An Assassin's Anthem

The sun descended, fading into twilight. An eerie quiet had fallen on the area, and the dragon soared down into the ravine.

Turning back, Riley walked to the bushes and trees they’d gathered. Looking like a pile of garbage from a field, the shelter did little to stop the breeze that gusted by.

Wriggling through the mess, Riley entered and looked at her fire pit. She knelt down and sparked a flame. Then she fed it twigs, slowly growing it while guarding it from the breeze.

Timothy reached back and shoved a bush, snapping a few twigs, which he threw on the fire. Dwight grinned and pushed in a log while the fire blazed merrily, bathing them in heat.

Minutes ticked by, and stars began to appear. Pulling out a pot, Riley placed it on the flame and sliced vegetables, dumping them into the pot. Maybe I can get a cook class. She smiled and sliced up another carrot, tossing it into the pot. Then she cut and tossed in a few potatoes and some salted venison.

“This is so utterly boring,” Kamal said with a sigh.

Riley chuckled and stirred.

“It’s worth it for a few more crystals,” Timothy said. “I’ll stay two days if I can get ten levels.” He drank from his canteen and leaned against a rock.

Riley looked at him. We need more mana. “Can we spare two days? I know it’ll be boring, but we could have far more stones ready to go.”

“Gods, for a bookish girl, you’re half crazy,” Luiz said, scratching his arms.

“Thank you,” Riley replied, turning back to the stew.

Timothy leaned forward and sniffed it. “Can they smell it?”

“Not with this breeze,” Riley replied, pushing lose hair behind her ear.

The group went quiet. They watched the rising moon, and Riley stirred while the stew boiled.

After an hour, she pulled her pot off the fire and dished out stew for each of them, plopping it on small metal plates.

Dishing out her own, she leaned against a tree and ate, enjoying the warm stew while the moon rose further. The soft breeze gusted, blowing across the plateau. Moving closer to the fire, she finished her meal and packed everything, rinsing the plates and pot with a burst of water.

Stashing the dishes in her pack, she frowned. If this doesn’t work, I’m done. That’s way too much work. She looked up at the moon and shivered. A burst of wind rippled through their shelter, sending a stream of smoke back toward the entrance.

Dwight groaned and moved closer to the fire. Riley did the same, pulling her arms up to her chest.

“Gods, it’s cold,” Kamal said, moving even closer.

Riley shivered and looked up at the clear sky. How cold is it going to get tonight? A burst of wind ripped through the group.

Tossing on another log, Timothy moved closer to the flame, sitting next to Dwight for warmth.

Another gust roared through, and Riley frowned. We’re not going to get any sleep in this. I might not wake up. She shivered and stood. Are the kobolds doing the same?

Ignoring the biting wind, she turned and left the group, heading to the cliffs with her cloak whipping in the wind.

Walking to the edge, she looked down and studied. The kobolds were gathered around fires. The dragon sat in the middle, dozing lightly.

Riley sighed, sending a breath billowing out into the air. Maybe we should just leave. If we can’t get mana, we can’t fight them. She looked down and watched a group of kobolds fight over the fire.

Can I freeze them out? She smiled and used Manipulate Storm.

The world seemed to freeze, hanging there in front of her. She could feel the wind and water. Pulling on the wind, she fed half of her mana into it and ended the skill.

Like all growing storms, the wind surged, gusting and nearly blowing her over. Her hair and cloak thrashed, and she looked down into the crater. Fires flickered, and one died. Riley shivered and turned, letting the wind shove her back toward the distant flame.

Jogging, she let it while she raced back to the group, who was piling more wood onto the file.

“Where’d you go?” Dwight asked, gesturing to a spot next to him.

Riley took the spot and used him to block a little of the wind. “Change of plans. We’re not going to get enough sleep. So, I’m trying to freeze them out.” She pulled her cloak tighter.

Timothy dragged her pack forward, using it as a wind block. He stooped over.

“It’s condemning cold,” Kamal whispered, huddling against the prince. “Come sit on my lap, Riley.”

Riley blushed and moved closer to Dwight.

Dwight tossed on another log and grunted. “If we sleep, will we even wake up?” he asked.

“I don’t know. We’ll leave if it gets too bad.” Riley looked at the shelter. “Pace the wood. It’s going to be a long night.” She looked up at the moon and let her mind go blank.

~~~

Like all animals in a storm, the group huddled together for warmth. The moon inched across the sky, and the temperature plummeted, driven away by the icy winds.

As Riley’s eyes jerked open due to another burst of freezing wind, the first notification appeared.

[You have slain a level 274 kobold. +274 experience.]

Does it count them fully? She looked at the numbers and smiled. Then she looked at the stars and stood.

“Riley?” Timothy whispered. “Should we go?” He shivered.

Dwight nodded. “It’s too cold.” He gestured at the tiny amount of wood left. “And we’re almost out.”

“The sun will be up in an hour,” Riley said. “I’m getting more wood and using the last of my mana.” She turned toward the crater and used Manipulate Storm.

Once more, the world seemed to freeze. She embraced water and carefully willed a cloud over the pit. Then she fed the cloud all of her remaining mana.

Time resumed, and the cloud poured water onto the camp below. Almost as fast as it had begun, the freezing rain ended, coating everything in the pit with a small layer of ice.

Riley turned and headed for the closest plants she could find, racing out into the storm.

Timothy stood and followed. The rest did the same. They hacked and cut down anything that would burn, running it back to the fire.

After thirty minutes, Riley whistled and gestured. The group returned to the flame and tossed several logs onto it. They huddled together once more.

“It seemed warmer for a minute,” Luiz said sadly, pulling his cloak tight against him.

“Just the exercise,” Riley replied. She looked at them. They had gumption. They had will. He’ll make a strong king. She looked at the prince. But will he make a good one? She didn’t have an answer to that, but she mused on it while kill notifications popped up at an increased rate.

“How do we tell if it’s working?” Dwight asked.

“We just wait,” Riley said, rubbing her hands near the flames.

“We don’t have to ration, right?” Luiz asked, pulling on another branch.

Riley shook her head. “No. We’re leaving with the sun.”

Luiz tossed the branch on the flame and moved up against Riley. She didn’t fight it, using him for cover from the icy wind that roared around her.

Turning her focus from the flame, she watched notifications stream by. The dragon roared, and Riley considered it. Can I finish them? I do have stamina, and I have the dark for a little longer. She let out a long breath. “I’ll scout,” she said over the howling wind.

Walking back to the ledge, she looked down. The fires were down to embers. Desperate kobolds were squabbling, shoving, and fighting for warmth near the fire.

If I can just get rid of the fire. Turning, she walked over to her rope and descended, climbing down into the ravine and taking a deep breath.

Go quick and leave. Not thinking any further, she dashed across the stone ground and used Ambush, flickering like a gust of smoke on the wind.

Appearing near a fire, she ran right through, spraying rock and coals everywhere.

Kobolds chirped and turned. Riley flickered and repeated it, kicking the fire out while racing through it.

The kobolds charged, leaping over each other in an attempt to catch the saboteur.

Using Ambush, Riley raced forward with a growing trail of kobolds.

Running through the fire, she didn’t bother stopping. Instead, she raced forward, leaping and soaring like a boulder in an avalanche.

The kobolds screeched. Riley’s heart thundered in her chest, and she charged straight for the slumbering dragon.

“They say that in each dragon is a fire’s heart.

Come and get your warmth now. Rip this one apart.”

She burned all of her bardic inspiration on Rousing Song, leapt into the air, and slammed her knife into its eye.

The dragon roared and thrashed. The knife snapped, and Riley triggered Ambush.

Appearing near the crater’s wall, she ducked into the shadows and went still, wanting nothing to do with the kobold army or the angry, thrashing dragon.

The dragon roared and unleashed a cloud of green poison. Blood oozed down its face, and kobolds skipped to a halt, tumbling over each other while trying to get out of the cloud of caustic death.

Moving up against the stone, Riley looked in horror as the poison drifted toward the nearby embers. Reaching up, she clamped her hands over her ears and watched an arrow streak down.

Looking up, she saw the four others standing on the ledge. Dwight grinned and tossed his makeshift torch. It fluttered through the air like a red leaf carried into a green hurricane.

The poison cloud lit, bathing the crater in flame and smoke. Choking kobolds burned. The dragon roared anew, its cries of anguish rolling through the valley. Arrows peppered it.

The remaining kobolds charged after the boys above. Riley watched as a cheery Timothy shoved a rock over, smashing it into the front runner. Stones began rolling down, slamming into the climbing kobolds.

A roar rumbled through the air again. Riley turned, and the dragon bellowed, blood dripping from its eyes and ears.

Riley looked down at the knife handle in her hand. Tossing it aside, she crept forward, sneaking through the stones while the dragon blinked away blood.

Reaching down into the treasure, she grabbed a sword from the pile and triggered Ambush.

Appearing beneath the roaring dragon, she swung the sword like an axe, slamming it into the dragon’s neck with both hands.

Like chopping a massive tree, the sword vibrated in her hands, half bouncing off the scales of the reptile above. Riley grimaced, and warm blood splashed across her face.

The dragon reared back and opened its maw. Riley looked up at the massive teeth and used Ambush, running away from the dragon. It spun and lashed out with its tail, catching Riley’s shoulder and sending her flying.

Bellowing in triumph, an arrow sunk into its eye. Another arrow followed, and Riley bounced across the rocky ground, her eyes clamped shut.

Smacking into hard stone, Riley came to a stop. She groaned and looked out at the camp. The dragon bellowed and then staggered, dropping to the ground.

A quiet fell on the crater. Like a gold tornado, the dragon turned into a ribbon of gold. Kobold carcasses did the same, streaming out into a forming chest.

Riley pushed herself up, and the storm died, turning to nothing.

“Gods, yes!” Dwight roared, grabbing the rope and descending.

Riley walked over and flipped open the chest. It was filled with glowing crystals. Reaching down, she grabbed her own and stuffed them in her purse while rapidly counting. Do I hide some? I should.

Rapidly, she palmed and hid the number. Is this because they didn’t really help until the end? She assumed that to be the case and happily took all those with her name on them.

Timothy jogged up and began plucking out his crystals.

Riley took the last of hers and looked at the sword in her hand.

[Infused Sword. - This sword may be enchanted without requiring a crystal.]

“Legally, that belongs to the palace,” Timothy said, looking at the sword. He picked up a pair of knives and handed them to Riley. “Take anything attuned to you. Those are the rules.”

Riley handed him the sword and took the long knives.

[Enchanted Blades - These blades are enchanted to give them heightened durability when fed mana. - Attuned to Riley Milvsky]

She carefully added the blades to her belt. Then she wandered away from the prince, who was claiming things in the kingdom’s name while adding them to packs. Should have stolen stuff, she thought while walking away.

Huffing, she walked into a cave and saw a pair of shoes that looked unlike anything she’d seen. Complete with a small heel and fancy ribbon, they looked completely impracticable.

[You’ll love them! ~Beauty]

Riley looked once more.

[Momentous Shoes! - These shoes build momentum as you run, slowly increasing your maximum speed by up to +100 over the course of 100 seconds. Abrupt changes in direction or slowing will lose the effect.]

Riley grabbed and shoved them into her bag without another thought. Couriers loved the shoes, and she wanted them. Walking over, she searched the other alcoves and found a chest. Flipping it open, she pulled out the five E-rank crystals and contemplated further theft. They aren’t attuned, and a cover is your friend. She looked out at the group. We'll see if the prince is civil. Sighing, she frowned. I already stole shoes. I can split these.

Pausing a moment longer, she looked at her notifications.

[Your base level has advanced: 155 → 157!]

She grinned, cleared it and walked out with the bag in hand.

Timothy looked up from his bulging bag.

“Timothy, you’d better split those,” Dwight said with a look of icy fury.

“I will speak with my father. You know the law,” Timothy replied.

“Don’t sour your allies,” Kamal said stiffly. “Remember, you have to trust us, and we need to trust you.”

Timothy swallowed and looked at the angry group. “It’ll be fine. We’ll discuss it outside, and I’ll ensure you get your share.” He looked at Riley. “What are those?”

“Five found crystals. E-tier. We can split them now or out there.” Riley looked up. “But we should leave. I have a bad feeling.”

A roar echoed through the cave. The group turned and raced for the exit.

Spoiler