NEMO: Into The Depths

Chapter 1: Planned to Perfection

He held the orb in his hands and started to pour his mana slowly into it. The orb started to hiss and whir, his energy bringing it to life. Anxiety crept over him, as the noises from the orb started to become more erratic, before suddenly, after a minute of sustained mana infusion, it fell silent, becoming a perfect sphere once again. Alexander threw the orb onto the crown of the Firewood tree, making sure to scare any animals that may have been living there. Alexander turned around to face the direction he came from, turning roughly fifteen degrees to the left, and started running.

It didn't take long before he reached the castle grounds once again, facing a newly installed steel fence. The fence was a cinch to climb, even while lugging twenty kilograms of armour. Following the map he had etched in his mind, Alexander knew he was towards the rear of the castle. He quickly got out of the armour, tossing it into a bush, and started to climb the castle's exterior. He kept up the ascent till he reached an open window, climbing into the castle's quite expansive attic. Alexander plopped down on an old dusty chair in front of him, glad to take a breather, pulling out a copper pocket watch. It had only been ten or so minutes since he started, and now he had to wait another twelve.

As he settled into the chair, he heard some floorboards' creek, probably a rat or even a rust eater, but he had to be sure. Focusing his attention, concentrating his magic into a singularity, before releasing a wave of mana, akin to the echolocation of a bat. He felt something tall to his right, and worse of all, it seemed to be moving towards him. Alexander straightened in his chair, crossing one leg over the other, and clasped his hands in his lap, intertwining his fingers.

Alexander said, as calmly as one could, "If you're trying to stab me, I would strongly advise against it."

*****

Elyza stood over the unconscious guard, contemplating whether to kill him or not. Her window of opportunity was quickly closing. Elyza had tracked the slave trade to this town, and this had to be its end. She paced the shed, her mind racing to think of something. Slipping in with the delivery was the only way she could think of. Fortunately, the approaching footsteps made that decision for her. Elyza lifted the guard, armour and all, and plopped him into an open crate.

She ran towards the back of the shed, finding a hatch to the roof, and pulled herself up. She scanned the Earl's castle for a way in and spotted an open window. Elyza didn't think why that was, only that it would lead to her slicing the earl's throat ever so quicker. She jumped into a cluster of bushes to break her fall. As she started to get up, a guard ran past her with the unconscious person on his back. Elyza fell flat to the floor, only standing when she was sure that the coast was clear. She sneaked her way towards the open wall, hiding whenever she heard any sound even remotely close to one of a footstep.

Elyza pulled out a rope out of her pouch as she neared the open window. A three-pronged hook was attached to one end of her rope. The hook was showing its age, with rust creeping through the metal. She let out a slow sigh, spinning the hook end of the rope in her hand, and tossed it over the castle. When she felt the hook land on the roof, Elyza started pulling, waiting for it to catch. As soon as it did, she started to scale the building relatively easily. She had almost reached the window, when she felt the rope become slack for a moment. She managed to slip through the window just before the prongs on the hook gave way, sending the rope tumbling below. As she caught her breath, Elyza glanced down to see a small rust-eater creature grab the fallen hook and run, pulling the rope behind it.

Elyza looked around the attic. Most of the stuff was covered with cobwebs and dirt, having been left and forgotten. She walked around through a maze of crates, trying to find a way down, some of them holding antiques, some just filled with junk. Finally, she spotted a door. Her hand reached out to grab the door's handle, but it hesitated. Elyza didn't know why, her revenge would be over if she continued on her way, yet something in her mind stopped her.

The creak of wood echoed through the attic, shifting Elyza's attention completely. Quietly walking back toward the open window, she pulled out a throwing knife from her pouch. As she got closer to the window, she started using the myriads of crates as cover. She peeked to the corner, trying to spot what had made the noise. The emerging moon was shining through the window, and she could make out a figure sitting on a chair.

Elyza wanted to get closer to the figure, but as soon as she put her foot forward, a deafening creak bellowed throughout the attic. Her heart was beating faster than ever as she dived into cover, thankfully not making even more noise. Elyza glanced at the figure once again, distinguishing the silhouette of a mysterious black cloak. It didn't seem to have noticed the noise, just sitting silently. She started to approach again, her movements being shrouded in darkness, her knife slowly raising in anticipation. The figure suddenly straightened itself. It looked in her general direction and spoke,

"If you're trying to stab me, I would strongly advise against it."

Elyza stopped dead in her tracks. The voice sounded crisp and clear. She could guess that the figure was a man, and that he was at the younger side. Noticing that she had stopped, the figure got up with both hands in the air, showing that he was unarmed.

"Since you haven't stabbed me yet, I'm going to guess you're still thinking what to do next," he said, speaking softly. He approached Elyza with empty hands in the air, and said, "May I propose we try to talk things out," presenting his hand to her.

Elyza's mind faltered, the rational part of her mind telling her to stab him, however her gut wanted to hear him out. His hand dangled in the air for a few more seconds, before he withdrew it, sitting back on the chair

"Suspicion or bafflement at my behaviour, either is understandable."

The figure crossed his legs, "My name's Alex, and I'm an assassin. Now, your turn," he said, waiting for a response. Elyza's knife came down, still ready to strike, yet now she was interested in the conversation with a man who had easily revealed what many would think of as their darkest secret.

Alex continued talking, "I'm willing to bet the world on the fact that we're both here to do the same thing. But I'm sure we have different reasons to," pausing for effect, "Mine is the job, but yours... Yours is revenge, right?"

Elyza's mind went into panic mode, trying to think of ways he could possibly have known. He must have met her before, but she would've remembered him. Her face must have betrayed her thoughts, as a smug grin spread over Alex's face.

Elyza spoke with feigned flatness, "How'd you -"

"Don't worry, I can't read minds, as far as I know. Your ears are visible through your hood, ya'know. And I've heard enough rumours about the Earl's opinions about non-humans to know what horrors he must've made you suffer, directly or indirectly," He said delicately.

Elyza cleared her head, "Then you know what I must do, so if you try to give me a speech about how 'revenge is bad' or some other philosophical bullshit."

"Oh please," Alex chuckled, "You don't need to tell me. I know some of us won't be able till we finish the job," approaching her, "So, how about I help you reach him quietly, and then, if you feel like it," extending his hand once again, "You hear what I have to say."

Elyza thought about it for a moment, the deal sounded too good to be true, but as far as she could tell there wasn't a shred of dishonesty in his words. She didn't want to trust a human, but the burning desire for revenge within her heart ultimately overshadowed her cautious instincts. Elyza took his hand and shook it.

Alex smiled softly, "Great," pulling out a pocket watch, "Now we just have to wait for nine minutes."