The city of Alamar is considered the capitol of the small nation that shares its name. Unlike most kingdoms they do not have a state sponsored religion though most of the citizens and leaders follow The Merchant. While it is the capital it is not the largest city of the nation, which is Tradesmeet. Alamar is ruled by a small council of the richest of the noble families though who in the family that sits on the council is hidden even from the families themselves to prevent corruption.

Lykou

Kythia nods at my proposal to postpone my answer until later in the afternoon after Kylana teaches us. That said I’ve only about three hours until that time and I need to make sure that it is used to some benefit. I’ll end up needing another quiver of arrows but it seems like many of the adults are taking a rest, at least Naliya and a few others are.

Probably because they were helping with this trial. Though they didn’t follow any of us specifically. If they had there would not have been two deaths among the participants. Or is it that they expect the weaker members of the group to die?

As my musings continue I walk over to Kylana’s hut to continue reading the books that she allows me to even though I have finished most of them the remaining ones might have something that will help me. I should also probably go over the theory books an additional time though. I should try to find if there is anything on the subcomponents of the structure of the spells in her books.

After skimming through a few of the books, Kylana enters into the hut and I look up at her as she speaks, “you don’t waste any time, do you?”

“I try not to. There is too much to do and not enough time to do it” I answer and she nods at that.

“Do remember to have some fun. You can burn yourself out if you do too much.”

“Don’t worry, magic is fun and I only need to keep this up for two or three weeks.”

“Fair enough, but since you usually spend the morning in the woods you must be looking for something. What is it?”

“The structure of a spell is made up of different components, that conflagration of fire I did came from a bunch of half formed Flares. I want to better understand that section of magical theory. I want to pick up the ability to customize and craft my own spells like your different variations of Magic Missile.”

“That is going to be a lot of work. It also isn’t something that someone at your level would normally study. You would probably be better off with what you are currently studying rather than something that won’t help you in the short term of the next few weeks.”

“I’m sure that Alana told you that I do not sleep as much as everyone else. I can spend a few hours at night like when I started studying under you. You know I have a really good memory and learn quickly.”

“Alright but if you slow down in your current studies I won’t loan you any more books. I don’t have much on the subject except for the spells that I’ve made myself but they are only notes on spells that are more complex than what I’ve been teaching you so far.”

“Thank you, I’ll make sure not to disappoint you.”

“I’m sure you won’t but before I let you take a look at that part of my small library there is something else that I want to talk about.”

“What?”

“Have you noticed anything different about yourself since last night?”

Should I mention that I am fairly certain that eating that wyvern is what advanced my Dragon Knight class. I haven’t mentioned it but the way that she asked the question is like she already knows. I can trust her, most of the others no; but her, Kythia, Alana and Analais I can trust. They have done nothing but help me.

“I am assuming that you know about Racial Classes” I say and she nods before I continue, “I have one called Dragon Knight. Something that I did leveled it up.”

“Then my guess was right.”

“Which one?”

“One of them that I hadn’t told you about. I’ve known that you weren’t human for a while. While I still don’t know what you are exactly but I can tell you that eating creatures with draconic blood in them will help you recover.”

“Should I assume that you have made a plan about this?”

“Plan no, but I do have some advice on something to focus on during your Trial of the Full Moon.”

“Are there not creatures that I could hunt that are nearer to the village?”

“No, Ragnor does a very good job of keeping the dangerous things away from the village itself. The Darkwall Mountains however do have wyverns and drakes. And since you only need to bring back trophies rather than a whole corpse I shouldn’t have to tell you anymore than that.”

I nod, that does give me all I need to decide what to track down on that hunting trip but I would have liked to have had something closer and sooner.

At least it gives me a focus on what I need to look for during those few days. It doesn’t help me at the moment but I should ask Analais if he knows where any such creatures will be before I go. Though that my body in those memories is just taht memories confuses me. I'm remembering things from the 'past' but they appear to be future events. That can't be right though. I'll figure it out later, right now I've a hunt to prepare for.

Adrian

Griff has had me mostly been doing infiltration assists with Laura, Terrance and Lynn for the last few weeks. Stealing information and documents for the most part though when I go to see what work I can do. We need more resources so I have been doing a job almost every night, each time having Laura continue her teaching of beards. After entering the hidden tavern, I take a seat at the counter as I have the last few days.

“You’re here early” Griff says.

“Well you did say that tonight’s job was going to be different. I thought it would be a good idea to come early so as to prepare” I respond and he nods.

After a moment of silence, I ask, “so are you going to tell what all this has been leading up to?”

“Now why would I go and do that?”

“Highest probability of success.”

“Fine, but know that this isn’t anyone trying to get rid o ye. All that infiltration was to get the location of a where our competitors are running their bases of operation. I’ve got a specific one picked out for you, a smaller complex that only has a few men in it. I don’t know what will be there but whatever you manage to get from the complex is yours.”

“Everything? Why so generous?”

“You’ve been very helpful and reestablishing our monopoly in the Holy Empire and the Shadows are good to those that help us. We’ve also seen to it that your next mission is one that you should be able to fake your deaths without too much effort.”

“Oh, when were you going to tell me that?”

“Today, your next assignment will end up being to accompany the Order of the Silver Blade to attack a village of werewolves.”

“That sounds like a terrible idea.”

“It is even under a new moon like they are planning and they are probably going to lose most if not all of their men meaning you should be able to leave without them being the wiser. But you are smart enough to figure the rest out on your own. This paper has directions to the small warehouse as long as you leave the building in little more than ash.”

Easy enough, it is good that I’ve been making progress on my magic even if it was only creating fire without something already burning and healing. I pick up and pocket the piece of paper asking, “am I going to be alone in this or do you plan on including an escort?”

“You’ll be followed but that’s it. You’ll be on your own.”

“Alright, and I guess I should lay low after this since the guards will be running all over the place afterwards.”

He nods and I stand up, opening the piece of paper and follow the directions. The place is on the other side of the slums, right up against the wall. It’s probably a concealed entrance for moving small amounts as it is little more than a small home. I can only assume that there must be a basement if Griff’s information that there are over a dozen men in it.

A short moment later and a snap that let out a wave of energy rather than sound and I see the lights of the lives around me. Many of them seem weaker than most that I’ve ‘seen’ before. Only three on the ground level, invisibility and a hand crossbow should be all I need for them. I could plan further but I do not have a map of the basement where most of the lifeforces are.

I glance around to find that the street is empty as if many of the residents know that something is going to go down tonight. Convenient and probably for the best even if it is somewhat alarming that they somehow know that something is going to happen. As no one is looking I summon a hand crossbow through Translocation Grasp before bending light to make myself invisible. I wait for a few seconds for the illusion to stabilize before going to and opening the back door that didn’t have anyone guarding it. It was locked but was easy enough to just remove the lock rather than pick it. And my magic doesn’t trip the magic detection wards that might have been employed to prevent such a method of circumventing the security.

Another pulse of the Sphere of Life confirms their positions and I move to get a shot at the one that is separate from the others. I walk up behind him, my steps masked by the conversation of the other two. I pull on reality drawing information on my target in relation to myself and I instantly know far more about our relative positions than I need for the bolt to fly the path I wish.

A light click sends the bolt between the vertebrae in his neck. The man falls to the ground as I quickly reload the crossbow and move to conceal myself as I will need Spatial Aim to pull off the shot to kill one of the two. I want to minimize my use of magic in front of others to avoid them thinking that I have used too much mana.

I wait a moment for the two to come to check the noise of their now paralyzed and suffocating compatriot. They enter and one of them meets the same fate as the first guard. The last of the three turns to me and he screams, terrified. Shit, that is going to alert the others in the building. Maybe I should have just incinerated them.

“Don’t kill me!”

Unfortunately for him, I can’t have witnesses lying around. That’ll bring back trouble and I can’t risk anything coming back to myself and my friends. The whole point in doing this is to get us out of trouble.

“Just burn” I say while waving my hand at him bending reality to create a swath of flame.

The man screams, and I push the flames harder and hold them from spreading to the wooden building. It is too soon for that. I need to get as much as I can from this place before I reduce it to ash. Seconds later his screams stop and I extinguish the fire I created. The three that were above ground are dead, now I just need to find the likely hidden stairs downwards.

It should be simple enough. I snap, releasing a ripple on the fabric of reality to check for iron. The stairs or ladder that does down will have nails in it, and those nails will be made from iron.

I walk to a closet with a smirk before opening it the same way I did the back door. A makeshift stairway descends into the ground under the house. I bend light once more to hide myself as I descend, most of the lives down here felt weak so I do not know how many are really a threat down there. As I arrive at the bottom to see people in cages that are heavily injured but my attention is drawn elsewhere to a table that has a young woman with golden hair strapped to it, she is covered in injuries both recent and partially healed like those in the cages.

Next to that table is a man holding a heated blade as he asks, “what does disobedience bring?”

“Pain” the young woman mumbles.

“What did I say about answering questions?” the man asks as he cuts into her arm.

I don’t see anyone else outside of a cage but just what is going on here disgusts me. I drop my invisibility and release a jet of flame on the torturer. He deserves to die painfully and being burned alive is the most painful way I can kill him. Unfortunately, the flames part to some sort of shell around him.

“You’re not supposed to be here” the man says calmly, unconcerned with the torrent of fire around him.

Shit, he has some sort of magical protection. I let loose my crossbow bolt at the man and while it does hit judging the knife that flies at me afterwards did not kill him. Luckily for me the blade only cuts into my arm rather than something more immediately lethal.