“Dad, why are we traveling to meet your Father.” Asked Jachum. They were sitting in the tall grass of the plain eating breakfast. His father sighed and rubbed his head, contemplating whether to brush off his son to tell bit of info. “To be perfectly honest something is going to happen in 1.75 years. Something serious that will effect our lives. Don’t ask me because I won’t tell you, but basically we are going to him for some advice.”

Ugh that’s so like you to tell me the easy stuff and not the important information.” Sneered Jachum annoyed. “How come we’ve never made this journey before.”

His father laughed, “I’m not quit sure how my Father will like you and you wouldn’t of been able to take care of yourself if I brought you earlier. I don’t have an amazing relationship with him and it may be difficult for us to talk to even talk to him.

“Why is that asked” Jachum. “Well he is the leader of a group of assassins. So he may not even be at the fortress.

“There’s a fortress??” Asked Jachum confused.

Oh for sure, my dad has a nice little business going, and over the years he has a few favors in his pocket. So fifteen years ago he requestioned four hundred skilled workers from 3 different kingdoms, took them to the coast and made them build him a castle. After that, the workers all disappeared.

“UH, are you saying your dad is a mass murderer?” said Jachum.

Oh, I’m sure that man has killed more men than some of the smaller wars. Which is why I wanted you to be a little older before I brought you to see him. He is a genuinely horrible person doesn’t care about life at all. He does love his family though. At least those who didn’t betray him.

Back when I got together with your mother, he was pretty unhappy with it. HE even sent a couple of people to kill you so I would stay focused on my career. I ended up having to kill them and then I took you to Dark Forest and that’s the last of it all. If not for this thing happening in two years, and you almost dying every other day I wouldn’t even think to bring you to see my father.

“Hmmm, why is this event you keep referring to so important?”

Basically, I owe a spirit a favor, and if I don’t go, I’ll be dead. So we are going to see if you can become an assassin for a bit while I figure out how to prepare and get ready.”

Walking along the road, Jachum was still thinking about what his father said. Becoming an assassin was not the plan he had for his life. Week he hadn’t thought what he wanted to do with his life. But the idea of going off and killing strangers with the only purpose of making money seemed pointless. Maybe it would help him develop his skills, but he didn’t really have a purpose. “I guess its better than wandering around pointlessly though.”

Jachum was shocked when he saw the Fortress. It was a monstress thing standing high in the rolling plains nearly half a mile away. A dark tower on the edge of the horizon. Glancing at his son walking next to him the father laughed. “Wait till you see the ocean.”

After the amazement of the Ocean view from the cliffs they were standing on had worn off, Jachum and his father made their way to the front of the fortress gates. The Large Iron doors loomed over them. Jachum’s father went up to the bell hung to the side of the brick road and hammered it with the butt of a dagger. It took about an hour hour he hit the bell again. And then another three because he started cussing and saying words Jachum had never heard or read about.

Jachum’s didn’t mind the wait. At some points throughout the day, he was laughing his ass off. “He had rarely ever seen his Father lose his temper, but never to the extent or pettiness.” The sun was going down when his father l et out a final sigh and pulled a bed mat out of his bag. “Jachum plan is just to sleep here to tonight. I’m not sure what my father is pulling but I’m sure we’ll find out tomorrow, I;m gonna sleep you take first watch.

It was almost off putting how quickly his father went from a heated dragon to sleeping on his bedroll. staff still clutched in his hands. Shrugging to himself, Jachum decided to spend a little bit of time then normal prepping himself for a battle. I He got the feeling that the fortress was waiting for something, and a quick hand signal from his father before he fell asleep let Jachum know that this was most likely a test of sort. He looked over his bow and stuck arrows into the cracks of the bricks to have them easily available. He sat for a bit there with his bow in his lap, before he sighed and pulled a long oaken stick that looked to have wrapped itself around a metal orb.

He wasn’t a particular fan of the brutal way one used the club to fight, but he wasn’t sure if the enemy would be wearing armor, and it was best to be fully prepared for whatever was coming. At the usual time he woke his father up and fell asleep in his bed roll.

He rolled out of sleep as quickly as he could. A kick from someone had woken him up in the dawn light as he brought his club up ready to fight. His father was surrounded by five fighters with ten others waiting in the background. His father looked like his usual capable self, keeping the men at bay with his staff.

One of the men from the background moved quickly forward to attack Jachum with a spear. The first stab allowed Jachum to trap the spear under his right arm. He brought the two-handed club down with his left hand on the shaft of the spear, breaking it. Releasing the brought end of the spear he continued the momentum of the club bringing it down up and over with a whirling jump shattering the man’s skull.

“Dammit Jachum, I told you this was a test. Why the fuck did you kill the man. Whatever, don’t kill any more or we may actually get into trouble. Hopefully he won’t be too annoyed.”