~Put on a cloak kid, It's gonna rain tomorrow.
~ How do you know?
~ I feel it in my legs. He stared at the man for a bit before grabbing a nearby cloak and setting off on their hike. The rain poured from early in the morning til late in the evening the very next day. After having spent hours walking through the countryside they finally stopped for a rest. Night settled in on the opened landscape. The road was still being used by the selfmoving carriges, transporting the people rich enough to pay for it. Dai envied those in power. They had it all, money, power, security and food. All things he hadn't known for years. His master was in his 30s or maybe 40s. It was hard to tell. His hair had yet to go gray, his body constantly aching (constantly in pain) according to himself and his speech that of the eldest in a family. The rich had come to call Dai a drained as they passed him on the street. A man without any magical abilities. His master had come to call him "upstart". Those of the underworld knew him as an Assassin. Two simple one man tents were quickly put up a ways away from the other travellers. Usually when on the road people made camp in what became small "for the night" communities. It helped keep them safe from roaming beasts and any bandits that kidnapped or killed those who camped alone. His master however didn't do very well with others. He always said it was harder to sneak up on someone that was camping alone. Especially those who were expecting it.
~ It makes sense I guess. He told himself inside his small tent. He could hear a small grunt from the tent next to his. His master slept light and always had dark circles underneath his eyes and yet he had never failed a job or been discovered until the night I stumbled into him by chance. Bloody and with wild eyes he knocked me out and spent the next two days interrogating me. Two months have passed since then. I'm terrified but alive. He repeated the last thought to himself a few times before laying down and listening to the sounds around him until he fell asleep.
Day arrived. And with it even more rain. The road between Walru city and Xap was a treatorous one. Filled with danger and oppurtunity for everyone. Walru was suppouse to be the next meeting place for his master and accomplices.
The trip took a few days of just walking and barely stopping to eat. The city of Walru was a city of wonders. Its gates could be seen from miles away. And the line to enter was enormous. His master broke off from their group and slowly moved around the city to a diffrent entrence. They had arrived pretty late and Dai looked forward to getting a good nights rest outside of the walls. As he was walking and daydreaming he bumped into his master who was busy digging in the field.
~ Good timing boy. He said in a low dark tone. It sounded nothing like his original voice did. Dai was both impressed and a bit spooked by the diffrent voices his master could conjure. As he stood still for too long he got smack at the back of his head making him realize that his master had just given him a shovel and was pointing at the ground. 'I'm digging my own grave.' He thought. It made sense. His master wasnt so old that he would need a succésesor just yet. He still had years worth of life before he had to train someone else. The thought send a deep shiver down his spine. 'I was foolish for thinking that he'd just take me under his wing just because I asked him too. Especially after i saw his face.' He suddenly felt the shovel hit something while producing a sort of soft thudding sound. His master finally got up from lying in the grass looking at the stars.
~ You don't dig that fast. He said while stretching.
~ Lucky for you this wasn't your grave. I would have gotten bored ages ago and just left you in the mud. He jumped down the hole and lifted the wooden box up in the dark. The thought of not even having a proper burial made him shiver. There was a chance in this land that unburied corpses would rise again and attack those they held close in life. He had instinctivly backed away a few steps as he thought of the fate worse than death. His master laughed to himself as if he had thought of something just then. Two seconds later after opening the box he laughed even harder as he halfspat the words.
~ Lox you crafty fox. Never did I belieive in my wildest dreams that this was the outfits you'd give me when I told you I took on a apprentice. He laughed so hard it took a few minutes before he could become onehundred procent serious again. Being the first time Dai had ever seen the man show any emotion except anger he wasn't sure what to do. It seemed he would live a while longer yet. They both got undressed and quickly changed into their new identities. His master that of a butler. Him as a, well the collar made it seem like a slave. Before he could ask about it some more his master yanked the chain that was attached to his neck and started walking. Dai finally built up enough courage to ask a question but was quickly shut down by the look in his master's eyes.
~ If you are gonna ask something it better be worth my time answering. Otherwise i'll make the outfit look more realistic. He didn't dare say anything after that statement. They walked back towards the woods in diffrent speeds every few seconds. When they finally arrived and Dai got his first clue on what was going on he was bleeding from diffrent cuts and bruises as they had been walking in pure darkness and he'd stumbled more than ones without any offer to help him back up or to rest. Just a simple yank of the chain and some grunting when he didn't get up fast enough. The carriage infront of him had six guards dressed in elaborate clothing and shimmering swords. Out of the wagon stepped a beautiful olive skinned beauty in a dress that could only be worth a small kingdom. Dai was kicked forward falling into the mud almost staining the grandious dress. The lady shrugged as she put one of her heels on the back of his head pushing him down deeper in the mud. The guards laughed as she pretended to take her foot off only to push it down harder.
~ You finally caught the pest. She said. Her voice that of an angel straight out of the gates of heaven. His master fastened the chain to the wagon and the lady entered slowly while looking at Dai with a intense stair and licking her dark blue lips. He was entranced to say the least. Atleast until the horses started moving and he had to move or get trampled to death. He was forced to run as the wagon gained speed. The gates closed in quickly and the horses slowed down as they sped past the mile long line of people waiting for admittance. He could only make out a few hushed words as the sound of hooves and the sound of the wheels rolling disturbed the rest. "Damn nobles" was what he heard the most at the back and "Aah to be rich and powerful" as they neared the gates. The wagon stopped as a gate guard stepped out infront of it with his hand raised.
~ Papers please. The guard seemed unmoved that six armed men in what was way fancier clothes than his armor stepped up and surrounded the wagon. One of the wagon guards walked up to him and they had a intense argument before the wagon guard raised his sword ready to strike. The guardsman threw him over his shoulder quickly and sat atop him with his knife drawn. ~One more step and i'll. He stopped mid sentence as did the rest of the guards running towards him to help fight of these pretend nobles. The wagon door that had been shut had flown of and hit a few peasants waiting for their turn as the oliveskinned lady flew out of it. Lighting danced in her eyes as sparks came from her fingers. The guard quickly stepped off the man he had pinned to the ground and gave a quick bow before straightening himself ones again.
~ Lady Loxy. This will be the last time I give the benefit of the doubt. Next time your guards will be pinned to the ground by crossbow bolts. And only after that Will i apologize for not recognising you. Lady Lox seemed both furious and amused at the same time. She decended to the ground an inch from what now was obviously the captain of the guard. Slowly presenting a paper Which the captain read slower than it possibly could have taken to read such a letter of admittance. He then nodded towards Dai and said.
~Says here there should be three of those. Where's the rest? His fellow guards quickly searched the wagon and found nothing. Only after they finished did Lox respond to his question.
~ The tastiest one's didn't make it. This one I had planned to devour today. Alas, he ran before I was finished with the last one and we only got him back in time for departure. The guard captain looked him over ones again before ordering his guards to let them through. The disdain he had for the noble was clear on his face as they were allowed entry and the wagon guard finally was allowed to stand up again. His was one of anger as he took a mental note of the guard captains facial features. The crowd helped their own as those hurt had been left to fend for themselves.