Assassins

Her ignorance to preserving life was shocking. Instead of killing the bandit she could have left him his life. More than likely the bandit would have continued his life of crime but you never knew whether she might have taught him a valuable lesson and caused he life to change considerably. But his life was ended on the flick of a knife blade; he was given no chance to redeem himself but went to the Gods empty of any meaning of life.

Local beliefs of the Gods were that when a man died his soul would go to the higher powers for assessment. People believed that men and women had endless lives and were reincarnated over and over again until they finally understood the meaning of life and moved onto their next phased of existence. But of there endless lives not one single life was ever remembered. Though powerful mages were said to remember other lives and learn from them, even remembering ancient and lost magic’s. The mages interpreted this as being the Gods way of granting upon their favourites forgotten power. Thus enhancing the vast power of the mages. But as the world entered a new age there were not many really powerful mages left and so for time to come ancient magic was again lost.

But more and more people were turning away from magic and using conventional methods of getting what they wanted. Now people no longer considered sending their children to become apprentices of mages but now sent them to become apprentices of fishers and scribes. Due to this there no longer were many new mages left but vast amounts of old ones with very little power left.

~

Sarah approached Oracle; the city was not as big as some she had seen. It was a respectable size. Dead centre stood the ancient keep with its walls and ramparts, turrets and twisting spires. Hard ancient stone interlocked over one another in a sprawling complex. Surrounding the keep stood respectable houses of the rich. The further you looked away from the keep the more close together and dirty the houses got. Vast roads twined with small alleyways and entries from house to house. It was a city much like any other city. It had its beggars and thieves, its pickpockets and street entertainers. It was a growing, bustling city. The market ways thronged with men, women and children. Dogs were in abundant lying haphazard around. Some clearly owned by somebody or another and some clearly strays.

Sarah neared the city wall gate. There seemed to be some sort of inspection going on. Many people were being barred entry into the city. It seemed that something in the Central keep was amiss. Many guards stood in the livery of Palace guards. Men who gave lacking answers to there questions were turned away.

But Sarah seemed unconcerned as always and got inline for the gate. Twenty minutes later she was stopped at the gates by the guard. The gruff looking sergeant looked up at her.

"Excuse me miss. But I insist that you come down off your horse." Sarah complied, "errr…Thank you. Now what brings you here?"

"I’m visiting family, my aunt is very sick she’s come down with the blood plague and I doubt she live for long." The Sergeant seemed unfazed by this.

"Oh yea? Really…tell me where this aunt of yours lives?"

"She lives over near the docks over on the East side near the warehouse district. In a small cluster of sheds."