"..and thus after the reserves was committed…"
Jimmy hesitated. He realized he didn't say that right, and hope his slip up wouldn't be noticed.
", the goblin ranks were thrown into disarray. Allowing General Nabisco to press his frontal attack, pushing the horde against the Goose Valley River where a small platoon of scouts waited. The small band was able to inflict dissappor…"
Jimmy's stumbled again and saw madame Hleken shaking her head.
"..disproportionate casualties on the fleeing goblins as they crossed a nearby ford, effectively routing them. Thus breaking the goblin's influence in the region for the next twenty years,"sighed Jimmy to half-hearted applause. Even little Timbo who was normally over enthusiastic in his cheers, appeared half asleep before the student next to him elbowed him, which then triggered a painfully awkward late series of claps.
Jimmy slumped his shoulders as he walked back to his desk, passing Madame Hleken who simply frowned at him as she took his place at the podium.
"Thank you Mr. Neal for your presentation. I do not believe I have ever heard an old military report used as a presentation for a public speaking class," said the large grey haired matron.
Jimmy shrugged sheepishly trying to sink into his desk, even as wide eyed Timbo gave him a thumbs up as the boy wiped the drool off of his lower lip.
"Besides the inappropriate subject matter your presentation was riddled with mistakes," continued Madame Hleken. "To begin with, you need to control your voice more. Your volume was fine at the beginning of your speech but trailed off at the end. Also, I noticed you were not comfortable pronouncing certain words. You need to practice the enunciation of these troubled words, until they become a part of your muscle memory. Furthermore….."
Jimmy tuned out Hleken and looked around the half empty classroom. Most were children sent by their rich parents to better themselves, while a few appeared to be well to do merchants or lower members of the nobility. With his tailored clothes he certainly dressed liked them, but he certainly didn't feel like one of them. Could he ever fit in?
As Jimmy contemplated this, his senses alerted him. A scent. A slight musky smell that belonged deep in some dark wild wood.
"..Ahem…" interrupted a high female voice.
Madame Hleken stopped as a short petite woman, wearing courtiers clothes bowed curtly at the doorway of the classroom. She had a youthful face, slender pointed ears, short tussled opaline hair, and sported a mischievous grin that bordered on annoying.
"I need the one and only James Neal. Or whatever he calls himself. He's the dangerous looking one, let me see..oh that bad boy sitting in the corner," she said in a loud exaggerated whisper.
Madame Hleken wrinkled her nose, even as Jimmy gathered his books and sat up, before walking towards the young girl.
The girl rolled up her sleeves slightly and flashed him a series of runic tattoos before rolling them down again, but Jimmy didn't need the formal identification, he already knew who she was.
"This is my day off, couldn't Frederick handle this? " asked Jimmy as he briskly walked out of the class room, and into the hallway, escaping Madame Hleken's baleful stare.
"Frederick did handle this, and now he's missing or dead," she smirked, while still maintaining her grin as the pair left the school and got into an unassuming black waiting carriage. Without saying anything to the dwarven teamster, the carriage immediately set out when the pair seated themselves.
Jimmy eyes narrowed. Frederick was his normal partner. Good with the sword and possessing some wit, as well as being swift, strong, competent, it wasn't like him to make a mistake.
"What happened?" asked Jimmy as he retrieved a small box from his back pocket.
"Adventurers," sighed the girl as Jimmy began taking out various knives, weapons, pouches, and needles from the seemingly small box, and methodically hiding them onto his person. "Some yahoos from the northern realms, knights, barbarians, those types of bumpkins, came into town. We got word that they were going to rob a local baron's armory, for some magical heirloom or some other piece of junk like that, so our boss sent Frederick to …'dissuade'… them from performing such an act without the proper regulations followed and more importantly dues paid."
"…and they didn't take that so well…" continued Jimmy. "They thought Frederick was onto them and was going to rat them out to this baron. So as typical non-professionals, they jumped Frederick incapacitating him to silence him."
"Probably killed him," shrugged the girl.
"Aye…that seems the most likely end. So our boss, has decided to teach these blokes a lesson. Most likely after they make their own heist, and has called up all his top thugs and enforcers to make sure the job gets done right this time."
"Thug? Enforcers? How crude," smirked the girl. "I prefer the term troubleshooter myself. By the way, though we kinda work in the same outfit, we haven't formally met. I'm Chloe Tundrasong, snow elf from the north. I normally work in the merchant quarters, while you and Frederick typically work in the docks right? I've seen you around in the 'guild' hall but you and Freddy like to keep to yourselves. Wait, can we call it the guild hall or is that too cliché in our line of work."
"Just call it the Drunken Dwarf Inn or Hoaglie's bar if you prefer," shrugged Jimmy. "And…don't try that snow elf line on me. "
Chloe frowned, her perpetual smile fading as she brushed back her whitish blue hair. "It's my roots right. I just dyed it last week, I can't believe they're already showing. It's tough making it in Lower Lueders without setting yourself apart from the rest, regardless of your trade. Don't tell anyone I'm not a snow elf okay, it helps with my line of work when they think I'm mysterious albino elf, not a run of the mill, typical, vagabond, that grew up in the dark alleys of Grom type elf. To tell you the truth I didn't even see my first forest until I was twenty. I never really had the calling or whatever they…"
Jimmy shook his head. "Cut the crap. You're not even an elf."
Chloe looked stunned at his accusation but remained silent.
"I don't know what you are, but you don't smell like an elf," he said as he got another whiff of her strong earthy aroma. "Elves have a more delicate scent, even the ones that grew up in the gutter have a slight fern aroma. You smell like something more raw, more unnatural, more primeval. I thought you were a demon at first, but I didn't get that ash, sulfur, brimstone smell. I assume you're some type of woodland creature, maybe even a half fey, though Koryis knows why the hell such a creature would hang out in this dump of a city, especially as an enforcer to its most powerful thieves guild."
Chloe's smile returned. "That's quite the imagination you have there. I guess you're not as good as your reputation states you to be."
"My reputation?"
"Oh you know," giggled Chloe. "James the Blade, Jimmez the Bloodhound, Jimmy the Demonslayer. The man who tracks down both demons and princesses just by their scent."
Jimmy shook his head. "You're confusing me with someone else…."
"Nah…I'm pretty sure it's you. Look, I don't want to admit it, but I'm a fan. How else did I spot you in Hoaglie's Inn? I saw you and right away I knew you were James the Blade. The man who slew a Rakshasa lord and rescued a Vinraji Princess, whisking her off her feet in the process. It's all very romantic you know. "
Jimmy closed his eyes and attempted unsuccessfully to sink into the carriage's seat. "My master slew, the Rakshasa. At best, all I did was distract him for him to land the killing blow. And as for Princess Sampda…let's not talk about it."
Chloe's eyes grew wide and her mouth opened wide in surprise. "Ooooh….I thought those were just stories. I didn't know they were based on truth. Tell me about the Princess, was she beautiful? I heard she was kind of a tomboy at the time. Liked weapons and that other stuff. Or was she covered in jewels, did you steal a kiss….."
"Listen, I don't want to talk about Sammy okay?" said Jimmy as he raised his voice.
Chloe retreated, but then her smile returned. "Sammy is it….so you're on a first name basis with her? My this gets better and better. You fell in love with her right? Broke the first rule of body guarding, you fell for your client. Oh..Oh…don't tell me, don't tell me. That's why you left demon hunting right for mob enforcing right? You didn't think you were worthy of her. Those people in Vinraj are pretty high and snooty on social ranking right? Ah..It makes sense now. You felt so inadequate in your lowly lot in life, you felt the need to make a ton of money and imrove yourself. So like any love sick fool you sold your integrity to Hoaglie for a crap load of gold, but that wasn't good enough. You can't just possess the trappings of the rich, so you decided to act like one of them too. Take a bunch of stupid etiquette classes like floral arrangement, ball room dancing, public speaking, to make yourself fit in, to be worthy. Am I right? Am I right? C'mon. Am I just a little right?"
Jimmy flicked his wrist, and a cold iron blade launched itself into the palm of his hands. "You know, maybe you are a demon, and maybe I should kill you."
Chloe ignored the threat and waved her hands and stamped her feet excitedly as she squealed in glee."Oh my god, oh my god. I am right aren't I? So what's the Princess like? Was she all like, cold shouldered ice princess, 'I don't want anything to do with you', but you melted her icy heart and she fell in love with you anyways? Or was it, 'I've been sheltered all my life and I'll respond to the first showing of affection'..oh oh..I know. She had ..umm…what do you call it when you love your captor…err…Narwhal hold syndrome…she simply fell for you when you rescued her right, a victim of her brainwashing by the Rakshasa? Ohh..this is so exciting…"
Jimmy considered stabbing the annoying girl in the face. It would be fast and simple. However, he would have to dispatch the driver as well. He would definitely squeal to Hoaglie. Then he would have to drive the carriage out of town, and dispose of the pair at the old hog farm, his favorite dumping spot. Afterwards, he would have to attempt to find this meeting place they were originally headed to. He would be late of course, even if he got the information from the driver before killing him, but he doubt he could do that. He would have to kill him quick to make sure he didn't talk. With being late, he was sure that Frederick's killers would escape, and he couldn't have that. Frederick was more of a coworker than a friend, but as hired killers go, he was an alright guy.
Instead of violence, Jimmy the Blade sank into his chair some more as the annoying elven girl chattered mindlessly away.
Harold Guttwist, Grey Toad, Banshee Jill, Silent John….while Jimmy expected a strong showing by the Teamster guild, he didn't expect to find this many of its top hired killers. Even Tovar the Green was here, and he never was almost never seen outside the Great Coliseum. Together with Chloe and himself, the lot of them sat and stood uneasily inside a small shack nearby the Proud Muskox tavern.
"What's this about? Is there an army waiting for us or something?" asked Tovar, a big brutish barbarian that handled most of the guild's more public duels.
"Can't we just poison the lot and be done with this," yawned Grey Toad, a particularly ugly halfing with warts and blemishes on his face and hands. "We don't need all of us here for this. "
"Or just rat them out to the guard. Their deed is already done, let the constabulary bleed for this one," noted Guttwist, a real elf with green hair.
"They killed Frederick, they need to be made an example of. A public, and messy example," added Chloe with a grin.
Silent John nodded his head slightly in agreement.
"She's right. I can't let these guys walk into my town, and kill one of my guys. I need to show people, we don't do business that way. No one walks over us," said Hoaglie as the old dwarf stepped out of the shadows.
Half the room jumped, with Chloe practically hitting the roof. Jimmy was also startled by the dwarf's sudden appearance, though he had enough restraint to show no sign of it. He knew he smelled dwarf when he entered the room, and assumed it was from one of the attendants in the room, not the old guildmaster himself.
"Sorry for the short notice, but I want this situation handled quick and fast. Two knights, one cleric, one wizard," said Hoaglie gruffly and to the point. "They've gotten their noses bloody busting into the baron's manor, and are licking their wounds as we speak. The wizard is in the upstairs room to the right, meditating her spells back. One knight is currently resting in the room to the left. The cleric and the other knight are celebrating their pre mature victory. I want John and Toad to take of the resting ones, while Tovar, Harold, and Banshee start something with the two at the bar. I've already spiked their drinks, so they shouldn't be much of a problem."
Grey Toad frowned as there was poisoning involved and he wasn't in on it, but he held his tongue in deference of the guild master's skill.
"What type of cleric," asked Jimmy. Though most clerics simply used healing and enchanting skills, some specialized in other more esoteric paths, including stealth and shape changing.
"Nirrodin, war god, nuthin weird," replied Hoaglie as he guessed the intent of Jimmy's question.
"The artifact they stole. Will it be a factor?" grunted Tovar.
"Possibly. An old broad sword. A knight's weapon recovered from one of the battles precluding the great conflict at Almarth over a hundred years ago. It hung in the baron's trophy room like discarded scrap. They could have avoided the whole thing, but they started yapping about honor and justice, instead of just talking in cold gold pieces. One thing lead to another, and now we got a ole fashion massacre on our hands."
"What about me and James the Blade here?" asked Chloe eagerly.
Hoaglie nodded. "I want you two to cover the back entrance, I'll watch the front. We have a small window of opportunity here people, let's not blow it. Let's teach these northerners you don't fuck with the Dwarven Teamsters."
Jimmy shook his head. This was all so familiar, yet so foreign. This wasn't him. He didn't kill people. He killed monsters. A few years ago he was making similar plans, with a pack of killers pretty close to the band assembled now. But back then, he was hunting demons, and bringing light to the world. Now he was just some over paid street thug about to kill some brash headed foreigners over a stupid mistake. He felt more out of place here than he ever did at Madame Hleken's class. He considered simply walking out. Hoaglie would protest, but he couldn't stop him. He wouldn't dare….but he couldn't just walk away, not now. He owed Frederick that much at least.
Despite Jimmy's silent reservations, as one the assembled killers nodded as they made their way out of the shack, and took up their respective positions.
"So….did you kiss her….did you kiss the princess? Wait..wait.. Did she kiss you, or did you steal a kiss….Or was it a heat of the moment thing, and the both of you were so caught up in the moment so lost in passion that you kissed each other simultaneously? And don't tell me you didn't kiss. I know your type. You're a lady killer. She wanted you didn't she. She might not think so at first, but you seduced her right? Am I right?..."
Jimmy groaned. Why couldn't he have been paired with Grey Toad or Silent John? The Halfling was repulsive and smelled putrid, and Silent John had a reputation of knifing his partners in the back, but anything was better than this annoying chatty creature.
"Aren't assassins supposed to be quiet and reserved?" asked Jimmy behind a corner as he glanced at the reflection of a piece of glass littering the alley. There was no activity from the reflection, though if Hoaglie's plan was working right, there shouldn't be any.
"Pfftt. That's just a sterotype. You wouldn't be much of an assassin if you could be easily spotted like that. Imagine the guards going into a room, and picking out all the moody broody types, and saying that's my homeboy…There's the assassin. "
Jimmy was about to point out that it didn't work that way, but the chatty elven girl continued to blabber.
"I mean you heard about the tales of the Blindman right? He acted like a bumbling craftsman that made window blinds of all things, but all along he was some vicious cruel assassin, using that cover to kill some hapless Thyatian Count."
"I'm sure that's just a made up story," sighed the young blade. "I doubt the supposed grandfather of assassins would act so overtly."
Chloe laughed as she rolled her eyes. "You are so gullible my friend. That's what he wants you to think. He does that hide in plain sight thing, cuz that's the last thing anyone expects. It wouldn't surprise me if…"
Chloe stopped as her slender ears suddenly perked up. The normally chatty elf, grew quiet and sank into the shadows as Jimmy heard a crash, and then the jarring sound of metal on metal from the inn. In all likelihood, the two upstairs would be dead, and Tovar and his group could handle the drugged pair on the main floor, but Jimmy kept his blade and his wits ready.
After some more shouts and screams from within, Jimmy saw from the reflection a large man wearing a bloodied chain hauberk stumbled out of the inn, with a grey metal sword in hand. He had a great black beard and a bald head, and wore the tabard of the Mammoth. A most powerful and prestigious northern order. Jimmy stayed in place, hoping to get a strike at his back as the man made his way past, but Harold rushed out of the door after him with rapier and knife in hand.
As Harold was about to pounce on the big man's back, the grey metal sword seemed to yank the big man in a circle, shattering Harold's rapier as he futilely attempted to block the blade. Jimmy watched in horror, as the weapon then impossibly twisted in the big knight's hand, even as he tried to regain his footing, before it severed Harold's arm away from his shoulder in a single swift strike.
As Harold fell to the ground, the knight was spun once more as the sword appeared to drag the reluctant man forward down the alley.
"Please ..no more.." begged the knight.
Sword of sharpness, possibly sentient, with a stronger sense of will than its current owner, noted Jimmy to himself. Though the sword caught Harold by surprise, Jimmy noted its speed, and believed he was faster. He waited till the man stumbled past in his jerk halting movement, before throwing a dagger high and following through with a low stab.
As predicted, the knight whirled once again and easily batted the thrown blade, inches away from his face. The sword twisted again in the knight's hands, bringing a pained look to the confused man's bearded face, before slashing downwards at Jimmy. The young blade was too quick though, as he already closed the distance. He darted in, jabbed the man several times in the stomach before twisting safely away.
The knight looked in horror as blood poured out of his belly. They were killing blows, but the sword seemed undeterred. The weapon arced at Jimmy with strong relentless swings, forcing the young blade back against the wall. Though the first few strikes were easily dodged, the last one was barely parried by his dagger, which shattered on contact like Harold's blade had previously.
As Jimmy found himself cornered, he coolly watched the bleeding Knight's halting movements and waited. Though the sword was fast, he guessed he could time a dive following his next swing to roll away to safety. As he waited, suddenly tendrils of moss and winter vine sprouted from the alley, and like a living creeping thing, began wrapping itself around the knight's heavy boots. The sword possessed warrior attempted to force his way through, but the unexpected growth held him fast.
"Hah," yipped Chloe as she jumped out of the darkness accompanied by four glowing orbs. The orbs quickly left her side as they begin to spin rapidly around the knight's head. Jimmy recognized it as a low level dancing light spell, but it was good enough to take advantage of as he slid out of the knight's reach in the confusion.
Jimmy took the respite and drew two black iron daggers from his person. Adamant, so not to be shattered so easily. Though the possessed knight was a danger in close distance, he was sure, with the vines holding him, and Chloe flanking him, they could pick him apart piecemeal or at least hold him at bay till Hoaglie and rest arrived.
The sword had other plans however. It twisted once again, in the now blank eyed knight's hand and slashed the ground where he stood. The vines looked tough and stringy, but the grey blade easily hacked them away. Instead of lunging at Jimmy, the knight then sprang backwards, launching himself horizontally towards Chloe.
Chloe to her credit, instantly vanished from view, but that did not seem to deter the sword and knight. After rolling and then planting an unbelievable landing. The sword shot out seemingly into the darkness. A high cry pierced the darkness, as Chloe stumbled out from the dark with a deep red mark in her back. The knight moved in for the kill, but was staggered back by a whitish cloud even as the young elf fell face first onto the alley.
Cold iron dust. Jimmy's master taught him that it was good against demons and possessions, but luckily the young blade kept some around despite his new vocation. With the knight and sword's attack temporarily halted, Jimmy launched himself at the bigger man's side, knocking the pair of them to the ground. As the sword recovered from the dust, and began twisting the knight's hand once again, Jimmy stabbed his blade through the armored wrist, finding the weak spot where the plate joined with leather, as the adamant dagger embedded itself partially to the ground.
The knight wasn't done yet though, as his other meaty hand shot up and smashed Jimmy in the face with a heavy fist. As Jimmy reeled from the strike, the hand reached up again and grabbed Jimmy by the throat in an impossibly strong grasp.
Jimmy stabbed the strangling hand a few times, but to no avail. The possessed man would not stop. As his vision began to fade, the young blade acrobatically swung his leg's upwards, forcing all his weight to be suspended by the badly injured arm. The arm continued to strangle Jimmy, but the strain was too much, it faltered slightly before finally buckling and cracking, slamming Jimmy to the ground.
Jimmy then rolled to the side as he hacked and wheezed for air. He saw the grey blade still struggling to free itself from the alley and he knew what he must do. The young blade drew up a short stocky tube and clicked a hidden button. The stick suddenly doubled in size as a hidden shaft extended outwards in a noisy mechanical manner. The staff, repeated the process twice more, before it formed a roughly ten foot pole. Another staple in a typical adventurer's kit, those most didn't have one as flashy as Jimmy's. As the grey blade waved about, Jimmy simply positioned himself at an angle to the knight's wrist, and jabbed the wounded hand a few times before dislodging the weapon. The blade clattered about before finally falling lifelessly to the ground.
The knight began to furiously scream, as the aftershocks of the possession struck him, but they were shortly lived as cries became pained sobs. Jimmy ignored the dieing man and prodded the blade a few times to make sure it was inert, before throwing a small tarp over it, followed by several large chunks of rubbish.
Though Harold was long dead, Jimmy saw that Chloe still breathed though slightly.
"Hang in there girl. You'll get out of this," he lied as he lifted the small girl up and slowly poured healing potions down her quivering lips. "Just stay awake."
The slight girl's green eyes were glazed over as she tried to stare into Jimmy's. "Tell me…tell me about your…princess…." She gasped softly.
"She..Sammy… I rescued her from the Rakshasa's barge. We were just kids. I didn't kiss her, she kissed me, though I didn't know I was kissing a Princess at the time," blurted Jimmy not sure what to say to make sure Chloe stayed awake. "I didn't even know she was a girl, back then. I thought she was just some tall boy."
Chloe, coughed as she attempted to laugh. She then closed her bright green eyes and smiled in Jimmy's arms.