A Little Harder Than Expected

The final name on my list was the current head of the Followers of Fire, which meant that I couldn't just like sneak up on her in an alley and shoot her dead (my preferred method for killing the names on the list, hilariously even as I killed a bunch of them they didn't prepare very much, I believe because I did it pretty much all in one week, and they didn't even know people were dead until I'd killed several of them). No she had a whole retinue of people around her at all times, it was kind of annoying. I was thinking I could just burn her to death from a distance instead of shooting her with the hand, but her damn army people kept one of those magical canceling things around and I didn't want to roast my stupid ass (also the hand was leaving no trace other than ashes, using my magic would cause a direct link). So instead of trying to arrange a murder like a normal person I decided to just swing in to her main headquarters and kill her there. Yes that was my plan, no I'm not that smart at times.

So I strolled into the main headquarters hand of the fire god in a shoulder clutch, big jacket on to try and hide that and not much else. I did like that the Hand for whatever reason despite being intensely magical did not trip any magical sensor at all (there were stupid little magic checkers all over the city to try and dissuade people from bringing in artifacts of unknown magical origin, they were easy to bypass though err I have no idea how to bypass one, never mind moving on). The man at the front desk was clearly more bodyguard than secretary, the fact he had a rifle near him kind of gave that away.

"Trezlan Lorentino loremaster here to see Iris Shade."

"Names not on the list." He didn't look at a list that I could see.

"Well its more of an impromptu thing, I want to document the church's ascension from lowly worshipers in the dirt to the big religion you are today." He didn't flinch at the insult to the church, they don't actually recognize their roots much anymore, which told me he wasn't a follower.

"No you aren't."

"I'm not?"

"No you're here to kill Iris Shade." I could hear boots tromping through hallways.

"What ever makes you think I'd want to do that?"

"Because we aren't idiots Mr. Lorentino." He went for his rifle and I drew the hand and burned him down.

"Sure you aren't." He was dead but you know the pithy one liner demanded to be said anyway! I turned around and there were a lot more of them than I expected (twenty by a quick headcount).

"Put the pistol down and get down on your belly." At least they didn't just shoot me, this was amazingly enough part of my plan. I let them shackle me and they took the hand (or they tried to, the first person who touched it was vaporized, after that they made me unload the magazine and let me keep it in my clutch). And then I was on my way up to see Iris. All part of my plan. Serious! Read next entry and then try and tell me I wasn't completely brilliant!