the taunch anthology book 1: mez and rasia
TRANSCRIPT
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Mez tapped his foot out of frustration. Not his usual calm self, the
rogue was quite upset with the current trail of events that had reached
him to this conclusion. Only a few months after being released into the
world by the dventurer!s "uild #nown only as $aunch, Mez had already
performed less than adequately on his last two missions and most recently
had his original partner, %are#, a fellow rogue, reassigned to a more
lucrative area while Mez was sent to be sent to another assignment with adifferent partner.
nd Mez #new the truth of the move, it was a demotion. lateral move to
a less lucrative area with probably little wealth to be gained from
reputation. $here was only two things that $aunch cared about, building
reputation in the far reaches of &aerun and earning gold, most of which
was collected by the more senior members of the guild as dues for favors
and other assistance while adventuring.
Mez sat at the corner of a bar in a small inn at a settlement on the
outs#irts of a region un#nown to Mez. 'e had been travelling many days
and shown wear for his woes. 'e wore a blac#, short brim hat with a once
white now turned brown from dust and grime band going around it. brown,low cut shirt covered his leather armor that adorned both his chest and
legs. 'is blac# pants were muddy and worn, showing frayed edges that
brushed at the tops of his brown leather boots. (ehind him flowed a blac#
)ac#et with that stopped )ust above the top of his boots. *t mainly
served the purpose to conceal the + daggers he #ept along his bac# in
sheaths attached to a belt that belted into his shirt. $he first two of
these daggers pointed outwards )ust below Mez!s shoulder blades. $he
other four sat )ust above the small of his bac# also facing in a manner
that would ma#e it easy for Mez to go from a calm posture to hands on the
hilts of his weapons in a blin# of an eye.
Or so he though anyways. pparently $aunch believed %are# to be the
superior rogue, and therefore sent him to (aldur!s "ate to pursueopportunities there. hile $aunch usually allowed most members to
adventure freely and would only appear when it was time to collect dues
or pass information, there are times where the needs of the guild would
necessitate the strategic placement of members. lthough usually such
assignments entailed see#ing strong, young, ambitious and most
importantly potentially powerful members to attend one of their various
academies spread out across &aerun dedicated to training these recruits
in the ways of the guild and to hone their gift that was discovered by
their recruiter.
&or Mez it had been his deft hand at acquiring one such recruiters bag of
gold right from under his sash that started his path that has now led him
to sitting in this very inn, awaiting the arrival of another guildmember, who was probably also found in a similar way. -our life or your
death, you decide. Mez remembered the guild member telling him as he
stared down the pointed end of the most amazing sword he had ever seen a
man carry. lthough Mez was only years of age then, he was one of many
orphans who ran the streets of his town getting food and coin any way
they could. Orphans to the ever growing threat right outside the gate
that #ept most of the humans of the #eep on the correct side of the
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walls. (ut every human city was intimate with war, Mez!s was no
different.
hile the guild member always #new Mez was approaching him from behind,
could feel the child!s mischievous intent emanating off his eager frame,
he instantly too# note to how quiet this one!s approach was, for one his
age and of no formal training. /o his e0periment a success, seeing thechild had the potential to ma#e a fine guild member, he allowed him to
ma#e a go at his bag, and promptly punched him in the bac# of the head as
he tried to ma#e his hasty retreat down an alleyway, sending him
sprawling to the ground. $o deny me the coin for food is death anyways,
what does it matter and he spat on the ground close to the man!s feet to
emphasize his disdain towards the situation.
Mez touched himself on the nec# as he vividly remembered then the man
wal#ing right up to him and pric#ing him right below the chin with the
tip of that magnificent sword. (lood dripped freely from the wound and
down the sword and to the ground. %o you not desire strength1 $he
strength to not have to beg for your meals1 $he man calmly spo#e to Mez
as he ad)usted his position to come eye to eye with him from across thesword. ould you rather my sword or a feast celebrating your entrance
into a world you never #new open to you slide into your throat tonight1.
2 years later and Mez had never eaten so well still. $hat ne0t day he was
on the bac# of a horse and within a tenday he was training at the $aunch
/chool for 3ogues.
*t was the approaching sounds of footsteps that bro#e Mez out of his
silent contemplation. 'e loo#ed up from his glass, still half filled with
the ale that was originally poured for him an hour earlier, as a human
figure strolled through the entrance. woman of no particular interest
other than the fact that she was a woman at an inn which typically only
seen men patrons due to its secluded location in a town where the farmers
probably were required to fight on a regular basis without the protectionof an army. /he wore a full length wizard!s robe, blac# fading to white
as it flowed to the ground, si0 intertwined dragons was the design
stitched across the chest of the robe. Mez #new this design to be the
symbol of his secretive guild, to see it boldly worn out in public was
unusual to say the least.
$he rogue turned bac# to the bar, and at that moment he was the only man
in the establishment not eyeing the stranger who had )ust entered. /he
sat at a position across from the three sided bar from Mez, two chairs to
the left as the emissary from the guild e0plained. /he loo#ed up at him
from under her upturned hood. %eep brown eyes loc#ed with his, the wizard
then willed them to change color in the blin# of an eye to one blue eye
and one red eye, then bac# to brown. $hat was the signal, Mez #new, notthat he needed it with that robe she was wearing. 'e flashed a hand sign
to silently notify his soon to be partner that he had ac#nowledged the
signal and to continue with the ne0t phase. /he gave him an inquisitive
loo# which meant to tell Mez that she had little understanding of what he
had )ust signed. 'and signals had recently been incorporated into the
training of the various schools of $aunch after e0tensive research was
done into the history of the drow elves by the guild. lthough their hand
signs were nowhere near as comple0 as those used by the drow, it did
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serve its purpose in communicating quic#ly and silently. *t seemed
unusual that a guild member wouldn!t #now the intricate language, but it
also seemed unusual for a guild member to wal# into an inn where a covert
meeting was suppose to ta#e place wearing guild attire. 'e began to
wonder, if she was actually an imposter.
'e threw down a few copper pieces for the drin#, and made his way to thestairwell that would lead to the room that the guild had set up for his
meeting. 'e gave not a glance to the wizard, in case this one proved
indeed to be an imposter, he didn!t want to give any clue to his
suspicions.
Mez sat in a corner of the small room that was adorned with a bed, table,
and chair. thic# layer of dust coated the entire room, while it appears
to be used often, the room seemed to haven!t been cleaned in a long time.
'e gave a side glance to the bed and could only imagine how many germs
and various bodily fluids it contained. shudder went down his spine and
he turned his focus bac# to the door. $hrough the door strolled the
wizard from downstairs, Mez felt comfortable that the small size of the
room allowed him the advantage in case this wizard did in fact end upbeing an imposture. 'e sat with his arms crossed at his waist, his hands
only inches away from the hilts of the daggers located on the top of the
small of his bac#.
$he wizard stopped right in front of Mez, only two strides from the
entrance, and bowed gracefully. ell met, Mez the 4nremar#able. Mez
winced at the sound of his official title with the guild, one he felt he
unfairly earned during schooling. *ndeed.... he motioned for her to
also give her name. 3asia the &iredancer she promptly responded with a
wide, disarming grin.
3asia sat and removed the hood of her robe, e0posing long, bouncy, bright
red curls. /he wasn!t as dar# s#inned as him, but she had a tan tint toher comple0ion as if she had also came from an area of perpetual heat and
sun. 'er eyes had changed to a lighter, hazel color, the beauty of which
wasn!t diminished by the various scars and cuts she carried along her
face and arms. 3asia was also a human, he noted, and also of young age,
she couldn!t be a day over 2 Mez thought to himself has she sat down at
the chair ad)acent to his, her curls bouncing playfully and her smile
beaming.
*ts not often that you see human wizards, especially one as young as
yourself, Mez s#eptically commented. ell unli#e you rogues, wizards
aren!t actually considered released from school when we begin ta#ing
assignments, she e0plained * will have to return to school from time to
time to receive additional instruction. *!m e0cited to start our firstmission together though, when do you thin# $aunch will contact us ne0t1.
3asia was eager and bubbling full of e0citement.
&irst mission, Mez mouthed under his breath. 'e didn!t li#e the sound
of that, although he was relatively new to adventuring, he didn!t li#e
the idea of ta#ing on a fresh fish from the school. t second glance, he
deduced that the robe she was wearing was probably school uniform. 'e
also wore a similar pant and vest combination when he was in school but
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discarded it immediately after being released. 'e loo#ed bac# up at her
get rid of the robe he announced after a few moments of silence.
hy1
-ou attract attention, our )obs are usually easier if we attract less
attention.
(ut are we not here to build reputation1 3asia as#ed, and for the firsttime since they met, scrutinized the rogue that sat before her. s with
Mez, she was also not told anything about the meeting other than the
details of how they would identify one another and what to do once that
identification was made. 3asia had e0pected to be teamed up with a senior
wizard as most apprentice wizards usually were until her field training
was complete, so she didn!t e0pect Mez to be sitting at the other end of
that bar that evening.
Our )obs are easier accomplished when done so with discretion, Mez
replied coldly and in a way that would end any further discussion on the
topic. 3asia gave him a stare that edged on threatening, then she rose
and slowly removed her robe, e0posing her s#in tight leather breeches
that accentuated the curves of her hips and thighs, a red blouse thatbuttoned from top to bottom that matched her hair. 'er arms showed many
scars and burn mar#s then what Mez originally noticed on her hand, nec#
and face. /he wasn!t slender, but her build was athletic for a
female.$ight leather boots completed the outfit, Mez also noticed a small
blade attached to her an#le running along the boot. 'e had never seen a
wizard carry such a weapon, which only made him question the abilities of
his partner that much more.
&or someone who has seen no battles, you sure seem li#e you!ve ta#en a
hit or two, Mez smir#ed as the words left his mouth. ell it is #nown
that mage training is more, uhm, intense, than that of the rogues, 3asia
returned the smir# which then erased the one off of Mez immediately.
hich only made 3asia begin laughing.
* see you two are getting along already, a strong male!s voice entered
the room but his presence was not #nown to either Mez or 3asia. 3asia
immediately dropped into some semblance of a defensive posture. lthough
she didn!t reach for her sidearm, her hands shot out wide and she began
mumbling the first verse of a spell. Mez remained seated, unmoving,
unthreatened by the disembodied voice. %o they not teach you anything
about real operations in that school of yours1 Mez said to 3asia, the
whole question dripping with condescending sarcasm. 'ow do you thin#
$aunch communicates with adventurers on the road1 'aw#1 as he said that
Mez stood and faced what 3asia now noticed to be a growing shadow in the
corner of the room.
figure wal#ed out of the shadow, much smaller than the voice led on to
be. halfling, wearing the finest blue and yellow cloth armor 3asia had
ever seen. (londe hair flowed down around his uncharacteristically
slender face which made his bulbous nose stand out that much more. hich
the halfling was obviously proud of since he possessed various loop,
stud, and dangling rings all along the nostrils. hen the halfling turned
to regard Mez his blue and yellow cape flowed perfectly as if it
magically e0tended not to impede the halfling. 'e wore rings on every
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finger on his hand, some of them glowing, but outshined by the bands of
what appeared to be gold and silver. lthough 3asia!s #nowledge of
magical items was still elementary, she deduced that each one of those
rings had magical properties. nd as if to complete the ensemble, in his
left ear the halfling possessed more rings of various shapes and types.
*ncluding one that dangled from his ear lobe and seemed to get lost in
his hair.ell met, $aunch, Mez bowed, although the tone of his voice betrayed
his obvious feelings of disdain towards the halfling. 'umor me Mez the
4nremar#able, why is it that %are# has achieved such greatness since
leaving the school, yet here you are, dirty, smelly, an embarrassment to
the guild. hy do * waste my time assisting you1
Mez remained in his low bow, his face blushing with rage. 3asia, who by
now had stopped spellcasting and now was )ust watching, recalling what
she was told by her mentor before leaving to meet her first partner. /he
#new that every guild member was given a guild title after being released
from the school and it would only change when a new one was earned. /he
#new Mez to only be a few months ahead of her in adventuring so his title
was li#ely his first. /o what did he do in school to earn such an abysmaltitle1 pparently whatever it was continued to follow him because this
seemingly high ran#ing member of the guild was tal#ing down to him as if
he was on the edge of e0pulsion. /he hoped his luc# didn!t rub off.
ahh yes, because $aunch is forever charitable. nd * couldn!t stand to
see you waste the talents that we spent so hard training you to perfect
so you can go out and support those who would want to follow in your
footsteps,
nd those who have, it would seem. Or are all those rings you wear
spoils of war. %id you pull each one of those off of a corpse of a man
you #illed $aunch1. Mez dared to say, still in his bow.
Most, the halfling chuc#led, he held out his hands and began admiring
them although * admit a few are gifts from strong adventurers. Oh much
stronger than you Mez the 4nremar#able * assure you. $his one for
instance, the halfling held his arm straight out so it rested right
under Mez!s bowed head, with the other hand he pointed to his pin#y to a
spar#ling silver band with small stone set in it. (ut it appeared to be
more than a stone, inside the stone waves appeared to be splashing bac#
and forth. $his one was acquired by the great %are#5 he stopped
suddenly and loo#ed up as if to recall something very important, than a
smile appeared on his blemish free face and his blue eyes began to
spar#le. Oh, has no one told you %are#!s new title1
3asia was beginning to feel insulted for the stoic Mez, who was standingthere ta#ing a verbal beating for a reason un#nown to her. /he began to
step up and stand up for her new partner but before she could get a word
in the halfling dramatically snapped a hand up towards her and no words
came out. t first panic swept over the wizard until she realized that
all sound had ceased around her, the boards didn!t crea# when she wal#ed
and the heavy breathing of Mez was silenced.
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* am tal#ing now6 boomed the halfling, although there appeared to be no
e0tra effort in his speech. /urely f the room hadn!t been magically
silenced the boards would of shoo#. %are# averider the "oblinbane6, he
continued at the same volume 'e is growing a great name for our guild
and you wal# around loo#ing li#e a street urchin barely able to pic# a
poc#et.
slew of retorts came to Mez!s mind at that moment. lthough it didn!t
matter since he was magically silenced anyways. 7onsidering that he was
use to receiving more lectures than praises in his short time as a
professional adventurer, he was use to the tactics used by $aunch!s
emissaries to e0press the anger of the organization.
"et to &allcrest in Nentir 8ale, he continued in a calmer but still
magically enhanced voice, we have little invested in that region. /o if
you mess up there won!t be much to clean up. "row our reputation and earn
some damn gold so you can pay dues. Or else you will earn your dues by
way of volunteer cleaning services for one of the brothels we pay for
information. nd put a damn uniform on, never again do * want to see you
not wearing an item of clothing that has our brand on it.
$he halfling held out his hand with his palm down and from it dropped two
pac#s and two sets of clothing appropriate for a male and female human.
blac# and red travelling )ac#et the same length of Mez!s was included. On
the bac# of it, the si0 intertwined dragons that made up the guild!s
symbol. "uarantee this is the last charity you will receive from us Mez
the 4nremar#able,. s he finished the sentence, the dar#ness around him
began to spread again, and soon breathing was heard in the room again.
Mez stood bac# up to see a confused and e0asperated 3asia staring at him.
nd you should get a move on, it appears you have company... the
disembodied voice of the halfling remar#ed but sounding as if he was much
further away.
as that Master $aunch16 3asia suddenly blurted out. 'ardly, )ust an
emissary, he replied.
(ut you referred to him as $aunch
-ou are are required to refer to all emissaries of $aunch as $aunch,
there will is the will of the organization, their word the word of Master
$aunch himself. *t not always the same person, but their entrance is
always the same. /ome are nicer than others, he!s one of the nice ones.
'im1
ell when you aren!t on a cold strea#
$hats what you call it1
Mez!s response was interrupted by the sounds of 9 pairs of feet heavily
stomping down the hall but in an attempt to silence their footfalls. (othadventurers stopped and listened to see if the footsteps would stop at a
room further up the hall. $he reservation of a room at the end of the
hall was not an accident. loud and self5defeating /hhh from one of
the people approaching confirmed that the halfling was correct in his
advisement on his departure.
3asia!s hand began to glow blue and Mez!s hands went to the hilts of the
daggers on the top of the small of his bac#. Oi6 little brat. we #now
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you bought yaself a wench. be a good lad and open the door so we can
parta#e on ye tab or else we!ll open it for ye and neither of ye wal#s
out with any coin at all, lewd laughter echoed down the hallway. Mez
heard the thug press his head up against the door as if he was waiting
for a response. Mez responded by throwing one of his daggers into the
door, it went right through and stuc# into the face of the thug. hush
came over the hallway, it was obvious that the other thugs in the hallwaywere reconsidering their current course of action. 3asia loo#ed over to
Mez, her mouth wide open in a dumbfounded e0pression. Me nodded towards
the door ell, are you going to do something1 he calmly pointed to her
hand, still glowing blue, and bac# at the door. Oh...right she
stammered.
$he door was blown off its hinges by the force of 3asia!s magical bolt.
$he thugs fell bac# to shield themselves from the fragments of door
flying at them, but they hadn!t even unsheathed their swords by time Mez
let loose another the daggers, each stri#ing center mass on each of the
thugs. Mez and 3asia slowly strolled out their room, pac#s on their bac#s
with the newly acquired clothing hastily strapped on top. Mez began
removing the daggers from the corpses. $he original thug loo#ing theworst of the bunch, the dagger penetrated right through his ear, and if
that didn!t #ill him instantly the e0plosion surely did. 'e laid on the
floor with his head twisted around so that it was facing his bac#. 3asia
turned away from the grotesque sight and noted that Mez had already
replaced the four thrown daggers and had two more daggers with larger
hilts in his hands. * thin# its time for us to leave, Mez remar#ed and
started wal#ing bac# towards the stairs.
$he loo#s on the faces of the patrons remaining in the inn verified Mez!s
fear that the e0plosion had been too loud and that the entire inn was
aware that a battle had )ust too# place. $he growing shouts and sounds of
chairs being shuffled about followed them as they left and hastily wal#ed
down the street.
$hat magic bolt of yours was entirely too loud. hat did * say about
discretion1. Mez snapped at 3asia as they wal#ed down the hill towards
the residences that led to the intersection that the town was built
around. $he town proper mainly consisted of small, flat, story houses.
Off in the distance amongst the rolling hills farms were placed, larger
houses could be seen dotting the tops of some of those hills. $he town
itself only e0isted as a trading point where two ma)or trading routes
intersected. $he intersection itself contained a small mar#et.
-ou didn!t even have to #ill him6 e could:ve ta#en them in hand to hand
combat. Maybe their threats were a bluff, 3asia retorted with equal
venom in her voice. Mez turned hard on her and stared her directly in theeye. *f you spend your life guessing the truth behind bluffs instead of
acting upon them then * assure you that life will be a short one,. Mez
said with all seriousness
..says Mez the 4nremar#able 3asia responded unceremoniously, as she
crossed her arms across her chest. Mez scowled and turned to continue
wal#ing down the hill. Mez noticed that in the short time it too# them to
wal# down the hill, many more houses shown candlelight than earlier. $he
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evening grew late and he #new such a small town wouldn!t have so much
activity going on unless an event of interest had )ust occurred. ;i#e
the murdering of four of their own by outsiders.. he said to himself out
loud as he stopped to regard their surroundings again.
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/ure enough both men began to approach her from behind as a third
appeared from the side of a small shac#. 3asia began to channel another
magic bolt to stri#e the guy until she noticed the dagger stic#ing out
from behind his head. /he snatched the dagger out from the bac# of the
man!s head as he continued his zombie li#e, wide eyed stroll to oblivion.
$he man must of had no idea of where he was or what had transpired but a
few seconds later he fell face first into the dirt to die, eyes stillbulged.
Mez dropped down from a rooftop and plunged a dagger right into the nec#
of the farmer who hadn:t yet drawn his sword. $he one who did sensed his
aerial approach and instinctively but his blade up to bloc# the attac#
and managed to stumble bac# and out the way. ith the dagger buried deep
in the nec# of the twitching farmer and the other dagger free, Mez began
approaching the other farmer with the body dragging behind. $he farmer
threw a straight thrust as soon as Mez was within range but Mez used the
farmer!s fallen comrade as a flesh shield. /o while it felt as if he had
made solid contact, when the farmer loo#ed up from his blow he only saw
the bac# of his friend, his sword driving right into the spine.
Mez ripped his dagger out of the man!s throat and spun to place it in the
throat of the other but he was suddenly )olted bac# by an un#nown force.
bright searing light and intense heat is all Mez #new for those first
few moments. 'e retreated behind a few houses and stumbled to the ground.
'is feet shoo# and teeth clattered, every hair on his body felt as if it
was standing on end. /o this is what it feels li#e to be shot by
lightning Mez said outloud, to the pile of horse shit he began to brush
off the front of his shirt. 'e leaned on the wall and attempted to gain
his composure. 'e needed to get bac# out there and assist 3asia, he #new,
but as he too# his first step, his #nees buc#led under him and he hit the
ground again.
3asia followed the strea# of bright light to its source. plain loo#inghuman male standing on a rooftop about two buildings down from the
intersection. /he let loose a magical bolt his way and went into chanting
as she sprinted to the left to ma#e space between her and the other
farmer who was now approaching her since Mez had been ta#en out of
commission. $he farmer made chase as 3asia moved towards the building
closest to the mage to gain cover. 3asia spun bac# around when her bac#
was to the wall of the structure to see the farmer coming straight on
sword in hand and 3asia with no way of defending herself. $he spell she
had channeled was too dangerous to use is such close quarters and she
hadn!t yet prepared any more magic bolts. /he never imagined her
adventuring career would end so early.
*t had to fly true, and it did. Over two merchant booths the dagger flewend over end, its final destination being the side of the face of the
farmer that was chasing 3asia. $he farmer fell bac# and howled in pain,
his thrust being cut short by the dramatic turn of events. 3asia stared
down the length of his short sword. *nches from her chest, if for only a
brief moment before her attac#er fell over, she saw her death staring her
right in the face. s the farmer fell over in swears and protests she
retrieved his dropped sword and placed it through his chest before he
could begin to recover. moment of elation swept over 3asia, a bright
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smile beamed across her face. $hat is until her first #ill loo#ed bac# up
at her. $he man loo#ed so pathetic, even without the dagger in the face
and being covered in blood, she thought. $his man was no great warrior or
evil villain or goblin#in on the other end of the sword she held. >ust a
man, who probably had no idea that these outsiders would enter his home
on this day and end his life. "reat grief came across 3asia at that
point. /he watched the man!s final moments, the e0tinguishing of thatlast flic#er of life behind his eyes. /he )ust stood there then, she
didn!t notice the lightning stri#e go soaring past her.
Mez dive rolled hard and bro#e into a sprint as the wizard disguised as a
peasant continued to stri#e bolt after bolt in an attempt to incapacitate
the nimble rogue. Mez slid behind a building right as another blinding
flash struc# at the corner of it, blowing debris and rubble down the
alley Mez had retreated into. Mez was sweaty and bleeding from multiple
small wounds. 'e was breathing hard and hadn!t the willpower to recover
himself from the trash and wood he found himself under. *f that wasn!t
the worst of it he began to hear the cursings of many angry males ma#ing
their way towards his location, probably ready to blame the outsider for
the damage to their house way before the resident wizard he thought. 'ehad no idea if 3asia was o# or if his dagger had reached in time or if it
had even struc# true. /he might be dead, he thought. hile that thought
didn!t sadden him, he was regretting how he was going to e0plain to
$aunch how he managed to get his fresh out of school wizard #illed within
hours of their partnership.
here!s the rat6 e!ll run a pi#e up his arse for bringing trouble to
the crossroads,
$here was another one too, a female, where did she go16
&ind them6
$he shouts from villagers mar#ed the awa#ening of the entire village.
>anir, the wizard who had engaged the pair in combat ?and as Mez e0pectedthe resident wizard of the small colony@ smir#ed as he hopped down from
the small building that had served as his command point for the ambush.
'e had a general idea of where he had downed the rogue and was going to
move in to finish him off and have first dibs at any spoils5of5war.
$hen he would move to loot the corpse of that female that he watched
disappear under the building with one of his thugs, never to come bac#
out. Maybe if she wasn!t dead yet he would have his way with her before
#illing her, he thought and his smir# turned into a full on smile. >anir
#new his worth to the small community that had appeared only in the past
few years. &irst as a security bloc# sent out by the local nationstate to
secure the road from bandits and to open it for more lucrative trade.
=ventually the security turned out to be as dirty as the bandits they
were hired to defend against and the law of the land became to listen towhoever had the most power. /o easy it was for >anir to wal# into town
and display his magical prowess and immediately find himself a high
ran#ing member of the corrupt local militia.
-ou should of let my boss rape her, the mage began to spea# aloud as he
strolled down the alleyway, confident that he was in close pro0imity of
the rogue. $hey would of had fun, she would of had fun, *!m sure they
would:ve let you watch, >anir began to laugh at that statement. 'e wore
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a lewd smile on his face, -ou #now you might of even been able to )oin,
after they were all done of course, but instead, here you are, about to
die, )ust li#e that wench6
>ump6
$hats all 3asia had to say, she #new. /he #new Mez had been watching herapproach from the rubble. /he #new he would be ready to react when she
gave the signal, maybe it was their training or her growing confidence in
a man who had saved her life twice that day. (ut at that very instant Mez
leaped high and far into the air. 'e twisted and turned into a somersault
onto the nearest rooftop right as 3asia let loose a &ire blast down the
alley, >anir had nowhere to run, and no spells prepared to protect
himself. $otally caught off guard, he didn!t even manage to get a scream
out before he was incinerated.
3asia stared down the alleyway in awe, a small tear found itself on her
face as she watched the hus# of the man once #nown as >anir fall away to
ashes. (uildings on both sides of the alley had caught fire and the
sounds of approaching villagers were upon them. ;ets go6 Mez screamedas he threw his hand down to 3asia. wa#ening from her daze she reached
up and grabbed it and they sprinted from rooftop to rooftop out into the
night and out of the settlement.
$he sun was high in the s#y before the pair stopped moving. $hey had ran
the trail for the few hours of night that remained and then too# to the
wilderness as the sun came up, ta#ing detours and doubling bac# a few
times to cover their trac#s. $hey finally made camp at the edge of a
treeline. 3asia fell out on her bedroll immediately after setting it,
while Mez too# a position in the trees to maintain watch and apply
bandages, although he was asleep only a few minutes later. 'e awo#e hours
later to the sight of 3asia preparing some of the rations from their
pac#s, the sun hung low, sunset was almost at its end, he realized.
'ave you healed1 e should eat and get on the road soon, 3asia said as
she loo#ed up to Mez. *!ll live, Mez responded as he hopped down from
the tree. 3asia and Mez e0changed stares, at first a short glance but
then immediately re5met for a much longer time. 3asia!s e0pression was
blan# and unreadable. Mez began to scowl, but then realized that she
wasn!t angry at him, but she wanted him to say something, but he didn!t
#now what. (ut Mez #new that loo#, he #new it very well. 'e )ust hoped
that whatever caused it, 3asia would come bac# to her wits soon. 'e hoped
she would handle it better than he had.
$hat was a very lucrative trade area, * want to #now what happened, avery angry half5orc leaned over to a come eye to eye with a much smaller
by comparison human who was on the brin# of urinating on himself in fear
of angering the boss of their band of bandits. th5th5 they burned it6
he barely squea#ed out. $he small camp shuffled around nervously, #nowing
the murderous rage possessed by their leader 4dogold interclaw. 4dogold
grabbed the human by the nec# and lifted him from the ground with one
large, grotesque, misshapen hand that was attached to a
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disproportionately large arm. 'e began to squeeze the human who then
began voiding his bowels for all to see.
O#, well lets try it this way. * want to #now who these impertinent
fools are who waltzes into M- territory, burns down one of M-
storefronts, destroying M- rightfully stolen gear and still draws
breath6 4dogold screamed at the human, with each my he violently)er#ed him by the nec#. (y the end of his rant, the human was surely
dead, limp in the infamous claw 4dogold possessed. 'e threw the human to
the ground with a great enough force that he bounced along the ground and
came to a stop at the feet of a doppelganger. &ind out, 4dogold said as
he settled bac# down in his chair adorned with the s#ins of various
goodly races. $he doppelganger bowed and wal#ed into the night, his
mission clear to him.
AA
Now communicate to me that you will be ta#ing my left flan# and i need
to push forward to draw the enemy out, Mez communicated to 3asia as they
marched down the road. 3asia replied by flashing various hand signals andMez nodded with approval. $hey had been on the road for three days since
their encounter in the corrupt town that ended with many of small farming
and merchant town dead and half the town in burnt rubble. $heir hasty
retreat made it impossible for them to procure horses for their long
)ourney to &allcrest and $aunch, their dventuring "uild, was not pleased
with what happened that evening and decided to punish them by not
allocating them any gold or rations until they made their final
destination. Mez wasn!t happy that 3asia hadn!t #nown any of her hand
signals at their initial meeting and too# the long wal# as an opportunity
to catch her up on the sub)ect matter. =ven though 3asia had a grasp on
the intricate hand signals after the first day of non5stop training.
-ou #now we can stop this now, * have it, *!m not a slow learner, * )ustwasn!t taught, 3asia said with a bite in her voice. $he newly partnered
duo weren!t e0actly fond of one another, but they understood that they
were going to have to wor# together and wor# well if they were to gain
prestige and recognition within their guild. (esides, 3asia continued
we haven!t said a word to each other in three days, this silence is
maddening. /houldn!t we be learning about one anotherAA
hy1
$he strongest teams are built through camaraderie and trust.
%*d you )ust quote that out of the "eneral /tudent Manual1
Of course, you don!t #now it1
Mez let out a full on belly laugh, and Mez was not the type to laugh.
$hat whole boo# is dribble, it:s full of bedtime stories and principles
that they use to get the young members e0cited about their indenturedservitude they are destined to face.
-ou should be more grateful, you wear their clothes, fight with their
gear, and eat their food,
$he accuracy of 3asia!s statement was right on point. $hey were both
wearing matching uniforms of $aunch. Mez in his blac# pants, shirt and
boots over top his leather armor was traditional and generic enough, but
the floor length traveling coat he wore was blac# with red trim and on
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the bac# was the symbol of their guildB si0 red dragons intertwined.
3asia!s apparel was almost identical in design, but she )ust wore her
wizard!s robe and her leather armor. $he si0 daggers Mez wore along his
bac# under that coat was also issued by $aunch, but as Mez!s stomach
began to growl, he was reminded of one amenity that their guild wasn!t
providing for them.
*f you so believe in our leadership then tell me why we are wal#ing all
the way to &allcrest with no gold or horses and only enough rations to
last us, oh i don!t #now, -=/$=3%-6 Mez screamed the last word with
much emphasis at the slowly lightening s#y. *t was pre5dawn and the late
fall chill was biting at them already. 3asia!s long, curly bright red
hair blowed hard in the breeze while Mez #ept his hat in his pac# so that
it wouldn!t blow off bac# down the path. $here was no rebuttal from
3asia, as she too hadn!t ate well since they began their )ourney,
s#ipping many meals to ma#e their first encounter on time and eating as
little as possible to ration the last of their food until they were able
to come upon more. =ven with such rationing, the prior evening mar#ed the
last of their provisions, and it wasn!t a hearty meal.
ell it was punishment for destroying that town bac# there, 3asia began
saying after a few moments of silence. Oh yes the town that wanted to
rape and #ill us in our own bedrolls, * weep for them. Mez sarcastically
chimed in, which to his surprise, drew a smile from his partner. ell
our )obs are to grow the reputation of our guild across the land as a
good entity whose goal is to e0plore and protect, not to burn down
farming villages, innocent or otherwise,she commented with a smile
beaming on her face. Mez stopped wal#ing and regarded 3asia, who in turn
faced him. %o you really believe that1 'e as#ed with a serious
e0pression etched on his face. *ts in the Manual, she responded. Mez
shoo# his head and continued wal#ing e should have stuc# to hand
signals, he muttered under his breath, not low enough for 3asia not to
hear him.
(efore the sun reached high into the air, the pair reached the fortified
city of $rafford. lthough it was much larger than the settlement they
)ust left, $rafford was considered considerably smaller than other
fortified human cities. Mez and 3asia gazed upon the wooden ramparts
dotted with watchtowers with relief. O# we need gold and
transportation, 3asia stated.
O#, you get us gold, *!ll procure transportation.
'ow do you plan on doing that1
*!ll ambush some travelers on the way out the gate, *!ll meet yoAA
NO6 3asia!s eyes flared blue and red, Mez noticed, and bac# to their
brown hue as she shouted her ob)ection. $here will be no unnecessary
#illing today, 3asia started breathing fast, visibly agitated. Mezobserved her for a few moments and then responded O#, &iredancer, his
voice full of contempt -ou get the transportation and * shall get the
gold. Mez began to wal# off after the proclamation in the direction of
the city. nd how will you do that6 3asia called out to him. ithout
turning to face her, Mez responded with a simple wave and continued his
wal#.
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flustered 3asia wal#ed down the bustling main street of $rafford. /he
chose not to enter the city with her rogue companion after their
discussion. * could use some time away from the blowhard anyways, she
thought to herself as she allowed the aromas of coo#ing meats and freshly
prepared breads and pastries into0icate her. /oon enough she found
herself inside one of those shops, a restaurant that also had a large
array of into0icating weeds and herbs available. $he ceilings were highto accommodate the perpetual haze of smo#e that floated above the rela0ed
patrons. 3asia #new this was the place to grab a free meal, with a little
charm and a little more magic, she thought and smiled as she gazed over
to a table full of old men who loo#ed a tad bored.
Mez ran from rooftop to rooftop without regard, this is where he felt
most at home. crobatics training was where he e0celled. 'is talent was
not due to any naturally given ability, li#e everything else he did it
too# more practice than the average student )ust to become proficient.
(ut unli#e other topics of instruction, Mez truly en)oyed acrobatics. 'e
loved the feel of the wind against his face as he moved at high speeds,
the incredulous loo#s he would get going across the roofs or performing a
rather difficult maneuver. 'e loved even more when those people didn!teven #now he was there. ;i#e a shadow against the wall that disappeared
)ust slightly faster than it was noticed. ;eaving the witnesses wondering
if they had seen anything at all.
'owever, this was not the case today. young human girl, no more than C
years old, watched Mez intently. $he doppelganger chose his form well,
because if any adult, or even a boy of the same age, would of watched Mez
with the same intensity, he would of too# notice almost immediately.
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/houts and claps ensued, and 3asia couldn!t of wor#ed them better. /he
was eating and drin#ing well, but also she too# note of who was paying
special attention to her minor talents. 'er show had served a dual
purpose, because while she was rela0ing and having a good time with the
men, she also #new that in a town of this size, a wizard could always get
what they needed as long as the right people #new they were there. /he
also #new there might be others who might want to ma#e a name forthemselves by eliminating her. (ut she hadn!t used any magic in days and
was well prepared for any misguided thugs that may venture her way.
drin# for ye, from master dwarf, the well endowed waitress announced
as she plopped a mug down in front of 3asia and pointed to the other end
of the room where a male and female dwarf sat. $hey didn!t appear to be
warriors from their loo#, 3asia thought as she lifted her glass in their
direction. $he male and female dwarf both smiled and raised their glasses
in response, in a blin# they downed those mugs and were already slapping
down coin for more. $he dwarves were barely visible over the multitude of
mugs that sat upon their table, but from her vantage point, 3asia saw
that they were dressed more e0travagantly than the average peasant. $hey
both wore rings and )ewels on their fingers and their clothing, while notoverly e0pensive, definitely showed a higher level of craftsmanship and
detail than the typical garb of the region.
/eems li#e she had a new friend to ma#e she thought to herself as she
rose up to approach the table.
Mez watched with amusement as a pair of young street thugs shoo# down a
man passed out in the alleyway, obviously from too much drin# the night
before. $he boys were not aware of his presence, perched D stories above
them hanging under a balcony of one of the larger structures of the city,
his legs tuc#ed so that his whole form would be hidden in the shadow of
the structure, $hey pulled a few bronze coins from the man and Mez shoo#
his head $oo small, he muttered out loud. 'e thought bac# to when he
was one of those street urchins, sha#ing down drun#s, pic# poc#etingvisitors to his town and disappearing into crowds and down sewers before
they even #new their purse had been pilfered. 'e #new 3asia was right, he
couldn!t )ust ta#e from peasants the way he use to, if for no other
reason than he was better than that now. 'e thought he would be more
suited ambushing a lightly protected caravan or snea#ing into the camp of
some highwaymen and #illing them in their sleep before utilizing their
campsite for the evening. No one ever missed highwaymen.
/o he!s not the protective type, good to #now is what the doppelganger
was thin#ing as he laid face down in the alley. 'e had hoped that his
drun#en helpless victim act would entice the would be hero into action
and an easy ambush. 7hanging forms multiple times a day too# its toll on
the creature and he was too fatigued to continue at the pace he wasgoing. 'e was going to need to ta#e a different approach, the
doppelganger thought. 'e rose up from his prone stance in the alleyway
and began to meander onto the main street, playing the role of a drun#ard
to its fullest, #nowing that Mez was probably still watching him. 'e
didn!t want to blow his cover, not yet.
ell met, 3asia bowed and the two dwarves motioned for her sit at an
available pillow across from them. ell that:s yet to be determined, now
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isn!t it, the female dwarf remar#ed, eliciting laughs from the male
sitting ne0t to her. =ase up on the young lad, she probably hasn!t even
seen her second decade, the male dwarf replied and e0tended a hand that
appeared to be stic#y from spilled beer. =ither way she shoo# it but
wiped her hand down her robe as she sat but smiled to disguise her
disgust. $hose parlor tric#s * saw ye doin over there, ya got more
lethal ones1 the female dwarf cut right to the point. /he leaned overand loo#ed 3asia right in the eyes. /he willed her eyes to turn blue and
red momentarily ?which was actually their natural color, not the hazel
color that she would magically apply when in public so not to elicit
unwanted attention@ and then changed them bac# before responding few,
enough you could say,. $he female dwarf leaned bac#, seemingly
unimpressed, but the male with her was so startled that he shot ale
though his nose and started laughing again. (wahaha, * bet there!s some
real fight in this one, he leaned over to regard the wizard, * can
tell. -eah that better be all that you!re tellin! the female dwarf
responded that )ust made the other dwarf laugh all the harder.
e!re leading a caravan south and we require security, you want the
)ob1 the female dwarf as#ed bluntly.%o you go past the Nentir 8ale1 $hat is my final destination,
Ours as well,
hat does it pay1
E gold each for you and the three others we have hired,
Others1 3asia remar#ed. * have a partner, the pair of us are more than
capable of providing security for your caravan, and we will do it for F
gold each,.
$he two dwarves put a serious loo# on their faces. e have 9 wagons, 2
men, and plenty of gear to protect. $he road we are going to travel will
be difficult, highwaymen have been attac#ing almost every wagon that
leaves this post. -ou e0pect us to leave our lives and our gear in the
hands of an amateur wizard and a partner that we!ve never met1 $he maledwarf was no longer laughing, the e0pression he wore was grave. 3asia
leaned in close with a sly smile on her face,e are adventurers from the
$aunch guild, she spo#e barely above a whisper. 'er e0pression shown
that she e0pected the dwarves to be awe struc# and ta#en bac# but instead
the dwarves were unmoving. (ah *!ve seen some o! ye type. lways getting
#illed trying to ma#e a name for themselves. -ou can bring your partner
but only if you split your portion of the gold with him. -ou $aunch guys
are usually more trouble than you!re worth, the female dwarf stated.
*f that is the deal you are offering, then we accept, 3asia smiled and
stood, hiding her anger towards how the dwarves spo#e about her guild.
$aunch was everything that she #new, everything that she cared about. $he
nonchalant way Mez had dismissed the core principles earlier had heralready on the defensive, now her new employers already had a disli#e for
her because of her affiliation. $he dwarves stood up and introduced
themselves, Nororin the male said, =ilella, said the female as they
both returned 3asia!s bow with a small of one their own. Meet us on the
main road going south right before the gate preceding dawn, you!ve
already met our drivers, =ilella pointed over to the table 3asia had
been sitting at earlier and the men all threw their hands up and shouted
a cheer of sorts before drowning their ale, a few ta#ing pulls from their
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herbs. $his is going to be a fun trip indeed 3asia thought as she let a
small smile brea# on her face and she returned to the table where her new
friends, and responsibilities, were ordering another round.
$he sun wore heavy in the s#y when Mez spotted the pair. couple of
nicely dressed dwarves whose poc#ets were bulging with coin coming out of
one of the more upscale eating and drin#ing establishments in the area.'e #new that he wasn!t the only pair of eyes on the two, thats what he
was hoping for. hat he didn!t e0pect, was to see himself in the alleyway
intersecting the dwarves path, poised to stri#e. Mez stared in disbelief
as he saw an e0act replica of himself hiding in an alleyway and not in
the stealthy way that Mez usually did. %espite his loo#s, this character
before him did not possess the same s#ill in stealth as he. Mez bounded
from rooftop to rooftop to try and get a better angle on the imposter but
not in time he thought as the doppelganger hopped out from behind his
post on the side of the stone structure and appeared in front of Nororin
and =ilella, daggers out and twirling threateningly in his hands.
$he two dwarves threw their hands up in front of the fa#e Mez as if in
surrender. (ut from those hands came a bright light, and against the dar#bac#drop of the setting sun it was bright enough even to blind the real
Mez who was on a rooftop opposite from the one the fa#e Mez had been
hiding behind. hen his vision read)usted, the dwarves were already out
of sight and the would be thief was stumbling bac# into the alleyway,
still appearing to be blind. 'e )umped down from his post and let a
dagger fly towards the bac# of the assailant. hether it was luc# or
instinct Mez was not sure, but the imposter managed to get his dagger up
to deflect the throw and continued to stumble away and around the corner
of the bac# of the building. Mez made all haste to get around that corner
but when he arrived he saw no one, his twin was nowhere to be found. Now
this is an interesting development, he said out loud before turning to
scale the nearest wall to get a better loo# of the area.
hat Mez didn!t #now was that there was no way he was going to find the
doppelganger, who was now in the sewer scurrying along on his belly in
his newest form of a rat. $he assassin was angry and e0hausted, he did
not anticipate having to shift again between forms, and especially from
one foreign species to another without shifting bac# to his original
form, which too# e0ceptional stamina. Now he was stuc# as a rat for at
least the evening. (ut he couldn!t be too upset, he #new the town guard
would now be loo#ing for him. nd being the outlaw that he is, the
doppelganger #new Mez would put up a fight and hopefully be #illed. *f
Mez was apprehended, the doppelganger would simply shift into a )ailer
the ne0t day and end his life from the safety of a )ail cell. 'e had him
chec#mated, the doppelganger thought, but what he didn!t #now is that he
had caused many more layers of difficulty for the rogue that night thateven Mez was not aware of yet.
s night fell, 3asia was hoping that Mez had obtained enough gold so they
could at least secure a room in an inn that night, but she hadn!t seen
him since earlier in the day. /he was e0cessively inebriated and barely
able to stand, the world spun around her but she was still able to ta#e
note of various young buys pacing her from behind the various structures
that lined the narrow streets of $rafford. /he began muttering the
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beginnings of her fire blast spell while preparing both hands with
magical bolts, )ust in case. *t too# her so much concentration to prepare
spells that she had been practicing since her first days at the mages!
school that she didn!t notice the tall, fully armored elf standing right
in front of her. /he bumped into him head on and bounced off of his pate
armored chest and fell to the ground. /he loo#ed up at him unsteadily and
then with a scowl, and then sic#eningly as she began vomiting all overthe elf!s freshly shined plate armor boots. ell met.. the elf said
sarcastically as he shoo# his foot off to the side of them ..* see even
in this state you can tell that you are being stal#ed.
3asia loo#ed up to ta#e in who had addressed her, tall and statuesque the
elf stood, with long flowing hair, pale s#in and ears and nose equally
pointy. 'is eyes shone a light, almost reflective blue hue that glistened
off his silver armor even in the starlight. large sword was strapped to
his hip and a steel shield across his bac#. /o * suppose you:re the hero
who has come to save me1 3asia managed to say as she used the elf!s hand
and then shoulder to ease herself bac# to her feet. -ou #now what:s
easier than fighting these low rent thieves1 show of force, and what:s
a stronger force than that of numbers1 'e spo#e as he helped her steadyherself. 3asia smiled but then said -ou #now * have enough force to
handle a few children with rusty swords, before starting to wal# past
him. 'e grabbed her arm and tuc#ed it under his ell then may * have the
honor of escorting you bac# to your room1 he as#ed sweetly but with
enough force to convey that it was more of a suggestion than a request.
-ou #now there!s an outsider starting trouble on the streets tonight,
everyone is on high alert for a rogue in a blac# and red coat who has
been using magic to sha#e down wealthy vendors. $here!s already rumors of
a bounty, 3asia then snapped her arm away from him and said &irst of
all * don!t have a room, secondly if there is money to be made on the
street tonight * shall )oin in the hunt, gold isn!t e0actly flowing from
my poc#ets right now, then she turned and faced all about while
screaming -ou hear that you nasty little street urchins, *!m bro#e, gohunt elsewhere before you become the hunted6. /he breathed heavily, her
bouncy curly red hair having fell all over her face she loo#ed vicious
indeed the elf thought. Maybe we can help each other.... the elf
motioned towards her. 3asia, she said as she turned bac#. $he elf
stared for a second before bowing down low >ohan, well met
3asia..beautiful eyes, very e0otic, 3asia realized that in her drun#en
rant she must of allowed her enchantment that changed her original eye
colors to slip. /he wasn!t about to let this G>ohan! #now though that her
concentration was so hindered that she couldn!t even maintain a low level
enchantment such as that, they needed gold, and this guy seemed a
suitable temporary replacement for the temperamental Mez. Maybe he would
even invite her bac# to his room.
Mez moved from shadow to shadow, building to building as he too# note of
the heightened level of tension and e0citement that wafted through the
air. 'e #new that he was a hunted man once again. Once again stuc# in a
situation that isn!t his fault. n obvious setup but by who1 wannabe1
'e wasn!t that famous he thought. s a matter of fact he was sure that he
wasn!t #nown at all in this region. =0cept in that last town.. he
mumbled out loud. /o it would seem that trouble had followed them and
that he and 3asia might be in danger. 'e had to find her immediately, if
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they hadn!t already gotten to her he thought to himself as he began to
move with more urgency.
(eing that they were only a bloc# down from his current location, it
didn!t ta#e long for Mez to locate the duo of 3asia and >ohan strolling
down the street. nd he didn!t have to get close to tell that 3asia
definitely wasn!t herself. ho was this heavily armored elf she wasconversing with he thought to himself. 'e dropped down behind them and
made his silent approach. 'e didn!t desire to accidentally startle the
elf with the long sword and ris# getting cleaved in half, so he was sure
to call out 3asia before he came within reach.
Mez, too# you long enough, * have a new partner now, she remar#ed in a
slurred voice as she threw her arm over the shoulder of >ohan and a giant
smile bro#e out on her face and they both turned to face the rogue. >ohan
drew his sword and pointed it at Mez before saying -ou are the scoundrel
that is being hunted in the streets tonight, yield or draw your weapons.
Not this again, where did you find this loser, eh1 * grow weary of being
chased from towns under false pretenses, before 3asia could respond to
the inquiry >ohan had set his sword in motion and was unslinging hisshield. Mez duc#ed the overhead swing and quic# stepped bac#wards and
even hopped bac# a few more steps to gain distance from the charging elf
warrior. 'e reached bac# and launched two daggers from his shoulder
sheaths that thudded hard into the upraised shield of >ohan, generating a
loud clan#ing noise as they did. 'e followed up by running low towards
>ohan e0pecting him to drop his shield in defense. 'e was shoc#ed as he
too# to the air in a great leap to somersault over the head of >ohan that
the elf!s shield was actually up in the air ready to bloc# his downward
thrusts. Mez made direct contact with all three stabs to the shield but
quic#ly threw his head and chest bac# to avoid a straight thrust that
came within a breath of his nec#. 'e bac# pedaled and found himself
standing ne0t to 3asia. t that moment Mez smelled why 3asia seemed so
incoherent. little too much of the ale eh1 %amn roo#ies, can you atleast help me out here1 hy is this friend of yours attac#ing me1 Mez
shoo# 3asia to snap her out of her stupor but she only responded with
more vomit, which Mez quic#ly )umped bac# to avoid having sprayed all
over him.
/he isn!t going to be any help he thought to himself as >ohan renewed his
charge. Mez readied himself to parry another stab from the sword the elf
was carrying but the act was feigned and instead >ohan shield bashed Mez
and he fell bac# many feet, barely able to hold his balance. $he world
spun for a moment and blood flowed from Mez!s nose. $hat was e0actly the
opportunity >ohan was loo#ing for but as he moved in to stri#e, 3asia
grabbed him by the arm. ait, she spo#e, Mez stood up straight and was
about to sheathe his daggers thin#ing that the assault would come to anend once 3asia vouched for him , * have some words for this one /he
said and began to approach her partner. /o, your idea to ma#e money was
to rob somebody eh1 No wonder they call you 4nremar#able, )ust a common
thief, she continued and Mez gripped at the hilts of his daggers hard
and his palms blanched from squeezing so hard. hile *!m out getting us
legitimate wor# providing security for a caravan you:re out sha#ing down
innocents, >ohan seemed to ta#e interest in her last statement and Mez
noticed that sudden piquing of interest. $he two met eyes and 3asia!s
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rant continued well *!m done being chased out of towns than#s to you,
the ne0t time $aunch contacts me * shall tell them that our partnership
didn!t wor# out, ;eave me, she said with conviction, although slurred
heavily. $hey don!t wor# li#e that 3asia, they shallA Mez began to
e0plain but with a dismissive waving of the hand she turned around and
wal#ed bac# towards >ohan.
*t wasn!t until then that Mez glanced around and noticed that a crowd had
gathered to the sounds of fighting and more than a few were beginning to
draw weapons. 'e came at >ohan on a straight sprint, and >ohan came to
meet him, thin#ing that he was about to attac# 3asia from behind. Mez
used that to his advantage, #nowing that the elf wouldn!t ris# swinging
that longsword from out wide with 3asia so close he e0pertly predicted
the shield bash and spun around the elf instead, hoo#ing 3asia by the arm
and ta#ing her along for the spin. (efore 3asia managed to get out hat
are you doing1 Mez had already sheathed his two main daggers, reached
down and snatched up the others that were lying on the ground from
earlier and was halfway up a wall and on a rooftop ma#ing all haste for
the nearest gate. /houts of protests erupted from the bystanders and even
a few arrows were heard by Mez as they hopelessly stuc# into the side ofthe wall he was already up and over.
>ohan watched Mez go over the wall with passing interest. 'e was a lot
more interested that the young, beautiful mage that he had came upon by
chance on the road was to leave on the same mission as him at dawn. %id
that charlatan tric# you into )oining him1 No matter, he!s gone now he
said to 3asia who was still staring over the wall dumbfounded. >ust a
common thief, and a #iller, that!s all he is. * never wanted to partner
with him anyways, she spo#e without even facing the elf.
* would ma#e chase but we have to rest, we have to be up early in the
morning. -ou may sleep in my room tonight if you so desire. ll of us are
rooming together tonight, >ohan made sure he wal#ed right in front of3asia to grab her attention and avert her gaze from the rooftop.
4s1
$he others hired by Nororin and =ilella, you are the fourth, aren!t
you1
/he paused momentarily before finally saying -es, * am the fourth, lets
go meet the others shall we1 *f the others are anything li#e you then
this will be an en)oyable mission indeed, she smiled and too# his arm
and they wal#ed off while the rest of the onloo#ers were already pursuing
the fleeing Mez. Only one bore witness to the conversation the two had
)ust e0changed. &rom the grates of a nearby drainage ditch a rat sat with
his head po#ed out. 'e had watched the entire fight actually, and #new
that his )ob would now be much harder with his two assignments now
splitting up. lthough he had a feeling that if he stuc# close to one,the other would eventually go to the other. (ut there was nothing the
doppelganger could do until he couldn!t change out of his current form.
'e #new that the two would probably get a whole day ahead of him by
carriage before he could pursue. (ut to a creature who could change into
a flying animal whenever he willed, no head start would be enough.
s soon as Mez was clear of the wall that guarded $rafford he let his
rage play out in full. 'e shouted and stomped and threw his daggers into
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a random tree in the middle of an empty field. 'e was livid. hy was it
that everywhere he went he was treated as a criminal when it was never
him doing anything wrong1 nd now it appeared as if there was some vile
creature going around imitating him and ruining his reputation. *f that
didn!t beat all, once again he was stuc# with a partner that had no sense
of loyalty or discipline. ho gets drun# while on mission, he thought to
himself as he continued to stomp and #ic# dirt around. 'e #new that hecouldn!t )ust leave 3asia to her new elf friend and move on, $aunch would
punish them both severely if they )ust decided to reassign themselves. 'e
decided that he would stay close to her until she could see the error in
her ways. /he did mention that she was heading out with a caravan, all he
would have to do is watch the gates.
'e felt as if no matter what he did he would never escape his reputation
as a thief, and e0pendable rogue of no importance. *f thats how they all
felt then he decided thats how he would behave. $rue to a rogue, he would
do what it too# to survive and not hesitate to do otherwise no matter
what the moral implication. 'e saw a campfire not too far off in the
distance. 'e had no intention of being cold and hungry yet another night.
'e felt sorry for whoever he would come across in that camp. $hen hestopped and thought about that last sentiment, No * don!t he mumbled to
himself and began moving faster, daggers drawn.
AA
H/o we:ll ma#e for the trail at first light. s sure as the beards on
their faces those dwarves will leave the southern gate at the same time.H
Hhy:s that boss1H squea#ed a diminutive half5orc from across the
campfire. $he much taller, muscular orc who was previously spea#ing stood
tall and strode through the small circle of bandits around the campfire
to stand before the still #neeling half5orc. H*nterrupt me again and *:ll
cleave you in half,H the orc spo#e clearly and evenly, more so than mostof his #ind. $he #neeling half5orc did not loo# up, but loo#ed down
towards the feet of the imposing figure. 'e loo#ed there because that:s
where the tip of the barbed broadsword rested. /et )ust behind and to the
left of the leader of the bandit camp. H:*:m sorry sir6H the half5orc
proclaimed as he threw himself at his leader:s feet. $he orc replied with
a swift #ic# to the face with is armored leather boot which sent the
unfortunate half5orc sprawling into the dar#ness. $he two smaller orcs
and the two goblins that were still #nelt around the campfire began
snic#ering amongst themselves.
H%warves are predictable,H the orc spo#e aloud as he strode bac# to his
original spot in the circle, Hthey will leave at dawn because nighttime
is too dangerous and any later than dawn would be a waste of travelingtime,H H$hat:s whyssss weez fight with you *anroar, weez #nows yous a
smartie,H one of the two goblins equipped with hand crossbows identical
to the one the half5orc was also carrying. H$hat:s incorrect Ilel, you
fight with me because * allow it,H *anroar glared menacingly at the
goblin while refraining from further violence.
*anroar:s confident rant continued for many minutes, enthralling his
band. $he group grew so e0cited and an0ious for battle that they didn:t
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hear the whistle that cut through the air. Nor did they realize
immediately when one of their orc brethren fell bac#wards dead with an
arrow stic#ing out of his forehead. $hey stomped around the campfire
hooting and hollering while another one of the orcs was silently pulled
into the shadows. *t wasn:t until the shadowy figure leaped from behind
the two goblins, burying daggers into the base of their s#ulls, that
*anroar and the last remaining orc from the band of bandits realized thedoom that had befallen them.
Mez yan#ed the two daggers out of the s#ulls of the two goblins and
stared down the remaining orcs with murderous intent. $he one orc
unsheathed his sword while *anroar glanced around and began to surmise
the fate his comrades met. $he orc bandit charged Mez, swinging wildly.
Mez sidestepped swing after swing with ease. smile creased his lips, a
rare occurrence. Over the shoulder of the one clumsy orc, Mez spotted
*anroar:s big toothy grin as he slowly unsheathed his broadsword and
started ma#ing long strides in his direction. Not the type for full
frontal combat, Mez quic#stepped bac# into the shadows and leapt high
into the air, grabbing onto a low hanging branch before lifting himself
up on it. $he orc chasing him turned and twirled, obviously confusedabout the sudden disappearance of his target. Hhere:d the little bug
go1H *anroar questioned the orc, now appearing agitated at losing his
prey. hen the companion orc returned his inquiry with a blan# stare,
*anroar shoved him into the dar#ness Hell find him6H he e0claimed. $he
orc fell ungracefully to the ground several times as he stomped into the
deep woods in search of his target.
*anroar loo#ed down )ust in time to see the half5orc he e0pelled from the
camp area earlier lying dead with a slash going across his throat. 'is
crossbow was missing, he noted. :as this really the wor# of one tiny
human1: he thought to himself, :No way, there must be more present:. t
that thought *anroar grew tense. No one ever ventured this deep into the
woods, especially after dar#. $here must be a force in the woodspreparing an assault on his band that probably drew too much attention to
themselves. nd he )ust sent his only ally in there against them. 'e
couldn:t care less about the fate of the other orc, but his best chance
at a tactical retreat would require as many bodies as possible.
(ut *anroar was wrong. $here wasn:t a force awaiting him in the woods,
there was only Mez. 'e silently contemplated #illing the leader first or
stal#ing the other orc and silently #illing him deep in the woods before
coming bac# to finish the larger one. Mez hadn:t ate or slept properly in
many days. 'is thoughts weren:t clear but his instincts were in control.
'e wanted the campfire and provisions for himself, but he didn:t want the
same fate as the orcs he had )ust ambushed. hile it was their own
ignorance that allowed them to ma#e camp without sufficient guard, as asolo fighter, he wouldn:t have any defense against ambushers of his own.
Mez eased himself out of the tree slowly and began stal#ing the campsite
once again )ust as he did when he planned his attac#. hen the half5orc
was thrown at his feet he was ta#en off guard and forced to #ill him
immediately, but to his advantage, stealthily. 'e still possessed the
crossbow that he pilfered from the corpse that allowed him to #ill the
first orc without having to lose one of his coveted + daggers.
4nfortunately, the half orc only had one arrow on his body and he wasn:t
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too sure about being able to ta#e out the much larger orc now that he
lost the advantage of surprise.
*anroar stood at the ready, his large hands and arms managed the
broadsword with ease as he swung it around his head and body
threateningly. H*s that all you have6 %o you fear a real challenge16 -ou
should6 No one wal#s away from *anroar,H *anroar yelled into the dar#nessin every direction, hoping to illicit any sort of reaction from anywhere
in the dar#ness that would give him a better idea of who was out there
and what he was dealing with. $hen he saw it. ith a sudden leap he
landed upon the campfire, e0tinguishing it immediately. $hat second it
too# for Mez to ad)ust to the sudden dar#ness was e0actly what the Orc
was counting on to ma#e a dash into the woods. Mez could hear the
direction he went in but he hesitated in ma#ing chase. $here was no way
he could match the speed of the Orc without giving up his position and
possibly running right into an ambush. :8ery well, * have all night: he
thought to himself. 'e then grabbed what food and water he could find
from one of the pac#s along the border of the campsite before ma#ing his
way bac# into the woods on the same route that he came in on.
AA
3asia silently rose from her bed granted to her by the gentlemanly >ohan,
who elected to sleep instead in a corner with the pac#s. /he loo#ed out a
street facing window and saw it was still dar# outside. *t was the cool
breeze, the slight moisture in the air that signified the passing of
night. $he sun would be up soon and with her newly sobered mind, worry
began to creep in about her actions the previous night. /he remembered
betraying her partner. %espite how he:d been acting that day, 3asia
always considered loyalty to be her most important trait, and she had no
business not ending the fight and helping her partner clear his name.
:=ven if he was guilty: 3asia thought to herself as she let her face fall
into her hands as she let out a deep sigh.
'er hair, which naturally curled, was a frizzy mess. :$he damn dwarf: she
thought as she ran one hand through her fiery red hair and began to
recall the events that occurred after she and >ohan returned to the room.
&irst she was introduced to a 'alfling who reminded her of Mez. /he was
thin for one of her #ind but her stare was intense, not li#e any 'alfling
3asia had met before. nd another dwarf, she remembered, although in her
stupor, she didn:t remember anything about him. lthough she did remember
his greeting, a ruff sha#e of her head. /he quietly began strapping on
her leather armor, thin#ing to wa#e >ohan after she finishes preparing to
allow him some sort of privacy. $hen another memory of the night before
came to 3asia. Nororin and =ilella stormed into the room shortly after
they got there stating that thieves were about and they required a nightguard for the caravan. /he didn:t remember the conversation but she
remembered the 'alfling and %warf she had )ust met leaving with the other
two dwarves.
s she began to put her izard:s robe she too# a second to stare long and
hard at the symbol on the bac# of it, the symbol of $aunch. *n the
moonlight it loo#ed regal. ;ight danced off of the entire robe, a special
fabric she #new to avoid damage from her own spells. /he wondered when
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$aunch would visit again. 'ow would they ta#e her and Mez:s falling out1
ould they consider her rogue and come after her in force. highly
trained wizard going alone on her very first mission, what other
conclusion could they draw1
>ohan silently wo#e and his first sight was the worried loo# on 3asia:s
face. 'e stood and strode across the room to her. 3asia was startled byhis swift silent approach but then felt foolish for being so. =lves are
naturally quiet and light footed, but this was the first time seeing
>ohan in )ust pants and a t5shirt. Otherwise his large armor would have
given him away. 'e gazed in her eyes in the moonlight and said with the
utmost confidence H&ear not, we:ll encounter a few bandits at the most.
*f anything it:ll be funH. >ohan smiled hard but 3asia returned the smile
only in gratitude. hile >ohan:s assessment of her state of mind was
correct, the reason couldn:t have been more wrong. /he wal#ed past him
and grabbed her pac# from where >ohan was )ust sleeping, H*:m going to
relieve the dwarf and 'alfling so they can prepare themselves for the
road,H she said flatly as she moved out the room.
AA
*t was as dawn crested over the horizon that *anroar finally made it bac#
to the entrance to the cave where his band of bandits called home. /pit
foamed from the breathless orc:s mouth as he had )ust spent the larger
part of the evening running for his life. henever he felt he was at a
safe distance, a defensible position *anroar would feel the presence of
the phantom #iller. 'e #new that he was being watched, stal#ed, and he
had no idea where his hunter lied in wait. $he massive orc was always use
to being in charge, being the feared. 'e could never thin# of a time
where he felt the way he felt this evening. *t angered himJ *anroar
unsheathed his body length broadsword and let off a roar that echoed off
the walls of the cave. %eep into the dar#ness the roar traveled. $he same
roar that followed their band into battle so many times. $hat struc# fearinto the hearts of unfortunate travelers and craftsmen who would fall
victim to his band:s murderous ways. s in the times before, this roar
was a call to arms.
AA
Not far from *anroar:s position, Mez was hunting, but not *anroar. Mez
had confused the trail of the band leader with the other Orc who fled the
scene that night as well. (ut the light of day made the trail much easier
to follow, and by full dawn Mez was sprinting through the brush very
close to a path he saw earlier. 'e anticipated the weary Orc would rest
on the path or turn in either direction. No matter which he chose, the
chase was coming to an end, Mez could feel it. Mez wasn:t feeling muchelse. 'is body ached from days of physical activity with no rest and
little food. $his is where Mez felt most in his element. 3aised on the
streets, his parents both dying in one of many undead attac#s that had
befallen his worn torn hometown. *t was when he felt his most fatigued
that his survival instincts would #ic# in. here most would see# shelter
and rest, Mez becomes more feral and quic#er to #ill. 'is instructors at
the academy said he would become desperate under pressure, but Mez #new
the truth of it. %esperate people let their desires control their
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actions. 'e let his desires strengthen his resolve, to focus on the goal
at hand. :nd right now,: he thought to himself, :$hat goal is #illing
this orc6:
startled deer started a sprint down the path and off into the brush as
the fleeing Orc e0ploded through the brush and onto the somewhat
developed dirt road. 'e gasped heavily for air and coughed until mucusbegan falling from his mouth and nose. $he sound of a small branch
brea#ing in the direction from where he )ust came had the Orc on the
alert, sword drawn. 'e stumbled and swayed left and right, he could
barely hold himself. Mez came through the brush about E feet to the left
of where the Orc anticipated his approach. ithout brea#ing sprint he
turned towards the Orc and let two daggers fly from his hands. $he Orc
was too slow to respond and the daggers buried into his left arm. 'e
snatched them out his arm and tossed the daggers to the side )ust in time
to parry a straight thrust from Mez.
Mez bac# peddled four or five steps and drifted to the Orc:s left. $he
Orc snarled at Mez who wore a straight face. No emotion, not even
fatigue, could be seen in Mez:s e0pression. $here was only purpose. $heOrc grew enraged at the over confident rogue and came across his body
swinging his sword from up high. Mez unsheathed his two daggers on his
shoulders and used them to bloc# the blow. *n a blin# Mez was no longer
under the swinging Orc but behind him. $he sudden shift in momentum sent
the Orc sprawling forward. Mez pivoted on his heels and threw both the
daggers he was holding into the bac# of the falling Orc. $he wounded Orc
lurched forward and let out a guttural scream. 'e managed to catch his
balance before hitting the ground and he turned to face the rogue
although he could feel the blood filling his lung. Mez unsheathed his two
main daggers, which were slightly larger than his throwing daggers with
more sturdy hilts, and approached the Orc at a quic# wal#ing pace with
his arms out wide.
$he Orc smiled and lazily swung his sword from side to side as if to
entice the rogue to attac#. Mez wal#ed within stri#ing distance of the
sword and slashed at the throat of the Orc with his right hand dagger.
$he Orc threw his head bac# to avoid the blow while thrusting at Mez:s
e0posed front leg. Mez:s left arm shot down and the ring of metal on
metal contact went through the air as he bloc#ed the blow with his
dagger. /tartled floc#s of birds flew from their perches at the tops of
the trees of the surrounding forest. $he noise of so many birds ta#ing
off at once was deafening. Mez used his slashing right hand to grab the
sword arm of the Orc and he threw a right #ic# to the head of the Orc who
was winding up for a punch. $he stunned orc fell bac# and Mez spun around
and threw a #ic# with the other foot, #noc#ing a tooth from the Orc:s
mouth. $he moment Mez:s foot made it bac# to the ground, he shot botharms forward in a low double thrust that impaled the Orc:s stomach and
stopped his bac#wards motion. $heir eyes met one last time, not even an
arm:s length away. $he Orc saw the steely glare of Mez one more time
before he snatched the daggers from the Orc:s gut, tossed them into a
bac#wards grip, and slashed across the Orc:s throat in both directions
simultaneously. (lood sprayed all over Mez as the Orc:s head went
bouncing down the path. $he body fell to its #nees, as if to concede. $he
woods grew silent again as the last of the birds flew off. Mez quietly
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sheathed his daggers and went to the tas# of collecting his throwing
daggers and searching the body.
AA
%ozens of goblins and a handful of orcs congregated at the mouth of the
cave *anroar traveled to. $hey all stood impatiently as *anroar continueda combination of berating the band and firing them up for a fight against
whatever phantom had chased him from the woods. H..hen will it be you
who is #illed in his sleep1 Or you1 -ou want those pin# s#inned mil#
drin#ers attac#ing us at will1 $hey don:t fear us because they don:t have
a reason to. e hide from their city guards, attac# the wea#est of the
lot, and end up with more bodies than loot. ell *:ve had enough6H
*anroar was trembling with rage. =ach question he as#ed was accentuated
by slicing his sword through the air, dangerously close to the first
goblins to come out of the cave. 'is minions #new that this was a
different *anroar, that the last time he got that fired up they attac#ed
and too# the cave they were currently staying in from a different band of
bandits, humans. 7onsidering that the group as a while rarely met all at
once in once place, the band was e0cited to get passed the lecture tofind out what they would be ta#ing ne0t.
H...that caravan is carrying precious cargo. Or else they wouldn:t have
bothered with an advanced party, find it and bring it to me or else don:t
come bac# here,H *anroar stated with a snarl on his face. $he band
erupted with noise and many of the horde was already ma#ing their way
across the hilly landscape to the slopes that would bring them to the
main path.
hat appeared to be an eagle flew about a mile over the scene. *n
actuality, it was the same doppelganger that caused so much trouble for
Mez in $rafford. ith eyesight capable of spotting a field mouse from
many miles away, the doppelganger had no problem assessing the currentsituation. 'e watched the orcs and goblins charge through the open, roc#y
brush from an inconspicuously located cave and in the direction of Mez,
who was standing over a dead orc only a mile or so away from the
approaching force. 'e wasn:t sure if Mez heard them or not but he began
moving quic#ly, bac# into the woods that surrounded the road running
through it. $he very same woods that was about to be overrun by about D
dozen blood thirsty creatures.
$he doppelganger had no intention of landing and approaching Mez in a
territory so hostile, :(ut * cannot allow *anroar:s smelly bunch to #ill
4dogold:s prey.: $he doppelganger was well aware of the rivalry that
e0isted between the two clans. 4dogold was once a member of *anroar:s
clan well before they acquired the cave they currently reside in. (ut afailed attempt at a coup left 4dogold and many of his followers wandering
the wilderness in the depth of winter. $he doppelganger was not under the
employ of 4dogold during that trying time but the few survivors that are
still within the clan would proudly describe the horrific conditions and
inhuman acts they would parta#e in to survive the trial.
$hose orcs were now high ran#ing members of 4dogold:s clan and their
strength had grown cons