Unspeakable Secrets The Alchemist Series (A Dark Medieval Progression Fantasy)

Chapter 15 Illyian

Connor busied himself by training vigorously every day and going over his equipment repeatedly.

He'd asked Adelia to join him for the mission during one of their sparring sessions, and she'd agreed. The informant's requested gold had been given to him by Victor, and now rested in his bottomless bag along with some extra coin just in case the informant changed the price when the meeting came.

Everything was set, and all that was left to do was wait.

The three days until the meeting crawled by, but eventually it was time to head out.

He donned his black leather armor, adjusted his belt with his dwarven-forged rapier sheathed at his hip, and checked the throwing knives concealed all over his body.

"Meet the guy, pay him off, listen to what he has to say, and everyone will be on their merry way," Connor muttered.

Yeah right. Like anything ever went that smoothly. Especially when dealing with lowlifes.

He double-checked his bracers and pulled on a cloak, both to ward off the cool evening air and to conceal his armor. It didn't hide it completely, but someone would have to look much closer to notice it.

Especially once the sun set.

He smiled softly. Hopefully, this time tomorrow he'd be back in the workshop.

He drank one of his remaining vials of sense-enhancing potion and waited for it to kick in.

Thank goodness he'd built up such a large stockpile of them.

All his senses expanded, and the world exploded with vibrant colors once more. The overwhelming period before his mind caught up with the new sensations was definitely getting easier to bear.

He took one last look in the mirror, taking in his fingerless gloves, and the leather greaves on his legs with even more knives hidden within.

Yup. Everything was in order. Time to get going.

Adelia waited at the bottom of the stairs. Dressed, as always, in her dark leather armor with her hood up and her face concealed beneath a cloth mask, so only her bright violet eyes peeked out.

"Are you ready?" Connor asked.

She scoffed. "You have to ask?" she said.

Connor chuckled and said, "Ask a stupid question—"

"And get a sarcastic answer," she interrupted.

The dark tunnels beneath the palace were entirely different with his heightened senses. It was still tough to tell which direction sounds came from, but he definitely picked up on a lot more activity.

Had the tunnels always been so... alive? Or were the monsters just getting more out of control?

At least, he could see much further in the tunnels now. Far beyond the small circle of light from his torch. If anything did come for them, he should see it long before he normally would...

"You're awfully quiet today," Adelia said.

Her voice was little more than a whisper, but in the oppressive silence of the tunnels, it sounded far louder. Something shifted in an adjacent tunnel. Hmm... the monsters were definitely closer than they should be.

"I guess I just have a lot on my mind," Connor whispered.

"Care to share?" Adelia asked.

"Not really," Connor whispered.

"Can you at least tell me more about this mission?" She asked.

"I already told you, we're going to meet someone and pay for information," he said.