Chapter 15
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Been dealing with a bad RSI in one of my hands so it took awhile for this chapter, coding for 8 hours a day, typing up stuff for school and writing this novel finally caught up with me in a very nasty way. Anyways decided I wanted to extend this ark out more then what I had originally planned. School ark will follow.
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A Glimpse Into the Future
What a night last night! I completed my first major contract with the assassins' guild. However that did not excuse me from my daily schedule as I was ready to head to the shop for the day.
As we went down the street I noticed a fresh new paper on the bulletin board. The paper had an illustration of an angel with long hair wearing the dress I had on last night. The paper said 'Wanted The Angel of Death bounty 1000 gold alive 250 gold dead.' I also noticed another poster that was decently weathered. 'Wanted the Crimson Widow bounty 3000 gold dead or alive.'
Jennifer whispered into my ear
“Impressive already a 4 digit bounty after one night someone has been naughty. These posters are pretty pointless unless someone can successfully identify you. They sure put them up quick though . Somebody really wants to talk to you......”
“And somebody wants you dead.” We both laughed as we are wanted by the law.
Its a good thing I know for a fact my information broker Randall isn't stupid enough to try to cross me, but I need to be careful. Other people are stupid, and I don't want to extra issues. I had talked to Jennifer this morning letting her know I saw my brother at the ball yesterday and I needed to know why he is here in Zyrus. Surely he is with Father or Max as well. I can only think of a number of potential reasons why he would be so far from home and all of them have political ramifications.
After finishing my morning shift in the shop. I decide that my free time tonight would be dedicated to figuring out why some members in my family are here. I don't want to ask Randall because I just used him last night and he is probably really worn out for his time in the brothel last night. Anyways I am sure something this huge would be pretty easy to find the information I needed.
It was easy to find it out. Apparently every 5 years there is a summit for the military commanders of the human countries to agree on strategy and policy in the event of a demon invasion as well as reestablishing a coalition of human countries. This one was being held in Zyrus. Every few hundred or so years there tends to be a demon invasion led by the demon king. If the demon army starts to really become a problem a hero is often summoned. A demon army invasion is definitely a possibility in the near future since it has been almost three hundred years since the last one. A few demons live in the population having broke free from the demon king's influence, they are for the most part isolated socially from the general population out of prejudiced feelings. However demons are very skilled in combat and are represented well in both the adventurer's guild and the assassin's guild.
At the conclusion of every summit there is a tournament held that is fought with weapons and no magic. It is mainly for entertainment, as well as being a showcase of the best of the officers in each army. While the focus is on the armies it is an open tournament so other people can enter as well and several do as the prize is usually something worthwhile. The tournament isn't to the death just till you incapacitate your opponent. However every few tournaments somebody dies on accident usually from an accidental head attack that is illegal. As long you don't die immediately there is a arch priest who can heal you even from a fatal attack. Resurrection magic was a level 8 holy spell and would have to be done within a few minutes of death and required an absurd amount of mana. People with such high of holy level an affinity were unknown and few.
If I can get a seat in the stands I will be able to get a good look at Aaron and maybe Max since he was most likely here too. They would be watching the event from the safety of a booth. It might sound sort of corny but I just wanted to see them. I would buy something from Zyra to change my hair color since Aaron would be able to pick out my shade if I go as is. Even though I could probably do the illusion myself I kind of wanted an excuse to see Zyra so this works out.
“Lara what a surprise!” Zyra shrieked in surprise running up and hugging me tightly. She has always been touchy feely with Siena and me. Not that I mind it.
“Hey Zyra you still have those hairpins that can change your hair color I know you just recently started selling them? I wanted to buy a few.” I ask her as we let go of our embrace.
“Ugh why would you change from what you have already? I love you hair color.” Zyra didn't understand my reasoning.
“I just wanted to change things up you know for fun aren't you curious what I look like with different colored hair? Its not permanent or anything.” It seems that I have perked her interest as she went in the back to retrieve said items.
“Ok I got your red, silver, and black. I was sort of curious what Lara would look like with silver hair just like a normal elf.” Zyra handed me the hair pins. I quickly clipped in the silver.
“Wow you do look good! ” she said.
“I will buy all 3. Let Siena know I said I miss her next time you see her.” I handed her the money for the items.
“We are getting lunch tomorrow she just got back you should come with us. She said she needed to talk to you about something in the guild”
“Sure just give me the details?” After saying goodbye to her I returned to Jennifer's shop.
Today we went right to the assassins' guild after work. Jennifer had to go get the guild manager to let the front doorman know I was good to come in. After leading us back into his office we sat down for some tea. That I checked for poisons ever suspicious of this bastard.
“You did well Angel of Death, not only did you successfully kill him in the allotted time, but you did so under difficult circumstances. People were still stunned how you were able to track him down bypass security, and escape from the ball that was not lacking at all in security. You are truly the Crimson Widows apprentice.” Odyne was trying to lionize me. He must realize that I am decently strong and is trying to repair our relationship. I could care less about him.
“I am not here for flattery just for my ring and my coin.” I say very business like.
“Very well come up here” I looked towards Jennifer and she gave me the confirmation nod to go ahead. I walked up him and waited for instructions.
“So put on this ring then pour a little bit of mana into it then place that hand on this book” He pulled out a book that definitely had a magical pulse to it. Its not a grimoire but definitely has a dark energy to it. I slipped on the ring it was way to big for my little fingers, when I put mana into it instantly fit perfect the black gem glowed pure white. I then placed my hands on the book
“Interesting pure white as expected of an Angel. Everyone's ring glows a different color based on a few factors. This is the first white I have seen, anyway repeat after me.”
His next words were no longer in common but what I determined to be an ancient Karthian from my gift. Karthians were a race that were very similar to both humans and demons. In fact a human demon half-breed looked similar to what they looked like based on statues and records found about them. There extinction was very sudden thousands of years ago, historians believe it was some sort of calamity. Karthians were super strong and possessed abilities like foresight, and telepathy, and telekinesis. Several Karthian have even ascended to demigod status. Grena was one such a Karthian,
“I do now enter the covenant of the order of assassins under my own free will. I will abide by its laws and bylaws as well keep its secrets. I accept the blessing of Moezalus the god of death and retribution. Please watch over me as I seek out revenge and justice for me and my contractors.” I repeated every line and I could feel power enter me as I finished the last phrase my ring got brighter and brighter during the ceremony and people had to shield their eyes from it. Finally my ring faded at the end.
I noticed a blue screen telling me I have gained a new blessing
Blessing of Moezalus
-increased dark affinity
-small boost to agility, endurance, and precision
-moderate bonus damage against hated or contracted targets
“Moezalus is a Karthian God no? I picked his name out of all that mumble jumbo and it sounded familiar?” my gift confirmed as much but the details of him were quite vague.
“You are familiar with them? The Karthians?” Odyne seemed decently intrigued by this.
I pulled out my mask of Grena. “Yes after getting this mask I became quite enamored by Grena and researched her thoroughly. I believe she was a priestess of Moezalus before she ascended or so the legend says.”
“You are sure knowledgeable, I have several books I could lend you. Researching them is sort of a hobby mine.” He is sure trying to get on my good side even though I am truly curious about what is in his books I cant out of spite.
“Thanks for the offer but I still have a huge pile of books I need to read still at home. My gold?” I try my best to hide my actual intrigue.
“Well my offer still stands if you ever run out of books. Here is your gold. By the way you are starting at rank A based on the fact you are the widow's apprentice and already completed an A rated mission in one night.” He handed me a large sack filled which gold I didn't bother counting. It is funny how it took me 2 years to attain rank B in the adventures guild yet I was already rank A here after one mission.
“Thank you, now if you will excuse us.” We left to the lobby and I went for the door to leave.
“Are you not going to take a contract out? I mean we are here might as well.” She was picking out one too. I took one out on a guard who raped a merchants daughter it was a C rank mission for 50 gold practically a cakewalk, I had things I needed to do so I couldn't fully dedicate myself to a hard contract at the moment.
After returning to home I continued my daily schedule on the simulator. Soon before I know it, dinner time has come. A quick bath followed by dressing up in what ever evening outfit the maid has prepared for me to wear I head to the table.
Sweet they are making curry. It was a dish I had taught the servants how to make, and everyone fell in love with it. I bet there are a lot of dishes from my old world I could popularize here, but right now I have more pressing matters.
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“Mistress, could ask a small favor?” I figure this is a good time to ask if I can go and watch the tournament coming up just to get a glimpse of my brothers before they go back home.
“Sure you can watch the tournament in a few days to see your brothers. I will excuse you from your duties that day” Its creepy how she knew exactly what I wanted to ask her.
“Did I tell you, that you are the best master ever?” She really was. Approaching her had been a gamble but it sure paid off.
We finished dinner and ended up sparring tonight for my training. Sparring had become a very frequent
evening training activity. We ended a little early tonight so we could go and get some more intel on our targets. There is a decent chance I could even take out my target tonight since he was just a regular guard not even a high ranking one. I put on my black outfit and headed out.
The intel that the guild gave me was very useful it was a schedule of when he patrolled as well as his favorite places to spend his small stipend from the guards. He likes to drink, watch strippers, and when he gets enough coin visit the brothel. A typical male degenerate, I hate it how people like this give guys a bad reputation.
It looks like he went with drinking tonight. I can see him with his with guard buddies drinking at a saloon in the slums. He is overweight and ugly I bet he has to pay a lot at the brothels. I think I am just going to take him out tonight. The thought that he could be walking around the city disturbs me.
I wait patiently for several hours finally he leaves the bar by himself. He is in a drunken stupor stumbling his way towards the barracks. I will have a little fun with this. I straighten up my hood and ready my daggers up my sleeves, as I approach him. I purposely bump into him to make him fall down in the street. I laugh at him and walk into a abandoned backstreet.
“Heyyyy girrrl! You apologize right now.” I heard him say this as I walked away. He sluggishly got back on his feet and headed down the back street to approach me. I just stood there in the plain sight laughing at him and pointing at him, this was upsetting to him. He came charging at me, which I avoided with a simple side step tripping him as he went by. He was so drunk that I didn't even have to try. After getting up he grunted and lunged at me again, this time I cut his belt off for embarrassment.
“Oye imma teach you a lesson little lady! I am going to have a fun time breaking you in!” He was obviously beside himself.
“What with that little thing? You have to be kidding me. The only way you can lay with a woman is to pay her or rape her. You are disgusting.” After this taunt he totally lost it and frantically tried to grapple me as I simply dodged everything effortlessly. After a few minutes of dancing around from his futile attempts he collapsed from exhaustion as his stamina was near 0.
“Already spent after only a couple minutes? Pathetic and you are suppose to be a guard? Being a pathetic guard is not why I am here though. You see the real reason I am here...........is to kill you.” I said it very not nonchalantly.
“That's funny you kill me? You are just a young girl. Hahaha” As he was laughing I slipped on the outfit I wore at the ball the one that was on all the posters and pulled out my daggers from my sleeves. He continued laughing and then he turned to me to say something and the laughing ended abruptly.
“That outfit I have seen it somewhere........ on a wanted poster..........you are the Angel of Death?!” His face had turned pale instantly when he realized who I was. The despair on his face was priceless.
“Please don't kill me! I promise I wont say anything to anyone!” He was now begging pathetically. Why I was wasting time conversing with this waste of space I have no idea. I suppose for some entertainment?
“I am here dispense justice for you have stolen a young woman's virtue disgustingly.” I say very ominously.
“Oh her? That whore was asking ......” before he could finish his line I had stabbed him in both knee caps. He screeched out in pain.
“I am sorry I was drunk. Everything was hazy! Please forgive me!” he was now groaning in pain.
“Oh my job isn't to grant forgiveness, that's a priest's job or maybe god's job. My job is just the wet work” I walk up to him and use my dagger to carve into his chest the word rapist in big letters. The whole time he is pleading to me and groaning in weak voice to stop and also calling out for help but that's all he can do since he has no stamina left and he is bleeding constantly so he cant regenerate it quickly. I then start slicing off each of his digits one by one counting down from 21 out loud. I think he finally realizes what digit represents 21 because his face is absolutely terrified as I am now in the single digits. and his pleading now has become a torrent of pleas. When I got 6 my fun is interrupted as a bunch of guards have stumbled upon my little back street horror show.
Looks like I have to cut my fun short, quite literally. I cast an earth wall spell to block off the guards access to where we are at. I slash his throat severing trachea jugular and cartoid in one slash. I take a rose out of the ring and tucked it into his shirt. The rose will be my signature or calling card for my hits. Immediately I leave before they can finish breaking through the wall.
I return home and it is very late so I need to get to sleep soon. Disappointingly Jennifer wasn't in my bed for some snuggling. I lay down and quickly fall asleep.
All I see is white. There is no sound. Then a voice calls out to me a beautiful feminine voice.
“Vindicator of sin. I have observed you. You whom has assumed my visage. I must praise you for your deeds” The white is dissipating and as things come back into focus I see a burning city around me and looking directly at me is a pale woman dressed in crimson armor with small horns on her head. Grena.
“Look about you carefully, this is your future. Foresight was a gift to some of my clan including thyself. Our seers are sparsely false.” I want to talk back to her but all I can do is follow her directions and look around. I notice quickly that this city is in fact Zyrus. Dead bodies are littered everywhere indiscriminate to race gender or age. Horrible. I notice a familiar shop ablaze, it is Zyra's. I go inside and see her lifeless body sprawled out on the floor with her blood splattered over the shop. People are inside looting what ever they can find. I leave the shop and head towards where Sara's shop.
Her shop had suffered a similar fate but she was still barely alive breathing heavily. Her face was beaten bad and her lower body had its clothes stripped from her. I cant take this nightmare anymore I try to slap myself but it is as if I am a ghost and I slap through air. I next check on Siena but when I go to her place it is empty as if someone had emptied it out to rent. I know Siena would not have moved so I guess that means in this future she is likely dead when these events unfold.
Now I know I am a ghost here I can travel through town quickly just running in a straight direction. Jennifer's shop is literally a pile burning rubble. It must have been one of the first places to be attacked. When I get to the mansion it appears that the gate had been broken I can see many bodies scattered amongst the gardens. I can see Jennifer crying over a body close to the door its Alex. She keeps saying if she had only gotten here sooner. I notice another figure slightly taller then myself coming out of the house. She is wearing my black outfit. It is future me. In a very rueful voice I heard myself say.
“They are all dead inside we got here too late to save the maids. I ended the lives of the pillagers very painfully.”
This nightmare has to end! Please Grena I understand tell me what I need to do. As soon as I thought this the vision faded back to white except I could now see Grena.
“Young human this is this fate is not inevitable but to prevent it requires great risk. There is a chance you could perish if you follow my advice.” She was making sure I knew what I had signed up for.
Anything I thought I would do anything to prevent this tragedy.
“There is an unseen force here at hand whom feeds off greed and suffering. He is a champion of a rival demigod in this realm. He has taken sanctuary in the lost city free to send out his phantoms to corrupt people into giving into there greed causing suffering to those around them. This city is just the first he plans to corrupt.”
It all makes sense now. The corruption of the upper class, this revolt, it is all designed to feed this demigod. So what can I do?
“I have been trying to communicate to you for a while but now that we both are under Moezalus's protection I can finally do so. The path that you must take is to follow the free spirit close to you. She will lead you to the lost city and then you can help dispatch this champion it is not to late. Please be careful you have important deeds in your future you still need to accomplish.”
I woke up completely drenched in sweet. Those last words were too cryptic, I need to follow a free spirit but what is that? Lost city I can only think of one but swimming to the underwater entrance is impossible. I am so confused!
At breakfast Jennifer kind of knew something was wrong. I just told her that I was trying to make sense of this nightmare I had. I didn't explain everything just that I would let her know when I figured it out. I should be excited to see my brothers at the tournament tomorrow but I cant help but think about what Grena told me.
Today I was having lunch with Zyra and Siena, there lives are in my hand. I smile as I greet them its been a few weeks since I saw Siena since she was on an escort mission by Lake Malia. We all sat down and ordered and started to talk.
“So Zyra said you had something to discuss with me?” I ask her.
“So Lara you don't have to give me your answer for a few days, and I know you haven't done any adventures in awhile so you will probably decline. However I feel it is my duty to offer a chance to go on mysterious adventure with me and a bunch of guild members.” She continued
“On my last escort mission I fell through a sink hole in the ground and uncovered a forgotten tomb. Inside I found a journal in ancient Karthian depicting a secret entrance to the city Atlus. One scribe in the guild thinks its the lost city! Since I found the book I can get you in the party even if you are only B rank.”
DA-thump........... well I guess I know why Siena wasnt in that dream and who the free spirit is.
“I'll go!” I say with absolute determination.