by Riker Kane
“Ya got that right! Bastard knocked out one of my back windows. Had to have the thing replaced. Wasted hours sweeping up the glass.”
“What did they take?”
“Took a few mugs. And a knife for my bread from the backroom. It’s hard to find a good bread knife these days. If I get my hands on the man, I’ll show ‘em to use it, I will.”
Clayton bit his tongue and held back a laugh. “Sorry about your loss.” He reached forward for the drinks when somebody pushed up next to him, knocking some of the liquor out onto the counter.
“Well, look who it is… The man who’s gotta be protected by three women.”
Clayton looked at the man next to him. It didn’t take him long to realize it was a sorcerer he’d seen at the inn lobby. Underneath his hood, there were a couple of beady brown eyes staring right at him. Clayton turned to the other side and saw an archer. Long, dirty white hair. He had a condescending sneer on his face, looking down at Clayton over his pointed nose.
“Lemme guess,” Clayton sighed. “A man in armor is standing behind me.” He only had to tilt his head just a bit to see he was right. The armored knight had his face covered with his helmet but Clayton could still see his eyes reddening and his brow furrowing.
“Listen, friend,” the mage said. “I know you’re here for the bounty. Me and my party already have things under control. We’ll be the ones to take care of the assassin.”
“Is that right? The town seems to be on edge. It doesn’t sound like you’ve handled the situation very well.”
“It won’t be long until we get our hands on our target. I suggest you and your whores be on your way. Or you’ll regret it.”
“Ha…” Clayton bit his tongue and straightened up. “You know, I would’ve let everything slip. But then you had to go and say that word. Well… Now I have to do something.”
“Try it.”
“Hey!” The barmaid shouted and slapped her palm against the counter. “Ya fools wanna do something, do it outside! I have trouble enough cleaning yer mess when ya aren’t fighting.”
“What do you say, friend?” Clayton said as he eyed the hooded mage in front of him. “Why don’t we settle this bounty right now?”
“Sounds like a grand idea.” The mage marched out with his brethren.
Clayton took a sip of fuzz and sighed as he walked back to his table with the drinks.
“What’s going on?” Jalise asked.
“A problem I gotta deal with. You ladies can stay here.” He said it even though he knew they would follow him out anyway.
The party stepped out of the tavern. The trees from the surrounding forest swayed softly from the night breeze. The moonlight cast a shadow and illuminated the small village.
The sorcerer held his hands out and laughed. “Just what I thought. The man can’t fight without his whores by his side.”
Clayton unsheathed his weapon and pointed it forward. “All right. I’ll make this quick. You can apologize right now and we’ll all go back and have our drinks. Or I can make sure you don’t get your bounty.”
“With half a sword? Ha! You must pay your whores well. I don’t even know why they’d stand by your side.”
“Fine. Suit yourself.” Clayton focused his energy and fired a blast of water right at the mage. The sorcerer responded by raising his hands up and blocking it with a water spell of his own.
The archer quickly nocked four arrows and fired them. Mirella rushed in front of the group and knocked them away with a swing of her trident.
“Go!” the sorcerer shouted. “Show these fools who they’re dealing with!”
The knight stomped forward, metal clanking against the dirt as he charged at Kailani. He swung his massive greatsword but she was too quick, leaping into the air as it slammed into the ground. She pounced on his shoulders but a blast of water from the sorcerer knocked her off before she could attack.
Jalise rushed to Kailani and cast a healing spell. A bolt of fire slowed the archer down enough that he had to retreat before nocking another volley of arrows.
“Is that all you got?” Clayton twirled his sword around and stepped to the mage. “I’ve seen worse.”
“You haven’t seen my best!” The sorcerer clapped his hands together and sent a shard of ice sharp enough to pierce through Clayton’s head. Clayton just managed to slash the ice away. He dashed up and swiped at the mage, slicing through his garments and drawing blood.
“Gotcha—”
“BB!”
Kailani’s warning was just in time as Clayton ducked down to avoid the arrow heading his way.
The knight didn’t stop his pursuit. He stalked Jalise and Kailani, swinging his greatsword hard enough to split them in two. Mirella stabbed at the archer but his deft movements made him hard to hit. He responded with a piercing arrow that Mirella was able to easily knock away.
“Dammit… Can’t keep fighting like this…” Clayton gritted his teeth and looked back up at the mage.
“Are you ready to walk away now?”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Clayton roared as he dashed up to the mage. He used all of his strength to swing at the mage but missed. The mage had vanished completely, appearing behind him.
“Who taught you how to fight?” The sorcerer blasted Clayton in the back and sent him tumbling forward. If not for his armor, he would have surely been scorched.
“Starting to get on my nerves…” Clayton grumbled as he dug his sword in the ground to push himself back up. He turned around and the cocky smile of the mage just made him angrier.
“One last chance,” the mage said. “Leave Lancaster. The bounty is mine.”
“I’m not going anywhere. You want me to leave, you’ll have to kill me.”
“What makes you think I’m not capable of that?”
“Hey!” The booming voice stopped everybody from moving. Armored men on horseback galloped between all of them. “I’ll have no more of this! Keep this up, I’ll lock all of you into a cell and throw away the key!”
Lancaster’s patrolling guards arrived to bring the fighting to an abrupt halt.
“Come on,” the sorcerer said. “I think the man and his whores has learned his lesson. If he hasn’t, I’ll teach it to him another time.”
The mage walked away with his two companions.
“How about you?” The man on horseback gave Clayton a stern look. “You still feel like causing trouble?”
“No,” Clayton sighed. “I just wanna have my fuzz.”
The four of them headed back into the bar and collapsed in their seats.
Kailani was the first to gulp her drink down. “And I thought there wasn’t gonna be any excitement our first night here…”
“We are already in a predicament,” Mirella said. “Why would they fight needlessly? Foolishness.”
“With the amount of money the mayor’s offering, I’m not surprised.” Clayton swirled his drink around like he always did and watched the bubbles rise. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, one way or another.”
The table was silent while the rest of the bar was full of quiet chatter. Clayton was grateful for his moment of peace but it was interrupted when he noticed someone staring at him. He turned and looked at the man. He was old and frail, so Clayton knew he likely wasn’t gonna cause any trouble.
“You’re here for the bounty?” the old man’s voice trembled. “The Lancaster Assassin?”
“Not here for the bounty,” Clayton said. “But we’re here to help.”
“That’s what I figured.” The old man pulled a chair up to the table. “You all seem different. Not like Nym and his friends.”
“Nym?”
“That mage you just got into it with. Yokic is the big bloke in the armor. Sheril’s the smarmy fella with the bow and arrow. They’ve been pushing people around ever since they got here, squeezing everybody for information like milking a cow.”
“It looks like this whole situation has got everybody on edge.”
&nbs
p; “I say Nym is causing almost as much trouble as the assassin himself.” The old man sighed deeply, a frown on his lips. “You four seem different though.”
“If there’s any way we can help, you can tell us.”
“Name’s Josef. I’m just a farmer here. I don’t make much. Enough to feed my wife and kid, Ralph. He’s the sweetest boy you’d ever met. Doesn’t do anything except study and help me out in the fields. Leanne and I’ve been blessed.”
He forced a smile onto his lips before it left as fast as it’d appeared. “A few days ago, I was working in the fields. Ralph was helping me out like I usually did. I head inside of the barn to get some tools then I hear him scream. I run out but he’s gone. Vanished. No trail or nothing.”
“The assassin took your son?” Jalise said. “Why would somebody do such a thing?”
“Don’t know. Ralph’s an innocent kid. But lately, lots of kids have been missing. A kid every now and then goes wandering out in the woods too far. It happens. But that’s only once every few years. It’s been happening an awful lot these days…”
“Damn…” Clayton looked around the table but nobody had the answers he was looking for. “I’m sorry, Josef. We’ll do everything we can to find Ralph but we have no idea how we’re gonna get our hands on the assassin.”
“That’s just it. I’ve been keeping something from the guards and the hunters. Figured you’re the people I’ve been waiting for.” He leaned in closer to the table and whispered. “A few days ago, somebody broke into the barn. Took some grain. Then a few days later, it happened again. I figured I’d stay up and watch. Just like clockwork, I saw him.”
“You saw the assassin?”
“Mmm-hmm.” He nodded. “Clear as day. Couldn’t see his face cause of the hood but it was him. Didn’t do anything though. I’m just an old man and the guy was fast. Probably why nobody’s been able to catch him.”
“Hmm… If they’re stealing grain from you at night, they’ll probably steal it again. When exactly are they scheduled to take your grain?”
“Tonight. Usually after the tavern closes and everybody’s asleep.”
Clayton raised his eyebrows. He didn’t have to say anything for the others to know what he was thinking.
“It looks like we have a meeting with the Lancaster Assassin tonight.”
Chapter 33
Only now did Clayton take the time to view his stats since leaving Shara.
Clayton Brooks
Essence Level 74
Available Points 7
Hit Points 800
Stamina 100
Strength 21
Constitution 19
Agility 17
Dexterity 17
Wisdom 15
Seven more levels meant an automatic boost in his hit points. At this point, he could take more damage without falling than he could before. “If we’re gonna catch this guy, I’ve gotta be light on my feet… He might put up a fight though… This is tough…”
He decided agility was what he needed but prepared for combat.
Two points in strength.
Two points in constitution.
Three points in agility.
He felt a rush of energy surge through his body. His muscles swelled slightly and there was a bounce in his step.
“Hopefully this jerk won’t make me regret underleveling my wisdom…”
The group had gathered at Josef’s farm beneath the cover of nightfall. Together, they sat behind the shade of the barn, just across from the mill where the grain had been stolen.
Mirella kept her eyes wide, diligently observing the scenery for any movement. “There is a lot of open space. There is no telling which direction of the forest he will come from.”
“I don’t know…” Kailani shrugged. “This whole thing sounds kinda fishy to me. Maybe the old man is in on it and he’s setting us up. You did hear about the assassin taking out some people already hunting for him.”
Jalise breathed softly to stay as quiet as possible. “I don’t sense any betrayal from him. I believe he’s sincere when he says his child is missing.”
“Besides,” Clayton added. “We don’t have any other leads. If this turns out he mistook the assassin for some bear, at least we found out who took his grain.”
“I suggest we remain patient. The assassin could strike at any moment.” The group took heed of Mirella’s advice and stayed patient against the barn.
Clayton sighed and inhaled some of the clean forest air. The entire town was silent, the empty streets illuminated only by the moonlight.
Minutes passed. Minutes turned into hours. Clayton had lost track of time, leaning against the barn while he kept his eyes focused. “Either the assassin’s not showing up or they’re late… They keep this up and the sun will be up by the time they get here…”
“Maybe we should all hit the hay,” Kailani said. “I’m not too comfortable about going back to the inn with those jerks back there though…”
“We can always find a comfortable place to sleep. There’s a lot of forest clearings where you can just lie on the grass.”
“That sounds like something. Back on the islands, when the weather was just right, I used to lay underneath the moon and sleep out in the open. Nothing but the tides rolling in the distance to help me drift off. I don’t know if the woods could compare to something like that—”
“I hear something.” Mirella motioned with her hand and pointed at the forest off to the side. “Over there.”
The entire group narrowed their eyes into the darkness between the trees. The brush moved and a black-hooded figure appeared, quickly disappearing into the barn.
“There!” Clayton raced forward and unsheathed his sword. He had only started running when the man was already leaving the barn.
Clayton chased after him through the streets. Despite the agility he’d invested in, he labored to keep up with the man sprinting away. “Damn this armor’s heavy…”
He focused his energy as best he could, trying to maintain his stamina. The metal of his armor clanked with every step he took. The rest of the group followed in tow.
“He’s going through the town!” Jalise shouted. “Be careful! He might take a hostage!”
Clayton didn’t care if everybody in Lancaster was sleeping. He couldn’t take the chance and let him get away.
The distance between them increased as the hooded-figure sped through the town.
“This guy’s running like he has four legs,” Clayton muttered to himself as he struggled to keep up. “Can’t let him get away…” He gritted his teeth and moved as fast as he possibly could. His heart raced and his lungs burned as he pumped his legs.
“Not so fast!” The armored guards of the village galloped in front of Clayton and blocked his path.
“Oh, great…” he muttered.
“What are you doing? You’re not allowed to be out. There is a curfew—”
“The assassin! I’m chasing after the assassin, you idiot! He’s getting away!”
“What did you just call me?” The man stepped off of his horse and walked toward Clayton. “I don’t know where you’re from but in Lancaster, we have laws. Mayor Morrison decreed there is a curfew—”
“Jalise.” He turned to the sage and she nodded in response.
“Go, Clayton,” she said. “I will speak to them. ”
“All right, BB. Let’s get this guy!” Kailani and Mirella ran around the horse blockade with Clayton leading the way.
“Hey! Stop! Come back here!” The guard attempted to get back on his horse but Jalise stopped him.
“You must let them do this. Please.” Jalise ignited a ring of flames around the horses. The guards pulled their weapons out and beat the flames to try and extinguish them.
Clayton raced into the forest without giving the guards a chance to catch up. “Can’t bring a horse into the woods, you jerks…” He searched the brush for any sign of movement. It was his only hope of keeping the assassin’s trail.<
br />
He ignited his weapon and raced through the trees just in time to see movement in the darkness. “Over there! This way!” He ran forward through the trees, ignoring all of the sticks and twigs smacking him across the face. Kailani climbed the trees and ran through the treetops in an attempt to gain ground.
“I think we got him.” Just as Clayton said it, they ran into an empty forest clearing. At least, it was empty until a brown grizzly bear lumbered out. Its steps trembled the ground and its roar echoed through the trees. “This is just great—”
“Go!” Mirella put a hand on his shoulder. “We will hold it off. Get the assassin.”
“Ahh!” Kailani screamed from the treetops as she plunged down onto the bear. The bear wrestled her off and another roar shook the entire woods.
Clayton only had a chance to see the two of them engaging the bear before he ran through the woods.
“Where is he?” He narrowed his eyes, peering into the darkness for any sign of movement. He’d been running so hard and so fast. His stamina was gone. Despite his efforts, he was forced to slow to a walk.
“Dammit…” He gasped deeply as he inched forward. “Now where do I go?” He looked around then spotted some moonlight between the trees in one direction. The light grew brighter as he approached it. He pushed away the brush and branches and stumbled upon a small shack hidden among the trees.
“Hmm… I wonder.” He put out the flames on his sword and inched closer to the shack. He steadied his breath as much as he could as he moved up next to it.
“Don’t hear anybody inside…” The silence only made him more concerned.
He walked around the hut and found the doorway. His weapon raised, he stood before it and kicked it in, turning it into splinters.
The moonlight shined inside. He could barely make out the table with scraps of parchment on it.
“Here goes nothing—”
“Ahh!” He’d barely taken a step inside when he heard the scream, accompanied by a blade clanging against the metal of his arm. He quickly spun around and swung his sword at nothing. The attacker responded by slicing at him against his breastplate. Another swift strike knocked the Zeal Blade out of his hands.