Chapter 5 Of Blade and Blood (Patreon)
Content
Nathanās shoulders sagged for a moment. He was still feeling emotionally overwhelmed from the events of the night so far, and struggled to track Falineās quick change of topics. After a moment, he spoke. āSo weāre sneaking in again, to kill more mages.ā
They know mental magic. They enslave people. I should be killing them. Evil needs to be challenged.
He cracked his knuckles. āWhat should I do?ā
Faline's adopted face was blank, but she nodded reassuringly at his words. āDonāt speak. I will give the signal if we are to fight. Prevent any magic from checking your identity, but refrain from breaking spells until we enter. Then we will move quickly and quietly, killing every mage we can. There will be servants and guests. Do not show mercy, and be ready to flee if the alarm is raised. You are an Assassin now.ā
She turned down another street, giving a stern look to a pair of slavemasters standing in the middle of the intersection with a bevy of slave-soldiers. The two men stood up straight and looked terrified.
Their presence didnāt interrupt her lecture. āBefore we reach the barracks, I have paired Insights for you. The first is for the utility skill [Noticeability]. When you know that people are watching you, spend your Focus to track their attention. Pay careful attention to exactly when they watch you, and when they stop. Try to change your movements to suit their expectations, and control their attention. Doing this successfully will unlock higher-tier versions of the skill.ā
Giving Insights out like candy - I need to keep in mind that what sheās telling me is literally priceless. The second class Insight alone is a real dragonās Insight.
The disguised assassin didnāt check to see if Nathan was following along before launching into the second Insight. āFor the class development of [Assassin of Gemore], remember your Purpose. We are here to deliver death to slavers. Their own arrogance and Purpose makes them worthy of death, and we are here to deliver it. Move quickly, killing as many as you can before the alarm is raised. Every strike is focused on the kill. Do not aim to wound, aim to kill, beyond hope of healing. Aim for the heart, brain and neck. If your first strike does not ruin one of those, then strike again. Do not leave your enemies for dead. Ensure their deaths.ā
She pointed ahead, towards a large and well-lit building that occupied a large block of land. āAnd beyond all blasphemy, remember that you follow a legacy. You are one of many who have fought Giantsrest. You represent the wrath of Gemore, for the treatment of our ancestors, for the ongoing attempts at subjugation.ā
On the other hand, this training is even more brutal than Kiaās. Sheās basically just giving me some tips and tossing me into the deep end.
Nathan activated [Battle Meditation] as they approached the front door of the barracks, which was guarded by a quintuplet of elite soldiers and an enforcement mage. He started spending his limited pool of Focus, and the world slowed down. It was easy to pay attention to everything. Nathan saw the sweat trickling down the face of a slave standing too close to a torch, and mapped out the enchantments beneath his feet. He realized that the engraved figures of mages set into the walls were actually golems, awaiting some kind of signal to spring into motion.
The soldiersā eyes tracked them for a moment, but they started scanning the darkness as soon as they saw the robes that identified them as Mages of Giantsrest.
But most of all, Nathan watched the blue-robed mage standing in front of the door, and how her gaze followed them. She frowned to herself as they stepped into the light, her eyes flitting from Faline to Nathan.
Iām in the robes of an advanced student, standing next to somebody wearing the face, robes and identification of the leader of the enforcement mages in Halsmet. Itās reasonable to think Iām apprenticed. So act like an apprentice.
He was already walking behind Faline, but he adjusted his position to be half a step behind her right hand. He ducked his head when the enforcement mage tried to meet his eyes, and held his hands awkwardly together over his chest.
Out of the edge of his vision Nathan saw the blue-robed mage mentally dismiss him, her gaze settling on the disguised Faline instead. She performed the strange Giantsrest salute by clasping her hands together in front of her chest. āWhat occurs, Histol?ā
āInspection. I wish to be sure that no infiltrators hide within..ā
The woman nodded, stepping aside and gesturing to the door. āWe are but fingers of the archmages.ā She raised an eyebrow at Nathan. āIs this a new apprentice? Do you tire of Ovi?ā
Falnie shrugged. āHe arrived from the academy just now. I have brought him to find a room.ā She stepped up to the door, pressing Histolās ring into a small indentation on one side. āBeyond which, his hands will aid my search - for I know one fresh from Giantsrest is not an imposter.ā The door gave a heavy clunk as it opened.
Nathan tried his best to act as expected, attempting to slip from notice. The soldiers had already started ignoring him and gone back to scrutinizing the darkness.ā
If you conform to peopleās expectations, they wonāt notice you or even remember you.
The enforcement mage turned her attention back to the street. āThe luck of the founders go with you. I hope we catch these stalker shits soon - the enhanced security is a pain in the knuckles.ā
Faline grunted her agreement, walking through the door.
Nathan followed, noticing the exact moment when the blue-robed woman stopped paying any attention to him at all as the door swung closed.
I could take two steps sideways and break her neck before she even noticed I was there.
{Pending utility skill: [Mid-tier Noticeability]
You have learned to detect how you are perceived, and used Focus to modulate the appearance you portray. You will know when others' eyes are upon you, and can spend focus to shift their attention.}
Interesting thatās what unlocked the skill. Definitely useful - seems like Iām building up a solid core of stealth-related skills.
{Congratulations, you have accepted the [Mid-tier Noticeability] utility skill}
The door swung closed behind him. They were in an entrance foyer, decorated with statues that could come to murderous life if the alarm was triggered. Nathan released his Focus, which had been reduced by roughly a third. However, it started regenerating as he watched - though somewhat slowly.
Interesting. It says it will accumulate during periods where you are free from distraction. [Battlefield Meditation] counts?
{Battle Meditation 7 achieved!}
Yup. So Iām constantly regenerating Focus, even if itās not that fast.
Faline gestured up the grand stairs at the back of the room. āāGo up. I will stay on this level.ā She caught Nathanās eye. āOur purpose here is to kill. Meet back here when the job is done, or back at the safehouse if the alarm is raised.ā With a quick nod she was off, striding away as the confident Histol dho Fulku, the enforcement mage who had every right to be here.
Nathan felt naked without the protection of the elite Assassin, but sitting around wasnāt going to change that. He rapidly scaled the steps, staying away from a mural showing a massive tower casting benevolent light over a civilization as it expanded into dark wilderness. The massive painting was certainly detailed, but the perspective was awful and the colors garish.
What truly caught his attention was the magic laid into the artwork. A thin skein of subtle mental magic stretched out from the painting, stretching across the staircase. Nathan eyed it carefully, trying to pick apart the function.
It doesnāt look like a tripwire. It looks like itās supposed to be a subtle mental effect of some kind. Let me guess - inspiring awe in everybody who walks past the stupid propaganda mural.
Thoroughly irked, Nathan skipped stairs one at a time before reaching the second floor. There was a lounge area at the top of the stairs, complete with low couches and tables.
This really is like a college dorm in a lot of ways.
He didnāt see anybody, but Nathan felt somebodyās attention land on him. It was like an itch manifested on his skin, pointing in the direction of the observer. A quick glance showed a green-robed mage sitting in an alcove behind the stairs that was shielded with illusions and look-away magic.
I probably shouldnāt be able to see him. Letās just pretend to be a normal student who didnāt see anything and proceed about my business. You know, murder. I donāt want the first hidden watcher to set off the alarm.
Nathan looked around ostentatiously, spending Focus to appear as a confused student wandering the halls late at night. He strode towards a residential hallway covered with many doors, keeping his magical perception trained on the alcove with the hidden mage.
{Mid-tier Noticeability 2 achieved!}
He was rewarded by a force spell materializing behind his head that flicked forward with enough force that it would have definitely knocked him over. Nathan dodged the motion on reflex, twisting into a crouch and spinning around.
A mocking chuckle rolled out from the hidden observer. āGood reflexes, mageling!ā The enslavement mage stepped out from the alcove, walking towards Nathan while rolling his well-muscled neck back and forth.
Am I getting hazed?
The man was over six feet tall, and came to a looming stop in front of Nathan, the effect slightly spoiled by the fact that he was still shorter than Nathan. He frowned. āIām Codius dho Den. By the fingers of a hand, this is a bad time to start an apprenticeship. Youāll need to watch out for the agents of Gemore stalking our streets.ā He smiled condescendingly at Nathan.
āWatch yourself, or youāll wake to find your hands bound and your life bleeding away.ā He rolled his shoulders, the cut-off sleeves emphasizing his musculature. āThe academy trains you to fight with magic, but spells donāt always stop the dangers of Halsmet.ā His smirk turned cruel. āBut Iāll be a friend to you - guide you through the dangers of this place. Iāll honor the founders with my generosity, and Trade Favors.ā
The last word was pronounced with special weight, as if Nathan should know what it meant.
I bet it means about the same as it means in Gemore. Trading Favors around, using them to bargain for Insights. Though this seems less a ātradeā and more a āshakedownā.
The mage was waiting for Nathanās response, growing increasingly impatient as Nathan hesitated. He casually cracked his knuckles, once more trying to intimidate Nathan with his bulk in a clearly practiced manner. It might have been more effective if Nathan hadnāt outmassed him, though some of that was hidden by the purple robe Nathan was wearing.
First he tries to bowl me over, then to intimidate me. Itās kind of hilarious heās relying on physical strength as a mage to intimidate people. He reminds me of Eldred, and bullies Iāve known before. And heās a mage of Giantsrest - and an Enslavement mage at that. I think Iāve found my first victim. I donāt think heāll have a chance to learn from his mistake.
Nathan looked around quickly, ensuring there was nobody in sight, no observation spells trained on him. His lip curled with disgust and his Rage flared to life as Codius moved closer.
Codius misinterpreted the look, sneering. āItās late, letās sit down and have a chat.ā His arm reached for Nathanās shoulder to prevent him from running away.
Nathan set his feet, rotated his hips and punched the enslavement mage in the center of the chest as hard as he could. Mage armor shattered like spun sugar before the bone underneath shattered. Nathan felt bone give way under his fist, shards of the shattered sternum piercing into the lungs and heart behind. Codius flew backwards a half-dozen feet, bowling over a couch in a tangle of clothes.
The loudest sound was the couch overturning with a thump, and Nathan followed along as his knuckles popped back into place. The green-robed mage tried to cast a spell, but it died in a bloody cough. He looked up at Nathan, eyes full of tears and unable to even beg for mercy. Well-muscled hands twitched upwards in an attempt at defense, but they lacked all strength.
Nathan stomped on Codiusā throat, feeling the spine crunch. He grabbed two fistfulls of robes, which were enchanted for comfort and self-cleaning. That enchantment quickly broke as Nathan dragged Codius back towards the nook heād emerged from.
Not wanting to break the hiding spot that his victim had so carefully provided, Nathan stopped a half-dozen feet away. He heaved the bulky mage, Rage-enhanced strength making the large man a trivial throw into the hidden alcove. There was another clatter of furniture before Nathan turned around, dusting his hands and rearranging his robes.
He set the couch back upright and scanned the area for other traces of the struggle. There was a tiny bit of blood on the floor from where Nathan had dragged Codiusā face, but it wasnāt easily noticed.
And I doubt thatāll be the most visible sign of my presence by the time Iām done.
{Assassin has leveled to 15! Congratulations, you have killed the Enslavement mage Codius dho Den}
Wait, I leveled? I suppose the āfightā is over? Normally Iād only expect to get levels once I got out of the building and escaped. Maybe [Assassin] counts āfightsā differently than [Implacable Antimage]?
Nathan took a deep breath as he walked down the hallway, calming his Rage and trying to stay quiet. He found himself spending Focus, the alternate resource sending a soothing calm through his body even as it sharpened his senses.
There was a quiet creak from one side, and a door cracked open. Nathan managed not to snap his head around, casually glancing toward the door to see a pair of shadowed eyes looking into the hall.
They belonged to a slim young woman in a yellow robe whose face was drawn in a suspicious frown. āWhat was - Who are you?ā
Yellow robe - artisan mage. Not really a threat?
Thoughts flickered through Nathanās head as turned to face her. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Sheās younger than I am. I donāt want to kill her. I could probably pretend to be a confused student. But thatās cowardice. Iām here to fight GIantsrest, and what they do. I canāt let gender and a pretty face turn me away - I hated that part of the Wheel of Time. Evil isnāt exactly tied to men.
Perhaps seeing the confusion wrought across his face, the mage cast a spell, her voice a bare whisper.
[Mage Armor]
Sheās suspicious. This ends with her dead or my cover blown.
[Paralysis]
The spell fizzled off Nathanās aura and the yellow-robed mageās eyes widened in horror.
[Horn Blas-
Nathanās leap carried him close, and his aura bridged the gap, slicing through the spellwork in front of her face. It also slashed through her mage armor, the panes of force splintering and fading as Nathan shouldered through the door before she could slam it shut.
She gasped in horror and flinched away from him, stumbling across the room.
Nathan was faster. Her gasp turned into a strained gurgle as he punched her in the throat, and she fell onto the carpet. It felt like ice had been poured down Nathanās neck as he stood over the nameless mage as she thrashed and clutched at her throat.
Evil needs to be fought. Just kill her and move on. You committed to this when you walked into this building.
Nathan stomped on the mageās neck, felt the spine snap. He stepped backwards and closed his eyes as the strangled breathing slowed and stopped. After a single breath he opened them again, trying to ignore the cute embroidered quilt that covered the bed as he left the room and eased the door closed.
Got to keep moving.
{Assassin has leveled to 17! Congratulations, you have killed the Artisan mage Ledali dha Alius}
Two levels - a small price for a life. I suppose Davrar will tell me their names. And with [Enhanced Memory] Iāll remember them regardless. Iām more like Rand alāThor than I wanted to be.
No more doors opened, and Nathan approached the next one down the hall. It was locked magically, though that posed no delay to an application of antimagic. Nathan didnāt have any cloth to replicate Falineās trick with, so he slipped through the door as quietly as he could, burning Focus to make him less noticeable.
āHwa?ā
There was a sleepy mumble from the bed, and a brief shifting before a light bloomed in the dark room. It came from a crystal held by a young man who blinked sleepily at Nathan. A naked girl lay slumped on the floor next to the bed, the slave collar around her throat buzzing with magic.
This oneās a lot easier.
Nathan was atop the young mage in an instant, hand clamped over his mouth before a sound could emerge. The crystal spun off into the corner of the room and under a chair, making the shadows shift wildly. Nathanās other hand reached around to grip the back of the manās head before he wrenched the head around in an attempt to break the spine.
It didnāt work - the jaw dislocated with a gross popping sound and Nathanās grip on the head slipped. A cry of pain sounded out before Nathan got his hands around the young manās throat and squeezed tightly.
Thatās harder than Hollywood makes it look.
The mageās eyes had been muddled with sleep, but now they bulged with desperation. His body bucked and he scrabbled at Nathanās hands with delicate fingers.
Nathan held on with grim determination, easily ignoring the weakening struggles underneath him. It took only a dozen seconds for the mage to fall unconscious, but Nathan kept holding on.
It takes like 5 minutes of strangulation to kill somebody. If I let go early, heāll live. And Iām not going to let that happen. Maybe I should practice breaking necks instead.
{High-tier Enhanced Memory 9 achieved!}
He released his grip, this time placing one hand on the mageās ear and the other on at the base of the neck on the opposite side. He wrenched his hands together, trying to cause a cervical fracture.
Maybe I should get a weapon. Killing people with your bare hands isnāt trivial. But I need something that carries my antimagic - and can survive the same shit I do. Maybe claws. Something retractable? Something to work on later.
It took a few tries, and he had to enable Rage to successfully break the young manās neck and feel the sudden popping of a cervical dislocation. The body slackened, and the notification popped up immediately.
{Assassin has leveled to 20! Congratulations, you have killed the advanced student Jaxis dho Humal}
Closing in on 27 and the next Class Development. Though itās not going as quickly as I assumed from killing three people! Maybe none of those people were really threats to me - maybe because I didnāt target them. I donāt know.
Then Nathan looked down at the other living person in the room - the slave heād stepped over in his rush to the bed and the mage.
She was a beautiful young woman, lying on the floor of the room, without a shred of clothing or cover. There was a delicate collar around her neck. It clearly had a level of sophistication a step beyond the normal enchanted collars worn by Giantsrest slaves, more akin to the one Stella had been wearing before Nathan tore it off her.
I donāt know whatās going on here. But it seems like thereās only one path forward.
Nathan slipped off the bed, noticing how her panicked eyes followed him even as her body stayed paralyzed.
He bent down, extending a hand towards her face and feeling for the magic of the collar. Faline had mentioned that they kept failsafes on the collars of high-value slaves, and this looked like one of those.
After a moment, he found it - a curse on the collar that would blow her head off if the enchantment was tampered with. But there was more than that - Nathan detected the mana within her. It wasnāt the bonfire of Stella or the arc flare of Histol, more similar to the torch of the three mages Nathan had just killed.
A mage - but enslaved. I should let her speak for herself.
{Overall Status:
{Status of Nathan Lark:
Permanent Talent 1: Aura of Antimagic 2
Permanent Talent 2: Perfected Body 6
Talent 3: High-tier Slow Fall 9
Class: Implacable Antimage level 144
Deepened Stamina: 4533/4620
Antimageās Impassivity
Antimagic Momentum
Raging Thrill
Implacable Inertia
Unarmored Resilience
Improved Antimagic
Strenuous Agility
Hand-to-hand Expertise
Class: Assassin level 20
Focus: 192/300
Vital Targeting
Stealthy Movement
Utility skills:
Battle Meditation 7
High-tier Earnestness 9
High-tier Sprinting 3
Magical Perception 4
High-tier Notice 6
High-tier Identify 7
High-tier Dodging Footwork 6
High-tier Enhanced Memory 9
Mid-tier Lecturing 9
High-tier Tumbling 3
Mid-tier Noticeability 2}