Assassin's Career

My name is Randal, and my past only testifies to the evil life I led. To let you in on my story, I decided to tell it.

I lived in Leicese. My parents were very wealthy, so I had enough money for everything. I myself was a very stingy man. I never gave any money to people begging on the streets. One fine day, I decided to go to a nearby tavern. I did just that. I sat down at a table in the corner. I sat alone for almost an hour, drinking good local beer, but after a while, a hooded man approached me. He suggested a game of cards, with a lot of money at stake. Of course, I accepted, knowing my parents could afford anything. I played with him and surprisingly, I won a considerable sum. It was only after that game of cards that I realized what an interesting hobby gambling was. I noticed I was even good at it; I played more and more often. Sometimes with friends, sometimes with travelers or warriors. For days, I did nothing but play cards or place bets. I couldn't help myself; it hooked me.

I'd been playing like this for months, and until then, I'd been unrivaled. I won every bet, and a lot of people owed me money. One day (it must have been a year since I started playing cards), a warrior walked into the tavern. He sat down at the same table as me. The conversation developed rapidly until he finally introduced himself as Marthal. We talked for nearly half an hour, and he proposed a hand of cards. The stakes were a favor, which one of us would have to perform at any time. But fortunately, it would only be one favor. We played hard and fair. The odds were even, but I was the one who lost. I had to perform a favor for him. I agreed, and he immediately told me what to do. My task was to kill a man who lived quite close to me. Apparently, he had gotten under Marthal's skin, and he couldn't kill him himself, because it would stain his honor as a warrior.

The man who was my future victim was named Aleardyn. I wanted to get this task over with as quickly as possible. So I decided to kill him tonight. The day passed very slowly, and I still regretted playing with that warrior. I was very afraid of that night. I was afraid of being caught or someone telling on me.

Seconds passed by, and evening fell. The moment I dreaded most in my entire life arrived. But what could I do? I went and stood in front of Aleardyn's house. I quietly opened the door and went inside. The ground floor was empty. I quietly climbed upstairs and saw someone sitting in front of the fireplace. I could tell by his hair that it was him. My heart was beating incredibly fast. The moment arrived. I quietly crept to the armchair and grabbed him by the throat. With a quick movement of my hand, I slashed the dagger across his carotid artery. He was already dead. My heart pounded even harder. His head turned toward me, and I looked into his dead eyes. It was a terrible sight. After a moment, I wondered what I was still doing there. I quickly made my way quietly to my house. I went to bed immediately, but I didn't fall asleep. I kept seeing Aleardyn's lifeless face in my mind.

I got out of bed, sleepless. For a moment, I was happy that I would soon be going back to the inn. But in the guest room, my father stopped me. He asked me what I had been doing last night. I quickly gathered my thoughts and remembered yesterday's murder. I didn't want to talk about it with anyone, and I told my father I was at the inn. But he wouldn't give up; we argued for a long time. He seemed to know I had killed that man. But after a while, I relented and asked him what was going on. I heard the words: "Your mother and I are moving to Barger. But you are staying here. We left you money in a chest, which you can use for whatever you like. But spend it carefully. Farewell, my son." And he and my mother left the house; I didn't stop them. I simply stood there, unsure of what to do.

Upset by the whole situation of yesterday and today, I went to the inn to drown my sorrows in a glass of good wine. When I entered, several people immediately surrounded me. They started asking me how I killed Aleardyn. I was curious myself how they had learned about it. But I answered their questions anyway. After a few minutes, a man approached me with a proposition. He said, "I heard what a good job you did last night. Apparently, the guards don't know who did it, and there's a reward of two hundred gold pieces for finding the culprit. If I were you, I'd make sure someone doesn't slit your throat. My name is Marlanyd, but they call me Wolf's Eye. I wanted to offer you a job. Your task would be to kill a certain merchant. I think you'll agree." I thought for a moment and realized I had nothing to lose. Since I'd be caught soon anyway, I could at least help someone. I agreed. I was to do the job immediately. I left the inn and started looking for the merchant.

I found him leaving the tailor's. I followed him for a while. After a while, he entered a crevice between shops that led to a shortcut to his house. I seized the opportunity and caught him. I strangled him with my bare hands and then finished him off with two dagger blows to the heart. I hid his body in a chest nearby. I returned to the inn to meet with Wolf Eye. He paid me four hundred gold pieces for the job. He thanked me profusely and left; I didn't see him again for the rest of my life.

In short, my life had become hell. Now, at every turn, I was being offered murder. I accepted many of them for two reasons. The first was that my life no longer had any meaning. The second was the thought that the money my parents had left me would eventually run out. Since that second murder, I've stabbed about twenty more people. I was making quite a bit of money from this kind of business.

Many people I met on the street looked at me either with contempt or fear. Yet, despite everything, none of the guards still knew who was behind this massive series of murders. Perhaps someone was afraid to speak up simply because I might kill them. The people who looked at me as if I were some kind of outcast were the families of the murdered. Although they themselves weren't sure if I had killed them, as I hadn't left any trace of my presence. A few days after the last murder, I noticed a sign on a shop. It said a reward of five thousand gold coins was offered for the serial killer's head. Only now did I realize how much danger I was in. I had to flee Leicese. I wanted to do it immediately. But I had to escape unnoticed because the guards had been increased at the gates and everyone was being checked. I had to escape by trickery. I convinced my friend to let me into his wagon among the hay. He agreed. We set off tonight. We drove calmly through the gate; those stupid guards didn't even consider that the greatest murderer in Leicese history could just drive away in an ordinary car undetected.

I traveled to the village of Burud-a-Barag, located far from Leicese. There, I finally began to lead a normal life. I found a job at an inn, working as a bartender. I earned enough money. After a few months, I even met the woman of my life. Her name was Arasna. She was stunningly beautiful. I defended her in every situation and was by her side the whole time. After some time, I had a child. I named him after me, though slightly altered. His name was Randal-Marthal. He inherited his middle name from the man who started my nightmare. Fortunately, my wife didn't know about this, but she had heard of the Leicese murderer.

One day, a suspicious man walked into the inn. I approached him and asked what he wanted. He said he wanted to play a game with me, and if I didn't agree, he'd reveal who I was. What was I supposed to do? I played. A favor was at stake. It was the same game as with that warrior Marthal. The same stakes, the same rules. We played for quite a while, but neither of us gave up. In the end, it turned out I lost. It was my second loss in my entire life. But the man didn't demand the favor right away.

Three years had passed since my second loss. The man still hadn't shown up, and I didn't know if he'd ever come back. I suspected that if he did, I'd get another murder contract. But I had no intention of getting involved in another murder. I wanted my life to be normal, for my child to have a real family, not to visit his own father in prison.

I continued living like that, slowly forgetting about the man. Despite everything, he still didn't show up, and I hoped he wouldn't. But one day, someone knocked on my door. I opened it and noticed a hooded figure. It was him, the one who would give me a task I would have to complete, no matter what. I let him in, and she began to tell me the specifics. All I heard were the words: "Kill two wealthy people living in Bargera. They are an elderly couple. Street Under the Wall, apartment 34. You have until the day after tomorrow."

I didn't hesitate; I immediately got to work. I grabbed my dagger and set off. I didn't arrive until midnight. I asked the guards where Street Under the Wall was, but they simply told me to escape before the other guards found out I was walking around the city at that hour. But they showed me the streets. I had to walk the entire length of the city to get there. I decided to do some rooftop walking. I climbed through the vines onto a nearby house, leaping from one house to the next. Five minutes later, I was on the roof of the indicated property. I grabbed the gutter with my hands and lowered myself. I entered the room through the window. There, a man was sitting in an armchair. He looked at me and panicked. He had a gray beard and short hair (also gray). Before he could even scream, I plunged the dagger straight into his jugular. I looked at his lifeless face, which for a moment even reminded me of someone. But I didn't have time to think; I went downstairs. There, in the kitchen, was a woman sitting at the table. I crept up quietly. I crouched just behind her chair, and she, stupid as she was, didn't hear me. I stood up and slit her throat. The dead woman's face turned toward me. I looked her straight in the eyes, and only then did I realize I'd done the worst thing in my life. I didn't want to believe what I'd just done. I killed my own parents in their own home. I went crazy because I turned myself in to the guards.

I confessed to being the Leicese murderer. I was sentenced to death by dismemberment. The execution was to take place tomorrow in the main forum in this town called Bargera. I believed that what they were planning to do to me was just. (...) Dawn came, and I woke up with the thought that in two hours I would be leaving this world. Those two hours passed very quickly; I was already being led out into the forum. I heard nothing but insults and whistles directed at me. But I deserved it. I saw a few familiar faces among the crowd. They were my friends from Leicese (apparently, the king of our country was so keen to publicize his power that they must have put up posters in every town). The executioner

was just climbing the stairs when the cry, "The city is burning," rang out. Almost everyone fled in panic, trying to escape the fire. But the executioner didn't stop. He was just drawing his axe when he fell to the ground. A second later, I saw the face of my old friend Marc. He said, "Quick, we have to escape before the whole city burns down. We've already got rid of the guards. The way is clear. By the way, hello, Randal, my old friend." What could I do but take advantage of such an offer? I escaped. That's how the worst years of my life ended.