Author's Note: This story is based on my favorite D&D PC, a 15th level 3rd edition Spellsword. (Level 1 Fighter, Level 10 Sorcerer, and Level 4 Spellsword.) I've been playing him for a couple of years now, and I've finally decided on a mentality that'll stick. Until now, he's been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster. Of course, that might be because he was shy and quiet at lower levels when he was easy to kill, and cocky and arrogant now, when he's tough to…yeah, you get the picture. Oh, and if it counts for anything, I don't own anything D&D related, that's all Wizards of the Coast right there. My only creations are the characters depicted here. And now, on with the show…
"Stop him! Do not allow that half-breed to get through the perimeter defenses!"
Xander sprinted down the dimly lit corridor, turning sharply at a corner as he gradually increased his lead on the smuggler extraordinaire's cohorts, due to his magic-infused footwear. "Sixty-five hundred gold pieces for these boots," he thought, "and every last piece was worth it. Of course, it's not as though any of it legally belonged to me in the first place. I suppose it's just one of the many perks of the job. Stop the bad guy, take a little gold for yourself…it's all perfectly fair."
He sneered casually as he came to an intersection in the hallway; the path leading to his left was used for nothing more than holding several empty storage crates, while the path to his right led to an upward staircase and above ground—the one and only exit to the labyrinth of crime he had infiltrated just hours ago and was now preparing to leave. However, there was still the matter of Ret'nir Encovair's moronic lackeys and the fact that they were roughly seven seconds away from catching up to him. Xander glanced down both passages for a moment when he was suddenly struck with an idea. Quickly, he dashed to his left and dove over the crates, ducking behind the stack just as all five of Encovair's men came into view.
"He's escaped!"
"Lord Encovair will surely have our heads for this…"
Before the other three could produce any verbal statements, however, every flunky was hit with a speeding burst of brilliant green energy. Two of the men instantly dropped to the stony floor, motionless afterward. The remaining three crewmen were temporarily stunned by Xander's surprise attack, and that allowed him to make his move. He stepped back just a few paces, used the space to get a running start, and flipped over the crates, diving directly into the combat zone. While Ret'nir's crew was still temporarily incapacitated, Xander used the opportunity to draw his greatsword from its sheath and prepare to battle. A moment passed before one of the men was able to fully view the form that had just landed before him.
"What the…it's him! It's Xan—"
The guard's exclamation was never finished. "Hard to chat with razor-sharp steel embedded in your chest," Xander mused, as he turned and decapitated another standing guard, leaving only one more so-called "fighter" to take out. Xander spun around once again—and felt his blade hit another.
"You won't dispatch of me so easily, Ornitier. We're even now. One man against another, with only their swords to defe—"
Again, another statement was cut short, but not violently this time. The crewman had dropped his statement after noticing Xander muttering a command word under his breath. The guard had prepared to strike if it was a spell, but he now stood motionless at the sight. Xander hadn't been casting a spell. He had been commanding his enchanted sword to burst into flame. The renowned Spellsword now stood before Encovair's guard brandishing the blazing weapon, and unfortunately for the guard, it was the last sight he ever saw.
"Looks like we're not so even now."
Xander climbed through the exit onto the ground level, located in an alley behind the local tavern. The town of Kalimshire was unaware of the smuggling ring that ran below their streets, but the law enforcement of the area liked to keep it that way. That way, the inhabitants weren't constantly worried for their safety for no reason. They had no need to worry, for the authorities had secured a highly powerful aid in the form of…
"Xander Ornitier, Order of the Spellswords, 4th class," Kalimshire's Captain of the Guard muttered. "Someday, I hope someone explains to me why I hired you."
"Kalimshire needed me. Isn't that reason enough?" Xander asked, as he sat across the wooden desk from his employer, Captain Selm Jonap. Captain Jonap and Xander had never seen eye-to-eye on any subject, including the laws of Kalimshire. Jonap was a no-nonsense law enforcer, always placing justice before everything else. Xander, on the other hand, was the proverbial "rebel without a cause", and only took the job for the pay. Xander's intentions were good, but his methods fell into another category. However, Xander's statement was true enough—without his help, Kalimshire would be under the control of the essence of crime itself, and for that, Captain Jonap had no choice but to keep Ornitier around as long as possible.
"I suppose it'll have to be," Jonap said, "for the time being. You're here and you're not dead, so there's only one other item on the checklist for your assignment." Captain Jonap seemed impatient, folding his massive arms over his chest as he waited for a reply.
"Don't worry, Selm, I got your hardware." With that, Xander stood and detached a magical bag of holding from his belt. He untied the string around its opening and reached inside, removing a jewel-encrusted sword from within the bag. Xander placed the sword on the Captain's desk, then plopped back into his seat.
Captain Jonap studied the sword a moment, shaking his head as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Finally, he said, "I don't know what's more unbelievable—the fact that Ret'nir Encovair got his hands on the key to Kalimshire, or the fact that you got it back from him. How'd you do it, Ornitier?"
Xander flashed that arrogant grin of his once again. "It's not like it was difficult or anything, Selm." (The quiet observer could've heard Captain Jonap add, "I hate it when you address me out of rank.") Xander leaned back in the chair and began to tell his story as though it were a routine day for him. "All I had to do was catch one of Ret'nir's guards in the market, tail him back to the underground entrance, kill him, assume his appearance with a spell, infiltrate the base, distract Encovair's brokers with another spell while they were counting the loot from the heist that brought the key to them, reclaim the key, kill the swarms of guards sent after me when I was discovered, and escape—killling another five guards in the process."
Captain Jonap just scoffed at his employee. "When are you going to learn, Ornitier, that you can't just kill anyone in your way?" At this, Xander sighed and sunk further into his chair, preparing himself for another preaching session on his methods. "These people, criminals though they are, live other lives in this community. When they turn up missing, the townsfolk are going to question their absences, and then our entire cover will be blown. If the townspeople discover Encovair's presence, they'll evacuate Kalimshire without a moment's thought…"
Xander joined in with his boss at this point, reciting the ending word for word. "…and everything we've worked for will be for naught." He then spoke alone. "I know, Sel—er, Captain, I know. But it's not always so easy as 'just slipping by'. Sometimes brute force wins over subtlety. It's not like I'm triggering explosions down there."
It was now Captain Jonap's turn to sigh. "I would think, as a half-elf, you would recognize the importance of covert operations. It must be the youth in you. Maybe after working here long enough, it'll finally sink into that thick skull of yours. But for the time being, you're free to go. I suggest you keep your eye out, however—I'll probably be contacting you within the next day or so with another assignment."
With that, Xander stood and nodded to the Captain, then quickly stepped out of the stone building and into the city plaza. As he slowly headed for his home, taking in the sites and sounds of the city beginning to settle in for the evening, he thought of the good work he'd done for the innocent people of Kalimshire—for all of ten seconds. His thoughts then turned to the large amount of gold pieces he'd pilfered during his stay in Encovair's lair, and what mystical items he might add to his collection with his newfound fortune.
…and that's it for Part One. Mind, this is my first fanfic, so please R&R. Not sure when Part Two'll be ready, but I'd estimate as soon as possible, hopefully.