Straining, SJ pushed against the door as hard as she could. Panic, fear, and dread overwhelmed SJ as adrenaline surged through her.
"COME ON," Dave screamed.
'I'm trying.'
"SJ. You have nothing to fear. I am not here to hurt you," Cristian's calm, almost bored voice said.
"You have tried to kill me twice. You think I am going to believe you?" SJ groaned, pushing against the door. Scanning the room, she had closed the window last night. Even if she ran, she couldn't run straight outside and jump without opening it. She wished there was a bathroom with another door, but the room was all open-planned.
'If only there was a chair I could prop against it.'
"Best chance is the window."
'It's locked. He nearly caught me last time when it was open.'
"You can't just stay here."
"If I had wanted to kill you, I would have done so last night at Otherlisar's," Cristian said.
The thought of her being targeted last night had not entered her mind. After the colonel made the arrests and the changes to the dress rules in the tower, she had hoped that the tower would have been safe, at least. What made her feel even worse was knowing that at least nine others held such a strong animosity towards her that the scriers had called them out.
SJ could feel the strength beginning to fade in her arms, pushing against the door, which had closed no further. The exertion was burning her arms and shoulders. Knowing she couldn't keep doing this for long, she had to try something. The only thought that entered her mind was to shout.
"HELP," she cried.
"Please don't," the voice said.
"HEEELP."
The door flew open, not expecting increased pressure and tiring from trying to force it closed. It took her by surprise. The door cracked into her forehead, forcing her to stagger, fall backwards, and land heavily on the floor. As the door swung open, Cristian walked in casually. SJ scrambled to push herself to her feet, turning as she did to reach the window.
She heard the door close behind her as she moved towards the window. Expecting to feel a blade in her back any second, she reached for the key to the balcony.
"He isn't chasing!?" Dave said, confused.
Glancing back, SJ saw Cristian leaning against the door with his arms folded, just looking at her. The key wouldn't turn in the lock as she strained to open it.
"It won't open. I sealed it last night when you returned."
Shaking from the adrenaline and fear, SJ looked back at Cristian, her eyes wide in shock. If he wanted a fight, she would give him one. Turning, she immediately equipped her claws. Her arms quivered as she held them up in a fighting stance.
"Amar Ti. At least you have done some training. I have told you already I am not here to hurt you. I could have easily killed you last night if I had wished. I have some questions for you, though. Would you be so kind as to provide me with answers? I would be most grateful."
The casualness of his conversation wasn't computing, and SJ was panting from the fear that coursed through her.
"Maybe he doesn't want to kill you," Dave said.
"What do you want?" SJ hissed.
"I have told you already. I have a couple of questions for you."
"If you really aren't here to kill me, then why have you sealed my window and trapped me in here?"
"I couldn't have you throwing yourself off the balcony again. That was a stupid error on my part. I should have sealed the window the first time. Very poor, really, but I had been a little frustrated that you survived the poisoning. That brings me to my first question. How?"
"How what?"
"How did you survive the poisoning? You should have died. I have known no one survive Flatirolyne before. Especially the dosage you had."
"Thanks to healing," SJ snarled. Her fear was being replaced by anger.
"I don't know how strong the glass is, but maybe if you run through it?" Dave said.
'I may have to.'
"You shouldn't have lived long enough to be healed. Unless you have spent every available point since you levelled on your Constitution, which I know you haven't, seeing the hit points you have. The second part is a little more confusing rather than frustrating. When I attacked you in the room, I couldn't catch you. Your initial initiative dodging the blade was one thing that could be explained, but me not reaching you before you jumped shouldn't have happened."
Cristian slowly stood from where he leaned against the door, holding his hands in front placatingly. The fact that he was sleeveless and the tattoo was on full display showed his lack of concern.
"Maybe I was just lucky."
"Oh. You were lucky. It should have killed you before Wystria got to heal you, though. You must have something that saved you. I am interested in what talisman or charm would offset the poison so well."
"I have no charm or talisman."
"Umm. That is strange. If that is the case, then I will have to adjust my dosage further. Maybe the batch I mixed wasn't correct," Cristian looked thoughtful, scratching his head as he mused.
"If that is all you came to ask, you can leave now."
"I still do not know how I couldn't catch you. That fact baffles me."
In an instant, Cristian appeared next to SJ, blade drawn and thrust towards her stomach. She didn't even have time to react. Her hands were still in the same position.
SJ's eyes were wide in terror as she stepped back, swinging her claws defensively.
Cristian stood, tilting his head to one side. Casually looking at her as she swung her claws at him. His hand moved so quickly it was a blur as he blocked the blades.
"Very interesting," he said with intrigue.
SJ stepped away. Again, Cristian came for her. There was no way she could compete with his speed, and once again, his blade stopped before striking her.
"Why can I not hit you? In all my time, this is a first for me. Very frustrating, to say the least."
SJ was now backed against the room's window. There was nowhere for her to go. The blade in Cristian's hand vanished and was replaced with a blackjack. His arm blurred in motion and moved swiftly as he went to strike her again, too fast for her to block the blow to her face as she brought her hands up. The blackjack again stopped short of its target.
Cristian frowned deeply. "Poison worked, blades no, blunt weapon no, umm," he mused, looking at her. "Let's see."
There were no words that SJ could fathom, being completely open and defenceless for the attempted attacks towards her. A sword appeared this time, which he casually spun in his hand. He pointed the blade at her and thrust forward. The blade again stopped two inches from her body.
"You have no magic. You have no shield that I can sense. Yet I cannot physically harm you. What in Amathera is protecting you? This is so confusing." He returned the sword to his inventory and turned away. Holding his chin in his hand thoughtfully, muttering to himself. "Slashing damage, piercing damage, blunt damage. I wonder."
Spinning on his heel, a small silver star suddenly shot at her. Recognising it as a shuriken, SJ tensed for the impact. The impact never came as the shuriken bounced uselessly to the room floor. Next, a short bow appeared, an arrow in flight within the blink of an eye. The arrow stopped and fell to the floor.
"Well, this is the most interesting scenario I have ever been in," Cristian said. "I cannot physically hit you, although passive attacks with the poison work. Even then, it didn't work properly."
Dave had been screaming in SJ's head the whole time Cristian attempted his attacks, but SJ had just stood there. She felt the same level of confusion as Cristian. She had no way of defending against each one of his attempts, yet everything fell short of hitting her. "In all my time, I have never experienced this!" Cristian exclaimed, staring at SJ with a furrowed brow.
"Umm. Do you mind if I try something?" he asked.
Unable to gather words, SJ stood staring blankly at him as he stepped forward, holding his hand out. SJ stood dumbfounded. Her arms had dropped to her side as the insanity of the situation had developed. She should have been dead thrice over, at least. Watching as his hand neared her, he placed it on her wrist. Staring at his hand as he touched her, his hand felt warm and gentle against her skin. She saw his grip tighten, the knuckles of his hand going white, but there was no increase in pressure against her arm.
Opening his eyes wide in amazement, he stepped back. "You are invulnerable to physical harm."
"What on earth is going on?" Dave's confused voice came through, his ranting having lessened as the bizarre scene unfolded.
The absurdity of the situation was not lost on SJ. "I am not invulnerable. I have been injured many times."
"There is no other explanation. I have assassinated hundreds, if not thousands, over my life, and no one has ever resisted my physical attacks. When you ran to the window, I could not grab you before you jumped. Even with your increased initiative, my blade should have struck, but the attempts just now have proven you are at least invulnerable to me." Cristian turned and walked over to a chair, turning it to face SJ and sitting down.
"There must be a reason."
Knowing her claws were useless against him, SJ returned them to her inventory.
"I think I know why he can't harm you," Dave excitedly said.
'Why?'
"The tattoo."
'What about the tattoo?'
"I think he is a dragonling."
'Isn't a dragonling a baby dragon?'
"No. They are dragon changelings. Their true form is that of a dragon, but they can change forms like a changeling may. They are ridiculously rare. I have never met or seen one before."
'Why would that stop him from being able to damage me?'
The word Dave said next amazed SJ. "Bob."
'What has Bob got to do with it?'
"I remember the exact conversation that you had with Bob in the meadow and the final words he said to you before he flew off, 'If you meet any more of my kind, don't worry.' I think your symbiosis prevents him from being able to physically attack you since he is a dragon."
SJ wasn't able to remember the exact conversation. She had been so in awe of meeting a dragon for the first time but vaguely remembered his parting comment. 'You think that is why he can't harm me?'
"It has to be. There is no other explanation."
"This is impossible. I can consider no worldly explanation unless a deity protects you." Cristian frowned.
'Do I tell him?'
"It may help if he is aware, but do you want to tell him your secret?"
Unsure whether to divulge her secret to him, SJ considered her options. "You are a dragonling."
It was a statement meant to have an impact, and it did. Cristian couldn't hide his surprise at her comment. "How, may I ask, do you know of my kind?"
"I have met your kind before."
"Another dragonling?" Cristian frowned.
"No. Not a dragonling, but a dragon."
His frown deepened. "You have met a dragon and survived?"
"I bet his true form is a green dragon. Green's are poisonous, and I bet the poison was his own. That may be why it didn't affect you as much as he expected."
"You are a green dragon, aren't you?"
"How could you possibly know that?" Cristian now had a shocked expression on his face.
The conversation's direction had now placed SJ at an advantage. "I wonder what the city authorities will say to discover that Carlito is actually a dragonling?"
Squinting his eyes in anger at SJ, he responded, "I wouldn't advise to tell anyone. I may not be able to harm you, but I know others who could."
"It appears that we may both have a secret then, doesn't it?" SJ's confidence grew with every passing moment, knowing that the dragonling couldn't physically harm her. "You said I was not in danger when you entered my room, yet you attempted to attack me."
"I somehow knew I would fail to," he sighed. "Anyway, your contract is void now. The stipulation was that you had to be killed before joining the council. As you are now a member, it no longer applies."
Hearing the mention of a contract against her sent a shiver down her spine, and her hair stood on end. "Who was it?"
"Was what?"
"Who opened the contract?"
"I do not know. It was an open contract at the assassin's guild. High reward but also high risk. I know several were trying to reach you."
"The ones arrested?"
"Some were, yes. It doesn't matter now since the contract is void."
"How did you escape the scriers?"
"I hold no animosity towards you. You are just a target. There are no feelings involved in my line of work."
"Why would a dragonling choose to be an assassin?"
"Why not? I have to do something to keep myself entertained," he shrugged.
"You kill people for entertainment," the thought sickened SJ.
"And money."
SJ couldn't keep the scowl from her face. "You kill people for fun."
"Is that not what an assassin does?" he smirked.
"No."
"Oh. You are an assassin?!" he exclaimed.
Annoyed at herself for letting it slip, SJ cursed in her head.
"Well, that wasn't very clever, was it?" Dave's sarcastic voice resounded in her mind.
"So, who is your sponsor?"
"Sponsor?" SJ asked.
"Many assassins have sponsors through guilds," Dave said.
"I have no sponsor."
"Do you not have any guild affiliation?"
"I am my own person."
"Really?"
"Why is that so surprising?"
"Have you ever?"
"No."
"But what about your class development?"
"I train as I need to."
"Without a sponsor, though, you are restricting your potential."
"How?"
"Sponsors offer class profession quests."
The way the conversation had turned from him trying to injure her to suddenly discussing the assassin class benefits of a sponsor was disconcerting.
"Ask him," Dave said.
'What?'
"To be your sponsor."
'Why would I ask someone who has tried to kill me to be my sponsor?!'
"Why not? He is a skilled assassin, a member of at least one guild, and he can't harm you. Never mind the fact he is a dragonling."
'What does harming me have to do with it?'
"Sponsors have been known to dispose of their understudies before," SJ could imagine Dave's virtual shrug. "It's the perfect relationship for training and development."
Reeling from the suggestion, SJ didn't respond for some time.
"How about you be my sponsor, then?"
The dragonling's face changed as she spoke. Cristian's perfect features vanished, replaced by those of a female elf with jet black hair. His clothes also shifted into those of one of many servers that worked in the tower.
Looking at SJ quizzically, the dragonling mused for several moments before replying. "That is an interesting proposition. Also quite unique, having a member of the city council as an understudy. I will give it some thought." A melodic female elven voice replied. The only discernable feature still being the tattoo. "Anyway, I must go. The guards will awaken soon, and I am sure your colleague will also be ready by now." Standing, the dragonling removed a white towel from their inventory, draping it over their forearm and carrying a silver platter.
It was the simplest yet best disguise she, he, it could have chosen. SJ did not know which they were now. Walking to the door, it opened it, before turning and looking back at SJ. "We will speak soon," it replied as it left, pulling the door closed.
SJ stood in silence, staring at the closed door.
"Zigferd's coming," Dave said. SJ wasn't sure how long she had been standing there until the rap of knuckles on the door broke her from her trance. Walking to the door, she opened it.
Seeing SJ, Zigferd frowned, "Are you ok? You look flustered."
"Morning. I am just a little concerned about what is going to happen today in the chamber after yesterday." There was no way SJ was going to mention the interaction with Carlito, especially considering that she had just asked whether they would be her sponsor.
"I am sure everything will be fine. Shall we get some breakfast?" Zigferd smiled.
