*Tic*

*Tic*

There’s no sound...at least no real ticking bomb in my mind. But I can’t help imagining the noise as I sit in the ‘saferoom’ hidden underneath the storeroom. The walls are special construction, reinforced by several layers of compacted rock and earth that I Melded together using Earth pavement designs. We’re in deep down here, far below the shop, to the point where even if I mess up and accidentally set off a much larger Icebomb then the ones I’m testing today, no one on the surface of the city should notice. This is my experimentation room, as well as training room. After all, it wouldn’t do for the public to see Myrr, the genius teenage cheesemaker, sparring with a Rainstopper assassin and practicing deadly spells.

*Toc*

*BOOM*

An explosion rips through the Frozen Seal I summoned around the Earthen Icebomb, sending bits of frosty shrapnel flying. However, the vast majority of the force is absorbed by the cage of ice, like throwing a helmet on top of a grenade. Hmm, guessing from the amount of mana I put in, the explosion output is roughly behaving according to my predictions. If scaled up to full size...this Icebomb will definitely be lethal to anyone in close quarters. Especially if they’re not expecting it. However...the question is...what about the other one?

*Tic*

My eyes flick over to the other side of the saferoom where I have another Earthen Icebomb stored, and primed to blow. I tried to extend the ‘fuse’, making the magical structure slightly more robust so that it would degrade at a slower rate. Thus, creating an explosion at a different time than the first. According to our visitor, this will be instrumental to confusing magic tracking. Of course, the holy grail of Icebomb innovation would be to learn how to remotely detonate the bombs at will, rather than on a timer, however I’ve found that such experiments require me to be at close range to properly maintain the spell. At the moment, that’s just not practical. Being that close would immediately draw suspicion on me.

Should blow any second now....

*Toc*

*BOOM*

A second explosion, this one perhaps a little smaller than the first. Despite using the same amount of mana, it seems the longer I let the spell sit, the more mana escapes and the less there is left for the actual explosion. However, the effect is still deadly, and I’m certain that if scaled up, it will do serious damage to even powerful warriors with advanced Qi defenses. This should work. Although, he told me that it’s likely I’ll need three simultaneous explosions in order to safely avoid magic tracking once they start investigating me. But for now, they won’t be taking me seriously as a threat.

“Wow, Boss!” Meera exclaims behind me, holding a dainty ornate folding fan out in front of her face. Combined with her dress, she looks like some sort of bizarre oriental performer. However, one would be remiss to assume she’s just a dancer. For instance, if you look closely...the metal rods connecting the folding fan are quite well crafted. Meera begged me to buy it from one of the street stalls when we were scouting out locations to attack. Like anything made in the City of Assassins, the fan is hardly a mere toy. Each one of those metal rods contains a removable throwing knife. Snapping the deadly fan shut and peeking out with her good eye, Meera claps like a child. “Ten points for style, but only three for power!”

“It was only a test, Meera,” I remark, still thinking about how I can improve the magical ‘algorithm’. Balancing the amount of mana while introducing irregularities that will build up and explode is a tough process. Especially considering I need to take into account the safety of the person planting the bombs now. It makes sense though. The Stranger’s right. I shouldn’t be personally placing them. It’s too dangerous and easily linked back to me. Still, it bothers me to trust others with my Icebombs. Not only am I revealing my techniques, but if they’re caught, or worse, turn against me, I’ll be at a huge disadvantage. Thinking it over, I can only sigh. When I mentioned such concerns to the Stranger, he simply chuckled under that ever-smiling mask and said,

“That’s the disadvantage of having an organization, Kid. But what’s the point of having people if you don’t use them? Sometimes you just have to be ready to take a knife in the back. Otherwise, you’d never get anything done.” From the sounds of it, the Stranger has had plenty of experience in that department. A hint of bitterness in his voice makes me wonder just exactly who he is, but despite the fact that he seems extremely well-educated and knowledgeable on various facets of magic, I can’t figure out anything more about him. Even after speaking to him for so long, I’m still unsure if he can even use magic himself. One would assume he’s a mage considering how he speaks of the inner workings of spellcasting, however, the way he’s dressed and the confident way he challenged me at close range suggests to me that he’s not. Unless he was bluffing. Or maybe he’s a dual mage and warrior type like me. Ugh, I wish I could test him somehow. But anything I do would probably offend him, and at this point, he knows too much to piss off.

“Want to spar, Boss?” Meera bounces on the balls of her feet and swishes her dress in a circle while twirling the closed fan like a baton. Sinking into a classic samurai’s pose, she raises the fan up high overhead and crouches down, extending her free hand towards me. Beckoning, she winks with her good eye. “How about we do Qi only, but I have to keep my eyes closed?”

“You’ll definitely cheat.” I say dryly. My attention goes over to the time. “Is the Stranger here yet?”

“It’s still early,” my companion announces. Despite not having a watch like me, most of the residents of this world have an acute sense of time. I suppose growing up in a world without digital clocks will do that to you. “Come on, I’ve been watching you fiddle with your magic for hours. I thought we were going to train!”

“I don’t pay you to think.”

“Well, if you’re afraid I’m going to cheat, how about I do this?” Meera adjusts her eyepatch, pulling it across her face so it covers her good eye. Her bad eye remains squeezed tightly shut, and for just a second, I remember how she looked all those years ago when I blew it out. Now completely blind, Meera smiles and beckons again at me. “Come on...let’s play!”

Ehh...I’ve been slacking. Why not?

“Fine. Let’s go!” I yell, and immediately draw Mephis’s dagger. At first, I reflexively start to activate Foresight, but then the memory of how the future failed me last night causes me to reconsider. I intend to test my theory, but I don’t think it was bad wine which caused me to be unable to see the future. If I’m right, the Stranger’s presence was the reason my Foresight collapsed, but I have no idea why. And it’s not like I can just ask him. As far as I can tell, he had no idea what he was doing to me. “Don’t mess up and die on me early!”

“Hehe, I won’t be dying because of you!” Meera banters with me as I circle around her in the saferoom. The area is naturally perfectly suited for training, and mutes all our sounds. Additionally, I designed the walls and floor to be strong enough to not only withstand experimental spells, but the damage from being near Rainstopper assassins. Of course, at the end of the day, engineering aside, it’s still just compacted rock and dirt. Even concrete cracks and if we play too hard, the saferoom will be no exception. However, since I know exactly how it’s made, fixing it with Meld will be easy. My most devious employee sniffs the air, the eyepatch over her good eye covering all her vision. She tracks me, despite my circling, doubtless listening to my steps. Or maybe she can smell me. I wouldn’t put anything past a Rainstopper at this point. “What’s wrong, Boss? Why haven’t you attacked yet? You’re not scared...are you?”

...

...

I keep pacing in circles, slowing my breathing, trying to remember Elina’s lessons, as well as what Meera has been working with me on. In this world, visualization and belief is almost as much a part of combat as physical prowess. Calling upon one’s Qi is almost a mental exercise rather than the flexing of any particular muscle. Understanding how the mysterious energy flows through the environment and is processed by the human body has given me many ideas on the proper workings of magic as well. The two are definitely linked, different halves of the same coin. I wouldn’t be surprised if at the end of the day, Qi and mana come from the same thing. However, as for why most people can only train in Qi, but only a few can tap into the flow of mana, I have no idea. A mutation perhaps? Or just luck? In this world, without genetic testing it’s impossible to tell.

“Myrr...if you’re not going to attack. Then I will-“ Meera’s voice suddenly interrupts my thoughts and I realize I’ve made a mistake. Her words interrupt my focus and my breath catches ever so slightly as I tense up. To a Rainstopper assassin, it might as well be a beacon as my Qi becomes unruly and traces of killing intent slip out. “Gotcha!”

*Clink*

The fan in her hands suddenly blurs as she uses her free hand to pluck out one of the throwing knives from the top. Instantly, it practically jumps out of the fan and slithers into the air, a deadly snake coming my way. Though I now possess a basic Qi barrier myself, it’s a far cry from what Meera can produce. When I first met her, she was already quite strong, but after the Trials, I assigned her to train personally with Jarshan and Janus since her old master died. I don’t think anyone expected her to improve so quickly. Now though...I have to fight the monster I created-

*Clang*

Mephis’s blade flies up to knock the throwing knife away. It’s difficult to deflect, long and thin, more a rod than a blade. Like trying to cut a needle out of the air. Without Foresight, what was once an easy task is suddenly an impossible mission. I strain my eyes, trying to will blood to flow into the capillaries and enhance my vision. For a split second, I have it, and my sight zooms in on the needle, time slowing down. I can almost feel the knife coming. Despite how small it is, my wrist shakes as I deflect the Qi-infused weapon away. And then Meera comes at me.

“Watch out, hehe!” the devilish minx screams as she rushes me. Like all Rainstopper assassins, she’s predictable...in that she’ll try to close the range. However, I’m alert for tricks, more throwing knives, hell a fistful of sand even. I chose Meera to follow me for this assignment not just because of her prowess as an assassin, but also because she’s tricky, someone who thinks outside the box. Unlike Janus, Meera is willing to do anything to get the job done, even if it means using unsavoury tactics. As I take a breath, I see Meera’s head cock slightly, her hair shifting as she registers the slight noise. Her folded fan snaps out, essentially a bundle of knives and I sway sideways, bringing up Mephis’s dagger as well. An overreaction, I’m both dodging and blocking, but I don’t have a choice. Without Foresight, I reacted too early and gave her the advantage. If I don’t block, she might sense my dodge and adjust her stroke and then I’d be caught. “You’re getting faster...but you still hesitate too much!”

*Clack*

At first, the fan lands against my dagger, and we lock ‘blades’. I expect her to do something with the fan, maybe make more knives materialize, but that’s a mistake. Meera smiles and instantly I know I’ve messed up. I reach for the future instinctively, but it’s too late to matter as out of nowhere, something hits me in the temple. My defensive Qi isn’t ready and I end up eating more of the impact than I should. My eyes blink as I see something flying away after bouncing off my head. Was that...her shoe?

*Whap*

A second later, I’m sent sliding backwards. While I’m distracted by her shoe, Meera’s bare foot sneaks up and kicks me in the gut, Sparta style. Like many of my Rainstopper lessons, I end up on my butt. However, at the last second, I let out a little smile of my own, and throw my dagger at Meera’s chest. Still on the ground, in my head, I chant the words,

[Stormy Breeze of My Loneliness, Gather Forth-Gust]

My dagger speeds up as the spell enhances its flight path, like some sort of Jedi throw. Meera ducks under the blade easily though, even while blind. Almost contemptuously. Holy crap, how did she see that? She has to be able to see me somehow!

[Frozen Wind of My Soul, Come Forth-Chill]

Several ice crystals blossom about my empty hands, filling them with new weapons. Focusing, I sharpen their edges, creating shuriken and other designs of death with more penetrating power than plain unshaped ice. Above me, Meera arrives, one leg upraised to deliver a stomp only to find herself confronted by myself on the ground, icy throwing stars at the ready. We freeze, in a deadlocked standoff where either of us could probably kill each other with another move.

“Hey! You used magic! That’s cheating!”

As if I’m the only one...have you no shame?