“I – I can explain,” Sigrid said, blushing slightly, “It’s not what it looks like.”

Frowning, Horn just said, “Oh really? Didn’t you kill that guy in his sleep? Maybe he committed suicide throwing himself at your dagger, and the rogue clothing is just your favorite suit?”

“I –“She began, when he interrupted, “Oh cut the crap, no more stories. It just makes more sense now. You stabbed me with agility and speed I wouldn’t expect from you. Your knowledge of poisons, I guess the whole deduction was just bullshit? And your performance in the arena? Now it makes a lot more sense. It was all just a play, wasn’t it?”

“No!” She exclaimed, “Not entirely. I’m not this person anymore, but it’s – it is complicated.”

“Oh, I bet it is. Will you kill me now? I’ve seen too much?” He snorted.

“No, but we don’t have time. They’ll be in here any minu-“She spoke nervously, looking at the door when it burst open. Two armored dwarfs emerged from the doorway. They took a single look at the dead body and, grabbing their weapons shouted, “Assassin! You’ll pay for what you’ve done.”

Sigrid reacted instantly. Her dagger flew through the air, digging into one of the guard’s shoulders. Thankfully they wore only leather armor, not even chainmail, as the throw managed to pierce it. The guard swore but kept going.

Horn hesitated, the guards didn’t see him in the closet, and he still had no idea what was happening. Sigrid wasn’t who she told she was, but so far, she didn’t do anything against him. Hell, she helped him win two challenges without asking for anything. She didn’t even ask for the stone. He relinquished it freely, or did he? Was her whole behavior just an act to get the stone? Was he so easily manipulated into giving it? No, he wouldn’t believe that. There was just no way in hell she was that good. The guards closed the distance, only to meet a flurry of slashes and trusts as Sigrid produced two new daggers and fended them off.

He made the decision, charged out, and slashed one of the guards in the back. The surprised dwarf lowered his sword, and it was everything Sigrid needed. Two daggers flashed and made a cross over his neck, blood began spurting, but none splashed at her. She danced away, and each movement was graceful and precise. The second guard just shot a hateful look at Horn and ran, shouting as loudly as he could, “Assassins in Master’s bedroom!”

His escape was cut short by a small crossbow bolt hitting him in the back of the head. He dropped down like a puppet with its strings cut. Sigrid was already gathering her weapons as she spoke, “There’ll be a lot more of them in here in a moment. We’ll talk but not here. Just follow my lead. Please trust me.”

Horn wanted to ask many questions, but he already heard the commotion from somewhere deeper in the building. He just nodded and followed. They’d probably fight quite a bit in the next minutes, so he cast Blessing of Might. The rush of energy spread through him as they ran through corridors. If Sigrid noticed the buff, she didn’t comment on it. Horn was surprised by the grace of his champion. She seemed almost to fly over the carpets, barely touching them. He, on the other hand, was thumping loudly. The shouts around kept closing in. Rooms just flashed around him. As he followed Sigrid, there were some stairs, surprisingly leading up.

They ran up to the roof, and heavy footsteps were following them. The rooftop was flat, with a door they fled through. Sigrid was in the lead and was dealing with a guard with a crossbow in front. Horn took a second to look back and saw a dozen guards running after them. He slammed the door and looked around for something to block them, but there was nothing. He pushed his back against it, shouting, “What’s the plan?”

Sigrid didn’t stop to answer. Instead, she kept pushing the guard. Her daggers flashed left and right, one constantly intercepting his weapon’s wooden stock while the other added another slash to his body. Horn felt someone throwing himself at the door, but he didn’t budge. He franticly looked around, looking for anything, but with no luck.” Block the door, some kind of wedge, a wedge.” His sight stopped at his axe, it should be sturdy enough, but he’d be weaponless. Deciding, he wedged it against the door, then pushed it tighter. He turned back only to see Sigrid dispatching the guard. She threw him a quick look then waved towards her.

“Follow my lead, just promise me one thing. Don’t let them take me alive, whatever happens – I beg you, not alive!” With that, she jumped over the edge. Horn ran towards it flabbergasted and saw her sliding over a rope spread towards a lower building nearby. The rope was attached just below the ledge, not visible from the top unless someone knew where to find it. He wondered how the hell he was supposed to follow when a crash behind told him that he wasn’t alone anymore. “Fuck this shit!” He shouted, jumping.

Grabbing the rope wasn’t hard, but keeping his grip was. The angle and his weight pushed him down. Each inch hurt as the rope burned his palms. He tried swinging himself to grab it with his legs to lessen the pain, but he didn’t make it with the speed and awkward position. He saw figures appearing at the ledge, one of them with an axe in hand. In slow motion, he saw the blade descending on the rope, his mind already imagining him as a splatter at the ground thirty feet below him. A second later, he was falling, cursing Sigrid, then he hit with a strength that pushed the air out of his lungs. He heard something crack, and pain erupted in his chest.

Moaning, he felt someone pulling him to his feet. His mind just restarted and started to register his surroundings. He was on the second rooftop. He made it! Sigrid was pulling him, just as a crossbow bolt thumped just next to him. He stopped fighting and just let himself be towed behind. He tried casting healing on himself, but he just couldn’t concentrate. There was this dull pain in the back of his head. Sigrid led him downstairs. They again passed through some corridors, rooms until they reached the cellar. There was a grate on the floor. She raised it and nudged him closer, then with a push, she threw him inside. He fell a dozen feet and splashed into the cold, murky water. She appeared a moment later, and a clang of metal announced the grate was slipping back onto its place.

Horn lost the sense of time and place. He felt water in his shoes, smelled foul air in the sewers, and then he was sitting against a wall in some dusty cellar. His mind started clearing, and he felt pain radiating over his whole body. He looked at his stats, seeing his health at a quarter. He cast Cure wounds and felt the headache diminishing. Checking his scalp, he felt dried blood at the back of his skull. Then it came rushing back to him, his fall, the escape through the building, the sewers. He looked around, seeing Sigrid peeking through a door at the end of stairs leading upward. The room seemed like a traditional cellar, made out of red brick, with a small lamp hanging from one of the walls. Some crates were scattered around, and a few pieces of furniture were under some wraps. A sewer grate in the middle was already closed.

He took a moment to regain his senses and checked his equipment. The axe was gone, same with the staff remnants and the crystals he gathered. His equipment was reset to the same one he entered the challenge with. Sighing, he stood up. Sigrid immediately refocused her attention on him. She quietly closed the door and came back down. He stood there patiently waiting.

“I can’t delve into the whole story. We don’t have time for that. We need to leave the city before the guard will mobilize and cut us off.” Sigrid started. Seeing his stone face, she continued, “I am a scribe, or rather I became one. After they caught me the first time, and...“ She paused for a moment looking for a word,”I received my punishment, I was taken in by Order of Quill. However, as you can imagine by our current predicament, this is not who I originally was. I was one of the Shadow Blade, assassin and thief, and we’re reliving my greatest and last failure. Originally I was captured in the room you found me, but I won’t let this happen again. Please help me get out of here, and I promise I’ll answer all questions.”

Horn kept quiet. The story seemed plausible, but how the hell did the game create something like that? Was it a response for Sigrid ascending? Was her backstory written after the fact? But then what about her skills, he’d seen earlier? The quickness of her stab in the library. The participation in the arena. It just didn’t add up. He just asked, “Why didn’t you tell the truth earlier?”

“I ju-“she paused. Horn saw her rethinking her answer, but then she shook her head and continued, “I thought this life was behind me. The moment you summoned me, I thought I couldn’t come back to this. But then you gave me the stone, and now we’re in here. I should have told you before accepting the stone, but I just couldn’t.”

“You like this life? Killing in the dark? Being hunted for who you are?”

She lowered her eyes before replying quietly. “Yes. I finally feel alive.”

“Hmmm,” Horn’s mind kept spiraling, that shy and closed down woman he knew for the past few days loved to be an assassin. The world lost its mind, or he did. However, what he learned early on in his gaming carrier, you never toss away assets. So what if she lied? So what if he couldn’t completely trust her? If she was as good as she seemed, he’d take her. Hell, he’d take a dozen. Smiling, he replied, “So be it. Let’s get out of here, and then we’ll discuss how you can use your talents for the clan. Ever thought of training others? I could use a squad of assassins.”

Sigrid raised her head with a hungry shimmer in her eyes.

“Damn weather, damn city, and damn questline,” Horn muttered under his breath as they pushed through yet another side alley. Piles of refuse clung to his boots, and the smell of medieval city during the rain was far from pleasant. He never thought something could smell so bad. Despite having sewers, he was sure that at least half of the population threw their trash on the streets.

The city itself turned out not to be a dwarven one. During their escape, he saw humans, elves, beastkin, and some other races. Probably many more, but most pedestrians were clutching cloaks in their hands. The downpour was astonishing, and it helped them a lot, explaining their own covers. Sigrid got two from the home they were squatting in. Horn didn’t ask for details or previous owners of them. He felt better thinking she just stole them.

The escape so far was smooth, there were patrols, but none seemed to look for them actively. They were already three-fourths toward the city walls. Where Sigrid claimed she knew the escape route. But then, the problems began. First of all, Horn noticed strange emptiness on the streets. There was no one in the eyesight. It was worrying. He reached to grab her shoulder, but without turning, she said, “Don’t do that, don’t look around. They’re watching us. Act casual.”

“Well, shit.” Horn muttered, then asked, “So what now?”

“There are no good places to lose them. We’ll have to breakthrough. When I start running, just follow and pray for the best.” She replied.

“Hell of a plan,” He argued, “maybe then we’ll try our luck at a lottery?”

She ignored him and kept walking. Horn tensed up with each step. He was ready to start running. He almost jumped out of his skin when something clacked in the side alley they had just passed. Then the pandemonium began. Sigrid started running, just as figures emerged from all sides. There were at least a dozen of them dropping their cloaks and drawing their weapons. They were all dwarfs, each dressed in similar black leathers, just as Sigrid’s. There was no talk, no call to surrender. They just started closing the loop. Horn ran, almost slipping on the wet pavement, which probably saved his life as a crossbow bolt whizzed just inches above his head.

Then they closed to a group closing off their way. Three dwarfs held the alley. One with two swords, the second one with a shield and a hammer, and the third had a two-handed axe in his hands. They waited, ready to jump on them. Sigrid didn’t let go of initiative. Her twin daggers flew towards the third dwarf. Horn wasn’t long behind her, already casting Fire strike. The axeman turned out to be as fast, if not faster, than the champion. He swiped his heavy weapon intercepting a dagger directed at his throat, and let the other dig into his hip. However, the one with two swords didn’t have an answer to a column of fire that hit him straight in the chest. Horn waited for yells of anguish, but none came. Only some hisses and grunts, and a second later, the swordsman hoped out of the area of the effect.

But this bought them just enough time to slip by. Neither Sigrid nor Horn slowed down a bit. They ran through the diminishing flames. However, again, Horn was surprised by the efficiency of their attackers. The two-handed axeman managed to swing at Sigrid while the hammer dwarf scored a hit at Horn’s back. The blow again pushed the air out of his lungs. He started to get annoyed at that feeling. But he gritted his teeth and kept running. However, to his astonishment, his health dropped by a quarter. The bastard had some strength.

They kept running, with the occasional bolt chasing after them when Sigrid made a mistake. She turned into an alleyway which turned out to be a dead end. For the first time, Horn saw her looking around with rising panic. He heard footsteps behind. A half dozen assailants entered the alley, blocking their way out. He looked around, looking for any weapon. Finally, he saw a piece of timber big enough to act as a club. He hefted it and turned to Sigrid, “Ready? If they want us, they’ll have to pay for that.”

Hearing that sobered his companion. She stopped looking around and just stared at him with disbelief. “We will die here, or worse.”

“No, they will die, and we will live another day. I’m the chief, and you’re my champion, and I can resummon you.”

“Would you?” She asked, with just a tiny glimmer of hope.

“Hell yeah, I need my badass scholar slash assassin at my side.” He replied with a grim smile.

Nodding, she took a look at approaching dwarves, and said, “Just promise me, don’t let them take me alive.”

“Sigrid, I can’-“He began replying,

“PROMISE ME!” She yelled, grabbing his beard,

Seeing the desperation in her eyes, he nodded. “Fine, I’ll make sure of that.”

“Then let’s give them hell. I’ll buy you time. Use your magic.” She said, walking slowly towards their enemies. She began singing something, but he didn’t recognize the words. However, their enemies had to do so as they slowed down. A few surprised looks were exchanged before someone barked a short command from the back. “Alive!”

Horn was already on his second buff. Blessing of might was already surging in their veins, and now it was joined by Inner fire. Their hair began glowing, and it made the assassins stop again. They were perfectly clumped, which was their mistake as a Fire strike landed in their midst. Sigrid took that opportunity to jump into the fray. Her voice became louder and louder as a slow, heavy song flew out of her lips. Horn joined her a second later, smashing his improvised club into an axeman trying to put out the fire in his beard. It cost him his weapon. As the dwarf recoiled from the strike to his shoulder, Horn threw himself and pulled the twohanded axe. A moment later, he was swinging it back at its previous owner.

The beginning went smoothly. They quickly dispatched a few attackers. Their buffs gave them an edge. They hit harder and received less damage in return. However, they were only two. Seconds turned into a minute, a minute into five, and they were running out of steam. Horn’s resources were almost done, he freely spent his mana rotating heals and fire spells, but there wasn’t enough of it. His stamina, despite the cost reduction from both his race and Combat proficiency, was also bottoming out. Each swing was slower than the previous, and his health was in the last quarter. Sigrid wasn’t faring any better. She was just a mess of cuts and bruises. But the ferocity in her eyes didn’t lessen.

Then the attackers faltered. A moment later, they retreated, leaving eight wounded or dead behind. Horn was about to cheer when he heard shuffling above them. On the rooftops surrounding the alleyway, crossbowmen appeared, and in the exit, a strange figure. It was also a dwarf but clad in the finest silken suit. He looked a bit like the godfather, even with a cigar on his lips. He slowly clapped, while saying “Bravo! An impressive display, Longhood! That is what I always liked in you, never giving up! But you lost today. Just surrender. I promise we won’t kill you.”

Growling, she answered, “Goldvein, they sent you? I must’ve pissed off the elders. Just come closer, and I promise I won’t kill you either.”

“A feisty one! I like it. You’ve done wrong, and the punishment needs to be handled. Shadows don’t forgive. Do you think that killing me would change anything? They’ll send another squad and another. Now you still have a chance to live, but the elders aren’t known for their patience.”

“They lied! Don’t you see it’s all for their gain? Where are the big words of the brotherhood now? Where is securing the fate of our kingdom? We are just thugs, Goldvein! Nothing more! And I won’t play this game anymore!”

“You naïve fool, of course, I know. We all do ‘Brotherhood’ is only good for fresh recruits. Then you start building up your position and live like kings! Don’t make it more difficult than it needs to be. I was ordered to take you alive, and I intend to. You know they won’t miss, and that Snarky will heal you up. So let’s just avoid the drama.”

Spiting blood on the ground, Sigrid just whispered to Horn, “Remember what you promised.” And launched herself at the fancy dwarf. Crossbows clanged, bolts bounced out of the paved street, but some got her. She slowed down, but with her remaining strength, she threw her last daggers at Goldvein. Time seemed to slow down. The blades spun in the air heading for the dwarf. A look of surprise on his face turned into one of triumph as a flickering field so similar to Horn’s Shield of faith appeared, and the weapons harmlessly bounced off. Horn saw Sigrid slumping to her knees, still breathing. He also saw the crossbowman reloading and looking his way. With his final points of mana, he summoned a Fire Strike. The spell shot out the exact moment as bolts slammed into him. His health plummeted, but in the final moment, he saw Sigrid being engulfed by flames. Instead of a yell of pain, one of victory came out of the fire, and with that, Horn died.