The Tricksters Way Book 1: The Mortal Universe

Chapter 43 - The Two Types of Inscriptions

Lux stands up from the ground where he had been sitting.
His knees and back crackle from the long time just sitting writing.

Lux had found that when he writes, he has started to use Runes for words rather than write out the words using letters.
He first noticed it when he wrote his name 'LUX' and instead he wrote a Rune meaning Light which had begun to glow with a pale light.
When he wrote 'TENEBRA' he ended up writing a Rune for darkness which started to absorb the Light from the'LUX' Rune.

Lux fearfully says "What is happening?"

The 2 Runes begin to spin into a black and white circle and a deep voice says "If you are hearing this, then you have embarked on the Path to Power Lux, my son.
I placed a spell on you that will active
When you write your name using Rune language.
If you want to find me, become a Heaven God!!"

The black and white circle stops spinning and fades away.

Lux says "Dad! What? What does he mean 'Become a Heaven God!'?"

Lux ponders what just happened, he comes to the conclusion that the message needs to wait.

Lux says "I will continue my experiments and try to make this leather outfit into the best assassins gear.
I already have My Dagger."

Lux sits and continues to practice enchantments.

(4 months later)

Lux shouts with glee "Finally i am finished enchanting my assassins gear.

It has all the enchantments it can handle.
Shrinking enchantments to decrease or increase the size, Shadow cloak for stealth, Strength enchantments to increase attack, Speed enchantments for increased movement and 10 Mana storage reserves to keep me filled with energy at least 10x my current power."

Lux smiles and says while stroking the assassins gear "I think i am ready to become an assassin. I will travel to the Old Crow Inn where their is a
Recruiter."

Lux gets changed and actives the shrinking enchantment to shrink the outfit to fit Lux's 11 year old body.

Once dressed, Lux puts to hood up and teleports to the exit for his garden space.

Lux leaves and arrives in his garden as the sun is setting on the horizon, giving the city a Red-ish glow with dark shadows.
Lux turns around and walks to the edge of wall separating his property from the slums below.
Lux stands on the wall and looks down, he sees the wooden buildings directly below cast in shadow.

Lux closes his eyes and falls forward.
He smiles at the wind blowing against his ears and hair.
As he nears the wooden buildings below, he opens his eyes and uses wind magic to slow his descent.
He lands with a light thump on a wooden roof and begins to run forward while using Shadow Cloak to hide himself in the shadows.
He jumps between rooftops, using wind magic to aid his distance and lighten his weight.

Lux runs to the centre of the slums where he stops on a tall building's roof.
He looks out and sees the Old Crow Inn across the street.
Lux kneels and watches the street.
He sees drunks leave the Inn and walk away.
Lux then creates hand holds down the side of the wooden building he is on.
He uses his nature magic to grow these hand holds.
Lux descends the building and erases the hand holds he created using nature magic.

Lux crosses the street and enter the Old Crow Inn.

When Lux enters he sees drunks laughing and gambling on a boxing match going on in the corner.
Lux sees a old man dressed in a Black Cloth Outfit with a black leather hood.

Lux walks over and asks "I am looking for the Night Crow. Have you seen it?"

The old man nods and says "It is at the Old Town Graveyard. Bring him fresh Blood."

Lux nods and quickly leaves.

Lux climbs the Old Crow Inn using nature magic and looks for the Old Town Graveyard.
He sees its in the distance to the south.
Lux again runs towards the Old Town Graveyard using Shadow Cloak and wind magic.
He runs for about 2 miles till he stops.
Lux sees a mugging by a man against a woman in an alleyway from the roof he was crossing.
Lux stalks along the roof and jumps down on top of the mugger.
Lux cuts the muggers throat and collects some of the blood.
Lux looks up at the woman and says quietly "Sshhhhhhh"
Lux the quickly scales the building behind him and begins again running towards the Old Town Graveyard.
Lux gets as close to the Graveyard as he can by rooftop then he descends to the ground.
Lux lands in the street next to the Old Town Graveyard and quickly enters by jumping the wall usingg wind magic.
Lux walks through the Graveyard quietly till he reaches a Statue of a Woman with 2 large crows on her shoulders.

Lux bows to the Statue and pours the blood he collected from the Mugger.

Lux whispers "I wish to become an assassin, will you accept me?"

From behind the statue, the old man from the Old Crow Inn appears and says "you have the skill to become an assassin, boy.
Your heart is cold and decisive, you killed that Mugger like he was nothing.
You didn't kill the witness. We will remedy this soon.
Come with me."

The old man then walked over to the statue of the woman and stroked the Crow on the right arm.
When he does, an creaking noise appears below the statue and it begins to move.
It reveals a set of stairs which decend underneath the Graveyard.

The old man quickly walks down the stairs with Lux following behind.

They walk through a tunnel made of human skulls till they reach a dark but dry cavern.

The old man says "This is the Assassins Guild. Over there at the desk you will have to write your strength, number of kills and your Codename which you will work under.
We don't use real names.
My Codename is Crow.
I am the Guild Head Master."

With that Crow left back up the tunnel they just used to enter.

Lux walks over to the desk and says "I have to register?"

The woman behind the desk coldly says "My codename is Ghost, i am the Guild Vice Head Master.
Here is your form.
For number of kills, only put confirmed kills.
Bring it back when you are done."

Lux nods and begins to fill in the registration form.
He writes;
(Code Name : Reaper
Strength : Mage level 1, Warrior level 1
Number of Kills : 1)

Lux hands the registration form back to Ghost.

Ghost reads its and says "You are lucky, The Name Reaper has just become available, The old Reaper hasn't reported back in 10 years so he has been pronounced dead.
Here is your Guild Badge, don't lose it."

Lux accepts the guild badge and puts it inside his Vault Bracelet.

Ghost also says "Your room number is 999. As your rank increases within the guild you will get a better room and better benefits.
Your rank as of now is novice, you can only accept Novice and Apprentice level Contracts.
For every contract that you complete, you will be given the money for the contract and guild points.
A Novice contract earns 10 points.
An Apprentice contract earns 20 points.
And so on and so on.
Here is the key to your room.
There is no personal items allowed in the rooms.
Except for equipments and plans for contracts.
This is for your safety and to allow people to quickly move into your room if they advance.
Everyday at 4pm, maids will clean your room, the dormitory is over there."

Lux accept the key and walks to the dormitory.
He finds his room at the end of a long corridor.
Lux opens the door and finds that the room is perfectly neat.
There is a desk and chair, a single bed and a large lamp hanging from the ceiling.

Lux lies on the bed and says "This place is creepy but it seems ok.
I think i will sleep and accept a contract tomorrow."

Gets undressed and get under the duvet covers and falls asleep.

He has a nightmare that skeletons were coming for him and he is trapped in the Assassins Guild.
He hides in the shadows and practices assassination techniques like surprise attacks from the ceiling and hiding under floorboards.