Chp. 5 A successful mission
While riding the mule which I named ‘mule’ I performed routine maintenance on my blades and made the structure of the bow and the arrows more streamlined for power and uniform for accuracy. While approaching the city,\ I think of my access options, I could sneak in on a caravan or slip into the slums, or even grow a beard and bluff my way in as a visiting dwarf, but I prefer to leave no record except what my mission says to do, As I get within a day of the city I abandon Mule sending him towards the city like his friend.
Slipping through the woods like A shadow, the forest slowly turns to farmland and grassland stopping at a grove of trees about an hour away I climb up about a 20 meter tree hide my presence and prepare for a nap,
2 hours later at about 4 in the afternoon I hit a snag
Crunch, crunch
A man in full leather armor approaches the grotto then proceeds to take a pee 4 meters from the base on the tree I’m in
POV garrett
As my fledgling adventuring party finished hunting the ringed weasels we were sent to exterminate, I went to take a pee, about halfway through the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I looked up.
There in the trees. A child maybe only six holding a bow and arrow with enough tension to give me a third eye. My eyes widen in surprise and the planning for tonight running through my head stops instantly. For a second there the child's eyes were dull and uncaring with no remorse or emotion, just obligation, like the wandering mercenary that was finally executed in my town for taking the head of someone too important. Then they widened into a bright eyed child's eyes.
“Hello” In a bright cheery voice the child says, “Are you also hunting?” slowly moving the arrow back he slides it next to several more arrows attached to a satchel via rope.
Unsettled I realize that if it weren’t for me peeing already I would have peed myself looking into his eyes.
POV r-0 we’re too close to the city for me to take them out. I'll have to get into the city using them as cover. After I left the tree I joined their party, there was Garrett the leader who found me, a female scout and archer, a female mage, a large man with a war hammer and a male porter. Acting the child I excitedly talk and avoid any mature or hard to understand topics.
“So why were you up in that tree” the mage inquiries casually “I was hunting the rabbits” I cheerfully reply “why are you so far from the city then, there are rabbits closer” the large man states in a surprisingly high-pitched voice “my pa sent me out, the rabbits are much better quality the closer to the forest you are. what did you hunt, are they rabbits too?” before someone could answer I go “actually who are you guys”
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Garrett speaks up leaving the question unanswered “Were getting close to the gate, Get some coppers out”
Entering the gate I pay a small toll while the rest of the group shows their adventurers badge, waving goodbye as I head towards the area that most commoners reside in. Slipping into a dark alley I disguise my gear with [Changelings glamour] and dirty my face with the soil that can be found in the unpaved sections or cracked stones in the alleys, looking just like a street rat I emerge in the slums and sit down, loitering for the remaining 4 hours to nightfall Picking up gossip and rumor for some loose information, then I slip back into the alley, through a brothel, and change in an empty closet to my second set, The mottled grey set.
Not finding a window in my current room I pass down the hall silently. Finding an unoccupied room with a window, I reach my hand out, turn the forearm surface and palm to face me and jump.
Going out the window and up. The back of my fingers brush then clear the slight extension of the roof before I bring them back to grab the roof. I Kick my legs and use my momentum to swing going up and partially over the roof before letting go, performing a twist and landing in a gargoyle like pose, facing the higher class area of the city I launch still silent as a soft breeze heading to my target.
As I approach the wealthier districts guards begin appearing, an official’s house here, a city building there, still hopelessly inefficient but still something to look out for. Stopping at the target's house, which I picked the location from the gossiping prostitutes. The target's house was poorly protected. A simple hedge wall, 3 guards in rotation, some very basic alarm wards.
Throwing a rock a few feet from the guard I move past him while he’s looking at it. Slinking up the wall using window croppings I enter what looks to be a second floor kitchen. Waiting for a good 15 minutes I listen and observe, collecting information there is hard but not impossible.
The target is asleep, 2 guards on a 5 minute rotation, no servants on this level, there were prostitutes in the room but they left after the target fell asleep. Preparing the sheepsbane in the syringe I approach the door checking the hinges, they seem well oiled, using [magic slip] I pass by the alarm ward as I move through the door. And calmly open the door. As I insert the needle into the target's neck, his eyes flash open but drift back close as his artery carries the concoction to his brain.
The target was more overweight than most, easy to pick up and move for me but the more advanced maneuvers I would have to pull would be hard, so I choose the simpler option, splashing alcohol around I tie the target to my upper back and his hands and legs around my chest, I had to rip some of his tissue to move his meaty appendages around my chest. Taking a throwing dagger out I greet it with another generating a shower of sparks. Quickly leaping out of the window I land and crack the guard who was closest’s head open with a well thrown copper coin.
As large flames rise behind me I escape over the hedge during the pandemonium, I find an opportunity to climb onto the roof level, flashing over the roofs I quickly reach the wall.
Dropping the glamour my bag appears, unlooping the rope I slide the arrows attached to it in my bag and grab the grappling hook , Tying it to the rope I throw it over the 7 meter wall. Making sure It’s securely in, I start to climb, with the guards being distracted by the fire, I retrieve the rope quickly cutting the hook off I tie one end to the leg of a wooden archer tower pressed against the wall.
Tying a noose on the other end of the rope, I quickly take the target from my back, and castrate him, throwing the now not attached parts over the wall, I fit him with the noose and throw his soon to be dead body over the wall, sliding down the rope with the target I jump off the last 3 meters roll, and sprint as hard as I can while still being silent back home.