A couple days later, now a younger man, I come across a bloody scene while walking to town. Two dead orcs. Three dead adventurers. Looked to be an orc slaver ambush gone wrong.

  A scream from within the trees nearby. I instinctively crouch and stealthily walk off the path.

  "Get away from me! You better run, I'm going to take you down with me!"

  A moderately armoured elf pulls herself backward with one arm, whilst keeping a very pretty rapier raised and pointed at the advancing orc.

  I unslung my travel pack and picked up her chopped off lower leg.

  Thinking quickly, I knew despite my hopes to avoid violence, there was no other choice but to fight. Time to test my acting skills.

  I put down her severed limb and drew my short sword. A good quality, unassuming piece I'd found in the witches hoard.

  "Hey! Ge-Ge-Get away from her!"

  Today the orc unknowingly received something extremely rare- forewarning from an assassin. He turns as I approach from his left, and I "fall" forward. My sword held two handed out in front of me, I close my eyes and yelp as though afraid, as it slips perfectly between his ribs into his heart.

  "Urgh"

  I allow the orc to back hand me. Stumbleing back, I duck just in time to avoid the big sharpened slab of metal he called a sword. I let out a frightened sound as I stabbed into his thigh, letting go of my sword. Tumbling, I roll forward, before running to beside the fallen elf.

  "Oh crap my sword!"

  Please think I'm so inept.

  "Your... not very... good..."

  She was passing out, but still conscious enough that she might remember, so nothing fancy... yet. I draw my utility knife and wave it meekly as I hook my free hand under the elf's armpit and start dragging her back, away from the orc.

  The orc does exactly what I predicted he'd do. He pulls my sword out with a snort. Regarding it's size with amusement, it was perhaps only a tenth the mass of his cleaver.

  Orcs have very similar physiology to humans, including femoral arteries. My sword was plugging the wound arsehole! Your damaged heart is now pumping blood out of your leg. Plus he'd already taken a couple nasty slashes and been stabbed through his arm by the elf.

  He lumbers forward, dropping my sword and trying to raise his brutal, chop-centric, blunt ended, giant cleaver, only for it to lower back down.

  "Urr?"

  You're dying, that's what's happening. He manages one more step before falling forward. I tug the elf and fall backward. The orc faceplants just beside the elf's unsevered leg.

  "He-he-heal... please."

  I scramble up and fetch the elf's leg. Skidding down onto my knees I rummage around the healer satchel at my side. I smoothly take out and uncork a healing potion in one motion, with one hand while using the other to pair up limb to stump.

  I pour the potion on the end of the leg and push it against the stump, then gently pour the rest over the cut.

  Limb somewhat attached, I place my hand over the elf's heart and cast heal. Among the basic skills anyone can learn and useful for everyone, even an assassin.

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  Her eyes flutter open.

  "My-My friends! Please, revive!"

  I didn't have the revive skill. It was further along the healer skill tree but my satchel did contain a revive potion...

  "I'm coming back for you, stay here OK."

  I sprint toward the fallen adventurers. Far enough from the elf, I drop the frightened boy act and look over the scene with my usual stone face impassiveness.

  I have only one revive potion and there are three fallen adventurers. If I don't act now they'll go past the point any potion or spell would work to revive them.

  The only other elf in the party looked to be their healer. She'd taken a bad slash across the back. I use heal, my level and investing a few skill points meant one application did the job; unlike with the elf in the woods, I didn't hold back any of my magic.

  Back healed, I flipped the elf over.

  She has a similar satchel, whilst lifting up her head, I undo the front buckle and throw open the flap. Might as well use her revive, unfortunately she has only one.

  I stop and think.

  Lowering the elf back down, I crawl over to a neko (humanoid cat) archer and mostly heal their wounds, leaving some surface wounds for show. I leave the human mage for the elf healer to deal with.

  How do I use a revive potion? As an assassin I used potions, poisons and cast magic to ensure if there was a risk of revival, it wouldn't work. Assassins work alone and don't want to be caught, so being revived is not really an option for us. It's more about avoiding detection, avoiding getting struck, then escaping and evading to survive.

  What I was going to do in the first place seemed right, so I go with it. I pour the revive potion into the elf healer's mouth.

  She glows briefly then coughs and sputters. I cast a restrained heal to her chest and give her a light slap.

  "Hey, open your eyes, I need you."

  "Urr, what's going on?"

  "I just used your revive potion on you, I got one more- that's it. I'm going to revive the archer, he don't look too badly injured, can you revive the mage?"

  I pull her up and point at the mage, partially decapitated and opened stomach. I feel her find her footing and push me away.

  "I need to drink a mana potion but I can do it! Where's Fayeth?"

  She looks about, searching for someone. I guess it's the elf I left recovering nearby.

  "Sword woman? She's OK, in among the trees over there." This relieves her and focuses on the mage.

  I make a show of using weak heal spells three times to seal up the neko's back then roll them over.

  "I'm out of magic— newbie healer— sorry!"

  I say using deception, a dark magic skill shared by high level thief and assassin class adventurers. My words magically boosted to be believed.

  The neko briefly glows and sputters to life. I don't know what the etiquette is, but I hope they give me something for using my only revive potion.

  A strange moment passes. I feel shame for thinking that way. I want to help, I want to be better, screw the value of a potion. I have to be a better person!

  "I'm going to exceed my mana and faint after reviving." Admits the elf healer.

  I lower the neko and jog over to her. Dropping to my knees beside her, I take a hold of her waist and arm.

  She looks surprised, but doesn't say anything, turning her attention back to the mage. I could feel her shaking, an empty vial lay not far from us. Mana potions are like a magic kick. She'd quickly healed the mage's wounds, now putting out her palms over him.

  He glows as he jerks to life, the elf goes limp.

  I put each of the four adventures onto their bedding beside the road.

  I then drag the orcs corpses to the other side and loot the bodies. Nothing great. A few coins in two pouches, three plain knives, a spiky club, a two handed axe and the cleaver sword. There was also mystery, wrapped up meat, and very dense orcish bread in two of their pockets. I left the "food". If they had more gear, it was stashed among the trees somewhere.

  "So... you guys Ok?" I ask.

  "Yes thank you for stepping in. Please, what is your name, adventurer?"

  Fayeth had most recovered and seemed in charge of the group. Unfortunately I didn't have a name to give yet; I was on this road heading to where the forger I've often worked with lives.

  I pretend not to hear.

  "I have to go, I'm going to take the coins I found in the orcs pockets OK? Can I take the sword to sell please- just starting out, kinda cash strapped."

  "You may take all the loot from them, adventurer please—" Fayeth tries to further inquire.

  "Sweet thank you! Hope you guys recover OK. Bye!"

  My pack already on, I scoop up the loot and walk briskly away leaving the group stunned.

  I really did need to think of money. The services of the grandmaster forger weren't cheap and I didn't have much left from what the organisation had given to cover the witch job's costs. I picked up a few things to sell from the witches hut but couldn't risk taking too much or anything that looked too recognizable/traceable. She didn't have much money to start with and I had to leave some behind to be found in the remains.

  It was risky but I had a money stash from my old life, not far from the forger, however I was concerned it wouldn't be enough. My request of him would be something very special, something I wasn't sure was even possible.