Chapter 4: Chapter 4 – Encounter

Upon an artifact of a boat sat three brothers in a discussion.

“Why did you retreat? He was only one guy,” the lizard slumped down at the bow said.

“Ah...that’s right. You haven’t had...the chance to look at the Board yet, Kudgad.” The wizard slowly turned in his seat to rest. “The Sojourner...is up their now. Dangerous is his label.”

The Board was a simple list of labeled names that the Brotherhood shouldn't take a contract against. Four of the most common labels accompanying those names were benefactor, ally, bothersome, and dangerous.

Benefactors included wealthy merchants, nobles, or people who’ve made notable contributions to the Brotherhood. Allies were usually other factions who traded and shared information with them. Bothersome were targets like kings and queens which would lead to conflict the assassins would rather not deal with. And finally, dangerous. Among the people who fit that label were Gorvoc the Dragonslayer, who, as the title implied, slayed dragons. Another would be Tyreel the exile of the Knights of Kaden, a former prominent member of the order before his betrayal in which he killed his fellow knights, a feat in and of itself. Those who fit the label were powerful figures whose deeds were on the edge of myth and truth which made the idea of assassinating them a mere dream…or a foolish thought.

“What? He didn’t seem that intimidating to me. There wasn’t even an ounce of armor on him.”

“There’s something travelers call the Seven Mysteries of the Realm,” their leader joined in. “Whether it was created entirely as a joke or as a challenge to solve, I do not know. But of what they include, I do. Questions such as 'does the Kingdom of Vandir exist,' 'are moon cows real,' or, as it relates to our contract, 'how strong is the Sojourner?'"

Kudgad sat up straight and flexed his hands on his hammer. "Now, how did such a question make that list?"

"I'm sure you saw it, the seven scabbards. For someone who wears that many upon their back, four of which have blades sheathed within them, he must be something more than just a vagabond who wanders the world and who claims to have an ‘aversion to fighting.’ Nobody ever sees him fight or much less participate in tavern brawls. That is, until the tournament in Elyanae a few months ago.”

"Tsk." Kudgad clicked his tongue and shook his head in disappointment. "I should've been there, but the Brotherhood said they needed me elsewhere. Would've been a joy."

“There were supposed to be four of us on this island. One coin was a reward from a contract the brotherhood took long ago. The second coin was given to us by the contractee. The third coin was bought for this mission. The fourth was supposed to be won from the tournament in Elyanae. But our brothers never got past the first bout."

"Hah! The Brotherhood should have sent me instead."

“I doubt you would have made a difference."

The reptilian brandished his sharp jagged teeth. "Is that a fact?"

"From what I've heard from spectators, the Sojourner asked to challenge every participant at once. The tournament holder, intrigued by the idea, agreed to his proposition in the hopes of seeing a great battle or a rather foolish one in which the Sojourner was just bluffing. Yet, there was nothing to see."

"What do you mean?"

"All the gathered participants on the arena floor vanished once the Sojourner took a red blade from his scabbard and thrust it into the ground. Once they reappeared, they were all unconscious, the Sojourner was the only one left standing. The brothers who were there only remember a glimpse of being in a different arena and then seeing a flash of light before darkness. So you see, I doubt you would've made a difference, Kudgad."

"Well...that's a matter of magic, isn't it? If he had no magical weapons, I could match him."

"If he didn’t," he stroked his chin, "maybe. However, as it stands, we cannot engage recklessly upon the Diviner now that the Sojourner is involved." The half-masked assassin turned to the wizard and patted him on the shoulder. "Sorry Odus, but we'll have to take things more slowly. Hopefully we find a healer while we scout our targets."

Odus grunted in return.

...

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I've heard it said that the perspective one has on the world can change whether what they see is either ugly or beautiful. I don't know if it was meant figuratively or literally, but I can say for sure that the black hollow trees around me and the soot-colored dirt don't appear anymore pleasing upside-down.

"Well, you were easier to find than I thought," I said, as I dangled in the air from a rope tied to a thick branch, my arms folded together to appear composed despite the nauseating whirl in my head.

Sitting cross-legged on a stump before me was the Diviner whose brows were furrowed, clearly not at all pleased with this morning’s catch, me.

"What became of the dried beef I left as bait?" she asked in the same manner a guard would interrogate a prisoner.

"I ate it."

Her brows creased further. “And? How did it taste?”

I put a hand to my chin. “Hmm, a little bit saltier than I’m used to and…” I tapped my chin. “A whole lot drier, I would say.”

“Perfect,” she said. “Now, given that you have eaten my last piece of bait, I will give you two choices. One, you stay there and become the replacement for my bait. Or two, give me another piece of meat I can use as bait. If you don’t want that pathetic piece of beef to be your last meal, I suggest you choose the latter.”

So there really wasn’t much in that bag of hers besides books.

“How about a third option wherein you eat the bait?” I proposed. “If you’re looking for food, I can just give it to you. Besides, the only food I'll attract here are ones quite unsavory they may as well not be food at all.”

“And I’m to trust the food you give me? You, who was so eager to abandon—” A rumble came into the world that I couldn’t feel, but most certainly could hear. It was an unmistakable sound, the gurgle of something seeking sustenance. That is to say, her empty stomach was now pleading for food. In response to the sound her head perked up as quick as a flash of lightning.

I sighed. “See, if you’re hungry, just set me free and I can—"

“Shh!” she demanded. She stood up from the stump and in a practiced motion took an arrow from her quiver and nocked it on her bow. For a moment, I feared she had lost her mind to hunger and decided against the diplomatic route for a more aggressive one. But I was no stranger to the starved, and when I caught a glimpse of her eyes, I knew they weren’t the same as theirs.

Even so, the worry reflected in her eyes didn’t relieve the sudden tenseness of the situation. She kept her arrow drawn and eyes sharp looking for something lurking within the woods around us. There was nothing new about the silence in the forest. The air was still here, and I don’t recall encountering birds, deer, or any animal that would populate a lively forest’s atmosphere. So when I heard a twig snapping in the distance, I finally knew what the Diviner was searching for. In these dead woods, only one possible answer remained, shadow-lurkers.

She turned around with a sharp pivot, took her eyes off the woods and looked back at me. No, not at me, behind me, confirming that the chill I felt in my spine was real. Without a hint or warning, the Diviner knocked me aside with a sharp painful kick to my ribs causing me to grimace in pain. I was close to holding a grudge over this until I saw the shadow lurker pounce from behind me and thought the alternative was far less than preferable. However, whether it was because she had to kick me to safety or just a simple mistiming, the Diviner wasn’t able to properly sidestep the pounce and ended up taking a slash that both wounded her right arm and tore off her hood. The shadow-lurker, unsuccessful in its ambush, retreated into the forest like a blur, no doubt looking to attack again.

While I swung about, spinning, and disoriented even further, I tried to focus my eyes on her wounds as I rotated while she readied her bow again. Two cuts…no, three...they were shallow, judging from the blood…wait, part of her skin was glowing…were they purple tattoos?

For a brief moment, the Diviner flicked her eyes to me and caught me staring. She said nothing and turned away from me, a frown forming as she did, and then from her body emerged deep purple ethereal ears and tail which belonged to a twilight fox. A Spirijund. That’s what she was, but then why does her face…no, I’ll contemplate that later. There’s a more pressing matter to attend to.

Unlike before, the Diviner’s movements were now more precise and smoother, despite her eyes being closed. She kept her aim on the shadow-lurker, following the beast’s movements as if the trees were just made of glass. The moment she steadied her aim and opened her eyes, I followed her sight and saw the shadow-lurker beside a tree, its head laid low and front legs stretched.

The twang of the bow came first before the pounce. And the arrow that should’ve missed didn’t. It was for a brief second, but I saw it. The arrow was flying towards where the shadow-lurker could’ve been had it chosen to attack me. But it didn’t choose me, and instead was leaping towards the Diviner. Mid-air, the arrow changed trajectory, curving in the air, and punctured the belly of the beast. This time, the Diviner was able to dodge the pounce by rolling to the side. But the shadow-lurker, unfazed by its wound, landed on a tree and without pause made another powerful leap, snapping the tree in half.

It was part hunch and part instinct that I drew my blade. It felt like if I hadn’t, she was going to die, and my word would mean nothing again. With the strength I could muster, I flung my sword at the beast.

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