A Personal Favor III: The Second Name [solo/job]

---

After collapsing into bed, Azix quickly slipped into sleep, recovering from the exhaustion of taking out the Black Tower group. His dreams were fragmented and incoherent but he would remember that part of them involved the Grumptoes, Garret, Ariella and a few others. He awoke with his heart thumping heavily in his chest. After splashing some cool water on his face, he focused his thoughts and pulled out Serene's documents from underneath the mattress. He discarded the scroll with information on the Black Tower in a drawer before picking the next one to look over.

His next target was an obese slave trader, rather 'banker', by the name of "Pigeye" Pallus. Pallus was not an ordinary slave trader, instead he was a wealthy man who used loans with high interest to trap people into servitude. Azix contemplated setting the target to the side for the moment, Pallus did not sound like one who bought slaves. After a moment of thinking, Azix decided that it would be best if he removed Pallus sooner rather than later. It had already been a few days since he started looking for Sophie and Azix could not risk looking elsewhere when Pigeye may have her in his clutches.

Serene had provided Pigeye's habits and several of his favorite places. From the description of his weight, it was no surprise to Azix that the man enjoyed the rich tastes of fine dining. She had also noted that he was famous for paying to be the first customer at a new restaurant and many nobles would listen to his opinion before trying it. Azix rubbed his chin as he remembered that on his way home from the job he had seen signs that new restaurants were opening up in the richer district. After re-reading through Serene's notes another time to make sure he had the information memorized, he got dressed in his normal attire and made his way downstairs.

On the way out, he passed by Carmen and exchanged some pleasantries. The Cell Leader seemed a little tired but was friendly as she discussed some of the operations she was involved in briefly. Azix noticed she was keeping a lot unsaid, but didn't push her for more information, if he were captured he did not want to have information that could expose her plans. After wishing her well, Azix departed the house and made his way into Remano.

[401/1500 words]

Azix walked through the streets to find the restaurants that were opening. It didn't take long as he retraced his steps the previous night before finding one of them. Men were scurrying in and out, putting the finishing touches on before they opened in the evening. Azix listened to their conversations as they worked, from the sounds of it, the owner had refused to pay Pallus' bribe to give a good review and the men were certain the business would fail. Hearing that, Azix picked up his pace as he passed by and moved on in search of the next restaurant.

A few streets down, a large crowd surrounded a restaurant with a Grand Opening banner hung up on the rafters. Azix moved to the edge of the crowd, lingering to see what was going on. A finely dressed slim man announced to the hungry crowd that while they did open today, the restaurant had been rented out to a wealthy individual for the next two hours. The man apologized profusely over the uproar of the crowd before slipping inside and locking the doors. While the man had taken care not to mention any names, Azix had a good idea of who the wealthy individual was. He slipped into an alley nearby as the angry crowd began to disperse and looked for a way inside.

Halfway down the alley, Azix found a wooden ladder leaning against the building. It looked to have been left there after construction and after a quick glance towards both ends of the alley, Azix quickly climbed up to the roof. At the top, he looked over the edge and spotted a balcony on the top floor that led to what Azix thought would be the owner's apartment. It was not all the uncommon for owners to build their dwelling above their business, it saved on money sometimes. Azix pulled out his staff, whispering to the Rukh to conjure his Vanish spell before jumping down onto the balcony.

With invisibility on his side, no one below saw the orange magician slip inside the unlocked door into a bedroom. Opened boxes littered the room with half-unpacked items laying near them. Azix quietly moved through the upper dwelling and found the door that led downstairs to the restaurant below. As he descended the stairs soothing music drifted up to his ears before he heard a loud boisterous laugh. He turned around a corner and avoided knocking into a boy bringing a large tray of food to an obese man at the only occupied table.

From the grease dripping off his lips, staining luxurious clothes to the pig face the man wore, Azix knew it to be Pallus. Pigeye was seated before a table filled with exotic food with a wine glass in his hand. At his side, a man dressed in formal attire held a pitcher of wine and stood at the ready to top off Pallus' cup. Azix was surprised the serving man could hide the disgust that anyone would feel.

Feeling mischevious, Azix walked by the serving man and knocked the pitcher out of his hands and onto Pallus, drenching him in expensive wine. The large man roared as he stood up to berate the servant and Azix quickly slid the chair out from behind Pallus. The serving man profusely apologized before being escorted away by the owner who also apologized for the man's actions. Pallus growled and made to sit down before thudding heavily against the floor, missing the chair. The owner paled as he watched the affair, quickly approaching to try to fix the situation but Pallus glared him down.

"This is the worst experience of my life, I have a mind to spread news of this disaster to all four corners of Remano! Maybe all of Reim!" The look on the owner's face seemed to satisfy Pallus and the large man reclaimed his seat before waving him off. "Morons! I can't have a meal in peace!" He grumbled as he tore off a goose leg, the grease dripping off his fingers.

"Have you ever wondered if it may be fate paying you back for your actions?" Azix mused aloud from behind Pallus.

The large man whirled around but saw no one behind him, his wide eyes searched for the source of the voice. Azix tip-toed around the table and let his invisibility fade as Pallus turned back around. Pallus looked Azix up and down, the panic on his face hidden behind a smug grin.

"You seemed dressed for the shadows. If you are here to kill me, you are doing a piss poor job, lad." Pallus' laughed bellowed and the large man stood up. "I'm in the mood for spilled blood. Show me your skills." He unsheathed a scimitar from its scabbard at his waist and pointed it at Azix. "I will make quick work of you and then put your head on a stake outside my house!"

[1228/1500 words]

[220/250 magoi]

Spoiler:

Azix tilted his head to the side, "Have you already judged me?" A grin played on the magician's lips as he watched the large man's movements. Pallus waited for Azix to make the first move with an amused smirk on his lips that looked like fat greasy sausages. Azix obliged Pigeye, commanding the Rukh around him to form five Fragments of Light in front of the magician. The fragments each shined with a different bright color and streaked over the table towards the large man's bulk.

Pallus blinked before roaring in laughter, waves of fat rippled over his body with each bellow. The extraordinary amount of fat surrounding the man had batted away the fragments like they were candy. "What was that? You must be the world's worst assassin!" With a final laugh Pallus's face grew serious, "Now, I'll show you how pitiful you are." He leaped forward toward Azix, knocking over the table spilling the feast onto Azix's feet, to use his massive weight to make a Panquake out of the orange magician.

Azix jumped back in surprise as the full weight of Pallus flew towards him, horror flooding through his mind at the thought of the fat man's sweat and the grease he was covered in touching the magician. Thankfully his Borg flared up redirecting the attack, but the force still pushed Azix back a few feet. Azix had made Pallus confident, he wanted to see the surprise of being blindsided in the fat man's face, he wanted to see how the man would react to Karma. Pallus had made his living by preying on the weak, offering them a loan to help them survive, meanwhile charging insane interest till they had to sell themselves into servitude. Yet, Azix could not afford to toy with this target, he had underestimated Pigeye.

Azix started to move backwards to clear some space, conjuring up Makihige with the Rukh's assistance, but Pallus was prepared for that. Raising his meaty foot into the air, he slammed it down on the floor sending a shock wave around him. The force of it knocked Azix off balance onto his butt with a soft thud as two tendril constructs made of shadow magic appeared on either side of the magician.

Pallus charged forward, slashing his sword to begin Bloodletting Azix's upper body. The two shadow tendrils moved forward at a point to block the fast attack, dispersing momentarily after contact. Azix used the surprise to begin conjuring another spell, Kage Youshiki, which formed a mass of shadows at the tip of Azix's staff. Pallus quickly recovered and sent a downward slash towards the top of Azix's head. Azix's Borg flared to life to block the deadly strike and the mass of shadows hit the ground creating a fifteen meter diameter purple seal around the two. Within the seal, shadows quivered and fifteen tendrils pierced upwards into the folds of Pallus.

The fat man roared in pain, distracting him long enough so Azix could get back up. The magician freed his Deviant from its sheath, gripping it in his right hand, the staff in his left. Both men took deep breaths in silence as they stared each other down, recovering their wind.

[1771/1500 words]
[150/250 magoi]

Spoiler:

Pallus recovered first, pulling himself free of Kage Youshiki's tendrils as they dispersed momentarily. Azix still maintained both Makihige and Kage Youshiki, waiting for the right moment to utilize them. Azix felt the drain of swinging multiple spells in such a short time begin to wear on him, but he put the exhaustion aside. Perspiration ran down both men as Pallus swung his thick scimitar with deadly determination and Azix had just enough time to bring Deviant up, preventing the fatty from taking off his head. The blades sung as they struck against each other, the clash ringing out in the clash of battle. Azix twisted his blade and moved back five meters using a burst of speed with Sakeru, sending Makihige's tendrils forward to strike the man. Pallus blocked one of the tendrils with his scimitar but the other struck his exposed man boob.

Madness washed over Azix, the heat of battle while utilizing shadow magic triggered a hidden sadistic personality. A grin twisted the magician's face as he pointed his staff towards Pallus. "Ahh, what a fun pig you are~ Oink, Oink~," he trilled. Fifteen Kage Youshiki tendrils raised from the seal, braiding together to form a larger one, piercing through Pallus' fat into the deeper layers of skin and striking the back of his ribcage. A wild scream erupted from the man and his eyes flared in rage. The grin on Azix's face stretched wider and guided the tendrils out of the man to free him.

Pallus fell to his knees and snorted in fury, he scrambled onto his feet, gasping for breath. Azix was thrilled to see the fight burning in Pigeye's eyes. Pallus' endurance would allow Azix to inflict more pain than he had previously been able to. He was too lost in his thoughts to see Pallus thrust his massive frame into the air with another Panquake attack. Azix noticed a shadow pass over him in time to feel hundreds of pounds of sweaty, greasy pig fat collide with him. The force slid them back into a wall, knocking the wind out of Azix as they crashed.

His weapons clattered to the ground as Pallus pinned Azix to the ground, struggling to breath. Azix lost control of his spells, his mind reeled as he gasped for breath, sadism turning into blind panic. Feeling the grease of Pallus sent Azix into convulsions, a panic attack from the body fluids, let alone the desperation for air. It took all his willpower to move himself enough to catch a breath around the folds of fat.

Pallus let out a pained chuckle, "You...have....some skill..." Noticing that Azix managed to catch a breath, he ground his weight on the magician.

Azix grimaced in pain, desperately attempting to pull himself out from underneath the piggish oaf. When Palls shifted his weight Azix wheezed, his mind screaming 'GET THE %$^# OFF OF ME!' Every fiber of his being wanted to forcefully remove the disgusting taint on his body. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his staff tantalizingly close. He stretched his hand out to grab the staff, but Pallus shifted again and sucked Azix further into the mass of fat.

Digging his fingernails into the wooden floor, Azix inched his hand closer, the urgent desire to force Pallus off him motivating him. Tears ran down his face as he felt his pinky nail tear partly off, forcing himself to reach the staff. He pulled and pulled, fighting for his life as Pigeye's weight bore down on his lungs, preventing him getting more than a wisp of air. He fought his reach as blackness seeped into his vision, determined to push himself free.

Finally managing to grip his staff as blackness started to completely consume him, Azix took in his terror, his revulsion of the man's bodily fluids, his pain, and his will. Feeling the staff in his hand, the magician's will to fight sparked. Azix pictured the Rukh surrounding his skin, shielding him from the sweating mass, a film of force that pushed it away. He watched it expand with rapid force in a dome, expelling Pallus away from his body. Azix remembered how the Instructor had spells that used strength magic to push a wall of magoi at an enemy. The idea was crystallized with the revulsion that sent shudders throughout him. He manged several hoarse whispers that commanded the Rukh to Clear the space around him.

The Rukh flickered and a black light shimmered as they formed into magoi that rapidly surrounded his body. When the film of magoi was complete, Azix strengthened it with all his might, ignoring the lack of oxygen. As the magoi expanded outward in a 4 meter diameter dome around Azix, it impacted Pallus and launched him forward several meters, injuring his back further. While expanding, Azix trailed on the edge of consciousness until the weight lifted off him and he choked in air. He gasped for air, wincing in pain as it felt like daggers stabbing through his lungs. Azix had barely managed to hang on long enough, the idea scared him. He had let himself give into that twisted side and it had almost cost him. No, it still could, he had to focus.

His vision streaked back and he looked to see Pallus pushing himself up with a grunt. It was a struggle that took a few moments, allowing Azix to catch his breath. He noticed the film of magoi retract back around his body, to hover inches away from his skin. Azix was surprised that he had managed to utilize strength magic in desperation, using it in a way he hadn't before. It was all thanks to the Instructor that he had even thought of it.

Azix managed to get to his feet before Pallus and took a second to catch his balance. Exhaustion hit him like a ton of bricks, but Pigeye was still a threat. He released the Clear spell and steeled himself in preparation for using more magoi. As Pallus got to his feet, Azix called the magoi to form a Piercing Light, a one meter beam of light that sped towards Pallus, causing a second degree burn. He followed up with more commands to the Rukh to form a Bright Beam, a ten meter diameter beam of light that surged forward to deal second degree burns all over Pallus, leaving him a smoldering, twitching corpse.

Azix collapsed to his knees, the mental strain sent a wave of dizziness that took a few seconds to recover from. He looked around to notice the owner and a few staff peeking out from behind an overturned table in fright. The owner screamed, pointing towards Pallus' body and Azix turned to see the area around Pallus smolder in small flames. The realization that he had been spotted and had caused property damage prompted Azix to immediately vacate the premises. After recovering Deviant he staggered into a run fleeing through the back and into the alley from before.

---

He ran twisting through the streets until he was sure that he hadn't been followed. He found a clothing store where he discarded his old clothes and bought new ones of common Reim fashion. He pocketed his eye patch and whispered commands to the Rukh to conjure Azix's Disguise. A film of magoi bent the light around Azix creating an illusion to disguise himself. The illusion changed his hair color blond and his eyes the color of the sun, a similar golden hue as the Instructor's. He departed the store and headed in the direction of Pigeye's manor. Serene had left the address in the documents that he had memorized before.

When he arrived, he crept inside through an open window and started looking through it. There were several slave girls cleaning around the house and Azix was lucky enough to sneak around them. He found the door that led to the basement and he followed the stairs down into a dark room that reeked of feces and stagnant water. When his eyes adjusted he found matches and a candle on a nearby table. He lit the candle and the dull flame pushed back the darkness enough to see the room was massive. Rows of pens stretched along the room except for a corner with a metal table with straps attached. Torturers' tools hung on the wall around it, the remains of people clung to them.

Azix noticed only some of the cages held people and they looked in dire conditions. He started to proceed further when he heard a timid voice behind him.

"M-m-master won't like you down here..." A young girl with blond hair stood behind him, she put the nail of her thumb between her teeth in a nervous habit.



Azix's jaw dropped in shock as he glanced at the girl and noticed a scar in the shape of a beak on her elbow. He dropped to his knees, astounded that he had found her alive, here of all places. Sophie took a step back, frightened to see Azix's reaction. He composed himself and spoke in a soft tone, "I am a friend of Lavicus, he asked me to find you." Seeing uncertainty in her eyes, he took a shot. "He might have spoke of me before, Xenos."

Sophie gave a soft gasp, "You are Xenos? He said never to mention you, but that you helped him be able to afford food for the family."

Azix nodded, "Please, follow me. Your master will trouble you no longer, I promise you. Lavicus will be so happy to see you."

---

Lavicus leaned back in the chair, his feet on the table as he stared at the ceiling. His thoughts these days were of Sophie, he longed to know where she was. He wondered if Xeno would really save her, the thought seemed impossible. Almost immediately he regretted it, the mysterious man asked for his faith and Lavicus had sworn it on his word. For someone who had swept into his life and given him a chance, Lavicus felt honor bound. He had some bad experiences, but he had learned more of the world. He couldn't question Xeno, to do so would be to give up on hope for Sophie.

He let out a sigh and buried his face in his hands, welcoming the darkness to hide his thoughts. He thought about going home when he heard the door open. Lifting a hand to see who it was, he watched Xenos walk in with a young blond girl trailing behind him. No, not just a blond girl, Sophie. He leaped out of his seat and ran to embrace her in his arms.

Azix moved to the side and watched the siblings collapse into each others' arms, sobbing with joy and sharing the pain of loss. He stole a glance at Lavicus who smiled up at him with joy in his eyes. Lavicus mouthed a thank you before burying his face in Sophie's shoulder. Azix smiled and left the safe house, heading to his house. He was exhausted and was not fond of the idea of the long walk, but he would be glad to get out of Remano for a few days.

[1000+/1000 word count: Training Clear]

Spoiler:

[20/250 magoi]

Spoiler:

[exit]