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Stone and Shadow
Chapter 2 Stealth is optional

Chapter 2 Stealth is optional

The centaur drove the carriage was driven to the building which stood two streets down off the side of the street nestled between some trees just outside of Neon District and close to Dourfield. I hoped out of the carriage and walked briskly over toward the compound as I got closer, I started to pick up more details, the compound had one large building a four-story office and two smaller buildings presumably for storage a simple set up for offsite management. The fence was a simple metal bar set up with rows of bars close together with spikes and blades on top to prevent anyone from just slipping in and allowing the guards inside to see outside. Making scouting a nightmare, while they're on alert. However, he had ways around this and activated his summon familiar ability.

He gripped his hand into a fist and after a second passed, a dark shadow and pieces of stone swirled around his hand it was then sucked into the palm of his hand coalescing into a representation of a bird with four wings and a wolf head that clicked its snout together in a snap. He felt the alien intelligence that lay in the creature, and he shared his thoughts with his familiar Bob “give me an aerial view.” Bob nodded in an affirmative “Go” and the familiar took flight he walked further into the trees picking his way through the brush keeping as silent as possible while looking through his familiars' eyes. A caster had to learn to focus on two things at once in order to not throw up or suffer migraines from the sensory input from the ability. His aerial view was interesting they were indeed gangers from the colors the wore he could tell they were the Jackals they focused their criminal actions on drugs and protection rackets, they seemed to focus their search on the office and were surrounding each door.

There was very little as to the method of side entrance to the compound. However, there was a tree that had a branch cross the perimeter while not thick enough for a human or ork it was thick enough for a dwarf. He made his way to the tree while he looked at the area around the tree limb thru his familiar Bob saw two Jackals standing by the back door of a storage unit that was next to the tree limb, once he crossed that tree limb it would be a fall, and both would see him. So a distraction would be in order, he finally reached the tree unluckily it was quite straight so he required some assistance he reached into his coat and pulled out a long dagger its blade was 18 inches in length tapered to an almost round point made of vaporous shadow steel, the hilt was simple with a curved guard with the concave side toward the point the total length being 28 inches in length.

He looked at the tree and stabbed it feeling the dagger bite after testing it to make sure it wouldn't slip out. He began the climb after using the dagger to hoist himself, he would grip the tree with his free hand and boots and repeat the process. After finally reaching the limb, he scooted onto the limb and began sliding forward he crossed the perimeter and rested right above the two gangers. He stuffed the dagger back in its sheath pulling from his back a repeating crossbow with a 18-shot magazine with a foregrip for steady aim. He sent Bob flying between them distracting them flying to the left as they whirled to see what breezed by them, he aimed and struck the one on the right in the neck and before the other could turn around again to see what caused the noise, he fired again shooting another bolt at the neck of the other. He pulled out some bolts out of his hip quiver reloading his crossbow. Examining the aerial view provided by Bob he noticed that no one noticed his slaughter or would notice his entry, he also realized that his trick could work a second time as the red rogue was focused on the door to the office building not the rest of the yard.

Jumping down he made sure to tuck and roll he hoped up and headed to the gap between the buildings he knew they were to great so he would risk some of the wandering guards seeing him, but there was only one guard to a door, his only choice was to stealth kill the guard and hope he wasn’t seen. He sent Bob to prepare to attack if he was caught swooping out of the sky and attack any of them that saw him. He edged around the building as far as he could and aimed his repeater at the next guard, firing again this time taking a headshot this time. As he crossed the distance to the door, he heard a cry quickly followed by a gurgle he had noticed and as Bob had been instructed had attacked. Reviewing what Bob had seen, the ganger was guarding the second storage when he saw me crossing and was in the process of alerting when Bob saw him notice and interceded.

A ganger near the other door had a crossbow raised pointed at the door. When he heard the shout turning, he saw Bob repeatedly stabbing the guard by the storage building in the throat injecting shadow into the wounds paralyzing his vocal cords. Earning me enough time to send an arrow through his neck causing him to topple as he fell to his knees. Not pausing I rushed to the door, opening it to reveal the first floor it had a tanned carpet with filing cabinets and desks with ledgers around it was also an open floor plan with windows cut in the walls so occupants could see each other. Which was bad for me as the three Jackals inside the next room clearly saw me. I opened fire into the chest of the one in the middle rolling behind the cover of the wall as two crossbow bolts slammed into the floor where I had just been.

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He hopped up and shot again sadly his aim was off and merely hit the arm of another ganger at the same time the other pulled a knife and rushed doorway that led to the room I let go of the repeater and grabbed my long dagger and rushed the same doorway he arrived at the doorway a little ahead of me. He swung at my face barely blocking his arm with my own but then he threw his weight and mass behind it throwing me to the floor causing the knife to get just that bit closer resulting in a cut to the cheek. But allowed me to stab him ending his life.

Throwing him to the side, he heard the stomping of footsteps resounding from above over the screaming of the red rouge bleeding out. Running across the room I finished off the one with the wounded arm and waited by the wall next to the stairs hunched down as I resummoned Bob. As they came past, he waited till the first went past then lashed out at the second causing him to tumble into the second causing the two of the Jackals to be sprawled on the floor. He tossed Bob around the corner looking thru Bobs senses he saw two Jackals holding swords preparing to attack a large target they were looking like they were quite surprised as a small creature flying at their eyes appeared. They then proceeded to swat at Bob with their swords. Timorial turned around the corner and started swinging and as the first was too preoccupied by Bob biting at their eyes to defend against him.

He rushed them, taking the first in the heart, shoving his weight forward on the body he caused it to land on the one behind causing him to fall. Taking the chance, he slashed at his sword arm taking it off as the shock hit the one on the ground, he finished him off with a strike to the heart. Leaving the dagger still in the wound he brought up his repeater turning as he took aim. The one he maimed was on the ground still screaming about his leg and the other uninjured one was standing taking stock of his surroundings. A bolt to the head ended both their threats.

He turned toward the stairs and began briskly walking up them after of course retrieving his long dagger. As he reached the second floor, he saw another open floor plan room, this time no walls, only pillars holding up the ceiling and cubicles forming tiny rooms. Loud noises came from above, so I continued up the stairs coming to a set of proper offices with no open floor plan here. Just a hallway with doors on either side one of said doors was partially open with three of the Jackals trying to break into the room trying to push the door open ending with them momentarily hissing and hopping back as they tried not to be hit by some spear like object jutting thru the gap.

He was pretty sure he found the Qola, the Jackals seeing him one of them screamed a war cry and charged him with a metal bat his swings were wide missing him and putting holes in the walls forcing him to jump back Bob flew forward to strike but suffered a hit causing him to be banished he wouldn't be able to summon him again for thirty minutes, but it left the ganger wide which allowed him to stab him putting him down. Looking up he saw that the others were gone only the window at the end standing open, they took the fire escape while not having another fight was good this meant that those down below would be alerted if they weren't already and would surely call for back up.

He walked to the door which was now fully closed “Qola?” a small green face showed itself “who are you?” “I was hired to rescue you.” “Then help me get this door open!” He immediately turned the knob and put his strength against the door. It barely budged, however rustling on the other side started to ease up the weight and allowed the dwarf to open the door enough for the goblin to squeeze through. Letting go of the door after the goblin got to safely out, he turned to her “Did you get everything?” the goblin nodded holding their broken broom “yeah and its nova boss is going to love it.” what a chipper girl she is. “Let's go then.”

From the stairs they heard raised voices rising up towards them, they rushed to the fire escape where they began marching down the two gangers from before were halfway down to the ground floor. As they made their way down the stairs the sounds of doors opening and of items slamming echoed from above, they needed to move faster. The two gangers below them had stopped to look up and realizing that we were coming down decided to pull crossbows out and begin shooting.

This was dangerous, we can't be held up here or they’ll be caught, they were still two stories up he pulled his repeater up and fired taking out one in the head. “Shit shit shit.” Qola growled out as she ran past and grabbed the ladder railing and began to rapidly go down it. The last ganger looked up surprised but smart enough to dodge my attacks, realizing that it was a bust, I ran down the same ladder as fast as possible. Good news we were off the fire escape bad news it seemed the upper gangers had realized that we were no longer there and were now looking out the window shouting. Qola and me and took me a second to orient ourselves.

The second cost me as an arrow hit me in the side, but the one dodging had stopped with my repeater I rose up and shot him this time the Ganger didn't dodge. We then headed to and reached the main gate then immediately unbolted it and pushed it open enough to let us through to the angry cries from the fire escape. I grabbed the goblins arm and gestured at our ride shouting, “follow me got a carriage this way.” we ran to the carriage, that was thank God still there and hoped in and told the centaur to drive it out of there.