The Taunch Anthology Book 1: Mez And Rasia

8/13/2019 The Taunch Anthology Book 1: Mez And Rasia

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Mez tapped his foot out of frustration. Not his usual calm self, the

rogue was quite upset with the current trail of events that had reached

him to this conclusion. Only a few months after being released into the

world by the dventurer!s "uild #nown only as $aunch, Mez had already

performed less than adequately on his last two missions and most recently

had his original partner, %are#, a fellow rogue, reassigned to a more

lucrative area while Mez was sent to be sent to another assignment with adifferent partner.

nd Mez #new the truth of the move, it was a demotion. lateral move to

a less lucrative area with probably little wealth to be gained from

reputation. $here was only two things that $aunch cared about, building

reputation in the far reaches of &aerun and earning gold, most of which

was collected by the more senior members of the guild as dues for favors

and other assistance while adventuring.

Mez sat at the corner of a bar in a small inn at a settlement on the

outs#irts of a region un#nown to Mez. 'e had been travelling many days

and shown wear for his woes. 'e wore a blac#, short brim hat with a once

white now turned brown from dust and grime band going around it. brown,low cut shirt covered his leather armor that adorned both his chest and

legs. 'is blac# pants were muddy and worn, showing frayed edges that

brushed at the tops of his brown leather boots. (ehind him flowed a blac#

)ac#et with that stopped )ust above the top of his boots. *t mainly

served the purpose to conceal the + daggers he #ept along his bac# in

sheaths attached to a belt that belted into his shirt. $he first two of

these daggers pointed outwards )ust below Mez!s shoulder blades. $he

other four sat )ust above the small of his bac# also facing in a manner

that would ma#e it easy for Mez to go from a calm posture to hands on the

hilts of his weapons in a blin# of an eye.

Or so he though anyways. pparently $aunch believed %are# to be the

superior rogue, and therefore sent him to (aldur!s "ate to pursueopportunities there. hile $aunch usually allowed most members to

adventure freely and would only appear when it was time to collect dues

or pass information, there are times where the needs of the guild would

necessitate the strategic placement of members. lthough usually such

assignments entailed see#ing strong, young, ambitious and most

importantly potentially powerful members to attend one of their various

academies spread out across &aerun dedicated to training these recruits

in the ways of the guild and to hone their gift that was discovered by

their recruiter.

&or Mez it had been his deft hand at acquiring one such recruiters bag of

gold right from under his sash that started his path that has now led him

to sitting in this very inn, awaiting the arrival of another guildmember, who was probably also found in a similar way. -our life or your

death, you decide. Mez remembered the guild member telling him as he

stared down the pointed end of the most amazing sword he had ever seen a

man carry. lthough Mez was only years of age then, he was one of many

orphans who ran the streets of his town getting food and coin any way

they could. Orphans to the ever growing threat right outside the gate

that #ept most of the humans of the #eep on the correct side of the


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walls. (ut every human city was intimate with war, Mez!s was no

different.

hile the guild member always #new Mez was approaching him from behind,

could feel the child!s mischievous intent emanating off his eager frame,

he instantly too# note to how quiet this one!s approach was, for one his

age and of no formal training. /o his e0periment a success, seeing thechild had the potential to ma#e a fine guild member, he allowed him to

ma#e a go at his bag, and promptly punched him in the bac# of the head as

he tried to ma#e his hasty retreat down an alleyway, sending him

sprawling to the ground. $o deny me the coin for food is death anyways,

what does it matter and he spat on the ground close to the man!s feet to

emphasize his disdain towards the situation.

Mez touched himself on the nec# as he vividly remembered then the man

wal#ing right up to him and pric#ing him right below the chin with the

tip of that magnificent sword. (lood dripped freely from the wound and

down the sword and to the ground. %o you not desire strength1 $he

strength to not have to beg for your meals1 $he man calmly spo#e to Mez

as he ad)usted his position to come eye to eye with him from across thesword. ould you rather my sword or a feast celebrating your entrance

into a world you never #new open to you slide into your throat tonight1.

2 years later and Mez had never eaten so well still. $hat ne0t day he was

on the bac# of a horse and within a tenday he was training at the $aunch

/chool for 3ogues.

*t was the approaching sounds of footsteps that bro#e Mez out of his

silent contemplation. 'e loo#ed up from his glass, still half filled with

the ale that was originally poured for him an hour earlier, as a human

figure strolled through the entrance. woman of no particular interest

other than the fact that she was a woman at an inn which typically only

seen men patrons due to its secluded location in a town where the farmers

probably were required to fight on a regular basis without the protectionof an army. /he wore a full length wizard!s robe, blac# fading to white

as it flowed to the ground, si0 intertwined dragons was the design

stitched across the chest of the robe. Mez #new this design to be the

symbol of his secretive guild, to see it boldly worn out in public was

unusual to say the least.

$he rogue turned bac# to the bar, and at that moment he was the only man

in the establishment not eyeing the stranger who had )ust entered. /he

sat at a position across from the three sided bar from Mez, two chairs to

the left as the emissary from the guild e0plained. /he loo#ed up at him

from under her upturned hood. %eep brown eyes loc#ed with his, the wizard

then willed them to change color in the blin# of an eye to one blue eye

and one red eye, then bac# to brown. $hat was the signal, Mez #new, notthat he needed it with that robe she was wearing. 'e flashed a hand sign

to silently notify his soon to be partner that he had ac#nowledged the

signal and to continue with the ne0t phase. /he gave him an inquisitive

loo# which meant to tell Mez that she had little understanding of what he

had )ust signed. 'and signals had recently been incorporated into the

training of the various schools of $aunch after e0tensive research was

done into the history of the drow elves by the guild. lthough their hand

signs were nowhere near as comple0 as those used by the drow, it did


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serve its purpose in communicating quic#ly and silently. *t seemed

unusual that a guild member wouldn!t #now the intricate language, but it

also seemed unusual for a guild member to wal# into an inn where a covert

meeting was suppose to ta#e place wearing guild attire. 'e began to

wonder, if she was actually an imposter.

'e threw down a few copper pieces for the drin#, and made his way to thestairwell that would lead to the room that the guild had set up for his

meeting. 'e gave not a glance to the wizard, in case this one proved

indeed to be an imposter, he didn!t want to give any clue to his

suspicions.

Mez sat in a corner of the small room that was adorned with a bed, table,

and chair. thic# layer of dust coated the entire room, while it appears

to be used often, the room seemed to haven!t been cleaned in a long time.

'e gave a side glance to the bed and could only imagine how many germs

and various bodily fluids it contained. shudder went down his spine and

he turned his focus bac# to the door. $hrough the door strolled the

wizard from downstairs, Mez felt comfortable that the small size of the

room allowed him the advantage in case this wizard did in fact end upbeing an imposture. 'e sat with his arms crossed at his waist, his hands

only inches away from the hilts of the daggers located on the top of the

small of his bac#.

$he wizard stopped right in front of Mez, only two strides from the

entrance, and bowed gracefully. ell met, Mez the 4nremar#able. Mez

winced at the sound of his official title with the guild, one he felt he

unfairly earned during schooling. *ndeed.... he motioned for her to

also give her name. 3asia the &iredancer she promptly responded with a

wide, disarming grin.

3asia sat and removed the hood of her robe, e0posing long, bouncy, bright

red curls. /he wasn!t as dar# s#inned as him, but she had a tan tint toher comple0ion as if she had also came from an area of perpetual heat and

sun. 'er eyes had changed to a lighter, hazel color, the beauty of which

wasn!t diminished by the various scars and cuts she carried along her

face and arms. 3asia was also a human, he noted, and also of young age,

she couldn!t be a day over 2 Mez thought to himself has she sat down at

the chair ad)acent to his, her curls bouncing playfully and her smile

beaming.

*ts not often that you see human wizards, especially one as young as

yourself, Mez s#eptically commented. ell unli#e you rogues, wizards

aren!t actually considered released from school when we begin ta#ing

assignments, she e0plained * will have to return to school from time to

time to receive additional instruction. *!m e0cited to start our firstmission together though, when do you thin# $aunch will contact us ne0t1.

3asia was eager and bubbling full of e0citement.

&irst mission, Mez mouthed under his breath. 'e didn!t li#e the sound

of that, although he was relatively new to adventuring, he didn!t li#e

the idea of ta#ing on a fresh fish from the school. t second glance, he

deduced that the robe she was wearing was probably school uniform. 'e

also wore a similar pant and vest combination when he was in school but


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discarded it immediately after being released. 'e loo#ed bac# up at her

get rid of the robe he announced after a few moments of silence.

hy1

-ou attract attention, our )obs are usually easier if we attract less

attention.

(ut are we not here to build reputation1 3asia as#ed, and for the firsttime since they met, scrutinized the rogue that sat before her. s with

Mez, she was also not told anything about the meeting other than the

details of how they would identify one another and what to do once that

identification was made. 3asia had e0pected to be teamed up with a senior

wizard as most apprentice wizards usually were until her field training

was complete, so she didn!t e0pect Mez to be sitting at the other end of

that bar that evening.

Our )obs are easier accomplished when done so with discretion, Mez

replied coldly and in a way that would end any further discussion on the

topic. 3asia gave him a stare that edged on threatening, then she rose

and slowly removed her robe, e0posing her s#in tight leather breeches

that accentuated the curves of her hips and thighs, a red blouse thatbuttoned from top to bottom that matched her hair. 'er arms showed many

scars and burn mar#s then what Mez originally noticed on her hand, nec#

and face. /he wasn!t slender, but her build was athletic for a

female.$ight leather boots completed the outfit, Mez also noticed a small

blade attached to her an#le running along the boot. 'e had never seen a

wizard carry such a weapon, which only made him question the abilities of

his partner that much more.

&or someone who has seen no battles, you sure seem li#e you!ve ta#en a

hit or two, Mez smir#ed as the words left his mouth. ell it is #nown

that mage training is more, uhm, intense, than that of the rogues, 3asia

returned the smir# which then erased the one off of Mez immediately.

hich only made 3asia begin laughing.

* see you two are getting along already, a strong male!s voice entered

the room but his presence was not #nown to either Mez or 3asia. 3asia

immediately dropped into some semblance of a defensive posture. lthough

she didn!t reach for her sidearm, her hands shot out wide and she began

mumbling the first verse of a spell. Mez remained seated, unmoving,

unthreatened by the disembodied voice. %o they not teach you anything

about real operations in that school of yours1 Mez said to 3asia, the

whole question dripping with condescending sarcasm. 'ow do you thin#

$aunch communicates with adventurers on the road1 'aw#1 as he said that

Mez stood and faced what 3asia now noticed to be a growing shadow in the

corner of the room.

figure wal#ed out of the shadow, much smaller than the voice led on to

be. halfling, wearing the finest blue and yellow cloth armor 3asia had

ever seen. (londe hair flowed down around his uncharacteristically

slender face which made his bulbous nose stand out that much more. hich

the halfling was obviously proud of since he possessed various loop,

stud, and dangling rings all along the nostrils. hen the halfling turned

to regard Mez his blue and yellow cape flowed perfectly as if it

magically e0tended not to impede the halfling. 'e wore rings on every


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finger on his hand, some of them glowing, but outshined by the bands of

what appeared to be gold and silver. lthough 3asia!s #nowledge of

magical items was still elementary, she deduced that each one of those

rings had magical properties. nd as if to complete the ensemble, in his

left ear the halfling possessed more rings of various shapes and types.

*ncluding one that dangled from his ear lobe and seemed to get lost in

his hair.ell met, $aunch, Mez bowed, although the tone of his voice betrayed

his obvious feelings of disdain towards the halfling. 'umor me Mez the

4nremar#able, why is it that %are# has achieved such greatness since

leaving the school, yet here you are, dirty, smelly, an embarrassment to

the guild. hy do * waste my time assisting you1

Mez remained in his low bow, his face blushing with rage. 3asia, who by

now had stopped spellcasting and now was )ust watching, recalling what

she was told by her mentor before leaving to meet her first partner. /he

#new that every guild member was given a guild title after being released

from the school and it would only change when a new one was earned. /he

#new Mez to only be a few months ahead of her in adventuring so his title

was li#ely his first. /o what did he do in school to earn such an abysmaltitle1 pparently whatever it was continued to follow him because this

seemingly high ran#ing member of the guild was tal#ing down to him as if

he was on the edge of e0pulsion. /he hoped his luc# didn!t rub off.

ahh yes, because $aunch is forever charitable. nd * couldn!t stand to

see you waste the talents that we spent so hard training you to perfect

so you can go out and support those who would want to follow in your

footsteps,

nd those who have, it would seem. Or are all those rings you wear

spoils of war. %id you pull each one of those off of a corpse of a man

you #illed $aunch1. Mez dared to say, still in his bow.

Most, the halfling chuc#led, he held out his hands and began admiring

them although * admit a few are gifts from strong adventurers. Oh much

stronger than you Mez the 4nremar#able * assure you. $his one for

instance, the halfling held his arm straight out so it rested right

under Mez!s bowed head, with the other hand he pointed to his pin#y to a

spar#ling silver band with small stone set in it. (ut it appeared to be

more than a stone, inside the stone waves appeared to be splashing bac#

and forth. $his one was acquired by the great %are#5 he stopped

suddenly and loo#ed up as if to recall something very important, than a

smile appeared on his blemish free face and his blue eyes began to

spar#le. Oh, has no one told you %are#!s new title1

3asia was beginning to feel insulted for the stoic Mez, who was standingthere ta#ing a verbal beating for a reason un#nown to her. /he began to

step up and stand up for her new partner but before she could get a word

in the halfling dramatically snapped a hand up towards her and no words

came out. t first panic swept over the wizard until she realized that

all sound had ceased around her, the boards didn!t crea# when she wal#ed

and the heavy breathing of Mez was silenced.


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* am tal#ing now6 boomed the halfling, although there appeared to be no

e0tra effort in his speech. /urely f the room hadn!t been magically

silenced the boards would of shoo#. %are# averider the "oblinbane6, he

continued at the same volume 'e is growing a great name for our guild

and you wal# around loo#ing li#e a street urchin barely able to pic# a

poc#et.

slew of retorts came to Mez!s mind at that moment. lthough it didn!t

matter since he was magically silenced anyways. 7onsidering that he was

use to receiving more lectures than praises in his short time as a

professional adventurer, he was use to the tactics used by $aunch!s

emissaries to e0press the anger of the organization.

"et to &allcrest in Nentir 8ale, he continued in a calmer but still

magically enhanced voice, we have little invested in that region. /o if

you mess up there won!t be much to clean up. "row our reputation and earn

some damn gold so you can pay dues. Or else you will earn your dues by

way of volunteer cleaning services for one of the brothels we pay for

information. nd put a damn uniform on, never again do * want to see you

not wearing an item of clothing that has our brand on it.

$he halfling held out his hand with his palm down and from it dropped two

pac#s and two sets of clothing appropriate for a male and female human.

blac# and red travelling )ac#et the same length of Mez!s was included. On

the bac# of it, the si0 intertwined dragons that made up the guild!s

symbol. "uarantee this is the last charity you will receive from us Mez

the 4nremar#able,. s he finished the sentence, the dar#ness around him

began to spread again, and soon breathing was heard in the room again.

Mez stood bac# up to see a confused and e0asperated 3asia staring at him.

nd you should get a move on, it appears you have company... the

disembodied voice of the halfling remar#ed but sounding as if he was much

further away.

as that Master $aunch16 3asia suddenly blurted out. 'ardly, )ust an

emissary, he replied.

(ut you referred to him as $aunch

-ou are are required to refer to all emissaries of $aunch as $aunch,

there will is the will of the organization, their word the word of Master

$aunch himself. *t not always the same person, but their entrance is

always the same. /ome are nicer than others, he!s one of the nice ones.

'im1

ell when you aren!t on a cold strea#

$hats what you call it1

Mez!s response was interrupted by the sounds of 9 pairs of feet heavily

stomping down the hall but in an attempt to silence their footfalls. (othadventurers stopped and listened to see if the footsteps would stop at a

room further up the hall. $he reservation of a room at the end of the

hall was not an accident. loud and self5defeating /hhh from one of

the people approaching confirmed that the halfling was correct in his

advisement on his departure.

3asia!s hand began to glow blue and Mez!s hands went to the hilts of the

daggers on the top of the small of his bac#. Oi6 little brat. we #now


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you bought yaself a wench. be a good lad and open the door so we can

parta#e on ye tab or else we!ll open it for ye and neither of ye wal#s

out with any coin at all, lewd laughter echoed down the hallway. Mez

heard the thug press his head up against the door as if he was waiting

for a response. Mez responded by throwing one of his daggers into the

door, it went right through and stuc# into the face of the thug. hush

came over the hallway, it was obvious that the other thugs in the hallwaywere reconsidering their current course of action. 3asia loo#ed over to

Mez, her mouth wide open in a dumbfounded e0pression. Me nodded towards

the door ell, are you going to do something1 he calmly pointed to her

hand, still glowing blue, and bac# at the door. Oh...right she

stammered.

$he door was blown off its hinges by the force of 3asia!s magical bolt.

$he thugs fell bac# to shield themselves from the fragments of door

flying at them, but they hadn!t even unsheathed their swords by time Mez

let loose another the daggers, each stri#ing center mass on each of the

thugs. Mez and 3asia slowly strolled out their room, pac#s on their bac#s

with the newly acquired clothing hastily strapped on top. Mez began

removing the daggers from the corpses. $he original thug loo#ing theworst of the bunch, the dagger penetrated right through his ear, and if

that didn!t #ill him instantly the e0plosion surely did. 'e laid on the

floor with his head twisted around so that it was facing his bac#. 3asia

turned away from the grotesque sight and noted that Mez had already

replaced the four thrown daggers and had two more daggers with larger

hilts in his hands. * thin# its time for us to leave, Mez remar#ed and

started wal#ing bac# towards the stairs.

$he loo#s on the faces of the patrons remaining in the inn verified Mez!s

fear that the e0plosion had been too loud and that the entire inn was

aware that a battle had )ust too# place. $he growing shouts and sounds of

chairs being shuffled about followed them as they left and hastily wal#ed

down the street.

$hat magic bolt of yours was entirely too loud. hat did * say about

discretion1. Mez snapped at 3asia as they wal#ed down the hill towards

the residences that led to the intersection that the town was built

around. $he town proper mainly consisted of small, flat, story houses.

Off in the distance amongst the rolling hills farms were placed, larger

houses could be seen dotting the tops of some of those hills. $he town

itself only e0isted as a trading point where two ma)or trading routes

intersected. $he intersection itself contained a small mar#et.

-ou didn!t even have to #ill him6 e could:ve ta#en them in hand to hand

combat. Maybe their threats were a bluff, 3asia retorted with equal

venom in her voice. Mez turned hard on her and stared her directly in theeye. *f you spend your life guessing the truth behind bluffs instead of

acting upon them then * assure you that life will be a short one,. Mez

said with all seriousness

..says Mez the 4nremar#able 3asia responded unceremoniously, as she

crossed her arms across her chest. Mez scowled and turned to continue

wal#ing down the hill. Mez noticed that in the short time it too# them to

wal# down the hill, many more houses shown candlelight than earlier. $he


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evening grew late and he #new such a small town wouldn!t have so much

activity going on unless an event of interest had )ust occurred. ;i#e

the murdering of four of their own by outsiders.. he said to himself out

loud as he stopped to regard their surroundings again.


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/ure enough both men began to approach her from behind as a third

appeared from the side of a small shac#. 3asia began to channel another

magic bolt to stri#e the guy until she noticed the dagger stic#ing out

from behind his head. /he snatched the dagger out from the bac# of the

man!s head as he continued his zombie li#e, wide eyed stroll to oblivion.

$he man must of had no idea of where he was or what had transpired but a

few seconds later he fell face first into the dirt to die, eyes stillbulged.

Mez dropped down from a rooftop and plunged a dagger right into the nec#

of the farmer who hadn:t yet drawn his sword. $he one who did sensed his

aerial approach and instinctively but his blade up to bloc# the attac#

and managed to stumble bac# and out the way. ith the dagger buried deep

in the nec# of the twitching farmer and the other dagger free, Mez began

approaching the other farmer with the body dragging behind. $he farmer

threw a straight thrust as soon as Mez was within range but Mez used the

farmer!s fallen comrade as a flesh shield. /o while it felt as if he had

made solid contact, when the farmer loo#ed up from his blow he only saw

the bac# of his friend, his sword driving right into the spine.

Mez ripped his dagger out of the man!s throat and spun to place it in the

throat of the other but he was suddenly )olted bac# by an un#nown force.

bright searing light and intense heat is all Mez #new for those first

few moments. 'e retreated behind a few houses and stumbled to the ground.

'is feet shoo# and teeth clattered, every hair on his body felt as if it

was standing on end. /o this is what it feels li#e to be shot by

lightning Mez said outloud, to the pile of horse shit he began to brush

off the front of his shirt. 'e leaned on the wall and attempted to gain

his composure. 'e needed to get bac# out there and assist 3asia, he #new,

but as he too# his first step, his #nees buc#led under him and he hit the

ground again.

3asia followed the strea# of bright light to its source. plain loo#inghuman male standing on a rooftop about two buildings down from the

intersection. /he let loose a magical bolt his way and went into chanting

as she sprinted to the left to ma#e space between her and the other

farmer who was now approaching her since Mez had been ta#en out of

commission. $he farmer made chase as 3asia moved towards the building

closest to the mage to gain cover. 3asia spun bac# around when her bac#

was to the wall of the structure to see the farmer coming straight on

sword in hand and 3asia with no way of defending herself. $he spell she

had channeled was too dangerous to use is such close quarters and she

hadn!t yet prepared any more magic bolts. /he never imagined her

adventuring career would end so early.

*t had to fly true, and it did. Over two merchant booths the dagger flewend over end, its final destination being the side of the face of the

farmer that was chasing 3asia. $he farmer fell bac# and howled in pain,

his thrust being cut short by the dramatic turn of events. 3asia stared

down the length of his short sword. *nches from her chest, if for only a

brief moment before her attac#er fell over, she saw her death staring her

right in the face. s the farmer fell over in swears and protests she

retrieved his dropped sword and placed it through his chest before he

could begin to recover. moment of elation swept over 3asia, a bright


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smile beamed across her face. $hat is until her first #ill loo#ed bac# up

at her. $he man loo#ed so pathetic, even without the dagger in the face

and being covered in blood, she thought. $his man was no great warrior or

evil villain or goblin#in on the other end of the sword she held. >ust a

man, who probably had no idea that these outsiders would enter his home

on this day and end his life. "reat grief came across 3asia at that

point. /he watched the man!s final moments, the e0tinguishing of thatlast flic#er of life behind his eyes. /he )ust stood there then, she

didn!t notice the lightning stri#e go soaring past her.

Mez dive rolled hard and bro#e into a sprint as the wizard disguised as a

peasant continued to stri#e bolt after bolt in an attempt to incapacitate

the nimble rogue. Mez slid behind a building right as another blinding

flash struc# at the corner of it, blowing debris and rubble down the

alley Mez had retreated into. Mez was sweaty and bleeding from multiple

small wounds. 'e was breathing hard and hadn!t the willpower to recover

himself from the trash and wood he found himself under. *f that wasn!t

the worst of it he began to hear the cursings of many angry males ma#ing

their way towards his location, probably ready to blame the outsider for

the damage to their house way before the resident wizard he thought. 'ehad no idea if 3asia was o# or if his dagger had reached in time or if it

had even struc# true. /he might be dead, he thought. hile that thought

didn!t sadden him, he was regretting how he was going to e0plain to

$aunch how he managed to get his fresh out of school wizard #illed within

hours of their partnership.

here!s the rat6 e!ll run a pi#e up his arse for bringing trouble to

the crossroads,

$here was another one too, a female, where did she go16

&ind them6

$he shouts from villagers mar#ed the awa#ening of the entire village.

>anir, the wizard who had engaged the pair in combat ?and as Mez e0pectedthe resident wizard of the small colony@ smir#ed as he hopped down from

the small building that had served as his command point for the ambush.

'e had a general idea of where he had downed the rogue and was going to

move in to finish him off and have first dibs at any spoils5of5war.

$hen he would move to loot the corpse of that female that he watched

disappear under the building with one of his thugs, never to come bac#

out. Maybe if she wasn!t dead yet he would have his way with her before

#illing her, he thought and his smir# turned into a full on smile. >anir

#new his worth to the small community that had appeared only in the past

few years. &irst as a security bloc# sent out by the local nationstate to

secure the road from bandits and to open it for more lucrative trade.

=ventually the security turned out to be as dirty as the bandits they

were hired to defend against and the law of the land became to listen towhoever had the most power. /o easy it was for >anir to wal# into town

and display his magical prowess and immediately find himself a high

ran#ing member of the corrupt local militia.

-ou should of let my boss rape her, the mage began to spea# aloud as he

strolled down the alleyway, confident that he was in close pro0imity of

the rogue. $hey would of had fun, she would of had fun, *!m sure they

would:ve let you watch, >anir began to laugh at that statement. 'e wore


11/67

a lewd smile on his face, -ou #now you might of even been able to )oin,

after they were all done of course, but instead, here you are, about to

die, )ust li#e that wench6

>ump6

$hats all 3asia had to say, she #new. /he #new Mez had been watching herapproach from the rubble. /he #new he would be ready to react when she

gave the signal, maybe it was their training or her growing confidence in

a man who had saved her life twice that day. (ut at that very instant Mez

leaped high and far into the air. 'e twisted and turned into a somersault

onto the nearest rooftop right as 3asia let loose a &ire blast down the

alley, >anir had nowhere to run, and no spells prepared to protect

himself. $otally caught off guard, he didn!t even manage to get a scream

out before he was incinerated.

3asia stared down the alleyway in awe, a small tear found itself on her

face as she watched the hus# of the man once #nown as >anir fall away to

ashes. (uildings on both sides of the alley had caught fire and the

sounds of approaching villagers were upon them. ;ets go6 Mez screamedas he threw his hand down to 3asia. wa#ening from her daze she reached

up and grabbed it and they sprinted from rooftop to rooftop out into the

night and out of the settlement.

$he sun was high in the s#y before the pair stopped moving. $hey had ran

the trail for the few hours of night that remained and then too# to the

wilderness as the sun came up, ta#ing detours and doubling bac# a few

times to cover their trac#s. $hey finally made camp at the edge of a

treeline. 3asia fell out on her bedroll immediately after setting it,

while Mez too# a position in the trees to maintain watch and apply

bandages, although he was asleep only a few minutes later. 'e awo#e hours

later to the sight of 3asia preparing some of the rations from their

pac#s, the sun hung low, sunset was almost at its end, he realized.

'ave you healed1 e should eat and get on the road soon, 3asia said as

she loo#ed up to Mez. *!ll live, Mez responded as he hopped down from

the tree. 3asia and Mez e0changed stares, at first a short glance but

then immediately re5met for a much longer time. 3asia!s e0pression was

blan# and unreadable. Mez began to scowl, but then realized that she

wasn!t angry at him, but she wanted him to say something, but he didn!t

#now what. (ut Mez #new that loo#, he #new it very well. 'e )ust hoped

that whatever caused it, 3asia would come bac# to her wits soon. 'e hoped

she would handle it better than he had.

$hat was a very lucrative trade area, * want to #now what happened, avery angry half5orc leaned over to a come eye to eye with a much smaller

by comparison human who was on the brin# of urinating on himself in fear

of angering the boss of their band of bandits. th5th5 they burned it6

he barely squea#ed out. $he small camp shuffled around nervously, #nowing

the murderous rage possessed by their leader 4dogold interclaw. 4dogold

grabbed the human by the nec# and lifted him from the ground with one

large, grotesque, misshapen hand that was attached to a


12/67

disproportionately large arm. 'e began to squeeze the human who then

began voiding his bowels for all to see.

O#, well lets try it this way. * want to #now who these impertinent

fools are who waltzes into M- territory, burns down one of M-

storefronts, destroying M- rightfully stolen gear and still draws

breath6 4dogold screamed at the human, with each my he violently)er#ed him by the nec#. (y the end of his rant, the human was surely

dead, limp in the infamous claw 4dogold possessed. 'e threw the human to

the ground with a great enough force that he bounced along the ground and

came to a stop at the feet of a doppelganger. &ind out, 4dogold said as

he settled bac# down in his chair adorned with the s#ins of various

goodly races. $he doppelganger bowed and wal#ed into the night, his

mission clear to him.

AA

Now communicate to me that you will be ta#ing my left flan# and i need

to push forward to draw the enemy out, Mez communicated to 3asia as they

marched down the road. 3asia replied by flashing various hand signals andMez nodded with approval. $hey had been on the road for three days since

their encounter in the corrupt town that ended with many of small farming

and merchant town dead and half the town in burnt rubble. $heir hasty

retreat made it impossible for them to procure horses for their long

)ourney to &allcrest and $aunch, their dventuring "uild, was not pleased

with what happened that evening and decided to punish them by not

allocating them any gold or rations until they made their final

destination. Mez wasn!t happy that 3asia hadn!t #nown any of her hand

signals at their initial meeting and too# the long wal# as an opportunity

to catch her up on the sub)ect matter. =ven though 3asia had a grasp on

the intricate hand signals after the first day of non5stop training.

-ou #now we can stop this now, * have it, *!m not a slow learner, * )ustwasn!t taught, 3asia said with a bite in her voice. $he newly partnered

duo weren!t e0actly fond of one another, but they understood that they

were going to have to wor# together and wor# well if they were to gain

prestige and recognition within their guild. (esides, 3asia continued

we haven!t said a word to each other in three days, this silence is

maddening. /houldn!t we be learning about one anotherAA

hy1

$he strongest teams are built through camaraderie and trust.

%*d you )ust quote that out of the "eneral /tudent Manual1

Of course, you don!t #now it1

Mez let out a full on belly laugh, and Mez was not the type to laugh.

$hat whole boo# is dribble, it:s full of bedtime stories and principles

that they use to get the young members e0cited about their indenturedservitude they are destined to face.

-ou should be more grateful, you wear their clothes, fight with their

gear, and eat their food,

$he accuracy of 3asia!s statement was right on point. $hey were both

wearing matching uniforms of $aunch. Mez in his blac# pants, shirt and

boots over top his leather armor was traditional and generic enough, but

the floor length traveling coat he wore was blac# with red trim and on


13/67

the bac# was the symbol of their guildB si0 red dragons intertwined.

3asia!s apparel was almost identical in design, but she )ust wore her

wizard!s robe and her leather armor. $he si0 daggers Mez wore along his

bac# under that coat was also issued by $aunch, but as Mez!s stomach

began to growl, he was reminded of one amenity that their guild wasn!t

providing for them.

*f you so believe in our leadership then tell me why we are wal#ing all

the way to &allcrest with no gold or horses and only enough rations to

last us, oh i don!t #now, -=/$=3%-6 Mez screamed the last word with

much emphasis at the slowly lightening s#y. *t was pre5dawn and the late

fall chill was biting at them already. 3asia!s long, curly bright red

hair blowed hard in the breeze while Mez #ept his hat in his pac# so that

it wouldn!t blow off bac# down the path. $here was no rebuttal from

3asia, as she too hadn!t ate well since they began their )ourney,

s#ipping many meals to ma#e their first encounter on time and eating as

little as possible to ration the last of their food until they were able

to come upon more. =ven with such rationing, the prior evening mar#ed the

last of their provisions, and it wasn!t a hearty meal.

ell it was punishment for destroying that town bac# there, 3asia began

saying after a few moments of silence. Oh yes the town that wanted to

rape and #ill us in our own bedrolls, * weep for them. Mez sarcastically

chimed in, which to his surprise, drew a smile from his partner. ell

our )obs are to grow the reputation of our guild across the land as a

good entity whose goal is to e0plore and protect, not to burn down

farming villages, innocent or otherwise,she commented with a smile

beaming on her face. Mez stopped wal#ing and regarded 3asia, who in turn

faced him. %o you really believe that1 'e as#ed with a serious

e0pression etched on his face. *ts in the Manual, she responded. Mez

shoo# his head and continued wal#ing e should have stuc# to hand

signals, he muttered under his breath, not low enough for 3asia not to

hear him.

(efore the sun reached high into the air, the pair reached the fortified

city of $rafford. lthough it was much larger than the settlement they

)ust left, $rafford was considered considerably smaller than other

fortified human cities. Mez and 3asia gazed upon the wooden ramparts

dotted with watchtowers with relief. O# we need gold and

transportation, 3asia stated.

O#, you get us gold, *!ll procure transportation.

'ow do you plan on doing that1

*!ll ambush some travelers on the way out the gate, *!ll meet yoAA

NO6 3asia!s eyes flared blue and red, Mez noticed, and bac# to their

brown hue as she shouted her ob)ection. $here will be no unnecessary

#illing today, 3asia started breathing fast, visibly agitated. Mezobserved her for a few moments and then responded O#, &iredancer, his

voice full of contempt -ou get the transportation and * shall get the

gold. Mez began to wal# off after the proclamation in the direction of

the city. nd how will you do that6 3asia called out to him. ithout

turning to face her, Mez responded with a simple wave and continued his

wal#.


14/67

flustered 3asia wal#ed down the bustling main street of $rafford. /he

chose not to enter the city with her rogue companion after their

discussion. * could use some time away from the blowhard anyways, she

thought to herself as she allowed the aromas of coo#ing meats and freshly

prepared breads and pastries into0icate her. /oon enough she found

herself inside one of those shops, a restaurant that also had a large

array of into0icating weeds and herbs available. $he ceilings were highto accommodate the perpetual haze of smo#e that floated above the rela0ed

patrons. 3asia #new this was the place to grab a free meal, with a little

charm and a little more magic, she thought and smiled as she gazed over

to a table full of old men who loo#ed a tad bored.

Mez ran from rooftop to rooftop without regard, this is where he felt

most at home. crobatics training was where he e0celled. 'is talent was

not due to any naturally given ability, li#e everything else he did it

too# more practice than the average student )ust to become proficient.

(ut unli#e other topics of instruction, Mez truly en)oyed acrobatics. 'e

loved the feel of the wind against his face as he moved at high speeds,

the incredulous loo#s he would get going across the roofs or performing a

rather difficult maneuver. 'e loved even more when those people didn!teven #now he was there. ;i#e a shadow against the wall that disappeared

)ust slightly faster than it was noticed. ;eaving the witnesses wondering

if they had seen anything at all.

'owever, this was not the case today. young human girl, no more than C

years old, watched Mez intently. $he doppelganger chose his form well,

because if any adult, or even a boy of the same age, would of watched Mez

with the same intensity, he would of too# notice almost immediately.


15/67

/houts and claps ensued, and 3asia couldn!t of wor#ed them better. /he

was eating and drin#ing well, but also she too# note of who was paying

special attention to her minor talents. 'er show had served a dual

purpose, because while she was rela0ing and having a good time with the

men, she also #new that in a town of this size, a wizard could always get

what they needed as long as the right people #new they were there. /he

also #new there might be others who might want to ma#e a name forthemselves by eliminating her. (ut she hadn!t used any magic in days and

was well prepared for any misguided thugs that may venture her way.

drin# for ye, from master dwarf, the well endowed waitress announced

as she plopped a mug down in front of 3asia and pointed to the other end

of the room where a male and female dwarf sat. $hey didn!t appear to be

warriors from their loo#, 3asia thought as she lifted her glass in their

direction. $he male and female dwarf both smiled and raised their glasses

in response, in a blin# they downed those mugs and were already slapping

down coin for more. $he dwarves were barely visible over the multitude of

mugs that sat upon their table, but from her vantage point, 3asia saw

that they were dressed more e0travagantly than the average peasant. $hey

both wore rings and )ewels on their fingers and their clothing, while notoverly e0pensive, definitely showed a higher level of craftsmanship and

detail than the typical garb of the region.

/eems li#e she had a new friend to ma#e she thought to herself as she

rose up to approach the table.

Mez watched with amusement as a pair of young street thugs shoo# down a

man passed out in the alleyway, obviously from too much drin# the night

before. $he boys were not aware of his presence, perched D stories above

them hanging under a balcony of one of the larger structures of the city,

his legs tuc#ed so that his whole form would be hidden in the shadow of

the structure, $hey pulled a few bronze coins from the man and Mez shoo#

his head $oo small, he muttered out loud. 'e thought bac# to when he

was one of those street urchins, sha#ing down drun#s, pic# poc#etingvisitors to his town and disappearing into crowds and down sewers before

they even #new their purse had been pilfered. 'e #new 3asia was right, he

couldn!t )ust ta#e from peasants the way he use to, if for no other

reason than he was better than that now. 'e thought he would be more

suited ambushing a lightly protected caravan or snea#ing into the camp of

some highwaymen and #illing them in their sleep before utilizing their

campsite for the evening. No one ever missed highwaymen.

/o he!s not the protective type, good to #now is what the doppelganger

was thin#ing as he laid face down in the alley. 'e had hoped that his

drun#en helpless victim act would entice the would be hero into action

and an easy ambush. 7hanging forms multiple times a day too# its toll on

the creature and he was too fatigued to continue at the pace he wasgoing. 'e was going to need to ta#e a different approach, the

doppelganger thought. 'e rose up from his prone stance in the alleyway

and began to meander onto the main street, playing the role of a drun#ard

to its fullest, #nowing that Mez was probably still watching him. 'e

didn!t want to blow his cover, not yet.

ell met, 3asia bowed and the two dwarves motioned for her sit at an

available pillow across from them. ell that:s yet to be determined, now


16/67

isn!t it, the female dwarf remar#ed, eliciting laughs from the male

sitting ne0t to her. =ase up on the young lad, she probably hasn!t even

seen her second decade, the male dwarf replied and e0tended a hand that

appeared to be stic#y from spilled beer. =ither way she shoo# it but

wiped her hand down her robe as she sat but smiled to disguise her

disgust. $hose parlor tric#s * saw ye doin over there, ya got more

lethal ones1 the female dwarf cut right to the point. /he leaned overand loo#ed 3asia right in the eyes. /he willed her eyes to turn blue and

red momentarily ?which was actually their natural color, not the hazel

color that she would magically apply when in public so not to elicit

unwanted attention@ and then changed them bac# before responding few,

enough you could say,. $he female dwarf leaned bac#, seemingly

unimpressed, but the male with her was so startled that he shot ale

though his nose and started laughing again. (wahaha, * bet there!s some

real fight in this one, he leaned over to regard the wizard, * can

tell. -eah that better be all that you!re tellin! the female dwarf

responded that )ust made the other dwarf laugh all the harder.

e!re leading a caravan south and we require security, you want the

)ob1 the female dwarf as#ed bluntly.%o you go past the Nentir 8ale1 $hat is my final destination,

Ours as well,

hat does it pay1

E gold each for you and the three others we have hired,

Others1 3asia remar#ed. * have a partner, the pair of us are more than

capable of providing security for your caravan, and we will do it for F

gold each,.

$he two dwarves put a serious loo# on their faces. e have 9 wagons, 2

men, and plenty of gear to protect. $he road we are going to travel will

be difficult, highwaymen have been attac#ing almost every wagon that

leaves this post. -ou e0pect us to leave our lives and our gear in the

hands of an amateur wizard and a partner that we!ve never met1 $he maledwarf was no longer laughing, the e0pression he wore was grave. 3asia

leaned in close with a sly smile on her face,e are adventurers from the

$aunch guild, she spo#e barely above a whisper. 'er e0pression shown

that she e0pected the dwarves to be awe struc# and ta#en bac# but instead

the dwarves were unmoving. (ah *!ve seen some o! ye type. lways getting

#illed trying to ma#e a name for themselves. -ou can bring your partner

but only if you split your portion of the gold with him. -ou $aunch guys

are usually more trouble than you!re worth, the female dwarf stated.

*f that is the deal you are offering, then we accept, 3asia smiled and

stood, hiding her anger towards how the dwarves spo#e about her guild.

$aunch was everything that she #new, everything that she cared about. $he

nonchalant way Mez had dismissed the core principles earlier had heralready on the defensive, now her new employers already had a disli#e for

her because of her affiliation. $he dwarves stood up and introduced

themselves, Nororin the male said, =ilella, said the female as they

both returned 3asia!s bow with a small of one their own. Meet us on the

main road going south right before the gate preceding dawn, you!ve

already met our drivers, =ilella pointed over to the table 3asia had

been sitting at earlier and the men all threw their hands up and shouted

a cheer of sorts before drowning their ale, a few ta#ing pulls from their


17/67

herbs. $his is going to be a fun trip indeed 3asia thought as she let a

small smile brea# on her face and she returned to the table where her new

friends, and responsibilities, were ordering another round.

$he sun wore heavy in the s#y when Mez spotted the pair. couple of

nicely dressed dwarves whose poc#ets were bulging with coin coming out of

one of the more upscale eating and drin#ing establishments in the area.'e #new that he wasn!t the only pair of eyes on the two, thats what he

was hoping for. hat he didn!t e0pect, was to see himself in the alleyway

intersecting the dwarves path, poised to stri#e. Mez stared in disbelief

as he saw an e0act replica of himself hiding in an alleyway and not in

the stealthy way that Mez usually did. %espite his loo#s, this character

before him did not possess the same s#ill in stealth as he. Mez bounded

from rooftop to rooftop to try and get a better angle on the imposter but

not in time he thought as the doppelganger hopped out from behind his

post on the side of the stone structure and appeared in front of Nororin

and =ilella, daggers out and twirling threateningly in his hands.

$he two dwarves threw their hands up in front of the fa#e Mez as if in

surrender. (ut from those hands came a bright light, and against the dar#bac#drop of the setting sun it was bright enough even to blind the real

Mez who was on a rooftop opposite from the one the fa#e Mez had been

hiding behind. hen his vision read)usted, the dwarves were already out

of sight and the would be thief was stumbling bac# into the alleyway,

still appearing to be blind. 'e )umped down from his post and let a

dagger fly towards the bac# of the assailant. hether it was luc# or

instinct Mez was not sure, but the imposter managed to get his dagger up

to deflect the throw and continued to stumble away and around the corner

of the bac# of the building. Mez made all haste to get around that corner

but when he arrived he saw no one, his twin was nowhere to be found. Now

this is an interesting development, he said out loud before turning to

scale the nearest wall to get a better loo# of the area.

hat Mez didn!t #now was that there was no way he was going to find the

doppelganger, who was now in the sewer scurrying along on his belly in

his newest form of a rat. $he assassin was angry and e0hausted, he did

not anticipate having to shift again between forms, and especially from

one foreign species to another without shifting bac# to his original

form, which too# e0ceptional stamina. Now he was stuc# as a rat for at

least the evening. (ut he couldn!t be too upset, he #new the town guard

would now be loo#ing for him. nd being the outlaw that he is, the

doppelganger #new Mez would put up a fight and hopefully be #illed. *f

Mez was apprehended, the doppelganger would simply shift into a )ailer

the ne0t day and end his life from the safety of a )ail cell. 'e had him

chec#mated, the doppelganger thought, but what he didn!t #now is that he

had caused many more layers of difficulty for the rogue that night thateven Mez was not aware of yet.

s night fell, 3asia was hoping that Mez had obtained enough gold so they

could at least secure a room in an inn that night, but she hadn!t seen

him since earlier in the day. /he was e0cessively inebriated and barely

able to stand, the world spun around her but she was still able to ta#e

note of various young buys pacing her from behind the various structures

that lined the narrow streets of $rafford. /he began muttering the


18/67

beginnings of her fire blast spell while preparing both hands with

magical bolts, )ust in case. *t too# her so much concentration to prepare

spells that she had been practicing since her first days at the mages!

school that she didn!t notice the tall, fully armored elf standing right

in front of her. /he bumped into him head on and bounced off of his pate

armored chest and fell to the ground. /he loo#ed up at him unsteadily and

then with a scowl, and then sic#eningly as she began vomiting all overthe elf!s freshly shined plate armor boots. ell met.. the elf said

sarcastically as he shoo# his foot off to the side of them ..* see even

in this state you can tell that you are being stal#ed.

3asia loo#ed up to ta#e in who had addressed her, tall and statuesque the

elf stood, with long flowing hair, pale s#in and ears and nose equally

pointy. 'is eyes shone a light, almost reflective blue hue that glistened

off his silver armor even in the starlight. large sword was strapped to

his hip and a steel shield across his bac#. /o * suppose you:re the hero

who has come to save me1 3asia managed to say as she used the elf!s hand

and then shoulder to ease herself bac# to her feet. -ou #now what:s

easier than fighting these low rent thieves1 show of force, and what:s

a stronger force than that of numbers1 'e spo#e as he helped her steadyherself. 3asia smiled but then said -ou #now * have enough force to

handle a few children with rusty swords, before starting to wal# past

him. 'e grabbed her arm and tuc#ed it under his ell then may * have the

honor of escorting you bac# to your room1 he as#ed sweetly but with

enough force to convey that it was more of a suggestion than a request.

-ou #now there!s an outsider starting trouble on the streets tonight,

everyone is on high alert for a rogue in a blac# and red coat who has

been using magic to sha#e down wealthy vendors. $here!s already rumors of

a bounty, 3asia then snapped her arm away from him and said &irst of

all * don!t have a room, secondly if there is money to be made on the

street tonight * shall )oin in the hunt, gold isn!t e0actly flowing from

my poc#ets right now, then she turned and faced all about while

screaming -ou hear that you nasty little street urchins, *!m bro#e, gohunt elsewhere before you become the hunted6. /he breathed heavily, her

bouncy curly red hair having fell all over her face she loo#ed vicious

indeed the elf thought. Maybe we can help each other.... the elf

motioned towards her. 3asia, she said as she turned bac#. $he elf

stared for a second before bowing down low >ohan, well met

3asia..beautiful eyes, very e0otic, 3asia realized that in her drun#en

rant she must of allowed her enchantment that changed her original eye

colors to slip. /he wasn!t about to let this G>ohan! #now though that her

concentration was so hindered that she couldn!t even maintain a low level

enchantment such as that, they needed gold, and this guy seemed a

suitable temporary replacement for the temperamental Mez. Maybe he would

even invite her bac# to his room.

Mez moved from shadow to shadow, building to building as he too# note of

the heightened level of tension and e0citement that wafted through the

air. 'e #new that he was a hunted man once again. Once again stuc# in a

situation that isn!t his fault. n obvious setup but by who1 wannabe1

'e wasn!t that famous he thought. s a matter of fact he was sure that he

wasn!t #nown at all in this region. =0cept in that last town.. he

mumbled out loud. /o it would seem that trouble had followed them and

that he and 3asia might be in danger. 'e had to find her immediately, if


19/67

they hadn!t already gotten to her he thought to himself as he began to

move with more urgency.

(eing that they were only a bloc# down from his current location, it

didn!t ta#e long for Mez to locate the duo of 3asia and >ohan strolling

down the street. nd he didn!t have to get close to tell that 3asia

definitely wasn!t herself. ho was this heavily armored elf she wasconversing with he thought to himself. 'e dropped down behind them and

made his silent approach. 'e didn!t desire to accidentally startle the

elf with the long sword and ris# getting cleaved in half, so he was sure

to call out 3asia before he came within reach.

Mez, too# you long enough, * have a new partner now, she remar#ed in a

slurred voice as she threw her arm over the shoulder of >ohan and a giant

smile bro#e out on her face and they both turned to face the rogue. >ohan

drew his sword and pointed it at Mez before saying -ou are the scoundrel

that is being hunted in the streets tonight, yield or draw your weapons.

Not this again, where did you find this loser, eh1 * grow weary of being

chased from towns under false pretenses, before 3asia could respond to

the inquiry >ohan had set his sword in motion and was unslinging hisshield. Mez duc#ed the overhead swing and quic# stepped bac#wards and

even hopped bac# a few more steps to gain distance from the charging elf

warrior. 'e reached bac# and launched two daggers from his shoulder

sheaths that thudded hard into the upraised shield of >ohan, generating a

loud clan#ing noise as they did. 'e followed up by running low towards

>ohan e0pecting him to drop his shield in defense. 'e was shoc#ed as he

too# to the air in a great leap to somersault over the head of >ohan that

the elf!s shield was actually up in the air ready to bloc# his downward

thrusts. Mez made direct contact with all three stabs to the shield but

quic#ly threw his head and chest bac# to avoid a straight thrust that

came within a breath of his nec#. 'e bac# pedaled and found himself

standing ne0t to 3asia. t that moment Mez smelled why 3asia seemed so

incoherent. little too much of the ale eh1 %amn roo#ies, can you atleast help me out here1 hy is this friend of yours attac#ing me1 Mez

shoo# 3asia to snap her out of her stupor but she only responded with

more vomit, which Mez quic#ly )umped bac# to avoid having sprayed all

over him.

/he isn!t going to be any help he thought to himself as >ohan renewed his

charge. Mez readied himself to parry another stab from the sword the elf

was carrying but the act was feigned and instead >ohan shield bashed Mez

and he fell bac# many feet, barely able to hold his balance. $he world

spun for a moment and blood flowed from Mez!s nose. $hat was e0actly the

opportunity >ohan was loo#ing for but as he moved in to stri#e, 3asia

grabbed him by the arm. ait, she spo#e, Mez stood up straight and was

about to sheathe his daggers thin#ing that the assault would come to anend once 3asia vouched for him , * have some words for this one /he

said and began to approach her partner. /o, your idea to ma#e money was

to rob somebody eh1 No wonder they call you 4nremar#able, )ust a common

thief, she continued and Mez gripped at the hilts of his daggers hard

and his palms blanched from squeezing so hard. hile *!m out getting us

legitimate wor# providing security for a caravan you:re out sha#ing down

innocents, >ohan seemed to ta#e interest in her last statement and Mez

noticed that sudden piquing of interest. $he two met eyes and 3asia!s


20/67

rant continued well *!m done being chased out of towns than#s to you,

the ne0t time $aunch contacts me * shall tell them that our partnership

didn!t wor# out, ;eave me, she said with conviction, although slurred

heavily. $hey don!t wor# li#e that 3asia, they shallA Mez began to

e0plain but with a dismissive waving of the hand she turned around and

wal#ed bac# towards >ohan.

*t wasn!t until then that Mez glanced around and noticed that a crowd had

gathered to the sounds of fighting and more than a few were beginning to

draw weapons. 'e came at >ohan on a straight sprint, and >ohan came to

meet him, thin#ing that he was about to attac# 3asia from behind. Mez

used that to his advantage, #nowing that the elf wouldn!t ris# swinging

that longsword from out wide with 3asia so close he e0pertly predicted

the shield bash and spun around the elf instead, hoo#ing 3asia by the arm

and ta#ing her along for the spin. (efore 3asia managed to get out hat

are you doing1 Mez had already sheathed his two main daggers, reached

down and snatched up the others that were lying on the ground from

earlier and was halfway up a wall and on a rooftop ma#ing all haste for

the nearest gate. /houts of protests erupted from the bystanders and even

a few arrows were heard by Mez as they hopelessly stuc# into the side ofthe wall he was already up and over.

>ohan watched Mez go over the wall with passing interest. 'e was a lot

more interested that the young, beautiful mage that he had came upon by

chance on the road was to leave on the same mission as him at dawn. %id

that charlatan tric# you into )oining him1 No matter, he!s gone now he

said to 3asia who was still staring over the wall dumbfounded. >ust a

common thief, and a #iller, that!s all he is. * never wanted to partner

with him anyways, she spo#e without even facing the elf.

* would ma#e chase but we have to rest, we have to be up early in the

morning. -ou may sleep in my room tonight if you so desire. ll of us are

rooming together tonight, >ohan made sure he wal#ed right in front of3asia to grab her attention and avert her gaze from the rooftop.

4s1

$he others hired by Nororin and =ilella, you are the fourth, aren!t

you1

/he paused momentarily before finally saying -es, * am the fourth, lets

go meet the others shall we1 *f the others are anything li#e you then

this will be an en)oyable mission indeed, she smiled and too# his arm

and they wal#ed off while the rest of the onloo#ers were already pursuing

the fleeing Mez. Only one bore witness to the conversation the two had

)ust e0changed. &rom the grates of a nearby drainage ditch a rat sat with

his head po#ed out. 'e had watched the entire fight actually, and #new

that his )ob would now be much harder with his two assignments now

splitting up. lthough he had a feeling that if he stuc# close to one,the other would eventually go to the other. (ut there was nothing the

doppelganger could do until he couldn!t change out of his current form.

'e #new that the two would probably get a whole day ahead of him by

carriage before he could pursue. (ut to a creature who could change into

a flying animal whenever he willed, no head start would be enough.

s soon as Mez was clear of the wall that guarded $rafford he let his

rage play out in full. 'e shouted and stomped and threw his daggers into


21/67

a random tree in the middle of an empty field. 'e was livid. hy was it

that everywhere he went he was treated as a criminal when it was never

him doing anything wrong1 nd now it appeared as if there was some vile

creature going around imitating him and ruining his reputation. *f that

didn!t beat all, once again he was stuc# with a partner that had no sense

of loyalty or discipline. ho gets drun# while on mission, he thought to

himself as he continued to stomp and #ic# dirt around. 'e #new that hecouldn!t )ust leave 3asia to her new elf friend and move on, $aunch would

punish them both severely if they )ust decided to reassign themselves. 'e

decided that he would stay close to her until she could see the error in

her ways. /he did mention that she was heading out with a caravan, all he

would have to do is watch the gates.

'e felt as if no matter what he did he would never escape his reputation

as a thief, and e0pendable rogue of no importance. *f thats how they all

felt then he decided thats how he would behave. $rue to a rogue, he would

do what it too# to survive and not hesitate to do otherwise no matter

what the moral implication. 'e saw a campfire not too far off in the

distance. 'e had no intention of being cold and hungry yet another night.

'e felt sorry for whoever he would come across in that camp. $hen hestopped and thought about that last sentiment, No * don!t he mumbled to

himself and began moving faster, daggers drawn.

AA

H/o we:ll ma#e for the trail at first light. s sure as the beards on

their faces those dwarves will leave the southern gate at the same time.H

Hhy:s that boss1H squea#ed a diminutive half5orc from across the

campfire. $he much taller, muscular orc who was previously spea#ing stood

tall and strode through the small circle of bandits around the campfire

to stand before the still #neeling half5orc. H*nterrupt me again and *:ll

cleave you in half,H the orc spo#e clearly and evenly, more so than mostof his #ind. $he #neeling half5orc did not loo# up, but loo#ed down

towards the feet of the imposing figure. 'e loo#ed there because that:s

where the tip of the barbed broadsword rested. /et )ust behind and to the

left of the leader of the bandit camp. H:*:m sorry sir6H the half5orc

proclaimed as he threw himself at his leader:s feet. $he orc replied with

a swift #ic# to the face with is armored leather boot which sent the

unfortunate half5orc sprawling into the dar#ness. $he two smaller orcs

and the two goblins that were still #nelt around the campfire began

snic#ering amongst themselves.

H%warves are predictable,H the orc spo#e aloud as he strode bac# to his

original spot in the circle, Hthey will leave at dawn because nighttime

is too dangerous and any later than dawn would be a waste of travelingtime,H H$hat:s whyssss weez fight with you *anroar, weez #nows yous a

smartie,H one of the two goblins equipped with hand crossbows identical

to the one the half5orc was also carrying. H$hat:s incorrect Ilel, you

fight with me because * allow it,H *anroar glared menacingly at the

goblin while refraining from further violence.

*anroar:s confident rant continued for many minutes, enthralling his

band. $he group grew so e0cited and an0ious for battle that they didn:t


22/67

hear the whistle that cut through the air. Nor did they realize

immediately when one of their orc brethren fell bac#wards dead with an

arrow stic#ing out of his forehead. $hey stomped around the campfire

hooting and hollering while another one of the orcs was silently pulled

into the shadows. *t wasn:t until the shadowy figure leaped from behind

the two goblins, burying daggers into the base of their s#ulls, that

*anroar and the last remaining orc from the band of bandits realized thedoom that had befallen them.

Mez yan#ed the two daggers out of the s#ulls of the two goblins and

stared down the remaining orcs with murderous intent. $he one orc

unsheathed his sword while *anroar glanced around and began to surmise

the fate his comrades met. $he orc bandit charged Mez, swinging wildly.

Mez sidestepped swing after swing with ease. smile creased his lips, a

rare occurrence. Over the shoulder of the one clumsy orc, Mez spotted

*anroar:s big toothy grin as he slowly unsheathed his broadsword and

started ma#ing long strides in his direction. Not the type for full

frontal combat, Mez quic#stepped bac# into the shadows and leapt high

into the air, grabbing onto a low hanging branch before lifting himself

up on it. $he orc chasing him turned and twirled, obviously confusedabout the sudden disappearance of his target. Hhere:d the little bug

go1H *anroar questioned the orc, now appearing agitated at losing his

prey. hen the companion orc returned his inquiry with a blan# stare,

*anroar shoved him into the dar#ness Hell find him6H he e0claimed. $he

orc fell ungracefully to the ground several times as he stomped into the

deep woods in search of his target.

*anroar loo#ed down )ust in time to see the half5orc he e0pelled from the

camp area earlier lying dead with a slash going across his throat. 'is

crossbow was missing, he noted. :as this really the wor# of one tiny

human1: he thought to himself, :No way, there must be more present:. t

that thought *anroar grew tense. No one ever ventured this deep into the

woods, especially after dar#. $here must be a force in the woodspreparing an assault on his band that probably drew too much attention to

themselves. nd he )ust sent his only ally in there against them. 'e

couldn:t care less about the fate of the other orc, but his best chance

at a tactical retreat would require as many bodies as possible.

(ut *anroar was wrong. $here wasn:t a force awaiting him in the woods,

there was only Mez. 'e silently contemplated #illing the leader first or

stal#ing the other orc and silently #illing him deep in the woods before

coming bac# to finish the larger one. Mez hadn:t ate or slept properly in

many days. 'is thoughts weren:t clear but his instincts were in control.

'e wanted the campfire and provisions for himself, but he didn:t want the

same fate as the orcs he had )ust ambushed. hile it was their own

ignorance that allowed them to ma#e camp without sufficient guard, as asolo fighter, he wouldn:t have any defense against ambushers of his own.

Mez eased himself out of the tree slowly and began stal#ing the campsite

once again )ust as he did when he planned his attac#. hen the half5orc

was thrown at his feet he was ta#en off guard and forced to #ill him

immediately, but to his advantage, stealthily. 'e still possessed the

crossbow that he pilfered from the corpse that allowed him to #ill the

first orc without having to lose one of his coveted + daggers.

4nfortunately, the half orc only had one arrow on his body and he wasn:t


23/67

too sure about being able to ta#e out the much larger orc now that he

lost the advantage of surprise.

*anroar stood at the ready, his large hands and arms managed the

broadsword with ease as he swung it around his head and body

threateningly. H*s that all you have6 %o you fear a real challenge16 -ou

should6 No one wal#s away from *anroar,H *anroar yelled into the dar#nessin every direction, hoping to illicit any sort of reaction from anywhere

in the dar#ness that would give him a better idea of who was out there

and what he was dealing with. $hen he saw it. ith a sudden leap he

landed upon the campfire, e0tinguishing it immediately. $hat second it

too# for Mez to ad)ust to the sudden dar#ness was e0actly what the Orc

was counting on to ma#e a dash into the woods. Mez could hear the

direction he went in but he hesitated in ma#ing chase. $here was no way

he could match the speed of the Orc without giving up his position and

possibly running right into an ambush. :8ery well, * have all night: he

thought to himself. 'e then grabbed what food and water he could find

from one of the pac#s along the border of the campsite before ma#ing his

way bac# into the woods on the same route that he came in on.

AA

3asia silently rose from her bed granted to her by the gentlemanly >ohan,

who elected to sleep instead in a corner with the pac#s. /he loo#ed out a

street facing window and saw it was still dar# outside. *t was the cool

breeze, the slight moisture in the air that signified the passing of

night. $he sun would be up soon and with her newly sobered mind, worry

began to creep in about her actions the previous night. /he remembered

betraying her partner. %espite how he:d been acting that day, 3asia

always considered loyalty to be her most important trait, and she had no

business not ending the fight and helping her partner clear his name.

:=ven if he was guilty: 3asia thought to herself as she let her face fall

into her hands as she let out a deep sigh.

'er hair, which naturally curled, was a frizzy mess. :$he damn dwarf: she

thought as she ran one hand through her fiery red hair and began to

recall the events that occurred after she and >ohan returned to the room.

&irst she was introduced to a 'alfling who reminded her of Mez. /he was

thin for one of her #ind but her stare was intense, not li#e any 'alfling

3asia had met before. nd another dwarf, she remembered, although in her

stupor, she didn:t remember anything about him. lthough she did remember

his greeting, a ruff sha#e of her head. /he quietly began strapping on

her leather armor, thin#ing to wa#e >ohan after she finishes preparing to

allow him some sort of privacy. $hen another memory of the night before

came to 3asia. Nororin and =ilella stormed into the room shortly after

they got there stating that thieves were about and they required a nightguard for the caravan. /he didn:t remember the conversation but she

remembered the 'alfling and %warf she had )ust met leaving with the other

two dwarves.

s she began to put her izard:s robe she too# a second to stare long and

hard at the symbol on the bac# of it, the symbol of $aunch. *n the

moonlight it loo#ed regal. ;ight danced off of the entire robe, a special

fabric she #new to avoid damage from her own spells. /he wondered when


24/67

$aunch would visit again. 'ow would they ta#e her and Mez:s falling out1

ould they consider her rogue and come after her in force. highly

trained wizard going alone on her very first mission, what other

conclusion could they draw1

>ohan silently wo#e and his first sight was the worried loo# on 3asia:s

face. 'e stood and strode across the room to her. 3asia was startled byhis swift silent approach but then felt foolish for being so. =lves are

naturally quiet and light footed, but this was the first time seeing

>ohan in )ust pants and a t5shirt. Otherwise his large armor would have

given him away. 'e gazed in her eyes in the moonlight and said with the

utmost confidence H&ear not, we:ll encounter a few bandits at the most.

*f anything it:ll be funH. >ohan smiled hard but 3asia returned the smile

only in gratitude. hile >ohan:s assessment of her state of mind was

correct, the reason couldn:t have been more wrong. /he wal#ed past him

and grabbed her pac# from where >ohan was )ust sleeping, H*:m going to

relieve the dwarf and 'alfling so they can prepare themselves for the

road,H she said flatly as she moved out the room.

AA

*t was as dawn crested over the horizon that *anroar finally made it bac#

to the entrance to the cave where his band of bandits called home. /pit

foamed from the breathless orc:s mouth as he had )ust spent the larger

part of the evening running for his life. henever he felt he was at a

safe distance, a defensible position *anroar would feel the presence of

the phantom #iller. 'e #new that he was being watched, stal#ed, and he

had no idea where his hunter lied in wait. $he massive orc was always use

to being in charge, being the feared. 'e could never thin# of a time

where he felt the way he felt this evening. *t angered himJ *anroar

unsheathed his body length broadsword and let off a roar that echoed off

the walls of the cave. %eep into the dar#ness the roar traveled. $he same

roar that followed their band into battle so many times. $hat struc# fearinto the hearts of unfortunate travelers and craftsmen who would fall

victim to his band:s murderous ways. s in the times before, this roar

was a call to arms.

AA

Not far from *anroar:s position, Mez was hunting, but not *anroar. Mez

had confused the trail of the band leader with the other Orc who fled the

scene that night as well. (ut the light of day made the trail much easier

to follow, and by full dawn Mez was sprinting through the brush very

close to a path he saw earlier. 'e anticipated the weary Orc would rest

on the path or turn in either direction. No matter which he chose, the

chase was coming to an end, Mez could feel it. Mez wasn:t feeling muchelse. 'is body ached from days of physical activity with no rest and

little food. $his is where Mez felt most in his element. 3aised on the

streets, his parents both dying in one of many undead attac#s that had

befallen his worn torn hometown. *t was when he felt his most fatigued

that his survival instincts would #ic# in. here most would see# shelter

and rest, Mez becomes more feral and quic#er to #ill. 'is instructors at

the academy said he would become desperate under pressure, but Mez #new

the truth of it. %esperate people let their desires control their


25/67

actions. 'e let his desires strengthen his resolve, to focus on the goal

at hand. :nd right now,: he thought to himself, :$hat goal is #illing

this orc6:

startled deer started a sprint down the path and off into the brush as

the fleeing Orc e0ploded through the brush and onto the somewhat

developed dirt road. 'e gasped heavily for air and coughed until mucusbegan falling from his mouth and nose. $he sound of a small branch

brea#ing in the direction from where he )ust came had the Orc on the

alert, sword drawn. 'e stumbled and swayed left and right, he could

barely hold himself. Mez came through the brush about E feet to the left

of where the Orc anticipated his approach. ithout brea#ing sprint he

turned towards the Orc and let two daggers fly from his hands. $he Orc

was too slow to respond and the daggers buried into his left arm. 'e

snatched them out his arm and tossed the daggers to the side )ust in time

to parry a straight thrust from Mez.

Mez bac# peddled four or five steps and drifted to the Orc:s left. $he

Orc snarled at Mez who wore a straight face. No emotion, not even

fatigue, could be seen in Mez:s e0pression. $here was only purpose. $heOrc grew enraged at the over confident rogue and came across his body

swinging his sword from up high. Mez unsheathed his two daggers on his

shoulders and used them to bloc# the blow. *n a blin# Mez was no longer

under the swinging Orc but behind him. $he sudden shift in momentum sent

the Orc sprawling forward. Mez pivoted on his heels and threw both the

daggers he was holding into the bac# of the falling Orc. $he wounded Orc

lurched forward and let out a guttural scream. 'e managed to catch his

balance before hitting the ground and he turned to face the rogue

although he could feel the blood filling his lung. Mez unsheathed his two

main daggers, which were slightly larger than his throwing daggers with

more sturdy hilts, and approached the Orc at a quic# wal#ing pace with

his arms out wide.

$he Orc smiled and lazily swung his sword from side to side as if to

entice the rogue to attac#. Mez wal#ed within stri#ing distance of the

sword and slashed at the throat of the Orc with his right hand dagger.

$he Orc threw his head bac# to avoid the blow while thrusting at Mez:s

e0posed front leg. Mez:s left arm shot down and the ring of metal on

metal contact went through the air as he bloc#ed the blow with his

dagger. /tartled floc#s of birds flew from their perches at the tops of

the trees of the surrounding forest. $he noise of so many birds ta#ing

off at once was deafening. Mez used his slashing right hand to grab the

sword arm of the Orc and he threw a right #ic# to the head of the Orc who

was winding up for a punch. $he stunned orc fell bac# and Mez spun around

and threw a #ic# with the other foot, #noc#ing a tooth from the Orc:s

mouth. $he moment Mez:s foot made it bac# to the ground, he shot botharms forward in a low double thrust that impaled the Orc:s stomach and

stopped his bac#wards motion. $heir eyes met one last time, not even an

arm:s length away. $he Orc saw the steely glare of Mez one more time

before he snatched the daggers from the Orc:s gut, tossed them into a

bac#wards grip, and slashed across the Orc:s throat in both directions

simultaneously. (lood sprayed all over Mez as the Orc:s head went

bouncing down the path. $he body fell to its #nees, as if to concede. $he

woods grew silent again as the last of the birds flew off. Mez quietly


26/67

sheathed his daggers and went to the tas# of collecting his throwing

daggers and searching the body.

AA

%ozens of goblins and a handful of orcs congregated at the mouth of the

cave *anroar traveled to. $hey all stood impatiently as *anroar continueda combination of berating the band and firing them up for a fight against

whatever phantom had chased him from the woods. H..hen will it be you

who is #illed in his sleep1 Or you1 -ou want those pin# s#inned mil#

drin#ers attac#ing us at will1 $hey don:t fear us because they don:t have

a reason to. e hide from their city guards, attac# the wea#est of the

lot, and end up with more bodies than loot. ell *:ve had enough6H

*anroar was trembling with rage. =ach question he as#ed was accentuated

by slicing his sword through the air, dangerously close to the first

goblins to come out of the cave. 'is minions #new that this was a

different *anroar, that the last time he got that fired up they attac#ed

and too# the cave they were currently staying in from a different band of

bandits, humans. 7onsidering that the group as a while rarely met all at

once in once place, the band was e0cited to get passed the lecture tofind out what they would be ta#ing ne0t.

H...that caravan is carrying precious cargo. Or else they wouldn:t have

bothered with an advanced party, find it and bring it to me or else don:t

come bac# here,H *anroar stated with a snarl on his face. $he band

erupted with noise and many of the horde was already ma#ing their way

across the hilly landscape to the slopes that would bring them to the

main path.

hat appeared to be an eagle flew about a mile over the scene. *n

actuality, it was the same doppelganger that caused so much trouble for

Mez in $rafford. ith eyesight capable of spotting a field mouse from

many miles away, the doppelganger had no problem assessing the currentsituation. 'e watched the orcs and goblins charge through the open, roc#y

brush from an inconspicuously located cave and in the direction of Mez,

who was standing over a dead orc only a mile or so away from the

approaching force. 'e wasn:t sure if Mez heard them or not but he began

moving quic#ly, bac# into the woods that surrounded the road running

through it. $he very same woods that was about to be overrun by about D

dozen blood thirsty creatures.

$he doppelganger had no intention of landing and approaching Mez in a

territory so hostile, :(ut * cannot allow *anroar:s smelly bunch to #ill

4dogold:s prey.: $he doppelganger was well aware of the rivalry that

e0isted between the two clans. 4dogold was once a member of *anroar:s

clan well before they acquired the cave they currently reside in. (ut afailed attempt at a coup left 4dogold and many of his followers wandering

the wilderness in the depth of winter. $he doppelganger was not under the

employ of 4dogold during that trying time but the few survivors that are

still within the clan would proudly describe the horrific conditions and

inhuman acts they would parta#e in to survive the trial.

$hose orcs were now high ran#ing members of 4dogold:s clan and their

strength had grown cons

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The Taunch Anthology Book 1: Mez And Rasia

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