Ok then, let's see here. My name is Shinoniken, or Shino for short. I'm a thief, assassin, spy; anything related sneaking and shadows and such. I'm a mercenary of sorts, if you want something done, I'll do it, for a price. Don't pay up and you'll regret it, though, and plenty will testify to that. This story isn't about me, though, as much as I do love to brag. It's about a certain man, we all have a connection with him. Some of us have seen him in our dreams, sometimes we touch something that he touched, and you can just feel, that something isn't the same. Not many can figure out quite what the feeling is, save for the few who have met him. I happen to be one such person.
It was sometime in the fall, my favorite time of the year. Nice winds, dark nights... perfect for my business. I was sitting in a local bar, after drinking a few sailors under for a few bucks. I can really handle my booze for such a small girl, and can make a decent amount just tricking poor tough guys into such contests. So anyways, I'm sitting at the bar, talking to Mark, the bartender. I slip him a few coins to keep him quiet about my drinking prowess, for it would really be a shame to lose out on free money. Midway through our conversation, a couple of men walk through the door, and slowly surround me. "Can I help you?" I ask, calmly, for this is fairly common procedure in my line of work.
"I believe you can, if you are, as I presume, the 'professional,' Shinoniken." said a voice, who I took to be their leader. From the sound, his shoes were quite a bit more expensive than theirs, and his only weapon was a short blade, probably a designer dagger, tucked into his jacket. The rest had bludgeoning cudgels at their sides. Bruisers.
"Yea, that's me. No need for all the uptight lackeys to be so close, though. You understand, I don't usually attempt to kill my clients, unless they do something... stupid. Take a seat next to me, and we'll talk business." I motioned next to me, and ordered us a round.
Mark was accustomed to my meetings, so after making the drinks, he found himself busy in his back room. My client took a seat next to me, and with a wave of his hands the brutes fell back. "Two kills, plus an extraction. Has to be executed to the letter, no room for error." he said, and hesitated.
"Sounds easy, write the names of the target and a list of items to be retrieved, plus any extra details, down now. I'll require half pay now, and the rest on return of the items. I'll complete the job during the first possible timeframe." I said dully, and sighed.
This was the boring part of my work; it just builds up excitement for the actual work. He finished writing the details, and slid the paper to me. Husband and wife, thought they could escape a loan shark, a common misconception. Kill them both, and steal anything of worth. "Five hundred thousand." He said.
Something seemed immediately out of place. This was a ten thousand dollar job, twenty at most. After memorizing all the details I lit the note aflame, and then pondered over his offer for a moment. "You are joking, friend. Unless there is something very important that you forgot to mention." I retorted, waiting for his explanation.
"Ah, yes, of course. This man… is my son. As cold hearted as it sounds, I have reasoning for this. He exploited his position in my company to take out a vast loan and skipped town on me. I found him here, under the protection of men he bought out from me. Don't kill any of my guards, or any other employees, they are valuable to Me." he replied.
I hate family business. Always very messy, and never pretty in the end. Most of them lose their nerve, and try to skip the bill or ask me to kill them in turn, out of guilt for the death of their brethren. "Fine. I'll do it, but that'll make it seventy-five percent now, and the rest later." I told him.
"Yea, that'll do." He mutters.
Nodding to his men, two stepped forward and each, in turn, drop a briefcase next to my stool. No need to check them now, it's disrespectful to the client. I'm a killer, not a drug dealer. He stands up and leaves, followed by his meatheads. I wait a minute, then leave the money for the tab and follow him outside.
I know the general area of the house, but decide to first run by one of my safe houses (this one in particular is a secret basement in an apartment building. The landlord knows about it, but he owes me, so he keeps quiet.) to drop off the money and pick up a few of my work tools. Ten minute walk to the mark's place from here, so I run it. No one cares in the back alleys, or if they do, they don't say anything out of fear. These are my alleys, and nobody has the balls to stop me back here. Anyway, I arrive at me location. Ten foot walls surrounding a massive three story house complete with pricey looking columns and the such. Two guards at the gate, and two more on patrol around the wall. This much I can tell from a glance, as there are footprints around the wall, in opposite directions. That'll leave a decent window of time to scale the wall once they turn a corner. I duck around the bend to find I don't need to, as a large tree had grown right up against the wall. Any amateur could've gotten past this wall, I thought, and jumped up into the branches.
Climbing a good fifteen feet up, I scout out the house. Security is lax all around, and I can easily get onto the roof from the porch. I decide that this is too easy to plan for, and decide to finish the job by midnight. It's quarter after ten now, so I'll have to hurry it up. I jump the wall, silently, and fly across the lawn, staying low and in the shadows. I dive behind a bush as I hear a pair of thugs walk past. No big deal. From there, I sneak along the perimeter until I find a satisfactory place to jump to the next story. Not ten feet up is a flagpole, which I use to grab and swing onto the porch roof. Simple and fast.
Up I go, using the windows as ledges and scuttling vertically to the roof. I happen to be very good at jumping and climbing. Anyways, as I had hoped, there was a small untended garden on his roof, complete with unused, rotten sitting chairs and a table. And there, not even locked, was a door leading down to the third floor. I pressed my ear against it, and, upon hearing nothing, crept down into the house. Looks like my client had forgotten to mention one last thing... the house seemed completely empty, and appeared to have been so for quite a long time. This was definitely the correct place, and the patrols below proved it. They must be hiding in a basement. So down I wonder, and to no surprise I find myself a trapdoor in what was the kitchen. However, it appeared that some hasty excavated had been required to find said trapdoor, as what had once been the kitchen was now a five foot deep pit.
I dropped down and checked out the door. This one was locked, and I could hear distinct footsteps below. I pick open the lock and hang back on the staircase beyond. Slowly and quietly, I close the door, waiting for a guard to pass. Not long before he does, and I slither my way down, heading in his opposite direction. Now, I'm not going to bore you with every detail of every moron I snuck by that night. I'll move it along to the more interesting parts, and the reason that I am telling this story.
So onward I ventured, passing some dozen guards, when I realize this is quite the dungeon, after overhearing a conversation about the fifth basement. Something about a vermin problem, not my concern. So down and down I went, and reached my fifth basement, honestly expecting this to be the bedroom. Why else would anyone care about a vermin problem in a labyrinth of a basement? Well, it turns out there are other reasons, as I discovered in short order.
Now, there are few things more silent than me, and even fewer that can get past my senses, but one of those things just so happened to be here. So all at once, I discovered both the biggest snake I'd ever seen, and the cause of the 'Vermin Problem.'
Down I went, as It struck me with the bulk of his head. Bruised ribs were the least of my concerns, however, and I sprung up, unsheathing my weapons. Now, I wouldn't call myself the best fighter out there, but I have a bit of skill with a blade. I drew two brilliant daggers from my sides, long and deadly. Again the It struck, but this time I was prepared. I jumped and slashed down, tearing into its skull. A decent blow, but too shallow for a kill. An angry hiss echoed through the room and again It struck, this time with an open mouth. Its intentions were to eat me whole, preventing me from fighting back under the pressure of its constricting digestive muscles.
This was something I surely did not want, so I took aim and let fly my left-handed dagger. Striking true, it punctured Its soft eye, half blinding the fiend. It shrieked and screamed, and writhed in pain. I took this opportunity to prepare my bow, which I strung in a flash, and not an instant later, a well aimed arrow punctured into the roof of its mouth. Not nearly a killing blow, but the point was the venom kept inside the delicate arrow head. After piercing the weak flesh, it shattered and the potent paralyzing serum contained within flooded Its bloodstream. Normally, one is more than enough to leave a creature immobilized, but in the case of freakish street-long snakes, a few extra could never hurt.
Three more sang through the air, each digging deep into the Beast's hide. Slowly the screaming and wailing and writhing came to a halt, and the It lay stiff on the floor. After retrieving my blade, I finish the Thing with a killing stroke, ending Its all too long life.
I dust myself off, glad to be done with that ordeal. I hate fighting in such a brutal fashion; there just isn't any… beauty in it. I believe that the silent and cold hearted flash of death in an assassination is an experience unreplicable. Call me a deranged killer.
Back to the objective, I check the time. Eleven-thirty. Half an hour until my goal is breached, so I ought to hurry along. I ignore my aching ribs for now; I'll have to tend to them later. I venture further down, encountering nothing quite as interesting as It, fortunately. Finally, at basement number eight, I encounter a change in scenery. Stone walls, hard floors wrapped in carpets, and candelabras instead of shoddy torches. I must be getting closer. And indeed, before me lies a locked door that just screams "target here."
Two guards stand attentive on either side of the door. Neither of them looked all that bright either. I carefully aim and throw a small noisemaker. Such useful objects, as when they make contact with any hard surface they let off a noise dependant on their size. Furthermore, they are completely evaporated in the process, eliminating the evidence. This one goes off with a crack, which, as I had hoped, caught their attention. As dumb as they were, however, only one of them went off to investigate. I decided to have a little fun at this point, add a little challenge to the job.
I stepped into the light, right in front of the remaining guard. He looked surprised, and went to yell, so I shut his mouth with a blow to the stomach and a quick "Shush or I'll break every one of your goddamned teeth."
After he recovered himself, he grabbed me by my shirt and growled "Who the hell are you and how in the hell did you get here!"
I grinned as the gears were spinning away in my head. "Ahem. Please remove your filthy limbs from my garments. I was hired to test the security here, and I have found it to be quite lacking. This isn't going to bode well for any of you."
At this he quickly removed his hands. Stumbling apologies, he begged me not to report him. My plan was working perfectly. "Head upstairs and clean up the mess in basement five. I had to deal with your vermin problem, and It's not my problem any longer. However, if you make yourself useful and remove It, I think I can give you a good report, for your extra efforts."
He ran off, and I had to laugh to myself. The poor sap would be trying to move that massive hulk for quite some time. Furthermore, it seemed the other hired idiot was still searching for the cause of that noise. I decide to throw a little caution to the wind, and picked that lock right away.
The door creaked open, and I cringed a little. "A little oil goes a long way, you lazy bastards." I thought to myself.
Fortunately, the occupants were fast asleep, believing their lax security was keeping them safe and sound in their absurd secret basement dungeon. Just too easy, it was. Slit both their throats and worked over the bodies for valuables. A bit of jewelry, but I ventured a guess that a storeroom below held the real goodies. My ears perked as I heard footsteps outside the door, followed by a deep voice. "Where'd Seith get off too now?" he asked, to himself.
No longer needing to make sure nobody was wakened; I walked over to the door and burst through it, nailing the fool in the forehead. Down he went, and probably stayed down for quite some time. Looking around I found another door in the corner, leading to a staircase. At the bottom sat yet another door, but this one was amazing in comparison with the others. Beautiful decorative design, made with fine woods and intricate carpentry, I had to wonder what in the hell it was doing all the way down here. I carefully turned the solid gold handle, and awaited the treasure room within.
What I found wasn't quite what I had expected, however, as a massive library sat before me. This couldn't have been any ordinary library, as my target has obviously spent quite a deal of money and effort finding it. Possibly a collection of rare and extraordinary books, or maybe a long lost wizard's base of operations, boiling over with powerful spells and enchantments. I wondered about, peering at some of the titles. I couldn't understand a word of them, and didn't dare open them, for knowledge and fear of what a powerful spell can do. And that's when it happened.
A strong feeling covered me. Think of a warm, sunny day, but at the same time, a cold chill, Déjà vu with a strong unexpected twist. It's impossible to describe it well, but if you ever felt it you would know why. It's unlike anything else. I thought perhaps a strong enchantment had gotten me, but after a quick check I realized I was fine. I decided to peer on further, out of determination or curiosity, maybe a little of both. I stepped out of the aisle I was currently in, and there he was.
A tall, handsome man stood before me. White hair, about ear length, and cold, deep, piercing eyes, the color of which I can't begin to describe. He wore a long, black coat, with a tight fit shirt, and loose pants, perfect for fast movement and battle, all black. Finally he wore think, heavy looking boots. This in particular struck me as odd, seeing as how I hadn't heard a single sound, and sneaking by me in such footwear is an impossible feat. But that was only the first of many things this man proved possible.
I stepped back, surprised, mouth slightly ajar. Whoever he was, he had a fearsome presence, intimidating in the very sense of the word. "Who… who are you?" I stammered.
It's not often that I stammer, or that I am taken aback. Doing so is a sign of weakness in my mind, something I wouldn't want to show in my line of work. But I couldn't stop myself. He stared me down for a moment, a moment that seemed to last an eternity. "You… may call me Ka' Zul for now, although I cannot give a name as you think of it. I offer but a temporary title of which you may refer to me by, as I am sure you will many times in your future. You are Shino Ni'Ken, by birth name. I believe you know call yourself Shinoniken now, and perform something along the lines as the same business as I have for quite some time. An ender of lives, a mercenary of sorts. The difference between our work, is that you accept money as payment. I have long ago lost the need for monetary wealth, and instead collect items I find interesting. You might wonder why I have told you so much, and it is because it is here, in this very library, that such an item resides. In fact, it was quite specifically placed here to keep it from my position, many hundred years ago. I wish to obtain it, yet cannot, due to the strong spells laid upon it." He said this in what felt like every language at once, and yet I understood every word.
As if he spoke directly to my soul, in every word I could feel great power. I processed everything he said over a minute or two, and gathered myself. I don't know why I did this, but as soon as I started I felt compelled to follow through. I dropped to a single knee and bowed my head. "I swear allegiance to you, my Lord. What will you have of me?" I spoke loud and clear.
He responded in the same way he spoke at first. "Rise to your feet, and follow me. An eternity lies before you, and it is yours to take for your own, and mine. A thousand lives you will live and yet die every day. You will make history as you see fit, and in turn your own history will make you." He explained.
I really didn't understand a single bit of it not at that time, but as he turned and walked away, I stood and followed. He led me to a bookcase on the wall; it was completely empty save for one book. He motioned to it, and I obeyed, holding it open as I glanced over the first page. Not a single word, nor picture, was contained within it, but instead something else, a strong magic. As soon as I had laid eyes on it, I could feel my body changing…no, that wasn't right, everything but my body was changing, shaping into a different world. The spinning was making me sick, and I snapped shut my eyes, and felt myself falling.
I awoke with a jerk, and looked around. Everything was very surreal, and I remembered very little of what had happened before this. I had a strong feeling that something I wanted, needed even, was here, close by. I could feel its presence.
I studied my surroundings. I was in a forest, but none that I had ever seen before. The trees were weird and twisted, and grew into one another, so that you could not tell where one ended and another began. It was dark, and chilly. There was no moon, nor stars, just a black slab above. And right in front of me… a massive cathedral. It seemed to stretch upwards into the heavens, and was as wide as a city. I walked forward, and up the stairs. The great heavy doors swung aside for me, and inside was an immense store of wealth.
I thought of all of the things I could buy with the money I would make off this. I completely forgot about my job in awe of such wealth. This must have been the horde of a thousand dragons, perhaps the stash of a team of heroic dungeon delvers who had never returned to claim their loot. Either way, it was mine now, and I could only imagine its value. I explored the room, which was not nearly as large as the building had appeared for outside, although it was still fairly expansive. At the far end laid a closed book. Runes were smattered across the cover. I could feel its power as I neared, and I knew that this had been touched by the gods above.
It's not too often that you encounter an object like this, but being the great thief that I am, I had happened upon a few, usually located far in the depths of a great church's catacombs. Never had I dared to so much as touch them, but I could feel that this book was my goal. My memory of the peculiar man suddenly returned, and I knew that this was the object he was looking for, a tome of great power and worth, most definitely the only of its kind and feared by the gods who created it themselves. The thought of all the other trash in the room faded as I focused on the single volume before me. Then I thought to myself, He obviously can't enter this place. Maybe I could find another way out and keep the book for myself. Or perhaps read it right here and return to Him, only to have Him bow to me instead.
The temptation was terrible. The urge to betray my newfound master was nearly tangible. It was then that I realized that this book was extremely dangerous. It's great power seeping from its pages alone made me think against my very own strict guidelines. I had to deliver it back to that man before it took total control of me. So I grabbed it, and everything went black. I couldn't hear, nor feel, nor smell anything. I wandered blindly, so I tried to drop the book, and to my despair, I could not rid myself of the thing.
I gave up, and relied on the small hope that I would eventually wonder my way out. I ran and ran, but nothing happened. I felt the book holding me, constricting me, trying to corrupt my very soul. I fell, or at least I think I did. I lay there, in that spot, for what I felt to be months, even years.
The feeling was terrible. I felt very cold, hungry, and tried. Yet there was nothing to warm me, I could not sleep, and food was not to be found. I thought I was going to die, or that perhaps I had, and this is the afterlife a killer lives. And then…
"I apologize for what happened to you. I was not entirely aware of all of the traps they had placed on that book." I heard His voice.
Opening my eyes, I realized I was no longer in that library. I felt a bed beneath me, and the warmth of a fire was in the air. "Where am I… what happened back there?" I questioned.
"You are residing in my home, as you have been for quite some time now. You have been unconscious for the past month. After you entered the world trapped in that book, you fell to the floor, crying blood, clutching tight the book in your arms. When I brought you here, I realized that the book you held had become the very object I was looking for. You had served me well, and in turn you shall reap great benefits." He said.
This brings to close my introduction to Ka' Zul, as I called him. I served Him for a long time, as a general and assassin in his grand army, of which I'm sure you will be hearing more of very soon. I will not tell of His secrets, nor of anything that happened while I served Him, save for that I believe he was the greatest man that ever existed. I bid you farewell, for now, although perhaps I will meet with you again, soon.