stomach, choking slightly as he stood. “Was just a joke. A game the two of us used to play,” he said, smiling wide. “As soon as I saw that shock of red hair on main street, I knew it was you. I couldn’t resist.”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling back at him. She walked over and slapped him softly on the back of his head. “You idiot. You always were reckless, but I could’ve broken your fucking hand.”

He chuckled. “Still got the mouth, I see.” Micah shrugged and turned to me and held out his hand. “Sorry about all this. Didn’t mean to drag you into our little game. I’m Micah, and you are?”

“Not amused.”

Micah looked to the side, a sheepish grin on his face. “Again, sorry.”

He turned to Aless and placed his hand on her shoulder. “What the hell are you doing here? Last I saw you, you refused to leave Vohra. Weilin knows I tried to get you to come with us.”

She shook her head. “You know why I couldn’t leave. As for why I’m here.” She shook her head. “That’s complicated.”

Micah looked back at me as his eyebrows raised. “Ah, you’re on a job. I understand.” Then he squinted. “Wait, the Foxes shut down in Vohra. Did a new guild take up shop? Been hearing a lot of noise about Vohra lately, and none of it good.”

Aless opened her mouth to speak but looked at me and shut it again. “It’s uh…”

“Complicated.” Micah grinned. “I understand. Hey, why don’t you come with me? I know a place where we can speak freely and catch up.” He turned to me. “Plus, first round’s on me as an apology.”

Aless nodded. “I could go for a drink,” she said, turning to me. “What about you?”

“Yeah. A drink sounds good. And we need to get the lay of the land here regardless.”

Micah clapped his hands together and smiled, rubbing his palms. “Well, I can help on both counts. Just follow me.”

He turned and walked out of the alley.

I looked at Aless and she to me.

“Old friend?” I asked.

“Something like that,” she replied and walked away, following after Micah.

Great. Complications. As if I didn’t have enough to deal with.

I sighed and shook my head, following after the both of them.

Chapter 8- Complications

I walked about ten feet back, letting Aless catch up with her 'something’. And from the short bursts of laughter coming from her, she was having a good time.

Which I was happy for.

Aless and I slept together, but that doesn’t make her my property. She can choose who she spends her time with just as much as I can.

Those were my thoughts, but I couldn’t stop the twinge of unease that nagged in the center of my chest.

Aless and Micah chatted without a care as we walked through the city streets. After a few minutes, I began to acclimate to the cleanliness of it all and soon started to enjoy that aspect of the city, even though it still freaked me out.

When not tending to their stores, the shop owners were out in the road, dusting the cobblestone or pruning the weeds from the rare patches of grass and bushes that were around, lining the street.

We passed numerous buildings, each of them a version of one that I’d find in Vohra, but after a time, a certain building cropped up that I hadn’t seen before.

Not since coming to Xenai at any rate.

It was a pristine white building, with a high vaulted roof and stained-glass windows, depicting a figure garbed in robes.

A church?

It was an odd sight. Not that I hadn’t noticed their absence in Vohra, so accustomed to seeing them back on Earth, but I’d just assumed that they weren’t a thing in this world.

Yet one was staring me in the face.

And I recognized the figure in the glass depictions.

Weilin.

“Hey, why’d you stop?” Aless asked.

I turned and found her and Micah both staring at me as I stood in the middle of the street.

“This is a church,” I said, pointing at the building.

“Yes. Yes, it is.” Aless nodded, raising an eyebrow, a quizzical expression on her face. “What’s got you so interested in it?”

“There aren’t any churches in Vohra City. I’ve been all over the city at least once, and I know I’d have recognized one if I’d seen it.”

Aless’s eyes widened in surprise, and she smiled at me, smacking her forehead softly. “Oh right, I keep forgetting you’re not native to the country.” She pointed to the church. “And you wouldn’t have seen any in Vohra. When he took control of the city from his father, Malcolm outlawed worship and tore down all the churches in the city.

“Course, people still prayed and worshiped. They just did it in secret.”

“Weilin must not have liked that much,” I muttered.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Nothing.” I tilted my head toward the church. “I’m going to go inside. You two go on ahead. I’ll catch up.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Besides, you two have some catching up to do.”

“Okay.” Aless turned back toward Micah. “But I’ll see you in a little bit, alright?”

I smiled at her. “Of course.”

Micah took a step toward me. “Hold up. Don’t you need directions to where we’re going?”

I shifted my gaze to him and shook my head. “Trust me, I can find you.”

He scratched the stubble on his chin. “How? You don’t even know where I was going to take you.”

I sighed. “You said first round is on you, so it’s obviously a tavern. You also said it was where we could talk safely, which means it’s a place you trust. I’m guessing a tavern owned by the guild. And since the Foxes like marking their property with the symbol of the fox like the one on Aless’s and, I’m betting, your chest, I’m sure I’ll have no trouble finding it.”

Micah frowned, looked over to Aless, and then back to me, shaking his head. “Okay. I guess we’ll see you later, then.”

Your Intuition has increased by 1! [Intuition: 27 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

Aless chuckled and smiled at me. “Don’t take too long, okay?”

“Go on,” I said with a smile.

With that, Micah and her left disappearing into the crowd of people while I stood in the middle of the street like a jackass.

I wrenched my gaze from where I’d last seen Aless and stepped toward the church so I’d be out of the road.

It seems I’m not done testing her after all.

I cared for Aless. That was undeniable. But it seemed I still didn’t have one hundred percent trust in her.

I shrugged. This is as good a chance as any to see how she truly feels.

A little heartache now is better than in the future.

If seeing what was clearly an ex-lover of hers was enough to cause her to fall back to her old life, better it happen now than later.

Though the logic behind it didn’t ease the turbulent emotions running wild in my chest.

I let the mask slip and the cold and detached part of myself swiftly quashed my uncertain feelings as I opened the heavy wooden door. As I walked inside, my feet hit a plush golden rug as I crossed the threshold, and a heavy, nearly palpable atmosphere of silence settled over me.

Though I’d been in plenty, I never liked churches or any place of consecrated ground.

I hadn’t exactly believed in God on Earth, not after witnessing firsthand some of the worst of human nature. But I also couldn’t rule out the possibility.

And that was why I never liked setting foot on holy ground.

I was a killer, a murderer. I didn’t belong anywhere near such places, and the heavy weight that pressed down on me, much like it was now, seemed to reflect that.

My very presence was anathema to places of worship.

Soft stone surrounded me as I softly shut the door and walked into the sanctuary.

It was wide and tall, the vaulted ceiling supported by heavy wooden beams that held several iron chandeliers with hundreds of candles providing ample space to the room. The golden carpet extended all the way to the back of the room, where a wooden dais rose a few feet off the ground. On the dais was a lectern and a man in white and black vestments reading from a book.

Pews were layered on either side of the room and were filled with over a dozen people listening to the man speak.

I chose one in the very back as I sat and listened to the priest’s sermon.

“Those here who are blessed by the light of Weilin. In his infinite generosity, he blessed us, mortals, with the strength needed to combat the threat of the heathen Beastkin. Those vile monstrosities seek to thwart our peaceful way of life. They may have changed over the course of a millennium, but make no mistake, under their human-like appearances, beats the heart of monsters, and that singular desire to feast on us will never truly vanish.”

His words caused a round of applause from the people around the room, who all sat and nodded along in agreement with what the priest was saying.

More anti-Beastkin rhetoric. So, Odra isn’t that different from Vohra after all.

After spending so much time with Jin, I couldn’t see the Beastkin as anything other than what they were. People.

Though I’ve yet to meet any of the less human variants, I doubt they will cause me to change my mind. If they are nothing more than beasts, that doesn’t change the ones that are just as intelligent as humans, if not more so.

As the applause died down and silence once more reigned in the sanctuary, I waited for the priest to continue his sermon, but after a few moments of quietness, I looked up.

The priest was still on the dais, but he wasn’t moving. He stood, arm held in front of him and his mouth open, but he wasn’t moving.

“Holy hell, just listen to him go. I couldn’t stand another minute of that,” a voice to my left said.

I turned and found a familiar face looking back at me.

A plain face, neither ugly nor beautiful. Just there. It was a face that I’d forget moments after seeing. His brown hair was combed back, and his once brown eyes were now a bright piercing red.

“Weilin,” I said.

“Hey.” He smiled and thumbed over to the priest. “I know you were listening, but I couldn’t take another word.” He laughed and shook his head. “I swear, most of my priests are fools. He casually forgot to mention while he was preaching about human superiority that I also gave the Beastkin access to my system. And that, by and large, the Beastkin are far superior to humanity.”

“So why don’t you speak up, say something?” I asked.

“Why the hell would I?” Weilin shrugged. “Personally, I’m just waiting for the day that the Beastkin rise up and devour the humans.”

Weilin laughed and pointed at the priest. “And since I’m among friends, I really, really hope they start with that pompous asshole.”

“So you want chaos?”

He turned to me and gave me a sidelong glance. “I know we haven’t known each other very long, but what about me gave you the impression that I don’t absolutely thrive on chaos?”

I chuckled. “Fair point. So why are you here? I’m sure you didn’t just pop in to say hello and talk about your religion.”

Weilin put a hand to his chest, and false hurt filled his eyes. “I can’t just drop by and say hello to my favorite assassin in the whole wide world?” He tried to keep a straight face but failed almost immediately. “Alright, you got me. Though I did want to say congratulations.”

“For?”

“Vohra.” Weilin whistled. “Hell of a way to go. But I’m glad to see you put my little magic gift to such spectacular use. I was impressed.”

I crossed my legs. “Thanks, I guess.” I shook my head. “I’ve never been complimented on my work before. It’s weird.”

“Well, you’d better get used to it because I have high hopes for your next few contracts.” He clapped me on the shoulder.

I smirked. “Of course, you didn’t just stop by to chat. Are you ever going to tell me why you’re having me kill for you?”

He shook his head. “Eventually, maybe. But certainly not now.” He smiled wide, showing two rows of perfectly straight teeth. “But have no fear. All of your targets are bad people and won’t offend your morality.” His grin turned into a smirk. “Hell, even if they do, there’s always rule nine.”

His causal words stopped whatever I was about to say.

“You know about that?” I asked.

“Of course. I did do my research before I chose you after all. But as fun as talking to you always is, I didn’t stop by for a simple chat. There’s a job in this town if you want it.”

I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “I can turn down the contract?”

“Well…no. Not really.” He grinned. “But it’s not time sensitive. You don’t have to do it right now. You can save it for after you deal with that little group of assassins.”

“Speaking of,” I said, glancing at him. “Care to give me a glimpse of the future and tell me how that’s going to go? Anything I should watch out for?”

Weilin shook his head and stood. “Can’t tell you that.” He leaned on the pew and laughed. “I’m still massaging my ass from the bite the Fates took out of it for spilling secrets to you in the first place. Telling you how you were going to die was something that I wasn’t supposed to do.

“So I can’t help you there…well, just keep your guard up. All is and isn’t as it seems.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I asked, standing up.

“Nothing, I didn’t say anything, and I’ll deny it if anyone asks.”

Weilin sighed and reached into his robes to pull out a small pocket watch. “I’m afraid our time is up. Here. A fitting place as any for this contract.”

Quest: Assassinate Bishop Gregory Hale

Difficulty: Very Hard

Reward: 4000 Exp+10000 Vahn

Hidden Quest Reward

“You want me to kill a bishop?”

“He’s one of mine, more or less, so I think that’s well within my rights.” Weilin grinned. “Good hunting, Elias. I’ll be seeing you.”

As he finished speaking, he wound the watch and vanished as time returned to normal.

The priest began his sermon once more, and I was standing there, looking at the spot where Weilin had been moments before.

You just had to add to my complications, didn’t you?

He didn’t respond, but a breeze with no source carried a hint of laughter to my ears as I made my way out of the church of Weilin.

I had to deal with a guild of assassins and then find and kill a high-ranking member of the church.

It’s going to be a busy week.

But I couldn’t deny I was excited about it. The stakes were ramping up, and that always got my heart racing.

Though I tempered my excitement with a healthy dose of restraint, I knew I couldn’t just waltz into things without a plan. Which meant I needed to sit down and think about what I was going to do.

I couldn’t think and plan around everything. There were simply far too many pieces in play and too many things I didn’t know. But as long as I kept my wits about me and didn’t let my guard down, I’d be fine.

And Aless can help too.

While nowhere near as good as I was at certain things, her years as a thief meant her infiltration skills were a sight to behold. And she always had great insight when I needed to case a building.

I’d said I could find them, and while I knew I could, I didn’t want to spend all day hunting for them.

I knew the rough direction they were headed in, and I was confident I could figure out where the place was easy enough. All I had to do was think logically about where the best spot for a guild run tavern was, and I was betting I’d find it quickly.

As I walked, I kept my eyes peeled and my senses tuned, and it took me less than half an hour to find the place.

I walked toward the less crowded section of the city where a slew of bars and taverns were located, and from there, it was just finding the right one.

Which, thanks to the small, barely noticeable glyph in the shape of a fox carved into the trim around the door of a tavern called the Foxes Tail, I knew I had the right spot.

Your Perception has increased by 1! [Perception: 34] +100 Exp!

It was a large tavern, built from plaster and wood, looking so much like any of the other bars I’d passed. I marched up to the door and slipped inside.

The inside was also much like every other bar or tavern I’d been to in my life. Heavy wooden tables and chairs could stand up to getting knocked over by the many loud, obnoxious patrons that sat around them, drinking. The heavy scent of stale ale lingered in the air along with a familiar voice that rose around the half a dozen other conversations.

“And then I said, Micah, that’s not a rabbit, that’s my foot!” Aless said.

The group of people around her erupted in laughter as she finished the punchline to whatever joke she’d been telling.

She stood, leaning against the bar with a large mug of ale in her hands, surrounded by what all accounts were former guild members.

Each of them had the lithe grace that all professional thieves had.

Her story so enraptured them that most of them hadn’t noticed my entrance, but that quickly changed when the door shut with a low thud behind me.

The entire bar dropped by several octaves while nearly everyone turned and stared at me.

It was clear on their faces that I was an outsider here. That I didn’t belong, and I wasn’t welcome here.

I’d yet to return the mask over my eyes and I met their cold glares with one much more frigid. A frigid calmness settled over my body as my emotions retreated to their cell within the confines of my heart.

At that moment, I stopped hiding what I truly was.

Your Killer’s Stare skill has increased by 1! [Killer’s Stare: 15 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

The effect was immediate, and a shiver ran through the room. These were obviously hardened people, but they had no idea the true depths of depravity humanity was capable of. And it showed in the slight fear of their eyes.

Even Aless wasn’t immune to the cold depths of my soul.

She stared at me and held my gaze for a single moment before even she looked away.

I never hid what I was, never shied away from the part of me that was damn near inhuman. But I didn’t enjoy seeing the same fear in her eyes as I did in the others.

Because Aless was different.

She was special to me.

That thought shattered the ice around me, and once more, a warmth filled my heart. I looked at her and smiled, softening my eyes.

Aless blinked and returned my smile as she pushed through the otherwise stupefied crowd and led me to the bar.

“By Weilin, that was something else,” Micah said, following Aless to the bar.

I leaned against the counter as a nearly white, blonde-haired bartender came over.

She had short, spiky hair that jutted out in chaos around her head and wide, sparkling green eyes that paired well with her thin face and full lips as she gave me a fake smile, her own eyes pretending to be something she wasn’t.

“He’s alright, Bella,” Micah said and shook his head. “Scary as hell, but alright.”

“What can I get ya?” Bella asked, leaning on the counter.

“Water, if it's fresh.”

She grinned. “Freshest you’ll find. Eight vahn.”

“Bella,” Micah said with a stern voice.

“Don’t Bella me,” she snapped back. “He’s not a Fox. He pays the guild tax.”

I dug out the coin and slid it over. “It’s fine.”

Bella smirked and scooped the money into her palm and stowed it away in a single fluid motion that told me she either was or used to be a pickpocket. She had long, slender fingers that were perfect for the profession.

As soon as the money vanished, she procured a polished crystal glass and placed it on the table.

Bella held her hand over the glass. “Stream.”

As she spoke, her hand glowed a soft blue that faded as water began to well from her fingertips and run towards her palm before a heavy rush of water trickled out and filled the tall glass in front of me in seconds.

Frost began to coalesce on the glass as she slid it over to me.

“Enjoy,” she said.

I was stunned by the casual display of magic, so used to the fact that magic was outlawed in Vohra.

Ignoring the water, for the time being, I tapped on the wood to get her attention.

Bella paused and turned back to me and cocked her head slightly to the side. “Something else you need?”

“You just used magic.”

“And?” She shrugged before her eyes lit up in humor. “You must not be from here. Magic isn’t outlawed in Odra like it is in some of the other cities. People use magic here all the time.”

“Fascinating,” I muttered.

This world was still surprising me. And even if I still didn’t know much about magic, it was one of the things that I desperately needed to learn.

“Would you be willing to teach me the spell?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Hell no.”

“Why not?”

Bella walked back over to me and pushed the glass of ice-cold water toward me. “If you have to ask that question, it means you don’t know how magic works, do you?”

I shook my head. “I’m afraid I know very little. I read a book about magic, but it was thin, and it mostly detailed the history and types of magic. It didn’t get into much more than that.”

Bella sighed. “Look, I’ve got customers to deal with and don’t have time for a magic lesson.”

I knew what she was getting at, and although I didn’t want to reward her for trying to fleece me out of coin, I needed the knowledge more than I needed a handful of vahn.

It was worth it to me, so I reached into my coin purse and pulled out four golden coins, a hundred vahn, and slid them to her.

“Do you have time now?”

She smirked and nodded. “If it’s worth that much to you, just let me get my customers a refill, and we can chat.”

Then Bella left to deal with her patrons, and I was alone. Aless was still with her old friends, chatting at a table and drinking up a storm with Micah and a few others.

Though I’d grown used to her presence these past few months, I was still a solitary creature at heart, and I enjoyed simply existing at that moment by myself.

But as happens to such moments, it faded as soon as Bella returned a few minutes later.

“Okay. So, what do you want to know about magic?” she asked.

I grabbed my glass of untouched water and ran my finger around the lip before I stuck it in my mouth and swirled it around.

The water was indeed crisp and cool, and it was pure. Probably the purest water I’d ever tasted. There was absolutely no foulness in it at all, but even with my expanded poison resistance skill, I didn’t want to take any chances.

“Everything that you can tell me,” I said as I took a drink and sighed in content.

Bella nodded. “Then let’s start with my earlier question. If you don’t know how magic works, then you need to, so you know not to ask a question like that again.”

“So how does one learn magic?”

“Transference. One mage transfers the spell to another.”

“Hmm.” I rubbed my chin, picking at a single stubborn hair that I’d managed to miss during shaving. “So does that mean that once a mage transfers the spell that they lose it?”

Bella shook her head. “Not quite. Though it diminishes in power each time a person teaches the spell to someone else, and it requires more and more mana to use after that with less effective results.”

I nodded. “Which is why you don’t want to teach it to me.”

“You got it.”

I held my hand up while I finished the glass of water. “Hypothetically, how much money would it take for you to teach me?”

She paused and leaned back against the shelf that held her spirits. She chuckled. “Persistent as hell, aren’t you?”

“It’s one of my better qualities,” I said with a grin.

Bella glanced away from me and to the bar. She sighed and grabbed a top-shelf bottle of whiskey and took a long pull of it.

When she was finished, she pulled out two shot glasses and poured them full. She passed one to me and took the other in hand.

She downed the shot while I took mine and knocked it back. A delicious fire burned down my throat as I set the shot glass back on the table.

“Thousand,” Bella said. “And not a single vahn less.”

“A thousand?”

She nodded. “And I really don’t want to do it for even that. But I could use the money.”

A thousand vahn wasn’t nothing. It was nothing compared to the kind of money I used to have, but I had far too many expenses that kept eating into every drop of money I put back, even with all the money I was making.

But it was also magic, and even if it was a simple water spell, I wanted more.

Needed more.

It could be worth it in the long run, and besides, a thousand vahn for a near-infinite supply of pure, clean water. That could be even more useful in the long term than Ember or Fireball.

With a sigh, I pulled nearly every last coin I had in my purse out and handed them over.

Bella took them with a look of surprise on her face as if she really didn’t think I was going to pay up.

“You must be desperate if you’re willing to shell out that much for a simple spell.”

I shook my head. “Not desperate, just determined. Magic is something I don’t have much experience with, but it's something that I need to master.”

Bella shrugged and dropped the coin into a safe bolted into the floor. “Your money.”

When she came back up, she pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. She wrote quickly and fluidly, printing the name of the spell and what it did. As she finished, she held her hand over the parchment and spoke the name of the spell once more.

“Stream.”

Her hand glowed blue once more, but this time, there was no rush of water pouring out. Instead, the parchment itself glowed blue for a moment and then subsided, returning to its normal color.

“There you go. One magic scroll. Enjoy.”

I took the parchment and held it up. As soon as I did, my status screen flared to life in front of me.

Spell Transfer

Stream (Basic): Generates a continuous stream of pure, uncontaminated water. The flow and temperature can be manipulated and regulated within reason.

Mana Drain: Negligible

I accepted the spell and closed out my status.

“Thank you.”

Bella nodded. “You’re most welcome.” She looked down at the now useless parchment paper and sighed. “If you want more spells, you should head to Magdalene’s Booksellers. They’re pricey, but she has one of, if not the best selections of magic in the city.”

She quickly took the quill and scribbled directions to the shop and passed it over. I glanced at the directions, committed them to memory, and then folded the paper up and put it in my pocket.

“Thanks, I’ll have to do that.”

I wonder if I have time? I shook my head. No. I have too much to do to stop by right now.

I reached for my glass when a voice cut through the chatter and interrupted my thoughts.

“Back off, Robert. You’re drunk,” Aless said, her voice raised and aggravated.

I glanced over at the tall, glassy-eyed man who was in Aless’s personal space. He was thin, almost lanky, with dark, nearly black hair.

He was leaning on her when she clearly didn’t want any of it as Micah and one of the other guild members tried to get him to leave her alone.

The cold emptiness inside turned to a frigid rage as I stood.

Bella looked from me to Robert. “What are you about to do?”

“Handle a complication.”

Chapter 9- The Plan

Before I let my irrational side out to play, I tempered my rage and turned to Bella.

“Look. This is your bar. What are the rules?”

She looked at Robert and sighed. “Don’t kill him, and if you break anything, I’m taking it out of your ass, got it?”

I nodded. “Understood.”

I walked over to the table where Micah and Aless were with a bunch of their thieves guild members. As my shadow fell over the tall Robert and Aless, she glanced up, and her eyes widened.

“Elias, don’t─”

I kicked the legs of the stool Robert was on out from under him. He went sideways and crashed to the floor with a heavy groan, spilling his ale all over himself in the process.

As he hit the ground, I knelt and grabbed him by the collar.

Stream.

My hand glowed a bright blue as a tug yanked softly at my heart before a minute amount of fatigue flicked through my system.

As ice-cold water rushed from my hand and hovered over Robert, I clamped it down over his mouth, which quickly filled.

“Now listen and listen fast unless you want to drown on dry land. Don’t ever lay your hands on her again, you understand? Because next time I won’t be polite.”

Before he could respond, I removed my hand, and he sat up and started coughing, gagging as he choked and spat out the lungful of water. He fell to his knees and tried to figure out how to breathe again.

When he finally looked up, my glare returned as I stared him down.

“Do you understand?”

He nodded, still coughing.

“Excellent.” I turned to Bella and held up my hands. “We good?”

She leaned over and chuckled. “See you’ve already made good use of Stream. You break my stool?”

I looked down and then back to her as I shook my head. “Nope.”

“Then we’re good.”

As she finished speaking, I turned to Aless. “I’m leaving. You coming or staying?”

She looked to Robert on the floor and then back to her group of friends. Micah and the others were looking between us with conflicting emotions on their faces.

They all wanted Aless to stay, but I’d worn out my welcome already.

She just sighed. “I had that under control, y’know.”

“I know.”

“Then why didn’t you listen?” she asked, standing and downing the rest of her ale in three large gulps.

“Because he pissed me off,” I said as I headed for the door.

The bright sunlight nearly blinded me as I stepped out of the tavern, but I quickly acclimated as Aless followed behind me.

“You’re infuriating sometimes,” she said as she caught up with me.

“Well, I can’t exactly argue. I work very hard at being infuriating.”

Aless slugged me, not gently either. It didn’t exactly hurt, but I gave her what she wanted.

“Ow.” I rubbed my shoulder.

“Serves you right. I can handle Robert, always could.”

“Well, I certainly can.”

“Elias!” Aless began before she stopped and stared at me. “Were you jealous?”

I scoffed. “I don’t get jealous.”

Her gray eyes lit up, and she smiled wide. “You were jealous,” she said, and then her eyes dropped as we walked. She was quiet for a few moments before she spoke again. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” I asked.

“For leaving you alone. I was having fun talking to all the people I hadn’t seen in such a long time that I forgot about you. I’m sorry for that.”

I waved her off. “Don’t be. I actually liked that brief moment that I was alone. After two days together, it was nice. So, I really didn’t mind you talking with your friends. And I wasn’t jealous.”

“Then why’d you get so upset at Robert? He’s a bit of an obnoxious flirt when he gets drunk, but not a bad guy. I could handle him.”

I sighed as we passed a family out shopping, their hands full of shopping bags. Aless and I skirted around them and then picked up speed.

We needed to find an inn to stay at, but for now, we were just walking.

“I wasn’t jealous, but when I heard the rise in your voice and saw him all over you, I wanted to hurt him.”

“That’s jealousy.”

I chuckled. “I actually think that’s rage…but I see your point.”

We reached an inn, one of many throughout the city, but I picked this one at random, trying not to let my decision be influenced by my normal method of choosing a location.

The same method that Rhys and Crescent Thorn were no doubt familiar with.

I didn’t want them to be able to find me before I was ready.

It was a simple three-story building with darkened glass windows and a spotless white stone exterior.

“This the one?” Aless asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

She sighed in relief, her shoulders sagging as she stopped and stretched. “Good. I think we doubled back at least half a dozen times.”

“Can’t be too cautious,” I replied with a chuckle. “Besides, it’s a habit you should be used to by now. Especially with the tailing skill, I want to do everything I can to make finding us as difficult as possible.”

Aless nodded and yawned. “I know. It’s just been a fucking long day. I want a bath and to sleep in an actual bed. Not that your lap wasn’t a perfectly fine pillow, but the carriage wasn’t the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had.”

“Agreed.”

The pair of us walked into the inn, and a sign that said the Benrow Inn hung above us, swinging ever so slightly in the wind.

A bell chimed as we entered. The place was clean and warm, a large fireplace casting ample light and warmth to the room.

Which was rather large. It boasted a small common area with a few places for travelers to gather and speak, a small dining area, and a reception desk where a small man resided.

He had thick, brown hair and a garish mustache that curled at the tips.

“Welcome to the Benrow Inn. How may I be of service?”

“A room for the night. Preferably one with some privacy.”

“Of course.” He nodded and gave me the merchant’s once over. As he finished, there was a lift to his lips, and I guessed I passed his assessment. “That would be our third-floor rooms. A touch pricey, but they have ample space and plenty of privacy.”

I pulled out my coin purse. “How much?”

“Fifty vahn a night.”

At this point, the prices in the city were something I was starting to accept, and I handed the coins over without complaint.

“Excellent,” he said, his false smile growing. “And how many nights will you be staying?”

“Just the one,” I said.

He reached under the counter and handed me a brass key with a three stamped on the bow.

“Perfect. Your room is the third room on the left. Just go to the top of the stairs. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

With that, he pointed us to the staircase, and Aless and I headed up. The stairs were thick and didn’t so much as creak as we climbed them. As we reached the third floor, I walked past the other doors until we reached a plain white door with a brass three nailed to the door.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The room was rather small compared to our room at Blackfall, but it was quaint. A large four-poster bed dominated most of the room, with a smaller bed pressed up against the far wall under the large window overlooking the street. In the far corner was a small washtub with a basin next to it and a thin screen that allowed some measure of privacy.

“It does have a bath.” Aless grinned wide. “Good, I need a bath.” She turned to me and wound her hand through mine. “Care to join me?”

I shrugged and returned her smile. “Why not.”

I filled the tub with rather warm water pumped in through a pipe just like back home while Aless undressed and slid in the bath.

The water came up to her chest and hid her breasts from view as she leaned back and lifted a leg out of the bath. Water ran over her calves as she reached her foot out and snagged the collar of my shirt with her toe.

“Come in. The water feels great.”

She didn’t have to tell me twice, and I quickly stripped and slid into the bath. Aless scooted over and climbed atop me as she leaned back into the crook of my neck and tilted her head towards me.

“This almost makes the two-day journey worth it.” She sighed in pleasure.

“I’m inclined to agree with you there.”

We just sat there and let the hot water melt the built-up tension that had been lingering for days now. It was a nice, intimate moment between us that we both needed.

“So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?”

I tensed as she asked me the question and bit back a sigh as I forced my emotions down.

“You’re not going to like it.”

Aless lifted up, frowning as she turned to me. “And why’s that?”

“Because you’re staying here.”

Her frown turned to a scowl. She poked my chest. “Hell no. You need backup. I can help and provide covering fire. You need me there.”

“Unfortunately, that just isn’t true.” I sighed and shook my head. Aless opened her mouth to complain, but I brought a finger up and shushed her. “This has nothing to do with me not thinking you’re capable. You’ve grown by leaps and bounds these past weeks. You’re one of the most talented people I’ve ever known. But you aren’t ready to face a trained assassin, let alone a whole building full of them.

“I can handle them, at least long enough to escape if it comes to that. You can’t. And if you go with me, you die. That’s just how it would go. So you’re going to stay here. This is an order as your master, and you will obey me.”

I pulled out the bookshop piece of parchment and passed it to her. Only Bella and I were privy to our conversation about the shop, and I doubted the Foxes and Crescent Thorn cooperated. From what Aless told me, in the past, they stayed out of each other’s way. So, the shop was as good of a rallying point for Aless and me as any.

Her wet fingers quickly ruined the parchment, but she nodded and wiped her fingers on the side of the tub.

“Okay. I got it.” She kissed my neck, trailing up to my lips. “I fucking hate you right now. But I get it. But are you sure you don’t want me with you?”

I kissed her back. “Has nothing to do with want. If I could take you without needlessly risking your life, I would. But you wouldn’t survive, so you stay behind, and we meet at the bookshop.”

“This shop, they sell magic books? I was preoccupied with the guild, but I’m certain you couldn’t use water magic before you entered the bar.”

“Yeah. The bartender told me where I could learn more about magic after I bought a small spell from her.”

“And why aren’t we going to the bookstore right now and loading up on combat magic? Surely having more magic at hand would be nothing but a benefit to you?”

I sighed and stood. The hot water was fading, and sitting in lukewarm water wasn’t nearly as appealing. I grabbed one of the towels in a cubby by the washtub and dried off before I changed.

Aless hopped out and drained the tub before getting dressed.

“To answer your question.” I motioned outside, where late evening was about to turn to night. “It’s probably too late to go there today, and I won’t have time before I have to scout out the meeting spot.

“But even if I did have time or just decided to break in and steal the magic, I wouldn’t have time to practice the spells I’d acquire. And the last thing I want when I’m facing a guild of trained killers is something untested and unpredictable. I’ve practiced extensively with Fireball and Shade’s Rest. I know how they work. The same can’t be said for any new magic I learn. So, I’d rather stick with what I’ve trained with rather than something that might blow up in my face and get me killed.”

She nodded and climbed into bed. “I get it. I’m just worried. I don’t like the idea of you walking blindly into a den of vipers.”

I chuckled as I knelt by the tub and held my hand over it. “I’ve done more reckless things than this in my life. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

“I can’t help but worry.”

I nodded and turned back to the tub. I had a few hours left, and I wanted to test the limits of the spell I learned today just in case I had to use it. Even a little bit of practice would help in a pinch.

Can regulate and manipulate the temperature and flow, huh?

I started by adjusting how much water I produced at once, from a bare trickle to a gush of ice-cold water at my command. There was even a bit of pressure the more water I summoned.

But the more I used, the faster my mana drained.

After about twenty minutes of experimentation, I moved on to temperature control. And the base state was near ice cold. I tried to make it boil, but the most it got to was slightly hot.

Damn. Throwing boiling water in someone’s face would have been a hell of a way to ruin their whole week.

After that test, I stopped my experimenting. I didn’t want to waste more of my meager mana.

I pulled out two items from my ring. The first was a tall glass I’d lifted from the bar, and the second item went into the first as I held my hand over the glass and used Stream to pour a glass of water.

“Here, Aless,” I said as I sat down on the bed. “Some of the best water you’ll ever taste.”

Aless shifted on the bed and grabbed the glass. She chugged the water before handing it back to me.

“You’re right. That was delicious.” She wrapped her arms around me while her head rested on my shoulder. “Now come and cuddle with me. I’m sleepy.”

Her eyelids fluttered as she fought to stay awake.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you in my life.”

“You’d be just fine,” I said, brushing her hair back.

“No. I wouldn’t. I know that much.” She sighed and clung to me even as she drifted off to sleep. “I love you, Elias.”

Her breathing deepened, and soon she was fast asleep.

I sighed and slowly untangled myself from her. I leaned over and kissed her cheek as I held my hand up.

In my palm was the second item I’d taken from my ring, a small vial of clear liquid.

Sorry, Aless. You wouldn’t have listened, and you’d have followed after me. I can’t have that.

I took out my dimension ring and stowed the vial of silent night inside before I turned and walked to the door.

Before I left, I turned back as Aless slept, curled up, still holding on to where I’d been.

“And just so you know. I love you too.”

Chapter 10- Watching the Watcher

As I slipped out of the inn, I stopped by a nearby alley and hastily changed into my armor.

I donned my dark emerald cloak and began heading toward the city center.

At this time of night, most of the stores and businesses were closed. The only places still open were a handful of restaurants and bars. A few of the rowdier citizens were out, stumbling around as they tried to make it home in their drunken stupor.

I gave them a wide berth as I made my way to the town square.

It took me about an hour to reach it, but that was with a few detours to make sure I didn’t have a tail.

The city square was much more opulent and decorative than anything Vohra had to offer, even in the Noble District. Several shops and buildings lined the square, and a tall cathedral loomed in the background. Two massive spires rose to nearly touch the moon.

Most of the space was clear, nothing but smooth white pavestones, but there was a small park in the shape of a circle in the center. Bright, neatly trimmed grass and bushes filled with roses lined the perimeter. And at the very center was a statue of a man I didn’t recognize, but I assumed to be Earl Isaac Odra.

From the depiction, he seemed a noble man, but I’d never seen a statue that didn’t exaggerate the subject. But he wasn’t my target, and I had no business with the man, so I dismissed the statue and began scouting.

At once, I could tell the place was a nightmare.

It was in the center of the city, which meant it had major roads leading to every corner, not to mention the dozens of alleyways and side roads that I counted. It was open, which meant easy sightlines for archers and absolutely abysmal cover in the center. Plus, all the rooftops and corners provided excellent hiding places for a lurking assassin.

I hated all of it at once.

This is where Rhys wanted to meet? It’s an assassin's dream location. Why in the hell would he ever think I’d walk into that?

Regardless, I wasn’t here to scout out the location because I was planning on meeting with Rhys. That was never going to happen.

I was here for information.

If I were Crescent Thorn, I’d have placed a watcher in advance.

In fact, I’d have had the place under surveillance even before I left the city. So I was betting a guild member was keeping an eye on the place.

Make that two: one to watch and report, and one to tail me back to wherever I was staying.

That would be my plan if I had the men and resources.

I was hidden in shadow, but if I stepped toward the square, I knew I’d get made in seconds.

But that wouldn’t be a problem for me.

Because as much as the square was perfect for assassination, it was also perfect for counter assassination.

I have to say, I do so love assassinating assassins. They always manage to look so surprised.

All I had to do was find them, and then I could get them to tell me how to find Crescent Thorn's hideout.

Instead of stepping out toward the center of the square, I retreated and took an alley a dozen feet behind me that was in between a florist's and a seamstress’s shop. Unlike most alleys I was familiar with, it was clear of detritus and freshly swept.

It didn’t offer any cover, but the stone walls, however, were perfect. They were thick blocks, with about half an inch space between them where the mortar sunk in, giving me proper handholds.

I gripped them with my fingertips and started to climb. After several months in Vohra training with Aless, my climbing skills were stronger than they’d ever been before. And climbing the thirty feet to the roof was as simple as breathing for me.

Your Climbing skill has increased by 1! [Climbing: 11 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

When I got to the top, I hauled myself over as slowly and carefully as possible. I was far enough back from the city square that I figured no one would see me, but I didn’t know where the watcher was, so any movement that might give away my position was dangerous.

I dropped to the roof and stopped, scanning the nearby rooftops for any sign of activity.

But, of course, there was nothing.

With Aurella’s Light, I had superb vision, and even the darkest patches of shadow couldn’t hide the assassins from me.

It was just a matter of time and leaving no stone unturned.

After a handful of minutes, I was certain there was no one around from this angle, and I rose to a crouch, creeping across the roof until I reached the edge.

The next building over faced the square, and I had about a seven-foot jump to get across.

I could run and clear it easily, but that would require me to stand and make a lot of noise and movement. Two things that I didn’t want.

So instead, I shimmied to the ledge and crouched. I pushed off, angling for the lip of the roof. I hung over empty air for a brief second before my hands gripped the cool stone and my body slammed against the wall.

I braced, turning my body, so I took the impact on the meat of my thigh before I planted my feet and hung on for all I was worth.

Your Acrobatics skill has increased by 1! [Acrobatics: 23 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

I heaved a sigh of relief as I climbed up and over the roof.

When I was back on solid ground, I dropped once more and inched forward until I had a vantage of the entire square.

It was quiet. The city had long since gone to sleep, leaving only those who were up to no good out and about.

I crouched low and peered only an inch over the side of the building I was on as I tried to find the assassin. Because of Aurella’s Light, they couldn’t hide from me no matter how skilled they were.

And to their credit, they were skilled.

It took me about five minutes before I was able to spot them. Because they weren’t up on the roof or watching from an alley like I expected.

They were inside one of the buildings.

On the third floor of an upscale inn, the curtain was open a fraction of an inch, and I caught a glimpse of a figure shifting, which ruffled the curtain a bit. That slight movement gave them away.

After I tagged the first, I kept searching for the second assassin I thought was around, but I found nothing from my angle.

Either they only sent one, or I just can’t see them from where I’m at.

I didn’t have a complete view of the area, so there might have been an assassin hiding somewhere I couldn’t see.

Which was something I’d have to deal with, but it could happen after I took care of the one in the hotel.

I gave it a few more minutes and searched a couple more times just to be sure that I hadn’t missed something, and when I was sure, I left as slowly as I could. I backed away and pulled out my grappling hook.

It locked against the stone wall and dug into the masonry as I tested to see if it would hold. When I was certain, I slipped over the edge and dropped to the ground.

I shook the rope to dislodge the hook and pulled it over the edge. It fell, and I caught it before stowing it away again.

Then I looped the square until I came to the inn where the assassin was located.

He was on the third floor, which was pretty easy to reach as I climbed up. I hung, suspended by my fingertips as I gripped a windowsill to the room next door to the assassins.

Why windows were facing an alley was beyond me, but I chalked it up to shoddy construction as I pulled out my pry bar.

I slid it under the sill and was about to pry the lock open when a thought struck me. I slid my fingers under the gap and opened the window.

It was already unlocked.

Right. It’s on the third floor. Very few people are that careful that they lock a window three stories up.

An understandable decision, but one that has proven fatal for more than a few of my targets.

The room was empty as there was no one currently renting it, so I sild the window open and vaulted inside, landing softly on the balls of my feet.

As I lowered into a crouch, I paused and listened, making sure I hadn’t been heard. I’d been quiet, but that wasn’t a guarantee.

When I was certain that I was still undetected, I moved to the door and knelt, pressing my fingertips to the wood.

There were no vibrations that I could detect, which told me that no one was out in the hall.

I opened the door, and right in front of me was the door to the assassin’s room. He was inside, awake and alert, keeping an eye out. He might not have heard my door opening. But if I tried to pick the lock, I’d alert the assassin without question. The scraping of my picks over the tumblers wasn’t loud by any means, but he’d be attuned to any change in sound, and even the slight noise I’d make would be a gunshot to his senses.

If I can’t go through, how about I just go under.

I crouched low, checked the slightly raised door, and smiled as I drew a dagger.

As I called Shade’s Rest, the world inverted as I melded into a pool of shadow and passed under the door as silently as a wraith.

The room was a mirror of the one I’d broken into, and all the darkened spaces were alight with pure white light.

My watcher was kneeling by the window, peeking out of it as a single ray of darkness drifted over his white body from Aurella high overhead in the night sky.

He hadn’t heard me enter, nor would he as I crossed the room to his shadow and canceled Shade’s Rest.

The assassin jerked at the rush of invisible wind as I materialized behind him, but it was already far too late.

I slithered my arm around his neck even as I solidified and gripped it tightly with both hands as I jerked his neck up and to the side, putting my entire body into snapping his neck.

A sharp crack echoed through the silent room, and the assassin gave a low death rattle as his body went limp.

1 Kill: 100 Exp!

Your Hand-to-Hand skill has increased by 1! [Hand-to-Hand: 23 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Stealth skill has increased by 1! [Stealth: 30 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

Even as I read the notification, I still knelt and checked his body to make sure. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust the system; caution was just ingrained into my body. I pressed my dagger to his heart and twisted, making doubly sure.

As soon as I was sure he was dead, I stripped him entirely, careful not to get any blood on my pilfered items. I stole his clothes, leather armor, and cloak, along with his dimension ring and weaponry.

When he was down to nothing but his underclothes, I rose and tossed the bundle on the bed.

I left the clothes alone for the time being and instead crept to the window and peered out.

A very open panorama of the entire square greeted me, giving me a nearly unobstructed view. From my vantage point, it didn’t take me long to find the second assassin. And I had to give him credit. He’d picked a good spot.

He was hidden in the shadow of a building that had a recessed entryway. It was next to the road, which gave him quick access in case he needed to flee or tail me.

All in all, Crescent Thorn knew what they were doing. It just wasn’t nearly enough against me.

With one assassin dead, I just had one more to deal with. But I would have to go about dealing with him carefully.

I need to subdue him and get him to talk. But that won’t be easy.

It won’t be easy at all.

Getting a normal person to open up was difficult enough, but questioning a trained assassin was another matter entirely.

But it’s not impossible. As long as I play it the right way, I think I can do it.

Gonna have to go in fast, shock him, put him off balance, and take away his power. Then don’t let up. Put real fear into him. Even then, it may not work, but it’s the best bet I have.

After thinking it over for a few minutes, no better plan presented itself, so I just accepted it and moved on.

I skirted around the dead assassin as I went to the bed where all of his stuff was. I stripped out of my cloak and armor and donned his.

At once, I hated it.

It was black leather, not as high quality as the armor Angela made for me, and it didn’t fit me quite right. It sat on my frame well enough, but it was a far cry from what I’d gotten used to.

I donned the black cloak and thin, black face mask that covered my mouth and nose. I pulled the hood over me, and even I couldn’t tell me apart from the assassin on the floor.

Your Disguise skill has increased by 1! [Disguise: 8 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Next, I strapped his weapons on me exactly as they had been on him, and this is where I had to admit that they were better quality than my own. Not by much, Terrance was a skilled blacksmith, but whoever forged these was well versed in instruments of death and knew their craft well.

Thanks for the new weaponry. Not quite the prize I want tonight, but I’ll certainly take them.

Though this assassin didn’t use throwing knives, I couldn’t wear them while trying to be him, so I left my eight throwing knives in my dimension ring but took my daggers that were balanced enough I could throw them and stuck them at the small of my back.

The cloak would hide them and having some quick distance weapons eased my mind a bit.

Can’t use the crossbow either right now. As it would cause people to ask far too many questions.

With a sigh of regret, I stored it away, then bagged up the rest of the items I’d taken from the assassin.

I left his body where it lay. By the time it was discovered, all of this would hopefully be over with.

Double checking that my second target for the evening was still where I’d last seen him, I left the inn and climbed back down to the alley. From there, I turned away from the square and made my way around the perimeter, edging closer to the assassin as I moved through side streets and back alleys.

As I climbed atop the building, I slowly hopped from windowsill to balcony until I was right on top of the assassin, who was none the wiser.

If there was one thing I could do better than almost anyone, it was moving silently.

I reached into my storage ring and pulled out a small cut and polished blue crystal, a mana stone.

They were strange but simple devices that stored mana. They had a lot of uses, but the most common was as a light source. When slightly cracked, the mana that leaked out was a pure blue light that could last up to a year depending on how they were filled.

But they also had a rather unique side effect. If the crystal was completely shattered, all the mana was released in a giant burst, which had quite the blinding effect.

I leaned over the railing and tossed the crystal on the stone right in front of the assassin.

“What─”

The crystal shattered like glass, and a thousand shards skittered over the pavestones before a high-pitched whine echoed around the silent square, and a brilliant light flared to life and lit up the night for a single second before fading back to darkness.

He screamed in pain as I leapt over the railing and landed beside him.

I turned, grounded my stance, and lashed out with a side kick. It slammed home just below his ribs, striking his solar plexus.

All the air rushed out of the blinded assassin as he stumbled back and hit the brick wall of the storefront he was hiding in.

As the back of his head cracked against the stone, I surged forward and grabbed him by the arm and threw him over my shoulder. He hit the ground, and once more, his oxygen was stolen from him.

Before he could react, I pulled a long, silver needle from my ring and jammed it into the side of his neck.

The assassin slumped over, unconscious as the minuscule drop of silent night entered his bloodstream.

1 Knock-out: 50 Exp!

Should keep him out for an hour, maybe less if he has any tolerance to poisons.

My extensive training with Angela had given me intimate knowledge on how much silent night I needed to knock out a target and how long it kept them out.

When the assassin was unconscious, I picked him up and carried him like a sack of potatoes up and away from the square.

***

“Hey, stop pretending you’re asleep. You woke up thirty seconds ago,” I said.

The assassin opened his eyes, and away from the darkness, he had startling blue irises, even clearer than my own.

He glanced around the room. “Where am I?” He struggled to sit up, and when he tried, he only caused himself pain.

I’d taken him back to the empty room at the inn. Not the one the dead assassin was currently occupying, but the one I used to enter. It was secluded, and I had an easy escape route if things didn’t go as planned.

It wasn’t as sequestered as I’d have liked, but this wasn’t my city. I didn’t know a place I could take him where I could guarantee privacy, so this was the best I could do.

I’d tied the man up, using most of my knowledge of knots and some of the rope I carried with me.

He was tied with three different knots, and they each played into each other, meaning he wasn’t going anywhere.

“You’re alive. Whether you stay that way remains to be seen,” I said from the bed beside him.

I rose and walked around to face him, drawing one of my new knives in the process.

“So, here is how this is going to play out.” I flicked my hand out and sliced a thin groove down the side of his face, light enough to spill blood and get my point across. “I’m going to hurt you. How much depends on what you give me.”

He laughed. “Should have killed me when you had the chance. Shadow Bind!”

His eyes flashed black, and tendrils of shadow rose from around him. They formed ethereal chains and shot toward me with blinding speed.

Before they reached me, I crushed the mana crystal I had in my off-hand and even more light spilled into the room.

I closed my eyes, but it didn’t help much. As the light faded, so too did his shadow magic.

With him having used his skill, the cooldown was an hour, so he wouldn’t be able to use it again on me.

As he blinked his tears away, I knelt.

“Shadow Bind? Interesting choice. I was expecting Shade’s Rest since it has more uses, but it hardly matters. I’ve found during my training that shadow magic doesn’t like the light so much, especially sudden bursts of bright light. Good to know it even disrupts Shadow Bind.”

I paused as I peered down at him.

“Though I can’t be sure, you look young,” I said. “Early to mid-twenties, I’d guess. From what I’ve gathered, the average level for most people in this world is around level two. Of course, being an assassin means you might be higher than that. But I doubt it. If you were skilled enough to get to level three, then Thorn wouldn’t have you on surveillance.”

“You son of a bitch! What do you want?” he spat at me.

I grinned. “No magic either. Otherwise, you’d have used it on me by now.” I chuckled. “You really are the runt of the litter, aren’t you?”

The assassin gritted his teeth as his eyes glared malice at me. He seethed in rage and struggled against the ropes to no avail.

“Fuck you! Just tell me what you want!” he shouted.

I quickly clamped my hand over his mouth. “None of that now.” I stared into his eyes and slid the tip of my dagger between his mouth, prodding his gums just enough to draw blood. “You scream again, I carve out some teeth.

“Now, to answer your question, what I want is information. I want information just as I’m sure you want to keep your teeth in your skull, yes? But unfortunately, I don’t have all the time in the world to play with you, so here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to ask you a question, and if you lie to me even once, I’m going to slice up your mouth, tear these actually rather nice teeth from your mouth one by one.”

I shrugged. “And if you lie to me a second time…well, after your teeth, you have your eyes, your nose. Ears, fingers, and toes. I’ve never seen anyone who’s made it past their fingers, but by all means, try to beat the record.”

“You’re a sick fuck!” he said but winced as my blade cut into his gums. His eyes widened in terror.

Yeah, you’re obviously a new recruit, young and not well trained yet.

If this had been an older, seasoned warrior, my threats and theatrics wouldn’t work nearly as well.

I smiled down at the young man as his blood ran down the edge of my knife in his mouth.

“And you’re a few short minutes away from being crippled for the rest of your life. Even healing magic can’t fully restore severed limbs or undo what I have in store for you. So, what’s it going to be?

“Your choice.”

This was it. The singular moment where either my plan worked, or it didn’t.

If he refused to open up, then I had no choice but to kill him and try to find the hideout another way.

Torture didn’t work often, but the threat of it was much more powerful.

But is it enough?

Let’s try and keep the fear alive in him.

I pulled back on the dagger and rotated it, so the edge was against his lips. “I changed my mind, don’t tell me anything. And I think I’ll start with your lips, cut them off, fry them with garlic and feed them to you. How does that sound?” I moved the knife to his groin. “Or perhaps I cut off a different part and feed it to you bite by bite. That sounds much more delightful.”

The terror built in his gaze, and I knew that the pressure was building as he squirmed away from the knife.

“Fuck! Okay, you sick, twisted freak. Okay! What do you want to know?”

Your Intimidation skill has increased by 2! [Intimidation: 8 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

Your Charisma has increased by 1! [Charisma: 16] +100 Exp!

I moved the knife away from him but kept it along his thigh, ready for motivation if I needed it.

“Crescent Thorn. I want to know the location of your hideout.”

He started to resist, but then his head dropped. “Fuck this. I’m not cut out for the guild. “ He sighed and shook his head. “Noll St. The third door along the left. It looks small, but the entire street is actually the hideout.”

“What’s the challenge phrase and response?” I asked.

“What’s the weather like? The response is, it looks like rain.”

“Thank you,” I said with a nod. “How about the number of men inside?”

He shook his head. “I dunno, a dozen, two. I’m not sure. I’ve only been with them six months, and people come and go all the time, so I can’t be sure.”

Alright, there are a few more things I’d like to know, but I doubt he knows them. And I’m running out of time.

In truth, I had many more questions for the assassin, but using fear as a motivator was a gamble in and of itself, and either he was telling me the truth, in which case I had the most important information, or he was lying, which meant that anything else I learned from him would have been a lie as well.

Before he could take another breath, I brought my blade up and slammed it to the hilt into his neck, puncturing the carotid artery.

I moved to the side and twisted, pulling the knife out before I plunged it into his heart.

As he died, I received the notification.

1 Kill: 100 Exp!

As I blinked it away, I chuckled.

I earned experience for knocking him out and then even more for killing him. It had happened a few times before, but it was rare for me to knock out and then kill an opponent. If only I could do it with everyone I fight. I’d be leveling up like crazy.

The system that Weilin designed had some semblance of intelligence, and it didn’t like when people broke the rules, but on certain things, it allowed the rules to be bent now and again.

As I glanced down at the blood pooling on the floor, I sighed and knelt, wiping my blade on the dead man’s cloak.

The maid is going to find one hell of a surprise in the morning.

Both assassins were dead, and I had the location of their hideout.

I didn’t really want to leave the bodies here, but I had wasted enough time. Dawn was only a few hours off, and if I didn’t get a move on, I’d have wasted my chance.

But as I was about to leave, I stopped and had a thought as I palmed the man’s dimension ring.

There’s no way this works, right?

I shrugged and knelt by the body. I opened his dimension ring and took out a medium-sized coin purse and a few odds and ends any professional assassin carried with them. Those went to my ring while I pressed the now empty ring to the body.

There was a snap, and then the body vanished into the ring, leaving only a bloody mess on the rug.

Holy shit, that actually worked.

As quickly as I could, I went to the opposite room and stored the first assassin's body in the ring as well.

I know I can store nonliving things in the ring, but I seriously didn’t think that would work. I wonder if anyone else has figured that out?

I’m sure they have, but damn if that isn’t handy.

The ability to make corpses disappear was invaluable and something I wanted to explore later, but for now, I had a job to do.

And even more corpses to make.

Noll St., eh?

Well, I guess it’s time to pay Crescent Thorn a visit.

Chapter 11- Crescent Thorn

Navigating the streets of Odra wasn’t any more difficult than in Vohra. And the fact that everything was so clean and orderly actually made it easy for me to find my way around, thanks to the clearly labeled signs.

I slipped through the streets still in my assassin disguise, which was an incredibly amusing thought. I crossed the city until I found where I needed to go.

Noll St. was in a part of the city that obviously didn’t see much foot traffic from the atmosphere of the place. Though the stone buildings were as clean and spotless as the rest of the city, there was an ineffable quality to the air that told me that this place wasn’t visited often.

The street was white stone, with brick buildings lining either side of the street and meeting at the end of the road. Though it gave the impression of several buildings and storefronts all separated, there were no alleys between the buildings, which told me that at least part of what the assassin had said was true.

It’s all one giant complex hidden in plain sight. Out of the way and nondescript enough that few people probably bother to even come this way, and the atmosphere itself would lead people to stay away.

Not a bad location for a guild of assassins at all.

It had all the right notes that led me to believe that this was the right place. But now, I had to think about my approach.

There were several windows along all three floors, and it looked like it would be a simple climb to get in. Though thick, heavy curtains concealed what lay beyond the panes of glass.

If this were my hideout, there’s no way I’d leave those unguarded like that. I rubbed my fingers, remembering the needle traps at Blackfall Manor that had been poisoned with silent night. They’re definitely trapped. Of that, I have no doubt. But also having so many windows is a weakness.

I’d have boarded them up, so if anyone did get up there, they’d be in for nothing but disappointment.

But if I couldn’t get in through the windows, that left the front door and the roof.

I could enter through the front door, give the passphrase that may or may not work, but then I’m in a location that I haven’t been in before, and I can’t be sure that I won’t get dragged into conversation beyond the challenge phrase.

If I talk, it’ll quickly give me away.

The best bet was to go in from above and work my way down. Never give them a chance to respond. Kill everyone who stood in my way until I reached the guild leader.

Rhys said he just wanted to meet, but that was bullshit, and Thorn indirectly threatened my friends, the people I’d come to care about.

He’s going to regret that.

I had no intention of joining Crescent Thorn, not now or ever, and if my plans for Vohra were going to continue, they would eventually have to be dealt with. I knew enough about them that I was certain coexistence wasn’t on the table.

They needed to die—all of them.

Killing an entire guild of assassins. Now even I’m not that suicidally reckless.

There was no way I could kill them all, but I was certain I could kill a good number of them. Hopefully, I could get the leader too.

That’d send a very pointed message to stay the fuck away from me and mine.

Afterward, they’d be in chaos long enough to give me some breathing room to actually form a strategy to take the rest of them out.

But this was probably the single most dangerous thing I’d ever attempted. And I was certainly going to face off against more than a few trained killers who aimed to see me dead.

They can try, of course, but they’ll find I’m no helpless prey for the slaughter. I’m the fox in the henhouse.

With my plan in mind, I crept away from the building, careful of any lookouts that were probably watching the street, and I slipped to the side, going to the next street over and climbing to the rooftop.

Your Climbing skill has increased by 1! [Climbing: 12 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

All the climbing I’d been doing tonight had been well worth it, and as the skill took hold, some of the strain on my fingers eased, and I clung a little more naturally to the brick as I lifted myself up and over the edge of the building.

The system skills are starting to catch up to my natural ability. It’s going to be truly exciting to see what becomes of me once they start to surpass them.

With this world of magic and skills, normal human talent, even mine, wasn’t going to cut it.

I was just lucky none of my targets had been Beastkin. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face one head-on just yet.

As I dropped to the roof, I scanned my surroundings. Aurella’s Light made sure no one could hide from me.

Three lookouts were posted on the rooftops. All of them spread out and at angles that gave them an unobstructed view of the street below.

If I’d stepped out from the road when I first came upon the building, I’d have been made in an instant.

They were placed almost perfectly, which was a pain in the ass for me. There was no way I could get to all of them one by one without them noticing.

It bore some thought, but after a second glance, I had a plan.

It would require absolute precise timing on my part. If I missed, I was screwed, but it was the best chance of getting in undetected.

I opened my dimension ring and pulled out my crossbow and Aless’s. I still hadn’t given it to her yet, and now I was going to make use of it.

Though it wasn’t fair of me to take its maiden blooding, Aless wouldn’t care as long as it kept me alive.

I strapped both to my thighs, shifting my short sword on my left hip to make room. I also changed back into my normal gear. My plan to walk in was well and truly dead, so I’d much rather have the added protection, though I kept the mask and cloak because it might make one of the assassins hesitate for a split second, which is all I would need.

When I was ready, I moved out from behind the wall and drew my crossbows. I turned and brought them to bear. I aimed for the two furthest assassins, one on the roof of the building to my left and the other two on either side of Crescent Thorn's hideout.

I fired.

My aim was true, and with a subtle click and a woosh, both bolts launched and whistled softly through the air before they buried themselves in the hearts of the lookouts.

Blood arced from their chests as they lurched, letting out soft grunts of surprise before they groaned as they tumbled to the ground.

As soon as I squeezed the triggers, I dropped the crossbows. They clattered to the stone roof with a sharp clang as the final lookout turned, first at his dead comrades, then at the noise I made.

My hands were already moving. I withdrew two throwing knives and chucked them at the assassin.

He turned as I threw them, and all he had time for was a surprised gasp before my blades found purchase in his body.

One took him in the lung, missing his heart by a fraction of an inch, while the other slammed home in the center of his neck.

He gurgled as blood ran from the gashes in his neck and chest. He stumbled back, his hands going to his throat as he gripped the handle of my blade.

I raced to him even as his hand lit up with bright light as he cast a healing spell. He yanked the blade from his neck, only for a second knife to take its place.

I’d had to use one of the knives I’d stolen, and while it wasn’t balanced properly for throwing, my aim was much better as I closed the distance.

He clearly wasn’t expecting a second throwing knife to his neck, and he didn’t even have time to groan as I reached him and swept his leg out from under him. He went sideways, and I gripped my blade and tore it through his throat, severing his trachea and right carotid artery.

As I took my first knife, I brought my left hand to the one in his chest and twisted it before shifting an inch and sinking it to his heart.

Our exchange had lasted only seconds, but my breath was up as I knelt and checked to make sure no one had heard our scuffle.

All was quiet, and the only noise around was the rustling of trees in the distance and the lackadaisical whisper of the wind.

The blinking light of my status alerted me as my pulse settled.

3 Killed: 300 Exp!

Your Archery skill has increased by 2! [Archery: 8 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

Your Throwing Knives skill has increased by 2! [Throwing Knives: 13 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

Not bad. I’ll take it.

Three kills in six seconds. I think that’s a new record.

And not just any kills, trained assassins. I’d take that victory, no matter how small.

When I was sure I was alone, I went and retrieved my crossbows. Besides a few scuff marks on the steel, they were fine.

Jin’s going to be pissed, but it’s nothing he can’t repair, and besides, they still work just fine.

I reloaded both of them and stowed them back on my hips as I dug my throwing knives out of the dead assassin and cleaned them on his corpse.

I grinned before I glanced at the silent building with darkened glass. My smile fell as what I was about to do really sunk in.

To infiltrate a guild of assassins with the intent to kill its leader. This is the most daring thing I’ve ever attempted.

But I bet it’s going to be fun.

I drew a dagger and palmed it as I went around the rooftop until I found a raised part of the roof that looked like it opened.

Here was where my perception stat was going to shine. I had to check for traps.

After all, I’m certain the side of the building and the windows are trapped. But then again, anyone who got this far would be wary of them.

But if it were my hideout, I’d double down on the traps.

I opened it partway, cracking it a quarter of an inch to reveal a ladder that led to the third floor and a small tripwire that was nearly taut. Another few inches and I’d have triggered it.

Knew it.

Your Perception has increased by 1! [Perception: 35] +100 Exp!

I slid my dagger through the slot and found the trap. I quickly disabled it and opened the hatch.

After a quick peek to make sure the hallway was clear, I dropped down, landing silently on the balls of my feet.

I found myself in a lavish hallway that would be at home in any of the manors back in Vohra. A stark contrast to the rather bland and boring exterior.

A plush, golden rug lined the hall, and brass candle sconces were bolted into the smooth, white walls.

I was at the end of the hall, and to my left, it continued until it came to a corner. There was a door every so often along the walls, leading to Weilin knows where.

There wasn’t anyone walking the halls, but it was late, past four in the morning. I assumed most of the guild were either out on jobs or sleeping.

As I crept through the hall, I came upon the first door. I paused at it and knelt like I was tying a bootlace. I slipped my fingertips under the crack in the door and pressed them to the wooden floor and waited.

There weren’t any vibrations, but wind brushed over my fingertips. Which told me someone was inside the room.

No matter how small, any movement sent ripples through the room, and it naturally wanted to escape through the few open spaces available—namely, the cracks in windows or doors.

I stood and tested the door. It was unlocked. I opened it and went inside as calm and casually as I could.

It was a small bedroom, which reminded me more of the bunkrooms at Blackfall Manor. Several beds lined the walls. There were even bunk beds. A small wooden table with a few chairs sat in the center, but most of the space was dominated by beds.

At the end of each bed was a small storage chest for belongings.

And laying in three of the beds were assassins, dozing softly.

They weren’t wearing their uniforms and instead wore casual clothes. Two of the assassins were men, heavily muscled and garbed in loose-fitting black and gray clothes. The third was female. She was thin and lithe, dressed in similar attire.

All three of them were asleep, but as the trained assassins that they were, they opened their eyes as the door opened.

They were heavy with sleep as I entered, but they still tracked me.

“Is it time to trade shifts already?” the woman asked with a yawn, moving to sit up.

I opened my dimension ring and pulled out three needles coated with silent night.

Even as I did so, the woman squinted before her eyes went wide. She reached under her pillow for a blade she had hidden.

I threw the needle.

“Int─”

The poisoned tip punctured her neck, and a high dose of silent night caused her to slump over almost instantly.

As I took care of her, I turned and tossed my last two needles as the men moved to sit up.

They didn’t even have time to speak before they were slumbering along with the woman.

3 Knocked-out: 150 Exp!

Your Needlework skill has increased by 2! [Needlework: 2 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

(Warning! Continued advancement along this path could lead to a potential Job change)

Do you wish to delete this skill and forfeit the Exp?

Yes/No?

I bit my cheek to keep from laughing.

Yes.

After each of them slumped over, I stood and closed the door, placing a chair under the knob so I wouldn’t be disturbed for the time being.

I went to the woman first and plucked my needle from her neck before taking the knife from her hand and placing it in between her third and fourth ribs. I pressed in, and the blade slid swiftly through her flesh and into her heart. The knife stopped at the hilt, and I twisted.

She died quietly, not making a sound.

I went to the two men and repeated the process, killing them in quick, precise movements.

Three more assassins fell to my hand.

3 Killed: 300 Exp!

Your Small Blades skill has increased by 1! [Small Blades: 31 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

It was slight, but there was a definite improvement in the way the dagger sat in my hand, and as I swung it through the air, it glided just a bit better than it had moments before.

I glanced at the corpses in the room, and I couldn’t help but grin.

Knock out and then kill.

Don’t hold it against me for bending the rules, Weilin.

After I killed the last man, I left the knife in his heart while I removed their dimension rings and stowed them in a pocket.

When I was finished looting, I stowed the bodies away and removed the chair before leaving the room, closing the door behind me.

The next two rooms I checked were nearly identical to the room before. Bunkrooms meant to house the guild members, but there were no other assassins in them, so I pressed on.

I kept my gait confident and assured yet light, stepping softly on the golden rug so I wouldn’t make any excess noise.

As I rounded the corner, I came upon two guild members having a conversation.

One was leaning against the wall in full uniform with the same cloak as I wore, while the other just had a black shirt and blue trousers with a knife at his waist.

“I’m telling you, there’s no way Alia is a better fighter than Jennette,” the uniformed man said.

“Jennette is skilled. I’m not denying that, but her talents lie in other areas. In a pure one-on-one fight, Alia takes it, hands down.”

The first man was about to respond when I came around the corner.

Both of them turned at my approach.

“Here we go,” the man said, raising his hand toward me. “Help us settle a bet. Who takes who in a fight? Alia or Jennette?”

I strolled forward and shrugged as I gripped both of my daggers tight in hand under my cloak.

“Hold up, why are you wearing your mask indoors? You know that’s against the─”

I lashed out with both hands, dragging my blades across both of their necks as I passed by. I ducked the arterial spray and turned as they gripped their bleeding necks. I thrust both daggers into their chests and quickly ended their lives.

2 Killed: 200 Exp!

Your Agility has increased by 1! [Agility: 48] +100 Exp!

When I was done, I retrieved my knives and stood.

Either girl would likely have done better than your sorry asses.

“Good to know about the masks, though,” I muttered to myself as I rolled my shoulders back and forth, enjoying the lightness in my movements.

I slipped the mask off and brushed my blond hair out of my face as I removed the hood as well. My hands shook slightly from the pulse of battle in my veins.

I’d been in the hideout for less than fifteen minutes, and yet, I’d already killed five assassins.

Which just went to show how much the element of surprise counted, even for people like me.

While a nice ego boost, I can’t just go through this entire place and slaughter the lot of them. I need to find the guild leader and quickly before the alarm is raised.

I imagined it wouldn’t take long for the bodies I’d dropped to be found, and after that, I wouldn’t have a chance in hell of killing the guild leader, but there hadn’t been much choice for me.

There was no way of getting in without killing the lookouts, and I wasn’t about to leave potential threats alive at my back.

I need to hurry.

As I cleaned my knives, I vanished the bodies after taking their rings and continued.

There were a few more rooms on the upper floor, but I only found three more assassins in total. Two of them were sleeping, and one was in the middle of getting dressed and hadn’t heard me enter, which meant that he died just as quickly as the others.

Just with his shirt over his head. Which admittedly helped with the blood.

3 Killed: 300 Exp!

As I cleared the third floor, I went to the stairwell that led to the second.

From what I could tell, the second floor was a training room, and it was even emptier than the third floor.

Guess most of the guild are out on jobs, but this still feels a little lighter than I was expecting.

The kid assassin told me over a dozen. Close to two. I’ve killed, what, thirteen assassins tonight?

So I’ve taken half of the guild down if he’s to be believed.

I wasn’t going to take his words as fact. He hadn’t been lying to me, but I was betting there were more than just what I’d come across so far.

Though I guess elite assassins are hard to come by. Maybe Crescent Thorn just didn’t have that many members to begin with.

I checked room after room and found nothing but a rather extensive set of training rooms that even put the ones back home to shame.

As I left the last training room, I headed down to the first floor. It was much the same as the rest of the building, but there were fewer doors.

One stood front and center as I came down the stairs. It was the only double door I’d seen in the hideout, which meant it was the door I wanted to enter.

As I stepped from the stairs, padded footsteps ruffled the carpet to my left.

I turned, pulling out my crossbow at the same time. The black-tipped bolt pointed straight at the heart of a familiar face.

Rhys’s eyes widened as he took me in. His gaze flicked from my crossbow to my face, and he cursed.

“Fuck. Shoulda figured it’d go like this.” He sighed. “And we had people watching the gates too. When did you get into the city?”

“This afternoon.”

Rhys chuckled. “So, it took less than a full day to find our headquarters.” He shook his head. “Damn. Not bad.

“So what now?”

I motioned for him to step back. “Now, you take me to your boss and remain silent the entire time. If you help me, I might let you live.”

“Which means you’ve killed some of my friends already, right? You’d have to. There’s absolutely no way to get in without getting spotted. I know that much.”

I shrugged. “Less talking. You either lead me to Thorn, or I put a quarrel through your heart and find him myself.”

He nodded and motioned to the door. “He’s through there.”

I looked around the empty hallway. “Where is the rest of your guild?” I asked. “This place can house at least three times the number I’ve killed tonight.”

“Out, on jobs mostly. There’s always work for people like us in this country. Everyone is always coming or going unless they are taking a break from work to train. They usually only come back to pay Thorn his due.”

“His due? You mean he gets a cut of the profits from every job?”

Rhys nodded. “It’s our payment for the training we receive. And it’s not a lot, only twenty-five percent of the contract.” He shrugged. “A fair trade for all he’s done for us.”

He was silent as we reached the double doors.

“This is the guildhall, where Thorn is with his Shadows, his guards,” Rhys said.

“How do I get in undetected?”

“You don’t.” Rhys shook his head. “Only way in is through these doors, so once you’re in, that’s it.”

Shit. Well, it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. And honestly, I’m amazed I’ve gone this long without the alarm going up.

But this isn’t going to be easy.

“Best get to it.”

I reached into my ring and pulled out a needle. Before Rhys could react, I shoved it into his neck, and he dropped like a stone to the soft, golden carpet.

As I knelt, I drew a knife.

Appreciate the help, Rhys. But you’ve outlived your usefulness.

Just as I brought the blade to his neck, there were low, rapid thumps of footsteps coming down the stairs.

A man in a black cloak and mask raced into view. “Thorn! There’s an intruder!” he shouted as I raised my crossbow.

He stopped dead and looked at me.

He blinked.

I fired.

The bolt punched through his cloak and leather armor with ease, taking his heart and tearing out the other side, slamming into the brick wall with a sharp clang. The assassin gurgled and rasped as he tried to speak before he fell to the ground, dead.

1 Knock-out: 50 Exp!

1 Kill: 100 Exp!

Your Archery skill has increased by 1! [Archery: 9 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

With that, all subtlety had gone out the window, and I rose from Rhys’s unconscious body as I turned to the door. I didn’t have time to waste, so Rhys got to live for now.

I reached into my dimension ring, withdrew a single, heavy explosive bolt with its bulbous head, and loaded it as I stepped into the guildhall.

Guess I should go and introduce myself.

Chapter 12- Thorn

The room was in contrast to the rest of the building.

Rather than the plush carpet and fresh paint of the rest of the place, the room was brick. Wrought iron torch sconces were placed around the room, and the open flames brought a warm light to the room.

It was likely the center of the entire complex, and the space was wide and open with a set of stairs that led to a balcony that overlooked the room.

On the back wall was a large chair, which was the most extravagant thing in the room, and even it was comparably muted.

Sitting on it was a rather handsome man. He wore the signature garb of his guild. The same black cloak that obscured what he wore underneath. He was tall, thin, yet there was functional muscle on his frame.

He had thick and wild brushed-back gray hair despite the youthfulness of his face and a thin, neatly trimmed beard. His seafoam eyes lit up in surprised humor at my entrance.

“Well, isn’t this interesting.” He leaned over and propped his arm on his leg, resting his chin on his knuckles. “It’s not often I get to entertain guests, and from your appearance, you must be the man who gave Rhys such trouble. Elias, right?”

“And from the layout of the room and false throne you’re sitting on, you must be Thorn.”

“That I am,” he said with a chuckle. “Though our meeting wasn’t scheduled until tomorrow, I do so admire punctuality.

“But there were easier ways to go about this.” He shook his head and looked past me as the doors slowly shut behind me. “Did you have to kill my men solely to make a point?”

“Of course not. They were in my way and needed to be dealt with. But if their deaths served two purposes, then all the better.” I glared at him. “You had your messenger deliver a threat. That was a poor decision on your part. Consider it payment for your errant slip of the tongue.”

Thorn tipped his head back and laughed loudly, echoing in the small, empty chamber. His body wracked with laughter, and he wiped his eyes as he composed himself.

“A slip of the tongue. Yes, quite. That must be it.” Thorn crossed his arms and leaned back, assuming a non-threatening posture, which was either hubris or confidence on his part, considering I was still armed to the teeth. “And your earliness is commendable. So, shall we get down to business?”

I shook my head. “There is no business to discuss. The only thing you want me here for is to either offer me a place within your guild or to kill me per the now dead contract from Vohra.

“I have no interest in either option.”

“Why not?” Thorn asked. “You’re not in another guild that I can find. Black Emperor and Cold Iron deny knowledge of you. So, you’re not from Duram. You lack the features of a Beastkin, and you’re not using illusion magic or a concealment spell that I can tell, which means you don’t belong to Amerestu either.

“All indication is that you’re a freelancer. But your skill cannot be denied. Someone trained you, not affiliated with a guild, which makes me ever so curious.”

Thorn paused, waiting for me to comment on anything he’d just said. But I just stared him down, waiting for him to continue.

After a small stretch of silence, he smirked. “No matter how skilled, freelancers aren’t permitted to operate. It’s a slap in the face to the guilds, and I’m willing to offer you a position here. You would be wise to accept it. The other guilds won’t hesitate to crush you underfoot.”

More threats. How terrifying.

Crescent Thorn and its leader didn’t scare me. Even if he could drown me in enough bodies to kill me, that wasn’t enough to faze me.

But I wasn’t going to join, not now, or ever. They didn’t share my restraint or my code, so there was no chance of us coexisting.

Which meant they were my enemies and would need to be dealt with.

“If the other guilds are anything like yours, then I don’t think I have too much to worry about.

“I will not be joining your guild. Or any of the current guilds that exist. Your methods leave something to be desired, and you don’t measure up.”

Thorn shook his head and frowned. “A shame. We could have been allies.”

“No.” I shook my head. “There was never a chance of that.”

As soon as I finished speaking, we both moved.

Thorn was fast, just as fast as I was. His movements were precise as he reached into his cloak and withdrew a throwing knife.

It left his hand just as I brought my crossbow up.

Light flashed off the silver blade as it sailed through the air toward my heart. I turned as I lined up my shot and fired.

Pain lanced through me as I pulled the trigger. His blade sank deep into the meat of my bicep.

The twang of the bowstring drowned out my hiss. The bolt sailed through the air and slammed into the back of Thorn’s chair, half a foot from his head.

He looked to the bolt and back at me. “You missed,” he said with a smile.

“No, I didn’t.”

Thorn’s eyes widened, and he leapt from the chair as a spark lit from the arrowhead embedded into the wood, and then a small explosion engulfed Thorn and his throne, sending it clattering to the floor as small bits of wood and rock scattered around me.

I shook off the rattling in my skull and ringing in my ears from being so close to the blast when it went off and reloaded my crossbow with a regular bolt this time.

The blast was loud enough to alert every assassin in the building, not to mention probably waking up half the street.

It was time to leave.

I turned back to Thorn, but as the dust settled, he was nowhere to be seen. There were bits of ash and wood scattered around the room along with a heavy splash of blood, but of his body, there was no sign.

Shit! Where did he go?

There had to have been a hidden escape route in the room. Of course, there was one. But I’d wounded him and forced him to flee. It wasn’t a win, but it would have to be enough. I didn’t have time to try and find his trapdoor.

Muffled shouts sounded just outside the heavy doors, and assassins would be pouring in in seconds.

My heart hammered loud in my chest, and my pulse pounded in my ears as my mouth went dry.

Fear, true fear, filled my veins like ice water.

Yet, despite it all, I smiled.

The doors atop the balcony burst open just as the one on the bottom did as well, and nearly ten assassins in various stages of dress burst into the room.

For their credit, it’d been twenty seconds since the blast, and half of them already had weapons out.

As they entered, I was already moving. I stowed my crossbow and raised my hands even as the assassins came into the room.

Stream!

Water condensed in my hands and began spilling to the ground as I brought them around and adjusted the pressure.

The trickle of water became a rush as I aimed for the torches scattered around the room. Water shot from my palms and rained out over the flames, drenching them in a second and snuffing them out.

Two assassins ran to the balcony and leaned over it. Both had heavy crossbows, and they were aimed at me.

As the room darkened, I rolled as two sharp twangs split the air and landed where I’d been a moment before. One skittered off the stone floor, and a line of burning pain crawled over my calf as the ricocheting bolt sliced a thick groove through my flesh.

I stumbled as I came out of my roll but brought my hands up and managed to nail the last of the torches on the other side of the room, plunging everyone into complete darkness.

The heavy clink of metal told me the crossbowmen were reloading, but even as the noise registered, my eyes flashed with ethereal blue as Aurella’s Light took hold.

Darkness fell away as the room lit up once more, and my eyes widened as my instincts kicked in, and I dropped to the floor.

Air whistled above me as three throwing knives sailed past me.

Three of the assassins were turned toward me, and they’d tracked me because of the single moment that Aurella’s Light activated. They’d attacked me on reflex.

I’d have been impressed if I wasn’t the one they’d nearly skewered.

More of the assassins filed in and blocked off the exit as they drew arms.

I rolled and came to my feet, drawing my crossbows in the process. Both crossbow-wielding assassins had reloaded and were trying to track me in the darkness. I raised both my hands and fired, taking both of the men in the hearts, killing them quickly.

One lurched and tumbled over the railing, landing with a dull thud followed by a sharp crack as bones broke.

A few of my opponents turned at the sound and raised their arms like they were going to attack. But one reached into a pocket and pulled out a small crystal and tossed it into the center of the room.

Mana stone!

It clattered to the stone floor and cracked, sending motes of light drifting from the gem and bathing the room in a soft blue glow. It canceled Aurella’s Light, and I was forced to improvise.

I stowed the crossbows in their holsters, which wasted valuable seconds as it allowed the rest of the assassins to close the distance on me.

Three of them raised their hands, and pitch-black ooze ran from their palms and coalesced into different weapons made from shadow.

The first assassin, who only wore a pair of trousers and no shirt, charged me with two shadow daggers in his hands. He had a rough, brutish face that was all hard edges which matched his dull brown eyes.

He swung at me with two quick swipes of his daggers as his comrades attempted to get around behind me.

His blade arced for my throat, missing my flesh by an inch as I leaned back and grabbed his wrist, stopping his momentum before he could bring his blade back around.

I twisted, locking his wrist up, which elicited a howl of pain as I bent his wrist back.

Footsteps echoed on the stone behind me as the shirtless assassin fought me. He turned, trying to break the leverage I had on his arm as he brought his second blade up toward my heart.

I pivoted as his dagger snagged on my leather, slicing through it and biting into my skin. It was just a scratch, and the minute pain didn’t even register as blood slid from his blade and rippled through the air.

As his dagger cut me, the two other assassins behind me went for my exposed back.

They lunged, one with a short sword and the other with a dirk.

I let go of shirtless and shoved him into the other two as they lunged. They collided with each other and fought to regain their balance while not skewering each other at the same time.

As I tossed the man, the others in the room set up their attacks. I had eight assassins, all trying to end my life at once.

Even with my skills, I couldn’t take them all.

We’d been fighting for seconds, and I’d survived the first round of attacks. I wasn’t so sure about the next one.

As the thought crossed my mind, shadows bubbled up under my feet in a familiar way. Someone was trying to Shadow Bind me.

I had one chance to get away without being trapped.

The three assassins unwound themselves from each other as shadows rose under my feet.

I raised my empty hand towards the three of them.

“Fireball.”

A flickering flame sprouted from the center of my palm and grew as it roiled in chaos, spinning faster as it expanded. In a millisecond, a large, crackling ball of flames fully engulfed my hand before it released.

The mass of fire shot from my hand toward the three unprepared assassins and took the shirtless one in the face.

There was a rush as the fireball struck and billowed out around the assassin. As it struck, a rush of pressure rolled over us as the fireball impacted and exploded in a wave of heat and light.

It crashed over the three assassins and me in a wave of blistering heat. Screams of pain split the air as scorching flames licked their bodies, blackening their skin in an instant.

The intense flames banished the shadows at my legs just as they ensnared me. They dissolved under the light, and I threw myself to the side as soon as I was able, letting the momentum from the fireball carry me along even as voices rose around me.

“Rain of Shadows!” a gruff male assassin called out.

Right where I’d been standing, a black abyss circled the floor, and from within the darkness, thin flechettes comprised of shadows shot from the ground like a hail of arrows.

The edge of my boot wasn’t quite out of the area, and a small bolt tugged at my flesh as I narrowly avoided being peppered with spikes a thousand times.

A peal of thunder boomed through the hall and resounded off the gray stone as the scent of ozone burned in my nose.

I turned as a bright white light filled the palm of one of the female assassins who wore nothing but a pair of men’s britches and a shirt three sizes too large for her.

Lighting crackled in the center of her hands as she aimed at me.

There was fury in her eyes as a bolt of lightning arced off her skin and shot toward me.

I jumped out of the way, but the lightning followed me. I’d put my faith in the laws of physics, and I hung in the air, unable to change my direction as the lightning crashed into me.

There was nothing but pain as my body surged with electricity, and my nerves burned as they were overwhelmed with too much information. I couldn’t move for what seemed like forever as my body tried to figure out how to right itself.

I was blind to the world as nothing but white filled my vision.

Getting hit with lightning was excruciating, but the pain meant I wasn’t dead yet.

I just had to think past the pain before the assassins caught up with me.

It was time to go. If I lingered, I was going to end up dead. There was no way I could take on the rest of the guild and survive.

My pride took a hit, but staying was suicide, so I could live with a little wounded pride.

Three assassins came towards me, blades drawn. One reared back to toss a heavy throwing knife towards me.

There was a whisper of air as someone used Shade’s Rest to teleport to my shadow and come up behind me.

Oh, hell no. That’s my move.

I didn’t turn as the blade snaked around my throat. I leaned forward while tucking my chin. I brought my hand up and pushed my palm against my assailant’s wrist as the knife flashed in the low light.

With a push, I brought the knife away from my neck and gripped the assassin's arm tight in a lock as I lowered my center of gravity and threw him over my shoulder.

He came with a lurch of surprise which was followed by a grunt of pain as the throwing knife from the assassin in front of me reached us and buried itself in his body.

I let go of the bleeding assassin and backed away as more assassins closed in and held up their hands to fire off more spells.

Fuck. Shade’s Rest.

My head swam as shadows prickled over my skin, easing the pain from the lightning strike.

Slowly, my sight returned to me, and the world became inverted once more as I tried to move my body. I was nothing but a pool of darkness on the floor in a room filled with assassins casting indiscriminate magic.

I’d held my own against a dozen assassins armed with skills and magic, which was a compliment in and of itself, but I’d also dealt a critical blow to the entire guild and seriously hampered their numbers.

It wasn’t what I’d come here for, but it was good enough. Besides, the element of surprise was long gone, and I really needed to get away before my limited mana ran dry.

Casting Fireball was taxing. I could use only it three times before I ran out of mana, but I’d already used Shade’s Rest once tonight, and the second time meant I was running on fumes.

I had to leave Crescent Thorn's hideout and quickly.

The world still didn’t quite make sense to me. The bolt of lightning had really fried my brain for a moment.

I tried to reconstruct the room's layout from memory, which was considerably harder with my nerve endings screaming with pain and my head pounding as my limited mana drained with every passing millisecond. I did my best and just rushed toward the light as fast as I could.

I jumped from shadow to shadow as I went roughly in the right direction out of the room and up the stairs in an instant.

In moments, I was up to the third floor and out onto the roof as more and more of my senses returned to me.

I fought to shake off the lingering effects of electrocution and mana depletion as I leapt off the roof to a thick patch of shadow cast by the building one street over.

My mana was nearly out, but if I reappeared right now, it wouldn’t take long for the rest of the assassins to catch up to me.

So I pushed on, hopping from shadow to shadow as I left the street and moved to the next.

A dull, radiating ache spread through my body as fatigue set in, and my heart rate slowed as invisible beads of sweat ran down my face as my breathing increased and blood pounded too loud in my ears.

I’m at my limit.

But I just had to push on a little longer, get far enough away that I could put enough distance between the guild and me so there would be too much ground to cover for them to search it all.

Though it was like swimming through burning sewage the entire time, I continued for another minute, racing past three or four streets until my body couldn’t handle it any longer.

The world righted itself without my consent, and the shadows that gripped me fell away as I stumbled back into reality.

Absolute, bone-numbing exhaustion took away all of my strength, and I crashed to the ground.

Cold, unyielding stone met my face as I fell, shattering my nose as I couldn’t move my limbs enough to disperse my fall. The pain was sharp as warm blood pooled around my mouth, and hot iron teased my tongue.

A subtle breeze washed over me, chilling the rivers of sweat that poured from my body as my heart thudded a thousand beats per minute in my chest.

Though it took every last ounce of strength that I didn’t have, I managed to roll over until I hit a wall, and the bright light of the moon no longer touched my face.

I stared up at the overhanging eave of the building I rested under and tried very hard not to pass out.

I’d trained my body to withstand worse punishment, so I fought to keep awake.

If I pass out here, then I’m as good as dead. Crescent Thorn or some guard will stumble over my body, and that’ll be it.

I can’t afford to die. Not in some alley. That’s not how I’m going to go.

After a time, my breathing stabilized enough where the thought of standing was only excruciating instead of impossible.

I rose to my knees and stumbled back down as a wave of vertigo took my body out from under me.

The second time went as much as the first.

But after ten or fifteen attempts, I managed to stumble up and stand on my own two feet without collapsing.

As I rose, I glanced around to get my bearings, only to discover that I was completely lost. I hadn’t yet learned the layout of Odra, and I had no clue where I was.

A random alley wasn’t much to go on, but I couldn’t stay. I wasn’t nearly as far enough away from the guild as I needed to be.

So, step after shaky step, I left the alley and walked along a deserted road that housed several small shops.

At the very end of the street, given a wide berth by the rest of the buildings, was a leather tanner.

Even though it had long closed, the ungodly scent watered my eyes, and my nose tried to close on its own as I approached.

Though I’ll probably never get the smell out, no one would think to look for me here.

The smell alone kept people far away. Even normal citizens wouldn’t like to go near it unless they had to.

With one last gulp of fresh air, I started breathing through my mouth and entered the tanner's property. I skirted the main building and went around back to where several wooden sheds were located.

I picked one at random and went inside.

It was dark, cramped, and reeked from the numerous hides of animals that were strung up on racks drying, but it was relatively clean save for the spots of dried blood on the floor.

I sat back against the wall and tugged off my stolen cloak. I used it as a blanket and sat on it as I glanced down at my armor.

Blood ran heavily down my right arm from Thorn’s blade that was stuck in my bicep. It’d pierced the leather and my skin with ease and sunk deep.

I gripped the leather of my left hand with my teeth and yanked the blade out, biting back a curse. Spots appeared in my vision as more vertigo caused my head to spin, and a cold chill clawed up my spine.

The knife clattered to the floor as I pulled out a small recovery potion and some bandages. I didn’t have time to immediately stitch the wound, but the potion would speed up the healing, and the bandages would stop the blood loss.

It was awkward, but I managed to bind the wound and then guzzle down the potion.

After that, the pulse of battle left me, and the fatigue from draining my mana caught up to me.

The strain on my body was intense, and I hadn’t even checked on the damage done by the lightning. But I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.

My eyelids started shutting on their own as I leaned back and let the fatigue and exhaustion overtake me.

Chapter 13- Library of Magic

When I came to, it was only a few hours later. Grayish blue early morning sky peeked through the wooden boards of the shed.

I ached everywhere, and even breathing was excruciating. It was a full-body agony that told me how close I’d come to death the night before.

And I wanted a challenge. Well, I certainly got it at the end.

With a snort, I sat up and gingerly checked myself over.

As soon as I pressed my hands to my chest and stomach, a fierce burn robbed me of my breath.

“Fuck!” I hissed on reflex and sucked in a breath.

It hurt like hell to stand, but somehow I managed and glanced down at my armor. The leather around my chest was cracked and blackened, singed at the edges, and the metal latten underneath was more of the same. There was a hole going all the way to my skin, and though it was going to hurt like a bitch, I needed to see the damage.

Hurt was too mild of a word.

Even with the recovery potion, everything screamed as I began the painstaking process of stripping out of my armor.

By Weilin, it was fucking miserable as I stripped out of my gear. Each motion sent waves of pain through me so fierce I wanted to vomit, but I held it in, and soon, I was out of it. I pulled it off and threw it in a fit of frustration. It smacked against the wooden wall and slid down it to rest on the floor.

As I looked down at my chest, I marveled at the fact I was still alive.

I’d taken more damage than I’d thought.

Where the lightning had struck, right over my heart, was nothing but blackened and pink skin that had been charred as black burns spread over my entire chest.

The healing potion I’d drunk a few hours earlier had started to help, but there wasn’t much it could do in the face of such destruction.

I still had full functionality, though I wished I hadn’t with how much it burned every time I breathed or moved my shoulders.

And then there were the plethora of smaller wounds that I didn’t remember receiving.

A few nicks and punctures along my sides and back, which had started healing, but as I‘d taken off my armor, I’d opened up most of the wounds again.

Blood ran in rivulets down my skin and pooled beneath me.

I was going to have to treat the wounds before I did anything else. I pulled out my medical kit from my dimension ring and downed another recovery potion along with a hint of the Vitae that Angela had given me before I took out my suture kit.

I sterilized the needle with Ember, though using magic brought a fit of coughing, and bile rose in my throat, but I pushed it down and got to work stitching up my wounds.

I put a piece of leather in my mouth to keep from screaming, but a short while later, I’d stitched up all of the wounds I could reach and managed to at least slather some healing salve on the ones on my back that were a bitch to reach.

When I was done, I finally looked at the blinking light in the corner of my vision. I was betting a mountain of notifications were waiting for me, and I was right.

2 Killed: 200 Exp!

1 Wounded: 50 Exp!

Your Hand-to-Hand skill has increased by 1! [Hand-to-Hand: 24 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Fireball has increased by 1! [Fireball: 3] +25 Exp!

Your Archery skill has increased by 1! [Archery: 10 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Agility has increased by 1! [Agility: 49] +100 Exp!

Your Shade’s Rest skill has increased by 1! [Shade’s Rest: 4 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Wisdom has increased by 1! [Wisdom: 25] +100 Exp!

Your Endurance has increased by 1! [Endurance: 37] +100 Exp!

Your Constitution has increased by 1! [Constitution: 27] +100 Exp!

Your Durability has increased by 1! [Durability: 26 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

Your Recovery has increased by 1! [Recovery: 13 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Medicine(Self-care) skill has increased by 1! [Medicine(Self-care): 4 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Ah. That explains why I’m still kicking. I chuckled, which was agony. I knew my masochistic training would pay off, but then again, I wasn’t expecting to take a bolt of lightning in the chest either.

My lacking knowledge of magic in this world was starting to become a liability. Because I didn’t know its limits, I kept getting surprised by it.

Though, it’s the only reason I’m still alive at all.

After facing Crescent Thorn head-on, I knew one thing for certain.

Magic and skills were holding the guild back.

It seemed this world’s warriors relied on their gifted skills and magic over their natural talent.

Which, while it made them deadly in their own way, severely limited them in other ways.

I trained my entire life and pushed my body to its absolute limits, but these killers use magic and their skills as a crutch.

A crowing rooster in the far distance told me it was time to get a move on.

But there was one thing I needed to check before I left.

I pulled up my status.

Level up!

Name: Elias McKinley

Age: 29

Race: Human

Level: 3

Exp: 790/16454

Stat Points: 15

Skill Points: 1

Skill List [+]

Stats

Strength: 31

Constitution: 27

Endurance: 37

Wisdom: 25

Perception: 35

Agility: 49

Charisma: 16

Luck: 19

I’d leveled up, which was surprising, but a good surprise after the night I’d had.

Though I wanted nothing more than to play around with my new stats and check out my new skills, I was wounded and in a foreign city with a guild of very, very angry assassins after me.

Level and skills can wait until I’m out of this mess.

Which meant it was time to go.

I threw on a clean shirt, stowed all of my equipment in my dimension ring, and took off from the tanners.

More people were out and about at this time of day than I expected, but from the clothes they wore and the tools they carried, they were farmers and miners heading outside the city to farms and the quarries scattered around Odra.

I went mostly unnoticed as I skirted through the throng of sleep-deprived citizens. By the time I got to the town square, dawn had finally broken over the tall walls surrounding the city.

The square was empty, so I took a seat at one of the benches and leaned back for a moment as the first light of the day bathed me in a warm glow.

Need to get moving, but I’m tired.

The hour or so of sleep hadn’t done much, and my wounds took much of my energy away.

Aless is probably awake by now. But I can’t go back to the inn. Too risky.

While I was confident no one in Crescent Thorn was tailing me, they’d have attacked me already if they were, I didn’t know their allies in the city. Which meant I couldn’t take any chances.

While they may not be working together, ten to one odds the Foxes have some kind of arrangement with Crescent Thorn. I can’t trust them. They probably wouldn’t turn Aless in as a former guild member, but I’m not part of the guild.

Best steer clear of them for now.

There were a lot of maybes, but I didn’t want to risk Aless by going back to the inn when we already had a pre-arranged meeting place.

I just had to wait until the shop opened in a few hours.

And my rumbling stomach told me exactly what I could do to pass at least a few minutes of those hours.

It never failed that when I was injured my appetite became voracious, so I stood, pushed down the pain that accompanied me, and went to find a place that served breakfast.

***

A few hours later, after I spent an hour at a shady hole-in-the-wall tavern and helped myself to two and a half bowls of porridge and some burnt as hell bacon, I found myself in front of a small bookstore nestled away along a quiet street corner.

The sign, which read Magdalene’s, was a quaint little shop with a cherry wood façade and spotless glass. The store's name was embossed in gold over the doorway as I pulled open the door and stepped inside.

A shrill bell announced my presence.

“Welcome to Magdalene’s,” a chipper female voice called from deeper in the shop.

The store was packed with shelves, filled with books that lined the walls and crisscrossed like a maze through the main area of the store. Everything was neat and in its proper place. There wasn’t a speck of dust along the wooden shelves or a spine out of place.

It was crisp, clean, and neat.

I loved the place automatically.

It took me a second to navigate the maze, but I soon stood before a long, wooden counter with even more books lined up behind it.

A cute, young girl stood at the counter.

She looked to be in her teens, maybe seventeen at the very most, but I was betting closer to fifteen from the thinness of her face. Her hair was auburn, and she had dark blue, nearly black eyes.

She glanced up as I approached and plastered a fake smile on her face. “Hello, sir. What can I do for you?”

Seeing such a young person working the counter put me off a little. While child labor was nothing I hadn’t seen before, it was usually exploited child labor.

Here it looked like the young girl tended the shop by herself, which was something I hadn’t seen before.

“Are you Magdalene?”

“Yes! Well, kinda.” She shook her head and stared me up and down. “I’m Molly. Marina Magdalene was my mother, and this was her shop. Plague got her year before last.”

I leaned on the counter. “So this is your shop?”

Molly nodded. “Yep. Well, technically, it’s my pa’s, but he’s busy runnin’ the mines and never had a penchant for reading, so I work the store.” She leaned in close and winked at me. “But that’s just between us. Anyone asks, and I usually tell ‘em that he’s in the back or on lunch.”

I chuckled. “Then why tell me?”

“Because you’re not from Odra. And you carry yourself like a thief, which means you won’t tell the guard or the church about me.”

I paused at her assessment. Her eyes were sharp, sharper than I’d given her credit for when I first saw her. I’d let my bias that she was just a child influence me.

Just going to blame my exhaustion and wounds for that little lapse.

“You’re quite clever. But how do you know I’m not a thief?”

Molly shrugged. “Most thieves who look to rob me don’t use the front door. Though if this is a new scheme to lower my guard, I must say, the Foxes have really slipped. Besides, you smell like burnt flesh and salve, and the way you’re breathing tells me that you recently got into a fight.

“Most thieves don’t get into fights. Which makes you Crescent Thorn, so you get a discount like the rest of the members.”

I whistled. “You’re something else, y’know that?”

“Of course.” She beamed at me. “Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, what can Magdalene’s booksellers help you with today?”

“Magic,” I said, leaning heavily on the counter. “I need all the books you have on magic, and I was told you sold spells here as well.”

Molly’s eyes lit up at my words, likely at the payday she was about to get. “Of course, valued customer. Please take a seat at the tables in the far corner,” she said, thumbing to my left. “It’ll take some time to get your required items.”

I turned and nestled against the far wall were a small group of tables with enclosed lanterns for reading.

Sitting down sounded like one of the most pleasurable things I could imagine at the moment, so I did as she requested and went to the tables.

My full belly and exhaustion were enough that when I sat down, I was asleep in under two minutes.

What must have been a second after I closed my eyes, someone shoved me awake. I looked up as Molly shook my shoulder softly. I shot up and then immediately calmed down as Molly chuckled.

“Sorry,” I said with a yawn. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

She smiled. “That’s quite all right, you aren’t the first to take a nap in my store, and you certainly won’t be the last.” Molly motioned to my left, where a stack of leather-bound books sat. “I gathered up all the books that deal with magic for you. Six in total, but it covers most of the broad strokes of the subject. For an in-depth study, however, you’ll have to head to one of the mage academies, but they’re…selective.”

“Elitist?” I asked.

“That’s one word for them.” Her pale lips turned up in a smirk. “I prefer assholes, but elitists works in polite company.”

I chuckled as I sat up and stretched, wincing as my wounds burned as I worked the kinks out of my muscles. “When did they turn you down?”

Molly just smiled. “In any case, your total for the six books comes out to two hundred and forty-eight vahn. Once you’ve paid for them, we can move on to the scrolls.”

Smart kid. The scrolls are obviously much more expensive given the amount I paid for the water spell.

I opened my dimension ring and pulled out a heavy burlap bag filled with vahn. I took out three hundred vahn and handed them over, paying extra now in the hopes of getting a steeper discount on the scrolls.

She took the money, one coin at a time, carefully counting it and recounting it before she took one in her mouth and bit down. After a second, she nodded softly and stowed the money in her own ring.

“Thank you for your patronage, valued customer.” She turned back toward the counter. “I’ll be right back with a list of the scrolls.”

Then she was gone, back to her domain, leaving me with a large stack of books that I didn’t have the time to read right now.

I stowed the books in my ring, took out a small vial of recovery potion, and downed a third of it, hoping it would continue to speed up my healing. I didn’t like the thought of working in the city while wounded.

The burn wound is painful but manageable, but the knife in my bicep severed some muscle tissue. I need to let it repair itself before I take on the fucking bishop.

Weilin having me kill his own bishop.

If that wasn’t irony, I didn’t know what was.

I shook my head and leaned back to wait while the potion worked its magic.

Molly returned about twenty minutes later with a large roll of parchment in her hands. As she got to my table, she moved the lanterns aside and unrolled the scroll.

She then used the lanterns as paperweights and placed her hands on the table as she leaned over it and looked at me.

“Okay. Given your profession, I made a list of all the spells that would be relevant to you. Though I recommend only acquiring four or five at once.”

“Why is that?” I asked.

“Because even learning spells takes a toll on your body. It’s slight, barely even noticeable, but if you learn too many spells at once, you get mana backlash as your mind tries to absorb all the different spells at the same time.” She paled and shook her head. “It can be lethal in some extreme cases.”

I nodded. “Alright. Don’t push things. Got it.” I rose from the chair and bent over the table to go over the parchment. “I’m afraid I still don’t know all that much about magic. But it seems like you do. So what would you recommend for someone in my…profession?”

Molly glanced up and beamed at me. “Figured you’d be stubborn and prideful and wouldn’t accept my recommendations. I’m glad to see I was wrong.”

“Yeah, well, after getting struck by lightning, I’m willing to admit when I’m out of my depth.”

She just chuckled under her breath and turned back to the table. “Well, then I guess organizing the spells that would suit you wasn’t a waste of time after all.” Molly pointed at the parchment where there were four columns with words going down the scroll. “The categories in order are offense, defense, healing, and miscellaneous. I recommend one from each to start you off with, and you can add more later.”

I brushed my hair out of my face and nodded. “I concur. Besides, learning the ins and outs of four spells is going to be work enough. Adding more to it seems like even more of a pain in the ass.”

Molly nodded. “Exactly.” She tilted her head toward her counter as she rose from the table. “Well, I’ll be over there if you have questions.”

As she left, I perused the first column, which would inevitably be my first choice when it came to magic.

Having more offensive capabilities is never a bad thing. But as I found out, I need to temper my offense with good defense, so I don’t get surprised again.

The offensive section was the largest of the four and consisted of mostly elemental magic.

Fireball was the first spell on the list, followed by Water Bullet, Wind Cutter, and Stone Bullet for the four basic elemental spells.

As much as I loved Fireball, it was very ostentatious magic, and while a lifesaver in a pinch, it wasn’t as useful for stealth and assassinations.

With that in mind, I discounted most of the fire magic, as it all relied on big, powerful attacks that were the furthest thing from quiet—the same for earth magic. While spells like Tremor or Earthen Wall would be awesome to have, they weren’t very well suited for an assassin.

Which left wind and water elemental attacks.

Water was promising as several spells looked to be nearly silent if used properly. I especially liked Water Whip. It created a strand of water that could vary in length that I could use as a whip, but the spell was continuous and malleable. I could think of plenty of uses for a spell like that.

After scouring the list of spells, it was between Water Whip and a wind spell called As Swift as the Wind.

It was an augment spell, which probably should have belonged in the miscellaneous section, but I could see why Molly included it. It used the wind to increase my movement speed and reaction time, and it also boosted all wind-based attacks.

It was kind of like Aurella’s Light, but for wind rather than stealth.

I was torn, but after a time, I eventually decided to pick Water Whip. However, I would definitely be coming back for As Swift as the Wind.

With my first selection down, I moved onto defensive spells.

There were plenty of earth-based spells, but almost immediately, I had my choice.

It was a small, probably not very often used spell that didn’t seem that powerful at first glance, but it was perfect for me.

Passive Protection was a continuous spell that took a portion of my mana to use constantly, but it used that mana to form a small, invisible barrier around my body. If I took damage, the barrier weakened and eventually broke, but it was perfect for surviving a sneak attack.

This spell is perfect, though not very powerful. It doesn’t have to be as long as it keeps me alive for the first attack.

There were a lot of good defensive spells, but none that fit so perfectly for my job as that one. And though there were more powerful versions, I didn’t have the mana to use them.

If I’d had it last night, things would have gone a little differently, but I still would have been forced to flee. There was no single spell that could have let me defeat a room full of alert assassins.

I was confident in my decision, which just left two more picks for today.

Healing was simple. I took the one-tier higher spell simply called Healing. It was more costly in terms of mana than Lesser Heal, but it treated a larger number of wounds, including internal injuries.

All that was left was the miscellaneous spell.

This section was the second-largest section, and there were dozens of small spells that would be useful in one way or another. There was even a spell that mimicked the dimension ring but with a much higher storage capacity. There were many crafting spells that let a person create potions or other items without the need for specialized workstations, but they were exceedingly draining, and I didn’t think I could even use one without using all of my mana.

So, I ignored most of those in favor of the smaller but more useful spells.

I had to give it to Molly, she knew exactly what to choose, and each spell had a good chance of suiting me. But a lot of them were simple things that I didn’t need magic to accomplish. Such as the Flash Grenade spell, which caused a bright burst of light in a small radius. And another that temporarily boosted my stats. There were quite a few like that, which increased my senses or added a small buff as Molly called them.

But out of all of them, there was one single spell that I figured I could make the most use of.

Kleptomania. It allows me to teleport small objects to and from my hand in a small area around myself. And the mana cost isn’t terrible.

With the final spell, I had my selections.

I’d been leaning over the table for close to an hour, and I was stiff as I stood. I rolled my neck back and forth as I walked over to the counter.

Molly was reading a book when I approached but looked up as my shadow passed over her.

“Only an hour, I would have guessed two with how many choices I gave you.”

“Well, what can I say? I know what I want. Indecisiveness is a weakness during battle, so when I make a decision, I usually stick to it.”

She stood and cracked her knuckles. “Alright. Let’s see how you did, but if you chose poorly, I will make fun of you.”

“Only fair,” I replied and told her my choices.

Molly rubbed her chin as she looked up and away from me, lost in thought. “Hmm,” she muttered under her breath. “Water Whip wouldn’t have been my first choice for you, but it’s not a bad choice at all. But you are right that As Swift as the Wind is an excellent spell and one that I highly recommend you obtain at some point. Passive Protection was a superb choice. I wholeheartedly agree with that one.”

I paused, that was the one I’d deliberated the most on, but I understood the benefits of having protection that didn’t need to be cast.

“What is your reasoning, if you don’t mind telling me?”

“Probably the same as yours. The best defense in the world won’t save you if you get caught unawares. Having even a small bit of protection all the time is much more versatile and a much better option, in my opinion.”

I nodded. “Those were my thoughts as well.”

“Healing, however, is a bit of a gamble, but I might have chosen it over Lesser or Greater Heal since it offers the most healing for the least amount of mana.” She paused over my last choice. “I thought you said you weren’t a thief?”

“I’m not,” I said with a shake of my head. “But surely you can see the benefits for anyone in my line of work. It not only lets me steal small objects, but I can place them as well. I can think of half a dozen invaluable uses for that spell off the top of my head.”

Molly raised her hands and nodded. “I guess I see your point, but I forbid you to use it while on my premises. I’ll never sell to you again if you steal from me.”

“While I am an assassin, I do have some semblance of honor. I can at least promise not to steal from you.”

She smirked before sitting back down. “You’re a strange one, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.” Molly tapped her finger on her lips, lost in thought. “Let’s see. Water Whip, Passive Protection, Healing, and Kleptomania. All four are grade A spells, which means they won’t be cheap, but given you’re with Crescent Thorn, your total comes out to eight thousand vahn.”

I whistled. That certainly wasn’t nothing. In fact, it would eat into a good portion of my money. Considering I only had around twenty thousand vahn, eight was nearly half.

“Of course, if you’re willing to inscribe the spells onto a few scrolls, it would cut the price in half. But I’m willing to bet you won’t want to do that?”

She’s not wrong. Even if it would save a good bit of coin, losing even a fraction of the efficacy of the spells would be much more detrimental than losing a bit of money.

I sighed. “No, I’ll pay the full price.”

Molly grinned wide. “Excellent choice.”

I dug out the coin, and she repeated her method of counting and recounting before she tested to see if the coins were fake. When she was satisfied, she swept the coin into a large pouch.

“I’ll go and stow this away and will return with your scrolls momentarily.”

She headed off to the back while I leaned on the counter and waited.

Molly hadn’t been gone five minutes when the bell chimed at the front of the shop, and a cool breeze rushed through the store as someone walked in.

It was mid-morning, so I wasn’t surprised that the store was starting to get customers.

I turned and found a familiar face winding through the maze of bookshelves.

Aless glided through them with ease. She wore similar clothes as when I last saw her. A natural linen tunic that revealed the upper portion of her chest and a pair of black cotton pants tucked into her leather boots.

Her eyes widened as she saw me, and relief dawned across her face.

“Oh, thank god,” she said as she cleared the shelves and approached.

As soon as she was within reach, she opened her arms and leaned in for a hug. I turned, a smile already on my face as her arms wrapped around my neck.

“Aless,” I began before she stiffened and swiftly brought her leg up in between mine.

A world of pain robbed me of my breath as her knee collided with my groin, and suddenly I was on the floor, staring up at Aless with watering eyes.

But it didn’t match the hurt and fury in hers.

And from the knee, she knew exactly what I’d done to her.

Chapter 14- A Woman Scorned

“You fucking jackass!” Aless said as she glared down at me while I tried to figure out how to breathe again. “How could you do that to me?”

I couldn’t have answered her even if I wanted to. Getting a knee to the groin was supremely unpleasant, but it wasn’t the first time I’d been kicked there, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Though, most of the times I’d been kicked there, I’d been prepared for it and could mitigate the damage.

Not this time.

Aless had completely surprised me, and there wasn’t much I could do but lay there for a few moments until I could function around the overwhelming pain.

One good thing the moment afforded me was that it gave me a second to form a reply to her.

It wouldn’t mean much, but it might ease the hurt I’d invariably caused her.

When I could breathe again and the agonizing pain radiating from my hips eased slightly, I stood, though it was anything but pleasant.

I shook off the pain and stared Aless in the eye, whose harsh glare made even my killer’s stare shrivel and hide behind my mask.

We stared each other down, neither one of us saying anything for a long moment.

Until I blinked.

“I’m sorry, Aless,” I said with a sigh.

“You’re sorry!” Tears prickled her eyes as she took a step and shoved me. “You drugged me and left me there alone, and all you can say is you’re sorry?”

She pounded her fists halfheartedly on my chest, each one half as hard as the last until she just stood there, with her head pressed into my sternum.

“I really hate you sometimes, Elias.”

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her tight. “I know.” I kissed the top of her head as I leaned down to her ear. “But I love you.”

Aless huffed. “I love you too.” She raised her head; her gray eyes were red and slightly puffy. “But don’t think that means I forgive you. What happened last night after you left?”

I was about to respond when soft footsteps on wood interrupted my train of thought as Molly returned with her arms full of rolls of parchment.

“Here you go,” she said and set them on the counter as she glanced at Aless. “Thought I heard voices.” Molly grinned. “So, what’d you do to deserve being called a fucking jackass?”

Hearing a fifteen-year-old girl curse like that was comical, but I didn’t think laughing would have been the right response at the moment.

“None of your business,” I said, smiling.

“He was an asshole,” Aless said with a chuckle as she finished drying her eyes. “But he was a sweet, overprotective asshole.”

“Ah.” Molly laughed. “I understand. Well, I won’t pry further into your little lover's quarrel, but if you have to yell at him again, I would ask that you do it outside. It’s disruptive to the customers.”

“What customers? I’m the only customer here.”

Molly nodded. “Exactly. She’s distracting you from taking your purchases and leaving. Unless you want to stay and spend more money?”

Her words gave me a second's pause.

Aless does need some spells of her own. However, I can’t afford to buy as many. She could at least get a few of them to help give her an edge.

“Would you mind helping Aless pick out two spells?” I asked.

Molly’s eyes lit up once more as she stood and came around the counter. “I’d be delighted to.”

While Molly led Aless back toward the table to go over the same spell list I had, I grabbed my four spell scrolls and opened each one.

When I finished, I opened my status.

Spells Transfer

Water Whip: Condenses a strand of water that can be used to lash out at an opponent. The size and number of tendrils can be modified for an additional mana cost.

Cooldown: None

Mana Drain: Moderate

Passive Protection: Creates an invisible barrier along the user's skin. Can sustain a small amount of damage before breaking. Mitigates any damage taken immediately after breaking.

Cooldown: 1 hour after breaking

Mana Drain: Minute

Healing: Heals moderate to severe external and internal injuries but cannot heal mortal wounds.

Cooldown: None

Mana Drain: Significant

Kleptomania: Accelerates any small object in the user's vicinity (Sightline) to the user's hand and from the user's hand to a location.

Cooldown: None

Mana Drain: Minute

Well, how about that? Not bad. Not bad at all. However, I’ll need to practice with them before I start using them.

If an emergency came up, I’d use them, but I’d much rather know the full extent of their capabilities before I risked my life by using them during a contract.

Speaking of, I need to plan for the bishop.

I went over to where Aless and Molly were, both of them deep in discussion on Water Bullet, which seemed to be one of the spells Aless was leaning towards.

“I’m just saying, I’m decent with hand-to-hand combat, but my knife work is rough. I’m good with a crossbow, but what happens after that first shot? Having a ranged spell as a backup is just smart,” Aless said.

Molly shrugged. “I guess I see your point, but Water Bullet? I mean, like Fireball, it’s a little basic. What about Wind Cutter?”

I coughed into my hand and looked away as Aless spoke again.

“Basic is fine. I’d prefer basic and reliable over something flashy that gets me killed. Wind Cutter is good too, but it seems a little too dangerous to pick as my first spell when I don’t have much practice with magic. It can slice into stone, which means it can travel past my target if I’m not careful. I’d rather be cautious until I know what I’m dealing with.”

“Your vahn,” she replied. “And they’re not terrible choices at all. So, Water Bullet and As Swift as the Wind?”

“Those are the ones.”

“Good choices,” I said and sat down at the very end of the table.

With Aless having made her decision, I coughed up the four thousand vahn for her spells and handed the bag to Molly.

“Thank you again, most valued customer,” she said with a saccharine smile.

“I’m sure. Do you care if we stay here for a short while, Molly?”

She shook her head. “You just made my entire month. Stay here as long as you like, assuming you’re quiet and don’t disrupt my reading.”

“I think we can manage that,” I said as she walked away.

Aless switched seats and came and sat at the corner beside me. She leaned in close and lowered her voice. “Back to our conversation. What the hell happened last night?”

I sighed and then gave her the abridged version of the story, telling her what happened but leaving out a lot of the unnecessary details.

When I was finished, Aless groaned into her palm. “You attacked the entirety of Crescent Thorn and still somehow managed to escape with only minor injuries?”

“More or less.” I raised an eyebrow. “But thanks for the reminder.”

I held up my hand and placed it on my chest.

“Healing.”

Instantly, a bright, soothing glow filled my palm before a soft warmth spread up my body. The aches and pains I’d been ignoring faded as the warmth reached them, and in a few minutes, my body was healed.

But a new strain took hold in my body. The cost of using Healing was intense, and soon even holding my hand up was too much. An overwhelming amount of fatigue rolled through me as my mana drained to nearly nothing. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and my heart hammered in my chest like I’d run ten miles.

Healing has increased by 1! [Healing: 1] +25 Exp!

Your Wisdom has increased by 1! [Wisdom: 26] +100 Exp!

Your Recovery skill has increased by 1! [Recovery: 14 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

When I was done, I all but collapsed onto the table as even holding my body up became too difficult.

I laid with my head on the table for a few moments while I recovered.

“Okay, so use Healing sparingly because it takes way too much out of me to cast.”

“That’s just from using your new spell?” Aless asked, pulling out a small waterskin from her ring.

She passed it to me as I sat up.

“Yeah.” I nodded to her. “Thanks.”

The water was cool and delicious as I drank it down and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

I shrugged. “But it’s not that bad considering I was blasted with lighting and stabbed a good number of times last night.”

“Not at all. I’d say a bit of exhaustion is worth healing crippling wounds,” Aless said and leaned back. “So now that we have magic and royally pissed off Crescent Thorn, we should be leaving, right? Let’s go home and regroup. We can take on Crescent Thorn at a later date.”

I shook my head. “We’re not leaving quite yet.”

“What? Why not?”

I turned to her and smiled, holding a finger up. “One, because it’s what Thorn probably expects, and they’ll already be watching the gates and the roads to try and catch us. I may have dealt them a serious bloody nose, but they still have plenty of strength to take us down. Hiding right under their noses is the best bet for a while.” I held up a second finger. “And two, because there’s a contract in this city, and I aim to see it done.”

Her mouth fell open. “So not only did you pick a fight with the most dangerous guild around, but you also took a contract in the middle of all this?”

I snorted and shrugged. “I didn’t really have much choice in taking the contract, but it lines up with my plans, so I don’t mind.”

“Care to enlighten me? Because I’m kinda lost over here.”

“It’s obvious that I’ve made an enemy of Crescent Thorn, but that was inevitable. As I told you, there was never a chance of coexistence between us. We just don’t have the same principles, and neither of us was going to back down.”

“So we’re going to hide in plain sight, at least until we complete this mysterious contract of yours?”

“Exactly. Thorn doesn’t know that there’s a reason for us to stay, so he’s going to think that I’m going to put all of my energy into getting back home. Which means he’s going to waste time and resources looking in the wrong direction. But, once the contract is complete, we’re going to have a short window of time afterward to escape.”

“Why?” she asked, scratching her chin before her eyes widened. “Right, because if we kill someone that the guild doesn’t have a contract on, then they’ll know that there’s someone besides them working in the city.”

“And the only logical answer to who would be us. Yeah. We have to play this smart. I’d rather face Thorn again on my terms rather than on his. He escaped me once. I won’t let him get away again.”

She nodded. “Probably need to tell Jin to up the amount of gunpowder that’s in the explosive bolts.”

I shook my head and stood. “No, the bolt did its job just fine. I’m betting Thorn has some defensive magic that saved his life. He would be an idiot to not.”

“You’re probably right,” Aless said, standing. “In fact, do you think I should get some protection as well?”

“It would make me feel better, but that’s not a decision I can make for you. It’s your magic, your choice. But you didn’t pick wrong this time. Maybe just get some protection next time.”

She nodded. “Sounds like a good plan. Unless, of course, I get seriously injured between then and now, in which case it’s an idiotic plan.”

I chuckled as we stopped by Molly’s counter and picked up Aless’s scrolls. I thanked the young girl, and with a comment to return anytime, we left, into the bright light of the afternoon sun.

I threw my hood on and drew my cloak close to me as Aless did the same.

Rather not wear this damn thing in the height of summer, but I’d like a crossbow bolt in the spine even less.

Hiding isn’t something I like doing, but I am in the heart of Thorn’s territory, and I can’t afford to get spotted before I’m ready.

As the two of us moved through the throng of people going about the day, shopping at stalls and stores that lined the streets, Aless shuffled closer to me.

“What’s our plan?” she asked.

“The first order of business is to find a place to stay. One that’s out of the way but busy enough that we’d blend in.”

“Why don’t we just ask the Foxes for help? I’m sure they’d be willing to let us stay with them.”

“Out of the question,” I said softly. “Without a doubt, the Foxes and Thorn have some sort of agreement, probably to stay out of each other’s way, but I don’t want to put my trust in a bunch of thieves only for one of them to sell us out for a fistful of vahn.”

Aless huffed and shook her head. “That bunch of thieves are my friends, Elias.”

“Were your friends. Years ago. Who knows where their loyalties lie now.” I turned to her. “Or do you really want to put your trust in them only to find out they were lying to you the entire time? Always remember rule four.”

“Never give your enemies the rope you swing from,” she replied with a sigh. “Fine. But you’re wrong about them.”

I shrugged. “Maybe I am, but I’d rather test that with something a little less precious than our lives. Now let’s go. We need to get indoors and start our reconnaissance.”

We put a little more speed in our steps as we wound through the city, trying to find a suitable inn.

The two of us didn’t speak much after that. Instead, Aless kept to her thoughts while I checked, double-checked, and triple-checked that we weren’t being followed as we walked at random through the city streets.

Crescent Thorn didn’t actually scare me, but I was rightfully cautious of them in large numbers after coming close to death. They were too reliant on magic, and it had stagnated their combat abilities, but magic could kill me just as easily as a knife to my throat, so I needed to be careful.

I planned to wipe out the entire guild. But it would have to be on my terms, and since I failed with my first attempt, it had to take a back seat to my contract.

Dealing with Crescent Thorn was for personal and business reasons. But the contract came first.

It always came first.

A few hours passed until I found as decent a location as I was likely to find in the city.

It was a small, two-story, half-timbered building with whitewash that was just about to need a second coat. There was peeling at the tops and bottom. It was one of the few buildings I’d seen that wasn’t in perfect condition, which stood out to me.

And if it stood out to me, it would likely stand out to Crescent Thorn as well, which meant it was a place that they likely wouldn’t consider I’d stay at.

Which made it the perfect place to stay at.

Aless and I stopped, and I nudged her as I approached the large wooden door and went inside.

The inn was charming in a rugged sort of way. It lacked the overwhelming cleanliness of the last inn we’d stayed at, and I was much more comfortable here.

I went up to the counter, past the rows of tables where a throng of patrons sat drinking at midday.

The attendant was an older man with thick, weathered skin and heavy with muscle. His thick mane of brown hair traveled down his back.

“Welcome,” he said with a gruff voice. “What can I do for you today?”

“A room, please.”

He nodded. “How many nights?”

“Three for now. If I need more, I’ll gladly pay for them.”

“Fifty vahn. But that includes a meal at dinner.”

I paid the man, and he handed me a worn iron key. “Second floor, last room on the left.”

Aless and I headed up the creaky stairs to the second floor as the man went back to work.

The hallway was filled with mismatched paintings between the doors and the creaky, bowed floorboards. Though I didn’t mind those considering they were a poor man’s alert signal.

At the very end of the hallway was our door, and I unlocked the room and went inside.

The room was cramped with just enough space for a small bed, a nightstand, and a table in the corner.

It was far from cozy, but the window on the far side dropped down to an alley that Aless and I could escape from if it came to it.

Aless went and flopped on the bed, and I wouldn’t haven’t been surprised if a cloud of dust had risen in her wake.

“So what’s the plan, Elias?”

“For now, sleep. I’m drained, and I didn’t exactly get a good night’s sleep at the tanner's.”

Aless sniffed and shook her head. “You do slightly reek. I’d suggest a bath first.” She held her hands up and motioned around the room. “But we don’t have one, so I guess I’m stuck with you smelling like sin for the time being.”

“Could always sleep in the other bed,” I said as I climbed into bed next to her.

“Fuck you. Just come here and hold me.” She scooted over before turning and laying on my chest. “While I had a forced nap, I won’t say no to another one.”

Before I could respond, she was out. Asleep almost instantly.

I envied her that ability. Though she usually woke up at the slightest hint of noise like I did, she could instantly go back to sleep when it turned out to be nothing.

But I was so tired that I soon drifted off right behind her.

Chapter 15- The Second Contract

The two of us slept deeply. I didn’t wake up until early morning light bathed the room in soft hues of blue.

Aless was lying next to me, and at some point, the two of us had climbed out of our clothes, because she was naked, and I had no clue where my shirt was.

But I didn’t really mind.

I pulled her closer to me while I listened to the birdsong just outside the window and the clatter of the workers getting ready for the day.

Aless snuggled into the crook of my neck and breathed out heavily. “That was a damn good nap,” she said softly.

“I’ll say.” I ran my hand over her shoulders and her back, running my fingers over her raised scar that led from her breast to her hip. It was thick and rough, and Aless shivered as I touched her. “You finally going to tell me about how you got this scar?”

She chuckled. “It’s not that great of a story. It was during my promotion test for the Foxes. To become a captain, I had to steal something worth at least three thousand vahn from a member of the nobility.”

“How does that determine whether or not you were good enough to become a captain?”

Aless shrugged. “I think it showed tactful thinking and restraint by picking a target that had the wealth but minimal security. That’s my thought, at least. The Master of Ingress was my overseer for the trial, and I chose Baron Deplume’s estate as my target.

“I got in as planned, grabbed a diamond-encrusted golden necklace, and was on my way out when a guard deviated from his patrol route. I was caught in the middle of the hallway, and when I turned to run, he chose to try and kill me rather than let me escape. His sword caught me good, but I didn’t know it was as bad as it was. I jumped out the open window and ran like hell until I was back in the slums.”

“What happened after that?” I asked.

“Just barely passed and became a captain. Ingress used my cut of the necklace to heal my wounds and then gave me my brand, marking me as captain. Told me I’d gotten lucky, and the wound hadn’t hit anything vital. Still tingles a bit now and again, though,” she said as I started trailing my hand back up her side.

Aless grabbed my hand and guided it to her chest. “If you’re going to touch me, do it properly,” she said with a chuckle.

“Fine by me,” I replied and tilted her head up as I lowered down.

Our lips met, and she grabbed the back of my neck as her tongue broke into my mouth.

She pulled back a moment later. “I know we have to get going, but…”

I nodded. “It’s still early, too early to start surveilling the bishop. We have time.”

She grinned as her eyes sparkled with delicious intentions, and soon, the only sound that mattered were Aless’s moans of pleasure.

***

By the time we finished, I’d thoroughly worked the sleep from my body, and after a quick bath with the waterskin and a washrag, the two of us were dressed and ready to go.

Though we were in Crescent Thorn’s territory, we couldn’t exactly go out in full gear, so I dressed in my finest clothing and donned my embroidered emerald cloak. It was stitched with gold thread that matched my hair well, and I looked the furthest thing from an assassin.

Aless dressed in a flowing dress that stopped just before her knees. It was crimson and matched her hair. And while it hugged her slender frame, there was just enough looseness around her thighs that she could conceal her crossbow in a holster.

She grumbled as she played with the hem of her dress. “While it’s still hidden, the location of the holster is the furthest thing from comfortable.”

“I know, just grin and bear it. You’ll be thankful if you have to have it.”

She waved me off. “Yeah, I know. Doesn’t make it any less of a pain in the ass.” Aless threw on a short, black cloak that complimented her outfit rather well.

All in all, the two of us looked like semi-wealthy nobles rather than the highly-trained killers we were.

“What’s our first move?” Aless asked. “Get eyes on the target, then track his movements?”

I nodded. “Yep. Learn his patterns, his habits, where he spends his time. Then we case the locations and find out everything there is to know about the bishop.”

“Then we kill him.”

“Of course.”

Aless snickered. “You don’t find it a wee bit sacrilegious? Killing a man of god.”

“Not when the man’s own god gave me the job in the first place.”

Aless whirled on me, her face filled with confusion. “Wait, what? I think I misheard you.”

I shook my head. “You didn’t. Weilin was the one who gave me the contract.”

“What? How? Why? What?” She shook her head. “Weilin? As in God?”

“That’s the one,” I said cheekily.

The dumbstruck look of absolute confusion on her face was adorable, and it had been a while since I’d teased her, so I enjoyed the moment while it lasted.

But, as all such moments go, it soon faded.

“He’s who’s issuing my contracts. It’s complicated, I know, but I’ll tell you everything,” I began. “After you shared your story with me, it’s only fair I share mine with you. But after the contract is complete and we get back home.”

“You promise?”

“Promise.”

With that, she wiped the confusion from her face and smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”

The two of us left the inn and began to walk toward the center of the city, where most of the churches resided.

Bishop was a high member of the church back on Earth handpicked by the pope. While I doubt this world has a pope, I’m betting a bishop is a high-ranking member of the clergy. Which means I just need to find the fanciest church and start from there.

It was the best lead I had, so that’s what I went with. There was a church at the city square. It had been big and beautiful, and I was betting if this Gregory Hale weren’t there, someone would be that could tell me where he was.

By the time we left, it was closer to mid-morning than anything, and while not too many people were about at this time of day, the city wasn’t deserted by any means.

Most of the shops were open and ready for business, so Aless and I stopped at a small bakery and picked up some freshly baked bread coated with a light drizzle of honey.

It was a light meal but would give us both the energy we needed without slowing us down.

Aless licked her fingers where a splattering of honey dripped down. As she finished cleaning her middle finger, she reached out and stuck her pointer finger in my mouth.

“Here, you clean this one for me.”

I sighed at her antics but couldn’t stop the smile that formed around her finger as I gently bit down.

“Ow!” she said playfully.

I quickly licked the syrup from her finger and let her have her hand back.

“You didn’t have to bite me.”

“And you didn’t have to shove your finger in my mouth. That makes us even,” I replied with a chuckle and nudged her with my elbow. “We’re supposed to be acting like nobles, not children.”

Aless shrugged. “No one’s out right now anyway, and besides, fuck what everyone else thinks. I don’t get to play with you often enough, so I’ll take the opportunities when they present themselves.”

She did and didn’t have a point, but there wasn’t really anyone around, so I didn’t bother taking it any further.

“Just keep your guard up. We’re still on the job.”

“We’re on our way to a job…but I understand your point.” She smiled. “I’ll behave.”

The rest of the way to the city center was uneventful as we walked arm in arm, making pleasant but inconsequential conversation about our estate in Duram that didn’t actually exist and the housemaid that was stealing from the estate.

We had to act the part of nobles after all.

By the time we reached the town square, we’d been talking for about an hour, and I really just wanted a break for a few minutes.

Which, as luck would have it, was exactly what I got as we went and sat by a small garden in the center of the courtyard. Wooden benches lined the square and allowed for plenty of spots to observe the area.

Though it wasn’t hard to spot the church I wanted; it was easily the largest building around.

It was far more like a cathedral than a church, with towering gray stone that stretched to the sky before ending in two spires on either side of the main building. Stained glass windows depicting Weilin lined the sides, and a large, geometric, stained-glass circle dominated the front of the church.

“Well, if nothing else, it’s pretty,” Aless said from beside me.

“That it is.”

I’d always found churches to be pretty on the outside and terrifying on the inside, and because of that aversion, I didn’t really want to go in.

But I didn’t have a choice in the matter, so I shook off the unease as we stood.

The church was on its own section of land and was surrounded by a stone fence that came up to my chest, with wrought iron extending well above my head.

It gave the entire area a rather sinister atmosphere as we skirted around the fence to find the entrance to the cathedral.

As we entered the church, several men in white robes patrolled the grounds, tending to the grass and flowers that bloomed along the edges.

Are they monks? Or this religion's version at least? That’s what the robes would suggest at any rate.

Robes were always unnerving and usually never meant anything good.

As we approached the large wooden doors that were hand carved to depict a scene from a story I had no context for, one of the monks, a brown-haired man in his late thirties, stopped us.

He wore the same white robes, but he had a golden stole around his shoulders.

“Welcome, friends, to the church of the benevolent creator. How may I assist you?”

I smiled and instantly shifted into a happy-go-lucky persona as I turned to the man. “Hello! Yes, my name is Edward, and this is my betrothed, Lucille.” I grabbed Aless’s hand and smiled affectionately at her. “We are looking for Bishop Gregory Hale, but I’m afraid we forgot which church is his.”

Your Disguise skill has increased by 1! [Disguise: 9 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Deception skill has increased by 1! [Deception: 2 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

The monk smiled wide. “Of course. And as luck or the grace of God would have it, you’ve come to the right place. This is Bishop Hale’s parish; would you like me to take you to him?”

“That would just be lovely,” Aless said, slipping as seamlessly into her persona as I had. “We would be ever so grateful.”

He shook his head, a raised smile on his lips. “It’s no trouble.” He raised his eyebrows. “Where are my manners? I’m Henry. The head acolyte to Bishop Hale. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“The same,” I replied as Henry led us into the church.

As he opened the door for us, the heavy, empty silence that places of religion managed to acquire settled over us, and I instinctually adjusted the placement of my feet to walk as softly as I could.

The door closed and echoed around the space, which did indeed resemble a cathedral. It had high vaulted ceilings and rose red carpet that stretched on either side of us, leading around the building.

Straight ahead of us was another set of doors that led to the central section of the church, the nave, and then the altar.

Henry led us through those doors as well, and a long corridor stretched ahead of us with wooden pews on either side, perfectly lined up to match the stained-glass windows on the walls.

At the very end of the cross-shaped transepts in the center of the room, instead of an altar, like I would have seen at any Catholic church on Earth, there stood a gigantic gold statue easily twenty-five feet tall. It was of Weilin, that much was obvious, but not the Weilin as I’d come to know him. This statue was of a perfect version of Weilin, one without faults or defects.

It was not the reality of the man as I knew him, but that wasn’t the point of such statues.

Weilin is a god, so he has to be perfect.

I nearly snorted as I realized that of all the churchgoers, I was probably the only person in the room that had actually conversed with the deity at all.

And that little bit of humor amused the hell out of me as our footsteps clacked against the white marbled tile as we drew closer to the giant statue.

I wasn’t an expert on precious metals and stones, but from what I could tell, the statue was made from solid gold, which was ridiculous as it had to have been worth a literal fortune, probably half the city’s income for an entire year.

“Hundreds of thousands of vahn spent to make a glorified statue,” Aless muttered so low I nearly missed it.

“It’s beautiful for what it is,” I said.

“The statue is our church’s, and if I may be so bold, our entire city’s pride and joy,” Henry said as we approached. “Hmm. I don’t see the bishop. If you’ll wait here, I’ll go and find him.”

I nodded, and off Henry went heading through a door on the left side of the statue, leaving the two of us alone.

As he left, I gave the place a look around. Up above us were numerous wooden beams that supported the walls and ceiling. Just from looking at them, I knew it wouldn’t be easy to get to them, but they offered a great vantage point for infiltration.

“This place is a thief’s dream,” Aless said softly. “There are a lot of easy entrances. Though, of course, the most valuable item in the room is the statue, and there’s no way to get it out.”

“It’s also pretty handy for an assassin. Lots of easy access points and a lot of dark corners and hidden vantage points. If we do it here, the location would be to our advantage, I think.”

Aless looked around before nodding at my assessment. “I agree. But we would be rushing things by choosing this location before we know more about the target.”

“Knew I taught you something,” I said with a smile.

“Shut up.” Aless nudged me, but she was smiling too.

After that, we dropped the shop talk and acted our roles, taking in the scenery while waiting for Henry to return with the bishop.

It took him a few minutes, but when he came back, he was alone.

“I’m sorry, but the bishop is in a meeting right now and won’t be able to see you. He asked me to relay to you his wish to meet with you and wanted me to invite you to our service tomorrow morning. After which he would be pleased to hear your request.”

Interesting. But it’s not a bad thing. It has possibilities.

I nodded. “That would be very agreeable. At what time is the service?”

“It is at six in the morning, just after dawn, so that he can minister to those whose work takes them out of the city.”

“We’ll be there,” I said with a smile.

“Looking forward to it,” Henry replied.

He then showed us out, and we left the church. Henry gave us a parting wave before turning and going about his duties.

As Aless and I left and were out of sight, I dropped the too happy façade and sighed. “Well, while that didn’t go exactly as planned, we at least know where the bishop will be tomorrow.”

Aless nodded. “That is good news, but what’s our plan? We can’t kill him in the middle of his sermon.”

“Of course not. I want to get eyes on him and learn his routine first. But getting a meeting with him won’t hurt. It’ll give us a better sense of who he is. Which is always valuable information.”

“Does he meet our code?” she asked.

I smiled as she said our code. It filled my heart with pride.

“Weilin said he does, but I don’t exactly trust the god.” I shook my head. “But I have to take the contract, and Weilin wouldn’t have chosen me if he knew I would refuse it.”

She chuckled. “That sounds complicated, but then again, it’s a god, and aren’t they all supposed to work in mysterious ways? So, we wait and watch, but what do we do until tomorrow?”

I turned toward the entrance to the city. “We train. There aren’t many woods next to the city, but there are a lot of plains and mountains once we get far enough out.”

“We’re leaving the city? But what about Crescent Thorn?”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry. We’re going to play this smart. I’ll keep an eye out on you as you leave and make sure we don’t have eyes on us, then I’ll follow behind you.”

“Okay,” she said but didn’t sound convinced.

The two of us headed for the city entrance while I kept my eyes and ears open for any disturbance.

As we walked along, I didn’t pick up anything, which told me that we still hadn’t been found out. Of course, that would change once we killed the bishop, but I was hoping we’d be long gone by then.

Once we reached the city gate, I broke off from Aless and climbed atop a nearby shop that had a good view of the entire area. I kept low as I crept to the edge and checked for any sign of the assassins guild.

For a second, I found nothing, but after a slower second pass, I picked up on something that nagged at me.

There was a distortion along one of the buildings. Like steam rising on a hot day, but it was still morning, and while warm, the night's chill still lingered, and the other buildings didn’t have the same shimmer.

I wanted to chalk it up to my imagination, but one of the spells I’d seen while perusing the list Molly gave me had been Invisibility.

It consumed a large amount of mana and then ate into what was left every second you moved. But if you didn’t move, you could remain undetected for hours at a time.

I’d wanted the spell, but my mana pool wasn’t large enough to use it yet.

So one of Thorn’s men is hiding there, nearly undetectable. Clever.

Your Perception has increased by 1! [Perception: 36] +100 Exp!

Magic really is something else in this world.

From the posture of the distortion, the assassin was turned toward the gate, watching the comings and goings, likely looking for anyone who matched our descriptions or anyone that was out of the ordinary.

A decent spot, but that’s a nearly impossible job, to begin with.

Any number of disguises could see Aless and I through the gates with the assassin none the wiser, but before I was about to hop off the building and change into a disguise, a better thought came over me.

Kill the assassin and make it look like we escaped the city. They’ll likely follow our trail when the lookout doesn’t report back.

All while we stay in the city and they look for us in the completely wrong direction.

It was a much better plan, one that I enjoyed immensely.

I was across the street from the hidden assassin, and though we were several hundred feet apart, I smiled as I drew my crossbow and lined up the shot.

The reinforced manasteel and heavy steel bolts meant that the quarrel flew much further, much faster than a normal crossbow.

I snapped the limbs in place and aimed. I corrected for distance and the wind. Normally, I would have to guess during a fight, but as I was concealed and my target was none the wiser, I could take my time.

Five pounds of pressure on the trigger, and the bolt went sailing with a snap. It crossed the distance in a second and took the invisible assassin in the head.

Blood burst around the shimmering haze, raining down to slither along the invisible man. As gray matter leaked out to mix with the bright crimson, the body slowly faded back into view as it slumped over and lay still.

1 Kill: 100 Exp!

Your Archery skill has increased by 1! [Archery: 11 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

It was a good shot and a clean kill. The dead assassin was now hidden from the passersby down on the street who hadn’t reacted to the sharp twang of my crossbow firing.

The only one who had was Aless, who found me in seconds, and I nodded to her, letting her know she could leave.

I wanted to retrieve the bolt and the stuff from the assassin, but I thought better of it. There wouldn’t be anything on him that I didn’t already have, and I had more important things to do than loot a dead assassin.

Just as I was about to hop down, I had a thought that stopped me.

While I can’t loot the body, I can grab my bolt back. I think.

I turned back and focused on the bolt stuck in the roof on the opposite side of the street.

When I had it, I raised my hand.

Kleptomania.

The bolt wobbled a bit as the spell took hold, and then with a bit of a concerted effort, it zipped from the roof to my hand in seconds, flying through the air at speed until it rested in my palm.

Kleptomania has increased by 1! [Kleptomania: 1] +25 Exp!

The mana drain was soft, and I barely noticed it as I pulled out a rag and wiped the bloody bolt clean.

Well, that’s a nifty little spell.

Training came first, and I’d just gotten a head start on it, but I had a lot of work ahead of me than one single spell. I wanted to familiarize myself with my new spells before we went after Bishop Hale.

And I still have my level up to deal with. But that can wait until later tonight. Spells first, skill second.

Aless went through the gate without issue, and I hopped down to the street and swiftly followed after.

I stopped by the stagecoach area as I left the city and paid a driver double what he was asking to take an empty carriage to Vohra but not to let anyone know that I wasn’t actually inside it.

It took a bit of convincing, but the man was rather eager to make more money and not have to do anything.

Once he’d set off, I met back up with Aless, and we headed north, towards the endless fields. We passed a dozen farmsteads as an hour ticked by until we came to a large, seemingly endless stretch of plains that went on for miles.

“Looks like someone is getting ready to build another farm out here,” Aless said.

“Yeah, but they aren’t building today, and it’s a large enough swath of land that we can practice without being seen.”

She sighed. “Even more hiking…hurray.”

I laughed as we walked side by side through the grass. “At least it’s a pretty day out.”

“Yeah, bet you won’t be saying that when the sun starts trying to kill us with heatstroke.”

“You’re probably right about that, but complaining gets us nowhere.”

We walked for about another half an hour until we were well and truly surrounded by nothing but miles of the field around us, and the city was small in the distance.

“Okay, I think this is as good a spot as any to train.”

Aless stopped and smiled. “Then let’s get to it.”

She held her hand up, and her entire body lit up with a faint green aura as small gusts of wind arced off her skin, sending blades of grass swirling around her.

Before I could speak, she ran toward me, far faster than she’d ever moved before. And I scrambled to form a defense as she crossed the distance between us in the blink of an eye.

Despite her frightening speed, I smiled wide.

“This is going to be fun.”

Chapter 16- Watch and Wait

I leaned back on my hands as my breath came out in great gulps while I sucked down as much air as I could. Sweat poured down my face in rivers, and every muscle on my body shook with fatigue.

The sun was low overhead, bathing the sky in fragments of purple and orange.

Aless sat beside me, just as worn out as I was.

“That was…that was…” She stopped as her words failed her, and she fell back and stared up at the sky as her chest rose and fell in chaos. “Fucking hell.”

“Yeah,” I tried to say but couldn’t.

We just stayed there for several long minutes until our breathing got under control. I took out two waterskins and passed one to her as I uncapped my own and drained every last drop from it.

As I slowly came back to myself, I pulled open my status, where a slew of notifications waited for me.

Your Hand-to-Hand skill has increased by 3! [Hand-to-Hand: 27 (Journeyman)] +150 Exp!

[Hand-to-Hand Journeyman level confers active skill (Paralyzing Touch)]

Active Skill

Paralyzing Touch: Next strike that connects to the target will paralyze them for a short duration. Cannot be applied to a weapon. Skill can be resisted by a high Constitution.

Cooldown: 1 hour

Mana Drain: Minute

Fireball has increased by 1! [Fireball: 4] +25 Exp!

Water Whip has increased by 2! [Water Whip: 2] +50 Exp!

Passive Protection has increased by 3! [Passive Protection: 3] +75 Exp!

Kleptomania has increased by 1! [Kleptomania: 2] +25 Exp!

Your Wisdom has increased by 2! [Wisdom: 28] +200 Exp!

Your Strength has increased by 1! [Strength: 32] +100 Exp!

Your Acrobatics has increased by 1! [Acrobatics: 24 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Teaching skill has increased by 3! [Teaching: 3 (Novice)] +75 Exp!

(Warning! Continued advancement along this path could lead to a potential Job change)

Do you wish to delete this skill and forfeit the Exp?

Yes/No?

Yes.

After I finished sorting out my notifications, I sighed. “As tiring as it was, our training paid off. I even received a new skill for leveling up my hand-to-hand. And I hit level three after my fight with Thorn.”

“Really? Congratulations. I’m still short of reaching my third level, but I think I’m close to changing jobs.” Aless smiled. “The assassin job is close; I can just feel it. And I will say all the practice we’ve done has really helped.”

Aless turned to me, and in the brushed orange light, despite the sweat pouring off her, she was beautiful. “Have you chosen your skill yet?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. I haven’t even looked at the new skills I unlocked yet.”

She laughed and laid back on the grass as she poured the rest of the water skin over her face and chest. “Well, while you have fun with all that, I’m going to pass the fuck out right here. Wake me in a few.”

With that, Aless closed her eyes, and her breathing deepened.

I smiled at her before I turned and pulled up my stats.

Name: Elias McKinley

Age: 29

Race: Human

Level: 3

Exp: 1890/16454

Stat Points: 15

Skill Points: 1

Skill List [+]

Stats

Strength: 32

Constitution: 27

Endurance: 37

Wisdom: 28

Perception: 36

Agility: 49

Charisma: 16

Luck: 19

With fifteen stat points, I could use ten of them while still keeping a few in reserve. Or maybe just keep two in reserve. I haven’t come across a situation where I would need all five stat points at once. Having two just in case seems smart while also not needlessly hoarding them for an eventuality that might never happen.

Since I had thirteen stat points to distribute. Three went to strength and constitution and endurance. Two went to wisdom. One went to agility just to get it up to fifty.

Which left me with one point.

I’m not putting it in charisma. Perception is always useful, but I have yet to level up luck since I’ve come to this world.

Which makes me think it’s the hardest of all to increase. But then again, I don’t really know what it does.

Logic dictated that it increased my good fortune to allow events to go my way more easily when skill failed me or wasn’t enough.

I nudged Aless awake to ask her about it.

“Oh yeah.” She yawned and rubbed her eyes as she sat up. “You’re about right on what it does. Luck is incredibly powerful, but there is no way to train to increase it. It just happens naturally. With yours at only nineteen, I’d put a few into it. Hell, mine’s at twenty-seven.”

That settled it, and I put my final point in luck.

Stats

Strength: 35

Constitution: 30

Endurance: 40

Wisdom: 30

Perception: 36

Agility: 50

Charisma: 16

Luck: 20

As I accepted my stats, my body seized up.

A burning fire spread throughout me as I fell back against the grass and rode the wave of pain as every fiber of my being screamed at me.

But as quickly as it came, it went away, and I was left in an even larger puddle of sweat that slowly soaked into the dirt and grass beneath me.

“Holy hell, that was intense.”

Aless nodded and handed me my water. I drained it dry.

“That happens when you increase your stats by more than a few points at a time. It forces your body to change, and your body doesn’t like that.” She smiled. “But you feel strong, right?”

Now that she said something, I focused on myself. Aless was right. My muscles quivered, but there was both strength and a lightness in them that hadn’t been there previously.

I instinctually knew that I was faster, stronger, and a hell of a lot more durable than I had ever been before.

It was an exhilarating experience, one that I couldn’t quite put my finger on quantifying, but it was addicting.

“Yeah. You look like you feel good.” Aless scooted closer to me and rested a hand on my shoulder. “But you shouldn’t let that feeling overwhelm you. It can be even more addicting than Thanatos, and there are those few who live for that, and they destroy their bodies in the pursuit of leveling up. Most die before they get past level four.”

I shook my head and forced away the feeling as I pulled out more water and drank it down. “Don’t worry. I’m not that foolish. Besides, I already have one addiction in my life. There isn’t room for two.”

Aless just shook her head and chuckled to herself. “So, what did you choose for your skill?”

Ah, right. I keep getting distracted by my other level-ups.

Skills List[-]

Skill Points: 1

Active Skills

Assassination (Already Acquired) [Assassination: 28]

Shade's Rest (Already Acquired) [Shade’s Rest: 4]

Shadow Bind: Command chains of pure shadow to reach out and ensnare a single target. Can hold a target until concentration is broken or the user’s mana runs out.

Cooldown: 1 hour

Mana Drain: Moderate (Mild drain over time)

Blade of Shade: Forms a desired weapon in the user's hands.

Cooldown: 5 hours

Mana Drain: Negligible

Second Shadow: Create a doppelganger of yourself that can move and interact with the world. Can use shadow movement to swap places with the clone.

Cooldown: 24 hours

Mana Drain: Significant

Rain of Shadows: Creates an area of darkness six feet wide at the user's designation. Summons a hail of shadow arrows continuously in the area until canceled or the user runs out of mana.

Cooldown: None

Mana Drain: Significant (Moderate drain each second after)

Ever-reaching Abyss: Casts a shadow over the ground. The user gains a significant boost to all shadow spells and combat skills while touching the shadow. Enemies are slowed and suffer poison damage over time as long as they are touching the shadow.

Cooldown: 1 hour

Mana Drain: Moderate

Shadow Dart: Launches a small, nearly invisible bolt of shadow at a target. The target suffers considerable poison damage. Lethal at higher levels and it cannot be healed except by the strongest healing magic.

Cooldown: 24 hours

Mana Drain: Minute

To be honest, all of the options were appealing. They would benefit me in one way or another as an assassin going forward, which made choosing difficult.

In the end, despite the usefulness of them all, I had my eye on the skill that I’d wanted since I’d leveled up the first time.

Because I could think of a few unconventional uses for it.

“Second Shadow seems like the most useful, and it’s one I’ve wanted, though it was a hard pick. There are a lot of interesting abilities that I really want to try out.”

“That’s the one that lets you make a copy of yourself, right? I’ve got to see that.”

I chuckled weakly. “I’d show you, but my mana well is completely dry.”

Aless grabbed the collar of her tunic and fanned herself. “Mine too. As Swift as the Wind drains it like nothing else.”

“But it’s a damned effective spell. I’m kind of jealous I didn’t pick it myself.”

She shook her head and stood on two shaky legs. “Maybe, but your Water Whip is scary. I didn’t think it could be used like that, but leave it to you to figure out a completely new use for it.”

Aless held her hand out to me, and I took it as she hauled me up.

“I’m not that surprised, actually.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

I dusted myself off and used the hood of my cloak to wipe the sweat from my brow. “Magic has stagnated this world. The people here have never had to live without it, so they’ve taken it for granted and rely too heavily on it.

“Take my attack on Crescent Thorn. Where I’m from, I wouldn’t have gotten half as far before having to fight for my life.”

Aless scrunched her face up in confusion. “That doesn’t make any sense. Magic is everywhere in this world. There isn’t any place without it…”

She paused as her eyes widened. “Now it makes sense. I was missing information, but you gave it to me this morning. The way you act and speak, the phrases you use. I brushed it off as a cultural difference, but it's more than that, isn’t it?

“You’re not of this world, are you, Elias?”

I shook my head and sighed.

Guess it’s time to come clean. I owe her that much anyway.

“No. I’m not. Weilin brought me here from my world to kill for him.”

Her eyes lit up as a smile blossomed on her face. “That explains so much…and I have so many questions for you.”

I chuckled. “Not freaked out?”

She laughed and shook her head, coming over to wind her fingers through mine. “A little, but it doesn’t change who you are. It doesn’t change the fact that I love you or that my life has fundamentally changed because of your being in it.

“It’s going to take some time to fully wrap my head around it, but I’m glad to know now. It’s a relief that all the nagging questions about you in my head got answered at once.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell you everything when we get back home as I promised,” I said, moving around to wrap my arms around her neck as I kissed the top of her head. “But we should get some sleep. We’ve got an early morning sermon to attend after all.”

Aless nodded and let go of my hand as she stretched. “I’m going to need a hot bath first to help work the kinks out of my muscles, but my recovery skill should be enough that I won’t be incredibly sore tomorrow.”

As the light slowly faded from the sky, we made our way back to Odra, entering through a different gate than we exited through.

By now, Crescent Thorn should be well on their way to Vohra looking for us. If they’re smart, they’ll question the stagecoach drivers, and it will back up their assumptions.

It was a simple truth that most people wouldn’t question intelligence that they had to work to obtain. If it backs up what they already believe to be true, then it was even easier.

And it works almost every time.

As we entered the city, we stopped in an empty alley and changed our outfits, this time throwing on vibrant colors. I wore a red silk tunic and charcoal gray trousers. I topped it off with a sapphire blue cloak.

While Aless went with a dress that perfectly matched my cloak, it was flowing but stopped mid-thigh, showcasing much of her pale skin. She also tied her hair atop her head and slipped into a high-born persona that I’d been teaching her.

In a handful of minutes, we’d changed into high-class nobility.

Your Disguise skill has increased by 1! [Disguise: 10 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

“Let’s not go back to the inn. I’d rather pick an expensive establishment tonight.” I paused and held out my hand. “This time, let’s get a room with a bath.”

“Music to my ears,” she replied.

It was much easier to find an inn that catered to the wealthy, so we didn’t have to walk long before we reached a sprawling, three-story manor that was more estate than an inn.

We walked inside and paid nearly two hundred vahn for a suite on the third floor. But it came with its own private washroom, and even though it was a bit pricey, I shelled out the money like it was pocket change.

“Thank you, sir,” the too pretty receptionist said as she handed me our key.

Once we were safely inside our extravagant room, Aless sighed and began stripping out of her dress then and there.

“Fuck, acting like that makes my skin crawl,” she said as she slid her dress over her head.

Though she wore no bra, her panties were white silk and clung to her backside as if they were painted on her slender frame.

She turned back around and caught me staring. She smirked. “Care to join me in the bath?”

I shook my head. “As lovely as that sounds, I’ll have to pass. If we let ourselves get carried away, we won’t get any sleep, and a tired assassin is a sloppy assassin.”

“Well, so is a horny assassin,” she fired back without hesitation as we entered the bath.

It was just as extravagant as the rest of the inn, and it even had a spigot that dispensed hot water like we had at Blackfall Manor.

I laughed as I slipped out of my shirt and stowed it away. “I think we both can manage.”

Aless huffed. “Damn, was worth a shot, though.”

“It was a good attempt,” I said as I quickly bathed in the hot water and Aless soaked languidly on the other side. She took her time while I was in and out in minutes, just taking long enough to wash the sweat and grime from my body before I climbed into bed.

When I was done, I toweled off and then laid back onto a mattress filled with goose down. It was like sleeping on a cloud, and I groaned in delight.

I’d grown used to sleeping in the worst places imaginable, but I’d missed the bed I’d had back on Earth. It had cost thousands of pounds but had been worth every bit of what I’d spent.

While Aless lounged in the bath, I fought to keep my eyes open, but the bed was far too comfortable, and I was too exhausted.

I soon lost the fight against my eyelids and fell fast asleep.

In the morning, I blinked my eyes clear and sat up. Aless clung to me and groaned as my movements woke her.

“Time to get up already?” she asked.

“’Fraid so. C’mon, we’ve got a bishop to kill.” I worked the strain out of my muscles. “Though, not literally. Today is just reconnaissance, to get a feel for him and his habits.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Aless sat up and yawned with her whole body as she stretched.

Her yawn was contagious, and I couldn’t stop myself, opening my mouth wide as I stood and padded to the bathroom.

I quickly bathed and then changed into the same style of clothing we’d worn last night, adopting the guise of a nobleman once more.

Aless picked out another dress, and though I knew she hated wearing them, she really did look beautiful when she did.

After the two of us were presentable, we donned our cloaks.

As we were about to leave, Aless turned to me. “What happens if we get an opportunity to kill him today?”

“We wait. If one comes along, then so will another.” I shrugged. “It’s never wise to rush into things, especially assassination. We don’t know the first thing about our target, not even his looks. I’m not saying we need to know every last detail about him, though that certainly helps. We need to know his habits and routines first, especially those who might be around him at all times.

“Rushing into things gets you killed or lets your target escape. It’s not good business, so we wait and watch until we’re confident things can go off without a hitch…and even then, there are always surprises. Humans are unpredictable creatures and will happily walk headlong to their deaths without a care in the world.”

“So, watch and wait. Don’t strike until you’re certain of success?” she asked.

I nodded. “Precisely. It’s always better to be cautious in situations like these. Sometimes an opportunity is a feint, and you’ll never know it until you spring the trap. It’s why I caution surveilling your target well before you even think about striking. If they’re cautious enough to have a trap prepared, it will show in their behaviors, their patterns.”

“So, when in doubt, watch and wait?”

I grinned. “Short and poignant enough that it could almost be a rule. Rule ten. When in doubt, watch and wait.”

Aless groaned. “Did I just help create a rule?”

“And a good one at that. Best commit it to memory.”

“Ugh.” She shook her head. “Let’s just get going.”

The two of us made our way back through the city streets until we once more stood in front of the cathedral.

Though it was early morning, the street leading to the church was packed with people heading to the same place we were.

“Lot of believers in the city,” Aless said in a hushed whisper as we got in line.

“Well, they have a good reason to believe.”

She chuckled. “I guess you have a point…I’m still trying to come to terms that Weilin actually exists.”

“You never believed?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Too much shit went wrong in my life for me to believe in a god, but I’m staring at undeniable proof now, which throws everything I thought I believed into chaos.”

“Sorry.”

She just smiled at me and stuck close to my side as we waited to get inside.

It took close to twenty minutes before we could get in. The main area of the church was packed full. All of the seats up front were taken, which was fine with me.

I preferred to sit in the back, away and unnoticed for the time being.

This would be my first look at the man I was sent to kill, and I wanted to get a good read on him.

Though I picked the worst place to get insight into his character, no man is less himself than when he is standing in front of hundreds of people, preaching. Even the noblest of priests know that their image is everything.

At worst, I’ll at least know how good of an actor he is.

We sat down in our pews alongside a few of the poorer members of the city. Their clothes were a little too shabby, darned one time too many. Though from the fervent looks in their eyes, they were true believers in this world's god.

Weilin.

Just as we sat down, a man in pristine white robes with golden adornments walked out.

The man that could only be Gregory Hale.

Hale was older, in his fifties, if I had to guess, from the well-trimmed and slicked-back silver hair and thick, gray beard. But the way he carried himself and his posture told of a man twenty years younger. From the way the robes hung expertly on his frame, I could tell he was well built, which didn’t fit with my notions of a priest.

His bright blue eyes trailed over the crowd, and he smiled wide as the noise died down to only slightly louder than a mausoleum.

“Welcome all. It warms my heart to see such a full congregation this morning. Now, I know many of you have fields to tend to or stores to run, so I won’t meander this time.”

His words earned him a round of quiet chuckling.

“Today, I would like to talk a little about the nature of humanity and of being different. Weilin, when he once walked the earth, taught the value of uniqueness and of being different. He encouraged it. And it was in the spirit of being different that his system came about, that could help each of us find the path that we were meant to walk.” He shook his head. “Why then, if our god praised our unique qualities, why must those who are born different than us, the Beastkin, be considered subhuman?”

There was a subtle intake of breath as most people were confused by the question.

Interesting. Is he taking a pro-Beastkin stance?

Gregory gave his flock a moment to ponder the question before he continued.

“Now, this question has made many of you uncomfortable, which was the point. Would you like me to tell you a secret? The fact remains that Beastkin and humanity have so much more in common than they have differences.

“So why do we treat them as lesser beings?” He raised his hands. “Some might say, it is because Weilin did not make them, that they are unnatural. That they are not god’s creatures.

“But I think that’s a very short-sighted answer. Why would Weilin let such creatures exist if he did not find some merit in them?”

Interesting. It seems the good priest is taking a different approach with his sermon. I wonder how he’s going to continue?

My curiosity had been piqued, and Aless and I spent the next half hour listening to Hale as he toed the line between a pro-Beastkin rhetoric. It was subtle, and he was careful not to overstate anything, but it was like he was trying to get the people to think about Beastkin as not that different from humans.

It was an interesting hour, to say the least.

A few people around me grumbled in disapproval, but they all remained in their seats.

“He’s doing it again,” one of the farmers next to me said.

“Hush. I’m trying to listen,” his friend replied.

At that point, I realized most of the churches were doing nothing but indoctrinating the citizens against the Beastkin.

Explains why Jin is hiding under his own shop and why I haven’t seen many of them in the world since I came here.

If I were them, I’d want to stay in Monros too. Keep to my own kind rather than deal with the hate.

Though, as Weilin pointed out, most weren’t preaching his message. They were just using his name to spread their propaganda.

Hale spoke with a tone of conviction in his words, which was different than anything else I’d seen in this false city so far. It was a nice change of pace and a shame he had to die.

By the time he was done speaking, I hadn’t learned anything useful about him, but I had eyes on him and had seen a small portion of his character.

It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

Though, I was surprised I managed to learn anything at all.

When Hale finished his sermon, he paused for a moment of prayer to Weilin before he dismissed his congregation.

As everyone around me rose to leave, I decided that I wouldn’t learn much more from him by meeting him today.

Let’s save that for another day. I’m sure I can make up some excuse why I had to delay. I shouldn’t waste such an opportunity when it doesn’t earn me much more than what I already have.

I stood too and nudged Aless. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“We’re not going to meet him?” she asked.

“Not today.”

We filed out with the crowd as they headed towards the city gates to start their work for the day.

The two of us went and sat on one of the benches in the center of the square. I leaned back and stared at the church while Aless leaned against me.

“Was it just me, or was that service strange? You usually don’t hear many people having something nice to say about the Beastkin.”

“Yeah, it was certainly different, but not bad. From what I can see, the Beastkin are normal enough people.”

Aless nodded. “People suck.” She turned and glanced up at the church. “So we wait and watch?”

“That we do.” I turned to her and smiled. “You want to take the first shift?”

She sighed but nodded. “Yeah, what are you going to do in the meantime?”

“I’m going back to Magdalene’s, see if Molly can tell me something about Hale, or even better, his job.”

Aless paused to consider my words, her pale lips pressed together as she shrugged. “It’s worth a shot, but you really think she can tell you anything? Or that she won’t betray us? She does have an agreement with Crescent Thorn after all.”

I nodded. “But as long as she thinks that I’m a part of them, she won’t be a problem. And with the guild likely scrambling, it’s a perfect time to go and see her.”

“Then, I guess I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Stay safe,” I replied.

“You as well.”

I left Aless watching the church and slipped through the back alleys until I was once more in front of the small bookshop. It was early, but I was hoping that Molly would be open.

But she wasn’t, and I had to wait a few hours until the sun was properly over the horizon before she arrived and began opening up.

“You’re here early,” she said as she turned the key in the lock, and my shadow fell over her.

“Needed some scholarly advice,” I said.

Molly laughed softly and opened the door. The bell chimed and announced us, and as it faded away, Molly swept her hand in front of her and bowed slightly. “After you, valued customer.”

I stepped inside and headed to the back, winding through the shelves until I reached the counter with Molly nipping at my heels.

“Would you like some tea?” Molly asked. “I’m going to make myself some, so it’s no trouble.”

“Sure.”

I went and sat at the table while Molly went behind her counter. She was gone for several minutes, and from the sounds that drifted my way, she was getting the store ready. I left her to her devices for a while since I had just shown up, and by the time she came around the counter, I was getting hungry.

Molly set down a small teacup in front of me along with some biscuits, which my slightly rumbling stomach was grateful for.

I took one and nibbled on it as she sat across from me.

“So what’s so important that you’d come to me this early?” she asked, taking a sip of the steaming tea.

How to phrase this without giving away too much information?

“I was wondering if you had any information on the religious jobs,” I said as I picked up my own cup and took a sip.

The tea was some flavor I’d never had before, but it was delicious, and it paired well with the biscuit's sweetness.

Molly arched an eyebrow, and her dark eyes flashed with curiosity. “Jobs like Priest or Cleric? Right?”

I nodded.

She smirked. “What, you got a contract to kill a priest? How sacrilegious of you.”

“Something like that,” I replied.

Molly set her cup down and stood. She disappeared into the rows of books for a long moment before she came back with a small, leather-bound tome with gold lettering. She placed it on the table and opened it.

“Let’s see.” She flipped a few pages. “Ah. Yes. Here. This book has a small description of the holy jobs. Though, because of the nature of them, many skills are still shrouded in mystery, so the list is incomplete. But, if it’s a wandering priest or missionary, they most likely have the Cleric job, which isn’t as powerful as the Priest job, but it is much more versatile and focuses on healing or curse banishment. But if it’s a Priest in a city, then they’ll likely stay near their holy site.”

“Why?” I asked. “That seems strange.”

Molly passed the book to me, inching the plate of biscuits out of the way. “It’s because the closer they are to their place of worship, the stronger they become. The book doesn’t list all of the skills, but there are a number of them that only work on holy ground, so if a priest were to leave…”

“They’d lose access to the skill, making them considerably weaker.”

“That’s right,” she said with a grin which, considering her age, was rather unsettling.

I picked up the book and started reading the passage. “You know, for such a young girl, you’re rather unusual.”

“I take that as a compliment. Momma taught me to be myself, no matter what.” There was melancholy in her voice as she spoke, and I didn’t press the issue.

Far be it for me to judge how a person acts. When I was her age, I was accompanying my master on contracts. Saw death up close and personal.

“How much for the book?”

“Twenty-five vahn,” she replied.

I dug out the money and then finished my tea. I earmarked the page, which earned me a scowl from Molly as I stowed the book in my ring.

“Don’t give me that look. I’m hard on books, always have been.”

She sighed and shook her head. “You should use a bookmark. I’ll give you one for free. Just promise me you’ll use it rather than vandalizing poor books like that.”

I laughed and nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”

With that, I took the small leather bookmark, thanked Molly for the tea, and left. I stopped and bought some bread and cured ham for lunch. I devoured it on my way to relieve Aless.

She was perched on a roof that looked out to the church. She was hidden from the street and had a good vantage point that caught all entrances and exits. I ducked into the alley and climbed up to meet her.

Aless turned as I dropped down beside her. “How did things at Molly’s go?”

“Good…well, I got a bit of information. I just hope it will prove useful.” I nodded towards the church. “Any movement?”

She shook her head and rose to a crouch. “Not a one. Hasn’t left that I’ve seen. Though those acolytes of his have been wandering about working all day, and a few nobles and guards have stopped by, but there’s no pattern that I can tell.”

“Hm.” I scratched at my chin. “Interesting. It doesn’t mean much now. Let’s just keep watch for now and see what his pattern is throughout the day.

“Go grab some food and procure us another place to stay. Something nice again. As long as we’re keeping up the noble personas, we might as well enjoy it.”

She grinned. “Good, then as a noble, I’m going to go dine at one of the expensive restaurants around town. Steak sounds lovely.”

I snorted as I settled down and turned to the church. “Just don’t eat too much. You’re covering another shift in four hours.”

“I know.” She waved me off and then hopped over the ledge and dropped to the street below.

A wholly different Aless walked out of the alley in a few minutes, a high-born noble once more.

I turned my attention back to the church and kept watch.

Four hours later and there had been no sign of Gregory Hale. It was past midday, and he hadn’t left for lunch, and no one had brought food.

Aless came back on time and gave me the location of the inn and the key before she took over.

We traded off shifts for two days, but Hale never left the church once in that time.

Which confirmed one thing for us.

“I think that means he has the Priest job,” I said, holding up the book as Aless climbed over the ledge.

“Yeah. With the fact that he hasn’t left, I’d say so.” Aless tossed me a sack of food and sat down next to me on the roof. “Which means if we’re going to fight him, it’s going to be where he’s the strongest.”

I shrugged. “If that’s what has to happen, it’s what has to happen. But after two days, I’d say that he’s not going to come out. So we go to him. We still have our disguises and a meeting planned. We can use that to our advantage.”

Aless nodded. “Alright, when do we strike?”

I leaned over the roof and glanced at the church, where service was letting out. It meant that Hale was definitely in there right now.

“Now’s our best chance when the church empties. I have a plan that should take care of him quickly.”

“Alright, then let’s get to work,” Aless said with a smile.

Chapter 17- The Hale Job

“How are you going to do it?” Aless asked as we crouched to the edge of the roof.

“I’ve got a few things up my sleeve.” I grinned. “I’m lucky I asked Cora to go to Angela’s and pick up a few things for me. I wasn’t sure what I’d need, so I went overboard.”

“What are you thinking?” Aless asked from beside me.

“From what I saw of his build, I’m guessing Hale’s trained in combat, but that doesn’t tell me much. From what I’ve seen of this world, people haven’t cultivated any strong martial arts.” I scoffed. “And why would they when they can just blast you in the face with fire or electrocute you? Even Crescent Thorn struggled against me though I was outnumbered heavily. But just because he might not be as skilled in combat as I am, he could have all manner of nasty tricks, especially in his own church, if he has the Priest job like I think.

“If my plan works, I shouldn’t have to fight at all. Angela gave me a very potent poison made from what she called a Hebi, a Beastkin that resembles a snake.”

“Think it’ll be enough?”

“Should be if it’s as potent as Angela says. Though the unknown is Hale’s job.” I pulled out the book and skimmed over the passage once more. “This book only lists a few skills, but we have no idea his level or which ones he might have chosen. It’s an unknown, but I have no idea how to get around that. But from what I can tell, most are focused on healing or protection.” I tapped the book. “But this is an incomplete list, so there might be a dozen skills we have no reference for.”

“So what, we just hope for the best?”

I shook my head. “Nope, we do our best. The rest is out of our hands.”

As we climbed off the roof, we paused in the back alley to change into our noble personas once more.

“You know, I’m going to be really glad when I can stop dressing up like a little porcelain doll every day.”

“That bad, huh?” I turned to look at Aless and smiled. “It suits you, though. You look beautiful.”

She blushed and turned away from me as she finished getting dressed. She strapped her crossbow to her thigh along with a small dagger, which was more than I could work with. I had two throwing knives at my lower back and a pair of daggers in my trouser pockets.

Not exactly going in armed to the teeth, but they were just backup weapons.

My plan would hopefully see Hale dead without him being any the wiser that it was us.

Contact poison on my hands. Give him a handshake and let the poison do the rest of the work for me.

Deadly, not just to him, but why else did I grab the skill than for moments like these?

I smiled wide—the thrill and excitement of the hunt pulsed wildly in my veins.

Aless turned around and matched my smile with a ferocious grin. “Let’s give him hell.”

Before we left the darkness of the alley, I carefully pulled the vial of poison from the pouch at my waist as well as a binding agent made from Arachne spider silk. It stuck to my hand, and when I poured the poison over my palm and fingers, rather than sluice around my skin, most of it stuck to the strands.

From my testing with the silk, the liquid and texture were almost unnoticeable, but not completely. Though it should just feel like I have sweaty hands to Gregory Hale, and by the time he realized something was wrong, I’d be far away.

Poison has never been my favorite method of assassination. Much too easy, and it takes a lot of the challenge away, but I can’t deny that it's quick, clean, and efficient.

Which is what I need right now. I need to get back to Vohra. We’ve been away for too long already.

But all we had to do was shake the man’s hand and then make my excuses to leave. We’d be long gone by the time anyone noticed anything.

“Ready?” Aless asked when she finished getting dressed.

“Just one second. Go on ahead. I’ll catch up in a moment.”

As she left the alley, a wave of exhaustion came over me and tried to send me to my knees. I fought it and stood. I brushed the sweat from my head and checked myself over. I was perfect. Not a crease out of place.

When I was done, I left the alley and caught up with Aless a minute later. We walked arm in arm as we approached the church.

Henry, the head acolyte, was outside, tending to a small garden as we entered the grounds.

He looked up and smiled, putting down his pruning shears as he stood. “Thank Weilin. I was a little worried when you two never showed the other day.” He held his right hand up and offered it to me.

“My apologies, a bit of last-minute business came up, and I had to deal with it.” I held my left hand up. He chuckled, switched hands, and we shook. “I was hoping we could trouble Bishop Hale for that meeting today, though I understand if he’s busy.”

“You’re in luck. He just has one meeting today, but it isn’t until later this afternoon.” He nodded towards the church. “If you’ll follow me inside, I’ll let him know you wish to see him.”

I traded a look with Aless, and we fell in behind Henry.

He led us inside the church, and we found a few more parishioners than I expected. Some were leaving, but a few lingered around.

The crowd parted around us as we wove through them. We were careful not to bump the wooden pews on either side of the aisle.

As we got closer, a small line formed, and Henry excused himself to go help Hale.

Aless slowly worked her way from beside me and went to sit in a pew while I was forced to wait in line next to a few people who were waiting to speak to Hale, a few farmhands, and a shopkeeper by the apron she wore with the name of the store embossed on the breast pocket.

Henry directed the traffic to keep each meeting short but while still hearing the plights of the citizens before ushering them away.

By the time it was my turn, my hand was numb from the effects of the poison seeping into my skin, but I ignored it. My poison resistance skill would negate the worst of it, leaving me with plenty of time to work before it overwhelmed me.

Gregory Hale was even more impressive up close. He had strong arms that were thick with muscle. The distance had really downplayed the subtle strength the old man possessed.

Definitely a former soldier. And it looks like he’s kept up his routines even as he’s aged. Commendable.

“Hello, my son,” Hale said as I approached. “I’m glad you were able to return. You put Henry in a fine panic when you didn’t show up the other day.”

“My apologies, Your Grace. An urgent business matter needed my attention, and I wasn’t able to meet with you.”

He smiled and nodded. “It’s quite alright. You’re here now, and my acolyte tells me that you are considering our church for your marriage ceremony?”

I held out my hand and put on my most friendly smile. “Yes, Your Grace. My betrothed is enamored with the church, and I have to say after seeing it for myself, so am I.”

Your Disguise skill has increased by 1! [Disguise: 10 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Deception skill has increased by 1! [Deception: 3 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Charisma has increased by 1! [Charisma: 17] +100 Exp!

Gregory smiled wide and nodded, taking my hand.

Got you.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll be pleased with our services. Our church is famous in Odra, and most call it the wedding church because of…”

He paused and cocked his head to the side as we shook. “Hmm.” His smile dropped. “A fine attempt, sir. I must say.” Hale gripped my arm tight as a faint golden glow surrounded him. “But you’ll have to try harder than that, assassin.”

Shit!

Before I could react and pull my hand back, Hale spoke.

“Greater Dispersion!”

A wave of pure force radiated from him and slammed into me. The intense pressure swept me off my feet, and I hung in the air for a split second before I flew back and crashed into a pew.

The glass shattered around me as a faint translucent glow pulsed along my skin and then faded as a world of pain slammed into me. The solid wood didn’t so much as budge as my body broke on it. Something snapped in my chest, a rib, and misery burned through me as I fell to my knees and coughed up blood.

Fuck. Not good. Internal bleeding, probably a punctured lung.

From the pain that spread through me and the wheeze rattling my chest, I more than likely had damage to my lungs, and maybe more.

If it hadn’t been for Passive Protection mitigating some of the damage, I likely would have lost my life after the first attack.

The blast rippled through the church before dissipating harmlessly as the remaining people screamed and started to flee. They didn’t bother looking back. They just fled, turning from a crowd to a chaotic horde as they crowded the entrance.

Hale’s spell had been powerful, but he’d shown excellent control. Though Henry was right next to me when Hale launched his spell, he was fine and had suffered no damage.

I forced down the pain and stood, drawing a knife from the sheath at my lower back while also bringing a hand up.

Hale stood impassive as he looked down at me with a self-satisfied smile on his face. “Trying to kill a priest is sacrilege, you know. That’s an automatic sentence to hell for you.”

I laughed as I grounded my stance and shook off the ringing in my ears and levied my blade at him. “I was destined for the nine hells a long time ago. Killing you won’t make any difference.”

“You’re not one of Thorn’s. He knows better. So, tell me, would-be assassin, which guild are you with?”

“None. At least not yet. But enough talking.”

I raced across the marble tile toward the glowing bishop, who still held his smile and confidence.

As I reached him, I aimed for his heart and struck with my knife.

Just before my blade connected, a pulsating silver and golden light appeared in between his hands, and a long staff appeared in his hands.

My knife hit the golden haft and rebounded with a sharp clang of metal.

I stepped back as Hale whipped the tip of the staff toward my head. The wind whistled and ruffled my hair as it passed a centimeter from my skull.

Even as I moved, so did Hale. He twirled the staff, building momentum as the bottom came up. It was fast, far faster than I could move with my injuries. I threw myself to the side just as it was about to slam into me.

Hale swung through empty air, but I landed on the ground hard, and the pain I’d been ignoring flared to life as my breath was stolen from me.

Not good. Need space. Can’t counter.

I got to my knees, and Hale took a single step toward me. His shoes echoed around the cathedral, and I rolled as his staff came down once more.

The pain in my body was intense, but I had to ignore it and keep it down.

If I didn’t, I would die.

I came up from the roll and had just enough space between the two of us that he couldn’t use his staff.

As I stood once more, he smiled. “Don’t get cocky.”

Before my eyes, the staff changed and became a spear. A long blade appeared at the tip, and he thrust it at me.

A slash of pain lanced through me as the spear stuck my side just below the broken rib.

I shifted to the side as Hale ripped the spear out of my side, a superior glint in his eye.

“Weren’t expecting that, were you?” he asked as he brought the spear back, and it changed once again. This time it became a longsword, and he hefted it like he knew how to use it. “Come at me, assassin, if you dare.”

I smiled through bloody teeth. “I don’t have to,” I said and raised my hand.

A twang split the air a split second before one of Aless’s crossbow bolts took the Bishop in the chest, right through the heart.

He shuddered and stepped back from the impact. Hale looked down at the steel shaft of the bolt sticking out of him and shook his head.

“Again, a clever attempt, I must admit, but not nearly good enough to face me.”

He reached down to grip the shaft when I held my hand out.

Kleptomania.

My hand glowed with a dull light, and there was a subtle pop as the bolt appeared in my hand.

Hale’s hand closed around empty air, and I reared back and threw the quarrel like a miniature spear. It crossed the room at a much slower speed than when fired from the crossbow, but it still had enough mass and momentum to sink into Hale’s robes and his flesh.

My aim was true, and it hit his heart a second time.

“Really.” He shook his head. “That’s not going to work on me while I have my aura active.”

The golden shimmering aura that surrounded him was as bright as it ever was, and his body told me the truth of his words as he pulled the bolt from his chest. It had sunk deep enough to hit his heart both times, and yet he wasn’t bleeding.

Gregory Hale was as whole and unblemished as he had been at the start of the fight.

But as he dropped the bolt to the ground, the air around him stuttered, and the golden glow started to fade.

“Ah, we’re out of time. I fear we must finish this,” Hale said and raised his sword.

A second twang reverberated through the church, but as Aless fired, Hale turned and cut the bolt in two before it reached him.

As he casually severed the steel bolt in half, I moved toward the opening he created and struck with my knife.

A golden shield appeared in his offhand and blocked my strike.

“A fine attempt,” Hale said with a smile.

“That was just to distract you,” I said, seething.

I brought my offhand up and slugged him in the stomach. His aura faded enough that I got through, and as my fist struck home, I grinned wide.

Paralyzing Touch!

Hale jerked as my skill activated, and a surge rolled through him, locking him up.

As Paralyzing Touch activated, I brought my knife back and aimed for Hale’s heart. I activated Assassination as I thrust the blade into his chest.

Victory was mine.

Another shield appeared in front of my blade, and as Assassination took hold, my knife glowed before it struck, and then as it met the golden shield, it shattered on impact.

Shards of steel rained down around us as Hale shook off my stun.

He has a high constitution! He can ignore the effects!

I shifted on instinct and tried to disengage, but the pain, blood loss, and poison had caught up to me, and I was slow.

Too slow.

He moved, and a sharp pressure hit me in the chest.

I glanced down to find his shining golden sword sticking through me, piercing my heart.

Hale’s smile deepened. “Talented, but not quite up to snuff, dear boy.”

As soon as I registered the blade through my body, a world of agony turned my nerves to dust, and my mouth filled with blood as my heart pumped my lifeblood out, and I fought to stay conscious.

“Elias!” Aless screamed, and her voice echoed through the empty cathedral as I sank to my knees.

Before I could no longer breathe, I turned to her and shouted. “Run!”

Aless, though I knew she wanted to fight that instinct with every fiber of her being, did as I said and rushed from the church.

“She won’t get very far, I’m afraid. But neither will you,” Hale said and removed the sword from my chest.

I fell to my hands as a wave of cold radiated from my limbs. I’d taken too much damage, and my time was up.

Hale stood over me with his bloody sword in hand.

I gave him a malicious smile and held up a hand. As I knelt there, I canceled the skill. My hand shimmered and then began to dissolve into wisps of shadows. I spat out a mouthful of blood as my body evaporated and turned to obsidian mist.

“I wouldn’t count on that. Be seeing you, Hale.”

His face clouded with anger. “A doppelganger.” He cursed and swung his blade through my neck, killing me.

My mind snapped back into my real body, and a fierce headache pounded my mind to dust.

Fatigue settled into my limbs and sweat beaded along my skin as my heart raced from using so much of my mana.

I shook off the strain and stood from my hiding spot in the bushes next to the church. I’d left my real body behind in the alley, and after giving my double and Aless a head start, I’d followed after them.

Moving two bodies in tandem is something I’m going to have to get used to, but my plan worked far better than I’d hoped.

Now to find Aless and get away from here.

I tugged my hood over my head and took off, melding into the crowd as I went hunting for my wayward lover.

Chapter 18- Extra Security

Aless hadn’t managed to get very far. She stuck to her training and vanished into the crowd before breaking away as soon as she was clear of the church. Once she was clear, she would have stopped to change clothes and then taken a different direction to try and shake any potential tail she might have.

Knowing what she was going to do meant tracking her was almost painfully easy.

Though I did manage to get a skill up in the process as I stumbled across her abandoned dress in a nearby alleyway.

Which just added to the numerous ones I received fighting Hale.

Your Tailing skill has increased by 1! [Tailing: 10 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Passive Protection skill has increased by 1! [Passive Protection: 1 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Paralyzing Touch skill has increased by 1! [Paralyzing Touch: 1 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Second Shadow skill has increased by 1! [Second Shadow: 1 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Assassination skill has increased by 1! [Assassination: 29 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

Your Poison Resistance has increased by 1! [Poison Resistance: 22 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Durability has increased by 1! [Durability: 27 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

I wiped away the stats and continued searching for Aless. I tracked her to a small park near the square.

Aless sat on a bench, her head in her hands, crying softly.

A pang of guilt rose in my chest to settle deep in my gut.

I didn’t tell her about the plan beforehand because I’d hoped not to have to need it, but her knowing might have caused her to act differently if I had to use it. And her scream of surprise definitely helped.

It caused Hale to focus entirely on me and finishing me off while letting her escape. It let her get away safely.

But it didn’t change the fact that I kept hurting her.

First when I took on Crescent Thorn, and now this. I’m excluding her to protect her, but I can’t keep doing that. She’s my apprentice first, lover second.

I have to let her in, or this isn’t going to work. She’s strong, tough, and capable. I know she can handle it.

As I crossed the distance, I wrapped my arms around her and pressed my lips to her cheek.

“Easy there, love. Everything is going to be okay.”

She jerked at my touch and whirled on me. “Elias!” Aless nearly crawled over the bench as she wrapped her arms around me and cried.

Aless cried softly while I held her and stroked her hair. When she stopped crying, she pulled my head down and kissed me softly. As she pulled away, she shook her head and laughed, wiping away the tears.

“I shouldn’t be surprised by you anymore. Of course, you wouldn’t have willingly walked into that situation without a backup plan.

“What did you do? Was that your new ability?”

I nodded and came around to sit next to her. “I’m sorry. I should have told you what was going on, but I needed your reaction to be genuine so Hale wouldn’t get suspicious. It allowed you to escape, so it was worth it. But I’m sorry for making you cry.”

She shook her head. “It’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting to watch you die today.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, dying sucks. Technically, that was my second time nearly dying, and let me tell you; it doesn’t get easier to deal with. Even if the perks are much nicer this time around.”

Aless halfway turned her whole body toward me as a stiff breeze blew through the nearby trees and wicked away the sweat from the beating sun. “What do you mean?”

“Looks like whatever damage I took or skills I leveled up while using Second Shadow stay with me.” I grinned wide. “That’s going to prove useful.”

She looked over at my grinning face and sighed. “You masochist.”

We both laughed, and the tension drained out of us for a moment. She scooted closer and leaned against me.

“So, your first assassination attempt failed. Has that ever happened before?”

“Plenty of times.” I nodded. “Back on Earth, my world before I came here, I didn’t have access to magic or skills. I had to rely on my natural talent and training, but sometimes, that wasn’t enough, and the targets were crafty or just plain lucky that day, and my first attempt missed. Human unpredictability is part of the job, and sometimes, no matter what you plan for, people manage to slip through your fingers regardless of your effort. But I’ve never had a target escape me twice.”

She nodded. “We’re going after the bishop again?”

“Of course. Though it won’t be easy now that he knows that we’re after him, but I also learned invaluable information.”

“That he can’t be killed?” she asked, standing up.

“Exactly. I think it must be a passive ability of his, like my Passive Protection, that he so easily broke through. No matter what avenue of attack we tried, he would have been able to survive it.”

“How do we counter that?”

“I have some ideas.”

Aless turned and held her hand out. She pulled me to my feet, and we walked through the now chaotic city streets that were already abuzz about the attempted assassination of the bishop.

We couldn’t go back to the hotel, but it was dangerous to stay on the streets.

Crescent Thorn will probably already be aware of the attempt on Hale, and it won’t take long for them to realize that I’m still in the city. We need to hunker down before they start scouring it for us.

They’ll check the inns first. Which means we need an inconspicuous place to hide.

“C’mon,” I said and grabbed Aless’s hand. “I know where we can lay low for a while.”

With an idea in mind, it didn’t take long before I found exactly what I was searching for.

A house for sale.

It was a half-timbered two-story in the more modest section of the Residential District and was along a row of almost identical houses in the same style. It wouldn’t stand out yet offered plenty of space, and with the wooden support beams on the outside, it made climbing to the roof a snap.

But of course, that helped any of the assassins who could climb as well.

Though, I’m hoping we go unnoticed here, at least for a day or so.

I walked up the wooden steps to the oak door, and after double-checking that the coast was clear, I pulled out my lockpicks.

In four seconds, the flimsy lock was picked, and I leveled up my lockpicking.

Your Lockpicking skill has increased by 1! [Lockpicking: 16 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

I leveled up on that piece of trash? I don’t know if I should be happy or embarrassed.

In the end, as long as I level up a skill, I guess it doesn’t matter.

Aless and I quickly shuffled inside and shut the door behind us.

The house was fully furnished, which was rather odd, but I was grateful for it regardless. The door opened to a sitting room with a small kitchen just beyond it. To the right was a set of stairs that led to the second floor.

I pointed to the stairs and, with a quick gesture, told Aless to search upstairs.

My knife slid silently out of its sheath, and I quickly surveyed the first floor, finding nothing.

Just as I finished my search, Aless padded down the stairs.

“All clear on the second floor,” she said, stowing her knife away.

“Same here, the house is clear, but there isn’t anything personal here. And the furniture is brand new. How strange.”

She shrugged and grinned. “Bed is comfy, though.”

I chuckled and sat down in one of the chairs before I pulled out some dry rations and water.

Aless turned her face up at the dried meat but still accepted half of the portion of food, and we quickly scarfed down a meal.

When we were done, the fatigue in my body nearly vanished, though I knew I’d have to be careful with my mana until it fully recharged.

“What’s our first move?” Aless asked as she kicked her feet up.

“Surveillance. Bishop Hale is likely going to go into hiding now that he knows we’re after him, but he won’t stray far from his church. At least I wouldn’t think he would. Not when he’d be abandoning a good chunk of his power to do it.

“And not when I nearly had him the first time. He’ll play it cautious rather than risk it.”

Aless took a drink of water and sighed before wiping her mouth. “So how do we beat him if he can’t die?”

“Well, I think that’s one of his skills. It started flashing right before he killed my shadow, so I’m guessing it works like my Passive Protection, and it can only protect from so much damage at once. That or it’s on a timer.” I shrugged. “Either way, we just have to overwhelm him with force and break through.”

I reached for a strip of meat, but Aless plucked it from my fingers and plopped it whole in her mouth, chewing with over-exaggerated motions.

She smiled at me the entire time until she had to swallow. When she was done, she leaned back and sighed.

“One good thing about all this is that church is a thief's dream. I counted at least four easy avenues of entrance, and that’s without us going to the roof and coming in that way. Which is my suggestion, by the way.”

Going in through the roof? Has the element of surprise, at least. Though it will still be watched, just not as closely as the ground levels.

Few people can move as we do in this world, I’m coming to realize.

“Possibly, but I don’t want to commit to a plan without first seeing the situation.”

“Alright, how about I take first watch? He didn’t see me as clearly as he saw you, and I didn’t use any of my skills. You also used a lot of magic, so get a short nap while I scout things out.”

I nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

My eyes were heavy, and I was drained from using so much mana at once. By the time Aless changed clothes once more, I could barely keep my head up.

“Stay safe,” I said before I slipped off to sleep in the chair.

My dreams were chaotic, flashes of color and a mixture of London and Vohra as I ran through winding city streets before I stood before Big Ben. The gigantic clock tower chimed loudly, and I bolted up.

My knife was in my hand, and I had it poised to throw as the door opened and Aless walked in.

Her eyes flicked to the knife and then to my face as she snickered. “Easy, killer. It’s just me.”

“Sorry.” I stowed the blade back in its sheath and rubbed my eyes, stifling a yawn. “How long was I out for?”

She held her hands up. “Six hours, give or take. I wasn’t keeping track.”

“Hell, guess I was more drained than I thought,” I said as I stood from the chair. “How were things out there?”

“Chaotic and more than a little panicked. The whole city is talking about the attempt on the bishop, and the City Watch is out in force, showing their dicks and putting on a grandiose display.”

I snorted and brushed the few strands of hair that had fallen in my face back as I adjusted my armor and cloak that had shifted while I slept.

Forgot how uncomfortable sleeping in leather was. I’m going to chafe.

“Yeah, I’m not surprised. Though I’m betting some of the guard is likely on the payroll of the guilds, so they won’t spend too much time investigating. They’ll leave that to Thorn.”

“Speaking of. I caught glimpses of a few of their cloaked figures around town. I kept my distance and made sure they weren’t following me, but they definitely know that we’re still in the city.”

“Course they do. But I think I did some significant damage to them the other night, so they are probably shorthanded. They’ll likely be focusing on the church, which will make killing Hale a challenge.”

Aless nodded and rubbed her chin. “They figure you won’t leave the city without killing Hale first.”

“Yep, though if I were anyone else, I’d use that against them and flee the city while their attention was elsewhere.”

She laughed and quickly covered her mouth as she pulled out her leather armor and started getting changed right in front of me.

“But we both know you’re a stubborn son of a bitch. We’re not leaving until the job’s done.” She laughed again. “And I’m sticking by you through all of it. I think that makes me slightly crazier than you.”

I walked over to her and slid my hand around her waist while I kissed her neck. “Maybe, but we can be crazy together.”

She stiffened at my unexpected touch, but her cheeks quickly flushed, and she turned to me with heavy eyes. “Elias, I have to change.”

I kissed her again. “I didn’t hear you tell me to stop.”

Aless sighed and pressed herself against me as she wound her hands through my hair and pressed her lips to mine.

I held her for just a moment as our lips locked and our tongues danced with each other. I was all too aware that we had a job to do, but I could afford to spare a few seconds to be with Aless.

But we both acknowledged the closure of the kiss before we wanted.

“Not that I mind, but what was that for?”

“Because I wanted to.” I shrugged. “Now finish getting dressed. We have a priest to kill.”

“Elias McKinley, you certainly know just what to say to woo a girl.” She snickered. “But I can’t say that you don’t take me on interesting dates.”

“Cheap rations. Water. Casual murder.” I shrugged. “Sounds perfect to me.”

We both looked at each other and laughed.

Once Aless righted herself, she finished getting dressed while I pulled out my weapons and checked them over before we left. I even pulled out my short sword and brushed a thin sheen of silent night over it before I slid it back in its sheath and strapped it to my thigh.

As I looked over my crossbow, I had to decide.

Explosive or regular bolt?

Let’s go with regular. Just in case we have to face opposition before we get to the church.

By the time I was done, so was Aless.

Her leather armor was slightly different than mine, and though it was subtle, I could’ve sworn that hers was slightly better quality than mine.

Probably Angela getting back at me for something.

Her cloak hid a few dull crimson accents, but they gave the armor a bit of charm that mine lacked.

“Ready to go?” she asked, strapping her own crossbow to her thigh.

“Always. Let’s do this.”

We slipped out of the house and onto the street as quickly and casually as we could.

The sun was just about to set, and the dull orange and purple skyline reflected in every window we passed as we slipped around dozens of farmers coming home from a day in the fields.

The rich, earthy scent of dirt hung in the air along with sweat and the musky scent of animals as we walked. Clods of dirt and dust littered the white stone streets before quickly getting swept away by the frantic shopkeepers and workers.

As neat and proper as always.

Though Aless had been right, and there was a heavy guard presence, each of them was armed with polearms along with heavy steel-shod clubs.

I laughed and quickly covered my mouth.

“What?” Aless asked from beside me, a smirk on her lips.

I nodded toward the soldiers. “Showing their dicks is right.”

She burst into a quick fit of laughter and grabbed onto me as she started shaking. She pressed against me as she laughed, and a few people gave her strange looks, but she quickly composed herself.

By the time we got to the square where the church was located, night had fallen, and yet the guard presence increased. With torches in hand, the flicking flames tried and failed to banish the darkness.

Torches at night are useless. You ruin your night vision and can’t tell a shadow on the wall apart from a person hiding with a knife waiting to murder you. Plus, you turn yourself into a giant target.

Aless and I quickly got off the main street and hid under an alcove while watching the nearby buildings.

“How are we going to get onto the church grounds? They’ll separate, and there aren’t any buildings within jumping distance.”

I just smiled down at her. “I have a plan.”

“You always say that,” she replied with a laugh.

“Because I always do.”

The first thing we needed to do was to get off the street and onto the roof. We needed a high vantage point to scout the location and search for any members of Crescent Thorn that were lurking about.

It was almost an impossibility that they weren’t here, but I needed them dealt with before I could kill Gregory Hale.

“C’mon,” I said. “Let’s get higher.”

Together, we got off the main street and rushed into a side alley.

I didn’t want to perch on a roof near the cathedral if I could help it. If possible, I wanted to work my way toward the church, checking each roof as I went.

The stone wall was well kept and the mortar fresh, which made climbing it more of a pain than it should have been.

We only had a few centimeters of space for our fingertips, which meant we had to scale a thirty-foot wall with less than a quarter-inch separating us from death or disfiguration.

My heart beat fast at the thought, and I smiled wide as I started the climb. Strength burned in my limbs, and though I should have had a hard time climbing, I scaled the wall with ease. My pulse thumped through my fingertips and increased every passing second until I grabbed the lip of the roof and hauled myself over.

Your Climbing skill has increased by 2! [Climbing: 14 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Though I should have been fatigued from the climb, a rush of relief flowed through my muscles, and as I gripped my fist tight, there was a definite increase in my strength.

I’m finally starting to see real results that surpass my current limits.

It was one of the most exhilarating things I’d ever experienced before, and I wanted more. I wanted to push myself to my absolute human limits and beyond.

The desire to become the greatest assassin in the world still burned in my heart, and I was one step closer to realizing my goal.

As Aless dropped down beside me, I wiped the smirk from my face and got serious. I’d already scanned our immediate surroundings but found nothing.

“I don’t see anything,” Aless said softly from beside me.

“Yeah, I didn’t think anyone would be this far out, and I was right. Thorn doesn’t have the men anymore to completely blanket every avenue of entrance, so he probably told them to converge on the places that had the best coverage.”

“But there are blind spots that we can use.”

“Exactly.”

We crept to the far edge of the building, and after five minutes of surveillance, we found no one.

The two of us then leapt across the gap between buildings and landed safely on the next roof over.

This one was actually three long brick buildings connected, so the vaulted slate-shingled roof made for a very precarious landing spot.

But Aless and I managed to balance just fine and kept one hand on the tip of the roof, so we didn’t accidentally slide off as we crossed.

Your Acrobatics skill has increased by 1! [Acrobatics: 25 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

[Acrobatics has increased to Journeyman (25% increase in speed, control, and balance while performing acrobatics. 20% reduction to fall damage.)

Though I wanted to stop and enjoy the fact that I’d just leveled up another skill to journeyman, I had work to do.

We raced side by side, my footing precise and controlled, even on the sloped surface. As we got to the edge, we slowed to a stop. The next building over was a larger jump. Probably eight feet, if not nine. It was possible, but just barely.

And to make matters worse, there was a shadow just slightly darker than the surrounding shadows next to it.

I pressed my finger to my lips and motioned Aless to stay low as I surveyed what had to be an assassin.

Your Perception has increased by 1! [Perception: 37] +100 Exp!

Looks like I was right. That has to be one of Thorn’s men.

There was no way we could jump without alerting the person hiding, who was watching the street leading toward the church.

In fact, I had to chalk it up to my Acrobatics skill increase that he hadn’t heard our footsteps scraping the shingles as we approached. We’d been as quiet as we could have, but still.

They were staring intently at the ground, probably so much so that they subconsciously tuned out any other sounds than what they were focused on.

Tunnel vision. Happens to even the best of us.

It was hard to work around, and even I wasn’t immune to it, though I had trained for years to overcome it for the most part.

But it would certainly be the assassin's doom.

As silently as I could, I drew my crossbow and locked the limbs into place. Once it was primed, I took the current bolt from it and stowed it away as I drew a slightly different one.

I haven’t had the chance to test this one out yet, but I trust Jin. If he says it will hold, then I believe him.

It was nearly identical to the same steel bolts I used, but this one had a slightly wider head with four prongs flared around the tip and a metal loop near the end. It was also weightier, having a good bit more heft to it.

I loaded it, then pulled a length of black silk rope from the pouch at my waist. It was more Arachne silk, but this time it was spun into a long, coiled rope that was both strong and lightweight.

Cost a fucking fortune too, but it’s worth its weight in gold.

I tied the rope around the bolt and judged the distance once more, giving myself a good bit of room for error. Once done, I cut ten feet of rope and took aim.

The assassin was still completely unaware.

I lined up my shot, guessing where center mass was located, and fired. The soft click of the trigger depressing was overshadowed by the twang of the string loosing and the rush of wind as it parted around the bolt.

The unobservant assassin didn’t have time to turn as the bolt took them in the chest. They let out a half-gurgled cry that was lost to the wind as they went limp and dropped to the ground.

1 Kill: 100 Exp!

With my status notifying me of the kill, I turned to Aless with the rope in hand.

“Come here and stick close to me.”

She nodded and vaulted the roof, sliding down silently beside me. “Don’t have to tell me twice.”

She couldn’t see my smirk in the darkness, but I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her tight. She clung to me and wound her hands around my shoulders.

“We’re going to jump. The bolt will be stuck in the body good, but I doubt it will hold us for more than a second or two, so as soon as we hit the wall on the other side, let go and find something to grab onto.” I chuckled. “That isn’t me, of course.”

“Gotcha.”

With our plan laid out, there was nothing left to do but leap.

But even with my decades of experience, I was nervous as hell. We took a step back, and I gripped the rope tight as we ran to the ledge and jumped.

Aless and I hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity as the wind broke around us. Then before we could blink, gravity took hold, and we were falling.

The ground rushed to meet us, but just as we fell, our improvised counterweight crunched against the lip of the roof and held, sending us swinging toward the brick wall.

We picked up speed, and I braced myself, loosening my joints as I brought my feet and hand up.

Pain rolled through me as I slammed full force into the wall, but my training kicked in, and I dispersed the impact as much as I could before I crumpled and turned, smacking the side of my body into the wall.

My head cracked against the stone, and I blinked as my vision swam, fighting to keep hold of the rope. But I shook off the stun as fast as I could and used my toes to grip into the side of the building as Aless let go of me and clung to the wall like a spider.

I followed her lead and let go of the rope just as there was a squelch from the body above us, and the rope went slack.

Metal scraped on brick, and then something fell past us. I reached out a hand and snagged the quarrel before it could hit the ground and sound the alarm.

Your Agility has increased by 1! [Agility: 51] +100 Exp!

Goddamn. I’ll say that was warranted.

My heart was pounding so loud in my chest that I thought for sure it could be heard a mile away.

Aless heaved a sigh of relief and turned to me as we both hung by our fingers and toes on the third-story building.

“That was fucking terrifying,” she hissed.

“Yeah.” I smiled wide. “But it was fun as hell, though, right?”

She smirked. “Maybe.” Aless tilted her head up. “But let’s stop talking while we’re hanging three stories up.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” I replied, already climbing.

We pulled ourselves up and over the ledge.

“Watch the blood,” I said as I dropped down, careful of the dead assassin and their life leaking all over the ground.

Aless skirted the crimson puddle, and we lowered into a crouch as we paused and listened. Our little adventure hadn’t been silent, but we hadn’t made any overt noises. But I still wanted to be sure before we moved on.

I scanned the right side while Aless took the left. I found nothing, but Aless tapped me on the shoulder and pointed straight ahead.

Twenty or so feet away, at the far side of the building, was another assassin. From the build, it was definitely a male. And he was watching the other side of the street, sweeping back and forth.

It hadn’t been three minutes since I’d killed the first assassin, and we climbed to the roof, but I didn’t want to linger when the assassin turned around to look for his partner and find us instead.

“Can I take him?” Aless asked in a whisper that was only loud enough for my ears.

My first response was to say no, but I needed to keep in mind that she was my partner, not someone who constantly needed my protection just because we were lovers.

She’s strong enough to handle it.

I nodded. “Be careful, though.”

“Always am.” She drew a dagger from her waist and crouched. “As Swift as the Wind.”

She glowed a soft green before the aura faded away. As she spoke, she moved in a blur that, even with all of my training, I found it difficult to focus on keeping up with her movements.

Aless crossed the roof in seconds and stood behind the lookout without so much as a whisper.

With the dagger in hand, she kicked the back of his knee, taking him off balance. Before the man could react, Aless wrapped her hand around his forehead and pulled back, exposing his throat.

A single blink later and she slid her knife over the assassin's neck, severing both carotids and the trachea in one fluid motion.

Blood gushed in a river down the front of his leather armor as Aless dropped him and plunged her dagger into his heart three times.

Just like I’d taught her.

Damn. I smiled. Not bad at all.

As the body lay still, I turned to the dead assassin beside me. I took his dimension ring, took everything of value, including a sizable coin purse, and then stored his body inside the ring.

I pocketed the ring and crept over to Aless, careful not to step in all the blood. She proceeded to do the same with the body, taking its valuables and storing it in a ring.

When we were done, we surveyed the area.

To my right and left were empty cobblestone streets. But straight ahead was the great, looming stone cathedral.

The buildings next to us bore no signs of movement, but I was still cautious as I checked over everything.

Chest high stone wall blocks off the church with wrought iron fence above. Scaling that is child’s play, though. What concerns me is the fifty feet of the open ground until we reach the church.

And we have to get to the roof. The ground floor will be heavily guarded, but I doubt the roof was given much thought. Maybe have a couple of men stationed there at most.

But getting up there was going to be tricky. There was a clear path from the bell tower, but that was obvious and would be the most guarded place both above and below.

No. I glanced up. High past the roof of the church were two spires that towered above the city. We go the unconventional route and climb the most perilous part of the building.

Aurella hung in the sky, a near-perfect crescent, while Koel was mostly hidden by dense cloud cover. The wind picked up, and it brought the subtle scent of rain with it as the sky rushed around us.

It’s going to rain soon.

The spires would give us a perfect view of the roof, and if we were quiet, we could get to the top without being spotted. Which would let us literally have the drop on our enemies.

I glanced once more to the clouds, quickly rolling in as a stiff breeze swept up leaves and dust around the shingles at our feet.

If we’re going to go, it has to be now.

I told Aless my plan, and we rapidly descended the building until we were safely in the shade. After double-checking that the coast was clear, we raced across the street and vaulted the fence in seconds before dropping into a roll as we landed.

My motions were far smoother than they’d ever been, and I took off as soon as I came out of the roll but nearly clipped a gravestone in my haste.

Aless, still under the influence of As Swift as the Wind, outpaced me in a flash and was at the base of the church before I was halfway there.

By the time I caught up with her, my breathing was labored, and I had to pause to catch my breath for a second.

“Took you long enough, slowpoke,” Aless said with a grin.

“Shut up.” I brushed my hair back. “I’m definitely buying that spell at some point. Goddamn.”

She just laughed softly, and we both stood up, leaning back to stare at the near hundred feet we had to climb.

“Hope your fingers can hold on that long,” Aless said.

The light around her faded as her spell wore off, and I chuckled.

“Let’s just see if you can keep up now.”

She smirked. “Is that a challenge?”

“What do you think?”

“I think the only thing you’re going to be staring at is my ass,” she replied and grabbed ahold of the stone.

It was an old church, and the mortar was weathered, leaving plenty of room for us.

I gave her a ferocious grin as I took my place beside her and gripped the edges of the rock.

“You make that sound like a bad thing,” I said.

Without warning, Aless leapt up and, like a monkey, started climbing up the stone like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I took off after her, and we raced each other as we climbed higher and higher.

Chapter 19- The Second Attempt

It took us several long minutes until we’d climbed high enough that we were above the roof of the church.

We’d climbed in a corkscrew fashion until we were hidden from the roof just in case anyone happened to look up.

Ahead of us was a circle of gargoyles that offered a place to rest for a second.

My muscles were quivering, and I’d nearly fallen to my death when I misjudged the next handhold and my hand slipped.

I’d quickly adjusted, but for that brief second, it had been terrifying.

As we climbed atop the gargoyles and sat down, I sighed and leaned back.

Your Climbing skill has increased by 2! [Climbing: 16 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

“That was awful,” I said breathlessly.

“You’re telling me.” Aless glanced down and shuddered as she looked down.

Her face paled, and I bit back a grin.

“For someone who climbs as much as you do, it looks like you have a problem with heights.”

“Who wouldn’t have a fucking problem this high up?” she hissed at me. Aless shook her head and calmed down as she pointed at the roof. “You seeing what I’m seeing?”

“Yep.” I nodded. “Two assassins hidden on the roof. Not bad positions either.”

“Still not good enough considering that we managed to slip past them.”

I chuckled. “Well, up until recently, I imagine that they’d been very confident in their abilities. Their magic and skills have made their job considerably easy, and that’s made them overconfident.

“Right now, I’ve disrupted that confidence and made them reconsider their positions. In the future, if I allow them to survive, they’d probably adapt and overcome, becoming much more dangerous in the process. But they haven’t had enough time to truly process things, so they’re falling back on their training.”

“Which is inferior to ours,” she said.

“Infinitely. As I said, magic in this world has become a crutch for people to lean on to cover up their deficiencies. And speaking of, you’re about to overcome that pesky fear of heights.”

Aless turned to me as I smiled and drew my crossbow. “After we take out the trash, of course.”

She drew hers, and together, we aimed at the crouching assassins on the roof.

As we’d practiced, I took the one closest to me while Aless did the same on her side. We fired simultaneously and dropped both assassins in seconds.

1 Kill: 100 Exp!

Your Archery skill has increased by 1! [Archery: 12 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Stealth skill has increased by 1! [Stealth: 31 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

“Good job.”

Aless beamed at me.

When it was clear that we were alone on the roof, I pulled out a second grappling bolt and loaded it.

“Cover your eyes and turn away,” I said as I shifted and pressed the tip of the crossbow to the stone between the gargoyles.

Aless did as I instructed, and as soon as she was covered, I fired.

The sharp crack of stone sounded softly as chips of rock and dust sprouted from the spire and fell around us before falling to the ground.

When the dust settled, I turned back and smiled.

The bolt was lodged deep into the stone.

With a normal crossbow, that would be impossible. The quarrel would have just bounced off and left a small chip in the stone.

Manasteel is something else.

But I should be cautious of relying on it too heavily. I can become just as complacent as Crescent Thorn if I’m not careful.

I tugged on the bolt to make sure it was secure. It didn’t so much as budge.

Aless looked to the bolt and then the ground. “We’re not…are we?”

“About how many feet do you think that is?”

She turned green. “Oh, we are. Lovely.”

I just laughed quietly and withdrew my silk rope. I judged the distance and cut off fifty feet of rope, which was over half of the rope I carried with me. I gave it two extra feet, but I was confident in my assessment.

“Not since the Valdes’ job. Never again,” I muttered.

Once I was sure, I tied the string to my second to last grappling bolt. I loaded it and tied the other end to the bolt attached to the spire.

I picked a spot that looked sturdy and would make the least amount of noise and fired.

The bolt clanged against the stone, and a shrill tone rang out before it faded away.

Someone probably heard that. We need to be quick.

I tugged on the rope, putting most of my weight on it to make sure we were good to go, and then I cut two more strips of rope and handed one to Aless.

“Follow my lead,” I said and wrapped the rope around the zip line.

I pushed off, and as my heart leapt into my throat, I flew through the air as the ground rapidly raced to meet me.

There were only seconds for me to enjoy the thrill as the wind tore past my face before I had to time my jump. As I neared the end of the rope, I let go and fell.

My feet hit the ground, and I dropped into a roll, dispersing the impact.

As I came up, I drew two throwing knives and scanned the area.

But we were still alone.

Behind me came the same rush of wind as Aless rode the zip line after me. She mirrored my movements exactly and came out of her roll beside me.

Her shock of thick, red hair was swept back, and her gray eyes were alight with both fear and excitement.

“Holy fuck, that was intense,” she said, trying to keep her voice down.

“I agree, but we need to get moving.”

“Right.” She nodded.

Rather than going to the belfry and descending the steps to the church like the guards downstairs would expect, I had a better idea.

I cut the zip line from the grappling bolt lodged into the roof and pulled out the last of my rope before I crept to the edge of the roof and glanced down.

Along the side of the wall were stained glass windows. I counted and then recreated the church's layout in my head and made sure I was correct before I measured the rope and tied it off once again.

Gonna need to replenish my stock of equipment as soon as I get back to Vohra.

I relayed the plan to Aless as quickly as I could, and she nodded.

“I’m going to go first. When the way is clear, you come after me, okay?”

“Understood.”

I went to the edge and started down it, rappelling the ten feet or so until I was just above the stained-glass window.

Using my knife, I pried away the thin metal canes holding the stained pieces of glass into their shape and stowed the glass in my ring. I slowly created a space just big enough for Aless and me to squeeze through.

I pushed off the stone as hard as I could and went sailing back into the open air before the rope grew taut, and I swung back toward the stone wall and glass.

Just before I hit the wall, I let go of the rope and angled my body as I dropped, using the momentum to pass through the opening in the stained-glass window.

As soon as I was through, I shot my foot out to the wooden support beam and used the ball of my feet to slow my movements as I dropped into a crouch.

I turned back to the window and stared up at the sky. The heavy cloud coverage meant that hardly any light made it through, which meant I didn’t have to worry about my shadow giving away my position.

Wow, I can’t believe that worked as well as it did. I’d never have attempted that back on Earth.

It just goes to show how much I’ve improved in such a short time.

I waited for Aless, and two minutes later she swung through, as light and lithe as I knew she could be. She followed my instructions to the letter and landed softly beside me.

Once the two of us were situated, I scouted the area.

The cathedral was empty and dark, which suited me just fine as Aurella’s Light allowed me to see perfectly in the dark.

There was no one that I could see lurking in the shadows, but I also didn’t see Hale. He was nowhere to be found.

Interesting. But he has to be close. No way would he risk losing his power by leaving his church.

I turned to Aless and told her to stay put and on alert with a series of quick hand gestures while I went scouting.

She nodded in response, and I dropped to the ground.

I was confident I could get up to the beams again if I needed to, and it wasn’t like the chapel itself didn’t have plenty of places to hide.

Right in front of me was the giant, golden statue of Weilin, but to the left of it was a door that led deeper into the cathedral.

As long as it remained as dark as it was, I could move undetected. And with Aurella’s Light, I was the only one who could see clearly in the dark.

I moved as a wraith across the stone floor and opened the large, wooden door. It was heavy but had just been oiled. The metallic tang of it lingered in my nose as I pulled open the door silently and slipped inside.

I found myself in a hallway, just as dimly lit as the main room. A few candles flickered in sconces along the wall, but beyond that, darkness clung to every inch of space it could.

But despite this, there wasn’t a soul about. Nothing moved, and my senses told me that I was alone. There was a slight stagnation to the air that shifted when I entered that told me no one had been by in several hours.

Where did you get to, Hale? Hiding won’t do you much good.

I slipped down the hall, checking the rooms I passed along the way. There was no sign of life as I checked storage and prayer rooms alike with no trace of Hale or any guards. Neither City Watch nor Crescent Thorn, but they had been all over the street.

So why not inside the church? Thorn’s men, I get, but the City Watch? Got something to hide, Hale?

It made sense. Weilin had said that he fit my rules, so that meant he wasn’t an innocent. Though he did bring up rule nine.. I shook my head and focused back on the job.

The hallway curved slightly, forming a semicircle that looped back around to the other side of the church. And at the very end was a door.

It was identical to every other door I had passed so far, but the brass handle was slightly worn. Far more than the others, which meant this was a place that saw frequent use.

As I crept to the edge, I paused and knelt, pressing my fingers under the door to check for any disturbance or vibration.

The air was warm, warmer than what surrounded me by a few degrees, at least.

A fireplace? Or just candles?

When I tested the knob, it was locked, but it was no match for my picks, and I soon had it open.

I slipped inside, knife at the ready.

The room was large, and from the furnishings, it was obviously a bedroom. A massive four-poster bed dominated the center of the room with two nightstands beside it. A large stone fireplace was on the far wall next to a few sitting chairs and a small library.

All in all, it resembled a minor lord's room than anything fit for a man of God, even if that god was Weilin.

I guess corrupt priests are a universal constant.

The drapes obscuring the bed were sheer, see-through enough that I could tell no one slept in the bed.

But even though my instincts told me the room was empty, there was a nagging feeling itching the back of my neck. Like I was missing something.

I kept my guard up as I checked the room over once more, just to quell my suspicions.

After searching the bookshelf and the fireplace for anything out of the ordinary, I went to the bed.

And it was there where I found what was nagging at me.

Next to the wooden pegs that supported the bed were scratch marks. I’d subconsciously noticed them but hadn’t been close enough to make out what they were.

Your Intuition has increased by 1! [Intuition: 28 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

From the direction, it was obvious that they were made by sliding the bed to the side.

Which I did.

The bed frame was made of solid wood and weighed a couple hundred pounds. But from our fight, I knew Gregory was strong.

As the bed slid away, it revealed a small, wooden trapdoor that must have led into a sub-basement.

Is this where you’ve hidden away?

Like the door to the room, the trap door was locked, but the lock was something special, unlike the door. It was custom made, and I was betting the trapdoor was lined with steel from how complicated it was.

It may have been a challenging lock, but my skills were more than up to the task, and though it was probably one of the harder locks I’d come across here, second only to one of Jin’s, but I still opened it in under two minutes.

Your Lockpicking skill has increased by 5! [Lockpicking: 21 (Novice)] +125 Exp!

Still haven’t noticed a difference in my lockpicking yet, but with how my other skills are progressing, I won’t complain too much.

Even if it wasn’t in everything, I was still getting stronger. This world was slowly bringing my skills to the superhuman level, and I was unbearably excited to see what the future held for me.

As the hatch popped open, I peered down into the darkness that couldn’t hide from Aurella’s Light.

There were no traps or signs of movement, so I dropped down the ten-foot ladder and stood inside a wide stone room that chilled me to the bone.

We were under the ground, and with no fire or candle flame, I wouldn’t have been surprised if my breath started fogging in front of my face.

The room was large and rather bare. There was only a long table in the far corner and a few tapestries on the wall, depicting a sigil or some kind of sign that I’d never seen before.

A geometric pattern of circles in front of two triangles pointing up and down.

Beyond that, there was nothing in the room, nothing of value that could possibly be worth the lock that protected the place.

I went over to the table and shook my head at my misconception.

It wasn’t a table; it was an altar.

An altar in a church. Shocking.

A small, golden idol sat front and center next to several red beeswax candles that had been lit within the last few hours.

In front of the idol sat a small bowl that was filled with a dark liquid that I recognized at once.

Blood.

It was just enough to linger in the back of my throat as I got close to it and took a whiff. The sharp scent of rust coated my tongue, and I shook off the urge to gag.

Ugh. Nothing I’m not used to, but the bowl makes it creepy. I’m used to spilling blood, but this is obviously a ritual that requires blood as some sort of macabre sacrifice.

I ignored the blood and glanced at what I first thought was a statue of Weilin, but at a second glance, it was clear that this wasn’t a statue of my patron god.

It was a female, that much was clear, and the robe she wore accentuated that fact. And from the long animal ears atop her head, I knew I was looking at an idol of a Beastkin.

Worshiping false gods? I don’t know if that’s a sin in this world as much as it is on Earth, but you clearly pissed off the wrong god.

But just because he chose to worship some other deity didn’t make him someone I could kill offhand.

But the fact that he’s clearly killed before does.

The way he held himself when we fought told me everything I needed to know.

One couldn’t reach that level of skill by training alone. It took experience, actual combat to hone one skill to that level. And it was nearly impossible to do that without getting blood on your hands.

And that’s before the blood sacrifice.

I had no way of knowing if it was Hale’s blood or not, but the bowl was large, and that much blood loss would weaken Hale. And it didn’t make sense for him to weaken himself when he knew there was an assassin after him.

My intuition told me that it wasn’t his blood.

Gregory Hale was not an innocent; of that, I was sure.

I turned from the idol and the strange altar and headed back upstairs.

He can worship whoever he wants, but he should have thought of that before crossing Weilin.

A mistake that’s going to cost him his life.

But if he isn’t in his room or the sub-basement, where could he be?

Did he actually choose to flee? To give up his greatest source of power?

I doubted it. He was here somewhere. I just had to ferret him out.

With no luck in the back rooms, I headed back toward the main area of the church to regroup with Aless.

But as I got closer, something in the air gave me pause.

I stopped and waited for a moment. The air was lighter than it had been just a few minutes ago, and there was a subtle scent hanging around me. It was slightly sweet, like incense, or the fragrance of a flower.

Someone had been this way, recently, within a minute.

As I crept to the door that led to the sanctuary, muffled voices slipped under the crack in the door.

I pressed my ear to the wood and listened.

“The stew was heavenly. Thank you for inviting me to dine with you, Bishop,” a light, warm male voice said.

“It’s no trouble, Captain. You’re the one doing me a favor by personally guarding me. I, and more importantly my flock, appreciate your efforts,” Hale said.

The man who wasn’t my target chuckled. “It’s been quiet, that’s for sure. But I wish you would have let me station more guards around the perimeter.”

“You’re more than enough, and besides, Thorn’s men are likely watching the place. We wouldn’t want any conflict between the guard and the guild.”

The captain scoffed. “Why Earl Odra and Cardinal Francis let them run rampant is something I’ll never understand.”

“I’m sure he has his reasons; we can’t all be like the late Count Vohra. Sometimes dealing with devils like those is the lesser of two evils. But I am a humble servant of God. Such matters are beyond me.”

“As you say, Bishop. But if you’ll excuse me, I must make my rounds.”

Footsteps sounded on the stone, and I tried my best to time them to when I thought he would reach the door. As the captain opened his door, I opened mine and slipped inside, using him as a cover.

The thud of the door shutting was more than enough to mask me, pulling mine closed behind me.

The room had changed slightly in the handful of minutes that I’d been gone. There was more light to the room from the dozens of candles that Bishop Hale went around lighting.

He was focused on his task and had his back turned to me as he went about the room, lighting even more of the candles.

Aless was nestled in her perch among the many wooden beams above us and was well and truly out of sight.

Before the priest could turn around, I rushed on the balls of my feet to the side of the giant statue of Weilin.

It was well constructed, but there were still plenty of places that I could use as handholds as I climbed to the top and hid behind its head.

I peered down at Hale, who showed no signs of having noticed our presence.

Well, let’s keep it that way for now.

Though we didn’t have much time, sooner or later, Thorn would send men looking for the assassins that we killed, and I’d rather be done with the job and out of the city by the time that happened.

Aless motioned with her hand and caught my attention. She raised her crossbow and pointed to Hale, asking to take the shot.

I shook my head and held up my hand, telling her to wait.

His skill lets him cheat death, which is our biggest obstacle to get over. It makes him immune to standard assassination attempts.

But I’m betting it can be overloaded. From what I’ve seen, if we deal enough damage, it might break through. The only other option is that it’s on a timer.

Probably some combination of the two.

Which meant overkill was the way to go.

I drew my crossbow, grabbed one of the explosive bolts, and held it up, making sure Aless noticed it.

She nodded and drew one of her own.

As soon as she had hers loaded, I crouched low and took aim.

Second Shadow.

Instantly, there was a tug on my mana well, draining it in seconds as my skill silently took hold.

My vision watered and blurred for a second as my head swam. Dancing motes of light appeared around me as a shifting black shadow rolled off my skin and moved to the side of me, slowly forming into a replica of myself.

He looked like me down to the last detail and wore the same clothing while also having the same equipment, down to a copy of my crossbow.

Having a doppelganger was strange, like having two brains thinking the same thoughts in my head as well as having two pairs of eyes, just viewing slightly different things.

Though it was incredibly unnerving, I shook off the unease quickly, having practiced with it enough that I could separate the two of us.

I didn’t even have to speak for my doppelganger to understand what I wanted him to do.

He drew his crossbow and loaded his own copy of the explosive bolt.

With a grin, he pointed it at the bishop, who was kneeling in front of the altar, praying.

It was low, but his mumbled voice echoed through the empty hall as he recited a false prayer to Weilin.

I pointed at Aless and then to my shadow, telling them the order in which to fire.

Both of them nodded as I raised my hand.

It was time for Bishop Hale to die.

I brought my arm down, and Aless loosed her bolt.

It whistled as it shot through the air and struck the kneeling priest in the chest. Air cracked and whipped around him as a golden light erupted around his frame and lit up the darkened church.

He stood in a flash, just in time for the bolt to ignite. There was a thump as the gunpowder went up before it rushed out in a heavy wave that rattled up the statue and spit out a heavy gout of flames before it subsided.

When the dust cleared, Hale was still standing, completely unhurt. The golden aura that surrounded him was as strong as it ever was.

He whirled on the spot where Aless had fired from.

“You’re going to have to do better than that if you want to stop me, assassin!”

My doppelganger fired.

It struck him in the back and clattered off the magical shield that protected him. His aura dimmed as the heavy bolt impacted, and I grinned.

I was right.

Just as Hale looked down at the bolt on the ground, it exploded. Another explosion rocked the church, this time sending chips of stone and wood flying everywhere as the intense pressure ripped up the floor and mulched the wooden pews around Hale.

Whether it was his weakened aura or because of the uneven ground, Hale stumbled and fell to his knees and lay amid a crumbling pile of rock.

His aura was a dull golden gray with nearly all of the gold faded to nothing.

One more, and it would be gone for good.

Impressive as hell.

I took aim as Gregory got to his feet and snarled defiantly as he formed a heavy golden shield in his hands.

“I won’t be bested by the likes of you!”

He turned to me and raised his shield, which completely blocked my shot.

But he couldn’t protect himself from every angle, and Aless had already reloaded.

She aimed for his unprotected back while he was focused on dealing with me. She fired, and her aim was true. It struck the center of his back, but instead of skirting off like the last bolt had, there was a sharp crack as the golden aura faded a second after the bolt landed, and it stuck in the center of this back in between the aura and his flesh.

There was a moment where Hale just stopped and stared at me, his eyes locked onto mine, and hatred flashed through them.

Then the bolt exploded.

As even more dust and debris filled the room, glass shattered as bits of rock shot out everywhere like a grenade went off.

As Aless’s second bolt exploded, I fired mine. It struck Hale’s golden shield and cracked the weakened material. The bolt stuck inside the metal and then detonated.

The blast fully shattered whatever aura Hale had left and sent him tumbling back to the ground amid a cloud of dust and debris.

Ash and bits of wood rained down around the priest as he stumbled to his feet, mostly undamaged.

He wasn’t dead yet, not by a long shot.

We’d dazed him, and I needed to capitalize on that before he regained his senses.

I ordered my doppelganger to head to the far side of the room by the door, and I leapt off the statue, casting Shade’s Rest as I fell.

The color inverted, and through the darkness, I found the bright white shadow I wanted. Hale’s shadow.

I flowed into it and canceled the spell as I reappeared behind the priest.

He was still alive, which was one of the most impressive things I’d seen since coming to Xenai.

His vestments were torn and blackened. All traces of his aura had vanished. Blood ran from numerous cuts and lacerations, staining the once white garment crimson. Parts of his hair were singed, and soot lingered over his tanned skin.

He blinked, but blood ran from his ears, meaning his eardrums had likely burst.

As he stood up, I grabbed him by the back of the collar and drew my short sword.

Hale had just enough time to tilt his head and glared at me as I shoved the two-and-a-half-foot length of steel through his back.

He gasped and shuddered as my blade pierced his heart, and I activated Assassination.

The sword glowed and vibrated as the skill took hold and obliterated what remained of his heart.

Hale sighed as his body went limp and blood pooled out of his mouth.

“You have no idea what you’ve done,” he said loudly, raising his voice because he couldn’t hear.

I let go of the sword and drew a throwing knife before I brought it across his throat, sending a spray of arterial blood into the air.

His body crashed to the ground as I dropped him. I gripped my knife tight and plunged it into his heart, missing my sword protruding from the front of his chest by half an inch. And a slew of notifications appeared in front of me.

Your Swordsmanship skill has increased by 1! [Swordsmanship: 10 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Small Blades skill has increased by 1! [Small Blades: 32 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

Your Second Shadow skill has increased by 1! [Second Shadow: 2 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Assassination skill has increased by 1! [Assassination: 30 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

Quest: Assassinate Bishop Gregory Hale

Difficulty: Very Hard

Reward: 4000 Exp+10000 Vahn

(10% Bonus Exp for Job-related Quest)

Hidden Quest Reward: Weilin’s Judgment

Weilin’s Judgment: Allows users to see the status page of anyone the user designates.

Cooldown: None

Mana Drain: Negligible

Name: Elias McKinley

Age: 29

Race: Human

Level: 3

Exp: 7640/16454

Stat Points: 2

Stats

Strength: 35

Constitution: 30

Endurance: 40

Wisdom: 30

Perception: 37

Agility: 51

Charisma: 17

Luck: 20

I brushed away my status for the time being, I’d deal with it later.

“You were a worthy opponent,” I said to the dead man as I withdrew my sword and wiped the blood on his soiled clothes.

From start to finish, it had been less than two minutes, but the explosions hadn’t been quiet, and we didn’t have time to linger.

“We need to leave,” I said to Aless as she dropped to the ground.

“Let’s get the fuck outta here,” she said with a nod.

Just as she spoke, the door on the opposite end of the church flew open, and the man who I assumed to be the commander of the guard strode forward with a large mace in his hand.

He was tall and young for a City Watch commander, with sandy blond hair and chipped emerald eyes. He carried himself well as he entered and began surveying the room.

“Bishop Hale, are you alr─”

My shadow rose from a crouch behind the door and drew his knife across the young commander's neck.

His words died in his throat as my doppelganger slithered around the weakened man and plunged his blade through the gaps in the captain's plate armor under his arm and drove the knife into his heart.

The captain fell to the ground and died a quick, merciless death.

1 Kill: 100 Exp!

“Thank you, Shadow.”

I canceled the skill, and as the fatigue set in, I forced it down as Aless came and stood by my side.

I turned to her and nodded.

“You said it, let’s get the fuck out of this city and go home.”

She laughed, and together, the two of us fled the church like the hounds of hell itself were on our trail.

Chapter 20- Back in Vohra

As we left the church, we raced across the grounds and once more vaulted the tall, wrought iron fence before we were back on the empty streets of Odra.

The Hale Job had not been a quiet one, and though we’d completed it and gotten away, I wanted to ensure that we got away clean.

Even as we hopped the fence and ducked under a low-hanging eave of a building, guards showed up.

Their steel plate mail clanked heavily as they rushed toward the church, bypassing us without even a glance. Dozens of them swarmed the place, and I knew what remained of Crescent Thorn would be right behind them.

We had to go.

The two of us took back alleys and side streets at random as we dodged what few guard patrols hadn’t headed to the church, all while making sure we weren’t being tailed as we made our way back to the house we were squatting in.

By the time we got back, a few hours had passed. But I hadn’t seen any signs of Crescent Thorn at that time.

I locked the door and placed a chair under the knob as soon as we got inside. When I knew we were out of danger, I let the pulse of battle and the fatigue drain out of me for the most part.

My hands shook, and a cold chill crawled over my skin as I fought to keep my eyes open.

“We need a few hours of sleep, but in the morning, we’re heading back to Vohra.”

“Sounds good to me.” Aless yawned as she sat down next to me on the sofa. “But for now, sleepy time.”

She was snoring in seconds, and before I knew it, I was out right along with her.

Bright sunlight from the kitchen window blinded me as I woke up. I yawned as I pulled out a waterskin and drained half of it before I turned to Aless, who was using my shoulder as a pillow.

I nudged her. “Aless, time to wake up.”

“Ugh. Don’t wanna,” she said as she blinked her bleary eyes open. “I so didn’t get enough sleep.”

“Get used to it,” I replied as I stood up and stretched. A slew of pops escaped from my joints. “In our line of work, we rarely get the sleep we need. Just wait till one of our jobs takes us out into the jungle. The insect and animal life will make it nearly impossible to get any sleep at all.”

“Yeah, yeah. But we’re not in the jungle now, so let me sleep,” she grumbled and rolled over.

I chuckled and leaned over to kiss her hair. “Up. We’ve got to get on the road today, and I’d like to be out of the city before we run into problems.”

Aless groaned again and sighed, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “Fine. I can sleep in the stagecoach anyway.”

We both got up, and after a quick sink bath, we changed into more nondescript clothing. Aless wore a shawl over her head while I made do with a ratty hat. We went for the lower-middle-class look rather than high-born nobles. It would let us blend in the best, though I doubted it would do much since Crescent Thorn would be on high alert.

After we dressed and had a small meal of dried meat and bread, we left our temporary home and headed for the city gates.

We mixed with the farmers and farmhands who were heading in the same direction as us.

By the time we reached the gate, the sun had fully risen into the sky, and I could already tell it was going to be a scorching day.

The month is the First of Fall, which correlates to August. Which means it’s probably the hottest time of the year.

I couldn’t wait for the next two months to be over with and the First of Winter to arrive. While I didn’t necessarily love the cold, it certainly lessened a few annoyances of my job.

Fewer people out in the cold means fewer potential witnesses.

But the cold months were still a ways off, so I stopped thinking about it for the time being as Aless and I left Odra.

“I’d have liked to have gone back to Molly’s before we left,” Aless said as we passed through the gates.

“As would I, but it’s not the right time.” I smiled down at her. “We’ll come back when we can, but in the meantime, I have her address, so I can mail her a request for more spells if we need them.”

Aless nodded as the early morning sunbathed us in bright light. We turned right down a small dirt path that led to the large stables and where the stagecoaches were kept. There were quite a few of them, and it didn’t take long to negotiate passage to Vohra with one of the drivers.

While the stagecoach we rented this time wasn’t as nice as the one we had before, it was decent enough and offered us just as much space, so I wasn’t going to complain about the slightly peeling paint or wobbly steps.

I paid the man, and it didn’t take him half an hour before he had everything ready, and we set off.

“I’ll be glad when we get back home,” Aless said as she started drifting off on the seat in front of me.

“Me too,” I replied.

It didn’t take her but a handful of minutes before she was fast asleep.

If I envy her one thing, it’s that ability of hers to pass out wherever she lays. It borders on the magical.

I sat back myself, and though I wanted nothing more than to nap alongside Aless, I couldn’t.

Not yet.

We’d been traveling for a few hours when I sat up and opened the door. I leaned out and whistled for the driver.

He slowed up and turned back to look at me while trying to control his thick mane of brown hair that whipped about around him.

“Sir. That’s dangerous. You could fall. What do you need?”

“I’ll give you fifty extra vahn if you do me a favor.”

His green eyes lit up with the promise of making half of what I’d already paid him. “What can this humble driver do for you, sir?”

“Let us out here, drive up a few miles, and wait for us. We’ll be back by nightfall.”

“Sir?” he asked and cocked his head to the side as confusion lit up his face.

I growled and pulled out the small pouch of coins and jangled it in front of his face. “Do you want it or not?”

He sighed and nodded. “I won’t ask questions, and I’ll do as you ask.”

“Good.” I tossed him the money as he came to a stop and got out of the coach.

I wasn’t worried about him taking off with my money. And if he did, it was a small enough amount that I didn’t care. After all, I had just made ten thousand vahn for completing the contract. It magically appeared in a pouch at my waist some point after I completed the quest.

And we’re not that far from Odra. We can walk back if he decides to take off.

Aless and I departed the coach, and a cloud of dust kicked up as the driver took off again.

“Just as I was asleep, you had to wake me up again,“ Aless said with a scowl as I looked around for the perfect spot to hide and wait.

“Well, I figured you’d get pissed at me if I ran off and left you in the stagecoach while I took care of our pursuers.”

It was just a hunch, but I was certain Crescent Thorn was following us.

I hadn’t spotted them while Aless and I were leaving Odra, but the first thing I’d have done was have the gates watched as well as the stables and wagons.

There was nothing but my gut feeling, but because I didn’t spot any spies meant that they were learning and had hidden themselves well.

Plus, if I’m wrong, all I’m out on is a little bit of coin and time.

There were already members of Crescent Thorn in Vohra. They would have been sent after I attacked their hideout, so I’d rather deal with half of their number now than face a combined force when we returned home.

“You’re right about that,” she said, grinning as we slipped to the side of the road, where a small group of trees and bushes lay not too far away.

It gave us great cover and excellent sightlines for a good ways off.

We both settled into a crouch and waited.

Which didn’t take too long.

Twenty minutes later, as I knelt on the grass, the rhythmic thump of hooves broke the calm silence.

Two men on horseback approached slowly but with purpose. They looked like average citizens of Chordis, but my gut told me at once they were both members of Crescent Thorn.

The way they carried themselves and glanced around on instinct told me as much. Both of them carried small daggers at their waists but otherwise acted the part of simple travelers almost perfectly.

Too bad your talent is wasted on me.

Because I now had a way of verifying them.

I activated Weilin’s Judgement on the closest rider.

Status

Name: Mikhail Rohstead

Age: 31

Race: Human

Job: Assassin

Level: 2

Exp: 4789/12376

Stats

Strength: 35

Constitution: 20

Endurance: 29

Wisdom: 32

Perception: 28

Agility: 30

Charisma: 25

Luck: 22

Skills

Blade of Shade, Paralyzing Touch, Assassination, Domination.

Spells

Lesser Healing, Lighting Shot, Wind Cutter, Water Bullet.

Just as I thought. Crescent Thorn.

Your Intuition skill has increased by 1! [Intuition: 29 (Journeyman)] +100 Exp!

I kept low as they reached me, and just as they passed me, I leapt from my hiding spot, hands raised as Aless did the same.

The rustling of branches as they clung to my chest and arms alerted the assassins, and they turned in a single fluid motion, their daggers already in hand.

But they weren’t nearly fast enough to stop us.

“Fireball!” I shouted.

A singular ball of orange flame appeared in the center of my palm and shot forward, taking the closest assassin in the chest.

As I cast a fireball, Aless rose from beside me and targeted the second assassin.

“Water Bullet!”

Three balls of swirling water formed in her hand as her fingers glowed a bright blue, and they launched at the assassin. They struck with deadly efficiency across his head, and as they landed, he buckled, dropping from his horse instantly.

The explosion and blasts of magic startled their horses and caused them to rear back, sending the rider I struck tumbling to the ground while on fire. Before he could rise and deal with the flames, I sent another fireball hurtling toward him as their horses took off as fast as they could.

Both assassins were engulfed in flames, and the one still alive didn’t have enough time even to scream as he died.

1 Kill: 100 Exp!

Your Wisdom has increased by 1! [Wisdom: 31] +100 Exp!

Fireball has increased by 1! [Fireball: 5] +25 Exp!

The ambush had done the trick, and our magic had finished the job. I turned from the charred corpses as the stench of burnt flesh filled the air.

“Good job,” I said to Aless as we jogged to catch back up with the stagecoach.

That took a lot less time than I thought. I snorted. Won’t hear me complain though, taking care of them saves us trouble in the long run.

Though I would probably still have a couple of assassins lurking around Vohra, I wasn’t worried. Vohra was our city, and I was confident Aless and her Prowlers could ferret them out for me in no time.

I’ll probably give them to her. Let her have her first solo assignment. She’s earned it.

After everything that’s happened, she’s definitely earned it.

I sighed at the thought of putting her in danger and banished it from my mind, putting a little more speed into my run. Aless raced me without knowing why we were racing, and not half an hour later, we reached the coach once more.

Our driver muttered about lovers sneaking out for a lay under his breath and shook his head as we climbed aboard and set off again.

Aless quickly plopped down on the other side of the carriage and promptly fell asleep. As the lull of the carriage ride caused my eyes to grow heavy, I finally laid down and propped my hands under my head.

At least we can both catch up on our rest.

***

The rest of the two-day ride was blissfully uneventful, and Aless and I slept for the most part. When we weren’t sleeping, we enjoyed each other’s company, which was something that neither of us seemed to tire of.

Though I was glad when we finally reached Vohra. The dull gray walls and tall buildings were a comfort after being in the too pristine city of Odra.

I smiled as the city came into view.

It’s good to be home.

I had our driver let us out a few miles from the city gates and paid him a little extra for his silence.

He thanked us and headed for his waystation to resupply.

I stretched and sighed as the wagon drove off. “Oh, how I hate being confined.”

“You said it,” Aless replied as she turned to me, a smirk teasing her lips. “Now, let’s get home. I’m going to need some rest after all that rest.”

As soon as we were sure we were alone, we ducked into the forest and quickly found the rough dirt trail that led to Blackfall Manor.

“Any disturbances?” Aless asked as we stepped off the trail and into the deep woods.

“Not that I can tell. Some footsteps, but they're small enough to be Cora’s, and none of the traps have been triggered, so I don’t think we’ve had visitors.”

“Good. One less thing to worry about.”

I shrugged. “Let’s not be too hasty. Anyone skilled enough could easily avoid these without leaving a trace. Best not to rush in blind since we’ve been gone for this long.”

It’d been a little over a week since we left, but in this city, a week was plenty of time to get into trouble.

As we approached Blackfall Manor, I kept my guard up. Even choosing to vault the small gate rather than risk the squeak alerting anyone.

The door was locked, but we both had keys, and I entered first with Aless right behind me.

I had my knife out as I glanced around the entryway. The lounge was clean and free of clutter, same for the bar on the opposite side of the room. Even the staircase in the center was spotless.

There were no signs of distress which told me nearly everything I needed to know.

“Looks fine to me,” Aless said.

“Yeah, but let’s not assume. I’ll take the second floor, and you sweep the third. Doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”

She nodded, and together we went up the stairs. I searched the left side of the second floor first, where the bathrooms and bunkhouse were located. All the rooms were clean and clear.

The entire manor was spotless, which meant Cora had been doing her job as our maid. Not even a single cobweb lingered in the space.

On the other side of the second floor were the training rooms, and as I searched through a few of them, a low thud echoed through the hallway.

It was rhythmic, and a few low grunts followed it. As I pushed open one of the last few doors on this side of the house, I found the source of the noise.

Cora was in our close quarter's training room.

She stood in front of one of the training dummies and was kicking it. She wore tight-fitting clothes that left a lot of skin exposed but allowed her free range of movement. It was the first time I’d ever seen her out of her maid uniform, and it surprised me.

Cora actually had a rather lean and graceful physique. She was toned in all of the right places, and the tight clothing only accentuated her moderate bust and hips. She lowered back and rechambered her kick before pivoting into a roundhouse and striking the dummy in the face.

Her form and technique were off like she’d watched someone perform the move but hadn’t had anyone teach her the nuances of it. Other than that, though, she showed promise.

As she lowered back down, her long, golden-brown hair whipped back and forth and drew my attention.

It was then that I noticed something rather unexpected.

She wasn’t wearing her headdress like normal, and on top of her head, on either side of her skull, were two large, circular animal ears. They looked like mouse ears, and the fur on them matched her hair color exactly.

Just like Jin’s. She’s a Beastkin.

“Huh, no wonder you always wore that headband,” I muttered.

The ears on top of her head twitched, and she flinched, startled by the sound of my voice. Cora whirled on me. Sweat poured down her face and neck, drifting over her collarbone to slide over her chest and in between her breasts.

She took one look at me, and her honey eyes widened as her tanned face paled. “Elias! You’re back!” she shouted before panic set in, and she touched her animal ears. “Oh no! Look, I can explain! I promise!”

Cora ran over to me and grabbed my shoulder gently. She was a mess of emotions, and her frightened tone was the only reason I let her touch me.

“Please. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Please don’t fire me.”

What? That’s what she was afraid of?

“Why would I fire you?” I asked, shaking my head. “Just because you’re a Beastkin?”

My words gave her pause, and she stepped back, some of the fear washing away and leaving confusion in its wake.

“You don’t care that I’m a Beastkin?”

“Not in the slightest.” I shrugged. “But not everyone in this city is so likeminded, so I understand why you kept it hidden.”

“You do?”

“Of course,” I said with a chuckle. “We haven’t known each other that long, and you didn’t know my stance on Beastkin.” I paused. “Though I know we’ve talked about Jin before. Did I never mention he was a Beastkin?”

Cora shook her head and laughed softly. “No, you most certainly didn’t.” She looked up at me with wide eyes filled with hope. “But you really don’t care that I’m a Yamane?”

“Not one bit. Yamane? Is that the name of your species?”

She nodded. “It’s one of the mouse types of Beastkin. A dormouse, to be specific.”

“Well, it makes no difference to me what your species is.” I jutted my chin towards the training dummies. “I’m far more curious about what you were doing when I arrived. Who taught you how to fight?”

Cora laughed. “No one. Everything I know, I’ve learned from watching you and Aless.”

“That explains it.”

“Explains what?” she asked as she turned to the side and snagged a skin of water from the wooden shelf by the door.

“Why your form is off. Though you have a good eye and your movements are fluid enough.

“What made you want to practice combat?”

She paused as she wiped her mouth and ran some water over her hair and brushed it back, causing her mouse ears to stick up a bit more now that her hair was wet. Cora shrugged as she ran her fingers deftly through her hair.

“I want to help. To do more than just clean house.” Her eyes turned to me, and there was a spark of fire in them. “I know who you are, what you are. And even if you’re a killer, you have a purpose in life. Something I don’t.” She laughed and threw up her hands. “At least nothing beyond being a maid.”

My eyebrows raised. “You…want to be an assassin?”

Cora shook her head. “Gods no. Not really. But I want purpose and direction, and after everything I’ve been through in my life, I don’t think I’ll find it otherwise. My options keep getting stolen from me, and I lack the strength to stop it.” She scoffed. “Hell, even you stole my options from me, and though you replaced it, it’s not enough, not anymore.”

I rubbed my chin and leaned against the doorway.

Train her to be an assassin? I chuckled. The old me would have said no instantly, but that was before Aless. Before I remembered how much I liked having a partner that I can rely on.

Whatever my answer to her was going to be was interrupted as footsteps padded on the wooden floors behind me.

I glanced back as Aless walked down the hallway towards me.

“Third floor is fine. No one’s been here,” she said as she wrapped an arm around my neck and pressed her chin into my shoulder. “Hey, Cora, how have you─” Aless paused as she took in Cora’s animal attributes, but the shock quickly wore off, and she smiled. “No wonder it was always a pain in the ass to sneak up on you.”

Cora laughed so hard she snorted before she covered her mouth. “You caught me, Aless.”

I brushed my head against Aless’s. “Cora wants to join us. What do you think about that?”

She stopped smiling and got up off me and pushed into the room before leaning against the stone wall and turned toward Cora.

Aless frowned and rubbed her temple. “I’m of two minds about it. I have no problem with her joining, but, Cora, are you sure? You’re a little soft-hearted. And as I’ve found out, being soft-hearted can get you killed.”

Cora shook her head, her gaze firm and resolute. “I want more out of my life than to be a servant. I want the strength and skill to defend myself and what I hold dear.”

I shook my head at the same time Aless did. “If you just want strength, I can train you to fight. It’s the least I can do after all the help you’ve been. But you don’t have to become an assassin just to learn to fight.

“And if you don’t want to be a servant, you don’t have to be. You’ve more than proven yourself to me. I’m sure there are a hundred different things I could use your help on besides just cleaning and cooking.”

“But I couldn’t ask that of you, not when you’ve given me so much already. I’d feel like I’d be in your debt, and I refuse to put myself or my future in the hands of anyone else ever again. I’ll earn my keep here…even if that means I have to bloody my hands to do so.”

Her conviction and resolve were impressive, and I could tell by the fire in her eyes that she meant every word.

What’s with this world? First, Aless, who was so desperate to survive that she became the apprentice of an assassin, but now Cora too?

What is with these girls?

That kind of drive and determination was rare on Earth. But it wasn’t a bad thing. Those that had that kind of willpower could do great things in life.

But her entire perspective would shift once she took a life.

Some people could handle it better than others, but no one stayed the same after killing.

And I didn’t want to do that to Cora if I didn’t have to. I’d grown rather fond of her in the weeks since she’d come to live with us.

And besides, the only reason I took Aless was that she’d already had years of training. Cora is a novice; it’ll take years to train her.

But I don’t necessarily need her as an assassin. Aless and I can handle contracts, but I do need someone I trust who can handle the day-to-day operations of the household and what will grow to become the new underworld.

Someone like that could be invaluable.

I nodded to Cora and held up my hand to stop the look on her face. “I’ll train you, which will take time, years of it. Once that is done, we can talk about your future, okay?”

She nodded as her shoulders slumped, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. “That is more than agreeable,” she said with a smile. “We can start the day after tomorrow.”

“Why not tomorrow?” I asked.

Cora just shook her head and chuckled. “Because you have to meet with Captain Bernard, remember? You promised a meeting with him as soon as you got back, and I’m also betting you’ll need to check in with Christoff and Angela. They’ve both asked about you.”

I nodded and pinched the bridge of my nose. I had forgotten about my meeting with Bernard, but I had kept him waiting long enough, and though he was a meek man, he was in a powerful enough position that it was easier to keep me on his good side than to kill him and train his replacement.

“Sounds good, day after tomorrow, then,” I replied with a smile.

Aless sat up off the wall and nudged me with her elbow. “I know what that smile’s for. You’re just excited to eat Christoff’s cooking again.”

“Guilty.” I shrugged. “But not nearly as much as I’m looking forward to a bath and eight uninterrupted hours of sleep.”

She smirked as she wound her arm through mine. “Then let’s take a bath and get to bed.”

“Best thing I’ve heard all day.”

Cora groaned behind us as we all walked out of the training room. “Just don’t make as much of a mess this time. I swear it was like mopping up a lake last time you two went at it in the bath.”

Aless turned back around and stuck her tongue out before giving Cora a wink. “No promises.”

Cora’s sigh of frustration echoed behind us as we headed toward the baths.

Chapter 21- Paperwork

We slept for at least nine hours, but I think we both needed to catch up on our sleep after the week we’d had.

By the time we got up, morning had come and gone, inching toward early afternoon.

I sat up, but because Aless was lying on my chest, she was forced up as well. She groaned and yawned as she stretched her arms in the air.

But because she was so close, my entire worldview was dominated by her bare chest. She had her eyes closed, and a wicked thought came over me, and I tried not to smile as I leaned over and took one of her nipples into my mouth before biting down softly.

She squealed in surprise and jerked away from me, tumbling back and landing at the edge of the bed.

I roared with laughter as crimson fury spread across her cheeks.

“Elias!”

My laughing made it hard to breathe, and soon tears prickled my eyes, and I clutched at my ribs.

When I finally opened my eyes, Aless’s fury was gone, and she was laughing beside me. She crawled across the bed and kissed me softly.

“Didn’t you get enough of that last night?” she asked when we pulled apart.

“I couldn’t resist. Sorry.”

She kissed me again. “You better be, or next time I might bite something of yours, and I don’t think you’d like that very much.”

I opened my mouth and then quickly shut it again. “Um. No.” I shook my head. “I’m good.”

“That’s what I thought.” She gave me a devious grin and kissed my cheek before she slid off the bed and padded over to the dresser. “So, what’s the plan for today?”

I brushed my hair back and reached over to the nightstand for my glass of water. Once I’d drained it, and my brain was less fogged, I stood as well.

Aless turned and tossed me a pair of cotton trousers, and I slid them on before sitting at the edge of the bed.

“I’ve got several things on my list today. But I need you to check in with your Prowlers. We’ve been gone for over a week, so catch up on what’s been going on and get our cut of the profits from them, minus what we’re paying for info.”

“’Kay,” she said as she threw on a dark maroon tunic that stopped just above her waist. “That it, though? I can have that done in a couple of hours.”

I shook my head. “Nope. After that, I want you and your Prowlers to go hunting. There are probably a couple of Crescent Thorn assassins in Vohra, and I want them dealt with.”

Aless whirled around, a pair of panties halfway up her thighs as a look of shock came over her.

“You want me to take a solo job?”

I nodded. “You’re skilled enough.” I held my hand up. “But ambush them or use sneak attacks. Do not get into a hand-to-hand fight with them. You’ll lose. Use your magic and speed to your advantage.”

Aless nodded as she finished sliding her panties up as a spark of determination lit up her gray eyes. She finished getting dressed and came over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“I won’t let you down,” she said.

“You haven’t yet.”

She beamed at me and pulled back. “Seems like I’ve got a lot to do today. I best get to it.” She headed to the door and pulled it open, stopping in the doorway. “If I’m not back tonight, don’t worry. If I’m not back by tomorrow night─”

“Come and bail your ass out of trouble. I know the drill.”

She laughed. “You got it. Love you.”

“Love you too,” I replied as she left.

Aless practically raced out of the house, and the slam of the door echoed behind her as she left the manor.

Alright. Best get a move on myself.

I rose from the bed and dressed in rather normal attire today. The black silk shirt that Angela had given me as a gift. It was one of my favorite shirts, and I didn’t wear it enough. I also strapped my short sword to my belt and slipped on my leather boots.

It was far too hot for a cloak, so I didn’t bother.

As I was getting dressed, there was a knock at the door.

Cora stood in the doorway, not wearing her headband today, which meant her Yamane ears were on full display.

She smiled at me and bowed slightly. “Good morning, Elias.”

“Morning, Cora.”

“Master Jin sent a letter to you. One of Aless’s Prowlers dropped it off.”

My eyebrows rose. “Oh, is it ready, then?”

Cora shook her head. “I don’t know; he just said to come and see him when you get a chance.”

“Thank you, Cora,” I said as I walked toward the door. “Also, when you have time today. In the physical training room on the second floor, there is a notebook. It has Aless’s training regimen inside it. I’ll make one specifically for you in time, but it should serve you well for now. Complete the entire course today, if you can.”

She nodded as a bright smile rose on her lips. “I will. Thank you, Elias.”

“Of course,” I replied as I slid past her. “See you later.”

“Have a good day!”

I left Blackfall Manor and headed for the city.

The sun was already bright and high, and there were very few clouds in the sky. Even Koel seemed bluer in the sky. And the heat was sweltering.

“Was right about the cloak. Holy hell, it’s going to be hot today.”

I’d taken jobs all around the world, been in every climate imaginable, but I never got used to the heat. I’d never liked it.

Sweat beaded on my forehead as I set a leisurely pace into the city. The thick foliage of the forest provided some shade, but there was hardly a breeze today, so it didn’t help as much as I’d have liked.

By the time I reached the city gates, sweat had condensed into the silk at my collar, and my hair was falling in my face.

Two guards stopped me as I approached and asked for my visa. I handed it over without a word, eager to get under the shade of the tall walls and buildings.

“My apologies, sir, but your visa has expired,” one of the guards said.

“Huh? Oh right. I guess I let it slip my mind. I’ve been out of town recently.”

He nodded and tugged at his thick beard. “Payment for a lapsed visa is five vahn. If you wish to apply for a new visa, it will cost an additional fifteen vahn.”

I sighed and handed over the coin.

Really need to get those papers from Bernard. And since I’m heading to see him anyway, that’s two birds with one stone.

The guard handed me a new roll of parchment that was my visa and let me enter the city.

At least it wasn’t nearly as expensive as Odra.

The familiar, slightly grimy streets and stench of body odor mixed with the scents of a hundred different shops greeted me as I stepped out of the tunnel, and I smiled as a weight I didn’t notice fell off me.

It really is good to be home.

I skirted the hundreds of citizens going about their day as I left the Market District and headed towards the Legal District.

It took about an hour to get there, but I took my time and enjoyed the walk while also keeping my eyes peeled for any signs of the Crescent Thorn assassins.

I’d given the job to Aless, but if I happened upon them, I wouldn’t hesitate to act.

But as I wound my way through the city, I didn’t catch even a hint of trouble besides a group of pickpockets who tried to snatch my purse.

I nearly broke the kid's arm as I grabbed it and twisted it behind his back.

Of course, once they realized who I was, they quickly apologized and fled.

Beyond that, though, it was a rather enjoyable day as I entered the most polished section of Vohra.

And though the Legal District was clean, it wasn’t anywhere near the level of Odra. It was a clean that I could understand rather than the obsessive-compulsive cleaning that dominated Odra.

Captain Bernard would be at the Precinct House, which was next-door to the courthouse and numerous law offices.

The four-story, gray stone building was meant to be intimidating, but it just screamed bureaucracy to me.

As I entered, a perky receptionist stood behind an enclosed counter with stacks and stacks of parchment on it. Her perkiness was a front as I found bags under her blue eyes, and her blonde hair was tied in a messy bun.

“How can I help you today, sir?” she asked.

“Edward Kinley to see Captain Bernard,” I replied.

She nodded, pulled a random sheet of parchment from within the massive stack, and began scanning it. Her eyes lit up a few moments later.

“Of course, sir. You are cleared to enter. Head on up to the fourth floor. It’s the─”

“I know the way, miss. Thank you.”

I turned and headed up the stairs and to the fourth floor. Bernard’s office was the last door at the end of the hall. A large, mahogany door had a brass plaque on it, which hadn’t been there the last time I was here.

It read, Watch Captain Michael Bernard.

I chuckled and opened the door.

Bernard’s office was much the same as the last time. Very minimal and spartan. There was no unnecessary wealth or luxury here. Everything was functional with minimal decoration.

Captain Bernard sat behind his large wooden desk, which seemed smaller with the large stack of paperwork littering it, along with a small bottle of whiskey, which surprised me.

“Drinking on the job, Bernard?” I asked as I shut the door behind me.

He looked up from a stack of papers at my voice and grunted. Bernard was a plain-looking man with lank brown hair, dark brown eyes, and two-day stubble on his weak chin. The lack of sleep was evident by the bags under his eyes, much like his receptionist.

“McKinley.” Bernard cleared his throat and hawked the phlegm into a waste bin by his feet. “About fucking time you showed up. I only sent for you over a week ago.”

I shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs opposite the desk, propping my foot on my knee. “I had business to attend to out of town. It took priority.” I thrust my chin towards him. “You look like hell. What’s been going on?”

He sighed and tossed the stack of papers on his desk in disgust. “What’s been going on? Fucking hell, what hasn’t been going on is the better question. I’ve got unrest across the whole city, nobles crawling down my throat over whatever petty squabble they can think of, guards not showing up to shifts, taxes being mysteriously misplaced, and oh yeah, half my goddamned command structure in shambles thanks to a certain someone!”

Bernard shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose as he grabbed the bottle of whiskey and took a deep pull. “I’ve just got a lot on my plate, and to top it off, I’m just waiting for news from Joslyn.

“The queen has to have heard what happened to Count Vohra by now, and she won’t let the city stand without a governor.” He threw his hands up. “Hell, I’m surprised she hasn’t already sent one of her ambassadors to take control of the situation.”

I laughed as I leaned up and snagged the bottle of whiskey from his desk. It was an expensive spirit. Probably one of the most expensive items in his entire office. I stood and walked over to the bookshelf in the far corner where a row of glasses sat. I snagged one and poured a generous measure of the liquor into the glass.

As I took a sip, I sighed. It was delicious, smokey with a hint of hazelnut, chocolate, and a bit of ginger.

“You worry too much, Bernard. It’s going to put you in an early grave if you keep this up.” I sat back down and handed him the bottle back along with one of the glasses. “And as for the ambassador, Joslyn sent one weeks ago.”

He paused mid-pour and stared at me, mouth slightly open. He missed the glass, and a splattering of the whiskey dripped onto his desk.

“Shit,” he cursed and dabbed at it with one of his reports. “What the hell, Elias? How do you know that?”

I shrugged. “Because I had some of Aless’s Prowlers keep an eye on the road toward Joslyn, and they alerted me when the royal carriage approached. We ambushed them and took them hostage.” I thumbed toward the window. “I’ve been keeping them prisoner in a house in the center of the Plague District for three weeks now.”

“You what?” Bernard just stared at me dumbstruck. All was quiet for nearly a minute before he started laughing. It was a chuckle before it grew to a full-bellied laugh that had him shaking. “You─you. Son of a bitch!” He laughed again before wiping his eyes. “You know, I shouldn’t keep getting surprised by you anymore. But every fucking time, you do something I don’t expect.

“So, you have Milton Resnick imprisoned?”

I snapped my fingers. “Milton. That’s his name. Couldn’t remember it for the life of me, and it was starting to piss me off. But yeah, him and the royal knights accompanying him.

“Which, for their fancy title, they sure went down easy.”

Bernard laughed again and drained his glass. “And when were you planning on telling me?”

“Now, obviously.” I took another sip of my whiskey and set the glass on his desk. “I’ve been having him send false letters to the queen once a week, telling her a version of the truth but downplaying the situation.”

He smiled and poured another glass. “Keeping her from sending in the cavalry?”

“Exactly.”

Bernard raised his glass and motioned toward mine. I humored him and picked it up. We toasted.

“To the craziest son of a bitch I’ve ever known.” The clink of the crystal echoed throughout the room as we drank. When we finished our drinks, he leaned back in his chair. “Taking that off my plate is a huge relief, but it won’t last long. The queen is no fool.”

“I know,” I replied. “It just needs to work long enough for us to get the situation here under control. But from what I understand of the politics here, Vohra not having a governor is a problem.”

Bernard nodded. “I’m assuming Joslyn sent her man here to act as the interim governor, yes?”

I nodded, crossing my legs once more.

“Good, it gives us some breathing room for a time, but not for long, as I said. Joslyn will figure things out before too long.”

“Probably.” I held my hands up. “Politics is not my area. I’m not good at it. But from what I understand, we need someone we can trust, or at least manipulate to step in as the acting governor.”

“That we do. Getting them sworn in should be no problem. You have Count Vohra’s seal, as well as Resnick’s, I’m assuming. Having both of those will make forging the proper documentation easier than breathing.”

“The problem is finding a suitable candidate.” I pointed at him. “I’m assuming you don’t want the position?”

Bernard held up his hands and shook his head. “Absolutely not. For multiple reasons. One, I’m not high enough in the nobility to hold such a position. And two, I’ve seen what happens to the rulers of this city. I’d like to keep my head on my shoulders and just live a comfortable life with Rebecca.”

I sighed and rubbed at my stubbled chin. In all the excitement last night, I’d forgotten to shave.

“Then I’m at a loss. I don’t personally know many of the nobility. And with half of them having fled in the aftermath of the count's death, I don’t think there’s anyone left in Vohra that is high enough to hold office anyway.”

Bernard sighed before his eyes lit up, and he sucked in a breath.

“Fuck.”

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he said as he looked away. “Stubbed my toe is all.”

He looked down at his papers and busied himself with organizing them. He shook his head again, muttering under his breath.

After a few moments of this, I rose from my chair and slapped my palm on the table. “Bernard. Spit it out. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Nothing, I swear.”

I chuckled. “You’re a terrible liar.” I stared at him and let the mask drop. A cold chill radiated from my eyes throughout my body as I relaxed into a predatory stance. “Bernard. Tell me. I’d rather not have to carve into you again, especially since we’ve been getting along so well.”

He took one look into my eyes and cursed as he paled. He gulped and nodded, his hand absently reaching for the whiskey bottle though his eyes never left mine.

Your Killer’s Stare skill has increased by 1! [Killer’s Stare: 16 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

“Damn it all to hell.” He let out a grumbled sigh and finally tore his eyes from mine as he grabbed the bottle of whiskey. He brought it to his lips and took a huge swig. “There might be one person in Vohra who could step in as governor.” He set the bottle down and held his hands up. “But, I’m begging you, Elias, don’t pry. Let it be. Trust me on this.”

“You know someone who can run Vohra for us. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“No. It’s fucking terrible, and I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”

“Well, now my curiosity is piqued.” I leaned over with a smirk on my lips. “Spill your guts, Bernard. Who is it?”

He sat back in his chair with a heavy thump and ran his hands through his hair. “Fuck me. Jasper. Jasper Ildan.”

The name rang a bell, or more accurately, the last name did at least.

“Ildan? Related to Jerome Ildan?”

“Yep. One of his sons and brother of the late Lieutenant Gordon Ildan, the man you murdered.”

“Hmm.”

The Ildan’s are a prominent part of this country’s nobility. Hell, Duke Jerome Ildan even has a city named after him. His son would be perfect. But why does that name sound familiar? Jasper Ildan. I’ve heard it before.

“Having an Ildan in our pocket seems like a major win. What’s got you so twisted?”

Bernard shifted in his chair. “Because the Jackal of Vohra is a fucking psychopath who nearly brought this city to ruin.”

“Still not hearing a downside.”

Bernard scoffed. “Yeah. Forgot who I was talking to. The pair of you would probably get along great.” He sighed. “He fits our criteria, but I’m telling you to be careful with him. Jasper is deadly, and I say that knowing what you can do. He used to be the head of Crescent Thorn, so he’s a dangerous assassin, maybe even better than you.”

Crescent Thorn? Well, now my curiosity is doubly piqued.

My first thought was to seek him out immediately and see what he could tell me about Thorn, but with my new skill, as long as I could get a good line of sight to Thorn, it would tell me everything I needed to know about him.

But, even if I don’t need his help with Crescent Thorn, this city needs a ruler we control. I rubbed my chin. Perhaps we can work out a deal for his freedom if he works with us. It’s certainly better than rotting in prison.

Though I do need to be careful. If he’s an assassin, he’ll be at least as dangerous as Thorn, who took an explosive bolt to the face and lived. I’ll need to be extra cautious.

“Let me see him. I’ll see if we can work out a deal.”

Bernard sighed and nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements. But it may take a couple of days. Even I can’t let you just waltz down there without clearance.” His eyebrows rose. “And speaking of, why I sent the letter to you last week.” He leaned down and opened one of his drawers, pulling out a bundle of papers. “Per what we discussed the last time I saw you, I’d had all the proper papers drawn up.

“Congratulations, Edward Kinley has been the proud owner of Blackfall Manor for five months now. I backstopped all the proper documents, so if anyone comes snooping around the property, it’ll look like Count Vohra sold you the property months before his death. According to the paperwork, all the taxes and fees have been paid.” He handed me a roll of parchment. “Also, here’s your citizenship visa. It's signed and sealed for Edward Kinley, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with them. They just need the count's seal, and I can get it all filed away for you.”

“That’s all rather thorough, thank you, Bernard.” I pulled out the seal from my ring along with a coin purse. I handed them both to Bernard. “You’ve more than earned your pay.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He snatched them out of my hand and spent the next several minutes stamping my documents.

With that done, a weight lifted off my shoulders. I was confident few would come looking for us at Blackfall, but now I had the back-dated documents to cover the fact that we were living there.

Now, if anyone came looking, they’d see that Count Vohra himself sold the property before his death. It wasn’t a foolproof plan, but it was good enough, and we were hiding in plain sight, which was the best place to hide.

“Now, this will work in the short term, but it isn’t a stopgap. How’s everything going for our other project?”

He shrugged. “The land is cheap since no one wants to live in the Plague District, and technically the city owns it all, so it won’t be hard to get things in motion. But the building plans and permits are going to take some time, as will construction. Which is going to be damned expensive, especially buying the workers silence.”

“True, but I think in the end it’ll be well worth the expense.”

I thanked Captain Bernard, and he promised to let me know when I could meet with Jasper Ildan.

Our meeting had lasted longer than I’d thought, and as I exited the Precinct House, I put a little more speed into my steps as I headed for Angela’s, eager to test out a few new experiments.

Chapter 22- Perfectionist

“Hey, Elias. Get up!”

My eyes snapped open as my senses went on full alert, and my fight or flight reflexes took hold. I jumped up, only to meet cold resistance as I fought to free myself from the chains holding me in place.

Angela’s lined and weathered face appeared in front of me as her dark eyes twinkled with mischievous delight.

“Hell, boy. Took ya long enough. Thought I mighta went overboard and killed ya,” she said, dabbing my dripping face with a damp rag.

It came back bloody.

“How long this time?”

“Hour. Hour and a half, tops.” She shook her head. “By Weilin, the number I did on you. You sure your fancy new healing magic can fix all this? For fuck’s sake, I can see your spine!”

My entire body burned like I was standing in a bonfire, and the rhythmic drip of blood splashed against my bare feet. There wasn’t a single inch of flesh that didn’t scream agony at me. It was by far the worst pain I’d ever been in, and I could barely think around it.

And I was willfully doing it to myself.

“Healing.”

My hands sprouted with a bright golden light, and a pleasant warmth spread up my body as the pain slowly started to dissipate. But within a minute, I reached my mana limit, and my body shook with fatigue and fever.

I was going into shock.

I was dying.

“P─ppotion,” I muttered through clenched teeth.

She scuffled to the left, and soon a glass bottle was forced to my lips, and a cool, if bitter liquid was forced down my throat.

As soon as the vial was empty, the fatigue receded, and I cast Healing again.

It took most of my replenished mana to finish the job, but after a few minutes, the last of the misery vanished, and I was whole once more.

Sweat rather than blood now poured off of me, and I slumped over onto the table, closing my eyes as I basked in the cool relief that the absence of agony brought.

“Elias, are you sure it’s worth doing this to yourself? I don’t think either of us wants to think about how close to death you just came.”

I huffed, my breathing ragged and labored as I inhaled as much oxygen as I could stuff down my throat. I asked for water, and after Angela brought it to me, I drained it and spent the next few moments recovering myself.

Eventually, she released me from my bindings, and I sat back, rubbing my aching wrists.

“I don’t know,” I said finally. “The rewards certainly are worth it, and I can’t see a faster way to level up my abilities than this. And I need to get stronger. Thorn will come for me eventually, and I need the strength to fight off the rest of his guild. Every second of this is miserable and nearly unbearable, but necessary.”

I pulled up my status to check the results.

Your Second Shadow skill has increased by 1! [Second Shadow: 3] +25 Exp!

Your Poison Resistance has increased by 3! [Poison Resistance: 25 (Journeyman)] +100 Exp!

(Poison Resistance has increased to Journeyman. +20% resistance to all forms of toxins. Moderate chance of survival from lethal poison.)

Your Durability has increased by 3! [Durability: 30 (Journeyman)] +150 Exp!

Healing has increased by 2! [Healing: 3] +50 Exp!

Your Wisdom has increased by 1! [Wisdom: 32] +100 Exp!

Your Recovery skill has increased by 2! [Recovery: 16 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

I certainly couldn’t deny the results.

She sighed. “Very well. I know better than to try an’ change your mind. But mark my words, McKinley. If you keel over cuz of this, I will not be the one telling that girl o’ yours.”

I just grinned at her. “We’ll just make Christoff do it.”

She smacked me on the arm and left the back room, giving me a chance to clean myself off in peace.

By the time I was done and dressed, nearly all of the lingering ache and fatigue was gone, and the prospect of Christoff’s cooking gave me all the energy I needed.

“Thanks again, Angela,” I said as I walked into the front of her shop, a small coin purse in my hand. “I’ll be by in a couple of days to pick up my order.”

She nodded and caught the pouch of coins I tossed her. “Better make it a week. My shipments from Duram are going to be delayed. Figured it would’ve been the metal from Calcross, but nope.”

“Something going on in Duram?”

“Hell if I know. Been hearing rumors of bandits, but only rumors.” She shrugged. “It’s the third time in the last few months that my shipment’s been delayed, so something’s goin’ on. If I didn’t trust my supplier, I’d say they were stalling to drive up prices.”

I nodded. “Well, regardless, a week is no problem. I’ve got double of most of the items I used in Odra, but I’d like to replace what I replenished.”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it. Just don’t go dyin’ on me, McKinley.”

She bid me a farewell, and I left her shop and headed for the Cracked Cask.

It was early evening, and the bar was packed with people, but I was a regular around here enough that no one paid me a second glance.

Huh? A regular. That might end up becoming a problem in the future. I’m still an unknown, but I’ve never stuck around the same place so often before.

It was something to be careful of in the future and something for me to think about. But for now, I sauntered over to the bar and took a seat at the far end of the bar.

Christoff lit up when he noticed me, and after fetching an ale for a customer, he brought me one and gave me a handshake at the same time.

“Good to see you, Elias.”

I smiled at him as we dropped our hands. “You too, Christoff.”

“Hungry?”

“You gotta ask?”

“Course not,” he replied with a chuckle and left to fetch me a meal.

I sipped at my ale as I glanced around the room, performing my routine surveillance, except this time, I checked everyone out with Weilin’s Judgment. Everyone had normal enough jobs, and there was nothing out of the ordinary and no one that seemed out of place or suspicious.

It was just an ordinary night, and I was thankful for that. I was exhausted.

When Christoff returned a few minutes later, he brought with him a bowl of something that looked very familiar but I hadn’t had in this world yet.

“Is this curry over rice?”

“Yeah, my spice merchant sold me some when he was in town a few days ago, told me it was one of the most delicious things he’d ever eaten. It’s a Monros staple, he said.”

I hadn’t had rice since coming to Xenai, and I’d actually begun to think that it didn’t exist here, but I was happy to be proven wrong.

“Did you know that rice is one of my favorite foods?” I said.

“Really? Well, it’s a bit pricey to have it shipped.” He gestured around the room at all the people eating. “But as you can see, it’s a big hit. So, I might make it a regular dish here.”

I stuffed my face, and it was a bit spicier than the curry I’d tried before, but he wasn’t lying when he said it was delicious, and I quickly polished off the entire meal.

“That was damn good, Christoff.”

He beamed at me. “Glad you liked it.” He leaned in close. “So, tell me about your adventure to Odra. And don’t leave anything out.”

We both chuckled, and I lowered my voice to tell him most of what happened in Odra over a few rounds of ales as we huddled together out of earshot of the other patrons.

When I was finished, he just stared at me, mouth slightly agape.

“You took on.” He glanced around and put his hand in front of his mouth as he whispered. “You took on Crescent Thorn and not only survived, you crippled them!”

“Something like that,” I said over the lip of my beer.

“Damn. Just damn.”

We both looked at each other before bursting into a quick round of laughter.

I finished my ale and slid my mug towards him. “Thanks for the meal. It was perfection as usual.”

“Anytime.” He paused for a second before his eyes went wide. “Oh yeah. That’s what I meant to tell you. You remember the project I wanted to work on?”

“The Thanatos refinement? Did you find someone to help you?”

He held his hand up and rocked them back and forth. “Sort of. One of my merchant friends knows an old herbalist who knows how to make Thanatos. Said he’d talk to her and see if she’d teach me how to make it myself.”

I grinned. “We cut out the supplier and smuggler entirely and just make it ourselves? I like it.”

Christoff smirked. “Figured you would. Anyway, this will take a couple of weeks to set up, if not longer. How is our stockpile looking?”

“We’ve got plenty,” I responded and stood up. “Don’t worry about that. If you need more, just let me know.”

“I will.”

He went back to tending to his customers, and I left the bar.

I needed to see Jin, but my session with Angela had taken more out of me than I thought it would, and I wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep.

Jin can wait till tomorrow.

With my plans changed, I headed for home.

It was getting late by the time I stepped inside Blackfall Manor, and Aless hadn’t come back home yet.

But she was strong and fast, so I wasn’t worried about her. Though I did miss her touch as I crawled into bed alone and quickly fell asleep.

***

A gentle shake roused me from sleep what seemed like minutes after I’d closed my eyes. I rolled over and found Cora standing next to the bed, shaking me.

“Cora?”

She smiled at me. “Good morning, Elias.”

I sat up and glanced out of the window where the sun was just about to break the horizon.

“Ugh, it’s not even dawn yet.”

“Yes, but we both have busy days today, so I figured we should get a start on my training as early as possible.”

I turned to Aless’s side of the bed. It hadn’t been touched.

“Did Aless come back last night?”

Cora shook her head. “I’m afraid not. But she did say not to worry. I’m sure she’s fine.”

“Yeah, I know.” I shook my head and sat up, reaching over for the water beside the bed.

“Oh, my,” Cora said as she glanced down at me before blushing furiously. “I’ll just let you get dressed. I’ll wait for you in the training rooms.”

I looked down and realized that I was completely naked.

Whoops. My bad. I was going to apologize when I stopped. She barged in on me. That’s on her.

As she left, I drank my water and then dressed in thin, loose-fitting clothes.

After I finished getting dressed, I met Cora downstairs and began to get a feel for her natural abilities by having her perform several exercises back-to-back.

For a couple of hours, I pushed her to her limits and then a little beyond. She had natural strength, stamina, and flexibility that far exceeded what a normal human who didn’t exercise should be capable of.

“Is your enhanced physicality because of your beast blood?” I asked.

She nodded, her golden hair slick with sweat, and her body shook with fatigue. Her thin cotton shirt was drenched, and she was panting as she did another round of pushups.

“Most Beastkin have some form of enhancement, though it varies widely from species to species and person to person.” She huffed. “I used to think I got lucky with mine, but now I wish I was less powerful, so you’d go easy on me.”

“Twenty more.”

“Fuck,” she breathed and continued.

She soon collapsed from fatigue and lay on the stone floor gasping for air. Cora rolled over on her back and just lay there for a while, trying to catch her breath. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her nipples strained against the fabric of her shirt.

I turned my head and went to get her some water while she recovered.

When she could breathe again, she sat up and grabbed the water and chugged it. Her arm quivered as she brought the skin to her lips and greedily drank the water down.

Faster recovery too. She’s got even more natural talent than either me or Aless. She could be a monster someday.

When she finished her drink, she sat cross legged on the floor and stared up at me. “Please tell me I don’t have to do this every day?”

I shook my head. “No, it would tear your body down. I just needed to know your limits so I could push you without hurting you. You won’t go quite this hard again for a while.”

“Oh, thank Asharra. I’m not much of a quitter, but that was miserable.”

“Yep, but now I can devise a routine for you. You’ll perform it every morning, taking only two days off a week. You’ll also join Aless and me for combat training. That should be a good start to get you where you want to be. It’ll take time, years of it, though.”

“I don’t plan on going anywhere.” She stood and grabbed a washrag to wipe her face. “I’m going to get a bath, and then I’ll make breakfast. Sound good?”

“A bath sounds lovely,” I said. “I was too tired to take one last night.”

Cora smirked. “Well, I’d offer to share, but I know what you and Aless get up to when you take baths together.”

I laughed. “I’ll pass. I think Aless would probably murder you if she heard you say that.”

Cora joined in, laughing. “You’re probably right.”

With that said, Cora left to take a bath, and I went upstairs to our private bathroom to take one myself.

Once I was clean and yesterday’s misfortunes were scrubbed away, I dressed in a clean set of clothes and headed down to the bar.

Cora was still bathing, so I made breakfast myself. It was nothing but a bit of bacon and some eggs, but it wasn’t awful and was filling.

Your Cooking skill has increased by 1! [Cooking: 10 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

I snorted at the notification and wiped it away.

After I finished eating, I dropped my dishes in the sink and headed out for the day.

Though it was slightly cooler this morning, it was still setting up to be a blistering day. I headed into the city and to the upper section of the Market District, where the upscale shops were located.

It was still decently early in the morning, but Jin lived in his shop, and I’d never actually caught him when he was sleeping. It was like he had a sixth sense when I would be stopping by and was waiting for me.

The bell announced my arrival at his pristine and expensive shop. It was as gaudy as ever, though when I looked in the corner, I was surprised.

“Did someone actually buy that solid gold war hammer that was on display?”

“Yep,” Ned said, glancing up from his book.

“It was twenty thousand vahn!”

He shrugged. “And? Some people have that kind of money to burn. Anyway, are you just going to stand in the middle of the shop like an asshole, or are you going to go bother Jin and let me get back to reading in peace?”

“You know, I’ve killed people for less than that.”

“Yeah, but if you were going to kill me, you would have already. Which means I don’t fit that strange code of yours.” He waved me away. “Now go away. I’m just getting to the best part.”

I held my hand up and pointed at the book.

Stream.

A spurt of water shot from my palm and splashed across the desk and the book, soaking it.

“You’re such a jackass!” Ned shouted.

It was my turn to shrug as I walked to the false wall to Jin’s workshop. “You should be nicer.”

“Fu─”

His words were cut off by me heading down the stairs and shutting the door on him.

“You know, I’m not going to be surprised when Ned tries to kill you one of these days,” Jin said from deeper in.

“It’s the little things in life that bring the most joy,” I replied as I came down the stairs.

He laughed, and his footsteps padded across the floor to meet me as I dropped off the last step.

“Morning, Elias,” he said with a smile as his orange eyes lit up.

“Morning, Jin. You seem…chipper.”

“Well, I’ve been waiting on you for a couple of days now.”

I held up my hands as we walked deeper into the shop. “Sorry, I was out of town. I had─”

“I know, Angie told me. You’ve been quite the busy bee. Crescent Thorn is a shadow of what they used to be, but even still, going toe-to-toe with them solo is impressive.”

I chuckled. “It’s mostly thanks to you and your inventions. They really gave me an advantage. I think I’d be dead right now without them.” I inclined my head. “Thank you.”

He waved me off. “You’re welcome, of course, but they were your designs. I just tweaked them.

“And speaking of, I think it’s ready.”

I raised an eyebrow. “The musket?”

Jin just smiled. “Come see.”

He led me over to the table where a long piece of wood lay. It was a musket, alright, plucked straight from my world and dropped into this one.

Jin marveled over his creation. “I used walnut wood for the base but give me some time, and I think I could make one fully out of manasteel.” He pointed to the barrel, frizzen, and the lock plate, where the mechanism to cock and fire the musket sat. All three of which were made of manasteel. “I did use it for the parts that required metal. It worked well, and the steel took the rifling, as you called it, well.”

I nodded. “Good. I wasn’t sure how difficult that part would be.”

Rifling isn’t that common with weapons yet. Hell, the only reason I know about it is because Master knew about it.

But Jin had taken my rather lacking instructions and made it work to our advantage. The musket wasn’t as heavy as I expected, but the manasteel was lighter than any regular steel, which accounted for the reduced weight.

“It sits well on the shoulder,” I said as I raised it and cocked it. “How accurate is it?”

Jin shook his head. “Not as much as I would like. The rifling helped, but I still wouldn’t trust it beyond three hundred yards or so. But that’s still a good bit of distance to work with.”

“It’ll do for now.”

“That it will.” Jin grinned wide. “But give me some time. I’ve got a few ideas to really make the next one I make a thing of beauty.”

“Good. I look forward to it. But for now, this should add a good bit of firepower for us to work with when Crescent Thorn comes knocking.”

He turned to me, and his cat ears atop his head twitched as he cocked his head to the side. “You think Thorn is going to come for you?”

I nodded. “It’s what I’d do. But I just can’t predict when. I dealt his guild a lot of damage, but I don’t know if he’s going to play it safe or rush things. We’ll just have to see.”

Jin turned and grabbed one of the flintlocks he’d made on the worktable beside him and tossed it to me.

“Better load up what you can. You never know when a single extra weapon can make all the difference in the world.”

“Thanks, Jin,” I said with a smile.

He helped me load up a few barrels of gunpowder and steel round balls that were crafted from manasteel.

They were uniform in shape and much lighter than any of the projectiles I’d ever loaded before, and Jin assured me that they were far more accurate at a longer distance than the design I gave him.

“You never cease to impress me,” I told him as I loaded it all up in a dimension ring he gave me. Once everything was stored away, I reached into my storage ring and pulled out a roll of parchment and a quill. “And about what we talked about before.”

His orange eyes lit up. “Right the cold iron project you had in mind.”

We walked over to the workstation and I quickly sketched out my design. It was rough, as I wasn’t the best artist, but it was serviceable.

As Jin looked it over, he smiled. “A single ring, rather than a pair of shackles. Interesting. I think I can see why you’d want something like this.”

“At first, I just wanted it for Aless and I to train with them. It’s rather uncomfortable to touch, and I wanted us to get used to cold iron, but as you can see, there’s a lot of uses for something like this.”

He nodded. “It’ll take some work, but give me a couple of days. I’ll have to get with Terrance Ironblood to forge the metal to my specifications, but if he can make the shell, I can make the lock. And trust me, when I’m done, not even you can pick it.”

“I look forward to the challenge,” I said as I left him to his work and headed back up the stairs.

I said my goodbyes to Jin and smiled wide at Ned when I passed, who glared death at me the entire time as I was leaving.

With all of that done, I didn’t have much else to do, so I headed for home and the deep woods. I wanted to test out my new weaponry.

Chapter 23- Into the Forest

Cora waited in the doorway as I opened the door.

“How was your trip to the city?” she asked.

“It was productive,” I replied as I shut the door and glanced around. “Has Aless returned?”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid not.” Cora sighed and twirled a lock of hair around her finger as she looked past me to the door. “Would you like me to go into the city and look for her?”

I sighed. “No. I’m a little worried about her, but I trust her. And she can handle herself. But sitting around the house will absolutely do me no good.” I thumbed back toward the forest. “I’m going to test out some new weapons Jin made for me in the woods. I shouldn’t be gone too long.”

“Um, could I come with you?” Cora stepped closer to me. “If you’re going to practice, I’d like to train as well.”

Couldn’t hurt. I shrugged. And with how untrained she is, it would be infinitely easier to teach her how to use a firearm than a sword or knife in the short term.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Get changed. I’ll wait for you here.”

Cora went off to get out of her maid uniform, and I waited for her while trying not to let my thoughts drift to Aless.

She was my apprentice first before my lover. That singular thought kept popping up because I had to keep reminding myself. My worry came from how much she meant to me. As her master, I couldn’t interfere with her job.

But it did nothing for the pit that grew in my stomach.

Was I ever this bad when I was with Liz? I don’t think so, but then again, Liz was already a full-fledged assassin by the time we met. Aless isn’t.

I shifted my line of thought as Cora returned, dressed in loose clothing, and we set out.

The walk through the forest was a quiet one, both of us having things on our minds, so we said nothing and instead listened to the wind and the chittering of insects and rustling of branches that accompanied us for several miles.

“We’re going pretty deep,” Cora said after about three miles of hiking.

“Have to. The weapons are pretty loud, and I’d rather be a good distance from the city before I start using them. Plus, the thick foliage and dense trees will help absorb some of the sounds and muffle it better.”

“Loud? How loud could it be that we’re miles deep into the forest?”

I grinned. “You’ll see.”

We hiked for another mile or two just to be safe and stopped in a small clearing. It was just open enough for us to move around without fear of bumping into each other. The dense canopy above us turned the space to twilight despite it being midday. But there was still plenty of light to work with.

“It’s beautiful here,” Cora said as she looked around. “Like this place has been completely untouched by humanity.”

“There are lots of places like this. In my line of work, I’ve seen places that were completely untouched or had been so long abandoned that I was one of the first humans to see them in hundreds of years. It’s one of the perks that I was able to travel around the world and see some truly amazing things while still completing my contract.”

Cora smiled wide and nodded. “So why did you decide to become an assassin? It’s a question that’s been on my mind lately.”

“Didn’t have much choice in the beginning,” I said as I opened my dimension ring and began setting up. “I had a choice between starving on the streets alone or becoming something more. And at the time, I didn’t care that the something more required me to take human life.” I sighed as I unfurled the tarp and laid it over the grass and knurled roots of an oak tree that rose from the ground. “I was so desperate that I would have even taken innocent life if my master asked me to.”

“But he didn’t?”

I shook my head. “He had two rules. Keep your contracts sacred, and do not take innocent life. Of course, the definition of an innocent is complicated, which gave us a lot of gray areas to work with. But he taught me that it was ultimately up to me to decide what I considered innocent, and once I did, I stuck with it.”

“Your master sounds like a decent human being, despite his profession.”

“He was.” I pulled out a roll of parchment and some nails and started drawing a rough bullseye on them. “But he died a ghost story. More myth than man. I doubt there are more than a dozen people alive who still remember him as an actual person.”

Cora knelt beside me and nodded as she helped me organize the pile of items on the ground. “Being a myth doesn’t sound all that bad to me. I think people remember myths and ghost stories more than they remember history. And even if people don’t truly believe, your master will live on regardless, as a scary story told in the dark…which doesn’t sound so bad to me.”

Her words gave me pause, and a little bit of relief swept through me at hearing that. That my master, the man who gave me everything, might not die with me.

That his legacy might live on even a little.

I smiled at Cora. “Thanks for that.”

“For what?” she asked, but her eyes glinted.

I finished painting the targets, and Cora took them and hammered them to the trees at varying heights and distances.

When she was finished, she knelt and picked up the unloaded flintlock with an almost reverent touch.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before. What is it?”

“It’s called a flintlock pistol, a weapon from my─country. They’re very powerful, like a crossbow, but better for the most part.”

My hand brushed my own crossbow, and thanks to Jin’s design, I believed that it was far better than the flintlocks of my world.

But once Jin gets to playing with them, he might even be able to make them better. Then I will have complete superiority with the weapons of this world.

If we keep them regulated, we could turn Vohra into a powerhouse. Maybe eventually turn it into an independent city if I can get the underworld running smoothly and a ruler in power that’s beholden to me.

It was an enticing thought, but I still had a lot of work ahead of me before that ever came to pass.

As I finished loading the pistol, I stood and walked to the center of the clearing. There were half a dozen targets spread out in a semi-circle around me.

“Cover your ears,” I said to Cora. “This is going to be loud.”

She did so and used her mouse ears to cover her human ears, which brought a strange thought to mind.

Do each set work differently or together? Are her mouse ears stronger? I’ve read a few books about them, but having firsthand knowledge is infinitely better. I’ll have to ask since learning more about Beastkin would be nothing but beneficial.

But that would come later as I focused on the weapon in my hand, giving it the respect it was due.

I took aim and rested my hand on the trigger as I held my breath, waiting for the space between my heartbeats, and fired.

As the flint struck the frizzen and ignited the gunpowder, it took half a second before it ignited, and a small puff of smoke rose from the barrel as the flintlock bucked against my hand. The cacophonous retort of the explosion rang shrill in my ears and echoed off the trees around us.

Cora coughed as the smoke reached her and quickly fanned it away, but I was just thankful we were using gunpowder rather than black powder. Gunpowder was much less smoky.

As it cleared, I looked to the tree and smiled.

My bullet had struck the tree just slightly off the center of the target. It wasn’t perfect, but considering this pistol was a smoothbore and didn’t have any rifling along the barrel, I’d take the accuracy.

Though one shot doesn’t give me a baseline, I’ll have to test it more.

I loaded a new ball and rammed it home before I cocked the hammer back. I fired again, and just as before, it was accurate, with only a slight margin of error. Twice more, I fired, and twice more, I hit the center while only being off an inch or two each time.

It was far more accurate than any other pistol I’d ever fired. Only Jin’s crossbow was more accurate, but for what it was, the pistol performed well.

When I was done with my tests, I glanced over at Cora’s waiting gaze and chuckled.

“Okay, it’s your turn. Since you just started training, I think the most beneficial use of our time, for now, is getting you trained on firearms. They’re pretty simple to use, and it makes you combat effective much sooner. What do you say?”

“I think it’s a good idea. If I’m untrained, I’m a liability, and I’d just get in the way. But even if I learn to use this weapon, I still won’t be trained.”

I shrugged. “No, but it’s a start, and if you’re proficient in at least one weapon, it makes all the difference in the world. And you couldn’t ask for a simpler weapon to learn than a firearm.”

I brought the pistol to her and let her hold it while explaining what each part was called and its function. First, I taught her how to load the flintlock properly.

To her credit, it only took her a few tries before she had the hang of it.

Her hands flew over the flintlock as she poured gunpowder down the barrel and packed in tight with the ramrod.

She moved with lithe precision, the same precision she used in every other aspect of her life.

“You’re quite deft, aren’t you?” I asked.

Cora nodded as she stared intently at the pistol in her hands as she worked. “It’s because of my Yamane blood. I just know where my hands and feet are going at any given time, no matter how fast I move. Though, it took a lot of practice when I was younger. In my village, I was known as the local klutz.”

I chuckled at imagining Cora tripping and falling over herself. It was something I couldn’t imagine watching her work now.

“Why did you leave your village?” I asked.

“I…there wasn’t much choice.” She sighed and shook her head. “It was on the border of Monros, and one day, bandits raided it. We didn’t have the strong stone walls like Vohra or guards. We barely had a palisade and a few warriors to protect the entire village. It wasn’t even a challenge for them.

“Most of the men were either killed or chained like the women and children. We were then sold as slaves in Duram.”

She was calm as she spoke, showing no hint of emotion at all. It was a very mechanical way of speaking, lifeless like the cold factories of London where so much misery took place.

Cora recounted her story while she worked, and by the time she finished speaking, the pistol was loaded.

She stood, turned, and fired in a single fluid motion. The explosion made my ears ring, and smoke filled the clearing and swirled around Cora like a fog. She stared straight ahead, unblinking, and for a second through the haze, her right eye glowed an ethereal white.

As the smoke cleared, I turned to the tree she’d shot.

Cora hit dead center. A perfect bullseye.

Though, there was no satisfaction in her face. She just sighed and handed me the pistol as her eye returned to its normal shade of honey.

“Thank you, Elias. For not treating me any different as a Beastkin. Thank you for being kind in this cruel world.”

I nodded as I took the pistol. “Humans are fundamentally different from one another, and that goes double for Beastkin, but I’ve never cared about anything except for aptitude. If you can handle yourself, that’s good enough for me.”

Cora smiled softly and blushed. “Well, how would you rate my aptitude?”

I smiled and held my hand up to the tree. “Damned impressive.” I squinted slightly as I looked at her. “Your eyes glowed again, though. Was that your Eye for Detail skill?”

“Yes. I figured since it helps me pick up things I would otherwise miss, that it might help me while I aimed.”

From her shot, I was guessing that it more than helped. When I asked about it, she smiled as she spoke.

“It let me pick up on the subtle posture of my hand and the wind, the way I held the pistol. I corrected my deficiencies and fired.”

I whistled and shook my head before brushing my hair back as I stared at the perfect bullseye.

This world will never cease to amaze me. These skills could change everything on Earth, yet here they’re commonplace.

And Cora is a natural. With that skill of hers, if she can replicate what she just did, I shudder to think of what she could be capable of.

I smirked. Guess it’s good she’s on my side.

“Alright, that is impressive,” I said as I handed her back the pistol. “But let’s see if you can repeat it.”

She smiled back at me. Her earlier emotionless state vanished as determination and fire filled her eyes.

“Trust me. I can.”

***

We stayed in the forest for hours as I walked Cora through every last detail she needed to know for marksmanship, even brushing up my own skill since I hadn’t used guns in a while, and at the end of it, both earned levels in a brand-new skill.

Your Firearms skill has increased by 3! [Firearms: 3 (Novice)] +75 Exp!

“Woah. That’s amazing,” Cora said as she looked at her stats. “Though, I wonder how many skills I’ll be able to acquire before I’m in danger of changing jobs?”

“Did you not get a notification of a potential job change?” I asked as we walked back.

She shook her head. “Nope. Which is strange, right?”

“Maybe.”

Maybe it’s like cooking? Everyone needs to know how to defend themselves, and as long as she doesn’t acquire too many combat skills, she won’t be in danger of a job change?

It sounded right in my head, but it was just a theory.

Cora didn’t respond, but she had a happy set to her eyes, and she hummed softly as we trekked the miles back to the manor.

It was near dark by the time we made it back, and I was starving. I hadn’t eaten much for breakfast, and I’d skipped lunch entirely.

And from the growl Cora’s stomach made, she was in the same boat I was.

I turned to her, and we both laughed softly.

“How about when we get back, you get a quick bath while I make dinner?” she said.

“Sounds like heaven.”

The house was still quiet when we got back. Aless had yet to return, which officially worried me. The irrational side of me wanted to rush out and look for her, but the rational side told me to hold off.

It’s still her job. She’s been gone this long before when she’s dealing with her Prowlers. I should trust her.

Besides, I was filthy and starving. I wouldn’t be much good to her in this state. Once I got clean and had some food in my stomach, I’d go out and look for her.

I took a quick bath and changed into my armor, fully prepared to head out as soon as my stomach wasn’t complaining.

Cora still hadn’t had a bath, but she’d wiped off the worst of the grime as she stood over the wood fire stove in the large kitchen and stood over a pot of stew.

“Why don’t you let me finish up and go take a bath,” I said.

She turned to me with raised eyebrows and a look of surprise in her eyes. “You sure?”

“Of course.” I smiled at her and tried to force myself to stop thinking about Aless. “What? You don’t trust my cooking?”

Cora snorted and shook her head. “Killing is your thing, but cooking? I don’t know.”

“Hey, if I can brew up poisons, I sure as hell can handle a stew. Besides, I’m quite the hand at cooking. It’s a necessary life skill.”

“I know. I just didn’t think you had it.”

I shooed her out of the kitchen. “Well, just step back and let the master work.”

She raised her hands and slowly backed out of the kitchen. “Of course, master,” she said with a mock bow. “I eagerly await your masterpiece.” She stood and smirked at me. “Though if you fuck up my stew, I’ll be very unhappy with you.”

I laughed as she left, and as soon as she was gone, I let the false joviality fade from my face.

I hope you’re okay, Aless.

I finished up the stew, and when Cora returned half an hour later, it was ready. I fixed two bowls, and we both sat at the bar and dug in. I didn’t even taste the food. I just inhaled it as fast as I could.

“This isn’t bad. It’s actually quite good, but then again, you just took over for my stew, so you only get half points,” Cora said with a smile.

I set my bowl down and stood, heading for the door.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“To find Aless,” I said.

“Want me to come with you?”

I shook my head as I opened the door to the entryway. “As much as I appreciate the offer, I can move faster on my own.”

As I turned towards the door to leave, it opened.

A slew of emotions rushed through me as the pulse of battle surged through my veins, and I pulled a knife. But just as quick as my instincts kicked in, they faded as a wave of sweeping relief rushed over me as a shock of red hair appeared through the doorway.

I smiled wide.

It was Aless.

But the smile quickly fell from my face.

She leaned too heavily against the door as she entered. Her face was pale, and she was shaking. Aless looked up at me, and blood trickled from her nose and mouth. Her nose was at an awkward angle like it had been broken.

“Hey, Elias. I’m home,” she said with a blood-stained rictus plastered over her face.

Then she collapsed.

A large smear of blood remained on the door as she fell.

“Aless!”

I rushed to her side as her head cracked against the wooden floor. Her cloak was torn in multiple spots, and her armor was slick with blood. I ripped the cloak from her and surveyed the damage.

There were numerous lacerations down her arms, chest, and legs, which ran red, and warmth pooled around my fingers as I checked her over.

From the wounds and how fast she was losing blood, she’d been stabbed and not just once.

One of the wounds was deep, and blood spread far too quickly across the floor.

“Fuck!” I shouted through clenched teeth and grabbed one of her knives and sliced through the stitching around her armor to get it off her.

I ripped it free from her body and tossed the leather aside. I cursed again as I took in her bare flesh.

The leather had hidden many wounds, and there were a dozen small puncture wounds over her chest and stomach. It was just a miracle that only one of them was serious.

I pressed my hand to her sternum, where a mess of blood lay from a cut across her left breast, right over the brand from the Foxes guild.

“Heal!”

A burning warmth spread over my palm and fingers and into Aless. Almost immediately, her wounds began to close. But just as quickly, my mana started to run out.

Even now, it was weak, and I didn’t have enough to keep the spell going for too long.

“Cora, I need a mana potion!”

“Right.” She pulled out a dimension ring and reached into it before she tossed me the vial.

I grabbed it and chugged it, letting it slide down my throat as fast as possible before I renewed my efforts to heal Aless.

After a long moment, even the deep gash above her liver began to close, and her breathing stabilized.

She’d lost a lot of blood, but she would live.

When I’d done all I could, I canceled the spell and fought off the fatigue as I picked Aless up and held her in my arms.

There was too much for me to focus on at once, and it threatened to overwhelm me. I had to focus on Aless, but I couldn’t ignore the danger that we could be in.

Cora came into view, her face a mask of concern.

I couldn’t do everything myself, but I didn’t have to. I had friends, people I could depend on.

With a grimace, I hefted Aless in one hand and took off my dimension ring, and tossed it to Cora.

“Grab the pistol and anything you think you need. We just spent all day practicing, so now you’re going to put it to use. I didn’t want you to end up like me, but if anyone approaches the house, kill them. Do you understand?”

She looked down at the ring in her hand and then back to me. There was no hesitation as she nodded.

“I won’t let anyone harm this household; I swear.”

“Good.”

I turned and took off up the stairs with Aless in my arms. I took them three at a time and raced up the stairs until I was on the top floor. I went to our fortified office and shut the door as I laid the naked Aless on the leather sofa.

She shivered despite the warmth of her skin and squirmed. “Cold, too cold.”

“Sorry, love,” I said and grabbed a wool blanket from the nearby chair and draped it over her. I kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right back. Don’t fret.”

I drew a dagger and my crossbow as I left the office and rushed back down the stairs to find Cora.

She was outside, searching the grounds with her pistol out when I came downstairs.

“Any signs of intruders?” I asked as Aurella’s Light activated, and the darkened expanse of the forest lit up like it was daytime.

She shook her head. “Not that I can see. I don’t smell anyone but Aless on the wind, but her scent of blood is strong. Someone could use it to their advantage.”

Without another word, the two of us scoured the outskirts of the manor, checking the woods and backyard for any sign of intruders.

But I didn’t find a single track in the dirt or broken branch in the forest. None of our traps had been triggered, which told me Aless hadn’t been followed back.

Which was a good thing, but I needed to find out the full story from her.

Cora was waiting by the gate, leaning on the stone when I came back to the manor.

“Anything?” she asked.

I shook my head. “None. The only tracks I found that were fresh are hers. I think she came here alone.”

“Good.” Cora breathed a sigh of relief and then thumbed back towards the house. “If we’re not in any immediate danger, go check on Aless. I’m sure she could use you right now. I’ll keep an eye out.”

I nodded. “Thank you, Cora.”

Without waiting for her response, I took off back toward the manor.

Chapter 24- Turnabout

Aless was sound asleep right where I left her when I returned. From the sweat along her forehead, she probably had a slight fever, but hopefully, it would break soon.

I didn’t want to chance it, and I gave her a bit of the recovery tonic to help speed things along.

She was also covered in dried blood and sweat, so I went and retrieved a bowl of hot water and a washrag and spent some time making sure to get every last bit of filth. When I was finished, I picked her up, carried her back to our room, and put her in bed.

I pulled the covers over her and turned to let her get some rest when her warm hand grabbed mine.

“Stay,” she whispered.

I turned back to her and smiled. “Okay.”

She scooted over on the bed, and I sat down before she crawled over toward me and laid her head in my lap.

“How are you feeling?” I asked as I stroked her hair.

“Better. The pain is gone, but I still feel weak, and my body is really hot.”

“The fever should be gone soon. You’ll be back to normal in no time.” I paused before I sighed. “What happened? I know you’re tired and need to sleep, but I need to know.”

Aless coughed, and her whole body shook as she curled in on herself for a second. I reached over for the glass of water on the nightstand, and she took a few sips when she was done coughing.

“There were two assassins,” she said. “Tracked them to a small brothel in the Pleasure District. I used my Prowlers to keep tabs on them for a day until I was sure it was them and I knew their habits. When I was certain, I…I dressed like one of the serving wenches, and I slipped some silent night into their drinks.”

She took a breath and closed her eyes for a moment.

“But when I went in to finish the job, they were awake.”

“They must’ve had the poison resistance skill,” I said.

Aless nodded. “But by the time I was in the room, they jumped me. I drew my knives to fight them, but they were better than me. They overpowered me and managed to cut me pretty good. They would have killed me if I hadn’t had As Swift as the Wind and my crossbow. I used it and managed to surprise both of them, and I killed one with a lucky knife throw and the other with my crossbow. After I got the notifications of their deaths, I jumped out the window. But─”

“But a shard of glass punctured your armor, yeah?”

She nodded.

“Should never jump out of windows before the glass is broken. But that’s a lesson we all learn the hard way.”

Aless tried to laugh, but it was weak. “After that, I used what was left of my wind spell to get as far as I could. It was only after I got out of the city that I realized how much blood I’d lost, and I tried to make it back as fast as I could.”

I shouldn’t have sent her alone. She wasn’t ready for a solo job. But she did good and managed to complete it while wounded.

As I stared down at her, I couldn’t help but smile.

She may have fucked up. But she still remembered her training. She did as well as she could’ve, and she took out two trained members of Crescent Thorn.

That’s impressive.

And it gave us a little extra breathing room in the city, at least until Thorn showed up. It’d take them a while to find us, but if we stayed in Vohra, they’d find us eventually.

Well, let them try. I won’t make it easy for them.

But that was tomorrow’s problem. Right now, I had to take care of Aless.

She was nearly asleep, but in the dark room, she smiled.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing.” She shook her head. “Just reminds me that not that long ago, our positions were reversed, and it was me taking care of you. I think I like that better.”

I laughed. “Shut up. You need to sleep anyway.”

“Tell me a story while I fall asleep. I don’t like the silence.”

“Okay,” I said with a nod. “How about I tell you about my world, about Earth?”

Aless grinned as she yawned. “I’d like that.”

“Alright. This story should cheer you up. I’ve told you about my blooding, right? Where the job went off as perfect as it could?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, my very next contract was on a man named Hector Valdes. And it went wrong just about every way it could go wrong. Infinitely more of a spectacular failure than your job tonight.

“I first received the contract in February, which is what we call The First of Spring here. My target was an antique smuggler from Barcelona who also dabbled in raiding slave ships and selling the cargo on the black market. My employer wanted him dead for business reasons, and because he was a slaver, my master was more than happy to take the contract…”

As I rambled on about how I ended up breaking my leg on the job, Aless slowly drifted off to sleep. When she was fully asleep, I shifted out from under her and kissed her forehead before I left the room.

I met Cora downstairs as she was coming in from outside.

“Any changes?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Nothing but the wind and even that was sparse.” She walked over to me and handed me back my ring and then the pistol. “Here’s your stuff back.”

I took the ring but waved my hand in front of the gun. “You keep that. You need it far more than I do right now.”

“Okay.” She stowed the gun in her own storage ring and sighed. “What now?”

I shook my head as I walked to the right and into the bar. I sat down at the counter and reached over the counter for a bottle of whiskey.

I grabbed a crystal tumbler and poured a generous measure of the amber liquid into the glass. Then I held my hand over the glass.

“Stream.”

My hand glowed a light blue before a small trickle of frigid, ice-cold water dripped into the glass.

I stirred it with my finger and then brought it to my lips.

It was perfection.

Cora sidled up next to me and sat down. She nodded to the glass. “Why did you add water?”

I held up a finger. “One, because it’s hot as hell, and the water is ice cold.” I held up a second finger. “And two, because the water reacts with the whiskey, taking away some of the burn of the alcohol and opening up the flavors on the tongue. Try it.”

I pushed the glass toward her, and she picked it up and took a tentative sip. Her eyes lit up slightly in delightful bewilderment as she swirled the liquor on her tongue.

Cora smiled as she swallowed. “It’s good.” She nodded toward me. “Mind making me one?”

“Sure.”

I poured her a drink, and we sipped them in silence for a moment.

Just as Cora was about to open her mouth, there was a knock at the door.

As the first reverberation sounded through the entrance hall, Cora and I were on our feet. I reacted on instinct and already had two throwing knives drawn as the pulse of battle rose in my blood.

Cora gave me a look as she drew her pistol, and we both rushed to the door. She stood a few feet back, pistol cocked and aimed at the door while I stowed a knife and gripped the door handle.

On her nod, I threw the door open and came face-to-face with Rhys.

The dark-skinned assassin had his hands up and a friendly smile on his face. “Friendly,” he said softly.

Cora’s finger rested on the trigger, but as Rhys hadn’t made any overt motions, he still lived.

“What should I do?” she asked.

I took in the assassin. As before, he wore a short tunic and cotton breeches, and I couldn’t see any weapons on him.

But just to be sure, I used Weilin’s Judgement on him.

Name: Rhys

Age: 23

Race: Human

Job: Assassin

Level: 2

Exp: 2325/12376

Stats

Strength: 26

Constitution: 21

Endurance: 29

Wisdom: 28

Perception: 26

Agility: 30

Charisma: 30

Luck: 35

Holy hell, his luck is nearly double mine!

And the rest of his stats were pretty impressive too.

Skills

Shade’s Rest, Paralyzing Touch, Instant Quiver, Sword Cleave, Poison Dagger.

Spells

Lesser Healing, Ember, Stream, Airflow, Pebble, Fireball, Water Bullet, Stone Bullet, Wind Cutter.

He also had several skills and spells I was unfamiliar with, including plenty of offensive spells, which made him dangerous even without a weapon. Still, his posture was relaxed, and it looked like he was here to talk rather than fight.

Which was good for him. It saved his life for a few minutes.

“Keep it trained on him, but don’t shoot just yet.”

Rhys looked from me to Cora and then at the pistol in her hands. His eyes widened. “Uh, what is that? And why do I want one really, really badly?”

I shook my head. “That’s none of your business. How the hell did you find us?”

“I’ll tell you everything, but first, can I put my hands down now?” he asked. “I swear on Weilin that I’m not here to fight. I know how well that would go, and I’m not suicidal.”

“Where’s your ring?” I asked.

He nodded to his left. “On the steps. Out of reach.”

Without a word, Cora slipped around him while keeping the pistol trained on him the entire time. She picked it up and tossed it to me. I put it in my pocket and then reached into my own ring and pulled out an item Terrance Ironblood had forged for me a few weeks ago when we’d gotten to talking.

I held up a pair of manacles.

Rhys smiled and nodded. “Are those cold iron?”

“Yep, they’ll make sure you can’t use any of those spells or skills of yours while we talk.”

He shrugged. “I don’t blame you. I’d do the same thing.” He smiled as he held his hands out. “Cuff me. I’ll behave, I promise.”

I walked over to him and clamped the iron around his wrists. He grimaced and sucked in a breath as goosebumps rose along his skin. He squirmed a bit and shook his head.

“Holy hell, that’s uncomfortable. Never gonna get used to that.” He looked around and spied the bar through the open doors to our left. “If we’re going to talk, can we sit down, chat over a beer or whiskey like gentlemen? I’ll pay for the drink. All the vahn in my ring is yours for a few drinks. Good trade, eh?”

I shrugged. “Your stuff, and your life, belonged to me the moment you set foot on my property, but I do want to finish my drink at least.” I nodded toward the door. “So, let’s go sit down. Cora, keep your eye on him.”

“Don’t worry,” she said. “He’s not going anywhere.”

I shoved Rhys forward while Cora and I walked behind him as we entered the bar. Rhys sat down on a stool at the center of the bar while Cora and I sat a few seats away on opposite seats.

“Okay, talk, Rhys.”

He chuckled. “How about that drink first?”

“Maybe if you say something that I like. Now answer my question. How did you find us?”

Rhys sighed and shook his head, placing his hands on the table with a thump and a rattle of chains. “It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. I’ve been in the city for days now, searching high and low for you.” He snickered. “You know, this was one of the first places I discounted when I arrived. It is such an obvious place that I was certain you wouldn’t dare set foot anywhere near it, but lo and behold, here you are. I guess it's not a bad place to hide after all, since it’s so obvious that makes it perfect. I’d have never found you if it weren’t for the redhead.”

My eyes narrowed, and my voice grew cold. “What?”

He shrugged and fiddled with one of the links in the chain. “Figured if I couldn’t find you, then I’d stake out the one place I knew you’d turn up at sooner or later—the Cask. I tagged you leaving, but I lost you soon after.

“After that, figured I could either keep staking it out or try something different. I knew Thorn sent a few men here, and it was much easier staking them out than it was you. I knew you’d deal with them sooner or later, and my hunch was proven right when the little miss showed up.” He looked up with a grin. “Hell of a girl, that one. Took a two-story fall like a pro and then took off so fast I couldn’t keep up. But she was bleeding, and even if I couldn’t follow her, I could follow the blood.

“Imagine my surprise when it led here. To the one place I’d fully discounted.”

His words both troubled and eased my nerves. He found the place because Aless was careless, though she was heavily wounded, and I could forgive her for her lapse. I’d probably have done the same thing in her shoes, but Rhys still knew where we lived, and that wasn’t good.

If he was here, then Crescent Thorn had to be close behind him.

Rhys looked up and nodded toward me. “Know what that look is, and you don’t have to worry. Thorn doesn’t know I’m here. I split the day after you raided our hideout.”

“You left Crescent Thorn?” I asked with a decent amount of skepticism.

“Sure as shit did.” He nodded. “I’ve been on the receiving end of your blade twice now, and I didn’t want to press my luck a third time. You and Thorn aim to see each other dead, and after seeing what you did to us in one night, I know Thorn doesn’t stand a chance against you. If I stayed, it would only mean my death, which I’m quite partial to avoiding if possible.”

I paused and glanced over at my drink, which was sitting out of my reach. Condensation dripped down the glass to the bar top, tempting me.

I held up my hand.

Kleptomania.

The glass zipped across the bar and into my hand without so much as spilling a drop. I tipped it back and sighed as the cold liquor washed through my mouth.

Rhys seemed to be telling the truth, but a question still nagged at me.

“Why tell me this? What are you doing here if not working for Thorn?”

He held up his hands. “I came to settle things between us. Twice you’ve held my life in your hands, and twice I’ve kept it. Figured I owed you, so I’m here to settle accounts and hope when you dismantle Crescent Thorn, you leave me be.

“So here’s the message I wanted to relay. While I was staking out Jet and Lodric, I picked up a few things. One of which is Crescent Thorn is coming to Vohra. All of them. Thorn aims to see you dead for what you’ve done.”

“You think that’s enough to buy your life?” I asked.

He shook his head and held up his hands. “I dunno. But it’s all I have to offer.” Rhys turned to me slowly and held up his hand. “So, are we good?”

My first instinct was to kill him, regardless of anything else, but he’d shown up in good faith and had given me some very much needed information.

I shook my head, unsure of if I wanted to let him go or not.

“No. Cora, take him to the basement. Lock him up.”

Rhys stood as his face clouded with anger. “I told you everything!”

“And if it proves correct, we can talk about your future. Until then, you’re going to be a guest of Blackfall Manor for a little while.”

He wanted to argue, but one look from me, and he hunched over with a sigh. “Fine.”

“Cora, if you would.”

“Of course.”

She led him out of the room, and I busied myself with pouring another drink. After the day I had, I needed it.

I sipped on it for a few minutes until Cora returned and sat down beside me. Her drink had long since grown warm, so I made her another one, and we sat in silence, nursing our drinks and trying to work out our thoughts.

After a few minutes of it, Cora finished her drink and turned to me. “What are we going to do?”

“A lot,” I said. “But we have to be careful about it. If Rhys is right and Crescent Thorn is in town, they’re going to be out for blood.

“But we have a few things on our side. We own most of the city and can use the Prowlers and beggars as spies. They’ll likely be able to tell us where Thorn and his men set up shop…if they set up in the city, which they might not. Thorn is smart, and it’s going to be hard to predict his moves.”

“Sounds like a lot of what-ifs,” she replied. “A hell of a lot of thinking about what you’re going to do and then how your enemy will react and so on. Seems incredibly complicated.”

“It is. It’s like playing chess but with a lot more pieces. And sometimes, those pieces end up being imaginary. And then sometimes they’re not. Trying to predict what Thorn will do is going to be a gamble more than anything.”

Cora shook her head. “Well, I don’t know what chess is, but it sounds like a game, and if it’s a game, then all we have to do is rig it in our favor, right?”

I looked over to her and grinned while raising my drink. “Exactly.”

The last of the whiskey went down smooth, and I stood.

“You go get some sleep. I’ll take first watch.”

“Okay,” she replied and stood before heading to her room.

I spent the next few hours wandering the halls, checking the doors, windows, and outside traps we had around the place.

Blackfall Manor was strong, and the Foxes had built it well enough to stand up to everything but a full-scale siege.

And, of course, I’d accented it with a few traps of my own.

It was sturdy and well-defended, but it was only a matter of time before Crescent Thorn showed up, and in an upfront fight, I didn’t know how things would go.

Their magic is going to be a problem. They’ll have access to more magic than I’ve seen, and though I’m good at fighting, this isn’t something pure skill can overcome.

It’s going to take more than just me to defeat Thorn.

But I would finish them off. No matter what it took.

If I was ever going to build the underworld, then they were a problem that I had to solve. And soon, before they could get their strength back.

When I was finished with my rounds, I sat down in one of the plush leather chairs in the lounge and slept while Cora took over for watch.

Something warm was pressed against me when I woke up. It was stiflingly ho, and a not-insignificant amount of weight pressed down on me.

“Ugh, Aless get off me,” I said.

“I refuse.”

I opened my eyes, and she was staring down at me, her gray eyes filled with a slew of emotions as her red hair tickled my cheeks.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning,” she said as she kissed me.

I chuckled as I sat up. “Are you feeling better?”

“Much.” Aless leaned back and stood. She helped me up and then wrapped me in a hug. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

I kissed her hair. “You did the same for me.” I let go of her and brushed my hair back as I went to the bar for a glass and poured myself some water. I sighed. “There’s too much to do today.”

“Yep. Cora filled me in. I went and fed Rhys about an hour ago.” She smiled. “He told me to tell you that this is the nicest stint in prison that he’s ever experienced before.” Aless shook her head. “But enough about him, we should get to things as quickly as we can. I’m assuming you want me to get in touch with my Prowlers.”

I nodded. “Put them in the taverns, the inns. Have them watch the gates and the roads. Tell them I’ll pay a hundred vahn for any information on Crescent Thorn's whereabouts. If Rhys’s information is to be believed, and under the circumstances, I’m inclined to trust him, then we should start preparing now.”

Aless smiled at me as she ran her finger over my hand. “You’ve got a soft spot for him, huh?”

“Rhys? I dunno. He’s not like the rest of Crescent Thorn, and he probably has the most natural talent of the lot of them. But a soft spot?” I shook my head. “No. He might have his uses, but I’d kill him in a heartbeat if it came to that.”

“Yeah, but coming here of his own volition is a start.”

“It’s a start.” I shrugged. “But we can deal with him after Crescent Thorn. Let’s get moving. I have a feeling we’re on borrowed time, so let’s make the most of it.”

Aless and I headed for the city. While she went to talk to her Prowlers, I headed to Angela’s.

“Mornin’, Elias,” Angela called as I entered her dusty and dimly lit shop.

I held up my hand in greeting as I approached the counter. “Morning. Sorry, but I don’t have a lot of time to talk. Trouble is brewing, and I need any equipment that you have on hand.”

The friendly look on her face faded, and she nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. Can you give me an hour?”

I nodded. “I have a few more stops to make, so that’s perfect.”

She busied herself, and I quickly left her shop and marched right over to the Cracked Cask.

As much as I wanted to stay for breakfast, I couldn’t. I simply told Christoff to keep his head down and close up shop for a day or two.

He wasn’t happy about it, but he did as I asked.

As I turned to leave, he reached out and grabbed my arm. I turned to him, his dark features set and resolute.

“You be careful, all of you. And give those fuckers hell.”

I smiled at him as we shook and nodded. “We will.”

With that done, I just had one last stop to make, so I headed for the Legal District.

It was still early in the morning, and I knew Captain Bernard liked to arrive early. Which worked to my advantage as I entered the Precinct House.

A sleepy-eyed receptionist that was different from the one that had been here last time let me in, and the entire first floor was nearly a ghost town. Only two or three patrolmen were around, and they barely looked up as I passed by and headed for the stairs.

As I reached the fourth floor, I barged into Bernard’s office.

His brown hair was tousled by sleep, and there was a steaming mug of coffee on his desk that he sipped as he pored over a stack of papers.

He looked up as I entered.

“Twice in one week. To what do I owe the honor of your as rude as ever presence?”

“Crescent Thorn is coming to town to settle a score.”

Bernard shook his head and chuckled. “Course your problems would end up becoming my problems. How foolish of me to think otherwise.”

I cocked my head at his flippant attitude. He wasn’t usually like this, and it was a far cry from the man I’d met months prior.

“Everything alright, Bernard?”

He shook his head. “No, Elias. It’s not. But it’s personal and has nothing to do with our current problem. So, let’s just focus on that, okay?”

“Works for me,” I said as I sat down in the chair across from him.

Bernard shook his head and took a gulp of coffee, which had a fair amount of booze in it from the slightly sweet scent in the air.

“What do you need from me?”

“An increased guard presence in the Pleasure District and slums. Double or triple the regular patrol routes.”

He spluttered and nearly spat out his coffee. It splashed around the china cup and dripped to his desk. “You want me to…” He sighed. “Of course, it wouldn’t be something simple.”

Bernard shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose as he stared down into his trembling coffee cup.

“You realize that I don’t have that many men under my command any longer, due to the men you killed and the ones that fled with the nobles when Vohra was killed. I’m down to just over half of what this city had a few months ago.

“If I triple the guard patrols in the slums, I won’t have any men to guard the rest of the city.”

I shook my head. “Maybe that’s true, but this needs to happen. Many of the nobles have house guards or hired mercenaries in their homes regardless.” I held up my hands. “Hell, why not try hiring some of the adventurer’s from the guild. Put in a quest or however the hell that works. Let them earn some coin protecting a few rich fools. But Thorn should have  no business in the Noble District, so I’d prioritize that the least. Focus what remaining guards you have on the slums and the Market District.”

Bernard’s eyes lit up. “Not counting the Legal District, that just leaves the Plague District. You think Thorn will set up there?”

I grinned. “He absolutely won’t. He’s too smart for that. He’ll know that’s where I want him and will think it’s a trap. It will force him to stop and try and figure out my next move, and hopefully, he’ll back off while he does. I don’t want him or his men in the city, and if we cut off the places he can use as shelter, I’m hoping he sets up outside of the walls.”

“But why, though? Surely you’d have an advantage with all the buildings you could use as cover.”

I nodded. “But that also risks innocent lives if we have it out in the city, and I couldn’t control the level of damage if we were to fight in Vohra. I can use my full strength if we fight away from people.

“And besides, I’ve been preparing for something like this. I’d much rather we settle this on ground where I have a clear advantage.”

“You want him to attack Blackfall Manor?”

I nodded. “It won’t take him terribly long to figure it out. One of his men already showed up, so it’s just a matter of time. But I can double my traps and prepare for the worst.”

“It’s risky, but that’s a given when confronting an entire guild of assassins. But I do appreciate you trying to keep it out of the city. Makes my job easier.” He nodded. “I’ll reassign the men and put as much pressure on the streets as I can. But I can only do it for a day or two. Anything longer than that, and the remaining nobles will have my head.”

“Thanks, Bernard,” I said and stood.

“Good luck, Elias,” he said as I opened the door. “Oh, and I got the paperwork sent in through all the proper channels. We can visit the Jackal whenever you like.”

“Good. But I have bigger concerns right now. I can deal with him when the dust settles.”

I left the Precinct House and stopped by Angela’s to pick up whatever I could.

She was clamoring away when I got back to her shop.

I rang the bell to get her attention.

“I know, dammit! Gimme a minute!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the situation. Angela never ceased to amuse me.

It was another ten minutes before she came back, but when she did, her arms were filled to the brim with all manner of supplies and equipment.

“Here, damn you. This is all I could scrounge up on short notice. I hope it serves you well.”

I took the bundle and stored it away as I paid her.

“Good luck to ya, Elias. You keep yer head, y’hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied as I turned and left.

With that finished, I’d done all I could in the city, so I left and headed for home. There was a lot to do before Thorn and his men showed up to settle things.

Aless was still gone when I returned, but Cora was busy making sure the house had no weaknesses.

“How’s everything been?” I asked when I got inside.

“Good…well, not bad at least. There hasn’t been any sign of anyone all day.”

I nodded and knelt, pulling out nearly everything I had in my dimension ring. It was a lot. I kept all the valuable stuff locked away, but all of my equipment, including the pilfered equipment I’d taken from the members of Crescent Thorn, I laid out and organized it.

“Holy hell, this is a lot of stuff. What are you planning on doing with it?”

I smiled as I meticulously rearranged everything. “Well, Thorn really only knows about Aless and me. He thinks that’s all there is to us, but he doesn’t know that for a fact.” I pointed to the half a dozen cloaks I had. “I’m thinking about creating a few dummies to act as stand-ins.”

“Okay.” Cora nodded. “But for what purpose?”

“One, to make it appear like we’re stronger than we are. It will force Thorn to reevaluate things, even if just a little, and that little bit of chaos will be beneficial. And two, because I’m hoping if I make them realistic enough, they might take an arrow or knife meant for us and give us a bit of heads up.” I grinned. “Also, I’m going to rig a few of them to explode.”

Cora laughed. “Clever.”

I shrugged. “Only if it works. But even if it doesn’t, it buys us time.”

She nodded and knelt beside me. “I’ve never made traps before, but I’m one hell of a seamstress. Just tell me what to do.”

Together, the two of us worked and built a bundle of fake assassins, using a few of the target dummies in the training rooms. I then made three of them that were a little different. I filled a few with gunpowder and some steel shot balls.

Once they were in place, I was going to arm them to a tripwire that would spark a fire and cause them to explode.

I didn’t know how effective they would be against Thorn, but they were better than nothing.

In truth, I didn’t have much hope for my traps. They were all well disguised, but I wasn’t dealing with amateurs here. Even if they weren’t up to my standards, they were still professionals, and I was sure they could disarm traps well enough.

We’ll just have to see how things go.

When we were done with the dummies, I wrapped them in the cloaks and went to set them up in the forest.

I spread them apart and put two of them closer to the house, in line of sight. The third and last one I put a little further out. I put the decoy in a thick bush and used some spider silk I’d gotten from Angela to disguise the thread for the tripwire along the ground. There were plenty of spider webs around, and the nearly invisible string all but vanished in the daylight.

Once all three were rigged, I received a notification.

Your Trapmaking skill has increased by 2! [Trapmaking: 8 (Novice)] +50 Exp!

Hope it works.

I’d rather this not turn into a straight-up fight.

As I found out last time, against trained fighters with magic, I was at a serious disadvantage.

Though I like the challenge, if I don’t play this smart, I’ll rush headlong into my death with a smile on my face.

The challenge just isn’t worth it. Not now.

Not when I have people in my life I want to protect.

But the desire was still there, and I wanted Thorn dead.

We’ll just have to see how it goes.

When I was done, I carefully backed away from my trap, covering my tracks as I headed back to the house.

Aless was waiting inside with Cora when I returned.

“How did the meeting go?” I asked.

Aless smiled wide. “As good as we could hope. Most of the beggars joined up when we asked, even the few who were stubbornly refusing to join the Prowlers before. The promise of the coin was enough to win them over.

“I’ve got most of my former guildmates in the taverns and brothels, which they appreciated. The rest are working the streets. If anyone hears anything, they’ll send a carrier pigeon.”

“Good. That’s probably the best we could hope for. Bernard agreed to shift the guard patrol routes, so I’m hoping Thorn stays away from the city, but if he doesn’t, we’ll have him.”

“How long do you think it will take them to find this place?” she asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t know to tell you the truth. Maybe a day or two, maybe less. But Rhys only found us because he followed your trail. He was patient, and it paid off. I don’t know how patient Thorn will be.”

Aless shrugged. “Well, we knew this place would get found eventually. It’s why we have the countermeasures prepared.

“But what’s the plan for when they do arrive?”

“I’ve got some ideas.” I jutted my chin towards the bar. “Let’s go discuss the plan over drinks and some food. We should eat while we can. We don’t know when they’ll strike.”

The three of us went to the bar and finished off last night's stew while discussing the plan.

After we’d eaten our fill and went over the plan a half dozen times, we turned in for the night.

It was still early, but I wanted to catch some sleep while we could.

As Aless and I settled in next to each other, I sighed in content.

“What’s that for?” she asked. “And that smile on your face worries me.”

I shrugged. “What can I say? I’m looking forward to how this plays out.”

“Yeah. You and that death wish of yours.” She nudged me. “Just be careful, okay? I refuse to lose you.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. I have too much to do. And that’s not including whatever else Weilin has in store for me. Crescent Thorn is an obstacle that needs to be removed, and I don’t plan on getting killed by a bunch of second-rate assassins. My master would never let me hear the end of it if that’s how I went.”

“No, I wouldn’t let you hear the end of it. You’re not allowed to die on me, Elias McKinley.”

I turned on my side to look at her. “The same goes for you, Aless. You can’t die either.”

She kissed me. “Never even crossed my mind.”

As we drifted off to sleep, I held her close.

In the morning, it was more of the same. We trained, continued to fortify our home, and waited.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, but I was awoken by a very satisfying sound on the morning of the third day.

In the distance, a large explosion went off, and I bolted up.

3 Killed: 300 Exp!

I grinned as Aless hopped out of bed next to me.

“Is that them?” she asked.

I nodded. “It’s time.”

Chapter 25- Fallen Rose

Even as the explosion died down, we were moving. We’d taken to sleeping in our clothes just so we wouldn’t be caught off guard in case they tried a sneak attack, but with one of the traps having worked, it gave us time to change into our armor.

As we were getting changed, Cora burst into the room.

“Is it time?” she asked.

“Yep.”

She was already dressed and ready. I’d given her a set of the leathers Crescent Thorn wore, and even if it wasn’t as good as ours, it was better than nothing.

And it suited her rather well and complemented her slight curves from the brief glimpse I got before her cloak hid her hips away.

Cora had her pistol in hand and glanced at both of us as we finished getting ready. “How long till they reach us?”

“A few minutes at most. The traps will slow them up, but we should expect a sneak attack. They’ll try to kill us while we’re focused on the front. So, keep on your guard.

“Cora. Stay out of the main fight. If you can score a kill without putting us in danger, do so, but otherwise, leave it to Aless and me.”

“Understood.” She nodded and turned to the doorway.

I drew my crossbow and a throwing knife, and we headed out into the hall.

As we reached the staircase, I peered around the banister at the two dummies we stationed by the windows. I hit the stairs, but before I could take two steps, glass shattered, followed by two thumps.

The dummies had arrows buried in their heads and careened back, slamming to the rugs amid the broken glass.

“Guess your plan worked,” Aless said cheekily behind me.

“Looks like it. Now we know they have archers stationed nearby. Let’s take them out first.”

The second floor had several windows, all of them facing the front of the house, which was a pain in the ass because I didn’t know exactly where the archers had fired from. They could have positioned themselves nearly anywhere, and they’d still have an angle on us.

But there was nothing I could do about that as I leapt over the railing and hit the second floor in a roll. I came up and threw myself against the wall as an arrow landed near my foot.

Damn, this is giving me déjà vu.

My last fight with Marcel flashed through my mind, how I was riddled with arrows before falling to the street.

But that seemed like a lifetime ago now. It was a different me, certainly a less powerful me.

And with the miss, the archer had given me a better idea of their angle. It wasn’t by much, but it was something.

To the left, probably in a tree.

There were a dozen trees that fit the bill, but I took a guess based on which tree I’d have chosen to snipe from.

I raised my crossbow, counted to three, and turned as I brought it to bear.

I didn’t see anyone in the courtyard, but a flash of a dark cloak in the canopy told me my hunch was right.

But as soon as I appeared, the assassin hid behind the thick trunk, blocking my shot.

No matter.

I kept moving, crossing to the other side of the window, but I shifted my target and raised my hand.

“Fireball!”

The small flame gathered in my palm and condensed to a roaring inferno as it built and then launched. My spell flew through the window and streaked through the air, heading not for the treetops but below it and to the right.

Where I’d stashed another of the gunpowder-filled dummies.

The crackling ball of fire struck the black cloak and engulfed it with a heavy whoosh as the fire splashed around the target, sending a splattering of flames over the grass and trees.

I only caught a second of it as I passed by the window and dove for the ground as the second archer fired an arrow. It sliced through my cloak, missing my shoulder by a fraction of an inch.

Shit, that was close.

“Everyone, get down!”

I knelt as the gunpowder finally ignited, and there was an even greater explosion that rattled windows as sharp cracks of shards of metal struck the stone walls of the manor. Even more, glass shattered as a few of the musket balls broke through the windows and embedded themselves in the wooden wall behind me.

As the rumble from the explosion died down, I rose with my crossbow and aimed. I knew where both archers were now.

Aless shifted from where she’d ducked beside me and rose with her own crossbow.

“Aless, third tree on the left!”

I aimed to the right, where my archer rested on an extended branch from one of the larger oak trees on the property.

From their figure, I assumed it to be a girl. She dove off the tree as the echo of the explosion died away, but she landed badly. She was bleeding from a wound on her leg, likely from one of the musket balls.

She tried to draw her bow while on only one knee.

I aimed for her heart and fired.

My bolt took her in the chest right as she finished nocking her arrow. It slipped through her fingers and flew to the side, striking the wall harmlessly beside me.

1 Kill: 100 Exp!

As her body fell, I turned just in time as Aless killed her target. The second archer fell from the tree with a quarrel right through his forehead.

“Nice kill, Aless.”

“You too. I see why you placed the traps there.” She turned to me, and her eyes flashed. “Though I heard one of the lead shot whiz right past my face.”

“Whoops,” I replied, giving her a sheepish smile.

“Yeah, yeah.”

With the first round of assailants dealt with, it was time for the second stage of my plan. I stowed my crossbow and raised my hands out of the window.

“Stream.”

Two gouts of water sprayed from my palms and rained over the courtyard, soaking most of the stones and leaving a few inch-deep puddles over the space.

The outside quieted down as I canceled both spells, but just as I pulled my hands back in, there was a crash from the other side of the second floor, followed by a scream and then a loud blast from a pistol.

“Cora!”

Aless and I raced down the hallway as we both reloaded.

When we rounded the corner, we found Cora, unharmed but low to the ground as a huge gulf of smoke filled the corridor.

She held the pistol in front of her, and her hand was shaking. I followed the trajectory and found three assassins on the far side.

One was on the floor, with a rather expansive puddle of blood rushing out from a large hole in his chest.

The other two were just staring at their dead friend and her in wide-eyed shock. They’d never seen a weapon like that before, and the devastation was enough to give even experienced assassins pause.

Aless and I, on the other hand, jumped into action.

I raised my crossbow at the assassin on the right while Aless took left.

Our movements caused the assassins to react, and they jerked, turning toward us as we brought our weapons to bear.

I fired as the assassin in front of me raised his hand.

“Wind Cutter!”

His hand glowed green, and the air in front of him distorted and shimmered like a mirage before forming a warbling crescent in the air in front of him.

While still holding it in his hand, he maneuvered it and sliced my bolt out of the air like it was nothing.

Aless lined up her shot and crouched as she fired.

With the blade of wind in his hand, the assassin reacted, even as Aless brought her own weapon up, and launched his spell at her as soon as she fired.

Wind Cutter whistled through the air and met Aless’s bolt head-on, shredding it to pieces even as it continued forward.

Aless’s eyes went wide, and she rolled out of the way just in time. As she came out of the roll, she turned and raised her own hand.

“Water Bullet!”

Three small spheres of water rose from her fingertips as her hand glowed blue from the magic. She shot the bullets out, and they crossed the room in nearly an instant. They crashed into the wind magic assassin, and he buckled as all the air rushed from his lungs, and he dropped to the ground in pain.

Though her spell was devastating, it hadn’t taken him out of the fight entirely.

He coughed and raised his hand as his partner rushed in to engage us. His hand glowed green once more as he silently cast his spell and another wind cutter appeared in front of him.

He aimed at Aless, who was closer to them than I was.

I don’t think so.

Water Whip!

My own hand glowed a slightly paler blue, far more muted in color than when Aurella’s Light activated.

Small water droplets dribbled from each of my pores and congealed over my palm as a single writhing tentacle rose off the mass of gelatinous water in a second. It was like an extension of my arm.

I lashed out with the whip, trying my best to angle it properly. And as I flicked it out, it shot towards the assassin at breakneck speed.

Just as he held his hand toward Aless.

The small, inch-wide strand of water crossed the distance in less than a blink of an eye and wrapped around the wind magic assassin’s hand.

As the translucent tentacle wrapped fully around his wrist, I yanked the whip to the side just as he shot off his spell.

The spell formed, and more nearly invisible wind formed a small, curved blade and launched with all the power of the wind.

Right into his comrade’s back.

The blade of air sliced through leather and flesh as well as it had the manasteel bolts and split the assassin in two.

Both halves fell to the ground with a sickening squelch as a mass of gore and blood spread over our floor.

As the assassin died, the blade of wind continued along its path and carved a deep groove into the wooden wall, nearly cutting through it.

With his partner dead, I just had to deal with the final assassin.

He tried to stand, but I pulled on the water whip and tore his arm out of socket. The assassin screamed in pain as I walked over to him while simultaneously pulling him closer to me with the whip, causing him to wail like a banshee the entire time.

As I stood before him, I drew a knife and plunged it to the hilt in his eye, driving it into his brain and killing him almost instantly.

He died a swift death, but I knew for certain I wasn’t getting that knife back. I’d lodged it firmly inside his skull.

2 Killed: 200 Exp!

I wiped away the screen and leaned over and reached under the man’s cloak. Lucky for me, he had an identical set of knives on him, and I snagged one to replace the one currently entrenched in his orbital socket.

As I stood, I turned to Aless and Cora. “You two alright?”

Aless nodded as Cora stared past me to the dead assassin she’d put a hole in. She wasn’t shaking, but there was a paleness to her face, and her brown eyes were widened.

Her honey eyes were somewhere far, far away.

Then she blinked and came back to herself.

“…Yeah, I’m okay.”

She stood on her own and mechanically reloaded the flintlock, which took her only half a minute now.

When she was finished, we all headed back down the hallway while keeping our ears attuned for any more surprises.

After a minute or two of silence, Aless spoke up.

“Think that’s it for their surprise attack?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. We still haven’t seen Thorn yet, so there are still a few moves we haven’t seen yet from the guild.”

As we knelt on the second floor, a voice shouted from outside.

“Elias! How about you come out, and we have a chat and catch up?” Thorn said.

“See?” I said with a sigh. “Well, I wasn’t expecting the direct approach. He must be desperate. Let’s go find out what he wants.”

Aless and I rose from our crouch, but as Cora stood, I grabbed her by the shoulder and pointed up the stairs. “Remember the plan?”

She followed my finger and then turned back to me and nodded.

Without another word, Cora headed up the stairs while Aless and I went to the opposite hallway and crouched down. I reloaded my crossbow and glanced out the window.

Three figures stood in the center of the courtyard, their black cloaks obscuring their features, but the one in the center was Thorn. I was sure of it from his build and posture.

They glanced up as I moved.

Thorn gave me a wave. “Morning, Elias!”

I fired.

One of his assassins twitched, and with a whisper, a large stone wall rose from the ground and stopped the bolt cold.

It pinged off the stone wall and skittered harmlessly off the cobblestone to rest near the small fountain.

As the quarrel fell away, the stone wall sank back below the ground like it had never been there in the first place.

Thorn laughed. “Was that really necessary? Come now, can’t we have a simple conversation? You’ve now thoroughly decimated my entire guild. It’s just us left. Let’s put an end to this.”

Aless nudged me and lowered her voice. “You’re not seriously thinking of going out there, right?”

“Of course I am.” I grinned. “He’s right. It’s time to end this. Crescent Thorn dies today.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but I raised a finger to her lips. “Trust me. I’ve got this.”

Aless huffed but nodded.

“Let’s see how Thorn likes my Second Shadow.”

The world shifted and distorted as a shadow formed next to me, and I looked over at my own smiling face looking back at me.

Then my sight shifted, and I was looking back at myself from the opposite side. I nodded to both Aless and myself before I stood and went back to the window.

“You’re right, Thorn. Let’s finish what we started.”

I leapt through the window, and as I landed on the pavestones, I dropped into a roll. My hands hit one of the many puddles of water around the courtyard as I stood in front of Thorn and his remaining two bodyguards.

As I oriented myself, I got a much better look at Thorn. He wore the identical garb of his guild but with one minor change. He’d covered his face with a black mask that looked to be made of lacquered wood and stained. It only offered me a glimpse at his eyes and a slit so he could breathe. The rest was covered.

Must’ve done a number on him for him to cover his face. Guess even his protective magic couldn’t negate all of the heat.

As soon as I had eyes on him, I used Weilin’s Judgement.

Name: Thorn

Age: 42

Race: Human

Job: Assassin

Level: 5

Exp: 765/28345

Stats

Strength: 56

Constitution: 51

Endurance: 57

Wisdom: 45

Perception: 29

Agility: 41

Charisma: 25

Luck: 27

Skills

Assassination, Paralyzing Touch, Shadow Bind, Instant Quiver, Throw and Return, Sword Cleave, Shadow Dart, Poison Dagger, Double Shot, Martial Arts, Form of the Dragon, Drake Fist, Of the Heavens, Ever-reaching Abyss, Night’s Children, Recovery.

Spells

Ember, Fireball, Firestorm, Firewall, Fire Fist, Stone Bullet, Earth Wall, Tremor, Earthquake, Ground Destruction, Magma Quake, Lesser Healing, Healing, Greater Healing, Full Heal, Return to One, Passive Protection, Aura Defense, Aura Armor.

Holy hell. I kept the shock off my face, but inside, I was spinning. How the hell is he level five? And look at all those skills and spells. I don’t even know what half of them do.

Thorn was even stronger than Bishop Hale. That was a certainty. Which made him the strongest foe I’d ever gone up against.

Keep calm. He still fled after the explosive bolt struck him. He’s not invincible, even if it feels like it.

No wonder he strolled up so confident with his entourage.

“Good to see you again, Elias.” There was a smile in his voice as he spoke. “Before the fun begins, let’s take a moment, you and I, shall we?”

I shrugged, keeping my voice level. “Spit out whatever it is you want to say, but it won’t change what has to happen here.”

He raised his hands. “And why not? If a few things had gone just slightly different, we could’ve have been friends or allies at the very least. We could have worked together to have accomplished incredible things.”

“No. It would never have worked. Your ideals and mine simply don’t mix. Crescent Thorn takes contracts no matter who the person is. You kill indiscriminately for the highest bidder. You’re assassins without principles, and that’s something that can’t be overlooked.

“You…simply don’t measure up to my standards.”

Fury crossed Thorn's eyes, and I knew it was time. Words were useless at this point, and it was time to put an end to Thorn and his guild.

He moved, reaching for a weapon under his cloak.

I held up a hand.

“Water Whip!”

My tendril of condensed water shot out toward Thorn at lightning speed but was blocked as the assassin on the right held up his hand and shouted, “Earthen Wall!”

It shot up even faster than Water Whip, and my spell splashed against the stone and was stopped completely.

The assassin who conjured the stone laughed. “Did you really think that was going to work?”

“No, I was counting on you stopping it,” I said.

The water we were standing on, which covered the entirety of the courtyard, bubbled underfoot, and all three of the assassins had time to look down before it was too late.

A dozen tendrils of water rose from the puddles and latched onto the assassins in a second, ensnaring them completely.

“What the─”

Two of the tentacles whipped Thorn’s bodyguards across the temples, and they slumped over, unconscious. Though they were out, they were suspended only by my magic.

2 Knocked-out: 100 Exp!

As the one who used earth magic was knocked out, his spell fizzled out, and the stone wall in front of Thorn faded, and the ground returned to normal.

Thorn was bound tight. He wasn’t going anywhere.

But he smiled wide.

“Fire Fist!”

His hands glowed a bright blood orange as steam rose from his hands that were trapped by my water magic. My magic began to bubble up, boiling from the intense heat that came off his hands in waves.

Every second it cost me more mana to keep the Water Whip spell active, and if I held on for any longer, I’d use up all my mana.

I let Thorn go, canceling the spell. The water holding him lost its form and splashed harmlessly to the stone.

Thorn grinned wide and slammed his fist to the ground. “Firestorm!”

A ring of flames shot out from his fist and rose toward me like a blazing tornado as it swirled and built. The heat was blistering even from a distance, and as it came toward me, I was forced to throw myself to the side.

The flames passed over the unconscious assassins without so much as singeing their cloaks, but it vaporized all of the water around us as it picked up speed, trying to catch me.

It soon dissipated as it passed me.

Thorn missed, so he canceled the spell to save mana.

As I rose from my roll, I turned and spun on him, drawing my crossbow. I lined up and fired.

The bolt launched toward him, but he held his grin. As soon as I brought up the crossbow, he shifted into a martial arts stance, bringing his hands up. His hands glowed with a bright golden light, and a pattern of a dragon rose on his skin, turning to a golden tattoo that stretched to his forearms.

My quarrel shot toward him, but he brought his fist around and caught it on the back of his palm as his fist swung around. The manasteel slammed into his flesh and pinged off it. The bolt went flying at an angle away from us as it tumbled into the forest.

“Come, Elias. Let’s see how you fare against the dragon!” Thorn brought his fist up, his smile taunting me. “Martial arts! Form of the Dragon!”

As he spoke, his whole body was awash with power as the bright golden glow on his hands grew over his entire body and changed color to a dull golden orange.

Despite the overwhelming power he emitted, I had the biggest smile on my face.

My heart beat fast in my chest, and my blood roiled.

This was what I’d been waiting for since I came to this world. What I’d been searching for.

What I’d found with Bishop Hale.

A proper challenge.

I rushed forward as fast as my legs would carry me as I met Thorn head-on.

He turned as I approached, bringing his fist up to meet me. I’d seen what his enhanced fist did to a steel bolt flying at half the speed of sound. There was no way I was going to meet his attack head-on.

As Thorn swung his fist toward me, I slipped to the side. His fist missed my cheek by an inch, and the power he wielded numbed my face just by passing by. I brought my hand up and swept the back of my hand against his fist as he swung, redistributing the force and momentum and pushing him off balance.

He turned with his strike, and when I knocked him off balance, I created an opening along his side. I threw a heavy roundhouse kick to his exposed ribs, activating Paralyzing Touch at the same time.

I put my whole body into my kick, pivoting with my hips to bring the most amount of power up into his side. My leg tingled as my skill activated and my shin connected to his side.

His body held like iron, and a dull ache radiated up from my shin as the bone screamed in protest. Paralyzing Touch activated and surged into his body, but he still moved, flowing like water as he turned and locked an arm around my leg.

He held me firm and laughed, but with his mask, it was thick and distorted. Thorn brought his arm up, and the emblem of the dragon shone brightly as he prepared to drive his elbow into my leg.

If he connected, he’d shatter my leg to pieces, and that’d be the end of me.

I couldn’t let that happen.

Before he could bring his arm down, I pushed off with my left leg and brought it up. I twirled and kicked him across the face. The blade of my foot connected with his mask, and even if his body was coated in an aura of protection, it didn’t stop my kick as the wood cracked and split, revealing a hideously twisted face marred by severe burns.

The kick surprised him so much that he stumbled back and dropped me as blood welled from his lip.

“Seems your protection spells can’t defend against everything, can they? My fire and kicks are getting through just fine.”

His face twisted in fury, and he settled back into his form once more. He shuffled forward and threw a heavy combination of punches at me.

I slipped the few jabs he threw and ducked the cross that would have taken my head off my shoulders. But as I stepped away from the punches, he lowered his hips and set up for a side kick.

Before I could fully get out of the way, his leg shot out, and the ball of his foot caught me in the side.

The dragon glowed in triumph, and a world of pain rocked through me. My bones cracked, and a wave of cold swept over me as I was sent flying. I hit the stone hard and tried to orient myself through the pain.

I threw myself back into a back handspring and came up on my feet.

As I came up, Thorn reached into his cloak and withdrew a throwing knife. He tossed it with all the power of the dragon behind him, and it blurred before it took on a golden orange glow of its own as it left Thorn’s hand.

The blade flashed in the sunlight as it spun end over end as it raced toward my heart. It was fast, too fast to dodge.

But my instincts took over for me, and I held my hand up.

Kleptomania!

The once golden blade glowed with a new dull light and sped even faster through the air, right into my waiting hand.

I took a moment to grin at Thorn, though a trickle of warm blood ran from my mouth. I spun the knife over my fingers and backed up a few feet to put some distance between us.

“I’ll be having my knife back,” Thorn said.

“Come and take it!” I shot back.

He laughed. “I already have.”

The weight in my hand was gone, and I looked down at my empty hand and then to Thorn as he balanced his knife on the tip of his finger, grinning madly.

I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Clever. That your Throw and Return skill?”

Thorn chuckled. “Handy little skill, same as your Kleptomania skill.” As he spoke, the dragon emblem and aura around him faded to nothing.

We’d been fighting for a few minutes, which seemed to be the time limit for his martial arts skills.

Though I’d landed a few solid blows on him, I was by far the one who’d sustained the most damage.

Definitely cracked a rib. Maybe two. But something in me is punctured for me to be spitting up blood.

Things weren’t going exactly as I planned, but all things considered, that I was still alive in the face of such power said something.

I knew even his defensive magic couldn’t protect him from my explosive bolts, and with his magic, I didn’t want to get close to him.

But with his skills and spell usage, he had to have burned through a considerable chunk of his mana.

If I can just whittle him down, he won’t have the mana to sustain his protections and cast. He’ll be mine.

As we locked eyes, he reared back to throw his knife once more, but without the power of the dragon behind him anymore, I wasn’t worried about it.

I stepped to the side as it whizzed by my ear and slammed against the stone wall of Blackfall Manor. As he threw the blade, I drew my crossbow and loaded an explosive bolt.

Thorn’s eyes went wide as he took in the bolt as I brought up the crossbow. He brought his hands out in front of him as I fired.

A huge circle of fire appeared in the center of his hands, and he grounded his stance, bracing himself as my explosive bolt launched toward him.

It stuck dead center in his hands, and just before it landed, the pulsating flames rose from his palms and engulfed the bolt, swallowing it whole.

Thorn laughed as the fire melted the bolt to nothing before the gunpowder ignited and the explosion billowed out from the flames, but the fire just swirled around itself, devouring the blast even as it broke free.

In a second, my explosive bolt was gone, and Thorn brought his hands towards me. He pushed away from himself, and a huge gout of fire filled my vision.

It was huge, and there was nowhere for me to go that would keep me safe.

I was left with one option.

Shade’s Rest!

I melted into the shadows, dissolving into a pool of darkness as I rushed back to the bright white shadows cast by the overhanging roof of the manor.

The fire landed and burst apart like water thrown from a bucket. The raging inferno spread out on the stone, and the dull obsidian flames overwhelmed the white shadows and ate them too.

I was forced out of my hiding place. I shot up from the disappearing shadow and stood in an inferno. I held my hands up and cast Stream, using the cold water to put out the fire. It hissed and evaporated, but I kept it up, and soon all the flames were gone.

But in my panic, I’d lost sight of Thorn. I turned as he appeared a handful of feet away from me. Shadows rose off him and stretched along the ground.

“Shadow Bind!”

Writhing chains made of shadow rose up from the shadows around me and wound around my body in the time it took me to blink.

My arms were nearly pulled out of their sockets as they snapped to the side, and my legs were immobilized.

Thorn’s breathing was labored, and he shook with fatigue. I’d definitely worn him down. He was trying to end this quickly.

Thorn’s eyes flashed with fury. “I’m not done yet! Shadow Dart!”

A sharp pinprick of pain stuck to my neck, and a heavy fog settled over me as something slithered into my body, and I grew fatigued. A fierce burn writhed in my limbs, and I fought the poison flooding my system.

It took everything I had to keep my head up. But as I looked at Thorn, his eyes lit up with delight.

“We could’ve ruled this world, but now I’m going to show you what it means to fuck with Crescent Thorn! Ever-reaching Abyss!”

As he spoke, the shadows below me began to twist and elongate as they began to creep forward. Soon it covered nearly the entire courtyard in pitch-black shadow.

The shadows started moving and writhed, pulsating in chaos as bubbles formed, rose, and popped like we were standing ankle-deep in a tar pit.

As the darkness bubbled, Thorn continued.

“Come, Night’s Children!”

Slowly, hands rose from within the hissing, yawning maw of the abyss. They reached for the sky like they were drowning. The tiny hands clawed at the air but found the shadows instead. Umbral hands pulled themselves up from the darkness and shambled forward.

Tiny humanoid forms covered in ink stood between us. Each of them were skeletal thin and wielded claws as long and sharp as daggers.

And as Thorn laughed maniacally, they stumbled forward.

Coming for me.

They rose around me and reached their talons forward. They pierced my armor and flesh with ease, cutting to the bone as they gripped me tight.

My blood ran in rivers from my legs and thighs, spilling over the darkness only to crack and hiss like grease on the stove.

As the first of the hands gripped me, I grinned.

“Quite a neat trick of yours. I’m impressed.”

“Be impressed in hell,” Thorn snarled, all joviality gone. He was running out of time. “Rend him asunder!”

The hands began to drag me down into the abyss. The children grabbed ahold of me, and then they began to sink below the bubbling shadow, pulling me under as they went. They crawled over themselves to reach me, and they crawled to my chest, sinking their claws into my body, bathing me in misery.

As I lowered down, my body was torn apart, piece by piece. More hands reached me, and I sank under faster.

In seconds it was just my torso left as the children melded into a single blob of darkness that pulled me into the abyss.

Thorn stared me down, never taking his eyes from mine as he watched me being ripped apart.

“You should have just taken my offer. Seen the future we could have built, but you chose to become my opponent,” he said in disgust.

I chuckled as the last of my body was eaten by the darkness. Just my head remained, and I was losing consciousness as the poison and blood loss caused me to nearly faint.

But before I disappeared, I used the last of my strength to laugh.

“You were a worthy opponent. The strongest I’ve faced in this world. Your skills, at least, have earned my respect.” I grinned even wider, saccharine sweet. “Unfortunately for you, I wasn’t your true opponent today.

“She was.”

Thorn looked from me toward the manor.

His eyes widened.

There was a crack as glass shattered. The many auras surrounding Thorn pulsed bright in a rainbow of colors before they imploded, sending a thousand incorporeal shards raining out around Thorn as the back of his head was obliterated in a heavy geyser of blood.

The defensive auras around him failed as the manasteel ball struck with inhuman precision. They couldn’t withstand the precise impact and died along with Thorn. The heavy, concussive retort pounded in my eardrums as I was finally pulled completely under by Thorn's spell.

My last sight was of Thorn, slumped over with most of his brains littering the cobblestone behind him as he stared vacantly at the ground.

Dead.

Then there was nothing but darkness.

With a snap, I was back in my original body as my doppelganger died. I gasped for air as the cumulative weight of my spells took its toll on my body. I dropped to a knee and fought to regain my composure.

“Elias! Are you alright?” Aless asked.

I nodded and held up a hand as I choked on the sweet air filling my lungs. For a moment, the only sound was my labored breathing as I shook off the phantom pain of having my body ripped apart.

The training I’d been doing with Angela helped, but there was nothing that could compare to what I experienced in the abyss, and it lingered with me, even as I came back to myself.

“I’m…I’m alright. Thank you, Aless.”

I stood and immediately collapsed from exhaustion. My head hit the carpet, and then a sharp slice of pain ripped into my temple as I landed on one of the shards of glass from the damaged windows that littered the hallway.

Warm blood trickled over my cheek as I closed my eyes.

“Fuck it, I’ll deal with it later,” I said before I passed out.

Chapter 26- Once the Smoke Clears

My head pounded like it was taking a beating when I awoke. Draining my mana well so completely left me weak and my head a mess of pain.

I sat up gingerly, but Aless was nearly a hundred percent on top of me, and I couldn’t move, let alone reach for my glass of water without a concerted effort.

With a sigh, I stretched out my hand.

Kleptomania.

The glass zipped off the table and to my hand. I greedily slaked my thirst and drained the entire glass before storing it in my inventory and laying back down.

Aless was quite warm as she cuddled against me, but I was still exhausted, so I just held her close for a time while the aches and small agonies in my body faded.

With Thorn and most, if not all, of Crescent Thorn dead, I won’t have to worry about the guild ever again.

But that doesn’t mean our troubles are over.

There were other assassin guilds besides Crescent Thorn, and they were just as, if not more, dangerous. They would eventually become a problem unless an agreement could be reached.

I think Black Emperor and Cold Iron are far enough away in Duram that we wouldn’t compete. Not like Crescent Thorn. Perhaps an accord could be reached with them as long as we agree to stay out of each other’s territory.

I chuckled. The idea to start a guild crossed my mind once more.

I’ve got to help rebuild the underworld, but I won’t be the one to run it, but a guild is much less work than running an entire network.

I could run a guild. Hell, it’s kind of what I’ve been doing with Aless and now Cora.

It was an intriguing idea, and it would give us a bit of legitimacy in this world. We wouldn’t just be a couple of outlier assassins but a guild.

This bears consideration. Especially with Crescent Thorn well and truly gone. Someone will have to step in and fill the vacuum they will leave behind. And if I ran a guild, I could do things differently than the guilds back on Earth.

I didn’t have to copy what anyone else did or was doing. I could run things how I liked, including taking jobs if I wanted.

There was promise in the idea. And with Christoff’s idea to start producing Thanatos by himself and Angela, Jin, and Terrance receptive to forming a small black market, the bones of a burgeoning empire were in place.

And now that I didn’t have to worry about Thorn, I could focus more time helping flesh everything out and start working on expanding our foundations.

But. Let’s do that tomorrow. Or maybe the day after. I’m exhausted.

Before I fell back asleep, I opened my status to check what all I’d gotten from the fight.

Quest: Deal with Crescent Thorn

Difficulty: Very Hard

Reward: 5200 Exp

(10% Bonus Exp for Job-related Quest)

1 Wounded: 50 Exp!

Fireball has increased by 1! [Fireball: 6] +25 Exp!

Your Archery skill has increased by 1! [Archery: 13 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Water Whip has increased by 2! [Water Whip: 4] +50 Exp!

Your Second Shadow skill has increased by 1 [Second Shadow: 4 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Hand-to-Hand skill has increased by 2! [Hand-to-Hand: 29 (Journeyman)] +100 Exp!

Kleptomania has increased by 1! [Kleptomania: 3] +25 Exp!

Your Shade’s Rest skill has increased by 1! [Shade’s Rest: 5 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Your Wisdom has increased by 1! [Wisdom: 33] +100 Exp!

Your Endurance has increased by 1! [Endurance: 41] +100 Exp!

Your Poison Resistance has increased by 1! [Poison Resistance: 26 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!

Your Durability has increased by 1! [Durability: 31 (Journeyman)] + 50 Exp!

Your Recovery skill has increased by 1! [Recovery: 17 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

Name: Elias McKinley

Age: 29

Race: Human

Level: 3

Exp: 15785/16454

Stat Points: 2

Stats

Strength: 35

Constitution: 30

Endurance: 41

Wisdom: 33

Perception: 37

Agility: 51

Charisma: 17

Luck: 20

As I closed out my status, I laid my head back down.

Aless snored softly and snuggled into the crook of my neck. As her hot breath lingered over my skin, a small smile of contentment tugged at my lips before I closed my eyes and fell back asleep.

“Elias. C’mon. Get up,” Aless whispered softly into my ear what seemed like seconds after I fell back asleep.

“What do you want, demon spawn?” I asked.

She giggled and kissed me before pulling back and shaking me. “Get up. We’ve slept half the day away.”

I groaned and grumbled as I blinked my heavy eyelids open. “Well, when you face off against a guild of highly trained assassins and survive, you get to sleep in. It’s a rule. A brand-new rule, and you know I can’t break my rules.”

“Oh, shut up and wake up.” Her voice dipped, and she brought a sultry undertone to her words. “Or, I’ll make you get up.”

“Think I’d like to see you try,” I replied.

She shifted on the bed and straddled me, pressing herself against me. “Oh really.” She smiled as she leaned over me, her gray eyes dripping with lust. “Seems like that got you up.”

Then her lips were against mine, and nothing else mattered but our hunger for one another.

Though it took us another hour or so to get out of bed, neither of us was about to complain. We took a quick bath and then dressed in casual clothes.

As we padded down the stairs, the heavy scent of meat and spices met my nose, and I took a deep breath.

“Something smells delicious.”

“Mhmm. Cora’s cooking something, though I told her to take it easy today.”

“She holding up okay?”

Aless shook her head as we reached the last step. “I dunno. She seemed like she was, but after, when she was alone in her room…I just don’t know.” She grabbed my arm. “Don’t push her to talk. Let her open up when she’s ready.”

I nodded, and together we walked into the dining room. I sat at the bar, retrieved the glass from my dimension ring, and used Stream to pour myself a glass of cold and crystal-clear water while Aless went into the kitchen to talk to Cora.

After the day I’d had, and then the morning I had, the water helped.

It most certainly helped.

I resisted the urge to lay my head on the counter while I sipped at my drink and waited for the girls to come back.

Aless returned first a few minutes later, and she came and sat by me while she poured a glass of wine. Then Cora came out carrying a large pot of stew.

We’d had stew a lot lately, but it was easier than going into the city to pick up supplies given the circumstances.

She served us and then hefted the pot once more, but she didn’t head back toward the kitchen. She went towards the entryway.

“Where you going, Cora?”

“Someone has to feed the prisoners.”

“Prisoners?” I asked, then caught myself. Right. Not just Rhys, but those other two we captured. “Did you put them in cold iron?”

“Of course.” She nodded. “First thing we did. They’re bound but unharmed in the basement and are waiting for you to deal with whenever you please.” Cora jutted her chin towards the food. “Now eat. I’ll join you in a minute.”

“Do you need help?”

“Eat, McKinley,” she replied with a stern set to her eyes.

She left as Aless nearly spit out her wine from laughing. As the door closed behind Cora, Aless sighed.

“I think she’s doing okay, but she hasn’t slept much. She’s been working nonstop trying to get the manor put back to the way it was.”

I shook my head and ate a bit before I answered. “We can repair the manor easily enough, but it’s about time we started work on building a new home. I talked to Bernard about it, and I figure the Plague District is as good a place as any to build our new home.”

Aless shrugged. “This place suits our needs just fine, and now that Crescent Thorn is gone and with Captain Bernard on our side, there’s no one who will come looking for us here.”

“For now. But this was always a temporary home…though it’ll do until we get the headquarters for our guild set up.”

Her eyes lit up, and she turned to me with a bright smile on her face. “We’re starting a guild? Really?”

I nodded. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but yeah, if Cora sticks around, then it would be wise to have an official organization in place.”

Aless downed her wine in a gulp and thumped the glass on the table. “What are we going to call it? A guild has to have a name, after all.”

I chuckled as I dug into my stew. “It’s way too early to start thinking about names.”

“Should start working on some ideas, though.” She smirked as she picked up her fork. “I’ve actually been thinking about that idea too, and I have some already in mind.”

“Later, Aless. I promise.”

She nudged me with her elbow, and we ate in silence until Cora came back in a few minutes later.

“Rhys wants to see you,” she said as she grabbed a bowl and made her food.

“I’m sure he does, but he can wait. I’ve got more important things to do today. Namely, nothing. I’m taking the day off.”

She nodded as she sat down and fixed herself a bowl of stew.

“What about the Jackal?” Aless asked. “Don’t you need to meet with him?”

“Yeah. We need to get some form of leadership in position, and soon. The queen won’t wait forever. But it can at least wait until tomorrow.”

Aless shook her head. “Well, good luck with it whenever you do go. I’m staying far away from that psycho.”

“That’s fine. You should probably check in with your Prowlers anyway. And we need to pick a solo contract for you to take soon, okay? For your official blooding.”

“Already?”

I nodded. “You’ve still got a lot of training ahead of you, but you took down two assassins and survived. You deserve the chance to undertake your trial.”

She smiled and leaned over to kiss me. “Okay, we can set it up later this week. I’ll see you both later.”

She left, and then it was just Cora and me.

I’d already finished eating, but I didn’t want to get up and leave just yet. I knew Cora would open up when she was ready, but people reacted differently to killing someone, and she’d killed twice.

I was sure it weighed on her.

“You did good, Cora,” I said softly. No more than a whisper, but I knew she heard every word.

She stopped eating and just stared at the bowl in front of her. For a long time, she just looked down at the stew, her eyes glassy and unreadable.

“You were right, y’know. I wanted to be a part of this, but I didn’t want to kill. Not really. I tried to convince myself that I did, just to belong here, but I didn’t.

“And yet I killed not once but twice. I don’t know what to do…or who I am after that.” She turned to me, and tears filled her eyes. “How do I put myself together again?”

I stood up from the bar and walked over to her. Every step was a gunshot in the silent room, and she flinched at the sound.

My hand went to her shoulder, and I stared into her eyes that were looking for answers I didn’t have, that no one had.

“You can’t.” I shook my head. “That’s not how it works. You can’t kill without pieces of yourself falling away and shattering. And when that happens, there’s nothing you can do to remake who you used to be.

“You can only pick up the pieces that remain and reforge yourself with what you have left.”

Cora was silent for a long time after that, lost in her turbulent thoughts and emotions.

It was on her to overcome this and to figure out who she was in the aftermath. It was easier on some than others, but for her, as decent of a person as she was, I knew it was going to be hard.

“Aless and I will be here for you if you need us,” I said and left her to fight her internal struggle alone.

There was a lot I had to do today, and I didn’t want to do any of it. I wanted to go back to bed and sleep for a week.

But that wasn’t on the table. I couldn’t just rest. I had too much to do.

Need to go to Vohra and let Angela, Christoff, and the others know what happened. I should also go see Terrance. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve seen him, and I want to see if he can make some new gear for me. I should also talk to Bernard and meet this Jasper. The Jackal of Vohra.

I brushed my hair back.

It was going to be a busy day. And in truth, it was probably going to be a busy few months as I had a lot of work to do to get everything up to my standards.

I opened the doors of Blackfall Manor and stepped outside as the sun beat harshly against my skin and the muggy atmosphere permeated around me.

Things were finally looking like they could settle down for a little while. I knew things would get hectic and chaotic in the coming months, which meant we had a lot of work to do to prepare.

A lot to do and very little time to do it in.

Sounds like a challenge.

As I stared out towards Vohra city, I grinned wide at the city so full of opportunity and promise.

Best get started, then.

End of Volume 2

Thanks for Reading!

Thank you for reading my second volume of Isekai Assassin. It means the world to me that so many people have enjoyed the series. Though I really don’t know the meaning of light novel. This was supposed to be only 90,000 words, yet it ended up at 110,000. 5000 more than book one. Though a lot happened. And a lot is going to happen in volume 3. Vohra City is in for a lot of changes and Elias must face off against the strongest person he’s ever had to fight before.

Volume 3 should be out around August, so look for it around then. If you enjoyed this volume, then I implore you to please leave a review. Reviews are the lifeblood of an indie author, and each one helps. You can even leave a rating now, which takes seconds instead of minutes.

Thank you regardless of if you leave a review. I’m grateful that you gave my book a chance.

─Grayson Sinclair

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