"Has Zigferd, the Mayor of Killic, returned to the tower today?" SJ asked at the front desk.
"No, he has not been seen all day. Several have asked his whereabouts," the kobold clerk said.
Sighing, SJ turned and headed to the dining hall. She needed coffee.
'Where has he gone?' SJ thought.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Dave said.
'He has been missing all day. I am starting to get worried.'
"He is a 150-year-old lycanthrope that transforms into an exceedingly strong werebear. I don't think you need to worry about him."
'I need to find him now because of the information from Petunia and Tanias.'
"A few hours aren't going to make a difference, and you need to find Mya's shop and get your first job done."
It wasn't time for the dining hall to open for the evening, and there was nothing out. Walking to the door at the far end leading to the kitchen, SJ stuck her head in and asked if she could get some coffee. The being she spoke to was a huge bugbear, wearing a white chef's outfit and even having a chef's hat on his head.
"I will get one of the servers to bring you some," he said.
SJ was sure it had a slight French accent.
"I will just be in the garden."
The bugbear nodded in response. Walking out into the garden, SJ sat at the nearest seat by the hall. Opening the scroll the scribe had provided. The drawing of the tower was perfect, with all the names of the various areas written in neat text. It would save her a lot of time to locate the various councillors.
'I wish I had a map of Asterfal like this.'
"There will be some that have been created, I am sure, but how accurate they are will depend upon updates. With the size of the city, I wonder if any are very accurate. Your map will have detailed certain areas, but unless you travel down every street, you won't get a full picture."
A young kobold approached SJ, carrying a tray with coffee. After thanking him, she poured herself a drink.
'District 6, the 'Lucky Spur'. A low-level elf mage who wears a moon and sickle chain. The details that Carlito gave me could have described Mya better.'
"Getting images of beings is an expensive task. I doubt many ever provide images for targets."
'Doesn't that increase the chance of someone making a mistake and killing the wrong target?'
"Probably, but do you think many assassins actually care?"
'Not all assassins are evil. Look at me.'
Scoffing, Dave replied, "When you become a true assassin, I will let you know."
Furrowing her brow, SJ sat sulkily.
"I apologise. That was a little unfair. You have used your assassin skills but haven't performed an assassination job before. This will be your first actual job. You should be excited at the opportunity to progress your class."
'I am. I am just worried.'
"What are you worried about?"
'What if I fail and they escape? What would happen to me then? If rumours got out about a fae attempting to kill someone, then I can imagine the uproar that would start across the city. Many already shunned my kind, and it wouldn't take much for things to get even worse.'
"I will be honest. I hadn't considered that. You better hadn't fail then, had you?" Dave said chirpily.
'I still don't know why the fae are despised by so many. Many talk about mischief and problems, but to what extent must it have been for such a level of hate to exist?'
"Did your history book not give you any details?"
'And when have I had a chance to read it?'
"Good point. I know some of the fae history, but it may be from a tainted perspective as not from a fae. I can tell you what I know."
'Please do.'
"Historically, the fae was one of the strongest races in Amathera. Their magic and proficiency at mana manipulation were second to none. Only elves were close to their ability and control of mana. When the empires were formed initially across the continents, the fae was involved at high levels across all six. It was a long time before my creation. There was a fae named Gavia at the time. They ruled the fae race on Amathera. I don't know the exact details of what happened, but in the simplest terms, Gavia directed a coup. He believed he should be the ruler of Amathera. A web of deceit and lies began to form across the various continents, all being manipulated by Gavia, who was aiming to take overall control. The tactics used were through reputational damage and, in simple terms, mischief.
Gavia instructed his followers to cause direct issues against each of the empires. Burning crops, damaging buildings, anything and everything to try to disrupt the leadership of the continents. At first, things were going well. Gavia, or one of his assigned, would suddenly appear and provide support and help to those affected. Appearing as the overarching light in the darkness they caused. They provided magical aid and support and delivered crops where fires or earthquakes caused shortages. Many beings thought it was the system that had been deliberately causing issues. It couldn't be the fae, as they provided all the aid. This continued for several years, with more and more problems occurring as Gavia's supporters moved across the world. Wherever they arrived, it was always after a natural disaster had occurred. They were swooping in to provide aid. It was when the empirical gathering, an event that happened once every century, that the six presiding empires would meet, and the full facts came to light. They had all spoken highly of Gavia and what he had been doing until a young elven princess named Larian questioned the timing.
The empires had been so tied up in the disasters that kept occurring that they had never considered that they were being orchestrated, always blaming the system. Eventually, Larian provided evidence that she took to her emperor, which was communicated across the empires. Initially, many refused to accept that any of the problems were because of the fae, and, at this time, the empires were considering making Gavia the over-arching ruler of Amathera. You need to realise that Amathera wasn't like it is today. Tensions were always high, and many races were split with a direct divide of good or evil alignment. So, alongside all the issues Gavia caused, many empires were also at war with other races. Orcs, gnolls, trolls, ogres, kobolds, goblins all those races were hostile towards what were known as the proper races. Elves, dwarves, humans, etc. This conflict had always been an instrument of the gods. But that is another story.
The turning point and belief in Larian's findings came around by accident. The illithid was a new race to Amathera, only recently appearing from the islands off the coast of Kolliyaxym, the continent of a thousand isles. It was during a visit by the illithid envoy to the emperor, and remember, this was before the illithid's ability with arcane powers was fully understood, that the envoy read the minds of the fae representatives. He passed the details on to the emperor, informing him of the next stage in their plans to damage the capital's grain supply. The empire had been in a war for decades, and food was a rare commodity they couldn't chance to lose. When the illithid informed the emperor, the information was again ignored until the exact facts he had mentioned happened.
This led to the complete picture of Gavia's followers' actions. Gavia was shunned, and hatred was formed alongside his shunning. Unfortunately, Gavia influenced a vast majority of the leading fae across Amathera. In retaliation, the fae continued their mischief, but with no chance of now ever reaching the position of rulers of Amathera, it became a malicious and racial habit. There, you have the history of the fae somewhat diluted, but hopefully, it gives you a little more understanding of the concern and dislike many hold."
'Why have you never told me this before?' Amazed at the tale from Dave.
"Erm, I never really thought it would be useful to you. It is just history, after all."
'It explains why there is such a problem still. How long ago are we talking?'
"Thousands of years. Amathera was still young then."
'And the beliefs have always stayed the same since?'
"Things are much better than they ever used to be. There was a time when fae would have been killed on sight."
That thought sat heavily with SJ. Just considering the historical impact of her chosen race on the whole of Amathera was daunting. It explained the animosity she had received from so many towards her. She could only hope that it was time, considering how long she may live for her first life, that things could change even more for the better. With Larianco's concern over the fae losing magic, she only hoped that something could be done to support her chosen race in their future.
Finishing her coffee, SJ stood stretching off, carrying the now empty pot back inside. She placed it on a table by the kitchen door and left the dining hall. Checking at the desk, there had still been no sign of Zigferd.
'I better find my target.'
"Great idea."
Heading outside, SJ went around the side of the building before transforming and flying up to her room. Entering, she removed the cloak she owned from the wardrobe. Taking her scissors, she cut strips up the back to allow her wings to be free if needed but covered if she wished to hide them. Trying it on, she made some minor adjustments before being happy. Her hair was now hidden, and when she pulled the hood up and turned in the mirror, her wings were hidden, and only her face was visible. She then adjusted her dress and its colour, turning it like any other common being's clothing she had seen in the city so far. Moving the cloak, she shrunk to her miniature form before ensuring she could fly wearing it. Wearing the cloak around her neck also hid her choker. Moving to the balcony, she took her bearings and took off, heading over towards District 6.
As she flew over the district, she opened her map and watched the translucent display update as she flew. She had hoped it would show the names of buildings or shops, but this only occurred once she had read them. The map listed the locations of the shops she had seen or been to. It reminded her of using Gargle Maps.
After flying over the district for nearly an hour, she was still unaware of where the Lucky Spur was located.
'I am going to have to ask someone.' Swooping down, she landed in a small park area and transformed. Walking from the bushes, she surprised a young orc couple trying to find a quiet spot.
Ignoring them, she walked by her dress and looks, now hiding her from general view. Entering the streets, she blended in well with those around her. She had no distinguishing features, her height or clothing making her almost invisible amongst the beings on the street. Seeing an elderly woman sitting by a street corner, SJ walked over. If she was going to ask anyone, it may as well be a beggar, knowing how so many of them were ignored.
"Excuse me. Do you know where the Lucky Spur is?" SJ asked.
The elderly woman looked at SJ, squinting at her. It was obvious she struggled to see.
"Lucky Spur. I know the name. I think it's down Parson's street."
"Thank you," SJ said, dropping a few coppers into a wooden bowl the woman had by her side.
"Thank you, dear," the woman said.
District 6 wasn't as bad as District 3 but it still had signs of overcrowding and deprivation. Opening her map, she rechecked it, not seeing the name Parson's street on it. Walking down the street, she deliberately read every shop name and street sign she saw. Each time the details were added to her map, and she wished she had been as proactive before. It took her another hour before she eventually located Parson's Street. It was closer to the outer wall of the city. The streets here were close and as the evening had begun, the light had faded, being replaced by lantern light from house or building windows.
Checking her display, it was now approaching 19:00. Carlito had said she had twenty-four hours, meaning that she needed to finish the quest by midnight to be on the safe side. Walking down the street, it had the same look as many others: mismatched buildings slotted together to use up as much space as possible. SJ nearly missed the sign for the Lucky Spur. A small wooden sign was attached to the side of a building, and an arrow pointed down a narrow alley.
The alley was dark, with no light visible, and she was grateful for her night vision as she entered the gloom, allowing her to make her way down it safely. The alleyway was littered with rubbish, and if this was a business, it couldn't get much custom. At the end of the alley, it opened into a small courtyard, and opposite the entrance was a small shopfront, the name Lucky Spur crudely painted above it. The shop looked in darkness, and SJ inwardly cursed.
'It seems closed,' SJ thought.
"Better check," Dave said.
Walking to the window, SJ peered inside. She was just about to give up when she saw the flicker of a candle or lantern towards the rear of the store. Her heart leapt in her chest. She wasn't sure if it was nerves or excitement that caused it.
"Looking at the map, you can access it from the rear," Dave said.
SJ had flown over this area earlier that evening, and, as Dave stated, there was a street on the other side of the building. Shrinking, SJ took off and flew to the roof landing. She walked to the edge and looked down. The rear of the building was dark, and there were no windows and only a door. A cart was moving down the street, and as it drew near the building, it slowed and stopped. A being climbed from the cart wearing a cloak. SJ couldn't tell what race it was from her position. It walked over and knocked on the door quietly. SJ heard a bolt drawn, and the door creaked on unoiled hinges as it opened.
"Delivery," the being said in a quiet voice.
A head popped outside the door, SJ clearly seeing the pointed ears of an elf. Looking up and down the street, making sure it was clear, it replied, "Hurry, bring it in then."
The being walked back to the cart, and SJ watched as it picked up a wrapped bundle of cloth over its shoulder and walked back to the door. As soon as it had entered, SJ heard the bolt being drawn across it again.
"Well, that looked suspicious," Dave said.
'Very.'
SJ moved back to the other side of the building and looked down. There was a window on the first floor, and she dropped down, hovering next to it. Reaching out, she checked if it was locked. The window moved slightly, and, balancing on the wooden sill, SJ managed to position herself to pull it open. It only moved an inch before stopping, but thankfully that was a large enough gap for her to fit through. Squeezing inside, she gave her eyes a few moments to adjust to the even dimmer interior of the upstairs room.
As her night vision kicked in, she found herself in a bedroom. A single bed was pushed against one wall and a rack held several robes. A dressing table was positioned against a wall with several pots, sticks, and a few bottles of what SJ recognised as perfumes. Silently dropping to the ground, SJ headed towards the doorway. The building was small, and the door was ajar, looking into the hallway. There were two other doors off it before a stair that led down to the ground floor. SJ could hear quiet voices talking downstairs, which was too quiet for her enhanced hearing to pick up.
Walking across the hallway, she quickly checked the other rooms. There was nothing of interest or anyone in them. Turning, she moved to the top of the stairs.
'I don't suppose you can see anything?' she thought.
"No sorry," Dave said.
Listening, the voices seemed muffled and SJ took off again very slowly, moving down the stairs. The ground floor was split into two halves. The rear of the shop was where she was now, and then an open door led to the front and the window she had looked through. No one was in sight, and moving out, she noticed a door under the stairs she had flown down. The door was ajar, and the glow of candles or lantern lights came from it. Landing, she stood to the side of the door, listening.
"Fresh as asked for. Only two days old," a male voice said.
"Two days? I said I needed one no older than a day," a female voice replied.
"What do you expect? It's not as though these things are readily available. You know how strict they are with supplies."
"Bah. It will have to do. Here's your coin."
SJ heard the metallic sound of coins being handed over.
"When do you need the next one?" the male voice asked.
"Probably next week."
"Ok. I will keep my eyes and ears open."
"Great."
The sound of someone climbing the wooden stairs made SJ quickly move. Taking off, she returned to the other stairs, landing again and looking through the bannister. The door opened fully, and the light from the elf's candle flooded the rear room. SJ still could not make out the other being. Heading to the door, it unbolted it, letting the cloaked being out before closing and bolting it again. The elf turned back and headed back down the stairs into the cellar.
Taking off, SJ again flew to the door, landed, and listened. The sound of humming drifted up from the cellar below.
