1st day from home.
I have trained in these wood my whole life. I know every tree, rock and bush within a three days walk like the back of my hand. And yet, somehow the knowledge that I am finally leaving makes it all feel different. Today was as if every tree was new, every beam of light breaking through the canopy brighter. Even the animals, which normally keep their distance, have stopped and watched as I went by. Almost as if they can sense that something is different.
I followed my father’s instructions to the letter, dismantling the barriers and traps, erasing all signs that we had ever lived there. The hardest part was destroying the home that I had grown up in. Destroying almost everything I had ever know, except what I was willing to carry for the rest of my life, was the hardest thing that I have ever done. Harder than a century of training, discipline, and study. Almost as hard as loosing father, and mom.
All I have left of them I will carry forever. The dagger my father passed down to me as my birthright, and the katana that we forged together. The clothing that my mother made from darkness that my father spun for her, and my promise to her. It has only been a week since he passed and I miss him so much, but I was born to the world’s greatest assassin and I must follow in his footsteps. Not because he told me to, not because It’s all I know, but because the world needs it.
I may have grown up away from the rest of the world but I have spent an entire life time learning about it. Learning why people do the things they do. Learning right from wrong. Learning that the powerful should protect the weak, and why they don’t. Learning to know when my blade is needed. I will follow my parents rules: 1) Protect the innocent at all cost 2) Leave no trace 3) When the time comes listen to the darkness, for it might obscure the deeds of evil men, but it also hides the good from their predators. 4) Never allow that which is evil to hide in the darkness for she does not want them.

The sun has set and all I know is gone. Tomorrow a new day, no…… life, begins. 

Day 5
 
……It’s been a long day. I passed through a small village today. It was not long after dawn when I came upon it. The people were nice, enough. They seemed scared of me as I came into town. Those not near the road quickly disappeared, the rest greeted me kindly but warily. This place was not unlike the village at the edge of the forest that mother and father had taken me to sometimes when I was young. That village had always been kind and happy, its people free from fear. I know that father had defended it before and that it had been safe for a long time.
 
The people here were afraid. And not just because I was a stranger, I was fairly certain it was because of my weapons. As far as I have learned many travelers carry weapons so something like this should not have been alarming to them, but….. I decided to not stay in town long. I didn’t want to make them uncomfortable. Near the edge of town a young girl was playing with some older kids. Whether they were siblings or just other children of the village I couldn’t say, nevertheless all but her ran and hid at first sight.
 
I’ve come to realize that she was too young to be scared of a stranger. Instead she came to me and asked about my sword. I told her that it was for protecting children from monsters and she smiled. She told me that her brother spoke of monsters that ran the town, monsters that had taken their father. She asked if I could get him back, asked if my sword could protect him……
 
I didn’t know what to say. She just waited with such an innocent smile on her face. Her mother came running out of their home and began apologizing for her daughter bothering me. I could hear the panic in her voice, see it on her face. It took some work to convince her that I was not bothered at all. In the end I asked what the child had meant. A question that just brought tears to her eyes. She thanked me for the kindness but left without answering. I tried to ask around town but no one would speak. That’s when I noticed that the only males were either very young, or old.
 
I left the village but stayed close enough that I could see it, and I waited. For a while I thought it would be in vain, but near sunset a man dressed all in black with a sword on one hip rode up dragging a large bundle behind him. He took it to the center of town and cut it loose. As he rode back the way he had come the villagers gathered around the bundle and before he reached the edge of the village I heard a woman’s scream.
 
I took note of the direction the man had gone and returned to town. Many still looked scared while other now looked angry at me. A woman was on the ground crying over the bundle and without another word I knew it was either her husband or son. It didn’t really matter which, this was why I was born. I demanded to know who the man that had ridden in was and this time some of them spoke.
There was a nearby mine and a band of men had claimed it. At first they only came to town to get provisions or a roof and a bed for a night. But soon after they came less and less. One day a group of men showed up dressed all in black and demanded able bodied men and boys to work in the mines and in exchange the village and its women would be spared. They tried to resist at first but none of them were warriors, and after three men had been cut down they surrendered.
 
Now they came into town for only three reasons. To get more boys, take food, or leave a body. Between my weapons and clothes it was no wonder that they had been afraid of me. As the sun set I set out to follow his trail. It was difficult in the dark but nothing I had not done before, not to mention made much easier by the fact that these men believed they had nothing to fear and so their trail was obvious. I saw the light of their torches before I ever saw their camp. A little over a dozen small tents set in no order around the entrance to a cave.
 
There wasn’t much security. They had no immediate threat in the area and the village men were subdued by fear of what would happen to their wives and daughters should they rebel. There were two guards standing by the cave entrance, a few men were around the fire cooking, talking as if this was a normal day. The rest were either in the cave, in their tents, or in the dark. I watched for some time looking planning how to get to them without putting the taken men in danger or the town after I left. One of the men grumbled something about grog and left the fire. I followed him into the dark of the woods.
 
My hand covered his mouth, my dagger slipped in under a rib on his left side. I quickly reminded him that he could survive this wound, if I let him. I wanted to know three things; how many men were in his gang, where they were, and what right they had to do this. He only answered two, not enough to live. It seemed that I was lucky. There were fifteen men in all counting him. One for each tent for they did not trust each other. Two were at guard, seven were at the fire, and the last five were in the cave.
 
I couldn’t take them on all at once without putting the village men in danger. But I was determined to try and save them. That’s when it happened. The whispers were faint at first but grew until I could just make out syllables. The language was one that I did not know, yet I understood what it wanted. Like my father before me and his before him, the darkness, cradle to all creation, was speaking to me. It bade me to let myself become one with it and so I did. It felt like the warmth of a fire on a freezing night enveloping my entire body. I felt safe, and I felt strong, I felt everything.
 
I could feel everything that was in a ten foot radius as if I was touching it. Every tree, every ant, every man. I took a dead branch and threw it into the crowd around the fire. The all cursed and turned to me but I knew all they could see was a figure draped in shadow that should have been covered in light. I dropped the body at my feet, not unlike what they had done in the village, and turned back to the darkness of the woods. They stood, silent, fear streaked across their faces. They thought they were strong, they thought they were safe, they were wrong. A smile spread across my face, they were weak.
 
They picked up their weapons and silently gave each other commands. The two guards called into the cave for two more to come to their aid. That would only leave three in the cave when I was done. The seven advanced into the woods after me. I let them walk right by. I could feel their every move, every item they had on them. I knew every step they were going to take before I saw them take it, their muscles giving away their intent. It was easy, and silent…..and quick.
 
The four guards now at the cave entrance were not about to make the same mistake. It didn’t matter, I was trained for a century. I used my hunting bow to rip out the throats of the two furthest from me with one shot and in the moment of chaos I abandoned my dark blanket and dropped the other two with sword and dagger. They shouldn’t have been standing so close. As I entered the cave I slid back into her embrace and took out the torches as I went. They sent one as a scout to see what was happening. I felt him before he reached the bend in the tunnel. A moment later he felt my blade. They had gathered the men in a larger chamber. The two surviving guards held a young boy each and a knife at their throats.  
 
They could not see me watching them. They yelled threats into the darkness that would have been empty had they not been full of fear. I loosed an arrow into the eye of the one on my right. He fell back scratching the boy on the neck with his knife, nothing that wouldn’t heal in a few days. I stepped into the light still wrapped in her embrace. I have no idea what it looks like but can’t be too good. The last man dropped his weapon and released the boy. He begged to be spared. The village men looked just as scared. I uttered six words that dispelled their fear. “He is the last one left.” And with that I turned and left. I had only taken a few steps when he screamed. He didn’t scream long.
 

I know that what I did was for a good reason. I know that I saved that village. I know that the story will spread and for a time no one will dare to threaten them again. The darkness finally spoke to me and lent me her power so that I could do good, and yet I feel that I have failed. My job is to protect the week, to take out those who would maliciously harm others. But if I take so much pleasure in the power that is lent to me, how am I any better. I must not focus on how much stronger I was than them, or on the power I was given. I must remember that those powers I will gain are not mine own, but hers. And she only lends. I must remember what I have promised to do. My job is to protect the weak, not to become strong. That will just be a bonus.         

Day 16
 
I never thought that my first contract would be so difficult. Since the incident at the village I’ve been avoiding any populated areas and roads. Not out of fear or anything like that, I just needed time to think. Think, and practice. The darkness now responds at will when I talk to it. I can’t always understand what she is telling me, but I know that she is always there and always ready to help. I can now sense everything within a twenty-five foot radius when I meld with her and have even learned to extend existing shadows further than they should be able to go. I’ve managed to surround a candle in darkness so that all that could be seen was the flame. I’m trying to do the same to my camp fire but I can’t seem to gather enough shadows yet.
 
Enough about my paltry attempts at my father’s craft. A few days ago I was sitting by a fire, roasting a wild rabbit, when the whispers began. But unlike the other times they didn’t seem directed at me. Out of the dark a parchment fell into my lap. Without opening it I knew what it was. My father had taught me about some of the things that the darkness always gave us, and this was one. I don’t know how many of the black flame candles are in the world or who has them, but good or bad I am to always respond.
 
From what I could gather from her, the closest ones were lit when she first took me into her embrace. And now I had my fist contract. The task was simple, on the parchment was a name, a sum of silver, and an artist sketch of the target. After all the years those candles had been dormant it seems at least one person believed their family’s stories enough to try it. As soon as I was done eating, I set out to find my target.
 
Though normally fairly silent, the darkness now lead me. Right here, left at that tree, until I reached the edge of the woods. In the distance I could see farm land as far as the hills on the horizon. And on one of those distant hills was a structure larger than the rest. From my studies I figured it was the home of the local lord who presided over these farms. I rather enjoyed the first part of that day. Going through the farms I got to see the most magnificent creatures. Little flightless birds that ran at the first sight of me, their little yellow babies running behind them looked so soft. Great beast in white and black or brown that lazily watched me as they grazed. It took me a while to remember what they were called, cows. There were so many wondrous things to see, but I was here for a purpose, make the world a slightly better place.
 
I was lead, not to the manse, but to one of the farmhouses. I went to it to see the one whose fate I was going to change. I had intended to go to him as a weary traveler in need of a bed and food, but that wasn’t what my fate had instore for me. I wasn’t more than two hundred feet away from the structure when he exited the home and a single word came to me from the dark: “Innocent.” It wasn’t the usual unintelligible language that I somehow understood, no, this was clear and in my own tongue. I continued past the home and the man like it was my intent all along.
 
Why? I couldn’t understand why I would receive a request to kill an innocent farmer. So I decided to stay close and watch. It didn’t take long to realize what was going on. At dusk the farmers gathered at the home farthest from the manse. There I used the shadows to slip in unnoticed and listened to them. The local lord had been taxing them more and more, and now that they could no longer make enough to pay he was taking extra food. They were not going to take this much longer and my target was clearly the leader of this planed revolt. And as it turns out he had already confronted the lord who in turn had threatened to take his, and the others, daughters if they did not submit.
 
I knew now who had sent the request. I knew who had the candle. And it was he who I had to kill. Their ancestor must have been a good person to be given a candle, it’s probably how they rose to power in the area. Given to them to be used to protect those he ruled. But over the silent century those that were left must have forgotten, or didn’t care that it was only to be used for good. To protect the innocent. Now they were the tyrant, and the candle illuminated who they truly were. But I could not just kill them.
 
If I did the blame would fall on the farmers who were just trying to survive, but if I took too long they were going to take matters into their own hands. And although they had every right to do so, it would just bring more pain to them in the long run. I had to find another way, but first I had to get to the manse. It took the better part of the night to get to it and I still had no idea how I was going to pull this off. From what I had overheard it would only be another day or two before this turned bloody, I had to take care of this fast.
 
The walls of the manse provided me with a new obstacle, but the structure meant to keep them safe proved to be the guiding light for my solution. I had walked the perimeter shrouded in darkness so that the guards could not see me. Clearly the lord knew that the farmers would not stay their hands long for there was no way for a normal man to enter without being seen. There was no way to enter period, without going through some guards. A problem of its own. Even if I found a solution for the lord, if guards ended up dead or injured the farmers would be blamed. Not to mention that these men were simply doing their jobs and were not to blame.
 
I stood staring into the gate from the cover of darkness for a short while contemplating my options when she gifted me with a solution. A single whispered unintelligible word and I was suddenly past the gate and in the yard. I trained for a century to be a silent assassin, and yet I almost let out a scream. It felt like the sensation I had in the first few seconds that my father had pushed me off of the roof of our home when I was thirteen. That odd pull of gravity just above my gut. It had only lasted a second, but I now had a plan. If they simply disappeared from their bed in the middle of the night, when no one had gotten passed any of the guards, they would have no one to blame. I slipped into the house and began my search. Of course I hadn’t stopped to think about the fact that there might be two people in that bed, one who could be innocent.  
 
The room was dark but that didn’t really have any bearing on me except to tell me that they had covered the windows, most likely from fear that an arrow might come through it, thought that is not what drew my attention. Nor was it the couple in the bed. The black candle stood alone on a table near the covered window. Its black flame somehow illuminating a small area around it in a soft silver light. The candle itself was black with silver lines carved into it like a mosaic of wind or vines. There were a few scattered parchments on the floor next to the table. Previous attempts at contacting me, or maybe scrapped drafts. One was a full letter they had written as the contract. In it he had divulged nearly everything as if he had been asking a fellow corrupt noble for help, even admitting to his wife’s empty threat of taking the young girls. He knew it would come to blood before that. He even wrote that it had been her idea to try the candle and that he didn’t believe it would do anything other than burn. It was probably her that scrapped this letter and sent the final, simple, draft.
 
They were no longer worthy of this relic. I took the candle and tried to extinguish its flame. Not only was the flame cold, but it would not go out. I heard stirring on the bed behind me and the candle simply vanished into the darkness with a single whispered word, “later.” I had a job to do, and now my choice was simple. There could be no blood, no signs of struggle, a simple task. The aconite flower makes a great paralytic, and in a high enough dosage a deadly poison that simply stops the heart. They never woke or knew that they had died. I took the payment they had set aside in their safe, and the bodies I shrouded in darkness. One look out of the window and all three of us were beyond the wall.
 
So far I can only cover distances that I can see, luckily I have good sight. It wasn’t long until I was far away. I found a large lake and rid myself of my two burdens there. At that point I was so tired that I did not make camp or even eat. In truth I do not remember even laying down. The next morning I returned to the farms to ensure that everything worked out. The first day was calm, though there was commotion at the manse. The second day the farmers gathered and the mob went to rain down their fiery passion on the lords. The guards didn’t resist long for they had already discovered the disappearance of their lords. And now with a mob at their gates, and several parchments detailing the guilt and fears of their lords the guards were sure that they had run away in cowardice and why defend those who are not going to pay you.
 

Never the less the farmers wanted blood for their injustice, and if not for the voice of their leader they would have killed many innocent men. I met with him later that night. A figure shrouded in darkness telling him a tale he scarcely would have believed otherwise. In the end, because of his deeds, I gave him the candle and a task. Keep your people free, and innocent. And if the need ever arose to send for me.                                            

I had a dream, but it didn’t feel like a dream. It felt more like a memory, or something more. I was in the dark, but it wasn’t just darkness. Somehow I knew there was nothing, and not just where I was. No, there was nothing in existence. She embraced me, and she was all that was. Except for him. I could feel his power, his strength, his love. And then suddenly it all came into being. The stars were more numerous than I could conceive. Nearly all surrounded by worlds, many of which had life.
 
She was happy. She was the cradle that held his creations and together they watched over all of it. I saw as worlds came and went. Countless civilizations on countless worlds rose and fell. In some worlds the people grew together, in others they fought endlessly. Some had magic, others did not. I saw wondrous worlds made of metal and glass. Some had ships that flew like birds, but in time they all came to the same fate. But then, they were fine and they kept flourishing. I knew then that what I saw was not reality, it was possibility.
 
He grew sad as he watched his creations squabble over the most meaningless things. Even more so with those who hurt others for nothing more than their own enjoyment. He then set himself to make the perfect world where only the good would be allowed. She watched in horror as countless men used her to hide their terrible deeds and blamed their own sins on her. Over time she grew angry and begged him to destroy it all and start again, but he refused.
 
He demanded that even they did not have the right to end so many, but that didn’t mean they had to sit by and let it happen. On each world they chose protectors. On some they were no more than ordinary people that brought about extraordinary change. On others they were more like gods. Each had their own way of doing it. He preferred a more subtle approach, leaving hints and suggestions so that the peoples felt the changes came from them. She was more direct, whispering solutions in their ears and every so often gifting one with her own skills.
 
I watched as time rewrote itself again and again, each time with more worlds surviving. And I knew that this was what she wanted. Men might use her name for evil deeds and hid their crimes in her bosom, but she wanted nothing of them. She wanted the people to be happy, and safe. She wanted the worlds to feel the love that she felt. And she wanted me to know why she had given me her powers. Why I was doing what I do. That there was more at stake than any one person could handle, but no measure to the amount of change one could bring.
 
Then it all disappeared, and this time I felt truly alone. Again there was silence. Silence that lasted for what felt like an eternity, and then a single sound. Faint at first, but it grew until I felt my head would split. A laugh that threatened madness. “She shows you much little one, but there are thing even she will keep from you. Just like he tried to keep me from his toys. I might not be able to take them from him, but look at the havoc I’ve wrought. I’ve broken so many of their little toys and mark my words little one, I’ll break you too.”
 
I woke, sweating in the cold of the night. I know not what it all meant but I will not let it rattle me. Whether fever dream, or prophecy, I will not fail her. I will not fail the promises I made to my parents. And most importantly, I will not fail this world. If there is something out there that wants to break me, let it try. I will not go down easily. And I will die before I break my oaths.     

Day 25
 
The further I go the more desolate these mountains become. I have not seen another person in days. I had chosen the smallest of the peaks that I could see to cross, yet the climb seems endless. Somehow the days seem to be getting longer, but that might be because of the dream I had a few days ago. I can’t stop thinking about it.
 
Was it just a dream or a vision of creation? I tried to ask the darkness but she remained silent on the matter. If it was a vision, why show me and then not acknowledge when I asked about it? I thought I understood what it was meant to impart, but it is the end that I cannot stop thinking about. That voice. How could a voice sound so sure of itself, so powerful, and yet mad?
 
What had it meant about wanting to break me? And what havoc had it caused? Was this some other person with powers reaching out to any that might threaten it, or was it something older? I tried to ask but she wouldn’t answer. Either it was nothing, or she was keeping secrets. I had another dream last night. It was a normal one, except for how it ended.
 
I was suddenly in a large expanse. I can’t remember if it was a desert, or field, or even ice. It just wasn’t important, or it was constantly changing. All I really remember is that it stretched infinitely in all directions. At first there was nothing, but then far off in the distance there was something approaching. It was not moving quickly, as a matter of fact it almost seemed slow. As if it was in no hurry because it knew that I had nowhere to go. And I was afraid.
 

I have no idea what it was, but I was scared of it reaching me. I tried to run, but no matter how far or fast I did it was slowly but steadily getting closer. I could feel it trying to get into my head. Trying to make me afraid. I decided to fight, but my powers would not work. There I was just a man. But a man can still fight. I tried to call out to the darkness but she did not respond. It did. “She cannot here you here.” I could hear the smile in its voice. That’s when I awoke. I don’t know if these dreams are an omen or just my mind dealing with the fear of possibilities that I face in my journey, but either way I must fight it. 

He stood in a field, his eyes closed, the breeze gently caressing his face. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he melded with the shadows that surrounded him. Even though the sky was clear, and just a second ago he had been standing under millions of stars, it was now an empty void. He tried to look around but all was just darkness. Yet he knew where everything was. In meld he could not see but in return he could feel everything in a twenty-five foot radius around him, the ants in the ground, the wind through every blade of grass. And he could hear everything for almost half a mile on a quiet night.
 
About ten feet above him a bat was hunting a fly. Their movements felt slower to him, like walking through water. He knew they weren’t moving any slower, that it felt that way because he could feel their movements faster than he would have been able to see them. He took in another breath and tried to push at the boundaries of his sphere. The first time he had melded, his sphere had only been ten feet, since then he had been practicing to push it out further. So far he had not been able to make it any larger than this.
 
He put all his thoughts on the edge of his sphere and pushed. Suddenly he felt the bat crash into the edge of the sphere. Instinctively he reached out to grab the creature but he was too far from it. The being was about a foot taller than he was, thin, with limbs that were longer than they should have been. It had appeared out of nowhere and caught the falling animal. It had made no sound approaching, he had not felt it enter his sphere, yet there it was holding the creature. He was so startled by its sudden appearance that he ended the meld without realizing it. The stars and moon illuminated the field now, but even without them he could see in the dark. The figure was still there, the bat grooming itself in its hands before taking flight again undisturbed by its savior.
 
It had the approximate form of a man, like he had felt, but no features. From head to toe it was as if this being were made out of the darkness itself. Light wisps seemed to be coming off of its body like mist off a lake. It made no movements save for that of a curious animal studying a person from a distance, its head cocked lightly to one side. It did not seem threatening. “Hi, I’m Calix,” the creature made no movements to acknowledge that it had heard or understood him, “I do apologize if this is rude but who or what are you?”
 
It responded in the same tongue as the darkness, but unlike its multiple voices whispering at once, this was a single clear masculine voice. Like the darkness the words themselves were gibberish, but he understood its intent. “Servant.” It took a second for that to sink in.
 
“Where did you come from?” Had she sent it? It didn’t seem so. Normally she spoke to him when she bestowed a new power. Tonight she had been silent. He had heard from his father about the ability to create show figures that were controlled by his subconscious, but this creature was completely autonomous. He had not created it, accidentally or otherwise, and he was definitely [LC1] not controlling it.
 
It moved its head looking around as if trying to find a satisfying example. It gave up with what looked like a sigh, although it did not seem to breathe. “Nowhere, everywhere.” It held out its hand, “easier.” The darkness remained quiet, so this being couldn’t be a threat. He walked to it and went to take its hand. It pulled back just enough to signal that it had another intent. It then slowly reached for his head. His mind was suddenly filled with images and thoughts.
 
They were beings from another plain. The elements given life. Their plain shared this world but both were independent of one another. Normally there was not any interaction between the two plains, save for extreme amounts of energy. Two fire elementals fighting could cause a volcano in this plain, or an earth could cause an earthquake, but that was rare. There were times, however, when one from this world was born with, or learned, a connection to the elemental plains. Their will could pull an elemental into their own for a short while.
 
When he had reached for the bat and known he could not get to it, his will to save it, while wrapped in darkness, had reached through to their plain and pulled this being into his. In doing so he had formed a connection to the plain of darkness and his will could now be felt to them. The elemental stepped back and for a moment they stood in silence. They now understood each other and so no words needed to be spoken. It could feel his gratitude, and he could feel that it was content. Without saying a word it vanished.
 
Another friend in his quest. He had not been on his journey long, but so far it had been quite exiting to him. Now he had to figure out what the bat had run into. There had been nothing there except for the edge of his sphere, and nothing had ever had an issue crossing it. He thought back and the only thing he could think of was how much he had been concentrating on it, trying to push it out. He had gotten to the point that he was visualizing it as a physical wall that he was trying to push. He looked around and some distance away, at the foot of the hills, was a small stream. He went to the stream and stood in it.
 
If had done it once….. He pulled on the darkness to form a wall of shadows in the stream. Manipulating shadows was something he had learned early, stretching them so that he could move unnoticed through them, using them to obscure things from peoples view, but so far they were still just shadows that anything could move through. He concentrated on his small wall of shadow trying to give it substance. At first nothing happened, so he went back to thinking about the bat. He had been trying to push the wall of the sphere. That had to be it.
 
He rebuilt his wall of shadows, but this time instead of just trying to give it substance he focused on making it something he couldn’t get through. The water began overflowing the bank. Soon it was flowing around and over his wal, and he could feel it. Not just the water that was hitting his legs, but the water that was surrounding the wall. He gathered more darkness and built a u shape in front of him, slowly bringing it above the water. It quickly began to rise up his legs. He kept gathering more shadows building the wall, the water kept rising around him, and suddenly he couldn’t hold it. The wall vanished and the water rushed forward washing away a large chunk of the embankments before returning to its original size. A smile spread across his face. A new friend and a new tool in one night. This had been a good day.