Shit, my back is dead, why the hell aren't bushes comfier to sleep in. I guess a sleeping pack is first on the purchase list. As I look up all I saw is that there's a stretch of clouds that encompassed the entirety of the sky with dark clumps that are beginning to gather.

Huh, I guess it's gonna rain today.

After I dusted myself off I see that my dagger has retreated back into my arm. I get depressed just thinking about. Manifesting weapons is a pretty rare power and it belongs to a branch of null magic, magic without any elemental leaning. However, I can only manifest a shitty dagger without anything special about it other than the fact that it looks like it's in better condition, but tell me what's the use in that? At least I can conveniently butter my bread, but that means I'm the equivalent of trash at the moment, it's not like I can cultivate my body like a warrior. So basically I'm a normal kid with an average dagger, maybe my enemies would pity me enough to leave me alone.

Sigh

I guess I have to keep moving regardless of how fucked I am.

A ray of sunlight managed to shine through the thick of the clouds, so it's midday... Fuck Cassie's going to kill me.

Panting, I made it to my destination. I stopped at the fountain in one of the quieter areas Dorwell which is where Cassie and I usually meet up. It is much quieter and quaint in comparison to the main square but it has a calm aura about it. As I waited I watched people go about their days with them using low power magic apparatus to cleans the path in front of their stores, the children running playing tag and people setting up their stalls. As I continued to stare into the crowd I listened to the violin player who began playing some pretty good tunes and gathered a bit of crowd for himself.

I looked towards the gaggle of people I saw the people dancing and frolicking to the folky music, people of all ages were dancing together having fun in the moment. I look towards the violinist as my interest was piqued by such a talented musician. He had dark hair that bordered on purple, a worn sky grey traveller's cloak and a smile that'll make any maiden hearts flutter. As I observed him we made eye contact, his bright green eyes connecting with mine. After a brief second, he sent a smile in my direction, fuck he's making me blush now. Good looking bastard.

I turned away and went back to my waiting, Cassie is sure taking her time. Does she really think that I'm this free?

I am but that's not the point. I waited for about an hour before I got something to eat, the violinist and the joyful atmosphere had left and has returned to the original peaceful atmosphere that was here before.

As I was waiting, munching on my lunch, I felt a cold shiver down my spine.

"Well isn't it the trash" Harald who the hell invited him?

"Harald what are you doing here, did someone in the clan need their ass wiped so you went out to fetch them some toilet paper?" Harald's face went ugly. His scowl fits his face much better compared to his usual greasy smile.

"Hmph, you won't provoke me, orphan boy. I came here to warn you that you are no longer to be in contact with young lady Cassandra."

"Who are you to tell me that errand boy?"

"I don't need to argue with you, lady Cassandra is going to the Central Kingdom to take part in the hazing. She'll soar far beyond your reach, so please stop leaching off her for once and learn your place." What Cassies gone, without telling me?

"I can see by your face that you finally comprehend how insignificant you truly are. Run along now you gutter rat, I can hardly breathe with you around." Fuck you, Harald who was busy laughing heartily at my crestfallen face.

As much as I wanted to stab him with my dagger right then and there I knew that I wouldn't even be able to summon my magic before Harald annihilates me, he's an elder for a reason.

Instead, I stood there. I did nothing. A cold feeling settled throughout my body as I realise that right now I truly have no one. I'm not needed, not wanted. Just another gutter rat. By the time I came to my senses, Harald was long gone and heavy drops of rain began to fall from the sky.

When it rains, it storms.

I made my way away from the fountain, my head held low. What do I do now? No plan, no friends and crappy dagger. This day is really looking down onto me.

As I skulked my way to wherever the road takes me. In my session of self-pity, I failed to notice a couple of shadows stalking my movements.

As I turned around a corner I instinctively ducked, where my head was there was an arrow that covered in a dark purple poison. Fuck someones trying to off me. I did a 360 and spotted the perpetrators. They were buff looking men dressed in a rogues garb and had full face masks on their faces. They definitely aren't your run off the mill ruffians, they're professional for definite. But who the hell would place a hit on my head... Harald that slimy fucker.

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Before I could mentally curse the assassins made their next move and leapt towards me. Not wanting to meet them I ran away in the opposite direction.

They chased me down the streets, they even kept up when I tried to lose them in the alleyways. I ran, ducking and weaving away from the onslaught of poison bolts sent my way. Breathless I swung on a post to launch myself around a corner but then one of the duos landed in front of me with a dagger in each hand raring to cut me down. I rolled to the right before he could sever my lifeline.

At least the danger sense I developed from living on the streets the majority of my life is helping me out here, without it I would've died without so much as a peep. After I landed from my roll I landed in front of a scrap pile that are usually dotted round in these poorer parts. As I looked at the pile I saw a small scrappy leather buckler shield lying just outside the pile. It had hard-worn leather that threatened to fall apart and a rusty iron centre. It screamed 'hey I'm about to fall apart any moment now'.

however, this is better than nothing. I grabbed the buckler and restarted my escape. I ran in erratic patterns so they couldn't predict my movements and pick me off with one of their poison bolts, but I'm pretty sure they've pretty much run out due them missing all of their shots and the severe reduction in fire rate in comparison to the beginning of the chase. I guess Harald must've cheaped out thinking that I'm easy pickings.

Unfortunately, I ran into a closed-off area, damn this is going to get difficult. I faced my pursuers with only the tattered buckler strapped to my arm, I didn't summon my dagger yet as I want to catch them off guard. After a brief 5 seconds of respite, they both charged at me knives drawn.  I dodged the first strike and blocked another with the buckler and then I returned the favour with a quick jab at the closest assassin. He jumped out of the way and the other charged at me in his place.

Shit, as he charged at me I tried to summon my knife, I didn't get the technique down yet so I just tried to push all of my mana out of me. My dagger constructed itself in the nick of time and I parried his attack and followed it with a heavy shield bash and knocked him to the ground. Before I could finish him off his partner got in the way.

I still had some mana circulating around my body, so I raised the buckler into a defensive position some mana flowed into it and it glowed bright and reconstructed itself. Blue spark circuits covered the surface of the shield when the light died down the shield looked good as new, better even. This surprised the charging assassin as he stumbled slightly which greatly weakened the blow onto the buckler. With this chance, I bashed is knife hand away with the buckler and staggered him and then finished him with a dagger into his heart.

I killed him, I really did. I'm the fucking man! The euphoria of extending my life clouded the disgust I'll feel that I've taken another's life. But before I can contemplate about morals I have to finish what I started.

I turned to the remaining assassin who looked at me with shocked eyes in return. He must've been a novice as no assassin worth his salt would freeze up at such a critical moment. Harald really underestimated me huh? Hopefully, this will bite him in the ass in the future.

Not letting him gather his wits I pounced on him, bashing his face in with the shield repeatedly before plunging the dagger into his throat, finishing him off. I could see as the last embers of his life were being smothered out of existence, the same unwilling expression etched into his dead eyes.

I stood up and let the rain wash the blood off of me for a moment. Then I promptly ran to the side and began to throw up. The guilt of killing another person welled up inside of me.

I managed to calm myself down after a while, now all the adrenaline has fled from my system and all that was left was my tired muscles and aching bones. I de-summoned my dagger and surprisingly the buckler went along with it. As I looked towards my arm I could see a round symbol next to the dagger which I guess represents the buckler. Neat.

Before I could ponder more about my newfound discovery I noticed a small gash in my arm that was faintly covered in a purple liquid.

A hollow laugh escaped from my mouth, after all of that, taking the lives of those two assassins, fighting tooth and nail for my life, all for nothing. My life is really pitiful, isn't it?

Soon enough my vision began to blacken and I fell heavily to the ground.

As my body lay unconscious a figure jumped off a rooftop into the scene of the crime. His figure was covered but you could still see his piercing emerald eyes. He waved his hand and the two assassin corpses turned into dust and were washed away by the rain. He then picked up my slowly dying body and leapt away.