Animal Assassins

I sit on the table the old mage has indicated, and he sits on the next chair. Before he was about to introduce me to this guild, he looked back at his members.

"You warriors do not have much more important things to do? We've got a few quests attached to that wall, and all of them seem at a high price."

A few warriors are going to that wall and taking quests, while others are heading to the bar and ordering a drink or two for the female bartender. But Fiona, she took a chair from the other table, and she sits at our table. The old wizard let her tag along in smooth conversation.

All I want from that wizard it is how he could get away to build a guild into a kingdom where this thing is strictly prohibited and it is punished with death. And how in the world he could conceive Fiona joining him and listen to his order. This is magic beyond the masters of magic from all time.

"Now, young wizard. You probably wanted to know the reason why we create a guild, into a kingdom where bounty hunters and guilds are not accepted?... It is because your king has a plan to eradicate the noble families."

"Why? Why he wanted to eradicate these families?" I ask the Wizard who is controlling this guild.

"There are plenty of reasons why he wanted to do it. But, they are shady and some of those families, have decided to try and attack our- I mean, your King."

"King Julius it is not your king?"

"No, young mage." says the leader looking at Fiona who feels quite nervous that I am at that table and not home, helping Diana taking out the furs of some animals. "I am from the Kingdom of Bulgaria. The Queen is the one who gave me orders and the one who controls me. She is also the one who send me on this trip or work. My mission is to remain here until the battle will be done."

"Okay. And that will be when the noble families are eliminated?"

"Yes. Although this will be a much more difficult situation since the King knows we are established into this city, he has to play as he doesn't know that. And so far, it is working. We are acting like civilians or knights, in your and Fiona's case on the day, and on the night, we put our animal masks and attack the noble families successively."

"And... Have you successfully killed one?"

"More like we threaten one," says Fiona, and the mage doesn't seem concerned. "They decided to flee this capital, but at least, we made a bargain."

"You see, child." says the wizard looking at me. "Thi Tavern doesn't belong to us. It belonged to them in the first place. And they sold us their Tavern in exchange to let all of them alive and flee this city in peace."

"You agree on this?"

"... No. We have sent a spy to them and analyze their movements. If they try to come back into this city with bad intentions or any intentions... We will take down their head."

"That is barbaric." I say to the wizard.

"This is the only choice." says Fiona who is feeling guilty because she has also done that to the man who throws that knife at me and sent me into a coma for two weeks ( She told me that when I asked her at our first meeting after coma ). "I do not agree on that, but this is the best we can do."

"... Um... Why are wearing masks when you go into missions?"

"It is because we have to hide our identity. Now, everyone in this guild is wearing an animal mask, except Fiona and Jil, those two can transform into animals. Also, those masks represent the member's powers, loyalty, courage, ways of fighting, and their human instincts."

"You know..." says Fiona at me. "Cause I am half-human-half-vewolf."

"Yeah. I do remember that one time when you were completely transformed and fought the other vewolf." I remained her the thing what was happening that night.

"So he does know your identity?" says the old man. "Very good. Your squire must be stronger than he looks."

"He sure is." she says to the old man wizard with confidence. "He even has a battle skill named "Berserk" and that one is incredibly useful."

"Hmm... It is interesting. A wizard who has a battle skill who is only common at fighters, warriors, and protectors, and not at these types of fighters... It seems that his father or mother was a great warrior."

"Actually, his parents were Maya and Thor."

"Never heard of them." he says the wizard looking at me. "But, I think those parents must be proud because you little warrior, might be a great warrior in the future."

"Are you sure?" I asked the Leader of this group.

"I am sure. Because I have seen many young wizards, but not many of them are so talented like you. But, there is the fact that your parents have passed their skills on you. Probably those were "Berserker" and Double Mana Capacity. Your parents were strong warriors, and I am sorry that I wasn't able to meet them in person."

We talked a few more minutes, about the magic book and where I've got it. But, when I told him I got it from Derek, he laughed.

"That guy has really changed over time."

"W-What do you mean?" I asked the old wizard.

"Derek used to be such a mean and disciplinary teacher when he was much younger. And he gave one of the most precious books of him to you, it sounds amazing."'

"Technically, this book was from my mother before she died."

"This is much more amazing than a noble who is participating in a war and actually fighting for his country instead of complaining! That bastard must be happy every time right?"

"... Yeah... Happy."

After a while, that old wizard was looking at me for a few moments, and he asked a question, to which I have responded honestly.

"So, do you want to join?"

I looked at Fiona, which seems unsure if I wanted to join or not. I guess this is my decision.

Two minutes later, I responded to that old wizard request.

"Wherever my knight goes, I will go. My answer... I will join this guild."

"Good. Now, let's see how you are going to overcome these challenges. Now..." he is getting up from the chair he was sitting in. " Let's get you your mask of this guild, and later you can leave, or remain with Fiona."

The wizard goes into a room, and right when I was about to follow him, Fiona stopped him, and she whispered at me.

"Are you sure you wanted to join? This will be quite brutal. Much harder than those missions we were going."

"Were those missions really hard to you."

"Good point. But, are you certainly sure you wanted to join this guild?"

"This got acceptance from our King, so it might be safe."

Later on, I enter the room where that old wizard has entered, and take my mask of this guild. The mask I have taken resembled the one of a beetle. Why I did took this mask? It seemed quite nice and also, it looked clean. Plus, I do like bugs... A little.

***

Later on, I and Fiona left that guild, and headed to our home, not talking the whole road. It is dawn while we were walking on the paved road which will lead us to our home. But, it is quite warm since the Winter has ended, and now we are in spring, which means that some citizens are going to wear much lighter clothes, while I and Fiona are going to wear heavy clothes, which will make us sweat when the air will be hot. We could've taken light armour, but fighting in those type of armour it is risky because they cannot protect you properly from swords or arrows.

When we have arrived at our home, Fiona opened her door, but when we were about to say "We are back.", we saw Diana, who has left to house on the back door, with the guy who was breaking up right at the wedding, Leo. And to be honest, this is a really awkward scene. Probably much more awkward than one time when I heard weird noises from Fiona's room when we were in Bulgaria at that Inn. We decide to forget it what we saw and we go to our business, relaxing until tomorrow morning.