Count Me Out

Hurried footsteps hit the cobblestones along the quiet road. The lampposts dimly cast yellow shades in the dark, only illuminating a few inches of the ground at a time. The night was pitch black, heavy clouds threatening to rain obstructed the moonlight. The docks were close by so the fog from the sea had drifted onto land giving the air a heavy feel.

Guards had avoided patrolling late in the area, it was unsafe for security men and criminals alike at that time of the night due to the unknown in the fog. Yet one man walked with confidence through the path.

The cloaked figure moving at a fast pace, panted heavily, his hands trembled and his eyes were aglow with fire. Taking the life of another had lit the embers of his, he truly felt alive at the moment, but he quickened his pace. At first he had to have gotten to his workplace, only a few hours left.

Gary, the assassin, was a sordid man, slender and wrinkled fairly with age, he had an apathetic face usually but right then, he smiled with satisfaction. A long time professional who took pride in his range of kills, humans and creatures, travelling various realms during his time in the Muliebrity war. He could feel the weight of his pay in his pocket, it turned out to be a double win. The customer had paid handsomely and his target had on him something quite valuable too.

Suddenly, a chill rattled his spine. Gary paused to look back at the fog that had become denser even though daylight was already approaching. His senses sharpened instinctively, eyes gleamed trying to pierce into the fog to see what it concealed. A few seconds passed till an inhumanly accelerated attack lashed his way. Gary raised his palm and activated the barrier ring, it shone brightly and the light created a network of lines to form a wall.

The attack force ricocheted off the barrier, but pushed Gary back, he planted his feet into the ground not to fall. The attacking long black mass fell limp to the ground and began to pull back.

A figure staggered out of the fog. The woman was tall and her skin pale, unbelievably white. Her green eyes were glassy and lifeless, so were her clothes and the one heel she limped in were whitened, her whole appearance lacked any colour. She was also wet, water dribbled out of openings on her face. She was killed. Assassinated by Gary as he was paid to do.

Gary's eyes narrowed. He examined his kill carefully, apart from being unusually alive after being killed, he scrutinised his prior knowledge of the victim before he had executed his orders;

Name: Sarah Voluch.

Race: Human

Height: 5'11ft

Weight: 65kg

Age: 24 years

He took a week to investigate her routine, habits and abilities. It was an accurate conclusion that she was an ordinary human who got caught up in the rivalry her parents had with his customer. The vital thing was her race and prior knowledge of magic, none that she had.

She was an easy kill, she couldn't sense basic pneuma and more unfortunately didn't have basic survival instincts either, so ironically she didn't know what hit her. Sarah had spent the day with her family, there was a celebratory mood after her engagement announcement. While in the bridal store with her youngest sister, Gary had sent a letter, delivered by a street urchin, posing as her lover.

And so, with her own two feet she walked into the embrace of death. He had leaned on the wall at a sharp corner in wait, once she drew closer, Gary taped her forehead with the back of two fingers. 'Intus Prensar'. The magic was brief and there was little light emitted from the contact of his hands to her forehead.

Gary immediately came forward as her body leaned over, he wrapped his arms around her. He held her close and felt her body's tiny spasms and sighed in satisfaction hearing her breath still.

After her passing he picked her up bridal style, sensing no one in the vicinity. Then it fell from her hand, a brooch, Gary bent to look at it and his eyes widened. He knew that brooch, anyone who had ever had the misfortune of laying eyes on the Queen knew. It was incredibly valuable in currency and magic definitely, so he picked it up and pocket it.

In the brief moment of thinking back, Gary finally realised his mistake. Why was such a valuable thing ever in the hands of an ordinary human? Before finishing the thought, the undead lashed out again, this time with multiple lashes. He utilised the barrier ring again, one thing his life of experience had acutely taught him was when to find his kill and realise he'd be killed.

If he stayed longer, he wouldn't survive. Gary input more power into the ring, thickening the barrier, then he started chanting a spell. The attacks didn't let up and started to break through the net blockade layer by layer. He chanted faster and the wind started to pick up speed, beneath his feet a circular pattern began to form. Once complete, the circle spread out with many other patterned rings. The wind now was raging, coming to wrap round him, the force cut off the attacking black tentacles. In the blink of an eye Gary disappeared without a trace. The creature stood alone on the cobblestone road, the fog had cleared by the wind and the first sign of sunlight gently peeked in between the rain clouds.