PreCursive

  I made quick time through the forest reag the wall with Thorn Cloak active. Hell, it didn’t even take me long to get over the wall as well. I’d had plenty of practice by now. Before long, I’d reached the clearing behind the manor where so much had happened. It didn’t look like anyone had bothered to clear out the clearing after the ‘festivities’ though. Not only were the tents and beill there, but the pavilion was as well. Trash was strewn all across it too, leaving the clearing difficult to maneuver or stealth through There was another problem, though.

  The gate was still open, and I could see guards with their backs turo me.

  I didn’t know if my stealth ability was good enough to sneak by them across the clearing, especially with how cluttered it was. Luckily, I didn’t have to wonder about that for long.

  From where I was lurking in the bushes at the edge of the clearing, I was able to hear one of the guards suddenly let out a shout. “What the hell is that!” I heard faintly.

  Shortly after, I heard both of the guards leave their posts and start running away from the gate. Taking a guess, I turo look behind me.

  Yup, that looked like a fire.

  The glow of fmes were visible over the horizon from my position. I guess that Azarus had already lit his fires. Luckily, it seemed like his distra was w in my favor already. I just o take advantage. I hurried my way over to the still-open gate and cautiously peeked my way around the edge to see if anyone was out there.

  Nothing.

  Well, well. Looked like I wasn’t going to o go back over the wall after all. I could just make my way to the servant's entrahis way. Getting out of my hiding spot against the wall, I sprihrough the gate to the forest oher side of the manor that edged the side path. I probably have bothered though, because nobody was either behind the manor or oher path. It was too te at night for most people to be out here other than guards, I suppose.

  After a short period of sleuthing alongside the path, I reached the servant's entrance. Cautiously taking another look up and down the side path and seeing no one, I darted over to the door and tried the handle lightly. Locked, which didn’t surprise me. I still didn’t know any lockpig, but that didn’t matter. I drew one of my daggers. I didn’t care if anyone found this door broken into. If everythi acc to pn, this town would be knee-deep in too many moo care shortly.

  I jammed the dagger into the gap between the door and frame and wre open sharply. The lock shattered easily. Actually, very easy. I guess it was just flimsy or something. Slowly edging open the door, I ehe kit and shut the door behind me,

  Only to find my first plication.

  The kit was filled with sves.

  They weren’t w. All the fires and dles that could have lit the kit were doused. Instead, they were all grouped together on the far wall, with thin burp bs c them. I think they were meant to be sleeping, but my forceful entry into the room had very obviously woken them all up.

  I stared at them.

  They stared at me, with wide, frightened eyes.

  I…reized many of these people from my st infiltration into the manor.

  One of them seemed tnize me as well, even in this low light. Slowly, one of the sves stood up from their makeshift bed, drawing my gaze.

  It was the head kit sve that had tried to be kind to me st time.

  Hesitantly, he stepped forward. “You…aren’t you…?”

  Making a snap decision, I re-sheathed my dagger in its hidden spot on my thigh and raised my hands non-threateningly. “I o talk to you guys,” I said lowly. “I swear I mean you no harm, but I could use your help.”

  The head sve furrowed his brow at me before taking aep forward. He was stopped, however, by one of the other sves hissing at him. “Frederick! The masters will kill you if you help him!”

  I spoke up before ‘Frederick’ could reply. “If all goes well, the ‘masters’ won’t be a problem much longer.”

  That definitely got their attention. “What you do about the masters?” Frederick said disbelievingly. “You’re just a sve.”

  I shook my head deliberately, before slowly reag for a knife on a nearby ter. My movement caused the sves to tense, but I didn’t stop until it was in my hand. “I’m not really a sve,” I said, lying only slightly. Before anyone could answer, I activated my skill.

  The Stilting Bde.

  The butter knife in my haed into rainbow fire, very the result of a skill. Which meant I very obviously didn’t have a sve bond.

  Fredericks's eyes widened before a slight smile stole across his weary face.

  ………………………………………

  I spent a few minutes speaking with the sves. Apparently, after all the otion earlier in the day from the pseudo-tour, the dwarven servants hadn’t let them leave. They weren’t given a reason for why. They’d just been tossed a few sacks to use as bs and told to sleep i.

  What I needed out of them, however, were dires on how to find the dungeons. That was where I’d heard Magnus say to take him. Luckily, they weren’t far, acc to Frederick. Oher side of the manor, across from the door that led to the main hall from the kit, there was another door. This one apparently led down to where the dungeons y uhe manor. One of the sves even firmed the presence of someone down there. Acc to him, they’d seen a group of guards carrying a struggling man doweps during their rounds.

  I thahem for the information, but that wasn’t all I did.

  “On the far side of town,” I told the group of attentive sves. “You’ll find a coach house where some…patriots of mine are getting ready to evacuate the sves. Don’t worry about the guards on the way there, they should all be distracted by a fire. When you get there, ask for Azarus ren, ahem Nate sent you. They’ll know what to do.”

  A few of them still looked doubtful, and asked about their colrs. I just told them not to worry, and very obviously patted the pou the small of my back. That seemed to help.

  You know, I was finding that pying the mysterious assassin kind of suited me.

  Shortly thereafter, I sent them on their way, waving off their thanks. I shut the door with the broken tch behind me and turned around.

  I knew where he was now.

  It was time to find Bleddyn.

  ………………………………………

  I gradually cracked open the door that led to the main hall. Peeking through, I checked to see if the coast was clear. The main hall seemed to be empty and dark, from what I could see. But the main doors seemed to be left open, for some reason. I thought I could hear low voices ing from it. I’d have to be careful.

  Slowly opening the door the rest of the way, I crouched down to lower my profile. Creeping through the open door, I tried to stay as far away from the main doors as I could without edging onto the stairs. As I crept through the atrium of the manor, I kept an eye on the doors to my right and was able to see what was going on.

  It looked like a group of dwarven servants and funaries were standing off to the side of the doors and watg something, most likely the fire. Good for me, I guess. That meant their attention wasn’t on me.

  I successfully reached the other side of the hall without being spotted and found the door that Frederick had told me about. Edging this one open as well, I look through the craothing. The coast was clear. Swiftly slipping through it, I closed the door behind me as softly as I could a out a quiet relieved sigh.

  Turning around, I made my way down the shot hallway oher side. At the end, I found a set of spiral stoairs that led downwards. I let out a silent hiss at the sight of them. Damn, rough stone like this, especially in such tight fines, echoed way more tharium had. I’d have to move even slower down them.

  I got to work.

  The stairs went down further than I thought, with no stops on the way. I must have been desding for nearly five minutes before I reached the bottom. The stairs opened up into what must be the dungeons. It wasn’t very rge, only a short hallway with fe wooden doors with oher side with a ninth at the end. The doors seemed to have a metal shutter at around head height for a dwarf, and another hatear the floor. It was dark in here, with only a siorch burning off to my right, sending long shadows flickering down the hall.

  Bleddyn must be in one of these.

  Luck seemed to be on my side again because I didn’t see any guards down here. I rexed slightly, before starting my search. Entering the hallway and grabbing the tory way in, I started opening the shutters and looking ihe cells. To a ohey were all bare ihe only thing that was in them were a set of shackles attached to the walls. But I didn’t find Bleddyn in any of the cells on the right or left.

  Which left only the cell at the end of the hall.

  Please let him be in there…

  Taking a breath, I made my way to the door and opehe shutter. I felt my heart stutter in my chest at what I saw.

  Bleddyn was in there, all right. But he wasn’t in good shape.

  In the dim light, I could see that he was strung up on the opposite wall, shackled at both his arms a. The s holding him were bolted to the wall. He was covered in blood and cuts. He even seemed to be stripped to his waist, leaving him in only a pair of bloodstained pants.

  For a moment, I couldn’t even tell if he was still alive. But gradually, I was able to make out the extremely slight rise and fall of his chest. I let out a sigh of relief, before fumbling with the bolt on the door to open the cell. Onside, I was able to get a better look and grimaced at what I found. I tried not to look too closely at the…instruments that were ying discarded along the right wall of the cell. Instead, I hurried to Bleddyn’s side while reag for the pou the small of my back. Laying it dowo me, I hesitated before ying a hand on his blood-slick shoulder, trying to ignore what I got on my hand.

  “Bleddyn,” I said softly, shaking his shoulder slightly. He didn’t respond, so I spoke up again and shook him slightly harder. “Bleddyn. Bleddyn! I need you awake, man. Please wake up.”

  Slowly, Bleddyn began to stir. After a moment, he raised his head slightly, letting me see his face. I barely withheld a gasp at what I saw.

  His right eye was gone.

  In its pce was a ruined crater. Whoever had dohis to him, most likely Magnus, hadn’t bothered to be or precise iorture. Instead, the entire right side of his face was a mass of tears, rips, and cuts that looked like they had been made by a dull bde. I nearly vomited at the sight, but held it in at the st moment.

  “W-who…?” I heard Bleddyn say, weaker than I’d ever heard him.

  I focused. Bleddyn needed help right now, not gawking at his suffering. “Hey, man. It’s Nate. I came for you…” I said, trailing off and reag for the pack. I fumbled through it and pulled out one of the healing potions.

  While I was doing that, I saw Bleddyn furrow his ruined brow. “Nate…? W-what are you doing here…” He said, slurring his words. “Yer not supposed to be here…”

  I held up the healing potion to his lips, ign his words. “Here, Bleddyn. Drink.” I said, tilting the potion up aing it enter his mouth. At first, Bleddyn nearly choked oion, befreedily drinking it down. He must have reized the taste.

  The results were immediate.

  Many of the cuts that y on his body began to close up, even many of the ohat y on his face. More importantly, it seemed like he became much more aware, as his gaze sharpened.

  Bleddyn shook his head like a dog, as if to clear it out. “Fuck.” He breathed out. “Nate, what the bleedin’ hells are ye doing here?”

  I let out a short, quiet ugh. “Getting you out of here, moron,” I said, relieved that he seemed to be doier. I directed my attention to the shackles holding him to the walls. They looked strong. Strohan the lock had been earlier, at least. Well, I had a solution to that. Drawing my dagger, I called on my skill once again.

  The Stilnt Bde.

  I fidently swiped my glowing bde at the holding him to the wall.

  Only for my bde to g off of the steel s with no effect at all.

  I gaped at the s in astonishment. It hadn’t worked?

  Bleddyn eyed my glowing dagger doubtfully with his remaining eye. “Was that supposed ta do somethin’?”

  “I…” I trailed off. Now that I thought about it, I’d ried The Stilnt Bde on anything that wasn’t flesh. It had cut through some clothes, but that might just be because it lied to a dagger.

  Shit.

  The skill was meant for bypassing defenses, I guess. It wasn’t for cutting in general. I should’ve known. The description said ‘Strike the root’ after all. Not, ‘Cut through anything’.

  Now what was I going to do?