An Assassin's Tale: A Beginning

By Wolfgang J. Taumberger

Some in this world are chosen to wield a power far beyond humanely imagination and some to undo them once they grow arrogant in their strength. Yet seldom do they know.
This is the tale of how three lonesome souls become connected to each other in ways most unexpected and gruesome. This is the tale of an Assassin, a protégé heir to a wealthy family and a smith's apprentice. Nothing do they share except for one hidden latency. But will they live to know? And which side will they approach in order to establish the new order of the world?

Magic is happening in the west, it always has and yet little does the rest of the world know about it. But when Valdin's journey is forced to a halt in a bloody and yet miraculous way he perceives a glimpse of what his life could be.
When Melvin's apprenticeship finds a sudden end and he is left with nothing but darkness and solitude, a light shines upon him to grant him a second chance in life few people even dare to dream of. If he only knew.
Three journeys, three souls, three ambitions. A world is about to shatter and form anew.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wolfgang J. Taumberger
• Release date: Nov 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370840625

Wolfgang J. Taumberger

Born in the nineties in the western outskirts of Vienna, Austria, Wolfgang is pursuing his dreams of bodybuilding, studying nutrition science and, well, writing. Even though writing has been a great passion of his since as long as he can remember, it wasn't always possible to exercise this fervor, either because of a lack of knowledge of the English language or a lack of knowledge as a whole or maybe the fact that he keeps working part-time next to his studies and training. He is a start-up but everybody has to start at some point he figured and so, well, there I go...

Book preview

An Assassin's Tale

A Beginning

By Wolfgang J. Taumberger

Copywrite 2017 Wolfgang J. Taumberger

All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition

Conquisitus

There is always a beginning. Every end, every choice is the beginning of something new. As life can bring misfortune and suffering, death can bring life and relief.

These were the last words that crossed Kor's mind right before he fell.

Introduction

The night was dark, but everything was bathed in cold blue moonlight. It was still very early, not the proper hour for a young lady to stroll around town, but that didn't really concern Keila. She enjoyed those hours of the night, since it became increasingly difficult for her to fall asleep. At first it was very hard for her and made her desperate, but then it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to sleep by daylight and stroll about by night.

You may find beauty in everything around you. You just have to look for it, sometimes more closely, but it is there. For Keila it lay in the night, or rather in everything that got transformed by the touch of the dark.

She was never a very communicative person and frankly, there wasn't much in her life so far that made he shiver with delight. But her nightly walks in the streets of Bel'jung were something she was looking forward to every time anew. There was no disturbance, nothing to make her feel uncomfortable, simply nature to be enjoyed to the fullest.

Maybe it was the silence or maybe the air that tasted different, or something else entirely, but Keila felt drawn to it. It meant complete harmony to her.

This was an unusual way of thinking for a 14 year old girl, Keila was well aware of that, but she wasn't an ordinary young girl to begin with.

Her mother was deceased, her father crippled and the rest of the family unknown to her. She had begun to toughen up against the realities of the world at a very young age. She wasn't easily worried or alarmed by anything any longer.

There had never been much joy in her life, not even in her early years. Maybe it were the circumstances or just her personality, but life had had its way with her and it wasn't a lovely one.

Walking along on the cold cobblestones, eyes shining more brightly now that it wasn't daylight any more, Keila began to hum a quiet tune. It was a merry melody she had once heard a little girl sing. Even though she didn't really care for music nor any other form of entertainment, that one tune had mysteriously gotten stuck in her memory.

At her right she could make out the Building of Studies in the distance, looking ever so beautiful in the moonlight. It was her place of education and though it was an impressive building by day, it rose even more solemnly above the rooftops of Bel'jung at night. The tall stone walls had something menacing about them and it didn't look like a place of wisdom at all, even though it was built with exactly that intent.

At times of war it had been considered top priority to keep the scholars and their knowledge safe. Therefore they had been imprisoned in the stone fortress, never to leave again. That measure obviously hadn't fulfilled its purpose, since technology originating from Bel'jung spread throughout the country now.

The purpose of the building was the same today, except that scholars now were free to come and go whenever they wanted. Keila couldn't remember it any other way.

Even though she was very willing to learn, there wasn't much that drew her to this place. Maybe it was the company of her fellow students, but she never felt quite comfortable spending time in the Building of Studies. Since there were little other options for her to make a living later on, except for maybe selling herself, she had long accepted that this inconvenience was part of her life and she tried to make the best of it.

The moon was full and luminous and there wasn't any sound except for her own footfalls. She had passed the Building of Studies and the houses were getting fewer. She now neared her favourite place in all of Bel'jung.

Where the road turned left, there stood a large tree to the right. Its branches hung low to the ground and its leaves shone silvery in the moonlight. Nearly hidden between the heavy branches there was a wooden bench that offered a place to sit and savour the marvellous view over the whole city. Every now and then a rabbit or some nocturnal animal could be heard scuttling through the bushes.

For Keila nothing could equal the beauty of this place, especially not at night. Everything was perfect. This was were she could feel at peace with herself. So every night she came here and it was always beautiful. Except for this time. Tonight there was a shadow sitting on her bank, staring at her with glittering eyes.

Loudly the carriage rumbled along through the woods of Mor'lach, towards the city of Hal'lach, his home town. It was were he was born, where he had spent most of his early years and where he had grown to despise the world and it's inhabitants. At least most of them. And that wasn't true either, since he loved nature and he loved animals. In fact he only hated humans. Most of them.

For most this would not be easy to understand, since he had always had everything he desired, at least everything that could be bought with money.

His family was rich, very rich and powerful. In unruly times it supplied the warring nations with weapons. To his father it had never really mattered to which nation he was selling, since in times of war every business involving arms is a lucrative one.

His family was powerful and smart. So powerful, that if they wanted to put their own interests up front and instigate a conflict, they had the necessary means at hand. But overall, war hardly ever is profitable in the end and so most of the time they contented themselves with a more or less peaceful and golden life. At least officially.

Valdin was his family's first male offspring. He was 21 years old, had the smarts of someone way above his age and more money at his disposal than one could spend in several lifetimes. There shouldn't have been much in this world to bring him discomfort. But in fact there were many things he despised.

There was his father, a money hungry warmonger who wouldn't do anything to prevent an upcoming conflict where he saw one, but who would try to make a profit out of it. Then there was his mother who had the looks of an angel but the personality of a demon. She was devious and jaundiced at heart and wasted his father's money for everything she had put her mind to.

And finally there were his siblings. A sister, older than him by a few years, who followed in her mother's footsteps and three little brothers who were arrogant and useless no matter what they were doing. At least in Valdin's eyes. They were not smart, refused to do anything manual by themself and had just hit the age where they started chasing young maids up and down the house.

If his family were his only discomfort, though, Valdin wouldn't have much of a problem. He kept himself busy with his own interests and usually managed to keep away from them.

It was rather that he was bored with his life. Valdin was smart, very smart. He had already learned a lot that students his age usually were taught at a much later age. He had managed several craftsmanships like processing wood or forging metal and had toned his body through various martial arts and the usage of weaponry of all kinds.

But still he was bored and fed up with the world at large. He hated people, their naivety, their subordination, their bowing to power and their willingness to bear any abasement for their worthless little survival. He even hated their smell. The smell of the poor who didn't wash nor pay any attention to their health. But even more did he hate the smell of the rich and their heavy perfumes and above all their arrogance. Valdin despised arrogance. Not just once had he annoyed his father by teaching his brothers a lesson or two. But that had been a long time ago, back when he still cared. He was now beyond that point.

Moreover, as he had borne witness to much cruelty and unfairness so far, he had simply arrived at the point of acceptance. He accepted things because they didn't matter to him personally any more. It had been many years since he had been enraged by something he had deemed wrong. Now he went through life with his eyes half open, feeling neither joy nor unhappiness and with an apathetic attitude towards almost everything.

As was his preferred way, he was alone in his carriage. It was drawn by four horses with one coachman to lead them. Behind him, at his fathers insistence, rode two heavily armed guards who were not allowed to leave his side, even against his own orders. Their names were Ulfrick and Waldor, two former mercenaries from the land of Limda, a country known for its tough living conditions and alacrity for selling its soldiers.

They were fiercely loyal to his family, there was no doubt about that, since their pay was most generous. But it wasn't their toughness in battle nor their fighting experience that had won Valdin over to them. It was their unpredictability. Valdin was quite taken by their frivolous behaviour. These two guardsmen of his paid little heed to rank or customs They were honest and spoke their mind no matter who was listening. In fact, it was Valdin who had put them into his father's service and they never forgot it.

Listening to their chatter while they were busy with trivial chores somehow put his mind at ease and every now and then even a smile on his face. He had learned to love them in his own way and since he had no friends they had become the closest thing to it he had ever known.

Lost in thought, Valdin gazed absent-mindedly out of the carriage at the dense woods along the road. The sunlight had faded and dusk was setting in. He had never minded the dark as there wasn't anything scary about it. It was more an inconvenience to him, since obviously you couldn't see as well as by day.

They had been on the road for several hours already and his eyes felt heavy. The trees began to blur and the dark finally took over. Valdin fell asleep as soon as they entered the forest.

The moon stood proudly above the tree tops, its cold blue light shining brightly. Kor took one last sip from the brook, the water clear as glass, shimmering in the pale light.

He rose and cast one last look around him to remember the setting of the trees, the plants and the brook, in case he should be in need of fresh water when he returned.

It all looked so beautiful, so perfectly at peace and in harmony. He spotted a little fox scuttle back into the copse. He just felt content and smiled.

He spoke a prayer for the fox, the trees and the woods and then turned around and headed into the forest. The air was pleasantly cool and the sky was clear. It was a perfect night.

Joyfully, Kor started to run, scaring up the fox again, as well as some deer and a few other animals. He passed all kinds of trees and wonderfully fragrant bushes and flowers. Then a glade opened up before him. He turned left and headed back into the forest again.

Kor was satisfied with himself. So far he was on course and the night was still young. The trees now stood so close together that he could hardly see the moon above. But then he reduced his speed and cautiously slid through the bushes until he stopped abruptly.

The air was clear and calm, his breathing and the slight movement of the leaves the only sound. Kor stood perfectly still, his eyes closed. He felt a slight vibration beneath his feet. It was very subtle and it's source still far away, but it was very distinctive. He opened his eyes again and very slowly moved on.

The vibration of the earth became stronger. As he slid through the dense bushes, a single cloud prevented the moonlight from lightening up his surroundings, but now Kor could hear a pounding quite clearly and he knew that he was near it's source.

Slowly he worked his way towards it.

The neighing of a chivvied horse rang out. Kor pulled up his mask and sprinted on.

Screams resounded and onlookers huddled together in the street. Artisans, beggars and harlots, they all gathered around the old tree to catch a glimpse of what had happened there.

It was another usual workday for young Melvin who had just gotten up and ready for master Zarle. The old blacksmith was known for his grumpiness in the early morning hours, so he certainly didn't want to be late. It was his second day in the old master's service, but he had already learned.

Urgently he squeezed through the crowd and tried not to heed whatever it was that had caught everyone's attention so early in the morning. As he pushed aside an old woman who was nagging at someone who seemed to be her son, he was suddenly hit hard in the back with something heavy which made him stumble forward.

His head buzzing, his breathing fast, he got up and realized that the crowd was now facing him and that he suddenly seemed to be the centre of their attention. He turned around, more than curious what it was that had caused this much of a ruckus. There stood a tree with a thick trunk, its branches hanging low to the ground and the leaves strewn all about. It was the old Wiggle Tree, well know to Melvin.

Back when he was younger, he and his friends had roamed the city every day and all day long. And sometimes, to impress a girl or two, they had taken them to this place, since it afforded a really nice few of the city at night. Not just once had the mistletoe meant well for him.

But all those delightful memories abruptly shattered when he saw a young girl lying at the foot of the tree. Her throat had been slit and blood was splattered all over her blue dress. Her skin was pale, her eyes wide open, as if still in terror of what she had seen before the end. It was a horrifying sight.

'It's the night walking gal', he heard someone say.

'..never been much of a company to anyone but that....'

'Poor lass.'

He heard someone throw up and a scream of disgust right after. Melvin had known the girl as well. Her name had been Keila. One of his friends had told him about her. She had been a beautiful girl, slim and tender, with light skin and brown hair. And there had probably been no one in the whole city who hadn't known of her nightly strolls around town.

Frankly, it seemed a miracle to Melvin that something like this hadn't happened long before. People had been aware of her because of here reclusive personality and, well, her nightly strolls. But still, this city was not a place for a woman alone in the dark of night.

The commotion became more louder when the city guards pushed their way through the crowd. Melvin got up hastily and hurried towards his master's workshop. Looking back, he saw the commander of the guards shout out orders. The crowd slowly dispersed and the streets of Bel'jung quietened down again.

Everything seemed to spin in Melvin's head. It was not as if this were the first dead person he had seen so far, but it wasn't a daily occurrence either. To him it seemed wrong to just keep on going about one's business as though nothing had happened.

Maybe it was the naivety of a young inexperienced chap, an innocent boy's thoughts about morals and ethics. But whatever it was, his master surely wouldn't care and so Melvin took to his heels and hurried on.

'And I'm tellin' ya, i's supposed to go in here!'

'Now what are'ya spouting nonsense all over the place 'gain, I've told ya a thousand times it must be put u' there!'

'Ya stupid old goat, why can' ya a'listen to an older lad just fo' once?'

'What older lad, ya..!'

'Now will you two stop it already! The wash-tub is to go with me unless you want to go scrub your own drawers!'

The maid seemed tiny indeed next to the two mountains of men who looked quite abashed at her appearance. The bickering ceased instantly, as it always did.

'Now look at me, the both of you!'

And they did.

'Before you stupidly argue about nonsense like that, go wash that dirt off your filthy harnesses and get in a bathtub yourself.'

Neither of those two clumsy fellows dared utter a sound of displeasure as they followed maid Gerthrud up the stairs and out towards the bathing room.

It was a lovely sight and hadn't Valdin been such a cynical person, he would have burst out laughing already. It did put a broad smile on his face, though, which was an achievement all of it's own.

In an unusually good temper he went up the stairs, down the hallway and into his father's room. Without knocking he pulled down the handle and entered. A moment later all of his good humour vanished.

The room was large and furnished baronially with valuable paintings displayed on the walls. On the opposite end of the room sat his father at a table that was positioned under a wide window. Two soldiers stood guard by his sides.

Without looking up he greeted Valdin.

'I've been expecting you for quite a while now, Valdin.'

'Greetings father, I've been sitting with the Master of the Coin and it took me longer than expected.'

He replied, not even feigning repentance. In fact, he showed no kind of emotion at all. It wasn't an excuse, not even an explanation, it was a simple statement.

But everyone had long gotten used to his temper and so had his father. And since Valdin was a brilliant young man and a very useful one, his father didn't mind. Usefulness meant more than good manners and that was all that mattered to him.

Finally he put his pencil down and looked directly at Valdin.

'I have received news about your latest operation in Quil. It was a great success. The cults of the city finally have a reason to put peace aside and dispute is on it's way. I am very pleased with you.'

'Just what you ordered me to do, father, as always.'

He didn't have anything else to say.

'I know you have just returned from your mission, but something urgent has come up. Apparently there has been an occurrence in the city of Bel'jung at the eastern outskirts of Bel'mach. I want you to go there as speedily as possible. Business has been stagnating there and peace has become the usual order of things. Talk to the governing mayor as my representative and, if necessary, find a way to drive a wedge into the peace yourself. That is all.'

With these words he turned his attention back to his paperwork and Valdin left wordlessly. He had received his orders and that was all that was needed. He left the room and went down the hallway to prepare for his next assignment.

'Get my carriage ready, Ulfrick, and tell your brother to get ready too, I want to be on the road first thing tomorrow.'

Ulfrick was sitting at the kitchen table, taking generous bites out of some roasted pig when Valdin came in. He needed a moment to chew before he could swallow and eventually talk. He looked at Valdin aghastly.

're leavin' already ya lordliness? Can't tell by the standarts 'f ya city folks, but where me comes from ther's more to rest 'fter 'n excursion like 'rs. There's still things t' do, I wan't t'see me gal 'gain and the's ma older lad's gal 'nd...'

'We're leaving tomorrow, Ulfrick. So you two can have the rest of today for your women, but tomorrow we'll be on the road.'

With these words he turned and left, feeling just a tiny spark of remorse. He knew they would follow whatever orders he gave, even though it was true that they had been on the road for many days and little leisure time was left for his guards in-between.

But orders were orders, and since he wasn't a very caring person in the first place, he didn't intend to let compassion get in the way.

An unenthusiastic 'Yes m'lord' was all he heard when he left the kitchen. Pretending not to mind he went down the hallway and out into the garden.

It was a showy place, wide and spacious. Exotic flowers, trees and bushes had been imported from all over the world. Gardeners were bustling about all day doing their best to keep everything in perfect shape.

The sun stood high and it was a warm and pleasant day. Valdin had just taken a few steps down one of the many paths when a timid voice came from behind him.

'My lord Valdin.'

He turned around. It was a young woman, 17 maybe, with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail that fell down her back. She was wearing a leather harness. She held her hand at her hip, the way someone usually armed with a sword did, and her head lowered respectfully. Her voice was nice and clear to listen to.

'I heard you had returned, so I went to see you as fast as I could, my lord.'

He had a lot to prepare for tomorrow, so he put on an expectant look and she continued, her eyes still lowered.

'My father has been in your father's service as a technical officer all his life, my lord. He followed the rules back then and he still honours them today and he would never dare to put them into question. So I implore you to take me with you on your next assignment. Employ me as your loyal guard. I can fight, I can ride and hunt, I have been training all my life to become a soldier. Just take me with you to Bel'jung on your next assignment, my lord.'

With every word she spoke faster and more urgently. Valdin looked at her with curiosity and awareness. He knew that employees in the technical department were never allowed to leave their station unguarded, even unreported contact was forbidden.

'And what would you know about my next assignment? I myself have just now received my orders from my father.'

The woman finally raised her head and looked at Valdin directly.

'News spread fast in your father's house, my lord. Informants are coming and going every minute that we talk. We all know what happened in Bel'jung three days ago and we know your father.'

Suddenly afraid she might have overstepped her boundaries, she dropped her eyes again and added in an almost iffy tone.

'My lord.'

She seemed to be an honest person, meaning well for whatever it was that she intended to do for him. And it was true, news did indeed spread very fast within his father's house.

But he had a very sceptical attitude towards almost each and everyone, especially when he was asked for a favour. Still, he had an appointment and although he didn't care much for anything, to make someone wait was unacceptable to him.

'I was just on my way to master Guldwin, so, if there is anything else you want to say, say it now and make it quick.'

Her gaze still directed to the ground, she shook her head and replied, all eagerness gone from her voice.

'No, my lord.'

'Be in the stables tomorrow morning. I might just think about it.'

With that he turned and left her standing in the middle of his father's garden. An excited 'Yes sir, my lord!' followed him up the stairs. In the end it didn't really matter to him whether he would comply with her wish or not, but he did need a coachman.

Purposefully he resumed his walk through the garden towards the office of Guldwin, the master informant. Here he would receive all the information he would need for the next caper on his father's behalf. Here was where his trip to hell would find it's beginning.

'Come on, hurry up now Kor, what're you waiting for?'

Melvin hopped up and down before the old blacksmith's workshop. He seemed not to be able to keep all the enthusiasm inside of him. His shift in the smithy had ended and the sun would still shine for a while longer. It was a beautiful day and he finally had it all to himself.

'Just give me a minute.'

His friend called down from the upper floor of the house.

Melvin sighed with exasperation. He had come to love his fellow apprentice with all his heart in the few days he had been here, but Kor's relentless pursuit of perfection, especially when it came to cleaning his father's workshop at the end of their workday, was extremely irritating.

He should have been glad, though, since without Kor and his insistence on accuracy there would have been little joy in his apprenticeship. It wasn't that he didn't like Master Zarle, the old grumpy man was good at heart, but he had