It was a month to the day when it went wrong. Nate had another job which we went over and then hit with two others. The house had a small walled garden, which we climbed into and then up the back of the house entering through an upstairs window that Tom silenced while they pried it open. They entered a library filled with books and Nate had a list of book titles he was to retrieve. None of them could read, but the symbols for the title were in large blocky text. We found eight of the nine books quickly, but the ninth was not on the shelf. There was a large iron-bound chest by a reading desk, so after Tom used his silence ability they broke into it, found the book, and several other items of value that Nate took as well. As they were turning to go the door to the study opened revealing a man dressed in a purple robe with a ball of glowing light floating by his shoulder. The mage gestured and muttered a spell, which caused one of Nate’s nameless minions to collapse dead without a word. Tom immediately used silence before the mage could cast another spell. The mage clutched his throat and Nate gestured and made a cutting gesture across his throat. The other minion dropped his satchel and ran at the mage and stabbed him repeatedly in the chest until he collapsed. Then they all climbed out the window and over the garden wall. Once they made it back to Nate’s place he said with a worried expression that they needed to leave the city as soon as they sold the books. Killing a mage will bring down the guild on them and there were many spells they could use to track them, while they remained. Nate’s sold the books and they bought horses and left the next morning.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

That started a journey that lasted several years as they moved from city to city, doing a few jobs in each before moving on to the next. Along the way Tom found his ability growing in strength and versatility. Ironically, since he was making such good money he paid for lessons from some of the best bards improving his storytelling. He bought a beautiful lute and learned to play much better with training. Tom also was able to afford a small but expensive wardrobe. People treated him much better with his new attire and skills. Several times the group used his skills to case a location for a later job. All of this led to him sitting on a tavern roof contemplating the path he had taken over the years, which finally got him what he had originally set out for. Becoming a highly skilled bard and traveling all over the country, just in a way, he never imagined. One day he may add his tale to the many he has already told, but that was still a long way off he thought, as he stood easily on the slanted and slick roof tiles to prepare for another job.