Assassin Adept

by Brian Keller

  As he and Kolrem were walking back to the sleeping bay after class, they were discussing how quickly they were being pushed through their classes. They saw Birt coming out from the Scenarios classroom and he joined in their conversation, “It’s no wonder,” Birt said, “Look at how many of us have been killed in the last two or three years. The guild has so many positions to fill and only so many students are capable of filling them. How many students are attending your ‘special’ class with Master Worthan after lunch? Ten of you, aren’t there? And how many Assassins have we lost? More than eight, I can tell you that.” Once again, Cooper had to wonder where Birt came across all his information, and how he kept account of it all. Still, he had to admit, Birt’s information was usually spot on, or very nearly so.

  Once they’d returned to the bay, the two of them began refreshing themselves on their Apothecary notes. Cooper felt he remembered most of the material that he expected to be on the test. He found himself hoping that Miss Camilla wouldn’t be feeling vindictive since both he and Kolrem had avoided the test for such a long time. He didn’t think she would, but one never could tell.

  The following morning, in Anatomy class, Miss Camilla didn’t appear to even acknowledge their appointment later in the day. She was fully focused on the subject matter at hand. For his part, Cooper took some solace from that.

  In Analysis and Sabotage class, Master Worthan had some new information for them. One of the Guild members that had been assigned to watch the warehouse the day after the reconnaissance-turned-raid took place and they had made a report. It was then that the class learned that a small group of mages from the University had become involved and a weapon had been removed from the premises, an axe. Upon revealing this fact, Master Worthan directed a rather pointed look at Cooper before he continued, “The Guild member then followed the mages back to the University where an armored man left their company and walked quickly to a house in Miller’s Flats, which he entered.”

  One of the boys spoke up, ”Sir, surely the University isn’t involved in the slave trade…?” The old teacher considered this for only a moment, “We don’t, in fact, know this for certain. But, I’d suggest that if the University needed slaves for some purpose, they need not work through an intermediary. They’d need only collect any number of families that are living in tents at the western edge of the city and lead them into imprisonment via the promise of food or employment. The fact is, we don’t know what has caused their interest in the warehouse. I have my own suspicions, but for now, I’ll keep those to myself.”

  Kolrem raised his hand and was acknowledged, “Sir, what do we know of the house in Miller’s Flats? Was the armored man a guard? Or a guide?” Master Worthan paused in thought, “We know nothing about the house or owner, but we know the man is a sellsword who will work for the highest bidder. It is almost certain that the house is not his. We have expressed no interest in the house, as it had been assumed he was acting as a guard. But your question has merit. If he was acting as a guide, suddenly the house and its owner are of great interest to us. Good question, Mister Kolrem. I hope to have those answers for you soon.”

  Miss Eiler and Mister Ysel had surprises of their own in store. When the class gathered Miss Eiler made the announcement, “Today we will hold your Course Test.” Her eyebrows pulled close together in response to the cacophony of groans, complaints, and cries of surprise, “Yes, it is unannounced”, she held her palms towards the collected students, indicating they should quiet themselves. Once they’d mostly fallen silent she continued, “You may use all of your notes and resources while taking the test. In fact, you will likely need them. This test is not based on memorization of facts; this test will assess your comprehension of what we have taught. Also, I feel I should mention, there is little point in glancing towards your classmate’s test papers looking for answers. There may be a few questions shared amongst test papers, but for the most part every test is different from the next.”

  As soon as Cooper read the first question, he understood exactly what Miss Eiler was talking about. The entire test was a series of hypothetical questions about lineage, succession, and how rankings and titles might be passed or awarded based on fictional deaths or marital combinations. This matter was further complicated by the fact that different nations had different sets of laws designed to govern how lands and titles were passed on. Once he was finished Cooper felt he’d done well, but so many differing factors could easily result in a wrong answer. He certainly wasn’t the first one done, in fact he finished near the middle of the pack.

  The boys weren’t certain how to feel about the fact that they had tests happening back-to-back. On the one hand, it would be nice to have all of that behind them; but on the other, it wasn’t a simple matter to shift between subjects so distantly removed from one another. There was nothing hypothetical about Miss Camilla’s class.

  The boys had one side of the classroom mostly to themselves. Aden, as usual, was working at the far side of the room and appeared to be up to his elbows in his current project, whatever that might be. There were several times during the test that Cooper would have liked to sneak across and use Aden as a source of reference for a question on his test. The questions themselves would’ve been simple enough, eight months ago when the material was still fresh. Still, Cooper muddled through and managed to work out an answer for every question. As he worked his way through the questions, much of the information emerged from the recesses of his brain. It hadn’t been tucked away too deeply, apparently. He was also careful to show all his calculations so if his answers were wrong, Miss Camilla could discover where he’d made his mistake. She was usually generous and would often award partial credit for a wrong answer if it was a minor error. Her current mood suggested that she might not be feeling generous, but there was always hope.

  During the next two days Kolrem had another test. The boys were directed to make themselves available to Master Darius to take his test on Traps. Once they’d arrived, Master Darius faced them and spoke, “Hello boys, so good to see you again… Mister Cooper, you are excused.” Kolrem wondered aloud why Cooper wasn’t being tested. Master Darius clarified by picking up and displaying a round metal box. It was about the size and shape of a pie, and with the wedge-shaped cuts across its surface it even resembled a pie except that the sides of the box were vertical. Master Darius explained, “Cooper invented and designed this trap. This working prototype is one-of-a-kind. As such, the second vial of acid, which is intended to consume the inner workings of the trap after it has been triggered, is filled with machine oil. My design modifications have made it a near-miracle of intricacy. The costs however will prevent us from producing any more of them. Still, the work Cooper put into the project satisfies his course requirements.” He paused and arched an eyebrow at the larger boy. Kolrem remained silent and the wrinkled, diminutive man continued, “Now, if there are no further questions, Mister Kolrem, we will begin your test. Mister Cooper, you are dismissed.” He then grinned and winked in Cooper’s direction, “And thank you for your input.”

  Classes continued, even as the boys awaited their test results. In Master Worthan’s class, the reports from the last few nights now left the boys speechless, “We’ve located Jarell, and lost him again. As it turns out, he is a rather resourceful man. If we had only known how under-utilized he was as our Master of Coin…” The old man allowed himself a moment of distraction as his mind wandered through a myriad of possibilities then continued, “Full marks to Mister Kolrem, without his question a few days ago, it might’ve been months longer before we discovered Jarell’s hiding place. As it stands now, we will add his vacated house in Miller’s Flats to our assets. The traitor bought it with our money, after all. It belongs to us.” Cooper was unable to restrain himself, “Sir, any idea where he fled?” Master Worthan merely shook his head, “None whatsoever. In fact, to hear Lash tell it, he only caught a glimpse of Jarell. As Lash entered one door, Jarell was exiting out another, and then he was gone. Still,
it was enough that Lash assures us that there can be no mistaking it. It was Jarell. Furthermore, the furnishings in all the rooms and the delicacies in the kitchen and pantry are consistent with those we found in the Treasury house, which was his home in the Grid.”

  One of the other boys asked, “Was any further information gleaned from the household staff? He did have household staff, didn’t he?” The old man nodded, “Yes. He certainly did. They confirmed that they’ve only been employed a short while, consistent with the timeline that follows his confrontation with our own Mister Cooper here”, he gestured towards him without pausing, “and he had injuries consistent with those that Mister Cooper described following his report of that confrontation.” The old man looked in Cooper’s direction, his smile was so profound that it increased the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. Cooper thought, “So this is what vindication feels like.” If only he could see the look on Master Vorni’s face when he got the news.

  Cooper shook those thoughts away. Too much was happening for him to let his mind be distracted with such petty pursuits. He asked, “Any information of value, sir?” The old man shook his head, “That is the second most disturbing part, the first being Jarell’s escape. There has been almost no information of any kind. No documents. No messages. No receipts. Nothing.” Cooper couldn’t help thinking that lack of documentation, in and of itself, had some value. He raised his hand but spoke before Master Worthan even had an opportunity to acknowledge him, ‘Sir, wouldn’t that indicate that Jarell might not have any organization left to command? His only “staff” are those around him at all times?” The old man thoughtfully stroked his beard, “It could mean that, but it would be a mistake to underestimate Jarell. I think it’s safer to assume that this house was simply a location he was using to heal… and regroup.”

  The rest of the class period was spent mapping out what they now knew on one side of the board, and listing important facts that they still didn’t know on the other side. It seemed the second category was limitless, but Master Worthan guided the process and helped the boys streamline the list to those items they actually needed to know in order to move forward. Once he was satisfied, the teacher turned to face the class and told them, “Now this”, indicating all of critical information they still didn’t know, “needs to be translated into a set of tasks that can be acted upon. How do we go about finding answers to these questions? This is where we will start tomorrow. Pay attention in your remaining classes, but also keep this list in your mind. I’ll expect each of you to have something to contribute tomorrow.” Cooper couldn’t help thinking that while the efforts in this class might have some practical uses, it was much less satisfying due to the fact that any set of tasks would be performed by someone else. As the rest of his classmates filed out of the room, Master Worthan called out, “Mister Cooper! A moment of your time, if you please.” Cooper returned to his seat and Master Worthan spoke, “Has it occurred to you, the significance of the fact that an armored man from a house we now know as belonging to Jarell, was seen leading a small group from the University to the warehouse you helped take back? And one of them, a female, was later seen leaving that same warehouse carrying an axe?” He paused while Cooper shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Master Worthan continued, “How likely is it that was the same axe that you had thrown the previous night while Channeling?” Cooper was looking firmly at the floor of the classroom. There was no need to answer, but he did. His voice sounded small, “I saw no other axe, sir.” Master Worthan was standing with his hands on his hips, “Need I remind you of our conversation regarding Imprints?” Cooper didn’t make a sound, he merely shook his head. The Guildmaster continued, “Lash was the Guild member assigned to watch the warehouse at that time. He is attempting to draw the woman’s face from memory. I have faith in his memory, but less in his skills as an artist. Still, he may be able to sketch a fair likeness. Once he’s finished, I’ll send for you so that you may come and commit his drawing to memory.” Master Worthan’s pose didn’t change, but he’d become silent as he awaited Cooper’s reply. There was nothing else to say except, “Yes, sir.” The old man let his hands fall to his sides, “Dismissed, Mister Cooper.”

  The next day the boys were informed that they had passed their tests. No scores or class rankings accompanied the announcement, but that information would have been unnecessary. It was enough to know that they’d passed.

  That day, at the conclusion of Master Worthan’s class, the old man made an announcement, “The Master’s Council will be convening in two days. All ten of you are expected to attend. This is not an occasion you’ll want to miss.”

  *****

  Jarell was cursing his rotten luck as he secured a fresh set of bandages in place, “at least I had dressings already in hand when Lash entered.” He lamented that he’d been forced to flee, again. All things considered, it could’ve been worse. There was little of actual value in that little house. Sure there were rugs and wines and trinkets, but anything of real value had already been relocated. That house had always been intended to be temporary. He considered what he faced ahead of him now with some trepidation. From here on, things became less certain. He allowed himself a brief chuckle, “Less certain?! How much more uncertain could things become than watching Lash enter your home with those intentions?” He knew Lash to be relatively silent, highly efficient, and fast. Jarell had torn most of the healed tissue in his wound by sprinting and leaping in order to get clear of the house before Lash could react to seeing him there.

  He’d holed up in an abandoned house in Batter’s Field. “No shortage of hiding places here”, he thought, “But most of them can’t keep the rain off.” The rainy season was approaching, if not already upon them, except that there hadn’t been any storms yet. As Jarell finished binding his bandage he considered all that faced him now. He hadn’t been able to meet with Yoren Aporigh since the time he’d sustained his injury, so the City Watch made no distinction between his operations and the Guild’s. The Guild had dismantled part of his Waterfront network, which caused most of his remaining workforce to either scatter of raise their rates astronomically. Also, someone, and he suspected the Guild for this as well, had been relocating the starving families that gathered at the western edge of the city. He hadn’t yet been able to determine how and where yet, but needed to send a few lookouts to that area in an attempt to learn… Unless now was time to simply accept his losses and run. He still had enough tucked away that he could simply leave the city and live elsewhere in relative comfort for quite some time. He shook his head, dispelling the notion. He would become hopelessly bored in a matter of weeks, just as he had become as he whiled away his time healing. There were only so many suitable distractions. “Still”, he thought, “something needed to be done about those things that have already been set in motion.” Without his influence, things would likely get out of hand rapidly. He’d made the Guild vulnerable. He needed to be in position to take advantage of those circumstances.

  “An emergency meeting with that ambitious snob, Aporigh, is what is needed.” He thought, “Feeding him the right information might give me the breathing space needed to consolidate my efforts.” As he wrote out the details of the meeting he was requesting, he considered the other facets where he still needed to regain control.

  Chapter 15

  The boys from the Analysis and Sabotage class were standing on the dais. Cooper had come to dread standing there but this time was by invitation, not by insistence or to receive punishment. Or at least he didn’t think so. The boys had been standing, conversing in quiet tones, when they first stood on the platform. Soon though, Master Vorni joined them and formed them into a line facing the assembled seating. This time, instead of the room being dark, with hooded lanterns directing light in their eyes, the lanterns were hanging from hooks on the walls and illuminated the entire room. It appeared there were at least two dozen men seated in the chairs. Master Worthan was in the center of all of them and Master Loril was seated to his left.<
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  Once Master Vorni had the boys arranged to his satisfaction he turned to face the assembled Masters and bowed his head. Master Worthan spoke, “The Guild Council of Masters directs Assassin students to take a name upon completing their academic obligations for the Journeyman ranking. This name serves as either their new name or is used only for the purpose of contracting. The choice must be made within one month’s time, by the next Council meeting. Once you have announced your name, you will be conditionally advanced to the rank of Adept.”

  There were a few gasps and murmurs from all assembled, both masters and boys; but Master Worthan still had more to say, “The reality is that though you ten may soon be awarded Adept status, you will still attend classes until they are completed. Once you have taken a name, you will also be assigned your first contract. The skill with which you complete your task will set a precedent for the rest of your life. From the time you accept your contract, there is no safety net.”