by Brian Keller
Over the next couple of weeks, the Advanced Combat class spent the first hour in weapons training and the second hour learning what Mister Skran called Quick Kill techniques. As he described them, “It doesn’t matter if you accomplish any of these strikes while fighting, or as an attack as you emerge from concealment. These strikes or combinations, if successful, are intended to result in a fast, silent kill.” Mister Skran explained that these techniques should not be practiced on classmates, even using blunted weapons. They should only be practiced against the dummies. It was apparent that Mister Skran was informed of their progress in Miss Camilla’s Anatomy class, as many of his instructions included anatomical references. One attack that Mister Skran seemed to favor involved jabbing a blade or a spike in an upward direction, from behind, on either side of the spine and into the base of the skull. He explained that this could work from the front and from either side as well, but from those angles it was more difficult to be precise, it was messier, and “you needed a longer weapon to do the job.” He seemed to favor this attack since he described it as “a clean kill” which meant it resulted in comparatively little blood spray, and “a quick kill” in which he described the victim as “dropping like a sack of potatoes and never moving again, except for maybe a bit of twitching.” He further explained, “You’ll know if you’ve done it right. Be sure to retrieve your weapon quickly, or they’ll take it down with them as they fall. It’s that sudden.”
Cooper wasn’t sure who was in charge of making repairs to the practice dummies, but he knew how they’d be spending their afternoons and evenings during the next several weeks. As they practiced under Mister Skran’s watchful eye, their teacher attempted to give them some perspective, “Assassins and Killers are hired for various but specific reasons. Client anonymity and having an alibi usually go hand in hand and are at the top of that list, but other common reasons are that the intended victim may be difficult to approach, or the client requires the killing to be done a certain way, or they just really want to be thorough. In any case, Assassins and Killers don’t get hired to kill a bartender or a fish wife. Any thug with a kitchen knife can be hired for that, and probably for a single gold piece, or even less in many cases. The reason the Guild spends so much time, effort and coin on training Assassins and Killers is to ensure a satisfied client, and to ensure that you survive the event to kill again, though not necessarily in that order of importance. These techniques need to be fast and precise. This allows you to complete the contract, get out of harm’s way quickly, and then escape. The sound of jingling armor and the clomping of dozens of booted, running feet is never quite so ominous as when you know they’re coming for you.”
Many of these combinations presented a challenge for Cooper simply because of his smaller size. The majority of the quick, silent strikes and combinations involved fatal strikes to the head or the neck, or both. Cooper’s first attack’s either had to be from an elevated position, or he needed to strike a lower point to bring his victim down to his operating height. Mister Skran had to admit that though the techniques were still viable and fatal, the need for an additional low strike would likely result in an “other-than-silent kill”. Mister Skran expressed that under normal conditions, these techniques wouldn’t be taught to younger students. These classes were for Journeymen. By definition, those students were older, they had already Manifested, and were usually taller. In light of the fact that so many students were part of this accelerated curriculum, and in deference to their smaller stature, Mister Skran made arrangements for some shorter dummies to be built.
After lunch, on his way to the Smithy, Cooper stopped briefly in the bay to pick up his tethered gaff hook. He’d had an idea, but wanted Master Loril’s opinion and his permission for a project. When he walked into the Smithy, Cooper showed his tethered gaff hook to Master Loril and explained that he wanted to make a fine but strong chain of the same length as the tether, and a small, barbed blade, similar in shape to a thin fleur de leis but with an extended center point, and attach one end of the chain to the base. He also wanted to make a second chain of the same design but attach a lead sinker to it. The sinker should be the same weight as the fleur de leis. Master Loril scrutinized the gaff hook and tether and then asked, “You’ve never been to Lukasi?” Cooper shook his head, “No, sir. Utsef told me that there is a weapon that resembles this one, and he said it comes from Lukasi. He called it a Chain Hook, but he didn’t say anything else about it.” Master Loril replied, “Utsef is right, this is very similar to that weapon. The Chain Hook is usually thought of as a slaver’s weapon, but if I am picturing your description correctly, the weapon you wish to craft would be a Chain Knife. That may have viable application as an Assassin’s weapon. I can work on fashioning the chain for it. I’ll leave the making of the blade to you. Once you get it forged, I’ll help you refine it. Getting the right weight ratios between the chain and blade is going to be important.” For Cooper, the knowledge that some of the metal he was heating, hammering, and twisting, over and over, again and again, would be used to make a weapon of his own design provided some additional motivation, but it didn’t diminish the heat on his face and arms or the fatigue. The greatest consolation in that regard was that as his forearms became stronger, the work became easier.
Mister Ysel had added yet another twist to Scenarios class. When Cooper entered the room, there were several students gathered around a particularly well-groomed and friendly dog. He could hear Mister Ysel explaining, “Many wealthy families have animals. Pets can change the dynamic of a room. Animals are very attentive creatures. Some even have suggested that someone wishing to do harm has a different odor, or aura, which is detectable by an animal. I confess, I do not agree with this notion. My belief is that animals are especially sensitive and respond dramatically to non-verbal cues. If you are attempting an attack in a household that has an animal, and you give sufficient indication, dogs may attempt to protect their masters, birds may raise an incredible ruckus, and cats are likely to hide and observe. All of these behaviors are reactions that are likely to be noticed, and could result in exposing your intentions. The next few days, we will have some animals in the room during class. Admittedly, we are not actually killing one another, so the tension we all feel is minimized. But let me reiterate, an Assassin or Killer student who fails three scenarios will not graduate to fulfill that role. They will move on to provide some other function for the Guild. We will let the animals assist in identifying whether you are truly concealing your intentions, or if you’re merely going through the motions.”
Cooper had discounted the notion initially, but soon discovered that what Mister Ysel had said was entirely correct. Having animals in close proximity did change the dynamic of the space. Animals seemed to notice everything going on around them. The dog’s eyes seemed to follow every movement, its ears twitched at every sound and within a few minutes it seemed as if no surfaces within its reach lacked a moist noseprint.
In Master Brais class, some of Cooper’s classmates apparently identified Cooper as a ‘threat’ and two of the boys teamed up on him. Cooper was standing near the outer edge of the Trap, and as soon as he realized he had two opponents, he ran towards the center and jumped the last several feet to land on a beam near the center of the web. This always caused the webbing to form large, unpredictable waves, however Cooper hadn’t considered the fact that with so many people on the webbing, his bodyweight had almost no effect. Still, it was enough to put one of his two opponents into the webbing, which left only one to contend with. These odds were much more to Cooper’s liking. Cooper finished in the top three students that night.
After classes, Cooper returned to the Smithy. As he neared, he could hear the characteristic rhythmic banging of hammer on metal. As he entered he saw it wasn’t Master Loril working the metal, or more precisely, it wasn’t Master Loril gripping the hammer. Dailen was covered in sweat as he tried to bring the hammer down forcibly while maintaining a steady cadence. Master Loril was encoura
ging him, “Well done, young sir. Keep that rhythm. Being predictable helps the assistant, which in turn, helps you.” Cooper pulled on his apron and gloves and approached them. Master Loril greeted him without looking up from the almost-white-hot metal he was turning for Dailen, “Mister Cooper! It’s a little late for you to be here in the Smithy, isn’t it?” Cooper picked up a set of tongs and grasped the end of the metal opposite Master Loril as he replied, “I suppose it is, sir. But I wanted to see if I could start forging the barbed knife.” Dailen paused briefly, “I can help you with that tomorrow, if Master Loril can’t tonight.” The old master chuckled, “Once we get this bonded, we’ll heat it once more, then quench. After that, I’ll make a few dozen arrow points and then I’m done for the night. You boys can continue if you wish. Dailen, you’ve worked metal enough to know what to do.” Cooper looked at Dailen for confirmation. Dailen had resumed hammering as soon as he’d finished speaking, determined to make as much progress as he could before reheating was necessary. As soon as the metal went back into the coals Dailen spoke again, “How much metal will be needed for your knife?” Cooper shrugged, “I don’t know enough about it to make that kind of estimation yet.” He held his hands about five inches apart, “About this long, but with barbs on each side, about here.” He pointed with one hand to a spot about one third of the length. Dailen nodded as he pulled the metal out of the coals to inspect it. He said, “We can use some of this to make it.” He thrust the metal back into the coals as he spoke, “We won’t make too much progress tonight, but I can still grip the hammer for another thirty minutes at the least.” Cooper felt grateful. He might be able to grip the hammer, but that wasn’t the same as knowing how to shape the metal.
It took four periods, with Master Loril observing, advising, and assisting before they had the knife ready for grinding and polishing. Dailen handed it proudly to Master Loril for his approval. The older man was grinning, “I already know it’s right. I’ve been watching the entire process. All right boys, back to work on your original products. Mister Cooper can work on this”, he held up the barbed knife, “each night after his classes are completed.”
During the next five days in metalworking class, he spent a few minutes and sometimes as many as thirty, on the chain knife. He worked on it until Master Loril caught him and took the knife away, “Until tonight.”, he said. By the tenth day after starting it, the blade was ready to have the chain attached. When Master Loril brought out the chain, Cooper felt his face get warm, or maybe it was simply the heat of the forge. The tiny links of the chain glittered in the dim light. Cooper heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him. Dailen had seen the chain; he had been waiting to watch Master Loril finish the weapon, “Those are rings of polished steel! Aren’t they?” Master Loril corrected, “Those are links of steel chain.” Dailen’s eyebrows came together, “Then how did you form them?” Master Loril chuckled, “I made a wire of the metal, then polished it, then parted off the lengths for each link, formed them, heated and welded them.” Dailen was still confused, “Welded, sir?” Master Loril nodded, “Yes, welded. Using glass and wax as a flux to draw molten metal to close the gaps. I’ll show you how, but probably not until after you’ve Manifested.” Cooper didn’t understand how he’d done it, he was just amazed at the result. The chain was fine, not dainty enough to be a necklace but it was strong enough that it could hold his weight. He knew it could, he tested it. That night Cooper went to bed smiling.
Chapter 37
The next morning during breakfast, Birt revealed that the Guild Council had decreased collections in the Dregs, Batter’s Field, and the Waterfront. The increasing number of beggars flocking daily to the Trade Quarter was making commerce an unhappy and uncomfortable event. Even a sadist eventually grows tired of kicking away a seemingly endless tide of beggars every time he opens his pouch to make a purchase. The Guild Council also had come to realize that beggars could provide a valuable service and shouldn’t be limited to the Trade Quarter. The Guild had decreased collections in order to encourage the storeowners to hand out small tokens of donations and scraps to the beggars. Though the Guild tried not to be overbearing in its approach, Birt said the new policy was introduced in a direct manner, “All the Courier students went out with Enforcer escorts; the Enforcers normally charged with doing the collections, mind you, to spread the word. The standard message they had to memorize was simple… “In exchange for a thirty percent reduction in collections, beggars will now be tolerated in your vicinity. They are not allowed within your premises and they may not impede entry to your business. Should they do so, feel free to deal with them in your usual manner. In exchange for this thirty percent reduction, we request that you make some small contributions to their livelihood. Whether this is in the form of an occasional copper coin or a few scraps to eat, we leave that decision to you.”
Cooper wondered aloud, “Surely this isn’t just to get beggars out of the Trade Quarter…?” Birt smiled, “That’s the best part. The scribes then went to each of the Houses and delivered a written message. A Directive, they called it. The Guild Council told all the House Fathers that their dues were being reduced by fifty percent, since beggars would have their dues reduced by eighty percent. The beggars were now charged with providing information.” Birt began paraphrasing what was written in the Directive, explaining that it was ‘a pretty long document’. He said it spelled out what kinds of information was considered valuable to the Guild and the House Father’s duties would now include writing these tidbits on a parchment. Each week, an Enforcer would come collect the parchments and the dues. A lack of information would be dealt with in the same manner as a shortage in dues payments. Parchment, quills and ink would be provided by the Guild.
Kolrem asked, “What about the Trade Quarter?” Birt shrugged, “What about it? No changes there, no reduction in collections and no changes in policies. Everything goes on as normal, just without the growing crowd of beggars.” Cooper understood that part of the Guild’s system pretty well and thought he could see a few gaps that could be exploited. Then he thought, “Birt probably doesn’t know all the details, or just isn’t bothering to tell it.” He satisfied himself with the knowledge that he was no longer involved with that aspect of the Guild. He chewed happily on the last of his toast and eggs.
In Anatomy class, Miss Camilla had taught them about the importance of the brain, “We don’t entirely understand how it functions but there are tissues that come from the brain, down through openings in the bones of the spine and spread out through the body. These tissues, or fibers, are what allow us to feel pain, cold, and heat. There is likely much more to them than this, but that is all we’ve learned about them. We know that if the tissues in the spine are cut, then there is no sensation or voluntary movement below the point of injury. If the cut is high enough, just below the neck for instance, the injured person seems to slowly suffocate. This would be more useful information for an Assassin if this tissue weren’t so well protected by bone, but even so, it’s still worth knowing.
After Cooper entered the Advanced Combat classroom, he held his chain knife out for Mister Skran’s inspection. His teacher raised an eyebrow, “This is a lot like a slaver’s weapon.” Cooper nodded, “That’s what I’ve been told, sir. Lukasi origin, but this is my own design. Master Loril made the chain.” Mister Skran was nodding, “I figured as much. Very skillfully done.” He paused then asked, “What do you believe this weapon will do for you?” Cooper had expected this question, “Sir, if I am faced with more than one opponent, I can whirl this blade around to give me a chance to decide what to do next, or even just catch my breath, if needed.” Mister Skran nodded, “That may be true, unless your opponents are armored or have shields, or if you’re in a confined space.” Cooper’s reply came quickly, “Sir, if they’re heavily armored, then no decisions needed. I’ll run. If an opponent has a shield, or even if they’re armored for that matter, I might still be able to sling it around his ankles and stop one pursuer. And if I’
m in a confined space, then I shouldn’t be facing more than one or two opponents at once.” Mister Skran nodded his approval, “At least you’ve given it some thought. Exotic weapons might be used to increase your capabilities but the greatest advantage is that they are introduced as a surprise.”
Mister Skran walked to the center of the classroom. He began to whirl the chain knife around him. The glittering blade creating a large circle around him caught everyone’s attention. As he walked, Mister Skran announced to the class, “Weapons are simply tools. They do not do the killing, you do. They are simply how you accomplish the cutting or striking. If you are captured, your weapons will not be jailed or executed, you will. Weapons are simply extensions of your will. The notion that a weapon may be inherently evil is foolish. Could anyone believe that a chair or bed could be the cause of a lazy man’s slothfulness? No. Your weapons are simply your tools.” The teacher whipped the blade and chain quickly around overhead then released it toward a dummy, flinging the chain behind the blade as if he were throwing a dagger. The blade easily pierced the leather and straw and struck the wooden frame underneath with a muffled ‘thunk’. Mister Skran gave the chain a tug but the blade didn’t come free. He turned to Cooper, “Retrieve your blade. Try not to shred the practice dummy doing it.” He took a few steps away then added, “Don’t practice with that weapon today. I’ll have to decide what targets we can afford to destroy.”
