Day 1: The beginning

My first contract to kill. I was excited, I had finally passed all of my masters training. He had told me that I was ready to become an assassin. The contract was out to kill a man named Leo Cartwright. He was a man that had caused trouble for my master. "Are you sure I'm ready?" I asked my master. I didn't feel like I was ready.

"You are because I say you are." His voice was stern. There would be no turning back.

"Thank you Master." He just sneered at me like I was just a piece of garbage. I wouldn't be anything to him unless I made this kill. If I failed....That would be the death of me. All my training would be for nothing.

"Don't thank me. You should be cursing my name. I'm leading you into hell and tossing you to the demons." It didn't sound very reassuring to me, but I would never curse my master. I was terribly wrong. It was raining outside this night. It was depressing, maybe it was a sign to me that this wasn't what I wanted. I didn't take the sign that was handed to me though. I spent time cleaning my daggers and my sword. They would be my tools for this assassination. I pulled on my mottled grey and black rough silk thin and tight clothing and went out through a window to the roofs.

The rain poured harder as I jumped from roof to roof. My thoughts turned to just running away. I couldn't though. I knew if I ran away that they would find me. I would be killed in the most painful manner. I kept going. The houses seemed so empty at this time of night. Not a single light was in the windows. I made my way down to the streets, I was close to my destination. The house was not to big. Just a small shack. A few holes in the wooden exterior. The door should be easy to pick. Pulling out his lock picking set he began to work on the doors lock. A few seconds later the door was open.

The interior of the little shack was hard to see. Though his eyes had now adjusted to the darkness. A one room shack. A bed, a table, a small fire place for cooking, a wardrobe. This man had little money, that was easily noted with how bad his living was. The table was scattered with clay plates and bowls. A few morsels of food still left in them. The fireplace had no fire going. It was dark and dirty. The wardrobe's paint was coming off. On the bed was a man, that was my target.

It was plain to see that the bed was just some old hay on the floor. The man was covered in a moth eaten blanket. What could this man do to his master" The man was balding. The little hair he had was brown and greasy. A short brown beard accompanied it. The skin of the man was dirty. Dirt, bugs, other things that I will not describe. A look down showed a dirt floor, no problems with making my way quietly to the bed.

My emotions fought with me. I didn't know this man. I didn't want to kill him. If I killed him I could never turn back. If I didn't. I would die. I was weighing my life against the life of someone else. The life of someone I didn't even know. Pity crossed my mind, this man wouldn't even know what had happened. He would never wake to another sunrise. Maybe it was a favor though' This man was in the dumps. To kill him would be to set him free. It took so long for me to finally decide. Hardly daring to even breathe. The last bit in my mind was. You can't be afraid! You trained for this!

My footsteps made no sound as I crossed over to him. His throat was in open view. My job would be easy tonight. Just slit his throat and get out of there. Now I was standing over him. I pulled out a dagger with Coastal Taipan venom on it. This would ensure that either way the man would die. I lifted the mans chin and made a quick slash across his throat. Now there was blood on my hands. The man barely moved when I slashed his throat. A quick stab close to the heart just to make sure that the venom could get there quick. Now I knew what it was like to be a killer.

I made my way slowly back to my Master's home. The blood was washed off with the rain, but I could still see it there. They would never be clean again. Drenched I walked into my Master's home. "The job is done."

"You've finally proven yourself. Now go wash up." Now he didn't look at me like I was garbage. Now he looked at me with some pride.

"Yes Master." I didn't feel I deserved anyone to look at me with pride. I made my way into the bathroom. I cleaned the dagger I had used. It was surprising that I had not puked earlier, I felt sick. It seemed now my stomach had finally decided, now was when I puked. I cleaned it up and got a bath. That was the only way to rid myself of the feeling. I went and told my Master that I had washed up and then I went to bed. I didn't sleep that night though. My mind was all torn up. I couldn't believe what I had done. I struggled all night with thoughts of it. I even had nightmares while still awake. My first kill wasn't what I expected it to be. My master had been right. I had no reason to thank him. He had done exactly what he said. He had dragged me into hell. Then he had thrown me into the darkest pit with the most fowl demons.

Day 3:A New City. A New Start

Me and my master had arrived in the new city. Every day my master berated me for my failure. It was like the tattoo he had given me wasn't bad enough. "You have another job today. You better not mess up like last time or I will kill you."

"Already, but we just got here." I didn't want to go out and kill yet. We hadn't even made it to our new place to stay.

"I sent word ahead. I have contacts in most towns, villages, and city's. I'll give you a map. I've marked your targets house and the house we will be staying at." At least I wouldn't get lost. "I don't think you will have any trouble finding the targets house." He pointed over and my eyes followed. He was pointing at a castle. "It's not the king your after though, your after the queen." Like that was any better. He was doing this on purpose, he knew I couldn't get all the way to the queen without having to kill others. I'd leave a trail of blood in that place

"Okay master." I sighed. We had arrived at my masters new house. It was a simple wooden shack. "This is supposed to be your grand house?" I got a smack for that.

"There's more to it than it seems." We went inside to an empty shack. My master moved ahead and wiped some dirt off a trap door. So that was the secret. "In you go." He opened the trap door and I jumped down it. Inside was a wide open space and rooms leading off. Everything was already here. This seemed to be a practice room. "Now go to your room and get ready for tonight. It won't be easy." He pointed to a door and I went in. It wasn't much. Just a bed and a wardrobe. I pulled on my normal gear. Then I chose out a few more things. Grappling hook, throwing knife, some claws for climbing, and a few different poisons just in case. Now just to wait until night. I lay waiting for hours until night had finally fallen.

I went up through the trap door and out of the shack. It was cold tonight. I moved off in the direction of the castle. -Now you get to kill a queen, and several innocents. You're a demon!- I suppose I am. I guess I'll just have to get used to the work. It was quicker than I thought when I arrived at the castle, hidden in the shadows the guards didn't see me. Up and over the high wall and I waited as a guard passed by. Then I was down and across to the castle itself. I took out my grappling hook. I would save some lives tonight. I tossed it up to a third floor balcony and made sure it hooked. Then I began my climb.

It didn't really take that long. When I got up onto the balcony I pulled up the rope and put away the grappling hook. Then I pulled out my lock picking set. This lock was more difficult than the last ones I had picked, but it only took ten seconds before I heard the click. In through the balcony door I closed it softly. I had entered into a room. A vase of flowers on a bed side table. The bed had silk drapes around it. I didn't pay much attention to the rest of the room before I went out.

That's when the trouble started. There was a guard just outside the door. I pulled out one of my daggers and stabbed it into his neck. A gurgle from the guard wouldn't bring any others. I waited until there wasn't a heartbeat left and pulled my dagger out. - He was just doing his job.- I know he was. Then I moved off down the hall. This castle's layout was just like another one I had been to. The king and queen's bedroom would be on the fourth floor. I found a servants stairway leading up.

A small growl escaped my lips as I saw her. A woman servant had slipped out of bed. She had a tray with her. So somebody in the castle had wanted a late night snack. I cursed silently under my breath. She was beautiful. Long red hair, freckles on her face, petite body clothed in a servants dress. She started to let out a scream, but I was there first and covered her mouth. "Who wanted this tray?" A smothered response before I took my hand away.

"Just a bard." It barely came out, she was scared. If I was in her place I would be too.

"Which floor is he on?" Tears were already coursing down her cheeks. I didn't want her to cry. I figured at another time and another place I could have been so much more for her, now I was just going to be her murderer.

"T-third." Okay so it wouldn't be too bad.

"Take me to him."It was a pain to see so many tears coming out of those green eyes.

"Okay." She led me to his room and knocked. Out came the bard. Dressed in rich velvet. He opened his mouth to speak, but there was already a throwing knife in his throat. "Why did you kill him"!" She had been surprised by the knife.

"Because he made me have to kill you." With that I slashed her throat and lowered her slowly to the ground. Then I was back in the servants stairway. I didn't want to kill anymore innocents, but I knew there had to be at least two more guards at the room I was going to. It turns out I was right. One got the same as the bard. A throwing knife to the neck. The other, well I had to block his attack with my sword. It rang out and I thought more would come, but they didn't. A quick slash had him beheaded. I was trained to kill. He was too, but I was trained a lot better. He had no chance.

Another locked door. Another sigh as I took out my lock picking set and began to pick this door. Of course this door was much harder than the last one. It took a full minute before it was open. There were the king and queen. On a bed probably filled with feathers. Under a cover of red silk. A few treasure chests lined the walls. Many paintings were hung up. A vase on a table. A desk in a corner. I didn't go to any of these. Instead I moved over to the bed.

A small smile crept onto my lips as I stood over them. The king would wake with the blood of the queen on him. I pulled out my already bloody dagger and slashed her throat, making sure the blood got on the king. A quick stab close to the heart just in case. I watched for a moment as the blood drained out of the queen. Then I was out the door and down the servants stairs. I was already close to the door with the balcony when the guard came around to take the place of the one I had killed. There was no time for weapons. A whistle was being lifted to his lips.

I ran at him and slammed my hand into his throat. He dropped the whistle and began to punch at me. I let go of his throat and swept his feet out from under him. Without waiting I stomped on his neck. That would crush his wind pipe. I knew he would die from suffocation, but I had no pity. That time was over. Now I was a cold blooded killer. No one would stand in the way of me and my target. That or me and my escape.

I slipped into the room and out onto the balcony. I prepared my claws and began my descent down the castle wall. I reached the ground and ran flat out to the wall between me and my freedom from the castle yards. Up and over and I was running off down the street. It was quick getting back to the shack and down into the trap door. "The job is finished master."

"I know. You've done well. She was pretty though, you know." My mouth dropped open. How did he know about that' He always seemed to know how my killing had went. "Yes, I know about her. It's a pity you had to kill her. Though you didn't have to kill that bard." My eyes flared with anger.

"I had to kill him! It's his fault that I had to kill her!" Why did I even care? She wasn't anything to me. She was just someone between me and my target. At the same time though, she wasn't. I had definitely felt something when I saw her, but it was too late now.

"It doesn't matter. Now clean up and get to bed." That was the final word and I did as my master said. It took awhile to get to sleep. First, I was thinking about how my master had known about that. Then, I was thinking about that woman. I did finally get to sleep though. Straight into dreams of that woman and other things I will not say.

Day 5:Assassination of an Assassin

I have skipped some assassinations for this one, because this one is the closest to my heart. By this point though, I didn't care. I was too far into killing. The contract came directly to me. I was surprised, usually my master got the contract before me. I was scared of what would be inside, I couldn't believe it was a contract. I will never forget this day or the name that was in the contract. It was my masters name, though I will never tell the actual name.

Luckily he was out right now. Is all I would have to do was sit back and wait with my gear ready.Right when I got the contract I had gotten all my gear ready. I couldn't chance not being ready for this one, if I wasn't ready I would be dead. I heard the familiar sound of the trapdoor being opened, that was when I made the first move.

My master dropped from the trapdoor and I threw a throwing knife, I didn't expect that it would be that easy. It wasn't. He blocked it with a dagger. "Training isn't scheduled until tomorrow Isaac." He sounded annoyed.

"This isn't training." He looked at me and I saw a glint of fire in his eyes. Now he new what was going on.

"So they finally put out a contract on me." I just nodded. Then I went at him, sword drawn. Another block with his dagger. I was crazy to be going after the man who had taught me everything I knew, how could I expect to kill him. "Come on, you can do better than this." It was like he wanted me to kill him. The ring of sword and dagger rung out as each time he blocked my attack. I couldn't even get an opening on him, today I would die and I would fail.

I don't know how long it went on, but after one of my blocked attacks I felt a pain in my stomach, then both of my legs. I wondered what it could be. Then I felt a prick in my neck and I was out. My master had escaped, I would have to track him and kill him. The problem was, he knew what he was doing and he had stopped me for quite awhile. I wouldn't be able to start tracking tomorrow or the next day. It would be at least a full week before I was recovered enough to track him...

Day 7:A Note on Progress

It seems that day by day I am learning not to think of people as something else to kill. This hunting exercise has been helping. I have also gotten better at conversation. There is still the deep thought of murder though. It is hard to forsake completely. It is time that I go back to the Inn. I must get better. Though I will not talk about my next few assassinations on this day.

A New Employer. Different Contracts.

It had been days since I had actually done any contracts. Ever since I killed my last employer I had not been able to find work. It was time that I went out and found one. I went to the nearest pub. The Snakes Nest, that would be where I would find an employer.

The windows were dirty and when I went in the room wasn't much better. I made my way to a booth and sat down. I knew that there were some employers around here. I didn't have long to wait before a man who looked fairly rich came over. "What kind of work are you looking for?"

"What kind of work are you offering?" A small smile. I had to make sure of what kind of work he would be giving.

"I need a new assassin." He said this quietly, you couldn't really talk openly about assassination in here.

"That's my kind of work." Good, now I would be able to get on with business as usual. That is, depending on how he took the news of my last employer.

"So, I heard that a man I knew as an employer wound up dead. He yours" Because whoever killed him must have had a lot of against him, I wouldn't want to die like that."

"Yea, he was mine. In fact. I'm the one who killed him. He decided he was going to set other assassin's on me just because I couldn't kill another assassin who happened to be my master. So naturally he was better than me."

"I see. Now lets talk business." It was finally the point I had been waiting for. "I don't put out contracts on small time people. I only put them out on the richer people. That's because they are the one's who give me the most trouble. You up for it?"

"I'm up for it. You heard about the queen's assassination right?"

His mouth somewhat dropped open. "Yes of course. Were you behind that?"

"Yea. I took her out. It's just one of the things that happened to be on my contract list."

"Then you're hired." He moved to shake my hand, but I just stood.

"Small shack on the west side of town. Drop the contracts there." Then I moved out the door. I was back in business.

The End of Assassinations

I know I didn't finish off on my assassination on the King. I am writing this last bit to tell that I am finally ready to move back into society. The job on the King did go well though. Now I just feel somewhat appalled at what I have done with my life. Now I can help people though. I have my skills with herbalism.

I have reached the Southern Glen in Rhy'Din again. It is as remarkable as I remember it when I first laid eyes on it. I met a man down there. I don't know his name, but he must have been one of the locals. I guess this would be how the conversation went.

"Good morning sir." I said calmly giving him a wave. I tried giving him a smile, but that was too difficult.

"Morning, what brings you out here so early?"

"I was just making my way back to Rhy'Din. I had been away trying to find myself and fix myself."

"Then I'll let you get on with your business." With that the man turned and walked away.

"Goodbye." The man was already gone. I had a full day ahead of me before I would go back to the actual town. I spent that day meditating on what I had learned. I also spent some time labeling herbs and putting them into my bag.

I suppose that's all there is to tell. I am back in Rhy'Din and ready to start making some friends. I hope I can manage that. I'm just thankful that the people of Rhy'Din were nice enough to help. I will be glad to see people again.

Day 2

I didn't go into the apothecary yesterday, though I did speak with Faerran again. There is definitely more going on there than it would seem. I'm not going to pry, but I will have to keep a close eye on them while I am doing my work.

There is a wolf that works there as well. The wolf doesn't seem to take jokes too well, though I'm not a great joke teller. No trust on that end of business. This will seem like such a long time before I actually get my shop open and running.