Siterion- 'Assassination Attempt'

The room was dimly lit, far from what Arin had anticipated. "Lord Dovanseer!" he called out, but silence greeted him. "Lord Dovanseer!" he repeated, yet again, silence was his only reply. A sense of impending danger gnawed at him, urging him to leave this grand mansion. However, the daredevil within refused to retreat. For the third time, as the guard had advised him, he called out, "Lord Aedric Dovanseer!" but still, there was no answer. Hesitation gripped him, torn between staying and leaving, when a loud metallic crash echoed from upstairs, followed by a faint scream. Something was terribly wrong with the Patrician. Arin rushed upstairs.

The scene was chaotic, as if a fierce battle had taken place. A groan emanated from a room further down the corridor. Arin followed the sound and found Lord Dovanseer lying on the floor. He hurried to his side.

"S..sa..save me…. Adventurer," Dovanseer whispered before falling silent, his eyes closed. Arin checked his pulse; it was weak but present. The lord was still breathing. Arin deduced that Dovanseer had fainted. As he attempted to revive the unconscious man, he remained oblivious to the lurking danger.

Suddenly, Arin sensed movement behind him. Two assassins, with feline grace, were pouncing towards him, their blades aimed at his heart. He spun around just in time, deflecting the first attack with a swift motion. However, he wasn't fast enough. The second assassin's blade grazed his side, the dagger's tip now coated in Arin's fluorescent green blood. The assassins' faces were masked, but their eyes betrayed their shock at the sight of the strange green blood.

Now that they knew his secret, Arin couldn't let them live. Though unarmed, his past life had endowed him with formidable physical prowess. Arin grabbed a small stool beside him and flung it like a discus. The targeted assassin deflected it with his left hand, but the impact caused significant pain.

Arin's wound bled, but he ignored the pain. He chanted an incantation, dark energy crackling around him. "Feel your strength wane," he hissed, casting 'Feeble' on his second attacker. Before the first attacker could react, Arin cursed him with 'Feeble' as well. The assassins faltered, their movements slowed by the weakening spell. Seizing the opportunity, Arin lunged at the nearest assassin, his fingers curling into a claw-like grip.

With a surge of dark power, he cast 'Life Drain,' siphoning the assassin's vitality. The assassin's scream echoed through the mansion as he crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Arin turned to face the remaining assassin, who struggled to regain his footing.

Realizing the danger, the second assassin threw a dagger with deadly precision. Arin sidestepped, the blade whizzing past him, and closed the distance with terrifying speed. His fingers wrapped around the assassin's throat, squeezing with inhuman strength.

The assassin clawed at Arin's hand, gasping for breath. Desperation fueled him, and he lashed out with a concealed blade, slicing Arin's arm. Arin growled in pain but maintained his grip. He uttered the words of Life Drain once more, dark tendrils of energy wrapping around the assassin. "Life essence of thee, let it flow to me!" The assassin stabbed Arin repeatedly, but the wounds healed quickly as Arin absorbed his life force. The assassin's eyes widened in horror as his strength faded, collapsing lifelessly at Arin's feet. The dark energy dissipated, leaving Arin panting but victorious.

Arin stood over his fallen foes, his eyes glowing with an unnatural light. He picked up one of the assassins' blades, a grim smile curling on his lips. The mansion, once again, fell silent, its halls echoing with the whispers of dark spells.

"All Hail to Ner'thazir!" a shout rang out. As Arin turned toward the source, he found Aedric Dovanseer prostrating at his feet. "I knew it, it was true! We will be redeemed!"

"Whaaat Daaa Hellllll!" Arin exclaimed. It was clear that the noble had witnessed Arin in action and realized his true identity. He had to be disposed of at any cost!

Arin pointed his finger towards the prostrating noble to silence him forever. "Wait, my lord….wait!" Aedric said, fear evident in his voice.

"I cannot let you live!" Arin spoke sternly.

"My life belongs to you, milord, but first, hear me out!" Aedric pleaded.

"Okay, speak!" Arin granted permission. -"Milord!" Aedric nodded and began his tale.

"For the past few days, I have been plagued by strange dreams. A voice has beckoned me from beyond! Last night, I found myself in a twilight city, standing before a statue of Lord Ner'thazir. He proclaimed that I have a rare opportunity to redeem my family, my ancestors, and my lineage!"

Arin found it odd but allowed Aedric to continue, "The Dread Father spoke to me, declaring that his champion had arrived. Should I swear fealty to him and serve loyally, the curse upon my family would be lifted, and we would be redeemed. I awoke in the dead of night after this vision, only to learn that corpses were rampaging in the city. I knew then that the dream was true. This morning, upon seeing you in the plaza, I felt certain it was you. Yet, being a businessman, I sought to test your prowess. I hired the two assassins to gauge your strength and feigned unconsciousness to observe your full capabilities."

"So, it was your plan all along?" Arin grumbled, dark energy swirling around his raised hands.

"You may strike me down, milord, but it was the sole means to ascertain whether you were indeed the Champion the Dread Father spoke of!" Dovanseer pleaded.

Arin realized that Aedric made sense. He lowered his hands and asked, "Tell me about redeeming your family."

Dovanseer replied, "Milord, you may not be aware, but this city was once a prominent holy site of Lord Ner'thazir. There stood a grand ziggurat dedicated to our God. However, the God of Light and his paladins launched an assault upon the city, and…."

"And?" Arin prompted.

"And it was my ancestor who opened the city gate, allowing them to sack this sacred site!" Aedric spoke with utter shame.

"WHAT? So, your ancestors were the reason why the Holy City was destroyed, and Zulkarnash was buried alive?"

Arin gritted his teeth. "`You are familiar with High Priest Zulkarnash? I have heard that my family was blessed by him." Dovanseer replied.

Arin did not answer and ordered him to continue. "As you command, Milord," he bowed and resumed, "After this treachery, my family was elevated to nobility, and we became patricians of this newly built city. Yet, Ner'thazir's curse lingered upon us. None of my predecessors lived long after having a child. They were forced to choose between preserving their own lives or continuing the bloodline. We were haunted by nightmares of our ancestors languishing in torment after death because of our betrayal. Only I have been given this rare opportunity to redeem our bloodline and save my ancestors from their torment."

Dovanseer fell to his knees, clutching Arin's feet, "Milord, I beg you to take me under your wing. My wealth, power, and influence are at your disposal. Allow me to serve you as your most loyal and devoted servant!"

"Your ancestors betrayed our Dread Father once. Why should I trust you?" Arin questioned.

"I am revealing myself to you, milord," Aedric replied, "please accept!"

Arin did not understand what he meant but he received a notification-

[ Aedric Dovanseer has offered to share his Status with you. ]

[ Do you Accept? ]

< Yes? / No? >

Arin said "Yes" in his mind, and in front of him appeared Dovanseer's status window-

=============================

| Name: Aedric Dovanseer |

| Profession: Patrician of Siterion |

| Race: Human |

| Level: 4 |

| Experience: 52/200 |

=============================

| Strength: 25 | 

|Agility: 10 |

|Magicka: 5 |

|Wisdom: 70 |

|HP: 135 |

=============================

| Resistance: |

| Blade 2% | Blunt 2% | Piercing 6% |

| Fire 1% | Water 2% | Earth 4% |

| Light 0% | Dark 0% | Mental 45% |

=============================

| Status: |

| Cursed Bloodline (Permanent) |

=============================

| Skill: |

| Simple Weapon Proficiency – Novice |

| Unique Weapon Proficiency – Novice |

| Light Magic Proficiency – NA |

| Dark Magic Proficiency – NA|

| Destructive Magic Proficiency – NA |

| Creation Magic Proficiency – NA |

| Observation – Adept(38/150) |

=============================

| Spells Learnt: |

| NA |

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One thing surprised him: how Dovanseer, despite being the same level as him, had such low stats. Now Arin was sure his stats were boosted by his special permanent status and profession. This would explain why he defeated enemies of higher levels. But now was not the time to ponder these technicalities.

"Okay, leave my feet now!" Arin commanded. "And get rid of these corpses. They reek of dark energy!"

"It will be done, milord. No one will find their trace," Dovanseer assured. "What is your next command?"

"Tell me everything you know about this kingdom, its dynasty, trade, and economy!" Arin ordered.

"It will be done, Milord," Aedric bowed. "Let us discuss over dinner."

Arin obliged and walked towards the dining room.