Chapter One
Sig was the fastest and the deadliest of his brothers. He was also the smallest and he moved quickly behind unsuspecting trolls and killed them with a poisoned dagger. The Thane recommended him to go work at the Court of the Yarl Rolandvir the Great, because the Assassin's War was underway and nobles on the other side needed to die. He was able to get a small loan from his Yarl to buy an enchanted cloak to allow him to move undetected in enemy territory. He spent a number of days on the move within enemy territory, killing Venetian nobles and freeing their slaves to put their economy in a state of chaos. Lief Oddisen was his paymaster and his occasional drinking buddy. "The High Yarl has placed a 10 million guilder bounty on the Emperor himself. Think you can do the job?" asked Lief. "Sure, I just need to find a way to lure this guy to an area so where we can get him. If you think I am going to dance into his sleeping-chamber and get killed, well you can find someone else." said Sig. "I have a plan, this guy is extremely superstitious. He never even uses the chamber-room without getting a divination." said Lief. "We could pose as Priests." said Sig. "Exactly what I was getting to!" said Lief. "We will get enchantments that will make us look Venetian. We cloth ourselves in Imperial Priest's garments and we pay the Emperor a visit." said Lief. "But we have to get him alone with us?" asked Sig. "I have that worked out. Just follow my lead, let me do the talking." said Lief. The two men left the cave and traveled using enchantments and the Priest disguise and traveled to Venetia by ship. They consulted with people in the city and found their way to the Imperial Palace. After convincing the Imperial Guard that they were invited guests, they made their way to the Emperor, looking pious and holy. "Your Highness!" cried Lief. "Your life is in terrible danger and only we know who the plotters are! Come with us!" said Lief. The Emperor nodded and quickly followed the two false priests into the Imperial Gardens. As soon as they were behind a shed, Lief spoke. "On this day" and his voice dropped to a whisper "you will know that you should have never invaded the land of the proud Vyir!" and Sig stabbed the Emperor to death with a small, poisoned blade. The Emperor fell dead and the men went looking for the Prince Royal. They saw a young man playing in the garden with his sister. "Come with us young man." said Lief in official-sounding tones. The boy went with them and they stabbed him quickly and left his body in the open. They dispatched the females of the family next and finally exited the Palace grounds without anyone knowing anything, because Lief, playing the part of a Priest, ordered the soldiers to remain in the Palace. The men slipped out of the city before the alarm could be raised and put on their cloaks of concealment to avoid arrest. They slipped out of Venetia, undetected on a merchant ship and arrived in Vyirlund and went to collect their reward. The two Assassins appeared before the High Yarl in their dress armor. "The deed is done! The Emperor and as many of his family that we could get at are dead." said Lief. "You both got him? Good work. Split the money between yourselves. You've earned it." said the High Yarl.
Chapter Two.
"How dirty are you willing to let your hands become?" asked Lief to his friend in assassination. "Only enemies, not allies." said Sig firmly. "Good, because the Orcish Emperor needs killing and the High Yarl is paying a million guilders for his head. This Orc is far too smart, recruiting mages for an attack on Nordlandia." said Lief. "Count me in, when do we move?" asked Sig. "As soon as possible." said Lief. The men gathered the "tools of their trade" from their houses in the Hold Capitol and began the long journey into the Orcish Empire. They traveled past the heavily-guarded no-mans land in disguise and continued to the Orcish Capitol. The city was an ancient-looking jumble of cut-stone temples, Palaces and Barracks. "No doubt they keep their slaves here. We should free a ton of them just to put them in chaos long enough for us to escape." said Lief in a low whisper. "Going somewhere humans?" asked an Orc Mage. "Kill him!" said Lief in a low whisper but it was too late, the mage caught Sig in a magical net and also caught Lief as well. The Orcish Mage chanted a spell on them and they fell in a deep sleep. The Assassins awoke in an Orcish cell, filled with bones, rats and fecal matter. The stench was horrible. "They took our stuff!" said Lief. "I've played this scenario over and over in my mind. Start a fight with me." said Sig. "YOU NO GOOD THIN LIAR!" shouted Lief to his friend. "You humans shut up or me put you in different cells!" said the uninterested guard. The two men started shoving each other. "Me break you crazies up!" shouted the Orc guard. He opened the cell door and Sig quickly got the key off the Orc and Lief caught the Orc in a headlock. "Goodnight you creature from hell." said Lief. The Orc struggled but fell fast asleep and the men walked out of their cell and went looking for their cloaks. They discovered them in a locked chest and once on, they vanished and proceeded to sneak out of the dungeon. "Trying to escape humans?" asked a familiar Orc mage. He was alone. This time, Sig stabbed the Orc in the neck and tore acrossed the Orc's neck, almost decapitating him. "One Orc mage down. We need to avoid these Orc mages." said Sig. "Follow me." said Lief. They found their way into the Orcish Imperial Palace from the dungeon and slipped past the Imperial Bashers the Imperial Crushers. The Orcish Emperor glowed with an erie purple aura. "We have a problem. That Orc is under an enchantment, he might not be their Emperor, he might be a double." whispered Lief. "But what if his is? If we leave now, we'll miss a chance in a lifetime." hissed Sig. "Watch the one next to the Emperor." said Lief. They watched for a time and the Orc standing next to the Emperor Orc switched places with the other Orc. The Orc in red clothing sat on the Throne. A company of Orcs came up. They began speaking in Orcish to the Emperor and the Emperor merely nodded but said nothing. After a few minutes, the party left and when the Hall was empty, the two Orcs switched places again. "I'll get the one in red, you get the one in the chain mail." said Lief. The assassins made their move and both Orcs quickly died without mercy. The assassins slipped out of the room and ran out of the city while cloaked. They got to a cave and rested. "The Orcs should be all over the place by now." said Lief. They slept in the deeps of the cave, waiting for the confusion to blow over. The next day, they awoke to two Orcs grabbing them by the collars. "You come with us spies!" said a guard Orc. The two men rounded on their captors and quickly killed them. "We are trapped!" said Sig. "No, I chose this cave for a reason, have you heard of the Great Underground Highway? The Thaugmar built it 100 years ago and they still move ore and Thaugmar through it. The entrance is down here." said Lief. They ran down a passage and saw an opening to a Thaugmar tunnel. They entered the tunnel and ran north until they came to a Thaugmar city. "Aye! Vyir! What brings our brave allies to visit us?" asked a Thaugmar blacksmith. "Escaping Orcs." said Sig. "Get food and rest here, they'll never follow you here." said the blacksmith. They all went to a Thaugmar Inn and had some rounds of black mead until Thaugmar guards came. "The High King himself wants to see you." said the guard. The men shrugged their shoulders and went to see the High King. "You are acting alone? We know what you did back there to the Orcs, under a treaty of peace nevertheless! I can't believe that an honorable people would start wars like that!" said the angry Thaugmar High King. "I should throw you back to the Orcs!" said the angry High King. "Your Highness, we were acting on official orders!" protested Lief. "Fine, I will send you in chains back to your High Yarl and he will make the judgement on you." said the angry Thaugmar High King. Lief looked like a whipped little boy. "I am sorry Sig, I think I screwed us." said Lief. The Thaugmar threw the men into a prison mine cart and they sent it down the tracks of the Great Underground Highway to the Hold of King Wenfles, an allied Thaugmar King to the High Yarl. King Wenfles released them and took off their chains. "Sorry lads, I heard what you did was official, from the High Yarl himself. Our High King is eager to keep us out of war with the Orcs." said the apologetic Thaugmar King.
The Vyir assassins traveled from the underground hold and traveled by foot to the Royal Hold. They entered the Great Hall and looked around. "The High Yarl sends his apologies. There was a mistake. You men can go with your freedom but we cannot pay the bounty." said the Chancellor. The two men left the Great Hall a bit angry and disgusted. They returned to their houses and went back to their hobbies as they waited for their next assignment.
Chapter Three
"The High Yarl has another assignment for us." said Lief. "No way, it could be a trap." said Sig, sensing danger. "No, the High Yarl does not kill his own people." said Lief. "What is this job?" asked Sig. "We are to kill the High King of the Kelti. said Lief. "I'm game." said Sig. The men slipped on their disguises and made their way to the far east, where the Kelti Kingdom was. It took two weeks to travel and they finally made it to the walls of the Royal City. "Wait here." said Lief. He went away and Sig waited. A group came up. There was a troop of mages and Lief guiding them. "Sorry old friend." said Lief as Sig was knocked out and he awoke in a cell. "You traitor!" he screamed from the cell but he knew that his friend was miles from where he was. The guards came for him. "Last meal." said the guards. They shoved a plate of meats and cheeses in front of his nose. "Eat" they said in kelti. He ate his last meal in tears, knowing the terrible price he was paying for being a man-killer. They dragged him up to the gallows and a Priest of the Light asked him if he wanted to say any last words. "I am sorry." he croaked to the people standing around the gallows. "I am not a hater of men, I was only doing my job." said Sig. They placed the noose around his neck and the executioner read the sentence of death and the numerous crimes that he was guilty of. The executioner shoved a hood over his face and tightened the noose. He waited for death. "STOP!" said a voice. Everyone gasped. It was the famous High Elf Druid Farquist. "By order of the Druids, he is free to go!" said the Arch-druid. The executioner lifted the hood and noose off Sig's head. "Thank you." croaked Sig. "Get on my horse and don't talk human." said the High Elf. They rode out of the Capitol and rode to a grove to the south. They dismounted and the High Elf whistled to his friends. They came out and greeted Sig. "We rescued you because you killed a great tormentor of our people, the Orc Mage Nylox." said the High Druid. "You have a treaty with the hated kelti?" asked Sig. "You know what they did to us." he added. "Aren't you glad that we did? I wouldn't have gotten you out of there." said the High Druid. "Where is Lief?" asked Sig. "Lief was killed by an Orcish assassin." said the High Druid, "sent by us." not batting an eye. "The Druids Council felt that your petty war went on for long enough so we are killing and converting assassins from all sides. We desire peace." said the High Druid. "I will gladly return to Vyirlund and agree to never kill another being again." said Sig. "We can help you with that, remain with us. The High Priest of the Light would like to see you." said the High Druid.
Chapter Four.
Sig agreed to become a lay priest and a healer for a period of ten years. On a daily basis, he learned from the great masters of the Light and he slowly came to deeply repent his past life. The High Elves gave him the warmth and love that he needed to leave the assassins life behind entirely. Neela, daughter of the High Druid, took a liking to him and hinted that she was of marriagable age. They talked for hours and laughed and cried and finally they went to the High Druid. "One of us and a human? This has never been done before but I don't see a reason to oppose this marriage. But aware human that my daughter will live for 1,000 years and you are but a mere human, only living to 120 years. She will miss you when you pass away but she will find another mate and forget you." he said sternly. "I understand." said Sig. "Then the ceremony is tomarrow." said the Druid. The day passed and Sig went to heal some injured High Elves. The next day came and the two were married. "After my ten years, come with me back to Vyirlund." said Sig to his new wife. "I am scared." she said. "Don't be, everything will be all right." he said. After his 10-year vow of service, he sailed back to Vyirlund with his High Elf wife and his several hybrid children. He reached port and took his family down the road, through the woods to his home hall. His wife began to cry and she went into the woods and collapsed. What he saw next was remarkable. She began to slowly transform into an giant oak tree and her children joined her, they walked into her transforming mass as he cried out after them. He watched the Oak reach to the sky and stopped growing. He touched the tree and heard her thoughts to him. "Go my beloved, I was dying here in your homeland but now I can live the full 1,000 years. My children are in me, I have reclaimed them. They will drop off as seeds and become oaks as well. Farewell and know that I always love you." she whispered to him. He wept and left the area for home. He purchased the land that his eternal beloved grew on and he built a temple of the Gods of the Light around her. He tended to the sick as the High Priest there and he took on acolytes over time. The tree itself bore several acorns, which he lovingly planted in the grounds around the Temple.
Chapter Five.
When he died, the Priests buried him under the Great Oak and his spirit was united with hers at last in peace.
The End.
Sig was the fastest and the deadliest of his brothers. He was also the smallest and he moved quickly behind unsuspecting trolls and killed them with a poisoned dagger. The Thane recommended him to go work at the Court of the Yarl Rolandvir the Great, because the Assassin's War was underway and nobles on the other side needed to die. He was able to get a small loan from his Yarl to buy an enchanted cloak to allow him to move undetected in enemy territory. He spent a number of days on the move within enemy territory, killing Venetian nobles and freeing their slaves to put their economy in a state of chaos. Lief Oddisen was his paymaster and his occasional drinking buddy. "The High Yarl has placed a 10 million guilder bounty on the Emperor himself. Think you can do the job?" asked Lief. "Sure, I just need to find a way to lure this guy to an area so where we can get him. If you think I am going to dance into his sleeping-chamber and get killed, well you can find someone else." said Sig. "I have a plan, this guy is extremely superstitious. He never even uses the chamber-room without getting a divination." said Lief. "We could pose as Priests." said Sig. "Exactly what I was getting to!" said Lief. "We will get enchantments that will make us look Venetian. We cloth ourselves in Imperial Priest's garments and we pay the Emperor a visit." said Lief. "But we have to get him alone with us?" asked Sig. "I have that worked out. Just follow my lead, let me do the talking." said Lief. The two men left the cave and traveled using enchantments and the Priest disguise and traveled to Venetia by ship. They consulted with people in the city and found their way to the Imperial Palace. After convincing the Imperial Guard that they were invited guests, they made their way to the Emperor, looking pious and holy. "Your Highness!" cried Lief. "Your life is in terrible danger and only we know who the plotters are! Come with us!" said Lief. The Emperor nodded and quickly followed the two false priests into the Imperial Gardens. As soon as they were behind a shed, Lief spoke. "On this day" and his voice dropped to a whisper "you will know that you should have never invaded the land of the proud Vyir!" and Sig stabbed the Emperor to death with a small, poisoned blade. The Emperor fell dead and the men went looking for the Prince Royal. They saw a young man playing in the garden with his sister. "Come with us young man." said Lief in official-sounding tones. The boy went with them and they stabbed him quickly and left his body in the open. They dispatched the females of the family next and finally exited the Palace grounds without anyone knowing anything, because Lief, playing the part of a Priest, ordered the soldiers to remain in the Palace. The men slipped out of the city before the alarm could be raised and put on their cloaks of concealment to avoid arrest. They slipped out of Venetia, undetected on a merchant ship and arrived in Vyirlund and went to collect their reward. The two Assassins appeared before the High Yarl in their dress armor. "The deed is done! The Emperor and as many of his family that we could get at are dead." said Lief. "You both got him? Good work. Split the money between yourselves. You've earned it." said the High Yarl.
Chapter Two.
"How dirty are you willing to let your hands become?" asked Lief to his friend in assassination. "Only enemies, not allies." said Sig firmly. "Good, because the Orcish Emperor needs killing and the High Yarl is paying a million guilders for his head. This Orc is far too smart, recruiting mages for an attack on Nordlandia." said Lief. "Count me in, when do we move?" asked Sig. "As soon as possible." said Lief. The men gathered the "tools of their trade" from their houses in the Hold Capitol and began the long journey into the Orcish Empire. They traveled past the heavily-guarded no-mans land in disguise and continued to the Orcish Capitol. The city was an ancient-looking jumble of cut-stone temples, Palaces and Barracks. "No doubt they keep their slaves here. We should free a ton of them just to put them in chaos long enough for us to escape." said Lief in a low whisper. "Going somewhere humans?" asked an Orc Mage. "Kill him!" said Lief in a low whisper but it was too late, the mage caught Sig in a magical net and also caught Lief as well. The Orcish Mage chanted a spell on them and they fell in a deep sleep. The Assassins awoke in an Orcish cell, filled with bones, rats and fecal matter. The stench was horrible. "They took our stuff!" said Lief. "I've played this scenario over and over in my mind. Start a fight with me." said Sig. "YOU NO GOOD THIN LIAR!" shouted Lief to his friend. "You humans shut up or me put you in different cells!" said the uninterested guard. The two men started shoving each other. "Me break you crazies up!" shouted the Orc guard. He opened the cell door and Sig quickly got the key off the Orc and Lief caught the Orc in a headlock. "Goodnight you creature from hell." said Lief. The Orc struggled but fell fast asleep and the men walked out of their cell and went looking for their cloaks. They discovered them in a locked chest and once on, they vanished and proceeded to sneak out of the dungeon. "Trying to escape humans?" asked a familiar Orc mage. He was alone. This time, Sig stabbed the Orc in the neck and tore acrossed the Orc's neck, almost decapitating him. "One Orc mage down. We need to avoid these Orc mages." said Sig. "Follow me." said Lief. They found their way into the Orcish Imperial Palace from the dungeon and slipped past the Imperial Bashers the Imperial Crushers. The Orcish Emperor glowed with an erie purple aura. "We have a problem. That Orc is under an enchantment, he might not be their Emperor, he might be a double." whispered Lief. "But what if his is? If we leave now, we'll miss a chance in a lifetime." hissed Sig. "Watch the one next to the Emperor." said Lief. They watched for a time and the Orc standing next to the Emperor Orc switched places with the other Orc. The Orc in red clothing sat on the Throne. A company of Orcs came up. They began speaking in Orcish to the Emperor and the Emperor merely nodded but said nothing. After a few minutes, the party left and when the Hall was empty, the two Orcs switched places again. "I'll get the one in red, you get the one in the chain mail." said Lief. The assassins made their move and both Orcs quickly died without mercy. The assassins slipped out of the room and ran out of the city while cloaked. They got to a cave and rested. "The Orcs should be all over the place by now." said Lief. They slept in the deeps of the cave, waiting for the confusion to blow over. The next day, they awoke to two Orcs grabbing them by the collars. "You come with us spies!" said a guard Orc. The two men rounded on their captors and quickly killed them. "We are trapped!" said Sig. "No, I chose this cave for a reason, have you heard of the Great Underground Highway? The Thaugmar built it 100 years ago and they still move ore and Thaugmar through it. The entrance is down here." said Lief. They ran down a passage and saw an opening to a Thaugmar tunnel. They entered the tunnel and ran north until they came to a Thaugmar city. "Aye! Vyir! What brings our brave allies to visit us?" asked a Thaugmar blacksmith. "Escaping Orcs." said Sig. "Get food and rest here, they'll never follow you here." said the blacksmith. They all went to a Thaugmar Inn and had some rounds of black mead until Thaugmar guards came. "The High King himself wants to see you." said the guard. The men shrugged their shoulders and went to see the High King. "You are acting alone? We know what you did back there to the Orcs, under a treaty of peace nevertheless! I can't believe that an honorable people would start wars like that!" said the angry Thaugmar High King. "I should throw you back to the Orcs!" said the angry High King. "Your Highness, we were acting on official orders!" protested Lief. "Fine, I will send you in chains back to your High Yarl and he will make the judgement on you." said the angry Thaugmar High King. Lief looked like a whipped little boy. "I am sorry Sig, I think I screwed us." said Lief. The Thaugmar threw the men into a prison mine cart and they sent it down the tracks of the Great Underground Highway to the Hold of King Wenfles, an allied Thaugmar King to the High Yarl. King Wenfles released them and took off their chains. "Sorry lads, I heard what you did was official, from the High Yarl himself. Our High King is eager to keep us out of war with the Orcs." said the apologetic Thaugmar King.
The Vyir assassins traveled from the underground hold and traveled by foot to the Royal Hold. They entered the Great Hall and looked around. "The High Yarl sends his apologies. There was a mistake. You men can go with your freedom but we cannot pay the bounty." said the Chancellor. The two men left the Great Hall a bit angry and disgusted. They returned to their houses and went back to their hobbies as they waited for their next assignment.
Chapter Three
"The High Yarl has another assignment for us." said Lief. "No way, it could be a trap." said Sig, sensing danger. "No, the High Yarl does not kill his own people." said Lief. "What is this job?" asked Sig. "We are to kill the High King of the Kelti. said Lief. "I'm game." said Sig. The men slipped on their disguises and made their way to the far east, where the Kelti Kingdom was. It took two weeks to travel and they finally made it to the walls of the Royal City. "Wait here." said Lief. He went away and Sig waited. A group came up. There was a troop of mages and Lief guiding them. "Sorry old friend." said Lief as Sig was knocked out and he awoke in a cell. "You traitor!" he screamed from the cell but he knew that his friend was miles from where he was. The guards came for him. "Last meal." said the guards. They shoved a plate of meats and cheeses in front of his nose. "Eat" they said in kelti. He ate his last meal in tears, knowing the terrible price he was paying for being a man-killer. They dragged him up to the gallows and a Priest of the Light asked him if he wanted to say any last words. "I am sorry." he croaked to the people standing around the gallows. "I am not a hater of men, I was only doing my job." said Sig. They placed the noose around his neck and the executioner read the sentence of death and the numerous crimes that he was guilty of. The executioner shoved a hood over his face and tightened the noose. He waited for death. "STOP!" said a voice. Everyone gasped. It was the famous High Elf Druid Farquist. "By order of the Druids, he is free to go!" said the Arch-druid. The executioner lifted the hood and noose off Sig's head. "Thank you." croaked Sig. "Get on my horse and don't talk human." said the High Elf. They rode out of the Capitol and rode to a grove to the south. They dismounted and the High Elf whistled to his friends. They came out and greeted Sig. "We rescued you because you killed a great tormentor of our people, the Orc Mage Nylox." said the High Druid. "You have a treaty with the hated kelti?" asked Sig. "You know what they did to us." he added. "Aren't you glad that we did? I wouldn't have gotten you out of there." said the High Druid. "Where is Lief?" asked Sig. "Lief was killed by an Orcish assassin." said the High Druid, "sent by us." not batting an eye. "The Druids Council felt that your petty war went on for long enough so we are killing and converting assassins from all sides. We desire peace." said the High Druid. "I will gladly return to Vyirlund and agree to never kill another being again." said Sig. "We can help you with that, remain with us. The High Priest of the Light would like to see you." said the High Druid.
Chapter Four.
Sig agreed to become a lay priest and a healer for a period of ten years. On a daily basis, he learned from the great masters of the Light and he slowly came to deeply repent his past life. The High Elves gave him the warmth and love that he needed to leave the assassins life behind entirely. Neela, daughter of the High Druid, took a liking to him and hinted that she was of marriagable age. They talked for hours and laughed and cried and finally they went to the High Druid. "One of us and a human? This has never been done before but I don't see a reason to oppose this marriage. But aware human that my daughter will live for 1,000 years and you are but a mere human, only living to 120 years. She will miss you when you pass away but she will find another mate and forget you." he said sternly. "I understand." said Sig. "Then the ceremony is tomarrow." said the Druid. The day passed and Sig went to heal some injured High Elves. The next day came and the two were married. "After my ten years, come with me back to Vyirlund." said Sig to his new wife. "I am scared." she said. "Don't be, everything will be all right." he said. After his 10-year vow of service, he sailed back to Vyirlund with his High Elf wife and his several hybrid children. He reached port and took his family down the road, through the woods to his home hall. His wife began to cry and she went into the woods and collapsed. What he saw next was remarkable. She began to slowly transform into an giant oak tree and her children joined her, they walked into her transforming mass as he cried out after them. He watched the Oak reach to the sky and stopped growing. He touched the tree and heard her thoughts to him. "Go my beloved, I was dying here in your homeland but now I can live the full 1,000 years. My children are in me, I have reclaimed them. They will drop off as seeds and become oaks as well. Farewell and know that I always love you." she whispered to him. He wept and left the area for home. He purchased the land that his eternal beloved grew on and he built a temple of the Gods of the Light around her. He tended to the sick as the High Priest there and he took on acolytes over time. The tree itself bore several acorns, which he lovingly planted in the grounds around the Temple.
Chapter Five.
When he died, the Priests buried him under the Great Oak and his spirit was united with hers at last in peace.
The End.
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