Assassin Adept Read online

  The Kinsman

  Assassin Adept

  by

  Brian Keller

  Copyright Brian Keller 2019

  All rights reserved.

  This book a work of fiction. All characters and events within this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Content may not be copied or reproduced in any way without the expressed permission of the author/publisher, with the exception of brief quotations included in reviews.

  To obtain permission, the author may be reached at Cooper’s Page on Facebook or found on Goodreads.com

  City of Paleros

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Epilogue:

  Chapter 1

  The lateness of the hour wasn’t lost on him. As he stood on the balcony, the long shadows cast by the buildings in the Palace District on the other side of the Whitefoam River made it even more apparent. As he watched the figure of Jarell, thrashing his way through the water toward the chiseled stones that made up the banks of the channel, he tried to predict where Jarell would pull himself from the water.

  Cooper turned from the third floor balcony and re-entered the room behind him. He checked the multitude of cuts he’d received while fighting Jarell. Somehow he’d managed to protect his vital organs, but he was still bleeding from over a dozen punctures and shallow slashes. He bent to retrieve the dagger he’d dropped and sheathed it. He then snatched up Jarell’s sword and left the room at a run. He created quite a disturbance as his hooded figure raced down the stairs and out the door, but if he was to have any hope of finding and following the traitor, he’d need to find out immediately where the man had emerged from the water. Jarell, the Master of Coin, had betrayed the Guild and was responsible for the deaths of dozens of his classmates and colleagues; during their conversation over the last twenty minutes, Jarell had admitted as much and deserved a traitor’s death. Even if Cooper had to tap into his ability to Channel, a power he’d been forbidden to access until he reached puberty, it would be worth it.

  Jarell would be dripping water, so the cobblestones would be wet all around wherever he pulled himself out of the river. The nearest bridge, spanning between the Heights and the Palace District, was a block to the east but the bridge leading to The Grid was only a few blocks beyond that. There was no guarantee that Jarell would stop even there. He was already soaked. What would stop him from swimming further, beyond the Palisade Wall and getting out on the north side to enter Batter’s Field? Cooper had wounded him deeply, but not fatally. Jarell had managed to shift his body at the right moment. He hadn’t avoided being deeply cut, but his positioning had protected the artery Cooper had been aiming for. If Cooper hadn’t disarmed the man moments before wounding him, Cooper would likely still be fighting for his life. He had expected Jarell to be fast, but had no inkling that he would be that fast. They’d fought for several minutes and Cooper, with two blades, had barely been able to defend himself against Jarell, who had only a single blade, albeit a rapier. That fact reminded Cooper that he was still bleeding from several cuts. As he felt blood drip from his own wounds, he was thinking that Jarell would probably leave a blood trail, but his plunge into the cold water might reduce those signs. Cooper thought, “He’s hurt. Hurt badly enough that he’ll be looking to hole up somewhere close by. He won’t want to try swimming as far as Batter’s Field, surely. He’ll need to stop the bleeding.” Cooper needed to hurry towards The Grid. Maybe he could intercept him, or at least pick up his trail.

  Cooper hadn’t even made it to the hewn stones of the river channel when he heard a voice, “So what was that all about?” Cooper twisted his body to see Rayna, a Guild Assassin, step out of a shadow cast by the same building he’d just exited. Cooper knew time was of the essence, with every passing moment Jarell was getting further way. As he scrambled to pull together a quick explanation, he wondered just how much trouble he was in, “Miss, the Master of Coin is behind all the recent attacks on the Guild! He confessed as much! And he’s getting away!” He gave her a look that he hoped expressed the desperation and earnestness he was feeling. She clucked her tongue, “So that’s who just fairly flew through the air and landed in the river? And you wish to give chase?” She chuckled, “He’ll kill you.” Cooper was exasperated, “Not so far, Miss. He attacked me. I wounded him deeply, and he fled. Besides, I have his sword.” He held out the sword for her to see. She raised an eyebrow as she appraised him, “Truly? Then the rumors, along with Felis’ praise, must be true.” Cooper was insistent, “Miss, come help me. He’s getting away!” She drew up next to him and gathered a handful of his cloak. For a moment Cooper feared that she might be Jarell’s accomplice, and would kill him right then. His expression must’ve said as much, Rayna chuckled, “I’m not the one you should be worried about. Vorni is calling for your blood, and Master Worthan seems to be considering his request.” Cooper felt completely confused, thinking, “Master Worthan? But he’s just an old Master that teaches lessons for first-year students… isn’t he?!?”

  As she pulled him along the cobblestones, he resisted, pulling against her, “But Miss, the Master of Coin…!” She gave his cloak another tug to keep him moving as she finished his sentence, “-has either found a hiding place, or is long gone. Assuming your accusations are correct, that is.” Cooper couldn’t help thinking, “That wasn’t how I’d planned on finishing that sentence…”

  As Rayna guided/pulled him along the streets and lanes of the Grid, drawing ever nearer to the Trade Quarter and ultimately the Guild house and whatever fate awaited him, several City Watch patrols obviously noticed them as they passed. Most of them altered their path to intercept them. Cooper felt confident it had something to do with the fact that he was carrying an unsheathed sword in his hand. As the patrols drew nearer, Rayna would slow their pace to give the patrol an opportunity to get a really good look at them and invariably the patrol would veer away to find something else to occupy their time. They’d almost reached the edge of The Grid when another patrol approached them from the street that marked the start of the Trade Quarter. Rayna reacted the same way and two of the three City Watchmen turned to walk away. The younger man continued to approach and Cooper heard one of the older guards call out to him, “Leave them be.” The younger guard turned and replied, “You can ignore a bared weapon if you want, and besides that there have been edicts posted telling us to arrest Guild members. We got a job to do.” The older man muttered, “Do as you will. Don’t say I didn’t warn ye.” Rayna spoke softly to Cooper, “If he gets pushy, get behind me and stay there.” The younger watchman called out, “Surrender your weapons and hold out your wrists and there’ll be no trouble.” Rayna guided Cooper to stand behind her as she replied, “You should listen to your colleague. Continue your patrol. That’s how there’ll be no trouble.” Th
e guardsman placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. Cooper assumed that might be what a farm hand considered a heroic pose. Rayna called out to the receding guardsman, “Don’t go far. Your young friend may need assistance soon, but I’ll try not to hurt him.” The younger guard scoffed, “A woman! Hurt me?!” He actually snorted a little, as if it were the funniest thing he’d heard all week. As Rayna kept Cooper on her protected side, she attempted to walk past the man. His hand reached across to grasp the hilt of his sword, and Rayna surged at him. She was fast enough that before he could fully unsheathe it, she had closed the distance and held his elbow in place. As she continued to press, he started to turn his body. She noted how he’d shifted his weight and she kicked his legs out from under him. She kept hold of him and guided him to the ground but not too gently. As soon as he was flat on his back she swept the metal skullcap from his head, turned her hand over and dinged him on the head with it. The blow was hard enough to leave a bump, but soft enough to leave him conscious, though a bit dazed. Before she stood, she spoke through gritted teeth, “You want to be a hero? Start by treating people with respect, regardless of gender.”

  As she stood and looked around she almost appeared surprised that Cooper was still standing there. She commented, “You didn’t take that chance to run?” Cooper shook his head, “Why would I run now? I have no idea where Jarell might have gone. Besides, I wanted to watch you work.” He grinned slyly and she gave him a playful push to the southeast. She led them through several winding streets and alleyways before leading Cooper into a potter’s shop. Once inside, she pulled a concealed lever that operated a counterweight which raised a pallet of clay bricks off the floor. There was a hole in the floor that opened up into an underground passage that led south. This wasn’t a sewer, this was a bricked up passage. It ended in a space that looked like a six bay room, then into a Guild hallway. Cooper recognized it as the same hall as where the newcomer’s rooms were. Cooper asked, “Just how many ways are there in an out of the Guild house?” Rayna shrugged, “I know of several, but probably not all of them. Come on. The Council’s waiting.” Cooper kept a tight hold on the sword, it was the closest thing to evidence he had.

  Rayna led him to the Master’s Council chamber, the same room where he, Kolrem and Rukle had last faced Vorni and the collected Masters. Before Rayna had the chamber doors fully opened, Cooper could hear Master Vorni’s voice filling the room, “Rules of the Guild apply to all, isn’t that correct? This student has broken rules and been warned before, even in this very chamber!” There was a subsequent buzz of conversation from the Council members in attendance. It was at this moment that Rayna entered the room with Cooper in tow. Master Vorni faced them and pointed a denouncing finger as he called out, “And here he is, in this chamber again under similar circumstances. He must either be foolish or hopelessly defia-” It was then he noticed the sword in Cooper’s grasp and the fact that the boy was bleeding from a collection of cuts. He first looked at Cooper, “Where did you get that?!” and before Cooper could answer, Master Vorni demanded of Rayna, “Why has he got blood all over him? Did he attempt to resist you?” He adopted a sinister smile. Cooper spoke quickly, before Rayna could reply, “I got the sword the same way I got the wounds… From the Master of Coin.” Master Vorni focused his attention back onto Cooper, not unlike a leopard regarding a baby antelope before the kill, “I’d suggest you remain silent. You’re but a stumble away from death.” Cooper had to wonder how Master Vorni expected him to respond, assuming that the man wanted him dead anyway. Cooper couldn’t stop his reply any more than he could stop his heartbeat, “Point of fact, sir; you did ask me where I got the sword.” Vorni looked absolutely apoplectic. Cooper had a moment to wonder whether his mouth had finally gotten him into something he wouldn’t be getting out of. Master Vorni had almost completely crossed the dais before a voice echoed down from seats, “Vorni!” All activity and conversation stopped, except Cooper. Cooper spun and faced the source of the voice. To Cooper’s credit he remained silent, but he wanted to call out in surprise. The voice that brought Master Vorni to an abrupt halt was that of Master Worthan.

  Master Worthan continued to speak, “Rayna, at what point did you discover Cooper had left the Guild?” Rayna replied, “Sir, I noticed Cooper as he was following our Master of Coin. They were leaving the Grid and entering The Heights. Seeing the boy was alone, I knew that he couldn’t be on official business, despite the fact that he had a copper courier tube sticking out of his pocket.” It seemed that even though Vorni had been brought to a halt, he still had plenty of venom as he called out, “Another infraction! Posing as a Courier!” Cooper shook his head, “Not entirely true, sir. I did deliver a message. To Lakeside, in fact. I only followed the Master of Coin when I was on my way back.” Vorni looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel, but Master Worthan spoke before Vorni could form a reply, “Mister Cooper, I would not suggest using that as any form of excuse or defense. It will not conclude favorably for you. Instead, let me just ask why you felt it necessary to place our Master of Coin under surveillance.” Cooper summarized his suspicions and relayed the events leading to his confrontation with Jarell as briefly as he could. When he got to the part where Jarell approached him and guided him upstairs, Vorni interrupted him, “Are you expecting us to believe that Master Jarell would know and recognize you? You’re not even a Journeyman here. My fellow Masters, can’t you see the web of lies this boy is spinning? Does he take us for fools?” It was then that Cooper heard another familiar voice. It was a calm voice, almost soft, but it filled the room as if it were a shout. Felis spoke, “Master Vorni, I have no doubt that Master Jarell was capable of recognizing Mister Cooper. After all, I only met the lad after Master Jarell had sent me to kill him.” At this comment Master Vorni whirled to face Felis, “Yes, another overrated Guild member speaks. An Assassin that rarely takes an assignment, and when he is sent to kill a mere boy, he defies a Master’s order and recruits him instead! We have you to thank for these circumstances. Perhaps you should join the boy down here and share his fate?” At this last statement Felis stood and replied, “Master Vorni, you are a Master in the Guild and are afforded every respect that title implies. Threaten me again in this manner, however, and I shall invite you to join me in the Training Room.” Master Vorni sputtered as he struggled to assemble a fitting response and Master Worthan raised a hand to curtail the developing confrontation, “Gentlemen, I must insist that this conversation is entirely off topic. Felis, be seated.” Felis promptly sat. Master Worthan turned his attention back to Cooper, “Please inform us as to how you came to be in possession of Master Jarell’s sword, if you please. Should I assume it is some form of war trophy?” Master Vorni scoffed, “He most likely stole it and was repeatedly cut as he attempted to flee.” Rayna took this moment to interject, “I hope you don’t feel that I’m speaking out of turn, Guildmaster, but it appeared to me that it was Master Jarell that was doing the fleeing.” This revelation created a collective buzz that was only silenced when Master Worthan spoke loud enough to be heard, “Thank you, Rayna. You’ll be given a chance to tell us what you know in due course. Mister Cooper, please proceed.” Over the following twenty minutes, both Cooper and Rayna were given to opportunity to relay what they could of the evening’s proceedings. Cooper concluded with the wounding of Jarell and his subsequent leap from the third floor balcony into the river below. Rayna picked up the telling from that point, confirming Cooper’s tale with what she had observed from outside the building. Master Vorni waited until she’d finished and exclaimed, “So now, somewhere out in the city, our Master of Coin lies wounded while being condemned here by the story of a known troublemaker?” Master Vorni cast about the room, as if he were looking for support. Master Worthan quietly replied, “Actually Vorni, if these stories are to be believed, I’d say Jarell hasn’t truly been our Master of Coin for quite some time, hmm?” Guildmaster Worthan, turned to regard the other Masters in attendance, “I’ve had some growing sus
picions for quite a while now, but never enough to grasp firmly. I’m willing to believe what we’ve heard tonight, but even if I wasn’t it is still cause enough to send a team to investigate. Felis, take Rayna and Lash to check out Jarell’s home. Take two Thief Adepts with you. I would expect that Jarell has employed some locks and traps of his own design. In the last decade, he’s been the closest to being Master Darius’ protégé as anyone ever has.” As Rayna turned to leave with Felis, Cooper muttered loud enough for her to hear, “Don’t forget. Jarell was behind the poisonings.” Rayna turned to give Cooper a nod as she followed Felis from the room. Cooper was left standing in the center of the dais, wondering what he should expect next, and wondering whether he might be free to leave.

  As Cooper turned to face the assembled Masters, the men seated on the far side of a set of blinding lanterns, he stood alone. He kept Master Vorni within his field of view but assumed that the worst of the man’s tirade was over. All that remained was to watch over his shoulder for the rest of his life. Cooper was hoping to be dismissed, but the Guildmaster had other plans. He spoke again, “Mister Cooper, we are now prepared to discuss your growing list of infractions.” As Master Vorni took a sharp intake of breath, Master Worthan cut him off, “Master Vorni, please be seated. If you feel that we’ve failed to address some matter of importance, you will be given ample opportunity to voice your opinions. Voicing them now would only draw out these proceedings and likely make you appear rabid.” Master Vorni bowed his head and walked off the dais to find a seat.

  Guildmaster Worthan spoke again, “Mister Cooper, you are undoubtedly aware of the many soldiers surrounding our storefront.” Cooper was about to reply, then realized this was a rhetorical question and simply nodded. The old man continued, “The Lord General himself entered our storefront and Copyist’s Room and stated implicitly that he had been informed that our storefront was an integral part of Guild business. Now, while this may be common knowledge to many, did it occur to you that your actions might further endanger not only yourself, but also the Guild? You appeared on the doorstep of a house in the Heights, wearing full Courier regalia. Then, just minutes later, you entered that same house where the owner was conducting a dinner party attended by several noble families. You subsequently engaged in an armed battle before exiting in full view of those same guests. Do you see how this might give us some cause for concern?” Phrased this way, Cooper began to realize the depth of the mess he’d gotten himself into. Still, he had a glimmer of hope, “Sir, I know it may not change anyone’s mind, but the only person in that house to see me wearing Courier attire was the doorman. I can only hope that as I left the house, I was moving quickly enough that he couldn’t recognize me. The fact that I was carrying an exposed blade likely drew everyone’s attention away from my features.” Several of the Masters chuckled at this but the Guildmaster was not dissuaded, “It helps only with regard to the possibility of minimizing our exposure. It does not minimize how we view your poor judgement. You devised a method to leave Guild premises, knowingly defying existing protocols, and proceeded to conduct your own, unsanctioned investigation of one of our own members; a Master, no less. Even more foolish, you neglected to sign for and take the prescribed vials of antidote. It was this oversight, in fact, that initially placed me on your scent, and merest chance that Rayna should happen across you during her patrol. Do you have anything further to add? Any extenuating circumstances, perhaps?” Cooper thought for a moment before replying, “Well, sir. To be precise, I was actually seeking out the Master of Coin’s house man. He was the only one that I knew to be involved. It was only later that Jarell confessed to his traitorous activities, including the killing of Garoth.” This additional information caused several immediate outbursts, not the least of which was Master Vorni, who could clearly be heard over everyone else, “The killing of Garoth?! Oh, you have got to be kidd-” The Guildmaster’s voice cut through all conversation, “Enough! This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has perused the interrogation reports provided earlier by Felis. The poisoner from the Dregs admitted to his involvement in the clean-up at Baron Demetrius’ residence; and unless I am horribly misinformed, Garoth, and now allegedly Master Jarell, were the only Guild members there. That the facts all seem to fit together without contradiction is quite disturbing.” Master Vorni sounded like he’d regained his composure, “Excuse me, sir. The facts?” Guildmaster Worthan nodded, “Yes, Vorni. The facts. Unless you believe Garoth to be incapable of handling the Baron? I suspect that the guards only became involved because Jarell somehow affected the circumstances.”