Chapter 12

Feet whispering over the ground as he scaled the forested slope, Konrad Martin scanned the trees ahead of him for signs of the Demihumans and Magical Beasts that made the mountains of The Blister their home. The trickle of the nearby brook accompanied his steady breaths and the night air grew cooler with his steady ascent.

It was the ninth such journey that he had made; his ninth commission for the same basic task. The work from the Engelfurt Adventurer Guild eventually had Konrad reporting to Enz, where even more of the same awaited him. He wasn’t the only one there – dozens of Rangers were being sent to scout ever closer to The Blister.

A fresh gust of wind rose around him. He stopped to take a deep breath.

The sharp scent of conifers. Damp, rotting vegetation. A hint of sulphur.

Konrad looked above to the clouds that seemed so close that he could reach out and run his fingers through them. His destination lay just beyond, at the end of a path that took him further than he needed to go. The commission he had taken only asked that he check the southern slope of the mountains south of The Spill, halfway to the treeline.

The sound of falling water grew over the wind. Dense undergrowth opened up into a shallow pool at the base of a fifty-metre cliff. The brook he had followed up the ravine cascaded from above, coming down from some unseen source between the peaks above. Konrad knelt at the water's edge, reaching down to rinse the grime of his journey away. There he remained, thinking over what he had seen.

Tall, evil figures, clad in wicked black plate astride dark mounts with fierce crimson eyes. A long procession of Undead skirting the notice of the city of Enz, heading towards the Imperial Army encampment southeast of the city. Even from a distance, he could feel how dangerously powerful they were, and, with the sight of the Imperial Knights escorting them, the strange events of the past few weeks finally made sense.

The flurry of reconnaissance work wasn’t the lead-up to a Green Dragon coming out of The Blister as everyone had surmised. With the help of the Sorcerous Kingdom, the Empire was mounting an assault on The Blister.

He wasn’t sure who would win, but he certainly wasn’t going to stick around and get caught in the fighting. Win or lose, there wouldn’t be much work left for Adventurers anyway. Either the Empire would be in ruins or the Undead would replace Adventurers, Workers and other sorts who found a niche in the nation’s security efforts. There was no future for anyone who made a living that way.

The Sorcerous Kingdom had taken the wilderness to the west and the Empire – if they survived – would have complete dominance of the lands within its own borders. Nothing could stand in the way of the unrelenting march of development and progress once that happened. What remained of nature’s balance would crumble away and Konrad wasn’t interested in what would happen next.

With the money from the long string of jobs of the past few weeks under his belt, he was ready to leave with his kin. But first, there was one last thing he had to see to. A debt, perhaps…or maybe settling a score. No, it was best to say that he was performing one final duty to his ancestral home before saying farewell.

A half-hour passed before a figure appeared out of the darkness, lightly stepping down a path concealed from below the cliff face. Konrad rose to his feet, but he still had to tilt his head up to meet the figure's gaze.

Standing two hundred-eighty centimetres tall was a Beastman with a Hyena’s head. Its rounded ears swivelled as it came to a stop, nose testing the air. It held a warbow as tall as Konrad was, though, considering the Gnoll’s height, it might more rightly be called a shortbow. After it seemed satisfied that its surroundings were secure, it turned its bestial gaze down at him.

“Martin.”

It was a harsh, inhuman voice, but distinct enough to be recognised as female.

“Took you long enough,” Konrad said. “Getting dull?”

The Gnoll snorted, powerful jaws snapping together.

“Hardly,” she said. “The sentries spotted you well before you arrived. You have come about something we have already sensed. Something is wrong. Too many of your kind have appeared, ranging high into the mountains. Searching. Why?”

“Change is coming.”

“What change?”

“The Empire has a new master. They’re throwing off their old chains.”

“Chains?” the Gnoll snarled, “Her Eminence has been lenient to your kind. How many generations have thrived under her protection? Well, I suppose this should be expected of Humans. The weak are easily swayed. Disloyal.”

“Better to bend than to break,” Konrad replied.

“Your mother would have resisted this change,” the Gnoll noted.

“Our people can no more resist this change than we could resist an inferno sweeping over the mountainside. If you saw, you’d understand. They have powerful new allies now. Undead ones. My people and yours have shared these forests for centuries, but the bucket heads don’t know how to share and they don’t listen to us. This is all that’s left that I can do for the land.”

Bitterness tinged his words. The Gnoll narrowed her eyes. Incredulity filled her voice.

“You…are leaving?”

“There’s nothing left for us here,” Konrad replied. “This Empire…it’s not the Empire anymore. They’ve forgotten their roots. Forgotten all the different people who rose and threw off those damn invaders from the east. They’ve become what we fought to free ourselves from. More farms. More mines. More cities. They don’t care about anything else. Now, they have what they need to change everything. The Empire that my family served is dead.”

“Where will you go?”

“I don’t know. Away. To Karnassus or beyond. I hear people are more sensible out in those parts. This place only becomes more savage with every generation. They’ve become sick; crazy – they honestly believe that they’re the only people who matter.”

“I see,” the Gnoll sighed. “Then do as you must. As shall we. I wish you and your tribe well, Martin. As Humans, you were not bad.”

Konrad’s lip twisted. The Gnoll turned to pad away on soft steps.

They would do as they must. But what could they do? Waves of powerful Undead would invade The Blister. Even with all of the advantages that their home gave them, the result seemed inevitable.

The tribes couldn’t run. The Empire had taken everything around them. If they made a break through the plains, they would be cut down by cold imperial steel and arcane fire. All they could do was fight for their homes and pray that their ancient defender was enough to stop the invaders.

With a resigned breath, Konrad sent one last glance in the Gnoll’s direction. His eyes narrowed at what he saw, hand going to the axe at his belt as he scanned his surroundings in alarm.

There was nothing. Nothing but the sound of wind and water in the darkness and the fallen form of the Gnoll at the base of the cliff.

A slender hand came over his mouth. Konrad grunted in pain as something punched into his side. He struggled to free himself, but whoever was holding him was as unyielding as a vice.

The Ranger’s struggles faded within a minute. Tira gently laid him on the ground. She eyed the Mithril Adventurer tag over his unmoving chest. He had reacted appropriately upon seeing the Gnoll’s corpse, but being good wasn’t good enough.

What should I do with the bodies…

Burning them wouldn’t be the best of ideas. Someone would smell it or notice traces of the fire. How quickly would the scavengers work if she opened them up?

A loud thump sounded from the base of the cliff, followed by another. Shrouded in black cloth, a lithe figure hopped down after them. She raised her hand, moving her fingers with an annoyed look at the man.

–So loud.

–Not loud enough.

She sighed quietly behind her mask. It was unlikely that anyone was close enough to hear the noise over the sound of the waterfall, but it was still a risk. Now wasn’t the time to reprimand him over his actions, however.

–What should we do with the bodies?

She looked at each of the corpses, then turned her gaze out towards their surroundings.

–Take them deeper into the woods. We’ll make it look like they got into a fight. Once the scavengers get to them, any sign of our work will be removed.

–They all use bows.

–Put some arrows into those two sentries and spread them out. We’ll make the Ranger and the female Gnoll look like they killed one another in melee.

The man knelt to inspect the Ranger’s corpse. He pulled several potions from the corpse’s belt, stowing them behind his metal breastplate.

–I don’t see any coin on him. What did he get for squealing?

–Does it matter? An exchange was confirmed.

–These bastards really have no integrity. How many have we offed now?

No integrity, huh.

Tira didn’t bother replying. She reached down to pick up the warbow and snapped the string. Then she walked over to carry the female Gnoll into the trees.

Stop anyone from informing the tribes of the interior. Those were the instructions from their employer. It was best to keep things pure and simple, else they would end up compromised. It wasn’t an Assassin’s place to judge: they were tools to carry out the execution.

A hundred metres from the pool, she set down the Gnoll. After eyeing the Demihuman corpse for a moment, she knelt to check through its belongings.

It wore a coat made out of Basilisk hide, ribbed with bones from the same creature. Its bracers, too, were similarly fashioned. No gauntlets; simple leggings; no boots and no helmet. Nothing appeared to be enchanted.

She pulled off its necklace of large fangs, checking for any hollowed-out compartments. A smile crossed her lips as several of them neatly opened to reveal makeshift vials of venom. The Blister was famed for the many nasty plants and animals dwelling within it, so she couldn’t be absolutely certain what type of poison the necklace contained with a cursory inspection. She would have to sit down and take a look at them later.

There was a quiver of arrows with obsidian heads, as well as a sack of extra arrowheads tied to the Gnoll’s belt. Its dagger and hatchet were fashioned from obsidian, too. The rest appeared to be survival equipment: a flint, some rope, smoked meat and what were probably pieces for some sort of crude game.

A rustle came from behind her as her partner appeared with the dead Ranger.

–Find anything interesting?

–Some venom from the interior.

–Sounds like pretty good stuff. What else?

–not much. Obsidian arrows. Axes. Knives. Some trinkets. Only the best tribals get anything decent, usually.

–Huh. Whatever then.

The man took the Ranger’s axe and started ‘wounding’ the Gnoll. Tira went over to the dead Ranger with the Gnoll’s obsidian dagger and put in a few convincing cuts and stabs. After reviewing their handiwork, they nodded silently to one another and darted off together into the shadows of the undergrowth.

The man signalled to her as they descended the slope.

–Is that all for Enz?

–All that was reported by our contact. We should check again, just in case.

–This damn Empire is full of traitors. Did our employer say what this is all about?

She narrowed her eyes at the question. The man took the hint and focused on the trail ahead.

They arrived at Enz the following evening, running over the surface of the River Islein to the base of the city’s northern wall. After watching the patrols above for several moments, she expelled her breath and emptied her thoughts.

In an instant, Tira stepped through the darkness to appear out of a shadow on the wall. She looked over the edge before dropping into a yard on the other side and entering a nearby alley. After splitting up with her partner, she entered a modest-looking apartment that might have belonged to any journeyman working in the city.

She scrutinised the interior before pulling the black mask off of her face with a sigh.

“So tired…”

“Good work out there, boss.”

A handsome young man rose from behind a pile of papers at a small pine table. He went around picking up the pieces of equipment that she discarded and let fall to the floor.

“Any new marks?” Tira asked.

“Nothing for this job,” the man, Tydwin, replied. “At least not around Enz.”

“What about the other cities?”

“Our people working out there have been reporting back regularly. Doesn’t seem like there’s anyone they need you to take care of.”

“Thank the gods…”

How long had they been working for? Two weeks, at least.

Most of it had happened in the days leading up to and following the arrival of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s representative. Tira had been in the city when she had arrived. Considering the reputation of the Sorcerous Kingdom, the representative was a disappointment. There was no sense of strength coming off of her – just a prettied-up Noble girl probably sent to soften up the men of the Imperial Army. Going by the way the Imperial Knights acted around her, she at least had that part down.

Walking around in her underthings, Tira sniffed herself and wrinkled her nose.

“Bath. Fooooood.”

Tydwin held up an enchanted towel.

“Not that. Can’t you appreciate the value of a good, hot bath?”

“Something something an Assassin shouldn’t expose any weaknesses.”

“Even buck naked, I can still kill anyone in this city. Or everyone in this city.”

She found the apartment’s wooden bathtub and rolled it over to an open spot on the floor.

“Go get me dinner from that shitty inn with the good cook,” Tira said as she filled a bucket with water. “And no tomatoes!”

“They can’t hurt you after they’re cooked, boss.”

“Says you! I don’t want those crazy things anywhere near me.”

The young man left the apartment after arranging her equipment on a bench nearby. By the time he returned, she was up to her shoulders in steaming water. Tira scowled as he placed dinner on the table, filling the room with the aroma of roasted meat and potatoes.

“Bring it here!”

“You’re going to eat in the bath?”

She held out her arms, making greedy motions with her fingers. The young man shook his head and brought over a chair, placing the meal upon it.

“Count Enz asked if we could kill a Dragon for him,” Tydwin brought some of her equipment to the table to inspect it.

“Whih hagon?” She said around a mouthful of bread.

“The Viridian Terror.”

“Hah!” She swallowed, “Good luck with that.”

If it was an Adult Green Dragon, she could pull it off. An Ancient was simply out of anyone’s league – even for an Assassin who had stepped into the Realm of Heroes.

“Did the Count’s man say why they’re all in a big rush?” Tira asked, “I think we’ve killed off half of the Rangers and Druids in this area Platinum and above. Not that the Empire cares about that kind of thing.”

“He won’t say,” Tydwin answered, “but it probably has something to do with the arrival of that girl from the Sorcerous Kingdom. We found out she came with a big entourage of powerful Undead. They’re conducting exercises in the southeast right now.”

They were trying to oust the Dragon? That sounded like a terminally idiotic move for the Empire.

“How strong are these Undead?”

“They’re of the same types that our agents in the Sorcerous Kingdom have reported. Death Knights. Death Warriors. Mostly Death Cavaliers. There’s one type we’re not familiar with, but they seem to all be about the same strength.”

“That won’t be enough,” she made a face. “No wonder the Count asked. You sure the Sorcerous Kingdom doesn’t have anything powerful lurking around here somewhere?”

“Rumours say that there’s a Bard from the Sorcerous Kingdom travelling east along the Strand…actually, now that I mention her, we have a problem.”

“We do? Don’t tell me she’s selling out, too.”

Tydwin made an amused sound as he examined one of her bracers.

“I can’t imagine a Bard wanting to go anywhere near The Blister,” he said. “One whiff of all that sulphur and they’d go running back to the closest city. The problem has to do with a different job…one of the ones from way back when. That Bard has been flashing an old coin around, asking where it’s from and what people know about it.”

The job Tydwin was referring to was one that their organisation had been hired for since shortly after its founding. No one knew who was paying for it – only that they wanted anyone digging into the region’s past dead. It was usually easy work that consisted of silencing Sages and killing off curious Bards.

“What has she learned?”

“As far as we know,” Tydwin replied, “she keeps asking the same things in every city. It’s difficult to tell whether she’s received any answers or not.”

“Darn. I’ve always wondered what that job was about. I don’t think going after her here is a good idea with all those Undead around.”

“I agree. If she’s here for the Dragon, then maybe she’ll conveniently die for us.”

Tira leaned back in the tub with a sigh of relaxation, musing over the events coming to a head. No matter who prevailed, it was going to be an interesting show.