Transcendence?

***Norfolk, Sarn***

***Jazira***

“So you intend to go after the Inquisition?” I cross my legs and lean back. “They were strangely silent since their attack on Sarn. It's the same for Mislow and the Nation of Mist though. Still, I am glad that we were able to talk about our differences. There is nothing better than being able to find mutual goals with the other party.”

Tjena, Sagittarius, Ascathon, Celestial and I are sitting in his mansion in Sarn. It's not a palace, but a wondrous building nonetheless. Up until now I didn't realize that I was really missing the comfort of technological realms, but this house reminds me that this world is still a few steps behind in a lot of things.

“They sent an assassin after me. The best one they could hire for money. Isn't that enough?” Ascathon shakes his fist.

“You said that you caught him alive. He can't be that good.” Tjena snorts, but looks away when Ascathon's eyes fix on her.

Then he smiles. “He was good enough to stab a dagger hilt deep into my back and twist it around a few times. That's a feat no other assassin accomplished so far.”

“You were occupied with something else at that time.” Celestial remarked.

“Anyway, I managed to re-educate him to work towards my goals. It was a hard piece of work, because he is a little insane. But the result should be fine. He'll have a meeting with his employer any time now.” Ascathon folds his fingers and smiles.

“Re-educate?” This guy is more dangerous than I thought.

“Yes. I wiped his memory after playing with him for a little while to find out who sent him. It's a shame that he forgot his well deserved punishment. I let him go in the firm belief that he escaped me with his life.” Ascathon pulls a small device from his pocket. “I bugged him to find the location of the Inquisition.”

“Someone should doubt his friends when he is up against you.” Tjena growls.

“So what will happen once your turned assassin reaches the enemy?” I can't stand being thrown just one piece of information at a time.

“Well. I am watching and listening to my spy with this globe.” He lifts a crystal globe, which he had lying on the table since earlier. “And when he comes close to someone I don't like, I'll press this button.”

“Why is it red and blinking?” Celestial interrogates her husband.

“Bombs need red and blinking buttons as triggers. What else could it be?” Ascathon explains it like it's obvious.

Sagittarius straightens and speaks with a disgusted voice. “You planted a bomb on him!?”

“Not on, but inside. A small nuclear device. It should flatten a building or two, so it has to be close to the target.” Ascathon looks like he just admitted a fault in his plan. Then his face lightens up. “Healing magic has so many interesting possibilities. You can simply cut someone open and place some interesting gadgets inside them. Then you heal him up and it's as if he was never hurt. Guess his face when I shoved the bomb into his chest. Wait, I made a picture as memento!”

“Th... That's wrong!” Sagittarius is really shocked now.

“Wrong? I don't see any problem. I don't have to go close to my enemy, so the risk to myself is low. And I can be fairly certain to dispose of the target in the process.” Ascathon purses his lips.

“That's morally wrong on more than one aspect! What about innocent bystanders?” Saggitarius gasps.

“I assume that they'll avoid being close to any listeners for such a meeting. And even if not, I consider this as war. If you stop fighting the enemy because he hides behind an innocent, you are just showing him that you don't have the guts to do what it takes. He'll start to use the lives of innocents against you. If you show them that you aren't affected by such actions, they won't bother with actions which have proven to be useless. If your enemy realizes that he can affect you by using civilians to his advantage, you'll have more people on your conscience.” Ascathon ends his long speech to Sagittarius and looks towards me. “I guess you didn't build your empire by negotiating with terrorists.”

“Your point of view seems a little bit warped, but you are certainly right that an enemy shouldn't be shown that your conviction is weaker than his.” Though your little scheme makes it look like you are the terrorist at the moment.

Suddenly the device is snatched from Ascathon's hand. “Hey!”

Celestial moved with unbelievable speed and secured the device. “I'll decide if we should press that button or not! It's my country after all!”

Ascathon grabs for the device. “I was the one whom he stabbed! I want to blow him up!”

*Slap*

Celestial slapped his hand away with enough force to create a really loud noise and he visibly winces in pain. “You won't trigger any nuclear devices within my country!”

“I won't yield in this! He stabbed me!” Ascathon doesn't give up. Obviously he harbours a deep grudge against people who try to kill him.

Celestial pulls a small box from her pocket and holds it under his nose. “We'll trade! I get the device and you the box!”

Ascathon's expression wavers for a moment and then he grabs the box and stores it away. “Deal!”

Then I realize that my mouth fell open during the exchange and I snap it shut. Those two are fun to watch. “Care to tell me what's inside that box?”

“National secret!” Celestial shakes her head.

“You won't get any.” Ascathon's face hardens and that settles the matter.

“Hah!?” Now I want to know!

“It's something called chocolate, Empress. He is an addict. Celestial is brewing this drug in her kitchen. Back then when I worked here under cover, I tried to acquire some samples. But he guards his weekly doses like a hawk. And Celestial always makes just enough to supply him.” Tjena solves the mystery for me and I arch an eyebrow.

Chocolate a drug? “There is no chocolate in this world?” But then again, I learned that Celestial seems to be quite capable with chemistry and medicine? Why shouldn't she be able to create something that tastes and looks like chocolate? “And it's not a drug, but a candy. ~PfahahhAHAHAHAHA~ Does that mean that she just traded a box of candies for a nuclear device from her husband?”

Celestial's expression turns sour. “Unfortunately that's the type of guy he is. If you know his triggers you can get almost everything from him. And that makes him a little frightening too.”

“That sounds like I am looked down upon! I am just acting according to my desires, that's all. It just happens that my desire for chocolate is bigger than pressing a button.” Ascathon replies firmly.

Celestial hugs her husband from the side and snuggles up to him. “I would never look down on the guy whom I married.”

He frowns and takes another look at his globe. “Hey, something is happening!”

***Norfolk, Border Town Raure, Sewers***

***The Nameless***

“You failed.” The dark hooded person across from him starts the conversation with a displeased voice. “Why are you here?”

“To inform you that the price for his death rose. He is far more capable than I thought and his self healing skills aren't just for show. I will need some very expensive poisons to ensure his elimination.” He sneers at the hooded figure.

The hooded figure steps closer and whispers. “I already paid you to kill him and his family. If you aren't capable of dealing with him, then target his wife! Gut his mother, behead his sister. Start a fucking slaughterhouse in his mansion! We didn't pay you just for him, yet you dare to show your face here? If you are too incompetent to accomplish this, then kill his child! Can you manage at least that!?”

*PIEP*

A sudden noise startles him and the man in front of him. The noise came from his chest? He touches himself while wondering.

*PIEP*

No. To be more exact. It came out of his chest!

“What's that stupid magic trick of yours. Do you want to joke with a hero of the gods!?” The hooded figure reaches for his clothes to find out what he is hiding.

*PIEP* *PIEP* *PIEP*

*PIEEEEEEP*

***Norfolk, Sarn***

***Jazira***

The vision inside Ascathon's crystal globe turns black. Celestial started mashing the red button like a madman when the hooded person mentioned killing Sera.

Celestial's expression turns satisfied and she drops the device on the table between us. “Whew. How lucky that I was in control of the trigger.” Then she looks up. “What?”

Ascathon shakes his head. “You could have waited a little longer. Maybe he would have been led to their headquarters?”

“But they threatened Sera! And it was clear from their words that the assassin was just a hired gun and not trusted. The hooded guy disliked him, so it's unlikely that he would have taken him there.” Celestial answers.

I make a mental note to myself to never put Sera in any danger ever again. This woman has a tendency to overreact.

.