Sin: Path of Poison

Chapter 21

Equipped with the money the Crown Prince gifted us, Nomi insisted I leave the palace with her the following morning. Escorted by four guards I had never seen before, we were able to leave the palace in the same carriage we used upon arriving. Seeing a carriage as simple as ours in the streets was nothing to cause attention, seeing it accompanied by four guards was something entirely different. People stood aside and speculated over who could be important enough for this special security.

We moved on through the roads, easily passing through as people moved aside. We wound our way to the clothing district and passed in front of several shops before coming to a halt. The guards stood outside, waiting as we went into a store that was tailored to female customers. The robes were of good quality and ranged from everyday use to special occasions. All were likely purchased by the upper middle class and the more well to do. Nomi didn't want us to stand out too much, she immediately gravitated towards the area suited for the upper middle class and began searching.

A seamstress curiously walked over to ask if she could be of any help. Upon closer inspection I realized the cloth was woven in a similar way to the host we'd stayed with. This was probably one of his shops. Nomi took the lead, explaining what we were looking for, the woman seemed to understand with minimal details and chose two robes. Since we didn't have much time until our outing the next day, she obligingly made some alterations right on the spot. The clothing she chose fit well to begin with so it didn't take long.

The robes were placed into the carriage and we made our way back to the palace. I peeked out of the carriage briefly as we were passing a shop with hair clasps and pins. The owner was someone I knew well. Nomi halted the carriage upon seeing my interest and ushered me inside where I stood in a maid's outfit and humbly bowed to an old acquaintance. She paused at first while trying to understand the situation. It wasn't the first time she'd seen me in a disguise, but it was the first time she'd seen me bring in someone so completely oblivious.

"We're looking for something elegant and simple for her." Nomi told the store owner while gesturing towards me. Ruby looked at me smugly, clearly enjoying this. I was nearing the end of my mission and already gained the name of the person I needed to eliminate, I wondered how much longer it was necessary to hide.

"I have just the thing!" She turned around and dug through a few boxes before setting one down on the table between us. There were a few red jewels on the end in an elegant pattern. The ornament was sculpted to be held in the palm of the hand while pointing the spiked part out like a weapon. On first inspection it appeared to be no sharper than any normal hair pin, but I knew Ruby well and picked up on the sheath that covered the sharp piercing needle within.

"I'm not sure we have enough money leftover to afford this." Nomi said. Behind her I rolled my eyes in annoyance, I could see Ruby's grin widening. I gave her a curt nod behind Nomi's back, signaling I'd send the money later.

"How much do you have?" She asked. Nomi innocently dumped the remaining bits of money on the table, holding nothing back. I wanted to hit my forehead for the lack of common sense. Ruby slid away nearly all of it only leaving enough to pick up a couple treats from the market if we were interested, which we weren't. I'd still owe her more than double what she took.

"Are you going out tonight?" Ruby asked nonchalantly.

"Tomorrow night!" Nomi responded, excited about the purchase.

"Be careful at night. I've heard there's been a group of thugs around the area, causing people trouble." She looked at me, giving me a heads up. She probably had more information, but couldn't elaborate with Nomi here. I simply nodded in understanding. As we left I could hear her laughing as we climbed into the carriage. Ha! I'd get her back for that.

I met Ruby some years back while fulfilling a contract. A small guild of assassins encroached upon another guild causing them to quickly lose face when they were unable to take it back. The guild was thought to specialize in weapons, which were smartly crafted and of high quality and craftsmanship. Before long they'd entirely taken over the territory and eradicated the previous guild.

Worried they would keep expanding, several nearby guilds pooled funds together to hire me. Only the top leaders of each group knew of this, they didn't want to defame themselves. While the leaders all left for a week, supposedly to set this guild straight, I went in alone. What I found was completely laughable. The members and even the masters in the guild were nothing special at all, no skill. They were simply depending on very well made weapons, most were coated with very well made poisons.

After killing everyone, I was finally able to find the source of their power. A girl and boy, perhaps both seventeen at the time. They were kept in the back of the village. The girl was in one building where she had all the materials and tools she needed to create the weapons. The boy was kept in a different building with all the tools and materials he needed to produce poisons. Their mom was captured and kept separately, used to make the siblings submissive. They would take her around once in a while and threaten her life.

"Would you like to work for me?" I asked the girl. I didn't really need anyone to create poisons for me, I was fully capable of making my own. She looked nervous, unable to trust me.

"I won't make you, if you'd like to leave with your brother and mother you can. If you agree to work for me I'll take you away and set you up somewhere. The three of you can live together. You can have your own store. If I need anything I'll buy it from you. I just ask that you tell me if you commission custom weapons to anyone other than me. You're free to do so, just let me know. Most of all, don't mention me to anyone." I gave her my terms, not that she had any reason to believe me. Her mother and brother were nearby watching.

"Will he have to make poisons for you?" She asked.

"No, I can make my own. He's free to do whatever it is he wants to do. No need to report to me." I replied uninterested.

"What kind of weapons?" She asked, more curious than scared now.

"Mm probably hair accessories, jewelry, those kinds of things." I said simply.

"Hair accessories?" She repeated.

"Mm I need some hair pins and clasps that I can hold poison in. There's a few bracelets and other jewelry I've also thought of. The craftsmanship required is very delicate, I haven't found anyone with your skill before." I explained.

"I'll do it." She agreed. We left immediately and I arranged to have them transferred to the capital after discovering her brother actually wanted to become a doctor. He wanted to treat and cure illnesses with types of poison, there was a doctor famous for this in the capital. With a few notes and money I helped make the arrangements for a place to stay and a small storefront along with the workspace and enough materials to get her started.

With his skills, her brother was able to get in as a disciple. As agreed upon I would come by every so often to commission jewelry, she insisted the first few pieces were repayment for what I did for her. Later on she accepted my money and realized I had never cared for repayment to begin with.

Ruby's business flourished, her admirable skills spread throughout the area. Despite all these years she never made custom weapons for anyone other than me, she was worried she'd get mixed up with the wrong people again. We kept each other's secrets.