An Assassin's Anthem

Snow drifted down from clouds and landed on the dirt road. Riley ran, sending the snow flying.

The night loomed around her. Dark trees, lit by the moon, lined the narrow road. Like an arrow fired from a bowstring, Riley blazed along the path and vaulted over a stationary wagon.

Ignoring the fires and people, she shot straight through the camp.

“What the condemnation?” a merchant yelled.

Riley vaulted over the fire and raced forward. Bounding off the ground, she raced down the wagon and leapt. Her pink hair fluttered, and she landed on the road once more.

“She’s daft,” a woman yelled.

Riley remained locked onto the distant town and ran, letting the light from the moonlit clouds guide her down the road.

Should I have gotten Althea? She might have asked for a deal. Riley mused on it. It might have been safer, but she had a contract for these thieves, which was odd. Very odd. Did Althea plan this?

Riley considered it. It could have been a coincidence. This was the perfect time for the princess to strike. Yet, it also seemed so coincidental. Did she do this to help pull me to her? Not that she really needs the help.

Huffing out a billowing cloud, Riley raced by several massive trees. A wolf howled and went ignored; Riley’s thoughts drifted back to Althea. She could have done it. It was the perfect domino. She triggered the nobles and got the princess to target Emma. She had to have done it. The princess isn’t that competent. Riley frowned and shook her head. Or the princess found someone competent. She frowned. I need to spy more. That —

Her foot caught a root, and she flew. Flailing, she crashed on her side and skidded down the road, coming to a stop against a small rock. Ow! Focus, Riley!

Standing up, she brushed off the snow, dirt, and blood. Looking down at her bleeding arm, she sighed and pulled out a cloth. Wrapping it around her arm, she resumed her run, focusing entirely on her body and the road.

Minutes passed, and she found herself slipping into the tranquil motion. All that remained was the road. With a growing smile, she pushed herself to go faster.

Hills and valleys rolled by. A man stepped into the road and held out his hand. “Courier, halt.”

Carefully slowing, she flashed the symbols for the thieves’ guild and looked down at her ludicrous outfit, which seemed far too warm considering how much of it was missing.

The man stood there. “Slow it down.”

Riley flashed the symbols again.

The man nocked an arrow. “I will shoot!” he yelled.

Riley slowed and held up her hands. “Sir, I’m a courier. I don’t carry money and have letters.”

“I’m sure you have a little.” The man held out his hand and walked closer.

Riley scanned the forest and saw two thieves standing there with arrows nocked.

She ignored them and walked up to the man, stopping in front of him.

He smiled and gestured. “I’ll take the purse and your letters.”

Riley reached for her purse and used Ice Blade. An icy short sword appeared in each hand. She slashed, flicking a blade across his throat and sending a spray of blood onto the ground and herself.

Bowstrings twanged. Riley used Ambush and stabbed, shoving her blades into the two archers. The first dropped like a stone, her heart impaled.

The other gasped, staring at the sword sticking in his side. “You bitch.”

“Tell me who and why,” Riley hissed. “If you do, I’ll heal you and let you live.”

“Our leader,” he murmured. “Promised easy money. Please? I have a family.” He tried to stop the blood that was oozing from the wound.

Riley pulled out her book and fed mana into the symbols while chanting. The words hummed around her, building like a storm. She pulled her sword out and lit up the final rune. His flesh slowly knitted back together. The bandit looked down and ran his fingers over his side.

“Where’s the stolen coin?” Riley asked. “The one from the city.”

“Camp.” He studied her, looking at her strange outfit and icy swords.

Riley scowled and triggered Assume Disguise. “A-tier Assassin.” Her form didn’t change.

The man gasped. “Please don’t kill us.” He swallowed. “We just got the coin and a promise of easy spoils. Given the rumors up north, what choice did we have?”

“What rumors?” Riley asked.

“There is an A-tier couple who are taking over. They’re raiding villages.”

Riley sighed. Dad, aren’t you handling that? Shaking that thought aside, she studied him. “Go warn them. I’ll be returning the gold. If they take the stolen gold or do something stupid, I will kill them.” She used Ambush and stalked through the trees.

He walked down a small path. Using the forest as cover, Riley followed, carefully moving through the forest. A fire appeared in the distance. The smell of smoke hit, and she walked closer and closer to the camp.

The man ran into it. “Assassin!” he hissed, and the camp came alive. People woke and leapt up. Several ran for cover, ducking behind bushes and trees.

“Level?” one bandit demanded.

“At least five hundred,” he replied, ducking behind a tree. “She killed Travis and Sierra like they were nothing.” He then turned and ran, racing off into the night.

“Shit.” Another thief dropped their coin purse and did the same, racing off after him.

Riley watched, her eyes flickering around the group. Six bandits dropped their purses and ran. The rest nocked arrows and waited, searching for any sign of her.

Riley frowned and tried to get a count. Unable to see some, she used Ambush and appeared in a large oak tree. Looking down, she watched the camp, carefully noting levels, weapons, and positions.

Minutes ticked by. The snow fell, and Riley waited and watched the frustrated group of bandits. Their bowstrings went slack. A few broke from their cover and tried to see her.

“Well?” a bandit asked.

“She’s out there,” someone said.

Riley yawned and studied the surrounding storm. Should I boost it? She wrinkled her nose. Nah. Instead, she scanned the group and looked for hints about the money’s location.

She watched the group scan for her. Then eyes flickered to a nearby tree. Too easy.

Watching the group below, she targeted the highest level and triggered a Psychic Strike without a single word. Blood spurted out of the man’s nose, and he toppled onto the freshly fallen snow, leaving a smear of crimson against the white.

The camp went wild. Bows went taut. Arrows fired randomly.

“Condemnation!” a bandit shouted, dropping his coin purse and running. A dozen others did the same.

“Cowar—“

Riley triggered Psychic Strike, burning another hundred mana.

The bandit coughed up blood and toppled, hitting the ground with a thud.

That sent another dozen running. Several turned and fired at their fleeing compatriots.

Riley used Ambush, appearing behind them. Burning Bardic Inspiration, she danced. Her glinting blades slashed, and blood sprayed.

Spinning to the next, she stabbed through his spine and slit the throat of the woman next to him before moving to the next in one fluid motion.

Blood sprayed. Another body dropped. A bandit spun toward her, his knife slamming hers aside. Riley ran him through with her other shortsword, and a blade sliced into her side.

Pain flooded through her, and she gasped.

“Gotcha!” the bandit yelled, pushing harder.

Pain lanced through her. Her blood ran down her side. Riley triggered Ambush and appeared in the tree. Grabbing a potion from her bag, she downed it and gritted her teeth. Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out.

Reaching down, she tried to stem the blood that was flowing down her side. Her vision tunneled.

“Where is she?” a bandit shouted.

“Dying,” another said with a grin. He held up his bloody blade.

Riley leaned against the tree and felt her flesh slowly knit around her hands. Thank you, Althea. She blinked back tears and wanted to leave.

Looking at the camp, she saw a dozen bandits left. Burning fifty mana, she used Psychic Strike and dropped one. Looking at the next, she repeated it, moving down the line like some attacking wraith.

Thieves dropped. Blood oozed, and the thieves fled, trying to escape from the silent attacker, who was killing everyone with nothing.

A quiet fell on the area. Riley searched and found two next to the locked chest. I wish I could conjure a bow. She frowned and looked at them.

Using Ambush, she flickered and stabbed, driving the blades into their backs. The two dropped, their blood oozing onto the ground next to the chest.

Riley let out a long breath and looked at her bloody side. I’m waiting for Dad next time. That was way too many for one person, Althea. What were you thinking with this assignment?

Rubbing the phantom wound, she walked through the area, picked up coin purses, and tried to ignore the residual phantom pains.

Grabbing the last purse, she walked back to the locked chest. Riley groaned in anguish. That’s going to be so heavy. She reached down and picked the lock, popping it open to see a pile of sil, silver, and a few gold.

With a long sigh, she shut it and grabbed the chest, nearly falling over as it threw off her weight. Gods, that’s heavy. She frowned at the metal chest that was as wide as herself.

Forcing it onto her shoulder, she turned and jogged out of the forest, heading for the nearby town and debating if she could trust the guard. Ugh. I hate reclamation jobs.

Half-jogging and half-walking, she journeyed down the road while her neck and shoulder ached. With a grimace, she dropped it into her arms and plodded toward the distant town.

Minutes ticked by at a glacial pace. The road slowly passed, and she staggered toward the gate.

A guard peered out from the station. “Halt!” he bellowed. Three other guards appeared.

Riley dropped the chest. “The thieves are dead. You can find them down the road and to the west.”

The three-pointed crossbows at her. She stared at them. Why—oh, my disguise.

“We’d prefer that you don’t enter the city,” the guard said, swallowing back his fear.

“If it isn’t returned, the palace will know. I will know.” She stared at each, turned, and jogged off into the night.

Swapping her disguise back to courier, she picked up the pace again, hurtling down the dirt roads.

Trees and towns blurred around her. Her short hair streamed behind her, and snow fell lightly.

Riley quickly found herself slipping back into that sleepy state. She ran, and her eyes drooped. A pack of wolves picked up her scent and raced forward.

Blinking back the growing exhaustion, she sighed at the wolves in the trees. Fighting them with low resources wasn’t a great option; she just wanted to sleep.

A bandit walked into the road and held up his hand. “Halt!”

Riley flashed the symbol from the guild and kept running.

“Halt!” the man ordered, pulling out a knife.

“There are wolves!” Riley shouted.

The man turned. Riley grabbed her knife, used Ambush, and slammed it into his side. A bowstring twanged. Riley dove and used Ambush, appearing in a tree.

Where’s my sling when I need it? Honestly, Riley, Dad would march you across the country for this. She shook her head and vowed to be better while looking below.

The bandit turned, and a massive wolf crashed into her.

Riley altered her view. The dire wolves were her allies for the moment. She burned inspiration on Dominating Song, and the wolf below ripped out the woman’s throat.

Arrows thudded into the Dire Wolf. It yelped, and Riley debated wasting mana. It was risky.

The bandits surged forward, attacking the wolves in earnest. Riley used Ambush and did the same, soundlessly cutting down three of their backline before using Ambush to vanish again.

Turning away, she let the wolves handle the rest. Either way, there weren’t enough bandits to cause problems.

Jogging down the road, Riley looked up at the list of kills while gaining speed.

[Your base level has advanced: 168 → 169!]

Dismissing that information, she turned and ran back toward the city. Her thoughts drifted to her father while she ran. I wonder how Dad is doing.

Riley Milvsky

Level: 169

Bard (C)

Level: 110

Dominating Song D Use 30 mana to reduce nearby enemy strength, dexterity, and movement speed by 3. This effect extends 20meters, and the radius of influence expands by 1 meter for each inspiration spent.

Psychic Strike E Wield your mana to cause psychic damage to a target. Cost varies based on allocation.

Control Water E Manipulate the water around you. Cost varies based on amount.

Assassin (C)

Level: 110 + 12

Assume Disguise S +30 charisma. Enhance your current disguise by altering your displayed information and taking on the disguised form. Grants +5 levels to the assigned class. Perception and Insight suffer -250 levels against your disguise and -50 levels against your deception or stealth. Penalty applied: Gods’ Oversight.

Dancer's Form B +10 speed. +2 levels to assigned class. You may use a charge of inspiration to boost your movement speed by an additional 5 for a minute.

Death's Cloak A Slain enemies will grant experience to your base level and active classes. +3 levels to the assigned class. Perception and insight suffer -25 levels against you. Penalty applied: Covenant.

Ambush B +10 speed. +2 levels to the assigned class. Costs one stamina to use. On use, you teleport to a shadow within 20 meters. Penalty applied: Covenant.

Ranger (C)

Level: 110

Predatory Sight E Your perception and insight are boosted by 5. This boost is not reduced by low light or no light.

Manipulate Storm E Attempt to control or augment elements of a storm. Cost varies.

Ice Blade E Conjure a weapon made of ice. Costs 2 to 20 mana depending on blade durability.

Pretty E Your appearance is better, but it could be even grander. Use 1 mana to get a little help from Beauty! (Upgrade me again!) Penalty applied: Unequippable. Beauty may alter your appearance at her whim.

Spell Thief (C) Level: 110 Inactive.

Noble (E)

Level: 115 Inactive.

- -

Empowering Presence E Your subjects gain +3 strength, +3 dexterity, and +3 movement speed; allies within 20 meters count as subjects. You may use Bardic Inspiration to temporarily boost the range and the effect.

Inspiring presence D Your subjects regain 1 stamina and 1 mana every hour. Allies within fifty meters count as subjects. You may temporarily expand the range by 15 meters for each bardic inspiration spent.

Dexterity 680

Strength 338

Speed 252

Intelligence 338

Charisma 478

Stamina 570

Mana 668

Inspiration 279