<—What?!>
<… You went quietly?>
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Amen ◐ rushed home to find a colony of noisy neighbors out front, but the arresting guards were long gone. Furniture had been moved to barricade the doorless entryway to the house and, while the milling crowd was peaceful for now, they were only an inciting incident away from mobhood.
Amen went to the back of the house, and used one of his recent merged Skills to phase through the wall.
> [Untouchable *M 12] (N/A): Magic users attack at range because they are apt to dying quickly in close quarters. You are that really annoying mage that's hard to hit even in close quarters. You dodge attacks without seeing them coming, you're highly mobile on the battlefield leading your enemies on a merry chase, and even when an attack is about to connect, you most likely will be immaterial to it. Consumes some MP to increase speed, significant MP to turn immaterial. Effect and efficiency improve with Rank.
Popping into the empty kitchen, he called out, “Mom? Dads?”
Qeb popped his head around the kitchen entryway, “Amen? How’d you get in here.”
Before Amen could respond, his mother Ana rushed past her husband and wrapped her arms tightly around her son. “Oh, Amen. You’re alright. I was so worried about you,” Ana cried, as precious tears began to run down her face. “Everything happened so fast this morning, and they were saying Pamu was an [Assassin], and we couldn’t find you anywhere, and Pamu is accused of murdering the [Light Shah], and, and—”
“Ma, calm down,” Amen said to no effect. “Pamu’s innocent, I guarantee it. We just have to convince the [Dawn Heir] or find the true culprit.”
Ana sniffled hard. “And how are we supposed to do that?”
“Well convincing the [Dawn Heir] shouldn’t be too hard. I mean, Pamu has no motivation to assassinate his own employer.”
“Assassinate his employer?”
“Uhh, I mean, like, umm…”
“Amen,” Ana said in her sharpest mom-tone. “You are explaining to me right now what you just said.”
“Adonite’s tits,” Amen whispered to himself as he rubbed his temple, and his father frantically waved behind his mother to shut up. “Pamu is—was—the [Light Shah’s] top-most [Assassin].”
Ana turned sharply to her only husband in sight, who quickly tucked his hands behind his back. “You told me he was a [Tactical Fighter] with the Tarzu Elites!”
“Uhh,” Qeb stumbled. “That was your other husband, dear. And it is mostly true. From a certain point of view.”
“A certain point of view?!”
“Well, he does attack in order to fulfill the [Light Shah’s] tactical objectives and—“
“That’s not the point! Our baby is apprehended by the guards—“
“He’s in the city dungeon,” Amen interjected.
“—in the dungeon,” Ana corrected. “For assassination, and no one thought to tell his only mother that his Class was [Assassin]!” She spun to face Amen again. “Are you an [Assassin] too!”
“No, I’m a [Mage],” Amen replied nonchalantly, crooking an eyebrow.
“A [Mage]?!” Ana’s temper dialed down a few notches in confusion. “Why are you working as a draftsman for an [Engineer]?”
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
“Mom. This really isn’t the time. I came by to make sure everyone was okay before I went to the Tarzu Palace to sort this all out. So would someone tell me everyone is okay and why there’s a crowd outside the barricaded entranceway?”
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Five minutes later, Amen phased through the barricade to the front of the crowd, to a few startled gasps. “Friends, neighbors, citizens, lend me your ears.” Amen actually didn’t have any Skills directed to crowds, unless they were subordinates, though [Natural Leader] and 1400+ CHA were, well, naturally effective.
“You saw the guards come to my home this morning to retrieve my brother and heard that the [Light Shah] is dead. These are both true!”
“We heard your brother killed our lord!” an idiot yelled from the back.
“And that is false, Your Grace,” Amen replied smoothly. “Pamu was directly employed by the [Light Shah], and could be considered a confidante. But with his death, my brother remains one of the foremost authorities within the city on the nature of [Assassins], and he is, I have no doubt, working right now to discover the true murderer!”
“Then why did the guard arrest him?” the idiot yelled again.
“I do not know. But I can assure you that Pamu is innocent in the [Light Shah’s] death. And we both pledge that we shall not rest until he is avenged.”
The crowd remained silent for several long moments. “I don’t believe you,” the idiot said, more quietly this time.
“[Detect Lies] said it was all truth.”
“But then why did his family barricade the entryway.”
“I’m still suspicious.”
“Ladies and gentlemen. We appreciate your concern regarding the tragic events this morning. But there is nothing you can do about it. You are [Bakers], [Scribes], [Housewives], [Maids], and [Stablehands],” Amen rattled off several Classes he could [Identify] in the crowd. “Go back to your normal business. You are upsetting my family.”
“Or what?”
I’m not sure if this idiot is troublesome or useful. “Or I’ll disperse the crowd myself.”
The crowd remained where they were, not necessarily hostile, though no more likely to listen to a young man who merely worked as a non-Classed draftsman for an [Engineer] and was too hesitant to ask a young woman on a date. “Make us,” the idiot spat out.
Who is this guy? Amen thought, as he cast another of his newest merged Skills.
> [Lost World *M 5] (N/A): A wide area of effect attack, creating a dense fog. While it does not cause direct damage, enemies will find themselves sapped of strength in body, mind, and senses. Area covered and strength of effect increases with Rank.
The street in front of their home was suddenly covered by a dense fog. Amen quickly tweaked the Skill to direct the crowd away from the home and only to inhibit their mind and senses: no need to have the weakest members collapse on the street. As the relatively weak crowd became rapidly disoriented and debilitated, they found themselves shuffling along in several directions away from the home. When Amen was satisfied that they were well on their way to leaving, he pumped a fair bit more MP into the Skill in order to ensure that it stuck around for a while. It’d probably still run out before he got back, but at least no one would return immediately.
Amen quickly phased back through the barricade, debriefing his fathers on the situation outside and advising them that no one should leave the house. With a few quick kisses goodbye, Amen was off to the Tarzu palace to get to the bottom of the mystery.
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The [Dawn Heir] was in his father’s former office, roughly categorizing all that was in it and planning on what needed to be dealt with most promptly. His father was, if anything, a capable bureaucrat, though too soft on crime and military matters, and so there was little that would affect Tarzu immediately. Particularly economically, he needed the status quo to remain for his plans to move forward.
“[Dawn Heir],” a man’s voice addressed him just as he was closing a small chest. Strange. I locked the door and said I was not to be disturbed. The [Dawn Heir] turned about slowly.
“The [Assassin]? I thought I locked you up. Come to finish the job?” he smirked.
“That’s my brother Pamu. I am Amen.” On his way over, Pamu had filled him in that the [Light Shah’s] body had already been removed and the scene of the crime too disturbed to gather any evidence.
“Ah, but of course,” the [Dawn Heir’s] grin broadened. “The mysterious [Mage] brother to my father’s equally mysterious chief [Assassin]. You know,” he trailed off as he plopped down into the luxurious chair behind the desk. “I wasn’t expecting you here this quick.”
“You were expecting me?”
“Well, I threw your brother in the dungeon—with zero casualties to my surprise—and, well, you’re a loose end, no? Or, unaccounted for, at least. Another factor to address? Take your pick.”
“That’s… surprisingly calculating of you.”
“Well, it’s the perfect opportunity for war, don’t you agree?”
“… what?”
“No, perhaps you’re farther behind than I thought,” the [Dawn Heir] frowned gently. “Pray, what did you do for my father anyways? The [Assassin’s] role was clear, but as far as I can tell, you’re a simple draftsman. A [Mage], mind you, but still, I couldn’t quite pin you down.”
“I never worked directly for your father. I sometimes helped Pamu, but rarely.”
“And your role then?”
Amen shrugged. “I mostly just watched his back.”
“Of course, of course. The second-tier [Mage] that can’t be [Identified] assisting the top [Assassin] in Tarzu and breaks into my own office in the middle of the day without alerting a single guard?” The [Dawn Heir] raised another eyebrow, but was quickly running out. “Fine, keep your secrets for now. But I’ve kept us off track long enough; let’s discuss why you’re really here.”
“Pamu didn’t kill your father. He—”
“Of course he didn’t.”
“—wait, what?”
“I killed my father.”
“That’s—a bold confession to make, Your Grace.”
“Well, the line of succession is exceptionally thin. And frankly I couldn’t actually arrest your brother if he wasn’t cooperative, or, at least, not without spending significant resources. But your brother, and presumably you, share something in common: You live here, with extended family, and are loyal to Tarzu. I may not be a good man, but I am a good leader, and better than a civil war.”
Amen, who had been relaying the whole conversation to Pamu telepathically, asked,
“You’ve given this a lot of thought,” Amen replied neutrally.
“I have, haven’t I?” the [Dawn Heir] grinned. “And so it comes down to how do you get your brother out of the dungeon and keep your family safe.”
“What can I do?”
“Simple, I want you to go to Abmeris and prepare for war.”
“You want me to assassinate the [Shadow Shah]?”
“What? No. How’s your history?”
“Of the Free Cities? Weak.”
“There’s a long history of the Free Cities conquering each other. As long as there’s nothing too underhanded, the conquered cities are usually fairly compliant, knowing their comeuppance will eventually come. So, the war needs to appear legitimate so that when I conquer Abmeris, its people accept me as their legitimate ruler. A decapitating strike is frowned upon, but sabotage is not. I’d send my [Assassin], but he’s currently acting as a scape goat. But an illusion [Mage] with your level of furtivity? Perhaps just as useful. Damage their enchanted walls and their armories. I’ll attack with my army in the morning of the 69th day from now.”
“You’re using your father and my brother to justify war?”
“Wow, I seriously overestimated your INT and WIS.”
“The [Shadow Shah] is a good man. A good ruler for Abmeris.”
“And perhaps I’ll let him keep his head and a minor gubernatorial role. But Abmeris will be mine, with the others soon to follow.”
Amen nodded his head in silence for several long moments, frantically communicating with Pamu telepathically over the situation. Finally, he sighed deeply.
“You’re a cunning man, [Dawn Heir]. I’ll do as you ask.”
“Just what I wanted and a compliment too. Such a lovely day.”