-- Aster --

I had spent the rest of the day practicing making tags. By the end of the day, I was able to make a tag within a second or two to form it, and even preventing leaks was just as simple. As long as I kept the tag simple I didn't need to worry about any leaks. I read and reread the mission many times, trying to find any indication of the type of tag but there was none. In the end, I decided on a simple arrow. No need to complicate this.

In all rights, I should have waited or practiced tagging some more. Maybe done some tests on other real people to make sure she was telling the truth, but I was feeling impatient. I had already spent so much time dragged around, I just wanted to do something I chose to do, even if it was probably stupid.

I made my way across the thieves' road, all the way to the center of the city. I stared down from the roof down to the center square. It was mid-afternoon and the market was bustling with people. I tried to do the math in my head If I run unimpeded the entire way, with my new speed, it might take an hour? Possibly less, but that's if no one tries to stop me and I just run. I wish it would be that easy.

I took another look at the busy street and the little stone dais in the center of the street.

"Am I really going to do this?" I asked aloud thinking maybe if I spoke the question I would have a better answer. I did not.

The longer I looked down the worse the knots in my stomach and the harder my heartbeat. I had prepared all morning for this mission having spent the last few hours just going over maps of the city.

"Ok, Aster you just need to jump down onto the dais make the announcement, then run thirty miles while looking for guards to tag. You got this." I really should have practiced tagging more. What if there was an easier way to tag than stab someone. I mean there has to be but I did not learn it. I shook my head.

I knew I was stalling, I don't know how much more confident I would have felt if I put it off. I might just make more excuses.

I sat there watching as the people pass through the square. I would need to literally stand on the stone stage in the center of the city to start the quest. In front of everyone, the exact opposite of everything I trained to do.

Deep breath. I pulled in a big inhale. Don't think just do it. I jumped high in the air letting out my exhale, aiming for the center stones. Fuck! I forgot to put my mask on. I had remembered my thieves mask but forgot my cloak of stars. I knew it wasn't really a cloak but it was the only way I could describe it.

I was halfway to the apex of my jump when I began to reach out to the entirety of the square below me. Now one had noticed my jump yet so I had a few seconds. The world seemed too slow, and my mind moved faster than I thought possible giving me the time I needed. With my power surrounding the square I grabbed hold of the shadows and pulled. Suddenly the entire square lost all dimension becoming like a flat two-dimensional image. The entire crowd froze confused, and some who could keep up were on the verge of panic when they noticed even the people lost their dimension.

I wasn't quite done yet as I held the mass of shadows in my head I used the rest of my will to reach out grasping onto something even less tangible, the light. I pulled, and the color started to drain from the crowd. Losing the dimension they might have left. The higher leveled in the crowd began to desperately look for the source, of the drain. Only a few seconds had passed, it was only the higher level that could even begin to search for me, everyone else was just reacting instinctively.

In my hands, I held all the lights and shadows as they mixed into a nebula of starlight. I had found an issue I didn't expect, I was focusing hard on just keeping the starlight from dissipating. I was moving too fast and I knew I couldn't just let it flow over me like I normally did. I frantically searched my mind for an idea when I reach the apex of my jump and finally began my descent towards the center of the stage.

Can I just pour it over when I land? No by then it will be too late. I looked down at the ball and wondered. How long will it last away from me? I thought back to the times I had done this before and remembered a time when I tried to through the starlight at a wall. It hit and stuck to the wall for thirty seconds before dissipating. After that, I tried to hold stop it from hitting the wall. I had succeeded to pause it for only a second before it was completely released back to the world around it. I had fallen to the ground completely exhausted and out of energy but that was more the ten levels ago.

This better work. I was only going to get a single shot at this. I was quickly falling towards the dais, and I pushed the ball of power out stretching it wide. I focused and pulled holding it in place as I passed through the pool of starlight with a splash. I was now full cloaked, my feet hit the stone, as the shadows and color returned to the people in the square in a wave.

I stood slowly and looked down at the people in the square. Might as well lean into the drama. The people looked up at me with apprehension and confusion. Not understanding what was going on.

I started out in complete disbelief about what I had done and what I was about to do. I looked down at the stage I stood and wonder if the entire purpose of these stones was for what I was about to do.

The people just looked on uncertainly at me. Some had already drawn their weapons having guessed at what I was but not willing to make the first move. Thankfully those people were few and far between. It was the guards that were making their way to the stage that made my heart speed up. When I noticed some of the mages gathering power I truly felt I had passed the point of no return. I issued my challenge.

"I step from the shadows to challenge this city, come catch me. In the light. Before I return to the shadows"

The stone stage below me lit up just as one of the mages decided to strike, I felt my entire body lock in place unable to move as a blue shield suddenly surrounded the stage. Oh, Come on. The one second it took to throw up the shield a mage gets a stun spell off on me. I stood there seething at the system for not shielding me sooner when a blue screen appeared in front of me, and the entire city. It wasn't till later I learned there's was a difference.

You have initiated a challenge to the city.

The required quest has been detected on your person.

Loading shadow rogue protocols....complete

The city will have five minutes to gather there forces. Once those five minutes are up you will have twenty four hours to leave the city and return.

You must tag six guards before leaving or it will automatically fail.

Succeed and you will be rewarded.

Fail and you will be brought from the shadows fully.

Fuck of course they didn't mention the five minutes for them to gather. What else could I expect? Always the secrets. I definitely, didn't like what it said if I were to fail. What does that even mean? brought from the shadows fully. I just knew it didn't sound good.

I could only stand frozen and fight against this paralysis, and hope I can free myself in the next five minutes. If I couldn't I was utterly screwed.