《Unknown Fate's End》


 Volume 1 Prologue: Severing Ones Fate

    The man stared at the city view before him, trembling in fear at what he was seeing and clenching the metal railing of his fire escape desperately. Fiery clouds rose from dozens of locations as sounds of explosions and screaming filled the air. Once towering skyscrapers in downtown St. Louis were nothing more than jagged protrusions, bellowing smoke and spilling debris onto their surroundings. Though he wanted to resolutely ignore it, the man knew that those debris falling were as much human than any other material. His eyes were drawn further up to the streaks of fire and light in the sky. Roaring sounds of aircraft could be heard in the chaotic scene above, but they were far few compared to the inhuman roars and screeches that signaled the dominance of ''them.'' The man''s black eyes were dilated in shear terror at what he was witnessing, as inhuman figures of all sizes and shapes dominated the once clear skies.


    Though he knew logically that this was expected sooner or later, he was having a hard time accepting that it was happening to his home. The news over the last few weeks had reported city after city being ravaged by ''them,'' with world wide military forces failing to do anything to stop ''them'' when they appeared, except to use the final solution. Some called it the world''s revenge against humanity and its greed, while others proclaimed the coming of the Apocalypse. The man did not care what it was, but all he knew was that in front of the literal hell that had appeared in front of him, he was nothing more than a gnat.


    He wiped the sweat rolling down his forehead, scattering away black hair that was plastered to his head from the sweat. Grabbing his backpack that was crammed with a few days worth of nutrition bars and water, he began scrambling down the five story building''s fire escape, not caring if his brown t-shirt and blue jeans got scuffed. He knew the building''s relatively tall height in the surrounding two and three story buildings would make it a perfect target for whatever flying monstrosity that wanted to use it as a temporary perch in the local area. His narrow face was tense, with his jaws clenched tightly, both from fear as well as from some desperate desire for survival as he literally skipped down stairwells, not caring how much it hurt his legs.


    He had no solid plan, as he knew that the streets of the city would be as chaotic as the skies, but staying indoors was also a death sentence. If the ongoing battle for the city crossed a certain line, the military would use the final solution. Two weeks ago, that would have been insane to think about and would have probably led to major protests if not rebellions. However, after the world had watched dozens of major metropolitan cities attacked by ''them'' and their populations turned into fodder while being tortured and brutalized in inhuman ways, a clean death was determined to be better. The list of cities that vanished in nuclear strikes had only increased in the past two months with places like New York City, Moscow, Beijing, New Delhi, and dozens if not a hundred others only being remembered in memory, images, and literature. Worse yet, just when people began to flee to the countryside, the creatures had also started appearing everywhere. Small towns and rural communities were nothing more than appetizers for ''them.''


    The man had nowhere to go anyway and no one to seek out, considering he was an orphan. The worst part was that he was part this and that, to the point that he had to check ''other'' in the categories for various applications that asked for ethnicity. So, he did not fit in anywhere. All the value he had to his name was his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering, though his performance in achieving his degree was average if anything. There was no special helicopter or rescue squad coming to save him. He was like every other poor bastard he saw on the streets below running for it or trying to stuff their cars with meaningless possessions, while trying reassure their children that world was not ending.


    He shook his head to clear the feelings of desperation as he grimaced, realizing this was not the time to get sucked into pitying himself or anyone else. Stumbling down the last few stairs, he began running as fast as he could, trying to make it to a nearby sewer manhole. It was a desperate move, but he hoped the chances of surviving underground was better than the chaos happening in the city above. Moreover, he knew that there were deeper and more durable parts of the sewer system, where he had a chance to possibly survive, as low of a chance as that might be.


    Gasping, he made out a manhole that he had memorized the location of weeks ago. He had no desire to wade through sewage, but it was better than ending up as feces himself. Just as he ran past the last building on the block and onto to the sidewalk, he heard a screeching and rumbling sound followed up a inhuman growl. He stumbled to a halt, eyes widening, as he turned to his right side. He felt his heart skip a beat as his bowels clenched in shock from the hideous monstrosity that had filled the street. Towering nearly 4 meters high and 6 meters long, it looked like someone had taken a bulldog''s body, stuck a crocodile''s head on it, covered the body in scales and spikes, and added a half a dozen tentacles onto the creature''s body. To make some sicko''s fantasy even more horrifying, the tentacles had snake like heads with mouths crammed full of teeth the size of a man''s finger. The military called this variant of ''them,'' a Category 2 Assault Unit. Most people had labeled the monsters Demon Hounds.


    The creature roared, shattering windows in the buildings near it and flinging any person shivering in terror away from its surroundings. The man was far enough away that he just felt a sudden blast of air on himself and felt his ears ringing from the sudden change in air pressure. However, in the few seconds it took for him to shake off the sudden shock, bodies of dozens of people were torn apart by the creature''s snake head tentacles, splattering blood, guts and viscera on the once clean sidewalks and brown colored buildings. The creature head butted a nearby family car, that had a family of four in it, flinging the car against the building and flipping it upside down.


    The man stumbled backwards as his brain briefly replayed the scene of the two children screaming in the back seat of the car and their father trying to escape out the driver side door, even as the monster ended their lives with a casual toss of it''s head. Almost as to shatter the numbness he was feeling, the Demon Hound jumped on top of the now upside down car, crushing the car and sending blood splattering out its sides. The man felt bile rising in his throat and began to heave as though he was going to throw up, but terror kept his throat muscles clenched tightly as the monstrosity barked/growled almost as if it was laughing,while it looked down at those surviving before it. Its long barbed tongue hung from its mouth as acidic saliva dripped onto the now smoking car. The man could see the malicious awareness and enjoyment in the creature''s reptilian eyes, and he knew the stories about ''their'' intelligence was true.


    Around him, people began screaming, and he saw many turning to run away from the creature. However, he knew that was impossible. From what he remembered from the news, the thing had quick reflexes and could reach high speeds, which along with its heavy armor, made it a perfect assault weapon against any defense lines. As his brain tried to desperately force his body to move, a booming sound filled the air, and he had less than a second to quickly curl up on the ground, as an explosion lit up the creature, filling the air with flesh and blood along with smoke and fire. The man felt his body tossed across the sidewalk, as unknown objects hit him all over. He screamed in pain, as he felt something slam against his right thigh and barely stayed conscious as the sound of objects falling faded.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Now covered in streaks of inhuman blood and viscera, the man uncurled himself from his balled up form and found himself pushed behind a concrete divider that had been nearby. Pulling himself out of his daze, he realized the divider had absorbed the majority of the fallout from the explosion, which he now realized had been from a missile. The man dragged himself to his feet, using the divider for support. The street, where the creature had been, was now filled with burning wreckage and a large pile of burnt flesh. The man could make out parts of the Demon Hound, but it was now barely identifiable as the monster it had once been.


    As his hearing slowly returned, he heard crying, moaning, and shouting from nearby, but all he could do was look around. He could barely keep his aching body standing, as he tried not to collapse. Looking around at nearby survivors starting to get up, he knew he couldn''t stay here, not with all the blood that had been spilled. The news had mentioned how ''they'' were drawn to blood like flies to honey. He tried to look for the sewer manhole, but with all the debris nearby, he could not find it. As he stumbled forward, he caught sight of something in the distance that made him pause.


    Beyond the smoke and pile of flesh, a couple military vehicles could be made out. They looked like they had been worked over by the monster, but the sight of the vehicles made the man''s heart race. He knew that missile had come from one of the vehicles. He wasn''t a military enthusiast, but even he knew that there were man held missile launchers and vehicle mounted ones that were being upgraded and mass produced to fight ''them.'' Some part of him held hope that there was a soldier alive, as it meant better chances of surviving than running alone. It was a desperate hope, but something was better than nothing.


    Forcing himself to ignore his pain, he broke into a stumbling jog, sloshing past the mess created by the monster''s putrid smelling flesh. He made out damaged buildings and torn apart bodies and cars, showing the mayhem the creature had caused as it had proceeded down the street. When he finally reached the military vehicles, he made out what he knew were military Humvees and a large military truck. The first Humvee, looked like the demon hound had torn apart one of its sides, ripping its crew out and leaving pieces of them scattered everywhere. What amazed him and filled him with some pride for humanity was the soldier whose scarred body was draped on top of the Humvee, holding onto a mounted, missile launcher of some kind. He remembered from news reports that such weapon had been used for destroying tanks before ''they'' began invading. The man silently prayed for the soldier, whoever he had been, for what he had done, no doubt in his last few minutes of life.


    Turning away from the wrecked Humvee, the man felt his shoulders collapse in weariness as he realized the chances of finding any living soldiers was next to nil. There had been three other vehicles in the convoy, but the other two Humvee''s were scrap, while a truck looked like it had been mauled. He saw dead soldiers or what was left of them all over the place, with their weapons sharing a similar fate. However, even so, he eyed the truck, wondering what it held. He knew technically how to use a weapon as he had read up on it online, but he had not been able to buy any weapons as the gun shops had run out when the Apocalypse had begun. Walking over to the truck, he gave up hope of finding anything in its cab, as most of the front of the truck had been crushed. That left the back, and he hoped there were some weapons in it.


    Walking past shards of glass and jagged pieces of metal, the man found the rear of the truck open, with one of the doors torn off and lying some distance away. A peek into the dark interior showed splashes of blood and clumps of flesh and fabric, along with a handful of metal containers. Hesitating, the man pulled himself into the truck interior, which was surprisingly not as big as he thought it would be. Other than a handful of chest like containers, there was some kind of four wheeled machine that reminded the man of one of NASA''s drone vehicles used to explore Mars and the moon. However, the machine was further in the back of the truck while the metal containers were closer to the entrance.


    Ruffling his hair, he cursed out loud, ¡°Shit. What am I doing?¡± His voice, raspy with pain, sounded frustrated even to himself, but some part of him kept him in the truck. He knew that the chances of him getting out of the city was getting lower by the second, but with how badly his body hurt, he knew that his chances were even worse now than before everything. Looking at the black colored containers, he smiled wryly and began unlatching their seals.


    Opening up the lids, he found a mix of computers, paper documents, and what looked like metal objects of different types. Flipping through some of the papers, his eyes narrowed as words like dimensional rift, Intruders, subspace artifacts, perpetual energy, and a dozen others jumped out right at him. Part of him felt like he was reading some kind of science fiction novel or something, but the pages continued on and on with charts, dates, locations, and more importantly names of people. One name in particular stood out him: a Dr. Harold Lightford. The man knew the professor,''s name as he was the head of the Nuclear Physics lab at the nearby university.


    Looking at the artifacts, the man swallowed heavily, realizing he had just found something way out of his league and probably something very closely related to ''them.'' He wasn''t a genius, but even he could put two and two together to realize that the government may know more about ''them'' than was being revealed. His sight finally focused on a artifact that occupied it''s own container. It was metallic gray in its color, and nothing stood out in particular about it, but the man realized that there must have been something special about it for it to have been stored in a separate container. Lifting it up, he felt its smooth surface, wondering why someone would make something obloid in shape. It was about the size of a thermos flask and weighed about the same. The man realized that the scientists probably had been curious about the metallurgical properties of the item, hence its separate container. Even so, he felt it was a poor trade for a weapon.


    Just as he was lamenting his luck, he heard what sounded like thunder from outside. A deep guttural bellow followed, making the air around him vibrate. It sent chills down his back, as he realized whatever caused the sound couldn''t be nearby. That only meant one thing. Trembling, he cradled the artifact in his arms as he slowly made his way to the truck''s entrance. Looking out, he saw people standing outside, staring at the now crimson colored sky that had flashes of lighting running through it. The people stood still, just staring skywards, and the man felt the remaining tension flow from him as he realized that everything was over. All options and choices no longer existed. Destiny had decided his fate and the fate of everyone, who lived in St. Louis.


    Looking at the sky to his left, he finally saw the bloated, spherical monster as it dragged itself completely out of some kind of dark red rift in the sky over St. Louis, even as lighting rippled around the rift. The rumbling and screeching sound that rippled through the city quieted all other noise. It''s body filled the sky, making a mockery of all man made constructs in history and taking away all hope anyone had left in the city. From the surface of the creature, flagella began stretching out, extending to all parts of the city. Anyone looking from a distance would think a massive amoeba was about to swallow the city, but the man knew that it was worse. There was only one answer to it.


    The man sat down at the entrance of the truck, watching the creature as it stretched out in the sky and as its newly formed extensions reached the ground. People on the streets finally began screaming and running again, but even they knew that there was nowhere to run to. The man felt tired, whether it was from some internal injury or just from all the desperation he had felt in the last few months as he watched the world go to shit. He began laughing, even as tears began flowing down his cheeks. He sounded like a madman, but even the pain coming from his sides did not stop him from laughing. Raising his right hand, he showed his fist to the monster in the sky, finally raising his middle finger in defiance. ¡°F@$K You!¡±


    A bright light lit up the sky and then another, and then the man knew nothing.

 New Beginning Part 1

    ¡°Ughhhh...¡± The groaning echoed in the darkness, and he felt a dull pain throbbing in the back of his head. As he wheezed to breathe, the pain would ripple down his head and into his neck. He then realized he was breathing, which meant he was alive. That was impossible. His thoughts were all jumbled up, but the last bright flash still was vivid in his mind. So was the desperate laughter, the echoes of which still bounced around in his head. Even as he tried to sooth the racing thoughts that suddenly spun like a hurricane in his mind, he couldn''t believe he hadn''t been blasted to oblivion.


    Slowly, he began forcing his eyes open, while trying to make sense of the foul smell that dug into his lungs with every breath. Thoughts of having fouled himself tumbled around with the disgust of maybe having fallen into animal shit. However, as his eyes opened and his blurry vision began to slowly come into focus, he found himself looking at what he could only describe as a pile of garbage. Scraps of cloth, mud, animal bones, and what looked like a rotten corpse of a cat lay in front of him as flies swarmed all over the pile. If he could have, he would have immediately turned away, but the pain he felt only climaxed with every movement of his body.


    Forcing himself to slowly turn his head, he realized that it was night time, and what little light was around him was most likely from the moon. That meant almost half a day had passed, but even as confused and messy his thoughts were, he did not understand how he was alive. The nuclear blast should have turned him into cinder, if not torn him into pieces, never mind turning the city into rubble. However, as he turned his head, he saw a standing wall. Dark and looming in the night, it seemed like any other wall of the building he had been living in. There was something off about it though, but he couldn''t concentrate enough to figure it out.


    Tears leaked out from the corner of his eyes, as he winced trying to move the rest of his body. Little by little, he pushed his body to respond to what he wanted it to do, and he was finally able to go from from slow tremors to moving his arms, enough to push himself off the muddy ground. Breathing heavily now, he began to pull himself over to the nearby wall, aiming for a spot where there was not as much refuse lying around. Even so, the slimy feeling all over his arms and chest from the wet ground still made him feel uncomfortable.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    As he finally reached the wall, he realized what was off about it. The bricks that made it up were unevenly stacked with some kind of crude mortar filling the gaps. He wasn''t exactly an civil engineer or architect, but even he knew that the wall was crudely built. However, his aching body was more important at the moment than some issue with the wall. Crawling over to it, he flipped himself over, so his back was resting against the wall. The effort cost him another wave of pain, and he closed his eyes and clenched his jaws as he tried to hold in a sob.


    When he opened his eyes, he could finally make out more of his surroundings. From what he could see, he was in between two buildings of some sort. On one end was a dead end with the other opening up into a street of some kind. Past the opening, he could make out more buildings, but a low level fog seemed to be drifting in, as much of what he could see was obscured. He struggled to remember what had happened to him, but every time he tried to recall the last moments before the nuclear blast, his head would feel like it was about to burst. Rubbing his face with his right hand, he took deep breaths, trying to calm himself.


    He knew something was wrong. It was obvious. There was no way he could have survived, but here he was, wherever here was supposed to be. Around then, he realized something, that had been right in front of him but which he had ignored, as if it was normal. His hand, as grimy as it appeared, was much smaller than he remembered it being. That wasn''t all. Looking down at himself, he realized his entire body was smaller. The body belonging to what might be a young adolescent was covered in rags, unlike anything he had seen before, but what scared him was that the body belonged to him. ¡°Wha....¡±


    His voice trembling in fear, he grabbed at his clothes and felt over his body, trying to bring some understanding to the madness that he was feeling. Just as he was frantically clawing at himself, the alleyway lit up even more as though the moon was finally coming out from behind the fog. He looked up in fear, remembering the last scene of the monster that had dominated the sky, but what he saw left him speechless. His black eyes dilated, leaving his mud stained, gaunt face gaping in shock at the pair of moons glowing brilliantly in the dark night.

 New Beginning Part 2

    The two moons cast a silvery glow in the darkness, one about half the size of the other. As confused as he was, he knew that Earth had only one moon. Gaping like a fool, he wondered if he was finally going crazy. Hallucinations were possible with head injuries, but even so, it didn''t explain his smaller body and the rags he was wearing. It didn''t explain being in the center of a nuclear explosion and then finding himself in some disgusting alley. What made things even worse was that he couldn''t remember things. Knowledge including famous locations and people, famous events, famous dates, scientific progress, and cultural and societal development still existed, but every time he tried to remember his past before the nuclear detonation, it felt like he was walking into a dark fog. He couldn''t remember if he had a lover or family, much less his own name. Everything from suddenly having amnesia to dreaming sped through his mind, but what existed before him was too real to ignore. Glancing down at his rough, childish hands, his thoughts sped up again, trying to come up with a reason, any reason to stave off the madness he felt.


    Grabbing his head with his hands, he massaged his temples, smearing the mud already caked in his dark, black hair. He tried to control his breathing, forcing it to slow down as he tried to rationalize what was happening. In the darkness behind his closed eyes, he found some solace, but the brief respite passed when he sensed something solidifying in his mind. Flashes of more intense pain seared his mind, as the dark fog began gathering together. Memories, vague and bizarre at first, then familiar began to fill his mind. They had nothing to do with Earth, and how real they seemed made him more and more scared. It was having a glove perfectly fit over one''s hand, only to realize the glove was their skin... a part of them. He didn''t want to accept it, but as the memories merged with him, he realized he had always been this boy with the scrawny body. The memories clearly and violently told him so. From the vague recollections as a toddler barely surviving to the mess that landed him brutalized in this back alley, he knew his past in this world was real.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    However, he also knew that he had two pasts: his current life that could remember large parts of and another that was nothing more than knowledge accumulated on earth. The more the dark haze solidified in his mind, the closer he came to understanding his predicament. He was alive, but this was a second life of some kind, one that he had already been living for 11 winters. He was no longer on the Earth from his memories. The name of this world, known to all its inhabitants, was Azara. There were many meanings to the name, but he knew that the name itself was possibly older than human civilization on Earth.


    This was his world, and now deep inside of him, this truth solidified dispelling the shock of seeing the two moons. The memories a fragmented past that had briefly overwhelmed him slowly receded to the back of his mind. While he couldn''t remember much about who he had been, he still remembered Earth for a reason. He remembered it''s skies, its people, its history, and what was probably the beginning of its last days. Though he felt only a flicker of connection to that world, there was still part of him that refused to allow the last moment of his past life to fade away into oblivion. He had died, because he had been weak when compared to the horrors the world brought forth. It was no different to why he was left to die in this place... in this life. He was still weak, but he was still alive. He was still an orphan, but he was alive. That was enough for now.


    As his eyes opened, anyone nearby would have been surprised at the determination etched into them. The gaunt, narrow face was relaxed, as though at peace finally, and even the small figure''s breathing was not labored. Almost whispering, he slowly spoke in what he knew was the trade language, reintroducing himself to this world... no, to his home, Azara. ¡°My name is Val.¡±

 New Beginning Part 3

    Finally remembering who he was seemed to be a final key to something. He felt a warmth in his chest that slowly spread outwards, reaching every part of his body. The aches plaguing his body seemed to melt away in front of the warmth, while he slowly felt his strength recovering, enough so that he knew he could stand up if he wanted without passing out. Val looked down at the scrawny body that belonged to him, surprised and shocked at what was happening. In his short life so far, he had never felt anything like this before, but he knew what he was experiencing. ¡°Awakening...¡±


    That word was something that all beings on Azara longed for. Enough so, that those who experienced it, would have the greatest chance to change their lives. It was like wining the national lottery back on Earth, but it was more than just material gain. An ''Awakened'' or ''Professional'' could use something that did not exist on Earth, per his memories. It was something only known in fiction and legends on Earth: magic.


    Val couldn''t believe what was happening. This was something every street rat prayed for as they struggled to survive, but few if any gained the chance to experience. He did not know much about magic, but from everything he had seen in his short life so far, he knew it existed. If science was the fulcrum by which civilization rose on Earth, ''magic was the lifeblood of civilization on Azara. Without it, life would not exist.'' That was a phrase he had heard as a child from famous storytellers in the great market, the poorest bards in the seediest inns, and the wisest scholars debating in great plaza.


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    As his mind raced to keep up with what was happening to him, the warmth finally reached his upper neck and began spreading to his head. Val flinched, clenching his teeth as felt something happening in his thoughts. The dark, foggy space that he remembered feeling/seeing, when he was remembering everything earlier, was back, but this time it was more vivid. It wasn''t a dream or his imagination, but a vision of something that was a part of him. The past him would not have had the words to describe it, but memories of earth gave him a phrase: ''mind''s eye.''


    The dark sphere in his mind''s eye seemed to be as real as his hands, though he could not physically feel it. However, there was a... ''mental feel'' to it, and as the warmth finally covered his entire body, the dark sphere began to glow, emitting a silver light. Val couldn''t look away, even if he wanted to, as the dark sphere stayed at the forefront of his mind, its visualization becoming more concrete/vivid as time passed.


    Just when he thought the brightness would keep increasing, the silver light dulled as it was quickly absorbed into the dark sphere. Everything seemed to have returned to before, but Val saw little flashes of silver in the dark sphere, clearly showing him that something had changed. Then, before he could look closer, the vision vanished from his mind. He was curious at what had happened, and he knew that all of it had something to do with magic. However, having grown up on the streets, eating leftovers and garbage, there was very little he knew about that side of the world. However, he now had magic, and even though he had no idea how to use it, he knew he had changed. The dark, narrow path that been his life was now a little wider and a little brighter.


    Of course, all that depended on whether he would survive the next few days. ¡°Uggghh....¡± His elation over, he remembered the predicament he had found himself. ''Street rat'' was as low and menial as it sounded. He was one of the lowest of the lowest in the City of Albreit. He had no official ''job,'' no real ''home,'' and no real rights. If he was being honest, his existence was probably lower that most slaves in this city. Most slaves at least had life skills that gave them worth, but the only thing Val knew how to do is pickpocket, steal, and keep his ears open. Worse yet, he wasn''t exactly a genius at being a ''street rat,'' and not being a genius in his current career choice was the same as counting down the days til he dies.

 New Beginning Part 4

    Using the wall to drag himself up, Val stared towards the entrance of the alleyway with worry etched on his face. The fog was thinning, which meant he would become a visible prey on the street. Fellow thieves probably wouldn''t do much to him, since he wasn''t exactly flowing in wealth, but there were worse creatures, who would find a weak street rat an acceptable amusement for a miserable night. Leaning against the wall for support for a few seconds, he took stock of his body and all the places he hurt. Thankfully, most of the pain was in his back and shoulders due to him huddling in a ball during the beating.


    Finding his balance, he began heading to the alley entrance, while he glanced around for anything he could use as a weapon. The first rule of survival on the streets was to never go unarmed. Even a brick was useful if used right. Unfortunately, among the garbage and mud in the alley, the only useful looking thing was what looked like a half rotten wooden club about the length of Val''s forearms. Picking it up, Val wiped off some of the mud, and tightened his grip on one end of it enough, so he had a firm grasp. But looking at his scrawny arms, Val sighed. If it was before, he wouldn''t have even given it a second thoughts, but the knowledge that he had now depressed him. Being weak meant he could not get enough food. Not getting enough nutrition meant he would stay weak physically. It was a vicious cycle. Especially as a child, not eating right meant that there was a good chance of his future physical development being stunted.


    Shaking his head, he pushed the useless thoughts to the back of his mind and instead focused on the here and now. Being distracted on the streets was the same as asking for death, and he knew he had plenty of time to search all the new memories he had once he was somewhere safe. Walking to the alley entrance let him see more of the nearby street, which was maybe wide enough for around seven or so adults to walk side by side. It wasn''t anything special. The streets of the Blascon District or the city''s slums were narrow, filthy, and and maze like. In fact, the alley he was in was probably a street some time in the distant past that got blocked by someone building across it.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    There no was artificial lighting in either direction of the street, other than moonlight, and Val''s eyes quickly darted over the ramshackle wood, brick, and stone buildings looming on either side of the street. Some of the buildings rose a couple stories high with each floor built haphazardly, leaving the buildings looking like a pile of shoddy, uneven crates piled up on top of one another. Most of the doorways and windows were nothing more than crude, wooden constructs, faded and rotten looking and maybe even assembled together from wooden scraps.


    Val especially paid attention to these entrances, looking for signs of movement as he quietly slid into the street and began making his way home. Moving in the shadows whenever he could, he moved as fast as his bruised body let him. He was surprised that he could move as well as he was, considering how bad he had been when he woke up. However, considering the fact that his recovery was after his ''Awakening,'' he wondered if the magic helped heal him. He had never been to the healing priests, considering how much they cost, but he had seen Bartolos feeding a magic healing potion once to someone, who had failed him and had been punished brutally for it. Of course, the potion was just enough to bring the poor bastard back from the edge of death, only to watch as Bartolos cut off all his fingers, slowly and feed it one by one to the man, himself.


    Momentarily hiding in a nearby alcove, he paused for a bit, observing the nearby intersection of streets as he shivered thinking about Bartolos. Val had no desire to once again meet the self proclaimed ''owner'' of the ''rat pack'' that Val belonged to. Though, ''owner'' was a polite way of putting it, considering their lives were worth less than a loaf of bread to the bastard. It had been Bartolos'' thugs, who had beaten him black and blue in the alley for failing to pay the ''tax'' for this week, and Val had no idea if the beating he took was enough for them to leave him alone for now.


    Just as he planned on moving out of the shadows, he heard sloshing sounds coming from one of the streets stretching out from the intersection. He squeezed back into his hiding spot almost reflexively, forcefully controlling his breathing. Staying hidden, he waited quietly as the sounds of footsteps on the wet streets got louder, and a figure finally appeared out of the mist.

 New Beginning Part 5

    A cloaked man stumbled out of the fog, clutching his right abdomen. Instead of moving on, the man collapsed against a nearby wall almost as if he was holding it for support as he chest heaved with effort. Val''s eyes narrowed in worry as he realized there was something wrong with the man, and just to prove him right, the cloaked figure fell to the ground, his arms and legs writhing in the mud for bit before going still.


    Val froze for a moment, trying to figure out what was happening, but his gut was telling him that this was both trouble and opportunity. Just when he was compelled to go check the most likely dead or dying man, more sounds of running could be heard. A few seconds later, two figures dashed into view. Both were hooded figures, wearing a mix of clothing that any slum dweller would wear. However, it was obvious something was off about them. They didn''t speak or hesitate as they checked the man on the ground. There was a glint of a blade, most likely a dagger of some kind, and the body on the ground thrashed a little more before going still again. The two hooded men crouched over the body, moving it about and even removing the dead man''s boots as though they were searching for something.


    The whole time this was happening, Val stayed as still as he could and as quiet as he could. This was not the first time he had seen someone be killed, but there was something off about what he was seeing. The men didn''t strip the body or argue over the belongings of the dead. Instead, they quickly searched every part of the dead man before grabbing a satchel they found and then retreated back the way they came from. Val couldn''t even guess at who they where, but his gut feeling told him that they were not from the slums. The fact that the body was left with most of its belongings meant either the men were wealthy and powerful enough not to care about such things or that they had killed for a purpose. Either group was too dangerous to get involved with.


    However, Val felt his stomach grumble, and his body ache again as the momentary high from his fear faded. Hunger and the impending fear of being beaten again shoved his worry to the back of his mind. He waited just a bit longer to make sure the coast was clear before quickly slipping out from the dark alcove and moving to the dead man. At first glance, the killing wound was clearly a blade to the heart, considering the amount of blood staining the dead man''s wool shirt near the chest. However, the blood covering his stomach area meant he had also been wounded earlier. As much as possible,Val avoided looking at the middle aged man''s bearded face, which was locked in a rictus of horror and had blood coming out from his mouth.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Val''s attention was instead first drawn to an empty dagger sheath, that was tied onto the man''s pants, and he guessed the dagger had been lost earlier. Fumbling through the man''s clothes, Val wished he could get his hands on some Tals, either copper or bronze coinage. Gold and silver Tals were too much to wish for, but if worse came to worse, Val thought he could sell the man''s boots or the sheath for a few copper coins, maybe even a bronze Tal. He knew that would be enough to pay his ''tax'' and leave a bit over for food.


    Just as he was about grab the dead man''s boots, which had been tossed to the side by the killers from earlier, Val felt something change in him. A warm soothing feeling covered him, and suddenly, the vision of the dark sphere with the silver flashes came up in his ''mind''s eye.'' However, unlike before, there was a silver dot, shining in part of the dark sphere. When Val''s attention was drawn to it, he unconsciously tried to grab it. However, the silver dot flashed briefly before dimming. At the same time, Val felt the warm/comfortable feeling in his body fade a little. All this happened in a matter of a few seconds, before Val fully understood what was happening.


    As he was about to back away from the dead body, fearing maybe it was the cause of weird change, his surroundings seemed to become more vivid, like the moonlight had become stronger or something. He glanced up quickly, but the twin moons looked the same. However, there was something off about his surroundings. As he glanced around, he realized that some objects like the man''s shoes, his clothing, the empty sheath, and the nearby building wall were all sharper visually and maybe even had a dull whitish glow to them compared to everything else in the surroundings that seemed a little bit more blurry and faded. However, what really drew his attention was half a dozen more vivid, whitish glows emanating in the man''s cloak. He had no clue what all of it meant, but just as he wished his vision would go back to normal, everything did change back to normal. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, confused and worried, but he couldn''t think of an answer, other than to believe it was linked to the dark sphere in his mind and maybe to magic.


    However, Val knew he couldn''t waste anymore time, and as shocked as he was with what was going on, he knew he had to finish up quickly and leave. Even now, he felt as though there might be people peeping out of the shuttered windows nearby. He grabbed the man''s boots and the empty sheath and was about to run off, when he hesitated. Looking back at the cloak, his sight moved to where the whitish glows had been.

 New Beginning Part 6

    He could make out a dark patch in the cloak in that spot. It was no different from some of the other patches in the worn looking cloak, but his thief instincts, as mediocre as they were, told him there something off about the patch. Quickly dropping to to his knees, he decided to trust his gut and tore at the patched up part of the cloak. At bit of force, and the fabric ripped at the seams of the patch, and what fell out left Val shocked. Six golden tals glinted in the moonlight, their stamped crown images proclaiming their worth to anyone, who held one.


    Val swallowed heavily for a moment but then secretly grabbed the coins and wrapped them in the cloak slowly, with his heart beating wildly. The gold was more money than he had ever held, and it was enough for a freeman family of three to live on for a little more than three months, even living in the city. However, he knew that he had to stay calm. If it had been the past him, he would have grabbed the coins and run for it, but memories of spy movies from earth popped into his head. He knew that if someone was watching, playing it ''cool'' was going to be important. Otherwise, there was a good chance he would become a target for anyone that recognized him. A pair of cheap boots, an empty dagger sheath, and a worn out cloak were choice pickings, but nothing to hunt down some street rat over. However, a ''suspicious'' street rat was something that would draw attention.


    Grabbing his loot, he got up and walked calmly in the opposite direction from where the killers had gone. Not showing any expression on his face, Val stayed vigilant, as he tried to recognize where he was. The district was like a maze, but having grown up in this hell, he had to know the streets like the back of his hand. So, a short while later found him in another alley, dumping everything except for the coins which he slipped into a small pouch, hidden in his pants'' waistband.


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    Shoving the shoddy loot under a garbage pile, Val sighed. He was excited about the gold, but what really kept his mind spinning was the magic that he had done. He couldn''t believe it, but there was nothing else it could have been. The warm sensation, the sphere in his mind, and the whitish glows with everything around him changing. Moreover, the more powerful glows had been from the six golden Tals, and memories of the ''process of elimination'' method told him that his magic had somehow identified the coins.


    Having no idea what magic could really do, even though he had grown up in this world, Val had to reference his memories of Earth. It was true that Earth did not have ''magic'' per say, but it had science and legends from the past. More than that, it had something that was a good point of reference: fiction. Val remembered all the games, books, and movies from that life, and even though he did not know if he had been an avid enthusiast, he knew he must have spent his fair share of time exploring the different fantasy settings, considering how many memories he had popping up in his mind.


    In fact, he knew that he wasn''t completely accurate. When ''they'' started appearing on earth, scientists labeled ''them'' as inter-dimensional creatures, coming up with dozens of scientific theories about ''their'' existence. However, the religions and various cultures of the world had thrown out their own theories, ranging from demons to aliens. Val couldn''t remember what his opinion of it all had been, but some of the things ''they'' had been able to do did seem like magic from what he had heard about in this life.


    Val clenched his fists, remembering the last and only day of his life and the fear he had felt. The anger and hopelessness from that day was still there, even though it was all from a past that he could not completely remember. Something in him called for revenge, and he felt the cool sensation from before pervade his body again, as the dark sphere appeared in his ''mind''s eye.'' Val wasn''t shocked, but as his attention focused on the sphere, it began to fade, along with the comfortable sensation, leaving him feeling a little drained. It had happened again, and he smiled thinly in satisfaction. The phenomenon occurred again, which meant that it was repeatable, and past memories of a scientific world told him that if an effect was repeatable, then it can be eventually controlled one day.

 New Beginning Part 7

    However, the future was the future, and his current existence was someone that needed to focus on survival more than anything else. The muddy streets were mostly quiet, more than likely due to the fog, but Val did not plan on complaining. The darkness and the fog protected him from any vultures who were looking for easy prey as he made his way back to what he called home. It was near a cluster of five, slum dwellings that had been reinforced and interconnected to create a stronghold for the Bone Maulers, the gang run by Bartolos. Though, stronghold was an ambitious label for the place. It''s wood and brick walls were worn out in places, with dents and cracks visible everywhere, and mold was visible even in just the moonlight, covering much of the wooden parts.


    Val would not have thought anything of the place if it had not been for the memories from earth. However, remembering what he did, he wondered how this place was still standing. Though, in reality, almost every structure in the slums was in a similar shape if not worse, and some places were just shacks, built from odds and ends with just enough space for a person to sleep. The only reason most of the buildings in the slums had not been torn down so far was because it would have caused a riot and a large loss of money for those ruling the city. Cheap housing was needed for the poor if one wanted ensure they only needed to be paid as little as possible for them to survive.


    Val grimaced sarcastically before flinching and rubbing his forehead. He felt weird. His memories about Earth''s civilization was colliding with everything he had experienced so far, and it was doing something to him. He was starting to think differently. It was almost as though the knowledge improved the understanding of his current life, instead of accepting everything as ''just the way it is.'' Val frowned, realizing he was not thinking the same way he used to. Though it was useful, looking at the stronghold, he realized he had to be extra careful from now on. Thieves were sensitive to a lot of things, considering that was how they survived in their profession. Val acting out of the ordinary or saying something unusual would become noticed over time, and being noticed was not a good thing.


    Quietly, he passed the thieves'' den, entering a narrow side path between two nearby buildings. He didn''t look up, as he knew there were probably some Bone Maulers keeping watch. Instead, he walked slowly, adding some stumbling into his gait. Word about him being pummeled half to death would have spread among some of the lower level thieves, and Val knew he had to act the part to stay safe. Finally reaching the door he was looking for, he banged on it as quietly as possible. After a while, some rustling was heard on the other side, as candlelight leaked through the gaps in the door and a muffled, gruff voice muttered, ¡°Hammer.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Val responded, ¡°Skull.¡± He heard the sound of the door being unbolted, and it opened to a scowling old man, with a prune like face. Hunched over, the man gave off a gloomy look, with his mostly bald head except for a few wisps of gray hair and his mostly blind right eye that was covered in a film of white. The smell of booze filled the air, and Val kept his eyes low, as he held his sides, while swaying slightly.


    The door keeper Freitz scowled even deeper at the little black haired turd in front of him. He had been having a wonderful dream about Aila and his plans for her come this week''s pay, when he got woken up. None of the brats would have usually been out this late, but Freitz knew that some of them were taught a lesson today for not paying their dues. Usually, that meant they would drag their worthless selves back here the next day, black and blue from the beating or would have disappeared altogether. However, this one in front of Freitz had shown up if the middle of the blasted night, so he had no choice but to let the little rat in. ¡°Get in, ya little shit.¡± Moving aside, Freitz kicked the kid as he stumbled by, sending the little rat stumbling onto the floor. Snorting, Freitz went back to locking and securing the door, as he muttered, ¡°Wake ol'' Freitz up from his lovelies, and thas what ya gets.¡±


    Val, who was crouched on the floor pretended to groan but got up without saying anything. He moved on into the ''rat hole'' as it was lovingly called, trying not to curse back at the alcoholic ''guardian'' for the younger thieves. The old fool''s job was to keep an eye on the younger thieves, snitch on them as needed, and collect their dues. One of the reasons why Val had been beaten in the alleyway was the old man, and Val planned on getting even for it in due time.


    The darkness in the wide open hall past the entrance was stifling, but Val knew where to go, and some of the light spilling in from some of the gaps in the boarded up windows along the walls helped him find his way past the various partitions and the other sleeping kids without causing a fuss. There was no real privacy as such, but Val found his spot to curl up in his ragged blankets for the night. He felt tired after everything, and as he wrapped himself up for warmth, he couldn''t help wondering what the next day held. He had the gold, but he had to figure out to how to use it, since a thief like him couldn''t hold be seen with so much. He had ''awakened,'' but there was so much he didn''t know about it. He had magic, but it was also a mystery to him. There was so much to deal with that the past him would have felt hopeless. However, Val felt anticipation, something he had barely felt in the last three years since he ended up at this ''rat pack'' after his uncle and aunt had abandoned him in this city. He finally had a goal, and as his consciousness began to fade, he realized that was enough for now.

 Thiefs Life Part 1

    Feeling his shoulder being shoved, Val flinched and woke up startled, tossing his right arm to protect himself. He was disoriented, still trying to figure out what was happening, but his body reacted almost automatically. He heard a grunt, and a familiar, whining voice. ¡°Gah! What''ya doin'', that ''urts.¡± Squinting, Val looked up to see the only real ''friend'' he had in the ''rat pack.'' The boy was about Val''s height, with dirty, blonde hair, blue eyes, and an oval shaped face covered in pockmarks. Just as much skin and bones as Val, the boy had a pouting face, almost as though world had wronged him.


    Val coughed, clearing his dry throat and blinking away his drowsiness, as he noticed the light leaking into the hall of the ''rat hole.'' He muttered, ¡°Sorry... been a long night.¡±


    The boy, Arman, looked to side, whispering, ¡°Ya alrigh''? When ya didn'' make it in last night, the others said ya were a goner.¡± Val could hear the worry in the boy''s words.


    ¡°How many others?¡± It was a question he was dreading asking, since the last three times he had asked it, he had not like the answer. Sitting up, Val glanced at the run down interior, seeing a handful of other children a little younger and older than him moving about, whispering among themselves.


    Arman sat down cross legged next to Val and continued to whisper. ¡°Ay'' counted five didna'' show up.¡± The boy''s slum accent was thick, but Val heard the fear in the words and knew what it meant. There had been another culling, something that happened maybe twice a year. Most of the weaker or less productive ''street rats'' would go missing one night, leaving only the tougher or maybe the luckier ones in fear. Val had expected it, especially after what happened to him the night before, but knowing five others had disappeared overnight made Val grip his ragged pants in helplessness.


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    ¡°They were sayin'' you wouldn'' be back. They sounded fer sure.¡± Arman was looking down as he said it, and Val noticed how nervous the boy sounded. Val didn''t have to ask to know who Arman was referring to. Some of the older teens were already on verge of being officially accepted into the Bone Crushers. It meant they had survived the years of winnowing.


    ¡°Well, they were wrong.¡± Stretching his arms out, Val moved his stiff muscles, looking at his arms in the light. There were still splashes of mud on him, but he could still make out the black and blue bruises. He had no doubt that the rest of his body looked the same.


    Arman looked up, his face serious. ¡°Yah, but you don'' get it, Val. They were serious abou'' you not making et.¡± Val stared at his friend''s face and realized that whatever had happened the day before was more complicated that he realized.


    ¡°What do you know?¡± The question was calmly asked. Having died once and almost dying a second time had a way of changing one''s attitude towards things.


    ¡°Just tha'' Ribus and his mugs were ''ere yesterday riflin'' through some of the other''s things. Then , they said ya don'' have anythin'' worth takin''.¡± Arman was rubbing his left thigh as he spoke, which told Val volumes about how nervous the other boy was.


    Val bit his lips in contemplation and then shook his head slightly, sighing. ¡°Well, I''m back, so I''m guessing they won''t be happy.¡± Arman nodded but didn''t say much more.


    Just then, Freitz, who had shown up out of his separate room near the entrance of the hall, growled out loud, ¡°Get yer asses movin''! Ya know yer streets, but the ones lef'' over are free game. Jus'' don'' expect to keep ''em if ya can''t produce.¡± There was no official acknowledgment of the missing ''street rats,'' but Val knew he probably would never see them again. As they shambled out of the ''rat''s den,'' most of the children avoided looking at Frietz, who was smiling nastily as he watched them leave. Val wondered if the old man was just had a twisted personality or if there was something more he gained. However, he figured only the old man could answer that question for now.


    It was bright outside, the fog from the night before having faded away like it had never been there. Also, it wasn''t as humid as it had been the night before, but the clear weather did little to make Val feel better. He remembered his last thoughts before falling asleep the night before and knew he had a lot to do. However, as he made his way out of the little side street with the other children, he felt his stomach growl in hunger. Not having eaten in almost a full day left him feeling weak.

 Thiefs Life Part 2

    It was bright outside, with the fog from the night before having faded away like it had never been there. Also, it wasn''t as humid as it had been the night before, but the clear weather did little to make Val feel better. He remembered his last thoughts before falling asleep the night before and knew he had a lot to do. However, as he made his way out of the little side street with the other children, he felt his stomach growl in hunger. Not having eaten in almost a full day left him feeling weak.


    Splitting with the other kids, Val ambled through the streets, lost in thought. He had an usual routine of where he would be able to get something to eat, especially if he had some coins. However, he was not sure if the was confident enough to use the gold Tal to get some change back. Most of the street sellers and places that sold food like the butcher in the slums tended to fall under the protection of organizations like the Bone Crushers. That mean a ''street rat'' like him flashing gold was easy prey.


    Most of the people he saw moving about in the slums were poor and relatively malnourished, wearing burlap clothes or in some cases garments assembled from scraps of different material. Some seemed to move with purpose, no doubt heading to whatever business they had, but others were lounging at their doors or windows, while watching the streets with a vacant but hungry look. If anything, it made the maze like streets feel even more depressing that they had seemed at night.


    Dodging past some lady emptying out a bucket of foul smelling crud, probably fecal matter, into the street gutters, he changed direction and decided that it was better for him to go a bit further to the merchant''s quarter. It sounded more glamorous that it really was, but the people there tended to be a mix of all strata of society. It was risky as ''street rats'' as young as him tended to be crowded out by others and as there was no clear turf there. Even though the Bone Crushers were probably the biggest of the three gangs in the city, that didn''t mean much outside the slums, as most of the nobles and wealthier merchants had guards or mercenaries.


    However, he knew someone in the merchant''s quarters or it was better to say that she gave him some small jobs to do sometimes. It had saved him in the past from starving or failing to pay his tax. He hoped she could help him deal with at least some of the gold in some fashion. In fact, he had been trying to get to her yesterday, when he had been cornered and beaten by Ribus and his cronies. Sighing at his former bad luck, he hoped things had changed for the better after last night.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Moreover, remembering his ''Awakening'' from last night, he tried thinking about the black sphere in his mind, trying to make it come up again. He felt something in his thoughts, but there was a like a wall or something in his mind stopping him from going further. Val thought back to the last two times he had succeeded in making the sphere appear in his ''mind''s eye'' and decided he had to figure out how the whole thing worked.


    Distracted, he almost ran into a burly man carrying a couple of burlap bags. The bald, brown bearded man scowled and shoved Val away. ¡°Watch it brat!¡± Val stumbled back but didn''t retort in anger. Ducking his head, Val scooted off to the side of the street, as the man trudged past. The bags that the man was carrying were pretty big and pretty common looking that most people wouldn''t have given them a second glance, but what made Val curious was the familiar smell that came from them. It was faint, but the smell of blood wafted across Val''s nose. In fact, it was so faint, that most people wouldn''t have smelled it, what with the stink in the slums. However, having been around a dead body the night before, Val was more sensitive to such things.


    It was none of his business, but Val''s curiosity was running wild as he also recognized the bald man as a frequent visitor to the Bone Crusher''s stronghold. His size was unforgettable, considering most people in the slums wouldn''t have gotten that big without someone backing them. What was more important was that Val suddenly remembered that the man had been to the stronghold two days ago to talk to Freitz. Val''s thoughts froze for a bit, and he felt fear for some reason, with his heart starting to beat fast. It was bizarre and unreasonable, but for some reason, the unsettled feeling deepened inside of him the longer he watched the man.


    Just when he was about to turn away, Val felt the familiar, warm sensation envelope him again, and the dark sphere appeared back in his ''mind''s eye.'' What more, the silvery dot that had been there the day before was back, shining as it swam around in the dark sphere. He hesitated only for a brief second before trying to ''select'' the silvery dot. Almost immediately, he felt a decrease in the warm sensation in his body, as everything in his vision took on a more black and white tint, with some objects around him becoming sharper in image and producing a dull white glow around themselves. It was a bit different than how he remembered it from the night before, but most of the effects were still the same. However, he felt his stomach clench in shock as he saw the thick white glow coming off the burlap sacks the man was carrying away, along with the slightly lesser glow from the man, himself.


    There was no way the bags held gold, but Val knew there had to be a reason why the white glow around them was so strong. He didn''t know much about what his magic did, and he knew that he had to figure it out first before doing anything stupid, because of it. However, even as he wished away the magic vision or ''canceled the effect,'' Val began to follow the man, keeping enough of a distance to avoid being caught tailing him. It was an extremely unwise decision, no doubt, but something deep inside was nagging at Val.

 Thiefs Life Part 3

    The former him would have been more interested in finding something to eat than following someone, who had ''danger'' written all over him. However, the current Val felt his fear as an indicator of something that needed to be explored. He couldn''t explain it, but he chalked it up to the burly man being an enemy, since he seemed to know Reitz well enough. That meant knowing about the enemy was half the battle.


    As Val trailed the man, he found the stink around him getting worse, along with the number of people moving about with purpose. It went from just a pervading stench to more of a complex smell of unwashed bodies mingled with with rotting produce and dried blood. The rundown shanties and homes also gave way to an open area market, with dozens of wooden, market stalls surrounded by others selling a variety of goods from baskets and carts. The whole place was buzzing with noise, as Val guessed there were hundreds of people in the large open market, doing everything from hawking their produce to stealing unattended goods.


    ¡°Got some fine cabbage! Lettuce! Just freshly....¡±


    ¡°You won'' find no better beans...¡±


    ¡°What''re ya doin'' lass? Don'' drop them tomatoes! Who''s gonna buy....¡±


    ¡°Damn it, my purse. Thief! Where ar'' the bloody guards....¡±


    The voices drowned out one another, but Val especially paid attention people screaming about losing goods or about thieves. Even if he proclaimed his innocence, his obvious ''street rat'' appearance was enough for some idiot hawker to target him or for some guard to be overzealous. Moreover, the gold Tals he had hidden on him didn''t make him any more comfortable. Thankfully, the burly bastard didn''t enter the market proper and skirted along the outer edges.


    The ''low'' market as it was called was where most common folk went to buy their daily goods, but it was more than that, as it was the crossroads to various city districts. To the south was the city''s slums. The freeman districts stretched out to the north, north east, and northwest of the market square, while to west, workshops of various kinds run by merchants and nobles were already busy early in the morning. The man, however, headed to the east.


    Val dodged past street hawkers and people carrying goods around, trying not to get too close or stay standing in one spot for too long. At one point, he had to take a short detour to avoid a city guard, who was glaring at some poor vendor, while rummaging through the vendor''s basket of apples. The bearded guard wasn''t anyone spectacular, what with his rusty chain mail and dented, iron helmet that left most of his face visible. However, the guard''s well used, wooden club with metal bands and the short sword still in its scabbard on the guard''s waist weren''t for show. Most of the ''guards'' were not exactly peacekeepers, per the Earth definition of the word. Val had seen them be as vile as the gangs at times.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Fortunately, no one bothered Val, as he caught up the bald man, just as he exited the market place, heading to the livestock district. Most of the city''s butchers, livestock pens, and tanners were located in this area, and the smell of blood, feces, smoke, and God knew what else mingled together. He was used to the smell, considering the butchers here were a good source of left over scraps of meat, especially right before ''farm days,'' when the local farmers brought fresh livestock in.


    Most of the people on the streets here seemed healthier and moved about with purpose. Val saw some butchers, wearing bloody, leather aprons hacking on various sides of meat in their open front stores, while loudly advertising their products.


    ¡°Come get yer shoulder of mutton...¡±


    ¡°Finest shank of beef...¡±


    Val was almost drooling as he passed by them, even though the surrounding smell was overpowering, but he forced himself to stay on target. He dodged past more men and women, some carrying various haunches of meat, heading towards the market place, while others were busy haggling at the various stalls and butcher shops. Soon, the surroundings became less crowded but stronger in smell, as sounds of cows mooing, chickens clucking, and pigs grunting filled the air. Here, the gutters were overflowing in places with a mix of blood, urine, and shit, though there seemed to be some kind of movement, with the disgusting mixture flowing further eastwards.


    He was less familiar with this area, but Val still knew his way around a bit, since stealing eggs had always been a good source of food. Still, he tried to keep up the man, who cut into one of the side streets, heading deeper into where the animal pens and slaughterhouses were. Most of the people here were the local workers, who were busy handling animals or hauling wheelbarrows of bloody meat and offal around. Val slipped by them, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible, but he caught a few workers glancing at him in confusion.


    Squeezing himself through a tight gap between some animal pens, he saw sheep and pigs, tightly crammed together and wallowing in mud, while awaiting their fate. For a second, he wondered if his life as a ''street rat'' was any better than these animals, but his attention quickly returned to the burly man, who had finally stopped at a small building, that had most of its sides open. Val slipped past the animal pens and got as close to the building as possible, peeking at it from behind a nearby wall. There were no meat hooks or the usual slaughterhouse equipment in the building, but what Val did see was a pile of offal, bones, animal shit, and other things he could not distinguish in one side of the building. On the other side was a wagon, that was partially full of the same disgusting waste.


    The bald man shouted out to a skinny, weaselly looking worker, who was the only other person there and who was shoveling the the waste onto the cart. Val couldn''t couldn''t make out what the two men were saying, but watching the bald man toss the two bags onto on the ground, Val knew the man had reached his purpose for coming out all this way. A little while later, both men headed out the other side of the building for whatever reason, leaving Val essentially alone in the area.


    He hesitated, part of him telling him this was a waste of time but another telling him that he needed to make his move now. There was fear of course of being found out by the men, but there was something deep inside him telling him to find out what was in those bags and that he needed to know. Eventually, he gave in and quickly ran across the narrow street, into the open building.


    Avoiding slipping on the layer of scum on the ground, he kept an eye on the opening on the other side of the building, as he finally reached the two burlap bags that were resting near the large, wooden wagon. Quietly, he undid the knot of the rope securing one of the bags shut, even as he felt his heart racing. The first thing he saw as he opened the bag, however, plunged his mind into shear terror.

 Thiefs Life Part 4

    A blood covered, human skull lay on top of bloodied bones. The skull was cracked with holes in spots, and pieces of flesh and grayish matter still clung to it in places. However, it was obviously a human skull. More than that, it was a child''s skull. Val was frozen in place, his thoughts racing in a dozen directions, as his body started trembling. Fear warred with anger and nausea as he guessed at who the skull belonged to. There was no real proof, but he could not accept this was a coincidence. Finally tearing himself away from the grisly remains, he looked at the other bag and his surroundings, feeling a sudden chill permeate through him. He realized this place was the perfect cover for disposing of the remains. Just as he was trying to come to terms with the mess in his mind, he heard voices coming from outside.


    ¡°The boss said ya would getha the remainder nex'' time. So, don'' be bitchin'' about no shit.¡±


    ¡°Ay got no beef with yer boss. But ther'' better naut be trouble comin'' my way ''bout this from no snoopers.¡±


    Val squeezed his hands holding the bag tightly, while his jaw clenched in mixture of emotions. He wanted to lash out and scream at the men, maybe even bury their heads in a pile of manure, but he knew he couldn''t do anything, not in front of reality. Tying the bag back up with his unsteady hands, he ran back out the way he had entered, just as he heard the voices enter the building from the other side. However, a couple more workers had shown up near the animal pens outside, and they showed surprised faces at his presence. Val saw one of them open his mouth to say something.


    Not giving them a chance, he frantically ran into one of the nearby streets, just as he heard shouting behind him, ¡°Hey! You...¡± Then, he was out of earshot, as he kept running and running, scared about being followed. He stayed away from the main streets and kept to the side streets and alleys as he blindly rushed back towards the market square. One in a while, he had to dodge a surprised passerby, but no one really tried to stop him. As far as they were concerned, he was just another ''street rat,'' no doubt causing trouble. However, since he wasn''t bothering them, there was no point in making a fuss.


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    By the time he neared the market square, Val had was breathing raggedly and stumbling, a good indication of how poor his condition was. It almost felt like he was having panic attack, as he collapsed in a back street. His mind spun from images of the skull and bones in the bag, and all he could hear for a while was the pounding of his heart in his ears. Taking deep breaths, he slowly calmed himself as he rested his head on the wall behind him. Soon, the droning voices filling the market square became audible again, and he turned to look at the crowds a short distance away at the end of the street.


    He felt the impulse to run to the people there, grabbing anyone who would listen, to tell them about what he had found. Some part of him even believed that the guards would believe him and maybe even arrest the bald man. He even desperately hoped that the people would be mortified and demand a deeper investigation. However, the momentary illusion of hope faded as quickly as it had appeared in his mind. Val clenched his fists, wanting to punch something, anything to vent his anger, but he knew it was futile. No one would care, and even if they did, they would not get involved in something like this.


    Val was not the foolish ''street rat'' from before. The world was more complex than the daily struggles of the slums. There were more powerful people than just gang leaders, and only someone with power or influence could let a person nonchalantly waltz through busy streets, carrying human remains in a bag, while not worrying about being stopped by guards or bothered by busybodies. More than that, Val had no clue how those children had died and who had killed them. The only thing he knew was that five of his fellow ''street rats'' went missing yesterday, and today, he found the bones of dead children carried by a man familiar with the keeper of the Bone Crushers'' ''rat den.''


    More than that, he felt he was somehow already tied into all this. Rubbing his forehead, he could not forget the chill that he had felt, when he had opened that bag. It had felt like he was looking at himself when looking at the skull, staring up at him. Val wanted to deny it, but deep inside, he knew he should have been one of those ''street rats,'' who went missing yesterday. He had tried to put up a brave front in front of Arman, but the fear was back in full force again. There was a whisper in the back of his mind that told him that he had died or at least had been fated to die yesterday.


    ¡°Ha.hahaha..hahahah...!¡± Val began laughing, his hands holding his face, almost as though he was clawing at them. Tears started to fall through his fingers, but he just raised his head, continuously laughing with his eyes wide open. He shook, maybe in anger or maybe in fear. Even Val wasn''t sure anymore, but the laughter was all that came from him. It went on and one, but then, all of a sudden, he stopped. His hands fell to his sides, and his head slowly returned to looking right in front of him at the ragged, old wall. The last memories of his previous life played through his mind; the city burning, the people dying, and the monsters rampaging. ¡°This is nothing. Nothing.¡± He whispered the words, even as his mouth twisted in a snarl, then settling for a wide smile with his teeth bared. Dragging himself up, he turned back towards the market square muttering, ¡°A eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.¡±

 Thiefs Life Part 5

    Late morning found Val standing outside a red brick tavern, listening to the raucous laughter and yelling coming from inside the place even so early in the day. The surrounding neighborhood was mostly built with similar bricks, with wood only being used for windows, doors, and a few other places. The streets were much wider than in the slums, with their brick and stone surfaces relatively free of any mud or other disgusting things. The street gutters were also all covered and seemed to be maintained well, as there were no ''leaks'' or ''overflows.''


    It felt almost like a completely different world to Val, as he watched men and women calmly go about their business dressed in a mix of properly tailored clothes made of linen, cotton, wool, and some other exotic materials. He saw maids in their black and white long dresses, shopkeepers in their in their clean shirts, vests, and pants, guards in blue colored tabards, and freemen wearing clean clothes under their overalls. There were still people in shabby clothing, carrying and moving things, but unlike the almost dead feel from the slums, Val felt the vitality in the merchant''s district.


    A mixture of stores, inns, guild halls, taverns, fine dining places, and dozens of other establishments spread out as far as Val could see. In fact, he was only standing at the entrance to the merchant''s district, since The Hungry Mare wasn''t exactly a ''fine'' establishment. However, even then, Val felt out of place more than usual. It wasn''t that he was the only ''street rat'' nearby, as he caught sight of two others from a different gang, scowling at him from across the street, where they were crouching next to a sundries store. However, he felt more self conscious of himself, wearing what he was and covered as he was in filth.


    However, he didn''t shy away, as he needed to do something, even with what little information he had so far. For some reason, he felt like time was running out for him ever since he had woken up in that alley last night. Maybe he could force more information out of Reitz or Ribus if he was lucky and dared to, but trying to deal with the bald man from earlier was suicide. He knew he couldn''t fight them head on, no matter how much his stomach burned in anger. The only choice he had left was to find some allies or at least find a way to spread the news about what he had seen in a safe way to the right ears. Everyone had enemies, but the trick was figuring out who those enemies were and getting those enemies interested enough to take action.


    Looking at the Druken Mare, he bit his lips in annoyance but eventually forced himself to head to the back of the tavern using the nearby alley. Avoiding a couple of stray cats that hissed at him while protecting their meals, Val hoped the person he was going to meet would stick to her usual policy of fair trade. He knew he was one of her snitches in the slums, and she got a pretty good deal out of it by giving him leftovers, a few coins if the information was worth it, and some odds and ends if he could afford it. Val didn''t trust most people, but she was at least someone he knew, who would deal fairly with him.


    Slipping past a small cart, that seemed to be loaded with garbage, Val walked into the back yard of the tavern through a crude gate that was unlatched. It wasn''t anything spectacular, but the cobblestone paved yard was a relatively safe place for him. A well sat in one corner of the yard, along with a few buckets and some partially enclosed stalls off to the side. In the corner of the yard, a middle aged man with graying hair and a squarish jaw was busy scrubbing some pots and pans near large, metal drain in the ground. As Val entered the yard, the man stopped, looking up with his stern face. ¡°You again! Damn it, I told Bernice to not let you brats waltz en here all the time.¡± Getting up, the mans shook off the water on his hands as he walked threateningly towards Val, who held up his hands in front of him in a placating gesture.


    ¡°Calm down Fen. I''m not ''ere to cause problems. Just wanted to talk to Bernice is all.¡± Val backed off a it, while glancing at the open back door of the tavern, hoping the woman in question would show up already. The man named Fen stopped advancing but stood where he was, scowling. ¡°Yer thievin'' friends nabbed a bunch of the crockery last time they were here. Dealin'' wih yer kind always brings trouble.¡± The middle aged man was too busy pointing accusingly at Val, that he didn''t notice a relatively heavy set woman in a brown and dark green dress walk out of the tavern doorway, with her hands on her hips.


    Val sighed in relief as he saw Bernice, whose florid face was facing Fen rather than looking at Val. The gray haired woman finally interrupted, her intelligent, blue eyes gleaming in what anyone, who knew her, was anger. ¡°An'' what do ya think, yer doing Fen. I told you to have them pots scrubbed clean hours ago. Still dickin'' around back here ain''t gonna earn you your pay.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Fen flinched, turning around while visibly becoming docile. ¡°Bernice, I was just makin'' sure them street rats know whas good for ''em. I was workin'' on the pots, when he showed up.¡±


    If it hadn''t already been a long day, Val would have smirked at the man''s 180 degree change in attitude, but instead, Val just stood off to the side, quietly. Bernice looked over at Val, her right eye cocked in question before waving at Fen. ¡°Nevermind. Just get the damn garbage cart to the heap. It''s startin'' to stink up the place.¡±


    ¡°But...¡± Fen tried to interrupt, but an intimidating scowl from Bernice stopped him from finishing. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± His shoulders slumped in frustration, he brushed past Val, not bothering to acknowledge him further.


    ¡°So, what brings ya back here, boy? Seeing as how ya look like you been crawlin'' through the gutters, nothing good, I bet.¡± The woman name Bernice was not a nice person by the technical definition of the word, and by the way she loomed over Val, he knew she wasn''t in a happy mood. However, she was something that was relatively rare for a street rat: fair.


    Val cleared his throat before muttering, ¡°I need yer help.¡±


    Bernice, who was not having a good day, looked down at the sorry excuse for a child, standing in front of her. As irritated as she had been with Fen, she knew he had been right. Dealing with these children was the same as waiting to bitten in the ass. However, she also felt some sympathy for them, considering the stories her late husband used to tell about what it took to survive in the slums and what it took for him to crawl out of there. It was the only reason she was willing to help out those of them, who knew how to keep their word. She sighed, cursing her soft heart. ¡°What''d ya get yourself into, Val? I don'' see ya for two weeks, and you show up now asking for help. Ribus and his dimwits already came by a week ago, saying I better not having dealings with you, if I knew what was good for me.¡±


    Val flinched at the news but just gritted his teeth, starting to realize he was in a deeper hole than he thought. Looking up at the now annoyed looking woman, he felt throat go dry, wondering if he should involve her. The gray haired tavern owner had helped him enough over the years, that he did not want to put her life in danger.


    Bernice, who watched all the changes that took place on Val''s face, spoke again. ¡°I''m not ''fraid of ''em lad. I''ve been here fer 20 odd winters. Seen thugs like ''em come and go. But you know my rules. Fair trade only.¡± Her rosy cheeks were firmly set, and for a second, Val swore he could feel an intimidating aura around her.


    ¡°I got news that I want to sell.¡± Holding his ground, Val choked out the words.


    ¡°Oh... what kind of news. You know that I don'' need to know about which street hawker got his wares stolen or which dumb guard is dipping his hand into collectin'' protection.¡± Bernice was all business like, but Val knew she was just setting her boundaries, regarding what she wanted to know.


    However, he didn''t have time to haggle with her about things. ¡°Five street rats went missin'' last night from the Bone Crushers.¡± As soon as he spoke, Bernice went quiet. The stout woman''s eyes narrowed, and val could feel the tension in the air.


    ¡°What do you know, Val?¡± Her almost flat tone surprised Val, but he could feel the sudden seriousness in the woman. It was bizarre, and her gaze was almost demanding he speak. There was an awkward silence, as both individuals stared at one another, but it was Val, who finally broke the quiet.


    ¡°I can''t tell you Bernice, not unless the person you are gonna sell it to is someone you can trust. If they''re not the right kind, I''ll be done for.¡± Val didn''t feel he was exaggerating, as images of the skull and bones floated through his mind again.


    Bernice finally sighed, deciding she might as well be honest, since if the boy did know something, that meant there was a chance the wealthy buyer may be happy with such quick news. ¡°I''ll be honest, Val. There''s been somebody asking about people goin'' missing, but they''re not the type of people, who you wanna pull a stunt with. If what you''ve got isn''t worth their time, you may piss off someone, who you shouldn''t.¡±


    Val froze for a bit, confused at what he had just heard. Someone had been asking about missing people in the city, which was unusual in itself, since none of the missing children had been anyone important. However, the timing of the request matching up with what had happened so far was too coincidental. There had been too many coincidences so far, and Val felt like he was caught in some massive maze, that was funneling him towards some exit he didn''t want to get too close to. However, already being in the damn maze, he had no choice but to keep looking for the shitty exit.


    Looking the tavern keeper in the eyes, Val calmly replied, ¡°If they want to know about people missing, then they''ll want to hear what I have to say. You can even tell them that I''m betting my life on this.¡± If the people, who Bernice was talking about, were useless, then there was a good chance Val would sink himself further into a mess. However, he was willing to gamble on the tavern keeper, considering she was one of the more trustworthy information brokers in the city and rarely put her informers in danger on purpose.


    Bernice smiled slightly before waving Val over to the wooden stalls and the well and turning around to head back into the tavern. ¡°You''ve grown some balls, haven''t ya now. Anyways, I''ll pass along the message to them. More than likely, they''ll wanna see you later today or tomorrow morning. But, if you screw this up, then me and you are gonna have words. Now, get yer self cleaned up. You smell worse than the gutters. I''ll have Nance bring you somethin'' to eat, when yer done.¡±

 Thiefs Life Part 6

    It didn''t take long for Val to wash up, getting the muck off himself and his clothes and to gobble down some leftovers from the tavern''s breakfast. By the time the sun was past midday, Val found himself back on the streets, sitting underneath the exterior staircase of a empty building belonging to a now bankrupt merchant. Leaning up against some old, rotting barrels, Val was busy munching on a meat pie he had bought from a vendor, as he watched the busy crowd in the street nearby. It seemed no matter the world, lunchtime was always a busy time.


    For the past him, this would have been the best time to go begging or hunting for something to steal. However, the mix of bronze and silver coins he had gotten from Bernice in exchange for one of his gold Tals were carefully stuffed in a pouch hanging from his neck, inside his shirt. The parting gift from Bernice had been accompanied with a suggestion that he show back up close to sun down. So, he decided to go back to his old routine of wandering the streets. He had thought about going back to the livestock district to see if he could find out more clues and had even considered trying to track down the bald man again.


    However, ever since this morning, Val was starting to doubt everything that had happened since last night. He kept thinking about why he followed the man out of the blue and about all the coincidences so far. The past him would have chalked it up to luck, but the chances of everything happening the way it had so far was what worried him. Just being considered for disposal by the gang was one thing, but then surviving the culling, running randomly into a flunky carrying the bones of dead children, and then hearing Bernice say that someone was looking for news of missing people, was all too good to be luck. He had compared it to a maze with some unknown exit, but it seemed more and more like some twisted story.


    Crouching, he ruffled his hair in frustration, taking a deep breath to calm down and looking back to the ground. In the dirt, he had been trying to organize his thoughts. That reminded him of another thing. He didn''t know how to read or write the trade language. So far, he had been speaking it, but other than in English, he had no clue how to write even his name in this world. He snorted remembering how thieves in all those fantasy books on Earth had been glorified. ''Street rats'' like him couldn''t even read or write, much less afford exquisitely made weapons or tools of the trade that was common for the so called master thief.


    Tossing away the piece of wood he had been fiddling with, he decided on next his move. It was the second thing Val had originally planned on doing today, but he had been putting it off due to the idiot it would have him dealing with. Just thinking about the man made Val want to scream, but he swallowed his frustration, some part of him aware he was running out of time.


    Slipping out of his resting spot, he mingled into the crowd, staying as far away from any other shady looking individuals in his way. They were easy to spot with their eyes always moving about, trying not to miss anything or lazily lounging about on the side of the streets. They were Val''s competition, but staying out of their range meant he didn''t want to challenge them for their hunting spot.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The well paved streets of the merchant district led to a couple other city districts, including the noble district and the workshop district. The place he was heading to was the where the merchant district, the workshop district, and one of housing districts intersected. It was an alluring place, especially for most men, and the older Val had gotten, the more his curiosity had grown about the place. Of course, he had been told he wasn''t ''man enough'' yet to enjoy things.


    Entering what would have been considered the ''red light district'' in Earth terms, Val ignored the women, advertising their wares from open windows and in the alleyways. Even with it being so early in the day, there were still ''customers'' wandering around the lust filled street, casually mixing with the women, with avarice written on all their faces. This was probably one of the few places in the city, where nobles, freeman, and slum dwellers alike mixed together for the same purpose. If it had been the past Val, he would have been gawking at the surroundings and getting embarrassed by all the overtures and propositions being shouted out to those interested, but the relatively rough and ''normal'' looking women he saw on the streets didn''t hold much of a comparison to the ''beauties'' he remembered from the memories of Earth.


    Also, the ''glorious'' images some fantasy books and movies made prostitutes out to be didn''t exactly match up with reality here. Some of the women were coughing heavily, while others with pale faces just sat on the side of the streets, listless and with almost dead eyes. Maybe for the first time since waking up the night before, Val felt there were people, whose life was more miserable than a ''street rat''s.''


    The establishment called Henna''s Fairies was as gaudily decorated as the rest of the street with colorful etchings on its signboard and bright curtains hanging in its windows, but Val grimaced as he approached the thug standing near the entrance. Built like a walking wall, the man was even bigger than the bald man from earlier in the day. A scraggy, black beard, along with a deep scar running down the right side of his face gave the man a threatening aura that served him well as the doorkeeper. Val tried to walk past the man before a deep voice stopped him. ¡°What bisnez you got here, rat?¡±


    Val usually would have been afraid, but he just casually replied, ¡°I came to see Devin. He had work fer me to do.¡± The thug scowled when he heard the name, but waved Val in, almost in disgust. ¡°That damn worm... If it wasn''t fer... Get going rat. I haven'' got all day.¡± Slipping into the brothel, Val felt mixed feelings about being connected to someone like Devin. It was like going from having no choice but to walk in mud to swimming in mud for the fun of it.


    Inside, Val saw a shrew like woman sitting behind a counter off to the side, but the woman only briefly glanced at Val before going back to her work. The thick smell of incense and cheap perfume filled the building, and Val entered a small open hall, where women and men were mingling. If he had to compare it to something, it would have been like one of those saloons from a cowboy western movie, except with more women, who were wearing loose blouses that advertised their assets along with long skirts slit up one side. There was a doorway on the other end of the hall, in addition to a staircase leading to the next floor. Val skirted around busy couples and entered the doorway, which led further into the brothel. There were rooms on either side, some occupied with closed doors, while others open, providing a view of ruffled sheets on wooden beds and partially opened windows. He had been here before, so he wasn''t surprised by the knocking and moaning sounds permeating the hallway.


    Even so, he picked up his pace until he finally reached the far end of the hallway. A single door was left slightly ajar, and Val heard the flowing sound of a harp, sometimes poignant and other times relaxing. A poisonously sweet voice accompanied the music. ¡°Come, my sweet, kiss me deeply...¡± Val felt like gagging but pushed open the door, revealing the scene on the other side.

 Thiefs Life Part 7

    His entrance didn''t go unnoticed, as two women, relatively pretty looking, with their heart shaped, clean faces and golden hair, turned around frowning. They were lying on a bed, on either side of a brown haired, sharp chinned young man, who screamed ''pretty boy'' from a mile away. The ''pretty boy,'' who had been in the middle of trying to kiss one of the women didn''t even flinch at the intrusion. Instead, he smiled brightly at Val, while still strumming his harp. ¡°Ah, if it isn''t my good fellow, Val. Come to hear my new sonnet, have you? Arnes and Glacina here were the inspirations, you know.¡±


    Val stiffly smiled at the two women, who were glaring daggers a him, while he politely ignored the fact that they had their hands down Devin''s pants. Val had always wondered if the man liking bragging unconsciously or was just that confident about himself. Either way, dealing with him always left Val feeling drained. ¡°No... Sorry... Ah... I got business to talk to you ''bout.¡± Standing uncomfortably, Val ignored the fact that Devin had turned to whispering in the women''s ears, even as they giggled.


    Devin turned back to Val, smiling. ¡°Business, my young friend. Ah yes, that which keeps food on the table, wine in my glass, clothes...¡± Val drowned out the drivel, wondering if other bards out there had the tendency to go on some poetic splurge, whenever it caught their fancy. It was on the reasons why Val had hesitated coming here, since it usually took forever to get his point across to mister dandy, who liked to drag things out most likely for his amusement and to play his part well. Usually, Val had just been the messenger for others, including Bernice, but this time around, he was going to be the ''employer,'' as crazy as that sounded.


    ¡°Ah.... Devin, I don''t have much time.¡± Trying to sound as patient as possible, Val interrupted the bard, who was loosing track of what he had been saying as his attention went back to gazing at one of the women. A couple more vicious female stares at Val followed before Devin finally seemed to get back on track with the conversation.


    ¡°Now, now ladies, my young friend here means no harm. Why don'' you two go powder your delicate noses, and when I''m done here, we can find something sweet to entertain ourselves with.¡± Val really didn''t want to know what the bard meant by that, but the two women reluctantly removed themselves from the bed, twittering. He would have even been convinced they were ''ladies'' in the true sense of the word, if it wasn''t for the deep scowls they directed at him as they brushed past him and out the door, slowly but firmly closing it behind themselves.


    ¡°You must forgive them Val. We rarely do have a peaceful morning, you know. Now then, business you say, and said in such a direct manner as well.¡± The bard was busy wiping his harp with a cloth he had grabbed from somewhere, making Val wonder if he had trouble staying still.


    ¡°Yes... It''s a little different. The request is from me, and not no one else.¡± That got the bard''s attention, who stopped and stared at Val, almost wonderingly.


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    ¡°Val... It almost galls me to say this, but you must know that my services are much in demand and are costly to boot. I cannot freely...¡± Stroking his chin almost contemplatively, Devin seemed draw out his words.


    However Val cut to the chase. ¡°It''s one gold Tal for you to get people talking about it in both high and low places. It''s gotta happen within the next few days.¡± There was silence in the room almost immediately, and Val watched something trigger and the bard''s face go through from suave, to surprised, to greedy, and finally back to suave. It was probably one of the few times Val had seen Devin''s real face hidden underneath his ''pretty boy'' exterior. The real bard was as devious as the best gang boss in the city and definitely even more intelligent, since he had survive as a one man show. Val knew of at least a dozen city wide rumors that had started, because of this ''pretty boy'' causing chaos the streets.


    The scary part was that everything Devin had done was relatively low key: just a few obscure stories told in the city square, a few ballads sung in taverns, and a few meaningful hours spent with the right women with loud mouths and powerful husbands. The next thing you knew, everyone ''knew'' that the day watch sergeant of the city guards for the merchant district liked ''animal husbandry.'' The poor, thieving bastard had quit within a week of when the rumors had started and was found hanging in his home soon after. This ''power,'' if it could be called that, was why very few people messed with Devin on the streets.


    ¡°You know Val, that''s too soon....¡±


    ¡°Two Tals, with one now and the other by the end of the week.¡± Val''s immediate retort cut the bard''s haggling off. Almost two months worth of living expenses, was something very few if any could laugh off in the city.


    Devin''s face had gone from nonchalant to serious, with his eyes narrowed. ¡°This smells of trouble, Val, but I''ve never been one to shy away from trouble, per say. So, two gold Tals. One now, and the other in three days. And I can walk away from the deal if things go south.¡± Val chewed on his lips, carefully watching the bard, who had gone back to fiddling with his harp. After a moment of worrying, he pulled a gold Tal out of some rags wrapped around his left wrist, handing it over to the man, who calmly accepted it without asking why a ''street rat'' would have so much money.


    A short while and a half truthful story later, he was on the streets again, wondering if his semi-truthful story of missing ''street rats,'' being beaten up, and slave dealing gang bosses was convincing enough. He had left out the part about the bloody bones and the slaughterhouse, not wanting the bard to back out, but Val hoped that these rumors got spread to some of the right people, especially those in the Temple of Gayena. As ''righteous'' as they were, he knew they would at least investigate the rumors if the right people began pestering them.


    It was a wild shot in the dark, but he thought of it as just another protective umbrella if anything. He still had no clue if he was still on the ''death list,'' as he thought of it, but the gut feeling of danger still had not disappeared. More than that, if the Bone Crushers were involved, then the anger he felt at possibly being betrayed required payback. As weak as he was, he had no choice but to borrow some other person''s hand to do the dirty work.


    Rounding the corner into an empty street, just out of the red light district, Val ran into somebody and cursed himself for losing awareness of his surroundings as focused as he was in his own thoughts. Looking up, he was about to apologize, when he heard a snarling voice. ¡°Well lookee here boys. What ''ave we found...¡± The pockmarked, square faced older teen, who then yanked Val up by his tunic, was someone on the list people Val had been dreading about running into.


    ¡°Ribus...¡±

 Thiefs Life Part 8

    Val felt his bowels clench in fear almost automatically. He couldn''t help it. As scary as his memories and the bloody bones had been, they hadn''t tormented him for years like the bastard, who had him by the collar. The dirty blonde haired teen snarled in reply. ¡°Thought you''d forgot''n me there for a bit, Val.¡±


    Ribus didn''t look too good, from what Val was seeing. The older teen''s face was bruised on one side, and Val saw that the bully was also sporting a black eye and busted lips. Maybe sensing what Val was thinking, the older teen growled, spit flying all over Val''s face. ¡°Nice ain''t it. Ay got me some presents, thanks to ya!¡±


    Val choked out, ¡°I didn'' do nothin''.¡± Trying to struggle against the older boy was futile, as the teen pinned Val up against a nearby wall. Guffawing a hoarse laugh, Ribus punched Val in the stomach hard enough that he was left reeling in pain and feeling like he was going puke.


    ¡°Din''na do nothin''. Hah! You littl'' fucker.¡± Shaking Val almost like he was a rag doll, the older boy kept venting. ¡°Ay was told to run ya little pukes to the ground. Make ya cry! See! That''s wha'' ay did. Jus'' like all the other shits. Just like all the uther times. But ya always acted like ya were better than us. Talkin'' smart and kissin'' up to that tavern bitch. Well, guess wha'', yer nothin'' but rat shit!¡± By the end, Ribus was almost yelling.


    Val was trying to catch his breath in between being slammed up against the wall, but even then, he was cognizant enough to understand what the older teen saying. ¡°Never said... better...¡± He tried to gasp out a reply, anything to make the older boy stop.


    Ribus, who''s eyes were wide in anger, pushed Val as hard as possible, throwing him to the ground to the side. Crouching slowly to loom over Val, the boy continued speaking, his voice coming out in the middle of ragged breaths. ¡°Turds like you... ya don'' need.. need to say shit. Way ya act... like.... like little mice... too ''fraid to do shit... too smar'' fer yer own good. Gotta prune ''em. That''s... that''s what the boss says.¡±


    Val felt his thoughts freeze when he heard the last sentence. Even with all the pain he was feeling and the immediate threat before him, he felt like his world just stopped. It was the worst case scenario. There was only one ''boss'' in the Bone Crushers, and Val realized in that moment that he was on the ''death list.''This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    As he watched Ribus reach over to grab his tunic again, Val snarled in anger, almost roaring ¡°RAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!¡± It made the older teen flinch back, but Val wasn''t done yet. Grabbing a handful of the dirt beside him with his right hand, he flung it into the older teen''s face.


    ¡°Gahhh! You lil'' shit!¡± Ribus stumbled back, losing balance and coughing as he rubbed his eyes and face. Val didn''t hesitate. A hard kick to the older boy''s face sent him reeling backwards and made him loose his balance, falling on his back and grabbing his face in pain. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡±


    Not hesitating, Val scrambled to his feet, his face locked in a snarl and adrenaline fueling his anger. He wanted to pounce on the older boy and beat him senseless, but that''s when he noticed another teen further down the street. A quick glimpse was enough for Val to know that it was one of Ribus'' flunkies. So, instead, putting as much strength into his right leg as he could, Val stomped down hard on the older teen''s privates, even as the Ribus was starting to sit up.


    ¡°AGGGHHHHHH!¡± Val heard Ribus scream and saw the older boy fall back down, curling up into himself, while coughing and blubbering. Not waiting to watch any further, Val began running as fast as he could. All of this had only taken a short time, but the older teen''s flunky was already halfway to where Val and Ribus were.


    As Val dashed to the end of the street, holding his abdomen in pain, he heard yelling behind him. ¡°Run, ya rat! Gah! They''ll get ya!¡± The older teen''s voice echoed in Val''s ears as he entered the main street, dodging past a handful of onlookers, who had gathered due to the noise. Behind him, he heard their confusion and shouting.


    ¡°Wha''s all this, then?¡±


    ¡°That child.. he was being beaten!¡±


    ¡°Call the guards!¡±


    He didn''t know how far he had run, but by the time he stopped, he was out of breath, gasping as he hid behind some crates. His hands shook, as his mind raced to make sense of what he''d just heard. He realized how utterly stupid he had been. Val realized he had been relying too much on logic and incorrect assumptions, rather than trusting his gut instinct that had been telling him to run. He had been thinking of himself like some protagonist from Earth''s fantasy novels, rather than what he really was: prey.


    Unfortunately, the trap had already been sprung the previous night, and if Ribus was right, Val was not supposed to have survived the beating or maybe what followed. Truth be told, he had considered that possibility since finding the grisly remains in the morning, but he had brushed it aside, thinking it didn''t make sense for them to have left him alive overnight. However, he now realized that the gaps in his information were bigger than he thought and that he had underestimated the danger he was in. Worse yet, everything he had done so far felt like a waste of time. ¡°No, not a waste...¡± Val suddenly remembered he had to meet with Bernice, and looking up at the sky, he realized it was mid afternoon already. He hesitated a brief moment, before deciding to take maybe his best chance of surviving.

 Sacrificing a Pawn Part 1

    Being cautious never hurt, but Val felt that the last few hours had been the longest period of this life so far. He had spent most of the time hiding in places, the fear of being hunted by Bone Crushers haunting his mind. However, he hadn''t seen any suspicious movement, and the handful of the Crushers he had seen seemed busy with their usual ''work.'' It almost seemed like what Ribus had said was false, but Val vehemently stomped on that thought right away. Being punched in the gut and almost being beaten up a second time in two days was not a lie.


    So, he stayed hidden until late afternoon, when he slipped back in once again into the back yard of the Hungry Mare. This time around, it wasn''t Fen, who was there but a relatively younger looking tavern maid, who was humming to herself as she scrubbed and washed an assortment of kitchenware. Val felt a bit self conscious, before clearing his throat a bit loudly, so that the tavern maid knew he was there.


    ¡°What... Oh, it''s one of you little scamps. Which one are ya?¡± The wide faced, blonde woman wiped her wet hands on her apron as she got up with a curious but questioning look. Val was surprised he was not being run off.


    ¡°Umm... It''s Val. Bernice was...¡± Before he could finish, the woman cut him off.


    ¡°Oh yes, she said you''d be here. Wait a bit, will ya.¡± Not waiting for a reply, the somewhat pleasant maid slipped into the tavern, leaving Val to his own thoughts.


    It wasn''t long before a familiar stout figure showed up at the door along with the tavern maid. ¡°Hurry up. We haven''t got all day.¡± Bernice didn''t give Val a chance to speak, throwing him off the lines he had been practicing. As he followed her in, the smell of freshly grilled meat and boiling stew of some kind assailed his nose. The relatively brightly lit kitchen was simple in its layout with a doorway off to one side, through which he could make out an semi-outdoor barbecue pit and a large, brick oven. He could see Fen sweating away there but kept pace with Bernice, who was shouting at a kitchen maid, who was stirring a large pot of steaming stew over a fireplace on the other end of the kitchen. ¡°Put yer back into it, Hilly! Ay don'' need the dam ''tatoes burning at the bottom. Otherwise, ye''ll be munchin'' on scraps fer supper.¡±


    Dodging past a small pile of peelings and vegetable odds and ends, Val felt the whole place probably wouldn''t pass a health inspection from Earth. However, even he had to admit the tavern''s kitchen was probably cleaner than most places in the city, and a lot of it had to deal with how Bernice ran the place with an iron hand. Going through a small hallway, Bernice waved Val up the staircase off to the side. It was relatively dark, with most of the light coming from open windows in the kitchen or in the tavern proper on the other side of the hallway. However, at the top of stairway, Val could make out a candle burning brightly in its holder, affixed to a wall.


    Bernice, who had started climbing the staircase, stopped and turned around, her usually serious face even sterner. ¡°I''ll warn you ahead of time, lad. Don'' lie to these folks. They won'' take kindly to yer natterin'', so stick to what you got to say and don'' say more than you feel you ought to. Also, make sure you keep ya don'' be greedy when askin'' for a price, cause I promise you, they ain''t the hagglin'' type.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Val slowly nodded, stifling his desire to ask what ''greedy'' meant. What he was going to ask for a bit different than he originally planned, but he didn''t think it would be too much of a hassle for whoever it was that had Bernice so riled up. As they started back up the stairs, in some ways, Val found some relief in knowing that even Bernice, who wasn''t scared of the gangs in the slum, was careful around these mysterious people. That meant opportunity.


    The second floor of the tavern was a mix of a couple of private dining rooms and a few personal rooms for some live in workers. The only source of light in the hallway upstairs were a couple of candles, which gave the place a gloomy feel, almost making it feel like they were walking into some dungeon. Thankfully, the room with the mysterious strangers was nearby, and Bernice paused in front of the door, smoothing out her skirt and clearing her throat, before knocking politely. This made Val even more cautious, considering how polite the hard edged woman was being.


    From inside, a deep but firm voice answered. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Swallowing his nervousness, Val followed Bernice into the room, trying not to fidget. The light spilling from the room was relatively bright, briefly making it difficult for him to see whoever it was on the other side. He made out two figures sitting and standing on the other side of the room. One of the raised a hand towards Val, before he could get a good look.


    Almost immediately, Val felt the familiar warm sensation envelope him and the dark sphere emerge in his ''mind''s eye'' again. This time though, he could ''see'' something else around that dark sphere. A bluish light of some kind was attaching itself to the sphere, almost like a layer of oil on water. His flight or fight response started kicking in, and his legs twitched, getting ready to run, when he felt the warmth in him intensify as something locked him in place. In his ''mind''s eye,'' he saw yellowish light add into the mix of colors. Val felt like yelling, but he couldn''t even open his mouth. Terrified, he was about to do the only thing he could do: try and ''pick'' the silvery dot that was once again floating in the dark sphere.


    ¡°Calm yourself, lad.¡± However, before he could, a calming voice echoed in the room. Val finally focused on the two men in the room, both of whom were dressed casually but cleanly in shirts and vests, linen pants, and leather boots. The one, who had waved his hand at Val, was what someone on Earth would have called a dignified, elderly gentleman, who had aged well. The man''s slightly tan, narrow face had a neatly trimmed, gray beard that was going white, but what almost mesmerized Val was the deep green eyes staring back at him in muted surprise.


    ¡°Don''t scare the boy, Felstaff.¡± The other man, who was lounging on a couch with his arms folded across his chest, had a pleasant smile on his square jawed, bronze toned face. The brown haired man''s blue eyes seemed calmer, though still interested in what was before him. Val recognized his voice from earlier.


    ¡°We mean you no harm, boy. So, be at peace.¡± The older man''s overture for some reason made Val even more nervous, as a passing memory from an old TV show on Earth flipped through his mind. It was the scene were a spaceship captain tells a cyborg, hive mind, and species assimilating alien the same phrase before shit hit the fan. Val despaired, wondering why he wasn''t the cyborg, hive mind, and species assimilating alien in this situation.


    Just when he felt the warmth around him intensifying, he caught sight of something that pushed the pause button in his head. There was a staff, intricately engraved and embedded with a variety of dully gleaming stones, that was leaning on a nearby table, just out of the reach of the elderly man.

 Sacrificing a Pawn Part 2

    It looked very suspiciously like a wizard''s staff from some fantasy game. Looking back the two men, Val realized that both of them also gave off a ''fantasy'' vibe. One just had to substitute the casual clothes they were wearing with a flowing robe, a pointed hat, and a set of plate armor, and the room would hold two of the most common professions of any fantasy novel or game. Maybe it was the sudden realization, but he felt his tension decrease a bit, along with the intensity of the ''warm'' feeling around him. It didn''t mean that he could move still, and the dark sphere in his ''mind''s eye'' was still sticking around with the mix of colors coating it. However, he stopped trying to fight the ''lock'' on him.


    The older figure stroked his beard as though in thought, before saying ¡°It looks like you''ve settled down somewhat, lad. I trust you will not run.¡± Almost immediately, Val felt control of his body return and ''saw'' the yellowish color surrounding the dark sphere in his ''mind''s eye'' dissipate. If he had been guessing earlier, Val was now sure the had just been ''magicked,'' if that was the right word. Either way, he stayed still, not wanting be frozen again. Glancing between the two men, he turned to look at Bernice off to the side, who was watching Val with a look of concern. In some ways, that reassured Val at least a little bit.


    ¡°No point in dragging this out, Felwood. The boy thinks he''s got important news for us. So, let''s hear it.¡± The younger man, who seemed to be in his 30''s, cut in to break the uncomfortable silence, though the expression of minor interest on his face did not change too much.


    Val gulped, wondering what he should say, but thankfully, Bernice spoke up. ¡°Val, just tell ''em what you know. If you got trouble, they can maybe help ya.¡±


    Nodding shakily, Val stumbled over this words at first but eventually told them about most of what had happened to him. He explained how he had woken up after a beating in the slums the night before, about how he had learned about the culling among the ''street rats,'' about his suspicion regarding the bald man, how he had found the bloody remains and guessed they belonged to the missing ''street rats,'' and about his most recent run in with Ribus. Of course, he left out the parts about the gold Tals, his awakening, and about his visit to the bard. Being honest didn''t mean he had to tell them everything, especially since Val knew some of it would cause him more problems.


    When he finished, there was silence in the room again, but this time, most of the people present had serious expressions on their face. The older man, Felwood, was the first to speak. ¡°You mentioned that this has happened before. The younger thieves going missing, I mean. How many times?¡±


    Val shook his head slightly and replied. ¡°Every year a couple times for at least the last three years, but it was always one or two. Not like this time, with five of them going missing.¡±


    Felwood looked at the younger man on the couch, his words almost sounding annoyed. ¡°This is worse than I thought, Talon. How did they miss this? Better yet, how did the Temple let this slide?¡±


    The younger man was frowning now, his lazy appearance mostly gone. ¡°It happens, Felwood. You know better than I do. A city, even this size, has too much going on, but you''re right. It''s worse than I thought if people have been turning a blind eye to things like this. Mind you, if it wasn''t for the letter a couple of months ago from Bernice about the fishiness going on with the city council, I wouldn''t be back here. But we''ve at least got a couple of leads now. I doubt they would''ve expected a ''street rat'' to get word to us.¡± Val flinched a little as he watched the man roll his shoulders and lean forward towards Val. ¡°One last question, boy. Where did you get the gold Tals from?¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Val felt like he was being watched by a lion, but he worked up enough strength to whisper, ¡°I found it on a man, who got killed in the slums last night.¡± As answers went, it was a pretty suspicious one, and Val braced himself for a rebuke. However, Talon only glanced at the older man standing nearby. Felwood, who had been watching Val carefully, only nodded.


    ¡°Alright, consider what''s left of the gold your reward. Bernice, put the brat somewhere out of sight, so no one deals with him.¡± For some reason, it seemed to Val that this Talon fellow held a higher status in the room, making Val wonder who the man was. However, the younger man''s next words to everyone in the room made Val rethink wanting to know anymore. ¡°I plan on making sure that everything''s dealt with in the next few days, so expect things to get a little more lively in the city.¡± Fortunately, he was allowed to leave with Bernice, but Val''s last sight of the room was the older man still staring at him with an inquisitive look.


    Back in the room, the Wizard Argentus Felwood frowned, still thinking about the young child, who had just left. The boy''s story had been all too common, especially when it came to those in the lowest ends of society. Of course, most did not survive their experiences, and Wizard Felwood knew that even few ''Awakened'' along the way. What made the boy stick out even more was the amount of mana he was emitting. Wizard Felwood felt his spells, even if they were only lowly First and Second tier ones, being resisted. That only meant one thing, and if it had been any other time, he would have spoken longer with the child.


    ¡°You trust what the ''street rat'' says, Felwood?¡±


    Looking aside at his companion, Wizard Felwood sighed. ¡°The <Lie Detection> spell was active the entire time the boy was speaking, until he left the room. He did not lie, Talon. What more, I think the boy underestimates the peril he is in, especially if the information we have is true.¡±


    Talon stood up, scowling. ¡°He had the gold Tals that you marked Felwood, and even if he was telling the truth about picking up the gold from Clod''s dead body, it still marks him as a scavenger and undependable.¡±


    Wizard Felwood shook his head, feeling like knocking some sense into his young companion. ¡°Don''t be dense Talon. How many times have we ''scavenged'' from the dead during our travels and battles? You''re just angry, because Clod is dead. The man wasn''t exactly gifted in the mind for the purpose you sent him out on.¡±


    The younger man walked towards the nearby window, glancing out of it while replying, ¡°Well, you''re not the one who has to tell his father why his son ended up dead in a muddy street and was stripped of everything that he had on him. They found his naked body thrown into a pile of garbage this morning, Felwood!¡±


    The older man winced. ¡°At least, we know who may be involved in the council, because of that. And with Val''s information about the sacrifices, we can track down the bastard, who''s been backing the traitors in the council. It''ll stop more people from dying, at least.¡±


    Talon turned around, shaking his head. ¡°The bastard''s hidden too well. You know that as well as I do. The only way to flush him out is if he goes after that ''street rat'' or if we can track him down using what info we got. If he''s smart enough though, he won''t make stupid moves anytime soon. So, trying to find him is going to be impossible. Instead, dealing with the council takes priority.¡±


    ¡°And what happens if he gets to the boy before we can do anything?¡± For a second, the older man felt irritation at how casual his younger companion sounded about the boy''s life.


    ¡°Then, that''s his fate. We do what we must, Felwood.¡± The younger man''s answer was something Wizard Felwood was familiar with, since he had said the same thing to the younger man years ago.


    Maybe it was his age or maybe it was just all the harsh memories, but looking at the door through which the young thief had left earlier, the older man sighed and could not help but whisper, ¡°Fate is it...?¡± There was no answer this time, just the silence of two men left contemplating the future chaos that was on the horizon.

 Sacrificing a Pawn Part 3

    Val on the other hand was finally able to let down his guard and relax, sitting in what was the tavern attic. Bernice had been no nonsense about where she wanted him to stay, and Val felt gratitude toward the stern woman for what she was doing, since he couldn''t go back to the ''rat''s den.'' However, he could not help feel out of place in the storage room like space.


    Sitting near the attic window and eating some grilled chicken with rye bread, Val could see the sun slowly going down in the distance, meaning night time was not long off. It was a comforting thought, considering this meant that he had survived the day. He realized now that he was stuck in the middle of something bigger going on, and from what little he had made out in the conversation between the two men earlier, he was just a small part of it all. The only thing he could be thankful for was that he wasn''t just being dumped back on the streets to fend for himself.


    Moreover, thinking back to what had happened to him downstairs, Val realized he had encountered some kind of magic user, giving him some idea of what he needed to focus on next if he wanted a trump card. However, he had no idea what the older man had done, even though Val knew ''something'' had been temporarily done to stop his movement. Thankfully, when he left the room, the effects including the various colors in the ''dark sphere'' in his mind had completely gone away.


    Val decided that he needed to figure out the ''magic'' thing as soon as he could, since he felt like he had almost lost control of the ''warm'' feeling earlier. It had intensified constantly, almost instinctively, until it suddenly stopped. Unfortunately, the only thing he knew so far was that the ''warm'' feeling was necessary for the dark sphere to show up in his ''mind''s eye.''


    He sat down cross legged and tried to make himself relax, trying to figure where to start. Ideas from earth swam through his mind, including everything from various religious concepts like enlightenment to meditation ''cheats'' used in various web novels. The mix of information was bizarre for the current Val, but the general idea he got from them, was that most people on earth believed magic was manipulated by one''s thoughts and maybe emotions. Val compared it to every time the ''warm'' feeling had hit him throughout the day and realized that he had some intense experiences in some of instances.


    Logic told him that emotions were at least one of the triggers, but figuring that out needed experimentation. While he had no desire to put himself in danger again, he tried to see if he could simulate the feelings again. Closing his eyes, he focused on slowly clearing his mind, emptying it of unnecessary thoughts. When he could finally hear his heart beat slowly in his ears, he began recalling certain memories. Particular ones stood out, including his ''Awakening'' and seeing the dead body this morning. There was fear, worry, anger, and even grief as he parsed out his emotions during those events. Val tried to immerse himself in those feelings, while reaching out to find the ''warm'' sensation again.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    At first, it was like swimming in a void, not knowing where he was going or what he was doing. However, as his memories became more vivid, the could feel something spreading out from inside him, almost like he was breathing it out. The soothing feeling became stronger as he reached for it, but just as he thought he had a handle on it, it vanished. Breathing out deeply, Val opened his eyes, irritation and satisfaction written in them. He was frustrated that the ''warm'' feeling did not remain but happy that his idea had been correct. So, he tried again, taking a bit longer to get the same feeling again, but this time it seemed as though the feeling was a bit more familiar than before. Val kept at it for a while, losing track of time and eventually falling asleep as exhaustion from the long day got the best of him.


    The next thing he knew, a creaking noise woke him up from the corner he was curled up in. Almost as a reflex, Val scrambled to sit up, tossing off the thin blanket he had wrapped around himself. He could barely make out his surroundings with the moonlight leaking in through the mostly closed window. There was no one else present, but the creaking noise got louder, making Val remember the sound the hatch to the attic entrance had made, when Bernice brought him up here.


    Crawling past some old chairs and tables piled nearby, he made out where the hatch was. Candlelight was shining through the hatch, which was mostly open. In the yellow glow, Val saw Fen''s head sticking out of the hatch, looking around. When he caught sight of Val, the older man spoke softy. ¡°Boy, Bernice is lookin'' fer ya. Tol'' me to take ya to see someone, waitin'' for ya in the back.¡±


    Val knew it was probably late at night, considering he did not near any noise coming from below. That meant the tavern had probably closed for the night, which made him both curious and worried about who wanted to see him this late. Since being left in the attic with some food, no one had bothered him, almost as though he was an afterthought.


    Suspicious, he quietly followed Fen out of the attic, quietly climbing down the ladder. The hallway on the second floor was mostly dark, leaving the only source of light as the candle that Fen was carrying. The man didn''t wait for Val to fully get off the ladder, before he started heading towards the staircase to the ground floor. Val trotted to keep up. The tavern was quieter than he expected, and by the time they made it to the kitchen, Val realized it was much later in the night than he had thought. There was no one else present, and it looked as though the tavern had closed for the night. The only other source of light in the whole place other than Fen''s candle were the embers still glowing with warmth in the two fireplaces.


    The feeling of unease kept growing, but Val didn''t think anyone would be willing to do something here in the Hungry Mare of all places. When Fen walked out the tavern door, he looked back briefly to make sure Val was keeping up but did not say much more. As he followed, Val finally worked up the guts to ask, ¡°Where''s... where''s Mistress Carlen?¡±


    There was no one out in the back yard other than Fen, and the danger signal that had been dully flashing inside of him went off in full force. Just as finally stopped, he heard movement off to the left side, behind him. He turned his head, just in time to catch sight of someone he had hoped to never see again. The bulky figure of the bald man from the morning lunged out from the dark and grabbed Val from behind, lifting him up, while covering Val''s mouth and nose with a cloth of some kind. Val had just enough time to yell once, before his voice was muffled. ¡°Noo...mpphhh!¡±


    As he struggled in the man''s arms, Val realized the cloth had something on it as bitter smelling fumes filled his nose and mouth. Terrified, he felt the ''warm'' feeling suddently ratchet up, spreading across his body. However, he could not stay conscious enough to focus, as his vision began to go blurry. The last thing he saw was Fen standing nearby, the man''s face still scowling, and the last thing he heard was Fen asking, ¡°This the brat, right? Where''s my Tals?¡± Then, everything went dark.

 Sacrificing a Pawn Part 4

    ¡°Ughhh...¡± Slowly overcoming the feeling of sinking in some deep ocean, Val forced his eyes to open. His thinking slowly became clearer, and then his last memory came rushing back, pumping his body full of adrenaline. Val jolted awake, disoriented at first, then slowly being able to see his surroundings. ¡°Mpphhh..¡± Trying to talk, he first realized his mouth was gagged with a wad of cloth, tied around his head. Then, as he regained more control of his body, Val was even more shocked to find that his arms were tied up in front of him and his legs were also tied together, leaving him lying on a dirty floor.


    Squirming, he turned his body onto his side, finally seeing where he was. It was gloomy room of some kind lit only by a few, flickering candles lining its roughly finished brick walls. There were no windows, and as far as he could make out, the only entrance or exit was a staircase leading upwards. Odds and ends were scattered across the room, most piled in corners without much care. However, a familiar, metallic smell permeated the place, drawing Val''s attention to large, dark brown splotches scattered around large portions of the floor.


    What really captivated Val''s attention was the clear area in the middle of the room with the highest concentration of the blood stains. Barely visible, there was some kind of intricate, circular design drawn on the floor with gems in goblet like holders placed at equidistant spots. The space above the floor seemed almost like a mirage created by a trick of light, heat, and air. That was the best word he could use to describe it, when looking at the writhing mass of space that formed a dome like shape. He was lying so close to it, that he could make out the almost tangible form of the dome, dispelling any thought of it being some hallucination.


    However, the truly terrifying thing was the ''something'' that was squirming around in the middle of the dome. It had no real form, but the floating mass of dark red gas constantly pushed up against the dome, almost like it was testing its boundaries. That wasn''t all, as the blob like mass kept changing, sometimes showing scale like skin and other times bones and claws. Val flinched as he even thought he saw some kind of bizarre, reptilian face in the blob at one point.


    Squirming in his tied up state, Val tried to back away from the dome almost instinctively. Whatever was in the dome was not ''friendly,'' in any sense of the word. Val felt fear when seeing it, but he also felt numb for some reason. It was like his body wanted to react to the fear, but it couldn''t. The ''warm'' feeling had already triggered, but it felt like something was suppressing it, leaving it just fluctuating in him. The ''dark sphere'' also seemed to waver in and out of his ''mind''s eye'' almost like it was being stopped.


    As focused on he was on the spectacle in front of him, he didn''t realized someone was descending the staircase, until a dark clothed figure appeared from the shadows. The man, brown haired and clean shaven, was as ordinary looking as any man in the merchant district. The man''s oval shaped, pale face and reedy build spoke of more time spent indoors than outdoors, making him look no different from a shopkeeper or some clerk. Even this clothing was nondescript and bland.


    However, the closer he got to Val, the more twisted the man''s face became. Grinning widely, the man''s eyes narrowed, casting an almost inhuman look to his visage, reminding Val of a famous clown from a horror movie on Earth. ¡°Well, well, well... Wonderful... wonderful... What exquisiteness. Such a soul. Such resistance... I was right... Only the finest... ¡± Almost whispering, the man bent down, looking at Val closely, his black eyes glinting in interest.


    There was something horrible in those eyes, that Val could only think of as ''hunger.'' It was hard to describe, but for a second, Val felt the man was peering into Val''s very being, almost savoring or weighing Val''s worth. ¡°Whmmppp....¡± Val tried to yell, only to feel the gag rub against his now dry mouth.


    ¡°Now, now, child... patience... patience... It''s almost time...¡± The man straightened up, popping his neck as he stretched his arms out and took a deep breath. ¡°Ahh... How long, how long... Such a long wait, but finally there...¡±


    Turning his back to Val, the man walked placidly over to a table nearby. Val couldn''t see what was on the table, but it didn''t stop him from continuing to struggle. He wasn''t ignorant about what was going to happen, not with all the blood present and now with a crazy bastard talking nonsense. However, being tied up like a hog prepped for the slaughter wasn''t exactly helpful. Val felt the panic fully setting in as he cursed Fen and cursed his luck. He had escaped, only to be dragged back to face what was probably the ''final boss'' almost as a joke of fate. Val even wondered if he was actually supposed to be something like ''victim number 6'' in some shitty third rate movie plot.


    Screeching filled the room, making Val look back at the man, who was dragging the table closer to the mirage like dome. The man was still muttering to himself, though a bit louder and a bit more rushed. ¡°Yes... yes... he is the right one... Ahh... all the preparation, all the wait... Almost ruined. Filthy dogs. Must teach them a lesson... Yes.... Yes... Kill them...¡±


    The words themselves were gibberish, but Val got the feeling that man was becoming more unstable as time passed. Val tried to yank off the gag or maybe even try to untie it, but it was so tightly tied around his head, that all he did was hurt himself. Just then, the man held his right arm out and slashed at his own forearm using a dagger that he had picked up from the table. Val stared in confusion as the man then waved his arm at the dome, splashing his blood on it. Almost immediately, the dome became more vivid, and the dark, red blob in it began expanding, plastering itself against the dome near where the blood had impacted. The dome momentarily had flashes of light spread out from the impact area.


    It shocked Val, but the next thing was even more horrifying. Val watched as the man grabbed something from the table, squeezing it next to the dome. Blood and flesh splattered from what Val realized was an organ of some kind. Then, the man began intoning, talking in what sounded like gibberish ¡°Ratchasha! Va! Indu manz vand...¡± The words were caustic to hear and something about them made Val feel nauseous, almost like his very being wanted to reject it.


    As the chant continued, the red mass in the dome began to solidify, producing scale like skin over a reptilian form. The now beast like figure, surrounded in a solidifying red mist, turned in Val''s direction. It slammed against the dome, once again causing the light show. A reptilian face, covered in horns and ridges, snarled at Val. It''s eyes blazed in malevolent desire, as it opened its mouth, running its forked tongue over its scaly lips.


    Val felt disbelief, but not because of his situation. He recognized the monster, but a part of him could not believe it. However, the more solid the creature became, the more Val became convinced it was the same. Earth nations and their military forces had given it the designation Category One, Hunter Type. Shock filled him as he saw something from his past life''s memories right in front of him.


    The chanting changed at that point, becoming almost demanding in how it sounded, and the monster swiveled its head towards the man, who had his hands up almost in worship as he became louder. Blood covered the man''s arm and parts of his face, taking away any resemblance to the ordinary clerk from before. The monster rushed towards the man, only to slam up against the inner side of dome again, sending sparks of light flashing outwards.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Val''s shock at the revelation did something to him at that point, making him yell with all his might. ¡°Ghmmmppphhhh!¡± He felt a ''warm'' rush of strength spread throughout his body, as whatever had been blocking it all this time finally gave way. Instantly, he saw the ''dark sphere'' pop up in his ''mind''s eye'' with some dissipating reddish mist around it. An emotional hurricane roared through him, as anger, grief, fear, hate, despair, and other emotions he could not even understand scoured his soul. ¡°Ggghhrrprpphhhh.¡± Almost chomping at the gag, he screamed at the creature before him. It belonged to ''them!''


    He could not forget that last memory, that last moment of despair, Watching as ''they'' destroyed his home. Suffering, as he could not do anything. Despairing, as he was too weak. He did not want to be like that again. He did not want to die a death worth less than a rat''s. Maybe in response, the ''dark sphere'' in his ''mind''s eye'' shined, the silver light coiling through it becoming stronger. Then, the silvery dot in the sphere flashed brightly, almost demanding it be chosen.


    As desperately as Val strained his muscles, he knew he could not do anything. So, he chose the silver dot without hesitation, hoping against the odds. Almost immediately, his vision became more vivid, with his surroundings blurring while taking on a more faded appearance. However, the dome was glowing in white, with several spots revolving around its base literally blinding Val with their brilliance. The other thing glowing brightly was himself. Val''s mind raced to figure what he he was seeing or was maybe being told, but he also caught sight of the man suddenly looking shocked.


    Val knew he was running out of time, because the man, who was still chanting, began frantically moving towards Val, while hefting his dagger. So, Val did the only thing he could think of at that moment, hoping his guess was correct. Curling his leg back, he put as much force and hate into it as possible and kicked at the dome just as one of the bright white spots got near. The moment of impact was nothing like he had felt before. The ''warm'' strength in him was almost drained, as he was flung backwards, his legs lancing in pain. ¡°Ggggrrrphh!¡±


    However, the light show that followed was more spectacular than anything before. Val''s vision went back to normal as the dark sphere in his ''mind''s eye'' vanished, but he literally saw cracks of light spread through the dome. In the following few seconds, multiple things happened. The crazy man, who had been about to reach Val, clawed at his head, dropping his dagger and stumbling backwards screaming. ¡°Aggggggaaaahhhhhhhh!¡± The monster, which had been attacking the dome near the man, finally succeeded in breaking through, literally shattering the dome, causing it to break and dissipate in a blink of a eye.


    The man, who had collapsed on his table of horrors, yelled, ¡°No! No! No! Stay back! You can''t! I gave you... Arrrrggggghhhh!¡± The monster didn''t give him a chance to continue as it pounced on him, tearing into the man with fangs and claws, sending blood and flesh flying and making the man scream even louder. Val, who saw the whole thing happen, didn''t freeze up. He knew enough about ''them'' to know that the monster would not stop with killing just the man. Val forcefully squirmed, almost propelling himself to where the man had dropped his dagger. Grabbing it, Val tried to get it into a reverse grip to cut through his bondage.


    However, before he could do anything, the monster roared, raising its head up almost in exultation. Red mist enveloped it, as its body seemed to be literally disintegrating. Unfortunately, it swung its head back towards Val, showing a vicious face that was fading to mist while covered in blood and gore. Val shoved himself backwards, wriggling for all that he was worth as he realized he had just become target number two. The creature lunged forward, falling onto the ground as its lower body broke apart into red mist, but that didn''t stop it as it dragged itself violently towards Val using its disappearing arms, eventually trying to pounce on Val with what was left of itself.


    Val felt his body shaking in terror and rage but raised the dagger he was holding in defiance, aiming for the creature''s head just as it came down at his face. For once, luck seemed to be on his side, as the blade easily slide through the already disintegrating lower jaw of the creature, stopping it from biting Val. Almost as if that was the trigger, the remaining parts of the monster broke apart into red mist, that faded into the air, leaving Val panting heavily.


    Holding the dagger above his chest, he stared at the ceiling trying to get a handle of his frantic thoughts. Tears leaked through his eyes, as he began to laugh, not caring as the gag muffled him. ¡°Hahfhafhafhhaf...¡± He could not believe it. He had survived. He had no idea about the how or even the why at this point, but he lay there just venting his emotions.


    It took a while for him to calm down and get himself free, but nothing else happened in the blood and gore filled room. He struggled up on his wobbly legs, that still seemed unsteady from earlier. Glancing at the mysterious circle of symbols, he couldn''t help but think of the magic circles always mentioned in Earth novels, but seeing the blood and gore covering it, he frowned in disgust. The man, who had been responsible for creating it, was literally shredded meat, with body parts and clothing scattered around. Val would have puked from the bloody smell and visuals but forced himself to hold it in, not wanting to waste his dinner. He just told himself he had seen worse and began looking around the room for anything useful.


    Eventually, holding onto the dead man''s dagger and a confiscated, loot filled satchel, Val looked up at the door at the top of the staircase. Almost hidden in the shadows, the door held a foreboding aura, making Val hesitate. He had no clue where he was or even who the crazy bastard was. The only thing he knew so far was that he had been kidnapped and almost sacrificed to a monster like the ones that had attacked Earth in his past life by some nutcase, who could have passed for the nerd next door. Thinking about it that way, Val did not think any normal person would be able to remain sane. Sighing, he began walking up the stairs, wondering if he was abnormal.


    The room past the door was nothing like he thought it would be. There were no monster or human guards, no elaborate traps, no secret laboratory, no dungeon full of imprisoned victims waiting to be rescued, and no gloomy halls. It looked more like the insides of some abandoned house, with a collapsing ceiling and partially wrecked walls and flooring. Trying not to get himself squashed or impaled by some rotting masonry, he made it out the front door of the death trap of a building without too much of a struggle.


    The outside was not surprisingly in the slums. The ragged surroundings and smell kind of gave it away. The small courtyard in front of the two story building meant that it was more than likely a ''better'' part of the slums. Unfortunately, this area was run by another gang, which made Val draw some worrisome conclusions. The city gangs usually did not like random, suspicious people setting up shop in their turf without paying a price. That meant the crazy, monster summoning nerd was welcome here, making it more dangerous the longer Val stuck around.


    Just as he was about leave the doorstep, a hulking, shadowy figure walked into the courtyard. The bald head was clearly visible in the moonlight, and Val tensed, holding up the dagger he had brought with him. He had expected this in all honesty. As far as he knew, escaping from the evil villain''s lair was never easy or without a fight. Unfortunately for him, the only ''superpower'' he had was still not working right, and he was only 10 years old compared the muscle bound henchman before him.


    Val felt like giggling, surprised at his own calm acceptance at the shitty roll of the dice, but he figured almost dying a few times in one day seemed to have hammered his mind into something stronger rather than just breaking it. Waving the dagger in front of him, Val growled, ¡°Bring it on, baldy!¡± It was not exactly a inspiring warcry, but it definitely did the job of pissing off the brutish thug.


    ¡°You''re gonna die now, rat!¡± The brute began to step forward with his fists raised, even as Val began to circle off to his right, trying to out maneuver the larger man. However, just when a battle between David and Goliath was about to break out, a loud smashing sound echoed in the streets.


    Both Val and the man turn to the origin of the sound, finding a figure standing on top of a roof across the street from the courtyard. In the moonlight, all that Val could make out was a relatively tall man carrying some objects. Just when the he got a grasp of what he was seeing, Val saw the mysterious man leap from the rooftop almost moving in a straight line towards the bald thug.


    The baldy must have realized the same thing as he stumbled towards Val, while twisting around to face the new attacker. Val didn''t clearly see what happened next, but the surroundings lit up like day time as a ball of light blazed into existence right above the courtyard. Covering his eyes to block the sudden brightness, Val peeked through his fingers just in time to see the bald man literally float up in the air while struggling and grasping at his throat. ¡°Gahhh!¡±


    As the floating thug somehow moved to one side in midair, Val finally saw the new, lightly armored arrival. A familiar, refined face with a gray beard was looking at Val from across the small courtyard, but unlike before at the tavern, the man named Felwood did not have a calm expression. The stern visage radiated power and control, further amplified by the glowing staff in one hand and the sword in the other. Under the bright light, the wizard uttered his first words since arriving. ¡°We meet once again, young man.¡±

 Volume 1 Epilogue: End of the Beginning

    The sun was rising, but surprisingly enough, not too many people were out on the streets. Those few who did show up, mostly avoided looking around and scampered away as fast as they could. The windows and doors of the surrounding buildings were also mostly shut tight, though Val could almost feel the eyes peering from the insides.


    The focus of their attention thankfully wasn''t him but something a lot more threatening for slum dwellers. Squads of well armed guardsmen and soldiers were busy patrolling the streets. Val had seen soldiers before, but he had never seen them fully armored and suited up for war. A mix of chainmail, padded armor, and steel plate armor along with an assortment of weapons made them imposing figures, making the guardsman humbly leading them around look like cheap knockoffs.


    Val only had some vague idea why the local count''s standing army had been deployed within the city. It had to do with problems with the city council. At least what was what Wizard Felwood had told him. The older man walked next to val as they made their way through the slums, heading to the Bone Crusher''s stronghold. Looking aside at the wizard, who was wearing some kind of leather armor, Val was still amazed at what had happened early this morning. Wizard Felwood''s arrival had almost been a miracle, though Val had later learned that the wizard had found out about Val''s kidnapping from a tavern maid at the Hungry Mare, who had witnessed the whole incident. On the other hand, Val knew there was more to it, since the Wizard had literally tracked him down across the city.


    However, it also meant val was somewhat in awe of the older man, who had done things that had literally seemed superhuman. Val had been tempted to think of the man as some kind of Jedi Knight or something, until the older man had introduced himself formally as a wizard. Val took it stride, especially after all the crap he had seen earlier.


    ¡°So apprentice, do you undersand how lucky you were to survive?¡± The wizard''s question left Val ducking his head in some embarrassment. His first answer to the wizard, when he had been questioned about the demon warlock''s death, had been a flippant answer about ''having dealt with it.'' Of course, the wizard had looked over the messy basement, heard Val''s story, and explained how a mix of factors had left the demon warlock essentially defenseless and open to being struck down. Number one, Val learned the demon warlock, as the man was identified as, was in the middle of trying to enslave a demon summoned from the chaotic plane, when Val got lucky with his attack on the summoning circle and its barrier. Number two, no self respecting magic user of any kind would leave themselves unguarded, when casting such complicated spells. Number three, the demon warlock had underestimated Val''s strength from his ''Awakening,'' though Val didn''t ask Wizard Felwood for details. Number four, Val had gotten very lucky that he had struck the magic barrier at one of its focal nodes, essentially breaking the barrier. Number five, he had gotten even more lucky, because demons hated their captors/summoners more than others and because demons usually could not exist on this plane of existence too long without their summoners.


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    ¡°Yes, master.¡± That was the other thing that had occurred. The older man had offered Val some choices as his reward for killing the demon warlock: a good amount of money or a chance to learn from the wizard as the wizard''s apprentice. Val had chosen the second option, of course. To him wealth was important, but after everything he had experienced, he also knew that strength was even more important in his world, especially when there was a chance of running into the ''final boss'' at any given time.


    The reason why he and his master were now heading towards the Bone Crusher''s hideout was due to Val''s request. He had found out that most of the gangs in the city were being culled by the order of the owner of the city, Count Arwensen, but Val wanted to make sure the ''street rats'' weren''t going to be killed off as well. The wizard had denied such a thing would occur, but Val felt that he owned it to his former companions to at least make sure they survived. It was not like he, himself, could do anything, but his new master''s authority was not something that some overzealous guardsman or soldier could ignore.


    By the time they made it to the dead end, where the stronghold was, Val could already hear the fighting and yelling. Standing near a nearby alley, Val quietly watched as dead bodies were dragged out of the stronghold, one after another. The him from earlier today might have felt satisfaction at the scene, but the current him knew that the world was much more horrible and complex than a bunch of lowlife scum could ever hope to be. Unfortunately, Val realized he was now part of that horrifying world, whether he wanted to be or not.


    Just as the fighting sounds died out, Val heard a rattling sound coming from the alley. He and Wizard Felwood both turned around to see where the noise was coming from. To Val''s surprise, a hatch of some kind lifted off the ground in the alley, throwing off a layer of dirt. Out of it, a dirty looking, old man crawled out, coughing. ¡°Freitz.¡± Val whispered the name, as he stared at the keeper of the ''rat''s den,'' hate welling up. Val had no doubt that that older man had been involved in the business the Bone Crushers'' had with the demon warlock. Even if he had not known about the ''street rats'' being killed off, Val knew that the older man had probably been involved in selecting those that got ''dealt with,'' per gang rules.


    ¡°An associate of yours?¡± The wizard''s bland question echoed in the alley, making Freitz, who was scrambling to his feet, turn around shaking.


    Val clenched his teeth, grabbing the handle of his dagger sheathed on his waist. It was the same one he had scavenged from the demon warlock. He felt fury rising in him as he watched the alcoholic, old man go from being shocked to scared as he caught sight of Val and the wizard at the entrance to the alleyway. ¡°He''s... he''s the same scum.¡± Val''s words were ground out through clenched teeth.


    Freitz, who looked like he was panicking, yelled, ¡°Boy, you have to save me... They....¡± He did not get further as he froze in place, trembling but not moving. Val looked to his side to see his master pointing a finger, with a slightly glowing ring, at the former gang member.


    Wizard Felwood looked back down at Val with a composed yet serious look. ¡°This is your first lesson, apprentice. In this world, you have to be strong to truly survive. But to be truly strong, you have to be willing to be true to yourself.¡±


    There was no question or demand, but Val knew his master was testing him. For a second Val considered if there was a right answer, but only for a second. Remembering his oath from the day before, he looked at the abusive, alcoholic, who had terrorized children trying only to survive in this hell of a world. ¡°An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth...¡± Drawing his dagger slowly, Val walked into the alley, having made up his mind and having finally accepted his own path.

 Side Story 1: Clods Regret

    Hiding behind a brick wall, Clod watched the men looking for him run off in a different direction. He held the right side of his belly tightly, trying not to pass out. Looking down, he could see the dark splotch on the side of his tunic and could feel the blood oozing out of the wound. If he could have rested somewhere, maybe he could have wrapped up the wound, but being hunted as he was, Clod just dealt with the pain. It was not any worse than being kicked by a cow back on the farmstead.


    Thinking back to his peaceful family home, Clod cursed ever having begged the master to take him to the city. This place was like a dung pile, with its vicious dwellers and outrageous prices. He still couldn''t believe the price of that damn woolen tunic that one of the cloth merchants had tried to sell it for. He had almost punched the thieving bastard, who had called Clod a yokel, who knew nothing about fine wool or some crap. Shaking his head, he tried to focus, realizing his mind was wandering. Maybe it was the blood loss, but he was feeling dizzier than before and like his chest was hurting.


    Stumbling through the muddy street, Clod regretted having ever crossed paths with the master. He had only met the stuck up noble many years ago, when they had both been youngsters and the lord they paid taxes to had come to exterminate a goblin tribe that had gotten too big. Master had already become a Chosen One at that time, and Clod remembered envying him and trying to kiss up to him to get out of that damn farm. Unfortunately, their paths had split up until the master came back from his travels, ready to do some big things. That was how Clod''s father had put it, anyway.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    His vision getting blurry, Clod threw up his dinner, becoming a little confused as he wondered why his mouth tasted so bloody. However, he tried not to loose focus, as he almost fell over. He remembered how his mother had always told him that he was too greedy for his own good. Clod wished he had listened, considering what led to him being chased like a dog. His master had sent him to pass on a message to some bard. But when he got the place, it ended up being whorehouse with more than a few willing women. Unfortunately, he learned after some fun, about the prices the damn whores were demanding. One thing led to another, and some shifty bastards had pulled a blade on him. Thankfully, he got away with most of what he had on him, especially with the gold he was supposed to hand over to the bard.


    Feeling like he was going to pass out, Clod collapsed against a nearby wall, and he tried to force his eyes to stay open as looked at the cross streets he was at. He had no clue where he was, since this whole damned city was like a demon cursed maze. He didn''t know what happened next, but the next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground and staring at the beautiful night sky spreading out above him. He remembered the same sky from back on the farm but wondered why he had hated it so much back then. Closing his heavy eyes to rest just for a bit, Clod remembered his family and them waving him goodbye as he trudged beside his master''s horse away from home. He had only looked back once, something he regretted only now. Then, there was a sharp pain.

 Side Story 2: Raker and Bard

    Raker''s Reward


    Mathis hated his work. The smell of excrement and blood mixed together had already numbed his sense of smell, and even the never ending flies and vermin had become something to just shrug off. However, the dead was something he really did not want to deal with. It wasn''t supposed to be like this. If anything, he had wanted to have a normal life, like his father.


    His father had been a guardsman, and even if he had been as shitty as the rest of them to the city, he had been a decent father and husband. Unfortunately, with his death, Mathis had been left to take care of his mother, who had fallen ill. A few bouts of coughing a day had eventually increased to her coughing up blood. So, Mathis, who had been planning as apprenticing as a butcher, had no choice but to take what work he could. Unfortunately, when he had gone begging for work, they had told him this was all that was left. So, he had become a raker, collecting garbage, left over viscera, and excrement from across the city to dispose of outside the city.


    That was when the nightmare had started. At first it had been the odd person, who had died suspiciously in the city. Then, bodies of women and in some cases children started being bundled for him to cart away out of the city to dump. Though they hadn''t been that frequent, Mathis knew it wasn''t normal. However, he kept quiet, desperate for the money. In the last few years, though, things had gotten more bizarre and horrifying. It was no longer relatively intact bodies. Some hulking bastard had started dropping off shredded body parts and bones that looked like someone or something had been chewing on them. Mathis had almost run to the Temple the first time he saw the remains, but the hulking brute''s threats about his mother had silenced any defiance.


    Even now, Mathis had nightmares every few nights, wondering who those bones belonged to. He had heard rumors, of course, about the gangs, but he hadn''t been brave enough to dig deeper. The handful of times he had tried to talk to his father''s old friends about missing people, they had told him to keep his mouth shut and that it was none of their business. So, Mathis kept shoveling, while keeping quiet.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Watching the hulking brute walk into the collection shed, Mathis sighed, wondering if he could have changed his life. He still thought about going to the Temple once in a while, but looking at the bald brute casually tossing a bag of chewed up bones to the floor, he decided he was not that courageous. Moreover, he figured he deserved more after everything he had done so far. ¡°I need ta talk to ya ''bout getting'' more for this.¡±


    Bard''s Desire


    ¡°Kiss me deeply, til I fall into your enchanting soul...¡± The song flowed out his mouth, almost smoothly, as he relaxed in the feeling of being gently caressed. Plucking the strings of his harp, Devin smiled in what knew was his most enchanting smile at the two blonde haired women, lying on either side of him, almost dwelling on his every word. They were relatively new to the whorehouse, so it only took a little effort for Devin to avail himself of their companionship.


    This was the life for him. There was no need to sweat out on the cursed streets or fields, toiling in the sun and sweating like a pig. When he had been young, his farmer father had cursed him for being weak and womanly. Even Devin had hated himself. However, that was all before he saw a bard perform at his village. It wasn''t anything spectacular, but the almost magnetic draw the weak looking man had for the village woman had been an eye opener. That and how much the bard had swindled out of the villagers for doing nothing but telling a few stories and singing a few crummy songs and ballads.


    So, he ran away to be a bard, once he was old enough to leave home. However, he learned in some very hard ways that being a weak, effeminate male living alone in this world was much more horrible than village life. It took him some time to eventually find his place. Middle aged and elderly women tended to find comfort in his arms, and he ended up finding comfort in their money purses. What more, he learned how to speak his sweet words well enough, that they were more than willing to trust him.


    His life in this city had been perfect for the last five years, especially since the city council left him alone after he helped them deal with that guard sergeant, who had been poking around in the wrong places. Unfortunately, the winds of change had blown into the city. Word was spreading that the count''s second son had returned, and the position of the count''s heir was no longer as sure as it had been a few months ago. What intrigued Devin was that the second son had reached out to a mere bard to discuss city matters and to use his capabilities. However, it was somewhat confusing to Devin why the noble had not yet sent him a messenger with the rumors that needed to be spread. Shrugging, Devin went back to strumming his harp as he sang, ¡°Come, my sweet, kiss me deeply...¡±

 Side Story 3: Thief and Tavern Keeper

    Thief''s Hate


    Shoving a passerby out of his way, Ribus felt the anger boiling inside himself. Nothing like this had happened to him since years ago, when he was a ''street rat'' himself, trying to keep from dying on the damn streets. Feeling the pain in his face and chest, he snarled and spit, barely missing another laborer walking by. The man began to get angry but then looked away, before quickly scurrying away. Ribus knew that was how the damn scrubs that lived in the slums should be looking at their betters, but thinking about that little turd and his high and mighty attitude, Ribus felt his head feeling like it was going to burst.


    It had been three years of the same crud, since Ribus had dragged the ''street rat'' into the Bone Crushers. Thinking back to then, Ribus now felt regret for his decision. The little shit had been some farmer cast off that was left in the slums, and Ribus had thought he had been lucky to get to the rat before a Temple. However, the street rat had grown to be a pain in the ass, with how piss poor of a thief he was. He also failed to pay the tax more than once but had always ended up somehow keeping his hide in one piece before he could be removed. More than that, he made some annoying friends, who had some pull to keep the pressure off the rat. That last thing, more than anything, rubbed a lot of the others in the gang the wrong way.


    Thankfully, when the usual order came from the merchant for new slaves, the little snot had been on the list. Unfortunately, the little shit had put up a fight last night, when they were dragging him over to the meeting place. Things had gotten out of hand, and Ribus swore he had left the street rat half dead. But he found out this morning from Freitz, that the street rat was alive. That wasn''t all, as the boss had been furious when he found out that the delivery to the merchants was missing one of the packages. Ribus shivered when he remembered the beating from the boss as well the anger and surprisingly fear on the boss''s face.


    Ribus had no idea what was so special about the brat, and he had even tried asking Freitz about it. But, the old man had kept quiet, refusing to say anything. Now, Ribus was left looking for the little shit. Thankfully, some of the other ''street rats'' had pointed him in the right direction. Heading towards ''Whore Lane,'' Ribus snarled as he thought about what he would do that little bastard.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Tavern Keeper''s Choice


    It was frustrating. That was the word that Bernice felt best described the city right now. There had always been things wrong in the city, but it had all been normal for Bernice. Even knowing about all the underhanded and despicable things the city council, the merchants, and the gangs had been wallowing in, Bernice had minded her own business. However, that was all before she found out about the ''special'' celebrations some of the councilors had been messing about with. To make things more horrifying, she had found out from her ''eyes'' and ''ears'' that the heir to the count had been to some of those celebrations.


    With the count being ill and the Temples passively watching everything for some reason, she she had been left little choice but to send a letter to the second son. He had left home close to a decade ago, only returning a handful of times since then, but Bernice knew he wouldn''t let the council continue with their insanity. Thankfully, she had been right, and he had returned and with a wizard of all things.


    Thinking about the two men in the meal room upstairs, Bernice hoped they could ferret out whatever was hiding in the dark places in the city. However, she remembered the anger on the wizard''s face, when she had revealed some of the details she had discovered about how some of current council''s opponents had died in the last few years. He had poised the same questions about the Temple and about the nobles not taking any action, but Bernice had not been able to provide more information.


    What she didn''t expect was Val getting involved in all this. She had been surprised when the young ''street rat'' had shown up earlier in the day, talking about having important news. Even then, she had been surprised about how insistent the boy had been that his news was worth the price. She had been tempted on knowing more, but something in the lad''s eyes had told her that he was betting a lot on whatever he knew. She still felt shivers when she remembered what he had said about his life being on the line with what he knew. Truth be told, she trusted him more than most and liked him somewhat, so she was willing to give him a hand. In any case, the two men upstairs had planned on being here today anyway to meet with some of their supporters in the city. Letting them meet with Val for a bit was no big loss to her.


    ¡°Mistress Carlen, there''s a young boy wannin'' ta talk to ya.¡± The youthful voice woke Bernice up from her worries, and she turned to see new tavern maid, Sallie entering the kitchen. Bernice sighed, putting the uncertainty out of her mind, as she made her way to back yard to see if the youngster knew anything worth hearing about.

 Side Story 3: Tavern Busser and Tavern Maid

    Busser''s Greed


    Downing his ale, Fen grumbled to himself as he stared at the poorly lit shit hole he was drinking in. Being in the slums, this crummy tavern wasn''t a place for weaklings to be hanging around, but Fen had been here enough times that no one messed with him. The stench of stale ale and the sight of flooring covered in straw and dropped food was a far cry from what the Hungry Mare was. The shabby scum and slum dwellers didn''t help matters any either, with their carousing and fights. However, Fen didn''t mind. Here, he didn''t have to grovel in front of some dickhead, who thought his plate wasn''t clean enough or his meat wasn''t cooked well enough. More than that, he didn''t have to deal with the bossy bitch, who ran the Hungry Mare.


    It wasn''t that Fen wasn''t grateful for the helping hand he had gotten from the woman years ago, when he lost his livelihood, but having spent years cleaning and cooking around the damn tavern hadn''t gotten him anywhere. It didn''t help that the woman always kept a hawkish eye on everyone, so he couldn''t even take a sip of ale in her damn tavern.


    Fen felt it was even worse that ¡®street rats¡¯ and beggars were showing up at the tavern for handouts. It was wrong. All the hard work he did with nothing but a measly two silvers a week to show for it, and then some brats show up holding out their grubby paws for charity. It wasn''t right! Today, when that brat Val showed up, it had galled Fen when he was sent off to cart off some garbage like he was a nobody. Then, the ¡®street rat¡¯ showed up again right before supper time, just waltzing through the tavern like he owned the place. What truly infuriated Fen, however, was the fact that the brat was now living in the tavern attic. Fen fumed at the fact that he was living in the same place as some beggar off the streets. Slamming his tankard on the table, Fen spat off to the side in anger.


    ¡°Ya seem like ye¡¯ve got someun¡¯ drivin¡¯ a shovel up yer ass.¡± The almost scornful words drew Fen¡¯s attention to the side. A scruffy thug, looking like he had been worked over a good bit, was standing near the table with a couple of his friends nearby.


    ¡°Ribus. You look like shit.¡± Fen smiled nastily at the bully, knowing him well enough to not worry about repercussions.


    The thug sat down with a scowl, grating out, ¡°Watch what ya say, kitchen boy.¡± The label irritated Fen, but he didn¡¯t counter it. Instead, he leaned back a bit, stretching his muscles a bit.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯ be sittin¡¯ here fer the fun of it. What do ya want?¡± Fen wasn¡¯t exactly friends with the street thug, but neither were they enemies. They had dealings in the past, mostly about things Fen had overheard from the Hungry Mare and sometimes about some patrons, who seemed to be free with their coins and a bit overindulgent in their drink.


    ¡°I ¡®eard down the vine that ya got a ¡®street rat¡¯ livin¡¯ in the Mare. That true?¡± Ribus hunched over the table, his face suddenly serious.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Fen scowled, wondering how many ¡®eyes¡¯ the thug had on the tavern, but he couldn¡¯t say he wasn¡¯t interested in where this line of conversation was going. ¡°And so, what do ya want with the boy?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯ say I don¡¯t got a bone to pick with ¡®im, but this time someun¡¯s willin¡¯ to pay good coin fer the boy.¡± Ribus was whispering by this time, which told Fen enough to know things were a lot bigger than he had thought.


    Fen considered the situation, looking down at his callus covered hands for a while. Finally he whispered back, ¡°It¡¯s gonna cost ¡®em.¡±


    Tavern Maid''s Courage


    Sallie couldn''t sleep. Part of it was the excitement from the long day, and some it was the homesickness she felt, when she thought of her village. It had been a cozy, little place with a half a dozen or so families making ends meet without too many problems coming their way. However, her family had been a little too big, and with eight siblings both ahead of and behind her, staying in the village would have made life more difficult for her family. Thankfully, one of her older brothers had been working in the city and had found Sallie relatively decent work. Thinking about what she had heard about ''Whore Lane,'' Sallie shivered and mentally thanked Mistress Carlen for giving a village girl with mud still on her feet a chance.


    What more, she had even been given her own room in the tavern with a bed of all things. Only her parents and her oldest brother and his wife back home had beds. The rest of family had slept on the floor, covering themselves with old, woolen blankets for comfort at night. Just as she tried to get more comfortable under her new blanket, feeling its softness and clean smell, she heard a shuffling noise from outside her room. She went quiet and pulled her blanket up to her chin, a part of her imagining some beastly drunk breaking into her room to have her way with her.


    Fortunately, her wild fantasy remained just that, a fantasy. Instead, the footsteps stopped a little past her room, with a creaking noise taking its place and muffled words filtering in through the walls. Sallie knew that the only other man in the tavern was the busser, Fen. He was a grumpy one, just like her uncle and seemed to be always scowling at everything. Then, Sallie remembered that there was someone new living in the tavern: the young boy from before supper time. She wondered what was going on, especially went the sound of two distinct footsteps filled the hallway outside, heading back towards the staircase.


    She hesitated for a while, before her curiosity got the better of her. Getting out of bed, she tried to find her leather shoes, but just as she about to slip them on, she heard noise from the yard outside. Her window was slightly open to let some cool air in, but it also gave her a clear view of the yard downstairs. Wondering what was happening, she quietly peeked out the window, leaving her stunned.


    Some large man was stuffing the boy into a large sack, while Fen was standing nearby, holding a candle and saying something, while motioning towards the sack. ¡°Told... would.... 10 gold... lie....¡± Sallie could barely make out the words, but she was too busy covering her mouth, trying to keep from screaming. However, she almost did scream, when the bald man lunged toward Fen, a dagger gleaming in the night. Almost mercilessly, the dagger ripped into Fen''s neck, leaving the man clutching his neck and stumbling, before collapsing to the ground and going still.


    Sallie stayed frozen, watching the bald man finish stuffing the boy into the sack and sling the large parcel over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes, before walking off. She felt her heart racing as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. More than that, she remembered what her mother had told her before she came to the city: to see and hear as little as possible. However, something in Sallie wouldn''t let her forget the boy. He was about the same age as one of her younger brothers.


    Lowering her hands, she let out the breath she had been holding before grabbing her cloak on her way to her room''s door. Sallie didn''t know what was going on and she wasn''t some glorious Temple knight, but she also couldn''t just ignore what she had witnessed. Sallie just hoped she could remember the way to Mistress Carlen''s home.

 Side Story 4: Minion and Demon Warlock

    Minion''s Reasons


    Walking through the dark warren of the slums, Jed ignored the feel of the body in the sack as it bounced on his shoulders. He had done this enough times that he was almost numb to the feeling. He remembered the first time he had been told to dispose of a body and how much fear he had felt as he hauled the dead woman through the dark streets, always afraid some nosy guardsman would become suspicious. Thankfully, they never had. He had thought he had been lucky the next few times, but Jed knew now that most of the night watch had been on the pay roll of the council even back then. That had allowed him to do their dirty work without too many problems.


    However, the work had turned more and more disgusting and frustrating, especially having to deal with the madman over the last three years. It had started with some whores and a few street scum, who wouldn¡¯t be missed. However, the madman had instead found interest in the street rats. So, Jed was left dealing with scum to meet the quota. It didn¡¯t help that the damn councilors, being the parasites they were, just told Jed to keep the madman happy. Honestly, Jed was sick and tired of the work, but he knew too much to quit. If he did, there was a good chance he would end up dead, chopped up, and carted out to be dumped outside the city. It was the nature of the job, unfortunately.


    However, he could feel things in the city changing. There was fear in the air, but this time it was coming from the council. The five, decadent old fools had reached too far by involving the count''s eldest son in their fun. It didn''t help that the popinjay already had a bad reputation, but his involvement with the council''s waywardness had brought back the second son to the city.


    Jed felt the sudden chill that ran up his spine as he considered the fallout so far. The city was like an ants nest that suddenly got stepped on. People were scurrying this way and that, trying to stay out of the way of the count''s new heir. It had only taken one day for the change in status to be decided and for the elder son to be confined to his quarters in the central keep. The city councilors were also going crazy, trying to hide everything they had done.


    However, as he entered the courtyard of a run down house, he scowled thinking of the madman. The bastard continued do what he wanted, only demanding more from Jed. It was like the man was a monster in human skin, fixated on his desires and the evil that he bred within his soul. Jed had thought of running to the countryside many times, but each time, something had compelled him to stay. It had been like an invisible rope tying him to the madman. Jed wasn''t a fool. He knew he had been magicked and that if wanted to survive, he had to serve the monster loyally. The other ''choice'' was to become a sack of chewed on bones. Making his way into the basement of the house, Jed finally caught sight of the monster and his ''workplace.'' Jed ducked his bald head, avoiding looking at monster in human skin and shakily said, ¡°I''ve brought the boy, master...¡±


    Demon Warlock''s Madness


    Kor watched as the large lackey left the basement, almost scurrying away like a cat with its tail on fire. It was amusing yet normal, as most mundane fools would tremble and scream at the sight of all the blood that covered the basement. However, Kor sneered, wondering if they understood how everything had to be just right for the ceremony. The summoning circle had to be properly drawn to establish the boundaries for the summoned creature. The right amount of sacrifices had to be made before hand in order to allow for the veil between the two planes to be weakened. More than that, the blood and mana stones in the summoning circle were necessary to draw the demon''s attention. He had been busy for close to two days to get everything carefully arranged.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    It was all a rigorous process, unlike what those Temple fools and the wizards thought. Kor snarled, thinking about how people only thought of those like him as mindless monsters and labeled him as evil. It almost seemed like they ignored all the other ''monsters'' in society. Kor then laughed, wondering how else he could have gotten everything he wanted in this beautiful city. He had more money than he had ever heard of, when he had just been a poor, new ''Awakened.¡± He had more influence now than when he had just been a weak mercenary. Moreover, he now had access to more sacrifices than when he had been skulking in piss poor villages. It was all thanks to those in the city and their greed. Kor felt his lips stretch as he knew he was smiling. He had been told on some occasions, that his smile was terrifying like a monster''s, but Kor couldn''t help wonder if he was the only monster. At least he had a purpose.


    Taking a deep breath, Kor felt refreshed as the metallic smell of the blood stimulated his desires again. It was almost time, and with the final sacrifice here, Kor knew he was just one final step away from becoming a 4<sup>th</sup> level warlock. Untying the bag, he dragged out the ''street rat'' with the delicious ''smell'' coming off of him. Kor had noticed that ''smell'' a couple of weeks ago, when he had visited the various gangs, browsing and examining their products. The black haired boy''s soul had been strong, something that very few were born with, and it had been tantalizing. That was enough for a proper final sacrifice to bind the new demon properly to fuel Kor''s promotion to the 4<sup>th</sup> tier.


    Dragging the relatively, light body over to one side of the summoning circle, Kor felt the ecstasy building up in himself. It had taken him years to get to this point. Raising his tier as an apprentice warlock had been relatively easy, especially since he had originally ''Awakened'' as a wizard, though one with a very weak talent. However, once he reached the journeyman tiers as a demon warlock, it had almost become impossible to go further. There was more involved than just some peasant sacrifices and gold. Not only did his very soul have to constantly fight the hunger and madness coming from the demonic souls he had bound to himself, he also had to satisfy their desires, both physical and metaphysical in nature.


    Thinking of the councilor''s and their ''celebrations,'' Kor giggled at how easy the physical desires part had been. However, he scowled, remembering how difficult it had been to sway the council''s greed in the direction Kor had wanted. It had almost been a daunting process, until the Temple had remained strangely quiet. Kor had doubts about what the righteous fools had planned, but it didn''t matter anymore. He was almost finished.


    Shaking in excitement, he cast <Demonic Eyes> to check up on the boy''s soul one last time. To his surprise, it was much stronger than before. It only took him a moment to realize, the boy had ''Awakened.'' His hands trembling, Kor broke out laughing. ¡°Hahahahah... Fortune''s with me today!¡± He felt excited as he knew the sacrifice would succeed, and he would become 4<sup>th</sup> tier. Inside him, he also felt the hunger from the demons he had bound before, as their desire leaked into his own emotions, mixing together until they were one.


    However, he kept enough of his senses to remember that he had much to do. The final spell to summon the new demon still had to be cast, and the foolish lackey from earlier needed to be sent elsewhere to avoid any issues. More than that, he had to remember to properly bind the boy, both physically and magically to avoid any damage he could cause. But all that was nothing but some effort. Hugging himself in exhilaration, Kor knew a new day was upon him and all his plans had finally come to fruition.

 Side Story 5: Wizards Patience

    The Wizard''s Patience


    Wizard Argentus Felwood stood motionless on top of the three story building, his figure almost blending into the darkness. Moonlight was sparse, but even so, he watched the city before him, waiting patiently. He felt the desire to search the city and even demand for the city guard to carry out the search, but a lifetime of discipline kept his emotions in check. He knew that no one would take action, not without direct evidence and definitely not for a ''street rat.''


    He scowled remembering the scene in the central castle keep, when Mistress Carlen had shown up, almost breathless. The news about the boy being kidnapped from her tavern and her worker''s betrayal had been almost been too much for the lady in one night. It had shown how fragile the human mind can be, when a blow is struck correctly. Argentus knew enough about such blows, having spent a life time clawing up to where he was.


    Sighing, he remembered his young companion''s reaction. ¡°Felwood, he''s just some street rat. We have more important things that need to be considered.¡± Lord Talon Arwensen had been a good companion for the last decade or so, and Argentus had watched the young man grow up to become a fine warrior, having reached the mid tier ranks with determination and perseverance. However, Argentus knew the man had the usual ''noble'' weaknesses, many of them in his prejudices and his priorities.


    However, there were too many things at stake. Something horrifying was loose in the city and had been for years, from what they had learned. In fact, it had been almost obvious to Argentus the moment he had cast <Soul Perception> on some of the city''s dignitaries. The disgusting, red miasma surrounding a few of the men had been enough to indicate that they had been involved with something from the chaotic planes. That wasn''t enough to condemn them, as there was a long list of causes for such an influence including cursed artifacts and exotic poisons. Forcefully questioning them had also been out of the question, considering how much authority they held within the city.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    So, in the end, Argentus was left investigating the city. What he found, however, had shocked him. The corruption in law and order and the disrepair of much of the city was pushing it well towards a pit of despair, which was a perfect breeding ground for some types of ''Professionals.'' Worse yet, it had all only happened in maybe five or so years, which stunk of some hidden guiding hand. Even the Temples, who should have involved themselves in such an obvious mess, had stayed quiet for some reason.


    However, he had not made much progress, considering how little time he had been in the city so far. In some ways, that was why Argentus was thankful for the boy providing the final clues to figure out who or what was most likely behind all this. Clenching his jaw tightly, Argentus scowled as he recalled his last battle with a Demon Warlock. That bastard had been already in the mid tier levels and had literally been able to fuel his half a dozen, bound demons using the bodies and souls of those around him as sacrifices. The battle had been brutal, causing the large village they had fought in to literally loose the majority of it inhabitants and be abandoned soon after.


    Wizard Argentus hoped the Demon Warlock that was most likely in this city was nowhere near that powerful. If he was, then it would be a disaster unless the bastard was caught unprepared in the middle of one of his or her ceremonies. Unfortunately, finding the warlock was like looking for a needle in a haystack in a city, and Argentus could not use prophecy type spells, since he had not reached high tier levels. That was why Argentus was instead waiting, while letting his soul and mana reinforced body resonate with his surroundings. The moment he felt a large mana fluctuation, he would know that someone had used a major spell or completed a powerful magic ceremony. It was possible he could even determine which direction to search, and through the process was faulty and imprecise, but he couldn''t think of any other way. So, he waited patiently, ready to strike if and when the moment came and just hoped the boy would find a way to survive to see an end to all this.

 Volume 2 Prologue: A Year Later

    The dark basement was very familiar. He remembered it well, having been imprisoned here before, but he couldn''t understand why he was back here again. Not only that, he was once again tied up and lying before the magic circle, where the horrifying demon was once again drooling watching him. On the other side of the barrier entrapping the demon, the demon warlock was continuing his unholy chant slowly binding the monster to the warlock''s soul. Val knew all this, having learned it from his new master, but he didn''t understand what he was doing back in this place. He knew he had already killed the warlock and escaped the demon long ago.


    However, reality told him that he was back in that dreadful night, once again on the verge of being sacrificed. It would have been daunting, but he wasn''t the same Val that he had been before. He was now a mage apprentice, and even if he wasn''t more powerful than the demon warlock, he knew how to destroy the warlock''s plans and kill the bastard. Centering himself, he summoned his Magic Core, preparing to reinforce his body with mana to disturb the barrier like he had before.


    He waited, but nothing happened. No warmth flooded his body, and no familiar dark sphere appeared in his mind. Val felt stunned for a moment, confusion and eventually fear filling his body. He willed himself to summon his Magic Core, eventually even begging behind his gag for it to show up. However, nothing helped. He was left breathing heavily as he struggled desperately on the blood stained floor even as the demon warlock finished successfully intoning the sacrificial spell.


    Val felt his heart beat heavily and sweat pour down his face, as he watched the demon slip out of the barrier, snarling but almost tame compared to before. The demon warlock''s face lit up in a horrifying grin, as he pointed at Val saying, ¡°The final one...¡± Almost as though let off its leash, the creature sprung at Val, its jaws wide open with its serrated teeth gleaming in the dark and its vile saliva splashing everywhere.


    Then, he awoke, flailing and choking on a harsh grunt. It took a bit for his hazy mind to clear, but as Val threw off his woolen blanket, he felt the sweat cooling on his back. Val remembered where he was, and the bed and the room he was in gave him some comfort, proving that he had just been dreaming. However, his trembling arms and rapid heart beat told him how vivid that dream had been, almost like it had happened.


    Slowly slipping out from the bed onto the cool stone floor, he walked past his desk and book shelf, filled with precious books and magic paraphernalia. He ignored the simple magic wand that rested in its holder, alongside his small wardrobe of clothes. Instead, he made his way to the window, its wooden shutters closed but still leaking some light. Opening them brought fresh air into the stale room, calming him and giving him a clear view of the familiar City of Albreit from the lord''s central keep. He could clearly see the nobles'' district with its fancy mansions and clear streets and even parts of the merchant''s district with its many stores and businesses. Beyond them, he thought he could almost visualize the slums, the market, and all the other parts of the city.


    He took a deep breath, remembering those frantic few days in those places from almost a year go. Even now, he wondered how he had survived back then and in many ways come out better than most. In fact, it taken a full year for the city to fully recover from the purge that took place that day, and even now, Val only had some idea of all the back room dealings that had taken place when the presence of the dead demon warlock was revealed. However, Val knew the politics involved was beyond his current reach, and his main concern was his magic. Recalling his nightmare, he knew that only when he was strong enough, could he protect himself from what this world had to throw at him.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Turning to look back at his table with his personal spell book lying on it, he wondered what spells he should choose to memorize for the day. Being a first level wizard, he had a total of five, tier I spell slots and two, tier II spell slots. It was one, tier I spell slot more than most normal wizards had at his level, but it wasn''t too uncommon as, according to his master, it was probably a gift form the world''s Magic Source, which was the origin and controller of all magic that existed in the world.


    Of course, all that wasn''t counting the soul spell he had obtained when he ''Awakened'' a year ago. Thinking about the soul spell, he wondered for the hundredth time whether he should tell his master about it. His master had mentioned that only a handful of wizards would ever gain a soul spell in their long lives. It was a gifted spell, permanently etched in a ''Professional''s'' soul, which resided in their Magic Core. That had been the ''silver dot'' that had appeared in his ''dark sphere,'' when he ''Awakened.'' However, recalling what he had learned of the spell and comparing it to what knowledge he had gained about magic in the last year, he knew that his soul spell was well beyond ''normal'' in a world where magic was normal.


    Shaking off the uncertainty he felt, he summoned his Magic Core, letting the warmth of the mana spread through his body. In his ''mind''s eye,'' he saw the familiar dark sphere with the silver dot still swimming around in the sphere. However, it was no longer alone as colorful, geometric patterns covered the Mana Core, surrounding a total of seven filled and empty slots. From what he saw, the tier II magic slots were surrounded a little bit more densely than the tier I''s.


    Master Argentus had told Val that Magic Core appeared differently to different wizards, with some resembling things trees, webs, animals, and even people. Supposedly, the shape or appearance of the core also influenced to some degree what type of magic a wizard could eventually specialize in. Something like Val''s Magic Core meant he probably was a good all-rounder.


    In any case, Val focused on most of the filled magic slots, wondering what to do, He had gone to bed with some spells already memorized, as it been drilled into his mind that a wizard was always prepared. Eventually, he decided to keep a few as they were, abandoning some, and then deciding to use one of the spells. All it took was a quick decision to select the spell, and he cast <Self Cleanse>, a tier I spell to quickly clean himself. Almost immediately, he felt some of his mana drain and a slightly tingly sensation cover his body, before he saw a thin waft of white smoke scatter from his body.


    It might have looked simple to anyone watching, but only Val knew how long it taken him to study the various ancient languages to be able to understand the spell, to eventually memorize it, and then to successfully cast it without screwing it up and causing a mana backlash. Looking back at his spell book, he wondered why such a simple spell required an entire page of ancient High Elven text. Sighing and shrugging off his usual complaints, he sat down at his desk, getting ready to start what had become his daily morning routine over the last year.