"What''s it to you?", I made my way towards her.


    She paused, her eyes flickering. She squinted her eyes in irritation and faced the window.


    "I am not one of those Tongueless", she sighed as she stepped away from the window.


    Scanning the room, there was no tool for her defence. No weapons, no tools, no blades under her sleeves, nothing. If she was a fighter, she is not one now.


    "Who hired you?" her voice louder than before but not by much.


    Before I could do anything, she continued, "Must have been the Kleists or those Black Helms. You a king-licker?" Her stance became bolder, with her hands turning to a fist.


    "I am independent", I was ready to cast any spell. As soon as she turned towards me, I leaped forward.


    "You''re fast", her voice not being able to hide her fright. "The way you move. The way you talk. I''m so..."


    Before she could continue, my hands were on her neck. Is she trying to trap me? What''s with this changed attitude?


    "Impressed...I like that...", were her last words before I cracked her wind pipe. The crushing of someone''s neck was the first time for me. But it was satisfying. My fingers dug inside her neck, tearing her skin.


    She stood lifeless, her feet afloat. Her eyes were locked to mine. Blood started to drool from her mouth. Such a pretty life lost.


    "I''m sorry."


    I lifted her and carried her as I searched for any big weapon. In the kitchen, I found a big cleaver.


    Just as the Lord taught me, one big slash. And it was done. Her body was in two parts, a pool of blood enlarging rapidly between her head and her body.


    It was not so scary as I thought. I packed her head inside the big container beside the cleaver. The smell of chicken was still fresh.


    Going outside was as easy as coming inside. Why is it so easy?


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    I thought I saw someone looking at me coming outside. But I saw no eyes. Even the street was empty right outside the house.


    I ran past the crowd, nobody seemed to be paying attention to the big container and the smell within. Are the people in the cities this careless? Or they just don''t have time to pay attention to their surroundings?


    Reaching the burned house was easier than I thought. There, a guy was waiting but he was not the Lord. He was a noble perhaps. His robes seemed to stand out inside the house. Like a doll in the mud.


    His stance was slouched, eyes heavy. His belly showed his wealth while his cane showed his power. That was of premium wood, from Khanjar.


    "She''s dead?" he moved towards me, his pace slow.


    "Lord Harish?" I thought of the only possible noble who could be here.


    "You are smart", he stood beside me. He pulled out a big case and gave it to me.


    The case was heavier than what it looked. I put both the container and the case on the floor. Opening the case showed me gold bars, so many of them.


    "This can retire any life in Neopur and beyond. Take it and go", his hands nearing the container.


    I stopped his hand. "You will not be taking that. I have a mission."


    His face turned red, more red than what I thought was humanly possible. His fingers crooked and his eyes facing mine. He wanted to say something but didn''t.


    "Take it and go!", his shout was deafening.


    I didn''t want to kill two nobles on my first day in Neopur. But the Hollow Lord would be disappointed with me for cooperating with Lord Harish.


    This is it. The time to use my stronger spells. I began memorizing the words. They were of a strange language, a language dead long ago.


    "Bhulza!", I hit his chest with my palm.


    He fell and rolled like a ball. That was funny. Before he could stand, I took both the container and the case and ran away.


    I ran and ran. I ran till dusk, going from places to places. I think that I have seen the whole city today. Finally, I stopped at a farmland, not far from the city. Putting the container down, I fell to the ground. My grip was strong on the case.


    I felt a man was standing behind me. I jumped up and threw my fist at him. Before I could even see what was happening, a fist met my belly. The shock wave threw me at least ten feet away. My guts were destroyed. I was in so much pain. But I could not give up so easily.


    Balancing my stance, I saw a figure. The sun was in my eyes. I could not figure out the silhouette. His hands reached the case.


    I tried to move but my body was locked. My torso was frozen along with my legs. I tried to escape. Acting like a madman, just moving my hands.


    "Lord Harish has perished", the voice was familiar but I was not paying much attention. I just wanted to be out of pain.


    "Not by magic, but by palm. Ribs", his hands pointed to where his ribs would be but the sun was strong on my eyes, nearly blinding me.


    His hands picked up the case and threw it. I moved my head to see where it landed but my locked body didn''t help.


    "Hollows don''t work for money", his silhouette became visible. The sun had set, the darkness comforting my eyes.


    "Lord?", all I could mutter before losing consciousness.