Chapter 57   - An Eye for an Eye

Looking at the slivers of sky through the green canopies overhead, Kai estimated it was around noon.

He had no appetite but forced himself to eat a few bites anyway. He needed to be at peak performance. He had a few ideas in his head, but reality had the irritating tendency of doing its own thing. He could think of half a dozen ways random events could throw a wrench in his plans.

There were many factors out of his control. He couldn’t afford to mess up on his part too. With a lot longer to wait, Kai played in his mind the exact steps he would take, the skills to use and the things to avoid. Multiple simulations unfolded in his head. When there wasn’t anything he could improve, it was time to plan countermeasures for unforeseen events.

What if someone noticed him sneak around or stopped him in the streets? What excuses could he come up with?

What if the murderer didn’t go to the pub tonight? Someone who frequented such a cheap and filthy pub must be very determined to get drunk, but it was a possibility. If his target didn’t show up, the best course of action would be to bide his time and wait for another day. However, the longer he stayed in Greenside the higher the chances someone would notice him.

He would feel a lot calmer if he had gathered more information last night about where the man lived. But even with hindsight, he couldn’t think of a way he could have done that and brought Kea home safely.

The waiting was killing him, and intrusive thoughts could only be kept at bay for so long. He deeply wished it could be night already.

Should I wait here or get closer?

He was getting crazy with nothing to do. Someone could notice him observing from the edge of the fields. On the other hand, surveying the terrain could turn out to be very useful. With a biased, but rational excuse, he chose to move.

He hid his backpack using a few leafy branches. People rarely came this way, but there was no point in taking an unnecessary risk. After he was satisfied with the camouflage, he activated Sneak to make his way back.

He had taken the skill on a whim, but it turned out to be much more useful than he thought. His steps were quieter, and he instinctively knew where to position himself to stay out of sight.

There won’t be much use for it at the estate, but maybe I should keep it.

The skill fit him to a tee. Without a profession, he would always be at a disadvantage whether he faced people or beasts. Sneak was the perfect addition to his arsenal if he wanted to avoid a frontal confrontation and fight on his terms.

He didn’t plan to end up in dangerous situations, but as the last days had taught him, sometimes you didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t anticipate when a danger would arise on his path. He needed to consider his skillset carefully.

Noticing the edge of the forest getting closer, Kai dropped on all fours to proceed in a crawl. Mana Sense and Keen Ears activated to make sure he didn’t miss anything.

The ground was soggy under his fingers, he smelled the fresh earth and weeds growing sparsely around him. Carefully creeping forward, his arms and knees were soon wet from the contact with the ground, adding to his sweat. Luckily, he wasn’t trying to keep his clothes clean this time.

Kai almost jumped when a large hairy spider with eight long legs crawled over his arm. Its bright yellow marks on its torso showed it was likely venomous. Kai bit into his cheek, making use of all his willpower to remain still. His body stiffened, forgetting to breathe as the spider stopped on his forearm, its hairy legs tapping on his skin as if to decide which way to take.

Thank the spirits, the ground was more appealing than his shoulder and his multi-legged friend decided to go on his way after a few interminable moments.

Kai wanted to stand up and run, but he was too close to the fields. He followed the eight-legged horror with Mana Sense to make sure it didn’t come close again, only breathing out after it was several meters away. His relief was short-lived. A sweep of Mana Sense made him aware of all the little friends hiding among the grass and fallen leaves.

It would have been better not knowing.

Close ahead, the line of trees gave way to the open farmland. Wanting to get off the ground, Kai looked for a tree to climb. His strength was high compared to his tiny body, lifting his weight up the branches was no challenge.

He positioned himself amidst the leaves. There were still plenty of insects crawling around, but not as many as on the ground. For once, his small size was an advantage. He doubted the farmers would see him if they looked in his direction.

Finding the most comfortable position, Kai prepared to wait. Working under the midday sun many men and women moved between rows of sprouting crops. After the tree line, there was a strip of uncultivated land. Even the closest person tending the fields was quite a distance away.

Activating Inspect, Kai started to analyze the terrain to find the best pathway. Most of the crops were little more than sprouts and would provide no cover. His eyes scanned the terrain counting all the possible paths. There were a few shacks here and there the farmers used to keep their tools. Those could act as safe points and provide cover if he kept them between himself and the potential observers.

His gaze moved towards the town in the distance. Like near the jungle, there was a strip of uncultivated land around the outer buildings. There was no fence and multiple points of entry.

Knowing he couldn’t predict his mental state on the way out tonight, Kai studied the farmers and terrain for hours. He had to be sure to ingrain in his mind the path he wanted to take.

After a while, Inspect started to show signs of strain, so he continued without. He needed the skill to be in optimal conditions for tonight.

The sun was low on the horizon with sunset fast approaching. Some farmers had already called it a day, but many remained in the fields.

Damn, the zealous workers.

Since he had time to spare, he went back to his backpack to drink and relieve himself, before returning to position.

As the time drew near, he couldn’t avoid the thought of what he was going to do any longer. He had tried to keep his mind away from it for the whole day. There were already too many things that could go wrong, he couldn’t afford to have doubts or second thoughts.

Am I truly doing this?

The cinders of his anger had calmed down, but he only needed to think back to the enlarging pool of blood beneath his father to reignite it. He had been forced to watch powerless as life slowly drained from his dad.

And for what? A handful of stale bread? How could he consider forgiveness when it had been so meaningless? They broke their family for nothing but spite.

He could try to go to elder Soluli to demand justice, but he did not have much faith in him after the recent events. What proof did they have? Rumors were not enough. Maybe he could trick the man into confessing the murder with a witness present. Would that be enough? Would the mayor go out of his way to punish a crime that happened two years prior?

The famine had been a dark period for Greenside, his father’s murder might have been one of the lowest moments, but it wasn’t the only crime that had been committed. After that year, there had been a silent collective agreement to move forward and forget the past.

There was one last reason that by itself was enough to firm his resolve: his sister. If he didn’t do something, Kea risked being lost. He had managed to stop her once, but he knew she would try again if he didn’t do something. He would choose his sister every time against the life of the man who killed their dad. He was not willing to take the risk.

The decision was made, that man would die tonight. That was how he protected his family, how he got the only possible justice in this world.

As the sun drifted beyond the horizon, it was finally time. A blanket of clouds obscured the light of the moons.

Kai slowly climbed down the tree. The fields were deserted, but five groups of farmers had lit fires near their shacks, talking and sharing drinks. Three of them were far on the side and could be ignored, but two were between him and his way to Greenside.

The map of the farmland, and several alternative routes, appeared clear in his mind. The distance he had to cover was considerable. He focused on Sneak and stayed low to the ground, being careful where he put his feet.

He didn’t carry much incriminating evidence apart from the poison and a knife. Both could be easily disposed of, if necessary, but it would mean he had to postpone his plan. He couldn’t afford that.

His heart was thumping in his chest as he passed the shack, the cheery voices of the farmers drifted to him. Kai hoped that none of them had powerful perception skills. Only when he reached the edge of the fields did he let out a relieved breath, but his heart did not show any sign of slowing down.

Making sure no one was watching his way, he stood up and started walking towards the cover of the houses. Sneak screamed at him to hide in the shadows and slowly crawl forward. It felt like the safest option, but it was not. He wrestled with the skill.

He needed people not to notice him, but there was more than one way to achieve that. On the off chance someone saw him, people would remember if he was suspiciously creeping in the shadows.

Standing up, his body fought between the suggestions of Sneak and Acting. He tried to look casual and confident as he walked forward. He was just another poor child of new town, people's gaze would drift over him like he didn’t exist.

It felt like a miracle when he managed to make it past the first line of buildings without anyone stopping him. The streets weren’t crowded, but a considerable number of people were strolling around, taking advantage of the lower temperature after sunset.

Focusing on what he wanted the skill to do, with each step, Sneak suggestions started to change. His heart was racing, but thanks to Acting, none of that showed. The two skills began to work together, guiding his actions to attract the least amount of attention. He walked at the right speed not to cross anyone’s path; his face turned to the other side.

Even in such a tense situation, Kai couldn’t help but ponder the synergies between skills. He pushed the thought away. Now it was not the time.

It didn’t take long to find the same pub he had entered the night before. The scene was eerily similar, laughs and light escaped by the wooden door left ajar. If the man wasn’t present, all his plans would have been for nothing.

His heart rate increased even further. He couldn’t breathe.

Fuck no! I’m not going to have a panic attack right now.

Leaning against the building out of sight, Kai took a few deep breaths and used Meditation to calm down. Beat by beat his heart slowed down. When he was sure he could trust his body again, he slipped inside.

The temptation to immediately scan the room was strong, but he had to make sure he didn’t attract attention first. Moving to the side, in the spot Sneak indicated him, Kai took in the room.

Please make my Favor be worth something.

He wasn’t sure if the spirits were conspiring with him to get rid of the trash, but the filthy middle-aged man was in the same spot he had seen him last night, a mug of beer in front of him.

The man’s eyes were unfocused, but it was hard to tell how drunk he was. Careful to stay out of the way, it was time to let Inspect show its full might. There were two waitresses serving tonight. Kai observed them as they made their rounds to bring more ale to the crowd of drunk men and women, but mostly men.

When the murderer raised his mug to get a refill, Kai had to force himself to remain still. The drunker he was, the better. He would only get one shot at this if he didn’t want to resort to his knife.

He waited for one more round, and then another, because his hands started shaking in anticipation. Meditation helped him calm down.

It was time. He was sure the sleazy man was thoroughly drunk. When he raised his mug to order yet another beer, Kai made his move.

He gave a silent prayer to the spirits to help him deliver justice and slid through the crowd to get into position. There was a wooden beam and a table full of people between him and his target.

The pill of poison was ready in his hand. When the waitress was about to pass by him, he stepped into the way at the last second. To avoid slamming into him, she hit the chair behind her, attracting the attention of a drunk man in his thirties. Instead of looking annoyed, he laughed boisterously, and his hands reached for the waitress's skirt.

The woman turned to apologize while she expertly dodged him. That was the chance Kai needed. With a casual wave, his hand moved over the mug letting the poison fall in.

By the time the serving woman had done dealing with the grabby client, it was done. Keeping his head down and mumbling how deeply sorry he was, he turned around and slipped away. Holding his breath, he focused on Mana Sense. Time seemed to slow down as the waitress finally left the poisoned drink to his target.

He let out a half-relieved breath. No one else would get poisoned for his fault.

Kai walked out of the pub without looking back, his mana senses never leaving the mug. Following the wall around the building to get closer to the spot where the man sat, he stopped less than a meter from his target. Observing through the wall the murderer of his father take a sip and then another. In a few minutes, his last drink was over. He was about to raise his mug another time when he fell to the ground convulsing.

It took a surprisingly long time for the other patrons to notice him. The barkeeper was the first to react and hurry to see what was going on. It was too late. A blinking notification appeared in the corner of Kai’s vision. Without waiting a moment longer, he ran away into the night. The sky thundered overhead, and a blanket of rain fell over Greenside.