Happy 2012 guys and gals! I am back, despite having spent the winter holidays sick with a cough and fever. I apologize for the excessive amount of time it took to get this chapter out, but I just wasn't satisfied with this one, so I re-wrote it at least five times. Enjoy. :]
P.S. A box of virtual cookies to those who guess who the mystery character is.
Steve: In terms of details from the game, the plotline is completely mine while some enemies/ locations are from Overlord, considering this is a prequel. I plan to end this the way Overlord began.
Well, you wanted Assira out and about, so this next series of chapters is for you my friend.
YuyaYunka: I never even noticed how similar Assira was to Kelda. I guess it's an animal thing. ;] As for Elizabeth, I plan to flesh out her character more, so she's more that just a robot.
xtenchix: I could have used some, but now I'm fine and I plan to continue my timetable. :]
Overkhryak: If I become as good a writer as GRRM of JRRT, you'll be the first to know. But, I will work on painting scenes more.
Spitting Faerie: They're coming. No need to rush them.
Disclaimer: Do I even have to say this any more?
Chapter XXIV: Long-awaited background information
Hanson slept soundly for most of the next day. Assira hovered around his bedside, watching over his resting form. Gnarl meanwhile was busy carrying out his master's orders. There were preparations to be done.
Around midday Gnarl ascended the stone steps to the Overlord's private quarters. The sunlight reflected off of the blue glass panes, creating an atmosphere of calm. In fact, the panes were magically imbued to change colors according to the Overlord's current mood. Gnarl padded towards Hanson's bedchamber, quickly going over his master's plan in his mind to make sure all the necessary arrangements were made.
Assira was sitting in one of the cozy red armchairs, reading The History of Evil when Gnarl entered and cleared his throat.
"Mistress, the Overlord has a rather special assignment in mind for you, one that embraces your unique…talents." Assira raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Gnarl stretched the sealed parchment to the young woman and then retreated slightly and waited.
Assira opened the scroll and began to read, her mind whirling as she took in all the information written before her eyes.
If you're reading this, I'm most likely incapacitated or otherwise engaged and thus unable to speak to you in person. I have a special task, one vital to my plan that requires the hand of a master thief to reach completion. I trust that you are up to the task.
Good luck, be safe,
Hanson
The rest of the parchment contained a detailed map of the Royal treasury of King William as well as her objective: the sword of the First Overlord. Assira felt a tremor up her spine as she read the map over and over again.
"Ignoring the blatant irony, this is quite the challenge," she said at last. "I have never attempted anything of this…magnitude." "Do not worry. All the necessary arrangements have been made for you to succeed," the minion master assured. "I have provided transportation and equipment as well as a few contracted…professionals to get you inside. If you accomplish this, my assumption would be that your position within our…family will be quite secure. The decision, however, rests entirely with you."
"So you're giving me a choice, but in reality none at all," Assira said, eyebrow raised, arms crossed on her chest. "Precisely," Gnarl said with a grin. "I'll go pack my things then. Who knows what I'll need to pull this off."
Assira packed light, only taking her "breaking and entering" equipment and some clothing to blend into the general populace. She was prepared to leave when Gnarl appeared with a few browns that were carrying a package of some sort.
"A gift from our master for you," the minion master said, answering the unvoiced question. The browns removed the top of the package to reveal a suit of black leather armor that seemed darker than the deepest darkness.
"A special set of armor to help you in your undertaking. It has been enchanted to hide you almost in plain sight, which should make dealing with the guards very easy."
Assira lifted the offered suit, feeling the weight. "It's incredibly light," she said at last. "The elves are known for making very light armor, so we borrowed their designs," Gnarl said at last, as the woman looked over the armor critically. "Thank you," she said at last. "This is much better than anything I could scrounge up." "Always a pleasure to serve the Overlord's mistress," the minion master said with a bow.
Assira climbed onto the waiting carriage and braced herself for the long journey to the Capital City. The carriage driver kept to himself, wrapped in a dark cloak. In fact, the only distinctive feature Assira could spot was that he wore a glove on his right hand, but not his left. As the trackless miles went on, the woman began to slip into her memories. Images of her childhood came up unbidden as she remembered life at Castle Alveren.
Her father was a cold and distant man who preferred to lavish his attention on his firstborn son and saw his only daughter as a tool for securing the family's political position. It was a particularly cold year when Assira had turned fourteen and her father began to summon suitors to further his own marriage goals.
The then young girl had resisted as much as she could, but it was a losing battle. One night, she had had a particularly fierce argument with her father.
"You'll marry whoever I pick for you," he had said. "You're just like your mother: uncontrollable, rebellious, and an embarrassment to her family." Assira hardly remembered her mother. The servants, known to talk, whispered of rumors that Lord Alveren had killed his wife, but never dared to say anything.
The woman remembered rushing off to her room in tears, vowing to leave and never return. As luck would have it, a thief had decided to pay Lord Alveren a visit that night and relieve him of several valuable items.
As if to prove that luck was on her side, the thief had decided to enter the keep through Assira's window. She was lying on her bed, sobbing quietly when she thought she heard a latch creak. Assira had looked up to find herself staring at the open window. "Now why would the daughter of a wealthy lord be crying?" a gravelly voice had asked. "You have wealth, power, and yet none of those things matter if you don't have the freedom to exercise them."
"Are you a thief?" she had asked, her sobs finally having run out. "Yes. Does that frighten you?" the voice asked from the shadows. "No," she had said. I've never really been frightened of anything. Could you please take me with you? I can't stand living here anymore," she pleaded the stranger. "Interesting, I've never seen a member of nobility so eager to leave their comforts behind. Under the circumstances however, I think we can arrange a deal. If you help me steal a certain item in your father's possession, I'll help you with your freedom."
"We'll be there in a few hours," the carriage driver shouted over the whirling snows, shaking Assira out of her memories. Shadefire pass was infamous for its sudden and devastating snowstorms, despite the paladins' best attempts to expel the evil spirits that dwelt there.
The paladins had eventually decided that the pass made a good location for new paladins to pass their trials and built an outpost on top of the mountain that overlooked the pass. Assira smiled to herself, imagining what Gnarl would say about the paladins' lack of effort.
Assira followed the thief through the dark halls of her home. She did her best to stick to the shadows, but she was nowhere near the skills that the thief displayed. He seemed like an extension of the shadows themselves as he moved silently towards the castle treasury. The guards were nowhere to be found, but Assira guessed that the shadowy figure was somehow responsible. The moonlight filtered through the windows, casting its pale rays onto the floor.
"Here we are," the thief said. "Time for your part of the deal." Assira removed the key that hung around her neck and inserted it into the keyhole. The thief thrust a set of picks into the other lock and fiddled around for a bit before making eye contact with the young girl for the first time. She shivered slightly. Something was wrong, out of place with this man.
"On three. One…two…three." The unlikely duo turned opened the locks and watched as the vault door slowly eased open. The thief sighed in satisfaction and peered into the gloom. "There you are, you beautiful piece of treasure." "How can you see so well in the dark?" Assira asked as she tried to see what the thief was talking about. "I have my secrets," he replied.
The thief reached into the vault and pulled out a single, small object in a leather bag. Assira moved in front of him to peer into the vault, and then all went black.
"Milady, we've almost arrived at the Capital City, we should be there by evening," the driver shouted over his shoulder as he steered the carriage down a hill.
Assira woke up in a cozy room in some inn. The only light in the room came from several candles placed on the rickety tables and the fireplace along one of the walls of the room. The girl looked around, finally realizing she was lying on the bed. She sat up and instantly regretted it as her head began to throb painfully. Despite the pain, Assira stood up and began to walk around the room. It was furnished with two wooden tables and four chairs, simple, yet comfortable. The young girl walked into the next room to find a small armory scattered about. There was an archery target standing in the middle of the room and all kinds of equipment was scattered on the tables.
Assira decided that touching could potentially be hazardous and backed out of the room. In the main room, she discovered that her anonymous benefactor had brought many of her possessions.
"My apologies for knocking you out, but it was necessary. I couldn't have you giving away my location in case of a sudden change of heart, as well as anonymity being an effective form of security." The thief was sitting on the windowsill, a sack over his shoulder. "Here, this should help with headache." He handed Assira a steaming mug of some sweet-smelling liquid. She took a sip, and could feel the pain in her head begin to vanish. "Thank you…For getting me out of there," "Not a problem, I am a man of my word after all. If I may ask, why did you leave?" "My father wanted to use me as a political pawn to increase my family's standing, but I have no desire to be married off to some old lord. My one desire is freedom."
The thief smiled under his hood and slipped from the windowsill to the floor without a sound. "If its freedom you're after, the life of a thief is simple, yet rewarding. It is a dangerous occupation, without a doubt, but you are free to spend your ill-earned coin in any way you please." "Sounds like something I could get into," Assira said.
"You've got the build of a thief too," her companion said, looking her up and down. Slight and speedy, perfect for quick getaways, hiding in the shadows, or dagger work." The thief nodded to himself. "What do you say lass? Is it truly your wish to become one with the shadows and relieve the complacent rich of their valuables?"
Assira didn't hesitate. She nodded, looking him right in the eyes. Her green met one blue and one green. She suppressed a shiver at the sight of the thief's right eye. It was green, but something about was simply…unnatural.
"I said being a thief was dangerous, didn't I?" he said as he took off his cloak and hung it on a peg. His face was weathered and dangerous-looking. The thief's dark hair was graying, but the most eye-catching feature of his face, was the scar over his right eye. It extended from his forehead down to his cheek.
"I know you! You're that thief the city watch has the mad-on for!" Assira said. "Indeed, I have that honor. The most wanted man in the entire city, as well as the most famous thief. Sometimes seen, never caught," he said with a quiet laugh. "Then again, considering the intelligence of most guards, that's not saying much."
"So now you have yourself a noble's daughter, do you plan on selling me for ransom?" she asked. "Are you frightened?" he asked with a blank stare, eyebrow raised. "Yes," she said after a few seconds. "Not nearly enough. Your father will send hired men after us like bloodhounds. If what you told me is true, he just lost a valuable political tool, not to mention that I just cleaned out his vault. It is time to choose your future. Come with me or go home."
"I already told you, there is nothing for me here," Assira said. "If I disturb you so much, I'm sure I could find another thief that is willing to take you on and teach you." The young girl shook her head.
"If I'm going to be a thief, I want to learn from the best."
(A/N): That's the end of another one. What do you guys want for the next chapter? More of Assira's past? Current events? A mix of both? Let me know. Also don't forget to review and tell me what I could have done better! ~R. Overlord~